Saturday, November 8, 2014

My Louisiana Sky

My Louisiana Sky
by Kimberly Willis Holt
8931199
{Goodreads}
Tiger wants nothing more than to get out of her small town, Saitter, Louisiana. She wants to get away from the responsibility of taking care of her mentally disabled mother, from the fact that her father is "dumb" and can barely read, and faraway from her classmates who constantly make fun of her and her family. When she finally gets the opportunely to leave the town, she thinks that it's finally her way out. Little does she know of the dark secrets of her family that makes her make a decision that will forever change her life. Based in the 1950s, this book tells the story of a young girl who finally realizes how lucky she actually is.


My Review
This book is definitely one of my favs now! It was such an amazing novel! Even through her struggles, Tiger shows us that there is beauty in everything, you just have to look hard enough. :) I know this review isn't very long, but that just means that I loved it so much that I didn't have to even criticize it. ;)

Romance: None.
Violence: None. 
Language:  None.
 Genre: Fiction, Life.
Age: 8 and up.

5 stars!!
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Brown Girl Dreaming

Brown Girl Dreaming
by Jacqueline Woodson
Brown Girl Dreaming
{Goodreads}
Written in verse, this book tells the story of the author's childhood. Spending her life in warm South Carolina and busy New York, she has never known what a "home" even is. Since the time is based in the 60s/70s it shows what life was like for a African American child in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement.


My Review
Oh my...This book was just...soooo good! It was beautifully told and left me in awe of Jacqueline Woodson's writing. It was written in free-verse (which is one of my all time favorite writing styles), and it showed me that anyone can tell their story. It doesn't matter if there's lots of words in a book. What's really important is how you use the small ones. This book was perfection! I definitely recommend it!

Romance: None.
Violence: None. 
Language:  None.
 Genre: Free-verse, Life.
Age: 9 and up.

5 stars!!
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Saturday, September 20, 2014

Legend

Legend
by Marie Lu
9275658
{Goodreads}
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation that's at war with their neighbors. In this society, when a child turns 10 they must take a test to see where they rank in life. If they score high they'll have a nice life with a good job. If they score low, they are sent to work camps or sent to the slums. 15 year old June, was born into a rich distract and is the prodigy of the Republic. She went to the best schools, stayed in her perfect home, and lived a comfortable life. She's always been highly respected by all Republic officials. 15 year old Day was born in the slums and is the the country's most wanted criminal. Are his motives really as bad as they seems? The two teens come from totally different worlds and have never met...until now. When tragedy strikes, slowly everything begins to change. Is the Republic as perfect as it seem?


My Review
I loved this book!!! If you like Divergent, Matched, or The Giver then this book is for you! I loved the characters and how it had both their point of views. I really enjoyed it and I couldn't stop reading it!
There are so many secrets just waiting to be uncovered in this book. June to me was like a girl Sherlock. She noticed every single detail. I thought that was so cool. She also was awesome at fighting which came in handy at times. Then there's Day. He was actually a really caring guy. If you haven't read this yet, why not try it out?

Romance: Yes. Just some kissing. It's a little descriptive though.  
Violence: Yep. 
Language:  Yes.
 Genre: Sci-fi, Alternate Society, Romance.
Age: 11 and up.

5 stars!!
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Friday, September 19, 2014

Delirium

Delirium
by Lauren Oliver
11614718
{GoodReads}
Ninety-five days, and then she'll be safe. She'll finally be cured from deliria. Love is the cause of suicide, heartbreak, and madness or so her society says. Lena along with everyone else is taught that love is a disease and that they will be cured by having surgery at 18 and they can finally be cured citizens. Something happens that changes Lena's perception on what love really is. Is deliria really as bad as it seems?


My Review
Okay, so hear me out. Before I tell you why I didn't like this book, I'll tell you some of its good aspects. It was well written and I think the author's idea was great. A world without love really makes you think. So when I started reading I was really enjoying it. After a while it got really slow and the romance got more in depth The author was very descriptive as I said before, but when it comes to romance I'd like it be brief. I would of much rather learned more about their society than their lovey-dovey relationship.
via

 I actually stopped reading it. That's something I try to never do. That's like, an unwritten rule in the book for bookworms, but I had to break it. It got to a part where the romance got a little gross. So I just abruptly stopped. I was really disappointed in this book. I was so depressed to see the book that I had so many high hopes for not be good at all.
 Remember that this is just my opinion, so if you like this book, that's totally fine.
 It just wasn't the book for me.

Romance: Yes, read above for detail.  
Violence: Slow-running but it can be violent.
Language:  Yes!
 Genre: Sci-fi, Alternate Society, Romance.
Age: 12 and up.

Two stars.
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Friday, September 5, 2014

Allegiant

Allegiant
by Veronica Roth
17383918

The society that Tris once trusted, is now shattered by violence and power hungry leaders. All the losses and betrayals, still run vividly in her mind. When she's offered a chance to leave her broken society and explore what is beyond it, she knows she's ready. She hopes that her new life will bring contentment and simplicity, hoping to forget the horrible memories, lost friendships, and lies that hold her back. Tris's new life is even more alarming then the one of her past. She is faced with complicated decisions that will change her life forever. She soon understands the meaning of courage, sacrifice, and love.


My Review
Before Reading:

via
After Reading:
description
via
Oh. My. Goodness.
This book was amazing! I have to say, at the end I was so, so sad! I was left in shock, and tried to hide my fictional book grief. I was extremely happy when I got the book. I mean, I was expecting so much from the final book and a little wary of how it would end. I was desperately sad when it ended but at the same time I was content with it. As you can see from the gifs above it is a great book, but is definitely an emotional read. Something did "happen" in this book I think, concerning romance. If you're like me, you quickly skip through those parts and move on. I feel like this book didn't have quite as much violence as the others ones did. It was a little calmer with less killing and such.

~If you have read the book select the text below to uncover some spoilers~
I can't believe she's dead!! She's actually gone!!! I was in such shock, I can not even describe it! When she sees her mother when she has already passed, I was crying like a baby! Uriah....he's dead too!! So much dying (more like so much killing)! I felt soooo bad for Four! When he saw Tris and started crying...unbearable!


Romance: Yes, read above for detail.  
Violence: Yes!
Language:  A little.
 Genre: Sci-fi, Alternate Society.
Age: 12 and up.

I believe it deserves four stars. :)
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Thursday, September 4, 2014

Insurgent

Insurgent
by Veronica Roth
Insurgent (Divergent, #2)

Tris's initiation day should have been a happy celebration, but the day ends with unspeakable horrors. War is at the verge of happening and factions are against other factions. In the time of war they must make a powerful choice to choose which side they're on. Tris, now haunted with grief, must embrace her Divergence even though the danger is extreme, and it will put her life at risk. Relationships are tested, secrets are uncovered, and life with never be the same for her society.

My Review
Okay, so I really liked this book!! To me it didn't have quite as much romance in it  like Divergent, but the violence was pretty much the same. The story starts off right where it ended in the first book. It was action packed but also had a deeper side to it. Everyone is changed by what the Erudite did, Tris especially. If you read the first book then you know what I mean. She is extremely depressed about horrible things that happened and has endless regret of what she has done. Even though this book was awesome, it wasn't quite as good as the first, which I suspected. It was definitely a great read and had a great story to it. 


Romance: Yes, read above for detail.  
Violence: Yes!
Language:  A little.
 Genre: Sci-fi, Alternate Society.
Age: 12 and up.

I believe it deserves four stars. :)
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Monday, September 1, 2014

Beware, Princess Elizabeth

Beware, Princess Elizabeth
by Carolyn Meyer 

Princess Elizabeth's father (King Henry VIII) is dead. Her sister Mary is made queen, and Mary will stop at nothing to make Elizabeth's life miserable. She is imprisoned by Queen Mary and must follow her every command. She even has to follow a religion that she does not believe in. Elizabeth is trying to stay alive so that one day she can rule her beloved England.

My Review
I very much enjoyed this book. I have always been interested in Princess Elizabeth's life and her story. This gives you a sneak peek of what it was like for young Elizabeth. This is apart of the Young Royals series and wasn't a very large book.

Romance: Some but none of it is inappropriate
Violence: Some
Language: Some but was not considered a cuss word in that time
Genre: Adventure, Romance, Historical fiction, Mystery, Adventure
Age: 10 and up
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Sunday, August 17, 2014

Divergent

Divergent
by Veronica Roth

In Beatrice Prior's society, 16 year old's are divided up into five factions. There's Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Amity (the peaceful), Dauntless (the brave), and Erudite (the intelligent).  If you choose the faction you are not from, you don't get to see your family again. When she takes her test to determine which factor that would be right for her, a very unlikely thing happens. Now she must choose which faction to go to. Her decision even surprises herself. Her life changes drastically, and it will never ever be the same.


My Review
Okay, so I'm going to be very blunt with you in this review. I might mention things that may not be appropriate for young children. Now I'll continue. :)
So this book had an amazing story line to it! I love alternate society books, so this was right up my alley!! I loved the characters and the author made me feel like I was actually there.. I'm not even joking. It felt like I jumped right into Beatrice's shoes and was somehow a part of her life. Weird, I know.
Anyways, I read this book in about a day and it was close to 500 pages. I could not put it down!!!
But,
there were some parts in it. Like naughty scenes, I guess you could say. Nothing actually "happened" though (if you know what I mean). Let's just say it was a bit to descriptive when it got to the romance scenes. I was glad though, that they didn't make that the main focus of the book. I'm a very cautious reader so I thought I would share this info since I would've loved to have known that when I was reading it. I sorta skimmed over those parts so it wasn't that bad. I guess, mostly it was just intense kissing.
 Nonetheless, it was a great book and I hope the romance part above doesn't scare you from it.
Next comes,
Violence.
It was a violent book. I don't think it was quite as violent as The Hunger Games though. (I haven't read The Hunger Games, so I'm just guessing.) I normally don't read violent books, but this one I could actually handle. Though, I will never look at a butter knife the same...again! lol! Even though it was violent I still liked it which really surprised me! I am not the sort of girl who reads the new, popular books but I was really curious about this one. So I read it and really enjoyed it.

For those who have already read it, select the blankish, pink text below as if you are going to copy it. This is how you can see what I thought of it.
I loved the book! Ugh, butter knife!?! Anywho, I was so sad when she accidentally killed Will!! I was so sad! The way the author wrote made me feel like I was experiencing everything! It will take me a while to function in our real society now. ;) 

Romance: Yes, read above for detail.  
Violence: Yes!
Language:  A little.
 Genre: Sci-fi, Alternate Society.
Age: 12 and up.

I believe it deserves four stars. Haha, Four! *inside joke* I would of rated it higher if there wasn't as much romance/violence stuff in it.
Read more »

Friday, August 15, 2014

Inside Out & Back Again

Inside Out & Back Again
 by Thanhha Lai


{Google image}

Hà is a little girl you lives in Vietnam. Soon, the Vietnam War gets closer and closer to her home in Saigon. Many of their friends and neighbors are leaving to escape the war. After Saigon's fall in 1975,  Hà and her family are forced to leave there beloved country and travel to a place where they can be safe. They soon end up in Alabama. Hà has no idea what to make of this strange place. Everything is different, and everyone seems to not like her. Will she ever feel at home in this strange land?



Okay, so I absolutely loved this book! It is written in free-verse.
If you don't know what that is,
it is written like
a poem.
Like how I am writing,
right now.
This book did not have any bad language in it and was a book that everyone would enjoy.  If you like books with a little bit of history and culture, then you'll absolutely love this! The rich language is something you can really savor in this book. I read this book in about 2 hours or less. 
So it wasn't a hard read!

Romance: None.  
Violence: A tiny bit.
Language:  None
 Genre: Historical Fiction.
Age: 8 and up.

Read more »

Make Lemonade

Make Lemonade
by Virginia Euwer Wolff

{Google image}

LaVaughn is a fourteen year old girl who is determined to go to college once she has enough money.  When she starts babysitting to earn extra money, she meets Jolly.Jolly is a seventeen year old single mother, with two children who both have different fathers.LaVaughn tries to help Jolly make lemonade out of the lemons in her life.

 
                          
My Review
This book was very captivating to me.
I really loved the way it was told. It was written in free-verse, which is a style I really enjoy.

Free-Verse is like this:
It is written like
a poem.
Like how I am writing,
right now.

  I have never read a book quite like this one. Most books fit into some kind of category (like mystery novels, historical, fantasy, etc.), but this one did not. To me this book was really about life. Even though life can get tough, this book teaches us how to make lemonade out of every situation. I loved the characters, and the language was so poetic and deep, yet simple. I believe it takes a very good writer to write a book like that.

Romance: No, not much.   
Violence: Nope.
Language:   I haven't read it for a while, but I know there wasn't much if not any.
 Genre: Poetic, Life, Fiction.
Age: 12 and up.

5 star rating!


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Thursday, August 14, 2014

The Book Thief

Book Thief 
by Markus Zusak

Liesel Meminger is a young girl who has no family to call her own. Her life changes when she meets her new foster parents that live outside of Munich and becomes their daughter. With the help of her foster father, she learns to read and shares the books she stole with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jew that is hidden in their basement.


My Review
This book was brilliant! The writing was flawless. I loved how poetic everything was. Liesel and Rudy had such an amazing friendship. The only bad thing was the language(as in cussing). Although most of it was in German, sometimes the swear words were in English. To me that was the only not so awesome thing in the book. There was some violence, but it was based in World War II so it was expected. It was one of those books that you can't put done but you also want it to last forever. That book made me laugh and cry and pulled me more and more into book with every word. The characters are all well described, and the book is from the point of view of an unlikely narrator. It's one of those rare pieces of  literature that can change your outlook on life and your perspective on the true meaning of love.


Romance: Some but none of it was inappropriate.      
Violence: Yes.
Language: Yes, but most are in German.  
 Genre: Adventure, Historical fiction, 
Age: 13 and up
Fav quote:
“I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.” 

“I wanted to tell the book thief many things, about beauty and brutality. But what could I tell her about those things that she didn't already know?

“The only thing worse than a boy who hates you: a boy that loves you.”




This deserves 5 stars!


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Matched

 Matched 
 by Ally Condie


This book is all about a girl named Cassia. She always believed that the Society she lived in was perfect. In the Society, the people in charge decide when you marry, who you marry, and even when you die. On the day she is matched, she is amazed when she is matched with friend her Xander. They've known each other since they were young. But when she starts to fall in love with someone else, she begins to not trust the Society as much as she did before. Are things really as perfect as they appear to be?



I absolutely loved this book.  It's one of those different society books like, Divergent, The Giver, The Hunger Games, and others. It was so cool to be taken into this society where. The romance was sweet but not overbearing like some. I loved the characters and I could not put it down! I think I read it in like a day or so. It's one of those books I would glad read over and over again. :) If you like alternate society books then you should totally read this. There's not much violence and there's no cussing either(which is a plus)!

Romance: The only romance in it was a kiss or two.    
Violence: Not much.
Language:  None.
 Genre: Adventure, Different Society, Mystery, Romance.
Age: 12 and up.

I believe this book deserves a 5 star rating!



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Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Mary, Bloody Mary





Hello and welcome to my book review site. It may be a little bare right now, but that will soon change. Thanks for stopping by. :)

Mary, Bloody Mary
 by Carolyn Meyer 

Princess Mary Tudor has lived in a grand palace ever since she was born. She has beautiful gowns, jewels and goes to magnificent parties. Her life begins to change drastically when King Henry VII, (Mary's father) who had once treasured his daughter, now banishes her. She is forced to live in a lonely, cold place without her money, fine new clothes and is even without her mother. Her father seems bewitched by another woman, and her mother is forced to leave the castle as well. Mary hopes this is all just a big mistake or a nightmare that she hasn't awoken from yet. But when her father abandons the queen, marries the bewitching woman and has a child with her, all hope seems lost. She is forced to work as a servant and is a prisoner in her own home. What will become of young Mary?


My Review
I loved this book! It really made me understand some of the things that Mary Tudor went through in her childhood and how it affected her in her later life. It's one of those engrossing, historical reads you can't put down! 

Romance: Some but none of it is inappropriate       
Violence: A little, but very mild.
Language: Some but is not considered a cuss word in that time.       
 Genre: Adventure, Historical fiction, Mystery.
Age: 11 and up



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