My Louisiana Sky

My Louisiana Sky

by Kimberly Willis Holt

{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

{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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Legend

Legend

by Marie Lu

{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!

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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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Delirium

Delirium

by Lauren Oliver

{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.

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 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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Allegiant

Allegiant

by Veronica Roth

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:

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After Reading:

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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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Insurgent

Insurgent

by Veronica Roth

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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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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