Splintered (Splintered #1)

Author: A.G. Howard

Publication Date: January 1st, 2013

Pages: 371

Synopsis:

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

Genre: Fantasy

Review:

     

     Wow. I just realized, this is a series, and a new one at that! I guess I'll just have to wait for Unhinged to come out. I love the cover so much!!!! Morpheus!!! Okay, I should probably start the review shouldn't I? 

     First off, Splintered was amazingly beautiful, it made me want to cry then laugh then throw the book across the room. I loved it sooo much! I was expecting it to be an amateur book, nothing special.  I was so wrong. It was magical, spell-binding, mesmerizing, heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, and the most wild ride of a life time!

     Alyssa was a strong character, but at times I felt as if she were too much of a damsel in distress kind of character. At other times when Jeb or Morpheus weren't around she could take care of herself just fine. When she was around them, she was like a desperate preppy girl, only at times! I still loved the love triangle even if it's so cliche. I knew that Morpheus obviously wasn't going to end up with her even though I know he wanted to. Morpheus always gets his way, but not with Alyssa.

    I also really liked how Alyssa's mom was also a big part of this and her condition that was explained at the end of the book. She really gave some background information surrounding Alyssa's family's history.  All she wanted to do was protect Alyssa and Alyssa ended up protecting herself and her mom.

      I really liked how A.G. Howard reinvented Wonderland. Her idea for the Hatter was really clever, even though it was super creepy. It was creative. Speaking of creativity, I thought that the way she continued the story of Alice and all that happened to her. Really, truly, fabulous ingenuity.

     Lastly, I really, really liked Jeb. He's so sweet and caring and protective of Alyssa and I thought he was very smart for dumping his preppy girlfriend just so he could be with Alyssa.  So adorably cliche, but I like cliche.  Overall, this book was truly amazing, so with that...

Rating: ★★★★★

Happy Reading,

Alivia :)

Fear (Gone #5)

Author: Michael Grant

Publication Date: April 3rd, 2012

Pages: 509

Synopsis:

It's been one year since all the adults disappeared. Gone.

Despite the hunger and the lies, even despite the plague, the kids of Perdido Beach are determined to survive. Creeping into the tenuous new world they've built, though, is perhaps the worst incarnation yet of the enemy known as the Darkness: fear.

Within the FAYZ, life breaks down while the Darkness takes over, literally—turning the dome-world of the FAYZ entirely black. In darkness, the worst fears of all emerge, and the cruelest of intentions are carried out. But even in their darkest moments, the inhabitants of the FAYZ maintain a will to survive and a desire to take care of the others in their ravaged band that endures, no matter what the cost.

Fear, Michael Grant's fifth book in the bestselling dystopian Gone series, will thrill readers . . . even as it terrifies them.

Genre: Science Fiction

     Truth to be told, this review is a review after the second time I read this book, so it's going to be more about me saying how much I love this book.  Because, after all, Fear is my all time favorite book of all time. That's right, two all times.

    Firstly, this book was seriously a very, very dark book, in more ways than one.  I mean with everything that happened to Cigar, Penny, Caine, Gaia, Taylor, Diana, and Astrid this book is pretty messed up.  Especially, Cigar and Taylor. Whenever I think of them I just shudder.  Cigar did not deserve that bad of a punishment and Little Pete did not need to go around "perfecting" people. Shudder, shudder. 

     The ending was the best part ever!  I can read the last three chapters over and over and over and still have the same feeling of wanting to cry/laugh/scream/throw my book across my room.  It was that good.

      I mainly read this book again for Light, (I'm writing this after I read Light) and I'm glad I did because it turns out I forgot a lot. Like how  the coyote eat a bunch of kids and Howard... Anyways... I really love Orc.  He was such a bad person at the beginning of the series, the first to commit murder. Then as of Fear he was believing in God and repenting against all of the things he used to do.  I. Love. Orc.

      Since you know that I love this book so much the rating that I give it is probably pretty obvious. Catch ya later brah!

Rating: ★★★★★

Happy Reading,

Alivia :)

P.S. I usually do not say brah, but I wanted to make a reference to Quinn's talk.

Wither (1# Chemical Garden Trilogy)

Author: Lauren Destefano

Date Published: March 22nd, 2011

Pages: 358

Synopsis:

     By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children. When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out?

     Together with one of Linden's servants, Gabriel, Rhine attempts to escape just before her seventeenth birthday. But in a world that continues to spiral into anarchy, is there any hope for freedom?

Genre: Dystopian Romance

My Review:

     Wither is another dystopian romance that have become oh-so-very popular, but Wither is not just another dystopian romance, it is a wonderful, dark, plot-twisting novel.  I greatly enjoyed Wither it fulfilled all my expectations and then more, the writing was beautiful and elegant.  Lauren Destefano definitely has the magic touch when it comes to writing.  But, there were some things that I wasn't too happy with.
     For example, the whole idea of polygamy never quite appealed to me.  I guess in this situation it was nice to have some other women characters to go with the main character Rhine.  Other than them, it's pretty much all guys, for the first book anyways. Another thing that bothered me was that the weather in the book never made sense. Two hurricanes within the span of a weeks while it's so cold you can see your breathe in between the two storms.  I don't know about you but, I always thought that hurricanes were a warm weather storm. Just saying. I'm done nit-picking now because this really is a great book.
     Rhine actually was a very nice character, I especially like her name. (It was funny because we were just learning about the Rhine River when I Wither) She was strong and well-developed. Though, at  times, she kind of got a little annoying with all talk of her home and how she just couldn't wait to see her brother again. I would want to see my brother too if I was kidnapped, but I feel that it was a little overplayed.
     Cecily and Jenna, Rhine's sisterwives, I actually liked, Jenna at least.  I felt bad for Cecily because their husband, Linden, was always taking advantage of her and not even caring that she was 13 years old and pregnant.  In all ways, Cecily was way too young to be in the place that she was, but that's just how it was.  
     Jenna was different. Both her and Rhine were always looking out for Cecily and advising her about things, helping her.  What happens to her is so cruel, it's that doctor's fault.  Speak of the devil,  Housemaster Vaughn was a deranged scientist bent of wreaking havoc for the sisterwives. All of his actions come to make sense in the last book, but I still don't like him.
     Last of all, Gabriel, my favorite. He's so sweet, and I love how him and Rhine fall for each other.  He was always such a good listener and then later in the book, he was all she wanted.  It's so adorable!  Again, with the sappy cliche relationships always get me.  And with that, I give this book the rating it rightfully deserves...

Rating: ★★★★★

Happy Reading,

Alivia

Crank (#1 in the Crank Trilogy)

Author: Ellen Hopkins

Date Published: October 5th, 2004

Pages: 537

Synopsis:

     In Crank, Ellen Hopkins chronicles the turbulent and often disturbing relationship between Kristina, a character based on her own daughter, and the "monster," the highly addictive drug crystal meth, or "crank." Kristina is introduced to the drug while visiting her largely absent and ne'er-do-well father. While under the influence of the monster, Kristina discovers her sexy alter-ego, Bree: "there is no perfect daughter, / no gifted high school junior, / no Kristina Georgia Snow. / There is only Bree." Bree will do all the things good girl Kristina won't, including attracting the attention of dangerous boys who can provide her with a steady flow of crank. 

     Soon, her grades plummet, her relationships with family and friends deteriorate, and she needs more and more of the monster just to get through the day. Kristina hits her lowest point when she is raped by one of her drug dealers and becomes pregnant as a result. Her decision to keep the baby slows her drug use, but doesn't stop it, and the author leaves the reader with the distinct impression that Kristina/Bree may never be free from her addiction.

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Review: 

      When I first picked up Crank, I thought, Yet another amazingly depressing Ellen Hopkins book. Then I started reading.  I was confused for the first 50 stanzas or so. After that, I realized how depressing this book is really going to be.  

     Kristina Snow was an amazing student who cared about her family and friends, that all changed when she met the monster.  As a first impression, I really liked Kristina.  I continued to like her throughout the rest of the book, I cared about what happened to her.  In a way, I pitied her walk with the monster.  She could have been such an amazing person, but one wrong choice leads to another, leads to another.  One guy leads to another, leads to another.

      Adam was the first person to introduce Kristina to the Monster, I was slow to forgive him for it.  I thought he was a pretty good guy at first, but then he turned into a sleazy jerk.  When Kristina finally returned home, Adam told Kristina that he wanted to date other people but that he still loved her.  What kind or guy would tell a girl that?  And then there was Chase.

     Perfect Chase, sure he was walking with the monster, but at least he had a conscience.  He really loved Kristina, cared about her.  He kept on loving her, even when she cheated on him with Brendan.

        Evil Brendan, I tell you, that man is pure evil!  Kristina claims that he's just a meth connection, but what he does to her is malicious, malevolent, malignant, wicked.  I wish that he had never come into Kristina's life; he stole what was left of her innocence.  And when they all left, Kristina was left methless, I had hope for a while that she might quit. Then Robyn came into the picture.

         Skinny Robyn, turns out cheerleaders have their own way at getting skinny. Result: instant meth connection.  Robyn's a good kid, besides the whole meth deal, she could go on and be a great person if she quits now, I mean now.  Eventually, they all left.

           Now I have to stop, else I'll give away too many spoilers.  Crank was an amazing book that I will never forget.

Rating: ★★★★★

Happy Reading,

Alivia :)

Review: Unwholly (Unwind Trilogy #2)

Author: Neal Shusterman

Date Published: August 28th 2012

Pages: 416

Synopsis:

     Thanks to Connor, Lev, and Risa—and their high-profile revolt at Happy Jack Harvest Camp—people can no longer turn a blind eye to unwinding. Ridding society of troublesome teens while simltaneously providing much-needed tissues for transplant might be convenient, but its morality has finally been brought into question. However, unwinding has become big business, and there are powerful political and corporate interests that want to see it not only continue, but also expand to the unwinding of prisoners and the impoverished

.

     Cam is a product of unwinding; made entirely out of the parts of other unwinds, he is a teen who does not technically exist. A futuristic Frankenstein, Cam struggles with a search for identity and meaning and wonders if a rewound being can have a soul. And when the actions of a sadistic bounty hunter cause Cam’s fate to become inextricably bound with the fates of Connor, Risa, and Lev, he’ll have to question humanity itself.

Genre: Dystopian 

My Review: 

     I found out about the first book in this series in my math class from a boy, who ins't exactly my favorite person in the world, and he said that the book was "crazily messed up."  So naturally, being a book lover, I looked it up on Goodreads.  What I found was indeed a "crazily messed up book" where parents can legally dismember their children at the age of 13.  In the first book the main characters, Connor, Risa, and Lev, escape from being unwound. This book starts at about a couple months after the first book ended.

      So basically, Connor has been put in charge of the Graveyard and is having a tough time with it. There's a new kid named Starkey who was storked when he was a baby. (A stork is where, when a mother doesn't want her child she can have the baby then leave it on someone else's doorstep.)  He is set on trying to take over the Graveyard and get rid of Connor.  He bothers me sooooooooo much!  What he doesn't understand is, Connor does all that he can and he doesn't need other people to tell him how to do it. In the end, I am a milimeter away from hating him because of what he does with Trace and almost killing every single unwind.

     Risa is almost in a worse state then Connor. Half-way through the book she almost get herself unwound again until she gets found by Proactive Citizenry. Where she is forced to go against her will and speak for Unwinding. There she meets Cam, who is a rewind.  He was made entirely out of unwind parts, (he's the guy on the cover) Cam has a crush on Risa. She obviously still loves Connor more throughout the part she's with him, but she thinks of Cam as a friend.  

     The predicament that Lev has been put into I can't talk to much about without the book losing some of it's Shusterman charm. His family doesn't want him, so his bother Marcus and his former pastor Dan take him in.  That is the extent of my knowledge that I am willing to give you on Lev.

     Unwholly is a fast-pace page-turner that is irresistible  I couldn't put it down.

Rating:  ★★★★★

Happy Reading,
Alivia :)

Review: Promised (Birthmarked #3)

Author: Caragh M. O'Brien

Date Published: October 2nd, 2012

Pages: 304

Synopsis: 
After defying the ruthless Enclave, surviving the wasteland, and upending the rigid matriarchy of Sylum, Gaia Stone now faces her biggest challenge ever.  She must lead the people of Sylum back to the Enclave and persuade the Protectorat to grant them refuge from the wasteland.  In Gaia's absence, the Enclave has grown more cruel, more desperate to experiment on mothers from outside the wall, and now the stakes of cooperating or rebelling have never been higher.  Is Gaia ready, as a leader, to sacrifice what--or whom--she loves most?

Genre: Dystopian Fantasy

My Review:
      First off, this book was amazing.  I've been waiting for this book for almost 5 months since I finished the 2nd book of the series, Prize.  This is the final book of the series Birthmarked, which is one of my favorite series of all time, and I have to say it was superb.  
     The characters were very well developed; I never found myself thinking, Why on Earth would that character do that?  Instead, I found myself enjoying every single little thing that the character did, especially Gaia and Leon's relationship.  They are just so cute together!  I like Peter and Will, but really she has more of a history with Leon.  He pretty much sacrificed himself for her, and he ended up getting tortured.
     Another character I also found weirdly intriguing was the Protectorat.   Although he was a wickedly evil person, I found his character development done very oddly.  At some points, I just wanted to tear off his face, literally.  For example, why would a father want to even think about torturing his own son?  That is pure evil.  
     Toward the end of the book I found myself actually crying, honest to God crying, tears were streaming down my face.  I hate when authors kill off my favorite characters, or make something happen to a couple that makes it seem impossible for them to stay together.  I really can't say to much more without giving the whole book away.  Hopefully you'll enjoy the book as much as me.

Rating: ★★★★★

Happy Reading, 
Alivia :)