The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Available on Amazon

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘
Genre - Fiction, Holocaust, Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Foster Home
Format - Paperback
Length - 608 Pages

*Amazon Blurb*

When Death has a story to tell, you listen.
It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.
Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.

 

*My Review* 

 

Another book club book and also another one that was hard to get thru. Not only was this book extremely long, but in my opinion it was extremely boring too. I felt like it wasn't going anywhere at all. There was no suspense, no excitement.....nothing. The only thing that I wanted to know is what happened to the Jewish man.

I also decided to force my poor husband to watch the movie with me. I generally don't watch movies of the books I've read because, let's face it, books are better. I had heard from a couple different people that the movie was better than the book in this case. I agree and disagree at the same time. I feel that the movie gave the book a bit more desire to finish, but it also missed some parts that I feel were very necessary in understanding things.

Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined by Stephanie Meyer (Twilight Saga #1.75)

Available on Amazon

Rating (1-5) 📘📘📘📘
Genre - Teen, Young Adult, Ghost Stories, Contemporary Fantasy, Vampires, Werewolves
Format - Hardback

*Amazon Blurb*

There are two sides to every story....

You know Bella and Edward, now get to know Beau and Edythe.

When Beaufort Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edythe Cullen, his life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With her porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edythe is both irresistible and enigmatic.

What Beau doesn't realize is the closer he gets to her, the more he is putting himself and those around him at risk. And, it might be too late to turn back....

With a foreword and afterword by Stephenie Meyer, this compelling reimagining of the iconic love story is a must-read for Twilight fans everywhere.

*My Review* 

This book was a recommendation from one of my library patrons. I wasn't even aware that it existed. I am also guilty of not read the Twilight Series, but only watching the movies (which I loved).
I think it would've been easier to read it if I hadn't watched the movies because I kept picturing the characters as they were in the movie. It was hard to try and stop.
The book stays quite true to the movie with the exception of all the genders being swapped until it gets towards the end. I am glad the author changed it like she did because it was wondering the whole time if I would be left hanging to expect a sequel that wouldn't come or if maybe she was planning to write more.

A Map of Days by Ransom Riggs (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #4)

Available on Amazon

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘📘
Genre - Young Adult, Time Travel, Fiction
Format - Hardcover
Length - 496 pages

*Amazon Blurb*

Having defeated the monstrous threat that nearly destroyed the peculiar world, Jacob Portman is back where his story began, in Florida. Except now Miss Peregrine, Emma, and their peculiar friends are with him, and doing their best to blend in. But carefree days of beach visits and normalling lessons are soon interrupted by a discovery—a subterranean bunker that belonged to Jacob’s grandfather, Abe.

Clues to Abe’s double-life as a peculiar operative start to emerge, secrets long hidden in plain sight. And Jacob begins to learn about the dangerous legacy he has inherited—truths that were part of him long before he walked into Miss Peregrine’s time loop.

Now, the stakes are higher than ever as Jacob and his friends are thrust into the untamed landscape of American peculiardom—a world with few ymbrynes, or rules—that none of them understand. New wonders, and dangers, await in this brilliant next chapter for Miss Peregrine’s peculiar children. Their story is again illustrated by haunting vintage photographs, now with the striking addition of full-color images interspersed throughout for this all-new, multi-era American adventure.

*My Review* 

I have enjoyed this entire series. I love how each book picks up exactly where the last one left off. It's like you simply went to a new chapter and not a new book.
Once again Jacob and his friends are off on another adventure. They find out exactly what Abe was doing in his normal life and Jacob wants to follow along in his grandfather's footsteps. But can he do the job Abe was doing without any training and just some of his friends by his side? This time they don't even have the help of Miss Peregrine.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephanie Meyer

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner : 

An Eclipse Novella (The Twilight Saga)

by Stephanie Meyer

Availble on Amazon

Rating (1-5) 📘📘📘
Genre - Teen, Young Adult, Werewolf, Fiction, Vampire, Paranormal Romance
Format - Hardcover
Length - 178 pages

*Amazon Blurb*

Bree Tanner, a self-described "vampire nerd" first introduced in Eclipse, lives in terror in a coven of newborn vampires. She is a member of Victoria's vampire army, and as that army closes in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, she finds her first friend and discovers a truth about daylight.


*My Review* 

If you've watched any of The Twilight movies or read any of the books, then this short side story might be something to read. Though it's quite sort and a bit unnecessary, it does provide a bit of insight of how Carlisle was able to figure out what was going on with Victoria. Honestly, it's been so long since I've watched the movie (yes I watched the movies instead of reading the books), maybe it does show how Carlisle figured it out and this book is not useful at all.

Asylum by Madeleine Roux

Asylum

by Madeleine Roux

Available on Amazon

Rating (1-5) 📘📘📘📘
Genre - Teen & Young Adult, Fantasy, Supernatural, Mystery, Thrillers, Horror
Format - Hardcover
Pages - 310

*Amazon Blurb*

For sixteen-year-old Dan Crawford, the New Hampshire College Prep program is the chance of a lifetime. Except that when Dan arrives, he finds that the usual summer housing has been closed, forcing students to stay in the crumbling Brookline Dorm—formerly a psychiatric hospital. As Dan and his new friends Abby and Jordan start exploring Brookline's twisty halls and hidden basement, they uncover disturbing secrets about what really went on here . . . secrets that link Dan and his friends to the asylum's dark past. Because Brookline was no ordinary mental hospital, and there are some secrets that refuse to stay buried.

*My Review* 

I think this was a good horror book for young adults. I did enjoy the book, right up until the end. The fact that an old asylum was turned into a college was a great story-line itself. It screams haunted. I mean what teenager wouldn't want to go and stay at an old asylum?
The story flows nicely with the kids meeting up and the trouble they get into. To me it just seemed that with all the secrets hidden beneath the dorms it should have led to more. I was really expecting more "excitement".
The ending seemed a bit rushed too. Maybe it has to do with the fact that this is the first in the series of 3. Overall a good book and I might look into the rest of the series.

Control Freakz by Michael Evans

Control Freakz 

by Michael Evans

Available on Amazon

ARR

Rating (1-5) 📘 📘
Genre - Teen, Young Adult, Politics & Government, Fiction, Depression & Mental Illness, Apocalyptic & Post-Apocalyptic
Pages - 354

*Amazon Blurb*

Natalie had always known her dad's disappearance was connected to something much more sinister inside Area 51, but she never guessed that finding answers would require her to sacrifice everything. After the Great Crash and the election of President Ash, Natalie's dad disappears and her grandpa soon after ends his own life. But these tragic events shrouded in mystery pale in comparison to the horrors that ensue with the onslaught of Protocol 00.

After Protocol 00 is enacted, Natalie’s entire family is taken by the Protection Services Agency, along with the families of her two best friends, Hunter and Ethan. With nothing to lose and the threat of government hitmen kidnapping them at any moment, the three must battle to survive in a horrid, post-apocalyptic world run by President Ash and his invasive government. Risking ruthless leaders, attempted mind control, and her very existence on the planet, Natalie, along with Hunter and Ethan, will stop at nothing in their quest to learn the secrets that destroyed their lives. But there are unrivaled powers working against them, and with impending doom looming at any moment, there is no one to trust and nowhere to hide. In a life devoid of hope, happiness, and safety, Natalie must battle both the darkness lurking inside and out of her in order to regain one fleeting memory of her past that has all but fallen away for good, but it might already be too late.

*My Review* 

Where to begin....

The main character of the book, Natalie, is very unlikable. She is so negative and depressing. She is always complaining about how things have gotten as bad as they can get. Then a few chapters later she says the same thing. There was a lot of repetition in this book which drove me crazy. The work anxiety seemed to be mentioned on every page, sometimes more than one. I really just couldn't take Natalie's lack of anything throughout the book. She didn't try to make anything better, she didn't try to help anyone and constantly needed to be helped.

The author does do a wonderful job at writing a description of how something feels or looks, but I feel like the book was extremely OVER descriptive. The first 3/4 or more of the book was just all description and nothing else. Natalie and her two friends went from their home to a camp. That was all that happened until the very end. I wish the book was more like the ending with the characters actually moving and doing something.

The Truth About Us by Tia Souders

The Truth About Us

by Tia Souders

Available On Amazon

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘
Genre - Historical Fiction, Holocaust
Format - Kindle

*Blurb* 

The present is built on the past. But what if your past is a lie? When 18 yr old Abigail Bridges’ grandmother dies, she leaves behind a mysterious letter asking her to unravel a hidden family secret. There is only one rule: tell no one. But meeting strangers in the dark and receiving old journals dating back to the Holocaust isn’t what she bargained for. Neither is a chance encounter with the enigmatic, brown-eyed Kade Oliver, who makes her want to discard her usually reserved nature. After a key clue goes missing, Abigail ignores her grandmother’s rule and tells Kade everything. Together, they begin to unravel a terrifying truth. The truth may set others free, but for Abigail, it will tear her family apart. Now, she must decide between continuing to uncover her families’ lies or burying the past once and for all.


*Review*

When I started reading the story I had no idea the roller coaster ride I was about to take. The story had many ups and downs. I was able to figure out the secret before it was revealed in the book and it left me concerned that the book was going to just drag out with clues. I was so wrong! Once the secret is revealed it sets poor Abigail up for what is probably one of the biggest choice she will ever make in her life.

I lost my own grandmother earlier this year and kept wonder what kind of person Abigail's grandmother was. If they were that close (like my gram and I were) a secret like that wouldn't have been kept or placed on me. The kind of secret she kept was one of mass proportion. The fact that she left it to her teenage granddaughter to deal with seemed kind of wrong. The decision Abigail needed to make was life changing not only for her, but her family. I feel like Abigail wasn't given proper time to grieve the loss of her grandmother either. Her grades were dropping, she was not paying attention in school and instead of the speaking up or her parents keeping her home, it seemed like everyone thought she should be just fine.

I had an instant dislike for her friend Cammie. I feel like the girl only cared about making herself feel good. It's one thing to be honest with your friends, it's another to be downright mean as I feel she was. I also wasn't sure about Kade. He comes off as a very sweet and quiet boy, but also a bit of a stalker.

I highly recommend checking out other books by Tia Souders, including my review on Something of Substance.

No Plain Rebel by M.C. Frank

No Ordinary Rebel (Book 2)

by M.C. Frank

Available On Amazon
Available on Book Depository 

 

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘📘
Genre - Young Adult, Dystopian, Science Fiction
Format -Ebook


*Blurb* 
A soldier is summoned to the North Pole, days before the year changes, told to fix the great Clock for a celebration. He has no idea what to do.
A girl, hunted for the crime of being born, almost dies out on the ice. She is rescued by the last polar bear left alive.
A library waits for them both, a library built over a span of a hundred years, forgotten in the basement of an ice shack.
The world hasn't known hunger or sickness in hundreds of years. It has also forgotten love and beauty.
This is the One World.
The year is 2524.

Inspired by the short stories of Ray Bradbury, this futuristic young adult novel in three parts is set in a world where Christmas -among other things- is obsolete and a Clock is what keeps the fragile balance of peace.

Written in three parts, this is the breathtaking story of how two unlikely people change the world, and each other, one book at a time.

In No Plain Rebel, Felix finds out the truth.
Pretty soon, everything he thought he knew is crumbling around him. He’s about to lose it all. Even her.
But he must concentrate on what’s important; he must fight. It’s time. The Stadium is looming in the distance.
It’s ten heartbeats to midnight.

*Review*
This is the second book in the No Ordinary Star series and it's just as good as the first. Although Felix is no longer a tin soldier, he is still learning how things work and what they mean in the "real world". Everything he has know his entire life is just one big lie and there's no time to waste. Now he needs to work fast to get the ever important clock finished before time runs out. As the time gets closer Felix knows that he can't do this alone. Who can he ask to help him now that everything he is and does is again the law? Not returning home, building the clock, reading.....being near a female!

Once you start reading, you're not going to want to stop. My head was spinning with questions. Would the clock be finished in time for the celebration? What would happen with Felix and Astra? Do they fall in love? Will they get caught? What would happen if the clock IS finished in time?

So many questions, some will be answered and others.....I've got to hurry up and get the next book in the series. 

M.C. Frank is an author that is able to not only make me be able to visualize what I'm reading, but when the Timer was talking in the Vis, I swear I was able to actually hear him. I don't remember ever reading a book before where a character actually had a "voice" of their own.

Lies You Never Told Me by Jennifer Donaldson

Lies You Never Told Me

by Jennifer Donaldson

Available On Amazon

Available on Book Depository 

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘📘
Genre - Young Adult, Romance, Thriller, Suspense
Format -Softcover

I received this an ARC (advanced reader copy). The book will be released on May 29, 2018.

I was so glad to have received this book. I finished it within 2 days. A page turner that is very easy to read. The teens in this book have quite extreme situations. There's Gabe, who is dating Sasha, the most popular girl in school. Sasha thinks that she can boss Gabe around and he'll do whatever she says with question. Gabe finally realizes that he doesn't want that kind of relationship and breaks it off, however, Sasha isn't going to let him get away so easy.

Elyse has lived a tough life taking care of her addict mom. She is not use to being in the spotlight, so when she lands the part of Juliet in her school play she doubts her ability. With the help of her teacher she starts to realize her potential. In addition to the play she also becomes the center of someone's attention leading to another rough road in life.

Lastly, there's Catherine. Catherine does everything she can to not be noticed. She doesn't want to stand out in the crowd. She tries to keep a low profile, but when she crosses Gabe's path she realizes that she really wants to have friends. Her home life doesn't make it so easy and she has to hide the feelings that she is starting to feel for Gabe.

Although the book changes character views, the chapters are set up so that you don't get confused. I wanted to know what was going to happen to everyone from the very beginning and the I never could have predicted the twist..dun...dun....duuun. The ending was good, but at the same time I thought it was sad and wished things were different. You will know what I mean when you finish the book (because you really should read it).

Something Of Substance by Tia Souders

Something Of Substance 

by Tia Souders

Available On Amazon

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘📘
Genre - Teen & Young Adult, Self Esteem, Social Issues
Format - eBook

This books was amazing and I think it should be on the syllabus for all schools. Grace is a girl who deals with social issues that so many kids do these days. She struggles with self image as well as her parents attention. Unfortunately, she finds the need to be accepted and to fit in even more powerful that her own health. This book really does an amazing job making the reader understand how easy an eating disorder can get out of hand. Also, how easy it is for that person to hide it from the people closest to them. My heart was breaking for Grace and I wanted to jump into it and hug her.

So many school kids are bullied for so many reasons and it's horrible. Because of this some kids will go to great measures to change the person they really are even if it pits their life at risk. In their minds it's all worth it in the end.

If you know someone who is struggling, not just with an eating disorder, I suggest this book. Hopefully they will see that it's not just them who is affected. And of course, if you see something - say something.

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

The Fault In Our Stars 

by John Green

Available On Amazon
Available on Book Depository.

I saw the movie before reading the book and I hate doing that because I'm always afraid I won't enjoy the book as much. To my defense I didn't know that the book existed at that time as I wasn't an avid reader then. Either way that's definitely not the case here. I loved the movie and I think I have just found my newest favorite book. It's it's very easy to read and to visualize everything that's going on. The way it was written is so different than other books I've read. I can't really explain it. It is a first person standpoint that flows so well. I was actually able to read this entire book in just a little more than 1 day.
I will say that I am very disappointed that the book An Imperial Affliction by Peter Van Houten isn't a real book. I wasn't even halfway done reading this and went online to find where I could get that book because it sounds so good.

Dear John Green,
If you ever read this, I am requesting you to write the aforementioned book as you have made it sound extremely interesting. I believe this is owed to me as your book is the first one to ever make me cry.
I'm not going to hold my breath for a Hazel Grace outcome on this😊.