Hold on tight for the wildest ride yet as Max and the flock take on global warming--Earth's biggest threat--in this #1 New York Times bestselling series.
Maximum Ride and the other members of the flock are just like ordinary kids--only they have wings and can fly. It seems like a dream come true...until they're hunted by the world's nastiest villains.
Max returns in a chilling adventure unlike any other. Safe havens for the six highly-sought-after winged kids have become increasingly hard to find, so the flock takes refuge in Antarctica with a team of environmentalists studying the effects of global warming. In this remote wilderness--whether pursued by corrupt governments, bioengineered bad-guys, or the harsh forces of nature--survival of the fittest takes a new twist!
I am a major fan of the Maximum Ride Series, ever since I picked up the first book years ago. To be honest I don't know why I never read more than the first two books, I have owned the almost complete series for about two years now. I guess life just got in the way of my reading. Then more recently I picked up the series again. I was almost finished with the first book, The Angel Experiment, when my dog decided to target it as his new chew toy. So therefore I had to wait until I had the money to go get the book again. Months later I was able to pick up book one from my local Barnes and Noble. I quickly finished that book and moved onto the second book in the series, Schools Out-Forever. My edition unfortunately was a hardback and in my opinion I really don't like reading hardback books, but despite my displeasure I finished the second book relatively quickly and rushed onto the third installment in the Maximum Ride series. Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports was just as fast paced as the previous books. I flew through these books like they were nothing and they kept me on the edge of my seat. Unfortunately when I finally managed to pick up the fourth book, The Final Warning I was kind of disappointed. The book may have been still about my favorite kick ass heroine Max, but it felt like it was just trying to hard. Yes, it was Max's duty to save the world, and yes, global warming is bad but come on. I did not pick up this book to be preached at about the dangers of pollution and how us humans are destroying the world. I picked up this book to read about Max being awesome and kicking butt. Yes, I did get a little bit of that action but it felt forced and the "bad guy" wasn't really introduced properly. The people that the flock were up against were not even human! I think James Patterson kind of flopped on this book and probably just made this book to be for the middle school students who had to pick a fiction book and do a global warming project about said book. Overall I really still like Max and the flock but I just really wasn't into this book. I hope that the series picks up again and I get to see more kick-assery from Maximum Ride.
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
What's Left of Me
How I Live Now meets His Dark Materials in this stunningly written and intensely moving debut.
Imagine that you have two minds, sharing one body. You and your other self are closer than twins, better than friends. You have known each other forever.
Then imagine that people like you are hated and feared. That the government want to hunt you down and tear out your second soul, separating you from the person you love most in the world.
Now meet Eva and Addie.
They don’t have to imagine.
This book surprised me. I really wasn't expecting to absolutely love the characters but I did with all my heart. I loved reading from Eva's point of view and getting to know the relationship between these two girls. I know for a fact that I would want to continue on with the series and find out more about this world and what hybrids have to do with anything. By far the best dystopian I have read since Divergent.
Imagine that you have two minds, sharing one body. You and your other self are closer than twins, better than friends. You have known each other forever.
Then imagine that people like you are hated and feared. That the government want to hunt you down and tear out your second soul, separating you from the person you love most in the world.
Now meet Eva and Addie.
They don’t have to imagine.
This book surprised me. I really wasn't expecting to absolutely love the characters but I did with all my heart. I loved reading from Eva's point of view and getting to know the relationship between these two girls. I know for a fact that I would want to continue on with the series and find out more about this world and what hybrids have to do with anything. By far the best dystopian I have read since Divergent.
Monday, July 6, 2015
The Evolution of Mara Dyer
The truth about Mara Dyer's dangerous and mysterious abilities continues to unravel in the New York Times bestselling sequel to the thrilling The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.She can't. She used to think her problems were all in her head. They aren't. She couldn't imagine that after everything she's been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets. She's wrong. In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?
This second volume to the Mara Dyer trilogy was by far already better than the first, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. Unfortunately I made the mistake of reading the first half of the story a while back, toward the end of the 2014 year. Just in the past couple of days I picked it back up again and started reading. There was many times where I was confused about what the characters were talking about but after about two chapters in I caught up. Never the less I really enjoyed this book. Usually with a book of this size I get very intimidated but not with this trilogy so far. These books read as though they are only a hundred pages or so. They are really quick reads and are very hard to put down. I honestly couldn't even tell you why I put the book down in the first place. The only explanation I can come up with is that around that time I was moving and that required me to pack up all my books and this one got lost in the mix. But putting my excuses aside I truly enjoyed this book and I really need to finish the last book, The Retribution of Mara Dyer. Thanks to the major cliffhanger, if you can call it that, I don't think it will take me that long to pick it up and hopefully I will remember all the details from the second one to guide me into the third.
This second volume to the Mara Dyer trilogy was by far already better than the first, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. Unfortunately I made the mistake of reading the first half of the story a while back, toward the end of the 2014 year. Just in the past couple of days I picked it back up again and started reading. There was many times where I was confused about what the characters were talking about but after about two chapters in I caught up. Never the less I really enjoyed this book. Usually with a book of this size I get very intimidated but not with this trilogy so far. These books read as though they are only a hundred pages or so. They are really quick reads and are very hard to put down. I honestly couldn't even tell you why I put the book down in the first place. The only explanation I can come up with is that around that time I was moving and that required me to pack up all my books and this one got lost in the mix. But putting my excuses aside I truly enjoyed this book and I really need to finish the last book, The Retribution of Mara Dyer. Thanks to the major cliffhanger, if you can call it that, I don't think it will take me that long to pick it up and hopefully I will remember all the details from the second one to guide me into the third.
Saturday, July 4, 2015
Mockingjay
My name is Katniss Everdeen.
Why am I not dead?
I should be dead.
Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.
It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans--except Katniss.
The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay--no matter what the personal cost.
What to say about this book. The whole ending felt like I was watching a war movie. To be honest I really wasn't tragically moved by this final book. It was...meh. It was alright and I felt like everything was wrapped up nicely in the end but what kind of sticks to me is the morbid voice that has become Katniss. But when they call her the girl on fire they were not kidding. I hated the way that Collins just put Peeta and Katniss together in the end. It was as if his Hijacking never happened. But whatever. I would like to point out that Katniss never wanted to have kids and I hated the way she talked of her kids in the epilogue. This is coming from someone who is actually pregnant. I am amazed at her detachment because I was hoping that children would change her and make her into an actual mother, not a whiney bitch. Sorry Katniss but you should have aborted those poor children because you are severely unfit to be a other, I mean you don't even call them by their names for god sake. So overall I wasn't too happy with Katniss or the way that Collins gave us an ending that was neatly tied in a bow.
Why am I not dead?
I should be dead.
Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.
It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans--except Katniss.
The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay--no matter what the personal cost.
What to say about this book. The whole ending felt like I was watching a war movie. To be honest I really wasn't tragically moved by this final book. It was...meh. It was alright and I felt like everything was wrapped up nicely in the end but what kind of sticks to me is the morbid voice that has become Katniss. But when they call her the girl on fire they were not kidding. I hated the way that Collins just put Peeta and Katniss together in the end. It was as if his Hijacking never happened. But whatever. I would like to point out that Katniss never wanted to have kids and I hated the way she talked of her kids in the epilogue. This is coming from someone who is actually pregnant. I am amazed at her detachment because I was hoping that children would change her and make her into an actual mother, not a whiney bitch. Sorry Katniss but you should have aborted those poor children because you are severely unfit to be a other, I mean you don't even call them by their names for god sake. So overall I wasn't too happy with Katniss or the way that Collins gave us an ending that was neatly tied in a bow.
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Alex: A Delirium Novella
This captivating digital original story set in the world of Lauren Oliver's New York Times bestselling Delirium series focuses on Alex, Lena's first love.
When Alex sacrificed himself to save Lena, he thought he was committing himself to certain death, but what he got was almost worse. Imprisoned and tortured by the guards, his mind forces him to relive a past he would rather forget. But in the dark he grows stronger. Both hopeful and terrified, he fights to find his way back to her and the love he still clings to.
In this digital story that will appeal to fans of Delirium and welcome new admirers to its world, readers will learn of Alex's time after the events of Delirium, as well as the dark past that he has tried to forget.
I believe in my heart that this is the best novella from the delirium novellas. I really loved Alex's voice and his story. I really think that Alex needs his own book. Like a spin off series of him and Lena after Requiem but told in his perspective. But that is only my opinion. I am sad to finally let go the characters of the Delirium trilogy but am glad that I ended with this novella. I will really miss this world.
When Alex sacrificed himself to save Lena, he thought he was committing himself to certain death, but what he got was almost worse. Imprisoned and tortured by the guards, his mind forces him to relive a past he would rather forget. But in the dark he grows stronger. Both hopeful and terrified, he fights to find his way back to her and the love he still clings to.
In this digital story that will appeal to fans of Delirium and welcome new admirers to its world, readers will learn of Alex's time after the events of Delirium, as well as the dark past that he has tried to forget.
I believe in my heart that this is the best novella from the delirium novellas. I really loved Alex's voice and his story. I really think that Alex needs his own book. Like a spin off series of him and Lena after Requiem but told in his perspective. But that is only my opinion. I am sad to finally let go the characters of the Delirium trilogy but am glad that I ended with this novella. I will really miss this world.
Delirium Stories:Hana, Annabele, and Raven
| Hana Her story seemed to be filled with so much teenage angst that it really didn't appeal to me. I really didn't like this part of her and yet it made me understand her more. She kind of sounded bratty and whiney and that just made me not like her too much. To be honest I liked Hana better after her cure. But overall I didn't like her story as much as the other two. 3.5 out of 5 Annabel Seeing from Lena's mothers perspective really was something refreshing and new. I really liked how we got to see the older days, where the society was just starting out and being put into reality. Annabel's story made me see the world in a new light. I loved how we actually got to see the real story behind this mysterious woman we got to meet in Requiem. 4 out of 5 Raven Raven's story was by far the best I read of the whole bind up of novellas. It was full of passion and made me really appreciate Raven. TO be honest I really didn't love her in Pandemonium or Requiem but now I think I like her a whole lot more. Her story was touching and we got to finally witness the love between her and Tack. The ending really makes me unbearably sad because once I read it I immediately started crying. Those of you who remember the scene of the Invalids breeching the walls in Requiem will understand my heartbreak. The end of Raven's story is filled with a lot of hope and then Requiem just ruins it. But all together I would have to say I now love and respect Raven. R.I.P Raven and Blue 5 out of 5 |
Relief Over Requiem
Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has transformed. The nascent rebellion that was underway in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight. After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven. Pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels.
As Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain of the Wilds, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor. Requiem is told from both Lena and Hana's points of view. They live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge
I know a ton of people were sourly disappointed with this final installment of the Delirium trilogy. I however do not share the majority opinion. I actually was expecting to be disappointed and angry like everybody else, but just after reading the last page I am glad that I do not share their hatred. I was actually quite satisfied with the ending. Sure it wasn't the best ending ever but it made me feel good. I feel like if Lauren Oliver made a spin off series I would read it. I love the world and these characters, and I was sad to see Lena go but I feel kind of disappointed on the whole love triangle. I loved Alex in the first book and I loved Julian in the second book. Both of these guys were fleshed out well and made me feel something but in Requiem I felt as though even though she technically chose Alex in the end, I felt as though she was kind of saying goodbye to him too. I hate how things were just dropped off with Julian and I feel like I need a book where he can find love again, even though I know that this is impossible. I still would like a little closure on the love interests. But other than that I really liked the open ending. I am sad to see this world go and say goodbye to these characters. Overall I truly liked this trilogy, from start to finish.
As Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain of the Wilds, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor. Requiem is told from both Lena and Hana's points of view. They live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge
I know a ton of people were sourly disappointed with this final installment of the Delirium trilogy. I however do not share the majority opinion. I actually was expecting to be disappointed and angry like everybody else, but just after reading the last page I am glad that I do not share their hatred. I was actually quite satisfied with the ending. Sure it wasn't the best ending ever but it made me feel good. I feel like if Lauren Oliver made a spin off series I would read it. I love the world and these characters, and I was sad to see Lena go but I feel kind of disappointed on the whole love triangle. I loved Alex in the first book and I loved Julian in the second book. Both of these guys were fleshed out well and made me feel something but in Requiem I felt as though even though she technically chose Alex in the end, I felt as though she was kind of saying goodbye to him too. I hate how things were just dropped off with Julian and I feel like I need a book where he can find love again, even though I know that this is impossible. I still would like a little closure on the love interests. But other than that I really liked the open ending. I am sad to see this world go and say goodbye to these characters. Overall I truly liked this trilogy, from start to finish.
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Excitement Over Pandemonium
I’m pushing aside
the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana
and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.
Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.
This book has to be by far the best second book of a series that I have ever read. Sure this is like the third or fourth book that is a second book in a trilogy that I have ever read but by far it has to be the best. I mean even Katniss from Catching Fire can't compare to Lena in Pandemonium.
The character development! Never have I ever seen a main character transform and blossom so much within one story. In Delirium I felt like she was finally discovering love, but in this book she was discovering her will to live. Maybe its just me, but I feel as though Julian's and Lena's love started out so much more like a burning candle than a spark like described in the book. Maybe its just me but I was completely in love with Julian, so much more than I was with Alex. To me however, Alex is dead and buried so I have absolutely no problem with Lena moving on with her life and I was rooting for her and Julian. But that ending broke me. If you wish to not be spoiled just skip my Goodreads review because I wrote it immediately after I finished the book and clearly I was not as calm as I am now.
** spoiler alert ** NOOOOOOOO!!!!!! No, no, no, no, no! How dare you! How can you do this to us? How can you break our heart in book one and then mend it all through book two, then in the ending just completely break it again. Oh come on! I don't want a love triangle! I want Julian and Lena's love story not Lena, Julian and Alex! How dare you give me a cliffhanger. Also fuck you Alex, you are supposed to be dead. Dead and gone, so Lena can recover and prosper. I cant wait to see how in the hell you survived. Like seriously!
So as anyone can tell I was clearly frustrated with the ending. And what disappoints me is I have been checking out reviews for the third and final instalment Requiem and most if not all say that it sucked as an ending. Apparently its so bad that people say they were cheated out of a final book. This makes me scared to read Requiem. I don't want to be disappointed from this trilogy. But, to be honest, I want to experience my own emotions with this book, whether or not those feelings will be rage or disappointment.
Pandemonium is my favorite so far with the trilogy and it was so much better than the first book. It has been a while since I read Delirium so I was a little confused with the chapter set up but after a couple chapters I got the hang of it. Lena truly became one of those kick ass heroines for me in this book and she was definitely developed a lot more. I am very thankful for Lauren giving her the strength that she needed for the book, because without Lena I don't think this book would have been as good as I describe it to be.
I hope that Requiem wont completely break my opinion of Lena. Fingers crossed.
the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana
and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.
Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.
This book has to be by far the best second book of a series that I have ever read. Sure this is like the third or fourth book that is a second book in a trilogy that I have ever read but by far it has to be the best. I mean even Katniss from Catching Fire can't compare to Lena in Pandemonium.
The character development! Never have I ever seen a main character transform and blossom so much within one story. In Delirium I felt like she was finally discovering love, but in this book she was discovering her will to live. Maybe its just me, but I feel as though Julian's and Lena's love started out so much more like a burning candle than a spark like described in the book. Maybe its just me but I was completely in love with Julian, so much more than I was with Alex. To me however, Alex is dead and buried so I have absolutely no problem with Lena moving on with her life and I was rooting for her and Julian. But that ending broke me. If you wish to not be spoiled just skip my Goodreads review because I wrote it immediately after I finished the book and clearly I was not as calm as I am now.
** spoiler alert ** NOOOOOOOO!!!!!! No, no, no, no, no! How dare you! How can you do this to us? How can you break our heart in book one and then mend it all through book two, then in the ending just completely break it again. Oh come on! I don't want a love triangle! I want Julian and Lena's love story not Lena, Julian and Alex! How dare you give me a cliffhanger. Also fuck you Alex, you are supposed to be dead. Dead and gone, so Lena can recover and prosper. I cant wait to see how in the hell you survived. Like seriously!
So as anyone can tell I was clearly frustrated with the ending. And what disappoints me is I have been checking out reviews for the third and final instalment Requiem and most if not all say that it sucked as an ending. Apparently its so bad that people say they were cheated out of a final book. This makes me scared to read Requiem. I don't want to be disappointed from this trilogy. But, to be honest, I want to experience my own emotions with this book, whether or not those feelings will be rage or disappointment.
Pandemonium is my favorite so far with the trilogy and it was so much better than the first book. It has been a while since I read Delirium so I was a little confused with the chapter set up but after a couple chapters I got the hang of it. Lena truly became one of those kick ass heroines for me in this book and she was definitely developed a lot more. I am very thankful for Lauren giving her the strength that she needed for the book, because without Lena I don't think this book would have been as good as I describe it to be.
I hope that Requiem wont completely break my opinion of Lena. Fingers crossed.
Monday, June 29, 2015
Warm Bodies
'R' is a zombie. He has no name, no memories and no pulse, but he has dreams. He is a little different from his fellow Dead.
Amongst the ruins of an abandoned city, R meets a girl. Her name is Julie and she is the opposite of everything he knows - warm and bright and very much alive, she is a blast of colour in a dreary grey landscape. For reasons he can't understand, R chooses to save Julie instead of eating her, and a tense yet strangely tender relationship begins.
This has never happened before. It breaks the rules and defies logic, but R is no longer content with life in the grave. He wants to breathe again, he wants to live, and Julie wants to help him. But their grim, rotting world won't be changed without a fight...
I absolutely loved this book, also I believe that the movie was a wonderful book to movie adaptation. This book is clearly rated r while the movie was pg-13 but if only for language and how much darker the novel really is plus some sexual content. But overall I would say that this book has more heart than most.
Amongst the ruins of an abandoned city, R meets a girl. Her name is Julie and she is the opposite of everything he knows - warm and bright and very much alive, she is a blast of colour in a dreary grey landscape. For reasons he can't understand, R chooses to save Julie instead of eating her, and a tense yet strangely tender relationship begins.
This has never happened before. It breaks the rules and defies logic, but R is no longer content with life in the grave. He wants to breathe again, he wants to live, and Julie wants to help him. But their grim, rotting world won't be changed without a fight...
I absolutely loved this book, also I believe that the movie was a wonderful book to movie adaptation. This book is clearly rated r while the movie was pg-13 but if only for language and how much darker the novel really is plus some sexual content. But overall I would say that this book has more heart than most.
Maximum Ride Books 1-3
The Angel Experiment
From the bestselling author James Patterson comes the stunning, breathtaking start to the blockbuster series! Six unforgettable kids — with no families, no homes — are running for their lives. Max Ride and her best friends have the ability to fly. And that's just the beginning of their amazing powers. But they don't know where they come from, who's hunting them, why they are different from all other humans... and if they're meant to save mankind — or destroy it.
School's Out-Forever
In this eagerly awaited follow-up, brave bird-kid Max and her flock are discovered by an FBI agent and forced to go to "school." There is no such thing as an ordinary day as Max deciphers how and when she's supposed to save the world, and she faces her greatest enemy--a clone of herself.
Saving The World And Other Extreme Sports
In MAXIMUM RIDE: SAVING THE WORLD AND OTHER EXTREME SPORTS, the time has arrived for Max and her winged "Flock" to face their ultimate enemy and discover their original purpose: to defeat the takeover of "Re-evolution", a sinister experiment to re-engineer a select population into a scientifically superior master race...and to terminate the rest. Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel have always worked together to defeat the forces working against them--but can they save the world when they are torn apart, living in hiding and captivity, halfway across the globe from one another?
Okay so here is my actual review of all three books combined. These books are so fast paced that I finished each one of them in a day. Ill add in the fact that each chapter is barely three pages long. I am glad that Patterson made these books this way. The plot is fun and unique and has really never been told before. I really enjoyed all the characters and the MC's voice. I intend to continue on with the rest of the series.
From the bestselling author James Patterson comes the stunning, breathtaking start to the blockbuster series! Six unforgettable kids — with no families, no homes — are running for their lives. Max Ride and her best friends have the ability to fly. And that's just the beginning of their amazing powers. But they don't know where they come from, who's hunting them, why they are different from all other humans... and if they're meant to save mankind — or destroy it.
School's Out-Forever
In this eagerly awaited follow-up, brave bird-kid Max and her flock are discovered by an FBI agent and forced to go to "school." There is no such thing as an ordinary day as Max deciphers how and when she's supposed to save the world, and she faces her greatest enemy--a clone of herself.
Saving The World And Other Extreme Sports
In MAXIMUM RIDE: SAVING THE WORLD AND OTHER EXTREME SPORTS, the time has arrived for Max and her winged "Flock" to face their ultimate enemy and discover their original purpose: to defeat the takeover of "Re-evolution", a sinister experiment to re-engineer a select population into a scientifically superior master race...and to terminate the rest. Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel have always worked together to defeat the forces working against them--but can they save the world when they are torn apart, living in hiding and captivity, halfway across the globe from one another?
Okay so here is my actual review of all three books combined. These books are so fast paced that I finished each one of them in a day. Ill add in the fact that each chapter is barely three pages long. I am glad that Patterson made these books this way. The plot is fun and unique and has really never been told before. I really enjoyed all the characters and the MC's voice. I intend to continue on with the rest of the series.
To All The Boys Ive Loved Before
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.
To be honest Lara Jean didn't sound like a sixteen year old girl. She sounded more like a ten year old. Her voice was so much younger than her character and it just didn't sound right. But other than that this book was really cute and fun to read. I loved Kitty and Lara Jeans dad. Margot however wasn't my favorite. The letters are only in the book to bring on conflict so I don't really get why the book tried to make them so important. But if you like fluffy contemporary this book is definitely for you. Its fun and easy to read and is quite enjoyable
To be honest Lara Jean didn't sound like a sixteen year old girl. She sounded more like a ten year old. Her voice was so much younger than her character and it just didn't sound right. But other than that this book was really cute and fun to read. I loved Kitty and Lara Jeans dad. Margot however wasn't my favorite. The letters are only in the book to bring on conflict so I don't really get why the book tried to make them so important. But if you like fluffy contemporary this book is definitely for you. Its fun and easy to read and is quite enjoyable
The Elite
The Selection began with thirty-five girls.
Now with the group narrowed down to the six Elite, the competition to win Prince Maxon's heart is fiercer than ever—and America is still struggling to decide where her heart truly lies. Is it with Maxon, who could make her life a fairy tale? Or with her first love, Aspen?
America is desperate for more time. But the rest of the Elite know exactly what they want—and America's chance to choose is about to slip away.
I know, a three star review is not the best score a book can get. The elite deserved this rating due to America. That is the only reason why. I loved how strong she was in the end of the first book and now she is so indecisive that it infuriates me. JUST MAKE UP YOUR MIND AMERICA! Other than that I must say that I really want to continue on to the third book because I am dying to know what happens. Who does she end up with? Does she win? Ugh so many questions!
Now with the group narrowed down to the six Elite, the competition to win Prince Maxon's heart is fiercer than ever—and America is still struggling to decide where her heart truly lies. Is it with Maxon, who could make her life a fairy tale? Or with her first love, Aspen?
America is desperate for more time. But the rest of the Elite know exactly what they want—and America's chance to choose is about to slip away.
I know, a three star review is not the best score a book can get. The elite deserved this rating due to America. That is the only reason why. I loved how strong she was in the end of the first book and now she is so indecisive that it infuriates me. JUST MAKE UP YOUR MIND AMERICA! Other than that I must say that I really want to continue on to the third book because I am dying to know what happens. Who does she end up with? Does she win? Ugh so many questions!
The Selection
I dived into this book not exactly hearing great things about it but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. As soon as I put down this book I immediately wanted to pick up the next, however I have plenty of other books on my tbr pile that I need to get to so I will just have to contain my impulse to buy the rest of the series.
Pivot Point
First of all. The Cover. OMG. Second of all. The premise. OMG. Third of all. The story. OMG.
Can you see I loved the book? Obviously. Pivot Point was by far the best representation of alternate realities if I ever seen one. Technically you can say there is a love triangle but I don't see it that way. I did only like one of the boys and it was obvious which one she was going to choose but I was not prepared for that ending. It just makes me want to pick up the second book and devour it. But the thing stopping me is how it is told from her friends point of view, and I absolutely loved Addison's tone of voice that I don't want to leave her behind. But overall I truly enjoyed this book. I am hoping to get my hands on the second one very soon. And also I must say this....
I HATE CLIFFHANGERS!!!
Even if technically the ending really isn't one.
Can you see I loved the book? Obviously. Pivot Point was by far the best representation of alternate realities if I ever seen one. Technically you can say there is a love triangle but I don't see it that way. I did only like one of the boys and it was obvious which one she was going to choose but I was not prepared for that ending. It just makes me want to pick up the second book and devour it. But the thing stopping me is how it is told from her friends point of view, and I absolutely loved Addison's tone of voice that I don't want to leave her behind. But overall I truly enjoyed this book. I am hoping to get my hands on the second one very soon. And also I must say this....
I HATE CLIFFHANGERS!!!
Even if technically the ending really isn't one.
Shiver, Linger, Forever, Sinner- The Wolves of Mercy Falls
Book 1- Shiver
the cold.
Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf - her wolf - watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why.
the heat.
Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace... until now.
the shiver.
For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it's spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human - and Grace must fight to keep him - even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future.
I read this first book a long time ago so forgive me if some of my review is quite vague. Told from two different perspectives in alternating chapters, Grace the human, and Sam the werewolf. Okay so whenever people say werewolf I imagine someone who grows fur all over and comes with claws and sharp teeth, a horrifying image of an out of date premise. But in shiver you can forget that stereotype for a werewolf. Also, Shiver has been compared to Twilight. DO NOT COMPARE!!! Sure the werewolves in this book actually turn into wolves but that is where the similarities end. These wolves do not look like that! They are ACTUAL WOLVES. Like if you were to go to google and look up wolf, that is what the wolves look like in this book. Also there is no anger trigger when it comes to these werewolves. The trigger for them is the cold. Thus I suspect where the title comes from, get it? Shiver, because its cold...Yeah never mind. But in this first book we get to meet our characters.
The MC- Grace Bisbane- Your average dirty blonde haired quiet girl who reads and watches wolves outside her window. I love her in Shiver, mainly because she reminds me of myself. She reads and loves wolves, as do I. She also has a sense of responsibility and has a great moral compass. If I could rip her out of the story and make her my friend I would.
The male MC- Samuel K. "Sam" Roth- How do I describe the most kind hearted male character in any book I have ever read. By far my most favorite love interest I have ever read in a novel before. He really doesn't want to be a werewolf, he was forced into it by the way, and he has such a strong will to be human year round. I just love this boy, I mean how could you not?
Isabelle Culpepper- What can I say about this ice queen? At first this girl is portrayed as one of the bad guys, her father is the one person trying to wipe out the wolves for god sake. But what you don't expect is the character development of this young woman, I mean wow. Never have I ever felt a character blossom so much. However in this book, she is not the main focus so you get to experience her transformation a lot later in the series.
So having read this book a long time ago I have given it thought and decided to provide a summary from a different source, however this source just gives you all the facts. Some of these facts pretty much just tell the whole story to you, revealing everything so I have to give some kind of warning.
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
SPOILERS ARE UP AHEAD! IF YOU HAVE NOT READ SHIVER YET I ADVISE YOU TO DO SO.
So I figure that was good enough of a warning. So here goes the summary:
Provided By: Wikipedia
The book begins with Grace remembering when she was attacked by wolves when she was eleven. However, one wolf saved her. From that point on, she watched "her wolf" in the woods, and he watches her. The wolves kill Jack and Jack's sister, Isabel, informs Grace that her father is ordering a hunt of the wolves. When Sam shows up on her deck, having been shot, she nurses him and allows him to stay in her room. They soon begin dating after sharing a kiss. Grace's friendship with Olivia is destroyed when Olivia dismisses her claims that the wolves are werewolves. However, Isabel confronts Grace about it. Grace and Sam tell Isabel all about the wolves, including that Jack is one. Sam's father-son relationship with Beck is ruined when Beck shows Sam that he has created three new wolves for the future of the pack. A pack member, Paul, is attacked to the point where he's almost killed. Sam suspects another wolf, Shelby, who is in love with Sam and wanted Paul out of the way. Sam later has a confrontation with Jack who locks him in one of their sheds. Jack kidnaps Grace but she tricks him into going to Beck's house for the "cure" where he is locked in the bathroom so he can change into a human again. Grace calls Isabel who finds Sam and nurses him back to health. When Grace is taking Sam to see Beck for a final time, she crashes the car and Sam turns into a wolf, escaping. Grace is distraught and Isabel tries to help her. Olivia apologizes to Grace and admits that Jack bit her when she wouldn't tell him the "cure". Isabel later suggests that the fever was what stopped Grace's transformation and that bacterial meningitis could be a possible cure. Beck agrees to help, turning into a wolf for the last time in his attempt to lure Sam out of the woods to sedate him. Grace, Isabel, Olivia, Jack and a wolf Sam head to the clinic where Isabel injects Jack with meningitis. Olivia, however, is scared of the needle and refuses it. Grace manages to communicate with Sam so that he turns human for a moment and she can inject him with the meningitis. However, he turns into a wolf again and escapes. Olivia turns into a wolf and disappears into the woods. Jack dies with Isabel by his side. As Grace and Isabel become closer, Grace is at her house when a human Sam arrives. The final line of the book reads "and I crushed her to me."
SO... Told you, it even gives away the ending. But if you had read the book you would have known it anyway right? Of course. But I now must provide my opinion on this book as a whole. Must I say if I could, I would provide this book with a many stars as there are in the sky. Yes, Shiver is just that good. Of course a lot of people don't share my opinion and that is fine, they are entitled to it. But I just hope that if someone out there is looking for a book that they pick this up and read it. I loved it dearly and I hope a million other people get the chance to as well. Definitely one of my favorite books of all time. 5/5 stars.
Book 2- Linger
the longing.
Once Grace and Sam have found each other, they know they must fight to stay together. For Sam, this means a reckoning with his werewolf past. For Grace, it means facing a future that is less and less certain.
the loss.
Into their world comes a new wolf named Cole, whose past is full of hurt and danger. He is wrestling with his own demons, embracing the life of a wolf while denying the ties of being a human.
the linger.
For Grace, Sam, and Cole, life a constant struggle between two forces--wolf and human--with love baring its two sides as well. It is harrowing and euphoric, freeing and entrapping, enticing and alarming. As their world falls apart, love is what lingers. But will it be enough?
Again, I must say it has been a while since I actually read this book, so I had to refresh from another source which I will provide again as I did with Shiver. I must say though, this book is told from Sam and Grace again but also by Isabelle and a totally new character, Cole St. Claire. Here is a short biography of Cole:
Cole St. Claire- A "bad boy", sure if you really want to call him that you could. He used to be a part of a rock band. He was the damaged singer who every girl swooned over. Now he is a werewolf struggling with his past and his desire to not be human.
In the second instalment to this trilogy, and companion novel, Linger is told from four different perspectives. Don't get me wrong that is a lot of voices. But the thing is that I never had a tough time reading this book. Each character has their own unique voice and I can very distinctly point out who is who. We go further into the story and to my delight the extent of the werewolves and what makes them who they are. We never fully leave the romance of Grace and Sam but we are introduced to the budding romance of Isabelle and Cole. We learn new things about how to shift into wolves and how to stay human. All of this is thanks to meningitis. Wait....what? Seriously? Wow. But anyways I will provide you with the totally spoiled summary. Again here is your warning.
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
SPOILERS ARE UP AHEAD! IF YOU HAVE NOT READ SHIVER OR LINGER YET I ADVISE YOU TO DO SO.
So there you go, you have been warned.
Summary provided by: Wikipedia:
A newly cured Sam finds Cole transforming in Beck's house and realizes that he's one of the teenagers Beck turned for the future of the pack. After becoming human again, Cole turns up at Isabel's in search of clothes. To hide her grief over Jack, she ends up kissing him but he disappears as a wolf again. Grace becomes very sick and, when she cries in pain, her parents find Sam in her room. They take Grace to hospital and stop Sam from seeing her. After returning from hospital, Grace makes plans to go and live with Sam at Beck's house. She leaves one night and Sam's ecstatic to see her. Isabel and Sam find Cole having a fit and discover that he was experimenting with needles, trying to find a way to become a wolf. Isabel and Cole later kiss again when he's warming up in the bath and again when visiting her mother's clinic. After spending a day together, during which Cole admitted his famous past to her, they almost slept together until Cole rejected her, not believing he was good enough for her. When Grace's health worsens, Sam and Cole take her to the hospital where her father punches Sam. Cole realizes that, because Grace was bitten but didn't change in a set amount of time, she's dying. He comes to the conclusion that she needs to turn. Isabel shows up and creates a distraction to get Grace's parents out of the room. Cole then gives Grace his DNA and she shifts, escaping out the window. Sam's final words are, "I will find a cure. And then, I will find Grace."
Now onto the opinion and rating. I really liked this book. I will say the endings to all these books are absolutely wonderful but in Linger the ending is a cliffhanger from hell. Stiefvater really knows how to hit you in the gut with her endings. But overall this sequel was definitely a great one. I loved all the characters stories and the tale will stick with me for many more books to come. 5/5 stars.
Book 3- Forever
then.
When Sam met Grace, he was a wolf and she was a girl. Eventually he found a way to become a boy, and their loved moved from curious distance to the intense closeness of shared lives.
now.
That should have been the end of their story. But Grace was not meant to stay human. Now she is the wolf. And the wolves of Mercy Falls are about to be killed in one final, spectacular hunt.
forever.
Sam would do anything for Grace. But can one boy and one love really change a hostile, predatory world? The past, the present, and the future are about to collide in one pure moment--a moment of death or life, farewell or forever.
Again. It has been a while and this book is by far the fuzziest in my memory but here goes anyway. I must say there is a lot more action in this finale than the other two books. I loved it, and all it represents. I hate the new character who is introduced, Shelby. Yes she may be a tortured soul but she is just filled with so much hate that I cant relate to her. She is so...violent. I blame her anger for making her the vicious wolf that she becomes. But other than this, Forever is definitely the final book I was hoping for.
So lets get straight into the spoiler summary because honestly, this review is becoming a monster to read. So here is your warning.
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
SPOILERS ARE UP AHEAD! IF YOU HAVE NOT READ SHIVER OR LINGER OR FOREVER YET I ADVISE YOU TO DO SO.
Summary from Wikipedia:
Shelby finds Olivia and kills her. Grace turns into a human and manages to call Sam, but by the time he arrives for her, she has already turned back. A desperate Cole tries to call Isabel but since she's still upset at his rejection, he leaves 21 voicemails on her machine, the last one simply, "I wish you'd answer." Grace is chased into a sinkhole by Shelby. Sam and Cole find her and manage to save her, locking her in the bathroom until she can change back. Isabel's shocked to discover that her father is arranging for the wolves to be removed from the protected species list. Cole reads Beck's diaries and discovers that the wolves have been moved once before, when Hannah, a wolf who could retain her human memories in wolf form, lead them. Sam is interrogated by Officer Koenig as he is the suspect behind Olivia's death and possible rape (as she was found naked) and Grace's disappearance. Sam and Grace tell him about the wolves and he tells them that he owns land just outside of Mercy Falls where the wolves would be safe. Grace visits her parents to say goodbye, but they have replaced her with a cat. Cole captures Beck and calls Sam and Grace. He injects Beck with a dodgy substance he made, despite Sam's protests, and it turns Beck human again. They tell him that Sam was successfully cured but they have to move the wolves. Beck tells them about Hannah and turns back into a wolf, agreeing to help. Cole injects Sam and himself, turning them into wolves. The helicopter catches up to them and Beck is killed. The pack splits when Shelby and Sam fight. Shelby attacks Cole but they're shot. Isabel, who has driven up to the commotion, is hurt by Cole's apparent death and drives onto the scene. Her father texts her "Get out of there." She replies "When you do." The hunt stops and the wolves arrive safely. Finally, Isabel discovers that her parents are sending her to California for ruining the hunt. Cole calls her and she's thrilled that he's alive. He admits he needed to talk to her before he saw Sam and Grace. She tells him to keep her number, and they say goodbye.
There. I am done. 5/5 stars for Forever.
So there you go, the complete series. But wait, there's more!
The Companion novel.
Sinner
So I didn't actually read the physical book of Sinner. I didn't have the money to go out and purchase the newly released book. To be honest I didn't know it existed until I saw the audiobook in my local Anythink library. As soon as I spotted it I lunged for it. Never had I ever listened to an audiobook. I have always been the person to actually pick up the physical copy, preferably a paperback, and read it by myself. But I just couldn't resist. But I don't think reading the actual book would have better. I loved the way that the person reading the book spoke out the voices of Cole and Isabelle. I am actually glad we got to see the romance between these two bloom and flourish. I must say this though, if you read the three books in the series, you really don't have to read Sinner. It also goes the other way around to be honest. You don't have to read the trilogy to read this companion novel. You wont be missing a whole lot of information but I do say if you want to read all of the books, I give my seal of approval. 5/5 stars
OVERALL:
I loved all of these books and I am so glad that this series is the first time that I actually totally completed a series. I always tend to read the first book then stop reading, either due to money issues or I just don't have the urge or time to. But with these books, I hopped from one to the next without stopping. I highly recommend these books to anybody and everyone who loves to read. I truly enjoyed them and I hope everybody else will as well.
the cold.
Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf - her wolf - watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why.
the heat.
Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace... until now.
the shiver.
For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it's spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human - and Grace must fight to keep him - even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future.
I read this first book a long time ago so forgive me if some of my review is quite vague. Told from two different perspectives in alternating chapters, Grace the human, and Sam the werewolf. Okay so whenever people say werewolf I imagine someone who grows fur all over and comes with claws and sharp teeth, a horrifying image of an out of date premise. But in shiver you can forget that stereotype for a werewolf. Also, Shiver has been compared to Twilight. DO NOT COMPARE!!! Sure the werewolves in this book actually turn into wolves but that is where the similarities end. These wolves do not look like that! They are ACTUAL WOLVES. Like if you were to go to google and look up wolf, that is what the wolves look like in this book. Also there is no anger trigger when it comes to these werewolves. The trigger for them is the cold. Thus I suspect where the title comes from, get it? Shiver, because its cold...Yeah never mind. But in this first book we get to meet our characters.
The MC- Grace Bisbane- Your average dirty blonde haired quiet girl who reads and watches wolves outside her window. I love her in Shiver, mainly because she reminds me of myself. She reads and loves wolves, as do I. She also has a sense of responsibility and has a great moral compass. If I could rip her out of the story and make her my friend I would.
The male MC- Samuel K. "Sam" Roth- How do I describe the most kind hearted male character in any book I have ever read. By far my most favorite love interest I have ever read in a novel before. He really doesn't want to be a werewolf, he was forced into it by the way, and he has such a strong will to be human year round. I just love this boy, I mean how could you not?
Isabelle Culpepper- What can I say about this ice queen? At first this girl is portrayed as one of the bad guys, her father is the one person trying to wipe out the wolves for god sake. But what you don't expect is the character development of this young woman, I mean wow. Never have I ever felt a character blossom so much. However in this book, she is not the main focus so you get to experience her transformation a lot later in the series.
So having read this book a long time ago I have given it thought and decided to provide a summary from a different source, however this source just gives you all the facts. Some of these facts pretty much just tell the whole story to you, revealing everything so I have to give some kind of warning.
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
SPOILERS ARE UP AHEAD! IF YOU HAVE NOT READ SHIVER YET I ADVISE YOU TO DO SO.
So I figure that was good enough of a warning. So here goes the summary:
Provided By: Wikipedia
The book begins with Grace remembering when she was attacked by wolves when she was eleven. However, one wolf saved her. From that point on, she watched "her wolf" in the woods, and he watches her. The wolves kill Jack and Jack's sister, Isabel, informs Grace that her father is ordering a hunt of the wolves. When Sam shows up on her deck, having been shot, she nurses him and allows him to stay in her room. They soon begin dating after sharing a kiss. Grace's friendship with Olivia is destroyed when Olivia dismisses her claims that the wolves are werewolves. However, Isabel confronts Grace about it. Grace and Sam tell Isabel all about the wolves, including that Jack is one. Sam's father-son relationship with Beck is ruined when Beck shows Sam that he has created three new wolves for the future of the pack. A pack member, Paul, is attacked to the point where he's almost killed. Sam suspects another wolf, Shelby, who is in love with Sam and wanted Paul out of the way. Sam later has a confrontation with Jack who locks him in one of their sheds. Jack kidnaps Grace but she tricks him into going to Beck's house for the "cure" where he is locked in the bathroom so he can change into a human again. Grace calls Isabel who finds Sam and nurses him back to health. When Grace is taking Sam to see Beck for a final time, she crashes the car and Sam turns into a wolf, escaping. Grace is distraught and Isabel tries to help her. Olivia apologizes to Grace and admits that Jack bit her when she wouldn't tell him the "cure". Isabel later suggests that the fever was what stopped Grace's transformation and that bacterial meningitis could be a possible cure. Beck agrees to help, turning into a wolf for the last time in his attempt to lure Sam out of the woods to sedate him. Grace, Isabel, Olivia, Jack and a wolf Sam head to the clinic where Isabel injects Jack with meningitis. Olivia, however, is scared of the needle and refuses it. Grace manages to communicate with Sam so that he turns human for a moment and she can inject him with the meningitis. However, he turns into a wolf again and escapes. Olivia turns into a wolf and disappears into the woods. Jack dies with Isabel by his side. As Grace and Isabel become closer, Grace is at her house when a human Sam arrives. The final line of the book reads "and I crushed her to me."
SO... Told you, it even gives away the ending. But if you had read the book you would have known it anyway right? Of course. But I now must provide my opinion on this book as a whole. Must I say if I could, I would provide this book with a many stars as there are in the sky. Yes, Shiver is just that good. Of course a lot of people don't share my opinion and that is fine, they are entitled to it. But I just hope that if someone out there is looking for a book that they pick this up and read it. I loved it dearly and I hope a million other people get the chance to as well. Definitely one of my favorite books of all time. 5/5 stars.
Book 2- Linger
the longing.
Once Grace and Sam have found each other, they know they must fight to stay together. For Sam, this means a reckoning with his werewolf past. For Grace, it means facing a future that is less and less certain.
the loss.
Into their world comes a new wolf named Cole, whose past is full of hurt and danger. He is wrestling with his own demons, embracing the life of a wolf while denying the ties of being a human.
the linger.
For Grace, Sam, and Cole, life a constant struggle between two forces--wolf and human--with love baring its two sides as well. It is harrowing and euphoric, freeing and entrapping, enticing and alarming. As their world falls apart, love is what lingers. But will it be enough?
Again, I must say it has been a while since I actually read this book, so I had to refresh from another source which I will provide again as I did with Shiver. I must say though, this book is told from Sam and Grace again but also by Isabelle and a totally new character, Cole St. Claire. Here is a short biography of Cole:
Cole St. Claire- A "bad boy", sure if you really want to call him that you could. He used to be a part of a rock band. He was the damaged singer who every girl swooned over. Now he is a werewolf struggling with his past and his desire to not be human.
In the second instalment to this trilogy, and companion novel, Linger is told from four different perspectives. Don't get me wrong that is a lot of voices. But the thing is that I never had a tough time reading this book. Each character has their own unique voice and I can very distinctly point out who is who. We go further into the story and to my delight the extent of the werewolves and what makes them who they are. We never fully leave the romance of Grace and Sam but we are introduced to the budding romance of Isabelle and Cole. We learn new things about how to shift into wolves and how to stay human. All of this is thanks to meningitis. Wait....what? Seriously? Wow. But anyways I will provide you with the totally spoiled summary. Again here is your warning.
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
SPOILERS ARE UP AHEAD! IF YOU HAVE NOT READ SHIVER OR LINGER YET I ADVISE YOU TO DO SO.
So there you go, you have been warned.
Summary provided by: Wikipedia:
A newly cured Sam finds Cole transforming in Beck's house and realizes that he's one of the teenagers Beck turned for the future of the pack. After becoming human again, Cole turns up at Isabel's in search of clothes. To hide her grief over Jack, she ends up kissing him but he disappears as a wolf again. Grace becomes very sick and, when she cries in pain, her parents find Sam in her room. They take Grace to hospital and stop Sam from seeing her. After returning from hospital, Grace makes plans to go and live with Sam at Beck's house. She leaves one night and Sam's ecstatic to see her. Isabel and Sam find Cole having a fit and discover that he was experimenting with needles, trying to find a way to become a wolf. Isabel and Cole later kiss again when he's warming up in the bath and again when visiting her mother's clinic. After spending a day together, during which Cole admitted his famous past to her, they almost slept together until Cole rejected her, not believing he was good enough for her. When Grace's health worsens, Sam and Cole take her to the hospital where her father punches Sam. Cole realizes that, because Grace was bitten but didn't change in a set amount of time, she's dying. He comes to the conclusion that she needs to turn. Isabel shows up and creates a distraction to get Grace's parents out of the room. Cole then gives Grace his DNA and she shifts, escaping out the window. Sam's final words are, "I will find a cure. And then, I will find Grace."
Now onto the opinion and rating. I really liked this book. I will say the endings to all these books are absolutely wonderful but in Linger the ending is a cliffhanger from hell. Stiefvater really knows how to hit you in the gut with her endings. But overall this sequel was definitely a great one. I loved all the characters stories and the tale will stick with me for many more books to come. 5/5 stars.
Book 3- Forever
then.
When Sam met Grace, he was a wolf and she was a girl. Eventually he found a way to become a boy, and their loved moved from curious distance to the intense closeness of shared lives.
now.
That should have been the end of their story. But Grace was not meant to stay human. Now she is the wolf. And the wolves of Mercy Falls are about to be killed in one final, spectacular hunt.
forever.
Sam would do anything for Grace. But can one boy and one love really change a hostile, predatory world? The past, the present, and the future are about to collide in one pure moment--a moment of death or life, farewell or forever.
Again. It has been a while and this book is by far the fuzziest in my memory but here goes anyway. I must say there is a lot more action in this finale than the other two books. I loved it, and all it represents. I hate the new character who is introduced, Shelby. Yes she may be a tortured soul but she is just filled with so much hate that I cant relate to her. She is so...violent. I blame her anger for making her the vicious wolf that she becomes. But other than this, Forever is definitely the final book I was hoping for.
So lets get straight into the spoiler summary because honestly, this review is becoming a monster to read. So here is your warning.
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
SPOILERS ARE UP AHEAD! IF YOU HAVE NOT READ SHIVER OR LINGER OR FOREVER YET I ADVISE YOU TO DO SO.
Summary from Wikipedia:
Shelby finds Olivia and kills her. Grace turns into a human and manages to call Sam, but by the time he arrives for her, she has already turned back. A desperate Cole tries to call Isabel but since she's still upset at his rejection, he leaves 21 voicemails on her machine, the last one simply, "I wish you'd answer." Grace is chased into a sinkhole by Shelby. Sam and Cole find her and manage to save her, locking her in the bathroom until she can change back. Isabel's shocked to discover that her father is arranging for the wolves to be removed from the protected species list. Cole reads Beck's diaries and discovers that the wolves have been moved once before, when Hannah, a wolf who could retain her human memories in wolf form, lead them. Sam is interrogated by Officer Koenig as he is the suspect behind Olivia's death and possible rape (as she was found naked) and Grace's disappearance. Sam and Grace tell him about the wolves and he tells them that he owns land just outside of Mercy Falls where the wolves would be safe. Grace visits her parents to say goodbye, but they have replaced her with a cat. Cole captures Beck and calls Sam and Grace. He injects Beck with a dodgy substance he made, despite Sam's protests, and it turns Beck human again. They tell him that Sam was successfully cured but they have to move the wolves. Beck tells them about Hannah and turns back into a wolf, agreeing to help. Cole injects Sam and himself, turning them into wolves. The helicopter catches up to them and Beck is killed. The pack splits when Shelby and Sam fight. Shelby attacks Cole but they're shot. Isabel, who has driven up to the commotion, is hurt by Cole's apparent death and drives onto the scene. Her father texts her "Get out of there." She replies "When you do." The hunt stops and the wolves arrive safely. Finally, Isabel discovers that her parents are sending her to California for ruining the hunt. Cole calls her and she's thrilled that he's alive. He admits he needed to talk to her before he saw Sam and Grace. She tells him to keep her number, and they say goodbye.
There. I am done. 5/5 stars for Forever.
So there you go, the complete series. But wait, there's more!
The Companion novel.
Sinner
So I didn't actually read the physical book of Sinner. I didn't have the money to go out and purchase the newly released book. To be honest I didn't know it existed until I saw the audiobook in my local Anythink library. As soon as I spotted it I lunged for it. Never had I ever listened to an audiobook. I have always been the person to actually pick up the physical copy, preferably a paperback, and read it by myself. But I just couldn't resist. But I don't think reading the actual book would have better. I loved the way that the person reading the book spoke out the voices of Cole and Isabelle. I am actually glad we got to see the romance between these two bloom and flourish. I must say this though, if you read the three books in the series, you really don't have to read Sinner. It also goes the other way around to be honest. You don't have to read the trilogy to read this companion novel. You wont be missing a whole lot of information but I do say if you want to read all of the books, I give my seal of approval. 5/5 stars
OVERALL:
I loved all of these books and I am so glad that this series is the first time that I actually totally completed a series. I always tend to read the first book then stop reading, either due to money issues or I just don't have the urge or time to. But with these books, I hopped from one to the next without stopping. I highly recommend these books to anybody and everyone who loves to read. I truly enjoyed them and I hope everybody else will as well.
Girls In Trucks
Sarah Walters is a less-than-perfect debutante. She tries hard to follow the time-honored customs of the Charleston Camellia Society, as her mother and grandmother did, standing up straight in cotillion class and attending lectures about all the things that Camellias don't do. (Like ride with boys in pickup trucks.)
But Sarah can't quite ignore the barbarism just beneath all that propriety, and as soon as she can she decamps South Carolina for a life in New York City. There, she and her fellow displaced Southern friends try to make sense of city sophistication, to understand how much of their training applies to real life, and how much to the strange and rarefied world they've left behind.
When life's complications become overwhelming, Sarah returns home to confront with matured eyes the motto "Once a Camellia, always a Camellia"- and to see how much fuller life can be, for good and for ill, among those who know you best.
Girls in Trucks introduces an irresistable, sweet, and wise voice that heralds the arrival of an exciting new talent.
I managed to make it to page 60 without putting the book down. Then I hit it. A reading slump, and it was all thanks to this book. The character was just too...how do I say it? Snobby, boring, and not my type of gal. I don't understand how this book is a national bestseller, I really don't. This is one of those few books that I had to just put down and say goodbye to. I had no regrets with it either, I was relieved to put it away. Most likely I am going to donate it to goodwill so that maybe somebody could enjoy it, that somebody not being me.
But Sarah can't quite ignore the barbarism just beneath all that propriety, and as soon as she can she decamps South Carolina for a life in New York City. There, she and her fellow displaced Southern friends try to make sense of city sophistication, to understand how much of their training applies to real life, and how much to the strange and rarefied world they've left behind.
When life's complications become overwhelming, Sarah returns home to confront with matured eyes the motto "Once a Camellia, always a Camellia"- and to see how much fuller life can be, for good and for ill, among those who know you best.
Girls in Trucks introduces an irresistable, sweet, and wise voice that heralds the arrival of an exciting new talent.
I managed to make it to page 60 without putting the book down. Then I hit it. A reading slump, and it was all thanks to this book. The character was just too...how do I say it? Snobby, boring, and not my type of gal. I don't understand how this book is a national bestseller, I really don't. This is one of those few books that I had to just put down and say goodbye to. I had no regrets with it either, I was relieved to put it away. Most likely I am going to donate it to goodwill so that maybe somebody could enjoy it, that somebody not being me.
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Flipped
Flipped is a romance told in two voices. The first time Juli Baker saw Bryce Loski, she flipped. The first time Bryce saw Juli, he ran. That’s pretty much the pattern for these two neighbors until the eighth grade, when, just as Juli is realizing Bryce isn’t as wonderful as she thought, Bryce is starting to see that Juli is pretty amazing. How these two teens manage to see beyond the surface of things and come together makes for a comic and poignant romance
Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen is a fairly short read coming in at 212 pages. The story is told by the two main characters, Julianna Baker and Bryce Loski, having each chapter alternate between the two kids. I say kids because throughout the entire read I was slightly confused as to how old each of the kids were all through the book. While reading this I laughed and I cried. Julianna is by far the main star of this book, I mean the whole story is just wrapped up in her and I loved it. Bryce is one of those characters that reminds me of every boy that I attended school with during middle school, they never really cared for the same things that I did at that age. I could really relate to Julianna and how close and meaningful her family was to her. I also connected very well with her love of that sycamore tree. I used to climb up trees when I was that age and I used to just ponder life as she did in this book. Julianna and her family were so well developed that I felt as if they were someone in my neighborhood. However Bryce's family seemed like they were a great family from the outside but looks can always be deceiving. This is by far my favorite romance of the year, there was insta love but it was only one sided and that is a real situation that girls that age experience all the time so I could really connect with the story. Overall I really loved this book, the characters, and the writing. It was such a great ride and I am sure I want to read more from Wendelin Van Draanen.
Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen is a fairly short read coming in at 212 pages. The story is told by the two main characters, Julianna Baker and Bryce Loski, having each chapter alternate between the two kids. I say kids because throughout the entire read I was slightly confused as to how old each of the kids were all through the book. While reading this I laughed and I cried. Julianna is by far the main star of this book, I mean the whole story is just wrapped up in her and I loved it. Bryce is one of those characters that reminds me of every boy that I attended school with during middle school, they never really cared for the same things that I did at that age. I could really relate to Julianna and how close and meaningful her family was to her. I also connected very well with her love of that sycamore tree. I used to climb up trees when I was that age and I used to just ponder life as she did in this book. Julianna and her family were so well developed that I felt as if they were someone in my neighborhood. However Bryce's family seemed like they were a great family from the outside but looks can always be deceiving. This is by far my favorite romance of the year, there was insta love but it was only one sided and that is a real situation that girls that age experience all the time so I could really connect with the story. Overall I really loved this book, the characters, and the writing. It was such a great ride and I am sure I want to read more from Wendelin Van Draanen.
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