Wow, I can’t believe how fast this month has gone by! š This month I believe I’ve read around 25-30 books, so I’m pretty happy with that! IĀ didn’t review each one I read, unfortunately, but here are all the books I’ve reviewed so far this month (organized by its rating)!
Last TWHST of the month! š (Press here for last week’s one.) This meme is hosted by Chapter Break, where we simply feature a favourite line from one of our book boyfriends to his heroine. Since one of the books I’m currently reading is Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, I decided to showcase a quote from Adam Kent, the love interest of our protagonist, Juliette.
‘He whispers, “You have no idea how much I’ve thought about you. How many times I’ve dreamt”-he takes a tight breath- “how many times I’ve dreamt about being this close to you.” He moves to run a hand through his hair before he changes his mind. Looks down. Looks up. “God, Juliette, I’d follow you anywhere. You’re the only good thing left in this world.” ‘
-Adam, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Shatter Me bookcover
Awww!!! So cute! ā¤ Don’t you agree? Let me know in the comments below your thoughts on this quote or the book in general. Don’t forget to link your post if you participate in this meme as well!
I am currently reading Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen as well as Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (both for the Popsugar Reading Challenge; A popular author’s first book & A book written by someone under 30, respectively).
What did you recently finish reading?
I most recently finished reading Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick, as part of the Popsugar Reading Challenge for ‘A Book with Nonhuman Characters.’ It is the final book in the Hush Hush saga. You can check out the reviews on the first three books HERE, HERE and HERE. Other books I’ve read during the past week include Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell and The DUFF by Kody Keplinger.
What do you think you’ll read next?
Usually I would be stuck on this question but I have already planned to continue with books listed for the Popsugar challenge, and will read Hereafter by Tara Hudson (‘A book a friend recommended’) as well as The Giver by Lois Lowry (‘A banned book’). After that I’ll probably start A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Grey (‘A book based entirely on its cover’).
AT.
What are your WWW Wednesdays? Link them below or comment! I’d love to hear from you. š
Yay! Another Top 10 Tuesday (a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish)! š This week’s theme isĀ Top Ten Books Which Feature Characters Who _____. I have decided to fill the blank in with “Parental Issues”. I was mostly inspired with this idea since parental issues (dead parents, abandoning parent, abandoned parent, distracted parent, etc.) are over-used in so many popular YA books, I just wanted to point them out. Ā Let’s get started. š
Note: All ‘series/trilogy’ link to the series’ Goodreads page. If I have a review for any of the books in the series, the first book’s review will be linked on the name of the series. Otherwise, the series name will be linked to the Goodreads page of the 1st book in the series.
Note 2: There are a few books listed here that include SPOILERS. You have been warned. (I believe the books guilty of charge would be Divergent, Legend and the Mortal Instruments.)
Percy’s lives with his mother, Sally Jackson, and hadn’t known his father existed (and was a Greek god!) until further in the first book. His parent problem would be an AWOL parent case I suppose.
There are several characters who have parent problems, however I’ll go with Rose’s ones. Rose’s father is dead, and she has a strained relationship with her mother (at least at the start). The dead parent, as well as the abandoning parent (since Rose’s mother has been absent in most of Rose’s life) is the case for this issue.
Katniss’s father is dead, and her relationship with her mother is a bit strained due to the fact her mother became depressed and zoned out when Katniss’s father died (leaving Katniss and Prim to fend for themselves). This strained relationship does get better, however.
Nora’s father is dead, and Nora’s mother works over-time and is often AWOL, leaving Nora lots of free time. This particular type of parent is quite popular in YA I’ve noticed, along with the dead parent.
June’s parents died when she was really young. (SPOILER) Day’s father was killed before the events in Legend and his mother is also killed in the first book.
Harry Potter’s parents were murdered by Voldemort as you all [should] know, and he goes to live with the Dursleys, who hate him. The popular dead parent stereotype is used here.
Kelsey’s parents are dead, and she lives with foster parents who aren’t much involved in Kelsey’s life. Of course, Kelsey is 18 throughout basically the whole series, but still. Even before that, it didn’t seem like they made that much of an impact on Kelsey’s life.
I’m kind of cheating here by putting two series but oh well. Layla has been living with the Wardens her whole life since her mother and father abandoned her. She believed her father was dead but later finds out he was alive and wanted her dead. Her mother’s been MIA.
In the Lux series, Katy’s father died of cancer before the events of the first book, and her mother is kind of the abandoned and distracted parent (which basically lets Katy do whatever she wants).
I’mĀ cheating again, but too bad. š Tessa Grey’s mother and father (at least the man she thought was her father) are dead. Don’t want to spoil anything so I’ll leave it at that.
Clary Fray has a mother, and the man she thought was her father is also dead. She only found out about her real father later on in the first book I believe. (SPOILER) Her actual father also dies in the third book.
Cath and Wren have been living with their father most of their life since their mother left them when they were 8 years old and hasn’t been present as a mother figure in their lives.
Bella Swan goes to live with her father, who hadn’t remarried since he and Bella’s mom divorced. With Twilight it’s not a case of a dead parent or a parent MIA/AWOL, it’s more of the divorced parent case as well as the distraced parent/parent-who-isn’t-an-active-part-in-child’s-life case.
This series (trilogy, more accurately) is a different parent-problem case, since they’re not dead nor divorced, simply estranged from their daughter (Della Tsang). Della is a vampire, and since her parents don’t know that they think she’s become a bad child and distances themselves from her.
Shadow Falls After Dark Books 1 and 2
So that’s it for this week’s Top 10 Tuesday! This one was more of an open-ended question and I’d love to know what you did for yours! Link your post below or comment! As always, I’d love to hear from you.
Happy Tuesday! For more Tuesday fun, check out my Teaser Tuesday.
Welcome to another Teaser Tuesday (a meme hosted by MizB @ A Daily Rhythm)! I am currently reading Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick, and Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen, so here’s one teaser from each:
‘The elevator, which was almost as large as my bedroom, clanged lower and lower, at last grinding to a stop. The heavy steel door rose, and Scott and I walked out onto a loading dock. The ground and walls were dirt, and the only light came from the single light bulb swinging like a pendulum overhead.’
-Nora, Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick
‘ “Elinor,” cried Marianne, “is this fair? Is this just? Are my ideas so scanty? But I see
what you mean. I have been too much at my ease, too happy, too frank. I have erred against every common-place notion of decorum; I have been open and sincere where I ought to have been reserved, spiritless, dull, and deceitful–had I talked only of the weather and the roads, and had I spoken only once in ten minutes, this reproach would have been spared.”
“My love,” said her mother, “you must not be offended with Elinor–she was only in jest. I should scold her myself, if she were capable of wishing to check the delight of your conversation with our new friend.” Marianne was softened in a moment. ‘
-Marianne & her mother, Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen
So there we have it! What are your Teaser Tuesdays? Link your post below or comment! I’ll be back later with this week’s Top 10 Tuesday, and maybe even a review! šĀ Have a wonderful Tuesday!
I found this thanks to Victoria @Ā Addlepates and Book Nerds! Check out her blog, because it is totally amazing! ā¤
1. Emma WatsonĀ ā A book with a hot kick-ass female character
Emma Watson
Zoey Deutch as Rose
Shailene Woodley as Tris
Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss
I agree with Victoria’s choices for this one: Rose Hathaway from Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, and the girl from Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, Celaena Sardothien. I will also add Tris Prior from Divergent by Veronica Roth, as well as Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
2. Ryan Gosling ā A book with the hottest male character
Ryan Gosling
Roth from The Dark Elements
Daemon from Lux series
Tucker from Unearthly
Noah from Mara Dyer
Will Herondale from The Infernal Device
Nooooooooo I can’t just choose 1! That’s like telling your body to use only one organ to function! I’ll limit myself to 5:
Roth from The Dark Elements (by Jennifer L. Armentrout)
Daemon from the Lux series (by Jennifer L. Armentrout)
Tucker from the Unearthly series (by Cynthia Hand)
Noah from the Mara Dyer trilogy (by Michelle Hodkin)
Will from The Infernal Devices (by Cassandra Clare)
So many more, but these will have to do. ā¤
3. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt ā A book with yourĀ favoriteĀ fictional book couple
Angelina & Brad
Percy & Annabeth
Elizabeth & Darcy
Tessa & Will
Jace & Clary
Katy & Daemon
Roth & Layla
June & Day
Oooh this is a hard one…Ā I have so many couples I ship so much! A few of them would be:
Percabeth (Percy & Annabeth from Percy Jackson & the Olympians series + Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan.)
Elizabeth & Darcy (from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Not really sure if they have a ship name or not, but still, they’re so cute together!)
WessaĀ (Will & Tessa from The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare.)
Clace (Clary & Jace from The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare.)
Kaemon (Katy and Daemon from the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout.)
Rayla (Roth & Layla from The Dark Elements series by Jennifer L. Armentrout)
June & Day (from Legend by Marie Lu.)
And, (last ones, I swear):
Emma & Julian (from The Dark Artifices by Cassandra Clare, even though none of the books have been released yet.)
Ren & Kelsey (from Tiger’s Saga by Colleen Houck.)
Julian & Emma
Kelsey & Ren
I know, I know. Lots of couples. But what can I say? These couples are amazing! ā¤
4. Shailene Woodley ā Author youāve recently discovered and loved
Shailene Woodley
Cecelia Ahern
I guess it would be Rainbow Rowell, or Cecelia Ahern. I haven’t read any books by an author I ‘discovered’ all that recently, but the most recent authors I remember are these two. I’m planning on reading Rainbow Rowell’s Attachments and Landline (I loved Fangirl and Eleanor & Park) as well as Cecelia Ahern’s Love Rosie (I loved If You Could See Me Now). š I definitely recommend these two authors if you haven’t read any of their works yet.
5. Josh Hutcherson-Ā FavouriteĀ short story or novella
Josh Hutcherson
Bitter Sweet Love
Tiger’s Promise
My mind for some reason is coming up blank for short stories/novellas that I loved, and the only two I remember really enjoying is Bitter Sweet Love by Jennifer L. Armentrout and Tiger’s Promise by Colleen Houck.
6. Dwayne Johnson AKA The Rock āĀ FavoriteĀ Big Book (over 500 pages)
Dwayne Johnson
Lux Series #5
Any of the later Harry Potter books for sure! I also really enjoyed Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout, as well as Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare.
7. Leonardio DiCaprio ā A series with the most upsetting death (NO SPOILERS)
Leonardo DiCaprio
Allegiant
Definitely the Divergent trilogy! I don’t want to give anything away in case you haven’t read it, but the trilogy, or more specifically, Allegiant, had one of the most upsetting deaths I’ve ever read about.
8. Kristen Stewart ā A book you found boring
Kristen Stewart
Flash Point by Nancy Kress is the first book that comes to mind (although it actually wasn’t that boring, more that I’m disappointed in it’s plot and characters as well as writing. Too lazy to try and think of another book). I read it for the Popsugar Reading Challenge (for ‘A book set in the future’) and I was expecting so much more. Check out my review on it here!
9. Ian Somerhalder ā Cutest book on your shelf
Ian Somerhalder
Ruby the Red Fairy
I suppose the cutest book on my shelf would be Ruby the Red FairyĀ by Rainbow Meadows.
10. Jennifer Lawrence ā Perfect book or series
Jennifer Lawrence
I have to agree again with Victoria for this one; Harry Potter definitely is a perfect series. There are several other books/series that I loved and were perfect in my opinion, however I can’t seem to remember them. Oops! š
As always, feel free to ignore this if you don’t want to do it. Otherwise, I’ll be looking forward to reading your answers! Make sure to post your link in the comments below so I can come check it out. š
Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper may not be the prettiest girl in her high school, but she has a loyal group of friends, a biting wit, and a spot-on BS detector. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush, who calls Bianca the Duff–the designated ugly fat friend–of her crew.
But things aren’t so great at home and Bianca, desperate for a distraction, ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.
Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.
Add to Goodreads
My Rating:Ā Ā 3.5/5 (Liked it)
Book Information
Publisher: Poppy
Genre(s): Young-adult romance, high school, chick-lit
Hi there! I just started and finished reading The DUFF by Kody Keplinger and while I really should finish up my other reviews for Stone Cold Touch and Pride and Prejudice, I decided to work on this one instead. So, for my rating, I want to clear up that this was a good book. 3.5 star rating may not seem like a particularly good rating, but it is. I really liked The DUFF and while I can’t pinpoint exactly why it’s a 3.5 and not 4 star rating, I just want to say it has a good rating.Read More »
Hi! I was tagged by the epic Meena @ Tattooed Pages! Check out her blog, it’s amazing! ā¤ Alright, let’s get started!
D:Ā Do you read more in the morning or at night?
I don’t read much in the morning for sure, definitely at night since I alwaysĀ crawl into bed with my e-reader with me! I also read in the afternoon, especially if I have paperbacks or hardcovers I’m reading, since they’re not as comfortable to read with lying down.
A:Ā Are there any books that changed the way you thought about things?
All books leave and impact on my thoughts and feelings, but one that particularly comes to mind is the Harry Potter series. There are just so many messages and stuff in the books that will always stick with me.
Y:Ā YA or not?
Why is this even a question?? YA for life! ā¤
A:Ā Are there any characters you honestly believe to be real?
As much as I wished they were,no.There are times where I think of a character so much they become real in my mind, but never did I believe them to be physically alive.
N:Ā Nobody borrows my books or I donāt mind lending them out?
I don’t mind lending them out to the right people.
D:Ā Do you ever smell your books?
Sometimes. š
N:Ā Not everyone likes books, is this a positive or a negative?
Negative. LikeĀ Tessa Gray once said, “Only the very weak-minded refuse to be influenced by literature and poetry.” Although I understand that not everyone loves or enjoys books as much as I do, I do believe with the right book anyone can (and should!) come to enjoy literature.
I:Ā I keep my books in the best condition or maybe not? Which are you?
I definitely try my best, but older books have gotten a bit worse for wear unfortunately.
G:Ā Gosh I have too many books! True or False?
100% false! I have way too less physical books and although the number of my e-books are growing, there’s never too much!
H:Ā Have you ever spilled or stained your books before with something, and if so how?
I haven’t spilled or stained any of my personal books, however I accidentally dropped a few library books in puddles before. Oops!
T:Ā Toned or untoned while reading? . . or in other words. . .Do you read and workout at the same time?
Well, I barely workout (although I really should), but on the rare occasions I do go on a treadmill, if I’m simply walking at a reasonable pace, I have my Kobo to read. I don’t do this often though.
That’s it for this tag! Thanks again Meena for tagging me, this was lots of fun! I’m too lazy to specifically tag anyone so feel free to do this tag if it interests you. Call yourself officially tagged! Just link your post in the comments below so I can check it out!
Just a quick update on my progress for the 2015 Popsugar Reading Challenge: I’ve completed 5/50! 1/25 of my challenge! Yay me! Definitely not the rate at which I wanted to read but what’s done is done. Hopefully I’ll be picking up my pace a bit more now!
So far I’ve finished:
A classic romance-Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
A book set in a different country-Tiger’s Promise by Colleen Houck
A book with a love triangle-Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout
A book set in the future-Flash Point by Nancy Kress
As you can see by the links I’ve only reviews 3 out of the 5 I’ve completed and so hopefully I’ll be posting reviews for both of the remaining ones soon. š
So that’s it for Week 1 update! Obviously aiming for having the challenge finished in a month is ridiculous, so I’m thinking 2 or 3 months should be enough to fit the bill.
How are your reading challenges going? Comment below!
From the author of the New York Times bestseller Eleanor & Park.
A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love.
Cath is a Simon Snow fan.
Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan…
But for Cath, being a fan is her lifeāand sheās really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; itās what got them through their mother leaving. Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.
Cathās sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath canāt let go. She doesnāt want to.
Now that theyāre going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesnāt want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. Sheās got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words… And she canāt stop worrying about her dad, whoās loving and fragile and has never really been alone.
For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?
“Touching and utterly real.” āĀ Publisher’s Weekly
Hey there! I was planning on posting this book review yesterday but since I was so tired I didn’t get the chance.
I absolutely LOVED this book. I just flew through the pages, and I even teared up a few times, which is pretty rare for me (although that could be attributed to my sore throat… šĀ )!Ā This book just gave me the feels! I loved the plot, the characters, and the writing style. It’s outstanding, and completely deserving of my 5 star rating!Read More »
I’ve been bouncing around the idea to write a story for several months now, and I’ve finally strengthened my resolve to go through with it! Now, I’m sure I’m going to abandon it when schoolwork and examsĀ get really tough, but for now I’m hoping to stick with it! I’ve thought about it bit, and I don’t yet have a very clear idea of the plot, but I have something, and that’s all I’m focusing on at the moment. š
It’s not much, but this is what I have so far:
I am drowning. Or soon will be. The ocean encases my lower body, tugging me down. Blue wavesĀ rage around me, yet I feel fire burning my arms.Ā I feel no pain in my arms, as if the fire is not even there. How is this possible? What air I have left is growing short, coming in quick raspy breaths, and I start to suffocate. I feel the ground tremble. My legs are pulling me under, yet my upper torso and arms are in flames. Oxygen clouds around me, and I can barely see through the smoky air. I try to fight against it all, trying to stay above water, focusing on breathing, while trying to douse the flames captured on my arms. I have no idea what is going on right now; how could I be drowning, burning and suffocating at the same time? It makes no sense. I kick and try to swim, refusing to die now. But then I had no choice; smoke blackened my vision, and the water swallowed me whole.
I’d love it if you comment and provide constructive criticism, I always have space for improvement! I’d appreciate no hateful comments, simply some advice or thoughts you may have. Thank you!
Hi! I’m back with a last minute Exploring My Bookshelves post, a meme hosted by Victoria @Ā Addlepates & Book Nerds. Make sure to check out her blog, it’s amazing! ā¤
The Rules:
1. Post a picture of our bookshelves (preferably literal, but e-book shelves work too)
2. Follow the theme/question about the books on our shelf that Victoria will have set out for us for that week. (Eg. favourite author, cover, etc.)
3. Include the cover and what we thought of it (if itās read).
4. Link our post!
This week’s question is:Ā What characters do you wish you could bring to life?
This is such a hard one! For one I would definitely go with one of Victoria’s choices: Rose from Vampire Academy. She’s an awesome fighter, and would be totally fun to hang out with.
And I have to agree with Poulami @ Daydreaming BooksĀ for Cath from Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I finished Fangirl today, and I loved it! I’m currently working on its review that I will hopefully be posting tomorrow. š Cath was just awesome; relatable, funny, and was just so different from other characters I’ve read about. Plus, she’s a total fangirl and I can so relate with fangirling.
And lastly… ugh, this is honestly killing me,Ā there are so many other characters I wish I could bring to life! But I’ll go with one last character: Katy from the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. First of all, she’s a blogger! Who blogs about books! Like me! ā¤ Yay! Plus Katy is just awesome. I’d love to hang out with her (and talk to her about Daemon…)!
Vampire Academy bookcover
So that’s it for this week’s Exploring My Bookshelves! Please link your post below or comment! I’d love to hear of your choices. š
The time has come for another Friday Finds! God, I’ve discovered so many new books lately! I could go on and on… but I’ll limit myself to 12… or 15. Anyway, what we do for this memeĀ (which is hosted by MizB @ A Daily Rhythm) is simply list the books we’ve recently added to our TBR, books we’ve ‘found’.
Hey there! I’m on my schedule for weekly memes, and since today’s Thursday, it’s time for a That’s What He Said Thursday post (hosted by Chapter Break)!
As I most recently finished Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, I’ve decided to feature a quote from none other than Mr. Darcy! While he’s a bit too old for me, it doesn’t make his quote and less fuzzy-feeling. š Plus, I ship him and Elizabeth together, so this quote is super cute!
“In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”
-Mr. Darcy to Elizabeth, Pride and Prejudice
Aww, isn’t that just the cutest confession of love? ā¤ Pride and Prejudice is among one of my favorite classic romance for good reason! I’m feeling horriblyĀ sick this morning, and am hoping to recover with a nice, comfy read and take a nap, but I’ll try to have a review on this up as soon as possible!
So what’s your featured book boyfriend’s quote for this week’s That’s What He Said Thursday? Link your post below so I can come check it out, or simply leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you!
Happy Thursday everyone! Hope your morning wasn’t as sicklyĀ as mine has been so far! š
Reality TV meets a chillingly realistic version of Americaāand the fame game is on!
Amy had dreams of going to college, until the Collapse destroyed the economy and her future. Now she is desperate for any job that will help support her terminally ill grandmother and rebellious younger sister. When she finds herself in the running for a slot on a new reality TV show, she signs on the dotted line, despite her misgivings. And sheās right to have them. TLNās Who Knows People, BabyāYou? has an irresistible premise: correctly predict what the teenage cast will do in a crisis and win millions. But the network has pulled strings to make it work, using everything from 24/7 hidden cameras to life-threatening technology to flat-out rigging. Worse, every time the ratings slip, TLN ups the ante. Soon Amy is fighting for her lifeāon and off camera.
Hey there! Glad I’m finally reviewing this. I finished this sooner, but hadn’t gotten the chance to review it yet, but I got some time now so here I go!
I had this on my TBR list and started reading it a bit before I officially started the Popsugar Challenge. I finished it after a few days of my challenge, and let me just say this: It was a disappointment. A flop. As you can see from my rating, this wasn’t the best book I’ve read. I had such high hopes for this one, but it just didn’t click for me.
The only reason it does not have a 2 star or even 1.5 star rating was because I was able to finish the book without hating it, as well as the writing style helped make the book more enjoyable. It was only afterwards where my opinions changed.
Quick Summary
Our protagonist, Amy,Ā would’ve had a comfortable life if it wasn’t for the Collapse. Now she’s desperate to keep up with financial problems while taking care of her younger sister and sickly grandmother. When she gets the chance for good pay with medical benefits by being in the running for the new TV show Who Knows People, Baby–You?, Amy is quick to audition, ignoring her misgivings. When Amy ends up being one of the people starring in the show, she realizes the show isn’t as fun and simple as it seems when her life (and the lives of the people with her) isĀ put in jeopardy.
Plot
So starting with the plot. The conceptĀ itself was really interesting, however Nancy Kress made it fall flat. I mean, it was a super cool story line, with the whole TV show risking lives, and the Hunger Games-ish idea, but Nancy Kress just wasn’t able to pull it off.
The main point of the story is about how the TV producers are risking the lives of Amy and the other stars on the show for the sake of having good ratings from viewers. The problem however is that while there were a few scenes where it was interesting, the actual ‘flash point’ or, climax kind of flopped. It reminded me a bit of The Maze Runner, except done worse.
Another thing that added to that problem is that although in the synopsis it is said that every time the ratings slipped, the TV producers ‘up the ante’ of the scenes the stars go through, really, the scenes weren’t all that great, to be honest. There were maybe a few select scenarios that were decent and mostly interesting, but not that many.
And finally, the last problem I had with the plot is the unnecessary and confusing ‘phantoms.’ Apparently Amy is some kind of clairvoyant, and gets these ‘phantoms’ that lets her see through the scenarios set up by the producers?For something so crucial (or so KressĀ makes it seem) to the story, you’d expect an explanation. The true story of what was happening to Amy in those momentsĀ was notĀ explained at all throughout the entire book, and that really annoyed and frustrated me.
Overall, there were some parts I enjoyed, such as a couple of plot twists, but the plot definitely did not live up to its full potential.
Characters
To be honest, most of the characters were pretty predictable, save for a couple which goes back to the plot twist I mentioned above. Most of the people I thought wereĀ kind of useless and bothersome. Amy herself I found annoying, someone who I couldn’t relate with at all. She came off as a bit whiny at times, easily falls for a pretty face, and although she’s supposed to be all smart and everything, the very first couple of decisions she made sucked. Overall, I didn’t find Amy that enjoyable, and she definitely wasn’t a strong female lead like I was hoping for. I don’t specifically hate her, but I’m not her biggest fan, that’s for sure.
There is some romance in here, or at least a love triangle. I’m usually fine with love triangles as long as they’re done well. Sadly, this was not done all that well. I honestly did not care for either of the interests much, especially not for the one Amy first thought herself to be in love with (the pretty face). It was so obvious who actually likes her and who has more common interest with her, that I literally felt like shaking Amy to tell her to wake up.
Writing Style
The writing style wasn’t phenomenal, however it was quite enjoyable. The writing style is one of the main things that made me decide on a 2.5 stars rating instead of something lower. It flowed nicely, and was descriptive enough when need be. Note: there is swearing multiple times. That bothered me, as it was unnecessary to use such language, however I did my best to simply ignore it.
Overall, I don’t particularly recommend this book. If you’ve read Nancy Kress’s other works and are interested in this, then by all means try it out.Ā I actually would love to hear your opinions on it! Perhaps it will shape my perspective into a more favorable opinion.
Not that hungry? I understand,Ā this review isn’t increasing you appetite, is it? But if you are hungry, go eat it! I’d love to hear what you think of its taste.
![IMG_1422[1]](https://booksnacksblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/img_14221-e1435435453261.jpg)
Book Snacks 