Showing posts with label young adult. Show all posts
Showing posts with label young adult. Show all posts

(Spoiler-Free) Book Review: Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs

9:00 AM
Rating: 4/5 stars

Published: September 22nd, 2015 by Quirk Books

Description: As the story opens, sixteen-year-old Jacob discovers a powerful new ability, and soon he’s diving through history to rescue his peculiar companions from a heavily guarded fortress. Accompanying Jacob on his journey are Emma Bloom, a girl with fire at her fingertips, and Addison MacHenry, a dog with a nose for sniffing out lost children.

They’ll travel from modern-day London to the labyrinthine alleys of Devil’s Acre, the most wretched slum in all of Victorian England. It’s a place where the fate of peculiar children everywhere will be decided once and for all.

 Goodreads | Amazon

Other books in the series: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Book 1), Hollow City (Book 2)



Before I read Library of Souls, I had pretty high hopes based on the previous books in the series; they were so eerie and mysterious that they seemed like a strange and wonderful dream. As if this trilogy couldn't get any more peculiar, Library of Souls features more evil villains, mysterious creatures and wild adventures than ever.

When I think of my experience reading Library of Souls, the first thing that comes to mind is the detail behind the story. The lore behind the peculiar world was fascinating; without giving too much away, we get a thorough description of the origin story behind peculiardom which adds even more depth to the plot. I also adored the characters and was satisfied with the way they completed their arcs. There are quite a few peculiar children in Jacob's group, but they all have their own little quirks that make them unique and endearing.

One problem I had with this book (and the series in general) was Jacob and Emma's relationship. They're both great characters, but the "romance" between them seemed like an afterthought compared to the rest of the story. I think their dynamic would have been a bit less clunky if they were just friends.

I also found the pacing to be a little slow towards the middle of the book. I'm used to reading books with relatively short chapters, and this 458 page book was split up into just 11 of them. Because I have a pretty short attention span, I would struggle to finish a whole chapter in one sitting. As a result, I would forget what was happening the next time I picked up the book because I usually would have to stop reading in the middle of something important. However, the plot in the second half picked up drastically that I got to the point where I couldn't put it down!

Despite my complaints, Library of Souls and the Peculiar Children series is written wonderfully with a unique plot and lovable characters. If you enjoy fantasy and haven't read it yet, I think it's definitely worth the read!


Have you read Library of Souls? What did you think of it? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading,

Annie
Indoor Sojourner
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(Spoiler Free) Book Review: Winter by Marissa Meyer

12:00 PM

Rating: 5/5 stars

Published: November 10th, 2015 by Feiwel and Friends

Synopsis: Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend—the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters? 

Goodreads | Amazon

 Other books in the series: Cinder (Book 1), Scarlet (Book 2), Cress (Book 3)


Honestly, I was reluctant to pick up the last installment of The Lunar Chronicles.

It wasn't because I was afraid it would be disappointing, or because the 827 page book was intimidating; I simply didn't want these fantastic fairytale retellings to come to an end. The Lunar Chronicles was one of my favorite series, and I'm a little sad that it's all over (for the most part). However, Winter was everything I wanted and more in a series conclusion.

Even though this book was massive, the pacing was perfect. Whenever the group solved a problem, it seemed like five more would come along and there was never a dull moment in between. Meyer also managed to properly balance the multiple points of view; in other books with lots of perspectives, I tend to favor at least one over the others, but I found myself enjoying the voices of Winter equally.

With that said, my favorite part of this book was its complex characters. Winter and Jacin brought even more perspective to the Lunar Chronicles world, and I especially loved reading from Winter's unreliable point of view. However, the award of Most Developed definitely goes to Cress and Thorne; While Cress began to gain a sense of courage and self worth, Thorne put his brash, overconfident persona to the side and showed a bit of vulnerability. Of course, I loved all of the pairings in this book, but I think these two couples really shone.

As a whole, the Lunar Chronicles series is a completely unique twist on four of the fairy tales many of us have grown to love, and Winter blends all of them together in a cohesive way. While the premise will bring you in, you'll get hooked by the wild plot and lovable characters.

Thanks for reading,

Annie
Indoor Sojourner
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Monthly Musical Musings #3: The Mara Dyer Trilogy!

10:00 AM
Welcome to another installment of Monthly Musical Musings! In honor of The Mara Dyer Trilogy box set* being released today, his month's playlist is based on this stunning series by Michelle Hodkins. I originally made this playlist almost a year ago, but I still update it regularly with new music whenever I hear songs that remind me of this series. I hope you enjoy it!

click the image to go to the playlist!





















Tracklist

1. Seven Devils · Florence + the Machine
2. Who We Are · Imagine Dragons
3. Come As You Are · Yuna
4. Yellow Flicker Beat · Lorde
5. We Must Be Killers · Mikky Ekko
6. My Body is a Cage · Arcade Fire
7. Arsonist's Lullabye · Hozier
8. Disappear (Demo Version) · Mikky Ekko
9. You're the One That I Want · Lo Fang
10. Say When · The Fray
11. Wildest Dreams · Taylor Swift
12. Toxic · Yael Naïm 
13. Falling · The Civil Wars



*I'm promoting the Mara Dyer trilogy because I like it and I hope you will too; with that said, I am an Amazon affiliate, so if you click this link, I'll get commissions for the purchases made through it.
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Review: The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

10:00 AM







Published: March 4th, 2014 by Farrar Straus Giroux

 Synopsis: Winning what you want may cost you everything you love... 

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. 
One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. 
But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.


To be honest, I was a little apprehensive to start this book, mainly because of the first sentence of its description. Contrary to the Goodreads description (seen above), the first sentence of my copy's description is, "They were never meant to be together."




My first impression was, "Great. This is going to be a flimsy YA fantasy with a little bit of plot and a whole lot of angst."

Thankfully, I was proven wrong...for the most part.


The Good

 As for the characters, I was pleasantly surprised to find a female protagonist that is strong, independent, and intelligent. Even though she's a little angsty at times, Kestrel is very sure of herself; she doesn't care what other people think of her, but she isn't rude or flippant about it. Unlike a lot of female protagonists, she thinks in a very analytical way, usually choosing to strategize and even manipulate in order to what needs to be done.

The plot and setting were both pretty solid, with a typical fantasy setup. I was glad to find that there was a good foundation set up for the plot, which featured a mix of political and societal intrigue that will hopefully unfold further in the next two books. It was also pretty interesting to learn about the cultural and religious differences between the Spartan-esque nation of Valoria and the milder Herran people. As a whole, there were a lot of questions that I wanted to be answered, but it was just enough to keep me wanting more of this trilogy.


The Bad

Let's talk about Arin for a bit, shall we?

As the aloof but secretly vulnerable love interest with a strong will (and equally strong biceps, probably), he was kind of a YA stereotype. He was almost perfect, and the few flaws he did have seemed forced. Even though Arin is a bit cliche, he wasn't terribly annoying, and I've definitely read male protagonists that are more generic than him. However, I think he had a little more potential as a character and I hope we'll see that play out in the future. I also found the supporting characters (namely, Kestrel's friends) to be pretty bland. It seemed like they were there for Kestrel's development, and outside of that, they served little to no purpose.

The timeline of the story was definitely something I struggled with. Every few chapters, the plot suddenly skipped weeks or even a month in advance, making it hard to keep up.

Like I said earlier, there were a lot of unanswered questions introduced throughout the book. Since The Winner's Curse is only the first book, I can understand that too an extent, but I would have liked to learn more about what actually caused the Herran War and the tension that led up to it.


The Gist

Generally, this was an entertaining book that introduced a decent plot and (mostly) likable characters. Even though I don't think it lived up to the hype, I enjoyed The Winner's Curse and look forward to reading the next book. If you're a teenager who likes YA fantasy with a romantic influence, I'd recommend this book to you.
What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments!

 Annie
Indoor Sojourner
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Top Five Friday: I'm Ashamed I Haven't Read These...

11:00 AM
We all have at least at least one book that we regret never getting around to. Maybe this book had lots of hype surrounding it and you just happened to miss out on all the fun; maybe it was published a few generations ago and you've been focused on new releases lately. Both of these reasons and more apply to why I haven't read the books in this week's Top Five Friday, and I hope I don't get excommunicated from the book blogging community for not having read these! XD


 
5. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

This book has had so much hype surrounding it since before it even came out, but it honestly doesn't sound like my cup of tea. I don't know if it's because there are so many fairy tale retellings out now or if it's because I'm not a huge fan of the New Adult genre, but either way, I don't think I'll be getting to it any time soon.













4. The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

This is the third and final book in the Mistborn trilogy, and after I finished the second book, I decided to take a break from the series for a few weeks so I wouldn't get tired of it.

It's been three months since that day.
THREE MONTHS. 

Since I ordered hard copies of the series on Book Depository the other day, I'm definitely gonna read The Hero of Ages soon. However, considering the ending of the The Well of Ascension, I'm amazed I haven't gotten my hands on it sooner. 







3. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

I watched the movies years ago when they came out in theaters and I thought they were all great, but I'm sad to say that I've never read the books. I recently read Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters and The Great Divorce, but I've never read C.S. Lewis' most popular series.













2. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien 

Like The Chronicles of Narnia, I've committed the cardinal sin of watching the movies and not reading the books. I'd like to read them at some point, but I have a whole list of other books I'd like to get to, and since I already get the gist of the story, I don't see the need to read this in the immediate future.












Are you ready for number one?



I don't think you are...




But try to brace yourself anyway...



The number one book I'm most ashamed I haven't read is...









1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (along with the entire Harry Potter series) by J.K. Rowling

I'll just take a moment for everyone to gasp in horror.


I simply wasn't interested in Harry Potter when I was a kid. There's no other explanation. Even if I read it now, I feel like I would just be reading it from peer pressure and I wouldn't actually enjoy it, so I probably never will.

*cue sad violins*






Are there any books that you feel guilty about not reading? Let's bask in our shame in the comments section!


Thanks for reading,

Annie
Indoor Sojourner
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Pixar Book Tag

10:37 AM
Since I love all things Disney/Pixar (and all things book related, of course), I knew I wanted to do this as soon as I found it on Jillian's Books. Thanks to Mishma from Chasing Faerytales for creating this adorable tag! :)



 What’s your favorite Pixar movie?
This is difficult! I’ve never watched a Pixar movie that I didn’t like…I guess it would have to be Toy Story, since that’s where it all started.






Toy Story: Favorite childhood book you never grew out of
Tuck Everlasting is a story that still crosses my mind every now and then, not to mention the movie still gives me so many feels.
quote animated GIF
*sobs*  that's because HE WON'T DIEEEE













A Bug's Life: Book that felt too similar to another popular book













Stitching Snow reminded me a lot of The Lunar Chronicles, and not in a good way. It would have been great, too, if the world were more detailed and the instalove was toned down.



Monsters Inc: A villain whom you couldn't hate















The Darkling. He's absolutely terrible, but he's also a precious snowflake that just needs a little love.



Finding Nemo: Best family relationship you read about in a book






Definitely Liesel and the Hubermanns from The Book Thief...along with Rudy and Max; they might as well count as family, right?






The Incredibles: Superpower of a character you wish you had



I would definitely want to be a Mistborn like Vin and Kelsier so I could have ALL THE POWERS.



Cars: Book where the characters go on a road trip or travel a lot



Paper Towns! A road trip with Q and the gang would be a blast.



Ratatouille: Favorite sidekick in a book




Mitch from Vicious is a pretty fantastic sidekick. He’s a gentle giant that could probably kill you with his bare hands but also has an affinity for chocolate milk.



Wall-E: Favorite dystopian book




I’ll go with a generic answer and say The Hunger Games. After a long break, It sparked my passion for reading, so it definitely has a sentimental value.






Up: The most beautiful love story you've ever read






Jane Eyre. JANE EYRE. I repeat, JANE EEEEEYRE






Brave: Most badass heroine you've read about






Vin from the Mistborn trilogy, for sure. She develops from a scared, distrustful girl into a fierce, strong woman who still has a heart.



Inside Out: Book that gave all the FEELS







All the Light We Cannot See. This book made me die a little inside, but it’s one of my favorites.

Well, that was fun! I'm going to tag Confessions of a Book Addict, Queen Fiction Reviews, Stardust and Words and A World Between Folded Pages. 


Thanks for reading,

Annie
Indoor Sojourner
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June Wrap Up

10:45 AM


Hey, everyone! I don't know about you guys, but it felt like June would never end. My schedule slowed down drastically towards the beginning of the month, but since I ended up getting hooked on a couple of awesome TV shows (which I might discuss in a separate June Favorites post), I only read four books this month. All in all, they were enjoyable reads, so let's get into it!


1. Heir of Fire by S.J. Mass

 Rating: 4.5/5


Did I mention this month dragged on and on? I feel like I finished Heir of Fire a year ago, but this book did not disappoint. Each Throne of Glass book gets better and better as the series progresses, and I can't wait for the forth book, Queen of Shadows, to come out in September!


2. Glitches by Marissa Meyer

 Rating: 4/5


I picked up Glitches right after I finished Heir of Fire and breezed through it in less than half an hour. This is a Lunar Chronicles novella that gives a glimpse of Cinder's life when she first moves in with her family. Even though it was only 35 pages, I enjoyed seeing another glimpse of the Linh household, and it was a great way to tide me over until Winter comes out in November.


3. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

 Rating: 3/5


I didn't plan on reading this in my June TBR list, and even though it left me a little disapppointed, I didn't regret the read. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl plays on the "teen girl with terminal cancer tries to live her best life" trope that's becoming popular in YA, but it has a flippant twist to it that's clever but also slightly annoying.


4. Vicious by V.E. Schwab

 Rating: 5/5



By the time I got to this book, my TV binge was in full swing, so it honestly took me most of the month to finish it. Nevertheless, Vicious was hands down my favorite book of the month, and maybe one of my favorites of the year. If you like complicated antiheroes and a plot with lots of twists and turns, I would definitely recommend this to you. I'll have a review up soon because I'd love to discuss it further!


Average Rating for June: 4.1/5


Let me know what your favorite June reads were in the comments!
Thanks for reading,

Annie
Indoor Sojourner
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Reviews in a GIF

6:31 PM
Hey everyone, I'm so sorry I haven't posted regularly; I've lacked inspiration to post lately, and when I come up with an idea, something malfunctions and I lose all my work! I'm pretty sure I'm cursed. Thankfully, I was inspired by a post by Belle's Bookshelf to find the perfect GIF that emulates some of my favorite (and least favorite) books out there. Without further ado, let's get started!
Vicious by V.E. Schwab

 In short: Two antiheroes with a complicated past are determined to hunt each other down. This book stressed me out in the best way possible.

the GIF:



The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

 In short: A high fantasy novel following a group of rebels who have the ability to draw power from certain metals. It's hard to explain, but just know that IT'S AWESOME.

 the GIF:

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

 In short: Any World War II historical fiction is bound to hit me right in the feels. The Book Thief  is no exception.


the GIF:

 crying animated GIF


Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

In short: A creepy, dreamlike read featuring children with mysterious powers and a mysterious past. I'm not usually into ~spooky~ books, but I was hooked from the start.

the GIF:



The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by R.C. Lewis

In short: A girl wakes up in the hospital with little recollection of how she got there. She meets a mysterious bad boy (who is actually adorable). Supernatural shenanigans ensue.

In a GIF: 

 reaction animated GIF


All the Light we Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

In short: Another WWII historical fiction, but this one ripped my soul into tiny pieces. I LOVED IT.

The GIF:


Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

In short: Shy girl's BFF ~mysteriously~ disappears but leaves a list of totally crazy stuff for shy girl to do while she's gone!!! The hype was so real for this book, but I found it boring and didn't even get around to finishing it.

The GIF:


Cinder by Marissa Meyer

In short: The first book of futuristic fairytale retellings in The Lunar Chronicles series. If you like reading about fierce female protagonists who get stuff done, this is the series for you.

The GIF:




Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis

In short: Similar to The Lunar Chronicles, but with bland characters and a generic plot. DNF.

The GIF:




Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë 
In short: I wanted to end this with one of my favorites! This book is a beautiful Gothic romance that I didn't expect to love so much. It pretty much stole my heart.

The GIF:




Well, there you have it! Thanks again to Belle's Bookshelf for making the original post. I'd love to make this into a series if you guys like it!

Thanks for reading,

Annie
Indoor Sojourner
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