BOOK REVIEW: Breathe by Sarah Crossan

Summary:
Inhale. Exhale.
Breathe.
Breathe.
Breathe . . .
The world is dead.
The survivors live under the protection of Breathe, the corporation that found a way to manufacture oxygen–rich air.

Alina
has been stealing for a long time. She's a little jittery, but not terrified. All she knows is that she's never been caught before. If she's careful, it'll be easy. If she's careful.

Quinn
should be worried about Alina and a bit afraid for himself, too, but even though this is dangerous, it's also the most interesting thing to happen to him in ages. It isn't every day that the girl of your dreams asks you to rescue her.

Bea
wants to tell him that none of this is fair; they'd planned a trip together, the two of them, and she'd hoped he'd discover her out here, not another girl.

And as they walk into the Outlands with two days' worth of oxygen in their tanks, everything they believe will be shattered. Will they be able to make it back? Will they want to?

Rate: 2.5 out of 5 stars

My thoughts:
    I'm a little stuck with this one, so I'll keep this short. I was really looking forward to this book, but I was kinda disappointed. This book is good, for the most part, but it feels like it's one of those books, that you forget about, after you finish reading it. The concept and story where interesting and well written, but I found the character really annoying, alot of the time.
    Bea and Quinn have been BFF's forever, and Bea is in love with him. And like most stories, Quinn is clueless about her love toward him, yet it's pretty obvious. Quinn, who I found really annoying, is your typical  oblivious rich boy. I found him to be really whiney. I don't know why, I just did... A whiney person isn't very attractive in my eyes, so I had a  pretty hard time trying to think of him as "HOT" like most male protagonists. It was actually a real downer!
     It seems to me that Alina was always mad and selfish. Now, not everyone is perfect, but I just didn't care for her character much. Sorry. 
    Dea was actually a little different. I kinda like her character. She was smart & selfless & she was more compassionate. The small part that I found a little annoying, was that she loved Quinn. Now, let me explain! It's alright to have a crush on some guy (or girl), but the person she loved was suppose to be her best friend, yet he didn't even know her friggen eye color. They've known each other for years and years, yet he looked her in the eyes, and didn't even know her eye color. Like...WHAT? I really thought that was a stupid moment for both of them.
    So, basically this book is one of those books that I will probably never think of again, or probably not put on my FAVORITE'S list. The wasn't a "NO WAY!" moment in this book, or a moment where I was gasping at the turn of events. This book was actually quite predictable. As much as I didn't like this book, I really liked the whole idea of the book. I  most likely WILL read the next book, just to see if it gets any better, and cause I almost always finish a series, but I highly doubt that. Either way, it will be interesting to see how it all pans outs in the end.

Quotes:

“I allow myself to be right here, in the moment, savouring the peace. All the millions and millions of stars remind me, too, how small and fragile I am. And unimportant, really. If this branch were to creak and moan and break under my weight, and I were to plummet to the ground, the stars in the sky would continue to decorate the world. And even if the last tree disappears from our planet, the stars will still be up there.”
― Sarah Crossan, Breathe

BOOK REVIEW: MONUMENT 14 by Emmy Laybourne

Summary:
Your mother hollers that you’re going to miss the bus. She can see it coming down the street. You don’t stop and hug her and tell her you love her. You don’t thank her for being a good, kind, patient mother. Of course not—you launch yourself down the stairs and make a run for the corner.
Only, if it’s the last time you’ll ever see your mother, you sort of start to wish you’d stopped and did those things. Maybe even missed the bus.
But the bus was barreling down our street, so I ran.
Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong.

In Emmy Laybourne’s action-packed debut novel, six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids trapped together in a chain superstore build a refuge for themselves inside. While outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapons spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they know it—apart.

Rate: 4 out of 5 stars

My thoughts:
    I loved the idea of Monument 14 - fourteen kids across a wide age range stuck in a superstore in the midst of a tsunami, earthquake, and a chemical spill . And it is a great idea that for the most part is well executed.
    I kind of a sucker for in-progress-apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic books. I don't really remember from where I heard about Monument 14, but I thought I'd add it to my list of books to check out.
    A  thing I found fault with was the world building ......or, well, complete lack of it. Now and then we'd get little tidbits of information that told us the story was set in a somewhat nearby future (The Network, mini tabs, TVs being retired, etc.) but that's where it stops. The natural disasters and chemical spills give us a little bit more, but after the first few chapters, we don't get to hear much about that either. The novel goes on to highlight more of the relationships between the teens - which is one of the things I can rave about instead of whine about!
    Even though i had that problem with the book, I still got really into it. The characters where very real, and they all had there faults (Jake gets high, Brayden is a jerk for a good chunk of the story, even the main character, Dean, spies on Astrid and Jake doing.......stuff)! But they also have really awesome and lovable traits, so you sortta HAVE to forgive them for there "not so great" moments.
     I have something to confess...I wasn't sure if Dean was a boy or girl the first few pages of the story! But I really did connect with his character after the first chapter. Alot of people said that his character was boring.He wasn't BORING, just... average. He was an average kid thrown into extraordinary circumstances. Because in reality, if this were to happen to any of us, we certainly wouldn't be acting like Arnold Schwarzenegger. We would be scared! And probably peeing our pants.
 I also really loved Dean and Alex's relationship. They saw alot of things differently, yet we see underneath that nothing they do can tear apart their brotherly bond, the way they fit together so well. (Alex is analytical but frightened, but Dean is stable-minded). The two balance each other out.
    I can honestly say, that I really liked this book. I am happy looking forward to the next book coming out next year!

Quotes:

“Your mother hollers that you’re going to miss the bus. She can see it coming down the street. You don’t stop and hug her and tell her you love her. You don’t thank her for being a good, kind, patient mother. Of course not -- you vault down down the stairs and make a run for the corner.
Only if it’s the last time you’ll ever see your mother, you sort of start to wish you’d stopped and did those things. Maybe even missed the bus.
But the bus was barreling down our street so I ran.”
― Emmy Laybourne

“My mom believed that you make your own luck. Over the stove she had hung these old, maroon painted letters that spell out, “MANIFEST.” The idea being if you thought and dreamed about the way you wanted your life to be -- if you just envisioned it long enough, it would come into being.
But as hard as I had manifested Astrid Heyman with her hand in mine, her blue eyes gazing into mine, her lips whispering something wild and funny and outrageous in my ear, she had remained totally unaware of my existence. Truly, to even dream of dreaming about Astrid, for a guy like me, in my relatively low position on the social ladder of Cheyenne Mountain High, was idiotic. And with her a senior and me a junior? Forget it.
Astrid was just lit up with beauty: shining blonde ringlets, June sky blue eyes, slightly furrowed brow, always biting back a smile, champion diver on the swim team. Olympic level.
Hell, Astrid was Olympic level in every possible way.”
― Emmy Laybourne








GIVEAWAY: CHIME by Franny Billingsley

Summary:Briony has a secret. It is a secret that killed her stepmother, ruined her sister's mind, and will end her life, if anyone were to know. She has powers. Then Eldric comes along with his golden lion eyes and a great mane of tawny hair. He is as natural as the sun, and he treats her as if she is extraordinary. And everything starts to change . . . Chime is a haunting, brilliantly written novel that will stay with you--its magic, its romance, its world like none other.

About the author:
While Billingsley's first novel, Well Wished (1997), was warmly received by critics, a year ago she was a virtual unknown within a publishing climate that regarded fantasy as a specialty genre. Today, her name is on the lips of booksellers and reviewers throughout the country.

Franny Billingsley was not always a writer. She graduated from Boston University law-school in 1979, and worked for 5 years as a lawyer — a profession which she “despised.” In 1983, Billingsley visited her sister in Barcelona, Spain where she was “entranced by a lifestyle in which people did not make a lot of money yet lived richly and artfully.” Realizing that she needed to change her life, Billingsley quit her job and moved to Spain with all of her favorite children's books. “Books like A Wrinkle in Time, Harriet the Spy, and The Narnia Chronicles seemed like the perfect antidote to hideously wearisome legal documents,” remembers Billingsley, who began writing children's books while living in Spain.

When Billingsley returned to the United States, she took a job as the children's book-buyer at 57th Street Books, a major independent bookseller on the South Side of Chicago. “I worked at the bookstore for twelve years and I loved it because it helped me get back to the things that matter to me: people, ideas, and imagination. I wrote throughout this period. My early books were simply awful, but I did not let rejections and criticism stop me from writing. I worked hard at learning how to write and finding my strengths. It was not until I began writing fantasy that I found my voice. I believe that, ultimately, talent is less important to writing a good book than is determination.”

Franny Billingsley lives in Chicago with her family and currently writes children's books full-time.

                            NOW TO THE GIVEAWAY


US ONLY
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Must be 13 and older.
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BOOK REVIEW: School's Out - Forever (Maximum Ride #2) by James Patterson

Summary:
Fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride and the other members of the "Flock"--Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel--are just like ordinary kids--only they have wings and can fly. It seems like a dream come true--except that they're being hunted by half-human, half-wolf "Erasers" who can fly, too.

In Book 2 of the series, the Flock members are taken under the wing of an FBI agent and try to live "normal" lives by going to school, making friends--and continuing their relentless search for their parents. But the Erasers return, forcing the Flock to abandon their search and make their escape once again. The voice inside Max's head keeps telling her that it's up to her to save the world, but this is especially challenging to do when she is faced with her ultimate match: a newer and better version of herself, Maximum Ride II. Max's heart-stopping quest to investigate the mind-blowing mystery of her ultimate destiny continues in the scariest, strangest, and funniest James Patterson novel yet.
                                                               Rate:5 out of 5 stars
My Thought:
OMG! I'm just gonna get this off my shoulders! The guy on the cover (Fang) is amazingly HOT! I can still remember me and my best friend joking around and saying he was a "GOOD LOOKING LAD!". You can just feel the attractiveness radiating off of him! HAHA
    The second Maximum Ride novel is just as jaw-dropping as the first! It begins immediately after where The Angel Experiment left off, and it doesn’t take long (maybe one chapter) for action to resume in the story. If one thing can be said of the Maximum Ride series, it’s that there is never a dull moment. I have never found myself bored reading these books. The series thrills and entertains. Like a horse running a derby, Maximum Ride doesn’t stop.
     Just to add to Max and the Flock's problems, they have to go to the most horrifying place in all of earth.......SCHOOL! The flock soon begins to attend regular school and finally start to have a normal right, but of course their lives can never be normal....cause they have WINGS, for gods sake! Even though they are trying to live a seemingly normal life, there problems seem to be following them everywhere. So, now that they are at school, they are being chased and chased by Erasers (genetically modified humans with wolves). Oh, and there is a clone! STUPID CLONE!
    Always stick together! <-------that is the message that this book is trying to send to everyone. i'm pretty sure thats also the message from book #1, but let do one book at a time.
    Seriously people! these books are addicting! READ!! READ THEM NOW!
    
 Quotes:

“Did you know that wasn’t me, the other Max?” I asked.
“Yeah.”
“When?”
“Right away.”
“How?” I persisted. “We look identical. She even had identical scars and scratches. She was wearing my clothes. How could you tell us apart?”
He turned to me and grinned, making my world brighter. “She offered to cook breakfast.”
― James Patterson, School's Out—Forever

“You...are...a...fridge...with wings,' Fang ground out, punching an Eraser hard with every word. 'We're...freaking...ballet...dancers.”
― James Patterson, School's Out—Forever

“I can talk to fish!" Angel said happily, water dripping off her long, skinny body. "Ask one over for dinner," Fang said, joining us.”
― James Patterson, School's Out—Forever

“Guy:How did you become blind, uh, Jeff is it?"
Iggy:Yeah, Jeff. Well, I looked directly at the sun, you know, the way they always tell you not to. If only I had listened.” 
― James Patterson, School's Out—Forever

BOOK REVIEW: The Angel Experiment (Maximum Ride #1) by James Patterson

Summary:
In James Patterson's blockbuster series, fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride, better known as Max, knows what it's like to soar above the world. She and all the members of the "flock"--Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel--are just like ordinary kids--only they have wings and can fly. It may seem like a dream come true to some, but their lives can morph into a living nightmare at any time...like when Angel, the youngest member of the flock, is kidnapped and taken back to the "School" where she and the others were experimented on by a crew of wack jobs. Her friends brave a journey to blazing hot Death Valley, CA, to save Angel, but soon enough, they find themselves in yet another nightmare--this one involving fighting off the half-human, half-wolf "Erasers" in New York City. Whether in the treetops of Central Park or in the bowels of the Manhattan subway system, Max and her adopted family take the ride of their lives. Along the way Max discovers from her old friend and father-figure Jeb--now her betrayed and greatest enemy--that her purpose is save the world--but can she?
                                              
                                                       Rate: 5 out of 5 stars

My thought:
"If you dare read this story you become part of the Experiment. I know it sounds a little mysterious- but it's all I can say for now," - Max.
That line right there, was the start of my love for books. This series was what braught me to the world of books! And i am pretty freaking happy, let me tell you!
Now, to the review! This book is sooo cool! There are always books about people being half wolves, half vampire, or something. But in this book, there are kids who have WINGS!! They can fly and they are stronger then any usual person! As crazy as it seems, i never thought about kids having wings. I've thought about kids with magical powers or vampire kids, but not wings. No no no no no. I have not!
     James Patterson proves to be an expert with making great characters. Max has a sarcastic sense of humor that I love. Max is such a strong and grown up character. She is only 14, yet she is the leader, and the caretaker of a bunch of kids. I have 2 younger brothers, and even then, I cant seem to keep them both straight. Yet, she has five kids to take care of! FIVE! The five other members of her Flock (family) areIggy, The Gasman, Angel, Nudge, and Fang. and they are all fantastic.
      I loved the whole Flock. So so much. They all brought something to the table, something vital to the story. They were all alive - I can still picture them perfectly, as though I've known them all my life. It's a pretty neat feeling.
    Oh, and the irony of this story.... Geeeee it kept me on my toes. Max was often put in ironic situations that she couldn't get out of, or that reminded her of something terrible from her past, or both.The book has good laughs to even out the action. There're good scenes and lots of action. My favorite character has to Fang or Iggy. Something in this book is bound to make you smile! :)

Quotes:

“I took a bite of cookie and chewed. “Hmmm,” I said, trying not to spit crumbs. “Clear vanilla notes, too-sweet chocolate chips, distinct flavor of brown sugar. A decent cookie, not spectacular. Still, a good-hearted cookie, not pretentious.” I turned to Fang. “What say you?”
“It’s fine.”
Some people just don’t have what it takes to appreciate a cookie.”
― James Patterson, The Angel Experiment

“Popcorn for breakfast! Why not? It's a grain. It's like, like, grits, but with high self-esteem.”
― James Patterson, The Angel Experiment

“Dr. Martinez: "I take it you don't want me to call your parent?"
Max: "Uh, no." Hello, lab? May I speak to the test tube please?”
― James Patterson, The Angel Experiment

“Feeding a crowd?' the woman behind the counter asked.
Yes, ma'am ,' Fang said sweetly.
Yeah, him and all his split personalities, I thought.”
― James Patterson, Maximum Ride The Angel Experiment




 

 

BOOK REVIEW: I Am Number Four (Lorien Legacies #1) by Pittacus Lore

 

Summary:
"Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books - but we are real.

Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. We have lived among you without you knowing.

But they know.

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
 And Number Three in Kenya.
They killed them all.

I am Number Four.

I am next"

Book Haul!!!!

    HELLO, People of Earth! I was originally planning on writing this tomorrow, but I soon realized that I had waaaaayyyyy to much time on my hands! So, as a result of this, I'll be doing this post tonight! Now, the books I have today were actually baught a couple days ago! So technically I didn't  haul them today! But, anyway, lets get started!

                                   ****The first book I got is Breath by Sarah Crossen:****

"Inhale. Exhale.
Breathe.
Breathe.
Breathe . . .
The world is dead.
The survivors live under the protection of Breathe, the corporation that found a way to manufacture oxygen-rich air.

Alina
has been stealing for a long time. She's a little jittery, but not terrified. All she knows is that she's never been caught before. If she's careful, it'll be easy. If she's careful.

Quinn
should be worried about Alina and a bit afraid for himself, too, but even though this is dangerous, it's also the most interesting thing to happen to him in ages. It isn't every day that the girl of your dreams asks you to rescue her.

Bea
wants to tell him that none of this is fair; they'd planned a trip together, the two of them, and she'd hoped he'd discover her out here, not another girl.

And as they walk into the Outlands with two days' worth of oxygen in their tanks, everything they believe will be shattered. Will they be able to make it back? Will they want to?"


                        ****The second book I got is Dust city by Robert Paul Weston:****

"IN A CITY AS MEAN AS THIS, EVEN A BIG BAD WOLF SHOULD BE AFRAID.

And Henry Whelp is that Big Bad Wolf. Or will be, someday. His dad is doing time for the double murder of Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother so everyone assumes crime is in Henry's blood. For years, he's kept a low profile in a Home for Wayward Wolves on the outskirts of Dust City--a gritty metropolis known for its black market, mind-altering dust. And the entire population of foxes, ravens, and hominids are hooked. But it's not just any dust the creatures of this grim underground are slinging and sniffing. It's fairydust.

When a murder at the Home forces Henry to escape, he begins to suspect his dad may have been framed. With a daring she wolf named Fiona by his side, Henry travels into the dark alleyways and cavernous tunnels of Dust City. There, he'll come face to snout with legendary mobster Skinner and his Water Nixie henchmen to discover what really happened to his father in the woods that infamous night...and the shocking truth about fairydust."


                                  ****The third book I got is Until I Die by Amy Plum:****

"Kate and Vincent have overcome the odds and at last they are together in Paris, the city of lights and love.

As their romance deepens there’s one question they can’t ignore: How are they supposed to be together if Vincent can’t resist sacrificing himself to save others? Although Vincent promises that he’ll do whatever it takes to lead a normal life with Kate, will that mean letting innocent people die? When a new and surprising enemy reveals itself, Kate realizes that even more may be at stake—and that Vincent’s immortality is in jeopardy.

In Die for Me, Amy Plum created a captivating paranormal mythology with immortal revenants and a lush Paris setting. Until I Die is poised to thrill readers with more heart-pounding suspense, spellbinding romance, and a cliff-hanger ending that will leave them desperate for the third and final novel in the series."


                              **** The fourth book I got is City of bones by Cssandra Clare:****


 "When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end."



So...yeah! Those are my new books! And I am sooo excited to start them! Wish me luck! <3