Burned

Title: Burned
Author: Ellen Hopkins
Series: Burned duology (#1)
Pages: 532 (paperback)
Published: April 2006 by Margaret K. Elderry Books

Summary:
It all started with a dream. Nothing exceptional, just a typical fantasy about a boy, the kind of dream that most teen girls experience. But Pattyn Von Stratten is not like most teen girls. Raised in a religious -- yet abusive -- family, a simple dream may not be exactly a sin, but it could be the first step toward hell and eternal damnation.

This dream is a first step for Pattyn. But is it to hell or to a better life? For the first time Pattyn starts asking questions. Questions seemingly without answers -- about God, a woman's role, sex, love -- mostly love. What is it? Where is it? Will she ever experience it? Is she deserving of it?

It's with a real boy that Pattyn gets into real trouble. After Pattyn's father catches her in a compromising position, events spiral out of control until Pattyn ends up suspended from school and sent to live with an aunt she doesn't know.

Pattyn is supposed to find salvation and redemption during her exile to the wilds of rural Nevada. Yet what she finds instead is love and acceptance. And for the first time she feels worthy of both -- until she realizes her old demons will not let her go. Pattyn begins down a path that will lead her to a hell -- a hell that may not be the one she learned about in sacrament meetings, but it is hell all the same.

My Thoughts: I was completely sucked into this book from beginning to end. Oh lawdy, within the 3 or 4 months that this book takes place, Pattyn goes through one heck of a roller coaster. I mean there's abuse, being shipped off to the dessert, cougars, guns, first loves, and cattle ranching. What else do you need, am I right?

A lot goes down in this book, especially in the last hundred or so pages. I read most of it within a couple of days because I simply couldn't put it down. Ellen Hopkins has this magical way of writing that is so lyrical and beautiful that you don't feel like you're reading a lot but you feel like you're just kind of flying through the scenes. Whenever I feel a reading slump coming on or I want something I can get engrossed in, I often find myself reading one of her books.

And this one was a doozy, let me tell ya. I really enjoyed not only the fast-paced nature of the book, but also the setting and the characters. I don't think I've ever read anything that was based in Nevada, but wow it sounds gorgeous. Pattyn loves the rural area where she's sent to live with her aunt, and you end up loving it, too. I also enjoyed reading from Pattyn's perspective. She wasn't passive in her narration and you grow so close to her that when something bad happens, it makes it raw and so much harder to read about.

My biggest set back with this book, though, was the dialogue. It seemed a little forced, like it was added as an afterthought in some places. But when it was there to move the plot along, it felt right. As much as I enjoyed this book, the dialogue did take me out of the story a little when it became jumpy thus making the story a bit choppy, too. Not only that, but some characters seemed to just blend into the background never to be seen again after they've served their purpose (I'm lookin' at you Justin and Derek).

But like I said, this was a very enjoyable read and I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking to try out one of Ellen Hopkins books or just wants an emotional roller coaster of a read. I'm absolutely looking forward to reading the next installment of this duology, Smoke, because now I'm invested and I need to know what happens next!
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Austenland

Title: Austenland
Author: Shannon Hale
Series: Austenland (#1)
Pages: 196 (paperback)
Published: May 2007 by Bloomsbury USA

Summary: Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined.

Decked out in empire-waist gowns, Jane struggles to master Regency etiquette and flirts with gardeners and gentlemen;or maybe even, she suspects, with the actors who are playing them. It's all a game, Jane knows. And yet the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to fall away, and the more she wonders: Is she about to kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?

My Thoughts: A short but sweet, easy read that's perfect for the beach. I was dying to read this book after I saw the cute and hilarious movie adaptation of it (which I absolutely fell in love with) so when I saw that it was only $1.49 on BookOutlet.com I had to snatch it up!
 
Now here's the thing, usually when I've seen the movie version and then read the book, I'll have slightly higher expectations than if I just read the book then see the movie (because the book is almost always better than the movie. Almost). However, since I loved the movie Austenland so much, I thought "this book must be an absolute delight!"
 
Well, it was pretty good, but it did not reach "absolute delight" status. Even though it's a relatively short novel (only 196 pages) I still found that it dragged at some parts, like when the ladies would sit and play whist or when Jane would be wondering why she was even at Austenland in the first place, I would find myself skimming a little. And then there were parts that felt like they were too choppy, like when at the beginning of each chapter it would describe her exes and how they broke up or whenever there was a segue between scenes.

This did not detract from the reading experience too much, though. I did enjoy it a lot for what it was. As a novel, it didn't take itself too seriously and was very cute, short, sweet, and to the point. The characters were as well fleshed out as they could be for a book under 200 pages long although I wish there were a few more character descriptions sprinkled in there, and Jane grows immensely from beginning to end. She goes from swearing off men entirely to letting her life, including the romantic aspects, run its course, taking her wherever it may.
 
I mean at first she completely questions the Austenland experience but when you reach a little over halfway through the book, she's turning over a new leaf. She figures that as long as she's at this Austen-inspired resort/getaway, she may as well live life how she wants instead of letting life just happen to her, which was quite inspiring!
 
Even though it was cheesy as some parts, I still really enjoyed this cute book. I don't think I'll ever reread it, at least not in the near future, but I'm still glad that I had the opportunity to read it since I was so fond of the movie adaptation.
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Siege and Storm

Title: Siege and Storm
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Grisha (#2)
Pages: 435 (paperback)
Published: June 2013
(All links lead to the books' respective Goodreads pages)

Summary: Darkness never dies. Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her--or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

My Thoughts: I absolutely loved the first book of Leigh Bardugo's The Grisha series, Shadow and Bone, so of course I went into this continuation of the series with kind of high hopes. In no way did I hate this book, but it just didn't soar for me and took me a while to really get into it because of the somewhat predictable storyline.

First of all, the chemistry between Mal and Alina just wasn't there like it was in the first book. I mean Sturmhond and Alina had more chemistry, heck even Alina and Baghra had more chemistry on the page than Mal and Alina. Mal just sort of fell flat for me. But Sturmhond was an amazing addition to this eclectic cast of characters. He was so fun to read and I couldn't get enough of his wit and banter with Alina throughout pretty much all of their shared scenes.

Speaking of Alina, her character development took off during this book. She went from a meek, quiet, and weak Sun Summoner who didn't really know what she wanted to do except run from the Darkling. She ends up being a kick-butt opinionated character and even though you're led to believe to that her new found attitude is due in part to her amplifier, I like to think that it's that (because it made for an interesting addition to the narrative) as well as Alina coming into her own and accepting her fate to save Ravka.

Alina with ambition is much more interesting than scared and running Alina. And I guess that's why Mal was so boring to me. His world is Alina. He lives and breathes for Alina. That's all well and good for the romance side of the story but when he seemed to become a plot device to give Alina a reason not to move on from who she used to be, I found it tedious. I wish instead of Mal's whining for days of old we could have at least seen more Grisha power awesomeness or maybe gotten more of an idea of what the Darkling was up to because dang I couldn't get enough of those aspects of this world.

And I think that may be why even though this book wasn't as well-rounded as I expected it to be, I still love this series and cannot wait to read the third book of the series, Ruin and Rising. The last three chapters of this book were the saving grace, honestly. I sped through that last section, read the novella The Traitor that was included with my edition of the book, and was left hungry and wanting to know what happens next! The crazy, action-packed climax was beautifully executed, had plenty of action, and had a killer cliffhanger, too.

I loved learning about the power dynamics and politics of the Grisha world as well as the world outside of the first and second armies, which is probably my favorite part about this series. The world building is so in depth, the history is so rich, and I mean... I need more I can't get enough of this world it's so cool. It's just such a wonderfully written world and I look forward to diving back into Bardugo's series soon!
My Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Yes, Please

Title: Yes, Please
Author: Amy Poehler
Format: Audiobook
Publication: October, 2014 by Dey St.
(All links lead to the books' respective Goodreads pages)

Summary: In Amy Poehler’s highly anticipated first book, Yes Please, she offers up a big juicy stew of personal stories, funny bits on sex and love and friendship and parenthood and real life advice (some useful, some not so much), like when to be funny and when to be serious. Powered by Amy’s charming and hilarious, biting yet wise voice, Yes Please is a book is full of words to live by.

My Thoughts: Amy Poehler is a friggin boss. An inspiring friggin boss. Ever since her Saturday Night Live days, she's been on my list of ladies I look up to, AKA my list o' heroes, and this book just completely cemented her spot on that list. Not only was she funny and a total hoot and a half, but she got deep, man. She's self-aware in a way that's refreshing but not at all egotistical or depressing, and it felt like she was writing as if you were in the room with her.

I experienced this book through the magical medium of CD audiobook. And if you were wondering, yes CD's still exist. They're still a thing. Anyways, I was dying to read Yes, Please for months but I heard that it was even better when read to you by Actual Amy Poehler plus guests via the audiobook. I rented the CD's and oh goodness was it amazing. Not only do you fully understand the tone of how she went about writing the book, but to hear the likes of Seth Meyers, Patrick Stewart, Kathleen Turner, and her own parents reading bits and pieces of the book made the experience just phenomenal.

I love comedy and I especially love strong female role models for comedy. I read Tina Fey's Bossypants a few years earlier and built a new appreciation for Fey as well as so many other comedy lady greats. I enjoy seeing what makes them tick or what it was like for them to make it in "The Biz." I mean, I don't need to know their greatest and darkest fears, but just getting to know their different view points and hearing the crazy stories of comeuppance in a male dominated game are not only entertaining but you can also learn from their experiences, as well.

Which is another reason why I loved this book. It was well done in so many ways and I was inspired to get out there and kick butt, take names, and not feel like I have to say sorry for things I shouldn't have to apologize for dang it. It was entertaining, funny from beginning to end, and not once did I feel anything but positive feelings when experiencing this book. In other words, it was a perfect car-listening audiobook and an even better book to get me into the audiobook game. I really hope to continue to follow Poehler's amazing career and I look forward to listening to even more audiobooks, too. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to re-watch all of Parks and Recreation for the millionth time.
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Insurgent Movie Review

Movie Title: Insurgent
Book this movie is based on: Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Stars: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Octavia Spencer, Ansel Elgort
More Information: IMDB's Insurgent page, Goodreads' Insurgent page
Summary: Beatrice Prior must confront her inner demons and continue her fight against a powerful alliance which threatens to tear her society apart with the help from others on her side.

My Thoughts: I think it was because I barely remember what happened in the book, but I really enjoyed this movie a lot more than the first one in the series, Divergent. Okay, so the chemistry between Four and Tris wasn't there as much as it was in the first movie and I know that their chemistry is kind of amazing throughout the book series, but what can I say! Tris's but kicking was inspiring! She was one tough mofo from beginning to end and I want to be Tris Prior without the crazy rage fits.

Wait scratch that, I want to be who Tris is by the end of the movie. Her character development is what made me really fall in love with this series all over again. Like I said before, I couldn't remember much of what happened in the book and the first movie was good but not great, so my hype over the series was dying down. I'm glad to say that this is no longer the case after leaving the theater.

And can we just talk about how friggin awesome Sienna Miller was? Can we discuss her's as well as Kate Winslet's brilliance? Winslet slayed as the baddie once again (did we expect any less?) and Miller was great as the strong but silent type that a  factionless rebellion can really rise up and stand behind.

This was a much better movie than Divergent, in my opinion. It's pacing was more on point, the characters were more likeable and relatable, and the action scenes got my heart racing every time.  It gave me renewed fervor to want to finally get to Allegiant. And if you had worries about whether or not this movie would be the same calliber as the previous one, I can assure you that it was indeed much more BA and amazing.
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Snow Like Ashes

Title: Snow Like Ashes
Author: Sara Raasch
Series: Snow Like Ashes #1
Pages: 416 (hardcover)
Published: October 2014 by Balzer + Bray
(All links lead to the books' respective Goodreads pages)

Summary: Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

My Thoughts: I'm kind of new to the world of the fantasy genre, and just so y'all know, I loved getting out of my genre-comfort zone with this book. Anyways, let's talk about how BA our main character Meira is. When I first started reading, I had no idea what a chakram was, which is Meira's weapon of choice, and upon further investigation it's what's on the cover of this book, too. I think it was the little details like archery and chakrams and other weapons that added a little more flavor to the epic battle scenes.

The world building at the beginning was a little bit of an info-dump especially when it came to the royal conduits, which harbor magic.  Each of the four Rhythm kingdoms has one and each of the Season kingdoms has one except Winter whose conduit was destroyed by Spring's king, Angra. And each of the conduits is gender specific so, for example, only a female heir can control Winter's conduit and only a male heir can control Spring's conduit. It took me way longer than I care to admit to grasp this concept but hey, I'm new to this fantasy epic world building jazz, give me a break.

That's not to say that the world building wasn't good. No, the world building in this book was downright amazing. I loved this concept of Seasons being kingdoms, and even the Rhythms were fun to read about just to see how much they differed from the Seasons. It was so completely original to me and I couldn't get enough of it.

Now for the characters. Meira was a great, sassy heroine who don't need no man to fight her battles because she's a warrior in her own right. And when you get about three fourths of the way through the book, you really get to see her come into her own and shine. Mather was stoic, angsty, and broody most of the time which almost became tiresome, but I think the author Sara Raasch knew where the line was between broody and whiny and she never once crossed it with Mather. And then there's the Cordellan prince, Theron, who let's face it is quite the hottie with a heart of gold. I'm team Theron, what can I say.

With the characters and the awesome action scenes, it was easy to look past the info-dumpy beginning and I ended up truly enjoying this book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to jump into the great escape that is the fantasy genre but still wants to read a good YA book. Also, I neeeeed it to be October 15th yesterday so I can finally read the sequel to this novel, Ice Like Fire. And I would like to thank this book for properly introducing me to the fantasy genre. I look forward to reading more of your ilk.
My Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

Alienated

Title: Alienated
Author: Melissa Landers
Series: Alienated (#1)
Pages: 344 (paperback)
Published: February 2014 by Disney Hyperion
(All links lead to the books' respective Goodreads pages)

Summary: Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them. Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class.

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.

My Thoughts: When I first started this book, the info dump that is the first two chapters was a little disconcerting, but that's to be expected when delving into a new science fiction series. However, it wasn't the info dump or the alien terminology that put me off of this book, it was the hot and cold nature of the characters that did.

I liked Aelyx, our alien exchange student, better than his human host, Cara Sweeney. I could see where he was coming from especially when his customs and upbringing was explained. Cara on the other hand was quite the drama queen, lashing out and playing the "flaming redhead" stereotype to a T. Aelyx and his world a well built and so were most of the characters except for Cara's, it seemed. I didn't hate her character, but I feel like there's room for improvement for her in terms of temperament.

That isn't to say that there wasn't character development in this book. Aelyx goes from unfeeling and antisocial to a creature capable of feeling guilt, sorrow, and love. By the end of the book, you fall in love with this cute little alien! And even though Cara is still the stereotypical hot tempered redhead at the end of the novel, she is more likeable and able to control herself.

And Cara's + Aelyx = fireworks! From the the first time they started bantering about L'eihr vs. Human differences, you can feel the chemistry in the writing. That and the various action packed scenes are what really saved this book. When I got halfway through the book, I couldn't put it down.

I guess those were the points that made me want to continue on with this series. It may have some weaknesses but in the end, I really did like this read. It's a great, cheesy,  light, YA sci-fi read and I already have plans to read the sequel, Invaded, this summer on my next vacation.
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars