Mini Review Monday #4 - The Tahereh Mafi and John Green edition

On this weeks edition of Mini Review Monday you'll find my brief thoughts on two very popular YA titles that I read recently - Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi and The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. I'm only doing mini reviews for these two as they are so popular with many, many reviews available on Goodreads and Amazon that I feel it's a little pointless to provide a full detailed review of my thoughts as I'm sure everyone else has already read them. ;) If there is something you really want to know from me about these titles, feel free to leave a comment and I'll let you know the answer. :)



Title: Shatter Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Published: 2nd October 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Series: Shatter Me, #1
Genre: Young Adult: Sci Fi, Dystopian

I heard nothing but amazing reviews for this book and series. It took me a while to get around to reading this, and I'm sorry to say, but for me, this didn't live up to the hype.

Juliette has a fatal touch which got her locked up for murder. The Reestablishment having originally locked her up, changes it mind. Now they think she may be useful. 
The storyline itself is interesting, however it only held my interest in waves. 
The writing was certainly different than anything I have read before, however after a while I found the crossed out sections annoying. I'd first read over them, then have to stop and go back to read them, turning the originally enjoyment of reading this book into a chore. I understand this was done for a purpose, but unfortunately it didn't really make me see Juliette sane or insane due to it. It just annoyed me. 
I didn't feel anything towards any of the characters. None, and that is really different for me. Normally I at least like someone. It didn't help that the romance felt forced and was a driving point for the plot.  

Due to the writing style, despite being unique, and the romance, there were multiple times where I was just bored. I even came to a point where I thought I might DNF it, but I preserved due to the reviews, however my opinion at the end of the book didn't change. 

Unfortunately with all the 5 star reviews I was expecting an amazing book, instead I'm left amazed that it received so many 5 star reviews.

I'm clearly in the minority, but for me, this wasn't as amazing as everyone hyped it up to be and I most likely won't continue with the rest of the series. 

★★

 It Was Ok

Title: The Fault In Our Stars
Author: John Green
Published: 10th January 2012
Publisher: Dutton Books/ Penguin 
Series: Nil
Genre: Young Adult: Contemporary


This was my first John Green novel. I thought this would be a difficult read for me, which is why it took so long for me to read it but it wasn't too bad. 

I loved the characters. Hazel has terminal cancer and attends a support group because her mum wants her to make friends, while Augustus is a cancer survivor after surgery and attends to support his friend Isaac, which is where they meet. Hazel Grace and Augustus were delightful characters that drew me into the story and their journey. I adored Augustus, and the witty conversations between him and Hazel made for a funny, light read considering the seriousness of the subject. There were times that they were more mature then you would expected from teenagers their age, but it wasn't over the top and considering what they have been forced to go through it fitted the characters well. 

I really liked John Greene's writing style and I will definitely be reading more books of his. 
I understand why so many people loved this book as I totally fell in love with it too. 

★★★★★

 It Was Amazing

Review: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Title: Thirteen Reasons Why
Author: Jay Asher
Published: 18 October 2007
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: Purchased from Book Depository
Genre: Young Adult: Mental Health, Contemporary


Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

Review

Do you know what I have noticed lately? Bullying is slowly coming into the limelight. Just the other day a friend shared a video on Facebook concerning "The Bullying Experiment, by Fouseytube" (You can find it on Youtube if you are such inclined). That was interesting purely for the fact that despite someone being bullied directly in front of some people - they chose to ignore it. They walked away. One person, after being asked "Can I speak to you for a minute?" Answered "No". Were they ashamed they walked away? Or did they really care that little? 
I remember an incident (and I'm giving away my age here) of a comment concerning the RSVP's to my high school reunion. The organisers were getting comments that people didn't want to socialise with the people that bullied them at school. I know this because the organiser posted it on the reunions facebook wall. I remember some of the people - not the bullies, or the bullied - make the comment "oh but we were just teenagers, get over it". Interesting that the ones making that comment were also the ones that turned a blind eye.

Bare with me, I did bring that up for a reason......

Bullying comes in all forms. You don't need to be constantly hit to say you were bullied. 
Anyone can be bullied, and it can occur anywhere - school, work, sports activities, and online. 
Bullying can be verbal, physical, social, psychological, or cyberbullying.  

I mention this because some people might not think, like my high school classmates, that what happened to Hannah was that bad, or was justifiable due to age. 
Short answer - no, it's not acceptable. Just because you didn't experience it doesn't mean that the other person wasn't bullied. Just because it does not cause the same feelings in you, doesn't mean it shouldn't for someone else. 

This brings me to this book. Some reviews I read said that what happened to her weren't that bad; didn't justify why Hannah killed herself; could have been worse; or the clincher - she should have helped herself, she should have sort help from someone.
Bullying isn't about YOU (the reader, in this case). Bullying is about the person being bullied and how it makes THEM feel. In Hannah's case all the little things built up and ruined her.
You don't have to agree with her reasons. You don't have to feel like they were worthy reasons for her to commit suicide. What you DO have to understand is that SHE felt this way, and SHE felt like she didn't have anything worth living for. SHE felt that she had no one to talk to - in fact she did seek someone to talk too and quite frankly the way they handled the situation was pathetic. 

This is something that every person needs to understand. This is something that every parent should teach their child. This is something that teachers should understand. Bullying is about how you are made to feel and your actions can affect everyone. Like a ripple effect. Everyone in Hannah's community was and will be affected by what happened to her.  
Bullying is a real problem in schools, because children at schools are not treating others with any respect or empathy or understanding. Teachers should be able to say the right things and assist in finding help for someone that feels this lost. 
Not everyone is strong enough to fight through it. Some give in. Some don't. Adults need to be able to see the signs and need to be open enough that the victim sees them as an ally, a friend, and most importantly someone that can help. 
Now just to be clear, we are not talking about a single incident. We are talking about constantly being intimidated; harassed; rumours being spread about you; being hit; teased; etc and it happening over and over again. 

When I finished this book, I posted the photo below (that I took) everywhere. Facebook, instagram, twitter, anywhere where people, young and old, kids and parents, could see it. This is the type of book that should be read in school. Studied at school. Explained at school. To get young people to understand that bullying is NOT ok. It is not ok to make someone feel so low that they want out of life. You don't know what is going on in someone's life away from where you know them. You could be compounding a problem that is already there, and if you're not, you could be starting a problem that might not stop. 

I can't say I enjoyed this book as that isn't an appropriate statement. How can you enjoy reading about someone, who is dead, and how they came to that death. 
I did find this well written. Very well written. I liked the delivery of the story. I liked how someone, who she thought was good, was the story we got to follow. I don't believe hearing it from one of the bullies sides would be appropriate nor show the story from her side as well.

Now the book isn't just about bullying, well it is, but it is also about the fact that Hannah was suffering from depression. No one seemed to pick up on her depressive state. All these things added up for Hannah and would have been overwhelming. 

I can't say this enough, this is a book that everybody should read - if for no other reason but to understand how bullying and depression can affect someone (again - NOT YOU). 

On an ending note- 

Let me put it this way:

If physical illness was treated like mental illness

Source

★★★★★ 

It Was Amazing

Excerpt

"I guess that's the point of it all. No one knows for certain how much impact they have on the lives of other people. Oftentimes, we have no clue. Yet we push it just the same." 

~

"But does that diminish any of your stories? Are your stories any less meaningful because I'm not telling you everything?

No.

Actually, it magnifies them. 

You don't know what went on in the rest of my life. At home. Even at school. You don't know what goes on in anyone's life but your own. And when you mess with one part of a person's life, you're not messing with just that part. Unfortunately, you can't be that precise and selective. When you mess with one part of a person's life, you're messing with their entire life."

eARC Review: Not A Drop To Drink by Mindy McGinnis

Title: Not A Drop To Drink
Author: Mindy McGinnis
Published: September 24, 2013
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian 


Regret was for people with nothing to defend, people who had no water. 

Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn't leave at all.

Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival, and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand.

But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. The mysterious footprints by the pond, nighttime threats, and gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it….

With evocative, spare language and incredible drama, danger, and romance, debut author Mindy McGinnis depicts one girl’s journey in a barren world not so different than our own.

Review

Firstly, let me say that a lot of people are not going to see this as a perfect 5 star book. This probably isn't a "perfect" book, but do you know - I don't care. To me it deserves 5 stars. Yes it's not perfect, but that doesn't mean its not worth it. 

This is a story of drought, a world where freshwater is scarce. Lynn and her mum have their own pond which they defend with a 'shot first, ask questions later' attitude. Lynn, raised in isolation with her mum, knows nothing else but to defend that pond. 

Steb is their neighbour and I loved hearing how he was dealing with the drought as he has very little to do with Lynn and her mum. I really enjoyed his character and what he taught Lynn. 

Lynn's mum appears callous and hard but once you learn her story, it becomes more understandable. She shows a lot of strength in what she has dealt with. 

I loved Lynn. Throughout the story her character just continued to grow. There is a romance aspect, which of course concerns Lynn, but it was a sweet and cute one, that fitted with the story. 

This is a well done, quick easy read that is thought provoking, emotional and heartbreaking. 

If you like dystopians then definite give this a read. It's a favourite of the year for me.  

★★★★★ 

It Was Amazing

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The Inspiration Behind Not A Drop To Drink

eARC Review: Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Title: Dare You To

Author: Katie McGarry

Series: Pushing The Limits, #2

Publication Date: May 28, 2013

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

Description

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all...

Review

It took me awhile to get into this book. I don't believe it was the book itself, I think it was just the formatting of the copy I had. The chapters weren't separated other than a few words in capitals and I found it extremely difficult to read as the jump between POV's wasn't clear. I was originally reading it on my mobile, but then I swapped to the kindle for a bigger screen, thinking that might help - and it did. Though I still didn't get the "I can't put this down" feeling I had with Pushing The Limits until I was about 30 - 40% into it. Then I fell in love with the story. 

I felt for Beth. I really liked her even though there were points where I thought "you stupid girl". I still liked her, and I could empathise with her, even in those moments, and understand why she did what she did. 
I wasn't instantly drawn to Ryan, but he grew on me as the story went on. I thought he was good for Beth which is where some of my frustration came from with her. haha.
I liked Isaiah in Pushing the Limits and I liked him even more in this. He is such a great character and I'm dying to read his story in Crash Into You, but I digress. 

Katie McGarry is amazing at writing characters with a troubled background. She makes the story emotional, believeable, and heartbreaking. You connect with the characters, feel for them, and want everything to be better for them. You want the story to have a positive ending, no necessarily a happy ending, just something positive to come out of it for the characters involved. I didn't think it was possible to write a better story then Pushing The Limits, but Dare You To is just was wonderful, if not a little better. 

Dare You To could be read as a stand alone. Pushing The Limits will give you a wider view into some of the characters as well as the connections, but it isn't totally necessary. 

★★★★★ 

It Was Amazing

Book Trailer

Review: Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry

Title: Pushing The Limits

Author: Katie McGarry

Series: Pushing The Limits, #1

Publication Date: July 31, 2012

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary

Source: Bought

Description

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

Review

A while ago Harlequinn Teen offered a sneak peek at Pushing The Limits, the first 2 chapters I believe. I wasn't sure this was going to be for me so I read those 2 chapters. I was instantly draw to the story and purchased the book. It took me a little while to get to read it (and even longer to write the review! o_o  Shame on me) but I definitely loved this story. 

Firstly there is Noah who has lost both parents and is wanting custody of his younger brothers, who are currently with a lovely couple. Unfortunately Noah doesn't believe they are nor does he realise they are the best thing for his brothers. 

Then there is Echo, who has her own tragedies  With the death of her older brother, and scars that she hides from everyone along with the lost memory of how they occurred that night at her mothers place. 

The novel alternates between Noah and Echo's point of views throughout the novel and is engaging this way.   

Both are seeing the school counselor, Mrs Collins, who is actually trying to help them and is a major factor in Noah and Echo getting together, pairing them for Echo to tutor Noah. 

Through their contact they grow and develop into better versions of themselves. 

I loved this book as it is written in a way that you can empathize with them; see and feel them grow and feel their pain, sadness, joy and happiness. I loved both Noah and Echo, and Noah's friends Beth and Isaiah. This is an emotional read with surprising depth and feeling. Another to add to the TBR if you haven't already. 

Also Beth has her story in Dare You To (released May 28 2013), and Isaiah in Crash Into You (expected release November 26 2013). 

★★★★★ 
It Was Amazing

Author Bio

Source

KATIE MCGARRY was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, and reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Katie would love to hear from her readers. 

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eARC Review: Spirit by Brigid Kemmerer

The Spirit Blog Tour hosted by The Midnight Garden kicked off May 20, so be sure to check out all the stops for awesome content and amazing giveaways!

Title: Spirit

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Series: Elemental, #3

Publication Date: 28th May 2013

Publisher: Kensington

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Source: Netgalley

Description

With power comes enemies. Lots of them.

Hunter Garrity just wants to be left alone. He's learned the hard way that his unusual abilities come at a price. And he can't seem to afford any allies.

He's up to his neck in hostiles. His grandfather, spoiling for a fight. The Merrick brothers, who think he ratted them out. Calla, the scheming psycho who wants to use him as bait.

Then there's Kate Sullivan, the new girl at school. She's not hostile. She's bold. Funny. Hot. But she's got an agenda, too.

With supposedly secret powers rippling to the surface everywhere around him, Hunter knows something ugly is about to go down. But finding out what means he'll have to find someone he can trust. . .

Review

Storm was Chris and Becca's story, Spark was Gabriel and Layne's, and Spirit is Hunter and Kate's story. 
Throughout the books I grew to like Hunter more and more. After finishing Spark and was excited to get started on this one and once again, Brigid didn't fail to impress. I've said it before, and I know I'm going to say it again, but this is definitely my favourite series. This is another action packed, emotional joy ride. 

Hunter is so complex, he's very defensive, trusts no one, and no one trusts him. 

"You're not staying under this roof until you tell us what you're going to change.""Fine. I'll sleep in the car."His grandfather let him go with enough of a shove to make Hunter fall back a step. "Good," he said. "You're already packed."Whoa. Wait."What are you talking about?"His grandfather pointed. "Come back with a new attitude."Hunter looked. Two duffel bags - his duffel bags - were by the baker's rack, stuffed full of what looked like clothes. 

His story was heartbreaking. I really felt for him, and on a side note, I love Casper his dog too - I'm a sucker for German Shepherds. May I add, Brigid you had me hold my breathe and fear for Casper at one point. I'm not going to spoil it for any one, but this book had my emotions in turmoil!

I really came to love Hunter by the end. Michael was a big surprise in this one too. The way he took Hunter like a younger brother was awesome. 
I'll be honest, I wasn't a fan of Kate, but even she had me crying at one point (I'm a sook, I admit). I loved the text message banter between her and Hunter, and the way they made each other better.

"Run!" she yelled. "Hunter run!"

Then Silver must have done something because Kate cried out, and the sound fractured into sobs. 

The Merricks boys didn't disappoint in this book (not that they have in any of the books, but you know what I mean!). The humour between Gabriel and Hunter we saw in Spark is here too. 

"Hell, yes! Nicky never wants to do that stuff."
Hunter was touched. "I'm getting all misty."
"F*** you." Then Gabriel's expression changed. "You look really different without all the piercings."

I'm sad I've finished this book because now I have to wait for the next one, Secret. I can't wait to see how things plan out for the Merricks and Hunter. 

★★★★★ 

It Was Amazing

Free Download

Free download for the Elementals ebook (available on Kensington site only):

The promo code is: VCARD. It’s active until May 31^st.


To read the first chapter of Spirit go here.

Author Bio

Brigid Kemmerer started writing in high school, and her first real “novel” was about four vampire brothers causing a ruckus in the suburbs. Those four brothers are the same boys living in the pages of The Elemental Series, so Brigid likes to say she’s had four teenage boys taking up space in her head for the last seventeen years!

Spirit, the latest book in the series, will be released in stores and online on May 28, 2013. Connect with Brigid on her website, Twitter, Facebook, and GoodReads.

Review: Spark by Brigid Kemmerer

Title: Spark

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Series: Elemental, #2

Publication Date: August 28th, 2012

Publisher: Kensington

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Source: Bought

Description

Gabriel Merrick plays with fire. Literally. Sometimes he can even control it. And sometimes he can't. Gabriel has always had his brothers to rely on, especially his twin, Nick. But when an arsonist starts wreaking havoc on their town, all the signs point to Gabriel. Only he's not doing it. And no one seems to believe him. Except a shy sophomore named Layne, a brainiac who dresses in turtlenecks and jeans and keeps him totally off balance. Because Layne has a few secrets of her own...

Review

No words can describe how much I love this series. Brigid is such a talented writer and every book just draws you in. Spark was no different. 

Storm, the first book in the series, is where we meet the Merrick brothers. Storm was Chris's story. Spark takes off right where Storm finished. The events in Storm has left everyone on edge, and something big is about to happen. 

If it is even possible, I loved Spark even more than Storm (and I'm loving Spirit even more again, but you'll hear about that tomorrow). I enjoyed Gabriel's character in Storm, and loved learning about him more in Spark. Gabriels element is fire, he can control it, call it, talk to it, and sometimes he can't. 
Gabriel is obnoxious and hot tempered, but in Spark we learn the reasons behind it, and start to understand him more. 

We are introduced to a new character, Layne, who is quiet and hides her own secrets. She isn't someone Gabriel would normally notice, but he starts to when he needs to borrow a pencil in class. The developing romance between them flows. It's not forced, it doesn't feel wrong, it just fits. You feel like they belong together, a bit like yin and yang. 

Layne wanted to be brave. She wanted to be optimistic. But she started crying anyway. Nicks' hand went over hers. "Gabriel will find us. He'll get us out.""How?" she choked. "How do you know?""Because he always does."

Absolutely loved Hunter in this book, and the bromance between him and Gabriel was awesome. It was great to see them come together and work together. Especially when Gabriel and Nick seemed to be falling apart.  

Hunter sighed and gave him a look. “Come on, baby, don't be like that. Did you pack your midol?”     “All right, all right.” Gabriel climbed out of the car, slamming the door behind him. “I don't even know why I like you.”

Another action packed, and exciting addition to the Elemental series, that seems to be getting better and better as we go along. 

★★★★★ 

It Was Amazing

eARC Review: The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2) by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Eternity Cure

Author: Julie Kagawa

Series: The Blood Of Eden, Book #2

Publication Date: 30th April 2013

Publisher: Harlequinn Teen Australia

Genre: Young Adult, Vampires, Dystopia

Source: aARC from Publisher via Netgalley

Description

In Allison Sekemoto's world, there is one one rule left: Blood Calls to blood.
Cast out of Eden and separated from the boy she dared to love, Allie will follow the call of blood to save her creator, Kanin, from the psychotic vampire, Sarren. But when the trail leads to Allie's birthplace in New Covington, what she finds there will the change the world forever - and possibly end human and vampire existence.
There's a new plague on the rise, a strain of the Red Lung virus that wiped out most of humanity generations ago - deadly to humans and vampires alike. The only hope for a cure lies in the secrets Kanin carries. If Allie can get to him in time.

Review

Once again Julie Kagawa delivers another amazing, action packed, fast paced book. 

As in my previous review of The Immortal Rules, Kagawa again writes awesome characters with their own personalities. 

I love Allie, and even more so that she is still trying hard not to be like the other vampires, to not be a monster....... But..... oh, please don't change!! 

We see a return of Zeke (yay!), and Kanin (woohoo!) and even Jackal (yeah I know). Jackal was actually a really enjoyable character to read, including the time I thought "You bastard", to "oh, ok". I didn't expected to like him as much due to the last book but I just loved his sarcastic comments and humour.

I'm starting to think that Kagawa can't write a bad book. The world building in this was fantastic, it can recall it as if I was watching a movie - oooo, this would totally be a fantastic movie! - and her writing is completely enjoyable to read. You just get carried away. 

But that ending...... all those feels..... and how long is it that we have to wait for the next one....... 

At first I was like this.....

source

And then I was like this for at least 10mins after....

source

Seriously if you haven't started this series, if you don't own the books. Run. Run to your nearest book store and buy them. If you own the first one and haven't read it, read it now, stop what you are doing and read it now.... Seriously.  Then you can all love this series with me.  =D

★★★★★

It Was Amazing

Book Trailer

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The Eternity Cure

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