"Danica Shardae is an avian shapeshifter, and the golden hawk’s form in which she takes to the sky is as natural to her as the human one that graces her on land. The only thing more familiar to her is war: It has raged between her people and the serpiente for so long, no one can remember how the fighting began. As heir to the avian throne, Danica will do anything in her power to stop the bloodshed–even accept Zane Cobriana, the terrifying leader of her kind’s greatest enemy, as her pair bond and make the two royal families one. Now Danica must convince her people that Zane is just as committed to peace as she is–though she can’t help fearing that, despite his word, he will strike as swiftly and lethally as the cobra that is his second form. Among the serpiente, she’ll have to pretend to be in love, though when they’re alone, her reserve threatens to keep her and Zane worlds apart. And in their midst are dissenters who will do whatever it takes to destroy this union. Trust. It is all Zane asks of Danica–and all they ask of their people–but it may be more than she can give."
4/5 - Lovely.
Love. Love. Love.
There's something about this book that is simply amazing. The idea may seem a bit cliche and you may be thinking right now 'I know exactly how this is going to end'...which is somewhat true. Regardless, this book is filled with tragic passion and somehow surprising twists and turns. The characters really bring the story to life. I can't help but adore Zane and strongly respect Danica, and they were cleverly written so that their personalties contrast one another to bring out each other's strengths and weaknesses beautifully.
I've actually read this book twice (and I'm sure I'll read it several, several more times), and every time I'm reading it, no matter what, I find myself smiling at the book like a total idiot. It's adorable and precious in a gently passionate way that I've never seen portrayed so masterfully in any other book. Ideas of love and hate are presented in a new light, along with the desperate desires of peace and the union of two opposites to create something new and stronger. Hawksong is exciting, romantic, funny, and full of truly amazing, dynamic characters. This is a book you'll want to pick up over and over again, just to get swept away by this oddly formal but magically unique love story.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
I Am Number Four - Pittacus Lore
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.
4/5 - Exciting.
I absolutely could not put this book down for more than five minutes. I loved it. Everything about it drew me in and kept me reading. Despite the fact that it wasn't an altogether brand-new, original, never before used idea, Pittacus made this story his own. Aliens coming to Earth to re-inhabit may seem cliche, or even just plain stupid, a statement that I would usually agree with, but this book is different. I'll never think of aliens as little green men with big heads ever again.
Apart from a great, strong, admiral lead character with a strong sense of justice (John/Number Four), the supporting characters in this book were outstanding. They are what made the story real and alive to me. Also, for some reason, the settings appeared crystal-clear in my mind, undoubtedly realistic and genuine. Pittacus took familiar, every day settings we are used to and turned them into battle grounds full of aliens and hideous beasts. I know, sounds cheesy. Maybe it is a bit cheesy, but with just enough originality and new ideas to make it it's own and keep me intrigued.
The last 50 or so pages of this book can only be describes as intense. My heart was pounding as I flipped the pages, eager to find out what would happen. The book was very well-paced, always keeping me extremely interested.
My sister read this book and didn't care for it. Perhaps it's just a different taste in books, and I'm sure this book could be either a sink or swim with broader audiences. As for me, I view the book as a great teen read and am eager to see the movie being release February 18, 2011. This book will surely be adored by sci fi lovers everywhere who are open to something new, but I think that this book can stretch to broader audiences. If you're open to something different but classic at the same time, 'I Am Number Four' is the book for you.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Specials - Scott Westerfeld

But maybe being perfectly programmed with strength and focus isn’t better than anything she’s ever known. Tally still has memories of something else.
But is’s easy for her to tune that out – until she’s offered a chance to stamp out the rebels of the New Smoke permanently. It all comes down to one last choice: listen to that tiny, faint heart-beat, or carry out the mission she’s been programmed to complete. Either way, Tally’s world will never be the same.”
5/5 - Simply Amazing
This is one of those books that just takes my breath away.
It makes my head spin to think of all three books as a whole and see how these characters have grown, changed, and developed. Westerfeld has truly brought Tally and Shay to life. Specials blew my expectations out of the water with this exciting, enthralling, thought provoking third book. It was full of action that had me holding my breath with unexpected twists and turns that kept me guessing how the book was going to end.
The end of the book was simply spectacular - a true work of art. The closure this book provides leaves me with so many emotions all tangled up, but very, very content. This is one of those books that will keep me thinking for weeks on end about the true meanings of beauty, friendship, love, betrayal, and being yourself.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Pretties - Scott Westerfeld
Tally has finally become pretty. Now her looks are beyond perfect, her clothes are awesome, her boyfriend is totally hot, and she's completely popular. It's everything she's ever wanted.
But beneath all the fun -- the nonstop parties, the high-tech luxury, the total freedom -- is a nagging sense that something's wrong. Something important. Then a message from Tally's ugly past arrives. Reading it, Tally remembers what's wrong with pretty life, and the fun stops cold.
Now she has to choose between fighting to forget what she knows and fighting for her life -- because the authorities don't intend to let anyone with this information survive.
4/5 - Enticing
I love this book almost as much as the first one, Uglies, which says a lot.
It was very fresh and set itself aside from the first book, , with a new and interesting plot and loveable new characters, all the while keeping the integrity of the original characters despite the fact they'd undergone dramatic changes from the first book. Fresh characters, fresh setting, and diving even deeper into the concepts of beauty in this futuristic world that is driven by appearances. It kept the same page-turning-intensity that I loved in the first book and progressed the storyline of Tally and Shay very effectively.
The hope represented by the Smoke and the suspense created by the conflicts presented simply makes it a masterpiece. It ended with a total cliffhanger that left me scrambling to get my hands on the next book. I really love this book. Westerfeld keeps me falling in love with these complex characters and keeps me intrigued with the world that he has created. These books have everything - adventure, romance, suspense, philosophy, and that simple fact that you just can't put it down. Pretties is a book that I think young readers everywhere can, and should, enjoy.
See Also: Uglies, Specials
See Also: Uglies, Specials
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12.
Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins's groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.
3/5 A Decent Finish.
I was a tiny bit disappointed by this book. The first two books were amazing, but this one didn't wrap them up quite as well as I think they should have. Throughout the book distance is built between the reader and one of my favorite characters, Peeta, only to have him return in the end as though things never changed. There was a pattern of a lot of buildup for some intense scene, only to have Katniss knocked unconscious and wake up in a hospital. That was very frustrating.
The book had a pretty good sense of closure, though it wasn't as deep and awe-inspiring of one as I thought it would be. It was a good book over all with a lot of unexpected twists and turns and new characters that I kept falling in love with. Collins truly has a gift with creating individual characters that seem to leap off the page, and this book was as good of an example as any of that strength. Nonetheless, the overall plot was lacking. It was totally worth reading to finish out the series, but it could have been better.
If you've read the first two, go ahead and read this one, but remember that the first one is the best it's going to get. It was a decent finish to one of my favorite trilogies of all time.
See Also: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire
Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty.
But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Suzanne Collins continues the amazing story of Katniss Everdeen in Catching Fire, the second novel of the phenomenal Hunger Games trilogy.
4/5 Genius.
I wans't sure at first how I felt about a sequel to The Hunger Games . The Hunger Games was brilliant and I wasn't sure how it could be topped or carried on without feeling too much like a sequel. Collins pleasantly surprised me with this book. Although the plot felt repetitive in a way, it wasn't pointless. It was very logical and introduced new characters to keep me interested. Collins outdid herself once again on action and suspense that carried a deep, emotional, passionate content that kept me hanging on through the drier portions of the book (which were few and far between). The characters kept their integrity very well throughout the whole book, making me fall farther and farther in love with Peeta and Katniss.
Catching Fire was not quite as good as the first book, but it's hard, if not impossible, to top such an amazing original novel with a sequel. Catching Fire is a well rounded book that added to the story of Panem and kept it moving in a heart wrenching way. Fans of the Hunger Games are likely to love this book, because I sure did.
See Also: The Hunger Games, Mockingjay
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
Twenty-four are forced to enter. Only the winner survives.
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year, the districts are forced by the Capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying fight to the death – televised for all of Panem to see.
Survival is second nature for sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who struggles to feed her mother and younger sister by secretly hunting and gathering beyond the fences of District 12. When Katniss steps in to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, she knows it may be her death sentence. If she is to survive, she must weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
5/5 Brilliant.
This book took my breath away. It was original, fresh, and clever, despite the fact that it was using a time frame and idea that's been done a thousand times over - a future, post apocalyptic world. The story was driven by politics and selfish desires of a cruel government in a future America where one can never know if it'll be their child that is given as a tribute to fight in the fatal Hunger Games against their own people. I was totally captivated by the world that Collins created, seeing very few, if any, flaws or seams in the structure of this setting. I felt it was real, that it could truly happen, and the characters brought it to life in a way that I'd never seen before. The characters were very, very real to me, very deep and passionate human beings that I could understand and relate to.
The action and the unexpected twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book. This book has soul to it, but also so much suspense that it's enough to drive one crazy while reading it as they can't turn the pages fast enough. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for an amazing, original, unique, and totally thrilling read. In my opinion, this is one of, if not the, best book written in 2010.
See Also: Catching Fire, Mockingjay
Uglies - Scott Westerfeld

Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. Not for her license -- for turning pretty. In Tally's world, your sixteenth birthday brings an operation that turns you from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have a really great time. In just a few weeks Tally will be there.
But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to be pretty. She'd rather risk life on the outside. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world -- and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. The choice Tally makes changes her world forever.
4/5 - Enthralling.
I absolutely love this book. I applaud Westerfeld for his wonderful uses of character development and creating a totally unique post apocalyptic environment that deals with the concepts of beauty and perfection on a psychological and emotional level. Something that sets this book apart from others in the category of characters is the way that Westerfeld does not shy away from showing all the selfish desires of teenagers and how they would respond to the possibility of being beautiful, playing on their vanity. This might make the characters seem undesirable, but I believe that part of what makes them so repulsive is the fact that they display the same selfishness that we might feel ourselves, even if we don't admit it.
Tally is a love/hate character that you might not know how to feel about it, but her role in the book is brilliant and strongly complimented by the roles of Shay, David, and the evil Dr. Cable. This book always gets me thinking and is exciting and futuristic without being cheesy or cliche at all. It's filled with adventure, action, and even romance, all underlined by this complex ideal of beauty that many teens wrestle with. It's a truly great, captivating book that draws you into a fictional future that seems almost a little bit too realistic.
See Also: Pretties, Specials
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)