Book Review: Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Allyson Healey's life is exactly like her suitcase—packed, planned, ordered. Then on the last day of her three-week post-graduation European tour, she meets Willem. A free-spirited, roving actor, Willem is everything she’s not, and when he invites her to abandon her plans and come to Paris with him, Allyson says yes. This uncharacteristic decision leads to a day of risk and romance, liberation and intimacy: 24 hours that will transform Allyson’s life.
 
A book about love, heartbreak, travel, identity, and the “accidents” of fate, Just One Day shows us how sometimes in order to get found, you first have to get lost. . . and how often the people we are seeking are much closer than we know.




I adore books that are set in Europe, whether it be traveling or living; I think that they rock. I waited to read this book (for some strange reason) and it turns out it is phenomenal. SO GOOD. Brilliant, truly brilliant.

The first fifty pages were a bit slow for me, though. However, once she took off with Willem, I couldn't peel my eyes away from the page. There are so many themes and ideas about the identity of teenagers that runs so much deeper than just the simple words on the page. I related with Allyson so well in this. She exposed ideas that made me reconsider the definitions of the things I've been around my whole life. I never knew what to expect from page to page.

Forman immerses you this story. She drags you under and doesn't let you up for air until the last page. She attached me, made me cling to these characters I had just met. Dee, for example! He was such a perfect friend; I found myself smiling with happiness every time he appeared. He helped Allyson along her journey in so many ways. They seemed like such an odd pair at first, but now, I think they will be friends for the long run.

I literally do not have words to say. This book was amazing. Go read it. Come back and comment your thoughts.

Over and out,
Nerdalicious

Book Review: Champion by Marie Lu

He is a Legend.
She is a Prodigy.
Who will be Champion?  
 
June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps Elect while Day has been assigned a high level military position. But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them once again. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything he has. With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion.

*WARNING: MINOR SPOILERS*

"Marie Lu's bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion." This sentence is one the back of every final YA book out there, but I rarely ever agree with them. This time, though, I couldn't agree more. Marie Lu is a phenomenal writer. One of my biggest (and probably most pathetic) life achievements is that I have the entire trilogy in hardback and signed *cue choir singing Hallelujah music*. I can't get enough of her writing style.

There are books that make you want to fall into a fit of depression and there are books that make you want to jump and shout, letting the whole world know to read this page-turner. Champion is both. Normally, I look at reviews for books and see if the ending is sad or happy, but I've found that never once looking ahead but reading it like you're standing outside of a bookstore at midnight of the release, reading, is a much, much more satisfying way to conclude a series. This way, I formed my own opinions and appreciated the full impact of her work.

Before Champion, I thought Day was just . . . okay. I loved Metias and June, though, before you go crazy on me. However, I came into Champion with a negative attitude about Day, but I left tearing up and shaking over the ending. Marie Lu did this book the justice it needed, with the ending that was satisfying, an ending that I could handle.

The characters evolved so well. I used to really dislike Tess in the earlier books, but now I love her! The author made me hate the characters that were supposed to be hated (Jameson- ugh), sympathize (Thomas, anyone?), and learn to love characters like Tess. I know that, especially in Prodigy, not so sure now, that many people really didn't like Anden. I personally always really him, and I think that he and June have a very strong friendship. I hope that he finds happiness with someone out there. I also loved how the author didn't just give us every answer to every problem. She left some things open-ended so that we as readers have the freedom to figure them out.

I just love this war-ridden world she's created. It's so believable and realistic. June surprised me with her character around every turn and every corner. I feel like I have more to say about this book, but my thoughts are pretty scrambled right now. All I can process is: gooooood booooook. But seriously, I cannot wait to read what Marie Lu has next for us.

Over and out,
Nerdalicious

Book Review: The Eye of Minds by James Dashner

   Michael is a gamer. And like most gamers, he almost spends more time on the VirtNet than in the actual world. The VirtNet offers total mind and body immersion, and it’s addictive. Thanks to technology, anyone with enough money can experience fantasy worlds, risk their life without the chance of death, or just hang around with Virt-friends. And the more hacking skills you have, the more fun. Why bother following the rules when most of them are dumb, anyway?

   But some rules were made for a reason. Some technology is too dangerous to fool with. And recent reports claim that one gamer is going beyond what any gamer has done before: he’s holding players hostage inside the VirtNet. The effects are horrific—the hostages have all been declared brain-dead. Yet the gamer’s motives are a mystery.

I wasn't originally going to do a review on this book, but I've seen about .02 reviews for this, so I decided to add to the pile. I could see where people would be cautious- when I see the name James Dashner, I associate it with The Maze Runner, not some random gamer book. For me, I never want to really read something by an author who already has a fan base built around another series. It might just be me and my need for little things not to change, but who knows.

I found this book at Target SIGNED, and I jumped on it and practically acted like Gollum with his precious Ring. However, it did sit on my shelf for a few weeks before I read it, mainly because I didn't know what to think of this new series from a legendary YA author. I did like it though. Most of the book was good (nice paced, but eh, I don't know. It just felt a bit off) but as usual, Dashner delivered with the ending. I can't wait for the next book.

One of the things that I loved about this book is that, like the Maze Runner, Dashner creates a world that is suited for boys but is still sprinkled with light romance. I think that this book has even less than the Maze Runner. I liked that, mainly because I feel like sometimes they get a little too balanced, like a book that should be 100% guns, games, and boy stuff instead of 50-50. It feels awkward most of the time, like the author is trying way too hard.

Dashner's writing style makes this book very easy to read too. This is a great book to read in between classes or work, where there isn't too much time to get fully invested but it's a nice break from reality. You can stop and start this book without getting confused or missing key details that were meant to flow together.

Some of the scenes were a bit weird, though. When the main plot line gets introduced to Michael about the Mortality Doctrine, he is SUDDENLY pulled over by four weird men in suits. It wasn't very realistic, to say the least. I suppose that was the point intended, though. Who knows? (James Dashner.)

The world is built wonderfully. This book was a really nice break from all of the fantasy and contemporary I've been reading. I love how everything felt virtual, right down to the freckles on their faces. It just felt like a futuristic movie, through and through. I feel like that is sometimes hard to portray without a visual aspect, but Dashner did it very nicely.

I would just love to see inside of James Dashner's head sometime. The characters and the scenes that he paints are so unique and potent. In The Maze Runner series, Dashner created many weird and creepy enemies, just as he did here. The plot is so intricately woven, with most of the secrets being saved until the last, final breaths of the novel.

Dashner certainly doesn't disappoint in this new sci-fi novel. He's very, very talented, and I will recommend this to all of my friends. I think that everyone should definitely pick up a copy of this, especially if they loved The Maze Runner.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Over and out,
Nerdalicious

Book Review: The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa has always felt powerless, useless. Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king who needs her to be the chosen one, not a failure of a princess. And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies, seething with dark magic, are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could save his people. And he looks at her in a way no man has ever looked at her before. Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn't die young.

Most of the chosen do.

So, I got the opportunity to meet Rae Carson back in July 2013, however, I didn't get her book because, for some weiiiird reason, books cost money. I know, I know. Don't look at me like that, okay? Anywho, I finally got around to reading this book!

It's not much of a spoiler to know that the main character is fat. Trust me, Carson reminds the readers practically every other page. If it really isn't a problem that she's larger than a twig, than why tell us every page? I suppose it factors in as a self-conscious thing towards Elisa's character, but still, how could a person who kicked butt every minute go stand in front of a mirror another second and be vain? She should've been more accepting of herself. It's not like in any "skinny" book we hear about their diet every second. I liked how she changed it up by adding that, but it shouldn't have been that prevalent. That's just my opinion.

I hate it when bloggers write a review just to be nice. My mindset when blogging is that I can't really offend anyone-it's my opinion. I always try to look at other reviews before I begin mine to see where I want to go with it, but all of them aren't exactly "real" reviews. No book is perfect, so no review should be sparkling. I get irked when people write a nice review and then give it 2 stars. I'm nice on the grading scale, though. I realize that the author put a lot of work into it, so I start from the top and take points off from there.

Anyway, to continue with that paragraph, even though I liked this book, I still found things within it that personally made me scratch my head. However, I did like many aspects. The world was nicely crafted.

One thing that I was confused of was the need for three (fifteen million, pretty much) love interests. I would've been fine with just one. Also, she really wanted her king-friend, which was really awkward to read about...

So, here's the part where I give a nice rating. I feel like it's much easier to talk about the bad points than the good (I suppose because that's the part where my review differs from others, as it's my opinion), but I still think it was a good book. Not my favorite, but it was good.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

Over and out,
Nerdalicious

Book Review: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

So, if you've checked out my review of the first book, The Raven Boys, you'd know that I was a little iffy on that book. Don't get me wrong- it was good, I just couldn't get into it for some reason. However, after I picked up a copy of this book, I couldn't stop reading. If you are the same way, I definitely recommend checking it out anyway.

Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after....

First things first, let's talk about those characters. I feel like this story is 70% characters 30% plot. The characters, though, are fantastic! Each and every one has their own motives, their own reason to be there at that exact moment. There is nothing that isn't thought through. 

The way the author writes really allowed me to not remember much about the first book, and still become deeply enraptured in this book. I felt like they were definitely two separate entities, the way it should be. It wasn't Book 1: We're looking for a dead king. Book 2: ...still looking...  It made everything important within the novel. 

I've heard many complaints about Maggie Stiefvater's writer style, however, having met her, I can say that her personality very much so reflects her writing style. Everything is paid attention to, which is how the characters so easily flow into one another and transition easily. Her personality is very sporadic and what I'd classify as a 'theatre kid' (AKA the ones in school who were the most bizarre and theatrical. Honestly, she didn't strike me as a writer when I met her, but reading her books really awes me at her talent. 

Another thing is that I read most of this book whilst not at home, so I would often get distracted and not really pay attention. One nice thing about her writing style is that you can drift off and come back a few pages later and not miss anything too important. There were a lot of snippets that I felt like they were just there, but I'm sure they had some purpose...

Anyway, I could blab on for ages, but basically, I really enjoyed this book. I definitely recommend sticking with it if it is a bit boring in the beginning. 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Over and out,
Nerdalicious

P.S. I'm pretty bad at taking pictures so I promise she looks better than this in real life, but this is her when I got to meet her!

Cover Talk: The One by Kiera Cass

SOMEONE HOLD ME.

Okay, guys, let's talk! First off, that's a wedding dress, don't lie to yourself. THIS IS NOT A DRILL, EVERYONE. This is happening! The book is the third book in The Selection series by Kiera Cass (they are phenomenal books- go check them out). Eep!

My main complaint: Do I look like an idiot to you, photographers? That is clearly not the same girl.

Whatever.

Anyway, I still think it's a very pretty cover! I soo cannot wait until this book comes out! Since The Elite was on Netgalley, I'm hoping that the final book will too. I will scream if that happens.

Over and out,
Nerdalicious

Book Review: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

I LOVE THIS BOOK. I'm re-reading the series right now because the sixth and final book, United We Spy, was just released. I can't wait to refresh my memory so I can be pumped for the finale! I also have a giveaway on this book right now (until 9/30) if you haven't had a chance to read it!

Cammie Morgan is a student at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, a fairly typical all-girls school-that is, if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest in chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes in computer class. The Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses but it's really a school for spies.

Even though Cammie is fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways, she has no idea what to do when she meets an ordinary boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, or track him through town with the skill of a real "pavement artist"-but can she maneuver a relationship with someone who can never know the truth about her?

Cammie Morgan may be an elite spy-in-training, but in her sophomore year, she's on her most dangerous mission-falling in love.

For some reason, this book has mixed reviews, but I will set you straight: this book is not worth missing. The characters, the atmosphere, the dialogue... all of it is just what I need to pick me up on a bad day.

Even though, I have read the entire series (minus United We Spy) this review is just going to be centered around the first book. 

One of the things that I love about the main character is that she seems to realize that she isn't going anywhere with this boy. She doesn't let him take over her life, they don't have a dramatic romance, she isn't plunging off a cliff every time they are separated. It seems to make the romance lighter and cute, almost. (Lemme just tell ya, the next few books are far from "cute". Those books are INTENSE. Just sayin'.)

The characters are all built so slowly and nicely. It's like there are Legos, each one being slowly connected and built to make a sturdy structure (however, that doesn't mean that the Lego-human can't break at any moment with a simple dissemblance).

These books are also really quick reads that don't pretend to be anything more than they are. As for the humor, I like it. Cammie will often through in a quick, witty line that talks about a fact of the school or her spy training, and there are a lot of facts. Without her wit, it would have just been an info-overload. She built a bridge between the humor and the serious.

I liked how Cammie realized that she was a "Chameleon" as well and didn't see anything bad by it. Many times, we as humans see solidity as a bad thing, but she doesn't base her entire being around a central fact. It's more like she can easily blend in and not be seen. She's not antisocial or weird she's just a Chameleon.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Over and out,
Nerdalicious

GO READ THIS BOOK.

Book Review: The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, didn't expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who still lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she's never met. Reluctant allies, Wanderer and Melanie set off to search for the man they both love.

Let me just start by saying that I am NOT a fan of Twilight, nor do I plan on becoming one. So, naturally, my thoughts were skeptical when I first picked it up. However, Meyer shocked me by creating a decent plotline. One where the main character had a mind that didn't revolve around her creepily omniscent boyfriend. 

From the start, I had been turned away from reading this because of not only Meyer's reputation, but the cover. That cover, I'm sorry, is atrocious. Not that it isn't bad (I'm sure that if I was a published author, I wouldn't care what my cover looked like, as long as the story was out there), it just was one of the things that kept me from reading it. I'm pretty sure I could have made a replica on any basic Microsoft software. I know, I know "don't judge a book by its cover". But I can't resist. All in all, if you are able to get past that, it's a good read.

Not that I'm saying I wouldn't change some aspects of the book. Apparently, Meyer tends to right at night. That's a fact I can tell when she decided the age range of this book. No one who wasn't utterly sleep deprived and stuck in a secluded part of their mind would have created a book that was clearly YA with characters in their twenties. Twilight certainly had more adult aspects to it. There is no reason for this to be considered an adult book, as it has little to no bad language or a complicated plot that a teenager couldn't grasp. As a teenager myself, I did not consider this to be an adult book, besides the ages. It is as if they are adults with teenager's minds.

Meyer did, however, create a complicated plot that is worthy of my five-star rating. I really enjoyed it, and I will be recommending it to many of my friends, book lovers or not. I think that many audiences will enjoy this. Even if you are skeptical like I was about this book, I think you should at least give it a shot.

Fun fact: this review was the first review I ever wrote. I wrote it back in April/March and posted it to my Goodreads account, but I decided to pull it from there and post it to here. Whenever I pull text from Goodreads, it always appears in white, so sorry about that. 

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

Over and out,

Nerdalicious

Book Review: Icons by Margaret Stohl

Your heart beats only with their permission.

Everything changed on The Day. The day the windows shattered. The day the power stopped. The day Dol's family dropped dead. The day Earth lost a war it didn't know it was fighting.

Since then, Dol has lived a simple life in the countryside -- safe from the shadow of the Icon and its terrifying power. Hiding from the one truth she can't avoid.

She's different. She survived. Why?

When Dol and her best friend, Ro, are captured and taken to the Embassy, off the coast of the sprawling metropolis once known as the City of Angels, they find only more questions. While Ro and fellow hostage Tima rage against their captors, Dol finds herself drawn to Lucas, the Ambassador's privileged son. But the four teens are more alike than they might think, and the timing of their meeting isn't a coincidence. It's a conspiracy.

Within the Icon's reach, Dol, Ro, Tima, and Lucas discover that their uncontrollable emotions -- which they've always thought to be their greatest weaknesses -- may actually be their greatest strengths.

Bestselling author Margaret Stohl delivers the first book in a heart-pounding series set in a haunting new world where four teens must piece together the mysteries of their pasts -- in order to save the future.

Normally I don't do as-I-read reviews, but for this book, I will! Warning: this may have light to heavy spoilers. I haven't read the book yet. I don't even know. Update: Please do not read beyond this point if you do not want to be spoiled.

That first chapter made me think of Supernatural, if you know what I'm sayin'. First five minutes, season 1 made its way into this book, I swear. Except it didn't. Because that would be plagarism. But seriously, the juxtaposition of the child's ignorance and the slowing of her mother's heart made it seem so creepy. Loved that! Great opening to a book. Once I set the book down to write this, the writing on the cover makes me wonder if Dol was pre-selected to live. Somehow, the government is slimming mankind?

Now, years later, we see Dol again with Ro. I like Ro (I'm kind of seeing this Robert Sheehan kind of guy in my head) so far, but it doesn't take much for me not to like a character.

50 pages in and I've already created a hundred conspiracy theories. Is the government actually the Icons/ alien things (because how would such a disorganized society have such detailed, confidential records about everyone)? How are they controlling everyone's heart beats? HOW IS THIS HAPPENING?

I still like Ro. I think that means that he's staying on my 'characters I don't want to brutally murder' list. I also like how Dol is in love with him, her best friend, and not the other way around. I hate how the boys in books follow the girls around like puppies, but its inevitable.

So after that, I may or may not have read without making notes or blogging about it, so this section of the review may be a bit scattered.

After reading to the end, I can say that I loved how intricate this book was. There were so many twists and sub-plots that you thought would have no meaning but then BAM. Everything came together in just this one big, massive story. It was a great book.

I'm beginning to see that I'm  getting attached to these alien books. Each and every one of them are unique with the way that the aliens are placed in the world. With Icons, I felt like it was very nicely done.

The characters and the plot were developed slowly and efficiently. The romance/love triangle took many pages to develop, which I was glad for. Only in certain cases have I liked insta-love.

However, even though I enjoyed this book, people had mixed reviews over the book. I saw some that said it was their favorite book of 2013 and some that rated it with one star. I feel like if someone had enjoyed Beautiful Creatures, then this will be a great read for them.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Over and out,
Nerdalicious

Book Review: Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Something weird about me is that I don't like reading books back-to-back. I usually like to savor the story. However, the first book in this trilogy, Shadow and Bone, was phenomenal so I had to pick this up.

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, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But 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.

These covers for this series are so beautiful. They're perfect for the setting, the scene of the story, without being cheesy. They're simply, yet intricate. This cover could have gone horrible wrong, but I think they're a job well-done.

Just to jump right into, I hated Mal a lot in this book. Not only does he have a girl's name, but he also acts like a girl. He's whiny, over-protective, and weird, typical of any "swoon-worthy teen romance". 

Ugh. I, sigh, think that, sigh, there's no hope for Darkling fans at this point. THINK OF THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT THAT COULD'VE HAPPENED! AHH! It didn't. As usual.

For a sequel, I felt like this was just average. Compared to how enrapturing the first book was, this book was normal in comparison, which made me sad. I had much higher hopes. The originality of the plot was wonderful, but I wished things had gone differently. I felt like the plot was kind of absent. They just ran around and yelled.

I did like how some scenes were laid out, though. Whenever she wasn't mackin' with Mal, there was a scene were Sankta Alina was said over and over. The image that I got in my mind was something like the stag scene from book 1- very beautiful and flowing. Like I was completely just there with her. 

I feel like this was a really good read, I just wasn't there to read it or something. I think I will have to read it again to get the full idea. I can't wait for the third book to come out, though! The ending of this book was really strong and action-packed. I highly enjoyed the climax.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars (good but something was missing)

Over and out,

Nerdalicious

Book Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Update: I felt like nerdaliciousfangirl.blogspot.com (my original url) was really wordy and a mouthful. Also, it didn't have any connection to books, so this new url seems to be nice :) In case you are confused, I changed my blog website address today from nerdaliciousfangirl.blogspot.com to universeofyabooks.blogspot.com

Fun, right? Anyway, I hope you like it! In order to link up Bloglovin' profile to here I have to add this as well: Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Anyway here's my review over this (amazing) book! I can now say that this book is apart of the list: Books Everyone Told Me to Read but I Never Did. IT WAS SO GOOD!

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.

Confession time: I actually haven't read many fantasy books lately, mainly because I felt that many of them were just . . . drab. Thankfully, I finally picked up this book and it inspired simply all the feels. ALL THE FEELS.

Whenever I read a good book, I always seem to want to talk about the characters, because characters seem to make or break a book for me. They're hard to perfect, shape, and mold, but when they are done right, they create masterpieces.

The main character, Alina, really kicked some butt. She wasn't afraid to realize when she was being used, or when the situation needed to be turned around. However, I feel like the problem with stubborn characters is that they can adapt to the surroundings, sure, but can they adapt to the characters? I felt like one thing many YA heroines could work on is gettin' a little more philosophical thought into their minds. What makes a villian? Why do I see him as a villian? And vice versa.

Mal, her soppy love interest, wasn't even present for most of the book, and yet, he still made our heroine go downhill. He turned her into some love-struck fool, blundering around like a 'Bella Swan'. (Yes, that was in purposefully set apart from the rest of the sentence to create a separation between items- it's as if Bella isn't an actual character. Which she shouldn't be.) In conclusion, I'm not a fan of Mal. (I thought he was a girl for at least twenty pages, for cryin' out loud!)

The Darkling, though, I DID LIKE, lemme tell ya. He wasn't swayed by anything or anyone. (I'm on Team Darkling, if that exists.) His character was really dark and stubborn. He wasn't willing to see any way but his own, but all of the characters were that way.

I don't want to drag this on too long, so I'll cut it off here! Thanks for checking out universeofyabooks.blogspot.com!

Over and out,
Nerdalicious
(I'll keep that part just for kicks)

Book Review: Me, and Earl, and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

This was a marvelous, fun book. The balance between how the author dealt with Rachel's impending death was so different from say, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. However, if you are looking for another book that is like TFiOS, this is definitely it.

Greg, the protagonist, had such a dynamic but subtle character arc. I loved how the author covered it up with teenage humor so it wasn't just like "Aww! That sad YA heroine is crying in the rain" to "Oh snap! That same YA heroine is not punching someone!" This book was a nice breather from that style of writing. It was as if Andrews knew that all books were heading in that direction of development, and he didn't want that for his book.

I loved the way he could easily transition between how characters would impact Greg. The way Andrews would do it is he would take a character like Earl, who probably doesn't care too much for grammar, and contrast it against someone like Mr. McCarthy, who would show his love for facts. (Seriously, though, I loved Mr. McCarthy. He may have had some of the stupidest lines, but the way he was crafted made him very likable. I could easily imagine him being my teacher.)

I liked the way Greg thought. His first-person narrative was very potent and strong, but not flawed or unimaginable. The way he was written was very carefully put together to seem like a mesh of thoughts and ideals. The way he dealt with the situations handed to him was very nicely done. You see, with TFiOS and every other cancer book out there, the main character is very up-close with the cancer and everything is easily traceable to them about how it is bad. With Greg, he didn't know how to act. Greg isn't exactly a "people person" which I liked. He was mean to his only friends, which is more realistic than you might think. People aren't perfect- we get snappy and mad frequently. Often times, the characters are made so that they are warm and loveable, but Greg wasn't. I liked that. I also liked how much of a perfectionist he was with his works. It reminded me of myself, but with my writings (See? Notice how I'm still in school and writing on a blog instead of having my name on books?).

The book was very funny (although some of the humor was kind of dumb and overrated). Andrews had a unique way of writing parts of the story: through a script, as Greg is an aspiring filmmaker. It was a very quick read, because some of the pages would literally have 10 words. Others, though, would have 300, so don't get your hopes too up.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Over and out,
Nerdalicious

Giveaway: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter (US)

I've loved this book for years and years, and now, as the series is coming to an end, I thought it would be nice to hold my first-ever giveaway featuring one of my favorite books.

If you're new to my blog, I have to apologize upfront for the mouthful that is my blog name. Easy isn't fun, right?

This giveaway will run for 30 days and one winner will be chosen within the UNITED STATES only as a winner. I will email you if you win, so make sure to leave your email address on the free entry!

This copy actually comes from my personal shelf, but the book is in mint condition (I treat all of my books very well). It came to happen that I had two copies of the book, so I'm giving one away instead of selling it!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Over and out,
Nerdalicious

Book Review: Switched by Amanda Hocking

When Wendy Everly was six years old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. Eleven years later, Wendy discovers her mother might have been right.  She’s not the person she’s always believed herself to be, and her whole life begins to unravel—all because of Finn Holmes.

Finn is a mysterious guy who always seems to be watching her.  Every encounter leaves her deeply shaken…though it has more to do with her fierce attraction to him than she’d ever admit.  But it isn’t long before he reveals the truth:  Wendy is a changeling who was switched at birth—and he’s come to take her home.   

Now Wendy’s about to journey to a magical world she never knew existed, one that’s both beautiful and frightening.  And where she must leave her old life behind to discover who she’s meant to become…

As a special gift to readers, this book contains a new, never-before-published bonus story, “The Vittra Attacks,” set in the magical world of the Trylle.

This book was much, much better than I was expecting, after not having read it from years of adversion. I'd originally seen this book as one of those 99 cent ebooks on Amazon, not knowing that it eventually had been published into a physical book. Because of that, I didn't know if I wanted to read it. I've read plenty of self-published books that make me know instantly why a publisher didn't want it. But, finally, I felt like I was in the mood for just that- a book that relieved my stress from my workload and life in general. It was an easy and quick story that didn't require too much thought from the reader's side. However, it was captivating. However, it was a book that I did need to be in the mood for.

Character time! Let's talk about Finn, the more than slightly creepy love interest! Now, creepy dudes keep showing up so often now in YA books that I got quite desensitized to them. Fictionally, of course. If this actually happened, I would have no problem running and screaming. I did grow to like, Finn, though, as much as I tried to not. His character made it to middle ground for me. I don't hate him- yet. Though the age difference made the creepy-ness worse. She was sixteen and he was nineteen. As in, a college freshman dating a high school sophmore. Eww. 

Wendy's brother, Matt, I was a bit iffy on. At first, I liked him, but then he had this weird, possessive outburst on Wendy and Finn that was borderline abusive. Weird. 

Wendy didn't really stand up for herself. Like ever. She'd be an all right heroine, but then suddenly she'd be back to the girl who just sat there (cough Bella remake anyone cough). Though I was glad that Wendy felt bad about the whole Changeling thing just to steal their money. That family didn't need anything else to deal with. Wendy did have an emotion for about 2.5 seconds, don't worry. But instead of fighting it, she just kind of went with it. "Stealing? Eh, whatever. I heart you, Finn, don't worry." Accurate, let me tell you.

If you don't mind insta-love, than this book is for you. Now, you have to keep in mind, though, that this book was published by the author herself, selling it for like 99 cents originally. I got it for free from the library, don't worry. I do have Wake on my Kindle, which does seem like a better series by Amanda Hocking. 

All in all, this wasn't that bad of a book, you just had to be in the mood for a book that was bland and took no mentally capacity. It was still a good read in my mind and I'll most likely pick up the sequel, Torn.

Over and out,
Nerdalicious

Book Reviews

#

172 Hours On the Moon by Johan Harstad
5th Wave, The by Rick Yancey

A
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephenie Perkins

B
Blood Red Road by Moira Young

C
Champion by Marie Lu

D
Darkest Minds, The by Alexandra Bracken
Daughter of Smoke and Bone, The by Laini Taylor
Diviners, The by Libba Bray
Dream Thieves, The by Maggie Stiefvater

E

Evolution of Mara Dyer, The by Michelle Hodkin
Elite, The by Kiera Cass
Eye of Minds, The by James Dashner

F

Forsaken, The by Lisa M. Stasse

G
Girl of Fire and Thorns, The by Rae Carson

H
Host, The by Stephenie Meyer

I
Icons by Margaret Stohl
I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

J
Just One Day by Gayle Forman

K

L
Lonely Hearts Club, The by Elizabeth Eulberg

M
Madness Underneath, The by Maureen Johnson
Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza
Me, and Earl, and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

N
Name of the Star, The by Maureen Johnson

O
Oblivion by Anthony Horowitz

P

Paper Towns by John Green
Pulse by Patrick Carman
Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg

Q

R
Rebel Heart by Moira Young

S
Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Switched by Amanda Hocking
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

T
Taken by Erin Bowman
Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

U
Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, The by Michelle Hodkin
Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

V

W

X

Y

Z

Vampire Academy, Divergent, and More: Movie News!

Let the rebellion begin, tributes! Natalie Dormer has been cast as Cressida in Mockingjay Part 1 & 2, the final book in The Hunger Games Trilogy. Cressida is a former Capitol citizen who joins the rebellion and is by Katniss's side, filming her for Plutarch. Cressida has a shaved head, so I'm curious to see if the actress with chop it all off. She also stars in 'Game of Thrones' as the character Margaery Tyrell.

A Vampire Academy trailer was released not too long ago as well. There are six books in the series; the author is Richelle Mead. As having read the books, I'm still not sure what to think of their protrayal, but I guess I'll have to read them again (and naturally, write a review). You can watch the trailer here:

A thirteen second teaser was released for Divergent by Veronica Roth on August 22nd, and on August 25th, there is supposed to be 'something big' coming for the fans. I'm assuming it is the full trailer. Once the trailer or whatever-it-is is released, I will edit this post and add it on.

And now the full trailer:

Speaking of Shailene Woodley, John Green, the author of The Fault in Our Stars, recently had an interview with People magazine and disclosed information about what he thought about the auditions for the roles of Augustus (Ansel Elgort) and Hazel (Shailene Woodley). He gave advice for beginner writers, books that influence him to write, and which scene from TFiOS will be his favorite to see on-screen. Here is the entire transcript of his live chat. John Green is heading out to Pittsburgh for the first day of filming, which is August 26th. Green is also going to have a cameo in the movie. Shaliene Woodley has chopped her hair off for the role of Hazel as well.

I've come across quite a few people who have yet to see the full-length trailer for Catching Fire, the sequel to The Hunger Games, so here it is. A Victor Banner was released for promotion for the November release, which is posted below the trailer.

In case you haven't heard, Ben Affleck has been cast as Batman for the new 'Man of Steel' sequel.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones was released on Wednesday, but I have yet to see it (don't panic, I've made plans to see it this Saturday). I think once that happens, I'll do a duo review for Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters and City of Bones. The sequel is set to start filming soon.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak has a trailer! Watch it below.

Stephenie Meyer is 'over' Twilight, but I don't blame her. I just want her to write the sequel for The Host.

As you can probably tell, there is even more book-to-movie news than just this, but I feel if I posted all of it this post would go on for a mile. If you want to stay updated, I highly recommend following @PagetoPremiere on Twitter or keep tabs on their website, www.pagetopremiere.com

That's it!

Over and out,
Nerdalicious

Book Review: Paper Towns by John Green

I love John Green. As an avid Nerdfighter and lover of Looking for Alaska, The Fault in Our Stars, and An Abundance of Katherines, I think he's awesome. I've been putting this book off for a while now, though. I've been told that it wasn't as good as TFiOS or LfA, so I didn't really want to read it right away. However, I'm glad that I have, as it is an excellent novel that didn't let me down.

When Margo Roth Spiegelman beckons Quentin Jacobsen in the middle of the night—dressed like a ninja and plotting an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows her. Margo’s always planned extravagantly, and, until now, she’s always planned solo. After a lifetime of loving Margo from afar, things are finally looking up for Q . . . until day breaks and she has vanished. Always an enigma, Margo has now become a mystery. But there are clues. And they’re for Q.










One of the main things I love about John Green is how dynamic his novels are. Sure, the plots can be repetitive (Seemingly normal adventure where the protagonist goes on a spirtual/physical journey-for instance, breaking into Sea World.) However, they still manage to capture my attention. This novel is sprinkled throughout with Green's ideals and thoughts, but smoothly covering them up with a more boyish/clever comment.

I felt like the main character, Q, was a bit obsessive over Margo, but I think Margo wanted him to be that way. She wanted to be the main mystery in his life. That was what kept her originality intact- the fact that she wasn't there to change his view.

I liked how the image of how we see people was woven in. Quentin sees Margo as this elegant, mysterious girl, like she's a painting from the 1400s who's painter died just seconds after completing his masterpiece, never able to explain it. It's up to Quentin to discover that Margo isn't such a big mystery after all. She's just a girl. That's another thing that is often over-dramatized in books. All of the characters have this big, complex character developments and defining moments, but think about it- are you a 'complex' character? Are you making huge revelations day by day, accompanied by snarky comments to "flaunt" your personality? No. We're people, and authors sometimes forget who humans are at there essence. We're simple with layers that have accompanied us through the thick and the thin. Our layers don't disappear or change us. They stay through everything.

Even we ourselves see ourselves differently than we are at our core. Does thinking that we're smart and doing "smart" things make us smart? Does partying make us careless? Our actions are supposed to define us, but do they really? Or is it just something in the heat of the moment, something that gets us swept up into the moment. It's like doing something because all of your friends like it and not all of that has bad consequences. An intellectual television show to a raging party. Both of those situtations make me wonder if the person likes it just because they actually enjoy it or how society will perceive it. They could think they like it and not actually know. I know a fair few amount of people who won't like a simple funny or light movie/book just because it's not "cool" because "they're too intellectual for that".

Overall, it was a very good novel that would allow the reader to take from it whatever they wanted. Obviously, I got onto a psychological-society rage, and I'm slightly sorry. (Only slightly, I'm still glad my opinion is out there and being read by my cat and my cat alone.) I was pleasantly surprised by the book, though. If you haven't heard of John Green, you should definitely pick up any of his books (the three mentioned in the intro and the one this review is over) and also go to his YouTube channel and join his million other lovers.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Over and out,
Nerdalicious

Cover Talk: Cress by Marissa Meyer

Oh man, what a babe. This cover was released today, July 31, in case you missed it. This is the third book in The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer.

I rather like the color scheme for this. I feel like the red (a constant theme through the three covers) is a nice touch to the long hair, which is supposed to be Repunzel. I feel like the blue will be very pretty on bookshelves.

I'm glad that they haven't had a cover change for these books yet. With more than just these three books planned for the series, I can see a cover change coming in the future, although I really, really like these covers. This cover makes me already excited for Cress.

Along with the release, a Q & A, and an excerpt was released from the author. The full article can be found here: http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2013/07/31/cress-book-cover-excerpt-reveal/2600463/

Over and out,
Nerdalicious

Book Review: 172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad

'Member when you were a kid and everyone said how they wanted to go to space and be an astronaut? No. Just no. After reading this book, I simply want to never, ever leave my room and pretend that that didn't just happen.

It's been decades since anyone set foot on the moon. Now three ordinary teenagers, the winners of NASA's unprecedented, worldwide lottery, are about to become the first young people in space—and change their lives forever. Mia, from Norway, hopes this will be her punk band's ticket to fame and fortune. Midori believes it's her way out of her restrained life in Japan. Antoine, from France, just wants to get as far away from his ex-girlfriend as possible.

It's the opportunity of a lifetime, but little do the teenagers know that something sinister is waiting for them on the desolate surface of the moon. And in the black vacuum of space... no one is coming to save them.

In this chilling adventure set in the most brutal landscape known to man, highly acclaimed Norwegian novelist Johan Harstad creates a vivid and frightening world of possibilities we can only hope never come true.

Now, don't get me wrong. This book was fantastic. But it was just so, so creepy and scary. The scenarios that the author created were so realistic and unexpected. The beginning of the book was very timid and fun, to the end which was down-right nightmarish. (Okay, maybe not to most people but I'm a wimp.) If this book hadn't been as light in the beginning, I doubt the end would have been as chilling.

I feel like this is a "You love or you hate it" kind of books. If you go onto Goodreads, you will see mostly negative or neutral ratings, but I thought that it deserved much higher for what it sparked within me.

The characters and the story line were so well-crafted that I really can say no more about this book. It was creepy, it was fantastic, and it will stay with me for a long time.

(That ending blew me away. I'm just so confused!)

Rating: 5 out of 5 creepy stars

Over and out,
Nerdalicious

Book Review: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

This book took me a long time to read. Originally, I had gotten it from the library, but as it happens, I had to turn it back in before I could read it. It took me buying a nice copy from Half-Price books and it sitting on my shelf for a few weeks before I read it, and let me just say, this is definitely the book to read if you are suffering from any sort of book hangover.

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government "rehabilitation camp." She might have survived the mysterious disease that's killed most of America's children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she's on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her-East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can't risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

Let's start at the beginning, shall we? I thought (for the first about 100 pages) that this book was really slow. It wasn't that the scenes were action-packed and quick, it was more that I didn't feel anything for the characters. I did think that her mind-erasing skills were the bomb though. I could easily picture being so scared if that had happened to me. 

The symbol for the odd children, the Psi (the symbol on the cover), I found to be really cool. I liked how the children really took it back for their own use.

I loved the color-categorization thing they had going on. This particular aspect actually took me awhile to figure out, but once I did, I really liked it. Instead of having scientific names, they used colors for each power. Now, Ruby is an Orange, which is sort of a mind-based power. She can erase memories, plant ideas, and the like. She pretends to be a Green (something to do with photographic memory, I believe) so that she won't be killed (the Oranges are, obviously, viewed as dangerous by the government.

Once I clicked with Ruby, I really liked her as a narrator. I loved the scene were she and Zu were in Walmart, walking around and taking clothes and whatnot, because, let's face it: we all want to run around Walmart doing whatever we want. I liked how accepting Zu was of Ruby into their group.

Let's move on to the annoying characters. Annoying character #1: LIAM. I was all right with him as a character until he became the love interest (not much of a spoiler, trust me). It just makes me so sad to think that I already know that she's going to end up with Liam and ugh. JUST GO AWAY. Literally, I've read so many characters that are just like him. I'm seriously contemplating contacting Alexandra Bracken through her Tumblr and demand that they not end up together.

Chubs was just kind of there for me. I did like how he hated Ruby though, for a good hunk of the book. I was like, "YES! YES. YOU GO GIRL!"

Character that I love but everyone else hates and he's going to be just like every other could-be character out there: Clancy. This book went like way, way up when he showed up. I hate how he literally has no chance with her because, "Oh! She has LIAM LIAM LIAM. Congratulations to the happy couple." So frustrating.

(IT WAS A WARNER-JULIETTE-ADAM relationship ALL OVER AGAIN. Kill me. Why do I always get the unwanted guy on the love triangle?)

That ending had me close to laughing but the sad part is is that Ruby will spend the next to books pining over the boy she can't have. Never heard that one before.

It's not that I didn't like Liam as a character, I just didn't like him. Simple.

I'm sorry that this became a rant about Liam, but it was needed. Clancy could have so much character development and potential (but that would just be a crazy thought, wouldn't it? Let's not push those boundaries, kids.) 

The ending, I thought, was quite good, but I was so mad about the Clancy sitch that I just couldn't even. 

Rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars (CLANCY!)

Over and out,
Nerdalicious