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