"Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all - popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.
Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister and friend.
But Cassie is still missing, and the truth about what happened to her that night isn't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory - someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?"
I really enjoyed this book! This is my first Jennifer Armentrout book ever and I will definitely be keeping an eye open for more of her books. This book was like a psychological-thriller meets Mean Girls in the most epic way. I have also always loved the amnesia trope because it always brings more confusion to a story. The suspense was taut throughout the book while giving you a few well needed breathers. There where no unneeded characters and everyone had a role.
Samantha, or Sam, is the main character. She is popular, rich and beautiful ,yet through her confusion is relatable and easy to connect to. Sam could be a little naïve and gullible but it was believable, completely understandable and she felt very real.
I cheered her on as she kept from being a victim of her amnesia, and especially when she turned her back on her old life. Scott and Julie are amazing supporting characters, and to be honest, I wish I had a twin brother like Scott. Their relationship is special and he is fiercely protective of his sister.
Then there's Carson, 101 love interest. I was a little sceptical because I am very picky with my romances however he proved me wrong. He's kind, has a protective streak to rival Scott's, and is so sweet and patient with Sam that I wanted to hug him almost every time he was on a page.
The mystery part, which is an important one, was well enough done. The romance did take a too pre-eminent part in the plot, but it didn’t change that I felt hooked and wanted to know badly what happened to both girls and WHO did this. WHO killed Cassie and WHY. Those are questions I asked myself throughout the reading. At the end, it’s along with the narration that I figured it all out and it certainly surprised me. Nicely done.
Age Rating I would say 14+. Sex, blood and mental confusion are all mixed in. However it isn't scary and no paranormal anything's so don't be put off.
"Life is hard for Mikey. He's frightened of open spaces and would much rather curl up in his room and avoid the world outside. So going to a noisy, public place is a big deal-but with his sister Meggie by his side, it should be safe. And Mikey is determined to overcome his fear.
But things go badly wrong when he encounters a gang and witnesses something terrible. To make matters worse, they know where he lives, and now they want to see him . . .
This time, there's no hiding place for Mikey . . ."
Game Changer is a short read, took me about an hour to read, which is why I am posting 2 reviews today. Just because it is short don't expect boring. It is quite fast-paced and tense throughout. The only time the pace slowed down slightly was towards the end but by that point I really needed a bit of a breather.
Our main character in this story, Mikey, deals with a rather serious case of Agoraphobia and because of this his family, especially his younger sister, Meggie, are always really aware of him and are keen to support him and help him when things get tough. Throughout the narrative, Mikey makes all kinds of comments in which he feels like he should be treated in a more negative way because of his fears and the way in which his life (and thus his family's life) is changed because of them. I really loved that Mikey has the people in his life that he does, not the usual awful parents seen in books with this type of character. However his sister, Meggie, is his main rock of support.
The relationship between brother and sister is really at the heart of this story, however I found the relationship creepily close and just didn't ring true for me.
Right from the start, we get this feeling that Mikey is more anxious than normal. His fears and his coping mechanisms for his fears (hiding in a wardrobe) are amped way up and everyone is worried about him. There's a touch of the unreliable narrator at play with Mikey as we don't really learn what he's seen for things to have changed in his life until quite far into the story and at times I was really thinking that Mikey had lost touch with reality and let his fear take over.
Game Changer was an interesting book. I didn't quite know what to expect when I first started reading it and it surprised me. This is a thriller with an unusual hero and a good fast paced plot. A good quick read.
Age rating I would suggest 13+ as it can get a little dark and involves a very hard-core gang.
"Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotions. He cannot stand to be touched. And he detests the color yellow.
Although gifted with a superbly logical brain, for fifteen-year-old Christopher everyday interactions and admonishments have little meaning. He lives on patterns, rules, and a diagram kept in his pocket. Then one day, a neighbor's dog, Wellington, is killed and his carefully constructive universe is threatened. Christopher sets out to solve the murder in the style of his favourite (logical) detective, Sherlock Holmes. What follows makes for a novel that is funny, poignant and fascinating in its portrayal of a person whose curse and blessing are a mind that perceives the world entirely literally."
I have heard a lot about this book and it's on my English teachers recommended list, so when I saw it at the library I thought why not. This book was interesting but I had a few problems with it.
It tells its tale through the eyes of a boy named Christopher who has autism. First, I found the diagrams and illustrations tiring. Also all the maths equations which I tried to follow but couldn't annoyed me. I understand that the story is told from the point of view of an autistic child but was it really necessary? It created confusion but gave me a headache.
The structure of the book; the chapter numbers are all primes, inclusion of maths puzzles and diagrams, and the narrative style, the attention to detail, excessive logic and avoidance of metaphor, reflect Christopher's mind-set and way of viewing life. It is peppered with snippets of maths and explanations of his condition: how it affects him, and what coping strategies he adopts. The effect is plausibly stilted and occasionally breathless, which is reminiscent of people I know who are on the autistic spectrum and tallies with my limited reading about the condition.
Christopher's apparent deviations from logic are justified with ingenious logic. For example, having favourite and hated colours reduces choice and thus stress, counteracting the effect of his inability to filter or prioritise: he notices (and remembers) every detail of everything, and can rewind it at will, whereas other people's brains are filled with imaginary stuff. He is a little like his hero Sherlock Holmes, who is quoted saying "The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance observes". Similarly, defining a good or bad day on the basis of how many red or yellow cars is no more illogical than an office-bound person's mood being dictated by the weather.
However when a book is advertised as a mystery, that's what I would like to read. It wasn't really a mystery and I found it to be a bit predictable. The answer to who killed Wellington is told to you half way through the book! After that it just becomes a typical dysfunctional family, sob book.
I did like the intimacy of fanning out the fingers and pressing the hand of another, I thought that was beautiful. I found Christopher endearing in his own quirky way and found him an interesting narrator. SPOILER: I personally disliked his mother intensely but that's just me, I don't tolerate abandonment or cheating but understood her reasoning.
I would suggest ages 12+. Perfectly acceptable for older children who will understand the concepts. No swearing or anything like that. Wellington is stabbed by a garden fork but it is not described at all.
'Before you reject me, before you hate me, remember: I never asked to be Hel's queen.'
But being a normal teenager wasn't an option either. Now she's stuck ruling the underworld. For eternity.
She doesn't want your pity. But she does demand that you listen. It's only fair you hear her side of the story . . . It didn't have to be like this. "
I've got to admit, I had no idea that this was a sequel. I first picked it up because I thought the cover was gorgeous, when I read the back and found out it was about mythology (which I love)I just had to give it ago.
It is an interesting book, but too little happens in it. It is also quite anti-climactic; you are waiting for the battle of End of Days and Hel to get her revenge but that never happens. There was no point to the story - The story did not feel like it was going anywhere.
I personally liked Hel. She is dry, snarky, whiney and juvenile. Okay I know I said I liked her then listed bad traits but it made her believable. She is 14 in the book and has never received affection from anyone, has been banished for eternity with only the company of the dead and permanently smells like a decomposing corpse. I think that would leave us all a little self-pitying.
That said she can get abit much and other than the moaning her character needed a little more filling out. I was hoping for a cool, sassy and powerful Queen of the Dead. I would also have liked to see her drive some aspects of the plot rather than constantly having to react to things, or just put up with them.
Of course, none of the gods really come across in any sort of a positive light here. Loki is his usual trickster self, but with no charm to waste on his monster children. He doesn't care about any of them, apart from when they may be able to help him. Odin doesn't exactly endear himself to Hel, our narrator, when he banishes her to underworld. She may be the Queen of the dead, but she is also its prisoner.
Overall I think this book is a quick, light read. A moderate understanding of Norse Mythology is needed, otherwise you wont understand what the hell is going on. Pun intended. The smells and corpses are described well so I would suggest this for 12+.
"A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of curious photographs.
A horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive."
This book had a lot of potential but unfortunately did not live up to it. First of all, if you're thinking of reading this as a creepy book for Halloween, don't. It is not scary at all. The narrative never delivers an atmosphere deserving of the photography. It's all a bit bland and never becomes anything more than a standard paranormal tale about teens/children with special powers.
It all probably looks very intriguing and unlike any young adult book you’ve read before. But it isn’t. It’s sluggish, the mystery doesn’t last for long, the romance is cringe-worthy and there is absolutely no defined plot.
Additionally, the narrator, Jacob, is simply not a character I like to read about. I dislike it when rich, privileged narrators constantly wallow in their own self-pity for no good reason. He also complains about having no friends when he is downright nasty to his former best friend. I just couldn't relate to him at all for some reason.
There is a severe lack of character development. The children within the book are presented to us in a way one would display circus freaks. They are defined by their eccentricities, and they are without much personality. Little empathy is aroused for these characters, they are side-lined. Also I was expecting them to act like 80 year old in children's bodies, which they technically are, but they don't. They act like normal children which seems unrealistic.
I was hoping for something atmospheric and moody with moors, creepy attics, ratty hair, general spooks and so forth. However it provided none of that. The poor execution of a really good idea is just so upsetting to me. I think the biggest feeling I got from this book was disappointment and the loss of a great opportunity.
Age rating 12+. the "Hollows" are gross, 2 people die and hearts are transplanted, not described very vividly though.
"I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, then all at once."
Despite the tumour shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten."
Please, Please don't kill me for not loving this book. I heard so much about this book. How it was deep, profound and would have you walking away feeling like a different person, at least for a while. Well I didn't get any of that.
Hazel and Augustus are the flattest cardboard cut-outs I have ever seen in any book. Both of them were like 60 year olds, stuck in teenager's bodies. Augustus and Hazel have the same boring, pretentious, know-it-all and indistinguishable personality. Hazel was such an annoying, stupid and pretentious Mary Sue.
"Some infinities are bigger than other infinities." Its gems like this that make the book so unbelievable. Teenagers living in the 21st century don't speak like that. No teen can spontaneously come up with long monologues within seconds. Also, genuinely sick teenagers don’t become magically wise. They become terrified, confused, depressed and angry.
I am not saying teens are incapable of deep thinking and writing. I am a teen. Myself and many other teens of my age have large vocabs because we love reading and have very good writing skills. I know a lot of teens that write amazing poems and honestly, it takes them a lot of time to ponder and make their metaphors or poems perfect. They obviously cannot open their mouth and spontaneously say
"My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations".
The romance seemed forced to me. I don’t understand what’s so “beautiful” about the relationship between them. I have read many far better written romances. They both fall in love within seconds of laying eyes on each other. The romance is undeveloped and it comes from nowhere. I was baffled when Hazel accepted to go to Augustus's house just minutes after meeting him. LIKE WHAT? How stupid can you be? You fall for a guy's words whom you met just a few minutes ago and agree to go to his house! What if he were a phsyco!!
Not to mention that the kissing scene in Anne Frank's house was so inappropriate. Anne Frank's house is considered to be a place of remembrance, a place where 2 families hid during the dark days of the Holocaust. If anyone makes out at such a revered site, they would be kicked out regardless of who or what they are. People present would be disgusted, they wouldn't stand and watch much less clap for the "lovely" couple.
Because of this I just couldn't relate to either of them. That was very disappointing because there isn't anything about dying gracefully, because cancer is ugly and unpleasant, and Green makes you feel Hazel's lungs struggling to breathe and the pain, and see the vomit and urine. But I just couldn't feel sorry for them.
I have also never really enjoyed books that have other 'imaginary books' that are crucial to the plot line. I don't know why, I just never have.
Age rating I think should be about 12/13+. It deals with death however there is only one graphic scene. There is an alcoholic and Hazel and her friends egg a car.
"We weren't always like this. We used to be average New York City high school sophomores. Until our homeroom went for flu shots. We were prepared for some side effects. Maybe a headache. Maybe a sore arm. We definitely didn't expect to get telepathic powers. But suddenly we could hear what everyone was thinking. Our friends. Our parents. Our crushes. Now we all know that Tess is in love with her best friend, Teddy. That Mackenzie cheated on Cooper. That, um, Nurse Carmichael used to be a stripper.
Since we've kept our freakish skill a secret, we can sit next to the class brainiac and ace our tests. We can dump our boyfriends right before they dump us. We know what our friends really think of our jeans, our breath, our new bangs. We always know what's coming.
Some of us will thrive. Some of us will crack. None of us will ever be the same. So stop obsessing about your ex. We're always listening."
Don't Even Think About It is narrated by the chorus of ESP teenagers. The premise worked really well and it was easy to see how the group of classmates became 'we' which I loved. Reading the characters' reactions to their, and each others, new-found talent plus reactions from those who were fortunate, or unfortunate, depending on how you see it, not to be able to hear everyone's thoughts was intriguing. Imagine watching two people who aren't even friends stare at each other meaningfully, in silence, for no apparent reason. Personally it was hilarious.
When Class 10B become telepathic, life gets much trickier to navigate. We like to think that we want everyone to be honest with us. To tell us what we really look like in our favourite outfit, or if we're being embarrassing or stupid or annoying. But do we really? Now everyone knows that Mackenzie cheated on her boyfriend Cooper, that Tess has a crush on her best friend Teddy,and that he's in love with someone else, and that Nurse Carmichael used to be a stripper.
What I really enjoyed about this book is how they all come to terms with this new no-secrecy or privacy world. You won't like all the 'ESPies' but I enjoyed that you get to see everything from multiple points of view. None of the characters are particularly innocent except maybe Olivia, but you will revel in the fact that you get to join their exclusive club.
This book is full of high school drama so don't expect any world shattering concepts but it is a fun, light-hearted and witty book that will keep you entertained. Age rating should be about 12+ as it describes Mackenzie cheating. This book is also the first in a series.
"Everyone said the Graces were witches.
They moved through the corridors like sleek fish, ripples in their wake. Stares followed their backs and their hair.
They had friends, but they were just distractions. They were waiting for someone different.
All I had to do was show them that person was me.
Like everyone else in her town, River is obsessed with the Graces, attracted by their glamour and apparent ability to weave magic. But are they really what they seem? And are they more dangerous than they let on?"
This book was actually quite good. Don't get me wrong there are a few things I dislike. But this book's magical realism with a dash of witches and I think the most aesthetically pleasing settings and people made it a firmly recommendable book.
It's all about River (not her real name) and her obsession with the mysterious, obscure, rich family called the Graces. You know the drill: small town, gossip that the Graces are witches, the Graces being beautiful and rich, plus slightly magical things happening and the odd curse or two. It could've easily slid down the cliché slide, but it didn't. I couldn't stop reading. There are so many secrets that I needed answers to. River was hiding things and I desperately wanted to know why.
Unfortunately, I have to admit River is a little awful. In the beginning I thought she suffered from some serious ego problems. She makes it her #1 goal to be friends with the Graces because they're mysterious, wild and possibly witches and ergo they're good enough for River or that's how it seems. You only understand why she wants to be friends with them right at the end. She also puts a lot of girls down, in her head at any rate, just because they like Fenris, one of the Graces. Girl, you like him too, you can't call them shallow because you THINK you have a deeper connection with him.
The Graces were very interesting. They were equal parts entrancing and awful. I didn't even care that they were gosh darn beautiful (River only mentions it 938943 times) because I was totally under the spell too. There's three of them, Fenris and Thalia are the twins, and Summer is the younger, slightly goth, sister who believes in spells and curses. She's the one that befriends River. They were all amazingly dynamic and complex. Thalia is all woody, earthy and fairy hippie(is that a thing?). Fenris is dashing, cocky, handsome and he knows it. Summer wears black, metal band t-shirts and listening to screeching cat music.
This leads me very well in to the AESTHETICS!!! I loved them. I know I should talk about the plot and things, but muhahahah. When a book has beautiful rich houses and slightly-creepy-woods where they make spells and dance. Everyone wears exceptional clothing and goes to strange little crowded stores to buy odd things, I just fall in love with it. I mean, the plot was good too although I think it was a bit too long. It lagged in the middle. Sometimes they'd do something huge and important and then the next chapter would be like "oh and a week later"...
More over I loved the writing! Except for when it got redundant. Such as the Graces are beautiful. Oh the Graces are beautiful. DID I MENTION THE GRACES ARE BEAUTIFUL??? But otherwise it was ethereal and gorgeous.
The book had many plot twists that were just weird and wonderful, and it really amped up the magical-realism aspect at the end. I also really appreciated that everyone had a dark side. I love it when everyone is slightly villainous. Keep at it, my little psychos.
So basically my only cons are:
• River was an insufferable little lemon (until at the end when I actually quite liked her.)
• Bit slow
• Everyone got drunk a lot and things went badly but yet they still kept drinking??
However all in all I loved this book. It just is the kind of book I adore. Slightly magical, witchy, aesthetically pleasing with woods and mayhem, a cast of characters who are beautiful but totally damaged, and a few punches to the feels. It's entrancing and surreal.
I would suggest age 13+ as the writing can get disorientating and a little dark when the group of friends drink. Someone dies but it is not shown.
"Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all - popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend. 
