Saturday, January 23, 2016

Mini Book Reviews Week 002

Alright...technically, this is supposed to be week 3 of Mini  Book Reviews, but since I dropped the ball last week and didnʻt get around to doing one, itʻs week 2! Hold on to your hats, people, because Iʻve got like six books coming at ya this week! That being said, Iʻm changing around the format this week so that I can fit all six books in without taking too long...cool? cool.

Soundless by Richelle Mead
About the Book: Soundless is about a girl named Fei who lives in a village atop a mountain where everyone is deaf. Their only way of communicating with anyone in the outside world is through a zip line--they send down precious metals from their mines and the ʻline keeperʻ sends up food rations. But as people begin to lose their sight and their production of metals decrease, so does their food rations. This sends Fei and another villager, Li Wei, off an adventure down the mountain to see whatʻs up and to try to make everything right again.
My Thoughts: I gave this book a 2/5 stars. Going in to this book, I was pretty sure that I wasnʻt going to like it. I had heard a lot about it from people I follow on instagram, booktubers, and book bloggers and it just didnʻt seem like it was my type of book. I picked it up anyway because everyone was just raving about it. I should have listened to my instincts because I really did not care for it at all. See my full review here.

Donʻt Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout
About the Book: Samantha wakes up with absolutely no memory of who she is. She doesnʻt remember where she was or the night that she and her best friend Cassie went missing. She doesnʻt remember anything at all, but Sam is convinced that she has to remember that night because Cassie is still missing and she may hold the key to figuring out what happened.
My Thoughts: HOLY COW I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. I ended up giving it 5/5 Stars. This book was such a thrilling read with twists and turns that kept me guessing right up until the end. Like, I would think one thing and then BAM, something else comes out of left field and smacks me in the face. I have to say that the writing is definitely what drew me in to this book. This was my first Jennifer L. Armentrout book and Iʻm glad that I finally took the dive--Iʻve only heard amazing things about her and her writing, Iʻm glad that it met...even exceeded...my expectations. This was truly an addicting read that kept me guessing up until the very last page. See my full review here.

Amazing Fantastic Incredible: A Marvelous Memoir by Stan Lee, Peter David, and Colleen Doran
About the Book: This is a graphic memoir about Marvel legend Stan Lee...need I say more?
My Thoughts: This quick read introduces readers to the life of comic legend Stan Lee. I think it is a great overview and peek into the life of a legend. It follows Stan Lee's life through his childhood where he discovers his love for writing, as he enters in to the comic world, and where he is currently. I loved getting to know him through this form. The artwork was also so beautiful. I just wish that some of the stories had more detail or were more fleshed out but I know that would have been difficult in this format. Overall a quick and fun read perfect for children and casual Marvel or comic fans. I gave it 3/5 Stars.

The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay
About the Book: After everything that Nastya, a former piano prodigy, loved is taken from her all she wants is to start over--that includes attending a new school where no one knows who she is or her story and deciding to go mute. Josh Bennett is a boy at her new school who has lost everyone he loved. Something pulls them together from the first time Nastya sees him at school and soon their lives are tangled up in each other. But the secrets between them hold them back.
My Thoughts: I ended up giving this book a 4.75/5 stars. I honestly loved this book so much. The writing was flawless, the characters were so well written and had so much depth, it gave me ALL THE FEELS, and best of all--it was unpredictable! It kept me intrigued until the very end, something that I find so important when Iʻm reading a book. It did get points knocked off because of how a certain event in the book was handled, but that was entirely a personal preference. See my full review here.

Golden by Jessi Kirby
About the Book: Parker is a high school senior who has always done everything right--she gets good grades, listens to her mother, and is on the fast track to a full-ride scholarship to Stanford. But Parker has never did the unexpected and went against the current of her life. However, after discovering a journal the belonged to Julianna Farnetti--a town legend and tragedy--all of that changes. Parker finds herself on a journey to find out what really happened on the night that Julianna and Shane disappeared.
My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book and gave it a 3.5/5 stars. I thought it was a cute, coming-of-age story about the choices we  make and the consequences that follow. The life lessons in this book were on point. Unfortunately, the book (particularly the ending) seemed a little rushed to me and I would have loved more depth and detail about what happened. It just seemed to me like the story didnʻt really end. See my full review here.

The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma
About the Book: Violet is a ballerina with a secret about what happened the night her best friend, Orianna, was arrested and charged for the murders of two girls, but sheʻs not about to give up the life that she has become accustomed to to save her friend. Amber is a girl convict and Oriannaʻs new cellmate at Aurora Hills Secure Juvenile Detention Center. Told in two points of view, this is the story of two girls, the secrets they keep, and the girl who connects them.
My Thoughts: As of the time of this writing I literally just finished this book and havenʻt had the chance to even rate it on Goodreads yet, so Iʻm literally just going to write this on the fly. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Itʻs a haunting tale of teenage girls and what theyʻre capable of. This book borders on YA contemporary and paranormal thriller, which I thought was a weird combination but Nova Ren Suma somehow made it work! The writing was absolutely gorgeous. If I had to give it a rating right now, Iʻd give it a 4.5/5 Stars because it was a gorgeous novel, I just wish there was more Orianna!

1 comments:

  1. I forgot about The Sea of Tranquility! I remember hearing such good things about that one back when it came out. Great reviews!
    Krystianna @ Downright Dystopian

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