What YA book are you reading RIGHT NOW?
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Actually, I ended up enjoying it (but def as MG, did not buy the MC as 16 for a minute, and I thought the book as a diary entry was therefore a bad choice). The 'nobody predicted THIS' inciting incident still stuck in my craw, but I thought she did a good job of depicting the gradual decline of their quality of life (except who only keeps aspirin in their house in the way of medication these days?
). I am glad I stuck with it, though.
I had this on my nightstand so I picked it up. I fully agree that the worldbuilding is not tight/consistent enough. I liked the relationships between the girls but other characters were not drawn fully enough for me to invest (Rhine/Gabriel). Other things, like Rhine's unconsumated marriage, and Linden being in the dark about the circumstances of his brides were completely unrealistic.
I enjoyed parts of it but overall, it seemed to be the wrong kind of book for the premise... if that makes sense.
Finished the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I had it on hold at the library for almost 8 months! But it was so worth the wait. I read it in a little over a day. Very compelling. Little gruesome, but I liked it. And finally a YA female MC that is a strong character. Not a whiny Mary Sue who needs to be saved. She does the saving.
I was able to pick up Catching Fire and enjoying it so far. Really wish I had read these books when they first came out.
I was able to pick up Catching Fire and enjoying it so far. Really wish I had read these books when they first came out.
Reading Graceling now. I like it, but it's so freaking long. And too much time is spent travelling. I mean, yes, she has to travel. But do so many pages have to be dedicated to it?
The story's interesting... I just want to get back to the good stuff.
The story's interesting... I just want to get back to the good stuff.
I was a little unconvinced by W1THER as well. I think I was frustrated that the protagonist spent the entire time cooped up in a house. I'm dying for a truly epic dystopian like THE HUNGER G4MES, with huge battles and governments getting overthrown and the fate of civilisation hanging in the balance, and all I'm getting are tiny little people-stories with a dystopian backdrop. Is Katniss the only protagonist in YA dystopian fiction who changes the world?
edit: Please do bring recommendations, if you have them. I'm a latecomer to the subgenre, so anything that predates THE HUNGER G4MES is before my time. I've read M4TCHED and W1THER without much satisfaction.
edit: Please do bring recommendations, if you have them. I'm a latecomer to the subgenre, so anything that predates THE HUNGER G4MES is before my time. I've read M4TCHED and W1THER without much satisfaction.
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Reading Graceling now. I like it, but it's so freaking long. And too much time is spent travelling. I mean, yes, she has to travel. But do so many pages have to be dedicated to it?
The story's interesting... I just want to get back to the good stuff.
Yeah, the traveling stuff went on a little too long. I liked Fire better I think, but still both were really good.
Just finished City of Fallen Angels. It wasn't as good as the last one, but then I kind of expected that. Fabulous ending though and overall enjoyable continuation of the series.
I know I'm slow on the uptake, but I'm reading The Book Thief. Yes, it is as amazing as everyone says it is.
Actually, I ended up enjoying it (but def as MG, did not buy the MC as 16 for a minute, and I thought the book as a diary entry was therefore a bad choice). The 'nobody predicted THIS' inciting incident still stuck in my craw, but I thought she did a good job of depicting the gradual decline of their quality of life (except who only keeps aspirin in their house in the way of medication these days?
I agree with the MC feeling babified and not very likeable--and she never had an interesting conversation with anyone. I mean, I know diaries aren't great for dialogue, but the family felt very very dull and boring to me. I didn't hate it, but afterwards I felt pretty unsatisfied with the read.
I just read The 1ron W1tch. Argh. It was tell-y and slow and I felt like the author was ever-present (as in, what else should I throw into this YA tale? the moony best guy-friend? the hot stranger? the outcast 'teenager'?) Don't get me wrong-- I'm all about hot strangers and outcasts and moony-ness but... in moderation and with some trust, please. Gah.
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I reviewed the book and I had such fundamental issues with the world that I just couldn't get past it. DeStefano threw in destructive phrases to set the tone to the world but didn't for a second think on the repercussions of what those statements did. For instance the world Rhine lives in doesn't have either polar ice caps. They were vaporized by war. Yet Florida and Manhattan still exist. There are so many issues with that single statement is made my brain melt. I just felt it was a poorly thought-out world with a weak love triangle thrown in. But I am in an expansive minority here. Everyone seems to love the hell out of it and quite frankly, it disappoints me. It's just a poorly developed world that I think it gives dystopian a bad name.
(except who only keeps aspirin in their house in the way of medication these days?
*raises hand* I don't even have that. I have Aleve in my purse that'll expire before I use the whole bottle and some allergy medication. No aspirin.
Right now I've just started Of All The Stupid Things by Alexandra Diaz.
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I'm reading Maggie Stiefvater's Ballad. It's been on my shelf for long, but since I was going through a paranormal-disappointment phrase I didn't give it a try. Now I'm in the mood for it and so far, so good. She has that dream-like prose working for her.
Finished Dreamland by Sarah Dessen a few days ago. LOVED it, but feel like she skirted over some of the abuse by summarizing it rather than going into details about what was actually happening. (I found that the sports analogies the MC used in place of the abuse she was experiencing were confusing.)
The ending seemed a little rushed, and I agree with AlishaS. The MC having some type of closure with her abuser at the end would've added SO MUCH more to the story.
After that I read Waiting For Normal by Leslie Connor. It's more of an MG book (the MC is 12). It had a bit of a slow start, but before I knew it, I was reading on and on. Couldn't put it down, and ended up reading it all in one sitting. I liked it a lot, cried at the end, and was happy that all the loose ends were tied up.
Now I'm reading Stolen by Lucy Christopher. Only a few pages in so far, but loving it. The MC's a real fighter (I liked how she gave her captor a black eye).
Finished CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS by Cassandra Clare and was surprised by how much I preferred it to the preceding books. Don't get me wrong, there's still a lot of over-description and the emotional scenes bordered on soap opera at times (one scene where a male character grabs his own hair in his grief made me guffaw) but I liked the way she drew in small points from the preceding books, it's the first time the story's not felt utterly derivative and most importantly, her jerky, arrogant male characters are slightly more humble and therefore (for me) more bearable. First time I've ever felt moved to give her a 4* review on Amazon. Colour me shocked.
Am currently reading WHITE CAT by Holly Black, which I'm also really enjoying. It's set in an alternate world and follows a teenage boy born into a curse worker family but without curse powers of his own, who has to deal with the fact that he murdered the girl he loved.
MM
Am currently reading WHITE CAT by Holly Black, which I'm also really enjoying. It's set in an alternate world and follows a teenage boy born into a curse worker family but without curse powers of his own, who has to deal with the fact that he murdered the girl he loved.
MM
Just read The Marbury Lens. It was not quite what I expected. The opening didn't have much of a point for me, and it was pretty distressing--seems like if you pick the book up for a thrilling gritty boy YA portal fantasy (as the cover promises) you would not keep reading past all kidnapping and sexual assault and PTSD and disassociation and developing unwanted sexual fetishes based on said kidnapping and sexual assault, to get to the portal fantasy part.
Aside from that, it was a very interesting read. I wish the ending had wrapped things up better! I still have no idea what was going on or what was going to happen. Eek!
Aside from that, it was a very interesting read. I wish the ending had wrapped things up better! I still have no idea what was going on or what was going to happen. Eek!
Just finished Catching Fire last night and loved it. I so need to read Mockingjay. I have heard some people were disappointed in it. And I hope I am not. But either way, I need to know how it ends!
My thoughts exactly! That was a fantastic review. Los Angeles and Seattle still exist in her world too -- in fact, I noticed every city she mentioned was on the coast. That drove me NUTS! There were so many little illogical things that detracted from her world... like the end, where they go to an all-night zombie movie marathon, but neither knows what a zombie is. Okay. Whatever.
@PollyAnna I loved the relationship between the girls too, thought it was the book's main strength. And I also found the relationships with the boys unbelievable -- especially Linden. I really think in a world where people die so young, sex isn't going to be as big of an issue. I think this was a case of the author applying her modern morals and sensibilities to some other time without taking into account how those morals would realistically change based on human nature.
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who thought this book was lacking, because everyone I know who's read it loved it.
P.S. I love your website, DonnaDuck. The header is too cute!
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Just finished Stargazer by Claudia Gray. I have to say it ended in a rather interesting way, I'm enjoyed the this novel way more than I did the first one. I still find the writing style on the showy side but oh well.
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Thanks! On both the review and my site!
It kind of disappoints me that this book is where it is simply because it's so lazily written. It has so much potential but that was heaved out of the window.
Finished Kiss Me Kill Me. Was pretty disappointed, since what got my attention was the girl sleuth description mentions on the back. The sleuthing only happens at the end of the book and the book's mystery isn't resolved in the first book. I also had some issues with the body image perception the MC had throughout the book. At the beginning she acknowledges that she's big for a gymnast, and that means she's not really that big compared to most people, but then the rest of the book she talks about how fat she is.
Now I'm reading The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafron. It seems a little MG to me so far, but I'm pretty sure it was in the YA section (even before Borders combined the sections before they closed)
Now I'm reading The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafron. It seems a little MG to me so far, but I'm pretty sure it was in the YA section (even before Borders combined the sections before they closed)
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I went and bought Hourglass by Claudia Gray, might as well keep on with the series, though I'm a little dissapointed the last one is in hardcover lol I hate mixing trades with hards... they don't look as pretty on my shelf
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