What's Left of Me (Kat Zhang)

****

         In an alternate reality, babies are born with two souls inside of them.  As children, the two identities take turns controlling their body.  Eventually, they "settle" - the dominant soul takes control of the body, while the other one fades away.
         Eva and Addie have spent the past three years pretending that they have settled.  It's not too hard; Eva has lost control of their body, so Addie's act is very convincing.  But Eva is still there, and she can't help but wish that she had some power over their life.  When a classmate offers a way for Eva to move again, the girls take it, even though it means risking discovery in a society where hybrid souls are seen as a threat.  

         I really enjoyed this book!  The concept was super cool and seemed fresh in the world of dystopian future.  Addie and Eva were interesting, well developed characters.  I especially liked Eva for her strength despite her limitations, and for her strong desire to experience the world in a way she hadn't been able to do since she was little.  Can't wait for the sequel!

Rating: 4/5

Completed: July 22, 2013

Eleanor & Park (Rainbow Rowell)

****

         Eleanor is not normal, something Park notices the second she climbs onto the school bus with her crazy hair, eccentric clothes, and less-than-perfect body.  But when his classmates refuse to give her a seat, Park does the unthinkable and tells her to sit next to him.  And, to his horror, she does.
         As the weeks go by, Park's interest in Eleanor grows.  She reads the comics that he brings on the bus.  He brings her a stack to take home every night.  She comes to his house and is fascinated by his music.  He starts to make mix tapes just for her.  She eats dinner with his family every night to avoid her own.  Soon, Eleanor and Park want to spend all of their time together.  They want to make this work.  Maybe, though, first love isn't meant to work, especially when the cards are stacked against them.  Maybe they will have to choose between what they want, and what they need to do.

         This was a really really good book.  Yeah, I know that's kind of a lame way to say what I'm trying to say . . . but it's also true.  Eleanor & Park is sad, happy, depressing, exciting, upsetting, and uplifting.  Talk about an emotional roller coaster.  There was some pretty heavy emphasis on first love, etc, but the book also dealt with bullying and various family problems.  It was balanced, at least as far as YA romance goes.  As usual, it's been a while since I've read this book, so I can't remember most of the specific pros and cons.  The fact that I only remember positive things is probably a good sign!  My main criticism of this book is that it makes a lot of references to 80s culture (I mean, a lot) which made me feel very un-hipster.  Which I guess is accurate.  Anyway, if you want a great YA romance, Eleanor & Park was practically made for you - go read it!

Rating: 4/5
Completed: June 27, 2013

This is What Happy Looks Like (Jennifer E. Smith)

****

Author of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

         When Ellie O'Neill gets an email from a total stranger who meant to contact his pig-sitter, she replies only to let him know that he got the wrong address.  But one email quickly expands into an online friendship, where Ellie's identity and past just don't matter.
         While Ellie is happy to keep their relationship strictly on the internet, Graham Larkin can't help but want to meet this faceless girl.  And when he gets his chance, filming his next movie in Ellie's hometown, he jumps at it.  When Graham arrives, things get complicated.  Ellie is horrified to discover how famous Graham really is, and even more horrified at the thought of being seen in public with him. If Ellie gets media attention, the result could be the end of her peaceful, secretive life in Maine.

         This was another cute book by Jennifer E. Smith, and a perfect summer quick-read (it took me about a day to get through it).  Ellie and Graham both have their personal problems but are nevertheless likable.  Just like in Statistical Probability, the plot has an overall positive vibe.  However, there is conflict outside of the emotional strife that usually goes along with romance, so it doesn't get too boring.   If you're looking for a fun, light read, This is What Happy Looks Like would be a good choice.

Rating: 4/5
Completed: May 18, 2013

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore (Robin Sloan)

****

         When you dive into this story, the first person you meet is Clay Jannon.  Clay is a young, modern, and unemployed graphic designer living in San Francisco.  His wanderings in search of the right job lead him to Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, an outdated establishment in a rather seedy part of town.  Without really thinking, Clay takes the graveyard shift at the store.  To the front of the shop, there is a small selection of current-day books, which nobody ever seems to buy.  The back of the store, however, is home to a vast collection - a collection Clay is forbidden from looking at.  Most of Clay's customers borrow books from the back of the store.  These people are very eccentric, and Clay is given the task of noting their appearance and state of mind in a large logbook every time they visit.
         Soon Clay, bored of long, lonely nights at the store, begins to investigate the nature of the forbidden books.  When he discovers they're all written in code, he enlists the help of several of his friends - Neel Shah, CEO; Mat Mittenbrand, set designer; and Kat Potente, Googler - to figure out the mystery behind the store.  What they uncover leads them to a secret society trying to answer an age-old question, a question that they become determined to answer.

         People say that you should never judge a book by its cover, but let's face it: most of us do anyway.  This book's cover is simple and attractive, but better yet is the fact that it glows in the dark.  Between the great cover and the inside jacket that promised code breaking, old books, and secret societies, I was sold.  I ended up liking this book a lot.  The characters and plot highlight the very relevant transition from the printed word to the digital word.  Every character is well-developed, the kind of people you would love to meet.  The way that these book sellers, code breakers, secret keepers, and nerds interact makes for a great story.

Rating: 4/5
Completed: May 7, 2013

Girlchild (Tupelo Hassman)

****

         Rory Dawn Hendrix is a Girl Scout.  Or at least, that's what she likes to tell people, even though she doesn't have a troop or a leader to call her own.  Life in the trailer park where Rory lives isn't always easy, but the Girl Scout Handbook gives her the practical advice she craves in a world where very little makes sense.  And maybe with the help of the Handbook, Rory can be the first woman in her family to make something worthwhile out of her life.  

         This was a good, but sad, story.  I liked the format, which was a mix of thoughts, journal entries, made-up Girl Scout badges, and more.  Rory grows a lot as a character throughout this book.  It was interesting to see how she came to terms with her troubled past and broken family, and figured out what she wanted out of her own life.  I felt bad for her because she was stuck in life in so many ways.  In the end, though, it seemed like she had embraced her identity and taken control of her life.  I would definitely recommend Girlchild as long as you're up for a sad book.  

Rating: 4/5

Completed: April 24, 2013

Le Petit Prince (Antoine de Saint-Éxupery)

****

         A pilot has crashed his airplane in the desert and is stranded with barely enough water to survive.  It is there, while he is repairing his plane, that he meets the Little Prince.  The Little Prince is no ordinary boy - he isn't even from this planet.  He tells the story of his first love and his travels through space.  As he meets new people throughout the universe, the Little Prince comes to understand the most important things in life.

         J'ai lu Le Petit Prince avec ma classe de français l'année passé.  Je l'aimais beaucoup.  Le Petit Prince est très mignon et aussi très sage.  Les aventures du Petit Prince étaient magnifiques . . . il a fait le connaissance des personnes intéressants.  

         Just kidding.  I wouldn't actually do that to you (whether it's because you don't understand any French or because you understand enough French to know that I don't have the vocabulary to write a book review).  Anyway, we read this in French class last year and I really enjoyed it.  Le Petit Prince, or The Little Prince in English, is meant to be a children's book.  It didn't seem too juvenile, though.  Like Winnie-the-Pooh, it is cute and enjoyable no matter how old you are.  Le Petit Prince also has some seriously deep moments.  It would be a good choice to read with a younger child, but you could definitely read it by yourself as well.

Rating: 4/5

Completed: April 19, 2013

Love and Other Perishable Items (Laura Buzo)

****

         Fifteen-year-old Amelia knows that some things just aren't going to happen, and a relationship with her older coworker Chris is definitely one of those things.  After all, Chris is a sophisticated university student with sophisticated university friends - friends who have had their first drink and their first relationship and their first everything else already.  So Amelia strikes up a friendship with Chris, talking about books, family, and the future, and tries to pretend that their possibly mutual attraction doesn't exist.
         At 21, Chris is not sure what to make of his (platonic?) love for Amelia.  Although she's much younger than he is, Amelia is mature and witty and easy to talk to.  He doesn't think of "Youngster" as, well, just a youngster anymore.  Even when he knows he should.  But no matter how attracted he may be to Amelia, they are living completely different lives that only cross at the checkout of the supermarket.  Chris, who hardly knows what the future holds for him as a soon-to-be graduate, can't picture how Amelia would fit into his adult life.

         This was a cute novel with a little more substance than your average romance.  It's also relatively short if you're looking for a quick read.  The characters were engaging, and their journal entries were well done.  I was also glad that the ending wasn't typical for this type of novel.  It was definitely worth the read.

Rating: 4/5
Completed: April 12, 2013

Summer has been super busy so far!  I just got back from my cousin's wedding, where I had no internet.  Hopefully I'll be able to post more in the coming weeks.  Meanwhile, if you have any book recommendations, post in the comments.  I just got finished with Harry Potter five and six . . . loving that I will be able to count them towards the goal this year!

The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II (Denise Kiernan)

****

         In 1942, thousands of Americans were hired by the US government.  The job description: a project that will help to end the war.  All they knew was that they would be paid well and the government would provide for everything they needed.  What they didn't know was what they would be doing or where they'd be doing it.  Among these people were many young women who, for various reasons, packed their bags and hopped on a train.  The train took them to Oak Ridge, TN.  There, they took on jobs from secretary to machine operator, janitor to scientist.  They worked in late-night shifts and slept in houses that had been slapped together just before their arrival.  Though the government hadn't planned for it to happen, the women made their mysterious gated city home.  

         This was such an interesting book.  I've always liked learning about all things WWII, and this was a great perspective on the war.  The author did a nice job of gathering a balanced account of life in Oak Ridge.  I liked how she switched between stories of the women who lived and worked in Oak Ridge and the scientific facts behind the work that they were doing.  The result was an interweaving of facts and personal details that made for a cohesive story.  Because Kiernan went into detail on the accounts of individual women, I felt like I got a good idea of the challenges they faced in all aspects of life in Oak Ridge.  I was really struck by the fact that Oak Ridge residents couldn't even tell their spouses what they did at work - it was that secretive.  The information on the development of the Gadget itself was written at a level that wasn't too overwhelming.  I would recommend this book to anybody who is interested in the Manhattan Project.  

Rating: 4/5

Completed: April 10, 2013

The Princess Bride (William Goldman)

****

         A tale of high adventure with princesses, giants, murderers, mysterious killers, and everything in between.  'Nuff said.

         Seriously, though, this was a really good book.  The characters are well-developed and sort of comical.  The Princess Bride reminded me of the books I read when I was nine and refused to read any story that took place in the real world, and it would probably appeal to people of all ages.  I'm also told the movie is awesome, but haven't got around to watching it.  Now that school is out for the summer (!) I'll hopefully have time.

Rating: 4/5
Completed: March 23, 2013

Prodigy (Marie Lu)

****

Sequel to Legend - watch out for spoilers . . .

         June and Day have finally made it to Vegas, where they hope they can get the Patriots to give Day the medical attention he needs.  Shortly after their arrival, something completely shocking happens: Primo Elector dies and is replaced by his son.  Nobody seems to know what to think of their new leader, except for the Patriots.  When June and Day ask for help, a trade is proposed.  If the pair will join the Patriots, Day will be taken care of.  They agree without thinking about it, but once the Patriots unveil their plan for the new recruits, June starts to regret her decision.  She doesn't believe in the mission she's been tasked with, and can't help but question where her loyalty lies.  With Day?  The Patriots?  The government that destroyed her family?  Or something else entirely?

         It's been a while since I read this book, and I'm struggling to remember what I thought of it.  I do know that I liked the continuation of the plot line.  I also think Lu handled the characters very well.  It doesn't seem like it, but Legend covers a pretty short time span.  By the end of that book, it feels like the characters have completely changed.  When you think about it, though, it's not realistic for such thorough changes to happen so quickly.  I thought it made sense that June would question her loyalties and that Day would feel the class differences between himself and June in Prodigy.  This was a suspenseful sequel with a cliff hanger ending, and there will definitely be a third book on its way soon.  I'm looking forward to finding out what will happen next and having some of my questions answered.

Rating: 4/5
Completed: March 14, 2013

The Theban Plays (Sophocles)

****

         I read two of the three plays for my English class: Oedipus Rex and Antigone.  The former is the tragedy of Oedipus, a Greek prince who unknowingly kills his father and marries his mother.  Oedipus Rex takes place years after this has occurred, when Oedipus must discover the truth about his identity in order to save the people of Thebes.  Antigone is the story of his daughter, a defiant young woman who has grown up as the daughter of a disgraced king.  

         I didn't expect to like these plays, probably because books on the school curriculum are hated by the general population.  You end up hearing a lot of bad things about school books whether they're bad or not.  However, I actually thought both plays were really interesting.  The language isn't too difficult all things considered, and there's a lot of action and drama.  Neither Oedipus Rex nor Antigone is very long, so if you were interested in reading a Greek play, this might be the way to go.  (I know that sounds like a long shot, but I think there may actually be some people out there who really are interested in reading Greek plays.  Just a few, but still.)

Rating: 4/5

Completed: March 14, 2013

Perfect Scoundrels (Ally Carter)

****

Book 3 of the Heist Society series

         As a con artist, Kat Bishop knows a trick when she sees one.  When her boyfriend, W.W. Hale the fifth, suddenly and very unexpectedly inherits his grandmother's company, she can't help but suspect foul play.  Kat needs to find out the truth about Hale's inheritance, and fast - something is off and she wants know what before Hale gets hurt.  The biggest problem?  She can't tell Hale what she's doing.  Kat will have to enlist the help of her expansive web of criminals to prevent Hale from losing the company to somebody he'd never suspect.

         This was another great book by Ally Carter!  The plot was exciting and the characters were awesome as usual.  I appreciate the blend of serious, emotional scenes and hilarious banter between characters.  I also love all the names of the different cons that Kat and her family pull off.  It's been a while since I read the last Heist Society book, but Ally did a nice job of making it so that I still sort of remembered what was going on.  If you've read the other books in this series and liked them, you'll definitely like this one as well.

Rating: 4/5
Completed: February 23, 2013

Pivot Point (Kasie West)

****

         When Addie Coleman's parents announce that they're getting a divorce, they want her to decide who she'll live with.  After all, the decision should be simple for Addie: she is a Searcher, so she can look six weeks into the future to see which path is best.  Addie's Search isn't as straightforward as she'd hoped, though.  Life with her dad outside of the Compound is unlike any experience Addie's ever had, and she meets a cute guy in the process.  Staying with her mom and best friend, Addie has the familiar and a boyfriend to boot.  Neither place is perfect, though - dangerous forces are in action regardless of her decision.  And once the Search is over, Addie will have to choose what (and who) she is willing to sacrifice to protect the people she cares about.

         I really enjoyed the concept of this book, and it was executed pretty nicely.  It only took me a few days to read because I always was excited to find out what happened next.  Addie was a likable character with some good friends on the side.  It was cool how each chapter flip-flopped between alternate futures, especially because there was a sort of mirror affect between the two.  Some of the events that occurred changed drastically in the alternate paths, but others were unaffected by Addie's choice.  It was interesting to see how much influence Addie's choices did or didn't have on the future.  I'm not convinced that there will necessarily be a sequel to this book.  If there were, though, I would definitely make a point of reading it.

Rating: 4/5
Completed: February 18, 2013

Code Name Verity (Elizabeth Wein)

****

         Verity is living every spy's worst nightmare.  She's been captured by the Nazis in France before completing her mission, and is now facing torture and a terrible death at their hands.  But first, she has struck up a bargain to give away any information she knows in exchange for a little more time.  Not that she claims to know very much.  Meanwhile, greater forces are in action.  There is a war on, and there are plans that must be fulfilled with or without Verity's help.  Friends are trying to find a way to save the mission that she failed to complete, and possibly a way to save Verity herself.

         This was a really powerful book.  It got a fair amount of hype in the book world, which I would say it deserves.  After reading the first fifty pages or so, I was thoroughly invested in the characters.  Maddie and Verity were well-developed both in Verity's prison confession and the rest of Wein's story.  The book was divided up in a way that added to the excitement and made me feel even more affection and pride for the characters (but I can't properly explain that without ruining the story).  I was on the edge of my seat hoping that things would work out well for the two best friends, even though it was pretty clear that wasn't going to happen.  The ending did turn out to be very sad, but it still managed to be satisfying in its own way.  This is by no means a light read, but it is  definitely worth picking up.

Rating: 4/5
Completed: February 15, 2013

Vortex (Julie Cross)

****

Sequel to Tempest.  

         Now that Jackson Meyer (sort of) understands the dangers of time travel, he is ready to do whatever it takes to protect the world - and his ex-girlfriend, Holly - from getting caught in the crossfire.  He joins Tempest, an offshoot of the CIA that fights a mysterious group of evil time travelers.  The trouble is that the other Tempest agents don't know that Jackson is a time traveler himself.  Meanwhile, Tempest is being attacked by Eyewall, an opposing branch of the CIA with possible connections to the other time travelers.  After a run-in with Holly on a Tempest mission, Jackson realizes that Holly is being sucked back into his life all over again.

         I enjoyed this book quite a lot, but it wasn't as easy of a read as Tempest was.  When I read Tempest, I had a pretty good grip on Jackson's jumps.  The time traveling gets seriously confusing in Vortex.  It definitely doesn't help that none of the characters understand it, either.  On the other hand, it was a really cool action story.  Jackson makes a pretty good agent, and I enjoyed his interactions with the other agents in his team.  Jenni Stewart returns from Tempest, although of course she doesn't know Jackson in this time zone.  She and Jackson get along really badly at first, but by the end they've reached an understanding and have become friends.  I also loved Lily Kendrick, Jackson's new partner at work.  She seems to be softer than most of the agents at first, but once Jackson gets to know her, it turns out she can be pretty feisty and tough.  Despite the fact that Vortex was pretty confusing, the plot and characters were good enough that I'll be on the lookout for the next book in this series.

Rating: 4/5
Completed: January 21, 2013

The Crown of Embers (Rae Carson)

****

Sequel to The Girl of Fire and Thorns - spoiler alert!

         Elisa is now the hero of Joya d'Arena, but that doesn't mean that her life is any easier.  She has to deal with the discontent of her people, threats to her life, and grief for the loss of two people she loved.  On top of that, her advisors are distracting her from the threat of the Inviernos by trying to force her to marry.  Under the guise of visiting a suitor, Elisa goes to the south to find magic so she can defeat the Inviernos and fulfill her destiny as bearer of the Godstone.

         This book was SO GOOD - holistically, I'd say 4.5 stars.  Like The Girl of Fire and Thorns, it sped by.  One minute I was only a few chapters in, and then all of a sudden I had less than a hundred pages left.  Rae Carson kept me in suspense the whole time, too.  I did notice that in both of these books, it was obvious who Elisa would end up with from the second they started talking.  That being said, it didn't actually bother me at all.  Instead, I got the sort of smug feeling you get when two friends get together and you've known all along that they would.  The Crown of Embers was full of action and excitement.  If you read The Girl of Fire and Thorns and liked it, you will not be disappointed by this book.

Rating: 4/5
Completed: January 20, 2013

Sorry I've neglected the blog for so long!  I've still been reading (there are a few more reviews on the way), but I've been too busy with school to post anything.  The sequel to Tempest is up next.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Rae Carson)

****

         On her sixteenth birthday, Elisa is married to Alejandro, king of a neighboring country, to seal the deal on a treaty.  This would be difficult enough without the fact that she bears the Godstone, a sign that she will perform a service for God, and is targeted by enemies everywhere.  Elisa may be one of God's chosen, but she doesn't seem fit to take on any kind of divine task.  She is an overweight, coddled princess without any of the power or commanding air of her older sister.  Once she arrives in Joya d'Arena, Elisa is faced with even more danger and mystery than she had faced at home.  She knows why she must keep her Godstone a secret, but doesn't understand why Alejandro wants to keep their marriage under wraps as well.  Worse still, Elisa is being hunted down by unknown forces who will go to any lengths to get her Godstone.

         This was a really good book, the kind that you don't want to stop reading.  It was a nice change of pace to read about a heroine who really isn't all that heroic to start out with.  Elisa doesn't slip into her role as the leader of an underground resistance group easily - she's too busy trying to walk fast enough to stay with the group and keep the pangs of hunger at bay for that.  I enjoyed seeing her go from a pampered princess to a hardened warrior.  It was a fairly smooth, believable shift: Elisa wasn't so tough by the end of the book that she was unrecognizable.  Instead, it felt like she had just grown up.  Plus, the story kept me hooked the whole time.  There weren't any parts that were slow or boring.  If you're looking for a book that you can't put down, give this one a go.

Rating: 4/5
Completed: January 10, 2013

Finals are over!  I survived!
Hopefully this weekend I will have plenty of time to get reading.  I've already got three books lined up. It's a relief to have a few days completely to myself . . . except studying for the SAT.  Whoops.
What about you?  Are you working hard this weekend or getting a little time off?

I Capture the Castle (Dodie Smith)

****

         Seventeen-year-old Cassandra Mortmain lives with her family in a run-down castle in the English countryside.  Her father was once a famous writer, but he hasn't published anything in years and spends the majority of his time reading detective novels.  Cassandra, a bit of a writer herself, decides to "capture the castle" and all of the people in it to develop her writing skills.  Her notebooks tell the story of life at the castle and the turn of events that makes everything infinitely more exciting.

         This was a great book!  It was a little slow at first, but before long I was picking it up to read any chance I got.  Cassandra is a charming narrator who does a good job of describing the castle and the eccentric people who live in it.  The characters are interesting and well-developed, although some (like Topaz, Cassandra's stepmother) are quite shallow.  This wasn't an action novel by any means, but the story was funny and there were some unexpected twists.  If you don't mind older books (think 1940s), you should definitely give this one a go.  

Rating: 4/5

Completed: December 21, 2012

My Name Is Asher Lev (Chaim Potok)

****

         Hasidic Jew Asher Lev comes from a long line of very important religious people.  From his father, who establishes yeshivas (schools) in Europe, all the way back to his great-grandfather, Asher's family members have put religion before self.  But Asher Lev is different.  He is a Jew, but he is also an artist.  In such a strict religious community, Asher's attempts to capture an emotion can easily be interpreted as blasphemy.  Asher wants to embrace both aspects of his identity, but his family cannot do this.  He is forced to choose which side of his identity is most important to him.

         This was one of the best books I've ever read in school, and a great book in its own right.  There were so many likable characters.  No surprise here, but I've found that the more you like the characters, the more you like the book.  Asher is a really good person in a tough situation.  He loves his family and wants to be a devoted Jew, but also loves art and needs it to express himself.  Hard as he tries, Asher's father, Aryeh, can't understand his son.  From the outside, Asher and Aryeh would both seem terribly stubborn.  As the book goes on, however, you realize that neither one is at fault for their tense relationship.  They are both trying to do what they believe they're called to do, and their paths just don't line up.  Asher's mother, Rivkeh, desperately wants to bring the two together.  She sacrifices everything for her husband and son so they both can do the things that are important to them. Despite this, she can't force them to reconcile.  Amid this family tension, Asher struggles to find balance between his Jewish beliefs and artistic expression.  On one hand, My Name is Asher Lev is a great "literary" book and makes for some serious discussion.  But it's also a really enjoyable story without the analysis.  No matter what you're looking for, I'd recommend reading this book.

Rating: 4/5
Completed: November 21, 2012

Days of Blood and Starlight (Laini Taylor)

****

Sequel to Daughter of Smoke and Bone (!).  Serious spoilers, so watch out . . . 

         Karou is not just art student and tooth snatcher Karou anymore.  She's also Madrigal, a chimaera who was executed for loving the enemy.  A chimaera who has been betrayed by the very same angel she died for.  Karou has left Akiva and left this world entirely.  Most of her people are dead, but she has gone back to her homeland in search of those who are left.  Karou is determined to avenge the dead, and she will do anything necessary to make it happen.  Even if it means allying herself with the very monster who sentenced her to death.

         I loved this book!  It wasn't quite as good as the first one, but it seems as though very few second books are.  I found it pretty frustrating that Karou gave up on herself after realizing that most of the chimaera - including Brimstone - had been killed because of her.  She lost a lot of her identity and personality for a while.  It took a lot of time for her to realize that she wasn't the complete villain the chimaera were making her out to be.  I was so happy that Zuzana and Mik had a bigger role in the book.  Those guys are the best!  With their help, Karou made a good comeback in the end.  On the whole, I'd say this was another success for Laini Taylor, and I can't wait to read the next book.

Rating: 4/5
Completed: November 21, 2012

Merry (day after) Christmas, if you celebrate it!  It's hard to believe there are only five days left in this year . . . it's not looking too good for the book goal, huh?  I guess I'll just have to post the rest of my reviews this week and start fresh next year!