Book Review: {Peaches}

Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Synopsis: Peaches, a young adult novel written by Jodi Anderson, is a refreshing new story about friendship, relationships, hard work, and loss. Three girls who have nothing in common find themselves stuck together for the summer, working on a peach orchard in the hot Georgia sun. Birdie, whose whole world is turning upside down, finds herself pining for a boy named Enrico almost as much as she pines for girl scout cookies. Leeda, Birdie's cousin, is at the orchard in order to avoid her family and spent more time with her boyfriend, Rex. Murphy is a rebel, sentenced to work in the orchard, who is also enjoying Rex' company. When these girls' worlds collide, interesting antics ensue and the girls learn the true meaning of friendship.

My review: This book was slow to start, but I found that these girls were genuine - they had both virtues and flaws, making them very realistic. They each make mistakes, learning and growing. There's a bit of romance along the way, but the story really focuses on the tests of friendship and the growth of the girls. It's a wonderful book for teens, and a nice, light beach read.

My rating: 3/5

xoxo

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Book Review: Allegiant {The Divergent Trilogy}

Goodreads

Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth

*Spoiler Alert! This is the 3rd book in the trilogy, so there will be spoilers*

Synopsis: Tris Prior, formerly known as Beatrice, has had her life change forever. The society she was raised in consisted of five factions, but now those factions are shattered. They have been destroyed by power struggles and violence between the factionless and those who believe in the factions. She is offered a chance to learn what is outside of her city, to explore the world, Tris is ready. She hopes that beyond the fence, she and her boyfriend Tobias can create a new life together: she hopes that they can live without lies and painful memories.

However, the world beyond the fence is more alarming than the city she left behind. Truths come into light that change the lives of people she loves. Tris has to find a way to comprehend human nature, and herself, in this new world that is forcing Tris to make impossible choices about life, love, and allegiance. 

My Review: I honestly don't even know where to begin. This book has left me a little bit numb, although I was not entirely shocked by the way that it ended. I just wish it ended differently, but then it would not have been true to the character involved. Anywho, I really liked the way the book started, with the people who believe in the factions forming a group called the Allegiant who are suppose to go figure out the purpose of their city in the grand scheme of things. But once we got out into the world, there was a ton of other issues and everything got muddled together. Too many ideas for one book, in my opinion. 

The book also switched back and forth between Tris' and Tobias' perspectives, and I feel that it would have been more powerful just to use Tris' perspective until the end. A bunch of people were extremely upset about the ending, as was I, but I think that it makes perfect sense. The end fit with everything the character had done up to that point. It is heartbreaking, yes, and I won't lie: I bawled like a baby. But I can understand the character's motivation, and I believe that she would sacrifice herself in order to save others. 

Overall, I liked the idea of the city, was not fond of the outside world, and was devastated but understood the ending. 

My rating: 3.5/5

xoxo

Book Review: The Carrie Diaries

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Synopsis: Most people (in the U.S., at least) have heard of Sex and the City... And so, Carrie Bradshaw. This book tells Carrie's story before she moved to New York City to become THE Carrie Bradshaw. The book starts in Carrie's senior year in a small Connecticut town: Carrie and her friends are inseparable, at least, until Sebastian Kydd moves to town. He's older, a bad-boy, and intrigues Carrie right from the start. Their relationship is great, the one she has always wanted - but then a friend's betrayal has her questioning everything. Amid all of this, high school is coming to a close and it is time for Carrie to go after everything that she has always dreamt of.

My review: I was really young when Sex and the City first came out, so I haven't seen more than a few episodes, but when I knew that The Carrie Diaries was coming to the CW, I bought this book. I wasn't sure if I would like it or not. It wasn't my favorite, but it was certainly a cute and even realistic coming-of-age story. I can see this matching the story of many young girls (as far as what happens to her in her high school). The internship in New York was a bit far-fetched to me, but perhaps that is because I live in California and nobody I knew received an internship in San Francisco until college. But as far as her friends, school, boyfriend issues, etc. goes, the book felt very real. It was a light read and it was open-ended; I want to read the sequel soon because I want to learn how Carrie develops into a young woman in NYC.

My rating: 3/5

xoxo 



Book Recommendations: Divergent

Picture from Goodreads, Buy here: Divergent

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior's world consists of a society divided. There are five factions: her own, Abnegation (the selfless), Candor (the honest), Amity (the peaceful), Erudite (the intelligent) and Dauntless (the brave).  Now that Beatrice is sixteen, she and other teens her age must make a choice: to stay with the faction that raised them or to transfer factions. The choice cannot be undone, once it is made, Beatrice will have to spend the rest of her life devoted to one faction. For her, the choice is difficult: she wants to stay with her family, but she needs to be true to herself. Her choice will surprise everyone, including herself. 

After making her choice, Beatrice must go through a competitive initiation to prove she belongs in her faction of choice. After taking on the nickname of Tris, she and the other initiates must undergo very intense and difficult physical and psychological tests. Initiation is transforming them all, and Tris must figure out who she can trust in her new faction, including a romance with an intriguing yet infuriating boy. 

On top of all of this, Tris has a secret: one that could mean her death if anyone were to find out. But her secret may just be the key to saving her family and friends. 

Will it save them? Or destroy her?

My Review: I found this book as a post-Hunger-Games-Hangover-cure, and boy, am I happy that I did. The book started off a little bit slow, but hey, it was a 500-page book, so that is almost expected. It really turned around in the second half and there was a ton of action. Tris was not your average dystopian protagonist, (well, not entirely, she is a small, pretty girl, buuuut) she is also selfish, guarded, protective, and vindictive. Like, really vindictive! At one point in the book, she refuses to forgive someone who asks for forgiveness. That doesn't exactly show that she came from a faction of selfless people, now does it? But she also has her moments of selflessness, despite all of her selfishness. I like that she is multi-dimensional. She contradicts herself constantly. And for a sixteen-year-old in a world where you are forced to leave your family and pick a faction based on a character trait, I think that makes a lot of sense. The love-story is a little bit gag-worthy; I mean, they fall for each other really quickly and are really devoted, which did not seem realistic to me at all. But I do like them together, I think that they balance each other out well. And then in the second half, when the action truly gets started, I really couldn't put the book down. I finished the second half in one sitting. It was great.

My rating: 4/5

I'm currently re-reading Insurgent, the second book in the trilogy, and I cannot wait for Allegiant to come out on October 22nd!

xoxo

Book & Movie Review - The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

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The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Synopsis: Fifteen-year-old Clary Fray goes out to Pandemonium club and witnesses a murder. It's a little hard to report the crime, though, when the body disappears into thin air and no one can see the three tattooed, teenage murderers. No one but Clary, that is. This was her first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors committed to ridding the Earth of demons. One of the Shadowhunters from the club is named Jace, who looks like an angel but is a total smart-ass. In less than 24 hours, her mother and Clary are attacked by a demon, and Clary is pulled entirely into the Shadowhunter world. There are mysteries surrounding Clary: What would a demon want with mundanes like Clary and her mother? Why does Clary all-of-a-sudden have the Sight?

The Shadowhunters want to know.

My Review: This book was great. I knew that I wanted to see the movie, so I had to finish the book before watching it. I really felt like I understood Clary, her emotions, etc. and I felt like I could relate to her easily. Jace came off as an ass but there is good reasoning for it, and I really love him as a character. The other Shadowhunters were a little rough around the edges, but when you go around slaying demons all day, it is to be expected. The story was really gripping, it drew me in, and I want to know more. I'm glad that this is a series because I don't think that I would be satisfied with just one book! 

My rating: 4/5

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones movie

My review: I truly enjoyed this movie. Sure, it didn't match up with the book in several parts, but for the most part, the movie stayed true to the book. Some of the lines were an exact match, which I always love hearing! Casting was great, although a bit too old, considering they were all suppose to be teenagers. Not one of the "teens" looked like they were under age 20. 

But anywho, the story progresses much more quickly in the movie, so if you haven't read the book, I can see that it would be difficult to understand what was going on. I took my mom out with me, and she was really confused at certain points. My main problem was that they gave away a major plot twist right before the actual plot twist! It was very discreet, apparently, because while I knew it was coming and was looking out for it, my mom missed them giving it away entirely. So at least there's that.
Overall, it could have been handled with a bit more care and explanation for those who have not read the books, and I hope they do a little better with City of Ashes, which I'm currently reading.
My rating: 3/5 
Would recommend, but read the book first!

xoxo

Book Review: The Forest of Hands and Teeth

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The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Synopsis: The story begins many years after the zombie apocalypse; we meet a young girl named Mary, who lives in a small village. There, she has a few simple truths: The Sisterhood is not to be questioned; they know what is best. The guardians are there to protect the village. And the unconsecrated will always be there, lurking just outside the gates surrounding the town. Always searching for their next victim. But then all of Mary's truths are failing: she finds herself questioning the Sisterhood, which has more secrets than it should. Then the fence is breached, and Mary's entire world changes. She and her lifelong friends must enter the Forest of Hands and Teeth that has always been home to the unconsecrated. Could there be other life in a place with so much death?

My review: I really wanted to like this book, I really did. But I couldn't. I couldn't connect with the main character at all, which was my main problem. She was willing to throw aside family, her friends, her village, the love of her life... to see the ocean. To see if the stories her mom told her about the olden days (read: our present) before the "unconsecrated" were true or not, and she was willing to throw everything away to have a glimpse at a body of water. Unfathomable.
I felt as though this book was split into two parts: the first part was great. The part in which Mary lives in the village, where she falls in love with Travis, and loses her mother to the unconsecrated outside of the village gates. Travis's brother, Harry, intends to marry Mary, but after her mother turns into a zombie, he turns his back on her. She is forced to join the Sisterhood, a very religious group of women that controls the lives of all of the people living in the village.
In the second part, which I greatly disliked: Mary, Travis, Harry, and her friend Cass all head into the Forest of Hands and Teeth, trying to find a way to the ocean. This half was suppose to be more action-packed, but I found the first half of the book far more interesting. In the second half, Mary seems to forget about the Sisterhood's secrets that haunted her throughout the first half. I would have much rather heard about what happened with the Sisterhood than hear that Mary killed a bunch of random zombies.

My rating: 2/5, Only because the first half of the book was so interesting!

xoxo,

Caryn Elizabeth