Review: Dreamfall by Amy Plum

“When working with an unknown situation, you have to identify known factors and work within their boundaries.”

Cata Cordova suffers from such debilitating insomnia that she agreed to take part in an experimental new procedure. She thought things couldn’t get any worse…but she was terribly wrong.

Soon after the experiment begins, there’s a malfunction with the lab equipment, and Cata and six other teen patients are plunged into a shared dream world with no memory of how they got there. Even worse, they come to the chilling realization that they are trapped in a place where their worst nightmares have come to life. Hunted by creatures from their darkest imaginations and tormented by secrets they’d rather keep buried, Cata and the others will be forced to band together to face their biggest fears. And if they can’t find a way to defeat their dreams, they will never wake up.

So… I hard a real hard time with this book. I have had it on my TBR list for a long, long time, and I am just now getting around to reading it. I have a lot of issues with this book. First, if you are interested in reading a book in which you NEVER get emotionally invested with any of the characters (aside from the poor tiger RIP), then this is the book for you. A good portion of the time it felt as though the author was purposefully writing all of the characters to be unlikeable, which is sometimes the end goal but I don’t think that was the case with this book. I think she was trying very hard to through readers off of the end twist by making all the characters unlikeable and not pointing out one specific character, but it did not work for me. I’m not going to go into detail about each of the characters because it would be repetitive (sort of like the book!). But I do have to say Remi was purposefully made to be EXTREMELY unlikeable, and I am not here for it.

So, now the story! I felt pretty bored with most of the story, to be honest with you. When I first read the synopsis, I was super excited for this story. I felt like it might have been better if they were purposefully stuck in the dream fall but what can you do. I felt like a lot of the dreams were repetitive, and I almost skipped through some of the book to get to the point. I did enjoy the parts “outside” of the dream fall, with Jamie as our narrator.

Ok so I was going to originally give this book 2 stars, but I felt that was a little harsh so I am changing it mid-review to 3 stars. I do like the twist at the end. I also liked the backstories for some of the characters. I did not appreciate the cliffhanger at first, but now that I know it has a second book, I liked that too. I will probably read book #2 to see what happens.

Review: Violent Ends by Shaun David Hutchinson

“He was part of our family, and we weren’t wrong for loving him.”

In a one-of-a-kind collaboration, seventeen of the most recognizable YA writers—including Shaun David Hutchinson, Neal and Brendan Shusterman, and Beth Revis—come together to share the viewpoints of a group of students affected by a school shooting.

It took only twenty-two minutes for Kirby Matheson to exit his car, march onto the school grounds, enter the gymnasium, and open fire, killing six and injuring five others.

But this isn’t a story about the shooting itself. This isn’t about recounting that one unforgettable day.

This is about one boy—who had friends, enjoyed reading, playing saxophone in the band, and had never been in trouble before—became a monster capable of entering his school with a loaded gun and firing bullets at his classmates.

Each chapter is told from a different victim’s viewpoint, giving insight into who Kirby was and who he’d become. Some are sweet, some are dark; some are seemingly unrelated, about fights or first kisses or late-night parties. This is a book told from multiple perspectives—with one character and one event drawing them all together—by some of YA’s most recognizable names.

 

What I really liked the most about this book was the chance I got to read some writings by author’s I’ve never read before. I really liked the storyline, and I thought it was a fantastic idea to have a different author write from each of the different perspectives. I found that I really enjoyed some of the different stories and that I was ok with some of them. None of the stories throughout this book are horrible. Some I would actually like to read more of. It makes you really think about the effect just one person may have on a number of different people in their life. Each author really makes you connect with the character they are sharing. I would have loved to have seen a story from Kirby’s POV, that would have added a little bit more for me. But I do get the reasoning behind not including his POV and letting us know him through those that knew him, but I do feel as though we don’t get the whole picture without his input and thoughts. I would say this book was not as impactful as some I’ve read on the same topic, but it was a great read and had some impactful moments.

 

Review: Otherworld by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller

“You really love her, don’t you?”
Love is too small a word for what I feel. How do I explain that before Kat, nothing was real?…
“Yes,” I tell Busara. “I love her. Kat’s my whole world.”

The company says Otherworld is amazing — like nothing you’ve ever seen before. They say it’s addictive — that you’ll want to stay forever. They promise Otherworld will make all your dreams come true.

Simon thought Otherworld was a game. Turns out he knew nothing. Otherworld is the next phase of reality. It’s everything you’ve ever wanted.

And it’s about to change humanity forever.

Welcome to the Otherworld. No one could have seen it coming.

The first quarter of this book is pretty dry. But the rest (and especially the parts where Simon is in Otherworld) is pretty darn good. I found that it was almost like I had a VR set on when I was reading parts. Segel and Miller do a great job of creating a world for their readers to really be in. I really did not like Simon’s personality at first, I thought the authors were trying too hard with him in the beginning and I didn’t connect with him. This caused me to not be interested in his overall mission throughout a good portion of the book. They did redeem him towards the end, but I had a hard time getting over my first impression of him. It was a quick read and there was points where I truly did not want to put it down. I think teen boys will eat this novel up and I will read the second one in Fall 2018.

Review: What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

“If you pretend something hard enough, could it become real?”

Arthur is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it.
Ben thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things.
But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them?
Maybe nothing. After all, they get separated.
Maybe everything. After all, they get reunited.
But what if they can’t quite nail a first date . . . or a second first date . . . or a third?
What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work . . . and Ben doesn’t try hard enough?
What if life really isn’t like a Broadway play?
But what if it is?

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I so wanted to love this book. I did not love this book. In fact, I feel kind of blasé about this book. Separately, I have loved both Adam and Becky’s books that I’ve read. I don’t know if it was this book in particular or if I just do not care for these two authors to write together. I found this book boring. I found both main characters very annoying (but I’d love to see a book about Dylan!). It took me forever to get through this book because it felt like a chore reading it, but I kept on hoping it would get better. (Spoiler alert: it doesn’t) I felt there was no real substance to this story, and in turn, I felt like both Adam and Becky were trying too hard to make it seem like there was. Ben and Arthur would be in a good place (as much of a good place two strangers who have been dating for 2 seconds can be), and then something random and not at all realistic would cause them to fight. I am still confused at how this story could have fit in a 433-page book. It was just not realistic in the fact that so many of the characters would be fighting over stupid things, and then magically be friends again after nothing. I felt like both authors didn’t truly want any conflict but in order to keep the story going, they needed to add some, and then after they had no clue how to fix it so they just half-heartedly fixed it. Overall, I really wanted to like this book and the characters, but it just didn’t do it for me. Sorry, Adam and Becky.

Review: Breathe My Name by R.A. Nelson

“I need to see you. Please come right away.
We have to finish.”

Frances Robinson is in high school now. She lives a quiet, suburban life, far from her horrifying past. When she was a child, her birthmother smothered her three sisters. Through pure luck, Frances survived. Now her mother has just been released from prison . . . and she wants to see Frances.

A new boy at school called Nix charms Frances. Together, Nix and Frances embark on a clandestine journey to visit Frances’ mother: to confront the monster in its lair. This trip will help Frances at last find peace or die trying? But no matter what, Frances will discover just what it means to finish.

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I picked up this book and knew it was going to be a good one. The story is like none I have ever read before. The original idea of the story is what drew me to want to read this book. A mother who had killed her own children? The one that survived? Intriguing! I love Frances and her parents, the Robinsons. I found myself not wanting to put this book down. I really like the relationship between Frances and Nix. Although Nix did seem a little unrealistic. I really liked the way in which Nelson handled this storyline, and the tragedy it focused on. Overall, this book is definitely one that I’d recommend for anyone to read on a summer day.

TBT Review: Book of Love by Abra Ebner

Every Thursday I will post an older book review or a new review of a book I read a while ago. This week the book is Book of Love by Abra Ebner read and reviewed in 2012.

“We live many lives, Jane, but very rarely do we ever come across the same soul twice.”

When seventeen-year-old Jane Taylor witnessed her father’s death, something happened to her. Ever since, her thoughts have been consumed by death, going so far as to foresee the ever-changing deaths of those around her. Sixteen-year-old Emily Taylor resented her sister’s closeness with their father, who died when she was six. With the strange ability to read minds, she drowns the voices out with drugs, sending Jane over the edge. When seventeen-year-old Wes Green was adopted, he moved in next door to Jane, finding in her a childhood friend turned high-school crush. All summer, the pain in his bones seemed unwarranted. He was done growing long ago. When senior year starts, however, the pain only gets worse. The foreseen changes are not expected, and far too animal for his taste. When Max Gordon found himself standing above the dying body of an innocent seven-year-old girl, he saw in her eyes something he hadn’t seen in the century he’d spent roaming Earth. Her father was already dead, but there was hope to save her. Jane was her name, and already she was all he ever wanted. It was his job to bring her back, and it was his job to protect her – the biggest mistake of his life. When these four teens enter Glenwood High their senior year, no one but Max could understand the future ahead of them. Drawn together by blood and friendship, they each hide a dark secret that will soon bind them together. Max has to protect Jane, Jane wants to be normal, Wes wants Jane to love him, and Emily just wants the voices to stop… But their fate just wants them dead.

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I had a really hard time getting into this book and I was about to put it down but I am so glad I kept reading! The characters are so developed I feel like they are my friends or me myself. I didn’t really like how down and out all of the characters always seemed but I got over that. I loved Wes and Emily’s relationship, and I actually was rooting more for them than for Jane and Max. I did not like Emily and Jane’s mother as a character, I thought she could have been portrayed in a better light than the usual “nothing without a man” character. I would recommend this book to anyone.

Review: All The Rage by Courtney Summers

“You know all the ways you can kill a girl? God, there are so many.”

The sheriff’s son, Kellan Turner, is not the golden boy everyone thinks he is, and Romy Grey knows that for a fact. Because no one wants to believe a girl from the wrong side of town, the truth about him has cost her everything—friends, family, and her community. Branded a liar and bullied relentlessly by a group of kids she used to hang out with, Romy’s only refuge is the diner where she works outside of town. No one knows her name or her past there; she can finally be anonymous. But when a girl with ties to both Romy and Kellan goes missing after a party, and news of him assaulting another girl in a town close by gets out, Romy must decide whether she wants to fight or carry the burden of knowing more girls could get hurt if she doesn’t speak up. Nobody believed her the first time—and they certainly won’t now — but the cost of her silence might be more than she can bear.

With a shocking conclusion and writing that will absolutely knock you out, All the Rage examines the shame and silence inflicted upon young women after an act of sexual violence, forcing us to ask ourselves: In a culture that refuses to protect its young girls, how can they survive?

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THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
I am so glad I heard about this book and got a chance to read it. Courtney Summers really handles the topic in a realistic sense. It’s a breath of fresh air for a young adult book to have flawed characters, and to talk about real issues. I felt frustration, sadness, and just immense emotions while reading this book. Summers writes this story so well that I connected with each character, and they way they were feeling. I connected with Romy, and her pain and her mom’s frustration at not being able to really help her. The one complaint I do have is that nothing really happens to her rapist, Kellan Turner. I know this is reality, and that sometimes nothing happens to the person responsible, but I would like to know if something ever did.
Please be aware this book may trigger, it contains rape and murder.

Review: Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

“There were plenty of ways to hurt someone without using your fists.”

New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.
The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.
There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don’t come back.
Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren’t always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it’s hard for her to forget that people weren’t always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It’s hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.
Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.
That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings—the only boy Ember has ever loved.

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This was a really good book. I found that I honestly wanted the main character to succeed. Ember could get annoying at points, but I have never been in the position she was in, in this novel so I don’t know how I would react. It had the perfect amount of background on the story, without that taking over the whole plot of the book. I can’t seem to tear myself away from the dystopian genre, and that’s ok because I was able to read this great book! I like the relationship Ember has with her mom, and how she doesn’t just stay a static character. She grows! I got some Delirium feelings, but I feel like the bad guys in this book are just straight up bad and don’t care who knows it. Overall, a great read, and I will be finishing the series as soon as I can.

Review: Eleanor and Park

“Holding Eleanor’s hand was like holding a butterfly. Or a heartbeat. Like holding something complete, and completely alive.”

Two misfits.
One extraordinary love.

Eleanor… Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough…Eleanor.

Park… He knows she’ll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There’s a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises…Park.

Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.

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I was really surprised with my reaction to Eleanor and Park. I stayed up all night reading Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl but with this book I just couldn’t get that same feeling. I loved both the main characters, but I felt like I was reading two different story lines in one book. Eleanor’s home life is horrible, but we don’t ever get closure with her family. I felt like I was screaming at the decisions she was making in regards to her school, home, and romantic life with Park. I also noticed that it felt extremely rushed or something in the end. All of Eleanor’s relationships were just ended and I couldn’t understand why she was acting the way she was. Overall, I loved the connection both her and Park felt with each other, but the ending left a bad taste in my mouth. Sorry Rainbow.

Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

“You’re mistaking bitter animosity for heartfelt affection.”

Mara Dyer believes life can’t get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her strangely unharmed.
There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.
She’s wrong.

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Mara Dyer… I’ve heard so much about you, and I’m glad I was finally able to get my hands on this book. For parts of this novel I was very confused, but it all made sense in order to lead into the next book. I would not say that this book is a “thinker” book but it was good just to get lost in the story. I feel like the next books in the series will have more thinking parts. A lot of this book felt like it’s sole purpose was to lead in to the next book. I liked the characters, although the banter between Mara and her mom gets repetitive and exhausting at times. Give this one and chance and let me know what you think.