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: The Giver by Lois Lowry

“The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It’s the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.”

Jonas’s world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

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This is a type of book that really makes you sit down and think. I really enjoyed it! To be honest, I started to read it and wanted to get it done because the movie will be coming out soon, but it’s always been on my “reading bucket list.” It’s a super quick read and reminds me of a lot of other dystopians. I did not get the feeling that this was a book written awhile ago. Overall, I enjoyed the read, the characters, and the story. I would recommend this book to those who love dystopians.

TBT Review: College Weekend by R.L. Stine

I’m starting a series in which I post a review that was written a while ago, or I will review a book I read a while ago. The first one in the series is College Weekend by R.L. Stine.

READ IN 2008.

Nothing can ruin Tina River’s big weekend at Patterson College with her boyfriend, Josh Martin. She’s so excited, she doesn’t even mind that her cousin, Holly, will be tagging along.

But when Tina and Holly arrive, Josh is gone. His roommate, Christopher Roberts, says Josh is stuck in the mountains, delayed by car trouble. That’s weird— Josh never mentioned he was going away.

It gets even weirder when Holly suddenly disappears. But Christopher isn’t worried— about Holly or Josh. Christopher seems to have the answer to everything. Tina is confused. But one thing is clear— she’s about to learn more about love and murder than she ever wanted to know.

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This is the typical cheesy R.L. Stine book, but this book will always have a special place in my heart. Normally, I would not like a character like Tina because she has a very cry-baby attitude but I just love this book. I love the character of Christopher even though I probably shouldn’t. I love the plot, I love the setting, I just love everything about this book even though people might judge me because of that. For being only 147 pages, this book does what some books don’t, in that it gives you relatable characters and a story that can be loved by readers. I would recommend this to anyone because it is enjoyable and a quick read.

Welcome to Love Read Love!

Those that have been following this blog for a while probably have noticed that we have switched from Fille Qui Lit to Love Read Love. Those that are new to following Love Read Love, welcome!

Nothing has changed in the move from Fille Qui Lit to Love Read Love, except for a few design changes and the name! The review process and posting will be the same. Thank you for being patient while I change everything over to Love Read Love. As always, my social media links are provided on the link page. If you are currently following any of those, you will just see the new Love Read Love name! I just wanted to let you know what was happening, and thank you for following!

What are you reading this week?

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.

Guest Review- Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined by Stephenie Meyer

*This is a guest review written by the awesome Kelsey of Darcy’s Book Blog.*

“Try not to get caught up in antiquated gender roles.”

Celebrate the tenth anniversary of Twilight! This special double-feature book includes the classic novel, Twilight, and a bold and surprising reimagining, Life and Death, by Stephenie Meyer.

Packaged as an oversize, jacketed hardcover “flip book,” this edition features nearly 400 pages of new content as well as exquisite new back cover art. Readers will relish experiencing the deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful love story of Bella and Edward through fresh eyes.

Twilight has enraptured millions of readers since its first publication in 2005 and has become a modern classic, redefining genres within young adult literature and inspiring a phenomenon that has had readers yearning for more. The novel was a #1 New York Times bestseller, a #1USA Today bestseller, a Time magazine Best Young Adult Book of All Time, an NPR Best-Ever Teen Novel, and a New York Times Editor’s Choice. The Twilight Saga, which also includes New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella, and The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide, has sold nearly 155 million copies worldwide.

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2 stars

It’s hard to believe that it has been 10 years since Twilight first released, and a glittery Edward was released upon the world! In honor of it’s anniversary, Stephanie Meyer’s gave us a gender swapped story, which was an interesting choice to make.

Confession time: I was a twihard back in the day. I was caught up in the Team Edward/Team Jacob argument (Team Edward!), and went to a book signing for Eclipse. Even at the time, I recognized that the writing was terrible, and there were disturbing aspects to the story. Not to mention that Bella was a weak heroine. There was still something about the story that drew me in.

The plot line for Life and Death is pretty much the same as Twilight, with a few changes made to some of the lines to fit to the swap. Instead of Edward, we have Edythe (which, why Edythe instead of Edith?) Instead of Bella, we have Beau (or Beaufort). Then there are the rest of the Cullens–Carine (Carlisle), Earnest (Esme), Royal (Rosalie), Jessamine (Jasper), Eleanor (Emmett), and Archie (Alice). I don’t understand the reasoning behind changing the gender of all the Cullen clan. Why not leave them the same? Or maybe just gender swap Alice and Jasper. Why Rosalie and Emmett? I don’t get that. Not to mention all the other characters that were gender swapped, for what I feel, no reason at all. Why did Eric have to become Erica? There just seemed no point behind the choices. The choices of names really bugged me, I will admit.

I did not have high expectations going in, so I was not disappointed. I thought it was a pretty fun way to celebrate it’s tenth anniversary, but the writing is still not terrible. This book was basically an edit of the original book, with edits made to fit the gender swap (and a different ending for Beau!)

Can this please have this be the end of Twilight? Please? No more sparkly vampires. Just no.

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Big thanks to Kelsey again for writing up a guest review! Go check out her blog! Follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to see even more of her awesomeness.

Review: Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

“I was not a lovable child, and I’d grown into a deeply unlovable adult. Draw a picture of my soul, and it’d be a scribble with fangs.”

Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice” of Kinnakee, Kansas.” She survived—and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, the Kill Club—a secret secret society obsessed with notorious crimes—locates Libby and pumps her for details. They hope to discover proof that may free Ben. Libby hopes to turn a profit off her tragic history: She’ll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings to the club—for a fee. As Libby’s search takes her from shabby Missouri strip clubs to abandoned Oklahoma tourist towns, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started—on the run from a killer.

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Gillian, Gillian, Gillian! Her books always have me reading until the late hours. Just like Gone Girl, I could see that this one was going to be GOOD. I found the original premise to be intriguing but it took me a while to get into it. As with Gillian’s other works, it leaves you feeling like you’ve been invited into some deep dark corner of the world to hear a crazy tale, and I kind of love it. I think that Libby was an incredible character, and I also liked the switch in characters and time periods. Some people might be lost in parts of it, but it is all explained at the end. This is a dark read, and should not be read in conjunction with other dark reads. I suggest reading something light and happy after J I really enjoyed this book, and I would love to get some comments after you guys have read it to tell me what you think!

Currently Reading: Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Currently Reading

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Summary:

Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice” of Kinnakee, Kansas.” She survived—and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, the Kill Club—a secret secret society obsessed with notorious crimes—locates Libby and pumps her for details. They hope to discover proof that may free Ben. Libby hopes to turn a profit off her tragic history: She’ll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings to the club—for a fee. As Libby’s search takes her from shabby Missouri strip clubs to abandoned Oklahoma tourist towns, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started—on the run from a killer.

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: Gone Girl

“There’s something disturbing about recalling a warm memory and feeling utterly cold.”

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy’s diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media–as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents–the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter–but is he really a killer?
As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

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Gillian Flynn can write a character like nobody’s business. I was torn on who to believe, who to hate, and who to flat out not even think about all throughout this book. Love it so much! The twists, and turns in this book blew my mind. Each little detail lined up perfectly, I found nothing inconsistent, or strange. I was captivated the whole way through! Would recommend to all!