Bad Girls Don’t Die by Katie Alender

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender

(#2 From Bad to Cursed, #3 As Dead as it Gets due out 5/15/2012)

YA Thriller/ghost story

Rating: 3.5/5

Spoiler Alert: No


 
Official summary from series' website: "When Alexis's little sister Kasey becomes obsessed with an antique doll, Alexis thinks nothing of it. Kasey is a weird kid. Period. Alexis is considered weird, too, by the kids in her high school, by her parents, even by her own Goth friends. Things get weirder, though, when the old house they live in starts changing. Doors open and close by themselves; water boils on the unlit stove; and an unplugged air conditioner turns the house cold enough to see their breath in. Kasey is changing, too. Her blue eyes go green and she speaks in old-fashioned language, then forgets chunks of time.

"Most disturbing of all is the dangerous new chip on Kasey's shoulder. The formerly gentle, doll-loving child is gone, and the new Kasey is angry. Alexis is the only one who can stop her sister — but what if that green-eyed girl isn't even Kasey anymore?"

Ha! Finally, one of the books that I marked as I read! Here we go.

I love scary things. It's fun every once in a while to jump and scream. The summary on the book and the cover made me think that I might get a little bit of the heebie-jeepies from this book. But it's so hard to find a book (especially YA) that will really scare me (I'm still on the search. If you know of any, put it in the comments). Bad Girls Don't Die didn't scare me – not even a chill—but it was well-written and told. I think some of the issues for me was that the story and the "haunting's" were a bit cliché.

High school-y enough without being overdone This, I especially appreciated. It's so easy for a YA book with a high school setting to be to cliquey and cliché and horrible. But Alender steered clear of that, and it was nice

Good dialogue fast, witty, natural and smooth. Loved the bantering between Carter and Alexis, it gave us entertainment and told us more about who they were.

Nice metaphors "The oak tree in the front yard adds to the effect. It's enormous and gnarled; it hangs over the house like an overprotective boyfriend."

Good characterizations I kept reading Kasey (the 13-year-old little sister) and saying, "Oh. My.Gosh. I sincerely hope I wasn't like that when I was 13". Great job reminding the reader how at that age, everything is life or death. Alender gives the MC, Alexis, a great spunky personality that entertained me on every page

Humor up the wazoo

This book isn't a literary masterpiece, it doesn't have a profound theme; it's strictly for entertainment value. I found myself getting further and further along in the story with little to no effort on my part, the story moved itself along, until I finally realized I was turning the last page. Katie moves the story along really well with her humor, metaphors, and clever dialogue, not once did I ever get bored reading this.

Then I got to the end of the book (page 259, to be precise) and got a little peeved at her. Where the heck did this come from? The revelation that she gives the reader feels so far out of the blue, it's unbelievable. If there had been some foreshadowing earlier in the book, this part would have been easier to swallow. As it is, it feels a little like Deux e Machina (or whatever that is). The ending was sweet…a little too sweet…but I got over it. Anyway, the goal was met, I want to read the second one.

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Dulstlands trilogy (Rebel Hearts is the second installment, but I couldn't find any more information on it)

YA Dystopian

Rating: 4.5/5

Spoiler Alert: Only a little

I loved this book. But I grew to love it. It's one of those books that I started to read and didn't like, then enjoyed it immensely. It's a story that sits with you well after you've finished reading it, and still calls you back to think about it. I had seen it around everywhere. I passed over taking it as an ARC, even though it piqued a slight interest in me. I finally purchased it at one of Border's closing sales. It was the last copy on the cluttered shelves. 


It was meant to be.

Here's the official summary from the official S&S page: "Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's find by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives bearing four cloaked horsemen, Saba's world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on a quest to get him back. 


"Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she's a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And shehas the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization.


"Blood Red Road has a searing pace, a poetically minimal writing style, violent action, and an epic love story."


Stumblers What the heck are the first three pages? An intro? A prologue? Looking back, I understand it; and it's perfect. But starting off, it was a bit disjointing. 


Accents in the author's spelling *groan*


What?! No quotes for dialogue?! I have to admit, that when I first started and realize these two things, that was a showstopper. I put the book down for about a week and reconsidered even reading it. I mean, I didn't want to invest the brain power trying to figure out what the characters were saying through their accent, who was saying what when, and the lack of punctuation was jolting. But, after a week, I decided to give it another shot. Just one more page, I'd say. Then I got to the end of the book. 


Good and addictive, but hard to get into because of the formatting. But a REALLY great book. The storyline was well told--and I agree 100%, had "a searing pace, a poetically minimal writing style, violent action, and an epic love story." Saba loves and idolizes her twin brother, Lugh, and despises her little sister Emmi. I cringed a lot at some of the things Saba said and did to Emmi. Saba goes after her brother and Emmi follows. Emmi never does what she says. It's great. 


The thing I truly enjoyed about this book was the fact that every character present (Not Lugh, because he was kidnapped) grew and changed in this story. Saba realized there was more to life and family and relationships than the sun rising and setting on her brother, She came to value and love her sister Emmi, and Emmi grew as a person, too. Matured into a smart, independent little lady. Saba let down her guard and let Jack in, and vice-versa. 


I really enjoyed the relationship Young created between Saba and Jack. You knew that they liked each other, but that they were holding back (for various reasons). There were parts where I laughed aloud and cheered and cried and screamed because their path to each other wasn't taking the straight one I wanted. But it was their perfect path to each other (crap, did that sound as cheesy as I thought it did?).


Life happened in this book, the good, the bad, the funny, and the ugly. And I think that's what I appreciated so much about it. There's tragic heartbreak that befalls characters I really cared about. There's selfish decisions that are made that will forever scar someone. But it's okay. Because that's life, and when is life ever perfect, and beautiful, and without tears?


This is definetly a story that I'll read again (and probably soon) and recommend to others. The story is real and true to itself and its characters. I love it when an author and a book do that. 


There's no official BRR or Moira Young website out there (just the S&S and the fb page) and that's sad. In a world like today's, you can't not have those things. BUT! I was able to find that the book was optioned by Scott Free Productions to be made into a movie (decision announced May 13^th, 2011) which makes me all sorts of happy inside. 

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

The Chemical Garden Trilogy (Next book, Fever, is due out February 2012)

YA Distopian

Rating: 2.5/5

Spoiler Alert: Only a little


Another kick-ass cover is out in the world, folks, and it belongs to this book. I mean, how can you look at it and NOT pick it up? But to be honest with you, after reading this book, I kind of wish I hadn't. Maybe just slipped off the book jacket and asked if I could buy that, instead. No margin notes in this one, either, so I'll try to recapture the emotions I had when I wrote down my notes in my notebook. Again, this is from back in August. 

Here's the official summary from the series' website: "By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold a polygamous brides to bear more children.


"When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can't bring herself to hate him as much as she'd like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband's strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate with her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape—before her time runs out?"



Great concept Oh my gosh, what a great concept this book has. The potential for this story to completely ROCK is limitless (good movie, by the way, Limitless)! But alas, the author has failed to find it.



I wanted a little more emotion from the MC Rhine, (while her name was awesome), was flat and bland. Through the entire book, I felt as if her emotions weren't realistic to the situation she was in. She either didn't care enough or cared too much about the wrong thing. She obsessed over finding her twin brother, but I constantly felt like it was an afterthought slipped in by the author to remind us she had a reason to get out of her situation. As if being forced to marry a psycho and being held prisoner by a crazy father-in-law wasn't enough.



Too much back story given-even though it's "dispersed" I know that back story can be important, and I know it's best not to deliver it in dumps. But I felt like the back story delivered in this story was pointless. It didn't add anything to Rhine's story and I only found myself getting bored and skipping ahead to where the flashback ended.



Characters seem a little flat – I'm not emotionally connected—potential to have been deeper I didn't care if Rhine got out of the house, Linden wasn't as bad as she made him out to be. Even I could see that. I didn't care if she lived happily ever after with the servant boy (and yes, there is a love interest there even though the summary didn't mention it at all), and I certainly didn't care if she found her twin brother or not. Does this mean I'm a harsh person? Nah. It means the story didn't deliver what it needed to in the most essential part.



There were some parts that seemed completely out of the blue and a bit awkward Darn it. I wish I would've put down the page numbers for this one. I can't remember what I was referring to, but if you pick up the book, you'll see what I mean.



Good story idea, premise—but I feel she could have gotten a lot deeper That's pretty self-explanatory.



I felt the constant flashbacks of her brother were distracting and forced



I liked the end of the book It was well written and I think, fit the story. Leads up to the sequel, but ties up the current book without the reader feeling cheated.



I enjoyed the tension created by Vaugh The father-in-law is a creepy, perfect villain. I have a soft spot for the bad guys.



Gross/good/realistic descriptions about childbirth and location, but not on other things. All I ask for is consistency! If you're going to give me details on a 16-year-old giving birth (which, I'll be honest with you, I could have done without) and the pretty little gardens, then darn it, give me those kinds of details for the story and character arcs!



Overall, it's not a bad book. Am I going to recommend it to friends, probably lightly. Am I going to go out and buy the second installment? Probably not.

Progress

I've rewarded myself with a bag of M&Ms because of my productivity this weekend. I'm stellar, really, and I need to hang onto that feeling because it fades too quickly.


I purchased Florence + the Machine's new album, Ceremonials, and it was easily one of the best investments of my short life. Friday we went to see our 5-year-old nephew in his school's Christmas Choir Concert and it was the cutest thing ever. I leaned over when the kindergarteners were singing and said to Hubby, "Your window of singlehood freedom is closing. We need to have a cute little kid soon." To which he gave me his classic, what the heck?!?! Why did you just say that and freak me out look. To which I replied as I patted his knee, "Nice try. I'm immune to that look now." In the lobby after the show we spotted Spock, which was exciting.



Saturday I headed off with a friend to watch the last Bronco home game in freezing weather. And we kicked some major New Mexico trash. Hubby was very jealous.

I came home and watched, for the first time, Gone With the Wind. Oh, so many memorable lines in that five-hour time span. Two of my favorites:


"No, I don't think I will kiss you, although you need kissing, badly. That's what's wrong with you. You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how." –Rhett Butler . 


And who can forget this one: 


"I've always thought a good lashing with a buggy whip would benefit you immensely." –Rhett Butler. 


But you know what will always resonate with me? The crappy way they ended it!! I was very upset Saturday night. Finally, that stuffy, selfish, spoiled brat realized what really mattered to her and who she really loved, and it walks out the door without a look back. Oh, I hope they ended up together in the end. Even though I like tragedy and drama, I'll always be a sucker for a happy ending where true love always finds a way through any heartache.


I've given up on Inheritance for now and have opted for lighter reading of Nevermore. Inheritance was just too…boring….and cumbersome to read right now. I'll have to find a time when I have more time and brainpower to invest into reading a book.


Then, Sunday, I caught up on ALL my missing BR's! Or most of them, at least. That's right, I wrote SEVEN book reports and will be posting them throughout the week. And I took The Machine for a run, and I cleaned the house, and I did the laundry. Man, I LOVE productive days.

Matched by Ally Condie

Matched by Ally Condie

(Crossed, the second in the series, is available now)
YA Distopian

Rating: 4/5

Spoiler Alert: Nope


I've taken to writing down things that catch my interest at the moment in the margins of the books I read and realize that I enjoy doing that; it helps when it comes time to write Book Reports. But Alas, I didn't start doing that until I read Divergent, and it was only because I didn't have my notebook handy, and I have yet to be consistent about this new practice. 


Matched is one of those books I failed to take good notes on. I read it back in August and am just now reviewing it (so sorry, no excuse available that you'd be interested in). I'll have to remember the details of the book while I'm skimming the notes I took in my notebook and writing this BR. Okay, here we go.



The official summary from the series' website: "In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.



Cassia has always trusted their choices. It's hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one…until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion."



You all know I'm a sucker for a good cover, and that's what got me to pick up this book. Between that and my love affair with Lois Lowry's The Giver, I figured I just had to have this book. Then there was the first line, "Now that I've found the way to fly, which direction should I go into the night?" Great stuff, people, and I figured I had to find out what else Condie had in store for me.



Here's what I had in my notes, and I'll try to elaborate on what I meant (back in August):



Well-told story, but not very attached to Cassia. So far, I still know very little about her I think I wrote that about half-way through the book (maybe a little less) and that's not a good thing. I like to be attached to and rooting for the protagonist from the very beginning, but I just felt Cassia was a little flat. A little bland and passé. And that feeling only changed a little towards the end.



I hope this doesn't turn into one of those "Team Ky", "Team Xander" obsessions. I'm so tired of the predictable love triangles As soon as she introduced Xander, and it wasn't even something as obvious as, Hello, reader. This is Ky, the love interest that's going to rock the boat of Cassia's perfect little world. Despite the fact that he's the other face that pops up as her Match. I think I literally groaned out loud.



Well-written and interesting, flew by when reading it And it did. So very fast. It's an interesting story, and while not entirely original (very strong similarities to The Giver) it's a new interpretation (but not a new spin), and entertaining.



I enjoyed the "love triangle" between Cassia, Xander, and Ky. I especially loved the integrity of Xander Okay, so my "jump the gun" groan about the "predictable" love triangle I mentioned earlier was for not. While it was a love triangle, and I put that in quotes earlier because it's a loose title, it wasn't cliché or typical. Neither of the relationships was the ohmygoshIjustsawyouandnowIloveyouwithallmyheartandwilldieforyou that are so prevalent in what seems to be ALL young adult books now-a-days. Xander and Cassia's relationship had always been there—best friends—and Cassia and Ky's relationship was fresh and new and unexplored. We got to see it develop and grow (somewhat realistically) as they did. Well done.


There wasn't a lot of high-stakes action going on, but I didn't really miss that at all It's not an action story, and while many books have the fights, drama, etc to fill that void, Matched dealt a lot with moral decisions ad dilemmas that had severe consequences. Which, while they were adequate, I would have enjoyed higher elements at stake.



Good book, good ending—would recommend it and looking forward to Crossed Which has already come out and you can purchase here. I need to get on that and read it. The cover looks good on that one, too, not sure about Cassia's outfit, but given how Matched ends, I guess it's appropriate.

Freebee Friday!

So I have a couple of Freebees to share with you today. Yay!!

The first is a really cool webisode series I discovered on Hulu (through SYTYCD Season 8) called The LXD (Legion of Extraordinary Dancers). And if you LOVE dance like I do, check it out. These people have massive amounts of talent and skill and the story lines are pretty entertaining, too. Each episode is only about eight and a half minutes long and there are three seasons up.

Seriously guys, I cannot express the amount of talent these dancers possess.

The second is one of my favorite songs from Florence + the Machine's new album, Ceremonials. Once again, she's put out a fierce album. Great, great, great.

I'm working on a slew of posts for December so that I can actually contribute to the online world of information. Bottom line, you all will be hearing a lot more from me in December than you did in November.

Happy Friday, my friends, after a week like this one, we all deserve it.

--Me