Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Publisher: Philomel Books
Publication Date: January 1, 2011
Number of Pages: 344
Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction
Source: borrowed from library

Summary {via GoodReads}:
Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her younger brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously--and at great risk--documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart.

She thinks: This book will touch you way down deep in your soul. I constantly found myself holding my breath in anticipation for the next horrific event. It doesn't feel real, and yet it happened. We focus so much on Hitler's reign of terror that we push the atrocities from Stalin to the back. It is incredible to me that less than 100 years ago thousands of people were trying to survive any way they could in the Arctic Circle. My heart broke over and over again each time I discovered a new detail. I, for one, now know that I am not as strong as Lina and her family. I know I couldn't have survived; I won't even entertain the possibility. I would be lost and helpless.

Lina's will to survive and strength are not something she starts out with, and that's one of the things I love about this book. She develops it through hardship. She is true to herself throughout the book and acts like a fifteen year old would based on her circumstances and the situations she encounters. She doesn't hide who she is, even though it gets her into trouble with guards and other adults.

I was scared to pick up this book and read it. The subject matter is heavy to say the least, but I am so glad I did. Now, I'm prepared. Every year, my city takes about a month and a half to conduct a city-wide book club to broaden our horizons. This year, the selection is Between Shades of Gray. I have a feeling this is going to be one of the more popular picks!

If you haven't read this book yet, stop what you're doing and read it now. I listened to the book during a recent road trip. You won't be disappointed, but pick a long trip because you won't want to stop listening!

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Allegiant {book three} by Veronica Roth
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Date: October 22, 2013
Number of Pages: 526
Genre: Young Adult Dystopia
Source: borrowed from local library

Summary {via GoodReads}:
The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered - fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she's known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris's new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature - and of herself - while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

She thinks: WWWWWWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?!?!?!?!?!

{via gemini-dragon-gifs.tumblr.com}

I'm mad at this book. I'm grieving over this book. I just don't understand why this book had to end the way it did. It's just not fair.

That aside, that book is written well, and it is beautiful. I thought the political turn the book took was weird and unexpected. But, I guess you should always expect the unexpected, right?? Meh.

I don't even know what else to say about the book. I guess I'll add that I'm glad Tobias faced some of his fears head on. That is all.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Insurgent {book two} by Veronica Roth
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
Publication Date: May 1, 2012
Number of Pages: 525
Genre:Young Adult Dystopia
Source: borrowed from local library

Summary {via GoodReads}:
Once choice can transform you - or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves - and herself - while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable - and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

She thinks: I was soooooooo excited to get this book on hold finally!! I immediately put Allegiant  on hold at the library too. I did a little happy dance the day they both came in, and I checked them out. The Divergent movie also came in for a hold on the same day. It was absolutely glorious!

{via gurl.com}

My husband and all my coworkers thought I was nuts...but that's the price we pay when we fall in love with books and the worlds they transport us to.

Sadly though, this book was a little disappointing to me. I felt as if Tris came across the same struggle every time - make a decision, don't tell anyone, argue with Tobias about it, etc. on repeat. To me, it was a filler book. It got you from the first book to the third book. I wish more would have happened in Insurgent besides Tris' death wish every time she turned a corner and her constant agonizing about all the death she had recently.

Now, I don't mean to sound callous or cold because she should obviously feel pain and loss after her parents are killed and after she kills Will. That's a whole world of hurt that I don't want to experience at this point in my life so I can only imagine what a sixteen year old might feel. But, come on! Every chapter does not need to have her lamenting her pain about it. We get it. It hurts. She's inconsolable. She should lean on her friends and not be such a martyr about it. If I've learned one thing, talking always helps; don't bottle up your feelings and push people away.

Sigh...silly teenagers...

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent {book one} by Veronica Roth
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: February 28, 2012
Number of Pages: 487
Genre: Young Adult Dystopia
Source: borrowed from local library

Summary {via GoodReads}:
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue - Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is - she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are - and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves...or it might destroy her.

She thinks: OMG! Why did I wait so long to read this book?? Why did I resist it?? I feel like a fool because now I have to wait moooooonnnnnttttthhhhhhsssss to read Insurgent since the library hold list has over 100 people on it. Siiiiigh.

{via blog.chegg.com}

Unless, of course, someone wants to let me borrow their copy!! I'd be okay with that. =]

But, anyway, I loved the book despite the fact that I resisted reading it for nearly two years. It was hard for me to put down. My husband would have to drag me back to reality and inform me that hours had passed since I started and he was bored. That's how good Divergent is. I breezed through; not because it lacked any real plot but because it flowed so easily. That's what I love about a good book. You can visualize it and put yourself in the place of the main character and get sucked in instantly. Be sure you block out your whole weekend if you, like me, haven't read the book yet but plan to. You won't want to go anywhere!

While reading the book, I found myself trying to figure out in which faction I would possibly belong. I definitely don't think I could handle being in Dauntless. It takes a strong person - both mentally and physically - to be in that faction, and I would definitely wimp out from the first moment when they have to jump onto a moving train. I think I would like to be Divergent like Beatrice/Tris. The ability to use all the different attributes of each faction sounds much more appealing than just limiting yourself to one ability for your whole life. Wouldn't you agree?

Now, I need to watch the movie. I want to see how it compares to my imagination and the descriptions in the book. It will be very interesting, I think. Tell me what you thought about the book or the movie or both!

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Margaret K McElderry
Publication Date: May 27, 2014
Number of Pages: 725
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy/Paranormal
Source: borrowed from local library

Summary {via GoodReads}: 
In this dazzling and long-awaited conclusion to the acclaimed Mortal Instruments series, Clary and her friends fight the greatest evil they have ever faced: her brother.

Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. Bearing the Infernal Cup, her transforms Shadowhunters into creatures out of a nightmare, tearing apart families and lovers as the ranks of his Endarkened army swell.

The embattled Shadowhunters withdraw to Idris - but not even the famed demon towers of Alicante can keep Sebastian at bay. And with the Nephilim trapped in Idris, who will guard the world against demons?

When one of the greatest betrayals the Nephilim have ever known is revealed, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon, and Alec must flee - even if their journey takes them deep into the demon realms, where no Shadowhunter has ever set foot before, and from which no human being has ever returned...

Love will be sacrificed and lives lost in the terrible battle for the fate of the world in the thrilling final installment of the classic urban fantasy series The Mortal Instruments.

She thinks: It took me a whole week to read 725 pages!!! A.WHOLE.WEEK. I don't remember the last time it took me a whole week of reading to finish a book. I was probably young and just beginning to read chapter books. This is how I felt after finally finishing the book and emerging back into the real world.

{via know your meme}

I neglected the blog all last week just to finish the silly thing. And, let me tell you, I am not happy. The book is 725 pages of finishing one series but starting another. I haven't read The Infernal Devices series yet, but of course I want to now. And, yet, she's starting a third one - The Dark Artifaces!!!! help?

Ahem.

I digress.

Let's focus and talk about this book, the last one in The Mortal Instruments series.

It did what it was supposed to. It tied up most of the loose ends and made me feel. Some of it was very redundant. Like the fact that she repeats that anyone under the age of 18 can't vote. Uhm...we got it the first five times you mentioned it in the book. I don't think you have to keep telling us; we're pretty smart. I think we can figure it out by page 600. The writing/editing was less than spectacular too. There was so much that could have been cut, and the book would have still been cohesive and plot driven. I wanted so much more than what I got from this last book.

And, holy George R R Martin! You didn't like all the plot revolving characters did you? Good, because death happens early in the book and keeps going until the end.

{via somofos.com}

Okay. Maybe not everyone dies, but you get the point, right?

Good.

I liked this book despite it's length. By about page 500 I just wanted to be done. It's not that I didn't like the book. It's just that I wanted to move on to another book already. I'm used to finishing a book in two or three days. When I spend every waking moment reading and it still takes me a week to finish a book, I feel overwhelmed...and a little disappointed in myself that it took so long. Books should not be allowed to have so many pages. I'm exhausted from heading one plot line for so long. My brain needs a break!

At any rate, I'm glad that all the characters {who lived} got what they needed in the end. I won't say it was a happy ending for them all, but it was a true ending. Not everyone can have everything they want in their life; that's not how it works, and I'm glad that the books reflected that in the end. If you can manage to read 725 pages, then this book is definitely worth it. Now, I'm off to read something light and fluffy. I've been reading too many heavy books lately!!

See what others are saying about City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare:

• Caitlin @ The Y.A. Bookworm
• Dyan @ Deadly Darlings
• Therin Knite @ Knite Writes
• Sandy @ The Reading Cafe
• Emily @ Emily's Crammed Bookshelf

Tease by Amanda Maciel

Tease by Amanda Maciel
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: April 29, 2014
Number of Pages: 336
Genre: Young Adult
Source: borrowed from local library

Summary {via GoodReads}:
Emma Putnam is dead, and it's all Sara Wharton's fault. At least, that's what everyone seems to think. Sara, along with her best friend and three other classmates, has been criminally charged for the bullying and harassment that led to Emma's shocking suicide. Now Sara is the one who's ostracized, already guilty according to her peers, the community, and the media.

In the summer before her senior year, in between meetings with lawyers and a court-recommended therapist, Sara is forced to reflect on the events that brought her to this moment - and ultimately consider her own role in an undeniable tragedy. And she'll have to find a way to move forward, even when it feels like her own life is over.

She thinks: Everyone needs to read this book. I don't care if you think that you're too old to read young adult books, you need to read this one. Why? Because we've all been in this situation. We've either been bullied or have been a bully to someone. I would not be surprised if this book became assigned reading for teens in the future.

This novel is fresh and poignant, tragic yet perfect. It addresses real issues happening in the world today. It is not a piece of fluff. In this book, there is no happening ending - only the right kind of ending in the wake of such a tragedy.

I found my heart breaking for Sara - the main character. Even though she is an unconventional narrator for this type of novel, she's perfectly flawed. She is so lost and so impressionable. I couldn't help but feel if she hadn't been friends with Brielle that she could have easily been Emma, and that's what really breaks my heart. It doesn't matter if you're liked by millions or just one person. People are mean, and, for the most part, they don't think before they speak or do something.

If you take anything away from reading this book, I hope it's that you understand everyone has their own personal demons, whether you know about them or not. Emma does, even though we don't know what they are, but that doesn't justify inflicting any kind of harm. {If possible, I would love to read the story from Emma's POV.}

I feel like I should step down off my soapbox now. I don't mean to be preachy, but as a former teacher, I know the pitfalls of bullying. It's an issue that needs to be addressed and quickly. Okay, that's it now. I promise.

{I rated this book a diamond. I may not lend you my non-existent copy of this book, but I will certainly shout it from the rooftops that you must read this book!}

See what others are saying about Tease by Amanda Maciel:

• Magan @ Rather Be Reading
• Melanie @ YA Midnight Reads
• Jess @ Gone with the Words
• Siobhan @ Conversations of a Reading Addict
• Ttnene @ Never Ending Stories

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: May 13, 2014
Number of Pages: 227
Genre: Young Adult
Source: borrowed from local library

Summary {via GoodReads}:
A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends - the Liars - whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

She thinks: This book disappointed me more than I thought it would. However, that doesn't mean I didn't like it because I did, just not as much as I wanted to.

A couple of weeks before this book was released, someone recommended it to me. And, I thought nothing of it. But, then, I kept seeing more and more of this book popping up on the internet so I decided that if I could get my hands on a copy, I'd read it. So, I did.

A coworker of mine read it before me, and he enjoyed it. Actually, after I read his GoodReads review, I texted him and told him that he had to return the book next day so I could then read it. He told me it was definitely worth the read. I'm sad to say that I ruined it for myself though by figuring it all out by the time I was halfway through the book. I told my suspicions to my coworker before I finished the book, but he wouldn't give me any hints. {the big meanie ;)} The next day after I finished the book, my coworker told me he was shocked I figured it out because he didn't see it coming. And, I know that all sounds very vague, but I don't want to ruin it for you.

I will say that his book wasn't as engaging as I wanted it to be. I was expecting more, but it was definitely captivating as I finished it in just over 24 hours. This is a book you don't want to miss simply so you can know what's up and be in the loop! I mean, my coworker as still talking about it several days later. This would be a great addition to any readers shelf or book club.

See what others are saying about We Were Liars by E. Lockhart:

• Danie @ The Bookish Brunette
• Ana @ The Book Smugglers
• Sharon @ The Book Barbies
• Lauren @ Lose Time Reading
• Alexa @ Alexa Loves Books
• April @ Good Books and Good Wine

Paradigm by Ceri A. Lowe

Paradigm {Book One} by Ceri A. Lowe
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: June 13, 2014
Number of Pages: 382
Genre: YA Dystopian Fiction
Source: eARC {via NetGalley}

Summary {via Press Release}:
What if the end was just the beginning?

Alice Davenport awakens from a fever to find her mother gone and the city she lived in ravaged by storms - with few survivors. When Alice is finally rescued, she is taken to a huge underground bunker owned by the mysterious Paradigm Industries. As the storm worsens, the hatches close.

87 years later, amidst the ruins of London, the survivors of the Storms have reinvented society. The Model maintains a perfect balance - with inhabitants routinely frozen until they are needed by the Industry.

Fifteen-year-old Carter Warren knows his time has come. Awoken from the catacombs as a contender for the role of Controller General, if it is his destiny to succeed - where his parents failed. But Carter soon discovers that the world has changed, in ways that make him begin to question everything that he believes in. As Carter is forced to fight for those he loves and even for his life, it seems that the key to the future lies in the secrets of the past...

She thinks: This book could be more coherent and cohesive, but the last 3 chapters were absolutely enthralling. I spent the first part of the book trying to figure out the dynamics of the characters and trying to decipher how the chapters were comprised. It was a push to get past all the backgrounds of the characters and the flashbacks they kept having. I kept having to stop reading to go back and reread something to make sure I hadn't missed a key plot element. Lowe speaks to her readers through flashbacks and reminiscing, which, I have to admit, took some getting used to at first. Also, there is a lot of information to swallow in order to understand the actions of the characters. But, once I got about halfway through the book, I couldn't bear to put it down. The humanness {is that even a word?} of the characters will make your heart ache, and you will want to make the world a better place because of this book. You might even need some tissues; I know I almost had to grab some towards the end. The truth will set you free!

This book is part of series, and I am very much interested to know how it concludes. For book one, I have rated it as a cupcake. It is not one that I would go out and buy, but I would definitely borrow it from the library  or a friend in a heartbeat. And, never fear, I'm suffering from a book hangover because of Paradigm. Um...when do books two and three get released??