Book Talk: Smoke by Ellen Hopkins

AUTHOR: Ellen Hopkins

PUBLISHED: September 10th 2013 
PUBLISHER:  Margaret K. McElderry Books

PAGES: 543

SERIES/STAND ALONE: Book 2

SOURCE: Book Outlet

CHALLENGES: None

OUTLINE:

Pattyn’s father is dead. Now she’s on the run in this riveting companion to New York Times bestseller Burned, which Kirkus Reviews calls “a strong, painful, and tender piece about wresting hope from the depths of despair.”

Pattyn Von Stratten’s father is dead, and Pattyn is on the run. After far too many years of abuse at the hands of her father, and after the tragic loss of her beloved Ethan and their unborn child, Pattyn is desperate for peace. Only her sister Jackie knows what happened that fatal night, but she is stuck at home with their mother, who clings to normalcy by allowing the truth to be covered up by their domineering community leaders. Her father might be finally gone, but without Pattyn, Jackie is desperately isolated.

Alone and in disguise, Pattyn starts a new life as a migrant worker on a California ranch. But is it even possible to rebuild a life when everything you’ve known has burned to ash and lies seem far safer than the truth?

Video

In a nutshell

Characters

My Journey through Goodreads

October 3, 2018 – Finished Reading October 3, 2018 –  page 342    62.98% October 2, 2018 –  page 342    62.98% "I feel for Pattyn and Jackie" September 28, 2018 –  page 72    13.26% September 28, 2018 – Started Reading October 13, 2017 – Shelved as: books-i-own-not-read August 14, 2017 – Shelved as: to-read August 14, 2017 – Shelved

Fun pictures

Book Talk: Rumble by Ellen Hopkins

AUTHOR: Ellen Hopkins

PUBLISHED: August 26th 2014 

PUBLISHER:  Margaret K. McElderry Books

PAGES: 550

SERIES/STAND ALONE: Stand alone

SOURCE: Book Outlet

CHALLENGES: None

OUTLINE:

"There is no God, no benevolent ruler of the earth, no omnipotent grand poobah of countless universes. Because if there was ... my little brother would still be fishing or playing basketball instead of fertilizing cemetery vegetation."

Matthew Turner doesn't have faith in anything.

Not in family—his is a shambles after his younger brother was bullied into suicide. Not in so-called friends who turn their backs when things get tough. Not in some all-powerful creator who lets too much bad stuff happen. And certainly not in some "It Gets Better" psychobabble.

No matter what his girlfriend Hayden says about faith and forgiveness, there's no way Matt's letting go of blame. He's decided to "live large and go out with a huge bang," and whatever happens happens. But when a horrific event plunges Matt into a dark, silent place, he hears a rumble … a rumble that wakes him up, calling everything he's ever disbelieved into question.

Video

In a nutshell

Characters

My Journey through Goodreads

Status

September 19, 2018 – Finished Reading September 19, 2018 –  page 200    36.36% September 18, 2018 –  page 200    36.36% "The dad is an asshole." September 18, 2018 – Started Reading December 9, 2017 – Shelved as: books-i-own-not-read August 14, 2017 – Shelved as: to-read August 14, 2017 – Shelved

Fun pictures

Book Talk: Burned by Ellen Hopkins

AUTHOR: Ellen Hopkins

PUBLISHED: April 1st 2006

PUBLISHER: Margaret K. McElderry Books 

PAGES: 431

SERIES/STAND ALONE: Series book 1

SOURCE: Book Outlet

CHALLENGES: None

OUTLINE:

I do know things really began to spin out of control after my first sex dream.

It all started with a dream. Nothing exceptional, just a typical fantasy about a boy, the kind of dream that most teen girls experience. But Pattyn Von Stratten is not like most teen girls. Raised in a religious—yet abusive—family, a simple dream may not be exactly a sin, but it could be the first step toward hell and eternal damnation.

This dream is a first step for Pattyn. But is it to hell or to a better life? For the first time Pattyn starts asking questions. Questions seemingly without answers—about God, a woman's role, sex, love—mostly love. What is it? Where is it? Will she ever experience it? Is she deserving of it?

It's with a real boy that Pattyn gets into real trouble. After Pattyn's father catches her in a compromising position, events spiral out of control until Pattyn ends up suspended from school and sent to live with an aunt she doesn't know.

Pattyn is supposed to find salvation and redemption during her exile to the wilds of rural Nevada. Yet what she finds instead is love and acceptance. And for the first time she feels worthy of both—until she realizes her old demons will not let her go. Pattyn begins down a path that will lead her to a hell—a hell that may not be the one she learned about in sacrament meetings, but it is hell all the same.

In this riveting and masterful novel told in verse, Ellen Hopkins takes readers on an emotional roller-coaster ride. From the highs of true love to the lows of abuse, Pattyn's story will have readers engrossed until the very last word. 

Video

In a nutshell

Characters

My Journey through Goodreads

Status

September 27, 2018 – Finished Reading September 25, 2018 – page 140  32.48% September 25, 2018 – Started Reading October 13, 2017 – Shelved as: books-i-own-not-read September 7, 2011 – Shelved

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Book Talk: An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

AUTHOR: Margaret Rogerson

PUBLISHED: September 26, 2017
PUBLISHER: Margaret K. McElderry Books

PAGES: 300

SERIES/STAND ALONE: Stand Alone

SOURCE: Book Box
CHALLENGES: None

OUTLINE:

A skilled painter must stand up to the ancient power of the faerie courts—even as she falls in love with a faerie prince—in this gorgeous debut novel.

Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread, weave cloth, or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes—a weakness that could cost him his life.

Furious and devastated, Rook spirits her away to the autumnlands to stand trial for her crime. Waylaid by the Wild Hunt’s ghostly hounds, the tainted influence of the Alder King, and hideous monsters risen from barrow mounds, Isobel and Rook depend on one another for survival. Their alliance blossoms into trust, then love—and that love violates the fair folks’ ruthless laws. Now both of their lives are forfeit, unless Isobel can use her skill as an artist to fight the fairy courts. Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel.

Video

In a nutshell

 I keep trying to find a fae book that I can really love. I really loved the ACOTAR series, but besides that, I haven't come across any. I haven't read some of the more popular ones like The Wicked Lovely ones by Melissa Marr or The Iron Ones by Julie Kagawa, or the newest book by Holly Black.  Perhaps my heart just loves other dark creatures more. 

Characters

Ending

As much as I loved the ending it seemed like it wrapped up way too easily. 

My Journey through Goodreads

No Journey with this one.

Fun Pics

Book Talk: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

AUTHOR: Victoria Aveyard

PUBLISHED: February 10th, 2015

PUBLISHER: HarperTeen

PAGES: 383

SERIES/STAND ALONE: Series book 1

SOURCE: Book box

CHALLENGES: None

OUTLINE:

This is a world divided by blood - red or silver. The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change. That is until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power. Fearful of Mare's potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime. But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance - Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart.

Video

In a nutshell

Characters

My Journey through Goodreads

November 10, 2018 – Finished Reading November 5, 2018 –  page 148    38.64% "Powers was all I needed to read in order to know I'll probably love it." November 5, 2018 – Started Reading May 27, 2018 – Shelved as: books-i-own-not-read January 31, 2015 – Shelved as: 2015-dac-challenge (Other Hardcover Edition) December 7, 2014 – Shelved as: to-read December 7, 2014 – Shelved September 22, 2014 – Shelved as: to-read (Other Hardcover Edition) September 22, 2014 – Shelved (Other Hardcover Edition)

Fun pictures.

Book Review: Hotel Ruby by Suzanne Young

AUTHOR: Suzanne Young

PUBLISHED: November 3, 2015
PUBLISHER: Simon Pulse

PAGES: 288

SERIES/STAND ALONE: Stand alone

SOURCE: ARC won from WinterHaven
CHALLENGES: None

OUTLINE:
Stay tonight. Stay forever.

When Audrey Casella arrives for an unplanned stay at the grand Hotel Ruby, she’s grateful for the detour. Just months after their mother’s death, Audrey and her brother, Daniel, are on their way to live with their grandmother, dumped on the doorstep of a DNA-matched stranger because their father is drowning in his grief.

Audrey and her family only plan to stay the night, but life in the Ruby can be intoxicating, extending their stay as it provides endless distractions—including handsome guest Elias Lange, who sends Audrey’s pulse racing. However, the hotel proves to be as strange as it is beautiful. Nightly fancy affairs in the ballroom are invitation only, and Audrey seems to be the one guest who doesn’t have an invite. Instead, she joins the hotel staff on the rooftop, catching whispers about the hotel’s dark past.

The more Audrey learns about the new people she’s met, the more her curiosity grows. She’s torn in different directions—the pull of her past with its overwhelming loss, the promise of a future that holds little joy, and an in-between life in a place that is so much more than it seems…

Welcome to the Ruby.

IN A NUTSHELL

When I first saw this book I knew it was something I wanted to read. The cover alone is pretty and enticing. I seem to have a good relationship with the books written by Suzanne Young as well so it was no surprise that I enjoyed it. Before I even started the book I figured out at least some of what was going to happen. What I didn't expect was for the (almost ending.) I don't know if this will be a proper review because so much of the story lies within the twists and the whats of the story.

SETTING

Hotel Ruby is the title so we know from that it's going to mainly take place in the hotel, but The Ruby is so much more than just the setting it's the soul of this book (along with other souls), it's a character in its self, it's a magnet for a special type of person.

A hotel can be an exciting setting because there's always a backstory to the the story. It can be a haunting one, an interesting one, or it can be a plain Jane one. The Ruby has a few stories, and the guests and employees tell it so beautifully if not a little creepy.

CHARACTERS

Despite the crap that Audrey was dealing with I think she showed how strong she was. The hotel was making her a bit crazy, but she more or less kept her shit together. Even when things started taking a turn for the worse she believed. I'm not sure  what option I would have chosen had I been her.
Then we have Elias Lange, that mysterious, brooding boy who lives in a hotel.
Catherine who despite being an ice queen throughout the story suddenly warms up a bit.

ENDING

I knew some of the twists that happened, but I wasn't expecting the ending it had. I'm not sure if I was satisfied with it or not. I think it really showed who the characters were in the end.

In a way this story has a similar feel to another contemporary YA. Do you want to know which one? It might be a small spoiler. The book I'm thinking of is If I Stay by Gayle Forman. If you read that then this has that vibe of which would be better life or death?

Book Review: Lark by Tracey Porter

AUTHOR: Tracey Porter

PUBLISHED: May 24,2011
PUBLISHER: HarperTeen (HarperCollins Imprint)

PAGES: 176

SERIES/STAND ALONE: Stand alone

SOURCE: J.P from Ya Urban  sent me a copy. Thanks
CHALLENGES: Wonderfully Wicked Read-A-Thon

OUTLINE:
When sixteen-year-old Lark Austin is kidnapped from her Virginia hometown and left to die in a snowy forest, she leaves behind two friends who are stunned by the loss. As Lark's former best friend, Eve can't shake the guilt that this tragedy was somehow her fault. Meanwhile, Nyetta is haunted each night by Lark's ghost, who comes through the bedroom window and begs Nyetta to set her soul free. Eve and Nyetta realize that Lark is trapped in limbo, and only by coming together to heal themselves will they discover why.

STARTED: OCTOBER 22,2011
FINISHED: OCTOBER 23,2011

RE-READ: April 2016

MY THOUGHTS

As you can see this review is being done after a re-read I had of it. I first read it back in 2011 when it came out.

My first thought when reading this was the book Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, if you've never heard of this book before go look it up on goodreads, or watch the movie. (it has Mark Wahlberg in it).

I'm not to sure what my thoughts are on this one actually. It was a tiny book so we weren't able to learn a whole bunch. It was told in 3 different POVs which can either be really good or horrible. I can't really say I enjoyed it all that much. Maybe, it was the changing of point of views or the characters themselves. 

I did enjoy the message and the hope that came with it.

The first point of view was from Lark, the spirit, who died in the woods. I can say that the parts with Lark stuck in what she described as her limbo was interesting. It was a different perspective of limbo. It wasn't this gray place, but the place where she died. If she was to get out of limbo, and not become a tree like the others who had apparently died in horrible ways she had to get somebody to free her soul. She had to let someone know how she died. 

This is where the next POV kind of comes in to play  Nyetta, is a younger girl that Lark use to babysit. She is also the one that can see Larks spirit, and her mom takes her to a shrink. Nyetta from then on tries to keep quiet about seeing Larks ghost. I had this overwhelming feeling where I wanted to just hug Nyetta and tell her things would be okay. Larks ghost was always trying to get Nyetta to see where she was hurt, and the fact that the poor girl had to also deal with a Dad having another family. Poor girl. With everything she went through I thought she dealt with it like a champ. When she finally had someone to believe her about Lark things became easier for her. #Youreachamp

The third POV was told from Eve, she was Lark's former best friend. I understand how you can fall out of being someone's best friend because it's happened to me. Stupid reasons shouldn't break up  friendships though. I guess to Eve it wasn't a stupid reason. You could still tell that the loss of Lark did affect her. Loss is hard if it's someone who you are or were friends with doesn't matter. In the end I'm glad that eyes were opened up.
 

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

The only issue I think I had with it was it was a bit choppy. The sentences were short. If that makes any sense.

Book Review: Sound by Alexandra Duncan

Author: Alexandra Duncan
Publisher: Green willow Books
Pages: 496

Series/Standalone: Companion to Salavage

Synopsis:

As a child, Ava’s adopted sister Miyole watched her mother take to the stars, piloting her own ship from Earth to space making deliveries. Now a teen herself, Miyole is finally living her dream as a research assistant on her very first space voyage. If she plays her cards right, she could even be given permission to conduct her own research and experiments in her own habitat lab on the flight home. But when her ship saves a rover that has been viciously attacked by looters and kidnappers, Miyole—along with a rescued rover girl named Cassia—embarks on a mission to rescue Cassia’s abducted brother, and that changes the course of Miyole’s life forever.

NOTE

You don't have to read the companion novel Salvage to understand this story. :)

IN A NUTSHELL

Miyole has made her whole life about being a scientist on a mission. Now that she's been on it things are changing. When her ship is attacked by what I will call space pirates people get hurt, kidnapped, and she let's one slip away from  her. When she's faced with guilt about the kidnapping she makes it her mission to help Cassia find her brother. We can all guess where this is going to lead. Get ready for a space-riffic adventure with space pirates, space mobsters, a sweet love interest (no triangle!) and a furry feline named Tibbets.  If you're looking for a fun filled adventure in space this is definitely for you.  Sometimes breaking the rules and doing what you believe in has an affect you didn't think possible. :)

SETTING

This is my first big dipper into outer space with a YA book. (See what I did there.) I know there have been others like AtU by Beth Revis (which I have on my shelf) but I never did get around to reading that series. I'm glad I started with this one though because it did a good job. Now I might just have to read some more space-y books. :) Maybe they will be out of this world for me as well. (Too much?)

CHARACTERS

Can I just say how much I loved that some of these characters (well most of them) were so diverse. It's a very refreshing thing to see in YA and any book in this day and time because everyone is a little bit of everything. What gets me even more is that it's a MC and not just a background character. I say YEA to the author. 

Miyole is such a character to aspire to become. (except maybe the lying to get on the ship) Although, she did it with good intentions. Like I said in the beginning she wanted to be on it so she could become this scientist, but she pretty much sabotaged that by helping someone else in need. She knew she would be messing with what she worked for, but her conscience and growing love for this person was so much greater then anything else.

Cassia was also an endearing character. There were moments I didn't agree with the way she treated Miyole because I mean the girl is risking her life to help Cassia whom she barely knew at first. Cassia is a strong female though with the life that she was dealt

ENDING

I really wanted things to go the way I hoped they would, but sadly they didn't. I'm a HEA endings kinda girl. :( That's all I have to say about that.

QUOTES

-Everyone leaves someday. Everyone dies. And isn't it easier if you leave first?

I'm not sure why I like this, but it kinda fits me I think. It's easier just to guard yourself and heart then it is to open it up, and let it get broken a million times.

Book Review: All Fall Down by Ally Carter

Author: Ally Carter
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 320

Series/Standalone: Series

Synopsis:

Grace Blakely is absolutely certain of three things:

1. She is not crazy.
2. Her mother was murdered.
3. Someday she is going to find the killer and make him pay.

As certain as Grace is about these facts, nobody else believes her -- so there's no one she can completely trust. Not her grandfather, a powerful ambassador. Not her new friends, who all live on Embassy Row. Not Alexei, the Russian boy next door, who is keeping his eye on Grace for reasons she neither likes nor understands.

Everybody wants Grace to put on a pretty dress and a pretty smile, blocking out all her unpretty thoughts. But they can't control Grace -- no more than Grace can control what she knows or what she needs to do. Her past has come back to hunt her . . . and if she doesn't stop it, Grace isn't the only one who will get hurt. Because on Embassy Row, the countries of the world stand like dominoes, and one wrong move can make them all fall down.

MY THOUGHTS

Is it wrong to say I love Ally Carter? I don't think there's one book of hers that I didn't enjoy.  That's saying somethin because according to goodreads she's my most read author with 9 books. Nine books! I haven't read that many from Richelle Mead and she's my favorite (or so I thought). 

Anyways,  All Fall Down really couldn't of come at a better time for reading because I just finished her Gallagher Girls Series, and was wondering if I would get anymore of her quirky , on the edge, lovable characters like Cammie, Bex, Macey, Liz, Katarina, Hale, or Zach. While they're different stories with different problems they definitely have the Ally Carter-ness to them. :)

We go from Spies, to thieves, to con artists, to a diplomats grand-daughter which I guess could be very similar to the afore mentioned. 

All Fall Down has a bit of a dystopian like feel to it. The world in set up differently. I mean you still have the US and other countries, but it's different.

I liked Grace as a character she understood that sometimes you got to fight for what you believe. 

I liked that the other kids around her also tried to help her figure out who this person was.

Things happen that you definitely don't see coming (or maybe you're more perceptive then me and do). Either way be ready for for a shock. ;) 

The ending was a killer, and I don't know if I can wait for the second book to come out. This...this is why I try and wait to read the first book. 

Book Review: Spelled by Betsy Schow

Author: Betsy Schow
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pages: 352

Series/Standalone:

Synopsis:

Fairy Tale Survival Rule #32: If you find yourself at the mercy of a wicked witch, sing a romantic ballad and wait for your Prince Charming to save the day.

Yeah, no thanks. Dorthea is completely princed out. Sure being the crown princess of Emerald has its perks—like Glenda Original ball gowns and Hans Christian Louboutin heels. But a forced marriage to the brooding prince Kato is so not what Dorthea had in mind for her enchanted future.

Talk about unhappily ever after. 

Trying to fix her prince problem by wishing on a (cursed) star royally backfires, leaving the kingdom in chaos and her parents stuck in some place called "Kansas." Now it's up to Dorthea and her pixed off prince to find the mysterious Wizard of Oz and undo the curse...before it releases the wickedest witch of all and spells The End for the world of Story.

MY THOUGHTS

I had my doubts about whether or not I would enjoy this book. 

In the beginning it seemed like it was going to be a miss because it was a bit slow and uneventful. As Dorthea and The Prince began the wacky journey that she set in motion with wishing on a cursed star it became clear that it would be a fun, crazy and enjoyable read. 

I loved that it was this love/hate relationship with Dorthea and the prince, but when things got tough they would be right there for each other.

The story definitely kept me on my toes trying to figure out what was going to happen next.

I'm ready to read a sequel. :)

(Sorry it's so short)