BookAHolics Anonymous (My Name is ____, and I'm a BookAHolic): books read in 2016

Showing posts with label books read in 2016. Show all posts

Thursday, August 25, 2016

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?

Sunday, July 31, 2016

Mini Book Review: Posioned Apples by Christine Hepperman

AUTHOR: Christine Hepperman

PUBLISHED: April 23, 2014
PUBLISHER: Green Willow Books

PAGES: 107

SERIES/STAND ALONE: Stand alone

SOURCE: Bought
CHALLENGES: None

OUTLINE:
Once upon a time...
you were a princess,
or an orphan.
A wicked witch,
fairy godmother,
prom queen,
valedictorian,
team captain,
Big Bad Wolf,
Little Bo Peep.
But you are more than just a hero or
a villain, cursed or charmed. You are
everything in between.
You are everything.

In fifty poems Christine Heppermann places fairy tales side by side with the modern teenage girl. Powerful and provocative, deadly funny and deadly serious, this collection is one to read, to share, to treasure, and to come back to again and again.

Re-read

MY THOUGHTS

I've read this twice you guys and let me explain why.

I read it twice simply because I forgot what it was about, or better yet what the poems were about. This alone should tell you that it wasn't for me.

SOOOOO.....

These are 100% my opinions and if you don't like it. I don't care. There are plenty of other people who loved this book. I am but just one reader.

If it weren't for the interesting pictures this would of sucked.

I know it's harsh, but I can't understand what everyone sees in this book.

The sad thing is I rarely read stories that I dislike.

Am I just WAYYYYYYY over thinking the poems?

I felt like they would hurt someone instead of having this powerful message that others said the poems seemed to have.

I don't see the powerful message in these poems. (I honestly wouldn't even call them poems.)

There's one poem called Red-handed that seems to me like it's negative.

I get that they're suppose to be these darker, grittier poems that are re-tellings, but REALLY?

The upside is that it was short, and I didn't waste to much time reading.

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Book Review: Soundless by Richelle Mead

AUTHOR: Richelle Mead
PUBLISHER: Razorbill
PAGES: 272
STAND ALONE/SERIES: Series
SOURCE: Bought
OUTLINE:
In a village without sound…

For as long as Fei can remember, no one in her village has been able to hear. Rocky terrain and frequent avalanches make it impossible to leave the village, so Fei and her people are at the mercy of a zipline that carries food up the treacherous cliffs from Beiguo, a mysterious faraway kingdom.

When villagers begin to lose their sight, deliveries from the zipline shrink. Many go hungry. Fei and all the people she loves are plunged into crisis, with nothing to look forward to but darkness and starvation.

One girl hears a call to action…

Until one night, Fei is awoken by a searing noise. Sound becomes her weapon.

She sets out to uncover what’s happened to her and to fight the dangers threatening her village. A handsome miner with a revolutionary spirit accompanies Fei on her quest, bringing with him new risks and the possibility of romance. They embark on a majestic journey from the peak of their jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiguo, where a startling truth will change their lives forever…

And unlocks a power that will save her people.

MY THOUGHTS
This is VERY different then Richelle's other books. If you get one thing from this review, it's this don't go into this thinking it will be a typical Mead book. IT'S NOT! I can't stress this enough. I love how Mead portrayed the soundless-ness of the village in the book by letting us know when they were talking. I loved the concept of the idea, and I believe up until the end it was an interesting idea. I would of loved if this was maybe a duolgy or something because we're left with some many un-answered questions I think.

SETTING
I love that this takes place someplace very different then most books I read. I love the tiny village feel, and how everyone knows everyone. Mead did a good job at this setting and place she created.

CHARACTERS
I really loved Fei. I think Mead does an excellent job with her main characters, and making them enjoyable and kick-ass. I know that Fei and Rose are WAY different, and they come from VERY different backgrounds but they have a lot of the same qualities I love when reading. I love that these girls can be kick-ass and yet still have this heart of gold. The family connection between Fei and her sister is one of the qualities I loved. Fei would do anything for her sister and it shows through show much in this story. Fei tries to keep her sister from becoming something less.
Then we have Li Wei, who is a miner and going by their social standing is at the bottom of the chain. He was Fei's friend when they were little, and you could tell that they has chemistry from the start, but Fei kept denying her feelings because she was promised to someone else, but we all know how stories change, and once both them were in situations that they could be killed things change. I'm pretty happy that this was one of those stories where we know the love situation. Sometimes it better to have one love than many. :)

ENDING
It was way to easily tied up with a bow, and just seemed to quick and thrown together. There isn't much I can say without giving away the ending, but something about it kinda says cheesy. I kind of wish it had another story coming because I would have loved to see what happens with the characters more.