Review: The Storyteller by Antonia Michaelis

The Description

Anna and Abel couldn’t be more different. They are both seventeen and in their last year of school, but while Anna lives in a nice old town house and comes from a well-to-do family, Abel, the school drug dealer, lives in a big, prisonlike tower block at the edge of town. Anna is afraid of him until she realizes that he is caring for his six-year-old sister on his own. Fascinated, Anna follows the two and listens as Abel tells little Micha the story of a tiny queen assailed by dark forces. It’s a beautiful fairy tale that Anna comes to see has a basis in reality. Abel is in real danger of losing Micha to their abusive father and to his own inability to make ends meet. Anna gradually falls in love with Abel, but when his “enemies” begin to turn up dead, she fears she has fallen for a murderer. Has she?

Award-winning author Antonia Michaelis moves in a bold new direction with her latest novel: a dark, haunting, contemporary story that is part mystery, part romance, and part melodrama.

My Thoughts

*Breathes in*
*Breathes out*
*Releases a held-back scream*

There. That's much better.
No, no, don't run away yet. I know it looked like. Like I was seriously pissed off by the book. Well, a little maybe, but WAIT. This is me at the moment:



The Storyteller made me smile, yell, scream and even tear up. And do you know how often I tear up because of a book? You could count it on the fingers of a single hand. The Storyteller managed to earn a finger from my hand, just next to The Fault in our Stars. And everybody knows just how fan-freakin'-tastic that TFioS is.

The Storyteller (known from now as TS) accomplished certain things. The first being a very unique and different YA book. Sure, it does contain swear words, drinking and smoking, dancing at bars, bad boy and good girl, gah those stereotypes, but that's probably where it ends. Full stop. Whatever that goes beyond is a 180 degrees twisted turn.

Another accomplishment is that the author has woven reality and fairy tale together in a dark but beautifully twisted way. Unlike some people, I seem to not to have a gift to describe the book without giving spoilers away so I'll stop here.

To sum it up, TS was a darkly twisted tale of reality and fairy tale and very different from other YAs. It may make you cry, scream or smile, may or may not be your favourite book, but it definitely will leave some sort of impression on you.

Rating: 5/5 Stars



                                                                                                     

Review: Defy by Sara B. Larson

Description

A lush and gorgeously written debut, packed with action, intrigue, and a thrilling love triangle.

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?

My Thoughts

First off, Alexa is irritating. This is a fact. She is irritating, thus the present tense.

So, from the synopsis, sounds like she's a Mulan, right? Aha. It's deceiving enough. She's extremely good at fighting and supposedly thinks she's good at concealing the fact that she's actually a girl. But, of course, there's a love triangle isn't there? And since the main character is a girl who is thought to be a boy and the love interests are both males... do you spot something quite obvious here? The love interest can't be gay, obviously and they are 'in love' with her so... Alexa, you aren't that subtle at being a boy.

Reasons? Let's start off with the biggest and the most obvious one. She blushes. Okay, okay, sounds like it's not that a biggie, right? IT IS A FREAKING BIGGIE IF SHE BLUSHES LIKE 10 MILLION TIMES A DAY. That's annoying to the extreme and not quite subtle, especially if she's to lead others into believing that she's a boy. It doesn't take a dumb idiot to know that she's actually a girl but of course, perhaps some of the characters are actually dumb idiots, not that I can blame. That aside, the point is that she's blushing way too much and I'm not kidding if I'm saying she's blushing more than a female mc in an erotica. Not like I've read any eroticas, but you get the point.

Next up, the phrase 'my heart...' constricts/beats erratically and other synonymous words constantly appears and it gets really irritating at times. It appears at least once in 95% of the chapters, possibly. I didn't count the number of times that happened, and I'll probably get my head cracked from constantly smashing against the wall due to the irrepressible feeling of exasperation caused by you-know-who. To put it simply, she needs immediate attention from a cardiologist. She has more heart palpitations than a normal human should have. Call 995 or something. Quick.

The plot wasn't fantastic either. It was okay, and if it wasn't for Alexa's habit of constantly blushing, the plot might have capture a little of my interest. And well, let's just say the blushing and plot did not work well and I ended up skimming through pages.

Basically the plot goes something like this: girl pretends to be boy to escape rape houses because the evil king demands orphan girls to be sent there (which coming to think of it, is an excuse for her pretense. Rape houses were not removed at the end, anyway). So she is sent to the army to fight. And since she's tall and flat chested, she could be passed as boy! And of course, surrounded by boys, her hormones starts to get worked up. But obviously, she can't let her friends know that or else the cat will be out of the bag so what did she do? She blushed! She blushed like nobody's business, all day, every day and still thinks that's being discreet.

Is this being discreet? Nope. Not at all.

There's 2 people she's vying for: the concerned, filial friend and the broodingly cold spoiled brat of a prince. Which will she choose? Not going to spoil the love triangle here, but listen to your instincts. You're most likely to be right. The prince overthrows the king and everyone's happy. Ta-daaa. 

Yeah... no...

Summing up, plot is average made horrible by the horrendous amount of blushing. If you like characters that blush way too much to be considered humane, this book is destined for you.

(On the side note, sorry if I am seem too harsh. I tend to that when I'm annoyed.)

Rating: 2/5 

Review: Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth

Description:

One 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.

***

My Thoughts...

The only reason I took Insurgent off the shelf to read was because I went to watch the Divergent movie and it just suddenly popped into my mind that I had Insurgent at home, sitting there pretty much forgotten. Well, except it wasn't forgotten, but I held it off for months since I wasn't that 'excited' to start it after hearing review after review that claimed it disappointing.

Although I didn't hate Insurgent, I didn't like it too much either. There wasn't much promising improvements that could have been made and being forcefully shoved with over-sized information down the throat didn't help either.

How it felt like throughout the book.

Aside from the headache I experienced from the information overload, Tris has transformed into another person entirely. Where I kind of admired her in Divergent, I can only say I felt like yanking out her hair in insurgent. It's still a wonder how she got an Erudite aptitude given her rash actions. Somehow despite acting first without much thinking, things actually worked out as planned for most of the time. Quite unrealistic, don't you think so? Logically speaking, failing to think before acting usually results in nothing but more trouble. Can't blame her, though. There's something abnormal with her divergent brain, isn't there *sarcasm*

Then there's this deal with Four. Excuse me, Tobias. You see, Four is this tough, stern guy who doesn't tolerate any BS from initiates in Divergent. Tobias, on the other hand, is this guy who's like a unpredictable, moody and desperate... creature? Sorry, I can't identify who that guy had turned into anymore.

With that, I'm done with the rather disappointing aspects. Did I seem rather ranty just now? Oh well, now it's time to brighten up your day with the bright side of the book! No sarcasm here.

Even though Veronica's style of writing may not be fanciful, poetic, lyrical--whatever you want call it, she was able to keep me immersed with the story. I wanted to know what was going to happen, what was going on, why it happened. Questions like that sparked my curiosity and that urged me to keep the pages flipping, even with the rather simplistic writing. The pacing was fast, a little overwhelming at times but overall, it was still okay.

I was pleased to find out that the questions that had been left hanging unanswered in Divergent were nicely wrapped up in this book. There were even more questions that surfaced in Insurgent that wasn't exactly answered so I kind of look forward to Allegiant. Especially after that undeniably horrid cliffy at the end of the book. Guys, cliffies suck. They catch you off guard and if you don't have the next book like me to start with immediately, your life feels meaningless until you get your hands on it.

Anyways, I guess that's all I've got to say. It's okay, but it didn't impress me much. Yeah... It's kind of 'meh' in some ways.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Updates: I'm in a Reading Slump?

My aim for 2014 is to read 100 books which was significantly much lesser as of 2013. Anyway, according to Goodreads, I've read 12 books so far and I'm 11 books behind schedule.



Yes. It is unbelievable. I am 11 books behind schedule and that's pretty bad even for me. And getting spammed by dateline notifications to return the library books isn't helping ease the pressure either.

A blurry take of my library books.

Those are the library books that are sitting on the shelf, demanding to be read. Actually, I'm currently reading Never Fade but I am honestly having a hard time keeping up with the story. The same goes with Cress. Maybe I'm stuck in a reading slump?

When you really want to read, but you haven’t been able to concentrate or even pick up a book in weeks (or days, depends on how strict you are on your reading). You’re reading the same sentence over and over again but can’t seem to understand what the words mean. Your mind starts to wander, and your eyes start to close. You can’t seem to finish anything you start, or find any book appealing. You buy books but don’t read them. You read just to “get through it”. You can’t choose what to read, and instead just don’t read.

Lauren over at Lauren Reads YA has described this perfectly. Recently, whenever I take a look at the books that has been sitting on my shelf pitifully for about a month, I just groan inwardly and it seems like a chore to read them. The unfortunate ones usually get dumped aside or forgotten, until the last moment when I get notifications to return them. Only then will I pick up the book and start halfheartedly flipping through them. *sigh* I've never thought I'd experience a reading slump since reading is like my life but I officially declare that I'm in a reading slump and therefore, I will not be reading and blogging until I'm out of this slump. The only thing that's bothering me is the goal to read 100 books this. 11 books behind schedule is NOT a good thing. Well, the thought of failing the challenge makes me depressed.


  
Should I continue to force my way through this quicksand of reading slump? Or just stop struggling and just crawl out of it slowly? People have recommended not to force yourself into reading but what if I have isolated reading for too long? Will I lose my interest in reading and if I do, will ever 'reclaim' it back?
I guess I'll just read my books in sporadic intervals. Maybe I'll get out that slump sometime but until then, I won't be blogging because... I don't really feel like it either.



                                                                                                     

Review: Racing Savannah (Hundred Oaks #4) by Miranda Kenneally

They’re from two different worlds.

He lives in the estate house, and she spends most of her time in the stables helping her father train horses. In fact, Savannah has always been much more comfortable around horses than boys. Especially boys like Jack Goodwin—cocky, popular and completely out of her league. She knows the rules: no mixing between the staff and the Goodwin family. But Jack has no such boundaries.

With her dream of becoming a horse jockey, Savannah isn’t exactly one to follow the rules either. She’s not going to let someone tell her a girl isn’t tough enough to race. Sure, it’s dangerous. Then again, so is dating Jack…

I... I...

*takes in deep breath*

I am disappointed.

It's a rare thing for me to say that so straightforwardly but *sighs* I'M HORRIBLY DISAPPOINTED TO THE EXTENT I CAN SCREAM MY HEAD OFF RIGHT NOW. I was sooo excited for this that I even put it under my 'need-to-buy' shelf on Goodreads and yes, I actually bought it as my birthday present but... but... 

*another deep breath* Alright, alright. Enough of that, I don't want to chase everyone away with my overly dramatic wailing so... yeah. Let's get down to business.

 Racing Savannah started on a good start and managed to keep me captivate from then on. The beginnings are always the most crucial part for me because if they don't catch my attention, it's very unlikely I'm going to continue reading it. Miranda has written this aspect pretty well and not only was the beginning that had me flipping the pages, the writing was also rather light and easy and hilarious at times and that had me rooting for more throughout the book.

However, the story went downhill when the romance started overwhelming the plot which left me a little confuse. So is this a romance book? A horse-riding competition sort of book? Or both? Maybe the author intended to incorporate these two elements together but it didn't turn out quite the way as was expected. This resulted in the plot fading into the background and let's just say I wasn't quite thrilled when the romance started invading the story like a swarm of locusts.

The characters were okay-ish except for Rory, and probably won't leave much of an impression on me. Savannah is... normal, I guess? And Jack is your stereotypical rich and cocky guy that the MC just inexplicably comes to fall in love in. The sole aspect that was actually intriguing about him was that he's like a cowboy. Cowboys rock, y'know. Tucker Avery? Does that ring a bell?
Now moving on to Rory, he was awesome. The lines he delivered had me cracking up at times, so bonus points for that.

Judging from the cover, I had thought that the romance would be a light, fluffy and cutesy one. I simply adore this type of romance, rather than those hot, smoldering ones that have me squirming at times so I can't decide if it's an unfortunate thing to experience the latter in Racing Savannah. I wasn't expecting that so I was quite taken back when they-- *shifts uncomfortably* Uh, sorry.

I having a squirm attack right now.

Overall, Racing Savannah didn't really meet my expectations mainly because the plot when a little off-track thanks to the romance and although it wasn't completely bad, I felt it could have done better.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Review: These Broken Stars (Starbound #1) by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone. 

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help. 

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.

--

A timeless love story, THESE BROKEN STARS sets into motion a sweeping science fiction series of companion novels. The Starbound Trilogy: Three worlds. Three love stories. One enemy.

After an agonizing wait for its release, I had to wait another agonizing wait for the Book Depository to ship it over what took you so long it nearly killed me, you idiot.

It was still worth it. Although it wasn't what I had expected.

What I expected was something of Starglass. A spaceship in space with some kind of really awesome alien plot. But what I really got was a survival sci-fi story which was equally interesting and entertaining, not to mention a so-called 'alien plot'. I'm not a huge fan of survival story and yes, I was honestly bored by a few parts of the book because it felt a little draggy and dull at times, but overall it wasn't bad.

These Broken Stars, I found, echos some resemblance to the Under the Never Sky trilogy. A girl and a boy forced together out of survival (and maybe a couple of factors but survival's the main one) even though they avoid and want nothing to do with each other because they're from different backgrounds and worlds but eventually declare that they are in love nearing the end of the story. I've read this type of romance perhaps about a gazillion times and although it wasn't bad, it just didn't work out for me.

The characters, as I've mentioned, are from different backgrounds and worlds. Lilac was a bit difficult to stomach at first since she was practically oozing disdain and snobbery and all I could think of was bayoneting her with a rifle then I can be violently descriptive but as the story unravels, she gradually changes. Which was great because if she hadn't, I would totally have DNFed the book. On the other hand, Tarver was much likable than lilac and although I very much want to say he appealed to me, I can't. So as to summarize, the characters weren't really impressive as I had expected and they could have been better. 

The cause behind the 'chilling whispers' as the premise stated, was actually fascinating. Don't know if you know this, but I like theories and the more complex it is, the better I like it. Maybe I implied that the theory for the cause of the whispers was difficult to understand and yes, it was a little difficult for me to follow but I approved of it all the same. (So now you know one little face about me--I love theories!)

To conclude, These Broken Stars was an engaging read and although it dragged a little in some parts.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Review: The Outside (The Hallowed Ones #2) by Laura Bickle

Description:

One girl. One road. One chance to save what remains…

After a plague of vampires is unleashed in the world, Katie is kicked out of her Amish community for her refusal to adhere to the new rules of survival. Now in exile, she enters an outside world of unspeakable violence with only her two “English” friends and a horse by her side. Together they seek answers and other survivors—but each sunset brings the threat of vampire attack, and each sunrise the threat of starvation.

And yet through this darkness come the shining ones: luminescent men and women with the power to deflect vampires and survive the night. But can these new people be trusted, and are they even people at all?

In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, it’s up to one Amish girl to save her family, her community, and the boy she loves . . . but what will she be asked to leave behind in return?

***

Before I start the review, I apologize for being inactive for a looong period of time. I had to revise for the oh-so-dreaded tests. And this week, I had 7 in total which is totally, unbelievably insane.

Most people would compare the second book with the first one but I'm not going to that because to be fair, I can't remember much of the story since I read it ages ago. However, I did remember that The Hallowed Ones left a pretty good impression on me and I enjoyed it a lot so I was pretty excited to see what Laura had in line for her readers.

The Outside was amazing. Even if The Hallowed Ones was better, I wouldn't have noticed because I loved them equally much.

After Katie gets kicked out from her community (to put it bluntly) along with Alex and Ginger into the 'outside', they have to depend on each other for survival. Laura has written this aspect really well and I loved seeing how each of the characters went through their journey together even with vampires around the corners. *shudders* They helped each other fight off those gruesome creatures, find food and shelter, you name it, despite the obstacles they had to overcome along the way. They won't leave each other until the journey is finished. I loved how tight their friendship was.

Next up, the Amish culture pretty much influences the plot and this aspect was done really well too. It's great to experience the culture since y'know, Amish cultures are rarely written in books so it's something different for a change.

The Outside was a page-turner. And what made it a page-turner? Why, the suspense, of course! It kept me at the edge of my seat, half-anticipating and half-afraid that the vampires could pop out anytime. Which means for all you know, that FedEx guy could be a vampire. Inside that innocent-looking truck, there could be vampires. You open your window expecting to see tree branches and instead, a pale gaunt hand reaches for you. I'm not the kind of person where I get freaked out by horror stories, but The Outside managed to give me the creeps.

Overall, The Outside was a delightful and suspenseful sequel to its predecessor. Would recommend if you're into horror books.

Review: Siege and Storm (The Grisha #2) by Leigh Bardugo

Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her--or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

***

Warning: Spoilers from Shadow and Bone.

Now as I'm writing this, I have no idea what to say about Siege and Storm. It's  too incredible. How am I supposed to describe this breath-taking book?

It's so impressive it's stupefying. Forgive me if I sound like a babbling idiot.

Okay, so, ahhh... Where do I start? *fumbles with paper* Um, yes, yes. *regains composure* Let's start.

After reading Shadow and Bone, I have been anticipating Siege and Storm ever since. It didn't help my impatience as I read ever-growing positive reviews on S&S. Before its release, I had been stalking the book. If you can even stalk a book. I looked up S&S on search engines at least once a month hoping for any news about it, and the day before the release, I was so happy simply because I could finally get my hands on it the next day. You may think I'm exaggerating and yes, just a wee bit I did. 

One fact about Siege and Storm you should keep in mind is that you will not be disappointed. If I had thought Shadow and Bone couldn't have been more amazing, I don't know what S&S will be. Fan-ta-ma-zing? Screw that, it's rubbish. You know what?

You know those folk tales you've heard when you were a child? Those ones you get to hear when you go to bed? Of many wondrous mythical creatures that existed between those pages as you imagined them? Well, Leigh does a great job in combining folk tales and magical elements that results in epic fantasy! Sea whips, the stag, flying ships, just to name a few.

Compared to S&B, S&S was just as good, if not better. S&S had just as many heart-pounding actions, unpredictable twists and so much more. There were a few lovable additions to the story. Especially... *winks* STURMHOND!

Meet the cocky privateer, full of witty dialogues and himself. I honestly couldn't have enough of him. He makes me laugh, snicker, and smash his head at times.

“Do you take anything seriously?”
“Not if I can help it. Makes life so tedious.” 

“I like to have powerful enemies. Makes me feel important.”  

“I can’t decide if you’re crazy or stupid.”“I have so many good qualities,” Sturmhond said. “It can be hard to choose.”

Convinced now?

Alina has grown from the not-so-likable girl in S&B to something much more this book. She's stronger now that she accepts the fact that she's the Sun Summoner. She is the one who makes decision, who leads and no longer the one to hide from her responsibilities. I love how Alina developed as a character.

On the other hand... Mal... Okay, let's clear up some stuff first. I never did like Mal. He was also known as the 'meh' character to me. Because he was perpetually 'meh' throughout the book even in S&B. I tried to like him because Alina seems to be very fond of him for some reasons I haven't figured out. 
However in this book, there seemed to be a personality swap between Alina and Mal. I'm pretty sure other book bloggers have brought up this matter so hang on with me for a while. Mal was possessive, whiny, and moody. What's this? Ma-al. Although you were never my favourite character, behaving like a jerk wouldn't help at all!

Moving on, the Darkling.

Face facts. There's this teeny weeny part of you that just fawns over him even though he's the antagonist. He's corrupted, consumed by power yet he's just wonderful, y'know? Ahhh... The Darkling. 

What? *looks around innocently*

For most part of the book, he's not present, yet saying that would not correct. I can't explain without giving away spoilers and admittedly, I don't even understand how it's supposed to work. 

Speaking of the Darkling... I hope Alina somehow ends up with him. It doesn't have to end in the typical happily ever after way in most fairy tales, maybe something bittersweet happens and though the main problem is resolved (Ravka), the 'secondary' problem (the not quite love square) ends on the not-so-pretty note Mal gets thrown into the lava and Alina end up with the Darkling or something no Mal please have mercy.  

Back to the point I was sayin' (I stray too easily, urgh), The Darkling was only present during the beginning and the ending. If that were the case, I would have broken down in tears (not quite but still) but Leigh mercifully gave us glimpses of him in between. However, saying that he was present throughout the book wouldn't be correct because... Naw, I wouldn't say. Spoilers.

I love a complex antagonist and Leigh has masterfully crafted one. The Darkling is indeed a rather complicated character because he isn't the I-want-to-take-over-the-world-mua-ha-ha sort. Fine, he is, but not that kind. Usually, you would question why an antagonist would do whatever horrible things he wants to do, and the answer you get is pretty much the same. However, what I learned about the Darkling was interestingly different. He's fueled by his greed and want for power which in return, has him corrupted. He wants to expand the Shadow Fold, use it as a weapon, rule Ravka etc. I'm impressed with the Darkling. One moment he's and and expertise liar and the other, doing something unpredictable. He's filled with surprises, astonishing tricks up his sleeves. Really, he's one antagonist that kept me at the edge of my seat.

    

To sum it up, Siege and Storm does not disappoint. Do I need to say anymore? Oh yes.

So. Go get your copy now.

Or else.

On the side note, sorry if my review seemed rather pointless and aimless. I really suck at writing positive reviews because THEY'RE JUST THAT GOOD I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY. You get me? Oh well. And hey, remember to get the book is you haven't got it, yeah? Write it down in a notebook or somewhere. I'll wait.

Rating: 6/5 Stars