Book Review: Allegiant, by Veronica Roth

While I loved the revelations and the "world" of Allegiant, I found myself really bored during much of the book.

Tris and Tobias end up going beyond the city to find out what is there. What they find is not all they had hoped for. It appears there isn't anyplace free from strife. We are introduced to some new characters in the outside world that are just as warped as the faction leaders. They visit "the fringe" which basically are the slums full of people who the government doesn't care about. I won't get into the different classes in the outside world, but they are as crazy as the factions and the factionless.

Tris and Tobias and their friends are of course stunned at what is really going on in their city. It's hard for them to grasp what the outside world has created and why. But yet, they jump right in and start fighting for what they believe is right with some dire consequences.

I love this scenario and the explanation of the factions and why they exist. I love the fact that the people who are running the experiments are so misguided themselves. I think the world that Roth has created is unique and very creative.

The reason I was bored is because it just seemed like different groups kept rebelling, and they would get through one battle and figure out more about what is going on which would lead to another battle. And, the solutions always just seemed too easy. I never got a real sense of danger until the end of Allegiant. They do end up  figuring out a plan to truly make the world a better place, and the execution of this plan at the end of the book is awesome. But, the 400 pages before that just kind of went in circles. There was a lot of planning and fighting, and the advancement of the plot was slow. Probably because there was all this relationship stuff going on too.

I did like Tris and Tobias' relationship much better in Allegiant. Their "honesty" policy helped a lot. In Insurgent, I was very frustrated with their lack of communication and honesty. I'm glad things got better with them, and I enjoyed the progression of their romance. I've seen many reviews that complain about the alternating POVs being confusing because Tris and Tobias sound so much the same, and I agree. At times I couldn't remember which "I" was talking.

I'm OK with the ending. Gutsy. It had been spoiled, so I knew it was coming.  Pare down the middle of the book by about 100 pages, and this would have been a 5 hat review. Anyone who has read the first two books (Divergent and Insurgent) should definitely finish the series. Allegiant is worth it.

Published by Katherine Tegen Books, October 22, 2013
Copy obtained from the library
526 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Tour and Review: Neverwas, by Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed & Larkin Reed

My Review:

I rarely read book blurbs. So, when I agreed to read Neverwas, I didn't know what I was getting into! I didn't remember details of Amber House, so when I started reading Neverwas, I was a bit confused. The world was different. The house was the same, but the country, the politics, and the personalities of some of the characters was totally different.

Then Sarah started having visions and receiving messages that were telling her things were wrong. Things were not the way they were supposed to be, and I realized that we are now in an alternate universe. How cool!

I won't go into too many details of this strange world, but the Nazis won the war, and there's no such thing as civil rights. But, some things are good! Sarah's parents get along great, and her mom has no intention of selling Amber House.

Jackson is helping Sarah to interpret her visions, and they decide that they must try to do something to make the world go back the way it was. Sarah has to figure out what she needs to change in the past, then she and Jackson have to figure out how to do it.

This quest is very exciting, but sometimes the solutions came a bit to easily (although not ALL the time!) I found the details of all the ancestors and what each of them did to be a little bit difficult to follow, but those details aren't really important. There's only a couple of people from the past that end up being critical to the events that changed the world.

I wish I would have been able to read Amber House again, right before Neverwas. You really need to read them in order, and I would have liked the details of Amber House to have been a bit more clear in my mind. I definitely recommend this series to teens who like a little paranormal adventure. We have ghosts, time travel, and visions (both past and present) to keep you entertained while you are visiting Amber House.

Don't leave yet! Scroll down to see my puzzle piece for the tour -- you can win a signed first edition copy of Neverwas!

Published by Arthur A. Levine Books, January 7, 2014
eBook obtained from the author
320 pages

Rating: 4/5

Here's my puzzle piece:

In NEVERWAS, Sarah must piece together the mystery of her forgotten past with the help of clues left behind by her great-grandmother, Fiona Warren.  For readers interested in the chance to win a signed first-edition hardback of NEVERWAS -- with an exclusive hint for what's in story for Sarah in the final book, OTHERWHEN, hidden inside -- visit each blog on the tour for the month of December, collect the various lines from the poem, arrange them in the proper order, and submit the final sonnet by New Year's Day for a chance to win the special copy of NEVERWAS! Submit your poem to: http://www.amberhouseblog.com/

Visit these blogs to find previously posted puzzle pieces on the tour:

Whispering Pretty Stories
Marie Loves Books 

Bibliophilic Monologues
Books Take You Places 

Tomorrow's tour stop is:

Zach's YA Reviews 

About the authors:

KELLY MOORE is a New York Times best-selling author, former litigator, and single mother of three. Her latest project, the young adult fiction series THE AMBER HOUSE TRILOGY, co-written with her two daughters and based loosely upon her own family history, examines fourteen generations of Maryland women and their ties to the past, present, and future.  The first book in the series was nominated for the 2014 Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award for its realistic portrayal of characters with autism; Moore is outspoken about her inclusion in the autism spectrum, and is dedicated to autism awareness.

TUCKER REED is an award-winning fiction and nonfiction writer.  She has been recognized on the national level for her short stories, essays and poetry.  She is also a notable political blogger and has appeared on CNN, CBS, ABC and HuffPost Live, as well as featured in articles published by TIME magazine, Marie Claire magazine, Ms. magazine, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and The Guardian, among numerous others.

LARKIN REED is a professional photographer, currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in filmmaking. In 2013, Reed established her own multimedia production company, and has subsequently produced and directed several short films.

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The Other Side of Life - An New Angel for the Tree

I'm using these posts to occasionally describe other things I enjoy (besides books.) I used to post these projects on my other blog, but I posted so seldom that I decided to include them here. Feel free to skip this one, if you are strictly in it for the books.

I made a new angel for one of my Christmas trees. She's having trouble holding up her wings, but we're working on it! I'm still happy with how she looks:

Stitched from this pattern purchased from Embroidery Library.

How are your decorations coming? If you post some pictures, please let me know in the comments!

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Stacking the Shelves -- Just One

Hope you are all coping with the holiday preparations! It's practically here! So, I only procured one book this week, but that's OK. I have plenty...

For Review: 

Wicked Games, by Sean Olin, from Edelweiss

So, how about you? Did you have a big book week? Let me know in the comments. Be sure to visit our host, Team Tynga's Reviews and see all the participating blogs. Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you back here soon.

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Feature & Follow Friday: A Random Book

This week's challenge from Parajunkee & Alison:

Bookselling Time: Go to your biggest bookcases. Go to the second shelf from the top and pick out the sixth book from the left. Handsell that book to us - even if you haven’t read it or if you hated it. (if you don’t have bookcases, done have six books on one shelf, etc, pick a book at random)

I decided to look on my Kindle in my "to read someday" folder, and I picked the sixth book on the list.

Sweet Evil, by Wendy Higgins

First of all, I LOVE this cover. I mean, what's not to love. I WANT that dress. (Even though I have no place to wear it.)  It's apparently an angel book. Although it sounds different, because the main character is the daughter of a fallen angel -- which means she's supposed to be evil. But she's nice! So there's an inner turmoil, and of course a guy who is a bad influence.

It sounds like the kind of story I would really like, and hopefully picking this one for this Feature & Follow post will encourage me to read it!!  Although, I have 43 books in my Kindle TBR (that does not include review books.) So many books, so little time!

Here are some reviews of Sweet Evil from some bloggers who have actually read the book:

Winter Haven Books

Katie's Book Blog
The Book Monsters

If you've reviewed Sweet Evil, please feel free to leave a link in the comments. Thanks!

I hope you enjoyed your visit and will come back soon! Have a great weekend.

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Book Review: Speaking From Among the Bones, by Alan Bradley

I just had to catch up with the Flavia de Luce series before the new one comes out in January. Speaking From Among the Bones is just as delightful as the previous books.

Flavia, who I believe will soon be 12 years old, finds yet another body in an old crypt at St. Tankred. The organist, who disappeared a while ago, is laying on top of the crypt that holds the bones of Saint Tancred! How did he get there?

Flavia doesn't even work much on the supposed murder. She's off on several tangents, discovering hidden tunnels and worrying about bats in the church and a young man kept captive in his own home. But of course it all comes together famously, and Flavia is the (usual) hero.

Finances haven't improved, and Buckshaw, their old mansion, has finally been put up for sale. Of course Flavia and her sisters are devastated, not knowing what will become of them. Feely seems to be engaged! But, to whom? Flavia's usual descriptions of various chemical reactions, especially the poisonous ones, are as entertaining as usual. The sisters, although still mostly at each other's throats, have some "moments" in Speaking From Among the Bones.

It isn't necessary to read these books in order, although previous cases are referred to. But, Speaking From Among the Bones does set up the next story with its shocking ending. So, I would recommend ALL of the series, because I love them all, but for sure read Speaking From Among the Bones before the next book (January 14), The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches. I CAN'T WAIT!!

Published by Delacorte, January 29, 2013
Copy obtained from the library
375 pages

Rating: 5/5

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Book Review: Perfect Ruin, by Lauren DeStefano @LaurenDeStefano

Basically, Perfect Ruin is a dystopian -- the government is all-powerful, people have lost many freedoms, everyone thinks all these rules are for their own good, etc. But, the setting makes Perfect Ruin shine. We are on an island in the air, people!

It isn't really clear how or why this hunk of earth ended up in the sky. It's called Internment, and it's big enough to have a park, industry, agriculture, schools, and shops. People are in each other's business because there's no spreading out. There are shuttle tracks that run around the edge of the island, and no one is allowed on the other side of the tracks. At the edge, there are horrible winds. But some people can't stand not knowing what is on the ground under them -- with all that space -- and they attempt to jump. Like Morgan's brother did. He survived, but he'll never be the same.

That doesn't keep Morgan from wondering about the edge. She thinks there's something wrong with herself because she can't stop thinking about what's on the ground. Infants are betrothed at birth, or before. The government restricts births; they must keep the population from growing. Morgan has an interesting betrothed, Basil, and best friend, Pen. But she's afraid for them to find out that she's obsessed with the ground. All of the characters are well-developed and we really get to know them.

A murder on Internment and then a fire changes everything. Suddenly Morgan is frightened -- she doesn't feel safe. Even when her own father is a patrolman whose job it is to keep everyone safe. Society's beliefs are strange -- but the politics and this unique world make these ideas believable. Turns out that there are a lot of things on Internment that Morgan is unaware of. But she's going to find out.

It's easy to become absorbed in this world. The characters are unique, and their differing philosophies make for interesting discussions. They all have secrets, and of course many of these secrets are going to come out.

I didn't get much tension from the ending. I always felt that everything was going to be OK. But, Perfect Ruin ends on a pretty big cliffhanger, and I will be highly anticipating the next book in the Internment Chronicles series (something like October of 2014!!).

Published by Simon & Schuster BFYR, October 1, 2013
eBook purchased
368 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Stacking the Shelves -- Edelweiss Love

Time to talk about the new books we've grabbed this week. Edelweiss had a plethora of YA books that I am interested in. I could have requested a lot more, but I tried to hold back so I can be sure and have time to read them.

For Review:

After the End, by Amy Plum from Edelweiss

The Murder Complex, by Lindsay Cummings from Edelweiss

Guy in Real Life, by Steve Brezenoff from Edelweiss

The Scar Boys, by Len Vlahos, from Netgalley

From the Library:

Speaking From Among the Bones, by Alan Bradley

I have to finish this one, so I'm ready for the new one in January!

What did YOU get this week? Anything I should put on my list? I'm sure there is. Leave me a link. Make sure you visit Team Tynga's Reviews and see all the other participating blogs. Thanks for visiting and come back soon!

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Feature & Follow Friday: New Adventures

This week's challenge from Parajunkee & Alison:

Q: Tell us at least one new or unusual thing you’ve done in 2013.

We do a lot of camping in our trailer, but usually it's a long weekend. We've taken a few longer trips but mostly stayed in this state or a close neighbor. This summer we took the trailer all the way to Colorado, then back through Texas and Oklahoma. It was quite the daring adventure for us!

Palo Duro Canyon, Texas

How about you? Did you expand your horizons in 2013? Let me know in the comments!

I hope you enjoyed your visit and will come back soon! Have a great weekend.

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Book Review: Game, by Barry Lyga

No! No! No!. I'm so angry. Game ends on a HUGE cliffhanger. I Hunt Killers was not like that at all. I am so not a fan of authors who stop in the middle of the story with no resolution whatsoever. Uggghhhh!

I loved the story. I love these characters. There's no way to figure out what is going on, and you feel the frustration of the characters. Jazz ends up in New York helping the NYPD with a serial killer case -- it has nothing to do with his dad....or....does it?

Lyga gets you wrapped up in the heads of the characters. We get Billy Dent's perspective (Jazz's dad), and Connie's (the girlfriend) and Howie's (the best friend) as well as Jazz's. Lyga uses whomever's perspective works for the story.

Jazz is still hung up about whether he is destined to kill someone; his dad's lessons from long ago keep popping into his head.  G. William (the sheriff) doesn't have a big enough part in Game -- I really like his character.

Connie and Jazz's relationship is getting stronger, but with this seriousness comes much apprehension on Jazz's part. His upbringing haunts him constantly. Connie is on her own adventure. She's getting texted clues, and she's determined to figure out the sender without any help from Jazz (he's much too busy working on the serial killer case.) One problem I had with Game is that Connie almost miraculously figures out these bizarre clues. And she does it very easily and quickly. Makes the story move, though.

Oh, the ending. Nothing is resolved. Everything is up in the air, with several characters in dangerous situations. Are you kidding me? That IS NOT an ending. That is the climax of the story. We don't end books there! At least, we SHOULDN'T.

So, loved the story, loved the characters, and really felt cheated by the ending. Of course I recommend this series. Great for reluctant readers (although this second book is very long.)  I can't wait for and will happily read the next installment. But I'm still mad....

Published by Little, Brown BFYR, April 16, 2013
Copy obtained from the library
520 pages

Rating: 4/5

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