Review: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Eleanor & Park
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Pages: 328
Source: Library
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.

Devastatingly beautiful and heartbreaking.  Eleanor & Park will be sure to warm even the coldest of hearts and touch the lives of everyone who reads it.

Why, oh why did I wait so long to read this book!  Please excuse the incoherence in this review because even after finishing it couple of weeks ago I can't seem to come off the whirlwind that Eleanor & Park put me on.  

Eleanor has led a tough life.  She wears her individuality as a shield to protect herself from others harmful comments and from letting them get too close.  Somehow through comic books, mix tapes, and bus rides Park slips around that shield and it starts to crack just a little.  At first I wasn't really a fan of Eleanor.  She was brash and stand-offish, but the more I came to know her and her situation the more I just wanted to rescue her and her siblings (who I actually was not fans of either, but that didn't stop me from caring about them).  

Eleanor and Park's relationship was so cute.  They had some rough patches but the best thing was that they brought out the light in each other.  They were people who shouldn't hide, but instead let their individuality shine.  While there were many adorable scenes between these two, this book was hard to read.  It wasn't Rainbow Rowell's writing or anything like that, the subject matter was tough.  I found my heart hurting and wanting to escape from the story and yet I couldn't put the book down.   I had become attached to these people and their story and I couldn't leave them until the end.  (Little did I know they would stick with me long after I turned the last page). 

The characters and the situations in Eleanor & Park were very realistic and that is what makes it the book that so many people love.  It showed that sometimes life doesn't even hand you lemons, instead it takes everything and you have to somehow go on when there is nothing left.  It showed that sometimes you have to grow up before you are ready and know that the horrible thief that stole your childhood would never be caught and punished.  But it also showed hope and kindness -- and love.   

Eleanor & Park will blow you away...seriously just go read this book.  

Review of MILA 2.0 by Debra Driza

Title: MILA 2.0 (MILA 2.0, #1)
Author: Debra Driza
Published by: HarperCollins
Pages: 480
Source: Publisher/Edelweiss
Format: ebook
Rating: 4 stars

Summary from Goodreads : Mila was living with her mother in a small Minnesota town when she discovered she was also living a lie. 

She was never meant to learn the truth about her identity. She was never supposed to remember the past—that she was built in a computer science lab and programmed to do things real people would never do.

Now she has no choice but to run—from the dangerous operatives who want her terminated because she knows too much, and from a mysterious group that wants to capture her alive and unlock her advanced technology.

Evading her enemies won't help Mila escape the cruel reality of what she is and cope with everything she has had to leave behind. However, what she's becoming is beyond anyone's imagination, including her own, and that just might save her life.

Futuristic, fun, and filled with action; MILA 2.0 is a book you wouldn't want to miss.  

What a wild ride.  While this book started out a bit slower, it ended with a spectacular fireworks.  Looking back I can't believe how much was crammed between the pages.  Seriously, by the end of the story there were games, explosions, high speed chases, crazy androids, and murderous scientists.  I flew through the pages trying to figure out how it was going to end and who was going to live.  It was a bit exhilarating.      

While Mila was just trying to be a normal teenager, things soon go south for her when she realizes she is a artificial being who is highly coveted.  Even though Mila is not human, she does have the emotions of a teenage girl making her both weaker and stronger for it.  This really plays out towards the end of the story as she uses her emotions to not only fights to save her own life, but also those of people she truly cares for.  

The one area of MILA 2.0 that I wasn't sold on was the characters.  Yes, I liked them, but I didn't connect with them.  Maybe it was due to the fact that Mila isn't human, but I never felt like I got to understand her or some of the other characters.  But I have to say that Debra Driza did a great job at creating the villains.  They were so creepy and scary people that I would not want to find myself alone with them...ever.  

While part of Mila's story came to a close, there was a lot left open which I think will lead nicely into the next book in the series.  

Review of The Culling by Steven dos Santos

Title: The Culling (The Torch Keeper, #1)
Author: Steven dos Santos
Published by: Flux
Pages: 421
Source: Publisher/NetGalley
Format: ebook
Rating: 5 stars

Summary from Goodreads:  Recruitment Day is here...if you fail, a loved one will die...

For Lucian “Lucky” Spark, Recruitment Day means the Establishment, a totalitarian government, will force him to become one of five Recruits competing to join the ruthless Imposer task force. Each Recruit participates in increasingly difficult and violent military training for a chance to advance to the next level. Those who fail must choose an “Incentive”—a family member—to be brutally killed. If Lucky fails, he’ll have to choose death for his only living relative: Cole, his four-year-old brother.

Lucky will do everything he can to keep his brother alive, even if it means sacrificing the lives of other Recruits’ loved ones. What Lucky isn’t prepared for is his undeniable attraction to the handsome, rebellious Digory Tycho. While Lucky and Digory train together, their relationship grows. But daring to care for another Recruit in a world where love is used as the ultimate weapon is extremely dangerous. As Lucky soon learns, the consequences can be deadly...

I am not one for dark, violent, and horrifying tales but The Culling captivated me and turned my world upside down.

I'm having a difficult time putting into words what I feel about The Culling.  I was incredibly horrified and yet I could not take my eyes off the pages.  Think of facing the scenario of not only have to fight for your freedom, but if you lose you have to choose which of your loved ones to kill...it's heartbreaking and so scary.  I didn't really contemplate the situations that these young adults were put into until the day came when they were put through The Trials...I felt so hopeless and broken.  I could not believe the emotions that Steven dos Santos evoked in the reader.  It is really quite amazing that he was able to convey all he did through one novel.

The Recruits were people who were desperate and did barbaric things.  I wanted to hate some of them, but I couldn't because at times I could relate to them and  I have no idea who The Trials would turn me into.  Lucky and Digory were by far my favorite characters, but I came to like most of the Recruits by the end and if I didn't like them I could at least understand them.  Cassius, while I despised him, was the perfect villain   He had a way of complete and utter control over others that made you cringe.  It was worse than someone who used violence, because he really messed with a person's mind and emotions.  It was utterly brilliant, yet horrifying.  

The one thing about this novel that I adored is the incorporation of  homosexuality.  It wasn't obvious at first or even the center of the story.  There was no gay best friend, or homophobic jock.  The world as a whole was pretty messed up in The Culling, but how they viewed homosexuality (essentially homophobia didn't exist) was something I can only hope our world will someday achieve.  The romance was completely natural and something that I think everyone will enjoy and root for.

Overall I was amazed by this novel.  I don't only suggest you read this, but do it now.  I only wish I could go out and buy everyone copies...it's that good!    

Review of Hooked by Liz Fichera

Title: Hooked (Hooked, #1)
Author: Liz Fichera
Published by: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 368
Source: Publisher/NetGalley
Format: ebook
Rating: 3 stars

Summary from Goodreads:  Get Hooked on a Girl Named Fred...

HE said: Fred Oday is a girl? Puh-leeze. Why is a girl taking my best friend’s spot on the boys’ varsity golf team?

SHE said: Can I seriously do this? Can I join the boys’ team? Everyone will hate me—especially Ryan Berenger.

HE said: Coach expects me to partner with Fred on the green? That is crazy bad. Fred’s got to go—especially now that I can’t get her out of my head. So not happening.

SHE said: Ryan can be nice, when he’s not being a jerk. Like the time he carried my golf bag. But the girl from the rez and the spoiled rich boy from the suburbs? So not happening.

But there’s no denying that things are happening as the girl with the killer swing takes on the boy with the killer smile....

Liz Fichera doesn't hold anything back in her debut novel Hooked.  While the story focuses on Fred, the first girl on the guys varsity team, there are many underlying issues at work.  Some of them include: racism, alcohol abuse, stereotyping, physical abuse, infidelity, gender inequality and socio-economic status.  This may seem like a lot to handle, but it was presented really well in the story. 

Fred, a Native American girl golfer, joins the varsity team only to cause an uproar.  The guys are not only upset that there is a girl on their team, but that she is better than all of them.  While I wasn't a fan of a lot of the characters I thought most were true to what you'd expect.  I'm not saying I agree with many of their actions, but I felt like Liz Fichera portrayed each character in a manner that suited them and their behaviors.  While we really got to know both Fred and Ryan and their home lives, we only got glimpses of the other's lives.  These supporting characters felt a little flat to me since I didn't know much about them.  Fred on the other hand, I did like but at times I thought she was a bit naive.  She was a tough girl, who has led a rough live and so that aspect of her character didn't fit for me.

The story started off really well, as I love the thought of gender - equality, and if I'm being completely truthful the thought of not only a women, but a minority women showing up all these rich snobby white boys had me cheering Fred on and hoping she would succeed.  Soon though, things started to get twisted up and I felt like there were too many communication errors and other situations that it felt jumbled and like we were hoping from one scenario to the next.  It just happened to be too much drama for me.

While this book wasn't a hole-in-one (sorry I couldn't help it), I still enjoyed it and will most likely read the next book in the series. 

Review of Pivot Point by Kasie West

Title: Pivot Point (Pivot Point, #1)
Author: Kasie West
Published by: HarperTeen
Pages: 352
Source: Publisher/Edelweiss
Format: ARC ebook
Rating: 3.5 stars

Summary from Goodreads:  Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

Addison is one of those special girls in her paranormal society that can search into her future when given a choice and see both outcomes played out.  She's not a very popular girl, but soon gains the notice of the star quarterback around the same time she learns that her parents are splitting up.  Now she is left with a big choice--stay with her mom and keep living in the paranormal compound surrounded by her friends and this new crush, or move with her dad to live among the norms always hiding who she really is.  Of course, left with such a big decision she uses her power to search both futures. 

Pivot Point started off a little slow, but right around the middle of the novel I realized I was hooked as we explored both directions of her choice.  What a choice to have to make when you can see both the good and the bad of what each future holds.  I loved that this wasn't an easy choice for Addison and with both choices she will have to make huge sacrifices.  Kasie West didn't gloss anything over and made the readers realize how complicated each choice we make can sometimes be.  Unfortunately,  and unlike Addison, we cannot see the outcomes of our choices, but it's interesting to think about how things may change depending on what we choose.

The characters in this novel, both the paranormal and the norms, come to life.  They are very real with their issues and interactions, though I found them to be a little predictable.  You could easily guess their roles in Addison's life and how they may influence which future she will chose.  I did like the characters, but a lot of this story was based off the interactions between the characters so I wish they would have had a little more deapth. 

By the end of the book I was a bit heart-broken for Addison.  I couldn't quite believe Pivot Point ended like it did, so I'm happy to hear that this will be a series.  I look forward to seeing how Addison will go on with the future she chose and if there is any possibility of a cross over from the other future. 

DAC Blog Tour: Review of The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

Title: The Madman's Daughter (The Madman's Daughter, #1)
Author: Megan Shepherd
Published by: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 432
Source: Debut Author Challenge ARC Tours
Format: Paperback ARC
Rating: 5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.

Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.

Scandalously, thrilling and a bit disturbing; The Madman's Daughter is a book like no other. 

Megan Shepherd introduces us to Juliet whose family fell from society with the accusations about her father's inhumane experiments that forced him to flee London causing rumors of his death.  By a chance encounter she learns that her father is still alive and has the opportunity to go live with him on a remote island and determined for herself if those accusations where true. 

This story was so good.  There are so many little mysteries and surprises that totally catch you off guard...well at least I didn't see them coming.  Initially I was caught up in the scandal but as soon as I met Dr. Moreau, like Juliet, I was a bit repulsed and yet completely intrigued.  As grossed out as you may get at times, the story still pulls you in and makes you want more.  Even though this was a longer novel I flew through it.  I tried to slow down and savor it, but I ended up not having the will-power. 

Not only does the story completely engross you, but the characters are just as fascinating.  Juliet is a forward thinking young lady who has learned medicine, but her father's experiments may be too much or reveal too much about the sickness that may run in the family.  While Juliet may think she is mad, I think she was just ahead of her time.  She was independent and wasn't the docile girl that she was supposed to be.  The relationships she forms with both Montgomery and Edward keep the novel from getting too disturbing and heinous.  The romance is interesting, but there is so much underlying baggage that goes with the characters that you never quite know what to think.

The best thing about this novel was the questions it made arise.  I won't go into the complicated web of theories and moral issues that are floating around in my head, but let me warn you that this novel will stay with you long after you've devoured it. 

 

P.S. Don't Forget to enter my giveaway for Notes from Ghost Town by Kate Ellison. There is a giveaway for both US and International readers!

DAC Tour: Review of The Fire Horse Girl by Kay Honeyman

Title: The Fire Horse Girl
Author: Kay Honeyman
Published by: Arthur A. Levine Books
Pages: 336
Source: Debut Author Challenge ARC Tours
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 4 stars

Summary from Goodreads:  Jade Moon is a Fire Horse -- the worst sign in the Chinese zodiac for girls, said to make them stubborn, willful, and far too imaginative. But while her family despairs of marrying her off, she has a passionate heart and powerful dreams, and wants only to find a way to make them come true.

Then a young man named Sterling Promise comes to their village to offer Jade Moon and her father a chance to go to America. While Sterling Promise's smooth manners couldn't be more different from her own impulsive nature, Jade Moon falls in love with him on the long voyage. But America in 1923 doesn't want to admit many Chinese, and when they are detained at Angel Island, the "Ellis Island of the West," she discovers a betrayal that destroys all her dreams. To get into America, much less survive there, Jade Moon will have to use all her stubbornness and will to break a new path . . . one as brave and dangerous as only a Fire Horse girl can imagine.

Immigration is not a dirty word.  And yet, that is how Americans used to imagine Chinese immigrants.  They didn't want them in their country and made it extremely difficult at times to enter.  So why did people from China still choose to try their hand at becoming an American...opportunities and freedom.

Freedom...that is all Jade Moon could think about.  She's lead a cursed life, being a Fire Horse, and has brought her family nothing but shame.  When the opportunity to come to America arises, she knows she must seize it or be caught in this cycle of despair forever. 

Jade Moon is a great character.  She feisty and will do anything to survive, even when it gets her in trouble.  She is determined and uses her knowledge and skills to not only help herself, but others.  Even when she is betrayed and forced into hopeless situations, she uses her knowledge and skills to find a way out.  This novel is really about her coming of age and finding her place in this new world. 

I have not read much about Chinese immigration, especially in the 1920s.  Kay Honeyman reveals the struggles lead by many Chinese to keep their traditions while blending into a new environment.  The novel is rich with Chinese culture and the blending of tradition with a more modern character is intriguing and exciting.  There is a little bit of mystery and some romance to hook all types of readers, while still producing an engaging plot and mostly well developed characters.  

I thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel by Kay Honeyman and I look forward to seeing more from her in the future. 

2013 Reading Challenges

I'm so excited because this year I think I am actually going to complete all of my 2012 Reading Challenges.  I have four books to go and I'm determined to do it!  Seeing as 2012 is coming to an end, I've decided to start planning my challenges for next year.  I think that this year I'm not going to plan out certain books to read, but just see what fits my mood at the time for each of the challenges.  That being said, here are the challenges that I've signed up for so far:

2013 Debut Author Challenge hosted by Hobbitsies.net

 

2013 Audio Book Challenge hosted by Teresa's Reading Corner

Level: Married-Listen to more than 25 Audio Books

 

2013 Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge hosted by On a Book Bender and Reading the Paranormal.

Level: Coupon Clipper: 12 Books

 

2013 TBR PILE Reading Challenge hosted by 6 Wonderful Bloggers

Level: 21-30 - A Sweet Kiss

 

 

I'm excited for these challenges and hopefully I will be successful!  What reading challenges are you signing up for?