Review: The Son of Neptune (Heroes of Olympus #2)

Author: Rick Riordan

Release: October 4, 2011

Publisher: Hyperion

Goodreads

Likes

• Well...it's Percy Jackson...need I say any more? Probably not, but I will! I absolutely freaking love this boy! He's smart, courageous, cute, innovative, level-headed, and above all, loyal. I just can't get over the amazing-ness that is Percy Jackson! I'd totally fight Annabeth for him but I know she'd kick my a** so I'm just going to keep my love on the down low ;) 
• Riordan's first series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, followed Percy, Annabeth and Grover, the 3 main characters. The Heroes of Olympus introduce many new characters as well as the crew from Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I already had a strong bond with the old characters but I really enjoyed getting to know the new characters. Hazel and Frank were refreshing additions and their chemistry with Percy was absolutely invigorating.
• With the Percy Jackson series, I fell in love with Greek mythology. But in The Heroes of Olympus, Riordan puts a twist on it by creating a Roman camp and introducing the Roman mythology. Of course, it's all pretty much the same but it's interesting to see how the Roman camp reacts to Percy and the Greek camp.
• The Son of Neptune, just like all of Riordan's novels, has an action-packed plot filled with twist and turns that will leave you careening! I absolutely love Riordan's books; I think the structure of his plots are meticulously built so that the reader gets everything they want: romance, action, mythology, adventure, and most of all, hope. 
• The ending...despite the HUGE, and by huge I mean COLOSSAL, cliffhanger, I still found myself satisfied with the conclusion. If Riordan had gone on just 1 more paragraph, there wouldn't have been a cliffhanger but what's the fun in that? 

Dislikes

• Hmmm....
• Uhmmmm....
• Well, I guess...
• I miss Annabeth :( and Grover :( and Tyson :( and basically the entire cast of The Heroes of Olympus :(

To Sum It Up

• LOVE.
• LOVE.
• LOVE.
• Characters, plot, mythology, ending. LOVE.

Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

Hey, have we met? My name is Honey and....oh, we HAVE met? I can't quite recall...wait a minute. Are you one of those dashingly intelligent followers of this blog? You ARE? THEN WE HAVE MET!

What's that? I disappeared?.... and left without a word? Oh dear...

How rude of me :(

Well, if it's any consolation, I've been chastising myself to return to you guys...I swear!

No, I'm not making excuses! I'm sorry! I really am! Forgive meeee :(

You want cookies? Done! And cupcakes too? You got it!

And my undying loyalty written in sacrificial blood? Done!

Soooo.... I missed you guys <3

Review: All These Things I've Done (Birthright #1)

Author: Gabrielle Zevin

Release: September 6, 2011

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (FSC)

Goodreads

Likes

• The main character: Anya was a delight to read about. She was so hardcore! She wouldn't hesitate to pull out a gun or deck someone in the face. She was totally blasé to violence and fear because it was a part of her everyday life. That's not to say that she didn't care about the danger, but she was certainly accustomed to it all. Most importantly, she really got fired up when her family was in danger. She was raw and loyal, level-headed and honest. A truly admirable female lead.
• The secondary characters: Wow. Anya is careful of who she trusts and we get to know these people pretty well. Her grandma, brother and sister all found their way into my heart. Their family situation broke my heart, especially considering how sweet and innocent Anya's siblings are. Anya's friends, Scarlet and Win, were always there for her, especially in times of dire need. They were true friends to Anya, which is important since her life is rife with danger.
• The mobster lifestyle: LOVE IT. Anya's lifestyle made me anxious, fearful and most importantly, excited. Books about illegal crimes and thug-ish life always leave me on the edge of my seat. They're so thrilling! It was always nerve-wracking not know what would happen with Anya because her life is filled with the unpredictable.
• The romance: Anya's relationship with...this boy (I don't wanna spoil)... was sweet and cute. But the reason why I liked it so much, was because it created a crapload of problems! they have the whole star-crossed lovers thing going on because Anya's from a family of criminals and the boy's family is on the totally opposite side. When it came to this relationship, Anya had to be very strong and courageous, as one would guess.

Dislikes

• The world: While the premise of this story is unique, I felt that Anya's world wasn't as intricate as I expected. Chocolate and coffee are illegal in her world. I wanted to know why and how. I had so many questions about the world and how it came to be. But they were never really answered. I just hope that they're answered during the rest of the series.

To Sum It Up

• Captivating, dangerous plot line with a badass main character that perfectly embodies the daughter of a mobster.
• Authentic depiction of family ties, friendships, and romantic relationships.
• Interesting world but needs a bit more development in terms of how it came to be and why and etc.

THANK YOU BRODIE FOR THE ARC! I know it was sent from the publisher (THANKS TO YOU TOO, FSC), but you're the one that made it all happen! Loveeeeee you lots <3

Review: The Beginning of After

Author: Jennifer Castle
Release: September 6, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Goodreads

Likes

• The story: I really appreciated the journey that Laurel went on during this book. After the death of her family, she struggled to figure out how to move on. It was a story of acceptance and appreciation, of looking into yourself and finding a way to cope with unexpected tragedies. 
• Laurel and David: Honestly, I don't think of them separately. For some reason, I can only think of them as one, probably because of what they go through in the book. But I loved their relationship. It was weird and awkward but it made sense and they truly grew together. Although they were perfectly capable of being individuals, I felt much more relaxed when they were together because they provided support and a weird sense of normality for each other. 
• Connections: What I liked best about this book, was the way Laurel connected everything in her life to her deceased family. A picture here or a toy there, everything reminded her of them. Her pain felt so much more real because she still remembered them and found them in every aspect of her life. 
• Ending: The most important thing for Laurel to find was closure. And she did find it. She confronted the root of her problems right down to the core with the help of her family and friends. The way she did it was understandable, if not ethical. 

Dislikes

• Balance: While I truly felt for Laurel and understood her position, I think the book needed more balance. It was quite a depressing, heartfelt read. With books like these, I like to have moments of happiness or the like to lighten the mood.

To Sum It Up

• Sincere story about loss, tragedy, and acceptance.
• Heartbreaking characters that support one another and the readers as well. 

Thanks a bunch, Netgalley! 

2011 YA Contemp Challenge: 13/13 THAT'S RIGHT. OWNED. 

Review: Clean

Author: Amy Reed

Release: July 19, 2011

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Goodreads

Likes

• The story. The idea for this story is just so out there. Getting into the heads of institutionalized kids was a completely new experience for me. But the story was very raw and honest. I had to stop reading multiple times just to ingest what was going on or what someone had said. 
• The characters. Reed constantly switched perspectives between five characters, Olivia, Christopher, Jason, Kelly, and Eva. Never did I once get confused as to how was speaking because their "voices" were all unique and their stories were like none other. And I truly did feel for all of them. They made stupid decisions but I couldn't blame them because of their circumstances, all of which were heartbreaking. Each character's individual story is so powerful and moving.
• The events that take place before and during the book really got to me. I couldn't relate to any of the events but I was certainly able to relate to the thoughts and feelings of  it'the characters during them.
• Reed's writing style changed slightly with each character, but that didn't take away from the story or turn me off. It was very refreshing, actually. We are never in one person's head for very long, and I certainly had no problem adjusting to the different perspectives.
• The ending was very satisfying. I felt happy and complete, which is saying something because this book really tore me up.

Dislikes

• Some plot lines were left open, but the plot lines I'm talking about were very tiny, almost non-existent. So it didn't bother me that much, but while I was reading, I really wanted to know. 

To Sum It Up

• An intense, powerful, raw, heart-wrenching story of unique teens in unique situations and circumstances.
• This book will create a whole hot mess of inner turmoil before patching you up and leaving a smile on your face :)

THANK YOU GALLEY GRAB! <3
2011 Contemp Challenge: 12/13

Winnnners!

Yes, this post is LONGGG overdue. And I know you guys don't want to hear my excuses. So here goes!

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Review: Forbidden

Author: Tabitha Suzuma

Release: June 28, 2011

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Goodreads

Likes

• Incest. There you go. I said it. This book is about incest. But it's about so much more and if you turn away from this wonderful novel because the incest scares you off, then I urge you to truly take the most cliché advice in the world: Don't judge a book by it's cover (or it's subject matter, in this case). Just don't. Anywho, my point is that I never, EVER approved of incest before but this book has taught me to think twice about taboo topics. Maya and Lochan, the siblings that fall in love have showed me that incest is multifaceted. Weird, isn't it? I'd never thought I'd say that but it's true.
• Lochan, one of the main characters, really touched my heart. As the oldest, Lochan takes over as the head of the family because his mother doesn't understand the meaning of responsibility. I've never met an MC like him. He was socially inept but he was an amazing character, nonetheless. His feelings and emotions were brutally honest and raw; even though I'll never be able to know exactly how he felt, I got pretty close because Suzuma is just that good at internalization.
• Lochan's entire family broke my heart. They were so real and their situation made me incredibly sad. Since their mom is a douche, they depend on Lochan and Maya, the elders. The siblings are all different but they still manage to work together and look out for one another. They truly made a beautiful family. 
• Like I said, Lochan and Maya's relationship never felt wrong or disgusting to me. The reasons that they fell in love were legit. Theirs in one of the few relationships that made perfectly good sense because of the way Suzuma depicts the two characters and their circumstances. I honestly couldn't imagine them NOT being together. It was clear why the two needed each other and that's what made their love so real.
• The plot of Forbidden focused on the relationship between Lochan and Maya but there were many smaller sub plots that tied together at the end. Family was a big one. Throughout the novel, it was heartbreaking to see how the family affected the relationship and vice-versa. The end was shocking. I wasn't expecting it at all! My heart was already crumbling but the end just shattered it to pieces.

Dislikes

• The dialogue was weird at times. I mean, I find it awkward to call someone "my love," y'know? I think it's a preference thing though because it might be fine for others. 
• I would've liked to see Maya's side of the relationship developed a bit more. We get to know her personality pretty well but Lochan's feelings felt far stronger and real compared to Maya's.

To Sum It Up

• A heartfelt, mind-altering novel about incest. Left me re-thinking everything I knew about society's views on the taboo subject. 
• Touching characters in intense situations that broke my heart. 
• The most emotionally draining book I've read this year and I say that in the best possible way! 

2011 Contemp Challenge: 11/13 books completed.

Thank you so much Galley Grab for allowing me to read this book! I swear, I'm forever in your debt!