Honest Reviews

Ever since I started blogging, I've been thinking a lot about reviews. Most of my reviews are about books that I like. A few aren't. Before I started blogging, I didn't think of reviews as positive or negative. I thought of them as HONEST opinions. Now, I'm really starting to see that a lot of bloggers don't like to write reviews for books they didn't like. I can sort of understand that. I mean, if I don't like a book, why would I want to discuss it and risk hurting the author's feelings? But on the other hand, I think I'm entitled to my say how I feel about a certain book, as long as I'm not being demeaning or malicious. 

I've heard many bloggers say that they don't write reviews for books that they didn't enjoy. I totally get that because it's hard to tell someone who worked so hard on a book that it wasn't enough. But when I write my reviews, I'm not thinking about how the author is going to feel when they read it. I'm thinking about honestly telling them what I think so that they can decide whether they want to change it or not. I am, by no means, a professional reviewer. I can't critique for beans. All I do is offer my opinions.

I know the author may not like what I have to say. But the beauty of my opinions is that the author could completely DISREGARD them if he/she wants to. I'm a 16 year old girl. My opinions are affected by many things: experiences, personality, peer influence, family influence. Everyone is different. We all feel differently about books.

When I started reviewing, it didn't cross my mind that I should hold back on reviews for the books I didn't like. I simply thought, "I read a book and I felt something about it. I'll just share what I felt and see how others felt as well." No big deal right?

But then I wrote a sort-of negative review. To me, it wasn't negative in the least. I wasn't trying to be rude or mean when I gave my opinions on the book. I just stated the aspects that I enjoyed and didn't enjoy. I didn't think it was wrong at all. Then, in the comments, people started thanking me for being honest. I thought to myself, "Why am I being thanked right now? I was honest in all my other reviews too." 

I think there's a fine line between being honest and being malicious. I've read many reviews where the reviewer says some horrible things about the book and the author. I always keep in mind that the author, editor, publisher, etc., worked incredibly hard to bring the book before the readers. Their effort is not lost on me. Which is why I try to remain respectful while being honest. I try to OFFER (not FORCE) suggestions for improvement. It's completely up to the author to listen to my suggestions or not. In fact, since I'm so new to the blogging world, I'm pretty sure that authors don't read my reviews because they're unaware my blog even exists.

I want my followers to realize that I respect and honour books, no matter how I feel about them. In turn, I respect the author and everyone involved in making the book possible. 

I usually don't have an issue with saying what I feel as long as it's true to me and doesn't harm anyone. I'm open to others' opinions as well and I'm willing to change my own if I'm proven wrong or hurtful.

Sometimes, I feel like my "negative" (read: honest) reviews may be hurtful to some people. Does that mean I shouldn't reveal them publicly on the blog? I don't think so. I'm entitled to my own opinions. But I don't want to hurt anyone either which is I'm beginning to feel very conflicted.

All I'm trying to say is this: I review books for fun. I give my opinions. I'm not going to like everything about a book. But I'm going to be respectful and honest when I write my reviews. It's not in my interest to offend anyone or cause drama. I know everyone appreciates honesty but I really hope that no one is offended by anything I may have said before, anything I'm saying right now or anything I may say in the future. 

Thanks for reading this. It means a lot. And it'll mean a lot more to me if you guys commented and told me how you feel about honesty in reviews. Hopefully, I'll be able to orient myself over this internal conflict with the help of your thoughts. 

Also, check out Frankie's Good Author's Guide To Bad Reviews and Alex's (of Electrifying Reviews)  Opinions on Negative Reviews. They really helped me gather my thoughts for this review. 

Waiting on Wednesday (03/30/11)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme held by Jill at Breaking the Spine to feature upcoming books that we can't wait to get our hands on.

Time for WoW! Let's see what Honey is waiting on today....

All three come out on April 12th, a week after Red Glove and CoFa. April is going to be really exciting! By the way, look at the cover for Stay in this post. It looks all sun-shiny and bright right? But I've seen another cover, where there are rain clouds in the sky and it looks gloomy. They're both pretty though!

Plague (Gone #4) by
Michael Grant.
The first one was great,
can't wait to read the rest
of this series!

Stay by Deb Caletti
Received an eARC via

Galley Grab.

Will be starting it soon!

  

The Gathering by

Kelley Armstrong.
Buying The Gathering

 pre-release this Sunday 

at a Kelley Armstrong 

signing. Can't wait!

Link your WoWs in the comments if you want me to drop by!

Review: The Deathday Letter

Author: Shaun Hutchinson
Release: June 15, 2010
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Rating: 4/5

Likes

• The concept was what drew me in. In Hutchinson's world, everyone gets a letter 24 hours before their death. The book follows Ollie, a teenage boy who receives his deathday letter. Who wouldn't want to know what happens?
• The characters were all well developed. Each had their own personality. On top of that, we get to learn about events in their past that shaped who they are. The character development was impressive considering that it's a stand alone book
• Ollie was honest and funny. He was blunt at times but it was fun to get into the mind of a teenage boy.
• This book taught me a life lesson: treat everyday like your last. Well, I've obviously heard that before since it's like the biggest cliché ever! But I enjoyed reading it in the form of a novel. 
• The adventures Ollie went on during his last living day were just WOW. His friends help him live his last day to the fullest and I found myself wanting to be in the book with them, pulling their crazy shenanigans! 

Dislikes

• We don't get to learn about how the deathday letter came about. How do the writers of the letters find out that someone is about to die? I think if Hutchinson put more focus on the deathday letter itself, the concept could've flowered into a dystopian series.

To Sum It Up

• Fun, thought-provoking read!
• Lovable characters, adventurous plot.

The Deathday Letter on Goodreads

Shaun Hutchinson's Blog

In My Mailbox (03/27/11)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren.

Cette semaine, j'ai acheté trois livres.
Translation: This week I bought three books.
"Why are you speaking in French, Honey?"
To prove that I am awesome. That is all. 

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. I know you're wondering why I haven't read it yet. All I can say is, I'm a very very stupid girl. Well not that stupid because I had the good sense to get it right?




Firelight by Sophie Jordan. Dragon book. Cool, eh? Other than The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini, I haven't read any dragon books. And it's going to fun reading about dragons from a girl's POV.

Wither by Lauren DeStefano. I received an arc of Wither via Pulse It and I loved it. So I bought myself a copy. Let me tell you, when I held it, I felt like I was going to die from the prettiness. It was THAT pretty. Read my review here.




So now, you need to link your IMMs in the comments below. You just HAVE to do it.

Oh yeah, I changed my blog name again! This one's staying though. I think I like it the best out of all three blog names I've gone through in the past two weeks :)

Hugs and kisses to Brodie of Eleusinian Mysteries for her help!! Speaking of blog names, her's is the coolest! If you don't know what it means, google it. I googled it when I first saw it and I was completely blown away! 

Follow Friday & Blogger Hop (03/24/11)

The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Jennifer at Crazy For Books. Each weekend a new question is posted for book bloggers to answer on their blogs. Find out more and join in on the fun at this weekend's post here.

This week’s question is:

 If you could physically place yourself into a book or series…which one

A. The Harry Potter series, DUH! And I know a lot of you will agree with me. There is no place as intricate and imaginative as the world in Harry Potter. Everything about this series, no matter how small, is multifaceted and nothing is useless; every aspect of every books ties together to create a masterpiece of a series. 

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted over at Parajunkee's View. Each week one blogger will be selected as a feature, so sign up for the Follow Feature. Future features are picked randomly.

So, this week's question:

Q. Inspired by the inane twitter trend of #100FACTSABOUTME, GIVE US FIVE BOOK RELATED SILLY FACTS ABOUT YOU.

Here goes:

1. I can't stand to have half a series in paperback and the other half in hardcover. I need them ALL to be in the same format. I've even sold some of my books to classmates and used the money to buy the books again in another format to make sure they match.
2. Book signings are MY LIFE! If there's one near me, I need to be at it. And when obstacles (LIKE THE DUMB WEATHER) come between me and book signings, I become unpredictable. Some may even describe me as psychotic....
3. I like to collect book related things. Bookmarks, those book-related buttons, postcards, you name it! I love the feeling of being a part of something BIG!
4. Sometimes, I sniff my books. Well, all the time. They just smell so good!! And I know you do it too, DON'T LIE!
5. Don't judge me for this one. Sometimes, I lie to people so that I don't have to lend them my books. Horrible, right? But I only do it to people that I can't trust! They always return it with bent pages and they just throw it around as if it's their homework. If I lend my book to you, YOU NEED TO BE CAREFUL WITH MY BABIES.

Link your silly (weird) book habits in the comments and I'll drop by! Let's see if your habits are weirder, I mean sillier, than mine.

Review: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Author: Sherman Alexie
Illustrator: Ellen Forney
Release: September 12, 2007
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers
Rating: 5/5


** This review was first posted on Diary of A Book Lover (old blog).
I decided to condense and re-post it because I'm a little short on time this week. Enjoy!

Let me begin this review by saying that I fricken love this book. I couldn't believe that I hadn't picked it up earlier! It was on my TBR list for over a year before I actually picked it up.

Likes:

• IT WAS FLIPPING HILARIOUS!!!! I cannot stress that point enough! I was forever LOL'ing (literally) while reading this book. 
• The main character, Junior, was just amazing. He was a riot, but he was strong, determined, realistic, and straight up. He didn't sugar coat anything, just said it point-blank. He had guts. And the fact that he had a whole slew of medical conditions but never let them get in the way of what he wanted was even more endearing. 
• The story line was brilliant. It was interesting to see a Native kid going to a white school because, well, when did you ever really see that? This book addressed the issues that Natives deal with on the reserves and how they're treated by the white people (sorry for being so blunt, I just don't know how else to phrase it) around them. The author puts a humorous twist on all the sad parts in the book to lessen the blow but it's still sad. I'm sure that people who read this book will find themselves laughing and crying at the same time because the author ingeniously makes both emotions applicable to the situation.
• The pictures. Yes, there were pictures in this book and they were great! They got the point across in a humorous yet effective way. They made me crack up on so many different levels! They added depth to the words, bringing the book to a whole nother level ( I know nother isn't a word but it works :D). Let's have a round of applause for the illustrator, Ellen Forney, please! *clap clap clap*

Dislikes:

• It was so short! If only I could have spent more time with these characters. 
• The cover is just....blah. I don't think it does justice to the amazing-ness on the pages inside.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is:

• GO PICK UP THIS BOOK! Sherman Alexie has written a masterpiece.
• He brings to light the social issues associated with Native Americans and coats them with a humourous glaze. But don't let the humour fool you; this book is pretty damn serious.

Waiting on Wednesday (03/23/11)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme held by Jill at Breaking the Spine to feature upcoming books that we can't wait to get our hands on.

So today, I'm waiting for He's So Not Worth It, the sequel to She's So Dead To Us which came out last year. I devoured the first one. I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did which is why I'm extra excited for He's So Not Worth It.
I'm also waiting for Hereafter. I have an eARC of this one from NetGalley just waiting to be read. Since it's the first in a series, I'm not sure what to expect. But the cover is absolutely gorgeous, so I guess we're off to a good start!
Added bonus: THEY BOTH COME OUT ON MY BIRTHDAY. THAT'S RIGHT! ON THE 17TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DAY I WAS BORN. TALK ABOUT AWESOME!
Okay, capslock fest over. Enjoy!

Title: He's So Not Worth It (She's So Dead To Us #2) [Goodreads]
Author: Kieran Scott
Release: June 7, 2011

Title: Hereafter (Hereafter #1) [Goodreads]
Author: Tara Hudson
Release: June 7, 2011

Alright, so you already know the deal. Link it up in the comments! 

Teaser Tuesday (03/22/11)

 

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

_________________

My Teaser:

The touch was soft, kind, familiar. His gaze was firm but gentle. "You have blood on your face."

- Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

I started Angelfire a while ago and put it off for some other books but now I'm at it again! I'm determined to finish it soon :)

Review: The Goddess Test

Author: Aimée Carter 

Release: April 19, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Rating: 3.5/5

I’m not ganna lie, I feel pretty conflicted about The Goddess Test. After reading and loving Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, I had high expectations for a book about Greek mythology. I felt like The Goddess Test was more of a romance than a book about Greek myths though.


Likes

• Interesting premise: Kate has to pass seven tests to become Henry’s (Hades) new wife. Interesting, eh? (Yeah, I just said eh! I am a Canadian, after all :D )
• The relationship between Kate and her mother felt real. We experience Kate’s agony and sadness at the thought of losing her mother to cancer. 
• Kate began as a mature and logical adult because of the hardships with her mother. 
• Kate was able to make good judgements and decisions when it came to her friends and enemies. 
• Kate's developing feelings for Henry were apparent and she worked at their relationship.
• There were some honest-to-gods made-me-wanna-swoon moments between Henry and Kate  (You see what I did there? Gods instead of god...because the book is about the Greek gods...No? Not funny? I'm just making it worse now? Okay, I'll stop D: ) 

Dislikes

• The story was about the seven tests that Kate had to pass, yet we’re not aware of the tests until half the book is over. 
• The tests weren’t hard and impossible like I was expecting. She didn’t even know what the tests were until the end! 
• There wasn’t enough Greek mythology, aside from the Greek gods and occasional mention of Persephone. 
• All the original characters of Greek mythology were changed. And I understand changing them up to make them more modern, but in The Goddess Test, they were COMPELTELY different. If I met Henry on the street, I would never have guessed that he was actually Hades. I couldn’t see the resemblance in character at all. It was pretty much the same for the rest of the Greek gods in the book.
• Kate's relationship with Henry seemed pretty one-sided. I was able to witness Kate falling for Henry but I wasn't able to see his developing feelings for her. One second he loved Persephone and the next he loved Kate.
• I felt like most of the book was fluff. I often found myself waiting for something exciting to happen. 
• The book was pretty predictable. I was able to tell what would happen at least 2 pages before it actually occurred. I even predicted the ending. 

To Sum It Up

• The relationship between Kate and her dying mom was real and heartfelt. 
• The plot was slow and lacked substance. Needed more Greek mythology.
• The rest of the series still has potential and I will be reading the sequels.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Teen for allowing me to read and review The Goddess Test!

The Goddess Test on Goodreads
Aimée Carter's Blog

Aimée Carter's Website

In My Mailbox (03/20/11)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren.

This week, I went to a bookstore and bought three books. Now, you may not know this, but I'm INCREDIBLY cheap. I never pass up an opportunity to save money. The three books I bought this week were in the clearance section. They were all hardcovers but I got each for less than 8 bucks. AND I got 20% off each book because the store was having a sale on teen & kids books!! 

Books + Clearance Prices + Sales = OHHHHH YEAHHHH!!!

Here they are, in all their cheapness and glory:

Once Dead, Twice Shy
by Kim Harrison

Don't Judge A Girl
 By Her Cover
by Ally Carter

                                   

                                           Darklight by 

                                      Lesley Livingston

I don't have the first two books in the Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter and I don't have Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston yet because I want them all in hardcover so I'm getting them gradually, as I find them. I was looking for Once Dead, Twice Shy in hardcover for a long time because I won it's sequel (hardcover) in a contest and I wanted them both to match. I know, I'm picky when it comes to books but can you blame me? They're so beautiful!! Especially when they're in hardcover! I could just sit and stare at my bookshelf for days.

 So there you go, you learned three things about me today.

1) I am the cheapest person you will ever meet.

2) I like all my books in hardcover.

3) I like to spend my time staring at my beautiful bookshelf 

(which has a whole shelf dedicated to HARRY POTTER!)

Link your IMMs in the comments if you want me to drop by :)

Blog Name & Suppperrr Moonn

First off, I'm sorry to say that I've had to change my blog name. I recently learned that there is another well established blogger with the same blog name. When I came up with my blog name, I figured that no one had it because I never saw it anywhere on blogspot. I didn't think about other blogging sites though and I didn't even google it. Stupid, right? So there you go, I've now named my blog, Books For Thought. It's a play on the phrase Food For Thought. I've googled it and I didn't find another blog with the same name so I hope that's the end of it. I'm sorry for the trouble this may have caused anyone.  I won't be changing my blog domain though because that'll cause a lot of trouble for everyone.

On to the rest of the post:

This is just a random picture, nothing special!

I know time zones are totally different for some of you but here in Toronto and most of North America, I guess, the moon was frickken HUGE tonight! Well, 14% bigger than usual but same thing right?! They call it a Super Moon, which makes it sound like it should have a cape!

Basically, when a full moon is its closest to the Earth, it's called a Super Moon. Some people think it caused the devastating earthquake in Japan and I guess it's possible but I don't think so. The earthquake in Japan, as well as the earthquake that occurred in 2004 in the Indian Ocean, both happened closer to the time when the moon was actually its farthest away from the Earth, not its closest. Scientists say there isn't enough evidence to support the claim that the Super Moon caused the earthquake.

I just think the Super Moon is really cool because I'm sort of a space geek 8D I love everything to do with space, I think it's all just amazing. The possibilities are endless and I'm simply fascinated by what could be out there. Hence my profile picture!

Follow Friday (03/18/11)

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted over at Parajunkee's View. Each week one blogger will be selected as a feature, so sign up for the Follow Feature. Future features are picked randomly.

So, this week's question:

Q. How did you come up with your blog name?

A. Well, I'd been thinking about creating a blog for a long time and I didn't want a generic blog name. I wanted something that stood out and was funny. When I heard a "that's what she said" joke on TV, I thought the person said "that's what she read" and I thought it was perfect for a blog name. And the rest is history!

Review: Gone by Michael Grant

Author: Michael Grant
Release: July 1, 2008
Rating: 4/5

In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE.

Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.

Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.

It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...

______________

I first heard about Gone back in 2009 and had it on my TBR list for almost two years. I wanted a hardcover copy of the book but I couldn’t find it anywhere until I discovered the Book Depository. I’ve finally read it and I’m glad I did, it was worth the wait.

The premise of the series is what drew me in. I was reminded of Lord of the Flies when I read the synopsis of Gone and I knew that it would be an interesting story. I have to say, the story was pretty gruesome. Grant certainly did not hold back on the brutality of the kids. It was hard to read about kids killing each other but it was impossible NOT to read it, much like in The Hunger Games. It was obvious that the kids would feel lost without adults and I found their reactions very believable. Grant was able to depict their fear perfectly. There were many twists in the plot to keep the reader on their toes. Grant also changed perspectives and jumped to different characters. I actually enjoyed this tactic because he would leave us with a cliff-hanger for one character and jump to another, which kept me engrossed in the plot. I like how the book ended; it tied up the story for Gone but also left strings open for the rest of the series.

On to the characters. Sam, the protagonist, is the type of boy that I would want to be friends with. He’s funny, courageous, brave, logical, and he has a lot of heart. He was a very believable character, you can tell that he was scared of everything that was going on but he still plucked up the courage to do the right thing. I can tell that he’s going to be a great leader. On the flip side, Caine, the antagonist, was equally great. He was evil but he wasn’t as evil as I expected and I actually appreciate that because he’s just a kid. Diana, who is basically Caine’s assistant, was a refreshing character. She was smart and calculated with a good dose of evil. Quinn, Sam’s best friend, was pretty annoying to me. And Drake, the psychopath killing machine that works for Caine was almost too crazy to believe. I was astounded by how crazy he was; that kid is seriously messed up.

No matter how horrifying this was to read, I still loved it. The only downside was that some of the parts were unnecessary but it wasn’t a big deal. I have the next two books, Hunger and Lies, sitting on my bookshelf and I’ll be reviewing them as soon as I’m done with them. Plague, the forth book in the series will be out April 5, 2011 and I’ll certainly be picking it up.

Waiting on Wednesday (03/16/11)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme held by Jill at Breaking the Spine to feature upcoming books that we can't wait to get our hands on.

This week I'm waiting for two highly anticipated book, City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare and Red Glove by Holly Black! I'm an avid fan of TMI and Curse Workers and I simply can't wait to get my hands on these books! Luckily, they come out on the same day :)

Title: City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments #4) [Goodreads]
Author: Cassandra Clare
Release: April 5, 2011

Title: Red Glove (Curse Workers #2) [Goodreads]

Author: Holly Black

Release: April 5, 2011

Leave a link to your WoW in the comments below and I'll be sure to check them out!

Blogs I Loveee

So as I'm sure you've noticed, I have my blog list posted on the left side of the blog. I've learned a lot from these blogs which is why I made this post to honour them. Of course, there are so many more blogs that I love and I'll be adding them to my blog list over time. Here are a few:

Brodie, of Eleusinian Mysteries, has become a good friend of mine in the blogging world. She's incredibly eloquent and poetic. Just read her reviews and you'll know what I'm talking about. And she's probably the sweetest friend I've made in the blogosphere.

The Naughty Book Kitties is owned by Brent. He is the funniest blogger in the whole entire world. And his posts are always honest. which is what I love about him. He tells it like it is, he doesn't hold back. He's sweet, funny, honest, what more could we ask for? Did I mention he was funny?

Reading Vacation, run by Melina, is another cute blog that I often visit. Melina is 11 (I think!) or maybe 12, but she's amazingly dedicated to her blog. Her blog has almost 700 followers and that takes hard work. Plus, her reviews are organized and to the point, making it easier to read through her posts.

Mundie Moms is where I go to get my Cassie Clare fix. They always have new info and updates on anything to do with The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices. And they have great author interviews, giveaways, and reviews as well.

Booklopedia is such a cute blog! Three girls contribute to this blog which means that it's three times the fun! (Oh man, that was cheesy! LOL) But seriously, it's a great blog and they always have things going on.

Check out these blogs and hit the follow button, they won't disappoint! For more of my favourite blogs, keep an eye on my blog list, I'll be updating it often.

Bye for now :)

Teaser Tuesday (03/15/11)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

_________________

My Teaser:

"...We cease to exist completely, without a shred of our former selves remaining. One cannot die if one was never alive to begin with."

-pg 131, The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Link your teasers in the comments and I'll stop by!

Review: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Title: Wither (Chemical Garden #1)

Author: Lauren DeStefano

Release: March 22, 2011

Rating: 4.5/5

What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home. 

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left.

_________________

Does Wither have the most beautiful cover ever or what?!? The first time I saw it, I couldn't stop drooling over it! When I read the synopsis, I was totally sold. The story seemed just as amazing as the cover.

I don’t know where DeStefano came up with the premise for Wither but it’s simply brilliant. I’m horrified by the idea of the world in Wither but I couldn’t turn away from it. Reading about it makes me sick to my stomach but I still love it because it’s so refreshing and different. It makes me question our world and society today.

I have to admit, I was a little surprised with the plot of Wither. Not disappointed, just surprised. When I read the synopsis, I was expecting action left, right, and centre. That’s not what happened though. Don’t get me wrong, there was plenty of fighting but it was very quiet. DeStefano’s quiet words create thoughts and images in your head just as effectively as a war. The plot is riddled with silent protest and rebellion. Even the parts where the sister-wives are only sitting and talking play a big role in the overall plot because Rhine’s thoughts are so well developed and intricate that they’re able to carry the book all on their own. That’s not to say that there’s no action whatsoever. Rhine gets herself into some sticky situations that you know can’t end well. For me, the only downfall for this book was the ending. I was expecting a big bang at the end because the build up was so intense but that didn't happen. Nonetheless, I liked how the ending left many questions to be answered in the next book. 

I was mind-blown by how well developed all the characters were in Wither. Even the head chef who appears only two or three times has a developed personality. Rhine was amazing. I loved that she was a girl with a plan. She didn't mope around, hoping to be rescued. Her words and thoughts built the majority of the plot. I couldn't believe how eloquent her thoughts were; they painted pictures. The character that screwed with my head the most was Linden, Rhine’s husband. I was conflicted between hating him and loving him. He was a sweet guy and I found myself softening up to him but some of his actions were so messed up that I just wanted to drop kick him in the face! Linden’s other wives, Jenna and Cecily, were great additions to the novel. Their relationships with Rhine were completely different and it was obvious that without them, Rhine wouldn't have done the things that she did. Gabriel, the servant boy, is the character that I want to know more about. I was pleased with the relationship he had with Rhine and I can see so much potential between them. Housemaster Vaughn, to me, is the ultimate antagonist. His actions are all hidden and quiet but they are not to be underestimated. He has the ability to build lives and crush them all at the same time. 

Overall, this much anticipated dystopian was all I expected and more. It was thought provoking and intense. The idea of a world where girls are stolen and prostituted is one like no other and DeStefano has done a wonderful job developing it. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series; DeStefano is an amazing author and I have high expectations for the next book.

* My friend Brodie over at Eleusinian Mysteries wrote an amazing review of Wither so be sure to check it out! 

In My Mailbox (03/13/11)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren

This is my first IMM on this blog and I'm excited to say that I ACTUALLY have books to display! Most of them are from NetGalley (love them!) but I have 2 that I won and bought.

From NetGalley:

Starcrossed by
Josephine Angelini

Hereafter by
Tara Hudson

The Goddess Test by
 Aimee Carter

Angelfire by
Courtney Allison Moulton

Bumped by
Megan McCafferty

Bought & Won:

 

Fall for Anything by
Courtney Summers
 (from Bookaholic Extraordinaire)

Rhymes with Cupid  by
Anna Humphrey

   

I have a whole bunch of books waiting to be read and it'll take me a while to get through them all but I will!

Why, Hello There!

Hey guys! My name is Honey and I am the proud creator of That's What She Read. If you understand the pun, then you deserve a high five! If you don't, then you still deserve a high five just for dropping by :)

I used to blog over at Diary of a Book Lover but I've now created a blog of my own. If any of my old followers migrated over, thank you so much! We're going to have a lot of fun here :)

So, I'm a teen blogger who sticks to YA but I'm open to other genres as well.

Here at That's What She Read, I'll be posting reviews and participating in weekly memes such as In My Mailbox, Teaser Tuesday. Waiting on Wednesday, and Follow Friday, to name a few. I'll probably do random giveaways here and there too.

Mkay, bye guys :)