The Isle of the Lost by Melissa Dela Cruz Book Review

Title: The Isle of the Lost (Disney Descendants Prequel)

Author: Melissa Dela Cruz

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Rating: 4/5 Stars

 

Have I ever mentioned I loved Disney? Of course. Everybody does, who can hate on Disney?

I’m so fond of reading fairytale retellings and I constantly rewatch old Disney movies. My favorite Disney movie of all is Beauty and the Beast. I love Belle. Favorite Disney Villain? I don’t actually have any. So yeah, I’ve been wanting to read about Disney characters ever since but I can’t actually find the perfect book that can make me like remember all the Disney movies I’ve watched and I think this book is the answer to every Disney fan out there.

In fairy tales it’s always Evil vs. Good and Good always wins. But this book, this one is about the Villains for once and not the goody good sweet characters. Like what if you were born in an Evil family and have a parent who is evil? What would you do and what are you expected to do?

Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos are the kids of the most cruel and terrifying villians we thought when we were kids, Maleficent, Evil Queen, Jafar and Cruella. They go to Demon Hall which teaches them to be evil, to carry on their parents unfinished business and to not repeat their mistakes for all the villains were exiled in the Isle of the Lost forever.

Mal goes on a quest to retrieve Maleficient’s scepter because there had been a glitch of magic because of Carlos’s invented device. The four of them went together in the forbidden castle, where they faced their fears and challenges but in the end they failed, they failed to be evil.

I love that this book tells a lesson that even if evil runs in your blood, that doesn’t mean you’re not good in the heart. I adored this book because it’s like I watched a new Disney movie featuring all the villains in my head and it was awesome. And *screams in excitement* because the actual movie “Disney Descendants” is coming out on Disney Channel this July 31^st! So stoked to watch! I just know I will love the movie as much as I loved the book.

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera Book Review

Title: More Happy Than Not

Author: Adam Silvera

Publisher: Soho Teen

Publishing Date: June 2, 2015
Rating: 3/5 Stars

This is a coming to age book about one’s self and self-discovery and sexuality. This is normally not my genre to read but I gave it a go.

Aaron is the guy who has the perfect life in the present, not considering his past. He has a loving girlfriend who loves him unconditionally, a mom that cares for him deeply, a normal brother that doesn’t bother him and friends that he can constantly hang out with.

He has struggles about his present life on how to please her girlfriend, how to always agree with his friends even if deep inside he’s not really with them, how not to be a burden to his mother, and how not to deal with his older brother. Life is normal and life was good for Aaron until he met this one guy, Thomas who became his best friend because her girlfriend had to move away for an art class for a few weeks.

Genevieve (his girlfriend) was with Aaron even when everything began. She was with him in the beginning and even if she knew that he can’t really love her back, she still stayed beside him. I love her so much because of what she honestly did. I want to learn how to love like her; she’s actually my favorite in the book.

So back to the story then, Aaron fell in love with Thomas and he was rejected, much to know about his past, that he was this boy who fell in love with another boy and got a treatment to make him forget of who he is because he felt like it’s the reason everything in his life turned out messed up. But life must go on for him. You must get the book for yourself to read on.

I can’t really say anything about the book or how the book was written because honestly, Adam is a good writer. Although the book is kind of fast-paced for me that I can’t sometimes keep up, this book is still well written, funny, quirky and heartbreaking. You can’t say not to that. But it’s just that I don’t I can’t seem to figure Aaron out because I honestly love Genevieve for him. She is seriously his perfect homogeneous pair, it’s just that he can’t see that and he keeps on looking for somebody else and he only gets nothing but heartbreak and false hopes I just don’t understand. I just wished Aaron saw that.

Overall, this book was still good even if it really is not my genre and not really the way I see things, but this is a good read for teens that may have doubts about on who they really are and that they may see that there is a Genevieve for them to choose no matter what.

Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon ARC Book Review

Title: Everything Everything

Author: Nicola Yoon

Publisher: Random House Kids

Publishing Date: September 1, 2015
Rating: 5/5 stars

I received an advance copy of this book for review from the publisher. Many thanks to them for entrusting me the advanced readers copies (ARCs) of the books they publish and believing in me that I will make a good book review to encourage more readers and share the book love to people. All thoughts and words on this review are my own.

I was just done reading another contemporary book before this so I was thinking of reading a fantasy one but something about this book made me want to read it. I’m thinking it’s probably about the beautiful cover or the fact that bloggers and authors alike are raving good stuff about it.

Let me start by saying that this book is beautiful beyond words. The kind of beautiful that you want to read when you wake up, the kind of beautiful that makes you sigh. It’s the kind of book that makes you speechless and the opposite of it all at once. It makes you feel all the feels all at once.

Maddy is not the typical white girl you read mostly on YA contemporaries. She’s half African-American and half Japanese, so basically she’s African Asian. She has brown skin and curly puffy hair. But she is sick and that is kind of mainstream but well not really for her case, not like Hazel Grace sick but like prisoner sick, she can’t leave outside of her house because literally anything in the outside world can kill her in an instant. She had been depraved of physical contact with people ever since she can remember. But when she met Olly, she wanted everything she can never have. I just love how fierce she is spending her days even with all the risk and uncertainty with Olly. I love the way she loves fiercely.

Olly on the other hand is the weird-emo-angel-of-death boy next door. He’d been through a lot with his family being depraved of love and has his own issues but that doesn’t stop him from loving Maddy. He does everything for her even if he knows she might be taken away from him in any moment.

The content of this book will in no way get you bored because the words, the phrases are artistically written with world theories from medicine to life to love and to everything everything. There are also artworks on this book drawn by Nicola’s husband, David that is too beautiful to even describe. The illustrations are everything everything as well.

The plot of the book is utterly compelling and moving and it’s the kind of book that makes you choke while sighing, and laugh while sobbing, and cry while smiling. You must have this book. It is simply beautiful. And we all need Nicola to write more beautiful books for all of us. 

(c) art by @iceybooks

Book Review: Joyride by Anna Banks

Title: Joyride

Author: Anna Banks

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Date Published: June 2, 2015

Rating: 5/5 stars

Synopsis:

 Who says opposites don't attract?

It's been several years since Carly Vega's parents were deported. Carly lives with her older brother, studies hard, and works the graveyard shift at a convenience store to earn enough to bring her parents back from Mexico.

Arden Moss used to be the star quarterback at school. He used to date popular blondes and have fun pranking with his older sister. But now all that's changed, and Arden needs a new accomplice. Especially one his father, the town sheriff, will disapprove.

All Carly wants, at first, is to stay under the radar and do what her family expects. All Arden wants is to not do what his family expects. When their paths cross, they each realize they've been living according to the wishes of others. Carly and Arden's journey toward their true hearts - and one another-- is funny, romantic, and sometimes harsh. Just like real life.

Review:

Have I mentioned I adore humorous reads to death? No? Well, I do. This is why I love Anna Banks to the ends of every fictional world. What’s on a book that’s all serious, too much drama and sadness? I’m not really much on those. We read to make ourselves feel happy and light in contrast to what we’re feeling in real life. And books by Anna Banks (and also by Kasie West can do all that.)

I’ve never remembered cracking up so much than reading any other book except by Anna Banks. Her jokes and punch lines in all her books get my tummy aching and laughing out loud. I never laugh out loud. I’m the silent, serious, shy type but when I read any of Anna’s books I giggle to death. That relaxation I get from reading Ana’s books are so worth it. I don’t think I can ever repay her.

 This book is easily the new best contemporary read of the year. Carly and Arden are on the list of my favorite couples this year. There are so much feels in this book you actually have to:

Yeah, seriously, I mean that. The plot of the book revolves around unconditional teenage life struggles, financial status as love barrier, and racial discrimination. So it was awesome, very original compared to any other books I’ve read. I’ve read a book about Mexican cartel and the like issues from Kiss Kill Vanish by Jennifer Martinez but this book is really incomparable. I usually can’t help but compare books to other books I’ve read in the past and perhaps say this book is like this book+this book+this book, but Joyride by Ana Banks, I can’t. The plot is a high ten-a perfect score for me.

The characters are very inspiring and unpredictable not like other characters. A ten too. Not like other books. Carly is poor and works hard for her family. You rarely see that, what you see in reality the other way around. It inspires me to be more like her. I really want to be like her. Actually now, I’m thinking of getting a decent job that pays me in my extra shift whilst studying in college so I can support my bookish needs and education and stop depending on my wretched parents. Arden is the exact opposite of Charlie. He’s rich and a happy-go-lucky-guy. But not all of us are perfect; we all have struggles, Arden on his relationship to his parents and Carly to money and her brother.

Opposites do attract. Magnets can even prove that. As Carly and Arden found their way to each other, they learned that there is more to doing what is and is not expected of you. There is more to life than just existing for other people. There are more of you that you have yet to discover. You live the life that was given to you by enjoying and living it for yourself, and not solely dedicating it to others, especially when you’re still young. Ten also to character development. Pacing is all good as well.

So if you need a swoon-worthy and fiercely funny book, I urge you to read and have this book, it’s worth the feels and the tummy ache.

Add the book on your TBR List: Goodreads

Get your copy here: AmazonITBDIKobo

Author Interview: Rachael Allen: Author of The Revenge Playbook

Author Interview

RACHAEL ALLEN

(Author of The Revenge Playbook and 17 First Kisses)

HarperTeen

This is actually my first ever author interview for the blog and I’m so happy that it is Rachael Allen that I interviewed first. I will definitely be having more, that’s for sure.

I have read The Revenge Playbook and it is seriously a must read, especially for readers who are craving girl power and friendship goals, this is for you all. Here’s my review of the book and it is unquestionably 5/5 stars : The Revenge Playbook by Rachel Allen ARC Review

So I interviewed her for her new book that will be out this June 15, The Revenge Playbook.

Synopsis:

Four girls. One plan.

And the night that changes everything.

Liv is the girl everyone gossips about. But when the rumors threaten to crack her relationship with her longtime boyfriend, she's desperate to prove that not everything you hear is true.

Peyton is the girl no one knows. But flying under the radar doesn't mean she's willing to let people walk all over her.

Melanie Jane is the girl everyone wants to be or be with. Beautiful, sassy, and untouchable, she breaks hearts before hers gets broken. Most of the time.

Ana is the girl no one talks to. Not after what happened at the party that ended her friendship with Melanie Jane.

They have nothing in common . . . Except for revenge.

In the small town of Ranburne, high school football rules and the players are treated like kings. How they treat the girls they go to school with? That's a completely different story. Liv, Peyton, Melanie Jane, and Ana each have their own reason for wanting to teach the team a lesson—but it's only when circumstances bring them together that they come up with the plan to steal the one thing the boys hold sacred.

All they have to do is beat them at their own game.

So here are my questions to Rachael and her awesome answers:

Hi there!

I'm so sorry for the delay on this! I was swamped after BEA, but I've got my answers for you now! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, and also for the really fun interview! I appreciate it so much!

xoxo,

Rachael

1.       Describe The Revenge Playbook in 3 Words.

Girls being awesome

2.      If you were (or the girls) an Ice Cream Flavor at Jake’s what would you be and why?

Guess what! Jake's is a real place. *pauses while you flail around in excitement* It's in Atlanta, GA (so you should all come to the Decatur Book Festival sometime so you can try it), and all those flavors are both real and insanely good. http://jakesicecream.com/ You're welcome.

Oh, and this is the flavor I would be:

Devyn’s Animal Cracker™– Your favorite circus friends all frosted up and celebrating you with a rainbow of sprinkles

Because I'm very in touch with my inner child, and I'm really optimistic and love being silly. Not that I don't have a serious side, but this is the ice cream that fits how I'm feeling today :)

3.      How did the concept The Revenge Playbook come to mind?

It was kind of a mash up of ideas and a group effort. I wanted to write a book with a scavenger hunt and also a book that was full of girl power and friendship and girls getting revenge on boys. My critique buddies helped me put the two together and brainstorm from there. And then my editor read the first 10K words and gave me a ton of really great feedback. It was her idea to have the girls start out wanting revenge, but later realizing they wanted to change things in their town. Also, I had written the break up scenes and the scene in the ice cream shop where the girls first team up, and it was her idea to make the break ups connected - like a targeted thing - which is how the idea of The List was born. (So, basically, Jen Klonsky is my hero.)

4.      In real life, do you think it’s too late to break the high school hierarchies or is it already like the nature of high school?

I don't think it's ever too late to try to form a friendship with someone amazing, or to tell people how you really feel. Especially if you're at a school with problems like the ones in The Revenge Playbook, I think those are worth speaking out against. Will it work? I guess it just depends. But I always think it's worth trying (um, but I am not recommending that girls everywhere go out and do all the things the girls in this book did!).

5.      Had you ever had a friendship as cool as the four girls in the story?

I have! I have the best, most wonderful girlfriends in the entire universe! We met in college, and we're still so close years later that the moment we see each other, we fall back into laughing and talking and dance-offing like no time has passed. I love them very much, and I know having them in my life influenced this story.

6.      Should we love football and hate the football players or vice versa?

Great question. I'm a huge football fan, so I definitely wouldn't want people to take away to hate football or football players. Some of the football players in this book are terrible, but some are really nice guys. And some of the guys in the book who don't play football are terrible, and some are nice. You could look at pretty much any group and find good and bad people.

But when people with privilege use that privilege to do bad things or hurt other people and get away with it, that's what I hate seeing. That's something worth fighting against. And by the end of the book, that's what the girls are fighting against, even though personal revenge is what set them on their mission.

7.      The Terms! How did you come up with all those foreign words that the English language doesn’t have a word for? (By the way it was very awesome. My favorite part in reading the book.)

Thank you! I had a lot of fun putting those in the book. A friend had shared a list of interesting foreign words with me (I think it might have been going around Tumblr or something?). I loved reading it, and thought it would be really fun to have some of them in Melanie Jane's POV since she loves other languages. So, I looked up all kinds of other foreign words and made a list of my favorites, and then tried to figure out where it would make sense to have them in the book.

8.      Who’s your favorite of the four girls? (Only if you play favoritism)

I don't have a favorite because I truly love them all, but I will say that Peyton and I have the most similar personalities (though not the same interests and life experiences), and that Liv was the most fun to write of maybe any character in any story I've written.

9.      You’re an expert Dare List Maker! Dare me (or your readers) something!!

I dare you to change the world! (In some small way, in your own small patch of the world. It doesn't have to be huge.)

And if you're feeling like something more immediate and silly, I dare you to do the worm and take a picture and tweet it at me!

Me: No, thanks about the worm Rachael, I can't dance!! Lol.

10.    Writing advice to budding writers and reading advice/message to your readers.

Writing advice: READ READ READ all the time. And WRITE WRITE WRITE all the time. Those are the two biggest things anyone can do to get better at writing. Read books like the ones you want to write, and read books that stretch you. Read books and blogs about writing. Find critique buddies who will give you tough love and make your work better. Good luck!!

Message to readers: I don't know if I have one because I don't want anyone to feel like I'm telling them how to feel about my book. BUT if you love this book and want more contemporary YA, tweet me because I will totally give you recs!

Isn’t she awesome? One day, I honestly want to meet her in the future. Be sure to get your copy on the 15^th! It’s worth the girl power, let’s also anticipate more fabsome books to come from Rachael.

 

About Rachael: 

Rachael Allen lives in Atlanta, GA where she's working furiously on her PhD in neuroscience. When she's not doing science or writing YA, you can find her chasing after her toddler and her two sled dogs. Her debut YA novel 17 FIRST KISSES, is forthcoming from Harper Teen. Rachael may or may not have had 17 first kisses...luckily she doesn't kiss and tell.

More stuff about her:

- She loves reading and writing YA.

- She’s represented by the fabulous Susan Hawk of The Bent Agency.

- Laurie Halse Anderson recently gave her writerly advice on a post-it, and it was the culmination of my being.

- She’s obsessed with football. Playing flag football, watching pro football (Falcons Rise Up!), being a belligerent Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets fan, and playifantasy football with my family.

- She has held a human brain. (It was during anatomy lab. I'm not, like, a serial killer.)

- Her debut 17 FIRST KISSES comes out on June 17th, 2014, and according to a friend on Twitter, it's about: "kissing & making mistakes & kissing and friendships & kissing & girls figuring shit out w/o hating each other & kissing." Which she feel’s is pretty accurate :)

- She love reading about strong female protagonists, fully imagined worlds, rebellion against the establishment, neurodegenerative diseases, and makeover montages - though probably not all in the same book.

- Some writers she loves: Laini Taylor, Sarah Ockler, Laurie Halse Anderson, John Green, Libba Bray, Suzanne Collins, E. Lockhart, Kody Keplinger, Sarah Dessen, Lauren Myracle, Stephanie Perkins, Rainbow Rowell, I could go on forever

You can find her on her BlogIGoodreadsITwitter

Book Review: Don't Stay Up Late (Fear Street Relaunch #2) by R.L Stine

Plot:

"Ever since a car accident killed her father and put Lisa and her mother into the hospital, Lisa can't think straight. She's plagued by nightmares and hallucinations that force her to relive the accident over and over again in vivid detail. When Lisa finds out that a neighbor is looking for a babysitter for her young son, she takes the job immediately, eager to keep busy and shake these disturbing images from her head.

But what promised to be an easy gig turns terrifying when Lisa begins to question exactly who — or what — she is babysitting."

Hey guys I'm one of the co-blogger, Princess. I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review and here are my thoughts:

Review:

I'm pretty sure some (many) of us here grew up reading R.L Stine's book because he's like the master of horror when it comes to scaring children. I guess that's one of the factor why this didn't really worked out for me. I have read tons of Stine's book that I noticed the same pattern that on the way I will just predict what's going to happen and it kinda ruined the book for me.

Also, the writing style doesn't really fit in my sense of enjoyment because it is made so simple that it came out more of a summarized story telling. I'm going to blame myself here because I know that his target audience are children maybe that's why it is written that way.

Maybe this is a sign of me growing up and leaving R.L Stines as a great part of my adventures in reading ever since I was a kid.

Overall, I think this was a great read if I'm still a kid but sorry this doesn't work on me anymore.

Rate: 2/5 stars

Waiting on Wednesday: LIBRARY OF SOULS by Ransom Riggs

Hi! co-blogger JM here once again! :) Today's waiting Wednesday is the anticipating 3rd Novel, the last installment and the conclusion to the Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children Series... Library of Souls! of course we also can't wait for the First book's movie to be released March 16, 2016! 

About the book:
** Release Date: September 22, 2015**

 

The epic conclusion to the best-selling series!

Time is running out for the Peculiar Children. With a dangerous madman on the loose and their beloved Miss Peregrine still in danger, Jacob Portman and Emma Bloom are forced to stage the most daring of rescue missions. They’ll travel through a war-torn landscape, meet new allies, and face greater dangers than ever. . . . Will Jacob come into his own as the hero his fellow Peculiars know him to be? This action-packed adventure features more than 50 all-new Peculiar photographs!

Read an EXCERPT!

I Think I will enjoy this book since I really loved the first book! I haven't read the 2nd book yet (pardon) which has an excuse, because I am waiting for the box set!! the box set of the trilogy would be amazing and perhaps a poster would be included! I have yet to read the second book, but it doesn't mean that I am not eagerly waiting for this... I am dying to binge read the trilogy, a re-read of the first book perhaps would refresh me of the World Peculiars, then will marathon the rest! seems like a plan!

Pre-order Library of Souls: Amazon

Goodreads | Peculiar Wikia

A thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray Book Review

Hi! Co-blogger JM, here Again! A book about time travel that literally hopped me through different dimensions is today’s Book review! Last time I checked I was in the Philippines, but when I read the book I jumped to Russia then to London. Praise the heavenly Lord above that I read this!
Disclaimer: I have my own blog Novels On Trial that’s why it may be Identical to this post, but nevertheless I will continuously be loyal to this blog and still post regularly.

Book 1 of the Firebird Series

 

Title: A Thousand Pieces of You

Author: Claudia Gray

Format: Hardcover

Publisher: Harper Collins/ Harper teen

Number of Pages: 357

RATING: 4.3 STARS

Sypnosis:

Marguerite Caine’s physicist parents are known for their radical scientific achievements. Their most astonishing invention: the Firebird, which allows users to jump into parallel universes, some vastly altered from our own. But when Marguerite’s father is murdered, the killer—her parent’s handsome and enigmatic assistant Paul—escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.

Marguerite can’t let the man who destroyed her family go free, and she races after Paul through different universes, where their lives entangle in increasingly familiar ways. With each encounter she begins to question Paul’s guilt—and her own heart. Soon she discovers the truth behind her father’s death is more sinister than she ever could have imagined.

A Thousand Pieces of You explores a reality where we witness the countless other lives we might lead in an amazingly intricate multiverse, and ask whether, amid infinite possibilities, one love can endure.

3 points:

Much more beautiful in person *own photo*

Plot. A unique and interesting concept covering the book. A centralized mind-set of Marguerite to kill Paul Markov whom she THINKS that killed her parents. the fact that Marguerite is chasing Paul with her companion Theo through different dimensions is awe-ing, but those dimensions really got me... one is London, and the other is Russia! every dimension they go through they are somebody else. for example, if you are a slave in your own world, then in the other dimension you are a prince... it did had me gripped!

Cover. I barely includes cover as a main point and as you can see in my blog cover, it says "Judging the  book, NOT by its cover" which is contradictory to what I am doing right now, but hey look at that majestic cover... the cover is not the whole basis of my rating by the way! I didn't fully judged the book by just looking at it so I'm not guilty to include this  as a main point... The cover filled my eyes with elegant colors and attractive concept. it did summarized and showed the whole premise of the book which is time travel and dimension hopping! it's an eye candy of a book, really!

Characters. Complex characters. even in other dimension they are so on-point of their different signature personalities that did defines who they really are. some of the characters did got me so sketchy about them and I saw their true colors at the end which satisfied, because skeptical it s, I felt about them since i got to know them... it kept me guessing over and over again til' the last part.

SEQUEL (Book 2)

My dear lord, another eye candy

of a novel!

**Release date: November 3, 2015**

Adjudication:

the book itself an stand on its own which perhaps can be a stand-alone novel but Gray did left some few strands of questions than can absolutely lead into a good sequel!The twist at the end part didn't quite got me since I kept on guessing since I flipped the first page (sarcastically) but it was a Good twist. not much of a mind-blowing twist but did made sense and satisfied me at the end. All in all I enjoyed it. I can't stop reading and kept me at the edge of my seat because of the scenes and events in every page! Now i crave for the sequel which i wish will be as good as the first book or perhaps better!

Buy A thousand Pieces of You:
Locally: National Bookstore | Fully Booked
Internationally: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository