Rejects of 2011 (nine months late)

I think I actually read more awesomeness and less suckiness in 2011 than in previous years.  Or perhaps it’s because I simply wouldn’t finish the truly bad books and forgot to write them down.  I also decided to be an adult and read a lot more non-YA books.   But I digress, here’s a quick rundown of my Rejects of 2011 (Picks of 2011 to come later).

Return to Paradise by Simone Elkeles.  Have you ever read a book and thought it to be awesome, then read a sequel and think, Was this written by a ghost writer?   That’s how I felt here.  RtP was the follow-up to Leaving Paradise, which I dug.  LP was nicely written, entertaining and all-in-all a pretty darn good read.  RtP was…not.  Filled with overused and lame clichés, the writing style left something to be desired.  Like interest.  Plot.  Character development.  So needless to say, it sucked.  A lot.

Another Faust by Daniel Nayeri.  Maybe I’m just not too bright.  Or maybe because when I’m bored with a book, I tend to skim a lot.  But I didn’t understand what was going on half the time.  I believe me, I reread parts more than once just trying to figure out what the heck was happening.  I found this book to be confusing and boring.  I’m not sure if it was confusing and thus I lost interest and was bored.  Or if I was bored so I wasn’t reading carefully and thus became confused.  Chicken or the egg.   You can read it and decide, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

Crossed by Ally Condie.  This was another sequel to a decent book that fell short.  Really short.  The book’s predecessor, Matched, created an engaging dystopian universe in which society and governing figures dictate what you will do and who you will marry.  And of course the heroine doesn't want to marry the perfect boy society has deemed for her.  She wants the bad boy.  While slow at times, the interaction between the characters was enough to keep you going.  This was not the case for Crossed.  Ever seen those Comcast commercials with the tortoises?  They’d like this book because it was simply that slow.  I eventually gave up after the heroine had been traipsing after her love in a desert for half the book.  Because you know what happens when you’re reading about someone walking through a desert for days on end?  Nothing.

Picks (and Rejects) of 2010

Amist the holiday madness, I haven't had much time, or inclination, to read. However I thought I'd countdown my Top Fives of 2010. Originally I thought of doing a top ten, but that list quickly became a tribute to all things Dessen and Marchetta. There weren’t as many totally fan-tastic standouts like there was in 2009, but with the help of new authors (like Dessen) there was considerably less “Never Again!” books. Though now that I think about it, perhaps my standards for Awesome-rankings have been raised because the calibre of writing I've been reading. Hm....

Ooh! And Nin culls out a bunch of Never Again books so I dont waste my time reading them.

In no particular order, because I just can’t decide which was my favorite of 2010, the Faves…

1. The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan – I finished the Percy Jackson series well before this blog was started so I never got to gush about how totally awesome it was. And Riordan’s sequel series does not disappoint. I know I’ll be a spoiler if I go on about how fantastic this book was. So I’ll just say it was an awesome adventure with great new kick-butt characters (I’m a Piper-fangirl all the way).
2. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare – I actually reviewed this book here and obviously I thought it was awesome. I might even like it better than The Mortal Instrument series. Will definitely gives Jace a run for his money. And the English accents are just brilliant.
3. The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen – Flat out loved this book. What’s not to love? Swoon-worthy male character. Great build-up to an uber fabulous and rabid fangirl worthy relationship. Interesting dialogue and side characters. And not a whiff of stinky Love-Pow. Sarah Dessen, where have you been all my life???
4. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta – This book made me a diehard Melina-fangirl. War. Tragedy. Mystery. And of course the best star-crossed couple ever written. Romeo’s got nothing on Jonah Griggs.
5. Book Thief by Mark Zusak – To be honest, this book didn’t quite grip me like Dessen or Marchetta’s books, but mostly because it was way too smart and brutal to swoon over. It was a bit harder to read, because Zusak’s got a totally different style of writing. But the story is like “rip your heart out and stomp on it” good. Totally intense and not for someone looking for an easy, light read. I used to read a lot of World War II stories. But Book Thief was the first one I can remember from the Nazi side, a very different and interesting perspective. And the ending…well you should read it for youself.

And of course a year-end wrap up can’t be complete without the Never Agains. There were quite a few I wanted to put on here, but I narrowed it down (reluctantly) to five.

Again in no particular order, though I did loath them in varying degrees, here are the Top Five Never (Ever) Agains -

1. Torment by Lauren Kate – Really the name just says it all. I could go off about what I did not like in this book, but I already did here. And rehashing boring couples and their mundane, angst-ridden plot lines is bad for my zen.
2. Time of the Witches by Anna Myers – For such a short book, it was insanely slow. The only redeeming quality (but not enough to redeem it out of the Never Again category) was that it was a rather interesting take on the Salem witch trials. But not interesting enough to recommend. Or read again.
3. Immortal by Gillian Shields – I don't remember too much about this book but it was the only one in about eighty books I noted as “Stupid.” Predictable plot with too much of idiot and oblivious girl. But not the endearing kind of obliviousness like Elizabeth Scott’s characters.
4. Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar – GG is a super popular tv show and it’s got a cult following for the huge book series. So I figured it was probably a good series to start. Boy was I wrong. If you’re interesting in reading about overindulgent, whiny rich kid’s lives, then this is the series for you. But overall I thought it was a bunch of stupid teens with absolutely zero plot. And there was no Veronica Mars voice-overs. How lame is that?
5. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins – If it was a standalone book, then it probably doesn't deserve to be in this category. But honestly, this was an extremely disappointing end to such a promising series. Perhaps I’m biased b/c I’m an ill-fated Gale shipper and I don't think he deserved to go out the way he did. However, the book seemed rushed. Did anyone else think it seemed way too convenient that Katniss would fall unconscious while critical parts of the storyline developed? And her constant emo-ness and poor me attitude grated on my nerves within the first few chapters. Katniss of Mockingjay just didn’t hit that level of awesomeness that she did in Hunger Games. It was almost like she was body snatched and replaced with an inferior model. But I suppose that’s what dating down will do to a girl.

And now that I can practically hear Nin's screams of indignation, she was after all a Peeta shipper. Ick.

Til next year...

{NIN} Review: Angel Book Wrap-Up

Vampires, werewolves, and fey are, of late, the "it" creatures of the YA lit world. No surprise that angel-themed books soon followed suite. Tired of the same ol' vampy-shaggy-fairy stories, I decided to try reading angel-themed books.

After reading two books, I realized that angel-themed books are definitely not for me. Why, you ask? Because I have historically loved hot, snarky, tortured, angsty, sarcastic, yet sneakily caring dudes and angels are hardly any of those things. Sure, they're always unbearably beautiful... but that's about it. Angel suitors tend to be calm, have inner peace, overly protective, gentle teasing humor, the perfect gentlemen - in short, flat and boring. As Anne Shirley once said, "I wouldn't want a man who was really wicked. But I think I'd like it if he could be wicked, but wouldn't."

Word up, sister. Even turn-of-the-century prim chicks dug the snarky dudes. And no way, by sheer definition of the word "angel", could an angel love interest possibly encompass any of the characteristics that give compelling guys true personality.

So anyhoo, back to the books that led me to this realization. I really cannot say too much about any of these books so instead will just give a short review of each.

Angel Star by Jennifer Murgia

Outcast girl Teagan with only one friend to her name comes to school one day and hot new kid Garreth shows up out of nowhere with sudden inexplicable interest in her. Illusions are shattered and the truth comes to light - Garreth is Teagan's guardian angel sent to protect her from an evil fallen guardian that is out to rule the mortal world and only Teagan has the power to stop him. Oh, the drama. Oh, and Garreth is madly in love with her after watching over her all these years.

What the heck?

The lack of build up in the story was what bothered me the most. I don't understand the love connection; rather, it just "is" simply because he's been guarding her all these years. I mean, shouldn't there be at least something the guy mentions that he loves about a girl, not, "I've been watching you and now I luuuurve you!" This simply wasn't satisfying enough and just left too many unanswered questions. Mainly, what is so wonderful about Teagan and why should we be rooting for her?

Additionally, there was not much suspense and drama leading up to the epic battle that Teagan and Garreth were anticipating against the evil Hadrian. There just didn't seem to be a very strong and convincing reason on why Teagan was the only one who could save the world - and especially, why we should care.

Never Again

Heavenly by Jennifer Laurens

This book actually started out relatively better for me than Angel Star. We have a somewhat interesting tortured main character Zoe dealing with realistic issues - her family is stressed out over having to take care of a child with autism, and her parents spend so much time on her autistic sister that they don't have time for her or her brother. Her brother is turning into a druggie as a result, and Zoe turns to partying, alcohol, and meaningless hook-ups to deal.

The fantasy part of the story comes when Zoe learns that her sister has a hot guardian angel, Matthias. I'll give the book credit here; it was not instant Love-Pow! Zoe was initially wary of Matthias since he seemed to be stalking her little sister, but she slowly realizes what he is.

So of course you know, she falls in love with him...and he with her. But there was this one really strange part in the book where she thinks in her head that she loves him and then she sees him walking away and suddenly, she just blacks out and falls into deep, dark despair because she thinks he can never love her back. Like, this seriously all took place in her head in the span of like a few seconds.

I did not understand.

And from then on out, it just got weird and boring.

But really, the romance between Zoe and Matthias was uninteresting to me simply because his personality didn't appeal to me.

Never Again & a Half

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

Halo starts out promising to be different from the previous two books in that it is written from the perspective of a newly descended-from-heaven angel rather than through the eyes of a normal human girl. Bethany Church (talk about obvious naming conventions) and her siblings, Archangel Gabriel and Seraphim Ivy, descend upon Venus Cove with the mission from above to “do good works” and, through example, lead the local populace to do the same.

Bethany is the youngest of the trio and has never set foot on earth, so her mind is ablaze with wonder at the sights, sounds, and different feelings she experiences as an angel in the flesh. While her siblings have descended to Earth many times before and are therefore indifferent to the human experience, Bethany is eager to soak up everything she can about being human.

Bethany enrolls at the local private school where she is immediately befriended by somewhat wild child Molly. Molly shows her the ins-and-outs of the school, and gives her the low-down on the different boys at school. The school captain, (Mr. Requisite Hottie) Xavier Woods, takes notice of Bethany and immediately endeavors to get to know her.

Bethany has been warned against forming attachments to the physical world, and especially with humans, as the locals cannot know who the angels really are. However, in true teen girl fashion, she disobeys the laws and reveals her true nature to Xavier whilst falling head-over-heels in love.

Okay, so that should give you an idea of the direction the book goes.

Downhill.

When I first started the book, I thought, okay, Adornetto is taking the angel angle in a different direction than the other two books. It might be interesting to see how an angel deals with landing on earth and trying to blend with the locals. But seriously, once Bethany indulges in her love for Xavier, all she can focus on is him, him, him. She waxes on and on about how much she misses him when she’s not with him, that he is her life now and heaven isn’t her home anymore because Xavier is her home now. What the bloody hell. The story very quickly disintegrates into annoying teen girl sighs over unrealistically attentive, protective, and kind-hearted teenage boy. Seriously, what teenage boy is really like that? Most boys that age are all about rollin’ with the homies and gettin’ action. And Xavier Woods doesn’t have any of those interests? Yeah, right. Fiction, fiction, fiction.

It was like reading Twilight all over again.

On top of the annoying lovelorn girl drama, supposed issues that came up in the book were resolved way too quickly. I present the following examples:

Gabriel and Ivy discover that Bethany has revealed her true angel nature to Xavier. Gabriel visits the Heavenly Council to determine what to do about Bethany and “the situation” – and they decide to let her be. What? Shouldn’t there be like epic consequences, natural disasters, floods, lighting – something – because she has disobeyed the laws of heaven and gained heavenly wrath? Nope, none at all. Bethany gets to go on her merry way with Xavier. If that’s the case, why bother having the law in the first place?

Another example is when Xavier breaks his leg and can’t take Bethany to the prom. He encourages her to go with a substitute date, where sub forces a kiss on her and the moment is captured on camera and posted on Facebook. Xavier avoids Bethany for the next 3-4 days and when she finally confronts him, he believes that she cheated on him and had given him the heave-ho. Bethany tries to explain what really happened, but it falls on deaf ears. She goes away and falls into a deep, dark depression because she despairs that she has lost him forever (sound familiar?). Oh, but guess what? It gets all nicely resolved 1 page later when Gabriel goes to Xavier’s house to set him straight. What makes Big Brother’s words more believable than Bethany’s?? Stupid boy. And stupid girl immediately takes him back. Dude, I would at least have railed him for being a dumbass and not willing to listen to my reasons. But no, it was, oh I'm so glad you finally believe me! I almost died without you. Blech. Totally gag-worthy.

Okay, so after all this crazy love drama, there is the baddie that comes in and tries to corrupt the town. And then they battle and it ends, but not really, because there is going to be a sequel. And that is just a really bad idea because if I can sum up what should be an epic confrontation with the main baddie in like 1 sentence, that tells you just how unmemorable this book turned out for me.

Halo is seriously like Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse combined but worse because at least I liked Edward at first. I felt that Adornetto was trying to pack way too much in one book, but it also simultaneously moved excruciatingly slow. Conundrum? Yes, but she managed it.

Never Again

JaReview: More Randomness

Here is my rendition of Nin's "bursts of thoughts" on books I've recently read, but dont really know what to say. As you can tell, I havent read anything stellar lately. Well, except Clockwork Angel, which I might like more than TMI. But more on that later.

When it Happens by Susane Colasanti
This was another one of those dual perspective books, alternating between Tobey and Sara. She’s the quintessential student government smart girl. He’s the slacker, rocker boy. But Tobey didn’t really do it for me. Perhaps because it was in his perspective, so it took away from the mysterious, enigmatic boy persona. You always know what he's thinking and sometimes, I really did not want to know. The alternating perspective got a bit dull after a while, lots of repeating the same scene only from a different point of view. It was sort of like watching an episode of the Event. And call me shallow but I just cant get behind a guy name Tobey.

Didn’t suffer to terribly


Fallen by Lauren Kate
I did not like this book. At all. It was a major case of love-pow. Luce is inexplicably drawn to Daniel but she cant figure out why. Sure you get glimpses of their past lives together, the ones that always ending with her untimely demise. But there didn’t seem to be any real connection in the current life. It was way too reminiscent of Soulmate by LJ Smith or the Immortals series by Alyson Noel, only with less significant interaction between the couple. But the sequel is on my queue. So I suppose I’m partially vested.

Didn’t suffer to terribly (but should probably be Never Again)


Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
I waited forever to get this book. So quite possibly I built it way too much in my head and, thus, it was doomed to fall short of expectations. If the Ministry of Magic ever had an alternative to Hogwarts, where they’d send all their misbehaving underage witches and wizards, Hex Hall would be it. The main character, Sophie, is ordered there after a love spell gone awry.

Upon arrival at Hex Hall, she accomplishes all the requisites of any teen novel. Piss off the most popular (and mean) girl in school. Check. Tries not to but falls for the hottest boy in school (who’s dating said mean girl). Check. Befriend the school outcast (in this case a vampire girl happens to be her roommate). Check.

Of course add to that learning the truth about her parentage and amassing more powers then the other kids. But, don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the story. Though, it did seem like the events that transpired happened at the cost of character continuity (like what's her face's sacrifice at the end). And that didn’t sit well with me. But there’s a sequel, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

I digs


Get Well Soon by Julie Halpern
Since I totally dug Halpern’s Wild Nerd Yonder book, I decided to give this one a try. Anna Bloom is institutionalized by her parents, much to her dismay. It was interesting because she didn’t seem to have a clear mental illness aside from maybe depression. It’s not as though she was hearing voices (who doesn't?) or anything concrete like that, but perhaps that’s what made her more relatable to a wider audience.

There are some comical characters, such the boy who claims to be a servant of the Dark Lord (and, no, I’m not talking Voldemort). Then there are some seemingly normal people that make you wonder why they’re locked up. Anna’s narration is snarky and filled with the Damn the Man thoughts, which was entertaining. I digs mostly because it was completely different from any YA I've read and a nice change up from the norm.

I digs

Need by Carrie Jones
Becoming seriously depressed after her stepfather’s death, Zara moves to Maine to live with her stepgrandma. When she finds out that her stalker, who she thought was just a figment of her imagination, is not only real but also a pixie, the sleepy, snow ridden town of Maine becomes a whole lot weirder. There are a few different takes on the normal paranormal rules, but overall the story was rather predictable. The only thing that made Zara relatively interesting was her obsession with phobias and naming them. I thought if anything I could get somewhat smarter by remembering the names of random phobias (like the fear of glass or the cold) and try to work into normal conversation but alas, I’ve forgotten them all.

Probably – Never Again

Miss Match by Wendy Toliver
This book is part of the Teen Romantic Comedy series and probably the worst one I’ve read to date. The RomCom series is much like regular trashy romance novels sans the trashy bits. When Sasha begins her match making business, setting up her classmates with their crushes, she finds it difficult to remain professional when her own crush hires her to hook up with her sister.

You don't have to read the book to know how it ends (because obviously it’s going to work out for the heroine, it always does). However the ending left me wondering, what the heck? I get that it all gets wrapped up in a pretty little package, but what I don't understand is the why and the how. Aside from the fact that it’s supposed to because that’s how all romcoms end. It was like- Bam! You’re nearing the end of the book, must get to happy ending now.

Never Again

Prada & Prejudice by Amanda Hubbard
I’m not quite sure why I picked up this book. I have an inkling that maybe Nin read one of her books and, seeing as how I have to copy everything Nin does (I am Kakashi the Copynin hehe), I had to get my hands on something by Hubbard.

Callie is your typical high school outcast. But after her besty moves away, she finds that scoffing at the cool kids isn’t as much fun when you’re all alone. So in a misguided effort to belong, she winds up buying a pair of Prada heels. (Sidenote, don’t know what high school y’all went to but at my school Chinese Laundry and Nike’s were considered chic.) Unfortunately, barely outside of the store, Callie takes a tumble and winds up in 1815. She is mistaken for a long-lost best friend and is taken to the home of a Duke. Chaos ensues as this modern, feminist girl tries to adapt to becoming a proper lady. All this while trying hard not to fall for the handsome, yet completely git-like Alex, who just happens to be the aforementioned Duke.

The book itself was interesting. Callie is snarky and smart, but then she’s also dumb and clueless. Totally contridictory but it seems to work for Callie. However, the ending was totally confusing. I still don't quite get what happen. But I cant discuss without giving it away. I think I need someone to read the book (hint hint) then explain to me what the heck happened. Still, I'd have to say -

I didn’t suffer too terribly

{NIN} Books I’ve Read but Couldn’t Figure out What to Say About

I’ve read a ton of YA Lit recently that I simply could not put pen to paper and write a full and thoughtful review for. So rather than not cover any at all, I thought I would provide bursts of thoughts on each book.

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
Finn is one of the main characters in the book trapped in Incarceron, a gigantic prison. He can’t remember his past but he has a strong feeling that he came from Outside (of the prison) – an impossible thought. Or is it? Claudia, a girl on the Outside, may have the answers to his questions.

Reads like a cross between the following movies: The Matrix, Moses, Men in Black, and Man in the Iron Mask. {Ja} says that the only thing all those have in common is that they begin with the letter “M.” But somehow Catherine Fisher managed to mush them all together into one story. Did it work? The ending was like totally YOWZAS. And it was intriguing enough that I’ll read the follow-up book (Sapphique) when it comes out in December.

Didn’t Suffer Too Terribly


Fallen by Lauren Kate
The story of a Fallen Angel Daniel Grigori and a mortal girl Luce who keep falling in love over and over and over for the last century or so. And apparently, his kiss is fatal to her. Will these silly mortals never learn?

It was somewhat intriguing, the idea of fallen angels and such. Got some love angst going on. Eh...I read it awhile ago. I'll read the rest of the series when it comes out too though.

Didn’t Suffer Too Terribly


Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
Clumsy supernatural half-witch girl Sophie Mercer gets sent to a paranormal reform school and learns the truth about her father, her ancestors, and herself. There is also the requisite mysterious and unattainable hot guy Archer with awesome powers to angst the heck out of Sophie.

I Digs


The Line by Teri Hall
This book kind of reminded me of The Hunger Games. There was some kind of war in the past, and now there is a scary central government running the show…communist-like. There is also some kind of invisible force field (called The Line) that borders the entire north side of the country because the government wants to keep the undesirables from The Away (on the other side of the force field) out. I giggled at this because I was thinking that The Away was Canada.

I Digs


Graceling by Kristin Cashore
I really liked this book. And then I got to the ending. And I wanted to punch Katsa. But it had a good mystery for most of the book. And I loved Po, even though that’s a panda’s name.

I Digs


Fire by Kristin Cashore
So much better than Graceling! Katsa annoyed me towards the end (just marry Po already, dagnabbit!) but Fire was just a cool and collected cucumber…except when it came to Brigan. Les sigh. I {heart} Brigan! I love how he was mean and gruff to her at the beginning but slowly warmed up to her, showing her small kindness and ways that he was starting to care about her (protective of her, concerned if she was unwell, etc). I loved watching their relationship unfold. The romantic aspect of the story is always the highlight of any book for me! Graceling had a better mystery, but Fire was a better complete story. A supporting character, Archer, was kind of a butthead but his fate is…chilling. And wow, talk about messed up family ties.

Awesome


Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Interesting how the author laid the story out. Each chapter alternated between the perspectives of Grace and Sam, whom I guess you can call star-crossed lovers. It took me a bit to get into but I was more interested by the end of the book.

I Digs


The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
A faery series…the main character, Meghan Chase, annoyed me. I think she’s kind of really irritating at times. I’m only reading it for Prince Ash: tall, dark, handsome, and deadly. I’m currently reading the 2nd book in the series, The Iron Daughter, so I might actually write a review for it if I can find my prose.

Didn’t Suffer Too Terribly


Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers
Really mess-you-up-in-the-head kind of book. Depressing. Kind of creepy too. But I guess it’s an unusual and brave kind of story to write. But I really prefer my fairytale happy endings.

Didn’t Suffer Too Terribly


Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Really, really good book that inspired me to be a better person. It was hard to write a review without giving too much of the story away. It was just good. But also slightly depressing because...well, because... I was actually quite devastated in the end.

Awesome


The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
Grace and Daniel have a past, people are trying to keep them apart…and Daniel has a secret. Mildly entertaining. The back story was rather interesting.

Didn’t Suffer Too Terribly


Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott
I actually really liked this book but I was never in the mood to write a full review about it. Unpopular Kate’s life has taken a turn for the worse: she’s been dumped by her ex-best friend who went from overweight outcast to gorgeous supermodel cheerleader and is forced to work at her financially irresponsible father’s vitamin stand in the mall. She strikes up an unlikely relationship with cutie popular classmate Will, who also works at the mall. How does she make peace with all this in the end?

I Digs


Wow, so are you noticing a trend? YA books like to use a lot of the same names: Ash, Grace, Sam, Daniel, Finn, Archer, Will… what is it about these names, I wonder?

Anyhoo, so those are just my quick thoughts on all these books that I’ve read but couldn’t find much to say about.

MOCKINGJAY

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mockingjay is released tomorrow!!! I'm so at Costco during lunch tomorrow to pick up my copy!! I CAN'T WAIT!!

The epic battle will be resolved! And I am not talking about the Capitol vs the Rebels! I'm talking Team Peeta (pocket) vs. Team Gale('s a girl's name)!!

Yee-freakin'-haw!!