Just Plain Weird by Tom Upton

2.5/5 Stars

This book was beyond frustrating. The premise was actually pretty imaginative: ya alien/sci-fi with a little teenage romance thrown in. However, there were SO many errors that I was too distracted to even enjoy the book. I literally found myself proofreading it as I went along. Now, I am by no means a book snob, nor do I have a degree in English or literature. With that said, I feel that if an author is going to put in the effort of writing and publishing a book, he/she should at least take the time to make sure the grammar is correct and there are no glaring mistakes. Because let me tell you, there were a ton of them.

Aside from the atrocious errors, the writing was...okay. For one, there were many instances when a character would launch into a multi-paragraph narrative that seemed to drag on forever! The author seemed to be telling the story rather than showing it. As well, I was somewhat confused by the characters. Their personalities seemed to change often, and the dynamics of their relationships just didn't make sense to me. There were times when a character would act angry/annoyed/happy/in love/etc. without any justification behind the emotion. The book lacked a solid direction and floundered at times. 

All-in-all, I don't feel like this book was worth the few hours that it took to read it. It pains me to say that, because I really like to support self-published authors. The idea behind the book was good. With several more edits and some beta readers, this book could have been much, much better.

The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back by Sariah Wilson

4.25/5 Stars

This book was such a refreshing, sweet, fun read. It was so nice to pick up a book written for teens and actually have it be appropriate for its intended audience.

The plot was developed very nicely.  It was somewhat predictable, but I didn't mind at all.  I absolutely loved the characters. Mattie's voice was witty and sarcastic. I actually found myself laughing out loud a few times! 

I would love to see this book made into a movie! Such an easy, uplifting read and a new twist on the Cinderella tale.

UnWholly by Neal Shusterman

4.5 / 5 Stars

Okay, I’ll be the first to admit, I was not overly excited to read this book. I liked Unwind--but didn’t love it. In fact, UnWholly sat at the bottom of my “to read” stack for about a month before I finally got around to reading it. It sounds silly, but the cover was a little too creepy for me and I wasn’t jumping to pick it up. But, I did finally read it, and…drumroll please…my expectations were wildly exceeded!

There were so many things that I just adored about this book. It had been several years since I read Unwind, but there were bits and pieces, (no pun intended) to help review the first book enough that I didn’t feel lost at all.

I generally don’t love the third person POV, but in this case, it worked. Observing things from so many different perspectives really helped capture the full story. Several new characters were introduced this time around and the author eloquently weaved each of their viewpoints together. We were also able to see deeper insights into characters we know and love, such as Connor, Lev and Risa.

I have seen so many middle novels in trilogies act as just a filler between books. This was not the case with UnWholly. Neal Shusterman did a great job picking up where Unwind left off. Not once did I feel like this was just a second book in the trilogy. It never felt stagnant or sluggish. The author is such a fantastic storyteller that this book really can stand on its own. It moved along at just the right pace, with each chapter making me more invested in the characters and their struggles.

I also really appreciated the fact that Shusterman was able to convey deep emotions without resorting to excessive profanity. I’ve read quite a few YA books where authors think the more they curse, the better they will get their point across. In UnWholly, I still felt all of the characters’ angst, fury, disappointment, love or fear without the author expressing vulgarity and profanity. This book just goes to show that emotionally charged stories can be told while still remaining clean and appropriate for the young adult audience.

One of my favorite parts of this book was the ending. I won’t give any spoilers away, but I was so happy that Shusterman was able to conclude the book with some resolution instead of leaving everything open-ended. It’s obvious that many questions still remain for the third book to answer, but UnWholly ended with some closure, as well as hints as to the direction the final installment will take. All in all, a great story that left me salivating for the next one!

The Rent Collector by Camron Wright

5 / 5 Stars!!
Every so often I come across a book that truly inspires me.  A book that causes me to rethink my priorities.  One that makes me take a look around and realize that I have it pretty dang good.  The Rent Collector is one such book.

This book tells the story of a family who lives at a dump in Cambodia, making it day to day by selling material they have picked from the garbage pile.  It chronicles one woman's journey of learning to read in hopes of creating a better life for her son.  In pursuit of her goal, Sang Ly develops an unlikely and profound relationship with her teacher, the rent collector.

I sometimes feel that the word "amazing" is used too often.  One only has to watch American Idol to hear the words brilliant, amazing, beautiful, and unbelievable, oh I'd say about 300 times in a 2-hour episode.  However, this book is one of the most touching and poignant books I have encountered in a while.  These are just a few of the quotes that illustrate the beauty of The Rent Collector.

"Life will not always be so hard or cruel.  Our difficulties are but a moment."

"When you find your purpose--and you will find your purpose--never let go.  Peace is a product of both patience and persistence."

"They knew everything about literature except how to enjoy it."

"Grandfather had a saying:  If you know a lot, know enough to make people respect you.  If you are stupid, be stupid enough so they can pity you."

"In Cambodia, it's unfortunately common for husbands both to drink and to beat their wives.  Other families are abandoned, left to fend for themselves.  Instead, my husband runs through the city for the better part of the night to make sure that his wife and son are safe."

"It doesn't matter where you live, Sang Ly, it is how you live." 

It would be easy for a book with this kind of subject matter to become depressing and gloomy.  Instead, Camron Wright does the opposite, inserting bits of humor and wit throughout to give it a much more light-hearted feel.  I loved how, even in a dump in Cambodia, a husband and wife still bargain over who will bathe the baby that night.  Or that it becomes a competition among caddy women to see who can make the best temporary shelter on the sidelines of the garbage heap.  I found myself both laughing out loud and brought to tears in this book--not an easy feat.

Read this book--you'll be glad you did.

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

3 / 5 stars
Aaaghhh!  This is my scream of frustration after finishing Unspoken.  I had such high hopes for this book.  I wanted so badly to like it, especially after reading so many excellent reviews for it.  I mean, some people said this is the best book they've ever read.  Really?  Really???  Try as I might, I was just not feeling it.

It started off going pretty well for me.  The main characters were wonderful.  Kami was quirky and witty, sarcastic and sharp.  I loved the easy banter between her and Angela.  I also really enjoyed her mental conversations with Jared, probably more than their actual verbal communication.  Each of the female characters held their own, exuding strength without being too crazy feminist. 

I was also really proud of the author for not creating an "insta-love" situation between Jared and Kami.  In so many YA novels, the leads meet and within 3 hours are passionately devoted to one another and willing to follow each other to the ends of the earth.  In this case, Kami and Jared have had their whole lives to get to know each other and still aren't sure if they belong together romantically.  For a good part of the book, I could truly feel the depth of their relationship and how it transformed between best friends, soul mates, enemies and, even at times, brother/sisterish?  Kami and Jared's bond was much more intimate and believable than many of the flat connections in other YA books.

With that said, the second half of the book lost me.  The plot-line became muddled and was far too similar to Beautiful Creatures (which I also didn't love).  The fun, clever repartee disappeared, leaving me with a bogged-down, somewhat depressing story.   

I was also very put off by the lack of transitioning between scenes.  The chapters were very disjointed, jumping from place to place and even between differing points of view without any kind of warning or explanation.

And, um, am I the only one who thinks it's a little creepy that twin sisters were fighting over marrying their cousin?  Seriously, doesn't anyone else see something wrong with FIRST cousins getting married?  I know I'm from America, and this was written by an Irish author and set in England, but nobody in the book even thought twice about the fact that Ash's parents were cousins.  The only real mention was from Kami's dad who stated, "Which brings us to the least sexy word in the English language, kids.  Inbreeding.  Avoid it.  Think about dating outside the Vale."

I'm so disappointed that I didn't enjoy this book more.  It definitely had some redeeming qualities, but after slushing through the last 100 pages, ugh...enough said.

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

4 / 5 Stars
The Goose Girl was a light, refreshing read that left me excited for more.  Shannon Hale manages to create a world in which humans communicate with animals and nature without becoming too fantastical.  Ani is able to navigate her ability to converse with horses, birds and the wind in a very natural and believable way. 

This book moved along very quickly for me.  The descriptions of the settings were beautiful and detailed, without becoming sluggish.  The plot was somewhat predictable--I had guessed most of the surprises by half-way through the book.  As well, I found some aspects of the book hard to believe.  In most cases, royalty is kept very well guarded, something that was lacking in both Kildenree and Bayern.  I also found the fight scene in Part 3 to be very drawn out and, dare I say, boring?  Of course, I feel that way about many action movies too.

I especially enjoyed the simple, sweet romance that was woven into the story.  In a time when many authors fight to become as racy and shocking as possible, it felt good to read more of a Jane Austen-esque take on love.  For Hale, less is more when it comes to romance.

Overall a quick, easy read that leaves you with a smile on your face.

Speechless by Hannah Harrington

I've pondered this review for the last few days, as I have very mixed emotions about this book.  I gave this book 3.5 / 5 stars.  While it wasn't my favorite, the author touched on a number of important issues facing our teenagers currently.  The most important theme of this book is the power of words.  Chelsea, a popular and arrogant teenager, finds joy in putting others down and elevating her status with her friend, ultimate mean girl, Kristen.  However, after a huge betrayal to a fellow student, Chelsea begins to realize how influential words can be.  In order to avoid hurting anyone else, Chelsea takes a vow of silence, essentially becoming "speechless". 

The reactions of her parents, teachers and other students to Chelsea's vow range from supportive to annoyed to disgusted.  It made me a little queasy reading how cruel and heartless these teenagers can be to each other, using verbal slurs and threats, vandalizing and ultimately physically injuring one student.  Over the course of her journey, Chelsea must deal with her inability to defend and express herself through words and find ways to communicate with others.  One scene was especially poignant when Chelsea is writing to another student and he asks if writing isn't breaking her vow of silence.  She replies that she must think about things more when writing instead of letting her words simply slide of our her mouth without considering them first.  I think this is an important message to take away--that all of us would benefit from the old "think before you speak" adage.

There were many characters in the book that I'm sure we all love to hate.  However, there were a few select characters--Sam, Asha and the whole diner gang--that really put a smile on my face.  As a reader, I really felt drawn into Chelsea's experience as she learned what it means to be a real friend and find a true home for yourself.  A number of us have had experiences when we realize that we need make our own choices rather than let others dictate that for us.  More than anything, I thought these characters were such an example of forgiveness.  As Noah said, “Hate is... It's too easy. Love. Love takes courage.” 

As a side note, anytime I read a YA book I look at it from a young adult perspective.  I'm 30 years old, so I still love YA lit, but I also look at it from the point of view of a parent.  I ask myself, "Would I want my teenage daughter reading this?"  I really struggled with this one, because there are some great lessons to be learned from Speechless.  Love over hate; the consequences of gossip; respect for everyone-regardless of our different lifestyles and choices; standing up for yourself and others; learning that popularity isn't everything.  However, there was quite a bit of profanity and vulgar language in the book.  While I realize that this kind of talk is common among a lot of people (especially high schoolers), I wouldn't want my daughters reading this.  I feel like there are so many other books out there with similar messages that are uplifting without being profane.  For this reason, I have a hard time recommending it without that caveat. 

Welcome!

I have loved books for as long as I can remember.  Storytime, book clubs, readathons--you name it.  After a dry spell in college when all I had time to read was textbooks, I rediscovered my passion for reading and haven't stopped since.  I decided to start this blog as a way to organize the thoughts that bounce around in my head after finishing a great (or not so great) book.  So, welcome to my corner of the blogosphere!  Pull up a keyboard and share your thoughts if you'd like or simply gain a new perspective from my point of view. 

- Brittney (or to my friends and family, Boo Boo)