Ana

This stories where amazing. By the end of each one of them I was completely amazed. This was just great.

Update 08/28/2014Rating 2.5/5 stars

If you'd like to read this review on my blog.

Lovesick is the third and final installment in the Ghostgirl trilogy. In it, Charlotte has finally found what seems like true love, but on the last day of her working at the station, they tell her some news that might not be so good. They have to go back.

Reading this book was kind...bleh. I must admit and give credit to the author, this book was hell of a lot better than the first two. I mean, a lot of the troubles I saw didn't shine as much in this book. They were still there, but not as present as before. But in reality, it was kind of boring and plot-less. I was 100 pages in and I still didn't know what the purpose of it all was. My general thoughts were that this book wasn't really something.

Charlotte isn't as annoying as always. She does make some stupid and unnecessary decisions but I didn't really care about them. Scarlet did become more annoying in this book. She was just in crisis that didn't make sense and I really didn't feel about. And the whole Petula being changed thing was really ridiculous. It was just plain weird.

The narrator constantly telling about things that it shouldn't be saying intensifies in this book. There was a point where I broke and just didn't want to continue reading anymore. But I managed.

And that “plot twist”, like, I guessed it at the beginning of the book. It was so obvious. Really, Maddy was behind the girl this whole time. Are you serious? That was so obvious. And stupid.

There were some good moments along the book, it had it's moments, and I think this book was the best of the three. But at the same time I felt that it was so dragged on, like, enough, leave Charlotte alone.

Also, the same I-caused-so-many-troubles-and-yet-at-the-end-it-doesn't-matter ending happened and it was a really bad case of it.

I'm just glad I'm done with this series, really, I'm just over with this.

Overall, this book is a nice seat-warmer (there just for boring and no-book-left moments) and I don't think I'll ever read them again.

If you'd like to see my review of Ghostgirl.

If you'd like to see my review of Homecoming

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I plan on marathoning this along with the other two books. Because I messed up and read the second first and after a long time I read the first and now I'm reading the third after and even longer time? I don't think so. I'm reading the three of you.

Ok, as we go progressing on the series, the books get better. Also my feelings go changing as well. For example, now I don't completely hate Josh, I have some sort of appreciation to him because he left Clarent there and didn't go to pick it up. Also, I know hate Sophie a little bit. It's just that I'm sick of them going against the Alchemist. I don't know why but I still believe that he is good, and all this is just the situation that makes him look a little bad.
Oh, yeah, PERENELLE IS FREE!!! Finally! But now I'm worried about Scatty and Joan. I mean, in the last book I wasn't even worried about her when she was taken to the river, even though she is my second favorite character. But now that she is in another era, I'm dying! I just want her back and Joan too. Also, the King. I really like him, even if he's a little crazy. I though he was cute. And I appreciate Palamedes a little, but at the same time I hate that he's so mean with Nicholas. I like that Morrigan isn't her anymore, but the other two. And they're finally home!!!
I though the book was really good! It goes better as we go by! I can't wait to read the next one!

This review might contain some minor spoilers, I'll try to make it as light as possible. :D

This book. This book is what I've been looking for in a long time. It was a dystopian, but I didn't get bored, it had some romance, but it was well carried and it had well-crafted, action-packed scenes. I can't believe it took me so long to read this. What have I been doing?

Legend takes place in a dystopian America where we find “groups” that go by the Colonies, the Republic and the Patriots. Apparently, the Republic has the mayor power, then the Colonies and last the Patriots. I did not exactly understood what was happening all around this theme, which was a problem for me. One of the only flaws in this book that I expect will be solved in the second and third book.

We find ourselves in the lives of the Republicans, where they are divided in sectors, I believe. They do this test, called the Trial, where they test your physical and mental abilities, scoring from 0 being the lowest and 1500 the highest. You have to take this test at the age of ten, where depending of your results you will be placed in different levels of society. There is also a plague running around that frightens every one who can't pay for the vaccines. And, of course, those are the lowest sectors. Here, we meet Day, one of the most wanted criminals of the Republic. who's Legend runs around telling incredible tales about his adventures as a rebel. Then we find June, the only girl who got a score of 1500 on the Trial test, who then got immediately sent to college and is about to graduate at the age of 15.

With this premise I was already sparkling with excitement and with all the glowing reviews I've read I was even more excited. As I went reading, I couldn't help but picture it as a movie rolling on my mind. It was perfect. I feel really happy about that aspect.

As for the characters, June, was bad-ass. She is the most accurate definition of bad-ass that I have ever found on a book. She kicks ass. She's a prodigy. She's super smart. She knows how to defend herself pretty damn well. She's clever. And she's pretty as well. And she's fifteen. Day was so cute, as in, he's amazing. He's just as bad-ass as June (maybe a little less) and he has done this incredible things and I can't help but love him. He has this cocky personality that you can help but smile at. And as what I pictured, he's pretty handsome. The rest of the characters were very-well crafted and very believable. I even got to hate a few of them!

I think the best of this book was the action scenes. I literally felt my heart rate speeding up so fast and thumping like a hammer in my chest reading a few of the scenes. Specially the last scene (if you've read the book, you know what I'm talking about). That scene had me trembling and shaking in my seat. I read it while at school and I was throwing this little screams every now and then and people were looking at me weird. But I didn't care. The scene was so amazing.

The romance was perfect, at least for me. I'm not one of those people who like sugar-coated loves, I like though love better. And this book had romance, but it they didn't waver around each other, nor did they launch themselves to the other with instant-love. They were hesitant at first, but it wasn't as annoying as some other books I've read. It made sense. And they weren't so insecure about stupid things. It was perfect.

The only major problem I had with this book was that I pretty much guessed everything that was going to happen. It was very predictable, at least for me. I had the whole plot figured out by half the book. And I also think I have the second book's plot figured out as well, or at least and idea. And that is a big problem for me. I really don't like when that happens. That's why I'm not giving it five stars.

But in general this book was really good, and a lot of people have told me that all of the problems listed before get better in the second book, so I'm not going too hard on this book. It was very entertaining and I can't wait to read the whole trilogy.

I am completely in love with this book. There's so many things to it!! And that ending was better than what I could ever expect!

So I'm finally done withy he original trilogy. This was definitely the best book of the three.

It's definitely not a perfect saga nor is it close, but I did ended up enjoying it most of the time while I was reading, and that deserves recognition.

Proper review to come.

And Perchabeth blooms...

Update 08/27/2014Rating: 1.5/5 stars

If you'd like to see this review on my blog.

Homecoming is the second book of the Ghostgirl series, starting right where the first book left off. It tells the story of Charlotte after she and her classmates graduate from deadthology class. But crossing the threshold isn't as great as Charlotte imagined.

This second installment in the Ghostgirl series was as much a disappointment as Ghostgirl was. As full as potential as bad plot development.

The characters continue to be as annoying as they were before. The plot still lacks credibility and congruence. The same tie-knotted finale that doesn't match the hundreds of problems made. The narrator still tells you what character development should tell you and, again, it lacks any.

And probably my major problem with it is that, when you write a second book, you're supposed to learn about it and make improvements. In this book, there were no improvements made, if anything is seemed worse.

In this book starts one of my major pet peeves in books, besides insta-love (btw, this book has it, not a bad case, but still present) and love triangles (again, kind of has it, but not really). I'm talking about those friendship made out of nowhere. I'm talking about those bad thoughts toward someone you've just made. I'm talking about forming ideas out of nowhere that don't have to be. I'm talking about credibility in characters. I'll explain.

Charlotte and Scarlet so surely affirm that they are the best friends forever in the world. And they even feel like if they missed a part of themselves. When in the reality, they never shared much about themselves, enough for making a “best friend” kind-of friendship. For most of the first book they were fighting and “backstabbing” each other and they never addressed this. or said sorry for it. They never really helped each other that much. So it's really hard for me to believe that they are the best friends in the world. But that's just me.

Another thing that bothered me about this book is the fact that the author changed so much things, like if we weren't going to notice. Like she changed characters completely, changed some details. It felt like it was another book from a different series but with the same characters and starting just where the other book left off. But they're not together. There's a discrepancy of what was set in the first book with what was said in the second book.

A lot of the decisions made in this book where completely incoherent. Like, why did Damen grab Petula and when to the Homecoming. That was just ridiculous and unnecessary. That was probably the moment where I gave up on trying to like this book. And then the whole Maddy thing felt like it was there because no better idea came at the moment, and then the rest of the things will be driven by it.

Reading this book was tiring really and I don´t think I enjoyed anything of it. But I do think that some of the things said, very few ones, like the conversation between Petula and Virginia, made some sense. And once again, the design is really beautiful. Those made the star and a half.

If you'd like to read my review of Ghostgirl.

If you'd like to see my review of Lovesick

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This is so ridiculous. Really.

I FINALLY did it! I finished the freaking book! Someone give me an award!
There should be a review coming, but I'm not in a hurry.

This books is kind of cute. At the beginning I loved how he went a little fiction with it and just made the baby see everything and then have a clock heart. And it was really adorable all that part before he went to school.
Then we meet Joe. This guy, typical bully everyone hates. The villain of the story. As always, I get angry at the way the victims of this kind of persons don't defend themselves. But I will have to deal with it, because it's always like that.
Then, we have Miss Acacia. For real, I was done with her insecurities. Like, girl, the love of your life is telling you everything you need to hear and you still don't get it? This girl is dense as sand.
The book in itself was good, nice story to enjoy, tragic at the end. The only thing that I didn't like was the fact that it went kind of melodramatic at the end to the point where it wasn't as likable as it was for me anymore.
Aside if that, I think I would read this book again. Like, really, it's a nice story, and it's worth the time. It doesn't really take to much time.

For some reason, I haven't read this and only when Inferno came out was that I even found out that that was the fourth book and this is the third. Like seriously, is there a pact where everybody agreed to never talk about it again?

I guess I just wasn’t all that convinced. I had heard about how twisty this book was, but none of those twists really surprised me. My problem was with how little some of them held. With some of the twists, the author would just flat out gaslight us into believing he had cleverly fooled us into thinking one way, but it really wasn’t. It was more like he ignored that some things had happened, because otherwise it makes no sense. A plot hole, if you will And then, some other twists, you really do have to suspend your belief in order to maintain them as the truth. Also, there were some characters who, out of nowhere, were super detectives and just knew things, just because??? Anyway, it’s not a bad book. But it kind of doesn’t really hold to the light.

Update: 08/07/2015

If you'd like to read this review on my blog.

Rating: 1.5/5 stars.

Fire is the awaited sequel, or rather, companion novel, that follows a different heroin from the same land. Set a few years back before Graceling, we meet Fire, the last Human Monster, and how she tries to live being a part of a falling kingdom, caused by her father, Cansrel, who was an even more powerful and crueler Human Monster.

Yeah, I did not like this, really.

I admit it, nothing was missing. There was a plot, there was a drive, there were the two lovers with a slight love triangle so common, and a heroin with hidden powers she's afraid to use. But already that is super cliche, it's the same formula for every standard Young Adult Fantasy book.

But even that sounded great with the setting this book provided. But it wasn't enough. Not nearly.

Once I finished reading, I realized it reminded me of Graceling. This book had the same weird under the radar plot and the two fighter/lovers, and all those special powers. But in Graceling, it worked. It did not in this book.

Really, the first half was completely boring and tedious, and the second half was better but too random. And once again, like Graceling, I felt the author was trying to achive something bigger than what she could handle, and ended up coming short. And it's really disappointing, because if you see what happened through the whole book, it should have worked, but it didn't.

And I didn't buy the MC character at all. She was too weak and suddenly so strong and so whinny and at the same time silent. She was a contradiction of things. One minute she was crying for this and the next she said it was better like that, and then back to hating. It was a disaster.

And it had that Twilight thing, that every action had a face to join it, and of course, it was over analyzed.

There was also that thing about king Leck and his past. That small story was actually nice, but his place in the plot-line was confusing and totally unnecessary. It felt like, he could have died and we could have avoided so much, but Fire is stupid and unreal so she didn't kill him. And I also needed some explanation about this kingdom thing, like, why are there two worlds and they don't know nothing of each other, and how does that even work? But once again, it was too big for the author and she couldn't handle it.

So yeah, I'm really disappointed with this book, specially because there's thing I kind of liked in Graceling that I now want to cringe my eyes at.

I don't recommend you to read this book, unless you're like really obsessed with it and need more of it. But I'll call it a waste of time.

If you'd like to read this review on my blog.

Rating: 5/5 stars.

Dark Places is the story of a little girl's survival to the brutal murders of her family, by her brother, and whatever happened afterwards with her. Now, an adult, she finally see's back on that day, and starts to question what really happened that day, all those years back...

Man is this shit fucked up. But, it's good as hell.

I absolutely adored and loved this book. It was disgusting, horrifying, scary and absolutely perfect. This books borders on the side of sanity, and you could catch some poison of it, but damn is it worth it.

All of the characters, every single one, are unreliable characters. Each in their own special way. The main character is unbelievable useless and lazy, and with some untreated mental problems, and the rest are a mixture of ignorant people, tired and exhausted people, angry teenagers, and psychopaths. And yet, you root for their well being (most of them) and for their success out of this mess. And for some, you want them to burn in hell. But then, later on, not quite.

My views on this characters changed so much throughout the book that I don't even know anymore. It was like...



Moving on. The mystery in itself was damn well constructed. It was mysterious all over the place, and the various POV where spot on. They actually helped build the book even more. All those things said and misunderstood, all those secrets. They make the book even better. And, of course, extremely well executed.

Of course, I being me, kind of saw where the mystery was going, what tracks it was following. But, even thought that, it still managed to surprise me how and who finally executed the final twist. So yeah, extremely well pieced together.

Lastly, the world building, even thought not necessary to the genre, was well done. I imagined myself being in there, with all the rest of the characters. And even thought I've never been to places remotely like this, I still felt it in me.

And the definition the author gives to what a Dark Place is, loved it, perfect, it's a new quote on my book quote (not that I have one, but you feel me?).

“I can never dwell in these thoughts. I've labeled the memories as if they were a particulary dangerous region: Darkplace”

gasps in the background

Very well indeed. I loved this book. The poor Tita had to live a life where she couldn't get married. She had to take care of her mother until the day she died.
I think the book was excellent. I liked the way she incorporated recipes to the story, not only giving you the principal recipe but some other thing to cover. Also, I think that after all that happened she had her closure, with that beautiful kind-of-sad ending.
One thing that totally surprised me to read but was also delightful, was the exaggeration she used to describe some things or feelings. Like, for example, when she described all the tears they shed, or the heat they felt. I though that she managed all those parts very well. I though that the descriptions where precise and beautiful, sometimes even funny.
I absolutely loved this book, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to read a great book that will make you laugh and maybe even cry. Of course, maybe for the most little you wouldn't let them read this one, but it's not so.

OMG, IT'S BEEN SUCH A LONG TIME! I DIDN'T REMEMBER ABOUT THIS ENDING. IT'S SO PAINFUL. AND PERCABETH IS STARTING. OH GOD. NICO, MY BABY, NICO. dinosaur growling

Update: 08/06/2015

Part of the Speed Reviews.

My initial reaction of this book, which I later wrote down, was this:

“It was disturbing, very blunt, confusing and uncertain. Still not sure how I feel about it.”

Right now, I feel almost exactly the same. Still disturbing, and blunt, and kind of confusing and very uncertain. But now, I know how I feel. You see, I've found the perfect allegory for it. This book is a train. Let me explain.

This book felt like if you were boarding a train, with “Death” for its name, but chose to ignore it, and then sat comfortably in the seat of your choosing. The train will start it's engine, and for so, the trip. It will be a slow start, as it always is, which will easy your mind. But soon, you will see its pacing quicken, and quicken, until a point were its speed wasn't normal anymore. The speed will continue to increase into alarming rates, and you will start to worry. And soon enough, someone will see a wall in the horizon, an obstacle, sure to get in the way of your train. And even thought you know it's coming, you still look, and wait anxiously for it to come. And then, it does. The train smashes and crashes against the wall, shooting all its passengers into different, sporadic directions, including you. And once the accident has calmed down, you wake up from the hit, only to presence the disaster left behind, and only you are there to see it, to witness it, to which you will wonder, why you boarded the train named “Death”.

Very poetic actually.

In more seriousness, this book was like a hit in the chest, even thought you knew it all along. And even if it's morbid and sad, it's actually really good. You identify with the MC, even if he's insane. But at times, he makes sense.

I liked this book, really. I recommend that everyone reads it. And if that gorgeous allegory didn't convince you, here are some quotes I've recollected. For spoilers reason, I've chopped down a few.

With this one, you open up the book.

“There was one person who could understand me. But it was precisely the person I killed “

“The phrase ‘all past times were better' does not indicate that less bad things happened before, but really -happily- people trust them into oblivion.”

“To live is to build future memories.”

“The expected does not happen. It's the unexpected that happens. “

“But why this mania of wanting to find an explanation of all acts of life?”

“Vanity is in the most unexpected places: by the side of goodness, of selflessness, of generosity.”

“When I'm stopped on the street, in a square or on the train, to ask me what books you have to read, I always say,” Read what you are passionate about, it will be the only thing that will help support the existence.”

“... In any case there was only one tunnel, dark and lonely: mine.”

I only had to read one story, and it was for my Language class. The Suicidal Vessels. Weird story. Not sure I understood the last sentence. But I think I got the overall idea of the story. Maybe I'll later read the whole thing.

Update: 09/07/2015

If you'd like to read this review on my blog.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars.

The Magician's Nephew is the story behind the story, how it all began, the beginning of everything. A kid and his new friend go into different universes, thanks to the evil work of his uncle, and find more than a few things along the way.

I am so happy that I decided to pick this book up and read it. Great decision.

This book tells the story of how it all began, the beginning of all the adventures and characters that we saw in Narnia. This book marks the beginning of something great and fantastic.

I was a little hesitant of reading this one because it wasn't really a part of the series as of what characters matters. They were different and I didn't read Narnia anywhere on the synopsis, so I wasn't sure. But then I did, and it all changed.

I had never read any of the Narnia books, but I was a fan of the movies. Which I'm glad I was, because in this book, a lot of the things that are contained in Narnia are explained. And so I felt so excited every time I understood something, and realized where it all belonged to. I think it improved my reading experience so much more.

As for characters, they were all very cute and unique, and I loved them. Well, at least the ones who were good. The two kids were great characters and they weren't portrayed as the typical lost and stupid kids that authors so like to think are true. They were smart and not lost and real, for which, I am very grateful.

I thought the world building to be exceptional, and on few words. I saw everything happening in my mind (helped with the drawings) and it was so much more enjoyable that way.

I really think you should read this book, and the rest of the Narnia series. They're good, fun, cute and enjoyable. And most important, easy to read!

The Great Gatsby. THE Great Gatsby. Lived like the filthy rich person he was, with parties and dance and alcohol, a house bigger than a mountain in old good times, with the only purpose of charming the love of his life, lost long time ago, and ended dead, alone, with not one single person to come to his funeral, besides his father and the neighbor, who only know really understood who Jay Gatsby really was and the purpose of his actions.
I found this book very interesting. I ate this book, like only good novels can do to catch you. Great work. Recommend it to everyone old enough to read this.

Update 01/07/2014

If you want to read this review on my blog The Green Bookshelf.

Before starting I will assume that every single one of you has read the Twilight series or at least the first one, because, let's admit it, we all did. Even I had my Twilight phase. So I won't explain any important plot points in the story.

And also, I need to point out that personally I do not like Twilight or the series at all. When I was younger I used to like it but I've grown and realized that Twilight isn't any good at all. But if you by any reasons like, enjoy or love this book then I have no problem with that. But I must warn you that I'm going to be tough on this and that if I insult you or harm you in any way, I'm really sorry for it, I did not mean it.

Starting off by the fact that Oh, My, God how incredibly unrealistic and wrong Twilight actually is. This are the moments where you realize how much you've grown since Twilight and oh have I grown.

But let's not talk about Twilight because that will be a review for another day. We're here for Midnight Sun.

So, what is Midnight Sun, you may ask? Midnight Sun is the unfinished work by Stephanie Meyer, retelling Edward's and Bella's love story in Twilight, from the point of view of Edward.

When I found out that Stephanie Meyer was writing Twilight from the point of view of Edward, at first I though it was a lie. There was no way she was writing all this books again by his point of view. So I paid no mind to it. Recently, I remembered about it and though, hey, was it true after all? That's when I began to search for answer and found all this drama of her draft being published without her knowing and how she then didn't want to write it anymore and for so she was leaving the draft up in the internet and WAIT WHAT! She actually let a free draft of her book online. I'm reading it, I'm all for free.

So once again I ventured myself in the world of vampires and werewolfs that I though I had left behind in my past. My expectations where, this is going to be horrible, I'm going to waste my time and really, let's admit it, it's going to ruin the story as I know it. It's already bad and it's going to make it worse. But I read it anyway. And God, what I found.

The book starts with Edward and his family in the cafeteria scene where Edward and Bella first see each other. Everything goes exactly the way the other book did. At this point I was already dreading my decision, thinking why did I do this, again? But the bright side was that it was nice to know what Edward was really thinking. Even though we already knew this because that's the only thing Twilight does, describe everything.

As I move on, I encounter myself with some particular words and scenes that just made me cringe. Let me show you and I'll explain.

I didn't listen to whatever this made her think-I was having too much fun watching the girl check her snow chains. She actually looked in some danger of falling, the way her feet were sliding around. No one else was having trouble-had she parked in the worst of the ice?

no, that doesn't happen.

I looked to see what had his interest.

Look at all the contusions! How many times did her mother drop her? Carlisle laughed to himself at his joke.

contusions, really?

doesn't happen. At all.

I was surprised, watching her stumble through the day-tripping over cracks in the sidewalk, stray books, and, most often, her own feet-that the people I eavesdropped on though of Bella as clumsy. I considered that. It was true that she often had trouble staying upright. I remembered her stumbling into the desk that first day, sliding around on the ice before the accident, falling over the low lip of the door frame yesterday...How odd, they were right. She was clumsy.

“Well,” Mr. Banner said, pursing his lips. “I guess it's good you two are lab partners.” He turned and walked away mumbling, “So the other kids can get a chance to learn something for themselves,” under his breath. I doubted the girl could hear that.

This didn't fit with the scenario I'd been constructing in my head.

“Why didn't you stay with them?” I asked, my voice a little too curious. It sounded like I was being nosy.

Which I was, admittedly.

eye cringe

The little V between her eyes, a remnant of her sorrow, bothered me. I wanted to smooth it away with my fingertip.

face palm

Really? A remnant of her sorrow? Just one in her whole face? The rest was fine?

Say what?

“What holds you here, Edward? I'm failing to see...“

“I don't know if I can explain.” Even to myself, it made no sense.

He measured my expression for a long moment.

No, I do not see. But I will respect your privacy, if you prefer.

“Thank you. It's generous of you seeing as how I give privacy to no one.”

really?

Really?

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