David Estes Fans and YA Book Lovers Unite! discussion
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Tana
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Dec 04, 2012 06:00PM
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Angelfall by Susan Ee The most disappointing thing about this book is the second one isn't out for quite a while yet.
Angels coming down to earth and bring an apocalyptic war, which the humans are losing big time is the back drop to this story. I believe Raffe the lead angel character is so charismatic and compelling that with the young girl who saves him they carry the story easily .
I'm not a quick reader but this took me three days which is amazingly quick for me.
A great read that leaves you desperate to get your hands on the sequel .
MY REVIEW
This book. Can I just say that David Levithan is a genius?
The cover is absolutely gorgeous and automatically receives a 10 from me. LOVE IT. The summary. It's pretty simple and it sucked me in. Why? Because, it wasn't about werewolves, vampires, fairies, zombies, aliens, or a dystopian world. Although I love all of the above, I love even more to switch things up. To read a unique story line. This book exceeded all my expectations.
First, I'll go into a little bit about this book, which you can pretty much read about in the summary. "A" is a person who wakes up every day in a different body, required to carry out that person's life as usual so not to disrupt anything. "A" isn't a boy or a girl although it's easier to view "A" as a boy through the book. It seems to make things easier. "A" is just a person, a soul perhaps, that inhabits a different person every day. One day "A" wakes up in the body of Justin. He goes to school as usual and as Justin, "A" gets to meet Rhiannon, Justin's girlfriend. After spending a whole day with her, "A" realizes that to satisfy all desires, "A" must no longer follow the rules that he had set up for himself. "A" has found the person he wants to be with forever. To be able to fall asleep with and wake up to. But how is this possible when at midnight, he switches bodies?
This book took me on a ride from page one. Knowing that I was diving into a story about such a weird subject intrigued me. "A" makes his life sound just fine, that he may not be satisfied with being in a different body everyday but he knows he can't change how his reality is. Each body he inhabits is so different from the other, far beyond the lines of color and gender. It's kind of funny to follow "A" as a snobby teenage girl, a confident transvestite, a proud homosexual, a suicidal girl. So many personalities that "A" has to match up to as to not make family and friends suspicious. I had only one problem with the book: the cliffhanger. Please, David, please tell me there will be a sequel or, in the least, a companion novel! You can't just leave me pondering my thoughts for a resolution to all of this!
This book definitely earned my 5 stars. It's absolutely incredible. I didn't think I would get through this kind of book as fast as I did. But, in one day, I had devoured "A" and Rhiannon's story. I have cried with and for them. I found myself ultimately rooting for them. It's just so sad yet so joyous. What a great novel David has written. I loved it.
Mod
I can't wait to read Every Day! I ordered it after I finished
I've had everyday in my tbr list , but I have so many books I want to read, now though, ' everyday ' has jumped right to the top of my list thanks to reading your post. this tends to be my tried and tested method of reading wonderful books thanks for helping me make those tricky decisions :)
And my old school review before I started working with her ;-)http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Mod
Here is my review on my blog
http://juliababyjenreadingroom.blogsp...
And here is my Goodreads review!
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I really loved this book, David! (As you already know, lol!)
I also posted my review on Amazon and Randombuzzers! And I'll post it on my Twitter and Facebook, too!
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4.5 stars
Overall, I really loved the book. The writing was really, really good. It is really hard to do a review on this book without giving away big spoilers, so I think I am going to focus mainly on the characters. This really is a character driven series!
Lena--I felt I connected more with Lena in this story than in the previous two books. I really felt her pain, in being torn between Alex and Julian, and then her pain in thinking Alex no longer loved her!
Alex--He was the biggest bummer of the book for me. I will defend him somewhat. He is obviously insanely jealous, and who knows what he went through in the Crypts. (Well, I do, because I read the short story "Alex!") But he was a horrible jerk to Lena through most of the book, and seemed to latch onto a new girl! I was happier with him by the end, though.
Hana--This character was the hardest for me to make sense of. I can't believe Hana's actions towards the end of the book. She seems to be coming around for most of the story, then she's threatened, and BAM--becomes a meek little mouse. It really helped me to read her short story, as well!
Raven--I wasn't a big fan of hers in Pandemonium, but I started to like her by the end. Again, her short story will shed a lot of light on her as a person. And there is a huge twist with her that is not even mentioned in Requiem, only her short story. I was crying at the end of the book for Raven!
Julian--Julian is the only character who no longer really has a purpose. I suppose it helps Lena that he's there, but a lot of Lena's problems would be gone if he wasn't there in the first place...
Annabel--Annabel makes an appearance in this book, and I'm really glad the author tied up things between Lena and Annabel. I figured we would never see her again, but I'm so glad I was wrong! Another really good short story to read!
Tack--We never get any closure on Tack, so I'm going to believe that he stayed with Raven. I honestly think Raven and Tack were the best couple of the whole series! So loyal and faithful to each other!
Fred--I'm not sure I've ever felt so venomous towards a character before! I'm not going to tell you what happens to this despicable creature, but he gets his in the end!
Coral--One of the new characters, whom I decided not to like for Lena's sake. I had come around by the end though. Its hard to hate someone who has lost everything! She also was the only character who could and did fix one of Lena's biggest issues!
There are so many other characters, but these are the ones that stick out for me. Oliver is an amazing writer, and she makes these characters come to life! I'm not going to go into too much with the plot, but I was completely engaged with it.
Now for the ending. I've heard lots of negative reviews on the ending, and I know why. Oliver gives us a pretty open ending, letting us figure out exactly happens with the characters after the big battle. I think her readers really wanted everything tied up in a nice little bow. My only complaint is I would have liked a little more closure with Julian, Hana, and Tack. The rest I can imagine on my own.
I, however, really LOVED the ending! The last page was beautiful. It was pure poetry, and one of the best things I have ever read! Lena sums up the series and its purpose beautifully, and its something we should all be thinking about every day of our lives!
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
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I just want to share my reviews of the books I've recently love/like. 
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
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http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
[bookcover:Point of Retreat|13496..."
Great review on Fault of Our Stars! I couldn't have said it better about Augustus!
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http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
[bookcover:Point..."
I completely agree :)
Hi Everybody! I have an online bookstore, Literati After Dark. I would really appreciate it if some of you could post reviews on my site. That would be really helpful to me.
Mod
4 stars
This book hit all the right marks for me! I love dystopians, especially when it combines other elements with it. This one had a paranormal flavor to it with a bit of sci-fi, and I really loved it! It was a great concept with great characters!
So this society is exactly like our own, except there is a secret organization that is behind the scenes. They call themselves "The Society." They were founded in the 50s and are mostly a scientific entity. They have discovered that all beings use energy in their environment, but there are some humans that are not normal. The ones they destroy are call Nulls, and for all purposes, they are not good. I wouldn't call them evil--they just have no empathy or compassion for other human beings. Everything is a toy to be played with for them. They also have the ability to make people do things, and bend them to their will.
Then there are the Nobodies. They are even fewer, and they use a lot less energy...so they can walk through the world almost unnoticed. The Society rescued Nix when he was younger, and have trained him to carry out their work. He has been told he has no purpose, except as a killer.
Claire is also a Nobody, but the Society missed her. They tell Nix she is a Null, and must be eliminated. Things don't go well, though, and suddenly Nix isn't sure The Society hasn't been lying to him this whole time.
The bulk of the story is all about Claire and Nix trying to find a place, and at the same time, take down The Society. There aren't a lot of characters, and most of the character development is about Claire and Nix. Like I said, the concept of this is really interesting, and things get really strange--but I was able to keep up without a problem.
The ending was a nail biter! This book does have a clear cut ending, but the epilogue leaves room for a sequel. Right now, I haven't found anything about a sequel, but I'm hoping Barnes writes one! I would scoop it right up!
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
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Do you have a link?
Mod
This is the 3rd book in the series, but also my favorite in the series. They are all good, IMO. Mostly fantasy YA with light romance, heavy violence, and your usual 'teen' angst type stuff
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
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Jenny wrote: "Cynthia wrote: "Hi Everybody! I have an online bookstore, Literati After Dark. I would really appreciate it if some of you could post reviews on my site. That would be really helpful to me."Do yo..."
Yes! www.literatiafterdark.com
Thank you so much!
Mod
It is good, I think you would like it :) Not that I haven't recommended enough books to you lately ;)
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4 stars
I fell in love with this book. It surprised me, because I didn't expect to like it this much! It was , at times, very horrific. Bad and violent things were happening to innocent people. The story was so compelling!
Ember's mom is arrested and Ember is sent off to a rehabilitation center. The kind with a tyrannical matronly woman in charge with lots of soldiers to back her up. The ideas this society presented were just awful. Basically, it sets feminism back in time about 100 years! Woman are expected to be sub servant obedient, and chaise. And men were allowed to use physical force if necessary. It was just sick!
Poor, poor Ember. She's never had a man long term in her life, other than her best friend turned boyfriend, Chase. But Chase has been gone in the army awhile now, and Ember doesn't even recognize him anymore. Ember doesn't take well to the new attitudes her government is expecting her to be, so she gets punished a lot. Then the unexpected happens--Chase breaks her out of there and goes AWOL, as a favor to Ember's mother.
This is where the story really took off. It become a lot more about Ember and Chase's relationship, and less about the tyrannical society. Of course, they are on the run and there is danger everywhere, so there is still plenty of action! Lots of love angst and action make me happy!
Like typical love struck teenagers, Ember and Chase were just so STUPID with each other! Sometimes I just wanted to knock their heads together! I understood both of their point of views, though. Ember goes from a semi-normal life to a world where she cant trust ANYONE. So its really hard for her to trust Chase, especially when his soldier training kicks in. And I figured he's been through a lot, considering how this government treated its citizens.
The ending almost seemed a little too easy to me. I'm guessing the next book will start off with a bang! The sequel, Breaking Point, releases Feb. 12th, and I will be buying and devouring it!
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I really need to read Breaking Point soon!
The author wrote a series of short scenes that happen in Article 5 from Chase's POV. They are free to read on her blog! I really recommend reading them after Article 5, it gives a whole new perspective!
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Yes I love that!!! So awesome and generous :)
hey guys i just finished the second chapter of this YA novel i'm writing, if you want you can read it and give me your reviews.the first chapter needs editing but i hope you'll like it!
First chapter:
http://www.goodreads.com/story/show/3...
Second chapter:
http://www.goodreads.com/story/show/3...
Jenny wrote: "4 stars
I fell in love with this book. It surprised me, because I didn't expect to like it this much! It was , at times, very horrific. Bad and violent things were h..."
I thought there were too much gruesome details and I don't like that in a book. I ended up finishing it, but I didn't like it. Not my kind of book, but I heard lots of people liked it.
Mod
the first chapter needs editing but i hope you'll like it!
First chap..."
Aww cool, thank you for sharing! We also have a Share your Writing thread you can use to post those kinds of things, a lot of our mbwrs post there and follow that thread :) I've "Liked" both chapters :)
Andrea wrote: "
MY REVIEW
This book. Can I just say that David Levithan is a genius?
The cover is absolutely gorgeous and automatically receives a 10 from me. LOVE IT. The summar..."
Yes. Yes you may say that David Levithan is a genius. Please say it loudly and often. I totally agree.
is on my top 5 books of all time.
Mod
4 stars
This was a very gripping read from start to finish! We start off right in the middle of the action. Clay, his younger sister Neahle, and their cousin, Marty, are kayaking on the beach and exploring sand dunes when they find a pipe they decide to explore. They end up in an alternate universe, and another version of our planet Earth. In this version, though, creepy and evil aliens who look a lot like us have taken over our planet and enslaved what is left of the human race. The McClellands meet up with a group of rebels from our current universe whose mission is to take back the planet.
The three kids are put to use right away. This book was almost complete action from start to finish. Also a lot of spying and intel gathering goes on. The pipes they are in connect to the entire world, so they can travel anywhere very quickly. Its a really cool concept, and combines sci-fi with a dystopian vibe. Very clever!
My biggest complain is the big cliff hanger ending. The story ends rather abruptly. It made me itch for the next book! The characters are very well done, and the events and effects of the rebels seem realistic, which is hard to do in a sci-fi theme! I really enjoyed this one, and will be looking for the release of the next book!
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Mod
Jenny, great review on Ixeos!!
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4 stars
I have heard nothing but rave reviews on this book, so when I saw it in my library, I scooped it up. I really did like the story, but it wasn't instant love like I was expecting. I think I had trouble suspending my disbelief on the concept. Normally I love sci fi themes, and this one was a brand new one to me. I really liked the idea at first, but as the story went on, I started having problems with it.
So A wakes up every day in a different body. Its always someone who is 16 years old, and geographically within a 4 or 5 hour drive radius. It can be male or female. A doesn't really distinguish gender like the rest of us, in fact, he doesn't really have one. But I felt like he was male, so I'm going to go with that for my review! The switch happens at midnight, and if he stays awake, he actually feels it, which is painful, so he always falls asleep by midnight. He has access to the person's memories, so he can get through their day without too much trouble.
He has rules: mainly, to not disrupt their life as much as possible. One time when he was eleven, he went skiing as a boy and broke the kid's knee. He felt so terrible, he no longer takes risks. Until the day he meets Rhiannon. He is in her boyfriend's (Justin) body at the time. He feels sorry for her, because its clear to him Justin treats Rhiannon like crap, doesn't really listen to her, and generally just uses her. They've been dating for a year, and Rhiannon just puts up with him. Somewhere in this perfect day with Rhiannon, A falls in love. And that changes everything!
I really liked A. He was a good soul, and obviously cared about people. He gets himself in lots of trouble throughout the story, but most of the time his intentions are good. I liked Rhiannon, but towards the end of the story I really saw the difference between them. When it came down to it, she got pretty selfish. In fact, all of the characters were selfish in the story but A. He wasn't perfect, but it made me wonder if that's why he was jumping bodies?
This is where I really started to lose the story. Things start coming to light, but not enough to make sense of the whole concept. I didn't expect everything to fit in a little box, but to really believe in a concept like this, it needs to have some kind of purpose. That was really lacking in the story.
The best thing about the book was really all the different bodies A inhabited. Because he was immersed in their memories, we get to really see what makes different people tick. The good, bad, and the ugly. It was really interesting. The love story between Rhiannon and A was also a huge plus, because it was so different than anything else in YA.
The ending left so many things open and to interpretation, that I though this book might be the first in a series. I haven't found anything that shows this is a series, though, so I'm a little disappointed with the ending. I was happy, however, in A's choices at the very end, and staying true to his character. It really made me think about what kind of soul I would be in the same situation, and I don't know if I could have been as selfless as A.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Mod
3.5 stars
This is a group of short stories from some great YA authors with a dystopian theme.
I normally love short stories, but these didn't appeal to me as much as normal. I think it was because they were too short to give us proper world building for a dystopian. Or, the author did a lot of world building, but that left no room for the story.
I did enjoy Beth Revis's story, because it was from her Across the Universe series. Its a back story on Orion, and if you have read the series and loved it, you will want to read this story!
I also really enjoyed "Branded" by Kelley Armstrong, "Necklace of Raindrops" by Margaret Stohl, and "Burn 3" by Kami Garcia.
I wouldn't recommend buying this book, but I think its worth checking out of the library for the above mentioned stories!
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Mod
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
Great review and I'm glad you liked it! One of my favorite series ever!
Mod
4 stars
I'm not really sure what genre to classify this under. It has an urban fantasy feel, as well as some steampunk, along with paranormal (warlocks, fairies) plus a little mythology thrown in the mix! All are elements that I love, and I really liked the uniqueness of it!
The story is mostly adventure and action from start to finish. There isn't a lot of sitting around--Elle is in danger constantly of being kidnapped, while also trying to find her kidnapped father, and she also isn't sure who to trust. She throws her lot in with an old friend, Patrice, and his friend, Hugh Marsh.
Most of the character development came from Elle and Marsh, and I really adored both of their characters. Elle is a typical spitfire redhead (love it!) and Marsh is a handsome, very intelligent man who likes to butt heads with Elle constantly. Their relationship goes through lots of phases--hate, indifference, slight friendship, hate again, mistrust, and eventually, the stirrings of love! Although there is a hint of some romance, it doesn't take up much of the story. Elle and Marsh are too busy running for their lives!
Their journey takes them from Paris to England, then Vienna, and lastly, Constantinople. The plot was very well done, with a few twists here and there and a slow climax to the end. The ending was a little strange and not really all that believable, but this is steampunk, and I've found that its pretty normal to get carried away! This is the first book in the "The Chronicle of Light and Shadow" series, and I can't wait for the sequel, "A Clockwork Heart" to come out in August!
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
David Estes Fans and YA Book Lovers Unite!
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