Friday, May 30, 2014

Book Report - Extras

Title: Extras
Authour: Scott Westerfield
Length: 417 pages
How long it took me to read: 3 days
Grade: B+

What it's about: It's a few years after rebel Tally Youngblood took down the uglies/pretties/specials regime. Without those strict roles and rules, the world is in a complete cultural renaissance. "Tech-heads" flaunt their latest gadgets, "kickers" spread gossip and trends, and "surge monkeys" are hooked on extreme plastic surgery. And it's all monitored on a bazillion different cameras. The world is like a gigantic game of "American Idol." Whoever is getting the most buzz gets the most votes. Popularity rules.

As if being fifteen doesn't suck enough, Aya Fuse's rank of 451,369 is so low, she's a total nobody. An extra. But Aya doesn't care; she just wants to lie low with her drone, Moggle. And maybe kick a good story for herself.

Then Aya meets a clique of girls who pull crazy tricks, yet are deeply secretive of it. Aya wants desperately to kick their story, to show everyone how intensely cool the Sly Girls are. But doing so would propel her out of extra-land and into the world of fame, celebrity...and extreme danger. A world she's not prepared for.

The ending is the most important part: I liked this ending much better than Specials. This story was complete and wrapped up nicely. I'm glad Scott Westerfeld wrote this one

Last word: The series have been redeemed somewhat. While this story can stand on its own, it's a much better ending to the Uglies series than Specials was.

Spoilers after the jump

Friday, May 23, 2014

Book Report - Specials

Title: Specials
Authour: Scott Westerfield
Length: 384 pages
How long it took me to read: 3 days
Grade: C

What it's about: "Special Circumstances": The words have sent chills down Tally's spine since her days as a repellent, rebellious ugly. Back then Specials were a sinister rumor -- frighteningly beautiful, dangerously strong, breathtakingly fast. Ordinary pretties might live their whole lives without meeting a Special. But Tally's never been ordinary.

And now she's been turned into one of them: a superamped fighting machine, engineered to keep the uglies down and the pretties stupid.

The strength, the speed, and the clarity and focus of her thinking feel better than anything Tally can remember. Most of the time. One tiny corner of her heart still remembers something more.

Still, it's easy to tune that out -- until Tally's offered a chance to stamp out the rebels of the New Smoke permanently. It all comes down to one last choice: listen to that tiny, faint heartbeat, or carry out the mission she's programmed to complete. Either way, Tally's world will never be the same.

The ending is the most important part: This did not feel like the ending of the trilogy. It's like the story just stopped

Last word: I had so much hope for this series. Sadly, I really don't like Tally as a Special.

Spoilers after the jump

Friday, May 16, 2014

Book Report - The Fault in Our Stars

Title: The Fault in Our Stars
Authour: John Green
Length: 318 pages
How long it took me to read: 2 days
Grade: A

What it's about: Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

The ending is the most important part: The ending is sad, and the ending has hope. The ending is good.

Last word: I was afraid to read this book because I am the mother of a cancer survivor, and I was worried it would be emotional, but it is so well written, the characters so loveable and true, the dialogue so excellent, that I absolutely loved it.

Spoilers after the jump

Friday, May 9, 2014

Book Report - The Mortal Instruments City of Bones

Title: The Mortal Instruments City of Bones
Authour: Cassandra Clare
Length: 485 pages
How long it took me to read: 2 days
Grade: A

What it's about: When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air.

It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk.

Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know...

The ending is the most important part: The ending has a bit of a Star Wars twist (more in the spoilers) which I kind of saw coming, but in a good way.

Last word: I am so on board with reading every book in this series.

Spoilers after the jump

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Song of the Day - "Treasure" Bruno Mars


Feel free to turn this up and just dance. Bruno Mars has such great soul. I just heard this song for the first time while I was in the shower and I actually danced right there in the shower. I couldn't help myself.

Then I choked because I got water in my mouth.

Friday, May 2, 2014

Book Report - Gossip Girl

Title: Gossip Girl
Authour: Cecily Von Ziegesar
Length: 201 pages
How long it took me to read: 1 day
Grade: B

What it's about: Welcome to New York City's Upper East Side, where my friends and I live, go to school, play, and sleep--sometimes with each other.

S is back from boarding school, and if we aren't careful, she's going to win over our teachers, wear that dress we couldn't fit into, steal our boyfriends' hearts, and basically ruin our lives in a major way. I'll be watching closely...

You know you love me,
gossip girl

The ending is the most important part: This is a series of fifteen books, so while this story ended, you know that there's more. That being said, the ending is still satisfying and doesn't leave you hanging - which is a good thing.

Last word: This was the perfect book for my Spring Break read by the pool. I would read the series if I had more time and less books on my TBR list. I'm just going to stick with watching the series on Netflix for now.

Spoilers after the jump