Book Review: Paper Towns

Paper Towns by John Green
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm having a difficult...

I really wish I could...

Words are not so much with me right now.

THIS BOOK. While I LOVED The Fault in Our Stars (and I believe that John Green and Hank Green are helping to create a generation of thinking, reading, deep, pensive, adventurous, brave teens- #Nerdfighters!), I did not expect to love this book.

I loved it from the get-go. The characters are beautifully flawed and pained and REAL. I couldn't help telling my fiancé that I know these kids. They aren't named Margo, Quentin, Radar, Ben, Lacey, and Angela, but I know them. They are teens I've encountered in my years in the classroom.

And they are the minority.

John Green is making it okay for the smart, kind kids to BE smart and kind, to show that they have multiple dimensions. There are some who always have been and always will be, that's for certain, but for those who feel two-dimensional, like they have to hide or cover the cracks in themselves from everyone else in high school or even as young adults, John Green shows those kids a reality where that's okay. He shows them how we are all cracked and sinking to an inevitable end, and it's okay for us to live and embrace our cracks and look at one another truthfully and with dimension.

I LOVE THIS BOOK. TFIOS was a 4.5 by comparison, but this is definitely a solid 5. I want to hug each of these kids and tell them how proud I am of them and how I think that they are so courageous and smart and funny.

READ IT.

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Book Review: Beautiful Creatures Manga, (Caster Chronicles #1) by Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl & art by Cassandra Jean

Beautiful Creatures: The Graphic Novel by Kami Garcia
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I will preclude this review by saying I have never seen the film or read the novel version of this story, but now, I'm planning on doing both.

What I Liked:
-great characterization (for everyone except Lena)
-impacting images
-artistic symbolism and imagery
-interesting blending of supernatural/fantasy mythos
-elements of mystery
-beautiful art (other reviewers have complained about the sketchy style, but I think it added a depth and rawness to the characters)


What I Didn't Like:
-distinct lack of Southern culture
-Lena felt very flat until the end. There was no character progression for her until the final few pages.

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Teaser Tuesday: Not a Drop to Drink

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can
play along!


Just do the following:

Grab your current read.

Open to a random page.

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

From Chapter Twelve of Mindy McGinnis's Not a Drop to Drink: 

In the dark field, it felt to Lynn like predators 

would see Lucy not only as the easiest target 

but also as Lynn's weakness as well. 

She hoped Lucy could feel the affection 

coursing through her fingers, 

even though the grip on her tiny wrist was iron. 

As I've mentioned before on Twitter, but not on here, I am SO excited about this novel! I got to visit the Dark Days panel at ATBF a couple weeks ago and let me tell you, Mindy McGinnis is incredibly charming and an absolute delight in person. Her dark YA novel sounds like one I can really sink my teeth into. I just got it from Amazon today, so I'll let you know how it goes!

My current thoughts.

Book Review: The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I know other reviewers have used words such as "blase" (which, to be fair, is quite 'blase' in and of itself) to describe this novel, but let's get down to the nitty gritty of it all. I know it's the "hip" thing to not like the books everybody else is reading and, honestly, before I picked up one of John Green's novels (this is my first, but NOT my last) I figured he had to be overrated.

I. Was. Wrong.

Write that in your datebooks because I don't say it often, but I was very wrong in my prejudgment of this novel.

Pros:
The characters are charming, poignant, and painfully real. In the face of tragedies too huge for most adults to experience with a smile, they manage to insert light, carefree, intellectual humor. I laughed as much as I cried in this novel, and let me tell you, that's saying something. Green does not romanticize the struggle with cancer, but rather gets deeper into the fact that no matter how old a person is, he or she has an identity. No matter what their struggle, they have a sense of humor and the ability to be a beautiful soul. The love story here is one of the truest and greatest I've ever read, perhaps because of the short time frame, perhaps because of the circumstances. I don't know. Either way, it's a book I will use in my classroom and recommend to anyone I meet.

Cons:
... I can't really think of any, unless you include massive emotional upheaval and tear-wrenching catharsis.

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Book Review: City of Lost Souls

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

*********SPOILERS!*********************

This was an enjoyable read and a necessary step in the story, not unlike City of Ashes, but it is not a life-changer. For the most part, I think most of the tension is broken. I felt like a great deal of the plot was predictable, especially when Jace's mark is torn. I have to admit, I really like Clary. I've liked Clary since City of Bones. She's brave and impulsive and sometimes selfish, but she is human. Unlike characters who always do the right thing, she went against everything she knew to save Jace's life, much like many real life people do when choosing to take their loved one off life support. She knew that the person she loved was still in there and therefore couldn't let him die, but then she turns around and stabs him through the chest with the archangel's sword! It's so ridiculous that it works. I'm expecting the next one to be epic.

Lastly, I would like to add:

SIMON AND IZZY FOR THE WIN!

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Book Review: Divergent

Divergent by Veronica Roth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh my.

This novel is like quicksand. Once you start to sink into it, you're done! The story was fast-paced and oddly realistic. I love the flawed characters. The kids still act like real teenagers, and Tris is truly brave. And she knows it!

This Dystopian is a great reflection on society and values, but it is also a terrifying world to imagine living in. One of my favorite books. Ever.

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Book Review: The Summer I Turned Pretty

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really loved this book. Han really captures what it's like being a teenage girl having to deal with real issues, and what it's like to feel invisible. Albeit, Belly got irritating at times, but I think that's a teenage girl thing. Those boys are fantastic and what a great relationship they all have.

The book is not a difficult read, but it goes rather quickly, even at that. The pacing of the chapters and the speed of the book...you can almost feel the summer slipping past you. The descriptions of everything beautiful about the beach and the ocean and even the gritty sand were mesmerizing. Now I need a beach house to escape to so I can read the next two...


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