Tuesday, June 18, 2013

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken


The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds, #1)Title: The Darkest Minds
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Release Date: December 18, 2012
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Page Number: 488
Format: Hardcover
Source: Own
 
Synopsis: When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.
 
My Review
This book gave me all the feels. It was exciting, amazing, fantastic, everything. I absolutely loved it!
 
The characters in this book really developed as the book went on and I loved all of them. Ruby, Liam, Zu, and Chubs were some of the most enjoyable characters I have read about in a long time. They had their moments but I just loved to read about them. Liam had a way with words and everything he said was beautiful. Ruby started out cold but grew to love her new friends as the book went on.
 
This book was action packed and filled with awesome! I loved all the action scenes in the van and even just the scenes with Liam and Ruby hanging out. Everything about the plot was great, but the ending killed me! For a week after reading this book I just kept listening to Just Give Me A Reason by Pink, because it perfectly described the ending for me.
 
The writing was great. Alexandra Bracken really built up the world and created a great romance and I found myself sinking into this book. It was phenomenal!
 
Everything about this book was fantastic. I didn't do it justice in this review, but I hope that you will pick it up because it was amazing! I can't really describe it as the next Hunger Games or Divergent because it's not. This book is something all its own. It's creative and beautiful and definitely worth your time.

Monday, June 3, 2013

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

Shut Out
Title: Shut Out
Author: Kody Keplinger
Release Date: September 5, 2011
Publisher: Poppy
Page Number: 273
Format: Hardcover
Source: Own
 
Synopsis: Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part,Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention

Then Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: She and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don't count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. But what Lissa never sees coming is her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling...
 
My Review
Kody Keplinger does it again! I loved The Duff by her and I couldn't wait for this one. Keplinger's writing is so engaging and the plots are so funny and awesome that her books are amazing.
 
I love Kody Keplinger's books because she comes up with great ideas and excecutes them really well. A rivalry between teams at the same school? A sex strike by the girls to get it to stop? Genius! The book also takes a look at how different people will react to things. Girls wanted the rivalry to stop while the boys fought, even though they didn't know why they were fighting in the first place.
 
Lissa and all the other characters were superb. Lissa is a leader, which is a good thing considering she was leading the girls. But she also didn't have the "I'm always right and you can't tell me otherwise" attitude that some leaders in books have. Keplinger always has enjoyable characters to read about, and this is no different. I loved Cash and Chloe and everybody else!
 
There is nothing more I really need to say for Keplinger's writing style. She does great with ideas, characters, and everything else. I enjoy her books very much!
 
Rating: 5 worms