We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

WARNING:This will be a short review so the book is not spoiled for you!

I can't even give you a description of this book. It would spoil everything! All I can tell you about the story is this. There is a family who owns an island. Every summer they live there. 

And thats all.

I can't wrap my head around this story just yet. I can't decide what I loved and hated about it. Its been about an hour since I finished and I can already tell you that my love for this book is growing by every tick of the clock. It went a direction that I didn't really know the book was going to go and it was really really good!

This book was released in June and the hype surrounding it has exploded! A lot of people have either loved it, or absolutely hated it. I can see where both sides are coming from. The story it self is interesting and bring up so many discussion questions and ideas on life. The writing is beautiful! E. Lockhart's metaphors and foreshadows are incredible. This is one book where hype could potentially ruin the story for the reader. Some people say go into the story with no expectations, and I think that is a very good recommendation! Just get your hands on this book, devour the 225 pages in a few hours, and find people to discuss it immediately! 

July Book Wrap Up

In the Month of July I read 4 books. I am very happy with this number as I was traveling the whole month and was super busy the last week I was home! Here is my book wrap up and quick reviews of these books.

1. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi.
This follows a girl named Juliette whose touch kills. She has been trapped in an asylum for many years waiting to see what these people are going to do to her. One day a boy is sent to be her cellmate. He soon discovers that he can touch Juliette and is not effected. Why? You will have to see. Rating: 4 of 5

I felt like this whole word was built beautifully. It was dynamic and questionable. It kept me guessing the whole time. I did feel like it took a moment to be fully engaged in the story (maybe 80-100 pages or so), but after that it's definitely a speed read. One thing that stood out to me about this novel was the poetic writing. Here is a non spoiler excerpt from the book:

"In the absence of human relationships I formed bonds with paper characters. I lived life and loss through stories threaded in history; I experienced adolescence by association. My world is one interwoven web of words, stringing limb to limb to limb, bone to sinew, thoughts and images all together. I am a being comprised of letters, a character created by sentences, a figment of imagination formed through fiction."

The whole book is like that! Her writing does tend to get a bit to poetic at times and I think it distracts from the story, but overall it is stunning!

2. Paper Towns by John Green
Quentin has been friends with Margo forever. I guess it depends on how you define "friends". They are at least next door neighbors. One night Margo shows up at Quentin's house and takes him on an adventure. The next morning, she is gone. Margo is quite the unusual type and she has left clues all over for Quentin to discover and piece together. Rating: 3.75 out of 5

I know my description was vague, but I think thats how you need to go into the story. I loved Fault in our Stars and would kill to meet John Green. Paper Towns is the second book of his that I have read. It took me a while to read. I was never drawn in completely to Quentin and his story telling. Margo on the other hand did interest me. She actually reminded me a lot of Star Girl from the book with the same name by Jerry Spinelli. I felt like sometimes the plot was spinning in a circle with no way out. But the last 100 pages had me turning page after page and I thought the ending was thought provoking. John Green's ability to make you question different aspects of life, is just fascinating. 

3. Landline by Rainbow Rowell
Georgie McCool is right on the edge of getting the job she has always wanted. Her and her writing partner have one week to right a number of scripts for their very own TV show. The problem is, the week is Christmas. With struggles already in her marriage, Neal, Georgie's husband, takes the kids to Omaha (to visit Neal's mom) without Georgie. Not knowing what to do, Georgie goes to her Mom's house for dinner. She finds an old yellow landline phone to call her husband. Neal does answer, but it's not Neal from today. Its Neal from 18 years ago, the week before he is suppose to propose to Georgie. Rating: 4.5 out of 5

The first time I rated this book I only gave it a 4 out of 5. But the two weeks since I have read this book, I haven't stopped thinking about it! Literally! Everyday this story reappears in my brain begging for attention. I just enjoyed this book. Rainbow Rowell is a truly amazing contemporary writer. Her ability to write (especially dialogue) is remarkable. I am just speechless. The only reason this book is not a 5 out of 5 is for some language at some parts and one part that if I explained further, would be a spoiler. I did a full review of this novel so you can find that here on the blog!

4. The One by Kierra Cass 
This is the third and last book of the Selection Trilogy. It follows a girl named America who is chosen with 35 other girls to "compete" for a chance to marry the prince. Its super fast paced with a few twists and an amazing prince! Rating: 3.8 out of 5

I can't say to much about this because that would spoil the first two books. (I do have a review on this series on my blog). I think this book was a good conclusion to the series. There were parts that my mouth fell open in shock, and a few twists and turns that I didn't expect. But overall I think these characters started to become a little annoying. For a majority of the book I felt like nothing happened and we were sucked into the same situation, playing out the same way, with different dialogue. That being said, I couldn't put the book down. I needed to know what was going to happen! It's definitely not my favorite series of all time, but it is a pretty fun one to be sucked into. 

The Character Betrayal Tag

I am obsessed with Booktube. This is a whole section of Youtube dedicated to Books! People come on and create channels with book reviews, reactions, book hauls, movie discussions, etc... My book pile sky rocketed to infinity once I discovered this glorious thing! One of my favorite things on Booktube are videos called Tags. These are questions that are asked related to books and the video maker (or blogger in my case) answers these questions! This is called The Character Betrayal Tag. It was created by a BookTuber named Miranda. Here is a link to her original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDc9CfJbbEw

I think these questions are super different and exciting! So here we go!


1) You are at a party playing a game of Spin the Bottle. The bottle lands on you and your dream fictional character partner. You lean in to give a kiss to your dream fictional character partner, while all the while their actual girlfriend/ boyfriend is watching. Which character are you betraying in order to get a kiss from the character of your dreams?

-I don't like this question!!!
..........
I just don't want to betray any of these leading female characters... But sorry Hazel Grace, I just need a kiss from Augustus. The Fault in our Stars is one of those books that changed me as a human being. That is not an exaggerated statement. I feel so connected to these characters. Their pain was my pain. Every time they laughed, I laughed. Every time they cried, man did I cry! Gus to me was a character that symbolizes the part in everyone that questions will I be remembered? He made me think, yet was hilarious all at once. Just let me meet Gus! Please! Pretty Please! 

2)You just watched Mean Girls and saw Regina George being pushed in front of the bus by Katie. Unlike Mean Girls, you do not feel guilty about pushing a character in front of a bus. Which character would you push in front of a bus? (they are still alive and well after).

-Gale. Hunger Games. I can't stand him. I don't know what it is about him that just kills me. My hate has nothing to do with the way Suzanne Collins wrote him. It was just everything about his being. I could see through this fake mask he wore! He was wrong for Katniss the second he walked in to the woods. I don't mind him as a friend for Katniss because I think she really needed one the whole series, but I don't think she every truly loved him romantically. I especially don't think Gale really loved her! Ever! So yes Gale... Im not sorry about this one.  

3) It is a life or death situation. You are trapped with a character you hate in the middle of the bush. Suddenly, as you keep walking the woods begin to look familiar and you know the way out. You call it a break for the day and you and the character you hate decide to call it a night. That night you leave sneaking away from the character leaving them to find their own way out. Which character do you betray? 

-Peter from the Divergent Trilogy. He is just awful. Like I really hate him. I remember reading these books and just being disgusted with him. He is a self centered, scary, brutal, and harsh person... And I really don't think he is smart enough to make it out of the woods alive. 

4) You are trapped in a hole and above you lies the only escape. You ask the character you are trapped with for a lift so you can get out. You tell them when you get out of the whole you will help them out. You make it out of the hole and walk away not helping the character still trapped inside the hole. Which character do you betray?

-Ky from the Matched Trilogy! I do not like him or these books! Unlike Gale, I hated Ky for the way he was written in the story. I felt like Ky was such a bland, one sided character. He had no depth or true voice and added nothing to the trilogy. (Which is really saying something, considering ALL 3 books are about him!) I truly thought the books would have been better with just Xander and no Ky. Therefore... he is better off in that hole. -Aspen from the Selction Triloby. I was never a massive fan of his. He is introduced right in the beginning of the first novel. Everytime he argued or got mad, there was no good reason behind it. He was a little forced for me. Granted he was needed to add friction for America because, of course you need a love triangle! (Bangs head against wall). He is a soldier, so I have no doubt that he can defeat the zombies, vampires, and wolves. I don't feel awful. 

5) You are in an argument with the character you hate when BANG...you are surrounded by zombies, vampires and wolves. You and this character have to unite to fend off these creatures. You then realize you have magic dust in your pocket that a Warlock gave to you that will help you get out of any situation. You use it and suddenly find yourself in a luxurious environment sipping a drink you love. Which character would you leave to fend for themselves?

-Aspen from the Selction Triloby. I was never a massive fan of his. He is introduced right in the beginning of the first novel. Everytime he argued or got mad, there was no good reason behind it. He was a little forced for me. Granted he was needed to add friction for America because, of course you need a love triangle! (Bangs head against wall). He is a soldier, so I have no doubt that he can defeat the zombies, vampires, and wolves. I don't feel awful. 

Here are some links to a few of my favorite BookTubers :) Sorry their links are in such a dark color! 

Ariel Bissett: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7meg6KOPt_CRTLcEiy2lGg
Regan: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy6Qlkv2hif7KPtmMmNUGUw
Shannon: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChrvrRtaKeF3XKJYfAIr3gg
Whitney: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZhNeWiUOK4CX9OYsk6sGCQ

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

          Georgie McCool is right on the edge of getting the job she has always wanted. Her and her writing partner have one week to right a number of scripts for their very own TV show. The problem is, the week is Christmas. With struggles already in her marriage, Neal, Georgie's husband, takes the kids to Omaha (to visit Neal's mom) without Georgie. Not knowing what to do, Georgie goes to her Mom's house for dinner. She finds an old yellow landline phone to call her husband. Neal does answer, but it's not Neal from today. Its Neal from 18 years ago, the week before he is suppose to propose to Georgie. Rating: 4.5 out of 5
          This is a vastly different novel for Rainbow Rowell. Known as a Young Adult author, this new Adult novel is much sadder and even darker. I have only read one other book by Rowell which was Fangirl. A very fun book all about finding yourself as a young college student still obsessed with things like Harry Potter. The second I heard about Landline I was hooked. I was desperate to read this story and see what Rowell could come up with. Let's just say that she did not disappoint. 
          One thing that amazes me about Rainbow Rowell's stories, are how addicting they become. Her characters capture you in the very first sentence. I believe this is because they are so relatable and real. With Fangirl, I related to Cath because she was basically me. She liked to read, obsess over stories, and she was totally fine not speaking to anyone for x number of days. Although I am not married and do not have a job, Georgie still managed to keep me in the story. I felt like the things that Georgie wanted to discover about herself and the struggle she felt in her relationship were very tangible. They were questions that any person at any age could ask. When I needed to put down the book (not out of personal choice), I kept thinking of these characters and this story. There questions became questions I was asking myself. Characters like this are not in every book.
          This is technically an Adult novel and not Young Adult. For me the only thing that made it feel like it was an Adult novel was the overall melancholy tone. This is not found in most contemporaries especially in Young Adult. I actually really loved it. It was oddly refreshing and fun to spend time in a fiction world that felt so real. 
          The only warning I have for this book is that there is a bit of language. I felt like it was more present at some parts of the novel, but it definitely was not horrible. 
          I strongly recommend you read this book! 
          
 
         

Landry Park by Bethany Hagen

In a future United States, where everything has gone back to 1800s life style, Madeline Landry finds herself wanting to go to University. Her father the famous and President figure of the country will not allow this. She needs to find a man and get married. But when  a local girl gets attacked and a new man appears, and the central thing they survive on causes an uprising, things start to change. Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I loved this book. I went into the story not knowing a ton about it. To be honest I just really really loved the cover. When I realized it was dystopian I was a little hesitant. Its as if most Young Adult novels can only be Contemporary or Dystopian. But what I really appreciated was the twist on this particular dystopian. I am a major fan of party's, kings, ball gowns, royalty, etc.. To have a fractured United States be put back in time to the 1800s? YES! It was believable to me and I almost wanted it to happen. Obviously after a time with computers,cell phones, ipads, etc.. there is obviously some technology and that ends up being a real problem and focus of the plot. 

There is a mystery that appears really early on in the story. It kept me guessing and flipping pages late into the night. It was fun to have that element mixed in with the other problems that arise. I never felt like it was forced on to you at all. 

When you read a book with annoying characters it really ruins the book. A story wouldn't be a story without people and yes, in our everyday lives annoying people can appear, but in the realm of reading it makes for a very unpleasant time. I am pleased to inform you that this story was not like this. I loved the characters. The main character Madeline knows what she wants and she will fight for it. She is not afraid to learn new things or try something new. I found her very empowering. Now my speech about annoying characters has a catch. Stories need characters that you hate. And let me tell you, this book has them. I was so frustrated with some people that I found myself almost yelling at this book. But these characters grow and develop and watching that is quite fun and exciting

I can not recommend this book more! Please, everyone read it! Its an exciting adventure story, with dystopian elements, a little bit of romance, and twists on every page.