Daily Dose Monday (22)

Daily Dose Monday is hosted by Holly over at Good Golly Miss Holly and features inspiring/magical images that you would like to share with your readers :)

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Book review #59

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Rating: Five stars

Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans -- except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay -- no matter what the personal cost.

*I know this review is super late and you've read the same thing about a million times, so I'll try to make it short :)*

On the evening of August 24th, I rushed to Walmart to secure my copy of Mockingjay as soon as I could. I set aside the next couple of hours and became absorbed in the many adventures of Katniss and the gang.From then on I was put on a rocky roller coaster full of tears, frustrations, and finally relief. Mockingjay is most definitely a one sitting read so pick a comfortable spot and get ready to expect an action packed journey filled with love, loss, and conflicts along the way.

Although the action in Mockingjay was different than in the other two books, it was just as intense. Poor Katniss doesn’t get a break with nonstop action and battling. Although there isn’t another hunger games, Katniss is still not safe. The capital wants revenge.  Ultimately, you will become forced to choose whether you’re going to join the rebellion or fight with the capital.

You can also expect a lot of previous characters to make an appearance. Collin’s excels at further developing the characters allowing you to make empathize and connect with them. Over the course of the three books, I have had the pleasure of watching the characters grow and develop. I have become so attached to them - they have almost become family. For those of you who are on Team Gale, you are definitely in luck. Readers get a chance to see a lot more of Gale.  Devoted Team Peeta fans may need to reconsider whose side they are on.  As for Katniss, I can now officially call her one of my all time favorite heroines. Without out a doubt she is one daring, courageous character.

After reading the conclusion of the series, I quickly turned back a couple of chapters and relived the ending once again. Mockingjay will dominate your thoughts hours after turning through the last pages. The last couple of pages definitely have some wet spots where my tear drops landed. Mockingjay was a wonderful end to an amazing series. I can honestly say that The Hunger Games series is one of the best out there. If you haven't read them yet, then do yourself a favor and immediately get a copy of The Hunger Games in your possession.

-Most of this content was written for my school newspaper so I hope I didn't give away too many/any spoilers! :)

Updates, Explanations,and Opinions (please!)

Hi!
As most of you have noticed, I've been mostly absent in the blogging community. School is taking over most of my free time. But thankfully I have a five day weekend (Fall break) so I'm going to catch up on everything! Hopefully I'll be able to keep up with it. Life without blogging just doesn't feel right. I've still been reading though! My latest favorite was Tell Me a Secret which I absolutely loved! Ok so here comes the part where I really need some help. For my school newspaper I've landing a permanent spot for a book review. The newspaper comes out about every monthish. For the last issue (August-September) I reviewed Mockingjay since it had so much hype. My problem is coming up with a book to review for this month. It can be any book, preferably newly released, that has a lot of hype. It's going to be read by the whole high school, so maybe a book that would be read by a diverse audience. Any ideas are welcome! Thank you so much in advance! 

PS. It feels so amazing to post again :)
PSS I love you all! Thanks a million to everyone who hasn't unfollowed!

Winner of the What's Your Status Prize Pack!

The winner of a paperback copy of Top 8 and What's Your Status?  by Katie Finn is:

Bere from Suenos En La Luna

Congrats Bere! I'll be e-mailing you shortly :) Thanks a ton to everyone who entered. I'm so sorry for posting the winner so late! Top 8 and What's Your Status? are both wonderful books so if you didn't win, make sure you get your own copy :)

*Winner were chosen from Random.org.

Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler

Book review #58

Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler

Rating: Five stars

Summary:

Things in Delilah Hannaford's life have a tendency to fall apart.

She used to be a good student, but she can't seem to keep it together anymore. Her "boyfriend" isn't much of a boyfriend. And her mother refuses to discuss the fight that divided their family eight years ago. Falling apart, it seems, is a Hannaford tradition.

Over a summer of new friendships, unexpected romance, and moments that test the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, Delilah must face her family's painful past. Can even her most shattered relationships be pieced together again?

 

I honestly have no idea where to begin. Twenty Boy Summer was one of my all time favorite books, so I was nervous that Fixing Delilah wouldn't be as good. Boy was I wrong. Fixing Delilah left me speechless, it's definitely going onto my favorite books list. Better yet I can confirm that Sarah Ockler is without a doubt an amazing author. She has a way to put all my favorite things into one book. Fixing Delilah had everything from romance, mystery, to family relationships.Ockler really knows how to balance everything creating the perfect blend.

 

Delilah has had a very rough year and to top it all off she's being forced to spend the summer in her old hometown to help plan for her grandmother's funeral. After both her grandparents died and with her aunt dead, she was only one of the three Hannafords left. Right after her grandfather died, her mother packed up and moved to Red Falls. Delilah never knew why she had to leave her hometown behind. Eight years later she's back and she's determined to uncover the truth. 

The characters were perfect. If wanted to pick characters to read about it I would chose this cast. There's Emily who is the nice outgoing good friend that Delilah's never had. Then there's the Hannaford sisters. Family is really important to me. I know all about crazy family secrets and sister rivalries. It was so refreshing to see family play such an important part in the book. I loved see how the siblings interacted with each other. Of course Patrick was my absolute favorite. Delilah and Patrick grew up together and now eight years later they realized they have feelings for each other. Childhood best friends turned lovers are just my type of romance :) It was so pure and real. Lastly there was Delilah herself. She has a had a tough time lately, transforming from a  good girl into who knows what. Her friendships are falling apart, her love life isn't any better, and to top it all off the family mystery is driving her crazy. But the moment she steps back into Red Falls everything changes...

 

Sarah Ockler sure does know how to write a love scene! The chemistry and interactions between the two can be compared to scenes written by Simone Elkeles and Jennifer Echols. It made those who haven't experienced those feelings longing to fall in love. Not only does she know how to write a love scene, but her writing over all is impeccable. There were so many memorable quotes and verses. The lines flew effortless almost off the page. I was so engrossed in what was going on, I had forgotten everything I had to do that day. Fixing Delilah became the number one thing on my mind.

 

I almost forgot about the setting of the book. Red Falls is even better than a summery beach town. It's small and a place I would love to spend my summer at. The descriptions were so vivid, I felt like I knew my way around town.

 

For those of you exciting for Fixing Delilah to be released, get even more excited! It definitely won't disappoint. Fans of Twenty Boy Summer are guaranteed to fall in love. Realism, coming of age, romance, and the added family tension makes this one unforgettable read. I'm anxiously awaiting for the release date as well, so I can get a copy of my own.