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! :)

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.

Forget You by Jennifer Echols

Book review #57
Forget You by Jennifer Echols
Rating: Five stars

Summary:(taken from Goodreads)
WHY CAN’T YOU CHOOSE WHAT YOU FORGET . . .  AND WHAT YOU REMEMBER?  There’s a lot Zoey would like to forget. Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four- year old girlfriend. Like Zoey’s fear that the whole town will find out about her mom’s nervous breakdown. Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school. Feeling like her life is about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only way she knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she’s the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend to ultra-popular football player Brandon.  But then Zoey is in a car crash, and the next day there’s one thing she can’t remember at all—the entire night before. Did she go parking with Brandon, like she planned? And if so, why does it seem like Brandon is avoiding her? And why is Doug—of all people— suddenly acting as if something significant happened between the two of them? Zoey dimly remembers Doug pulling her from the wreck, but he keeps referring to what happened that night as if it was more, and it terrifies Zoey to admit how much is a blank to her. Controlled, meticulous Zoey is quickly losing her grip on the all-important details of her life—a life that seems strangely empty of Brandon, and strangely full of Doug.

I don't even know where to begin. I'm kind of beating myself up for not reading any of Jennifer Echols's books before. After reading Forget You, she has officially made it to my favorite author's list. She just has this way of creating realistic characters combined with intense scenes that it's almost...magical. 

Zoey is living a complicated life, but her main goal is to trying to block it all out by being perfect. Her dad is living with his knocked up girlfriend-who is his main priority at the time. Her mother got sent to the mental hospital and then there's Brandon, her guy friend, who she finally went farther with. Things are going OK at the moment, she just made the move on Brandon and things on the swim team or going good. But everything changes the night after the accident. She doesn't remember anything and suddenly mysterious Doug carved a space into her life. She struggles to piece together the details of the night to actually make sense of her life.

There's a lot of things I loved about this book, but I would have to say the writing was my favorite. The writing was scrumptious. After I finished reading the book, I curled back into bed and reread my favorite scenes. Jennifer Echols has a way of making the words flow off the pages making it impossible  to stop reading. It wasn't even that much of a mystery, but I had to find out what really happened that night. Oh and did I mention the love scenes? They were hot! Each and every moment Doug and Zoey shared together were pretty unforgettable, sexual tension filled the air no matter where they were.

The characters were the second key to making this such an amazing read. Zoey. Some may hate or love her. I think the reason some people didn't love this book so much is mainly because Zoey can come off as annoying. Her feelings towards Brandon were unexplainable (I don't want to give anything away), but honestly I knew that she really knew what kind of guy Brandon was. It was all to keep her "perfect" image.  I could relate to the trouble she was going through, so to me she wasn't an unlikeable character at all. Doug! Oh my goodness. I think it's impossible not to love him. Sexy, sweet, and sensitive, but not perfect with his "criminal" history. It's safe to say I would love to have a Doug in real life. Even the smaller characters were very well developed and  memorable.

Overall, Forget You is addictive, sexy, and thoughtful. It's simple, yet so complex. And I almost forget to mention how honest it is. Jennifer Echol's actually goes there and addresses those sometimes embarrassing subjects. If you were wondering if Forget You lives up to the hype, personally I think it certainly does. I would reread this book in a heartbeat, so go ahead and buy yourself a copy :)

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Book review #53
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
Rating: Five stars!

Summary: (taken from Goodreads)
Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn't seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she's coming to terms with her father's death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road--diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards--this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself. 

Honestly I don't even know where to begin. Without a doubt Amy & Roger's Epic Detour is one of my favorite books of the year. I don't want to gush, but I think I have to!  I loved everything about this book. It's almost like this book was written for me, it's made of pure awesomeness. I can say that I took an amazing tour throughout the United States. Even though I live here, I haven't gotten a chance to experiences life in states other than my own. It's hard to not want to jump in the car and take a spontaneous road trip after reading this. 

Amy's life is really falling apart. Nothing has been the same since her dad died. Living in the house alone for the month while school finishes up, she feels lonelier than ever. To top it all off she's being forced to move all the way out to Connecticut. Since Amy isn't ready to drive yet, her mom set up a road trip with her Roger-who is practically a stranger. The two set off on the pre-planned road trip to Colorado, but then decide to make a detour of their own. Not only do you get to enjoy the trip through America, but you get to watch Amy and Roger get to know each other and more importantly get to know themselves.

The cast of characters were just plain wonderful. Every single character, small or big, made a big impression on made. Amy and Roger met quite of few people on their journey. There was Lucien from Kentucky who was just a very sincere lovable person. Then there was crazy Browolyn who was super nice. Amy was such a piece of work. She's been through so much pain and I was really proud of how she handled everything. Roger oh Roger. I loved him of course. He was like the coolest person ever, not to mention a sweetie. Together they really shared something special. It was too cute witnessing them getting used to each other.

The setup of the book was one of my favorite things about it. Each chapter began with a quote relating to the state of moment they were in. Then after the two visited each state there was a scrapbook section consisting of actual receipts, tickets, postcards, and pictures. Oh and there were even play lists spread throughout the book, that related to that period. And I have to say there were some really good songs listed. I just loved all of this, it made the book even better.

Personally the coolest part for me was that Amy and Roger got to visit Kentucky! I live in Kentucky and it's very rare to see Kentucky pop up in a book. It was hilarious to see them fight over how to pronounce Louisville (we do that too) and their amazement to sweet tea and waffle house. Aside from that, the adventures they went through were fun and memorable. From sleeping in the car in the parking lot, sliding around in socks around Walmart in the middle of the night, to even sneaking into a strict facility.

Even thinking about this book makes me smile! I'm so happy that I own a copy because I'll definitely be picking it up again. Amy & Roger's Epic Detour is one of the most touching, entertaining, and fun books I've read in awhile. After I turned the last page, I just wasn't ready to part with them. I would recommend this book to just about everyone, but especially fans of Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler.

*This is probably the longest review I've ever written. Sorry about that! I couldn't help it :)

It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

Book review #47
It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han
Rating: Five stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

Last year, all of Belly's dreams came true and the thought of missing a summer in Cousins Beach was inconceivable. But like the rise and fall of the ocean tide, things can change--just like that. Suddenly the time she's always looked forward to most is something she dreads. And when Jeremiah calls to say Conrad has disappeared, Belly must decide how she will spend this summer: chasing after the boy she loves, or finally letting him go. 

I'm officially in love with this series.  To say this book was amazing is an understatement. I think I even liked it better than the first book (The Summer I Turned Pretty) which I fell in love with. It's Not Summer Without You is simply delicious. I clawed my way through it, setting it down at times, to savor every last moment. I was really sad when it came to the end. It has everything I look for in a book- a realistic lovable main character, a summer/beach setting, and not one, but two amazing boys. The added emotional roller coaster was just icing on the cake.

Belly was the same old Belly, but yet totally different. It's summer time again, which usually means spending times in Cousins with Susan and the boys, but not this time. Susannah is getting sicker by the second and she doesn't have much time left. Everyone is taking it really hard. The amazing summers Belly dreamed of all year long have come to an end. To top it off her relationship/fling with Conrad is on the rocks. When Jeremiah calls Belly claiming Conrad is missing, Belly decides it's time to make it right again...

The characters are amazing. They are practically family to me- I felt extremely attached to them. Each of them sparked so many emotions from me- I smiled, laughed, screamed, and definitely cried. Belly is definitely my favorite. She's the same age as me, and at a similar stage in life, so can I really relate to her. I understood her confusion and heart ache. She's so lucky to have Jeremiah and Conrad. Jeremiah is such a sweetie, I would love to have him around! And Conrad is so smart and complex. I understand how it would be difficult to choose between them. Susannah. Don't even get me started on her. I probably missed her as much as Belly and the boys, she's just a wonderful person.

Cousins is where I want to live. In my eyes it's almost perfect. It's Not Summer Without You is the type of book where the descriptions are so good that you can practically feel what's going on around you. I could imagine everything exactly in my head-the smell of the beach in the morning, the cozy beach house, even the feelings of love drifting in the air.

There wasn't anything I didn't love about this book. I can't wait for the next book to come out, I really can't. It's Not Summer Without You is one of those perfect summer reads that are actually deep and wonderful. If you haven't started this series, I highly suggest you do (:

The Body Finder by Kimberley Darling

Book review #44
The Body Finder by Kimberley Darling
Rating: Five stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her “power” to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he’s claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Jay’s intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she’s falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself. 

I picked up The Body Finder not really expecting to like it. Imagine my surprise when I completely fell head over heels in love with it! The Body Finder easily became one of the best books I have read this year. I devoured it whole, loving every single second of it. With just the paranormal aspect it would have still been great. That topped with the heated chemistry between Violet and Jay it made this book amazing.

Violet has an extraordinary gift, she has the power to sense dead bodies, not just any dead bodies, but only bodies that have been murdered. Lately her "gift" was the last thing on her mind. Jay, her best friend since forever, is the only thing on her mind. He definitely changed over the summer, but he's not the only thing that changed.  Violet finds herself falling in love. A couple of weeks after school starts, it has been reported that several girls have been missing. When Violet finds a an actual human dead body, she has a strange feeling that there is one person responsible for all the murders. It becomes her main priority to use her gift to find the killer, no matter how dangerous it becomes...with Jay's help of course.

Violet is such an awesome person. She's the type of person I could see myself being friends with. She's one of those girls that are amazing, but they don't really know it. She can be stubborn at times, but in a good way if that's possible. Her friendship with Jay was super cute. You don't usually see boy and girl best friends. Now the romance aspect with Jay was hot! Their love for each other was amazing. And oh Jay! He became another one of my character crushes. Not only was he extremely handsome and sweet, but he didn't fall for all the attention he got.

I also loved the thrill and suspense parts of The Body Finder. I was grateful to see the little tidbits of what was going on in the murderer's head. It was really interesting, even though it was really creepy! Even though there were moments with not much going on, something always happens. The mystery wasn't the hardest thing to solve, but it was still great.

The Body Finder is the type of book you cancel your plans for. I'm so happy that it actually lived up to the hype. And there is a sequel coming out! I'm definitely ready for some more Jay and Violet. If you have this one in your TBR pile, move it up to the top. What could you be waiting for?

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Book review #38
Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
Rating: Five stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary: (taken from Goodreads)
  
A fresh, urban twist on the classic tale of star-crossed lovers.

When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created “perfect” life is about to unravel before her eyes. She’s forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for—her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more. In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart. 

Oh my goodness! Perfect Chemistry is talked about so much in the blogging community, but I never quite understood. I mean the summary sounds good, but not amazing. Let's just say it's pretty much beyond amazing. I'm in total awe, blown away, basically very happy with this book. I could describe Perfect Chemistry as having a unique twist on Romeo and Juliet added with that addictive heated romance from Twilight. I ripped through the pages, hungry for more. Never have a  read book without literally getting up for anything-not even a snack haha- until now! 

The tension between Brittany and Alex all began with a silly feud over  parking spot on the first day of school. Things start bubbling when the two discover they have to be lab partners for the next ten months. Things start out rocky with disputes and complete misunderstandings of each other. Brittany and Alex couldn't be more different, yet little do they know they share way more in common than anyone could imagine.

Brittany and Alex come from two different worlds, both having their own reputations. Brittany lives on the north side, she's rich, on the cheerleading squad, and dates the captain of the football team. She holds the reputation of being perfect, but that's all a show. Very few people know that in reality her family is messed up, she doesn't really like her boyfriend, and she lives trying to make up for her mentally ill sister. On the other hand there is Alex. He's poor, a member of the  gangs, and has the reputation of being the bad boy. Although he isn't a bad guy at all-he's smart, caring, and lives in the shadows of his dead father. To be together, Brittany would have to basically risk her life-disappointing her mother, risking her friendships, and losing her perfect image.

I actually really liked Brittany. I thought she was really sweet, espeically the way she cared about her sister. Yeah she had her issues, but I understood way she did the things she did. And Alex, I loved him! I wouldn't mind having Alex for myself. Together Brittany and Alex shared something extraordinary, perhaps something I've never seen before.  The romance, the chemistry between them was on fire! It was passionate, sizzling, and the best part about it was that the relationship wasn't even about that. The connection between them made this one of the best love stories I've ever read about.

The characters were amazing, the romance was powerful, but wait there's even more. The chapters alternate between Brittany and Alex giving you a male and female POV. I couldn't have been more grateful for this, it was so nice getting to go into both character's heads instead of just wondering what the other one was thinking. The mix of Spanish thrown into the mix, gave the book some spice, adding icing to the cake. Luckily I'm learning Spanish so I understood most of it.

Thinking about Perfect Chemistry makes me want to do a happy dance. It's just one of those books...that you completely fall in love with. I'm not really one to reread books, but immediately after finishing this one, I had a sudden urge to flip back to the beginning and devour it once again. Lucky for me I don't even have to wait for the sequel to come out. If you haven't read Perfect Chemistry yet and are wondering if it lives up to the hype...it most definitely does!

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Book Review #18
Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
Rating: Five stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

"Don't worry, Anna. I'll tell her, okay? Just let me think about the best way to do it."
"Okay."
"Promise me? Promise you won't say anything?"
"Don't worry." I laughed. "It's our secret, right?"

According to her best friend Frankie, twenty days in is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy ever day, there's a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there's something she hasn't told Frankie---she's already had that kind of romance, and it was with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.

Beautifully written and emotionally honest, this is a debut novel that explores what it truly means to love someone and what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every single moment this world has to offer.

I've only heard great things about this book, but I never expected it to become one of my favorite books. Twenty Boy Summer basically took all the things I love and wrapped it up in this one book: a summer read, amazing characters, romance, the true meaning of friendship, loss, and learning how to let go. A perfect quote to describe Twenty Boy Summer would be "Breaks your heart and puts it back together again (Jo Knowles)." I have to admit, I teared up twice, sad tears in the beginning and happy tears at the end. I don't think I can really describe how I feel about this book, heart-warming, amazing, isn't even the beginning.

Anna, Frankie, and older brother Matt, have been best friends and neighbors since as long as Anna can remember. Anna tells almost everything to Frankie, except the little fact that she is in love with her older brother and best friend Matt. On Anna's fifteen birthday Matt returns the feelings with a magical kiss. The two share a secret relationship, stealing away every free moment alone. Matt agrees to tell Frankie the truth when they went on vacation, making Anna promise to keep this secret. During a tragic accident, Matt dies leaving a hole in Anna’s heart, as well as a huge secret to keep. For a year now Anna has been keeping their secret.  As the months pass, Anna hides her true feelings and is always there to help Frankie. Anna is invited to go along with the Frankie and her family to California for the summer. Frankie comes up with the twenty boy summer thinking Anna kind find her first love, Anna can't do anything but go along.

Anna and Frankie were great main characters, they were realistic 16 year old lifetime best friends. Ockler created a friendship with ups and downs but always strong during the struggling hardships and arguments. I could really relate to the almost sister friendship Anna and Frankie shared. I felt all of the emotions Anna went through, from crying, laughing, and even feeling that giddiness and excitement she gets when she meets someone that makes her think she can actually let go. From Anna's experiences you learn so many useful life lessons, such as finding out that new memories can't erase the old ones.  

Although Matt was not alive for most of the book, he is still a huge part of the story. I clung onto each part of  every memory and bits of information describing Matt. Matt seemed like a really great person. At times I found myself wishing he would just come back. Ockler created the perfect way of showing the constant struggle to pretend to be OK, wishing to remember the past but still letting go what needs to be done. You receive enough information about Matt that leads you to really understand  the pain and grief the characters go through.

The setting of the book, made it just that much better. The girls spend their summer vacation in California for the "Absolutely Best Summer Ever" or ABSE for short. The summer isn't picture perfect, it reminded me of my actual experiences I had when I went to the beach. The descriptions and writing really makes you appreciate the beauty of the ocean and beach. Unlike other books, the descriptions literally make you feel. I could almost hear the sound of the ocean, the breeze in the wind, and the warmth on my feet as I walked around the sand.

There are so many more great things I loved about this book, but it would seriously take me forever. There are so many memorable quotes-even passages- that I won't forget. At times they were even lyrical such as,"I just swallow hard. Nod and smile. One foot in front of the other. I'm fine, thanks for not asking" (Ockler 273) and "I really don't even know you and yet in my life you are forever entangled to my history inextricably bound" (Ockler 266).Whew, that was one of the longest reviews I have ever written, which just shows how strongly I feel about this book. There aren't any complaints I can think about this one, just a warning that there are some more mature concepts in the book for younger readers to look out for. Just thinking about Twenty Boy Summer makes me smile. If you haven't read this one yet, I strongly recommend that you do. Don't let the title fool you, this book is definitely not just a beach read.

Catching Fire

Book Review #5
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Rating: Five stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary:
The book starts up right where the Hunger Games ended. Katniss and Peeta have just won the annual Hunger Games by defying the capital. In the beginning, they get to do the normal routines that all victors do- visit the districts, celebrate, host events etc., but that soon all changes. The capitol is angry and they seek revenge. Since Katniss was able to go against the capitol, the districts finally have a way to rebel. While we are reunited with some of the main characters, you are introduced to new key characters. As a warning, I have to say you are going to witness another Hunger Games.

After waiting in line for almost a month at the library I finally got a hold of Catching Fire, but it was definitely worth the wait. Catching Fire is the sequel to the Hunger Games. At first I wasn't really sure what to expect, I thought nothing could top the Hunger Games, but boy was I wrong. There are so many plot twists and surprises, by the end you are going to exhausted! I found myself gasping at parts, to the point I had to put down the book to reassess what had just happened. You are literally not going to be able to put the book down! Once again the book ends with a huge cliffhanger, leaving me hungry for the third book in the series. Overall, Catching Fire most definitely deserves five stars, I would consider one of my favorite books of this year! I would recommend Catching Fire, as well as the Hunger Games, to EVERYONE!

Before I Die

Book Review #2
Before I Die by Jenny Downham
Rating: Five stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary:
Before I Die is centered around 16 year Tessa who is diagnosed with cancer. Before reading the book, you discover that she doesn't have much time to live, but instead of staying in bed, she makes a list of things she wants to do before she dies. Tessa gets a taste of experiences she's always longed for, while her failing body tries to keep up. For once she finally feels alive.I just finished reading this book minutes ago and I have to say that I'm left feeling like an emotional wreck- but in a good way. I read this book straight, I literally couldn't put it down. Before I Die is centered around 16 year Tessa who is diagnosed with cancer. Before reading the book, you discover that she doesn't have much time to live, but instead of staying in bed, she makes a list of things she wants to do before she dies. You instantly fall in love with the characters. The author d
    
I just finished reading this book minutes ago and I have to say that I'm left feeling like an emotional wreck- but in a good way. I read this book straight, I literally couldn't put it down. You instantly fall in love with the characters. The author did a very good job conveying Tessa's emotions. I loved being with Tessa as she lived her last few months, it was a happy, uplifting, and very sad journey. Her last few weeks of life is what hit me the hardest. Overall, the book definitely deserves five stars and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes good books.