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?

Borderline by Allan Stratton

Book review #43
Borderline by Allan Stratton
Rating: Four stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

Life's not easy for Sami Sabiri since his dad stuck him at a private school where he's the only Muslim kid. But it's about to get a lot worse.

When Sami catches his father in a lie, he gets suspicious. . . . He's not the only one. In a whirlwind, the FBI descends on his home, and Sami's family becomes the center of an international terrorist investigation. Now Sami must fight to keep his world from unraveling.

An explosive thriller ripped from today's headlines, borderline is the story of a funny, gutsy Muslim-American teen determined to save his father, his family, and his life.  

Whoa. What an intense read! Being a Muslim girl, I have to say that Borderline was the closest representation of Islam that I've read about. It wasn't perfect, but it was close to it.  It was nice having so much in common with the main character. I haven't read anything about this subject and I'm sure not many have you either.

Sami is forced to attend an all boy academy after having some trouble at his old school. Although he keeps his two buddies with him, everyone else makes fun of him. He sticks out like a sore thumb. Sami is really confused about his identity and who he is. He never had a really close relationship with his dad. Everything is going pretty normal, aside from his dad's sneaky behavior. After the blink of an eye he witnesses his dad being dragged out of the house for being accused of being a terrorist. Sami doesn't know what to believe. The family is flipped upside down.

Sami was such a strong character. I loved seeing things through his eyes. I was so proud of him, he was a great son and friend. I was very glad to see his transformation throughout the book. He went from being lost to being proud of who he was. I mean imagine having a father being watched and accused of being a terrible person by about the whole country. Along with everyone else, I even automatically assumed he was guilty. But there is always more parts to the story. It was crazy to watch how the family was treated. The mother lost her job and Sami was even asked if he wanted to drop out of the academy. Cameras were everywhere and everything was bugged within reach of their house.

There were a couple of complaints that I had. The beginning was kind of slow, but it definitely picked up during the second half when more of the action begin. Boy did I love the action parts, it was very intense. And I wasn't the biggest fan of the writing.

Those little complaints didn't take away from the story at all.  I thought that this was a very important book and it was quite enjoyable. It taught me not to judge anyone and that there is always more to a story. You usually don't get to see what really happens during these situations, but now you can. Mystery, thrill, a life lesson- it's all there. I would definitely recommend this one to anyone (:

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Book review #28
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Rating: Five stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary: (taken from Goodreads)
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. He has no recollection of his parents, his home, or how he got where he is. His memory is black. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade, a large expanse enclosed by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning, for as long as they could remember, the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night, they’ve closed tight. Every thirty days a new boy is delivered in the lift. And no one wants to be stuck in the maze after dark.

The Gladers were expecting Thomas’s arrival. But the next day, a girl springs up—the first girl ever to arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. The Gladers have always been convinced that if they can solve the maze that surrounds the Glade, they might be able to find their way home . . . wherever that may be. But it’s looking more and more as if the maze is unsolvable.

And something about the girl’s arrival is starting to make Thomas feel different. Something is telling him that he just might have some answers—if he can only find a way to retrieve the dark secrets locked within his own mind.

After reading millions of reviews comparing The Maze Runner to The Hunger Games series, I knew I just had to read it. Now that I have read it I"m not really sure how I'm feeling. Out of breath, heart racing, and definitely very emotional is just the beginning. To say this book is amazing is an understatement. Without a dull moment in the book, there were so many things thrown at you, twists here, turns there, you won't really know what to do.

At first, you are just as clueless as Thomas. You can't expect to receive all the answers to your questions.Although you do know the basic information: no one knows anything about who they really are and their past, they all live an "area" called The Glade, a new member arrives every month,  and absolutely nobody knows why they are there. Don't worry though eventually some of those burning questions racing through your mind are answered.

The descriptions of the book were pretty awesome. I don't think I've even read a book so detailed before. The Maze Runner was easily a movie playing inside my head. I felt like I was participant in the maze. By the end of the book, I easily knew my way around The Glade. I will have to warn you though, you will make lots of noises/gasps, as well has facial expressions. I had to watch my older sister Sophia read the book before me and based on her reactions, I knew I would fall in love with it.

Although you don't get to know lots of background information on each of the characters, I still loved them all. Thomas met a couple of boys, who became his family. In fact everyone who lived in The Glade made up one huge-dysfunctional at times- family. Everyone had their own role- the leaders, trainers, cook, and so on. Adding Tessa, a girl, to the mix was just icing on the cake. Not only was she a girl in the sea of boys, she was a very important part to the story.

While some people might not like the new words used in this book- I sure liked them. It was almost like another language was created. Words were used like shanks, baggers, shuck-face, keepers etc. I almost became fluent myself.

Thrilling, action-packed, and just plain brilliant is what The Maze Runner is made up of. It is impossible to put down, and will leave you at the edge of your seat at all times. The ending will definitely leave you thinking for awhile. As for the comparison to The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner was primarily made up of the action parts of The Hunger Games-aka the actual Hunger Games/time in the arena.  I do guarantee that The Hunger Games fans will love it. I'm more than pleased with this book and very anxious for the sequel to come out. What are you waiting for?

Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Book review #15
Liar by Justine Larbalestier
Rating: Five stars(refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary:(taken from Goodreads) 
Micah will freely admit that she’s a compulsive liar, but that may be the one honest thing she’ll ever tell you. Over the years she’s duped her classmates, her teachers, and even her parents, and she’s always managed to stay one step ahead of her lies. That is, until her boyfriend dies under brutal circumstances and her dishonesty begins to catch up with her. But is it possible to tell the truth when lying comes as naturally as breathing? Taking readers deep into the psyche of a young woman who will say just about anything to convince them—and herself—that she’s finally come clean, Liar is a bone-chilling thriller that will have readers see-sawing between truths and lies right up to the end. Honestly.

I just finished reading Liar a few minutes ago and I have to say I'm left feeling breathless, overwhelmed and almost exhausted from being on Micah's roller coaster of lies. I've never read a book like Liar, honestly it was a breath of fresh air. Before reading this book you have to understand that Micah is a liar, you can't trust anything she says, she will lie about telling the truth, and she will lie about lying. I kind of wish I kept that in mind more while I was reading the book. I'm a very gullible person and tend to believe most things, so I got a little confused.

The book is divided into different sections all revolved around Zach's death. Micah describes the times before Zach( her after hours boyfriend) died, after he died, then adds in "family history". At first, I almost questioned if Zach was even her boyfriend! Along with Micah's illness for lying, the book focuses on how Zach really died. Aside from the subchapters there are three parts to the book. Part one is titled Telling the Truth except that she doesn't tell the whole truth.The clues build up, so that in part two: Telling the True Truth, her biggest secret isn't so hard to believe.You easily find yourself torn between the truth. At times I even found myself questioning if small details, that should be true, were lies. This might sound confusing, but the more Micah lied and told us she was being truthful, the easier it was to believe her. The last part, The Actual Real Truth, is where some of your questions are answered, and the "truth" is revealed. I have to admit, while reading some of her confessions, my mouth literally dropped open! 

Micah is a fascinating, strong main character. I loved how she literally "talked" to you, as well as her "reasoning" for her lies. I have to warn you at the end of the book, it's up to the you to decide whether or not Micah's telling the truth. The only complain I could come up with about Liar, is the journey of doubting and second guessing myself the whole time, but then again that just made it that much more interesting. Liar is a suspenseful thriller that will leave you at the edge of your seat. I'm happy to say that Liar is a book that stays with you long after you read it.