Book Review: The Mockingbirds - Daisy Whitney

THE MOCKINGBIRDS:

Published: January 2, 2012 (first published November 2, 2010)

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Format: Paperback

Page Count: 339 pages

Source: Amazon.com

Some schools have honor codes. Others have handbooks. Themis Academy has the Mockingbirds. 

Themis Academy is a quiet boarding school with an exceptional student body that the administration trusts to always behave the honorable way -- the Themis way. So when Alex Patrick is date-raped during her junior year, she has two options: Stay silent and hope someone helps, or enlist the aid of the Mockingbirds -- a secret society of students dedicating to righting the wrongs of the student body.

In this account of a teenage girl's search for her voice and the courage to use it, Daisy Whitney reminds readers that standing up for someone, especially yourself, is worth the fight.

"I had high hopes for The Mockingbirds, but I was let down in the end due to poor character development."

The Mockingbirds was a book that I was really hoping to like. Unfortunately, I didn't get my way.

Themis Academy is home to a large student body that is expected to behave in a respectful way. But after a concert, Alex Patrick finds herself in a student's room by the name of Carson. Apparently, they had a "fun" night together. But, Alex vaguely remembers what happens. She thens finds out she could have been forced and not had an option or say to give herself to Carson like she did. So, she turns to the Mockingbirds, a secret organization dedicated to bringing innocent students to justice, and bringing guilty students to their knees. 

The Mockingbirds was very unique and very original, and I absolutely loved the ending. But the only problem I had with the book was a MAJOR one that I just couldn't shrug off.

First, the writing style. Fantastic. I loved hearing Daisy Whitney express her imagination through description. Although the characters did bug me for the majority of the book (read the next step for more details), they're voices were sometimes good, but Whitney's descriptions of objects or places were a lot (and I mean a lot) better! Daisy Whitney did a great job with the writing part of The Mockingbirds.

Secondly, the characters. Ugh. I didn't connect with Alex any. I tried so hard, but I found her annoying and very demanding sometimes. I'm not sure why, but I didn't like reading about Alex at all. My favorite character was Martin. He was kind and friendly, and what's even better -- he's on the Mockingbirds! But whenever the characters spoke, I never connected with it or, to be honest, even liked it. 

Then, we have the Mockingbirds. The Mockingbirds were the best part of the book! I loved the idea of a group hidden away in secrecy in a huge academy that bring people to justice. I hate bullying, so to see bullies and horrible people getting what they deserve (what goes around comes back around), it makes me smile. That was the absolute best part of this book. 

Before I wrap this all up, can we talk about the cover change? I'm glad I didn't own this in hardcover, because if I was getting the sequel The Rivals, they wouldn't match! That is my biggest pet peeve EVER. I love my books so much, I want them to match! Publishers and photography teams, can we please just stop this nonsense?

Finally, the novel itself. While The Mockingbirds had some very excellent points, I just can't look the other way about the characters. I really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately, it was a disappointment. 

My Rating:

Book Review: The Iron Witch - Karen Mahoney

THE IRON WITCH:

Published: February 8, 2011

Publisher: Flux

Format: Paperback

Page Count: 289 pages

Source: Amazon.com 

Freak. That's what her classmates call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood. When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed her father and drove her mother mad. Donna's own nearly fatal injuries from the assault were fixed my magic -- the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. The child of alchemists, Donna feels cursed by her magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. The only thing that keeps her sane and grounded is her relationship with her best friend, Navin Sharma.

When the darkest outcasts of Faerie -- the vicious wood elves -- abduct Navin, Donna has to finally accept her role in the centuries old war between humans and the fey. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout with secrets of his own, Donna races to save her friend -- even if it means betraying everything her parents and the alchemist community fought to the death to protect. 

"The Iron Witch was a marvelous fey novel with twists and turns that left me breathless. Karen Mahoney's debut has left an imprint on my mind that has yet to go away!" 

With The Iron Witch, I heard some reviews with people saying that it was "boring" or "underwhelming", and of course, I wanted to find out my opinion. And when I finished this novel, I knew that this fey novel was excellent.

Enter the world of The Iron Witch. Donna Underwood's father died ten years ago fighting to protect his daughter from wood elves. This tragedy drove her mother insane and ultimately led her to being put into an asylum. Fast forward ten years later: Donna wears gloves to hide the iron tattoos that a Wood Monster put into her skin. It's bad enough that all of her classmates call her freak, just imagined what they'd do if they would see iron in her arms, running all the way down to the tips of her fingertips. When Donna and her best friend Navin go to a party, she meets mysterious Xan. She and Xan then start to hang out some, and she finds out that he is half-fey. Then, of all things, Navin is abducted by wood elves. Now, Donna and Xan must find a treasure that the elves' Queen is wanting to have for the safe return of Navin. But will she destroy her family's legacy along the way?

This book was creative and epic. I'm a huge lover of Fey novels (in fact, Need by Carrie Jones is the book that got me into reading again!), and I knew that I would love this book.

First, the writing. Karen Mahoney writes this book in third person, although there is some parts called "Donna Underwood's Journal", which is written in first person. Mahoney's writing style was beautiful. When talking about magical creatures/objects, I feel the need for the author to have a good writing style to actually make me think that these things can actually happen (even though it's fiction, of course). And Karen Mahoney succeeded big time! I loved reading the words off the page, and the writing style was just marvelous.

Next, the characters. This is the part that knocked the book down from a 5-star to a 4-star. My favorite character was Xan. He was sarcastic and quirky and I thought that he was just a really awesome character. Donna was a good character, but I found her a bit whiny at some times and she asks so many questions! When one character (mostly Xan) did one thing, Donna would usually question it. It is good to have a mind of curiosity, but when you ask a lot of questions, maybe you just wait and see what will come of it and be satisfied with it. Navin was a good character, but to be honest, I found him almost invisible sometimes. Like he wasn't part of the story.

Then, there's the setting. I'm not sure why, but with fey novels, I always love the settings! I like how they describe maybe the woods or there's a part where they're in a mansion. This is another part where Karen Mahoney's writing style shines.

Finally, the novel itself. Karen Mahoney's debut novel was a very intriguing story with a beautiful writing style, but unfortunately, it contained a very flawed protagonist.

My Rating:

January Rewind

JANUARY REWIND

This is a video of a look back of all the books I've read in January 2012 with a quick thumbs up, sideways thumb, or thumbs down!

:D

YA Novels Coming Out This Week: January 31

Wanna know what's coming out this week? Here's a list!: 

 Incarnate - Jodi Meadows

Book One in the Newsoul Trilogy

Goodreads | Amazon

 Article 5 - Kristen Simmons 

Book One in the Article 5 series

Goodreads | Amazon

 Lenobia's Vow - P.C. + Kristin Cast

Book Two in the House of Night novellas 

Goodreads | Amazon

 Wings of the Wicked - Courtney Allison Moulton

Book Two in the Angelfire Trilogy 

Goodreads | Amazon

 Destiny and Deception - Shannon Delany 

Book Four in the 13 to Life series

Goodreads | Amazon

 New Girl - Paige Harbison 

Goodreads | Amazon

Harbinger - Sara Wilson Etienne 

Goodreads | Amazon

Book Review: Everybody Sees the Ants - A.S. King

EVERYBODY SEES THE ANTS:

Published: October 3, 2011

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Format: Hardcover

Page Count: 282 pages

Source: Library

Lucky Linderman didn't ask for his life. He didn't ask his grandfather not to come home from the Vietnam War. He didn't ask for a father who never got over it. He didn't ask for a mother who keeps pretending their family is fine. And he certainly didn't ask to be the recipient of Nader McMillian's relentless bullying, which has finally gone too far.

Lucky has a secret -- one that helps him wade through the daily dysfunction of his life. Granddad Harry, trapped in the jungles of Laos, has been visiting Lucky in his dreams -- and the dreams just might be real: an alternate reality where he can be whoever he wants to be and his life might still be worth living. But how long can Lucky remain in hiding there before reality forces its way inside? 

"Everybody Sees the Ants was a dark and somewhat humorous story, although some parts did let me down."

All Lucky Linderman did was ask a stupid question. It was for a question survey for a class in school. The question? If you were going to commit suicide, which method would you choose? Now everybody thinks Lucky is suicidal, even though he's not. On top of that is the constant bullying that is being led by Nader McMillian towards him. Lucky describes his mom as a squid: she only stays in the water to stay away from her problems. His dad? He's a turtle: when he's scared, he hides away in his shell from the real world. And ever since he was eight, he travels into his dreams where he meets his Grandpa in the jungles of Laos and tries to bust him out of the jungle, only to fail each time. And now, he's seeing ants that can talk to him about whatever situations he's into. It's about time that Lucky makes his place in the world, before everything around him starts crashing down.

Starting out with Everybody Sees the Ants, I honestly didn't know what to expect. I found this book deal with a very dark, realistic topic of bullying along with a character who doesn't fit in to anywhere, whether it's with being bullied or people he loves turning away from him.

The first thing about this book were the characters. Lucky Linderman was a great character. I felt very sorry for him with all of his troubles, mainly because bullying is up there on my pet-peeve list. When Nader McMillian would bully him, I wanted to jump into the pages of the story, smack Lucky in the face, and tell him to start defending for himself. Our antagonist, Nader McMillian, was a horrible person.  He's so cruel and awful and he's just a horrible villain in the making. There's also another character in named Aunt Jodi who is crazy. Read about her and you'll see. :D

Next, the writing style. I think that this is where the book fell flat for me. I know that it's written from a teenage boy's perspective, but I know sometimes, she could have worked around some words and added some more details into some scenes. It's hard to describe in a blog post. And some language was used in this book that seriously wasn't necessary. You'll know what they are if you read it. I really don't want to put what some sentences were here.

Finally, the novel itself. Sometimes, it pulled at my heartstrings with the sadness and tragedy of bullying, and other times, it just honestly fell flat for me. Overall, A.S. King's junior novel was an good book that I would recommend.

My Rating:

Book Review: Bumped - Megan McCafferty

BUMPED:

Published: April 26, 2011 

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Format: Hardcover

Page Count: 323 pages

Source: Books-A-Million

When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society. Girls sport fake baby bumps and the school cafeteria stocks folic-acid-infused foods.

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and have never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody's doorstep. Up to now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend, Zen, who is way too short for the job.

Harmony has spent her entire life in Goodside, a religious community, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to convince Melody that pregging for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from. 

When Melody is matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, the girls' lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.

"Bumped disappointed me on extreme levels. I expected so much more, but I didn't get satisfied with it."

Going into Bumped, I expected a new dystopian novel that would give me a breath of fresh air from all the high-paced dystopian novels I've read in the past. Unfortunately, that didn't happen.

Enter the world of Bumped. Harmony and Melody are twins, and Harmony has just showed up on Melody's doorstep. In this world, everybody over the age of eighteen is infertile and cannot have children, so they pay teenagers to have their children. Melody is getting ready to have a baby with somebody for money, but it is against Harmony's religion to get pregnant for money. But when a fatal mistake occurs, the girls lives are changed forever.

That's basically the entire storyline. I enjoyed maybe the first thirty pages or so, but after that, it all spiraled downward.

First, the writing style. No. Just, no. I think that McCafferty tried too hard to write in a teen's perspective. Some of the dialogue was too hyper and perky, and I don't think a teen would ever be that perky or hyper. I would know because I am a teen. I wasn't fond of the writing style at all. This book definitely wasn't for me. 

Secondly, the characters. I found almost all the characters annoying or just almost impossible to read about because I couldn't stand the characters. Melody was pretty annoying on major levels, whether it was her dialogue or just her actions, I honestly didn't look forward to reading the chapters that followed her.

And then Harmony was like way off the charts of insane-o. She was always trying to convert her sister to the Goodside, which is good to get some religion up in your system, but when that's the only thing you think about, I think you need to step away because apparently, it's not your place to do so.

Finally, the novel itself. I think it was my fault with this novel because I expected too much. I usually think of dystopian novels to be the best novels, and usually, they are. But sadly, this one isn't good. I was really hoping to like it, but in the end, I was totally let down. I will not be picking up the sequel.

My Rating:

Book Review: Fracture by Megan Miranda

FRACTURE:

Published: January 17, 2012

Publisher: Walker

Format: Hardcover

Page Count: 264 pages

Source: Amazon.com

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then, her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet, she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine

--despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain predicting death, or causing it? 

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first, she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature -- or something much more frightening? 

"A gripping tale that grabbed my attention and shook me to death with its incredible elements. So far, it's the best book I've read this year." 

In Fracture, I honestly expected to like it, but not love it. But now, I'm utterly in love with this book. This book is a masterpiece beyond belief. 

Delaney fell through ice at a Maine lake. She was trapped in the lake for eleven minutes after her best friend, Decker, left her behind. Her heart had stopped pumping blood. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. But then, Decker came back for her. He pulled her out and gave her CPR, ultimately shattering a few of her ribs. Then after being in a coma, she came back to life. She seemed perfectly normal, even though brain scans show tons of brain damage.

But while in the hospital, strange things start to happen in her brain. Her brain began to throb and pulled her into a room with a man dying. When this keeps repeating, she fears that something supernatural is occurring inside her head. When she then meets a nineteen-year-old named Troy Varga who has the same abilities, she starts to feel some calm about this odd situation. But when she finds out what exactly are Troy's intentions with this unnatural mind, she fears for her life -- and everybody in her small town.

This book was phenomenal. Megan Miranda's voice was powerful and outstanding. This is the type of book I would shove in a random stranger's face and force them to read it. Yeah. It's that good -- incredible.

First, the characters. They're unbelievable. They're so good and so real. And none of them are whiny! I can believe the actions they commit and do whatever they may do -- even with Delaney's freaky abilities! The way that Miranda gave them their voices made me take a double take -- because it's just amazing! Megan Miranda is one of the only authors in the YA genre who can actually make a believable and great character.

Next, the writing style. Ahh!!! It was mind-blowing! I'm not sure how, but Megan Miranda made me actually believe that Delaney had these freak of nature abilities. The words flowed easily off the page, with a good language of words that kept me and flipping pages all night long!

And finally, the novel itself. Incredible. Outstanding. Unique. Brilliant. Awesome. That's how I feel about Fracture. Do yourself a favor! Read. This. Book. This is one of those books that changed my YA Literature life. I will recommend this to anybody from now on. Please, read this. You won't regret it. :D

My Rating:

FRACTURE HAS WON THE BOOKYAREVIEW JANUARY 2012 PICK