In My Mailbox (15): Unboxing Edition!

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren!

Here's what I got in my mailbox this week:

I would love to know what you got in your in my mailbox this week! 

Happy Reading!

-Brad 

Divergent by Veronica Roth

DIVERGENT:
Published: May 3, 2011
Publisher: Katherine Tegen (Harper)
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 487 pages
Source: Amazon.com
Series: Divergent, #1

Beatrice "Tris" Prior has reached the fateful age of sixteen, the stage at which teenagers in Veronica Roth's dystopian Chicago must select which of five factions to join for life. Each faction represents a virtue: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, and Erudite. To the surprise of herself and her selfless Abnegation family, she chooses Dauntless, the path of courage. Her choice exposes her to the demanding, violent initiation rites of this group, but it also threatens to expose a personal secret that could place in mortal danger. Veronica Roth's young adult Divergent trilogy launches with a captivating adventure about love and loyalty playing out under most extreme circumstances.

I know. I am probably the last person to read DIVERGENT. But I’m so glad I waited. Want to know why? Because I can’t wait any longer for INSURGENT. That ending was so awesome, but such a cliffhanger!

DIVERGENT is a masterpiece. I read this almost-500-page novel in two days. This book sucked me into the story within in no time, and I found myself already caring for Tris and what might happen to her by chapter two. That is so hard for that to happen to me in a book.

And let’s talk about the characters. Tris has become one of my favorite characters of all time. I love how she gets what she wants and doesn’t whine over herself if she does something wrong. This line really stood out to me:

“I want to feel guilty for what I did. I don’t.” 

I love her. And Four is perfect for Tris. He challenges her and pushes her to the limit in training, but out of the arena, the reader can clearly tell that sparks are flying. And you have no idea how much I hate Peter. And I can’t believe he did that to Edward! (if you’ve read DIVERGENT, you know what I’m talking about.) 

If I lived in this dystopian world, I would choose Amity, the peaceful, as my faction. We don’t get to learn much about Amity in DIVERGENT, but we might in book two. 

Overall, DIVERGENT is brilliant with fantastic characters and pacing like you’ve never seen before. Can May 1st just come already? 

In My Mailbox (14)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren!

Here's what I got in my mailbox this week:

I would love to hear what you got in your mailbox this week!

Happy reading!

-Brad

Die for Me - Amy Plum

DIE FOR ME:
Published: May 10, 2011
Publisher: Harper Teen
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 341 pages
Source: Amazon.com
Series: Revenants, #1
First Line: "The first time I had seen the statue in the fountain, I had no idea what Vincent was."

In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity.

When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he's a revenant--an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.

*I will be re-reading DIE FOR ME and re-reviewing it soon because I want to jump back into the world of the Revenants before I read book two!*


DIE FOR ME is an electric love story that had me wondering what would happen to the characters! 

The writing style in DIE FOR ME was excellent. Amy Plum made me feel as if I was in France, roaming the streets and searching for a cafe. While the beginning was pretty slow, Amy Plum hooked me into the story with the tragic accident of Kate’s parents. And I loved Kate and Georgia (the two sisters) in DIE FOR ME. They had a special, sisterly relationship that shined throughout the book. And when Kate met Vincent, I could tell that Amy Plum was setting us up for something awesome and epic later in the story! 

And speaking of Kate, our beloved main character, she had fell for dark and mysterious Vincent soon within the book. Amy Plum made all these characters seem realistic in their dialogue and movement. And I love the background history for all of the characters! Amy Plum put creative and mysterious histories in the lives of all these character, and I applaud her for that!

The setting of France was my absolute favorite part of DIE FOR ME. Amy Plum described this country so well, and I applaud her for that. And that ending knocked me off of my feet! I need to get my hands on a copy of book two when it comes out!

Overall, DIE FOR ME was a great paranormal romance novel!

M Y   R A T I N G:

The Secret Me Book - Rachel Kempster & Meg Leder

THE SECRET ME BOOK:
Published: April 1, 2012
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 208 pages
Source: Publisher

Discover what makes you, you...

What makes you tick and hum?
What quirks and habits are yours and yours alone?
who do you wish you could be?
who are you now?

The answers make up your "secret me," your soul's fingerprint.

Packed with creative and quirky prompts, ideas, and activities, The Secret Me Book gives you an inspiring way to get to know this core part of you.

Scribble thoughts, make lists, paste pictures, and doodle—all tapping into the real you.

What would you do if you won the lottery?
Is there a movie that defines you?
What's your secret talent?

Here's your secret me book—it's time to celebrate what you're made of.

THE SECRET ME BOOK is a very thought-provoking journal that asks great questions that can make you think about yourself and the world around you.

 THE SECRET ME BOOK is a fun journal that makes you want to laugh out loud and tell your deepest secrets. Rachel Kempster and Meg Leder did a fantastic job crafting together this book of hidden treasures, and I applaud them for that.

One of my favorite things from THE SECRET ME BOOK is how the time passes by as you work through the journal. In no time, I had completed several pages without realizing how much time and effort I put into this. This is a great book to keep for memory-sake and to look back on yourself later in the future. I highly recommend THE SECRET ME BOOK if you want a journal that makes you think and explore yourself. I think the tagline says it best: "A journal to celebrate what makes you, you." 

I think something could have been improved though with THE SECRET ME BOOK; the cover. I won't lie; I had the hardest time getting past the cover with me being a guy. It just looks very feminine from my point of view. I know we're not suppose to judge books by their covers, but I think that this book would have been even greater if the reader could doodle and draw on the cover themselves. I mean, it's a book all about you. Why not create the cover yourself? 

Overall, THE SECRET ME BOOK is a fun book that has memories locked inside of it. If you're looking for something inspirational and has great questions, this is a must have.

My Rating:

In My Mailbox (13)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren!

Here's what I got in my mailbox this week: 

Leave the link to your IMM so I can check it out! Happy reading!

-Brad

Lies by Michael Grant

LIES:
Published: May 4, 2010
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (Harper Collins)
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 447 pages
Source: Amazon.com
Series: Gone, #3
First Line: "Obscene graffiti."

It's been seven months since all the adults disappeared. Gone.

It happens in one night. A girl who died now walks among the living; Zil and the Human Crew set fire to Perdido Beach; and amid the flames and smoke, Sam sees the figure of the boy he fears the most: Drake. But Drake is dead. Sam and Caine defeated him along with the Darkness--or so they thought.

As Perdido Beach burns, battles rage: Astrid against the Town Council; the Human Crew versus the mutants; and Sam against Drake, who is back from the dead and ready to finish where he and Sam left off. And all the while deadly rumors are raging like the fire itself, spread by the prophetess Orsay and her companion, Nerezza. They say that death is a way to escape the FAYZ. Conditions are worse than ever and kids are desperate to get out. But are they desperate enough to believe that death will set them free?

Michael Grant did a fantastic job with this one, but the first three books now feel like one big book. 

I’m not bashing LIES, but the first three books now feel like one big story. The problems are still the same and only a few characters mature and grew in LIES. But all the crazy action and major plot twists in the story always make up for any flaws in this series. 

Beside that one flaw, LIES was perfectly done. With any Michael Grant book, we have tons of action and loads of suspension. And the Darkness inside the book really creeps me to death. Michael Grant’s writing style is the most intricate and powerful writing style I have ever read. If you haven’t read this series, I highly recommend you do so. 

The characters don’t grow that much in LIES. Sam does mature a lot in this book; he accepts his role as a leader and is ready to overcome in anything that might take him down in the FAYZ. And stupid Caine: I can’t stand him. He is the worst fictional character I have ever read (he surpasses Voldemort for me!). And we get to see an entire new side of Little Petey in LIES that shocked me beyond belief.

Overall, the third book in the Gone series, LIES, was perfectly done, but the storyline is starting to feel the same. Hopefully, somethings will change in PLAGUE.