Bout-Of-Books Readathon!

I have decided to take place in the Bout of Books Readathon this year! It is from May 12 through May 18th. Here's the blurb from the Bout of Books sign-up page:

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 12th and runs through Sunday, May 18th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 10 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

I don't have any goals, other than reading as much as I possibly can. I can't wait to get started!

Liv, Forever Review

Goodreads

TITLE: Liv, Forever

AUTHOR: Amy Talkington

PUBLISHER: Soho Teen

PUBLICATION DATE: 3/11/2014

PAGES: 288

MY RATING:

BACK COVER SUMMARY: When Liv Bloom lands an art scholarship at Wickham Hall, it's her ticket out of the foster system. Liv isn't sure what to make of the school's weird traditions and rituals, but she couldn't be happier--especially when Malcolm Astor, fellow artist and scion of one of the school's original families, starts falling for her. Fellow scholarship kid Gabe Nichols warns her not to get involved with a "Wicky," but things are finally going Liv's way, and all she wants to do is enjoy it.

But Liv's bliss is cut short when she is viciously murdered. In death, she discovers she's the latest victim of a dark conspiracy that spans 150 years and many many lives. Gabe, cursed with the ability to see their ghosts, turns out to be Liv's only link to the world of the living.

Liv must rely on Gabe's help to prove to Malcolm that she's still present...lingering with the other spirits. Together, Liv, Gabe, and Malcolm fight to expose the terrible truth that haunts Wickham Hall before more lives are lost.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I didn't know anything at all about this book when I started it, so I really had no expectations whatsoever. I liked it a lot though. It's a fun story and mystery (even though the subject matter is pretty grim) and I enjoyed trying to figure out what was going on right along with Liv and her friends. 

There were a ton of artist references in this book. I honestly could have gone without most of them. Every once in a while it's fine, but in the first half of the book, there are literally so many references and I was getting sick of them. I don't know much about art so they didn't really mean anything to me. A few of them would have been fine, just to get the point across that art is Liv's entire world, but it was overkill in this book.

CHARACTERS: I didn't really understand the relationship between Liv and Malcolm. It was a case of insta-love that didn't make any sense at all to me. In my opinion they didn't have enough interaction with each other to fall in love. I really liked Gabe. I thought he was a great guy and a really fun character. 

COVER: The cover is really pretty, but also creepy at the same time. I love the bright pink font.

**I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine for my honest review.

Faking Normal Review

Goodreads

TITLE: Faking Normal

AUTHOR: Courtney C. Stevens

PUBLISHER: Harper Teen

PUBLICATION DATE: 4/1/2014

PAGES: 336

MY RATING:

BACK COVER SUMMARY: Alexi Littrell hasn't told anyone what happened to her over the summer. Ashamed and embarrassed, she doesn't want to talk about that night at her backyard pool.

When Bodee Lennox, the quiet and awkward boy next door, comes to live with the Littrells, Alexi discovers an unlikely friend. As they lean on each other for support, Alexi gives him the strength to deal with his past, and Bodee helps her find the courage to finally face the truth.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I loved this book. I feel like this book is an updated version of "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson, which I loved as well (you can read my review here). It has the same feel to it, but it feels a little more recent. I had some theories while I was reading the book about what was going on and who did what, some things I guess correctly, but I was shocked by one of the revelations we learn. I just thought this was a very well done novel and I'm glad to have read it.

CHARACTERS: The main character in this book just breaks my heart. She's dealing with so many emotional issues and I just feel so bad for her. I really like Bodee. He's so sweet and is great with helping Alexi even though he's going through his own heartbreaking situation. I found out that there is a prequel to this book called "The Blue-Haired Boy" all about Bodee's life and I'm really interested in checking it out.

COVER: I like the cover. The girl on the cover is such a natural beauty, and I feel like she fits the image of the main character in the story. 

**I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine for my honest review.

Divergent Trilogy Review

TITLE: Divergent -Insurgent - Allegiant

AUTHOR: Veronica Roth

PUBLISHER: Katherine Tegen Books

PUBLICATION DATES: 2/28/2012 - 5/1//2012 - 10/22/2013

PAGES: 487 - 525 - 526

SUMMARY (From Divergent.wikia.com): The Divergent Trilogy is a series of three young-adult dystopian/science-fiction books by Veronica Roth and published by Katherine Tegen Books. It is set in the future of a dystopian Chicago. The society is composed of five factions, where members of each faction dedicate themselves to the cultivation of a particular virtue.

My Thoughts on Divergent: I absolutely fell in love with this book. I loved every minute of it. The last third of the book was so amazing and intense. I couldn't stop reading and I was biting my nails the whole time. I really enjoyed the progression of the romance between the two main characters (Tris and Four). So many books have "insta-love," but I feel like in this book, their relationship is natural and develops over time.

My Thoughts on Insurgent: This book picks up right where Divergent left off, which I really liked as I marathoned the whole series back to back. I really enjoyed this book too, but just a smidge less than the first one. My biggest gripe about this book is the interaction between Tris and Four. I feel like neither one trusted the other, and they were both asking the other to do things they were unwilling to do themselves. The plot of the book was excellent. It was extremely exciting and action packed.

My Thoughts on Allegiant: This was my least favorite of the trilogy. I was a little reluctant to start reading this one as I heard there was an event that happens and I know many people were extremely upset by that. After reading the third book, I now know what the event was, and I understand why people were upset, but I didn't really mind what happened at all and I feel like it makes sense with the story. I didn't like this book because I felt like it was very boring. There wasn't a lot of action in this book compared to the other books and I just feel like it was very bland, especially after having just read the first two books which were nothing but action.

OVERALL RATING FOR THIS TRILOGY:

I haven't seen the movie yet, and I probably won't be seeing it until it comes out on DVD and I can watch it at home, but I am excited to see it and compare it to the first book.

Let me know your thoughts on this series, I'd love to hear them!

Wonder Review

Goodreads

TITLE: Wonder

AUTHOR: R.J. Palacio

PUBLISHER: Knopf

PUBLICATION DATE: 2/14/2012

PAGES: 315

MY RATING:

INSIDE COVER SUMMARY: August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school--until now. He's about to enter fifth grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid, then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with and extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?

OVERALL IMPRESSION: This book just makes me happy. Auggie had to overcome so much and he's so strong because of it. This books shows that people can overcome aything. And the face that this is such a young child makes it both heartbreaking and inspiring. This would be a great book to read with a child to help open up a discussion with them about getting to know someone without judging them based on their outward appearance.

CHARACTERS: Auggie is blessed with a wonderful family that support him through everything. And Auggie himself is so sweet. I like the character of Jack quite a bit. He goes through a ton of character development throughout this book.

COVER: I like the cover a lot. The blue is such a gorgeous color! I also really like the cover underneath the dust jacket.

Dear Nobody: The True Diary of Mary Rose

I was invited to be a part of the street team for a captivating diary turned novel called Dear Nobody: The True Diary of Mary Rose. You will be seeing posts from me all month long about this book.

Today, I want to showcase the book and give a summary, as well as share the book trailer with you guys!

The following summary was taken from Goodreads.com:

Go Ask Alice was a hoax. But Dear Nobody is a true teen diary so raw and so edgy its authenticity rings off every page.

"I am a freak."

The words and drawings of Mary Rose present a gritty, powerful, no-holds-barred true experience of a teen girl so desperate to be loved, so eager to fit in that she'll go to extremes that could cost her her life.

This is not a story about addiction. Or sexual promiscuity. Or cystic fibrosis. It's the story of a young woman with a powerful will to live, who more than anything wants to be heard...and loved.

This compelling, emotional account ensures her voice will not be forgotten.

Make sure to check back next week when I'll be posting more about this book!