The Impossible Knife Of Memory (Book Review)

The Impossible Knife Of Memory
Laurie Halse Anderson
Published January 7th 2014 by Viking Juvenile

For the past five years, Hayley Kincaid and her father, Andy, have been on the road, never staying long in one place as he struggles to escape the demons that have tortured him since his return from Iraq. Now they are back in the town where he grew up so Hayley can attend school. Perhaps, for the first time, Hayley can have a normal life, put aside her own painful memories, even have a relationship with Finn, the hot guy who obviously likes her but is hiding secrets of his own.






Review:

First of all, this is DEFINITELY NOT a happy-everything is perfect-romance story. Second of all, I haven't read a Laurie Halse Anderson book in years. So I had completely forgotten about her unique writing style. And I went into this read pretty blind.

This is so much more.

Hayley's Dad has PTSD......Which in itself make for a sincerely heartbreaking story. Hayley makes a great main character. In some ways she is just a normal girl trying to get through high school without too much drama. But in other ways she is dealing with a very hard home life, and the many people that have abandoned her over the years. Finn is another great character. He is so sweet to Hayley and for once, he is a guy character that doesn't really know anything about cars (Hayley knows from necessity more than him).
Unfortunately some parts of Hayley I also couldn't stand.

Like this-----
“Everyone is born a freak," notes Hayley. "Every newborn baby, wet and hungry and screaming, is a fresh-hatched freak who wants to have a good time and make the world a better place. . . . Most teenagers wind up in high school. And high school is where the zombification process becomes deadly.”

Which just left me thinking "wait.......what?"

Laurie has her own writing style, in the way of describing and building her characters. There are really no words that I could use to describe the way that she does it. Except that I can't remember a single book being anything like hers.
I personally have no idea how realistically Laurie has described PTSD. So I won't go into that.......But I wasn't crazy about that part. I couldn't get into it. Even though it was heartbreaking....



Overall this book is in a class all of it's own. I wish that I had liked Hayley more......I think that the idea was good. Although a bit too abstract for my taste. But stars to Laurie Halse Anderson for creating a book that didn't really remind me of anything else I have ever read (and I have read a LOT of books).

Characterize It (11)

Welcome to Characterize It, a meme held every Thursday and hosted by http://theyabookbutterfly.blogspot.com/

As usual for memes, link the meme back to the host page so that other can join in!

If you want to know more about Characterize It, go to this page.

 

Second Helping - Strong Female Secondary Character who helps Lead Female Character through adversity.

Whenever I think about my favorite secondary character (female or not) The first person (or not-a-person) on my mind is Iko from The Lunar Chronicles.

There is something about Iko that just makes you want to read a book all about her......And she does help Cinder quite a bit throughout the books.

 

Opal (Lux #3) (Book Review)

Opal (Lux #3)
Jennifer L Armentrout

No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it.

Review:

I really liked Obsidian and I enjoyed the romance in Onyx.
I found Daemon to be annoying in Obsidian but he turned into a really nice gentleman in Onyx.
But unfortunately the feelings that I felt for Daemon in Obsidian returned. He morphed back into the Daemon that I had hoped was left behind long ago. I continued to feel this way until the very last pages of the book where you left us with a ginormous cliff hanger.

The plot in this one also followed her now trademark setting....
The first 1/3 or so of the book was just Daemon and Katy fighting/making up/making out/arguing/making up/making out/repeat.
The next 1/3 or so was the actual story....Which involved more of Daemon and Katy fighting/making up/making out/arguing/making up/making out/repeat. But added on a plot twist and added on some things that were important to the next section.
And lastly the ending 1/3 of the book involved more of Daemon and Katy fighting/making up/making out/arguing/making up/making out/repeat. But added on a final fight.

I enjoy the romance of Daemon and Katy....But I always wonder where Katy's Mom is in all of this. She works, but is she honestly gone that much? Overlooking that however, I find the romance to be cute and enjoyable even though Daemon returned to his trademark characteristics that were found in Obsidian.
The plot of this was good. But I would have loved to see more things about Daemons kind in the first 2/3s of the book. And I would have loved to have more fight scenes.

Altogether the cliff hanger that Jennifer left us all with at the very end was torture. And I will be picking up Origin to see what happens. I also want to see what Daemon and Katy's relationship grows into as they grow older and hopefully more mature.

 

Do you like Jennifer L Armentrout? Have you enjoyed this series yet? Or is it still stuck on your to-read list?

Monday YA Author Interview with Lauren Morrill

Lauren Morrill,

www.laurenmorrill.com

Meant to Be (Delacorte / 2012)

Being Sloane Jacobs (Delacorte / January 7, 2014

On Twitter @LaurenEMorrill

On Facebook

Where are you from?
I grew up in Maryville, TN, went to undergrad and grad school at Indiana University, then moved to Boston for 4 years. Now I live in Macon, GA, where I'm glad there's no winter!

When and why did you begin writing?

I've been writing my whole life, but I didn't start approaching it as a career until I was mid-way through graduate school and still not sure of what I wanted to be when I grew up! Right about that time I rediscovered YA through John Green and Sarah Dessen, and I knew that was what I needed to be doing. It took another few years before I actually wrote and sold a book, but that's where it started!

What books have most influenced your life most?

Just As Long As We're Together by Judy Blume is the book that made me want to be a writer. It's my all-time favorite, and I still reread it every few years. 

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Sarah Dessen is my favorite YA author, both for her writing and for the way she conducts her career. She's incredibly generous and kind to her readers, and I look to her as an example of how to be a good member of the YA community. I have all her books and reread one whenever I feel like I'm in a slump. 

What book are you reading now?

Right now I'm reading a book called The Distance Between Lost and Found by Kathryn Holmes. It comes out in 2015, and so I'm reading an early copy, and I'm absolutely in love with it. The writing is beautiful, and the story (a contemporary) is haunting and amazing. Add it to your Goodreads list now!

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Kathryn Holmes, who I mentioned before. I also love Amy Spalding and can't wait to read what she writes next. 

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

This is so hard, but I'm going to go with Sarah Dessen again. She builds these vibrant worlds populated with all these really complex, well-drawn supporting characters. That's what makes it so great when those characters pop up in future novels. They're so real that they become like friends, and catching up with them is so fun! I also love how her books are all so full of heart. 

What was the hardest part of writing your book?
The first draft is the hardest for me. Starting from nothing is PAINFUL. The revision is where fun happens for me.

 
Have you been an avid reader your entire life? (since you could read)
Yes! I've always devoured books. I was lucky that my mom almost never said no to me in a book store, and I almost never went anywhere without a book on me. I used to get in trouble for staying up late reading with a flashlight!

 What character in your books do you relate to most?
 All of my characters have a little bit of me in them, but I definitely identify with Sloane Devon's competitive edge in Being Sloane Jacobs. I've been told it's hard to play games with me because I get sort of intense!

What is your favorite sport to watch and or play?
Roller Derby! I've been a skaters for 7 years now, and I love watching tough female athletes execute strategy and get out aggression. 

Favorite Movie?
Father of the Bride 

Chocolate or Vanilla?
Vanilla 
Puppies or Kittens?
Puppies! 

Beach or Mountains?
Beach 

If you could be a color, what color would you be?

Blue 

Favorite Dessert?
key lime pie 

If you could be a book character, what character would you be?

Jessica Darling from Sloppy Firsts (and the rest of the series), because she's hilarious and a great writer 



I would definitely recommend both of Lauren's books to YA Contemporary lovers.......(You can check out my review of Being Sloane Jacobs here)

Another Little Piece of my Heart (Book Review)

Another Little Piece of my Heart
Tracey Martin
Published December 1st 2013 by Harlequin Teen

What if your devastating break-up became this summer’s hit single? In this rock-and-roll retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, music can either bring you together or tear you apart.

At her dying mother’s request, Claire dumps Jared, the only boy she’s ever loved. Left with a broken family and a broken heart, Claire is furious when she discovers that her biggest regret became Jared’s big break. While Jared is catapulted into rock-star status, another piece of Claire’s heart crumbles every time his song plays on the radio.

The summer after her senior year, it’s been months since the big break-up, and Claire is just trying to keep her head down and make it through a tense trip to the beach with her family. But when Jared shows up, and old feelings reignite, can Claire and Jared let go of the past? Or will they be stuck singing the same old refrain?



Review:

I LOVE retellings, I just do. But I am also extremely picky about my retellings. Particularly if I have read the book that is being retold.

Another Little Piece of My Heart is a retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion. Which if you have read it, you will know is a BRILLIANT and CAPTIVATING book.

Another Little Piece of My Heart just didn't meet the grade for me.

The Characters:
The main character Claire is just an ok character. I didn't relate to her or connect with her at all. In some ways I found her quite a bit more snobbish and stuck up than Anne in the original Persuasion.
I didn't like the love interest Jared any better.
I don't have any real strong feelings for the characters. Good or bad.
The Plot:
Again, comparing the plot to the original Persuasion it didn't meet the grade.

Sorry for the short review....I just didn't have very strong feelings for this one. I have read really great retellings of Jane Austen's Persuasion and really bad retellings.....This one fell somewhere in the middle. Not amazing, not terrible.

I received an e-copy of this book from the published in exchange for an honest review. I am in no way compensated.

Characterize It (10)

 

Welcome to Characterize It, a meme held every Thursday and hosted by http://theyabookbutterfly.blogspot.com/

As usual for memes, link the meme back to the host page so that other can join in!

If you want to know more about Characterize It, go to this page.

 

 

The Far Traveler - Character who lives in/goes to another country

 

 

Today I chose Ginny from 13 Little Blue Envelopes. Throughout the book, Ginny goes on sort of a road-trip scavenger hunt across Europe. I really enjoyed both 13 Little Blue Envelopes and the sequel....Highly recommended!

 

 

Inside little blue envelope 1 are $1,000 and instructions to buy a plane ticket.
In envelope 2 are directions to a specific London flat.
The note in envelope 3 tells Ginny: Find a starving artist.
Because of envelope 4, Ginny and a playwright/thief/ bloke–about–town called Keith go to Scotland together, with somewhat disastrous–though utterly romantic–results. But will she ever see him again?
Everything about Ginny will change this summer, and it's all because of the 13 little blue envelopes.









Please leave me a link to your Characterize It in the comments below! I would love to visit.

And We Stay (Book Review)

And We Stay
Jenny Hubbard
Source - Library
Published January 28th 2014 by Delacorte Press

When high school senior Paul Wagoner walks into his school library with a stolen gun, he threatens his girlfriend Emily Beam, then takes his own life. In the wake of the tragedy, an angry and guilt-ridden Emily is shipped off to boarding school in Amherst, Massachusetts, where she encounters a ghostly presence who shares her name. The spirit of Emily Dickinson and two quirky girls offer helping hands, but it is up to Emily to heal her own damaged self.

This inventive story, told in verse and in prose, paints the aftermath of tragedy as a landscape where there is good behind the bad, hope inside the despair, and springtime under the snow.



Review:

And We Stay is not a book for everyone. If you are like me, you should probably not read this book. But if you like poetry (Emily Dickinson in particular) then you will probably like this one.

One of my biggest problems with this book was that it is written in third person. And reading it that way left me feeling completely out of the story. I didn't feel as if I was inside the story watching these characters make their good and their bad choices.

The Plot:
I love boarding school books. I have read a lot of great ones. But this one wasn't all that great......The boarding school is not a HUGE part of the story line, and it was more of an underlining.
Emily Dickinson played a big part in this book. And I don't like poetry. (At all). There is also a little poetry between the chapters which I didn't like.

The Characters:
Again, because of the third person.....I never connected to the main character Emily Beam. Emily goes through so much in the course of the book that I would have loved to be able to connect to her more.
The other characters are written well, I enjoyed reading about Emily's roommate.

There is a huge plot twist in this book. And it makes the book even sadder.


Overall I think that this book is something that you either love or hate. It isn't bad, it just is not my thing.
If you like reading third person and poetry then you will probably love this. But I don't.
(1/5)


Do you like poetry? If you have read this book, did you like it? If you haven't, does this sound like something that you would like?