Preview: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

In the not-too-distant future, genetic engineering has turned every newborn into a ticking time bomb: Males die at age twenty-five, and females die at age twenty. While scientists seek a miracle antidote, young girls are routinely kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children. When sixteen-year-old Rhine is taken, she enters a world of wealth and privilege that both entices her and terrifies her. She has everything she ever wanted- except freedom. 
       
Soon it becomes clear that not everyone at her new husband's home is how they appear. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to escape...before her time runs out. 




The cover. That's probably what drew me in the most when deciding to read this book. The dress that the girl is wearing pulled me in. I love fashion design, so I am very intrigued when I see garments from different time periods or settings. I also found it interesting that this series is called The Chemical Garden Trilogy, it just sounds like an interesting world. Definitely not organic, since they are using CHEMICALS in their GARDENS, huh? Ha, ha, sorry for the bad joke...

The cover and the back-blurb both give a very creepy and eerie aura, and even the first little bit that I've read so far continue to maintain that aura. This creepiness is something new to me in books. I don't think this will be like anything I've ever read before.

I also wonder about the little bird in the cage beside the girl on the cover. The circles on the front cover must be pin-pointing important symbols, and I'm pretty darn sure the ring symbolizes the young brides mentioned in the back blurb, but what does the little bird symbolize?

I guess I will have to read it to find out....

PS: the Entree for this book will be written by both me, and Rachel, since she has already read this book. Yay! Dual-opinion-power!



keep readin' it write
Megan 

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Review: Evermore by Alyson Noel

For Twilight fans everywhere, this book is phenabulous. For those who would have rather walked into a pit full of snakes then read Twilight ( like Megan) then this book is another brick wall to smack your head on.

I enjoyed reading Twilight, but I’m one of those people who probably won’t read them again and enjoys making jokes about them them. Evermore is the same- I enjoyed reading it, but I had a lot of fun laughing at it. I might find the next book to read if I have nothing else today, but it isn’t on the top of my to- read list.

Ever Bloom’s family was killed in a car crash, which also left her on the brink of death. She moved in with her aunt after the accident, and life is pretty good, other then the fact that her parents and sister are dead, and she’s psychic. Something about the accident changed her, and now she picks up other people’s thoughts and has other psychic abilities, plus her dead sister visits her nearly ever day. Some people would think that’s pretty cool, but for Ever, it’s completely overwhelming. She just wants to shut it all off, which is why she hides behind a hoody and a cranked up iPod. She’s content with just her two friends- Haven and Miles- and doesn’t need anymore.

And then Damen moves into town and starts at her highschool. He’s incredibly attractive and is instantly popular. For some reason, he takes an interest in Ever, even though she is pretty much the only girl in the whole school who wouldn’t do anything to go out on a date with him. And then when she accidentally touches him, it’s like everything else is muted. All the random thoughts and energy are gone. Soon Ever admits to herself that she is interested in him, and it goes from there. Everything’s fine and dandy, until Ever’s friend Haven makes friends with a slightly strange girl, and everything becomes infinitely more complicated.

The story was fun to read, I suppose, but it was incredibly similar to Twilight and pretty cliche. I even made a t-chart with my friend of all the things that Twilight and Evermore had in common, and it ended up being pretty long. Mind- reading, immortality, the new kid, over-protective boyfriend, this book has it all. It even has the line “Are you… are you breaking up with me?” In it at one point. The character names are even questionable. Ever, Miles, Haven, Drina and Evangeline. Have you ever met a single person with one of these names? I haven’t. 

The plot was meh, fairly simple and kind of predictable, with lots of romance. I kind of wanted to smack Ever several times. The most random things would happen, and she would treat them like she had seen it a million times. I mean, if the guy sitting next to you in class started levitating his pen, would you just watch him and then, moments later, pretty much forget it until later? I would be freaked out. She seemed like she just wasn't thinking half the time.

Overall, this book was not the best display of writing I've ever seen, or a book I'd be willing to spend money on, yet I still read it, and pretty quickly too. So for whatever reason, I did enjoy it at least somewhat.

-Rachel

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so many books....so little time...

I seriously wish there were more hours in the day so I could read. This is my pile of "to-be-reads".  (And by the way, pardon the mess in the background... I tried to find a clean-ish spot in my room to take this picture...) You know you're getting behind on your reading when the height of your book stack rivals your own height!!! Ha, ha, I'm totally kidding... I'm taller than that.


Only a bit though. ;)


This stack isn't in any particular order, (and to be honest, it's even missing a couple books, since I need to borrow them from my friend...) but the very top one is the one I am currently reading. Across the Universe by Beth Revis. It's good so far. The first few chapters kind of confused/disturbed me, but I think I kind of understand where Ms. Revis is taking this now... I'll keep you posted. The other books are:

The Hobbit (I've read half of this, but never finished it...)
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Two Towers
The Return of the King
The Undrowned Child by Michelle Lovric (I am actually partially through this book as well...)
Specials by Scott Westerfeld (the first two books in this series were AMAZING!)
The Deep by Helen Dunmore (I loved Ingo and The Tide Knot, but I haven't gotten a chance to read this third one yet...)
The Help by Kathryn Stockett (I've heard so many good things about this book, and I also saw the movie which was awesome, so I can't wait to crack this baby open)
Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares (I read the first two in this series, and my interest kind of faded, but just recently a friend was reading one of them and it made me want to finish the series!)
Wither by Lauren DeStefano
The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan (I need to read this before the next one in the series comes out... but to be honest I think I prefer Greek/Roman mythology over Egyptian...)
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
Sapphique by Catherine Fisher
Heroes of the Valley by Jonathon Stroud (this was a $2 book... couldn't resist!)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (I am also part way through this one...I should finish it, no?)
and more that sadly could not make it to this book stack photo shoot... 


I honestly can't wait until summer, when I don't have any school work or major commitments to get in the way of my reading schedule!


PS: Think you can beat my book stack? Send me a pic at thewritereaders@gmail.com and your book stack might be featured on the blog! 




keep readin' it write! (and makin' a dent in that stack!)
Megan 

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Review: All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

This book surprised me. Despite the clues written RIGHT ON THE COVER, (apparently I was paying LOADS of attention when I read the title...) I was expecting something light hearted or maybe even one of those sappy romances. Boy was I wrong.

Right from the get go, you are thrust into the complicated life of Anya Balanchine. A sixteen year old girl with a LOT more issues than she should have to deal with at that age. Her parents are both dead, her grandmother is in bed, nearly dead, her older brother Leo is mentally disabled, and her twelve year old sister Natty is heavily dependant on her. Did I mention that her dead father was also a murderer? Yep, this girl's got a lot on her plate.

In this city, chocolate is illegal, but coincidentally, that is the Balanchine family's business. They produce some of the world's best quality chocolate. This fact makes Anya an instant threat to the government.

When Anya's ex-boyfriend gets poisoned by a chocolate bar she gives to him, her name is instantly thrown into the limelight. But not for a good reason. She is held personally responsible for his sickness.

With the help of her best friend Scarlet, and the new boy in town Win, (who is definitely one of those fictional boys you wish was real...) Anya is able to figure out her place in this mess her father has left her in the middle of. She previously had no intention of getting involved in the family business, but now it looks as if she'll have no choice...


Until about 2/3 of my way through this book, I wasn't completely sure if I was enjoying it. I kept reading, so I must have had some sort of desire to find out what happened, but when Rachel asked me if I liked it, I didn't have an answer for her. Have you ever read a book like that? But once I got to that 2/3 point, I was completely hooked. I was even being a bit antisocial one morning as I read the last few chapters hurriedly before class started... I had to find out how it ended! But now I can say that I DID indeed like it. It was very interesting. And I recommend it.





keep readin' it write!
Megan

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