Review: The Fault in Our Stars

 Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.








 
Holy crap. 


HOLY FREAKING CRAP.



OH MY FREAKING HOLY CRAP. 

THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD. 

I don't normally fangirl much but this book deserves it, BIGTIME. It is honestly one of my favourite books of all time. It's just that good. I laughed, I cried, I smiled, I felt every possible emotion while reading this book. It wasn't just a book. It was an experience.

I was skeptical of the rave reviews this book kept getting, but honestly, none of those reviews lie. Not even a little bit. John Green deserves all the praise that he has gotten, plus more. I'm 100% serious. 

From the moment I picked this book up, I couldn't put it down. The characters are instantly lovable, and intriguing. The various plot lines and characters sprinkled throughout this book make it very diverse and eye opening. Yes, this is a book about cancer, I'm not going to avoid that fact. But I believe that it is written in the best possible way for the subject. John Green expertly synthesizes the unfortunate and sad truths of this tragic disease, with insightful and inspiring life advice. The characters are extremely strong and intelligent. For me, reading this book really put my life into perspective. I may get upset about little things that go wrong in my life, but there are people going through things way worse than me, and they are handling them impeccably. I found a great amount of inspiration in this book, even though it is a work of fiction. The message that John Green is displaying to his readers is one that everyone can apply to their life in some way. No matter what situation you have been placed in in your life, there are always good things to hold on to. And everyone has negative things in their lives, and they do not define who you are. Although Hazel has cancer, she realizes that she is not cancer. She is Hazel. I think that this motif of self is very inspiring and relevant in today's society.   

Some other things that kept me hooked on this book, were:
-the adorable romance
-the humourous narration by Hazel 
-the visuals and settings presented in the book
-John Green's style of writing
-the natural flow of the story, and the relatability


Overall, this book was- oh, JUST GO READ IT! NOW! xD

The Good: characters, writing style, humour, adorableness....I could go on forever...
The Bad: ummm, what?
The Verdict: no question about it. a solid 10/10. 


keep readin' it write!
Megan    

Read more »

WOW #22 Sorrow's Knot by Erin Bow + Another book!

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine . Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event meant to showcase the not-yet-released books that we are eagerly awaiting. This week I've chosen Sorrow's Knot by Erin Bow.

In the world of Sorrow’s Knot, the dead do not rest easy. Every patch of shadow might be home to something hungry and nearly invisible, something deadly. The dead can only be repelled or destroyed with magically knotted cords and yarns. The women who tie these knots are called binders.

Otter is the daughter of Willow, a binder of great power. She’s a proud and privileged girl who takes it for granted that she will be a binder some day herself. But when Willow’s power begins to turn inward and tear her apart, Otter finds herself trapped with a responsibility she’s not ready for, and a power she no longer wants.

Release Date: October 29, 2013

Continuing with the slightly creepy theme of October, I found Sorrow's Knot. Doesn't it sound pretty awesome?


Also, I did it again where I missed posting last Wednesday, so here's a bonus today! The second book is:  The Dollhouse Asylum by Mary Gray.

A virus that had once been contained has returned, and soon no place will be left untouched by its destruction. But when Cheyenne wakes up in Elysian Fields--a subdivision cut off from the world and its monster-creating virus--she is thrilled to have a chance at survival.

At first, Elysian Fields,with its beautiful houses and manicured lawns, is perfect. Teo Richardson, the older man who stole Cheyenne's heart, built it so they could be together. But when Teo tells Cheyenne there are tests that she and seven other couples must pass to be worthy of salvation, Cheyenne begins to question the perfection of his world.

The people they were before are gone. Cheyenne is now "Persephone," and each couple has been re-named to reflect the most tragic romances ever told. Everyone is fighting to pass the test, to remain in Elysian Fields. Teo dresses them up, tells them when to move and how to act, and in order to pass the test, they must play along.

If they play it right, then they'll be safe.

But if they play it wrong, they'll die.

Release Date: October 22, 2013

Another somewhat creepy/mysterious book for October. The cover is stunning and the book sounds very intriguing.

Rachel

Read more »

Green Angel by Alice Hoffman

Left on her own when her family dies in a terrible disaster, fifteen-year-old Green is haunted by loss and by the past. Struggling to survive physically and emotionally in a place where nothing seems to grow and ashes are everywhere, Green retreats into the ruined realm of her garden. But in destroying her feelings, she also begins to destroy herself, erasing the girl she'd once been as she inks darkness into her skin. It is only through a series of mysterious encounters that Green can relearn the lessons of love and begin to heal enough to tell her story.

I've had this book FOREVER sitting on my shelf and honestly, I'm not sure why it took me so long to read it. It's SHORT. (128 pages, seriously!) and so it wasn't even like it was a time commitment or anything. No huge risk factor with this book. So anyways, I FINALLY got around to reading it.

I liked this book. Even after thinking about it for a few days, I'm still not 100% sure what the message of the book was supposed to be (and I'm almost positive there was supposed to be some kind of meaning) but I still feel like it affected me in some way.

The book doesn't have a lot of dialogue, which somehow seems to add to the mood of the story. The story gives off a very detached, isolated feeling which, I think, is exactly how Green feels throughout most of the book. It's also eerie and sort-of mysterious with hints of slightly creepy every so often. (hence why it's here for Spooky October!) I liked the description in the book and also the growth of Green's character. 

I don't really have a ton to say about this book, especially since it was so short, but I just know that I really did like it. It wasn't exactly WOW HERE READ THIS *SHOVES IN FACE* I WONT BE YOUR FRIEND IF YOU DONT READ IT but it certainly was not a waste of time. It was good.

The Good: Mood, character growth
The Bad: A bit slow
The Verdict: 7/10

Rachel

Read more »

WOW #21 Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano Plus Bonus

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine . Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event meant to showcase the not-yet-released books that we are eagerly awaiting. This week I've chosen Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano.

Sticking with Spooky October, here's our first WOW creepy book!

On Internment, the floating island in the clouds where 16-year-old Morgan Stockhour lives, getting too close to the edge can lead to madness. Even though Morgan's older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. She tries her best not to mind that her life is orderly and boring, and if she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes solace in best friend Pen and her betrothed, Basil.

Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially when she meets Judas. He is the boy being blamed for the murder — betrothed to the victim — but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find — or who she will lose.

Release Date: October 1, 2013

So maybe this book came out yesterday, but it fits our slightly creepy, mysterious theme for October. I've read Lauren DeStefano before (The Chemical Garden Series) and it was a satisfying mix of somewhat creepy and also not.

ALSO BONUS: last week I missed posting the Waiting on Wednesday, so bonus this week!

This second book is Tandem by Anna Jarzab.

Everything repeats.
You. Your best friend. Every person you know.
Many worlds. Many lives--infinite possibilities.
Welcome to the multiverse.

Sixteen-year-old Sasha Lawson has only ever known one small, ordinary life. When she was young, she loved her grandfather's stories of parallel worlds inhabited by girls who looked like her but led totally different lives. Sasha never believed such worlds were real--until now, when she finds herself thrust into one against her will.

To prevent imminent war, Sasha must slip into the life of an alternate version of herself, a princess who has vanished on the eve of her arranged marriage. If Sasha succeeds in fooling everyone, she will be returned home; if she fails, she'll be trapped in another girl's life forever. As time runs out, Sasha finds herself torn between two worlds, two lives, and two young men vying for her love--one who knows her secret, and one who thinks she's someone she's not.

The first book in the Many-Worlds Trilogy, Tandem is a riveting saga of love and betrayal set in parallel universes in which nothing--and no one--is what it seems.

Release Date: October 8, 2013

Parallel Universes. Imminent War. Stunning Cover Art. Can I has?

Rachel

Read more »

TTT #25 Book Turn-Offs

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish. Each week they give a topic, and then other blogs make their top ten lists for that topic.

This week's topic is Top Ten Things that Turn Me Off A Book

In no particular order, as per usual:

1) Immature Characters: I'm talking about those characters that you have to remind yourself are supposed to be 16-18 because you keep assuming they are 12-13. Immature dialogue, childish actions, and lack of judgement all contribute to this and they are SO. ANNOYING.

2) Misleading Synopses: Usually by the time I'm far enough into a book to realize the synopsis wasn't what it seemed I'll finish reading, but it still will negatively impact my overall opinion of the book. If your book is about a certain topic, don't try and change the meaning in the blurb!

3) Plot Holes: I really, really, really do not like it at all when there are glaringly obvious holes in plots. You know when characters have to make up some big elaborate solution when there's another solution that they either didn't even think of or wasn't explained? I guess that was a pretty vague explanation, but I think everyone knows what plot holes are. This makes me so annoyed and frustrated with a book. 

4) Weird Names: This mostly only comes up in contemporary books, but when characters have some obscure old/faerie/unpronounceable/bizarre name appears, I am immediately wary of the author's writing. This was particularly prevalent in Evermore, with the main character being Ever Bloom. why

5) Slut Shaming/ Rape Culture: If you are not sure what I'm talking about, this is a good place to start. I see this more often than I'd like to in books and it's a huge deal for me. This is probably one of the biggest turn offs there are in books.

6) Weird Descriptions/ Repetitive Descriptions: When the author uses words that really don't make a ton of sense given the situation, often in a metaphorical form. Don't get me wrong, I love description and literary devices, but adjectives can't just be squashed together. It's also annoying when and author uses the same few words to describe something over and over again. "Sky blue eyes" is fine once or twice, but not necessary everytime a character is mentioned.

7) Freaky Characters that are Supposed to be Popular Among Readers:  An example would be Warner from Shatter Me. After reading the book and then reading some reviews, I was surprised that so many people seemed to root for Warner and hope that Juliet would fall for Warner latter! He came across as manipulative and abusive to me, and the exact type of person that you should get far, far away from.

8) Love Triangles as Plot Points (or any romance as a plot point): It's super annoying when some sort of romantic relationship is created basically just to further the plot in a story, and not that it was just a natural progression for characters. It just seems like a short cut!

9) Characters with a COINCIDENTALLY Useful Skill: I find this super annoying. It's when some character is supposed to be just a normal person EXCEPT they have some kind of weird hobby or special skill, and then something happens to them and WHAT A COINCIDENCE, it's what saves their life or makes them 'ahmazing'. 

10) Helpless Heroines: Another big one for me, this is a huge turn-off. Heroines that can't/won't/don't do anything for themselves. Sometimes you gotta help yourself, ladies! If they can't, and they try to do something, that's okay. It's when characters simply do not do anything that they become infuriating.

So there's my list! What's your biggest turn off?

Rachel

Read more »

October with Read it Write!

Hi everyone! It's the first of October, and I've been planning some stuff for this month for awhile! For the month of October here at Read it Write the site will be focused around the spooky and paranormal.

Waiting on Wednesdays all have creepy themes, and there will be some reviews coming up about some spooky books. There's also a few other things planned, but you will have to wait and see what they are later in the month!

Neither Megan or I are huge into thrillers, so the books will, for the most part, be spooky and maybe creepy, but not full-out horror. 

Top Ten Tuesdays will not be much different than usual, however. 

I've also started up a book tumblr to be a more instant-type blog for my book needs, and this month I will be doing a book photo challenge hosted by Books & Cupcakes (see it here) that has a bunch of Halloween themes this month. You can find my blog here if you are interested in seeing what books I select.

Now who's ready for some spooky stuff?

Rachel

Read more »