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The Reading Geek
I'm a geek who loves to read. I review Young Adult titles on my book blog, The Reading Geek (http://thereadinggeek.blogspot.com)
I liked Going Vintage. I actually started reading this one months ago and just recently went back to finish reading it. The pacing is what initially made me put this book down, but in the end I'm happy I went back to it.Mallory swears off all technology when she learns that her boyfriend is cheating on her with an online girlfriend. I liked Mallory and found her to be a fun and different type of protagonist. I also thought that she was developed fairly well. There were some really great side characters too, like Oliver and Mallory's sister, Ginnie. I especially loved the relationship between Ginnie and Mallory because they were sisters and best friends.
The plot itself was really cute and I did enjoy it. I especially enjoyed the second half of this book a lot more. It was the pacing in the first half that made me put this book down. In the end though I really loved how this wasn't just a story about getting over a breakup, but it was also a story about family too.
I also really liked the writing style and the lists that were in every chapter. I do have to note that my favorite chapter was definitely the one set in Disneyland though. I love all things Disney and I loved how that chapter immediately made me feel like I was there with the characters.
Overall, I liked Going Vintage. It was an enjoyable and cute story.
Review posted on thereadinggeek.blogspot.com
The Raven Boys was my favorite book of 2012 and this sequel did not disappoint. It just became my favorite book of 2013. I have been looking forward to reading The Dream Thieves for months and it was absolutely worth the wait. This book was amazing!Ronan, Gansey, Adam, and Blue have woken the ley lines around Cabeswater. Gansey is still on his search, but now there are more people who are after the same thing. I thought each of these characters were developed more in this book. I loved the alternating chapters again between Ronan, Gansey, Adam, Blue, and a mysterious man. I especially liked that with this book I learned so much more about Ronan.
I just loved jumping back into this world with these characters again. Stiefvater's writing is just gorgeous. I say this after every book I read written by her, but she is, in my opinion, one of the most talented Young Adult authors out there.
This book made my heart want to burst at times, but it also gave me the chills at other moments. Then I loved all the twists. I honestly didn't know where this story was going to go next. From beginning to end, I just didn't want to put this book down. I actually forced myself to only read a few chapters at a time over the course of the summer because I wanted to make this story last longer.
I still have so many questions left and I can't wait to continue on this journey with the next book. Overall I loved The Dream Thieves! I can't recommend this series enough!
Review posted on thereadinggeek.blogspot.com
I really enjoyed A Dark Unwinding so I was really excited about A Spark Unseen and jumping back into this fantastic world. A Spark Unseen was definitely a great sequel and I ended up enjoying this book even more than the first one!In A Spark Unseen, Katharine goes to Paris after realizing that Stanwyne Keep isn't safe anymore and she also wants to find Lane. Katharine is such a great character and continues to be developed more strongly in this sequel. She's a character that I've grown to admire, even more so with this book, because she is so strong.
This book immediately hooked me back into this world with the first chapter. I loved the way this story opened. It reminded me of why I enjoyed A Dark Unwinding so much. There is a great blend of action and suspense which makes it difficult to put this book down for long. The story also just flowed really well from one page to the next. There were some great twists as well.
I was already a huge fan of the setting of these books and I think that Cameron does an excellent job with the history. However, I loved that with this book it brought the reader to a whole new setting in Paris. As much as I loved the setting in Stanwyne Keep in the previous book, it was refreshing to go someplace new with these characters.
Overall, I really enjoyed A Spark Unseen. It was a great sequel and I definitely recommend picking up this series!
Review posted on thereadinggeek.blogspot.com
I really enjoyed Wavecrossed and I thought that the concept was fantastic. I love the mythology about selkies so I was really excited when I first heard about this book. I was also a fan of Colt's previous book, Torched, so I was looking forward to reading what she wrote next. Cassandra wants nothing more than to free her family and get back their sealskins for them. I really liked Cassandra for most of the book. She could get a bit frustrating at times because she is just so paranoid, but overall I admired her. I loved how she would do anything for her family. She had the chance to just leave them all behind, but instead she stays to come up with a plan to help them. I just loved the whole family dynamic that this story brought out. I thought that Cassandra was developed well through out the book too. I also loved the side characters, like Leisel and Cassandra's twin brother, Brennan.
The plot was really interesting and I liked how the story always kept moving. This book never slowed so I never lost interest in what was happening to these characters. I also liked that it didn't get too predictable. I was already a fan of selkie stories before picking up this book, but I really loved how Colt described and used the mythology throughout the book. One thing that did get somewhat frustrating while reading was that the writing would get repetitive at times though.
Overall, I really enjoyed Wavecrossed. It was a captivating and fast-paced read that I would recommend picking up.
Review posted on thereadinggeek.blogspot.com
I really enjoyed Harken and read this book in one sitting. It was a really interesting concept that was fast paced. This book also turned out to be not what I entirely expected, but in a good way. Michael has this really cool ability where he can read a person's emotions through their eyes. He survives an assassination attempt from a supernatural organization and discovers a conspiracy. I thought Michael was developed fairly well. I admit he drove me a bit crazy some times though. However, he did get thrown into a crazy situation really quickly.
There were also a couple of really interesting side characters, like Tad, Alli, and Callista. Callista drove me a bit crazy too at times. I loved Alli though and thought she was a fantastic character. Then I especially loved Tad and actually wanted more of him in the book. He quickly became my favorite character.
This story instantly hooked me in during the first couple of pages when it started with a lot of action. I loved how fast it was paced because it still managed to never feel rushed at all. The whole conspiracy storyline was really interesting and different from a lot of the books that I have been reading lately. The constant action helped keep the pace moving.
The ending left me on the edge of my seat. I'm really looking forward to seeing where book two will go because there are still some questions left unanswered. Overall, I enjoyed Harken. It was a quick and exciting read.
Review posted on thereadinggeek.blogspot.com
I had a lot of issues with The Infinite Moment of Us. I still finished this book because I was interested enough to see how it would end. However, this book was just not for me at all. I'm sure that there are people who could really enjoy this book though. So just keep in mind this review is just my own personal opinion. Wren has always done everything that her parents wanted her to do. As she graduates high school though she starts to think more about what it is that she actually wants. Then there is Charlie who has a dark past. He doesn't believe that a girl like Wren would bother with a guy like him. However, these two quickly fall in love.
Wren and Charlie were both characters that annoyed me and came across as so needy. However, unlikable characters isn't enough to make me dislike a book. It was the plot and how undeveloped the characters were that really bothered me. First, I just didn't buy the relationship between Charlie and Wren. I just didn't see the chemistry between these two and I feel like their relationship was rushed. Then I was really disappointed in the ending of this book. I feel like the characters weren't developed at all. I also felt like nothing really happened and I was left with so many unanswered questions.
Let me say that I have no issue at all with sex being in Young Adult books. I personally believe that it should be in more books. I also have no issue with it being descriptive and I admire the author for really describing the emotions that go along with it. However, while trying to avoid spoilers, I will say that there were some aspects of the way that sex was handled that really bothered me. The writing just fell short to me as well. These characters didn't speak realistically like teenagers and the dialogue was just awkward to read at times too.
I will mention that there were still some positives to this book. It was very captivating and I read it in one sitting. There were some moments between Charlie and Wren that I thought were really cute and reminded you of that first summer love. I also really loved Charlie's family, especially Dev. The relationship between Charlie and Dev was fantastic and I loved it.
Overall, I was personally disappointed with The Infinite Moment of Us. This book just wasn't for me.
Review posted on thereadinggeek.blogspot.com
I'm a huge fan of Sarah Dessen's books and was so excited the first time I heard about this book. I really enjoyed it and purposely saved this to read only on those summer beach days.Emaline lives in a small beach town and it's her last summer before college. She has been dating Luke for years and they grew up together. However, this is the summer of change. Theo shows up as the assistant on a film documentary and is staying in a beach rental where Emaline works. I thought Emaline was a great character. She was so frustrating some times, but I understood where she was coming from. She's grown up in this small town and her father, who is barely involved in her life, believes that she can do better than this town. She finds herself torn. Emaline is realistic and developed well.
The plot was interesting and also realistic. I liked that there were a lot of aspects to this story. There was the romance, the documentary about the local artist, Emaline's different relationships with all of her family members, and lastly Emaline trying to decide what it is that she wants. I especially liked the family storyline, more specifically the one with her biological father. Her whole family history is complicated to say the least. I just loved how this whole storyline developed. The romance storyline was not entirely what I expected and I think that's what made me like it more.
I loved the setting in Colby. I loved being taken away to this small little beach town and I felt like I was walking around with these characters. I loved visiting the tourist spots, the boardwalk, the beach, the home rentals, and then the small local spots.
Overall, I really enjoyed The Moon and More. It may not be my absolute favorite Sarah Dessen book, but it was still an enjoyable read. I quickly became attached to these characters and invested in what would happen next for them. I would definitely recommend it as a summer beach read!
Review posted on thereadinggeek.blogspot.com
Surprise Origin was another Jennifer L. Armentrout book that I just absolutely loved. Okay so no big surprise here, it's another review where I just rave about how much I love another one of Armentrout's books. Opal left me breathless and on the edge of my seat counting down the days until Origin was released. Origin picks up where Opal left off and Katy has been taken by Daedalus. Daemon will do anything to get her back. Katy is being tested on and learning more about the mission of Daedalus. I think that both Katy and Daemon really continue to develop in this book. I also loved seeing the return of some old characters and the introduction of some new characters too.
I loved that Origin alternated between Daemon and Katy's point of views. It was great to read Daemon's point of view and read his perspective on the situation. I also loved how it really helped move the story along.
Next, I loved the plot for this book. Armentrout has brought this series to an even newer level. It was so interesting and terrifying to learn more about the Daedalus and Luxen. I didn't know what to expect from this book when I began it and I'm so happy that it never got predictable. There were plenty of twists that I just never saw coming. There were several times when I just couldn't believe what I just read and would go back to make sure I read it right. I also loved how she brought you to some new settings in this book. It was refreshing to see the characters in different environments.
Origin is just another amazing addition to this series! As soon as I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading. This book broke my heart, put that big goofy grin on my face, and left me dying for the next book. I didn't think my love for these characters, especially Daemon, could grow any more, but somehow Armentrout has made me love them even more. I also must note how much I loved the reference to Wendy Higgins book, Sweet Evil. Overall, I highly recommend this book to fans of the series and if you haven't read this series yet, then start reading immediately!
Review posted on thereadinggeek.blogspot.com
I loved This Song Will Save Your Life! I waited about a week before writing this review and I still can't stop thinking about this book. I was really excited about this book when I first heard about it because I'm a huge fan of books with music. This book took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions and I loved every single page.Elsie has never fit in, even though she has tried repeatedly to try to become popular. Then one night she accidentally finds Start, a warehouse party, and meets Vicky, Char, and Pippa. She also discovers a love for DJing. Elsie was a character that just broke my heart so much. At the same time though, I could relate to her. She feels like she has no one and wants so badly to be someone else. Elsie is developed so strongly through the course of the story and I loved going through journey of self-discovery with her. I also loved meeting some fantastic characters along the way, especially Vicky.
From the first page, the voice just hooked me in. Elsie has such a strong and consistent voice throughout the whole book. It's also realistic and I could always understand where she was coming from. I just loved the writing a lot! Sales wrote a beautiful story. I plan on buying two copies of this book just so that I could highlight all of my favorite quotes in one copy.
The plot was developed well. From the first page to the last I was captivated. I was sad when it came to an end because I just wasn't ready to let go of these characters just yet. This book completely tore my heart to pieces, but at the same time gave me so much hope. Sales did a great job of tackling a variety of issues, especially bullying.
Another aspect of this book that I loved was the role of music in this book. If there is one thing I love as much as books, it's music. I loved that the author included the songs that Elsie was listening to. I also strongly recommend listening along to the official playlist while reading (This Song Will Save Your Life Playlist).
Overall, I loved This Song Will Save Your Life! This is a book that I definitely will read again and again. It has also become one of my favorite books of 2013. I strongly recommend picking up a copy!
Review posted on thereadinggeek.blogspot.com
I really enjoy Jennifer Echols' books and was really excited when I heard about this one. I was even more excited when I heard that it would involve music too. Bailey and her sister Julie used to play music together for years. However, a record company comes in and signs only Julie, not Bailey. Bailey is now living with her grandad and playing in tribute groups. I liked Bailey because she was realistic. She was so frustrating and stubborn at times, but it's understandable. If I was in her situation, I would probably be even more stubborn than her. I loved the relationship Bailey had with music though because it was just a part of life for her. She grew up performing and it's just natural. Then she meets Sam and he has a band that he wants Bailey to join. I feel torn on Sam. I liked him, but then I didn't.
I read this book in one sitting because it just instantly hooked me in. I love music and I just love how music played a role in this story. I loved how Echols described what playing music was like for Bailey and Sam. I also loved the setting in Nashville and it really makes me want to go visit soon.
The plot could be so frustrating at times. This book brought out some strong emotions in me. I wanted to slam down my reader because of what these characters were doing, but at the same time I was still enjoying the way the story progressed.
Overall, I really enjoyed Dirty Little Secret. It left me blasting country music and wishing I was in Nashville. I can't wait to read what Echols writes next.
Review posted on thereadinggeek.blogspot.com
I liked Wild Awake, but wow I feel like this book messed with my mind a bit. It took me by surprise that this was the direction this book went in, because I didn't expect it at all. It definitely took me a few days to get my thoughts clear on this one.Kiri's parents are away on vacation and she is staying at home alone. One night she gets a phone call about the abandoned belongings of her dead sister and soon she learns there is much more to the death of her sister then she though. Kiri is an intense character. She is trying to be perfect for her parents and practices the piano constantly. However, she is struggling with the truth regarding the death of her sister and the few memories she had with her. I thought that Kiri was developed fairly well, but I wish she was developed a bit more strongly. There were also plenty of interesting side characters.
The direction that the plot took was unexpected. It really built up well from the beginning to the conflict. I had some issues with how this book ended though, because I felt like I never got any ending or closure. I felt like the conflicts were never resolved and the end of the book just happened too abruptly. After I read that last page, I kept looking for more pages.
I think what I enjoyed most about this book was Smith's writing. This book just completely messed with my mind and I really felt what the character was experiencing. I just felt so much for Kiri and what she was going through and it tore me up. There were also just some really beautifully written lines. Overall, I liked Wild Awake. This was a story that I don't think I will be able to forget.
Review posted on thereadinggeek.blogspot.com
A Trick of the Light was a different read for me and actually took me a few days to really form my opinions on this book.
This is the story of Mike who is struggling in several different aspects of his life, including his self-esteem. He eventually develops an eating disorder and the voice inside his head takes control.
This was a really quick read and I finished this book in one sitting. It was the first time that I've found a young adult book that deals with the topic of anorexia in boys. Eating disorders are a topic that I'm very familiar with and I believe it's a topic that should be discussed more because eating disorders don't only affect girls.
However, what took me a while to get used to with this book was the writing style and the narration. The narrator is anorexia and the writing style is similar to a play. It was a bit difficult to really get into this story at first, but as it progressed, I really appreciated the approach Metzger took to tell this story. It's freaky, but at the same time it really emphasizes how that little voice inside your head can impact your life. I also think that Metzger does a fantastic job handling a topic like anorexia and showing others just how it feels to be struggling with an eating disorder.
Overall I really enjoyed A Trick of the Light. It took me a couple of days to really wrap my mind around this story, but the more I think back on it, the more I realize how much this story has stuck with me.
Review posted on mthereadinggeek.blogspot.com
I really enjoyed Fraction of Stone. This story was definitely a refreshing read for me and I just loved the characters and setting. Akara and Rydan both have the ability to do magic. They have both been living opposite lives, but find themselves trying to save the world together and find the Gia Stone. I just loved getting to know these characters because they were both so different. I quickly became attached to them. I especially liked learning more about Akara because she has lived such a difficult life. I also found that both of these characters, and their relationship, were developed very well through the course of the story.
The plot was exciting for the most part and the first few chapters immediately captured my attention. However, it did drag at some moments for me too, especially in the middle. Therefore, I found myself taking some extra time to read this one. My favorite aspect of this book was definitely the world that Lynn created though. It was just so fascinating and I really enjoyed travelling along with these characters. I loved learning all about the setting and the history.
Overall, I really enjoyed Fraction of Stone. Lynn has definitely left me curious about what will happen to these characters next.
Review posted on thereadinggeek.blogspot.com
I really enjoyed reading Roman Holiday. It was just a really fun story to read and I finished this book rather quickly.Junie is on vacation when she runs into Roman Montgomery, who is in the popular band Roman Holiday. Junie is far from being a fan of Roman Holiday and is instead sick of hearing their music on the radio. Junie is a radio heart and especially loves rock and roll. She was a likable character from the beginning and I loved her taste in music. Then there is Roman who I really enjoyed getting to know as the story progressed. He isn't what I expected. There were also several other fantastic characters, especially Junie's best friend Maggie.
The plot grabbed my attention right away and held it until the end. I especially loved that this was a different type of New Adult story. It was a fun story that had me laughing out loud at some moments. Junie finds herself in some funny and awkward situations. This book also had it's serious moments too though. The rumors are that Roman murdered his band mate and the paparazzi won't leave him alone. Then Junie's father's bar is in danger of foreclosure. Both characters are dealing with a lot.
Overall, I really enjoyed Roman Holiday and recommend it! This book was a fun and different type of New Adult story.
Review posted on thereadinggeek.blogspot.com
Camp Kiss is the prequel to Camp Boyfriend and I loved this novella! It gave the reader a great opportunity to get to know these characters before Camp Boyfriend comes out next month. Lauren is fourteen years old and spending her summer at camp. She has been crushing on Seth for years now and wants their friendship to become something more. However, a dare from her cabin mates might pressure her into making her move before she's ready. Lauren is an excellent character and I already can't wait to read more of her story soon. She is your typical fourteen year old who finds herself in some awkward and embarrassing situations. I became a fan the moment she wore a Star Wars t-shirt, talked about X-Men, and talked about her love for astronomy. She reminded me a lot of myself as a teenager.
The plot itself was a fun and cute. Overall, I loved Camp Kiss and if anything it has just made me even more excited for Camp Boyfriend! I definitely recommend reading this novella!
Review posted on thereadinggeek.blogspot.com
*Note: I work for Spencer Hill Press but did not work on this book in any way.*