The Raven Boys: review

Title: The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1)
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Genres: magic, quests
Rating: 5 shining stars that are like exploding into supernovae.
Summary: “There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

This is going to be a hard book to review. I have to be able to convey how much I loved this book, and not sound silly or ramble on for five pages about it. I will try to keep my thoughts organized...

(and excuse the minor formatting issues at the moment.)

First:
Right now, I wish I could go back to all the great books I've read this year, and rate them down to four stars, so I can express how much this book deserves all five stars I am giving it. It's her best book yet.

In the beginning I got the feeling there's something bigger going on in the town of Henrietta, Virgina. Random people are introduced who seem to know something or other about normalness of supernatural events, and the dates of forgotten dead-people holidays...it's part paranormal, but more magical. The witchcraft without the corniness; the out-of-ordinary making complete sense. That is my first impression.

The POV:
It's third person omniscient. I can tell you now that I absolutely despise that kind of pov the most, when I am reading books. Those I end up dropping. But in here, it was freaking fantastically done. I am SO glad it's written the style it is. I got to see into everybody's head, including the, er, "villain"'s as well. I really loved it.

The Romance:
Maggie Stiefvater really hits the romance spot on in The Raven Boys.

When Gansey is introduced, I got completely excited that he was Blue's love interest. I like him better than Sam from Shiver, or even Sean from The Scorpio Races. Then partway through the book (they don't meet for a while) I thought maybe he isn't, and then I got a bad feeling on how this might all end...well my mind was all over the place.

See, Maggie plays it like, (1) you are confused where the romance is going to go, (1) you kind of enjoy not knowing for once, and (3) you know exactly how it's going to end up. At least, thats my understanding while reading, and all at once. By the end I think I finally figured it out.

At first it may seem like there is a triangle forming, but if you've read her other books, then (well I haven't read her Faerie series yet.) you find the pattern of no love triangles. This gives me hope for the series. Because you know what the romance is in here? Real life. There isn't a 'love triangle'. Goodness that's such a fictional thing to say. Really, in real life, relationships are complicated, ever-changing, and unclear. Not Team This or That.

It's too early, and not quite safe to say there is not going to be a love triangle type of thing going on for the other three eventual books, but whatever it turns out to be, I know it will be good, and special.

The Main Characters:
These include Gansey, Blue, Ronan, Adam, and Noah. All of which are unique, rememberable, and completely fleshed out. There isn't just one main character. The five of them are equally important and I can't imagine any of them going away.
Blue reminded me of me. Really! She makes a lot of her own clothes, is splendidly odd, has a cool ability (well I just haven't grown into mine yet...) and really strives to be eccentric. Blue doesn't want to fit in, and likes to be a part of something different. That is why I like her.

The raven boys aren't likable in the usual fashion, but they have wonderful quirks and strange habits. I mean Noah introduces himself by saying, "I've been dead for seven years." How is that not a perfect way to become attached to someone? And Ronan is some creep you wouldn't want to meet on the street at first glance, but he has a baby raven pet dubbed Chainsaw. Endearing, right? Totally. Adam is the most real character, regarding to dealing with every-day problems, but he still manages to fit in with this bunch of people.

Gansey...(gets his own bold point):
Gansey is unconsciously condescending, but aware that he is privileged. Ever striving to be a better person, but ultimately falling short of understanding that gap between the him and the normal population. And I totally fell for him. Gansey's enthusiasm for his quest to find Glendower is energetic and powerful. The excitement is contagious; I could just picture the light in his eyes every time he talked about the legend.

The Supporting Characters:

Blue's family is hilarious. She lives with her mom, Maura, and a bunch of "half aunts"

, 

Calla, Neeve, Persephone, and Orla. This is one household in which I would love to live. I immediately liked Persephone the best, because of how she is introduced and described, and I didn't like Neeve in the way you're not really supposed to like her.

The Plot...

...is richly complicated. And substantial. The story moves well and there isn't a single lagging moment. There are subplots that tie in nicely, and not just as filler. Many questions are answered, but plenty more are brought up. It's kind of hard to say more than that.

The Writing:

Maggie Stiefvater is one of my favorite authors of all time. It's not just because her stories are so creative and fun, but because her writing is so beautiful to read. She really has a knack to getting inside my head and saying things exactly as they make sense to me. And saying that, or typing that, (out loud) makes my statement sound superficial and weird, but I just read it and see she manages to understand what the reader wants to read.

The Ending:
I had to keep reminding myself (as certain events happened) that this is the first in a four book series. So that reminder was a nice delight every time I thought, "Oh no, I'm getting closer to the end of the book!! How do I back up!!?" The ending is surprising and unexpectedly satisfying, although, I now await the next Raven Boys book equally as much as the last Divergent book...maybe even a little more.

I am so tempted to do a giveaway of a pre-ordered copy because you ALL need to read this the day it hits the shelves. Thoughts?

Excelsior!

-Jane

(Oh hey, this is the first post of my birthday month! What a great way to start the countdown till my 18th birthday...perhaps that will be why I do the giveaway...yes, I will get on that now.)

Teaser Tuesday (7-31-12)

I'm reading The Raven Boys right now, and it's amazing. When has Maggie Stiefvater written something that's not? Here are a few teasers. It's almost out! September 18th.

The predictions that came out of 300 Fox Way were unspecific, but undeniably true. Her mother had dreamt Blue's broken wrist on the first day of school. Her aunt Jimi predicted Maura's tax return to within ten dollars. Her older cousin Orla always began to hum her favorite song a few minutes before it came on the radio. -page 3 (yeah, yeah I'll try not to post something from every single page...)


There were so many of the clippings she'd noticed before that the journal wouldn't stay book-shaped unless tied shut with leather wrappings. Pages and pages were devoted to these ripped and scissored excerpts, and there was an undeniable tactile pleasure to browsing. Blue ran her fingers over the varied surfaces. Creamy, thick artist paper with spidery serif. Slick utilitarian white stock with an artless modern type. Ragged edged newspaper in a brittle shade of yellow. -page 83


     "Yes," she said. "I guess I make things that need energy stronger. I'm like a walking battery."
     "You're the table everyone wants at Starbucks," Gansey mused as he began to walk again.
     Blue blinked. "What?"
-page 218


Okay, I'll stop! I just want to quote every page!! But it'll have to be just this for now...so, did I pick good quotes?

(Taking from an ARC, so these are subject to change...but I hope they don't. ;))


I'm almost done with The Raven Boys, so my review should be up within a few days, keep an eye out!


-Jane

Beta: review

Title: Beta (Beta #1)
Author: Rachel Cohn
Genres: sci-fi, dystopia, clones, chocolate
Source: ARC from Changing Hands
Rating: 3 stars.
Summary: In a world constructed to absolute perfection, imperfection is difficult to understand—and impossible to hide.

Elysia is a clone, created in a laboratory, born as a sixteen year old girl, an empty vessel with no life experience to draw from. She is a Beta, an experimental model of teenaged clone. She was replicated from another teenage girl, who had to die in order for Elysia to be created.

Elysia's purpose is to serve the inhabitants of Demesne, an island paradise for the wealthiest people on earth. Everything about Demesne is bioengineered for perfection. Even the air there induces a strange, euphoric high that only the island's workers—soulless clones like Elysia—are immune to.

At first, Elysia's new life on this island paradise is idyllic and pampered. But she soon sees that Demesne's human residents, the most privileged people in the world who should want for nothing, yearn. And, she comes to realize that beneath its flawless exterior, there is an undercurrent of discontent amongst Demesne's worker clones. She knows she is soulless and cannot feel and should not care—so why are overpowering sensations clouding Elysia's mind?

If anyone discovers that Elysia isn't the unfeeling clone she must pretend to be, she will suffer a fate too terrible to imagine. When Elysia's one chance at happiness is ripped away from her with breathtaking cruelty, emotions she's always had but never understood are unleashed. As rage, terror, and desire threaten to overwhelm her, Elysia must find the will to survive.


Besides the cover, the first sentence grabbed me. That's always a good sign, because I tend to drop books within the first 30 pages or so, if it's not getting my interest. Maybe you'll like it too:

It's me she wants to purchase.

Keep in mind this is an ARC I'm quoting from, so of course it's subject to change. But it makes you want to know more, right? At least the urge to turn a page or two more.

I'm not sure how common knowledge this is, but the fleur-de-lis used to be what slaves were branded with in history. I just learned that from reading The Count of Monte Cristo. In Beta, clones are tattooed with that symbol on their right temple, to signify what they are; aka not human. On their other side, they get a species of flower depending on their position they were bought or created for. I think that's pretty creative, and thoughtful...(maybe that's not the nicest word?)

Elysia gets bought on the first page to be a companion. See, if you're a geek like me, the first thing you think of when the words companion, and bought are used together, is Inara. It's not like that. It's just like a playmate, or sibling, or daughter, depending on the family's dynamics you're bought into. It's a high class for a clone to become rather than server, masseuse, or maid/butler. In Elysia's case, she is all three, a playmate for Liesel, a sibling for Ivan, and a daughter for her new mother.

The whole world building and concept are pretty awesome. It's sci-fi filled with innovative technology at every angle, constantly. That's what kept me reading it, because the characters themselves, all of them, I didn't like a single bit. Sad, but true.

MC/love interest- Uh INSTALOVE. I am completely against instalove. Nothing about it is relatable or realistic, and I usually end up grinding my teeth through the whole relationship. So the romance between Elysia and Tahir (think flat Stanley) isn't completely awful, but I am easily admitting I didn't enjoy it one bit. Also, every aspect of their relationship is predictable. Elysia was pretty cool until she met him, all curious and wondering how life is, and I liked her (only her) until the point where she meets Tahir and bam: "Oh my god, I know I don't have a soul or feelings or anything, but I think I'm in love with this random dude, and I need to sleep with him NOW." Isn't that attractive? Not.

Supporting characters? Awful. Maybe because they were supposed to be awful human beings, and treat her like dirt, but I couldn't get past how stupid and spoiled they acted. All similarly too, so not much distinction between them. I think it's good for the mood of the story, but out of place in normal character development.

Also, never having read any of her books before, I'm sorry to say I didn't like the author's writing style. The sentences were awkward at best, and ended up plain weird sometimes. There were a couple of laugh-out-loud moments...but that's it.

The ending: Nearing the ending, maybe the last 40 pages, is where I really enjoyed the story. Exciting and unpredictable events happen, that for once I didn't see coming. Then I hit a lull at the almost-ending, but when the final ending came, last pages and the complete end, it had quite a cool cliffy, and now I just have to keep going in the series. If it weren't for that, I don't think I would have continued to the next book.

I don't usually put a content rating, but I think Beta deserves one: sex, drug abuse, and language. and a LOT of each. Well, maybe not so much language. It was all a little too much for me though, honestly.

Overall, this book is OKAY. I expected more, and got something kind of completely different. Had potential and seriously the concept is really great, but Beta fell short with the crappy romance, and how that part effected all of the other awesomeness. It tainted the plot. I'm not sure I would recommend it to my friends, but Beta might be worth a shot if you like the genre.

-Jane

Teaser Tues(Thurs)day (7/26/12)

I wasn't going to post one...but I just couldn't stop laughing when this scene came up, so I have to share it!

"We don't need Police on Demesne!" Mother says, horrified. "But you do have that kind of brute strength. Perhaps it would be nice if you could use that for more gentle purpose. Perhaps you become some kind of builder. An architect for military compounds?"
     Ivan says, "Or perhaps I could be a camouflage fashion designer. Or a strategic campaigns astrologer."
     "You can go to the Base to learn astrology?" I ask, surprised. According to my interface, the Base is where young recruits go to hone their physical endurance, learn military history, and gain weaponry skills. It shows me no correlation between astrology and the military.
     "Ivan's doing sarcasm," Liesel informs me. "He learned it from Astrid."
     I data check this word.




Sarcasm (SAHR-ka-zem): Expressing ridicule that wounds.




     I leap from my chair and run to Mother's side, and grab her seated upper body into a hug. "Don't be wounded, Mother," I say.
     The family roars with laughter. Mother places a kiss on my cheek and then gestures for me to sit back down. I am so confused.

-page 77 from Beta by Rachel Cohn

Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature: review

Title: Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature

Author: Robin Brande

Genres: contemporary-ya, religion, puppies, nerdy science stuff

Source: library

Rating: 4 stars!

Summary: Your best friend hates you. The guy you liked hates you. Your entire group of friends hates you.

All because you did the right thing.

Welcome to life for Mena, whose year is starting off in the worst way possible. She's been kicked out of her church group and no one will talk to her—not even her own parents. No one except for Casey, her supersmart lab partner in science class, who's pretty funny for the most brilliant guy on earth.

And when Ms. Shepherd begins the unit on evolution, school becomes more dramatic than Mena could ever imagine . . . and her own life is about to evolve in some amazing and unexpected ways.

So I read this random book because it's my book club's August pick that my friend suggested. I was kind of put off by the odd cover, and in the contemporary-YA section, so I never would have bothered to pick it up if she, Elv, hadn't recommended it. Also, halfway through reading it I realized I've met the author before at some huge signing (though not read any of her books before)....so here is what I thought of Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature.

The first twenty pages or so are kind of confusing and iffy, but once I got past them and met the oh-so-awesome Casey, I couldn't put it down. Science class used to be my favorite class when I took it, and most of this story takes place in science class...safe to say, points for that.

The characters are all immediately likable. You meet Casey talking in a British accent just for fun and making Lord of the Rings references every ten minutes (Okay get this, Mena doesn't know who Aragorn is. *sky falls*); then Ms. Shepherd, the science teacher, who is that awkward nerdy teacher who is addicted to Starbucks and has a blog; and finally, Casey's big sister, Kayla, who is not afraid to share her opinion. At all, to anyone who wants to listen, and those who don't. For most of the characters, there is really good development. It's a short book, but she manages to convey lots of people's personalities in a short amount of time; even minor ones, like Mena's ex-church friends, and her parents, and Casey's mom.

The puppies. Oh man, they are so cute. All twelve of them. You will fall head over heals over those cute puppies, all named different colors...just wait and see, you won't want them to grow up either.

The separation between church and state. Now this is definitely a book for people who are open minded about this debate, and each subject in themselves. I consider myself an agnostic-athiest, and I really love having religious debates-I think they're fun. But that's just me, and not everyone thinks like that. So I'm sure you got that from the summary, just want to say it anyway. The arguments on both sides of Evolution vs Creationism are really good, and Mena is sort of neutral and indecisive at the moment, on who to agree with. Kind of crazy and weird but it's well approached and written well. Doesn't seem biased much either, at which I was surprised.

Anyway, for you people who do like those topics, and is always looking for something new and cool to read, this is totally your book. I started it last night, and had to stop myself from finishing it two hours later only because my eyes started to hurt, and the book might have fallen once or twice on my face as my sleepiness increased. That had nothing to do with the content of the book, that was just me, at two in the morning.

To sum up, it's just one of those books that makes you go wow, that was better than I expected.

Also, if you're into teen books about religion debate and the dangerous effects of what a religion or cult can do to it's followers, check out Godless by Pete Hautman, which was very interesting and pretty awesome. I mean, worshiping a water tower? I wish I'd thought of that first.

Know any other books like this one? Always love a good rec.

Also, enter my giveaway!!! (Top right of the page) :) Right now there is one entry, so your chances are pretty damn good.

-Jane

Lazy Days of Summer Giveaway Hop!

Welcome! Thanks for stopping by on this blog hop! Last Days of Summer is hosted by Colorimetry and I am a Reader, Not a Writer, so make sure to check out the other blogs participating HERE. :)

Now, I am giving away an ARC again. One winner will receive their choice of ONE of the following:

It's easy, just fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter! Sorry, I'm still only shipping to the US, but one of these days I'll have an international one...


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday (7-25-12)

Hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Dearly, Beloved by Lia Habel 

September 25th release! (aka, too far away)

Sequel to Dearly, Departed

I just really really really want this book. I mean LOOK at it. And I totally loved the first one, Dearly, Departed, which introduced me to the zombie genre of fiction. Wait, and steampunk. Yeah, I had only heard of zombie and steampunk books before reading this. It combines them! I have recently read a few great reviews about it too, how it is very good. Yep. So anyone have an ARC they'd like to trade? ;) My library doesn't have it on-order yet, even though it comes out in less than two months! :O


Also, I would have posted a Teaser Tuesday yesterday, but all I've been doing this week is rereading The Fellowship of the Rings which I finished this afternoon. Heh. (unless you'd like one of my favorite parts from it?) So once I start another book tomorrow, I might post a Teaser Thursday Special Edition because I love teasers. And you guys seemed to like my previous one. "Lightning bugs on coke!" hahaha...

Happy reading!
-Jane