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I am a 20 year-old college student majoring in Biochemistry, who loves to read and make book-related videos on my YouTube channel. :)
This is an "Unhaul" video, in which I show you which books I'm getting rid of!
Time for some spring cleaning, I had to get rid of some books to make room for new ones! It's always hard deciding which books to let go of, and then also what to do with them. I really love my local book trader though, it makes me feel like I'm getting something in return for my books! :)
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
This is a fun, interesting, and very strange story..
I quite enjoyed this book. It is an intriguing world to enter into with some very fascinating characters.
It is definitely creepy because of all the peculiar children and the photographs throughout the novel, but I would not say it is scary. This book reminds me more of an adventure and mystery story.
The main character, Jacob, goes on a journey to find answers to his grandfather's untimely death and also his secretive life. In his search he stumbles upon a world unknown to the normal human population. In this world he meets many different characters that have varying supernatural abilities.
I think the world is fun and interesting, although I was a little confused at times. I also enjoyed the different characters that Jacob meets, and it was entertaining reading about their personalities, abilities, and relationships.
However, I never felt super attached to any of the characters, including Jacob.
The writing was lacking a little for me. I feel that this book had a strong atmosphere of eeriness to it, but I never felt enveloped in it. The writing is a bit bland. I think if the book did not have all of the interesting pictures, it would not be as enjoyable. In the beginning, I found myself really looking forward to the pictures more than the story.
The plot picked up towards the end and I loved some of the twists!
Overall, I think this book is just a fun read, and I would recommend it to people who are looking for something unique and a little weird!
The Archived
*4.5*Okay so I really really loved this one!!
That atmosphere is amazing. It's so creepy and haunting. I just had a weird, almost magical, feeling the whole time I was reading this book! Most of it is set in this old hotel that was turned into apartments, and it holds so many secrets. I loved figuring out all of the secrets and mysteries along with the main character, Mackenzie.
I really enjoyed Mackenzie's character. She has so much to deal with in her life, and I like how she does make some mistakes, but also learns from them! It was also interesting seeing her develop and discover the consequences of lies.
There were some other great characters as well (Wes!).
I just felt like I got sucked into this world, and I just wanted to keep reading!
The only problems I had with this book were 1) This one character, in which I didn't understand/like what was going on between them and Mackenzie (don't want to give away spoilers!) 2) The whole idea and premise involving the Archive, Keepers, Crew, Librarians, Histories was super awesome, even though it took a little while to understand. However, there is a big twist in the end, and I felt a little overwhelmed and confused. I still have some questions, but maybe they will be answered in the next book. I thought the ending was cool and it really surprised me, but I didn't fully comprehend what happened.
The writing is so beautiful and easy to read and literally makes you feel like you are a part of the scenes. There are spots throughout the book where we go back in time a little, but I thought they were easy to follow and really added a lot to the story and plot.
Overall, I loved it and would recommend it to people who enjoy mysteries, darker stories, and the supernatural :D
Fragments
I really wanted to love this one as much as I loved the first, but it was just sooo long!I feel like it drags at parts, there are unnecessary scenes, and it could have been 100 pages shorter. However, there are so many cool plot developments and we get a lot of answers!! I really loved the ending and I flew through the last 50 pages like they were nothing.
I am confused on Marcus' character and the relationship between him and Kira.. along with other relationships that develop. I'm not really feeling the romance story line here. I do love Kira, and she is really the only character I connect with.
There is a lot of traveling and a lot of walking in this book, and I'm not a fan of books where characters are on a journey for the whole time. I think that's another reason why I didn't enjoy it as much.
In this book we get different POVs which I liked at times and other times I didn't care so much. Also we get A TON of information in this book, and I feel like it comes in spurts. I got confused at points and felt overwhelmed at times. It all makes a little more sense at the end once it's been discussed a couple of times, but the science aspects are very intricate and complex. I love the science stuff, but I think it's a bit much at some points.
All in all, learning more information about how this world ended and about these 'Partial' creatures that humans created was so much fun! It did feel inconsistent, it would be slow for a hundred pages and then crazy revelations would happen and a ton of important information would be dropped in 20 pages. I wish the pacing was better and maybe the characters (aside from Kira) more developed, but as far as the plot and world goes, it's sooo good!
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Partials
This book is so much fun!!The plot is crazy and there is so much action.
I am a Biochemistry major and I love science, and this book had a ton of science in it. There is a virus called RM that inhibits babies from living past a couple of hours, so a large portion of the book is dedicated to finding a cure for this. It goes pretty in depth with the research and specifics of the virus and I just think that's so cool :)
I did like the main character Kira, although she was annoying at points because she had to save EVERYONE, even if it was a lost cause. Sometimes I just wanted to knock her in the head. She is really smart though and I enjoyed her personality. This book isn't as much character driven as plot driven, so I don't see myself getting real attached to the characters, which is kind of a downside.
I just loved the plot developments and twists, there were points where I was just like "oh my gosh", it was awesome. There are so many mysteries and secrets in this apocalyptic world, it was so exciting figuring them all out! It literally keeps you guessing the whole time!!! I have no idea who the real enemy is.
If you like science, science fiction, or apocalyptic stories, I would highly recommend this book!
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Not a Drop to Drink
*4.5*I loved this so much!! Don't go into this thinking it's going to be action from the first page because it's not. It is slow and focuses on characters, but that is what I loved about this book. It definitely reminds me of the show The Walking Dead, but without zombies. It is about people and how they are surviving in this deteriorating world. I adored all of the characters, especially the main character Lynn. I love how they all come from different walks of life, but they ban together to make the best of their situation.
Lynn is so great and such an interesting character. She has lived in the wilderness all her life and has never even experienced electricity. She's shot a gun since she was strong enough to hold one, and all she has lived for is survival and staying alive day to day. Her life changes in this book and it was wonderful seeing her grow, learn, and experience what it means to live.
This is a wonderful, realistic survival story that definitely does not skimp out on the hard ships of a world that is being depleted of water.
My only problem with this book is that I wanted MORE, it was too short haha
I wanted further insight into characters and relationships, I wanted a better idea of the world as a whole, and I want to know more about why all of this is happening. Maybe that will be further explored in the sequel coming out this year ;)
Great read!
Independent Study: The Testing, Book 2
Not much better than the first one, this book is pretty much what I expected.This series is almost like dystopia brain candy. It's just fun and entertaining, but not much substance. The main character, Cia, is just too perfect, but not in a good way! She never does anything wrong and doesn't have any flaws, this gets kinda annoying, it's unrealistic, and I can't connect to her. She is an ok character to read about, and it's interesting how she figures out all of the tests, but there's not much more to her.
Another thing that bothers me about this book is that it doesn't allow you to ask any questions for yourself. Cia asks SO MANY questions in her narration, so therefore, the reader doesn't get to really think about anything. Cia just asks the questions for you. It's like the author wants to make sure you know what you should be questioning and thinking about. It gets a little aggravating and I feel like I'm being babied in a way..
The plot and world is fairly intriguing, but nothing super unique. There are a few cool twists, but nothing that left me speechless. Don't even get me started on the "romance", if you can even call it that. That aspect of the book just weirds me out..
This series is good if you love dystopia and want something light, entertaining, and fast. There is not much else to it.
I will read the next book because I do find the plot interesting and I want to know what happens.
Half Bad (The Half Life Trilogy)
*4.5*I love how original and unique this book is! The writing style is so cool and I really like how the timeline is set up.
The main character Nathan is great, he is just a fighter and never gives up. He goes through some absolutely terrible things, but he always has hope and keeps control of his mind. His journey is so intriguing and interesting, I just had to keep reading to know more.
The world is also great because I felt everything is explained nicely and it's not very confusing. I like the descriptions of how the witch world is entwined with our modern world. Also, I LOVE that this novel is set in the UK, we get to visit England, Whales, and Scotland! Also, some of the language reflects that. I just think it is so cool!
This story is definitely character based and the reader is deep inside Nathan's head. The story and writing really involves the reader and at times switching to second person and using "you". It's a startling way to tell such a gritty story, but very intriguing.
It is slower and not really "super fast-paced", but towards the end there are more action-y scenes that are very gripping. However, I felt this book is really setting up for the rest of the series and really spends a lot of time on background and developent.
There are great themes introduced, mostly focusing on what it means to be "good" or "bad" and how do we make this distinction. The author does a wonderful job of making you think about these things.
Definitely worth the read! I just cannot wait to read the sequel. I just have to wait a year :(
Warning: this book gets pretty graphic with torture and some violence, so it's not for the squeamish..
Thank you to Penguin for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Video Review: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJwQmeQ4aPk
A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)
I am so proud of myself for reading this!It was actually really really good. I felt some parts did drag on, but that might be because I took an entire month to read it. Overall, it went by fast and if I didn't have to read other books at the same time, I probably could have read this in a fairly short amount of time. There is so much drama and a lot of twists! There isn't a lot of action until towards the end, but I still think it keeps a nice pace to it. It's told from multiple character perspectives, and it's super interesting to see how their lives entwine with each other. Obviously, I found some characters more interesting than others, but all were entertaining. I really liked Lord Tyrion and Jon Snow! Their relationship and conversations were so cool. The relationships in this book are crazy. At one moment everyone is ok and then the next they want to kill each other!
I loved this book so much, which feels a little weird to say because some parts are very brutal and this book is definitely dark and twisted, but you can't help but love those aspects. They are just so entertaining. I really wish I could continue on with the sequel right now, but I am going to have to wait a few months. I am definitely looking forward to it though :)
Jane Eyre: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)
Wow what a beautiful story :) I LOVED it. Jane's character is so interesting, and her relationship with Mr. Rochester is just fantastic. Some parts did drag on, but overall it is a wonderful classic.
I really liked reading Jane's thoughts and her observations, she is really a wonderful character.
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Just One Day
This was overall a very fun and easy read! I loved the first third of the book and the last third, the middle wasn't that great for me because it was a little boring. My favorite parts were when Allyson was traveling! It was so magical reading about all of the places she went, especially Paris. This is definitely more of a "finding yourself" story than a love story. I did love Willem ( the love interest), he is just so fun and interesting, especially some of his philosophies on life. This is a story all about "accidents" and things happening by chance, which I found very intriguing. I liked how they story played out, although the ending was a bit of a cliffhanger. I think the next book "Just One Year" is from Willem's perspective, so maybe that one will have some answers :)
Uninvited
*4.25*This is an interesting and enjoyable read! This future would is very intriguing and it was interesting to think about what it would be like if we discovered a gene that predicts violence.
There are dark themes and this book brings up many topics about teen violence and the issues of the world we live in today.
I liked the main character Davy, she has her head on straight and even though she had terrible things happen to her, she kept going. She did complain at times, but I think it's understandable and realistic.
I also enjoyed the dash of romance. I think it's done very well. The side characters are very entertaining and it was so cool getting to know them and their stories.
This is a brutal story and some parts were hard to read, but it made me think and it was really eerie to put myself in Davy's situation.
The beginning of this book was a little slow for me, but it definitely picked up. I like the turn that it takes towards the end and I am definitely intrigued to read the next book!
I think fans of The Darkest Minds would really enjoy this book. It reminds of a little of that series, but not as intense or complex.
This isn't a super unique or original idea, but it is a realistic view into what could happen in our future and a thought-provoking read!
Ignite Me
*4.5*Beautiful writing, beautiful characters, beautiful ending.
I really loved this ending! I marked so many places in my book because some scenes just tore my heart out, and others put it back together.
I feel like this book was driven by relationships and characters more than the other books, but I still enjoyed it the same.
Although I love it, I don't think it is absolutely spectacular and it didn't leave me in tears or anything. I am satisfied with this series, and I do highly recommend it! With that said, this ending didn't send me over the moon, but I love where the story and characters ended up :)
Vampire Academy: A Graphic Novel
This was so cool!!! I loved the illustrations. I had so much fun reading this, and it's a great refresher for the movie :)
Into the Still Blue
Such a fantastic ending to a phenomenal series. The characters have been through so much and gone through so much development. They remained true to themselves though, and it is so amazing. I just can't rave about this series enough!I love this world, it's so creative and interesting. I also felt like there were no plot holes and every question was answered :)
I read this book so quickly, I couldn't stop! The writing flows so nicely and is so intriguing.
Read this series!
