Book Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Well, I'm aware that my last review was on May 4th, but currently, books aren't interesting to me right now.

Series: The Lunar Chronicles (#1)
Genres: Young Adult, SciFi, Fantasy, Dystopia
Published: January 3, 2012
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Very interesting book. I must admit though, the beginning was kind of confusing, but that didn't stop it from becoming more and more intriguing. The story was awesome. If I remember correctly, it was told from different points of views, which, made it more interesting. However, I kind-of got confused while we switched back and forth, especially when it didn't tell who's perspective/brain we were in. Overall,this was an awesome book! The second book Scarlet; the main character will be Scarlet. I guess..Right?Or did I do my research wrong?

This story is basically "inspired"...or a retelling of Cinderella, except Adri(stepmother) and the sisters are described more than the step mother and sisters in the short story: Cinderella. As like in Cinderella, Adri is such a bloopz. Her youngest daughter catches the plague, she blames Cinder and signs her up for plague research. To be honest, I don't even think Adri can feel a thing. I HATE HER. I hate how she's her legal guardian. I hate everything about her.

The reason why it had lost a star was because of two reasons.

1 - It took me a while to get into the story. I guess that's because it was confusing by the POV's switching, but it was also not...very interesting in the beginning. The hook of the story beginning wasn't enough to make me seem interested into the book.

2 - It has a slow start. I guess I kind-of mentioned that in reason number one; where I couldn't get into the book. I stopped reading it at one point, but decided to give it another try. It turns out, I won't be regretting that decision. After all, It does have a 4 star rating.

Now enough of the book rant. I loved the characters. Like, you know in Cinderella? The Disney one?  It was just a very short story about a girl who's lost her shoe at the ball and the young prince goes around from house to house and eventually finds the perfect fit: Cinderella. Then they get married and live happily ever after. But no. This Cinder was amazing, the characters and the storyline was different, but similar in some ways, which is nice. I loved the "SciFi" aspect of this novel, with the lunar people and Prince Kai. Cinder also isn't your typical average teen. She's like...amazing and not stupid.

Also, the world building. Simply fantastic and can outdo most of the world building in many popular YA novels out there. It's just extraordinary and something you would want to read and savour for the rest of your lives. This is nothing like Cinderella, but is something like Cinderella.

Book Review: Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Series: Shatter Me (#3)
Genres: Young Adult, Dystopia, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal
Published: February 4. 2014
Publisher: HarperCollins
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

With Omega Point destroyed, Juliette doesn’t know if the rebels, her friends, or even Adam are alive. But that won’t keep her from trying to take down The Reestablishment once and for all. Now she must rely on Warner, the handsome commander of Sector 45. The one person she never thought she could trust. The same person who saved her life. He promises to help Juliette master her powers and save their dying world . . . but that’s not all he wants with her.

Review ~

Here's the thing. About 50% of the readers disliked this book, or was disappointed. Me? I wasn't disappointed the least bit. I think it was the best out of the books. The only thing was the characters and their ranting and frustration and their arguments and stuff. It took a lot out from the book, I felt like it could've had more details and more plot twists instead of reading their dumb arguments between Adam and Juliette. A third of the readers can't hate Adam, and I understand. I totally do. However, I can't agree. Sad faces. I liked him...in Shatter Me and part of Unravel Me, but that's the thing. He changes. And the last sentence he speaks with Juliette was something I'm proud of him for...finally admitting it.

"Words, I think, are such unpredictable creatures. No gun, no sword, no army or king will ever be more powerful than a sentence. Swords may cut and kill, but words will stab and stay, burying themselves in our bones to become corpses we carry into the future, all the time digging and failing to rip their skeletons from our flesh.”

I am forever Team Warner. I mean, I guess he rarely has any humor (Especially when talking to a 10 year old) or at Kenji, but he was totally better than the "changed" Adam we now know. Besides, we get to know the true Warner, the side we never knew about him. And Kenji. Oh dear, Officially one of my favorite characters around. He was the funny one with the mask, the one everyone expects to be funny and to lure them out of their grief. But even he has his limits, and I think that's my favorite part. Ms. Mafi shows that Kenji can be real and someone one can relate to. And the mission? It wasn't Warner or Adam. It was Kenji. Oh...Kenji. Sweet, funny Kenji.

"I am no longer afraid of fear, and I will not let it rule me. Fear will learn to fear me."

The love triangle? It was an abnormal one. Obviously, you could place your team by the way Adam acted, but it was one where you just wanted the character you hate to just back up and leave. Like seriously? I know you're worried about lack of food and stuff, but if you're here to insult and not fall in love? Just back the fudgesicles up. And Juliette. She's changed, and Adam finally admits it. I do sincerely hope that he finds a new love life in the near future with Alia or Lily. Anyways, Juliette was the kick-ass heroine I've always wanted her to be. In Shatter Me and Unravel Me? You can tell from the cover. In Unravel Me, she's stuck frozen in her own mind to the point where she can't even change and stays the coward everyone hates for her to be. And in Ignite Me, it's all nature and flowers where you can tell she's obviously blooming. I love the covers for these books! I just couldn't tell what to expect in Shatter Me, because the cover is a girl in a white dress...

"Ignite, my love. Ignite."

Oh right. Warner. The King and Commander of Sector 45. Ahaha. He's amazing and perfect. Although in this book, I found he has no humor, but even he has the perfect closet every (most likely: fashion/beauty) girl wants. Oh my, it is huge. I can just imagine all his suits and clothes he has in there, and imagine if they were replaced with my clothes...I would be in HEAVEN. This book was certainly the best out of the whole trilogy if I may say so myself. It had all different kinds of aspects, and if I were to say the Love triangle did a good deed in this book, I will, because all though this book could've replaced the arguments with plot twists or more detailing, it played a magnificent role where readers can enjoy Juliette kicking Adam out of her life.

I think this is probably the only Dystopian book I've ever read that has a happy ending. Each Dystopian, is sad and tragic(The endings). Like Allegiant and Champion? Holyyy, you have no idea how much it hurts.

Book Review: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Series: Divergent Trilogy( #3)
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dystopian
Published: October 22, 2013
Publisher: HarperCollin's Children's Books
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

     The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered — fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

     But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Review ~

So, if you've already read the other reviews that express their hatred for this book, I'd just like to say that I am not against them, but I'm not for them. My rating for this book was 3.5/5 and I do believe that this book could've been better. Also, if you know what happens at the end, don't let that stop you from reading the book, just think of it as it is helping you prepare for this nice piece of literature.

Some people will always fear change.

Let me just state this. I didn't hate this book, nor was I amazed and awestrucked by it. I just liked it. Yes, I liked it. If you're asking, Divergent was my favorite out of the whole series(just in case you were asking, Hahaha). So like, this book is told in two PoV's: Tris' and Tobias'. I wasn't very excited, and I didn't have much high expectations for how Veronica Roth was going to write this because many books out there are now being written in dual PoV's and I'm sort of getting sick of it. As usual, Veronica Roth didn't exceed my expecations in writing the dual PoV's.

Alright, let's move onto the plot. Here's the thing: it was very intriguing and interesting. Here's another thing: It led to the most lamest ending ever. I'm sorry, I just had to say that. Yea, I liked the storyline in this novel, but there also wasn't much character development...I mean, there was a little, but they developed in ways that I thought they were becoming cowards.

Knowledge is power. Power to do evil, like Jeanine . . . or power to do good, like what we're doing. Power itself is not evil. So knowledge itself is not evil.

Let me just say that Veronica Roth has an amazing talent for writing fear landscapes. Throughout this whole book, the scene where Four goes into his landsape again was my favorite. I really did feel like I was there with Four, helping him out through his fears and overcoming them. The details Veronica Roth wrote when writing this scene was simply fantastic. But...I'm not a fan of Four in this book. I am a fan of Uriah. And then, dear lord, something happened to him and my heart cracked into pieces. *Sobs in a corner* Anyways, back to Four or Tobias(however you know him as), the Four/Tobias I knew before, is not the Four/Tobias I know now in Allegiant.

This book was also confusing, but that was neither a con nor a pro. Remember the GD's and GP's, that was very confusing, not only did you have to keep facts on the GD's and GP's straight in your mind, you have to follow along with the plot, and if you forget something important, just hope you remember it. If not, you'd have to flip back to the pages, which is annoying, if you haven't noticed/done that before. It just ruins your experience of reading the book.

"She said that everyone has some evil inside them, and the first step to loving anyone is to recognize the same evil in ourselves, se we're able to forgive them."

So, yea, I didn't necessarily hate this book, but I didn't love it either(yes, I believe I said this twice, but who cares? Hahah). I loved the plot and everything that happened before the ending, but the thing that spoiled my mood when reading was the lame ending, and Tobias, especially his reckless actions, which he wouldn't have done before.