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Book Review: Forever

Forever Book Cover

Rating: 4 stars

then.
When Sam met Grace, he was a wolf and she was a girl. Eventually he found a way to become a boy, and their loved moved from curious distance to the intense closeness of shared lives.

now.
That should have been the end of their story. But Grace was not meant to stay human. Now she is the wolf. And the wolves of Mercy Falls are about to be killed in one final, spectacular hunt.

forever.
Sam would do anything for Grace. But can one boy and one love really change a hostile, predatory world? The past, the present, and the future are about to collide in one pure moment–a moment of death or life, farewell or forever.

The third book and last book in the Mercy Falls series (minus Sinner, which is more of a standalone novel in the series that focuses on the characters of Cole and Isabel) Forever was everything I hoped it would be. It picks up where Linger left us, with Grace being a wolf and Sam missing her deeply.

What I enjoy about this novel in the series is continuing to see Sam and Grace’s love go on. Their relationship is such a lovely thing that every time I see them together, I’m filled with envy. And despite everything, their love for each other is still stronger than all of the obstacles in their way.

Another aspect of Forever I like is how the plot continues to thicken. The plot in Forever continues to develop, making the story an even more interesting read with each page turned. I found myself continuing to read because I wanted to know what happened and how things were going to end for the wolves. I found myself reading because I wanted to know what happened to everyone. I became invested in all of the character’s lives, which is something every good book should be doing for its readers.

The one aspect of Forever I couldn’t get around was all of the loose ends in the story and how fast Stiefvater moved the novel along. I felt while reading this that there were still so many questions I had left about what was going to happen to the characters. For example, I was hoping that there was going to be a definite cure by the end of the story that they figured out. Instead, there’s nothing definite about the cure at all. I also just didn’t feel like we were given much of an ending for Sam and Grace either. We are told what they are going to do, but there’s no definite guarantee for any of the characters that everything is going to be alright. And then, there’s the pacing of Forever. I felt as if this book moved too fast. I felt as if the writing was rushed with certain events happening and no explanation given.

And while I do enjoy Forever like I do the rest of the books in this series, it isn’t necessarily my favorite book in the series. But overall, I enjoyed Forever and can’t wait to read Sinner next.

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Book Review: Shiver

Shiver Book Cover

Rating: 5 stars

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can’t seem to live without.

Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human… until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It’s her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human—or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

I’ve read Shiver once before. In high school, I read this novel because a friend of mine had told me about it. However, since it’s been a really long time since then, I feel as if reading Shiver again is like reading it for the very first time.

But like the first time I read Shiver, I still find this book an enjoyable read. One of the reasons I love this novel is because wolves are my favorite animal. They fascinate me because I believe they are very misunderstood animals and find them to be very beautiful in nature. And the main character Grace feels the same way, despite the wolf attack she experienced. Having this love of wolves makes reading Shiver an even more enjoyable experience for me.

I also enjoy reading Shiver because the romance between Grace and Sam moves me. I find myself reading about their relationship and seeing how much they love each other. Seeing how they are willing to risk every aspect of their lives to be together. Even if it means facing death. Their love story touches me completely and I can never get enough of it.

Shiver is an amazing read because Stiefvater knows how use words to create a compelling narrative. Like the first time I read this book, I went through this book quickly, wanting to know what was going to happen next to Grace and Sam as they try and find a way for Sam to stay human forever. She also made me emotional because their story ends on a cliffhanger, making the reader wonder what’s going to happen in the next book in the series Linger, which I’ve also read.

The shifting perspectives between Sam and Grace just adds to their narrative. The reader gets the full story of what’s happening from Sam and Grace’s point of view throughout the novel, getting an insight into the mind of a wolf.

I also like this series in general because I feel like Stiefvater gives the reader a reasonable explanation as to why Sam and the others change into wolves. Instead of being a story about werewolves who can change whenever, Sam doesn’t have complete control over his ability to become a wolf. He can only become a wolf when his body temperature is cold for a certain period of time. So when it’s wintertime, Sam is a wolf. However during the summers, Sam usually becomes human again.

But the catch is that they only have a certain amount of years where they can go from being a wolf to human until they become wolves completely and can’t change back. And that’s another reason why Shiver pulls at the reader’s heartstrings until they become emotionally invested in the character’s situation. With Sam and Grace, it’s supposed to be Sam’s last year being human. But this is the first time Sam and Grace have fully interacted with each other. Years ago, Grace had been attacked in her backyard by a pack of wolves, the pack Sam himself is in. But she was saved by Sam. Since then, they’ve both been drawn to each other, watching each other but not daring to get close until the events in Shiver unfold.

The only aspect of Shiver I don’t particular like is Grace’s parents. Both her mother and father are the most absent-minded parents I’ve ever read in a novel. Their relationship with their daughter is very limited. Throughout the book, you feel as if she doesn’t have parents because both of them are rarely around and when they are, their interaction with Grace is small. To the point where Grace basically fends for herself at home because her parents are always out of the house, barely paying any attention to Grace, even when she’s at home. And while I do know some people do have parents like that, it still bothers me because I feel like they don’t care about Grace and what she’s doing.

However, Shiver is such a beautifully crafted story that I can look past it. If you ever get the chance to read this book, please do. Especially if you are a wolf lover like me and enjoy young adult literature as much as I do. I can’t praise this book enough and can’t wait to read the second book in the series Linger again.

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Book Review: Where She Went

Where She Went Gayle Forman

Rating: 4 stars

It’s been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam’s life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard’s rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia’s home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future – and each other.

Told from Adam’s point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

After reading If I Stay, I knew I would be reading Where She Went to see where Adam and Mia’s love story would go. And I was not at all disappointed by what I read.

I enjoyed reading Where She Went because you see how much both Mia and Adam’s lives changed without each other in them. Adam became the rock star he wanted to be only to discover the rock star life wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. And Mia wasn’t left undamaged from the traumatic accident that left her without her family and changed her relationship with Adam forever.

And the changes that occurred throughout their lives during their three years without each other were quite huge. Both had become the musicians they wanted to be only to find something lacking in their lives. And when both of them happen to meet in New York City, their lives are changed once again.

What I enjoyed about reading Where She Went is that you find out what happened that caused their relationship to break. You found out why Mia ended their relationship, even though the reason given is a crappy one.

I also enjoyed reading Where She Went because I felt like their relationship was much stronger than in If I Stay. I felt their love was much stronger after they were apart from each other for so long.

Where She Went was a good read because I felt like I finally understood Mia’s character a little better. I didn’t mention this in my review of If I Stay, but I didn’t really like Mia’s character. I liked her character background, but I just didn’t like her as a person because I felt like she didn’t really care about Adam. And after reading this one, I feel as if I understand some of her actions a little better and understand why she broke Adam’s heart. And in the end, she loves him a whole lot more than I ever realized.

However, there were some things with Where She Went I didn’t like. I enjoyed reading the story from Adam’s perspective but didn’t like the way he handled certain situations. Some conversations need to be had in person and the one final conversation he had with one of the characters was a shitty way to deal with things. Yes, he was honest with her, but I felt like he should’ve had that conversation with her in person to explain why things wouldn’t work between them.

I also enjoyed this novel from Adam’s perspective because I could feel Adam’s love for Mia. As a reader, I could tell that Adam cared a lot about Mia and only wanted to do everything in his power to make her happy. Even if that meant sacrificing his own happiness for her.

In the end, Where She Went is a great young adult love story that I find myself easily able to relate to. It makes me hopeful that things will always work out the way they are supposed to and that true love does exist. I recommend Where She Went for those who read If I Stay and want to know what happens to Adam and Mia and for those who’ve lost hope in love and second chances.

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Finishing a Good Book: How Readers React When Finishing a Really Good Read

JK Rowling Quote About Books

The reading hangover is one of the worst feelings a reader has after finishing a really good book. You’re happy because you just read an amazing story. But also sad at the same time because the story is over and there’s no going back to having that first reading experience over again.

You want to just silently absorb all the words from the world you’ve just left so that you can still be in that world. You’re in wonder because you just read a good story, but sad because you don’t know what to do with your life next.

You’re at a loss for words. Because you loved every minute you spent, reading that amazing book. But it’s over. You can’t go back. Sure you can read that book over and over again, guaranteeing that the story never really ends for you, but you can’t get that first reading experience with that book back.

And it sucks. Finding books you really love, reading them only to discover that you’re sad the book is over, that you can’t return to the amazing surprise and euphoria you felt the first time you read that book.

Sure, you can reread said book and have all those feelings about the characters and the world all over again, but the reading experience is completely different than the first. You still feel the sadness, but it’s different somehow. You can’t exactly put your finger on it but in some ways, it feels like you’re saying goodbye to the story this time. As if you’re never going to read the book again, even when you know that isn’t true.

All readers experience this feeling at some point in their lives. Whether they are revisiting one of their favorite classical stories or reading a book they’ve never touched before, a reader has this experience at one point during their reading journey.

It’s a feeling readers love to hate. Because they feel stuck in their imagination, not sure what to do with their life next.

I know for me what I normally try to do is listen to music, to do anything that doesn’t revolve around books so that I can get through the muddle and figure out what book’s world I want to enter next. This usually works for me because it distracts my thoughts from the story and allows me to concentrate on something much happier.

But I also sometimes just sit in silence after reading an amazing story. I put the book down and just sit, contemplating the story I’ve just finished reading. And just stare at the book I’ve finished reading in wonder because I’ve just read an amazing story. Knowing that in my heart, this amazing book will be in my heart forever.

It is both a happy feeling and sad feeling, all at once. But like J.K. Rowling says, something magical can happen when you read a good book.  Especially when the good book in question makes you have all sorts of feelings.

5

Rereading Harry Potter

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Book Cover
Out of all of the books in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is one of my favorites.

As an avid reader, there are times where I don’t always feel like reading a book I haven’t read before. When that happens, I typically end up rereading some of my favorite books.

Lately, the book series I’m currently rereading right now is Harry Potter. For those unfamiliar with this series, it centers on a young boy named Harry Potter who at the age of eleven finds out that he is a wizard. Being raised by his muggle aunt, uncle and cousin (muggle is a term used throughout the series to refer to people who are not magical) who are strictly cruel to him, he is sent away to Hogwarts a School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where he learns how to use his magical powers and finds out how his parents really died.

The reason I’m currently rereading the Harry Potter series is because it’s one of my favorite series to read. It’s also one of the longest series I can enjoy reading with a total of seven books.

Harry Potter is one of my favorite series to read because it’s one of the other series that got me interested in wanting to become a writer.

When the first couple books in the series came out and the movies were being made, I was in elementary school. However, I wasn’t as big of a fan of them as I am now. Whenever I was in daycare, they had us watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets over and over again, almost every day. So for the longest time, I wasn’t a big Harry Potter fan because of how often I was stuck watching the films at daycare.

It wasn’t until I was in seventh grade that I really began to enjoy and appreciate the Harry Potter series. I started reading the books, finding myself entranced by the story I saw within the pages. The magical world that Harry lived in is one of the most wonderful worlds of magic I have ever read about and is a place I myself would love to go.

The story blew my mind and imagination in ways I didn’t expect and I quickly fell in love with the series as a whole.

I love the series so much that I try and read the books and watch the movies whenever I can, even if it drives the rest of my family crazy.

As I write this now, I’m currently rereading the third book in the series Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and continue to find myself still in love with the series the more I read it.

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Book Review: Daring Greatly

Daring Greatly Book Cover

Rating: 4 stars

Every day we experience the uncertainty, risks, and emotional exposure that define what it means to be vulnerable, or to dare greatly. Whether the arena is a new relationship, an important meeting, our creative process, or a difficult family conversation, we must find the courage to walk into vulnerability and engage with our whole hearts.

In Daring Greatly, Dr. Brown challenges everything we think we know about vulnerability. Based on twelve years of research, she argues that vulnerability is not weakness, but rather our clearest path to courage, engagement, and meaningful connection. The book that Dr. Brown’s many fans have been waiting for, Daring Greatly will spark a new spirit of truth—and trust—in our organizations, families, schools, and communities.

Daring Greatly gave me strength. It is a book that helped me sort through my thoughts and feelings with regards to some of the recent changes going on in my life. It helped me understand that being vulnerable is okay, acceptable even. That being vulnerable isn’t a weakness, but a person’s greatest strength in order to be open and loving towards other people.

This book was the book I needed to read after everything that happened. It not only allowed me to sort through some of my emotional feelings but opened up understanding within me.

Daring Greatly allowed me to understand many things. That being vulnerable is okay and that while being open and loving with people is hard, doing so leads you down the path of wholeheartedness. That I am brave, courageous, and all of the other things I struggle to believe I am. That I’m not alone because other people have the same doubts and fears I do.

What I loved about it is that Brown supports her hypothesis with twelve years of research on the topic. But at the same time, she uses some of her own personal experiences with shame, vulnerability and parenting to back up her years of research. She also writes in a way that makes sense to the reader so that they can understand the topic at hand.

She also writes on a variety of topics with regards to talking about vulnerability. She defines vulnerability but also talks about how both men and women experience it and the myths that surround our culture about being vulnerable. She talks about the walls we put up in order to keep vulnerability at bay and how we shrink at using that word to describe ourselves whenever we feel at our lowest.

Daring Greatly is a novel that talks about issues we as a society have a hard time being open about not only with ourselves but with the people we care about. It is a novel that challenges what we think and the way we express our emotions and feelings with the people closest to us. But it does so in a constructive way so that we can understand the way society has perceived us to feel about our emotions.

Daring Greatly is an enjoyable read that I recommend to anyone interested in opening up and interested in daring greatly.

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How I Became a Reader and Writer

I haven’t always been a reader and writer. As a child, I hated reading literature and my Mom had a hard time getting me to read books for school. I was more of a tomboy and preferred spending all of my time playing video games.

It wasn’t until middle school that my love of reading began to flourish. And it took one book to change that. This book not only brought my passion for reading to light, but also motivated me to become a writer too.

Inkheart was the book that changed everything for me. When I was in sixth grade, my English teacher mentioned Inkheart in class. At this point in the school year, we were near the end of school and summer was almost here. She mentioned this book as a viable option for summer reading for students.

As someone who wasn’t a reader, I was intrigued by her summary of Inkheart that I went to Barnes & Noble and bought a copy to read for the summer.

Inkheart is about a 12 year-old girl named Meggie. When she was three years old, her father Mo read three characters out of a book using his voice. Taking place nine years later, Meggie learns about what happened after her father gets kidnapped by the villain Capricorn, one of the characters who was read out of the book. Meggie not only discovers her father’s gift, but finds out she can do it too and must use the power of her voice to save everyone from Capricorn as he plans on bringing an evil monster from his world to life.

Inkheart is the first book I’d ever read that truly captivated me.
Inkheart is the first book I’d ever read that truly captivated me.

Inkheart changed my life in so many ways. Not only did I enjoy reading Meggie’s story but it brought to life inside of me the passion of reading and writing. It motivated me to become a more avid reader but also made me interested in wanting to write too. Inkheart was the right book for me to read to become the reader I am today. But it also brought me into wanting to become a writer too because I was able to see the power of words through the ability to read them aloud and bring characters from books to life. I saw myself in Meggie’s character and felt such a strong connection with the story that I wanted to become a writer myself.

It sparked within me an interest to write because I wanted to write characters that I could relate to. I wanted to create a story like Funke’s Inkheart that would motivate others to want to read and write.

But that’s not all Inkheart did. This story not only motivated me to write, but also opened doors for me to explore more books to read. Months after reading Inkheart, I found myself reading more fantasy books and writing my own stories.

I started to become extremely passionate about reading, and started giving books an actual chance. I found myself spending more and more time in my room with either a book in my hand or writing words on a page.

And for the first time in my life, I knew what I wanted to do. I just needed to pick up the right book to walk on the path I am on now. If I ever face a moment of doubt or am filled with fear that things won’t work out, all I have to do is read Inkheart again to be reminded of why I love reading and writing.

All it takes is one book to change your life.

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Book Review: Schizo

Schizo Book Cover

Rating: 3 stars

Miles is the ultimate unreliable narrator—a teen recovering from a schizophrenic breakdown who believes he is getting better . . . when in reality he is growing worse.

Driven to the point of obsession to find his missing younger brother, Teddy, and wrapped up in a romance that may or may not be the real thing, Miles is forever chasing shadows. As Miles feels his world closing around him, he struggles to keep it open, but what you think you know about his world is actually a blur of gray, and the sharp focus of reality proves startling.

Written by the New York Times bestselling author of  Tweak, Schizo is the fascinating, and ultimately quite hopeful, story of one teen’s downward spiral into mental illness as he chases the clues to a missing brother. 

I really enjoyed reading Schizo. It talked about issues with mental health people aren’t comfortable talking about. But did it in a way that made the reader interested in continuing to read Miles’s story.

As someone who knows very little about schizophrenia, I found this book a joy to read because it gave me a better understanding of what schizophrenia is and allowed me to look into the mind of a teenager struggling through it. There are very few mental illness novels out there that I’ve heard about so finding a novel like this that not only talks about controversial issues but also relates to the reader is something I enjoy reading.

I also enjoyed reading Schizo because I learned more about Miles’s family and the plot to find his missing brother intrigued me. From what the reader sees of his family, Miles grew up in a very loving home with a family that is always willing to support him. But I like that even though he has that structural support, he’s still shown to struggle with his schizophrenia and not try to seek help from those who love him until the very end. Mental illness isn’t easily treatable and people who have it struggle with opening up to people who can help them. And I love that even though Miles has family support and friends who care about him, the author shows readers that even someone whose life seems almost perfect doesn’t have it easy and struggles just like everyone else. The plot of finding Miles’s missing brother Teddy adds to the story too. Schizo is a novel about schizophrenia and I enjoyed reading how the search for his missing brother connects to his illness. It adds a layer to the story and allows the reader to get a better understanding of schizophrenia.

However, there are some aspects of Schizo I didn’t enjoy. Miles’s relationship with Eliza throughout the book bothered me. Even though the reader understands why Miles deeply cares about her, I felt as if Eliza latched onto him because he was the only guy when she returned who liked her. I believe her feelings for him weren’t genuine and that she just wanted to be with him until someone better came along.

Another aspect of this book I didn’t enjoy was how much it focused just on his mental illness but didn’t give the reader any aspect of his personality. It seems this novel is trying to define Miles as his illness by connecting everything in the story to schizophrenia. But Miles in Schizo has nothing else added to his personality that distinguishes him from it. He is a flat character throughout the story struggling to deal with schizophrenia and every aspect of the novel focuses on that. And I don’t like it. It bothers me because people with a mental illness are more than just their mental illness. But with the way the author has written Schizo, it’s as if his mental illness is the only aspect of his character that is important for the reader to know and the one trait that defines his entire life. It sends the reader the wrong message about mental illness and disconnects them from enjoying the story.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Schizo because it was a quick read that made me more aware of schizophrenia and brought up the importance of discussing mental illness. I look forward to reading more novels like this.

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Book Review: Hunting Shadows

Hunting Shadows Charles Todd Book Cover

Rating: 3 stars

A dangerous case with ties leading back to the battlefields of World War I dredges up dark memories for Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge in Hunting Shadows, a gripping and atmospheric historical mystery set in 1920s England, from acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Charles Todd.

A society wedding at Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire becomes a crime scene when a man is murdered. After another body is found, the baffled local constabulary turns to Scotland Yard. Though the second crime had a witness, her description of the killer is so strange it’s unbelievable.

Despite his experience, Inspector Ian Rutledge has few answers of his own. The victims are so different that there is no rhyme or reason to their deaths. Nothing logically seems to connect them—except the killer. As the investigation widens, a clear suspect emerges. But for Rutledge, the facts still don’t add up, leaving him to question his own judgment.

In going over the details of the case, Rutledge is reminded of a dark episode he witnessed in the war. While the memory could lead him to the truth, it also raises a prickly dilemma. To stop a murderer, will the ethical detective choose to follow the letter—or the spirit—of the law?

When I first started reading this book, I was really excited because the premise sounded very promising. And for the first couple chapters, Hunting Shadows had me hooked. However, this book overall was a big disappointment for me.

Normally, I really enjoy reading books like this. I love murder mystery novels. I love these reads because they take a look into the justice system and how the law works. And while these books aren’t an accurate representation of what our system is like, they do paint an interesting picture and give the reader a better understanding of the process investigators have to go through in order to catch the bad guy. They move quickly, leaving no question unasked.

But this book just didn’t sit right with me. Having not read the first fifteen books in the series might have something to do with it. However, I think the pace of the novel was another problem I had with it. I just couldn’t get into reading this book because it was too slow. It started off climatic and then dropped the reader down to a slower pace. The reader briefly gets an insight into the killer’s head only to be dropped into the story where they don’t get to see the killer until the last few pages of the novel. And when the killer is introduced, the reader becomes disappointed because he isn’t what the reader expects.

Another problem I had with Hunting Shadows was the time period. I know the novel was supposed to take place in the 1920’s, but I really didn’t like the time period in this story or the setting overall. It was just okay. Didn’t add anything to make this book any more interesting for me and want to continue reading.

I also didn’t like the main character Rutledge. Not having read the rest of the books in this series might have something to do with it, but I also think part of it is because I just couldn’t connect to his character. For a Scotland Yard inspector, he wasn’t too bright. Some of his actions throughout the novel didn’t make sense to me. For example, the man he suspects to be the killer he takes him along with him while he continues his investigation into these murders only to discover that he actually isn’t the killer. And even after the guy is obviously in the clear, he still suspects him until he is able to find the murder weapon. Rutledge isn’t the inspector I was expecting to be the main character in Hunting Shadows and that really disappointed me and made it harder for me to continue reading this book.

However, there are some aspects of Hunting Shadows I did enjoy. The beginning of the story really got me interested in continuing to read this novel, despite how it all turned out. The reader gets to see into the killer’s head as he spots his first victim and sees how he reacts to seeing that character.

Another aspect of this book I enjoyed was how descriptive Todd is of the setting. While I didn’t enjoy the time period in this story, Todd definitely knows how to create atmosphere in a novel. The reader sees this throughout the book starting with when Rutledge gets lost to when Rutledge goes to find the murder weapon.

Even though I was overall disappointed in how Hunting Shadows turned out, I still give it three stars because Todd knows how to get the reader hooked at the beginning of a story and can create atmosphere that can mess with the reader’s emotions. This book was an okay read, but not one I’ll be reading again anytime soon.

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