Recommend Fridays

Recommended Fridays is a once-a-week spot, created by Amanda from Stuck in YA Books, where participating bloggers can recommend one of their favorite reads from any genre of their choosing. Bloggers who participate are asked to post the banner on their post and add their direct links in the comments below. If other bloggers are participating be sure to stop by and let them know.

I just recently read this book, and it is amazing. I really love that it is a retelling of Hansel and Gretel, since I haven't ever seen a modern retelling of that fairytale before.

SYNOPSIS:

As a child, Gretchen's twin sister was taken by a witch-like monster in the woods. Ever since, Gretchen and her brother, Ansel, have felt the long branches of the witch's forest threatening to make them disappear, too.
 When their stepmother casts Gretchen and Ansel out as teens, they stumble upon a sleepy Southern town and are invited to stay with Sophia Kelly at her sweet shop. Sophia molds candied magic: coveted treats that create confidence, bravery, and passion.
Life seems idyllic and Gretchen and Ansel finally start to forget their haunted past - until Gretchen meets handsome local outcast Samuel, who gives Gretchen a reason to fear Sophia: girls have been vanishing at Sophia's annual chocolate festival, taken by the insatiable 'witch' of Gretchen's nightmares. Can Gretchen save herself, the girls of Live Oak, and Sophia? 
Of one thing, Gretchen is certain: a monster is coming, and it will never go away hungry.

Recommend Fridays (1)

Book Review: Guantanamo Boy by Anna Perera

 

Khalid is a 15-year-old from Rochdale spends his time doing what most boys his age do. He plays computer games and spends time with his friends. He also wishes that he was brave enough to tell Niamh that he cares about her.

He isn’t too excited about going to visit his family in Pakistan, but his mom and dad want him to come with them. So he goes. Khalid’s life turns into a nightmare when he is kidnapped from his aunt’s house and ends up being held for two years, without being charged, in the world’s most notorious prison – Guantanamo Bay.

When I first started this book, I thought I might not like it, because I was getting annoyed with the authors style of writing. The words just didn't seem to flow, and the story was going very slowly, but after he went to Pakistan, I got more into the book and really felt that the story was getting better. There were not too many graphic details about the torture that Khalid went through during his stay at the prison, just enough to give you a glimpse of what he was feeling, but not enough for the book to be disturbing to younger teens. I believe that people should know about the bad things in this world that some of us are sheltered from.

The emotions and trauma displayed by this young man have been portrayed so realistically, I felt like I was experiencing them with him. I don't want to go into detail as it would be more than spoilers, they would ruin the storyline for people who want to read it.

I really commend Anna Perera for writing a book on this subject. This is the first young adult book that I have read that deals with the Guantanamo Bay prison. I think its a very important message read that anyone over thirteen or fourteen should read. 

This book was given to me by the Albert Whitman & Company for review, but this has in no way influenced my opinion of the book.

IMM

This week was AMAZING! I got so many books; some from the library, some won, some bought, and some received for review!
 

First of all, I received Guantanamo Boy by Anna Perera and Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King for Review from the publishers. I flipped out when I saw these on the doorstep, since these are my first review copies! I will be putting up reviews in a couple of days.

From the Library:

Outside in by Maria V. Snyder

We'll always Have Summer by Jenny Han

The Nine Lives of Chloe King Bind up by Liz Braswell

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Game of Thones Book One by George R.R. Martin

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

The Stand by Stephen King (Over 1400 pages, Holy Cow!)

I also bought some books from the bookstore:

The Confessions of Nat Turner by William Styron

Waiting on Wednesday: August 17th

This is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where every Wednesday bloggers highlight a book that they are eagerly anticipating the release of! 

The Diviners (Diviners #1) by Libba Bray

Release Date: Sometime in 2012 (no exact release date revealed)

A supernatural series set in Manhattan during the 1920s that follows a teen heroine reminiscent of two of the era's most famous literary women—Zelda Fitzgerald and Dorothy Parker. The story will be a wild new ride full of dames and dapper dons, jazz babies and Prohibition-defying parties, conspiracy and prophecy—and all manner of things that go bump in the neon-drenched night.

Supernatural + Historical Fiction (1920s) + Libba Bray = Amazing Book!

 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Release Date: May 1st 2012

The Fault in Our Stars, a novel about teens dealing with terminal illnesses, features Green’s first female narrator, 16-year-old Hazel Grace Lancaster, who is battling thyroid cancer.

 

The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenburg

Release Date: January 17th 2012

BRIE'S LIFE ENDS AT SIXTEEN: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart—literally.

But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend has been keeping a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost—and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul . . . who just might hold the key to her forever after.

 
With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on. But how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?

Review: I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Review: I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Product Information:


Title: I am Number Four
Author: Pittacus Lore
Release Date: January 24, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Page Number: 480

Official Summary:

In the beginning they were a group of nine. Nine aliens who left their home planet of Lorien when it fell under attack by the evil Mogadorian. Nine aliens who scattered on Earth. Nine aliens who look like ordinary teenagers living ordinary lives, but who have extraordinary, paranormal skills. Nine aliens who might be sitting next to you now.

The Nine had to separate and go into hiding. The Mogadorian caught Number One in Malaysia, Number Two in England, and Number Three in Kenya. All of them were killed. John Smith, of Paradise, Ohio, is Number Four. He knows that he is next.

I Am Number Four is the thrilling launch of a series about an exceptional group of teens as they struggle to outrun their past, discover their future—and live a normal life on Earth.

I AM NUMBER FOUR.
I AM NEXT.

This was a fantastic book! I ended up reading in in under three hours, (with occasional interruptions from my siblings). The book did not fully meet my expectations, but any book that holds my attention for a straight three hours is a winner for me. 

I don't think the characters in the book were as developed as I would have liked. Obviously, John and Henri were the most developed since their story made up a large chunk of the book. John was an amazing character. I absolutely loved him. I thought he was an amazing character. He doesn't feel like he belongs anywhere. It has been so long since he has been on his home planet that he doesn't feel a connection with Lorien and he hasn't been able to get comfortable on Earth with the constant running that he doesn't feel normal on Earth either.

However, I didn't feel like I could connect to the other major characters, such as his girlfriend and his "nerdy" new friend (Sarah and Sam). I only read this book one and a half weeks ago, but I completely forgot what their names were, I literally just had to look it up on Wikipedia.

All in all, I think this was a great book! There was a lot of action, I loved John and Henri, and BERNIE KOSAR! I almost forgot about him. He is this very cute dog that starts following John around and ends up coming to live with John and Henri. I loved how Bernie followed John to school, and seemed to understand everything that John said. There is also an amazing twist at the end that I was not expecting.

I give this book 4 stars. 

*This book does not have any mature material, so I think younger kids/tweens can read it too. *

HAPPY READING!