Publisher: HarperCollins


Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Review: Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman

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I received this book for free from HarperTeen in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Challenger Deep by Neal ShustermanChallenger Deep by Neal Shusterman
Published by HarperTeen on April 21st 2015
Genres: Contemporary, YA
Source: HarperTeen
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four-stars

Caden Bosch is on a ship that's headed for the deepest point on Earth: Challenger Deep, the southern part of the Marianas Trench.

Caden Bosch is a brilliant high school student whose friends are starting to notice his odd behavior.

Caden Bosch is designated the ship's artist in residence, to document the journey with images.

Caden Bosch pretends to join the school track team but spends his days walking for miles, absorbed by the thoughts in his head.

Caden Bosch is split between his allegiance to the captain and the allure of mutiny.

Caden Bosch is torn.

A captivating and powerful novel that lingers long beyond the last page, Challenger Deep is a heartfelt tour de force by one of today's most admired writers for teens.

This book was so confusing at first, but ended up making so much sense and really stuck with me. The way it is written pulls you in right away. Even though I wasn’t quite sure what was going on when I started, I was compelled to keep reading. I hoped that it would make sense to me as I got further in. It did and it didn’t. What I mean is that I realized why it was written how it was, and I understood it, but it was still a very confusing story. It fit perfectly with the main character though, and the mental illness that it is about. This was a brilliant book, and I have already recommended it to many people.

Caden is the main character, and the story is told by him. It starts off with him on a pirate ship, then goes into different parts of the storyline. As I read and got to know him, I found myself really feeling for him. As I was confused, he is too, but not on the same level. Everything he is telling us is his reality. Or what he thinks is his reality. He can’t really tell the difference between what is real and what isn’t. He is so imaginative, smart, and mentally ill, though he doesn’t know it for quite a time. I really liked his character. He was fascinating. He sees so much in other people that most people wouldn’t think to look for.

This book is really hard to review because I don’t want to give too much away. It is an experience to read it. I loved and hated the confusion. The way I felt at times while reading this was a bit overwhelming due to the awesomeness of the writing. It was written in the perfect way to almost put yourself into the characters mind and feel how they feel. Obviously not to the same extent, and I knew that when I didn’t want that unsettled, confused feeling, I could step away. I was confused at what was real and what wasn’t. I especially loved when things kind of blended together. I can’t really find the right words to explain how reading this book made me feel, but it was amazing, and I think an important book. Mental illness is such a complex thing, and I really love reading about the different ones. This book was done in such a way that it really puts you right there for a short time. I have not read this author before I read this book, but I know that I will definitely be picking up more of his books.

four-stars

4 Hot Espressos

Audiobook Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Audiobook Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Posted by on 04/14/2015 • 14 Comments

This was fantastic and great to read. I loved that this had so much going for it. A great plot full of deception, lies, romance, and magic. Besides that, it was filled with some great action and I loved the characters. I think this would have been a joy to read, but it was enhanced with the audio. I often cringe when I know I am getting myself into a series, but I am really glad that I started this one and I am interested to know where the story will go.

Mare is a pretty smart girl. Growing up in poverty, and knowing what is coming to her in her near future, she does the best she can. She is a thief, but she is good at it….

Review: Anyone But Ivy Pocket by Caleb Krisp

Review: Anyone But Ivy Pocket by Caleb Krisp

Posted by on 04/09/2015 • 3 Comments

I was hoping that this would be cute and fun, but I found myself so annoyed by the MC that I couldn’t really enjoy the book at all. I think that the story itself was pretty interesting, but I couldn’t stand Ivy. I did enjoy the stuff about the Clock Diamond and its magic and Ivy’s journey though. I wish that I could say that I enjoyed some of the characters, but I really didn’t. This is a middle grade book, so the younger crowd might enjoy it much more than me, and probably won’t find things as irritating as I did. The other thing that I liked about this book was the artwork. It was very good and thought that it really brought something more to the story. Since…

Audiobook Review: A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas

Audiobook Review: A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas

Posted by on 03/31/2015 • 14 Comments

As you’ve probably noticed, I am a sucker for retellings. They are very hit or miss with me, but I really enjoyed this one. I listened to the audio of this one, and though it took a while to get used to the narrator, it was a good story. I loved the twist on the retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I thought it was fabulous where the author took the story of after she wakes up. And it’s not to her beloved prince like in the original. It is one hundred years after she has fallen asleep from her curse, and it’s not a happily ever after. The King and Queen are awful and only want to use her for their needs. The prince, Rodric, is only doing what he is…

Review: The Cemetery Boys by Heather Brewer

Review: The Cemetery Boys by Heather Brewer

Posted by on 03/26/2015 • 5 Comments

This was interesting and creepy. I didn’t really care much for most of the characters, but I did feel for Stephen. I found myself really feeling bad for him. Devon was horrible, and Cara just didn’t seem believable to me. In general though, I thought the story was pretty good. Based on old town stories and people who are set in there ways. It’s hard being an outsider, especially in a town like Spencer. Where things aren’t quite right, it’s hard to know if the old stories hold any truth, or if it is just the overactive imaginations of everyone.

Stephen doesn’t feel like he fits in, and he isn’t sure if he really wants to. He just wants to go back to Denver and away from the small…

Review: Dark Rooms by Lili Anolik

Review: Dark Rooms by Lili Anolik

Posted by on 03/17/2015 • 6 Comments

I don’t even know where to start with this one. I love a good mystery/thriller, and I also love gritty contemporaries. This book is both of those, but I just didn’t feel it. I wasn’t a fan of the MC, and I thought that this was very drawn out and it bored me at times. The mystery really is pretty good, but being the sleuth I am, I did connect the dots before we are given the reveal. I do think that this book had a lot of potential, and there are great parts of the story, it just didn’t have me needing to keep reading. In fact, most of the time I wanted to yell at the MC and tell her that she was a bit crazy and stupid….

Review: Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway

Review: Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway

Posted by on 03/12/2015 • 18 Comments

If I could describe this book in one word, it would be quiet.

Yes, Emmy & Oliver is something that I would call a “quiet contemporary”. I’m not even sure where that came from, or if it’s a thing, or something I made up on a whim, but I know deep inside that this is the best word for it. I try to think of another description, but there is nothing that fits as this. Emmy & Oliver is meaningful, thoughtful, and like I said, quiet.

How is it so, you ask? I’ve read a number of contemporaries over the years, many of them involving issues and concepts teenagers face during their youth, experiences that mirror our own and lessons that are valuable to us, too. But while that is so, there are times when…

Review: Liars Inc by Paula Stokes

Review: Liars Inc by Paula Stokes

Posted by on 03/05/2015 • 13 Comments

If you’re looking for a YA mystery with an interesting premise and cast of characters, you need not look far because Liars Inc pretty much distinguishes itself from the rest effortlessly. I mean, look at the following factors and I dare you not to get excited, because I’m pretty sure you will:

✓ A male hero that actually feels like an authentic male hero ✓ A half-Indian love interest who is so comfortable with her sensuality ✓ A premise that revolves around lies and covering one’s ass with more lies ✓ A whodunit murder mystery that involves getting arrested by the FBI (or, trying not to)…

Okay, maybe the last bit is something we’ve seen a couple of times in other books, but the first three are stuff I haven’t seen yet,…