What is there to say about John Green's The Fault in Our Stars?
I say: Perfection.
This has to be, by far, the best YA novel I have read.
Summary:
Hazel is battling cancer and her mother feels it's best to go to Support Group with other kids battling cancer so she can talk and won't feel so depressed. Hazel tries everything she can to get out of it but to no avail. When she goes, she doesn't expect to connect with Augustus. Their friendship quickly turns into something more and a captivating book by a recluse author sends Hazel and Augustus on an adventure for answers in Amsterdam. While there, the world they created for themselves takes a turn and nothing is ever the same.
Review:
In all honesty, this book could have been really cheesy. Girl with cancer meets boy with cancer and they click and fall in love. But this is written in such a way that the characters are believable and the story is plausible. There is depth and substance to the "cancer kid" story that all doubts about this being a predicable, typical story are lost soon after the story begins.
Cancer is not a topic people take lightly. So throwing together a bunch of kids ranging from being in remission to being terminal is a hard thing to grasp and deal with. But as the story goes on and it focuses on Hazel specifically, the true nature and emotions of a kid with cancer shines through and grasps the reader from start to finish. Hazel becomes a multi-dimensional character as she deals with her cancer but also as she deals with normal teenage issues like having a boyfriend. The balance between the two is played out in a way where the reader doesn't see a defined line between her cancer and boy struggles. It's like they are one stream and that is due to Green's masterful way with words.
It's hard to put into words how much I enjoyed this book! I couldn't put it down once I started. The writing is amazing and the story is gripping from page one.
I highly recommend this book to anyone. I do warn you that it's an emotional read, so if you're a crier have some tissues handy.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Best of 2011!
I read tons of great books last year and wanted to highlight a few that stood out to me. For one reason or another the following books became instant favorites and the next time you are looking for some awesome reading material I highly recommend these. Without further ado, and in no particular order, my favorite books that I read in 2011!
~Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead
Despite coming out in December 2010 (I believe) I didn't get to enjoy it until 2011. I was both excited and hesitant to read it only because it is the last in the Vampire Academy series (which is a must-read series for any YA paranormal lover) and it's sad to see series end. There were a couple twists and turns I wasn't expecting which made me unable to stop reading. Of course, beyond wanting to see where the general story went, I was eager to see who Rose ended up with romantically. I don't want to spoil anything so I can't say the big "OMG" moment, but even I didn't see that coming! Overall it is a great book and is the perfect ending to a series I had been following since book one.
~Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares
I was honestly unaware this book was even coming out until shortly before its release thanks to my sister. I didn't think there was going to be another one, hence, not keeping an eye out for it. But I'm so glad I didn't have to wait too long to read this book. I was so excited to get a future look at these characters that I had grown up with and connected to. When I first started reading the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series I was about the girls' age so as each book came out I could totally relate which was fun. The fourth book left me with a sense of closure, but there was always the lingering question of "what next?" This book had so many developments and surprises and I loved it! As the book began to wind down and everything fell into place and questions were answered I once again felt some closure. I was really happy to know what had happened to these great characters and say to everyone who has read the previous four books that they need to read this one too.
~Wither by Lauren DeStefano
I held out on reading this book for some unknown reason and that reason is an unknown evil because this is a great book! I couldn't put it down once I started. I love dystopian novels and this one was one that actually disturbed me. The content is mature for the younger characters of the story but that is their world. Several times I had to put down the book just out of the shock of certain situations. A book that can make me do that is definitely amazing. It reminded me a little bit of A Handmaiden's Tale by Margaret Atwood, but the story was original and well thought out which I appreciated. I did a book review of this book last year which can be found here: http://bookreviews-bookworm.blogspot.com/2011/09/book-review-wither-by-lauren-destefano.html Overall this is a great read!
~Matched by Ally Condie
This is another dystopian novel where boys and girls are "matched" to their future partners. It follows Cassia and what happens when she is matched yet considers another guy after a "technical glitch" on her match card. I loved this book and how she follows her heart and tries to decide what's right opposed to what the Society says is right. As a reader, I was struggling along with Cassia because Xander and Ky are both good guys and it's not an easy choice. I recently got Crossed, the next in the series, and can't wait to see what happens. Fans of YA dystopian and romance would love this book and you haven't read it, or aren't familiar with this type of book, go pick it up and read it.
~Succubus Revealed by Richelle Mead
Richelle Mead makes another appearance on the list, but hey, she writes great books and I thoroughly enjoyed another of hers last year. I loved this final installment of the Georgina Kincaid series. I had been a little frustrated with the previous books due to the plot not progressing how I hoped so I was beyond eager to read this to see how it all ends. It took me a little while to finally start it, but once I did I can't believe I had waited so long. My review of this book can be found here: http://bookreviews-bookworm.blogspot.com/2011/09/book-review-succubus-revealed-by.html This entire series is great and a definite must for any urban fantasy lovers.
So those are my favorites of 2011! Did you have any favorites from last year?
~Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead
Despite coming out in December 2010 (I believe) I didn't get to enjoy it until 2011. I was both excited and hesitant to read it only because it is the last in the Vampire Academy series (which is a must-read series for any YA paranormal lover) and it's sad to see series end. There were a couple twists and turns I wasn't expecting which made me unable to stop reading. Of course, beyond wanting to see where the general story went, I was eager to see who Rose ended up with romantically. I don't want to spoil anything so I can't say the big "OMG" moment, but even I didn't see that coming! Overall it is a great book and is the perfect ending to a series I had been following since book one.
~Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares
I was honestly unaware this book was even coming out until shortly before its release thanks to my sister. I didn't think there was going to be another one, hence, not keeping an eye out for it. But I'm so glad I didn't have to wait too long to read this book. I was so excited to get a future look at these characters that I had grown up with and connected to. When I first started reading the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series I was about the girls' age so as each book came out I could totally relate which was fun. The fourth book left me with a sense of closure, but there was always the lingering question of "what next?" This book had so many developments and surprises and I loved it! As the book began to wind down and everything fell into place and questions were answered I once again felt some closure. I was really happy to know what had happened to these great characters and say to everyone who has read the previous four books that they need to read this one too.
~Wither by Lauren DeStefano
I held out on reading this book for some unknown reason and that reason is an unknown evil because this is a great book! I couldn't put it down once I started. I love dystopian novels and this one was one that actually disturbed me. The content is mature for the younger characters of the story but that is their world. Several times I had to put down the book just out of the shock of certain situations. A book that can make me do that is definitely amazing. It reminded me a little bit of A Handmaiden's Tale by Margaret Atwood, but the story was original and well thought out which I appreciated. I did a book review of this book last year which can be found here: http://bookreviews-bookworm.blogspot.com/2011/09/book-review-wither-by-lauren-destefano.html Overall this is a great read!
~Matched by Ally Condie
This is another dystopian novel where boys and girls are "matched" to their future partners. It follows Cassia and what happens when she is matched yet considers another guy after a "technical glitch" on her match card. I loved this book and how she follows her heart and tries to decide what's right opposed to what the Society says is right. As a reader, I was struggling along with Cassia because Xander and Ky are both good guys and it's not an easy choice. I recently got Crossed, the next in the series, and can't wait to see what happens. Fans of YA dystopian and romance would love this book and you haven't read it, or aren't familiar with this type of book, go pick it up and read it.
~Succubus Revealed by Richelle Mead
Richelle Mead makes another appearance on the list, but hey, she writes great books and I thoroughly enjoyed another of hers last year. I loved this final installment of the Georgina Kincaid series. I had been a little frustrated with the previous books due to the plot not progressing how I hoped so I was beyond eager to read this to see how it all ends. It took me a little while to finally start it, but once I did I can't believe I had waited so long. My review of this book can be found here: http://bookreviews-bookworm.blogspot.com/2011/09/book-review-succubus-revealed-by.html This entire series is great and a definite must for any urban fantasy lovers.
So those are my favorites of 2011! Did you have any favorites from last year?
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Happy New Year...and a Reading Challenge!
It's 2012, everybody! I can't believe it! Time really seems to fly and as I'm getting older I realize that. When you're young everything seems to go at a snail's pace.
"I can't wait until I'm out of school! How many years are left?"
"Summer vacation is in three whole months! That's not fair!"
"Lunch is in an hour! I can't wait to get a break!"
Now my days fly by and at the end of the week I find myself asking, "What did I do this week?"
Regardless of how fast or slow time may seem to disappear or linger in your life, it is a new year and, as most people do, you probably made at least one resolution. Personally I gave up on making "New Year's Resolutions" years ago because, like many others, I have failed and knowing I "failed" was a downer. It shouldn't have to be a start of a new year to make "resolutions." Change can happen at any time. But since it is the beginning of a new year I have made a goal, and I did this last year, about reading a certain number of books within one year's time. Last year I picked January 1st as the starting point because I thought of the idea right before New Year's and figured it was a good starting spot so here I am again setting a new goal for myself.
Last year, I set a goal to read 40 books. Here was my logic:
I figured that since there are 52 weeks in a year, 40 seemed like a fair number. It allowed some leniency that didn't make me have to rush to read a book a week and in case there were times I couldn't read I didn't have to panic. I had never kept track of how many books I had read previously to last year so I had no idea if this number was too easy or if it would be hard. But the fun in it was finding out and reading some great books.
But the results are in...I read a total of 50 books in 2011! Woot! Ten over my goal.
I read fairly consistently over the year, and yes there were some weeks I didn't read much, but watching some YouTubers and reading some blogs it amazes me that some people read 100+ books last year! Wow! That's some hardcore reading!
But my new goal isn't that lofty. I don't think it'd be possible to double last year's number. And even if I did, I don't think I'd be able to top it so the fun in the challenge would be lost.
My new goal is based off the volume read from 2011. If I read 50, it's very possible I could do that again so 50 wouldn't be much of a challenge.
So the magic number of books I plan to read this year is...60!
It's quite a jump from last year's goal, but as I've said, 40 was no match for my love of reading.
There you have it! My goal for 2012! In doing this reading challenge I plan to post book reviews on my favorite books as I get done with them and as I finish many 2012 new releases. Do you have any reading goals? If so what are they? Let me know!
Happy Reading!
"I can't wait until I'm out of school! How many years are left?"
"Summer vacation is in three whole months! That's not fair!"
"Lunch is in an hour! I can't wait to get a break!"
Now my days fly by and at the end of the week I find myself asking, "What did I do this week?"
Regardless of how fast or slow time may seem to disappear or linger in your life, it is a new year and, as most people do, you probably made at least one resolution. Personally I gave up on making "New Year's Resolutions" years ago because, like many others, I have failed and knowing I "failed" was a downer. It shouldn't have to be a start of a new year to make "resolutions." Change can happen at any time. But since it is the beginning of a new year I have made a goal, and I did this last year, about reading a certain number of books within one year's time. Last year I picked January 1st as the starting point because I thought of the idea right before New Year's and figured it was a good starting spot so here I am again setting a new goal for myself.
Last year, I set a goal to read 40 books. Here was my logic:
I figured that since there are 52 weeks in a year, 40 seemed like a fair number. It allowed some leniency that didn't make me have to rush to read a book a week and in case there were times I couldn't read I didn't have to panic. I had never kept track of how many books I had read previously to last year so I had no idea if this number was too easy or if it would be hard. But the fun in it was finding out and reading some great books.
But the results are in...I read a total of 50 books in 2011! Woot! Ten over my goal.
I read fairly consistently over the year, and yes there were some weeks I didn't read much, but watching some YouTubers and reading some blogs it amazes me that some people read 100+ books last year! Wow! That's some hardcore reading!
But my new goal isn't that lofty. I don't think it'd be possible to double last year's number. And even if I did, I don't think I'd be able to top it so the fun in the challenge would be lost.
My new goal is based off the volume read from 2011. If I read 50, it's very possible I could do that again so 50 wouldn't be much of a challenge.
So the magic number of books I plan to read this year is...60!
It's quite a jump from last year's goal, but as I've said, 40 was no match for my love of reading.
There you have it! My goal for 2012! In doing this reading challenge I plan to post book reviews on my favorite books as I get done with them and as I finish many 2012 new releases. Do you have any reading goals? If so what are they? Let me know!
Happy Reading!
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