ARC Review: The Break-Up Artist by Phillip Siegal

Title: The Break-Up Artist Author: Phillip Siegel Published: April 29, 2014 by Harlequin Teen Amazon Goodreads Synopsis: Some sixteen-year-olds babysit for extra cash. Some work at the Gap. Becca Williamson breaks up couples. After watching her sister get left at the altar, Becca knows the true damage that comes when people utter the dreaded L-word. For just $100 via paypal, she can trick and manipulate any couple into smithereens. With relationship zombies overrunning her school, and treating single girls like second class citizens, business is unfortunately booming. Even her best friend Val has resorted to outright lies to snag a boyfriend. One night, she receives a mysterious offer to break up the homecoming king and queen, the one zombie couple to rule them all: Steve and Huxley. They are a JFK and Jackie O in training, masters of sweeping faux-mantic gestures, but if Becca can split them up, then school will be safe again for singletons. To succeed, she'll have to plan her most elaborate scheme to date and wiggle her way back into her former BFF Huxley’s life – not to mention start a few rumors, sabotage some cell phones, break into a car, and fend off the inappropriate feelings she’s having about Val’s new boyfriend. All while avoiding a past victim out to expose her true identity. No one said being the Break-Up Artist was easy

If you are a follower of this blog you know that I do monthly themes where I read a particular genre and this month is dystopia. By the sixth book I realized that this was probably not a good idea. Dystopia tends to mess with my head. It's full of action and makes you think critically about power and society. A lot of the books I read were slightly traumatizing and so many of them all at once left me wanting to curl up in the fetal position on my floor.  So needless to say, I needed a break from dystopia so when The Break-Up Artist arrived in my mailbox from On the Same Page ARC Tours I was so excited to read it. It was not at all what I was expecting in a Contemporary novel, but that made it better. This book taught me to not judge a book by its description. 

Upon first appearances The Break-Up Artist seems like your typical rom-com. A slightly jaded singleton meets a guy she can actually love but can't be with him because of unlikely circumstances but in the end they realize that nothing can keep them apart. But that was not what this book was about at all. This book was less about how love can conquer all and more about friendship and that true love isn't the cheesy romantic sort that we see in movies. It looks at love a lot more critically than most YA contemps do and was basically a parody on the insta-love we see a lot in the genre. If you like insta-love (but who really does?) and are looking for a heartwarming romance this is not the book for you. Now don't get me wrong there were classic rom-com elements and definitely a big storyline that has a "love can conquer all" message but it didn't feel predictable or generic. Everything about this book felt unique and refreshing. It had all the humor and lighthearted moments without any of the cheese factor. Plus like all good Contemporary books it effortlessly walked the line between heavy and light, making you laugh and making you think at the same time. 

One of the great things about this book for me were the characters. Just like the plot of the book, they seemed at the outset to be caricatures and tropes but were so much more. First and foremost in this category was Becca, the main character and MC. She is masquerading as The Break-Up Artist to destroy love at her high school spurned by her sister being jilted at the altar and her childhood best friend ditching her for a boy, she believes romance is a sham. I loved her voice throughout the novel. Anyone who has ever felt like a third-wheel can empathize with Becca. I felt connected with her from the very beginning. She's snarky, jaded and wise beyond her years but she is also naive and throughout the book learns that she doesn't really know about love. But she's not the only character who is deeper and more interesting than they appear, throughout the book many of the characters surprised me by not being such clichés and ended up being more or less villainous than I expected, I won't say who for fear of spoilers. 

It was a quick read with good pacing. And despite the fact that there were a lot of moving parts to the story everything wrapped up into a nice tidy package which is something I was definitely glad about after reading so many series and standalones that left things unfinished. It was the kind of book that left me smiling and thinking how good it was. I wasn't blown away but it was very satisfying and the perfect break from the mind-explosion that dystopia month has become.

I give The Break-Up Artist by Phillip Siegel an 8 out of 10 

                                                 

If you are looking for a typical rom-com you have come to the wrong place but if you are looking for a unique and interesting Young Adult Contemporary novel with complex and likable characters that will make you laugh and think more critically about love then this is the book for you.

Have you read The Break-Up Artist? Leave me a comment with your thoughts and of course HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: Half Bad by Sally Green

Title: Half Bad Series: Half Life #1 Author: Sally Green Published: March 2014 by Viking (Penguin Group) Amazon Goodreads Synopsis: In modern-day England, witches live alongside humans: White witches, who are good; Black witches, who are evil; and sixteen-year-old Nathan, who is both. Nathan’s father is the world’s most powerful and cruel Black witch, and his mother is dead. He is hunted from all sides. Trapped in a cage, beaten and handcuffed, Nathan must escape before his seventeenth birthday, at which point he will receive three gifts from his father and come into his own as a witch—or else he will die. But how can Nathan find his father when his every action is tracked, when there is no one safe to trust—not even family, not even the girl he loves? In the tradition of Patrick Ness and Markus Zusak, Half Bad is a gripping tale of alienation and the indomitable will to survive, a story that will grab hold of you and not let go until the very last page.

I received an ARC copy of Half Bad as part of the On the Same Page ARC Tours. I was so excited to read it, Half Bad was one of my most anticipated books of the season. It has everything I love reading about. Magic, action, and the exploration of good and evil. I was not at all disappointed.

As far as the magic and world goes, I read a lot of fantasies, and books with at least some magic as part of the story. I am always looking for a unique magical system, something that isn't just being able to do spells or control the elements. I was definitely very impressed with the magic in this book. As the description indicates the witches in the this world are split into Black and White Magic. But each individual witch also has their own powers based on their talents. At the age of seventeen there is a gifting ceremony where your "Gift" is able to manifest itself. This Gift can be anything from being able to do potions, turn into another person or animal, or become invisible. The idea is very cool and some of these gifts are pretty badass. And while magic is a huge part of this book it definitely wasn't the biggest part.

As the title may lead you to believe this is a book about good and evil. The main character Nathan is the direct descendent of the most evil Black Witch in Britain and because of this fact people are afraid that he will end up becoming just as dark as his father. The White Witches who are in control do everything in their power to make sure this doesn't happen. It becomes much more about nature versus nurture when it comes to good and evil. Nathan is brought up to think he is evil but as the book goes on it makes you as the reader wonder if that's true or not and if he did turn evil would it be because of the way he was brought up or because of genetics. It definitely brings up a lot of questions and makes you understand that nothing is black or white not even witches. 

The fact that there is so much analysis of good and evil in this book it unsurprisingly leads to the characters being incredibly multi-dimensional. The main character Nathan is incredibly likable and easy to empathize with. Right from the very beginning I was rooting for him to succeed and get what he wants most. But Nathan wasn't the only character like that. There were some amazing villainous characters including Nathan's sister who is one of those love to hate kind of characters and some other characters that were surprisingly good in the end. The characters were so interesting and complex that I wanted to continue to read to see what would happen with them in the end.

But the best and most interesting thing about this book was the way it was written. The book began being told in second person with some brutal explanations of the way Nathan is treated. It is not for the faint of heart. There were many times when I was slightly uncomfortable with what was being described and I like blood and gore. But then as the book developed the perspective shifted as it began to be told in first person. But it didn't quite feel like first-person. It was like a superficial form of storytelling making me wonder if Nathan is an unreliable narrator. It had the same haunting sort of tone that I've felt in books like The Handmaid's Tale and The Life of Pi. It is the kind of book that makes you think and feel and when it's all over you're not quite sure what had happened.

But I also seriously enjoyed the plot of this book. It began with an event that happened about a third of the way through the book and then we go back to the beginning of the story to find out what happened to lead up to that event and what happens afterwards. From there things slowly develop to an exciting conclusion with lots of action along the way. This is the first book in a trilogy but it was not very guilty of First Book Syndrome. It had just enough world-building, didn't keep many secrets but had lots of surprises, and there wasn't much of a cliffhanger. I'm interested to see where the rest of this series leads us because I am very invested in the series but I was so satisfied with the way this book ended that I am slightly worried. 

I give Half Bad by Sally Green a 9 out of 10

Half Bad was an amazing start to a new Young Adult fantasy series with great characters, lots of action, and a very cool magical system. It will make you think and make you feel. I loved it.Have you read Half Bad? What were your thoughts? Leave me a comment and of course HAPPY READING!

Top Ten Tuesday - Reluctant Heroes

A weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Today's prompt is top ten X characters. These open-ended ones are so much harder for me. I spend just as much time trying to think of what list to make as I do on the actual list. After five different other ideas I decided to play off my discussion post from a few weeks ago where I talked about reluctant heroes. Here are my top ten, in no particular order.

1.) Harry Potter in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling - At the tender age of eleven Harry learns that he is the only person to ever defeat the darkest wizard to ever live and he's going to have to do it again. He's so reluctant to save the Wizarding World he spends a whole book whining about being "the Chosen One" but we all know how this story ends.


2.) Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins - Multiple reckless and impulsive moves on her part puts Katniss in a position to save multiple lives and the hero thing goes way to far when she becomes the symbol of a revolution and it's not just about saving the few people she loves. But she doesn't want to be the Mockingjay! It takes her a long time to realize that she has no choice and take responsibility for her actions and be the hero.

3.) Ruby in The Darkest Minds trilogy by Alexandra Bracken - Ruby is the kind of hero that has these amazing powers and doesn't want to use them because she's afraid of the consequences. She spends most of the first book trying not to use them. When she gives in and uses her powers and becomes a hero it's fantastic and totally kickass! She's had a great character arc and I can't wait to see how her heroism continues in book 3 coming out this fall!

4.) Samwell Tarly in A Song of Ice of Fire series by George R.R. Martin - In a series with more characters than I can count, all with amazing character arcs, Samwell Tarly stands out as the reluctant hero. Sam is constantly told he is a hopeless craven for liking to read rather than fight. This disappointment is what gets him sent to the Nights Watch. But he's constantly performing acts of valor that are equal to or greater than his brothers. (spoiler alert) Seven hells, he's one of only two characters to kill a White Walker! He's basically the Neville Logbottom of Westeros

6.) Neville Logbottom in the Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling- Neville is constantly told that he is a disappointment because he doesn't live up to his parents reputation. But more times than not he is willing to bravely fight on the side of good and join Harry in any dangerous situation (except at the end of Sorcerer's Stone but we won't hold that against him). He has one of the best character arcs in the series!

7.) Cinder in The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer- At the end of the first book in the series we find out just how essential Cinder is to taking down Levana and saving the day. But then she spends the next few books saying how she doesn't know how to do what needs to be done, and she doesn't want to do it. By the end of book 3 she is ready to be a hero and this fact makes me so excited for book 4!

8.) Cress in the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer- What I love about Cress is she's a self-proclaimed damsel in distress but that couldn't be farther from the truth. She desperately wants Thorne to save her and when he does things get turned all around and Cress has to realize that not only can she take care of herself but she can save others and be a hero.


9.) Alina Starkov in The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo - When the Sun Summoner is told that not only does she have powers but they are super powerful and she's the only person that can right things in the Shadow Fold,  naturally she freaks out a little. She freaks out even more when they raise her up to the position of Saint. But she has an amazing character arc and I can't wait the see how heroic she is in Ruin and Rising!

10.) Gemma Doyle in the Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libba Bray - Gemma is told she alone has the power to contain the magic of the Realms. She is so reluctant to be the hero they want her to be that she petulantly does things to make her inevitable heroism all the more difficult. But she has this amazing character arc and ends up being quite the hero in her own way.

That's my list of reluctant heroes! Who's your favorite reluctant hero? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. To check out more of my thoughts on this trope including why I like them so much check out my discussion post HERE. What did you make you list about this week? Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Feature and Follow Friday #22

A weekly meme hosted by
 Alison Can Read & Parajunkee's View

How it Works: 

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you visit the blogs of our illustrious hosts and leave your name on the post using using the linky tools, then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and you must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed. 

 This Week's Question:

 
Spring Break. Where would be your favorite destination spot if you could join the Spring Break festivities?

This Week's Answer: 

It's been awhile since I had a Spring Break. Even after college when I worked at a school we planned "camps" for the break. When I did have a spring break I usually just went to my parents house to relax and watch college basketball (my break was always during Championship Week). But if I could go on a Spring Break now I would want to go to Orlando and visit Disney World and the Magical World of Harry Potter. Warm weather and cool things to do... YES PLEASE! 

What is your favorite or dream Spring Break destination? Leave me a comment!


Thanks for stopping by and checking out my post. Don't forget this is a blog hop so take a look around and if you like what you see give me a follow. I am indifferent to the way that you follow so pick you poison: GFC, Bloglovin, or Twitter. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY FF!

The Maze Runner Readalong!

About a month ago I was checking out my fellow bloggers' Top Ten Tuesday posts, as I do. The topic was "popular authors I have not read yet" and I noticed a trend. A lot of people haven't read and want to read James Dashner and The Maze Runner trilogy. This book has been on my list for awhile as well so I got an idea, let's do it together! On my blog I do themed moths and my plan for April was dystopia so it seemed perfect. I put some feelers out and I know a few folks are already interested including Stephanie at Her (and Sometimes His) Reviews, Shannon at Book Devoured, and Rachel at Read Write Ramble (sorry if I forgot anyone else I talked to). So ladies and gentlemen here are the details!

About The Book

Title: The Maze Runner
Series: The Maze Runner #1
Author: James Dashner
Published: 2009 by Random House
Amazon Goodreads

Synopsis: "If you ain't scared, you ain't human."

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He's surrounded by strangers--boys whose memories are also gone.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It's the only way out--and no one's ever made it through alive.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.




The premise for this book sounds so interesting and I've heard good things about this series. From what I hear the characters are unique and complex and there is lots of action, suspense and mystery which I love. The book is about to become a movie and like all bookish folks, I want to check it out before I see the movie. Check the Trailer Here

 The Readalong

My policy is the more the merrier. So if you, like me, are interested in reading this book then join in!

It's easy, all you have to do is read the book during the weekend of April 26-27. While you're reading feel free to tweet your thoughts under the #MazeRunnerRead hashtag. Then post your review on Monday April 28th and link your review with me to share with the others joining in (I will have a linky tool on my review). That evening we will be having a Twitter chat to talk about our thoughts under #MazeRunnerRead. If you have already read The Maze Runner you can still join us for the chat to share what you thought about the book.

The Giveaway

To sweeten the deal and encourage you to join I have an amazing giveaway thanks to 

Random House Kids!

-First is the rafflecopter giveaway below. This one is open internationally, as long as The Book Depository ships to you. If you live outside of the US you can win a copy of the next two books in the series, The Scorch Trials and The Death Cure. If you live in the US you can win a full box set of the series including the prequel The Kill Order and a hardcover of the first book in James Dashner's new series, The Eye of Minds.

But there is more than one chance to win. 

-On Monday when my review goes live at 12pm EST the first three people to link up their reviews will also win the box set and The Eye of Minds. And there will be another opportunity to win the package during the twitter chat. That's right three chances to win your very own James Dashner library! Unfortunately these two giveaways are only open domestically (I'm so sorry but shipping internationally is expensive!)

Thank you again to Random House Kids for donating the books for the giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

So join me during Dystopia Month and check out The Maze Runner by James Dashner! Don't forget to leave a comment telling me you're joining up and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: Taken by Erin Bowman

Title: Taken Series: Taken #1 Author: Erin Bowman Published: April 2013 by HarperTeen Amazon Goodreads Synopsis: There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone. They call it the Heist. Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive. Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?

I received a copy of this book from the fabulous Lynne Matson as part of the NILtribe giveaway in December. I decided to read it as part of my dystopia month. That definitely seems to be a major trend in Young Adult fiction these days to imagine the most crazy and unique future. Sadly this one did not quite do it for me.

It started out very strong. There is so much mystery and intrigue as the books start. You know things are not quite right with the Heists in Claysoot and that the leaders are hiding something. But as Gray tries to discover the truth I started to lose interest. A lot of the clues were so obvious that the mystery became a little predictable. When the big payoff occured and we learned the truth it didn't seem like that unique a world or story. There were still a few shockers though and I did want to keep reading to find out what happened if for no other reason than to get validation that I had figured things out.

As far as the plot goes it was definitely action-packed. There was one exciting moment after another as the characters found themselves in life-threatening situations or very close to finding the truth. I usually like a lot of action but in this case there was too much and I could have used a little less. While this sort of plot kept things interesting it also led to some weird pacing issues. Especially in the beginning the book felt like nothing more than a series of instances or stories strung together without a segue. Each chapter was a different moment and when the chapter was over we were quickly on to the next moment. As the book went on things calmed down a little and the moments seemed to have more or a logical progression and things didn't feel quite so disconnected.

As far as the MC goes, I was not really a fan. The main character and narrator Gray was not at all likable. I often don't like main characters but I can usually get past that and empathize with their struggle. In this case I just felt like he was being exceedingly petulant. Like I get it, things are are hard out there, but there is no reason to be an outright jerk. He was also rash and reckless a trait that I usually like in my dystopian heroes but in this case it made him seem like a complete idiot. Being reckless was also his main character trait. We were constantly told that he does things without thinking and it didn't at all endear him to me as a character. Over time he did relax a little bit and started to actually realize he should do things differently. By the end of the book I didn't totally hate him.

But what I did hate is the romance. This book was lousy with insta-love. First is Emma, who were are introduced to as Gray's crush since childhood. She, like me as the reader, finds his recklessness stupid and is not into it. Then they have one converstaion and she changes her mind and is totally in love with him. I liked her as a character at first but that sudden shift made her so wishy washy and I ironically quickly changed my mind about her. Then he meets another girl who is bold and reckless just like him, Bree. Suddenly he's in love with her and doubting all her feelings about Emma. That's right an insta-love triangle.

But as problematic as the book was it had a lot of potential. I'm interested to see where the series goes. There are so many questions and theories left unanswered and I have to see how everything ends. The next book in the series Frozen came out this week and I plan to read it this weekend. With all my dislike of first books I will wait to pass complete judgement on this series until I read a little more.

I give Taken by Erin Bowman 7.5 out of 10 stars

I'm not sure I would recommend this book to people who are big dystopia fans or people who want try a little more of the genre. It's a quick and easy read so if you're looking something reminiscent of The Hunger Games and Divergent but a little less complex then check this book out.

Have you read Taken? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Title: The Handmaid's Tale Author: Margaret Atwood Published: Amazon Goodreads Synopsis: The Handmaid's Tale is not only a radical and brilliant departure for Margaret Atwood, it is a novel of such power that the reader will be unable to forget its images and its forecast. Set in the near future, it describes life in what was once the United States, now called the Republic of Gilead, a monotheocracy that has reacted to social unrest and a sharply declining birthrate by reverting to, and going beyond, the repressive intolerance of the original Puritans. The regime takes the Book of Genesis absolutely at its word, with bizarre consequences for the women and men of its population.  The story is told through the eyes of Offred, one of the unfortunate Handmaids under the new social order. In condensed but eloquent prose, by turns cool-eyed, tender, despairing, passionate, and wry, she reveals to us the dark corners behind the establishment's calm facade, as certain tendencies now in existence are carried to their logical conclusions. The Handmaid's Tale is funny, unexpected, horrifying, and altogether convincing. It is at once scathing satire, dire warning, and tour de force. It is Margaret Atwood at her best

This book was my choice for a "classic" for my April Dystopia month. And while it is hard to call a book written in 1985 a classic, I have wanted to read this one for a very long time, and it is very different from our modern dystopian books that we are seeing so much lately. In fact it is unlike anything I have ever read.

The first thing that made this book different is the tone and style of how it is written. It has this poetic elegance to it and it reads with this almost rhythmic feeling as if it had a rhyme scheme. All of this added to the tone of the book that can only be described as haunting. Margaret Atwood wrote a book and a world that is terrifying, interesting, and thought-provoking. The events and tone left me feeling uneasy but in the best possible way. Like a lot of other fantastic books, this one hits you in both the heart and the head. 

The other thing that was unique about this book was the protagonist and MC. The book reads like a diary or testimony of Offred, a woman living in a near-future world. The book is written from her perspective but she's very honest about how she doesn't remember the details perfectly. She's a good old-fashioned unreliable narrator that makes you question everything that happens and wonder how much is really true or how much of the "reconstruction" is purely in her imagination. A few times you even have events explained multiple times. The unreliable nature of her and the story add to the haunting and confusing nature of the book, I had "huh face" a lot of the time while reading and it left me both interested and intrigued.

Even more intriguing is this world. With a lot of dystopian novels these days it's all about the action and adventure but this book is all about the world. In a good dystopia the world leaves you as a reader wondering if, and frankly fearing, that this world is possible. In this world population is so low women are both valued and treated as objects or vessels to have babies. Things have devolved into a sort of puritanical theocracy where religion sets the tone and women aren't allowed to read, wear pants, and drink or smoke. As previously stated it's a near-future world and because it is written nearly 30 years ago I can't help but think that they're talking about now. That's always a weird thing and often takes me out of the story if these things haven't occurred yet but in the case of The Handmaid's Tale the world felt like it stood the test of time and felt scary and possible. This world deepens the haunting nature of the book.  

All of this added to this feeling of confused enjoyment and when the book was finished the ending left me with a "WHAT. JUST. HAPPENED." feeling that I haven't had since The Life of Pi. It wasn't quite a book hangover but it totally messed with me head and left my brain mush. 

I give The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood an 8.5 out of 10

I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a dystopia story that isn't so action-packed, if you like unreliable narrators, or if you are looking for a book to make you think. If you have read The Handmaid's Tale leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!