Champion, by Marie Lu

June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic–and each other–and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities.

Disclaimer: This isn’t the cover that I have. I just like it better than the one that I have. Sorry normal cover!! This book was amazing and it shattered my heart into a million pieces. Yet, I loved it. The characters were awesome and the plot was action-packed and intense. If this interests you then read on.

The characters are amazing and complex and so so human!!!! It was amazing and I’m in love with some of them. Except none of them would be into me. And I would probably be dead by the time this story takes place. But that’s not the point. The characters all grow as people and by the end of the story turn into people that you really care about and would give your life for. They are too pure for this world. I also enjoyed the sibling dynamics, mainly Day and Eden’s, because Day has assumed the parental role and Eden (like all 10 & 11-year-olds) has started to rebel against their parents. It was just so engaging and enthralling!!!!

My favorite character was June. She was so strong and empowering and she wasn’t afraid to get what she wanted. But she put her country above herself, which I thought was really brave of her. I think that I would have made all of the same decisions that she did if I was in her situation (even though I wish that she read more books). I think that she would have made a wonderful Elector someday. She might be one of my favorite characters of all time, and she would definitely have won the Hunger Games.

The plot was intense and the ending. Killed. Me. It was so sad and it left me broken inside. I will fight anyone who says that Marie can’t write stories with sad endings because they are wrong. I hope that I will have the guts and the ability to write an ending like that. But let’s not talk about the ending anymore. The action was intense with some breaks between the fighting and the planning. I think that was much needed and I wished that there were more of those. 

The setting was very detailed. I could imagine myself there with the characters adventuring and exploring and fighting. My favorite scene was Antarctica. It reminded me a lot of Warcross. Maybe Marie based Warcross off of this scene. If she did I think that I would die. This book is just so empowering and it will change your life. Just read it. I don’t know what else I can say to you to get you to read it. Just please do. I promise that you will love it and it will change the way you see the world.

As you can probably see from the rest of the review, I loved this book and it changed the way that I see the world. I highly recommend it. The book’s summmary came from the Library of Congress. Please remember to fill out my survey. You can find the link on my about page. Thanks for Reading!!! Have a Great Day!!! -Annalee and Buttons

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Prodigy, by Marie Lu

June and Day make their way to Las Vegas where they join the rebel Patriot group and become involved in an assassination plot against the Elector in hopes of saving the Republic.

Okay, people, I don’t actually have this exact book cover I just like it more than my book cover so I decided to post this. Sorry not sorry. But I did really enjoy this book. It was very well written and we got to see June and Days relationship progress in this book which was amazing. Throw an assassination in there and I’m all set.

The characters from the last book changed a lot and we also introduced some new characters. It made me wonder about the arcs in the books to come. Because there will be arcs and they will be big and I will not be expecting any of them. Note to future Annalee: Don’t cry too much because this is a new book and I don’t want to ruin it. But the characters change a lot and learn to accept each other for who they are and they also learn that not everything is as it seems. It was amazing to watch them grow as people and I can’t wait to do that in the next book as well.

My favorite character in this is Anden. Or Ollie but I can’t say Ollie because he was really just a minor character. But Anden, he was a great leader and I was just so proud of him and the way he treated everyone, even the servants. He was nothing like his father and you never knew everything about him and his past. I hope that you learn that in future books because I need to know. I hope that he and Day become friends and help each other out. I don’t know why. I just need it to happen.

The plot was very interesting. The ending broke me though!!!! I needed the third (and final) book that instant which was bad because I was at school and Champion was at home. But all is well now and I can read Champion in peace. This was not a very action-packed book, except for the moments when it was full of action and adventure. Otherwise, it was filled with dinners and conversations. But I thought that was good because this book was about the characters, not the action and adventure.

The setting moved around a lot and I loved how we got to explore all of the different places in the Republic and even a city in the Colonies (I would choose the Republic any day). My favorite place was Denver mainly because of the Armor. I wanted more information on that, which I hope that we’ll get in the next book. I hope that we explore even more new places in the next book, like some foreign countries.

So, as you can see, this book was very well written and I enjoyed it a lot. I suggest it to everyone. The book’s summary came from the Library of Congress. Please remember to fill out my survey. You can find the link on my about page. Thanks for Reading!!! Have a Great Day!!! -Annalee and Buttons

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A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares, by Krystal Sutherland

Esther Solar is determined to break a curse that has doomed her entire family to debilitating phobias, only to encounter a new fear she hadn’t counted on: first love.

So this book was very good and I enjoyed it a lot because it talked a lot about mental illness in an interesting relatable way.  The characters were adorable and it was very easy to fall in love with them. And then they did something that shattered your heart into a million pieces and you never saw it coming. The plot was very character-based which meant that if you didn’t like the characters then you wouldn’t like this book. If you want to hear more about this book then you should read on.

The characters are amazing!!!! They are so real and imperfect and they make me want to die inside. Most of them had one type of mental illness or another which made me wonder if it was transitioned by blood or if just being around mentally ill people 24/7 can make you partial to being mentally ill yourself (I hope that didn’t sound insulting. If it did I am very sorry). The characters changed a lot in the book, after all, it’s a book about facing your fears, I would hope that you would change at least a little bit.

My favorite character was Eugene. He was one of those people that you can’t help but love. He was terrified of the things that lurked in your closet or under your bed. You know, your childhood monsters. He also disappears for long periods of time and flickers, seriously though, this kid is definitely magic and should have gotten a Hogwarts or Ilvermorny letter. I will stand by this until I die. He was also probably the most mentally ill of all of the main characters.

The plot was very interesting. It was a sort of contemporary because I will fight you if you don’t Eugene is magic. Otherwise, it was a contemporary about facing all 50 of your fears with your childhood crush and your mute best friend and your mentally ill twin brother(that’s Eugene). I like how Esther is actually scared when she does these dangerous things. I was worried that she would be totally fine jumping off of planes and swimming with sharks but my fears were unfounded. When I went into this book I wasn’t expecting much but now I realize that this book is very good and it will hook you from the beginning.

The setting was very well done. I could imagine the “haunted” house where they lived very well. I could even envision the little scenes that only lasted five pages, tops. My favorite scene was definitely the cave scene with the priest as the leader of the group. That’s right a priest is teaching everyone how to go spelunking. I’m sorry I just can’t stop laughing whenever I think about this. I did want to hear more about Death in this book (yes, Death is actually a character in this book). I hope that there’s a sequel.

So, as you can see, I loved this book a lot. I hope that you read it and love it just as much as I did. This will also be my Featuring an MC with a Mental Illness for the 2018 Book Bingo. The summary came from the Library of Congress. Please remember to fill out my survey. You can find the link on my about page. Thanks for Reading!!! Have a Great Day!!! -Annalee and Buttons

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Carve the Mark, by Veronica Roth

On a planet where violence and vengeance rule, in a galaxy where some are favored by fate, everyone develops a currentgift, a unique power meant to shape the future. While most benefit from their currentgifts, Akos and Cyra do not — their gifts make them vulnerable to others control. Can they reclaim their gifts, their fates, and their lives, and reset the balance of power in this world? Cyra is the sister of the brutal tyrant who rules the Shotet people. Cyra’s currentgift gives her pain and power — something her brother exploits, using her to torture his enemies. But Cyra is much more than just a blade in her brother’s hand: she is resilient, quick on her feet, and smarter than he knows. Akos is from the peace-loving nation of Thuvhe, and his loyalty to his family is limitless. Though protected by his unusual currentgift, once Akos and his brother are captured by enemy Shotet soldiers, Akos is desperate to get his brother out alive — no matter what the cost. When Akos is thrust into Cyra’s world, the enmity between their countries and families seems insurmountable. They must decide to help each other to survive — or to destroy one another.

So, wow!!! That book was amazing and it reminded me why I need to read the rest of the Divergent series and just read more of Veronica Roth in general. It was a masterpiece and I think that everyone should read it. I am serious. GO READ IT!!!! For a few reasons why read on.

The characters were perfect and I fell in love with them from page one. They were so adorable and flawed and human. It was amazing. There was also the air of mystery and scheming that each character had because you were always wondering what their motives were. It got me hooked because you know, I need to know all and be in control (that’s why I’m writing my own book). There are also a lot of character arcs that I loved to read through. 

My favorite character was Cyra (I keep thinking her name is Citra for some reason). She was really awesome and she knew what right from wrong was, which doesn’t always happen when you’re raised in an evil family. It was really amazing to watch her become a person worthy of Askos. 

The plot was very interesting and it got you hooked from the very beginning. There were quite a lot of plot twists that left your hearts in ribbons. It was very intense and it made you hate some of the characters with vengeance and it made some of the characters seem like angels in a very cruel world. There were some things that broke your heart and some that proved that love and a belief that you would die for are real. 

The setting was very detailed and it was like you were watching a movie within your mind. It was awesome. I felt like I was in the OASIS (I have not seen the movie but I intend to). It boggles me how authors do that. I don’t think that I could ever do that. Someday, I hope they will be this good.

As you can see I loved this book so much and I am very proud of myself for the minimum capitalizing. The summary came from the Library of Congress. Please read this immediately. And please remember to fill out my survey. You can find the link on my about page. Thanks for Reading!!!! Have a Great Day!!! -Annalee and Buttons

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The Wrath and the Dawn, by Renee Ahdieh

In this reimagining of The Arabian Nights, Shahrzad plans to avenge the death of her dearest friend by volunteering to marry the murderous boy-king of Khorasan but discovers not all is as it seems within the palace.

This book was very good!!!! I think that Shahrzad was an amazing main character and I loved her to the bottom of my soul. The plot was very intense and I enjoyed all of the twists and the turns. You were always kept on your toes, that’s for sure. I loved how the character’s all had different motivations and ways to carry out those motivations. If you want to hear more about the book then read on.

The characters were very well written. Shahrzad was very likable even though she was a bit whiny and predictable. Kahlid was a pain and one of those characters who made a mistake and now everyone is paying for it. And the no one knows the real me trope. So he was sort of bland and predictable, yet I was fine with him because we didn’t see very much of him. Everyone else was okay. The arcs were very predictable but I was still happy with what happened. 

My favorite character was Shahrzad. She was amazing and really funny. She was also a really good storyteller. Her stories felt like a book within a book. It was an interesting take on the classic fairytales like Aladdin. I was sort of annoyed with the way that she pushed everyone away but I understand her motives. After all, I would have done the same thing. Or I just would have done what I had come to do. Not sure about that. But still, if my situation had been the same I would have done something similar. It was really interesting reading from her perspective. All in all, she was my favorite character in the book.

The plot was very interesting. I have never read Arabian Nights so I can’t judge how much it was based on that, but I will read it in the future because now I am curious. Just like I want the sequel to this right now because they ended with a plot twist and a cliffhanger. So you know, gimme gimme gimme. But I’m going to go with the rest of TBR pile first before it crushes me. If you read books with epic plot twists and live for cliffhangers than this book is for you.

The setting is very well done. I could imagine myself in the gardens and the dining room. It was awesome!!! I think that the author did a very good job with the setting. It made me want to travel there except I don’t know where it is. Or if it will be that beautiful. I fell in love with the palace and the desert. I think that I want to live there at some time in my life. It would be like paradise. Please, please, please let me go there and see everything.

As you can see I really enjoyed this book except for some minor flaws. I recommend it to all YA lovers. This book also fills my That Is a Retelling for the 2018 Book Bingo Reading Challenge that I participate in. The summary came from the Library of Congress. Please remember to fill out my survey. You can find the link on my about page. Thanks for Reading!!!! Have a Great Day!!!! -Annalee and Buttons

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The Serpent’s Secret, by Sayantani Dasgupta

Up until her twelfth birthday, Kiranmala considered herself an ordinary sixth-grader in Parsippany, New Jersey, but then her parents disappear and a drooling rakkhosh demon shows up in her kitchen, and soon she is swept into another dimension, full of magic, winged horses, talking birds (very annoying), and cute princes–and somehow Kiranmala needs to sort it all out, find her parents, and basically save the world.

This book was pretty good. The characters were very detailed and relatable. The plot was intense and kept me hooked. The mythology was, well, I have never read mythology like that before. But there were a few problems that I get into later in the review. 

The characters were really funny. Kiranmala, Kiran for short, was really sassy and funny and was just a really loveable character. Neel and Lal were okay but I think that Lal could have been more developed. Everyone had a backstory and it was awesome because you never knew everything about anyone. It kept you hooked. The characters developed very well and sometimes they didn’t develop for the better. I’m trying to write this without spoiling it and I didn’t realize how hard it was. 

My favorite character was Neel. He is the classic broody bad boy. My one weakness. His flying horse, Night, is also pretty cool. And the fact that he is a demon pacifist is amazing. Honestly, how many people do you know who are demon pacifists? None, probably. Everyone you know would just kill the demons. Neel also wasn’t one of those people who is always forgiving people when they ask for it, yet he will help them they need it. I would love a book just from his perspective. 

The plot was very intense and it kept you engaged. The mythology was very interesting and it prompted me to research further about the Bengal cultures. In the beginning, it was very fast and then it slowed down a bit. Then it sped up again. That was very annoying. It was a classic debut author mistake. The author did a very good job describing the worlds and the creatures. It was very impressive. In the beginning, I didn’t know anything about Bengal folktales, by the end I knew a bit and it prompted me to research more. There were a lot of plot twists and it made you wonder what was going to happen in the next book.

The setting was really well done. The author described everything really well and you understood what the mythology was. I felt like I was in the story, going on an adventure with the characters. The author did very well describing the various worlds. I felt like I could be in them all by myself, without the characters there, so that I would have more time to explore. It was enthralling and I will definitely read the next book.

 As you can probably see I really enjoyed reading this book and I will definitely be picking up the sequel. I highly recommend it to everyone. Please remember to fill out my survey!!!! You can find the link on my about page. Thanks for Reading!!!! Have a Great Day!!! -Annalee and Buttons

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Counting by 7s, by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Twelve-year-old genius and outsider Willow Chance must figure out how to connect with other people and find a surrogate family for herself after her parents are killed in a car accident.

This book was amazing!!! It was also really sad but beautiful at the same time. To say I loved is not enough. Let’s just say, if my bookshelf was on fire this book would be one of the first I would try to save. Sloan created relatable characters that I couldn’t help but love with all of my heart and she talked about topics that aren’t often talked about in MG or YA novels. These were topics like gifted children, grief over both parents dying, foster parents, and foster care. I loved it. If you want to learn more than read on.

The characters were very relatable and I loved them all to pieces. They were diverse and beautiful and so human. They had flaws and talents which they used a lot. Sometimes, you find characters that don’t have flaws and are perfect. It is very annoying. But not with these characters!!!! They have flaws and everyone recognizes it. I loved it. The characters were my favorite part of this book.

My two favorite characters were Pattie and Mai. They were so determined and could get what needed to be done, done. But they also followed their hearts and helped people when they needed it. It was amazing and if I ever get to meet them in real life I would ask them for their autographs. I’m not sure how that would go but I would try. They are the perfect role models for young girls. They don’t listen to anyone and do what they think is right. It is amazing. But they both had their flaws. If you want to know what they are then read the book.

The plot was very interesting. You don’t get many books about foster care and grief, at least, not in MG and YA. This book also taught the meaning of family and that it isn’t always defined by blood. Of course, sometimes it is but sometimes you forge deeper bonds with others and they become like your second family. It is amazing how it works. I hope that I someday have a second family like that. There are also a lot of character arcs. The characters learned to be better people and that they could help each other out of their dark places.

The setting was just a suburban dwelling and then an apartment. I think that it was done well but I wouldn’t know because I have never lived in an apartment and I never really want to. But I know people that do and the description seems pretty accurate to me. I think that the garden settings were the best settings out of them all. They were really realistic and I learned something while reading about them. It was awesome and I loved it. 

As you can probably see this book was amazing and you should all pick it up. I promise you will love it. Please remember to fill out my survey!!! You can find the link on my about page. Thanks for Reading!!!! Have a Great Day!!! -Annalee and Buttons

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Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda, by Becky Abertalli

Sixteen-year-old, not-so-openly-gay Simon Spier is blackmailed into playing wingman for his classmate or else his sexual identity–and that of his pen pal–will be revealed.

This book was GOLD!!!! I feel like I have never read anything that beautiful before!!! Even though it is set up like a classic contemporary the style was different somehow. There were lots of details about the friends and the issues that gay people, mainly high schoolers, go through everyday. I also enjoyed the emailing aspect. It was so amazing that these two kids don’t know each other yet they do know each other. With that, I have to talk about the amazing characters and the plot. The characters were so sweet and I loved them. The plot was very interesting and it was paced just right. With that, I’m going to move on and talk about everything in more detail.

The characters were very realistic. Some of them were kind, amazing people and some of them were irritating little pieces of scum that I wanted to leave the school and never come back. Simon’s friends were very well done and I enjoyed reading about them because they were awesome and had each others’ backs. That was the kind of friendship that I love and wish that everyone had. I loved how intense Ms. Albright got about things that she cared about. It is amazing how much a teacher can change your life. For better or worse.

My favorite character was Ms. Albright. She was amazing!!! I loved how she stood up for what was right, even when she was standing alone. She was also pretty funny. I wish that we learned more about her. She took issues head on and made sure that her goals were achieved. I loved how strong she was. I wish that I had a teacher like her.

The plot was very engaging. I think that the Martin scenes were very well done. There was lots of tension but there were also moments of happiness and simplicity within Simon’s friend group which was amazing!! The moments of truth were so sweet and amazing to read about. Friendship dynamics are pretty hard to write (in my opinion, but it just mean that I’m bad at writing friendships) but Becky did it perfectly. There was also the friends to enemies dynamic in there as well that was done very well. The whole social life of Simon was written very well and it makes me want to pick up all the books by Becky and read them. 

The setting was very descriptive. I could envision myself walking down the hallways of the school with Simon and his friends, I could envision myself doing drama with the Simon and the rest of the club, and my favorite scene of all, rocking out of Emoji. Emoji sounds like the best band ever. Almost as good as getting an email from someone as sweet and caring as Blue, their emails were amazing and so sweet and they took my heart and smashed it. They talked about important things and I wish them a happy ending!!!

So as you have probably deduced, I loved this book so much and I highly recommend it to everyone!!!! If you haven’t read this book go pick it up. I command thee!!! This book also fills the Featuring a Gay MC for the 2018 Book Bingo challenge. Please remember to fill out my survey. You can find the link on my about page. Thanks for Reading!!!! Have a Great Day!!! -Annalee and Buttons

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Brown Girl Dreaming, by Jacqueline Woodson

Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become. 

This book was SO BEAUTIFUL!!!! *goes and cries because of the beauty* We got to know Jacqueline on a personal level and when the book was over I felt like I was losing a friend. There was not really a plot but for this book that was okay. Honestly, just read further and then read the book so that you can get a piece of this beauty.

The characters were AMAZING!!! I loved how every character had a backstory and a story to tell and it talked about real life things that happen to actual families. It was so interesting to see how the Woodsons reacted to each and every trial. I also liked how everyone in that family was different. This book teaches a lot of important life lessons to children and it is so beautiful and pure and I’m in love.

My favorite character was Odella, or Dell for short. She was always reading and the smartest in her class. I liked seeing that and I liked seeing how relatable she was, even though she wasn’t talked about much. The times that she was mentioned I knew that she would have been my favorite. Mainly because of the books she read. She would have made a great book blogger. Except for the fact that her mother would have never let her blog. 

The plot was… virtually nonexistent. Which was good for this book because it was a memoir. There were life events that happened to the family but they weren’t the plot. They were maybe 3 to 5 poems. Oh, that’s another thing to talk about. The poems. They were a writing style that I don’t normally read. But, in my opinion, the poems were beautiful. They conveyed what Jacqueline was feeling at the moment while keeping you informed on what was happening. And did I mention that most of these poems were only a page or two wrong? It was amazing!! Just another reason for you to read this book. 

The setting was always changing with the poem that was being read. Yet, you always knew where you were. I was enthralled. I could envision myself in the setting. Not playing with the characters because I never envision myself in memoirs and biographies. And that is pretty much all I can probably put into coherent speech that will convince you to read this book. Except for this: READ THE BOOK!!! I PROMISE YOU WILL LOVE IT!!!!

As you can probably see from the above paragraph, I really really loved this book. I highly recommend it to everyone reading this post. And then to your friends and family. Just read the book. By the way, this book fills out my “written in prose or poetry” for my 208 Book Bingo challenge.  Please remember to fill out my survey!! You can find the link on my about page. Thanks for Reading!!! Have a Great Day!!! -Annalee and Buttons

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2018 Book Bingo: March and Happy Easter!!

First, I want to say: Happy Easter Everyone!!!!!! Even if you don’t celebrate this holiday is the perfect excuse to eat to much chocolate. But I’m here to talk about my 2018 Book Bingo (sorry for not posting last month). This challenge was created by Dawlyn and Krista, if you haven’t checked out their blog, Little Blind Book Finds, you totally should. Well, now let’s get going and do this. This is going to be for February and March. Well, let’s do this. 

That is Non-Fiction: This book was amazing and I loved it!!! I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone!!!! 5/5 stars

That Takes Place In a Different Time Period: 

This book was really good as well. It is as good as it’s more famous cousin Pride and Prejudice and I highly recommend it. 5/5 stars

Classic: 

No explanation needed. 5/5 stars

Has A Unique Title: 

This book had a few issues but it was very good overall. 4/5 stars.

Written by a 2018 Debut Author: It was a very good book except for a few minor issues. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book!!! Review to Come. 4/5 stars.

Written in Prose or Poetry: This book was so beautiful!!! Thank you, little sis, for recommending it to me. 5/5 stars. Review to Come.

Featuring a Gay MC: 

This book is so deep and true and it broke my heart. The movie Love, Simon is based on it and I will go to see that sometime. I hope the movie is as good as the book. Review to Come. 5/5 stars.

That is a Retelling:

This book is based on Arabian Nights. I have not read Arabian Nights but now that I’ve read this I probably will. The review for this will be published on April 16. 4/5 Stars

Featuring a Strong Female Lead:

Cyra was so strong, even with her chronic pain. And then she realized that enduring the chronic pain was actually making her stronger. You don’t get stronger than that (realizing that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger is truly amazing and hard to do). This will be published on April 19th. 5/5 stars.

Well, this was a new experience and it was fun. I promise to do it again next month. Please remember to fill out my survey!!! You can find a link on my about page. Thanks for Reading!!!! Have a Great Day!!!! -Annalee and Buttons