Book Review: Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

Title: Glass Sword
Author: Victoria Aveyard
Series/Novel: Red Queen (Book #2)
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dystopia
Pages: 444
Publisher: HarperTeen
Year Published: 2016
First Line: "I flinch."

"If there's one thing Mare Barrow knows, it's that she's different.
Mare Barrow. Mare Burrow's blood is red- the color is common folk- but her Silver ability, power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control.
The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince- the friend- who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling. She is not only one of her kind.
Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king. Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors.
But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the monster she is trying to defeat.
Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?
The electrifying next instalment in the Red Queen series escalates the struggle between the growing rebel army and blood-segregated world they've always known- and pits Mare against the darkness that has grown in her soul."

My Rating: 5/5

I am so happy I had the time this long weekend to finish this incredible book! I haven't finished one in what feels like forever and this book was the perfect to get me back into reading the way I want to. Throughout the weekend, I found myself carrying it with me to find moments when I could pick it up and find out what was happening and to who. 
I think that my friends were getting a little fed up with my constant reading habit everywhere we went. 
This second instalment really showcases how Mare has been effected by the past and in the present by actions surrounding her. I also think it truly shows you never know who you can trust in a time when you are an unusual individual. People fear what they don't know. I also think the exploration of the country was interesting as there is a distinct difference in the character we meet along the way. The idea of fighting is also large in this book and very well described, making a reader feel like they are in the heat of the battle. I think the additional characters really made a difference to how this was written. It showed different perspectives and gave different ideas about the future of the series. I think that the book also moved at a natural speed which is something that some books have trouble with, this one on the other hand had a perfect flow for me to read throughout the weekend. 
And that ending........ just saying. Read it!

THANK YOU VICTORIA AVEYARD FOR SHOWING A CHARACTER WHO IS SO UNREAL YET SO GENUINE!
Thanks for reading,
Love,
Sidny 

Spoiler: Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

I finally finished it!!!! I know what everyone in the Young Adult reading community has been talking about. And yes, it's everything they say it is. INCREDIBLE! 
I've been reading this book all weekend, whenever I have a minute. And woah, what a fantastic way to spend a weekend. It was awesome.
The change of setting throughout this book was incredible. It really showed different areas of the country and the changes that have been happening since the denouncement of Cal and how people are reacting to their new ruler. It also shows the change in the group known as newbloods. The ones everyone wants to dig their claws into. The additional characters in this book were incredible and really added to the story. Unfortunately I won't be able to get to them all in the character section, but let it be known that their is a constant changing "cast" in this book. Their is also alot of action style sequences so if that's what you enjoy reading you'll really love this. 

Characters:
Mare: Mare has changed throughout her time in the palace and several different prisons. She's learning that people fear what they don't understand and know. What they don't find normal in their day to day lives, and some may try to eradicate these things. After she is saved she is immediately in battle with those around her and on the run. After surviving one thing, it just seems that nothing can go her way. For example, the Colonel locking her up after she tries to assist him with his plans for war. I think that Mare is suffering trying to push her different roles in her life to different characters instead of letting her different personalities make up who she is. Which makes sense when she is constantly fearing for her life and those around her. I was very excited by the end of the book to see the Choke and then to be captured... I did not anticipate it, but that ending though, as much as I hated it. Perfect.

Cal: Cal is also lost without his role as a leader of a group. He doesn't fit in the new world in the new rebellion and he doesn't fit among his own kind. Especially as a king killer. I think that the death of his father really affects him as we see his nightmares during his sleep and the way he acts with those around him. The way he reacts in the prison surprises me the most and how he reacts when Mare kills his Silver counter parts. I can't blame her, but I also understand his feeling, these are people he's grown up with. He's known them all his life to harm them would be betraying his own, no matter what they have done. I do hope that he is safe though.

Shade: It's cool, I'll just bawl. I don't need to be happy that's fine! I was angry, but it was a perfect move for an author. A change for sure. I never thought he would be killed after he kinda came back from what we assumed was death in the start, and to be killed in an instant of trying to save his sister was crazy and horribly sad. The description was perfect and fit the shock I felt as it happened. I wish that he would have been around to see the revolution that his actions had caused.

Farley: She is a good person. As much as she is trying to push against bounds of others who are her superior, she becomes an equal with Mare. Some trust her and other's Mare. Together they work to find as many as they can. I am curious to read about her background in Cruel Crown. I think I know what she was asking when she first had questions about Jon. I also wonder how her life will turn out after the capture. I hope the best for her. Shade and her would have made a fantastic couple, just too good I suppose.

Kilorn: We all knew this confession was coming. I just hoped that Mare would be able to return it, but when she couldn't I felt for him. I hope that he is able to find someone who can love him as he needs. I also hope that he doesn't let the jealousy of not having abilities eat him up, and seeing that he is valuable as he is. 

Cameron: This fiesty little thing threw me for a loop, but she was also just what the group needed. She was angry and challenging I hope that she puts those characteristics and feelings to good rather than to sit back while Mare is butchered.

Maven: Still a crazy mother f**ker but at least that mother of his is dead. I'm curious if he'll actually kill Mare or just keep her as a pet. I'm also curious what's going on in his head while all this is happening. Madness.

Moments to Remember:
Pg. 315
"'I'm useless,' Farley chirps from her seat. A blade flicks back and forth in her hands, betraying exactly how wrong she is."

Pg. 378
"I'll just wait up here,' Cameron says, watching us from the openin doorway at the top level. Her legs dangle. She even has the gall to whistle, eyeing the last magnetron as he moans."

Final Line: "I kneel."

Thanks for reading,
Love,
Sidny

Book Review: Reached by Ally Condie

Title: Reached
Author: Ally Condie
Series/Novel: Matched Series (Book #3)
Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Dystopia
Pages: 512
Publisher: Dutton Books
Year Published: 2012
First Line: "A man pushed a rock up the hill."

"Cassia's journey began with an error, a momentary glitch in the otherwise perfect façade of the Society. After crossing canyons to break free, she waits, silk and paper smuggled against her skin, ready for the final chapter.
The wait is over.
One young woman has raged against those who threaten to keep away what matters most- family, love, choice. Her quiet revolution is about to explode into full-scale rebellion.
With exquisite prose, the emotionally gripping conclusion to the international bestselling Matched trilogy returns Cassia, Ky, and Xander to the Society to save the one thing they have been denied for so long, the power to choose."

My Rating: 4/5

I finally had a chance to stay up late and finish this book, with little to no regard to my studies. So take that midterms! I think that this book was a fine summary to a great Dystopian trilogy. It showed the rise of rebellion and a change in a society, while still following three of our favourite characters. We also get to learn about their different roles in the rebellion which is what we have all been waiting for.
Some parts of this final instalment were surprising to me all the same, as a fair amount of new characters come into existence within a torn country. The setting that is ever changing keeps things interesting while helping readers to visualize a change in a futuristic society. 
Unfortunately, I'm a girl who is stuck in a rut, and hates a good series to end, and this series is no exception. I can't help but wish there was more, but I'm grateful for what I learned from this series. That sticking up for the rights of all can be as easy as sticking up for something you believe. 
THANK YOU ALLY CONDIE FOR SHOWING HOW GRATEFUL WE CAN BE FOR OUR RIGHTS!

Thanks for reading,
Love,
Sidny 

Spoiler: Reached by Ally Condie

This book is the final instalment in this series, which as mentioned is sad but necessary. I see why Ally Condie decided on this place to end. The following three different series through the rise of the revolution and the changing of a world was so interesting, especially from all the separate points of view. I certainly enjoyed seeing the development of feelings between new and existing characters.

Characters:
Cassia: Cassia has changed throughout the Rising. Figuring out who to stick up for, who to trust and who to believe. She's followed her feelings and her heart to get where she is. I think it was interesting to watch her figure out what she is immune to and different roles she could take in the future. One role I found especially interesting was a trader and a poet. Especially the idea of a Gallery. It seems so strange to have thought of during the change of a government, but it worked for her. It helped her cope. 

Ky: I was so happy about how he fought with the rebellion, and stayed with Indie even though he wanted to find Cassia. I do wonder about how their relationship may have worked if Cassia hadn't been around or if there was no Matching in the first place. When he fell still, I worried that the author would kill him off,  but grateful when he came back to them and helped Cassia to create the chances for all of society, to vote and have a choice.

Xander: I'm upset for him, but he has outgrown Cassia. He has become someone none of us could have ever imagined. A doctor, a scientist and a true caregiver to the people in his care. He gave everything to them and spent so much time working for them, only to be on trial for killing someone who was his role model. I hope that he learns to love again.

Lei: I suspected she was who she first was (this will make sense if you've read it). I hope that she will learn to love again and find a way to commemorate her love in the past while learning to love again and make the most of the new world.

The Pilot:  I don't particularly trust this man, he seemed to have good intentions but he got in over his head to quickly. I hope that he can find a place where he truly belongs but really, I don't believe that he should be the ruler of a country! He seems so stranger and unsure near the end, that he wouldn't be someone I chose as a leader. 

Oker: He was a role model. He made things as right as he could before passing, but everyone runs out of time eventually. I think that he did what he did in the beginning because he truly thought it was right, and after seeing how it affected those around him, he made the choice to make it right, which is harder to do then some might believe.

Hunter: What the literal heck! I was surprised that he could be capable about such a thing, but when people have been treated unfairly all their lives, it's crazy what they'll do. 

Moments to Remember:
Pg. 497
"For so long, we cared about who saw us. Who might be watching, who might be hurt. But now, we are only dancing."

Final Line: "Reaching and reached."

Thanks for reading,
Love,
Sidny

Fun Read: Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson

Title: Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things
Author: Jenny Lawson
Series/Novel: Novel
Genre: Non-fiction, humour, memoir
Pages: 329
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Year Published: 2015
First Line: "No, no. I insist you stop right now."

"In LET'S PRETEND THIS NEVER HAPPENED, Jenny Lawson baffled readers with stories about growing up the daughter of a taxidermist. In her new book, FURIOUSLY HAPPY, Jenny explores her lifelong battle with mental illness. A hysterical, ridiculous book about crippling depression and anxiety? That sounds like a terrible idea. And terrible ideas are what Jenny does best.
According to Jenny: "Some people might think that being 'furiously happy' is just an excuse to be stupid and irresponsible and invite a herd of kangaroos over to your house without telling your husband first because you suspect he would say no since he's never particularly liked kangaroos. And that would be ridiculous because no one would invite a herd of kangaroos into their house. Two is the limit. I speak from personal experience. My husband says that none is the new limit. I say he should have been clearer about that before I rented all those kangaroos."
"Most of my favourite people are dangerously fucked-up but you'd never guess because we've learned to bare it so honestly that it becomes the new normal. Like John Hughes wrote in The Breakfast Club, 'We're all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it.' Except go back and cross out the word 'hiding.'"
Jenny's first book, LET'S PRETEND THIS NEVER HAPPENED, was ostensibly about family, but deep down it was about celebrating your own weirdness. FURIOUSLY HAPPY is a book about mental illness, but under the surface it's about embracing joy in fantastic and outrageous ways-and who doesn't need a bit more of that?"

Rating Free

This book was gifted to me by a good friend who knows how much I enjoy reading. This book was both hilarious and insightful. A memoir of a day to day life of Jenny Lawson shows the two sides of mental illness; the struggle and the dark. I've found that this book has really helped me through the stressful situation of my last term of school. Some of the facts about anxiety really hit home for me. This past year I've really come to realize that it's ok to be anxious, but it doesn't have to ruin my life. This book helped to show me that you can live a full life, and if you never know the darkness, you may never recognize the light.

THANK YOU JENNY LAWSON FOR HELPING US ALL TO EMBRACE OUR CRAZY!

Thanks for reading and getting us up to 20,000 views,
Sidny 

Book Review: Crossed by Ally Condie

Title: Crossed

Author: Ally Condie

Series/Novel: Matched Series (Book #2)

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia, Romance

Pages: 367

Publisher: Dutton Books

Year Published: 2011

First Line: “I’m standing in a river.”

“The Society chooses everything.

The books you read.

The music you listen to.

The person you love.

Yet for Cassia the rules have changed. Ky has been taken and she will sacrifice everything to find him.

And when Cassia discovers Ky has escaped to the wild frontiers beyond the Society there is hope.

But on the edge of society nothing is as it seems…

A rebellion is rising.

And a tangled web of lies and double-crosses could destroy everything.”

My Rating: ⅘

I’ve been really taking my time with reading lately as I get into my final term in college. This installment into the Match series has really expanded on the first book, as the characters grow and as it says in the description nothing is as it seems, not the environment, the people or the rebellion.

This book introduces new characters and a different understanding of what both the Society and the Rebellion believe in. All in all, I think this book really hits on what makes us human. What makes us think that one thing is good while another is evil? Or is everything just a murky shade of grey in between the two?

When you look at the Society from the inside, it looks quite perfect, because you don’t have to take the time to make choices, but what is life without choices?

Outside the society, things are quite different. For those who have risked and lost, the Outer Provinces are safe for no one. As the characters expanded I began to wonder if this book could possibly live up to the first, and sadly no. It’s a good middle journey, but it’s nothing compared to the introduction. It follows the journey on the outside, but seems to drag on near the ending. The characters are what really carry this story throughout. I look forward to reading the ending in this trilogy, and seeing how the Society turns out.

THANK YOU ALLY CONDIE FOR LETTING US FOLLOW A JOURNEY!

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: Crossed by Ally Condie

To recap, this second book in the Matched Series takes place on a journey on the outer rims of Society, where nothing as it says in the description, is as it seems. All the characters we knew are evolving with the addition of information and the forthcoming of secrets. The fact that they sent the noncitizens out to die is crazy. And I have the idea that it’s not an Enemy killing them of either. If anything,  they’re getting rid of all the people who refuse to conform, or who show any sign of rebelling. I guess now that we know the Rising is really that close it makes a sad amount of sense. The characters have also really started to expand, and we’re starting to understand where all the different groups are. The Farmers are the most interesting to me, living how they lived in a completely different way from the Society.

Characters:

♥Cassia: She’s starting for herself which is awesome, but I also think she’s doing it for herself to better fit in with one group of people. She’s not really part of the Rising, but she can’t be a part of the Society. I’m getting frustrated because she keeps deliberating between the two men. I thought we made our choice, but really she’s still pondering, so going back to Xander is a horrible idea!!!

♥Ky: I love Ky. I wish he didn’t lie, but I mean I see why he did. He’s a big teddy bear, and trying to protect everyone especially after what he’s been through. Still she wouldn’t be deliberating if she should chose the more straight laced guy. I hope that he pulls it together, but he’s lied too much to make it through. Also quit patronizing yourself for everything you do to survive Ky.

♥Xander: I think Xander’s a good guy. I’m surprised he’s involved in the Rising, but what if he’s playing both sides, waiting for a good deal. He’s not trustworthy either. I just don’t trust these men. I’m interested to see how he explains the blue tablets.

♥Indie: The least trustworthy person in this whole series. Lies, steals, displays all the jealousy. How are you in love with Xander, when you’ve only seen a microcard with him? I’m interested to see how she does in the rebellion.

♥Vick: I loved him. He was a hard ass, but his story was so damn beautiful. To fall in love with someone who might risk your whole future is crazy but also really romantic.

♥Hunter: Another sad story, but he was necessary in our story to better understand all the people who live outside the Society. The farmers were so peaceful and incredible, to have such a sad end to their lives as they knew it. Where did they all vanish to.

Moments to Remember:

♥Final Line: “It looks, I imagine as if someone painted stars or flowers at exactly the right time; a momentary capture of beauty that will too soon vanish.”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Book Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Title: The Night Circus

Author: Erin Morgenstern

Series/Novel: Novel

Genre: Fantasy, Fiction and Romance

Pages: 490

Publisher: Vintage Books

Year Published: 2011

First Line: “The circus arrives without warning.”

“The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it, no paper notices plastered on lampposts and billboards. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.

Within these nocturnal black-and-white striped tents awaits an utterly unique, a feast for the senses, where one can get lost in a maze of clouds, meander through a lush garden made of ice, stare in wonderment as the tattooed contortionist folds herself into a small glass box, and become deliciously tipsy from the scents of caramel and cinnamon that waft through the air.

Welcome to Le Cirque des Rêves.

Beyond the smoke and mirrors, however, a fierce competition is under way--a contest between two young illusionists, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood to compete in a "game" to which they have been irrevocably bound by their mercurial masters. Unbeknownst to the players, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will.

As the circus travels around the world, the feats of magic gain fantastical new heights with every stop. The game is well under way and the lives of all those involved--the eccentric circus owner, the elusive contortionist, the mystical fortune-teller, and a pair of red-headed twins born backstage among them--are swept up in a wake of spells and charms.

But when Celia discovers that Marco is her adversary, they begin to think of the game not as a competition but as a wonderful collaboration. With no knowledge of how the game must end, they innocently tumble headfirst into love. A deep, passionate, and magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

Their masters still pull the strings, however, and this unforeseen occurrence forces them to intervene with dangerous consequences, leaving the lives of everyone from the performers to the patrons hanging in the balance.

Both playful and seductive, The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern's spell-casting debut, is a mesmerizing love story for the ages.”

My Rating: 5/5

Happy Holidays! I hope that everyone is warm and safe. This book was an excellent surprise it included magic, competition and love. It really made me wonder about the what ifs of human possibilities. It also all tied in so beautifully together, let it be known that at the end of this fantastic novel everything that you have read begins to really hit home and tie together. The author did an excellent job making characters both larger than life, but also realistic, characters a reader gets to know and falls in love with.

I’m so happy to have had the chance to embrace this novel during the school and holiday season although I wished I had had the time to read it in one sitting, I’m grateful that I took the time to fully immerse myself in the circus, the different sights, sounds and just the sense of wonder that is throughout the whole book.

I’m excited that this book was wrapped up in such a beautiful way. A way that made me not long for more but feel a sense of peace at the end.

The setting was so well developed that as I read I felt both at home and full of wonder about the circus and the surroundings, everything was perfectly

THANK YOU ERIN MORGENSTERN FOR PAINTING A BEAUTIFUL STORY THAT HELPS ADULTS IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES OF MAGIC!

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny

Spoiler: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Happy holidays all of you lovelies. I hope that you are all safe and warm on this beautiful day/night/evening.

This was a fantastic fall/winter read. I enjoyed the thought of magic all wrapped up in my blankets with a cup of coffee. It was an excellent distraction from all the school work that was flooding in.

The setting in this novel was so well described that I felt as though I was really entering the circus and finding out the mysteries with the participants.

Characters:

♥ Celia: She is really something else. I enjoyed the fact that she was so strong and powerful although it was heartbreaking to see her alone, so when Marco and her hooked up I was excited but also hesitant as they were competitors. As the story went on and we find that only one will survive I began to wonder what in the world they would do to either save each other or to stay together. As the story unwrapped, I began to see what the others were planning, but I had no idea if that would work. In fact, I worried about the fate of everyone in the circus. Would they consider it to selfish to die together and leave the others attached. In the end, I understand why they did what they did, so as to save all those around them.

♥ Marcos: He was a really struggle to get to like after the way he treated his other little friend, but in reality, he was lonely and people have been known to do worse when they are lonely. He is great for Celia. They belong together and were certainly my definition of star crossed lovers. I enjoyed watching their romance unfold and seeing them lose themselves to each other. I’m happy that they were able to pass on the circus to Bailey, Poppet and Widget, they will surely take care of it.

♥ Poppet: She’s a little odd, but truly a smart and loving girl. She cares so much for those around her and I hope that she does not get hurt by that, but her smarts will likely guide her along with her extraordinary talent.

♥ Widget: I worry about him befriending the man in the grey suit. I don’t trust him, to pit others against each other to the death is unacceptable. But he is a natural storyteller, as you can tell by the way he describes the circus throughout the novel.

♥ Bailey: To give up your family and home for the unknown is brave, but to bind yourself to something ever changing and so full of wonder. I hope that Bailey never loses his appreciation for the circus.

I could go on to mention all the other characters, but in reality I could go on forever.

Moments to Remember:

♥Pg. 477

“‘Stories have changed, my dear boy,’ the man in the grey suit says, his voice almost imperceptibly sad. ‘There are no more battles between good and evil, no monsters to slay, no maidens in need of rescue. Most maidens are perfectly capable of rescuing themselves in my experience, at least the ones worth something, in any case.’”

♥Pg. 490

“You are no longer quite certain which side of the fence is the dream.”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny

Book Review: Matched by Ally Condie

Title: Matched

Author: Ally Condie

Series/Novel: Matched (Book #1)

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia, Romance

Pages: 366

Publisher: Speak, an imprint of Penguin Group

Year Published: 2010

First Line: “Now that I’ve found the way to fly, which direction should I go into the night?”

“Cassia has always trusted the society’s choices.

And when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia is certain he is the one... until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

Now she is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one dares follow… between perfection and passion.

Society matched them, but love set them free.

In society officials decide

Who you love.

Where you work.

When you die.”

My Rating: 5/5

I guess I’m finally admitting it. I love dystopia. I know that it’s a strange love because dystopia is all about the what if’s of our society, but that’s precisely why I enjoy it so much. Who's to say that our society won’t fall into The Society. This book brought on different subjects for readers. A place that seems calm and perfect. A place where people follow the rules and don’t get hurt. But just for one minute, what if you didn’t want to just follow, what if you wanted to choose? That’s unheard off, isn’t it?

This book follows the change of following to choosing, from being subconscious to fully conscious. Cassia is learning things that others may have waited years to discover. It interests me to the fullest. 

I must say that this book being a romance wasn’t something I was interested in but considering the subject materials and the choices The Society makes for you it all makes

perfect sense that love should be anticipated and awaited. The only questions is who's the love of her life truly? And if there is not only one what in the world will she chose?

THANK YOU ALLY CONDIE FOR A DIFFERENT DYSTOPIA BASED ON THE NEED OF CHOICE!

Thank you for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo