Spoiler: Florence by Ciye Cho

This book is once that was requested by the author and I’ve finally had a chance to read it. As mentioned above although it was a request all things stated are honest opinions of my feelings towards the book.

This book was unmarked territory for me. I have read one other mermaid series, around when I was 12 so that’s while ago….. And it definitely captured my attention. At the beginning I thought that this book had a set path, but by the end I was intrigued and left wanting more. My favourite part of this novel was the way things were in such vivid colour in contrast to the darkness. It was both interesting and hard to comprehend. After I was able to imagine the characters, their personalities helped to keep my interested ignited.

♥Characters♥

♥Florence: As usual, the main character grows and changes throughout the book. I’m happy she didn’t change to much though. She was able to stand up for herself by the end and what she believed in but she still had an interest in photography and reading as far as I could tell. I was also happy to see that she made her wait out of the love triangle, at least I hope she did. Who knows… there is a book 2!!!!!!

♥Kiren: Ok so I thought she was going to end up with him for sure. He seemed the obvious choice for her to be with. Sociable, charming and easy to look at. I was pretty surprised when we see him talking to the Wise Ones, ok surprised isn’t quite the right word, I was angry. Anger and shock are emotions so good, but also made me put the book down and go for a walk. Hopefully even though he survived the Darkness he doesn’t give over to the Wise Ones.  I believe he thought he was doing the best for his people.

♥Rolan: I thought he would be such a tool. I’ll be honest, I judged immediately. But then he turned out to be guarded, but sweet generally. His anger came from trying to protect his own. And who can blame him with the past he had. I do hope that he can protect the kingdom, but the odds aren’t really in his favour, are they?

♥Yolee: I wonder how old she would be and whether or not she had ever considered the thrown? I don’t believe she had, but I believe she will stand behind Rolan through the war that has erupted.

♥Serillico: She is a heartless piece of work. I can’t say I wasn’t happy when she died. In fact it didn’t bother me in the least. If anything I may have celebrated with a tiny bit, like a small dance around my dorm room.

♥Iriego: He seemed like a heartless man at first, but I warmed up to him. He does what he believes best for his people. Even though that almost meant putting Florence down like an animal.

♥Dorsimer: I guess not everyone can live during a war, but it would be nice if he could have.

♥Moments to Remember♥

♥Pg. 46

“I recognized Malachiro and Pahlo. Yolee pointed out the others: Haralo, Juren, Piriko… it sounded like she was reading from an Ikea catalogue.”

♥Pg. 63

“‘They’re beautiful,’ I whispered. Maybe a little dangerous too, I thought. But then again, the words beauty and danger seemed like synonyms in Niemela.”

♥Pg. 82

“I was the only girl from a faraway world. Unique. Maybe even interesting.

 I could be exotic, ethereal, graceful…

Alas, that was when my toe bumped into a barnacle on the whale’s tail. I lost my balance and yelped.”

♥Final Line: “That… and the distant roar of Rolanama.”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Book Review: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Title: Allegiant
Author: Veronica Roth

Series/Novel: Divergent (#3)

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fiction

Pages: 526

Publisher: HarperCollins Children’s Books

Year Published: 2013

First Line: “I pace in our Erudite headquarters, her words echo in my mind: My name will be Edith Prior and there is much I am happy to forget.”

“The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shatter- fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known. Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature- and of herself- while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.”

My Rating: 5/5

Today/tonight I am going to be reviewing the final official book in the Divergent series (I say that as there is a few more books that have short stories and such). This book follows both Tobias and Tris through a new found government and allows them to explore what’s outside the fence. It is truly an interesting read and for those who have read the other books I would strongly recommending continuing reading through the series. The ending is marvelous. As frequent readers know, I love a book that can make me feel. If you can make me fall in love with characters and feel something throughout the book, I usually enjoy the book even more. Allegiant did not disappoint. It had action and feeling to it as well as a sense of mystery and suspense. I hope to be able to read some of the short stories that Veronica Roth has also published featuring the Divergent characters.

THANK YOU VERONICA ROTH FOR MAKING ME REMEMBER WHAT IT IS TO TRULY FEEL AND REMINDING ME WHAT MAKES US HUMAN

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

So let’s start of with the fact that if you are an emotionally challenged person, reading this series probably isn’t good for your mental health. Some of us find this out the hard way. That being said I loved this trilogy. It reminded me of so many things that make us human and for the most part kept me excited, wondering what was coming next. The change of setting was slightly unnerving, but in a good way. The way that Veronica Roth took time in both the city and the Bureau was interesting and by the end I understood why. I wasn’t overly impressed with the idea of the city being an experiment but now that I think about it, it makes sense considering the series as a whole. The part that really got me about this book was the ending. I’m sure that’s how most people who have read it feel (comment below).

♥Characters♥

♥Tobias: Now normally I would start with Tris, but I think the fact that the chapters in this book switch between Tris and Tobias is important so I’m going to start with him this time. In this book I think that Tobias truly broke down for the readers and made it so we could see how his life as a child and in the city in general. The way he reacted when told he was wrong and how his mind seems to work. I was interested in that and happy to see behind his walls. Although there were some things I didn’t want to hear. I was very upset with Tobias for acting with Nita. You shouldn’t be doing something you aren’t comfortable with your significant other knowing. When Tris dies I felt for Tobias. I didn’t believe it and cried same as he did. If anyone deserves true love in this series it is Tobias, but I’m uncertain if he will ever find that given how this great romance ended.

♥Tris: Here is where things get all emotional. I didn’t think that I actually felt for Tris that much until she died. And when she went into the chamber for Caleb, I strongly believed that she would make it through. I couldn’t see the author killing of her main character, but that’s exactly what happened. Tris was someone to me that I would try to model myself after, she was selfless and brave. She had a good judge of character and wasn’t afraid to stand for what she believed in by the end of things. She also knew how to love ferociously. This series to me was about what it is to be human and feel.

♥Uriah: Because one death is never enough apparently, this guy didn’t make it either. He would have enjoyed the new world that Tobias is now living in. With his jokes and quick smiles, he easily wormed his way into my heart.

♥Evelyn: I was surprised when she gave into the truce that Tobias offered, but then again she is his mother. It’s horrible that Marcus couldn’t change, but I don’t believe that people like that never really do. I hope that she finds something she enjoys in the city. I could see her being an advocate. I was expecting her to say something about Tris, like an open ended apology, especially after how she treated her.

♥Christina: A strong character throughout the ability to forgive and not hold grudges for a long period of time makes her loveable. I do feel bad that she has seen so many people die around her. I hope that she finds true happiness in the city.

♥Caleb: This is a difficult part to write as I hated him after the second book. The way her agreed with the obvious evil was interesting but horrible. I wish that he had had a chance to talk through what exactly happened, but when the alarm went off they lost their chance. I hope that he lives the best life possible as his life was returned to him by Tris. Something I’m still unsure if he deserved.

I’m going to leave the characters there for the moment. I think that it makes sense to include those. If you would like to discuss more about the characters, comments are open.

♥Moments to Remember♥

♥Pg. 25

 “‘Yes, well, I realized that we’ve never been on an actual date.’

  ‘Choas and destruction do tend to take away a person’s dating possibilities.’

   ‘I would like to experience this ‘date’ phenomenon.’”

♥Pg. 380

“‘It’s very strange that a persons genes would make them so resistant to mind manipulation of any kind.’

 ‘Maybe it’s not her genes,’ I say, shrugging. I switch feet. ‘Maybe it’s some kind of superhuman stubbornness.’”

♥Final Line: “We mend each other.”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Happy Holiday

Hi there,
I hope you all are having a good holiday or enjoying the end of December. I'm just giving an update to mention that while I am on holidays, I am spending time with my loved ones. This means that there is not as much time to read, I hope to begin reading more starting soon.

Thank you for your time and enjoy the last of 2014
Love,
Sidny xoxo

Book Review: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Title: Insurgent

Author: Veronica Roth

Series/Novel: Divergent Series (Book #2)

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction

Pages: 525

Publisher: HarperCollins

Year Published: 2012

First Line: “I wake with his name in my mouth.”

“One choice can transform you- or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves- and herself- while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris’s initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in time of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable- and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.”

My Rating: 4.5/5

Hi there! Fancy meet you here…. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Today I will be reviewing Insurgent by Veronica Roth. This is the second instalment in the Divergent series. This book follows Tris through her run through a world that is falling apart. After being a confirmed Divergent she is on the run of her life.

I won’t go into to much detail as I don’t want to spoil this book for anyone who hasn’t read it (but if you have Spoiler is usually posted below).

I was impressed by this book. I usually enjoy the first book and feel like the second one takes a major hit, but this one was surprisingly good. I still liked this one, although not quite as much as the first one.

The characters in this book were far more complex, and as a reader, we get to learn more about their past and the way their factioned system is set up. I enjoyed that we got to learn more about how the world that they live in is set up, it makes the whole thing more realistic. And the ending is amazing. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book, and am contemplating switching the order of books in the TBR pile to allow me to do so.

THANK YOU VERONICA ROTH FOR MAKING ME ESCAPE INTO ANOTHER WORLD THAT IS CAREFULLY THOUGHT OUT AND PLANNED!

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Ok this is the area where I can really get into the details of this book. As I mentioned previously, I think that this book was a pretty good follow up to the first book, and only diminished slightly. I think that Veronica Roth did an excellent job of expanding on the world that she created in the first book and showing readers how the factions were set up. We especially got to see this as Tris is on the run so much she visits all the factions in the city. Speaking of expanding on things lets discuss characters…

♥Characters♥

♥Tris: Tris has changed as a character. While she has grown up, she is also a lot more thoughtful about who she trusts. I’d almost say she has become sceptical. And in reality who would blame her. You are in the middle of a raging war with so many options of who to trust and shown few leads as to who is trustworthy (other than Jeanine). I was impressed that she went against Tobias, and at first I was upset with her about it, but in the end, I couldn’t blame her. How could you not go after something your parents had thought important enough to die for? Hopefully she is not to harshly tried for her crimes and can escape to the outside world, who knows if it will be any better out there though.

♥Tobias: At first, in this instalment in the series I found that Tobias was more loving than ever, but at points in the end I thought he was a bit cold. I understand that he was upset that Beatrice/Tris had decided to side with his father, but in the end he seemed to understand why. Especially when the information they found was so important and life altering. I do wish that he did trust Tris more, but perhaps with time that will be capable.

♥Jeanine: She is an interesting person that’s for certain. I suppose in her way of thinking, she was really protecting the factions and that’s also probably why so many Divergent went missing, because too many Divergent meant it was time to open the flood gates. I find it interesting that no one took much of an interest previously to what was outside of the gate. Would you not be slightly interested? I was relieved when she died, but also shocked that she died the way she did.

♥Caleb: Ok so what is his deal? Is he really with the Erudite or factionless or someone else? It’s hard to keep up with his decisions. I hope that he hasn’t chosen to stay inside the gates at all costs. I thought he would be smarter than that, but perhaps he is just as brainwashed as those under simulation. Oh my goodness….. WHAT IF HE’S UNDER SIMULATION!?!? (so now that you understand the inner working of my brain whilst reading…)

♥Marcus: I’m not sure whether or not his is trust worthy yet. I want to say just because of the way he treated Tobias, but perhaps I’m wrong. He might be working towards saving the world, who knows at this point?!

♥Evelyn: I know that I don’t like her. She is just as bad as Jeanine. I understand why she is fighting with the factionless, but did she know about the outside gates and was going to use the factionless to get the information erased?? So many thoughts….

♥Christina: I still like her. And although she lost Will, I think that her friendship with Tris has changed. Part of her must hate Tris, but another part must think that Tris is someone worth fighting for as she has proven throughout the book. Especially at the end.

♥Moments to Remember♥

♥Pg. 399

 “‘I’ll be your family now,’ he says.

‘I love you,’ I say.”

♥Pg. 426

“‘Let me get this straight. So you left the Dauntless compound to get ready for war… and took your makeup bag with you?’

 ‘Yep. Figured it would be harder for anyone to shoot me if they saw how devastatingly attractive I was,’ she says, arching an eyebrow.”

♥Pg. 463

“I step toward the Candor. Maybe they aren’t programmed to shoot. I stare into the glazed eyes of a woman in a white blouse and black slacks. She looks like she just came from work. I take another step.

 Bang. By instinct I drop to the ground, covering my head with my arms, and scramble backward, toward Fernando’s shoes. He helps me to my feet.

 ‘How about let’s not do that?’ he says.’”

♥Final Line: “Then the shouting begins.”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Book Review: 40 Things I Want to Tell You by Alice Kuipers

Title: 40 Things I Want To Tell You

Author: Alice Kuipers

Series/Novel: Novel

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Pages: 283

Publisher: HarperTrophyCanada

Year Published: 2012

First Line: “‘There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.’ I leaned back in my desk chair, resting the phone between my cheek and my ear, and doodled on the pad of paper by my computer.”

“Top Tip:

Some secrets are too hard to keep

Amy (a.k.a. Bird) seems to have the perfect life: loving parents, a hot boyfriend, the best friend ever. She even writes an online advice column, full of Top Tips, to help other teens take control of their lives. But after a new guy shows up at school, Bird can’t seem to follow her own wisdom.

Pete is the consummate bad boy. He’s everything Bird is not: wild, unambitious and more than a little dangerous. Although she knows Pete’s trouble, Bird can’t stay away. And the more drawn she is to him, the more cracks are revealed in her relationship with Griffin, he doting boyfriend. All it takes is one mistake, one momentary loss of control, for her entire future to be blown away.”

My Rating: 2/5

Hi ladies and gents, long time no write. It’s been to long for my liking and I am finally able to find some time to do a review again. The book I’m reviewing today, 40 Things I Want To Tell You , follows the story of Amy or, as she’s referred to throughout most of the book, Birdy throughout her 6^th form. It has some interesting aspects as Birdy also happens to be an online advice, but all in all I found this book to be extremely predictable. This book did not catch me off guard at all and in fact, it took me so long to finish as I was bored with it. The characters were not very well developed and the main character didn’t seem to be very competent. It was frustrating to see something so obvious as a reader and have to wait till the end of the book till Birdy finally realized what was going on.

One good thing I would like to mention about the book is that, it takes place in an interesting setting. I’ve never been to England and it was interesting to read with some other words and picture where Birdy lived, went to school, etc. That was an interesting aspect to this novel.

THANK YOU ALICE KUIPERS FOR LETTING ME EXPLORE A LITTLE BIT OF LONDON!

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: 40 Things I Want To Tell You by Alice Kuipers

This novel was not at all what I expected. The first time I started to read this novel, I had a copy that was missing about 20 pages at the start. So the first time when read part of it I was confused and lost. I chalked all that up to the missing pages, but when I got a new book (Thanks Indigo!!!) I was sure it would be a good read. I did not enjoy it. I’m not trying to be a pessimist, but there isn’t barely anything I liked about this book. I thought that the characters were under developed and that the main character for lack of a better word was stupid. The other thing that I didn’t enjoy was the way time moved. It seemed either to be going by too slow or too quickly and I had trouble figuring which time of the year it was. The one positive thing I have to say about this book is that the setting was one which I hadn’t read about much before. I like to read about other places and explore them.

♥Character♥

♥Birdy/ Amy: I think that she was a poor choice for the main character and she was not real enough for me to enjoy reading about. The choices she made throughout the entire book were poor and had me upset. I understand being 16 years old is not easy, but you can not simply be this stupid and still have test scores to get into Oxford, that’s unrealistic. She is the definition of book smart. I think if this character existed in real life, there is a high chance I would punch her in the face. I hope she will be a better mother.

♥Cleo: I would have loved learning more about Cleo. What kind of best friend is she? How did she cope with Amy’s incidents? I was not surprised when Cleo and Griffin ended up together, it seemed like they should have been all along, Amy was just far to blind to see (it even says this in the book, with different phrasing of course).

♥Griffin: He deserved honesty from the very start. Birdy had no excuse to treat him the way she did. In the end though, he deserved Cleo. They seemed like they would go well together. I felt horrible about his mother, but I do wonder what happened to her.

♥Pete: The fact that he was still in Amy’s life surprised me. Not because I think he is a bad guy, but because of the way she treated him. She slept with him and then treated him like shit. Yes, there should have been protection that’s a no brainer. But he still stood by her through most of what was going on. Good for him!

♥Amy’s Dad: I think that Amy’s father was going through a really tough time, but he was in denial until her pregnancy brought him back to earth. Hopefully he can forgive her.

♥Amy’s Mother: Good for you, for following your dreams lady, but could you not have discussed what happened with Amy’s Dad, I hope that in the long term they are both happy.

♥Moments to Remember♥

♥Final Line: “Number 40: LOVE IS WORTH THE RISK”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Book Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth

Series/Novel: Divergent Series (Book #1)

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Sci-fi

Pages: 487

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Year Published: 2011

First Line: “There is one mirror in my house.”

“One choice

Decides your friends

One choice

Defines your beliefs

One choice

Determines your loyalties- forever

One choice

Can transform you”

My Rating: 5/5

Let’s start with a summary. This book follows Beatrice/Tris through her test that will decide what life she will live. In a world that is very futuristic, there are 5 factions to live in. The factions define who you are as a person and what you value. I’ll leave it at that as I don’t want to spoil anything in the book review (spoiler below), but trust me it’s an interesting read.

This book has been on my TBR pile for quite sometime, and I finally got around to it. I’m very happy that I read this book because of how it ties in so many what ifs. It makes a reader question the future and what they believe in. That’s one of my favourite things about books like this. Not only are you transported to another world, but it makes you wonder what you would do in this world. Would you follow, or would you break free?

This book questions what followers are and helps you realize that we as humans each have our own values. It also made me question trust. Who I trust, why I trust them and what I trust them with was all put into question. I liked that, in a strange way. I liked that this book made me think.

I also feel for the characters and the scene that was painted was picture perfect in my mind. More details on that below.

THANK YOU VERONICA ROTH FOR QUESTIONING INTENTIONS!

Thank you for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: Divergent by Veronic Roth

Divergent takes place in a futuristic society that is made up of 5 factions. Each faction believing that the past world ended for a different reason and so forth each faction has different values. This book made me question many things. Beginning with what are my values? What would I chose and where would I be in the world that Divergent offers? Where would I fall? Would I follow, or would I break free? Would I question my leaders, or do as I was told? All these thoughts occurred to me multiple times in the book and I enjoyed the fact that this book didn’t just take me on a journey, it made me think about who I am as a person.

Another part of this book that I truly enjoyed was the scene. The thought of a burnt out city with all the empty buildings and new faction areas was an interesting thing to imagine. Something that could be left to the reader to imagine mainly on their own with a little bit of guidance from the author.

Lastly, I enjoyed the characters. They were interesting, to say the least..

Characters:

♥Tris: I think that transformation we see in Tris is remarkable. We see her go from struggling to be who she is, to being a full fledged Divergent. She takes no from no one and fights back when the odds are against her. Something that we as humans tend to love to watch/read. I can’t wait to read more about her. I’m super excited that she ended up with Tobias, but upset that she wasn’t able to make it out of the battle with her family intact.

♥Tobias: I love him, he seems like the kind of guy that I would just hate to love. He’s sweet and takes care of Tris, but also trusts that she is capable to take care of herself. I thought he was going to die for sure when he was the one in the control room. But luckily, he lived on. I can’t wait to see him in the next books and see where love and life on the run takes these two. I hope that he keeps his distance from Marcus, because I can’t see that going anywhere good.

♥Christina: I’m sure that Jeanine will use the fact that Tris killed will to make Christina continue to do some work. I can’t see her being on the Divergent side really. Not because she’s not a nice character, just because of the circumstances.

♥Will: Well there he is. The elephant in the room. Never thought that he would die. I never really thought much about him, just that it seemed so sweet that Christina and him had found each other.

♥Jeanine: This woman is pure evil. Her quest for power reminds me of Hitler in all honesty, and I know that’s not something that should be taken lightly, and I don’t. She is greedy and wants power and will do anything she can, including mind control and murder, to get it. I’m sure she will continue to be a villain throughout the series or at least into the next book. And I say, BRING IT!

♥Eric: This didn’t shock me at all. He seemed like the sly kind of guy who would help out the main villan.

♥Al: This caught me completely off guard. I knew that he liked Tris, but to kidnap her to make her feel weak and then commit suicide to ease your own guilt afterwards, that is purely cowardly. He would have never made it in Dauntless.

♥Peter: I can’t wait to see what will happen next with him. Maybe he’ll get shot in the face.

♥Beatrice’s Parents: I think that I will put them together, because together they made the ultimate sacrifice for their daughter. Her mother, who was also Divergent saved her the first time while her father gave his life in the final stand in the Dauntless building. They were incredible characters that I would love to know more about.

♥Caleb: I wonder what will happen next for him, as he chose to be factionless. Hopefully something good, but sadly, I doubt it.

Moments to Remember:

♥Pg. 205

“Sometimes crying or laughing are the only options left, and laughing feels better right now.”

♥Pg. 290

“’And your side?’ he asks, his voice low.

 ‘Only hurts when I breathe.’

He smiles. ‘Not much you can do about that.’

 ‘Peter would probably throw a party if I stopped breathing.’

 ‘Well,’ he says, ‘I would only go if there was cake.’”

♥Pg. 411

“’Moths,’ repeats Will. ‘You’re afraid of moths?’

 ‘Not just a cloud of moths,’ she says, ‘like… a swarm of them. Everywhere. All those wings and legs and…’ She shudders and shakes her head.

 ‘Terrifying,’ Will says with mock seriousness. ‘That’s my girl. Tough as cotton balls.’”

♥Final Line:

“I suppose that now, I must become more than either.”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo