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[Book Review] - Every Day by David Levithan

Title: Every Day
   Author: David Levithan
   Format: Hardcover
   Release Date: August 14th, 2012
   My Rating: 3.5 out of 5.0

     In his New York Times bestselling novel, David Levithan introduces readers to what Entertainment Weekly calls a "wise, wildly unique" love story about A, a teen who wakes up every morning in a different body, living a different life.

     Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.

     There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.

     It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.

     With his new novel, David Levithan, bestselling co-author of Will Grayson, Will Grayson, and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, has pushed himself to new creative heights. He has written a captivating story that will fascinate readers as they begin to comprehend the complexities of life and love in A’s world, as A and Rhiannon seek to discover if you can truly love someone who is destined to change every day.

My Review:

     Every Day is a hard book to explain, I enjoyed it completely. I will say however, that it isn't on my top lists or anything; even if I loved the book and thoroughly enjoyed it, it just didn't have the necessary completeness to make it. Every Day is a book about A, a teen or person or well spirit, who inhabits a new body each day. Its never the same person, so every day there is a different person to get to know and  understand, a different lifestyle that this spirit (I'll use spirit from here on) has to cope with.

     Now if I was A, the spirit, I would agree with the first rule I believe that is mentioned in the book, Don't interfere with someone else's life. Meaning while he inhabits he can never really explore his own desires, he tries to maintain a lifestyle that they would be used to. It isn't every day that you could go into an addicts body and try to maintain. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to get into an addicts mind and try to maintain your own sanity.

     In Every Day, everything changes when A meets Rhiannon and for the first time ever the spirit decides to follow its own will. It treats her so well that her verbally abusive boyfriend that the spirit happens to be in that day, won't even understand or know what just went on. The spirit than has to leave at the end of the day, to the new body and can't imagine being without her. The book goes from there, trying to explain and the whole philosophy of who A is, why, and more.

     The best part of this book I thought wasn't the romance or the challenge of loving someone every day in a different body. What I enjoyed the most was the philosophy A had come up with. The quotes are endless in this book and go on and on. The philosophy of religion and what it means to a person, how nice people are different than kind people, to gender and sexual orientation. The book is full of transpiration and frankly it opened my eyes to some of the biases and even some of the more discriminating aspects of who I am.

     Every Day is a great idea where to being when trying to understand and view different aspects of harder to grasp life. If you read the book and try to keep an open mind, I guarantee this will change some of the outlooks you have. I love the philosophy of this book. I just found it sad that the romance and whatnot came second to the rest of the philosophy.

[Stacking the Shelves] - #13

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your bookshelf, be it the physical one or your digital one!


      More headway, maybe I'll catch up and finish sharing everything that I've added to my shelves. More than likely not this week or the next. :P I am sorry, I should have kept up on this but I find it fun to do massive posts like this. So I'll just get right into it again this week!

The Casual Vacancy
Red Rain
Yesterday
Starling
Clockwork Prince

Mailbox Pickup:



   Author: J.K. Rowling
   Format: Hardback
   Release Date: September 27th, 2012

     A BIG NOVEL ABOUT A SMALL TOWN ...

     When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.

     Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

     Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils ... Pagford is not what it first seems.

     And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

      The Harry Potter series has impressed and changed the young adult fantasy and paranormal genre forever, and J.K. Rowling goes after the same crowd she started with. However, with this book the same age group that she started with is older and she needs to address that age difference in this book. I find it good to see J.K. Rowling back in action and trying to get a new title out into the public.

     The Casual Vacancy has a lot of issues with me that need to be addressed long before getting into the book. The synopsis makes it seem like there is a town that is at war with itself. People seem to hate each other with never ending malice, but I don't know if that's exactly true. The other issue I have is the lack of any characters, the main character or whatever doesn't present itself. Who is going to be telling the story?

     My biggest issue is the whole book is about how a supposed empty seat left by this Barry character, forces the entire town into World War 3. I find this political ploy and the whole plot sense of this synopsis to be very poor and very boring. In fact the only real reason I picked this book up was because it was written by J.K. Rowling. We'll see if she can keep her Harry Potter status by the end of the book.






Title: Red Rain
   Author: R.L. Stine
   Format: Hardback
   Release Date: October 9th, 2011

     Travel writer Lea Sutter finds herself on a small island off the coast of South Carolina, the wrong place at the wrong time. A merciless, unanticipated hurricane cuts a path of destruction and Lea barely escapes with her life. In the storm’s aftermath, she discovers orphaned twin boys and impulsively decides to adopt them. The boys, Samuel and Daniel, seem amiable and immensely grateful; Lea’s family back on Long Island—husband Mark and their two children, Ira and Elena—aren’t quite so pleased. But even they can’t anticipate the twins’ true nature—or predict that, within a few weeks’ time, Mark will wind up implicated in two brutal murders, with the police narrowing in.

     Red Rain by R.L. Stine follows in the same line as The Casual Vacancy. When I was younger I read a few Goosebumps books, and they always kept me in suspense and there was some bit of a fear behind the chapters and books. I wouldn't say I thoroughly enjoyed the books back than, but I have changed since I than.

     When I picked up Red Rain, I was looking for a good suspense or thriller book. I wanted something that pulled me and tried to scare me through the book. Than when I saw this book come across book trailers on youtube, I just couldn't help myself. It fit everything I was looking for, and R.L. Stine is one of those authors that you can count on to put out a good book. I just hope my judgement is right on this one as well.






Title:Yesterday
   Author: C.K. Kelly Martin
   Format: Hardback
   Release Date: September 25th, 2012

     THEN: The formation of the UNA, the high threat of eco-terrorism, the mammoth rates of unemployment and subsequent escape into a world of virtual reality are things any student can read about in their 21st century textbooks and part of the normal background noise to Freya Kallas's life. Until that world starts to crumble.

     NOW: It's 1985. Freya Kallas has just moved across the world and into a new life. On the outside, she fits in at her new high school, but Freya feels nothing but removed. Her mother blames it on the grief over her father's death, but how does that explain the headaches and why do her memories feel so foggy? When Freya lays eyes on Garren Lowe, she can't get him out of her head. She's sure that she knows him, despite his insistence that they've never met. As Freya follows her instincts and pushes towards hidden truths, the two of them unveil a strange and dangerous world where their days may be numbered. Unsure who to trust, Freya and Garren go on the run from powerful forces determined to tear them apart and keep them from discovering the truth about their shared pasts (and futures), her visions, and the time and place they really came from. Yesterday will appeal to fans of James Dashner's The Maze Runner, Veronica Roth's Divergent, Amy Ryan's Glow, Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and Ally Condie's Matched.


     Yesterday I found on Goodreads I believe. I was simply exploring The Maze Runner series for The Kill Order and this popped up on the similar books section. Frankly the cover caught my eye, because it looked like the buildings were turning into trees as they went up and the face in the corner was confusing. When I read the synopsis of the book and the books it was compared to, my mouth dropped open. I have read all but two of those books (Glow and Daughter of Smoke and Bone) but both of those sit on my shelf. This book has some big comparisons behind it, and I want to see if they are justified.

     Looking at the synopsis it seems the book is broke apart into two sections, Now and Then. What happens in Now to make it Then? I was wondering if there was a distinguishing event that makes the transition clear or if there is some coming of age event that Freya goes through (her father's death) to change all the events. Than There is Garren Lowe, the character that brings up a past even Freya doesn't know she has. I was confused on this, why does her memory seem foggy? Did something happen, I guess that's the point of the book; to explain why she's so confused and her past.






Title: Starling
   Author: Lesley Livingston
   Format: Hardback
   Release Date: August 28th, 2009

     Mason Starling is a champion fencer on the Gosforth Academy team, but she's never had to fight for her life. Not until the night a ferocious, otherworldly storm rips through Manhattan, trapping Mason and her teammates inside the school. Mason is besieged by nightmarish creatures more terrifying than the thunder and lightning as the raging tempest also brings a dangerous stranger into her life: a young man who remembers nothing but his name--the Fennrys Wolf. His arrival tears Mason's world apart, even as she feels an undeniable connection to him. Together, they seek to unravel the secrets of Fenn's identity as strange and supernatural forces gather around them. When they discover Mason's family--with its dark allegiance to ancient Norse gods--is at the heart of the mystery, Fennrys and Mason are suddenly faced with a terrifying future.

     Set against the gritty, shadowed back-drop of New York City, this first novel in award-winning author Lesley Livingston's epic Starling Saga is an intoxicating blend of sweeping romance and pulse-pounding action.

     After reading Starling's synopsis the first thing I thought of what how similar it sounded to Divergent. Well it sort of does, minus the whole paranormal aspect. I see Mason falling for Fennrys and the romance being behind those two, while at the core Mason learns about her family's allegiance and what it means to her. Okay maybe it's a bit more different now that I'm thinking about it, but there is some part of a struggle and growing up tale to this book.

     Starling is about every bit of a young adult novel that I enjoy. It's got a good setup for some good action and story telling, but on the side there is a elegant romance waiting to blossom. I love books that combine those two genre's together, however while both may try to do that, there are very few that do it well. Doing it well may be the hardest part to an author, but I find that it's the books hardest part doing it well enough for me. Everyone has their own taste in how they like different mixtures, so maybe it'll be done well enough for my tastes.






   Author: Cassandra Clare
   Format: Hardback
   Release Date: December 6th, 2011

     In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

     With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.

     Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

     As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.


     Okay and I'll get this out of the way right now. I did pick up Book #2 in The Infernal Devices series before I picked up the first one. I saw this on sale at a local Meijer. I have been trying to get around to reading more, and the Mortal Instruments series is on my list to get to. I have always been a fan of Cassandra Clare and have wondered how good the series are, if she's put out this many books.

     The Infernal Devices is a spawn off of the Immortal Instruments series from what I understand. I don't know exactly how they relate or if they are even following the same timeline. I just haven't gotten into the series all that much, and like I said before it is on my list to get around to.

[Waiting on Wednesday] - #12

          Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

See something you like here?
Click the book title to add it to your Goodreads TBR List!



Author: Morgan Rhodes
Date: December 11th, 2012

     In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power--brutally transforming their subjects' lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:

     Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.

     Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished--and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.

     Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past--and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

     Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword...

     The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

     Falling Kingdoms is one of those books that I've stumbled upon. The genre Fantasy has a competitor in it this time, and Morgan Rhodes has her hands full with this staple fantasy novel. I have heard a few expectations and notions that this book would be a good novel to get my hands on. As well its on a staff pick over at Barnes & Noble, and I wanted to see if their judgement could be trusted. I hope to pick this up over the next few weeks and delve into it.

     I love the fact that there is four characters in this novel, my issue with this is how many other characters will come into the story because of this? As in will we see their friends, their family? There is the possibility of having too many characters in the novel and confusing the audience if not done right or well, and I'm a bit worried on that topic.

     I am looking forward to seeing how the story is told. How the Matched trilogy where each chapters is told by a different character's perspective is the best alternative; I personally would avoid the whole J.K. Rowling Casual Vacancy way of going about the description. I do not like chapters that jump around all over the place and have no cohesive reason for being strung together. In Casual Vacancy, yes, all the events took place in the same day, but time is not a good reason to lump all events together in one chapter.

     In Falling Kingdoms there is three kingdoms that are waiting in peace and looking for just about any reason to go to war. I am curious to see the three kingdoms and learn what they stand for, how they are transforming their people, and to understand the basic culture of the kingdoms that preside int his fantasy. At the same time I an curious to see what exactly will happen with the war that will come eventual and why the four characters are even present in the synopsis. Either way, I want to read this book!

[Flashback Friday] - #12

Flashback Friday is a weekly event, hosted here, that highlights a past released that we're dying to get our hands on...

See something you like here?
Click the book title to add it to your Goodreads TBR List!



Title:  Starcrossed
   Author: Josephine Angelini
   Release Date: May 31st, 2003

     How do you defy destiny?

     Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

     As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.


My Stance:

     First week where I am just one day behind. I feel accomplished and like I'm finally getting in the swing of things. If only I had time to read more, I would be able to do more reviews. That'll come in time. However the book this week is a good Romance novel/series; Starcrossed. I saw this book months ago in a Barnes and Noble and I just fell in love with it. I am now kicking myself that I didn't actually purchase it. I'll have to get it sometime and indulge myself.

     Starcrossed just caught my attention because of how Helen goes through some destined romance and I get the feeling tragedy is always around the corner. The other issue is the nightmares and the hauntings that bring a twist to this book, I am not sure if I would classify this as a Mythical rendition or a Paranormal book. There is so many angles to take with this book, that i want to get into it and read it.

     The other part of this book that I am curious on, how much does this relate to the mythology of Helen of Troy. I hope there is some reason behind the name and whatnot, as well I hope there is a reason behind the other "paranormal" happenings around Helen. Now, I will admit I don't know a lot about Helen of Troy and frankly if there was something drastically wrong with the mythology in this book, I almost guarantee I wouldn't know the difference.

     Having said that, and where I stand on this book. I have a choice to make up, I don't know if they are going to do a boxed set for the series when Goddess comes out next year, but I don't know if I should wait to pick up the set or pick up this one and see how I feel about the series. I'll cross that bridge eventually. I can't wait!

[Book Review] - The Kill Order by James Dashner

   Author: James Dashner
   Series: #0.5 - The Maze Runner
   Format: Hardcover
   Release Date: August 14th, 2012
   My Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0

     Before WICKED was formed, before the Glade was built, before Thomas entered the Maze, sun flares hit the earth and mankind fell to disease.

     Mark and Trina were there when it happened, and they survived. But surviving the sun flares was easy compared to what came next. Now a disease of rage and lunacy races across the eastern United States, and there’s something suspicious about its origin. Worse yet, it’s mutating, and all evidence suggests that it will bring humanity to its knees.

     Mark and Trina are convinced there’s a way to save those left living from descending into madness. And they’re determined to find it—if they can stay alive. Because in this new, devastated world, every life has a price. And to some, you’re worth more dead than alive.

My Review:

     The Kill Order I was nervous of because Thomas and Teresa didn't seem to take part in this novel. And I was right, for the most part. The book focuses on Mark, Trina, Alec, Lana, and a few other friends; and all the events that happened to play part before WICKED was formed. Well I should say while WICKED was forming. My huge hesitation on this book was far far from justified, I enjoyed this book and how it explain

     The introduction to this book is what had me hooked. It starts after the Flare, after everyone has tried to come together and seem to be working together in the long hot days. How the group shows up and starts the beginning of the book, and plunges the whole story into chaos is just outstanding. I love how Dashner just introduced the characters and immediately plunges them all into peril.

     Throughout the book, we get to see pieces of the past. How Mark and Alec became friends and just how important those two are to each other. Than Mark and Trina how they find each other and seem to bond together as a couple and friends in all the devastation. The dreams Mark has tell the past of how their group survived the Flare and even more throughout trials of time. Each ordeal made me realize just how deadly the world had become, and through the beginning years after the Flare how the people turned on each other to live.

     The Cranks are even explained in this book, even though I don't believe they are given that name in this book. I didn't make the connection at first, but when more of the Cranks appeared and how they manifested and their nature just took me by surprise. James Dashner did a brilliant job with this book and explaining just how everything began.

     I don't want to go into the rest of the book, because it may give away some of the information of who one of the characters is, and why this story is important is to some of the bits. However, I don't know if someone read this book before The Maze Runner if they would understand the story better. If someone wants to try this and hasn't read the series, I would appreciate it if you told me what you thought of the story and if reading The Kill Order helped or not. Anyways, the book is great!

[Stacking the Shelves] - #12

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your bookshelf, be it the physical one or your digital one!


      Well the book scene hasn't really grown, but what has grown, in the weeks that I was off I picked up a few sets of books. I even went to Chicago and headed into Anderson's Bookshop and picked up a few new autographed books they had. I love that shop and I'd recommend anyone in the Naperville area to stop in and take a look around. Anyways, I am going to make a dent here breifly and try to catch up on the books I have gotten. I won't be buying anything New for a while 

The Edge of Nowhere
Shelter
Seconds Away
Mystic City
What’s Left of Me

Mailbox Pickup:



   Author: Elizabeth George
   Format: Hardback
   Release Date: September 4th, 2012

     Whidbey Island may be only a ferry ride from Seattle, but it's a world apart. When Becca King arrives there, she doesn't suspect the island will become her home for the next four years. Put at risk by her ability to hear "whispers"--the thoughts of others--Becca is on the run from her stepfather, whose criminal activities she has discovered. Stranded and alone, Becca is soon befriended by Derric, a Ugandon orphan adopted by a local family; Seth, a kindhearted musician and high school dropout; Debbie, a recovering alcoholic who takes her in; and Diana, with whom Becca shares a mysterious psychic connection.

     This compelling coming-of-age story, the first of an ongoing sequence of books set on Whidbey Island, has elements of mystery, the paranormal, and romance. Elizabeth George, bestselling author of the Inspector Lynley crime novels, brings her elegant style, intricate plotting, incisive characterization, and top-notch storytelling to her first book for teens.

      I love good coming of age tales, and The Edge of Nowhere sounds a bit like one. Widbey Island just sounds like an island filled with children all with some sort of paranormal powers. I think of the British TV show Misfits for those of you who have seen it. All these children seem to have powers or abilities to do certain things, but the motives and what they do with those powers is what I'm curious on. Becca's ability to hear thoughts is pretty generic and frankly I'm more interested in seeing if I am right about the others having similar abilities.

      Becca's story sounds rather intriguing. She comes form a father who apparently is into some crime, however I just wish we knew what sort of crime he was involved in; robbery, heists, murder? I am curious to see his thoughts from her perspective, like does she translate them for us, or will they be his actual thoughts translated? There is so much more to the family and the story she has with her father, than what is being told here. As well, the story with the friends. I am curious to see all of her, and the sides of her.







Title: Shelter
   Author: Harlan Coben
   Format: Hardback
   Release Date: September 6th, 2011

     Mickey Bolitar's year can't get much worse. After witnessing his father's death and sending his mom to rehab, he's forced to live with his estranged uncle Myron and switch high schools.

     A new school comes with new friends and new enemies, and lucky for Mickey, it also comes with a great new girlfriend, Ashley. For a while, it seems like Mickey's train-wreck of a life is finally improving - until Ashley vanishes without a trace. Unwilling to let another person walk out of his life, Mickey follows Ashley's trail into a seedy underworld that reveals that this seemingly sweet, shy girl isn't who she claimed to be. And neither was Mickey's father. Soon, Mickey learns about a conspiracy so shocking that it makes high school drama seem like a luxury - and leaves him questioning everything about the life he thought he knew.

     First introduced to readers in Harlan Coben's latest adult novel, Live Wire, Mickey Bolitar is as quick-witted and clever as his uncle Myron, and eager to go to any length to save the people he cares about. With this new series, Coben introduces an entirely new generation of fans to the masterful plotting and wry humor that have made him an award-winning, internationally bestselling, and beloved author.

     Shelter surrounds a good bit of mystery and investigation bit that Harlan Coben is known for. I was first shown Seconds Away (which is following this book), I sought out Shelter to start the series. Mickey sounds like a character and I wish I would have read Live Wire now, just to be introduced to the character.

      In Shelter Mickey is supposedly calming down after a series of horrendous events, which took place in the adult book Live Wire I am assuming. However the new life with Myron seems to take a turn, and the girlfriend he thought he knew, leads him on a chase of his life. Not only will Mickey learn who his girlfriend really is in an underground world, but what secrets his father had as well. It's this type of genre that leads me into plot twists, a mystery of the world around the corner, and character deceptions. I cannot wait to get into this book and read it thoroughly.







   Author: Harlan Coben
   Format: Hardback
   Release Date: September 18th, 2012

     This action-packed second book in international bestseller Harlan Coben’s Mickey Bolitar young adult series follows Mickey as he continues to hunt for clues about the Abeona Shelter and the mysterious death of his father—all while trying to navigate the challenges of a new high school.

     When tragedy strikes close to home, Mickey and his loyal new friends—sharp-witted Ema and the adorkably charming Spoon—find themselves at the center of a terrifying mystery involving the shooting of their classmate Rachel. Now, not only does Mickey need to keep himself and his friends safe from the Butcher of Lodz, but he needs to figure out who shot Rachel—no matter what it takes.

     Mickey Bolitar is as quick-witted and clever as his uncle Myron, but with danger just seconds away, it is going to take all of his determination and help from his friends to protect the people he loves, even if he does not know who—or what—he is protecting them from.


     Harlan Coben comes back again with Seconds Away. I haven't read the first one, and while I was turned to this book first. I am wondering if he finds his girlfriend or what happens to her in the first book. However, at the same time I guess that would be a good reason to read the first book. Harlan Coben is a great author of mystery, and I just hope Mickey Bolitar can keep my interests!






Title: Mystic City
   Author: Theo Lawrence
   Format: Hardback
   Release Date: October 9th, 2009

     For fans of Matched, The Hunger Games, X-Men, and Blade Runner comes a tale of a magical city divided, a political rebellion ignited, and a love that was meant to last forever. Book One of the Mystic City Novels.

     Aria Rose, youngest scion of one of Mystic City's two ruling rival families, finds herself betrothed to Thomas Foster, the son of her parents' sworn enemies. The union of the two will end the generations-long political feud—and unite all those living in the Aeries, the privileged upper reaches of the city, against the banished mystics who dwell below in the Depths. But Aria doesn't remember falling in love with Thomas; in fact, she wakes one day with huge gaps in her memory. And she can't conceive why her parents would have agreed to unite with the Fosters in the first place. Only when Aria meets Hunter, a gorgeous rebel mystic from the Depths, does she start to have glimmers of recollection—and to understand that he holds the key to unlocking her past. The choices she makes can save or doom the city—including herself.

     Mystic City is one of those books that when I read the synopsis, I thought of the same thing that the first  paragraph said. It reminds of Matched and The Hunger Games a lot. How the city is setup and the complete dystopia of how the world is working. Two worlds, the Depths and Aeries, separate the world into two different types of financial classes.

     Aria is a Mystic that lives in the Depths and her family has betrothed her to Thomas Foster who lives in Aeries. This part reminds me of Matched a lot. The lack of choice int he matter, and to make it worst, Aria wakes up with gaps in her memory and can't remember why her parents would do anything of the sort. I have a feeling when she meets Hunter she'll realize that the Aeries people are trying to fight for power, and her. Thus, she's going to have to "fight" a war with them. I am curious to see how this book pans out!






   Author: Kat Zhang
   Format: Hardback
   Release Date: September 18th, 2012

     I should not exist. But I do.

     Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t . . .

     For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet . . . for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.


     What's Left of Me has been talked about rather heavily and I have looked forward to this book for a long time. It plays along the same lines that my book that I'm writing does. Eva and Addie seem to be in the same body, and people are born as hybrids. However, as they grow one seems to fade away. My question is what happens to those who stay as hybrids? I guess that's what we'd find out if they are caught right.

     Anyways, I was curious to see how the interaction between the two Eva and Addie was done. Because they are the same body, same vocal cords; but there are two different distinguished people in there. The interaction and how the dialogue is conveyed will be a good indicator of how good this book will be, and if the book will confuse me on who is speaking and when.

     The other thing is why do they conduct hybrids this way? Wouldn't it be better to have clones? I mean at least this way if one wasn't supposed to live longer than the other, you could quarantine one, or kill one. However, I do see where the humane bit would play into this, and that will be my guess as to why hybrids exist.  I am very curious to get into the book and just view the dialogue.
 
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