My Soul to Take

Title: My Soul to Take
Author: Rachel Vincent

Summary:
She doesn't see dead people. She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.

Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next

My Thoughts:
I really have had a difficult time compiling my thoughts for this review, simply because I had so many mixed emotions while reading this novel. I guess I should start by saying that I began reading My Soul to Take with fairly high expectations.I think the plot is an interesting, and unique concept that stands out among the many Y.A. paranormal books currently on the shelves, and the writing from the sample was very good.

I was a little disappointed to find that Kaylee wasn't as decisive as of a character as I thought she would be. Other than her enlightenment on what she is and what that could mean for her and her family, I felt that she wasn't very developed, which I tend to expect out the first installment of a series.

While I believe this book had a lot of good things going for it, I also feel that it was almost like overload between the two main characters Kaylee and Nash, as well as their paranormal status, on top of their relationships to everyone else, and the mysterious deaths of several young girls. That being said the writing was terrific I thought, and the story still had a lot of potential for further development, so I will be reading the second installment of this series to see how it elaborates on the first novel.

Water for Elephants

Title: Water for Elephants
Author: Sarah Gruen

Summary:
As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and, ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.

My Thoughts:
Where do I begin with this book? Maybe by saying that it was absolutely incredible, and one of my new all time favorite books. Every element of this book meshed together in a way that was flawless; there was romance, humor, a convincing historical setting, and amazing, fleshed out characters.

I have never read one on Sarah Gruen's books before, and I'll admit I probably would not have picked it up if it weren't for hearing about the movie adaptation that was coming out, but being a firm believer in book over movie, I had to check it out.

Something I noticed right away while reading this book, was the fact that Sara Gruen has a way of writing that is captivating. Almost immediately I was drawn into the depression era where Jacob's world and the Benzini Brothers' second rate circus exists. Throughout the novel I felt like I was right there with Jacob, experiencing every emotion and heart racing situation, which is really what I think made the novel as great as it is.

Water for Elephants will definitely be staying on my bookshelf to be revisited over and over. Do yourself a favor and add this to your reading list!

If I Stay

Title: If I Stay

Author: Gayle Forman

Summary:
In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces- to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heartwrenchingly beautiful, Mia's story will stay with you for a long, long time.

My Thoughts:
I originally saw this book on a the shelf months ago, but held off on buying it because I was waiting for it to go on paperback, but I'm so glad I revisited it. This was a very moving, very emotional read for me, because I really felt one with the main character Mia, whose world was turned upside down in an instant.

Mia is a gifted, Juilliard bound cellist, who has a boyfriend, and a loving, quirky family. Mia still has to figure out how her and her boyfriend Adam's, a punk-rock musician, relationship could last on opposite coasts, but her life is pretty fantastic, that is until tragedy strikes.

Mia has an out-of-body experience, that allows her to choose if she should stay alive knowing her life will be entirely different than how she left it when she wakes up.

I thought this was a really interesting book that makes you question what you would do in Mia's situation. I definitely recommend reading this one!

Amy & Rodger's Epic Detour

Title: Amy & Rodger's Epic Detour
Author: Morgan Matson

Summary:

Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn’t seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she’s coming to terms with her father’s death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road--diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards--this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself.

My Thoughts:

Although this book was well written, it didn't resonate with me as much as some of my other reads have. It was a good, fun read, but it wasn't  all that memorable. The characters didn't develop much throughout the book, and did nothing more than meet my expectations by filling their role in a pretty predictable story. I would buy this book only if you are looking for a quick easy read.

On DVD Week of March 12th

On DVD is a post I've created to let you know about movies coming to DVD this week that I've enjoyed and I think you will too. For the week of March 12th, I will be featuring Country Strong, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Country Strong

Summary:
A drama centered on a rising country-music songwriter (Hedlund) who sparks with a fallen star (Paltrow). Together, they mount his ascent and her comeback, which leads to romantic complications involving her husband/manager (McGraw) and a beauty queen-turned-singer (Meester).

My Thoughts:

I may have been in the minority on this one, but I thought this movie was fantastic. I'll admit I may be a bit biased since I am a country music fan, but I believe this movie has a strong enough story line to entertain those who aren't fans of country music as well. Not only does this movie have a strong story, that breaks away from the predictable plot it easily could've used, but it also features a fabulous soundtrack that contains both original music and covers of country favorites. If you have not already seen this movie in theaters do yourself a favor and at least  rent it!





Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Summary:
As Harry races against time and evil to destroy the Horcruxes, he uncovers the existence of three most powerful objects in the wizarding world: the Deathly Hallows.

My Thoughts:
Deathly Hallows is based upon the seventh book in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, and part one of the final installment of the movie franchise. With Harry Potter I believe people fall into more or less two categories; you either love it, or you couldn't care less. Being an avid reader I most definitely fall into the first category, although I do believe the movies, and this one in particular can be enjoyed by a wide audience. By now Harry and his friends have come a long way since they're initial arrival at Hogwarts. This film, while significantly darker than the others, finds a happy balance with terrific acting, and bit of humor amidst all the action and suspense, that keeps you entertained from the time the movie starts up until the credits roll.

Geek Girl

Title: Geek Girl
Author: Cindy C. Bennett

Summary:
"Think I can turn that boy bad?"

High school junior Jen inadvertantly turns her life upside down when, out of boredom, she makes a bet that she can turn school geek Trevor into a someone bad - someone like her. His complete opposite in every way, the sarcastic goth-girl tries pulling him into her world of partying. Instead she finds herself sucked into Trevor's world of sci-fi movies, charity work and even - ugh! - bowling.

If that weren't bad enough, she desperately wants to become a permanent part of the foster family she currently lives with, even if it means having a cheerleader for a sister. What's up with that?

But Jen must come to terms with her past, including her now-dead abusive father and her imprisoned mother. Jen's journey will lead her to discover the true meaning of friendship, family, forgiveness, and above all, love.

My Thoughts:
I'll admit, I was a bit skeptical of this book when I first read the summary of a goth girl going playing a bet to turn a geek guy bad. I was also hesitant because of the lack of reviews or ratings available for this book.That being said I ended up forgoing my usually over analytical ways and just bought the books since I really enjoyed Bennett's other book Heart on a Chain (mentioned in my previous review). 

While this book is primarily a love story, it foregoes the predictable teen romance for a story with depth. I turned page after page laughing, tearing up, and ultimately falling in love with the characters of Bennett's incredible book about a girl who turns her life around on whim. 

Bottom line: add this to your reading list, you won't regret it! 

Heart On A Chain

Title: Heart On A Chain
Author: Cindy C. Bennett


Summary:

17-year-old Kate has lived her whole life in abject poverty, with an alcoholic father and drug-addicted mother, who severely abuses Kate. At school, her second-hand clothing marks her as a target. Her refusal to stand up for herself makes her the recipient of her classmates taunts and bullying. That is, until Henry returns. 

Henry Jamison moved away six years earlier, just as he and Kate had begun an to develop feelings for one another. He returns to find the bright, funny, outgoing girl he had known now timidly hiding in corners, barely speaking to anyone around her, suspicious of even him. 

Kate can’t figure out what game Henry is playing with her - for surely it is a game. What else would the gorgeous, popular boy from her past want with her? 

Kate finally decides to trust Henry’s intentions, opening her heart to him. Just when it seems he might be genuine in his friendship, tragedy strikes, threatening everything Kate has worked so hard to gain. Can Henry help her to overcome this new devastation, or will it tear them apart forever?

My Thoughts:

I literally just finished this book about an hour ago, and I can say without hesitation that it is one of the best books I have ever read. It is one of those things that make you sit back and think about life, reconsider what you know, and evaluate who you want to become. I realize that that is an incredibly loaded statement, but aside from being a book that was enjoyable, it was a book that had the ability to make me feel. I smiled, I laughed, and I teared up while reading this book.

I will give a fair warning that this story is quite a diversion from the paranormal romance/ fantasy books I usually post about. Granted this book is fiction, but it touches on some emotional topics. It has some violence and down right cruel people in it, something that made me cringe, but at the same time I couldn't turn away from because I genuinely cared about Kate and wanted to know how her story would end.

I just can't say enough good things about this book. Oh, and did I mention I finished it in less than a day between doing school work and stuff around the house? Yeah, it's that good!

Definitely add this to your reading list!