To Kill A Mockingjay

I just read Mockingjay, the final book in the Hunger Games trilogy. Suzanne Collins, author of the renowned series, has requested no spoilers be leaked on to the web so i will simply make this a quick review and my feelings about it.

Mockingjay doesn't need much of a description. Everyone who is reading should have read the first two already and should know whats happening. But heres a quick review: Peeta's been kidnapped by the capitol and district 12 has been destroyed. And Katniss, Finnick, and the surviving few from 12 are on their way to district 13. 

I feel, there was just something missing to this book. i felt like i could put it down at any second and not really care unlike how the other books just sucked you in. 

i loved the beginning, it was slow but gale was there the whole time. I really liked that aspect. Gale was in Catching Fire and we got to really meet him but throughout this book i feel like we got to really grow to love him. 

I felt the whole book lacked that HUnger Games feeling. Not just that there isnt the arena but just something in general that was not typical HG material, a feeling. the whole ending was just a blur so confusing. Overall I liked the book, i really do. but if i have learned anything over the years its that most series ending books they never seem to lived up to your expectations. And despite knowing this, i seem to have done it again. 

Got me Running around in Circles

School has begun. Summer has left us and took my reading time with it. Therefore the reason why it has taken me a while to finish The Maze Runner By James Dashner.

The Concept of this book is a bunch of teenage boys are all trapped in a maze. They don't remember anything about themselves or how they got there, they just know they have to get out. Every month a new kid arrives in the "the box", supplies come in it every so often as well. After two years of searching high and low for the door out they boys have gotten no where.  But when Thomas arrives in the maze he has a feeling he is different. and his theory is proven when the very next day a girl, the first one ever, and Thomas feels like he knows her. Like, if he had his memory she would be important. As if having a girl in their male populated prison isn't a bad enough sign, she also brings news: She's the last one.

So Thomas, Newt, Minho, little Chuck and this mysterious new girl are left to find an escape. Filled with Boys gone crazy, wild stinging hunks of metal on wheels Grievers, and Great new slang (klunck, shuck-face, slint-head, shank) this book of finding the truth is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

I enjoyed this read a lot. As a (super) fan of the Hunger Games i found myself quickly adapting to the ways of life of the Gladers. I thought the book had a great story line. Although when reading it you have to keep in mind that this is the 1st book in a trilogy, and so much of this book was simply setting up for the others. or at least thats how it seemed to me. the first 2/3 of this book was almost all background information, which i do greatly appreciate because it adds a lot of character growth to the book, but i also wanted to get on with it.

 Most of the  important information to help you understand what is really going on is not revealed till the end, which kept you guessing but also made it frustrating to try to follow the story. This approach makes sense because the book is told in the POV of Thomas the new kid and we learn about the maze as he does but it can still be irking at times.

 I for one would have enjoyed reading this story from Newt (one of the Glades leaders) point of view or Minho (the keeper of the runners) or even little Chuck. once again i understand why Dashner wrote in Thomas Point of view he is the hero after all but it makes parts of the book awkward to read. If it was told by Newt or Chuck or Minho i think we would have gotten alot more information from the start and had an easier read. 

So that is my critical review. I really enjoyed this book but it was just one of those that i had different ideas for than the author. but then again i dont know what lays in store next for these guys im sure there is a method to Dashner's riveting madness! 

Roadside Attractions

I Recently completed reading: Amy & Roger's Epic Detour By Morgan Matson.

17 year old, Amy Curry is not alright. Her dad just died, her brother is in rehab and her mom has left her alone in their home in California while she gets things settled at their new house in Connecticut. At this point amy is just going thru the motions everyday. she doesn't talk to anybody, not even her friends anymore. And she certainly doesn't drive.
So when her mom calls and tells her she needs the car out in New England, Roger saves the day. Roger is a 19 year old College Boy, who's mother is a family friend. He is on his way to his dad's in Philadelphia for the summer and agrees to drive Amy up that way as well.  
When these two decide to take a few detours along the way things get bumpy. But they don't let that stop them. they are each on their own quest. A Quest for closure, for love, for forgiveness, for happiness, and for so much more.

When I first picked up Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, I'll be honest, i thought it was going to be another sappy chick lit. Although I do enjoy those books for the most part, i just wasn't in the mood for another. But i was surprised by how much depth this book had. From the cover and the blurb it seemed rather cliche but it was the little things that made it stand out to me.

I loved all the characters that you met along the way. You would only get to know them for a few chapters but yet they were so well developed you felt like you had known them the whole story and you didn't want to say goodbye.

I loved the continuous jokes and stories that developed throughout. Roger teasing Amy about her never buying new sunglasses. All of the nicknames (and there were a lot) Popping back up in random places to give you a little laugh here and there. And even a flashback every so often.

But what I enjoyed the most from this book was the journal bits. The scrapbook pages, the "where I've Been" pages, the Playlists, emails, and the random receipt placed here or there throughout the pages of the book. It really kept things interesting and real.

Over all I really enjoyed Amy & Roger's Epic Detour. It was a compelling and fun quick read.
You can enjoy this book for free till the end of September on Pulseit.com by Simon & Schuster publishers.

Let the Battle Begin

What Happens when you take the 16 best YA fantasy warriors of all time and have them fight to be named the best? All out WAR of course. But also you would get the YA fantasy Showdown.

Basically whats going on is right now till Sunday the 15th the first battles are going on. all 16 characters are in the running. When you click on a characters name it will take you to the  battle page. There you can get stats on each player and read a brief description of how the fight would likely go down. Scroll a little farther and you can see you the predicted winner is. After you have taken in all the facts you can then vote for who you want to win. Pick wisely because you can only do it once per battle. Then feel free to leave a comment about the fight below that and read other opinions.

I strongly encourage everyone to go vote so examples of characters in the challenge are: Katniss Everdeen (Hunger Games), Sam Temple (Gone), and of course Edward Cullen (Twilight) but he is loosing to Katsa (Graceling) pretty badly right now.

so if your interested in supporting your favorite hero click here YA Fantasy Showdown!

Happy Hunger Games!

With the release date for the final installment of the Hunger Games Trilogy, Mockingjay, drawing near I felt it was only right to talk about it.

Warning: This will not be the last time I talk about the Hunger Games. I feel that everyone should read them. Although they are YA novels i think anyone over the age of 12 came get something out of these books. Sure I read them for the suspense for the love triangle action for the death but as with any dystopia book i feel there is something to learn from them. Does that mean i think our world is going to become just like Panem and the Capitol is going to take over and have kids kill each other? NO. But i think reading about how things could go wrong like in the Hunger Games, or The Uglies, gives us a new perspective of our world.

Alright on to a lighter topic. I love the writing of the Hunger Games, the way there is never a dull moment and how Collins always has you guessing whats going to happen next. At this point in the series we are at a real turning point (ha isnt every point of these books a turning point!!) the Capitol has hit a new high of uncalled for. Ok maybe it was completely called for, Katniss did shoot the judges with an arrow... and she did Defy them in the 74th hunger game... And the President did basically warn her if she messes up again he has no problem killing her family. Ok so this was perfectly called for but it was still a whole new high of evil. Here is a list f all the questions i have about Mockingjay:
*district 13? whats it like?
*What will the Capitol do with Peeta?
*Will Kat choose Gale or Peeta? (more on this)
*is Cinna ok?!?
* will Kat bring the capitol down?
* will Finnick return to his little unstable lover?
-IMPortant Questions!

Lastly i am going to address the subject of which everyone is talking about. Gale Or Peeta. I'm only going to say this once cause i know this one always causes trouble. so here it is:

The Obvious answer to this conundrum is Gale. Team Gale. thats all im gonna say. I Love Gale Hawthorne.

and with that I say Happy Hunger Games! May the Odds be ever in your favor!!

It's getting Hot in Haven!

Hot new show alert!

Syfy network original series Haven is the show to watch this season. Based on The Colorado Kid by Stephen King, this show is out of control!
Stars Emily Rose and Lucas Bryant bring such life to their characters.

The show follows the mysterious events happening in Haven. What the locals call "The Troubles". Agent Audrey Parker (Emily Rose) of the FBI is sent out to Haven to find an escaped felon but stays for the super creepy stuff thats going on. Oh and to find out who is the lady from a photo taken 27 years ago who looks just like Audrey, and if she could be her mother. When Audrey decides to stay the police chief offers her a job and she teams up with  Nathan Wournos, the chiefs son and resident expert of all things concerning "the troubles".

Each week this show has a new out of this world experience to share with us. Syfy has got a real winner that will appeal not only to the generations of Stephen King readers but young Vampire lovers as well.  this next week should be filed with excitement as Audrey and Nathan investigate a crime that seems to point to one thing: Werewolves. Could it be?

Characters[left to right] Duke Crocker (Eric Balfour) Nathan Wournos (Lucas Bryant) and Audrey Parker (Emily Rose)


Be sure to the lovely town of Haven, Maine every Friday night at 10/9c on Syfy. It's a trip your bound to remember.

School dayz

School is just around the corner and i have got a boat load of work to get done. I have recently finished The Once and Future King  the story of King Arthur and all of it's 700 page glory. Despite the size i rather enjoyed the read, all the tales of young Wart turning into a goose or an ant with the help of his friendly tutor Merlin. But there was one character I can't say i liked in the least. Lancelot. I don't see why people praise him. He was ugly, did you know that? He had the face of an Ape. and after reading and growing to love Arthur to Lancelot come in and steal his bride right out from under him. I found it down right cruel.

In other homework news i am now working on The Hobbit by Tolkien, the famous prelude to the Lord of the Rings series. I must admit i have never really been al that interested in the Rings series never really planning on reading them at all. I don't mind this kind of story, in fact it reminds me very much of the Narnia series which was very dear to me as a child and still is (but thats a story for a later time). I simply find Epics such as these so drawn out, the author goes on and on about the mountains they must climb and the weather they must suffer and finally the hero makes it to the prize and the story is over. Maybe that's just me. Actually i know thats pretty much just me other wise why would this be a bestseller?

Well thats my summer reading low down. i wish you fast reads and good notations on your own summer books!

numero uno!

Hello! and welcome to this blog.
To be honest i never really saw myself as a blogger. i don't really do this kind of stuff, i don't even have a journal but i thought i'd give it a try. Plus i wanted to get to use the cool count down stuff on the side. although i can't seem to get some of the codes to work. any one who wants to help me out with that??
ok moving on. this blog will mostly be about books. New YA and/or whatever i'm reading at the time. Also i might throw in some stuff about my favorite shows, i seem to watch a lot these days, i'll fill you in on what i think is hot and whats not.
So follow, take the poll, comment and come back for more!!