My True Love Gave To Me edited by Stephanie Perkins

Page Count: 321

Published on: October 14, 2014

Published by: St. Martin's Press
Genre(s): Short Stories, Holiday, Fantasy, YA, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Print: Paperback

Age Rating: PG

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

Twitter: @naturallysteph

My Rating: (overall) 4.5 stars

-individual reviews below

Goodreads synopsis:

If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you’re going to fall in love with My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by twelve bestselling young adult writers, edited by international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins. Whether you enjoy celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah, Winter Solstice or New Year's there's something here for everyone. So curl up by the fireplace and get cozy. You have twelve reasons this season to stay indoors and fall in love. 

~~~

Hey, guys!

I managed to nab a copy of this book from my local Books-A-Million when it was put on the $10-&-below shelf. I got a hardback copy for $6! Not only was it a bargain, it made sense to buy it during this time! I have been putting off grabbing a copy of this book just because it’s a holiday-themed anthology. I really didn’t want to buy it and then not read it for months and months because it wasn’t the proper time. Anyway, I really enjoyed the short stories in this anthology.

They were all so nicely done and festive. Each story had these characters that were really compelling…you wanted to know what their story was about. Some were longer than others, but they were just as great as the shorter ones. Each story was completely unique and special. I enjoyed every one of the stories. There were at least 3, however, that have stuck with me as I’ve finished it.

·       ~Rainbow Rowell’s Midnights

·       ~Stephanie Perkin’s It’s A Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown

·       ~Laini Taylor’s The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer

Special Mentions!

·   ~Holly Black’s Krampuslauf

·   ~Ally Carter’s Star of Bethlehem

Not only are these stories written by a few of my favorite writers, but (in my book) they deserve the “best story” label. This is just my opinion, though, so don’t take my word for it. There is definitely a story for everyone in this anthology. I’m really happy with the diversity in this anthology. It wasn’t just Christmas stories. They were a bit of everything! I just really liked this aspect to the book.

I actually rated all of the short stories so that I could get a feel of my full feelings for the anthology. None of them were below a 3-star rating, so that says quite a bit to me. I’m really proud of Stephanie Perkins for starting this anthology. I’m really excited to read Summer Days and Summer Nights, the summer-y themed anthology that was published earlier this year.

·        Midnights: 5 stars

o   This story was the first one that I read (it was the first one, anyway) and it was just the perfect story to get me in the mood.

·        The Lady and the Fox: 4 stars

o   This was so cute, but the ending is kinda weird for me. I wasn’t sure what to think

·        Angels in the Snow: 3 stars

o   I enjoyed the whole aspect of this story. The cat really tied it all together.

·        Polaris Is Where You’ll Find Me: 4 stars

o   This was really cute, but I didn’t like how it ended. It was somewhat satisfying, but not what I wanted.

·        It’s A Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown: 5 stars

o   This was just adorable. Another masterpiece from Stephanie Perkins

·        Your Temporary Santa: 3 stars

o   This was adorable as well, but I didn’t connect to it like I hoped I would. I wasn’t a fan of the narration style.

·        Krapuslauf: 4 stars

o   This was creepy and absolutely loved it. I need to read more books like this short story. The perfect blend of creepy and heartwarming.

·        What The Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth?: 3 stars

o   I’m not sure how I feel about this one either. Not a fan of the narration style and I didn’t really like the characters.

·        Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus: 4 stars

o   I loved the forgiveness in this story. It was so funny and clever. I loved this one.

·        Welcome to Christmas, CA: 4 stars

o   This was pretty cute. I loved the cooking-aspect to this. It was mysterious and kind of magical. I loved the characters, and the ending was so great. I want more from Kiersten White.

·        Star of Bethlehem: 4.5 stars

o   This was the last story that I read from the anthology, and I think it was the perfect ending for this anthology (for me).

·        The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer: 5 stars

o   This was the second story that I read from the anthology, but I’m so glad that I didn’t save it for last. It was so different from the other stories, but very festive at the same time. I love how different Laini Taylor’s writing is. I can’t wait to get back into her books. I’ve put them off for far too long.

      I can't wait to immerse myself in more short stories like these this summer. I'm really pleased with this anthology. I've found some new authors to try out, and I'd call that a success. 


Happy reading and happy holidays!
Olivia
~LivTheBookNerd~

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Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis

Page Count: 338

Published on: October 14, 2014

Published by: Disney-Hyperion
Genre(s): Fantasy, YA, Adventure, Fairy Tale Retelling, Science Fiction, Romance
Source: Print: Borrowed from Julia

Age Rating: PG

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

Twitter: @RC_Lewis

My Rating: 4.75 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

Princess Snow is missing.

Her home planet is filled with violence and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his wife as they attempt to punish her captors. The king will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back—but that’s assuming she wants to return at all.

Essie has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for the seven loyal drones that run the local mines.

When a mysterious young man named Dane crash-lands near her home, Essie agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that Dane’s arrival was far from accidental, and she’s pulled into the heart of a war she’s risked everything to avoid. With the galaxy’s future—and her own—in jeopardy, Essie must choose who to trust in a fiery fight for survival.

~~~

Hey, guys!

      This book has been considered to be another version of Cinder by Marissa Meyer, but there were so many original and unique elements to this book that made it so much different. This book was so fantastic, but I had one issue with it.

      This book follows Essie. Essie is a mechanic and a secret cage fighter. She works hard to make her living and keep the mines going. One day, a huge ship crashes not far from where Essie lives. She takes in the mysterious stranger and starts to help him with his ship. Essie's life is changed forever when the stranger turns her life upside down with his reckless decisions. 

      Essie was such a badass all throughout this book. I really enjoyed her character all throughout this book. Sometimes characters go through gaps where they get annoying or stupid, but Essie was a really solid character. I loved her personality! She was so strong-willed and she never backed down from a challenge, and once she accepted who she truly was, she never backed down from doing what was right. 

      Dane was super cute, but for a good portion of the book, I didn't really like him much. He was very reckless, but for a good reason. I mean, I understand is motives, but still. 

     I didn't really enjoy the romance. It felt very abrupt and forced to me. If the novel had been a bit longer and fleshed out, then maybe it would be pretty good, but I wasn't impressed with the romance until the cheesy bits at the end. 

     I really loved this retelling, there were aspects that I didn't even realize were foreshadowing for the main structural events regarding the original story. I guess I'm just kind of oblivious and I got really caught up in the events of the book, that I managed to neglect the crucial elements of the Snow White tale. This is basically a Star Wars and Snow White mash-up, which was totally amazing to read. I loved the little unique yet familiar...the mind control, the apple, the parental dynamic, the runaway, the starships...

      I also really loved the secondary characters. They had such interesting stories and I loved how complete their stories made the story. Even though this book was pretty short, I still came out knowing a bunch of characters that I adore.

Overall, I loved this book. I can't wait to read more of R.C. Lewis's work. I love her writing style. I need to get my hands on Spinning Starlight. I need that in my life. 😍

Other Retellings That You Would Love:

• Cinder by Marissa Meyer {5 stars}
• East by Edith Pattou {5 stars}
• The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor {4 stars}
• A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston {4.75 stars}
• A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J. Maas {3 stars}
• The Wrath & the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh {5 stars}
• Entwined by Heather Dixon {5 stars}
• Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige {5 stars}

I hope you all enjoyed this review!

Happy reading!

Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~

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Perfected by Katie Jarvik Birch

Page Count: 304

Published on: July 1, 2014

Published by: Entangled Teen

Genre(s): YA, Science Fiction, Dystopian, Romance, Fantasy

Source: Paperback - Borrowed from Julia

Age Rating: PG-13

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

Twitter: @katejarvikbirch

My Rating: 2 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

Perfection comes at a price.

As soon as the government passed legislation allowing humans to be genetically engineered and sold as pets, the rich and powerful rushed to own beautiful girls like Ella. Trained from birth to be graceful, demure, and above all, perfect, these “family companions” enter their masters’ homes prepared to live a life of idle luxury.

Ella is happy with her new role as playmate for a congressman’s bubbly young daughter, but she doesn’t expect Penn, the congressman’s handsome and rebellious son. He’s the only person who sees beyond the perfect exterior to the girl within. Falling for him goes against every rule she knows… and the freedom she finds with him is intoxicating.

But when Ella is kidnapped and thrust into the dark underworld lurking beneath her pampered life, she’s faced with an unthinkable choice. Because the only thing more dangerous than staying with Penn’s family is leaving… and if she’s unsuccessful, she’ll face a fate far worse than death.

For fans of Kiera Cass’ Selection series and Lauren DeStefano’s Chemical Garden series, Perfected is a chilling look at what it means to be human, and a stunning celebration of the power of love to set us free, wrapped in a glamorous—and dangerous—bow.

~~~

Hey, guys!

      I read this book a few weeks ago and I wasn't impressed. I actually started this book on the last day of my senior year. I was looking at the new books that my school library was about to put into the library collection and I picked this book up and started reading it for the last half hour of my school day. I got maybe 50 pages in and had to put it down because I was about to leave high school forever. I then picked it back up in September and finished it unsatisfied.

      Perfected is a strange mix of The Chemical Gardens trilogy by Lauren DeStephano, The Selection series by Kiera Cass, and the Matched trilogy mixed together. The concept of this novel was really intriguing, but the overall result was kind of a mess. It was way too simple and the characters were insanely unrealistic. The whole plot was definitely not extreme enough for the situation and I wasn't impressed at all. On top of that, so many important potential plot points were skipped or glossed over. It resulted in plot holes, but it was a really quick read. 

      Ella, the main character, was so dumb...Ella was treated like a dog the whole time, but I felt like it wasn't even an extreme situation so I wasn't angry about it. She had no idea that the situation that she was in was wrong, but after she was told by 2 or 3 people, she automatically started rebelling a little bit. She never thought for herself and all of her actions were all just stupid. 

     There were also quite a few characters that had the potential to be really awesome side characters. I felt like they had the potential to have awesome and more extensive roles in the story, but again. Details were glossed over and important bits were left out. 

      Let's talk about the "romance"! It was kind of a mess. It was very Stockholm Syndrome-esque and it just made me really angry. It was so insta-lovey and irrational. 

I've read so many dystopian novels and I know what good qualities are in the books that I loved. This was just a real let down for me, and I wish that I liked it more. Ella never wanted to be free. She just wanted to fulfill what was expected of her. She wasn't a badass, she was naive and annoying as heck.

Milk & Honey by Rupi Kaur

Page Count: 204

Published on: November 4, 2014

Published by: Createspace

Genre(s): Poetry, Nonfiction, Feminism, Contemporary, Adult, Romance, Cultural, Mental Health, Sociology, Literature  

Source: Paperback -Borrowed

Age Rating: PG-17 -mature themes and topics

Trigger Warning: Rape & Abuse

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

Twitter: @rupikaur_

My Rating: 3 stars

Goodreads synopis:

milk and honey is a collection of poetry and prose about survival. It is about the experience of violence, abuse, love, loss, and femininity. It is split into four chapters, and each chapter serves a different purpose, deals with a different pain, heals a different heartache. milk and honey takes readers through a journey of the most bitter moments in life and finds sweetness in them because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look.

~~~

Hey, guys!

      I was lent this book by one of my friends that I met at college (Thank you, Abby!) and I was really excited but kind of wary of this book of poetry. I had heard  from Abby that the book was really amazing, but I had heard from Whitney from WhittyNovels on YouTube that it wasn't that great. I kind of have to agree with Whitney. Overall, the book was kind of underwhelming. I mean the hype for this poetry is unreal, but I really wasn't impressed with most of it. Some of the poems were really beautiful and profound, but some of them just weren't. 

     Most of the poems were quite random and didn't have any specific rhyme or structure. They weren't lyrical and were like regular sentences with weird spacing. The feminist message wasn't anything new, I had been hearing the message for years now and I've accepted the ideals for a long time. It wasn't anything new for me. It's what I've been reading online and hearing in the media for years now. It was very Tumblr-aesthetic and I think it was just really frustrating to have something so powerful to be so underwhelming. I really wish that I loved this but I didn't. 

      The overall look of the book is really elegant and lovely, but the insides are kind of pretencious and unimpressive. This book had the potential to be really fantastic and powerful, but it felt cliche and the poetic devices weren't used right at all. I will probably see more of Rupi Kaur's work on Tumblr, but I probably won't go out of my way to read a full novel of her poetry...


Things That Made Up For the Lame:
~Rupi Kaur's passion
~The aesthetic
~The illustrations
~The few poems that I loved

Other Verse Novels That I've Reviewed:

• The Good Braider by Terry Farish ~ 3 stars
• Waiting by Carol Lynch Williams ~ 3 stars

I would love to read more novels in verse or even a collection of poems. If you would like me to read a book in verse or even recommend a specific poem, I would love to check out your recommendations. I love poetry and I love getting your recommendations. Comment down below or contact me through my social media! 

Happy reading!

Olivia 
~LivTheBookNerd~

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{Review} Never by Shay Lynam

Page Count: 304

Published on: November 4, 2014

Published by: Indie World Publishing and Author Services

Genre(s): Fantasy, Young Adult, Retelling, Romance

Source: e-Book -- From author

Age Rating: PG-12

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

Twitter: @shay_lynam

My Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

      Wynn Harper spends her days trying to blend into the background. This isn't very easy, especially being the great-granddaughter of the late Wendy Darling. Wynn used to love Great Gran's stories about her adventures in Neverland with Peter Pan and his lost boys, but that's all they were. Just stories, right? That's what Wynn keeps telling herself. 

      But then she meets Peter, the beautiful boy with a voice to match, and when he whisks her off to Neverland, Wynn knows this is no fairy tale. The lost boys are a group of rebellious ex-pirates, young Hook has a soft side, and Peter Pan isn't as innocent as you might think.

~~~

Hey, guys!

     So, if you know me well or follow me on any of my social media, you would know that I'm kind of enchanted by Peter Pan. I absolutely love the story and I love the movies and retellings that people create. When Shay Lynam contacted me about reading her Peter Pan retelling I was so excited to read another retelling. I am so obsessed with retellings, especially retellings. 

     This book follows Wynn Harper, the great-granddaughter of the original Wendy Darling. When Wynn meets the real Peter Pan she is whisked off to Neverland where she encounters pirates, Indians, and learns that nothing is as it seems. I really enjoyed Never. It had been a while since I had read a Peter Pan retelling and I really enjoyed the main character's voice. This book had a lot of great qualities but there were a few issues that I had with it. 

      I really enjoyed Shay's writing style in this book. It was very whimsical and still quite dark like the original story. I had read Peter Pan before reading Never and I really loved how original the story was but it still incorporated the classic story really well. 

       The beginning of the story was kind of shaky, but it didn't stop me from continuing on with the story. Of course, the main character is different and dresses so much differently than the typical high schooler. The beginning was kind of cliche and you definitely knew where it was going. Some of the parts of the book were really predictable, but I looked past it because there were some elements that kind of made up for the cheese. The ending was really predictable, but Shay added some character depth towards the end that I really loved. I actually didn't want the end to happen. I wanted the opposite to happen. I actually didn't like how the ending was. I think that was the main thing that caused this book from not getting a higher rating.

       Wynn was kind of annoying, but such a badass towards the end. I really loved the bits where she was taking care of herself. I absolutely love it when the character makes up for their whiney behavior with some great badassery. I hate it when YA books enforce the idea that girls need a guy to be happy...Girls! You don't need a man to be happy! Boys! You don't need a girl to be happy! Don't let anyone cause you to be unhappy. <3 b="">

       Hook. Let's talk about Captain James Hook. I really wanted to like Hook's character, but he annoyed me too. He focused on stupid stuff rather than the important stuff. I mean I understand heartbreak. Trust me. I do. But, I really didn't like his whole revenge plot. His character at the very end of the book was really heartbreaking. I really liked him during the last few pages. I wish that I had liked him more, but I guess I was in a really irritable mood. 

Overall, this was a pretty good retelling and I look forward to reading more of Shay Lynam's writing. She has a really promising writing career. 

Books Mentioned In Review:
~ Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Other Great Peter Pan Retellings:

• Peter & the Starcatchers series by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson
• The Sister's Grimm series by Michael Buckley (Fairy Tale Retelling mix)
• The Never Girls series by Kiki Thorpe (Bailey's recommendation)

Hopefully, I have more time to read and review more. School is killing me!

Happy reading!

Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~

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Awaken (The Awakened Fate Series #1) by Skye Malone

Page Count: 248

Published on: May 29, 2014

Published by: Wildflower Isle

Genre(s): YA, Fantasy, Mermaids, Paranormal

Source: Paperback-- Sent by author

Age Rating: PG-13

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

Twitter: @Skye_Malone

My Rating: 3.75 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

Running away from home was never Chloe Kowalski's plan. Neither was ending up the target of killers or having her body change in unusual ways. She only wanted a vacation, someplace far from her crazy parents and their irrational fear of water. She only wanted to do something normal for once, and maybe get to know her best friend's hot stepbrother a bit better at the same time.

But the first day she goes out on the ocean, strange things start to happen. Dangerous things that should be impossible. Things to which 'normal' doesn't even begin to apply. 

Now madmen are hunting her. A mysterious guy with glowing blue eyes is following her. And her best friend's stepbrother seems to be hiding secrets all his own. 

It was supposed to be a vacation. It's turning out to be a whole lot more.

~~~

Hey, guys!

      The lovely Skye Malone sent me her book for an honest review. I was really excited to read this book because I was in desperate need of a mermaid book. I am always in the mood for a mermaid book, and this filled the void! Unfortunately, I didn't like this book as much as I anticipated. 

      

      Even though Awaken was really entertaining, it had a lot of cliche and predictable moments and some bits of the book were too convenient. The first bit of the book was really cliche and convenient and I really didn't like the beginning of the book. The side characters, Chloe's parents, were way too obvious. I think Skye was trying to be subtle, but it was just really really really obvious. It was kind of awkward and aggravating.

      Another problem that I found was that the characters weren't connected very well. Chloe and Bailey were supposedly best friends, but Chloe never acted like she trusted Bailey. Towards the end, they addressed her trust issues which was a good movie for Malone.

      Towards the later half of the book, it really picked up and got engaging. Although some of the plot points were still quite convenient, it was still really fun and interesting to read. I saw a bit of the drama coming, but I definitely did not see the very end of the book coming. I'm definitely going to read the rest of the series. I see a lot of potential in this series.

      Malone's writing is really simple but really entertaining and fun, but it was lacking the special something that makes a fantastic mermaid book. Her magical creatures are really interesting and unlike the other mermaid books out there. I'm always down for a new mermaid book, so I hope that I'm able to read her other books. 

Happy reading, everyone!

Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~

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The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

Page Count: 492
Published on: July 8, 2014

Published by: Henry Holt/Square Fish

Genre(s): Fantasy, YA, Romance, High Fantasy, Adventure, Historical Fiction (not), Science Fiction
Source: Hardback

Age Rating: PG-13

Where To Find It: Goodreads // Amazon

Twitter: @marypearson

My Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

A princess must find her place in a reborn world.

She flees on her wedding day.

She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor's secret collection.

She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father.

She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan.

      The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can't abide. Like having to marry someone she's never met to secure a political alliance.

      Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love.

~~~

Hey, guys!

      I've been meaning to read The Kiss of Deception for over a year now, and I've finally gotten to it! KoD has been on my Goodreads TBR for over a year, and when my sister bought it and put it on her TBR she told me I wasn't allowed to read it until she did...well she read part of it, got confused, and put it back on her TBR to try again after she read something else. She still hasn't read it, but I was in the mood to read it so I ended up picking it up while she was out and got 40 pages in so she couldn't take it away. In the end, I got to keep reading her book...

excuse the meme

      Everyone on Goodreads and BookTube have been raving about this book for the past year and a half, so when I had high expectations for this book...maybe too high expectations. I psyched myself out and because of that, I probably didn't like this book as much as I could have if I hadn't hyped it up. I think I got lost in my hype. 

     I really loved the whole plot concept of this book. I think the plot was what completely drew me in. It's not that a plot doesn't draw me in normally, but once I got into the book, I realized that Mary E. Pearson was going in a totally different direction then I thought it would have gone. I really loved the characters that she developed throughout the book. I really loved Lia's character throughout the book. She was such a badass and so strong. I loved that she wasn't afraid to stand up for what she believed in. She wasn't afraid to stand up for herself, and she wouldn't let anyone step on her for it. I also really enjoyed her whole attitude throughout the book. I loved her newer attitude at the end of the book. I can't go into detail...because spoilers... but if you'd like to discuss this book you can contact me on Twitter! I also really liked the guy characters...I mean I couldn't figure out which was which until the near end, but once you figure out who they are it's much easier. Each of their characters developed really nicely throughout this book and I can't wait to find out what happens in the sequel. 

      I wouldn't classify this book in the high fantasy genre (hence the "not" above). It is a fantasy novel, but from what I read I wouldn't consider it high fantasy...yet. By the time I got half-way through the book, I got kind of bored. Either I was losing steam, or I just wasn't enjoying it. I would say that the beginning of the book was 5 stars, the middle 4, and the end was 5 stars...if you average that out it's a 4.6 star rating. 

Overall, this book was pretty good and I'll definitely be reading the sequels. Mary E. Pearson's writing is nicely done, and I love her work.

I hope you all enjoyed this review!

Happy reading!

Olivia

~LivTheBookNerd~

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