Review: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

Title: The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds #1)

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Format: Hardback (Disney Hyperion | Borrowed)

Find it on: Goodreads | Book Depository

Blurb (Goodreads):

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her-East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

 

My Thoughts:

Why did I pick up this book?

I have heard people talking about this series since last year and the reviews I read were mainly positive. I mentioned in previous reviews before that I’m wary of those over-hyped books as I had bad experiences with some of them. I’m glad that this book did not disappoint me mainly because my expectations weren’t that high despite the hype.

The Plot:

The book is set in America and a few years after young children started dying due to a widespread disease however, some children did not die of it. And children who were suspected of carrying the disease were brought to camps to be quarantined. However, we find out that that’s not true as the government were actually afraid of the children who weren’t infected or immune to the disease. So Ruby, she’s was sent to the camp at 10 and she lied to one of the scientists’ that she was a Green. The children were classified according to their abilities. So the greens were the most normal among all the other colors. So in fact Ruby is an Orange meaning she has paranormal powers which was luckily dormant during her stay in the camp. One day, someone from the inside helped her escape and she claims to be against the government and there to help her. They were about to bring Ruby to their place but Ruby escaped from them and decided to join a gang of other kids who were on the run. Although they said that they do not have the resources to keep her with them, the group allowed her to stay and follow them. These kids were on a quest to find the Slip Kid hoping to contact their family and also to find solace. During their search for the Slip Kid, Ruby learnt more about herself and the world outside.

I felt that it was kind of slow-paced but it was essential that the world-building has a stable foundation before moving on. I kind of got bored after a while, but soon enough there was action going on and things started to move pretty quickly. I find the pacing really comfortable as there are breaks in-between fast-paced chapters and I dont feel that the author is rushing through the plot nor is it too slow to bore me. I really want to find out more about the disease and why is the government so afraid of the kids who were immune to it.

The Characters:

We have got great characters in this book and I really love Ruby’s and Liam’s conversations as well as Chubs. Their conversation really brought me closer to them and I felt more connected to them and could relate to them more. Then there’s Zu, she reminds me of Rue from the Hunger Games 9I’m not sure why). When Ruby and Zu were trying out clothes they really look like sisters playing dress-up which was really sweet. Although Zu does not talk, I really admire the special way they communicate with each other.

The writing:

It was pretty easy to get accustomed to and it was a breeze for me while reading. I wished there were alternating POVs as I felt that it would give the story a much more in-depth and fuller plot.

What do I look for in the sequel?

I wish to learn more about the children’s abilities and how is it related to their immunity to the disease. I also wish to know more about what the government is really plotting and why are they afraid of the kids with immunity to the disease.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Review: Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

Title: Dorothy Must Die (Dorothy Must Die #1) Author: Danielle Paige Format: ebook( HarperCollins| Owned) Find it on: Goodreads | Book Depository Blurb (Goodreads): I didn’t ask for any of this. I didn’t ask to be some kind of hero.But when your whole life gets swept …

Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Title: Shatter Me(Shatter Me #1)

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Format: E-book (HarperCollins| Borrowed)

Find it on: Goodreads | Book Depository

Summary (Goodreads):

“You can’t touch me,” I whisper.

I’m lying, is what I don’t tell him.

He can touch me, is what I’ll never tell him.

But things happen when people touch me.

Strange things.

Bad things.

No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal, but The Reestablishment has plans for her. Plans to use her as a weapon.

But Juliette has plans on her own.

After a lifetime without freedom, she’s finally discovering a strength to fight back for the very first time—and to find a future with the one boy she thought she’d lost forever.

 

 

My Thoughts:

Why did I pick this book:

It was mentioned, raved and hyped and I want to see what caused the rave and hype. And since I’m always procrastinating my books and one of the Goodreads groups that I’m in is doing a group read for this book and I signed myself up for it. Overall I’m quite satisfied with the book and I’m so glad I do not have to classify it under “over-rated hyped books” .  So let’s get on with the discussion and my thoughts of the book itself.

The Plot:

Let’s talk about the good stuff. It was action-packed. However, we knew little of the world outside. What was happening with the Reestablishment in control. Since our heroine is locked up in a mental institution, news of the world outside don’t really get to her. Her parents regard her as an abomination. However, she does not seem that bored inside her cell as she has a notebook with her and she pens down her thoughts. And then Adam came in as her cell mate. She avoided him at first but starts explaining how things goes in the mental institution. As days past, she slowly starts to open up as Adam told him more about himself though Juliette was not that interested. One day, guards came in a she was brought out of her cell and she met Warner. Warner explained his intentions to her and said that her powers were a gift and would be of great help for him. During her days there, Warner used all kinds of methods to get Juliette to surrender and join hands with him. Meanwhile, Adam as one of the guards under Warner came into Juliette’s room and talked to her in the bathroom as there were no cameras. At the point on time I was confused whose side should I root for Adam whose nice to Juliette or the power-hungry Warner who turns out not to be a villain somehow. However, one of the problems I had were the intimacy between Juliette and Adam. Yes, it’s okay if you have a few but the amount of such scenes in the book turned out to be unnecessary in my opinion. Their intimacy was like lovers who were separated for a very long time and finally they were together again and they were afraid to loose each other again.

 

The Characters:

Juliette. Juliette. Juliette. I don’t know how to describe her. Her character has two extremes like hot and cold. One moment she’s on one side of the spectrum the next she’s one the other side. I must say her mood swings are major. She was also impulsive in terms of her actions and such actions were self-destructive as well. For example she kissed Warner so that she can take his gun from his pocket and shoot him so that she can save Adam. Though she hates him to the core, she was still willing to kiss him. And I was like this:

 

Then we have Kenji (sounds Japanese or really a Japanese name) he’s a guy who likes to speaks his mind and hence he’s blunt with his words and most of the time it contains “shit”. I find him an interesting character and I like him more than Adam. There’s also James he reminds me of Russell from Up.  Which I have no idea but that’s my image of him in my mind.

 

And there’s Warner the villain for now. He seems to have problems with his father and it looks like he wants to prove something to his father and for that he needs Juliette. What if all this hunt for Juliette was just some father-son who has too much ego in them  to give in.

The Writing: 

The writing was beautiful however, I find it rather exaggerating as such description was not necessary then. One example when Tahereh Mafi described Juliette’s inability to talk at that moment and expressed in a way saying it felt as if there were cotton balls stuck in my throat. There are times I must say the writing was beautiful and appropriate. Like these two instances:

 

Yep and the striking out of words/ sentences. It was  very unique and that’s what made me like this book.

 

Rating: 4/5 stars

Would I continue with the series:

Yes, there are so many unanswered questions and one of them is the Reestablishment. Then there is the Omega Point. Is the Omega Point an uprising against the Reestablishment. How did Juliette’s superpowers came about and her immunity to nuclear. And what about the other’s who posses powers like Juliette?

 

 

 

Review: Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

Title: Bright Young Things (Bright Young Things #1)

Author: Anna Godbersen

Format: Hardback (Harper | Borrowed)

Find it on: Goodreads | Book Depository

Summary (Goodreads):

The year is 1929. New York is ruled by the Bright Young Things: Flappers and socialites seeking thrills and chasing dreams in the anything-goes era of the Roaring Twenties.

Letty Larkspur and Cordelia Grey escaped their small Midwestern town for New York’s glittering metropolis. All Letty wants is to see her name in lights, but she quickly discovers Manhattan is filled with pretty girls who will do anything to be a star….

Cordelia is searching for the father she’s never known, a man as infamous for his wild parties as he is for his shadowy schemes. Overnight, she enters a world more thrilling and glamorous than she ever could have imagined — and more dangerous. It’s a life anyone would kill for…and someone will.

The only person Cordelia can trust is ­Astrid Donal, a flapper who seems to have it all: money, looks, and the love of Cordelia’s brother, Charlie. But Astrid’s perfect veneer hides a score of family secrets.

Across the vast lawns of Long Island, in the ­illicit speakeasies of Manhattan, and on the blindingly lit stages of Broadway, the three girls’ fortunes will rise and fall — together and apart. From the New York Times bestselling author of THE LUXE comes an epic new series set in the dizzying last summer of the

Jazz Age.

My Thoughts:

What made me pick this book:

I’m currently obsessed with anything from the Roaring 20s (1920s) and I’m just intrigued by that age and there aren’t many YA books about this age and when I did some research, I came to this book. And yes, the cover is gorgeous and so is the dress the model is wearing.

The Plot:

It was like I was watching some tv series as the plot is more leaned towards the drama side. In the beginning, everything seems smooth-sailing and already I’m liking Cordelia more than Letty. As we were introduced to our third main girl, Astrid, I preferred her over the other two. The smooth sailing part started to bore me and I wanted some action and before I knew it, things started rolling downhill for each girl and from there they learned lessons. Overall, its a very nice fluffy chick-lit read and I want to get to know more about how the lives of these three girls will get intertwined together.

 

The Characters:

One thing that turned me off was Letty’s innocence. Probably it was because she was raised in the suburbs and she did not encounter the tricks and ploy of men. She’s not very far sighted and normally see things on the surface and does not prod deeper. She also has the mentality that her chance of becoming famous is rather high and I think she’s delusional as success is never easy. As for Cordelia, she’s more reserved and seems to be more aware of her surroundings. As for Astrid, I was able to relate to her more and her personality is somewhat similar to Serena from Gossip Girl. She’s buubly and friendly and loyal to her friends. However, I must applaud Cordelia for daring to face Thom and get even with him, though she did not execute the whole thing, i would still say bravo for warning him that she will get even with him. She’s suck a kick-ass and her firing a gun, was really unexpected of her. And her escape was really one of its kind.In terms of character development it is more on Cordelia then Letty then Cordelia.

 

The Writing:

This is my first time reading Anna Godbersen’s book and I would say I’m not used to the writing style she uses and it was hard to understand in the beginning. It was then I realized she does not explicitly state which character’s POV is she writing in now. After a few chapters, I get accustomed to it. It is something like the Pretty Little Liars series. However, in this case, we can have all three girls’ POVs in one chapter and I find that a job well done by Anna Godbersen as she was able to string them in such a manner where its almost seamless and so far I have not encountered any hiccups when we switch from one girl to the other.

 

Rating: 4/5 stars