Challenge Completion: Full House Reading Challenge 2015

Full House Reading Challenge 2015; hosted by Book Date. RULES: This challenge runs from January 1st to December 31st, 2015.  Create a post committing to your participation.  Read and review books based on topics on the card below.  There will be a link every quarter for you to add your reviews as you go along.  The goal is to complete the full house card, with one free exchange if there is something on a square that you really dislike.

Here are all the books I read for this challenge!  You could say I used my free exchange for the "Award Winning" square because I technically only read an award finalist not the actual winner.  I had a lot of fun reading these categories this year.  I spent most of my time reading books I wanted to read then seeing if they fit any of the criteria, but a couple of the squares I went searching for books.  Both ways worked really well for me.  I look forward to doing this challenge again in 2016! 

Published in 2014: Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins 

You heard about the book online: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Author new to you: Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige
Library Book: My Faire Lady by Laura Wettersten
Published pre 2000: Matilda by Roald Dahl
Published 2000-2013: How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by Sarah Strohmeyer
Novella: Fairest by Marissa Meyer
Author outside you own country: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
You love the cover: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
First in a series: Becoming Jinn by Lori Goldstein
Published 2015: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Book by and author you really like: Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo
Debut novel by author: The 100 by Kass Morgan
Outstanding hero or heroine: Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch
Set in the Southern Hemisphere: What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
A Keeper: The Young Elites by Marie Lu
Won or Borrowed: Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks
A Top Book of 2015 for you: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Set in the Northern Hemisphere: Trouble is a Friend of Mine by Stephanie Tromly
Setting that I now want to visit: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Type of Book I Rarely Read: Room by Emma Donoghue
2nd book or more in a series: Winter by Marissa Meyer
Award Winning: The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo (National Book Finalist)
Free Choice: Walking on Trampolines by Frances Whiting
Been on You TBR Forever: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Uglies

by Scott Westerfeld
published: Simon Pulse, 2005
pages: 425

Tally Youngblood wants to be pretty and when she turns sixteen she will get to do just that.  She'll have the operation and move to paradise, where everyone will be beautiful.  However, her new friend Shay has no interest in becoming pretty. She wants to run away and stay ugly forever.  But Shay doesn't want to do it alone though, she wants Tally to come with her.  Tally has to make a life altering decision, either way there will be major consequences.

This book didn't immediately captivate me like I hoped it would.  I liked the concept of the book and thought it was interesting but the plot didn't seem to take off until the book was well over half way through.  I knew I wanted to finish the book, but I was on the fence about whether or not I wanted to continue on the series.  It wasn't until the last 50 pages or so that I decided I wanted to know what was going to happen in the next couple of books.

This is the kind of book that I would have loved if I had read it in high school.  The characters are compelling and Tally deals with pressure from multiple sides, which most teenagers deal with at some point.  She is relatable and interesting; I found myself routing for her at every opportunity.  Shay on the other-hand is just as compelling, but more impulsive.  She doesn't always think about the consequences of her actions, but is fiercely loyal.

I do like the writing in this story.  Scott Westerfeld has a unique way of getting to the heart of the characters and their conflicts with vibrant dialogue and descriptions of the dystopian world in which they live.  I'll be interested in reading more of Westerfeld's work.

Stars: 3/5

Praise:

"With a beginning and ending that pack hefty punches, this introduction to a dystopic future promises an exciting series."
     --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Highly readable with a convincing plot that incorporates futuristic technologies and disturbing commentary on our current public policies.  Fortunately, the cliff-hanger ending promises a sequel."
     --School Library Journal, starred review

"This book, the first in a trilogy, asks engaging questions about the meaning of beauty, individuality, and betrayal.  Highly recommended for SF fans or anyone who likes a good, thoughtful adventure."
    --Kliatt, starred review

A Full House Reading Challenge 2015 Book!
A TBR Pile Challenge 2015 book.
An Alphabet Soup Challenge 2015 book. 

Walking on Trampolines

by Frances Whiting

published: Gallery Books, 2015 (originally 2013)

pages: 368

When Lulu meets Annabelle, she is bewitched.  They quickly become the best of friends, sharing secrets and a language that no one else knows.  But when the unthinkable happens, they lose track of each other.  Lulu has to come to terms with her life and move on, but it doesn't happen easily or over night.  Lulu takes a journey to find herself and her purpose, amid new beginnings and unexpected endings. 

I love the title of the book, Walking on Trampolines.  It's not explained at all in the book, like some title would be; it's not even mentioned.  But it describes everything this book is about, everything that Lulu struggles with, every decision, every moment in her life.  Life is hard and sometimes you get thrown off, become unstable, just like walking on a trampoline.

The book delivers rich characters that made me hate them and love them at the same time.  There were characters that had no clue what they were doing, characters that were very self aware, and characters that were slightly naive.  This book was really about Lulu's journey into acceptance and happiness, but it proves that everyone you meet has some affect on you regardless of how long you know them.

Duncan is my favorite character in this book.  He has a great personally: he's flamboyant, boisterous and tender to those he loves.  He's also very aware that he is an asshole.  He likes to meddle and does his best to help Lulu when she comes to work for him.  He is a force of nature in Lulu's life and helps her discover happiness. 

The characters in this book are the reason people should read it.  The plot seems to be slightly trivial next to the amazing amount of lively and developed characters you come across in these pages.

Frances Whiting has the ability to create characters that feel so real.  I feel as though I've known them for a long time.  I will be waiting more from Whiting in the future! 

Stars: 3.5/5

Praise:

"A tender exploration of friendship, families, and first love."
      --Liane Moriarty, author of What Alice Forgot

"Whiting has crafted a compelling and emotional journey... Fans of Liane Moriarty, Sarah Dessen, and Jennifer Close will adore Whiting's heart wrenchingly honest and utterly earnest tale of female friendship, unbreakable bonds, and learning to let go."
     --Booklist, starred review

"Whiting's novel, reminiscent of novels by Kristin Hannah, evokes all the emotions the best books should: joy, sadness and the truth that life is messy, yet full of love."
     --RT Book Reviews


A Full House Challenge 2015 Book!

Winter

by Marissa Meyer
published:
pages: 824

Princess Winter is kind, generous and well loved by the people on Luna.  She is also the stepdaughter of Queen Levana, which happens to be a dangerous position.  While Levana tries to secure her vision of world domination, Winter has been subtly undermining Queen Levana for years.  Disguising her strength in her biggest weakness, Winter decides it's time to do something about her stepmother and her personal guard Jacin, knows where to go for help.

The conclusion of The Lunar Chronicles is upon us.

I think I've said this in every Lunar Chronicles review, but this story is so much more than just a retelling of Snow White.  Sure, you get the Snow White story, but you have the fate of the world and Luna resting on a couple rebels too.  I was curious to see how different sections of the story would be represented and I wasn't disappointed.  I thought it was really cool that Snow White's seven dwarfs were represented in the other main characters.  It was never said explicitly that Cinder, Scarlet, Cress and company were the seven dwarfs but subtle hints and actions made it increasingly obvious. The way that Snow White is weaved into the more complex and ultimately engaging plot is incredible.

It was long for a good reason. With eight main characters to follow and for main story arcs to conclude, it is impossible to know exactly where everyone is all the time.  It's hard to balance them well and move the plot forward in an engaging fashion. To be honest, this was one of aspects of the book that concerned me before reading it. I think it is done fairly well in this book. There are definite periods of time where I wondered what a certain character was up to because they hadn't been apart of the central plot for a chunk of time. Cress goes missing for a while and so does Winter.  But for the most part, the page time is well balanced and the absence of certain characters provide more momentum for the story.

This book was so gratifying. Marissa Meyer threw me for a loop and then gracefully put everything together in the end.  She finished this story in a most unpredictable yet completely satisfying way. I am sad that my time in the Lunar Chronicles world is ending but I am looking forward to what Marissa Meyer will write in the future.

Stars: 4/5 

Praise:

"Yes, it's another one of Meyer's very fractured fairy tales, in which she offer a new amalgam of Grimm's fairy tales, science fiction, violence, women's lib, and romance."
     --Booklist

"Like the previous entries in this widely appealing series, this title features strong heroines taking control of their destinies set against a fully developed and imaginative world.
     --School Library Journal

A Full House Reading Challenge 2015 book!

The Tiger Rising

by Kate DiCamillo
published: Candlewick Press, 2001
pages: 128

Rob and his dad move to a small rural town in Florida after his mom dies to start over. The only problem is that he doesn't like school and nobody particularly likes him.  However, things begin to change when he finds a tiger and meets a girl named Sistine, like the chapel.

Rob and Sistine are complete opposites and it plays incredibly well in the story.  Rob likes to keep everything bottled up and put away and Sistine wears her emotions on the brightly colored sleeves of her dress, sometimes they're carried on her fists too.  They help each other figure out how to handle their own personal situations without ever really talking about how it affects them. I love that they become friends.   Their friendship is humorous and heartfelt.

This book is overflowing with symbolic meaning, some of it you don't consciously catch.  The tiger in the cage, the name of the hotel, the weather, Sistine and Rob's relationship, Rob's hobby - all of these things have a little bit of symbolic meaning that makes this short story so powerful, so palpable.

This story was a very short quick read, but it was incredibly well told and bittersweet.  Kate DiCamillo has such a way with words.  Everything she writes sounds little bit musical, and a lot like poetry.  She is able to tackle hard topics, such as a death of a parent, in a way that kids can understand and relate.  It's amazing to me how much I can feel for these characters even though I only get to know them for 128 pages.

Stars: 4/5

"Kate DiCamilo's sentences waste not a single word: they spin out, with the Florida mist rising off them."
     --Booklist

"A poignant story of loss and redemption"
     --Miami Harold

A 2015 Full House Reading Challenge book

Room

by Emma Donoghue
published: Little Brown and Company, 2010
pages: 321

Jack and Ma have always been in Room.  They eat and play and work and watch TV in Room.  Jack has all he needs and all there is is Room.  Occasionally Old Nick will come at night, but Jack has never seen him because Ma won't let him.  Then one day Ma and Jack have a chance to escape, but will they escape and what will happen if they do.

I've been on the fence about reading this book for ages, and I picked it up because it was my book club book for the month.  I was overwhelmed by it.

This book covers a very sensitive and traumatic topic.  Never in a million years would I wish kidnapping on anyone, and hearing the events of the story from a 5-year-olds point of view make me that much more uncomfortable.  He literally knows nothing but the room he was born in and he has trouble comprehending the world outside.  He doesn't understand why his mother would want to leave the room either.  It's heartbreaking and increasingly troubling to read.  Frankly, it got a bit annoying and irritating as well.

One thing I did enjoy about the book is that it deals with the aftermath of captivity.  Very rarely does a book talk about what happens after the escape/rescue/tragedy/loss.  Half of this book is devoted to that, to the reentry of the characters into the world and how the world responds to them.  Ma and Jack aren't normal, they don't come from a normal situation but to be treated as celebrities because of something terrible is strange.  There is so much insight to dealing with life after and the healing process for both Jack and his Ma.

If this hadn't been my book club book for the month, I probably wouldn't have finished this book.  I wanted to like this book.  I wanted to be moved by this book, but I just wasn't. The movie adaptation is coming out fairly soon, but honestly, I'm not sure I want to see it.

Stars: 2/5

Praise:

"Talented, versatile Donoghue relates a searing tale of survival and recovery, in the voice of a five-year-old boy..."
     -Kirkus Review

"The stars are in perfect alignment for Emma Donoghue's new novel, Room....And the topic couldn't be more provacative."
     -USA Today

"...little has been written about the pain of re-entry, and Donoghue's bravado in investigating that potentially terrifying transformation grants the novel a frightening resonance that will keep readers rapt."
     -Publisher's Weekly

A 2015 Full House Challenge book. 
An Ultimate Teen Reads Challenge book.

Ready Player One

by Ernest Cline
published: Broadway Books, 2011
pages: 372

When the creator of the worldwide virtual reality gaming system, OASIS, dies, he leaves his fortune hidden in an egg somewhere in his digital world.  People all over the world have been searching ever since.  Wade Wilson stumbles across the first clue that leads him closer to the ultimate prize.  However, time is not on his side; Wade must beat a slue of other competitors including some that are willing to kill.  There's only one way to survive: to win.

This book was a bit of a rollercoaster.  There's so much action packed into the story.  It had me on the edge of my seat wanting to know what happens next.  I loved all the plot twists and the big reveal; you never know who to trust when everything is online.

There was a bit of a lull in the story about halfway through.  We had some character development, but other than that not much seems to happen.  I found myself skimming the page every once in a while, waiting for the next moment of high action.

The vast amount of 70s and 80s references were incredibly entertaining.  I grew up on that kind of pop culture thanks to my dad, so I knew most of the references on the spot.  It was so much fun to geek out while reading this book.  I thoroughly enjoyed slipping in and out of OASIS with Wade.

OASIS is a virtual reality that I would love to visit.  The world is so intensely huge, there something for everyone.  Each planet is described with such vivid details that it feels like you are right there with all the avatars.  We only got a small peak into the virtual world.  There is some much left unexplored that it's incredibly enticing.  I  would love to explore it, I wouldn't be very good at the MMO (massive multiplayer online) parts of OASIS but it would definitely super cool to experience it.

Ernest Cline creates an amazing world with an intense adventure challenge to complete.  I definitely enjoyed reading this book.


Stars: 3.5/5

Praise:

"As one adventure leads expertly to the next, time simple evaporates."
      --Entertainment Weekly

"An action-packed, highly entertaining, nostalgic thrill ride through the past combined with the danger and excitement of a not-too-distant future."
      --New York Journal of Books

"An adrenaline shot of uncut geekdom... [featuring] the perfect lovable/unlikely hero."
      --Publishers Weekly

A Full House Reading Challenge 2015 book.
A 2015 TBR Pile Challenge book. 
An Alphabet Soup Challenge book.
A 2015 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge book. 

Trouble is a Friend of Mine

by Stephanie Tromly
published: Kathy Dawson Books, 2015
pages: 336

When Zoe moves into town after her parent's divorce, she hardly expects to make friends.  She certainly doesn't expect to run into a rude and eccentric boy that will tug her down a rabbit hole in moments of high jinks and certain danger.  Zoe learns quickly that being friends with Digby is a full time job, but she doesn't mind, most of the time.  It's only when he gets them into trouble that it becomes a bit of an issue for her.

Digby is a love-at-first-mention kind of character.  He is super strange and definitely the kind of person I would gravitate toward if I met him in real life.  All his secrets and his quirks made me laugh and groan; there were definitely times when I hated him and times when I just wanted to hug him.  The mystery that follows him wherever he goes is definitely one of the selling points of this story.  He gets into all sorts of insane and unlikely trouble.

This book had me giggling and laughing out loud.  So many of the situations were outrageous, and Zoe's commentary was hilarious.  She definitely got funnier as the book went on; it has to do with her character growth.  The more comfortable she became with the people in her life, the more confident she became.  The other characters, Digby and even Henry, Digby's friend, were funny, but Zoe was on point the entire time.  And she isn't afraid to call those guys out when some questionable humor/comment came from them with the excuse that they were teenage boys.

This book is a whirlwind and slightly crazy, but in the best possible way. I couldn't put this book down and when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it.  It made for a couple of difficult work days. I was completely invested in this book, the plot, the characters, and the ridiculousness had me hook, line, and sinker.  I sure hope there is a sequel because I'm already craving more of these characters.

Stars: 5/5 Stars

Praise:

"In what reads like a combination of Veronica mars and The Breakfast Club, debut author Tromly creates a screwball mystery with powerful crossover appeal."
     --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Fast-talking, suit-wearing Digby is an exasperating teenage Sherlock- sharply observant, impatient with social niceties, and unafraid of authority figures....Fans of Veronica Mars and Elementary will find much to like here...Zoe's sarcastic first-person narration is fresh and funny...an offbeat and entertaining caper."
     --Kirkus Reviews

"With acerbic banter and a heathy dose of high-school high jinks, screenwriter Tromly weaves together traditional elements of teen stories to create a Breakfast Club for a new century.
     --Booklist

A Full House Reading Challenge 2015 book!
An Alphabet Soup Challenge book!

Station Eleven

by Emily St. John Mandel
published: Vintage Books, 2014
pages: 333

The Georgia Flu swept in with little more acknowledgement than the common flu.  Twenty years later, there are few people left that actually remember a time before everything went down, a time of technology and gasoline and electric lights.  Kristen was young when the Georgia Flu struck but she managed to survive.  She travels around from settlement to settlement with a troupe people who perform the great works of Shakespeare and classic music.  Rarely do they run into trouble, they come across a town that will threaten the very existence of the troupe and Kristen's only home.

I don't think I've ever read a post-apocalyptic book where I actually witness the apocalypse.  Usually, I get to deal with the aftermath.  This book gives us everything from beginning to end and it's so so interesting.

The storytelling in the books is amazing.  It is captivating and moving and beautifully written.  It bounces around in the past and the present worlds, the time before the pandemic and the time after.  The stark differences between these two time periods are captured with phrases and illustrations of people interaction and the physical beauty of the world around them.  Every person in this story is connected in some fashion and as the story is unraveled the relationships and connections are revealed.  It really takes the small world aspect of life to its fullest.

I love that the group of people we follow post pandemic is a group of musicians and actors and their role in this life is to provide entertainment to the towns they travel through.  I love that they exclusively run Shakespeare.  It's so telling, what people in this novel choose to perpetuate and honor from the old world.  Shakespeare is one of those things, technology is another.

There's a bit of mystery to this story.  Things aren't always explained when they are first brought up.  Most of the time we get the answers we are looking for, but never in the time or the way we expect to get them.  This book feels so much like life, like I'm living my life with these characters, getting to know them a little bit at a time and not always through the original source.

The last line of this book sums it up beautifully without giving anything away.  "He likes the thought of ships moving over the water, toward another world just out of sight."

Stars: 4/5

Praise:

"It's hard to imagine a novel more perfectly suited, in both form and content, to this literary moment."
     --The New Yorker

"[A] surprisingly beautiful story of human relationships amid...devastation."
     --Washington Post

"Soul-quaking....Mandel displays the impressive skill of evoking both terror and empathy."
     --The Los Angeles Review of Books

A 2015 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge book!
A 2015 Full House Reading Challenge book!

The Young Elites

by Marie Lu
published:  G.P. Putnam's Son for Young Readers, 2014
pages: 355

Adelina was a normal girl once, but now she is malfetto.  She may have survived the blood fever when she was younger, but that didn't mean she wasn't effected by it.  Aside from scars, many of the fever's survivors are said to have special powers and call themselves the Young Elites.  Adelina doesn't want the lot she's been handed, but she has only this choice, learn to control it or let it control her.

WHAT THE HECK.

I was sorely tempted to leave that as my full review because holy cow this book threw me for a loop.  I loved that there wasn't any real stability in this story. Everything was constantly in danger of falling apart from numerous different threats-- betrayal, friendship, family, love, secrets, all of these are potential cornerstones in the downfall of our main characters.  There so much to unpack about the characters and where their loyalties lie.

Adelina (beautiful name) is thrown into the world of the Young Elites.  She is just as secretive as the rest of the characters, but in a more desperate way.  Her character growth in this novel is stunning.  Adelina goes from being a terrified and distraught child to a strong-willed and frighteningly powerful Young Elite.  She is definitely our antihero, as are most of the Young Elites.  It's a complicated narrative, where no side is the "right side" and each character has to decide for themselves where they stand.

The powers that some of the characters have are incredible, not your run of the mill flying or invisibility.  There's quite a bit of manipulation of nature and the elements.  It's all very interesting and sometimes scary.  When people compare it to X-men, they are definitely on the right track.  These people with powers are amazing and they have to make a choice on how to use their powers.

Marie Lu knocks it out of the park with this beginning to her knew series.  I cannot wait until the sequel comes out! (Which was YESTERDAY everybody!)  I cannot wait to follow Adelina further into her story and see where high jinks and adventure take her.

Stars: 5/5

Praise:

"By permitting her characters some grand failures, she raises the stakes in the best way possible... There is clearly more to know, and I look forward to it.  This is a world worth revisiting."
     --The New York Times Book Review

"Lu pivots from the 'coming of age via romance' formula to pry apart the many emotions that pass under the rubric of love... There's nothing easy here, for Adelina or readers -- there are no safe places where the pressures of betrayal, death threats, and rejection aren't felt."
     --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Lu weaves her magic across the page as she unfolds the story of Adelina and the Young Elites.  Nothing is as it is expected."
     --VOYA

A Full House Reading Challenge 2015 book
An Alphabet Soup Challenge book

What Alice Forgot

by Liane Moriarty
published: Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam, 2011 (originally 2009)
pages: 423 pages

What happens when Alice falls off her bike during a workout session?  *Spoiler alert* she loses that last ten years of her life.  She faints as a 39-year-old with three children, going through a particularly rough divorce and wakes up as a 29-year-old who is madly in love with her husband and thinks she's pregnant with their first child.  Alice has to navigate her new life as her old self.  She begins to see just how much ten years can change a person and she notices that it's not always change for the better.  The missing ten years might just be a blessing in disguise.

I loved the idea of this book right off the bat; a woman forgetting the last 10 years of her life.  She gets a do-over.  Something so many people want but never actually get.  Alice gets the chance to look at her life objectively and decide to change the things she doesn't like.  It's a different kind of time-travel.

The very beginning was good because it immediately captures the attention of the reader.  The accident happens and everyone is confused because Alice is confused.  At first, the reader only gets Alice's side of the story, so we know what she knows and it's not a lot.

The book has three narrators: Alice, Alice's pseudo grandmother - Frannie, and Alice's sister - Elisabeth.  Alice narrates the story, Frannie writes letters to her fiance, and Elisabeth writes a journal as suggested by her therapist.  I like there three different distinct narrations.  I was never confused as to who was speaking and I thought it was great that the modes of storytelling were different for each character as well.

The pacing of the book was quite slow for my taste, although it did pick up near the end.  Aside from the initial shock of memory loss at the beginning, it dragged.  It felt like Alice was dealing with the same issues over and over again.  I'm sure I would have liked this book a whole lot more if the pacing hadn't been so slow.  I will say the end/epilogue was fantastic.  I really enjoy that section of the book.

Stars: 3/5

Praise:

"Funny and knowing... [about] what we choose to remember, and fight to forget."
     --O Magazine

"The gripping story of a woman who wakes up with a bump on her head and no knowledge of the past ten years...an acutely observed romantic comedy that is both thought-provoking and funny."
     --Marie Claire

"The affecting tale of Alice's chance for a ten-year do-over."
     --The New York Times

The 100

by Kass Morgan
published: Little, Brown and Company, 2013
pages: 323

When one hundred juvenile delinquents are selected to go back to Earth almost a hundred years after human evacuation, they will have to figure out how to survive a terrain they've only dreamed of, that is of course if they don't die from radiation from the Catalytic war.

Please be warned this book is NOT the TV show.  They share some characters, a setting, and a basic plot.  Other than that the book takes a turn for its own, which is a good thing.  After I wrapped my brain around the vast differences between the show and the book I began to enjoy this story.

This story is told from four different points of view; Clarke, Bellamy, Wells, and Glass. Each of these kids have a very different way of looking at their situations. One is the chancellor's son, one is the older brother of a teen prisoner, one is the daughter of two dead scientists and one is in love with a boy her mother disapproves.  Their voices are distinct and provide unique views of the situation.  I really enjoyed each perspective and found they each added a dynamic to the story that enhanced the read. 

This book was very fast paced. It flowed from one point of view to the next pretty seamlessly which is great because of how many narrators were telling the story.  Usually when there is more than one character telling the story, I favor one voice over the others.  That wasn't really the case with this book.

In this book we hit the tip of the iceberg in terms of values and moral ambiguity.  I anticipate much more moral grey area in the two final books in this trilogy.  I love when characters struggle with right and wrong; it always leads to character development and man I love good character development.  We have characters who have hidden agendas and secrets they want kept.  We have characters who genuinely want to help, but don't know how.  It's fun (I'm not sure that's the correct word) to see them all interact and fall into miscommunication and deceit.

This books takes us through only the beginning of these characters' stories.  The cliffhanger at the end was really good.  Even if I hadn't watched the series before, I would have wanted to read the sequel right away.

Stars: 4/5

Praise:

"[Readers will] be drawn in by the Lord of the Flies-style tension that builds as the teens struggle to set up a new society on a battered Earth, and by the smoldering romances that hang in the balance."
     --Publishers Weekly

"Dark and riveting... A mash-up of The Lord of the Flies, Across the Universe and The Hunger Games."
     --Booklist

An Eclectic Reader 2015 Challenge book.
A Full House Reading Challenge 2015 book. 

An Alphabet Soup 2015 Challenge book. 

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures

by Kate DiCamillo
published: Candlewick Press, 2013
pages: 232

Flora is a self-proclaimed cynic living an unassuming cynical life with a mother who is more interested in her romance novels than her daughter.  Flora's life is dull, until she observe her neighbor accidentally vacuum up a squirrel.  From that moment on, Flora's life takes a turn for the unexpected.  She befriends a superhero squirrel and sniffs out the arch-nemesis in their story.  Together Flora and Ulysses will save the world.

I liked the comic book, superhero feel of the story which was helped by the periodic illustrated panels.  Flora, the cynical 10-year-old main character, lived her life in a comic book style.  She'd see words written above people she interacted with much like the words in the panels of the comics she read.  Incandesto is her superhero of choice and she compared everything in her life to that of Incandesto's life and modeled her actions off of his.

Ulysses is a very interesting character, especially since he is a squirrel.  He's a super hero squirrel with an origin story that's bizarre and unique.  He discovers his abilities right along with Flora.  What he decides he wants to do with them is vastly different than what everyone else wants him to do.  He's an adorable character.

Kate DiCamillo hits on hard topics in all of her novels and Flora and Ulysses is no exception.  The characters deal with love, grief, angry, loss, divorce, loneliness and so much more.  She does an excellent job of explaining these in a way that children will understand without oversimplifying them.

This book is not my favorite Kate DiCamillo book, that title is still held by Tale of Despereaux, but it was enjoyable and entertaining all the same.

Stars: 3/5 

Praise:

"Original, touching and 0h-so-funny tale starring an endearingly implausible superhero and a not-so-cynical girl."
     --Kirkus Review

"Despite supremely quirky characters and dialogue worthy of an SAT prep class, there's real emotion at the heart of this story involving two kids who have been failed by the most important people in their lives: their parents.
     --Publishers Weekly

"In "Flora and Ulysses," longtime fans will find a happy marriage of Mercy Watson's warmth and wackiness and Edward Tulane's gentle life lessons.  In Flora, they will find a girl worth knowing, and one they will remember.
     --The New York Time Book Review

A 2015 Newbery Reading Challenge Book.
A 2015 Full House Reading Challenge Book. 

A Court of Thorns and Roses

by Sarah J. Maas
Published: Bloomsbury Children's, 2015
pages: 416

Feyre is the only reason her family has survived their recent years of poverty.  However, when she accidentally kills a Faerie while out hunting, she must face the consequences of her actions.  She is dragged to a mysterious land she knows only from stories and nightmares.  Feyre discovers that her captor isn't an animal, but Tamlin, a High Lord of the faeries.  As her feelings for him begin to change, the looming threat against the faerie world grows.  It's up to Feyre to stop it, or lose Tamlin and the others forever.

I love Beauty and the Beast, but before this, I had never read a retelling of this fairytale.  Man, I chose the perfect book to read for retelling.  I loved reading this book, knowing a little bit about what was going to happen, but not how it was going to happen.  One of my favorite things about retellings is the incredible way in which authors take a familiar story and make it their own.  Right from the beginning this book exuded originality.  I loved the discord between the mortal and faerie realms.  The history between those two world was a perfect spring board for this story.

I loved that the "beast" part of the curse involved ornate masquerade masks rather than a true beast transformation.  It was a nice nod to that aspect of the story. The subtlety of the curse in this book was brilliant.  Because the story is told from the point of view of Feyre, the reader is just as blind to any hints Tamlin and his court might be dropping about the curse, which makes for a great revelation when Feyre starts putting clues together.

The characters in this book are so fascinating.  I absolutely love Lucein, for his charm and humor and his undying loyalty to Tamlin.  I love his snarkiness and his quick wit of exchange with almost everyone he meets. Feyre's character development is probably the most intense because the story unfolds through her eyes.  We get to watch her go from blindly hating the faeries to slowly falling in love with one of the strongest Fae.  It's entertaining when the narrator gets confused about their emotions.  Tamlin and Feyre's relationship is beautiful.  I love how their interactions slowly change over the course of the book.  It's a beautiful thing to watch people fall in love and be stubborn about it at the same time.

This was a great beginning to a new series that I will follow to the end!  Amazing story telling by Sarah J. Maas. (P.S. there's a map and it's cool!)

Stars: 4/5

Praise:

"A gorgeously written tale as lush and romantic as it is ferocious.  Absolutely spellbinding."
     --Alexandra Bracken, New York Times bestselling author

"Simply dazzles...the clamor for a sequel will be deafening... Maas' Throne of Glass series has been a smash hit...this new series is primed to follow in its footsteps.
     --starred review

"A dazzling world, complex characters and sizzling romance.  Feyre is a charming heroine with a perfect amount of flaws and strengths, and her chemistry with Tamlin is wonderfully tangible."
     --Top Pick

An Eclectic Reader 2015 Challenge book.
A Full House Reading Challenge book.
An Alphabet Soup Challenge book.

Becoming Jinn

by Lori Goldstein

published: Feiwel and Friends, 2015
pages: 384

Azra's whole life is turned upside down on her 16th birthday.  She knew it was coming but she had hoped and fought it her entire life.  Now she that she has her powers, Azra is forced to grant the wishes of those around her.  The trick is she doesn't get to choose, the governing body of the Jinn choose for her.  All Azra wants is to be normal and to have normal friends, but she's starting to realize the people she has pushed away her entire life might just be the people who will help her get through becoming Jinn. (<-- Did you see what I did there?)

I really enjoyed reading this book.  I don't think there are many books focused on genies, so when I first heard about this I was all over it!  The plot is interesting.  I love the premise of this story, a hierarchy of genies that determine just who gets to have wishes granted and when they get them granted.  Genies are often depicted with very little character other than they grant wishes.  This book gives us fleshed out genies and their culture.  The characters have motivations and emotions that drive them, they aren't simply brainless wish granting machines.

I initially felt incredibly sad for Azra's predicament and the isolated lifestyle she has had to lead.  I know some of it, okay maybe a lot of it, is of her own making but it struck a chord with me.  I loved the fact that she is rebellious and headstrong, even against things that she can't change.  At the same time, she feels deeply and wants to protect her family and friends in any way possible.  She's definitely a character of flaws, but that's what makes her so relatable and enjoyable.

The other characters in this book are really cool as well.  There are so many characters that were introduced in this book, but they weren't given enough time for much development.  Azra's Jinn sisters are a good example of that.  There are six of them including Azra, but only two of them get much shine time.  I loved what we saw of each character; they each had distinct traits and interests that made them easy to remember and distinguish.  I just wish there was more of them in the book.  I am hopeful that we will see more of them as the series continues!

On that note, I didn't realize this was the beginning of a series so I was slightly confused when there were only about 50 pages left and questions weren't being answered.  On top of that, we were still learning new information.  I like when I get answers to all my questions and that certainly did not happen but I'm okay with it because now I know there is more to this story than just this book.  I am so happy that there is more coming.  I really enjoyed reading about the lives of these characters.

This story has so much potential to grow and I'm looking forward to following all the characters into the rest of this series! (P.S. the cover is way more purple than in this picture and I LOVE it!)

Stars: 3.5/5

Praise:

"[Azra's] struggles with family and impending adulthood ring true and will likely cultivate a loyal, sequel-hungry audience."
     --Booklist

"Through Azra's first-person, present-tense narration, the act of "becoming Jinn" provides a rich metaphor for the potency and frustration of adolescence."
     --Kirkus

"Becoming Jinn offers everything I adore in a book: a rebellious, snarky heroine, a fresh plot that had me devouring pages, and flourishes of dreamy romance."
     --Anna Banks, New York Times-bestselling author of the Syrena Legacy series

"Becoming Junn is a delightful portrait of what the life of a modern-day genie might be.  Vividly imagined and written with spirit and verve."
     --Emmy Laybourne, author of the Monument 14 series

A Full House Reading Challenge 2015 book.
An Alphabet Soup Challenge book. 

Code Name Verity

by Elizabeth Wein
published: Hyperion, 2013 (originally 2012)
pages: 339

 When a British spy plane crashes in Nazi occupied France, two women (and best friends) are left to fend for themselves.  Only one has a chance at survival; one has been captured by the Gestapo and has been given the choice: reveal her plan or face execution.  She's been given as much paper as necessary to write down her confession and any pertinent information about the British war front.  With each word she writes, she discovers more about herself and her best friend Maddie.  Will the information she gives be enough to save her from the enemy?

Holy crap this book through me for a loop.   It was so cleverly written and masterfully deceitful I couldn't always tell what was fact and what was fiction.   It is a beautiful tale of friendship, war, tragedy, and sacrifice.  The writing was simply amazing!

I loved that there were two strong well rounded female characters telling the story.  Not often do you get a WWII novel where the main characters are women fighting in the war.  Juliet and Maddie are very different but they complemented each other incredibly well and gave a compelling documentation of what was happening.  They felt incredibly real, like I had just met and become friends with them.  They quite literally jumped off the page.

Usually when there are multiple voices telling the story, they alternate in some fashion, but this book was segmented.  The first half, one girl and the second half, the other.  I'd never read a book organized like this before and I was pleased that it didn't throw me off like I thought it would.  I got used to one voice, but because of the nature of the book, it felt like we already knew the other voice before she became the main storyteller.

Elizabeth Wein has created a novel that rivals that of Markus Zusak's The Book Thief.  Both story of WWII and both compelling and completely engrossing.  Code Name Verity is an excellent read.  I cannot wait to pick up more of Wein's work.

Stars: 4/5 


Praise:

"A carefully researched, precisely written tour de force; unforgettable and wrenching."
     --Kirkus Reviews

"This book is written in a brilliant way.... Elizabeth Wein makes it always be believable and realistic as it is from the point of view of a young woman.... Everyone should read this incredible and heart wrenching story of two girls."
     --The Guardian (UK)

"Between this and her follow-up, Rose Under Fire, Wein is revealing herself to be a new master of young adult historical fiction....Filled with twists and turns, Code Name Verity is not for the faint of heart."
     --Rolling Stone

An Eclectic Reader Challenge 2015 Book. 
A Full House Reading Challenge 2015 Book.
The 2015 TBR Pile Challenge Book
An Alphabet Soup Challenge Book.

The Girl on the Train

by Paula Hawkins
published: Riverhead Books, 2015
pages: 336

Rachel takes the same train everyday and she passes by the same nice suburban houses and families.  She's even given names to some of the people she see regularly.  They remind her of the life she once had.  But what happens when those people become more than just passing glances in her life?  Rachel see something shocking and decides to go to the police with the information.  But in her attempt to do good could she possibly be making things worse not only for them, but for her as well?

One of the reasons this book is so suspenseful is that the narrators are all unreliable.  You never know if what they are telling you is true or how that truth is distorted.  None of them have the whole truth.  The reader gets the whole truth only because we are allowed to draw conclusions from three different points of view.  I loved that you couldn't trust anyone.  That's one of my favorite things about this book.

It was, however, a relatively slow read for me.  I felt like there was a quite a bit of slog before the action really hit.  For about two thirds of the book I was wondering when we would hit the main action of the book.  This was the biggest let down for me.  I would have liked to see the action hit a bit sooner in the story.  I love slow burn novels and tension building but it was almost too slow.  I was hooked just enough to need to finish to find out "who done it".

The characters kept me going.  I really enjoyed the different character perspectives and learning information through their perspectives.  I loved not being told specific characteristics about the characters but rather figuring out aspects of their life based on their actions and interactions with other people.  There's nothing more satisfying when the gears start to click in place and you realize that one of the characters has a problem and another isn't being honest with themselves. (This is really vague because I didn't want to give out specific examples.  That would ruin the fun for others.)

Overall, Paula Hawkins has an incredibly suspenseful novel that will capture the attention of those that love a good psychological thriller.

Stars: 3.5/5

Praise:

"Like the train, the story blasts through the stagnation of these lives in suburban London and the reader cannot help but turn pages."
     --The Boston Globe

"The Girl on the Train has more fun with unreliable narration than any chiller since Gone Girl... [It] is liable to draw a large, bedazzled readership."
     --The New York Times

"Gone Girl fans will devour this psychological thriller."
     --People

Fairest

by Marissa Meyer
published: Feiwel and Friends, 2015
pages: 222

Queen Levana wasn't always queen.  She wasn't always so powerful that people feared her.  Once, people pitied her, made fun of her, ignored her.  She made that all change.  This is the Levana's story.

This novella was a great insight to how Levana became the ruler she is in The Lunar Chronicles.  It was shorter than I expected, but it did give us character development for Levana.  How she went from being a young teenager to the ruler of Luna.  I felt a bit sorry for Levana in the beginning of the novella.  It is clear that her family experience is far from positive and her sister is cruel.

While this book doesn't make me any more sympathetic towards Levana, it does help me understand her a little bit more.  It makes me nervous for the future of all the characters I love in this series and for those that I'm just meeting.

We get a little look at a little of Winter backstory as well.  This little taste of the series is almost enough to hold me over until Winter comes out later this year.  I am so excited to see what happens in the conclusion of this series!

For people asking whether or not they should read the rest of series first, I would say yes because there a small spoilers for Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress in this story.  You could probably skip this book, but it is very captivating and exceptionally dark.  I loved reading it.

Stars: 4/5

Praise:

"Bestselling author Marissa Meyer reveals the story behind her fascinating villain in Fairest, an unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death."
     --New York Times


A Full House Reading Challenge Book 

How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True

by Sarah Strohmeyer
published: Balzer + Bray
pages: 320

When Zoe and her cousin, Jess, get an internship working at Fairyland, they are extremely excited for the chance to act as princesses all summer.  However, Zoe is assigned to be the personal assistant to "The Queen", which she quickly realizes expects the impossible.  On top of that, her fellow interns are competing for the $25,000 Do & Dream grant.  This makes for an interesting summer of mischief and and cut throat competition.  How will Zoe survive?

This book is the embodiment of my childhood dream of working at Disney World for a summer.  It was so fun to read about the chaos that went on behind the scenes of Fairyland.  (Yes, I did enjoy some of the eye rolling teenage angst.)  Imagine living among 50 other high school seniors that are vying for the $25,000 scholarship.  Things get a bit crazy.

The characters were possibly the best part of this novel.  Zoe's humor and wit shine through in her interactions with everyone but specifically Ian, who has a great sense of humor.  I found myself laughing often at what he was saying.  The Queen was so absurd, I kind of enjoyed her.  She wasn't evil by any means, her demands were so outrageous I probably would have snapped but Zoe keeps her cool.

Sarah Strohmeyer has created an entertaining story that made me smile quite a bit while reading.  I will be checking out her other works!

Stars: 3/5

Praise:

"Strohmeyer's humorous details about the park itself (royal characters get better quarters than 'Ordinary Cast Members,' and princes are given exclusive accoess to a pheromone-rich cologne) provide a lively, unconventional backdrop."
     --Publishers Weekly

"For fans of roms-coms everywhere."
     --ALA Booklist

"This clever, happily-ever-after story will charm fans of Meg Cabot and make new ones of Strohmeyer."
      --School Library Journal

A Full House Reading Challenge 2015 Book

Matilda

by Roald Dahl
published: Puffin, 1998 (originally 1988)
pages: 240

It isn't Matilda's fault that she was born into a family that doesn't understand or care for her.  They don't notice that at five and a half years old she can do double digit multiplication and read classics like Moby Dick and Charles Dickens.  They barely notice that she is old enough to go to school.  At school, Matilda and her friends face the terrifying Trunchbull.  Miss Honey is one of the few to acknowledge Matilda's extraordinary gifts.  But what makes her special, also has the tendency to get her in trouble.

This book was incredibly enchanting.  I found myself immersed in Matilda's world, wanting to read the books she read and have class with Miss Honey.

Matilda is everything I wanted to be when I was younger, brilliant and nice with powers.  The only thing about her life that saddens me is that her parents were completely neglectful.  She may be extraordinary but her life is run of the mill.  I love that Matilda just takes things into her own hands when it seems the adults around her either can't or won't.  She is incredibly imaginative and clever for someone not yet six.

I grew up watching and loving the movie and I am delighted to say that this book has given me the same feelings that the movie did.  The only thing I wish is that the book gave more information.  I would have enjoyed learning a bit more about Miss Trunchbull and Miss Honey, and even Matilda's family as odd as that sounds.  There are many cringeworthy Trunchbull moments and great sweet Miss Honey moments.  This book is just so fun.

I've always loved Roald Dahl's imagination and Matilda now sits right up there with The BFG for me.  I'm glad I finally picked up this book and read it!

Stars: 4/5

Praise:

"Funny, witty, fresh...Dahl at his outrageous best!"
     --The Baltimore Sun

"A funny book  with a child's perspective on an adult world.... Children will be waiting in line to read it.
     --School Library Journal, starred review

"A tour de force that kids will undoubtedly love"
     --The New Yorker

"Roald Dahl has done it again.... Matilda will surely go straight to children's hearts.
     --The New York Times Book Review

A 2015 TBR Pile Challenge book.
An Eclectic Reader 2015 Challenge book.
An Alphabet Soup Challenge book.
A Full House Reading Challenge book.