Little Librocubicularist

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Going straight to the point and making this as brief as possible, I liked the This Lullaby. It's my first Sarah Dessen book and, as mentioned by most of the reviews I have read, it will not be the last. I enjoyed flipping through the pages and finding out how a cynical girl who does not believe in love will be changed by the overly enthusiastic and optimistic musician. The characters were okay, pretty normal and nice to read about, though not really exceptionally different from most YA characters I have come to read. But they were good, in terms of fitting with the story and developing throughout the book. Maybe not all of them, but Remy at least (Well duh! She's the main character). Her mother has been one of the shocking revelations of the story. Ah, the wisdom of mothers. Bow! As for book the story, it was a little clichéd and predictable, but nonetheless, it went well. I was not really affected that much by Remy and Dexter's romantic encounters. It was funny and sweet, but that was just about it. All in all, one great chunk of thoughts put together in a story that will make you ponder on some things about love and taking chances. 3.5 Stars! :)

Rating: 3.5 Stars

I truly believe that this could have been better. Honestly, it was good. I was completely engrossed by the latter half of the book. But the problem is it's quite hard to get yourself into the book. First of all, Gemma Doyle is not one of the best protagonists around. Even her friends were hard to predict at first. Then, the intentions become a little more obvious and by the end, it got a bit confusing. And I do agree with the reviews I have read, about poor character development. Gemma Doyle from page one is not really far from the Gemma Doyle by the end of the book. Also, I don't know if it was just me, but I really found it hard to picture India and London in the year 1891. Yes, the petticoats, gloves, corsets and carriages are present. But from the way it was written, it wasn't 1900ish. Maybe a little, but it was not constant throughout the book. (Judgement is based from comparison with other books set in the Victorian period.)

I really did like A Great and Terrible Beauty. The mystery behind Spence, the magic, the realms and the Order... I liked them, too bad the story picked up at the later part of the book. Also, I was looking for Gemma's romantic interest, because who doesn't want some romance in their books? (Definitely not me). Let's just say the romantic side of A Great and Terrible Beauty was a little subdued. It was there, just bubbling to sprout, but not always present. Although it the love story went quiet, it was okay. I couldn't say I did not like it.

So, with that and the great title, I give A Great and Terrible Beauty 3.5 stars.

Rating: 4 Stars

Based from the title, the cover and blurb, you would think that this book is mainly about Amy and Roger's epic love story that bloomed during an unexpected roadtrip across the different parts of America. That's what I thought, too. Well it is, but not entirely. In a nutshell, it's about moving on and letting go; about taking a leap of faith; about jumping in without any certainty of what the outcome may be; about acceptance and finding yourself again. It is about family, life, and love. And it was pure awesomeness.

There's a always that blast of great satisfaction whenever a book you thought won't be making any impact takes you by surprise. Just when you thought you'd be putting it down and on the verge of giving up on it, you try again and you see it on a whole new perspective. That's happened with Amy and Roger's Epic Detour. I really didn't feel like reading the story much longer for some unknown reasons, but I tried to continue, and I started to like it a lot.

Roadtrips are always fun to read especially for those who can't experience them first hand, and this was no exception. Morgan Matson successfully brought readers along with Amy and Roger as they paved their way through the different states of America with only a few hundred dollars to spare. The best part? FOOD! That's the best part of every stop. Gets you salivating and hungry for those diner food, enough to for you to get fueled up to visit that state someday.

Also, Amy and Roger's relationship throughout the trip had been developed well - slowly but surely. From that awkward car silence to an innocent game of twenty questions, which lead to some heart to heart talk about burdens and heartaches. And by the of the trip, the uncertainty hanging between them was as strong as the promise of being together.

Lastly, I greatly approve of how everything ended.

So cheers to Edmund and Hillary for giving us a sweet story about life, love, family and finding oneself. All in all, great story!

Rating: 2.5 Stars

This is the kind of love story that does not reach out to me. I found it boring and everything else that I dislike about annoying teenage relationships.

It wasn't bad. I actually really liked it at first, especially the voiceless communication between Eleanor and Park. The unsaid words of gratitude that comes with the exchange of comic books and mixed tapes, and the six inches of space between thew was fun while it lasted. But when they started to talk more, it just did not do anything good to me. It was like an instant unofficial relationship. Then, from no good, it went a bit worse. The relationship was unstable, confusing, and complicated. It wasn't funny, or sweet, or romantic. It was plain and bland. I would love to love the story, but it didn't suit my taste.

I usually love unusual characters, like Eleanor and Park. They weren't the best looking people, they weren't popular, and they weren't exceptionally talented. They stood out the best way they can, and that's by being awkward. I liked that, but sometimes they just seem to be off and that irritated a bit.

Again, I liked it at first. I am starting to get used to dual point of views now, and the book was good with that. I loved the parts when Eleanor and Park constantly switched point of views (not 1st person, but 3rd person) with only a short lines to tell. That was the meaningful part for me. Too bad that a big part of the book wasn't that great. But there were still a few notable good parts. Well, 2.5 stars.

Rating: 2 Stars

That Boy, upon reading the blurb, will catch the attention of anyone looking for a sweet contemporary romance about a girl torn between two guys. It centers around the lives of three very close friends who grew up together. As time came and went, JJ (the girl) slowly realizes how her two guy friends changed from scrawny little boys to gorgeous young men. Then, the story begins.

The story was very disappointing. I was expecting something delightful, fun and worthwhile to read. But the sweetness, the tingles on the skin, and the knots in the belly I was hoping to feel was not there. The supposed love triangle was bland and boring. The story seemed to drag on due to the wide time frame it covers. To be honest, I felt it was too long because of some of the insignificant moments or parts in the story.

The characters, especially JJ, was unappealing. She was quite annoying, confusing and hard to relate to. And there's not much character development with her. With the guys, I was hoping to read something about a healthy brotherly/friendly competition to win the girl's heart. But none of the interesting and exciting parts of the sappy 'ol love story was present. They were okay for me, but crush-worthy? I think not so. They are tolerable.

I don't usually comment on the writing style because I'm not good at judging those kinds of things. But truth be told, this was not the greatest on the planet. It wasn't that good. It felt too conversational and informal. Not my kind of style, though I don't have any specific preference with the writing.

To sum up, I did not like it very much. But like I said, it was tolerable. But sweet, fun, dramatic and entertaining? No, not really. Well, not for me.

Rating: 4 Stars

Our beloved CYBORG CINDERELLA meets the not so little RED RIDING HOOD... :)

Marissa Meyer has done it again. She has retold another classic fairytale and made like it was her own. Some of the key elements of the original book were still in the story, but the way she has reconstructed everything to make it fit in a futuristic world filled with androids and Lunars was brilliant. She has successful made the innocent Little Red Riding Hood we know a bit more feisty and cooler by empowering her with flying and shooting skills. And from a New Beijing, we get to travel to a little town in France.

The book tells the story of both Scarlet and Cinder and how their lives will eventually intertwine. The simple farm girl from France and the Lunar cyborg fugitive from New Beijing will somehow cross paths as readers try to decipher how both girls will be of help to each other. That was actually my reading motivation: What will happen if both of them meet?

Scarlet is quite different from Cinder. I find Cinder more likable than her. But just as I was getting nearer to actually liking Scarlet a lot, she does something that just throws me off guard. I did not really expect her to do that. So yeah, her good points go down a few notches. Her relationship with Wolf wasn’t as great as I expected it to be. But I guess it was okay.

Cinder meets someone new in the second book, Cadet Thorne who insists on being called Captain. He was actually pretty entertaining. And I loved Kai’s reaction when he found out that Cinder has escaped with him. Priceless! (Hahahaha!) Iko is back as well! Though a little different than usual, but still the same funny and friendly Iko.

What else? Ah, Letumosis wasn’t really an issue here. The conflict was mostly about the Queen and her threats to the rulers of the Earthen species, about Lunar invasion and attacks.

So to sum up, the second book was great though there were a few hanging questions that were unresolved.

** MANILA was mentioned in the book. :)

Rating: 4 Stars

Fallen angels? Bad boys? Where have we read that before? Aaahh… Everywhere!

Sweet Evil did not really capture my interest back when it was buzzing around goodreads. To read another angel book was not on my priority list, and the cover did not really tickle my tastebuds. Good reviews from friends and their adoration for Kaidan made me want to try and give it a chance. And I am thankful I did.

What I really like about Sweet Evil was the concept of what angels and the fallen ones do on earth. There are dukes powered by deadly sins and demons spreading havoc on earth, guardian angels who protect and watch over the human race, and the nephilims who are mostly sons or daughters of fallen angels. So nephilims are generally bad here because they all grew up with their fathers (or the duke of whatever sin that may be). Wendy Higgins created an interesting concept that sets the book apart from the other angel books I have read.

The flow of the story was also good. From beginning to end, it will really hold a reader’s interest if you’re into this kind of story. The ending surprised and disappointed me a bit, because I thought there would be more. Everything was just left hanging there without any explanation as to what, how or why. I was just a little bummed out by that.

Kaidan’s character is very interesting. Aside from the fact that he is extremely good-looking and talented, he is a good person considering that he was raised by the duke of lust. Anna, on the other hand, was a little annoying near the end of the book. She seemed too desperate, like she can’t hold back and be patient. But in general, she was okay. I actually admired her (and the book) for not being hypocritical when it came to matters related to the Almighty. It did not seem fake or forced.

All in all, a great read. I will definitely watch out for Sweet Peril this coming April.

Rating: 5 Stars

“I sincerely love that whenever anything is stolen anywhere in the world YA readers think of me.”

That is one of the statuses Ally Carter posted on her Facebook page just a day or two after the Diamond Heist in Brussels. And I couldn't help but agree with it and say “Yes, I do that too.” Why? Because Ally Carter has wrapped her readers around her finger. She has that ability to create a world where you want to be in. She has that amazing skill of crafting witty and lovable characters you want to be (or you want to be with). She has the knack of satisfying her readers after indulging in her books. She is a gifted writer, an exceptional storyteller and most of all; she is either a spy or a thief, or a terrorist who knows all about hydraulic compressors, C4s and all those big guns.

Now, the book…

Perfect Scoundrels has given me an extremely pleasant reading experience from the moment I began up to the very last page. Everything about it screams “wow”. And comparing it to the first book, I would say that the third book has reached a whole new level of depth and intensity, story-wise and character-wise. It is not just about stealing and Kat’s family anymore. It is not even about Kat’s issues with herself. The story is actually mostly about Hale and his family. Here, we get to see more of Hale and how it is really like to live in a family so different than Kat’s. Readers also get more of Kat and Hale, from how they met to how their relationship played out (YES! YES! YES! They are together now!). The story held more drama, but still has that balanced touch of sweet romance, thrilling heist experiences and the funny antics and witty mouths of Kat, the gang and the family.

Kat has shown greater maturity in this book, yet the normal teenage girl still surfaces from her personality. A thief she may be, her jealousy was as normal as it can be. When she felt scared and confused, her father’s presence was the key to her comfort. She might have grown up with an extraordinary family, but she loves, she worries and she gets scared. She is still normal. Aside from Kat, Hale also showed another side to his personality. The fun and teasing W.W. Hale V was on and off. He is quite different here due to some unfortunate events. But the development of both characters and the growth of their relationship have been very good.

Again, readers get to travel around the world with Kat and the gang and experience firsthand (or second hand) how cool it is to be thief. From New York to Buenos Aires, then to London and Brussels (*remembers diamond heist*), and Hong Kong, then Paris, and Venice, Canada, Switzerland, and finally, back to New York. The whole world is their playground, but instead of running around chasing each other, they’re chasing some bad guy with an evil plan. Now who wouldn't want that?

Generalization: Now, I love BOTH of Ally’s series! :)

To wrap things up, I’ll shower Perfect Scoundrels with five glorious stars for its brilliance and awesomeness. Ally Carter has proven again how her great story crafted by free flowing narration easily transcends to the readers’ minds and emotions, which they will keep for a long time.

Rating: 5 Stars

What would happen if some of the well-loved characters from two of your favorite series meet? Well, Ally Carter’s Double Crossed would happen. A short yet satisfying novella about the high society lives of Macy McHenry and W. W. Hale V, plus a bit of Abby Cameron and Katarina Bishop.

Ally Carter never fails to amaze me with her work. She continually makes me want to read more of her books. And Double Crossed was no exception. It was very entertaining, fun, a little action packed and sweet. Seriously, who wouldn't love to read about the THIEVES and the SPIES meeting up? The question of whether both teams would ever find out each other’s secret keeps you reading until the end. Aside from that, the intelligently woven conversations about hydraulic compressors, C4s, and the Sterling Security System were definitely engaging. And Kat and Hale!!? Kat just confessed something!! *freaks out*. The ending was awesome! Enough said. Ally Carter is just pure genius when it comes to creating these kinds of things - espionage and heist scenes with a touch of sweet young love. Macey, Hale, Kat and Aunt Abby were as lovable as always.

AAAAH!! I JUST LOVE THIS!!! And it is FREE, so THANK YOU ALLY!!!

I can’t wait to get my hands on the sixth Gallagher Girl book and Perfect Scoundrels.

Rating: 4 Stars

Good… but I there were some low moments that I really did not enjoy reading.

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover is a story about finding the courage to face the past and embrace what you have become because of it. It is a story of love, of loss, of grief and of coping with everything in between. It is a story of bravery, sacrifice, selflessness and forgiveness. But most of all it is a story of finding “Hope.”

Colleen Hoover does not disappoint. She brought out great characters with interesting stories to tell. It’s the kind of story that wholly revolves around the two main characters. So it is understandable that readers only get to experience a few chapters with Six and Breckin. Sky and Holder’s relationship was also explained well.

The subtle mix of unexpectedness and predictability in the plot made Hopeless very satisfying to read. Once you start reading and it gets you thinking what’s wrong with them or what happened back in the past, there’s a sense of satisfaction when you know you guessed correctly. There is still also that element of surprise that most readers are looking for.

Though it was a nice book, there were moments while reading it that I felt like the story is a bit too much. There came a point when it was honestly too depressing to read more. It’s just too much sometimes. And since I already read quite a handful of books with the same line of plot as Hopeless has, I can't really find it affecting me that much. But thankfully, the story ended well.

Rating: 4 stars

Words matter - how we use them and how we don't. Sometimes it is really difficult and even scary to speak up for what you believe is right, but it is important to do. At the end of the day, you answer to yourself, no one else, so you'll be happy you did. - Hannah Harrington

Chelsea Knot, once popular and envied upon by many, is now a social outcast because of her big mouth. Her inability to keep her mouth shut caused people to get hurt, mentally, emotionally and physically. Because she thinks it is better for her not to speak at all, she took a vow of silence ending all the gossip and rumors she once breathed. But she stumbles upon the unlikeliest students that helped her get through, made her realize the things that really mattered and showed her how to be truly happy.

Hannah Harrington has successfully whipped up an intuitive story about finding one's own voice amidst all the silence and everyone's the noise. Speechless is simple yet it holds something worth learning inside. It may not have been as deep with the emotions as I thought it would be, but the book delivered well. It was not complicated and stressful to read. It was light despite the problems encountered in the book. The diversity of the characters also made it more fun to read. The building up of the friendship was great. But I think there's something lacking with the blooming romance. It was sweet and cute at times, but I just did not feel it that much.

Overall, a nice read! Contemporary books with great lessons are always a pleasure to read :)

Rating: 4 stars

Unspoken is that kind of book that will keep you reading until the very last page because you really want to uncover the truth behind all the secrets and mystery surrounding the plot. It's that kind of book that obviously doesn't give out anything in beginning so you'll have to find out when it ends. It was good but sometimes you almost want to just shout in frustration because it takes a bit too long to reveal who the Lynburns really are. But the magic and mystery worked out pretty well all throughout the book. I definitely didn't see all those things coming in the end. I probably would have but I didn't really make an effort to wack my brain and guess what's going to happen or who's killing who. I even felt creeped out a few times which isn't a surprise because I easily get freaked out by a lot of things.

The characters, I guess, were well-developed too, but the setting wasn't as appealing. Apart from having a weird name, Sorry-in-the-Vale was your typical mysterious town where everybody knows everybody. I have read quite a few books with the same kind of town. The people in the town, though, were more interesting than the place they live on.

Kami Glass is a very lively and an extremely entertaining character. She's smart and funny, which makes her one of the reasons that I enjoyed the book. Another thing that I like about Kami and what sets her apart is that she doesn't constantly swoon over Jared, or even Ash. Maybe she does, but not the exaggerated adoration a lot of girls in books do. Jared, on the other hand, was not placed on a pedestal and showered with redeeming qualities, which I liked as well. What didn't please me is their very confusing relationship. Are they friends or are they more? What happened when they were fourteen? It was just so difficult to think if they would really work out. The ending did not help either. But despite their weird connection and their puzzling relationship, I still enjoyed some of their shared moments.

Holly and Angela were the minor characters that were fairly entertaining, tolerable and very unexpected. I didn't even thought that the secret was like that. I just didn't see that coming.

What else? The ending was nice. It was intense and a bit thrilling. It didn't really end with an annoying cliffhanger. Just the right sentences to lead you to the next books. :D

Rating: 2.5

Beautiful Disaster is one confusing book. It is interesting and it really catches a reader's attention, yet sometimes it gets frustratingly annoying. It is a page-turner, but sometimes you just want the whole thing to blow up and end. The romance gets intense and sweet, but somehow you'll eventually tire yourself of the love/hate relationship. That's how beautifully disastrous my reading experience has been.

I liked how the Abby's voice doesn't constantly remind readers that she had a bad past or that she's a troubled teenager. It was brought up quite a few times, but not to the point that everything revolves around or depends upon her past. The main focus of the book was Abby and Travis' love/hate relationship. They started off as friends, got to know each other better, then became best friends. But you can definitely sense the attraction between them. It was fast-paced, and I can safely say that the story started well.

The annoying thing was the "getting together" part. Both of them got very confusing and the rest of their relationship almost always had complications that just seem to [I guess] insignificantly lengthen the book. Honestly, the story of their relationship felt a bit dragged because so many things are happening. There were so many problems tossed in one book. For instance, Parker, the Vegas thing, the trust issue and a lot more minor dilemmas.

Also, I don't get Abby's personality. It's like Abby and Pidge are really two different people. The first one was a simple math geek who wears a pair glasses and cardigans. The other one was like a party girl who wears heels and drinks a lot. Travis wasn't as appealing as the book described him. Though he had his respectably sweet moments, he's actually quite irritating, especially when he instantly loses his temper and goes berserk.

I was not really very satisfied with the ending. It wasn't convincing. But I guess it was okay. Just okay...

Rating: 3.5 stars

I have read a few of Angel/Nephilim books before, and I personally like most of them. Some of them were okay, some were a bit darker than the others, some were really good, but they were all quite different from each other. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand, thankfully, also separates itself from all the other angel books.

Despite the fact that it also had a different taste from all other angel books, the first half of the story was a bit boring. It introduced the angel-bloods, their purpose, how they came to be, their characteristics. The book started with most of the explanations about the them. In my opinion, the beginning of the book was a bit weak.

Aside from the fact that it was mostly narration of angel stuff, I didn't really get Clara. She even seemed annoying sometimes. I just didn't connect with her. Plus, the obsession with the guy in the vision was a bit too much. I was already debating with myself if I should still continue the book or not. Thankfully, the story picked up just a little before prom season and...

THANK YOU TUCKER AVERY FOR SAVING EVERYTHING!

Tucker did not really stand out when he first appeared in book. But gosh, did he change my mind about wanting to stop reading! He was actually one of the major reasons I kept on reading. And thank heavens I did because the story was actually good. I like that the whole story was somehow driven my Clara's purpose, and not entirely by the romance. The cute love story was great as well. And the ending was nicely put up. It wasn't really a cliffhanger, but it will leave you wanting to read the next books (if you liked Unearthly).

I don't know if I should give it the complete four stars or what.. I got ticked off by the beginning. So 3.5ish... :D

Rating: 3.5 stars :)

It seems to me that there are a lot of books nowadays revolving around two messed up people who’s lives, coincidence or not, intertwine - they share their secrets, they become close, they try to fix each others lives and eventually, they fall in love. The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden falls within the walls of that story, and honestly, it went pretty well.

The story began immediately with a hint of the revelations of both Callie and Kayden’s lives. As you read on through each chapter, the pieces of the past gets revealed bit by bit as Callie and Kayden gets to know each other better. My only issue with the story is the first half of the book. I did not really enjoy the attraction of both of the characters with one another, and the way they’re relationship began. Having recently read a book with a similar story, it is easy to compare the development of the relationship of the characters from this book to the other one. And honestly, I prefer the other one.

The second half of the book, on the other hand, was better. I really liked it when secrets starts to resurface and the their pasts are revealed. Even their relationship became better and sweeter than before.

So in total, I liked the book. I would have given it 4 if it weren't for some minor issues I've had with the book. :) The ending was unexpectedly unexpected - cliffhanger!!! I really thought this was a stand-alone book. I guess I was wrong. I am definitely reading the second book. ;)

The cover is gorgeous, by the way. :)

Rating: 3.5 stars
... but since I really liked the ending, I’m going to click that fourth star right there :)

What did I not not-like?

First of all, the weirdly unconventional characters John Green and David Levithan has conjured with their heads. Sometimes, it’s just refreshing to read about people who are normally abnormal in their own ways - some are fabulously gay, some are incredibly smart, some push the world away with their “I-do-not-care” rule, and some are just plainly pissed off all the time. Yes, sometimes, it’s not just the amazingly gorgeous guy that keeps you from flipping the pages. Sometimes it’s the sheer weirdness/uniqueness of the people that relates to the readers (like me).

Second, the things i got from the book. Honestly, it wasn't the greatest story I have read, but along the way you just pick up things that sometimes make sense and other times doesn't. Like, how it’s not just about falling, but more of the floating *winks* , and doing something good for people, honesty , love and truth. What I really liked though, is Will and Tiny’s friendship. I don’t know, but I just like it. :) And I think Tiny’s play, if I would have watched it, would be as awesome as the words in the book.

What did I not like?

I expected a different turn of events after the two Will Graysons meet. But of course, that didn't happen. They weren't much involved with each other. Just connected by a common friend. So yeah, a bit bummed by that. And to be honest, this isn't really one of those extreme page-turners. The humor that is supposed to be there did not affect me. The attitude and pissy moods did, though. Hahahaha...

So in general, it was good. But not really to die for :)

By the way, while reading the book, I was thinking about who wrote who? Who wrote the Will Grayson (Tiny’s best friend? And who wrote the other Will Grayson (the mathlete)? I think John Green wrote the first Will and David Levithan, the other one. I don’t know. I hope I’m right :)