Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Released: April 5, 2011
Publisher: Dutton
Series: If I Stay, Book 2
Preceded By: If I Stay
Page Amount: 264, US Hardback
POV: 1st Person (Adam)
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:

Plot-18/20
Characters-18/20
Creativity-18/20
Writing-8/20
Pace-9/10
Ending-10/10
=92/100 A
★★★★★/5

SUMMARY:

It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever. Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future-and each other.-Goodreads.com

REViEW:
I can't believe it has been a year since I posted my If I Stay review. It was my first book review! I am happy to announce that this book was almost if not as good as the first. This time Adam took the stage as narrator, which I was afraid wouldn't be able to compare to the amazing Mia. Luckily, Adam was just as good of a main character as Mia. Ms. Forman did an exceptional job at capturing the male perspective. All of his thoughts seemed fitting for his character. At first I didn't really like his narration because he just seemed like a stuck-up rockstar, which made the book a little hard to read at first. But by the 3rd chapter or so, once he met up with Mia, the story's pace really picked up and I couldn't stop reading!  

The characters were pretty good. Adam's drastic personality change aside, he was a really good character. I liked hearing his story and how the breakup had really affected him. Mia was a tortured soul in this book. I felt for her. I didn't particularly like who she had become, but I understood it because of the story and how much she went through. She's really strong nonetheless. The characters are really intriguing and Adam and Mia's relationship was very well executed in this book.

The ending was perfect. Probably one of the best conclusions I have read. It made me so happy. I loved this book. It made me feel sad then happy. It was an emotional rollercoaster, which was suiting because Mia has had one heck of a life. If you are looking for a heartwarming, serious book. Check out If I Stay and Where She Went. You won't be disappointed.

My Favorite Part: Mia and Adam's heartwarming journey.

ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Ohmigosh yes. It's so emotional and amazing.

Thanks for reading! Please follow me on Twitter and Facebook! (Go to Contact Me page for more details!) I'm sorry for delay of posts, I have been away reading on vacation and such. But I'm back now to stay! :D

It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Released: January 10, 2012
Publisher: Dutton
Page Amount: 318, US Hardback
POV: 1st Person (Hazel)
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:
Plot-19/20

Characters-20/20
Creativity-20/20
Writing-19/20
Pace-10/10
Ending-10/10
=98/100  A+

★★★★★/5

SUMMARY:
 Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now. 

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault. 
Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.-Goodreads.com

REViEW:
This was a powerful, poignant novel. This was the first book by John Green that I have read, and I'm sure it won't be the last. I usually have difficulty reading books by a male author, but this book went beyond my expectations. Green nailed the female perspective and added some wit and humor. This book is definitely not your typical "cancer book". Instead of being completely sad and hopeless, the characters in this book brought life to this book and made light of a serious situation. The writing was an honest, realistic view of teens living with cancer.   

The Fault in Our Star's characters were perfect. I know some people who have been living with cancer for their entire life and John Green nailed every little bit of these characters' attitudes. Hazel was such an inspiration. She was tough and strong and I really admired that. It's sometimes hard to find such a strong female protagonist in YA these days. I really loved how she didn't want to hurt anyone around her, it showed her soft side. Augustus was also so great. He was so compassionate and tough. I really loved seeing where their relationship would go. I really became close to all of the characters throughout the book. It killed me when one of them was hurt. They were more than just descriptions on a page.      

The ending... ah it made me cry. I really didn't want this book to end. It was a beautiful novel from the first sentence to the last word. Honestly, I think that everyone should read this book just because it gave me a new meaning of life. The characters with cancer in this book were happy and normal, but they were thankful to be alive. I know that I appreciate life much more after reading this book, and I hope that it's the same way for you.

My Favorite Part: The powerful emotion. I laughed, I cried, I fell deeply in love with this book.

ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes, it's super amazing!

Thank you all for reading! I really hope this book touched your heart as much as it did mine.

It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

Crossed by Ally Condie

Crossed by Ally Condie

Released: November 1, 2011
Publisher: Dutton
Series: Matched, Book 2
Preceded By: Matched
Followed By: Reached
Page Amount: 367, US Hardback
POV: 1st Person (Cassia & Ky)
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:

Plot-17/20
Characters-18/20
Creativity-18/20
Writing-19/20
Pace-7/10
Ending-8/10
=87/100  B
★★★★/5

SUMMARY:
Chasing down an uncertain future, Cassia makes her way to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky--taken by the Society to his sure death--only to find that he has escaped into the majestic, but treacherous, canyons. On this wild frontier are glimmers of a different life and the enthralling promise of a rebellion. But even as Cassia sacrifices every thing to reunite with Ky, ingenious surprises from Xander may change the game once again.
Narrated from both Cassia's and Ky's point of view, this hotly anticipated sequel to Matched will take them both to the edge of Society, where nothing is as expected and crosses and double crosses make their path more twisted than ever.-Goodreads.com

REViEW:
I looked forward to reading this book since the day I finished Matched. Because of that, I was left a little unsatisfied. Just like Matched was, important events happened, but the entire book seemed uneventful. There were never any wow moments that really impressed me. Te plot seemed a little weak to me. I can't even really tell you what this book is about because It's about so many little things that don't amount to much in this installment. Despite its slow pace and lack of ultimate issue, this book did provide some enjoyment. 

The characters in Crossed were more intriguing than they were in Matched. Ky and Cassia's romance was more developed and present in this book, which I loved.  In this book, I really was able to connect with both Cassia and Ky's feelings. I know have a greater respect for Ky and Cassia alike. I do wish Cassia showed her strength more and wasn't so oblivious in this book. There were also some new characters that I was also able to easily connect to and enjoy. Also, Xander has a secret, which was both mysterious and intriguing.           

The ending was pretty good. It was kind of surprising but not jaw-dropping. I liked that way it turned out, but I particularly didn't enjoy Ky being there because he initially didn't want to be there. I'm really not sure how I feel about the ending because it seemed kind  of strange how everyone is going different places. All in all, I enjoyed this book. There were some things I did not like, but it did have it's bright spots. I'm just hoping to find out more about the Society in the next book.

My Favorite Part: Probably getting to read from Ky's point of view.  

ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes, it's a good sequel to Matched.
Will I be reading the next book? Yep, there's something about this series that sparks my interest. (probably the gorgeous covers.)

Thanks for reading! Did you like this book? Did you prefer this book or Matched? Comment and let me know! 

It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins


Released: December 2, 2010
Publisher: Dutton
Page Amount: 372, US Paperback
POV: 1st Person (Anna) 
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:
Plot-19/20
Characters-18/20
Creativity-18/20
Writing-19/20
Pace-9/10
Ending-10/10
=93/100 A
★★★★★/5




SUMMARY:
Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.
As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?-Goodreads.com

REViEW:
Do not his book title fool you. Anna and the French Kiss is kind of a cheesy and cliche title. It makes it sound like the entire book is about a girl chasing a guy, which is not true. This book has so much more depth than the title gives it. There isn't even too much in your face romance in this book. Contrary to what is expected, this book mainly focuses around friendship and other deeper things. This book was a nice surprise and definItely a must- read in February to celebrate Valentine's Day!  

The characters were great! Not only was the main character, Anna, vivid and lifelike but also her friends were also very well done. I could picture each of her friends. Rashmi, Josh, and Meredith all had their own personalities and made it so I felt as if I has a part of their group. Anna was a great protagonist. I was able to easily relate to her and she reacted a lot to certain situations in the book as I would have. The only thing that I did not like was how fast Anna fell for St. Clair. St. Clair...wow, he is definitely a guy I wish I could get to know. Wow... he's pretty great. I can't say that much more about him, I'm at a loss for words.

The ending made me happy. I was happy for Anna and thought that the ending ended the story beautifully. I cannot say much without giving too much away, but I definitely think that you should pick up this book. It's a refreshing, realistic, contemporary novel. 

My Favorite Part: St. Clair. I loved how him and Anna interacted! 

ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes, it's a great read! 

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you thought of this book! I expect to have a ton more reviews for February and some other fun posts planned. I hope to post at least every other day this week to catch up on some reviews and to show off some great reads for February before it is over.

It's a Book Thing

Review by Macy ♥