21 Proms by 21 Authors

21 Proms 

by David Levithan, John Green, E. Lockhart & more!

Released: March 1, 2007
Publisher: Scholastic Point
Page Amount: 289, US Paperback
POV: Varies 
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:

Plot-11/20
Characters-8/20

Creativity-7/20

Writing-10/20

Pace-4/10

Ending-5/10

=45/100 F

★/5

SUMMARY:

Prom. It's a near-universal high school experience. And here at least 21 of today's bestselling and up-and-coming YA authors riff on it. -Goodreads.com

REViEW:
Disclaimer: I did not hate this book. This book was difficult for me to rate because it is not one cohesive story, but rather it is 21 separate short stories, each by a different author with a different plot. That being said, a lot of my ratings for conventions of this book are extremely low. But I did not hate this book.

This book was what I expected it to be, however I had a little bit higher expectations for it seeing that many award-winning authors had included their stories. To be honest I feel like the publisher purposefully stuck John Green's and Melissa de la Cruz's stories towards the end of the book to make people read the other stories. Honestly, I disliked 85% of the stories in this book. Most were unrealistic and cliche and just plain stupid. I mean, come on, bringing an real ape to prom? I thought that this book would have more emotion behind the stories seeing as though I know many of these authors are more talented than they showed. I wish they focused more on relationships between characters instead of trying to squeeze in a mediocre plotline. The stories I did love in this book really delivered the emotion. Melissa de la Cruz portrayed her real life prom story, which I loved to pieces. It was real and raw and emotional, just what I wanted. Plus, I met Cruz and love her as an author so it was great to be able to partake in a slice of her life. Additionally, I loved The Apology, which was written as a one act play. In The Apology, two boys struggle with their sexuality as prom approaches. The reason why I loved that play was because of the characters and the emotion. It was like watching an episode of The Fosters. It was so good. Lastly, I also loved John Green's The Great American Morp. John Green is a pro at creating real characters with hearts and souls. I greatly admire that. Even though I only was able to read about this new cast of characters for a few short pages, I still loved them and wanted to know more about them. 

However, I was surprised that there was barely any romance in this book. I expected at least a little bit. I wanted some stories to sweep me off my feet with their cuteness, but they just didn't. I can't believe barely any authors touched upon relationships forming at prom or even a dedicated couple's experiences at prom. I feel like this book took a lot of the charm away from prom. I know that prom isn't all rainbows and gumdrops, trust me I know. But I still would've liked at least one magical story included in this collection. Prom is what you make of it. It can be wonderful or it can be devastating. I just wish, as a reader, I was able to experience both ends of that spectrum.

All in all, I would say give this book a try if you want a lighthearted read. The stories towards the end are amazing. I am glad that I read it, even though I didn't love it. Personally, I love prom and have had very special experiences at prom. That probably made me expect to read about some magical experiences instead of just a book of cliches. I just expected more from some of these authors. I know what they're capable of and some of these stories weren't their best work. Some were still immensely enjoyable though. This book brought me some laughter and smiles, so it wasn't all bad. If you're hyped about prom like I am, give it a read because it is fun. 

My Favorite Story: The Great American Morp


ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? I mean sure. It's a fun, quick read. You know what to expect when you pick this book up. 


Thanks for reading! Spread the word that It's a Book Thing is back and better than ever!

It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins


Released: September 1, 2009
Publisher: Scholastic
Series: The Hunger Games, Book 2
Preceded By: The Hunger Games
Followed By: Mockingjay
Page Amount: 391, US Hardback
POV: 1st Person (Katniss)
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:

Plot-18/20
Characters-17/20
Creativity-19/20
Writing-19/20
Pace-9/10
Ending-9/10
=91/100  A
★★★★★/5

SUMMARY:
Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create. Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying. In Catching Fire, the second novel of the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before... and surprising readers at every turn-Goodreads.com

REViEW:
As much as I loved Hunger Games, I didn't start this book until a year after I read the first. I just didn't think that there was any way that this book would be better than its predecessor. It wasn't, in my opinion. The things I didn't like about this book were not an issue in the first book. The plot seemed slow after the action packed Hunger Games. The plot in this book lacked a wow factor to me. In the last book. the Arena for the Games was so interesting and intriguing that I wanted to keep reading to find out the results. There wasn't much to look forward to in this book.    

The characters were what ticked me off. Specifically, Katniss was so whiny and bratty in this book, which really irritated me. I really didn't like how Katniss refused to like Peeta and always chose Gale. I mean, make up your mind woman! (TEAM PEETA!) I really wish that the characters were strong role models in this book like they were before. Not all characters were bad though. Finnick was an interesting new character that I look forward to seeing more off. Peeta... I felt bad for him. Katniss really treated him poorly.  

The ending was really kinda cool. It wasn't as amazing as I was hoping, but it still made me want to read the next book. Although I had some gripes about this book, it was a good addition to this amazing series. This book was good, but The Hunger Games was so flawless that it was hard for this book to stand up in comparison. 

My Favorite Part: Probably the Games portion of this book.

ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes, but I'm sure most of you have already read it. 
Will I be reading the next book? Yes, this is an amazing series.

Thanks for reading! Are you ready for the Hunger Games movie? Is Mockingjay any better than this book?

It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Released: October 1, 2008
Publisher: Scholastic
Series: The Hunger Games, Book 1
Followed By: Catching Fire
Page Amount: 374, US Hardback
POV: 1st Person (Katniss)
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:

Plot-20/20
Characters-20/20
Creativity-20/20
Writing-20/20
Pace-10/10
Ending-10/10
=100/100  A+
★★★★★/5

SUMMARY:
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.  Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister Primrose, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before — and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.-Goodreads.com


REViEW:
Honestly I held off on reading this book due to the violent, insane sounding summary. Once I entered the world of Katniss, Peeta, and Gale, I became victim to their world and devoured this book as fast as I could. The premise sounds kind of strange at first, but when you're actually reading the book, it all seems normal. Sure it's different and horrible, but it still made sense in the book. I really wish I would've picked up this series sooner. The writing is just perfect and the plot is intricately carved into the chapters and pages of this book. I could picture every little aspect of the Games through this compelling writing. If you haven't already, pick up this book.  

The characters were just perfect. I never thought a book could be perfect until The Hunger Games came around. Katniss was a strong female protagonist that made this book enjoyable. Peeta was the ultimate good guy that I really wish was real. I really loved seeing how Katniss and Peeta's relationship was strictly competitive, yet there was a twinge of wondering if any of the romantic feelings were real between them. Not just the main characters were, but even the minor characters were amazing. All of the Capitol people were quirky and realistic for the future. Katniss' hair stylists were so fun and stylish that I wish I had them in my life. Overall, every singly one of the characters were beautifully portrayed until the very last page.  


The ending was the perfect conclusion to such an intense, great book. I don't want to give too much away because I'm sure you have already read this book. Seriously, who hasn't? I really think this is about as perfect as a book can get. I couldn't find a single thing wrong with it and wouldn't have written it any other way!

My Favorite Part: The entire story was fantastic, I don't know what part I liked more.

ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes, although I'm sure you have already! 

Will I be reading the next book? Yes, I already have! :)

Thanks for reading! Are you ready for the Hunger Games movie? 

It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

Clarity by Kim Harrington

Clarity by Kim Harrington

Released: March 1, 2011 
Publisher: Scholastic Point

Series: Clarity, Book 1
Followed By: Perception 
Page Amount: 256, US Paperback
POV: 1st Person (Clarity) 
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:
Plot-20/20
Characters-19/20
Creativity-20/20
Writing-20/20
Pace-10/10
Ending-10/10
=99/100 A+
★★★★★/5



SUMMARY:
When you can see things others can't, where do you look for the truth?
This paranormal murder mystery will have teens reading on the edge of their seats.
Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift.
And a curse.
When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case - but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother - who has supernatural gifts of his own - becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?-Goodreads.com

REViEW:
Ahhhhh!!! This book still has me excited! Gosh, I'm even excited to share this review with you! So let me begin by saying how big of a mystery fan I am (by the way, if you know any good mystery books please leave me a comment!), my entire childhood consisted of reading Nancy Drew. I haven't read a real mystery book since then. This book was so much more than I imagined it would be. The mystery in this book was not cliche and kept me guessing who did it throughout the entire book. Ms. Harrington did an AH-MAZING job at writing a mystery. This book is quite short (only 200+ pages!) but it seemed so much longer because of the detailed story-line. This book didn't seem rushed, yet still kept to the point of the mystery, with a touch a romance.   

The characters were also great! Clare was such a great character and narrator. Her point of view was really intriguing to the mystery and made this book enjoyable. I also really liked how family tied into this book. Her relationship with her mom and Perry was really interesting. All the suspects all had a motive for committing the murder, which constantly made me wonder if I was right about the culprit. I felt as if I was watching the murder unfold right before my own eyes while reading this book. I loved watching how Clare connected all the pieces of the puzzle. This book made the saying that 'everyone has secrets' ring true. Every characters secrets were exposed through this book, which added some more little, amazing things to this book.   

The ending of Clarity was so shocking. I loved how the identity of the culprit was concealed till the very last page. Through the entire book, I was so sure I knew who did it, but I was always wrong. Wow, I'm still amazing how Ms. Harrington hid the culprit, yet at the end it still made sense. There are still a lot of answers left to be answered, which makes me already excited for the sequel. I'm definitely going to but the next book soon, because this is definitely a new favorite of mine and allows me to relive my old Nancy Drew days the YA way! I could honestly go on and on about how great this book is, but I won't put you through that. Let's just say that if you like a mystery go pick up this book now!  

My Favorite Part: The mystery. So suspenseful! 

ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes of course! It was definitely an exciting read!

Will I be reading the sequel? Yes! I can't wait to buy it! 

Thanks for reading! Thank you all for your comments, I really appreciate them! I hope you all enjoyed this book as much as I did. 

It's a Book Thing

Review by Macy ♥