Review: The Crown

The Crown by Kiera Cass
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book... this book was kind of a let down. I mean, just kind of. Not exactly, but it didn't go the way I thought it would and while I'm sad about that, I didn't hate it.

So, if we revisit my thoughts on Eadlyn's first novel, I was Team Kile. I'm not going to give away who she ends up with, but this whole novel sort of took a turn for the "what the hell just happened" in all aspects.

Eadlyn is a great Queen and I think she will do great things for Illea. But I felt like either Kiera Cass needed to shove a lot of things in this novel or she was just done with this world, because events happened that were out of nowhere and there was really no build up to it. So to say I was disappointed with this novel is an understatement. I like Eadlyn's choice and I think she will be happy in the end, but the novel could have portrayed it better.

Yes, this is a criptic review that will leave you wondering "what the hell is she talking about" but I'm not giving anything away. If you want to know, you'll need to get the book and read it for yourself. Maybe you will like it more than I did and get the fuzzy feelings that I got when I finished America's story, so I'm not going to ruin it for anyone.

I'm glad I got this book and I'm glad I finished the series. It was a great world Cass created and I know I will definitely revisit America's story time and time again :)

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Review: Stargirl

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

To be honest, I never heard of this novel. One of my coworkers recommended it to me, saying that they were going to make a movie from this book, and once she realized I hadn't read it, told me I needed to.

Overall I did enjoy and like this novel. It is a super fast read and doesn't take any time to fly through it.

There is such a great message in this novel: be yourself, no matter what.

Stargirl is honestly a person I wouldn't mind becoming. I think the problem she had was she became a decent, amazing person in high school, which is not the time to be different from your peers. Especially if you are a new student. High school is brutal if no one agrees with you, and when Stargirl got shunned for being different, it was pretty hardcore actions against her.

In the end, Stargirl left her mark, and she didn't do it for the attention. She did it because that was who she was and she wanted to be kind to complete strangers, sing songs everyday, dance in the rain. She knew what she wanted and she went after it, without a care in the world of what others thought of her. That is something special and remarkable.

Leo was a typical high school guy - wanting to be in the "it-crowd" and be popular. I think he could have had an amazing time with Stargirl if he wasn't so obsessed about what other people were thinking. But that's the problem with high school - you get into this mantra that if it wasn't right with "society" then you had to change to the right way. Thankfully my high school was not like that and I acted like myself, but I've heard stories of other schools...it doesn't sound pretty.

While I thought Stargirl was a bit extreme sometimes, I admire her and am really glad I got introduced to this novel. Now I'm ready to see if they can make the movie as great as the book, because it will be hard to find an actress to portray Stargirl and her amazingness :)

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Review: The Problem with Forever

The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jennifer Armentrout always writes amazing novels and "The Problem with Forever" did not disappoint. Mallory and Rider are two broken characters who are just trying to survive the life they've been given - a pretty crappy life for the first few years.

I love the struggles Armentrout describes for Mallory, because it is so true to explain how people feel in social situations, whether they have deep issues or just a small fear. It was amazing watching Mallory work her way past her fears and see her stand up for what she believes in.

And the same with Rider - to be able to see that he does have issues and realizes he needs to get them worked through is a strong ability to have.

I think dedicated, long life fans of Armentrout will devour this book and I think people who've never heard of JLA but think this book sounds good will realize what they've been missing out on. So glad I finally finished this book and can't wait for more by JLA!!

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Review: The Book Thief

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second time I've read this book (the last time was in 2011) and I liked it just as much as the first time. This is a very hard book to get into at first, but I promise you that the ending is well worth the wait and anguish to get through the 550 pages.

The most interesting part of this book is that it is told through Death's perspective. It makes for a very different narration and gives a lot more to the story than if it was just through Liesel's viewpoint.

I love that Liesel loved books. That she loved words. And that she found a way to learn how to read. Reading a valuable thing in Liesel's life and with everything going on, that is a very rare thing to keep what you love to close your heart and not let it get affected by the things happening in the world.

I also enjoy that this is a novel about the war. You probably think that is morbid, but I don't read YA books about war. This books gives me a story that I was able to read and understand a piece of history. I have a hard time reading historical events, but this was a way that I could read it and enjoy it at the same time.

I loved the ending of this book. It is so worth the wait to get to the end and found out what happens to everyone. Most of it was sad, but it was also uplifting as well. I sound so contradicting, but once you read it, you will understand what I mean.

I'm so glad I got a chance to read this a second time because of book club. This is definitely a book that sticks with you for a long time!

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Review: The Winner's Curse

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I've had this book since the ARC's were sent out, but when I found out it was a trilogy I wanted to wait until all three books were released. Now that the 3rd one was published, I started this one.

And honestly? Not that impressed with it... I'm one of the few that feel that way, but I really didn't get into the novel as much as I wanted to. Granted, the ending has me wondering what is going to happen, so I'm probably going to cave and read the other two books, but I'm not feeling this book right now.

Kestrel is a very smart, intelligent girl who knows how to play the military game since her father is the General. But she's so scatterbrained sometimes too. And she's so indecisive. That drives me crazy - just freaking make up your mind and stick with your decision!

And Arin. He's another one that can't make up his mind and is always changing his decision about things. I know that they like each other, but they aren't showing their affection as well as they could be and they keep changing their mind about what they want to do. This is the worst thing that happens in novels and these two characters did it over and over again.

Out of the two, I liked Kestrel the most because she did have the right mantra in the end. It just took forever to get there.

So I'll have to see if I want to read the rest of the series. Right now I'm just feeling "blah" about it and could care less what happens to the characters. I'm assuming I know how the whole series ends, so that won't be a surprise.

I know I'm the odd man out with my feelings about this novel, so I encourage everyone to read it and get their own opinion! I bet you'll love it! Just wasn't the right fit for me.

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