Review: The Heir by Kiera Cass

The Heir
Author: Kiera Cass
Publisher: HarperTeen (HarperCollins)
Publication Date: May 5, 2015

Summary:

Princess Eadlyn has grown up hearing endless stories about how her mother and father met. Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won the heart of Prince Maxon—and they lived happily ever after. Eadlyn has always found their fairy-tale story romantic, but she has no interest in trying to repeat it. If it were up to her, she'd put off marriage for as long as possible. 

But a princess's life is never entirely her own, and Eadlyn can't escape her very own Selection—no matter how fervently she protests. 

Eadlyn doesn't expect her story to end in romance. But as the competition begins, one entry may just capture Eadlyn's heart, showing her all the possibilities that lie in front of her . . . and proving that finding her own happily ever after isn't as impossible as she's always thought.

Review:

I was so excited for the special international edition of The Heir that I asked my sister to buy it for me on the release date! (I'm just twelve, so I'm kind of not allowed to go to malls whenever I want/need to.) Thank you so much to my sister, Fay from Bibliophile Soprano! :)

I had fun while reading The Heir- especially on the middle parts. The first chapters bored me a little and I always thought: GIVE ME THE SELECTION PART ALREADY!.

Review: The Elite by Kiera Cass

The Elite

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen (HarperCollins)

Pulication Date: April 23, 2013

Goodreads Summary:

The Selection began with thirty-five girls.

Now with the group narrowed down to the six Elite, the competition to win Prince Maxon's heart is fiercer than ever—and America is still struggling to decide where her heart truly lies. Is it with Maxon, who could make her life a fairy tale? Or with her first love, Aspen?

America is desperate for more time. But the rest of the Elite know exactly what they want—and America's chance to choose is about to slip away.

Review:

This is the book two for The Selection series. Click here to see my thoughts on book one.

I loved book one, but I'm kind of disappointed with this one. I felt like this was just written to stretch the Maxon-America-Aspen story into a trilogy.

Review: The Selection by Kiera Cass

The Selection

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen (HarperCollins)

Publication Date: April 24, 2012

Goodreads Summary:

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself--and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined. 

Review:

This is the first YA book I've ever read, and I'm happy because I wouldn't be blogging without The Selection; I wouldn't go YA Romance-crazy, who knows?

In The Selection, Illea had this caste system with numbers representing their class: One being the highest, Eight being the lowest. The Ones were the royalties, while the Eights were the homeless. The possible jobs depend on their caste, like Fives cannot be models and Sixes cannot be singers. If two people from different castes marry each other, the girl joins the boy in his caste. That was America's problem. She needed to save up for her and Aspen (Six). Their relationship was sort of hidden. Her mother wanted her to join the Selection and told her she could apply for a job if she applied for the Selection. 

I didn't connect with America well in the first half of the book because I felt like she was too self-and-Aspen-centered. However, she got much better in the Selection. Now, Maxon, he is a very patient guy. In fact, most "patient guys" make it to my mental Favorite Fictional Boys (and Maxon made it!). Maxon is just soooo cute!

"One can never help being born into perfection." - America Singer

I love the lines! Points for all the quotes in The Selection. I don't really consider the thing I quoted  a quote, but it's possible to make a bookmark out of that.

The plot is very interesting, but it takes long to explain everything essential. The first few chapters were a blur, like "What are castes?" and I was confused with America being her name, and how she was a singer while her surname is Singer. My little confusion was one of the reasons why I kept on reading. And as I read on, feels started to grow. I started to ship Maxerica!

I recommend this book to people who appreciate romance stories of any age (this is pretty light).

RATING: 4/5

Review + Giveaway: Velvet by Temple West

Velvet

Author: Temple West

Publisher: Swoon Reads (Feiwel and Friends)

Publication Date: May 12, 2015

Goodreads Summary:

First rule of dealing with hot vampire bodyguards? Don't fall in love.

After losing both her parents before age seventeen, aspiring designer Caitlin Holte feels like her whole world has been turned upside down, and that was before the terrifying encounter with a supernatural force. Then, she learns that her hot bad-boy neighbor, Adrian—who might have just saved her life—is actually a half-demon vampire.

Suddenly Caitlin is stuck with a vampire bodyguard who feels that the best way to protect her is to become her pretend boyfriend. Trouble is, Caitlin is starting to fall in love for real, while Adrian can never love a human. Caitlin trusts Adrian to keep her safe from his demon father, but will he be able to protect her heart?

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Special thanks to Bibliophile Soprano for lending me a copy! :)

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Review:

First of all, I don't regret borrowing this book from my sister. (Thank you sooo much!) After reading this book, I became emotionally attached to the copy and I wanted it to be on my own shelf.

The book cover is ultra gorgeous. I enjoyed tilting the book just to emphasize the glossy Velvet!

Caitlin Holte was this tragic and depressed girl, and I really liked her development throughout the book. I enjoyed being in her world. Her POV was so relatable and laugh-able, and thanks to that, there was no dull moment. Her reaction to her mother's death was realistic, but it made me not like her at first. Her friends were good cool and funny (Trish and Meghan!)!

Speaking of "there is no dull moment," the writing. It's sooo natural. Like Temple West is talking to you. And I ALWAYS ENJOY BOOKS LIKE THAT.

Now Adrian. He's so cute and awkward and he has a much longer line of patience compared to Caitlin. He's the type of character that's certainly likeable. In fact, he's now part of my mental Favorite Fictional Boys! AND I WANT MY OWN ADRIAN.

Temple West's idea of vampires is interesting. The science looked really serious and original and awesome.

Velvet is a fun read, and I love the humor. I normally don't like chapter titles, but the titles in Velvet were part of the things that kept me reading on. I read this book faster than my normal rate because I simply can't put it down. Caitlin and Adrian's moments were so adorable! The focus of the story was more on the romance than the demon threat thing. And, thank goodness there was no evident love triangle.

I definitely recommend this book, and I WANT MORE. I need the sequel right now!

RATING: 6.25/5

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This giveaway is affiliated with Fay of Bibliophile Soprano.

Review + Giveaway: Buqo YA Bundle 3: Finding Fairytales

Buqo YA Bundle 3: Sweet Complications Blog Tour (May 11- 15)

Organized by Oops! I Read Again Tours

We all want the happy ending, the dream come true. But what if it doesn’t happen? How far would you go to get that “ever after?” Would you change who you are? Would you swallow your pride? Is the story really going to be as perfect as you think? Follow the path of these characters and see where they lead.

Review:

The first story  that I read in this bundle was When Cocoy Became Kikay by CP Santi because the title really caught my eye.

Kikay. Filipino slang word for someone (female) who loves make-up, fashion, accessories and the likes. 

It was a quick read, and it never got me bored. After reading When Kokoy became Kikay, I ended up saying "Uy guys, ang ganda nung When Cocoy!" (Hey guys, When Cocoy is beautiful!)

Fall for Grace by Anne Plaza was actually longer than how I expected the short stories to be (but it can't really go as a novel so...) but it got me after reading the first chapter! I liked Grace and Jason's development throughout the story And... Violet and Grace's KPop love! ♥ 

Shoutout to Love in The Time of Viral Videos for being so unique! I've never read anything else like that before. The only thing that I didn't like about this is that this was more of reactions than the happenings.

I recommend this bundle to you guys, especially to those going through a big change. For this week, this bundle is available for only 0.99 USD (45 PHP)! Get it on  the Buqo store!

Buqo is giving away one powerbank to a lucky Philippine resident!

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Review: All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

All the Bright Places

Author: Jennifer Niven

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf (Random House Children's Books)

Publication Date: January 6, 2015

Goodreads Summary:

The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this exhilarating and heart-wrenching love story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.
Soon to be a major motion picture starring Elle Fanning!
 
Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.
 
Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.
 
When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.
 
This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.

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Thanks to Bibliophile Soprano for lending me her copy :)

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Review:

RATING: 10/5

Unlike my usual style, for this review, I put my rating first just to tell you that you need to read this book. It's amazing. It made me cry. I love the author's note too.

This is the second about-suicide-book I've read (Thirteen Reasons Why was the first), and so far, I like about-suicide books, not because of all of the death, I just like them.

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Erin's Note: This review may contain big spoilers that you may not want to read, so please pay extra attention to the 

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spoiler warning.

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:)

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I'm gonna start with the cover. It's beautiful and simple. I actually came to a realization that it was very related to Finch and his Post-its of thoughts just now.

The flow of the story wasn't too fast or too slow, and the cuts for the perspectives are short. The book has a lot of quotes in it, and I'm gonna feature some randomly. :)

"Sometimes, Ultraviolet, things feel true to us even if they're not."

"It's late.""That depends on who you ask. See, I don't necessarily think it's late. I think it's early. Early in our lives, early in the night, early in the new year. If you're counting, you'll notice the earlys outnumber the lates. 

And they were quoting The Waves, and I love it when they do that. I don't even know if The Waves does exist, so I'll search it later.

For the names, I had a little trouble understanding what Finch (the name) is. Is it Theodore's surname? Is it his second name? But hours ago, I reexamined All the Bright Places' cover, and noticed this: "boy called Finch and a girl named Violet." And Finch was on Theodore's house's mailbox, so yeah, I think it's his surname. Correct me if I'm wrong. :) And I like how he called her Ultraviolet. Finch is supercool.

THREE WORDS: SAD, BEAUTIFUL TRAGIC.

I admit, I'm a Swiftie, and I was just about to write something like this book is tragic and beautiful when I remembered the song.

They changed each other positively. I felt so happy when Violet started counting the days differently. Finch has always thought of suicide, and he somehow finds a way to postpone it, and Violet became a way.

Their wanderings were beautiful. People from my school actually call me Dora for being short and always walking around, and this book even pushed my mini adventures more.

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SPOILERS AHEAD

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I knew it was coming when Finch disappeared. But it took me some seconds to realize what just happened. Then I reread it. Then I just cried and cried. Violet wandering alone made me cry more.

"You're the best friend I've ever had, Theodore Finch." And he is, even more so than Eleanor.

And she lost both.

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DONE WITH SPOILERS :)

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I kept on crying up to around five minutes after finishing this book. I was so emotional.

I think that suicide is in a way, selfish. You just end your own problems, then what? Nothing happens next to you. And you leave the people who care for you in sadness.

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This book is Ultra Remarkey-able. I think I'll remember this for the next ten thousand years of my life.

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Buqo YA Bundle 1: Taking Chances (Review + Giveaway)

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Huge thanks to Oops! I Read Again Tours for organizing this blog tour!

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Whether looking for closure, proving their worth, or wondering what happens after a moonlit night, the characters from these stories will invite you to take a chance for love. Will they find what they’re looking for? Or will their hearts get broken? Step into their shoes and find out.

Review:

First, let me tell you that buying this bundle would really be worth it:  it has six short stories, and it's only for like 45 PHP (0.99 USD)! You can buy it in Buqo. (It's an app, iOS/Android :))

I took many screenshots while reading the bundle. And I'm telling you: when I take screenshots, it's either there's a quote or that part woah-ed me.

I enjoyed all the stories and all the love in them. Family was involved in most of the stories, so plus points! The family-factor is important, you know. :)

I smiled a lot while reading A Portrait of Jade. To be honest, (I'm not sure how to sentencify this, so yeah) I kinda shipped Joven and Jade at first, even though I knew that Joven's a minor character, even though I knew that it was Alex. Yeah. So Jade and Alex fell in love with each other in a way that looked natural to me, and I really felt the love. He made her realize her importance.

WHEN A KISS FALLS MADE ME CRY. Seriously. It's sort-of hard for stories or books to make me cry, but THIS. I felt all the emotions, all the love. The concept is good, since the strong one is finally a girl (yes, knight-in-shining-skirt!). I didn't expect most of the things that happened. When I thought that I got the story figured out, I was totally wrong. The only con of this story is that the names can be complicated (to be honest, I thought that Stef was the girl and Nash was the boy). But yeah, I can say that this story is my favorite part of the bundle.



RATING: 4.5/5

Buqo is giving away a POWERBANK to a lucky Filipino! :)

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ARC Review: The Haunting of Sunshine Girl by Paige McKenzie

Title: The Haunting of Sunshine Girl
Author: Paige McKenzie
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books

Goodreads Summary:

Based on the wildly popular YouTube channel, The Haunting of Sunshine Girl has been described as “ Gilmore Girls meets Paranormal Activity for the new media age.” YA fans new and old will learn the secrets behind Sunshine—the adorkable girl living in a haunted house—a story that is much bigger, and runs much deeper, than even the most devoted viewer can imagine…

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Special thanks to Bibliophile Soprano for lending me her copy! :)

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Review:

This book surprised me. When I was reading the first few parts of the book, I thought that this wasn't the sort of "horror" that would really scare me. This even made me want to play Monopoly! I've never seen the channel or the videos, but after reading this book, I think I might watch them for creeps.

Thrill intensifies gradually in this book. The first few parts were okay, the happenings were creepy, and the characters liked saying creepy a lot (Sunshine's fabulous mother preferred creeptastic). Nolan and Sunshine's bits of cutesy romance excite me, making me want to read more! So I read on, and the next parts got creepier and creepier, until it was already scary.

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There was a time when our faucet looked like it was glitching for a second then the water started to get warmer and I was scared, thinking "What if the water gets all rusty?". I rushed; I wanted to get out of our bathroom ASAP.

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The story focuses more on Sunshine's life and destiny than the ghosts and devils and horror.  It had more depth than I expected, so plus points! Victoria is my favorite part of the story, and it's like I can feel her warmth as Sunshine narrated it.

Nolan is unreasonably kind, and it makes him cool (I don't want to spoil, but there's actually a reason why he's like that). I couldn't really relate to Sunshine, but I understand her and why she does what she does, though I think that it would be better if the temperature wasn't redundantly mentioned. I love the sprinkles of Insidious from the photographs (though it's a different matter). Their friendship is cute, but I still ship them. Their love story seems so natural. And Nolan's sacrifice made me smile!

Overall, this is a great book, and I wanna know what happens next to the story. I recommend this book to readers who want to experience something with creepiness and mild horror.


RATING: 3.75/5

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To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Title: To All the Boys I've Loved Before

Author: Jenny Han

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Google Books Summary:

Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control in this heartfelt novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Summer I Turned Pretty series.

What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them…all at once?

Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

Review/Reaction:

THIS BOOK IS SO WOW.

The title and the way it was written on the cover got my attention (I looooove handwritten stuff). I wanted to buy the book the moment I saw the cover. After months of waiting for a sealed stock in a very good condition, I finally got it...! :DD I didn't even read the summary properly before getting it, I just wanted it. And when I finally read the summary, I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE BOOK EVEN MORE.

The plot is reaaally interesting. "What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them…all at once?" JUST.BRILLIANT. The summary itself  was already interesting, but there was something sizzling inside the book waiting to give me all sorts of nice feelings! Plus, I'm a huuuge fan of KPop, so Lara Jean being half Korean is super awesome for me!

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WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD. You can skip his part and come back when you're ready and fangirl with me! :D (Or you can read these sizzling spoilers and-- (I don't really know what happens to you when you read spoilers but feel free to tell me anytime!))

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I love Lara Jean and I think that the way she responds to stuff is cute. She can be very impulsive, but yeah, it's totally fine, I can relate. I felt a little yay-factor when Josh "fell for Lara Jean" but still, much heart for Lara Jean and Peter!

I can't go on without saying this: I FELL IN LOVE WITH PETER'S DONUTS! Speaking of Peter, I would also like to mention that Divergent movie's Peter starred as Peter in my imaginary To All the Boys I've Loved Before movie to accompany my reading experience (and girl in cover as Lara Jean). 

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END OF SPOILERS :)

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Jenny Han's way of writing won't get you bored, and all the things I needed for me to love this book were given to me. I'm more than satisfied!

This book is a fun and heartbreaking read that can make your heart fly sky high because of feels. This is such a heavenly read, and I definitely want more of this (and more Jenny Han books!).



RATING: 6/5 Yep, totally serious!

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Alex as Well by Alyssa Brugman

Title: Alex as Well
Author: Alyssa Brugman
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

Goodreads Summary:

Alex is ready for things to change, in a big way. Everyone seems to think she’s a boy, but for Alex the whole boy/girl thing isn’t as simple as either/or, and when she decides girl is closer to the truth, no one knows how to react, least of all her parents. Undeterred, Alex begins to create a new identity for herself: ditching one school, enrolling in another, and throwing out most of her clothes. But the other Alex—the boy Alex—has a lot to say about that.　Heartbreaking and droll in equal measures, Alex As Well is a brilliantly told story of exploring gender and sexuality, navigating friendships, and finding a place to belong. 

Review:

"There are moments in life when something happens and it changes everything forever. You make one decision, and after that you can't go back. It doesn't even have to be a big thing."

When I read that, I was instantly like "Wow." Books just get more fabulous when there are quotes in them. This book is loaded with lessons. Plus, I didn't worry about boredom while reading Alex as Well because the chapters are short and well-divided. 

I wanted to read this book the moment I saw the cover. IT'S GORGEOUS! The huge pink lips attracted me. It’s simple, and it matches the plot.

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NOTE: I'm not really sure what to use: he or she, but I'm going with she, since that's what Alex wants.

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The story was told in Alex Stringfellow's point of view. What I liked about it is that it's like Alex is speaking to the reader. It's amazing how she's fully aware that I was getting some sort of confused with the whole two-Alexes thing. To show her mother's reactions and opinions and some other stuff, there was this motherhood forum which was extremely exciting to me, especially the comments (You'll understand once you read it)! The comments showed how other people saw the situation. It seemed like a real website to me.

Alex's parents didn't know how to react when she decided to be a girl. She has been taking testosterone for a long time, and then suddenly decided to stop. Aside from her parents, almost nobody even knew her situation. She had ovaries and a noodle. Her parents decided to make her a boy (someone has to decide on something), but she didn't feel like it. It looked like she was never happy with herself. 

Alex has a strong personality and it shows. She can be disrespectful, and I think that's one of the reasons why her parents get so stressed when it comes to dealing with her.

"I've always dreamed of having a little girl, and going clothes shopping with her, and this is some creepy perversion of that dream. It's horrifying, and I know I'm not dealing with it well at all."

I think that her parents want to be good ones, but they just don't get their daughter/son (and vise versa). Alex can be confusing. She actually became a girl that can actually be a boy who chose to be a girl but suddenly like-likes girls. 

The summary's right: Alex as Well is heartbreaking and droll in equal measures, and I'm satisfied with this read.

RATING: 4/5

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Finding Mr. Brightside by Jay Clark

Title: Finding Mr. Brightside
Author: Jay Clark
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

Goodreads Summary: 

Abram and Juliette know each other. They’ve lived down the street from each other their whole lives. But they don’t really know each other—at least, not until Juliette’s mom and Abram’s dad have a torrid affair that culminates in a deadly car crash. Sharing the same subdivision is uncomfortable, to say the least. They don’t speak.

Fast-forward to the neighborhood pharmacy, a few months later. Abram decides to say hello. Then he decides to invite her to Taco Bell. To her surprise as well as his, she agrees. And the real love story begins. 

Review:

"He's the best thing she happens to be avoiding."

Abram and Juliette fit together. They make each other better. I ship them!

Except for the fact that they're actually neighbors, their lives were connected by their parents. They've tried really hard to put their lives back to normal after the car crash and the revelations. After meeting at the neighborhood pharmacy (which was a coincidence), he decides to invite her to Taco Bell, then she agrees. Juliette soon realizes that Abram isn't really someone to avoid.

The plot actually looks like something that's some sort of cliche, but the characters cancel that out (especially Abram's mom!).

I can't find the right words for Abram, but all I can say is: he's a good person. And, for Juliette, what I can say is: she's fabulous! That was pretty shallow, but I really do think that it's the exact word to describe my opinions. She just seemed so real to me. She doesn't seem like some girl from a fantasy story.

After what they've been through, it's good that the story didn't become full of grief and bitterness and all.

Now, let's talk about their [living] parents.
Suzy, Abram's mom, was not like the typical-bitter-parent-like-the-ones-in-cliche-stories (when I talk about typical-bitter-parent-like-the-ones-in-cliche-stories, I'm talking about those moms that think that the like-mother-like-daughter or the like-father-like-son principle is true). Therefore, if Suzy's that kind of mom, she would go hating on Juliette and think that Juliette doesn't deserve Abram because she's totally like her mother. She's not like that, so I'm satisfied. She couldn't be better.

Ben, Juliette's father, has been writing The Dollhouse Killer for ages. Now, plus points for Juliette being the good daughter not slamming the fact that her father's story was "like a written version of a CSI episode he doesn't remember watching" on Ben's face. But sorry, I kind of think that he doesn't pay enough attention to Juliette and her life, but I guess it's a side effect of their loss.

This story is a well-written one narrated through two perspectives. The cover is such a masterpiece! It looks good and it fits the book as well. You'll know what I mean once you read it, so I want you to get your hands on the book right.now.


RATING: 4.5/5
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