It's every girl's dream to be a princess, right? Not for America Singer. She's only wanted to save enough money to marry her true love, Aspen. He may be in a lower caste, but he's all she's ever wanted. Then the call goes out to every girl to put their name and face in for a selection to be the wife of Prince Maxon. Urged by her parents and even her boyfriend, America puts in her name, knowing that she will never be chosen. And then she is. So I will admit that I did not want to read this book because of the cover. Girls in prom dresses, sigh, no thanks. But I have to say that I enjoyed getting to know the characters and was interested in some of the plot twists. So I decided to pick up book number two. As far as dystopia goes, it's not the Hunger Games, but it does have some exciting scenes in it.
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This is the sequel to Maze Runner. So you might want to read that first before reading this review. After the Maze, Thomas and his friends are thrilled to have a place to sleep and food in their bellies. Soon they will be able to go back to where they belong. That's until they go to sleep. When they wake up, the world is worse than before, and this test will make the Maze look easy. I loved the sequel. I have to admit it took me a while to follow everything in the Maze Runner. But now, I've already picked up their lingo and the story line, and I'm ready for the next chapter. Every time I think I know what is going to happen, then Dasher throws in something new. I still have very little idea of what is going on, but I want to know, and the Death Cure will be on hold soon. Yes, this is the second of four. He doesn't know anything when he wakes up in a dark room. Then the dark room starts lifting. A cage door opens, and he is lifted out and greeted by boys who call themselves Gladers. He remembers his name first and then in different dreams, he starts to see some more pieces of his past. But who is he really? Who are these boys? And what is at the end of the maze? Dashner creates a fast-paced, I-didn't-see-that-twist-coming type of book. I'll admit that for this one, first I watched the movie and then I listened to the audio book. Now I'm hooked and just finished the second one. This world Dashner creates, I don't know if I agree with his opinions, but it certainly is an interesting take. For those of you who like the Hunger Games, you'll enjoy the Maze Runner and even more the sequel. On April 26, 1913, 13-year-old Mary Phagan leaves home to collect her paycheck at the National Pencil Company and never returns. The next morning, her body is found strangled at the basement of the pencil factory, and entire town is changed in the events that follow her death. Several men are accused, and one, Leo Frank, is found guilty. There is certainly evidence that he did it, but there is also evidence pointing to the major witness in the trial, Jim Conley. Governor Slaton decides to commute Frank's sentence from death to life in prison. The uproar in the community, led by Tom Watson, leads to the lynching of Leo Frank. When I started teaching Georgia history last year, I began to read this more complete account of the Leo Frank case. There is so much that happened in this case, and no way to explain it in the short amount of time we have in class. There were witnesses who told one story and then said another, leading many to be nearly convicted of perjury. There were cries of racism on both sides, anti-Semitism for the Jewish Frank and prejudice against the African-American Jim Conley. Even today when you look on the comments for Leo Frank material, there is still dispute over whether Leo Frank was innocent. This is not an easy read, and it took me six months to finish it. But if you read any of it, you will realize there is a lot more to this case from the newspapers (including the New York Times), to the detectives, to the lawyers (one, William Smith, who turned on his own client), to the lynching (which including former governors), to the jury that investigated the lynching (which included members of the lynching party). Amber Appleton is the queen of eternal optimism. She singlehandedly brings joy to Frank's Five, the KDFCs, a retirement home, and occasionally Private Jackson. Her optimism is in direct contrast to her home life. Amber and her mother are homeless and sleeping in a school bus. But even this does not bring Amber down. When Amber faces a tragedy unlike anything she has ever encountered, even her eternal optimism falters, and she doubts everything she has put her faith in. Amber Appleton is one of those plucky girls you just can't help but love. Quick draws his characters extremely well, and you feel like you know them and could strike up a conversation with them if you met them on the street. Lots of great humor as well. My only two problems were language and Amber's theology. If you can look past the language, it's a great, sweet, funny read. (I listened to this book on audio CD.) You will want to read the others in the series, Divergent and Insurgent before reading this review.
The coup of the factions is successful, and now Tobias's mother, Evelyn, leads the factionless that has taken over the city. But even though Tobias and Tris thought the factions were evil, they don't know if Evelyn's system is any better. Anything about factions has been stripped from people, and they are punished for wearing clothing that resembles the faction uniforms. Now Tobias and Tris are determined to find a new way through the Allegiant, a group who is thinking of returning to the old way of factions. They join together to find out what the message from Edith Prior, Tris's ancestor, was all about. Such build up, and such a let down. I am going to be brutally honest and say I wish I had never started this series after reading the ending. If you did not like the Hunger Games trilogy ending, you will absolutely hate this one. Roth certainly built up the momentum and left you hanging, chasing down every turn, and then...what? So without giving away the ending, let's just say I was not pleased. There is some sense of conclusion at the end, but it is not where I would have gone with the story. Sorry, I like my semi-happy endings. You will want to read the others in the series, Delirium and Pandemonium before reading this review.
Lena can hardly believe that Alex is alive. After falling in love with Julian, she doesn't know where to turn. At the same time, her best friend, Hana, is preparing to marry the mayor, and life seems to be working out just as she planned after her cure. Will either of them find happiness or safety in a world that is at war? Sorry to say that I did not enjoy this final book in the trilogy. There was too much thought process and not enough action for me. Also there was a lot more swearing (though there was some in the first two) in this last book. The ending for me did not make me feel like the story was wrapped up, and I kept waiting for something more that was not there. Roman Bucyk had decided to give up baseball for the right far, the war across the Atlantic Ocean, World War II. However, he does not end up in Europe. His assignment is the African deserts of Tunisia in a tank with his crew.
When I saw this in the Book Fair, I knew I had to buy it. The Vietnam War books Chris Lynch did were exceptional, and I knew this would probably match them. It did. I love his wry humor as the war goes on. The battle scenes are still as gruesome and heart-wrenching as the Vietnam War series, but maybe a little less of the scenes. Lynch's story that will take you inside of a tank with all of its claustrophobia and camaraderie. What if your whole life was planned out for you? Your meals, your education, your job, even your future husband or wife. This is the Society Cassia is a part of it, and she never questions their choices. She is thrilled when she learns her match will be her best friend, Xander. Then there is a glitch, and on the card to tell her about Xander, there is another boy, Ky.
I could not get into this book. I even tried reading the rest of the series and found it did not get better. There were moments of excitement and suspense, but they seemed to be few and far between. It was mostly about the love triangle and the Plague, but it did not seem to have the overarching appeal of like a Hunger Games or the intricacies of a Divergent. I wanted it to be something more than what it was. **Spoiler Alert: This book is a sequel.**
Lena has lost everything. Her life on the other side of the fence, her family, and the man she loved. How in the world would she survive in a world where every day is a struggle to find food? And what about her new assignment to go back to her old life? I actually finished this book some time ago, but I have not had the chance to review it. After Delirium, I really was not excited about this series, but I decided to give Pandemonium a chance. It was well worth it. This gives Lena so much more depth than a girl obsessed with a boy. The beginning is slow, but get past the first few chapters, and you won't be disappointed. |
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