Book Sacrifice Tag

Hello lovely blog followers and Internet surfers! Welcome to our monthly Book Tag. I just discovered (literally, like, three minutes ago) the Book Sacrifice Tag. I saw this awesome YouTuber doing a really funny and creative version of this Book Tag, so that is what I'm hoping to do. I've linked the YouTuber, Ariel Bissett , so please go check her video out! So, this tag is called the Book Sacrifice Tag. These are all the books that you absolutely HATED and wouldn't feel bad about setting on fire. So, going along with Ariel Bissett, I am going to make a scenario in which you get to destroy all of the novels, sequels, and classics that you hated. Ready...Set...GO!

Alright, so you're sitting in Barnes n' Noble when BAM, Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters attack! However, you saw somewhere on the Internet that all evil characters from books HATE books that everyone was raving about that was actually a huge let down. You know exactly what to do. You run to the sci-fi section and grab...

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey.
Okay, I had to read this book for my high school's book club and I thought that it was going to be really good. It had an interesting cover that reminded me of the video game, The Last of Us, and it had a really strong beginning. Of course, this book was a HUGE let down. The main character, Cassie, was really flat. She didn't really learn or do anything. Also, she fell in love with pretty much every guy she saw. It wasn't like she was a teenager who survived the end of the world. It was like she was a 13-year-old girl in the mall with her friend. Also, the ending to this book didn't answer any questions! There's a difference between ending a book with suspense and to just stop writing. This book just stopped. I know that sci-fi books are hard to write, but seriously. I just didn't like this book. At all. So, The 5th Wave gets thrown out the window of the Barnes n' Noble at Voldemort. No question about it.

The 5th Wave worked in scaring off Voldemort and his Death Eaters, but after they leave, Peace Keepers from the Capitol are trying to get into Barnes n' Noble! You remember that some friend told you that Peace Keepers HATE horrible sequels to an amazing first book. You run to the Teen Fiction section and you take...
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer.

New Moon was a horrible sequel to Twilight. Now, I know a lot of people hate the Twilight series in general. I used to hate it with a burning passion as well. However, I realized that Twilight isn't meant to be taken all that seriously. It's just supposed to be a sappy boy vampire meets girl book. All it is is a sappy love story. Going on with that argument, I HATED NEW MOON SO MUCH. Stephenie Meyer took a fun story and and totally killed it. Bella just sat around and did nothing. In my opinion, if the love of your teenage life breaks your heart, all it means is that you have to show them what they're missing, not mope around like a half-dead thing. The plot was non-existent, and the foreshadowing in the beginning of the book about the Volutri  was way to obvious. I can live with the 3rd and 4th book, but New Moon should feel ashamed of itself.




So FINALLY you drive away the Peace Keepers. However, aliens have now taken their place. However, you watched Ancient Aliens the other night for a laugh and you remembered that the "experts" said that all aliens had one major weakness. Horrible classics that should not be praised as much as they are. So you run to the Classics section and you pull out...

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo.
Alright, let's get something straight here. I love Les Mis. I love it so much that I have an Instagram account dedicated to pictures and posts about it. However, this book was TOO LONG. It was 1,232 or so pages. A majority of it was like the driest history book you've ever read. The other parts were about minor characters that you don't care what happens to them. The last minuscule part was the actual story that we all know and love. I read this whole book from cover to cover, and I have a piece of advice for all who think that they want to read the whole story. Don't. I never say, "Yes, you should read the abridged version." However, Les Miserables is the book that I believe should be printed in the abridged version. One last side note before I move on; Fellow Mizzies, please don't kill me. You know that I'm right.



Finally, all of the evil things happen and all of the bad books, you decide that you missed a horrible book that you want to burn. So you choose...

I hate Romeo and Juliet. I hate it. Juliet is 13 or 14 years old. She's basically a child being penalized for falling in love with some guy. However, my biggest problem with story is Romeo. Romeo is, like, 18 and he falls in love with a 14 year-old girl. Also, Romeo said that he would always love some other girl his own age until the end of time. Then he sees Juliet and falls in love with her almost immediately after he says that. Also, this story takes place within three days. In the span of 72 hours, Romeo and Juliet fall in love, get married, and kill themselves for each other. Also, why didn't Juliet just tell Romeo that she was going to fake kill herself and to not overreact? All in all, I really despise this story. Also, me being required to read this book this year isn't doing the Montagues and Capulates any favors.

This was my book sacrifice Book Tag. I really hope you guys liked this and thought that it was at leas a bit entertaining. Goodbye and I'll write you all soon.

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Transitions

*I was sent this book for a review by the author*

Author: Greg Schroeder

Publisher: Smashwords

Release Date: September 2013

Rating:

Goodreads Synopsis:

More poems of calm, quiet, hope, and everyday happiness. Featuring a series on Hurricane Sandy as well as the transitions we all face - summer to fall, child to adult, storm to quiescence.

My Thoughts:

I thought this poetry collection to be very well written and filled with emotion. My favorite work would be "Dichotomy," which explored the inner workings of a father's mind.

"Oh, the dichotomy of a dad Loving the good but dreading the bad. So proud he’s growing up. So sad he’s growing up" (Schroeder 4).  

I think that Schroeder is a most talented poet who possesses a gift of conveying emotions in a relatable way.

I did, however, feel as if the collection was missing something. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it did leave a bit to be desired. Perhaps it needed the poems to be divided into more tangible categories. I was a bit confused because there were specific groups for certain poems, however, I couldn't tell how some were meant to be related. 

Overall, I quite enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it. Age-wise, I would recommend Transitions to ages 14 and up.

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Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

 

Author: Trish Doller

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Release Date: June 19, 2012

Rating:

This is an amazing book that I have read three times.  Every time, I have loved it just as much as the first time.  I can see myself rereading this book again in the future.  The characters and the story of this one are just so amazing that I can read it over and over again.

POSSIBLE MINOR SPOILERS

Travis is an amazing narrator. In YA fiction, there are not many male narrators or nineteen year old narrators, and Travis is both. He is a nineteen year old male Marine on leave from Afghanistan. He does not come from Afghanistan unscathed since he saw his best friend die in combat, and he now has nightmares remembering his friend Charlie's death. Travis is not a perfect guy. He has flaws, but they make him realistic. He made mistakes when he was younger, but war changes him.

Next there is Harper, Travis' love interest. In middle school, Travis ruined her reputation by letting people believe Harper had slept with him. He didn't start that rumor, but when it spread, he didn't stop it. Harper doesn't want to forgive Travis right away, and their relationship begins with Harper punching Travis in the face. He deserves that punch for what he did to her, too. Harper slowly begins to realize that Travis has changed, and the two of them become friends. Eventually, they become romantically involved, but the romance happens slowly and realistically. I love the two of them as a couple, and as individuals. They are so adorable together.

Next there are Travis' friends from the Marines. There names are Kevlar and Moss, and they come to visit Travis in Florida. They are a great group of friends. They like to play tricks on each other, and they insult each other, but they are still loyal and have each others' backs. They seem like realistic young men. They drink, say bad words, and talk about girls. I love the trick that Travis plays on them in the Waffle House. It has to do with a bet. I won't say all the details, but that is a great scene with these three friends. Though Charlie is dead during the course of the novel, the reader can get a sense of his character through flashbacks. A great scene is the flashback when he mentions how his mom tried to talk his out of joining the Marines.

Finally there is Travis' family. They have many problems, but the problems are realistic. Travis' dad is cheating on his mom, yet she is not standing up for herself because she thinks she will be lonely without him. There are few great mother-son scenes between Travis and his mom. I am glad she decides to divorce the dad by the end of the book. I did not like Travis' son at all. He basically became his dad's least favorite son because he stopped playing football. I did not like Travis' brother, Ryan, either. While Travis was in Afghanistan, Ryan took Travis' girlfriend and car. Travis' ex-girlfriend's name is Paige, and I disliked her. She breaks up with Travis in a letter. Once Travis is back, she sneaks into his room at night to sleep with him even though she is dating Ryan. Luckily, Travis ends it all with Paige when he realizes he can have a better relationship with Harper.

If you like YA contemporary and male narrators, read this book.

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The Reckless Engineer by Jac Wright

This review may contain spoilers.

This book was sent to me by an author for a review. 
Author: Jac Wright

Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing

Release Date: Not set
Recommended Age: 16+

Rating: 

In The Reckless Engineer by Jac Wright, we travel all the way to the Portsmouth seaside as we follow the story of Jack Connor. Jack has it all. Caitlin McAllen, daughter of the wealthy McAllen family, is Jack's wife. Jack has a steady and well-paying job as an engineer, caring friends and family, two sons from a previous marriage, a daughter from Caitlin's previous relationship, and a beautiful house. Jack has it all. Told in the perspective of Jack Connor's best friend, Jeremy Stone, this story has everything-but-the-kitchen-sink. This book was filled with romance, action, mystery, and murder.

Wait, murder?

That's right. Jack Connor has allegedly murdered his mistress, Michelle Williams. Jeremy stands for Jack and hires one of the best lawyers in town to defend Jack. Jeremy has to crack this seemingly impossible case, before his best friend is convicted and sent to prison. Will Jeremy be able to pull a Sherlock Holmes and solve this deadly puzzle?

I thought that The Reckless Engineer was an okay book. I'm not really the type for murder mysteries, so this book wasn't really my area of expertise. However, I can see someone who loves mysteries to really enjoy this book. I liked the main character, Jeremy, but I couldn't help but feel somewhat in-the-middle about Jack. On one hand I felt bad for him because he's losing everything in the span of one week. However, on the other hand, I couldn't help but feel that Jack kind of deserved it. This book really played with my feelings about certain events and characters. I give this book a 3 star rating. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love love love it either.

*Warning! The Reckless Engineer is NOT a book for young children or teens. It is an ADULT book. Thank you. 

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