REVIEW: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Code Name Verity
by Elizabeth Wein

Publisher: Egmont Press
06 Feb 2012
452 Pages

I have two weeks. You'll shoot me at the end no matter what I do.

That's what you do to enemy agents. It's what we do to enemy agents. But I look at all the dark and twisted roads ahead and cooperation is the easy way out. Possibly the only way out for a girl caught red-handed doing dirty work like mine - and I will do anything, anything, to avoid SS-Hauptsturmführer von Linden interrogating me again.

He has said that I can have as much paper as I need. All I have to do is cough up everything I can remember about the British War Effort. And I'm going to. But the story of how I came to be here starts with my friend Maddie. She is the pilot who flew me into France - an Allied Invasion of Two.

We are a sensational team.

R E V I E W :
At first I was a little hesitant to read this book because history tends to bore me, therefore I usually steer clear of any historical books. But I am so glad I gave this book a try.

It was bloody brilliant. Although fiction, the story felt so real. As if I was reading the diary of an old war vetern. I clung to every word Elizabeth Wein spewed out through the voices of Maggie and... we'll call her Verity, two very different yet complementary and extraordinary women that met in the midst of World War II. Their story of friendship and an account of what they went through as young women serving their country is an adventure you would not want to miss.

Some of the characters, not just the main protagonists, were some of the most well developed and complex ones I've ever had the fortune to read about. None of them were what they seemed. Wein just sucked me into this (very plausible) world, whether it was hundreds of miles in the sky or a grimy torture chamber in the Hotel of Butchers in Nazi-occupied France.

My favorite part was the whole first half of the book which was told in the point of view of Verity who was also, in most parts, telling it in the point of view of Maggie (confusing, right?). It only told half the story but it was so good that I was a bit disappointed it didn't end right there. But after reading the second half, I had the urge to read the book from the beginning all over again.
And I actually read the afterword. And I never read the afterword.

I really want to describe this book in finer detail but it's really an adventure you should take for yourself. So buckle your seat belts and get ready for take off.

REVIEW: Life As I Blow It: Tales Of Love, Life & Sex . . . Not Necessarily In That Order by Sarah Colonna

Life As I Blow It by Sarah Colonna

Publisher: Villard07 January 2012
256 Pages
Genre: Memoir

In this wickedly funny and irreverent memoir, Chelsea Lately writer and comedian Sarah Colonna opens up about love, life, and pursuing her dreams . . . and then screwing it all up.

Sarah believes we all struggle to grow up. Sometimes we want to have fun, not take things too seriously, and have that fourth margarita. Other times we would like to get married, stay in, order Chinese food, and have a responsible, secure life.

From her formative years in small-town Arkansas to a later career of dates, drinks, and questionable day jobs, Colonna attempts to reconcile her responsible side with her fun-loving side. Sometimes this pans out, and sometimes she finds herself in Mexico handing out her phone number to anyone who calls her pretty. She moves to Los Angeles to pursue acting, but for years is forced to hone her bartending skills; she wants a serious boyfriend, but won’t give up nights at the bar with her friends. She tries to behave like an adult, but can’t seem to stop acting like a frat boy. In the end, she discovers that there doesn’t have to be just one or the other. And if there’s one thing Colonna has learned from her many missteps, it’s that hindsight is always 100 proof.

R E V I E W:
An honest and mostly humorous account littered with interesting people and entertaining anecdotes of a comically-inclined, and now somewhat famous, woman who, like many of us everyday folk, is wondering what she really wants in life. Sarah Colonna shares her life story (phsycoanalyzing a lot of her choices) and the mistakes she made (and repeated) regarding sex, love, and well... life. She's led an interesting life so far but it was also really relatable to anyone who is or was struggling to achieve their dreams or trying to find their place in the world.

This book is really the first of this genre that I have ever read so my rating may be off. But I can say that I had enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I have read about three memoirs before, though. Like Night by Elie Wiesel (for a class long ago so I automatically hated it) and Memoirs of a Geisha by that girl/guy (liked it but never finished it) and Tuesdays with Morrie by that other guy I didn't like so much (can barely remember it but I think I liked it) but to me, they're a different genre of memoir than this one.

Quick Reviews: Young Adult

So I've read a lot of books but have yet to write reviews about them and now it's a little too late to write full ones so I'm just going to list a few with quick reviews. Some of these, I haven't read since 2007 or even earlier, and some I've read just last week.

And my God. I really need to stop reading YAs. They're giving me a headache with all the angst. (You may see me bashing on some (of the angsty variety) in here because of my headache... but then again, below are only YA books that I like(d))
By the way, books are listed in alphabetical order.

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 A Long, Long Sleep
by Anna Sheehan

I think the ending was what won me over. Not the ending, necessarily, but near the ending when Rosalinda, the awkward, kind heroine, had the ultimate revelation. It was so sad and the unfairness of it all had me crying (puppy murder and the like make me sad but dry-eyed (I'm jaded, so sue me) but worldly unfairness has me bawling with frustration).

Anyways, it was an interesting story and enjoyable enough but not very different from most dystopians. 

Before I Fall
by Lauren Oliver 

Although a bit repetitive, it didn't have me wanting to pull my hair out. Samantha really developed as a person and watching her repeat that last day over and over again and the different things she did each time made me feel nostalgic, in a way. Before I Fall was touching and not a story I will soon forget.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #1) 
by Laini Taylor

I just loved the world Laini Taylor created in this story. Although Karou and her surrogate, demon family were very interesting indeed, I think the world Laini Taylor created was the main attraction. It was our everyday, modern world with a secret teeth-dealing, wish-granting, magical one hidden behind select doors all over the globe.

In my opinion, this first installment was not much of a story, more of an introduction. But unlike most introductions, it just pulled you in from the start and wouldn't let you go till the very end. When I got to the end, I just couldn't believe it passed by so fast! (418 pages, by the way, is not short) But time flies when you're having fun.

Ella Enchanted  
by Gail Carson Levine

Even though it's been a very long time since I've read (err, reread) this cute little fairy tale, I just had to review it. Gail Carson Levine is one of my favorite storytellers and although I feel as if I have outgrown her stories, I will forever remembering enjoying them. And who knows. Maybe I haven't outgrown her stories quite yet.

Ella was such a strong character and I remember really admiring her (and also envying her for her adventures). And the world Levine spun was such an exciting place for the ten-year-old me. I recommend this and any of Levine's other tales to anyone, young or old. (By the way, the movie sucked.)

 

 Eternal Eden (Eden Trilogy #1)
by Nichole Williams

A love story, simply put. Every character was well developed and it was interesting to see where this story led to. Personally, I wasn't rooting for Bryn and William till near the middle but nonetheless, I was touched by their love. There were happy moments, and sad, and just tugged at my heartstrings. It was a bit Romeo and Juliet for my liking, though. (I thought Romeo was a pompous ass, if you were wondering. And yes, I have managed to read the whole play.)

Grace 

by Elizabeth Scott

 Is it really wrong to just want to... live? 

Grace and her companion, whom for most of this journey she does not know anything about, ponder this question and ultimately come up with an answer. That no. It is not wrong. 

Grace had been raised as an Angel, or a suicide bomber, in rebellion to the country in which she was born into. For the people who have scorned her for her mixed heritage, she was to give up her life, but unlike many before her who had done the same thing, she chooses not to, and thus, begins her journey. This story takes place during a train ride where Grace tells us about her past and life before she decided to flee her country. At first it was on the confusing side but then, piece by piece, we get the full story and understand why she chose to do why she did.

Graceling  (The Seven Kingdoms #1)

by Kristin Cashore

This story is one of adventure and action but had one of the sweetest relationships in YA, in my opinion. I really felt the attraction, not just physical, between Katsa and Po, and even though they performed in the carnal acts, I still felt like their love was innocent and sweet. I was rooting for them from the very start and am curious over what has happened to them.

But that wasn't the main element of this tale, I think. The adventure and action was exciting and pulled me in. Katsa was a strong female lead but so was Po and I admired them both for their headstrong thinking and general will to live.

The Truth About Forever 

by Sarah Dessen

Really, really liked this one. Teenage angst and all. Although, it's been about two-to-four years since I've read this but when I did, I really enjoyed it. Wes, day-um. Edward Cullen's got nothing on Wes. But then again, they're nothing alike. Either way, I loved the slow build of romance between Wes and Macy. It was so cute and innocent, as is most of Sarah Dessen's stories. And the rest of the characters were fun and Dessen really brought them alive for me.

REVIEW: The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

The Future of Usby Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

Publisher: Razorbill
21 November 2011
356 Pages
Genre: Young Adult

It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long - at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail,his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future. 

By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right - and wrong - in the present.

R E V I E W :
I loved the message this story told us. That a single thing in the present can create a ripple effect and change our future. I've always been interested in this (namely the Butterfly Effect) and seeing the way how something seemingly so simple and mundane can actually cause a huge, drastic change.

Anyways, enough philosophy-ing.

Not being a fan of the '90s, nor having lived through most of them, I didn't really get most of the references but it didn't impair my reading and enjoyment (although, this novel will probably fast become out-dated because of this). And reading about how the people back then lived, although it was only a minor part of this story, was interesting and I felt like I was in on a private joke. When it mentioned that Josh's father thought Ellen DeGeneres might be gay, I had to fight a snicker.

At first, I was expecting suspense at what this 'weird thing' between them was (although I had a hunch) but luckily, as I am not the patient type, it was mentioned near the beginning and I understood why Emma did what she did. I was kind of annoyed when Emma kept changing her future because whatever she saw, she didn't like. But I would've probably done the same thing, given the choice. The characters were likable enough, if you looked past Emma's no-emotion relationships (which I noticed a lot of people have a problem doing). It's not as if Emma's boyfriends were in love with her. They were all looking for the same 'fun times' without the emotion. As I was saying, the characters were likable but I couldn't really relate to them.

The plot. I think that was the best part of this novel. Emma and Josh discover Facebook. Which wasn't invented yet. And because of this, they get closer to each other. Then farther. Then closer again as they deal with what they see on Facebook. Emma decides that she doesn't like her future and goes about trying to change it while Josh, as future graphic designer and married to the hottest girl in school, loves his and tries to make it happen faster. After a few bumps in the road, Emma realizes that she should just live in the moment and not try to fix up her future while Josh realizes that he doesn't love Sydney. Now or probably ever.

The Future of Us was a fairly light, fast read but it was very interesting. I remember the time when I used AOL and how it kept holding up my phone lines. Annoying as hell.

REVIEW: Angelfall by Susan Ee

Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1)
by Susan Ee

Publisher: Feral Dream
21 May 2011
255 Pages


It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

R E V I E W :

This book submerges us into the story from the very beginning. Penryn and her family, which consists of an insane mother and wheelchair-bound little sister, choose to risk running into supernatural creatures, which have taken over earth, by leaving their building during the night instead of going out in the daytime which would bring them to the more common risk of being caught by gangs. Whom have taken over the streets. Or at least seem to.

Susan Ee brings us information about this post-apocalyptic world she created in manageable pieces, but sometimes I thought she over-explained Penryn's mommy issues. But Penryn's mother is very complicated. Although seemingly completely loco, and not in the good way, she had a genuine love for her two children and it could be felt through her actions.

Beware: There was some gory and disturbing scenes in this book, but not to worry, Susan Ee didn't go into too much detail on those.

Something, not sure what, annoyed me about Penryn's voice and how she narrated the story (this book is in first person, by the way), but not to the point that I stopped reading, and good thing too because this is now one of my favorite supernatural/dystopian books.

I also liked the romance in this one, which means, it was subtle and took awhile to grow. In fact, it's still growing and there was not, it seemed, a single mention of the word love between the two main protagonists, Penryn and Raffie. But through their actions, one can tell they cared for one another.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I'd like to say that I'm thankful that I did not have to wade through a hormonal teenager's inane thoughts and pondering. Too busy concentrating on survival and rescuing her young sister, Penryn didn't analyze every single thing that Raffie did and why, like most young adult novels. Which I found refreshing. In fact, I barely thought about the romance between the two. But that's not to say it wasn't there. People who want to read a book with romance will like this too. Unless you're looking for the we-met-five-seconds-ago-but-now-we're-creepy-obsessed-in-love.

please comment on my review. pointers, advice, and constructive critism is very much appreciated. thanks!