Taken by Erin Bowman

Taken by Erin Bowman

Released: April 16, 2013

Publisher: HarperTeen

Series: Taken, Book 1

Followed By: Frozen

Page Amount: 360, US Hardback

POV: 1st Person (Gray)

Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:

Plot-18/20
Characters-19/20
Creativity-17/20
Writing-20/20
Pace-9/10
Ending-9/10
=92/100 A
★★★★★/5

SUMMARY:

There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.
They call it the Heist. Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive. Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?-Goodreads.com

REViEW:
Claysoot is not your average town. With all boys being heisted on their 18th birthdays, Claysoot is obviously a home of many secrets. I absolutely loved the premise of the Heist and the Wall that encloses Claysoot. That was all very unique to me. The first 100 some pages really captured my attention and made me unable to put the book down. I was so curious to find out what the big mystery was surrounding Claysoot and that compelled me to keep reading. However, when I did find out what Claysoot really was, I was a little bit disappointed. I really think most readers will absolutely love the "big reveal" and I know I would have been completely surprised if I hadn't read The Maze Runner by James Dashner. Sure it is completely different from Taken, but I couldn't stop thinking about the one similarity. I totally don't think it is a rip-off because they are very different, I just help drawing the parallel. I really wish I hadn't read the Maze Runner because this book is so much better and the story is absolutely amazing.   

The characters really took this story to a even higher level. Gray had a personality that I never read before. It made this book seem even more fresh in the ever growing YA world. Gray is impulsive and has fire in him. I'm nothing like him, but I was still able to relate to him and love his voice. His dedication to Emma was something really special. Emma was also a very good character. I loved her at the beginning and still loved her at the end. I understood what she thought when Gray had to leave her behind. She was very realistic just like Gray. There was a bit of a love triangle in this book. Typically, I don't think love triangles are believable, but this one was. I understand all of the characters motives and reasons, which make every single one of them realistic.    

The ending was really unique. I loved the new direction the book took. It really makes me excited for the sequel. The last couple of chapters really rekindled my love for this book. The action was perfectly described and really jaw-dropping. I loved that entire race at the end. Please don't get me wrong, I loved this book. It was really unique and the only reason why I pointed out my parallel was because that was one little thing that kept me from thinking this book was absolutely the best. I'm really truly excited to continue this series and I really think the next book will take this series to even more different and excellent places! 

My Favorite Part: The whole first half of the book was absolutely perfect to me!

ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes it's a really fast-paced and exciting read!
Will I be reading the next book? Definitely!

Thank you for reading! Stay tuned for a Taken giveaway later tonight!

It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

Instagram Meets It's a Book Thing

Yes. It's official. It's a Book Thing now has its own Instagram. Just look up @itisabookthing or click the link below to follow! I will follow you back if you'd like!
 http://instagram.com/itisabookthing

Have you ever wondered what I'm currently reading or my favorite places to read? Well Instagram will be an easy and quick way to find out. Every picture will some inside connection to books. This way I can connect with my followers and share my love of books!

Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti

Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti
Released: May 1, 2012
Publisher: Speak
Page Amount: 236, US Hardback
POV: 1st Person (Noelle)
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:

Plot-17/20
Characters-17/20
Creativity-17/20
Writing-18/20
Pace-9/10
Ending-10/10
=88/100 B
★★★★/5

SUMMARY:

Noelle's life is all about survival. Even her best friend doesn't know how much she gets bullied, or the ways her mom neglects her. Noelle's kept so much about her life a secret for so long that when her longtime crush Julian Porter starts paying attention to her, she's terrified. Surely it's safer to stay hidden than to risk the pain of a broken heart. But when the antagonism of her classmates takes a dramatic turn, Noelle realizes it's time to stand up for herself--and for the love that keeps her holding on.-Goodreads.com

REViEW:
The plot of this book was quite interesting. I love me a good bullying story and this one did not disappoint. I really enjoyed the journey of learning how to stand up in this book. It set it apart from other books about bullying. I loved the incorporation of writing and how Noelle slowly started to find herself because of it. It was a really great addition to this book. I loved the character growth in this book because I truly believe that that is what advanced this book's plot.

Noelle was a very intriguing protagonist. I loved reading from her perspective because it was very relatable. She started out a little shy and quiet about her rough home life and bullying, but I loved seeing her grow by the end of the book. Seeing her stand up at the end of the book really makes the reader feel the power of just speaking up for whats right. Her best friend, Sherae, was also a very interesting character that I really enjoyed to get to know. Her story of date rape was very honest and I could feel her pain. I only wish I could have read more about the repercussions it had on Sherae's thoughts. Speaking of guys, Noelle begins the book in a terrible relationship with Matt. I felt so bad for Noelle, but I wish she would stop thinking she was so unlovable. She let Matt love her so I didn't really understand why she couldn't be with Julian. It didn't make sense to me. Julian is an amazing guy and I sure as heck wish he went to my school. This world needs more caring gentlemen.

The ending was empowering. Noelle's strong attitude made me want to fight against bullying too. I loved how honest the last few pages were. Having been bullied my whole life, those words hit home and really made me feel less alone. This book is a perfect story of learning how to speak up and to feel your worth as a person. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who is being bullied or has been bullied because the last couple of pages will really touch your heart, just as they touched mine. 

My Favorite Part: The ending being so dang beautiful and perfect.

ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes it's really inspirational.

Thank you all for reading! :D

It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

Miracle by Elizabeth Scott

Miracle by Elizabeth Scott
Released: June 5, 2012
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Page Amount: 224, US Hardback
POV: 1st Person (Megan)
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:

Plot-18/20
Characters-19/20
Creativity-19/20
Writing-18/20
Pace-8/10
Ending-9/10
=91/100 A
★★★★★/5

SUMMARY:

Megan is a miracle. At least, that’s what everyone says. Having survived a plane crash that killed everyone else on board, Megan knows she should be grateful just to be alive. But the truth is, she doesn’t feel like a miracle. In fact, she doesn’t feel anything at all. Then memories from the crash start coming back. Scared and alone, Megan doesn’t know whom to turn to. Her entire community seems unable—or maybe unwilling—to see her as anything but Miracle Megan. Everyone except for Joe, the beautiful boy next door with a tragic past and secrets of his own. All Megan wants is for her life to get back to normal, but the harder she tries to live up to everyone’s expectations, the worse she feels. And this time, she may be falling too fast to be saved..-Goodreads.com

REViEW:
This book is not for the faint of heart. Its plot is based on a devastating event and circles around the repercussions it causes Megan. By the end of this book I was wondering what kind of twisted person could write a book as depressing as this, but then I kept thinking about the book. I couldn't even help it, the book was literally engraved in my brain. This is one of the few books that has actually made me feel uncomfortable. Probably because of its stark reality of the fragility of life and death's effects. It's a book that really makes the reader think. Most people would hate a book if it made them uncomfortable, but not me. I am in love with this book because of how it made me feel. I cannot get this book out of my mind because of how honest it was. 

I can understand why some people would have an issue with these characters. Megan isn't the typical protagonist. She's not happy, she doesn't feel emotion. A lot of readers may see this as just a monotone narrator who doesn't care about anyone, but I think I saw Megan the way Ms. Scott imagined her. I grasped Megan's voice the whole way through the book because my recent loss of a best friend caused me to lose feeling emotions, just like Megan. I could relate to Megan because I understood how she couldn't help not caring about anything. She just wanted to be left alone. Don't we all want that sometimes? I absolutely loved Megan throughout this book and totally agreed with all of her beliefs and feelings about life and family. Her parents were very protective, but it made sense for them to be. I would have rebelled just like Megan against their bubble.

The ending was not happy like I suspected. Sure it showed a big improvement of Megan's sanity, but I was still not completely happy with the ending. It's probably just because I'm used to all those happily ever afters. This ending was so beautiful probably because of how different it was and how closely it resembles real life. Too often in life are we disappointed and depressed. I applaud Ms. Scott by being unique and not writing a replication of the "perfect teenage breezy romance." This book will remain in my head for a long time because of it's exceptionally heartbreakingly beautiful lesson on life.  

My Favorite Part: How the story stays with you and how amazingly uncomfortable it made me.

ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes if you are tough enough to deal with the feelings.
Will I be reading more of Ms. Scott's books? To be honest, I am scared to death to. But I HAVE to ;)

Thanks for reading! 

It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

A Lil Blog TLC

BLOG TLC!

Summer '13 baby. I know I didn't blog that much at the end of May, but I did have a good excuse! I just got home from BOOK EXPO AMERICA! Yes, I know, exciting right? I came home with more than 50 books for myself and another 60+ for friends, family, and of course you fellow readers. Many giveaways will be occurring on this blog very soon as well as ARC reviews and author interviews. I'll even post a review later today to catch up to all the new books I just got! This month I will be focusing on giving some TLC to my blog. My YouTube channel has been made and I will post a link once I finish editing my first few videos! I also plan to change around my blog a lot this summer to keep it up to date and more me. Well, I have to go for now, but I will be posting more reviews and BEA info later tonight! :D Stay tuned.

READ IN MAY

1. Fever 
2. Delirium Stories

3. Insurgent

4. Keep Holding On

5. Hidden

6. Just One Day

7. Miracle 

8. So Much Closer

CURRENTLY READING

1. The Great Gatsby

2. Something Strange and Deadly

3. Taken

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Released: August 2, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Series: Delirium, Book 1
Followed By: Pandemonium
Page Amount: 441, US Hardback
POV: 1st Person (Lena)
Buy it here: Barnes & Noble•Amazon

OVERALL:

Plot-19/20
Characters-19/20
Creativity-20/20
Writing-20/20
Pace-8/10
Ending-10/10
=96/100 A
★★★★★/5

SUMMARY:

Ninety-five days, and then I’ll be safe.
I wonder whether the procedure will hurt.
I want to get it over with.
It’s hard to be patient.
It’s hard not to be afraid while I’m still uncured, though so far the deliria hasn’t touched me yet.
Still, I worry.
They say that in the old days, love drove people to madness.

The deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don’t.-Goodreads.com

REViEW:
Beware. If you pick up this book you will not be able to stop reading until you finish all three books. Typically, it takes me months, if not years, to finish a series because I like to read so many different books, but I couldn't do that with this series. I finished this book and had to start the next book the same day. I was addicted. The world that Lena lives in is a word of structured society that outlaws love. I cannot imagine such a world, but Ms. Oliver captured this place spot on. Her writing flowed across the pages like care-free petals in the wind. It was truly beautiful. I don't often look at the writing at a whole and say "Wow this is beautiful," but this book really was. I loved every second I spent in this world. The characters, plot, and conflict were just icing on the cake. 

Ahh these characters were so amazing. Lena was a strong protagonist. Not in the physical sense, but rather mentally strong. That's not always a easy thing to find in YA books. Main leads are typically kick-butt warrior types or weak, defenseless blonds. Lena was a perfect, realistic median. Her inner conflict between leaving her home or leaving her love was portrayed in a realistic way. She thought about both choices and I could understand why she made the decision that she did. I would have chosen the same. I love Alex like Lena did. I really wish I could have gotten to know him more. Lena's best friend, Hanna, and relatives were also very interesting. Every character added to the story and each contributed differently to Lena's conflict. 

The ending was absolutely beautiful and perfect. I could feel the powerful emotion that Lena was feeling. It was breathtaking. I felt horrible for Lena because I knew exactly how she felt. Going through the loss of my best friend and boyfriend, I felt as if I lost a part of me and the last few pages of this book made me feel less alone. It accurately described the way I felt. I always believed that books come into your life at precisely the right moment, this book made that belief all the more real. If you are feeling brokenhearted, give this book a try, you are not alone.  

My Favorite Part: The last few pages. They related perfectly to my life at the time I read it.

ALL iN ALL:
Do I recommend this book? Yes. It really touched my heart.
Will I be reading the next book? Already did. Read it the very next day after finishing this book.

Thanks for reading! Did you like this book?

It's a Book Thing
Review by Macy ♥

Top Ten: Favorite Covers

Top Ten is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.

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