Imitation by Heather Hildenbrand

Everyone is exactly like me. There is no one like me.

Ven wrestles with these contradicting truths every day. A clone of wealthy eighteen-year-old Raven Rogen, Ven knows everything about the girl she was created to serve: the clothes she wears, the boys she loves, the friends she loves to hate. Yet she’s never met the Authentic Raven face-to-face. 

Imitations like Ven only get to leave the lab when they’re needed—to replace a dead Authentic, donate an organ, or complete a specific mission. And Raven has never needed Ven . . . until now.

When there is an attack on Raven’s life, Ven is thrust into the real world, posing as Raven to draw out the people who tried to harm her. But as Ven dives deeper into Raven’s world, she begins to question everything she was ever told. She exists for Raven, but is she prepared to sacrifice herself for a girl she’s never met?



Imitation by Heather Hildenbrand 
My Rating: ★★★
#1 of the Clone Chronicles 
Page Count: 272
Recommended For: Sci-Fi fans. The Island film fans.
Genres: YA, Sci-Fi, Dystopian, Clones
#Coverlove :D

—————————————————————

When I am called to duty, I will be ready. I will serve my Authentic in any way necessary. 

- Imitation, Heather Hildenbrand

—————————————————————

Anyone.. The Island much?!

Concept: The richer people can make Imitations AKA Clones of themselves. Those Imitations can contribute to organ harvesting, or filling in for events. 

The main character, Ven, was cool. She didn't really stand out against the world of YA female protagonists, but she didn't annoy me too much as well, so I appreciate that. When I say 'too much', it meant that she still annoyed me at parts... especially the romance parts. 

Let's look into that, shall we? *offers arm*

The romance was way too fast in my opinion.

It was like... 

Linc: You're different *cocks head* I can't place it.. but you're not that celeb-y Raven Rogen....

Ven: I HAVE A SECRET TO TELL YOU......... I'M ....A......CLOOONNNEE

Linc: *le gasp* THAT IS SO AWESOMEEE

Ven: :D REALLY?!

Linc:  YES TOTALLY. UN. BELIEVE. ABLE. 

Ven: YAY

Linc: kissy kissy kissy

Ven: Swoony swoony swoony

Me: *rolls eyes* Come on, guys. Get your head in the game. 

It also wasn't believable that she's been training for 4 years. I mean.. even you're still you're own person, you ARE still a clone. And all you've been doing it train train train. Doesn't she have to be at least a bit okay in acting her Authentic? Because she was complete rubbish at it. Sorry Ven, but it's the harsh truth *pats head* Also, I didn't get how Obadiah was an Authentic for her friend.. unless I read it wrong. Because I'm pretty sure you can't change genders with cloning.. o.O

Another down part was that the dialogue between the characters was a little stiff for me to read comfortably. There weren't any parts where I had to go back a few paragraphs because I didn't understand, but more like a '... did he really just say that. Out loud.' reaction. 

There was also an issue with the setting, because I really wanted to know what year this book was set in. Also I wanted to know more about Ven's Authentic, Raven. All that came out about her was that she was a player, and never turned down a boy, and that she's a shallow bimbo who only cares about her appearance and gossip. That's LITERALLY the only information we get about her. Kind of sad, don't you think? 

Apart from that though, I liked the ending, and how it was a cliffhanger. I think the second book will be much better than the first, because things are actually starting to happen :) This book was a bit of a slow start. 

Do I Recommend?: Ummm lemme get back to you on that after I read the sequel... it wasn't that bad though. Just kind of meh.

**Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a free copy for review<3**

—MissOddball™ Over and Out.

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The Giver by Lois Lowry

Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

The Giver by Lois Lowry
My Rating: ★★★
Current Average Rating on Goodreads: 4.11
Standalone. (There are sequels but it isn't directly connected to the end of this story, I think. Different MCs)
Recommended For: People interested in unique sci-fi concepts
Genres: YA, Dystopia, Science Fiction, Classic (? Goodreads said so..)
Made into a Film? Yes! (it's really good)

——————————————————

It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened. 

No. Wrong word, Jonas thought. Frightened meant that deep, sickening feeling of something terrible about to happen. Frightened was the way he had felt a year ago when an unidentified aircraft had overflown the community twice.

- The Giver, Lois Lowry

——————————————————

So. I kind of had high expectations for this one, because I watched the film first (the horror!), and the film was amazing. The whole way it was delivered and the ideas behind it were beautiful! So naturally, I thought 'If the FILM was this good, then the book must be mind-blowing! Since books are always better than movies.'  Unfortunately, this was one of those rare cases where the movie was actually kind of better than the book ^^ Even though there were minor things I wished they included. 

THE BOOK: 

I didn't connect to the characters much. Maybe because they couldn't feel emotion (yes you heard me right), or maybe because it was in third PoV, but for some reason, I didn't emotionally feel them. Or make any kind of special bond. That was a bit disappointing. 

If the characters weren't up to par, then the plot must have made up for it, no? No.

The plot was alright, with the exception that Lowry built the tension up and up and up and up.........and then..... wait what? 

I didn't get it! All that building between Jonas and the Giver, and then THAT'S how it ends? 

I was just left in my seat so confused. 

Of course, as I mentioned, I watched the film first, so I knew it was going to end like that. But what I thought was that books have more detail. It's deeper. You understand everything so much more clearly. 

It couldn't have ended that simply! It's just weird. Maybe I was supposed to analyse it or something... *shrugs* Maybe I will someday. 

I spent about half an hour reading up on other people's reviews, working out the ending for myself. Some people loved the ambiguity of it, some did not. I'm in the latter, but I understand the whole 'vague' sense the book also thought was necessary. After all, it's really hard to resolve books with a confusing plot aim. 

Sometimes, open ended endings are great, but other times, they fall flat. Instead of making you ponder your meaning on life, they confuse the heck out of you until you eventually lower the rating.

I haven't talked about the concept quite much, so i'll start now :P

This is a "perfect" world. From when you're born, the government has your life planned out for you.

They stalk watch you until you're 12, and they decide on the perfect job for you based on your personality. You can apply for a spouse when you get older, and they'll give you a perfect match. You then apply for kids, and babies (up to 2) will be handed to you. When you get too old to work, you get sent into the House of the Old until it's your time of Release.

^ your whole life.

Dun dun dun.

People take pills everyday to erase emotions. Of course they don't know that they are because they don't know what emotions are. They're just doing it because it's in the rules. So simple o.o

They also can't see colour. I think that's the worst... colours are the most beautiful things <3 I would die! The book really makes you grateful for this world right now and that you're in it. 

Basically: 
Good- Concept 
Meh- Writing Style, Characters, Ending. 

THE FILM:
I loved the movie. The reason why I watched the movie first and then the book after (normally I NEVER do that. I don't want to be spoiled for the book.), was roughly like: (I have bad memory so everytime I tell this scenario it's different xD Whoops. But whatever)

Mum: Guys let's watch the Giver
Me: But I haven't read the book! :O
Dad: Who wants to watch the Giver?
Mum: ME
Bro: Me
Dad: we're going to watch the Giver! 
Me: XD Outnumbered.
Dad: Just close your eyes and eat your food or something
Me: *actually attempts* ... (yes I did do that. Don't ask me why.. I can be overdramatic)

But of course, I ended up watching it because as soon as I saw one scene, I was hooked :P 
The visuals are done really well, and the casting is also great. I don't think there was enough character development in Jonas' family, but that's alright.

At the end of the film my family was like "That was awesome!"
My dad: Doesn't make any sense
Me: *rushes to grab book*

But yeah, the movie was a liiiittle more amazing. :) I would really recommend you to see it if you haven't. It doesn't matter if you haven't read the book for this one, since there aren't any big plot twists or such hehe ;) If you have seen it, tell me what you thought! :D So curious.

Aand somehow this became a book/movie review! ;P

—MissOddball€ (Too lazy to swap keyboards for the TM) Over and Out. 

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Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Blood Red Road
by
Moira Young

Page Count: 459
Series. (#1)

My Rating: ★★★★
Average Rating on Goodreads: 4.00

Synopsis:
Saba lives in Silverlake, a wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms where her family scavenge from landfills left by the long-gone Wrecker civilization. After four cloaked horsemen kidnap her beloved twin brother Lugh, she teams up with daredevil Jack and the Free Hawks, a girl gang of Revolutionaries. 

Saba learns that she is a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Saba and her new friends stage a showdown that change the course of her civilization.



Thank you Bee for recommending this to me! I was always doubtful about this one because most the people I know gave it negative reviews. That does kind of dampen the reading spirits when you have so many other books to read.

The reason everyone put this down after a few chapters or didn't like it, was because the writing.
Well this is a debut novel after all, so it was really a risk that Moira took to write like this.

The writing is similar to the style Patrick Ness used in Chaos Walking. Loads of people couldn't stand the deliberate spelling and grammar mistakes there either. BUT, If you're a person like me, who loved Chaos Walking and thought it was brilliant, go read Blood Red Road right now. Because this was also awesommee :D

So.

I loved how
-There was a tough heroine.
-It wasn't focused on romance.
-Action.
-It was a bit flawed.
-Character development.
-She had a companion crow. How cool is that?! GO NERO.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saba is really tough. Like seriousllyyy. She cage fights, and wins Every. Single. Match. thrown to her. Of course, that's because she needs to survive, since you'll die and all, but come on! That is amazing!! Reminds me a biiit of Celaena Sardothian :P Plus who can't resist a teen girl riding through a deadly desert to save her brother?
She was determined (a bit too much?) and looked straight at the destination, demolishing all road blocks along the way. Okay, maybe sometimes, she frustrated me a bit, but considering the circumstances, it was understandable. And it wasn't like I wanted to throw the book out the window at any point anyways ^.^
The character development here was beautiful to read! Little Saba, who always followed her "golden" brother Lugh, always his shadow, always the night.......: Becomes the day with this great journey. She learns independence, and how to think for herself. Her relationship with Emmi progressing with the story I think was also one of my favourite momentss.

Yep.

Now meet Jack the love interest!
Everyone: Hi Jack *waves*
Jackk... was an interesting character. *cough* Instalove *cough* XD Normally, the girl likes the guy. In this case,
Jack: I'VE ALWAYS LIKED YOU
Saba: GO AWAY JACK
*carry on for half the book*

I liked it though.

The heartstone, I must admit, is silly.      
Don't you think? A small stone which heats up whenever you're near your heart's desire. Can you guess who Saba's heart's desire was?
Crowd: Jack?
Ding ding diiinngg ;D

All the secondary characters actually were pretty great.
There's Emmi, the youngest and unloved (by Saba) sister, due to the fact that Saba's mother died giving birth to her. She was so cute. <3 AND had good judgement. *whispers to Saba* I told youu soooo!
The Freedom Hawks ermahgosh XD I wanna join! It reminded me of Artemis's group in Percy Jackson... what's it called... that group of "maidens"? I forgot o.O But I seriously want to join this group! Awesomeness.
NERO. A human like crow. Most useful character in the whole book. *snatches Nero* You're mine!! Mwahahah!

I think overall, the only thing I didn't like was that in some parts, mostly the end, the plot got confuusingg. I didn't really know what was happening. And then the ending was a little fast? Yeh..

Bottom Line:
A quirky memorable read, that has a tough heroine, cool love interest, brilliantly formed secondary characters, loads of character development, and bit of a confusing plot. The writing style won't be everyone's cuppa tea, but you (maybe) can easily get used to it. Just DON'T STOP AFTER 20 PAGES.

—MissOddball™ Over and Out. *salutes*

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MirrorX by Karri Thompson (Review Copy) + Release Day Blast

MirrorX
by
Karri Thompson

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ 3 Stars. 

Current Average Rating on Goodreads: 3.66

Synopsis: Cassie Dannacher wakes up in a hospital over 1,000 years into the future after her space capsule is retrieved from space. She soon learns that 600 years prior to her arrival, the earth was struck by a plague, killing over half of the world’s population. Naïve and desperate, Cassie, who longs for home and is having trouble adjusting to the new, dictatorial 31st century government, is comforted by Michael Bennett, the 20-year old lead geneticist at the hospital where she was revived. 

But why is Cassie in genetics’ hospital in the first place, and why do several of the people around her seem so familiar, including Travel Carson, the hot and edgy boy she is fated to meet? Soon she discovers there is a sinister answer to all of her questions – and that they want something from Cassie that only she can give.

So first of all, thank you EntangledPublishing for a free copy in exchange for an honest review! :D You rockk.

*shuffles papers* Now down to business.

To be honest with you, because that was the point of giving this to me; I didn't like that book. There I said it! I did not like that book at all. Then why did I give it 3, you ask. I reply BECAUSE THE CONCEPT WAS COOL OKAY? and I managed to finish it. :P 

If you asked anyone that knew me what kind of book I was reading, they would say "That weird MirrorX clone book she keeps complaining about" XD Probably. I dont know. But yes I complained about it a LOT. Sorrryyyyy :P

I mean it had a good message and all I guess? It was emphasised quite strongly. Life is precious. They said that phrase... *types it in search box* 15 times. It that doesn't seem like that much if you look it like this, but BELIEVE me it gets annoying XD We get it. Life is precious. Repetitive much? It's like their motto or something! Well it probably is but stiiiilll. 

The dialogue: To be frank: Boring. It was SO stiff you don't even know. It's like.. every character learnt English out of a foreign "How to Speak English!" Textbook. You know how like if you learn a foreign language, the sentences they teach you are really.. proper.. and quite unnatural in modern speech? I mean no one talks like that! *pulls hair* HAVE SOME SLANG PEOPLE. Just because you live in the 31st century. These 31st centurions - which was probs the wrong word- are ugh. Or hey maybe stiff is the new natural there ! It IS the future after all so you can't compare it to here... but yeah -_- 

Characters: PAPER CHARACTERS. Absolutely no depth to them. Their personality is like da winnddd for goodness sakes! If you want to write a good book, plan out your characters as well as the plot. For me, the plot is also important (hence the 3 stars instead of 2), but the CHARACTERS are even more important. If the characters are annoying, I will put the book down. And not like "flawed" annoying, because I do agree characters are also people, and for them to be realistic, they need flaws. BUT KVKFGVVKJGVN THESE WERE NOT FLAWS, IT WAS JUST.... THE CHARACTER HAD NO CHARACTER!!!! It would act one way, and then it would act totally differently. Like the author just wrote without analysing and thinking of how this person is. Me didn't likey ANY characters here....:/

General story: It was unique. I'll give you props for that! but the way is was portrayed and delivered just..wasn't right.   

*OH MAH GOSH I JUST NEARLY HAD A HEART ATTACK BECAUSE I PRESSED THE BACK BUTTON AND I THOUGHT I LOST MY REVIEW DX
But I didn't :D thank you Blogger and your frequent auto save. I love you. <3 *

Where were we?
Oh yesh. Now i'm not going to tell you the story because i'm lazy and you can just read the synopsis. GUYS STOP SKIPPING OVER THE SYNOPSIS XD *i'm watching you sign*
and I don't think I can tell you anything without giving too much away. (Ignoring the fact I practically spoiled the whole book to the people I complained to... sowwy guys :3 Thanks for putting up with moi  XD)

Oh yeah another point that annoyed me: Cassie kept shouting for no reason -_- Everyone kept shouting! It's an overusage of shout! I don't really like that word in a book.. I dunno why, but it makes the dialogue look too simple. "I shouted. He shouted. We shouted. I starting shouting. He started shouting." Mer. Vocab, people. We have the thesaurus! :D 29 times of the word shout isn't bad- I've seen worse cases- but some words just stand out to me.. and I don't really like that... XD Yes i'm picky I know *sighs*

I don't really know what else to say right now... but bottom line:
It was a relatively good book for an author who hasn't written that many books yet (I think. I can't remember.. I stalked her GR account >:))  , and it had a cool concept with an interesting idea. But it wasn't my style. I love reading futuristic books because we never know what'll really happen and it's really interesting to see all these people's ideas! and Karri Thompson was no exception! Whiiich I can't tell you due to potential spoilers. but Just the writing needs to be improved a taaaaaaad more. I read other's reviews about this and most had the same thing for a complaint: The middle was too draggy and it ended too abruptly. and I agree! That was what I was thinking while I read. Way too much time was spent on it, and then BAM! some twists, and THE END, BYEBYE NOW PLEASE WRITE AN HONEST REVIEW PLEASE AND THANK YOU.

The twists though..
Um. I....liked the effort? :p *winces* I wasn't BAD...but....yeah...it was like "Oh yeah I just thought of something that could happen. TWIST. Oh yeah something else popped into my head! TWIST.
Me: NO. Just stop. I can tell these twists weren't planned out as much as it could be. Yes it was surprising- the whole meaning of "plot twist", but it didn't work. 

aaand I just botched my bottom line XD
Bottom bottom line:
Interesting sci fi book, could have been written better, dialogues were stiff and unnatural, paper people, failed twists. I don't of any means say it's a bad book; like I don't think this should stop you from reading it, but yeah XD It just wasn't mine. At least I didn't put it down! I've been putting loads down lately..

and seeing if we aren't annihilated by this time, this idea of 3022 really could be real. Scary.

—MissOddball™ Over and Out. *salutes*

buuut we're not over yet! RELEASE BLAST. I actually have no idea how to do this... *goes to Bellzie's old review blast*
...
Okay that was no help :p I guess i'm on my own.

----------------------------------MIRROR X RELEASE BLAST-------------------------------

  June may be almost over but that doesn't mean the fun is over at Entangled Teen!
We are excited to be announcing the release of two of our new titles, Mirror X by Karri Thompson and Going Down in Flames by Chris Cannon, which readers are already raving about! (Belle is doing Going Down in Flames in a little while, so please look out for that too!) Plus you can pick up both Mirror X and Going Down in Flames on sale for just $.99 right now. (Woo that's cheap. Good deal! I got it for free *sticks out tongue* Ha.) 

About Mirror X:

I was born more than a thousand years ago. 

Put into a cryogenic tube at age seventeen, forgotten during a holocaust that decimated the world, I've finally been awakened to a more serene and peaceful future. (*Cass pops in and whispers* Wasn't very peaceful to meeeeee. To many robots. I hate robots >.<) 

But things at the hospital are new and strange. And it's starting to scare me. 

Everyone is young. Everyone is banded and tracked. And everyone is keeping secrets. (*Cass: I thought you just said serene and peaceful? *raises eyebrow*)

The cute geneticist Michael Bennett might be the only good thing in this crazy new world where "life is precious" but no one seems free to live it. The problem is, I don't think he's being totally honest with me either. (Cass: LIFE IS PRECIOUS. SEE SEE?)

When I'm told only I can save the human race from extinction, it's clear my freeze didn't avoid a dreadful fate. It' only delayed the horror.... (Cass: DUN DUN DUUUUN)

XD Sorry.. I just wanted to add those.. yeah.. *walks awkwardly away*

Find Mirror X Online!

Amazon: : Mirror X on Amazon

B&N: Mirror X on Barnes and Nobles

iTunes: Mirror X on iTunes

Kobo: Mirror X on Kobo

Goodreads: Mirror X on GoodReads

Ughhh why are there so many links -_-

Author Bio: 

Oh look she so pwetttyyyy! Love da hair :D

Growing up in San Diego, California, Karri Thompson spent much of her years at the beach, reading novels, tanning, and listening to music. At SDSU, she earned a BA in English, MA in education, and her teaching credential. As a wife, mother, and highschool English teacher, she began writing novels, giving all of the compelling plots and unique characters in her head a home. Victorian literature rocks her socks, and when she's not writing, jogging, going to concerts, or watching her son play football, she's reading Dickens. 

(Rocks her socks? Really? o.O)

Find Kerri Thompson Online:

Website: Her Official Site

Twitter: @KarriThompson

Facebook: Faaacebookkk

Goodreads: Let the Author Stalking Begin.

***

Aaand that is all! Sorry for the long post :P Thanks if you're still here XD

Buhbye *waves*

Oh and I just wanted to add real quick that the cover is beautiful! the whole hour glass thing is pwetty :3

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the 5th Wave- Rick Yancy

The 5th Wave
by
Rick Yancy

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ Honestly, it was boring.

Average Rating on Goodreads: 4.12 ..... ._.

Synopsis:

The Passage meets Ender’s Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.
After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

4th Wave. Alien apocalypse. One boy. One man. One alien. One very determined girl. One story. DUN DUN DUUUN!!!

Eh. I don't get the hype. It was so boring it's not even funny.
But at least Cassie was coooool!! :D They didn't misuse mah nammmee for some wimpy chick!
She was all like HIYAAA DONT MESS WITH MEEEE OR YOU'RE GOIN DOWWWN. *ninja moves with MI6* I'M COMING FOR YOUU, SAMMYYY!!

Oh one of the things that annoyed me most: THE POVs. *tears hair* It was tewwible. IT DIDN'T EVEN INDICATE IT CHANGED. *facepalm* I had to reread loads of paragraphs.. and it was TRIPLE PoVs. Cassie, Sammy, Alien dude, One human dude. Waaaaait... oh. 4 PoVs. IT WAS FOUR POINT OF VIEWS. DO YOU KNOW HOW CONFUSING THAT IS??

I was confused enough when it was only Caassiiiieee!! *pouts* The story was so nonsensical throughout the book.  Definitely not one of my favs. I am honestly really disappointed... everyone luurrrves this one, and obviously as pointed out *points above* it has a hecka high average rating.
Maybe it's because alien books don't appeal to me much? Apart from the Host..which was quite nice although Twilight wasn't my cup of tea at all. Oh Lux is also an awesome alien series!! :D But yeah. Aliens have to be well written or they come off as either really really cheesy, or just plain stupid. I think this was the latter...XD I mean, they didn't even have cool superpowers. They did absolutely NUFINK. Cept invade the world and all that jazz. So yeah.. I don't really know what to say. Mediocre. Nothing too special, but not like GAWSHH THIS BOOK IS JUST HORRID. Just meh..

*awkward silence*

I will not be reading the sequel. Sowwy.

-MissOddball™ Over and Out.

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the Ask and the Answer (Chaos Walking #2) by Patrick Ness

Oh mah gosh, peoples. I dont think I can say anything without giving anything away from the first book or this one, but I have to say that if you love Dystopian and havent read this series yet, you do not know Dystopian. Ill mix in the first book review here a bit too because I dont think Ive written a proper one for that..o.O But yeah *clears throat* Ahem.

First of all, the whole series has really long titles XD But it fits really well with the book.. Like you would go AHAAA THATS where the title came from!! Makes perfect sense nowww!! :o :D 

the Ask and the Answer 
by Patrick Ness
From the Chaos Walking Trilogy

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Yaayyyy!!

Current Rating on Goodreads: 4.23!

**Synopsis not shown due to potential spoilers for the first book.**










First book: The Knife of Never Letting Go.

Our story is told from Todd Hewitt's PoV. Oh just a sidenote, when you do actually read it, there will be spelling mistakes like 'tho' for 'though', 'stayshun' for 'station' and so on. THESE ARE NOT TYPOS XDD Theyre intentional. Dude I spent like 10minutes at first..searching through Google to see if I was the only one with a wacky copy *giggles* This is like that because Todd cant read or write. So dont blame him D: You'll get used to the writing soon enough! And will appreciate it because it is one of the most unique writing styles I have ever seen. So distinguishable and realistic. It's literally like youre RIGHT THERE :O Scarewy.

The story itself is reaaaally cooool. I wont go into much detail because its much bettah if YOU actually read it, but its always changing. Loads of plot twists, action, adventure, suspense, ect. Todd also meets our lovely Viola during his journey, and little does he know she'll become one of the most important people in his life later on. And Ive gotta say that Viola is just amazing O.O She's tough, strong, and independent. If she thinks something is wrong, she actually DOES something about it. *beams* Todd was a little most disappointing in the second book, but I can understand him and why he acted like that. ..well a little anyways.. 

Oh btw, did I mention the second book is in dual PoV? The first one isnt, but the second one is, and its so much more exciting, seeing through both of them!! They're so different, yet the same. Lots of misunderstandings too, in the second book, but they trust in each other and come back together to fight the common enemy, which is rare in lots of books. Usually, differences tear people apart permanently which is REALLY frustratin so read *tears hair* The first parts in the second book were also a little laggy for me, personally, but it picked up really fast and BAM. So yeah. It won't disappoint youuuuu!! 

Oh oh I must say this. IBECAMETOACTUALLYLIKEDAVYINTHESECONDBOOK *covers face* XD The author did such a good job making a much hated character to sympathy deserving. *sighs*

Yeah... 

Bottom Line: Amazing dystopian series with such an unique writing style and story concept with loveable characters and such hateable (?) antagonists that make you want to go inside the book and shoot them for all the trouble theyre causing in a frighteningly believable world which will haunt you and make you long for the next one and next one and next one and curse Patrick Ness for only writing 3 books that everyone MUST read. One of the best sequel books I have read, and a good way to start off new revelations to an amazing series. 

Kudos to you if you understood that. *tips hat*

-MissOddball Over and Out. *salutes*

(<-- THE FIRST BOOK OF SERIES IF YOU WANT TO CHECK IT OUT. *pushes reader towards picture* Cliiiccckkk ittttt. Reeeaaad ittttt.)

the Knife of Never Letting Go
by Patrick Ness

^.^

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Darkest Minds #1 - Alexandra Bracken!!!

The Darkest Minds<3<3
by Alexandra Bracken<3 (Yes those hearts were necessary.)

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★  FIVE MARVELOUS TOTALLY DESERVED STARSS

Current Rating on Goodreads: 4.32 IT SHOULD BE HIGHER... But still, this is awesome!! :D

Synopsis: When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government "rehabilitation camp." She might have survived the mysterious disease that's killed most of America's children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she's on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her-East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can't risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

Let's get straight to the point first- READ. IT. NOW. You won't regret it.

:D

Okey doke now into ze detailllsssss<33 (Cassafrass here, btw ^.^)

This book has one of my most favouritesttt characters in ze whole wide woorrldd! *squeals and claps together excitedly like a child* XDD 

Mah dear Liam.<3 First and only book hubby *winks* We've been together for *counts fingers* 5-6 monthss....cool. Oh oh I came up with a ship nameee: Caslie XD Strange? Or finee...*ponders* We'll get back to that.

As I probably mentioned before in another post, it's THE best dystopian book ever written. Well actually..it's not dystopian dystopian.. it's just a world with very few kids. It also has a mix of paranormal, fantasy, romance (although not overtaking, which is lovely to read), action, adventure, mystery..and the list goes on. It should be in a genre of it's own! (Like Harry Potter XD You know, I went to this bookstore once, and there were labels that said "CHILDRENS" "FANTASY" "SCI-FI" "ROMANCE" "HARRY POTTER" O.O!! *points* Living proof that HP is it's own genre. What did I tell ya ;) If I was in charge, I would also include THE DARKEST MINDS and THE BOOK THIEF, but sadly, I don't own a bookstore :( ..can you even read the books if you own a bookstore? Hm..probably not.. but still. Anyhoo, Back to reviewing/mostly fangirling and recommending this wonderfulness-filled book *clears throat* )

As told earlier, the romance was totally not overtaking. Not even a bit! That's whats so amazing about ittt... Most YA books these days... the characters know each other for 5 days maximum and they're all like trying to get each other's clothes off, which is kinda disturbing and really unrealistic. Ruby and Liam knew each other for two weeks, but the romance is slow and building..the mostly focusing on finding the Slip-Kid (You'll find out who he is when you read it). Plus hiding from the PSFs and the Children's League. o.O Such busyynesss

Ruby herself is one of my favourite YA heroines!! She's not dependent, she can take care of herself, and she's strong. Mentally and physically. I loved her! :D Actually ALL the characters were the best i've seen... Zu, our dear Japanese sister, is the cutest thing evaaaaa<333, Chubs feels like my older brother (and he could be, since I don't have any older siblings..sadly..), and Liam is perfection XD As mentioned.  Hehe *grins*

Oh if you were wondering about the paranormal aspect of the book, it's that every child who survived the IAAN (the disease- epidemic thing that killed most the children/teenagers) inherited a some sort of super-human ability. These abilities are sorted into 5 colour coded categories. The Reds, Oranges, Yellows, Blues, and Greens. I put that in the most powerful/dangerous to the least. The Reds have the ability to control fire (But the Reds don't really come out at all here... Wait till Never Fade *winks*), the Oranges possess the ability to control/erase/manipulate the human mind. The things Oranges can do really depend on the person. Apparently they're all different...o.O The Yellows (ZU!) can do some fizzly pop thingy with electricity..anything related to electrical products. The Blues (LIAM and CHUBS) have telekinesis, something I've always wanteeddd....*pouts* So unfair. and the Greens are just puzzle solvers. Code crackers. They can't really do anything X-Menish....XD 

I would be a Orange!! ^.^ Or a Blue. I dunno.. BUT I WANT A SUPERPOWER. WHY DON'T PEOPLE IN REAL LIFE HAVE SUPERPOWERS DX

The ending is heartbreaking, emotional, angercausing, and PLOT TWIST DUN DUN DUUUN!! Made me cryyyy a lott. So sad. *shakes head* You NEED Neverfade after this cliffhanger, or you'll go mad XD Not jokinggggg. 

Whelp, that's it! I really hope I convinced you to read this or somewhat..at least put this on your to-read shelves? *puppy dog eyes* Pweaaaaaassseeee? PRETTY PLEASE WITH CHOCOLATE SPRINKLES ON TOP?? READ IT. NO MORE MISSY NICE GIRL. *grabs book and thrusts it in Reader's hands*....*pushes him/her out the door* GO. 

NO WAIT!! XD I MUST TELL YOU THE AWESOMEFILLED THING I DISCOVERED EARLIER TODAY.

See, Liam and his crew travel on this lovely RV named Black Betty. Ruby and Liam bond over music that flows out of her radio. Mostly oldies, since those are the only songs allowed to be played in the radio station. GUESS WHAT I FOUND!! I DUNNO WHY I DIDN'T SEE THIS EARLIER!! If you go to this link: Darkest Minds Playlist , you can listen to a Black Betty playlist!! (the second playlist in the link) :D So whenever the book mentions that a song playin, try to scroll through the BB playlist. I'm  not sure if they have everything, but yeah.. Liam's favourite song is the Ramblin' Man by the Allmen Brothers. It's really nice :D That's the official Darkest Minds site, by the way XD Thank you Alexandra Bracckkkennn for putting that up (if you did..I'm not sure who did) <33 I JUST finished rereading it, but now I kinda want to read it again with the music... If you close your eyes, you can imagine sitting in a old beat up RV, speeding along an empty highway..with three best friends beside you... Liam singing along really loudly..*eyes glaze over* XDD This is what I love about musicc...

Aaaand Now you may go. *resumes pushing and shoving*...*waves merrily and beams* 

HAPPY READINGS!<3 

-MissOddball™ Over and Out. *salutes*

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The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Source of pic: Wikipedia.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Current Rating on Goodreads: 3.99 of 5 stars
Pages: 374
Synopsis (via Goodreads):

“If you ain't scared, you ain't human.”

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He's surrounded by strangers--boys whose memories are also gone.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It's the only way out--and no one's ever made it through alive.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.

Wow. I simply LOVED the plot! Such a creative and inventive story! I was left guessing and making up elaborate half formed theories through most of the book! (view spoiler)
The problem for me is that I feel I couldn't connect with the characters enough. They felt a bit distant, in a queer sense. But that plot is magnificent! :D
I did like that Teresa was a strong character, though I would have liked to have been given more of her character; I feel I don't know her enough.
Chuck was the only character I felt I knew. He was under-confident and scared; he was young, too young, just wishing for a family and for everything to be alright. He never stopped talking because talking soothed him, helped him take his mind off his life, he was enthusiastic and hopeful, always trying to lift spirits and not give up, and he was loyal to his friends (view spoiler).
Thomas character seemed hard to pin down, as did many of the other characters.
The morals are also interesting. Would you say that we humanity as a whole should NEVER sacrifice some for a believed greater good? Or should sacrifices be made to keep us alive as a whole species? And why should any one person or group of persons be able to deliberate the right morals for us all? And even if there were a consensus from all, would that really make the answer acceptable? When you are a single person living your life around others, you would see 'the sacrifices' different, more relevant, and thus most likely immoral. And yet if you were to be an elected or self-elected dictator, you would most likely view 'the sacrifices' more distantly, insignificant on the big scale and scheme, and thus be more accepting of the deaths if you viewed them as necessary to the survival of your species as a whole. I find it quite interesting...........
So my conclusion is that everything was masterfully set out. My only disappointment is that I would have liked more, idk, 'flavour' to the characters (except for Chuck of course).
4 stars.

Until next time,
MissBloodsucker™ All Sucked Out! XD

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