Reader, Writer, Critic: January 2013

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Touched

by Corrine Jackson

Remy O’Malley heals people with touch—but every injury she cures becomes her own. Living in a household with an abusive stepfather, she has healed untold numbers of broken bones, burns,and bruises. And then one night her stepfather goes too far.

Being sent to live with her estranged father offers a clean start and she is eager to take it. Enter Asher Blackwell. Once a Protector of Healers, Asher sacrificed his senses to become immortal. Only by killing a Healer can a Protector recover their human senses. Falling in love is against the rules between these two enemies. Because Remy has the power to make Protectors human again, and when they find out, they’ll becoming for her—if Asher doesn’t kill her first.

Hello blogging world! I have finally climbed out from under my hypothetical rock and am going to try to post more often now. I am truly saddened and ashamed that out of the six books I have read so far this year that I have only reviewed one (not counting this one). But, I am determined to change this and review all those books I haven't yet reviewed. I am determined not to fall so far behind on my reviews as I did last year. While I am sure I will not find time to review every book I read this year I am sure going to try my best against all odds. I am sad to say that my novel writing has also been sorely neglected as well as my reading and all the other hobbies I have so I am determined to work on all those things to. Ok now I will quit jabbering and start reviewing.

Touched is officially the best book I have read so far this year. It is amazing. My suspicions that it was ridiculously amazing were confirmed when my dear Catherine read the first page while I was taking a test and then continued to steal it and continue reading and then proceeded to throw a tantrum every time I took it back in an attempt to finish the last few pages of amazingness. Even after I pointed out that she had her own book to read that was just as good. I am in love with this book, every aspect of it. The storyline was completely original and entirely enthralling. The plot was one that was anything but traditional and predictable. The character development was stunning and was far deeper and more complex than in any other story I have read this year if not at all and far beyond what I could even hope to achieve. Jackson completely lays out Remy and shows what she is like and why and continues to display her complex personality clearly and stunningly throughout the book. Remy continues to change throughout the book as she is swept up in situations that she never could have seen coming and by the end of the book she is still Remy but at the same time a completely different Remy. I seriously cannot even begin to do the character development in this book justice. Remy is so tough but so lovable and although many of us cannot even imagine what she is going through, you connect with her, an astounding feet. You will even fall in love with and connect with the at first seemingly untouchable Blackwell family. Jackson's writing itself was simple and conveyed everything it needed to well. Over all I loved this book and would defiantly recommend it to anyone (although girls would probably enjoy it more than most boys) and I am going to give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Briana

Thursday, January 3, 2013

The Raven Boys

by Maggie Stiefvater

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

The Raven Boys is the very first book I have finished/read this year and will be the first review with the date reading 2013! I must say it was a great way to start out my year. When I first started reading it I was a little weirded out and strangely, out of my element but, as I read on I grew to love the story and all the characters Stiefvater created. As I reflected on the book after finishing it, I realized that through the course of the book and the development of the characters Stiefvater addressed many of the crueler elements of the world that are often over looked or, left unaddressed in life because we simply prefer to turn away from the cruelty and harshness of the our fellow human beings. She brought attention to stereotypes, abuse/ domestic violence, poverty, social gaps and injustices many caused by money, death and murder, abduction. Stiefvater addressed these topics as well as giving each one a happy ending, while showing just what was wrong with these things. By the end of the book I was no longer weirded out by the story line but intrigued. The plot was exciting and kept you interested with some twists you didn't see coming. The storyline was defiantly original albeit slightly out of my comfort zone or element, it was great none the less. The character development was somewhat lacking but not completely absent. It was subtle. I would have maybe liked to see a little bit more but really it was fine just the way it was. The characters are quite interesting and by the end of the book you will have fallen in love with each one of them. The house of psychics is chaotic but each of the women is thoroughly lovable and even upon occasion slightly ridiculous and slightly cranky but just enough to make it interesting and make you laugh every once and a while. Blue is wonderfully unique and entirely her own. However it did kind of bother me that as far as I could tell she had no friends until *spoiler alert* she became friends with the Raven Boys, Gansey, Ronan, Adam and Noah and of course all the women living in her house. She never mentioned any friends from work or school or any other place. No girlfriends her age no any friends her age until later on the Raven Boys I mentioned above. Overall The Raven Boys is a great read that I would recommend if you are just looking for a good book to read. It was not AMAZING or the best book I have ever read, but it was pretty darn good. The Raven Boys gets a respectable 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Briana

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Happy New Years!

It is officially 2013! Goodbye 2012 and hello to a brand new year! As a salute to this past year that has been filled with great reads this midnight post is a list of my top favorite books I have read in 2012. In the spirit of the new years eve count down (just now past), the list will start at number 20 and work it's way down to number 1, my most favorite, favorite book of the year. Enjoy!

20 The Selection by Kiera Cass