We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Title: We Were Liars
Author: E. Lockhart
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: May 13, 2014
Pages: 240
Source: ARC, ALA

Summary from Goodreads:
A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.

Read it. And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

Review

The writing in We Were Liars is undeniably beautiful. It’s poetic. And it is the greatest thing about this book. I was pulled into the story largely because of the way it was told. I wanted to keep reading because I wanted more of E. Lockhart’s words as much as I wanted to know what happened to Cady. It was mysterious. It was perplexing. It was enthralling.

The ending left me reeling. I was unprepared for it, and my jaw literally dropped. But although the reaction itself was positive, I thought what actually happened was dumb. I am frustrated for the characters in this story. I wish I could explain myself further but it would be a spoiler-y so I’ll leave it at that.

And that is what I think of when it comes to this book - the writing and the ending. I don’t think of the characters. I find them neither exceptionally memorable nor exceptionally likable. I don’t think of the setting, because despite taking place on a private island, it’s not given a lot of attention. And I don’t think of the romance, if you can call it that. It was a little confusing and sporadic. But please do not mistake my lack of love for these parts of the story to mean dislike. These things did not detract from the experience, they just did not enhance it. This was a strong book in every other way.

There are some important themes in this book - mostly associated with a privileged lifestyle, and the deep-seeded closed-mindedness of an old elitist family. If you like books that are thought-provoking, this one has its moments. 

Do I feel this book is a little overhyped? No and yes. No because I do think the story and the writing make for a worthwhile read. I DO recommend this book to you. But yes because it was not ohmygodthisbookistodiefor good (in my opinion). And given all the talk surrounding it, that's kind of what I expected. So my positive, but somewhat average rating, can probably be attributed to the hype machine. 

REVIEW: Revel by Maurissa Guibord

Title: Revel
Author: Maurissa Guibord
Publisher:  Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Release Date: February 12th 2013
Pages: Hardcover, 352 pages
Source: Won from Goodreads

Summary from Goodreads:
There’s an island off the coast of Maine that’s not on any modern map.

Shrouded in mist and protected by a deadly reef, Trespass Island is home to a community of people who guard the island and its secrets from outsiders. Seventeen-year-old Delia grew up in Kansas, but has come here in search of her family and answers to her questions: Why didn’t her mother ever talk about Trespass Island? Why did she fear the open water? But Delia’s not welcome and soon finds herself enmeshed in a frightening and supernatural world where ancient Greek symbols adorn the buildings and secret ceremonies take place on the beach at night.

Sean Gunn, a handsome young lobsterman, befriends Delia and seems willing to risk his life to protect her. But it’s Jax, the coldly elusive young man she meets at the water’s edge, who finally makes Delia understand the real dangers of life on the island. Delia is going to have to fight to survive. Because there are monsters here. And no one ever leaves Trespass alive.

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• I had not heard a lot about Revel before starting it so I was pleasantly surprised when I really enjoyed it.  The story was full of mythology, love and action.  
• Delia is looking for her last bit of family and ends up finding so much more.  She is a strong willed, smart protagonist that has strong family values.  I really enjoyed how she didn't back down and tried to do what was right.  She had a strong moral compass.
• The modern mythology fit perfectly into the story and was easy to imagine an island such as Trespass. The existence and secrecy of the island is protected by the mythology and demi-gods that surround it. 
• The imagery of both the demigods and the monsters painted such a real picture that the story just flew by.  It was easy to invest in the characters.  
• The romance stayed fresh and cute with no serious love triangle.  It also did not overpower the story.
• I was on my toes the whole book.  The plot was on the darker side full of drama and turmoil; it was unpredictable and took turns I was not expecting. 

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• Actually, there was not a lot I did not like. 
• It was a great book just short of a higher rating; the only thing I would have liked is a bit more history about Trespass.  It was such an interesting island and the author set up a good explanation for how the island ruled by demi-gods exists in a world like today without being uncovered.  I wanted to know more about the way the town functioned and more about the Delia's family history. 

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Revel was a great standalone book that blended modern mythology with drama beautifully.  I think it is a hidden gem and well worth the read if you love mythology!
  

REVIEW: Meant To Be by Lauren Morrill

Title: Meant To Be

Author: Lauren Morrill

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Release Date: November 13, 2012

Pages: 304, Hardcover
Source: Library, Audiobook

Summary from Goodreads:

Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question.

It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").

But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.

Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

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• Meant to Be is such a feel good book.The topic is light and innocent. The setting is fun. But perhaps the most notable thing about this book for me was the writing. It is the sort that is so witty and amusing that I was entertained for the entire reading experience. It is by far my favorite writing style that I've only seen a handful of authors pull off quite as well. I would be inclined to read all of Morrill's books just to experience it again and again.


• Jules was just so endearing. In some ways she reminded me of myself in High School - that smart girl that follows the rules and is slightly awkward, easily flustered. She was so enjoyable to have as an MC. I never knew what situation she would get herself in next and how she would get herself out of it but I knew it would be a spectacle.

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• In general, I am not a big fan of boy crazy main characters, or girls that over analyze every interaction with boys so naturally I do wish the premise of this story was a little more than just that. It really is about nothing more than Jules finding herself in a love square for the first time in her life and trying to figure out how she feels. But with so many other great qualities, I enjoyed it nonetheless.

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This book was just so darn amusing that I still enjoyed it immensely even though I don't prefer books with a strong focus on teen relationship drama. The writing style was my favorite and the MC, Julia, was so incredibly likable. Meant to Be is in every way a feel good book and I highly recommend it if you are looking for something light, and entertaining.

ARC REVIEW: The Eye of Minds (The Mortality Doctrine #1) by James Dashner

Title: The Eye of Minds

Series: The Mortality Doctrine #1
Author: James Dashner

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Release Date: October 8, 2013

Pages: 323, Hardcover
Source: Library, Audiobook

Summary from Goodreads:

Michael is a gamer. And like most gamers, he almost spends more time on the VirtNet than in the actual world. The VirtNet offers total mind and body immersion, and it’s addictive. Thanks to technology, anyone with enough money can experience fantasy worlds, risk their life without the chance of death, or just hang around with Virt-friends. And the more hacking skills you have, the more fun. Why bother following the rules when most of them are dumb, anyway?

But some rules were made for a reason. Some technology is too dangerous to fool with. And recent reports claim that one gamer is going beyond what any gamer has done before: he’s holding players hostage inside the VirtNet. The effects are horrific—the hostages have all been declared brain-dead. Yet the gamer’s motives are a mystery.

The government knows that to catch a hacker, you need a hacker.
And they’ve been watching Michael. They want him on their team.
But the risk is enormous. If he accepts their challenge, Michael will need to go off the VirtNet grid. There are back alleys and corners in the system human eyes have never seen and predators he can’t even fathom—and there’s the possibility that the line between game and reality will be blurred forever.

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I think the VirtNet technology sounded pretty awesome and I could see having a technology like this in the distant future. I also imagine it would end up corrupted in some way. 

I thought I had the ending figured out. Turns out, I didn't. So bonus points for the surprise. 

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There were so many things I didn't like about this book I don't really know where to begin. I apologize if this reads a little disorderly.... 

I think the single-minded focus of the book bothered me the most. After a somewhat rushed beginning, this entire book is focused on Michael, Byrson, and Sarah following a dangerous virtual pathway that led to the Hallowed Ravine and to Kaine. It was just one virtual simulation with some kind of danger after another. The only focus, the only goal, was to keep going. I got bored of this real fast because I didn't find it all that exciting or suspenseful.

We are given NOTHING in terms of character development. And I mean NOTHING. I literally felt nothing for these characters. In fact, I probably would have thought it a blessing had they all died and the book ended 100 pages sooner. 

Several other little things added up. Like how I can't decide what was worse - the writing or the plot.

I can't even say the world building was good.

And where were all these other threats alluded to in the beginning? The other hackers sent on this task, Kaine, etc, who would do anything the make sure they didn't reach the end. Dun.. Dun.. no. 

And really? Is losing internet connection really worse than DEATH?! Just say NO. Sheesh.

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*Long exacerbated sigh* I really hate being so negative but if I am anything, it is honest to a fault, and these are my uncensored feelings. I didn't care for The Maze Runner series but I wanted to give James Dashner another chance. I've concluded that I don't think his books are for me.

But maybe this book will work for others - if you like gaming and if you are just looking for a book with "action" and nothing else.

REVIEW: Premeditated by Josin L. McQuein

Title: Premeditated

Author: Josin L. McQuein

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Release Date: October 8, 2013

Pages: 336, Hardcover
Source: Library

Summary from Goodreads:

A week ago, Dinah’s cousin Claire cut her wrists.

Five days ago, Dinah found Claire’s diary and discovered why.

Three days ago, Dinah stopped crying and came up with a plan.

Two days ago, she ditched her piercings and bleached the black dye from her hair.

Yesterday, knee socks and uniform plaid became a predator’s camouflage.

Today, she’ll find the boy who broke Claire.

By tomorrow, he’ll wish he were dead.

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• The premise of this book is great. Who doesn't love a revenge story? But it was more than that. It touched on relationships and difficult issues like teen suicide without feeling preachy. 


• The loyalty of these characters. Dinah went to great lengths because of her love for Claire. Claire's parents cared for Dinah despite the grief over their daughter. Brooks was loyal to a fault. Jordan's loyalty to Chandi. Dinah's father. So many well done relationships in this book.


• The ending. The ending of this book was unnecessarily heartbreaking but it was also well written and soothed some of my frustrations. 

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• I can't help but feel a little disappointed in this story. There was not nearly as much fun to be had getting revenge as I had expected there to be. Sure some things happened, but nothing major and somehow it felt like it was in the background to everything else going on.


• The plot twist was SO OBVIOUS and way too soon in the book. And knowing what I knew when I knew it kept me from really enjoying the book because I felt terrible and I was frustrated that things went as far as they did until Dinah realized it. I don't know if this is cryptic or not but I'm trying not to give too much detail. 

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My expectations for this book and my frustrations over the plot twist kept me from fully enjoying the story. But I still think this book has a lot of great points, including strong characters, and I know several other readers who really enjoyed it. It also gets bonus points for being a standalone. So I do recommend it.