It has been more than a month since I last did a review. But now I'm going to do it all in one lump sum. Soo here we go:
UnWholly by Neal Shusterman
402 pages
Unwind Trilogy
Summary:From Goodreads.com (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13545075-unwholly)
UnWholly (Unwind Dystology #2)." Goodreads.
N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13545075-unwholly>.
It’s finally here. The long-awaited sequel to the bestselling Unwind, which Publishers Weekly called a “gripping, brilliantly imagined futuristic thriller.”
Thanks
to Connor, Lev, and Risa—and their high-profile revolt at Happy Jack
Harvest Camp—people can no longer turn a blind eye to unwinding. Ridding
society of troublesome teens while simultaneously providing much-needed
tissues for transplant might be convenient, but its morality has finally
been brought into question. However, unwinding has become big business,
and there are powerful political and corporate interests that want to
see it not only continue, but also expand to the unwinding of prisoners
and the impoverished.
Cam is a product of unwinding; made
entirely out of the parts of other unwinds, he is a teen who does not
technically exist. A futuristic Frankenstein, Cam struggles with a
search for identity and meaning and wonders if a rewound being can have a
soul. And when the actions of a sadistic bounty hunter cause Cam’s fate
to become inextricably bound with the fates of Connor, Risa, and Lev,
he’ll have to question humanity itself.
Rife with action and
suspense, this riveting companion to the perennially popular Unwind
challenges assumptions about where life begins and ends—and what it
means to live.
My Opinion:
It was a fabulous book. UnWholly is the second in the series. I just picked up this book,never having read the first and was amazed. It is a talk of the future; of what can happen. A warning you can say. The book delves into the issue of unruly teenagers and abortion. Abortions are illegal, but what if at the age of 13-17 that kid you never wanted can be legally unwound where their healthy parts are given to someone who needed it. Is it still wrong? That is the theme behind the book and a sad one I must say. Others should read it and discover how our actions today are affecting our future.
Twelve years a slave
Solomon Northup
240 pages
Summary:Direct from Amazon.com
(http://www.amazon.com/12-Years-Slave-Solomon-Northup/dp/1927970113)
"Amazon
Prime Free Trial." 12 Years a Slave: Solomon Northup, David Wilson:
9781927970119: Amazon.com: Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.amazon.com/12-Years-Slave-Solomon-Northup/dp/1927970113>.
Solomon Northup was born a free man in New York State. At the age of 33
he was kidnapped in Washington D.C. and placed in an underground slave
pen. Northup was transported by ship to New Orleans where he was sold
into slavery. He spent the next 12 years working as a carpenter, driver,
and cotton picker. This narrative reveals how Northup survived the
harsh conditions of slavery, including smallpox, lashings, and an
attempted hanging. Solomon Northup was among a select few who were
freed from slavery. His account describes the daily life of slaves in
Louisiana, their diet and living conditions, the relationship between
master and slave, and how slave catchers used to recapture runaways.
Northup's first person account published in 1853, was a dramatic story
in the national debate over slavery that took place in the nine years
leading up to the start of the American Civil War.
My Overview:
I loved this book. Solomon lived through the worst for 12 years after having had a life of freedom. Without the few breaths of humanity and kindness he received, this book would have turned out completely different. Solomon Northup has an accurate account of slavery in the South. His truthfulness and comparisons to the North gave you a look at how everything was just wrong. Some people (Epps) were just straight evil or they were kind and caring. I liked how Solomon didn't keep hate in his heart for some of the people he encountered in his imprisonment. Also, I loved how he tried to take his captors to justice the right way, even though it never went completely through. I sympathized with Solomon and am glad he escaped. His story is a true one, no matter what others say. I really didn't have words to describe the book. It is one of those books you have to read to understand. Soo read!
Leverage
Joshua C. Cohen
425 pages
Summary: Direct from Goodreads.com (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8144079-leverage)
"Leverage."
Goodreads. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2014.
<https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8144079-leverage>.
There's an extraordinary
price for victory at Oregrove High. It is paid on - and off - the
football field. And it claims its victims without mercy - including the
most innocent bystanders.
When a violent, steroid-infused,
ever-escalating prank war has devastating consequences, an unlikely
friendship between a talented but emotionally damaged fullback and a
promising gymnast might hold the key to a school's salvation.
Told in alternating voices and with unapologetic truth, Leverage illuminates the fierce loyalty, flawed justice, and hard-won optimism of two young athletes.
My Opinion:
This book just broke my heart. It is so hard to describe, but is a must read. I relate to gymnastic team and other teams at that school. At the school I have been to soo much money is put into the band. They are the shining stars of the school, but other things like orchestra just fall through the cracks. It is truly sad. The story behind this needs to be told. No sport, club, organization should hold soo much power over another. In the book, the football team holds the power over the school and the town. They are the perfect small town boys, but really they are the monsters.The characters and their stories were so beautiful. Leverage is another book that is hard to describe without giving away Spoilers.Read please. I hope this book will ring a cord with you as it has with me.
Divergent
Veronica Roth
487 pages
Divergent Trilogy
Summary: Direct from Veronica Roth's website (http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.com/p/books.html)
Roth, Veronica.
"Veronica Roth: BOOKS." Veronica Roth: BOOKS. N.p., n.d. Web.
16 Mar. 2014. <http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.com/p/books.html>.
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five
factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular
virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the
brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an
appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the
faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice,
the decision is between staying with her family and being who she
really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises
everyone, including herself.
During the highly competitive
initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to
determine who her friends really are. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from
everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she
discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly
perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save
those she loves… or it might destroy her.
My Opinion:
Everyone is reading this book or watching the movie and Loving it. But I don't. I never really connected with the characters. Some things were soo predictable and I was bored the whole way through. My friends recommend this book to me, but I just didn't get into it. Divergent seemed a little like other books I have read. It reminded me of Hunger Games at times, not in plot but in character personalities and setting. I am not going to read the rest of the series. I previewed Insurgent, the next book, and wasn't impressed. I also wikipedia'd the series. Take your chance with the book. I'm just one voice out of many, but Divergent didn't give me any joy.
Les Miserables
Victor Hugo
1432 pages
Summary: Direct from Goodreads.com (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24280.Les_Mis_rables)
"Les
Misérables." Goodreads. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24280.Les_Mis_rables>.
Introducing one of the
most famous characters in literature, Jean Valjean - the noble peasant
imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread - Les Misérables (1862)
ranks among the greatest novels of all time. In it Victor Hugo takes
readers deep into the Parisian underworld, immerses them in a battle
between good and evil, and carries them onto the barricades during the
uprising of 1832 with a breathtaking realism that is unsurpassed in
modern prose.
Within his dramatic story are themes that capture
the intellect and the emotions: crime and punishment, the relentless
persecution of Valjean by Inspector Javert, the desperation of the
prostitute Fantine, the amorality of the rogue Thénardier and the
universal desire to escape the prisons of our own minds. Les Misérables
gave Victor Hugo a canvas upon which he portrayed his criticism of the
French political and judicial systems, but the portrait which resulted
is larger than life, epic in scope - an extravagant spectacle that
dazzles the senses even as it touches the heart.
My Opinion:
This book was fabulous, but super long. It took me almost 3 months to finish it all. The original plot of the story is mixed in with several things on French culture and history. I learned about the battle of Waterloo, Paris's old sewer systems, Paris's old streets and corridors, religions, the June Rebellion, etc. The book will open your eyes. You may at first think this is a book about the story of Jean Valjean and Cosette, but no its a story of Paris's people, the poor mostly, in the 1800's. A good portion of it is around the 1830's during the time of the June Rebellion. Read if you are interested in French history and culture.One of my only complaints is of the argot or jargon used in the book. I didn't understand most of it and constantly had to use a dictionary. Sadly about around page 900-something, many of the argot was explained. That section of the book should have come earlier. Another complaint is that some songs and poetry used were still in French and I couldnt find a direct translation without typing in the whole thing. That took away a little of the book. The other compliant is of the relationship of Cosette and Marius. At times it reminded me of Romeo and Juliet, which I am reading for class, whose story gets on my nerves. Cosette and Marius's relationship seemed to move so fast and for about half of it they didn't even know each others names, ages, or even have spoken to one another. My last complaint is that the book went on several tangents. Not that i didn't enjoy some of them, but at times it was very annoying especially when the story was getting good. You should read this book, if you are that big of a reader.
Nook Book suggestions:
- Blood and Snow by RaShelle Workman
- Ashborne by Kat Lilynette
- Forbidden Mind by Karpov Kinrade
- Unhinged by Tempest C. Avery
- The Key by Jennifer Anne Davis
- Everwild by Kayla Jo
- Of Sun & Moon by Bryna Butler
- Willow by Amy Richie
I will now try to post once a week now again. Fridays here I come. Avante!
