Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay is such a tragic story, and almost to the end of it I began to regret reading it. Thinking the endings I made up in my head were better than the ending of this story. Main characters die and leave you grieving for them. There is a lot of violence and massacre and I am not sure how young someone should be to read this book. Suzanne Collins does a great job describing events and bringing out emotions out of the reader whether it is anger, laughter, or grief.

Mockingjay starts up where Catching Fire ended. Katniss is in the rubble of district 12, no longer what it use to be. Tripping over skulls, Katniss cannot really get a grip of what really happened. Only 800 or so survived. And this fuels Katniss revenge...to kill Snow. Then, Katniss is thrown into life in district 13 as a rebel, where schedules get printed on your arm and everything is straight and to the point. Katniss is still under the camera's scrutiny, but this time to defy the capitol and become the Mockingjay.

Not only is this book about revenge for Katniss, but it digs deeper into some history of characters as well. Like, why President Snow smells like roses. Or Finnicks and Haymitch's history with the capitol and why they are how they are now. There is also a brief discussion about the meaning of the countries name "Panem".

I think my favorite part of the book is the simple relationship between Katniss and Buttercup. At the beginning Katniss and Buttercup have a great interaction with each other giving some comic relief to the sorrow of the rest of the plot. But, at the end, the relationship between Katniss and Buttercup leaves me in tears. I really loved the addition of Buttercup in this book it really brought the book together for me. Even though it was a very small part of the book.

Suzanne Collins has a great way of making the storyline become dull and a bit boring and then all at once hit you with a new situation that leave you at the edge of your seat, biting your fingernails as Katniss gets thrown into a tough spot.

Some of the things that happened in the book, I really wished didn't happened. I don't want to say any of them to give it away. But to be vague, people dying. Or descriptions of people that were on the sidelines that died. It really bought emotion to the scene but at the same time was it necessary? You really get attached to a character and then all of sudden they are gone, dead. It was sad.

In the end, everything comes together I suppose. Everything is wrapped up. And it was a great trilogy.

Linger - Maggie Stiefvater

I am not exactly sure how I feel about this book now that I am done with it. There are parts I liked, and parts I am not sure about. Parts reminded me of Twilight and their sickly love towards each other. With the characters feeling that the world will stop if they are broken apart. And, maybe I just think that is a little over dramatized and it bothers me. I don't think it is the best thing to sell to teenagers that they can't live without their true love even if they are a room apart. It is unhealthy to think that way, although I am sure tons of people have felt the way Sam and Grace did about each other in this book. But, it annoyed me. And, I found myself siding with Grace's parents instead of Grace as she started to annoy me.

But, I did like the plot how Sam is finally finding himself at the same time Grace is slowly losing herself. I like the new character Cole and his relationship with Isabel, Sam and himself. I was happy to learn more about Sam's past and also Cole's past as well. There was more depth with Isabel that I like a lot too. She might be my favorite character. The point of view alternated between Cole, Grace, Sam and Isabel. And, I didn't have that hard of time trying to figure out which characters point of view I was reading from because they all have a very distinct personality.

I do want to know what happens in the next book which I believe is being called Forever. It leaves you wanted to know more. What will happen to Grace, Sam and Cole. Will they finally get there happy ending?

Getting Ready for Mockingjay

After reading Deeply Desperately I went ahead and read Hunger Games and Catching Fire to get myself ready for Mockingjay that comes out August 24th. I thought, I would read Hunger Games in a week and Catching Fire in a week and be done right in time for Mockingjay to come out. Obviously that didn't happen. I am reading much faster than I used to with my kindle now! But anyway. I have already written reviews for Hunger Game and Catching Fire which is I think around the beginning of my blog. Again, they were fantastic books and I am excitingly waiting for the last in the series.

Catching Fire just leaves you hanging for the next series. And when I read it the first time, I was like what? I have to wait a YEAR to find out what happens next! But, alas, the year has gone by and it is almost time for Mockingjay. I really can't wait!

Since this is a recap post I will list the other books I am waiting to come out.
- Absolutely Positively, the next in the Lucy Valentine Novels comes out February 1st 2011 so I have quite a while to wait for that one.

- City of Fallen Angels the next in the Mortal Instruments series comes out April 5th 2011 which again is another long wait. But, inbetween that wait and now is...Clockwork Angel which is a spin off of the Mortal Instrument in which some of the characters will be in both and that one comes out soon! August 31st 2010

-The Dark and Hollow Places comes out March 22 2011 another long wait. It is the third book in that goes along with The Forest of Hands and Teeth and The Dead Tossed Waves. Both, excellent books and I can't wait for this third one.

-Another spin off book that I can't wait for is The Heroes of Olympus from Rick Riordan. I loved the Persy Jackson ones that this one is a spin off of and I hope it is good as well. That comes out soon October 12 2010

-Beautiful Darkness a sequel to Beautiful Creatures comes out October 12 2010 as well so I will be busy that day reading new books!

-Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick which is the sequel to Hush Hush comes out I believe in October also. I think the 19th.

-Leviathan left you at a huge cliff hanger so I can't wait for the sequel Behemoth which comes out also in October on the 5th. Man, I can't wait until October.

Deeply, Desperately: A Lucy Valentine Novel - Heather Webber

I could not put the book down this weekend! I read the whole book in one weekend which I don't do very often. The book was a great, fun adventure that I just could not stop reading! Everything was resolved in the end, but I can't wait to read the next one in the series. I already have it on my wish list :)

The novel pulls you in right way with Lucy's new adventure with Lost Love. Lucy cannot see peoples auras like the rest of her family. So she uses her physic ability, to find lost objects, to get into the family business by finding lost loves. But that isn't the only thing on her plate! She must juggle with the pestering Preston, Marsol getting her involved in destroying Em's relationship with her fiancee, threat letters, a missing person case and the cupids curse!

I loved the book, but there was one thing that did bother me. Sometimes, when Lucy would start a conversation with someone. The conversation would go half way through and then Lucy would daydream or start thinking a couple paragraphs. Then it would abruptly go back to the conversation like it never stopped. Because of the paragraphs in the middle I have already forgotten initially what the conversation was about and would have to back track to remember what the beginning of the conversation was about. But, that might be just me easily forgetting :P

Overall, I love the dialogue between the characters and the characters themselves. I really like the relationship between Grendel and Thoreau. She describes Grendel so well and it is so funny. The book has romance, adventure, funny parts and sad part. Overall a well rounded book.

Storm Glass - Maria V Snyder

This book courses off from the study series with a new protagonist Opal. Opal is in the Study series having a little role in the first book and a somewhat larger role in the last book in the series. All the old characters from the Study series is in this one as well, except for Valek. You kind of need to read the Study Series to understand this book better since it reference back to that book a lot.

Opal is a glass maker, actually a glass magician she can do a lot of nifty treat with glass that she learns along the way in the book. The protagonist in both Study series and this glass series have a lot in common. People are trying to kill them, they learn new tricks with there magic, find a lover, and everything ends up okay in the end. It isn't very different than the study series. Same things are going on in a way. This one seemed to have a little bit more imagination in what was going on with her. And all in all was a good sister book to the study series.