Book Review: Every Day by David Levithan

Young Adult > Contemporary

Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.

There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.

It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.

Literary Awards: Abraham Lincoln Award Nominee (2014), Andre Norton Award Nominee (2012), YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults (Top Ten) (2013), Cybils Nominee for Fantasy & Science Fiction (Young Adult) (2012)

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Alexander Yin, you just saved me from hating this book. You are the only part worth remembering.

Could it be that I am getting over my fandom over David Levithan? Because I just didn’t like Every Day. It pains me to rate this a 2, but because of Alexander (thank goodness), I managed to up my rating just a bit (even though I feel it’s a generous one).

I started reading last February, put Temple down, and read other books. I promised that I would finish it, so I borrowed Tina’s paperback, thinking this would push me to read on. It took me months before I grudgingly read the rest of A’s story. In the end, I was still bored. I could not get myself to be compassionate about A’s situation. Sorry man, it’s just that, you’re so boring to read. sleepy-boring.

Everything about A was forgettable. I cannot push myself to like him, or even sympathize over his tortured so-called life. And his obsession with Rhiannon (yes I will call it that) was not something that I will romanticize. Was it love? Or was it just a recognition of what his life might’ve been should he ever be normal?

I think the paranormal theme was the flop for me. Or I might be just familiar with David Levithan‘s contemporary books. Or maybe, Every Day is just flat-out jibberish nonsense.

When A is living Alexander’s life for a day, it was the only good thing that livened up my reading.

Every Day. Sigh. How can you ruin my perfect record of loving David Levithan‘s works?

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EVERY DAY by David Levithan

Published August 28th 2012 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

2.5/5 stars

Book Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Genre: General Fiction > Mystery & Suspense > Thriller

On the morning of their fifth wedding anniversary, Nick’s wife, Amy, has disappeared. Nick is weak, Nick is a liar, and maybe he’s not the very best of husbands — but is he a killer? Amy’s diary reveals turmoil over their marriage, strange sicknesses, and her deep wish to be a mother — but is she telling the whole story? As the evidence slowly mounts, and the police investigation deepens, Nick is incriminated in horrible ways. He swears he didn’t murder his beautiful wife and goes on the offensive to clear his name. The mystery of Amy’s disappearance only gets more tangled as secrets unfurl from the web of their knotty marriage, and it becomes clear that something may have happened more disturbing than death.

Literary Awards: Barry Award Nominee for Best Novel (2013), Anthony Award Nominee for Best Novel (2013), Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award (RT Award) for Suspense/Thriller Novel (2012), Shirley Jackson Award Nominee for Best Novel (2012), Edgar Award Nominee for Best Novel (2013), Goodreads Choice for Best Mystery & Thriller (2012), Women’s Prize for Fiction Nominee for Longlist (2013), Grand Prix des lectrices de Elle – policier (2013)

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Is it wrong that I am rooting for Amazing Amy? Dear me, I enjoyed the craziness of this book!

Ben Affleck (a.k.a Nick Dunne in the upcoming movie) is going to get his ass kicked.

First half of the book and I am already condemning the husband, Nick, to hell. You would, too. But it was too early to have done that. Waaay too early. 😀

I don’t like Nick. With his incessant testament that he loves his wife Amy while having furtive glances on his phone, I thought that he is a class-A douche. And when his secrets are revealed one after another, goodness I was electrified with triumph that I should really hate this guy.

But.

The second half of the book turned the story upside down, and how I loved it! The intentional wickedness behind the diary entries was too much glee, I was exhilirating with delight on the freaking twist of events. Oh, Amy. I envy your brilliant mind. Let’s be friends, yes? *winks*

I get that some of my Goodreads friends abhorred Gone Girl. Maybe on a different reading mood, on an alternate time, I would, too. But the desperation from Nick and Amy that borders to insanity was too hard to resist. Thriller and Mystery/Suspense readers will thrive on the nasty environment that Gillian Flynn has created.

And the much talked about ending… let me tell you that while I absorb the subtle, brutal reality of it, my reaction went from being incredulous to shocked to wonder to being impressed. I remembered the slow, slow smile that began to spread on my face while experiencing those emotions. It was such a mindf*ck, I tell you.

They say that readers are split about that ending.

Well… I am married, and I was not personally offended by Gillian Flynn‘s story. I did not feel violated by the emotional blackmail mercilessly thrown back and forth between Nick and Amy, or by the atrocious acts they did to themselves and to each other. My thought is: why be bothered by it? It was not written to degrade.

And I was entertained. Didn’t you?

Ha! Enough of the debate whether Gone Girl is insulting or not. It is amazing, just ask Amazing Amy. 🙂

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GONE GIRL by Gillian Flynn

Paperback, 555 pages

Published May 24th 2012 by Crown

4/5 stars

Book Review: Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Young Adult > Science Fiction > Urban Fantasy

(Lux #4)

Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.

After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.

All Katy can do is survive.

Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?

Together, they can face anything.

But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on?

And will they even be together?

Book 1: Obsidian review     Book 2: Onyx review       Book 3: Opal review

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Ah, Daemon. Such sweet, good vibes you have here. (Hi, Archer. *blushes*)

Admittedly, Origin is just a 4-star-rating, but that unexpected cliffhanger was a welcome reprieve screaming for a 5. And to think that Jennifer L. Armentrout is hugely selling this Lux series to me because of the sizzling romance between Katy and Daemon, I would never thought that she would take that path to awesomeness! 🙂

Daemon‘s POV is so strong. This is the alien who will move the universe for me, err, for Katy. Heh. A softer side from one who is often a jerk, Daemon proved that what he have with Katy is not a fling with some human. And the decisions he made were so unlike him! He was unpredictable but in a good way. I liked how he turned out in Origin.

Katy‘s having a bad day. No, the worst week ever. She doesn’t cower to anyone anymore (thanks to Daemon), so it appears that Katy is stronger, and smarter. Those sweet moments with Daemon were, as always, to-die-for. =) I think their relationship gets better after every book, and that’s the point of it all, right? That these characters grow up, and be better people, especially when they are together. But it’s not that simple for them, far from it, so there enters the complications being an alien hybrid.

Archer!!! ’nuff said. I hope to see more of this guy soon. Yay!

The nature of origins is interesting. But are they friends or foes?

A lot of action, swoon, and surprising twists, that will have you begging for the next installment the moment you finish Origin. I, for one, could not wait for Opposition. This is gonna be one hell of a war. *smiles wickedly*

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ORIGIN by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Ebook, 400 pages

Published August 27th 2013 by Entangled Teen

5/5 stars

Book Review: Game by Barry Lyga

Rating:

Genre: Young Adult > Mystery | Suspense

(Jasper Dent #2)

Billy grinned. “Oh, New York,” he whispered. “We’re gonna have so much fun.”

I Hunt Killers introduced the world to Jazz, the son of history’s most infamous serial killer, Billy Dent.

In an effort to prove murder didn’t run in the family, Jazz teamed with the police in the small town of Lobo’s Nod to solve a deadly case. And now, when a determined New York City detective comes knocking on Jazz’s door asking for help, he can’t say no. The Hat-Dog Killer has the Big Apple–and its police force–running scared. So Jazz and his girlfriend, Connie, hop on a plane to the big city and get swept up in a killer’s murderous game.

Book 1: I Hunt Killers review

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… I thought Game was messy. but it turned out alright in the end. And Uh, what ending? Such a cliffhanger.

I remembered loving I Hunt Killers because of my fascination with books of the serial killer theme. Now I am not so keen on it’s sequel. It was too complicated, the intricacy of the crimes was too much to be handled in a single installment. I did not even like Connie’s POV (I find her cheap, Ha!). The ending saved Game‘s life in my eyes. It was not the cliffhanger, though. It was the promise, a dark promise, from Billy Dent of things to come. *grins*

Jasper Dent did not understand how he can help the New York Police Department with the case they have at hand. A serial killer is carving his way into NY streets, and the cops know zilch on who it is. It’s funny to see Jasper psyching them out, or how the detective who asked for his help was actually afraid of him (when the detective realized that Jasper is very much like his father, Billy). They thought Jasper is all good, unlike Billy. Well, they should know better. =D

A lot of players in the game. Billy’s presence, both in Jasper’s psyche and in real life, was entertaining. He really is one sick, psychotic killer! And the way he sounds so normal, so freakin’ ordinary made him a worthy serial killer for me. My bad boy is living up to his name!

I hope Blood Of My Blood will be better than Game. The evil that is just trying to get out of Jasper Dent might just… get out, finally. And wouldn’t that be nice? Woot!

Not to mention I want to see Billy Dent in action. As sick as it sounds, I am a fan, Billy. 🙂

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GAME by Barry Lyga

Hardcover, 520 pages

Published April 16th 2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

3/5 stars