Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi - Review

May Contain Spoilers

I was scrolling through Goodreads one day when this cover jumped out at me. I didn't really care if the book wasn't any good, all I knew was that the cover was beautiful and I had to buy it. Once I read the blurb I was more intrigued because this book sounded like books I was normally interested in. Also as I researched more into this book I discovered that it was a part of a trilogy and the covers were just as beautiful. So you could see why I was dying to read Shatter Me.

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in 264 days. This is because inside her she has this curse gift, that bring death pain to anyone she touches. The last time she touched someone she was only trying to help and  it was an accident. No one knows why Juliette's touch is so fatal, so the Reestablishment lock her away in an asylum, so there are no other casualties caused by her curse gift. However one day Juliette gets a roommate and its soon discovered that this roommate is in the army and the Reestablishment have plans to use her as a weapon in a near future war. Juliette now has to make a choice to become a weapon or to become a warrior and fight for her freedom. 

One of my favourite things about Shatter Me is Tahereh Mafi's way of writing. It was sort of unusual because of the use of strike outs and numbers. I found this way of writing to be very interesting because through the strike outs you got to see self-doubt Juliette felt. An example of this is on the back of the book where is says 

I have a curse.

I have a gift.

I'm a monster.

I'm more than human.

My touch is lethal.

My touch is power.

I am their weapon.

I will fight back. 

Another one of my favourite things in Shatter Me was the end of the book. I have to admit was did not get interested in the book until the last few chapters when you find out there was this underground community filled with people who have gifts, just like Juliette. I'm not quite sure why this particularly information drew me in because it is quite stereotypical throughout dystopian stories. 

I would recommend Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi to everyone who enjoys dystopian stories like The Hunger Games. Overall, I enjoyed this book and I give it 3 out of 5 stars.
★ ★ ★

Matched by Ally Condie - Review

May Contain Spoilers

I first bought this book way before I truly got into reading and since then I never got around to reading it. This was because I was reading so many trilogies/series at the time, that I thought I should finish them all before I started a new trilogy. What drew me in about this book was the whole trilogy's book cover. I thought they were smartly thought out and set a theme to the story even before you read the summary. 

Imagine if you lived in a world where everything is decided for you, like what you eat, where you live, when you die and even who you love. Well this is the world portrayed in Matched. The officials (Government) who run the society leave nothing for the citizens to decided and this is believed to be a more equal and controlled way of life. At the Match Banquet, an event where the people who choose to be matched find out their ideal match, Cassia discovered that her 'ideal' match is her best friend Xander, of course she is overjoyed. However when she views the microchip given to her after the Match Banquet, another boys face appears on the screen and its some she knows as well - Ky Markham. Cassia thought that the Officials never made mistakes, yet somehow she had been matched with two boys. After learning that it was intact a mistake and Xander was Cassia's only Match, Cassia tries to move on but she can't deny these new feelings she has for Ky and they only seem to be growing stronger each passing day. Now Cassia is torn between a life of planned and predicted outcomes or a life of true love and dangerous decisions. 

My favourite part of Matched would have to be the whole way of life in the society. In this future Earth, the Government have figured a way from cancelling out sickness and early deaths to even a way that every person in the society get their own right amount of food and nutrition to suit their body and lifestyle. I found the whole structure to be an interesting aspect to think about. I understood the necessity that made this way of life become something imaginable and in some ways I could see why the whole structure worked. But on the other hand I couldn't wrap my head around why the Government could destroy everything that has been created  that wasn't useful for them. Everything in this world was electronic so no one knew how to write with a pen or pencil. The Government also chose only 100 poems, songs, etc. to be kept and stored for this new world to enjoy. I found this entire concept to be changeling and very smart to think of, so I top off my hat to Ally Condie.

If you like dystopian stories without a sappy love story then I would recommend this story to you. Overall I give Matched by Ally Condie 3 out of 5 stars. 

★ ★ ★

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - Review

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

When I received The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, I had no idea what to expect, for the reason that the synopsis was very vague. But what truly stood out for me was the eerie yet exquisite cover and its title which left me dumbfounded. I got the feeling that The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer would be very different compared to most YA's out today. And oh boy, I was right! It is a very dark and chilling story, which resulted sometimes in myself receiving shivers shooting up my spine.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is about a girl, Mara Dyer, who has just survived a horrific freak accident, one where her three closest friends weren't so lucky and to make matters worse she can't remember a single thing from that night. So to help cope with the stress, she convinces her family to uproot their lives in Rhode Island and move to Florida. However the past has a way of following you no matter where you run. So when Mara starts to remember what happened that night and question whether or not she had some involvement in this freak accident, the last thing she expected was to fall in love.

My favourite part in this book happens to be at the start of the book in the first chapter when Claire, Rachel and Mara were using the Ouija board and Rachel asks how she will die. The spirit then moves the piece under the girls hands to M, A, R and back to A then it stops. This scene happens to be the moment I know I would love this story, and because of that it is my favourite part. This scene sets the whole mood for the book, which is dark and eerie. It also shows the relationship between the three girls. 

I would recommend The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer to anyone who like dark stories which are different to your typical YA books out today. It is a great story which you will devour yet will still have unanswered questions at the end. Overall I give this book 4 out of 5 stars

★ ★ ★ ★

Born At Midnight by C.C. Hunter - Review

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

I came across Born At Midnight at the start of this year when I was going through a very paranormal genre stage. Firstly I noticed the cover and thought it was GORGEOUS, there was just something about it that intrigued me. Then I read the blurb and the whole idea of there being a "camp" for supernatural creatures sparked my imagination and really interested me because that concept was totally different compared to all the other paranormal stories I've read.  

Born At Midnight is about a girl, Kylie Galen, who's not having the best month so far, her grandmother passed away, her parents are getting a divorce, her boyfriend dumped her and she is being forced to see a psychologist after she told her parents that a guy is stalking her. Problem is, she's the only one that can see him. Then things only get worse for Kylie when she is busted at a party with drugs and alcohol, so her parents decide to ship her off to Shadow Falls Camp, a camp "supposedly" for troubled teens. Kylie quickly realises that this camp is actually a camp for the supernatural; vampires, werewolves, fairies, shape-shifters, etc. And they thinks she's one of them.

In this book, supernaturals can read a persons brain pattern. This is to figure out if that person is supernatural and if so what type of supernatural they are, however Kylie is different because for some unknown reason, no one is able to read her brain pattern. They insist that she is one of them and that she was brought to the camp for a reason, nevertheless Kylie still believes their wrong and she sets out to get to the bottom of things. As time passes by, one thing is becoming more clear and that is that Shadow Falls is exactly where Kylie belongs. 

My favourite part in Born At Midnight is when Lucas is taking Kylie to a creek where there are dinosaur tracks. During this walk there are a few sexual tension moment, however its not until they reach the creek until something happens. As their making their way across the creek Kylie slips on the rocks and gets wet, due to this they both get the giggles. Then she slips again, but this time taking Lucas down with her, and they end up having another moment but this time it results in to kissing. This is my favourite part because it is the first moment where Kylie lets her guard down with Lucas and isn't scarred of him. But I particularly liked this part because I'm "Team Lucas!!"

If you like stories with paranormal genres then I would highly recommend Born At Midnight by C.C. Hunter because it is a supernatural story, yet it has a different element to it with the whole Shadow Falls camp which makes it that bit more interesting. Overall, I give it 3.5 out 5

★ ★ ★ ★

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover - Review

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

One day I browsing on Booktopia and adding books to my shopping cart, when two particular book covers caught my attention, it was Hopeless and Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover. I'm not sure what it was about these covers that caught my attention, however they drew me in and I'm glad for it. Obviously I added Hopeless to that particular shopping cart, so once it arrived I got to reading it straight away and I honestly couldn't put it down! 

Hopeless is about Sky, a senior in high school, meets Dean Holder, a guy who has a reputation and right from their first encounter he terrifies and captivates her. Seeing Holder sparks memories from Sky's troubled past, a time she's tried so hard to keep buried. Sky is determined to stay away from Holder, although his persistence and mystifying smile begin to brake down her resistance and the bond between them grows immensely. However Holder has been keeping secrets from Sky and once their revealed, Sky's life is changed forever. Courageously facing these harsh revelations, Sky and Holder hope to heal their emotional wounds and find a way to live and love without boundaries.

My favourite part in Hopeless is in the chapter on page 205, it's right after Jake's little brother integrates Holder about being a hypocrite and calls Sky a slut. Sky forces Holder get out of the cafeteria before a fight breaks out and takes him to his car, where he breaks down in front of her, letting all this built up anger towards his sister suicide out. I particularly like this part because you get to see Holders vulnerable side and it made me feel sorrow for him and what he must of gone through when Les died. 

I really enjoyed Hopeless because it is a true and honest story. Colleen Hoover covered some very heavy subjects, these being sexual assault , suicide and abduction. However she covered these subjects with such grace that the story didn't come across confronting. I would recommend Hopeless by Colleen Hoover to adults or mature young adults because of these subjects. This novel will leave you breathless, mesmerised and remembering your own first love. Overall, I give Hopeless by Colleen Hoover 5 out of 5 stars! 

★ ★ ★ ★ ★