"Shatter Me" by Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi is a fast-paced teen science fiction romance that kept my interest. I thought it was sort of a strange book because Juliette, a teen, has some super power of being able to kill people she touches although the book never explained why her power is only effective with certain people but not others. I didn't understand that part. I liked the adventure parts where Adam and Juliette ran away together from the asylum but didn't care for all the strikeouts throughout the book. I found them to be distracting. Maybe that was the idea of them, I'm not sure.

Overall, I think the theme is to realize you are unique and accept yourself. At the beginning, Juliette has been confined for a long time in solitary and is feeling very depressed. Then gets a cell mate who she recognizes from her past and is nice to her because he's always liked her but pretends he doesn't know her. Eventually she becomes hopeful for a future and a happy life ever after.

If you like teen romance with a twist, I recommend this one.  I saw a lot of teasers from this that got my attention but was a bit disappointed in this book.  I liked Legend by Marie Lu much better!

(Karen's review:  My rating: 3 of 5 stars)

Gerard's review:
If you like science fiction books with romance, this is it.  A young boy and a young girl fight against an evil government that wants to use them, especially the girl whose touch is lethal.  I liked this book a whole lot!  It kept my interest throughout with lots of good action.  I look forward to the sequel if there is one.  This is the author's first book--very well done!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents to KIVA this month to help the

poor change their lives for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs.

Teaser Tuesday: "Unwind" and "Lamb"

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should  Be Reading. Anyone can play along, so I thought  I  would play for fun! Just do the following

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on  that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away!   You don’t  want  to  ruin the  book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can  add the book to their TBR  Lists  if they  like your teaser.   

Karen's:

He's going to tell me now, Connor thinks. He's going to tell me they're unwinding me, and then break down in tears, going on and on about how sorry sorry sorry he is about it all.

.
Taken from page 7 of Unwind by Neal Shusterman.

Here's one from the book I just finished that is too funny not to use:

But if I made the Red Bend football team, it would mean I wasn't a cow. That's what I'd been struggling with ever since Brian showed up.

Taken from p. 131 of Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock.

Gerard's:

Lamb left her in the white hotel and drove back toward the city, away from the last broken reaches of daylight as rain clouds threaded with neon blue in the rearview mirror. The girl would be there when he returned.

Taken from page 61 of Lamb by Bonnie Nadzam.

Happy Reading! We are donating 50 cents to KIVA this month to help the poor change their lives for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs.

"Dairy Queen" by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock is a story about D.J., a 15-yr.-old girl who helps with the family Dairy Farm in Red Bend, Wisconsin, and has a love for football. She used to play with her two older brothers and gets sucked into helping Brian Nelson, the good-looking quarterback of her school's arch rival team, train over the summer. As she gets to know him, she gets to like him. He is shocked and feels betrayed though when he finds out she will be playing against him!

Teaser: But if I made the Red Bend football team, it would mean I wasn't a cow. That's what I'd been struggling with ever since Brian showed up. p. 131

This is a fun read about a girl and her self-esteem issues. I enjoyed learning some about Dairy farming, the whole football aspect of the book, and how D.J. learns that communication is so important. There is enough included about her family and friends to make this realistic fiction. I look forward to reading the sequel.
(Karen's review:  My rating: 4 of 5 starxs)


Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents to KIVA this month to help the poor change their lives for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs.

Happy Martin Luther King Day--A Book/Movie For You!

I just happened to find out about Ruby Bridges over at MaryTheKayTheBlog today when I read her post, "How We Celebrate Martin Luther King Day at our House." Here is a video clip about Ruby Bridges that I thought looked so good that I checked to see if there was a book about her, and there is. I ordered Ruby Bridges Goes to School: My True Story from the library as well as the DVD.





Other books about her is Through My Eyes: Ruby Bridges and The Story of Ruby Bridges: Special Anniversary Edition

Have you seen this movie or read the book? What did you think of it? How are you celebrating today?

We are donating 50 cents to KIVA this month to help the poor change their lives for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs.

"Impulse" by Ellen Hopkins is Fantastic!

WOW! "Impulse" by Ellen Hopkins is a fantastic read! Tony Connor and Vanessa each have their own demons to deal with. They all wind up at Aspen Springs, a place that helps teens deal with their issues. How they deal with them and their own stories is just remarkable! To say I enjoyed this book would be putting it mildly. I LOVED "Impulse"!

Although it is over 600 pages, it is in verse and I was so caught up in it that it did not seem that long. This is for sure going to be my favorite read this month and will be in my 12 favorites for 2012. This is one you will not soon forget--what an ending! I highly recommend it! (Gerard's Review:  My rating: 5 of 5 stars)


Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents to KIVA this month to help the poor change their lives for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs.