DARK PLACES 8/10 Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice" of Kinnakee, Kansas.” She survived—and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, the Kill Club—a secret secret society obsessed with notorious crimes—locates Libby and pumps her for details. They hope to discover proof that may free Ben. Libby hopes to turn a profit off her tragic history: She’ll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings to the club—for a fee. As Libby’s search takes her from shabby Missouri strip clubs to abandoned Oklahoma tourist towns, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started—on the run from a killer. Whoah! Another Gillian Flynn fan alert: Beeee-do Beee-do Beee-do! I just love it! I was so depressed after reading this! I thought I knew what was going on halfway through...to be completely turned around a couple times by the end of it. Awesome writing style. I'm kind of sad I finished reading all of Flynn's published books, she's a great crime/suspense writer. **Sits in the corner wrapped in a blanket waiting for her next piece of ART!** Hahaha **Film is set to release in 2015. Movie Trailer: Coming Soon!
THE BOOK THIEF 10/10 The Book Thief is a novel by Australian author Markus Zusac. Narrated by Death, the book is set in Nazi Germany, a place and time when the narrator notes he was extremely busy. It describes a young girl's relationship with her foster parents, the other residents of their neighborhood, and a young Jewish man who hides in her home during the escalation of World War II. First published in 2005, the book has won numerous awards and was listed on The New York Times Best Seller List for over 230 weeks. This is a book I would want my future children to read! I wouldn't go as far as compare it to Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, but its close. A must read from Markus Zusac that keeps you turning page after page making time fly! **Books let you get lost on the details...let you work up to a certain emotion...you enjoy and dissect each part of the climactic final boom! Movies usually just get straight to the point. Therefore, I LOVED the book; movie was OK. Movie Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92EBSmxinus
SUPER SAD TRUE LOVE STORY 0/10 In the near future, America is crushed by a financial crisis and our patient Chinese creditors may just be ready to foreclose on the whole mess. Then Lenny Abramov, son of an Russian immigrant janitor and ardent fan of “printed, bound media artifacts” (aka books), meets Eunice Park, an impossibly cute Korean American woman with a major in Images and a minor in Assertiveness. Could falling in love redeem a planet falling apart?
Oh Gosh! I downloaded this book by accident. So i was like ehh what the heck, lets go ahead and read it. I was so uninterested! The mind is a powerful tool, but when its completely bored by a subject it wanders! So I stopped reading it.
SHARP OBJECTS 9/10 Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, reporter Camille Preaker faces a troubling assignment: she must return to her tiny hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. For years, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed in her old bedroom in her family's Victorian mansion, Camille finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Dogged by her own demons, she must unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past if she wants to get the story—and survive this homecoming. Gillian Flynn Fan Alert!! Beeee-do Beee-do Beee-do!<<Dont you just love my alert sound!? Haha! Anyways, I enjoyed this crime book. Like I said previously about Flynn, she really makes you engage with every character. This was one of those books that swing you back and forth, tell you the ending....but wait! another ending! and everything changes! The movie is currently in the talks, no release date yet. Boo-hoo!
GONE GIRL 10/10 Marriage can be a real killer. One of the most critically acclaimed suspense writers of our time, New York Times bestseller Gillian Flynn takes that statement to its darkest place in this unputdownable masterpiece about a marriage gone terribly, terribly wrong. The Chicago Tribune proclaimed that her work “draws you in and keeps you reading with the force of a pure but nasty addiction.” Gone Girl’s toxic mix of sharp-edged wit and deliciously chilling prose creates a nerve-fraying thriller that confounds you at every turn. On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer? As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet? With her razor-sharp writing and trademark psychological insight, Gillian Flynn delivers a fast-paced, devilishly dark, and ingeniously plotted thriller that confirms her status as one of the hottest writers around. I finished this awesome thriller in ONE WEEK! I was so hooked! The film is set to be released October 3rd, 2014. Before starting the journey, I went on IMDB and took a look at what the characters will look like, and I was pleasantly surprised! Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry are amongst this evil cast that will sooooo rock the big screen! LOVE IT! Gillian Flynn managed to get me attached to every character. There's a lot of MOMENTS on this book. Usually books have one or two 'A-ha' moments, Flynn gave me one on every page! Movie Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym3LB0lOJ0o
DIVERGENT 10/10 In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, 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 alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. 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 unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her. Book description by: http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Series-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062024035 I literally finished this audiobook in a week! So exciting and fast paced! If you like The Hunger Games, you will love this trilogy! This nail biter had me laughing at their smarty pants jokes here and there...crying from the pain of some characters, and at the edge of my seat at the action narrations! The DIVERGENT movie is set for release on March 21st, 2014. I will so be there...not necessarily front row...but somewhere in the middle of the theater...probably about 5 seats in...hahaha you get the point. Movie trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sutgWjz10sM
THE WOODLANDS 8/10 Rosa never thought she'd make it to sixteen... When being unique puts you in danger and speaking your mind can be punishable by death, you might find yourself fighting to survive. Sixteen-year-old Rosa lives in one of the eight enclosed cities of The Woodlands. Where the lone survivors of a devastating race war have settled in the Russian wilderness because it's the only scrap of land left habitable on the planet. In these circular cities, everyone must abide by the law or face harsh punishment. Rosa's inability to conform and obey the rules brands her a leper and no one wants to be within two feet of her, until she meets Joseph. He's blonde, fair-skinned, green-eyed, and the laid-back complete opposite of Rosa. She's never met anyone quite like him, and she knows that spells danger. But differences weren't always a bad thing. People used to think being unique was one of the most treasured of traits to have. Now, the Superiors, who ruthlessly control the concrete cities with an iron fist, are obsessed with creating a 'raceless' race. They are convinced this is the only way to avoid another war. Any anomalies must be destroyed. The Superiors are unstoppable and can do anything they want. After all, they are considered superheroes by the general public. But not everyone sees them this way. When they continue to abuse their power by collecting young girls for use in their secret, high-tech breeding program, they have no idea that one of those girls has somehow managed to make friends even she didn't know she had. And one man will stop at nothing to save her. Book description by: http://www.amazon.com/The-Woodlands-Series-ebook/dp/B00EPF5LSW Wow! I am going to hurry up and write this review because I just found out that this book has a sequel! I didn't expect much from this book since I got it for free from the Kindle Bookstore. But oh I was so wrong! I found myself many times explaining to my husband the twists and turns to this story. He obviously was clueless to my excitement! Haha. But that is how good this book is...you will find yourself talking about it. Rosa, the main character, made me upset by her actions many times...but at the same time I was backing her up on every decision. This dystopian story will have you entangled in the story for endless hours. PS: I had to look at the book cover one more time after reading the book...and it ALL made sense! Love those sneaky things! Haha!
THE FAULT IN OUR STARS 10/10 Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten. Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning-author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love. Book description by: http://www.amazon.com/The-Fault-Stars-John-Green/dp/0525478817
This....I....When.....I'm speechless. This story got me so wrapped up emotionally. I found myself flipping chapter after chapter not wanting to stop. I cried, and I cried. Don't laugh at me, even thugs will shed thug tears when reading this masterpiece. Hahaha. John Green is a genius when he can make you cry and laugh at the same time. The humor found on the saddest parts is amazing. I definitely recommend this book! A read-before-you-go-nitey book.
CUT 8/10 This story "tells the story of the Dawn, a sweet and seemingly well-balanced girl whose outward appearance masks a traumatic childhood of suffering at the hands of the very people who should have cared for her. Dawn was the first girl Cathy Glass ever fostered. Sweet and seemingly well balanced girl, Dawn's outward appearance masked a traumatic childhood so awful, that even she could not remember it." Book description by: http://books.google.com/books/about/Cut.html?id=4y89MAAACAAJ
This was a pretty entertaining read. The rating is based on the realness of the characters and the suspense throughout the book. I enjoyed it, but it's not a book I would recommend someone to urgently read!
THE GREAT GATSBY 10/10 "The Great Gatsby is the tale of Nick Carraway and his mysterious neighbour Jay Gatsby. Drawing Nick into the world of lavish parties that defined the roaring twenties, the charismatic millionaire Gatsby will stop at nothing and spare no expense to capture the heart of his beloved, Daisy, but in so doing sets in motion tragedy that will consume them all." Book description by: http://books.google.com/books/about/The_Great_Gatsby.html?id=EFi2RVvX3wsC
OK, I will take a moment to thank the Kindle makers for allowing me to click on a word and give me definitions as I read! hahaha. I'm so in love with this story! The movie and book go hand in hand. If you have the chance read book first, then watch movie! You will thank me. This book allowed me to get into each character. I was not able to put this book down.
CRAZY LITTLE THING 10/10 "Sadie Turner can organize just about anything — except her own life. When her cheating spouse topples Sadie’s impeccably tidy world, she packs up her kids for a summer vacation at her aunt’s lake house, hoping to relax, reboot, and formulate a new plan — one that does not include men. Any men. But eccentric Aunt Dody has other plans; she’s determined to see Sadie have a little fun—with Desmond, the sexy new neighbor. Tall, tanned, muscular—and even great with her kids, Desmond is Sadie’s worst nightmare. He must have a flaw—he’s a man, after all—so Sadie vows to keep her distance. But as summer blazes on, their attraction ignites, and the life Sadie is trying so hard to simplify only gets more complicated. But maybe a little chaos is just what she needs to get her future, and her dreams of love, back in order." Book description by: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17204568-crazy-little-thing
I will gladly give this book the highest rating, just for the simple fact that I hate romantic comedies, but this book has changed my mind. After you read this book, you will see everyone has an aunt like Dody, a cousin like Fontaine, an ex like Richard in our lives and a little bit of Sadie in each of us. This book was hilarious and not a bad sappy love story at all! A definite read when on vacation or just after each day of hard work!