Unravel Me (Shatter Me Book 2) by Tahereh Mafi

Unravel Me is the second book in this young adult dystopian trilogy series. Whenever Juliette touches someone, she causes them pain. With the help of Kenji and Adam, she is free from the Reestablishment and their plan, and has escaped to Omega Point, the place for people with gifts, like her. Little does she know, Warner is still alive, and wants Juliette now more than ever. She will have to make choices that make the difference between life and death, for her, and her friends.

This book was very similar to the first. In fact, you could just add it on and not even know that they were two separate books! In Unravel Me, Juliette's emotions are more intense, and cause more damage, but it was reasonable considering the turn of events. I have to say, wow! There were some real game-changers in this one, and I actually had to re-read some of it to make sure that it really happened!

When I was reading, it felt like I was in the book, living and seeing everything that was happening. When I was done reading, I wished there were more pages, because it felt like it ended in the middle of this huge game-changer, but I guess that is what happens when you have a really good cliffhanger.

I very much recommend that you read this series, and I am super excited to read the third and final book, Ignite Me. 

Read my review of the first book in this series, Shatter Me.

Title: Unravel Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 461 pages
Series: Yes, Book 2
Rating: 5 Stars
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Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me is the first book in this young adult dystopian trilogy series, and it is one of the best books I have ever read! Juliette has a power that can kill. Whenever she touches someone, she causes them excruciating pain. Juliette has not made contact with anyone in 264 days. The last time she did, she accidentally killed a little boy, and was sent to jail. The world is too busy falling to pieces to worry about some 17-year-old kid with powers. Birds don't fly, clouds are the wrong color, and people are being killed and tortured by the Reestablishment. They promised a better life, and things that were too good to be true, and failed to give it. Instead, they enslaved people into fear and desperation.

The people who are still alive are about to start a war against this. Warner, the leader of the Reestablishment, has his eyes set on Juliette, and wants her as his weapon to stop these, and to create a "better" world. Juliette meets Adam, who went to school with her, and was the only person who looked at her like a human being. He is also immune to her touch, and provides her with a chance she never thought she would get, to be free.

I love Shatter Me! I have never read a book such as intriguing as this! I was constantly wanting more and more, and was sad when it ended. I found Juliette to be scared and confused at first, but over time she came out of her shell and fought. Juliette had trouble hiding her emotions, and whenever something happened, she would be the first to react, to show emotion. She is a character that is well-written and well-developed. I would not change a thing about her.

The plot was put together perfectly, and the order of everything made perfect sense, and really came together. There was so much detail, and I did not wonder about any questions, which is very rare. The writing in Shatter Me is fantastic, and I really loved it.

I highly, highly recommend Shatter Me, and I cannot wait to read the next book!



Title: Shatter Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 340 pages
Series: Yes, Book 1
Rating: 5 Stars
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How to Be Popular by Meg Cabot

How to Be Popular is an enjoyable middle grade realistic fiction book. One day in the sixth grade, Stephanie Landry accidentally spilled a Big Red Super Big Gulp (a type of soda that makes the worst stain in the world) on the most popular girl in school. Whenever someone did something really dumb or embarrassing, they would say, "Way to pull a Steph Landry!"

Five years later, nobody has forgotten, and pretty much the entire town uses the saying, and Stephanie is the complete opposite of popular. She has two friends in the whole world, and they don't care about their social ranking, but Steph does. She is tired of living on the bottom, and wants a chance at the high life. In an old box, she finds a book called How to Be Popular, which she believes is her ticket in. It is easy to get in, but is it easy to stay in?

First off, the cover is amazing. I spent a good three minutes reading all the sayings on it. After each chapter there is a page from the book she found with good advice on it with a clue as to what could be in the next chapter. The advice the book gives is not just for people who want to be popular; it is just good advice that anyone should know. My favorite one is "The best way to win an argument is to avoid one in the first place" from page 227.

I liked the voice and how different the characters are from each other. There is no way to mistake a character for someone else. The descriptions are very detailed, and I could picture the events of the entire book. There are not many books that can do that. 

I agree with what the book told her to do for the most part. I think that it was a little too exaggerated, but maybe it is just how it was in their setting. All the book told her to do is to change her clothes so people would like her, and to be overall nicer. I do NOT agree with the clothes part. For everyone reading this, let me tell you that someone who only likes you based on the clothes you wear or how you look is not your friend. A true friend should like you regardless of your clothes and respect your opinion.

I recommend you read this well-written book, and it is one I will be reading again.

Title: How to Be Popular
Author: Meg Cabot
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 320 pages
Series: No
Rating: 5 Stars
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Owning It by Donald R. Gallo

If you like short stories, this may be a book for you. This is a collection of 10 short stories by 10 different authors about fictional teens with "disabilities," and them facing everyday life.

I have to say, I really did not like this book. One of my many issues with this book is the lack of similarity. Some stories are super easy, while some are pretty hard. It is hard to categorize a reading level for this because they are all different. Some stories involve things like curse words, drugs and alcohol, while others are complete opposites. All the authors took it in their own way, and I think that there should have been some guidelines.

I also do not like the title. I think using "disabilities" could be offensive to certain people. It is so negative, and I don't think that should be in the title. I think a better word could be challenges, or something more vague and less intense.

Some of the stories I don't think should be short stories. Some of them I think could have said more than they did, and I think a couple of them felt too limited, while others were too long! Overall, there was just too much variety, and it was like random pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that don't go.

I really do not think you should waste your time with this fictional book. However, I do recommend that someone write a book like this about true stories of kids overcoming health challenges.



Title: Owning It: Stories About Teens with Disabilities

Author: Donald R. Gallo
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Pages: 224 pages
Series: No
Rating: 2 Stars
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Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens

Last year, someone did something to Alexis that she will never forget. A year later, she has not told anyone, and deals with it by crying in her closet and scratching the skin off her neck. When Bodee's mom dies, he moves into Alexis' house. He is the only one who understands her, and they deal with their traumas together. With Alexis' help, Bodee might be ready to talk to the police, and with Bodee's help, Alexis might be able to finally tell what happened to her.

Faking Normal teaches about courage, and about being true to yourself. It has elements of friendship, family, and honesty. The characters deal with a lot of different teen things. 

It was paced perfectly. Everything flowed together and was laid out nicely. The one thing I would change could be the end. All of the sudden at the end of Faking Normal it was all happily-ever-after. It caught me off guard. It was kind of like something you would see on a Disney movie. I do think that it could have been improved, and I think it was too sudden, but considering the ending as a whole, it was okay.

The book did not tell you what happened to Alexis until almost the end, although there were some clues. Throughout the book, I was waiting and waiting for it to tell you what happened. It did keep me going to the end to find out.

I just discovered that there is a digital prequel called The Blue-Haired Boy about Bodee. I definitely recommend this book, but only for older teens given the subject matter.


Title: Faking Normal
Author: Courtney C. Stevens
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 336 pages
Series: No
Rating: 4 Stars
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Hunger (Gone Book 2) by Michael Grant

Hunger is the second book in the young adult dystopian series, Gone. Three months ago, everyone 15 or older vanished, leaving the kids on their own. Some developed supernatural abilities that set them apart. Ever since, it is powerful vs powerless. Bullies become power-hungry and fight non-stop to get what they want. Food is running out, and nobody wants to take on the role of getting food. The battles become worse every day. Resources are limited, and everyone is struggling to stay alive. Meanwhile, the students at Coates Academy plot to take over the power plant, which the ultimate source of power.

The title is literal, and also not. True, everyone is hungry, but that is just a small part of it. Hunger is the combination of hunger for power, and also hunger for food. In the beginning, I thought it was just about food, and I did not understand until much later. In this book, it is important to look at it from all angles, and there are a lot of hidden meanings that you have to look hard to find.

There is one thing that did not make sense. Over and over throughout the book, it says it has been three months. When the first book (Gone) ended, it was around October, right after Sam's birthday. In the beginning of this book, it says it is March. October to March is not three months, so I think the author forgot to explain something.

Overall, this was a good book. I liked the concept and the continuation of events. I am excited to read the next book, Lies.

Read my review of the first book in this series, Gone.



Title: Hunger (Gone #2)
Author: Michael Grant
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 590 pages
Series: Yes, Book 2
Rating: 4 Stars
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Six Months Later by Natalie D. Richards

If you are looking for a great young adult mystery book, then read Six Months Later. Chloe fell asleep in study hall in May. When she wakes up, it is November, and she can't remember the last six months of her life. Suddenly, she has a boyfriend that she didn't have a chance with, Chloe's best friend won't talk to her, and weirdest of all, she may become valedictorian, which was impossible with the grades she had in May. It all sounds great, but it would be nice if she actually remembered it happening. She wants her memories back, but the truth might be worse than not knowing.

I really liked that there was not a cause that made sense. After the doctor finished looking at her, I was so annoyed that they didn't think anything of it, but it helped for the mystery part of it. I liked how I didn't expect some of what was coming. A few hints were given time to time, but you really had to pay attention to recognize what it is telling you. I liked the flashbacks, although I was not sure why they happened. There was a little more romance than I would have liked, but not anything to be concerned about for younger teen readers. Chloe was very shy, and that bugged me at first, but by the end you can see that it was a good thing to keep quiet.

Six Months Later has an edge to it, and it is really addicting. When writing mysteries, it can be easy to mess up by giving away too many hints or not enough, but this was not the case. I highly recommend reading this book.



Title: Six Months Later
Author: Natalie D. Richards
Publisher:  Sourcebooks Fire
Pages: 323 pages
Series: No
Rating: 5 Stars
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H2O (The Rain) by Virginia Bergin

I got this sci-fi dystopian novel for my birthday, and was eager to read it. H2O, the American title, was previously published in the UK and called The Rain. 

Awhile before the rain started, an asteroid was racing toward earth. Little did the scientists know, inside was a space bacteria that loves water. After destroying the asteroid, all the bacteria went in the clouds, and infected them. Ruby is at a party when the startling emergency alert goes out : "It's in the rain. It's fatal and there's no cure." Even a tiny drop, and the bacteria gets in your blood and destroys you from the inside out. (Pretty scary, right?) After two weeks, only .27% of the population is left. Ruby is all alone, and she doesn't have many options left with almost no food or water. Ruby must go across the country to find her dad, possibly her only hope for surviving. 

H2O was pretty much the opposite of how you would organize the plot of a book. Normally, a book would start out kind of slow, and then gradually work its way up to the climax, but H2O was almost backwards. It started with all the excitement, and gradually got slower, like a car running out of gas. Also, the beginning was too dramatic with too much about how sorry she feels for herself. I really expected the book to be better than it was.

On the bright side, Ruby is such a determined character, and you never see a point where she gives up. She kept trying, even when others didn't. What is great about her is that you can feel her emotions. She did, however, yell a lot, although it was understandable. In the book, Ruby likes to use swear words, but instead of showing the words she used, the author put a little picture of a black butterfly, so we don't have to read whatever bad things she says. I like that the author decided to do this, and I have never seen that done before.

Although I was disappointed, I still want to read book 2, The Storm, which comes out in fall 2015.

Title: H2O
Author: Virginia Bergin
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pages: 327 pages
Series: Yes, book 1
Rating: 3 Stars
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The Unwanteds Books 1-3 by Lisa McMann

Last year, I read The Unwanteds (book 1), and I really liked it. I did not know that there would be other books. While browsing online for a good read, I happened to stumble upon the second book. I was so excited to read them!

In the land of Quill, you are expected to be very smart and strong. The leader, High Priestess Justine is afraid of emotions and creativity. When you turn 13, you are labeled as Wanted, Necessary, or Unwanted. All the strong, intelligent people advance in society with a higher education, and are called Wanteds. The Necessities are in charge of labor and work, and help, while the creative ones are sent to their deaths.

What Quill does not know is that instead of dying, the Unwanteds are actually going to Artimé, a magical place where they are encouraged to use their creative abilities for magic, with spells using paint brushes and musical instruments. It is the complete opposite from Quill. Alex and Aaron are twins. Alex becomes an Unwanted and lives happily, while Aaron is a Wanted, and is lucky. Twins are very rarely split up, and it forever becomes a brother vs brother in the ultimate battle.

In book 1, Alex and Aaron each adjust to their new lives, and Alex attempts to rescue his brother, putting everyone in danger from being exposed. In book 2, Island of Silence, the magical barrier separating the two worlds is gone, and everyone is free to come and go as they please, leaving Quill as a disaster with no organization. In book 3, Island of Fire, Artimé is gone, and it is up to Alex to find a way to restore everything, as well as save his captured friends, while Aaron prepares for an attack to end them.

I really liked the idea of this series. The magic was very creative and enjoyable, and I found it a little hard to put down. It is a great series for younger fantasy fans. The middle of each book kind of dragged on a little bit, but it was not a huge problem. I was a little disappointed with the second and third books. I was expecting them to be better than they were. They were still really great reads, and I am glad that I read them.  I felt that the characters kind of blended a little bit, and I would have liked more variety of their personalities.

The author, Lisa McMann, generally writes drama novels and romance novels that are for way more advanced readers and contain content that is best to stay away from for middle grade readers. The Unwanteds is an exception and is completely different.

I am looking forward to reading the next books. There are currently 5 books out, with Book 6 coming out September 2015, and book 7 is expected the spring of 2016.



Title: The Unwanteds
Author: Lisa McMann
Publisher: Aladdin
Pages: 390 pages
Series: Yes, book 1
Rating: 4 Stars
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Hidden Talents and True Talents by David Lubar

I found these sci-fi books by browsing at my public library, and the title and cover art caught my attention. In the first book, Hidden Talents, Martin starts at Edgeview Alternative School, and makes new friends. After reading a book, he eventually realizes that he and his new friends all have special powers. They use their powers to help the school not be shut down, and survive the other kids who are worse than they are.

In the sequel, True Talents, it has been about a year since they all left, and have headed their separate ways. Martin and his friends are brought back together when Eddie, (nickname "Trash") accidentally shows his telekinesis, and is taken away by an evil man who wants to use Eddie's power to his advantage. Torchie, Cheater, Lucky, Flinch and Martin come together to free their friend and stop a group of criminals.

I thought the first book was better than the sequel. I felt that the first book, Hidden Talents, was a good book, although it went kind of slow. The book was half over by the time they all figured out their talents. I liked how Martin behaved, and I thought Martin did a good job narrating the book. All the events that happened were necessary and important. The flow between chapters was smooth and together. I also think that if the book was longer it would not need a sequel.

The sequel, True Talents, I felt was not really worth my time of reading. The narration alternated between characters, and at times I did not know who was narrating. The plot seemed all over the place, and not really organized. I don't even think it was worth it to make a sequel. I did like the idea of revisiting them a year later, but I think I would have liked it better if it described more of their private life, and I would have really liked more time of when Eddie was reunited with his parents.

I think it is a good idea to read the first book, but don't waste your time with the sequel.



Title: Hidden Talents
Author: David Lubar
Publisher: Starscape
Pages: 224 pages
Series: Yes, book 1
Rating: 3 Stars
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