Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Purple Hibiscus is a historical fiction book about the oppressed lifestyle of a Nigerian family that I found at my school library. Taking place in the 1960s during the Nigerian Civil War, Fifteen-year-old Kambili and her older brother Jaja live a sheltered life in a rich family. They are completely blocked off from the rest of their world, surrounded only by religion, fear, and pain. As the military coup begins to take over the county, the children are sent away to live with their Aunt, who introduces them to freedom, laughter, and happiness. As the country falls apart, her family does as well, and Kambili must hold her family together after a tragedy long enough to escape to America.

This book was amazing! I loved the parallels between the war in their county and the war inside their home. I found myself not only fascinated with Kambili's strength and heart, but also the culture and the history of the country. In addition, the aspect of religious conflict in their culture was massive, half the population sticking with native polytheistic values while the other half, including Kambili's father, assimilates into the Church. It's a whole different set of beliefs between her father and her aunt, and it was amazing to watch how both influenced and gave her strength to conquer the harsh, unforgiving days she had ahead.

Kambili doesn't understand what is wrong with her life, she has worshiped her father and always tried to please him. It was amazing watching her first laugh and the first time she ever smiled with her aunt and cousins. Her inner turmoil was powerful, and Kambili found herself trying to save her family at all costs. She is brave and magnificent.

The symbolism of the purple flower was incredible. In darkness and oppression, the Purple Hibiscus is defiance and freedom, representing the beauty that can shine if one allows themselves to never give up, and always keep fighting against brutality. This flower is their beacon of hope, and the only thing more powerful than fear is hope.

I highly recommend this book!

Title: Purple Hibiscus
Author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Pages: 307
Series: No
Rating: 5 Stars
Goodreads

Stuck on Earth by David Klass

Stuck on Earth is a combination of science and realistic fiction with a satirical twist about an alien who inhibits a human boy. Ketchvar III is a gastropod from the planet Sandoval. His species is alarmed at how humans are destroying their planet and pushing it to the brink of demise. Armed with the Gagnerian Death Ray, Ketchvar must inhibit the body and brain of a teenager, Tom Filber, and determine whether or not the human race should be annihilated for their own safety.

Stuck on Earth is super bizarre, nothing like I've ever read, and a book I can never forget! This book is very ironic and satirical, especially in the age of nuclear weapons and global warming. We often wonder ourselves if humanity is worthy of the Earth, and in the age of global warming we are destroying our precious home rather than saving it. I loved how this book conveyed those messages and spoke of real environmental issues, as well as what we can do as individuals to clean up our mess.

I also love how this book was still realistic, and for a few chapters even I doubted whether he was actually an alien or young bullied teenager with a vivid imagination. It was interesting how the book drew parallels between between being an Alien and feeling like one.

It has an amazing message about loving and caring for the environment, as well as our family, friends, and neighbors. Ketchvar became entangled in his disastrous family, and I really enjoyed how he unified his family and made friendships. His take with romance and kissing was hilarious and adorable. This is one of the few books that I've read recently where I know that I will still remember in years to come!

I highly recommend this book!

Also by this author, read my review of Second Impact, as well as Losers Take All! 

Title: Stuck on Earth
Author: David Klass
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Pages: 240
Series: No
Rating: 5 Stars
Goodreads

Hungry by H.A. Swain

Hungry is a YA science fiction book about a futuristic world where nobody needs to eat. In One World, food no longer exists. Instead, everybody is fed medicine with nutrients in it. The government of One World says this prevents famine, gets rid of obesity, and prevents war. Everything she believed changes when Thalia begins to feel hunger. She meets a boy from the underground movement to bring food back, and they run away together to find real food.

I was extremely disappointed, as I had very high expectations for this book. The original concept was incredible, and I loved the beginning so much. But the more the book progressed, the more it went off the rails with too many new ideas and too much of an abandonment of the ideas left unfinished. The ending of the book threw me off a lot with no indication of a sequel.

The plot with the farm was just so irrelevant and disturbing. It's a completely different story that I just had no interest in. The harvest is absolutely revolting and makes me sick to my stomach. The cities, One World, revolution, and government lies are really what I cared about, and it makes me sad that I did not enjoy the book as much as I wanted to. It started out a 5 star, but the more it went on the more it started to deteriorate.

I do recommend that you read this book, but don't get your hopes up.

Title: Hungry
Author: H.A. Swain
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 384
Series: No
Rating: 3 Stars
Goodreads

Miles From Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams

Miles From Ordinary is a YA realistic fiction book about a girl attempting to care for her ill mother. Lacey's mother is very sick, and struggles with severe anxiety and depression. She also does dangerous and bizarre things because she hears the voice of her dead father telling her to. Lacey's aunt used to help care for her, but her mother kicked her out and even got a restraining order, leaving Lacey to take care of her by herself.

After Lacey's mother's latest spending spree that leaves them nearly broke, Lacey is forced to let her mother take a job at the grocery store while she goes to the library. However, four hours later, Lacey cannot find her mother, and is forced to confront her mother's demons.

While I found this book to be extremely fascinating and captivating, it is also very strange and frightening. I am not really sure what the author was trying to accomplish, but if it was horror, she succeeded. I have read my fair share of books with characters struggling with mental illness, but none as terrifying as the mother. The ideas were so twisted. This book would be better categorized as a physiological thriller.

It was also very short. I was missing all these details that I wanted, and I was very confused because some things weren't adding up. For example, if her mother is truly as sick as she seems, why wait until now to get her aunt, especially if they were almost broke. Okay, and common sense- her first mistake was leaving her mom alone. With a history like that, she should have hired a care-taker or something. 

Don't get me wrong- it is extremely well-written and I was completely engrossed in the book. It is also very different than anything I have ever read, but in this case it is too different. While I was reading Miles From Ordinary, I enjoyed it. However, it was just so strange. I commend the author for making me scared during it, and it was a great thrill, but I cannot get past how unrealistic and creepy it was. 

While I did not particularity enjoy this book, I will try another book from the author, The Chosen One.

Title: Miles From Ordinary

Author: Carol Lynch Williams

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Pages: 197

Series: No
Rating: 3 Stars

Goodreads

Room by Emma Donoghue

Room is a realistic fiction book about a five-year-old boy and his mother trapped in Room. When Jack's mom was 19, she was kidnapped outside of her college dorm, and held prisoner in Room, a converted shed. Eventually, she gave birth to a little boy. Told in the viewpoint of Jack, this story surrounds what happens when Ma reveals to him that there is a world outside of Room, and the two devise a plan to escape.

I love this book! Originally when I picked it up at my school library, I thought it'd be a fun, quick book to read. Boy, was I wrong! While the book is narrated by a five-year-old boy, being stuck in that room for five years his mom had lots of time to teach him advanced math, spelling, reading, and very big words. Yes, it is told in the viewpoint of of a little kid, but the ideas he was able to convey are huge. At this age he is able to articulate and notice that something is very wrong, and he is able to recognize his mother's depression. Jack is incredible. His love and protectiveness of his mother is enormous and heartwarming. He's a little superhero.

The author managed to voice a realistic child, somehow managing to make him seem his age, but also have critical thinking skills. I also loved his hilarious thinking patterns and rhetorical questions, about everything from baked beans to spiders. He is able to turn a serious, deadly situation funny, making the horrendous conditions light-hearted. There were so many times where you could tell that bad things were happening, but because it was told through the young eyes of Jack, they were easier to bear. It is quite intriguing to watch a little boy grasp the idea that the world is not this room. An ongoing theme was having Jack accept that (almost) everything on the TV was real! That's an extremely overwhelming situation, and even most adults cannot understand how big the world is. Room will leave you thinking for days!

I highly recommend this book, and I am excited to watch the movie adaptation!

Title: Room
Author: Emma Donoghue
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 321
Series: No
Rating: 5 Stars
Goodreads

Emerald Dream (Bronze Rebellion Book 2) by L.C. Perry

Emerald Dream is the second book in the four book Bronze Rebellion series. This YA dystopian book was sent to me by the author. Princess Irene, ignorant of the horror and torture her parents order for their citizens, is kidnapped by the rebels. While first living in fear of them, Irene begins to see the truth of her kingdom- slavery, human experimentation, and worse. After experiencing and witnessing the appalling state of women and children, Irene will no longer sit by and watch. She joins the rebels, and vows that once she is queen, she will transform the nation and fix her family's corruptness.

I love this book so much! Irene shows such maturity, and completely defies the stereotype brought on her. A princess is not a defenseless little girl. Ebony and Irene are complete opposites, but are united in their goal to end suffering. Irene brings out the vulnerability in Ebony, while Ebony brings out the soldier in Irene.

Asher's past is extremely complicated, and he pushes away everyone he cares about due to his self-deprecating nature. I loved how Irene refused to listen to him, and was constantly there for him. The added romance was terrifyingly strong. There was many, many, many pages of describing the emotions and physical yearning and desire involved in a relationship, and I say she outdid herself. I have no idea how Perry will top this book in the rest of the series.

Emerald Dream is emotionally raw and inspiring. It would take multiple pages to describe a single minute of emotions, and contains jaw-dropping painful references that made me teary-eyed. The author does not shy away from harsh violence, but rather focuses on the emotion that fuels the violence rather than the act itself, making it easier to read, and easier to connect to. Emerald Dream jumps enormously in the amount of intensity, violence, and tearful scenes. This was a real mission, many real human deaths the characters had to try to prevent. This was extremely stressful, and I could not tear my eyes away.

I highly recommend this book, and I cannot wait for the next one!

See my review of the first book in this series, Gold Shadow!

Title: Emerald Ream
Author: L.C. Perry
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Pages: 520
Series: Yes, Book 2 of 4
Rating: 5 Stars
Goodreads

Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King

Everybody Sees the Ants is a YA magical realism book about a boy who goes to another world in his dreams. Lucky Linderman is bullied and tortured by a fellow classmate, whose abuse goes too far. After his grandfather never comes home from the Vietnam war, his father is a ghost, and his mother barely knows him. While reality falls apart all around him, in his dreams he can escape to a prison camp in Vietnam and speak to his grandfather, who teaches him how to stand up for himself and take back control of his life.

The author also wrote Reality Boy, which I enjoyed very much. Sadly, I was very disappointed by this book and failed to understand and appreciate the story. Multiple things about this book irked me. Everybody Sees the Ants also switched chapters between the past school year and the present summer. I felt confused as to the setting and timeline of the story.

He also references a lot seeing ants jumping up and down, cheering, and speaking to him. I am still not sure if he is schizophrenic or just has a very detailed imagination. I also was not interested in the magical dreaming part since it was not explained very well. His dreams were referred to as dreams, not reality, but when he wakes up he is wet or covered in mud. It was not clear if he was actually traveling/teleporting there, sleepwalking, or dealing with a mental coping mechanism.

The book overall was quite boring for me. It did not feel like the story went anywhere or accomplished anything. I just didn't get the point. Similarly to how Lucky is lost in his jungle world, the book was lost, as well.

I don't recommend this book.

Title: Everybody Sees the Ants
Author: A.S. King
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 279
Series: No
Rating: 2 Stars
Goodreads

Nice Girls Endure by Chris Struyk-Bonn

Nice Girls Endure is a YA inspirational book about finding self-love and defying discrimination. Sophomore Chelsea Duvay's days involve being tormented and bullied because of her weight. So she tries to hide, not drawing attention by sitting in the very back of the room. Chelsea stays away from people, because they always have something to say about how she looks. After the night of the Spring Fling Dance when the bullying takes a humiliating turn for even worse, she thinks she can never move on. But with the help of her new friend, Melody, she gains the courage to love herself and stand up for herself.

This book is raw and powerful, exposing unfortunate truths about the world and how we view others. The tricky part for most is registering that what they say, do, and act hurt others, and accepting that they are wrong. While the classic lesson of "treat others the way you want to be treated" is well-known, Nice Girls Endure puts a spin on it, including body image and themes of acceptance of loving who one is on the inside, not the lie on the outside.

Unlike most other books regarding weight issues and "fat-shaming", Chelsea shows a positive representation and makes readers feel hope. There is a recurring message of not enduring, and not to let them get away with hurting you. And I truly believe that this book could make a real difference in somebody's life, whether the bully, the victim, or just someone learning to accept themselves for who they are past their appearance.

I highly recommend this book!

Title: Nice Girls Endure
Author: Chris Struyk-Bonn
Publisher: Switch Press
Pages: 285
Series: No
Rating: 5 Stars
Goodreads

Renegades of PEACE (Secrets of PEACE Book 2) by T.A. Hernandez

Renegades of PEACE is the second YA book in the Secrets of PEACE trilogy. After escaping the PEACE Project, Zira now works with the rebels to destroy the Project. As Chairman Ryku starts completely taking over the country, Zira is asked to put an end to his reign of terror- permanently, putting her moral values and ethics into question. On the inside, Jared and Aubreigh struggle with defining their loyalties. As everyone tries to do the right thing and protect the ones they love, their paths will cross in a fateful battle for freedom.

I really enjoyed this installment! The first book and the second book are totally different, and I love them for different reasons. Contrary to the previous book where the characters uncovered the secrets of their world, this time they are uncovering the secrets of themselves and where their true loyalties lie. The main theme of this book is dealing with the consequences of their actions. They love each other, but they stand on opposite sides of war, each with their own strong beliefs. Sometimes things have to get worse before they can get better. Morally, this book reigns superior.

Zira has always followed her heart instead of her brain, and questions everything. I admire her persistence and refusal to accept the norm. The mystery, suspense, and external conflict was what I loved about Secrets of PEACE, but I love the internal conflict in Renegades of PEACE. Here I got to understand Jared and the other kids. These kids don't know any better, and while I started to hate Jared, I understand him better now. The tricky thing with this dystopia is that there is not a clear black and white difference like some others. They've lost who they are and their beliefs. I enjoyed the expansion of new characters, especially how Aubreigh, Zira's best friend, blossoms and enveloped hard decisions. She realized her potential, and in the end, she was a true hero.

I am excited to read the last book in the trilogy, Survivors of Peace, which will be coming out sometime later this fall!

Read my review of the first book in this series, Secrets of PEACE! 

Title: Renegades of PEACE
Author: T.A. Hernandez
Publisher: Sanita Street Publishing
Pages: 358
Series: Yes, Book 2 of 3
Rating: 4 Stars
Goodreads

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten YA Books I Want to Read this Fall

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. If you want to participate, click here.

This week's theme is Top Ten Books On My Fall 2018 TBR. This is quite difficult, since I have 376 books on my to-read  shelf on Goodreads. In order of priority and likelihood of acquisition, these are the books I want to read this fall!

1. Munmun by Jesse Andrews
In an alternate reality, everyone is as tall as their finances. So, if you're broke, you're like the size of an ant, while rich billionaires are as tall as the Eiffel tower!

2. Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes

Everywhere Maguire goes, bad things happen. She is a universal bad luck charm; awful, dangerous accidents happen whenever she is outside. So she is perfectly happy to stay in the house all her life- that is, until Jordy shows up and shows her a life worth living.

3. If I Should Die Before I Wake by Han Nolan
Hilary detests Jewish people, and is part of a Nazi gang. When she gets in an motorcycle accident, she lands in a coma. Ironically, she goes to a Jewish hospital and is sent back in time to live the life of a Jewish girl in the Holocaust.

4. Verdigris Deep by Frances Hardinge

Ryan and his friends steal coins from a well to pay for their bus fare home. Shortly afterward, the Well Witch claims them to serve her and grant the wishes of the coins in the fountain.

5. The Memory Book by Lara Avery

Sammie has a rare disorder that causes her memory to deteriorate. She starts a journal, addressed to her future self, of all the things she wants to remember.

6. The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan

Amadou and his younger brother, Seydou, are slaves on a chocolate farm in Africa. One day, Khadija arrives, and reminds the boys of the importance of freedom. They band together and try to escape, one last time.

7. Can't get There from Here by Todd Strasser

Maybe is a homeless teenager who lives on the streets, her only family the other teens sharing the curb. One day, a 12-year-old joins them, Tears. Maybe tries to help her and get Tears off the streets before it's too late.

8. The Forgotten Book by Mechthild Gläser

In an abandoned library, Emma finds a magical book. Anything written in the book will come true!

9. Slated by Teri Terry

The government claims that they wipe the minds of terrorists and criminals before giving them a second chance. For Kyla, their story isn't adding up, as she regains partial past memories.

10. Hannah's Touch by Laura Langston

After getting stung by a bee, Hannah acquires the power the heal with the touch of her hand.

What books are you looking forward to reading this fall?