My Thoughts on The Scorch Trials Movie

So I watched The Scorch Trials the other day and It. Was. Awesome. You can find a better description of my thoughts below:

Don’t hate me, but I haven’t read The Scorch Trials book. I actually don’t think I will. I wasn’t too enthused with The Maze Runner, so I didn’t want to waste my time reading a “meh” book. However, the movies are anything but “meh.” Let me tell you why.

Dylan O’Brien is cute. That’s Reason #1. Okay, maybe it’s not Reason #1, but it is pretty high up there. He just makes me like Thomas’ character so much more than when I was reading about him. Dylan makes Thomas seem selfless and brave, not whiny and incompetent.

Another reason I really loved watching The Scorch Trials was the cast. Minho’s actor, who I can’t remember the name of, is fantastic. I love him so much. I also really like the other boys in the movie. They’re very good at creating their own bromance-y feel. And while Teresa isn’t my favorite character, I did appreciate her story arc a lot more in this movie. Which is weird considering how different her book arc and her movie arc were. (My friends told me what the differences were after the movie was over. It’s okay. I told them they could spoil me.) I really enjoyed the introduction of Brenda and Jorge, as well. They added a lighter feel to the action-packed seriousness of the storyline.

However, Petyr Baelish—excuse me—Little Finger—excuse me, again—A.D. Jansen played by Aiden Gillen was kind of hard to separate from Game of Thrones at first. I did hate his character, though, which means he did a very good job of playing the bad guy.

Now I’m moving on to the plot of the story, which was great! The beginning was action-packed from the get-go and I jumped at least three times because of the Cranks. Those things were like World War Z zombies on steroids. *Shudders* The last third of the movie wasn’t as fantastic as the first part because there was less of the gang running from WCKD and more of them trying to find people/places/things, which kind of let the action dwindle a little.

Oh, small side note. I did get very annoyed at Thomas yelling “Run!” when generally it was him who was slowing everyone down because he was looking at something or hesitating for some stupid reason.

All in all though, I’d have to say The Scorch Trials is ten times better than its predecessor. Our theater was packed and I’m guessing a lot of others around the country were too and I don’t think anyone went home disappointed. Well… maybe they’re disappointed that they have to wait another year for the final movie.

Waiting on Wednesday: Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, what's really got my pages in a twist is...

Truthwitch

Susan Dennard

(The Witchlands #1)

Publication Date: January 5, 2016

Hardcover, 416 pages, Tor Teen

Genres: YA, Fantasy

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Goodreads

On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.

Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.

Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

My Thoughts

I have to be honest. This is mostly a cover buy for me. While I enjoyed Susan’s Something Strange and Deadly book (I haven’t read the sequels yet), I wasn’t too terribly captivated by her writing style. Maybe this one will change my mind.

What book are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Review: Last Year's Mistake by Gina Ciocca

Last Year’s Mistake

Gina Ciocca

Publication Date: June 9, 2015

Hardcover, 320 pages, Simon Pulse

Genres: YA, Contemporary

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Goodreads

Is there anything that electric chemistry can’t overcome? The past may be gone, but love has a way of holding on in this romantic debut novel told in alternating Before and After chapters.

The summer before freshman year, Kelsey and David became inseparable best friends—until the night a misunderstanding turned Kelsey into the school joke and everything around her crumbled, including her friendship with David. So when Kelsey’s parents decide to move away, she can’t wait to start over and leave the past behind. But David’s not quite ready to be left.

Now it’s senior year and Kelsey has a new group of friends, genuine popularity, and a hot boyfriend. Her life is perfect. That is, until David’s family moves to town. Old feelings bubble to the surface and threaten to destroy Kelsey’s second chance at happiness. The more time she spends with David, the more she realizes she never let him go. And maybe she never wants to…

My Review

Put the past behind you, unless it just so happens to strut right into your school. In that case, Kelsey’s got no advice for you. She’s still trying to figure it all out for herself. When her ex-best friend/crush from her old school comes back into town, Kelsey’s life is flipped upside down. Especially now that she’s got a bunch of new friends and a hot new boyfriend to keep her company. She doesn’t need David anymore. At least that’s what she tries to tell herself.

So maybe Kelsey isn’t the most decisive character in the world. She’s actually a little too wishy-washy and she always takes the blame for things that aren’t even her fault. But she does have a good heart and she just wants everyone to get along. Now David on the other hand, he’s the supposed-to-be nice guy who is actually kind of a jerk. Kelsey has a good life now and she’s happy, but David’s intent on inserting himself into it, despite Kelsey telling him to back off. And while David is sweet and charming sometimes, he needs to be more respectful.

Maybe having such flawed characters is a good way to say that people aren’t perfect and so they shouldn’t be written that way, but it’s hard to tell if that’s what the author intended. Although, it is true that high school is a place where everyone has flaws, so these characters definitely fit right into their setting.

Another thing to think about before you start reading this book is that the story is told in alternating Before and After chapters. If you’re not a fan of multiple points of view or other types of non-linear storytelling, I’d say this book isn’t for you. The switches from past to present are just too disruptive. However, the past scenes are fun and entertaining, they just shouldn’t be where they are. Consequently, the plot could be more developed and the romance could have really brought some umph to the story if those past chapters didn’t break everything up all the time.

All in all, Last Year’s Mistake is an interesting contemporary tale of first loves and first heartbreaks. The book definitely has some flaws, which could or could not be intentional, but its storyline will still have you weary of mistakes coming back to bite you!

*Note: I borrowed a copy of this book from the Book Review Board of Missouri to review. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Allegiant Trailer Thoughts and Part 2 Title Reaction

I thought I’d share my thoughts and feels about the new Allegiant trailer. In case you haven’t seen it, I’ve posted it below:

The first part of the trailer just goes through and briefly summarizes what happened in the past two movies. I thought that was kind of useless. Instead of putting so much info in there about Divergent and Insurgent, they could have put in more clips from Allegiant. I think that makes sense, right? No other movie trailer takes us back in time like this one does.

After the blast-from-the-past scenes, the trailer moves on to the gang climbing over the wall. I seriously don’t remember this being in the book. Actually, I don’t remember any of the book, so of course I don’t remember any of what’s being shown (if it’s even the same). If you know the major differences, you should definitely comment below and let me know. Obviously, I’m too lazy to look them up myself. ;)

I do like all of the Theo James action scenes. They’re very nice. Very, very nice. Although, there is one where he’s blowing his cheeks out and it kind of made me chuckle. He looked like a blowfish. Now, Shailene Woodley, she’s someone I’m sure you’ve all recognized by now that I have a very like/hate relationship with. She was good in The Fault in Our Stars, but I didn’t care for her very much in the first Divergent movie. She was just a’ight. I still don’t feel like she’s a really good fit for Theo James/ Four, though. They just seem like total opposites. However, Shailene was better in Insurgent. I actually really enjoyed her in that one—minus all of her random screams and grunts. Let’s hope she keeps up the momentum.

All in all, I’m looking forward to this movie—I’m just not looking forward to waiting another year until Part 2 releases. (Stupid film companies. Splitting movies that don’t need split.) I’m also happy they’re branching out of Veronica Roth’s world, because, honestly, Allegiant the book was a hot mess to me. I’m also kind of intrigued by the Part 2 title Ascendant. I just hope the ending of that movie is completely different from Roth’s.

Which Team Are You? : The Fuentes Brothers (aka the Perfect Chemistry) Edition

I basically just post a book series every week and have people vote on what team they are. I know the YA Sisterhood does the YA Crush Tournament, but I just want to find out how much you guys like one love interest over another, in one series.

Last week's poll was over Team Ponyboy, Team Sodapop, or Team Darry from S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders. Team Sodapop won! 

So for this edition of “Which Team Are You?” I’m going to ask you who your pick of hunky man-flesh is from Simone Elkeles’ Perfect Chemistry series. 

You can choose from:

1) Alex

or 2) Carlos

OR 3) Luis

I’m Team Carlos. Alex is a close second, but Carlos was the boy who captured Kiara’s attention, and she just reminded me a lot of myself.

If you had to choose one, who would it be, and why? If you haven’t read the books that are out right now (And why not!?), who do you think sounds more appealing from the Perfect Chemistry summary below (which really only talks about Alex):

A fresh, urban twist on the classic tale of star-crossed lovers.

When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created 'perfect' life is about to unravel before her eyes. She's forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for: her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect.

Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more.

In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart.

Which Team Are You?

	Team Alex
	Team Carlos
	Team Luis

abcpoll.com free polls

***Please note that I stop checking the poll the Friday before the new poll comes out (on Sunday). Also, please only vote once so everyone’s vote counts, unless you need to vote for both guys. I give you permission to do that because sometimes choosing is tough.***

**Also note that these are not my images. I found them online.

Stacking the Shelves: Another Book Outlet Edition

 "Stacking the Shelves" is a weekly haul meme that is hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It allows book buyers to share their accumulation of books with the online book-loving community.

I made a Book Outlet order because they had two books I really wanted. I also managed to trade for a hot new release of this year at my local used bookstore!

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

Black Heart by Holly Black

Mothership and A Stranger Thing by Martin Leicht & Isla Neil
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

The two I made the order for are the Mothership books. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to buy A Stranger Thing in hardcover, but it was cheap, so I got it. I also got Black Heart in paperback because I want it to match my other paperbacks.

And did you see An Ember in the Ashes? I spent $4.50 on that baby. Well... technically I spent $4.50 in trade money, but whatever. Anywho, I don't think my bookstore paid attention to how new it was.

What books have you bought/received lately?

Dean Winchester Friday

Dean Winchester (or sometimes Jensen Ackles) Fridays make me a very happy fangirl. You'll see why when you look at the pic.

That’s right, John Winchester. You look at what you’ve done to your poor son. He wouldn’t be in this mess if it wasn’t for you.

Review: Gathering Darkness by Morgan Rhodes

Gathering Darkness

Morgan Rhodes

(Falling Kingdoms #3)

Publication Date: December 9, 2014

Hardcover, 407 pages, Razorbill

Genres: YA, Fantasy

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Goodreads

Love, vengeance, and greed spark a deadly quest for magic in the third book of the Falling Kingdoms series

Prince Magnus has just witnessed torture, death, and miracles during the bloody confrontation that decimated the rebel forces. Now he must choose between family and justice as his father, the cruel King Gaius, sets out to conquer all of Mytica. All Gaius needs now are the Kindred—the four elemental crystals that give godlike powers to their owner. But the King of Blood is not the only one hunting for this ancient, storied magic. . . .

THE KRAESHIANS join the hunt. Ashur and Amara, the royal siblings from the wealthy kingdom across the Silver Sea, charm and manipulate their way to the Kindred, proving to be more ruthless than perhaps even the King of Blood himself.

THE REBELS forge ahead. Princess Cleo and vengeful Jonas lead them, slaying with sweetness, skill, and a secret that can control Lucia’s overpowering magic—all so they can use the Kindred to win back their fallen kingdoms.

THE WATCHERS follow Melenia out of the Sanctuary. They ally in the flesh with King Gaius, who vows to use Lucia’s powers to unveil the Kindred.

The only certainty in these dark times is that whoever finds the magic first will control the fate of Mytica. . . . but the four element gods of the Kindred have other plans.

My Review

Things are happening in this book, but at the same time, nothing has really happened. ‘Cause that totally makes sense, right?

The gang is all back and ready to keep doing what they’re doing in this third book of the Falling Kingdoms series. Jonas is trying and failing to save people. Cleo is failing to be spy-worthy. Magnus is angry at the world. And Lucia is continuing to make me hate her.

Okay, so the characters of this series actually have a lot more going on than what I just mentioned, but if you’re looking for the quick and dirty version of their character summaries, then that’s it. However, the characters have gone through some pivotal changes and I think they really express how confused they all are in their own twisted ways. I still hate Lucia, though. She’s just selfish and annoying. Who’s with me? Her chapters and Alexius’ are always the longest to read. This could also be because I just don’t like the whole Watcher and magic plotline. I know, totally weird that I hate the magic system in a fantasy series, but I feel like the other non-magic characters are just so much more entertaining and dynamic. I think Rhodes has the magical characters lean a little too much on their powers and thus, she doesn’t fully develop their characters in a way that has me enjoying their personalities.

Oh, and before I forget, I totally ship Cleo and Magnus. Cleo isn’t my favorite female character in the series (I think that title would be bestowed upon Lysandra), but she is pretty funny and sassy and I really think Magnus needs that in his life. Also, I didn’t like the addition of the Kraeshians into the story. Oh! I guess I should take that back. I love Ashur and Nic’s storyline. Sort of. (Damn you, Morgan Rhodes!) But I just don’t like how their kingdom has been added into the story. It makes the whole plot of the Mytica country seem petty and small since the kingdom across the sea is better and bigger and could squash Mytica like a bug. I want the stakes to feel like they’re high, like the whole world of Mytica has to survive, otherwise the world dies. Know what I mean?

As for the plot of the story, it was okay. I always feel like nothing really happens in these books, even though things most certainly do, just because there are so many different points of view and we only get 10 or so pages from that viewpoint. It makes it hard to really see how things have changed from the start to the finish of the novel—at least while you’re reading it. But, like I said, things did actually happen, probably more than anything’s ever happened in this series, and I really appreciate that we’re seeing some results.

All in all, this third book in the Falling Kingdoms world is full of fun and adventure and all you have to do is jump on in the bandwagon.

*Note: I purchased a copy of this book for myself. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Waiting on Wednesday: Ashes in the Sky by Jennifer M. Eaton

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, what's really got my pages in a twist is...

Ashes in the Sky

Jennifer M. Eaton

(Fire in the Woods #2)

Publication Date: March 1, 2016

Paperback, 331 pages, Month9Books

Genres: YA, Sci-Fi

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Goodreads

After inadvertently saving the world, eighteen-year-old Jessica Martinez is ready to put adventure behind her and settle back into the familiar routine of high school.

Though when she's offered an opportunity to photograph the inside of an alien space ship, Jess jumps at the chance. After all, she'd be crazy to turn something like that down, right?

Spending time with David on the ship has definite advantages and the two seem to pick up right where they left off. But when Jess discovers a plot to sabotage David's efforts to establish a new home for his people on another planet, neither David's advanced tech nor Jess's smarts will be able to save them.

ASHES IN THE SKY is an action-packed, romantic Sci Fi adventure that will leave readers screaming for more.

My Thoughts

I haven’t read the first book yet, but I really want to!

What book are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Review: Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

Queen of Shadows

Sarah J. Maas

(Throne of Glass #4)

Publication Date: September 1, 2015

Hardcover, 656 pages, Bloomsbury

Genres: YA, Fantasy

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Goodreads

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

My Review

I’m going to warn you that you may be spoiled for some earlier books in the series if you read this review. I’m going to try my hardest not to give anything away, but I’m sure something will accidentally slip out, so just remember that I warned you that there might be SPOILERS! POTENTIAL SPOILERS LIE AHEAD!

Celaena Sardothien is no more. Instead, Aelin has come back from the past and she’s ready to take back what’s hers and get a little vengeance along the way.

Book four in this action-packed fantasy series starts out pretty much right where book three left off, but some small changes have still come about that will keep readers on their toes. Because, as I’m sure you are aware, Sarah J. Maas books are notorious for bad things happening to good people. She’s almost like a young adult version of George R.R. Martin. (Don’t kill them, Sarah! They don’t deserve to die!) But that’s what, unfortunately, makes her books so great.

First thing first, I have to address the giant elephant in the room—the name change. It was super weird. I had gotten used to three books of Celaena, only to have to jump to an entirely different name. Very strange. But I did get used to it about a fifth of the way through the book, it just took some time.

Now I want to talk about the characters. People may think I’m totally insane/stupid/ridiculous to think this, but I can’t help how I feel. I just didn’t like Aelin in this book. I think I didn’t really like her in Heir of Fire either, but I didn’t notice it as much until I was reading this one. Celaena/Aelin just seems so selfish and kind of bratty. While I love how strong and independent she is, some of the decisions she made had me wanting to mentally slap her (if I actually slapped her, she’d kill me). I understand that characters are flawed and it’s great to have character development, but every time Aelin made a rash action without consulting anyone I wanted to say “Really? You’re really not going to tell your friends/lover/whatever that you’re going out to do something dangerous when you’re the lost queen whom everyone is pinning all their hopes and dreams on?!” Like I said, this wasn’t really an issue in books one and two, but as Aelin gets older, she needs to make wiser decisions and trust the people who have sworn to protect her.

The other characters were great additions to the story. I like Aedion and his wit, but I thought he had a weird dynamic with Aelin, considering their relationship and all. And Rowan is hot and possessive and all the things I love in a book boy, but… just but. I think Chaol had more of a real part in this book than he did in Heir of Fire, which I’m thankful for, but a little miffed at at the same time. I do really like Lysandra and Nesryn’s characters. I think they added a nice touch to the story. Their characters, plus Manon and her Thirteen, make a great statement that despite Aelin being all bada$$ female, there are still other bada$$ females running around who are just as cool.

As for the plot, it’s a little all over the place. There are so many little things happening that take so long to actually happen and the huge problem and climax is a tad short. I think the book could have easily been one hundred pages shorter if a few of these encounters hadn’t been added. However, I can’t say that I didn’t enjoy any of these little adventures. While there were some I was like “Ugh. Just kill him already,” there were others where I was all “More. Give. Me. More.” I do have to say, though, that the ending felt strange to me. It just seemed like everything had kind of wrapped up, almost like the ending book in a series, but I know it’s not the actual end.

All in all, Queen of Shadows is another good addition to the Throne of Glass world and I’m sure everyone will enjoy it. Just don’t hurt your wrist while you’re reading! That sucker’s huge!

*Note: I borrowed a copy of this book from my local library. This in no way affected my opinion/review.