{Waiting on Wednesday} (27) Splintered by A. G. Howard

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine.

~This week I'm waiting on......

Splintered

Author: A. G. Howard

Release Date: January 1, 2013

For sixteen years, Alyssa Gardner has lived with the stigma of being descended from Alice Liddell—the real life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s famed novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. But cruel jokes about dormice and tea parties can’t compare to the fact that Alyssa hears the whispers of bugs and flowers... the same quirk which sent her mother to a mental institution years before.

When her mother takes a turn for the worse and the whispers grow too strong for Alyssa to bear, she seeks the origins of their family curse. A set of heirlooms and a moth tied to an unusual website lead Alyssa and her gorgeous best friend / secret crush, Jeb, down the rabbit hole into the real Wonderland, a place more twisted and eerie than Lewis Carroll ever let on.

There, creepy counterparts of the original fairytale crew reveal the purpose for Alyssa’s journey, and unless she fixes the things her great-great-great grandmother Alice put wrong,Wonderland will have her head. {Goodreads}

First off...I love re-tellings! I don't know why but I do! Especially when they take on a darker twist ;)
Look at that cover you guys!! Amazing! Its got a lot going on don't you think? And the synopsis sounds sooo good! It's one thing to make a re-telling and a whole other thing to re-tell the story of Alice and Wonderland!! YAY!! So excited!! :D

What are YOU waiting on this week? Leave your link in the comments! :)
Have a great Wednesday everyone! <3
~Jaiden

OH! And PSSSSSTTTT!!!! Did you notice anything different? No? Well...let me tell you a secret! *wispers* I re-designed my blog! Oh heck! *yells* I RE-DESIGNED MY BLOG!!!!!! :D Ya, ya, I have done it before! So what!!? Well, I know. I do this to you guys... A LOT! But I am going to stick to this one! For as long as I can. Tell me what you think of the new design...yay? nay? :)

{Review} If I Stay by Gayle Forman

If I Stay
Series: If I Stay (#1)
Author: Gayle Forman
Release Date: April 6, 2010
by, Speak
Source: Bought
Pages: 234

A critically acclaimed novel that will change the way you look at life, love, and family. 
In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen ­year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces- to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heartwrenchingly beautiful, Mia's story will stay with you for a long, long time. {Goodreads}

~Trailer:

There is one other video if you want to check it out but...I liked this one better! :)

~Review:
  I had heard many great things about this book so when I got the chance I bought it. Along with book two, Where She Went, they were a package deal. ;) I really got to say and brag....best decision ever. Don't borrow the book. Don't rent it from the library. Buy it. You need it. From page one I was completely consumed. The pages just flowed. Before I knew it, I was half way done and then...finished! I actually got to paying attention to see just how consumed this book got me. My average turned out to be 1 page per minute. I literally lost myself in this book's pages!

  Between the music and the characters, I don't know which was more of my favorite. Gayle just had this perfect way with words. Words that captured your attention. Words that described the scenery of Oregon gorgeously. Words that made you feel the sorrow, hurt, confusion, and love of the characters. Words that made every character unique. Words that gave each piece/reference to music, beauty. Perfection!

  Maria was a strong character. She gave insight to things you never would think of. She has such passion for both her music and her loved ones that made me respect her. She was different from those around her but that just made her standout that much more..in the best possible way. I loved her character! Her friend Kim was awesome...I loved the flashbacks throughout the book. OH! And the no chapter thing: brilliant. I loved that the book was separated by time rather than Chapter 1. Chapter 2. etc. Then, Adam. Man...I love this boy. He is the sweetest thing ...ever!! And the fact that he and Mia are such opposite sides of the spectrum make their love that much more cute! They don't have the perfect relationship. They have their problems but their love is real and true. There is no question about it.

And I can't resist this...so here is a present from me to you...My favorite quote of the whole book:

(Provided by Adam) <3

"You didn't really get those tickets from a family friend, did you?' I asked.

 .... He shook his head. 'that was two weeks of pizza delivery tips'"

And that. was when I fell in love with Adam Wilde. 

  If I Stay is breathtakingly beautiful. It will blow your mind, crush your heart, and completely consume you. Yes, beautiful is often associated with this book but it's true. I can't think of any better word to give this book but "beautiful". It is all sorts of beautiful. If you haven't gotten your hands on this book yet, you better. This is not a book to prolong.


~Rating:

Infinite Stars!! This book is a MUST!! 

Thanks for stopping by! 

Have a great day! :)

~Jaiden 

{Review} Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Lola and the Boy Next Door
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Release Date: September 29, 2011
by, Dutton Books
Source: provided by my blog sista!! <3  (bday present)
Pages: 338

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.
When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door. {Goodreads}

~Review:
  So you know those books where you completely lose track of when you started and when you ended? Those books that leave you giddy and smiling during the WHOLE book and for DAYS after you have finished the book? Those books where you are at a complete loss for words? Ya, well, Lola and the Boy Next Door is one of those books!

  I loved Mrs. Perkins first book, Anna and the French Kiss, it is easily my favorite contemporary book!! So when I finally got a chance to read this one, after hearing all the greatness about it, I was scared. When I get hyped up about a book and expect it to be as great as everyone says it is....I end up really not liking the book. And I wanted to like this book. I really did! And guess what? This book lived up to its hype and actually managed to exceed it!!

  I wasn't sure about Lola at first but she quickly became a favorite fictional character of mine! She is so quirky and cute and absolutely likeable! I loved all her crazy costumes and her family and her thoughts! And Cricket!!!!! Omf(reakin)g!! This boy....he is...wow! I didn't think he could have ever been as amazingly adorable and freakin fantabulous as he was and is! I am in love with this boy! And 6' 4"??? Yes please! Being a 5'9" girl..finding tall guys who are as cute and nice and smart as Cricket is a hard package to find...and this boy is the whole package! <3 

 (I think I still like Etienne more...idk! These boys are too amazing!) And as amazing as they are....Mrs. Perkins has a way of making these boys she creates flawed...and that is absolutely GREAT! They are flawed in a way where they are believable. real. not too fictionally perfect! <3 <3 And holy crap!!! I think my favorite part of the whole book was how Stephanie added Anna and Etienne to the book's mix. And not just a quick glimpse but actually making them important side characters! I LOVED that!!! I wasn't reading and missing them 'cus they were THERE...in the story....friends of both Cricket AND Lola!!! :O :D

  Lola and the Boy Next Door is a great and fun read. A perfect dose of laughs, swoons, tears, gut wrenching drama/suspense and butterflies! This book was incredible! Definitely in my top 5 of favorite contemporaries! I really hope I never have to say "Awe I wish Stephanie Perkins still wrote Young-Adult contemporary". Because she better never stop writing! I will throw a temper tantrum and cry my eyes out! ;) She is such an amazing writing! She knows how to draw in readers and create the most adorable yet believable love stories for teens! If you haven't read one of her two books you better get on it..these are some books you DONT want to miss out on!

~Rating:

Sadly, I don't have a 1,000,000,000 star button but hell! This book deserves every star in the galaxy! And the moon ;) Yes, this book is THAT good! <3

Thanks for stopping by! :)

~Jaiden

{Follow Friday}...or Thursday?? #24

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

~This Week's Features:

Books Are My Reality

&

Concise Book Reviews

~This Week's Question:

Summer Reading. What was your favorite book that you were REQUIRED to read when you were in school?

~My Answer:

Uhm.. I don't do well with REQUIRED. I never end up liing the book if I HAVE to..I would rather read it because I LIKE to. That being said...i guess if I have to pick one...It'd be Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. It was rather weird but oddly enough I liked it. I didnt while reading it...(again books don't suit me when I have to read them)....but after, when I thought about it, I liked it! :) Also, Huckleberry Fin...I really liked that one even though I HAD to haha

And considering I was REQUIRED to have a fictional book for a book report one time....I loved having the excuse of having to read Delirium by Lauren Oliver ;)

What about you?? Leave your link in the comments!

Happy Friday everyone!! :) (or Thursday)

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by! :)

~Jaiden

{Review} Torment by Lauren Kate

Torment 
Series: Fallen (#2)
Team: Miles (sooo cute!!!! :D)
Author: Lauren Kate
Release Date: September 28, 2010
by, Delacorte Press
Pages: 452

Hell on earth.
That's what it's like for Luce to be apart from her fallen angel boyfriend, Daniel.
It took them an eternity to find one another, but now he has told her he must go away. Just long enough to hunt down the Outcasts - immortals who want to kill Luce. Daniel hides Luce at Shoreline, a school on the rocky California coast with unusually gifted students: Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans.
At Shoreline, Luce learns what the Shadows are, and how she can use them as windows to her previous lives. Yet the more Luce learns, the more she suspects that Daniel hasn't told her everything. He's hiding something - something dangerous.
What if Daniel's version of the past isn't actually true? What if Luce is really meant to be with someone else?
The second novel in the addictive FALLEN series...where love never dies. {Goodreads}

~Trailer:

This is the Australian book trailer...but I liked it so here ya go! :D

~Review:
  So, I wasn't completely sold on the first book Fallen. My cousin told me that I had to read the series because it was soooo amazing...especially because of Torment. We both have similar book tastes so I thought what the heck! I had been wanting to read the series for awhile anyways! :) So I bought book one and...had a rough time. These books are told from third person POV. I don't like third person.....It just has never really stuck with me. But thankfully, I started to get used to it and fell into the books rhythm.


  By the end of the book....I wasn't hooked but I enjoyed it! It was different and I really liked the reform school setting! Lauren had her own way with keeping me interested and starting to like the third person narration. I really liked it...I just didn't see what the hype was all about. Then, I read Torment.


  This book was really good! It was definitely a step up from Fallen. And the third person narration was no longer a problem! I loved all the new characters! They were all awesome in some way and I came to like them all. And Cam!! I love him! He is not your average bad guy. And apparently that was bugging some people but I don't see why. I mean...that's why I liked the book even more. Seeing that Cam isn't all that bad made the whole demon vs. angel bit a whole lot more believable. How each one is only a matter of opinion and hell! If the demons are as sexy as Cam...I am all game ;D


 Now, I have to say, I am #TeamMiles. I think Daniel is over exaggerated, the boy is too "love me for our past yet I will not tell you our past. Just have faith in a magical love" and ya, I'm gonna get a bunch of crap for that but...o well. Miles is real. Down to earth, easy to talk to, sweet, and willing to do anything for Luce despite knowing her past. He accepts her for her and isn't fake. I love him!


  Anyways...Torment was a great read! It is a beautiful sequel to Fallen. If you love the whole Nephilium and Angel vs. Demons with a slight gothic twist..you'll love this series. It was definitely worth the buy and I can't wait till I can buy the last two books Passion and Rapture. With an ending like Torment's ending..you have no choice to keep reading! I am really looking forward to getting some past info! :D




~Rating:

4 wonderful stars! :)

Thanks for stopping by! :)

~Jaiden 

{Waiting on Wednesday} (26) Crash by Lisa McMann

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine.

~This Week I'm Waiting on.....

Crash

Author: Lisa McMann

Release Date: January 8, 2012

by Simon Pulse

Pre-Order/Goodreads

Jules lives with her family above their restaurant, which means she smells like pizza most of the time and drives their double-meatball-shaped food truck to school. It’s not a recipe for popularity, but she can handle that.
What she can’t handle is the vision. Over and over, Jules sees a careening truck hit a building and explode... and nine body bags in the snow.
She has no idea why this is happening to her or if she’s going crazy. It hardly matters, because the visions are everywhere--on billboards, television screens, windows--and she’s the only one who can see them.
But it’s not until the vision starts coming more frequently, and revealing more clues, that Jules knows what she has to do. Because now she can see the face in one of the body bags, and it's someone she knows. Someone she’s been in love with for as long as she can remember.

Woah! Dudes! There are SO many good books coming this 2013 year...I have NO clue how I'm going to keep up!! But look at this! This cover..the fire in the eye...etc. And this synopsis!!!!! I want to read this so bad! And *shivers* Who wants to see the boy you love's face in a body bag..which is in a vision?? Hell! I know what she needs to do! She needs to save the lover from whatever the heck is going to happen!

Ya, so obviously I want this book...bad! I have been scaling this list all night long...updating my Goodreads and TBR pile...so not healthy ;) And I would advise you to check out the list too! Wait, what list! *smacks forehead* I never told you did I? Well its this Goodreads list of all these AMAZING!! books that will be firsts in a series this upcoming 2013 year! It is fan-freaking-tabulous!! Seriously check it out! Along with this list of Debut authors and their novels!!!! SO excited!! The world can NOT end this year with all these great reads coming out ;D

So what are YOU waiting for this week? Leave your link below! :)
Happy Wednesday!


Oh!!! And btw! Big change ahead k? I am re-designing my blog (ya, ya AGAIN!! ;b) but hopefully this one will last awhile! I hate changing it up so much but...I get tired of it sometimes and don't like the design...AND!! All new policies and about me...etc. (those are already uploaded and bran-spankin new if you want to check them out!..then tell me what you think). <3
~Jaiden

{Follow Friday} ...or Thursday?? #23

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

~This Week's Features:
Booktastic Reviews 
&

Glass of Wine

~This Week's Question:

Christmas in July! Someone gives you a gift card for two books (whatever that costs). What two books will you buy?

~My Answer:

Oooo! This one is easy!! :D

I have been wanting to get my hands on Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson and Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin for like ever!!! And, me being a list maker, I have a list of books I buy per month (3 from me and 1 gifted by parents) and these ones are up next!! ..In August...my cousin told me I needed to read the Fallen series by Lauren Kate ASAP so these two books got bumped down. So getting Chrstmas in July...these books would be bought just as quickly as I was handed the gift card haha

What about you!? Leave your link in the comments below! 

Happy Friday everyone! Have an awesome day! :)

~Jaiden

PSSST!! All of you who are visiting!! Do me a HUGE! Favor! :)
Go to this link and Vote Ash will ya? Every vote counts!! Thanks! :)

{Waiting on Wednesday} (25) Defiance by C.J. Redwine

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine.

~This week I'm waiting on.....

Defiance
Author: C.J. Redwine
Release Date: august 28, 2012
Pre-Order

Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city’s brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father’s apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father’s survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.
At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city’s top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor’s impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.
As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can’t be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making. {Goodreads}

AHH! One look at the cover. Isn't that the most bad @$$ cover you've ever seen? I think it's pretty darn amazing! The trees, her red hair that stands out, the cloak, the city in the cloak...ya this cover is gorgeous!! And what an even more amazing and enthralling synopsis! I am alread in love with Logan for one and two..this book just gives me chills!! SO can't wait to read it!! :D

What about YOU! What are you excited for this week!? Leave a link in my comments! :)

Have a great day!

~Jaiden

{Review} Crossed by Ally Condie

Crossed
Series: Matched (#2)
Team: Ky
Author: Ally Condie
Release Date: November 1, 2011
by, Dutton Juvenile
Source: Bought
Pages: 367

Rules Are Different Outside The Society
Chasing down an uncertain future, Cassia makes her way to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky--taken by the Society to his sure death--only to find that he has escaped into the majestic, but treacherous, canyons. On this wild frontier are glimmers of a different life and the enthralling promise of a rebellion. But even as Cassia sacrifices every thing to reunite with Ky, ingenious surprises from Xander may change the game once again.Narrated from both Cassia's and Ky's point of view, this hotly anticipated sequel to Matched will take them both to the edge of Society, where nothing is as expected and crosses and double crosses make their path more twisted than ever. {Goodreads} 

~Trailer:

~Review:
 Crossed was kind of the answer to my prayers...relating to the Matched Trilogy. As you remember(if you saw my review of Matched) I mentioned that Matched lacked some depth. Well Hallelujah!! This book had depth!! A whole new depth to depth ;) You finally got more information of the Society and how it came to be. And you got more depth from the characters. 

 Cassia is strong in this book. She has to be. I loved her! She is no longer an empty vesicle.Cassia is who she is and is comfortable with that and is willing to go to any extremes to find Ky. She is no longer the Societies little robot. No. She is rebellious!! I loved to read from her POV! Oh! And speaking of POV's!! Did anyone know that this book was alternating POV's?? Alternating POV's from both Cassia and uhem!!!....KY!!!!! :O 

 Ya. Awesome right!? I love Ky. He is the only one who has had depth from book 1 and he is the reason this book goes into deeper than deep in depth! Every thing about this boy is so good!! Loved Loved! Reading from Ky's perspective. Oh and be for warned... *spoiler* Even though Xander isn't in this book...you still have that love triangle goin on. EEp!! I loved getting more about Xander! I think that was my favorite part. You got to see him...HIM! And sides/stories you never saw coming! Idk bout my teams ya'll ;) Xander just got hotter than hott with a touch of secrets adding to a bad-boy rep muahah

 The only thing that bugged me througout the book was the "Enemy". For starters....they all of a sudden showed up. In thin air! Out of absolutely no where in book 1. And it still failed to be explained in book 2. I understand they are a bit of a mystery but come on! From all the talk about everything else....as much as everyone seems to know about the Rebellion, the Pilot, the Society...no one knows why there even is an Enemy? When they started? Why they started? Seriously!!? Ya, it bugged. But not enough to ruin the book for me. And then the end...who in the flipping world is 'him" and it wasn't just in the end. Throughout the book there would be a mysterious "him/her" spoken about but you knew nothing about who it was! And no, it wasn't mysterious.

 Altogether this book was just what I needed to save the Match trilogy for me. Crossed is poetically beautiful with its adventurous tale of finding yourself in a world where you are told who to be; to fight for the things you were never supposed to love; and to make the decisions that may or may not just save your life. I really loved Crossed and am looking forward to see how its all going to end in Reached. :D

~Rating:

4 stars!

Thanks for stopping by! 

Have a great day!! :)

~Jaiden

{Review} Until I Die by Amy Plum

Until I Die
Series: Revenants (#2)
Author: Amy Plum
Release Date: May 8, 2012
by, Harper Teen
Source: Bought
Pages: 357

Kate and Vincent have overcome the odds and at last they are together in Paris, the city of lights and love.
As their romance deepens there’s one question they can’t ignore: How are they supposed to be together if Vincent can’t resist sacrificing himself to save others? Although Vincent promises that he’ll do whatever it takes to lead a normal life with Kate, will that mean letting innocent people die? When a new and surprising enemy reveals itself, Kate realizes that even more may be at stake—and that Vincent’s immortality is in jeopardy.
In Die for Me, Amy Plum created a captivating paranormal mythology with immortal revenants and a lush Paris setting. Until I Die is poised to thrill readers with more heart-pounding suspense, spellbinding romance, and a cliff-hanger ending that will leave them desperate for the third and final novel in the series. {Goodreads}

~Trailer:

awwe! Wasn't that cute!!? Different beyond measure but adorably cute! 

And oh! The French hot dudes?? *two thumbs up! ;)

~Review:
 I have been waiting forever to read this book! Amy Plum's Revenant Series is by far one of my favorite books of all time. She gave me to obsessions...zombies...and Paris. Now I want to travel to France and visit all the gorgeous scenery we get a taste of in these books and of course learn the language of love ;) Oh! And meet some hot French boys!! Duh!! ;)

 Being the second book....it was very much a second book. But only in the informative way. This book was still greatly amazing and thankfully had not caught the second-book-syndrome.  In Until I Die we get more insight into what the Revenants are and their culture and immortality facts. Which, being a crazy Revenant lover, enjoyed very much! In Die For Me some stuff wasn't explained. I had a couple of questions that nevr got answered but thanks to book number two all of them were pretty much answered! :) 

 I loved getting to see more of my favorite characters! Ooooo and Jules!! Mmm mmm mmm!! He, my friends, is close to coming out of the closet wouldn't you say? Cus I distinctly remember he was a bit questiony in a specific car ride.....I will say no more but I wish HE would! ;D Of course I am madly in love with Vincent also. I mean come on...he's Vincent for crying out loud! I also loved the newest character (guy) he kind of grew on me....even when all the assumptions were going on...(sorry my lips are sealed).

 My heart was being wrenched through the journey of Kate and Vincent's battle to find a way for their love to last. Gah!! Isn't being in love with a zombie so hard!!? Yes, it is. It is extremely hard. Oh!! And poor poor Vincent! In the beginning with his tired bruises and *chokes up* I was rooting him and Kate on! Find it! Find it! And man oh man! Kate is one strong character! I love her! And uhem....I have my suspicions... old prophecy....you know the one! (well, if you haven't read it then I guess you don't but that just gives you more motivation right?)

 Until I Die is a beautiful sequel. A story that pulls you in and your heart out. Amy Plum is an amazing writer who knows what she's doing! That ending.....was the worst ending! She has me dying for more! The question isn't If I Shall Die but that I shall I die if I don't get book three like...now! (heheh see what I did there!) ;) 

 Wonderfully told from beginning to end, this book will literally have you dying for more! Mrs. Plum delivered a unique zombie lore tale and I was so happy to get more info on them in book two. If you haven't gotten your lil paws on this series already you better get your butt up and start reading it! This is a story you don't want to miss!
 
~Rating:

Thanks for stopping by guys!

Have a great day!! :)

~Jaiden 

{Follow Friday} .....or Thursday?? #22

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

~This Week's Features:
 Vivaciously, Vivian
&
 a GREAT Read 

~This Week's Question:

What drove you to start book blogging in the first place?

~My Answer:
So...once upon a time there was a little me. A little me with a gigantic obsession...a gigantic obsession with books.....It all started.....

heheh 
 
The reason I started blogging was because I had no one to talk books with. Here I was with this HUGE book obsession and NO ONE to rant and squeal and express all my feelings and thoughts with about those books. No one in my family reads (except my dad...but who wants to talk with their dad about hot fictional boys right!? Other things ya! Boys no. No boy talk= to fun...) and none of my friends do. It sucked. So then I heard about this little thing called blogging....a whole network dedicated to ranting about the awesome books I have read! Sign me up!! And not only that but people like me to talk to. I can talk to other book obsessors and not get this vibe like I just grew three heads while I DO talk about books! The people in the blogging communicate are so nice! 

......So there. You have just got the insight of my blogging history! Where it all began! Feeling special yet ;) hahaha jk!! ;D 

Thanks for stopping by!! :)

Happy Friday!!

Have a great day!!

~Jaiden

  

{Review} Matched by Ally Condie

Matched
Series: Matched Trilogy (#1)
Author: Ally Condie
Team: Ky
Release Date: November 30, 2010
by, Dutton Juvenile
Source: Bought
Pages: 366

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow. {Goodreads}

~Trailer:

~Review:
 I wasn't too sure about this book. I had heard and seen so many different things about this book varying from "amazing! This book is great. A favorite for sure." to "I really wanted to like this book. Unfortunately I couldn't. I was bored." But when Christmas and my birthday cam along I had all this book money....what should I buy was the question and I decided. I'll give this book a try. And so I bought book 1 and 2. And you all know...I have a huge To-Read pile and I am soo far behind on it because of school so I  just got to read it. And again...I was hesitant. It wasn't until my book-sharing-cousin texted me and and told me that she absolutely loved it! So..what the heck!

 There are so many dystopian books these days and it's hard for the greats to stand out. And even though I don't particulary agree with the "amazing! This book is great." reviews....I don't necessarily agree with the "I didn't like it all. I was bored." reviews. You can say I was in the middle...leaning a bit more towards the great reviews. I liked it. I liked it a lot! At times I felt that there was a lack of depth in the story, the Society, and the characters. Even though the world made sense...stuff was missing. A Society with no past, no reason of being. All of a sudden there was an unspeakable War. An unexpected peak of interest in an experiment..involving Ky and Cassia. A lot of questions that never got answered....


 Cassia was an interesting character. She was clueless. One of the Societies robots. she does what she is told and doesn't ask questions. She truly believes that the Society only wants the best for her. That is until she gets a malfunction in her microcard. Two Matches? Not normal. Heck! It shouldn't even be possible! The best way I could describe her was a candle. One spark and....she went out in flames. She started to see clearer. She got a spark of rebellion....a spark produced from her grandfather and love. True love. Ky. He was adorable! He wasn't the bad boy I was expecting. He was probably the only character...the only thing that had depth in this story. I loved him. 

 And back to no depth....Xander and Cassia...what was it? For being her match and best friend..by the end of the story. I had no freaking idea about him! She said that she never needed to look at his microcard because she already knew him so well but never gave us anything about him!! I wanted to like him but his lack of any character building...I didn't get to even know him. Which made me deeply sad. Hopefully we get to see more....I sure hope so. All I want is more depth...more insight.

 Altogether, this book brought a unique idea to the dystopian world. I don't regret buying this book and can't wait to start the second which...btw....is told from alternating POV's ....Ky's and Cassia's!!! :D Miss. Condie did an excellent job create the guessing game and  a gorgeous poetic romance that left my heart aching for the doomed couple. When it comes down to it...this book didn't disappoint. Slow at times, yes. Horribly bad and not worth the read. No. Do what I did...give it a chance. Borrow it..buy it...just read it. You might be pleasantly surprised. :)
 

~Rating: 

 

 3.5 stars! :)

Thanks for stopping by! 

Have a great day!! :)

~Jaiden