Release date: May 27, 2014
Book: The Artful
Author: Wilbert Stanton
Source: Netgalley 

The Basics:New York City, 2025: Everything is changed. The city that never sleeps is now a land of death and decay. A rampant virus has taken over and the survivors have become carriers, quarantined from the rest of the world. Twist and Dodger grew up in the streets, the sewers and underground tunnels - their playground. They aren't heroes. They just like attention; and stealing meds from the rich and giving them to the poor is their golden ticket. On their latest raid, they unknowingly steal a cure that puts them square between the ailing Emperor of Manhattan and the war hungry Governor of Brooklyn and forces them on a quest into the darkest shadows of their putrefying world

My Musings:
     Okay so when I first read the summery I immediately thought that this book was going to be really interesting and an overall great read. As soon as I read the first few sentences of the book I began to like it. I loved the high energy and the suspense and the intensity of the first few chapters. The beginning of the novel, I thought, was spot on in terms of it's ability to hook it's reader. The beginning set up the book nicely and introduced the characters in a great way.
     However, as the book went on it lacked the strength and intensity that the initial chapters had. As I continued reading I found myself not really connecting to the character because of the slow moving pace of the novel. I didn't mind the slowness so much as the lack of dialogue and the long internal monologues and descriptions. Because I saw too much over analyzed thoughts and descriptions I lost the initial connection I had with Twist. Furthermore I felt that the dialogue it did have was stiff and awkward at times.
     Despite all that I felt like the plot itself was really well thought out, but it did affect the story negatively. The very idea the novel presents intrigued me and I love how the author spun it into in intricate story. I loved the twins and turns the novel took. I really didn't know what to expect half the time. There's a lot of shocking moments in the book and I loved every singe second of it.
       Romance wise I didn't think the coupling was all that special. They're cute don't get me wrong, I just don't feel passionate about the romance. This is kind of a good thing because this way the story line takes the front seat and is not over shadowed by an overbearing romance.
      I have a confession to make. My favorite character is Dodger. I love his story line and the way he grew as a character. In terms of character development the author did a good job. He presented more than one side of his characters which adds depth to these people we're reading about. That being said, I still didn't feel like these characters were real because I feel they lacked a little bit more depth and more exploration of the different sides of Twist and Dodger etc. But overall I feel like he did a good job making his characters good solid characters.
     I honestly enjoyed the book and thought it was a nice summer read for those of us looking to stay away from contemporary novels. If you like cool, dystopian, books with lots of action this is the book you should check out :)

Note: The fact that I received this book for free did not in anyway alter my thought on the book.

                           My Rating:
                                                     

Love Letter's to the Dead Book Review :)

                                                         
 Release Date: April 1st 2014

Book: Love Letters to the Dead

Author: Ava Dellaira

Genre: YA

Source: Barnes and Noble

The Basics: It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like May did. Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to people like Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Amelia Earhart, Heath Ledger, and more; though she never gives a single one of them to her teacher. She writes about starting high school, navigating new friendships, falling in love for the first time, learning to live with her splintering family. And, finally, about the abuse she suffered while May was supposed to be looking out for her. Only then, once Laurel has written down the truth about what happened to herself, can she truly begin to accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the person she was; lovely and amazing and deeply flawed; can she begin to discover her own path. (from goodreads)


Rating: 4/5

My Musings:

    When I went to the LA book festival this past April I went to go see Stephen Chbosky in a panel. Chbosky was interviewing Ava over this new book. After Ava read the description and a few pages from the book I was hooked. I had to know how this story began and ended.  As the panel went on I couldn’t think of a reason to not buy this book. And so I did.

    The story is sad and dark, and it’s told though letters. I love this aspect of the book, I feel like it was a perfect way to tell Laurel’s story. She writes to Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, River Phoenix, John Keats (one of my favorite poets), and countless others. She relates to each one of the people she writes to. Whether it’s though shared pain, family problems, or even love and it’s through these letters that she begins to grow as a person and move forward and away from her grief. Each letter helps her understand her sister, May, better as well as the decisions she made, but most importantly she’s able to learn to see herself without May.

     I also loved the side story lines with her friends Hannah and Natalie. I loved how the author made Hannah and Natalie a couple. I really like this aspect of the story .The only thing I have to say about them is that it was heartbreaking to read but beautiful to see grow.

     I think Laurel put her sister up on a shiny pedestal where nothing and no one could touch her. I can relate because in a lot of ways that’s how I see my own older siblings. I just felt like she never let herself see her sister the way she was away from Laurel. May liked to party and she liked boys that were bad for her and she was terribly lost.  Laurel throughout the book refuses to acknowledge May as nothing short of perfect. While I understood Laurel’s P.O.V. I wished she could have accepted May’s faults sooner in the book.

     The writing style was short and concise with a magical metaphor here and there.  Laurel’s narrative was simple and straight forward. There was no reading between the lines or looking for multiple meaning because every word Laurel said was exactly what she meant.  Some people might find this to be annoying or boring, but I actually liked it because it was written the way a 15 year old girl would write things not some fancy author who knows how to use big words. The simple language helps Laurel be more real because she talks like one.

Ok now for the romance. *waggles eyebrows*. Alrighty then. I love Sky I do. I think he’s sweet, kind, and the type of boyfriend I would LOVE to have.  The only problem I had with the romance was the way it developed. At first it seemed like it would take the whole books for them to get together, but then things sped up and fell together sort of cheesiliy. But then again it’s high school, so some cheese is permitted. 

     I really enjoyed reading this book. I shed a few tears, laughed along with Laurel and fell in love with each of the characters. This book is definitely worth reading and fangirling over.  I promise you it’s a beautiful story 
Favorite Quotes: 

“I think a lot of people want to be someone, but we are scared that if we try, we won't be as good as everyone imagines we could be.” 

“And maybe what growing up really means is knowing that you don't have to be just a character, going whichever way the story says. It's knowing you could be the author instead.” 

“You can be noble and brave and beautiful and still find yourself falling.”

“If beauty is truth, and truth is beauty, they are defined by each other, so how do we know the meaning of either?” 

“You taught them that people love you for what they want to see in you, not for what you are.” 

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