Review: Gravity by Melissa West

 Title: Gravity (Click title for Synopsis)

Source/Format: Purchased, Paperback
Age range: YA
Publisher/Publication Date: Entangled Teen, December 18, 2012

My Thoughts:

     Gravity put an interesting twist on the dystopian genre by integrating Aliens into the mix.  I liked that it wasn’t all about some great love story, and that it had an actual storyline to it.  However, I felt that some parts lacked a little detail, but that didn’t take away from the overall greatness of the plot.  I liked the general concept of Gravity, and the ending left me wanting to know what happens next.

     Ari Alexander is supposed to be the next Commander.  She’s trained for it all her life, and her father expects her to do it.  And then Jackson Locke steps into the picture—he tests Ari’s loyalty, and makes her feel things she wasn’t trained for.  He really throws a monkey-wrench into Ari’s normal routines.  I really liked seeing them interact with each other.  I did not like how Ari’s father made almost every important decision for her like who she had to get married to.  I just felt like he wasn’t really listening to what she had to say to him.  Gravity was pretty good, and I liked the story and can’t wait to see where it goes next, but I wish that it hadn’t been so short. 

 

 

Review: This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

Title:This Is What Happy Looks Like (Click on title for synopsis)
Source/ Formtat: borrowed from the library, Hardback
Age Range: YA
Publisher/ Publication Date: Poppy, April 2, 2013




My thoughts:

    Considering that I’ve never read anything by Jennifer E. Smith before, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this book.  This Is What Happy Looks Like had all the components to it that I look for in a contemporary YA novel.  The romance was sweet, with the characters connecting on an emotional level, the plot was well thought-out, and the writing style was excellent.  To say that I liked this book would be an understatement, I absolutely loved it!  It’s one book that I’d like to add to my personal library.

     This is what Happy Looks Like is told from dual POV’s, Ellie O’Neill a normal girl trying to get her life in order, and Graham Larkin, a movie star.  I liked that prior to the start of the story, they already knew about each other.  So when they met in person for the first time, I felt like it was an important part of the story.  Ellie’s reaction to Graham was understandable, she had things to hide.  I was unsure of what she was hiding at the beginning, but then I found out what it was, and I felt so bad for her, having to live with what she knew.  Graham was also dealing with his own set of problems from his parents, to his career, and what being in the limelight was doing to him as a person.  As things unfolded, I felt like Ellie helped Graham, and in turn he helped her overcome some of her fears.  The relationship between Ellie and her mom was believable, and I understood where her mother was coming from.  She was only trying to look out for Ellie, and thought what she was doing was what was best. 

     I really liked the whole concept of this book, from the way Ellie and Graham first met, to the ending, which wrapped things up nicely.  In the end, I really enjoyed This Is What Happy Looks Like.  It was refreshing to read a contemporary novel like this one, and in a few short hours I’d read the entire thing. 

Old Birdcages vs. New Birdcages

    Hey, you remember those pretty birdcages at the bottom of each review, right? Yeah, well, they've just been changed.  No, we haven't been taken over by aliens, it's just that as it stands I’ve gotten tired already of our old ratings.  Sure, the birdcages were elegant and relatively nice, but they’re a bit plain—so I decided to revamp them.  Of course, sticking with the whole silhouette theme for Our Thoughts Precisely, I needed to find something that would look good, as, well, a silhouette. I eventually came up with a tree, which the birdcages could hang from.  Low-and-behold, here is our rating system's new look:

 

 

 

 

 

 

All in all, I think they look pretty neat.  In other news, our Giveaway Policy page has finally been finished, and our Review Policy page has been updated. So, what do you think—old or new?



Review: The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth Laban

Title: The Tragedy Paper (Click on the link for the synopsis)
Author: Elizabeth Laban
Publisher/Publication Date: Knopf Books for Young Readers, January 8, 2013
Source/Format:  Library, Hardback
Age Range:  YA

 

“SOMETIMES IT’S HARD—IMPOSSIBLE, EVEN—TO KNOW HOW MUCH MAGNITUDE A CHOICE HOLDS UNTIL IT IS ALL OVER” (Laban, 246)
My Thoughts:

       The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth Laban is a moving and thought-provoking YA novel. It captures many of the issues associated with coming of age such as relationships, self-esteem, choices, and underage drinking/prescription drug use.

       The story is told from the alternating perspectives of Tim, an alumnus, and Duncan, a senior in high school.  As a gift to Duncan, Tim left him CDs detailing his senior experience. Both characters were well-developed and dealt with self-esteem issues.  I was moved by this story because Tim’s revelations about his senior year at the Irving Boarding School facilitated Duncan’s introspection and personal growth.

       I recommend The Tragedy Paper, because it’s a YA novel with a unique storyline that has shifted away from the current trend.

I absolutely loved it.  I would recommend it to everyone.

 

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Review: Poison by Bridget Zinn

Title:Poison (Click on title for Synopsis)
Source/Format: Purchased, Hardcover
Age Range: YA
Publisher/Publication Date: Disney Hyperion, March 12, 2013



My thoughts:


     Poison by Bridget Zinn was honestly a lovely story about potions, a piglet, and what one would be willing to do to save their kingdom.  It was captivating, well written, and full of characters that were likable.  Zinn crafted a story with mystery, intrigue, as well as an adorable piglet.  I really liked Poison as a whole.  It was the kind of book that had a good flow to it—one that I would read a second time, and recommend to others.

     Kyra, a potion’s master, was a good main character with a strong will.  Despite her strong bonds with her friends, she was determined to do what was right—even if it meant going on the run for committing a crime.  I liked seeing her develop as a character.  Hal, well, I really hated him.  Honestly, I’m glad Kyra found out what she did about him before things could escalate between them.  Fred was a good addition to the plot; he was funny, carefree, and likable.  Poison also had a really good cast of supporting characters.

      I liked the story.  At first I didn’t really get some of the details, but when everything was revealed at the end, I understood.  I liked the fact that everything in Poison had to do with the plot, and there weren’t any miscellaneous details floating around just because.  Overall, Poison was quick enjoyable read, and my only wish is there were would have been a sequel.

I really like it.  I would recommend it.