Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Synopsis:
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. Heart-wrenchingly beautiful, Mia's story will stay with you for a long, long time.


Review:
If I Stay is one of the most beautiful books I have read in such a long time. The story was absolutely amazing. I do not want to give much away. If you have not read this book, you must! I am so excited to read the sequel, Where She Went, when I can get my hands on it. This book is definitely powerful and will stay with me for a long time. I would describe it as an emotional story because it will have you laughing and crying.

As you can probably tell,  I absolutely loved this book! The story switches back and forth from Mia being in a sort of limbo in the present to events that have happened in her past. This is how she decides if she should stay or go. Forman's writing is a page turner. She has such a way with words that is so gorgeous. I read this book in one sitting because I could not put it down and did not want it to end!

Rating: 5/5

Swords are for fighting!

Review: Dark Parties by Sara Grant

Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Neva has been trapped since birth. She was born and raised under the Protectosphere, in an isolated nation ruled by fear, lies, and xenophobia. A shield "protects" them from the outside world, but also locks the citizens inside. But there's nothing left on the outside, ever since the world collapsed from violent warfare. Or so the government says...

Neva and her best friend Sanna believe the government is lying and stage a "dark party" to recruit members for their underground rebellion. But as Neva begins to uncover the truth, she realizes she must question everything she's ever known, including the people she loves the most.

Review:
Dark Parties was such a great read. I definitely enjoyed this dystopian book. The main character, Neva, was a breath of fresh air. I liked that she never gave up her individualism and beliefs. She did not like the way the government controlled people's lives, and she tried to do something about it. I loved her quiet, rebellious attitude. I enjoyed following her story.

The government was horrible (obviously). Controlling the lives of its citizens to the point where many people would just disappear like they never existed. In this world, a sixteen year old is considered an adult, and adults are expected to start their lives by being good citizens. Meaning they are expected to have sex to have babies. Neva notices that mostly girls are the ones to disappear. She keeps track of everyone she notices that goes missing in her secret journal. It was kind of shocking to discover what the government has done to them.

The romance in this book was definitely hot! Unfortunately, Neva's boyfriend, Ethan, has been pretty much brainwashed by the government. Before he was a carefree, rebellious teen, but he becomes a boy that only wants to start a family with Neva. I found it sad how crushed his spirit became.

Unfortunately for Neva, she discovers she has strong feelings for newcomer Braydon, her best friend, Sanna's, boyfriend. She cannot help the way she feels and neither can Braydon. I definitely liked Braydon, but I never completely trusted him. I still do not know what to think of him.

If you like dystopian books, I would definitely recommend reading Dark Parties. It is a quick read, and I enjoyed it. It has an interesting plot with many unexpected twists. I did not think it was predictable at all. There is plenty of action, and the ending was perfect in my opinion.

Rating: 4/5

Swords are for fighting!

Review: Flip This Zombie (Living With the Dead #2) by Jesse Petersen

Synopsis:

The Zombie Apocalypse has been good to Sarah and David. Their marriage is better than ever. They communicate well, share responsibilities, and now, they're starting a business. ZombieBusters-for all your zombie extermination needs.

There are lots of zombies and that means lots of customers...Except one of them doesn't want the zombies dead, he wants them alive and ready for experimentation. Mad scientists make for difficult clients and this time, Sarah and David might have bitten off more than they can chew.

Review:
Flip This Zombie takes place a few months after the zombie plague has started. Sarah and David have adapted to the Zombie Apocalypse life by starting their own zombie hunting business. They meet a scientist who is developing a cure. They also meet a boy who is definitely bratty and annoying for a good part of the book. I did not really like him until the end.

Sarah and David's relationship is just amazing. I love that the Zombie Apocalypse has made their love stronger than ever. The things that they said sometimes had me laughing! If a Zombie Apocalypse ever happened, I hope I would have as much fun as they have (if I didn't become one of the living dead).

This book was so much fun to read! I love the humor that it is filled with. One of the most entertaining series I have read in a long time. If you like zombies, then you will definitely like this book. It was interesting, exciting, thrilling, and a quick read. I am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Eat Slay Love.

Rating: 4/5

Swords are for fighting,

Review: Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison

Synopsis:
Bridget Duke is the uncontested ruler of her school. The meanest girl with the biggest secret insecurities. And when new girl Anna Judge arrives, things start to fall apart for Bridget: friends don't worship as attentively, teachers don't fall for her wide-eyed "who me?" look, expulsion looms ahead and the one boy she's always loved—Liam Ward—can barely even look at her anymore.

When a desperate Bridget drives too fast and crashes her car, she ends up in limbo, facing everyone she's wronged and walking a few uncomfortable miles in their shoes. Now she has only one chance to make a last impression. Though she might end up dead, she has one last shot at redemption and the chance to right the wrongs she's inflicted on the people who mean the most to her.

And Bridget's about to learn that, sometimes, saying you're sorry just isn't enough….

Review:
When I first started reading Here Lies Bridget, I had a hunch that I would not like this book because the main character is not at all likable at first. Bridget Duke is a stereotypical popular girl. She is a horrible person who is conceited, rude, jealous, and overall annoying. She rules the school because people are afraid of what she can do to them. Bridget only thinks of herself and what is best for her, so she does not care about those around her. She loves to lie if it will keep her out of trouble. I honestly did not like her at all in the first half of the book because of her mean and hurtful demeanor.

After the car crash, Bridget starts to realize how horrible she is and how many people she has hurt. As soon as she started to see how bratty she had been acting, I surprisingly started to like her. I did not think it was possible to like a character like her, but Harbison made it possible. She knows how to make an unlikable character likable.

Here Lies Bridget is a fun and easy read. The ending was my favorite part because it was so adorable!Perfect beach read in my opinion. The story is definitely interesting, so I would recommend reading it if you get a chance.

Rating: 3.5/5

Swords are for fighting,

Review: Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves

Synopsis:

Kit and Fancy Cordelle are sisters of the best kind: best friends, best confidantes, and best accomplices. The daughters of the infamous Bonesaw Killer, Kit and Fancy are used to feeling like outsiders, and that’s just the way they like it. But in Portero, where the weird and wild run rampant, the Cordelle sisters are hardly the oddest or most dangerous creatures around.

It’s no surprise when Kit and Fancy start to give in to their deepest desire—the desire to kill. What starts as a fascination with slicing open and stitching up quickly spirals into a gratifying murder spree. Of course, the sisters aren’t killing just anyone, only the people who truly deserve it. But the girls have learned from the mistakes of their father, and know that a shred of evidence could get them caught. So when Fancy stumbles upon a mysterious and invisible doorway to another world, she opens a door to endless possibilities….

Review:

Slice of Cherry is one twisted novel, and I sure did love it! Dia Reeves has created a fascinating, dark world set in Portero, Texas that is a bit disturbing and strange, but Reeves made it work. Her writing is incredible. I could not put down this book for very long.

This book is on the violent side with passages of beating up people, torture, and murder, so I do not think Slice of Cherry is for everyone. I would recommend it to older teens and adults. The plot was very interesting. I never thought I would end up liking the Cordelle sisters who have killer tendencies. I not only liked them, but I ended up caring for them. It did help that they only kill people that deserve it.

Kit and Fancy Cordelle are extremely close sisters. They are best friends that do everything together. They both have the urge to hurt people. Kit is the older sister at seventeen. She is extremely opinionated and talks for her shy sister, Fancy. Like her father, she gets a satisfied feeling when she kills. 

Fancy is fifteen and seems to just follow Kit around at first. She is a bit more hesitant to killing at first, but she enjoys it like her sister. She does not dress her age as one of the Turner brothers, Ilan, points out often. She wears clothes that are too small for her as though she is trying to stay young. I found Fancy to be a bit bratty at times and jealous of Kit. She acts out when she does not get her way. She does have a sort of magical ability to open a door to another dimension that she calls her Happy Place. Fancy also keeps a Dream Diary, and an excerpt from her Dream Diary is before each chapter. Her dreams are definitely creepy! 

The Turner brothers, Gabe and Ilan, are perfect matches for the Cordelle sisters. Ilan is sweet, cute, charming, and blunt. He is not afraid to say what he is thinking especially to Fancy. Gabe gives off a weird vibe that screams problem child, but everyone in Portero has problems. 

Slice of Cherry is a wonderful read. The book may be a bit intimidating at 505 pages, but it was such a quick read that I did not even notice the length. I hope everyone gives this book a chance if they can!

Rating: 4.5/5

Swords are for fighting!