Review: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 470 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins; 1^st edition (March 2^nd 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061726818
ISBN-13: 9780061726811
Source: Purchased from BookDepository

First Sentence: “They say that before you die your whole life flashes before your eyes, but that’s not how it happened for me.”
Favorite Line from the Book: “Maybe you can afford to wait. Maybe for you there’s a tomorrow. Maybe for you there’s one thousand tomorrows, or three thousand, or ten, so much time you can bathe in it, roll around it, let it slide like coins through you fingers. So much time you can waste it. But for some of us there’s only today. And the truth is, you never really know.”

Book Summary: What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all—looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12th should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it’s her last. The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. In fact, she re-lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she had ever imagined.

It has been hours since I finished reading the book, and yet I still don’t know how to review it.  Don’t get me wrong, I do love the book… too much that is!  That’s the reason why I cannot put into words the things that I feel.  Maybe I better start with the plot.

Samantha Kingston is your typical popular high school gal.  She has her three best friends, a very popular and handsome jock boyfriend, and a very adorable little sister.  Perfect life, right?  Well, she thought so too, until an after-party accident made everything changed.  She instantly felt that she was dying… and she did.  What was surprising was that she woke up from the alarm of her clock, but it’s not the next day.  It’s still February 12^th, Cupid’s Day, the day that she’s been anticipating to be doing “the deed” with her boyfriend.  And guess what?  The day kept on repeating itself, not once, not twice… but SEVEN times!

Eventually, Samantha was able to realize that she needed to do some things right.  She needed to re-evaluate herself and how she treated other people.  She felt certain that by doing all these things, everything would fall on their rightful places and everything would be fine.

I am not going to delve in too much into the story as I might give out too much.  Anyhow, the prologue captivated my interest, I mean it was so intriguing.  The first few chapters irritated me.  I mean, I actually felt the meanness of these girls!  And I was beginning to be pissed with Samantha for not doing anything to stop her friends from harassing those poor students who couldn’t even defend themselves.  Then, the next chapters just simply captured not only my attention, but my emotions as well.  This book has been a roller coaster ride for me.  I loved the different twists and turns.  I salute Lauren Oliver for writing such a wonderful novel.

All in all, all I can say is WOW!  Definitely, this book is something that everyone should read and never miss out on!

Here’s the book trailer:

 

Rating

Transitioning to Blogger

Hi, everyone! I am slowly transitioning my WordPress blog to Blogger. I have seen so many other features at Blogger that is going to be very helpful for me. I’ll let you know once it is up and running and I’ll have to close this one.

In My Mailbox {3}

In My Mailbox is an amazing weekly meme hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren that features the books we have received during the week.

Finally, all the books I have ordered from Book Depository have finally arrived!  I am from Manila, Philippines, so it takes about 10-21 business days for any delivery to arrive.  So you can just imagine my anticipation for the arrival of these books.  Luckily they were all delivered together.  Yay!

Here are the books I received this week:

 

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lorr

In the beginning they were a group of nine. Nine aliens who left their home planet of Lorien when it fell under attack by the evil Mogadorian. Nine aliens who scattered on Earth. Nine aliens who look like ordinary teenagers living ordinary lives, but who have extraordinary, paranormal skills. Nine aliens who might be sitting next to you now.

The Nine had to separate and go into hiding. The Mogadorian caught Number One in Malaysia, Number Two in England, and Number Three in Kenya. All of them were killed. John Smith, of Paradise, Ohio, is Number Four. He knows that he is next.

I AM NUMBER FOUR is the thrilling launch of a series about an exceptional group of teens as they struggle to outrun their past, discover their future—and live a normal life on Earth.

I AM NUMBER FOUR.
I AM NEXT.

 

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

BROOKLYN: Andi Alpers is on the edge. She’s angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she’s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights’ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for winter break.PARIS: Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn’t want—and couldn’t escape.Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present. 

Jennifer Donnelly, author of the award-winning novel A Northern Light, artfully weaves two girls’ stories into one unforgettable account of life, loss, and enduring love. Revolution spans centuries and vividly depicts the eternal struggles of the human heart.

 

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all—looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12th should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it’s her last. The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. In fact, she re-lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she had ever imagined.

 

 

 

 

 

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love — the deliria — blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love

 

 

 

 

 

What do you have in your mailbox?

Cover Alert: Inheritance by Christopher Paolini

Finally, finally, finally!  After about 2 years and a half of waiting for news about the 4th book of the Inheritance series, I got a surprising news earlier.  It will be released on November 8th this year!  Woooot!  About time I say!  And, here’s the cover of the final book.  So what are we expecting in this book?  “The burning questions asked by fans around the world will finally be answered in this last installment,” said Christopher Paolini. “All will be revealed!” – you can also read through the detailed article here.

 

TGIF! {2}

TGIF is a Friday feature hosted by Ginger at GReads!to recap the week on your blog and to answer a fun question.

 

This week’s question is:

Writing Negative Reviews: Are you guilty of it?

Hmmm… well my book blog is fairly new.  I just started posting my thoughts about books and everything related to them this month, so I haven’t gotten to a point yet that I have to write a negative review.  And am thankful for that (*wink*)!  Prior to book blogging, I do recommend books to my friends if they ask for my opinion.  Although I give them my point of views about the book, I tell them both the nice things and the not-so-nice stuff about the premise (if there is one).  I give them the pros and cons of buying and/or reading the book so that they’ll be the judges themselves.  I give out a balanced approach in providing feedback because at the end of the day, I may not be into the book, but others might find it awesome. ^_^

 

 

Chachic’s Birthday Giveaway

Chachic at Chachic’s Book Nook is having a book giveaway for her birthday (wooooot!)… check the details here.  She’s one of the very first book bloggers that I started stalking even way before I decided to have my own.  You can check all her awesome reviews at her blog. 😀

 

 

Waiting on Wednesday {2}

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases you are eagerly anticipating.

I just couldn’t contain my excitement for the release of this book!  I only got to start reading about this series last January and I read through the first 3 books in just a week!  I simply love the plot and the way the events and characters were written.  It’s as if I really know Clary, Jace, and Simon!   The book will be released by April 5th 2011.

City of Fallen Angels is the fourth book in the bestselling series The Mortal Instruments.

“City of Fallen Angels takes place two months after the events of City of Glass. In it, a mysterious someone’s killing the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle and displaying their bodies around New York City in a manner designed to provoke hostility between Downworlders and Shadowhunters, leaving tensions running high in the city and disrupting Clary’s plan to lead as normal a life as she can — training to be a Shadowhunter, and pursuing her relationship with Jace. As Jace and Clary delve into the issue of the murdered Shadowhunters, they discover a mystery that has deeply personal consequences for them — consequences that may strengthen their relationship, or rip it apart forever. Meanwhile, internecine warfare among vampires is tearing the Downworld community apart, and only Simon — the Daylighter who everyone wants on their side — can decide the outcome; too bad he wants nothing to do with Downworld politics. Love, blood, betrayal and revenge: the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.”

 

 

Review: Vesper by Jeff Sampson

Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: FeBalzer + Bray / HarperCollins; 1st edition (January 25th 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061992763
ISBN-13: 9780061992766
Source: Purchased from FullyBooked

Book Summary: Emily Webb is a geek. And she’s happy that way. Content hiding under hoodies and curling up to watch old horror flicks, she’s never been the kind of girl who sneaks out for midnight parties. And she’s definitely not the kind of girl who starts fights or flirts with other girls’ boyfriends. Until one night Emily finds herself doing exactly that . . . the same night one of her classmates—also named Emily—is found mysteriously murdered.

The thing is, Emily doesn’t know why she’s doing any of this. By day, she’s the same old boring Emily, but by night, she turns into a thrill seeker. With every nightfall, Emily gets wilder until it’s no longer just her personality that changes. Her body can do things it never could before: Emily is now strong, fast, and utterly fearless. And soon Emily realizes that she’s not just coming out of her shell . . . there’s something much bigger going on. Is she bewitched by the soul of the other, murdered Emily? Or is Emily Webb becoming something else entirely— something not human?

As Emily hunts for answers, she finds out that she’s not the only one this is happening to—some of her classmates are changing as well. Who is turning these teens into monsters—and how many people will they kill to get what they want?

If you need a book which will make you keep on reading then this is it!

The book started off in an interrogation room and a girl, Vesper 1 (Emily), was being question about the series of events which would be later on be revealed within the book.  Emily is your ordinary geek girl.  Reading books, watching DVDs, and basically a girl, choosing hanging out with her best friend than going out on a Friday night, that’s Emily Webb.  Nobody really and truly knows her except her bestfriend, Megan and she’s fine with that.  Well, Megan thought she really knew Emily.  Until one night, the other popular, pretty Emily Cooke got murdered and all the changes started to happen to OUR Emily.  Emily Webber is your ordinary awkward geek by day, and yet transforms into sexy, confident girl by night time.  She does extraordinary things by night and wakes up confused the next day.  Everyday, things started to get weirder and weirder and Emily thinks that she’s being hunted by the ghost of the other Emily.  With a murderer running rampant and still on a mission to shoot random teenagers, Emily is thinking if everything that’s happening are all tied together.

I instantly got hooked with this book.  I liked the idea of the author to include transcripts of the interrogation, especially on the very first page of the book.  It brought out mysteriousness and definitely a feeling that there is something that you don’t want to miss out on.  I kept reading and reading and before I knew it, I’ve finished the entire book and even asking for more!

The premise is a breath of fresh air.  When you are reading a YA novel, there’s always ALWAYS a love story involved.  But in Vesper, it delved more on self-discovery and friendship.  Although there is a promise of a love story in the succeeding books.  That’s not too bad either as I liked all the teenage boy characters in the book.

I liked the pacing of the book… how it gradually builds momentum and gives you the feeling that you want to ride with it.  Overall, it is an intriguing read, fast-paced, and has a lot of things to look forward to on the next installment of the series.

Here’s the video for you to check out:

 

Rating

Teaser Tuesdays {2}

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

“‘If you’re like me, your last day starts like this:'”

Page 7, Hardcover

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Cover Crazy {2}

Cover Crazy is a weekly meme that was created by Tawni over at The Book Worms to show which cover(s) you are absolutely going crazy over!

This week I can’t get my eyes off this book.  AND it’s not even out yet!

What I love:

The mysteriousness of this cover is what got me… added to the great plot and I definitely want to have my hands on this!

I love how both of them embraced each other.  It is so passionate and so loving.

What do you think of this cover?