The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

I typically hate reviewing a book that is in the middle of media/ popularity explosion purely for the fact that if I don't agree with the fan culture it may end up very poorly for me. However I really do like it and feel realitively safe that I won't get spammed. So here it is!


For those of you who haven't yet heard of the basic plot here it is! For most of her life Hazel has know how see would die. From the cancer that she has been given a brief respite of it's deadly progression. When her parents think she need "socialization" she attends a support group of cancer survivors she meets Augustus Waters. Thanks to him life is about to get a lot more interesting.

This book is raw and it feels real. The emotions that Hazel experiences knowing that she's going to die, how she feels about her parents interferences, and Augustus. The characters are a type that you don't really see often dealing with things that are so hard to portray correctly. John has done an amazing job with it.

As for the movie well we'll see. I do and don't want to see it, however since John Green made a comment in his vlog that it was good and true to the book. So it may be worth it. I'll let you know if I watch it and if so how good it is :D

Concealed in Shadows by Gabrielle Arrowsmith

Set roughly 19 years into the future where America has been divided into counties, where once you're in you don't leave. Due to the chips everyone receives and the barrier that shocks everyone who attempts to cross it. Our protagonist Sydney is one of the few that risks her life to get out of the county to see the world but now she has to be careful as she's trying to gain custody of her sister. When it looks like everything is going her way the only thing that could happen is something go wrong.

Loved loved loved this book! I immediately got the equal and loved it as well (just a note as it would be hard to talk about without revealing spoilers I won't be doing a review on it here). This book shows an interesting family dynamic through clever dialogue and flashbacks. And the world that has been created is phenomenal. With complex governments and incredible technology it's somewhere that would be terrible but amazing to live in. It shows that most people are okay with almost anything if it's easy and convenient for them, where very few will challenge the status quo.

I got off on a little rant there but let me know what you think. Do you think most people follow the crowd and just accept or do they challenge and do what they have to to just be themselves?

Happy Fourth of July!

Today is July fourth and in my part of the world that means its Independence day. Most people celebrate this holiday with food, family, and fireworks but I'm going to celebrate it by talking about books that have been banned and challenged. Why? Because America is supposedly a nation of the free and we should be free to read whatever we would like.

Books that have been banned are taken out of schools or libraries because someone doesn't like the message that they send. Challenged books are books that have received formal complaints because of their content. But why? Shouldn't we the public be able to decide what we want to read for ourselves and not have to listen to a small minority?

Some of the books that have been banned or challenged:
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Looking For Alaska by John Green
and Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

And many more. Books are challenged because they go against the social norm. Harry Potter was challenged because "they promote witchcraft, are too dark and they set bad examples". When Chronicles of Narnia wasn't because it had strong Christian undertones. Other books are challenged because they're sexually explicit, have drug references, or homosexuality. This is not something we should ban and hide it's part of our culture and our nature we should embrace these books and learn what they have to teach us.

I'm going to celebrate Independence Day by reading a banned book what about you?

Looking For Alaska by John Green

Miles never really had any friends, he was a good kid averaged good grades but life was boring he craved a great perhaps. Something that would define and change his life so he decides to go to boarding school. Cold Water Creek boarding school to be exact and his life defiantly takes a twist though not exactly how he expects it to. He meets Alaska Young and everything goes right and wrong at the exact same time.

I've been a fan of John Green for awhile now even though I've only recently read any of his books. I originally found him through YouTube. Specially Crash Course and educational channel he does with his brother Hank. He also does Mental Floss. Both are super awesome if you like learning stuff and you should. Anyway on to the book!

I decided to read this book mostly because James suggested it and as he's never had me read a bad book. So I read it and such a good book with so many feels. He made me empathize with both Miles and Alaska having been in both of their shoes at different points in my life and instead of a cliche ending he continued past the tragedy with how the survivors struggled on after. It's just a really good book and deserves every ounce of praise it's been given.

And in the words of John and Hank Green: Don't Forget To Be Awesome.

His Brother's Secret by Debra Salonen

After what happened her sophomore year in college Jenna Murphy's life was turned on its head. Her innocence ripped away in the most brutal way possible, she was raped. Now she has mostly recovered from the tragedy but still keeps men at an arms length. Until she meets Shane for the first time since college. What she doesn't know is that Shane has had a crush on her since college and knows a secret about what happened to her and has kept it for the past six years.

This book talks about a very sensitive issue rape. Specifically the way people with influence tend to get away with it. It is handled very beautifully keeping the emotional aspect very real and at some points very raw. While developing the characters in ways that you don't expect.

Radialloy by J. Grace Pennington

Andi Loyd lives aboard the Surveyor as the second medical officer under her adoptive father. The year is 2320 and her life is pretty average. That begins to change when new passengers join the Surveyor. Making her question the only person she has ever trusted completely, the man who took her in with no reservations, her father. When the clock starts ticking down and her fathers life and sanity are on the line will Andi be able to save him and everyone else aboard the surveyor?

This book was a little outside of my comfort zone being a Sci-Fi but despite, maybe because of that, it was a really good book. The world, while fantastical, was realistic giving some of the technology names and purposes, grounding it giving them faults. Making the characters people you can relate to but different enough so that you can tell they're not from our time.

This is a really good book and I urge people who wouldn't normaly give sci-fi a chance to do so. It's worth it I promise!

Girl With Guitar by Caisey Quinn

All Kylie has ever wanted to do was play music. And after the loss of her beloved father, then getting thrown out by her step mother now seemed as good of time as any to try. However when she moves to Nashville its even harder than she thought it would be. No job, no place to call home, and a supply of money that is dwindling by the day she about loses all hope, when she receives a stroke of luck. A waitress job at The Rum Room, it's not glamorous but its a job. When she sings a cover of Trace Corbin's hit at open mic night she's given an even bigger stroke of luck, Trace Corbin asked her to go on tour with him. Will this be the chance she's always wanted or will it end up being a disaster and ruining her dream forever?

I liked this book sweet and wholesome girl with a harlot for a stepmother, meets down home boy who happens to be a superstar with a drinking problem. A recipe for disaster... maybe, good story definitely. The characters are quirky and dynamic, presented by Kylie's thoughts and the opinions of the characters that surround her.

This book does have some sexual content so if you're not comfortable with that you shouldn't read this book.