Reading Review - A Million Suns by Beth Revis

*sequel review- check out my Goodreads review of the first book, spoilers for the first book below*

Godspeed was once fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos. 

It’s been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. Everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed.

But there may be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to act on his vision—no more Phydus, no more lies.

But when Elder learns shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a mystery that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier. Their success—or failure—will determine the fate of the 2,298 passengers aboardGodspeed. But with each step, the journey becomes more perilous, the ship more chaotic, and the love between them more impossible to fight.

Beth Revis catapulted readers into the far reaches of space with her New York Times bestselling debut, Across the Universe. In A Million Suns, Beth deepens the mystery with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship.

A Million Suns on Goodreads

Beth Revis

Rating - 4 Stars

Major Pros - Elder's Character Development, World Building, Mystery

Major Cons - Some supporting characters

Continuing on with the series? Yes

How I Read It - Purchased

A Million Suns is the type of sequel I wanted to see after the ending of Across the Universe. The society aboard Godspeed is free of Phydus, and the characters are facing the aftermath of everything they'd uncovered in the first book. Elder is dealing with a society charged with tension, unrest, and problems. The society made me nervous for him, and this book saw a lot of character development for Elder. Amy had her part in the story as well, and I liked her character more in this book than in the former. She seemed more mature and contributed more to the problem solving. However, the society is one of the defining factors of this book. Beth Revis wrote a city and people on edge, ready for anything to happen. It was chilling, eerie, and intense in a way that the Phydus controlled society hadn't been.

This story is another mystery, and I was left guessing more in this book than I had been in Across the Universe. I think I appreciated this book more because there was development in this book- Elder as a leader, the society without Phydus. Amy's point of view chapters didn't stand out to me as much, but she didn't annoy me as much as she had in Across the Universe. There is a build up of impossible problems and plot twists, and this book definitely has a faster, more consistent pacing than its predecessor.

While A Million Suns still had some character flaws, this book improved upon the issues I'd had with the first book. There's still drama, but more focused on important issues, and there's character development and a mystery as well. I'm definitely going to be completing the series and seeing how the story finally unfolds in Shades of Earth. A Million Suns is a sequel that's even better than the first book, and makes me excited to see how the adventure continues in the trilogy's finale!

From the paper world,
V

Reading Review - Hourglass by Myra McEntire

One hour to rewrite the past . . . 

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may also change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should've happened?

Hourglass on Goodreads

Visit the Author's Website

Rating - 3 Stars

Major Pros - Unique, Good Pacing

Major Cons - Protagonist

Continuing on with the Series?  - Yes (the sequels are told from other POVs)

How I Read It - Gifted

Hello, everyone! I return with yet another book review, this one is for a series starter that I've been wanting to read for awhile. Hourglass by Myra McEntire has always sounded really interesting, and so I'm really glad I was able to pick up the book and read it. However, I ended up having some problems with some key elements of Hourglass, so I ended up slightly disappointed in the book. I gave Hourglass 3 out of 5 stars.

To begin, my biggest problem was with the narrator and protagonist. She was awesome for the first bit of the book and then suddenly...insta-love struck. I actually had a whole discussion post on paranormal and my recent problems with it, unfortunately that got deleted. However, one of my main problems that I'd mentioned in the post was about how insta-love can take over a paranormal. I'm the sort that likes more supernatural powers and abilities and supernatural element building than romance build up. So I was disappointed in the fact that the protagonist's abilities came in second place to 'that guy with the dreamy eyes'. 

Aside from the insta-love, the protagonist was kind of obnoxious at points, especially during interactions with the love interest. The other characters were interesting yet felt underdeveloped. Typically the secrecy of the paranormal leads to the pre-supernatural adventure best friend being completely off topic in a paranormal and, most of the time, annoying to the point of making me want to skim. With Lily, however, I loved how unique and spunky her character was, and I honestly wish we'd seen more of her. The protagonist's family was another aspect I would have liked to see more of- her interactions with them were equally as annoying as the ones with her love interest, as the protagonist showed little consideration for others. Although the supporting characters weren't featured frequently, I was really impressed with McEntire's creation of a supporting cast so unique that I wanted to know more about them.

The pacing and unfolding of the story were overall well done. I was definitely invested in the story's action and mystery, and I couldn't wait to find out what would happen. The story, romance aside, was a perfect blend of action and paranormal aspects. I loved how unique the Hourglass and the protagonist's abilities were shown, although I wish there was more about the abilities of the characters. Hopefully, there will be more of that in the second book!

I've decided to start including whether or not I'll continue on with this series in my reviews. For the Hourglass trilogy, I'm definitely planning on continuing on. I've seen that the sequel, Timepiece, is told by another narrator that is a character I want to know more about. I'm excited for this one because I'm sure it will include more paranormal world building, and continue on with the overarching story and have some fantastic character development. While I was definitely not a fan of the protagonist, this is a unique paranormal that I can't wait to continue on with the world and series with another perspective in the sequel.

From the paper world,
V

Reading Review - Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.

But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still the yellow brick road, though—but even that's crumbling.

What happened? Dorothy.

They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm—and I'm the other girl from Kansas.

I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.

I've been trained to fight.

And I have a mission.

Dorothy Must Die on Goodreads

Rating - 4 Stars
Major Pros - Unique retelling, Action
Major Cons - Narration, Character Interactions

Continuing on with series? Yes
How I Read It - Purchased

Today I'm going to be reviewing a 2014 debut that I've really been looking forward to- Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige. I read this as part of a readalong with Cassi of My Thoughts Literally, who I've done a readalong before with and always has the most insightful comments that make me appreciate the book more, and also Elizabeth of Book YAbber, who I had never talked to before and I'm so excited to have gotten to know a little. Hopefully we can have another readalong soon!

Dorothy Must Die isn't a retelling of Oz so much as a continuation of how things went drastically wrong. Dorothy has returned and taken control, and Oz has undergone some dramatic and terrible modifications. I will say that I haven't read the prequel novella, which is around 130 pages (so awesome to have longer novellas!) that depicts Dorothy's return to Oz if I'm not mistaken. However, I think that's definitely going to have to be something I pick up soon, as this book has made me very curious.

There is a lot of great qualities about this book- for one thing this series has very unique characters, and there's a lot of attention to detail in the retelling. This is also different from a lot of YA I've read in that the violence and despotic rule of Dorothy isn't sugar coated- gruesome things are happening in Oz and Amy is a member of the audience for a lot of them. The story itself is unexpected, which is definitely exciting- I couldn't predict where the story was going to turn next. It went differently than what I had anticipated, and I loved the way it unfolded as opposed to what I'd expected, since it left me curious. The last part of the book is definitely where everything starts coming together. I couldn't put the book down or look away as all of the action and build up intensify. By the ending, I was ready to read the next book and continue on with the adventure.

However, I did have a few problems regarding Dorothy Must Die, and although none of them were enough to really make me put the book down there were a few qualities that bothered me. The protagonist, while interesting, seemed a little contradictory and related to the other characters in a strange way. I would notice as I was reading that her reactions and thoughts about a character could seem completely different as she was talking to them and later when she was thinking about them on her own. It felt like a little bit of a disconnect and made it harder for me to connect to Amy's narration since I was confused as to what she was actually thinking, and I didn't connect well with the protagonist for the majority of the book. In the beginning, the story felt a little scattered as Amy tries to come to terms with her situation- it made the first part of the book slow for me. The very end of the story left me with questions- not only in a cliffhanger, I want to read more sense (although that definitely did happen!) but in a questioning the logistics of what's going on. However, my only main, overarching problem was with the protagonist/narrator and despite this, I still found the story grabbing my attention more and more as it went on.

Overall, I think Dorothy Must Die is an interesting read. It has a lot of awesome qualities that make it different from other YA I've read, and I think it's  fun read for a group of people to discuss. I ended up giving it 4 stars, so while I had some problems with it the good obviously outweighed the bad and I'm happy to say I did enjoy it a lot!

Have you read Dorothy Must Die or the prequel novella?

From the paper world,

V

Reading Review - The Karma Club by Jessica Brody

Madison Kasparkova always thought she understood how Karma works. Do good things and you'll be rewarded, do something bad and Karma will make sure you get what you deserve.

But when Maddy’s boyfriend  cheats on her, nothing bad comes his way. That’s why Maddy  starts the Karma Club,  to clean up the messes that the universe has left behind. Sometimes, though, it isn’t wise to meddle with the universe.

It turns out Karma often has plans of its own.

Visit the Author's Website

The Karma Club on Goodreads

Rating - 2.5 Stars

Major Pros - Entertaining, Lighthearted

Major Cons - Characterization, Development

How I Read It - Won in a giveaway 

It's time for yet another review! Although I've yet to hear much about this book, I am definitely curious to know other's thoughts since I had a very mixed reaction to this book. Today we're talking about The Karma Club by Jessica Brody. Going into the book, I was expecting something akin to Burn for Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian. That is to say, I was ready for a quick, entertaining read in that a group of friends banded together and completely unrealistic antics ensued.

The Karma Club disappointed me in the characters and how immature it felt. Granted, this is a contemporary tale of revenge so it's not going to be anything very relatable or realistic, but the characters themselves read as shallow and didn't undergo much character development as the story went on. The story lacked enough originality to make it stand out, and I was skimming often and skipping a few pages here and there to get through the story. 

Overall I was disappointed by The Karma Club. I had been hoping for more character development and growth, and for a more interesting cast of characters. The story read as entertaining and lighthearted at some points, and bland as others, and the characters weren't developed much throughout the course of the story. I think that this is a fast, quick and entertaining read, but lacked depth to it that would have made it a more memorable book for me. 

From the paper world,

V

Reading Review - Feather Bound by Sarah Raughley

When Deanna's missing friend Hyde turns up at his father's funeral to claim his corporate empire and inheritance, she is swept into his glittering world of paparazzi and wealth.

But re-kindling her friendship and the dizzying new emotions along for the ride are the least of her concerns. Because Deanna has a secret - and somebody knows. Someone who is out to get Hyde. And if she doesn't play along, and help the enemy destroy him...she will be sold to the highest bidder in the black market for human swans.

Now Deanna is struggling to break free from the gilded cage that would trap her forever...

Feather Bound is a dark debut reminiscent of Gabriel García Márquez's A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings, and the twisted truth behind the fairy tale of Cinderella.

Visit the Author's Website

Feather Bound on Goodreads

Rating - 4 Stars

Major Pros - Unique Concept, Interesting Story

Major Cons - Supporting Character Development

How I Read It - Purchased

I've been excited about a few 2014 debuts that have been coming out within the past few months. If you've followed the blog for awhile, you probably saw my 'Can't Wait Books of 2014' my Top Ten Tuesday where I featured 5 sequels and 5 debuts I couldn't wait to read, and other discussions on upcoming debuts that began way back in January. Feather Bound by Sarah Raughley was one that I featured several times in these posts. This is one of the top three debuts I'd been looking forward to, and I'm so glad I finally had the opportunity to read it. 

Simply by looking at the synopsis it's easy to see Feather Bound is a unique story. However, I was continually surprised by how refreshingly different this story was. Firstly, Feather Bound has very few of the typical paranormal tropes that I've seen in YA. For one thing, the supernatural element of swans is not something unbeknownst to society. Instead, swans as a whole are known of, and considered a social issue. I don't want to go into detail about the swan background and makeup, but I was intrigued by such a unique concept. Because it's unlike aything I've read before, I wanted a little more information about the swans but felt like I could still follow their story and problems for the most part.

The main character Deanna, and Hyde were both unique. Deanna wasn't a perfect protagonist, but despite her flaws she was never overbearing or too annoying. Hyde was a character I wish we had seen more of; part of my frustration with Deanna's character was her interactions with Hyde in the beginning. However, both of these characters grew and developed as the story went on, and I enjoyed learning more about them. I didn't see most of the plot twists coming, although I did realize some before the protagonist did.

In general, I was really interested and impressed by this debut. Although I'm pretty sure this is a standalone, I wish there would be more to this story and world, since it is so unique and I thought that the supporting characters lacked character development and, after the drama and suspense, I wanted to read more about these characters but the ending felt abrupt. This is a really unique debut that had good characters and a one of a kind supernatural aspect in the world that I want to read more about.

From the paper world,

V

June 2014 - Monthly Wrap Up

What I Read...

The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes
4 Stars
My Goodreads Review

Just One Night by Gayle Forman

No Rating Given

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

4 Stars

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

No Rating Given

Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

4 Stars

Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard

5 Stars

My Goodreads Review

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

3 Stars

A Million Suns by Beth Revis

4 Stars

The Karma Club by Jessica Brody

2.5 Stars

Feather Bound by Sarah Raughley

4 Stars

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

3 Stars
My Review

Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins

4 Stars
My Review

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

4 Stars
My Review

12 Full length novels and 1 Novella!

What Happened on the Blog...

I started and completed my first mini series! The First Half of 2014 was my way of discussing some of the best books I read thus far in 2014, and sharing a ton of book recommendations with you all!

Check out the start of the First Half of 2014 here!

In general, this month was really fantastic! I'm going to be skipping the Challenge Check In feature because it hasn't been the best way to keep up with my challenges, so I'll be changing the way I keep track of that on the blog in addition to some other minor design changes I hope to be getting around to if I haven't already. I hope your June was fantastic and your July as well!

From the paper world,

V

Reading Review - Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair. . . .

Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Peaches comes a magical and bewitching story of the romance between a fearless heroine and the boy who wouldn't grow up.

Tiger Lily on Goodreads

Rating - 3 Stars

Major Pros - Writing

Major Cons - Characterization

How I Read It - Purchased

Welcome back to the Paper World! Pull up a plushy chair and let's talk. Today I'm reviewing Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson. This is a really unique Peter Pan retelling that expands upon the character of Tiger Lily and her relationship with the boy who won't grow up. I was apprehensive about starting this book, because I had always been a fan of Wendy's character more so than Tiger Lily's in the animated Disney movie and the play. However, after hearing many positive reviews I decided to pick up the book.

The writing is definitely a beautiful aspect of this book. I was immediately drawn into the story and this Neverland, although I found that I wasn't as immersed in the world as I'd expected. Tiger Lily's village seemed to be flat in comparison to other elements of the book, but even then the writing and setting were well done and interesting. As the book opened, I found myself curious as to how the characters would appear in this rendition of the tale.

In regards to characterization, I was disappointed. It felt as if the characters were overplayed, their flaws exaggerated from their appearances in the movie or play. It didn't read as getting a closer glimpse into Peter and Tiger Lily's characters; instead it was more like meeting new characters entirely that didn't mesh well. The ending was also a bit of a letdown for me. I had been expecting more of a connection to the characters and was surprised by how little I'd connected to Tiger Lily's character and how many of the other characters from the original work were simply irritating.

In general, I think that this book has some beautiful writing and qualities to it, and I can see why it is loved by many. However, for me I found it difficult to connect to the characters, and Tiger Lily especially. I think that it was an interesting read, and even though I was disappointed with some aspects of the novel, I'm happy I finally picked it up after being curious about it for awhile.

From the paper world,

V

Reading Review - Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

The Pre-Sloane Emily didn't go to parties, she barely talked to guys, she didn't do anything crazy. Enter Sloane, social tornado and the best kind of best friend—the one who yanks you out of your shell.But right before what should have been an epic summer, Sloane just... disappears. No note. No calls. No texts. No Sloane. There’s just a random to-do list. On it, thirteen Sloane-selected-definitely-bizarre-tasks that Emily would never try... unless they could lead back to her best friend. Apple Picking at Night? Ok, easy enough.Dance until Dawn? Sure. Why not? Kiss a Stranger? Wait... what?

Getting through Sloane’s list would mean a lot of firsts. But Emily has this whole unexpected summer ahead of her, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected) to check things off. Who knows what she’ll find?

Go Skinny Dipping? Um...

Since You've Been Gone on Goodreads

Visit the Author's Website

Rating - 4 Stars
Major Pros - Fun, Lighthearted, Interesting Story
Major Cons - Love Story, Ending
How I Read It - Gifted

It feels like forever since I've written a review for a book on the blog. I've been trying to post the rest of my reviews for books that I read in the first part of 2014 (isn't it strange to think that the years halfway through?) and so any reviews I was writing as I finished a book were typically being posted on my Goodreads. However, today I'm here with a review for a contemporary I've heard tons of hype about, and that seemed like an ideal summer read.

Since You've Been Gone follows Emily, a protagonist that I took awhile to enjoy reading about and from her perspective. Emily is very dependent on her best friend Sloane, and while I'm introverted and can understand that aspect of her character, the dynamics of this relationship left me with mixed thoughts. Emily's character development was definitely gradual, which didn't bother me, but it seemed nonexistent in the first part of the book. I didn't find myself immediately engrossed in the story because Emily wasn't a very engaging narrator for me. However, as time goes on and the group of central characters emerges, the story becomes even better.

Emily definitely doesn't start out as my favorite narrator, but she definitely undergoes some great character development. Her friends aren't perfect either, but I think together they all made a good team and found ways to bring out the best in each other. The romance in this story was well written, but I didn't think it unfolded in the best way considering the circumstances. Altogether, I loved how the characters turned out because it felt like a unique, memorable group of characters that had developed throughout the course of the novel.

The ending was a good resolution to the story, but also felt a bit unresolved to me in certain areas. In a sense I'm almost expecting a sequel because some of the character relationships and dynamics felt unfinished to me. I think that I'm content enough with the ending but I can see how some of the characters were left with more to tell. 

In general, I think this was a fun story after I got into reading it. Although I think the hype was a bit much for me, Since You've Been Gone is a unique contemporary that I enjoyed.

From the paper world,

V

June 2014 - Monthly Book Haul

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly feature hosted at Tynga's Reviews. Here at Paper Worlds and Swirls of Ink, I link the monthly book haul to whatever week of Stacking the Shelves we happen to be on. Today we're talking about all the books I recieved or purchased during the month of June!

I actually had a few books gifted to me in May that I hadn't included in that haul, but I'm going to include those here. A lot of the books in this month's haul were ones that I was given. In total, there are 16 books.

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

Read - 4 Stars

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

Read - 4 Stars

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Read - No Rating Given

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Wicked by Gregory Maguire

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins

Read - 4 Stars

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Read - 3 Stars

Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

Read - 4 Stars

Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Read - 3 Stars

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Feather Bound by Sarah Raughley

Read - 4 Stars

Inland by Kat Rosenfield

Zodiac by Romina Russell

Thank you for stopping by the paper world, and I would love to hear what books you've picked up recently. If you've read any of these, let me know your thoughts!

From the paper world,

V