susanarnoldbooks's reviews
61 reviews
The Girl Who Lived by Christopher Greyson
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.0
I caught a couple of grammatical errors that impacted the meaning of the sentences.
There were plot wholes and the reader was left with more questions than answers at the end. Most of the plot was entirely predictable until the end, when a twist—which I felt was unnecessary and did not make any sense—was thrown in.
There were plot wholes and the reader was left with more questions than answers at the end. Most of the plot was entirely predictable until the end, when a twist—which I felt was unnecessary and did not make any sense—was thrown in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Blood, Car accident, Confinement, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Grief
Uses for Boys by Erica Lorraine Scheidt
Erica Lorraine Scheidt‘s debut novel, USES FOR BOYS, is an astonishing, realistic coming-of-age story about a teenage girl struggling to fill the void of loneliness in her insane life.
With a superficial mother that is never home because she’s always working or going on dates, and no father figure to speak of, 16-year-old Anna feels more alone than ever, especially after her only friend, Nancy, abandons her. In attempts to feel wanted, Anna takes to spending time with a bunch of different boys. Her actions end up earning her a pretty negative reputation at school.
With a new friend, Toy, Anna’s life starts to pick up; especially when she meets Sam, one of the only boys in her life that genuinely accepts who she is. Sam is perfect in Anna’s eyes and he is a boy that Anna can compare to Toy’s multiple boyfriends, which seem to jump from the pages of fairytales. Sam’s family loves and accepts Anna and all of her flaws, taking her under their wing.
USES FOR BOYS is a book that every teenage girl can relate to. The feeling of being an outcast, being lonely and being judged are very prevalent themes in the novel. This being said, I wouldn’t suggest the book for younger readers as it has more than one sexual scene and the ‘f’ bomb is dropped a few times.
Overall I enjoyed the book and related to it, not because I’m like Anna, but because I’ve seen girls at my school like her. In the future, because of this book, I’m going to try my best not to be rude to girls like Anna, or ignore them; I will attempt to befriend them and help them through their struggles.
USES FOR BOYS is a special book that, if read by the right person, can change lives for the good.
With a superficial mother that is never home because she’s always working or going on dates, and no father figure to speak of, 16-year-old Anna feels more alone than ever, especially after her only friend, Nancy, abandons her. In attempts to feel wanted, Anna takes to spending time with a bunch of different boys. Her actions end up earning her a pretty negative reputation at school.
With a new friend, Toy, Anna’s life starts to pick up; especially when she meets Sam, one of the only boys in her life that genuinely accepts who she is. Sam is perfect in Anna’s eyes and he is a boy that Anna can compare to Toy’s multiple boyfriends, which seem to jump from the pages of fairytales. Sam’s family loves and accepts Anna and all of her flaws, taking her under their wing.
USES FOR BOYS is a book that every teenage girl can relate to. The feeling of being an outcast, being lonely and being judged are very prevalent themes in the novel. This being said, I wouldn’t suggest the book for younger readers as it has more than one sexual scene and the ‘f’ bomb is dropped a few times.
Overall I enjoyed the book and related to it, not because I’m like Anna, but because I’ve seen girls at my school like her. In the future, because of this book, I’m going to try my best not to be rude to girls like Anna, or ignore them; I will attempt to befriend them and help them through their struggles.
USES FOR BOYS is a special book that, if read by the right person, can change lives for the good.
SYLO by D.J. MacHale
5.0
New York Times bestselling author, D.J. MacHale’s, novel SYLO instantly draws readers in. It’s a wonderful science-fiction mystery about an island that is quarantined and the confused citizens who live there.
When his parents start acting weird, and a mysterious drug that’s killing people off is being sent around the island, 14-year-old Tucker Pierce and his best friend Quinn, along with the mystifying Tori, set off to find answers. Why is Pemberwick Island, Maine, under quarantine? What is SYLO? Where did the drug, the Ruby, come from? What are the flying shadows? Who can be trusted? What’s the truth? Their actions lead to more questions, drugs and death.
SYLO is book that every teenager can relate to. Not because of the quarantine, island living, and flying shadows, but because throughout the entire book there are elements of everyday life. Feeling like an outcast? That’s in the novel. Tucker also has moments where he falls victim to peer pressure, he is afraid to talk to the girl he likes and he feels like he can’t conform to his parents’ expectations. All of these are typical teenager emotions and situations everyone experiences at least once in their lives. I know I have felt them all.
SYLO, in my own opinion, is an absolutely fantastic novel. By the second sentence on the first page of the book, I was hooked. The style in which the book was written was also a nice change for me—I’ve never really read a first person narrative from a male’s perspective, other than the Percy Jackson series, and I enjoyed the perspective that MacHale used to tell the story. I loved how at the end of every chapter there was a cliffhanger, causing this book to never leave my hands. I couldn’t put it down! I honestly cannot wait until the second book comes out. SYLO is joining my “Favorites” bookshelf!
When his parents start acting weird, and a mysterious drug that’s killing people off is being sent around the island, 14-year-old Tucker Pierce and his best friend Quinn, along with the mystifying Tori, set off to find answers. Why is Pemberwick Island, Maine, under quarantine? What is SYLO? Where did the drug, the Ruby, come from? What are the flying shadows? Who can be trusted? What’s the truth? Their actions lead to more questions, drugs and death.
SYLO is book that every teenager can relate to. Not because of the quarantine, island living, and flying shadows, but because throughout the entire book there are elements of everyday life. Feeling like an outcast? That’s in the novel. Tucker also has moments where he falls victim to peer pressure, he is afraid to talk to the girl he likes and he feels like he can’t conform to his parents’ expectations. All of these are typical teenager emotions and situations everyone experiences at least once in their lives. I know I have felt them all.
SYLO, in my own opinion, is an absolutely fantastic novel. By the second sentence on the first page of the book, I was hooked. The style in which the book was written was also a nice change for me—I’ve never really read a first person narrative from a male’s perspective, other than the Percy Jackson series, and I enjoyed the perspective that MacHale used to tell the story. I loved how at the end of every chapter there was a cliffhanger, causing this book to never leave my hands. I couldn’t put it down! I honestly cannot wait until the second book comes out. SYLO is joining my “Favorites” bookshelf!
The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr
3.0
Sara Zarr’s novel, THE LUCY VARIATIONS, is a coming-of-age story about a teenage girl struggling to decide who she wants to be in life; and how to get her family to understand and support her.
With an overly competitive grandfather who refuses to have things any other way than the way he wants them, a mother who always agrees with Lucy’s grandpa, and a father that tries to stay out of the middle, 16-year-old Lucy doesn’t know how to communicate her decisions to her family.
When death strikes, and her family hires new piano teacher, Will, for her brother, Gus, Lucy thinks that she finally finds somebody who understands. Someone who can help her.
THE LUCY VARIATIONS is a book that I believe every teenage girl should read. It helps the reader see that no matter what happens in your family, your family is always there for you; they’ll always come around in the end.
The book sort of made me think of Pretty Little Liars meets Arrow. In relation to PLL, Lucy is into older men (Don’t worry, nothing bad happens!) and the book starts out with a death that gets the ball rolling.
In relation to Arrow, there are flashbacks throughout the novel that help the reader understand where Lucy is in her life and why. If you’re sensitive to swear words I wouldn’t suggest reading this book, it’s based in high school, after all.
Overall I enjoyed the book and related to it in the sense of being shy to share my goals in life with my family. I completely fell in love with THE LUCY VARIATIONS and can honestly say that it’s now one of my favorite books!
With an overly competitive grandfather who refuses to have things any other way than the way he wants them, a mother who always agrees with Lucy’s grandpa, and a father that tries to stay out of the middle, 16-year-old Lucy doesn’t know how to communicate her decisions to her family.
When death strikes, and her family hires new piano teacher, Will, for her brother, Gus, Lucy thinks that she finally finds somebody who understands. Someone who can help her.
THE LUCY VARIATIONS is a book that I believe every teenage girl should read. It helps the reader see that no matter what happens in your family, your family is always there for you; they’ll always come around in the end.
The book sort of made me think of Pretty Little Liars meets Arrow. In relation to PLL, Lucy is into older men (Don’t worry, nothing bad happens!) and the book starts out with a death that gets the ball rolling.
In relation to Arrow, there are flashbacks throughout the novel that help the reader understand where Lucy is in her life and why. If you’re sensitive to swear words I wouldn’t suggest reading this book, it’s based in high school, after all.
Overall I enjoyed the book and related to it in the sense of being shy to share my goals in life with my family. I completely fell in love with THE LUCY VARIATIONS and can honestly say that it’s now one of my favorite books!
Summer by Summer by Heather Burch
4.0
Heather Burch’s novel SUMMER BY SUMMER, has more layers than an onion. The job offer of a lifetime for Summer Mathers—to nanny for Joshie Garrison over the summer while in Belize for a family vacation—turns to tragedy when Summer and Joshie’s older brother Bray, who Summer can’t stand, find themselves stuck on a boat in the middle of a storm and stranded on a remote island with nothing but the clothes on their backs to survive. As enemies become allies, the two work together to stay alive on the unforgiving island, and their tensions grow in ways neither expected.
SUMMER BY SUMMER is a novel that had me turning every page, waiting in anticipation to see what would happen next. Though it starts out a bit boring, the ball gets rolling in chapter two. SUMMER BY SUMMER shows that everybody has ghosts in their past, but everybody is able to work through them; ghosts make us who we are. Summer lived through a tragedy, which is why she applied for the job in the first place, to leave her ghosts behind; but ghosts don’t stop haunting just because one gets on a plane.
SUMMER BY SUMMER is unique in its own way, reminding me of many different authors at many different times. There were points on the island when Summer and Bray were fighting for survival when I was reminded of Suzanne Collin’s MOCKING JAY. There were times in the beginning of the novel when I was reminded of THE DUFF because of the wild parties and how Summer felt like such an outsider.
Overall, it’s easy for me to say that I fell head over heels for SUMMER BY SUMMER. I spent an entire day doing nothing but reading this book and sipping tea. One thing that really struck me about this book was Summer’s love for writing and her faith, qualities I felt that mirrored my own.
SUMMER BY SUMMER is a novel that had me turning every page, waiting in anticipation to see what would happen next. Though it starts out a bit boring, the ball gets rolling in chapter two. SUMMER BY SUMMER shows that everybody has ghosts in their past, but everybody is able to work through them; ghosts make us who we are. Summer lived through a tragedy, which is why she applied for the job in the first place, to leave her ghosts behind; but ghosts don’t stop haunting just because one gets on a plane.
SUMMER BY SUMMER is unique in its own way, reminding me of many different authors at many different times. There were points on the island when Summer and Bray were fighting for survival when I was reminded of Suzanne Collin’s MOCKING JAY. There were times in the beginning of the novel when I was reminded of THE DUFF because of the wild parties and how Summer felt like such an outsider.
Overall, it’s easy for me to say that I fell head over heels for SUMMER BY SUMMER. I spent an entire day doing nothing but reading this book and sipping tea. One thing that really struck me about this book was Summer’s love for writing and her faith, qualities I felt that mirrored my own.
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
5.0
Let me first say that I have a love-hate relationship with John Green because of his writing style, which I don’t really like. What I love, though, is how easily one can fall into his books and become part of them. I thought that I should put that out there to try to ward off any bias while I write this review.
An Abundance of Kathrines is a book that I had been, for lack of a better word, nervous to read because one of my friends read it and said that she didn’t really like it. I’m glad that Amazon had it on sale for five dollars, or else I never would have bought it and read it and realized that I really really liked it.
Though it starts out kind of slow, and it is rather confusing until you get used to the way that Colin and Hassan speak to each other, once the ball gets rolling An Abundance of Katherines is easily an amazing book. Filled with heartbreak (duh, it’s a John Green book), yearning for adventure and knowing, An Abundance of Katherines pulls at heartstrings in search of the answer for why relationships end the way that they do and why people end up where they are, doing what they’re doing.
With everything from spontaneous road trips, lynchpins that started the First World War to wild boars and pink pickup trucks, An Abundance of Katherines will spark curiosity, if not a yearning to finish the book in three days (like I did).
There really isn’t much that reminds me of this novel because it’s so unique. This could be a bad thing, because Green’s The Fault in Our Stars is usually compared to the Titanic. Or this could be a good thing, because there is nothing out there like it, which means that An Abundance of Kathrines is really, truly its own creation. I would recommend reading it, though. I really liked it, and its unique writing style, even more unique than any other John Green book.
An Abundance of Kathrines is a book that I had been, for lack of a better word, nervous to read because one of my friends read it and said that she didn’t really like it. I’m glad that Amazon had it on sale for five dollars, or else I never would have bought it and read it and realized that I really really liked it.
Though it starts out kind of slow, and it is rather confusing until you get used to the way that Colin and Hassan speak to each other, once the ball gets rolling An Abundance of Katherines is easily an amazing book. Filled with heartbreak (duh, it’s a John Green book), yearning for adventure and knowing, An Abundance of Katherines pulls at heartstrings in search of the answer for why relationships end the way that they do and why people end up where they are, doing what they’re doing.
With everything from spontaneous road trips, lynchpins that started the First World War to wild boars and pink pickup trucks, An Abundance of Katherines will spark curiosity, if not a yearning to finish the book in three days (like I did).
There really isn’t much that reminds me of this novel because it’s so unique. This could be a bad thing, because Green’s The Fault in Our Stars is usually compared to the Titanic. Or this could be a good thing, because there is nothing out there like it, which means that An Abundance of Kathrines is really, truly its own creation. I would recommend reading it, though. I really liked it, and its unique writing style, even more unique than any other John Green book.
Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
4.0
Original blog post here: https://susanarnoldbooks.com/2016/05/24/pandemonium-review/
Pandemonium, book two of the Delerium Trilogy, was instantly not at all what I thought it would be.
I thought that it would pick up right where the first book left off, or at least somewhere near there, but it’s told through two different timelines: then and now. Now takes place six months after the end of the first book, then picks up only a few days after. It was an aspect of the story that I wasn’t prepared for, but I think it worked out for the better in the end.
What really threw me for a loop was the fact that Lena, the protagonist of the series, was SO different than she was in Delerium. It’s understandable, why she’s so different, but I don’t think it’s explained as well as it can be given the then and now story sequences.
The whole situation of the now sequences (SPOILER: a rebellion) isn’t well explained either. It’s stated several times that the Invalids have attacked cities across the nation, but we only get a detailed account of the attack in Portland, which doesn’t even make sense since Lena isn’t even in Portland for any portion of this book. Due to how big of a deal the rebellion is in Pandemonium, I wish there would have been more details about not just the attacks, but the rebellion in itself. Also, there is a big deal made about Lena’s escape from Portland and how it impacted the Invalid’s method of receiving supplies…shortly after, a rebellion is started. I want to know if Lena’s escape somehow started the rebellion, or if it was a lynchpin to starting it.
Lastly, there were a couple twist endings to Pandemonium. One (I’m not going to spoil it) that I thought was very appropriate and well placed, the other (also will not spoil it) seemed lame and as though it will be used to create unnecessary drama in the third book.
Overall, I give Pandemonium and 3.5/5 rating. It was well written and suspense-filled, but very different from the first book.
Pandemonium, book two of the Delerium Trilogy, was instantly not at all what I thought it would be.
I thought that it would pick up right where the first book left off, or at least somewhere near there, but it’s told through two different timelines: then and now. Now takes place six months after the end of the first book, then picks up only a few days after. It was an aspect of the story that I wasn’t prepared for, but I think it worked out for the better in the end.
What really threw me for a loop was the fact that Lena, the protagonist of the series, was SO different than she was in Delerium. It’s understandable, why she’s so different, but I don’t think it’s explained as well as it can be given the then and now story sequences.
The whole situation of the now sequences (SPOILER: a rebellion) isn’t well explained either. It’s stated several times that the Invalids have attacked cities across the nation, but we only get a detailed account of the attack in Portland, which doesn’t even make sense since Lena isn’t even in Portland for any portion of this book. Due to how big of a deal the rebellion is in Pandemonium, I wish there would have been more details about not just the attacks, but the rebellion in itself. Also, there is a big deal made about Lena’s escape from Portland and how it impacted the Invalid’s method of receiving supplies…shortly after, a rebellion is started. I want to know if Lena’s escape somehow started the rebellion, or if it was a lynchpin to starting it.
Lastly, there were a couple twist endings to Pandemonium. One (I’m not going to spoil it) that I thought was very appropriate and well placed, the other (also will not spoil it) seemed lame and as though it will be used to create unnecessary drama in the third book.
Overall, I give Pandemonium and 3.5/5 rating. It was well written and suspense-filled, but very different from the first book.
Requiem by Lauren Oliver
3.0
To be honest, I am very disappointed with the way Lauren Oliver ended the Delirium series. I fell in love with the first book, once it started to pick up the pace. I even had the rest of the series two day shipped to my house once I finished reading because that’s how good it was and how intense the cliff-hanger was.
When I got to the second book, Pandemonium, I was sort of let down. The way the story was told was very different from the way the first book was told. It was harsher and it wasn’t in chronological order…but it worked for the actual story, it fit the way Lena had matured between the books. But, of course, Oliver had to add in another guy to Lena’s life. I felt that the addition of this new love was completely unnecessary. Given the plot line of the entire first book, and her hatred toward Julian, in the beginning, makes it almost impossible for me to believe that she’s actually fallen for him. (I would have believed that they had just become friends and that he fell for her (given the circumstances) but I just don’t think that the Lena I had come to know would have fallen for Julian.) Don’t get me wrong, though, Julian is a great guy. And then, at the very end of the book, BAM an entirely unnecessary love triangle added just for some drama and because all the popular books at the time had a love triangle. I just don’t find it possible that Alex is alive after the end of the first book. And even if he is, that he found Lena out in the vast Wilds.
After the let down of Pandemonium, I was excited to read Requiem, thinking that it would actually be better written. I was wrong. If it wasn’t for how much I loved the first book of this series, I would have given Requiem a one-star rating. I didn’t mind how Oliver told the story through both Hana’s and Lena’s point of views, I thought that it worked really well and accented the story wonderfully. And the story itself wasn’t too bad, though it wasn’t nearly as captivating as Delirium. But, for most of it, there was unnecessary drama, a vast majority of the background information wasn’t explained (because Lena, as a protagonist, was kept in the dark for most of it, which is fine; readers, though, shouldn’t be kept in the dark. That’s, like, rule number three of being an author. NEVER keep your readers in the dark, they love to know what the protagonist doesn’t.) and the ending didn’t even seem like an ending. The book just stopped, abruptly, leaving me wanting more that I wanted at the end of Delirium. Did the rebellion succeed? Is Hana alive? How will Lena break the news to Julian–who has nobody besides her–that she’s going to be with Alex? Why are you guys breaking down a wall when an entire nation wants to wipe you out? I wanted more. And the way the book just stopped made it seem to me like Oliver hadn’t even thought out an ending, or didn’t want to, and decided to call it good. I was very disappointed and almost didn’t even bother finishing the book.
Like I said earlier, if it wasn’t for the first book, I’d give Requiem a one-star rating. But it gets a three-star rating because of Delirium.
When I got to the second book, Pandemonium, I was sort of let down. The way the story was told was very different from the way the first book was told. It was harsher and it wasn’t in chronological order…but it worked for the actual story, it fit the way Lena had matured between the books. But, of course, Oliver had to add in another guy to Lena’s life. I felt that the addition of this new love was completely unnecessary. Given the plot line of the entire first book, and her hatred toward Julian, in the beginning, makes it almost impossible for me to believe that she’s actually fallen for him. (I would have believed that they had just become friends and that he fell for her (given the circumstances) but I just don’t think that the Lena I had come to know would have fallen for Julian.) Don’t get me wrong, though, Julian is a great guy. And then, at the very end of the book, BAM an entirely unnecessary love triangle added just for some drama and because all the popular books at the time had a love triangle. I just don’t find it possible that Alex is alive after the end of the first book. And even if he is, that he found Lena out in the vast Wilds.
After the let down of Pandemonium, I was excited to read Requiem, thinking that it would actually be better written. I was wrong. If it wasn’t for how much I loved the first book of this series, I would have given Requiem a one-star rating. I didn’t mind how Oliver told the story through both Hana’s and Lena’s point of views, I thought that it worked really well and accented the story wonderfully. And the story itself wasn’t too bad, though it wasn’t nearly as captivating as Delirium. But, for most of it, there was unnecessary drama, a vast majority of the background information wasn’t explained (because Lena, as a protagonist, was kept in the dark for most of it, which is fine; readers, though, shouldn’t be kept in the dark. That’s, like, rule number three of being an author. NEVER keep your readers in the dark, they love to know what the protagonist doesn’t.) and the ending didn’t even seem like an ending. The book just stopped, abruptly, leaving me wanting more that I wanted at the end of Delirium. Did the rebellion succeed? Is Hana alive? How will Lena break the news to Julian–who has nobody besides her–that she’s going to be with Alex? Why are you guys breaking down a wall when an entire nation wants to wipe you out? I wanted more. And the way the book just stopped made it seem to me like Oliver hadn’t even thought out an ending, or didn’t want to, and decided to call it good. I was very disappointed and almost didn’t even bother finishing the book.
Like I said earlier, if it wasn’t for the first book, I’d give Requiem a one-star rating. But it gets a three-star rating because of Delirium.