Showing posts with label 5 stars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 5 stars. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Book Review: Jellicle Girl by Stevie Mikayne: "A Book for Insights to the Human Mind"

Tuesday morning at Dr. Sullivan's office. For the briefest moment, I considered killing myself to get out of this appointment. That'd really throw her for a loop. Bet she'd never see that coming.

It's been a while since I reviewed a book, but just as I promised, here it is!

This review may contain MILD SPOILERS

Genre: Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 234
Publisher: Evolved Publishing
Publication Date: Aug 15, 2012
Website: Stevie Mikayne | Jellicle Girl on Goodreads


Where I got this book: I got a free copy of this book from Books, Biscuits, and Tea in exchange for an honest review - thank you!

Synopsis via Goodreads: 

When Beth met Jackie, she was fifteen and shy, living in the shadow of her mother: talented artist Heather Sarandon. Jackie—wilful, cheeky and confident, made Beth see things in herself that she'd never imagined, and do things she never thought she would. As memories of Beth's last night with Jackie grow more like waking nightmares, Beth does everything she can to forget the girl who was so much more than a friend...


Beth has a self-destructive ritual she swears she'll keep secret, even from the psychologist trying to help her. But Dr. Nancy Sullivan doesn't have time for secrets. In fact, she doesn't have much time at all. She's been charged with helping Beth break through the barriers of her past, knowing very well that her own demons might end her career before she can get through to the stubborn young woman. 


Meanwhile, a young foster child with a wicked sense of humour, and a devastating past, reminds Beth that secrets seem powerful, but can destroy the person who holds them too close. 


A haunting and evocative story about redemption, identity, and learning to let go of secrets that scar.

I'll start small and easy. I've never read a lot of contemporary or realistic fiction (I'm more of a fantasy and sci-fi fan – but you've probably known this from my blog), but Jellicle Girl held my attention just as those magical worlds. But instead, this is a world inside the mind of a teenage girl, who Stevie Mikayne has described with (to use her own words) “searing insight”.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Book Review: The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins: "An Easy Read Which Poses Serious Questions"

Tonight. After the reaping, everyone is supposed to celebrate. And a lot of people do, out of relief that their children have been spared for another year. But at least two families will pull their shutters, lock their doors, and try to figure out how they will survive the painful weeks to come.

Series: The Hunger Games Trilogy: The Hunger Games/Catching Fire/Mockingjay
Genre: Dystopian, Science Fiction
Pages: 374/391/390
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: Sep 14, 2008/Sep 1, 2009/Aug 24, 2010
Website: Suzanne Collins | The Hunger Games Series on GoodReads



Where I got these books: Bought the boxed set from Tiki (a local online bookstore)
How I started reading: My friends in the Harry Potter fandom were all gushing over the series. Then a friend of mine started reading it for one of her class' assignment, so I joined her.

Synopsis: In Panem, a country rising from the ruins of North America, 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen’s life was completely turned upside down when she volunteered in her sister’s place to enter a televised “game”, which would lead to either victory or death. Her decisions were now entwined with the fate of all the people who knew her, and ultimately, with Panem itself.

First off, can I just start by saying that I absolutely adore this series? These books are probably the first ones since ever to keep me up reading until 2a.m. The plot is fast-paced, with cliffhangers almost every chapter. The language is simple and adds to the pacing. The books are written in first-person POV, so we can really get in the head of Katniss and thus everything she does become much more relatable...