REVIEW! Stay.

STAY by Deb Caletti

Clara’s relationship with Christian is intense from the start, and like nothing she’s ever experienced before. But what starts as devotion quickly becomes obsession, and it’s almost too late before Clara realizes how far gone Christian is--and what he’s willing to do to make her stay.

Now Clara has left the city—and Christian—behind. No one back home has any idea where she is, but she still struggles to shake off her fear. She knows Christian won’t let her go that easily, and that no matter how far she runs, it may not be far enough....

My rating: 4 stars.

MY THOUGHTS:

Very, very, very poignant. 

Stay is one of the most insightful reads in the YA circuit, dealing with relationship issues of all kinds - friends, family, significant others. It's chilling and not at all a light read. It makes you question things; it makes you think. When a book can do that, you know it's special. Stay is special.

Caletti handles the topics of abuse well, almost tenderly.  Her writing is smooth and soft.  She incorporates soothing images into difficult themes, which keeps the book moving.  The balance created between the two levels the bad with the good. 

Clara is an annoying character at times because it's almost like she purposely frustrates the reader; every decision she makes, every little word she says, it's all unbelievable.  But the deeper into the story you get, the more you understand why. This is what I enjoyed most about the story: it develops. It's not a swift, action-packed tale. It's heartbreak, it's discovery, it's learning, it's healing. It's all of these feelings packaged into one, and while that comes off messy and unsettling to dive into, Caletti manages them so seamlessly.

Stay is a story you won't easily forget. It's troubling, but it resonates.

In My Mailbox (17).

Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions by Melissa Marr (and others).

Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott.

Very excited for these two. I've heard many good things.

TGIF! (9)

TGIF is brought to us by Ginger at GReads!

It's a way for bloggers to celebrate the end of the week with a nice re-cap of their weekly posts and to answer a random question.

Blogger Confession: What's the last book you could not finish? (or had a hard time finishing?)

Going Bovine by Libba Bray. I know, I know. It's an amazing book. It won the Printz award, after all. Plus the writing is catchy. And a kid with mad cow disease? What's not interesting about that? I was hooked until I got about halfway through, and then everything just quickly fell flat for me. I like creepy, crazy, funny, strange. But not the kind that Going Bovine offers. For lack of a better way to say it, the story basically unraveled, along with my interest.

I haven't completely abandoned it, though. I hope to return to it sometime in the future, because it is in no way a "bad" book. I'm just not feeling it at the moment.

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Vlogging: This is How We Roll

Waiting on Wednesday

REVIEW! The Iron Queen - You must read this; it's fabulous! **

In My Mailbox

Coming up this week:

Review of Stay by Deb Caletti!

Vlogging: This is How We Roll.

A vlog, or video blog, is a blog post that contains video content. Sounds simple. Making one? Not so simple.

But vlogs are invading the book blogging blogosphere (Say that 3x fast!) like crazy. They come in handy for talking about all things related to books - and for sharing squeals of excitement, bloopers and even pets (I've seen some really cute puppies.).  Mostly they're used for memes such as, and most notably, In My Mailbox. You know you've seen 'em or have made one.

I haven't taken that extra step yet. I actually haven't been convinced that vlogging is the way to go. Is it necessary? Do other bloggers prefer it to regular posts? Why?

So that's where you guys come in. I wanna know: do you prefer vlogs to regular posts? Why or why not? (I know, that sounds like an essay question. Ew.) 

*As if it wasn't obvious enough, I'm trying to decide whether I should incorporate vlogs on the blog. I'd really appreciate your feedback!

Waiting On Wednesday (14).

Waiting On Wednesday is from Jill, at Breaking the Spine.

Want to Go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman

Abby and Luke chat online. They've never met. But they are going to. Soon.

Abby is starting high school—it should be exciting, so why doesn't she care? Everyone tells her to "make an effort," but why can't she just be herself? Abby quickly feels like she's losing a grip on her once-happy life. The only thing she cares about anymore is talking to Luke, a guy she met online, who understands. It feels dangerous and yet good to chat with Luke—he is her secret, and she's his. Then Luke asks her to meet him, and she does. But Luke isn't who he says he is. When Abby goes missing, everyone is left to put together the pieces. If they don't, they'll never see Abby again.

How long have I been waiting on this? FOREVER! I've seen a few other bloggers that have already had the privilege of reading this, and I haven't heard anything really negative about it. I'm so excited!

REVIEW! The Iron Queen.

THE IRON QUEEN
Julie Kagawa

My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back.

My rating: 5 stars.

MY THOUGHTS:

HOLY COW. WOW. WOWZA. STUPENDOUS!

The Iron Queen does not disappoint in any regards. Sure, there are a few overly repeated phrases used to convey character personalities. But otherwise, the drama gets you right in the gut, the action keeps you hanging on every word, and the romance just might bring you to tears. (Word of advice: keep tissues handy!)

This third part to the Iron Fey series is simply a knockout; it takes the loose ends from the previous two (Iron King and Iron Daughter) and weaves them together into a complete picture. Granted, this does not take away from the suspense or mystery Kagawa creates. If anything, it justifies the two. Just when you begin to doubt the plot and characters, something comes along to reel you right back in. The Iron Queen is a constant tug of war on your emotions. It comes off frantic, but in the end, it all makes sense.

It's in this installment that the characters steal the show.  They don't just grow, they build off of one another, working cohesively. It's an interesting mix for sure, when the plot in the previous two is what took precedence. Getting to the core of Meghan, Puck and Ash shapes the story; while at times they seem one dimensional or cookie cutter in the previous books, they show their true selves in The Iron Queen and it's a refreshing surprise. You won't be able to stay unattached to any of them.

Really, I could go on, but I think my opening sentiments sum up my feelings enough.

** You all need to read this book!
And be on the lookout for the upcoming book, The Iron Knight, being released 10/25/11!
I'm not sure I've ever gotten so worked up about a book before. I mean, I have. But not recently. This is easily my favorite read of 2011 so far. How I'm possibly going to wait for The Iron Knight, I have no idea. I'm already dying to know what happens and have been bragging about this to friends. I think I may be in love with this book. (And Ash!)

In My Mailbox (16).

Tris & Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison.

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick.

I don't exactly need any more books, but I can't help myself! I can't pass something up when I know I'll get to it eventually.