Slush Pile Reader - Slush Pile Reader

Slush Pile Reader - Slush Pile Reader

MY RATING: 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:
In a society where unwanted teens are salvaged for their body parts, three runaways fight the system that would "unwind" them.

Connor's parents want to be rid of him because he's a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs. Lev's unwinding has been planned since his birth, as part of his family's strict religion. Brought together by chance, and kept together by desperation, these three unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing their lives hang in the balance. If they can survive until their eighteenth birthday, they can't be harmed -- but when every piece of them, from their hands to their hearts, are wanted by a world gone mad, eighteen seems far, far away.
In Unwind, Boston Globe/Horn Book Award winner Neal Shusterman challenges readers' ideas about life -- not just where life begins, and where it ends, but what it truly means to be alive.

MY REVIEW:
Wow! What an incredibly unusual book. This is definitely an original and unique book. This is a book of pro-life and pro-choice gone completely wrong. Both parties came to an agreement because a civil war had broken out, and this was the only way for it to end.

They chose that when a child reaches the age of 13 to the age of 18 their parent has the choice of unwinding them. Being unwound means that they are sent to a slaughter house to be cut into many pieces and sent as donors to those who need a new arm, a new lung, a new brain, a new heart, a new toe, etc… Basically, none of their parts are wasted and are kept alive to help someone in need. So, if you have a teenager who misbehaves, no big deal, just send them to be unwound! They aren't, technically, killing them, they're body parts are still alive, just separated. Ummm.... yeah….

Conner wasn't an all that bad of a kid; he just got into too many fights, didn't try hard enough in school, and disobeyed his parents at times. He was 16 years old when he found out his parents had signed to have him unwound. So, he did the only thing he could have done in this type of situation, he ran away (and I can't say that I blame him). His running away saved two other kids who were being sent to be unwound, as well, by a freak accident on a highway; one being on a bus, and another being in a car.

Risa was an orphan. Another thing that the civil war started was storking. A mother was legally able to leave her child on any doorstep, and, as long as she wasn't caught, the family who lived in that house, became responsible for that child; this prevented babies being thrown in dumpsters. That family could raise that baby as their own, or send them to the state home. Though Risa was smart, and a very well behaved 15 year old, they chose to unwind her to cut costs for the orphanage.

Lev was a different case. His family was extremely religious, who believed completely and wholeheartedly in paying their tithe; therefore, Lev, being the tenth child, was born to be a tithe, and he knew about it. He was special. His entire life was devoted to the church and his knowledge that as soon as he turned 13, he would be tithed - unwound. So when Conner decided to try to save him from being unwound, he was not happy

Needless to say, the government was wrong, and what they were doing was barbaric. This story is how Conner became a saint amongst the unwounds, how Risa helped Conner, and how Lev went through emotional turmoil when he finally began to realize that being a human tithe wasn't all he hoped it to be.

This was an amazing and well written book. It really makes you stop to think about what the world is coming to – not that I believe it will come to this.

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

MY RATING: 5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

Seventeen-year-old Veronica 'Ronnie' Miller's life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wilmington, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alienated from her parents, especially her father ...until her mother decides it would be in everyone's best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. Ronnie's father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church. The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story about love in its myriad forms - first love, the love between parents and children - that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that deeply felt relationships can break our hearts ...and heal them.

MY REVIEW:

I absolutely love this book. It's a story about first love, second chances, forgiveness, life, and family. I loved the characters. Each and every one of them are well developed and are woven into each other in an unbelievable way. This story made me happy, excited, angry, and sad. I laughed in parts and I cried in parts. I was truly invested in this story.

This is the first book of fiction that I have read from Nicholas Sparks, and I am ashamed to admit it, because he’s an amazing author. I read his biography book - which was great - but I fell in love with this story and its characters.

Ronnie is an amazing young woman. Sure, she did stupid things and doesn't look the part that you would think an amazing young woman would look, with her black clothes and purple streak in her hair, but she was. She always tried to do the right thing, even if it was hard and would hurt someone. She was caring, protective, and independent. I loved how she helped the little boy that got hurt in the middle of Scott and Marcus's fight and wasn't afraid to voice how stupid they were being. I loved how she stayed outside with the nest to protect the eggs. There were so many little things that were going on in this story that were important and made the story as brilliant as it is - like the egg hatching.

Will was an honorable young man. Sure… he had the looks and came from a rich family, but he wasn't a snob like most kids would be if they were in that kind of position. He was smart, quirky, and adorable. I loved how he and Ronnie joked around with each other. I swear I laughed out loud every time the poked fun at one another. Will is every mothers dream boy for her daughter, and more. Sure, he had his misgivings and made mistakes himself, but if he didn't, this story wouldn't be so real.

At the beginning, I didn't know what to make of Ronnie. She seemed like such a brat and I hated the way she was treating her dad, but looking at it from her prospective, it makes total sense why she was so introverted, but reading on, you get where she's coming from, even though she was wrong. At least she learns from her mistakes.

Again, I loved this story. It’s a wonderful and powerful story, very captivating. I’m glad that I talked myself into reading it. Now, I just need to go watch the movie in the theaters. =P

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

MY RATING: 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:
What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all—looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12th should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it’s her last. The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. In fact, she re-lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she had ever imagined.

MY REVIEW:
I had such a hard time deciding how I wanted to rate this book. Right after I finished reading it, I wanted to give it 3 stars, at the most, because I was so angry at the book that I just wanted to toss it across the room. But, after sitting here and really thinking about this book, I realize that it deserves more than 3 stars, but I couldn’t bring myself to give it 5.

This book was a powerful, emotional, and riveting story. Samantha was not the kind of person that you want a main character to be. She was one of those popular girls in school who just 'new' that they were better than you, and her best friends weren't any better. They were rude, immodest, and stuck-up girls. That's what we see and everyone else sees (in the story) on the surface. Throughout the book, we dig a little deeper in each of their character.

I am truly amazed how Oliver wrote about teenage life, the fun, the partying, the friendships, the relationships, the pressures, the depression, the disorders, and everything. She squeezed a little bit of it all in this book and she did it perfectly.

Sam wanted to date the popular boy, she admired the ‘hot’ teacher, and she shunned the good guy because he was odd and clumsy – even though, when they were younger, they were the best of friends. She had her chance to figure out which one of these guys were who she really wanted to be with, having to live her last day seven times. She, also, was able to right all of her wrongs; for the way she treated people that didn’t live up to her and her friend’s popularity. They were cruel, but she was able to make up for her mistakes and misgivings in those seven days.

Overall, though I wasn’t completely happy with it, it was a very well written novel that we can all learn a lesson on. How do we treat others? Are we living everyday the way that we should be living it? If we were to die today, are there things that we wish we could have fixed before hand, like saying sorry to someone that you’ve hurt? This was a thought-provoking novel that helps us question our own humanity and they way that we treat others.

Darkest Power Series by Kelley Armstrong

MY RATING: 5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:Only two weeks ago, life was all too predictable. But that was before I saw my first ghost. Now, along with my supernatural friends Tori, Derek, and Simon, I’m on the run from the Edison Group, which genetically altered us as part of their sinister experiment. We’re hiding in a safe house that might not be as safe as it seems. We’ll be gone soon anyway, back to rescue those we’d left behind and to take out the Edison Group . . . or so we hope.

MY REVIEW:
This entire series is amazing. Honestly, I couldn't pick which book is my favorite. Each one is full of mystery, suspense, and intrigue. I love the characters. I love the writing style. I love the action. This is now one of my favorite series that I have ever read. Awesome books.

If you haven't read the first book, then maybe you should stop here and go read it. NOW! I hate to spoil the suspense of reading the first book because you read on in this review.

~~~~SPOILER OF FIRST BOOK IN THE DARKEST POWERS SERIES~~~~

Chloe the Necromancer – the main character. She is unique. She can be insecure and unsure of herself, but, throughout the books, she grows and matures and discovers who she really is. She establishes her powers of being a very strong necromancer – the strongest of her kind. She can force souls to enter their dead bodies and turn them into zombies – which she hates and tries really hard not to do, but has a hard time controlling her powers at times. Throughout the book, not only do we see her powers grow and her being able to control them, but we see her grow and become someone who’s strong and intelligent. I love how her and Derek are always bickering at each other. It brought a smile to my face every time.

Derek the Werewolf. When we first meet Derek, we think he's cruel and a big bully, who always stinks and has really bad acne. Not the type you would think Chloe could possibly have any interest in. But, when we really learn more Derek, and his loyalty, you can't help but fall deeply in-love with him and feel sorry for the way the world shuns him because he is a werewolf – a very strong werewolf. Derek is the leader type. I makes the big decisions and expects everyone to fall the rules – which Chloe has a hard time with. He is intelligent and will do anything to make sure his brother, Simon, and Chloe are safe – Tori on occasion, he doesn’t trust her much. He is loyal and really protective. He’s the kind of guy that would jump in the line of fire for you.

Simon the Warlock. He isn't like the others and is able to control his powers. He and Derek were raised as brothers and are really close. They would both do anything for the other. Simon has a big crush on Chloe, who also believes she has a crush on him, but seems to really be falling for the - gasp - werewolf. Simon is friendly and always tries to do the right thing.

Tori the Witch. Tori is crazy. In the first book, she is obsessed with Simon and hates Chloe because Simon likes Chloe and not her. She's mean and vindictive. Then we get to meet the real Tori. She's beautiful and the popular type on the outside, but on the inside, she's a mess. Her mother's crazy and tries to kill her, her 'father' turns his back on her and she has no friends. So she tags along with the other three, who mostly are unsure if they can trust her, and finally finds a place in life - and friends, though she won't admit it out loud. She does a complete change during the series.


There are other characters in this story that I adore, but these are the main ones. I loved each and every one of them - even Tori. These are books that I would read time and time again. Each of them got 5 stars from me.

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine

My rating: 4 Stars

Description:

I was born singing. Most babies cry. I sang an aria. Or so I believe. I have no one to tell me the truth of it. I was abandoned when I was a month old, left at the Featherbed Inn in the Ayorthaian villiage of Amonta. It was January 12th of the year of Thunder Songs.

The Fairy Lucinda has once again given a dreadful gift. THis time it's a mysterious magical mirror. The gift is disastrous when it falls into the hands of Aza, who never looks in a mirror if she can help it. In the Kingdom of Ayortha, Aza is most definitely not the fairest of them all. Many spurn her. Many scoff at her. She keeps out of sight.

But in the land or singers, Aza has her own gift, one she's come by without fairy intervention: a voice that can do almost anything, a voice that captivates all who hear it. In Ontio Castle, merry Prince Ijori is drawn to it, and vain Queen Ibi wants to use it for her own ends. Queen Ivi would do anything to remain the fairest in the land.

In this spellbinding tale filled with humor, adventure, romance, and song, Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Leine invites you to join Aza as she discovers how exquisite she truly is.

My review:

This book was a good, yet, a completely different, interpretation of Snow White. It was a fast and easy read. Aza was easy to fall in-love with, even though her whining about being ugly was a bit overdone. It was, however, easy to feel sorry for her.

Aza wasn't the most beautiful girl in Ayortha – that is putting it lightly, as far as the book is concerned – and everyone made sure she knew it. People avoided her at all costs because she wasn't slender and she was too palel with her strange black hair. Regardless of her strange looks, she had the most beautiful voice in the entire kingdom. She was the best singer and singing was BIG in Ayortha.

This book is an example of how people are capable of judging others by the way they look and not bothering to learn who the person really is on the inside. The beautiful thing about this story is, is that the prince was the exception. He thought Aza was beautiful and honest and didn't care what others thought of her. When she drank the potion that made her beautiful, which made the queen jealous, the prince didn't like it. He wanted his Aza back - big hips, pale skin, and all.

Overall, a good fairy tale interpretation.

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

My Rating: 4 Stars

Description:
Cameron Smith, 16, is slumming through high school, overshadowed by a sister “pre-majoring in perfection,” while working (ineptly) at the Buddha Burger. Then something happens to make him the focus of his family's attention: he contracts mad cow disease. What takes place after he is hospitalized is either that a gorgeous angel persuades him to search for a cure that will also save the world, or that he has a vivid hallucination brought on by the disease. Either way, what readers have is an absurdist comedy in which Cameron, Gonzo (a neurotic dwarf) and Balder (a Norse god cursed to appear as a yard gnome) go on a quixotic road trip during which they learn about string theory, wormholes and true love en route to Disney World. Bray's surreal humor may surprise fans of her historical fantasies about Gemma Doyle, as she trains her satirical eye on modern education, American materialism and religious cults (the smoothie-drinking members of the Church of Everlasting Satisfaction and Snack 'N' Bowl). Offer this to fans of Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy seeking more inspired lunacy.


My Review:
I cannot say that I absolutely 'loved' this book, because I didn't. However, it was so creative and well written that I cannot give it less than four (out of five) stars - it deserves, in every sense, four stars. I mean, wow, what a ride. This story was absolutely brilliant.

First, Cameron is being a normal, angsty teenage boy; admiring the popular girl from afar, smoking the occasional joint (not that this is completely normal), working a part-time job at a fast food restaurant, etc. But, suddenly, crazy things begin to happen. A cute, punk angel chick with pink hair begins to pop up at random, while he begins to have hallucinations about fire guys, who begin to wreak havoc on the world.

He then finds out that he has the incurable mad cow disease and is expected to die, until, the punk angel chick tells him if he finds Dr. X, he will be able to cure him of the disease. The catch, Dr. X was sucked up into a vortex and will be hard to find.

This is how Cameron escapes the hospital to go on a wild trip to find the cure and, because of Dr. X causing a black hole in the universe, having to save the world from annihilation. But, of course, how can you go on such a trip without the neurotic dwarf, Gonzo - who believes everything he eats and touches will be the death of him - the yard gnome, Balder - who says he’s a Norse god that was cursed, and, of course, Dulcie, the punk angel, who Cameron thinks is pretty hot?
And then you get the crazy people he meets along the way; a friendly, yet scary looking, drag queen, an old musician that is thought to be dead, mad scientests, a crazy cult called the Church of Everlasting Satisfaction and Snack 'N' Bowl, and many more.

Wild and crazy things happen along the way, while the Wizard of Reckoning, the destroyer of the world, is chasing Cameron around the world like the coyote chases the road runner in that well known cartoon that we all love. You know you do...

So, with all that being said, how can I not give this book 4 stars?