Book Review Tuesday – Page 33 – The Bookish Mutant

Book Review Tuesday (4/10/18)-Daughter of the Pirate King

Posted on April 10, 2018 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

“HUZZAH, I’M THE PIRATE KING!!!”

Hey, everyone, and welcome to this week’s Book Review Tuesday!

SLIGHT PLOT TWIST-I bought this one on my kindle, and I enjoyed it greatly. A fast-paced, action packed novel, with a clever and fierce heroine to match! I hope you enjoy my review!

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Daughter of the Pirate King

Alosa Kalligan, the seventeen year old daughter of the infamous Pirate King, is the fearless captain of her own ship, unmatched by hardly anyone on the high seas. Until one day, when she is kidnapped by the crew of the Night Farer, who seek to take her back to her father for a ransom. But what they don’t know is that Alosa has other plans. She has staged her kidnapping in order to find an ancient map that leads to an island filled with unimaginable riches. If she can just get the crew out of the way, she could quickly escape and do what no pirate has done before…

Daughter of the Pirate King was such a joy to read! What with sharp, witty dialogue, an action-packed plot, and as I said before, a heroine who is a true force to be reckoned with. Love, love love!

Also, throughout the entire book, I couldn’t help but imagine Alosa as like an older, pirate version of Merida from Brave.

Throughout the course of my life, Merida has been one of the only Disney Princesses that I’ve actually liked. I wasn’t a huge fan of the other princesses when I was little-I only really wanted to watch (and enjoyed) The Lion King and The Jungle Book and the other Disney movies which centered around wildlife. (Because, screw humans, I want AWESOME ANIMALS!)

Aaaaanyway, have a great rest of your day! (Thank God the weather’s warming up…)

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (4/3/18)-Rebel of the Sands

Posted on April 4, 2018 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hey, everyone, and welcome to the first BRT of April 2018!

I intended to review this book about a week or two ago, but due to California and a bit of Burger King Foot Lettuce, I was a little…delayed. I got this one at the library (no surprise there), and I managed to gobble it up in a few hours. It wasn’t the most spectacular novel in the universe, but it definitely kept me turning the pages for a while. Enjoy the review!

Rebel of the Sands

Amani Al’Hiza is just an orphaned girl with exceptional skills with a gun, dying to get out of her town of Dustwalk. In a daring act, she sneaks out of her home one night, crossdressing as a boy, and enters a shooting contest. There, she meets Jin, and with him, discovers a perfect escape. But what she never anticipated was a wild journey out into the desert, mythical creatures, and dark secrets that could mean the difference between life and death in the wrong hands. What dangers await Amani and Jin in the merciless deserts of Miraji?

About two years ago, I remember this being one of the runners-up for one of the YA catergories in the Goodreads Choice awards. It didn’t win, but I’m fairly sure that it got a lot of votes. I’d say that this was a fun, action-packed, and fast paced book, but not entirely worthy of all of the hype surrounding it. Not to say that this wasn’t good, but it wasn’t spectacular or DiTerlizzi/Rowell/Shusterman level mind-blowing or anything. (Wow, that was a coherent sentence…)

Well, see you guys soon, and enjoy the rest of your day!

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (3/13/18)-The Everafter

Posted on March 14, 2018 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hello, fellow bibliophiles, and welcome back to another installment of Book Review Tuesday!

This particular read was a one of my Kindle-interim-between-library-visit-books. At less than three hundred pages, I expected to gobble up The Everafter quickly. Which, don’t get me wrong, I did. But this book made me think, stirred up emotions in me, and made me cry a little. (Not in the way you’d think, though.) Surprisingly deep. Enjoy your review!

(Forgive me for the small cover image. This was the best quality one.)

The Everafter

17 year old Madison Stanton wakes up, drifting through an incomprehensible, dark void, with knowledge of only one thing.

She is dead.

But Madison soon realizes that she’s not alone. Floating around her are objects-ones that she’s lost in her previous life, and know, when she touches them, they trigger a memory of the past, be it a childhood trip to Disney World, her new cat, a teenage sleepover that ends up severing friendships, and even her first kiss. Although these objects have provided Madison with an idea of her past life, she still can’t figure out one thing, and she won’t stop until she finds the answer: How did she die in the first place?

From the description, I expected this book to be kind of sad, at the most. But not only did it make me think about the concepts of life and death, but it was actually pretty depressing. Nonetheless, it was an incredibly thought-provoking and powerful book.

One thing I prominently thought about after finishing this book was the concept of the lost objects triggering memories in the afterlife. My first thought was that one of the first objects that I (hypothetically) would find was this stuffed Webkinz Chihuahua that named Linny (yes, after the character from Wonder Pets…I was a weird child). To this day, I have no idea where the ever-loving heck she could’ve went. Sheesh.

Anyway, enjoy the rest of your evening, and (if you live in a place that has this) try not to get COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY THROWN OFF by Daylight Savings Time! (“Hello, darkness, my old friend,”…or maybe it’s the opposite…)

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (3/6/18)-Carry On

Posted on March 7, 2018 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hello, fellow bibliophiles, and welcome to the first BRT of March 2018! Exciting, isn’t it-I’ve had lots of great material to read, and it’s starting to get relatively warm outside! (“Relatively warm” meaning “in the high 50s and low 60s”…that’s Colorado in the spring for ya…sorta warm and slushy.) Also, I’m almost finished reading To Kill a Mockingbird, and so far I’ve cried twice. The first time was in the middle of Study Hall. Oof.

Anyway, I read this glorious novel last week, and boy, I FELL IN LOVE! I was so sad to return it to the library…*sniffles*

Before I proceed to the review, here’s a heads-up: this is based off of a fan-fiction written by a character in one of Rainbow Rowell’s other novels, Fangirl. It’s supposed to basically be a parallel-universe type Harry Potter, but in this case, Harry falls in love with Draco. And Draco’s an extremely hot vampire.

Carry On

After seven years being roommates with Tyrannus Basilton Grimm-Pitch-a pale, rich vampire who seems to have it in for him-Simon Snow is completely fed up with him. Through all of his problems at the Watford School of Magicks, be it his uncontrollable magic or his recent break-up with his girlfriend, Agatha Wellbelove, Baz has always been there to tease and torment him. And to add to all of the mess, there’s a monster running throughout England, hungry for all of its Magic. Something tells Simon that Baz is plotting against him, and he’s been doing it for the entire time. But this year, both Simon and Baz are seeing a great shift in themselves-where once they were enemies, they are now hopelessly in love with each other. Can they keep their newfound love a secret-and stop the sudden disappearance of magic?

This book deserves all the stars. Okay, maybe not all the stars in the universe-that goes to WondLa. But how about the amount of stars in the Milky Way? Hmm…

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Yep. Seems legit.

Regardless, Carry On deserves it all the way. Action! Magic! Ghosts! Monsters! Kissing!

AND…

VAMPIRES.

HOT VAMPIRES.

Specifically, Baz. Those stupid, sparkly, fairy princess Twilight vampires got nothin’ compared to him. Plus, the guy plays Kishi Bashi on his violion.

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! SQUEEEEEEEE!

Anyway, I’ll dispense from the swooning over a certain vampire and stop this post. Goodbye, and enjoy your evening.

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (2/27/18)-MILA 2.0

Posted on February 27, 2018 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hello there.

“Ah, General Kenobi…”

Sorry, I had to fit that in there. I’m a hopeless nerd.

Anyway, hello and welcome to the last BRT of February 2018!

This book’s a bit more predictable in terms of origin, as it is another library copy. At almost 500 pages, I gobbled it up in about two days. Not the best thing the literature universe has delivered, but definitely a fun ride. Enjoy the review!

MILA 2.0

As far as Mila knows, she’s a normal 16 year old girl, living in a tiny town in the middle of Minnesota. She lives with her single mother, after her father died in a fire in Philadelphia, where they used to live. But after an injury reveals a shocking secret, Mila realizes that she’s anything but human. Mila was an android, designed by the U.S. military to be the ultimate killer. To keep their identities a secret and their lives safe, Mila and her mother must evade the authorities in whatever way possible. But though they may run, they can never truly hide…

I’d say my book-rating scale rating would be about a 7. Hmm…6.75. Yeah, that’s fairly accurate. Not the best, but certainly not the worst. A fast-paced, action packed, and exciting novel.

I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your day, and keep on posting those SW quotes and gifs!

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (2/20/18)-Thunderhead

Posted on February 20, 2018February 20, 2018 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

HEY EVERYONE!

Again, I’m home sick, (I SWEAR TO GOD, THIS COLD WILL NOT LET GO), but don’t worry-this time, I’ve got a book review!

This one’s a book I’ve been anticipating eagerly since October of last year. It’s the sequel to Scythe (If you want to see my review for that one, see 10/17/17), and boy, if the first book was mind-blowing, Thunderhead BLEW IT OUT OF THE WATER! Which, honestly, was no surprise, as Neal Shusterman is a spectacular author, but let me just warn you that the ending left me…

…how should I say this?

Speechless. Mentally unstable. Shook. DEADISH.

Alright, I had to throw in a Scythe joke in there at some point. Not sorry. Here’s your review!

No spoilers. Promise.

Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe, #2)

Since their apprenticeship, Citra and Rowan-now Scythe Anastasia and Scythe Lucifer-have gone in wildy different directions. Scythe Anastasia has remained within the Scythedom as it slowly crumbles into corruption. She knows something must be done, but everything she tries is blocked from all directions. Even with the help of her mentor, Scythe Curie, it seems that the Scythedom is doomed. Scythe Lucifer, after failing his apprenticeship, has broken off from the Scythedom, snuffing out all of the Scythes he deems corrupt. He’s now one of the most wanted people in the Scythedom, but thusfar, he has evaded them for almost a year. Through it all, Scythe Anastasia isn’t the only one with it’s eyes on the Scythedom’s path. The Thunderhead, the digital ruler of the new world, is not pleased with what it sees. But is there anything it can do?

Okay, THIS BOOK IS A MASTERPIECE. FIVE BIG FAT STARS. SOLID TEN ON MY SCALE. JEEEEEEEEEEESUS, I LOVE THIS BOOK.

(SIDENOTE-I’m pretty sure I looked like Chris Pratt here a few times while reading Thunderhead. No joke.)

Yep, I think the Arc of a Scythe series is now up there right next to The Search for WondLa and Keeper of the Lost Cities as one of my favorite book series of all time.

Well, thanks for reading, and stay warm/healthy/sane!

*mic drop*

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (2/6/18)-Kat and Meg Conquer the World

Posted on February 7, 2018 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hey, everyone, and welcome to the first BRT of February 2018!

Pretty much the most boring month of the year. There’s Valentine’s Day, but that’s pretty much all that goes on. Plus, Valentine’s Day is basically for stuffing yourself with overly sweet chocolates and insincere, fill in the blank cards.

*Will Toledo voice* “I’m so sick of…fill in the blank…”

Aaaaaaanyway…

PLOT TWIST-I got the following book from an internship I had at my local bookstore. I got to pick out seven Advanced Reader Copies in exchange for a review of all of them. (The best part? If I didn’t like the book, all I had to write was “Would Not Recommend”!)

It seemed that this ARC had been in there a little while, as it came out last November, I believe. But anyway, it was the first really fantastic one that I came across. Enjoy my review!

Kat and Meg Conquer the World

Though Kat and Meg are both freshmen in the same high school, they couldn’t be more different. Kat just moved, and she’s introverted and suffers from an anxiety disorder. Meg is far more extroverted, but she has ADHD and her parents just divorced. But when they’re partnered for a science fair project, they discover that they have so much more in common than they thought-in particular, their shared love of the video game Legends of the Stone, and a YouTube star who plays it. Soon, they become immersed in their LotS-oriented project, but it soon takes them down roads they’ve both never traveled before-be it a LotS convention, boyfriends, and even the YouTube star himself.

Squee! Even if you’re not a gamer, you’ll have no trouble understanding or (thoroughly) enjoying this book. Very realistic, diverse characters, fast-paced and well written, and all around fun! (Also, the back of the book said that it’s perfect for “fans of Nicola Yoon’s ‘Everything, Everything’, which I adored, so that’s a plus.)

Thanks so much for reading, and have a great evening!

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (1/30/18)-Fairy Keeper

Posted on January 31, 2018January 31, 2018 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hey there, fellow bookworms, and welcome to the last BRT of January 2018?

Is it just me or did this month fly by super fast? Come to think of it, that’s probably a pretty good thing. I’m kinda tired of nuts and tide pods and Somebody Toucha My Spaghets. (The latter wasn’t even that funny to begin with.) Gah.

Anyway, I actually bought this one on my Kindle while in Florida almost a month ago. The author had a very intersting take on mythical creatures, and a society that almost revolves around them.

Okay, now I’ll get to the review before I spoil anything more!

Fairy Keeper

In the world of Alluvia, many resources come from magic and mythical creatures. One of those is fairies-not the beautiful, dainty creatures you’ve been led to believe in, but more like bees than anything-used to produce nectar. The special humans who tend for them are the Fairy Keepers, marked by a butterfly-shaped birthmark on their necks and gifted with the ability to communicate and control a hive of fairies. Fourteen-year old Sierra is one of the Fairy Keepers, but she doesn’t enjoy her sacred job. But her opinion is soon shifted when she finds all of the fairies in her hive dead and the queen missing. She soon learns that this is no coincidence-fairy hives across Alluvia have been wiped out, and every queen gone with them. Will she find the source of these mysterious deaths, and stop it before every last fairy is gone?

Though this book wasn’t outstanding, it was certainly a very interesting and inventive take on magical creatures, and an alternate world that revolves around magic itself. The characters were very realistic, and it was easier to relate with their struggles.

Thanks so much for reading, and have an amazing rest of your day!

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (1/23/18)-What’s Left of Me

Posted on January 24, 2018January 24, 2018 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Hi there, everyone!

I’ve only started to really get back into the normal routine of checking out stacks of books at the library, browsing the Kindle library when I’m waiting for my holds, picking books up after school, etcetera. I read this particular book on my Kindle during the interim of finishing a stack of libary checkouts and waiting for my other holds. I must say, it was a very interesting concept.

Now, without further ado, here’s your review!

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What’s Left of Me

Eva and Addie live in an alternate version of planet Earth, in which a small percentage of the population is born a “hybrid”-a person with two souls inhabiting one body. Usually, one soul overtakes the other in early childhood, but when that doesn’t happen, the hybrid is institutionalized. Eva and Addie are a hybrid-though they hid the fact that Addie’s soul had not really dominated Eva’s. But the unimaginable happens, and she along with Hally and Lissa, and Devon and Ryan, two hybrid siblings, are now stuck in a clinic, where their other soul will be “extracted” from their bodies. Will they find away out, and keep both souls intact?

Though I would’nt say it was the best book in the universe or anything, it had a very fascinating and inventive concept, very realistic characters, and a well-thought out world and future. All in all, not at all a bad book!

Now, before I go, I’ve got two things to tell you:

Car Seat Headrest is re-releasing Twin Fantasy, (I’m listening to the “Cute Thing” re-release as we speak), and I’m considering doing a review of it.
There’s a something of a drastic surprise coming your way very soon. All I’ll say is that it has something to do with the background change.

See you later, everyone!

Book Review Tuesday

Book Review Tuesday (1/16/18)-Shatter Me

Posted on January 17, 2018 by madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Before I get to the acutal review, I just want you guys to know that I did do a BRT last Tuesday, but something must’ve gotten weird with the post (or I got distracted) and it didn’t post. So you kinda get two BRTs today-one was just meant for last week.

Alrighty, that aside, hey there, and welcome to today’s BRT!

This one’s from the same author as Furthermore and Whichwood (you can search those in the “Book Review Tuesday” category, the latter is fairly recent), and honestly? I can’t decide whether I like Whichwood or this novel better! So if you decide to read it, PREPARE TO BE AMAZED!

Here’s your book review!

Shatter Me

Juliette was born with an ability-some say it’s a gift, most other call it a curse. With the slightest touch of her hand, she can kill a person in seconds. After 17 years of moving to new towns, discrimination, punishment, and expulsion, the ruling Reestablishment has put her in prison with charges for murder. But now, they have other plans for her. Now, forced to be a weapon for the Reestablishment, Juliette has glimpsed the oppressed reality of the world outside her window. With the help of another soldier, she sets in motion to escape. But with the eyes of the Reestablishment all on her, will she succeed?

Before reading this (and after reading Mrs. Mafi’s other works), I went into it expecting a well-written book, but a generally overused YA dystopian plot. Both were ture. Thing is, Mafi executed it so well that it was impossible not to be utterly enthralled. What a book!

Have a great rest of your evening, everyone, and stay warm!