Half Bad by Sally Green

(source)

Title: Half Bad (Half Life #1)

Author: Sally Green

Length: 394 pages

Publisher: Viking (Penguin Group)

Classification: Young Adult, Paranormal, Witches, Magic

Release Date: March 2014

Source: ARC (ARC tour hosted by On The Same Page)

Read: May to June 2014

GoodReads

Half Bad by Sally Green is a breathtaking debut novel about one boy's struggle for survival in a hidden society of witches. You can't read, can't write, but you heal fast, even for a witch. You get sick if you stay indoors after dark. You hate White Witches but love Annalise, who is one. You've been kept in a cage since you were fourteen. All you've got to do is escape and find Mercury, the Black Witch who eats boys. And do that before your seventeenth birthday. (From GoodReads)

First I want to thank Brittany, Alyssa, and Amy (On The Same Page) for hosting the ARC tour. It is fun to get to borrow a book that I am interested in reading.

My Rating:

I wasn't really sure what to expect when I first picked up this book to read. I saw that a lot of bloggers had marked it as To-Read on GoodReads, then I saw the sign-ups for the ARC tour and decided to give it a try.

The Story:
I started to read the book and was instantly confused by the writing style. I kept reading, but there were a couple times in the beginning I started thinking, "This might not be for me. I might end up DNFing this one."

But I kept reading. And I am so GLAD that I did!

Once I got past the interesting writing style, I loved the story. It was interesting and unique. And it gave me a lot of feelings, there were times that I was frustrated, upset, angry and heartbroken for Nathan, the main character.

The further I got into the book, the more the story and the characters hooked me.

I really loved the concept and plot of the story. And I liked that the author took the time to explain things without it just being a bunch of information thrown together.

The story kept me guessing. I wasn't sure what was going to happen next and I only guessed something that would happen a couple of times. And most of the time it was just small things.

This was a great starting book for an interesting series. I enjoyed this story enough that I know I will read the next book, and I am anxious to find out what happens next.

The Characters:
I thought the characters were all very well written. There were characters that frustrated me, (but they were supposed to) and there were characters that I felt for.
There were characters that I think were full of depth and they weren't exactly what I thought they were. And there were some characters that I was left wanting to know more about them.
I felt that these are characters that I can feel for and care about. And I am excited to find out more about their lives and the things that will happen to them in the next book.

My Recommendation:
If you like interesting stories that involve witches and magic, then I think you should give this book a try. The writing style probably isn't for everyone, and it was a bit different and unique. But once you get used to the writing style, I felt hooked to the story. And I am looking forward to book #2 coming out (hopefully) next year!

Panic by Lauren Oliver

(source)

Title: Panic

Author: Lauren Oliver

Length: 408 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins

Classification: Young Adult, Contemporary

Release Date: March 4, 2014

Source: ARC (ARC Tour hosted by On The Same Page)

Read: April 2014

GoodReads

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.
Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought. Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for. For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most. (From GoodReads)

First I want to thank Brittany, Alyssa, and Amy (On The Same Page) for hosting the ARC tour. It is fun to get to borrow a book that I am interested in reading.

My Rating:

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. It was full of action and suspense. I was really interested in knowing what happens next and what the next part of the game would entail.

After finishing, my first thought was "I am not really sure how I feel."

But upon reflection, I decided that I liked the book.

The Story:
I found the story to be interesting and engrossing. I didn't want to stop reading. It took me a few days to read it, but it was mostly due to having other things going on at the same time. If I wouldn't have been so busy, I would have probably read this book in a day.

I love Lauren Oliver's writing. Everything flows nicely and I find that it was quick-paced. There were some twists and surprises that I didn't see coming that made the story hard to put down. There were also a couple things that I did guess and see coming, but it didn't take away from me enjoying the story.

 At first, I personally felt that some of the challenges were a little far-fetched. I do not doubt that a game such as Panic would come about or exist. I have lived and been to small towns and I know there can be limitations on finding fun things to go out and do. But I found a couple of the challenges to be INTENSE. And I kept thinking to myself, "They wouldn't really do something like this, would they?"
And after thinking about it, I think, "Yes. It could happen." There are so many horrible things that happen in our world that I wouldn't ever have thought would happen. So I think that the challenges could be possible. At least that is how I feel.

The Characters:
Oliver does a great job creating characters that have flaws. I feel that these characters were well developed.
I liked that there were things about them that bugged me, it made the characters well rounded and more realistic.
I also liked that the main characters were each going through their own individual challenges.
This story is told from two point of views: Heather and Dodge. (Which I really enjoyed.)

Heather: She has several challenges in her life and struggles to overcome. Of all the characters I liked her the most. I especially loved how much she cares for her sister. And how she will do whatever she can to try and protect her. Heather makes some mistakes, but overall, I think she tries really hard to make a better life for her sister and herself. There were several times throughout the story, that I felt bad for what was happening in her life, and hoped that things would get better. And I like that she tries to overcome what is happening.
Dodge: Dark and a little creepy. I kept going back and forth between liking him and not liking him. He also has a lot to deal with in his life. As well as dealing with all the anger that he feels. I was interested in seeing how far he would go. And hoping that he would make the right decision in the end.
Bishop: His character frustrated me. A lot of times I would think I know what is happening with him, then things would shift. I do like that he cares about Heather.
Natalie: I also had  like/dislike feelings for this character. There were times that I felt really sad for her character though. She also has issues that she is dealing with. And I liked the friendship between her and Heather. I felt that it was realistic, because they care about and support each other, but they also had moments when they disagree and fight.

My Recommendation:

I recommend reading this book. You may like it.
I found that the book really hooked me and made me curious to find out what would happen. Some of the challenges were intense.

Dangerous by Shannon Hale

(source)

Title: Dangerous

Author: Shannon Hale

Length: 400 pages

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Classification: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Release Date: March 1, 2014

Source: ARC (ARC Tour hosted by On The Same Page)

Read: April 2014

Maisie Danger Brown just wanted to get away from home for a bit, see something new. She never intended to fall in love. And she never imagined stumbling into a frightening plot that kills her friends and just might kill her, too. A plot that is already changing life on Earth as we know it. There's no going back. She is the only thing standing between danger and annihilation. (From GoodReads)

First I want to thank Brittany, Alyssa, and Amy (On The Same Page) for hosting the ARC tour. It is fun to get to borrow a book that I am interested in reading.


My Rating:

I'm not sure why, but I had a bit of a hard time getting into the story at the beginning.
I found it to be interesting, but it didn't grab my attention and keep me hooked.
But as the story progressed, I became more interested in what was going to happen. And the book really grabbed my attention near the middle of the story.

The Story:

At the beginning of the story I felt like there was some insta-love happening between Maisie and one of the first boys that she meets away from home. (Then creating a sort of love-triangle since she already seems to have feelings for her best friend.)

I have trouble believing that this is something that could really happen, but I also except it because it is a work of fiction. I enjoy reading books that feel realistic, but I also enjoy reading things that wouldn't likely happen either.

There were some twists and turns that I didn't expect to happen though out the book. But there were also some that I did figure out before it happened. I did like that there were parts that I felt like I had figured out, but the author made me second guess my theories. And it made it interesting and hard to figure out which characters could be trusted and which couldn't. (Which I think was one of my favorite things about this book.)

The book was different from what I was expecting. I thought it was going to be set in space, when only small sections of the book actually did take place in space.
This book felt more like a Superhero type story to me.

The Characters:

Maisie is the main character. I liked her character the most, and she was pretty much one of the only characters that I felt stood out in the book.
The other characters that were part of the fireteam didn't really stand out to me. I don't really remember much about their characters. I felt like they weren't developed as well as Maisie and I didn't become attached to them.
I like the parts of the story that involved her parents and I was left interested in their lives.
I didn't really feel attached to any of the characters in particular and I wasn't emotionally involved in the relationships or the romance.

My Recommendation:

Give it a try. You might like it.
Overall, I enjoyed reading the book. And I am glad that I didn't give up and put it down. I don't think that this is a book that I will re-read. But I am glad that I read the book.
And I liked it enough to be interested in other books written by the author.