Friday, June 24, 2011

Review: Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Well, I just finished Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini 5 minutes ago and I have nothing better to do than blog about it, because I'm officially out for the summer! :D

Anyway.

I loved it. It was exactly what I'd been looking for recently. A genuine paranormal romance plus a pretty exciting plot. It was nice to see the great chemistry between Helen and Lucas. You really don't see that as often as you used to these days. It was as if their falling in love was only natural, but genuine and special all the same. Props to Josephine Angelini for that, and thank you for not putting a ton of unnecessary angst in there. Any other author might have tried to make Helen way more angst-y in an attempt to have girls connect with her. I personally found more satisfaction in the respect I developed for Helen's character than I would have if I had to suffer unnecessarily alongside her. It was really refreshing and I appreciated that.

My only critique would be that I wished there was a meeting-like scene where the characters reviewed everything they knew in an effort to plan. Different histories in the story line and tidbits about the past and the Houses kept getting mixed up in one another. Yeah, I get that it's supposed to be vague, but there were some big connections that I feel I was too confused to make. Overall, though, it was not really a hindrance to the reading and just a small critique, at that.

Hoping for a fast release on a sequel?

Fantastic! 4.5/5 stars!

Sincerely,
The Binge Reader

Thursday, June 23, 2011

POTTERMORE! An Announcement by J.K. Rowling

Hey, all!

Guess what? Pottermore has finally been announced! A leaked article stated it was an online video game, but as it turns out, it's actually an interactive reading experience PLUS Ebooks! This is the very first time the Harry Potter books have been offered as ebooks, which is sure creating a huge hullabaloo.

Here is J.K. Rowling's announcement channel: http://www.youtube.com/JKRowlingAnnounces

Registration starts in October (happy birthday to me!), and there's a special chance for a few select people to get in early. That announcement will happen on July 31st.

Pottermore Website

Happy reading!
The Binge Reader

Friday, June 10, 2011

Review: Illusions (Wings #3) by Aprilynne Pike

Hi, all.

I just finished Illusions by Aprilynne Pike, book three in the Wings series. I have to say, I loved it. My favorite part was the unpredictability of the plot line. Usually, about halfway to the climax of a book I'll guess what's going to happen, but Illusions kept me going in circles, gaining and losing suspicions over and over. It was really refreshing. Yuki kept me guessing until the very end, and I'm all Team Tamani, but throughout the whole book I couldn't figure out who Laurel would end up choosing. I did wish Laurel would figure out that she loves Tamani right before some dramatic moment when she's interrupted by trolls stomping through the forest and Tam having to protect her with his life. Hey, it's the fangirl in me.

I do also wish Laurel would stop going in circles, though. David, Tamani, David, Tamani. Ok, seriously? Make up your mind, it's a little old. My only other criticism is how much Pike left open at the end. It was too much of a cliffhanger. I don't mind cliffhangers, but it's always more effective when there's only one major drama left unsolved at the end. What with the decision between Tam and David, Yuki, Clea, and the trolls, there was too much left unexplained.

Other than that, I loved it. I really like Chelsea's character in particular. She's pretty believable, yet undeniably cool. On a side note, I want parents like Laurel's. So awesome. Anyway, Team Tamani all the way!

My Rating: 4/5 stars! Highly recommended.

Until next time,
The Binge Reader

Monday, June 6, 2011

Chillax.

There's a bit o' drama in the YA book industry as of late.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303657404576357622592697038.html?mod=WSJ_Books_LS_Books_6

This here's an article posted from the Wall Street Journal criticizing some of the themes presented in modern young adult literature. It created a sort of uproar, and sparked one of those snazzy twitter theme/tag movements (#YA saves, I believe). It attacked several authors in particular, provoking more than a few die-hard fans to add their say, but most of all, it pissed off a lot of people.

Personally, I agree with SOME of what the author says. I mean, people take young adult literature way too seriously. Also, some authors are not only immature themselves, but it reflects in their writing. Of course, we're all human and not everyone is supposed to be perfect (I hope not, at least. I'd be screwed for life.), but I do agree that some writing does convey certain themes in a way that makes for bad influences.

I've said it before: I read for entertainment. In my humble opinion, if you read to "find meaning in your life," you've probably got to get a bit of social life, or at least get your head out of the young adult portion of the bookstore, because can't find meaning in your life if you're reading about someone else's issues. You might be able to gain some insight into your problems, but there's only so far that can go.

You can't take these things too seriously. And the author of that article DOES need a major attitude adjustment. Like it or not, kids are the future, thanks to something I like to call Biology.

Yours truly,
The Binge Reader