Review: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Book: Eleanor & Park
By: Rainbow Rowell
Published: February 26, 2013
Published by: St. Martins Press

Description: Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.

My Thoughts: This story is so freaking cute I want to cuddle it in my bed and pet its pages. (Too creepy?)

Its told in alternating POV's. One MC is Eleanor, the "chubby" red headed new girl at school with problems at home and self image issues. She's bullied and stuff at school and has a horrible/poor family life. The other MC, Park, is a half Korean  somewhat popular guy at school with a somewhat excellent home life. They meet on Eleanor's first day of school, and the rest, you'll have to read to find out.

OMG its so cute. It speaks of first love, how intense and life changing it is, but still fickle and breakable. It;s intense, and touching, and innocent, but maddening and horrible. Eleanor and Park are both good for each other and bad for each other. This book made me laugh and cry and smile and remember every second of my first relationship.

This book was so good and the audio narration was great. I would recommend it to anyone who likes a good love story. I give it 4.5 Stars.

Review: Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Book: Falling Kingdoms
By: Morgan Rhodes
Published: December 11, 2012
Published by: Razorbill

Description: In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power—brutally transforming their subjects' lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:

Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.

Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished—and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.

Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword. . . .

The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?
My Thoughts:  Okay, this book was really good. I've been reading lots of books I've seen on "The best of" lists all over the place and this fantasy book was one of them. It definitely lived up to it's hype.

There's not much to say that's not already described in the summary. We follow 4 different people in 3 different kingdoms, Palesia, Limeros, and Auranos as they deal with various issues plaguing them all. Eventually, one "small" mistake leads to all out war for all the kingdoms and we get a front row seat to the action.

This isn't one of those books with the sugary sweet ending where the MC's all end up on top. No, they pretty much dig a hole for themselves, jump into it, and pull the dirt in over top of them. This is war, in all it's gory details.

I loved this story. It reminded me a lot of Game of Thrones (the show, not the book. I've yet to read the book so I wouldn't know if they're the same) with the espionage and sneakiness, and double crossing. I loved this story and will definitely read the next one, Rebel Spring, when it comes out in December.

I give this one, 5 Stars.

Review: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

Book: The Darkest Minds
By: Alexandra Bracken
Published: December 18, 2012
Published By: Disney Hyperion

Desription: When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

My Thoughts: You guys know how I get when I read a book I absolutely love. I get all random and weird and cant make coherant thoughts. That's how this review is going to be.

We follow ruby who has powers and gets shipped to a rehab camp. There, she discovers the differences in the powers, and what hers means. That's all I can say without spoiling it, or repeating what's in the synopsis above.

This books is so good. Like soooo good. There was a lot of hype surrounding it, and I think it just about lived up to it. It made me cry at one point, and laugh out loud at others. There was only one part at the end that annoyed me because I felt like more could have been done with the MC and her powers, but that's easily let go. This book reminds me of the X-Men, only a bit different. I just loved it and am sure I'll be reading it again. Read it!!!!

I give it 5 Stars.