The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

The Wrath and the Dawn
by Renee Ahdieh

Read: March 27-29, 2017
Published: May 12, 2015
Genre: Fantasy

        In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph's reign of terror once and for all.
       
          Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she'd imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It's an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid's life as retribution for the many lives he's stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?
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Why did you read this book?
It was the cover art that got me. It's an intriguing book just to look at. I've also had it on my 'to-read' list for quite some time now and just impulse bought it a week or so ago. But really, 80% of my rationale for reading this book was "ooh, pretty cover..."

What did you like about this book?
The romance in this book was excellent. It was believable, and beautiful and just raw and heart wrenching. I didn't want Khalid and Shahrzad's story to stop (lucky for me, there's a second book). I also loved the magic and suspense. It was one of those books that you have to keep reading in order to get all the answers. And I still have unanswered questions (again, thank goodness for book 2). The characters were also a major strength in this book. I loved watching Khalid and Shahrzad grow and I adored Despina and Jalal. Even Tariq wasn't one of my favorite characters, I understood him. He was a very real character and I could feel his pain. As you may have guessed by now, I am very fond of fairy tale retellings. The only encounters I've had with them though have been princess ones (Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Beauty and the Beast, etc.) This is the only one I've read based off of One Thousand and One Nights. It made me want to go back and read the original. Another thing I liked was the Middle Eastern setting, characters, and culture in this book. The only other books I've read with any clear Middle Eastern influence are The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, both by Khaled Hosseini. While both of those were very good, they also had a high emotional intensity and they were brutally realistic (both excellent qualities in a book), so it was nice to read something that was a fantasy/romance while retaining the Middle Eastern influence.

What didn't you like about this book?
One big beef I had with this book was the point of view switching. I'm usually okay with it, but in this book, the point of view would switch mid-chapter, sometimes multiple times a chapter. It was just jarring and it interrupted the narrative flow. I can understand interrupting a scene for dramatic effect every so often, but this writing technique was over utilized in this book. My other complaint is actually with the romance (I know, I know, that was one of the things I liked). I liked the romance once it got started, but I'm not entirely sure how it got there. One day Shahrzad wanted to kill Khalid with her bare hands and the next she was softening towards him and looking past the fact that he murdered her best friend. I would understand that if Khalid was kind and warm and inviting, but he's not, especially in the beginning of their relationship. He's cold and unforgiving. Shahrzad just didn't seem to have the appropriate amount of desire for revenge once she became Khalid's wife, especially considering she was willing to give up her life to avenge Shiva's. Lastly, the biggest issue I have with this book is the consummation of Shahrzad and Khalid's marriage. It is only mentioned briefly in the book, a matter of only a few sentences. This should be very important very many reasons. 1) Khalid never entered the bedchambers of his other wives before he killed them. The first night of their marriage, he was still planning on killing her when he went to her. Was he just getting off? Which brings me to my next point. 2) It seemed very out of character for Khalid (as we found out what his character actually is later in the book). We find out that he actually has feelings and feels great remorse for what he's had to do. So why would he do this? And 3) this should be a big deal for Shahrzad. Like, this is life altering event for her. This man, who is planning on killing her, is taking advantage of her and it's all just glossed over. I just feel like it could have been handled in a much better way.

Bottom-Line:
Don't let the large dislike paragraph fool you, I really did love this book, I just had a lot to say about Khalid and Shahrzad's relationship. I am absolutely looking forward to reading the next book and I would recommend this to my friends. I had to go back and re-read my favorite parts because I wasn't ready to leave the book.



"You are not weak. You are not indecisive. You are strong. Fierce. Capable beyond measure." -The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

10 Quotes from The Wrath and the Dawn

I just finished reading The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh and I loved it. I can't formulate a review right now because my mind is still lost in the pages, but here are some quotes that I marked while I was reading it.


1. "What are you doing to me, you plague of a girl?" he whispered.
      "If I'm a plague, then you should keep your distance, unless you plan on being destroyed." The weapons still in her grasp, she shoved against his chest.
      "No." His hands dropped to her waist. "Destroy me."

2. "The more a person pushes others away, the clearer it becomes he is in need of love the most."

3. "When you meet the one who makes you smile as you've never smiled before, cry as you've never cried before...there is nothing to do but fall."

4. "She was a dangerous, dangerous girl. A plague. A Mountain of Adamant who tore the iron from ships, sinking them to their watery graves without a second thought. With a mere smile and a wrinkle of her nose."

5. "Love is a force unto itself, sayyidi. For love, people consider the unthinkable...and often achieve the impossible. I would not sneer at its power."

6. "A shared history does not entitle you to a future, my friend."

7. "I know love is fragile. And loving someone like you is near impossible. Like holding something shattered through a raging sandstorm. If you want her to love you, shelter her from that storm...and make certain that storm isn't you."

8. "Tonight is a night to turn heads. Make them remember you. Make sure they never forget. You are the Calipha of Khorasan, and you have the ear of a king." Despina put her hand on Shahrzad's shoulder and grinned at their shared reflection. "More important, you have his heart." She bent forward and lowered her voice. "And most important, you are a fearsome thing to behold in your own right."

9. "The worst kind of lie—the kind shrouded in good intentions. The kind cowards use to justify their weakness."

10. "And how will you know when you've found the elusive someone?"
    "I suspect she will be like air. Like knowing how to breathe."

Matched by Ally Condie

Matched
by Ally Condie

Read: March 10-13, 2017
Published: November 30, 2010
Genre: YA Dystopia

     

 
   
          Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching Ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate...until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.
         The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.




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Why did you read this book?
I've actually read this one before, years ago, but I never finished the series. My sister has been asking me to read them for quite awhile, so I've finally decided to just do it. Also, I was going on Day 4 with no power and needed some entertainment.

What did you like about this book?
I liked the use of poetry in this book, especially Dylan Thomas' 'Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night'. It's one of my favorite poems (along with 'Desiderata' by Max Ehrmann). I was probably first introduced to Thomas' poem when I first read this book and it's one of the few things I remembered from it. The idea that poems outside of the One Hundred Poems are precious and that there are still people trying to remember them really appealed to me. The very last chunk of the book was my favorite. From the moment we find out what the red tablet does to the end of the book was easily more exciting than the rest of the book. The pacing was at its best here and I felt like that was where the plot really kicked in.

What didn't you like about this book?
This book didn't lose me with the mediocre world building. It didn't lose me with two-dimensional characters or writing meant for a younger audience. It didn't even lose me with the fact that it's nearly a carbon copy of The Giver. No, it lost me when it became a book about a love triangle. I don't mind a love triangle if it's done well (and realistically) and as long as it's not the center of the plot. The one featured in this book failed on both fronts. It reminded me of The Selection, where the story can be dwindled down to the main female character thinking about which boy she should choose--the best friend she's always known or the mysterious new guy? Spoiler: they always pick the new guy. A love triangle is only acceptable if you can remove the triangle, and there is still a story to read. There is nothing to read in this book without the love triangle.

If you liked this book, you might also like:
The Selection Series by Kiera Cass
Delirium Series by Lauren Oliver
The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins
Divergent Series by Veronica Roth

Bottom-Line:
This book was really boring. However, I will read the next two because I want to give the series a chance. Also because I promised my sister that I would. But holy cats, this book was boring. I really hope the series improves.



"Growing apart doesn't change the fact that for a long time we grew side by side; our roots will always be tangled. I'm glad for that." -Matched by Ally Condie

The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon

The Song Rising
by Samantha Shannon

Read: March 7-9, 2017
Published: March 7, 2017
Genre: Adult Fantasy

Following a bloody battle against foes on every side, Paige Mahoney has risen to the dangerous position of Underqueen, ruling over London's criminal population.

But, having turned her back on Jaxon Hall and with vengeful enemies still at large, the task of stabilizing the fractured underworld has never seemed so challenging.

Little does Paige know that her reign may be cut short by the introduction of Senshield, a deadly technology that spells doom for the clairvoyant community and the world as they know it... (Amazon)






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Why did you read this book?
I have read both The Bone Season and The Mime Order  and this is the third in the series. I have been waiting for this book to be published since about March 2015 and I pre-ordered it in January 2016. It is one of my favorite series to date and there was no way I could just not read it.

What did you like about this book?
Oh, where to start? This book was just fantastic and well worth the wait. I'll start with the protagonist, Paige. She goes through so much over the course of the first three books and my heart hurts for everything that she will have to go through in the next four books. Paige is a character that has become very precious to me, not because she's a 'strong, female character', but because she's very human. She struggles, she fails, and she is broken. Despite that, she has a fierce love and loyalty to her friends. Her vulnerability and uncertainty with Warden is a breath of fresh air from other romances. I love their connection and the almost inseparable bond that they share. I'm very excited (and nervous) to see how their relationship will progress. I was also very pleased with the character development we saw with Nick and Eliza. I'm glad they had more page time than they did in previous books. I also liked reading about other minor characters, like Tom and Maria. Especially Tom and Maria. Another thing I liked was that this book started right where the last one left off. The whole series has been like that so far and I really appreciate that. The writing in this book also seems to be a notch above the first two. It's beautifully written and there is one scene in particular (near the end) that was written so well it just broke my heart. It was just so good. I liked the end of this book more than the other two. The first two books felt like they ended in the middle of the action, whereas this end felt almost like a beginning. The main focus of the book had been resolved and now the characters are going forth to continue with the overarching story.

What didn't you like about this book?
There were very few things that I didn't like, the first being that it started rather slow. As excited as I was to read it, it took me a long time to actually get into it. I also wish the Rephaite had featured a little more in this book. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad for the page space given to Warden, but I would have liked to read more about Alsafi and Terebell and even Nashira. The Rephaite fascinate me and I'm eager to know more about them. I also felt like the absence of Zeke and Nadine was told rather than felt. They felt a little like an afterthought. I don't particularly care about Nadine, but I want to know what happened to Zeke, for Nick's sake. Also, I wouldn't have complained if the book was longer...

Bottom-Line:
I was really impressed with this one. I fell in love with the clairvoyant world when I read The Bone Season and it just keeps getting better. Paige and Warden are some of my favorite characters of all time. I would wholeheartedly suggest this series. Please, everyone read it so it can get the love and attention it deserves.


"'You have risen from the ashes before. The only way to survive,' he said, 'is to believe you always will.'" -The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Caraval 
by Stephanie Garber

Read: March 2-3, 2017
Published: January 31, 2017
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Whatever you've heard about Caraval, it doesn't compare to the reality. It's more than just a game or a performance. It's the closest you'll ever find to magic in this world...

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett's father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.

But this year, Scarlett's long-dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval's mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season's Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.

Welcome, welcome to Caraval...beware of getting swept too far away. (Amazon)

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Why did you read this book?
I found this book on Amazon while I was searching for books similar to The Night Circus. I'm a big fan of circuses and while the premise of this book doesn't necessarily center around a circus, it was close enough for me. It intrigued me enough to buy it anyway. Also, I'm a sucker for a pretty cover.

What did you like about this book?
First off, I really enjoyed the world building of Caraval itself. It was so easy to forget that there was a world outside the game...and the fact that it was, in fact, a game. The descriptions in this book are just fantastic. One thing that confused me, but I actually really liked even though I didn't understand it was the use of color in Scarlett's emotions. Whenever she feels anything, it's described as a color. For example, when she's afraid it's usually plum colored. The color thing was never really explained, but I liked it anyway. I hope that gets expanded upon in future books. One big thing I loved about this book was the romance. It was a slow burn that you could see coming a mile away, but that just made me more excited for it to finally happen. And the book wasn't about the romance, which I appreciated. It was about Scarlett trying to find Tella before the five nights of Caraval ended. The romance was just an added bonus. The novel's pacing was also very excellent. It didn't start too slow and the tension built with increasing intensity throughout the book, which of course left me speed reading by the last quarter of the book just to find out what was going to happen.

What didn't you like about this book?
As fantastic as the world building was, the characters were a little lacking in comparison. Scarlett and Julian saw the most character growth, presumably because they got the most page time. Scarlett and Tella's father was a very flat character. He seemed to be evil for the sake of being evil without any real purpose. I hope is story is developed further in future books. The other thing that kind of turned me off to this book was the juvenile writing. I understand that it is a YA novel, but I don't feel like that should be an excuse for not expecting more out of an author. The plot was good, the world building is great, I didn't hate the characters, but the writing overall was just kind of...meh. It's difficult because I automatically compare it to The Night Circus, which is definitely more mature and for a more advanced reader.

Bottom-Line:
I really did enjoy the book. It was one of those books that I just wanted to read in one sitting...and I would have if my schedule had allowed it.  Unfortunately for me, this book left us with a killer cliffhanger and I have to wait for the next book to come out. So if you're as impatient as I am, I'd suggest maybe waiting until the next one is out or almost out before you read the first book.



"She imagined loving him would feel like falling in love with darkness, frightening and consuming yet utterly beautiful when the stars came out." -Caraval by Stephanie Garber

The Cardturner by Louis Sachar

The Cardturner
by Louis Sachar

Read: February 20-March 1, 2017
Published: October 11, 2011
Genre: YA Fiction



          The summer after junior year of high school looks bleak for Alton Richards. His girlfriend has dumped him, he has no money and no job, and his parents insist that he drive his great-uncle Lester, who is old, blind, very sick, and very rich, to his bridge club four times a week and be his cardturner.
          But Alton's parents aren't the only ones trying to worm their way into Lester Trapp's good graces. There is Trapp's longtime housekeeper, his alluring young nurse, and the crazy Casteneda family.
          Alton soon finds himself intrigued by his uncle, by the game of bridge, and especially by the pretty and shy Toni Castaneda, as he struggles to figure out what it all means, and ultimately to figure out the meaning of his own life. (Amazon)



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Why did you read this book?
I found a hardcover version of this book without a dust jacket while used book shopping. It was very plain, dark blue book with the title in bronze on the spine. What really caught my attention was that the 'a' in Cardturner was the spade symbol. As someone who grew up playing cards, I was naturally drawn to it. I didn't know what it was about, but I wanted it. I actually bought it a few months ago and finally got around to reading it.

What did you like about this book?
I ended up liking this book much more than I thought I would. I found the story to be very compelling. I wanted to keep reading and I wanted to see Trapp play in the nationals and I wanted Alton to earn Trapp's respect and I wanted Toni to see that Cliff is an idiot. I love when I become fully invested in the lives of the characters. Sachar wrote the book in a way that was dry and kind of self-deprecating, but also in a way that was undeniably human. These characters were frustrating and lovable and funny and moody. This book is definitely character and relationship driven, and I loved that. Something that might attribute to that is that it is written in second person. Alton is telling the story to you and it's easy to feel like you actually know him. Another one of my favorite aspects is the fact that this story is intergenerational. Most books that I have encountered in the Young Adult genre feature groups of teenagers with little to no adult presence (which I think is just unrealistic). I really enjoyed the relationship between Alton and Trapp, as well as Alton and Trapp's bridge friends.

What didn't you like about this book?
Bridge. There was so much bridge. While the summary book would like you to think this book is about multiple people competing for an old man's inheritance, that's a lie. This book is about bridge. While it was interesting, the rules and theories and lingo got to be overwhelming at times. Alton was very helpful at indicating when the heaviest bridge instructions appeared in the book, but the whole story was saturating with bridge. I got around it by not trying to understand the many rules and just accept the fact that I wasn't going to learn how to play bridge by reading this book and if I wanted to enjoy the story, I'd just have to skim those parts. Don't get me wrong, it was interesting at first, but there's only so much bridge you can handle when you don't understand it. It was like half of the book was in another language. Also, in the previous paragraph I mentioned intergenerationality. While I loved the portrayal of Alton's generation and Trapp's generation, I found Alton's parents' generation to be lacking. Those characters were very flat and less human than the others. They didn't breathe life into the pages.

Bottom-Line:
I really did enjoy this book. I even enjoyed some of the bridge parts. At the very least, it made me interested to learn how to play bridge. I wouldn't, however, recommend this to anyone who isn't an avid reader or doesn't have a basic knowledge of how to play cards (Setback or euchre, at least). Even though this was young adult and the story wasn't that difficult to read, the amount of bridge can be daunting to someone who isn't fully committed to reading it. Regardless, I enjoyed it and will probably read it again.



"Life will deal me many different hands, some good, some bad (maybe they've already been dealt), but from here on in, I'll be turning my own cards." -The Cardturner by Louis Sachar

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Station Eleven
by Emily St. John Mandel

Read: February 8-15, 2017
Published: June 2, 2015
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic Fiction

Kirsten Raymonde will never forget the night Arthur Leander, the famous Hollywood actor, had a heart attack on stage during a production of King Lear. That was the night when a devastating flu pandemic arrived in the city, and within weeks, civilization as we know it came to an end.

Twenty years later, Kirsten moves between the settlements of the altered world with a small troupe of actors and musicians. They call themselves The Traveling Symphony, and they have dedicated themselves to keeping the remnants of art and humanity alive. But when they arrive in St. Deborah by the Water, they encounter a violent prophet who will threaten the tiny band's existence. And as the story takes off, moving back and forth in time, and vividly depicting life before and after the pandemic, the strange twist of fate that connects them all will be revealed. (Amazon)


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Why did you read this book?
Station Eleven was the common read at my university this past fall, which is how I first heard of it. I didn't really know what it was about, but I liked the cover. I then got into a conversation with one of my coworkers who had already read it and she loved it. I also found out that it was like a dystopian traveling circus kind of gig, so naturally I wanted to read it. It's been on my to-read list for months now and I finally just broke down and bought it.

What did you like about this book?
One of the big things that really intrigued me about this novel was the genre. I'd never really considered reading books in the post-apocalyptic genre. Which is strange to me because one of my favorite shows is The Walking Dead. That being said, I loved that this was post-apocalyptic sans zombies. Instead, the world meets a fast-acting illness that it isn't prepared to cure. This book has a plot, but it's not a driving one. It's more of a commentary on how to hold on to humanity after it's been nearly wiped out. There are so many different points of view in this book and each character has a different handle on it and some we never find out if they made it to the end of the world and some we know never lived to see the world end. I loved having characters from each point in time. The whole book covers a span of about fifty years (the before, during, and after). Another thing I liked about this is that, even though there was violence, there was beauty found in the world after it ended. In my previous experience with apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic works is that they are violent, and ruthless, sometimes hard to stomach...they make you lose faith in humanity a little bit and the plot usually ends up revolving around a power struggle. In Station Eleven, we see this struggle through the eyes of artists, not military men and leaders. People who believe that "survival is insufficient." Another thing I liked was that everything was connected. Every character was somehow connected to the other and even some objects were connected through characters and it was wonderful to watch it all unfold. I'm having a hard time articulating everything I loved about this book, but in short, it was beautifully written, filled with characters that I both loved and hated at the same time, and it made me think. I love books that aren't just about getting from Point A to Point B (plot driven). There is a plot, but there is so much more than that.

What didn't you like about this book?
As I mentioned before, everything was connected. The infuriating part was that so many of the characters ended up in the same place and never knew that they were connected from before the end. I really wanted it to come full circle. And in its own way, I guess it did. Just not in the way I expected or wanted. There were also many different points of view in this book. While most of the time I liked it, towards the end of the book there was really one story line that I wanted to follow and it kept getting interrupted by these other story lines. They were all so great, but it was like having someone in control of the remote that can't watch more than ten minutes of the same show. Things are getting interesting and something is about to happen, you can feel it, and then click! Change the channel. I also wished we could have seen more of the Traveling Symphony. That was what really caught my interest in the first place (even after I discovered that no, it was not a traveling circus). It is mentioned several times, but we never see the inner workings of it. Station Eleven is not about The Traveling Symphony, not like The Night Circus is actually about the circus.

This book reminds me of: TV shows, mostly. I can't say I've ever read a book quite like this one. It strongly reminded me of TNT's The Last Ship, although that one is from a military perspective. It also reminded me a little bit of AMC's The Walking Dead and the 1995 movie, Outbreak with Dustin Hoffman and Morgan Freeman.

Other Non-Plot Driven Books I Recommend:
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Bottom-Line: I absolutely love this book. I literally just finished it and I want to read it again. This is the book that I've been trying to find since I finished The Book Thief, the one that leaves me feeling a little empty inside and unable to think about anything else really. I loved it. Read it. And if you don't like it, please just pretend you do, for my sake. Also forgot to mention, it takes place in Michigan and when they're talking about cities they travel too, I actually knew where they were. So, pretty awesome.





"All three caravans of the Traveling Symphony are labeled as such, THE TRAVELING SYMPHONY lettered in white on both sides, but the lead caravan carries an additional line of text: Because survival is insufficient." -Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel