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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by: John Tiffany, Jack Thorne, J.K. Rowling

9/27/2017

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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by: John Tiffany, Jack Thorne, J.K. Rowling
Synopsis: 
Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. 
It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.
While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

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Its been a very long time since a book has made me as confused and conflicted as Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Harry Potter is everything to me. Similar to a lot of other people, it raised and moulded me into the person that I am today. That is why, with an extremely heavy heart, it causes me physical pain to say that JK Rowling made a mistake with this one. And I don't mean she messed up with her writing (BECAUSE IT IS OBVIOUS SHE DID NOT WRITE THIS) but that she messed up by letting anyone but herself contribute. 

I think my biggest problem was with the characters. While I waited for it to be released, I had pretty low exceptions for the plot and format (a play) but I NEVER doubted the characters. However, from the very first scene, it was obvious that these were not the people that I had grown to love. Instead of getting to read about my all time favourite characters, all I got was what seemed to be some random people in wizard Halloween costumes. None of the depth or authenticity from the original books were there. It was like they had succumbed to all the stereotypes that surround their characters. Harry was the drama queen that only cared about his own success (and who, might I add, was a lack-lustre dad), Hermione was the annoying opinionated girl who has lots of books, and Ron was the dummy who only seemed to exist for the sole purpose of contributing painfully timed one liners. Out of any problems I had, this was what angered me the most. These characters are some of the most well known in literary history and this story did nothing but take away their most valued traits.
(SPOILER) I am sorry but that whole scene where Harry had his little tantrum at Dumbledores painting about how much he hates him and how Dumbledore ruined his life etc etc... the OLD harry would not have done that. No matter how hard I try, I can not rationalize that behaviour. :(

When I finally was able to push through the character problems, I also got completely tripped up by the plot. Really Rowling? Voldemort supposedly having a kid with Bellatrix in the MIDDLE of all his conflict with Harry so many years ago? IM. NOT. BUYING. IT. Not to mention, how many times has that plot twist been used? Evil villain dies but then has a child who is supposed to be even more evil then them who then comes back to rule the world in their parents name, blah blah blah. Nothing about it seemed original or well thought out to me.

Yes, I did love being able to find out what happened to the squad post-Hogwarts. Yes, I loved Albus and Scorpius. YES, I did giggle a few times. And yes, there were a few redeeming moments (travelling back in time and getting to see Snape and Professor Umbridge ;) ) but NO I do not think that this story was necessary. As a die hard Potterhead I feel like everything frustrated me way more then it gave me any semblance of closure. Maybe the actual play in London is gods gift to mankind but printing the script for everyone was a mistake. Someday I hope Rowling will rewrite this story in her own 2000 page book but until then, I'm just gonna try to forget about a lot of the stuff I read in this.

Happy reading nerds!
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Wait For You by: J. Lynn

7/9/2015

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Wait For You by: J. Lynn aka Jennifer L Armentrout
Synopsis: 
Some things are worth waiting for…
Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.
Some things are worth experiencing…
Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.
Some things should never be kept quiet…
But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she’s has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?
And some things are worth fighting for…
Alright, its review time!!


**I keep jumping between a rating of either 3.75 or a solid 4.5. One moment i love it, the next moment I hate it.**

I finished this book 2 days ago so I have had quite a bit of time to get my ducks in a row. This book is extremely hard for me to write a review for because I have so many mixed feelings towards it and the author. I just want to start off my saying that I really love Jennifer L Armentrout's fantasy books, specifically her Lux Series. This was the first romance novel of hers that I have read and to be honest, Im slightly disappointed. Don't get me wrong, I really loved the characters (especially Cam... *cue googly eyes*) and the romance was SOOO swoon worthy. It was funny, well written and I actually managed to enjoy reading from Avery's point of view. Typically, I always ending up hating the female character in New Adult books because they are so predictable. Avery was tolerable. My problem with this novel is that there was simply nothing that set it apart from any other romance book, and that the actions and decisions made by the love interest are just always so unbelievable.

Its so obvious that these new adult books are written by women. Somehow the guy knows exactly what to say when the girl is crying over something super personal? Omg he's always there to defend her and beat up any guy who tries to touch her? He is 100% completely devoted to her (even once they break up) and turns down the girls who throw themselves at him (EVEN THOUGH HE HAS THE REPUTATION OF BEING A PLAYER). He is always respectful and never tries to take advantage of her? Im sorry but this is not realistic in someone who is known to have slept with anything that walks. 

My next point is that all the plots in these books are the same. Let us take a look at Wait for you:

-girl meets boy by clumsily tripping and just so happens to be caught by the hottest guy in the entire college.
-They then proceed to hold each other for 5 awkward pages while his eye color is described
-boy is super popular and every girl wants him. He also sleeps with everyone
-girl is the nerdy book worm who just so happens to be an innocent virgin
-boy has a reputation of getting in fights 
-bad boy turns into a good boy for the girl
-good girl turns reckless and sexy somewhere along the way

Im sorry but I have read WAY to many books like this and its disappointing that authors seem to almost rewrite each others books. Maybe they get lazy? Or do they all get together and have sleepovers where they write one novel, put a variety of couples names in a hat and then they each choose one and publish it with those names? I really don't understand it. 

I do have one huge piece of evidence that is driving me crazy though so I have to get it off my chest. For those of you who are still reading this, which Im guessing a lot of you aren't, thank you for sticking around but I must say goodbye if you have not read both Wait for me or Hopeless by Colleen Hoover. I need to point out a few similarities between the two. 



The following will contain spoilers for both so read at your own risk.

The moment Avery started getting emails and phone calls calling her a whore and stuff, I knew she had been raped. It doesn't take a genius to figure it out, just like I found it very obvious in Hopeless. SIMILARITY #1. Then as we continue to read on, we find out that Cam has a reputation of getting into fights and almost went to jail. To me, that sounds ALOT LIKE Dean Holder. SIMILARITY #2. Then we find out that the reason Cam beat someone up was because the dude was hurting his sister. Wow, if I remember correctly, Holder beat up this kid cuz he was trash talking his sisters suicide. SIMILARITY #3. SISTERS. Then, the first time Cam and Avery try to have sex, Avery loses it because the memories of her rape start coming back and it all feels to familiar. Same happened with Sky and Holder (this is to be expected though with someone who has experienced sexual assault. im just pointing out that its similar). SIMILARITY #4. Then at the end of Hopeless, Sky decides she needs to go visit her dad (who used to physically assault her if you don't remember). Just like Avery feels like she needs to talk to her parents about what happened to her. So, both Sky and Holder, as well as Avery and Cam get in the car to go confront the girls past. SIMILARITY #5. Then, after the confrontation, (which I must admit each turned out very differently) they head back to the hotel and have sex for the first time and its this really romantic and incredible experience and everything turns out okay and all the stars align blah blah blah. SIMILARITY #6. Oh, I also just remembered, both main female main characters have gay best friends. Sky has Beckett and Avery has Jacob. SIMILARITY #7. LIKE  IM SORRY BUT THOSE BOOKS ARE PRETTY FREAKING SIMILAR. Btw, Hopeless was published in 2012 and Wait For You was published in 2013 so I am in no way throwing shade at Colleen. She is queen. My problem is with Armentrout.

While the romance was totally amazing and Im kind of hoping I find my own Cam, this book had little to no individuality which left me kind of disappointed. I don't plan on continuing on with this series. Thanks for letting me rant guys. xoxoxo




Happy reading nerds and sound off in the comments with your opinions and perspectives on this book!
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Panic by: Lauren Oliver

8/11/2014

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Panic by: Lauren Oliver
Synopsis: 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.


Alright.... review time! 


Im not really sure how I feel about this book... Im stuck somewhere between a 3.5 and a 4 star rating.


Y'all should know that Im a HUGE Lauren Oliver fan. Like 100% obsessed with her writing which is why Im really confused. Ive heard a lot of mixed reviews about this novel so I was totally stoked to read it for myself. It was a lot different then I thought it would be. Truthfully, I was a little disappointed. 

Don't get me wrong, I still really liked this book. I was just expecting a 6 star book. 

I think the thing that really grabbed me the most was the storyline and plot. I think that Panic is so unique and there are so many stories that could be make from this idea. I loved the intense events the characters had to participate in. I did find that it was a little hard to believe that it was only this specific years Panic game that caused the cops to get involved though. I liked the action and the switch between the characters perspectives.

I am sorry to admit though, I wasn't the biggest fan of the characters. I think that is the main reason why I didn't fully connect with this book. I didn't find that the characters were that deep. I guess what Im trying to say is that I didn't find them to memorable. I didn't understand why they did things or acted in specific ways. I didn't really care what happened to them, I just wanted to know who would win. The only character that I really felt a connection with was Heather because I felt bad about her home life. I give her a lot of credit for just taking her sister and leaving. I hated Nat and I felt like she was a bit of a brat. Dodge was ok I guess. Its admirable that he was trying to get revenge for his sister but he should have been there to support her, not ruin someone else's life. I did like Bishop though! He was cute and it was nice to see how much he cared for Heather. 

I could go on and on about this books pros and cons. I liked the plot and the small town feel etc, but I just didn't connect with the characters! Maybe my opinion will change once I reread some parts and think about it more but as of right now, Im disappointed that I didn't like it more.


Happy reading nerds and sound off in the comments with your opinion and perspective on this novel! :)

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Just One Day by: Gayle Forman

4/17/2014

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Just One Day by: Gayle Forman
Synopsis: Allyson Healey's life is exactly like her suitcase—packed, planned, ordered. Then on the last day of her three-week post-graduation European tour, she meets Willem. A free-spirited, roving actor, Willem is everything she’s not, and when he invites her to abandon her plans and come to Paris with him, Allyson says yes. This uncharacteristic decision leads to a day of risk and romance, liberation and intimacy: 24 hours that will transform Allyson’s life.

A book about love, heartbreak, travel, identity, and the “accidents” of fate,Just One Day shows us how sometimes in order to get found, you first have to get lost. . . and how often the people we are seeking are much closer than we know.

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Alright... review time!


I have heard soo much hype about this book and Gayle Forman's writing so I was extremely excited to read this. I must admit though, I was expecting a bit more.


 I LOVED the traveling aspects, the food, and the languages in this book but I found that the characters, romance and turn of events was a little choppy and confusing at times. I really liked the very beginning of this book but I found that the one day spent in Paris was a little hard to follow but still good. I did find Allyson a little annoying at times and I couldn't really relate to her and understand all her decisions. I also liked Willem but I didn't think he was anything special. Although the college scenes were a tad boring at times, I really enjoyed seeing Allyson change her classes and really discover herself as a person instead of being her parents perfect golden girl. I also freakin LOVED Dee. He was amazing. Also, Allyson's mom drove me crazy. She was so controlling etc but I did like the tension and the mood that her craziness created.

I loved that Ally went back to Europe and I really liked watching her find the little clues on her way to Willem. I did lose a lot of respect for Willem though when you find out how he was had relationships with almost EVERY girl in Europe. I highly enjoyed reading about Allyson's travels but I found that the ending was a bit of a let down. I was just DYING to see them have their first convo together since Paris but it never happened. Maybe you get to see that in the next book. There were aspects that I hated and aspects that I loved. I don't plan on running out to buy the next book but if I see it for cheap somewhere I will probably pick it up.




Happy reading nerds and sound off in the comments with your opinions and perspective on this novel! :)
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Talented By: Sophie Davis

3/29/2014

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Talented By: Sophie Davis
Synopsis: When Talia Lyons was just a child, her parents were murdered before her eyes. Offered a choice between accepting their fate and exacting revenge, Talia trains to become one of the country’s deadliest assassins in order to kill the man responsible for their deaths: Ian Crane. Luckily, Talia was born with a gift- the ability to read and influence the minds of others. At sixteen, Talia is poised to graduate from the McDonough School for the Talented, where she learned to control her abilities. Now there is only one obstacle standing between her and the retribution she craves... Talia herself.

Her greatest asset may also be her undoing; while a formidable weapon in the field, Talia’s talents prevent her from both shutting off the mental connection she shares with her questionable boyfriend and blocking out the thoughts of a beguiling fellow recruit. But Talia can’t afford to have the feelings and distractions of a normal teenage girl, when her life is far from normal.

She must regain the single-minded determination that has brought her this far, or it may cost Talia her life when she finally faces Crane. And even after being molded in to a weapon of war, she’ll still have to find the strength it takes to pull the trigger.

If James Bond and Sookie Stackhouse had a love child with a yearning for vengeance, her story would be TALENTED: an adventure about powerful teenagers who aren’t afraid to embrace their fears and fight for what they believe in.


Alright... Its review time! I obtained an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. When I saw the gorgeous cover and read the captivating synopsis I knew that I needed to read this book. The summary made this book sound like it was about this kick ass female assassin with mind blowing abilities who is feared by the entire country. That is definitely NOT what I got from this book... I was hoping that I would fall in love but I couldn't get past the characters.


****** SPOILER ALERT DO NOT READ ANY FARTHER IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THIS BOOK******


Ok, where should I begin? I felt like this book had a very good start. I was intrigued by the post apocalyptic world and I thought that the world building wasn't half bad. Reading about what happened to  Talia's parents was really heart breaking and I loved Talia's need for revenge. I liked that the McDonoughs took her under their wing and raised her. I also really enjoyed reading about Donavon and Talia's relationship as children and how they grew up together. Ill get into more detail about their relationship later. The bickering that went on between Erik, Talia and Henri was very entertaining but I really wish there had been more relationship building and more background behind Erik and Henri. It didn't explain a lot about why they were so close. Another aspect that always brought a smile to my face was Penny. She was such an amazing friend. Her happiness and cheerfulness was so enlightening and she was always there for Tal 24/7.


  Talia Lyons just frustrated me throughout the entire book. I was hoping that she would be this totally badass independent young woman. Instead I found her very immature and very dependant on other people. On the 3 missions that the author went into detail about, Talia had to be rescued because she kept getting stabbed, shot, or because she had some sort of mental break down. GAHHH!
I also found her relationships with Donavon and Erik very confusing.


   I wasn't the biggest fan of Donavon from the get go. It would just be little things that he would say that would rub me the wrong way. And then when Erik started warning Talia about him... i knew Donavon was gonna cheat in her. When she walked in on him and the blonde chick I was soooo angry. It brought me so much happiness when she went rage and threw him against the wall. I was just hoping that she would light a match and roast some marshmallows over his cabin... :) And then Donavon didn't even apologize or try to talk to her!! I hate him with a passion! 


  I loved Erik and Talia's relationship in the beginning. You could see how much he wanted to be with her but he kept trying to give her space after what happened with Donavon. I wanted them to hook up soo badly. And then when they finally did... I was elated, at first. Then after a few nights of them kissing and him staying the night I was a little confused. Erik was apparently falling in love with her and he had all these deep feelings but he never vocalized them! He never told her how beautiful she was or how thankful he was to have her. Maybe I'm just a hopeless romantic but I felt like their relationship was purely physical which is why I wasn't too upset when he yelled at her and left. 


   I highly enjoyed the world building, dialogue, and a couple of the characters but it definitely wasn't my favourite book ever. I would give it about 3 stars. I went into this book with really high expectations and was kind of let down. 


Happy reading nerds and sound off in the comments with you opinions and perspective on this book!! :)
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    Jamie

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