Spain: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Title: The Shadow of the Wind

Author: Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Publisher: Penguin Books

Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction

Blurb: Barcelona, 1945: A city slowly heals in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, and Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer’s son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julián Carax. But when he sets out to find the author’s other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. In fact, Daniel may have the last of Carax’s books in existence. Soon Daniel’s seemingly innocent quest opens a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets--an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love.

Me: My favorite book that I have read in 2016 so far, and one of my favorites of all time. All lovers of literature should read. 

All Fall Down Collab Review

Title: All Fall Down
Author: Ally Carter
Publisher: Scholastic 
Genre: Mystery, Contemporary 

Blurb: (from goodreads) A new series of global proportions -- from master of intrigue, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Ally Carter. 

This exciting new series from NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Ally Carter focuses on Grace, who can best be described as a daredevil, an Army brat, and a rebel. She is also the only granddaughter of perhaps the most powerful ambassador in the world, and Grace has spent every summer of her childhood running across the roofs of Embassy Row.

Now, at age sixteen, she's come back to stay--in order to solve the mystery of her mother's death. In the process, she uncovers an international conspiracy of unsettling proportions, and must choose her friends and watch her foes carefully if she and the world are to be saved. 
I'll be formatting this review a little differently today. I collaborated with the awesome Christina @Books and Prejudice (go check her blog out). We decided to break it down into some of the main aspects of the book, and give both of our thoughts. I'll be talking in blue, and she'll be talking in pink. 

Plot: 
Me: It was interesting enough. The entire idea of her hunting after the Scarred Man and trying to get her revenge was really interesting. However, I feel like a lot of the plot was a bit expected, and some things happened "coincidentally" that wouldn't have happened in real life. I also saw the main plot twist coming at the end, which kind of downed the entire book. Also the ending. Who end a book like that? Just cut it off. Like what. the. hecky.

Christina: I really liked the idea of this plot.  I started reading this without having read anything about it, so I honestly didn't know what it was about.  But the idea of a disturbed girl hunting down her mother's killer in a foreign embassy.  That's kind of neat.  Some super silly things happened that made me seriously laugh.  But that ending.  I felt like Carter was attempting to do a cliffhanger but it just fell flat.  It doesn't really lead me to want to care about the next book.  

Characters: 
Me: This was a rough spot for me. I felt uncomfortable with Grace, the main character. I think her sort of "craziness" and her inclination to act on impulse was a bit disturbing and instead of feeling for her I found myself distancing myself from her as a reader. That made the entire book a bit distanced from me and didn't give me reasons for her doing the things she did and acting the way she did. I loved Ms. Chancellor. To me she didn't feel like the sugary-sweet counselor who pretended everything was okay. She understood what was going on, and she was okay with it.
Noah and Megan, I really liked. I think that their characters were well defined and described, and I found myself sympathizing for them, especially Noah. Alexei, however, I didn't like as much. I didn't feel the old relationship between him and Grace and their history. He was very...distant.

Christina: Our main character, Grace, suffered a severe trauma three years before the start of All Fall Down.  This leads her to be quite mentally unstable.  Many of the antics that she gets herself are quite comical.  One of the things that annoyed me about this book was the lack of character growth from Grace.  Yes, she's grief-stricken.  But by the end of the book, I felt like she could have changed some and learned how to deal more with her grief.  I love reading about people's takes on mental instability.  So I really felt like there was so much room for personal growth here.

I really loved some of the minor characters.  Ms. Chancellor and the Scarred Man are so complex it's almost impossible to guess who they truly are and what their loyalties really are.  They had me guessing all the way to the very end.  The two of them had me going thinking, "Is Grace really that crazy?" up until near the end of the book.  I liked Alexei, but I wish he were better developed.  It was almost like he was thrown into the mix for the sake of having a love interest.  And then taken out at the last minute when the author realized that it wouldn't work.  What was that?  Cliffhangers are at least supposed to make sense... right?

Setting: 
Me: THIS. This was beautiful. Even though it was a bit of a fantasy setting, I could totally see the embassy happening in real life. The different nations and their embassies coming together on one island and having issues was plausible, and I also found it fascinating to think about. How would it feel to go to the next building and be in a country that is normally half way across the world? Love it.

Christina: Adria.  What is this place?!  A small Mediterranean country that is peaceful, and super powerful in trade... okay??? A made up country, I get it.  The real setting, though, is Embassy row - the street lined with the houses of different embassies for different countries.  This is actually a pretty cool concept.  With it, we can mingle so many different nationalities of teenagers and have people correct our stupid Americanisms (it's football!).

Overall: An interesting plot with a great setting. A fresh concept. 

Rating: 4 kisses! 

How did you like our collab review? Any feedback? Thanks!

And Then There Were None Review

Title: And Then There Were None
Author: Agatha Christie
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Mystery, Classics

VERY BIG Spoilers in white. Highlight to read. 

Blurb: (from goodreads) First, there were ten - a curious assortment of strangers summoned as weekend guests to a private island off the coast of Devon. Their host, an eccentric millionaire unknown to all of them, is nowhere to be found. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they're unwilling to reveal - and a secret that will seal their fate. For each has been marked for murder. One by one they fall prey. Before the weekend is out, there will be none. And only the dead are above suspicion.

Me: This is the first time I have read anything of Christie's. I am now also a firm believer that she is a genius. 
 WHAT. JUST. HAPPENED. THAT WAS NOT A BOOK. THAT WAS A MANIPULATING, MIND-BOGGLING, PIECE OF GENIUS. 

How do you kill 10 people, one by one, and not reveal who the murderer is? How can an author do this? I am amazed. The subtle suspicion of everyone that was on the island, but also the way that I felt that I could never even suspect who it was was mind-blowing. The second I would have made up my mind on who to keep an eye on, something would happen that would make me change my mind. 
The plot itself was stellar. Based on a poem all of the people on the island found in their rooms: 

"Ten little soldier boys went out to dine; One choked his little self and then there were nine.

Nine little soldier boys stayed up very late; One overslept himself and then there were eight.

Eight little soldier boys travelling in Devon; One said he'd stay there and then there were seven.

Seven little soldier boys chopping up sticks; One chopped himself in halves and then there were six.

Six little soldier boys playing with a hive; A bumblebee stung one and then there were five.

Five little soldier boys going in for law; One got in Chancery and then there were four.

Four little soldier boys going out to sea; A red herring swallowed one and then there were three

Three little soldier boys walking in the Zoo; A big bear hugged one and then there were two

Two little soldier boys sitting in the sun; One got frizzled up and then there was one.

One little soldier boy left all alone; He went and hanged himself and then there were none."

The island is "SOLDIER island", every single time someone is murdered, a soldier toy figure is removed from the table, and every person dies in a way similar to the poem. For example, the first one chokes on a drink and dies. 

But what really added to it, was the characters. All ten of the characters were described extremely well, and Christie took time to write from each of their POVs. They each had their suspicions set on different people, they were all very wary of each other, the way that they acted was incredibly human, yet very...unnaturally odd. 

They also had all been accused in the beginning of the book of crimes that they were never found truly guilty of. I found that fascinating. Agatha Christie explores the concept of guilt, and can another human ever really confirm that someone has done something? Can humans ever know justice and what its true meaning is? And how, when put in extraordinary situations, will these guilty people react? 

Aside from all of that, though, as a mystery novel, it was phenomenal. It was incredibly suspenseful and almost chilling throughout the book. (Being a sissy, I couldn't read it at night, even though it wasn't "scary") I could not tell at all who the murderer was and the entire time I thought the whole thing was bizarre...

THE ENDING. It made everything clear. It blew my mind. I had not seen that coming in any way shape or form. But it made sense, and that was what was really awesome. The fact that Christie could weave a story like that together was...GENIUS. 

SPOILER ALERT: JUDGE WARGRAVE????!!!!! OMG. BECAUSE HE WANTED TO SEE JUSTICE DONE. HOW. HOW. IT MAKES SENSE BUT IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. AGGGHHH.

Overall: An AMAZING thriller that, and I will quote my friend Claire from Cover to Cover, "EVERYONE MUST READ. EVERYONE." 

Rating: It shames me I'm even trying to rate this. Of course it BEAT MY SCALE!

All the Truth That's In Me Review

Title: All the Truth That's In Me
Author: Julie Berry 
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Genre: Historical Fiction , Mystery

Blurb: (from goodreads) Four years ago, Judith and her best friend disappeared from their small town of Roswell Station. Two years ago, only Judith returned, permanently mutilated, reviled and ignored by those who were once her friends and family. Unable to speak, Judith lives like a ghost in her own home, silently pouring out her thoughts to the boy who’s owned her heart as long as she can remember—even if he doesn't know it—her childhood friend, Lucas. But when Roswell Station is attacked, long-buried secrets come to light, and Judith is forced to choose: continue to live in silence, or recover her voice, even if it means changing her world, and the lives around her, forever. This startlingly original novel will shock and disturb you; it will fill you with Judith’s passion and longing; and its mysteries will keep you feverishly turning the pages until the very last.  

Me: Such an amazing book, with an enthralling mystery and a great protagonist. 

The Ups: Oh this book was so great. So great. First of all, I'd like to point out that it is supposedly a "historical-fiction" and while that is absolutely true, it didn't feel hard to read or weirdly disconnected. The language and the tone made it extremely easy to see straight into Judith's mind, and to really get sucked into the story. I loved the setting and how I could picture everything, and I think it fit so well with the story.

The character development was phenomenal. Judith went through such immense changes throughout the book, and she was very easy to connect to. Her love for Lucas seemed pure and innocent and a bit afraid but never annoying, and her difficulty to speak up really touched my heart as well. The fact that she found a way to change something and become her own person was really beautiful. 

That being said, the other characters didn't fall behind, either. Darrel was my personal favorite because I felt that he truly loved his sister and could understand her but often had the oblivious, naive thoughts of a teenage boy. I absolutely adored Maria, who seemed like a wonderful person with a true heart. Lucas, Goody Pruett, Judith's mother, all of them contributed immensely and I loved them all. 

I absolutely adored the writing, The mystery was great, and although it didn't bring a huge shock, it felt like everything really came together at the end. I loved how it was written to Lucas, and even though that made me a bit doubtful at the beginning, it got very interesting and just kept getting better.

The Downs: I think that at certain parts of the book it was a tad bit slow, and I would have liked to see a bit more action and maybe have the ending come a bit faster in the book, but overall, the book came to me at a great time and told me a wonderful story. 

Overall: Such an original, meaningful story that truly stood out to me. 

Rating: 5 kisses! 

Conversion Review

Title: Conversion
Author: Katherine Howe
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Contemporary, Fantasy

Blurb: From the New York Times bestselling author of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane comes a chilling mystery—Prepmeets The Crucible. 
 
It’s senior year at St. Joan’s Academy, and school is a pressure cooker. College applications, the battle for valedictorian, deciphering boys’ texts: Through it all, Colleen Rowley and her friends are expected to keep it together. Until they can’t.
 
First it’s the school’s queen bee, Clara Rutherford, who suddenly falls into uncontrollable tics in the middle of class. Her mystery illness quickly spreads to her closest clique of friends, then more students and symptoms follow: seizures, hair loss, violent coughing fits. St. Joan’s buzzes with rumor; rumor blossoms into full-blown panic.
 
Soon the media descends on Danvers, Massachusetts, as everyone scrambles to find something, or someone, to blame. Pollution? Stress? Or are the girls faking? Only Colleen—who’s been reading The Crucible for extra credit—comes to realize what nobody else has: Danvers was once Salem Village, where another group of girls suffered from a similarly bizarre epidemic three centuries ago . . .
 
Inspired by true events—from seventeenth-century colonial life to the halls of a modern-day high school—Conversion casts a spell. With her signature wit and passion, New York Times bestselling author Katherine Howe delivers an exciting and suspenseful novel, a chilling mystery that raises the question, what’s really happening to the girls at St. Joan’s?

Me: I want you to scroll up and look at the genres this book fits into. It's pretty crazy. I think that that was the thing that made it so fascinating. It blended together a lot of diverse aspects, but melded them really smoothly.

The Ups: This book was addicting. I mean, ADDICTING. I read it for 5 hours straight last night. The thing is, I can't really place my finger on what it is. I think it's a mix of the suspense and the way the book was written. Howe's writing was very realistic but also extremely sharp and to the point, which made it even more confusing to see how the book would unravel. She would also just set the mood perfectly, with a witty cliffhanger at the end of a chapter or a perfect depiction of the illness and the symptoms. 

The entire scenario that was happening was so original. The thought of relating it back to the Salem Witch Trials was haunting and frightening and I literally got goosebumps every time it went back to 1706. I felt like St. Joan's was my school and these things were happening to people around me and it was so intense. I felt like I was completely soaked into the story. 

The characters were also a huge part. I felt like I knew each and every one of them, but not in a good way. I feel like as a reader I was on guard to see who the culprit was, and although I had my suspicions, I was prepared for a total twist. 

All in all, this book just kept me hooked and my brain spinning to the point where I just could not put it down.

The Downs: I predicted who it was from page 30. The strange thing is, I feel like that should have ruined the book for me. But instead I feel like it kept me going even more because I wanted to see if I was right or not, and even when it was, I got a sense of like "Yes, I knew it! ACCOMPLISHMENNTTT!" and not, "Seriously bro that was so obvious." Even though it turned out much better than I would've thought, I would've loved it if there was a huge twist that absolutely blew my mind. 

Overall: A riveting novel that kept me hooked until the very end...really haunting and chilling.

Rating: 4 kisses!