Cuddlebuggery Book Blog

He makes cupcakes rain on 'em!

Review to come.

Review to come.

I spent an entire year mentally preparing myself for The Fault in Our Stars. I read some terrible books, awesome books and your classic "meh" books. And whenever I'd go to decide which book I wanted to read next, I'd glance at The Fault in Our Stars' spine and simply turn my head away. To be completely honest, I don't think I have ever truly went out of my way to avoid a book like this and it's unlike me to do so. I usually tackle things head on, showing no fear, but with this book I had to approach things differently due to its subject matter. But then Jenn from The Bawdy Book Blog threw this in as a review suggestion, because obviously I needed some John Green edumacation. And I'm so happy someone finally pushed me to read this book because it did not disappoint. Well, not exactly...

It's easy to see why John Green has the following he does. There is just something magical in the way he strings his sentences together that I can't help but admire it. It's simple, deep and humorous all at the same time. And the biggest thing I worried about when diving into this book was the sadness. You go into the book knowing the characters are terminal and I didn't know how I would fare connecting with a character, loving a character, to ultimately have them suffer and die. I'm a really easy crier and I don't like seeing people (fictional or real) suffer. But somehow John Green manages to take a cancer book and fill it with the sweetest memories.

For a good portion of The Fault in Our Stars, I found myself chuckling at Hazel and Augustus' dry humor. The first half was generally light-hearted despite the grim situation the characters were in. Even when things got more serious, the humor was subtly there as a convenient ice-breaker of sorts. If I could describe it, I'd liken it to a grandparent making a joke about their impending death. It's awkward and uncomfortable, but oddly reassuring that it's possible to joke about something so morbid. Life goes on.

The plot was simply "ok" for me, never wowing me or keeping me on the edge of my seat. It, at times, seemed to just float by with occasional things happening. There weren't many plot twists or "ah ha!" moments because you could tell from the beginning how it would end. You knew from the subject matter that it would be sad, and yet... I did not really cry. I did shed The Lonely Tear, but it wasn't for the characters. It was because of the situation they were in. It was because cancer sucks. Don't get me wrong, this is a beautifully written book, but the problem I ran into was the questionable authenticity of the protagonists. They never felt like teenagers. I get that they were intelligent and spent a lot more time contemplating life than your average teen, but they never felt real to me. Now, I'm not exactly a stranger to John Green himself. I religiously watch his history webshow on Youtube and I'm often amazed at this guy. But it was like he sat down and created mini-Despicable-Me-minon-like John Greens for this novel. They are all witty, super intelligent and too pretentious for their own good.

Further, it was almost like Green relied on the severity of the ending and the character's intelligence to jar emotion from the reader. Clearly, this worked since two weeks after finishing, I cried while making pancakes just from thinking about Augustus' letter to Hazel. But again, this was not for the characters. It wasn't remotely similar or as powerful of an emotion that I'd felt after I read A Walk to Remember where I cried in my 8th grade English class under my desk. I'm talking about complete and utter sorrow for Landon and everyone else. DON'T JUDGE ME. :P

Anyway, while I remain conflicted on how I feel about the characters, it doesn't negate the fact that this is a fabulous, smart read that I'd recommend to others.

More reviews and other fantastical things at Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.

I remember looking for Waldo with my mom and dad as a young kid, pouring over the book for hours. Now that I'm older and have my own kids, I can say with full confidence that this is the type of book that never gets old. It's still fun and becomes even more so when introducing it to a younger generation.

The artwork in Where's Waldo? The Fantastic Adventure is still as amazing and complex as I remember. I admire the skill and time that went into crafting every puzzle in the book, hiding the clues in just the right spots. It also has handy checklists for you to keep track of all the clues you've found, which definitely came in handy.

I read this book with my 5-year-old daughter several times and she thoroughly enjoyed finding the clues. They weren't overly difficult for her, but still challenging enough to keep her (and me!) attentive and searching over and over. The only puzzle we encountered difficulty was with The Land of Waldos, the last story in the book. The goal was to find him amongst hundreds of look-a-likes AND find his missing shoe. We did find his shoe, but Waldo himself eludes us constantly!

Final Verdict: Waldo is still as charming and captivating now as he was back in 1989 when it was first published. Young and old readers will find this edition a perfect book to enjoy together or apart.


Finished copy was received from the publisher through Young Adult Books Central for review.

There are so many lessons to be learned in the pages of Bluebird from bullying, loneliness, dealing with loss and letting go. I'm so very impressed with how Staake manages to weave all of these points together in only 40 pages with pictures alone.

Bluebird follows the story of a young boy who is friendless and the victim of bullying at school. He's excluded from group recess activities and teased in class. Meanwhile, a small bluebird watches the boy and proceeds to follow him after school releases. A friendship between the two is forged and it's put to the test during a tension-filled ending.

Bluebird really surprised me with the fact that I didn't think it would be so deep. I expected a usual picture book along with text to read out loud to my daughter. Instead, Bluebird is told entirely through beautiful illustrations shaded in black, white and blues. Each page is also broken into smaller panels to depict the next part of the narration and the passage of time. I was immediately taken with style because it reminds me of children's graphic novel, but much more simplified. However, my 5-year-old had difficultly understanding what was taking place in the book because it's not a style she is used to. In fact, the first thing she said when we started reading was, "Where are the words? I need the words!" So it's a bit of a learning curve for younger readers, but what the narration lacks in simplicity makes up for with the fascinating illustrations.

The ending to Bluebird also surprised me and I'll admit to not realizing the severity of what transpired until after I went back and re-read the blurb. It seems like the ending is set up in two ways. Based on interpretation and readiness of the reader, the bluebird can be seen as either suffering a non-fatal injury or ultimately dying. This was a very clever and makes the book appear more universal to all readers despite age.

Final verdict: Bluebird is an unexpected gem and touches on tough issues in a very delicate way. It's the perfect book to use as a gateway for open discussion about loss to a younger reader, and moving story about letting go for all.

Finished copy was received from the publisher through Young Adult Books Central for review.

Actual rating: 4.5

That's it. Kasie West is now one of my new favorite authors. After being completely swept off my feet by Pivot Point, West has once again warmed my heart with so many cute moments. She continuously manages to create down to earth, relatable characters and all-around fun books.

The Distance Between Us follows Caymen Meyers, a girl who has certain opinions about rich people thanks to her mother's clear disdain. Her mom has raised her to think very negatively about the Haves verses the Have Nots due to her own troubled past with a rich ex-boyfriend. So naturally, when rich boy Xander Spence walks into their doll shop and "beckons" her, she's pretty much already had her mind made up. But in a strange turn of events they begin spending more time together on these "career days." What happens next can only be described as one of the most ADORBS books you can ever read!

While the novel is more romance centered, West never spares her characters room to grow and develop. The time Caymen spends with Xander shows her that her mother's bias is just that, bias based on her own experiences. In fact, Xander himself is the one to acknowledge that both he and Caymen aren't that different regardless of income level. Thus, these "career days" are born which helps reveal what they each want to do with their lives despite parental expectations placed on them. And through this, an unlikely friendship blossoms and later turns to first love.

I absolutely loved this story to bits. There was't a moment I was bored or not entertained thanks to the AWESOME sarcasm from Caymen. It's not the kind everyone will enjoy, but it was just right for me, leaving me laughing out loud at almost every page. And when I wasn't laughing, I was sighing at the perfect dialogue between Xander an Caymen.

“Caymen?”
“Yes?”
“You look terrified. Does this scare you?”
“More than anything.”
“Why?”
“Because I didn’t bring my mints.”
“And now the real answer . . .”
“Because I’m afraid that once you catch me, the game’s over.”

*Happy sigh*

Kasie West writes the type of romance I love to read. It's not cheesy or over the top. It's not unbelievable  or unrealistic. It doesn't make you roll your eyes or make your head collide with a wall from frustration. It's the kind that makes you all giddy inside. The kind that gets your feels all "a meltin'" and the type that makes you twirl around in your living room like your a Disney Princess.


And that's the best kind of feeling ever!

Final verdict: I'd highly recommend this totally adorable book. If you're in a reading slump and you need a book to bring a smile to your face, this is your book. If you are looking to be entertained, look no further. If you are just looking for a cute read that will wrap your heart up in a blanket made of feels, read this book and twirl, my friends. Weeeeeee!


ARC was received from Amy of Book Loving Mom. Thanks again, Amy!

More reviews and other fantastical things at Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.

Actual rating: 3.5

Fun! Just what I needed. Review to come.

Middle Grade fiction and I don't usually get along, which is funny considering their covers are the cutest things EVER. I am one of those people easily swayed by pretty covers and I just can't help clicking that "To Read" button on Goodreads. What can I say? I have ZERO self-control. You should also know that I do not do Horror. Like, at all because I am a total scaredy cat who's afraid of her own shadow. I sleep with a teddy bear and everything. But anyway, for The Year of Shadows I knew I had to give it a try because a) Legrand is pretty awesome and I like her style b) Dat cover, yo. You will notice this is how I select most of the books I read, which is not always as fail-proof as I'd like it to be. Unfortunately, Awesome Author does not always equal Awesome Book. But in this case, it totally does. The Year of Shadows tackles issues that I was surprised to see in a Middle Grade novel... and it does it so well.

The novel follows Olivia Stellatella, a kid who's dealing with way more than anyone should have to deal with at her age. Her mother has left Olivia and her father, which causes a strained relationship between them. Her father's failing Orchestra has left them severely in debt, causing Olivia, her grandmother and the Maestro himself to move into the very old Emerson Concert Hall. It doesn't even have a shower. The horror. To make matters worse, Olivia has school troubles, and you can just imagine how all of these things combined can make for a very bitter kid. She's not very kind to the Maestro even though he is obviously dealing with his own demons, the two friends that she does start to make, she pushes away, and she is kind of a brat. As Mr. Potato Head would say, "That ain't no happy child."

But the thing about Olivia is that you can't help but feel for her situation. At times, she is a frustrating character because you want her to just open up already and give people a chance. But at the same time, I understand why she's a loner and why she despises Emerson Hall and blames it partially for her mother's departure. She's a depressed, lonely kid just trying to survive when she discovers the ghosts haunting Emerson Hall. Through a few uncanny friendships, you can see Olivia's' growth as she slowly allows herself to heal. Or rather, she allows the friendships of the ghosts and her two friends to heal her.

Speaking of Olivia's friends, Henry and Joan were fantastic. The one thing I sometimes miss when hanging out in YAland is the dynamic of friendships, because with YA, there is usually such a strong focus on romantic love. But I loved how Henry saw beyond Olivia's facade and was there for her even when she pushed him away. I loved Joan and how she was all about getting involved with causes. Then there was also Igor, the cat, who Olivia may or may not have talked to in her head, dreamy Richard Ashley (fetch me my fainting couch!) and Olivia's grandmother. These characters were adorable and I was so happy that Olivia had them.

My favorite setting would have to be The Happy Place, a coffee shop run by Mr. and Mrs. Barskey. (My Personal Happy Place generally involves my couch, ice cream and watching Pitch Perfect over and over while thinking of ways to then incorporate Pitch Perfect jokes into every conversation I have. A-ca-believe it! But I digress...) With its bright vibrant colors with equally colorful personalities of the couple that owned the establishment, it provided a much-needed ray of sunshine considering how depressing The Year of Shadows can be.  And it definitely had its dark moments when Olivia and Henry started "sharing" with the ghosts and learning about their pasts. Topics such as murder, The Great Depression and war are delicately presented in a way that was not overwhelming, but never lacking in severity. Mr. Worthington's story tore me up inside. WHY, CLAIRE. WHY? ARE MY TEARS TASTY?



Legrand also did a fabulous job with her descriptions, making Emerson Hall easily come to life in my head. But I especially loved the ones with the music.

It's a strange feeling, when you hear a good piece of music. It starts out kind of shaky, this hot, heavy knot in your chest. At first it's tiny, like a spot of light in a dark room, but then it builds, pouring through you. And the next thing you know, everything from your forehead down to your fingers and toes is on fire. You feel like the hot, heavy knot in your chest is turning into a bubble. It's full of everything good in the world, and if you don't do something--if you don't run or dance or shout to everyone in the world about this music you've just heard--it'll explode. - The Year of  Shadows ARC, page 183

And the descriptions went so well with the beautiful illustrations, which were not finished in my ARC copy. Pro Tip: Totally get a paper copy of this instead of reading the ebook if you can. From the chapter headings with Igor to the bordered page numbers, The Year of Shadows is all-around wonderfully crafted. I'm once again reminded why Middle Grade is often so special, because you don't always get these cool extras in YA or even Adult fiction.

Overall, The Year of Shadows, is a fantastic novel with endearing characters, delicious descriptions and a captivating plot, making this one of my favorites of 2013. While aimed for the Middle Grade audience, it holds a complexity that will compel readers of all ages to flip pages late into the night.

ARC was received from the publisher for an honest review. Thanks!

Be sure to stop by the blog Friday (8/23) for a hilarious story interview written by Claire and a giveaway!

More reviews and other fantastical things at Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.

Recently, I've been reading really depressing books that have both horrified and fascinated me. But out of all of them, Charm and Strange and now Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock takes the cake for tackling tough, taboo issues. In this case, suicide. Now, the last suicide book I've read was Thirteen Reasons Why and this book can easily be compared to that. But instead of the story being told from tapes from the deceased and another MC, Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock is told play-by-play from Leonard himself. His voice is real, broken, hurt, confused and relatable. He wants to be seen, remembered. He wants people to acknowledge his existence. So on his 18th birthday he takes his grandfather's war gun trophy and sets out to kill his former best friend and himself.

When we are introduced to Leonard, he immediately fills the reader in on his plans, though the ultimate reason why is revealed along the course of his day as he gives away personal items or gifts to four people he regularly interacts with. While Leonard calls them friends, we find that this doesn't accurately describe those relationships. Two mostly tolerate or accept his presence in their routine, but unlike most of his peers, they communicate with him in some way despite being weirded out by his differences. Leonard is vastly different from his classmates and that is quickly apparent in his reasonings and speech. He sees the world and challenges things normal teenagers wouldn't think about. This doesn't do Leonard any favors regarding his popularity, but he brushes this off as ignorance on their part.

The thing about Leonard is that he's such a smart character, but he never comes across as pretentious like some characters from other equally morbid novels. (This is me giving The Fault in Our Stars the stink eye.) It's easy to see why he's misunderstood and underestimated, but such a shame to read about such a lonely kid. His situation depressed me on a serious level and I just wanted to give this guy hug. He doesn't have friends his age or even the support of his family. His mother spends her days in New York, living her dream working as a designer and his father is nowhere to be seen, leaving Leonard to mostly fend for himself. Thankfully, Leonard is not entirely alone and when the climax hits, he does begin to see there are people who care about him.

If there is one piece of criticism I do have it was the way the Letters From the Future were introduce. In certain chapters of the book, the narrative and setting switches and their isn't any notice. I'll admit to be completely caught off guard to this and confused as to how it held any relevance to the story until after his teacher mentioned them in class. Leonard also has moments when he references footnotes in his narration, which is generally not a style that I love since it causes me to flip back and forth from the footnotes to the story. Word to the wise, reading this one on your kindle might be a royal pain in the ass.

All in all, I'm really glad I decided to check Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock out. It's a very different story, the kind I'm not used to reading. But just like Thirteen Reasons Why and Charm and Strange, it's one I'll probably be thinking about for a while. Highly recommended.


ARC was provided by the publisher for an honest review. Thank you!

More reviews and other fantastical things at Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.

Want to win an ARC of Sekret? Head on over to Cuddlebuggery for a chance to win!

There's no doubt in my mind that most people are going to be captivated with The 5th Wave. It's engaging, features a witty protagonist, mystery, the right amount of anticipation and a romantic story line. Not to mention, it happens to be one of Penguin's big titles and had a lot of marketing money poured into it. It's not everyday that an ARC crosses my threshold with such a soft cover. Nor are they usually accompanied by beat up Teddies and survival bags.



I had seen the reviews surfacing and shouting praise left and right, including Kat. And for most of the novel, I was right there with most people who loved the story, rooting for Cassie. But somewhere around the 50% mark, I felt the book lost some of its original luster.

Yancey sets up the world perfectly and there's little fault to be found there. The narration is introduced by Cassie, who tells the reader of her life before the aliens came and the 4 waves that subsequently wiped out most of the human population. Her story, like the many others shown later, is not a happy one. She's suffered the death of both of her parents and the separation from her 6 year old brother, Sam. I quite enjoyed her as a main character and found her humorous despite her grim situation. Her fierce determination to save her brother from the unknown (to her, at least) horrors built just the right amount of anticipation to keep me turning page after page.

One thing I didn't expect was the multiple narrations: The Silencer, Zombie and Sam (though, he only narrates once, I believe). I'm surprised that I actually liked this style after a few reviews did mention it not working so well for them. I can definitely see it throwing readers off, but I thought it was pretty clever in the beginning. The way it switches back and forth, implanted a certain amount of doubt to the point where I there were times where I wasn't sure who was actually human or alien.

Still all of that just wasn't enough to keep away my rising disappointment. You see, The 5th Wave and I had a very interesting reading journey and I think I about expressed all of my emotions while reading it. There was the beginning where I'd learned about waves 1-4 and how horrifying they were. I had to take a moment and hug Sam's teddy. It was a depressing situation and I needed cuddles.

Then, Sam is taken away, Cassie is shot in the leg and I'm not sure if she's going to make it. And some Other Stuff happens, like a bunch of people getting all killed off at once, and I found myself flipping pages super duper fast. I couldn't wait to find out what the 5th alien wave actually was.



But that's when things start going downhill for me, because all of a sudden there's this weird insta-love romance that was, IMO, not done well at all. I get that Yancey was going for the whole "What really makes us human?" thing with this book. And having Cassie and The Silencer fall for each other was supposed to emphasize that, but c'mon. The whole "I shot you in the leg because I couldn't bare shooting you in the head. Can't you see I'm in love with you?" bit started sending off major weirdo vibes. Dare I say it? Yes, I think I shall. If Edward Cullen were an alien whose mission was to kill off remaining humans, but he instead falls in love with a girl, he would be The Silencer. The romance developed way too fast and had such a strange start (with The Silencer following her through the woods, reading her diary, going through her belongings and shooting her in the leg) that I just could find myself getting on board with it.

It was such a strange turn of events. One minute there's death, carnage and a struggle for survival and the next minute Cassie's in this farm with a guy who resembles Clark Kent from Smallville and he's baking her bread. This is also that part where the narrative changes really started to become jarring because we also were keeping track of Zombie (a nickname for the character in the novel). Every time we were in his point of view, I felt like I was in the midst of playing Call of Duty. So from going back and forth from those very different scenarios, I had to take a small break and ask Teddy a very frank question: "Are you fucking kidding me?"



SPOILERS AHEAD: But I went back to reading because I really wanted to see what this 5th wave was all about. Unfortunately, that turned out to be the most disappointing aspect of the novel. Up until I found out what the 5th wave was, I thought these aliens were pretty badass. They came to earth with a plan and they knew exactly how to kill off humans very effectively.

1st Wave: Take out human technology - Humans rely heavily on this for almost everything. I'd take this out first too.

2nd Wave: Natural disasters - You can easily wipe out most of biggest cites by taking out the coasts with tsunamis.

3rd Wave: Plague - One of the most effective way to kill off a bunch of people: poison them with disease. You don't even have to do much here. Just wait for them to die off.

4th Wave: Silencers (basically, think snipers) - Pick off all the survivors.

5th Wave: Kidnap all remaining children, including toddlers, nurse them back to health, feed them, train them military style and send them out to kill all the adults who they think are aliens but are really human. (UMM. What?)

The aliens had a good thing going for them. Every thing made sense up until the 5th wave. But why would they go through so much trouble for the 5th wave? The Silencers would have been just as effective or even more so, considering how fast they could take people out. They are faster, stronger, can see in the dark, etc. So, what's the point in wasting resources and years to train human children to kill human adults?

My final verdict: The 5th Wave is definitely a page-turner and has plenty to offer a reader who enjoys science fiction. Even though the romance fell flat and the plot's logical inconsistencies kept me from dishing out all my stars, it was still an enjoyable read. But despite the very strong start, ultimately, The 5th Wave didn't live up to the hype for me.

Sorry, Kat. I fully expect your declarations of Review War in the mornin'.

 

ARC and teddy was received via the publisher for an honest review. No monies or favors were exchanged for a positive review, though, the teddy does look cool on my bookshelf. 

More reviews and other fantastical things at Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.

There are so many feelings inside me right now, but I can't quite bring myself to mold them into anything else but giant SOBS.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Fun!

Review to come.

This is going to be one of those rare times where my rating isn't very indicative of my personal feelings of the quality of a novel. (Savor this moment because I don't see it happening too often.) Here's the thing about Neptune's Tears: if you are a veteran Sci-Fi reader, chances are it will be lacking in complexity for you. However, if you are a noob to the genre or a younger reader or a reluctant reader, this novel may be perfect for you. Unfortunately, I don't fall in the latter category and I don't think I'm a part of the target audience for this book, but I can still see a lot of redeemable qualities for Neptune's Tears.

The Good:

- The writing isn't bad at all. Even though I mentioned I think this book would be great for younger readers, I didn't ever feel like Waggoner was talking down to the reader. This was especially evident with the science she used to set her world up and the descriptions. The world is described in a clear manner without info-dumping on the reader.

-Neptune's Tears features a diverse group of characters. One thing I really love is when a book has other nationalities or cultures present. So many times in YA lit it's the usual all white cast with the occasional token character. But this book takes place in London and has a variety of nationalities present. In fact, the main character even travels to Indonesia later in the book. It's apparent that Waggoner wanted her book to be more of an accurate representation of the world in the future, and the best way to do that was to actually include the rest of the world.

- The plot moved along swiftly and the twist wasn't predictable. Looking back at my reading experience, I'm a little surprised that I didn't see the plot twist. There were a few times when I wanted to DNF Neptune's Tears, but I was very interested in seeing what David's big secret was, so that kept me reading until the end.

What didn't work out for me:

- The pacing was entirely too fast. There were times when I long stretches of time had passed by, but I didn't realize it because the story moved at such a rapid pace. This caused the most issues with the romance. One minute Zee and David are meeting and the next they are falling in love. At first, I thought it was insta-love and I HATE insta-love 99% of the time, but then I realized a few months had gone by later. I felt like the book could have used better transitioning and been smoothed out more in that department. Also because the pacing was so fast, there were pages where it should have been interesting but weren't because the scene felt like it was stuck on a weird Fast Forward type setting. It was like I was skim reading a book without skimming. That, in turn, led to boredom.

- The world building wasn't very complex. This is a personal preference, but in order for me to be fully sucked into a world, I need a lot more details. Neptune's Tears gives the reader the basics, but I don't feel it fully tapped into its potential. I would have liked more info on what it meant for Zee to be an Empath. How did this skill emerge in the future world? (Speaking of the future world, I would have like more info on that in general.) If falling in love was so discouraged if a person was an Empath because it negatively affected their job, why was Zee and David's relationship seemingly the exception?  There was so much that was left unsaid and the author generally stuck to things that only pertained to Zee. And that would probably be fine for some readers, but I require a little more.

- I couldn't relate to the characters. I'm not sure what it was, but these characters did nothing for me. I think this might go hand in hand with things not being as fleshed out as I usually prefer, the characters included. Everything was strictly on a need to know basis as it pertained directly to the story and plot with very little wiggle room. I never really felt I got a good sense on who Zee was as a person. What were her likes besides her job and David? What did she like to do for fun? For me, there was no real substance. There were simply these characters and they live in this world and, oh hey, here is the plot. Bam, wham, thank you, Sam.

 

The bottom line? I really believe this novel could have used an extra 100-150 more pages and if things had been more detailed, I could have really loved this one. That being said, I do think Neptune's Tears would be perfect for reluctant readers. It's short, has a decent plot and not overly complex.


ARC was provided by the publisher. Thank you!

More reviews and other fantastical things at Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.

Romance and gargoyles! Woo-hoo!

I liked this slightly less than Spark, but still enjoyed it. Man, Hunter got busted up pretty good in this one! OUCH! Review to come.

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Are you ready to kick off the final portion of the Elemental series Read Along? I know you're dying to know what happens next. So are Jen and I!

Also, Spirit is up on NetGalley now. So go request it!

Big thank you to K-Teen and Wendy from The Midnight Garden for hosting the Spirit Blog Tour and providing these awesome books. Don't forget to check out The Starry-Eyed Revue and Cuddlebuggery where you can win these books, SIGNED!