New Instagram Giveaway

So I am trying something new... MY FIRST INSTAGRAM GIVEAWAY!!! I'm excited, anyway here are the rules. 

First off, the Giveaway is for only those in the US. 

If you have an Instagram account you must: log on, follow @thefeelssociety and repost my Giveaway post. The link is here: http://instagram.com/p/wzeazfLOMB/

In the description of that post use the Hashtag (#) and write EpicYallGiveaway behind it so it will look like this: (#EpicYallGiveaway) and also tag me in it so along with the hashtag write @thefeelssociety. That way I can get your entry! 

Rules are the winner will be picked and giveaway closed 1/1/15. I will notify winner via Direct Message on Instagram. They must be willing to give some form of address for me to send the prize to. If they are picked but refuse to disclose they're address an alternate winner will be chosen. The winner will have 3 days since the time I DM'd them to respond. If this time passes without a response the prize will go to an alternate winner. 

Prizes include: 

*1 Book Shimmy/Epic Reads Tote Bag

*1 SIGNED Hardcover of We Were Liars by E Lockhart

*Yallfest Swag

* We Were Liars Bookmark

*Sarah Dessen 'Saint Anything' Postcard

*Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang Excerpt

Scorch Trials Set Photos

I've been horrible about this but I need to catch up with all the news on The Scorch Trials Movie. So if you haven't seen some of the set photos yet, here they are! I hope you enjoy them!

 

Now there are some set photos also on Instagram, here they are:



NEW #TheScorchTrials photos! Thanks @themazerunnerofficial for the pics! #TheScorchTrialsMovie #tmr #TheMazeRunner #TheScorchTrialsSet #TheScorchTrialsSet #TheDeathCure

A photo posted by The Feels Society (@thefeelssociety) on Nov 11, 2014 at 2:09pm PST

 

More #ScorchTrialsSet pics coming! #TheScorchTrials #TheScorchTrialsMovie #tmr #TheMazeRunner #TheDeathCure #JamesDashner

A photo posted by The Feels Society (@thefeelssociety) on Nov 11, 2014 at 8:09am PST

Eep! #TheScorchTrials #TheScorchTrialsMovie #TheMazeRunner #tmr #TheDeathCure #TheKillOrder #TheFeverCode #JamesDashner

A photo posted by The Feels Society (@thefeelssociety) on Nov 11, 2014 at 5:53pm PST

NEW Special Edition Fangirl

This is so exciting I can't even control myself! Just which color will you choose?!?

New Insurgent Movie Trailer

We finally get our first look at the NEW Insurgent Movie Trailer and Poster! What do you think?

Here is the Trailer:

 

 

 

Here is the Poster:

 

 



*BOOK REVIEW* Unhinged by A.G. Howard

 

{Unhinged by A.G. Howard}

{Pages: 387}

{Published on January 7th, by Amulet Books}

 

Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.

Unhinged is beautifully written and fantastically woven.

:Description:

Description is seriously needed in all books, but in a fantasy book like this it is needed more than ever.  Not only is it required to make a book, but description tends to vary. For a book like this, to do it justice, it needs some top notch description.

What I found was an abundance of description!

:Characters:

Through description we learn about the characters. It's showed through how the author describes them when they're angry– when they're sad. You see how they act and how they look. So description is needed even in the review of characters. In Unhinged you can indulge in the characters and their personalities. You read this and you just want to be in everyone's heads. Unhinged really cracks open each returning character – revealing all the dark depths to everything they do. You think you may have figured the characters out and Splinteredbut there's more. So much more.

Alyssa's world is basically coming down around her and she has to make hard decisions that will test her bonds with the people she loves... And those she thinks she doesn't. 😉 

Unhinged definitely gets an A+ for self-discovery, whether it's in a fantasy novel or contemporary book. 

:Scenes:

I mentioned in the last review that some of the scenes lacked in how far they expanded to, but the sequel has been fully redeemed itself. There are many different scenes that took you all over Wonderland and around up top as well. 

Unhinged is quite an engaging riddle. It's utterly revealing. It's enthralling and without a doubt, Unhinged is just a touch mad! 

I give Unhinged by A.G. Howard 5 out of 5 stars

 

*BOOK REVIEW* Splintered by A.G. Howard

 

{Splintered by A.G. Howard}
{Pages: 371}
{Published: January 1, 2013 by Amulet Books}

 

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

Splintered is a serious test of your ability to imagine. Not only is it fun to be able to stretch reality to whatever you want, but it also gives us a chance to try out something a little different.

Dialogue

Okay so this is a retelling – kind of– of Alice in Wonderland...dialogue is going to be wacky and loopy and out of control. What I liked though was that in the human world the dialogue is kept normal but easily shifted into a screwy language. I appreciate that the author did not lose control of the transition by starting the crazy talk to early or continuing it when they get back to the real world. I did find some of Morpheaus's words overly poetic and Jeb's sayings a little cheesy but maybe that's how they were supposed to appear. My favorite comment though had to be "Son of a Bug". It gave me a good laugh.

Settings

I hate saying this but this book somewhat lacked in this category which should not have happened. Though this lacked it can be easily overlooked because of the rest of the book. The reason I think this area could have had more oomph is because most of the scenes in Wonderland take place inside. There are a few scenes that were set outside but even then I didn't get a real feel of the rest of Wonderland except when I imagine the scenery and surroundings on my own. Having to do that meant starting from scratch in my head. Though there was some fine descriptions I personally feel that it could have used a little more embellishing on the author's part. So it is now up to you readers to create your own Wonderland.

A.G. Howard has given you a great template, now all you have to do is use. The settings that were present though we're perfect! The Wonderland vibe is there, from Morpheaus's room to his dining room to the Twid's graveyard.

Characters 

Alrighty well, we can begin with they were great! All of them. Morpheaus confused me quite a bit which was in the long run alright, as he was a wonderland character.

Alyssa is less severe than I hoped she'd be. I imagined she'd be a serious tough cookie. She crumpled a lot when it came to Morpheus and Jeb though. Just being the first book I'm holding out hope that she'll turn into a more hard-core, steam punk, kick butt character in book too.

Now for Jeb. He's super sweet character. He's overly protective because he loves Alyssa (Read the book at it becomes seriously clearly very quickly). Though his appearance scream something seriously different he's just a big puppy dog. I love when he threatens Morpheus though it's hilarious. 

Just because I feel I have to mention it though I am unsure of what is to come in book 2 – the whole red court was nothing like we know the red court to be. It wasn't crazy and mad. Though when we get a slight (yet obscure) glance at Queen Red it was to the tee the perfect example of the Red Queen. I just wish the whole court had managed to hold up that same personality.


Beyond the point I brought out Splintered gets a 4 out of 5 stars for a great retelling of Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"

Cover Reveal for The Favorite by Kiera Cass

Kiera Cass has continued her list of novellas with The Favorite, coming out March 3rd, 2015! And for those who don't know what this new novella is all about, it's about America's best friend Marlee!

While we have to wait in agony until The Favorite releases next year here is the lovely cover work for Kiera Cass' new novella.

 

 

About:

 

While America Singer’s heart was torn between Aspen and Prince Maxon, her friend Marlee knew exactly what she wanted—and paid the price.

Revisit the captivating world of Kiera Cass’s #1 New York Times bestselling Selection series in this digital original novella. Told from Marlee’s point of view, this all-new 64-page story returns to the fateful Halloween when Marlee and Carter were discovered, and reveals how that night—and Prince Maxon—changed their lives forever.

The Favorite also features a teaser to The Heir, the fourth novel in the Selection series!

*BOOK REVIEW* A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall (ARC Edition)

So because this is just an ARC and I do not have the completed and fully edited edition of A Little Something Different, this will be a little something different. LOL! It will be just a little mushed up.
So please just remember that my review is for the ARC of A Little Something Different not to finished product. Any part of the story could have been removed or edited for the finished product so thank you for understanding that this is not a review of what you may find in the book store. This is also a review that I have tried to keep spoilers out of.

 

{A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall}

{Publishing Date: August 26th, 2014}

{Publisher: Swoon Reads}
{268 Pages> Paperback}

 

 

The creative writing teacher, the delivery guy, the local Starbucks baristas, his best friend, her roommate, and the squirrel in the park all have one thing in common—they believe that Gabe and Lea should get together.

Lea and Gabe are in the same creative writing class. They get the same pop culture references, order the same Chinese food, and hang out in the same places. Unfortunately, Lea is reserved, Gabe has issues, and despite their initial mutual crush, it looks like they are never going to work things out. 

I think I'd have appreciated this book more if it had been from Lea's or Gabe's point of view. Then again the story is about others believing in Gabe and Lea's relationship. But still, I think it would have been nice to hear from Lea and Gabe's pov as well as the others. The story though otherwise seems to be quite original. It's nothing like I've read before. Alright so I know I shouldn't judge a book by its first chapter, or first point of view in this case, but, oh my gosh this was so difficult!

Unfortunately to me the dialogue was quite childish and the description of things could've been so much better. I dislike being very critical about books without finding a few good things about it but by the end of the first person's view point I was tired.

All you really find out from Maribel's POV is that Gabe is cute and awkward because he tried four different ways to pick up his books. Also at the end of that first view point it seemed hurried, like "Are you okay? Yeah, you sure? Well bye Mar." It could have used some slowing down. I like Inga's POV much better because some of the things she says are quite funny and a snorting and smirking kind of way. Also... What the heck is with the in adamant object having voices? 

No... Just no.



Also, squirrels – squirrels don't talk and I'm pretty sure squirrels don't give a crap whether or not Gabe and Lea get together. NEITHER DOES THE BENCH! 

The bench was talking about butts... Oh my Gosh. I'm sorry but, really? Why did she have to make the bench talk? I'm all for creative writing, just not when it includes benches having thoughts and it's own personal feelings about which butts are best. 

Now, I know the characters are college age, but their dialogue and thought patterns scream childish. It really doesn't even make sense. Gabe sounds like a 16-year-old boy with girl problems. The only thing I can say that is good about this book was the fact that by the end it got better. It flowed well and I couldn't get the stupid smile I get off my face. Also, the fact that this book really is different. I have never read anything like it and I do appreciate that in an author. Sandy Hall is a good writer, but with all new authors they always need practice and I think as a debut book, A Little Something Different is cute and cheesy. As an award winning book I have no clue...but it's a good start.

A Little Something Different gets 3 Stars out of 5.

 

Story Re-tellings

So having taken another look at my bookshelf I've released just how many amazing re-tellings I have! Whether they're Fairytales or Thrillers I think re-tellings are great! So here are some to take a look at!

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (Cinderella)

 

 

 

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (Red Riding Hood)

 

Cress by Marissa Meyer (Rapunzel)

 

The Glass Casket by McCormick Templeman (Snow White) 

 

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge (Beauty and the Beast) 

 

Splintered by A.G. Howard (Alice and Wonderland) 

 

The Madman's Daughter (Island of Doctor Moreau)

 

Her Dark Curiosity (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) 

 

Her Cold Legacy (Frankenstein)

 

  

Beastly by Alex Flinn (Beauty and the Beast) 

 

 

Cloaked by Alex Flinn (Red Riding Hood)

 

 

Towering by Alex Flinn (Rapunzel)

 

Insurgent > Teaser Trailer, New Poster, Character Posters

  

So who is ready for an INSURGENT TEASER TRAILER!?!?

Well that was blunt, but just a few days ago a new poster and a teaser trailer were released. Now before even these two things were released Active Character Posters were released as well. I will be adding those into this post as well. So enjoy everything new in the Insurgent Movie world and leave your comments!

 

 

Is this not an awesome poster!?!

 

 

Now I apologize if the moving posters... well, don't move. But I will try to get them to.

 

 

Four/ Tobias Eaton

Tris Prior

 

 Now, I was unable to get the other ones moving but here they are anyway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just One Day Movie

Now here's some news for the YA Movie Industry... Gayle Forman (author of If I Stay) has another book being turned movie. This time her novel Just One Day has been opted for a movie. Now a cast has not been released yet but for now, Gayle Forman fans have time to freak out. So who would your dream cast be? #JustOneMovie

                        

Yallfest Event Update and Suggestions

Hey guys!

So Yallfest begins tomorrow!!! I am so ready. So here are some info for the die-hards that wait in line at 6 am on Saturday.

The Weather: 

Saturday:   Morning>> 6 am >> 47 degrees     Afternoon>> 2 pm >> 62 Degrees  (Partly Sunny)


What To Bring Saturday Morning: 

Hand Warmers
Jackets
Gloves
Socks
Hats
Blanket (for those who want to be SUPER warm)

So with my 40 books and a packed bag I'll be heading out to Charleston. Remember for last minute advice head to the Yallfest Survival Guide in previous posts. Please keep in mind though that there are new maps and new info on yallfest.org. 

*BOOK REVIEW* Lola and The Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (Mild Spoilers)



 

{Author: Stephanie Perkins}

{Other books: Anna and The French Kiss, Isla and The Happily Ever After}

{Pages: 338}
{Published by: Dutton Books on September 29th, 2011}
{Setting: San Francisco, California}

Stephanie Perkins has a way of mixing background in with the original story. When reading "Lola" I noticed she did what she originally did with "Anna" (Referring to Anna and The French Kiss, book 1 of the trilogy). Stephanie kept the explanations minimal and spread out through the story. All the important info isn't just clumped together. Also, she has made a habit of leaving us hanging but eventually at some point in the story she comes back around to give us a hand and help explain things. It's quite an incredible process. Everything Stephanie writes has a certain feel to it- it's a certain young, airy, un-comprehendible feeling. To explain as soon as I finished "Anna" I HAD to read "Lola" absolutely had to. Now with "Isla" (Referring to Isla and the Happily Ever After, book 3 of the trilogy), I want to hold on and draw out the bubbly feeling her stories inject in me. 

Characters

The way her characters  act and interact make them believable, make them that certain feeling I mentioned. 

Lola is unique. From the bright teal wigs displayed around her room, to the jars of zippers and buttons, Lola Nolan is unique. She is quite the spunky character with a lot of 'umph' (pronounced 'ummfff'). What I did notice also was the fact that Lola being 17 was still pretty young and immature, rightly so being her 17 and young and immature. Stephanie didn't make Lola an overachiever and make her a middle aged woman in a teenage girl's body, she made her exactly her age. Even with her boyfriend, she didn't give up so easily when her parents were rejecting him, she kept up; like a teenager who thinks they know what's best for them and all would do. It's actually very sad- the predicament that made Lola and Cricket avoid each other, but it happens all the time. It has a name by the way, it's called... 'Skinny Love'.

Urban Dictionary: skinny love

Cricket is terrified of admitting that he liked Lola, and as much as he tried to break from that shell something always got in the way and he couldn't tell her. 

Another good thing though about the characters is the fact that you just get them. Some characters do, say or think things that make no real sense or are contradictory to past things they've said or done.  Except with Stephanie's characters they're just so consistent and understandable. One of the many things I love about them.
Steph's characters are definitely what I admire the most in her novels...besides the setting that is.  

Settings and Descriptions

Though I was quite depressed that Lola's story was not in France but in San Francisco, I got over it. Though it was a long rough process to do so. I did it. I'm going to be very honest, I think Stephanie Perkins could make the ghetto look and feel amazing. One of the cutest moments of "Lola" for me was when they began synchronizing when they opened their curtains, when they ate meals and when Lola would walk her dog. It was just plain adorable. Oh and lest not forget the even sweeter scene where Lola and Cricket slid down the slide...on pizza boxes! *Still Squealing* Sorry, my inner pre-teen is showing. *Begins tucking it away again*. 

Back to the review. 

Stephanie's descriptions of things are just spectacular. Even when she is talking about something as simple as the moon it seems magical. Also just a little scene I found incredibly adorable again is Chapter 17, page 193. If you love sweet gestures from a guy who secretly (but publicly) likes you...you'll love this. Also check out Chapter 27, page 301. Their effortless relationship is very beautiful (and amusing). Though it doesn't seem effortless it truly is. You have to search a little but I believe we can end up finding out so many things about ourselves that we weren't aware of, through the pages of books. Like with Lola, the lesson is "There is a right one". Love shouldn't be a battle, it should be effortless in the feeling. The journey you take to be with "that one" on the other hand may require a few bumpy roads; a few roadblocks. But something so true would be infinite and would in effect knock down those barriers. As long as you have the bravery required to try. Lola had to learn that love encompasses many things. It includes jokes, and inability to hide stares, but it also includes first chances and second chances, and even third chances. You don't get many chances to find "The One" and it may take a second and third chance to realize that you blew the first chance, but as long as you seize it before it disappears you'll do just fine.

*BOOK REVIEW* Anna and The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

 

Summary

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend.

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?



I need an Etienne. Like I cannot think of anything else besides... I need to go to France, get some awesome friends, and meet an Etienne. I would really need to be seen in person to explain why I am so pumped but imagine my finger spiraling up, then spiraling down, then spiraling it up again and right back down. It was such a roller coaster that went so many different ways. This book is one of those you can't say much about cause you might spoil it but I'll try and do my best. I'll be quite honest as well. I've been in a serious... SERIOUS, reading slump and tried to pay more attention to the book rather than how my review will go, so if this is quite suckish forgive me. This book though...really...it made me squeal and giggle like a pre-teen girl seeing her crush. I laughed hysterically and nearly cried because of a certain something happening which I must remember to question Stephanie about this year at YALLFest, a little something that went unanswered. Over all though the book made me excited to begin reading again. This book is one I will NEVER forget!

Characters

First of all characters are a tricky deal. They have many emotions and thoughts and whims. Anna is very cliché but different at the same time. Anna is actually quite incapable of picking a good guy to begin with. Also, she is a bit of a shy gal so expressing her interest in a guy is hard for her. So through the story you're able to see her questioning whether or not some one likes her, and recapping her failed relationships while still in America. Though it is quite hilarious how she completely misses that French guys are staring at her (because they do not stop themselves from admiring such beauty like many Americans will, turning their heads in a different direction and all). Yet, she is quite an interesting character. Her character has quite her own pace, starting off as a pissed-off, newbie with some strong emotional feelings to a sarcastic, fun-loving, secretly-crushing girl. So I am secretly (now publicly) amazed that Stephanie pulled off Anna so well.

I am also stunned by the depth to not only Anna, but Etienne. Like he is now one of my biggest BBC (Book Boyfriend Crushes)! He's American, with a British Accent, who lives in France and speaks French. Talk about Bilingual. He's deep and sensitive but quite a sarcastic joker. You will fall in love with him immediately so save him a spot on your list of BBC.

Pace and Dialogue



Most of the books I read I find have a remarkably great pace so I'll but it short with saying the obvious... it was great. Though towards the end I felt like I was jumping around a lot. You jumped between Halloween and Christmas, and Thanksgiving and Hanukah and at some point I did kind of want to get back to the actual story, not just the short clippy dialogue that takes place between. The beginning as well bored me a little, but that was basically only the first three chapters. It was a little weird and tense in the beginning because it starts off with Anna being angry that she has to go to France, but all that gently slipped away.

Cover

 

Okay for this one I have the UK covers. Because UK covers are amazing. It's a lovely purple with all the cutesy, cliché, girly feel about it. If the title doesn't set you on a rampage through it's pages any of the covers will; especially if you like books that you can curl up in bed with and squeal and giggle throughout.


Now that I tried to give...somewhat of a reasonable review... (hopefully it turned out okay, though EXTREMELY short), I will be going to read Lola and The Boy Next Door (Anna and The French Kiss #2).

*Cover Release* A Cold Legacy by Megan Shepherd

Okay so now I am TOTALLY freaking out because I have been so dang behind I didn't realize the cover for A Cold Legacy by Megan Shepherd was already out! Gah!

So just a little back story but I LOVE The Madman's Daughter, that gave me chills. When I got to Her Dark Curiosity my face had a spaz attack and like kept twitching for 2 whole minutes. I'm pretty sure this book is going to be the death of me. So this is how the series goes really...

The Madman's Daughter: Doctor Moreau (The Island of Doctor Moreau)
Her Dark Curiosity: Jekyll and Hyde (Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde)
A Cold Legacy: Frankenstein (well...Frankenstein)

So if you like creepy novels that make you bite your nails down to nubs, make your bladder need to clear out faster (yeah gross) and will make your arm hair stick up like a freaked out cat, then this is for you. So here is the AMAZING cover!!!



The Infinite Sea Release Day (LATE)

Well I'm seriously late, about a week late but now that you all have had a chance to run out and buy a copy of the sequel (The Infinite Sea) to Rick Yancey's alien, post-apocalyptic novel The 5 Wave, it would be a good time to ask how ya'll are liking it. I haven't read it yet so NO spoilers! But when I do get my hands on a copy I'll make sure I leave a review on here and on Goodreads. So everybody enjoy your copy and HAPPY RELEASE DAY RICK YANCEY!!!

And all I have to say is Evan better be alive. He better.



Margo Roth Spiegelman (Paper Towns Movie) Has Been Cast!

So here is some great news to start off a wave of awesome things to come! Margo Roth Spiegelman, as in from John Green's book now turned movie adaption of Paper Towns, has been casted!

Margo will be played by non-other than the beautiful model Cara Delevingne! I kind of hate to say it but really the only thing it seems Cara and Margo have in common are the crazy last names that take many tries to spell. Though John does love the choice it seems many are opposed.

Cara Delevigne's audition blew everyone away (including me!) and she understands Margo profoundly. I am so excited!
— John Green (@realjohngreen) September 16, 2014

 What do you think?

  Cara Delevingne- Margo Roth Spiegelman                Nat Wolff- Quentin Jacobsen            



*NEW* YALLFest Information Released (TICKETS ON SALE NOW)

So if you hadn't heard previous rumors, than guess what! YALLFest will be 2 days this year! So I have all the information here, you can also find a copy at www.yallfest.org. Some events are free, some you have to reserve and others cost $7.

YALLFest Tickets ON SALE NOW!

Tickets for the Opening Keynote, Closing Keynote, and the YA Smackdown are on sale now!

Buy here

*Tickets are nonrefundable and available only online. All ticketed events sold out last year, don’t delay!

September 3, 2014

Permalink »

 

Friday, Nov. 7, 3 - 5 pm. Upper King Street.

Penguin March

YALLFest 2014 kicks off a day early with the Penguin March, a ‘lit-crawl’ book signing with seven top authors. Get books and a map at Blue Bicycle Books, then go meet your favorite authors at various venues on Historic Upper King Street. Tentative line-up: James Dashner, Gayle Forman, Sarah Dessen, E. Lockhart, Lauren Oliver, Kiera Cass and Scott Westerfeld.

Free. Presented by Penguin

*** 

Friday, Nov 7, 4 pm. Charleston County Public Library, Teen Lounge, 60 Calhoun St.

YALLFest Red Carpet Preview

A select group of authors will walk the carpet on their way to this special preview panel. Authors TBA.

Free. Space is limited, reservations required, call the library at 843.805.6903. Presented by BiblioBoard           

*** 

Sat. Nov. 8, 10 am. Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St.

Opening Keynote Conversation

James Dashner (The Maze Runner) and Sarah Zarr (Story of a Girl)  

$7. Tickets here. Presented by Random House    

 ***

Sat. Nov. 8, 4 pm. Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St.

Closing Keynote Conversation

Sarah Dessen (Along For the Ride) and Ally Condie (Matched)  

$7. Tickets here. Presented by Penguin     

 ***

Sat. Nov. 8, 6 pm. Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St.

YA Smackdown Featuring Tiger Beat

Hosted by authors Adam Gidwitz and Gayle Forman, this all-star jam brings dozens of our featured authors on stage at once. Come root for your favorites as they compete in storytelling and improv games, and otherwise embarrass themselves, all for the chance to win the coveted Golden Pie trophy. Wrapping things up will be a mind-melting, roof-blowing performance by all-author band Tiger Beat!

$7. Tickets here. Presented by Epic Reads

*** 

Sat. Nov. 8, 10 am to 5 pm. Upper King Street.

The rest of YALLFest!

*18 panels and talks in the American Theater, 446 King St. and Charleston Music Hall, 37 John St.

*Booksignings with all 60 authors in venues near Blue Bicycle Books.

*Literary Bazaar of Exhibitors in the Big Tent by Blue Bicycle Books

Free! Exact schedule of panels, signings and locations to be announced Nov. 1

***

Blue Bicycle Books/YALLFest Offices:

420 King St., Charleston, SC, 29403. 843.722.2666

*BOOK REVIEW* Paper Towns by John Green

{Author: John Green} 

{Pages: 305 pages}

{Publisher: Speak}

{I Own 2 Copies}

Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life — dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge — he follows.

After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues — and they’re for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees of the girl he thought he knew.

{Review}

It's almost impossible to explain every little detail of my thought process while reading Paper Towns. First off, though, i feel it necessary to explain that I started this a while back. I tried reading the prologue first which was a bust, I got majorly confused and gave up. I tried again during a long scene in drama class and still managed to shove it back on my shelf. To be honest the beginning confused me. I couldn't make sense out of the dead guy; though how can you put it more clearly?  Finally, thanks to a lovely trip out of the country I found myself another copy of Paper Towns at an old book store and bought it. I only on the way home began reading it in the airport. This time I skipped the prologue, it made no real sense for me to read it and with having read all of the book, it didn't bother me that I only read it after finishing the book, so you can skip if you have an aversion to prologues and extra wordage and such.

I'll begin with what I'm trying to get into a habit of doing. That is, splitting up this review into different sections and covering the book that way. That way if you're a worrywart for if the logicality of scenes and you could really care less about the rest of the review you can just skip ahead to that section and read it. I also dislike long, ramble-y reviews; I tend to repeat myself several times if I write reviews like that, so for your convenience this is better. So furthermore let this begin! 

{Dialogue}

So Dialogue. Honestly the dialogue was how we wish we could all speak-- Witty with smart comebacks all the time. I loved reading it and laughing because some of the stuff Q said was hilarious, and it should be coming from the voice of John Green, but the reality of it is that 90% of us aren't capable to hold just the perfect conversation. It may be a little fake but the thing is, when you're writing you have to keep a strong dialogue. You can't just have your characters saying "um" or getting quiet all the time, so a little falseness can actually do good to dialogue. Though I hate when there is so much falseness that it becomes like shoving your face with caramel, cotton candy and ice cream all at the same time...then no I will not be giving it a good review. The only reason I'm not getting sick over this is because, no not because it's John Green, but because it was in the right dosage. 

8/10

 

{Cover}

I have two different covers; a UK version and the US version. Personally I love the UK cover better and my answer to anybody who asks why, is that because American Covers suck. Okay maybe just some of them but I'll let you decide on your own which one is better.

US COVER

UK COVER

I do think though that both covers bring out exactly the most important things about Paper Towns. First, the UK version is 3D artwork of a paper town. The US version is a map with a pin stuck in it. Q is struggling to follow Margo's bread crumb trail that leads him all over a map. I can't spoil anything else. Period. Just believe me though, if you read this, you will understand what I'm talking about.

9/10

{Pace}

Allow me to say that I misjudged how I would get into this. I thought it would take super long to REALLY get into this book. After like chapter 2 I was knee deep in pure awesomeness! Okay, that was a little fangirlish. The pace though had been just right throughout most of the story except for the beginning and a few times in the center. Also, this is probably just me, but I felt in the end when they were counting down the hours it felt like it was taking forever. Maybe it was just my nerves at that moment but I guess all we can say is that it's John, and we all know John likes to draw the inevitable out.

7/10

{Characters}

 

Q is a very interesting character. You can clearly see the development from not many friends and bullied, to almost popular and super sleuth. Okay maybe "super sleuth" is a little far-fetched but the mystery that is Margo Roth Spiegelgman was clearly Q's main focus. First off if you have a crush on someone, it's hard not to freak out a little when they just evaporate into thin air. Now without going into Margo's character to much (because i have to keep the mystery alive), she is understandably the one character who could completely have you turning and twisting a million different directions trying to please her, and on your own accord too.
Beyond that I can't go into Margo's character.

Q though is another character with back story and an awfully complex one to boot. Q starts off only with two friends and a slight fear of being shoved around by the school bullies, but incidently because of Margo he is able to become something more. He becomes real. (You'll understand that later). As a child, both he and Margo were witness to a grotesque event and you can somewhat see how that has just a little (real little) dripped into their lives. More Margo's than Q's. Several times, Margo refers to "the strings just breaking inside", which she also refers to during the said event in the beginning of the story. Q also uses this term to try and understand Margo whilst looking for her. Okay maybe I just need to give you one more little motivational push to read this. Margo Roth Spiegelman is a plot twist.

9/10 for Quentin        100/10 for Margo

 

 

Now that this review is done, I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you read it. Like right now. I hope you also refuse to see any spoilers or read the end first because that would mean you're a peasant, a pansycake, a shuck-faced greenie, whatever you find insulting in a bookish kind of way.