*BOOK REVIEW* Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi

The earth-shattering conclusion to Veronica Rossi's "masterpiece" Under the Never Sky trilogy and sequel to the New York Times bestsellingThrough the Ever Night (Examiner.com).

Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it's time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring balance to their world.

The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe-haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do-and they are just as determined to stay together.

Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. And when Roar returns to camp, he is so furious with Perry that he won't even look at him, and Perry begins to feel like they have already lost.

Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble a team to mount an impossible rescue mission-because Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival, he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.

In this final book in her stunning Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close.

~Sydney's Review~

Oh boy, where do I start? 

I suppose I can begin with the simple, most honest answer I can give and go into depth later on. This book was absolutely amazing! 
It is definitely a rarity to find a trilogy, like displayed, that has non-stop action, non-over-exaggerated romance, with hints of belly aching humor. 

Under the Never Sky in itself was a real gem. It had been the perfect mix of sci-fy, dystopian, history. It had tribes living in tents, hunting with bows and arrows, then it had civilizations in domes that could go anywhere they imagined thanks to a gel eye patch and advanced technology, then there were also the special abilities that these tribe members contained. 
Accompanied by its sequel 'Through the Ever Night' and its ending novel 'Into the Still Blue', it is a treasure chest filled to the brim with exactly what a good story should be. The characters were alive and real. They breathed and ate and slept and I could feel it. I could feel their emotion when faced with painful thoughts or dangerous situations. That's very important for a story's lively hood. Who honestly wants a story where the main character gets shot in the arm per-say and feels no pain, or who doesn't cry when something agonizing occurs? It's unrealistic; it also makes for a very boring story. 

Aria and Perry are the two main protagonists throughout the trilogy. Like many characters in mediocre stories, you get tired of reading from their point of view. Sometimes you just hate hearing them after a while... well these two are nothing of the sorts. You'll want to hear them again and again and again. They both go through so much it was almost impossible for me to not feel right there next to them. I'll say this, I was extremely dubious of reading this novel, I took so long reading this, much longer than I ever should have taken on it. I was really worried to begin towards the end of the Under the Never Sky trilogy, being that it would mean relinquishing my fictional relationship and saying goodbye to so many well-developed characters like Perry, Aria, Roar and Talon. Through Into the Still Blue you see new alliances, emotional reunions and experience the excruciating pain that some of these characters are burdened with. 
I also had my doubts if Into the Still Blue would live up to the name that Under the Never Sky had made for itself and Through the Ever Night had supported. I really REALLY didn't want for this book to be a flop like many other sequels or ending novels. 

I'm elated to say though that it didn't flop. Into the Still Blue was a perfect cap to an astounding trilogy that I look forward to re-reading again in the future; and that's saying a lot since I don't usually re-read novels. It takes a really good book to make me read it a second time. It takes a brilliant writer to make me re-read an entire trilogy. Veronica Rossi is that brilliant author. Veronica had crafted a spectacular, in-depth world full of drama, loss and love. It would be impossible to forget the world where together we journeyed hand-in-hand with Perry 'under a never sky', trekked side-by-side with Aria and Roar 'through an ever night' and arrived, surrounded by the Tides, 'into the still blue.' 
Thank you Veronica Rossi. Thank you. 

~Sydney

*Look for the link to buy the books below!

Here are some things about Veronica. 

Veronica Rossi is the author of post-apocalyptic fiction for young adults. Her debut novel, UNDER THE NEVER SKY, is the first in a trilogy. Released in January 2012, it was deemed one of the Best Books of Year by School Library Journal. The second book in the trilogy, THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT, debuted in January on the NY Times and USA Today Best Seller Lists. The final book in the series, INTO THE STILL BLUE, is expected to release January 2014.

Foreign rights to the UNDER THE NEVER SKY trilogy have sold in over twenty-five territories to date and film rights have been optioned by Warner Bros.

She completed undergraduate studies at UCLA and then went on to study fine art at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco. She lives in Northern California with her husband and two sons. When not writing, she enjoys reading, painting, and counting down the minutes until she can get back to making up stories about imaginary people. 

~You can buy the books below by clicking on the bookseller of your choice~ 

                   

    

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*BOOK REVIEW* Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

         

~Speak is Unbelievable~

I must admit, the story at first was awkward. There are no real chapters, just headings. Some "chapters" were only 2 paragraphs made up of no dialogue. Now before you write this review off as someone ranting, I must say, this book has made me breathless. I've read a few books where the characters are in, or have been in these kind of situations. None compare to "Speak". 

The story opens with Melinda, a nobody, an outcast, the mystery. To me, at first, Melinda was a very grey character. She had no real momentum in the story. That is why my curiosity was peaked. Melinda is the character you can't figure out, mostly because she can't even figure herself out. She is broken, confused, and silent. 
Since the story was about Melinda being a reject i figured Laurie had something bigger bubbling under the surface and boy was I right. I originally theorized about what could have made her this way and I immediately knew this was a from of PTSD. Now it is not said in the book that this is what Melinda has, this is just my observation. 
The summary of the story explains an incident which caused Melinda her bad reputation. The cold air that set the stage was due to a cop-bust on a party, the cop-bust Melinda caused. Hence the social reject she becomes. 
Slowly, you experience her difficulties with the teachers at school, her parents, keeping friends, and particularly in going unnoticed. So you begin to see Melinda cloud up like frosted glass. Melinda drifts into silence. 

Though this character's dialogue is short of nothing, and pretty much ceases completely in multiple chapters, she is the loudest character I've ever read about. This character has a secret, and that secret frames her and molds her into a piece of art. Melinda is a sculpture on display; a model for all those keeping silent. Melinda teaches you to 'speak.' 

Speak for everyone. Even speak for those you don't know are there. Speak for the ones that don't know you exist. Speak for the beautifully silent. But most importantly, speak for yourselves.  
                                        ~TO NEVER STAYING SILENT~

~Sydney

*BOOK REVIEW* Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Ninety-five days, and then I'll be safe. I wonder whether the procedure will hurt. I want to get it over with. It's hard to be patient. It's hard not to be afraid while I'm still uncured, though so far the deliria hasn't touched me yet. Still, I worry. They say that in the old days, love drove people to madness. The deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don't.


"Delirium" is a YA novel set in a dystopian Portland, where love is hated upon and regarded as a sickness. The story follows young Lena as she prepares for a procedure that every sixteen year old is given. The procedure is to remove love. Creating a pit of emptiness in its victims. 
The story follows Lena during the days before the procedure; pointing at the deeper emotions in Lena's life, such as the death of her mother, and the family she is currently with. Then on the very day of the procedure Lena's life starts. 
Alex begins as the mystery boy with rich honey colored eyes, a complete mystery to Lena at the time. As the story takes off with a blooming relationship in the making, Lena discovers that the only way to be truly happy is to follow her heart, not the rules that are put right in front of her. 

This story could have fell flat, like many other books dealing with restrictions about love. This was the very first book I read from Lauren Oliver and let me say, it is one of my absolute favorites. I've read multiple novels with similar ideas, this novel though, has soared to new heights. If it's not the style of writing, the action, or the idea behind the story that captivates your attention and time, it will undoubtedly be the character development. 
Lauren's characters become so real to it's readers that many felt the emotion pulsing through the pages. 
Prepare yourself by canceling appointments, brewing a pot of coffee, taking the batteries out of your phones and having a tissue box within arms reach. 
This timeless novel of love, loss, and sacrifice will bring anyone down to their knees. Not only will you want to know Lena, but you'll want to be Lena. 

Lauren Oliver has created a world that no matter what struggles take place in its realms, its fans would take the next bus ride into town. This story teaches an important lesson for young lovers. As quoted in it's pages "That's the thing about love. You have to give things up. Sometimes, you even have to give them up." 

This Story is for all Teens and Young Adults who enjoy an emotional journey to find what humans thrive on most. Love. 

Read and Excerpt Below! 

Delirium: The Special Edition by HarperCollins

~Sydney

*BOOK REVIEW* Divergent by Veronica Roth

Hey guys! *waves enthusiastically* So this is our first book review! I am actually really excited right now! Like I am literally sitting here doing a book shimmy! BOOK SHIMMY WITH ME PEOPLE! *book shimmies awkwardly*

So, anyways, our first book review is on probably one of the best YA novels out there at the moment. This novel has absolutely taken the world by storm with it's action and romance. *grins mischievously*
I'm sure most of you have in someway heard of it. Either having read it or having just heard about it, it is by far one of the best books you can read; and guess what... IT'S A TRILOGY! DIVERGENT! 

Here are some things about Mrs. Roth:

 

Veronica Roth is from a Chicago suburb. She studied creative writing at Northwestern University, and wrote DIVERGENT (Katherine Tegen Books, May 2011) and INSURGENT (May 2012). The third and final book in The Divergent Trilogy, ALLEGIANT, came out on October 22, 2013. In the meantime she will spend endless hours browsing Wikipedia in her pajamas as she eats corn flakes. (Or some other kind of bland breakfast cereal.)

Divergent by Veronica Roth has simply taken flight, with it's movie adaption coming out March 21, 2014! I am so pumped to bestow upon you...Divergent...by Veronica Roth. *bows gracefully*

THE BOOK: 

 

THE OFFICIAL MOVIE POSTER: 

SUMMARY:

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

REVIEWS FROM THE TEAM: 

"This book has so much to say! Tris is that kind of character who you want to be or you want to know. She is incredibly brave and capable and any teenager would want to be like that! This book made me laugh, and cry, but most of all, this book made me realize that it's important to be who you are and rather than bend to make yourself fit into a certain mold, you should break away and stand out. 'Don't go for pretty... Go for Noticeable.'" 

-SYDNEY

"Can we just slow clap it out for Veronica Roth on creating this book? *slow claps* She has taken a dystopian society to whole other level that us peasants had never even thought of, I mean a social system made up of five factions, who'd of thought? Five ways you can choose to live like for the rest of your life. You have to choose just one: Dauntless the brave, Abnegation the selfless, Candor the honest, Amity the kind, and Erudite the intelligent. Not so hard,right? Well, as the tag line says,"One Choice can Transform You." This book shows the impact our choices have on our lives. How what we may take for granted, can be something so life changing to others. It shows what bravery really is, what it means to sacrifice something. And it shows that not every story ends in 'and they lived happily ever after.' This is the kind of book that actually makes you think, not just a mushy love story. I highly suggest it, for everyone, no matter the age. We all have to learn how to be brave in life, and this book is a good place to start." 

- Azelyn

 THE TRAILER: