Linger By Maggie Stiefvater

Grace and Sam must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping dangerous secrets. For Sam, it means grappling with his werewolf past...and figuring out a way to survive the future. But just when they manage to find happiness, Grace finds herself changing in ways she could never have expected...

-

This book is told in not one, not two, not even three, but four different points of view and somehow it was still completely absorbing. It is told from the perspectives of Grace, Sam, Isabel and a new character, Cole.

-

We left Grace and Sam at the end of Shiver in love and happy together, but now in Linger that is starting to unravel. Grace is struggling to keep a secret hidden, one that would change her whole life, whilst trying to convince herself that everything will be alright. Sam is still trying to get used to not having to fear the cold, so is very wary about any long term plans. He's glad to be in human form but really misses his family, the pack, in the woods.

-

In Linger, Cole is introduced. He appears to be the complete opposite of Sam, with his shallow bad boy persona, yet, he has the same pure motivations that make you like him. However, he made the choice to become a wolf to try and escape and forget a painful past. Not unlike Cole, Isabel is also try to deal with her own personal demons, the guilt she feels from the loss of her brother. Both Isabel and Cole's characters were developed beautifully throughout the novel, enhancing the depth and complexity of their characters. I think I even started to like them more than Grace and Sam. There was one scene with Cole and a deer that really made me love his character because it showed a really vunerable and emotional side to him.

-

One thing I didn't quite understand though, is why Grace's parents were all of a sudden against her and Sams relationship. I felt they didn't have any right telling her what to do since they have basically ignored her and left her to her own devices thus far. The sudden upsurge in interest involving Grace didn't really make any sense and felt a bit out of place. However, you can't know for sure whether it is significant or not until the sequel.

-

As with Shiver, I felt Linger was enchantingly written with such intensity and beauty. Stiefvater just seems to have a way with words that brings the story to life. It's full of imagery and descriptions that fill your senses. It may be a supernatural story, but it is also about love and loss. It was definitely a cliffhanger that ended on a sad and unsure note, so I can't wait to read the next installment, Forever, to see what's in store for the perfectly balanced Grace and Sam.

-

-

Random Passage: He'd only been gone two seconds, but the room got brighter when they were together, as if they were two elements that became brilliant in proximity. At Sam's clumsy efforts to carry the vacuum, Grace smiled a new smile that I thought only he ever got, and he shot her a withering look full of the sort of subtext you could only get from a lot of conversations whispered after dark. It made me think of Isabel, back at her house. We didn't have what Sam and Grace had. We weren't even close to having it. I didn't think what we had could get to this, even if you gave it a thousand years.

In My Mailbox (9)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren.

I got six books this week, three of which I got from my local market:

1. Stargazer By Claudia Gray
2. Hourglass By Claudia Gray
3. Reckless By Cornelia Funke
4. Torment By Lauren Kate
5. Peril At End House By Agatha Christie
6. March By Geraldine Brooks


-
I've already read March when I picked it up from the library (I've actually got a review of it on this blog), and it quickly became one of my favourites, so when I saw it at the market for £2 I couldn't resist. I'm also really looking forward to reading Reckless, since I adored the Inkheart trilogy by Cornelia Funke.

Perfect Chemistry By Simone Elkeles

When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created "perfect" life is about to unravel before her eyes. She's forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for - her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anyhing but perfect.
-
Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenely the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more.
-
In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart.
-
Billed as 'a fresh, urban twist on the classic tale of star-crossed lovers', this story is definitely a modern take on Romeo and Juliet. The book alternates between the two main characters (Alex and Brittany) with each chapter, so you get two different perspectives. Elkeles really channels their individual personalities. They are both in a way completely different from one another due to their different backgrounds and this is why they clash at the start. Yet, as the story progresses they discover that they may not be so different after all. They both want what's best for the people they love, including each other.
-
Brittany is one tough cookie when it comes to her mother. She keeps up this facade that makes everyone thinks she is perfect. She is always trying to please her mother and never cracks even when her mother makes snide remarks about what she is wearing or who she is hanging out with. Brittany's kindness and devotion to her sister is inspiring.
-
Alex is also trying to keep up a facade, but his isn't anything to do with being perfect, his is more to do with making sure he's intimidating to others. Alex's involvement with a gang really comes across as real and quite scary. He is torn between doing what he really wants with his life and staying loyal to the gang because if any of the gang, especially the leader, doubt his loyalty he will end up in grave danger.
-
One of the big theme's in this novel is sacrifice. Brittany has to sacrifice her time and happiness to keep up a front for her family. Whereas, Alex has to sacrifice his safety and freedom to make sure his family can try and lead a carefree life. Both Alex and Brittany have their problems, but they never complain or moan about them, they just get on with it. They are both strong and brave which makes them fantastic and lovable characters.
-
Whilst I did find some of the romance a bit cheesy at times, it still didn't make it feel any less real. The tension and attraction between them steadily grew until it finally lead to them falling in love. Yes, Alex is cocky and yes, Brittany is a bit of a snob at the start, but this all falls apart when they are with each other. Elkeles writing is smooth the whole way through which made it very addictive. Overall it was a very exciting and passionate book about forbidden love and the ability to overcome social barriers.

Random Passage: 'The reason I want you to put your shirt on is, well, because, um...'

'You've never seen a guy with his short off?'

'Ha, ha. Very funny. Believe me, you don't have anything I haven't seen before.'

'Wanna, bet?' he says, then moves his hand to the button on his jeans and pops it open.

Isabel walks in at that exact moment. 'Whoa, Alex. Please keep your pants on.'

In My Mailbox (8)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.
-
It's been three weeks since I've done an IMM! I've got so many books to read that I thought to myself that I should cut down on the amount of books I buy and didn't realise that I would actually be able to do it. Alas, I did end up buying one book this week but it is a book thats been on my wish list for ages.

1. Crescendo By Becca Fitzpatrick

-

-

I loved the first book Hush Hush, so I can't wait to get stuck into this one.

Eat, Pray, Love By Elizabeth Gilbert

It's 3 a.m. and Elizabeth Gilbert is sobbing on the bathroom floor. She's in her thirties, she has a husband, a house, they're trying for a baby - and she doesn't want any of it. A divorce and a turbulent love affair later, she emerges battered and bewildered and realises its time to pursue her own journey in search of three things she has been missing; pleasure, devotion and balance. So she travels to Rome, where she learns Italian from handsome, brown-eyed identical twins and gains twenty-five pounds, an ashram in India, where she finds that enlightenment entails getting up in the middle of the night to scrub the temple floor, and Bali where a toothless medicine man of indeterminate age offers her a new path to peace; simply sit still and smile. And slowly happiness begins to creep up on her.
-

Who hasn't dreamed about being able to drop everything for a year and travel to three different countries and immerse yourself in their culture. Well, that's exactly what Elizabeth Gilbert did! First off she travelled to Italy where she ate like crazy, then to India where she learned the fine art of prayer, and finally Indonesia, where she learned to love again.
-

I loved the descriptions of the three places she went to and how she tried to become a part of the different cultures. Italy, for Elizabeth Gilbert, was all about pleasure, whereas India was all about simplicity and contemplation, and Indonesia was about finding a balnce between the two. I loved the one part in Italy where she shows how simple things can make you happy and fulfilled, where she is sitting down eating a meal slowly that she has cooked. She explains how sometimes we should be more deliberate about our actions instead of running around like headless chickens always on the go. That sometimes we should be able to sit and relax and experience our surroundings instead of just rushing past them like we are in a continuous race. The part in India felt a bit slow at times compared with the pace in Italy but I suppose that signifies the change in pace of her life where she had to sit for hours in prayer.

-

She has a quite a witty humour but sometimes it felt as if she was trying too hard to be liked due to how self-indulgent her journey is. I suppose if you expect to read a memoir that isn't all 'me me me' you are probably a bit naive, yet, she doesn't seem to have any thought about the people around her in these countries that are living in poverty. When she did help somebody in Indonesia it seemd like more of an impulse that an actual need to improve somebody's life. She doesn't question the rightness of the fact that she is able to take this journey whilst others will never be able to do this because of their situation.

-

Some of the people she met in these different places are really interesting characters yet sometimes they felt too convienient, like they all arrived at exactly the right time to allow the story to flow and for Elizabeth Gilbert to recieve some sort of enlightenment from their words so she can move on. So I'm not sure how much of the story I actually believed in and whether she just added more stuff to make it more exciting and interesting. However, whether they were real or not I really enjoyed reading and learning about them all, especially her healer friend from Bali.

-

One of the reason's I thought I would be fascinated by Gilbert's journey is how she was able to give up the security of her life to do what she felt was right in her heart. I would have admired her more though if she wasn't pre-paid to write a memoir about it all. It seems a bit like she's cheating in a way since she still has the safety net back home and it begs the question 'How can she truly discover herself if she is still trapped within a comfort zone?'

-

Overall, I did enjoy reading about her experiences and life but I'm still not completely sure what she got out of it and whether she actually learnt more about the real world or even cared whether she did or not, but I suppose the only thing she was searching for was happiness and what truly mattered to her and she did seem to find it in the end.

-

-

Random Passage: When I get lonely these days, I think: So BE lonely Liz. Learn your way around loneliness. Make a map of it. Sit with it, for once in your life. Welcome to the human experience. But never again use another person's body or emotions as a scratching post for you own unfulfilled yearnings.

Tess Of The D'Urbervilles By Thomas Hardy

When the Durbeyfields send their daughter Tess to pursue a tenuous family connection with the wealthy D'Urbervilles in the hope of improving their fortunes, Tess's life is changed irrevocably. A manipulative friendship with her 'cousin' ends in a shocking act of betrayal, and Tess is forced to return home shamed and outcast.

-

Hope of real love arrives when Tess meets kind parson's son Angel Clare and it seems happiness is finally within her reach. Yet, in a society of twisted morality and in the ever-looming shadow of Tess's past, will Angel Clare accept her?
-

I really adored this book. It was completely heartbreaking yet completely beautiful at the same time. Tess is a naive and delicate girl at times but also strong-willed and honest at others. It should be a depressing book because Tess has to go through a lot of terrible things and everytime you think things are starting to look up for her, the plot takes a complete u-turn back to misery and hopelessness, yet, Tess's innocence and love shines through. Hardy manages to explain things in a way in which you still end up quite liking the characters even though half of them make terrible decisions and choices.

-

On reading this book you realise how attitudes towards women have changed over the decades since this book was published. Sometimes women are portrayed as weak in early novels but Hardy shows that women can be strong in such a difficult time and terrible circumstances and are able to stick to their principles and stay honest even though their options and opportunities are minimal.

-

The main characters are a complex bunch. They are all constantly trying to stick to their morals (especially Tess and Angel or in Alec's case trying to find them) and having to wrestle with the emotions and feelings that don't coincide with these beliefs. Tess is a person filled with immense passion and love but also has a bit of a passive and quiet personality which makes an interesting combination into a compelling read. Angel was a love-hate character. One minute you loved him because he loved Tess than you hated him because he gives up everything for some ridiculous principle that doesn't even make sense (but I suppose back than it was what was expected). But in the end you kind of like him because he makes the right choice (even if it does come a bit too late).
-

I love the setting in the English countryside. Hardy is brilliant in his description of the beautiful and simplistic surroundings. I know some people may find it over descriptive and just want to go back to the story but I never tire of it.

-

In a way it is a tragic book. It makes you wonder if you have a choice in the path you choose. Whether you are destined to live the life you are born into depending on your family and their wealth or even the attitudes of the times you live in. Overall though it is about one girl and her struggle for love and peace in a world that seems to be against her.

-

-
Random Passage: But this encompassment of her own characterization, based on shreds of convention, peopled by phantoms and voices antipathetic to her, was a sorry and mistaken creation of Tess's fancy - a cloud of moral hobgoblins by which she was terrified without reason. It was they that were out of harmony with the actual world, not she. Walking among the sleeping birds in the hedges, watching the skipping rabbits on a moonlit warren, or standing under a pheasant-laden bough, she looked upon herself as a figure of Guilt intruding into the haunts of Innocence. But all the while she was making a distinction where there was no difference. Feeling herself in antagonism she was quite in accord. She had been made to break an accepted social law, but no law known to the environment in which she fancied herself such an anomaly.

The Chosen One By Carol Lynch Williams

Thirteen-year-old Kyra has grown up in her isolated community without ever questioning the fact that her father has three wives and she has twenty brothers and sisters; without ever questioning the strict rules imposed by 'the Prophet' who leads them.
-
But now Kyra has started keeping secrets. She reads books that are forbidden and sneaks away to meet Joshua, the boy she hopes to choose for herself, instead of having a husband chosen for her.
-
Kyra knows that it's only a matter of time before her two secret loves are discovered. And when the Prophet decrees that she is to become the seventh wife of her sixty-year-old uncle, Kyra is forced to make a desperate choice. But saving herself means endangering everyone she's ever cared for.
-
How far should she go for freedom?
-
The Chosen One is a very haunting read. It's about a polygamist community where if you flout the rules you could end up in real danger. Kyra is the thirteen year old protagonist of this story and is a very courageous girl. She is at the stage where she is starting to think for herself and begins to question what she want's from life. She begins to realise that perhaps what is happening in her community isn't right and that there is more to life outside the fences. This realisation and interest in the outside world is developed by the books she has started secretly reading that she loans from the weekly library van that stops not far from the community.
-
This book was such a fast read, not just because it's a short book with fairly large print, but you become wrapped up in Kyra's life and her need for change and survival. You see the struggle she feels from wanting to leave but not wanting to leave her family behind and everything she's ever known. Her family could potentially be your typical run of the mill family, they all love each other but still get into arguments. Then there is the darker side. The killings and torture towards anybody that does not fit into their view of perfect.
-
At some parts of the book I got really angry and shocked at how she was treated by the leaders and just wanted to flick them off the page. They were such small minded, power hungry, abusive and ignorant people. I absolutely hated them which shows how good the writing is for it to have invoked such strong reactions and feelings from me.
-
One of Kyra's other secrets is her love for a boy called Joshua. There love for each other is so sweet and innocent especially when its set against the backdrop of such controlling and terrifying rules and beliefs that forbid these feelings for one another. In a way it's kind of remarkable for such a kind and considerate boy to come out of such an isolated and terrible community.
-
One thing I would have liked to see more of is the relationships between the wives and how they cope with having to share a husband, but I suppose this was told in Kyra's perspective so that's not to be expected. However, I did love the parts where Kyra starts to discover a new world through the books she reads. How she happens upon a library van that passes her community weekly, and the owner encourages her to take out some books. What she doesn't realise at the time though is how crucial this strangers kindness and encouragement is for her future.
-
For me the ending was over very quickly and left me with too many unanswered questions. However, I suppose that shows the situation Kyra ends up in and that her troubles are far from over. It was quite horrifying and disturbing to read at times but through Kyra's voice you can feel her bravery and determination, as well as her fear and loss. There is also an undercurrent of suspense throughout the book as her wedding day looms and the pace picks up as she tries to find a way out of it. A great shocking and eye-opening read.
-

-
Random Passage: Joshua's there in just a few minutes. He takes my hands and pulls me to his chest and says, "What, Kyra? What's wrong?"
How does he know I'm scared? Could he hear it when I called his name?
At first I don't think I can even say anything. The words are frozen in my throat. They can't get past my tongue.
"Tell me." His face comes close to mine. I smell his minty toothpaste. He's so warm that the front of me feels sort of calmed down, pressed like I am to Joshua.
At last the words have thawed.
"I've been Chosen."