'The Testing' by Joelle Charbonneau

Length: 336 pages (hardcover)
Publication Date: June 4th, 2013
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books
Source: ARCycling
Overall rating: 2.5 / 5 stars

This dystopian story follows the main character Cia, who lives in a world that was left devastated from the Seven Stages War. In order to find and educate future leaders for the country, the government picks recent graduates to participate in The Testing, in order to select students that will get to move on with their studies in the university. Cia feels honored to be chosen as a candidate, since her father once was as well, but secrets and betrayals are continuously revealed as she fights for a spot.

Overall, this book was just okay for me. Looking back, I definitely don't regret reading it since it was pretty action packed, but I also had enough issues with it that I won't be recommending it to everyone I see. A lot of reviews I have read for 'The Testing' start off by saying that it just felt like 'The Hunger Games' all over again. And I definitely agree with that. The first chapter felt like a rip off of the start of 'Divergent' and from there on it just felt like I was reading 'The Hunger Games,' but not as absorbing and addicting.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE 'The Hunger Games' but this story wasn't nearly as powerful for me. First off, I didn't really feel connected to the main character, Cia, even though the story is told from her point of view. I also didn't enjoy the boring love interest, Tomas. He got very little development and added nothing to the story for me. If I could compare a love interest to watching paint dry, I would pick Tomas. He just wasn't my cup of tea.

There was definitely some elements I really enjoyed about the actual test that candidates were put through though. I really liked a maze element, as well as the team test they were put through. Those two elements really sucked me in and I really wanted to know how they were resolved.

Overall at times I enjoyed the story and what was happening, but the lackluster characters, writing, and predictable plot points, make this one that I will likely forget in time. If you are a dystopian fanatic and want to give this a try, I would say go for it otherwise I wouldn't say it is a must read for me. The ending did leave me curious with how Cia will handle and deal with a new development, but not the point that I am racing out for second book.

[I received an ARC paperback copy of this book for review from ARCycling. Thanks again!]

It's Monday! What are you reading? [23]

'It's Monday! What are you reading?' is a meme hosted by Book Journey and consists of sharing what you have read this past week, what you hope to read this week, and whatever else fits in too. So here are my books for this week:

JUST FINISHED: 'The Darkest Minds' by Alexandra Bracken

READING NOW: 'The Testing' by Joelle Charbonneau

TO READ NEXT: 'City of Lost Souls' by Cassandra Clare

I finished 'The Darkest Minds' on Sunday and overall really enjoyed, giving it 4 / 5 stars. Keep an eye out for my review! I am only about two chapters into 'The Testing' so far and I am enjoying it, but the parallels to Divergent and The Hunger Games is kind of annoying. Hopefully it starts to steer its own path soon. I just picked up 'City of Lost Souls' from the library today, so I am sure I will start it soon!

Comment below if you have read any of these and let me know your thoughts on them. And also make sure to link your 'It's Monday! What are you Reading?' if you are participating this week. Hope everyone had a good weekend!

'Hourglass' by Myra McEntire

Length: 390 pages (paperback)
Publication Date: May 8th, 2012
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Source: ARCycling
Overall rating: 3 / 5 stars 

This story follows Emerson, a teenager girl who has been seeing phantoms/ghosts of people from the past since her parents died. In an attempt to help her, Emerson's brother has continuously hired consultants that claim they can help Emerson, but none have so far. Then he hires Michael from the Hourglass, a mysterious organization that starts to bring answers into Emerson's world of chaos.

I remember reading the synopsis for this book a few years ago and was really intrigued by it. But for some reason it dropped off my radar and I never picked it up. Thanks to the amazing team and donators at ARCycling though, I was sent a copy of this for review. I have always loved the cover of this one and thought of the concept could go any number of ways.

Unfortunately though, this book didn't wow me. With my star rating system, I give three stars to books that once finished consider to just be okay. And that is definitely where 'Hourglass' lands for me. I enjoyed the overall storyline, there were twists at the end that I didn't see coming, but I also would have liked more of the science fiction/paranormal feel to it. It definitely felt more like a romance for me.

I also didn't really connect with any of the main characters, they were very stereotypical YA to me and I really wanted them to be more unique. Michael and Emerson's relationship felt very rushed to me at times and there was way too much insta-love for me. I did enjoy Lily though, Emerson's best friend, and I though McEntire set her story up nicely for the rest of the series.

Looking back on the storyline, I can definitely say that it kept me interested and wanting to know more about the Hourglass but I really felt it needed to be delved into more. Rather than focusing so much on the romance, I think it could have benefited from more world and character building. I would hope that that is accomplished in the next two books.

Overall, I did enjoy the overall story but at the same time it is not something that will stick with me. The characters and the interaction between Emerson and Michael was very predictable, leaving them as a couple that I will likely forget. In general I am not the biggest fan of love triangles and this one definitely didn't impress me, it felt forced and unrealistic. This book is advertised as a science fiction style story, but it definitely fell short in that category for me.

[I received an ARC paperback copy of this book for review from ARCycling. Thanks again!]

Update: Giveaway is on hold

Due to the issues many bloggers, including myself, have been having with Google Friend Connect, and therefore following blogs, I have decided to postpone the 300 follower giveaway. Google staff is currently aware of the issues users have been having and are currently working on the problem.

In order for all that are interested in entering the follower giveaway, new and old followers, I will be postponing the giveaway. Hopefully the problem will be resolved soon and once it is, I will post the giveaway again.

Sorry for any confusion this causes, but make sure to keep an eye out for the giveaway for 'The Lost Girl,' which will hopefully start again by the end of the week. :) Thanks again to everyone for helping Let's Evaluate hit 300 followers! If you have any questions feel free to email me or tweet me @lets_evaluate.

Mini Reviews [1] : Graphic Novels

Below are three mini reviews of graphic novels. Graphic novels are a new genre for me and I hope to share my thoughts on them as I delve deeper into the genre. If you have any recommendations, please feel free to leave them in the comments!

'The Complete Maus' by Art Speigelman
Rating: 4.5 / 5 stars

This is an amazing graphic novel memoir about the narrator and his father, as the father tells his experience during the Holocaust. I really enjoyed the father/son relationship depicted in this graphic novel, not only did it capture what the father went through, but also how Art deals with the story and this interactions with his father. Although painful to read about, this story was very powerful. The fact that it was in graphic novel form was very interesting to see, the illustrations definitely brought the story to life. Although hard to read at times, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and would recommend it to anyone.

'Anya's Ghost' by Vera Brosgol
Rating: 4 / 5 stars

This story follows Anya who is in need of a new friend. After falling down into a well, that is exactly what she gets, but this friend has been dead for a century. Anya is embarrassed by her family and doesn't have a lot of friends, so initially a ghost friend seems pretty cool. I really enjoyed reading Anya's story, I really appreciated the family elements that Vera pulled into the story. I also really loved the illustrations in this graphic novel and the universal themes and lessons that it presents. I would definitely recommend this to readers who are new to graphic novels, it is a fun, engaging story with a relatable character.


'Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood' by Marjane Satrapi
Rating: 4 / 5 stars

'Persepolis' is a graphic novel memoir about the author's childhood and growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. I loved the variety of characters we get introduced to in this story, they are all very unique and different from each other. They really capture the differing outlooks people had during the Islamic Revolution. I loved how such a serious topic is covered through the innocence of a child, she often caught on to things that her parents didn't. Overall, I found this graphic novel to be an amazing original and honest story, with a heartwarming main character that even though she is frustrating at times, is still a very strong, intelligent protagonist.

Let me know your thoughts on any of these graphic novels below, as well what graphic novels you would like me to review in the future! :)

Stacking the Shelves 3/9/2014

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly feature hosted by Tynga's Reviews that consists of highlighting the books, and book related items, that you have recently picked up and are adding to your shelves! These books are from the past three or so weeks, since I haven't posted a StS since early February.

Received for Review:

'The Midnight Dress' by Karen Foxlee

'Enders' by Lissa Price

Purchased from Half Priced Books:

'Girl of Fire and Thorns' by Rae Carson

'Sapphire Blue' by Kerstin Gier

Purchased from Half Priced Books:

'The Lost Girl' by Sangu Mandanna

'Cress' by Marissa Meyer

Comment below and let me know if you have read, or want to read, any of these. I did pick up a second copy of 'The Lost Girl' for my 300 follower giveaway so make sure to keep an eye out for that this coming week! :)

'Fangirl' by Rainbow Rowell

Length: 438 pages (hardcover)
Publication Date: September 10th, 2013
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Source: bought own copy

Overall rating: 4 / 5 stars

'Fangirl' follows the story of Cath, a freshmen in college and a fan fiction writer for a series known as Simon Snow. The story picks up with Cath moving to college and trying to adjust and find herself. Her twin sister, Wren, starts to drift from writing fan fiction, but Cath still wants to hold on to that part of her life.

To be honest, when I first heard about the plot for this story, I wasn't too interested in it. I am not the biggest fan of most YA contemporaries and really need something to grab me early if I am going to enjoy it. After reading rave reviews about 'Fangirl' since it came out, I finally decided to cave in and give it a go. And I am definitely glad I did.

I really enjoyed the character insight and development we got to see with Cath, she ends up being such a relatable  main character, I couldn't help but feel all the ups and downs with her. From her hangups about her mom, to her changing relationship with her sister, Cath definitely has a lot going on. I did get a bit frustrated with her at times though and did feel like there were some inconsistencies with her character. For example, Cath isn't really a shy character, although she is an introvert, but I had a hard time believing she wouldn't ask anyone where the dining hall was on campus and instead just eat protein bars for the first week or two.

I really enjoyed reading about how Cath stayed true to herself and still really enjoyed writing her Simon Snow fan fiction, even though her sister was out trying new things. I also really loved the characters of Levi and Reagan, they were probably my favorite characters in the book. I thought Rowell wrote them very well and they were definitely unique from others in the story. 

Overall, I definitely enjoyed reading 'Fangirl,' it is a fast paced reading that I never wanted to put down. It is fun, relatable, and very absorbing. I would have liked a bit more closure in the end of the story, but that definitely didn't ruin the story for me. I would highly recommend this to YA contemporary readers, especially for those in college or have had the freshman year on campus experience. It definitely brought back some memories of my first few weeks of college and what a change it really is.

Waiting on Wednesday [28]

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This feature highlights a future release that you are eagerly waiting to come out.

'House of Ivy & Sorrow'

by Natalie Whipple

Length: 352 pages (paperback)

Expected Publication: April 15th 2014

Publisher: HarperTeen

Josephine Hemlock has spent the last 10 years hiding from the Curse that killed her mother. But when a mysterious man arrives at her ivy-covered, magic-fortified home, it’s clear her mother’s killer has finally come to destroy the rest of the Hemlock bloodline. Before Jo can even think about fighting back, she must figure out who she’s fighting in the first place. The more truth Jo uncovers, the deeper she falls into witchcraft darker than she ever imagined. Trapped and running out of time, she begins to wonder if the very Curse that killed her mother is the only way to save everyone she loves.

[Synopsis from Goodreads] 

  

I have to admit, the first thing that drew me to this was the cover, it is stunning. But it also sounds like a great fantasy novel with secrets galore! [: Comment below on your thoughts about 'House of Ivy & Sorrow' and link your WoW, if you participated this week.

2014: February Wrap Up & March TBR

Below is a recap of what I read in February, what I am currently reading, and what I plan to read in the coming March. Although the to be read list is subject to change, these are the ones currently on my mind. Links will connect you to the book's Goodreads page.

FEBRUARY RECAP

'Fun Home' by Alison Bechdel
'Pivot Point' by Kasie West
PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives' by Frank Warren
'The Glass Menagerie' by Tennessee Williams
'Insanity' by Susan Vaught
'A Game of Thrones' by George R.R. Martin

CURRENTLY READING
'Hourglass' by Myra McEntire

MARCH TBR PILE
'Fire & Flood' by Victoria Scott
'Vicious' by V.E. Schwab
'All These Things I've Done' by Gabrielle Zevin
'Losing It' by Cora Carmack
'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' by Douglas Adams
'The Darkest Minds' by Alexandra Bracken

My biggest goal this February was definitely to finish up reading 'A Game of Thrones' which ended up being successful. I started reading it back in December and am now happy to take a break and read some shorter books. :)

Let me know if you have read any of these books and what you thought of them! If you loved any of the books on my March TBR, let me know so I can make sure to get to them. :) Hope everyone had an amazing February!