All the Books.

  "An intriguing and enchanting mix of The Hunger Games,   The Night Circus,  and the dark carnival from  Something Wicked This Way Comes " Garber has created an elaborate world with complex, mysterious people and I'm eager to see more of it as the series continues.  4 Stars Pros:  The idea of Caraval is intriguing, like Morgenstern's The Night Circus  meets Bradbury's dark carnival in Something Wicked This Way Comes , it was an adventure but a serious and deadly one.  Cons:  Points of the novel were pretty predictable but there were times where I was surprised, so it wasn't that bad. There were times at the end where it felt like "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" where it could have ended but it didn't.  Full Review:  Scarlett (Scar) and Donatella (Tella) are the daughters Governor Dragna, the ruler of Trisda, a small island of the Conquered Isles. Ever since their Mother disappeared without a trace and their Father turn...

  "An easy, quick read that tries to get the message across that even someone who seems like they have it "all together" is really struggling on the inside. Everyone gets overwhelmed from time to time and this novel shows the reader that it takes more strength and courage to ask and seek help than it is to just give in." 3 Stars Pros:  If you've ever spent any time in a psychiatric ward, it definitely caught the vast majority of characters.  Cons:  I had to keep reminding myself that the character was supposed to be a teenager and teenagers are inherently controlled by their hormones and don't think. This kid's "friends" were just...awful and I guess I'm lucky that I don't have jerks like that in my life.  Full Review:  Craig Gilner has worked for as long as he can remember to get into the best school in New York. And when he finally does, it all starts to go downhill. The workload is intense, he stops eating, stops sleeping, stops doin...

"A deep, gut wrenching, emotional roller coaster of a novel that take awhile to hits its stride but once it does, it never lets up. An interesting look at what life could actually be like in North Korea and it makes me grateful for the life that I have and all the freedoms that come with it." 5 Stars Pros:  Jun Do (John Doe) is an everyman, an easily relatable character who does as he's told, even when he knows they're wrong. He does it because he's seen that those who question, are punished. It was a frighteningly, eye opening, fantastic, thought provoking read.  Cons:  It took a little bit to get going but once it did, it was amazing and terrifying all at once.  Full Review:  Raised as an Orphan, all Jun Do knows is that his mother was a singer. He tries to take care of the other Orphans but they're all carted away eventually and he too grows out of the orphanage. He starts working in tunnels until he's approached by a military commander who takes him on...

  "When Christopher finds the neighbors dog, killed with a pair of gardening shears, he decides to do some "detecting" and solve the mystery. What he manages to do is dig up pieces of his own past that are both astounding and painful and shows how some people we love will lie to us to save us and themselves from pain." 2 Stars.  Pros:  It was an interesting take on a narrative, for sure, unique and the plot was interesting enough to keep me reading, just to see how everything turned out.  Cons:  I understand that Christopher is extremely logical and doesn't "get" social cues but...the narration, especially the dialogue of "I said, then Father said, then I said" quickly grated on my nerves.  Full Review:  Christopher is an extremely intelligent boy. His mind is almost machinelike in its ability to solve complex mathematical equations and figure out the logistics of almost every situation he finds himself in. But, when it comes to interacting w...