Book Review: Virals (Virals, #1) by Kathy Reichs

Title: Virals (Virals, #1)
Author: Kathy Reichs
Pages: 448
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication: November 2, 2010
Summary taken from goodreads:

Tory Brennan, niece of acclaimed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan (of the Bones novels and hit TV show), is the leader of a ragtag band of teenage "sci-philes" who live on a secluded island off the coast of South Carolina. When the group rescues a dog caged for medical testing on a nearby island, they are exposed to an experimental strain of canine parvovirus that changes their lives forever.

As the friends discover their heightened senses and animal-quick reflexes, they must combine their scientific curiosity with their newfound physical gifts to solve a cold-case murder that has suddenly become very hot if they can stay alive long enough to catch the killer's scent.

Fortunately, they are now more than friends they're a pack. They are Virals.

3.5 STARS - I LIKED IT

MY REVIEW:

The beginning of the book was very descriptive and slow, which turned me off a little. The foreshadowing that was used at the end of the first few chapters was also a little too dramatic for me.

However, once the plot really started kicking in, I was easily sucked into the story. For such a thick book, it didn't take long to read since the mystery and suspense kept the pace fast and story entertaining. And man, that twist in the end... gotta say I was surprised, but I wasn't completely surprised. Some people are just too good to be true.

Speaking of people, I really liked the characters in Virals. At least the members of the pack.

Tory is a great protagonist. She's independent, smart enough to skip a grade (although she seems a little too smart for a fourteen year old girl at certain times), loyal, stubborn, compromising, and every bit the leader of the group.

Ben sort of reminds me of Fang from Maximum Ride with the whole strong and silent thing. Plus, he does seem like the second in command since the other guys agree to whatever plan Tory comes up with after Ben agrees first. But he talks more than Fang and really likes his boat. So.

Hiram, AKA Hi, is the comedian of the group. His sarcasm and wit has me grinning or chuckling half of the time. For example: "I'll be here." Hi pointed at his bathroom. "That toilet's the center of my universe."

And Shelton. Shelton is like the voice of reason that isn't afraid to admit that he's scared. But he's also a techno geek and picks locks. Pretty cool traits.

The lack of romance was surprising, but also refreshing. Yes, Tory has a crush, but it doesn't get in the way of the plot, and the girl didn't spend much time over-thinking about the guy, which was good. It's nice to know that not all girls are obsessed with finding themselves a boyfriend. Then again, she had much other pressing issues to worry about first... like who was trying to kill her.

Since the mystery was solved at the end of the book and there was no cliffhanger, I'm assuming that the books in this series will have standalone plots, which is totally fine with me. That just means that I don't have to waste time agonizing over the endings while waiting for the next book to come out. :P

The Magical Impact of Harry Potter

This made sad, but so so happy. Books can change worlds. They're magical.

My Year with Harry Potter: Audiobook Magic

Last summer, my 10-year-old son read Harry Potter, the seven-book, 1,091,123-word phenomenon that has swept the world. When he was done, he asked me to read the series. I like to read what my son is reading. It gives the two of us opportunities to talk about books and characters. Protagonists and antagonists. Good, evil and all the gray in between. But Harry Potter was such a commitment. Then I had a brainstorm. Instead of my reading Harry Potter, Elijah and I would listen to the audiotapes preformed by the remarkable British actor Jim Dale. I had no idea what I was in for. We stuck the first CD into our car stereo last October, and then during almost every journey to and from school, the grocery store, anywhere, Elijah and I would listen. I was caught. Stuck. Riveted and deeply in love with the world J.K. Rowling created. I laughed at her characters' wit and charm, gasped when they faced imminent danger, wept when loved characters died, and was stunned by the beauty and terror Rowling was able to weave into her complex and beguiling story.  In late April, we finished the sixth book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and I had to take a break. Not because I was tired or bored, but because I was not ready for the journey to end. The idea that my son and I had only one more book to listen to was too sad. I did not want to let the story go. And more than anything, I did not want to let the characters go. So, instead of listening to book seven, I went back and listened to book one, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, in which Harry and his friends had not yet reached puberty and Hogwarts was a bright and shining place with luminous ceilings and heavy-hitting Quidditch matches. In June, thinking myself ready, my son and I forged forward and began listening to book seven, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows. I thought I had steeled myself, yet day by day I watched with increased trepidation as Elijah put in one CD after another, leading us closer and closer to the end. I know this is all very silly. I am talking about how hard it was for me to say goodbye to a fiction--a non-reality, a story. But it feels like so much more. It feels, in fact, almost precisely like it feels every time I open my eyes and see that my son has taken one more step into his own life and away from mine.  I will always remember Elijah's last year in elementary school as the year we listened to Harry Potter. Every morning we would get into our own little Hogwarts Express and go off to school, shouting spells or debating whether Severus Snape was good or evil. (I must hand it to Elijah--he never once gave any hint of what was to come.) I will remember that Elijah turned 11 while we listened to Harry Potter, and we celebrated by driving all the way to Seattle to see the Harry Potter exhibit. And, I will remember, always remember, Elijah reaching over to me as the final book ended. "It's time," he said. "It's okay to be sad, but it's okay to say goodbye too." Last Friday night Elijah, my husband, Chuck, and I stood in line for the final Harry Potter film, The Deathly Hollows, Part 2. It was a long line, and it was filled with people of all ages, sizes, hair styles and dress. I did an informal survey, and almost every person I spoke with had read all seven books. Amazing in this day and age of Nintendo and TiVo and the Internet and everything else that distracts us from the written word and the worlds it can take us.  After the film, we watched the credits roll to an end. The war was over. Good had triumphed, and the characters we had grown to know as friends had moved on with their lives without us. When all was quiet and the lights back on, I put away my handkerchief, and Elijah, Chuck and I rose from our seats and left.  I know it's okay to say goodbye, but I don't want to. It's silly, really. But I have never felt so in love with the places a book has taken me. Thank you, J.K. Rowling, for the journey you have given me with my child. Thank you so very much. --Naseem Rakha Rakha is the author of The Crying Tree, published last year by Broadway. Article taken from here. And I read this over at postsecret, which is also magical in its own way. My mom, sister and I had a tradition of seeing the Harry Potter movies opening night at midnight. She died last June, but my sister and I decided to go to the last one together, in costume. In a packed out theatre full of excited and crazy fans, there was only one open seat; and it was beside us, smack dab in the middle of the theatre. We didn't save it. I'm pretty sad that the future generations won't be able to experience the full effect of Harry Potter like mine did. When I have kids, I'm going to make them watch HP while growing up. :P Anyway, that's all for now, folks! :) pointy.star

Tumblr Pics 12

Gah. AP Calc's already making my brain hurt. :(

But these pics don't! 

Lol, I make the best transitions, you don't even know. :P

My Last First Day of High School

Gah. School makes me so tired. -__-

Actually, the day started off in a frantic hurry. My friend, Emily, was picking me up at 7, and somehow or another, I didn't wake up to my alarm that was supposed to go off at 6:30, so I woke up around 6:49 and had to run around the house and get ready around 10 minutes. It was a good thing that we had already decided to stop by McDonalds to get breakfast, cuz I really didn't have any time to grab any before I left.

My schedule is pretty random when you look at it. I have AP Calc AB for first period, current issues second period, physics third, graphics 2 fourth, intro to engineering fifth, AP Lit sixth, and marketing principals seventh period.

I already had my AP Calc teacher's husband for Acc Math 2 sophomore year (yeah, they have so much in common :P), and I saw both of them at the midnight premiere of Harry Potter, which was both weird and strange; you never really see your teachers outside of school, ya know? Also, they were going to sit next to me in the theater since they thought that there were two empty seats beside me since Emily went to go refill her drink at the time. That would have been so awkward! O__O

But yeah, Mrs. Grange is making me regret taking the class by telling us how much work and effort we're going to have to put into the class and how we can't fail the class since we're the first special case classes for the whole AP math stuff since we got the new curriculum and stuff. Plus, we already have to do work starting tomorrow. I think we're getting our books in the next few days, too. D:

Current issues sounds like a super easy class. Coach Lewis told us that we were going to read a newspaper article or something small and write our opinion on it. And we don't have tests, which is awesome. I think the class is going to be my homework class, lol.

Physics... the teacher seems pretty awkward. We're doing some getting to know you and physics stuff in there, so I don't know how hard the class is going to be, especially since I've had some friends who passed the class with 100's and some who pretty much managed to scrape by, and they're all honor students. So, we'll see~

I'm sad that I only have one person from my graphics class with me this year, but I know a few other people in there, so it's not that bad. Plus, it's a pretty small class, so I know that we won't be fighting for computers this year. Unless people get schedule changes and the class grows...

I only know one person in engineering, and he's prolly going to leave since he was supposed to have woodshop, so I have no idea how it's going to be in there. The class is really full, and the majority of the students are guys, and I'm pretty sure there's only a few seniors in there. But, the teacher doesn't give homework and only expects us to do work inside the class and we're going to be doing a lot of projects, so I'm interested in there.

I know the majority of people in AP Lit, which is awesome since I can easily find someone to help with homework or gripe about the class. The teacher's really cool, and I think I'll like the class since I like reading and all that jazz. I'm pretty sure I'll fail at the in-class essays though, since it usually takes me forever to figure what to write about and articulate it on paper, especially when I'm timed. -__-"

I only know Madison in marketing, and she's trying to get out of the class. Emily told me that it's extremely easy, and if you join DECA (which Emily's forcing me to do), you get extra credit and stuff. The class is pretty huge, but I can already tell that there's some jokers in there, so I don't think it'll be too bad.

School really does drain a person. But, at least I don't have to ride the bus anymore~ Emily's taking me. Hopefully, by next semester, I'll have my driver's license so I can drive to school myself. :)

Anyway, a little bit after I got home, Sydne and Aliesha stopped by for a surprise visit (since they're both in college now and I hadn't seen them in forever), so I finally got to give them their souvenirs, and after finding out that today was Shanice's birthday, we decided to stop by her house to wish her happy birthday and see if she could hang out. 

So we went to her house and I gave her her souvenir, which was also a rice paddy hat, and then we went around Warner Robins while Sydne went shopping for her dorm room. After that, we went to this Mexican restaurant that we usually go to that's near our house, for dinner and hung out there for a while catching up. Man, did we have a lot to talk about! :P

So yeah, I think this was a pretty awesome last first day of high school. :D Especially since I was just planning on filling out scholarship applications and reading some poems that I was supposed to read over the summer when I got home today. :P

lol, so truuee, although my school started today :P

Anyway, that's it for now~ I'll keep you updated. :)

pointy.star

I'm Home. School Tomorrow. D: My Future.

So, like I expected, I wasn't able to update much for the past few weeks. 

Here's a basic summary of what's been up: I did my AP Lit homework during the mornings and afternoons; my cousins from VA came over last Monday; my cousins and everyone in my family except me went to FL to go to the beach on Tuesday (they left at 3 in the morning O__O) and came back Wednesday night while I worked and finished reading my last AP Lit book; after dropping my cousins off at the airport on Thursday, my dad and sis dropped me off at my grandma's house where I stayed there (and at Megan and Nicole's house at night where we ate, read, watched dramas and music shows; they're really into Miss A) until today when Shelle came up with her bf and Vi; we ate at Happy Valley where we saw an old family friend (Ba Loan) who was one of the servers; then went to the Mall of GA to return this pair of Toms that Shelle couldn't fit at Nordstrom that Megan and Nicole bought for her as a late birthday gift and then spent a short amount of time shopping (I finally found a bag that I could wear to school); then we ate fruit bingsoo, potbingsoo, and a waffle at the Arte 3 Cafe, which had some redecorating since the last time I saw it (and it was a lot more crowded, too); after that, we went home.

Ever since I came home, I've been doing random last minute stuff for getting ready for school tomorrow, like putting paper in my AP Lit binder, which is already going to be graded tomorrow for all of the summer assignments we had and finding pens and pencils that I'm planning on bringing to school. Hard work, I know. :P

Also, everybody's been asking me if I'm ready for school since it's tomorrow and all that. Why do I keep on getting exasperated sighs and/or anger whenever I tell them "No, I'm not ready.... I want it to be summer longer"? My mom told me that I better not tell my dad that or else he'd get really mad, and I'm wondering why?

Just because I'm going to be a senior doesn't mean that I'm going to be happy about it. I still don't know what major I want to do, and I still don't know what college I want to go to. And it sucks because I honestly don't know what type of career I want to go into. I thought that I wanted to do something in computers, but I'm not sure if I'll like it since the computer classes I took at school were nothing like what I thought I wanted to major in. Plus, my dad's been trying to persuade me into being a land lawyer or an accountant ever since he couldn't get through to Shelle. People have been telling me and persuading me into going into this career or that major or telling me that I should screw my parents and do whatever I want or else I'd never be happy, but I don't know what I want to do.

I'm an indecisive person. I hardly ever know what I want (besides the basic necessities), especially for my future. I'm always busy or preoccupied doing something that I never really have time to research or question myself what type of future career I want to get into. 

All I know is that I love reading. I can't go a day without reading something. And I know that whatever profession there is for a booklover like me, it won't pay as much as I want it to, and I know that I'll probably end up losing my passion for reading, which is something that I really don't want to happen.

I like reading, but I don't want a job in that type of career; I like writing, but I know that I could never only be a writer; I like math, but I'm pants at remembering formulas for long periods of time; I like science, but I can't retain the information for long periods of time; I like history, but I suck at remembering dates; I'm pretty sure I'd like psychology, if I ever take the class. There's not much that I dislike. But I'm never great at any particular thing or subject, except reading. 

See the problem here?

I'm gonna go. I don't even know how or why I started writing/ranting about all of this. If it was to look for answers, it didn't help. -__-"

Later.

pointy.star

Mini Reviews: Pandora Hearts, Vol. 1 (Pandora Hearts #1), Stolen, Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty (Triple Shot Bettys, #1), Oh. My. Gods. (Oh. My. Gods. #1)

Title: Pandora Hearts, Vol. 1 (Pandora Hearts #1)
Author: Jun Mochizuki
Pages: 192
Publication: December 15, 2009
Publisher: Yen Press
Summary taken from goodreads: 

The air of celebration surrounding fifteen-year-old Oz Vessaliuss coming-of-age ceremony quickly turns to horror when he is condemned for a sin about which he know nothing. Thrown into the Abyss - an eternal prison from which here is no escape - Oz meets a young girl named Alice who is not what she seems. Now that the relentless cogs of fate have begun to turn, will they lead only to crushing despair for Oz, or will Alice provide him with some shred of hope?

4 STARS - I REALLY LIKED IT

MY REVIEW: 

I watched the anime last year and have finally gotten around to reading the manga version. Can't decide which I like better since the anime followed the book very closely. Either way, Pandora Hearts is a great series to watch out for. There's great art, a mysterious plot, complex characters, and compelling storytelling.

Title: Stolen
Author: Lucy Christopher
Pages: 299
Publication: May 1, 2010
Publisher: The Chicken House
Summary taken from goodreads: 

Gemma, 16, is on layover at Bangkok Airport, en route with her parents to a vacation in Vietnam. She steps away for just a second, to get a cup of coffee. Ty - rugged, tan, too old, oddly familiar - pays for Gemma's drink. And drugs it. They talk. Their hands touch. And before Gemma knows what's happening, Ty takes her. Steals her away. The unknowing object of a long obsession, Gemma has been kidnapped by her stalker and brought to the desolate Australian Outback. 

Stolen is her gripping story of survival, of how she has to come to terms with her living nightmare - or die trying to fight it.

2 STARS - IT WAS OKAY

MY REVIEW: 

The summary sounded so intriguing and original. I was so excited to read it. Maybe also because I was planning on reading it when I was at the airport...although that didn't end up happening.

Anyway, I ended up not being that interested in the book. The beginning managed to capture my attention, but after that, I quickly lost interest. I had to keep on forcing myself to read a little more just to see if I really wanted to quit the book or not. By the time I realized that I didn't care for the book anymore and was tired of forcing myself to read a book when I had so many more books to choose from, I was already more than halfway done with the book, so I made myself finish it since I didn't want all of my time spent on this book to be wasted for nothing.

Don't get me wrong, Stolen wasn't poorly written or had terrible characters. In fact, the author had created real, dynamic characters that I could both understood and sympathized with and the book was written in an honest, raw style that I liked very much. However, the book just wasn't compelling enough for me, especially since I had to force myself to read the majority of the book. It just wasn't something that I'd like to read.

Even though Stolen isn't my type of book, I know that a lot of people will enjoy it. It's all in their preferences.

Title: Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty (Triple Shot Bettys, #1)
Author: Jody Gehrman
Pages: 255
Publication: April 17, 2008
Publisher: Dial
Summary taken from goodreads: 

Geena can't wait to spend summer vacation with her two best girls: her friend Amber and her cousin Hero. All three are working at the Triple Shot Betty coffee shop together, but the moment Amber and Hero meet, the claws come out. They hate each other on sight. Geena's dreams of a girl-bonding summer fl y out the window, and then threaten to disappear completely when a few cute (okay, drop-dead gorgeous) guys come along to woo the Bettys. But all is not what it seems, and in a story of mistaken identities, crazy summer high jinks, and enough romance to make Shakespeare proud, Geena and her friends learn that when Bettys unite, they can take on the most powerful force in their world: a hot guy.

3.5 STARS - I LIKED IT 

MY REVIEW: 

I remember reading someone's post a while ago about how she wanted books to be more realistic citing some examples such as wanting to read about characters who were actually hungry or who had to use the bathroom and stuff like that. If I ever remember where I read that post or who wrote it, I would definitely recommend this book to her because not only does Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty depict most of the daily natures that people go through (using the bathroom, having a zit, etc.), but Jody Gehrman manages to write them in such a hilarious way that you can't help but snort out loud as you read it.

While the first half of the book was light and humorous, the second half was much more serious. Though, if anything, it was even more engaging and compelling than the first half as the climax reached its point.

I really enjoyed this book, and I think that it was very well-written, especially considering that this was the author's debut YA book. Can't wait to read the sequel!

Title: Oh. My. Gods. (Oh. My. Gods. #1)
Author: Tera Lynn Childs
Pages: 264
Publication: May 1, 2008
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Summary taken from goodreads: 

A modern girl's comedic odyssey in a school filled with the descendants of Greek gods. 

When Phoebe's mom returns from Greece with a new husband and moves them to an island in the Aegean, Phoebe's plans for her senior year and track season are ancient history. Now she must attend the uberexclusive academy, where admission depends on pedigree, namely, ancestry from Zeus, Hera, and other Greek gods. That's right, they're real, not myth, and their teen descendants are like the classical heroes—supersmart and superbeautiful with a few superpowers. And now they're on her track team! Armed only with her Nikes and the will to win, Phoebe races to find her place among the gods.

4 STARS - I REALLY LIKED IT

MY REVIEW: 

A quick, fun read that had great, snorting-induced funny moments.

Didn't end with a cliffhanger, so I'm actually interested in what's going to happen to Phoebe in the next book.

In My Mailbox (33)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

I can't believe that it's been a couple of months since I did my last IMM post! But, this is all of the books that I got since then. Not much compared to how much I usually get in a few months, but it's okay since I haven't been feeling much up to reading until just recently again. Plus, I still have piles of TBR books lying around my room to read. :P

For review: 

Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen

My Life Undecided by Jessica Brody

The Girl is Murder by Kathryn Miller Haines

White Crow by Marcus Sedgwick

Paradise by Jill S. Alexander
Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

Won from Hello Ello: 

Huntress by Malinda Lo (signed!)

Fury of the Phoenix by Cindy Pon (signed!)

swag + bag

From the library:

Chiggers by Hope Larson

Black Juice by Margo Lanagan

Reckless by Cornelia Funke

Virals by Kathy Reichs


Bought:
Skinned by Robin Wasserman
Crashed by Robin Wasserman
Timeless Voices by Various Authors

The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker
The Unidentified by Rae Mariz
The Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Forever by Maggie Stiefvator
Angel Burn by L.A. Weatherly

I really shouldn't have checked anything out from the library since I have so much to read, but I couldn't help myself since my old library had recently moved into an even bigger building, so my sis and I just had to check it out. And end up checking out a few books ourselves. :P

busy busy busy reading reading reading

I know that I've been absent for the last week, but it's because I've been really busy. Busy practicing driving, hanging out with friends, and reading reading reading. Reading my AP books, library books, my books, fanfiction, blogs. Lots of reading. And sporadically cleaning my room since my cousins from Virginia are coming Monday afternoon and are staying until Friday.

Since I've been procrastinating and haven't been feeling like reading until recently, I hadn't bothered to read any of my required readings for AP Lit, which is why I'm forced to spend my mornings and afternoons reading and taking notes on the books. I've finished reading two of the three books, but I still have to do a lot of paperwork for the one that I just finished reading today, and I really don't have much time to work on it since people are coming over soon. 

Plus, school starts on August 1st, so I've really got to get my act together and finish reading all of the books by then. Hopefully, I'll also be able to read some of the Brit Lit stuff I was also supposed to read over the summer since I didn't take the class last year.

Completely off topic, some of my cousins are staying in my room while they're staying over here. I have NO IDEA what to do with my piles of books. Really, there's no where to put them. Certainly not in my closet (there's enough books in there as it is!) and definitely not under my bed (there's not enough room since there's so much junk under there, and half of it isn't even mine! Really, Shelle needs to stop giving me her crap that we "share"). 

Everyone's right; I really do have a mini library in my room. -__-"

Anyway, I just wanted to say that the next few weeks will probably be pretty hectic, although Mommy said that the family and cousins were going to the beach in Florida, and I asked her if I could stay home to do my AP homework, and she said yes, which means that I could have a few days to myself... which would be awesome. Must ask the dad first to see if he will agree to let me fend for myself for a few days. :P

I'm quite tired of the beach. Went to the beach plenty of times in Vietnam. I've had my fill of it for the summer. 

Now, I'm going to continue reading Beauty Queens by Libba Bray, because it is amusing while at the same time terribly tragic that some girls really are that empty-headed and shallow. And I'm only on page 13. :c

Ta~

pointy.star