Lived One Thousand Lives

Overview: This book is not as good as everyone says it is. The writing style is poor, along with word choice. The main character sounds like he is mentally retarded, and I am not being offensive, I am being dead serious. I'm not entirely sure if this was meant to happen, but the way it is written when he is talking/thinking sounds very low level. I feel like people build up books like this because they don't know that something is better, because there is definitely better stories out there. The story line was very obvious, but I thought the ending was cute. The emphasis on Lincoln's nerdiness was on my last nerve. There are only so many times you can read about Dungeons and Dragons before you shoot yourself. I know I sound really negative right now, and it wasn't this bad, but it was not what I expected. It's so annoying when everyone, and I do mean everyone, loves a book you end up not liking. I simply do not understand why anyone would LOVE this book. It was alright. Nothing extraordinary or amazing.

Characters: None, sadly

Quotes:

“There are moments when you can't believe something wonderful is happening. And there are moments when your entire consciousness is filled with knowing absolutely that something wonderful is happening.”

“I pictured a girl who made every moment, everything she touched, and everyone around her feel lighter and sweeter.
“I pictured you,” he said. “I just didn’t know what you looked like.
“And then, when I did know what you looked like, you looked like the girl who was all those things. You looked like the girl I loved.”

Recommend?: It was alright. I'll give it around 3/5 stars. It was fine, nothing amazing or mind-blowing.

Salaam, Lived One Thousand Lives

Very beautiful, very haunting. This story is a truly touching story about a girl dealing with the severe aftermath of getting raped. On top of it all, no one believes her. The format really adds to the emotion. Overall, this is a very short, but very well written story. Everyone should read it.

Overall: This book was really good! It was creative and very well written. For some reason, though, I had a really hard time getting through it. I kept reading other books in between, and I never do that. It was odd. But the book itself was very original. The ending made me very mad because a certain someone died because a certain someone else was stupid and only cared about herself. The setting was very cute and pretty much perfect. The book required a lot of imagination, though, so I am kind of wary to go see the movie. Books like that almost never turn out to be good movies, but Harry Potter proved this statement wrong, right? The love story was cute and the connection was very cool. The characters were all wonderful. This book was just amazing!

Characters: Loved Macon. I wish my uncle was that cool. I also loved Marian. Both were very awesome parental figures that are only present in books. A sad, but true fact. If you have someone like this comment so I know mine is out there!

Quotes: "'I can only give you the books. I can't give you the answers.' But she smiled all the same.'The thing about fate is, are you the master of your fate, or are the stars?'

"You cant jump off a cliff when you've already fallen off a bigger one"

"Without libraries what have we? We have no past and no future"

Recommend? Yes! I give it 4/5 only because it was so hard to get through. Probably a me issue and not a book issue. Very good!

Salaam, Lived One Thousand Lives

Overall: This story was amazing! It was very touching and true, which makes it even more sad. The characters were so adorable and inspiring. It made me realize how easy it is to get into such a bad situation, and how hard it is to get out of it. The pure emotions were so well portrayed, you could really tell the author actually went through it instead of just writing about it. The writing style was very good. Hogan was just plain perfect. Everything was just amazing and inspiring. Please read it! This story changes your perspective on life. It will truly change you.

Characters: Hogan was perfect to a t. He was rugged and strong, but so sweet and caring. I want someone like him! He was the hero of the book and it was awesome! The children were so cute and willing to do whatever. So innocent and oblivious. Its a good thing that they wont really remember this portion of their lives. They were troopers!

Quotes: "I had a decent job waiting tables and, although I did my best to hide my situation, I found that revealing myself, even in small amounts, gained me not only a cadre of friends but an occasional helping hand."

Recommend?: Yes! A very emotional and inspiring read. It shows you that what you have is enough, and that you may be only one or two mistakes from homeless. I give it 4.75/5 stars.


Salaam, Lived One Thousand Lives

Overall: I really enjoy a good thriller, and this one was very good. The idea was super creepy and unique. My favorite show is Criminal Minds and this was like a book version of my show, with more detail. I love the fact that it gave you the viewpoint of everyone, even the killer. The ending was very far fetched, but all books have something that is improbable. It had many twists and turns and had you biting your nails is fear and suspense. To sum it up, it was demented and very good!

Characters: I loved Brenan. He was so adorable. The fact that he was a vet makes him 20000000000 times more lovable and attractive. The girls were also adorable because they were little and cute, obviously! Holly was the perfect mix of serious and romantic and, of course, kick-ass cop! She was awesome!

Quotes: None

Recommend?: Yes, if you are a fan of Mary Higgins Clark books and watching Criminal Minds while peeing your pants, you will love this! I will give it 4/5 stars!

Overall: I enjoyed this book. It was a different kind of supernatural type book. I loved the idea behind the "secret watchers". It really challenged what was too much to do for someone else's safety. The plot was good. I felt like the end should have been more climactic, but the rest of the book was good. There were many ups and downs about how I feel about the book. I thought the whole Lucy thing was stretched way to far. Like seriously date or don't, it got on my nerves. I did like the fact that Owen needed his friends to help him. He wasn't a typical "super hero" type person who stands alone. The whole book wasn't bad, it was an enjoyable book.

Characters: I loved Sarah. She turned out to be super awesome. I also loved White Eagle. Both were very wise and caring toward Owen, and really helped him push his limits.

Quotes: Didn't really see any that stood out.

Recommend?: Yes, it was good. It wasn't awful. The idea behind it was very interesting! I would give it 4/5 stars.

Overall: This book was good. I enjoyed the story line and the characters. I also liked the setting, it sounded very pretty. I liked the idea behind the Sophie and Tokala thing. If you've read it you know what I am talking about. I wish it went more into detail there, because I really liked that. I'm not a huge fan of vampire and werewolf books, but this one was a better one. It was a little unsuspenseful but maybe I wasn't emotionally invested in the story for some weird reason. I just didn't connect fully with them and their thoughts/feelings. This book reminded me of All That We See or Seem. I did a review on that book a little while ago. I just don't think this type of book is my cup of tea, you know? All-in-all it was good. There wasn't anything that I absolutely hated about it, but there also wasn't anything I loved.

Characters: Sophie kind of annoyed me. She would lead people on, and then get mad when they responded to her advances. She claims she wasn't a slut, like Lara, but that's exactly what she was. Basically she was a hypocrite. But other than that part of her, she was very sweet and nice. One other thing I didn't like was she was always endangering herself, and then yelling at someone else for not saving her fast enough. Its like then don't go looking for danger. I did like her connection with the fox and stuff. Its hard to explain without spoiling anything, so I will just leave it at that.

I also loved Connor. Seb also made me a little mad, but Connor was always there for Sophie. It was very sweet and he put up with all of her crap. It was so very cute.

Quotes: None that I can think of right now.

Recommend?: Yes, if you like the vamp/werewolf type of books. Im not a huge fan of these, but if you are I would greatly recommend it. 3.5 stars.

Salaam, Lived One Thousand Lives

Overall: I loved this book. I finished it yesterday, but I had to wait a day to really compose my thoughts
enough to tell the world how good it was. Its like in The Fault in Our Stars, when she says there are some books you want to keep to yourself. This is one of those. Usually I HATE Science Fiction books, but damn, this book changed my mind. It was very good. The twist at the end was super crazy and unexpected! All of the characters had some sort of real quality. Like I could really relate to them. The author did an amazing job conveying each characters feelings and thoughts. The whole thing was a little hard to wrap my mind around, but once I got past that it was SO good. The only part that lacked a little was the very end. I feel like the author wasn't sure what to do. Was I the only one? Other than that, AMAZING book!

Characters: Ender was so cute and so troubled on the inside. He didn't want to hurt anyone and you could tell the whole time. I loved the progression of him transforming from a little boy into a soldier in very little time. He lost his childhood, they all did. It was quite cruel, but they all accepted it. I also liked Dink very much, and Bean, and Petra. They all were awesome. I especially liked Alai, and the idea behind Salaam. I'm adopting that as my farewell now, instead of goodbye, I now say salaam. It has a much deeper meaning, and I love it.

Quotes:
“Perhaps it's impossible to wear an identity without becoming what you pretend to be.”

“In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him. I think it’s impossible to really understand somebody, what they want, what they believe, and not love them the way they love themselves. And then, in that very moment when I love them.... I destroy them.”

“I think that most of us, anyway, read these stories that we know are not "true" because we're hungry for another kind of truth: the mythic truth about human nature in general, the particular truth about those life-communities that define our own identity, and the most specific truth of all: our own self-story. Fiction, because it is not about someone who lived in the real world, always has the possibility of being about oneself. ”

"No. Your face is the same, but I don't remember what beautiful means anymore.”

Recommend?: Yes, very much so. I give it 5/5 stars. This book had me en captured within its pages, and still does. I'm having withdraw and don't want to start a new book. You all know that feeling! I know you do.

Overall: I really liked this book. It wasn't your typical romance novel. It had a different point of view, focusing on the people around the main characters as well as her and her relationship. The idea of the "Hokey-Pokey" theory was very cute. I also enjoyed the different aspects that she brought to her kindergarten class. The book was extremely cute. I like that it showed love at many different stages. I feel that this was a nice touch. The whole Johnathan thing was very unexpected. The whole darn book was just awesome.

Characters: I really loved Ahmed and Henry. Shocker, right? They were the two that are meant to be loved in the book, but i'm a stickler for little boys and perfect men. Ahmed: perfect, sweet, sensitive. Henry: Adorable, energetic, perfect. Need I say more?

Quotes: I didn't really find any that were super good. Most of the parts in italics at the beginning of each chapter were good, though.

Recommend?: Yes. This is such a good romance/chick-flick type of book. Definitely meant for girls. It was perfect. 5/5 stars.

Overall: I enjoyed Book 2. However, Book 1 was very dense and dry along with the introduction. The ideas in Book 2, though were very interesting. I loved the use of the author as a foil in the plot, and as a way to keep the story going. I love that the author uses sarcasm and contradiction to prove that a utopia is not possible at all. Ex. The name Utopia in latin, which is what it origionally was written in, literally means "no place". Basically referencing the fact that the whole story is made up. This book was well ahead of its time, and still is ahead of ours. I really enjoyed the ideas behind most of the society. Some things would not be possible, but many ideas were very good. I especially liked the idea behind rehabilitation of criminals, instead of killing them thoughtlessly. I just don't find it plausable to elimainte the greed, pride, etc. that are basically human nature. You know?

Characters: There weren't really any characters, so it's a little tough to pick a favorite.

Quotes: Basically the whole book is a good quote, but here are me favorites. WARNING: there may be a lot.
“A pretty face may be enough to catch a man, but it takes character and good nature to hold him.”

“You wouldn't abandon ship in a storm just because you couldn't control the winds.”

“Why do you suppose they made you king in the first place?' I ask him. 'Not for your benefit, but for theirs. They meant you to devote your energies to making their lives more comfortable, and protecting them from injustice. So your job is to see that they're all right, not that you are - just as a shepherd's job, strictly speaking, is to feed his sheep, not himself.”

Recommend?: Yes, I benefited from reading it. I feel like I want to be a better person, and change society because of it. It's a take-over-the-world kind of feeling. Don't pretend you don't know what I am talking about. :) I give it 4/5 stars.

All That We Seem or Seem by Tempest C. Avery

Description: Lily Bryg is a seventeen year old witch. She doesn't always know what that means, or how to control it, but she does know that to most, it paints a pretty little target over her forehead. If that's not bad enough, Ronan an evil king who believes she's his soul mate has been stalking her in her dreams. Should she fight Ronan and risk everything, or give up her freedom to possibly save her friends?

And what about Larkin, the attractive shape shifter who sparks a strong sense of deja vu within her? He claims they knew each other in her past life, but how could she trust something she can't remember? Dodging witches, demons, faeries, dragons, and much, much more, the Four are just beginning to realize that having power comes with a lot of responsibility. And sacrifice. But one question stands out among the rest, haunting Lily through out the nights and days. Should she fight Ronan and risk everything, or should she give up her freedom to the gorgeous, yet wicked, king in order to possibly save her friends?

Overall: This book was alright. I feel like the plot was good and the characters were mostly well developed. The beginning was a little confusing, but at the end it became clear. There were things that didn't really get explained, but I think they will be in the next book. It was alright. I didn't like the errors in the text though. Many times a the was supposed to be a they and things like that. Other than that, though, this book was good. It was a typical book where the main character is responsible for saving the world, or another world in this case, and falls in love along the way. I'm not saying this is bad in any way though, and the writing style was very good. I loved that it required a lot of imagination. This book takes you to a far away place and leaves you there to discover it along with The Four. The setting was very creative, too!

Characters: I liked The Four. The idea behind them was good. That they all had their own special powers and such. I wish they had gotten more of their memory back, though. It might have helped clear things up. I also liked Larkin. He was very sweet and protective of Lily, which I thought was really cute. Their relationship didn't really grow though. It was like one minute they had their first kiss, and then all of the sudden they are in love? Was it just me that thought this?

Quotes: “Larkin found himself next to her now, his arm wrapped around her shoulders as if to comfort, though why he had no idea, for she seemed as calm as ever. Somehow, deep down, he knew that it was all a charade, a mask that she fitted in place as a means of protection. It wasn't easy for her to trust.”

Recommend?: Yes I highly recommend if you like the whole werewolves fairies and magic type of book. This book had a lot of imagination, which I loved! I give it 4/5 stars.

Lived One Thousand Lives