Suggestion Saturday: The Mysterious Benedict Society

For this weeks suggestion Saturday I'm reviewing The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart!

"Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?"

When this peculiar ad appears in the newspaper, dozens of children enroll to take a series of mysterious, mind bending tests. (And you, dear reader, can test your wits right alongside them.) But in the end just four very special children will succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and resourceful children could complete. To accomplish it they will have to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules. As our heroes face physical and mental trials beyond their wildest imaginations, they ahve no choice but to turn to each other for support. But with their newfound friendship at stake, will they be able to pass the most important test of all? Welcome to the Mysterious Benedict Society.

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There were two things that made me read this book. The cover, (which is terribly intriguing wouldn't you agree?) and the summary. I'm all for brainteasers and solving puzzles so once I read the "test your wits" part I knew that this book would be right up my alley.

A lot of The Mysterious Benedict Society is very inventive and intriguing. I especially like the aspect of being able to solve the mysteries and puzzles right alongside the characters! Who doesn't love a good challenge right? 

The characters are by far my favorite thing about The Mysterious Benedict Society. The four main kids, Constance, Reynie, Kate, and Sticky, are each very unique and they have the most wonderfully quirky personality traits! I especially like Kate and her bucket full of tools. Kate makes me want to carry around a bucket full of useful things like flashlights and screwdrivers! Unfortunately I don't think I would be considered very fashion savvy if I started doing that.....

I will admit that some of the storyline wasn’t the most original. Some aspects reminded me a lot of A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. But I wouldn’t let that stop you from picking this book up! It is still definitely worth a read. Especially if you liked the Series of Unfortunate Events. The Mysterious Benedict Society has the same mysterious intriguingness without being super depressing.

Oh and one final aspect to the book that is really cool is that at there is a picture that illustrates the title of each chapter. I absolutely adore the artist who did the cover art and the inside sketches! They capture the essence of the book so perfectly.

I give The Mysterious Benedict Society 4 and a half out of 5 ice cream cones! 

Julia :)

Suggestion Saturday: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You

Suggestion Saturday time!!! This week I'm reviewing I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You by Ally Carter. (gosh I never noticed how long the title was before now....)

The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women is a fairly typical all-girls school—that is, if every school teaches advanced martial arts in PE, chemistry always consists of the latest in chemical warfare, and everyone breaks CIA codes for extra credit in computer class. So in truth, Gallagher Academy might posit itself as a school for geniuses but what they really mean is spies. But what happens when a Gallagher Girl falls for a boy who doesn't have a code name? Cammie Morgan may be fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways (three of which involve a piece of uncooked spaghetti), but the Gallagher Academy hasn’t prepared her for what to do when she meets an ordinary boy who thinks she’s an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, and track him through a mall without him ever being the wiser, but can she have a regular relationship with a regular boy who can never know the truth about her? Cammie may be an elite spy in training, but in her sophomore year, she's doing something riskier than ever --she's falling in love.

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I know what you're thinking. Julia its about love!!! Yes but it has SPIES!!! Its about a SPY SCHOOL! I mean how cool can you get? I love spy stories. I love spies in general. I always have. I mean cool gadgets, awesome fighting skills and stealth? Doesn't get much better than that!

Other than the spy aspect, the thing I love the most is Cammie. She makes mistakes, breaks the rules, and doesn't know what to do about boys. Cammie is every girl. Nowadays there are so many novels with characters that are nothing like real teenagers. I mean look at Gossip Girl. Who really lives like that? But Ally Carter is able to write characters, that may live in unusual circumstances, but still manage to be able to be relatable. I love that. You understand Cammie because you've faced the same problems and had the same embarrassing things happen to you. Cammie's relatablility is one of the greatest strengths of the Gallagher Girls series.

I will say that this book is light reading. Its fun and has a lot of fluff. But out of all the fluffy teen novels you can read nowadays I would definitely recommend this one. Its funny, intelligent, and real. I give I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You 4 and a half cupcakes out of 5 cupcakes!

I will say that out of all the Gallagher Girls books, this is the one that I think is the "fluffiest." The sequels move more into the intrigue and adventure of the spy world. Then it starts getting REALLY good. Not that this one isn't good! The series just gets even better as it starts to progress.

Julia :)

Suggestion Saturday: Dramarama

For this weeks Suggestion Saturday I have decided to review Dramarama by E. Lockhart

Two theater-mad, self-invented, fabulositon Ohio teenagers.
One boy, one girl.
One gay, one straight.
One black, one white.
And SUMMER DRAMA CAMP.
It's a season of
hormones,
gold lamé,

hissy fits,

jazz hands,
song and dance,
true love,
and unitards
that will determine their future - and test their friendship.

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Oh how I love this book. It speaks to that "wish I was fabulous and famous" side of me. Pretty much this book mixes a ton of my favorite things into a beautiful mish mash of amazingness. For starters its all about musical theatre. I happen to LOVE musical theatre. Everything about it. The singing, the acting, the dancing (okay maybe not so much the dancing.....). I just think its just really, really fun. 
E. Lockhart perfectly captures every aspect of the performing arts in this book. The nerve of auditions, the jealousy, the excitement of the stage, and the drama, drama, drama. Normally I'm not one for books with a lot teenage drama but Dramarama is the one exception. Why? Well because its drama ABOUT drama. That I can handle. 

I can't really say much more about this book except that it is fabulous. If you love musical theatre, or really any aspect of performing or the performing arts then you will enjoy this book. Its also a great introduction to the world of theatre, and some great Broadway shows and songs. Oh and for the record I LOVE the fact that there is a hot Asian character named Theo who plays the piano AND performs. Major dreamboat right there. Can I just say that there is a sad lack of cute Asian dudes in YA literature??? 


Dramarama gets 5 out of 5 cupcakes! 

So do I have any fellow musical theatre lovers reading this blog? My favorite Broadway show is Wicked! Whats yours?

Julia :)

Suggestion Saturday: The Order of Odd-Fish

 

For this weeks Suggestion Saturday I have decided to review The Order of Odd-Fish by James Kennedy. I haven't done a review of a book in the fantasy genre yet so I figured this would be a good chance to do one!

Jo Larouche has lived her thirteen years in the California desert with her aunt Lily, ever since she was found in Lily's laundtry room with this note pinned to her blanket:

This is Jo. Please take care of her.

But beware.

This is a DANGEROUS baby.

Up until this point, Joe has been, as Aunt Lily puts it, as dangerous as a glass of milk. But all that's about to change. At lily's annual Christmas costume party, several strange things happen: a boy in a hegehog costume shoots an elderly Russian colonel; a talking cockroach is found tied up in the basement, moaning about how this will play in the tabloid press; and a box falls from the sky addressed to Jo from the Order of Odd-Fish. Jo and her Aunt Lily are soon pulled into the mysterious, strange, fantastical world of Eldritch City. There Jo learns the scandalous truth about who she is, and she faces a destiny that will change her life forever.

The Order of Odd-Fish isn't your typical fantasy novel. And that is the exact thing that makes it so brilliant. I love books that stand out from the crowd! Everything about the book is really witty and clever. And once you start reading it you will not want to put it down!

What did I love most about this book? The ostriches! Random? Yes. But amazing nonetheless. I know that in real life ostriches are evil and they bite and all that. But in the Order of Odd-Fish they are loyal and wonderful and people use them to fly. I thought that was pretty awesome. I'm a big animal lover if you hadn't noticed. :)

Other than ostriches, I also just adored the quirky cast of characters in this book. And there were quite a lot of them. Sometimes when a book has a lot of characters it confuses me and I just get lost in all the names. But the characters in The Order of Odd-Fish are so unique that there is no way you could get any of them mixed up. Great characters always make for great stories!

And finally the story itself. Its mysterious, suspenseful, fantastical, and a even a little bit scary, but most of all its fun. This book has the perfect balance of the silly and the serious. Oftentimes books depend on too much of one thing and the story suffers because of that. But the Order of Odd-Fish is the perfect mish mash of everything that makes a book great. Its like the gumbo of literature! Why am I comparing books to food? Oh probably because its almost dinnertime.... Hehe.

Anyway The Order of Odd-Fish is a fabulous book! It gets 5 out of 5 cupcakes.

Julia :)

Suggestion Saturday: The Penderwicks

For this weeks Suggestion Saturday I have decided to review The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall. This is one of my absolute favorite books! Its the definition of literary magic.

A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy

Meet the Penderwicks, four different sisters with one special bond. There's responsible, practical Rosalind; stubborn, feisty Skye; dreamy artistic Jane; and shy little sister Batty, who won't go anywhere without her butterfly wings. When the girls and their doting father head off for their summer holiday they are in for a surprise. Instead of the cozy, tumbledown cottage they expected, they find themselves on a beautiful estate called Arundel. Soon the girls are busy discovering the summertime magice of Arundels's sprawling gardens, treasure filled attic, tame rabits, and the cook who makes the best gingerbread in Massachusetts. But the most wonderful discoery of all is Jeffrey Tifton, son of Arundels's owner, who quickly proves to be the perfect companion for their adventures. The icy-hearted Mrs. Tifton is not as pleased with the Penderwicks as Jeffrey is, though , and warns the new friends to stay out of trouble. Which, of course, they will - won't they? One thing's for sure: it will be a summer the Penderwicks will never forget.

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I found out about this book several summers ago when my older sister was listening to it as an audio book. I could hear the story through the walls and I just knew that I was going to love it. Unfortunately my sister is a rather slow audio book listener, so I pretty much spent the next two weeks harassing her until she finally finished it and I got to listen to it. Lets just say that it was love at first listen. This book evokes the same sorts of wonderful nostalgic feelings you get from books like Anne of Green Gables or Little Women. Namely its a magical reading experience and this book is sure to become a classic! Or at least it is to me. 

At the heart of this story is the wonderfully loveable Penderwick family. The four sisters are all different in their personalities and each reader will find at least one of them to relate to. Personally I love Skye! She is similar to me in many ways and I just love her feistiness and devotion to the family she cares about so much. This story is really one of friendship and family and most of all sisters! I only have one sister myself, but even so I just love books about sisters. There is something very special about the bond between siblings. And it is portrayed beautifully in this book!

Possibly the greatest thing about this book is that is is so simple and yet so wonderful. Its merely the story of 4 sisters and one magical summer, but Jeanne Birdsall is able to make it so much more. She captures the purity of and simplicity of childhood and all its adventures, struggles, silly moments and serious moments. It really is a beautiful thing. Reading this book makes me wish I could spend a summer at some wonderful summer cottage somewhere with my 3 siblings (1 sister, 2 brothers)! Unfortunately summer cottages were never high on my own fathers "To Do" list. Oh well.....

Still not convinced to read this? Well here is my final form of convincing you. This book has rabbits. RABBITS!!! I have a special spot in my heart for rabbits. I've had several pet rabbits in the past and they were all great. Such cute little fuzzballs! If anything read the book for the wonderful rabbits Yaz and Carla. Oh and Hound! If you love giant, loveable, slobbery dogs you will ADORE Hound!

So what more can I say? Read this book! It is enchanting if ever sense of the word. It gets 5 out of 5 cupcakes!

Oh and whats that you say? You desperately want to have your very own copy of The Penderwicks? Well you are in luck! Later this month you will have a chance to WIN (yes WIN!) your very own hardcover copy of The Penderwicks in my Gratitude Giveaway! The giveaway starts on November 17th so be sure to check back and enter so you can win this fabulous book.

Julia :)

Suggestion Saturday: The Maze Runner

In keeping with October's Dystopian theme I have decided to review The Maze Runner for Suggestion Saturday! It is book one in The Maze Runner Trilogy. So without further ado heres the review!

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls. Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift. Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind. 

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First of all this book has a great summary. Talk about mysterious! It just draws you in right away. And the totally awesome cover doesn't hurt either! But the best part about this book? It delivered! I was not disappointed in any way. The beginning was a little slow but once I got about a third of the way in I was hooked! I literally stayed up until one in the morning just to keep reading because the book was so engrossing. The ending has me dying for the sequel The Scorch Trials. It just came out but unfortunately my Library hasn't shelved it yet. I am first on the hold list though! Anyway this book was full of awesome sauce. Lots of action, suspense and mystery. I did feel that the ending wasn't quite as strong as the middle of the book but overall the plotting was great. The only complaint I have was that the characters could have had more depth. They felt a little one dimensional to me. Then again they do have their memories wiped so its not like they even know who they are anymore. Hopefully there will be more character development in the next 2 books.

I give this book 5 cupcakes out of 5!

One of the best dystopian books I have read. If you loved The Hunger Games then you will love The Maze Runner.

Julia :)

Suggestion Saturday: The Hunger Games Trilogy

So the other day my mother was saying to me "Julia, you need to review some books that you have already read, not just new books!" I have taken her suggestion to heart and have decided that every Saturday I will post a review of a book or series that I have already read that I enjoyed. My mother specifically stated that I should review The Hunger Games Trilogy. Probably because she's tired of hearing me talk about it all the time and she hopes writing about it will get my thoughts out and get me to stop talking about it non-stop...... She's probably right too. So in keeping with the dystopian theme for the month I am going to review The Hunger Games Trilogy (yup as a whole) for my new weekly feature suggestion saturday. :)

This is a spoiler free review!

 

 Winning means fame and fortune. Losing means certain death. Let the games begin.

 So The Hunger Games Trilogy consists of The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay. They are all equally amazing books. And as a whole the story is stunning. But I will warn you that this story is not all bunnies and rainbows. This is an adventure story, a survival story, a love story, but above all it is a war story. And Suzanne Collins doesn't hold anything back. She gives it to you about as raw and brutal as she can. So be forewarned: These books are not good for people who get easily depressed, or for children under the age of 13. 

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year, the districts are forced by the Capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying fight to the death – televised for all of Panem to see.
Survival is second nature for sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who struggles to feed her mother and younger sister by secretly hunting and gathering beyond the fences of District 12. When Katniss steps in to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, she knows it may be her death sentence. If she is to survive, she must weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Katniss Everdeen is my favorite literary character ever. She is strong and tough, but at the same time she has is vulnerable and full of humanity. And she is such a badass! I could really relate to Katniss. She is so like myself its crazy. I have to say that the strongest point in Suzanne Collins writing is her ability to create characters that you truly care about. Her characters have so much depth to them its amazing. The people she creates aren't just characters in a book. They become real to the reader. Which is part of the reason these books are so powerful. You feel connected to these characters and their struggles for survival, love and freedom.

The story itself is exciting, suspenseful, sad, violent, jarring, and overall just beautiful. Sure it isn't perfect. Nothing is. Everyone is going to find something to hate about these books. A lot of people didn't like the ending to the trilogy. Me personally? Yes it was depressing. Yes it was a bit disappointing. Yes it wasn't "what I had wanted." But like I said this story isn't all bunnies and rainbows. Its real. Suzanne Collins wrote it so that kids would realize the horror of war and the pain and desolation it causes. She succeeded. War isn't easy. War is violent, and brutal. War is destruction and death. But ultimately at the end of a war comes peace. There are scars and sacrifices, but there is also a hope for what the future will bring.

I rate this series 5 out of 5 cupcakes.

These are the best books I have read in a long time and I don't think I will be reading something better anytime soon. They will surprise you, scare you, make you laugh and cry. And ask anybody I don't cry very easily! I cannot recommend this trilogy enough. READ IT!!!! You will not be disappointed.

Oh and suggest that you make sure that when you read these books you A. Have a lot of time on your hands because these suck you in and you won't want to put them down and B. You have easy access to all 3 books. Unfortunately when I read them I had to wait 2 weeks for Catching Fire and then 2 more weeks after that for Mockingjay. Which was TORTURE. Just ask my friends and family I was practically going insane not being able to read it.  I can't even imagine being one of the fans who had to wait a whole year before Mockingjay was released...... Anyway I just think that for your own emotional sanity (and for the sanity of those around you) you should make sure to have all 3 books within your possession before you start the series. Forsake my advice if you wish. But believe me, its not worth it.

Julia :)