Girl, Stolen by April Henry

"She decided that the first step would be to get him to untie her. Poor blindy, that's what she had to make him think. Once she could use her hands, she could find a phone. Or a weapon. She could even take her cane and run away as soon as it was dark. She longed for it to be nighttime, when she would be more than a sighted person's equal."

Girl, Stolen by April Henry is the story of two teenagers. The first is Cheyenne Wilder. Blind and sick with pneumonia, she opts to stay in the car when her stepmother goes into the store to retrieve her prescription, leaving her in the back with the car on. This is when the second teenager shows up in the form of Griffin. He sees the keys in the ignition and thinks it'll be an easy car theft. He didn't mean to steal a girl too. He panics and takes her back to his father, Roy, hoping to release her somewhere that night so she could go home and he wouldn't be blamed for the kidnapping. But Roy has different plans. When he finds out that Cheyenne's father is the president of Nike, he has new plans for the girl.

A very original, well-written plot with believable and (especially in Cheyenne's case) strong characters, Girl, Stolen was a pleasure to read. April Henry's character development is well-rounded and seeing the entire ordeal from the eyes of both Griffin and Cheyenne is amazing. Not only does it cover the current situation, but we get to see those memories and experiences that made them who they are. For Cheyenne, we see the accident that made her blind and how she learned to deal with the disability. For Griffin, we learn how his father's disregard for him put him in the hospital as a child and permanently scarred his body. Nothing is simple or easy for the two of them and they are each about to have to make some decisions that could save their lives or culminate in their deaths.

This was a great read that had me hooked from the start. In fact, one of my friends was so amused by my reactions to the book (I tend to respond vocally to scenes in books in movies) that he immediately asked to borrow it when I was done. It's definitely worth checking out.

Rating: ★★★★★

"It was easier to think about her being blind than it was about what to do now. Griffin wished his life was like one of the computers at his old school, that he could just make a few clicks and restore things to the way they had been five minutes before he spotted the keys dangling from the Escalade's ignition. Instead, he had made one impulsive decision after another, and now he was stuck with the results."

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

"It's like when you are excited about a girl and you see a couple holding hands, and you feel so happy for them. And other times you see the same couple, and they make you so mad. And all you want is to feel happy for them because you know that if you do, then it means that you're happy, too."

Guys, it looks like I have another new favorite book.

It's funny. My two favorite books, Paper Towns and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, are both constantly compared to Catcher in the Rye, which was a book I really did not enjoy. It's weird how that works.

Anyway, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is Stephen Chbosky's first novel. No one would be able to tell that from reading his work. Written in the form of letters to an anonymous recipient, it tells the story of high school freshman Charlie. He's not exactly a social butterfly. As the title suggests, he is more of a wallflower, more content to observe the life around him than participate in it. But Charlie is an insightful and incredibly introspective person. He has a big heart and a pure soul that permeates the pages of the story.

When Charlie makes friends with step-siblings, Patrick and Sam, he falls in love with the "unconventionally beautiful" Sam right off the bat. But more than that, he quickly becomes close with the two and they help introduce him to exactly what it's like to be himself and live his life.

I personally found Chbosky's writing compelling and beautiful (even if I can't pronounce his last name). His narrative draws you in from the start and there was never a moment where I wanted to put it down or where it became boring. I eagerly devoured it and, in the spirit of Charlie, am seriously considering going back and immediately reading it again. I'll try to resist, though. I usually like to give myself time between re-readings.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower was an inspiring and intoxicatingly beautiful book. It was a joy to read and is a delight to have on my shelf.

Rating: ~★★★★★~

"I'm going to do what I want to do. I am going to be who I really am. And I'm going to figure out what that is."

Inheritance by Christopher Paolini (Inheritance Cycle, #4)

"It is true, you must be capable with your weapon, but anyone with the time and the inclination can acquire technical proficiency. To achieve greatness, though, that requires artistry. That requires imagination and thoughtfulness, and it is those qualities that the best warriors share, even if, on the surface, they appear completely different."

Upon finishing Inheritance, the final book in the magical Inheritance Cycle series, I believe it is safe to say that Christopher Paolini, its author, bears each of those qualities -- artistry, imagination, and thoughtfulness -- when it comes to his skill with the pen.

In the four books that make up this series, Paolini has crafted a tale of epic proportions, the likes of which haven't been seen since Tolkien's day. It's hard to believe that the author was a mere fifteen years of age when he first undertook the endeavor. The craftsmanship is so well-done and beautifully written that one would assume him to be twice or even three times his age when he began.

The Inheritance Cycle tells the story of Eragon, a young boy from Palancar Valley, who stumbles upon a dragon's egg while in the mountain range near his home. Little does he know that this is the beginning of a journey beyond his wildest dreams. Throughout the books, we come alongside him as he learns the full extent of what it means to be a Dragon Rider in a land where dragons are all but extinct -- a result of a bloody massacre instigated by the current king, Galbatorix, and his faithful servants, the Forsworn.

Inheritance, the long-awaited final book dwarves the others in size, but also in skill. Paolini's writing is at its finest and his storytelling weaves a tale that none could have dreamed possible. It is a book well-wrought and worth reading again and again.

I will most definitely be looking forward to any future works by Mr. Paolini. He is a masterful weaver of stories and I will be damned if I miss a single one.

(And for all you Whovians out there, keep an eye out for the little hints dropped about our favorite Time Lord. They're there and they'll make you grin every time.)

Rating: ★★★★☆

"But you did everything you could, and when you could do no more, you made peace with your fate, and you did not rail needlessly against it. That is wisdom, not weakness."

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

"Every morning, until you dead in the ground, you gone have to make this decision . . . You gone have to ask yourself, Am I gone believe what them fools say about me today?"

Have you ever read one of those books that you thought, "I'm gonna have my kids read this when they're old enough. They need to know about this."

I have, plenty of times, and this book is one of those.

Okay, to be honest, I'm going to try to make my kids read every single book I halfway enjoyed growing up, because I want them to adore reading as much as I do. Still, this book made me think, "I want my future children to understand that this is the way things were and that it was wrong."

That's the way I felt about The Book Thief and that's the way I feel about The Help.

The Help is Kathryn Stockett's first novel, but one could never tell by looking at the masterful use of her words and the wonderful roundness each of her characters seems to possess. Published in 2009, it has already become a #1 New York Times Bestseller and had its movie adaptation hit the big screen (with some big name actresses, no less).

This book follows the path of three women, two colored and one white, during the early 1960s. Set in Jackson, Mississippi at a time when men and women were liable to get beaten for using the wrong bathroom or fraternizing with someone whose skin color was too different from their own. It's enough to make a person ill thinking about it. (I wrote a post about racial discrimination on my other blog inspired by my reading of this book. You can find it here: Less than Human)

Each of these women has their own lives and their own troubles to fight through. Skeeter is constantly being criticized by her mother and snubbed by the people who were supposed to be her friends. Minny's trying to find work in spite of a crazy white lady doing her best to get her run out of town, not to mention the fact that her husband is getting steadily more abusive as the story progresses. And Aibileen is trying to teach the white girl she nannies that colored people are only different on the outside as well as convincing the girl that just because her mother doesn't care much for her, that doesn't mean she isn't worthwhile.

When Skeeter, the aspiring journalist, realizes the treatment of the help in most white home is both disturbing and demeaning, she gets the idea to write a book. If she can get interviews from the women who have to deal with raising other women's children and cleaning their homes, while being treated like they're stupid and basically nothing more than well-trained animals; maybe people will see the errors of their ways. Skeeter realizes that maybe this book could make a difference in the lives of the colored women who are mistreated on a daily basis. But this venture is more dangerous than she ever could have realized and each of these women have to put themselves out on a very unsteady limb to do this. But maybe change is worth it and maybe they just might get the help that they need.

This book was a joy to read and, honestly, a must-read -- especially for those that think that racism isn't that big of a deal, a thing of the past, or something that happened a long time ago. This was a mere fifty years ago and, while we've come a long way in that time, we still have quite a ways to go.

Rating: ★★★★☆

"Wasn't that the point of the book? For women to realize, We are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I'd thought."

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

"But I couldn't see it again, and it occurred to me that the voracious ambition of humans is never sated by dreams coming true, because there is always the thought that everything might be done better and again."

I've just finished reading The Fault in Our Stars by the amazingly talented John Green and, to be honest, I'm not sure what to say. I'm left in a sort of stunned speechlessness. There were so many beautiful, heart-wrenching moments and captivating scenes that I don't know how to put my awe into words.

I suppose I have to, though. Otherwise, we have no point in my writing this review.

The Fault in Our Stars is about Hazel and it's about Augustus: two teenagers who are grappling with mortality and meaning something in a world that is so quick to forget all but what is right in front of it.

You see, Hazel has cancer. She suffers from "lungs that suck at being lungs". It originally showed up in her thyroid and spread to her lungs. It's not a matter of saving her life, but lengthening it. The cancer will claim it one way or another.

Then she meets Augustus Waters, a handsome boy who is intelligent, wonderful, and a cancer survivor. He falls for everything about her and wants to sweep her off her feet, but Hazel is scared. She doesn't want to hurt anyone else. She knows she's going to leave this world and she doesn't want to scar anyone else with her absence.

That's what The Fault in Our Stars is about. It's about affecting the people we love, for better or worse. It's about coming of age in a world that seems to have turned against you. It's about learning to love, even when it's the scariest thing possible and doesn't seem at all practical.

This is a book that will tear you apart and make you hope again, all in one beautiful story. I suggest running to the bookstore and getting this prize immediately.

Rating: ★★★★★

"I cannot tell you how thankful I am for our little infinity. I wouldn't trade it for the world. You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I'm grateful."

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter, #7)

"Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all, those who live without love."

[Click here to read my reviews of book 1: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, book 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, book 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, & book 6: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince]

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the final installment in the seven part book series by J.K. Rowling, brings us the conclusion of the tale of Harry Potter. Everything has been leading up to this. Every one of Harry's victories and every one of his losses -- all of them brought him to this point.

Opening upon the summer of the year that was meant to be Harry's final term at Hogwarts, we find the wizarding world in chaos. Voldemort has taken control of the Ministry of Magic, everyone that Harry loves is in danger, and Voldemort's bloodlust grows ever stronger.

On a mission to find the horcruxes (bits of Voldemort's soul) that keep said evil wizard alive, he is joined by Ron and Hermoine; but the mission is not as straightforward as it seems. Fraught with danger on all sides, the trio has to continue on what little information they have, leaning on the strength of their bonds to help them through the obstacles that wish to destroy them. Their friendship will be tested, their perseverance strained, and they will feel more pain than they have ever before experienced.

A darker and more perilous tale than any of its predecessors, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will have the reader on the edge of their seat, praying for Harry's triumphant survival; but one doesn't always get all they wish.

In testament to having finished the series and having loved every single moment of it, I've decided to close out this post with a quote, not from the book, but from the movie from the book. One couldn't possibly put in better words the beauty of J.K. Rowlings work than Dumbledore himself when he says:

"Words are, in my not so humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic."

Rating: ★★★★★

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter, #6)

"Don't you see? Voldemort himself created his worst enemy, just as tyrants everywhere do! Have you any idea how much tyrants fear the people they oppress? All of them realize that, one day, amongst their many victims, there is sure to be the one who rises against them and strikes back!"

[Click here to see my reviews of book 1: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, book 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, book 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, & book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.]

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth book in J.K. Rowling's fantastically written Harry Potter series, has indeed followed its predecessors in stunning its readership with carefully thought-out plot twists, shocking revelations, and emotional heights and depths. It is a lovely addition to a series of which I can only speak well.

Beginning in the summer before Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts, The Half -Blood Prince opens not with Harry, but with Britain's prime minister. This is Rowling's first deviation from seeing things from Harry's general point of view and it is executed wonderfully. We see the Prime Minister in his dealings with the Minister of Magic and how those proceedings are affected upon the return of "He Who Must Not Be Named."

When we see Harry once more, we find him awaiting the arrival of Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, who has promised to retrieve Harry from the Dursley's house (home of his horrid aunt, uncle, and cousin) and take him to the Burrow (home to the Weasley's and Harry's second favorite place in the world; the first being Hogwarts itself).

But things are rapidly changing for Harry and his friends. Not only is there another new teacher at Hogwarts, but now there is a wedding to look forward to. Love is in the air, it seems, even in this hard time, and Harry is not the only one who seems to be feeling it.

There's more to worry about, though. Malfoy's up to something and Harry is diligent as ever to keep his eye out for his whatever his rival is planning. More importantly, Voldemort is continuing to amass his army. Harry believes the two are linked and he's convinced that he must figure out how before things get much worse.

All in all, J.K. Rowling has pumped out another fine work of fiction that has the reader flying through the pages, begging for more. It's hard to believe one person can possess such talent in the art of storytelling. I can hardly grasp it.

Now, you must forgive me. I simply have to get my hands on the conclusion and am off to do so immediately!

Rating: ★★★★★

[Click here for my review of book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]

"It was important, Dumbledore said, to fight, and fight again, and keep fighting, for only then could evil be kept at bay, though never quite eradicated ..."