DNF Reviews: The Memory Key & At The Water's Edge

The Memory Key by Liana Liu
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: March 3rd, 2015
Source: Edelweiss
Date Read: DNF
368 pages

Rating: --

In a five-minutes-into-the-future world, a bereaved daughter must choose between losing memories of her mother to the haze of time and the reality-distorting, visceral pain of complete, perfect recall.


Lora Mint is determined not to forget.

Though her mother’s been dead for five years, Lora struggles to remember every detail about her—most importantly, the specific events that occurred the night she sped off in her car, never to return.

But in a world ravaged by Vergets disease, a viral form of Alzheimer’s, that isn’t easy. Usually Lora is aided by her memory key, a standard-issue chip embedded in her brain that preserves memories just the way a human brain would. Then a minor accident damages Lora’s key, and her memories go haywire. Suddenly Lora remembers a moment from the night of her mother’s disappearance that indicates her death was no accident. Can she trust these formerly forgotten memories? Or is her ability to remember every painful part of her past driving her slowly mad—burying the truth forever?

Lora’s longing for her lost mother and journey to patch up her broken memories is filled with authentic and poignant emotion. Her race to uncover the truth is a twisty ride. In the end, Liana Liu’s story will spark topical conversations about memory and privacy in a world that is reliant on increasingly invasive forms of technology

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DNFed at 30%

I wasn't going to review this at first, but then I thought, eh why not, I have another book to review so I might as well lump both of them together. This is also my third DNF since the start of my Goodreads account.

I requested this book because it had to do with memory. And Alzheimer's, but a viral disease. And I thought I would really like it, but no. I think the first warning sign was the typical community/futuristic setting. I'm sick and tired of that setting because there's never any world-building. And you have to assume everything.

Second, the writing style is tell not show, and imitates diary form. It's basically "This is what I did today and this is what I found out". Boring. 

Lastly, the mystery itself isn't intriguing. Main character Lora wants to find out what REALLY happened to her mother, especially since her memory key keeps bringing up memories of her. (Also what kind of name is Lora Mint hahaha). And I just wasn't invested in the story, the characters, and what's-his-name romantic interest, so a DNF it was.

At The Water's Edge by Sara Gruen

Publisher: Spiegel $ Grau

Release Date: March 31st, 2015

Source: Netgalley

Date Read: DNF

368 pages

Rating: --

In this new novel from the author of Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen again demonstrates her talent for creating spellbinding period pieces. At the Water’s Edge is a gripping and poignant love story about a privileged young woman’s personal awakening as she experiences the devastations of World War II in a Scottish Highlands village.

Madeline Hyde, a young socialite from Philadelphia, reluctantly follows her husband and their best friend to the tiny village of Drumnadrochit in search of a mythical monster—at the same time that a very real monster, Hitler, wages war against the Allied Forces. What Maddie discovers—about the larger world and about herself—through the unlikely friendships she develops with the villagers, opens her eyes not only to the dark forces that exist around her but to the beauty and surprising possibilities.

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There must be a coincidence because this is also 368 pages hahaha. 

DNFed at 25%.

The only reason I picked this up is because 1) It's Sara Gruen and I read her other book Water for Elephants, and I liked it. So I thought, hey this could be good! And 2) It takes place during WWII and you know how much of a sucker I am about those books.

And not only that, this is about the Loch Ness Monster. That is just cool on its own, and when I found that out in the book, I was more excited.

It could also be A SWIMMING ELEPHANT

Unfortunately, I was bored. BORED. 

Everything proceeded at a very slow pace, and I wasn't interested in the topic of parties, social events, and especially the little village they stayed in Scotland. I wanted more exciting events like finding Nessie, or at least trying to. I mean maybe it happened in the last 3/4's of the book, but I have a feeling that it doesn't because we're in the POV of Madeline. And she doesn't do anything. 

To be honest, I might pick this up again later in the year. It's just that right now I don't want to deal with it. I care about nothing.

Review: I'll Meet You There

I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Release Date: February 3rd, 2015
Source: Library
Date Read: 3/31/15 to 4/1/15
379 pages
Rating: ✰✰✰✰

If seventeen-year-old Skylar Evans were a typical Creek View girl, her future would involve a double-wide trailer, a baby on her hip, and the graveyard shift at Taco Bell. But after graduation, the only thing standing between straightedge Skylar and art school are three minimum-wage months of summer. Skylar can taste the freedom—that is, until her mother loses her job and everything starts coming apart. Torn between her dreams and the people she loves, Skylar realizes everything she’s ever worked for is on the line.

Nineteen-year-old Josh Mitchell had a different ticket out of Creek View: the Marines. But after his leg is blown off in Afghanistan, he returns home, a shell of the cocksure boy he used to be. What brings Skylar and Josh together is working at the Paradise—a quirky motel off California’s dusty Highway 99. Despite their differences, their shared isolation turns into an unexpected friendship and soon, something deeper.

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I'm pretty I was forced to read I'll Meet You There. Well, here I am, Paula and Holly, blown away by this powerful story. Did I mention how raw and gritty this was? I think the book cover accurately portrays that, don't you think.

Although I don't relate to any of this, I still emphasized with our MC, Skylar. She wanted to so badly get out of her little town, yet every bad thing kept piling up on her, so much so her future was up in the air. And then Josh, a marine returning home from Afghanistan due to his missing leg, jumps into the picture.

The book is mostly narrated by Skyler, but there are chapters that are Josh's thoughts on his life. This is where you see how the war affected him so, and also why he refuses to get close to Sky. If it weren't for those chapters, I would've been very frustrated with Josh and his actions and inactions towards Sky, but because of the insight the author gives us, it's more tolerable. Sure I still got a little mad, but that's because I've never experienced such a thing.

Honestly, I want to keep this review short because I don't want to give everything away (obviously), but I do want to gush about Skylar. She's smart, artsy, and has this full ride scholarship to a college a couple hours away from her trailer home. She CAN get out of Creek View, but is willing to throw it all away for her mom. If you think about it, I'm not sure if anyone, even I, could do that. I think that takes guts, and that for me places Skylar up there with all those kickass heroines. 

Also slight spoiler, I'm glad that she didn't stay in Creek View for Josh, because I would've been pissed. I'm glad they could work out a long distance relationship (not that I know anything about it because the book ends before that) end spoiler.

Yeah, so basically READ THIS. It's raw and real and is something you really shouldn't miss. I can't really think of anything else to say, other than the fact that this book really made me feel grateful for my life.

Also, can someone get me a copy of that letter between Skylar and Josh from the pre-order? Haha just kidding (no but really). 

The Art of Skimming

To be honest, this discussion idea came to me after a bunch of people commented on my April Fool's Prank, where I made up a book, a cover, and a review for The Innocent Centaur Strikes Back. Surprisingly, almost everyone who wasn't in on the joke fell for it. And I thought it was freaking hilarious.

So on that note, I wanted to discuss skimming, not only when reading blog posts, but also in books. 

This is definitely something I can relate to because I myself am a fast reader (when I put the time into reading), and skimming is a habit I want to break because I want to take everything in. Sometimes I miss details because I'm too busy looking ahead. Especially if the scene is embarrassing. I suffer from second hand embarrassment all the time.

Annnnnd this may be the reason why I'm confused a lot. Because I skim and then don't understand how something happened. BUT I AM WORKING ON THIS. I've started to reread parts I don't understand, because confusion is not okay (of course if the book itself is confusing then it's not my fault, obviously...hahaha).

And that brings us to you!

Do you skim at all? Why? Are there certain parts of a book you skip?

Nessie Review ☆ Fiend

Fiend by Peter Stenson
Publisher: Random House
Release Date: July 9th, 2013
Source: Library
Date Read: 3/18/15 to 3/22/15
295 pages
Rating: ✰✰✰✰

There’s more than one kind of monster.

When Chase Daniels first sees the little girl in umbrella socks tearing open the Rottweiler, he's not too concerned. As a longtime meth addict, he’s no stranger to horrifying, drug-fueled hallucinations.
But as he and his fellow junkies soon discover, the little girl is no illusion. The end of the world really has arrived.

The funny thing is, Chase’s life was over long before the apocalypse got here, his existence already reduced to a stinking basement apartment and a filthy mattress and an endless grind of buying and selling and using. He’s lied and cheated and stolen and broken his parents’ hearts a thousand times. And he threw away his only shot at sobriety a long time ago, when he chose the embrace of the drug over the woman he still loves.

And if your life’s already shattered beyond any normal hopes of redemption…well, maybe the end of the world is an opportunity. Maybe it’s a last chance for Chase to hit restart and become the man he once dreamed of being. Soon he’s fighting to reconnect with his lost love and dreaming of becoming her hero among civilization’s ruins.

But is salvation just another pipe dream?

Propelled by a blistering first-person voice and featuring a powerfully compelling antihero, Fiend is at once a riveting portrait of addiction, a pitch-black love story, and a meditation on hope, redemption, and delusion—not to mention one hell of a zombie novel.

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To be honest, outside of The Walking Dead comics I've never really read much zombie fiction. I thought it was cool and provided an interesting background to test humanity and morality and stuff but I never really got too into the whole genre. But look at that summary! An addict making their way through a zombie apocalypse? That's something that I'd definitely heard of or imagined before so I had to check it out.

So the plot has the same straight forward as any other other zombie story--survive. The one key difference is that in addition to food, water, shelter, and guns, our heroes need meth. Throughout this book meth is their number one priority, which is makes sense. Literally the first thing Chase and his friend Typewriter do after figuring out that the end of the world is really happening is drive to their dealers house to see if they can find some meth.

They are so focused in their drive for this drug that we never really learn more about the outside world, and why all this is happening, and the state of everywhere else. We do learn that these zombies are called Chucks because they laugh when they are trying to kill you. But that's really all, nothing about what caused it or anything. However, that didn't bother me at all. That's because it made sense that the characters wouldn't know since they are just concerned about getting their next fix.

This book is written in present tense, so it moves pretty fast but it works. It's even a bit stream of consciousness-like at some points, it's actually really cool to be in the mind of a drug addict like that. Also one thing I liked is that the main character is a HORRIBLE person. He lies, throws his friends under the bus, is self-centered, disgusting...and somehow, I still end up rooting for him and sympathizing with him a tiny bit. It's weird, but cool.

My only complaint is HOW SUDDENLY IT ENDED. LIKE JUST BAM.

But outside of that this is a cool, and really different read you should definitely check out.

Vanessa is Val's bestest buddy, and she will be guest posting throughout because she loves to read and write. She loves video games, reading comic books, working out LIKE A BEAST and photography. You can also find her at her own blog, Musings of an Aspiring Writer.

Top Ten Tuesday #51

Hosted by the Broke and the Bookish!

Top Ten Inspiring Quotes From Books

Or as Amber says, Top Ten Million. Hahaha. I'm actually REALLY excited for this, because now I can apply my PicMonkey skills. And new fonts. Because I love fonts. 

Note: Books will not be linked because I'm a lazy bum.

Review: Messenger of Fear

Messenger of Fear by Michael Grant
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: September 23rd, 2014
Source: Library
Date Read: 3/27/15 to 3/27/15
272 pages
Rating: ✰✰✰1/2

I remembered my name – Mara. But, standing in that ghostly place, faced with the solemn young man in the black coat with silver skulls for buttons, I could recall nothing else about myself.

And then the games began.

The Messenger sees the darkness in young hearts, and the damage it inflicts upon the world. If they go unpunished, he offers the wicked a game. Win, and they can go free. Lose, and they will live out their greatest fear.

But what does any of this have to do with Mara? She is about to find out . .

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Ahhh, I'm a little bummed out at how this turned out. Picking up Messenger of Fear, something I have been anticipating since, oh, last year, I expected a more complex plot with mysterious characters and fabulous world-building. And although I got the mysterious aspect of it all, nothing else came close. 

This is what I was expecting:

What I got instead:

Mara wakes up in this strange place, believing that she's dead. But she remembers nothing else other than her name. Then, she comes across the Messenger, who refuses to reveal to her exactly what is going on. Only that 1) He punishes the people who are guilty of something but aren't caught, and 2) there's something significant about the suicide of Samantha Early. 

So cool, we meet a bunch of cool characters. Mara, who's apparently the apprentice, the Messenger, who makes the guilty play a game of life and death, and then Oriax and Daniel, who I wish I knew who they were really. The reason why this novel didn't turn out as expected was because it only followed the flashback of Samantha and how she came to commit suicide. There wasn't anything about how the Messenger came to be, or who Oriax and Daniel were, and why and how they can do such things. I would forgive the book if it was a series, BUT NO, this is a standalone. I'm pretty sure.

Though with that said, I did not see that twist at the end. I mean I should've, but I didn't. 

So as I said, I had no idea that the emphasis would be on bullying, which I never really like to read about because it pains me. But it did have a very good message, kind of. I mean in the way that bullying isn't something that should be tolerated because it can push someone to suicide. Which is sad. And it needs to stop. But when it comes to this book, I wasn't expecting so much on Samantha Early. I just wanted more on everyone else.

This was a very fast read that although I enjoyed, didn't meet all my expectations. Honestly I was expecting something similar to A Darker Shade of Magic, but we can't all get what we want. This is a hard book to rate, because it's well written yet lacking in some aspects, but it's not necessarily bad either. I definitely suggest reading this and forming your own opinion. (I actually was persuaded by Cait to read this, who gave it 5 stars.)

ARC Review: Shadow Scale

Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman
Seraphina #2
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Release Date: March 10th, 2015
Source: Netgalley
Date Read: 3/23/15 to 3/26/15
608 pages
Rating: ✰✰✰✰

The kingdom of Goredd: a world where humans and dragons share life with an uneasy balance, and those few who are both human and dragon must hide the truth. Seraphina is one of these, part girl, part dragon, who is reluctantly drawn into the politics of her world. When war breaks out between the dragons and humans, she must travel the lands to find those like herself—for she has an inexplicable connection to all of them, and together they will be able to fight the dragons in powerful, magical ways.

As Seraphina gathers this motley crew, she is pursued by humans who want to stop her. But the most terrifying is another half dragon, who can creep into people’s minds and take them over. Until now, Seraphina has kept her mind safe from intruders, but that also means she’s held back her own gift. It is time to make a choice: Cling to the safety of her old life, or embrace a powerful new destiny?

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I know I specifically read Seraphina just to read the sequel, but come on, some readers have been waiting FOREVER for a sequel. Honestly I would've thought it would be fine as a standalone, but maybe everyone else thinks otherwise.

Don't miss the first installment, Seraphina! Because as much as I hated the audiobook, I still think it was an awesome read. Plus I mean by now you must have HAD to heard about it. 

This is a pretty spoiler-free review! But I do suggest reading the first book.

Oh what to say, what to say. Let's start with the good bits. First off, we get to see Seraphina! Again! Which I can't complain about! She's on a new adventure to bring together the half dragons in order to defend Goredd from the soon to be upcoming Dragon civil war that is brewing in their homeland. Too bad one of her grotesques, Jannoula, who are all representations of real people in real life, has started causing trouble, for, oh, basically everyone. No one really knows whose side she's really on, but it can't be good.

Random Toothless gif because Toothless

I loved meeting all the new half-dragons, and also bonding with Abdo, because he is just a squishy little ball of cuteness. Oh I just want to hug him. 

However, as happy as I am for the continued adventure and the plot surrounding Jannoula and her "evildoings", I am NOT HAPPY with Lucien Kiggs. NOT AT ALL. First of all, he 1) Barely appears in the book, and when he does 2) LEAVES AFTER LIKE, what, 5 MINUTES? So yeah, I am not okay with this. In fact, my major gripe with this sequel is the ending. 

Major spoilers, highlight at own risk!

Not only does the romance barely progress throughout the story (I want to say there is none AT ALL), but that ending is literally almost the exact ending as Seraphina. 1) Lucien says he will still marry Glisselda, and 2) Orma is basically lost and still needs to be recovered, his mind at least. SO WHAT WAS THE FREAKING POINT OF THIS BOOK?

Sorry I tend to get carried away with these things

I mean honestly, I'm glad there was a sequel, and I enjoyed it immensely, I was just, oh I don't know, EXPECTING MORE from everything. I didn't get enough and now I want more and I am sad.