Requests!

Hey there!

Here is my question of the week:

I would like suggestions. What are some good books that you've recently read?

Please leave comments below! I want to hear from you and get some new book ideas.

Happy reading!
Mackenzie

Child of the Dark: The Diary of Carolina Maria de Jesus

Hey there!

In my history class this past spring I had to read Sundiata, which I have already reviewed for you. I also had to read Child of the Dark: The Diary of Carolina Maria de Jesus by Carolina Maria de Jesus.

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And the Mountains Echoed

Child of the Dark: The Diary of Carolina de Jesus

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Allegiant

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I'm going to start off by saying I gave this story a 2 out of 5 stars. This is a true account of Carolina's times in the favelas. I feel bad that I didn't like this book because I know the favelas aren't a good place to be in. There were parts of the story that were good and interesting but the majority of the book was the same thing over and over. Day in and day out she wrote a few sentences about each day and they were the same as the day before. There was no differences between the days and it was hard to read the same thing over and over. I admire Carolina because she wrote down her life and pushed herself to get it published. It is a very inspirational story, but it was tough to get through because there was no variation. I love memoirs but this just wasn't what I hoped it would be.

Keep reading!

Mackenzie

This Post Brought to You By the Letter X

Hello there!

So X is a fun letter.

The books I finished and reviewed are:

X-It
Xenocide

And a while ago I finished all the "X"'s in my challenge but it took me a while to get a cute X video. So here, as promised an "X" video.

Happy reading!
Mackenzie

New Layout

Hey everyone!

I just wanted to let you know that I added some new features to the blog. I have two new polls that I would really like for you to answer (they end next Tuesday). I added labels so you can easily check how many books I've read for each letter and check my latest updates. I've also added a subscription box so you can get emails when I post. Finally, I added an translation feature. I hope you like my changes! If not comment below and let me know I want to tailor it to my readers!

Happy reading!
Mackenzie

About a Boy

Hey everyone!

So, I'm sure some of you have heard of or seen the new TV series "About a Boy" well guess what! It's based on a book and a movie. So I just happened to read About a Boy by Nick Hornby.

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About a Boy

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Warriors Don’t Cry

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Alright, so if you have seen the TV show it is nothing like it. People keep asking me what this book is about and I can't really describe it other than it's about a boy. I can round that summary out a little more; it's about a boy who is trying to find his way in the world and what life is about. It's a book about connections and family. This book was quirky and strange. The connection between characters are strange and it definitely sends a strange but good message. All around it's a strange book but a good book. The characters are well developed and so is the plot. It's almost a coming of age story and Marcus is forced to grow up too soon. About a Boy was cute. I can't put my finger on who I would recommend it to. It's not really a light book but it's not very heavy. It's in the middle of everything. I would suggest it to anyone who wants to branch and I would tell everyone to give it a try. I gave it a 3 out of 5 stars because I wasn't quite sure how I felt about it, it was kind of middle of the road.

Keep reading!

Mackenzie

Four

Hey there!

So last Tuesday, I saw Veronica Roth speak and got my signed copy of Four. I finished the book quickly and wanted to give you my opinion on Allegiant before we went back in time and reviewed Four. So bonus review this week!

Here are the previous Veronica Roth reviews for those who haven't read them yet:

Divergent
Insurgent
Allegiant

Okay, I don't really have a lot to say about this book. This book is a compilation of four stories and three "exclusive" scenes, all from Four's perspective. The first three stories take place before Divergent even happens and we get to hear the full beginning of Four's life and his story. The fourth story happens in the middle of Divergent. The three exclusive scenes are scenes found in Divergent only told from Four's perspective. When I went into this book it was so hard for me to read it in Four's voice because I was so used to reading in Tris's  voice. I felt like pieces of the stories were missing and jumped around a little.Also, there were a few continuity issues. I understand it's hard writing stories that happen before your first book but it's crucial to make sure that everything lines up correctly. I really liked the first three stories. The fourth story and the three exclusive scenes were the same story as Divergent. There was a little more insight that was given to later events in Divergent but not that different. Overall, it was kind of cool to see it from Four's perspective. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

Happy reading!
Mackenzie

P.S. It seemed appropriate to bump this review up. I'm flying through books and I have reviews into October already!

Dystopian Society

Hey there!

So lately, I've been reading a lot of books on dystopian societies that strangely look like our future. These books have always been some of my favorites. A friend of mine posed a question the other day. He asked, "If you could pick any dystopian society, which would you choose?" I went down my mental list and started naming books. Each one he pointed out that I am assuming that I'm the main character and life kind of works out for me, and that I'm not one of the random people who's life is awful and nobody cares about. So I pose the same question to you, if you had to pick a dystopian society, which would it be and why?

I hope to hear your answers!
Mackenzie

Allegiant

Hey everybody!

So the final review for this trilogy is Allegiant by Veronica Roth. If you missed the first two reviews here are the links:

Divergent Review
Insurgent Review

Let's find a place in the challenge for this:

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And the Mountains Echoed

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K

Allegiant

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S

I'm making some good headway on the challenge, despite not specifically looking for books for the challenge. Well, this book was better than the second but not as good as the first. I sobbed. This book, similarly to the second it continues right where it left off. It's like one big giant book. Allegiant has a totally different writing style, but it works. This book goes back and forth between two characters. It was hard to determine who was talking when though. The ending is not what you expect, not at all what you expect. You can feel the pain radiating from the characters in this book, like the two before it. When you just thought that the lines between good and evil were blurred enough....you're so wrong. Roth tests the limits of our understanding of everything. I gave this book a 4 out of 5 stars. 

Happy reading!

Mackenzie

Extra books

Hey everyone!

So as I mentioned before I've been intermittently reading the Kay Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell. I wanted to slow down my actual book reviews by reading books that I already said I wouldn't review. I just finished the 14th book, Trace. If you read or have started this series, it's honestly not worth going this far. I loved the Kay Scarpetta series, but right now it seems that Cornwell is writing just to write. The series is going downhill. I will continue reading it because I have the books and I'm determined to finish what I started, so I'll keep you updated on what books are good.

Keep reading!
Mackenzie

P.S. Sorry I've only been posting on Mondays! I'm working on posting more. If you have a literary question you want to ask let me know!

Insurgent

Hello, hello, hello!

Well, we all know what comes next...Insurgent by Veronica Roth.

Another book that fills in some space!

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Insurgent

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So if you missed my review of the first book in the series, Divergent, here is the link:

Divergent Review

This book was not as good as the first one, but it was still good. I read this book IMMEDIATELY after I finished the first one. Luckily, I bought the books after they all came out so there was no delay in starting. This book takes you to new places and new people, and the story continues where the first one left off. No dilly-dallying by retelling it just went straight in. I still felt the emotional pain that Tris felt and my shoulder still hurt. Roth manages to blur the good and evil lines even more and then you're really confused about who's side you're on. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars because it had every element of the first book that I loved but it was a totally new story continuing on the last one.

Happy reading!

Mackenzie

P.S. Tomorrow I'm going to a Veronica Roth book signing for Four! I'm so excited. I'll post an update on Wednesday!