Megan Rambles About Let It Snow

From Goodreads: The weather outside is frightful, but these stories are delightful! When a huge blizzard (that doesn't show signs of stopping) hits, Gracetown is completely snowed in. But even though it's cold outside, things are heating up inside, proving that the holiday season is magical when it comes to love. In three wonderfully (and hilariously!) interconnected tales, YA stars John Green, Lauren Myracle, and Maureen Johnson create a must-have collection that captures all the spirit of the holiday season.

 I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH.  I know I've been reading all of John Green's books recently and been saying that about every single one, but that's because they're all so GOOD. This book made me feel like it was the holidays again, and when I uncurled from my little ball on the couch, I was seriously expecting there to be a ton of snow piled up outside my windows. However, all I found was a windy, too warm for snow but still really cold day. That is how wrapped up I was in this book. I completely forgot that Christmas and the holidays were over a month ago. 


That said, I also loved the characters. Jubilee is awesome, and hysterical. With just a tiny hint of crazy. I wish she was real, because I would love to hang out with her sometime. Stuart. OH MY GOD STUART. He's adorable. I love him so much, and he was the cutest guy ever, but also dorky in a way that only made me love him more. Jeb was also quite possibly the sweetest guy EVER, Tobin was adorably nerdy and I also loved him. Basically, all of the characters in this book were brilliant, and I loved reading what happened to them in this GIANT BLIZZARD. The only character that kind of annoyed me sometimes was Addie, but even she turned out to be alright in the end. 


I also loved the fact that I could tell which author wrote each story, yet they all seemed to go together so well. It was like one person wrote the book, but somehow managed to make each story sound slightly different. (If that even makes sense.) I laughed so hard I cried through half of this book, and the ending was so perfect I loved it! It left me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, wishing for the holidays all over again. I mean, who doesn't love a book where people spend Christmas trying to get through a blizzard to a Waffle House to see a bunch of cheerleaders. While carrying Twister. Just saying. You should really read this book. 


And now, I'm off to go start Will Grayson, Will Grayson. *waves*
DFTBA
-Megan

Megan Rambles About Looking For Alaska

From Goodreads:
Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps." Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps.

Looking for Alaska brilliantly chronicles the indelible impact one life can have on another. A stunning debut, it marks John Green's arrival as an important new voice in contemporary fiction.


OMG YOU GUYS WHY DID I WAIT THIS LONG TO READ THIS BOOK? WHY, WHY WHY? This book was INCREDIBLE. John Green deserves every bit of praise and every award, etc. that he gets for this book! I loved the format, written with a Before and After, with a HUGE event in the middle.

Miles, AKA Pudge, who I loved very much because he was oh so adorable and nerdy, ends up at Culver Creek. It's a boarding school in Alabama, and basically, it is the boarding school from hell. There is almost nothing to do, and so many rules the kids have rules coming out of their EARS. So a lot of them drink and smoke for fun, which is of course, against the rules. They also prank each other A LOT. And no one is better at pranking than Alaska Young, and no one is better at planning the pranks than Chip AKA the Colonel. Even thought there is so much wrong with this place, like a certain swan that lives in the lake and likes to attack people, I still found myself wanting to go there, because I LOVED the characters. They were all so fun, always joking around, playing video games, and yes occasionally drinking. Okay so they drank often. Whatever.

There was so much I loved about this book. The jokes had me dying of laughter on every single page, usually while I shook my head at how screwed up this school was. Like that time when the Colonel proclaims, "I've been doing some calculations, and I have determined that you are full of shit." I died. *cracks up thinking about it* There were so many quotes and things that I loved that I can't possibly remember them all. But there were basketball games, videogames, hanging out, partying, and a prank war that was so hysterical I literally cried. And that was all Before.

After? Well, I'll let you figure that one out on your own. But it's just like the description says, it changes everything. Basically, GO PICK THIS BOOK UP NOW. You don't want to miss it. And I say that more strongly than I usually do, because seriously. This is the best book ever. *sighs* Yes I KNOW I say that a lot. But really, this book deserves it, and you won't regret buying a copy so you can read it over and over and over again. I know I'm going to.

I'm totally going to reread part of it now! *runs off*
Oh wait! You know I have to say it! *smiles* DFTBA. *waves*
-Megan

THANK YOU RACHEL!! YOU'RE AWESOME!!!

P.S. Look guys! I have a J-Scribble!!! 

Rachel Rambles About Everneath

From Goodreads:

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

First of all, let's all take a moment to stare at the pretty cover. *gazes lovingly* *strokes* Preeeeeetttty.

Okay, then. Now that that's out of the way, I have a secret to tell you. Are you ready? *whispers* I love this book. Shh! Don't tell.

My heart swells with love for this book. I love the take on Greek Mythology, a subject Megan and I happen to be studying in school right now. It's also, incidentally, a subject that our teacher manages to make us hate. So it was really awesome to read this book and actually be like, "Oh wow. These Greek people are like, interesting and stuff". ("Interesting and stuff" is normal teenage speak, yo.)


Also: COLE and JACK. Oh wow oh wow oh wow. Jack is incredibly swoonworthy and I have a really big crush on him and wow can I just marry him right now? And then there's Cole, who has the whole dark and mysterious and possibly evil and AHEM dead sexy thing going on. Also HE PLAYS THE GUITAR AHHHH.


I'm sorry. I promise the hot guys aren't the only reason I love this book. THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS TO LOVE. The story alternates from the present to the past, which is a really interesting technique. There are so many ways for it to be confusing or for it to backfire completely, but it really works in Everneath. This story was surprisingly fast-paced, and I read this book in about a day because I just couldn't put it down. (Related: I was supposed to do homework and study for a test, but this book was too good to stop reading. OOPS. It was worth it, though.)


Alright, let's talk about the protagonist, Nikki. (By the way, I apologize for the incredibly random string of thoughts in this so-called "review". I just have a lot of feelings that I can't express in any organized way.) Anyway, so Nikki is, um, AWESOME. What I like most about her is that she just seems normal. She's not overly shy or timid, but she's not all SUPER TOUGH BAD ASS either. She's just a normal teenage girl. Which made it really easy for me to relate to her. There was never a time in this book where I was like "ARRGGGH WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!?!?!" because I understood all of her decisions and why she made them. I felt like I was reading about myself or one of my friends. Nikki was a character that I really connected with.


Oh and the ending? WOAH.
THAT IS ALL I AM GOING TO SAY.


So if you haven't read this yet, I definitely recommend it. An awesome main character, two hot guys, Greek Mythology, with an element of mystery thrown in. This is quite possibly the best combination ever.


-Rachel

Megan Rambles About The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

Isn't this cover absolutely gorgeous?

From Goodreads:
Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

Let me start off by saying how much I absolutely LOVED this book. I had already heard such great things about it from everyone who had read it, and I couldn't wait to read it myself. So a couple of days ago I stayed home from school because I had a really bad cold and absolutely no voice. While that kind of sucked to say the least, I got to read a really good book instead of sitting in class! IT'S ALL GOOD! 

This is the kind of book you just want to curl up on the couch with, and read the entire thing in one sitting. Which is exactly what I did. In about 6 hours, I DEVOURED this book, and fell in love with the characters. I loved Hadley so much, because she was very real. Even though Oliver is totally hot and adorable and completely swoon worthy, Hadley wasn't all "OH.MY.GOD. HE'S SO HOT I CAN'T THINK ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE" the entire time, which I respect. Plus you could really feel for her throughout the entire story. She was just a very real character.

OLIVER. OMG YOU GUYS OLIVER. *HUGS* I love him so much. He's adorable, has his problems, and he ISN'T perfect. Which is why I love him. Oliver was another character that was realistic. The entire relationship between Hadley and Oliver was great, and completely believable. The only question this book left me with is WHY ISN'T THIS BOOK REAL?? Seriously, I've been in air ports hundreds of times, and I've flown to all kinds of places for all different reasons. Why is it that this has never happened to me? I would like to go to an airport one time, and meet an Oliver. 


So I'm off to figure out how to make this happen to me. That's how awesome this book was! It sucked me into the story, and I found myself wandering around London with Hadley, and flying across the ocean with her too. If you haven't read it, well...WHAT ARE YOU DOING? *points* Go pick a copy of this up! You won't be disappointed!

*dashes out of room* OLIVER! WHERE ARE YOU???
-Megan

Megan Rambles About Hollowmen

From Goodreads:
the sequel to Hollowland....

After six months in the quarantine, Remy finds out things are much worse than she feared. Her plans to escape come with a heavy cost, and she realizes that zombies aren't the worst of her problems.

 So I finished this a few days ago, and I didn't really know how to put this review into words. I loved Hollowland, and I don't want to spoil anything for anyone, because spoilers suck. Basically, I liked this book, but I was also disappointed with it. There was a lot of the same things that I loved, like Remy being a complete bad ass and killing a ton of zombies, or Ripley, the super awesome lion that I love. Plus there were the actual zombies, which kept me on edge the entire time I was reading this. 


The new characters were great, as well as the return of some of my favorites from the previous book. This was a good follow up to a great first book, but I was a bit disappointed with the ending. It was an ending, but it was also very open ended. There were so many unanswered questions, and in my mind, a lot of different places the story could go after this. I know there isn't a third book right now, but I really hope that eventually there will be. So even though I was slightly disappointed in the ending, I still loved this book and I highly recommend the series. If you're a fan of zombies, or even if you aren't, check these books out! You won't regret it. 


-Megan

Rachel Rambles About Hate List

From Goodreads:

Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets.
Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.


This is not an easy book to write about. I keep typing things and deleting them because I just have no idea what the hell I am supposed to say.


Basically, this was an amazing book, and I am very glad that I read it. But it was not an easy book to read. I mean, that much is obvious from the summary. This book is not at all light and fluffy. It's dark and heavy and serious. It's a real eye-opener.

The thing about Hate List is that it feels very realistic. Unfortunately, things like school shootings are part of people's lives nowadays. What Jennifer Brown did in this novel was tell the story of a girl named Valerie who was part hero, part villain, and part victim. The lines between these separate types of people get blurred, and even Valerie has a hard time figuring out which one she really is. The tragedy of a school shooting affects so many people for so many reasons, in so many different ways.

But what if your boyfriend was the shooter? What if you loved him? What if you had no idea what he was planning? What if, somehow, you indirectly helped him plan it? What if you didn't mean for anyone to die? What if you didn't know?

These are all questions that Valerie struggles with everyday. She goes back to school, surrounded by classmates who blame her, and she is ostracized. She literally has no one. 

This book explores the effects of a school shooting on different people. The lives of students and teachers and friends and parents and siblings are all changed drastically. If you are a high schooler, or even if you know a high schooler, I strongly recommend this book. While it was very difficult to read at times, it definitely opened my eyes to the things around me.


-Rachel

Rachel Rambles About Hallowed

 From Goodreads:
For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought. Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning. 

Let's all just take a moment to stare at the pretty cover. Isn't it just gorgeous? It's even better in real life. I am so obsessed with the covers for Unearthly and Hallowed it is seriously becoming a problem. I keep staring at them and stroking them and whispering sweet nothings to them.


Okay. So I'm exaggerating a little bit. But not that much. (Lies. She is not exaggerating. I have seen it. -Megan)


I read Unearthly a few days ago for the first time, and immediately fell in love with the story. I thought it would be impossible for Hallowed to get any better. And holy crap how wrong I was. Hallowed exceeded my very high expectations, and I liked it even more than Unearthly. Which is saying a lot.


Hallowed has all the things I loved about Unearthly. Basically, it had a lot of Christian and Tucker. OH MY WOW YOU GUYS THESE BOYS ARE SO HOT. I love them both. After reading Unearthly, I was definitely Team Tucker, but now I'm not so sure. I can no longer choose sides. I love them both equally. 

A quick note about love triangles: To be honest, I'm getting really sick of them. But there are definitely certain books that the love triangles are just...perfect in. And Hallowed was definitely one of them. I can completely understand what Clara is going through as she struggles with the choice between Christian and Tucker. It's not like a "two hot guys fight over the girl who really isn't all that special" kind of thing. It's more than that. It's about choices and destiny. The love triangle is done in such a perfect and thorough way that it makes sense. You understand the pain each of the characters is going through, and you have no idea where they will end up.


This book brought so many surprise twists and turns. Just when you think you are finally caught up on everything that is happening... BAM! Another secret is revealed. Then, as you're still trying to recover from that big twist, ANOTHER SHOCKING THING HAPPENS. There were so many things that I could never have seen coming. This book kept me on my toes, in the best possible way.

One thing I wasn't expecting about Hallowed was the PURE EMOTION. I cried while reading this...several times. My heart was breaking along with Clara's throughout this novel, and I don't even know if it will ever be healed. By this point, I have grown so attached to all the characters in this story. So much that I feel like I actually know them. Their pain is my pain and all that.


I love when a book makes me feel such strong emotions. It's a really amazing thing to develop such a deep connection with a PIECE OF FREAKING PAPER. So I definitely give this book five thousand stars or whatever. It was even better than Unearthly, and I am DYING for the last book to come out. 

-Rachel