Saturday, May 31, 2014

Review: Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne


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Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Pub Date: June 5, 2012

Format: Book

Source: Library

Genre: Dystopian, Young Adult





"Your mother hollers that you’re going to miss the bus. She can see it coming down the street. You don’t stop and hug her and tell her you love her. You don’t thank her for being a good, kind, patient mother. Of course not—you launch yourself down the stairs and make a run for the corner.Only, if it’s the last time you’ll ever see your mother, you sort of start to wish you’d stopped and did those things. Maybe even missed the bus.But the bus was barreling down our street, so I ran.Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong.

In Emmy Laybourne’s action-packed debut novel, six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids trapped together in a chain superstore build a refuge for themselves inside. While outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapons spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they know it—apart.
" (Goodreads)


3.9/ 4 Stars.

Teenagers and small children locked in something that's the equivalent of a Walmart as the world ends around them. If that's not the makings of a good story I'm not sure what is.

Having just finished this book, it's kind of similar to the Maze Runner (Minho I love you!!). The children are forced to do whatever they have to, to survive. They elect someone as the leader, and that leader provides tasks to the other occupants with the hopes that things run as smoothly as possible.

I like this book because I think there is a very well though out foundation for the rest of the story. The environment is in, what looks like mortal peril, and there were chemicals released into the air that will either drive you insane, or just flat out kill you. Poor kids.

Snaps to having actual children in the book. It reminds me or Michael Grants Gone, a situation that was already almost impossible to deal with, becomes that's much more complicated when there are six year old's to look after. I think it gives the book a realistic feel.

My only qualms about the book were some of the language choices. I feel we just missed the mark when it came to the dialect of the teens. I can't give you specifics, but something was just... off. I'd be mid page, and someone would say something, and I would think, "that doesn't sound right." It wasn't the biggest deal in the world, but alas, there it was.

I also found myself annoyed with Dean, maybe it's because I'm so tired of guys liking these pretty popular girls for superficial reasons, but it's cool because we made up for it with Niko's crush on Josie. Adorbs. I though the teens were portrayed very accurately. I work in a library on the youth floor, I spend my afternoons listening to teens talking to each other about anything and everything. Laybourne did a pretty good job creating these different personalities as frustrating as they were sometimes.

I liked the book, I'm going to read the second one, and I get the feeling my ratings of the book will increase as I read farther into the series.

Thursday, May 29, 2014

I Survived the BEA Bloggers Conference

I'm not sure what to say about BEA. So at first I was nervous because I didn't know anyone, that was a silly thing to be nervous about because I sent the whole day with three awesome girls. The panels were pretty cool. I learned a few cool things that I want to try on my blog and I've become a Twitter master. lol. (Although I forgot to put my handle on my Business cards, *palm to forehead*).

Best part of BEA, I got 19 books!!
There was no bad part, but the most awkward part, the war that began to brew between Blogger and Vloggers (or Book Tubers). Some of the Bloggers thought that Christine Riccio from PolandBananas was saying that Vloggers are better than Bloggers. That wasn't her intent, she just can't make the comparison between the two because she's never been a Blogger. In my opinion, it was poor advertising on BEA's part, but whatevs. I'm not going to harp on it.

Pictures below!!!




Photo: Yup @libbabray. No words to explain how awesome that was. #BEA14

Photo: So many @davidlevithan s.

Photo: @libbabray and Tiger Beat rocking out.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Finally at BEA


I'm sitting at book expo listening to Maureen Johnson. Man she's a character. I knew I should have read that book I have by her at home. She may not be a book blogger, but I'll be gosh darned if there aren't a ton of things that I feel like I can take from this woman.

"We need voices that stand up for the reader, and bring them down." A rough quote by Maureen Johnson. That about sums it up.

 

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

I bought new books!!!




So this is what I did over the weekend, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Did I get a little out of control... yes. Is that okay... heck yes!

This is my latest book haul, and I plan to post another picture later this week after BEA. I have the Bloggers Conference tomorrow and I'm going to be hunting up books on Friday. I'm so excited!!

Books here I come!!!

Friday, May 23, 2014

Feature and Follow 12



Alison Can Read Feature & Follow

Feature and Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee.

Question of the Week: Have you ever convinced someone to read a book, a series, or a whole genre? What book(s) and who was it? Did they like it?

I'm a librarian to readers advisory is literally a part of my job, and to be honest it's my favorite part. The series that I'm currently turning everyone on to is the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi, so far everyone loves it! No offense to all of the head lining authors right now because I love you all as well (I'm thinking of Veronica Roth) but I think the Shatter Me books are better, and an honest hidden jem amongst  the books that are out there now.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Life of a Blogger: 101 Things I Hate

lifeofblogger
I just found this meme, hosted by Jessie over at Novel Heartbeat. As hard as it may be to talk about something other than books, I'm going to give it a go.


  1. People who think Librarians don’t do anything.
  2. Those who judge YA books
  3. Snow
  4. Ice
  5. Too much sun
  6. The cold
  7. Awkward silences
  8. First dates
  9. Not knowing if you have seeds in your teeth from your everything bagel
  10. Parallel parking
  11. Water
  12. Swimming
  13. Going to the gym
  14. Contacts (they make my eyes red)
  15. The fact that so many people say “I look better without glasses, but you look great)
  16. People I don’t know commenting about my weight. It’s just rude all the way around.
  17. When cats make me sneeze (notice I didn’t say cats)
  18. Patrons handing my their library card, like I should instinctively know what they want
  19. Using words that aren’t in the dictionary
  20. Looking at someone boxers because they refuse to purchase a belt
  21. Reading books out of order (it’s just wrong)
  22. Cleaning my room
  23. Washing clothes
  24. Folding clothes
  25. Doing the dishes
  26. Reading directions
  27. Taking directions
  28. Building things
  29. Lease babies (you know those monkey backpacks)
  30. Cooking
  31. Rich people (I know it’s not their fault but I’m mad about it)
  32. Someone trying to force their religion on others
  33. Hates of gay marriage
  34. Haters of interracial marriage (cheerios commercial anyone)
  35. My stupid long legs (pants never fit)
  36. My giant size 10 feet
  37. Sang between my toes
  38. The fact the Firefly was only 1 season
  39. Turkey’s (the live ones)
  40. Every type of reptile
  41. My ridiculous need to buy purses
  42. People trying to talk to me when I’m reading
  43. When people are ALWAYS late
  44. Gambling
  45. Spending money
  46. Technology
  47. Spiders
  48. Birds
  49. Worms
  50. The outdoors
  51. NY drivers, why must you come to CT on the weekends, WHY!!!
  52. Not a big fan of non-fiction sorry
  53. The fact that I feel the need to wear make up all the time
  54. Shocking myself
  55. Paying bills
  56. Paying student loans (because that’s a category all itself)
  57. When people freak out if I don’t know the newest movie
  58. Someone who can’t let a conversation go (move on dude, I don’t care about Superman)
  59. Being sick
  60. When my check engine light comes on
  61. Fighting with my computer
  62. Calling somewhere and having to go through a million recordings
  63. Watching history movies because they’re way sad
  64. When parents sit on computer and ignore their children at the library
  65. When nothing good comes in my Birchbox
  66. Loud as heck upstairs neighbors
  67. Hangovers (thank goodness that doesn’t happen too often)
  68. Being bored on a Friday night.
  69. Being surrounded by people I don’t know
  70. Feeling like an outsider
  71. Feeling judged
  72. Headaches
  73. Going to the dentist
  74. Making doctor’s appointments
  75. Realizing I don’t know how the whole song goes that I chose to do at karaoke
  76. When I don’t remember someone’s name but they know mine
  77. Books that are upside down on a book shelf
  78. Books that are backwards on a book shelf
  79. Grad school
  80. Writing papers
  81. Feeling like no one is listening to me
  82. Finishing a book only to realize I’m back in reality
  83. Remembering to Tweet (trying to get more blog followers okay)
  84. People thinking I’m a high school volunteer when I’m at work
  85. Growing up
  86. Money
  87. Haters of musicals
  88. Reality TV
  89. The fact that, that mermade show was on Animal Planet, only real things should be there
  90. People who think I’m weird for believing in aliens and mermaids
  91. That I can’t spell
  92. Losing my car
  93. The look of my blog, one day I’ll get it together
  94. Backing into a parking spot
  95. Talking on the phone in the library
  96. Dumb Facebook comments
  97. Guys sprouting crap about being friend zoned because you know what, you’ve never asked me out :P
  98. The dark circles under my eyes
  99. My hair
  100. Wearing shoes that aren’t sneakers
  101. Not having a good book to read during boring times.

Review: Pointe by Brandy Colbert


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Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: April 10, 2014

Format: Hardcover

Source: Purchased

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Dance, Diversity, Eating Disorder






Theo is better now.

She's eating again, dating guys who are almost appropriate, and well on her way to becoming an elite ballet dancer. But when her oldest friend, Donovan, returns home after spending four long years with his kidnapper, Theo starts reliving memories about his abduction—and his abductor.

Donovan isn't talking about what happened, and even though Theo knows she didn't do anything wrong, telling the truth would put everything she's been living for at risk. But keeping quiet might be worse.
(Goodreads)
 
I had to take a deep breath before I began to write this because this book affected me in ways that I'm not even sure what to do with. This book deals with some tough topics. We have drugs and alcohol, to start, then we have kidnapping, rape, and self harm (AKA eating disorders).

Ugh, I'm not sure how to do this without spoilers.

I think what hit me the hardest in this book is that Theo didn't even realize what Chris had done to her. He raped her, I put together that he's done it before his name or even his age was mentioned. I couldn't understand how someone who was 13 was having sex with someone who could already drive a car. Then the scene with the news paper and I fell apart for her. It wasn't quite touched upon but I think that the way Chris treated and her was the reason Theo clings so hard to Hosea despite knowing that it was wrong.

I wish we had seen more of Donovan although I know that realistically it wouldn't have made much sense. There's no way that someone can be stolen from their home and sexually abused and then go home and talk about it to their best friends four years later.

This book hit me so hard, that when Theo went up to testify my heart was pounding so hard that I could feel it in my ears. The connection I felt to this book was almost disturbing.

I hardly ever give 5 stars but in my opinion, any book that can make my heat pound as hard as it did, deserves it.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday




Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.


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After traveling through time in Shadow of Night, the second book in Deborah Harkness’s enchanting series, historian and witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present to face new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home at Sept-Tours, they reunite with the cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency. In the trilogy’s final volume, Harkness deepens her themes of power and passion, family and caring, past deeds and their present consequences. In ancestral homes and university laboratories, using ancient knowledge and modern science, from the hills of the Auvergne to the palaces of Venice and beyond, the couple at last learn what the witches discovered so many centuries ago.

With more than one million copies sold in the United States and appearing in thirty-eight foreign editions, A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night have landed on all of the major bestseller lists and garnered rave reviews from countless publications. Eagerly awaited by Harkness’s legion of fans, The Book of Life brings this superbly written series to a deeply satisfying close.

Release Date: July 15, 2014

I just love that all of this began in a library!!! 

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Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Teaser Tuesday


Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB of Should be Reading.
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on that page.
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  •  Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teasers!
My Teaser
"'I just want to talk,' he said, pressing my back against the car. 'Can we just talk?' 'Talk? Are you crazy?' I cried. 'Get your hands off me. Now.'"
Pg.43 Party Games by R.L. Stine
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R.L. Stine is back and he's bad!!!

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Monday, May 19, 2014

Review: Written in Red by Anne Bishop


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Publisher: NAL Hardcover

Pub. Date: March 5, 2013

Format: Audio book

Source: Purchase- Audible

Genre: Fantasy




"As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others.

Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.
" (Goodreads)

  
For those of you who don't know, I'm a tad bit obsessed with Anne Bishop and her Black Jewel Trilogy. I can't even write a review on the book because I can't put it's awesomeness into words. Anyway. As some of you may know (and if you don't you really need to educate yourself) the black Jewel Trilogy was kind of more than three books because there were all of these other books that took place in that world. It wasn't the same, but it was enough to give me my fix, so when Written in Red came out and there were no Blood, not demon dead, and most importantly no Lucivar, I was sad. I actually put off reading this book for a year because I was sad. What that actually means is that I was an idiot because I should have know better.

This book was freaking awesome. Anne Bishop was, yet again, able to create this world that shouldn't make any sense but somehow it does. Right now I want to shout out to how there werewolves or woldgards were portrayed. Gone are the Twilight wolves, or even wolves that we've seen in, say, the Patricia Briggs books, or the wolves that Kelley Armstrong created (don't get me wrong I freaking love both of those series). Simon and the other wolves in this book are probably as close to what it would be like if werewolves were real. They're not going to be cuddly, they're not going to understand human nuances and their strange ways of life, and they're probably eat s if we step on their toes, and that was Simon Wolfgard in a nutshell. It was new and refreshing and Anne Bishop is the greatest.

The premise of the story was pretty awesome too because let's be honest, if werewolves, vampires, and elementals really existed (and I'm not entirely convinced they don't) who would be in charge. I know who I'd put my money on. I guess reading this book it was more than just fun and awesome and exciting and mysterious. It was what I imagine the world would really be like if we lived side by side with all of these creatures.

5 stars!!!!
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Thursday, May 15, 2014

Review: One Man Guy by Michael Barakiva


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Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Publication Date: May 27, 2014

Format: eBook

Source: Netgalley

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, GLBT






 Alek Khederian should have guessed something was wrong when his parents took him to a restaurant. Everyone knows that Armenians never eat out. Between bouts of interrogating the waitress and criticizing the menu, Alek’s parents announce that he’ll be attending summer school in order to bring up his grades. Alek is sure this experience will be the perfect hellish end to his hellish freshman year of high school. He never could’ve predicted that he’d meet someone like Ethan.

Ethan is everything Alek wishes he were: confident, free-spirited, and irreverent. He can’t believe a guy this cool wants to be his friend. And before long, it seems like Ethan wants to be more than friends. Alek has never thought about having a boyfriend—he’s barely ever had a girlfriend—but maybe it’s time to think again.
(Goodreads)

I have no idea how to approach a review of this book so I'm just going to type and I hope it all makes sense. Okay so, first I have to say that I love this freaking book. I got an eARC from Netgalley and I can't thank them enough. I love Alek, he was opinionated, kind of snarky, and a little self conscious but that kid wouldn't stand for any injustice. I loved when he got super angry at Ethan for making (what Alek though) was a homophobic slur. It was like, despite the fact that Alek considered Ethan cooler and more experienced than him, he didn't care about calling him out on his crap. It was fantastic. I hate reading about people who let others walk all over them because they're a little intimidated. In addition to that Alek was funny, found myself randomly laughing at things he said. (I would kill to listen to this on audio book, I feel like it would be hilarious).

Ethan... what to say about Ethan. I liked how open he was. He could have dragged out the story of his past relationship and he could have gotten really angsty about it, but he didn't. He told Alek his story, and laid it all out there. I also like how forgiving he was. Alek jumped to a lot of conclusions, the first time they were in NY, the cafeteria, but Ethan wasn't a jerk about it.

Becky YES! you are fantastic in every way possible. She doesn't take any crap from anyone. If I had to pick a book best friend it would be her. When Alek tried to blow her off a second time, she would have been well within her rights to be furious with him. But nope, not Becky, she barges in, sets up her movie, and tells Ethan that he better get use to her because she isn't going anywhere.

Snaps to the relationship between Alek and Nik, it was nice to see them grow closer, although I'm not exactly sure why. One day Nik just decided to be a nicer older brother. I liked watching (reading about??) them in the end. I liked when Nik said that he wasn't always trying to be mean, he just wanted to be a good older brother. It was nice.

Lastly, I would like to bow and applaud Michael Barakiva for being a darn good writer. "The merciless blaring of his alarm clock was a psychic assault on Alek's brain. He cheated his eyes open a sliver. The red numbers glared 7:17. Alek did the math in his head, desperate for a computation that allowed him one more snooze without being late. But when the numbers refused to cooperate, he had to hurl himself out of bed and onto the floor, letting the impact smash him into consciousness." You can't tell me that's not a great passage, and that's only chapter 4. The opening to the book was fantastic too. I couldn't stop laughing. So thanks. My world's just a little brighter because of you!!!

4.5 Stars

This just in, the author of this book sent me a message on Goodreads. I just about fell over!!!! 
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Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday




Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

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Ruby can't look back. Fractured by an unbearable loss, she and the kids who survived the government's attack on Los Angeles travel north to regroup. With them is a prisoner: Clancy Gray, son of the president, and one of the few people Ruby has encountered with abilities like hers--someone so dangerous that Ruby alone has any power over him.

Release Date: October 28, 2014

I loved the first two and I love this one. Did anyone pick up on the fact that all three titles make a sentence. "The darkest minds never fade in the after light." Not sure what it means but I love it.
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Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Teaser Tuesday


Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB of Should be Reading.
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on that page.
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  •  Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teasers!
My Teaser
"I looked out the side window next to me. Hail in all different sizes from little to that-can't-be-hail was pelting the street"
Pg.4 Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne
12753231
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Monday, May 12, 2014

Making up For Monday #5

Making Up for Monday is a weekly meme hosted by An Avid Reader, A Wannabe Writer

This weeks question: What is the most intimidating book you have yet to read?


In true nerd fashion, I like the Lord of the Rings movies. I have not, however, been able to read the books, they're just so long, and there are so many made up names and places, and despite the fact that I've seen all the movies, there is so much additional information in the books, that I know I'll be confused.
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Friday, May 9, 2014

Review: The Body in the Woods by April Henry


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Publisher: Macmillan- Henry Holt

Publication Date: June 17, 2014

Format: E Book

Source: Netgalley

Genre: Mystery, Young Adult, Contemporary







"In this new series told from multiple perspectives, teen members of a search and rescue team discover a dead body in the woods.

Alexis, Nick, and Ruby have very different backgrounds: Alexis has spent her life covering for her mom’s mental illness, Nick’s bravado hides his fear of not being good enough, and Ruby just wants to pursue her eccentric interests in a world that doesn’t understand her. When the three teens join Portland County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, they are teamed up to search for a autistic man lost in the woods. What they find instead is a dead body. In a friendship that will be forged in danger, fear, and courage, the three team up to find the girl’s killer—before he can strike one of their own.

This first book in April Henry’s Point Last Seen YA mystery series is full of riveting suspense, putting readers in the middle of harrowing rescues and crime scene investigations."

 
 *This book was presented to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

I've read April Henry books before so I had an idea of what I was in for. I expected something mysterious, and fast paced with a thrill or two. In this newest book by Henry, three teens stumble across the body of a murdered girl while they were searching for a missing man the woods. The teens become caught up hunting for the killer of that girl, when they become convinced that the killer is a series killer, and the police aren't.

As a librarian, I would buy this book for my library because it would be great for reluctant readers. The book is fast paced, with a mystery that isn't solved until the very end, pushing readers to continue reading.

I will say that I wish the characters were flushed out a bit better. I would love to know more about Nicks father and his relationship with his brother. I wonder how it is the Ruby can have so litter understanding of basic human interactions and mannerisms. I also couldn't relate to how things ended with Alexis and Bran, it came out of no where, I just couldn't believe it. All of that aside, I will be purchasing the book for my library because it's a great read for those who are look more for mystery than anything else.

3.5 Stars
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Feature and Follow #11



Alison Can Read Feature & Follow

Feature and Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee.

Question of the Week: What living author or authors would you like to have dinner with? (Try to think beyond JK Rowling)

Hands down I would have dinner with, Tahereh Mafi, Anne Bishop, or Kelley Armstrong, oh wait... I also really liked Skyping with Marissa Meyer, she use to write Fanfic, so one of those four, or all four.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Review: The Maze Runner by: James Dashner


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Publisher: Delacorte Press

Pub. Date: October 6, 2009

Format: Audio book

Source:Audible

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Mystery






""If you ain't scared, you ain't human."

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He's surrounded by strangers--boys whose memories are also gone.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It's the only way out--and no one's ever made it through alive.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying."
(Goodreads)





As we all know, The Maze Runner is about to be a movie soon. What that means for me in the library, is that soon, just about every teen in my area will want to read it. What that means, is that I need to have read it, so I can talk to these kids and their parents.

I audio booked it, and I liked it, I was sure I would, but now I know for certain. Thomas wakes up in a box in a place called the Glade, he doesn't remember anything other than his name. However, unlike the other boys in the Glade, the more Thomas sees in the Glade, the more he feels like he's been there before. The next day, a girl shows up in the box (a first) and everything is pretty much chaos from there. Everything the Gladers thought they knew was a lie.

Oh and I'd like to take a second to say "I LOVE YOU MINHO!!!!" He's my favorite!!!!

It was actually amazing the way everything fell into place in this book. You don't even realize you're confused about the maze until the big reveal is... revealed. The end of the book was enough to drive me up the wall. I knew that there was more than one book, but I didn't think it would end like that.

Well done James Dashner/ why do you hate me James Dashner. I'm well on my way into finishing the second book. If the world thought the Veronica Roth books had major cliff hangers, James Dashner is right up there with her. He's no joke. I'm off to keep listening. 4 stars.
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