Across The Universe

Across The Universe by Beth Revis

"Power isn’t control at all — power is strength, and giving that strength to others. A leader isn’t someone who forces others to make him stronger; a leader is someone willing to give his strength to others that they may have the strength to stand on their own."
— Beth Revis (Across the Universe (Across the Universe, #1))





Here's the jist of it. Amy has been cryogenic frozen with her parents who are part of a team heading out on a 300 year trip to Centauri-Earth to set up a colony. Amy is 'unplugged' fifty years early by an unknown person and she isnt the only one, someone is unplugging the frozens & leaving them to die.

Elder is the next leader of the ships crew, which is basically a small town of people who live, work, breed, & die all on the ship for generations. The ship is their whole world, no one sees out no one has ever stepped foot on Amy's Sol-Earth.

There is a lot going on in this story with the relationship between the 'Eldest' the current leader of Godspeed & his protege Elder as well as the relationship between the people in different areas of the ship. The people on board hate anything different, and Amy is definitely that.

I have never read a "space" book but i enjoyed this one. It doesnt have aliens or laser fighting ect ect. The narration flips between Elder & Amy who we really want to find away to be in love. But as usual chaos ensues!

If your looking for something different give it a try, Beth Revis paints an interesting picture of a life without all the beauty of Earth & how people find the courage in themselves to carry on when it feels like there is no hope.

I do recommend this book but have really nothing to compare it to, it is a trilogy so there is more to come. It does have a 'near' rape scene which was hard to read but it was moving to say the least.

The sequel A Million Suns was just released January 2012 and the last book will be coming in 2013 called Shades of Earth.

Rating: 3.5/5 - Something different.

Possession Review

Possession by Elana Johnson


“He walked close enough to hold hands and far enough away that words could never repair the damage we'd done to each other.”
― Elana Johnson, Possession











I love the first scene of this book. It gets its hooks into you right from the start. Vi is arrested & thrown in prison for the unthinkable at least in the Goodlands...walking in the park, at night, with a boy.

Strangely they throw her in the same cell as Jag a boy from the Badlands, a place she has been told her whole life is full of terrible people. But they soon find out there is something special about them & why they are brought together.

Vi & Jag can control people by thoughts & voice and the leader of the Goodlands wants them to brainwash it's citizens in exchange for their release.

It's an action read & of course Vi & Jag fall for each other. Two crazy kids trying to change the world & find a way to just be happy in love. There are so many twists & turns, keeps you on the edge of your seat. I went into it thinking it was a stand alone novel and when I reached the end, I was horrified to read it would be continued, so I was left sad & wanting more. Which I guess is a good thing ;P

I really cant reveal anymore with out ruining it for you. It is another novel in the list of great Dystopian Fiction. I recommend it to anyone who liked the Uglies Series.

Rating 4/5 - Mind controlling fun!

Look for the sequel: Surrender coming out June 15, 2012.

Divergent Book Review

Divergent by Veronica Roth

"Fear doesn't shut you down; it wakes you up. I've seen it. It's fascinating." He releases me but doesn't pull away, his hand grazing my jaw, my neck. "Sometimes I just want to see it again. Want to see you awake."
— Veronica Roth (Divergent (Divergent, #1))



The concept pf Divergent s this: Every person in belongs to one of 5 factions; Amity (Peace), Abnegation(selfless), Dauntless(bravery), Candor(Truth), Erudite(Knowledge). At age 16 the children get to chose to either stay with their parents or change factions and never see them again. Faction before blood.

Tris (Beatrice) was born a selfless Abnegation and choses to join Dauntless the pierces & tattooed faction that scares most people. Once there she under goes tests of bravery and weapons training as her initiation. Where she meets Four, one of her trainers & they fall in love.

Never has the number Four been so sexy, he is the epitome of bad boy. A gun shooting, fighting, knife throwing tattooed sexy as all heck, bad boy. I fell for him too ;)

Chaos ensues and the story get better & better. Veronica Roth write those electric moments between two people so well. And the scenes with them stick in my head STILL after reading the book twice in a row! It has a Hunger games feel to it and we go into knowing it will be a trilogy. The next book release date is ...well check the countdown to your right ;P

I am a huge fan of Dystopian Fiction and this one is my new favorite! I recommend it to anyone who liked Hunger Games.

Rating: 4.5/5 - Fantastic!

In The Heart Or In the Head

What makes a writer.

I have struggled witht his question for years. Mainly because I wish I was a writer. I mean I write, I love to write. I have a constant inner monologue contemplating the mysteries of the earth my heart & choices I have made. I have never submitted anything and honestly dont know how writers can put their inner most thoughts out into the world to be judged and edited and picked apart LITERALLY sentence by sentence.

I wonder if its possible to become a published author if you did NOT go to college? When I pick up a book I always read the write up about their life, where they grew up, when to college and there is a common theme. They ALWAYS went to college BA/MFA ect ect. making an uneducated person like myself feel that I will never learn the things they have because of the circumstances of my life and the fact I never felt good enough for anything in my life when I was 'young enough' to go to college. Perhaps the reason I have never put my work out there s that I dont want someone else to say it stinks. Schrödinger's cat (google it).


My question to put out there is this: Is the talent & art of being a writer in the heart or in the head? Or both perhaps. Maybe you cannot be a writer without rejection after rejection you can only attain from a stuffy professor (who has been rejected a million times themselves) rejecting you and your work. I had a Literature teacher in high school tell me I wasn't a writer & I had no forseeable future doing it. Now my 35 year old self would love to go back and tell him what the hell does he know about writing & how dare he take the dream of a 16 year old girl & throw it in the trash.

I guess if I thought about it, I could say he was testing me, if I couldnt handle one meaningless person telling me I was no good I would never have the ...er...balls ... to get out there and do it. But college, for me, like many others, was never an option. The circumstances and location of my childhood would never have allowed it.

I met a boy once upon a time, he was in university and he KNEW in his heart of hearts that he would be a writer, at least thats the confidence he showed me. I wonder if there were times when someone told him he was crap & to give up? Why didnt he listen? Why did I? He didnt grow up with this perfect childhood, was he told day in day out by his loving parents how he could be anything he wants and he had all the potential in the world? Doubt it. He had it in himself. He told himself these things and he believed them, because he did it, he wrote and wrote and worked and worked & achieved his goal of getting published. I envy his inner monologue. Mine has failed me, why is it easier to believe all the bad things & none of the good things about ourselves. Perhaps I need therapy ;)

I am fascinated with the process of writing, how the ideas flow, how the writer develops them. do they take notes, do they sit down in front of a computer or typewriter (do people still use them?) and type in Chapter One I just begin. Did they see a photo or a moment in time that sparked the idea in them. Maybe that's the difference in being a writer in your heart & in your head. I am a writer in my heart but have a hard time getting my voice to come out. I hope that one day I do find a way to tell a story, and I hope I get rejected because I think it would be a badge of honor saying I didn't succeed but I TRIED. And no one could take that away from me.

Delirium: Book Review

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

“Love: a single word, a wispy thing, a word no bigger or longer than an edge. That's what it is: an edge; a razor. It draws up through the center of your life, cutting everything in two. Before and after. The rest of the world falls away on either side.”
― Lauren Oliver, Delirium


Ah, the beauty of a love story. I am a lover of love and this book that toys with the idea that love is a virus and can be cured at age 18, intrigued me.

Alex and Lena's love affair is something that sticks with me. Lauren Oliver has a way of writing how people fall in love that moves me. Little moments made huge by dire circumstances. I felt like this book was slipping through my fingers too fast knowing it would never end the way I had hoped but still turning each page hoping... hoping.

“I'd rather die my way than live yours.”

I am awaiting the second book in the series, Pandemonium due to be released February 2012.


I recommend this book for someone looking to be swept away in love, hopeless and powerless and yet the most powerful thing we have. Enjoy it.

Rating: 4/5 A Distopian Nicholas Sparks ;)

Before I Fall Book Review

Premise: A girl dies in car accident & keeps waking up reliving that last day.

Mean Girls meets Groundhog Day.

I know to some people that sounds like a bad review but I happen to LIKE Mean Girls & Groundhog Day.

Honestly I hated the main character so much that I was looking forward to her demise! But I loves the Romance in it and although i could turn on any tv movie & see this being played out I have never read a book like this. I loved seeing her change & the few beautiful moments with Kent make it a great book and I would recommend it. Its definitely YA Fiction but sweet and raw and shows the twisted gong show that is High School. If only we al had 7 tries to make it all right.

Rating 3.5/5