The Elite

The Elite by Kiera Cass is the sequel to The Selection, which I read a few weeks ago.  This book follows 17-year-old America, one of the 8 remaining girls in the Selection, the competition to be Prince Maxon's wife.

This was another really fun and addicting book....kind of a light, fluff read, but a great one. It was almost not a good book to read because I had a lot of trouble stopping when I needed to stop reading.  I loved following the characters and reading to see how things would turn out.  The book was a little too gushy at times, but I can't complain too much about a chick flick. I am hoping the series turns out how I want it to, but I will have to wait until book 3 (which doesn't come out until next spring).  I'm excited for it!

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust

The Provo City Library's blog of new books reviewed Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust by Doreen Rappaport last year, and I have had it on my to-read list ever since. It is a nonfiction book that tells the stories of many Jewish people who resisted the Nazis during World War II. The book jacket ends with, "These resisters answered the genocidal madness and unspeakable depravity that was Hitler's Holocaust with the greatest weapons of all--courage, ingenuity, the will to survive, and the resolve to save others or to die trying."

This was an amazing and inspiring book. The Holocaust is absolutely terrible to read about--it is unreal what Hitler and the Nazis and others did to Jews during this time period. I cannot even fathom the horror that so many Jews went through, and while the past cannot be changed, I am grateful that I can at least honor the memories of those who suffered and died by reading books like this. The stories in this book were inspiring--from people rescuing Jewish children to planning escapes to risking their lives for others, every story amazed me as I saw the goodness of people in the absolute worst possible times. 

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Reached

I got Reached at the library to finish up the Ally Condie series. It follows Cassia and her friends as the Rising rebellion begins.

This was my least favorite in the series. It was a little slower of a read, and the conclusion seemed to drag on. It was also a little unnecessarily sophisticated at times (like describing medical things in a complicated way). I also was not happy with how the book ended. But, of course I wanted to finish the series, and I liked how things came together plot-wise. There were some clever twists and turns and fun surprises, so it was still a fun read.

Rating: * (1/3 = It was okay)

Crossed

I picked up Crossed by Ally Condie (book 2 in the Matched trilogy) at the library and finished it in a day and a half. It continues Cassia's story, but this time, the book also follows Ky's point of view. As they both travel through the outer provinces, they search for each other and try to find out more about the Rising, the organization of rebels.

This was another super addicting book. I just had to keep reading constantly to figure out what happened. Again, though, I didn't 100% love it. It might have been the believability thing again--I often was interrupted in my reading by my own questions about whether it would have happened that way. I also think this book just had a lot of sad, negative things happening. There wasn't enough happiness to help me really love the book. But it was still a good book that I enjoyed reading. The plot and details about the Society and how it works are very engaging. And of course I already have book 3 from the library and will probably be finished very soon.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Matched

I have heard people recommend Matched by Ally Condie, and so when I saw it on a friend's bookshelf, I asked to borrow it. It follows Cassia, a 17-year-old in a dystopian society (comparable to those in Hunger Games, The Giver, and other such books). When there is an error in her "match" (who she is statistically best matched to marry), Cassia starts to question lots of different things relating to her society and its Officials and decides that she won't go down gently.

This was a really good book. It was very addicting, so I finished it in like 2 days because I just kept wanting to read to find out what happened. I liked the storyline, and I am excited for the sequel, especially because the book didn't really leave me hanging but just left me interested. I wasn't completely convinced by the book, though, in that I couldn't really understand Cassia's sudden obsession with Ky. (I won't elaborate on this since I don't want to give anything away if you want to read the book.) But, it was still a really great, engaging book.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

The Help

A few months ago, a lady in my old book club was moving and getting rid of lots of stuff--the book The Help by Kathryn Stockett was among the things I took. I saw it on my bookshelf this week when looking for something new to read and started it. Two days later, I was finished. The Help is a novel about three women in the 1960s in Jackson, Mississippi--a young, white woman and two black maids--who come together on a brave and risky project.

Why have I never read The Help before now? This was a really amazing book. It was beautifully written, and the characters were distinct and interesting and real. It was a very inspiring book and gave me a glimpse of what life was like in a southern town leading up to the Civil Rights movement. The book kept me so engaged that it was hard to put it down (even when I should've...like when Emmeline woke up from her nap or when I should've been sleeping last night), and I thought about it all the time. It just kept a few elements of mystery in the story that I wanted to keep reading to figure out. This was a wonderful and beautiful book that helped me better understand the time period and glimpse the good and bad in the 1960s lives of black domestic help--who I consider to be really inspiring people.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Gathering Blue

Connor and I continued on our reading of The Giver series by reading book 2--Gathering Blue, also by Lois Lowry. This book does not follow the characters or world from The Giver (but subtly refers to Jonas toward the end). Gathering Blue is about Kira, a girl who was born with a deformed leg.  When Kira's mom dies, others in the village want Kira thrown out to the beasts since she can't contribute much.  But, the Council of Elders instead takes her in to use her gifts with threads to repair the Singer's robe.  Kira's new life is luxurious, but she soon learns more about the village where she lives and begins to wonder if she is really free.

This was another really good book.  I wanted to read it more often and more quickly, but reading together doesn't really allow for that.  :)  The characters were so easy to get to know because they were distinct and well described.  I loved all the side characters (Kira's friends) and was anxious to see how things would turn out in the story.  Some questions were left unanswered, but I think the series is going to tie things together in book 4.  Can't wait!

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)