Looking for Alaska by John Green

Synopsis:
Before. Miles Halter is done with his safe life at home. His whole life has been one big non-event, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the Great Perhaps even more (François Rabelais, poet). He heads off to the sometimes crazy and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young. She is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart. Then. . . . After. Nothing is ever the same.

My Review:
I really loved this book! It’s no wonder it won an award. This is the kind of book that strikes such a balance between harsh reality and moments that move you so beyond words you wonder if they could really happen. I think John Green has an amazing sense of humor and writes in a way that makes you feel like the story is familiar yet fresh. I was surprised by the language and some of the content but Green writes in such a way that those things are a secondary character. I thought I would be bothered by those things but the conversations were so funny I found myself laughing out loud way more than I normally do. I had no idea this book took place in Alabama and in Birmingham no less which I know a thing or two about. It made me feel like I was home and made the story much more personal. There were so many quotable lines that I kept trying to remember but gave up after realizing the whole book was just good. I think this is one story that will stay with me for a long time and I will read over again in the future.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Synopsis:
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

My Review:
This was a different and interesting book and I am glad I read it. The book seemed like it had elements of Ender’s Game, the Hot Zone, and the Hunger Games all role into one. All of these books involve people coming up against impossible and terrifying situations and having to work through them in order to save the people they love. I thought this book started out slow but it steadily picked up pace as the main character Tom began to understand what was going on and unravel the mystery of the maze. At first I felt detached from Tom because I could not get a sense of who he was because he began the book with no memories and therefore had no relationships to base his identity upon. Upon further reflection this was genius of the author because Tom had to start with a clean state and become who he was through his relationship with the other “Gladers.”

The girl in me wanted a little romance but that is hard when you are worrying about surviving one day to the next and there was not enough time in this book anyways. But I am sure something will develop in book two because the author hinted at this throughout the story. I did not think I would like this book as much as I did and my mind changed about this at the end. Toward the end I was on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next because there was a complete twist in the story and I had no idea what was going on. Looking forward to the continuation of this story and further development of the characters.

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Synopsis:
Violet Ambrose is starting her junior year in high school and faces problems shared by many teens. She is madly in love with Jay Heaton, her best friend since first grade, but does not know if he feels the same. She is trying to do well at school, but classes do not always hold her interest. Unlike others, however, Violet has the ability—or perhaps the curse—of sensing violent deaths around her. Every demise leaves a hint screaming to be discovered: sometimes a sheen of colors, other times a chorus of bells or even a specific smell. When Violet was eight, she discovered a girl's body in the woods behind her house. This same killer is now striking her community again, kidnapping and murdering teenage girls. He even seems to be getting closer to Violet with every kill. She must deal with her emotions for Jay at the same time as she tries to stop this vicious murderer before it is too late for both.

My Review:
This was such an interesting idea for a story. It was almost like Stephen King meets the show “Medium” but different because this is geared towards young adults and the main character does not have visions or dreams but something called “echos” which is more like sound and light. I do not normally read books like this (ones involving murder) but I have to say I really loved it! This book had such a striking balance between the action in the story and the relationship between Violet and Jay. Derting defiantly understands how teenagers react to each other and nothing felt forced. I also loved the way she described Violet’s surroundings so you felt like you were there but not so much that you get bogged down in the details.

I LOVED Jay as a character and I smiled every time I read the interactions between him and Violet. This one was a page turned and hard to put down which is why I had to finish before I went to bed. . .early this morning. The artist in me also has to comment on the breath-taking cover which offset the scarier side of this story. I am really looking forward to the next book to find out what happens with these characters and see where the story takes them!

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Synopsis:
In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

My Review:
I almost don’t know what to say about this book. . .almost. I was intrigued by the idea of post-apocalypse where everyone is trying to survive zombies. I kept reading reviews from people saying how it was a “must read” and I have never read a zombie book so I took a chance and read it. There are some beautiful moments in this book that make you consider what should we value in life and whether or not dreams are worth pursuing. It made me wonder what I would do if I were put in the situation where I had to deal with pain, loss, suffering, and survival on a regular basis. Carrie Ryan is not the type of writer to draw out a scene and she keeps the book flowing with one scene after the other. I felt this story needed that to keep things interesting and it kept me turning the pages.

However I felt something was lost with not a lot of development of the setting or the supporting characters. I felt this lack of development did a disservice to the story because I was not as emotionally attached as I wanted. The only character I felt I could relate to in a real way was Mary the main character because of course it is from her point of view and we are inside her head. But I just did not care about the other characters as much which I hate because that is the most important part to me. Every time I read a new book I want to be emotionally bonded with the characters rooting for them every step of the way. Despite this flaw I think I might read the second one just to find out what happens.

The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom

Synopsis:
Part melodrama and part parable, Mitch Albom's The Five People You Meet in Heaven weaves together three stories, all told about the same man: 83-year-old Eddie, the head maintenance person at Ruby Point Amusement Park. As the novel opens, readers are told that Eddie, unsuspecting, is only minutes away from death as he goes about his typical business at the park. Albom then traces Eddie's world through his tragic final moments, his funeral, and the ensuing days as friends clean out his apartment and adjust to life without him. In alternating sections, Albom flashes back to Eddie's birthdays, telling his life story as a kind of progress report over candles and cake each year. And in the third and last thread of the novel, Albom follows Eddie into heaven where the maintenance man sequentially encounters five pivotal figures from his life (a la A Christmas Carol). Each person has been waiting for him in heaven, and, as Albom reveals, each life (and death) was woven into Eddie's own in ways he never suspected. Each soul has a story to tell, a secret to reveal, and a lesson to share. Through them Eddie understands the meaning of his own life even as his arrival brings closure to theirs.

My Review:
It took me a while to get through this book even though it’s short. I loved “Tuesdays with Morrie” and thought I would love this book too but this one does not even compare. I think I was not invested in the story or the characters and I just felt a level of detachment. To be fair I do not think I was in the mood for this type of a book when I started reading it. But at the same time no matter what I am feeling I want the book to engage me and I had to force myself to finish this one. I am sure big Mitch Albom fans will find it interesting but I was disappointed.