Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Graceling meets The Selection in debut novelist Victoria Aveyard's sweeping tale of seventeen-year-old Mare, a common girl whose once-latent magical power draws her into the dangerous intrigue of the king's palace. Will her power save her or condemn her?

Mare Barrow's world is divided by blood—those with common, Red blood serve the Silver- blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own.

To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard—a growing Red rebellion—even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal. (Summary from Amazon.)

Title: Red Queen

Author: Victoria Aveyard

Publisher: Harper Collins

Genre: Young Adult

I absolutely loved this book! After already falling in love with the Selection Series by Kiera Cass, this was a must read for me. The main character, Mare, is extremely well developed. She has so much depth and is so relatable. Personally, I love when I can relate to a character!!! If you have not already read the Selection, I will go ahead and say that this fictional realm crafted by Aveyard has a touch of dystopian flare and princessy feel. I think the cover already infers that much. The plot has so many twists and turns. I was pleasantly surprised by the unpredictability of the entire story. There is even a little bit of romance! It is the perfect mixture of sweet and serious ups and downs. On a sour note, the middle of the book did slow down a bit. It eventually picked back up, thankfully.

One thing that really stuck out to me was the idea of being divided by the color of blood. It made the whole story that much more riveting. The division added to the helpless feel and fueled the fire of rebellion, filling the story with even more drama. Red Queen is a must read for YA readers.There is even going to be a sequel! 4.5 out 5 stars!

-Laken xoxo

P.S. Do you guys like this new format? I think it looks more professional!

Charleston Southern University Summer Music Camp

So, I know this blog is about books but this is just one of my random blurbs that I just feel like posting. This week I have been at Charleston Southern University's Summer Music Camp. To be totally honest I got almost no sleep. But I had fun! I play trumpet in my school band and (I'm sorry to say) my band is kinda small and not everyone is very dedicated. This week has been absolutely amazing though! The entire time I was there, I was lucky enough to be surrounded by people just as passionate and serious about music and musicianship as I was. It was FABULOUS!!!! The only bad thing was that 40+ hours of practice and playing my trumpet took a toll on my poor lips. I have a blister the size of Russia (exaggeration) on my top lip. Thank you, Mr.Trumpet. We won't be talking for a few weeks. For now, I'm letting my lips rest and on Saturday, July 4th, (Independence day!!!!) I will be traveling to Nashville, TN with one of my best friends, to go to Camp Electric (a christian music camp) for singing! I can't wait!

So this was my band! ft. Mr. Glen Funderburk as our director!

This is just part of the CSU campus! It's sooo pretty and there are ducks in the pond!!!!!

P.S. I LOVE DUCKS! I guess I'm not a Herondale.... (TMI reference)

Ready?

RED QUEEN REVIEW WILL BE POSTED TOMORROW! Sorry, I've been at CSU Music Camp this week and haven't been able to post! But I will post the review tomorrow! I loved the book!

Are you a non-reader?

If you like reading but have trouble getting into a book, or if you have a required read and don't want to read it, (ME!!!!) here is an article to help you out! Just click here! I know it's kinda silly, but it has helped me.... a little. I still hate my required reads...

Required Reads

So, right now, I have three required reads for school. (Virals, 1984, and Lord of the Flies) I also have to do reflections on each chapter (only for 1984 and Lord of the Flies) which makes the process take longer than it really needs to. All of the books are pretty good but I just can't bring myself to read. I'm having to force myself to read a few chapters every day and even that is agony. Am I the only one with this problem? Help! This is killing me! 

Basically...

More Buzzfeed! :)

This is so true!

I'm sorry, but this is just really inspirational!

Buzzfeed is awesome! ;)

So Many Books, Not Enough Time

These are just a few books that I want to read this summer or am required to read. This isn't even all of it. I have like... 3 or 4 more in the mail. Plus a few that I am borrowing from people. Let's do this!

The Heir by Kiera Cass

In the first 3 installments of The Selection series, (The Selection, The Elite, and The One) the story followed America Singer and Maxon Schreave throughout their selection. After their love story ends with happily ever after, the point of view shifts to that of their eldest daughter, Eadlyn. At the beginning of the book, I honestly thought Eadlyn was really rude and I didn't particularly like her. I kept reading because I knew that Kiera wouldn't disappoint me with such an unlikeable character. I was right! By the end of the book I was enchanted by Eadlyn! And her suitors (well most of them) were perfect! I went into this book with a lot of ideas of what was going to happen in a female-lead selection and I was completely surprised by what actually happened! I was nice, not being able to predict what would happen! Personally, I feel that all of the new and old characters meshed well and the plot twist only added to everything I already loved! There was just enough drama and romance to keep me reading until the very last page. I'm pretty sure I finished the book in like 3 days. Haha, I have no life. I honestly live in fictional worlds more than I do the real one. :) The Heir is a must read for all of those teen lit fans and Selectioners out there! I was pleasantly surprised by the 4th book and I can't wait for the 5th!

Shadowhunters TV on ABC

So, I am obsessed with The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. The first book which is called "City of Bones" was made into a movie a year or two ago. Anyway, long story short, it was a bust. (Well I thought is was great despite the millions of book-to-movie changes made) Back on topic! So, now ABC is going to make a TV show out of it. They have all new cast and set... EVERYTHING! I've seen post on instagram and twitter about it and I'm kinda excited I just don't want it to fail like the movie did. I hope it's good though!

The Selection Series by Kiera Cass

Kiera Cass is a simply inspirational person. I follow her on instagram and twitter and her post are simply amazing. She is just a really fun, outgoing, christian lady! And it's reflected in her books. If you're not a christian, don't get scared off. Her book are not christian novels. (I'm not saying they're erotic or anything but they aren't meant to be christian novels.) The Selection Series is comprised of 4 books and 1 in the works. It's set in a futuristic United States that is now called Illea and ran by a Monarchy. America Singer, the main character is just a normal girl, living in Carolina. Getting by is not always easy when you live in a family of artist but they manage until one day, America gets a letter that will change her life. I don't want to go into a synopsis of the entire series but it really is a great read. The plot is paced perfectly with just enough twist to keep you on the edge of your seat! The pages are filled with a romance, drama, a little action, and so much more. Cass ties it all together into a package fit for a Queen!

Books v.s. Movies

In my experience as a reader, books that are adapted to movies are never as good on the big screen as they are in binding. Of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but since this IS my blog, I'm gonna share my own opinion. In all honesty, it sometimes really just depends on the book. For instance, if the plot was good but author was terrible, I may prefer the movie, simply because the written quality of the book was unmentionable. This is all hypothetical of course, but it could happen. However, some books should just stay books. For example Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. I loved the books. The chemistry between Edward and Bella was perfect... in the books! When I saw the movies, I was crushed because the movies were not what I had envisioned. They were good movies but I was so disappointed. Even if both the movie and the book are great, most of the time, things in movies change. I really hate when little things are left out of movies when those things are so pivotal and crucial in books. Like Divergent, or The Hunger Games! (Two of my favorite book and movie series!) Little things were left out and it just breaks my heart! I think I can hear my books crying now! Okayyy, so I may be exaggerating a little bit but forreal! I don't know. Now that I am actually realllyyy thinking about this, I kinda like being able to imagine my characters and settings in my head. When I read, I have this little movie playing in my head of everything that's going on. Maybe that's just me. For more about Books V.S. Movies, click here!

The Heir by Kiera Cass

Look what I finally got in the mail today! Can't wait to start reading!!!

Laken's Books in Boone Town on Facebook

Check out our Facebook page! There will be updates about new books and what I'm posting on here! There is a link at the bottom of this page and one right here!

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Marie Lu has definitely made a name for herself in the realm of books. Her New York Times bestselling series Legend (Followed by Prodigy and Champion) has been a number one read for me and many other readers. Despite her success with Legend, I was a bit leery about reading her new book, The Young Elites. I decided to give it a chance, and within the first few pages, I was hooked. I literally couldn't even put it down. I think that I finished it in almost 2 days. That's how good it was! The story follows a young girl named Adelina Amouteru. She has been marked a Malfetto by the blood fever that tore through her entire country. Being a Malfetto meant that she was considered dirty and unwanted by everyone, even her family. So she runs away, Only to be caught by the royal guard and sentenced to death. While in captivity she discovers that she is not just a Malfetto, that she is special. So, I'm not going to say anymore about the plot but if you want a better book summary click here. This book is filled with action and even a touch of romance to spice things up. The characters and unexpected plot twist create a riveting story keeping you engaged until the very last page. There is an unexpected twist to the dystopian theme making a story world that I would want to visit again and again. And luckily, I can because Marie Lu is writing a sequel called The Rose Society. If it is anything like the first, I  can't wait. 4 out of 5 stars!!!

The Mortal Instruments Series

The Mortal Instruments Series, written by Cassandra Clare, has been my go-to over the past few months. In total, there are 6 books. All of them follow the same group of people, mainly Clary Fray, Jace Wayland and their family.. (I know the names change throughout but I don't want to spoil anything) The fantasy series has a lot of biblical influence and is centered around the battle of good and evil. Good being Angels, and evil being Demons. I know that the good vs. evil plot sounds very iconic but there is a bit of a twist making it a very interesting read. There are even vampires and werewolves for my twilight fans. Now, I don't want to reveal too many secrets about the books themselves but the first 3 books revolve around one main plot (one bad guy trying to destroy everything) and then leads into another riveting story line which carries on throughout the last 3 books. In my opinion, I felt like the story moved really slow at times. I mean when less than 1 week of time has passed during a 600 page book, the reader may start to get a little bored. but push through and the ending is well worth it. Clare uses many literary techniques to create suspense throughout all 6 installments, making you want to read more despite slow pace. I definitely recommend these books for mature teens or young adults. By no means should this be read by children. Although there is no extremely vulgar scenes, some of the characters share some very romantically heated moments and there is some profanity used in a couple of places. The mix of fantasy, action and romance is perfect in my opinion and the entire series is very well written. Very much worth the time spent reading into the shadow world! They're even turning it into a TV show. (I'm reserving my judgement on that for latter.) For more about Cassandra Clare, click here.

Wattpad

So, one of my close friends recently introduced me to and app/website called Wattpad. At first I thought it was going to be stupid but I actually really like it now! There are unlimited options and for someone who tends to always run out of books, its great! And on top of that, you can even write your own stuff and share it. There's all types of genre and even some really great fanfic (if you are into that sorta thing) If you wanna try it online, here is the link. https://www.wattpad.com/signup  And if you want to download the app, click on this one. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=wp.wattpad&hl=en I hope y'all like it! But don't forget about all the real books out there.

Beginning of Summer Book Haul

So, just getting out of school, every sensible person needs a good book. But if you're like me, you need at least 20 to get you through the sweltering days sitting by the pool. Well 20 may be a bit of an exaggeration, but I had to have a few books to get me through the 1st few weeks of June. (For some reason, I just thought of June from Legend, by Marie Lu. It's a really good series btw!) Anyway, back on topic. so for school, I have to read 3 books and do a little extra with some writing journals and everything. My first one is Virals by Kathy Reichs and Brendan Reichs. Some people have told me that it is good but we will see. My second summer reading book is 1984 by George Orwell. It's a classic, and I don't usually read a lot of classics so, it should be fun. I also have to read another classic, Lord of the Flies. I'm Pretty sure its by William Golding. To be honest, it looks kinda weird but i don't like to judge a book by it's cover so.... idk. Now, for my pleasure reads, I have Red Queen, by Victoria Aveyard and The Heir(Book 4 in the Selection Series) by Kiera Cass. They're both Dystopian/Romantic so I am super excited because that is like, my fav combo in a book! I can't wait!!!!

Let's talk about BOOKS

So, I'm Laken and I love books, obviously! I read all of the time! I'm one of those people that take their book with them everywhere, even if I know I probably won't be able to read until latter. I love dystopian novels, spiced with a little action and Romance. I also enjoy a little historical fiction or realistic fiction.  I'm not huge on non-fiction but I will suffer through it if I must. And that's a little bit about me! I hope this works out!