Reader Rising

Sunday, September 4, 2016

Review: Something In Between

Something In Between by Melissa de la Cruz

From the No.1 New York Times bestselling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for readers of all ages comes a thought-provoking and timely novel about immigration, family, friendship, and finding out where you belong.
Jasmine de los Santos has always done what’s expected of her. Pretty and popular, she’s studied hard, made her Filipino immigrant parents proud, and is ready to reap the rewards in the form of a full college scholarship.

And then everything shatters. A national scholar award invitation compels her parents to reveal the truth: their visas expired years ago. Her entire family is illegal. That means no scholarships, maybe no college at all, and the very real threat of deportation. But Jasmine won't give up. Because when the rules you lived by no longer apply, the only thing to do is make up your own.

Something In Between is such an important read. Melissa de la Cruz brings to light the struggles of undocumented families and informs her readers on the subject; likewise, she still tells a great love story. I can't recommend this enough!

Our main character, Jasmine, has worked hard her whole life. She hopes to get into a top college. However, her parents tell her that their family is undocumented, and all her hopes seem to shatter. How can she get a scholarship to go Stanford if she isn't documented? There's also the threat of her family being forced out of the US. Jasmine still fights for her dreams though, and the book follows her journey.

Meanwhile, there is also a cute romance unfolding between Jasmine and a senator's son. The senator, however, takes a big stance against undocumented families. That, and other things, make the relationship a tough one. Along with the main ship, I also enjoyed seeing Jasmine interact with her friends and family.

I strongly recommend reading the author's bit at the end of Something In Between. She describes what inspired her to write the novel, and tells how her history corresponds with Jasmine's in some ways.

Overall, I am very glad I read Something In Between. Melissa de la Cruz has opened my eyes to the fears and struggles of undocumented families... who just want to feel safe in their home, the USA.

4/5 Stars

*I received a free arc from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

What are your thoughts on undocumented families?

Have you read the book? Are you excited to read it?

Monday, August 22, 2016

Review: The Lovely Reckless

The Lovely Reckless by Kami Garcia
I’ve become an expert at avoiding things that could hurt me—which means I will figure out how to stay away from Marco Leone.

Seventeen-year-old Frankie Devereux would do anything to forget the past. Haunted by the memory of her boyfriend’s death, she lives her life by one dangerous rule: Nothing matters. At least, that’s what Frankie tells herself after a reckless mistake forces her to leave her privileged life in the Heights to move in with her dad—an undercover cop. She transfers to a public high school in the Downs, where fistfights don’t faze anyone and illegal street racing is more popular than football.

Marco Leone is the fastest street racer in the Downs. Tough, sexy, and hypnotic, he makes it impossible for Frankie to ignore him—and how he makes her feel. But the risks Marco takes for his family could have devastating consequences for them both. When Frankie discovers his secret, she has to make a choice. Will she let the pain of the past determine her future? Or will she risk what little she has left to follow her heart?

The Lovely Reckless was an addicting and exciting read. Kami Garcia has delivered a real page turner! On the ARC so many authors blurbed and praised this book, and I can definitely see why. I expect it will be a major fall release, and I will happily recommend The Lovely Reckless to other book bloggers!

Frankie, who has just witnessed the murder of her boyfriend, is having a tough time adjusting after the tragedy. She can't even remember his murderer. On the day of his funeral, she's caught drunk driving. From then forth she's sent to live with her dad, who's a cop, on the rough side of town. It's very different than her previous community in the Heights. Frankie's life does a 180.

That's when the real excitement starts. Frankie gets mixed up with street racing, criminals, and new tough best friends (I loved Cruz. She was awesome.) Garcia also points out how a lot of these "rough" kids have tough backgrounds... and that their situations are hard, and sometimes impossible, to get out of.

My only complaint: the insta-love. I really liked both characters separately. However, as a couple, Frankie and Marco exchanged the "I love you"s too fast in my opinion. We were told as readers how much they loved each other, but I couldn't quite see it yet. The classic case of show not tell! I do think they are a perfect fit though: they just needed more time to get to know each other.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story. Yes, the drama was fun and addicting; but Garcia also put in a lot of depth and made some good points. Additionally the "rougher" setting (the Downs) was fun and different. I am so glad I picked The Lovely Reckless up. Readers, mark your calendars for October 4th. You'll thank me later. (Fan of Katie McGarry or Jennifer L Armentrout will especially love this!)

Top Ten Tuesday: Books that have been on my TBR forever

Hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

Here are some books that have been on my to-read list since BEFORE I started blogging in 2013.

You can yell at me in the comments.

LOOK! A 2016 Releases Giveaway

Please go enter :D Click here

What books have you neglected for years? Which of these books do I NEED to read right away?

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Feature and Follow Friday: Opening Scenes

Hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read

Featured Blog: Flavia the Bibliophile

POST PROMPT:

What is your favorite opening scene?

I don't have an all-time favorite opening scene in a book BUT right now I'm reading Six of Crows and the beginning is pretty awesome. Here is the first sentence:

"Joost had two problems: the moon and his mustache."

So far Six of Crows has been very good!

Also, I remember Throne of Glass having a very epic opening scene, when she's taken from Endovier to become a potential King's Champion.

Also, of course Harry Potter has a great opening scene because it's a classic.

What do you think of Opening Scenes? What are your favorites?

Also LOOK! A 2016 Releases Giveaway
Please go enter :D Click here

Review: The Reader

The Reader by Traci Chee

A stunning debut set in a world where reading is unheard-of, perfect for fans of Inkheart and Shadow and Bone
Sefia knows what it means to survive. After her father is brutally murdered, she flees into the wilderness with her aunt Nin, who teaches her to hunt, track, and steal. But when Nin is kidnapped, leaving Sefia completely alone, none of her survival skills can help her discover where Nin’s been taken, or if she’s even alive. The only clue to both her aunt’s disappearance and her father’s murder is the odd rectangular object her father left behind, an object she comes to realize is a book—a marvelous item unheard of in her otherwise illiterate society. With the help of this book, and the aid of a mysterious stranger with dark secrets of his own, Sefia sets out to rescue her aunt and find out what really happened the day her father was killed—and punish the people responsible.

With overlapping stories of swashbuckling pirates and merciless assassins, The Reader is a brilliantly told adventure from an extraordinary new talent.

Traci Chee's debut is a promising start to what I am sure will a fantastic new series. The Reader is many things: an ode to books, a wink at magic, and a tale of family, friends, and enemies. All of this is set in a original, lucious new world.

Is The Reader fast paced? No, not for me. But, and here's the important part, it didn't need to be. The Reader took it's time setting up the world and characters. Chee spent great time making sure her language was beautiful and rich. It was never fast-paced, but it was never boring- it was interesting, intriguing, and new. The action parts were still exciting- and trust me there was plenty of action.

The book is a triumph in itself, with extra add-ins such as thumb prints, burn marks, a beautiful map, and even a sort-of "book within a book". Chapters of the book Sefia reads are included, letting us experience the power of the book with her, and also discover important characters.

I liked Sefia a lot, but my only complaint is that I lacked that true connection. However, my heart did ache for her as I learned her parent's fates, and as she had to watch Nin be taken away. She is hurting and a life on the run has her living very alone until she finds Archer. I loved Archer- He had a very tragic backstory as well. In fact, the whole slew of character were delightful in different ways- there were charismatic characters, violent characters, morally grey characters- and all were multi-dimentional.

Pirates, magic, readers, a beautiful budding romance, vengeful darkness and more make The Reader a glowing success that I expect will be a big hit once September rolls around. I am anxious for the second book!