Extraordinary Means

"And the thing about trying to cheat death
is that, in the end, you
still lose."

Title: Extraordinary Means

Author: Robyn Schneider

First Published: 2015

Series: Stand Alone

Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook

My Rating: 9.5/10

Goodreads Summary:

At seventeen, overachieving Lane finds himself at Latham House, a sanatorium for teens suffering from an incurable strain of tuberculosis. Part hospital and part boarding school, Latham is a place of endless rules and confusing rituals, where it's easier to fail breakfast than it is to flunk French.

There, Lane encounters a girl he knew years ago. Instead of the shy loner he remembers, Sadie has transformed. At Latham, she is sarcastic, fearless, and utterly compelling. Her friends, a group of eccentric troublemakers, fascinate Lane, who has never stepped out of bounds his whole life. And as he gradually becomes one of them, Sadie shows him their secrets: how to steal internet, how to sneak into town, and how to disable the med sensors they must wear at all times.

But there are consequences to having secrets, particularly at Latham House. And as Lane and Sadie begin to fall in love and their group begins to fall sicker, their insular world threatens to come crashing down.

Told in alternating points of view, Extraordinary Means is a darkly funny story about doomed friendships, first love, and the rare miracle of second chances.

I loved this book. Why? Because it's by Robyn Schneider (Just a tiny, minor detail). I've already read one of her other books, The Beginning of Everything. Her writing style is what sucked me in from page one. Told from Lane and Sadie's point of views, the book revolves around their lives in Latham House and their struggles to survive Tuberculosis. Most books about illnesses these days are mainly based on mental illnesses - and that's perfectly fine. It's just that sometimes, we need to read about different types of illnesses, like the ones caused by bacteria/viruses and other harmful living organisms. We have to spread awareness that there are some sinister diseases still lurking out there,

How does this book keep it realistic, you may ask? Well, no illness book is complete without death, am I right? But I'm going to stop right there, to avoid accidentally spilling the dying and the dead. The book also opened up the floodgates - I cried too many times to count. I found myself asking at many points during the book: Why did this have to happen? But the answer is right there: because that's life.

The book is filled with meaningful quotes that should definitely be jotted down. They all add to the ending of the book - which is a happy ending, depending on how you want to look at it. I found it to be a happy ending. Not for everything though, because not everyone gets happy endings.

It was a great read. For everyone out there, I recommend Robyn Schneider's books. They are masterpieces in the modern literary world. It sometimes reminds me of Jandy Nelson's writing. Beautiful books. 

The Catcher In The Rye

"Sometimes I act a lot older than
I really am. But people never notice it.
People never notice
anything."

Title: The Catcher In The Rye

Author: J.D. Salinger

First Published: 1951

Series: Stand Alone

Genre: Classic, Coming-of-age

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook

My Rating: 8/10

Goodreads Summary:

Since his debut in 1951 as The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield has been synonymous with "cynical adolescent." Holden narrates the story of a couple of days in his sixteen-year-old life, just after he's been expelled from prep school, in a slang that sounds edgy even today and keeps this novel on banned book lists. It begins,"If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. In the first place, that stuff bores me, and in the second place, my parents would have about two hemorrhages apiece if I told anything pretty personal about them."His constant wry observations about what he encounters, from teachers to phonies (the two of course are not mutually exclusive) capture the essence of the eternal teenage experience of alienation.

Chosen Quote:

“What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn't happen much, though.”

Holden Caulfield, the depressed teenager who doesn't ever want to grow up. The Catcher In The Rye is a coming of age novel, and focuses on Holden's life, and how his actions affect the people around him and himself.

Holden really reminds me of Peter Pan, in some ways. Holden's afraid to grow up; he doesn't want anything to change. He'd prefer if everything stayed the same. He also hates all people, and would rather stay away from them. He calls everyone else 'phonies', when he is one.

The ending is very thought-provoking. Who knows if the story is really even true? How do we know he wasn't lying the whole time? The beauty of this book is that you never really know what happens, especially when Holden stated that he was a terrific liar.

So, what do I think of Holden? He's a very complex character, and only some can really relate to him. Well, I guess we all can relate to him, if we tried. He doesn't want to grow up. That's something we all feel, every once in a while.

Summer List

You know those Summer To-do Lists? Those bucket lists? Well, I have one too! Except, it's for the books I need/want to read.

1. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Why? This book has been sitting on my shelf for a couple of years, and every time I pick it up, I put it back down. This time? No! I'm reading this book.
2. The Shining by Stephen King. Who doesn't want a little bit of horror during the summer? Once there's a stormy night... here we go.
3. 1984 by George Orwell. A dystopian novel. I just want to read it to compare it to the dystopian novels that are written today. It seems as if our expectations for the future are falling rapidly.
4. Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder. Maybe it will expand my way of thinking about the world. 

So, these are all the books I can think of on the spot, but I'm sure there are more books to come!

Half Bad

Title: Half Bad

"The trick is to not mind. Not mind about
it hurting. Not mind about
anything."

Author: Sally Green

First Published: 2014

Series: Half Bad series (Book 1)

Genre: YA, Fantasy

Available As: Paperback, Ebook

My Rating: 9.5/10

Goodreads Summary:

Wanted by no one.

Hunted by everyone.

Sixteen-year-old Nathan lives in a cage: beaten, shackled, trained to kill. In a modern-day England where two warring factions of witches live amongst humans, Nathan is an abomination, the illegitimate son of the world's most terrifying and violent witch, Marcus. Nathan's only hope for survival is to escape his captors, track down Marcus, and receive the three gifts that will bring him into his own magical powers—before it's too late. But how can Nathan find his father when there is no one safe to trust, not even family, not even the girl he loves?

Nathan is a Half-Code. He's half White Witch and half Black Witch. What does that make him? Evil. Well, according to the Whites Witches.

I'm loving this book! I really loved the way Nathan narrates the story, since it really reminds me of Tumblr and Wattpad stories that I really like. Although many may say his grammar is horrible, it doesn't really matter. He isn't the easiest to relate to, but his story just really attaches to you, and you won't forget that easy.

Nathan is a strong-willed boy, and he doesn't give up easily. I mean, his life goal was kept since he was really young. And everyone knows how easy it is to change your life goals, right?


Oh yeah! Of course. Annalise and Nathan. Do you ship them? I don't, not really. I just feel like Annalise is annoying and too perfect. But I can see why Nathan would fall in love with her. What I do ship though, is Nathan and Gabriel. Yes! They seem so cute together, and I really hope Nathan chooses Gabriel in the end.

This book really deals with discrimination and labels. Sound familiar? Yeah, it's like our world today. Labels - the White Witches are 'good' and Black Witches are 'bad'. Ha, yeah right. This isn't true, 70% of the time. Notice the percentage isn't that high? Look at Nathan. Okay, he's half-half, but he's not evil. And all those 'good' White Witches. They're not 100% good anyways. You can't judge a person by their label.

All The Bright Places

"It's not what you take. It's what
you leave."

Title: All The Bright Places

Author: Jennifer Niven

First Published: 2015

Series: Stand-alone

Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance

Available As: Paperback, Ebook

My Rating: 9.5/10

Goodreads Summary:

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the 'natural wonders' of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

Meet Finch. The boy who wants to die. Meet Violet, the girl who wants to live again. How did they meet? On a bell-tower. What happened afterwards? They found peace.

It's an absolutely amazing book. It really makes you think about life and death, especially with the people suffering from depression and those who think about suicide. It unearths all these questions that have different answers, and you just want to keep reading and reading in hope for one.

The book deals with loss, suicide and all these kinds of touchy subjects. But it really opens up the topic and that's how we can learn about what really happens. Suicide is not an easy topic to talk/write/read about, but Niven does a great job at it.

I miss Finch. He was the best character and the perfect boyfriend for Violet. Aaaand, that never really happens. Sorry, spoiler there!

I cried. And cried. And cried. I've never cried so much over a book since TFIOS. And that wasn't even waterworks. That was just sniffles. Why?! This book made me cry too much. That's how good it is. Well, bad for my eyes though. They're a tiny bit swollen.

Definitely recommended if you want a heart-warming but heart-breaking read. Woah, that's a bit contradicting. Oh well. :)

Extra note: if you are suffering from depression or having suicidal thoughts, please, tell somebody. You are not alone, and you never will be. There are hotlines where you can talk to people if things get too unbearable. Talking really helps.

My True Love Gave To Me

Title: My True Love Gave To Me

"Long, cold nights are for falling
in love."

Author: Stephanie Perkins (Editor)

First Published: 2014

Series: Stand-Alone (12 short stories)

Genre: YA, Romance

Available As: Hardcover, Ebook

My Rating: 9.5/10

My True Love Gave To Me is a book, edited by Stephanie Perkins, containing 12 winter romances! This was my Christmas present, and I was so excited to read this book, especially during Christmas! I was definitely not disappointed by the book!

Goodreads Summary:

If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you’re going to fall in love with My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by twelve bestselling young adult writers, edited by international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins. Whether you enjoy celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah, Winter Solstice or New Year's there's something here for everyone. So curl up by the fireplace and get cozy. You have twelve reasons this season to stay indoors and fall in love.

1. Midnights by Rainbow Rowell. It tells the story of a young girl who meets a boy
with whom she slowly falls in love with. The story revolves around each New Year's Eve they spend together. It's cute and sweet. I was captivated by the plot straight away. From the beginning, you can tell it's going to be a great story.

2. The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link. It was a nice story, but the writing wasn't as captivating as it could've been.

3. Angels in the Snow by Matt de la Peña was epic. It started strongly, and ended strongly. It's not your cliché love story, but the main character was definitely someone you could relate and sympathise with. Of course, Haley was awesome. You can tell those two are in loooove!

4. Polaris Is Where You'll Find Me by Jenny Han. I haven't read any books by her (but I'm planning on it!) but I've heard mixed reviews about her writing. Some say she's a great writer, but some say she's not the best. I agree with the former! Her writing is really nice! (Minus the open ended ending)

5. It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins absolutely warmed my heart. The characters were really unique, especially North. It's not everyday a guy comes and helps you rearrange your apartment and life, for that matter.

6. Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan was quite good. The style of writing was nice, and it was quite funny. It isn't your average Christmas romance, so *winks*, get ready.

7. Krampuslauf by Holly Black was interesting. I've seen reviews about her writing, and they were pretty mixed as well. Apart from the title (that my brain found confusing to pronounce - or that's just my limited vocal chords), the story was okay!

8. What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman was an okay read. I have ready other books by her: If I Stay and Just One Day. Her writing is fabulous! The plot was well though out, just... I took longer than expected.

9. Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire was pretty interesting. The characters were likeable and so was the plot.

10. Welcome to Christmas, CA  by Kiersten White was amazing. Maria works at a restaurant, and they just hired a new chef. She's experiencing some family troubles, and the chef helps a lot. This story nearly made me cry buckets, especially the ending. It was so heart-warming an I re-read it twice!

11. Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter was a very interesting story. There was also a touch of mystery, so it really brought forth the mood.

12. The Girl Who Woke The Dreamer by Laini Taylor was a really different story from the others. This seems to be set in some alternate universe where magic is everywhere. The title is also quite eye-catching and I loved the story.

So, these 12 winter romances were absolutely amazing to read. I was sitting there, with my hot chocolate, devouring the book. And it was the time of my life! This is one of the best books to read during the winter, and you can also find this book on my Winter Recommendations post!
So, happy winter! And enjoy what's left of it! :)

Movie Adaptations of 2014!

Movies are so exciting in the cinemas!

Is it just me, or do you get excited to see your favourite book being made into a movie? I love it! Unless the movie turns out to be horrible, like some certain movie I can think of ;)

Usually the movie adaptations are not horrible, they're pretty good. Directors miss out details here and there, but it's not much of a big deal.

Does anyone remember the movie adaptations of books in 2014?

1. Mockingjay, Part One was crazy! It missed out a couple of details, but does it matter a great deal? No. Josh Hutcherson's acting was incredible; he portrayed tortured Peeta in the most intense and amazing way. The ending though, was a (sort of?) cliffhanger! Why another year?
2. The Maze Runner was absolutely amazing! It was like the book, apart from missing out a few details here. They took out the complicated code and the telepathy between Thomas and Teresa! It would've been cooler, but it might've been too complicated. The movie was a bit simpler, but was as exciting as the book!
3. Divergent was pretty good! I read the book a couple of years back, back when nobody had even heard of it, so my feelings for it were quite neutral. Once I heard a movie was being made, I decided to re-read it, and I was quite excited! The movie took out the butter-knife scene, which disappointed me a bit, but nevertheless, it was great!
4. The Fault In Our Stars was such a heart-breaking book, and a heart-wrenching movie! The cast was impeccable, and they stuck close to the book. I loved how John Green appeared in a small scene (I screamed!) and of course, the movie made me cry, as did the book.
5. If I Stay was a great movie. It followed the book to an extent, and really brought forth the waterworks. Isn't Chloe Grace Moretz a great actor? She totally fits Mia perfectly!

If I missed out any movies, I'm sorry! But, if you liked or didn't like these movies, let me know what you thought of them! And have a Happy New Year!