Title: The Immortal RulesAuthor: Julie Kagawa
Synopsis: In a future world, vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.”Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of “them.” The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die…or become one of the monsters.Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.But it isn’t easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.
Review: After reading Twilight, my interested in Vampire books has waned greatly thanks to Stephenie Meyer’s sparkling vampires. Vampires are not supposed to sparkle. Vampires are not supposed to make you swoon. Vampires are not supposed to be prissy little creatures who watch girls sleep at night IN THEIR BEDROOMS. Whatever happened to Dracula? What happened to fearing vampires because they can tear your heart out and drain your blood? 
Well, Julie has finally written a story about vampires that accurately portray vampires as the bloodthirsty creatures that they really are. These vampire burn in the sunlight, they kill without feeling, they. are. badass. And they do not make you swoon, which, I might add, is not a quality that characters have to possess to make them likeable (a memo which most YA authors have not received). 
The beginning all the way to the middle of the book is very slow. So slow that it made me wonder why this book was getting such great reviews, but eventually, things picked up. After it picks up, the book reads faster than chickens running from a butcher knife. 
The heroine, Allie, is a kickass female character. A lot of these have been popping up in YA novels lately because I guess strong female leads “sell” the novel, but whatever. I like Allie. She is a fierce and fearless bitch who is not afraid of getting dirty. She actually fights the majority of the battles in the book which is quite impressive. If you break it down, she’s just a fifteen (??? I can’t remember if that’s her age or not) girl who is trying to survive in this bleak world that has been uprooted and overturned and is crawling with vampires and other creatures who want to kill her because it is survival of the fittest, and she sure as hell refuses to go down without a fight.
Aside from the gore and violence, there is romance, but it’s not the driving point of the story. This novel is about a girl who is turned into a vampire, who vows to not succumb to the demon that is inside her, who promises to remember what it was like to be human because that’s all that is keeping her sane - her humanity. It really is a great book. I highly recommend it to those who have been waiting for a great vampire novel to come along.

Title: The Immortal Rules
Author: 
Julie Kagawa

Synopsis: In a future world, vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.”Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of “them.” The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die…or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn’t easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.


Review: After reading Twilight, my interested in Vampire books has waned greatly thanks to Stephenie Meyer’s sparkling vampires. Vampires are not supposed to sparkle. Vampires are not supposed to make you swoon. Vampires are not supposed to be prissy little creatures who watch girls sleep at night IN THEIR BEDROOMS. Whatever happened to Dracula? What happened to fearing vampires because they can tear your heart out and drain your blood? 

Well, Julie has finally written a story about vampires that accurately portray vampires as the bloodthirsty creatures that they really are. These vampire burn in the sunlight, they kill without feeling, they. are. badass. And they do not make you swoon, which, I might add, is not a quality that characters have to possess to make them likeable (a memo which most YA authors have not received). 

The beginning all the way to the middle of the book is very slow. So slow that it made me wonder why this book was getting such great reviews, but eventually, things picked up. After it picks up, the book reads faster than chickens running from a butcher knife. 

The heroine, Allie, is a kickass female character. A lot of these have been popping up in YA novels lately because I guess strong female leads “sell” the novel, but whatever. I like Allie. She is a fierce and fearless bitch who is not afraid of getting dirty. She actually fights the majority of the battles in the book which is quite impressive. If you break it down, she’s just a fifteen (??? I can’t remember if that’s her age or not) girl who is trying to survive in this bleak world that has been uprooted and overturned and is crawling with vampires and other creatures who want to kill her because it is survival of the fittest, and she sure as hell refuses to go down without a fight.

Aside from the gore and violence, there is romance, but it’s not the driving point of the story. This novel is about a girl who is turned into a vampire, who vows to not succumb to the demon that is inside her, who promises to remember what it was like to be human because that’s all that is keeping her sane - her humanity. It really is a great book. I highly recommend it to those who have been waiting for a great vampire novel to come along.


Alas I Cannot Swim
—
“There is gold across the river
but I don’t want none.
Gold is fleeting,
gold is fickle, gold is fun”
- Laura Marling

Alas I Cannot Swim

“There is gold across the river

but I don’t want none.

Gold is fleeting,

gold is fickle, gold is fun”

- Laura Marling

(Source: jehanchoo, via hospital-forr-souls)

I can feel the world giving away, like an old photograph printed on yellow, withering paper, as fragile as a whisper lost in the stealing arms of the wind. The blinking lights of the city brush by my fingertips, so lightly it might have not happened at all, and already, I am lost to the infinite possibilities of the flitting night air. Above me, a thousand twinkling lights mark their place in the sky, and my blood is singing I am so, so alive.

I can feel the world giving away, like an old photograph printed on yellow, withering paper, as fragile as a whisper lost in the stealing arms of the wind. The blinking lights of the city brush by my fingertips, so lightly it might have not happened at all, and already, I am lost to the infinite possibilities of the flitting night air. Above me, a thousand twinkling lights mark their place in the sky, and my blood is singing I am so, so alive.

Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth

Synopsis:In a future Chicago, 16-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.

Review: Holy hell do I ever love this book! The character development, the setting, the pace - it’s all perfect. In this novel emerges another strong heroine: Tris Prior. She’s not built to be a reckless fighting machine; she’s just a sixteen year old girl who has no idea what she’s getting herself into, yet she refuses to admit defeat even in the toughest situations. There’s also Four, the male protagonist who makes me want to cry because I will never be able to find a boy like him in real life. He doesn’t show her any sympathy because she is small and frail. Rather, he pushes her to the limits of her endurance because he knows she is strong-willed and both physically and mentally capable. That’s how he always holds her: tightly, knowing that she wouldn’t break. Although I love reading about Tris and Four’s relationship, you should know that this is not a romantic novel in any way. The most interesting part of the novel, in my opinion at least, is the different functions of each faction, what their purpose is, and how their purpose is achieved. I loved reading about the quirks of each faction: what they do for fun, how they celebrate, what type of food they eat, etc. The entire novel is refreshing and action packed. The events unfold in a way that grab your attention and demand you to keep your eyes glued to the pages. 

Title: Insurgent
Author: Veronica Roth

Synopsis: One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Review: Insurgent picks up right where Divergent left off with just as much action and suspense. The conspiracies, and the conspiracies within conspiracies drive you to dwell further and further into the book in order to find out who can be trusted, who can’t, who has good intentions, who wants to destroy everything that is good, and who is an outright liar. The pacing for this book is very well thought out. Although it is a whopping 500 pages long, it really doesn’t seem like it. The pages practically turn themselves. In every chapter, you learn more and more about Tris’s crumbling world. I also really like how real the characters and their relationships are. For a good portion of the book, Tris is overcome with grief and guilt because of her actions in Divergent. Her emotions lead her to a downward spiral in which she decides she no longer wants to live because she can’t bear to have the constant reminder of death crushing down on her. Because of this, she enters a rocky stage with Four, who is trying desperately to protect her from herself. They argue, they lie, they kiss, they talk, and then they argue some more. Their love for each other is unmistakable, but still, every relationship has its ups and downs. They both have strong personalities. They both want to protect each other. Very often, they clash, and they struggle, and this all makes their relationship all the more realistic and believable. All in all, Insurgent is a brilliant sequel to Divergent. 


Stargirl and Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli.

Jerry Spinelli has captured magic in a single word (or should I say person): Stargirl. These two books possess a certain kind of charm that drew me in and never really let me go. I was, similarly to Leo, fascinated by this girl who was so outwardly different in a sea of people who were awash with the determination to conform to the norm. She played the ukulele in the cafetaria, she sang happy birthday to strangers, she dressed differently, and she was named Stargirl. Throughout the course of both novels, I feel in love. As I turned the last page of each book, I found myself tearing up, even though the novels weren’t sad. Jerry Spinelli’s writing is elegant, charming, and captivating. I wish I picked this book up the countless times I walked past it in my elementary, middle, and high school libraries.

Omg, I’m so scared for this exam that I’m gonna cry

The Atlantic was born today and I’ll tell you how: the clouds above opened up and let it out.

The Atlantic was born today and I’ll tell you how: the clouds above opened up and let it out.

Keeping this coffee cup for the duration of my exam period for motivation

Keeping this coffee cup for the duration of my exam period for motivation

(Source: wolf-teeth)

April 5

Morning

  • Sausages
  • Tater tots
  • Fruit salad

Afternoon

  • Nothing

Night

  • Turkey sandwich
  • Banana cream pie

April 4

Morning

  • Nothing

Afternoon

  • Grilled Cheese sandwich
  • Banana
  • Orange banana smoothie

Night

  • Spicy chicken sub
  • Banana cream pie

April 3

Morning

  • Nothing

Afternoon

  • Grilled cheese sandwich
  • Caesar salad
  • Salt and vinegar chips

Night

  • Ham sub
  • Red velvet cake

April 2

Morning

  • Coffee
  • Strawberry yoghurt

Afternoon/night

  • Steak
  • Caesar salad
  • Baked potato
  • Asparagus
  • Chili

April 1

Morning

  • Sausages
  • Scrambled eggs
  • Toast
  • Fruit salad

Afternoon/night

  • Wonton soup
  • Red velvet cake

March 30

Morning

  • Nothing

Afternoon

  • Fish and chips

Night

  • Smoked salmon
  • Rice
  • Caesar salad