Title: A Monster Calls
Author: Patrick Ness (Original Idea By: Siobhan Dowd)
Illustrator: Jim KayPublisher: Candlewick Press
Pages: 215 (Hardcover)
Published: April 2, 2012
Days to Read: 1 Night
Rating: 4.5/5 !!!

Description: Goodreads

※※※

At seven minutes past midnight, thirteen-year-old Conor wakes to find a monster outside his bedroom window. But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting — he’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments. 

The monster in his backyard is different. It’s ancient. And wild. And it wants something from Conor. Something terrible and dangerous. It wants the truth. 

From the final idea of award-winning author Siobhan Dowd — whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself — Patrick Ness has spun a haunting and darkly funny novel of mischief, loss, and monsters both real and imagined.

My Review:

When a Monster Calls is a very unique book that I found in my school’s library a couple of days ago. I’d already heard of the book through goodreads and had read a few reviews on how unique and intriguing the book was. So when I saw this book sitting all by itself on the shelf, I couldn’t help but pick it up and check it out. For a while it sat in my locker, I’d already had to finish a few other books I was working on, and finally on Monday I put it in my bag and took it home, ready to ready it. I started at 9:30 and when I turned the last page it was 12:30.

It captivated me, had me interested all the way through and though I kept telling myself that I should probably go to bed, I couldn’t help but keep going. Conor has had a reoccurring nightmare for some time now, and within this nightmare lays a truth of some sort. The ‘monster’ that comes to Conor’s window, seven minutes after twelve may not be the monster from his dream, but he’s there for a reason, and Conor is the only one who can give it to him.

What I liked about this book:

I really liked how Conor was written. He was only thirteen in the book but already he’s faced some very serious things. He really is a strong character and that makes me happy to see.

The illustrations in this book were breathtaking. Some of the time, pictures in a book can make the book have a more childish feature to it, but this one was different. It added to the story and really helped the reader visualize what Conor was going through.

In the story, the Monster that visits Conor tells him three tales, after the third Conor has to give the monster the ‘truth’. I really enjoyed those segments. The stories were very well thought out and they had…a twist to each of them. Each time I was thinking the way Conor was about the lesson of the story and then the monster would make me look at it a completely different way.

What I didn’t enjoy:

Though it was very well written, I did start to get a tad confused in places. I maybe would have liked certain things to be a tad clearer.

It’s marked as horror, and has the pictures for it, but I was hoping for a little more fear. I wanted to be afraid of the monster but instead I was laughing with it and smiling.

Overall, I give this book a 4.5 out of 5 star rating. It’s a very quick read, but a very enjoyable one. I recommend  for sure!

Hello Everybody!

For anybody who reads my reviews or looks over the stuff on my blog, I would like to apologize for the long wait to have a book review up. The reason why I haven't been able to post any recent book reviews or meme's is due to the fact that I recently went through the end of a quarter at school; so all assignments were do, final tests, and all that jazz. It took a lot out of me and had me really tired. I'm happy to say though that I still managed to read some in that time period. I read City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, Beautiful by Amy Reed, and Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins.
I will have full reviews written  up for both City of Bones and Hex Hall, but only a mini review for Beautiful. 


Once again, I really do apologize for my absence and I do plan on being more active this week and next (: 

Thank you guys so much for understanding <3

I love you all!!

Waiting on Wednesday (8): Glitch

Title: Glitch

Author: Heather Anastasiu

Pages: 320 (e-book)

Release Date: August 7th, 2012

Description (Goodreads):

In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network. 

When Zoe starts to malfunction (or "glitch"), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers. 

As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Both boys introduce Zoe to feelings that are entirely new. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they’re caught and deactivated, or worse. 

In this action-packed debut, Glitch begins an exciting new young adult trilogy.

Feature & Follow Friday (7)

Q: Many readers/bloggers are also big music fans. Tell us about a few of your favorite bands/singers that we should listen to in 2012.

A: Ahhh! There's so many bands and singers that I could just spew out in this answer. I love music; with a HUGE passion. If I'm not reading at night then I'm more than likely doing something that has to do with music! I think though that I really do love certain Alternative music. 

My list of bands: 

• The Maine
• All Time Low
• Cobra Starship
• Cute is What We Aim For
• NeverShoutNever!
• The Frey
• Maroon 5

My List of Singers: 

• Rihanna
• Taylor Swift
• Kelly Clarkson
• Adele
• Nicki Minaj
• Michael Buble
• Damien McGinty (<3 Future Husband

Thoughts & Prayers for Jabs, take the time to read.

Tonight, I would like to dedicate one of my posts to a fellow hockey player that belongs to my state, MN. Jack Jablonski was only sixteen years old when he was paralyzed after being hit with an illegal check during his last hockey game. He currently has no feeling in his legs and only a slightly feeling in his shoulders and right arm. 


My heart seriously aches so horribly whenever I see this on the news, or see status updates on his caring bridge for how he's doing. I have a  lot of friends who are in hockey, my own town being huge supporters of the sport. Jack was doing something that he honestly loved and to think that within a second that was all taken from him. 

Tonight though all I've been seeing is hate being spread through Facebook and other sites about how this is just a bunch of hype and that the only reason people are talking about him and doing status updates, and changing their profile pictures is because everybody else is. Well I would like to stick up for myself and many other's by saying that that is not the case at all. Jack needs the support, and while a good portion of people are not religious or may not pray, posting something and getting the word out to other people will at least get Jack to be in their thoughts. He needs all the support he will get, so below I will leave all the pages that you can contact to show that support.

Thank you to anybody who took the time to sit and read this. 

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Jablumpkin

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jack-Jablonski/328294293862502

Caring Bridge: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/JackJablonski

Here are a few more things for you to check out. If you'd like to show support on your facebook, you may do what many have already taken action in doing and change your profile picture to this:

Or at least take the few minutes to watch this video:

May he at least occupy your thoughts for tonight <3

In honor of Jack Jablonski

Waiting on Wednesday (7): Vessel

Title: Vessel

Author: Sarah Beth Durst

Pages: 320 (Hardcover)

Release Date: September 11th, 2012

Description (Goodreads):

In a desert land where serpents made of unbreakable glass fly through the sky and wolves made of only sand hunt within storms, Liyana is destined to be a vessel, to sacrifice herself so that her clan's goddess can inhabit her body... but her goddess never comes.

Review: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour

Title: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour
Author: Morgan Matson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Pages: 344 (Hardcover)
Published: May 4th 2010
Days to Read: 3
Rating: 5 !!!

Description: Goodreads

※※※

Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew—just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn’t seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she’s coming to terms with her father’s death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road—diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards—this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself.

My Review:

I knew, from the minute I found and read about this book, that it was going to be something that I enjoyed. Amy and Roger's Epic Detour is the first road trip novel that I've read, and I have to tell you that I was not at all disappointed.

The whole aspect of traveling cross country, and going on a long 'detour' like Roger and Amy, is such a fun idea. It's definitely on my bucket list, and by reading this book, it's almost like you get a little taste of what it would be like. Amy and Roger's trip started out originally as a planned one that her mother had set up for them. With destined travel spots and hotels with rooms that were already there for them to arrive to. However, it is the two's ideas that instead they do something more adventurous, and thus, the epic detour is born!

I think that one of my favorite things about this book is that Matson didn't make it just a book filled with 'text'. What I mean by that is that throughout the entire novel there are pictures of postcards, notes that Amy has written, doodles by the oh so talented Roger, and even a couple pictures of where they visited. It just adds to the whole trip and traveling aspect of it, and it makes it that much more fun. It also helps that Morgan Matson, the author, has traveled cross country before, making her descriptions of the highways, towns, and states so realistic and beautiful. Matson is an amazing author in the first place, but I really liked that throughout the entire novel, she actually knew what she was talking about.

To be quite honest, I wasn't a hundred percent on board with the characters until I was a little ways into the book. I didn't understand the full extent to why Amy was always so upset, and driven to sadness, but after reading them for a while, and reading their experiences, I did find myself liking them a lot more. I loved Roger as the story went on. He is such a great and sweet guy, and his own story in the novel was great to read about.

In the end, I was happy to have this be the last book I read in 2011. It's a nice and adventurous read from start to end. Ever page filled with a story and well filled text. Morgan Matson sure brought one heck of a trip when she wrote this book. Two thumbs up from me!