Coach Alexandrea J's Reading Nook

I did mention how obsessed I can get over the things that I love...right?

Ok so I finished the book today and WOW. I am BEYOND glad that I stuck with it because it's still pouding in my mind right now. I mean literally, I keep reflecting on the imagery I've created of the Republic and Day & June and I'm just like...

I need more!

I read this book COMPLETELY unaware that this was part of a series so you can imagine how much my heart was totally sinking when I saw how little I had to go to finish the book knowing there was NO WAY on God's green earth that they were going to answer all the questions I had in enough time. Then when it ended, I was like WHAT?! I went on a madhunt and found this was book 1 to a three part series and that book 2 is already out and book 3 is coming soon.

Believe me when I say that I truly cried-legit-happy tears.

What I Liked:

Can I just say BRAVO to Marie Lu for creating a story where BOTH the boy AND the girl characters are REALLY smart, beautiful, and their own heroes? I mean TRULY! It's like WHY AREN'T THERE MORE BOOKS LIKE THIS?! Listen, I love books that feature one being the victim and one being the hero but I won't lie that it is VERY refreshing to see a character where the girl is just as strong as the boy and the boy needs the girl as much as the girl needs him. I mean it's just equality all up and down the place! :) LOL She may not have meant to do that-but that's what I got and what I LOVED!

• The last 25% of the book was literally amazing! It was fast paced-the words were sooo incredibly well written that it was poetic and cinematic. I could literally see what she intended me to see in my head. It was GREAT writing and it was so fast paced that I felt like I was running out of breath myself trying to run from the enemy. I was crying and screaming-I even was tempted to throw the precious book on the ground because I was getting so frustrated with some of the mean people. It was GREAT!

Switching between June & Day's perspective. The book is written in a way that you get to hear both sides of their version of the story. It's a REALLY great way of writing because it makes it feel like the book is CONSTANTLY changing and "new". Often since books are written only in the perspective of the main character, you only know the world through their eyes-which is great! Don't get me wrong! But at the same time, when I see this-it makes me think how refreshing it is to see opposite ends of the same world. It's more like real life. In real life, there are so many different ways to look at the same experience so when we get to see that in books-it's plenty cool! I really enjoyed that.

What I Didn't Like:

...I'll be gentle....lol

• Ok...if I'm honest...the book started really slow for me. I was tempted to give up nearly every single time I picked it up. However, I really wanted to stick with it because Christine from Youtube was RAVING about how awesome this book was so I really wanted to see what she was saying. I spent the majority of this book questioning her reading taste though because I just couldn't see what she saw. I was constantly like, "this book is supposed to be amazing? Where's the amazing part?" lol However, I did stick with it and it REALLY picked up out of no where for me! I me it literally just changed like a light switch. So if you're like me and you just don't "get it" at the beginning-believe me, there are many rewards in store for you if you stick with it.
  And if you happen to still not find it interesting after reading....I do apologize for making you read it. lol

• There is TONS of death & suffering in this book and that REALLY got me. I literally was tired of crying. I don't like crying over books but I do it ANY time someone important [to me anyway] dies in a book and goodness....just have a kleenex box ready. Unless you're not dramatic like me....

• Not a fan of the font color changes. I like that it was something different but I didn't like the colors because it would bother my eyes sometimes at night....but it was something new and different and I liked the creativity in that.

Do I Recommend It:

I totally do! I actually think I need to read this twice in order to FULLY enjoy it. I feel like now that I understand soo much more since most of the "whys" were answered near the end, now I need to go back and read the first part to really get everything. :) So definitely worth a read. I liked it so much that I really want to buy it. (I borrowed it from the library)

Favorite Quotes:

• "The memory fades, and I'm left hanging on to the ghosts of his words" p. 250
• "Her sadness makes her impossibly beautiful, like snow blanketing a barren landscape. p. 230 (I can immediately see what this looks like and it's beautiful!)
• "Each day means a new twenty-four hours. Each day means everything's possible again. You live in the moment, you die in the moment, you take it all one day at a time." p. 304 (the absolute most powerful & truthful statement I have ever read I think)

Lessons:

• Don't give up on yourself, your circumstances, or even on humanity. There's always hope.
• Don't focus on "what you should've done". You can't change the past but you can change the moment you're in.

   

• Catch more of my review in my first ever BookTalk on my new book review radio show: Tea, Books, & Film :)

Ok so those are my thoughts! Have you read it? What did you think? Share your thoughts!!