Review: Tiger Lily, by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair. . . .
Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Peaches comes a magical and bewitching story of the romance between a fearless heroine and the boy who wouldn't grow up.

5 Stars 

“Let me tell you something straight off. This is a love story, but not like any you've ever heard. The boy and the girl are far from innocent. Dear lives are lost. And good doesn't win.”

Halfway through reading Tiger Lily, I was sure that this would end up being a 4-star-read. After finishing that last note, that last P.S., I realized how wrong I was.

Top 2014 Book Releases I'm Crazy About

In no particular order:

1. Ruin and Rising, by Leigh Bardugo

 

2. Cress, by Marissa Meyer

End of Year Bookish Survey

Thanks to Jamie at The Perpetual Page Turner for hosting this survey!

1. Best Book You Read In 2013? (If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2013 release vs. backlist)

Fantasy- Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson, Shadow & Bone series by Leigh Bardugo, The Unearthly series

Contemporary/Realistic- Anna and the French Kiss, I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak, Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta, The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Dystopian/Sci-fi- Cinder by Marissa Meyer, The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa  

Historical Fiction- Out of the Easy and Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Movie Review: The Book Thief

A few weeks ago, I finally had the chance to watch a book-movie adaptation of one of my favorite novels, The Book Thief. Rarely has a movie impacted me to this extent, and I'm quite satisfied with how true the movie stayed to this beloved book of mine.

Review: The Sky Is Everywhere, by Jandy Nelson

Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life - and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey's boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie's own. Joe is the new boy in town, a transplant from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they're the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can't collide without the whole wide world exploding.

This remarkable debut is perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Francesca Lia Block. Just as much a celebration of love as it is a portrait of loss, Lennie's struggle to sort her own melody out of the noise around her is always honest, often hilarious, and ultimately unforgettable. -Goodreads

4.5 Stars

"You can tell your story any way you damn well please.

It’s your solo."

Stacking the Shelves (9)

Library haul!

1- Dark Triumph, by Robin LaFevers

2- No and Me, by Delphine de Vigan

3- Cinder, by Marissa Meyer 

Bought:

The Harry Potter Special Edition Book Set! *dies*

1- Stardust, by Neil Gaiman

2- World After, by Susan Ee (read the review here)

3- Tiger Lily, by Jodi Lynn Anderson (review to come)

From Netgalley:

Granada Gold, by S A Carney

On a side note, I'm looking for a co-blogger, so if anyone is interested, fill out the form here.

Review: World After, by Susan Ee

In this sequel to the bestselling fantasy thriller, Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world.

When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose? -Goodreads

3 Stars

Initially, I truly liked World After. Now, after further contemplation, I found that this book did not exactly live up to my expectations. So, I lowered my rating to 3 stars.

Buddy Read Discussion: The Piper's Son, by Melina Marchetta

I had the pleasure of buddy-reading a book written by one of my favorite authors, with the awesome Rashika from Tangled in Pages. We had a great time discussing this wonderful book, and we ended up agreeing on almost everything. Although we thought it was fractionally less... powerful, I guess, as Jellicoe and Looking for Alibrandi, we still loved it immensely.

Actual Rating: 4.75 stars