Charlotte's Library

currently reading: The Thief, by Megan Whalen Turner want to read: Mockingjay , by Suzanne Collins Once Was Lost written by Sara Zarr I was really glad to see a religious YA book, but not at all religious in the traditional sense. There is nothing preachy about this novel. It's a beautiful story about a girl struggling to find her sense of place in her religious community, trying to figure out how to juggle a life, religious and otherwise, while having to be the preacher's daughter required to appear with a sort of socially preconceived demeanor. It's laughable to think that teenagers don't struggle with religion. The teenage years are when kids grow up and begin to really think for themselves, and begin their own religious journeys as opposed to the ones their parents simply brought them into. I'm really glad that Sara Zarr wrote such an open, honest book about how a teenager deals with those questions and developing that religious identity. She does so in a...

Wherever Nina Lies written by Lynn Weingarten If there's one thing I've got to say about this book, it's that it's misleading marketed. Look at the cover. Does it scream "plot-twisty horror thriller" to you? The cut-out ransom letters do look suspicious, but the color-scheme just makes the book look like another fluffy teen YA. NOT SO. (Although I actually do really love the cover, I just find it misleading.) I'm in no way saying that John Green's Paper Towns was a gender-specific book, but this really read like a version of Paper Towns (plus creepyness) written specifically for girls. You have the John Green-esque road trip combined with really great writing, throw in a spooky disappearance, and you get this fantastic book. So, you know, it's late at night and I sit down to read some fluff fiction. This story ends with me staying up far too late, scared out of my mind, but absolutely unable to put the book down. It delves right in to...

What Happened to Cass McBride? written by Gail Giles The only strength What Happened to Cass McBride ? had was its writing. Everything else was utter garbage, especially the plot. Let's do the good first, before we get to my massive list of complaints, shall we? The writing style was very unique, dotted with cutesy little phrases here and there, making for a poetic read. Other than that, the only other thing I can positively remark on was my like of the fonts that allowed for easy differentiation between characters. Alright, so, the negatives. First of all, this is a murder mystery of sorts. So it's very strange that the story is set up in such a way that the reader knows pretty much all along who the culprit is, instead of finding out at the very end. Most of the plot is laid out very early on, which eliminates a lot of the drama and suspense that a good murder mystery should, in my opinion, contain. I'm sure it was done to set the book apart from others in the ...

Vote for Larry written by Janet Tashjian This is...an odd book. I mean, really, that's the only word for it. The first book in the series, The Gospel According to Larry, has a really definitive and conclusive ending. As in, there is absolutely no room for more . And yet, somehow, Tashjian manages to somehow completely ignore the fact that she told us in the previous book that we would never hear from Larry again, and she brings him back. Just baffling. So, okay, we're left to read another book about Larry's adventures which were supposed to have ended, but that's ok. More books can be a good thing, right? I still want to know why she didn't just create a new character with a new story, but this is ok, too. For the book itself, you don't have to have read the first book to understand it, and not very much time and depth is given to recapping, which is always nice. It has that same quirky writing we saw in The Gospel According to Larry , same lovable char...

Hi, readers! I'm volunteering for this organization called The Harry Potter Alliance . We're currently in the running to win $250,000 to work on helping get rid of social inequality as well as give books to people who might not ordinarily be able to afford them. We're doing this all in the spirit of Harry Potter as an online fan community. It's a great organization, but one massive road block they've always had in the way is funding. It's REALLY easy to vote, just takes a few seconds, and I'd really appreciate it if you could help out or even spread the word if it's a cause you believe in! Just go to www.hpaftw.com to vote. I'll post some links with more information. How to vote FAQ (Where will the money go?) Thanks, lovelies! I really appreciated! Leave me a comment to let me know if you've voted :)

Magic's Child written by Justine Larbalestier First of all, I really did like the title of the thrilling conclusion to the trilogy. I really did, as usual with this series by Larbalestier, enjoy the writing and interaction between the characters. I think the most interesting aspect of this comes up with a really frank and open discussion regarding the connection between religion and magic. I loved that Larbalestier was able to fairly show two differing opinions through her characters without sounding preachy or carrying a bias. One bone I do have to pick was the changing points of view. I am usually a fan of this if done well, but really, that bothered me a bit in this book. I don't think it fit in well with the rest of the novel. The final face off was fantastically well done, and really, I don't think I've ever read a book series that would translate so well to film. I hope one day this happens. All in all, it's a slow-paced read, but in a comfortable wa...