Divergent

Divergent by Veronica Roth


Fast forward into the future, future Chicago. In an attempt at survival, the 5 factions were created. The Candor (the honest), the Abnegation (the selfless), the Dauntless (the brave), the Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the smart). On a certain day of every year, all of the 16 year old's must choose what faction they want to be in...for the rest of their life. There is no changing.
"For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her." (http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.com/p/books.html)

Many people have read Divergent, and/or seen the movie already, but for those that haven't... 

I really enjoyed reading this book!! It kept me on the edge of my seat, and I could not put it down. The story line is unique and very well written. There isn't very much cussing, and not too much sexual stuff. But..... there is a lot of violence. In order for Tris to stay in the Dauntless initiation and then at the end of the book, there is some violent scenes. 

If violence is something that doesn't bother you as much, then I think you would really enjoy this book. However, if this sounds like something that you wouldn't enjoy, then I would maybe pass :) 

rate: PG13

    some violence, & some makeouts (borderline inappropriate)

GOOD OR GOODBYE? 

   I would say GOOD/ You decide! Do what you feel comfortable doing! :)

NITTY GRITTY:

There are a couple instances where the H word is used.
Sexual: There are a couple makeout parts, and sex is hinted at in one part, but nothing actually happens.... I would say borderline inappropriate. 

A Voice in the Wind

A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers

Well my friends, I am sorry this review is going up so late... my bad..
So this book is one I have been thinking alot about. I actually finished it almost 2 weeks ago, but I haven't been able to decide it's rating. It was very good, I couldn't put it down. However there was alot of stuff in there that made it hard to make and easy decision. Gah it was super hard!

Flash back to the early years after Christ's death. Jerusalem is being destroyed. All of Christ's apostles have been killed. Rome is in chaos.
Hadassah, a young jewish/christian girl with no family remaining, is taken to be a slave for a wealthy aristocratic family. She is to be the hand maiden of the daughter of the household, Julia.But as she starts to serve, she finds Julia to be a selfish brat who cares only for her own wants. Then there is Marcus, the son of the household, who's only pleasure in life is money and women. With a father seriously ill, and a mother not knowing which way to turn, this family seems to be falling apart. Hadassah loves each member of the family dearly, (some a little more than others(; ) and tries to serve them, and teach them of the Savior. With little success. As Hadassah clings to her faith and serves dutifully, she is also introduced to the product of what Rome has become.

Okay so first of all, the reason why I am having such a hard time deciding on this one is because it is definitely an adult book. There is death, and sexuality, and violence. However it is historical fiction, so how much of that is needed to be said in order to be factual?! I don't know..  The author did do a decent job at not going into detail during sex scenes, however the sex scenes did happen alot. (It would just kinda be like "After they slept together... yata yata") The violence was decently graphic, and there were some deaths. Yet there were no cuss words. A Voice in the Wind is  historical fiction, and I enjoyed learning about ancient Rome. But it was religious, and I try not to bring too much religion into reviews, so anyone can enjoy them.

As you can see, I am in quite a predicament. There are many bad things in this book, that I wouldn't recommend to others. However there was also wonderful underlying messages. Messages of always being grateful no matter your circumstance; never ever losing faith in what you know is right; and the knowledge that there are things more important than money, and simple pleasures. There is so much good and so much bad. Gah it has been very hard to decide, but here is my final conclusion:

Rate: PG13/R
   Violence, Sex, and adult content.
GOOD OR GOODBYE?
    I would give this book a little bit of a you decide. If you are a teen, I WOULD NOT recommend. However I think if you are an adult/mature (older) teen, and you think you can handle it, I think it would be okay! It is very well written, and entertaining. I just don't think its suitable for young teens. 

NITTY GRITTY:
There is sexuality. Same gender attraction is brought up, passionate kisses, prostitutes, some nudity, etc... However, I know the author did try to tone it down a little bit, instead of detailing each part.....
The violence is during the gladiator fights. This was a common pastime for romans. Getting prisoners to train to fight each other to the death. So there was death and violence.
I really would not recommend to young teens.

The Best of Me

The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks

Before I start, I just want to let you guys know that this will be a you decide. My opinion may differ from yours, and therefore, after you read my thoughts, I think you should decide for yourself. :-)

Dawson and Amanda were high school sweethearts, but as life has gone on, their lives have been drawn apart. After Dawson and Amanda's beloved friend dies, they are brought together for his funeral. But as they arrive there, they find they were the only ones invited. As they start spending time together, and remembering the past, they are led to wonder if love can truly rewrite the past. Of course, it isn't that easy, their lives are totally different now, on different paths. Amanda has kids and lives far away, and Dawson has his family that isn't so friendly. But can their two different roads be joined again?

Sorry that summary wasn't as good, haha I haven't read this book in a looong time! When I read it, I loved it! There was so much action and the story was so entertaining. Such a cute love story; old love regained. HOWEVER, there was some cussing and a sex scene. Uber disappointing. Towards the end there is also some violence. Which is why I think this story is a you decide. Yes, I loved it when I read it, (also I cried) but is it worth it, looking back? It's a hard decision..... Why don't you tell me what you think?

Rate: PG13
   Some cussing, sex scene
GOOD OR GOODBYE?
   You decide

NITTY GRITTY:
As I said before, it has been a long time since I have read this book. When I go back to remember it, I remember really enjoying the story! Buttttt, I do remember there was some cussing and a sex scene. I skipped the sex scene when I got to it, but still. Honestly, I think you need to decide for yourself.

The Possession -- TABITHA

Possession by Elana Johnson
Review by Tabitha

This book was really hard for me to get into in the beginning, but then I decided to just keep reading. It turned out better than I thought.

Also here is a summary of the book I got off a website:
"Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.
But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.
This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play."
There is some kissing/making out and swearing. So really I think you can decide if it's GOOD OR GOODBYE!

Rate: PG13
GOOD OR GOODBYE? You decide!

THANKS FOR READING! REVIEW BY TABITHA  (LDS Fashionista)

The Guardian (Express Week #7)

Whale, it is day 7 of Express Week, so Express Week is almost over :/
The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks is good...but creepy.
Summary from http://nicholassparks.com/stories/the-guardian/


"Julie Barenson’s young husband left her two unexpected gifts before he died – a puppy named Singer and the promise that he would always be watching over her. Now, four years later, twenty-nine year-old Julie is far too young to have given up on love. She may be ready to risk caring for someone again. But who? Should it be Richard Franklin, the sophisticated, handsome engineer who treats her like a queen? Or Mike Harris, the down-to-earth nice guy who was her husband’s best friend? Choosing one of them should bring her more happiness than she’s had in years. Instead, Julie is soon fighting for her life in a nightmare spawned by a chilling deception and jealousy so poisonous that it has become a murderous desire . . ."

Sounds awesome right? And it is... sorta. I mean its a decent book, but I was freaking out. Like it isn't a "scary novel" but holy cow... I was soooooo creeped out. It scared the tar out of me. brrrr. 

Okay so honestly, I think if creepy, realistic things don't bother you, I guess you could go for it... but if you're like me, I wouldn't read it.... hahahah!! Although I will admit, it kept me on the edge of my seat, but still BEWARE!! THE GUARDIAN WILL CREEP YOU OUT.

rate: PG13 FORSURE

GOOD OR GOODBYE? Eh decide for yourself

    It's not necessarily dirty.. but it's just so creepy...

NITTY GRITTY:

BEWARE I AM ABOUT TO SPOIL A PART, SO DON'T READ BELOW UNLESS YOU'RE OKAY WITH THAT.

So the thing that creeped me out so much, was the Richard guy is a stalker. Not just your normal like clingy guy, but a highly dangerous guy who is mentally insane. But seems normal on the outside. Honestly, I was getting a stomach ache because I was so freaked.. yet Nicholas Sparks writes it so well that you just can't put it down. 

Also at the end, there is a violent part.... just sayin

THANKS FOR READING!! :)))

Beastly (Express Week #5)

YAY Express Week day 5 is Beastly by Alex Flinn!
I really loved the story line of this book, but I was really disappointed by the language in it. There were lots of cuss words ;((
Seriously some day I am going to make a difference in the world of literature, and I'm going to make a company to edit bad stuff out of books!! (If that's even legal)


Anyways, Beastly is about a boy  named Kyle Kingsbury, he is everything a guy could want; rich, popular, and handsome. But when he teases a girl in one of his highschool classes, she turns him into a beast. But because he was nice to a girl at a dance, he is given 2 years to break the spell, before it is permanent.In order to break the spell, he has to get a true loves kiss from a girl who loves him in return for his love. Because of his new appearance, Kyle's father locks him in a mansion, to keep him away from the world. As Kyle reflects on himself, he changes his name to Adrian to indicate a fresh start. One night a robber comes into his garden, and in return for not telling the police, Kyle gets his daughter. In this last attempt for love before the 2 years are up, Kyle (Adrian) realizes that the robbers daughter, Linda, is the same outcast girl he gave the rose to, the night he was turned into a beast. Can these two possibly fall in love before the 2 years are through?
So ahh how cute is that?! A retelling of Beauty & the Beast. But Mr. Alex Flinn seriously had to ruin it with cuss words.. lame.
Rate: PG13
    Bad Language :/
GOOD OR GOODBYE?
    I would say that is for you to decide.
THANKS FOR READING!!

Revived

I recently read Revived by Cat Patrick and I really enjoyed it!! The story line was really good! I sure hope there is a second one for me to read :)

Daisy Appleby has died 5 times. But each time she dies, she gets revived. The first time she died was when she was just a little girl. She was in a bus crash and died immediately, but was brought back to life. The government was trying out a new drug. One that brought people back to life. They couldn't release it to the public yet though, so every person revived was a secret. New name, new life, new identity. Each time Daisy died she got a new identity. Nothing has ever been constant in her life. Until she meets Audrey and Matt, her first friends. The only problem is that this experiment is a lot more sinister than Daisy could have ever imagined. 

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a different story line than I've ever read before. With a love story and some action towards the end, you will want to read this book :) 

Alright so if I'm being completely honest, it's really hard to rate this book. I really enjoyed reading it and the story line, but it did have some cussing. Also a part where she gets really drunk.... :/ so if thats not something you care about, then I highly recommend this book. Personally I don't enjoy reading about that, but I love the story line! So I only partially recommend it(;  I hope you get my drift! 

Rate: PG/PG13

         some cussing & drunk part

Good or Goodbye?

         is there one for in between? I think this one is for you to decide. :) 

THANK YOU FOR READING!! IF I EVER MISS CERTAIN THINGS OR SAY SOMETHING WRONG, FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME ABOUT IT AND I WILL TRY TO CORRECT IT :))