Cover Comparison: Pandemonium

I noticed that there's a new cover of Pandemonium lurking about in the blogosphere, so even though I haven't read Pandemonium yet (though I loved Delirium), I decided to do a cover comparison of that with the original.



On the left is the US cover, and while I do like the color scheme, I don't feel like it quite works for me. I'm not a huge fan of the half-face phenomenon, and the weird shaped leaves surrounding her are odd. It also sort of looks like she has no neck and no body which is a bit disturbing.

The UK cover is on the right and oh my gosh, I love it. It's so surreal and beautiful and almost nostalgic, in a way. Just looking at it with its gorgeous colors stirs up emotions, and I adore the way the girl is portrayed. She looks raggedy and a little lost, which is a great contrast both to the lovely scene and the numerous YA books that have girls on the run while somehow wearing elegant dresses.

So as you can tell, the UK cover is the clear winner for me. Which one do you like better?

Freefall: Review

Title: Freefall

Author: Mindi Scott

Release Date: October 2010

Published By: Simon Pulse

Pages: 315

Goodreads Rating: 3.82 stars

Review: Seth was the last person to see Isaac alive and the first to see him dead. It seemed like just another night where Isaac drank too much and passed out on the lawn, but this time, he didn't wake up, and Seth is convinced that he's to blame. Lost in a cloud of guilt, Seth only finds his self-torture alleviated when he meets Rosetta, beautiful and different. But she has secrets too, and he realizes he may not be the only one who needs saving.

I was expecting a somewhat typical contemporary novel when I opened FREEFALL and instead found myself surprised by the sheer beauty of this writing. Slowly but surely, this book sneaked up on me and got me tangled in its gorgeous words to the point that every time I cracked the covers open, I was immediately lost in Seth and Rosetta's world.

One aspect I really enjoyed about this novel was that it came off as very authentic, both in the narration and the plot. Seth offered an honest guy perspective and definitely did not sound like a woman trying to write as a boy, and rather like his own true person. There were just little details and quirks in his narration here and there that gave off a strong sense of, well, guy-ness, without dissolving into clichés. The plot itself was authentic because it tackled real, true issues and grappled with them in a manner that was both realistic and graceful.

However, I did have some complaints concerning the plot - mainly, not enough was said. Throughout the book, a lot is hinted about what happened with Isaac and Seth, and I was looking forward to a big reveal-all scene, but the details were just trickled out little by little and that was it. I wanted to know more, and instead I got very little. Similarly, I felt like there wasn't enough said about the tragedy that occurred to Rosetta and how it affected her. Like with Isaac, there were little tidbits but simply not enough to satisfy me.

All in all, though, FREEFALL is a gorgeous, un-put-down-able novel that grabbed me from the get-go and never released its grip until the end. From the lovely writing to the sweet romance to even the very narration of the protagonist, Mindi Scott pulls off a book that tackles the hardest issues but comes away beautiful. I only wished that there was more information about certain plot points, but I would still, of course, recommend this novel to anyone who loves contemporary!

Deadly: Tens List

Here on the Deadly tour, coordinated by the lovely Teen {Book} Scene, is Julie Chibbaro, with a Tens List!

Top Ten Books that Inspire Me

1. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
2. The God of Small Things by Arundati Roy
3. Teach Me by R. A. Nelson
4. Just Kids by Patti Smith
5. Typhoid Mary by Judith Leavitt
6. The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci
7. The short stories of Flannery O’Connor
8. The short stories of Alice Munro
9. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
10. Anna Karenina by Tolstoy

Thanks for stopping by!

Pieces of Us: Review

Title: Pieces of Us

Author: Margie Gelbwasser

Release Date: March 2012

Published By: Flux

Pages: 336

Goodreads Rating: 3.67 stars

Review: Every summer, four teens are able to escape their daily lives and forget themselves by the lake. But back at home, Alex is angry at his dad, who killed himself, and his mom, who he blames for it. His younger brother Kyle is angry too - at Alex for being abusive and his mother for not caring. In New Jersey, Katie plays the role of Miss Perfect while struggling to forget the nightmare that changed her life, but her sister Julia only sees her for what she's not. But when Katie's secret emerges, the four of them are torn apart in ways they couldn't predict.

All I can say about this book is wow. Just wow. I didn't expect PIECES OF US to pack the emotional punch it did, and boy, was I ever surprised. This novel hit me on an unexpected level, with its gritty and dark themes striking me so profoundly that there were places in the novel where all I could do was just stare at the pages. The story was raw and painful and absolutely beautiful in every single way.

The interesting thing about this novel was that I didn't actually like the characters that much. They each had their own difficult problems and serious personality flaws, and yet despite that, it was almost like it wasn't necessarily to like them in order to appreciate the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book without coming close to thoroughly enjoying the characters, and I have to say, I admire an author who can craft a story like that.

PIECES OF US ripped me to pieces and built me back up again in a thousand tiny little ways, and all I can do is try my hardest to recommend this to you. This book is gritty and dark and thoughtful and raw and honest, and every word strikes like a bullet and stays forever. I will say that this definitely isn't a book for everyone; a certain type of person will like it, and I'm sure there are some out there who dislike it, but all I can say is to just give it a try.