Matched with a book

Hello, everyone.  In this blog I am going to talk about Matched by Ally Condie.  This is a newer series but has begun to become popular so I bet most of you have heard of it.  I would like to say that I hope my opinion on this book doesn't stop you from wanting to read it because it is a good book.

I thought that Matched's plot was a little slow.  But, I had just bought another new book and read it right afterward and it was amazing.  So, I may be biased.  Although I am still going to give Matched a second chance by finishing the series.  Anyway I will tell you about the book and if you feel differently about it leave a comment below.

Matched is about a seventeen year old girl named Cassia Reyes.  The book takes place in the future in a seemingly Utopian society.  In the society the government controls everything the citizens do.  They control where they live, where they work, who and when they marry, and even when they die.

When a child turns seventeen they are matched with another child their age to be married to.  Normally the person whom a child is matched with is from another area so they do not know each other.  The kids receive a "microcard" on their matched and get a period of courtship before they can be married at twenty one.  Also, years earlier the government thought that they world was to cluttered so they destroyed everything that had to do with culture except one hundred of everything.They government also made it so all of their citizens were equal.  Food rations based on their age and gender.

When it is Cassia's turn to be matched she finds out that her match is Xander Thomas Carrow, her best friend since she was young.  Although she is a little upset at the fact they she already knows everything about him, she is exited that he is such a great guy.

After her work (sorting) one day she decides that she is going to look at Xander's micorcard.  When she puts it into the port (a kind of computer that the government uses to watch the citizens) it stay blank for a second and then shows the face and name of another guy named Ky.  He also lives near her but she hardly ever speaks to him.

She doesn't tell anyone but a government official, after she asked Cassia about the card.  The government official says that she could also tell her grandfather.  Because her grandfather is going to be eighty in a few days he will die.  The government official claims that it was just a mistake that Cassia had Ky on her card because Ky cannot even be matched because of his parents.  His parents did something bad so their shame goes onto their child.

Cassia begins to question everything she thought was right.  Why should the government get to chooses everything about their lives?  And when she starts to fall for the mysterious and attractive Ky instead of Xander it makes her decision between what is familiar and what is different and fun even harder.

The Maze Runner

I know many of you have gone to the theaters to see or have at least heard about The Maze Runner.  The Maze Runner is an amazing book.  It is filled with suspense for all ages and genders.  It is a series of books but I will only talk about the first one just in case all you people out there have not read or seen the movie yet.  (P.S. The movie is also fantastic because it follows almost perfectly along with the book but it will not come out on DVD until December 16).

The book begins with the main character stuck inside of a moving, dark box.  He has no recollection of who he is or how he got there.  He feels sick and he has common knowledge of the world but nothing personal.  After what seems like for ever the box stops moving and is opened up.  Our protagonist finds himself surrounded boy teenage boys of all ages.  The other boys introduce themselves and try to explain to the "Greenie" what they know about where he is.

The place that the boys live in is a large area surrounded by walls called the Glade.  Outside the Glade is a maze.  Since the first boy was placed in the glade years ago the boys have been trying to figure out the maze to escape the Glade.  Every night the doors that lead into the maze from the Glade close (Seemingly by magic).  This is to protect the boys from the terrible and deadly monsters that roam the maze at night, "Grievers."

A Griever is a horrible monster that is part flesh part mechanical.  The author of the book goes into great detail for these monsters.  I cannot do it justice but they make a horrible clank and moaning sound when they walk that will give you shivers up
and down your spin.

Anyway, latter in the book the main character remembers that his name is Thomas.  In a couple days Thomas starts to get used to working in the Glade and he even eventually becomes a runner for the maze.  But, then a girl shows up in the same box Thomas came out of.  She comes with a note in her hand saying that she is the last one ever.  Not only that but she arrives unconscious.  The girl (the first one ever) suddenly wakes and yells Thomas's name and then falls asleep again.  Thomas also seems to recognize the girl but after she gets to the Glade terrible things start to happen.  Grievers are out in daylight and attacking people.  And eventually the doors to the Glade are not closing at night.

The boys of the glade are afraid and they blame Thomas because he seemed to know the girl and a few people who got their memories back blame him for putting them in the Glade.  Thomas can also speak to the girl in his head but keeps this from the others in fear that they would recent him more.  With everything going wrong in the Glade the boys must decided if it is even safe to stay any more or if they should adventure into the maze and find a way out.

This is such an amazing book!  I have read the first on and seen the movie.  Right now I am reading the second.  If you read the Hunger Games or Divergent you will enjoy this book just as well because it takes place in a post apolitical world also.

Warrior Cats: Into The Wild

Hello everyone.  I am really happy today!  Not all of you may know but, I foster animals.  Well today I just learned that I can keep the littlest of the three Himalayan kittens we are fostering!  I have never been able to own a cat because some of the people in my family are allergic but, for what ever reason these kittens do not bother their allergies.  This gave me an idea for my next blog.

So, today I am going to tell you all about one of Erin Hunter's books.  I am only going to tell you about the first book of one of her series - Warrior Cats: Into The Wild.  Many of you have probably read at least this first book but I beat not all have you read all the books because there are many of them.  I also beat that most of you don't know that Erin Hunter (the author) is actually six different women.

Well, anyway back to the book.  The first book is about Rusty, a house cat who is not satisfied with the house cat life.  He is just a kitten but he hates the dry cat food his owners feed him and even though he loves the warmth of his kitty pet home he loves the feeling of being out doors.

One day Rusty decides to jump over the fence in his backyard and into the world beyond.  When he starts to head into the woods behind his house he soon runs into a small group of wild cats.  Normally upon finding a house cat in their territory the wild cats would chase him away but they seemed to notice something different about Rusty.  They let him come back with them to their home.

When Rusty gets to the cats clan home he immediately feels at home,  more than he ever did in his kitty pet home.  The clan is not competently sure of him but their leader Bluestar tells everyone that they should let him have a chance because the clan, Thunderclan, could always use another warrior.  Being as young as Rusty was he was easily able to be placed into an apprentice group.  In fact, he gets the great honor of having Bluestar as his mentor.  As an apprentice Rusty gets the new name of Firepaw.

He soon becomes friends with other apprentices such as Graypaw and Ravenpaw.  Throughout the entire book the apprentices must prove that they are worthy of becoming warriors.  While trying to fulfill their duties young Ravenpaw finds out that his mentor kills the clans deputy in order to get the position himself.  Ravenpaw fears that his mentor, Tigerclaw, will kill him if he found out that he knew.  (Which he would).  Ravenpaw tells his two friends that what he knows and his friends help him leave the clan and go to a rouge cat territory so he can be safe of Tigerclaw.

Tigerclaw soon becomes a danger to Firepaw and Graypaw because they know what he did.  Although this seems to be only a small problem compared to the problems that Thunderclan is having with the other clans, especially the Shandowclan.  Shadowclan seems to not have any regard for the clan laws.  They are out to murder their old medicine cat, one of their own killed their leader to be in his place, they ar hunting and invading other clans territories,  and they are stealing other clans kittens to strengthen their own.  Also, the other Tunderclan warriors doubt Firepaws loyalty.  Will he ever have their respect?

Many people dream of becoming a spy; these girls go to school for it

Hello everyone on to a book that may not be as well known.  The Gallagher Girl series.  This book is based around a girl named Cammie Morgan.  She lives in, what seems on the outside, a private school for girls.  They wear uniforms and got to classes; what else could the school be?  The school is actually an all girls school for spies.  It is super exclusive and one of the only ways to get in is to have a parent whom is a spy in some way.

For Cammie this school her home and they only thing to her that is normal.  Her mother was a spy and now is the head master of the school and her father was a spy.  She goes to school there with her best friends Liz, Bex, and latter Macey.

Just to clarify something: this is a series!  I will try not to give away to many spoilers if you are just starting the series.  But just in case SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! You have now been warned.

Anyway, the first book, I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I Would Have To Kill You, is all about Cammie and her first crush/boyfriend.  She likes a boy who doesn't know that she is a spy (or training to be so).  The first book is flirty and cute.  Don't judge the whole series on the first book.  They get better as they go on.

The second, Cross My Heart And Hope To Spy, is about the school for boy assassins that the girl's academy is hosting.  Cammie becomes great friends with one of the boys but when the school top secret status gets threatened Cammie must decided if she truly does trust this boy.

Don't Judge A Girl By Her Cover, the action really picks up!  Cammie visits her friend Macey at the end of summer.  This trip was planned to be exiting because Macey's father was becoming the vice president of the U.S.  Quickly the fun time Macey and Cammie plans turn in to a disaster when a kidnapping plot occurs.  The two girls survive (barley) by using the little knowledge of spy skills they have.  When school starts again Cammie and her friends cannot forget what happened over the summer and start to investigate the kidnapping plot.

The fourth book, Only The Good Spy Young, the girls have finally figured out a little about the kidnapping plot but then one of Cammie's closest allies is a double agent the girls fear for the life they always knew.

Oh, Out Of Sight And Out of Time!  This is my second favorite book of this series after the last book.  The story begins with is Cammie waking up in a place she doesn't recognize with people she doesn't know and her memory of the whole summer missing.  Okay since this is such a good book I don't want to give away anything else in so you can figure it out on our own.

The last, United We Spy, this is the newest book.  I just read it.  Almost everything I say will give away something from the book before.  I will tell you this. . . This book is an epic finally of one of the most wonderful books I have every read.

Also, I would recommend this book to girls because of the strong female characters.

Harry Potter: Is it over done?

Hello again my minions. . . Did I say minions - I meant friends.  Today has been a great day.  Did anyone know that we get Friday off at my school?  It is pretty awesome.  Well I found out that I made it into the school play.  It is in a very large part but I get to be on stage any time the antagonist is.  Well, enough about me, how are you?

Good.  Well today we are going to talk about Harry Potter.  I know a lot of you are all going - ugh I hate Harry Potter.  It is so over done!  Well, I don't agree.  Anyone who says that have just seen the movie and never read the book.  The movie is very good at making sure that you don't feel like you are missing any
information.  But, the books are still so much better!

Things that you learn in the book that the movie fails to mention:
1.  In the last book when the Dursleys were leaving Dudley was kind to Harry.  He even went as far as saying that "He didn't think Harry was a

waste of space." Not only was this little scene omitted form the movie,
the movie portrays the Dursley leaving as cowardliness.
2.  More about Nevil and his parents, such as how Nevil's parents live in
a metal hospital.  Or that Nevil could have been the chosen one instead of Harry!
3.  Ron's brothers Bill, Charlie, and Percy.
4.  The amazingly awesome Ginny!
5.  There is so much more.  These are just some of the basics.

The book is very amazing.  When I was younger it was very hard for me to read.  My parents had to force me to read anything.  I credit almost all of
the reasons I love to read now to J.K.Rowling and her Harry Potter series!  If you want a good book that you will read over and over again, this is the book for you!  This book is one of the huge reasons I want to become a writer.  I hope to inspire people just like this book did for me.

Fault In Our Books. . .Not!

I bet many of you have seen The Fault in our Stars.  I can understand why, it is a great movie based upon an even better book by John Green.  Do many of you know of John Green?  If not please look him up.  This is his YouTube Page!  He is a fantastic author.  Although all of his books are a little sad.  I mean carry a box of tissues with you at all times when read his books.  Before he was a writer he was just a You Tuber!

One of John Green's most famous books is The Fault in our Stars.  The Fault in our Stars is about a young teenage girl named Hazel.  Hazel was diagnosed with cancer at a very young age and has been living with it for pretty much her whole life.  Because of her illness she is doesn't go to public school so she lost most of her friends.  Her parents convince her to attend a cancer support group; this is where Hazel meets Augustus (Later known as Gus).  Gus is a teenage boy who had cancer a few months previous but has since been cancer free.  Gus immediately falls in love with Hazel.  At first she thinks that he is messing with her because she does not consider herself pretty because of her condition.

Gus continues to surprise Hazel until she starts to fall for him also.  Hazel and Gus actually share there favorite books with each other so they can read them.  Now all my crazy book readers out there know that
this is a huge deal!  Books are pieces of our souls (Like Horcruxes!  We will get to that later).  Hazels favorite books is about a girl very much like herself.  She has cancer, or some other disease.  The book ends in mid sentence.  This interest Hazel because she knows that that must mean the girl died before she could finish writing but she is interested in finding out what happened to the rest of the characters.  After reading Hazels favorite book "An Imperial Affliction" Gus cannot stand the sending the ending.  He also understands it but he would like to find out what happens to the rest of the characters.  Hazel says
that it is her dream to meet the author and ask him her
questions.

After researching about the author Gus gets him to email and invite them to Amsterdam sometime.  Gus then uses his wish (the make a wish foundation) to take himself, Hazel, and her mother all to Amsterdam to meet the author.  When they get there not everything goes to plan but Hazel wouldn't have changed it.

As a warring to my readers this book is very sad!  Have a box of tissues with you when you read it.  Especially the ending!  If you have seen the movie you know what I am talking about. . . I cried.

This is a wonderfully well written book.  I am sure you will all enjoy it.  It does have a lot of little cute romantic things in it.  It is not just for girls.  John Green is one of those writers that everyone should read at least one of his books.  His books will become pop culture classics some day.  Like Harry Potter. . . but not.

Good Books Are Like Gems

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier is an amazing book!  It is the first book in the Gem Trilogy.  Has anyone read the Selection trilogy?  (I will write write about them later after I read the last two books.) Did you like them?  If you did you will like these books too!
Ruby Red is about a sixteen year old girl named Gwyneth Shepherd.  One day she feels dizzy and ends up traveling back in time. (Crazy, right!)  At first, Gwyn doesn't believe that she traveled in time because her cousin Charlotte Montrose was supposed to inherit their families time traveling gene.
Okay I am going to stop there for a second.  This book sounds crazy, right?  Maybe a little to unreal for you?  But, I beg you - give this book a chance!  It will surprise you!  I am simply giving you the very basics of this book.  When you read it you will find out that this book has got a little romance between Gwyn and a amazingly dreamy seventeen year old guy time traveler.  This book has also got a lot of mysteries!  Did I mention Gwyn can see and speak to ghosts?
Upon, finding out that she has this gene she becomes part of a secret time traveling society.  With the help of this society she can control her time traveling.  She has to travel back in time everyday or she will have uncontrolled time traveling. (This is a dangerous and bad thing.)
Although the time traveling society are not all kind people.  They have many unneeded rules and regulations to "protect the past."
Also, Gwyn's cousin Charlotte had years of learning with the society because she was supposed to inherit the gene so for Gwyn they must start at stage one (the basics).  Because of her inexperience Gwyn is ultimately shunned by the society.  Because of this Gwyn rebels a little against the rules... I mean what harm could that do.  While bending the rules she finds out a plot by a man from the past.  He plans on living forever.  This may not seem like a big deal but he is manipulating the time traveling society to accomplish this.  He told them that if they do what he wants the will discover a cure to all world's diseases.  That is not even the worst part!  This man is is evil and he plans on doing anything to get what he wants.  Including kill Gwyn!  And no one believes her...

Phantom not Opera

Hello every one again! Did you miss me?  You were probably wondering when I would be back.  Sorry I don't have any certain day that I will be blogging yet.  Maybe in the the future.

Well, anyway I am sure you are all super exited to hear what story I am going to write today.  I am going to write about the Phantom of the Opera.  Yeah!  I know you may think that it it not really a book.  It is more of an opera.  Well, yes and no.  It was actually a book first but it is often forgotten about because the opera is so amazing.  An opera is what old people go watch, right?  Anyone who just agreed with that statement can just leave now!  There is the the URL box.

Is anyone still with me... good!  Let us continue.  Yes, the Phantom of the Opera is an opera and a book written by a French writer Gaston Leroux.  But, did you know that it could have possible really happened?  I am not saying that it is true.  I am simply putting it out there that I have, in fact, read the book and he really wrote it in a way that seemed to know what he was talking about.  I am not going to tell you what to believe. Just that I do think that, at the very least, the Phantom of the Opera may be based upon true events.

If you want to learn more about how the phantom of the Opera could be real click here!


The Phantom of the Opera is about a singer named Christine.  She is am amazing singer from around the 1840s and worked at Paris Opera House.  Although, she is one of the most talented people in her cast she is often over shadowed by the lead, Carlotta.  In-spite of that Christine soon gains an admirer.  The phantom of the opera house falls in love with her.  He tries to force the owners of the opera cast to make Christine the lead
through threats of destruction.  The new owners, not sure what to do with the phantom, deiced to just ignore the threats and move on.

The phantom, then, makes Carlotta lose her voice on stage and kidnaps Christine.  He plans on keeping her in his home under the opera house because he hopped she would love him back.  (The Phantom of the Opera wares a mask because of a child deformation on his face that, apparently made him quite ugly.)  Upon Christine removing his mask he feared she would be frightened off and never return to him so he decided to keep her, with him, forever.  Christine begged him to let her return to her world and, because the Phantom could not stand to see her so unhappy, let her go as long as she wore his ring and remained faithful to him.

Unknown to the Phantom at the time that Christine was in love with her childhood crush Raoul.  They recently found each other, again, after not seeing each other for years.  They both loved each other and wanted to be married.  After Christine tells Raoul of what happened to her he decides that he was going to save her from such a fate.  Christine, out of pity of the phantom, agreed that she would leave the cast after she sang one more song in the Opera House for the Phantom.  Little did they know, that when they made that plan, the phantom heard everything and grew very jealous.  When Christine sings her last song on stage, in front of a large crowd, he kidnapped her in a moment of darkness that he created.

I am not going to go into anymore detail because I want you all to read this book!  It is one of my absolute favorite books!  Yes, it is very much a romance book.  But, it does have a lot of mysterious things.  I am not saying this book is a real story but, the setting takes place in a real place and the people were real.  Whether they actually did these things you can decide.

Divergent, book or movie?

Hey, everyone out there in the Internet world.  I am Nicole!  Probably not many of you know who I am and I am okay with that... for now (Evil laughter).

Since not many of you know me I will tell you a little about myself.  I am in high school.  I enjoy animals and nature.  I can also ride horses distantly well and I act in our school plays.  Well, now that you know a little about me when can get down into the real reason you are here.

Books!  Yes, books and stories and fables.  You might want to know what a good book to read for your report in English class that's due tomorrow or maybe something to read while it gets cold out.  What ever the reason is you ended up finding my blog. Good for you!

Well, today I am going to talk a little about Divergent.  I know many of you have probably already read the book or at least seen the movie.  But, this is for all of you out there who have not.  It is a great book!  There is drama, suspense, romance, and a lot of action!

Now I don't want anyone of you thinking, as my sister does, that since you saw the movie you don't need to read the book.  They are exactly the same right?  WRONG!  Many of the things in the book were taken out for the movie.  Guys if you want a little gore that the movie didn't have, the books got it.  Not only that, the book has got much more romance for you girls out there who love to cry.

The book is about a teenage girl named Beatrice.  And I wont go into a lot of detail but basically the government has categorized people into groups on how they act.  Well, Beatrice left her group for almost an opposite group.  She leaves her parents behind for a new life you could say.  In her new group she needs to fight- and I mean literally fight- to stay.  She starts off as a sweet you teen but by the end of this book she is a kick but girl who you will be rooting for until the very end.  Here is a link so you can get this book right off Amazon right now: http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062024035

Now I know I didn't go into very in depth detail about this book but that is because I don't want to spoil anything.  It really is a good book and you really should read it.  If you want me to tell you more about the book (or maybe give good spoilers) leave a comment below.  Or if you have a certain book you want me to read and review leave a comment.

I would love to hear from all my soon to be fans!