The Testing blogged by Callista M.

Hours Read: 11hrs 45min
The book I would like to report on: The Testing
Author: Joelle Charbonneau
Genre: YA Dystopian
Rating: Four and a Half Stars

Summary:
Malencia “Cia” Vale has always yearned for the chance to prove herself and leave her mark on the world. To do this, she must be selected as one of the best and brightest among all of the United Commonwealth's colonies and sent to Tosu City where those chosen undergo the mysterious Testing method. The only way for a student to continue their education after secondary school is by attending the University which only accepts those who pass the Testing process.

On her graduation day, Cia wishes for nothing more than to be accepted into the Testing program just like her father had been many years before. Luckily, her wish is granted, so Cia, as well as three others from her colony are transported to Tosu City. Before her departure, Cia receives strange words of warning from her father about trusting others in the Testing program.
As the tests get harder and increasingly more dangerous, Cia must carefully decide who to trust because if she chooses wrong, her life will pay the price. The Testing transforms into a game of survival that pushes some candidates beyond their limits. Cia holds her allies close as she attempts to play fair, but others are willing to kill to get to the top.

Review:
Normally, I am not a huge fan of dystopian novels, but The Testing was a breath of fresh air. The post-war, fractured colony setting seemed almost perfect with everyone working together to restore the barren land. Slowly the book reveals the flaws in  the society rather than all at once. Readers who enjoyed Divergent and  The Hunger Games will love the similarities between  the popular novels and The Testing.  There are not enough similarities to consider The Testing a blatant rip-off, but rather an amazing combination of the two worlds. Well-written, and full of original ideas, The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau is a groundbreaking book that has the potential to become the next big thing.

What Kills Me blogged by Callista M.

Hours Read: 31hrs 30min
The book I would like to report on: What Kills Me
Author: Wynne Channing
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Rating: Four Stars

Summary:
“Fortune favors the bold” and being bold is just what 17-year-old Axelia has set out to do while studying abroad in Italy. In Wynne Channing’s What Kills Me an innocent teenager is accidentally brought into the secret realm of vampires that have remained undiscovered on Earth since the beginning of time.
Axelia has lived a painstakingly normal life until she gets the chance to say goodbye to Canada and study in Italy. Taking this as a chance to reinvent herself and live on the edge, Axelia agrees to meet a man named Paolo again after he walked her home when she got lost in town. Sick with worry, for she came home late, Axelia’s host family sets curfew much earlier in the night since the streets are “too dangerous” at that hour. Not wanting to abandon her newly found courage, Axelia disobeys her host family’s wishes and meet Paolo. They decide to spend the night out on the town, where Paolo and she sneak into a church. Once inside, Paolo reveals his true nature that has Axelia fighting for her life. By mistake, she falls into a vat of blood and emerges in the purest form of herself: a vampire. Overall, the writing style is nothing but consistent and chock full of witty banter. The book would have gotten five stars, but the ending is a little too nerve-racking and action-packed without the proper amount of resolution.
Within moments of her awakening she learns that she is the subject of an ancient prophecy that depicts a girl that becomes a vampire by unethical means will be the cause of the extinction of the entire vampire race. From then on, Axelia is hunted down by the vampire monarchy, until she receives a reluctant ally, Lucas, whose family was set against the monarchy before their untimely death. Together they seek to prove that Axelia does not intend to wipe out the vampire race, and instead wants to live quietly and unnoticed, but knowing whom to trust and evading captors could prove more difficult then expected.
Review:
I particularly enjoyed this book due to the abnormality of it. Many details that could possibly seem cliche in the book are quickly proved to be anything but. Overall, the writing style is nothing but consistent and chock full of witty banter. The book would have gotten five stars, but the ending is a little too nerve-racking and action-packed without the proper amount of resolution. Considering that, Wynne Channing’s What Kills Me earns 4 stars!

Alice in Zombieland blogged by Callista M.

Hours Read: 38hrs
The book I would like to report on: Alice in Zombieland
Author: Gena Showalter
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Rating: Five Stars

Summary:

“You see anything in the shadows, anything at all, you pick up your sister and run” Alice’s dad warns. These words make up the last bits of conversation Alice shares with her family before the accident. In Gena Showalter’s Alice in Zombieland, the protagonist, Alice Bell, fights for her life as she learns that her dad’s paranoia that she has dismissed as long as she can remember came with good reason.
Alice leads a sheltered life where she is not allowed to go to any parties, hang out with friend, or do anything outside her house after sunset. These strict rules, imposed by her father, are all she has ever known. While she holds resentment towards her father, these rules have kept her family alive.
After convincing her family to go out after dark, to watch her sister’s recital, Alice’s entire family dies at the hands of monsters hungry for human flesh.
Now, Alice is set on avenging her family, but to do so she must plunge into a world she never knew existed, and trust an intimidating group of social outcasts who seem to know more about the “monsters” and who Alice really is than they let on.
From there, Alice discovers a world inhabited by evil, soulless creatures that she, as well as a few others, was born to fight.

Review:
Gena Showalter spins a unique story that combines elements of the famous Alice in Wonderland, and also the ever-popular tales of zombies. Showalter not only provides a plot that compels the reader to continue to the conclusion, but also she writes characters who have a lasting effect. Alice and her friends have a strong sense of humor and know individually who they are instead of being wishy-washy.
Anyway, I had never heard of Gena Showalter’s work before, so this read was a pleasant surprise! Overall, the book earns 5 stars for all of the “really, I have to wait for the next book?” moments that lie beyond the cover.

Tallgrass blogged by Callista M.

Hours Read: 6 1/2

Book Read: Tallgrass

Author: Sandra Dallas

Rating: 3/5

The book is about a 13 year old girl living in a small town called Ellis in California. During this time Japanese internment camps were being constructed around the United States. One of these camps, called Tallgrass, was built just outside Ellis. Throughout the story the Japanese families that live at Tallgrass are forced to put up with the prejudice coming from those living in Ellis against them moving to live there even though it wasn't their choice in the first place. Suddenly a young girl is brutally murdered in Ellis, and most of the people living in the town blame one of the Japanese for their loss. Only the main character, Rennie, and her family believe that it could have been anyone, and not just a Japanese person. In fact, her family are the only people in town who hire some people from Tallgrass to help on their farm. With the help of the town sherif and her family, Rennie attempts to unearth the truth about who really killed little Susan Reddick. 

Overall, I really like this book because it wasn't too historical, and it didn't focus too much on the interment camps. The only thing I would have changed is how the reader isn't able to figure out the mystery. There are no clues a person could pick up on because the book never changes perspective to another character who does posses the necessary information. The only clues presented are ones regarding an additional two mysteries within Ellis. Tallgrass was very well written book as well as one with very vivid setting that described the little details that assisted it so it seemed even more realistic.