Original Characters Series: Ariel

So, while coming up with new ideas to blog about, I took the time to look at possible books to read for the future and started remembering how back in high school I would create my own characters to place into the stories and make them more enjoyable to me. Then it hit me! Why not share my characters? Sounded like a good idea so I'm going with it.

I guess I can share one now. My first one is from the Percy Jackson series, obviously. I don't know what it is about this series that makes me so head over heels for it, but I have fallen hard for it.

So this is Ariel (see picture.) Yeah, I know she's upside down. She's doing a flip cause she's cool like that. Ariel is the daughter of Ares, but the twist is that she's nothing like her siblings. Her and Clarisse are polar opposites of each other, and while Ariel could technically be the head counselor due to having completed more quests, she chooses not to.

She's got a lot of issues, though, like she's very possessive of her friends because of this mentality that as the daughter of war she's the only one strong enough to keep them safe. It's her Achilles heel. Other things about her are that she's very strong, she's athletic, has mastered every weapon she's come across, and she can read. Okay, that last one sounds weird, but if you're a fan of the Percy Jackson series, you'll know that's a big deal since a lot of half-bloods have dyslexia. However, despite all of this, she's still considered an outcast at camp because she's so much different from any of them.

So there you have it! Ariel, the daughter of Ares, was my first ever OC and I'm still really attached to her. She'll come back around sometime soon since she has more to add to her story, but that'll be later. Thanks for reading everyone! Bye-bye!

David Inside Out

Title: David Inside Out
Author: Lee Bantle
Genre: YA; LGBT; Romance
Pages: 184
Time to complete: 2 days


Book Summary:
David Dahlgren, a high-school senior, finds solace in running with the track team; he's a fast runner, and he enjoys the camaraderie. But team events become a source of tension when he develops a crush on one of his teammates, Sean. Scared to admit his feelings, David does everything he can to suppress them: he dates a girl, keeps his distance from his best friend who has become openly gay, and snaps a rubber band on his wrist every time he has "inappropriate" urges. Before long, Sean expresses the thoughts David has been trying to hide, and everything changes for the better. Or so it seems.

In this thoughtful yet searing coming-of-age novel, Lee Bantle offers a raw, honest, and incredibly compelling account of a teenager who learns to accept himself for who he is.

Review:
Ohhh where do I begin with this one....Um, I'll be honest here. I hated this book. I really, truly LOATHED reading this book. So, it follows this kid David and him discovering he has a crush on his track teammate Sean. Now, I know that not every book will have a happy ending (thanks Vlad Todd series), but this book has no ending or purpose at all. The summary says it's an honest account of a teen who learns to accept himself, but I didn't see it. I will be spoiling it in the rant below, so if you want to read this book, look away.

SPOILERS!!
My biggest question is: what the hell is wrong with Sean!? Is he gay? Is he straight? Sideways? Please someone tell me cause he confused me so much. Sean sneaks into Davids house, has his sex, and then leaves like nothing happened. Call me crazy, but that's a crap thing to do to someone. Every chapter that went by I kept thinking this is it, there's going to be some happiness for David and then Sean just runs away! UGH! Sean, really? I feel sorry for David for having to go through that, but that's as far as my sympathy goes for these characters. None of them have any meat to them. They are so flat and two dimensional that it makes me cry.
END SPOILER!!

On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give this book a 3 ONLY because seeing David go through this made me sorry for him and want to hug him. 

Bookmarked: Spring Break

Hey guys!

So for most of us, Spring Break is just around the corner. I know I'm excited to get away from the hectic life of being a full time college student for a week. So tonight, I'm going to introduce my latest idea. I'm calling it "Bookmarked." Bookmarked will be where I post five book recommendations. Whether they be themed, like for spring break, or based on genres such as romance, horror, etc.


Spring Break Reads
I'm not going to go into full detail for each book, but a general plot summary and why I want to read them will be here. Let's get started!

1. Rebel of the Sand by Alwyn Hamilton
2. Splintered by A.G. Howard
3. Upside Down by Lia Riley 
4. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli 

First up: Rebel of the Sand. From what I've read in the general summary, this is about a girl named Amani who has some badass shooting skills but she's stuck in a dead in town in the middle of the desert. Oh, and there's magic and djinni (what Americans know as "genies"), but they're evil. I now right. So think female Aladdin with an attitude, a gun, and Robin Williams is trying to kill her. My thoughts? It just sounds interesting, and really the idea of exploring a different culture and gaining something from reading is too good an opportunity to pass up. 

Next: Splintered. This is the read for any fan of Alice in Wonderland. Basically, the main character Alyssa is the descendant of the original Alice that Lewis Carroll wrote about, and just like Alice, Alyssa's not all there. She can hear bugs and flowers talking to her, much to her disapproval. I assume that this book will follow a similar line of the original story envolving small doors, tea parties, and apparently the bandersnatch is making a comeback. Either way this is one book I am looking forward to reading. 

Next: Upside Down. Time for sap! This is my romance pick for Spring Break, and it is so sterotypical boy meets girl and they use each other to get away from their problems. Why did I choose this one? Maybe I want to read a small, cheesy romance novel once in a while (twenty-one years old and still single. Ouch.) Back to the story. Natalia has gone on a "find myself" journey to Australia and meets Bran, who is just getting over his own relationship issues. They slowly fall in love and things ensue in the book. I don't know what ensues but something does, as it must in a romance novel.

And finally: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. Warning! If you've got a problems with the LGBT community, to trash this blog guys. Just be cool and choose another book to your liking. Simon is gay, as the book says, and he's fine with that. He's not flaunting it or anything, he knows who he is and just goes on like normal. Until someone gets a hold of his email and uses it to blackmail him. Now, Simon doesn't care if he's outed, but his pen pal Blue is another story. There really isn't much else to tell seeing as the book blurb is pretty vague on the details but hey more fun for me, right?

So there you have it! Four books for the Spring Break week if any of you decide to get out of bed and buy the books. So to everyone enjoy your break whenever it may be and I'll post again soon. Bye!

On Writing About Demons

Hi guys! Sorry for the long hiatus, I've been busy with college and holidays and whatnot but I'm back. At least for a little while.

As some of you know, being a writer isn't easy. It takes a lot of time and energy just to hammer out an idea that most people would enjoy reading. Afterwards, there's the long, long, LONG period of writing, rewriting, editing, crying, angry outbursts, and the inevitable existential crisis that comes about before you finally look at your work and say, "Ugh." Some time after that, you finally feel it's as perfect as you can get it and you either post it online if it's a fanfiction story or you go and get it published somewhere (or do it yourself since it's cheaper that way.)

Why am I giving out a lesson on how hard writing is? Well, it has come to my attention recently, thanks to an online group I'm a part of, that an author named Bella Madison has stolen someone's fanfiction about Destiel and has published it as an iBook on iTunes. She changed the names and Cas' gender and claimed at her own. Now, me being me, I was curious about it and decided to look her up. Sure enough she has not just one, not two, but THREE books that she stole from fanfiction authors. Not cool. It's not uncommon for an author to save up their works and publish them after a few days or weeks, but she's published 17 books in the span of 2 months. She's also been a Goodreads member since December of 2016, and yet her bio says she wrote her first novel at 15.

However, after some digging, it's not just stealing works and publishing them. Madison has even stolen her bio for her Goodreads account. Her bio was originally from New York Times bestselling author Roni Loren, she just changed the city she lives in and omited the part where Loren has a masters degree in social work. Other than that, Madison's bio is a word for word copy of Loren's.

People like her, they really make me feel disappointed. What kind of person does this? Writing isn't just about putting out a bestseller and getting famous. For some of us, myself included, writing is a way to deal with our own personal demons. A novel I've been working on these last few months revolves around my character Skye and she has loyalty and trust issues because of her past. She questions everyone's intentions. Why? Because that's how I've experienced the world. The things I've seen and experienced gave me that kind of thinking and it imprints itself on all my characters. I remember reading that "authors reveal more about themselves than they realize when they write", and it is true.

So, seeing someone like Bella Madison taking credit for something an author worked very hard on and put her own heart into, it makes me feel like she's spitting on her. Please, don't let people like her get away with something like this.

It's wrong.

It's plagiarism.

So, there's the heavy hitting post for the day. I'll be back soon for another book review. Until then guys, Carpe Librium and have a good day.

New Books!

Oh my goodness! Today has been just the best day for someone like me who loves books.

So this morning I received an email from Goodreads that I had won their book giveaway! I'm so excited for the book to come in. It's called The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi. From the summary, it's based on Indian mythology and follows a female main character as she struggles to figure out who she can trust. I think this will be something new and creative to read. I'm so excited to start reading it.




I also got my hands on some free e-books. While I don't usually care for e-books, I made an exception for this series. It's called Remembrance by Michelle Madow from the Transcend Time Saga. The series is about a high school student named Lizzie who has been reincarnated from Regency Era, England, but doesn't realize it until she meets her soul mate from the past and he triggers her memories to gradually return. I am so looking forward to reading this series. There is also Vengeance and Timeless as books 2 and 3.

An Ember in the Ashes

Title: An Ember in the Ashes
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Genre: YA; Fantasy; Dystopia
Pages: 464
Time to complete: 8 days


Book Summary:

Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free. Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear. It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.
 
But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy. There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

Review:

Okay so I just had my feels crushed, stomped, risen from the dead and then squished again...then brought back to life. Yay! This book was a Goodreads Advanced Reading Copy book that I read forever ago but I thought it would be something great to blog about since I loved it when I read it the first time and now.

This book was one roller coaster of emotions. Scholar Laia just lost what family she has left and her brother is taken prisoner. Mask Elias wants freedom but it looks like he's not going to get it when he's entered into the Trials, a dangerous set of tests that will push him to his limits. I should explain. See, the Scholar's are like tradesmen and farmers. Mask's are military that have little to no conscious when it comes to killing people, especially their own members if they show weakness. 

While this book primarily frustrated me just based on what was going on (no spoilers) I have to admit I liked it. The twists were nicely hidden until they were meant to come to the surface, the slow build had me on the edge of my seat all the way to the end, and the characters were easy to love (and hate) even to the end. Granted I don't like the ending (again no spoilers) but if and when the next book comes out maybe it'll make up for it. Overall, I give this book a 9 out of 10! 

Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie

Title: Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie
Author: Jordan Sonnenblick
Genre: YA; Realistic Fiction
Pages: 273
Time to complete: 10 days


Book Summary:
Thirteen-year-old Steven has a totally normal life: he plays drums in the All-Star Jazz band, has a crush on the hottest girl in the school, and is constantly annoyed by his five-year-old brother, Jeffrey. But when Jeffrey is diagnosed with leukemia, Steven's world is turned upside down. He is forced to deal with his brother's illness and his parents' attempts to keep the family in one piece. Salted with humor and peppered with devastating realities, DRUMS, GIRLS, AND DANGEROUS PIE is a heartwarming journey through a year in the life of a family in crisis.


Review:

I loved reading this book. So much so that I had to put it down some days because I was crying. This is a unique and heartbreaking take on the struggles of having a family member suffering from leukemia. While it may have a crazy title and an even crazier plot summary, the book is good for young readers and holds an important message about family and brotherhood. Readers can relate to him best because middle school is pretty horrible for everyone, and some can relate to the struggles of having a family member who is fighting against cancer.

What I liked best about this book was the common theme of family. Even though the main protagonist has a dislike for his crazy little brother, Jeffery, he realizes how much a family can dramatically change when the word “cancer” is involved. My uncle got cancer just a few months ago (he's in remission now, thank God), but at the time I knew what Steven was going through. It's scary.

What makes this book stand out I think is its lack of traditional dialogue. While it is there, Sonnenblick instead made the dialogue italic instead of the usual quotation dialogue. It gives the novel a more reporter like voice, as if someone is retelling Steven's story in an interview. I thought that was very cool. Overall, this novel is very humorous and great for middle school readers. 

If you read and enjoy this book, then check out Sonnenblick's website and blog. There you can find out about his other seven books. 

Well that's it for this post. Next post will be up soon (I hope.)

Remember: The Book is Always Better