Summer Book List #7: Champion by Marie Lu

“Sometimes, the sun sets earlier. Days don’t last forever, you know. But I’ll fight as hard as I can. I can promise you that.” 
“I’ve been searching a long time for something I think I lost.I felt like I found something when I saw you back there.” 
“You drive me insane June. You're the scariest, most clever, bravest person I know, and sometimes I can't catch my breath because I'm trying so hard to keep up. There will never be another like you. You realize that, don't you? Billions of people will come and go in this world, but there will never be another like you.” 
“It hurts every day, the absence of someone who was once there.”
“Please don't take him away from this world. Please don't let him die here in my arms, not after everything we've been through together, not after You've taken so many others. Please, I beg You, let him live. I am willing to sacrifice anything to make this happen- I'm willing to do anything You ask. Maybe you'll laugh at me for such a naive promise, but I mean it in earnest, and I don't care if it makes no sense or seems impossible. Let him live. Please. I can't bear this a second time. Tell me there is still good in this world. Tell me there is still hope for all of us.” 

Description: June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps-Elect, while Day has been assigned a high-level military position. But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them: just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything. With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion.

Best part of the story: Them falling in love. More in love.

On the plot: It went well, even the fast forwarded part. It felt right that June gave Anden a chance. Everything made sense. But unfortunately, I was able to predict the ending from the moment Day forgot their companion's name. And let me tell you this, amnesia's were the plot twists that I detest the most. I know it was just right given Day's condition. It was a consolation prize for him not dying. But amnesia makes everything seem like nothing. It's like you've slept through the storm and when you woke up, everything was calm again. But clearly, a lot has changed and you can pinpoint what. Making Day forget things killed a part of who he was. (And still, despite my protests, I think it ended just right.) *sigh* And they did meet on the street as just a girl and just a boy. And I hope things go uphill from there.

On the characters: One reason why this isn't my favorite book in the series is because they crushed the strength I saw in June and Day. It humanized them and showed the beauty of their vulnerability, yes but I missed the "hero" in them. They did shine in the end because of their character but... I don't know. Maybe it hurt me every time they were hurt. Now that I think of it, in this book, their minds were as messed up as Katniss' and Peeta's in Mockingjay.

What else can I say? Ahhhh. I'm reliving my Champion feels at the moment. I think I may need to retract to myself.

Summer Book List #6: Prodigy by Marie Lu

Book cover

“The first time I saw you, when you stepped into that Skiz ring against Kaede, I thought you were the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen. I could've watched you forever. The first time I kiss you..." That memory overpowers me now, taking me by surprise. I remember every last detail of it, almost enough to push away the lingering images of the Elector pulling June to him. "Well, that might as well have been my first kiss ever.” 

“My heart is ripped open, shredded, leaking blood. I can't let him leave like this. We've been through to much to turn into strangers.” 

Description: Injured and on the run, it has been seven days since June and Day barely escaped Los Angeles and the Republic with their lives. Day is believed dead having lost his own brother to an execution squad who thought they were assassinating him. June is now the Republic's most wanted traitor. Desperate for help, they turn to the Patriots - a vigilante rebel group sworn to bring down the Republic. But can they trust them or have they unwittingly become pawns in the most terrifying of political games?

Best part of the book: when it shook everything I believed in. I love books who can shock me like that. And of course, I loved how the story started - them pretending to be drunk in Vegas and having a simple sign (touching of the forehead) which later became important for the progress of the story. Also, I love how they fell in love and held on to each other even if they were far away. It was beautiful how they were so sure that they couldn't bear losing each other when everything else was a blur. And yes, I love how Lu ended this book even if it broke me in pieces.

On the characters: This is where I appreciated Kaede and Tess more and where June and Day were humanized. I was still cautious about Anden (and for some reason, I can see Ansel Elgort playing him).
On the plot: It did not feel like a transitional book at all. Middle books tend to be like that but Lu did a great job. The book was a full story.

I read this book in public (during the LVX orientation) but it managed to pull me into its own world. And when it ended, I couldn't stop myself from reading and yearning for more.

Summer Book List #5: Legend by Marie Lu

This is a book recommended by one of my besties and she had so much feels reading it that I was intrigued.

Book cover

“Each day means a new twenty-four hours. Each day means everything's possible again. You live in the moment, you die in the moment, you take it all one day at a time. -Day” 

“I don't know if anyone's ever told you this", he begins. He doesn't blush, and his eyes don't dart away. Instead I find myself staring into a pair of oceans - one perfect, the other blemished by that tiny ripple. "You're very attractive." I've been complimented on my appearance before. But never in his tone of voice. Of all the things he's said, I don't know why this catches me off guard. But it startles me so much that without thinking I blurt out, "I could say the same about you." I pause. "In case you didn't know." A slow grin spreads across his face. "Oh, trust me. I know.”

“The memory fades, and I’m left hanging on to the ghosts of his

words.” 

“The boy who walks in the light” 

Description: What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.  From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets. Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills. 

Favorite part: I won't forget when Day first saw June and he was so bold in admitting that she's the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. And of course, I loved their first kiss and the moments that led to that. Day is firm in what he feels for June but his being straight-forward about it didn't seem cocky to me. It was like he knew what he wanted and he was willing to fight for it.

On the characters: Day and June are prodigies from different worlds. Day is a criminal while June is a top-notch soldier. What's great about them is the way they think. They pay attention to details and they understand what these details could mean. Their brains are problem-solving mechanisms. I actually fell in love with the way they think!
Their bodies also respond to extreme limits so they could continue their missions.
But despite all these, they're not perfect. And that's more amazing! Behind their reputations and the things they have to do, they're really just a boy and a girl. They have weaknesses and emotions.

On the plot: I didn't expect the first pages to reel me in. Tiffany and I had different tastes in books so I was expecting the story to be set in a darker world.
The world was dark and post-apocalyptic, yes, but it was the kind that I wanted. It gave me a THG feel though it was different. There was the strict Republic government and a rebel that the people support but June's and the Colonies' presence made it unique.

Personally, this is my favorite book in the trilogy. I was fascinated with how Lu created the concept of the Republic. I was intrigued by Day and how he became who he was and how he achieved impossible feats. I loved the simple actions in this book and the mysteries it held. I loved the conflicts it built which had bigger consequences that appeared in the other two books.

(Idk how to put GIFS here so that's it for now)

Summer Book List #2: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Dauntless Facto Manifesto: “We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another.”

Favorite part of the story: Every single time Tobias reveals his soft side and hints his attraction towards Tris (yiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii. DAFEELSBRO.)

As I read, I couldn’t stop myself from comparing it to the movie. No matter how much I adored the film, it really can’t match up with the book. It just can’t. (But I do agree with the casting though. I imagined the artists as the characters. Kudos to the casting manager!)

In the book, I had a fuller sense of who each character is especially Tris. I discovered how her mind worked and her motivations for everything. I even understood her fears.

There were a few times that she sounded and thought like Katniss to me (when she had nightmares and when she acted tough because the situation asks her to be). She also fell in love a little bit like the THG heroine: unintentionally. They were both cautious about it except Katniss didn’t want to fall in love while Tris was subconsciously afraid of intimacy but was actually open to the subject.

Also, I saw how Tris developed throughout the book and I believe that somehow, she already has a sense of who she is in the end.

Moving onto Tobias. Veronica Roth was right when she said that he was a great character because he has an amazing off-screen life. She was able to craft a character the can live on his own. He had the right mix of “power” and “vulnerability” and either side of him was magnetizing. He was human to me, really and that made him “perfect.”

I also appreciated minor characters more especially Al, Christina, Will and Uriah. Tori and Caleb were portrayed better in the movie for me (because I didn’t like who they really are in the book.) Tori seemed less mysterious and sure of herself in the book (and maybe that’s who she really is). Meanwhile, the real Caleb seemed deceitful and conflicting for me. I couldn’t get a sense of who he is. He’s an actor! He acted all Abnegation-like then he picks Candor… acts cold when Tris comes… sides with his family once the attack happened… acts whimpy and pathetic instead of helping Tris and then I don’t know. (I did feel betrayed by him actually since I was expecting him to have more person in him.) Sorry not sorry, Caleb.

Anyway, story-wise, it was a great concept. Roth used fear in a different style and she did it well. It was also well-written because –duh! It brought a whole new world to life.

I’m looking forward to the next books (though I don’t think I can handle it right now.) 

Summer Book List #1: Everyday by David Levithan

Here's just a short short short review. There are a bit of spoilers inside though I don't say how it ends.

“Everyday I am someone else. I am myself- I know I am myself- but I am also someone else. It has always been like this.”

Most touching part of the story: when A was in a body of a girl who was planning to commit suicide and A chose to save her by asking help from the girl’s father. The father who was usually stoic and “cold” broke when he saw the girl’s journal which contained tons of ways to kill herself and a deadline for her life. As the girl went to sleep, the father stayed guard by the door, hanging onto her stirring noises just to make sure that she was alive.

I loved this story for many different factors. First, I appreciated the way it was phrased. It was easy to read, to digest and even the voice in my head it created sounded great. Second, the characters that this book featured were of the minority. In other words, they are the people you wouldn’t expect to be main characters of the typical YA stories. Most were troubled and disabled people. That was a strength of the book – it gave other people voices. Third, the story provided a different view of life. When you know that everything can change instantly, you flesh out the things that matter more. David was able to point out so many universal truths that were under our noses all along.

I’m looking for answers just like A is and a sequel might help (though it can also destroy the beauty of the first book.) I want A to meet other shifters and discover something big… not necessarily a way to stay but maybe the reason why they shift.

Head cannon: Shifters were souls without a body. They used to have a body… they were born with a body but something happen and they lost it. What if they could get it back?