City of Bones

Before I tell you about this story, let me tell you that I picked up this book twice before actually reading it, and since then I have read it two times. The main character, Clary appears to be simple girl with a fairly simple life, but that's how all books start, right? Well, this book is unlike any book I have read. Clary has a best friend named Simon and a father she has never met. On a normal day after school, Clary returns home to find her house filled with boxes. Her mom tells her that they will be traveling during the summer; however, Clary has other plans. Furious with her mom, Clary makes the choice of going to the latest all-ages club with her best friend, Simon where Clary witnesses something that changed her life.

She watched a murder take place, surrounded by hundreds of people. She screamed for the bodyguards, and called for Simon. When everyone gathered around her, they asked her why she was yelling. The shadow hunter-murderers smiled at her, and Clary realized that they were much more dangerous than she had ever imagined. They were invisible to everyone’s eyes but hers. The murderers claimed that she had “the sight” and that she must have some connections to the shadow hunters or the down-worlders, but Clary had no idea what that meant. That night, on her way home she got a voicemail from her mom yelling and screaming for Clary not to come home.  She told Clary, no matter what she does, don’t go home.

Clary comes to see that her life was not as simple as she thought it to be. Her mother was married to Valentine, a down-worlder, and she was a part of a group that is now considered evil. Her mother is carrying the hidden “Cup” that can turn any human into a shadow hunter, or those who kill the down-worlders. She turned to the shadow hunters she had met in the club for help and they led her to the Institution, where she talked to the head instructor. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an adventure as well as a little thrill, mystery and excitement. Throughout this story I admire Clary because she a more independent, strong and capable person. She has learned how to pay attention to clues and look for the missing detail as well as, be able to pick up when someone turns against her. Clary works hard to help the shadow hunters, but will she be able to help save her mom?

Impossible

Originally, I picked up this book because I love a challenge, and a book titled Impossible sounded like there was a difficult task the character had to overcome. However, this book turned out nothing like I excepted; it was much more blunt then I was accustomed to. Lucy Scarborough, a girl living with foster parents, is seventeen years old when she gets sexually assaulted by her prom date. Three weeks later, she realizes that she is pregnant. Just before her prom date abandoned her in the closet, he called her “Fanella”.She has never heard this name, or term before, and she is sure it means something. When she looked into his eyes, before he walked out on her, she knew something was different. This was not the guy that she had left the house with. It was like he was possessed. But then again, she had not expected this tragic event to occur either.  Hours later, he “accidentally” crashes into a tree. The doctors claimed he was drunk, however Lucy knows he was fully conscious. He had not had one drink all night, she had been with him every moment.

 Lucy calls her best friend, and future husband (she just doesn’t know it yet), Zach to pick her up. After a few months of pregnancy, Lucy meets her true mother, who is crazy, wondering on the streets like a bag lady singing, “Are you going to Scarborough fair? Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme…” Lucy has heard this tune many times because before her mother went “mental” she had taught it to her foster dad. Her mother’s lyrics of the song were unlike the traditional versions. Within the lines there was a secret code, hinting towards the generations of cursed Scarborough women. Lucy reads her mother’s old journal found hidden her mother’s old room. It talks about how for generations, Scarborough women at the age of 17 are raped by the spirit Knight Elf, who posses young men's bodies to complete the task, and they all have daughters. She has nine months to complete the three impossible tasks, or she will go crazy like her mom. Will she be able to complete these tasks?

Hunger Games

So, I don't know about you, but when the title of a book indicates that the story line will be based on hunger, I don't exactly find that interesting. Little did I know, that this story will whisk me away in to an inconceivable circumstances where people take please in watching homocides! It takes place in the future, in the ruins of North America, in a nation called Panem. Panem was originally divided into 13 districts, ruled by the Capitol, a group of evil people who don’t allow their people to experience the true luxuries of life. Each district is given a purpose, for example; agriculture, clothing and mining. The districts focus on what ever they are instructed to do. Many years ago, there was a rebellion in District 13. It no longer exists. Everyone and everything there was destroyed completely, or so they are told. No one dares to stand up to the Capitol, except Katniss, a 16 year old girl living with her widowed mom and younger sister. 

Once every year, as pure entertainment, the Capitol selects 2 people, one girl one boy from each distract through a raffle. The poorer you are the more your name will be entered into the raffle. Being inlisted in the Hunger Games means that you will be put in an unknown arena with 23 other people who will be trying to kill you. If you survive, your family is gifted a life long supply of food and a house in the richest part of Panem, the Capital. Katniss’s name was entered 23 times, for herself, her mom and sister. Her best friend Gale however had 6 siblings, all too young to enter their names. His name was entered 43 times! Katniss’s sister, Prim, had just become old enough to enter her name, so she had only one, single entry. So what were the chances of Prim being chosen? One in a million, right? Well, Prim was selected.

Just like every year, once the contestants are chosen, the people are given a chance to volunteer for one of them. Without a second thought, Katniss made a decision that most people might not be able to make, and she took her sister’s place. She made Gale promise to take care of them. Then, the male from her district is chosen, Peeta. Katniss met Peeta for the first time when she was starvation for a long time now, and was on the verge of death. Peeta worked at the bakery and had seen Katniss begging for food on the streets for her mother and hungry sister. Katniss had just fainted when Peeta had “accidentally” burnt four loaves of bread, forcing his mom to tell him to dump them to the pigs, as well as receiving a beating by his mom. Then, for some strange reason, he gave her the loaves. After that they never spoke again. Katniss hates being in debt to people, and she had never had the guts to thank him before. Will she have the chance to before she finds herself preparing to kill him. Will Katniss be forced to kill her savior? Will she make it home to see her sister, who made her swear to try her hardest to return?

The Giver

Not gonna lie, I tend to judge books by their covers. The Giver has a boring, grey cover with a creepy old man's face on it. Not exactly the most intriguing cover. However, it turned out to be better than I expected. When I opened the page, I was dropped into a world where some higher source made all you choices for you. A world where there are no colors, races, or feelings. The people do not know words like color, or rain, or love. They believe in "precision of language". When Jonah, the main character, asks his parents, “Do you love me?” they are appalled! They tell him that he must not speak with such vague language. He should use more appropriate words like, “Do you enjoy my company?” or “Do you take pride in my accomplishments?” They have no idea what they are missing out on. Those in charge do not want anyone to remember a time where they were given this freedom, because people may want it back, and they may try to rebel. And that would be too dangerous. So they took all of the memories from “back and back and back...” and gave them all to one man. The Giver. He holds memories of concepts these people cannot understand.

But, little Jonah, a mere Twelve, is learning more and more every day.  The day he became a Twelve he was assigned a job. Unlike his peers, his job was unique. He was not chosen as Care Taker of the Old, like his friend, Leona, or The Administer of Recreational Games, like his buddy Asher or a Nurturer like his father. He was chosen as The Receiver. He was to receive all of the memories from, “back and back and back...” This job was chosen for him after years of consideration, because last time, ten years ago, there was a mistake. The little Twelve, Rosemary was chosen. However, she could not handle the pain from all of these memories, so she fled. She applied to be “released”. When Rosemary was released, all of the memories she had were exposed and open to the public. The citizens couldn’t handle it.

Jonah is told that being released is when you are injected, and put to sleep. No other citizen is aware of this, but the only reason Jonah is told is because he is training to be the Receiver. The Giver passes on his memories to Jonah one by one, passing on his knowledge as well. It occurs to Jonah that if he, gains all of the memories and then escapes into the unknown land, that all of the citizens will need the Giver to help them. They will be able to experience happiness, love, as well as sadness and grief. Should Jonah risk his life to achieve his goal? There world is nothing like ours, that is for sure. But, is it better or is it worse??