You create your own demons.

"Sometimes whether someone is your friend or enemy is all in how you look at it. But if you must know, I consider myself your friend, a good friend who loves you very much. No one loves you more than I do, Maximum. Now listen. I ask the questions, not you. You’re just here, and the Voice actually chuckled, for the ride. For the incredible, indescribable Maximum Ride." 


With fast paced, action packed scenes, strong willed, witty, and funny characters, a good, and unbelievably unique and intriguing sci-fi fictional plot, that's basically the younger version of X-Men, just a whole lot better, and in book version; the first book of the maximum ride series; The Angel Experiment, definitely pulled me in. Really? It's hard not to love this book. With genetically engineered mutant kids with lots of different powers and wings, fighting against strong, notorious werewolf like creatures, damn... What’s not to like? I loved it from the first chapter.

Of course, though there were times were I didn't like Max, (She can get too self absorbed, at times); all the escapades and action scenes definitely made up for it. She was a brilliant narrator, and I enjoyed being in her mind. Angel, Iggy, and Gasman left great impressions on me too. But really, out of all the characters? I loved Nudge, with her bubbly personality, and Fang, with his quiet yet swoon worthy attitude the best. I ship them, yo. 

But overall? This book was horrifyingly exciting, addicting, and I’d be damned if I won’t admit that I now have a new favorite book. The writing style was fresh, flowing and entertaining too. I’ve never really liked Sci-fi much, too begin with, (Aside from Viral Nation, Legend, and a few others, I’ve never really read much from the genre); but now I’m hooked. I can’t wait to read the rest of the books. In my opinion, it deserves a rating higher than five stars, but Oh well. (5 Stars)

Book: The Raven Boys

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

"You're looking for a god. Didn’t you suspect that there was also a devil? I’m just warning you,” Neeve said. “Watch for the devil. When there’s a god, there’s always a legion of devils.” 

The Raven Boys is actually told both in five different point of views, starting with Blue’s, a sixteen year old psychic, whose clairvoyant family has always reminded her that she’d kill her true love with a kiss; Gansey, a not so typical rich kid, obsessed with ley lines and all things supernatural, Ronan, a hot-headed sometimes-an-asshole that you’ll eventually learn to love and understand, Adam, a sweet aglionby student who’d make your heart swoon and break, yet annoy you at times, might I add, and Noah, a sometimes sneaky yet quiet character who actually knows a lot, and in third person’s.

If I were to be honest, the first half of this book did not interest me at all. I went through it feeling like a zombie, and as if it was almost like a job. Something I have to finish just for the sake of reading something and all that. I almost didn't want to continue it, but I could see that a lot of people liked it, and I wanted to read on just to feel the book er, captivate me. Thankfully, it eventually did. But not until the 23rd chapter or so, for me.

I stumbled to its goodreads site by accident, and really, the plot, premise, and synopsis quickly pulled me in. But who wouldn't be? “There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him." A girl, killing her true love through a simple kiss. It sounded cliché but suspenseful. And if you really know me, you'd know that I've always had a thing for all things mystery. 

Anyways, I could see why a lot of people liked it. The writing was somehow descriptive and compelling even though it was a little strange. The story was complex. Blue was witty, and Gansey eventually grew on me, and I learned to like him. I especially liked how he was headstrong and smart, and really, it’s just hard not to. The book was both mysterious and aloof, and I marveled at its eloquence. It kept questions after questions running through your head, and not in the way where it’ll eventually annoy you. 

Plus, the two huge revelation at chapter twenty eight left me speechless. Seriously? I yelled Noah’s name out loud even before Gansey said it. It was shocking and gripping and I was just speechless. 

If you’d ask me about the other characters though, they all appealed to me in different ways. They were some who were just insignificant, like Ashley, and some who I wanted to have more spot light in the story. Just like Noah. 

Overall, it was a good book. There were some parts that I didn’t like, and just skimmed through, but there were obviously, the good parts where I’m almost at the edge of my seat. All along, (when I just started reading it), I’ve been thinking that no, I probably won’t continue this series. But the second half just really changed my mind. I want to find out more about all of them, and to have all my questions answered. I really can’t wait to read the next book. (3.5 to 4 Stars; I can't really choose.)

Book: Stolen: A Letter to My Captor
Author: Lucy Christopher
Rating: 4 out of 5.

“And, let’s face it, you did steal me. But you saved my life, too. And somewhere in the middle, you showed me a place so different and beautiful, I can never get it out of my mind. And I can’t get you out of there, either. You’re stuck in my brain like my own blood vessels.”

Caution: There might be a few spoilers.

I am amazed by how powerful this book is. It was just raw and terrifyingly beautiful. I had a million different reactions during reading it, and there’s just something, something about the way Christopher writes that makes my heart thaw. The plot was unique, the words subtle and meaningful. The characters aren’t hard to love too, for Gemma was both obstinate and strong willed, reacting the way I expected her too. Everything about her made the book seem real. And there’s Ty, oh Ty.

I grew up having mixed beliefs about everything, you know. There’s this side of me that dislikes criminals, but there’s also a side of me that thinks, that maybe, just maybe, there’s a rational explanation why they do the things they do. I think that was the same with Ty. He loved Gemma, so much that he rationally thinks that he’s saving her by taking her away. Stealing her away, thinking that he’d maker her happy. Like Gemma had said:

“What you did to me wasn’t this brilliant thing, like you think it was. You took me away from everything – my parents, my friends, my life. You took me to the sand and the heat, the dirt and isolation. And you expected me to love you. And that’s the hardest bit. Because I did, or at least, I loved something out there. But I hated you too. I can’t forget that.”

And all throughout this book, I was torn between hating and loving him. He was both aggravating and vulnerable, and how, how can I not learn to love him, with the way Christopher crafted him, made him what he is? I tried so hard to hate him, but once learning about his past, I couldn’t help it when my heart started to warm up to him. Not to mention the fact that him and Gem are the only characters in this book, so anyone will obviously end up rooting for them. I actually remembered my mom saying something about people doing crazy, irrational, inane things for love, and my god, my god. Tyler, you broke my heart when you turned yourself in.

If i’m going to associate this book with a song, it’ll be “Stop and Stare” by One Republic:

    Stop and stare
You start to wonder why you're here not there,
And you'd give anything to get what's fair,
But fair ain't really what you need,
Oh, can you see what I see? 

Seriously? I’m starting to hate and love books like this. Books that have icky, taboo subjects, yet couldn’t help it but seem right when I’m reading it. It’s not that it goes against my beliefs–I think that anyone can do what they want to, and I’ll respect them for that–it’s just that, it gives me this hollow, lost feeling, wanting them to not end up together and end up together, like I did so with this book, and Forbidden. I don’t think that I’d be able to get over this book easily.

Viral Nation is a dystopian novel set in a fictive world, where the whole country of America has been swept down with a virus, crippling and killing almost every single person, so everyone has to take doses and doses of suppressants to keep themselves alive, where time traveling to two years isn't impossible, and where somewhere, somewhere out there, a revolution is starting. 

And Clover Donovan, an autistic time traveler, in order to save her brother from being blamed for a murder that wasn't his fault, set off to find help from her friend, Jude, and his fellow misfits from foster city. Together, they all go out of the city walls to find out more about the revolution, the future, what's real and what's not, the company, who they really are, and the parts they'll play in order to save their world from lies, deciet, and more. 

Viral Nation was a great novel. The change of point of views didn't bother me at all, and I loved the fact that this book kept my mind running with questions. What are the presidential quotes really for? Are they really a way of communication? What did Bennett want with Bridget? It was amazing. A good dystopian novel, and one that isn't hard to read. It's actually pretty easy to get lost onto Clover and West's world, to imagine yourself as yes, one of them. A freak for freedom. 

Though sometimes, as usual, the characters bothered me a little  Really, one of them annoyed me to the point where I almost wanted to break my screen. Though I totally understand why they do what they sometimes do, it's just hard not to not get annoyed. It's kind of a part of me now, I guess. But overall? It was a really good book. I love Clover's strong willed nature, and It had a good plot. I thought that it was a brilliant take towards the dystopian genre. It was intriguing, and everything that I expected it to be. Admittedly, the ending left me hanging and wanting more. So I guess I can assure you all that it won't disappoint you. 

P.S: Thanks to Penguin Group and NetGalley for lending me a copy of this book.