Between Shades of Gray

 Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

15 year old Lithuanian Lina is living the life of a normal teenager in 1941. All is well until Soviet officers burst into her house, her father is taken from her, and now she’s been sent to a work camp with her mother and brother in the coldest part of Siberia. Here they’re forced to work under cruel conditions and fight for their lives. Now Lina is wondering if she will ever see her father again, and if her life will ever go back to normal.

This book is really emotional, and certain parts of it will stick with you until the very end. I felt so bad for Lina, and I was incredulous to the fact that this happened in the 1940s to people for no reason at all. Overall, this is a good book, and I enjoyed reading it.

Danalli B.

#40bookchallenge

The Reality Check

 Reality Check by Peter Abrahams

Cody is living the life. He’s dating the most popular girl in school, star quarterback of the football team, and is the most popular guy in school. But everything  takes a turn for the worse when his girlfriend, Clea is sent to a boarding school all the way across the country, he tears his ACL, then he finds out Clea has gone missing. Now it’s up to Cody to find her, and although some very dangerous people try to stop him from trying, he still won’t give up on trying to find her.

I love a good mystery, and this book definitely falls under that category. There’s so many things you ask during the book, which makes it that much more suspenseful, which keeps the reader wanting to read more. There’s so many likable qualities about this book, which makes you want to pick it up even more. This was a really good book, and it’ll be a very long time before I forget it.

Danalli B.

#40bookchallenge

Breaking Dawn

 Twilight: Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Bella and Edward have been through alot together, and it’s finally time for them to get married.  They’re finally married, and now they’ve had a child. One of their cousins from Denali has seen their child,Renesmee, and thought that she was a vampire child, which is forbidden by the Volturi. Now the Volturi are coming after them, and the Cullens find friends to witness the fact that Renesmee was born, not bitten.

I love the Twilight Saga. This is my third time reading the series, and I just love the books even more now. There’s lots of action in this book, and a lot of romance. I know some people might not agree with me, but I’m glad Bella chose Edward. The book has lots of humor in it, and the ending is one you’ll never forget.

Danalli B.

#40bookchallenge

The Body in the Woods

 A Body in the Woods by April Henry

Alex, Nick, and Ruby are all on the search and rescue team for Portland, and are all not expecting to find a dead body in the woods while looking for an autistic man in his mid  thirties. Now they don’t know what to do, because this has never been taught to them before. Instead of reporting back to the team about what they found, they decide to find out who killed this girl and why, leading down a path of courage, fear, and danger.

This book had me on the edge of my seat from the beginning, and I couldn’t put it down. There were so many times when my eyes were bugging out of my head, and other times when I nodded pleasantly when something happened that I had wanted to happen. In the end, there are so many mouth dropping excerpts that you won’t forget this book for a long time.

Danalli B.

#40bookchallenge

The Glass Castle

 The Glass Castle by Jeanette Stalls

This book is about Jeanette Stalls growing up with an unsupportive mother with too many rules, and an alcoholic for a father. She also grew up with a sister and a brother. Jeanette had so many adventures as a child. And although her parents should not have allowed her and her siblings to do certain things, she had fun and did not complain when going through harsh conditions because they didn’t have any money.

This book is really good, and it impacts your perspective on how your childhood is. It makes you think about if you had to go through that, and where would you be today. I enjoyed this book a lot, because it opened my eyes to the fact that not all childhoods are full of road trips and ice cream.

Danalli B.

#40bookchallenge

Scrawl

 Scrawl by Mark Shulman

Todd Munn has always been a bully; demanding lunch money, cornering little kids, and giving kids wedgies. But one day he messes up big time, and is caught. Now Todd has to write in a journal everyday as punishment for what he did. Todd isn’t willing to share what he did in the journal, but will he give in? And will he ever learn his lesson?

I personally did like this book because we never get to know ,as readers, what bullies in the books are thinking, and so this book is all about what the bully is thinking, so it’s intriguing. I really like what happens in the end, and there was a good message behind the story.

Danalli B.

#40bookchallenge

Eclipse

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Twilight: Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Bella and Edward have finally rejoined, and everyone is happy, but not for long. Alice sees that Victoria has returned to kill Bella, and she isn’t alone. There’s a whole army of newborns behind her, ripping people to shreds in their path. Now the Cullens must protect Bella once more will help from the packs, for they already think of her as family. As the newborns get closer, the danger gets graver, and time is doing nothing but running out.

This book was very action packed, and I really enjoyed reading this. There was never a dull moment, and the tension really builds before something life changing happens. Bella and Edward are my favorite book couple, and they had the same chemistry in this book as they did all of the other ones.

Danalli B.

#40bookchallenge

A Great and Terrible Beauty

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

In 1895, Gemma Doyle is dealing with the death of her mother, and is sent to a private school, named Spence, in England shortly after. Now alone, with visions of things that really happen, and no one to trust, Gemma is suffering. She also wonders why she’s been being followed by a young Indian man. Back at Spence, she gets mixed up with the wrong kind of girls, and gets into a bit of trouble.

This book was different in a good way, and I was extremely happy with the ending. I loved how the characters interacted with each other, and the mystery of the questions Gemma often asked herself. This was a good read, and I would read it again without a doubt.

Danalli B.

#40bookchallenge

Twilight

 Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

The minute Bella arrived in Forks, Washington, everything changed. People in high school had been expecting her, and she instantly made friends. But there was one particular group that everyone in the school knew about, no matter what grade, but didn’t talk to. The Cullens. Most of them in the group were coupled up, but there was one boy who was alone. Edward. She knew that being friends with him was a dangerous path, but she took that chance. Even when the path gets even more dangerous once she finds out his big secret that he’d been keeping with the other Cullens.

I absolutely love this book, because there’s lots of conflict and romance, and I think the characters have really good personalities that fit their aura. This book is one of my favorites, and I  think it’s a great book.

Danalli B.

#40bookchallenge

New Moon

 Twilight: New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

Bella and Edward are back, and better than ever, but not for long. When things go wrong at Bella’s birthday, Edward becomes closed off the next few weeks. Then, a couple of days later, when he goes for a walk in the woods with Bella, he tells her he’s leaving her. She begs for him to stay, but he goes anyway, supposedly leaving her forever. While trying to pick up the pieces of her broken heart, she remembers Jacob, a kind face with a good heart, and she starts to feel better. Little does she know that there’s more danger to come, she’ll just have to figure that out the hard way.

For the second book in a series, this is a great one! It doesn’t delay action at all, and completely lived up to all of my standards and qualities that I look for in a book. I love this entire series, but this book is one of the best ones.

Danalli B.

#40bookchallenge

The Winner's Kiss

(WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM THE WINNER'S CRIME AND THE WINNER'S CURSE)
          The Winner's Kiss, by Marie Rutkowski, is the final book in the Winner's Trilogy Series. In this book, Arin is in the middle of war against the empire, and his only help is the untrustworthy allies from the North. Arin has convinced himself he no longer loves Kestrel, although he thinks about her often, and how she became exactly the type of person he hates. Her betrayal has stung him, deeply. But what Arin doesn't know is that Kestrel didn't betray him. In fact, she did the opposite. By betraying her country for him, Kestrel is sent to a work camp, where everyone is brainwashed and no one has the will to resist or live. Kestrel wants to escape and make the empire pay for what they did, but soon she too is lulled into accepting and not questioning the freezing and brutal work. As the tension and war between the West and East grows, Kestrel and Arin have to make hard decisions, ones that may cost them everything.
            Oh my god! This book was amazing! If you read the first two books, you HAVE to read this one. (If you haven't read them I recommend you do, NOW!) This series was wonderful! I cannot recommend it enough, even if you don't think you like this type of book! Just give it a go, and I promise, you will not be disappointed. This book was a fantastic finish to an equally fantastic book series. I love how they really showed Kestrel and Arin find each other and themselves in the midst of war. Everything about this series was amazing! Every chapter left you on a cliffhanger! I spent tired school days not regretting reading this series through the night. I promise you, this is a book you want to read!

Areeba Wani
#40bookchallenge

The Winner's Crime

(WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM THE WINNER'S CURSE)
           The Winner's Crime, by Marie Rutkowski,
is the sequel to The Winner's Curse. In this heart-pounding book, Kestrel is getting ready to marry the prince. The royal wedding preparations are taking place, but Kestrel longs to tell Arin the sacrifice she made by becoming engaged to the prince to save Arin's life. But the palace is full of its own secrets, and soon Kestrel can't even trust herself or Arin. She starts working as a spy in the court, and becomes more and more confused. But Kestrel's deception will not go unnoticed; people will be watching. The emperor is not a fool, and Kestrel must work hard to win the treacherous game he plays, one she doesn't even know the rules to. All she knows is that if anyone finds out she is a spy, she will be exposed as a traitor to her country. As she learns the price of dangerous lies and untrustworthy alliances, Kestrel comes closer and closer to unveiling the shocking secret that will make her question everything she knows.
            Again, I would recommend this book to everyone, and anyone. The plot is so well thought out, and well crafted. Again, I sped through this book as well. A must-read for anyone who enjoyed the first book. All the secrets, lies, games, and deception really make this book amazing! Kestrel really has to fight to not let her feelings for Arin not show, and reading that makes me really feel for her. The ending was so shocking; it left me wanting another book, which-thankfully!-there is.

Areeba Wani
#40bookchallenge

The Winner's Curse

          The Winner's Curse, by Marie Rutkowski is set in a world of games, lies, betrayal, and war. Kestrel is the daughter of a wealthy general. She is quick-witted and born a strategist, but despite what her father wants, she doesn't want to become a soldier. But Kestrel has a looming deadline. When she makes an impulsive decision to buy a slave named Arin, her world is flipped around. Despite trying their hardest, Arin and Kestrel fall in love. To fall in love with each other is to betray their countries, but to be loyal is to betray one another. Kestrel becomes more tangled in the web as the stakes rise higher. She has to fight to keep her head straight as duels, rebellions, dances, rumors, heartbreak, and dirty secrets threaten to overpower her.
           I would 100% recommend this book. Every chapter is a cliffhanger, pulling you in. The characters are memorable and lovable. The twists and turns of this book will shock you. Even though it has a romance element that is not all this book is about. The games, lies, and tricks will keep you on the edge of your seat. I really felt for the characters and their struggles, especially the hard decisions they had to make. Kestrel is also a really interesting character. Even if you wouldn't usually read this type of book, I recommend you try to read it, because I literally flew through the book. It was so interesting, and I found myself rooting for Kestrel and Arin, as they tried to hide their love and their secrets.

Areeba Wani
#40bookchallenge