Book Review: The Water Wars by Cameron Stratcher

Title: The Water Wars
Author: Cameron Stratcher
Pages: 240
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Source: ARC from Publisher

Summary:Would you risk everything for someone you just met?

What if he had a secret worth killing for?

Welcome to a future where water is more precious than oil or gold...

Hundreds of millions of people have already died, and millions more will soon fall-victims of disease, hunger, and dehydration. It is a time of drought and war. The rivers have dried up, the polar caps have melted, and drinkable water is now in the hands of the powerful few. There are fines for wasting it and prison sentences for exceeding the quotas.

But Kai didn't seem to care about any of this. He stood in the open road drinking water from a plastic cup, then spilled the remaining drops into the dirt. He didn't go to school, and he traveled with armed guards. Kai claimed he knew a secret-something the government is keeping from us...

And then he was gone. Vanished in the middle of the night. Was he kidnapped? Did he flee? Is he alive or dead? There are no clues, only questions. And no one can guess the lengths to which they will go to keep him silent. We have to find him-and the truth-before it is too late for all of us.

Review: This book made me thirsty! All the talk of the drought and savoring their last drop of water made my mouth dry. It was really well written. I think the romance between Kai and Vera could have been brought out more. They barely just met then they liked each other, but they never really showed it.

I've gotta say, I love the cover! It's very unique, simple, and yet speaks so many words!

Set in a dystopian world, Vera and her family were struggling to get by. The government controls their water supply so they have to conserve as much water as they can. Her mother is sick and needs water. When Vera meets Kai, a mysterious new boy, her life changes. He drinks water like he has an unlimited amount. Until one day he disappears. As Vera tries to rescue him, her and her brother get captured by water pirates. Vera has to rescue Kai and save herself.

Vera was a pretty relatable character. She had never had a boyfriend before Kai, so everything was new to her. I didn't really think her character was very interesting, though. Her character was a little dull.

Parts of this book were really intense, while others were a bit slow. I gave this book 3 coffee cups. It was worth the read, but I didn't love it.

General Update!

I haven't written a post in over a week! I've been so busy lately. Loaded with homework from school and lots of reading! Here's a general update on what I've been up to:

I finished The Water Wars by Cameron Stratcher (review coming soon!)

I am halfway through I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore. So far it is really good! If you haven't read it, do it! I really want to see the movie but I'm going to finish the book first. Dianna Agron and Alex Pettyfer make the cutest couple! I think they fit the roles perfectly.

I won an Across The Universe (by Beth Revis) water bottle from Beth Revis's contest! I was super excited when I got it. It's pretty cool! It looks like this --->

After I finish I Am Number Four, I am going to read Legacy by Kate Kaynak (book 3 in one of my favorite series!)

Thanks for checking my blog and following!

Waiting On Wednesday (8)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Title: Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth

Release Date: May 3rd, 2011

This book looks really good! I really like dystopian books. I've seen some great reviews for this!

Summary:
In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Interview with Alex Flinn!

I got to interview the lovely Alex Flinn, who is the author of Beastly, A Kiss In Time and Cloaked. Her book, Beastly, has been turned into a movie starring Alex Pettyfer and Vanessa Hudgens. She is one of my favorite authors!

See my review of Cloaked here.

1. Tell me a little bit about yourself.
I'm a former opera singer, former lawyer, current writer. I live in Miami with my husband and two kids.

2. Are you writing any more modern fairy tales?
Yes, but I am superstitious about sharing my works in progress until my editor confirms that it's a go.

3. Tell us briefly about your book, Cloaked. What was your inspiration?
Cloaked is the story of Johnny, a poor kid who works in a shoe repair shop at a posh South Beach hotel. When Princess Victoriana, a Paris Hilton-ish royal, stays at the hotel, she asks him for help finding her brother, who has been turned into a from and set loose in the Florida Keys (a chain of islands near Miami). Yearning for adventure, Johnny sets off with the help of a magical cloak and his friend, Meg, to find the prince. Along the way, he fights giants, meets talking animals, and must confront a dangerous witch.

When I talked to teens about Beastly, I realized that many of them were unfamiliar with fairy tales, other than from Disney movies. Like they'd make comments about how Beastly was, "based on my favorite movie" or ask if I was going to adapt any other Disney movies into books. I realized it was a lot different than when I was a kid, because now, with DVDs you can watch these movies over and over, whereas when I was a kid, you might see the Disney movie ONCE and then you'd have to READ the fairy tale if you wanted to experience it again.

Anyway, I started thinking about stories that hadn't been made into Disney movies, stories like The Elves and the Shoemaker, The Six Swans, and The Firebird. Were these stories completely unknown to modern kids? I thought it would be fun to write a story that incorporated these tales. I conceived it as a picaresque tale, where the hero would have to confront various types of adventures.

4. What do you think about the movie for Beastly? Did you have an opinion on the actors, screenplay, etc.?
I haven't seen the whole film. I've read the script and seen parts of it. I'm pleased with the casting. Alex Pettyfer is exactly how I pictured Kyle. Mary-Kate Olsen is a great Kendra, and I was really impressed with Vanessa Hudgens acting when I visited the set. I get a lot of letters from teens who are concerned that Vanessa doesn't have red hair. To me, this is a minor detail. I think she'll be good in the role. I was way more concerned about the script, which is great.

5. If you were stranded on a desert island, what are three things you would bring?
Food, water, and a boat! Other than that, maybe the compete works of the Bronte sisters.

Thanks so much Alex for this interview!

You can find Alex here:

Her website

Her blog

Goodreads

Book Review: Cloaked by Alex Flinn

Title: Cloaked
Author: Alex Flinn
Pages: 337
Publisher: Harperteen
Source: ARC from publisher

Summary: Johnny’s not your average hero. But a little magic changes everything. There isn’t a fairy godmother or any of that. It all starts with a curse. And a frognapping. And one hot-looking princess. And before Johnny knows it, he is on a mission in the Everglades, with only a flock of swans and a talking fox named Joe to help guide him against the forces of an evil witch.

Review: This was a pretty entertaining book. I am a fan of Alex Flinn's books, so this book didn't disappoint much.

Johnny works at a shop repairing shoes. He doesn't make much, so he is poor. When Princess Victoriana shows up offering him a reward for finding her long lost brother (who had turned into a frog), Johnny accepts the offer and goes on a search. A bit into the journey, Johnny's best friend, Meg, comes and helps him. Along the way they encounter a talking fox, swans, and an evil witch trying to stop them in their tracks.

Before Johnny leaves for his journey, the princess gives him a magical cloak. The cloak can transport him anywhere he wants to go. The thing is, he has to be specific about where he wants to go. Otherwise he might end up in the middle of the road. This makes me wish that I had a magical cloak!

I wan't a huge fan of this book. Don't get me wrong, It was still pretty good. It was just too fantasy for me. I like a little bit of fantasy, like Alex Flinn's other books Beastly and A Kiss In Time. The good thing, is that it was written well, so it wasn't hard to follow.

If you like fantasy, then I would recommend reading this book. I thought the romance was super cute. I gave this book three and a half coffee cups. It was a decent book.

Book Review: Babe In Boyland by Jody Gehrman

Title: Babe in Boyland
Author: Jody Gehrman
Pages: 304
Publisher: Dial
Source: ARC from Publisher
Release Date: February 17, 2011

Summary: When high school junior Natalie--or Dr. Aphrodite, as she calls herself when writing the relationship column for her school paper--is accused of knowing nothing about guys and giving girls bad relationship advice, she decides to investigate what guys really think and want. But the guys in her class won't give her straight or serious answers. The only solution? Disguising herself as a guy and spending a week at Underwood Academy, the private all-boy boarding school in town. There she learns a lot about guys and girls in ways she never expected--especially when she falls for her dreamy roommate, Emilio. How can she show him she likes him without blowing her cover

Review: This book was really good! It made me laugh. It was so funny at times!

Natalie was trying to get an inside scoop on boys and how they think for her school newspaper, but she couldn't get any information out of the guys when they knew her as a girl. So she decided to go undercover--as a boy--to an all boys school. Calling herself "Nat" and chopping her hair off, she was able to convince the boys that she was one of them.

This reminded me a lot of the movie She's The Man. But it was also a bit different.

There was some tender moments between Natalie (as Nat) and her roommate Emilio. I found myself cheering for them saying in my head "kiss him! kiss him!" then I remembered that Emilio didn't know that she was a girl, and that would be quite awkward.

I always thought it would be fun to pretend to be a guy for a while. But I don't think I could do it for more than a day! Natalie held out for an entire week. It wasn't very easy. She had lots of troubles and made many mistakes. She even had to put some of her friendships on the line to keep her cover.

I gave this book four coffee cups. It was really good. I enjoyed reading it. I would recommend reading this book. It's a fun, interesting book with some romance.

Unearthly Fantasy Cast

In honor of the book Unearthly by Cynthia Hand, I decided to make a partial cast list (just the main two male characters) for it. The main character's love interests, Tucker and Christian.

Tucker could be played by Garret Hedlund. Didn't he just look gorgeous in Tron? (I haven't seen it yet, but I have seen the previews!) He could totally be a rough, country boy (like in Country Strong!)

For Christian, I was thinking Adam Gregory. He's got the rich, popular, sweet, perfect boyfriend look to him I think.

Another guy I thought could be Christian is Christian Cooke. Such a cutie.
So, what do you think of my choices? If you haven't read Unearthly yet, I would highly recommend reading it. It was really good!! And by the way, I am definitely Team Tucker!