WSJ Article & #YAsaves

So, apparently the Wall Street Journal posted an article about how bad YA Fiction is and the negative consequences it has on the teenage society.

I don't think the author of this article - or The Wall Street Journal - was prepared for the voices of the teenage society they attacked. I don't think they thought that much of us to expect a rebuttal. 

Not only is the Wall Street Journal's article's author incorrect (which is a huge understatement) of the books that line Barnes & Noble shelves and walls of our bedrooms, but they actually hurt us and many YA authors with their unkind words. The article's author is obviously ignorant and so is the mother that walked into that Barnes &Noble. There are bad books in EVERY genre, but she decided to focus only on that and assume that the entire YA section of the world is like that. Well, you know what happens when you assume....

Anyway, this blog post wasn't meant for my personal comments ( even though I just failed at that, but I think that pales in comparison to the failure of Mrs. Gurdon's WSJ article). I wrote this to show you all the already amazing posts  by two teenagers.

Here are the two standouts that I've read and love. Enjoy!
WORD for Teens
Bloggers[heart]books

Review: Incarceron

Available for purchase at Barnes & Noble,
Amazon, & more!

Incarceron

Author: Catherine Fisher

Publisher: Penguin Group

Incarceron is a prison unlike any other: Its inmates live not only in cells, but also in metal forests, dilapidated cities, and unbounded wilderness. The prison has been sealed for centuries, and only one man, legend says, has ever escaped.
           
Finn, a seventeen-year-old prisoner, can’t remember his childhood and believes he came from Outside Incarceron. He’s going to escape, even though most inmates don’t believe that Outside even exists. And then Finn finds a crystal key and through it, a girl named Claudia.
           
Claudia claims to live Outside—her father is the Warden of Incarceron and she’s doomed to an arranged marriage. If she helps Finn escape, she will need his help in return. But they don’t realize that there is more to Incarceron than meets the eye. Escape will take their greatest courage and cost far more than they know.
           
Because Incarceron is alive.

Incarceron was a book that had been sitting on my to-read shelf for quite some time. When I picked it up at a local book fair, I finally gave in and bought it.

I've seen reviews for it starring at mediocre to five stars. When I closed the book and put it back in my bookcase, I was somewhere in between the two. It had a really good plot, though predictable at times. It was written better than some books of that same genre, however, it wasn't the best. I also loved the characters, though some of them needed some more fleshing out.

Jared, Claudia's mentor and a Sapienti, was one of (if not my only..) favourite character. I don't know what it was about it, but I connected with him better than Claudia. In fact, Claudia got on my nerves sometimes.

Plot wise...I loved it. It could have been made a whole lot 'deeper', if you get my drift. It didn't have the details I would like to see in a plot of that magnitude. However, if it did, the book would be huge or we'd see a more books in the series.

All in all, it was good but not a favourite.

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 Incarceron is allegedly being made into a movie with a rough release date somewhere in 2013! Cast has not been confirmed but two stars are expected to star in the film; Taylor Lautner (Finn) and Emma Watson. Is this more than a rumor, or some high hopes of a loving reader? Hopefully we'll all find out soon!

Review: My Soul to Steal

Available for purchase at Barnes & Noble,
Amazon, and more!

My Soul to Steal
Author: Rachel Vincent
Publisher: HarlequinTeen

Trying to work things out with Nash—her maybe boyfriend—is hard enough for Kaylee Cavanaugh. She can't just pretend nothing happened. But "complicated" doesn't even begin to describe their relationship when his ex-girlfriend transfers to their school, determined to take Nash back.

See, Sabine isn't just an ordinary girl. She's a mara, the living personification of a nightmare. She can read people's fears—and craft them into nightmares while her victims sleep. Feeding from human fear is how she survives.

And Sabine isn't above scaring Kaylee and the entire school to death to get whatever—and whoever—she wants.

Let's get a few things straight before anyone reads my reviews of the Soul Screamers series...

Rachel Vincent is an amazing author and she is tied for first place on my favourite authors list. (The other being J.K. Rowling for creating such an amazing world.) Then, there's the fact that Rachel's Soul Screamers series is made of awesome. Those two facts combined - yes, I'm stating my opinion as FACT - make for one of the most wonderful reads ever.

Also, something to note... my reviews on the Soul Screamers series will always contain spoilers. I cannot refrain myself.

[Spoilers!]

The previous three books in the series have been pretty good. Book One set the foundation with sharp plot twists you could cut yourself on. Book Two had one darn brilliant story line that takes a deeper look into all the characters. (Oh, Tod!) Book Three was heart-achingly sad that I nearly died from it.

Now, we're on Book Four...My Soul to Steal. Oh my, my, my. I have never been so frustrated and angry at fictional people in my whole life. Rachel introduced a new character named Sabine (pronounced Sabeen-ah, for those who may not know) and she's not human. She's a mara, and that means she can weave nightmares out of your worst fears. She's also Nash's ex-girlfriend who's really not an ex since they never truly broke up. Why? Because Tod died. Glorious, mischievous, Tod died and Nash left Sabine behind.

Of course, after a year later, Sabine finds Nash who is currently recovering from Demon's Breath addiction and Kaylee-withdrawal. Sabine marches in thinking she can take Nash back with her awesomnesss. (Which means she's a hardcore, smokin' hot, slut.) Naturally, I'm on Kaylee's side but that's when I became frustrated. I didn't completely agree with Kaylee ignoring him like she was. She needed to help Nash overcome his addiction THEN work on the trust issues. Baby steps! I also didn't agree with Nash and his pushy-ness. I also wanted to b**ch-slap Sabine and knock her down a few levels. She obviously didn't care about Kaylee's past so why should we care about how bad her's was? Tit for tat.

Then Avari came back! The instant I realized it, I could practically hear the timpani building the tension. I can see him waking up in the morning and stretching while saying "Oooo, how can I screw with my two favourite bean sidhes today!?" As evil as he is, I like him. He's interesting.

Tod wise...I was conflicted! I know I wished Tod and Kaylee were together earlier, (though it's sorta creepy) I was just incredibly pissed at Tod for what he said about Nash and Sabine belonging together. About how life would be if Nash never met her. (Implying, it would be better with out her.) I totally felt the hurt Kaylee did during that scene. I love Tod, but he was just demoted.

Over all, a very tense and good book. Rachel did a nice job writing it so we could easily experience the right emotions as a reader. I also feel that Kaylee has improved somewhat since the last book, but I desperately want her to stay with Nash. At the same time, I feel that Nash was subdued more than normal, which fit the mood of the book. The plot of the story was not as amazing as the first and second book, but it was good. Now, I simply can't wait for the fifth book; If I Die! 

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I love this series so much that I've been trying to get my friends to understand why I ignore them during lunch to read the books. Finally, one of my friends snatched the book while I was turning an assignment in and started reading it. It had her hooked from the get go and now she AND her sister are borrowing my copies to read. I feel like such a proud recruiter! :D (I just can't lend out my signed copy. It means too much to me!)

So, if it can do that to my friends, it shall do it to you and you won't be sorry! Now go check it out!

Returned!

Hello all! I have returned! I took a brief Hiatus from here to finish up all my work in school and life. I had two essays to write and many finals to study for. On top of that, I had sad things happen in my family and I needed to devote my time to that.

However, I am back! And I am equipped with reviews and all around good things to share! :D
Woohoo! Now, onto more posts!

The Royal Wedding

Princess Diana's Wedding Dress

I got up at 1am (PDT) to start watching all of the pre-Royal Wedding shows. My eyelids were hard pressed to stay open, but they carried me through until 5am. My mother and I sat together drinking tea, eating scones and laughing very giddy like. I was awake to see the arrival of HRH The Queen, Prince William (now Duke, Earl, and Baron), Prince Henry, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Pippa and all the flower girls and boys, as well as... Catherine Middleton's (Now, Duchess, Countess, and Baroness) beautiful arrival.

Bodice & Veil

Now, I know that unwanted comparisons between her and Princess Diana are being made, but it's inevitable. HRH Duchess of Cambridge's wedding dress was much smaller than Princess Diana's was. However, in my opinion, I believe that the Duchess' dress was much more flattering. The folds were complimentary and the bodice was SO pretty. The veil was too short, but still very pretty.

The dress is very reminiscent of the 1950's, which I love. However, I think the dress was just a bit too simple. I know there's some type of designing on the hem all the way around, but because it's white on white...it's not easily seen.The boquet was a huge let down. They were the only flowers in the whole wedding, and they were tiny. It didn't even cover her hand. Princess Diana's was too big, and I think Catherine should have gone for something medium sized. (And with colour!)

Catherine's Wedding Dress

 As for the tiara, I would have expected something with a bit more Umph! since she was wearing such a simple dress. However, that was all in The Queen's hands, not Catherine's.

The whole service was gorgeous. I absolutely love Prince Harry and how relaxed he was at the Wedding. I think it helped eased the tension for his brother as well. He's adorable - he just brings a bit of a happy charm to it all.

After the ceremony came the anxiously awaited kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. I remember watching the countdown clock and trying so hard to stay awake for it. When the kiss happened, my mother and I were just a bit disappointed. It was just a peck! Then, they rewarded us with a second one. I don't think that's ever been done before, and they looked extremely happy that they did it.

First Kiss                                    Second Kiss

It was a supremely beautiful wedding and I want to have one like it someday! All in all, I was so happy to watch this piece of history, live, while it happened thousands of miles away. You can't deny it; England's got style.