The Maze Runner Movie Review: I LOVED THIS

            Years ago, back when I was a fetus, (okay not literally) I read this book, and absolutely hated it. But who can blame the fetus 10-year-old me? Really, who reads a dystopia hard-concept novel at the age of 10? I did, people. Well, I unfortunately DNF-ed this, and I never looked back at it and had any guilt that I disliked it... until this day, in 2014, when the movie changed my life and made me regret not finishing the book. 

              The Maze Runner was one of those movies that gives you panic attacks and you will leave the theatre like a wreck, where you'll be unable to believe that it was that amazing. The story was fantastic, the actors captured the true image perfectly, and I know what boxed set I'll be asking for Christmas this year. ;)

                NO. DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT YOU REGRET WATCHING THE MOVIE OR READING THE BOOK. Because you will stand there, like a dummy, realizing like you were wrong the whole time. JUST LIKE I DID. I can't believe that I was left so happy, and so glad and thankful to have seen this.

                 Basically, here's a summary for those of you who've lived under a rock and never heard of this book or don't know what the concept is.

                 Thomas basically wakes up in a box that's escalating upwards. He's in it, and panics. He has no idea where he is, who he is, or what's going on. 

            When he comes to, a bunch of guys are all around him, surprised with his arrival. Apparently he is now known as "Greenie," and the first person to let him know this is Gally, this stern strong dude also known as Will Poulter.

                Everyone around him soon notes that they're all in the Glade, and the maze is found all around them. No one knows what's in the Maze, except for the Maze Runners. The world is unbelievable and know one understands what's the reason behind everything and why everyone's there. 

                Thomas soon finds himself settling into the Glade and its eerie atmosphere. There's a lot of guys who support him and are helping him out in this time of confusion. One of those people are Alby, a man who came to be the first person who had to spend one month on his own in the Glade. 

       One day, the Maze Runners and Alby decide to go into the Maze for a few hours before its walls close up for the night. As everyone begins to await their return, they soon find out that they won't return and they'll be stuck inside the walls with the Grievers, creatures created by the Maze's creators. 

      As the walls begin to close that night, everyone spots the Runners right beside it, but they all know that they won't make it out, since Alby is injured and stung by the Grievers. This changes a person's whole behaviour into something unspeakable. Thomas runs through the crack between the two walls before colliding, and he ends up with Minho and Alby.

        They actually survive the night, and Thomas ends up killing a Griever. No Runner has ever survived the night, as legend tells, and everyone is super-surprised to find them return. As Thomas and the rest of the Gladers begin to discover the truth behind the Maze, a new Glader is added into the crew, and this time, she's a girl. What happens when there's a truth behind everything and you begin to remember?

            This was probably the best book-to-movie adaptations that I've ever seen, and one of my favourite movies. It's easily the best movie of 2014 to me, along with If I Stay. The story was collaborated so well and created just like I can imagine, but even better.

             Can we just talk about how much I love THOMAS AND DYLAN O'BRIEN? 

                

                ME^ (AKA KATY PERRY)

                 I came out of the theatre sweating, panting, and so happy that I smiled from my mouth to my ears. I literally didn't expect THAT MUCH OF A CLIFFHANGER AND PLOT TWIST. I NEED MORE. And that's why I'm going to go out and read the books as soon as I can.

                 Rating? 10/10 ABSOLUTELY. 

Have you read the books or watched the movie?

What are your thoughts?

See Jane Run by Hannah Jayne

See Jane Run, by Hannah Jayne

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery/Thriller

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Publication: January 7, 2014, by Sourcebooks Fire

Format: Paperback Edition (borrowed)




Goodreads Summary: I know who you are.

When Riley first gets the postcard tucked into her bag, she thinks it's a joke. Then she finds a birth certificate for a girl named Jane Elizabeth O'Leary hidden inside her baby book.

Riley's parents have always been pretty overprotective. What if it wasn't for her safety...but fear of her finding out their secret? What have they been hiding? The more Riley digs for answers, the more questions she has.

The only way to know the truth? Find out what happened to Jane O'Leary.

Review:

  I love mysteries—it's as simple as that. I especially love mysteries that deal with kidnappings and missing people. This story reminded me so much of the book, The Face on the Milk Carton, in a way, except Riley here is dealing with everything on her own and is experimenting this craziness by herself.

   I've read a book in the past also by Hannah Jayne—Truly, Madly, Deadly, and I wasn't too impressed as I now am with this one. I'm proud to admit and state that this book was a pure and excellent choice to read at the moment. 

    I had so many what-the-heck moments in this book. There were so many plot-twists and cliffhangers and I got wrapped around in ideas that didn't happen and I stood there, shocked.

        Basically, this book is not-exactly what you think it is. From a short little summary, you'd expect a whole different story. Riley is your average teenager but with too overprotective parents who give her a pill every morning for her "anxiety issues." Then she finds a birth certificate with someone's name—Jane Elizabeth O'Leary. Who is she? Does she have something to do with Riley? Riley's best friend, Shelby, starts sprouting crazy random ideas into her mind which really gets her going mad.

          Although this was pretty great for what it was, things were missing. I didn't like the characters, on one hand. Riley could've been the pitch-perfect Nancy Drew detective that we all are able to imagine, but instead she was so... vulnerable and helpless. I didn't see anything bright or heroic about her. She was so plain Jane. (Haha, suits the title, hm?)

          The plot and storyline were in good hands. It was all planned out perfectly, and I was fairly intrigued by the message the author had going on throughout the whole story. I was kept wondering and thinking about the possibilities that could've occurred to Riley and her story and how her life would change in a split second. 

           "He was a liar. They were all liars. And now they were forcing her to be one."

           So you may be wondering... Was there any romance? Something slight. But thankfully, the book wasn't meant to focus on Riley's love life. It was about her discovering who she really was. And no, she wasn't just an ordinary teenager. She was a girl who didn't know who her true identity was. And that's scary... Who can want to focus on romance at this time? Flirtation was there, but vague. 

           

             This book was intriguing and pretty great all together in one bunch. It's definitely better than Hannah Jayne's other novel, and I truly love her writing. The ending will shock you and you will leave like a loser, because you totally expected something different.

Top Ten Tuesday #12: Top New Series I'd Like to Begin

-Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish which shares bookish lists with others.-

SERIES I NEED TO BEGIN ASAP

1. The Maze Runner, by James Dashner

   These are still fairly new, right? I technically read TMR before.. but I DNF-ed it. BUT I WAS 10. SO DON'T BLAME ME. I'm planning on getting back to it. *adds it onto Christmas wish list*

2. Fire and Thorns, by Rae Carson

    I've heard so many GOOD things about this one... AND ALMOST EVERY REVIEW I READ IS POSITIVE. All of my bookish friends adore it... So why keep waiting? I need to get to these ASAP.

3. Some Quiet Place, by Kelsey Sutton

    Okay—so this cover is absolutely GORGEOUS, and I feel like I need more of those emotional-dark-contemporaries. ;)

4. Shadowlands, by Kate Brian

     I'VE HAD THIS IN MY BOOKSHELF FOR ALMOST A YEAR AND STILL HAVEN'T GOT TO IT YET. *CRIESSSS* Damn, it's so beautiful, and I love everything that Kate/Kieran writes. :'D

5. Linked, by Imogen Howson

      This is another of those books that I promised myself that I'd get to ASAP (when I said that a millennium ago) but then I never got to it... yet. I actually almost decided to request for an ARC of the sequel but didn't know if this was good or not. Hopefully it stays on the good side. 

6. The Ward, by Jordana Frankel

       Dystopia is life. Dystopia is everything. Dystopia makes me me. :D I always think that we need more dystopia in our lives—we can never get too much of it, hehe.

7. The Game, by Eve Silver

          Every time I walk into the bookstore, I am about to get this one, but then some other book captures my attention and then I end up forgetting about this until I spot it on GR that night. :( I WANT IT, I NEED IT.

8. In the After, by Demitria Lunetta

          Zombie aliens? YAAAAASSS. That's something that you definitely don't read about everyday. :)

9. Fetch, by Kat Falls

          I got this one a few months back, and I just like *squeals in happiness* am so excited. I just need to spread apart the rest of my TBR and find time for this beauty. ;)

10. When We Wake, by Karen Healey 

            I'm slowly realizing that most of my choices here are dystopians and sci-fis.... but it's all good, hehe. This basically sounds like it has everything—perfect premise, a cool setting set 100 years from now, and a fabulous plot and writer. Needed, indeed.

What series do you NEED to begin soon?

Beautiful Lies by Jessica Warman Review

Beautiful Lies, by Jessica Warman

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery/Thriller

Rating: 4/5 stars

Publication: August 7, 2012, by Walker Children's

Format: Hardcover Edition (borrowed)





Goodreads Summary: Rachel and Alice are an extremely rare kind of identical twins-so identical that even their aunt and uncle, whom they've lived with since their parents passed away, can't tell them apart. But the sisters are connected in a way that goes well beyond their surfaces: when one experiences pain, the other exhibits the exact same signs of distress. So when one twin mysteriously disappears, the other immediately knows something is wrong-especially when she starts experiencing serious physical traumas, despite the fact that nobody has touched her. As the search commences to find her sister, the twin left behind must rely on their intense bond to uncover the truth. But is there anyone around her she can trust, when everyone could be a suspect? And ultimately, can she even trust herself?

Review:

"We are essentially the same, she and I. Her and me. My sister, myself. When she takes off her makeup and brushes out her hair—when we first wake up in the morning, or right before we go to bed in the evening—nobody in this world can tell us apart just from looking at us. Only we know who is who. Knowledge like that, shared with only one other person in the world, can feel exhilarating. It's like we own a secret that nobody else will ever hold the key to, for as long as we both live."

 Twins are so awesome—they have POWERS. *thinks fictional* I mean, Jessica Warman has really given us the true insight of having a person who shares the same birthday, age and looks as you. It's crazy to even think about what an interesting pair twins can be, and what happens when a part of you is missing.

  I've read all of Jessica's books from the start. Every single one of them. She always changes her subjects (and they get better every time around) but the concept is the same—psychological thrillers and mysteries. I normally hate mystery, but this is such a contemporary kind of mystery. No detectives that can fly over here. This is pure realism and awesomeness.

   Rachel and Alice are redhead identical-twins that are both similar and total opposites in likes and personalities. When "Alice" goes missing, the real Alice covers up for her sister but needs to find out what really happened—since her instinct is that something horrible occurred...

    In the beginning, the book sucked. It was practically screaming, "COME TO ME! I DON'T BITE, I'M PURE AWESOMENESS!" But then I shut it away because I was disappointed.

       This was an average 4 starred book. It was great, but average at the same time. I love Jessica's writing, but her other books actually surpassed my expectations more and managed to hit the 5 star rating. (2 of them.. actually.) The writing was fast-paced and intriguing, but at the same time, I found that it wasn't all spotty perfect. Cushions weren't filled up and I missed the importance of some of the events.

         So basically, I began this book was mixed expectations. I haven't really paid attention to the reviews, positive or negative, but my 'instincts' were telling me different things each time. I actually finished this in one sitting, so I'm patting myself on the back for not having to go through some agonizing moments without the book, because I fear and have a feeling in my guts that that would've happened.

          There were so many moments where I'd just shut my eyes and let the emotions and tragedy sink into me. This book was so powerful and moving, I'd never in a-million-years doubt or regret reading anything from Jessica Warman. She never has failed to disappoint me and I trust that she never will.

           The plot was almost a masterpiece. The characters were left touched too many times and I felt like they were practically  fake. We've all met at least a few fake-like people in our lives, and this whole book was full of them. The twin's aunt, uncle and cousin were all messed-with and it looked like their actions were made to "change the plot up a little." Aren't we supposed to be looking for characters who simply either care, or don't care at all? They were imbalanced and their personalities didn't suit the book's events at all. 

           

              THEN YOU'RE WRONG. That ending just made me scream and I was so shocked. You'll never see it coming...

               And that's why I really don't know what to say in a sentence, so how about one word? Crazinessblowminding.

Stacking the Shelves #13: October 19

      

          I FEEL SO HAPPY. BECAUSE IT'S REALLY FALL! Over here in TO, it's getting colder, the season of pumpkin spice lattes are here, Halloween is almost here, and after Halloween, Christmas shopping. I've never been so excited for fall as much as this year, but I really don't know why.

            And with that season coming... MORE AMAZING READS ARE COMING JUST IN TIME FOR THE CHRISTMAS SEASON! 

            What books did I add to my shelves this week? Not too many, actually. But I am so happy that I finally have Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick in my very own hands! 

         I almost received it as an ARC back in the summer, but then Afterworlds and The Bane Chronicles came around and I chose them instead. ;) I'm so excited for this romantic-thriller especially since there's so much raving going on about it. ^_^

        Glory O'Brien's History of the Future — I'm super-duperly excited for this one! I was so happy when I saw that my library got it. It sounds like it's full of concepts that are rarely done, including feminism and racism. YES, PLEASE!

               Beauty of the Broken — I love contemporary, darker themes, and LGBT, and this cover. *squeals*

Those were my pretty additions! What were yours?

Sanctum by Madeleine Roux Review

Santcum (Asylum #2), by Madeleine Roux

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Psychological-Thriller, Contemporary, Horror

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Publication: August 26, 2014, by HarperCollins

Format: Hardcover Edition 


Goodreads Summary: In this haunting, fast-paced sequel to the New York Times bestselling photo-illustrated novel Asylum, three teens must unlock some long-buried secrets from the past before the past comes back to get them first. Featuring found photographs, many from real vintage carnivals, Sanctum is a mind-bending reading experience that blurs the lines between past and present, genius and insanity, perfect for fans of the smash hit Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

Dan, Abby, and Jordan remain traumatized by the summer they shared in the Brookline asylum. Much as they'd love to move on, someone is determined to keep the terror alive, sending the teens photos of an old-timey carnival, with no note and no name. Forsaking their plan never to go back, the teens return to New Hampshire College under the guise of a weekend for prospective students, and there they realize that the carnival from the photos is not only real, it's here on campus, apparently for the first time in many years.

Sneaking away from sample classes and college parties, Dan and his friends lead a tour of their own—one through the abandoned houses and hidden places of the surrounding town. Camford is hiding a terrible past, and the influence of the asylum runs deeper than Dan ever imagined.

Review:

        Wow. Back-tracking my thoughts back into early 2014 when I first read Asylum, I actually thought that it was a standalone, and next thing you know, it's a duology with a short novella. *thinks deeply*

          And it's obviously a great thing that this book came along so that we could get a book that will answer all of questions that have to do with this series. Surprisingly, we were left the same either way. Unfortunately, Madeleine Roux didn't write a novel that was as good as her debut. It was funnier, but it was lacking and not as-scary. Chills? Not really.

          

            I'd say that this book can be read by a choice. Sure, if you loved the first book as much as I did and want more from Madeleine Roux, then you'd probably go out and get this one, becoming excited to hear that a sequel from a fantastic story is released. But others, specifically those who gave Asylum a three star rating or similar to that—you might skip this. I'm not going to go out and argue that this didn't have all of the answers that I was looking for.

            This is a series that reminds me so much of Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children, except it's taken place in present time. This time around after Asylum's events, Dan, Abby and Jordan are back. They all are scarred for life after the summer's events, but strange events are still occurring. They're receiving photos of a circus from an unknown sender, and sooner than later, Dan begins to hear voices of ghosts calling his name.

             "Sanctum, a holy or sacred place—what could be more sacred than possessing the power of your own true thoughts? Sanctum. It is both lock and key."

            I was actually ready to only read this at night because I love the feeling of being so creeped out that you're unable to leave your bedroom. That's adrenaline for me, and shows that the book was so powerful and head-whopping. Unfortunately, there was no "sleepwalking" for me this time around.

             Huh. There was a plot to this, but I found that the characters were a huge let-down. They weren't believable. I've read many reviews where people mentioned this, and I totally agree with them. Dan, Abby, and Jordan were let-downs. They took risks that weren't even made to be taken because it wasn't possible, and they weren't freaking scared. How was the author managed to not make them scared? Aren't the readers supposed to be believed and intrigued with this book?

               That's what Dan should've done. He was weak anyways, why act like you're the boss and know everything? Really, the mystery was so surprising and the trio wasn't even close to figure it out. xD

               In the end, what was this book missing? More questions answered, better characters, and more creepy events. We were left wondering about so many things, and this is officially the end. Either way, I'm so looking forward for more by Madeleine Roux.

Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry Review

Gathering Blue (The Giver Quartet #2), by Lois Lowry

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Dystopia, Science-Fiction

Rating: 3/5 stars

Publication: March 28, 2013, by HMH Books for Young Readers

Format: Paperback Edition






Goodreads Summary: Lois Lowry won her first Newbery Medal in 1994 for The Giver. Six years later, she ushered readers back into its mysterious but plausible future world in Gathering Blue to tell the story of Kira, orphaned, physically flawed, and left with an uncertain future. This second book in the Giver Quartet has been stunningly redesigned in paperback. As she did in The Giver and later Messenger, in Gathering Blue Lois Lowry challenges readers to imagine what our world could become, how people could evolve, and what could be considered valuable.

Review:

"She felt a small shudder of fear. Fear was always a part of life for the people. Because of fear, they made shelter and found food and grew things. For the same reason, weapons were stored waiting. There was fear of cold, of sickness and hunger. There was fear of beasts. And fear propelled her now as she stood, leaning on her stick. She looked down a last time at the lifeless body that had once contained her mother, and considered where to go."

Back in the day, (okay, maybe not too long ago) I was captivated by the crazy beautiful moving story of The Giver. Known as a classic and read by teenagers in different schools all around the world, (I was one of them tee hee) this book became viral and is now a movie. Okay, so you may have known that previously, but it's what sparked this sequel to come alive. Or at least it was supposed to...

Well I kind of don't want to reminded of this situation that occurred with this book because I had such high expectations. There were amazing things that were supposed to happen, and really, all I received was a "meh" read that didn't mean so much to me as the utopian classic, The Giver did. 

Don't expect a true sequel here. This is more of a companion. This features a new protagonist, a new scene and problem going on. Over here, we're reading in the POV of Kira, (two syllables.. hmm) who's now orphaned and doesn't want to even think about her future. Well, she kind of has to. The Council of Guardians are left to make the decision to find out what will happen to her—and they have plans. Plans which involves her magical talent...

This is how my emotions went through when reading this book:

The beginning was very strong and interesting. Lowry got to her point quickly and by the end, she left us at such a mild ending that I didn't even end up caring about the characters because she failed at trying to connect with us—or at least, myself. The plot was lacking, and overall, this book was obese with things missing, if you know what I mean.

I'm not sure if this book deserves to really have companion novels/sequels, except ones with Jonas's POV. He began the story, made the story amazing, and he should be the one continuing this quartet's legacy, right? It seems like the author forgot all about him and left us with Kira, who was more on the weak side compared to him.

Kira was... acceptable. For her situation and age, I guess you can say that it's okay to feel some sympathy for her. What are you supposed to think when someone's orphaned and left worthless in her unfair world? It has totally moved from utopian to dystopian, in a matter of two books.

The positives? The action, the mystery, the atmosphere. The storyline may have been pretty messed up as well as the characters, but the mystery and action scenes really got me going when they were there. 

Thus, I wouldn't actually bear to pick this book up again, and I don't really recommend it too much if you weren't so pleased with the first book, either. If you thought of the first negatively, then better stay away from this, because you'll be even more upset with the outcome. Gathering Blue? Blue = sadness, therefore gathering sadness is more like it compared to the first.