Review: The Offering by Angela Hunt

The Offering by Angela Hunt
Release Date: May 14, 2013
Pages: 320 pages
Source & Format: Publisher | Paperback
Amazon | Goodreads

One innocent mistake . . . a lifetime of consequences.

After growing up an only child, Amanda Lisandra wants a big family. But since she and her soldier husband can’t afford to have more children right away, Mandy decides to earn money as a gestational carrier for a childless couple. She loves being pregnant, and while carrying the child, she dreams of having her own son and maybe another daughter. . . .

Just when the nearly perfect pregnancy is about to conclude, unexpected tragedy enters Mandy’s world and leaves her reeling. Devastated by grief, she surrenders the child she was carrying and struggles to regain her emotional equilibrium.

Two years later she studies a photograph of the baby she bore and wonders if the unthinkable has happened—could she have inadvertently given away her own biological child? Over the next few months Mandy struggles to decide between the desires of her grief-stricken heart and what’s best for the little boy she has never known.

Thoughts:
It's a little frustrating when the book synopsis gives away almost the entirety of the story. However, that synopsis really sparked my interest in this novel and it kept me reading because the story goes beyond the synopsis to really explore this situation and what a situation it is! How many women can say they have been a surrogate? Furthermore, how many can say they may have accidentally given away their own child? I imagine that this book would be perfect for book clubs especially those that contain mothers. Not everyone may agree with what the main character does or says, but the conversations this book could start would be complex and so incredibly interesting! 

It's by no means my favorite book. I didn't quite understand the main character and some of the dialogue felt a tad unrealistic. However, I love that it made me think about a topic that I haven't ever spent a lot of time thinking about. 

 

Review: Taken by Erin Bowman

Taken by Erin Bowman
Release Date: 2013
Pages: 360 pages
Source & Format: Publisher | Ebook
Amazon | Goodreads

There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.

They call it the Heist.

Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.

Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side.

Thoughts:
This book initially got dangerously close to a DNF. I really  wasn't a fan of any of the characters and consistently found myself frustrated with so much pertaining to them. Then the can of worms was opened and all of these intense secrets pertaining to the world created by Erin Bowman came spilling out. At that point I couldn't seem to get enough!

This is one of those books that I can't say too much about because even one little detail can ruin some of the suspense discovered amongst the pages. I would suggest reading this if you enjoy world-building more than you enjoy characters and relationships. This world is fairly complex with all its little secrets and it is the reason I plan on reading the next book in the series. 

Now if only we could come to like the characters a lot more. . . .

Review: Sweethearts by Sara Zarr

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
Release Date: 2008
Pages: 217 pages
Source & Format: Library | Hardcover
Amazon | Goodreads

As children, Jennifer Harris and Cameron Quick were both social outcasts. They were also one another's only friend. So when Cameron disappears without warning, Jennifer thinks she's lost the only person who will ever understand her. Now in high school, Jennifer has been transformed. Known as Jenna, she's popular, happy, and dating, everything "Jennifer" couldn't be---but she still can't shake the memory of her long-lost friend.

When Cameron suddenly reappears, they are both confronted with memories of their shared past and the drastically different paths their lives have taken.

From the National Book Award nominated author of Story of a Girl, Sweethearts is a story about the power of memory, the bond of friendship, and the quiet resilience of our childhood hearts.


Thoughts: 
I'm just going to go ahead and get my complaint out there so I can move on to what is great about this book. The book takes place in Salt Lake City, Utah. I would be lying if I said that there isn't this weird perception about Salt Lake. I, myself, had it. Because the Mormon pioneers settled in this region there is this perception that it is full of Mormons and they are complete jerks to anyone who isn't a Mormon. That may have been the case at one point and I certainly felt that way in the 90s when I first lived here. However, I really do think things have changed in a big way since then. Sure, the local government is swayed by the Mormon culture, but in what area is it not true that religion sways things? Throughout this book there were little, random jabs towards the Mormon population of Salt Lake that really had no place in the story except to demonstrate that the author was or had at one point struggled with that aspect of the culture. 

Moving on. As a child I moved a lot and had people constantly coming in and out of my life. Sometimes I can't help but wonder what some of those people are doing now and if they ever think about me. I liked that Cameron and Jenna were childhood friends and even though he moved far away he always wondered about Jenna and wanted her in his life again. What I hated was the fact that Jenna's mother couldn't be honest with her about Cameron. How is it easier to let your child think that their best friend died a tragic death? Worst mother of the year award right there. 

I'm beginning to realize that I seem to have mostly complaints pertaining to this novel. Instead of going on and on about those, I just want to mention that I did read this book in one sitting. I think that says something. The author is talented and her writing does keep you engaged. However, these characters and this story just didn't quite do it for me. I do plan on checking out something else written by Sara Zarr. 
 

What Others are Saying:
Rather be Reading says, "Every once in a while, a book comes along that’s so different and beautifully written that it sweeps me off my feet and makes me ignore my husband until I’ve completely absorbed it. Sweethearts was just that for me."

 The Perpetual Page Turner says, "After only one Sara Zarr book I know I’ll be racing back to my library to pick up all of her books because she is a force to be reckoned with in the contemporary YA world."

Marie Loves Books says, "Sweethearts isn't a heartwarming tale of two people who haven't seen each other in years reuniting; it's about losing someone, realizing who you are and dealing with losing that person again but on different terms."
 

Fun & Light Reads

I love books that are light and fun. It's also kind of a requirement that they make me laugh. In my opinion this world needs way more laughter. Here are some books that I would classify as fun & light reads. All of them provide the perfect escape from the mundane of every day life.

1) Seriously. . .I'm Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres: This book is literally about nothing and it's hilarious. I highly recommend you get a copy of the audiobook, grab your drink of choice, find a somewhat sunny spot and waste away three hours of your life. This is especially great when you can't currently afford a trip to Hawaii because there is a whole chapter about a vacation.

2) Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling: If you still need a good laugh after Ellen's book then you should really grab this audiobook. By the end it will feel as if you just made a new BFF.

3) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams: Just one slight warning, some people find this book to be annoying. It is fairly obnoxious but it's also super silly. Not a ton of substance here which is great when that is what you are looking for.

4) Don't You Wish by Roxanne St. Claire: Okay, so this one isn't really all that funny, but it is so much fun! I couldn't put it down mainly because the love-story was the CUTEST! 

5) Politically Correct Bedtime Stories by James Finn Garner: I randomly found this one at a used book store and the cover intrigued me. It was so stinking funny reading politically correct fairy tales. It's a fairly short read so if you have about an hour your should really pick this up.

Sometimes when you are short on time, a picture book can do the trick. Here is one that I enjoy:

Skippyjon Jones and the Big Bones by Judy Schachner: This is a super silly, really random read. I would recommend reading it aloud. 

So this hasn't exactly been ten books but this author has written a ton of books and I think just about every one falls into the category of "light & fun" reads.

If you haven't yet been introduced, this is Meg Cabot. If you find a book with her name on the cover then you are in for a real good time folks. I really don't think I have read a single Cabot book that didn't make me chuckle at least once. I also have never met a book of hers that I didn't like. 

You know what? If you haven't read a Cabot book yet you should probably just start there. You can thank me later.