As I promised in my very first post, these are the cast lists for the books I have reviewed: Falling Kingdoms and Lock and Key. Some may wonder why I would be posting cast lists, but I've always found that I can visualize the story better with certain actors/actresses in mind. As always, this is just my opinion. If you have any other ideas for who should be who, that's fine. Enjoy!
Ruby knows that the game is up. For the past few months, she's been on her own in the yellow house, managing somehow, knowing that her mother will probably never return.
That's how she comes to live with Cora, the sister she hasn't seen in ten years, and Cora's husband Jamie, whose down-to-earth demeanor makes it hard for Ruby to believe he founded the most popular networking Web site around. A luxurious house, fancy private school, a new wardrobe, the promise of college and a future; it's a dream come true. So why is Ruby such a reluctant Cinderella, wary and defensive? And why is Nate, the genial boy next door with some secrets of his own, unable to accept the help that Ruby is just learning to give?
Best-selling author Sarah Dessen explores the heart of a gutsy, complex girl dealing with unforeseen circumstances and learning to trust again."
-Cover Description
Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen is a unique, intriguing novel. It centers around a seventeen year-old girl, Ruby Cooper, and the complicated relationships she has with her mother and her older sister Cora. After social services gets wind of the fact that Ruby is alone with no parent at home, she is sent to live with her older sister and until she turns eighteen years of age. Everything is brand new, shiny and alien to Ruby, and she regards it all with wary eyes. However, Ruby starts to learn that maybe, you have to save someone else in order to save yourself.
A simple yet powerful novel, Sarah Dessen provides thought-provoking views on love, abuse, and, most of all, family. A question that will be in the reader's mind throughout the entire novel is something that is also running through Ruby's head as well: what makes a family? If you are looking for a good read, I would recommend this book.
"In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power—brutally transforming their subjects' lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:
Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.
Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished—and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.
Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.
Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword. . . .
The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?"
- Cover description
The first book I will be reviewing for my blog is Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes. An impressive cover, no? I got this book over April vacation, at a time where all of my series were too busy having the next book being written, so I couldn't read it. I was in the middle of looking for something new at the Barnes and Noble when I came across this and began to read. Falling Kingdoms is about a foreign, fantasty land named Mytica. Mytica is divided into three kingdoms: Auranos, Limeros and Paelsia. Not all is well in Mytica, with rising tensions between the kingdoms and a war brewing on the horizon. When one misunderstanding becomes the final straw, the inevitable war finally comes. In the midst of it all, four teenagers: Cleo, Jonas, Lucia and Magnus, find themselves caught in the thickof the conflict, and end up playing bigger roles than they could ever ever expected.
Falling Kingdoms is different than most novels because of the fact that it incorporates multiple narratives- and manages to do so in a fashion that actually works in favor for the author. The multiple perspectives gets a clearer look and understanding for the characters, and each view is distinct enough that you never get confused about whose mindset you are currently reading. Along with the excellent use of multiple perspectives, there is the characters themselves. As you get to know each and every one of the characters, you can clearly see the depth and soul behind them. All four of them are people you can easily relate to and cheer for as the story progresses. The general plot is unique and interesting, and once you really get into the book, you can't put it down until you know what happens in the end.
The first out of four books, Falling Kingdoms is a great read. I would most definitely recommend it if you are ever in a need for a book to read. It is a thought-provoking novel, and it makes the reader consider the following questions: how far would you go revenge? Would you really do anything for your family?
For as long as I can remember, I have loved to read. Curling up with a good book is still one of my
favorite things in the world to do to this very day. So when I got my first blog, I figured, why not do book reviews.
For the most part, I'm going to be writing reviews of books I've read or am reading. Along with the review, I will be asking questions and also posting a cast list of actors and actresses I think should play which character if a movie was ever made of said book, to keep things interesting. That's mainly what I'll be doing with Amberly's Book Cafe, read it and weep.
