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Shay1097

Shay1097

Joined December 2018

Book lover of epic proportions!! Check out my full reviews on https://i-like-big-books.weebly.com/
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Wildcard by Marie Lu
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Aurora Burning: The Aurora Cycle 2 by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff
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Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
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The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
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Heartless by Marissa Meyer
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Egg and Spoon by Gregory Maguire
review
Shay1097
Time Bomb | Joelle Charbonneau
Mehso-so

Again another typical Charbonneau book, she takes on a massive topic and does an ok job at writing about it. I will say this time I found almost all the characters super unlikeable except Rashid who had I felt great character development. The other main characters were annoying and not really that fun to read about, and maybe they were just realistic to what high schoolers are like, either way, I didn't love them.

Shay1097 I also found this book honestly less believable than her dystopian novels, the whole McCarthyism type bill and discourse surrounding school violence just seemed silly to me and not something that would ever be discussed for real. However, it was a thrilling read and had pretty good pacing and action, overall not her best work but not the worst thing I've ever read. 4y
Shay1097 I feel like this just missed the mark talking about school violence which is a very real and very terrifying reality in America. I'm only giving 3 stars because this book did draw me in and make me want to keep reading. 4y
5 likes2 comments
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Shay1097
Verify (Verify #1) | Joelle Charbonneau
Pickpick

This was a typical Charbonneau book, enjoyable, fast-paced, and predictable. Her stories don't differ too much from book to book but I do really enjoy them. I find them easy to read and for the most part well thought out and full of action. Charbonneau loves to take on HUGE topics like censorship and just scratch the surface when compared to other authors that also write about these huge topics.

Shay1097 I do think her books are well written and fun to read I just don't think they quite devel seep enough into the big topics she's tackling, I find her books read that early YA fiction did. I also think that's why I enjoy them so much they take me back to the early 2000s when I had just found YA books and the Hunger Games, Divergent, Matched, Delerium, and other series were breaking onto the scene. 4y
Shay1097 These books take me back to that time and proved quick easy and fun reads, but don't quite have the impacts of other YA books about similar topics. I will also say the timeline in this book did not make that much sense and jumped around a bit, I have a very hard time believing in one generation (from a grandfather to his grandson) the whole of the USA had lost an entire vocabulary. 4y
Shay1097 But honestly, this huge plot misstep did not detract from the story really. Overall I liked this book and will read the next one and will continue to read Charbonneau's books and enjoy them. 4y
7 likes3 comments
blurb
Shay1097
Warcross | Marie Lu

“Everything's science fiction until someone makes it science fact.”

“It is hard to describe loss to someone who has never experienced it, impossible to explain all the ways it changes you. But for those who have, not a single word is needed.”

“But beauty can make people forgive a thousand cruelties.”

“What‘s the point of freedom if you‘re just living in a miserable reality?”

“Think badass thoughts, I tell myself.”

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Shay1097
Warcross | Marie Lu
Pickpick

This was just as good as I remember it being the first time. I love the futuristic world this story is set in, all the technology and shifts in the world were so fascinating. Emika is also a badass, I love reading about strong female characters who are tied to no one but themselves, it was nice to see her progression from the start of the book to the end.

Shay1097 The supporting cast of characters were also super fun to read about, and I love, love, love stories where the main character gets to expand their family with the new friends they make along the way. I also loved the Warcross game aspect of this book, it was fun to get to read about a sci-fi video game that feels like it could be real one day! Overall this was really enjoyable and I can't wait to see how the second book plays out. 4y
7 likes1 comment
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Shay1097
The Black Kids | Christina Hammonds Reed

“Latasha was black. Latasha was a girl. Latasha was my age. She went into a liquor store to buy orange juice, and the Korean woman at the counter thought she was stealing. She wasn‘t. They got into a fight, and as Latasha tried to walk away, the woman at the counter shot her in the back of the head. Over orange juice. Her killer got probation, community service, and a five hundred dollar fine.”

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Shay1097
The Black Kids | Christina Hammonds Reed

“What do you do when the people you love no longer feel like home?”

“You can't tell people to pull up on bootstraps when half of them never had any boots to begin with, never even had the chance to get them.”

“Sometimes being different means hiding pieces of yourself away so other people's mean can't find them.

I wonder if growing up in a war zone disarms you so you can't even tell why your heart races, just the constant awareness that it does.

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Shay1097
The Black Kids | Christina Hammonds Reed
Pickpick

WOOOW I am starting this year off right, this was an incredible book!! I loved the writing style and how Christina portrayed all the different nuances in this story! I loved the characters, plot, and how honest and frank this book was. I need to note I am a younger white woman, so I can sympathize with the experiences in this book but I am not in a position to empathize or offer shared experience.

Shay1097 This very clearly could have been and probably has been someone's real-life story and I'm sure this matches the lived experience of people out there. I love getting to read about different lifestyles, cultures, and life experiences especially pertaining to race, social justice, and history. Overall this was beautifully crafted and really well done. This book read really poetically, which I loved! I hope this author comes out with more books ASAP! 4y
5 likes1 comment
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Shay1097
Poet X | Elizabeth Acevedo

“Maybe, the only thing that has to make sense about being somebody's friend is that you help them be their best self on any given day. That you give them a home when they don't want to be in their own.“

“She tells me words give people permission to be their fullest self and aren't these the poems I most needed to hear?“

“Their gazes and words are heavy with all the things they want you to be.“

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Shay1097
Poet X | Elizabeth Acevedo
Pickpick

What a great book to start 2021 off with! This was really moving and I enjoyed the poetic style this was written in! I love reading books about and by diverse writers especially when they are about interfamily relationships! This was really well done and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

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Shay1097
Poet X | Elizabeth Acevedo

And I think of all the things we could be if we were never told our bodies were not built for them.

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Shay1097
Zeroes | Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, Deborah Biancotti
Pickpick

I dont really know what to say about this one. This was the second time I've read it so I can read the whole series, and it was definitely enjoyable. But I also found it oddly slow. the pacing in this felt weird to me like tons happened in this book but it didn't feel like a lot had happened. Maybe this is because I've just read Aurora Burning and other really faced paced epic novels, this just did not match up to other books I have read recently

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Shay1097
Pickpick

I loved this installation of the PLL series, I think this one might be my favorite of the series so far! I did not see the twist coming at all but it made perfect sense when it did. I love when plot twist comes out of left field but not so far out they don't make any sense! It also helped our power cut out at the most terrifying part, really rounded out the experience for me haha

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Shay1097
Aurora Rising | Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff

“Who wants to be normal when you can be interesting instead?

“But they have not seen their sun die. Their people burn. Their world end. And they do not know, yet, that there are some breaks that cannot be fixed.”

“There is no love in violence”

“Pixieboy adjusts the ridiculous little hat on his head. “I look like a fool. It is too tight. How am I supposed to fight in this?” “I dunno. Sexily?”

Shay1097 “A warrior might be all you were raised to be, Kal,“ I say. “But it's not all you are.”

“I didn‘t know Syldrathi blushed with their ears,” Tyler muses. “I am not blushing.” “I mean, it kinda looks like you‘re blushing.” “I am not blushing.” “Ooookay,” Tyler nods. “I sometimes have that effect on people, is all.” “Is your request not to punch you still in effect, sir?”

4y
6 likes1 comment
review
Shay1097
Aurora Rising | Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff
Pickpick

Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff do it again! They combine all my favorite things into one book, space, action, witty characters, and a strong plot! I LOVED the characters in this book, and how they kept me guessing! I also really enjoyed how we did not get everyone's full backstory, we have things yet to discover about our characters in the next book, that doesn't happen often enough.

Shay1097 2. I thought the pacing of this book was superb it had just enough downtime mixed in the never-ending action. Much like Illuminae, these two authors create a world while simultaneously destroying it and I LOVE it!! I am very excited for the next book, the only downside is the third book doesn't even have a title yet lol! 4y
5 likes1 comment
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Shay1097
LIFEL1K3 (Lifelike) | Jay Kristoff

“It's simple to love someone on the days that are easy. But you find out what your love is made of on the days that are hard.”

“Your past doesn't make calls on your future. It doesn't matter who you were. Only who you are.”

“Better to rule in hell,” the beautiful man smiles, “than serve in heaven.”

“Even in our darkest moments, we have a choice, sweet Ana.”

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Shay1097
LIFEL1K3 (Lifelike) | Jay Kristoff
Pickpick

This was epic!! Jay Kristoff is one of my all-time favorite authors and this book held true to that! I loved the characters, the plot, and all the exciting twists and turns. I thought the pacing was excellent and loved all the action. I especially loved all the different twists in this book and did not see that ending coming.... at all!

Shay1097 2. I am very excited to see the path Eve goes down because I think it's going to be a sad and scary one.... but also badass... because she is a badass! Also, our homegirl Lemon was so fun to read about and I'm hoping to see so much more of her in the next book because I feel like she's got some tricks up her sleeve we haven't seen yet. As well I like this type of dystopian, AI take over book, and I think this one was done especially well! 4y
Shay1097 3. I like how we didn't focus too long on the destruction of the world, that we just got to live it in. I also LOVE books that bring up moral questions, with no right or wrong answers, this book felt very Neal Shusterman in that way. Overall this was a great read and I'm excited to read the next one! 4y
5 likes2 comments
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Shay1097
Immunity | Erin Bowman
Pickpick

I enjoyed this a lot but did not think it was as good as the first. I found it a little bit more slow than Contagion with a lot more dialogue than action. I also found the ending not as satisfying as I had hoped for. I wanted something more than a neat happy ending, but again it was a really enjoyable read and I will probably re-read this series again one day!

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Shay1097

“A word of advice: never get involved with your boss,” her cousin went on. “Murky waters. Tragic endings.”

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Shay1097
Pickpick

This was so much better than I thought it was going to be! I really enjoyed this book and flew through it! I thought the pacing was excellent, the characters were well done and the plot was captivating. This reminded me of Illuminae (which I loved) so that is always a great thing. I can't wait to read the next book to see where this series ends!

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Shay1097
The Final Six | Alexandra Monir

“Risk is the price of progress.”

“We learned the hard way on Earth that no amount of technology or wealth is worth polluting and destroying our planet over.”

“We're supposed to be their protectors. Not the survivors.”

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Shay1097
The Final Six | Alexandra Monir
Pickpick

This was so much better than I remember it being the first time!! I loved the action, world-building, and characters!! This is such a fun, easy dystopian/sci-fi read and I love it! I kind if gives off Illuminae vibes (which I LOVED) so anything that reminds me of that is great in my world!!

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Shay1097
Life Below | Alexandra Monir
Pickpick

This was an epic ending but definitely left me wanting more. I'm hoping there will be a third book to really round out this series! It definitely ends on a cliff hanger so I'm hoping for some more resolution! But overall a great book, I enjoyed it just as much if not more than the first!

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Shay1097
Pretend She's Here | Luanne Rice
Panpan

Did not love this, I found all the characters flat and unrelatable. I don't know why but I just found this so hard to believe, I think if it had been written differently it would have been more believable but it just wasn't for me.

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Shay1097
Pickpick

This was just as great as the first one! Great pacing, story and incredible art! I love this style of art and think it goes perfectly with the story! As well I thought the plot in this was excellent and I loved all the twists and turns within!

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Shay1097
Spill Zone | Scott Westerfeld
Pickpick

Wooow this was epic!! I love anything and everything Scott Westerfeld works on and this was no exception. The writing, art, plot, characters everything in this was awesome!! I flew through this and have no complaints. I hope he does more work like this!

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Shay1097

I started cracking up, and Thalia and Grover joined in, while Zoe just looked at me. “I do not understand.“
I want to use the dam water fountain, Grover said.
And... Thalia tried to catch her breath. I want to buy a dam t-shirt.

Love conquers all, Aphrodite promised. “Look at Helen and Paris. Did they let anything come between them?
Didn't they start the Trojan War and get thousands of people killed?
Pfft. That's not the point. Follow your heart.

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Shay1097
Pickpick

I love these books, and again I'm so glad I started re-reading them!! I love how this one didn't take place during the summer! Overall another great installation in this series!!

4 likes1 stack add
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Shay1097
Pretty Little Liars | Sara Shepard
Pickpick

I forgot how enjoyable these books are! They are full of terrible parents raising terrible children, and I LOVE it!! Who doesn't love endless drama from pretty rich kids?? These are the perfect light summer reads, very simple and quick to read as well as enjoyable! I think this is an excellent series what what it is! By no means are these amazing pieces of literature but they are damn fun to read!

Jennick2004 One of my #GuiltyPleasures for sure! 4y
BookDragonNotWorm I loved them! 4y
7 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Shay1097
Pickpick

Wooow this was wild!! I loved this book, it was very reminiscent of something Maureen Johnson would write and I love her. I loved the characters, the mystery everything about this really. I loved the flashbacks and found it super easy to follow, and loved how you could see the mystery ending coming but there were definitely still things there were completely a surprise! Overall I think this was really well written and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

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Shay1097
Pretend She's Here | Luanne Rice
Panpan

Did not love this, I found all the characters flat and unrelatable. I don't know why but I just found this so hard to believe, I think if it had been written differently it would have been more believable but it just wasn't for me.

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Shay1097
Only Ashes Remain | Rebecca Schaeffer
Pickpick

I honestly think this just built on the first book and was equally as good, if not better!! I loved how much Nita and Kovit we got in this book, I love how those two interact with each other. I think this book much like the first is a beautiful blend of plot and character, neither feels overdone or neglected. There's so much action that it keeps the book moving quickly, but also really brilliant character interactions!

Shay1097 2.I love Nita and Kovit together I think they are a power duo that gets shit done! This is also my favorite kind of romantic read, subtle but deep, it feels real. I love how you know what their relationship is but it's not thrown in your face, or the romance is a major plot point. It's just something that's there and you know it's there and lovely but it's not all-consuming. 4y
Shay1097 3I also love the deep dive into good/evil it's so refreshing to read books that are not black and white about these things because good vs evil is not a black and white issue there's a lot of grey surrounding these topics. I also love the politics in this book, how we get to see a deep dive into the behind the scenes working of this world. I think any dialogue on race and privilege and rights is important to read, even if it is monsters vs people. 4y
Shay1097 4 I love reading books about diverse topics that reflect in our real lives. Much like Unwind by Neal Shusterman I think these books take real-world issues and make them more manageable to understand and talk about. Which in YA literature is hugely important if we can change the way young people view the world and each other we can change the world, and really there's not a better way to talk about huge issues then wrapped up in a gory monster-fill 4y
Shay1097 5 epic story! Overall I just really love these gory, beautifully written books and can't wait for the final installment! 4y
4 likes4 comments
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Shay1097
Only Ashes Remain | Rebecca Schaeffer

She didn't want to know the darkest part of Kovit's soul. Didn't want to strip him of his secrets. His secrets were his to share or not. And sometimes people didn't need to know every part of each other's lives intimately.

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Shay1097
Not Even Bones | Rebecca Schaeffer

“Pain. Everyone is always in pain. Whether it‘s a loose hangnail, a sore joint, a cramped back muscle—something. No human is never not in at least a minute amount of pain.”

They thought because the US was a “first-world country,” they didn‘t have black markets or human trafficking. Idiots.

She would never cross a line she didn't want to again. Not because of something as transient as a conscience, but because of something more concrete. Resolve.

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Shay1097
Not Even Bones | Rebecca Schaeffer
Pickpick

This was so good, I am shook. I was not expecting this to be so great. I love a good horror story, and this delivered. I love the paranormal aspect as well. I thought this had great pacing, I wasn't bored or wishing to be done even one time, I just wanted to keep reading. I also loved this discourse around morality and how it's not as black and white as people believe it to be!

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Shay1097

“If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself.”

“How did you die?“
“We er....drowned in a bathtub.“
“All three of you?“
“It was a big bathtub.”

“What if it lines up like it did in the Trojan War ... Athena versus Poseidon?“
“I don't know. But I just know that I'll be fighting next to you.“
“Why?“
“Because you're my friend, Seaweed Brain. Any more stupid questions?”

“Even strength must bow to wisdom sometimes.”

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Shay1097
Pickpick

WOOOW I forgot how great these books are, I'm so glad I picked this up to re-read! This is the perfect blend of everything that makes an amazing YA book. I forgot how much funny Percy and his friends are and how big their adventures are. I am looking forward to re-reading this entire series!! Rio Riordan is probably one of my all-time favorite writers and I'm so glad to return to his worlds!

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Shay1097
Pickpick

This was epic, I can't believe I waited so long to read this!

Art: Amazing
Story: Epic
Characters: Exactly what I wanted them to be!

I'm glad I decided to pick this up and read it, its fast, fun, and full of adventure, now onto the tv show! I can't wait to read the next comic in this series.

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Shay1097
The Nest | Jon Klassen, Kenneth Oppel
Panpan

I did not like this book. For a middle-grade book, this is was scary, like really scary. If I had read this at 11-12 I would have been terrified. I will say I think writing about things like OCD, Anxiety, grief, and trauma are super important for this age range, however, I think this was too dark for many children. As well it was confusing and pretty slow-paced I found, maybe this is an excellent book that just wasn't for me.

2 likes1 stack add
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Shay1097
August and Everything After | Jennifer Salvato Doktorski
Pickpick

I thought this was a pretty good summer contemporary read. Nothing too hard hitting in this one, but fin to read none the less. I enjoyed the quick pacing and character interactions and thought the pacing was actually pretty good. This story definitely could have delved deeper into the characters but honestly it was like a Sarah Dessen, light fun a little sad all the markers of a good summer read.

Shay1097 2. I would probably even read it again honestly, so ya overall better than I thought but not remarkable. 4y
4 likes1 comment
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Shay1097
Sense & Sensibility | Nancy Butler
Panpan

Honestly the art was great but the story was boring. I'm not shocked, I want to love the classics and revel in them, but I find them endlessly dull, even in graphic novel form. Basically nothing happens for the whole story except character drama, which I do understand is what the classics are. But they just are not for me. I found this to be dull and insufferable, but again the art was awesome!

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Shay1097
This Coven Won't Break | Isabel Sterling
Pickpick

I loved this conclusion to These Witches Don't Burn. I though it was the perfect blend of romance, action and character development. This was really well done and fun to read! Who doesn't love teenage witches??

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Shay1097
Anna and the French Kiss | Stephanie Perkins
Pickpick

This was just as cute as I remember it being. It's a funny, fluffy light summer romance, full of great characters and a steady plot. I love the relationship between all the characters but wish we got a little more at the end between Anna and her friends and not just St. Claire. Overall this is a great easy YA romance that ages well.

3 likes1 stack add
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Shay1097
The Testing | Joelle Charbonneau

Things dont always work out the way we hope You just have to pick yourself up and find a new direction to go in

Maybe that‘s the mark of a real leader Admitting a mistake has been made and finding a way to stop it at all costs

The earth is resilient but it‘s hard to imagine a time when this place will be anything but a terrible reminder of what we as a people can do

Forgetting that it happened doesn't change anything Nothing can change the past

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Shay1097
The Testing | Joelle Charbonneau
Pickpick

This was really good, honestly maybe better than I remember it being!! I think this is a perfect beginner YA novel to get into dystopian reading. It is a little reminiscent of the Hunger Games especially at the end of this novel. This had great pacing and character development I thought! Overall this was a really quick fun read!!

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Shay1097
Panpan

I wanted to like this way more than I did. I think it's super important to cover diverse and important topics, but this book missed the mark for me. I think if Gino had picked one big topic and wrote solely about that it would have been a better book. This book felt super preachy to me, it was meant to teach big lessons about race, police brutality and deafness, which again I think is super important.

Shay1097 2 But it felt more like a half formed/ misinformed novel that didn't do what it set out to. This novel also suffered from the dreaded adult talk, none of our middle grade characters come off as 12/13 years old. I think my biggest problem is that it felt like the whole book focused on people of colour, and hearing impaired people teaching Jilly (white/ able bodied) what it meant to be them. 4y
Shay1097 3That it was their responsibility to educate Jilly and what she was doing wrong, that white people can and should say inappropriate things and someone of colour must be responsible for educating her. Plus the abbreviations were insufferable, one of two would be fine, but there are literally so many and you never know what is being said with them. Overall a mediocre attempt at an enlightened book, not for me. 4y
4 likes2 comments
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Shay1097
Strange the Dreamer | Laini Taylor

Life won't just happen to you, boy. You have to happen to it.

Nute Liking this quote a lot! 4y
Shay1097 Her books are full of the most beautiful quotes! As are Erin Morgensterns @Nute 4y
5 likes2 comments
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Shay1097

“Nights like this were meant to be shared, remembered, and talked about for years. Skies like this were meant to be kissed under.”

“It shouldn‘t matter what your parents did, just what you do as a person.”

“Oh my darling Annaleigh, remember when you let the turtles go? Some things can't be kept.“ He cupped my cheek, and my tears trickled down his fingers. “Be brave. Be strong. You'll always have my whole heart.”

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Shay1097
Pickpick

This was amazing, one of the best books i've read this year! I loved all the characters and the world building in this story. Honestly I had no idea what was true or not true during this whole book which I love! I loved the mystery and suspense this book offered, and found it truly terrifying at times.

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Shay1097
Pickpick

I thought this was a really nice condensed version of the original story. It definitely made me want to re read the book to get a more detailed look into the full story, but maybe that's the point of a graphic novel, to entice readers into reading the full story. I thought the art was incredible as well!

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Shay1097
Pickpick

I thought this was really well done, I did not enjoy the giver book, but I really enjoyed this graphic novel version! I thought it made it much more palatable and and easy to read. Plus the illustrations are beautiful! I love having the classics turned into graphic novels, because it makes theme something I want to read.