Divergent by Veronica Roth

This is the best book I've read in a long time!  If you like dystopian fiction novels, (like the Hunger Games) you'll like this one!  I read this [486 pages] book in only a few days.  Also, if you like a little action, romance, and well, as I already said, dystopian fiction, you'll like, and most likely love, this book!

Summary (From GoodReads): In a future Chicago, 16-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.

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The Divergent Trilogy
BOOK 1: Divergent
BOOK 2: Insurgent
BOOK 3: NO NAME YET...


~thespectacularbookworm

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

This is the new book by the author of "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" and I loved this book just as much as I loved Hugo (which is now out in theatres (as of today) -- I can't wait to go see it!

This story follows two children 50 years apart -- Rose's story told in pictures and Ben's story told in words.

Summary (from GoodReads):
Ben and Rose secretly wish their lives were different. Ben longs for the father he has never known. Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in his mother's room and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out alone on desperate quests to find what they are missing.

Set fifty years apart, these two independent stories--Ben's told in words, Rose's in pictures--weave back and forth with mesmerizing symmetry. How they unfold and ultimately intertwine will surprise you, challenge you, and leave you breathless with wonder. Rich, complex, affecting, and beautiful--with over 460 pages of original artwork--Wonderstruck is a stunning achievement from a uniquely gifted artist and visionary.
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To learn more about Wonderstruck, click here.

~thespectacularbookworm

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

I read this book a while ago, but I remember loving it!!  When you first look at it, your first thought is - 'Wow, that's a big book' because it is.  526 pages, but half of the story is told in pictures.  I read this in just two days!  It sucked me in from the beginning.
I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a good, quick read... and plus, the movie's coming out in theatres on November 23rd, which is  Wednesday! 

Summary:
Hugo Cabret is a 12-year-old orphan, thief, and clock keeper, for he lives within the walls of a train station in Paris.  But when he meets a girl named Isabelle who has a key to his dead father's automaton, his world turns upside down as he and Isabelle try to decipher the secret.

For more information on the book, click here.
For more information on the movie, click here.

~thespectacularbookworm

The 13th Reality: The Hunt For Dark Infinity by James Dashner

*CAUTION: This is Book 2 in a series.  If you'd like to look at Book 1, click here.

I really liked this book.  I thought it was even better than the first one! 
I actually MET THE AUTHOR a few days ago -- which was extremely cool -- I've never actually went to a book signing before.  But I'm getting off-topic, okay, back to the book...
I recommend this to anybody who liked the first book!  And to anybody who enjoys fantasy!  (Or if you liked "The Maze Runner" series, this series is by the same author.)

Summary:
Tick, Paul, and Sofia haven't heard from Master George in a while.  When they do, and when Master George is supposed to wink them to the hideout in the Grand Canyon, they get winked to a mysterious place, where they must solve the riddle until it's too late.  And elsewhere, people in all different realities are going insane because of Mr. Chu and his new invention: Dark Infinity.

SERIES:
Book 1: The Journal of Curious Letters
Book 2: The Hunt For Dark Infinity
Book 3: The Blade of Shattered Hope
Book 4: Coming in Spring 2012

~thespectacularbookworm

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

This book was recommended to me, and so I was looking forward to a great book, and I did like it, but it did disappoint me a bit. The mystery of what Clay did to cause him to appear on the tapes kept me turning the pages. I was just DYING to find out what he did.  But I must warn you: it's a sad book.  It's rumored that it will be made into a movie soon, so make sure to read it before you see it!

Summary (from GoodReads):
Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.
On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.
Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

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Find out more at ThirteenReasonsWhy.com

~thespectacularbookworm

Cirque Du Freak by Darren Shan

First of all, I have two warnings.

1. These books are dark and sort of gruesome.

2. There are 12 books (200-250 pages long each)

So if you don't like dark stories or committing to a series that's long, this isn't the book for you.

Secondly, I didn't really like these books.  The first 1-5 were good, 6-9 weren't.  10-11 were okay, and 12 was pretty good, I liked how the author finished it.

Summary:

Darren Shan is just a regular kid who happens to like spiders until he attends a freak show, called "Cirque Du Freak", with his friend, Steve.  During the show, one of the acts is a man named Mr. Crepsley and a spider he calls Madam Octa.  After the show, Steve goes backstage to confront Mr. Crepsley about being a vampire.  Steve demands to be one too.  Mr. Crepsley tastes a bit of his blood and says no.  Darren watches from inside a closet, overhearing everything.  A few days later, Darren steals Madam Octa (because he likes spiders so much), and Madam Octa bites Steve.  The only way he can save Steve is to make a deal with Mr. Crepsley.  In order to save Steve, he has to become Mr. Crepsley's assistant.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN?

BOOK 1: A LIVING NIGHTMARE - BOOK 2: THE VAMPIRE'S ASSISTANT - BOOK 3: TUNNELS OF BLOOD - BOOK 4: VAMPIRE MOUNTAIN - BOOK 5: TRIALS OF DEATH - BOOK 6: THE VAMPIRE PRINCE - BOOK 7: HUNTERS OF THE DUSK - BOOK 8: ALLIES OF THE NIGHT - BOOK 9: KILLERS OF THE DAWN - BOOK 10: THE LAKE OF SOULS - BOOK 11: LORD OF THE SHADOWS - BOOK 12: SONS OF DESTINY 

~thespectacularbookworm

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

WARNING!  This is Book 3 in the Hunger Games trilogy.  If you haven't read The Hunger Games or Catching Fire here's a spoiler alert!

This was my least favorite book in the series. The ending just seemed abrupt, not all of the ends tied and the novel just seemed to stop mid-scene.  But I'd still advise reading it if you read the first two books, just to see what happens to Katniss, Peeta, Gale, and the rest of the group. 

Summary:

After being saved by the rebels, Katniss Everdeen is taken to the legendary District 13.  They want her to be their "Mockingjay", basically a spokesperson who people will believe in.  The rebellion is catching fire, and the fight between good and evil begins.

BOOK 1: THE HUNGER GAMES 
BOOK 2: CATCHING FIRE 
BOOK 3: MOCKINGJAY

~thespectacularbookworm

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

WARNING!  This is Book 2 in the Hunger Games series.  If you are looking for Book 1, click here.  Spoiler alert for those who haven't read Book 1!

This is my favorite book in the Hunger Games trilogy.  I would strongly advise reading it, especially if you loved The Hunger Games. And if you haven't read the first one, it's in the making of a movie so you should read it before the movie comes out in early 2012!

Summary (from GoodReads):

Sparks are igniting, flames are spreading and the Capitol wants revenge. 

Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

In Catching Fire, the second novel of the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before...and surprising readers at every turn.

BOOK 1: THE HUNGER GAMES 
BOOK 2: CATCHING FIRE 
BOOK 3: MOCKINGJAY

~thespectacularbookworm

The 13th Reality: The Journal of Curious Letters by James Dashner

Good book.  A little slow at the beginning, but once you get into it it's very exciting.  I would recommend this to people who enjoy fantasy.

About a boy who starts receiving letters from an anonymous person.  He puts his letters in his "Journal of Curious Letters", hence the name. 

Filled with magic, mystery, and excitement, it's a great story! 

Book 1: The Journal of Curious Letters
Book 2: The Hunt for Dark Infinity
Book 3: The Blade of Shattered Hope

For more information, visit The 13th Reality.

~thespectacularbookworm

Skulduggery Pleasant (Books 1-6) by Derek Landy

*edited July 13th, 2013

THIS IS A REVIEW OF BOOKS 1-6 IN THE 9-BOOK SERIES.

GOODREADS SUMMARY OF BOOK #1:

Meet Skulduggery Pleasant. Sure, he may lose his head now and again (in fact, he won his current skull in a poker match), but he is much more than he appears to be—which is good, considering that he is, basically, a skeleton. Skulduggery may be long dead, but he is also a mage who dodged the grave so that he could save the world from an ancient evil. But to defeat it, he'll need the help of a new partner: a not so innocent twelve-year-old girl named Stephanie. That's right, they're the heroes.

Stephanie and Skulduggery are quickly caught up in a battle to stop evil forces from acquiring her recently deceased uncle's most prized possession—the Sceptre of the Ancients. The Ancients were the good guys, an extinct race of uber-magicians from the early days of the earth, and the scepter is their most dangerous weapon, one capable of killing anyone and destroying anything. Back in the day, they used it to banish the bad guys, the evil Faceless Ones. Unfortunately, in the way of bad guys everywhere, the Faceless Ones are staging a comeback and no one besides our two heroes believes in the Faceless Ones, or even that the Sceptre is real.

So Stephanie and Skulduggery set off to find the Sceptre, fend off the minions of the bad guys, beat down vampires and the undead, prove the existence of the Ancients and the Faceless Ones, all while trading snappy, snippy banter worthy of the best screwball comedies.

I began reading this series in about 2010 (age 11-ish), and I instantly loved it. The summary may seem a little cheesy, but each book is full of wit and charm and humor, making them fun to read.  The first three (Skulduggery Pleasant, Playing With Fire, The Faceless Ones) are geared toward middle-grade, but the next three (Dark Days, Mortal Coil, Death Bringer) are all YA.

I always look forward to August/September each year to get the next installment of the Skulduggery Pleasant series.  Each book is progressively longer than the past (i.e. Book 1 is 368 pages and Book 6 is 607 pages). 

The characters are amazing in this series.  I feel like I have grown up with Valkyrie and Skulduggery and so it makes it so fun to keep reading their story (I don't know what I'm going to do when the final installment hits shelves in 2014).  Each character (including the small ones) each have individual personalities and backstories. 

The plot is so fun.  It's extremely fast-paced, there's action every other chapter, and there's humor and wit that'll keep you laughing to yourself the entire time.  Each book is a ride and I'm always sad whenever I finish one of these.

All in all, if you haven't read this series yet, I strongly suggest you do.  But I may be biased because I just love it so much.

~~~

THE SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT SERIES
BOOK ONE: Skulduggery Pleasant (UK); Scepter of the Ancients (US)
BOOK TWO: Playing With Fire
BOOK THREE: The Faceless Ones
BOOK FOUR: Dark Days
BOOK FIVE: Mortal Coil
BOOK SIX: Death Bringer
BOOK SEVEN: Kingdom of the Wicked
BOOK EIGHT: Last Stand of Dead Men RELEASING AUGUST 29, 2013
BOOK NINE: NO NAME YET RELEASING AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

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