Sunday, November 23, 2014

Daily post! November 23

Hey guys! This week I'm doing a daily post since I haven't had the time to read a book yet. Instead, I guess I'll share something interesting I did this weekend; I saw the movie Interstellar!

Now. . . There is a TON of stuff I liked about this movie.

First off, I liked the themes and symbolism Nolan portrayed. I'm not going to say too much, except that there was a lot of things he said about human nature, love, ambition/regret/mistakes, greed, and great stuff. If you like that sort of thing (which I love), you'll be a happy camper.

Now for you brainy movie-goers: my brother, who is definitely a enjoys "cerebral" movies, said he "thoroughly enjoyed" Interstellar. Lots of theoretical physics and theory and science to wrap your head around, but not necessarily too brainy to take away from the overall movie.

The feels: BUENO. Um, I'm not even ashamed to say I cried twice during this movie, and I held back! A couple times I was like "I WILL NOT CRY!! NO."

Lastly . . . The soundtrack. I wholeheartedly enjoy Hans Zimmer's music, I admit, but . . . It's freaking amazing. It goes flawlessly with the scenes, and gave me the tingles, and GEHHHH feels.

My favorite scene? Well, I'm big on cinematography, so I'd have to say the scene Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) docks the ship, and the stars are swirling and spinning around them. I just thought it was beautiful.

There were definite flaws in the movie, but I'd rather be positive and focus on the goodie-feels I got from it.

ON A DIFFERENT NOTE: I GOT PAID FINALLY! Yeah I was overly ambitious back a few months back and took on a part-time job, and found it wasn't for me. I didn't think I was going to get paid (because they never gave me my debit card), but I did! It finally came in the mail, so me happy
 Alrighty then.
Kisses and hugs~~~~~
Cassie

Monday, November 17, 2014

The Retribution of Mara Dyer Part 2

So I know Cassie already reviewed The Retribution BUT

MICHELLE HODKINS IS THE QUEEN AND I NEED TO LET MY FEELINGS OUT.

And then reread.

At first I was like:

And then I was like:

And then:


But then:


And to top it all off, a bunch of Taylor Swift aggression:



So thank you, Ms. Hodkins for taking us on this woeful journey, making us all cry and laugh while restoring our faith in YA lit. I can't even categorize this series, but I don't need to because it (and Noah Shaw) will always hold a special place in my heart.

***SPOILER ALERT***

**I THINK**

P.S. Thanks for giving me the chance to do this:

Shoutout to autocorrect for the misspelling.

Peace out blogettes.

Rafia

 

Monday, November 10, 2014

Review: Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott


Title: Fire & Flood
Author: Victoria Scott
Reviewed by: Cassie
Genre: Young adult, science fiction
Summary (from goodreads.com)

Time is slipping away . . . 

Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to mote to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying-and she's helpless to change anything.

Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.

The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?

Victoria Scott's breathtaking novel grabs readers by the throat and doesn't let go.


WHEW. I was not expecting that!! I went in thinking it'd be a 'meh' read, but that was a great surprise!!!
It hooked me from the start.
It kept me hooked.
And then the ending... Well. Twas a cliff-hanger.
So yes. I was hooked throughout the whole dang book.

First off, lemme say Victoria Scott writes some wicked great characters. They're original, funny, and interesting, not to mention you find yourself loving them to bits and pieces.
Tella's narrative is HILARIOUS. Like, so many lines I just burst out laughing. 
For example.
"Today, I will die at the hands of a misconception."
and
"Homeboy's got a flag!"
In context, it's a lot funnier. I can't even explain it right.

Next.
I'd like to give a round of applause to Guy.
Because he's awesome.
And I like to think he's a babe.
But mostly he's awesome. In a totally un-cliche way and I totally got him and I was like



Because Guy is awesome.
He goes from "probable serial killer" to "I wanna have yo babies. Right here. Right now."
He's not sassy or snarky or witty or anything, he was just... Guy. And it worked.

Guy in all his model-esque glory
Yeppers.


Now, some may say "HOLD UP CASS, THIS REEKS OF BLASPHEMY!! IT'S A CARBON COPY OF THE HUNGER GAMES!!"
And I say to thee:
Have an open mind. Hunger Games is NOT 100% original either--the idea of a competition to death is not copyrighted, nor is revolution. (My parents say to look up The Running Man (1987))
Now. Do I think it was a tad fishy? Towards the end, yes. Yes indeed. It began to stank of Katniss-ery.
BUT ALAS.
Enjoy it. Because you probably will, if you don't get stuck up on the whole "IT BE HUNGER GAMES, YO".


Hugs and kisses~~
Cassie

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Review: Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Page

Title: Dorothy Must Die
Author: Danielle Paige
Reviewed by: Rafia
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

Summary (from amazon.com):

I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.

But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still the yellow brick road, though—but even that's crumbling.

What happened? Dorothy.

They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm—and I'm the other girl from Kansas.

I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked, and I've been given a mission:

REMOVE
The Tin Woodman's heart,

STEAL
The Scarecrow's brain,


I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.

But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still the yellow brick road, though—but even that's crumbling.

What happened? Dorothy.

They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm—and I'm the other girl from Kansas.

I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked, and I've been given a mission:

REMOVE
The Tin Woodman's heart,

STEAL
The Scarecrow's brain,

TAKE
The Lion's courage,

And then—

DOROTHY MUST DIE.
****************************

At first, I was like:

 

And then I was like:


And THEN I was like: 


(this is me trying to out-gif Cassie. Is it working?!?)

But! On to actual words...

As you guys may know, I'm a total sucker for fairy tale retelling. Especially if they are super morbid, bad meets evil (points if you got the Eminem reference), AND THIS WAS ALL THE ABOVE.

So the story starts out with Amy Gumm, our totally not cliched protagonist (SHE LIVES IN A TRAILER PARK) getting tossed around in a tornado. Turns out its not as fun as it sounds... 

Judy Garland made it look cute.

She arrives in Oz, but its not like any other magic Oz. It's this morbidly dark version of Oz controlled by the evil yet slutty Dorothy. She rules with her minions, Glinda the Good Witch, the Lion, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Woodman, all equally horrific. 

Kudos to Danielle Page for the sick descriptions. I'll never look at monkeys the same...

But after many escapades, Amy is recruited by The Order of the Wicked (WICKED!!), who are involved in badassery and what not and train Amy to take down Dorothy. Yes, beloved blogettes*, AMY WAS TRAINED. She didn't wake up with cool magic or awesome reflexes, and I totally loved it.

Training with the Wicked included:


 and


And even more badassery. I will leave it at that, fair blogettes.

This book is a lot of plot development and background, but I would LOVE to see it as a movie or TV show, because the morbid, dark Oz, was described so perfect. The characters were really appealing and while there was a bit of romance, it wasn't so super overpowering but definitely promising.

 I'm so glad I picked this up (and kept with it), and I can't wait for the next killing Dorothy book!



And on that note... 

Peace out homies~~~

Rafia



PS: You guys have no idea how glad we are to be back. Finally breaking out my gif collection was the best feeling ever, and we can't wait to review more AWESOME and not so awesome books.

LOTS OF LOVE BLOGETTES.


*For our beloved followers. Rafia coined this term first.

Review: White Hot Kiss by Jennifer Armentrout

Title: White Hot Kiss
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Genre: Young Adult/ New Adult / Fantasy
Reviewed by: Cassie
Summary (from Goodreads.com)

One kiss could be the last.

Seventeen-year-old Layal just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses.

Raised among the Wardens-a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe-Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever.

Then she meets Roth-a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to-especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul.

But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne . . . it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

I'm not sure how I felt about this book to be honest. It was like a hybrid mix of new adult and young adult, and didn't work out.

The plot: Decent? Kind of boring . . . I skimmed a crap ton of pages and that NEVER happens.

The characters: 
Because, really. All of them were boring and stale and bland.
I CAN'T EVEN SAY THE GUYS WERE HOT. Do you know how WRONG that is for a Jennifer Armentrout book???? So wrong.

My brain is in recover mode, because it couldn't handle the stupid it kept having to process.

Wish me luck my next book isn't a bust <3
hugs and kisses~~
Cassie

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Review: The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin


Title: The Retribution of Mara Dyer
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Reviewed by: Cassie
Genre: Young Adult (Fantasy/Romance/Thriller/Mystery)

Summary (from goodreads.com)

Mara Dyer wants to believe there's more to the lies she's been told.
There is.

She doesn't stop to think about where her quest for the truth might lead.
She should.

She never had to imagine how far she would go for vengeance.
She will now.

Loyalties are betrayed, guilt and innocence tangle, and fate and chance collide in this shocking conclusion to Mara Dyer's story.
Retribution has arrived.


************************
My thoughts starting the book:

My thoughts while reading the book:
and

My thoughts finishing it:
mixed with

The good:
-kept me on my toesies

-I love me some crazy... and Mara went crazy. Like so.

-Michelle Hodkin = fantastic writer
-devoured this book

The questionable:
-NOAH. WHAT THE HECKS. I started this baby thinking I would get my Noah fix, and let me just tell you... I was left hanging FOR TOO LONG!! Jesus, how many pages did I read, thinking "okay, this is fun and all... But give me my Noah Shaw, dammit."
Noah Shaw in all his glory. (or Max Irons if you prefer)
And then when he finally decided to make an appearance, I was... dismayed. Disappointed? Distressed.... Dis-SOMETHING. Where was my beautiful, tortured, sarcastic and adorable book boyfriend?? ME = ANGRY

-The ending.
Yeah. Imma leave it at that. It was....
As in, Michelle Hodkin, did you really just do that?
Somehow I feel... betrayed? And that it was cliche.
But...
I'll still reread the series. Probably.

Cheers!!! Hugs and kisses,
Cassie

Sunday, November 2, 2014

We're back!!!!

Hey everyone.... Over a year ago, we decided to shut Fiction Fairies down due to homework overload but...
As of November 2, 2014 we have decided to revamp it!
Over the summer Cassie moved away to Texas, so it may be more disjointed than before. But fear not!! We have decided to try to post weekly, even if it is a boring review of our week.
Also!! Cassie (and possibly Rafia) is willing to read new adult requests, in addition to young adult. So restart those requests, and we'll start accepting again!!




Hugs and kisses-
Rafy and Cass