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theengineerisreading's reviews
780 reviews
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
3.0
In 2011, Gayle Foreman released a sequel to the first book. Where She Went is set a few years after the events of If I Stay, Mia and Adam have gone their separate ways. Mia is now a popular classic cellist playing concerts in big name theaters across the country. Adam and his band have become famous, and are performing around the world. During a brief visit to New York, Mia and Adam reconnect. At first they are awkward and angry at each other and themselves, but soon warm toward one another. In the ending, the two have fallen back in love and are considering a future together. The events of Where She Went are written from Adam's perspective.
Ruin of Stars by Linsey Miller
3.0
First of all, thank you to SourceBooks Fire for giving me an exclusive preview for this awesome 2018 YA release.
I was so excited to finish this one since it has been a good ride with the Mask of Shadows (book no. 1) Though I had a hard time flipping the pages of this one until the end for i find it hard to feel the plot, it still did not disappoint and gave me an awesome experience in the end.
In this book, Linsey Miller dealt with the plot revolving Sal's vengeance under the shadows of the Opal. After series of hard-earned fights, her expected come back is now within reach yet the catch is Sal will still be in trouble. Filled with action, magic, romance, and other YA-ish tropes, the book 2 of the Mask of Shadows duology will surely appeal to the fans of YA fantasy such as Dorothy Must Die and Percy Jackson series (since I read both of these series as well).
I was so excited to finish this one since it has been a good ride with the Mask of Shadows (book no. 1) Though I had a hard time flipping the pages of this one until the end for i find it hard to feel the plot, it still did not disappoint and gave me an awesome experience in the end.
In this book, Linsey Miller dealt with the plot revolving Sal's vengeance under the shadows of the Opal. After series of hard-earned fights, her expected come back is now within reach yet the catch is Sal will still be in trouble. Filled with action, magic, romance, and other YA-ish tropes, the book 2 of the Mask of Shadows duology will surely appeal to the fans of YA fantasy such as Dorothy Must Die and Percy Jackson series (since I read both of these series as well).
Hidden Pieces by Paula Stokes
5.0
Before I actually go into the review proper, I want to say shout to National Book Store for giving me a copy of this book in one of their Instagram giveaways.
This is my third October read and I’ve been seeing some negative reviews about this book being somehow a rip-off of Pretty Little Liars, and Little Monsters by Kara Thomas. But after reading this book, I can’t comprehend why some people throw rocks at a good read like this. I mean, I know we are all entitled to our own opinion but the book and the author do not deserve the hate it receive. Sorry, just sharing!
Technically, Hidden Pieces by Paula Stokes is a young adult-mystery book that revolves on the story of Embry Woods, a seventeen year-old teenage girl from Tillamook County, who, upon a series of unfortunate events, got caught in an uncontrollable situation with her best friend, Holden Hassler, after both of them got involve in a fire incident in their area’s infamous Sea Cliff Inn. Their involvement resulted to a succession of unwanted blackmailing from Unknown, the person who know that Embry and Holden are involved in Sea Cliff fire, and the repercussion of this events result to the protagonists being manipulated to do crimes they can’t escape else someone they love will suffer. Embry and Holden, with the help of their friends, embarked on an adventure to unveil Unknown’s identity and free themselves from the shackle of their lies. The catch is, will they unravel who their blackmailer is or will they fall to Unknown’s trap and finally confess of their role in the Sea Cliff fire?
Moving on from that lengthy spoiler, I must say that though this is my first mystery/thriller read for years (YEARS!!!!), I did not had a hard time connecting with Paula Stokes’ world and characters since her style of writing is appealing to teens and adult readers. She easily built the characters of Embry and Holden by incorporating backstories of the characters in their respective highlights. I mean, there is no easy way to enumerate Embry’ pessimism and Holden’s optimism without laying out all of what happened in their past journeys.
As imperfect as every person in this world is, I love that Embry Woods was not written in the usual way where female characters go head over heels to some boy-next-door because that is one hell of a used trope and readers get tired of encountering that trope. One thing I hate about Embry’s character is her sense of lying but that’s part of her development and I also note that she somehow managed to turn the table of that attitude during the last part of the book.
I won’t prolong this review but I’ll end with this, if you are looking for a thriller read that will make you whisper ‘One more chapter..’ in the middle of the night while you’re in bed, then Hidden Pieces by Paula Stokes is a definite fit for your taste.
BEST QUOTE/S:
“As messed up as things are between the three of us, I feel a flash of hope that somehow everything might turn out all right. But then I remember the secrets I’m keeping, the lies I’ve told, the horrible things I’ve done. And that momentary sense of lightness sinks like an anchor.”
“You did a bad thing. Maybe several bad things. But we all do bad shit sometimes. It’s what you do now that matters. If you don’t like the person you are, take responsibility for your past mistakes and do better.”
“I kept telling myself I was protecting you, but really, I’ve been protecting me. I knew telling the truth would mean losing you as a friend. I couldn’t think about losing my best friend. I know how selfish that makes me.”
This is my third October read and I’ve been seeing some negative reviews about this book being somehow a rip-off of Pretty Little Liars, and Little Monsters by Kara Thomas. But after reading this book, I can’t comprehend why some people throw rocks at a good read like this. I mean, I know we are all entitled to our own opinion but the book and the author do not deserve the hate it receive. Sorry, just sharing!
Technically, Hidden Pieces by Paula Stokes is a young adult-mystery book that revolves on the story of Embry Woods, a seventeen year-old teenage girl from Tillamook County, who, upon a series of unfortunate events, got caught in an uncontrollable situation with her best friend, Holden Hassler, after both of them got involve in a fire incident in their area’s infamous Sea Cliff Inn. Their involvement resulted to a succession of unwanted blackmailing from Unknown, the person who know that Embry and Holden are involved in Sea Cliff fire, and the repercussion of this events result to the protagonists being manipulated to do crimes they can’t escape else someone they love will suffer. Embry and Holden, with the help of their friends, embarked on an adventure to unveil Unknown’s identity and free themselves from the shackle of their lies. The catch is, will they unravel who their blackmailer is or will they fall to Unknown’s trap and finally confess of their role in the Sea Cliff fire?
Moving on from that lengthy spoiler, I must say that though this is my first mystery/thriller read for years (YEARS!!!!), I did not had a hard time connecting with Paula Stokes’ world and characters since her style of writing is appealing to teens and adult readers. She easily built the characters of Embry and Holden by incorporating backstories of the characters in their respective highlights. I mean, there is no easy way to enumerate Embry’ pessimism and Holden’s optimism without laying out all of what happened in their past journeys.
As imperfect as every person in this world is, I love that Embry Woods was not written in the usual way where female characters go head over heels to some boy-next-door because that is one hell of a used trope and readers get tired of encountering that trope. One thing I hate about Embry’s character is her sense of lying but that’s part of her development and I also note that she somehow managed to turn the table of that attitude during the last part of the book.
I won’t prolong this review but I’ll end with this, if you are looking for a thriller read that will make you whisper ‘One more chapter..’ in the middle of the night while you’re in bed, then Hidden Pieces by Paula Stokes is a definite fit for your taste.
BEST QUOTE/S:
“As messed up as things are between the three of us, I feel a flash of hope that somehow everything might turn out all right. But then I remember the secrets I’m keeping, the lies I’ve told, the horrible things I’ve done. And that momentary sense of lightness sinks like an anchor.”
“You did a bad thing. Maybe several bad things. But we all do bad shit sometimes. It’s what you do now that matters. If you don’t like the person you are, take responsibility for your past mistakes and do better.”
“I kept telling myself I was protecting you, but really, I’ve been protecting me. I knew telling the truth would mean losing you as a friend. I couldn’t think about losing my best friend. I know how selfish that makes me.”
Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly
5.0
Sorry if it took me almost two months before finally having the guts to lift this book off my TBR pile since I really have a lot in that pile (as usual! haha) and with this flu I’m battling with, I can finally catch up with my reading goals.
Being the 27th book to read this year, I decided to delve into some great middle grade reads and chose this one I got from PRWF. Here’s my review:
This light read has been a priority in my TBR since this one’s written by a fellow Filipina, Erin Entrada Kelly, who is a writer based in the US. I’ve been eyeing this read since it promises diversity and representation and overall, the story did not disappoint. Focused on the struggles of children in the middle school, this book tackled a lot of relatable stuff like being bullied, friendship issues, and family misunderstandings. The entire plot and pace felt comfortable to read and I didn’t have a hard time finishing this since it included a lot of Filipino references (and Beatles songs as well!) and what made this read more influential is the empowerment it gives to its readers that is to speak out to whoever bully you are facing and never speaking out is not the answer.
In general, this read is really suited to middle grade readers and to everyone who are experiencing oppression in any forms because this read will surely empower you to stand up against those who harass you and fight for what is right. That’s all for this review!
Best Quotes:
“Sometimes, when you have pain, that’s what you have to do—just keep playing until it goes away.”
“It’s funny how something can be a big part of your life, and then you can forget it’s even there.”
Being the 27th book to read this year, I decided to delve into some great middle grade reads and chose this one I got from PRWF. Here’s my review:
This light read has been a priority in my TBR since this one’s written by a fellow Filipina, Erin Entrada Kelly, who is a writer based in the US. I’ve been eyeing this read since it promises diversity and representation and overall, the story did not disappoint. Focused on the struggles of children in the middle school, this book tackled a lot of relatable stuff like being bullied, friendship issues, and family misunderstandings. The entire plot and pace felt comfortable to read and I didn’t have a hard time finishing this since it included a lot of Filipino references (and Beatles songs as well!) and what made this read more influential is the empowerment it gives to its readers that is to speak out to whoever bully you are facing and never speaking out is not the answer.
In general, this read is really suited to middle grade readers and to everyone who are experiencing oppression in any forms because this read will surely empower you to stand up against those who harass you and fight for what is right. That’s all for this review!
Best Quotes:
“Sometimes, when you have pain, that’s what you have to do—just keep playing until it goes away.”
“It’s funny how something can be a big part of your life, and then you can forget it’s even there.”
The Land of Forgotten Girls by Erin Entrada Kelly
5.0
I am actually out of words to describe this latest read of mine but I will still try to give my honest opinion on how this book, The Land of Forgotten Girls by Erin Entrada Kelly, made an impact right after reading it.
A follow-up read after finishing Erin’s debut novel, Blackbird Fly, The Land of Forgotten Girls gave a different approach and style that will surely make you think about life. Generally, TLOFG revolved on the story of Sol and Ming, Filipina sisters who were left to live with their stepmother Vea in Louisiana after their dad decided not to come back after his visit to the Philippines. The story highlighted Sol and Ming’s struggle under the cruel hands of the stepmother whom they called ‘Evil Vea’ and how they managed to escape the harsh reality through their wit and imagination.
I won’t spoil you with the rest of the book but TLOFG is packed with various backstories about Sol’s family, especially their mother Amelia who died right before they move to US and her younger sister Amelia who drowned when she was young, and these backstories were all helpful in developing the characters of Sol and Ming since it all helped in establishing Sol’s courage and imagination, and Ming’s bravery and creativity as well.
One of the best things I loved about this book is the positive attitude of Sol, the main character, who always managed to bring a streak of sunshine in her sleeve whenever dark clouds start hindering her way. It’s a big deal since the target readers for this book are middle grade children and at this stage of life, the most important thing to share with them are the principles of optimism and never-give-up attitude.
Lastly, I got confused at the latter part of the story because I was expecting a great revelation about Sol and Ming’s mysterious auntie but the revelation did not happened. I’m not disappointed with this, by the way, because, in the end, it showed the true moral of the story and that is to never underestimate the power of imaginative minds and another thing is that, sometimes all you need is a sister.
Best Quote:
“Maybe it was stupid, but I didn’t care. The best thing about having a mind is that it’s invisible—you can think whatever you want, even if it’s childish, and it doesn’t matter. Your thoughts belong to you, and only you.”
A follow-up read after finishing Erin’s debut novel, Blackbird Fly, The Land of Forgotten Girls gave a different approach and style that will surely make you think about life. Generally, TLOFG revolved on the story of Sol and Ming, Filipina sisters who were left to live with their stepmother Vea in Louisiana after their dad decided not to come back after his visit to the Philippines. The story highlighted Sol and Ming’s struggle under the cruel hands of the stepmother whom they called ‘Evil Vea’ and how they managed to escape the harsh reality through their wit and imagination.
I won’t spoil you with the rest of the book but TLOFG is packed with various backstories about Sol’s family, especially their mother Amelia who died right before they move to US and her younger sister Amelia who drowned when she was young, and these backstories were all helpful in developing the characters of Sol and Ming since it all helped in establishing Sol’s courage and imagination, and Ming’s bravery and creativity as well.
One of the best things I loved about this book is the positive attitude of Sol, the main character, who always managed to bring a streak of sunshine in her sleeve whenever dark clouds start hindering her way. It’s a big deal since the target readers for this book are middle grade children and at this stage of life, the most important thing to share with them are the principles of optimism and never-give-up attitude.
Lastly, I got confused at the latter part of the story because I was expecting a great revelation about Sol and Ming’s mysterious auntie but the revelation did not happened. I’m not disappointed with this, by the way, because, in the end, it showed the true moral of the story and that is to never underestimate the power of imaginative minds and another thing is that, sometimes all you need is a sister.
Best Quote:
“Maybe it was stupid, but I didn’t care. The best thing about having a mind is that it’s invisible—you can think whatever you want, even if it’s childish, and it doesn’t matter. Your thoughts belong to you, and only you.”