The Dead Toss Waves

The Dead Tossed Waves
By Carrie Ryan; Delacorte Books


Summary: Gabry lives a quiet life, secure in her town next to the sea and behind the Barrier. She's content to let her friends dream of the Dark City up the coast while she watches from the top of her lighthouse. Home is all she's ever known and, and all she needs for happiness. But life after the Return is never safe and there are threats even the Barrier can't hold back. Gabry's mother thought she left her secrets behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, but, like the dead in their world, secrets don't stay buried. And now, Gabry's world is crumbling. 
One night beyond the Barrier . . . 
One boy Gabry's known forever and one veiled in mystery . . . 
One reckless moment, and half of Gabry's generation is dead, the other half imprisoned. Now Gabry knows only one thing: if she has any hope of a future, she must face the forest of her mother's past.
My Review: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Alright I'm glad I got that out of my system! So I've been waiting to read this book every since I picked up The Forest of Hands and Teeth which is a companion to this book. It is almost as amazing as The Forest of Hands and Teeth. The reason it isn't as good is because I like the character Mary better than Gabry in this book. Gabry at first comes across as a wimp and always trying to be apart of the crowd, but she eventually starts to grow on you when she starts risking her life and acting brave.
Carrie Ryan has officially made it to my list of favorite authors. Her writing never ceases to amaze me. She can really draw a person into her books. For instance I hate horror movies and books, but I decided to try out her books and fell in love with the whole zombie thing. I find it all so intriguing and addicting. I secretly want to go into one of her books and live in that kind of world and see how I would deal with living in a dystopia environment and have Mudo surround me. It so eerie but so cool at the same time.   I seriously can't wait for the last companion book to come out.  I recommend reading these books if you are into horror/romance/ survival/ ...but read at your own risk!

Things to Watch Out For: Violence, killings,a cult that preforms a sacrifice, graphic depictions of the Mudo (zombies),  and some kissing,

Book Trailer:

Keturah and Lord Death

Keturah and Lord Death
By Martine Leavitt; Front Street

Summary: Keturah follows a legendary Hart into the forest, where she becomes hopelessly lost. After three days,  her strength diminishes until, she feels that Death has come for her.  Little does she know that he is a young handsome lord, who is melancholy, and stern. Renowned for her storytelling, Keturah is able to charm Lord Death with a story. Lord Death grants her one more day to live. Keturah must find her one true love within that time, or all is lost. She searches desperately while the village prepares for an unexpected visit from the king, and Keturah is thrust into a prominent role as mysterious happenings alarm everyone in the village. Lord Death's presence hovers over all until Keturah confronts him for one last time. 




My Review: I have read this book multiple time and it still gets to me every time I read it. I absolutely love this book with so much passion its insane. It is on my top five favorite books of all time. I first read this during my sophomore year in high school and I knew right away that I would have to buy this book and read it multiple times throughout my life. I will try my best to describe why I love this book so much.


First of all, the writing in this book is fabulous. The language and style of this book is like an old fairytale and it makes it appealing to readers. Keturah and Lord Death  is a beautiful told tale about finding your true love and a journey of self discovery. When reading this you will ask the questions "What is death?" and "What is love?"  Death and love are two experiences that intertwine and form a deep bond in this book. You come to grasp this two terms firmly and figure out your own meanings for each term.  


Keturah is a profound character and she will always hold a place in my heart. The journey she takes to finds her true love is remarkable. With the help of her friends and a magic eyeball, Keturah goes through the village searching for her true love. If the eyeball holds still it is her true love.  The trials she faces when on that journey shapes her into a woman, instead of the girl she once was.  Because of her encounter with Lord Death the villagers begin to reject and avoid her. Keturah is unlike any other girl because she actually knows death and death has been with her all her life. Through her experiences with Lord Death she comes to see the world with different eyes.


As Keturah says in the book, this books is full of "magic and love, of daring and death, one to comfort your heart."  It a short book and you can finish it in one night if you get addicted. ;)
You should really consider reading it!


Things to Watch Out For: Lord Death, the plague,  and death.

The Princess Bride

                                   The Princess Bride

            S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure 

       By William Goldman;Harcourt

Summary: As Florin and Guilder teeter on the verge of war, the reluctant Princess Buttercup is devastated by the loss of her true love, kidnapped by a mercenary and his henchman, rescued by a pirate, forced to marry Prince Humperdink, and once again rescued by the henchmen and pirate who absconded with her in the first place. 

In this dazzling adventure, she will meet Vizzini- the criminal philosopher who will do anything for a bag of gold; Fezzik- the gentle giant; Inigo-the Spaniard whose steel thirsts for revenge. Foiling all their plans and jumping into their stories is Westley, Princess Buttercup's one true love and a very good friend of a very dangerous pirate. 

My Review:  The only reason I read this book is because it is one of my favorite movies of all time. Let me just tell you this is so worth reading! William Goldman is hilarious with his commentary throughout the  whole book. It all started with  him as a little boy sick in bed and having his father read to him from Morgenstern's The Princess Bride. Then he went on and wrote the screen play for the movie and eventually wrote the unabridged version of The Princess Bride. He really makes The Princess Bride something worth reading. 

The book is just as brilliant as the movie. I laughed throughout the entire thing. The difference between the movie and the book is that in the book you get a back ground story for all the characters and you become familiar with Prince Humperdink's Zoo of Death. The Zoo of Death is where Humperdink keeps all of these dangerous animals to hunt.  The Background stories really helped me to understand the characters better. My favorite background stories were Inigo and Fezzik's. Inigo's shows how he became a master swordsman after the death of his father. Feezik's shows how he dealt with his "giant self" as a child and how his strengthen became a major part in his life.  I'm going to be totally honest with you. Buttercup is an idiot. Sorry to say it, but it is true. She may seem all brave and strong in the movie, but in the book she comes across as a babbling idiot. I really couldn't stand her and I kept wondering why in the world  did Westley even wanted her. Westley is way to good for her in my opinion. On the other hand Westley is a complete and total genius! His comments and performance as a whole is entertaining both in the movie and the book. He keeps you enthralled throughout the  whole story. 

 I highly highly recommend this book. If you love the movie I can guarantee you will love the book. Its INCONCEIVABLE! 

Things to Watch Out For:  Evil villains, murder, sword fights, poisoning, kidnapping, torture on humans and animals, R.O.U.S, kissing, and drinking.

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The Heretic Queen

The Heretic Queen

By Michelle Moran; Three Rivers Press

Summary: In ancient Egypt, a forgotten princess must overcome her family’s past and remake history.

The winds of change are blowing through Thebes. A devastating palace fire has killed the Eighteenth Dynasty’s royal family—all with the exception of Nefertari, the niece of the reviled former queen, Nefertiti. The girl’s deceased family has been branded as heretical, and no one in Egypt will speak their names. A relic of a previous reign, Nefertari is pushed aside, an unimportant princess left to run wild in the palace. But this changes when she is taken under the wing of the Pharaoh’s aunt, then brought to the Temple of Hathor, where she is educated in a manner befitting a future queen.

Soon Nefertari catches the eye of the Crown Prince, and despite her family’s history, they fall in love and wish to marry. Yet all of Egypt opposes this union between the rising star of a new dynasty and the fading star of an old, heretical one. While political adversity sets the country on edge, Nefertari becomes the wife of Ramesses the Great. Destined to be the most powerful Pharaoh in Egypt, he is also the man who must confront the most famous exodus in history.

My Review:  I must be on an Egyptian rampage or something. I've become addicted to the culture of ancient Egyptian life style. I just can't get enough of it. In this novel Michelle puts a glossary of terms towards the back of the book and it became my very best friend. I love the Egyptian language! Its so beautiful.

I never even heard of Nefertari until this book. I really enjoyed her story and how she dealt with the struggle of being Nefertiti niece. Her journey to win the Crown Prince's heart  is a long and trying process. Once she marries the Prince it is an even longer journey to become the Chief Wife since the Pharaoh has two wives. Since she is considered a heretic she must win the courts and the peoples heart to be consider a candidate for Chief Wife. Overall I think it is an Ok book. I wasn't that into the story, I just loved the culture, places, and terms throughout this book.

Things to Watch Out For: Sexual scenes, murder, evil plots, and war.

BOOK TRAILER: 

The Red Pyramid

The Red Pyramid
By Rick Riordan; Disney Hyperion 2010


Summary: Carter Kane has been living out of a suitcase, traveling the globe with his father, the Egyptologist Dr. Julius Kane. But while Carter's been home schooled, his younger sister, Sadie, has been living with their grandparents in London. After six years apart, the siblings have almost nothing in common. Until now.


On Christmas Eve, Sadie and Carter are reunited when their father brings them to the British Museum, with a promise that he's going to "make things right." But everything doesn't go according to plan. Carter and Sadie watch as their father summons a mysterious figure, who banishes Julius and causes an explosion. 


Carter and Sadie discover that the gods of Ancient Egypt are waking, and that Set, the worst of the gods, has a scheme. To save their father they must embark on a dangerous journey. A journey that will bring them closer to the truth about their family and to the House of Life.


My Review:  Egyptian Mythology is truly fascinating! I have never really thought about reading up on it until I read this book. I am just as addicted to it as I am to Greek Mythology now. Egyptian symbols, terms, structures,  mentioning's of past pharaohs,  and places are brought into the story and really add to the book. Wikipedia became my very good friend during this read. I encourage you, if you read this book, to research Egyptian stuff in general and I can guarantee it will add to your reading experience. 


Rick Riordan is a brilliant man with a way of drawing you into his books. He first drew me in with his Percy Jackson and the Olympians series last summer. He really impresses me every time I pick up one of his books. He keeps you enthralled and entertained the whole way through. I never cease to laugh. The bickering between Sadie and Carter when they are telling the story is hilarious.Rick also brings the ancient gods into modern world and that in and of itself makes you keep an eye out for things. 


All in all, I really enjoyed this book and I encourage people of all ages to read it!!


Things to Watch Out For:  Action and Magic. 


An Introduction to the Kane Chronicles by Rick himself: