Book #77 The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

Did you read my last post? Where I mentioned starting a book without having any clue what it is about? Yeah this was another one of those, I was on the library waiting list for so long I forgot what this book was about (if I ever even knew!). The title made me think of murder mystery like The Lovely Bones or similar but NO, wrong!

Set in the not too distant future, 2059, Paige Mahoney is a nineteen year old young woman working high up in the ranks of the criminal underworld. Scion London is under control of a police force (Scion) whose main objective is the apprehension and sometimes execution of clairvoyant persons. Paige has a very rare clairvoyant talent called dreamwalking which makes her services very valuable. Too valuable. 

After making a simple mistake Paige is captured and arrested. She knows she will either be sent to The Tower and tortured for the rest of her days or executed but what is in store for her is so much worse. She is sent along with prisoners from The Tower, some who have been there for 10 years, to the mythical city of Oxford. Turns out Oxford is being used as a voyant prison compound, controlled by a humanlike alien race called the Rephaim.  They are strong, cruel and terrifying but they value the voyants highly, or at least the voyant's gifts.
 
Only one Rephaite keeper, Warden, steps up to the task of being Paige's master. He will be in charge of training her to use her gift. Paige is terrified of him. Although he is standoffish and distant he is not cruel and abusive like the other masters. Soon, Paige begins to realize Warden has motives of his own, motives that are not inline with his ruler and betrothed.  The pair need to learn if they can trust each other in order to accomplish their goals: Paige her freedom and Warden... well I can't say.

The Bone Season is probably one of my favorite books this year. I thought the plot line was interesting and different. The characters were bold, compelling and surprising. I love Paige. Even though she has suffered so much she cannot stop pushing forward. She is bold, cocky and sarcastic even in the face of her enemies. Warden is great too. He is so strong, commanding and very mysterious. Even some of the members of Paige's underground crew were fascinating. I've heard this is book one in a proposed seven book series and I for one cannot wait!

Quotes:
“his thumbs ran over my cheeks. Our foreheads touched. My dreamscape scorched. He set fire to the poppies”

Book #76 All The Truth That's In Me by Julie Berry

I LOVED this book!!! Don't let the cover fool you, it is not scary. Maybe it is just me but I don't usually read the cover before reading a book, or I add something to my to-read list (it is 300 titles long right now) and have forgotten what a book is about by the time I get around to it, so the cover threw me off guard.

I don't know what year it is (Early America I assume) but the setting is Roswell Station (Georgia?). Four years ago, Judith and her best friend disappeared. Her friend's body surfaces a few days later but Judith is nowhere to be found. Two long years pass and Judith returns out of the blue without a tongue, leaving the details of her disappearance a mystery. Now Judith is ignored not only by the community she left behind but also by her own mother. She spends her days doing chores around the homestead and pining over her childhood friend, Lucas, who is set to marry a beautiful girl from town. 

Everything changes when Roswell Station is attacked in a hopeless battle and Judith turns to the one person she believes can help, the only person who knows her secret. Now she must choose: squash the rumors and finally tell the truth about what happened to her and her friend or continue living in silence and let the towns folk deal with her as they see fit.

I flew through this book. I loved how clues to the mystery were given in bits here and there and you don't get the whole picture until the end. It is written in a semi-diary type style, no actual chapters, so one part may be a paragraph or two and the next a page or two which worked well.I found it very interesting how now that Judith cannot speak the towns folk seem to think she is suddenly mentally disabled even though they knew that she wasn't before her disappearance. It was really sad to see how the lack of communication led people she had know her whole life to suddenly treat her so badly.

Quote:
“There is a curious comfort in letting go. After the agony, letting go brings numbness, and after the numbness, clarity. As if I can see the world for the first time, and my place in it, independent of you, a whole vista of what may be. Even if it is not grand or inspiring, it is real and solid, unlike the fantasy I've built around you. I will do this. I will triumph over you.”

Book #75 Shadows by Robin McKinley

Hmm where to start? Set in "New World" Shadows is a story that pits science against magic. Maggie is your typical seven-teen year old who has spent the last few years recovering from her father's death. Her world gets even more complicated when she meets her mother's soon-to-be-new husband Oldworlder, Val. Val is short and stocky but is surrounded by creepy, moving shadows that seem to respond to Maggie and even weirder.. only Maggie can see them.

Maggie has grown up being taught to trust only in science. Magic is scary and illegal, in fact the magic-carrying gene was spliced out two generations ago. However it soon becomes apparent not all children have gone through the gene removal process and Maggie finds some interesting new things out about herself and her group of friends. They even might be the key to saving the world as they know it.

In the end I liked Shadows but it was rough going in the beginning. This book is full of made up slang that is a bit hard to get through at times. Not the greatest but I thought the story was interesting, interesting enough that I would pick up the sequel if there was one (I can't even find any info on that, is this a stand alone book?). There definitely is enough material to continue the story but it didn't end on a cliff hanger or anything.

Quote:
“Slowly, painfully, I let go. It was like prying my own fingers off the edge of the cliff. And that hurt too-particularly the falling part, and not being sure what was at the bottom.

But I did know. Now was what was at the bottom. I was already there.”

Book #74 Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth

Wow. Wow. Wow.
This book was amazing, the series was amazing. So glad I read it. I was very excited when I read Divergent and that excitement carried over into Insurgent and then to Allegiant. Overall I did not have one complaint about the Divergent series.

**Major spoilers**
Allegiant was action packed all the way through and so much was revealed it made my head spin. Okay maybe with all that happens in Allegiant it really could have been spaced out over two books but still.  I did not see the bombshell of the city being a government controlled testing ground coming. I had no clue what was going on in the outside world but that caught me off guard (I do wonder what is taking place in the rest of the world while the U.S. is being run that way though). I know lots of people complained about the ending but even though I was shocked and cried like a baby over Tris' death it worked and it worked well.

So many couples in YA books survive these great catastrophes together and I am not saying Tris should have died to break the mold but it makes sense. Not everyone can survive these great missions and impossible odds. Trust me I wanted the happy ending too and I still tear up when I think of Tris dying. I am glad the story didn't stop there though and we got to see what life after the fact was like for Tobias. That part where he is talking about wanting to look at Caleb because he is so hungry for just one last glimpse of Tris... heartbreaking.

If you haven't read what Veronica Roth said about the ending herself, you should. I think it really helps shed some light on why Tris died:
On the ending of Allegiant

Trailer for the movie, which looks great and Theo James makes one good looking Four:
Official Divergent Trailer

Quote:
“There are so many ways to be brave in this world. Sometimes bravery involves laying down your life for something bigger than yourself, or for someone else. Sometimes it involves giving up everything you have ever known, or everyone you have ever loved, for the sake of something greater.

But sometimes it doesn't.

Sometimes it is nothing more than gritting your teeth through pain, and the work of every day, the slow walk toward a better life.

That is the sort of bravery I must have now.”

Book #73 Revealed by P.C. and Kristin Cast

I wasn't going to write anything about this book since it is #11 in a series and I really don't like writing about individual books in a series BUT.... I was very excited for this book and ended up pretty disappointed by it.

**Spoilers** I think the overall story line was fine but the execution was just lacking in general. The first few chapters felt like an after school special with Zoey's band of friends being so nice and agreeing on everything. You would think I would have been relived when Zoey started having anger issues and lashing out at those closest to her but it was just too much. This group of polar opposites and clashing personalities goes from sickeningly sweet togetherness to ignoring the serious issues boiling over in their leader? Hmm

The infamous Neferet is back with nothing but revenge on the mind but, except for one exciting moment in the beginning,  her storyline is focused on her getting back into her physical form. So even though you are excited by what her return will bring to the group, not much happens at all. A little back story on Neferet... her in the present day reconnecting with the darkness... all very not exciting.

Don't get me wrong there were some parts I enjoyed quite a bit: drunk Aurox, Stark talking to a drunk Aurox, Zoey and Aurox in the cafeteria... but that just isn't enough. I feel like the plot line is repeating and we desperately need some new material in here. After reading eleven books and with only one more book still due in the series I am going to hang in there and read that last one when it comes out and hope wholeheartedly for some kind of redemption.

Book #72 Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

I'm just going to start off by saying I liked this book so much better than Gone Girl.

This is the story of thirty-two year old Libby Day. When she was seven her teen aged brother was convicted of the murders of their mother and two sisters, somehow Libby escaped the carnage. In fact Libby herself even testified against her brother and had always felt 100% secure in what she heard and saw that night. Well that is until Libby starts running out of money and agrees to do some meet and greets with the Kill Club to earn some extra cash. Turns out this Kill Club believes that big brother Ben is innocent and in fact the evidence against him doesn't line up as neatly as Libby thought it did.

Dark Places is well written like Gone Girl but this one felt much more believable to me. I thought it was suspenseful and mysterious, I honestly had a very hard time guessing just what was going to happen. I am very curious to see how Sharp Objects compares in this line up.

Quotes:
“When I was fourteen, I thought a lot about killing myself—it’s a hobby today, but at age fourteen it was a vocation. On a September morning, just after school started, I’d gotten Diane’s .44 Magnum and held it, babylike, in my lap for hours. What an indulgence it would be, to just blow off my head, all my mean spirits disappearing with a gun blast, like blowing a seedy dandelion apart. But I thought about Diane, and her coming home to my small torso and a red wall, and I couldn’t do it. It’s probably why I was so hateful to her, she kept me from what I wanted the most.”

Book #69 Swimming in the Moon: A Novel by Pamela Schoenewaldt

Set in the early 1900's, Swimming in the Moon is the tale of fourteen year old Lucia and her mother's sudden immigration from Italy to America. Lucia was conceived through rape when her mother, Teresa, was just fourteen herself. Although they live a pretty good life as servants in a villa on the Bay of Naples things go badly when Teresa snaps at the count she serves so severely the mother and daughter are forced to run away and leave Italy altogether.

It is Lucia's idea to leave the only home she has ever know for the promises American offers. Leaving their old identities behind, Lucia and Teresa end up in Cleveland. They try to stay together with Teresa working in a chocolate factory while Lucia tries desperately to earn a high school diploma but Teresa's sudden rage issues soon get in the way of her holding a normal job. There is hope though, Teresa's beautiful voice lands her a spot in a traveling vaudeville show. Teresa takes the job as it is the only way Lucia can stay in school and out of the factories. This move however leaves Lucia all alone in a boarding house. Luckily people love Lucia and she has many supporters and through them Lucia learns of the many horrors of factory working life and soon strives to help her friends and neighbors, fellow immigrants like herself, to be treated justly and humanely. The real conflicts come as Lucia has to find a way to survive the workers strike, a cruel hard winter, disease and her own mother's eventual mental breakdown.

I was completely engrossed in this story. I really like period pieces and immigration stories and thought the scenarios in this book were completely believable. Also the characters are very well written. The author has another book out titled When We Were Strangers and I am very interested to read that one as well.

Book #68 Fall Into Me by Julia London

I won this book through first reads on goodreads.
This book was previously published as American Diva.

Audrey LaRue is a brand new pop star still getting use to her new life. While being commissioned for a private party concert weekend Audrey meets Jack, he is handsome and treats her like a normal person something Audrey sorely needs. Audrey tries to forgot about Jack and focus on her career and her long time boyfriend Lucas. The spark in their relationship has begun to fizzle as Lucas has taken control of Audrey's career and seems more interesting in using her stardom to launch his own music career than in his love for her. Conflict arises as Audrey starts receiving threatening letters and Lucas hires Jack to head Audrey's security team on her up coming two month national tour.

I haven't read the first two books in this series but that wasn't a problem at all. Very easy to jump right in but I think I will pick up the first two books in the series. Honestly at first I thought I wasn't going to like this book, the pop star diva thing isn't my cup of tea generally, but I ended up enjoying it a lot.

I wanted to strangle various characters at various times in the story but that isn't always a bad thing, it adds drama! The love interest side of the story was exciting and the sexual tension/moments were pretty hot. However I was a little disappointed that the suspenseful part (the stalker issue) wasn't very suspenseful. There is no mystery on the identity of the stalker and the whole stalker storyline takes a backseat to the romance/relationship drama. At times I even forgot this conflict even existed.

So if you are looking for a whodunit tale this book is not for you. If you are into romance and sexual tension, Fall Into Me fits the bill.

Children's Books: The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron

I'm going to try something new here: I have two kids and I read to them almost every night so let's talk about kid's books shall we? I saw this book at our library on a Newberry Medal winners poster so I picked it up to read to my 10 year old.

This is the story of Lucky, age 10. She lives in the Mojave Desert in a small town of just 43 persons called Hard Pan. When she was 8 her mother died and she never knew her father. Upon hearing of the mother's death, Lucky's father asks his ex-wife Brigitte to come over from France to care for Lucky until foster care can be arranged. However it is now two years later and Brigitte is still stuck in Hard Pan acting as Lucky's guardian.  

Lucky has a job in town cleaning up the mess left behind from various twelve-step anonymous group members. She eaves drops on some of the meetings and hears a lot of people mentioning hitting rock bottom and finding their higher power in order to pick themselves back up again. She gets obsessed with trying to figure out exactly what a higher power is and how she can find her own. After various events Lucky becomes certain that Brigitte wants to return to France and that she will end up in an orphanage, being separated from her dog, HMS Beagle, and the only friends she has ever known in the process. This drives Lucky to take drastic measures like running away. She has a well thought out plan that includes her bulging survival kit backpack, but she doesn't plan on the dust storm that occurs while she is navigating the harsh desert landscape.

My daughter and I both loved this book. Lucky is a tough and curious child, she fancies herself as a scientist rather than a princess and I found that to be very refreshing. There were some tough moments in the story, like when Lucky talks about scattering her mother's ashes. That was particularly hard since we had done just that with my mother's ashes this past Mother's Day. I tried to hold it together but failed miserably which lead to my daughter wrapping her arms around me while crying quietly herself (she is a wonderful child). In the end though my daughter wanted to hear more of Lucky and Hard Pan but I told her that was it just one book, however I have discovered there are two more books turning this into "The Hard Pan Trilogy". I haven't told her yet but I have already picked up book #2 Lucky Breaks from the library. 

Quote:
“Because sometimes Lucky wanted to change everything, all the bad things that had happened, and sometimes she wanted everything to stay the same forever.”

Book #61, Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick

The blurs (taken from goodreads):

There are stories where the girl gets her prince, and they live happily ever after. (This is not one of those stories.)

Jenna Lord’s first sixteen years were not exactly a fairytale. Her father is a controlling psycho and her mother is a drunk. She used to count on her older brother—until he shipped off to Afghanistan. And then, of course, there was the time she almost died in a fire.

There are stories where the monster gets the girl, and we all shed tears for his innocent victim. (This is not one of those stories either.)

Mitch Anderson is many things: A dedicated teacher and coach. A caring husband. A man with a certain... magnetism.

And there are stories where it’s hard to be sure who’s a prince and who’s a monster, who is a victim and who should live happily ever after. (These are the most interesting stories of all.)

Drowning Instinct is a novel of pain, deception, desperation, and love against the odds—and the rules.

Wow what a ride. I loved the way this book was written. It starts off with our narrator, sixteen year old Jenna, in the E.R. having just been pulled out of a frozen lake. The story continues from there through Jenna's words on a detective's tape recorder telling the events that led up to this moment during the last four months or so.

**Spoilers**
I feel weird saying this (because you know student/teacher relationships are bad okay) but I really liked Jenna and Mitch together. They were a pretty perfect match. I was kind of disappointed by the Mitch lying/stalking bit at the end. I was hoping he would be a good guy all the way through but honestly the stalking didn't bother me that much. Wait let me explain! Because through the whole book I kept expecting Jenna to go online and try to find info on Mitch and Kathy. I was really surprised that she never did and since Mitch had well.. it put him more on Jenna's level to me rather than an obsessive level. I did not like his lying though, it did not make sense to lie about siblings and such if you planned to be with someone since the truth would come out eventually. Well actually since these lies were told when they barely knew each other maybe Mitch was just being awkward and trying to relate to Jenna to get to know her better. As you can tell I am confused about how I feel about him!

All I know is that I do not see him fully as a bad guy. Mitch and Jenna both are so mentally and emotionally messed up that despite the age difference I see them as equals rather than victim and predator. I will tell you that open endings bug the hell out of me. I really wished we knew what happened to Mitch, if he was telling the truth about his time with Kathy and his reasons for lying to Jenna. Oh! And what happens to Jenna's mom?? Having had an alcoholic mother myself, I really understood Jenna's relationship with her mother.

Quote:  
“Everybody breaks sooner or later, Bob. Anyone can drown. Sometimes you see it. Most often, you
don’t because the body protects and the skin hides, so drowning doesn’t look like drowning and some
people scar so nicely. Take it from an expert.”

Book #60, The Storyteller by Antonia Michaelis

The blurb (taken from goodreads):

 "A good girl.
A bad boy.
A fairy tale that's true.
A truth that is no fairy tale.

It begins the day Anna finds the child's doll on the floor of the student lounge. When it's claimed by Abel, the school drug dealer, Anna becomes determined to learn more about this mysterious boy with the military haircut and deep blue eyes. She follows him after school and discovers a secret: Abel is caring for his six-year-old sister, Micha, alone. Anna listens in as he tells her a fairy tale, the story of a little orphan queen pursued by hunters across the oceans for the treasure she carries: her pure, diamond heart.

It's a story with parallels to reality. Social services and Micha's abusive father could take her from Abel if they discover the truth.

Despite friend's warnings, Anna is drawn to Abel and Micha, and falls under the spell of the story of the little queen and her desperate voyage.

But when people Abel has woven into his tale turns up dead, it's Anna whose heart is in danger. Is she in love with a killer? And has she set out on a journey from which there is no return?"

Wow. I loved this book, couldn't put it down. The Storyteller is so beautifully and vividly written that I had no trouble immersing myself in this world. The story takes place in the wintertime and even though it was over 90 degrees here today I wanted to curl up with a hot cup of tea and a blanket reading this book.

I love how Abel explained to Anna (and Micha) about his and Micha's life through storytelling. It reminded me a lot of my favorite movie "The Fall" (staring Lee Pace). If you have not seen it, you must! It is the tale of a stuntman from the silent film era who is hurt and maybe be paralyzed. He is depressed lying around in the hospital when he befriends another patient: a cute little girl with the sweetest accent. She comes around often to hear pieces of an epic story but Roy manages to string sweet Alexandria along promising her more of the story if she brings him strong medications from the medicine room. The film took four years to film and was shot in 28 countries. It is a truly beautiful film.

Back to The Storyteller. This is definitely not a lighthearted read and although I wanted more happiness and found myself questioning what the characters could have done differently to come to a different conclusion, there isn't a thing I would change. Also I feel this is more of an adult book than a YA book, there is some very serious material in here so I highly suggest mature readers only. All in all I really look forward to exploring other works by Antonia Michaelis she is a very talented writer.

Quote:
 “Go away princess. Leave your outlaw alone. You won't change him... go away, Anna, far away, and don't ever come back. The fairy tale doesn't have a happy ending.”

Book #59, Captive Heart by Elizabeth Bourgeret

I won this book through goodread's first reads program. I thoroughly enjoyed Captive Heart. At first I thought the pace was a little slow but looking back I believe I thought this due to the fact that the book starts off with a mystery. Sarah is being held captive, she is in much pain, doesn't know where she is, who has taken her and to top it off she is devastated by the loss of her young son at the hands of the Native Americans that have taken her. We, the readers, have to go along at Sarah's pace as she puts this puzzle together and that is what gave me the slow feeling. I wanted to know and I wanted to know now!

All in all I found this book captivating. The lines between good and evil, friend and enemy are constantly blurred. Sarah finds herself heartbroken, scared and devastated time and time again while her faith is tested and she tries to navigate herself into the unknown. The is a great story of love and loss and even love again and (if you are a believer) hope that there is a plan for you and faith will see you through. Wonderful

Quote:
“Sometimes, for revenge to be as sweet and painful as it is intended, some time has to pass. Time enough that people have forgotten about past hurts and humiliations. Time enough to make the poison of bitterness consume a soul. It was to be that time...
Two worlds collide and find a common link. A plan was made, a price was paid and revenge was set in motion.” 

Book #45 A Four Letter Word by Michelle Lee

Won this book from goodread's First Reads! Shipped fast, signed by author and came with a matching book mark.

After reading the prologue in 'A Four Letter Word' I immediately thought to myself "yup know the ending to this one". Sure this is your typical, predictable love story however, good stories are good stories. Even if the subject has been repeated time and time again the story itself can be different and interesting. I did not expect to get engrossed in this book but was shocked at how quickly I finished it.

Unlike most love stories I related a lot to this one. After seven years of friendship my best guy friend confessed he had been in love with me the entire time, we celebrated our 10th anniversary this year. The characters were a bit cliche and a bit immature at times but overall I liked them all. And I was pleasantly surprised at the twist in this story that I did not see coming at all!

I have seen some reviews slamming this book for being Twilight fanfiction and honestly, who cares?!?! Lots of works be it literature, film, music or art are inspired by other works. Why would anyone discourage others just because they got an idea from somewhere else? You never know, some of these fanfiction writers might go on to write some wonderful original works just because they took at shot pulling from another story they loved. Maybe if it wasn't for that original book, they would never had tried writing their own stories at all. Lift one another up, not tear each other down.

Book #44 Slip by Leslie J. Portu

Won this book through goodreads from first reads program!! Which by the way was sent by the author herself, arrived very quickly and with a cute heart-shaped personalized note inside. Very sweet touch. On to the book:

Soon to be seventeen year old Vivien is falling in love for the first time. Due to a rocky childhood she is a very reserved and guarded girl making her first real relationship a little tough to handle. Throw in the handsome, young and understanding exotic French substitute teacher and things get more complicated than ever. He befriends Vivien and in her quest to open up, try new things and finally let people in she turns a blind eye to the dangers right in front of her.

I LOVED this book! Two nights in a row I had to force myself to put it down so I could get some sleep. I thought the characters were complex enough to be consistently interesting and the story line was exciting even in the more mundane parts.

I cannot wait to read more in this series or more from Leslie J. Portu in general. I must add I did not see an editor listed and was pleasantly surprised to see very little, maybe even no, grammar or spelling errors.

Book #42 Unconscious Lies by D. W. Brown

I won Unconscious Lies from goodread's First Reads program! Very thankful for that.

This is the story of Peter. Peter was in a coma for quite some time. He has moments of consciousness while in this coma, he is in his bedroom and surrounded by people who refuse to acknowledge him or answer his questions. Furthermore he remembers talking to a group of people while being unconscious.

When Peter awakes from the coma for good he does not remember his past and must take his wife's word on everything. Soon he discovers she has been lying to him, so much so that even her place of work doesn't even exist.

Worst of all? Peter remembers killing people while in the coma and clues start to surface in his new life hinting at the reality of these crimes.

Overall I really liked this book. I thought the story line was great and different. Unlike a lot of books, Unconscious Lies was not very predictable and had surprises up until the very end. To me there were some holes in the story but it is such a ride they are easy to overlook.

I did however have two minor issues (and one major) and they were editing and rambling.

The editing was pretty spotty in the beginning and in the last third either the editor checked out completely or got too engrossed in the story to continue editing (lots of "me" and "I" mistakes there).

Rambling. In two parts of the story I felt I was conducting a google search. The author went into too much detail explain what microbursts are and the history of studying comatose patients. You do not need to know any of this information to enjoy the story being told.

And last but most important: the anti-gay marriage rambling at the end of chapter 16. Honestly I almost stopped reading right there. I understand we all have different opinions on this subject so being that this "character" feels vastly different than I do is not the issue at all. My issue is the fact that this commentary comes completely out of left field and has absolutely no reason to be in the book leaving me wondering if this is just the author injecting his own feelings through the main character, Peter. Peter and his wife are discussing a very, very minor character referred to as "gay Marcus". The wife Vicky states that she believe marriage is for men and women only and Peter goes on and on in his narrative about homosexuality being a choice and gay marriage leading to marriage between cousins (btw cousin marriage is legal in 26 states and has been since before gay marriage was even an issue) which will open the floodgates on marriage. Completely unnecessary but it was only a page or two so it didn't totally ruin the book for me.

Book #18 Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

I literally JUST finished Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion. What can I say? Freaking LOVED it. The characters are charming and surprisingly human. They mess up, they make mistakes, they learn, they love and they forgive. The story was new and fresh for a zombie tale.

R is a zombie. He doesn't know why, how old is he (or was), his full name or any details of his "life". R is just going through the motions waiting impatiently for the final death. He spends his days wandering the empty airport many zombies call home, "talks" with his buddy M and feeds off the life energy of the Living in order to stay alive.

Next thing you know R finds himself ambushing a group of Living teenagers. He takes down a boy and begins eating his brain absorbing his memories. In them he sees Julie for the first time only to look up and see her in person in the very room fighting for her life. R grabs Julie and saves her from the hoard of zombies and takes her back to his 747 for safe keeping.

Day by day R is feeling more Alive than ever and other zombies are feeling the change as well. Soon though R and Julie are battling hurtles from all sides. There is Julie's father, the leader and military man who cannot accept the change, and the "Boneys", fast and fiercely strong skeletons trying to stop the change in it's tracts.

I loved it. Warm Bodies is funny, exciting and heartwarming all at once. I was rooting for R and Julie the entire time. This book was over all to quickly for me and I hope we see something new from first time novelist Isaac Marion soon. I haven't seen the movie yet but I hope it does the book justice.

Quote:
“There's no benchmark for how life's "supposed" to happen. There is no ideal world for you to wait around for. The world is always just what it is now, it's up to you how you respond to it”