Book Review | Wolf by Wolf & Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin

Hey guys, let me start off this review by apologizing for our absence (well, mine mostly). I can't blame my cobloggers for not being here haha! I underestimated the workload and stress of senior year that I'm currently sitting here overwhelmed by the amount of stuff I need done by November. So... I'm sorry! The Book's Buzz is a labor of love and something I put my heart and soul into. My intention wasn't to take off for so many weeks without posting, but it just happened. Without further ado, I'm going to direct your attention to my co-blogger Yingchao and her review of the Wolf by Wolf duology. She's been trying to get me to read these books for ages!

- Alex @ The Book's Buzz 

Title: Wolf By Wolf
Author: Ryan Graudin
Pages: 388 pages
Release Date: October 20th, 2015
Source: Paperback
Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult

Her story begins on a train.

The year is 1956, and the Axis powers of the Third Reich and Imperial Japan rule. To commemorate their Great Victory, Hitler and Emperor Hirohito host the Axis Tour: an annual motorcycle race across their conjoined continents. The victor is awarded an audience with the highly reclusive Adolf Hitler at the Victor’s Ball in Tokyo.

Yael, a former death camp prisoner, has witnessed too much suffering, and the five wolves tattooed on her arm are a constant reminder of the loved ones she lost. The resistance has given Yael one goal: Win the race and kill Hitler. A survivor of painful human experimentation, Yael has the power to skinshift and must complete her mission by impersonating last year’s only female racer, Adele Wolfe. This deception becomes more difficult when Felix, Adele twin’s brother, and Luka, her former love interest, enter the race and watch Yael’s every move.

But as Yael grows closer to the other competitors, can she bring herself to be as ruthless as she needs to be to avoid discovery and complete her mission?

From the author of The Walled City comes a fast-paced and innovative novel that will leave you breathless.

Buy now: 

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

Wolf by Wolf: Paperback 5/5 ⭐️s

Blood for Blood: ARC 4/5 ⭐️s

Hands down, one of the best books [Wolf by Wolf] that I read this year. If you haven't yet read Wolf by Wolf, I understand; please stop whatever you might be doing right now and go read this duology by Ryan Graudin. When you're finished, I promise you that hardly any time in the real world will have passed.

I read Wolf by Wolf almost two months ago, and I haven't been able to put to words my thoughts on this book and its sequel. In regards to how quickly I read Wolf by Wolf, let's just say I devoured (no pun intended) this book, at a consistent heart-racing speed. I read it in probably less than 48 hours, even with final papers and projects to turn in for my final days of high school.

Now, in regards to my thoughts on this book, which let's be honest, is what this review is really about, I still cannot describe how perfect the story was. At its very core, Wolf by Wolf is the tale of a mission, carried out by a revolutionary (very classic), using a worldwide motorcycle race as the cover-up (oH yES). It's intense.

Our main character, Yael (Ya-El; I believe that's how her name is pronounced), is intensely flawed, and emotionally marred by her past. When you meet Yael, she's quick-witted, and fiercely strong, but as we learn more about this alternate post-WWII world, we learn the hardships that Yael's faced since she was little, and the emotional and physical trauma that she's endured under the villains whom exist in both our world and her world.

On top of the high-speed cross-continental motor race that Ryan Graudin executes so effortlessly and flawlessly, there is an additional layer of mystery and intrigue amongst the characters. A mission which seems so simple at sight, becomes so many complicated layers as the race progresses. Yael is challenged to her fullest extents, and we see her become someone whom we might not have at first imagined her to become, but we still root for her.

But it takes two to tango, and three to make a crowd. And Yael is not the only character with so much dynamic. Every character that Ryan Graudin introduces into the plot has a purpose, even if they appear just once. Every character is a part of the larger plot, and every character feels real. The story, the world, the characters, the feels. Wolf by Wolf was utterly perfect. Not to mention the obsession with motorcycles that its fostered in me.

So of course, upon finishing Wolf by Wolf, I was dying to get my hands on Blood for Blood, and luckily, I had an ARC of it available. While Wolf by Wolf was a crazy, whirlwind of surprises and intensity, Blood for Blood was much calmer, by comparison. Blood for Blood is the revenge story, the novel to bring closure; just like how Crooked Kingdom is for Six of Crows.

Comparing Blood for Blood to Wolf by Wolf, I loved Wolf by Wolf far more. For its unexpected twists and heart wrenching moments, Wolf by Wolf will always have a place in my most memorable books of all time. Blood for Blood was a more thought-out journey from point A to point B, where we as the reader generally know what to expect for the most part. Except for that ending. What the f***!?! With that said, I still thoroughly enjoyed Blood for Blood, and though the ending was hard to accept, it does bring closure to Yael's epic tale.

#ReadADessen | Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen Favorite Quote + Giveaway!

Title: Saint Anything
Author: Sarah Dessen
Pages: 417 pages
Release Date: May 5th, 2017
Genre:  Young Adult, Contemporary 

Peyton, Sydney's charismatic older brother, has always been the star of the family, receiving the lion's share of their parents' attention and—lately—concern. When Peyton's increasingly reckless behavior culminates in an accident, a drunk driving conviction, and a jail sentence, Sydney is cast adrift, searching for her place in the family and the world. When everyone else is so worried about Peyton, is she the only one concerned about the victim of the accident?

Enter the Chathams, a warm, chaotic family who run a pizza parlor, play bluegrass on weekends, and pitch in to care for their mother, who has multiple sclerosis. Here Sydney experiences unquestioning acceptance. And here she meets Mac, gentle, watchful, and protective, who makes Sydney feel seen, really seen, for the first time.

The uber-popular Sarah Dessen explores her signature themes of family, self-discovery, and change in her twelfth novel, sure to delight her legions of fans.

Buy it now! 

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

Sarah Dessen's Saint Anything is riddled with quotes that I find inspirational and motivating. It's hard, when reading such a lengthy book, to choose just one that you think fits the entire theme of the book as well as catch the attention of any perspective readers. However, I think I did a pretty good job at choosing one that glorifies this book and extends an honest and truthful message. Some may take this quote as a damsel in distress seeking attention. The way I see it is that even those scary things may happen, we shouldn't run the other away and cower in an "invisible place". It's never wrong or cowardly for us to ask for someone else's help in a situation where the outlook may seem dim. 

What is your fave Sarah Dessen quote?

GIVEAWAY TIME! 

Enter for a chance to win one (1) set of Sarah Dessen’s books in paperback (ARV: $132.00).

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter between 12:00 AM Eastern Time on April 17, 2017 and 12:00 AM on May 29, 2017.  Open to residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are 13 and older. Winners will be selected at random on or about June 1, 2017. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

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All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven | Mini Book Review

Title: All the Bright Places
Author: Jennifer Niven
Pages: 378 pages
Release Date: January 6th, 2015
Source: Hardcover
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Romance
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.

Buy it now! 

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

I may not write a book review for every book I read, but I felt especially compelled to write about this one. Long story short, All the Bright Places moved me. It’s changed my perspective on life, and at some parts, I was able to relate to the story. Never before had I read a book that made me tear up, and want to bawl, while reading in a crowded subway car. Not even ACOMAF (I saved the tears for when I got home). Constant tears welled up in my eyes, and blurred my vision as I read through the last hundred pages of this beautifully written tale.  

But enough rambling about my reading experience, let’s get into the parts that made All the Bright Places so emotionally wrecking.

This is the story of Finch and Violet. Finch is a boy who thinks of suicide on a daily basis, yet wants to keep living. Violet is a girl who started considering suicide after a tragedy. The two meet unconventionally, and a sort of unreciprocated romance develops. Finch becomes obsessed with her, while Violet takes some time to reciprocate Finch’s love. But eventually they find each other, and their story is absolutely heart breaking. And I mean you’re gonna want to prepare a few boxes of Kleenex for this read.

I loved Finch and Violet’s wanderings. Their post-it notes. Their Facebook messages. All the Bright Places is a love story, that has that warm TFIOS feeling, but an ending uniquely it’s own. I can’t tell you the exact page when I fell in love with Finch, and consequently the story, but it was definitely within the first twenty pages. And I’ll be honest in this part of the review-and this is difficult to talk about, but I related to many of Finch’s inner thoughts. When Finch described being Asleep, I thought back to the times when I was physically alive, but felt dead and empty on the inside. When Finch talked about not mattering in this world, I remembered the times when I was alone in my thoughts, and didn’t think anyone would remember me if I simply disappeared, though suicide was never a thought that I fathomed. Regardless, Finch had insecurities and numerous flaws, and he was the first character I read about that reminded me of myself. He was a relatable character who opened my eyes to the gravity of suicide and the power of actually living your life.

So even though this story has utterly destroyed me, it's also made me stronger as a person. Jennifer Niven has inspired me to go out, and explore-to go out and wander. And having lived in New York City for nearly my entire life, it's occurred to me- for the first time- that there are so many hidden gems left to be seen in this bustling city and that I've taken so much of this special place on Earth for granted for the past decade. And NYC is special with its own secrets, but even if you don't live in a large metropolis, All The Bright Places shows you that there’s beauty everywhere you go, even in the quietest of towns; you just need to be willing to find that whimsy.

Whether you’re able to connect to this book personally, or are looking for a rather short, fast paced contemporary, I highly suggest All The Bright Places. I finally picked up this book (after being spoiled a year ago) since many of my non-reader friends became obsessed with it (one of them even reread the book three times). But if the topic of suicide is something you would prefer not to read about, that’s okay too. I know that for me, I had put off this book for so long because it dealt with suicide and insecurities and I was afraid to read it, and I regret that decision now. Finch and Violet go on the most incredible adventures, taking you along for the ride. The humor in this story is spot on, and Finch, ya gotta love Finch. So please, I encourage to pick up this book, and give it a try, it might end up being your favorite book of all time.

Inherit the Stars by Tessa Elwood | Book Review

Title: Inherit the Stars
Author: Tessa Elwood
Pages: 304 pages
Release Date: December 8th, 2015
Source: Paperback from Amazon
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Rating: 3/5 stars

Three royal houses ruling three interplanetary systems are on the brink of collapse, and they must either ally together or tear each other apart in order for their people to survive.

Asa is the youngest daughter of the house of Fane, which has been fighting a devastating food and energy crisis for far too long. She thinks she can save her family’s livelihood by posing as her oldest sister in an arranged marriage with Eagle, the heir to the throne of the house of Westlet. The appearance of her mother, a traitor who defected to the house of Galton, adds fuel to the fire, while Asa also tries to save her sister Wren's life . . . possibly from the hands of their own father.

But as Asa and Eagle forge a genuine bond, will secrets from the past and the urgent needs of their people in the present keep them divided? 

Buy it now! 

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble  

**I wrote this review ages ago but never posted it so excuse my poor reviewing skills** 

The synopsis doesn't do this book justice. It's rather confusing and makes my head spin when I try to read it more than once. Okay yeah, the book is pretty hard to explain without me rambling the summary in a giant paragraph. 

From what I've gathered...
After recovering from a nasty Blight, the House of Fane must create a political alliance with the House of Westlet by uniting their heirs in marriage. Wren, the heir of the Fane House, is in a coma and cannot be married off. Therefore, their father decides to marry off the second oldest daughter, Emmie, and making her an heir by pulling Wren's life support (killing her). Asa decides to step in and protect her sister by disguising as Emmie and marrying the heir of Westlet without anyone's knowledge. Her identity is revealed after the blood bond is tied and it's too late to break the marriage off. Political intrigue and romance ensue...

I'm comparing the political intrigue in this book with the one in my favorite series, The Winner's Curse series. The background for these interplanetary systems are very well set up from the start. The author does a fantastic job at explaining the whole issue with the blood bond and how in order to have a successful marriage alliance, you need the two heirs from each house. Political intrigue is always a fun concept to see in YA. It adds a complexity that you normally wouldn't see. You're also allowed to choose sides and kind of reason with the character's decisions. It's a lot of fun and whenever you see a book with political intrigue, I suggest you pick it up right away and recommend it to me as well!

For those that don't enjoy a slow burning romance, just consider this: Slow burning romances are ALWAYS better than insta-love romances! Now that we've got that cleared up, we can talk about this incredibly slow burning romance that doesn't even develop fully at the end. You're going to be desperately gasping for the second book and since it's a duology, you can expect some steamy scenes in Book 2. Asa and Eagle begin hating each other in the beginning. They're both not happy that they're in an arranged marriage and that they're going to have to one day make babies with each other. But besides that fact, Asa has just pulled an extremely dangerous stunt with the marriage alliance and Eagle wasn't aware of it until it was too late. Imagine if the person you were arranged to marry isn't who you end up marrying. He, over time, learns that she had a reason for doing what she did and that she'll do whatever is takes to save her House and sister, Wren.

Even from when this book was released, it did not receive as much hype as I thought it would get. When I originally saw this book on its Goodreads page, I was intrigued because of the space and sci-fi aspect. Why aren't people talking highly about this book? Well this question is affected by many factors. It could be that the author is not well-know or even the possibly that the publishers didn't have a huge campaign for the book near its publication date.

The back of the book says this is supposed to be a duology but I wholeheartedly believe that the ending was superb and there's isn't more to be said. But I could be wrong. The author may have something else planned for the future installment, and I'll be sure to pick that up as well! I just want you all to know that this book didn't leave you off on a major cliffhanger or deserted island, so why wait to pick it up?

I didn’t enjoy Inherit the Stars enough to give it a five star rating, but I had a great time reading . Need I say more? An intergalactic thriller that has an interesting political concept and some pretty freaking awesome characters that won't disappoint!

Make sure to be subscribed to my Youtube Channel because I'm going to post a 'space books' recommendation video soon! 

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff | Book Review + Discussion (with spoilers)

Title: Illuminae 
Author: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Pages: 599 pages 
Release Date: October 20th, 2015
Source: ARC from Bookcon 
Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure, Young Adult 
Rating: 4.5/5 stars 

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

Buy it now!

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

On a scale of 1 to Kady Grant, how far would you go to save the one you love most? My answer would be probably closer to 0 and nowhere near Kady’s level, lol.

Illuminae is an excellently crafted collaboration between two ingenious authors, Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. Although I was at first largely intimidated by the sheer size of Illuminae (almost 600 pages, people!), the plot and the concept of an intergalactic space battle orchestrated by an animated artificial intelligence with some added romance makes it no secret that I ultimately gave in and tackled this beast of a “book” – actually, is it considered a book? It's more of a dossier of random, chaotic files.

Like everyone else, Illuminae will be one of the most physically and emotionally unique books you'll ever read. Besides the intriguing plot about two separated teenaged refugees, who are trying to figure out the secrets that the commanders of their spaceships are trying to keep hidden, while attempting to flee the enemy fleet and subdue a psychologically damaged artificial intelligence system, there is little that will keep any reader browsing the shelves away from considering Illuminae. Warning: this is in no way going to be a light adventure.

And within minutes of picking up the story, not only was I extremely indulged by the situation at hand, but I also found myself quickly at page 50 because the pages of Illuminae are not regular novel “pages”. The bulk of Illuminae consists of interviews, narrative reports, hacked messages, and love letters, and the alternating documents are little puzzle pieces that all end up fitting perfectly in a large puzzle, also known as the truth.

Yet, even though I would highly, highly, highly, praise Illuminae for its wondrously fresh new concept, and would recommend this book to any reader of YA, I give this book an overall rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 stars. The main reason for this is that it took me a rather long time to really get into this book and to start to care for the characters. Yes, I admit, at first, it was extremely difficult to connect with these two very different characters. I was confused by the first interview (partly due to the fact that I went into Illuminae blind without reading the blurb) but nevertheless I ventured forth. In the end, I loved Illuminae, and I have grown extremely attached to two of the characters (one of whom is Kady Grant). This universe that Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff built is so diverse and truly yearns to be explored further.

Overall, would I recommend this book to you? It depends on who you are, really. If you like science fiction, intergalactic travels and warfare, mystery and deceit, and possibly descriptive gore, then by all means, go ahead, this may be your favorite read of the year! And if you have the book sitting around on your shelf, and have heard more than fabulous raves about it, and want a rather short-and-fast-paced read, also go ahead! It'll be an adventure. I'm extremely excited for Gemina and I can't wait to dive back into the world of Illuminae!

Spoiler-filled Discussion

DISCLAIMER: ANYTHING BELOW THIS LINE IS CONSIDERED A SPOILER. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Alright, so…getting straight into the nitty gritty, let’s talk about the characters in Illuminae. These are some of the most…physically diverse cast of characters I have ever read –when one of these characters is a literal personified artificial intelligence system, you're breaching diverse. However, Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff also write ethnically diverse characters. There are Caucasians, Asians, blacks, Hispanics, and all any other ethnic group you could possibly name, who really make this character cast so colorful. But besides having diverse characters, the main cast of characters in Illuminae all have extremely vibrant personalities.

As I said previously, I found it difficult to really connect with the characters at first. From the opening pages, I thought Kady was going to be one of those typical “badass” YA heroine wannabes (let's be real, we’ve all read one of those). But boy, was I SO WRONG. I don't know when I started falling in love with Kady and opened my eyes to her story, but it was probably at the part where she was messaging CitB (Byron Zhang) and her sarcasm made me take a good long minute and laugh till I nearly rolled off the bed.

Kady Grant is not your typical pink haired, sixteen year old, who had just dumped her long term boyfriend, saved that now-ex-boyfriend’s ass from being killed that same day, and is now a refugee on a science vessel spaceship, trying to hack the main computer system for some hint as to what’s going on. Or maybe she is. All throughout Illuminae, Kady made me feel a roller coaster of emotions. Her texts with Ezra (and then with AIDAN) cracked me up, made me weep, and swoon a bit. Her courage –or recklessness and disregard for safety- is truly awe-inspiring. Even when she was on the verge of being attacked by psychotic serial killers and hit with radiation, Kady was still able to do more damage and have more success than the entire Alexander Fleet with the UTA officers. Give this girl the universe’s biggest cookie and a standing ovation. But in seriousness, did anyone else realize the irony that while Kady was never (and avoided being) scripted into the UTA as a computer specialist, she ended up saving the remains of the UTA Alexander Fleet.

Moving on to my second favorite character and possibly my favorite literary Artificial Intelligence, AIDAN. I think out of every character in Illuminae, the range of emotions AIDAN made me go through is larger than the distance from Earth to Kepler 2.0.  I had so many trust-issues regarding AIDAN, and I swear, I trusted AIDAN, and then AIDAN “betrayed” everyone and I thought it was the antagonist, and then it was an anti-hero, and then I felt betrayed by AIDAN again, and then I started to hesitate trusting AIDAN, and then I felt myself sympathize for this machine, and then at the very end, I just loved AIDAN, fully trusting it and seriously loving the Kady-AIDAN relationship. SO MANY EMOTIONS YOU GUYS, AND FROM A FREAKING AI!!!!

Byron Zhang is another character I was extremely intrigued by. Byron was such a good person, even at the very end. His relationship with being Kady’s mentor throughout the book and helping her learn about the truth of the Copernicus incident and Phobos A and B was so emotionally beautiful. The two characters were so humorous in their early encounters and when Byron was taken over to the Alexander, I cried so hard for him because it was just like imagining a father being ripped from his home, his family, his kids, and being forced to fight in the front line. Seeing Byron deteriorate and be utterly destroyed by the Phobos B virus really hit a hole in that wee little sentimental part of my small human heart. To see the strong, undermined Byron go insane and nearly kill Kady with an axe was heart breaking to read. But the most heart wrenching scene –when Byron surfaced for just a moment, saw Kady, and saved Kady and himself, from himself. I think if that moment hadn't occurred, the whole mission, the entire Alexander Fleet, would've been utterly decimated, by either the Lincoln or Phobos inflicted Byron. So in a way, Byron really did help –and not help- save the day.

These three characters are the ones who had the most impact on me throughout the entire read. It’s been a while (and I mean since ACOMAF’s release) that I’ve read such a heart-wrenching story. About the damsel in distress who didn’t need saving, but did the saving. And although I love Ezra very much, if AIDAN were a real person, I would 1000000% ship him and Kady (c’mon fanfiction writers, wya). But I also like that Kady and AIDAN have a friendship, that is so unlike your usual friendships- one that transcends dimensions and realities. All in all, my last comments on this book would be that I wished the censored parts hadn’t been censored; do you know how difficult it is to try to fit words into the sentences sometimes?! But I loved this story, and all I can hope is for more from Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.