The Memory of Things Review

The Memory of Things by: Gae Polisner

Pub Date: 9/8/16 by St. Martin's Griffin

Synopsis:

On the morning of September 11, 2001, sixteen-year-old Kyle Donohue watches the first twin tower come down from the window of Stuyvesant High School. Moments later, terrified and fleeing home to safety across the Brooklyn Bridge, he stumbles across a girl perched in the shadows. She is covered in ash and wearing a pair of costume wings. With his mother and sister in California and unable to reach his father, a New York City detective likely on his way to the disaster, Kyle makes the split-second decision to bring the girl home. 

What follows is their story, told in alternating points of view, as Kyle tries to unravel the mystery of the girl so he can return her to her family. But what if the girl has forgotten everything, even her own name? And what if the more Kyle gets to know her, the less he wants her to go home? The Memory of Things tells a stunning story of friendship and first love and of carrying on with our day-to-day living in the midst of world-changing tragedy and unforgettable pain—it tells a story of hope.

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Spoiler-Free Review Below!

I usually back away from books based around 9/11. They break my heart and make me ball my eyes out, but for some reason after I read the synopsis for this book, I knew I needed to read it.
The Memory of Things is about a teenage boy named Kyle who is at school very close to the Twin Towers when the first plane hits. Running home, he sees a girl crouching right at the edge of the railing on the Brooklyn Bridge. Thinking she was about to jump, Kyle runs and saves the girl. He's lost in the chaos and the only logical thing he can think of is taking her home with him.

Back at his house, the girl is covered in ashes and is wearing beautiful white costume wings. Kyle asks her what her name is and where she lives so he can get an idea of where to take her, but she seems to not remember anything. What comes next is their story as Kyle tries to find out more about her, trying to help her remember all the moments in her life leading up to this event while falling in love with her. Told in alternating points of view, Kyle and this mystery girl's story is heart wrenching and will bring you back 15 years to the place where it all happened, New York City.

I loved this story. The story was very unique and nothing I've ever read. Bringing romance into the mix of a very tragic event is difficult to do, there is a lot to focus on, but Gae did it wonderfully. I loved all the characters and how she put in the alternating points of view. Both Kyle and the girl had very different backgrounds and hardships throughout their lives, which made the alternating points of view perfect.

The writing was very raw and straight to the point. It was easy to read and understand the emotions the characters were feeling and how hard it was at the time to cope with this event in the moment. 
I also loved how there was so much more to the story than September 11th. Kyle's family gets involved quite soon and you learn about the accident with his uncle a couple months prior and how it has made Kyle much more mature and put a life into his hands. Kyle's dad is also a first responder, so Kyle is trying to stay calm and hope that his dad will come home alive. You slowly learn about the girl's past and why she has suddenly lost all her memories of her past. Pieces are put together slowly as the story unfolds and everything becomes real. 

Beautifully written, but an ugly tragedy, Gae Polisner delivers us a story about a girl and a boy who met and fell in love during one of the biggest catastrophes ever.

Star Rating: 4/5/5 Stars

-Savannah ( @abookowl )

Bookstagram Friday #3: Editing Photos and Finding Your Theme

Happy FridayYAY!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful start to their weekend and has some fun plans to look forward to! I'll be spending my weekend relaxing and reading. :)

Bookstagram Friday is something I'll be adding back to my blog! Every Friday, I will upload a blog post similar to this one, but each one will focus on a different topic to help improve, change, or begin your Bookstagram account! Today's post is all about editing your photos and finding a theme you enjoy for your account. I'll also talk about my favorite editing apps and favorite themes!

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Editing:

Editing your photos can be very tough. It can sometimes be hard to edit them to match your theme so everything flows when people look at your profile. Or, maybe the lighting is off and your photos are a bit grainy and fuzzy (Photography tips will be in BF #4!). That is the ups and downs of editing. I struggled with editing for a while and I'm just now getting a hold on what I think looks nice to me. Hopefully these tips will help you guys if you're struggling with editing!

Tips for Editing:

1. Experiment! Try making your photos darker or lighter, play with saturation, filters, and warmth to see what looks best to YOU! The main tip I can give you guys is to stick with what appeals to you. You have to love your own photos before anyone else can. 

2. Backgrounds. Maybe the reason why you are having issues editing your photos is because the photo itself is too plain or too chaotic. Some backgrounds I recommend that many bookstagrammers use are blankets (fuzzy preferably!), rugs (I use a faux fur one), and your bookshelf! Printed backgrounds can sometimes be a bit distracting and could take the spotlight off of the book you're showcasing.

3. Natural lighting is key! Another big tip I give people when they ask for advice is to always use natural lighting. Find the brightest spot in your home (if you take your photos indoors) and lay your background down there. Also, find out when it's the brightest in that area, the brighter the better! When you use natural light, your photos look so much better even if you're going for a more darker theme. That means you won't need to edit so much! 

My favorite editing apps: Instagram's general editing tools ( I am currently using those. I don't edit my photos that much since I found a spot that has good lighting!), VSCO, and Touch Blur.

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Themes:

Oh, themes, you love them and you hate them. They are hard to stick to, but are so pretty to look at. Theming my photos is the thing I've struggled with the most ever since I began @abookowl and just now found what I was looking for. Everyone struggles with finding a theme that they love at least once. If you didn't, you are one of the very few. 

Tips for Finding Your Theme:

1. Stalk your favorite bookstagram accounts. Now, don't take this too seriously. I'm not telling you to copy their account, that is definitely not what I mean. What I am meaning is that you should go and look at your favorite bookstagram accounts and see what type of theme they have. There are many categories, but all themes fall under one of these two, light or dark. Brighter, more colorful themes are my favorites. Take what you love from their theme and reflect it on your photos, but make it your own.

2. Base it off of your weather! I know this sounds dumb, but that is what many people are doing right now! I just recently made my theme more cozy for autumn and I'm loving it! Adding in mini pumpkins and fall candles into my photos is so much fun + it gets you more invested in that current season.

3. Pick something that makes you happy. I know I said this in the editing section, but it is essential. Your account is for you and if you're not liking what you're uploading, try something new. Don't just keep it because someone else likes what they see. Everyone will end up falling in love with whatever ever you choose, you just have to fall in love with it first. ;)

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There you guys go! I hope my tips were useful.  Also, I hope you guys are enjoying this little series I'm doing and are excited for #4 dropping next Friday! I am thinking of doing a Bookstagram Q&A for #5, we will see. ;)

Comment your IG username down below so I can follow you if I don't already!

Thank you for reading, subscribe through email to get an email whenever I drop a new review or BF post! You can also follow through Google+!

I hope you all have a lovely weekend! 

-Savannah ( @abookowl )

*I'm in no way telling you to change your account! I'm just giving advice to those of you who might want tips for this topic. I have been on IG for close to 2 years now and have learned how to grow and improve my account over the years and just wanted to share!*

Dreamology Book Review

Dreamology by: Lucy Keating

Pub Date: 4/12/16 by HarperTeen

Synopsis:

For as long as Alice can remember, she has dreamed of Max. Together they have traveled the world and fallen deliriously, hopelessly in love. Max is the boy of her dreams—and only her dreams. Because he doesn’t exist.

But when Alice walks into class on her first day at a new school, there he is. It turns out, though, that Real Max is nothing like Dream Max, and getting to know each other in reality isn’t as perfect as Alice always hoped.

When their dreams start to bleed dangerously into their waking hours, the pair realize that they might have to put an end to a lifetime of dreaming about each other. But when you fall in love in your dreams, can reality ever be enough?

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Spoiler-Free Review Below!

 I really enjoyed this book and loved being in the world of Dreamology! Everything about the plot and tone of the story made me fall in love with this book and end up being one of my favorite YA contemporaries ever. Something that really peeked my interest as that Lucy gave a bit of a background to why everyone dreams. That was one of the main topics that set this book apart from other I've read.

I will admit that I am a hopeless romantic and this is definitely a book for people like me. Max and Alice's relationship is what I would describe as close to perfection. They play off each other so well! There were many moments throughout this book that made me swoon and wish for a relationship like theirs.

I was also really fond of how witty and amusing the writing was. The entire book had me smirking to myself or laughing out loud. Everything flowed and tied together perfectly, I sped through it fairly quickly. Lucy also did a wonderful job of weaving this dream-like world into our reality. Plus, the characters she created were fantastic! The dog, Jerry, sounds so cute, I just want to meet him and give him a hug!

Overall, if you're looking for an easy, go-with-the-flow read that has a cute relationship and a brilliant world, I highly recommend adding this book to your TBR. I bet you're going to fall in love with this story just like how I did! 

Star Rating: 5/5!

- Emma Cahill 

(EE: Savannah @abookowl )

Gemina Book Review

Gemina By: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Pub Date: 10/18/16 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

*DO NOT READ SYNOPSIS BELOW IF YOU HAVEN'T READ ILLUMINAE*

The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminae continues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault.

Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy's most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.

When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station's wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands.

But relax. They've totally got this. They hope.

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Spoiler-Free Review Below!

Illuminae was in my top 3 most loved book of 2015 last year, so you could imagine how high my expectations were for Gemina. To put it short and sweet, this is not a book you want to pass up on. The Illuminae Files, in its entirety, is filled with everything you want out of a futuristic, intense novel. It's packed with bad ass characters, an epic story line, and a plot twist at the end that will leave you speechless.
I honestly, didn't think Jay and Amie could do it again, but oh, they did. There was never a dull moment, I wanted to stay immersed in this world for as long as possible. The writing and very easy to follow which is quite impressive since it was co-written. I really loved the sarcastic, arrogant side comments just thrown into the most serious situations ever. I LOLed quite a bit. On the other hand,  from page 1 to page 608, I was on the edge of my seat hoping nothing bad was going to happen to the characters I had grown to love. 
Since I brought the characters up, I'm just going to go ahead and say that I definitely grew closer to Kady and Ezra than Hanna and Nik. I don't know why, I only explanation I can come up with is that Gemina has more important characters in it than Illuminae did and there were more people to focus on than just them two. 

The artwork and quotes were just absolutely stunning. There were many moments were I grabbed a notebook and jotted down sentences that really struck my heart. I cannot wait to see them spreading throughout Instagram and everyone raving about how much of an emotional rollercoaster this series is.
Overall, I cannot express enough how thrilling and mind boggling this series is. There are so many twists and turns and you'll be holding your breath until the very end. Two characters who are complete opposites and are racing against time to save their home is not something you want to pass up on. If you haven't picked up Illuminae yet, go buy yourself a copy, make a big cup of coffee, and binge it until the last page. You're in for a treat.

Star Rating: 5/5!

-Savannah @abookowl 

This is Where the World Ends Book Review

This is Where the World Ends by: Amy Zhang

Pub date: 3/22/16 by HarperTeen

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Janie and Micah, Micah and Janie. That’s how it’s been ever since elementary school, when Janie Vivien moved next door. Janie says Micah is everything she is not. Where Micah is shy, Janie is outgoing. Where Micah loves music, Janie loves art. It’s the perfect friendship—as long as no one finds out about it. But then Janie goes missing and everything Micah thought he knew about his best friend is colored with doubt.

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This is Where the World Ends is the type of book that is best to not know what it's about before heading into it. I am a huge fan of Amy's other novel, Falling into Place. So, when I saw that she was coming out with another stand-alone contemporary, I had to get my hands on it ASAP! I will admit, I really didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. If you guys didn't know, if there is something I hate about a book, it's most likely alternating chapters. 75% of the time, they aren't done right. The story doesn't flow or there are gaps that never get filled. This time, it wasn't as bad as others, but it would have made the book better if the story flowed as one.

This book left me with a lot of questions, questions that I would love answers for. Amy did this with Falling into Place, but I believe the book hangover was worst this time around. If you want a dark, grungy story, this book it right up your alley. The emotions that come of the pages just wiggle there way through your chest and into your heart. You want to help Micah and tell him that he's okay, but you just can't that is what you call writing.

Janie and Micah, oh what those kids went through. It like you're on a rollercoaster that never stops until the last word. No spoilers, but it's a lot like Mara Dyer, but 2 times more hallucinations. I would have loved to have more backstory on their friendship before Janie goes missing. My heart was broken throughout this whole book for Micah. 

Amy's writing and creativity make this book whole. She makes all her work so captivating, I just cannot get enough of it. I hope to see more masterpieces from her in the future. 

Overall, This is Where the World End is a heart wrenching, dark contemporary novel that put you in a story about friendship, loss, and living with one of the biggest mistakes you could ever make.

Star rating: 4/5 stars

-Savannah @abookowl ig