Wicked Review: Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang

Published: September 9, 2014

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Acquired: Borrowed Paperback

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On the day Liz Emerson tries to die, they had reviewed Newton’s laws of motion in physics class. Then, after school, she put them into practice by running her Mercedes off the road. 

Why? Why did Liz Emerson decide that the world would be better off without her? Why did she give up? Vividly told by an unexpected and surprising narrator, this heartbreaking and nonlinear novel pieces together the short and devastating life of Meridian High’s most popular junior girl. Mass, acceleration, momentum, force—Liz didn’t understand it in physics, and even as her Mercedes hurtles toward the tree, she doesn’t understand it now. How do we impact one another? How do our actions reverberate? What does it mean to be a friend? To love someone? To be a daughter? Or a mother? Is life truly more than cause and effect?

First, I would like to thank my Misfit Queen, Jayvee, for lending me her copy. I wouldn't be devastated if it weren't for her.

She wished to be happy, and fell asleep with an entire sky above her.

Liz Emerson was popular by nature. She hung out with the cool crowd and went to the coolest parties. And yet, her life was bleak, meaningless, and empty. Suddenly, her status doesn't matter because she feels empty inside. She hate silence. She hates coming home to an empty house with the silence consuming her whole being.

Liz spent her life ruining others. She brought them down and she was too late to remedy the wounds she has inflicted. I felt sad for her really. I am a self confessed mean girl. At times, I would stay stuff I would regret but then obviously, I'd be too late because the damage is done. I've hurt everyone and it leaves a hollow feeling inside.

Liz looked back and counted the bodies, all those lives she had ruined simply by existing. So she chose to stop existing.

The book alternates from before Liz crashed her car to events that happened after she crashed her car. Normally, I'd get confused with point of view alternation, but not here. Amy Zhang did a wonderful job with writing this story. At every turn of the page, emotions pour out. I mean, seriously. I had a hard time keeping myself in check because I don't want to embarrass myself in public while I'm reading this.

She wanted to go back. She wanted to be a little girl again, the one who thought getting high meant being pushed on the swing and pain was falling off her bike.

People think that talking about feelings is easy. But it's not. Especially when you grow old. At 21, I still wish pain was just like falling off of my bike or having a paper cut. It's easier said than done. This is where Liz and I connected in a way. You see, I understood her pain. I understood why she hurt. As much as we really want someone to talk to about it, we really can't. It's one of the hardest things to do. We humans are such fickle beings. No one can really understand what goes in our heads.

It is then, when she releases her need to understand, that everything falls into place. 

Amy Zhang used to have lots of imaginary friends. When people told her to grow up, she turned her imaginary friends into characters and started telling their stories. When she isn't writing, she can be found playing piano, hitting balls on the tennis court, or struggling through her weekly existential crisis. She lives in Wisconsin with her family.

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Wicked Photo Diary: September 2015

Wicked Photo Diary is a feature on the blog where I recap what happened in my life, bookish and non-bookish, in the form of my Instagram photos. Do follow me on Instagram here.

Well hello~ October is upon us and then it'll be Christmas...*insert distressed noises* Here's what happened this September!


September 6, 2015

This is from Pamana Restaurant in Tagaytay City, a vintage restaurant that serves feel good and authentic Filipino cuisine. My family and I feasted on bulalo, that's soup made from the bone marrow of the cow, and sisig, sizzling pork belly, in celebration of my grandparent's and my brother's birthday.


September 7, 2015

#lategram. Pamana Restaurant looks like an old Filipino home. Complete with gorgeous decorations and bad-ass wooden furniture.


September 9, 2015

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

September is QUEEN OF SHADOWS MONTH! I had to go to my local bookstore thrice to scout copies of Queen of Shadows (UK White Edition Cover) and lo and behold I finally have it!


September 12, 2015

Something True by Kieran Scott

Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang

I really had to. I took advantage of the last few days of the Powerbooks Store Sale and got these babies~!

September 13, 2015

 These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

I bought this a few months ago because that cover is absolutely GORGEOUS. The story is equally gorgeous and phenomenal as well.

September 14, 2015

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

I got my first ever book mail. *insert happy flailing* This book is just so good. the hype certainly lived up to it!

September 19, 2015

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Another phenomenal read that I CAN NOT WAIT TO GET MY HANDS ON THIS OCTOBER!!!!

September 20, 2015

I crashed #KCinPH and met Kiera Cass, the lovely woman who created my first ever Captain of the Guard crush Aspen Leger. I missed her interview but my friends looped me in the alternate ending of The Selection Series and my heart is happy. P.S I forgot to take my glasses off so obvs, I look hella weird here.

September 21, 2015

#lategram 2.0. These are my friends whom I haven't seen in a looong time because I've been absent during the book signings they attended. I decided to surprise them. We have here America Singer, Aspen Leger and King Maxon Schreave doing a photo shoot to the delight of fans.

September 23, 2015

I watched the PHENOMENALLY AWESOME, BAD-ASS HISTORICAL MOVIE OF THE CENTURY  that is HENERAL LUNA. This movie has been out in the cinemas for quite some time now. It actually started as a film to be shown for a limited time only but due to popular demand, regular showing was provided for. The pride and joy of Philippine cinema, HENERAL LUNA is the Philippine's entry to the 2016 Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film Category.

September 24, 2015

End of Days by Susan Ee

World After by Susan Ee

Angelfall by Susan Ee

P.S I Still Love You by Jenny Han

Ashes to Ashes by Jenny Han

Ask the Passengers by A.S King

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire-Saenz

Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley

Well, that was a handful. Literally, my arms hurt when I lugged 9 books home from MIBF. But it was the best experience ever.

September 25, 2015

Yes, you saw that right! Carry On by Rainbow Rowell will land on Filipino soil on October 10, 2015~ mark your calendars, fellow Pinoy bookworms. Come join the fun over at Powerbooks, Greenbelt 3, 3-5pm. There will be giveaways and more. Hope to see you guys there~!

September 26, 2015

Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang

I visited my local Starbucks branch because I haven't done so in a long time while reading this devastatingly, beautiful book.

September 28, 2015

I did the #WhereIRead tag on Instagram. This is the 2nd floor section of my university library. I love our library because it's very cold inside and the lights are bright unlike in my room which has crappy lighting. I'm going to miss this place when I graduate.

What Else Happened on the Blog?

Wicked Review: These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Wicked Musings: Why I'm Such An Introvert

{Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway} Shifter: City of Wolves by Avery Burch

Wicked Review: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Wicked Review: Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

{Blog Tour: Review} Lost and Found by Elle Casey

Wicked Review: Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella

 

There you have it folks! I do hope you guys had an amazing September!

 

 

 

Wicked Review: These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Published: December 10, 2013

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Series: Starbound Trilogy #1

Acquired: Paperback

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Luxury spaceliner Icarus suddenly plummets from hyperspace into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive -- alone. Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a cynical war hero. Both journey across the eerie deserted terrain for help. Everything changes when they uncover the truth. 

Taking a break from reading contemporaries because I need some fantasy/sci-fi in my life. On a whim, I decided to pluck this out of my shelf. Can I just say that this cover is the most beautiful cover I have ever seen? It's perfect for #bookstagram, I swear.

I enjoyed this book. It had the right amount of mystery and sci-fi and of course, romance. It reminded me of Titanic, minus the tragic ending, because, you know, it involves a carrier crashing but this time, it's in hyperspace. Icarus is considered to be one of the best spaceliners out there, just like Titanic was back in the day.

Lilac, aside from the fact that she's uber rich, is knowledgeable on technology and engineering which blew Tarver away. She has lived a life constantly protected by her father that she wants to break free. So, when spaceliner Icarus malfunctioned, she drags Tarver with her into an escape pod. During the whole process though, Tarver was so dumbfounded that this girl, underneath all that class, is a lot of brain.

They come crashing down into an unknown planet and this time Tarver takes the lead. Trained war hero, Tarver takes Lilac into this unknown planet in the hopes of surviving in the said planet. This is where their hate for each other grows. Lilac is still hopeful that a rescue ship will come and find them soon and that somehow, Icarus survived. Tarver is not feeling hopeful.

There's a lot of emotional baggage in this story that made me love Tarver and Lilac because they became so real to me. The mystery just added a lot of drama into the mix. They were both in this unknown planet and suddenly there are voices drawing Tarver and Lilac to a different place that changed their lives altogether.

Change their lives they did. I was blown away by the turn of the events as I neared the end of the book. I DID NOT EXPECT THAT. I'm at a loss for words right now because that's how amazing the story was.

Even if you're not a fan of sci-fi because admittedly they are very confusing. But this one can be the sci-fi book to draw you in. 

Amie Kaufman is the New York Times bestselling co-author of These Broken Stars and This Shattered World, and Illuminae, the first in a new series starting in 2015. She writes science fiction and fantasy for teens, and her favourite procrastination techniques involve chocolate, baking, sailing, excellent books and TV, plotting and executing overseas travel, and napping.

She lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband, their rescue dog, and her considerable library. She is represented by Tracey Adams of Adams Literary.

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Meagan Spooner grew up reading and writing every spare moment of the day, while dreaming about life as an archaeologist, a marine biologist, an astronaut. She graduated from Hamilton College in New York with a degree in playwriting, and has spent several years since then living in Australia. She's traveled with her family all over the world to places like Egypt, South Africa, the Arctic, Greece, Antarctica, and the Galapagos, and there's a bit of every trip in every story she writes.

She currently lives and writes in Asheville, North Carolina, but the siren call of travel is hard to resist, and there's no telling how long she'll stay there. 

In her spare time she plays guitar, plays video games, plays with her cat, and reads.

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Wicked Musings: Why I'm Such An Introvert

Well, hello~ I'm presenting a new feature on the blog. Wicked Musings is where I'm going to post my non-bookish feelings and a part of myself on Internet for all the world to see.

I'm a self-confessed introvert. And it's weird that I'm about to finish my bachelor's degree in Mass Communication, a not-so introvert kind of degree program. I didn't realize I was one until I stumbled upon this Buzzfeed post about introverts and I realized why I act a certain way. Because of my introvertedness ( I know that's not a word. I made it up. Deal with it. ), people think that I'm a snob because I wouldn't glance your way or that I have this certain air about me that makes people stay away from me. They say I always have my resting bitch face, but I highly disagree.

I rarely attend parties. I used to when I was 18 but not anymore because I grew tired dressing up and going to bars and drinking till I drop. I got tired of meeting random people who I wouldn't remember or wouldn't remember me the next day. I had to study that's why I rarely go out anymore even if I really wanted to. My grades were falling so I had to bring it back up again. But even then, I realized that I have better things to do with my time rather than going out.

Ever since I stopped going out with friends, I became socially awkward. It's hard, okay. People think that talking to others is really easy but it's not. I'm always nervous. I'm nervous about not saying the right thing. I'm nervous because people judge and I don't like being judged. Who does right? I'm so awkward like that. I feel bad about that actually. I don't like my friends to think that I don't like hanging out with them. I just do. But I really prefer being by myself. (Unless, you treat me out, then I'm game!)

I partly blame my love for  reading for my introvertedness. And the TV shows I watch. I have so many books I have to read that I need more time alone to read it! (What an excuse, I know.) But bookworms like myself know that this is a real problem and we deal with this on a daily basis. *insert evil smirk*. I enjoy reading. I enjoy immersing myself into different worlds, different stories, different places and I could do that in the comfort of my comfy chair.

To set things straight, I'm not a snob. But I will be if you're a snob to me. My resting bitch face will always be there and there's nothing I can about it. God made my face like this. I love "me time". I highly value "me time". If I'm being quiet, that can mean so many things. Just know, that I will never make the first move. As I said, I'm socially awkward and this will probably live on until I die. But that doesn't mean I'm not approachable. I really am, okay. It's just that, I don't make the first move. (This is probably why I won't ever have a boyfriend or any guy talk to me. Heh.)

I hope that shed a light to who I am as a person. Until next time~!

{Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway} Shifter: City of Wolves by Avery Burch

Welcome to Day 2 of the Shifter: City of Wolves Blog Tour! Special thanks to Giselle of Xpresso Book Tours and to Avery Burch! Today, I'll be sharing my review and how I fell in love with this hot, romantic book.

Shifter: City of Wolves by Avery Burch

Publication Date: August 3, 2015

Genre: Adult, Paranormal Romance

Amazon

He'll risk anything to be inside me. I'm his fated mate.
Lyla: 
What the hell am I thinking? I can't fall for a wolf. He's a criminal and an outcast. I'm an elite. If we get caught, they'll destroy us. I'll be disgraced. He'll be tortured and killed. But his wolf instinct has locked on me. He says I'm his fated mate. And every time we're alone together, he melts my heart ... and makes me so wet I'll risk anything to feel him throb inside me.

Zac: 
Everything they told me about fated mates is true. And that means I'm in a lot of trouble. I'm risking everything. As a shifter, I'm used to living on the edge. The regime wants me dead. But now it's so much more complicated. I'm obsessed with this girl. I can't get her out of my mind. I need to devour her, body and soul. I know I should resist, for her sake as much as my own, but I physically can't. My wolf lust has locked onto her. There's no way we get out of this alive, but one night inside her will be worth any punishment.

I would like to thank Giselle of Xpresso Book Tours and to Avery Burch for this opportunity to review this book.

Lyla has lived the privileged life. She's used to wearing pretty clothes, riding fancy cars, surrounded with bodyguards yet she's burdened with her duty and the reputation she has to live up to. Shifters are those who can shift into wolves, are considered a nuisance in thee country. It's the job of the enforcers to keep those shifters out of the elites way. Lyla's father was a revered enforcer during his time. He ruled with an iron fist. Since Lyla has the ability, meaning the ability to sense shifters in crowds, she's enrolled in the enforcer academy.

But as any caged and privileged heroine, she longs to be a normal person. She longs to break free from the vice grip her uncle, who's also her betrothed (I know, it's weird), and the society she lives in. Until one day, she met Zac.

Zac is on a quest to look for answers about his father's past. In the countryside, shifters can live freely. But in the city, he's wanted. Zac meets other shifters and lives with them in the city, trying to stay out of trouble and the watchful eyes of the enforcers.

Unfortunately, that's not the case for Zac and Lyla.

They were caught up in a steamy, whirlwind forbidden romance. Since I'm such a sap and I love forbidden romances, I got hooked. I absolutely loved this book. Seriously, it's so steamy that I had to take a cold shower afterwards. The only problem I had with this book was the ending was a bit rushed. But, I know this is just the first book in the series. I would love to know more about shifters and there history and how the elites hated them.

If you're not 18 and above, I suggest that you wait till you're 18 and then you can read this book. *insert evil smirk*

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 Avery Burch is a hot new paranormal romance author and her series, Shifter: City of Wolves is going to have a huge impact. She writes chilling tales of shifters and heart-wrenching stories of love and lust. If you like your romance spicy, your shifters sexy, your love stories intense, and your heroines passionate, then her books are for you.

She lives in Toronto, Canada.

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