Saturday, August 16, 2014

Short & Simple Reviews: Grim & Code Name Verity

This is a place for books that I didn't fully review.
Maybe I listed my likes and dislikes, had a little short paragraph, or a few sentences to convey my feelings on the book, but whatever the "review" is, all of them are short and simple. (hence the clever name)

Grim
Inspired by classic fairy tales, but with a dark and sinister twist, Grim contains short stories from some of the best voices in young adult literature today:
 Ellen Hopkins
Amanda Hocking
Julie Kagawa
Claudia Gray
Rachel Hawkins
Kimberly Derting
Myra McEntire
Malinda Lo
Sarah Rees-Brennan
Jackson Pearce
Christine Johnson
Jeri Smith Ready
Shaun David Hutchinson
Saundra Mitchell
Sonia Gensler
Tessa Gratton
Jon Skrovon
    Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble




Review
It's really hard to review an anthology, but I would like to say a few things about Grim.
I, honestly, believe that this is a really good anthology. All the stories in this book are inspired by fairy tales or maybe just have a fairy tale quality and I believe it worked out wonderfully. Sure, I was sometimes unable to recognize the retelling, but I could still enjoy the story. And I did like all the stories, there wasn't a single one that I hated! 
If you ever need some short stories to pass the time, go ahead and choose one or two from this book, there are some really good ones in here!

Favorite
Beauty and the Chad by Sarah Rees Brennan

This one was fun, hilarious, and I loved it! A lot of the stories in this anthology are very dark (as they are based on fairy tales, which were originally not very happy) and it was nice taking a break from those. This was not one to take seriously!

Least Favorite 
Skin Trade by Myra McEntire

I have no idea what was happening in this one. It's not bad, but I was just very confused.

I hereby give this book
4 Wheels!
Meaning: It was amazing!


Code Name Verity
Oct. 11th, 1943-A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it's barely begun.
 When "Verity" is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn't stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she's living a spy's worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution.
 As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage, failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy?
 A Michael L. Printz Award Honor book that was called "a fiendishly-plotted mind game of a novel" in The New York Times, Code Name Verity is a visceral read of danger, resolve, and survival that shows just how far true friends will go to save each other.
     Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble


Review
I admit it, I picked up this book because of the hype. When I picked up this book all I knew about it was that it was historical, had high ratings, and made a lot of people cry. 

To be honest, it took me awhile to get into this book. The main reason why is that this book includes a lot of pilot talk that I just don't understand (as I am not a pilot), it was also very slow going. But once I got used to it, I found a beautiful and heartbreaking story about friendship. Although it was sad, I did not cry (since I was fully expecting it), but this was a really good book.

As far as reading Rose Under Fire, probably not. This was a really great book, but I really did have trouble with all the pilot talk and I don't really feel like going into another book like that. But maybe some day.


I hereby give this book
4 Wheels!
Meaning: It was amazing!

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