GRUM! by Robyn Hill

Publisher- Amazon Kindle
Publication Date- June 10, 2011
Pages- 86 (Kindle Edition)

Grum is a chapter book for grades 3-6. It is a story of two girls who discover magical bubble gum. The gum takes them on a series of magical and hilarious mishaps, such as sleeping with slugs, a magic pizzaria in the middle of the desert, a troll who needs help fixing his bridge. Children love this book. One reader commented about her favorite part of this book, "It is as adventurous as "Coraline", as delicious as "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", and funnier than "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" Enjoy!

First off, I would like to thank the author for giving me the opportunity to review this book!

This is the first middle-grade book I have read in a while. It was a little hard for me to adjust to, because I normally read YA and Adult books.
To start, this book gets right to the adventure. It doesn't go into the entire life story of the main character, Carol,  right at the beginning, you gradually find out throughout the whole story, which I really liked.  As for the seconadary characters, Jordan and Mr. Dooley, we don't find out much about them, which was okay in this case, as it was a plot driven book. Although, the characters seemed a little older than they were. They said and thought things that I don't think kids their age would actually be thinking.

As I said before, the story is very fast paced. It is very funny and I really wanted to keep reading to find out how they would solve their problem. This book also has very good morals and messages throughout, which are very nice to see, as it is directed toward a younger audience.

My Rating:

Again, thank you to Robyn Hill for giving me the opportunity to review this book!

The next book I will be reviewing is either The Princess Bride or Delirium. Also, I start school tomorrow so things will probably be slower. (I know, can it get any slower‽) (BTW: that's an interrobang, perhaps the most under appreciated punctuation mark.)

Book Haul!

When I was on vacation this week I went to this thrift store type thing that I absolutely love! They have used books in great condition for really cheap prices, plus a great selection!

Thrift Store:

Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen

I watched the movie a while ago and loved it so I figured I would get this!

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

I know everybody had probably heard of this book, and I've heard it is amaizng.

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

I saw a booktuber talking about this and she really enjoyed it, so I grabbed it.

The Brief History Of The Dead by Kevin Brockmeier

I saw this forever ago on TeenReads must read books and I kind of forgot about it until I saw it at the thrift store, and I'm so glad it was there.

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

Priscilla from The Readables (YouTube) read this a while ago. I haven't seen the movie, but apparently this is a book made up of a bunch of short stories, and the movie is based off of one story in the book. 

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

I've heard from a lot of different people that this was good, and they're making a movie that's coming out next year.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

You have no idea how excited I was to find this! I have been looking at various thrift stores for a long time to find this! I saw the movie a few nights ago (the 2011 version) and it was amazing.

Wal-Mart:

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

I know, everybody in the world has read this except me. I don't usually buy books at Wal-Mart, but I was walking through and on a whim, I just decided to buy it. I have heard good things, but I really don't have high expectations for it. It doesn't seem like something I would like, but everybody else does, so why not?

Won on Goodreads:

Leave It To Psmith by PG Wodehouse

After entering countless giveaways on Goodreads, I finally won! Woohoo! This sounds like a really interesting and funny read, I'm excited for it! 

So that's my book haul for today! Please feel free to comment and tell me your thoughts on these, and which you think I should read first!

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Standing on the fringes of life... offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative new voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.

Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.

***

Where do I start with this book? It is probably one of the most real and honest books I have ever read (which is why it is challenged so much).

The characters were so real. They weren't the stereotypical teenagers you see in so many YA books. They were smart and insightful. Their relationships are extremely believable as well. 

This book didn't have much of a plot. And that's not a bad thing in this case. It's about a strange boy going through life. That's it. And it was great. Another thing I like is the fact that it was written through letters. It just made it seem that much more real. I could imagine everything as if it were all happening at my high school to my group of friends.

It is a little strange, but if you're willing to look past that, it's a wonderful book.

My Rating: 5/5. I can't really say much besides I love this book.

I am currently reading A Raisin In The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry (for school) and Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen. 

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Publisher- Delacorte Press
Publication Date- October 2009
Pages- 374

     When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse enclosed by stone walls.
     Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them, open. Every night they are closed tight. And that every 30 days a new boy is delivered in the lift.
     Thomas was expected. Only the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. 
     Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets that are buried within his mind.

     The plot was very fast paced. It was one of those books that you just had to keep reading. Throughout the book the characters kept learning more about where they were and a lot of it was unpredictable. It reminded me of the Hunger Games in many places, I know a lot of people read this straight after that. This and the Hunger Games are the only books that have kept me up all night reading that I have come across in a long time. 

     There wasn't much character development, which is kind of understandable because nobody could remember their lives before the maze. But besides that, the characters were good. I don't really have much to say about them.

     The Gladers had their own kind of language too. It wasn't that hard to understand. At first it was a little weird but it got easier. They just made up some words as substitutes for common words and terms. 

     Overall, this book was amazing. Around page 100, it picked up and just kept going. The epilogue had a great and unexpected twist that makes me want to read the next book in the series. (I have no idea when that'll be.)

My Rating: 5/5

Okay, this time I PROMISE that the next book I'll read will be The Perks Of Being A Wallflower!

Giveaways!

So recently I've been entering a lot of giveaways. Two I would like to make note of are:

Lindsay Mead: Masque Of The Red Death She does weekly giveaways and they're always for really great books!

Rotten Apple Reads Prize Packages She has 3 prize packages up for grabs! All are signed! 1)The Golden Lily, Vampire Academy, Shatter Me. 2)Shiver, Linger, Forever. 3)Fallen In Love, Torment, Passion.

*These giveaways are not sponsored or hosted by me*


The Maze Runner review will be up this evening!