Teaser Tuesday (2)

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. 

Here are the rules: Grab your current read. Open to a random page. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page, and BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) Share the title & author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser is from Blood Red Road by Moira Young

"Shh! He holds up his hand. 

We wait. Listen.  

Silence. 

Silence.    

Then. A faint rumble. Like thunder in the distance.    

They're awake, he whispers."*    

*page 377 in advanced reviewers copy

Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

Release date: July 7, 2009

Pages: 352 (hardcover/paperback)

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Source: Alyssa

Summary:

Bertie Shakespeare Smith is not an actress, yet she lives in a theater. She’s not an orphan, but she has no parents. She knows every part, but she has no lines of her own. That is, until now... 

Welcome to the Théâtre Illuminata, where the actors of every play ever written can be found behind the curtain. They were born to play their parts, and are bound to the Théâtre by The Book—an ancient and magical tome of scripts. Bertie is not one of them, but they are her family—and she is about to lose them all and the only home she has ever known...Read more of this summary at Goodreads.

Review: Eyes Like Stars is completely and utterly enchanting - I wish I could spend a day in the Theatre Illuminata, because it sounds truly magical.

Told in a third person narration, after causing much ruckus her whole life at the Theatre, Bertie has to figure out her what her place is there (since she isn't a part of cast)...and soon, or else she's going to be kicked to curb. I loved her attitude completely (although she could be a tad immature at times), and the fairies were equally amusing -- Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth and Mustardseed are always at Bertie's side, helping her stir up trouble and providing constant entertainment for the reader. Nate (the dashing pirate) and Ariel were intriging characters, but it's Bertie herself that shines the brightest of all the cast.

Mantchev's writing is so addictive and balanced -- all of the descriptions never felt like too much, and the pacing seemed just right, so that I never wanted to stop reading. I felt like the story could almost jump out of the pages. Being an ex-stage crew member (high school extracurricular), I know how incredible the backstage experience can be. The sets in Mantchev's novel were elegantly described, and it showed how truly amazing being on set is. 

If you love stories that appeal to the imagination and cool characters that stand out, then Eyes Like Stars is definitely for you.

Highlights: I loved every second of reading this novel (it's just one of those books that you can't help but to enjoy). The characters were fresh and alive. Mantchev knows how to make her stars fly off the pages, and take the spotlight. My imagination was running wild, and all of the characters were truly well described. Oh, and blue hair is a definite highlight.

Lowlights: There were a few points in the story where it lost a dash of it's momentum and slowed down (and the beginning was admittedly a bit slow), but it always seemed to pick up the pace again.

Rating: 4 out of 5

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
April 6th, 2010
Publisher - Speak
Pages: 208 (kindle e-book)
Source: Bought
Summary:

A critically acclaimed novel that will change the way you look at life, love, and family.

In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen ­year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces- to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heartwrenchingly beautiful, Mia's story will stay with you for a long, long time.

"I realize now that dying is easy. Living is hard." (Forman 146).

Unique and touching, Mia's journey is an emotional ride that readers everywhere will find pulling at their heartstrings. Mia, cellist and essential good-girl to the core, finds herself standing on the sidelines of a car accident -- her family's car accident. From this moment to the hospital, I realized that Forman truly did a wonderful job with this beginning stage. It could have easily been over or under-done, but it was perfectly effective and heartbreaking. The rollercoaster of emotions that Mia goes through while witnessing everything from the side is realistic and touching. Each flashback of her life before this moment provides a good source of depth to every character and Mia's life, really showing how much she has to lose if things don't work out.

It's easy to get caught up in Forman's words and compare Mia's story to your own life - What if that was me? What if there was nothing I could do but watch my life unravel? I wasn't expecting such a thoughtful story that really pulled me in emotionally - I was up, down and really diving into Mia's hectic life. If I Stay can be described and summed up into one word - memorable.

Highlights: If I Stay is written so beautifully and poignantly. I knew going into this story that would be sad, and it was, but there's so much more to the words than I expected. I loved how the relationship between Mia and Adam wasn't easily begun, because they really are different people with unique likes/dislikes. And the "play me" scene? Hot.

Lowlights: There were a couple times when I questioned some of the words "Mia" would use - they didn't seem to match her voice quite right, but these moments were rare. Also a few moments where the story was pushed a bit too hard, and some of these moments could have been more touching if they'd been reigned in a bit.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Other Thoughts: I have to respectfully disagree with the quotation on the new paperback cover - this novel is very different from Twilight, and that comparison does not suit the story's style. Compare it instead to Thirteen Reasons Why or Before I Fall - those better match the subject and writing style.