The Outsiders Review

The Outsiders 
by S. E. Hinton

Release Date: April 24th, 1967

Spoilers

Synopsis:

In Ponyboy's world, there are two types of people. There are the Socs, the rich society kids who get away with anything. Then there are the greasers, like Ponyboy, who aren't so lucky. Ponyboy has a few things he can count on: his older brothers, his friends, and trouble with the Socs, whose idea of a good time is beating up greasers. At least he knows what to expect-until the night things go too far. 

My Thoughts:

I gave this book 5 stars. I read this book many years ago and it still remains one of my favorite books ever. It's one of those books that stays with you always, you can't help but compare your own life to the events in this book.

Personally, I was one of those people that cried for Dally. Most people either cried for Johnny or didn't cry at all, and while I can understand crying for Johnny, I don't really understand not crying at all. Even though I loved Johnny and was completely devastated by his death especially since he was so young, I couldn't help but morn Dally. Dally had a pretty shitty life, he never had anyone who believed in him and learned from a young age that he had to look out for himself because no one else would. 

I felt like I related most with Dally, he was just a troublemaker from the start who didn't care about how other people viewed him. Dally is how I view myself, although that's probably not even close to how I actually am. Dally did have his defining moments though. He cared endlessly for Johnny without reason, he just did it because he must have seen something in Johnny that was worth protecting. There was also the scene with the fire. He could have just left those kids to burn to death, and although he wasn't exactly happy to be risking his neck, he did it anyway because it was the right thing to do. Dally likes to pretend that's he's a heartless badass, but there is a heart in there somewhere.

My sister read this book before me and she kept trying to get me to read it, but I kept putting it off, I didn't care about what it said. I was more into werewolves and spies. I had little interest in general fiction. Eighth grade came around and we had to read this book for school. I wasn't exactly happy about it, but the first day we had to read the first two chapters for homework. I read those first two chapters and then I read two more, and two more until I was finished the book and had possibly the worst book hangover of my life. This book changed my outlook on people. 

At the time of reading this, I honestly couldn't have cared less for Ponyboy. But as I spend more time thinking about it, I can definitely see some of myself in this book. This book is pretty much Ponyboy's coming of age tale. Before the story, he still has a lot of innocence about him, but by the end, he has completely shed that. I tend to find any coming of age story to be relatable because I think that's the one type of story you can't really get wrong. It's about growing up, most people have to do it. It's one of the most difficult times in a persons life and I couldn't help but find Ponyboy's story to be one of those stories I could feel on a spiritual level.

This book surprised me so much because it was written by a fifteen-year-old girl that never expected her story to get published and then it went on to be a modern classic that they teach in high schools. Teenagers can do some pretty amazing things and have a greater grasp on the world than adults want to give them credit for.

In my world, there are two types of people. Those who love the Outsiders, people who know what it's like to go through tough situations. Then there are those who hate the Outsiders, people who don't remember what it was like to be young and having trouble figuring out who you are. 

One of the greatest books of all time. Would highly recommend giving it a read.

Book Theories

I'm so sorry I've been posting so sporadically lately. This month has been pretty horrible for reading and blogging. I've honestly only read 2 books this month and that's an all-time low for me. I've just had something that's needed my full attention and I hope to get back into it in this coming week, so please hold me to it.

For my post today I have a few theories for ongoing series's I have been reading. I decided to spit this post out as I have included the final Throne of Glass book on here and it is coming out soon. I wanted to get this out there before it's too late.

In case you didn't already guess, there will be SPOILERS.

1. Nix

I've been thinking about this a lot. Kresley Cole said that she plans on writing Nix a book but that book is going to be one of the last if not the last book in the series so I do have a while to go before finding out who she ends up with. I do have on very strong theory though. I feel like Nix deserves someone who is incredibly powerful to match her and I don't think any characters other than Lothaire has been as powerful as Nix, except for one. My theory is that Nix is going to end up with Orion. The guy that is endlessly powerful. I feel like anyone else would just be an injustice to Nix as they do have that whole enemies thing going on.

2. The Cadre

My theory is that the Cadre, or at least two of its members, are going to help Aelin get out of Maeve's control. This one isn't shouldn't be much of a shock. I thought of this months ago and I think a lot of people agree with me. My theory is that the Cadre are going to work to break their bonds with Maeve, get Aelin, and then get the hell out of there. The twins obviously hate Maeve and Fenrys did seem to have a huge crush on Aelin. 

3. Maddox

This one is a bit outlandish, and I feel like you should also know that I've only read the first three books in the series, but still. I have voiced this theory before, but I felt like it still needed to be in this post in case you missed it last time. My theory is that Maddox survived the assassination attempt. He survived and he's now in hiding to prevent another attempt. I also think he's been helping his friends piece things together by being deepthroat. He's been sending people in his place to feed information to his friends while still maintaining his distance until it is safe to come back to life.

So those are my bookish theories. Do you guys agree with these, have anything to add, or have theories of your own? Let me know in the comments!

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Recommendations: Books That Make You Cry

This is a list of books for the occasion when you just need a really good cry. It would have been easy to make a list of books that made me cry, but that isn’t what this is about. These are the books that I think would make anyone cry. These are the best of the best. These are the books that I think will make you cry even if you have a heart of stone. Honestly, if none of my recommendations make you cry then you don't have tear ducts.

A Dog’s Purpose

Maybe this book won’t make you cry if you don’t like dogs, however, if you love dogs, like me, you will surely be sobbing your eyes out for the entirety of this book. This hits really hard for those who have had a pet they loved.

The Green Mile

The injustice of this novel is what makes it so heartbreaking. It’s centered around a prison guard and his experiences on death row. And most specifically a man named John Coffey who has been given the death sentence for the rape and murder of two 9-year-old sisters. It’s raw, it’s gritty, and it’s absolutely heartbreaking.

A Monster Calls

This novel centers around a young boy and him having to deal with his mother having cancer. This one, I think, can be incredibly relatable to anyone who has lost a parent or loved one. I read this novel during a road trip and I was sitting in the backseat of the car just sobbing to myself.

Out of My Mind

This novel has a whole new perspective on “special needs” kids. We follow Melody who has cerebral palsy, she can’t walk, talk, or do most anything by herself. However, this little girl is incredibly smart. She just has no way of expressing these things because her body seems to work against her. It's very real and just shines a light on everything able-bodied people take for granted.

Are there any books out there that you guys guarantee will make anyone cry? Let me know as I love reading books that make me cry.

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Waiting on Wednesday

Bring Me Their Hearts
by Sara Wolf

Release Date: June 5th, 2018

Synopsis:

Zera is a Heartless – the immortal, unageing soldier of a witch. Bound to the witch Nightsinger ever since she saved her from the bandits who murdered her family, Zera longs for freedom from the woods they hide in. With her heart in a jar under Nightsinger’s control, she serves the witch unquestioningly.

Until Nightsinger asks Zera for a Prince’s heart in exchange for her own, with one addendum; if she’s discovered infiltrating the court, Nightsinger will destroy her heart rather than see her tortured by the witch-hating nobles.

Crown Prince Lucien d’Malvane hates the royal court as much as it loves him – every tutor too afraid to correct him and every girl jockeying for a place at his darkly handsome side. No one can challenge him – until the arrival of Lady Zera. She’s inelegant, smart-mouthed, carefree, and out for his blood. The Prince’s honor has him quickly aiming for her throat.

So begins a game of cat and mouse between a girl with nothing to lose and a boy who has it all.

Winner takes the loser’s heart.

Literally.

My Thoughts:

I actually have an ARC of this that I will be reading very soon, but I just wanted to do a quick Waiting On Wednesday as a way of saying how excited I am to read it and to get you guys pumped up for its release too! Sara Wolf has one of my favorite styles of writing. She mixes serious topics with a specific brand of humor that I can't get enough of. Her protagonists are some of my favorites and I'm sure this one will be no different.


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Top 10 Books That Deserve More Hype

I’m talking books I loved that I never hear people talk about. Books I think more people should read because they are truly fantastic books. I made another list similar to this a while back and I don’t really know how to explain to you the difference other than with this one a lot of people may have read them, but I think that these books deserve to get some recognition as I never hear people talk about them. Excluding myself.

1. Wilder

I don’t know what it is, but I just love the way this author writes people. I can’t get enough! This series is centered around a group of friends who are all strong young women who are magical in their own ways.

2. Scion of the Fox

The author sent me a copy of this book and not only does it have a cool AF cover, it also has a cool AF story inside. This is one of the books on the list that just doesn’t have many ratings or reviews, but I think it should be more hyped up. It’s really amazing! Full fo mythology and action. The next book is coming soon and I’m very excited to see what happens next.

3. Rose Petal Graves

This book reminds me of a mix between the Vampire Diaries and A Court of Thorns and Roses. The second book is actually much better than the first, but I couldn’t exactly put the second book of the series on here and not the first. That would be a bit pointless and maybe a bit confusing. 

4. The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts

I’m a sucker for a time travel story. Also, it has a really well written slow-burning romance. Time travel, adventure, action, romance, magic, what more could you possibly want?

5. Under Different Stars

This one actually has quite a few ratings, but the thing is, I never actually see anyone talking about this book so I’m led to wonder where all the people who read it are.

6. A Penny Lost

More time travel!!! This gave me so many feelings and it ended on such a crazy cliffhanger, but it wasn’t bad. I’m not even angry about the cliffhanger.

7. Ensnared

Ensnared is an NA sci-fi retelling of Beauty and the Beast and it was my first and favorite of Rita Stradling’s works. It’s sexy, it’s full of sci-fi and it’s an amazing retelling in general. I think it deserves as much recognition as other overhyped retellings.

8. Doctor Sleep

This was the sequel to the Shining we never knew we needed. Personally, this was my favorite Stephen King book, but it’s sad because no one ever seems to talk about it. I mean it was raved about when it came out because it is by Stephen King, but no one seems to care about it anymore and it really is an amazing book.

9. Pulse

This book was just the perfect mix of creepy scientific stuff and a tad bit of romance. It isn’t overly romance filled, it’s just the perfect amount. In a way, it kind of actually reminds me of the Shape of Water, except the love interest is a vampire and not the creature from the black lagoon. 

10. Daughter of Deep Silence

I know that this has been read by a lot of people, but I never really hear great things about it. I, however, loved it. I picked it up on a whim because it was six dollars and I kept thinking that maybe I wanted to read it. I went in with low expectations because I had seen the reviews, but I ended up so enraptured by it and I just need someone to talk about it in a good way with me.

Which novels do you guys wish people would talk about more?

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April Wrap Up

I have to say, this reading month honestly hasn’t been that great. I read a decent amount of books, but I didn’t really love anything I read. I enjoyed some, but there was nothing that I can say that I’m really attached to. I’m just gonna hope that next month will be better for reading. I've also been a bit absent on my blog and for that I'm sorry. I've been having a bit of a block after previously having such a good blogging month, so hopefully, I will be more into it this coming week.

1. Fire

I gave this book 2 stars. I finally after almost a year of trying, decided to give up on reading this at 51%. One day I might have the desire to try it again, but for now, it’s a lost cause.

2. Wild Poppy

I gave this book 3 stars. It actually took me over a year to read this one. It just didn’t hold my attention in the beginning and I felt cheated with the ending of the novel.

3. My Name is Victoria

I gave this book 4.5 stars. I don’t know what words to use to explain to you guys how I feel about this book. It wasn’t love in the way that it blew my mind and I’ll just never be the same, it was love in the way that the book had so much substance and was so well written. 

4. The Boy and His Ribbon

I gave this one 4.5 stars. I loved it but it’s kind of painful to think about so I won’t say much about it until I’ve read the second book which comes out in June.

5. Meet Cute

I gave this book 3.67 stars. This may seem like a really random rating but that’s because I took the average of all the stories in this book and then didn’t round it. This book was pretty hit or miss with me. There was nothing I absolutely hated, but there were ones that I honestly don’t even remember now. However, there were definitely a few gems in there that I would gladly read full-length novels on.

6. American Queen

I gave this book 4.5 stars. It took me till the last book to realize that this series was based on the legend of King Arthur. Just a much steamier version. I’ve pretty much got all the characters pegged except Embry. I’m not exactly sure who Embry is supposed to be, although I’m pretty sure he’s supposed to be Mordrid. Carrying on, this book follows our lead, Greer, and her love for two politicians over the span of 10 years. It was amazing, angels sang, my acne cleared up, my depression and anxiety mysteriously cured itself. 

7. American Prince

I gave this book 4 stars. While the first novel followed Greer and her relationships with both Embry and Ash, this book follows Embry and his relationships with both Greer and Ash throughout the years. It is told in a similar format as American Queen so we get the full picture. I honestly love how it was told.

8. American King

I gave this book 4 stars. Once again we follow a character throughout the years. We get all this insight about Ash that we never got to see first hand in the first two books. We get all his feelings and experiences that the other two just were not around to see. This book also had the perfect conclusion.

9. Birthday Girl

I gave this book 4 stars. A new Penelope Douglas book! I honestly was not expecting another one so soon after Hideaway. I know Hideaway came out 6 months ago, but you have to remember it took her like 2 years to release Hideaway so you can see this is pretty thrilling. This book was a lot different from what we usually see from Pen. This was a lot more of a fluffy romance than the edgy teen angst stuff she usually writes. Despite the controversial topic she chose to write about, it isn’t actually that racy.

10. Rising Silver Mist

I gave this book 4.25 stars. I feel like my expectations were a bit too high. I didn’t find this on to be as good as the second book, there were just so many frustrating things that happened. However, I still really loved it. It was like this perfect mix of The Vampire Diaries, ACOTAR, and a little bit of Paper Princess sprinkled in.

11. From the Earth to the Shadows

I gave this book 3.75 stars. I found it a lot slower than the first book. It still had a lot of action and I am glad that I read it, but it wasn’t Amanda’s greatest work.

12. Our Alternate Ending

I gave this book 4 stars. I didn’t have very strong feelings about this book, but I did find it very cute and had a lot of character. It was a bit predictable, but I wasn’t overly mad by it.

13. The Hundredth Queen

I gave this book 3 stars. I really have no feelings for this book. It wasn’t horrible, but it felt like nothing new. I won’t be reading any of the next books, but I wouldn’t discourage you from reading it if you really wanted to.

14. Bloom

I gave this book 4 stars. This book was exhilarating, but also anxiety inducing. I don’t know where this book is going to go, but I really hope what I think is going to happen doesn’t.

What books did you guys enjoy reading this month? Let me know in the comments!

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Top 10 Best Female Role Models

Leading ladies in novels are so important. They shape the way a lot of young women view themselves and they can really make or break your personality. These are some of my personal faves I had when growing up that have really helped shape who I am and who I want to be.

1. Celaena Sardothian

Celaena is a female character that I don’t see a lot. Most of the time I see characters like her, but as men. She’s charismatic, audacious, and confident. She doesn’t take peoples shit and doesn’t let people tell her not to do things. 

2. Hermione Granger

Hermione was that beacon to all of us nerdier girls that we too can be badass in our own way. She used her brain to help fight the dark lord. Truly an icon.

3. Rose Hathaway

Rose doesn’t take peoples shit. She strong and independent, she isn’t meek in the least. Rose spends the entire series not feeling bad about who she is. She’s confident and outgoing and she doesn’t feel sorry for going for what she wants.

4. Lizbeth Salander

Lizbeth is probably the most badass on this list and that’s saying something. She went through so much in the first book and yet she kept going. She helped solve a 40-year-old murder case without a single doubt in herself. I aspire to be like Lizbeth.

5. Cath

Cath went through so much to overcome her anxiety and come to terms with growing up. As someone with anxiety and I can say that she did an amazing job with not letting the anxiety completely take over, she got through it and found herself along the way.

6. Juliette

Juliette shows us that you don’t have to remain that scared little girl. You can grow as a person and become so much more. You can protect yourself and harness your insecurities and make them your strengths. 

7. Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre lived in a time where women were just expected to marry and have ten children. Women were expected to be beautiful and meek, but Jane spoke her mind. She didn’t spend her life looking for a rich husband to take care of her, she went and got herself a job because she’s an independent woman.

8. Katniss Everdeen

Katniss isn’t a people person. She doesn’t like large crowds or the popular people. She’s more drawn to children and old people. She isn’t worried about fitting in, she’s in it for survival. She is willing to do anything for the people she loves and that’s incredibly admirable. She went up against the Capitol and become a symbol of rebellion because of her loved ones.

9. Annabeth Chase

Percy would probably be lost without her. She’s smart and knows how to fucking fight. Let us never forget the moment when she was reunited with Percy, gave him a hug, and then promptly judo flipped him for scaring her. Truly inspirational.

10. Sky

She was the perfect example of not letting a bad reputation get the better of you. She owned that title that those lepers at her school gave to her and she never once felt bad about who she was. She’s honestly what I aspire to be like.

Who are some of your female role models?

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