Ash Reads Stuff

A Monster Calls  by Patrick Ness Publication Date: August 2, 2016 (Originally in 2011) Pages: 240 (Movie Tie-In Paperback) Genre:  Young Adult/Fantasy My Goodreads Rating:  4 stars Goodreads Synopsis:  An unflinching, darkly funny, and deeply moving story of a boy, his seriously ill mother, and an unexpected monstrous visitor. At seven minutes past midnight, thirteen-year-old Conor wakes to find a monster outside his bedroom window. But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting-- he's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments. The monster in his backyard is different. It's ancient. And wild. And it wants something from Conor. Something terrible and dangerous. It wants the truth. From the final idea of award-winning author Siobhan Dowd-- whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself-- Patrick Ness has spun a haunting and darkly funny novel ...

This Is Where It Ends  by Marieke Nijkamp Publication Date: January 5, 2016 Pages:  285 (hardcover)  Genre:  Contemporary/Young Adult My Goodreads Rating:  3 Stars  Goodreads Synopsis: 10:00 a.m. The principal of Opportunity High School finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve. 10:02 a.m. The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class. 10:03 a.m. The auditorium doors won't open. 10:05 a.m. Someone starts shooting. Told from four different perspectives over the span of fifty-four harrowing minutes, terror reigns as one student’s calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival. My Review:  This book has been on my list for a while, but I've just managed to pick it up from the library. In light of recent events I almost set this one aside...but I didn't.  This is an interesting book. I didn't love it. I didn't hate it. I di...

Morning Star   by Pierce Brown Publication Date: February 9, 2016 Pages: 518 (hardcover) Genre: Young Adult/Science Fiction My Goodreads Rating:  5 Stars Red Rising Recap: Darrow, a lowly Red, is Carved by the Sons of Ares to become a Gold. He is sent to train at the Institute and take down Society from the inside. Golden Son Recap: Darrow begins a civil war, Gold against Gold. But in the end, it's him who suffers. Morning Star Synopsis:  Darrow would have lived in peace, but his enemies brought him war. The Gold overlords demanded his obedience, hanged his wife, and enslaved his people. But Darrow is determined to fight back. Risking everything to transform himself and breach Gold society, Darrow has battled to survive the cutthroat rivalries that breed Society's mightiest warriors, climbed the ranks, and waited patiently to unleash the revolution that will tear the hierarchy apart from within. Finally, the time has come. But devotion to honor and hun...

The Bright Effect by Autumn Doughton & Erica Cope Publication Date: November 16, 2015 Genre: Young Adult My Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars Goodreads Synopsis:  “Maybe promises are supposed to hurt a little.” Amelia Bright has lots of plans for the future, and none of them involve falling for a guy like Sebastian Holbrook. With a questionable reputation and an attitude to match, he’s exactly the kind of guy Amelia promised herself she’d avoid. But after an encounter that leaves her charged and breathless, she can’t stop wondering about him and the secrets he keeps hidden behind that tough exterior. Sebastian knows firsthand that every single choice has a consequence and how a fragile promise can shape a life. Now that his mother is gone and he’s raising his little brother on his own, he’s all but given up on a future for himself. Struggling to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads, Sebastian doesn’t have time for games or girls. So why can’t he shake though...