mororke's reviews
733 reviews

I’ve restarted this review a few times now. Nothing seeming to really express how much I enjoyed this book, and how beautifully it is written. It’s always difficult to write a review without giving away much of the story, so this will probably be short and sweet.

This book had me laughing out loud and also grabbing for tissues. All of the key moments of the book add up to this great culmination of a coming of age story. Of Sal finding his place not just in his family, but in his life, and being comfortable with who he is and how he arrived here.

All of the characters are beautifully written. Sal, by far my favorite has a perspective and understanding on life, and his life especially that many adults will never understand. He’s passionate about protecting those around him, and will do all he can to keep those he loves from being hurt. As Sal and Samantha both learn, you can’t always be shielded from pain and hurt.

I really enjoyed the book and struggled between four and five moose tracks. Never before have I considered a 4.5, but that’s where this is. Almost perfect!

Enjoyed my review? If so check them all out at the-pink-moose.com.

Ever played truth or dare? For the characters in Nerve their night quickly becomes an extreme game of Truth or Dare, with the emphasis on the dares.

Vee is the quite one of her drama club group. Wanting a career in fashion, she’s a star behind the curating. When Vee feels betrayed by her friend she decides to sign up for a preliminary dare on the popular reality show Nerve.

The premise of the book is interesting and really focuses on the “they’ll do anything” aspect of some people’s desire to become famous. Vee really isn’t pulled into the game until she realizes that winning can literally make all her dreams come true.

Vee as a character is whiny and selfish. Her success of the game is largely due to Ian’s quick thinking. While Vee is a player in her own right, her constant self doubt and lack of commitment to the game itself (I’m done after this dare; OMG! The shows I love!) bothered me throughout the book. Overall she grows throughout the story, and that ends up lending itself to a satisfying, if not unexpected ending.

Ian, while my favorite character, is pretty untrustworthy overall. We barely learn anything about him except that he wants to escape.

Overall I enjoyed the book. The high action parts are described in a way that gets your heart pumping waiting to find out what happens. The end was unexpected and made it easy to appreciate the unique storyline.

Note: Shortly after finishing the book I watched the movie. The movie is not really like the book other than the game and the character names. Feel free to watch it before reading!

Enjoy my review? Check all of them out at the-pink-moose.com

I thoroughly enjoyed the Lunar Chronicles and was patiently waiting to come across Wires & Nerve since it was released. I’ve never read a graphic novel but I devoured this one in less than two hours.

The books begins seven months after Cinder’s coronation and so much has already happened. Iko is now a special agent hunting down the last of Levana’s rogue lycan soldiers. I love that this book mainly follows Iko but gives glances of the character I grew so attached to through the Lunar Chronicles novels.

The illustrations really brought the characters to life and created a unique for me reading experience. The storyline moved forward but didn’t leave the original storyline behind. I look forward to the next chapter of Iko’s story and learning the fates of my friends.

Enjoy my review? Read all of them at the-pink-moose.com

In a game where if some one else wins, everyone else loses, it’s difficult to choose a side. When the game contains every one you care about, you can’t sit on the sidelines. You have to fight to keep your loved ones safe, even if it means literally ripping yourself to pieces. Marco and Celia have been trapped in this game for most of their lives.

I had seen The Night Circus in my social media groups a lot. Target had a book sale and it was one of the first books in my cart. When I began the book, I was hooked by page five. I didn’t get to read for a few days and it stole the magic from the story. I spent a few more days trying to recapture the magic that pulled me in, and then devoured the rest of the story.

I don’t want to spend too much time talking about the beautiful imagery and descriptions found throughout the book, there are many other reviews that already do this. I do want to say that the world is written in south a way that you will smell the popcorn, you will crave a chocolate mouse, and you will shiver in the Ice Garden. The descriptions are wonderful and brought the circus to life for me.

The story takes off in a hurry but lulls a bit through the middle. I loved the characters but felt like their storylines were easily predicted with foreshadowing. I realized how the game would end long before the end of the book. Marco and Celia’s relationship is beautifully developed and I feel like the ending was only appropriate to satisfy the story.

I enjoyed the book very much and loved the overall ending. I like that it left an opening for a sequel, but tied up all the loose ends. Due to it’s age, I doubt we’ll visit The Night Circus again unless through re-reading. At over 500 pages it is not a fast read, but is definitely a good one.

Enjoy my review? Read them all at the-pink-moose.com

Swipe is a dystopian book that follows a lot of the same themes that most dystopian books do. Swipe however takes things a bit further. The book is set in future North America, after global war and famine. At the age of thirteen, every citizen is required to receive the “Mark” to gain the benefits of citizenship.

Logan, who’s Mark day is quickly arriving, is apprehensive because his sister went to her Mark ceremony, and never came back. Logan was told that his sister had died, but now he feels like he’s being watched, and is frightened of receiving his own Mark.

The book was a bit slower than I expected, but was interesting enough for me to continue. As Logan learns more about the Mark, and the citizens that refuse to be Marked, he learns that this is a decision he needs to think about before making a permament decision with a permament reminder on his body.

The characters of the book are complex, but we don’t get to learn a lot about them in the first book. I’m excited to jump into the next and see where things land.

Enjoy my review? Read them all at the-pink-moose.com

Gwendy, preparing for a new start in middle school, is trying to lose weight. She’s been running up the town’s Suicide Stairs so that her “Goodyear” nickname doesn’t follow her. It is at the top of the stairs that she meets Mr. Farris and receives her Button Box. The box, with a button for each continent and a red and black button, also has two levers. One which produces amazing chocolate treats, and one that produces a very rare silver box. With this special box comes a great power and a very big responsibility for such a young girl. The book follows Gwendy through her life as the keeper of the box.

We were at the library for the Summer Reading Program and the librarian asked if I saw the new Stephen King book. She knows I’m a huge fan. I had seen the book on the new release shelf, while it had caught my eye, I didn’t realize that it was Stephen King. The librarian grabbed it and checked it out to me. Once home I sat down to start and finished in less than two hours.

As always with books by Stephen King the writing is incredible. The story grabbed me as soon as Mr. Farris appeared. I’m convinced he’s from Mid-World (the Dark Tower’s realm). The book reminded me of 11/22/63 as well, the way that the story was told and came together, and it wrapped up in a great way.

The plot of the book is easy to follow even though it frequently jumps forward in time. While I would like to know more about the Button Box, like where it came from and why Mr. Farris doesn’t take care of it himself, the story is satisfying and ends well.

There were many twists throughout the book, things I wasn’t expecting that kept me wanting to move forward. Gwendy is not the most developed character, she’s selfish and very self centered, even when we first meet her. While she feels guilty for using he box, her heart was, surprisingly, in the right place with the last two uses.

The illustrations throughout are few and far between but add an extra level of depth that I love in Stephen King books. Their simplicity adds to the story and doesn’t detract from the reading experience.

Overall I really enjoyed the book and would put it in my top ten Stephen King books. As a short novel I appreciated how quickly it pulled me in.

Enjoy my review? Read all of them at the-pink-moose.com

Sneak picks up where Swipe leaves off, with Logan going to get his Mark and become an official citizen. Instead of receiving his Mark, Logan backs out at the last minute, and is on the run. Logan finds his Mark-less friends, and learns that his sister did not die, but is a prisoner at Acheron. Logan risks everything to save his sister.

Once he arrives, he learns a lot more secrets than expected, and things quickly take a turn for the worst. Throughout the book Logan becomes more complex and continually grows, learning more about himself, and the world that he now lives in. While I’ve enjoyed the series thus far, I don’t think I’ll be finishing it soon. I may pick it back up in the future, but for now, I’m going to move onto other series and books.

I love Alice in Wonderland, and especially love retellings. I probably should have read this before I read Marissa Meyer’s Heartless because this has completely turned my view of Alice’s story end over end.

I began the book knowing that it would be a new take on the traditional Alice story. For starters, her name isn’t spelled Alice, it’s Alyss. Alyss is just a child when The Queen of Hearts storms in and kills Alyss’s mom, and the rest of the palace guards. Alyss is taken to Earth by Hatter Madigan to protect her and her imagination. Alyss then spends her formative years living in England until it is time for her to go back to Wonderland, and claim her throne.

I was a bit apprehensive about the book because the narrator seemed pretty monotone in the beginning. About halfway through the book, things picked up, and I finished the series quickly, but those details are for a different review.

The characters in this book are complete opposites of the traditional characters, especially the carefree Disney versions. The cat is the most different from how he’s always been described. No longer a mischevious fiend, the Cat in this series is a vicious assassin.

The characters are well written, and interesting. They jump off the page and come to life through detailed descriptions and excellent plot.

Alyss has only had the Wonderland crown on her head a short while, and already there are uprisings. Rumors say that Redd is on her way back, after jumping into London, she’s built up an army, and is ready to take Wonderland by force.

The second segment of this series was fast paced and well written. It picked up right where The Looking Glass Wars left off, and we’re quickly introduced to the new threat, of Redd coming back through the looking glass and into Wonderland with her army of misfits. The battle moves quickly and will leave you reaching for the next book in the series as quickly as possible.

The final book of The Looking Glass Wars, and I wish I could say that it was all I hoped for. The story, while fast paced (I listened to it in just one day), seemed disjointed and rushed to tie up loose ends.

The characters, which have been so well developed, like Alyss and Redd, are pushed to the back and the book focuses on Arch, who I haven’t liked through any of the books.

I am glad that I finished the series, which was such an interesting take on Alice in Wonderland, but I felt that it wasn’t the ending we deserved.