In honor of the movie coming out, I figured I would make a review of The Great Gatsby for those of you who haven't read it yet!
 
Description (via Barnes and Noble): The mysterious Jay Gatsby embodies the American notion that it is possible to redefine oneself and persuade the world to accept that definition. Gatsby's youthful neighbor, Nick Carraway, fascinated with the display of enormous wealth in which Gatsby revels, finds himself swept up in the lavish lifestyle of Long Island society during the Jazz Age. Considered Fitzgerald's best work, The Great Gatsby is a mystical, timeless story of integrity and cruelty, vision and despair.
 
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
 
This book wasn't called "The Great American novel" for nothing. It's an incredibly well written story that embodies everything about the 1920's, including lavish parties, mystery, and deceit. Despite what the how the movie is marketed, it's not solely about partying and falling in love during the jazz age; in fact, it really questions the shallow and materialistic lifestyle of the era.
 
Once you start reading, you'll probably come to realize that most of the characters are very one dimensional, and even though it does get a bit frustrating, it's really meant to emphasize the vapid mindset of the time.
 
As a whole, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in a quick but captivating read, especially if you want to see the movie!
 
-Annie
@thew0rldisblack-and-white

Before I start, I'll have to say that since this is a review to the second book of a series, there WILL be some spoilers from the first book. If you'd like to read my review of Shatter Me (the first book in the series), you can find it here: http://www.polyvore.com/shatter_me_tahereh_mafi/set?id=50463930
 
Description via goodreads: Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.
 
She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.
 
Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.
 
In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.
 
Genre: Sci Fi/Dystopian/Romance/Basically a bit of everything...
 
Rating: 4/5
 

In terms of the writing style, it was very similar to the first book in that there were (at times) some very poetic aspects to it. Whenever Juliette felt any kind of strong emotion, grammar and sentence structure would basically get tossed aside, and even though I personally am a bit of a grammar nazi at times, I really liked this type of storytelling, because as a reader, it gave me a bold idea of how she dealt with facing her problems.
 
Honestly, when I read the end of Shatter Me, I was pretty convinced that the entire trilogy was just going to be another X-Men, but I was definitely wrong. Even though there are a few superhero aspects of the story, the different types of powers introduced were actually unique, and Mafi managed to avoid any clichés related to the genre. Since many new people are introduced, I was glad to see that there was plenty of character development, and the only one who seemed a bit static was surprisingly Adam. He was not exactly the focal point of the story in this book, so it'll be interesting to see if he becomes more prevalent in the final part of the trilogy.
 
One thematic element I really enjoy about this trilogy in general is the ambiguity of what is right and wrong. There are plenty of books in the young adult dystopian genre involve a good guy/girl who knows exactly how and why they have to defeat the the bad guy/girl, and there's nothing terribly wrong with that, but since Juliette has plenty of inner demons herself, it's refreshing to see her perspective on which sides she should take.
 
As a whole, one complaint that I have is that there was a bit too much romance...I really wanted to learn more about how the Reestablishment worked instead of Juliette's love life. Also, any time Juliette had any kind of major issue, she would just break down and spiral into some kind of depression (which is justifiable, but still annoying), and it got a bit old. Other than those, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who's already read Shatter Me. If you were a bit disappointed with it, Unravel Me will definitely get your hopes up!
 

If you'd like to discuss anything we've reviewed, give us recommendations, or become part of the team, feel free to give us a PM!
 
Happy reading,
 
Annie
@thew0rldisblack-and-white @the-magnificent-seven-tipsters

Even though this isn't exactly a review, I figured it would be helpful to make a list of book recommendation websites for anyone trying to figure out what to read next.
 
1. goodreads.com
 
Goodreads is a community of bookworms that will give you the ability to check out what other people are reading, have read, and plan to read. You can also rate and review books and search through lists based on genre, so you can find just the right book for you.
 
2. whatshouldIreadnext.com
 
All you have to do is type in your favorite book or author in the search engine, and a list of similar books will be generated.
 
3. shelfari.com
 
Similar to goodreads, this site is basically an enormous database of books that you can rate, review, etc.
 
4. whichbook.com
 
On Whichbook, you can choose a book based on your specific mood by using various scales. It's pretty fun to just experiment with the scales and see what it will come up with!
 
5. gnooks.com
 
If you're looking for any suggestions for movies, music, and books alike, Gnooks is a simple website that will give you suggestions based on your favorite author, actor, or artist. There's also a literary map that will give you large, scattered lists of writers that are similar to your favorites.
 
6. thestaffrecommends.com
 
This is a more professional, selective version of other recommendation tools in that editors send in books that they want on the site. Editor John Warner and his team of editors then choose which books make the cut and write recommendations for all of the books.
 
Happy Reading,
 
Annie
@thew0rldisblack-and-white / @the-magnificent-seven-tipsters

-Summary- Leo Borlock is a typical student at Mica High, your typical small-town school, until Stargirl Caraway comes along. Leo finds himself falling for Stargirl as she leads a revolution of school spirit and personal discovery. Then, everything changes when Stargirl is shunned by the school for being different. Leo tries to convince her to become the only thing that could save her and the one thing that could destroy her: normal.
-Style- The sweet simplicity of the story are one of the details that make this book so AMAZING. It's told from Leo's perspective which reveals not only a intimate glance at Stargirl, but an awareness of the shunning that Stargirl doesn't show.
-Characters- The characters of Stargirl are wildly imaginative and distinct from each other. Many of their characteristics are blown almost out of realism, but I think that really does help to tell the story. Leo is a believable 'average joe,' and Stargirl, while an outlandish concept of a girl, is so *human* that she's easy to picture.
-Plot- The plot moves VERY quickly over the span of a year, but it didn't really bother me. I was always in suspense waiting for what happened next, but I can see how it might appear to drag over some less exciting parts.
-In Conclusion- Stargirl is my favorite book. HANDS DOWN. A masterpiece.
 
Happy reading-
-Gertrude @sunshinelolipopsandrainbows

At first, I was a bit apprehensive to review a classic piece of literature like this, since everyone has their own distinct opinion about it, but I'm going to anyway, since I enjoyed this book so much. c:
 
Description (via goodreads): "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."
 
So begins Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen's witty comedy of manners--one of the most popular novels of all time--that features splendidly civilized sparring between the proud Mr. Darcy and the prejudiced Elizabeth Bennet as they play out their spirited courtship in a series of eighteenth-century drawing-room intrigues."
 
Style: The writing style and sentence structure is very proper and detailed in a way that might be a bit difficult to understand for people who aren't used to reading older books, hence the 15+ age limit. But, if you're an avid reader who enjoys classic literature, then don't let that stop you!
 
Characters-Because there are a good bit of characters, one of the most difficult parts of reading this book was figuring out who is related to whom, where they live, etc, so you really have to pay attention, and even make some notes about it. Resources such as shmoop.com can also help you out with these details.
 
Plot: Occasionally, there are a few points in the book where very little is happening, and it can almost seem a bit mundane. In a way, this makes sense, because the book is an example of how society works in the 18th century, and not every bit of people's lives back then (or even now!) were filled with action. As a whole, it feels as though you're reading a timeless story that can still be relevant today.
 
After you read it, I also suggest watching the movie adaption with Keira Knightly and Matthew Macfadyen, because it's wonderful, and you'll probably end up fangirling at some point.
 
-Annie
@thew0rldisblack-and-white / @thetipteens / @the-magnificent-seven-tipsters

-Summary-To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic story of childhood, prejudice, and small town life set in the South a short while after the Civil War in America. The main character, Scout, tells the story of her summers of adventure, Boo Radley (the mysterious recluse that lives down the street), and of the trial of Tom Robinson, a black man accused of r ape.
-Style- I absolutely love the first person point of view in this book. Scout's voice is innocent and precocious; the way she sees the world is fresh and unique. I honestly think her views make the story much more likable. Her childish mind does end up making some parts slightly incoherent, though.
-Characters- There are A LOT of characters to keep track of. However, they are each unique and possess qualities that make them fairly memorable. My favorite characters were Miss Maudie, Scout's sarcastic neighbor, and Atticus, Scout's wise father.
-Plot- Always something happening! Much of the plot appears to be completely unrelated until the end of the story, so it's kind of hard to keep track of. I found the entire book captivating and rather hard to put down.
-In Conclusion- Read it!
 
Happy reading-
-Gertrude @sunshinelolipopsandrainbows
PS: Annie- is this okay?

Hellow, my name is Phoebe! @dreamingausten
I am 15 years old and am from New Zealand, where they made the LOTR and the Hobbit movies (which I am an extremely large fan of.)
I’m also a number one fan of The Internet, you can find me on tumblr here http://quirkiie.tumblr.com/
I’ve been playing the flute since I was 9ish, and love music :3 A few of my favourite bands are: The Beatles, Abba, Mcfly, Mumford and Sons, Pierce the Veil, Black Veil Brides, The Chordettes, Coldplay. That list is forever changing hehe.
I also love old musicals, the songs, the dancing. Last year I was in a musical, Cinderella, for kids. It was super fun, and confidence boosting, I was a Wicked Stepsister!
Im in love with history, Im trying to learn German, and Im a geek. I adore Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Sherlock, Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, Pan Am, and of course....reading!

Hi, I'm Gertrude ^_^
My name means "spear of strength."
My star sign is Leo, which fits my personality shockingly well.
I'm a notorious coffee drinker.
I used to exclusively read fantasy...
But I'm expanding my horizons. Fantasy is still my favorite genre, though.
I'd love to be a travel writer when I grow up.
I play the cello. Orch dork, that's me.
I love vintage things and boba teas.
Aaaaannnddd....
 
I'll be reviewing books here now! Be seeing you around-
-Gertrude xx @sunshinelolipopsandrainbows

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Happy reading!
 
-Annie
@thew0rldisblack-and-white @the-magnificent-seven-tipsters

Looking for a good Vampire/werewolf/other paranormal series? This is the one for you. It's dialogue is witty and the characters are very real, despite being mythical creatures.
 
BLURB: Dru Anderson has what her grandmother called “the touch.” (Comes in handy when you’re traveling from town to town with your dad, hunting ghosts, suckers, wulfen, and the occasional zombie.) Then her dad turns up dead—but still walking—and Dru knows she’s next. Even worse, she’s got two guys hungry for her affections, and they’re not about to let the fiercely independent Dru go it alone. Will Dru discover just how special she really is before coming face-to-fang with whatever—or whoever— is hunting her?
 
Yeah, so it's just five books packed full of clever lines, action, supernatural goodness and a smidgen of romance. It's Lili St. Crows first young adult piece of work, and i'm not sure if she's written anything else for younger audiences since.
I have to tell you this is one of he first book series I really fell in love with after Harry Potter.
 
In each book the characters grow and develop, as does the story line. The characters are highly entertaining and St. Crow is so good at painting a picture in your head that at times you will be frightened to pooping your pants. Warning..
 
Anyway, I highly recommend you go read this book if you're into the paranormal genre. I hope you enjoy, please leave your comments down below.
 
Byyee mwah