Part One, Tour de Nerdfighting.
Last night I had the awesome opportunity to meet John and Hank Green for a second at the Tour de Nerdfighting, the book tour for TFiOS. Hank sang songs, John read from TFiOS and talked about heroism and living a good full life. John got shocked and Hank forgot one of his songs. I gave them hats that I made for them (TFiOS for John and DFTBA for Hank). I sat with nerdy friends and felt a special feeling that can only be found in such a place with no judgement. I got to meet Schubes17, a YouTuber that I'm a fan of. Only Nerdfighers could create an event that was so pure and happy and nerdy and deep and sad and funny all at the same time. I'm sure this won't make coherent sense to anyone that wasn't there, but it is one of those experiences that I may never be able to articulate fully.
Also, the TFiOS van happened to be going the same way we were, so we creepily followed it. In circles. At that point, we realized that they probably realized some crazy creepy nerds were actually following them. So we noticed which hotel they were staying at and left them alone. But it was exhilarating, being in a car with four other girls, most of who don't know more about each other than a name and a love for nerdy things. It was a shared experience that was very appropriate, considering that we were following John Green.
Ok, Part Two: Across the Universe by Beth Revis. (http://www.amazon.com/Across-Universe-Beth-Revis/dp/1595143971).
I have a hard time summarizing this book. But I do like Melissa Marr's blurb on the back of the book, "An astounding ride! Beth Revis erases genre boundaries with a murder mystery, a budding romance, and a dystopian world gracefully integrated into a sci-fi novel that blows away all expectation." That pretty much summarizes my reaction to the book.
The main female character, Amy, is cryogenically frozen and put on a ship sent to colonize a world 300 years away. The main male character, Elder, is the leader-in-training for the civilization on the ship. I can't discuss a lot of this book without spoiling it, but let me just say that the first 75 pages or so are kinda hard to get through. But keep going. Once Amy wakes up, this novel is a roller coaster that you won't want to get off. It was a bit of every genre and masterfully blended. Oh, and if you read this, contact me. I want to talk to someone about it, but I don't know anyone who's read it.
Rating: 4.5/5 (Points off for lack of subtlety on a "twist" and the beginning section)
Finally, Part Three. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan (http://www.amazon.com/Nick-Norahs-Infinite-Playlist-Rachel/dp/0375835318).
I had high hopes for this book. When I watched the movie, I loved it. But, the book really didn't do it for me. I felt like it was too whiny and angst-ridden while somehow also being full of lust. But this book is about feeling the highs of life without ever using a substance. It's also about the pitfalls of opening up yourself to someone and using your imagination to make the relationship more perfect in your head. This book had some really touching moments and hilariously sarcastic exchanges. But, they almost felt out of place to me. After reading Across the Universe, which was so beautifully blended, this novel almost seemed choppy and ironically, unrealistic. Honestly, I prefer the movie to the book, which is a near-unheard of happening for me.
Rating: 3/5.
Non-YLC: 6
YLC:0
P.S.: I AM NOW AN ENGLISH MAJOR WITH A CONCENTRATION ON LITERATURE AND I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER AND ONLY ALL CAPS CAN EXPRESS MY JOY.
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