Showing posts with label Claudia Carozza. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Claudia Carozza. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Review: The Forgotten by Claudia Carozza



Hazel's job at the Antioch didn't work out at all like she had planned. After a daring escape and one very risky delivery of the first baby born in years, she's still holding on to the hope of a better future. Out of the Antioch and on the run, who can Hazel turn to for help and can they really be trusted? In the second book of the Barronlands Trilogy, relationships are tested and even more secrets are revealed. Hazel tries to put the pieces together, hoping everything doesn't fall apart. Will she be able to hold it all together or will there be those who slip through the cracks?

from goodreads

I read the first novel of this series a few months back, I can't even remember when now. Ahhh! Where has 2012 gone? Anyways, I started reading The Forgotten about a week or so ago, and because I was in a reading rut, I didn't finish it until recently. Though, the novel could be read in a matter of hours.

Claudia Carozza really peaked my interest a little more in the sequel, so that was a really good improvement. I was more excited for a lot of things to come in this novel, and surprises are everywhere. Since the last novel ended in a cliff hanger, I'd say that you'll have to read about twenty pages in, an then the cliff hanger continues. The middle was lagging for me, and that's when  I usually loose interest. I skimmed some parts, and things still made sense, so that wasn't something I appreciated I can do when reading a novel.

Hazel really stepped it up a notch in this novel. I think I like her a bit more than in the first novel, because she's becoming more of herself and a strong heroine. She changes quite drastically in the novel, and if you're ready for the character development, then you'll love The Forgotten.

There are some soap opera scenes during this novel, but don't worry, it gets better, and unlike soap operas the drama ends, in a way.

This is kind of a spoiler, so if you want to be absolutely spoiler free, then skip this paragraph. Like the first novel, there is a death. I won't say who, but it's someone that is quite present in most of the novel. The death for me felt strained, and just away to kill off a character, at first. Later reading,  I did noticed that the death was for something huge for Hazel. If you liked this character a lot-I didn't- then you'd be devastated at her fast leave in the novel.

Pigeons were a huge symbol in this novel, and because of that I look at pigeons in a different way then before. Unlike thinking about them as the pesky fat birds that wander the city, I think of them as quite courageous creatures. I know that pigeons have developed a friendly term with humans, so they don't find the need to fly away when someone comes in a foot radius of them. The small birds with blue bellies I see around my town, they are cowards, in their way. I guess we're all like that at the beginning. Finding food, and then flying away when danger approaches, but Pigeons are the opposite.

All in all, to wrap things up in a nice little package, The Forgotten won't be forgotten in my mind, and some serious character battles support the novel, and the novel goes to a more violent side. Near the end, it actually gets vulgar, and that was something I didn't expect one of the characters to say. I love the story, as its world fascinates me, so I'll give The Forgotten by Claudia Carozza a head nods, thumbs up. (4 out of 5)

Monday, October 1, 2012

It's Monday! What are you Reading? (#7)

meme started by bookjourney

What I Read:



I read and reviewed this book on Thursday. Had an amazing time putting all my emotions and thoughts while reading the novel on to the review. Please check it out here.

It's three weeks into the school year when music junkie Casey Barnes gets a second chance with her mysterious, heartbreaking ex-boyfriend. She comes up with a plan to win him back, but it soon spins out of control as rivalries, revelations about him, and music itself all start to collide. For Casey the newfound attention means learning the difference between wanting center stage and actually being on it.

from goodreads


What I'm Currently Reading:


“Dead girl walking,” the boys say in the halls.
“Tell us your secret,” the girls whisper, one toilet to another.
I am that girl.
I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through.
I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame.

Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the skinniest. But what comes after size zero and size double-zero? When Cassie succumbs to the demons within, Lia feels she is being haunted by her friend’s restless spirit.

In her most emotionally wrenching, lyrically written book since the multiple-award-winning Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson explores Lia’s descent into the powerful vortex of anorexia, and her painful path toward recovery.

from goodreads

Bought this book on Tuesday and couldn't wait to read it I read about sixty or so pages. If you want to check out my progress, it's on goodreads

What I Hope To Read Next:


Hazel's job at the Antioch didn't work out at all like she had planned. After a daring escape and one very risky delivery of the first baby born in years, she's still holding on to the hope of a better future. Out of the Antioch and on the run, who can Hazel turn to for help and can they really be trusted? In the second book of the Barronlands Trilogy, relationships are tested and even more secrets are revealed. Hazel tries to put the pieces together, hoping everything doesn't fall apart. Will she be able to hold it all together or will there be those who slip through the cracks

from goodreads

Having gotten this novel this week, I saw that it was quite a quick read that can go by in one sitting. Hopefully I'll get that one sitting. *fingers crossed*


P.S. Who ever left the comment about having a review on Pure at Heart by Sahara Epari asap, I'm going to have to postpone that review for a week or two. I hope who ever you are are reading this, and that you read a wonderful book in the mean time. 

Saturday, September 29, 2012

In My Mailbox (#9)

This week in my mailbox I got two books. Two of which I'm very excited about and both of them are quick reads that I hope to review soon. Also to the anonymous commenter on my It's Monday! What are you Reading? meme on Monday who said encouraged me to read Pure at Heart and review it as quickly as possible, I am in the middle of reading it now, and hope to have the review up on Thursday. :) (Hopefully you are reading this)


Hazel's job at the Antioch didn't work out at all like she had planned. After a daring escape and one very risky delivery of the first baby born in years, she's still holding on to the hope of a better future. Out of the Antioch and on the run, who can Hazel turn to for help and can they really be trusted? In the second book of the Barronlands Trilogy, relationships are tested and even more secrets are revealed. Hazel tries to put the pieces together, hoping everything doesn't fall apart. Will she be able to hold it all together or will there be those who slip through the cracks?

from goodreads

I was very excited when  received an email from Claudia. I was dearly awaiting the second installment in the trilogy and I can't wait to delve into The Forgotten. Here is the link for my review on The Twenty




“Dead girl walking,” the boys say in the halls.
“Tell us your secret,” the girls whisper, one toilet to another.
I am that girl.
I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through.
I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame.

Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the skinniest. But what comes after size zero and size double-zero? When Cassie succumbs to the demons within, Lia feels she is being haunted by her friend’s restless spirit.

In her most emotionally wrenching, lyrically written book since the multiple-award-winning Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson explores Lia’s descent into the powerful vortex of anorexia, and her painful path toward recovery.


from goodreads

I have read two other novels from Laurie Halse Anderson, and I really like the other novels. You can check out my review of Speak, and The Catalyst.


Friday, July 27, 2012

Interview: Claudia Carozza author of The Twenty


A few weeks ago I was introduced to a Claudia Carozza's debut novel The Twenty. I wrote a review of it here, and I love it so much. I can't wait 'till the next installment comes out! In the mean time I asked Claudia Carozza a few questions:


Tell us about yourself and what you like to do besides writing.
I’m 28, married and mother to a very lovable three year old. I have a B.A. in writing and am currently a graduate student. I love to travel and Italy is my favorite travel destination. Growing up, I spent many summers there and attended college in Rome for a while. I also love to bake, spend time with family and friends, and curl up with my kindle to read a great book.
 When did you start writing The Twenty?
I started writing the book about eight months ago. At first it was something I picked up every once in a while to work on. I became really attached to the story and the characters and I found myself wanting to write more and more. Towards the end, I was writing in twelve hour stretches.
 What was the most difficult part about writing The Twenty?
The most difficult part was finding the time to write. Between family and school, it can get a bit hectic.
 Was there something specific ei. idea, scene, character that started the novel?
Random ideas pop into my head all the time so I carry a notepad and pen in my purse with me. I try to write them down and then go back to them later. The idea for The Twenty stuck with me and it was the idea I kept going back to.
 Many authors write what they know and their experiences. What were your own experiences you added to the novel?
I think Hazel feels like she has so much responsibility on her shoulders that she finds it hard to find time for herself to figure out what she wants. I can relate to that feeling of being overwhelmed at times.
 Do you ever get paranoid about someday our world will be like Hazel's?
Not paranoid but there’s always that thought in the back of my head of what if? It’s always helpful to imagine what kind of world we would live in if these things actually happened. I think it adds to the realism of the story.
 If you were in Hazel's shoes, would you work at the Antioch Center or find other ways to make a living?
The job at the Antioch promised so much hope for Hazel so I know I would have done the same and taken the job. When you’re that desperate to take care of your loved ones being picking isn’t an option and Hazel understood that.
 What can you tell us about the second installment?
I’m very excited about it! There are going to be new characters introduced and we’ll see Hazel go through a big transformation. It’s going to be interesting to see how she handles the tug-of-war she’s found herself in and how far she'll push herself and the people around her. A few crazy secrets are uncovered that will reveal more about the characters and their lives before the Antioch.
 Do you have any advice for writers that are currently working on their novel?
Don’t give up! Some days, the words come pouring out while other days I stare at the computer screen and…nothing. Writing is a rollercoaster ride and I think the relationship between an author and a novel is love-hate. Read as much as you can, write as much as you can, and believe you can tell a good story.
Where can we find you online?
www.claudiacarozza.com
https://twitter.com/claudiacarozza
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Claudia-Carozza/109974752471235
http://www.goodreads.com/ccarozza

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Review: The Twenty by Claudia Carozza



Novel: Amazon Goodreads
Author: Website Twitter Goodreads


The Twenty is an interesting book that I decided to read because it takes place in a dystopian world where there had an epidemic that wiped out all the humans. Then comes along a new government where you are ranked by which ward you reside in. The farthest ward you are from First City the less and less power the government has control of you and if they even care at all. The Twenty is about a group of twenty women who are pregnant during a time where it's very rare, and crying babies would stir a whole ward. So then comes along Hazel DeSales and she finds a job working for the government which she knows is corrupt, but when her drunken father's paychecks are coming in smaller and longer amounts of time she has to give somethings up to live. Hazel becomes a nurse for one of the Twenty and hears things she shouldn't when Hazel is in the shadows. 
I really liked this idea when I first read the summary because it was different from all the other dystopian books that are out there. Claudia Carozza's writing was very simple, but what I really loved about the novel is because she keeps a good pace and makes me be on the edge of my seat, constantly. I also love how she built up the world. Having certain things that seem mundane to us, feel like an alien to the people in this world. I think, unlike most dystopian novels there isn't much technology advancement in The Twenty. In my mind when I think of the wards that people live in other than 8, I think of a ghost town, or a very unkempt town. I still what to know what First City and ward 8 really look like. 



Hazel DeSales is the female protagonist and she has some boy problems amongst many others. I could just feel the love triangle as soon as Shane came into the novel. Btw I'm on team Shane, if there is a team. I personally don't like Luka. My first impression of him was, "He's going to betray them." That was a very harsh thing to assume, but honestly I haven't warmed up to him and from the looks of where things going I feel like he's going to be the one. There were some characters that I have a lot of faith in. For example, Elisa Montgomery one of the Twenty whom Hazel nurses throughout her pregnancy. Elisa to me is a very strong character and I think if she wasn't pregnant and she had another role in the novel she'd kick butt. The "bad guys" didn't scare me honestly. They didn't make me think, "Well, this is going to be very very bad," or something along those lines. Yes, there are somethings that are kind of spoilers that are sins, but I don't see why they are doing the things that they are. The government is very secretive and I really want to know what they are going to do with the babies of the Twenty because it seems like something big is going to occur.

The Twenty for me, was a very quick summer read and if I had time probably could finish in a day or some hours. The novel has a very fast pace, and the scenery isn't too advance that I'm constantly wondering and daydreaming about the wards and the buildings.

I feel like this sort of story could happen in some way. I don't know how and why, but there seems to be a truth in it. I really love how Claudia Carozza didn't particularly shy away from unpleasing things because that's how the world that Hazel lives in is. Where the police don't care, and the crack heads are everywhere.

I am defo going to read the second book in the trilogy when it comes out and I want to check out Claudia Carozza's upcoming new series coming later this year. I'm very excited about the next The Twenty novel because this one leaves off with a huge cliff hanger, which I really wanted to be resolved in this novel because we all saw it coming. So, in conclusion I give Claudia Carozza's debut dystopian novel a head nods, thumbs up. (4 out of 5)