Book Review: Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman

Cover Courtesy of Goodreads

Goodreads Summary: In 1930s Munich, danger lurks behind dark corners, and secrets are buried deep within the city. But Gretchen Müller, who grew up in the National Socialist Party under the wing of her "uncle" Dolf, has been shielded from that side of society ever since her father traded his life for Dolf's, and Gretchen is his favorite, his pet. Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler. And Gretchen follows his every command. Until she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen. Gretchen should despise Daniel, yet she can't stop herself from listening to his story: that her father, the adored Nazi martyr, was actually murdered by an unknown comrade. She also can't help the fierce attraction brewing between them, despite everything she's been taught to believe about Jews. As Gretchen investigates the very people she's always considered friends, she must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she choose the safety of her former life as a Nazi darling, or will she dare to dig up the truth—even if it could get her and Daniel killed? From debut author Anne Blankman comes this harrowing and evocative story about an ordinary girl faced with the extraordinary decision to give up everything she's ever believed . . . and to trust her own heart instead.

My Review: How intriguing is this?! I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book as soon as I read the summary. Luckily, it lived up to my expectations.

    All of the characters were very well written. Gretchen was realistic and as cautious and doubtful as Hitler's close friend would be. Daniel's family also acted realistically for the time period. Reinhard, Gretchen's brother, was an interesting character, I like how the author formed a parallel between him and Hitler. I also appreciated Gretchen's mother and the resolution between her and Gretchen.

    The mystery was also interesting, though the culprit a little obvious, in hindsight. What I like best are all of the details of the story. Streets, people, everything has a name, and the reader really feels transported to Germany. The only problem was that I couldn't keep all of the names and suspects straight, but I think that just makes the mystery more realistic (in real life, there isn't going to be one suspect, one crime scene, etc.).

    My last complaint would be that the intro is a little overused: Gretchen meets a tall, dark stranger who keeps appearing and disappearing, saying to meet him at random locations through notes. Perhaps the author could have worked out this part a little better. However, reading the details about Hitler's life and all of the characters made up for any minor flaws.

    I would recommend this book for anyone looking for historical fiction on WWII, and give it 4 stars, as this is the best example I found for that time period. It's suspense and details will leave you craving for the sequel. (Plus, the cover is super gorgeous!) 

Studying Tips

Hello everyone! I know I haven't blogged in quite a while now, because school has been as busy as ever! I kind of feel like I've been studying less, but time is still moving by really fast? Can anyone relate?
Anyways, in my area, we have final exams soon :(. I've been buried under a few (hundred) textbooks and piles of notes for the past few days, but for now, I've resurfaced, ready to share a few last minute tips to ace your next exam! So who's ready to get studying?

1. Write out a schedule for your studying days. A schedule always makes me feel prepared and motivates me to get started. If you're someone who procrastinates, pull out the fancy pens and get to work!
2. Make sure to think about which subjects have the most to memorize, and study those a few days before the final only! Don't waste time memorizing your entire history textbook weeks before the final, only to forget everything later. Think realistically - do you need to memorize every fact, or just get an overview of the subject and dive into the details later?
3. Use Quizlet - but sparingly! I find Quizlet to be useful, but mainly only for vocabulary, as it grades based on if your answer is correct word for word. For memorizing concepts, I like to refer back to my notes instead. I also think that some modes are slightly more useful than others. For example, the Learn mode is very thorough, but it also takes about three times as long as the Write mode. Decide how much time you have, looking at that schedule you made. After all, you're the best judge :).
4. Take notes on material you might want to come back to again. In case you think you found some important concepts when reviewing, don't forget to jot them down so you remember them.
5. Try out different study techniques. I found the Pomodoro Technique and tried it out. This style involves alternating between studying for 25 minutes and taking breaks, and it at least helped me feel motivated to study for my math test a couple of weeks ago.
6. Just get started. Often times, I find that forcing myself to study is the hard part, but once I get serious, studying isn't so bad.

So how's your studying going so far? Or if exams are over, is there anything you wished you would have done differently to prepare? Tell me below!

My Thoughts on Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus

After some urging from my friend, I decided to try (finally) reading the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. I ended up finishing the books in both of the series mentioned in the title within a month and a half, and now I have a lot to say!

First off, overall, I thought all of the books were great. They had snark, humor, and action that left me craving more after every book. The character development is awesome, and you can see the difference in Percy from The Lightning Thief to The Blood of Olympus. I've decided to split up the rest of my thoughts based on both series, just to keep ideas organized.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians:

• So the first book felt a little "meh" to me. I still wanted to read the rest of the books, and it certainly wasn't bad, but I didn't understand why everyone loved the series so much.
• After reading the second book, the fandom started to make sense to me. It drew me in better, and kept me interested. I also remember feeling slightly annoyed at Grover for creating an empathy link with Percy. It seems cruel. If Grover went down, Percy would go down, too, and this doesn't seem like a situation a friend would put another in.
• The last book was probably my favorite. I really loved the fighting, which surprised me. Even in Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, the fighting bored me. This time, I was wide awake, and rooting for the heroes! I will comment that I don't think Kronos used his powers enough, though. It's hard to believe that even someone manipulating time couldn't win a battle against Percy. I guess it just goes to show that being ultra powerful does not guarantee success.
• As a whole series, it earns 4.5 stars!

Heroes of Olympus:

• I was warned by many that The Lost Hero would be boring because Percy wouldn't be there, and I braced myself, but I found the book to be fine. In fact, I enjoyed it! Leo made every conversation hilarious, and it was nice to learn about new heroes. Although I really didn't like Jason (and still don't, #sorrynotsorry). He's pretty boring. Okay, so he lost his memory, but he never seemed to stand out to me. Everyone said he was a leader, he said he was under so much pressure, and he wanted to abandon Camp Jupiter for Camp Half-Blood. He never seemed to have any interesting thoughts, to be honest.
• Son of Neptune: Ugh, why did Percy lose his memory. I was mad at this, because I feel like it's not a proper way to add suspense. At least with Jason, I wondered where he was from. With Percy, I already knew his whole past, and was more annoyed than excited to see what he'd remember.
• Mark of Athena: Finally, everything is normal again. At least the two camps can meet up, even if "Leo" ruins that. I didn't really get Annabeth's quest, though. Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention, but I don't recall any change in Athena mentioned when the statue was brought out. Oh, and the ending: I was stunned.
• The House of Hades: I was afraid I'd only want to read Percy and Annabeth's chapters, but luckily, the rest of the POVs were interesting enough to keep me reading. This story captivated me at least as much as Mark of Athena did.
• Finally, with the Blood of Olympus, I was not disappointed. There was a solid lead up to a great, though short, battle, and a satisfying conclusion!
• I do have to wonder though: what did the heroes do in all of the books? Sure, they brought back a statue, battled some monsters, etc., but after each book, Gaea seemed closer to waking up, not farther. Maybe it's because heroes can't do that much damage to a sleeping Titan, but I feel like most of their work didn't make a huge difference in the end (besides closing the Doors of Death).
• Also I'm surprised that Piper's charmspeak was pretty much her weapon. I'd expect more monsters to be able to do it or resist it, but many seemed to fall under Piper's spell. Might convenient for Piper :).
• Overall, I may have liked this series better than the first, though both are close!

I tried reading The Hidden Oracle, but was honestly bored. The voice seemed too MG compared to the Heroes of Olympus, which I could qualify as lower YA. Plus, I'd grown too attached to the 8 demigods (and Nico and Reyna) from the last series to care about anyone else :P.

Anyways, what are your thoughts on the Percy Jackson books? Who's your favorite character (mine's Percy!)? Is reading Trials of Apollo worth it? Tell me below!

Song to Book Match

Hello everyone! I've had this idea in mind for a long time now, which is namely to do a post matching up some awesome songs with their bookish counterparts. Let's begin...

(Covers courtesy of Goodreads!)

1. "Scars To Your Beautiful" (Alessia Cara) with Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies

Both are about embracing your inner beauty and building your own confidence! Also, I can't resist mentioning any book about chocolate cookies. Yum...

2. "Wolves" (Selena Gomez, Marshmello) with Allegiant (Veronica Roth)

Tris isn't racing to find a person, but to find the truth. She's been running through jungles and much more to finally understand why her world is the way it is.

3. "Solo" (Clean Bandit, Demi Lovato) with Roller Girl (Victoria Jamieson)

Astrid is really on her own now, without her best friend. Now, she's got to go solo as she navigates her way through summer. (Bonus: this one's a graphic novel!)

4. "Try Everything" (Shakira) with Jacky Ha-Ha (James Patterson (author), Chris Grabenstein and Kerascoët for illustrations)

If at first you don't succeed (which happens a lot to Jacky in this book!), try, try again! I love Jacky's growth as a person and a speaker in this book! It's super fun and sweet, and you'll like it as much as Zootopia for sure!

5. "Cheap Thrills" (Sia) with Smart Girls Get What They Want (Sarah Strohmeyer)

The three main protagonists in this novel don't need to go to lavish parties, etc. and are content as long as they're with one another. I love how they're willing to compromise on the fun for now and stick to their goal, because they'll be able to enjoy later in college!

So I hope you enjoyed this song-book match! Any suggestions for songs/books to match up? Tell me below!

Bookish Schools I Neeeeed To Go To (Now!)

The Host: That Artsy Reader Girl

Have you wanted to explore fantasy worlds? Eat lunch with your favorite characters? Here are some bookish schools I'm dying to go to, and bet you are, too! All covers courtesy of Goodreads.

1. Hogwarts

Obviously. I think I'd be foolish denying this one.

PLEASE HAND ME MY WAND!

2. The Gallagher Academy

The courses in this school fascinate me. I mean, if there is Culture and Assimilation and Covert Operations involved, count me in!

3. Spy School

Pretty much for the same reasons above: anything spy related sounds super cool.

4. The Magisterium

I'm not sure if I want to attend the school or just read the last book in this series. Maybe I'll read it, then decide, just to be safe ;).

5. The Academy of Scholastic Distinction

The school sounds pretty fun, especially with kids of different gifts.

6. Mr.Lemoncello's Library

Okay, so this isn't a school, but the library could probably teach me everything I need to know (and everything I DON'T need to know). From holograms of famous people to dinosaurs, this library has everything!

7. The School for Good and Evil

What an interesting take on good and evil. Using two characteristics to define heroes and villains is pretty cool.

So where do you want to secretly head off to in the fall? Which bookish schools are your favorite? Tell me below!