Lifestyle – Page 13 – Adventures in Polishland

Category: Lifestyle

June Lifestyle Favorites!

Posted on July 5, 2016April 12, 2026 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Tuesday! July is here, and it is time to share my June favorites with all of you. This year is just flying by for me, and I can’t believe we are done with June already. I only have a few favorites to share with you this month. I haven’t been trying many new beauty products, but I do have some lifestyle loves to share. Without further ado, let me jump right into my June favorites!

MAKEUP

NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Taupe [BUY]

I’ve been wanting to try this brow pencil for a long time, and finally picked it up during a CVS sale. I typically use brow powder, but I thought a pencil would be perfect for days where I want to get my makeup done quickly. Ever since I tried this NYX pencil, I’ve only used brow powder twice! This pencil is natural looking, but still fills in sparse brows really well. I highly recommend it.

Physicans Formula Organic Wear CC Cream in Light [BUY]

I also wanted a lighter foundation option for summer. I love wearing a CC cream during the warmer months because it acts like a sunscreen and moisturizer in one. I’m very impressed with this one from Physicians Formula. It is a medium coverage, and it wears really well throughout the day. I plan on doing a full review of this CC cream later on in the month so you can see it in action.

FOOD

Eureka! Seeds the Day Organic Bread

I’ve been changing up my diet big time this month by trying to eat more whole foods and healthier options. I found this bread at the grocery store, and it is so delicious and nutritious! Not only is it organic and vegan, but it contains 9 grams of protein in just one slice. I love it for sandwiches and for toast. It’s a bit more expensive, but I immediately froze about 1/3 of the loaf so I could make it last.

APP

CRON-O-meter [BUY]

I rarely purchase apps, but I decided to swing for CRON-O-meter after hearing so many great things about it. This app helps you see if you are reaching your daily nutrient needs. You can scan the barcodes of prepackaged foods, or simply search for things like produce. Then you can see your daily total adding up! While CRON-O-meter is not 100% accurate, it is still very helpful. I’ve been balancing my meals a lot better now that I have a visual representation of the nutrients I need. It’s worth the $2.99 price tag.

PURCHASE

2017 Erin Condren Life Planner [BLOG] [BUY]

I am beyond in love with the new Erin Condren Life Planner line for 2017! I purchased my planner early and I’ve been using it for Listers Gotta List. It will transition into my full planner in January, but I’m glad I purchased it now. You can learn all about it in the blog post linked above, and I highly recommend splurging on one.

That wraps up my very quick June favorites! As always, please let me know in the comments what your favorites are. I love getting recommendations from all of you! If there is a product you would like me to review in the future, you can also let me know that as well. Here’s to a great July!

This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Upcoming Adventures | July Blog Chat

Posted on July 3, 2016June 13, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Sunday! We are now officially halfway through 2016, and July is here. I can’t believe how quickly the year is going! Today I’m here with another Upcoming Adventures, to share what you can expect to see here at Adventures in Polishland this month. Let’s have a chat about July!

July will still follow my regular blog schedule, but perhaps the biggest thing to expect is the end of my Dare to Compare posts! I’ve been decluttering my nail polish collection for the past few months, and I’ve documented the process with you here on the blog. While I will continue to post nail polish comparisons whenever I get in new shades, I’ve now gone through my collection and swatched all of the similar shades. I am excited for you to see the last of the comparisons this month!

Of course, you will also be seeing a lot of book reviews this month on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I’ve still been reading up a storm, and I really enjoy sharing my thoughts on the books I’ve read with you. I do plan on writing some other lifestyle posts for you all later this summer, but for now the book reviews are in control. Please let me know in the comments if you enjoy reading my book reviews, or if you’d like to see less of them!

Finally, I want to quickly mention that I will have a lot of Plan With Me videos up on my YouTube Channel this month! I post planner related videos every Tuesday and Saturday, so make sure to subscribe if you like planner decorating, organization tips, and paper crafts in general. I really enjoy sharing my planner hobby with all of you over there!

That wraps up this month’s Upcoming Adventures! I hope you all have a wonderful July!

Book Review | The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

Posted on June 30, 2016May 23, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 519

Source: Library

Goodreads: ★★★★ 1/2

Andie had it all planned out.

When you are a politician’s daughter who’s pretty much raised yourself, you learn everything can be planned or spun, or both. Especially your future.

Important internship? Check.

Amazing friends? Check.

Guys? Check (as long as we’re talking no more than three weeks).

But that was before the scandal. Before having to be in the same house with her dad. Before walking an insane number of dogs. That was before Clark and those few months that might change her whole life.

Because here’s the thing—if everything’s planned out, you can never find the unexpected.

And where’s the fun in that?

REVIEW

I highly anticipated the release of Morgan Matson’s new book The Unexpected Everything, and made sure to read it as soon as I could. Matson is the queen of the young adult summer story, and this year she took it to the next level with a 500+ page book. The Unexpected Everything follows teenager Andie. She is the daughter of a congressman, and the book opens with her dad being caught in the middle of a political scandal. Andie is a planner, and at first she isn’t bothered by the scandal because she has arrangements to attend a summer program away from home. Of course, her plans unexpectedly change and she is forced to stay at home all summer with her dad and adjust her entire life in the process.

It took me quite a while to get into The Unexpected Everything. I found the writing to be quite clunky, as the dialogue was broken up by large chunks of text. However, once I got into the groove of the story, I began to enjoy it much more. While I wasn’t sure how I felt about the story for much of the book, everything comes together in the last 100-150 pages, and I was blown away with how Matson crafted Andie’s summer.

What I really love about this book is how Matson is able to realistically capture the teenage experience. The emotions are really well written, and the events play out as they would in reality even though things are played up in the book for the entertainment value. For example, Andie has a great group of friends and spends nearly all of her time with them. While inseparable at the beginning of the book, this friend group must learn to deal with the unexpected events life throws at you. I admired how Matson chose to deal with these events, and I think the book is very relatable both for the young adult audience, but older readers as well.

Moreover, there were also some great additions to The Unexpected Everything that I really loved. My favorite scene in the novel is an epic scavenger hunt that Andie competes in with her friends. I love a good competition, and having one in the book was a lot of fun. Not only did it focus on the game, but it provided an opportunity for character development. Similarly, if you are a dog lover you are really going to enjoy this book! Andie ends up finding a summer job as a dog walker, and we get to go along on some of her walks and other dog-filled adventures. The dog element was such an added bonus!

Finally, my favorite part of any Morgan Matson book is the character development. The Unexpected Everything is light and fun, while still being emotionally charged. For instance, Andie’s mother died of cancer five years ago, and Andie and her father have had a strained relationship ever since. I love how the father-daughter relationship played a role in the novel. Of course, I also really enjoyed the romance that played out as well. Andie meets a boy named Clark while dog-walking, and I think their relationship was realistic and super cute at the same time.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed The Unexpected Everything, and highly recommend you picking it up if you are looking for the perfect summer read. This book truly did make me laugh and make me cry, and I know it will be one I reread again in the future. I plan on completing my read of all of Morgan Matson’s work by the end of the summer with Second Chance Summer, her only book I’ve yet to read.

BUY THE BOOK

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

When you buy a book through the Amazon or Book Depository links above, I earn a small commission through each website’s affiliate program. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Book Review | Bleeding Earth by Kaitlin Ward

Posted on June 28, 2016May 17, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Bleeding Earth by Kaitlin Ward

Published by Adaptive Press on February 9, 2016

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Apocalyptic

Format: eARC

Pages: 256

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads: ★★

Lea was in a cemetery when the earth started bleeding. Within twenty-four hours, the blood made international news. All over the world, blood appeared out of the ground, even through concrete, even in water. Then the earth started growing hair and bones.

Lea wants to ignore the blood. She wants to spend time with her new girlfriend, Aracely, in public, if only Aracely wasn’t so afraid of her father. Lea wants to be a regular teen again, but the blood has made her a prisoner in her own home. Fear for her social life turns into fear for her sanity, and Lea must save herself and Aracely whatever way she can.

REVIEW

Bleeding Earth is a young adult apocalyptic novel following teenager Lea. She and her friend go to the local cemetery one day to work on a school project when suddenly blood begins seeping out of the ground. Lea hopes this has something to do with the cemetery, or perhaps just a hallucination while being in a creepy place. However, it turns out that it’s not just the cemetery that’s bleeding – it’s the entire earth. The book continues to follow what happens to Lea and her community in this bloodbath.

I found this story’s concept extremely intriguing, but unfortunately the book fell flat for me. My main issue with Bleeding Earth is the writing style, which is going to make or break the story for the reader. The writing is in the first person from Lea’s point-of-view, and sounds as if a teenager was speaking directly to you. Not only is the dialogue in the teenage voice, but all of the other writing is as well. While I think teenagers might connect well with this writing, it did not work for me as an older reader of young adult. I found the prose quite irritating, and that really detracted from my enjoyment of the novel.

Moreover, Bleeding Earth is the type of book in which the author is trying to do too much. For example, Lea is a lesbian and readers learn a lot about her sexuality and coming out process. I think it is awesome that the author included a member of the LGBTQIA+ community as our main character, but I think the lengthy explanation of how it was for her coming out of the closet, how her friends and family treat her, etc. was a bit out of place in this particular book. I wanted to focus more on the crazy apocalypse that was occurring in the world, not Lea’s complete history that didn’t have much to do with what was happening in the present.

I also found Bleeding Earth to be quite unbelievable, mainly due to lack of structure in the novel. For instance, I cannot tell the timespan for this novel because the author doesn’t give the reader any clues along the way. When I accompany that with the small plot holes I found while reading, the book loses a lot of credibility.

That being said, I did really like the aspect of the story dealing with unreliable narrators. I won’t go into this too much because of spoilers, but I love when the reader never knows whether or not she can trust the narrator’s voice. This unreliable narrator added a lot to the book in terms of creepiness, and definitely gave me an unsettling feeling. I also thought the ending was good, but I wish we had an epilogue to fully explain what happened next to our characters.

All in all, I was quite disappointed with Bleeding Earth. The story idea was great, but it just wasn’t executed according to my tastes. I would recommend this book for younger readers, as I do think they will enjoy the narrative voice. Otherwise, I think you can pass on this book without missing much. I hope to find an apocalyptic book that I enjoy very soon!

BUY THE BOOK

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2017 Erin Condren Life Planner Unboxing & Review | #PlanWithPolishland

Posted on June 25, 2016June 25, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! Today I am beyond excited to share with you my purchases from the 2017 Erin Condren Life Planner Launch. I can’t believe it’s now been an entire year that I’ve been using my current Life Planner. It really has made my life better in so many ways – I’m more organized than ever before, but I also truly enjoy the creative outlet that planning is for me. While I don’t need a new planner until 2017 begins, I wanted to join in on Erin Condren’s Launch Day and purchase my new planner right away. In this blog post I will share an unboxing of the goodies I purchased on Launch Day, and share my thoughts on the launch and the updated planners.

UNBOXING

I filmed an unboxing video for my YouTube Channel, which is included in this post so you can see me open the box and show you the products “in person.” If you aren’t subscribed to my channel yet, please do so HERE! I post planner videos every Tuesday and Saturday, and sometimes on bonus days, too. If you love Plan With Mes, sticker hauls, and other organizational DIY videos, definitely subscribe (it’s free!).

Here are photos of everything I received so you can get a closer look. I will include direct links to each product on Erin Condren’s website, but if you are new, please use my referral link HERE. Not only will you save $10 off your first Erin Condren purchase, but I earn a $10 reward as well. I really appreciate it when you support me in that way!

Freebies – VIP Cover, Postcard, Sticker

Erin Condren always includes a free postcard and sticker with every order. This is a great way to spread the positive messages Erin Condren supports with your friends and family. Plus, who doesn’t like a freebie, even if its small? This year Erin Condren did something really special. There was an opportunity to sign up for a VIP list for free a few months ago. VIPs receive emails with sneak peeks about new products, but we also got a free, metallic cover with our launch purchases! This is a $10.00 value, and very much appreciated. I don’t know if you can join the VIP list at this point in time, but here is a detailed look at the cover.

Here is what the front and back of the VIP cover looks like. It is a beautiful blue with metallic blue foil. I did want to mention that my cover came punched, but not cut. I easily took some scissors to cut it myself. Since this cover was free and the issue easily fixable, I did not feel the need to contact customer service. The inside covers are brand new with this launch, and are now formatted to act as dry-erase lists. Erin Condren now sells some wet erase markers, but I plan on using a regular Sharpie. You can learn how to erase Sharpie in THIS quick YouTube video.

Moving onto the products I purchased, I decided to get two accessories. First, I picked up the Rose Gold Metallic Snap-In Dashboard (LINK) because I wanted my order to total $100 so I could get free shipping. It was either pay $10 for shipping, or $5 for a dashboard. It was a no-brainer to get the dashboard! I also purchased the new Designer Sticker Book in the Classic Collection Edition 2 (LINK). I’ve really enjoyed the Erin Condren sticker books I’ve purchased in the past, and this one is even prettier than the older ones! You can see photos of each and every page in the sticker book on my Facebook Page HERE.

Now it’s time to talk about the Life Planner! This year Erin Condren is doing something quite different. Instead of buying a planner that is already put together, you build your own planner. You get to choose the coil color (Platinum, Gold, Rose Gold, or Black), the layout (Vertical, Horizontal, or Hourly), the color scheme (Neutral or Watercolor), the cover, and any cover personalization. While I really like the ability to create the perfect planner for me, the planner got more expensive than ever due to certain customizations being considered ‘upgrades.’ I’ll talk more about that in a minute. The cover I chose is called the In Bloom Metallic (LINK), and on the left you can see the new Plan for It Pouch that comes with each planner.

Here is a look at the Plan for It Pouch and the goodies you’ll find in it. In the past, the pouch used to be attached to the Life Planner in the back. Now you can choose where to put it, or even if you want to put it in your planner. I’m not going to use the pouch, as it bulks up my planner and I don’t use it anyway. Included is a Coil Clip, 3 Compliment Cards, 2 20% off coupons, and a sample sticker book. I love that we get some goodies with every Life Planner!

Let’s talk about my new Life Planner in more detail! I’ll share how I built my planner, and any coordinating prices.

Life Planner – $50
Rose Gold Coil – $10
Rose Gold Cover – $10
Personalized Cover – $5
Horizontal Layout – n/a
Colorful Color Scheme – n/a
6 Months of 2016 – $5

TOTAL: $80

If you’ve been following my #PlanWithPolishland posts since last year, you’ll know this is $5 more than I spent on my first Life Planner. The price increase is due to the $5 cost for personalization. I find this charge completely unnecessary, because personalized metallic covers are sold separately for $10 total. I don’t understand why I need to pay $5 extra for personalization when it comes on a planner, and not on its own. I did decide to get the personalization because it’s what I wanted, but I did want to point out my disappointment with this charge in particular. I am otherwise very happy with the added options for the Life Planner this year.

I want to show you a quick example of my Life Planner. Here is what a month looks like! This is January.

Each month you get a Notes Page and a Quote Page in the monthly colors.

That is followed by the Monthly Calendar.

Finally, here is what the Weekly Pages look like. It is very similar to last year’s Horizontal, but features the watercolor effect instead of the geometric print at the top of the page. I am loving it!

MY THOUGHTS ON LAUNCH DAY

I wanted to close out this blog post with my thoughts on Launch Day and my experience. I am very thankful that my Launch Day, June 1, was very successful. I logged into my Erin Condren account early, and had my order submitted two minutes before the official launch even began. I know there were a lot of technological issues on Launch Day, but I can only speak to my own personal experience. I had zero issues while ordering and received my confirmation email immediately after placing my order.

My order shipped on June 16, which was five days before my estimated ship time of June 21. I was a bit frustrated that people who placed orders days after me, and even weeks after me, got their orders before I did. I know I was one of the first to order, so it doesn’t make any sense why people who ordered so long after me received their packages before me. I don’t know what was going on at Erin Condren, but it felt like they were using a ‘last in, first out’ method instead of ‘first in, first out,’ when it came to shipping orders. Nonetheless, I can’t (and won’t!) complain too much because my order shipped out on time, and I received it in time for the start of the planner (June 27th).

The only issue I had with my Launch Day order was very miniscule. My tracking number never updated, and for five business days read “Order Processed” only. This means that the shipping label was created, but UPS never received the package. I emailed Erin Condren’s customer service team to find out what was going on, and it turns out I was given an incorrect tracking number. Not only was my email responded to in just over two hours, but the representative was very polite and helpful.

My order arrived on June 23, and everything was just perfect besides the little mistake with my VIP cover. I am beyond pleased with my Launch Day experience! I know that there were a lot of hiccups on launch day, and that many orders arrived damaged or with multiple errors. Again, I can only share my personal Erin Condren experience, and I am very happy to report that everything went quite smoothly for me this year! That is why I continue to purchase from and recommend Erin Condren. The products are amazing quality, and I think the customer service is great. Any issues I’ve ever had were always resolved in a timely manner.

THANK YOU FOR READING!

That brings us to the end of this very long and detailed blog post! I hope you found this post helpful if you are considering an Erin Condren Life Planner. If you have any #PlanWithPolishland blog post or video requests, feel free to leave them in the comments of this post. I am so excited to use my new goodies!

Please share your thoughts on Erin Condren’s 2017 Launch Day with me in the comments! Did it go smoothly for you? Did you experience any issues? Let me know!

Book Review | The Girl I Used to Be by April Henry

Posted on June 23, 2016May 11, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

The Girl I Used to Be by April Henry

Published by Christy Ottaviano Books on May 3, 2016

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller

Format: eARC

Pages: 240

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads: ★★ 1/2

When Olivia’s mother was killed, everyone suspected her father of murder. But his whereabouts remained a mystery. Fast forward fourteen years. New evidence now proves Olivia’s father was actually murdered on the same fateful day her mother died. That means there’s a killer still at large. It’s up to Olivia to uncover who that may be. But can she do that before the killer tracks her down first?

REVIEW

I was so excited to receive a review copy of The Girl I Used to Be by April Henry, as the synopsis sucked me in right away. This book follows teenager Olivia. When she was just three, her mother was murdered in front of her when her family went to cut down a Christmas tree in the woods. Her father was blamed for the murder, but when one of his bones turns up at the crime scene fourteen years later, authorities now believe he was killed that same day. Olivia now returns to her hometown in hopes of discovering who the killer is before the killer finds her first.

While I really loved the idea behind this story, unfortunately the book fell a bit flat for me. My main issue is with the writing style. I’ve never read a book by April Henry before, but the writing in The Girl I Used to Be felt very formulaic. The story is told from Olivia’s first-person-perspective, and each chapter follows a certain format. First, Olivia learns some clues by talking with the people in her hometown, and then she mulls over those clues by asking a bunch of rhetorical questions at the end of the chapter. I found these questions to be very annoying, mainly due to the sheer number of them. If we got a few questions throughout the story, that would build suspense and be fine. Instead we got lists upon lists of questions, and it left me feeling as if each chapter was just repeating itself.

Moreover, I think the short length of this novel really detracted from my rating of the book. The Girl I Used to Be is only 240 pages, and a lot of things go unexplained because of that. For example, the book opens with Olivia living in her own apartment in Portland, Oregon. She then decides to move back to her hometown, and she goes to the local thrift store to buy sheets and kitchen utensils. However, we never find out why Olivia never goes back to her old apartment to get her belongings, or even if she cancelled her old lease. This novel would be a lot stronger if it was longer, as Henry would be able to fully develop the story and its characters.

Another critique I have with this book is the romance aspect. Not only was the romance cringeworthy and full of insta-love, but the book would be exactly the same if there was no romance whatsoever. The only thing that would change is the two kissing scenes, which were quite awkward and didn’t fit within the book’s overall plot. I almost feel like the romance was added just for the sake of including a romance.

That being said, I am quite disappointed with The Girl I Used to Be. I really do love the idea behind the book, and I read it quickly because it is fast-paced and a short read. If you are a new reader of the mystery genre, this might be a good place to start. I found the ending predictable, and unfortunately I feel like this sort of story isn’t very unique. Thus, I only recommend it if you are looking to break into the thriller genre, or if you want a short and quick beach read this summer.

BUY THE BOOK

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Book Review | Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Posted on June 21, 2016May 11, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers on May 3, 2011

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Format: Paperback

Source: BookMooch

Goodreads: ★★★★ 1/2

Amy Curry is not looking forward to her summer. Her mother decided to move across the country and now it’s Amy’s responsibility to get their car from California to Connecticut. The only problem is, since her father died in a car accident, she isn’t ready to get behind the wheel. Enter Roger. An old family friend, he also has to make the cross-country trip – and has plenty of baggage of his own. The road home may be unfamiliar – especially with their friendship venturing into uncharted territory – but together, Amy and Roger will figure out how to map their way.

REVIEW

When it comes to the perfect summer read, it’s always safe to reach for a Morgan Matson book. Last summer I picked up Since You’ve Been Gone, and I was excited to pick up her first book this year. Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour follows teenager Amy. Her father recently passed away, and her mom decides to move the family from California to Connecticut. Amy is tasked with getting the family car across the country, but since she’s not driving, family friend Roger steps in to help. Readers follow Amy and Roger as they road trip across America and take a few detours along the way.

I absolutely love road trip books, especially when they take place in America. I feel like I am wandering throughout the country with Amy and Roger, and that is a lot of fun. This book includes a mixed media element, with photographs, scrapbook pages, and playlists being mixed in with the story. I loved this element, but I do wish they were placed better within the book. For instance, sometimes a scrapbook page featuring a state would appear before Amy and Roger got to that state. That is a very minor critique, and overall I really liked the inclusion of the mixed media elements.

My other critiques of the novel are quite small as well. I did find a few copyediting issues, which is surprising in a paperback reprinting. There is also a small plot hole in the novel. At the end of the book, Amy mentions that she can trust Roger because he hasn’t lied to her on their road trip. However, Amy mentions much earlier in the story that Roger does lie to her. While this is a very small hole, it does affect my rating a bit. My only other critique is that I wasn’t the biggest fan of how the romance played out. It felt a bit awkward, even though I was rooting for it.

Otherwise, I really loved Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour. The book is fun, but it is also very emotional, especially for anyone who has a special bond with her father. I loved how this book takes readers not only on a physical road trip, but an emotional journey as well. Amy and Roger both have things to work through, and they are able to confide in each other after spending so much time in the car together.

All in all, I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a summer read. It’s quick to get through, and will be perfect whether you are traveling this summer, or simply sitting out in the backyard. You get to meet a great cast of characters, and have a lot of fun! I know I will be reading Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour again, and all of Morgan Matson’s other books, in the future.

BUY THE BOOK

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$100 Starbucks Gift Card Giveaway!

Posted on June 16, 2016June 16, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday Eve, everyone! I’ve teamed up with some fellow bloggers to bring you a very exciting giveaway! One lucky winner will receive a $100 Starbucks Gift Card just in time for summer! You all might know that I love coffee, and a good iced drink in the warm weather. If you win I recommend an iced chai tea latte, or, my go to, black coffee with caramel syrup. Of course, make sure to let me know your favorite Starbucks drink in the comments! Best of luck!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

Prize: $100 Starbucks Gift Card

Giveaway organized by: Oh My Gosh Beck! (Please email becky@ohmygoshbeck.com with any questions.)

Rules: Use the Rafflecopter form to enter daily. Giveaway ends 6/30 and is open worldwide. Winner will be notified via email.

Are you a blogger who wants to participate in giveaways like these to grow your blog? Click here to find out how you can join a totally awesome group of bloggers!

*Please note this giveaway is a bit different than the ones you normally see at Adventures in Polishland because it is a collaboration! Make sure to follow the link in each section, and follow all of the profiles linked in order to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review | Day 21 (The 100 #2) by Kass Morgan

Posted on June 16, 2016May 6, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

Day 21 (The 100 #2) by Kass Morgan

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on September 16, 2014

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopian

Format: eARC

Pages: 320

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads: ★★★★

No one has set foot on Earth in centuries — until now.
It’s been 21 days since the hundred landed on Earth. They’re the only humans to set foot on the planet in centuries…or so they thought. Facing an unknown enemy, Wells attempts to keep the group together. Clarke strikes out for Mount Weather, in search of other Colonists, while Bellamy is determined to rescue his sister, no matter the cost. And back on the ship, Glass faces an unthinkable choice between the love of her life and life itself.
In this pulse-pounding sequel to Kass Morgan’s The 100, secrets are revealed, beliefs are challenged, and relationships are tested. And the hundred will struggle to survive the only way they can — together.

REVIEW

I jumped right into Day 21 immediately after finishing the first book in this series, The 100. This book picks up shortly after the first leaves off, with the 100 realizing that they are not the only people on Earth as they originally thought. I still enjoyed this book immensely, but found a few flaws in it.

First, the writing felt a bit watered down to me in this second book. I loved how rich the writing is in The 100, but Day 21 feels like it was adjusted for a younger audience. I also found two continuity issues in this book, which detracted from my overall rating. For example, in Day 21 Clarke mentions that the only mammal she’s ever seen before is a deer, but in The 100 Clarke saw a rabbit. These continuity issues were very small, but still quite noticeable, especially when reading the books back to back.

Similarly, Day 21 was much more predictable than the first book. I found that a bit disappointing, but thankfully was still wowed at the end of the novel. Morgan tied everything together once again, and I found myself on the edge of my seat. What I really love about this series is how addicting the books are. Because we follow four characters, I am constantly turning pages to find out what will happen next. The twists and turns are my favorite part, and I wish I wasn’t able to predict many of the moments in the book.

My final critique of Day 21 is the back and forth moments of some of the characters. For example, Clarke can’t seem to decide whether or not she wants to forgive Wells and be friends with him. One minute she hates Wells and never wants to see him again, while the next Clarke forgives him. This got a bit annoying, especially when Bellamy goes through a similar battle later in the book. He jumps to a conclusion really quickly, just to change his mind a moment later.

Nonetheless, I still really enjoyed this book and am ready to pick up the third book in the series. While Day 21 is more of a 3.5 star rating, I bumped it up to a 4 because I love it so much. The cliffhanger ending is just amazing, even though I did see it coming. If you read The 100, I highly recommend continuing on with the series. You’ll want to see what goes down in this book for sure!

BUY THE BOOK

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Book Review | The 100 (The 100 #1) by Kass Morgan

Posted on June 14, 2016June 14, 2016 by Adventures in Polishland

The 100 (The 100 #1) by Kass Morgan

Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on September 3, 2013

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopian

Format: eARC

Pages: 336

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads: ★★★★ 1/2

No one has set foot on Earth in centuries — until now.

Ever since a devastating nuclear war, humanity has lived on spaceships far above Earth’s radioactive surface. Now, one hundred juvenile delinquents — considered expendable by society — are being sent on a dangerous mission: to recolonize the planet. It could be their second chance at life…or it could be a suicide mission.

CLARKE was arrested for treason, though she’s haunted by the memory of what she really did. WELLS, the chancellor’s son, came to Earth for the girl he loves — but will she ever forgive him? Reckless BELLAMY fought his way onto the transport pod to protect his sister, the other half of the only pair of siblings in the universe. And GLASS managed to escape back onto the ship, only to find that life there is just as dangerous as she feared it would be on Earth.

Confronted with a savage land and haunted by secrets from their pasts, the hundred must fight to survive. They were never meant to be heroes, but they may be mankind’s last hope.

REVIEW

If you enjoy young adult dystopian novels, you need to pick up The 100! This book was sitting on my Kindle unread for over a year, and I can’t believe I didn’t read it sooner. I want to start out this review by saying that I have not watched the television adaptation of The 100, though I have heard the book and show are very different. Nonetheless, I highly recommend giving this story a chance if it at all sounds interesting to you.

The 100 takes place three hundred years after nuclear winter forced humans to escape to outer space in hopes of keeping humankind alive. Humans now live on a spaceship called the Colony, but this is a temporary solution, and humans must return to Earth before the Colony breaks down. The issue is, no one knows whether Earth is safe, or if the radiation levels still make the planet uninhabitable. The Colony decided to conduct an experiment by sending 100 juvenile delinquents down to Earth to see if they can survive.

We follow four main characters in The 100. First is Clarke, a girl who was confined for treason. Next is Wells, Clarke’s ex-boyfriend and the chancellor’s son. He committed a crime just so he could go to Earth with Clarke. Our next protagonist is Bellamy, who fights his way onto the dropship living for Earth so he can care for his sister. Finally, we follow Glass, who escapes the dropship bound for Earth in hopes of starting a new life with her boyfriend back on the Colony. The 100 is written in the third-person, but each chapter alternates between these four characters. There are also a lot of flashback scenes to help us get to know more about each character and what he or she went through up to this point in life.

I absolutely loved this book! The writing is exceptionally well done. Morgan does an amazing job at weaving together the past and the present, and creating well-developed characters. At times this felt like a slow read and as if nothing was happening in the plot. However, this is simply because we change character perspectives, and Morgan does a fantastic job making everything come together in the end. Thus, The 100 is a real page-turner because I always had to know what would next happen.

Similarly, this novel is full of twists and turns that I did not anticipate at all. The 100 doesn’t have a clear plot line, so I never know what to expect. I am always a fan of books where the author can create shocking moments that are logical, but difficult to predict. Morgan does this extremely well, and when I closed the book I immediately wanted to continue on with the series.

The only reason I deducted a half-star from my rating is because of the weak world-building surrounding the Colony. There are three ships connected together, Phoenix, Walden, and Arcadia, but I never fully understood how they functioned. There are different classes of people based on the ship you live on, but this was never explained. The different ships even have their own accents. I just wanted to know a bit more about the Colony and how it came to be organized.

Otherwise, I loved everything about The 100, and highly recommend it. I would describe this book as a mix of Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century and The Hunger Games, so if that sounds like your thing I would go for it. I cannot wait to continue on with this series and see what will happen in the sequel, Day 21.

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