I Didn't Devour This 'Bones and All'

Bones and All

Author: Camille DeAngelis

Goodreads / Amazon

Maren Yearly doesn’t just break hearts, she devours them.  Since she was a baby, Maren has had what you might call "an issue" with affection. Anytime someone cares for her too much, she can’t seem to stop herself from eating them. Abandoned by her mother at the age of 16, Maren goes looking for the father she has never known, but finds more than she bargained for along the way. 

Faced with love, fellow eaters, and enemies for the first time in her life, Maren realizes she isn’t just looking for her father, she is looking for herself. The real question is, will she like the girl she finds?

I'm kinda disappointed in this book. You'd think cannibals would be uber-interesting, but this book falls short of my expectations. I wanted so much more from this book. The concept was what drew me in, but the lackluster almost everything else just shooed me out.

I mean...cannibals, right? Supposed to be pretty interesting, you know?

Likes:

• Lee was a normal weirdo with an interesting story. He had an uncaring mother and loving sister. I wanted more about him. He was much more interesting than Maren. He had a backstory. And I was interested in that. Why did he do what he did? How did he come who he was? Did he have cannibals in his family? I had so many questions about/for him.
• Though I didn't particularly like it, Lee's sacrifice showed he cared. I loved how much he cared for Maren, romance or not. He cared enough to do that for her. That shows so much about his character. He cared for this girl, practically a stranger. And I admired him for that. But then again, he kinda had a death wish. Sooo.

Dislikes:

• There really isn't a discernible plot. What is Maren's purpose? What did she want accomplished? I have no clue. She didn't go anywhere. She didn't grow as a person. I felt so annoyed. I needed action, tension, something! I was so completely bored as I read. Thanks but no thanks.
• And Maren was a boring character. She had no interest for me. I wanted more about her past eats. Who were they? What were they to her? Had she controlled her hunger? I wanted to know more about her, but she was too Mary Sue for me. She didn't have a good backstory or motivation. She was an empty shell. She could have been way more interesting, but she fled her problems instead of facing them.
• The concept was fantastic. It reminded me of an anime (Tokyo Ghoul, if you're wondering.) I don't think I've read stories with cannibal side characters, much less featuring cannibals at the star of the show. The idea of cannibals who live comfortably in society raises many questions. How do they live? Are there societies of cannibals? We don't even find out how cannibals exist. Or why they do. There are a lot of unanswered questions. And the author, in the author's note, said the cannibals are more like ghouls. Like...is it hereditary? How do you find out you are with someone who is a cannibal? I had too many questions and no answers.
• And, of course, the romance falls flat. It wasn't captivating. And it wasn't even hinted. There was no spark. Nothing. The romance felt so forced for the reader's entertainment, like a team to root for. But both parties didn't even seem to love each other. Sure, there was a little brotherly love but nothing beyond that.

Tomato Talks Episode 2: Rated R for Mature Content

Welcome to another episode of Tomato Talks!

Listen here!

https://soundcloud.com/wrenthereader/tomato-talks-episode-2-rated-r-for-mature-content

Today, I talked about the definitions of YA, NA, and MG books. And how blurry the lines between all of these are. What makes a book YA? Or NA? Is it the content? The topics? The character ages? I know ages come into it a lot. 
And I asked if YA readers should read NA? For me, it's a yes. Honestly, some YA books are worse than NA books. And then, I asked if MG readers should read NA books? And that's the iffy part. (And when I say readers, I mean the target audience.)
And then I moved onto talking about censorship. I started to rant/ramble here, so apologies. I asked a few questions about when/if book banning should happen. And if book banning is really about protecting the kids anymore.
So some food for thought!

And here are some interesting links about book banning.
Enjoy!
http://www.ala.org/bbooks/about
http://libguides.butler.edu/c.php?g=34189&p=217686
http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/censorship/bannedbooksthatshapedamerica

The 100 Season 3 Episode 5 "Hakeldama" Group Review

Fable’s Library (Angelina and Brianna) joined up with The Bookmato Chronicles (me!) in writing a group review of The 100’s season three, episode four.

(In case you're wondering, the twins and I switch off editing the review/mess. So that's why it's different.)

For those of you who don’t know, The 100 airs on Wednesday on The CW at 9/8C.

Also, be prepared for spoilers! Though, the Parents Guide (From Worried Teens) only has mild spoilers :)

Summary of episode #5:

The show beings with a mass murder, a genocide of sorts started by the Sky People who are STRONGLY mislead by Pike (oh my gosh PIKE IS EVIL and I just UGH). They leave Indra alive and dying so that she can leave a message for Clarke and Lexa when they return from The Ice Kingdom. A war is on the horizon O_O and strangely, Thelonious is still a nut cake and people are liking it.

~ On a Random Note~

-Wren seems like a promising character…

Wren: I thought Wren died...or am I mixing things up? May be mixing things up. You know what would be cool? If I fell in love with another Wren. We’d have little Wren babies. FLAP FLAP.

Characters:

Twins: Bellamy is just UGH. STOP THIS NOW, IT IS MADNESS! I blame Pike.

Wren: Again, seeing historical connections. Aka WWI which I am learning about in WHAP. People v. machine guns= dead people.

Twins: It makes no sense having Pike as the leader because he LITERALLY just showed up! OH MY GOSH I CAN’T EVEN! THE GROUNDERS WERE THERE TO PROTECT THEM AND THEY MURDERED THEM!

Wait, Indra is their friend!

Wren: Yes. And he’s been Chancellor for 24 hours. Also… Indra?? NOOO. She’s been labeled ally so many times before.

Twins: This is so unbelievable, why would Bellamy do this? He knows the grounders are good. I just can’t believe they would all be swayed this easily.

Wren: Bellamy can be nice. Sometimes. But  he’s damn sexy all de time.

PS: I think Clarke is cropped out of this photo. HAHA.

Since when has Pike had actual power? Like...bruh. NO.

Twins: Lincoln is showing a lot of self control in there. And Raven’s old blonde boyfriend is still missing… (seriously, WILL THEY EVER EXPLAIN HIS ABSENCE!?)

Wren: OTHER SHOW.

Twins: The 100 is starting new fashion trends. Box backpacks...

Wren: And the box is also a backpack. Lovely transportation.

We’ll all be carrying around our stuff in box backpacks soon enough. Buy now!

Twins: He is an AWFUL Chancellor…………..

HE IS TOTALLY JUDGING HARD

Wren: I still hate Chancellor Pike -gags-

Twins: “In this world, when people leave they don’t come back,” Murphey. That is so sad :(

Wren: He’s actually quite truthful, though

He is honest with her it seems :O

That smug little face...

Wren: Whoa...FIGHTING…

And...poor Lincoln. Abby looks like she wants Pike’s head. Haha. GET IT

Wren:What...since when do people listen to Raven?

She doesn't seem like a leader...at least to me.

Twins: Trueeeee. No one listens to the teens EVEN though they’ve been there FOREVER or at least longer :O and why do the teens run the clans? Like Lexa :P

Raven gave Thelonious a dirty scowl XD

Wren: Now, Octavia hates Bellamy. Aw...torn relations…

And public humiliation.

Twins: AW I MISS THE GOOD SIBLING RELATIONSHIP :( I also love Octavia, she is such a great character!

Twins: I still think this season hasn’t been close to being as good as season 2 was. Season 3 is kind of boring so far :(

Wren: Unless you like lots of betrayal.

~During the SHOCKING moment....~

Wren: I’m crying on the inside. BEELAAMYYY

Twins: Bellammmmy :( HE HAS GOOD POINTS~!

Wren: STOP BLAMing herrrr. He does...but still. Clarke has so much weighing on her.

Twins: True true. But why does all the weight fall on her? Why do all the adults expect her to do everything when she is just a kid :O?

Wren: i know… please kiss, though. i love bellarke. and i give up on punctuation and stuff…

oh gosh...belammy.nooo.

Twins: OH MY GAWSH BELLAMY I AM ANGRY! HOW COULD HE AGUUHHHHHH

Wren: -fangirls crying-

Wren: Raven acts so tough..I just want her to unravel and relax

Twins: I really liked Raven :D!

Wren: I love the Octavia and clarke stuff going on

Twins: ME TOO! GIRL POWER WOOT WOOT XD AND LOOK IT’S HER MOM :D AND MARCUS THE GOOD GUYS! YAY

Wren: oh man. Sexy times with Emory and Murph

and she’s gonna abandon him after. One night stand.

Wren:

“Run, Raven, run!”

Oh...no...raven...no. No pills. No drugs. Stop. Pleasseee.

AND THE PREVIEW. people getting dem drugs

IT'S A CULT

Parent's Guide:

• In the beginning there is a mass murder, a TON of dead bodies are shown.
• There is swearing :P
• Murphy takes on the art of playing dead by painting his face with Rabbit guts.

Four Heroines You'll Meet in Books and Anime

Four heroines You'll Meet in Books and Anime

I noticed that in books and anime there are many girls who are similar. Stereotypes, I guess. I decided to make a small list of said girls!

And I will do a guy list. 

Later.

Also, none of these pictures are mine. The credit goes to their owners.

The bursting with bravado girl who secretly hides something

Books

Penryn from Angelfall

Rose from Vampire Academy

Anime

Kasahara from Library Wars

Haruhi from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

This is the girl who always is ready to fight. She is trained to fight, but she always has a chip on her shoulder. She has a reason for fighting; be it family or friends or something else. And her reason might be her secret. Her secret could also be a love interest or something dark from her past. She acts tough to hide her secret and hide her true emotions.

The last of her kind

Karou from Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Books

Safi from Truthwitch

Anime

Lydia from Earl and Fairy

Hiyori from Noragami

This girl is the rare, last -insert whatever-. She has a name to uphold, but she doesn't always do it quite well. She is judged by her dead peoples and yearns for their return. Other people hunt her, and she's always on the run.
And, perhaps, she is mistaken, and there are more of her kind.

Shy and quiet girl

Books

Isla from Isla and the Happily Ever After

Cath from Fangirl

Anime

Nagisa from Clannad
 

Tsubaki from Soul Eater

The shy girl is the girl you never notice. She has a kind heart, but most people don't realize this. She's sweet and very, very moe. Most people will take advantage of her. But she can hold her own.

The mysterious but sexy girl

Books

Alaska from Looking for Alaska

Margo from Paper Towns

Anime

Angel from Angel Beats

Inori from Guilty Crown

This girl is aloof and distant. Perhaps for backstory reasons and perhaps not. She has a dark backstory and keeps many secrets. Because of her distance, most people yearn for her. The story has her befriending someone unlikely and the friend joining the adventure of the mystery girl's life.

Love-a-thon 2016 Introduction

2016 Book Blogger Love-a-Thon

Dates: February 20, 12AM EST – February 22, 12AM EST

Hosted by: Alexa (Alexa Loves Books), Cee (The Novel Hermit), Hazel (Stay Bookish) & Mel (The Daily Prophecy)

Please note none of these pictures are mine.

What’s your name? Wren

Where in the world are you blogging from? US of A. Or my imagination.

How did you get into blogging in the first place? Truthfully? I got into it for free books. I stayed for the community. Simply put.

How did you come up with your blog name? I love this anime called Hetalia. And my favorite character is Romano the tomato lover. So I named my blog in honor of him. And I also love tomatoes.

What genre do you read and review the most on your blog? YA in general. Specifically fantasy and Sci-fi and darker contemporary.

What other types of posts do you do on your blog, apart from reviews? I do some stuff related to Dungeons and Dragons (Rogues Read Books Too.) and a podcast now (my Tomato Talks discussions. The recordings sound goddy awful, though.) And I have the Schardas Family Fun Time. Which relates Bardugo, Schwab, and Maas characters. I made this up with Mishma from Chasing Faerytales. And In Another World which relates my characters to books. 

Best blogging experience so far? Oh my gosh... Um...I went to BookCon 2015. So that was fun. And not really blogging...um... I don't know!

Favorite thing about the blogging community? Everyone is so kind and supportive! I love it! There's always a smile and a hug when I'm down.

Name the 5 books you’re most excited for this 2016! This Savage Song. Crooked Kingdom. The Raven King. A Gathering of Shadows. Gemina. 

Name the 5 books you want to read this 2016 that you didn’t get to in previous years! Air Awakens. (And I curse the library because they don't have it!) The Revelation of Gabriel Adam. Beautiful Music for Ugly Children. Shadows. The Manifesto on How to Be Interesting.

What’s an underrated book or series that you think everyone should read? The Archived. The world is unique. And the characters are amazing.

 

Which book boy or girl would be your book BFF? Erm... I think Kady from Illuminae and I would get around swell. And be snarky all day. Yay.

Which book boy or girl would be your book boyfriend/girlfriend? VICTOR VALE. -flops around aimlessly- he's so agggghh 

Who would you recruit for your apocalypse squad (5 characters max)
Cinder from 'Cinder' would be our mechanic. To fix all the cars so we could ride in style.
Kady and Ezra from 'Illuminae' (inseparable. So they count as one) would be the power couple. Kady would provide sassy commentary while Ezra fought.
Victor Vale from 'Vicious' would be the torturer. We all need one, guys. He'd fight for us and be all sadistic and antihero and awesome. Plus, he's like...walking laughing gas.
Nina from 'Six of Crows' would be another fighter/healer person. Duh. And she'd use her charm to get us out of trouble.
Thorne from 'Cinder' would be there for laughs and laughs alone.

Apart from reading, what are your other hobbies or interests? I like anime. And I also like welcome to night vale. I try to draw. And I sometimes write.

Apart from book shopping, what else do you like shopping for? Uh...jackets. I adore jackets. 

At a party, the DJ suddenly changes the song – and it’s your song. What song would be playing? Here by Aleissa Cara. My song. Or Stressed Out. Haha.

Pick out either a book you want turned into a film/TV show, or a film/TV show you want turned into a book. Six of Crows! It'd be amazing as a show!

What would your dream library look like? Lots of books. And one of those sliding ladders. And elevators. And it's a huge mansion. With comfy chairs and a cafe. And free WiFi. And a cat petting area. And beds. I have big dreams. (And hilariously adore small living. Hahahaha.)

Author you want to meet and sit down to tea with? Victoria Schwab! I'd love to pick her brain. And she's partly British. So the tea is a must.

Top Ten Best Anime Openings

I love anime. And I thought I should compile a list of my favorite anime OPs (openings.) These are my favorite songs that I rock to, and the show itself has nothing to do with this list. Even if some of my favorite shows make this list, it means their OP is amazing!
Let's get started.
Please note that I have NO CLUE what I'm talking about musically. I just ordered them in the order of what I liked and tried my best to explain why.

1) Noragami's "Hello Sleepwalkers" by Okinawa

Listen here!

Okay. I always spout love for this show. And it's amazing. But the catchy theme is one of my favorite parts of Noragami. It's a good song with a catchy beat that makes me want to dance.

2) RWBY "Time to Say Goodbye" by Jeff Williams 

Listen here!

It's so hard to choose one RWBY opening that is my favorite. I love all of them. Sure, they might take some getting used to, but, in the end, I never skip over them. But this one is the best. For me, it's the epitome of RWBY themes. It's catchy and is fast-paced.

3) Noragami Aragato "Hey Kids" by The Oral Cigarettes

Listen here! And apologies for  the blurry picture...

Yet another entry for my favorite series! I adore this song. At first, it took some getting used to, but I love it now. It's upbeat and gets me into the show. I love  the animation that goes along with it. And the English parts allow me to pitch in my voice to the song. 

4) Guilty Crown "My Dearest" by Koeda and Supercell

Listen here!

Over the years, I have hailed Guilty Crown as the best anime ever. (This has sadly changed with Noragami entering my life. But this show is still amazing.) The visuals are amazing. The story is fantastic. The characters capture humanity and the struggles within. And the music is AMAZING. A good five or so songs from this show are on my anime playlist on my phone. And it's hard to garner a place on my phone. It takes chops. This theme is full of amazing sounds, and Inori's voice is gorgeous. Not to mention the lyrics. A fantastic song.

5) Tokyo Ghoul "Unravel" by TK from Ling Toshite Sigure

Listen here!

If you think that this is an action sequence song, you're wrong. It starts off pretty soft then cranks up the noise. Its lyrics really do capture the show, and the climax of the song really is great. I love watching the animation as well. It's a masterpiece of art and music. 

6) Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood "Again" by Yui

Listen here!

This song was really there for me in a tough part of my life. So it had to make this list. The moment when Winry covers her eyes with her arm is honestly something I've done a lot. The fast pace with moments of slower lyrics keeps you singing along.

7) Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion "Colors" by FLOW

Listen here!

To me, this song kinda seems ironic since this show is all about the gray morals of humanity. But still. The animation is pretty awesome. At first, you think it's gonna be all fast-paced, but the song slows down and lets you savor its awesomeness.

8) Sword Art Online "Crossing Fields" by Lisa

Listen here!

While I am not a fan of SAO, I've got to give this show credit for its OP. It's a wonderful music experience. The lyrics effectively capture the show, and Lisa's voice is so amazing. Her held notes are great. (I'm not good at analyzing music. See?) The opening notes always get me pumped for the delightful experience.

9) Ouran High School Host Club "Cherry Blossom Kiss" by Chieko Kawabe

Listen here!

This adorable song is so catchy and uplifting. The lyrics are cute and sweet. They really work for this shoujo romance anime. And with all the boys, you can't know who Haruhi will end up with.

10) Stein;s Gate "Hacking to the Gate" by Kanako Ito, Chiyomaru Shikura, and Isoe Toshimichi

Listen here!

I don't think I've actually met someone who has seen this anime. But you should. It's so amazing. The plot and characters really take ahold of you. After that plug, I should talk about the song now.
This OP is all digital sounding, and it's lovely because of it. I listen to this and give in to my inner geek. (Trust me, we all have it.) The song matches the anime perfectly. It's really short, but I still adore it.

What anime OPs do you think should have made my list? What anime OPs do you like? Tell me in the comments!

The 100 Season Three Episode Four 'Watch the Thrones' Group Review

Fable’s Library (Angelina and Brianna) joined up with The Bookmato Chronicles (me!) in writing a group review of The 100’s season three, episode four.

(In case you're wondering, the twins and I switch off editing the review/mess. So that's why it's different.)

For those of you who don’t know, The 100 airs on Wednesday on The CW at 9/8C.

Also, be prepared for spoilers! Though, the Parents Guide (From Worried Teens) only has mild spoilers :)

Wren: Are you ready for this?

Twins: No *holds on to everything* never ready NEVER

Episode #4 Summary:

Queen Nia of the Ice Nation enters Lexa’s domain and challenges her authority. When this happens the rulers pick someone to fight for them, in their place, to the death. Nia picks her son, the prince, and Lexa choses herself. While this is happening, Clarke joins up with Prince Roan to make him King of the Ice Nation. Does this plan work out? Well...go watch the episode to find out :)

Meanwhile, Jasper and Monty sneak out of Arkadia to give a proper memorial for those who’ve died thus far. Jasper is a haunted image of what he once was (he’s changed so much since the first season) and Monty realizes this. Their friendship is put to the test. Will it last?

Also, while all this is going down a rebellion type group rises among the Sky people. Bellamy, and his good intentions, is dragged into the horrid mess. These people now believe that the Grounders are the enemies. One of them is named the new Chancellor (great idea Marcus *I say sarcastically*)

(Wren: WHOA. Hold on. This sounds like Ottomans/Japanese v. Europeans. WHOA. WHAP is useful for once!) Wat...what about Kane?!?! Kane’s good with people! Charles dude is not.

Twins: ugh no. NO he's got the least amount of experience with these grounders and this land

What's his name? Charles?

~On A Random Note!~

Twins: British accents always sound so weird compared to American accents o.o crazy

Wren: Isn’t that always true…

~

The twins become shocked: Random thought, Bellamys hair looks different o.o

Wren: Fluffy curls looks the same.

~

Wren also gets caught up on the hair situation…

Wren: Why does Clarke’s hair look longer?

I don't know o.o crayyyyzyyyyy

~

We all get caught up in their outfits!

Twins: I like Lexas outfit, another random thought

Wren: I also love the outfits now

~

Brianna dubs Marcus a hippie...

Characters:

The twins get confused about Queen Nia. When did she get to Lexa’s place? Did the ice queen let herself get caught?

Lexa burns possible ice queen, saying that in the battle for death, no one fights for her since she's the commander AND the ice queen so (selflessly, I might add) threw her son under the bus, now he gets to fight to the death! Yay! I imagined the ice queen to look more royal, elegant and composed...

Wren agrees by shouting, BUURRNN.

Then she adds...

She’s a bad mother.

The twins agree.

The twins also get confused as to how Jasper survives Mt. Weather...Somehow he survived the bomb, even though he was inside. Perhaps they forgot the moment where he left? Did he leave? Did they show that? But they aren’t sure.

Wren: Jasper and Monty tension. They were so good friends...once.

Twins: So sad T.T their relationships have changed so much. Friends are now enemies and enemies aren’t as bad as they once were. Talk about dynamic characters, am I right? Or am I right?

Wren: Monty is such a good friend. He stuck with Jasper.

Oh. Finn’s? Saving them for Clarke? Why Clarke? Why not Raven???

SCREW CLARKE?!?! MASS MURDERERS? WHATTT.

Oh. Monty… -hugs-

Jasper is taking this all wrong…

Twins: Monty is not fine and that breaks my heart, him and Jasper are fighting...

Wren: I have so much love for Monty right now.

Brianna: drunk Jasper is no fun…. :(

Then, of course we’ve got sass master Clarke. She continues to be sassy to Lexa, she just doesn't want to trust a little boy. Clarke to Lexa “do you ever talk about anything other than your death”

Wren: But I lurve talking about my death

Brianna, yet again states her opinion on Clarke. She thinks Clarke is being very manipulative. Her manipulative energy is showing its true colors more and more as time progresses.

The Sky people continue to be fools. They’ve learned nothing, apparently… Anger is their policy? Look where that got them. Now their going to kick Lincoln out? He's done nothing but help?

Things get tense between them and the Grounders, suddenly the tension is thick and something’s about to go down...

Wren: Thought he was going to drop some mad rhymes. AWww.

LINCOLLNN. You are so not an enemy.

Twins: Rap battle right now.

Wren: EPIC RAP BATTLES OF HISTORYYY

Twins: On another note, why's ice queen mad at lexa, and when do they have time to learn their languages?

Wren: The epic Missing Three Month Period.

Then…

Wren: Nia and Clarke have a nice little talk. With knives and blood. The Grounders become the enemies of Azgeda now. Wow.

Twins: Kind of sounds like Asgard…

Twins: I like how they speak in their own language and use subtitles :) its so cool

Wren: It’s like subbed anime. ;)

Twins: Yeshhhhhhh. :D

BUT, even though Clarke is cold this season, she still cares. She looks so worried for Lexa during battle to death beginning

Wren realizes something important, something she doesn’t like... Lexa is a badass fighter. I hate her. But I have to admit that.

Twins: Yeah, you go girl! Slowmo fights.

THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS: SHOOT PLOT TWIST, everyone is shocked, they don't know how to react.

Sadly, Bellamy makes, what we think to be, mistakes…

I know Bellamy has good intentions. But...no.

But yeah, he tries to do what's best...

I love that he does try. But he gets wrong.

AND WE WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE CITY OF LIGHT! COME ON PEOPLE. 
Wren: It’s a story line. Where is it?

Twins: Maybe they'll explain it in season 4...

Parental Guide (from worried teens):

Wren: Psh. I can handle this stuff. ;)

-This episode contains blood and an intense battle.

-(Spoiler) the Ice Queen is speared in the heart, there’s blood.