Book Review: Dead to You, by Lisa McMann

Title: Dead to You
Series/Sequel? No
Author: Lisa McMann
Genre(s): Hard Topics, Realistic Fiction, Relationships
Age Level: YA
Page Count: 243 (Paperback)
Perspective: First Person (Male)

Summary: Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family. It’s a miracle…at first. Then the tensions start to build. His reintroduction to his old life isn’t going smoothly, and his family is tearing apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he'd be able to put the pieces back together. But there’s something that's keeping his memory blocked. Something unspeakable...

Review: The one thing to say about this book: it's an extremely quick read. I was finished in one sitting of two hours. The page count itself is pretty short, yes, but also just the way it is written lends itself to be finished quickly.

I think the urgent quality of the plot is definitely a part of that. Things start off seemingly with the ending: Ethan De Wilde, who was kidnapped from his suburb when he was seven, has been reunited with his family after nine years through the Child Protection Services. But then he goes home, and things go from bad to worse, relationships build and break, and then BAM! it's finished.

And the ending... I've seen a lot of people on Goodreads complaining about the ending and how it was too abrupt and left too many questions unanswered. And I agree with that, to some extent. It was an extremely abrupt ending that slapped you in the face and left many questions unanswered, unless you were intelligent enough to piece together small clues throughout. Too-small clues, in my opinions. Who is Ethan, then? is everyone's question at the end. I had no idea either, until I went to the book group in which I read this book for, and the people who understood it told us that Ethan is actually David, Ellen's biological child. I didn't get that until they told me and explained it to me multiple times. And even now, I'm still not sure I like that twist and that explanation.

I thought that the summary was somewhat misleading. With the last line "But there's something that's keeping his memory blocked. Something unspeakable." I thought that it was going to have a paranormal twist of some sort, even a small one. And that kind of threw me off as I was actually reading it and found that it was pure realistic fiction.

I feel like I should probably forewarn you about how dark this book is. It's extremely dark and scary, and it's not for someone who gets scared easily. It's for someone who wants to think, and who wants some well-written realistic fiction and real-world problems to do so.

Realistic fiction is not my genre by any means, but realistic fictions and dark, thoughtful story fans will definitely enjoy this one!

Rating:

Book Review: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour, by Morgan Matson

Title: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour
Series/Sequel? No
Author: Morgan Matson
Genre(s): Realistic Fiction, Romance, Hard Topics
Age Level: YA
 Page Count: 344
Perspective: First Person (female)
Summary: Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn't seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she's coming to terms with her father's death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road--diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards--this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself.

Review: This book was a good realistic fiction book. It wasn't anything major, but it was a good summer read (a little too late for that, but...), the type of thing that's fun to read by the pool or hanging out on a lazy day.

The sadness and death part of this book was better written than other books I've read, and I was glad to not have to suffer through cliches. Roger's situation was different than any other book I've read, and it was a good compliment to Amy's own pain and sadness, though it wasn't so heavy it dragged the book down into a pity party. And while it wasn't so well-written that I felt empathy for the characters, I did feel sympathy, which is more than some books have managed.

On the other side of things, this book also managed lighthearted- and funniness, in the situations Amy and Roger found themselves in, and the conversations they had as well. I was laughing and smiling just as much as I was frowning in sadness, and few books have managed that.

A good realistic fiction book I would definitely recommend!

Rating:

Quotes:

"Someone had etched into [the diner table] 'Ryan loves Megan always'... I wondered how anyone could have been so sure about a concept so tenuous and impossible as always that they'd be willing to carve it into a tabletop." - Page 199

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"You've got to have pride in your home. You are where you're from. Otherwise, you're always going to be lost." - Page 174

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"I understood in a flash why, on the Greyhound sign, Arrivals and Departures were right next to each other. Because sometimes, like in that moment, they can mean exactly the same thing." - Page 321

_________________________________________________________________________________

"Someone just told me that you can't let things stop you because you're afraid." - Page 249

Book Review: The Catastrophic History of You and Me, by Jess Rothenberg

Title: The Catastrophic History of You and Me
Series/Sequel? No
Author: Jess Rothenberg
Genre(s): Romance, Hard topics
Age Level:YA
Page Count:375 (Hardcover)
Perspective: First person (female)
Summary: Dying of a broken heart is just the beginning.... Welcome to forever.

BRIE'S LIFE ENDS AT SIXTEEN: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart—literally.

But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend has been keeping a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost—and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul . . . who just might hold the key to her forever after.

With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on. But how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?

Review: Books about death - and the afterlife - are very interesting, but they are often hit-or-miss. This was definitely a hit.

First off was the voice. Rothenberg managed to create a character with a funny, enjoyable voice who had just the right measure of funniness that she seemed like a typical high school girl, but wasn't cliched, shallow, or just pathetic. Brie dying of a broken heart could have easily made her seem all three, but Rothenberg managed to have such a cause of death be believeable and stir our sympathies, instead of our disbelief. Adding Brie's preexisting heart condition and the fact that her father was a cardiologist, and Brie dying of a broken heart was absolutely perfect.

There were three subsets of supporting characters in this book, and each subset was beautifully realistic and relateable:

Brie's best girl friends added a layer of supporting characters that all girls will be able to relate to: the absolute best friends that know you better than yourself, those that always have your back no matter what. In her friends, I could see some similarites in my own best friends, lending to their believeablility.

Brie's family was wonderful as well: even if they're a little to-good-to-be-true at first, they are ultimately a believeable, well-written family.

And then, of course, we come to the boys. The characters that the book is really formed around. And of course, you can't mention the boys without mentioning the title. Both Patrick and Jacob seem like believeable boys - maybe too-good-to-be true, but each had one major fault that made them human and made them more believeable. The title also changes because of the boys. At first, you think the title is referring to one thing, one pair's history, but then at the end you realize that the title is referring to a different thing completely. I find that really clever and intelligent and I applaud the author for being able to think of such a thing.

An amazing, wonderful book. Put this one at the top of your 'to-read' list!

Rating:

Book Review: This Dark Endeavor, by Kenneth Oppel

Title: This Dark Endeavor
Series/Sequel? The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein #1
Author: Kenneth Oppel
Genre(s): Historical Fiction, Romance
Age Level: YA
Page Count: 304
Perspective: First Person (Male)

Summary from Goodreads: Victor Frankenstein leads a charmed life. He and his twin brother, Konrad, and their beautiful cousin Elizabeth take lessons at home and spend their spare time fencing and horseback riding. Along with their friend Henry, they have explored all the hidden passageways and secret rooms of the palatial Frankenstein chateau. Except one.

The Dark Library contains ancient tomes written in strange languages and filled with forbidden knowledge. Their father makes them promise never to visit the library, but when Konrad becomes deathly ill, Victor knows he must find the book that contains the recipe for the legendary Elixir of Life.

The elixir needs only three ingredients. But impossible odds, dangerous alchemy and a bitter love triangle threaten their quest at every turn.

Victor knows he must not fail. Yet his success depends on how far he is willing to push the boundaries of nature, science and love—and how much he is willing to sacrifice.

Review: I've never read Frankenstein. I mean, I know the basic story; everyone does. But I just thought I'd tell you that I have never read Mary Shelley's classic, so I may not understand all the allusions to the original.

I didn't think I would enjoy this book very much. I only read it because the cover looked simply amazing and there were a couple of really cool quotes in the summary and on the back cover.

How wrong I was.

I loved the characters in this. Victor was a very interesting character, a personification of the animalistic characteristics of human nature: passion, violence, instinct, pride. On the other end of things, his twin Konrad seemed to be a personification of the qualities that make humans human: intelligence, charm. And then Elizabeth seemed to be caught in the middle, a mix between the human and animal natures, between Konrad and Victor. I also loved how independent and strong Elizabeth was, so unusual for a woman of that time period. (During the French Revolution.) All the other characters were well developed also, but those three, as the three main characters, really stood out to me.

I loved reading about the alchemy involved in this, and how the alchemy (and science) was influenced by the time period, and vice versa. I've never really been able to find any (good) books about alchemy, and it was really well explained and interesting to read about in this book.

This book was really well-written, there was no turn of phrase that needed editing. I greatly respect Mr. Oppel!

I greatly recommend this book to fans of alchemy, Frankenstein, male protagonists, and/or historical fiction!

Rating:

Book Review: The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend, by Kody Keplinger

Title: The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend
Series/Sequel? No
Author: Kody Keplinger
Genre(s): Realistic fiction, Romance, Relationships
Age Level: YA (14-18)
Page Count: 280
Perspective: First person (female)

Summary from Goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him. Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.
Review: This was a really good book. I checked it out of the library because the situation of the character reminded me of the relationship in a book I'm trying to write, and I wondered how this author would handle the type of relationship.

The answer is: beautifully.

This is the type of book that doesn't really have a for-certain plot. It's more of a rambling book. Even so, I greatly enjoyed it. I enjoyed reading about Wesley's and Bianca's relationship, how their relationship - if it could even be called that - was based on sex, distraction, and escape from more complicated life matters. I loved reading about it as their relationship changed and grew and morphed into something else. I loved reading about Bianca's other relationships, with her friends and the other kids and school and her mother and father. And I most definitely loved Bianca's sarcastic, cynical, hilarious narrative.

This is a wonderful realistic fiction book about relationships and love. I highly recommend it!

Rating:

Book Review: Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Title: Twenty Boy Summer
Series/Sequel?  No
Author: Sarah Ockler
Genre(s): Hard Topics, Romance, Realistic Fiction
Age Level: YA
Page Count: 290
Perspective: First person female
Summary: According to Anna’s best friend, Frankie, twenty days in Zanzibar Bay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy every day, there’s a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there’s something she hasn’t told Frankie–she’s already had her romance, and it was with Frankie’s older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.

TWENTY BOY SUMMER explores what it truly means to love someone, what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every beautiful moment life has to offer.

Mini-Review: This book was perfect for summer: though it had enough of a plot, enough darkness and conflict to keep the reader interested, it was also a book perfect for reading on the beach or by the pool, while your dreaming of your own summer romance. Honest realistic fiction story on grief, friendship, and love.

Rating: 

Book Review: The Sharp Time by Mary O'Connell

Title: The Sharp Time
Series/Sequel? No
Author: Mary O'Connell
Genre(s): hard topics, realistic fiction
Age Level: YA
Page Count: 228
Perspective: First-person Female
Summary from Goodreads: Sandinista Jones is a high school senior with a punk rock name and a broken heart. The death of her single mother has left Sandinista alone in the world, subject to the random vulnerability of everyday life. When the school system lets her down, her grief and instability intensify, and she ponders a violent act of revenge.

Still, in the midst of her crisis, she gets a job at The Pale Circus, a funky vintage clothing shop, and finds friendship and camaraderie with her coworker, a boy struggling with his own secrets.

Even as Sandinista sees the failures of those with power and authority, she's offered the chance to survive through the redemptive power of friendship. Now she must choose between faith and forgiveness or violence and vengeance.
Review: I finished. Oh, thank God I'm finished.

This book took forever to read. It's short enough that I would normally have finished it in a few hours, but it took me a week to finish instead.

And the thing is, I'm not sure why. It wasn't an awful book. It just... wasn't very interesting. The characters were all very well developed, and I enjoyed reading about each of them. Sandinista was defiant, unique and spunky, and I liked her as a character. But the plot was greatly lacking. I felt like there wasn't anything going on in the book. Sandinista was caught up on the same thing throughout the entire book, and it got annoying. So, don't waste your time on this book. Find a better realistic fiction novel - cause there are better out there!

Rating:

Book Review: Shine, by Lauren Myracle

Title: Shine
Series/Sequel? No
Author: Lauren Myracle
Genre(s): Hard topics, realistic fiction, mystery
Age Level: 13 and up
Page Count: 350 (paperback)
Perspective/POV: First person, female

Summary from Goodreads: When her best guy friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it. Richly atmospheric, this daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the name of justice.

Against a backdrop of poverty, clannishness, drugs, and intolerance, Myracle has crafted a harrowing coming-of-age tale couched in a deeply intelligent mystery. Smart, fearless, and compassionate, this is an unforgettable work from a beloved author.

Review: This book deals with a lot of things: drug use, sexual assault, and prejudice against gays. I normally don't read about many, if any, of those things. I don't enjoy reading about them. But this was for my book group, and so I didn't really have a choice in the matter.

Like I said, this book deals with a lot of hard topics. But how it deals with them is in a brutally honest way, not stepping around it carefully as so much of the world is apt to do. Though many of the characters in the book don't talk about it as honestly as the narrator thinks about it, it realistically shows peoples' attitudes and opinions about the topics.

This book was also a mystery - and a wonderfully planned one at that. Some twists and turns I spotted before they happened, but due to good clue placement by the author, not out of predictability. (Most of the time.) Some plots twists totally surprised me; I hadn't seen them coming in the slightest.

This book is a wonderful addition to the book world. For mystery fans and for those that want the things often pushed under the rug to be brought to the light, this is a story you'll will most certainly find appealing. Truthfully, I believe everyone should read this book. It has so many topics that we must deal with today, that we must be educated about in the changing world. So what are you waiting for? Go and read it!

Rating:

Quotes: I know I normally don't do this, but there were a couple in here that I just loved, and had to share!
________________________________________________________________________________


'It was also proof that knowledge was power, not being a bully or rich or thinking you were better than everyone... Knowledge was more powerful than fear. Love was stronger than hate.' -Page 264 of Shine
________________________________________________________________________________

'I tossed Daddy's Spanish pistol on the Lawsons' coffee table, and it made a fairly satisfying thunk that I hoped woke up his mama. 
"You're not taking that?" Tommy said. 
"Nope."
"But... why?" Bailee-Ann said. 
"Because it's good for nothing," I said, keeping my eyes on Tommy. "Because one worthless piece of shit deserves another."' -Page 279 of Shine
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 'I loved everyone who said yes to the world and trued to make it better instead of worse, because so much in the world was ugly - and just about all the ugly parts were due to humans.... I hurt everyone I came into contact with, because what I was sending out wasn't a yes to the world but a no. 
I was going to stop that' -Page 290-291 of Shine
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Book Review: Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

 Title: Wintergirls
Series/Sequel? No
Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Genres: Realistic Fiction, Hard Topics
Age Level: YA
Page Count: 278 (Paperback)

Summary from Goodreads: Lia and Cassie were best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies. But now Cassie is dead. Lia's mother is busy saving other people's lives. Her father is away on business. Her step-mother is clueless. And the voice inside Lia's head keeps telling her to remain in control, stay strong, lose more, weigh less. If she keeps on going this way—thin, thinner, thinnest—maybe she'll disappear altogether.

In her most emotionally wrenching, lyrically written book since the National Book Award finalist Speak, best-selling author Laurie Halse Anderson explores one girl's chilling descent into the all-consuming vortex of anorexia.

Review: So, there was World Book Night on April 23rd, which my library (and other libraries around the country/world) celebrated it by giving out books to people that don't read a lot. One of the books was this one, and so in celebration of World Book Night, I decided to read it.

I've been having a problem reviewing this book. I... can't really put my thoughts about it into words. But I'll try, so... here we go:

So, you know from reading the summary, that this is mainly about eating disorders. I've always found eating-disorder books very interesting. My problem with them is personal - upon reading them, I always feel as if I'm going to turn anorexic. Not that I actually ever have, but...

I've only read a few of them, but this was one of the better ones. Laurie Halse Anderson is a very good author, and this was a raw, unpolished look at anorexia and girls who cut themselves for release. I found Lia's struggle very interesting. I loved seeing the way she thought, how she viewed herself and what she did in order to be thin. She viewed herself in a different way than others did, and it brought up a question that I believe we all think about sometime in our lives, though it is impossible to answer: Do we all see things the same? Which of those views is the true one? Cassie's ghost haunts Lia throughout this book. Is it really Cassie's spirit, or is it Lia's inner demon personified, in a way that she can hear and see and understand?

I thought Lia was also intelligent, clever. She was able to figure out ways that made it seem as if she had eaten, even if she hadn't. As horrible as it was, her starving herself, it made me respect her. She was very clever in the way she did things.

I also liked how Lia genuinely cared about her little stepsister, Emma. Lia did everything she could to make Lia happy. She hated her parents, but still cared a lot about Emma. I liked her for that.

This is a very thought provoking novel, one that you have to read to fully understand and appreciate. I... really wish I could explain it more than that, but I cannot.


Rating:

Book Review: Looking For Alaska by John Green

Title: Looking For Alaska
Series/Sequel? No
Author: John Green
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: YA
Page Count: 221 (Paperback)


Summary from Goodreads: Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps." Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps.


Review: I feel like I almost shouldn't post a review to this, because I'm going to feel bad once I do, but... Here's the thing: The first John Green book I read was The Fault in Our Stars, which was his latest book, the fifth one he's written. And it was so utterly amazing I couldn't believe my eyes. It was that awesome. And then I go and read this, which was the first book he ever wrote (or at least got published).

You could tell the difference.

Ugh, now I feel really mean. But let me explain myself.

One of the things I loved in The Fault in Our Stars was how... interesting the conversations the main characters had. They were teenagers, yes, but their conversations were so funny/deep (alternately, not at the same time) and just so interesting. But then, in this book, they were... just so... kinda stupid and shallow and... not all together interesting. They were concerned about what typical high school students were concerned with - sex and drugs and alcohol. And... I guess I just expected more from this author.

The plot in itself wasn't horrible. Alaska was very interesting, and I enjoyed reading her character. I found Pudge's memorization of last words cool as well. The pranks they pulled had me laughing and clucking my tongue at them. I also thought it was cool how the chapters - and the parts of the book - were split between Before and After. I found Pudge's and the Colonel's investigations in After interesting as well.

I'm kinda split down the middle in terms of the ending. I thought it was fitting, because there really WAS no clear answer, but at the same time, I hated how there wasn't a solid ending, a solid The End that said that this was what happened and that was that.

Overall, my thoughts on this book are kind of divided right down the middle. You'll have to try it for yourself to see whether you like it or not. Only personal preference will be able to tell.

Rating:

Book Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Title: Lola and the Boy Next Door
Series/Sequel? No
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Genres: Realistic Fiction, Romance
Age Level: YA
Page Count: 338 (Hardcover)

Summary from Goodreads:  Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Review: So, I read Anna and the French Kiss, by Stephanie Perkins. I lurved it. I found out there was a companion. I walked into my library on Monday and found this waiting for me on the "New" shelf!

This book is different than Anna and the French Kiss. There are some similarities, though. It's almost like they are the same book, just with different events happening in different places and orders.

I liked how each character in this book had their own thing. Inventing for Cricket, fashion for Lola, baking for Andy, figure skating for Calliope. Each person sticks to their thing, and is really good at their thing, and their thing influences their character. I respect Stephanie Perkins for being able to differentiate her characters so.

I liked Lola's relationship with her dads. I thought it was cute and nice and cool and sweet how, even though they weren't her real parents and they were gay, they still had a very familial relationship. I also thought Andy and Nathan (her dads) were funny and sweet and cute in their own right.

I liked how Anna and St. Clair (from Anna and the French Kiss) made and appearance in this book. They were so cute, and I was glad to see more of them. I liked how, with their love, they helped Lola deal with her relationship problems, through listening ad advice.

I've already said this, but I loved how much each character's thing influenced the plot as well, and not just the characters. I liked how Lola's ability with a sewing needle saved the day.(You'll have to read the book to know what I'm talking about.)I liked reading about each of her ensembles, how they sometimes matched what she was doing that day, and how each one was so unique. It was also interesting to read how the other characters reacted to her outfits.

I didn't like Max at all. I had no idea why Lola was even with him. He was rude and mean, and I don't think Lola should have even been with him in the first place. But I guess it worked out in the end. :)

I don't think I like this book as much as Anna and the French Kiss (because I can't' help comparing the two). I'm not sure why. I can't really pinpoint the reason. But if you liked Anna and the French Kiss and/or Sarah Dessen, I would suggest it, because there is no doubt in my mind you will enjoy it!

Rating:

Book Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Title: Anna and the French Kiss
Series/Sequel? No
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Genres: Realistic Fiction, Romance
Age Level: YA (12-18)
Page Count: 372 (Hardcover)

Summary from inside flap of book: Anna was looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she's less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Etienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend. 

But in the City of Light, wished have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss? 

Review: Oh, this was so adorable! So, so adorable! It was realistic romance, and I loved it so, so much!

Okay, calm down, Anastasia. Calm down. Get out review. Then you can swoon again.

So, yeah, my review. I've heard that this book was really good, so when I saw the spine on my library bookshelf, I decided to check it out. The librarian gave me a look, and my friend teased me (because the title is a little... ahem, suggestive) but it was worth it.

This book was hilarious. I was only a couple pages in and laughing. It was just so realistic. Like how a seventeen-year-old girl would actually be thinking. Just a hilarious, slightly ADD seventeen-year-old girl. Anna was hilarious and realistic, and I loved every second of her. It was told from her perspective, and so her hilariousness was there almost every moment of it. She is amazing and fearless and... oh, I wish we could hang out sometime!

The rest of the characters were really great as well. Etienne St. Clair was so charismatic and nice and sweet, and not at all like the typical sex-crazed guy. I'm mad at Anna for taking him, because I think I'm in love with him. :)

The rest of the characters were very awesome as well. Well, some of them (like Amanda and Toph and both St. Clair's and Anna's fathers) weren't very nice and I kind of wanted to slap/kill them at times, but they were all very unique. I greatly respect the author for being able to successfully give each character their very own specific personality.

I really wish there was a sequel to this, because I loved it so much! I've gotta check to see if it's at the book store, because I want to buy it so badly!

If you like Sarah Dessen, I would suggest this book for you. If you like romance, I would suggest this book for you. If you like down-to-earth, realistic fiction coming-of-age stories, I would also suggest. All in all, an awesome book!

Rating: 

 

Book Review: Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford

Title: Carter Finally Gets It
Series/Sequel? Followed by Carter's Big Break
Author: Brent Crawford
Genres: Realistic Fiction, Romance
Age Level: YA (13-18)
Page Count: 300
Summary from back of book: Join Carter for his freshman year, where he'll search for sex, love and acceptance anywhere he can find it. In the process, he'll almost kill a trombone player, face off against his greatest nemesis, get caught up in a messy love triangle, suffer a lot of blood loss, narrowly escape death, run from the cops (not once, but twice), meet his match in the form of a curvy drill teamer, and surprise the hell out of everyone, including himself. 

Warning: 

This book contains lewd humor, underage drinking, illicit fantasizing, and very bad decision-making.

Review: This was a book I read for book group, and so I was kind of required to read it. If not, I never would have picked it up. On the back of this book, there are also three quotes from reviews, all stating this book as hilarious. And it might of been hilarious...

If I was a fourteen-year-old guy. 

But I'm not, and so that probably leaked some of the humor from the book. Most of the time, in fact, I was debating with myself whether or not guys actually think like this, are that concerned with the things that Carter was concerned about. Which pretty much filtered to two things: sex and coolness level. I did find it amusing, however, some of the solutions Carter got himself into, and the way he handled it. I thought it was amusing how he was gullible and willing to do anything to get himself a girl. 

This book was written in first person in Carter's POV, which scored it brownie points. 

If you are a teenage boy - or a male adult, wanting to look back on childhood - I would suggest this book. You will (possibly) be able to relate. (I say possibly because I have no idea what actually goes on in the minds of the male species.) If you are a teenage girl wanting to shake your head because of the obvious idiocy of teenage guys, I would also suggest it. However, if you want something deep and meaningful and romantic and poignant... I would say skip it. 

Rating:

Book Review: The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

Title: The Fault In Our Stars
Series/Sequel? No
Author: John Green
Genres: Realistic Fiction, Philosophy, Romance
Age Level: YA (12-18)
Page Count: 313
Summary: Hazel has had lung cancer for years. It's only a matter of time before the tumors take her life. Until, on boring Support Group day, a good looking boy named Augustus Waters begins staring at her, and her life changes forever... for a little thing called love.


Review: I've heard a lot about John Green. One of my best friends has been bothering me and bothering me and bothering me to read him, especially this book, which she obsessed about for a couple of days. So, seeing it in my library, I picked it up and checked it out, thinking What the heck? I can finally get her off my back. 

I am SO glad I did.

This book was flat out amazing. That's the whole truth of it. It was flat out AMAZING. I loved loved loved loved it.

Okay, so it's a cancer book. It's sad. SPOILER ALERT: Someone dies END SPOILER

But it's beautiful and philisophical and hilarious and... and... and...

Let me say this: in the summary, I said  "her life changes forever... for a little thing called love." Let me clarify: this is no sappy, swooning love story. Hazel's and Augustus's relationship is nothing like that. It's more like best friends - they are laughing and kidding and just hanging. The conversations they get into can be deep and philosophical and so interesting to read about, even as it's just so HILARIOUS they way they say and view things.

I was four pages into this book and already cracking up. That's how awesomely hilarious it is.

I wish... I really really wish that I could say more about it, but I just... I can't describe it. I just... I can't. I can't tell you just how AMAZING it is. You have to take my word for it and read it. Please. Because I need someone to freak out with!

I'm definitely planning on checking out his other books! 

Rating: 

Little thing: Did you see that little yellow sticker on the cover image up there? It says SIGNED COPY. Yeah. I got a signed copy. Awesome, right? Of course, it's actually the library's book, but... :)

Book Review: I Will Save You by Matt de la Pena

Title: I Will Save You
Series? No
Author: Micheal de la Pena
Genres: Realistic Fiction, Hard Topics
Age Level: YA (13-18)
Summary: Kidd has nothing and no one. Having run away from his therapy home, he works at a campsite repairing things. There he meets Olivia, whose his exact opposite - blond haired, blue eyed, and rich. Kidd loves Olivia, and Olivia may feel the same. But how can they be together when Kidd's ex-best friend Devon, who has a death drive and hates the white and the rich, is coming back for Kidd? Because Devon's not leaving until he teaches Kidd some things about life and death and who we are.


Review: Okay, so I had to read this book for a book group at my library. We only have to read fifty pages of a book if we don't like it, and I normally abide by that rule, because I don't really like a lot of books we read. Originally reading the summary for this, I was not too excited. Even reading it, I didn't really get to excited or caught up in it. 

This book is very serious, and isn't for the type of people (mostly girls, I will admit) who like the nice, fluffy, cute stuff. Kidd has to deal with a lot of serious, horrible things in his life. Other characters have problems - major problems, not love-triangle-like problems - but Kidd probably has it the worst. This is one of the type of books that sends shivers up your spine while reading it. Not because it's a creepy mystery or haunted house, but because the things that happen to the characters, the things they have to go through, the way they react and deal with these problems, is so... commonplace... that you can't help thinking What if that happened to me? Because unlike paranormal/dystopian/fantasy books, you know that it could happen to you. It may even be considered normal or predictable if these things happened to you.

I didn't like how this book was set up. Kidd kind of jumps around in his storytelling, and the beginning of the book is really the end of the story. It was hard to read, because it normally took for me to get halfway through the particular story he was telling at that time for me to understand what was happening. And I found that really annoying. 

This is one of those type of books that if you read it, you have to read it all, the entire thing. And once you finish it, you think That was a complete waste of my time. It's not until a couple of hours or even days later that you realize it was actually a really insightful, interesting book. And it wasn't such a waste of your time after all.

Rating: 

 

Book Review: The Future of Us

Title: The Future of Us
Sequel? No
Author: Carolyn Mackler and Jay Asher
Genres: Realistic Fiction, Romance, science fiction (of the time travel persuasion)
Age Level: YA (13-18) 
Summary: "... I got this desktop computer with Windows 95 and a color monitor... Our friend Kellan recently got AOL. She squeals every time someone sends her an instant message." - The Future of Us, pages 2 and 4
It's the year 1996. It's a sight to behold if you have a computer or cellphone. Or, even more unusual, both. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, all the technology we take for granted today hasn't been invented yet. So what happens when eleventh grader Emma Nelson logs onto AOL and discovers Facebook, with pages from her, her friends, her family - but fifteen years in the future. She shares this phenomenon with her ex-best friend and current neighbor Josh, in an attempt to figure out how it is possible. Seeing their futures, and seeing how miserable Emma is, she tries her best to change it, to make little ripples in the present and then refreshing the page to see how her future changes. But is that really what she should be doing? Should two high schoolers intentionally mess with the present to change to future?

Rating:

Gah!

Review: Talk about a dynamic duo if I ever saw one. Carolyn Mackler and Jay Asher are both fantastic writers on their own, but this co-authored novel shows just how wonderful they are. It has a deep, philosophical, underlying theme, wrapped in  typical high school drama. It makes you question - if you had the chance to change your future, would you? How much of our own choices affect our futures? How much is left up to destiny and fate? Should we just say que sera sera and leave it be? A powerful book, which I would recommend to everyone, adults and teenagers alike.

Book Review: Heist Society

Title: Heist Society
Sequel? Yes, followed by Uncommon Criminals 
Author: Ally Carter
Genres: Thieves, Realistic Fiction, Romance
Age Level: YA (12-18)
Summary: When you're born into a family of thieves, you can never leave the life, even if you tried. That's what Katarina Bishop finds out when her best friend W.W. Hale The Fifth commits a crime, frames her, and so springs her from her prep school. Because her father is in trouble, and she's the only one that might be able to save him.
Five of the most priceless paintings in the world were stolen, and the owner believes that Kat's dad did it. To clear his name and prevent his death, Kat must rely on a group of seven teenage thieves and one butler to rob the art museum with the greatest security in the world: the Henley. Well, so maybe they're not stealing. They're restealing, taking back paintings that no one even knows are there - besides Kat and her crew.
Can this group of teenage thieves manage to rob the Henley, return the paintings to their rightful owners, and save Kat's dad?
Rating: 

That's a Shame (it's over)

Review: If you've read Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series, I would recommend cracking open Heist Society, because this book has it all: the funny mixed with the dramatic, a kick-butt heroine, and just a little bit of romance for good measure. A book that will steal your time away. (Pun intended. Hehe.) I thought there was also some really good, thoughtful things in here that made you think (that was redundant...) : why you do something, what you do it for, if everything really comes down to choice, or sometimes things are required of you.

Book Review: Just Listen

Title: Just Listen
Sequel? No
Author: Sarah Dessen
Genres: Hard topics, Romance, Realistic Fiction 
Age Level: YA (12-18)
Summary: Annabel Greene has done everything in her life to avoid conflict. She stays with modeling to make her mother happy, stays friends with the meanest girl in school so she won't be next to get hurt by her. Annabel is used to keeping everything in, to being nice, to telling little white lies so no one gets hurt.
But something happened last spring. Something that caused her to lose her friends. Something that everyone thinks they know what happened, when it reality, they've got it all wrong. But she doesn't tell anyone, because it would only create more conflict... and she's not sure if people will believe her.
Owen Armstrong has been in and out of jail, has gotten into fights, and has had to go through anger management and his parents' messy divorce. To get through it, he's turned to music, even starting his own radio show. He has made an oath to never lie, always tell the truth, no matter how it hurts.
Can Annabel learn to trust Owen enough to talk to him, to tell him what really happened that spring? Does Owen have the ability to listen?
Rating:

A Pinch of This (would make it better)

Review: Let me tell you, I love Sarah Dessen. Her novel This Lullaby ranks among my favorite novels of all time. This is the fifth book of hers I have read, and for some reason... it wasn't as good as I thought it would be. 

I don't know why. Maybe I've just grown to expect much more of her than she's actually delivering. But if you want to read good Sarah Dessen, I would not recommend this novel. It was harder to get into than the others, and I didn't feel the characters nearly as much as I have in the past.

Book Review: The Way We Fall

Title: The Way We Fall
Sequel? Unknown
Author: Megan Crewe
Genres: Realistic Fiction, Disease, Romance
Age Level: YA (12-18)
Summary: "It starts with an itch you just can't shake. Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat. A few days later, you'll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they're old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in. And then you're dead." - The Way We Fall
Kaelyn is back on the island, after being moved out to Toronto, where she did not fit in. The thing is, she doesn't really fit in in her hometown either. Not since she came back. Not since she had a fight with her best friends Leo, whose gone as well. 
But her microbiologist father had to come back to work at the research center on the island, and so Kaelyn, her brother Drew, and her mom had to come back with him. And even though Kaelyn doesn't fit in at school, she's doing all right coping. That is, until the virus strikes, wiping out almost everyone. The government quarantines them to the island: no one can leave, but no one can come back either. 
How can you survive living constant fear that the person that seemed friendly enough yesterday, talking to you, may be dead in a few more days, leaving you to follow in their footsteps? How can you live with no one you love left? 
Rating: 

Rude Awakening

Review: Let me tell you, this book scared the heck outta me. I was reading it at night, before I went to bed. I closed  it, turned off my light and tried to fall asleep. The problem was, I had an itch. An itch that, no matter how hard I scratched it, would not go away. It took me ten minutes just to convince myself: "Ana, that is a book. It is not real. You are not going to catch some creepy virus. It is NOT real." ... except, even now, I'm not to sure. Because I'm still feeling kinda itchy. Needless to say, if you get scared easily, do not read it. Because, like the virus itself, this book creeps into the very edges of your brain, making you think of the very things you'd rather forget. That being said, it is still a very interesting read. If you don't mind hard topics, then I would recommend it to you.