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:

In My Mailbox (8)

I went to three different libraries this week and I ransacked each. So, instead of putting up a picture of each cover, I'm just going to list them. Because, truthfully, I'm interested to see how many I got total. I'm estimating something like 30. Let's see:

1. The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
2. How To Save A Life, by Sarah Zarr
3. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs
4. Memoir of a Teenage Amnesiac, by Gabrielle Zevin
5. Bewitching, by Alex Flinn
6. The False Princess, by Ellis O'Neal
7. Crescendo, by Becca Fitzpatrick (already read, but I'm won't be reviewing it)
8. Silence, by Becca Fitzpatrick
9. This Dark Endeavor, by Kenneth Oppel
10. The DUFF, by Kody Keplinger
11. Wings, by Aprilynne Pike
12. Spells, by Aprilynne Pike
13. Illusions, by Aprilynne Pike
14. Daughter of Smoke and Bone, by Laini Taylor
15. The Eternal Ones, by Kirsten Miller
16. The Dark Divine, by Bree Despain
17. The Lost Saint, by Bree Despain
18. The Fallen #1, by Thomas E. Snigoski
19. The Splendor Falls, by Rosemary Clement-Moore
20. Evermore, by Alyson Noel
21. The Knife of Never Letting Go, by Patrick Ness
22. Alphas, by Lisi Harrison
23. The Obsidian Blade, by Pete Hautman
24. Maximum Ride, Manga Adaptation #5, by James Patterson/Nara Lee (Already read, and it won't be reviewed)

So, not as many as I thought. But still, 24 books? I think that's pretty ambitious, even for me. I probably won't be doing another IMM for at least two more weeks, until this stack is gone. Until next review!

Anastasia

Book Review: Forgotten, by Cat Patrick

Title: Forgotten
Series/Sequel? No
Author: Cat Patrick
Genre(s): Scifi/Paranormal Romance
Age Level: YA
Page Count: 304 (Hardcover)
Perspective: 1st person, female
Summary from Goodreads: Each night at precisely 4:33 am, while sixteen-year-old London Lane is asleep, her memory of that day is erased. In the morning, all she can "remember" are events from her future. London is used to relying on reminder notes and a trusted friend to get through the day, but things get complicated when a new boy at school enters the picture. Luke Henry is not someone you'd easily forget, yet try as she might, London can't find him in her memories of things to come.

When London starts experiencing disturbing flashbacks, or flash-forwards, as the case may be, she realizes it's time to learn about the past she keeps forgetting—before it destroys her future. 

Review: This was an incredibly unique book. There seem to be so much of the same out there, so many authors with the same basic plot and cliched plot twists, but Cat Patrick was great at not falling into any of those cliche traps. The premise of this book was unique; I have never read anything like this. Yes, there was some romance, but it wasn't the cliched love triangle. London, the main character, had a boyfriend who she stuck with throughout the entire book, with no additional boy-drama - at least not any boy drama of her own.

However, I thought London could sometimes be a little snobby and annoying with her ability to see into the future. It caused waves with both her boyfriend (who, by the end of it, I was falling in love with as well) and with her best friend.

I also thought this book ended kind of abruptly, with no real conclusion. I mean, since she could see the future, she could see what was going to happen, and how it was all going to turn out okay and everything. But there really was no solid conclusion, and that annoyed me.
All in all, an amazing addition to the book world! I greatly 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!
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'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
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'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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I'm Still Alive!

I've been gone a while. I know. But life happens, and my life has been extremely crazy recently. Luckily, it is now summer, and I have a stack of books half as tall as I am sitting in my room, waiting to be read, which means that I most certainly will be blogging and reviewing again, at an insane pace. So, be ready to bear with me, as I will try to be reviewing a book every two days! Thanks, and I hope you're still reading my blog!

Ana