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:

In My Mailbox (5)

In My Mailbox is a meme held by The Story Siren, which trumpets the books book bloggers have gotten that week/weeks to read and review. So, I was at my library twice this week, and I had nothing else let to read, and I saw so many good things, and... well, this is what happens when I'm let loose in a library:

Wither, by Lauren DeStephano
Looking For Alaska by John Green (I read The Fault In Our Stars by him and have been waiting to get my hands on another one of his books for a while now)
Ten Things We Did (and probably shouldn't have) by Sarah Mlynowski
Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff
Hero Type by Barry Lyga (The LAST :( book for book group)
Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson (In honor of World Book Night, which this was a book for)

So, yeah. Twelve books. That most would say that's a lot, but it's really not, because these:

 





I've already read and reviewed, on Goodreads if not on here. And these:



I've already read, and just haven't had the time to review. So, with five of the twelve already read, I only have seven left to go! Any opinions on what I got this week?

Book Review: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Title: Pandmonium
Series/Sequel? The second of the Delirium series
Author: Lauren Oliver
Genres: Dystopian, Romance
Age Level: YA
Page Count: 375 (Hardcover) 
Summary: Lena managed to escape into the Wilds. But now she has to figure out how to survive. And with the resistance going stronger and a war beginning to brew, she has to find out how far she's willing to go to stop the cure... even as she is getting over her grief of losing Alex, and finding love with someone else... someone who shouldn't love her back. Someone who she shouldn't love.

Review: Truth be told, I was surprised when I found out Delirium was the first of a series. It ended so beautifully, SO beautifully and wonderfully and amazingly that I didn't think it needed a sequel. And... I'm not sure it was for the better.

The way it is told is confusing in itself. It goes back and forth between "then" and "now", until closer to the end of the book. I found it very hard to follow, and I didn't like the set up. In my opinion, it should have been told in just chronological order. I feel like it would be easier and make much more sense.

I didn't like Raven and the rest of the Invalids very much. They were, in my opinion, fairly boring, without personalities that differentiated from each other enough to really tell the difference between them. I also thought Raven (who is the head of the Invalids Lena stays with) was mean and rude and... ugh, I just did not like her.

I hated the relationship that occurred in this book between Lena and Julian. It was unnecessary and stupid, and just seemed like a way for Lena to cope over the loss of Alex. There was no real love or feeling between them, in my opinion, just lust for the forbidden... and lust in general. And especially how it ended... it seems like this series is going to be another stupid, pointless love triangle like so many other contemporary book series, which makes me sad and disappointed. Delirium was so amazing and powerful and beautiful... and this book just totally undermined all that.

I rated this at a three for only a couple of reasons - the writing in itself is wonderful, and there were parts (I don't want to give away spoilers, so I can't tell you what parts) that were very interesting and kept me reading.

All in all, I am fairly disappointed. I really wish that Lauren Oliver had just kept Delirium as a stand alone, because in this case, less is more. However, I know I will have to read the third one (whatever the title is, whenever it comes out) just because of the cliffhanger this book ends on.

Rating: 

 

Book Review: Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner

Title: Bones of Faerie
Series/Sequel? First of the series, followed by Faerie Winter
Author: Janni Lee Simner
Genres: Scifi/Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic, Paranormal
Age Level: YA (12-18)
Page Count: 256 (Paperback)

Summary from Goodreads: The war between humanity and Faerie devastated both sides. Or so 15-year-old Liza has been told. Nothing has been seen or heard from Faerie since, and Liza’s world bears the scars of its encounter with magic. Trees move with sinister intention, and the town Liza calls home is surrounded by a forest that threatens to harm all those who wander into it. Then Liza discovers she has the Faerie ability to see—into the past, into the future—and she has no choice but to flee her town. Liza’s quest will take her into Faerie and back again, and what she finds along the way may be the key to healing both worlds.

Review:The plot of this book was very interesting. I've never even thought of something like this - a mix of dystopian/post-apocalyptic and faery/paranormal. It was an incredibly unique plot line and approach to faeries and faery magic. However, everything else left a little to be desired.

It was written in first person, but it read more as third person - detached and not as emotional or easy-to-be-interested-in-the-characters. So, I was less than impressed with the actual characters. They were fairly two-dimensional.

I also found some problems with the actual writing. There were a lot of times when I didn't know what had just happened, when I thought something happened that actually didnt, or where the characters made strange jumps that I didn't understand.

So, if you can deal with not very clear writing and want a very unique plot line, I would suggest it. However if you're more like me and need very 3-D characters, I wouldn't suggest it for you, because it will be a waste of your time.

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: Die For Me by Amy Plum

Title: Die For Me
Series/Sequel? The first of the Revenants series
Author: Amy Plum 
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Age Level: YA (12-18)
Page Count: 341

Summary from inside flap of book: My life has always been blissfully, wonderfully normal. But it only took one moment to change everything. Suddenly, my sister, Georgia, and I were orphans. We put our lives into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents. And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again. Then I meant Vincent. 


Mysterious, sexy, and unnervingly charming, Vincent Delacroix appeared out of nowhere and swept mt off mt feet. Just like that, I was in danger of losing my heart all over again. But I was ready to let it happen. 


Of course, nothing is ever that easy. Because Vincent is no normal human. He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life and risk every day. He also has enemies... immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind. 


While I'm fighting to piece together the remnants of my life, can I risk putting my heart - as well as my life and my family's - in jeopardy for a chance at love?

Review:  Three Words: Zombie Love Story.

Those three words are essentially this story in a nutshell. Although, I realize that that isn't really a real review, so let me tell you what I thought about this book.

The plot in of itself is fairly interesting. Learning about what Vincent is and all the rules that go with it, and what he can do, and all that... it was interesting. I've never read anything like it, in terms of the "paranormal" part of the plot. But it is a Paranormal Romance book. And in terms of the romance part of it... if you're a Twilight fan, the romance part of it will interest you.

On Kate's character: More Twilight analogies. She's fairly Bella-ish. She can't deal with it when Vincent is no longer with her. And she was the one that broke up with him! She was all moaning and weak and... I kind of wanted to grab her my the shoulders and shake her a couple of times until some sense was slammed into her brain. The rest of the time, she was fairly level-headed and cute, kind of keeping to herself. I liked her, beside her moaning and groaning over Vincent.

I liked Georgia, Kate's sister, even more so that Kate at times. She was very funny and carefree, even if she made some bad choices at times. Kate's and Georgia's relationship was realistic, in terms of older and younger sisters.

I loved Vincent, and the rest of his "family". Jules and Ambrose were both hilarious, Charlotte and Jeanne were really sweet, and Gaspard and Jean-Baptiste both had very unique personalities, for their specific characters.

All in all, I think the paranormal part of the story was much better than the romance part, and I wish is focused much more on that than Vincent and Kate's relationship. I might or might not try to find and check out the sequel at the library. I'm not sure if I can handle more of Kate's weakness.

Rating: 

 

Book Review: Fairest of All by Serena Valentino

Title: Fairest of All: A Tale of the Wicked Queen
Series/Sequel? No
Author: Serena Valentino
Genres: Fairytale retellings, old-fashioned fiction
Age Level: YA (12-18)
Page Count: 250 (Hardcover) 
Summary from inside flap of book: The tale of the young princess SNow White and her evil stepmother the Wicked Queen is widelt known. Despite a few variations from telling to telling,the story remains the same - the Queen was jealous of the girl's beauty, and this jealousy culminated in the Queen's attempt on the sweet, naive girl's life. 

Another tale far less often spojen of is the one that explains what caused the Queen to become so contemptuously vile. Still, some have attempted to guess at the reason. Perhaps the Queen's true nature was that of a wicked hag and her beautiful, regal appearance a disguise used to fool the King. Others claim that the Queen might have hated the girl for her resemblance to the Queen's first wife. Mostly, the Queen is painted as a morally abhorrent woman who never loved another being during the course of her miserable life. 

In fact, the theories about exactly what caused the Queen's obsessive vanity and jealous rage are too numerous to catalog. This book recounts a version of the story that has remained untold until now. It is a tragic tale of love and loss, and it contains a bit of magic. It is a tale of the Wicked Queen...
 
Review: When I saw this book at the bookstore, the thing that drew me in was the cover. Because look at it - is it not a gorgeous cover? When I picked up this book and read the inside flap, the thing that drew me in was how it was a retelling of Snow White, supposedly making the Wicked Queen... un-wicked. I've always been interested in that type of story, giving the villain a reason for being a villain.

It started slow. So slow, that, even a couple pages in, I was looking at the page numbers and thinking How much do I have left to read? But then I forced myself to ignore the page numbers and actually read the story, and I found out that it was a decent tale.

This is a fairytale retelling in a way I've never seen it done. The Wicked Queen - who doesn't seem to have a name, but just is called "the Queen" - is shown in a different light. Which, I guess, was kinda the point of the entire story. But it gives reasons for her being horrible and awful to everyone. It gives a different reason besides pure vanity that she looked in the Mirror every day and asked who was the fairest of them all. It gave reasons for everything that she did in the classic tale. For it wasn't so much vanity or just... horrible-ness... but grief. It was amazing all the back-story the author was able to create - and make it it sound plausible and reasonable.

A couple problems I had with it: The storytelling was very childish. Well, maybe not childish, but it was very "Once upon a time..." But that, considering the topic, was appropriate. It's written in third person, in that very fairytale kind of way. I also didn't like how it didn't give the Queen, the King, or the Prince (the one who awakens Snow with Love's First Kiss and all that) any names. They were called by their titles throughout the entire book. In books, one of the things I find most interesting about characters are their names. Do their names have anything to do with their personality? Is their foreshadowing in their names? I wish the the author had given them names. My third and last complaint: I feel as if the ending left a little something to be desired. It made sense where it ended, it's just... the words and the meaning of the words they used - not the actual definition, but what it means as a metaphor or whatever - were confusing the first time I read them. I had to read them again to really understand it and all it meant.

If you like fairytale retellings, I would suggest this for you!





Rating: