Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.
By the end of her first day among fellow frek-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.
As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.
So I loved this book. LOVED the sarcasm that seeped from the pages and LOVED the fast-paced storyline. The main character was not so much dopey love girl as she was a modern day Nancy Drew (but of course there were some dopey love parts...gotta keep the romantics interested). But what makes this book different from most other PNRs is that there is a bigger picture. The mysterious, sexy boy isn't the whole story (yay!!).
Sure the book had flaws. Half of the characters weren't used to any advantage--they had a couple lines and weren't important anymore. And the setting wasn't described at all. Aside from the weather Georgia was a mystery to me. But I just loved the main character and her narration so much that I could overlook any background flaws.
Sophie is a witch who has lived all over the country, moving from place to place because she keeps using her powers in front of humans. Finally she gets sent to Hex Hall, a school where she has to bide her time until she can be released into the world again.
I've slept on my decision to rave about this book and decided it IS worth the praise. The questions posed had answers and the ending was satisfying--enough to make me think this was a stand-alone book (even though it's not, it's one of a trilogy).
Sophie is similar to Rose from Vampire Academy. They are sassy, confident girls (not quite women...) who don't take no for an answer. This bad-assness is what made me love this book.
I'm trying to stay vague because everyone who has ever heard of this book should read it.
So keepin' it short...READ THIS BOOK! [5 stars for sure :)]
Monday, July 30, 2012
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen
Ruby, where is your mother?
Ruby knows that the game is up. For the past few months she's been on her own in the yellow house, managing somehow, knowing that her mother will probably never return.
That's how she comes to live with Cora, the sister she hasn't seen in ten years, and Cora's husband, Jamie whose down-to-earth demeanor makes it hard for Ruby to believe he founded the most popular networking Web site around. A luxurious house, a private school, a new wardrobe, the promise of college and a future; it's a dream come true. So why is Ruby such a reluctant Cinderella, wary and defensive? And why is Nate, the genial boy next door with some secrets of his own, unable to accept the help that Ruby is just learning to give?
Best-selling author Sarah Dessen explores the heart of a gutsy, complex girl dealing with unforeseen circumstances and learning to trust again.
So, another Sarah Dessen book. This is the second book I've read by her and I wasn't impressed. The storyline was ok, the characters were ok and even the cover was just ok. Everything in the book portrayed real situations but it felt fake--just like a lifetime movie. You're watching a girl lose everything just to gain even more back in the end, but you could care less. You don't know why you didn't change the channel earlier.
That's how I felt after finishing this book. Lock and Key was just so average, I don't know what everyone else is raving about. I grew to like Ruby and Nate and Cora and Jamie but I'm not sure why. The story was just so long and drawn out that by the time I got to the highpoint in the book I was just reading to finish.
Not to mention the obvious metaphors Ms. Dessen likes to use: Ruby's key necklace, Jamie's UMe site (like facebook), and family. Oh my god did she over-analyze family.
Ruby had to do a school project on what family means to her and those around her. This is obviously a touchy subject because her mom, sister and father all left her at some point in her life, leaving her guarded and untrusting of everything. Through the book she asks people about their views on family which leads her to the realization that she has the best family ever...blah blah etc.
I felt like I was watching a kids show where all the loose ends are tied up all nice and neat. No one is left hanging and I wasn't hungry for more. I might have to take a break from Ms. Dessen for a while and read something thrilling or creepy. But there is one more of her books on my list that got such high ratings so I might give that a try as well.
Lock and Key doesn't give me much to complain about, just that a book should keep you guessing the whole time you're reading it. So far both Dessen books I've read have the same formulaic plot: girl has bad experience but won't talk about it until halfway through the book; girl meets boy who somehow bonds with girl; boy or girl causes some relationship trouble and they separate for a while; they reconcile and the book ends.
I'm hoping this only happens in Lock and Key and Just Listen because otherwise I have no reason to keep reading Dessen books. If they're all the same, why waste my time?
But overall, a solid 3 stars for this book.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Crossed by Ally Condie
Rules Are Different Outside The Society...
Chasing down an uncertain future, Cassia makes her way to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky--taken by the Society to his sure death--only to find that he has escaped into the majestic, but treacherous, canyons. On this wild frontier are glimmers of a different life and the enthralling promise of a rebellion. But even as Cassia sacrifices everything to reunite with Ky, ingenious surprises from Xander may change the game once again.
Narrated from both Cassia's and Ky's point of view, this hotly anticipated sequel to Matched will take them both to the edge of Society, where nothing is as expected and crosses and double crosses make their path more twisted than ever.
I hated this book. The first one was ok, but this was just literary torture. From bad poetry to repetition of the obvious this book lacked everything a dystopian novel should have to keep the reader interested.
I'll start with things I liked so this review doesn't turn into a rant. The cover was pretty, who doesn't like blue? And the backround characters...well just Indie really. She seemed the most real out of all of them but even that was a stretch. I just admired her I'm-leaving-with-or-without-you attitude. She was the only one with survival on the brain, and ultimately the reason the book kept going. She kept them all alive.
Now for the things that I was not a fan of: the plot, the main characters and the poetry.
Plot: There wasn't one and yet it still managed to be slow. It was like the author tried to free-write and figured a story would just appear and she could work with that. Ky and Cassia have to find each other, then the Rising. That's it. They meet some people along the way and read some bad poetry. But essentially no one is chasing them. They keep mentioning how Society is going to find them through tracking devices and such, but no one ever comes. So there's no rush. No reason to keep the story moving. No one told Ms. Condie that a threat isn't a threat if it's not enforced.
Characters: I wasn't a fan of Cassia in the first book, but Xander and Ky were alright. I take it back now...Ky is made into a sissy in this book because Ms. Condie decided to do a double POV. Ky, Cassia, Ky, Cassia--it was too much and they had the same voice anyway so I don't understand the need for the change ups. They love each other, we get it. MOVE ON.
And lastly,
Poetry: I don't like poetry to begin with but I have respect for it. I hesitate to call the crap in this book poetry. People that can express themselves through only metaphors and rhymes would probably love this book because it doesn't go much deeper than that. I would put an example here to illustrate my point but that would mean opening up and re-reading this terrible book. I just can't do it.
I read this book 2 months ago and I was wondering how I forgot to review it...then I remembered how awful it was. I warn all of you who enjoyed Matched...this is not even close to that level of futuristic intrigue. It is a step back into the stone ages. So unless you enjoy reading a dystopian book that could have happened at anytime in REAL history don't pick this up. Seriously...don't.
***SPOILER***
Cassia and Ky find the Rising and they just send Cassia right back into Society!! So essentially this entire book was POINTLESS. They found each other just to be separated again. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!?!
Chasing down an uncertain future, Cassia makes her way to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky--taken by the Society to his sure death--only to find that he has escaped into the majestic, but treacherous, canyons. On this wild frontier are glimmers of a different life and the enthralling promise of a rebellion. But even as Cassia sacrifices everything to reunite with Ky, ingenious surprises from Xander may change the game once again.
Narrated from both Cassia's and Ky's point of view, this hotly anticipated sequel to Matched will take them both to the edge of Society, where nothing is as expected and crosses and double crosses make their path more twisted than ever.
I hated this book. The first one was ok, but this was just literary torture. From bad poetry to repetition of the obvious this book lacked everything a dystopian novel should have to keep the reader interested.
I'll start with things I liked so this review doesn't turn into a rant. The cover was pretty, who doesn't like blue? And the backround characters...well just Indie really. She seemed the most real out of all of them but even that was a stretch. I just admired her I'm-leaving-with-or-without-you attitude. She was the only one with survival on the brain, and ultimately the reason the book kept going. She kept them all alive.
Now for the things that I was not a fan of: the plot, the main characters and the poetry.
Plot: There wasn't one and yet it still managed to be slow. It was like the author tried to free-write and figured a story would just appear and she could work with that. Ky and Cassia have to find each other, then the Rising. That's it. They meet some people along the way and read some bad poetry. But essentially no one is chasing them. They keep mentioning how Society is going to find them through tracking devices and such, but no one ever comes. So there's no rush. No reason to keep the story moving. No one told Ms. Condie that a threat isn't a threat if it's not enforced.
Characters: I wasn't a fan of Cassia in the first book, but Xander and Ky were alright. I take it back now...Ky is made into a sissy in this book because Ms. Condie decided to do a double POV. Ky, Cassia, Ky, Cassia--it was too much and they had the same voice anyway so I don't understand the need for the change ups. They love each other, we get it. MOVE ON.
And lastly,
Poetry: I don't like poetry to begin with but I have respect for it. I hesitate to call the crap in this book poetry. People that can express themselves through only metaphors and rhymes would probably love this book because it doesn't go much deeper than that. I would put an example here to illustrate my point but that would mean opening up and re-reading this terrible book. I just can't do it.
I read this book 2 months ago and I was wondering how I forgot to review it...then I remembered how awful it was. I warn all of you who enjoyed Matched...this is not even close to that level of futuristic intrigue. It is a step back into the stone ages. So unless you enjoy reading a dystopian book that could have happened at anytime in REAL history don't pick this up. Seriously...don't.
***SPOILER***
Cassia and Ky find the Rising and they just send Cassia right back into Society!! So essentially this entire book was POINTLESS. They found each other just to be separated again. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!?!
Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton
Draw a circle... place a dead leaf in the center... sprinkle some salt... recite a little Latin... add a drop of blood...
Maybe that last part isn’t exactly simple. Yet somehow it feels right to Silla Kennicott. And nothing in her life has felt remotely right since her parents’ horrific deaths. She’s willing to do anything to uncover the truth about her family—even try a few spells from the mysterious book that arrived on her doorstep ... and spill some blood.
The book isn’t the only recent arrival in Silla’s life. There’s Nick Pardee, the new guy next door who may have seen Silla casting a spell. She’s not sure what he saw and is afraid to find out. But as they spend more time together, Silla realizes this may not be Nick’s first encounter with Blood Magic. Brought together by a combination of fate and chemistry, Silla and Nick can’t deny their attraction. And they can’t ignore the dark presence lurking nearby—waiting to reclaim the book and all its power.
4 stars...one of the best books I've read in a while (which doesn't mean much if you've seen my other reviews). The plot was intriguing and the main characters were pretty developed. I definitely didn't like certain aspects of the book but the author had a style and stuck to it. I admire that.
So Silla (short for Drusilla) and her brother are left orphaned after their father killed both himself and their mother--supposedly. Silla refuses to believe this but her brother accepts it, drops out of college and becomes a drunk. Enter new neighbor, Nick. He's the typical 'guy next door' and while on a walk sees Silla doing the blood magic. This is not foreign to him...and we'll leave it at that.
One thing I really didn't like about this book was the multiple-perspectives. Silla would have a chapter, then Nick, then Silla, then some passage from a diary...etc. It was hard to keep focused on who's who since the author didn't distinguish their voices much. But Nick and Silla were ALWAYS together so the plot didn't jump around as much as the point of view.
Speaking of the diary entries, those were the best part. It created an air of mystery behind teenage love which I was thankful for, when I could read the script. It went from normal type to actual journal-entry-like chicken scratch. I had to squint to read it, but it was worth it (most of the time).
When I wasn't squinting...my god were those two hot 'n heavy! The entire middle of this book was dedicated to almost sex. Driving in a car...almost sex. Walking through a cemetery...almost sex. It's YA, so it was mostly intense make out scenes but really?? Keep it in your pants guys, c'mon.
This leads to the discovery that someone is out to get them, well mostly Silla. Nick just happens to be there all the time. Her name is Josephine and she wants Silla's dead father's bones. And magic book. This part was lame because the villian just walks right up and says "Hey I want this stuff. Give it to me or else." But there was no 'or else' until about 200 pages later. If this part had been cut out I probably would have been very close to giving this book 5 stars. This in-between space was taken up by Silla's self-discovery which was MUCH less interesting than blood magic.
Silla is an actress and therefore puts on invisible masks so the whole world won't actually see how she's feeling. Cliche, right? Nick comes in and breaks those barriers and leaves Silla feeling open and exposed. Obviously. They realize they are so good together and they have 'real' love so they have almost sex a few times. Then the villain returns.
I won't spoil the ending because as long as you set yourself down and prepare to read this (all 405 pages) the end is worth it. I'm considering reading the second one but I'm not sure if I can wait for the library to get its hands on a copy (it has not been released yet).
Blood Magic is not a 5 star book simply because it lacked awesomeness. I think I got caught up in the blood, which is why I liked it so much. The author could have taken the story farther though--she had so many opportunities to do so and decided against it...unless they are further explored in the sequel.
Overall, if you've got time and like blood then go for it. Read this book and see what you think. Happy bleeding!
Maybe that last part isn’t exactly simple. Yet somehow it feels right to Silla Kennicott. And nothing in her life has felt remotely right since her parents’ horrific deaths. She’s willing to do anything to uncover the truth about her family—even try a few spells from the mysterious book that arrived on her doorstep ... and spill some blood.
The book isn’t the only recent arrival in Silla’s life. There’s Nick Pardee, the new guy next door who may have seen Silla casting a spell. She’s not sure what he saw and is afraid to find out. But as they spend more time together, Silla realizes this may not be Nick’s first encounter with Blood Magic. Brought together by a combination of fate and chemistry, Silla and Nick can’t deny their attraction. And they can’t ignore the dark presence lurking nearby—waiting to reclaim the book and all its power.
4 stars...one of the best books I've read in a while (which doesn't mean much if you've seen my other reviews). The plot was intriguing and the main characters were pretty developed. I definitely didn't like certain aspects of the book but the author had a style and stuck to it. I admire that.
So Silla (short for Drusilla) and her brother are left orphaned after their father killed both himself and their mother--supposedly. Silla refuses to believe this but her brother accepts it, drops out of college and becomes a drunk. Enter new neighbor, Nick. He's the typical 'guy next door' and while on a walk sees Silla doing the blood magic. This is not foreign to him...and we'll leave it at that.
One thing I really didn't like about this book was the multiple-perspectives. Silla would have a chapter, then Nick, then Silla, then some passage from a diary...etc. It was hard to keep focused on who's who since the author didn't distinguish their voices much. But Nick and Silla were ALWAYS together so the plot didn't jump around as much as the point of view.
Speaking of the diary entries, those were the best part. It created an air of mystery behind teenage love which I was thankful for, when I could read the script. It went from normal type to actual journal-entry-like chicken scratch. I had to squint to read it, but it was worth it (most of the time).
When I wasn't squinting...my god were those two hot 'n heavy! The entire middle of this book was dedicated to almost sex. Driving in a car...almost sex. Walking through a cemetery...almost sex. It's YA, so it was mostly intense make out scenes but really?? Keep it in your pants guys, c'mon.
This leads to the discovery that someone is out to get them, well mostly Silla. Nick just happens to be there all the time. Her name is Josephine and she wants Silla's dead father's bones. And magic book. This part was lame because the villian just walks right up and says "Hey I want this stuff. Give it to me or else." But there was no 'or else' until about 200 pages later. If this part had been cut out I probably would have been very close to giving this book 5 stars. This in-between space was taken up by Silla's self-discovery which was MUCH less interesting than blood magic.
Silla is an actress and therefore puts on invisible masks so the whole world won't actually see how she's feeling. Cliche, right? Nick comes in and breaks those barriers and leaves Silla feeling open and exposed. Obviously. They realize they are so good together and they have 'real' love so they have almost sex a few times. Then the villain returns.
I won't spoil the ending because as long as you set yourself down and prepare to read this (all 405 pages) the end is worth it. I'm considering reading the second one but I'm not sure if I can wait for the library to get its hands on a copy (it has not been released yet).
Blood Magic is not a 5 star book simply because it lacked awesomeness. I think I got caught up in the blood, which is why I liked it so much. The author could have taken the story farther though--she had so many opportunities to do so and decided against it...unless they are further explored in the sequel.
Overall, if you've got time and like blood then go for it. Read this book and see what you think. Happy bleeding!
Monday, July 16, 2012
Fallen by Lauren Kate
There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.
Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.
Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.
This book is not worth reading...or even looking at for more than 3 seconds. Nothing about this book is special except the cover. Lately I've been in a YA rut, picking books JUST because of their covers--unfortunately I noticed this after reading Fallen.
Fallen is essentially about a girl who falls for a guy so hard that she stalks him (badly I might add). That's all I can say about this book. Nothing happens. The one death in the entire read is mentioned briefly and then forgotten.
There weren't really any characters because the author never gave you a chance to know any of them, even the MAIN character. She had no flaws, other than everyone thinking that she was crazy (but the author makes sure that you know she's not so I don't think this actually counts as a flaw). The characters that peaked my interest in the beginning quickly faded into the background because they weren't the love interest, Daniel, who was the main focus of every single page. Luce was always like, "Oh Daniel's ancestors wrote a book...I HAVE to find it!" or "Today Daniel flipped me off. I should get to know that guy." Her train of thought is just so random. I bet she would test positive for ADD.
I would love to explain in detail why I hated Daniel but that's difficult when you don't know one thing about they guy. I hated him simply because there was never any motivation to like him. Luce would see him and say something like, "His stance was so familiar. Like I knew where he was going to lean at the exact moment he did." WHAT THE HELL KIND OF DESCRIPTION IS THAT?!?!?!? I know where this dude's gonna lean next?? Who even notices that???
She didn't say anything about his hair, build or anything else that could help me picture this so-called amazing hotness. She mentions his eyes and 'purple vibe' a couple times, but I don't know what to do with information like that so Ms. Kate fails there.
Also, the villian of this book is so obvious from the beginning that it's painful to experience Luce going through the realization process. From the first appearance this dude makes you KNOW he's the villain. He is pretty much wearing a neon sign reading: EVIL--AVOID AT ALL COSTS. But Luce is a complete moron and falls for him too, because what would a PNR be without a love triangle??
I am so sick of authors using the classic plot over and over again but each time expecting a best seller. I mean seriously, with writing like this it's a miracle people even responded at all. I got to the point where I would just scan the dialogue on the page to get the gist of the story. I could still follow the story. Perfectly. That's when you know something's wrong. Dialogue alone should not be the essence of a story. Dialogue should help further the plot or make the characters more realistic...not actually tell the story!
I would recommend this book to people who love painfully slow and obvious plotting, anti-climactic endings and stalker-type behavior. Overall this book is worth 1 star (or less). I was able to finish it, so I guess that counts for something.
I will NOT be continuing this series ever. I would rather read any textbook, dictionary or manual for fun. At least I might learn something...now please excuse me while I clean my melting brain from the floor.
Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.
Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.
This book is not worth reading...or even looking at for more than 3 seconds. Nothing about this book is special except the cover. Lately I've been in a YA rut, picking books JUST because of their covers--unfortunately I noticed this after reading Fallen.
Fallen is essentially about a girl who falls for a guy so hard that she stalks him (badly I might add). That's all I can say about this book. Nothing happens. The one death in the entire read is mentioned briefly and then forgotten.
There weren't really any characters because the author never gave you a chance to know any of them, even the MAIN character. She had no flaws, other than everyone thinking that she was crazy (but the author makes sure that you know she's not so I don't think this actually counts as a flaw). The characters that peaked my interest in the beginning quickly faded into the background because they weren't the love interest, Daniel, who was the main focus of every single page. Luce was always like, "Oh Daniel's ancestors wrote a book...I HAVE to find it!" or "Today Daniel flipped me off. I should get to know that guy." Her train of thought is just so random. I bet she would test positive for ADD.
I would love to explain in detail why I hated Daniel but that's difficult when you don't know one thing about they guy. I hated him simply because there was never any motivation to like him. Luce would see him and say something like, "His stance was so familiar. Like I knew where he was going to lean at the exact moment he did." WHAT THE HELL KIND OF DESCRIPTION IS THAT?!?!?!? I know where this dude's gonna lean next?? Who even notices that???
She didn't say anything about his hair, build or anything else that could help me picture this so-called amazing hotness. She mentions his eyes and 'purple vibe' a couple times, but I don't know what to do with information like that so Ms. Kate fails there.
Also, the villian of this book is so obvious from the beginning that it's painful to experience Luce going through the realization process. From the first appearance this dude makes you KNOW he's the villain. He is pretty much wearing a neon sign reading: EVIL--AVOID AT ALL COSTS. But Luce is a complete moron and falls for him too, because what would a PNR be without a love triangle??
I am so sick of authors using the classic plot over and over again but each time expecting a best seller. I mean seriously, with writing like this it's a miracle people even responded at all. I got to the point where I would just scan the dialogue on the page to get the gist of the story. I could still follow the story. Perfectly. That's when you know something's wrong. Dialogue alone should not be the essence of a story. Dialogue should help further the plot or make the characters more realistic...not actually tell the story!
I would recommend this book to people who love painfully slow and obvious plotting, anti-climactic endings and stalker-type behavior. Overall this book is worth 1 star (or less). I was able to finish it, so I guess that counts for something.
I will NOT be continuing this series ever. I would rather read any textbook, dictionary or manual for fun. At least I might learn something...now please excuse me while I clean my melting brain from the floor.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Switched by Amanding Hocking
When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy finds out her mother might've been telling the truth. With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - and it's one she's not sure if she wants to be a part of.
This is one of the shortest book summaries I have ever read, but it sounded interesting enough and the cover was AMAZING!!! So I decided to give it a try...and wow was I impressed!
Not to say this book alone was quite 5 stars, but it is definitely 4.5 with 5 star potential when I get to finish the series. It might be a while because someone at the library took out the 2nd and 3rd books in the trilogy (who does that?!?!) and I don't know when they will be back.
So the main character's name is Wendy, like from Peter Pan, and suffered a traumatic childhood. Her mother tried to kill her and now resides in an institution while Wendy is looked after by her aunt Maggie and older brother Matt.
Matt and Wendy's relationship is the cutest sibling relationship I have read about...probably ever. He's protective yet forgiving and he really cares about Wendy. This book has none of that classic I'm-different-and-moody-and-no-one-cares-about-me crap that girls in these paranormal romance books usually have. *see Evermore review* Wendy knows that she's different but tries to push it all aside to help her family bond better. REFRESHING!!! This character has a central family unit that she wants to preserve and spend more time with.
Just that thought alone blew my mind. Wendy didn't try to run from home, kill herself or isolate herself just because she was different. She embraced her true self and went on with her life. She made some choices that you knew were completely wrong, but she justified them in her own way and every character has their flaws, right? I can forgive her...for now.
But the storyline's gotta go somewhere so the new kid at school, Finn, keeps staring at Wendy which obviously attracts her attention (it also doesn't hurt that he's gorgeous). They get off to a rocky start but end up going to the dance together which ends in a fight. She tries to forget about him, she can't, and they become friends.
This is where Matt got all adorable and protective of Wendy--she went to her first school dance, with a boy and came home upset. Matt starts going all primal and saying he's gonna kill Finn and so on...it was so cute! *sigh*
So Wendy IS different (otherwise this book wouldn't be paranormal) and she runs away with Finn--sort of by force. The rest of the book reveals the new world Wendy is thrown into and sets up all the surprises to come.
That's all I'm gonna say about this book because it is definitely worth reading. It has a very fresh perspective on things and is not your traditional PNR sappy love story. I can't wait to read the next one!!
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| I had to include the cover--so awesome! |
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
Last year, Annabel was "the girl who has everything"—at least that's the part she played in the television commercial for Kopf's Department Store. This year, she's the girl who has nothing: no best friend because mean-but-exciting Sophie dropped her, no peace at home since her older sister became anorexic, and no one to sit with at lunch. Until she meets Owen Armstrong. Tall, dark, and music-obsessed, Owen is a reformed bad boy with a commitment to truth-telling. With Owen's help,maybe Annabel can face what happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends.
Let me just start by saying this was my first Sarah Dessen novel. I was expecting the classic girl-meets-boy and they fall in love blah, blah, blah. Everyone hopped on the Dessen train a while ago and I've always held back because I don't usually enjoy the kind of books that EVERYONE has read. But while in the library I spotted this one and it just called to me. (The summary mentioned anorexia, and I love reading books about real problems--way better than any dystopian any day)
This book was so good it made my cry. Now for movies, tv shows, etc. that's not exactly a feat. But books rarely make me cry because they are so good! (I keep using good and not great because this book was predictable and some of the literary styles were not my cup of tea, but it was still worth reading)
The best part about this book is how flawed the main character is. Annabel starts off as a whiny, spoiled teen and evolves into a real person with issues. Half of the time I was so angry with her, after I figured out what happened at 'the party', and the other half I was rooting for her and Whitney. I didn't really care about Annabel and Owen's relationship, but that's probably just me (I mean, it was destined to happen...obviously).
Whitney and Annabel's relationship to me was the most interesting because it was the most real. I mean you could hear Whitney screaming for help from her sister, but Annabel was too weak to give any. I didn't quite understand the purpose of the bike story but I don't think that played too much of a role in the book (they just brought it up a LOT). In the end I'm glad things were resolved and all ends were tied up--that's how these books are supposed to end so that was satisfying.
On another note, Dessen gets the award for having the longest running metaphor throughout a book: the glass house. Its meaning was blatantly stated many times in the reading, so as not to miss it--if that was even possible. It didn't really further the story. It was just like, 'stuff isn't always what it seems...' It didn't go much deeper than that.
Ironically, the only thing I really disliked about this book was the cover. Some girl is standing with an MP3 player in front of a white background and it says Just Listen. Not captivating at all. I would have never picked this up in a bookstore. Unless it was an audiobook, I don't know if I could resist the irony :)
But cover aside, this is a moving read. I believe everyone can get something out of it if they look deep enough into themselves. 4 stars!!!
Let me just start by saying this was my first Sarah Dessen novel. I was expecting the classic girl-meets-boy and they fall in love blah, blah, blah. Everyone hopped on the Dessen train a while ago and I've always held back because I don't usually enjoy the kind of books that EVERYONE has read. But while in the library I spotted this one and it just called to me. (The summary mentioned anorexia, and I love reading books about real problems--way better than any dystopian any day)
This book was so good it made my cry. Now for movies, tv shows, etc. that's not exactly a feat. But books rarely make me cry because they are so good! (I keep using good and not great because this book was predictable and some of the literary styles were not my cup of tea, but it was still worth reading)
The best part about this book is how flawed the main character is. Annabel starts off as a whiny, spoiled teen and evolves into a real person with issues. Half of the time I was so angry with her, after I figured out what happened at 'the party', and the other half I was rooting for her and Whitney. I didn't really care about Annabel and Owen's relationship, but that's probably just me (I mean, it was destined to happen...obviously).
Whitney and Annabel's relationship to me was the most interesting because it was the most real. I mean you could hear Whitney screaming for help from her sister, but Annabel was too weak to give any. I didn't quite understand the purpose of the bike story but I don't think that played too much of a role in the book (they just brought it up a LOT). In the end I'm glad things were resolved and all ends were tied up--that's how these books are supposed to end so that was satisfying.
On another note, Dessen gets the award for having the longest running metaphor throughout a book: the glass house. Its meaning was blatantly stated many times in the reading, so as not to miss it--if that was even possible. It didn't really further the story. It was just like, 'stuff isn't always what it seems...' It didn't go much deeper than that.
Ironically, the only thing I really disliked about this book was the cover. Some girl is standing with an MP3 player in front of a white background and it says Just Listen. Not captivating at all. I would have never picked this up in a bookstore. Unless it was an audiobook, I don't know if I could resist the irony :)
But cover aside, this is a moving read. I believe everyone can get something out of it if they look deep enough into themselves. 4 stars!!!
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