dancergirl (WiHi #1) by Carol M. Tanzman

Ali's friend films a video of her dancing and puts it up on the Internet. Soon, she is known to everyone as "dancergirl". Some people admire her, but others are jealous and bitter at the attention she is receiving. Before long, there are other videos of Ali dancing. But the new videos weren't approved by Ali and they seem to be filmed through her bedroom window. Ali receives numerous threats and she and her friends work together to get to the mystery of her stalker.

Well... I am sorry to say that I didn't enjoy this book. It was seriously a very, very, very long read and I couldn't find myself getting into it. The plot idea is interesting, which is why I picked it up in the first place. The first few chapters are confusing when the characters are being introduced and such. But aside from the interesting plot twists, I found the whole "viral video" thing to be a little unrealistic. Like the "staring in the halls", "everyone's a hater/lover" thing. I did enjoy how I was trying to figure out who Ali's stalker was with her, because I knew exactly as much information as she did. This book was just mehh to me. I wouldn't recommend it. 2 out of 5 stars.

**Also, I apologize for this short review. I am trying to catch up on all my reviewing :)

Faking 19 by Alyson Noel

Alex is a smart, popular, beautiful Orange County girl who is best friends with the most popular girl in school. It may seem like she has it all, but she is having family problems, failing all her classes, and might not even graduate. But she wasn’t always doing so poorly in school. The first two years of high school she was a straight A student and was involved in many honors classes and extra curricular activities. After that, her life started going downhill. As a way to escape her troubled life, her friend M (yes her name is M) start making trips to L.A. on their own. They meet Trevor and Connor, rich older guys who are from Britain. So that they don’t seem immature and underage, they lie and say that they are 19 (hence the title) and attending college. But soon Alex learns that lying isn’t going to get her anywhere and that the people she is close to are not who she thinks they are. She must reevaluate her life and decide what to do with her future.

This is the second time that I’ve read this novel and I enjoyed it even more the second time. I am also a SoCal girl, and I enjoy living vicariously through Alex and M lol. The story is fun, interesting, and easy to follow. I really appreciated how this novel is more than it seems to be. There are definitely a lot of good messages in here. You actually learn a few things about life, because it’s more than a frivolous novel about partying and lying. Faking 19 is not a love story and it is more than chick-lit. It is realistic and the characters are well-developed. I strongly recommend that you read this novel. It is short, fun, and has some important themes. 5 out of 5 stars.

First Step 2 Forever by Justin Bieber

At this point, you may be wondering why you are reading a review for Justin Bieber's book on my blog or on Goodreads, because that means that I must have read the book! Well, I have a story behind that. Apparently I promised by a very close friend of mine (she likes Justin Bieber) that I would read this book. I don't really remember that promise too well, but it sounded vaguely familiar. So here we are.

Alright, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. There are some very LARGE pictures of Justin which at times are... slightly scary. There are many, many pictures. MANY. Not so many words though... lol. First Step 2 Forever is basically Justin's story about how he got discovered and how his life has changed. You may be rolling your eyes, but my heart does go out to him after reading this. He really is just your average guy, but unlike your average guy, he got really lucky and was able to follow his dream. And look where he is now! Though I really don't believe that he actually WROTE this book (I even checked the copyright and it was like "Biebertime books" or something, soo... yeah. I have theories that he was telling someone his story and they just typed it out for him, but not a ghost writer) and his slang terms made me facepalm a few times it was bearable and I learned a few things.

Bieber is smarter than people give him credit for and he is inspiring. I liked is sense of humor that was apparent though his words and his strange Canadian slang. This is something that fans would enjoy, and even non-fans would learn something new and be like "he sounds pretty cool". I'm not a die-hard fan and I enjoy his music but I think he's a bit overrated. I don't need to see JB wrapping paper when I go to Target. Or folders, or notebooks, binders, toothbrushes, dolls, should I go on? All in all, it's a decent story about a kid who got to follow his dreams. 3 out of 5 stars.

L.A. Candy (L.A. Candy #1) by Lauren Conrad

Jane and Scarlett are just your every day girls. They recently moved to L.A. in hopes of a change of scenery. Scarlett is a UCLA (I think) student and Jane works for a prestigious event planner. Then one night, they are approached by a TV producer. He says that he's going to be filming a new "reality show that is a PG version of Sex in the City" and that Jane and Scarlett are what he's looking for. They agree, and soon realize what "reality" really is and get caught up in all the show's dramas.

First off, let me say that I've never seen the Hills and I don't know too much about Lauren Conrad, so my review is based simply off of the novel. I chose to read this because the cover is really cute, and it sounded decently interesting. I had actually started reading this a few years ago when it came out, but I think I had to return it to the library and never got around to finishing it. Anyways, here are my thoughts about it.

There's really nothing too special about it, the plot is interesting enough and the characters are decently developed. This novel is what I would consider a "beach read" where it's just a quick, fun, and really light book. I liked how it gave me more of an insight into reality TV shows, since Lauren Conrad was on one. It really made me realize that you can't believe everything you see on TV!

One thing that does make me a little angry is the low reviews on Goodreads.com , mostly of which are saying "she should stick to TV and not write a book", but it's not a bad book. It's just an okay, decent one but it doesn't need to be ragged on just because of the author's prior career. If you've ever read the A-list series, this novel fits into that category haha.

I have already read the second book in the series. They're entertaining and good enough that I'm not rolling my eyes saying "who let this person write a book". If you're up for a fun, quick novel then check this one out. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

Edward, 24, moved to Thailand after a huge fight with his dad. He returns after 5 years at the call of his mother (she had divorced Edward years back, is now married and has twins). Edward's sister, Cara, and their father, Luke, are in the hospital after a bad car accident. Cara will be okay, but Luke's state is undetermined. Cara wants to wait for her dad to come back, if he will, but Luke wants to end the life support. And since Cara is not 18, she does not have the legal rights to make the decision. Luke also has no true claim to the decision, since he had been absent for the past 5 years. The plot develops, and everyone is forced to reanalyze their life and the choices they have to make.

This is another wonderful novel by Jodi Picoult. The characters are well shaped and the moral dilemma is ever so present. I also found it really interesting to learn about wolves and new legal aspects that are in this novel. The title and cover are also extremely awesome. I really have no negative comments and think that this one is worth picking up. I learned quite a few things and think this is a beautiful unique story. Something I personally like is how thre are different points of view,. This way I feel more connected to the characters and don't get bored as easily haha.

Although I have seen the plot formula she uses in every single one of her books (and I find it slightly annoying when I am able to find this out in an author **cough**Nicholas Sparks**cough**), I still enjoyed this and found it very educational and touching. I would recommend this. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle

Hello Readers!

It has been quite a while and I sincerely apologize for that. The last few months of school were very busy and filled with homework and tests. I'm sure you can relate. Anyway, today was the last day of school and I am looking forward to catching up on my reviews. I apologize in advance if they are somewhat short and not be the best :P I will try to remember the most of these books. I am currently 11 books behind my reading goal of the year, but don't worry! I will catch up this summer! Let's get on to the review now ...

The Beginning of After is a story about mourning and just dealing with life. Laurel, your average teenager, is completely devastated when she finds out that her parents and brother were killed during a car crash. She would be dead too if she hadn't had to study for school. Laurel cannot believe that the person driving the car, her neighbor's father, lies in a coma while her family was not spared. Laurel has to learn how to get on with her life and the changes that have been made. She has to learn to accept and adapt.

This book did not make me cry and I found it to be just okay. It was a decent read, but not something that was just SOOO special and touching. It is definitely not up to the standards of Sarah Dessen or Sarah Ockler, and I found this to be a little disappointing. This novel has good intentions, but I felt like there could have been MORE from it and I could have felt more connected to Laurel. 3 out of 5 stars.

Also, if you're in the mood for a touching story about loss, acceptance, and a little romance, try reading Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler. I'll give you a link to my review of it here.

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

This novel takes place in a southern Georgia town after World War I. Four characters feel like there is more to life and are just looking to find it. They feel isolated and misunderstood. These misfits find solace in John Singer, a deaf-mute. Carson McCullers then takes us through the lives and thoughts of these 5 people and what it means to be lonely.

This is the novel that I chose to read for my English Honors novel project, and it was pretty good. It was a little slow at times, but it’s a kind of heavy read. I liked how I was able to relate to a lot of things, even though this book was written 70 years ago.

It was a really thought provoking story and has some deep meanings. I also had to research the author, and everything I learned was really interesting. I really enjoyed this story an would recommend it to someone if they had to do a novel project like I did. 4 out of 5 stars.