Of Poseidon (Of Poseidon #1) by Anna Banks

The prince of Syrena, Galen, is sent to land to find Emma. He's heard that she has the special power to communicate with fish and is therefore royal. However, things are more complicated than he thought and Galen and Emma have to figure out which world they belong in. 

I'll start with the positives. The cover is beautiful and I really like the idea of the story. I also really like the name Galen. I'm always reading and searching for really cool names to name my future children. At first I thought, "Whoa! Galen! That's an awesome name!". But then I thought more about how he would probably get made fun of... But anyways! Emma was a fresh voice and I liked how she and Galen interacted. This book made me laugh out loud at multiple times because of the clever wording and characters of Rayna and Toraf.

Now to the negatives. First, I found it very disturbing that **SPOILER** Emma's BEST FRIEND dies, and she seems hardly affected by it throughout the book. I mean, that's pretty traumatizing. I just don't think the author fully reflected the devastation, guilt, and confusion that Emma should have felt. I also disliked how the story was told. The flap claims that it is "Told from both Emma and Galen's points of view", however Emma's is told from a 1st POV and Galen's is a 3rd POV. That is really confusing and I don't know why the author did that. I think she should have done one of those story tellings that is so popular now where the characters alternate but their name is at the top of the chapter and they both speak in 1st. My last complaint is about the plot. Or the lack of it. There was literally nothing going on because they got next to nothing accomplished. It was clear that the author was planning a sequel, which is no excuse to make your first book go nowhere!

I wish that there had been more description of the Syrenans and their world and customs and everything. Sadly, I have to give this book 3 out of 5 stars. It really does have a lot of promise, so I think I'll be reading the next book and see if that redeems it. 

June Dreams (Summer #1) by Katherine Applegate

This book is about Summer, who hails from Minnesota, who comes down to live in Florida with her aunt and cousin for the summer. On the plane a lady tells her about three boys she will meet. One will seem to be dangerous, one will seem to be right, and one will seem to be mysterious. With that in mind, she meets 3 guys: Diver, Adam, and Seth. Summer tries to figure out her relationships with them as well as with her cousin Diana, who seems to have some stuff going on. 

I read this a few years back and loved it. Now, I still think it's a good story but its definitely not the best story I've ever read or anything haha. I find it to be unrealistic most of the times but its a cute, cheesy story. It's a little dramatic, but fun and simple. All the characters are very likable.

It's a little addicting and if you're in the mood for a bit outdated, cheesy, summer series, read this! 3 out of 5 stars. Also, please note that I did not give this 3 stars because I disliked the story. I gave it 3 stars because I don't believe it was exceptionally great and thought provoking.

Tempest (Tempest #1) by Julie Cross

Tempest is about 19-year-old college kid named Jackson. He's completely normal, except for the fact that he can "jump", or time travel, backwards. One day, some people randomly occur and shoot Holly. In a panic, Jackson jumps and ends up in year 2007. He can't get back to 2009 but knows that he must do whatever it takes to find out how to save Holly. 

I really wanted to like Tempest, however it seemed to drag on and on and on. It took me longer than average to read it and it was hard for me to get into. I loved the concept and I really liked Jackson, Holly, and Adam. All the characters were awesome and I think they were the best part of the book. However, it got a little confusing for me with all the jumping and trying to understand how everything works. See, this isn't like time traveling we are used to. If you go back and change something, it doesn't affect the future. I'm not going to give anything away, but as the story progressed and Jackson understands more and more, I just became more confused lol. 

Also, I hated the ending. I kind of understood why he did it, but I still hated him for it. Also, you could tell that there was going to be a sequel and I hate when authors do that! This was going to be a 4 star book until the ending. I disliked it so much that I had to knock off a star. Thumbs up on the cover though, I think it's really pretty!

I feel like other people will enjoy this book more than I would, but I wouldn't recommend it. I think that it was too slow, predictable, and slightly confusing. Also, I'm totally guessing that that little girl with the red hair is Jackson and Holly's daughter. I'm calling it now haha. I don't think I'll be reading the next book in the series. 3 out of 5 stars.

The Angel Experiment (Maximum Ride #1) by James Patterson

Why hello there! It has been quite a while. No, I have not disappeared off the face of the Earth and still read every day. I've just been so overwhelmed with school and life that I haven't really had the time to keep up with this blog! Maybe I'll get back on it this summer though. Anyway, I decided to review the last book I read.

This was recommended to me by my brother, who is 14. He has all the Maximum Ride books and claims that they are "the best books ever". On testing week I knew I was going to have tons of time after I finished so I might as well give it a try.

Maximum Ride is about a 14 year old girl who takes care of her family (but they're not actually related). And yes, Maximum Ride is a girl. I read 80 pages before I realized that and was extremely confused. Her other "siblings" are all of various ages that are younger than her. I will not bother to list their names. Anyway, these are special children because they are part avian and have wings (along with other special talents). They are on their own because they don't know who their parents are and their caretaker, Jeb, is gone. They spend most of the novel escaping from Erasers, wolf-like human creations, and other mildly important events.

I was not a huge fan of this story. The writing was too juvenile and sarcastic for me. Also the author would switch from first-person to third person in different chapters, WHICH IS NOT ALLOWED. Writers should not do that. The chapters were an average of 3 pages long. 3 PAGES. That is hardly long enough to be considered a chapter. I really struggled to get through this book and only continued to read it to tell my brother that I read it. The plot was alright, I felt like it didn't really go anywhere and none of my questions got answered. The imagination behind the story is very interesting, but not the most imaginative that I have read. 

I would probably recommend this to my 5th or 6th grade self, but now my reading level is far beyond this series. If you are 10-13, give it a try! You'll definitely have more luck with it than I did. I will not be reading the other books in the series. 3 out of 5 stars.

The Darlings by Cristina Alger

Paul Ross married Merrill Darling, not knowing about the foreign life he would be thrown into. He became used to an elite New York life. Due to economic hardships, Paul loses his job. But luckily (or unluckily, however you choose to think about it), Carter Darling (Paul's father-in-law) offers him a job to oversee a legal team at his company. Then a large-size scandal shakes the company and that Darlings are thrust into the public eye, but not in a good way. Paul receives some information and must decide whether he wants to save himself and Merrill, or protect his family's name. As you read on through this novel, you realize that things on the outside are not always how they appear to be, and there is so much more to know.

I originally wanted to read this because I read a review for it in Entertainment Weekly and they mentioned it as being "like Gossip Girl", and of course the fangirl in me was like "GOSSIP GIRL” and put it on my to-read list without further thought. After reading it, I reflect back on its “gossipgirlness” and realize that the only things they have in common are that they take place in New York, they are part of the elite upper class, and there is a scandal. That’s all. LOL.

I thought the concept of this book was pretty interesting, but I think it would have been better for me to know more about the whole Wall Street issues before reading this. The good things about this novel were the interesting moral dilemmas, because I do love to contemplate those. I also loved the romantic part of this novel. And when I say “romantic” I don’t mean there’s a huge romance aspect, I just mean that I love the way that Paul and Merrill think of each other and their thoughts in the narrative. They truly, truly love one another and the author describes it perfectly. I fell in love with Paul a little bit just because it was so adorable how much he loves his wife.

Otherwise, I found this novel to be really slow and LONG. It was kinda boring to be honest. I also had a somewhat difficult time following all the character’s narrations. There is seriously like 7 people telling the story (not through 1^st person) and they have similar sounding names, so I don’t know. It’s probably me haha. I probably would have been more into the story if the author had done a Jodie Picoult thing where there are different fonts and easily divided chapters of different narrators.

I think this book would make an interesting movie but as a novel, it was just okay for me. The end was really cool though, in my opinion! 3 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.

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.

Never Been Kissed by Melody Carlson

Elise is going to be attending a new school her junior year, and what time is better than now to reinvent herself and get ride of her NBK badge? She falls for an already-taken guy named Asher and is crushed to see him with his girlfriend. Then, she gets an email from Asher telling her that he’s actually into her, but his girlfriend (Brianna) is super jealous and so that they should just communicate over email, and then in person act like they hate each other. Then out of nowhere, Elise is arrested for something she knows she didn’t do. Can she prove her innocence before it ruins her reputation and life?

I picked up this book because I turned to a page and it mentioned sexting, a topic I haven’t read a book on before (It’s so new it’s not even a word on my laptop lol). The story itself was interesting and I thought that there were a lot of good lessons incorporated into it. Thumbs up to Melody for that.

I found the writing to be a little juvenile and predictable, but there were a few parts I didn’t see coming in there. Like Asher’s emails? Seriously? Can Elise really be that naïve? It was also a little dramatic and hard to believe, but putting those thoughts aside, it was a decent book.

The matters of sexting are serious, and I like how I learned JUST how serious it can be.

If you’re looking for a REALLY light and entertaining read, this one’s for you. Don’t expect a whole lot from it though, the writing is just decent. The themes are good though, and it would probably make a good movie. I would have given this 2 stars, but the concept and morals of Elise redeemed it a bit.

3 out of 5 stars.

Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey

Wren loved Danny. In fact, she still does. He was her everything, and she was his. One sunny day, he dies in a car crash. Wren is devastated, and decides that she must do anything she can to have him back. She’s always known she was special and possessed supernatural powers, so with the hope to have her boyfriend back, she performs a spell. When she opens her eyes, she finds Danny in front of her. At least, it’s sort-of Danny. He’s colder, paler, less human. Undead. She hides him away and is glad to have him back. Then Gabriel comes to town. He sees the power that’s inside Wren, and makes her see that what she did was wrong. With things getting worse with Danny, as well as her relationship with her friends and family, Wren discovers what it means to love and what it means to lose.

The plot was interesting and I liked the author’s take on zombies. In the beginning , I was very intrigued with the mystery and romance. I kinda was over it halfway through. I felt like this would have done better as a longer story, with more background to their relationship, and also the future. I don’t know if a second book is planned, but there were some unanswered questions at the end. It was also pretty anticlimactic. It was promising in the beginning, but it got less interesting as the story went on. Oh, and if you are planning on reading this novel, I suggest you read the summary of it so you get a basic idea of what’s going on. Because the author just throws you out there and explains it later, which can be a bit confusing.

The characters were iffy. I found myself relating to Wren in the way that she loved Danny a lot, and wanted to bring him back because she missed him so much. I loved the bits of the past that she described, because it helped me sympathize with her and understand how special their relationship was. However, she also bothered me because of her selfishness and ignorance to other people’s feelings, like her friends’ and family’s. And also to Gabriel. He had been nothing but nice to her, and basically it was like “Thankyou Gabriel I need you” to “Get away from me and stop helping” in the next second. She was just so afraid of loving him and decides to be mean to him, and every time he comes back. I didn’t find myself connecting with any of the other characters.

I know all I’ve been doing is criticizing this book, but I promise there were some good parts. Those are the parts where I really connected with Wren and her struggle, like when you see why she loved Danny so much. I also really liked the concept, and the conflicting feelings of grief, love, and loss.

The cover is gorgeous, and probably what interested me in the first place. Overall, this is an average paranormal romance for me. I liked the take on zombies, but this just wasn’t my cup of tea. I’m sure If I wanted to read a paranormal romance, I could find a more satisfying story. But this was just okay, not good and not bad. If wouldn’t recommend it, just because I think there’s better out there. If you want a good read about loss and love (not paranormal though) try Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler. 3 out of 5 stars for Cold Kiss.

Picture Perfect by Catherine Clark

Every few years, Emily's dad drags the family along to some vacation spot where they spend a few weeks in the summer with his old college friends. All his friends have kids that are the same age, so Emily, Spencer, Adam, and Heather have known each other forever. This year, the trip will be different though. It's the summer before college, and the first time Emily will have seen Spencer in a long time. The last time she saw him, she pronounced her love for him, and he awkwardly ignored her. Her friend Heather convinces her that this is the PERFECT time to have a fling, and Emily decides that she's right. Now, Emily has to get over Spencer, find someone to have a fling with, and enjoy her summer.

First of all, the characters. I didn't really feel like I connected with Emily a whole lot, probably because she had liked Simon. Simon is like OMG the hugest dick ever. He seriously needs to get over himself. I didn't feel like I really understood Emily a whole lot because of that, and her desperation to meet someone new. And the weird thing is, that I pretty much disliked Simon from the beginning of the book. But then, towards the middle-end ish, I actually started liking him. So thumbs up for the author for being able to change my mind like that!

I felt like the ending was too short, however. I felt that there were a few loose ends that should have been tied. Such as, the calendar Emily was making. It seems almost like a metaphor throughout the story, and she mentions it a lot. She was supposed to make the calendar as a gift for everyone, but the story ended before she could give it to them. It's not a huge deal, I just think that that thought should have been completed. Also, Blake! **SPOILER HERE** He was pretty much a jerk to her (or so we think) and I would have liked an apology, or an explanation from him so that he wouldn't have just dropped out of the story.

I liked the basic idea of the story, though it wasn't anything too special. It made me laugh out loud on multiple occasions, and definitely was entertaining at some parts. It was a quick read that didn't require too much concentration and chick-lit happiness. I love romance/girly books, and if Picture Perfect sounds interesting, than read it! But if it sounds kinda ehh, skip it and go for another book. I enjoyed this book, and it had it's good moments, but it wasn't anything too special. So, 3 out of 3 stars !

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

The Joy Luck Club starts off telling about how four women meet together to play mah jong in San Francisco. One of the women has died, and her daughter is supposed to take her place at the table. Four stories are told, from 4 mothers and their 4 daughters in alternating perspectives. The stories intertwine as we learn about the mother's lives in China, and their daughter's lives in America.

I found out I had to read this book over the summer as part of summer reading. :P I'm taking the honors English class this year as opposed to last year, when I took the regular class. And no one gave me the memo about the summer books we had to read! Lol. But luckily, I had already read 2 of the 3, and this was the third I had to read.

I found it to be a little bit confusing as I tried to keep track of all the characters and their mothers. Their stories all have similarities so it can be a bit tricky at times. I couldn't relate to a whole lot of it, but I liked the messages it portrayed. This isn't a book I would have chosen for myself to read, I prefer the mindless, girly ones lol. But as required reading, it wasn't that bad, and captivating at points.

I'm going to give it 3 out of 5 stars , because I know it's a classic. I wasn't blown away by it or anything. :P If it sounds like something that interests you, I would recommend it, but if it doesn't, it's probably not something I would rave over.

This was a quick review, as I have to get back to my homework. Yes, homework on the first weekend. I have to catch up on all the stuff I was supposed to do over the summer lol. Until next time! Whenever that time will be :)

Happy reading!