Delirium (Delirium #1) by Lauren Oliver

Love makes people act irrationally. So what if it was eliminated? In this dystopian world, love is considered a disease. When you turn 18 you will have an operation that makes you immune to the disease. Lena can't wait for her operation. She has lived in fear ever since her mom committed suicide from the disease. She has never questioned anything, until she meets Alex. 

The concept behind this book is fascinating. What WOULD a world look like without love? I liked this as a dystopian book because it was a little bit different. It was very realistic and didn't have any sci-fi gadgets or hoverboards or pills or anything. It also wasn't extremely violent or rebellious. That's what makes it so realistic. If I had to compare it to another dystopian series, I would go with the Uglies. I'm not exactly sure why, but that's what it reminds me of the most. 

The plot was a little slow but the writing is so beautiful that it didn't feel that way. Lena is a winning heroine and Alex is just awesome. I really liked the way that they were portrayed. It was also a little predictable, but that doesn't take away from the story.

The ending was a cliffhanger and you know a second book was in the works, but it wasn't overly terrible. I think I'm slowly dying because I need the second book in the series. I really liked this book and I suggest you give it a try. 5 out of 5 stars.

Teeth by Hannah Moskovitz

Rudy and his family moved to an island with rumors of fish that can cure his sick brother. Isolated from his friends and the world he knew, he becomes lonely and confused. One day he meets Teeth, a half-fish-half-human who is just about as lonely and confused as he is. Rudy begins to question everything he thought he knew and has to make some difficult decisions.

This was a very unique and interesting book. First of all, I think that the description for it is a little misleading and should have mentioned that Teeth was half-fish-half-boy. But  that's my only complaint.  
I absolutely loved this book. The dialogue and the characters are perfection. They are all so REAL and haunted and amazing. 

Moskovitz's writing is absolutely incredible. I'm not sure exactly how to describe it, but it is dark and humorous and sad all at the same time. It's touching and magical and jus overall awesome. The ending was heartbreaking, that's all I will say.

I also liked the many references to books including John Green and the Metamorphosis, which I just read for summer reading. I was so into this book that I read 40 pages while in the car. That's something that doesn't usually happen because I'll get nauseous or get bored or something lol. So I think 40 pages is a record. 

I personally think that there was some sort of romance going on between Rudy and Teeth. It isn't explicitly stated, but I think that its there. Also, can we talk about the cover? It's beautiful. It's the 2 fishhooks! And the background has some scales! And it's a heart! Its just too awesome.

This book isn't for everyone because its very different and strange. However, I like that kind of stuff and so I loved this. Give it a try, it might surprise you. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler

When Jude was 12, she made a pact with her 3 older sisters. They cut their hands, burned their hair in a church candle, and said an oath. They were never to be involved with one of the Vargas boys in order to prevent themselves from a broken heart. Now, it is the summer after Jude's senior year and all of her sisters have already moved out. Her father has Alzheimer's and in a desperate attempt to "cure" him, Jude decides to help him restore the motorcycle from his glory days. Everything is fine, until Jude realizes that Emilio, the boy hired to fix the bike, is a Vargas. She has to figure out what is right for her father, her family, and herself.

Twenty Boy Summer was a completely amazing book. Bittersweet was good, but not great, and The Book of Broken Hearts falls after Bittersweet. Let's talk about the romance. I liked Emilio, but he was no Sam. He was sweet, and I liked him, but the relationship with him and Jude just didn't seem as REAL as it could have been. The chemistry was good but not great unfortunately. 

I liked how this story was more than just a romance, and it was also about a family who is trying to hold everything together. I really felt Jude's pain about Papi and how she is trying to be strong and make everything okay. 

The characters were all very likable and realistic. There was Papi, who was funny and awesome. I liked Jude, I think at first she isn't totally comfortable with herself but she's really sharp. Her friends are slightly annoying, but that's how they're supposed to be and I can understand their reactions. Emilio is great and Jude's sisters are not perfect, but you can still see why they act the way they act. 

Another thing I really liked was the incorporation of Spanish (or Puerto Rican, etc but they are close enough) because I've taken 3 years of Spanish and I liked learning a few new words!

I liked the ending, I thought it was really sweet and a good way to end it. If you had to choose a book to read by Sarah Ockler, choose Twenty Boy Summer, but this one was pretty good too. Good, not great. 5 out of 5 stars.

Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth

This is the second book in the Divergent series. I never wrote a review on that one, maybe I'll get to that some day... haha :) Don't read this review if you haven't read the first book in the series, there are bound to be various spoilers.

Divergent last left us with Tris discovering the truth about the Erudite and the simulations and everything. That was an awful cliffhanger, and we pick up right where we left off. Literally right off. It might as well have been the next chapter instead of a new book! Tris is horribly confused and hurt and guilty for what happened with Will. She is trying to figure out what exactly is going on with her society and how she can stop its corruption.

I really enjoyed Insurgent. I didn't really feel the romance between Tris and Tobias in this one, but that's okay. It was more about her journey. The plot was well developed and there was a lot of excitement. I feel like I can relate to Tris a lot because she isn't the most physically strong person, but she is very strong willed which makes her awesome.

There are a lot of characters and they all seem very real. I like how even the "bad guys" are shown in a new light in this book and you realize that there are many parts of evil to a person. Overall, if you read Divergent and liked it, definitely read Insurgent. I will be reading the next book in the series. There is a bad cliffhanger anyways.

Also, let's take a moment to recognize how awesome Veronica Roth is. Reading Divergent, I was pretty much in love with Four. He is definitely up there in my top book crushes. But not exactly where Sam from Shiver is. No one could ever top Sam! When we found out that Four's real name is Tobias, I was sold. I then went around telling everyone what a beautiful name Tobias was and that I was going to name my future child Tobias lol. This was influenced this book, but also from Tobias from the Animorphs. Then, I was reading the extra special collector's edition of this book and reading the interview with that author. She said that she had given Tobias his name as homage to the Animorphs character! Like, how awesome is that? Me and this author have like one mind haha.

As I said before, I read the collector's edition of Insurgent. It was pretty cool compared to the regular one. The cover was shinier, there was an attached ribbon bookmark, Free Four (the reason I wanted to get this copy as opposed to the regular one), a Q&A with the author, tattoos, a poster, and a couple of other really cool things. I would suggest you get it if you are a fan of this series.

Also, as a side note, as I read this book I became more and more intrigued about how the factions and wondered which one I would fit in. I took some quizzes online and they said that I would be Candor, which I agree with. I like giving my opinion and believe that honesty is a good thing to have. I definitely wouldn't be Abnegation or Dauntless. I know I'm intelligent, but not to the point of arrogance, so no Erudite. One quiz said that I was Amity, which I would be if there wasn't any Candor.  Thinking about it though, I think I am definitely more Candor because though I really like peace and pleasing people, I am not submissive to that extent. Therefore, Candor.

Well, this has turned into a very long rant only partly relating to Insurgent! Anyways, 5 out of 5 stars.

The Invasion (Animorphs #1) by K.A. Applegate

Animorphs! What a blast from the past. These novels were seriously my 3rd grade life. I only got up to number 37 for some strange reason though. I don't know why I never got farther than that lol. A few days ago, my boyfriend mentioned a hawk. The mention of the hawk reminded me of Tobias, one of the Animorphs who was stuck in a red-tailed hawk form. And then as I was remembering all the characters and the battles and the covers and the aliens and everything I began to get very excited! So then I ran upstairs to retrieve the few Animorph books I had purchased at used book stores and such. And then I promptly began reliving my childhood and reading #13, which had Tobias on the cover. And I sat there, just reading my beloved Animorphs book while my boyfriend fell asleep. Lol.

I'm not sure why I had loved these books so much, considering they were science-fiction, the type of books that I didn't and still don't read. Maybe it was the appeal of the Yeerk invasion and how "real" it all seemed. Like, what if they were real?! And how they were just normal kids but they were given special powers and it's all just so amazing! Haha anyways the next day I took a trip to the library and went to the children's section and behold, there were the books that I had loved so much. I did some research on the Animorphs when I got home and found out that they were being re-released! The fangirl in me is very happy because these books were literally my life. I've read that they're making small changes to make them more timeless, because pop-culture has definitely changed since the 90s! Haha so anyways...

The Invasion is about 5 kids, about middle-school age, who walk through a construction place when they see a dying alien (an Andalite). He tells them about the Yeerks, an invading parasitic alien species that crawl into people's ears and control their mind and body. He gives them the ability to morph into other animals after they have absorbed their DNA. The only thing is that they have to morph back into their human form before 2 hours or they will be stuck that way forever. Until the Andalites can come to Earth and save everyone, it's up to the Animorphs to protect their planet.

This is really awesome series, and maybe I'm just biased because I'm living in nostalgia, but I recommend that you try out this series. And if you're too old for it, recommend it to someone in middle school. Or just read them anyways because they're amazing. 5 out of 5 stars.

Between The Lines by Jodi Picoult & Samantha van Leer

Delilah is a high-school loner who finds comfort in a picture book called "Between The Lines"  that she found in her school's library. Even though she knows she's too old to be reading fairy tales, she loves to read about Oliver, a handsome prince who sets out to save a princess. He fights dragons, tricks trolls, escapes mermaids, etc. Delilah likes to believe in happy endings, ever since her dad left her and her mom. That's why she can relate to Oliver, whose father was killed protecting his kingdom from a dragon. One day, Oliver from her book talks to her. It turns out that he lives a life too when the book is closed. When someone is reading the book he is an actor saying the liens that were written for him. Oliver has always wondered what was outside his book and desperately wants to get out.

For those of you who may not know, Jodi Picoult wrote this novel with her teenage daughter. I read in Entertainment Weekly that she had wanted to write a novel targeted towards a younger audience because he readers may have wanted to "share her stories with their children or younger siblings". That made me laugh a lot because sorry Jodi, I'm not in a huge rush to tell my younger brother about gay parenting rights, emancipation, cancer, abduction, etc. When I heard that Picoult was writing a young adult book I was very excited and knew I had to get my hands on it. And by the way, the picture of the two was taken by my favorite photographer Adam Bouska, who I actually got to meet the other day. He is a wonderful man and his pictures are extremely beautiful. Here is a video of him and them during the photoshoot: http://www.jodipicoult.com/between-the-lines.html In case you couldn't tell, I am a huge fan of Adam.

Between The Lines has a really cool concept and a nicely narrated story. The plot is decently paced and the characters are likable. The chapters are alternated between a narration of Oliver, Delilah, and the story itself. I like books with chapters like this, which is why I enjoy Jodi's writing. It's a nice romance without being too much of a romance, and it also touches up upon family matters and friendship. I enjoyed this novel and I would recommend it, whether you've read any of Jodi's other novels or not. 5 out of 5 stars.

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.

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.

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

Poppy Wyatt’s life is perfect. She is engaged to the most amazing man and has a job she loves. But when she loses her wedding ring, everything starts to fall apart. In her panic, her phone also gets stolen from her. Now where are people going to call if they find her ring?! Poppy looks in a trashcan and finds a phone. Finders keepers right? She’ll just use it until her ring is found. But the phone’s owner, Sam Roxton, is not happy. Especially when Poppy starts reading his messages and “fixing” his life. But as Poppy and Sam start facing their lives and denials, they realize that nothing is as they thought it was.

This was such a cute, fun story. It was hilarious, and you find yourself loving Poppy as a person. She’s so adorable and easy to relate to. Especially when she plays Scrabble (LOL). And the footnotes were just too funny.

The real only complaint I have was the flap that has the summary. Sam and Poppy do not “upend each other’s lives through emails and text messages”. I hate when the summaries do that!

Another thing that’s notable is that when people send texts, they do not sign their name at the end of every one. And people don’t say things like “hi wts up? Wnt 2 go 2 d movi?” But unlike my previous rant of misleading texts, it was tolerable.

I like how as frivolous as this story is, it really does have some good messages worth remembering. And there are a lot of unpredictable events in this book! It’s a hilarious novel that’s worth reading on a lazy afternoon. Sophie Kinsella doesn’t disappoint at all, or at least for me. 5 out of 5 stars.

What Boys Really Want by Pete Hautman

Let me introduce you to our two main characters: Lita and Adam. Lita and Adam are best friends and have a rather violent relationship (when they first met she hit him with a lunchbox). Lita has always wanted to be a published author, like her mother. So when Adam decides to self-publish a book called “What Boys Want”, a self-help book that gives readers an insight to boys thinking, she can’t believe it. How could he be taking her dream away? Especially because she’s sure that he can’t write a book. She is also trying to help her friend, Emily, get with Adam’s friend, Dennis. But Dennis has his eyes on Blair, who is known for her “skankiness”. But Blair seems to have a thing for Adam, which is not OKAY with Lita. And Adam has his own problems, with figuring out how to publish his book and of course, what he wants.

What Boys Want was surprisingly good! Despite the awful cover (I will get to that later), I decided to read it because I had read another book by Pete Hautman. The plot of this story is quick paced, interesting, and humorous. There were so many times that I found myself LOLing at the hilarious events and things these characters said. The dialogue is very real, and I can imagine teenagers actually saying those things. This is very rare in a YA book because let’s face it. Adults, as close as you can get, you’re not our age and don’t know how we talk even though you think you do. All the characters were really funny and lovable. There’s Adam and his strange logic and Lita with her temperamental scheming. Even the minor characters like Blair are likable. The idea of this book is really cool too because I learned more about the book publishing process. It was interesting to see all the different relationships between people unfold. And I really appreciated how Adam and Lita never liked each other and that they were seriously just friends. Although the word “friends” is debatable because Lita seems pretty cold towards Adam the whole story if you ask me.

One thing I must says is how I think Pete needs to get a new publisher. I think this is a wonderful read, but the amazingness is taken away because of the presentation. First of all is the title. It is “What Boys Really Want” when the book that Adam is writing is called “What Boys Want”. This is very deceiving and I do not like the title lying to me, even though at the end of the book Adam’s book is renamed. Maybe they added the “really” to draw in readers. Still. Next is the cover. I do not like seeing people on the cover of my books. I do not like this cover. It’s relevant to the book, but could have been majorly improved. And the last thing is the inside flap. “And Adam would never end up in a fistfight with Lita’s boyfriend.” Okay, during the story, Lita does not even have a boyfriend. And the event they are talking about happens in the last 20 pages. So why would you even put that in your description if it’s basically a lie? Therefore, I think Pete needs to get a new publisher who will actually read the book before the jacket and cover are designed. If anyone read “The Big Crunch”, you may remember how the jacket flap said that there was a character named “Jen” when really they meant “June”. How can you put the wrong name in your description??? Case in point.

Anyway, despite my ranting I really did like this book. It was funny, realistic, and a great light read. I recommend it if you don’t want to read anything too serious. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Hazel is a surviving cancer patient who is living her life to the best of her ability. In her cancer support group, she meets Augustus Walters. Augustus (or Gus, as he is sometimes called) is handsome, hilarious, has an interesting outlook on life, and is interested in Hazel. The two grow closer and end up going on a journey together that will change their lives and how they perceive and live it.

This book is so special that it makes me tear up just thinking about it. I loved Paper Towns and Will Grayson, Will Grayson (OMG David Levithan <3) so I wanted to read his latest book, even if it didn't sound THAT interesting to me. This was a truly amazing story. Let me first start with the cover and the title.

The cover itself is amazing, though you have to read the book first and then try to understand it. There are two clouds in a blue sky: one black and one white. A black cloud? What could it mean? I'll let you think about that. The title was taken from a line in Julius Caesar (it's explained in the book) when Brutus is talking to Cassius and they talk about how it's their fault their life is the way it is, not their fates'. And then Hazel and Gus disagree about it, because obviously it's not their fault they have cancer. Therefore, there are faults in their stars, not them. I also liked how Augustus' name is Augustus, another reference to Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.

Though the plot was a little slow in the beginning, it quickly became very interesting. Hazel and Gus are so lovable and REAL. They are such admirable characters with big hearts. And the romance? It's sweet and sad and everything all at once. Its heartbreaking and wonderful to read about their life as they live between life and death.

John's writing is absolutely beautiful. It can have you laughing on one page and then crying the next. I literally marked every other page because there were so many quotes I liked. "Some infinities are larger than other infinities" was my favorite. Its the perfect paradox and I still ponder all of its different meanings.

I loved everything about this book and wouldn't change a thing. They're making it into a movie, and I'm really crossing my fingers that they'll make it right and they won't ruin it. I recommend this book, because I really enjoyed it. 5 out of 5 stars.

Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony

Glory's mother died when she was young, and ever since then her father raised her as a piano prodigy. When she moves to a new house she falls in love with Frank, her neighbor. Now Glory is missing, and readers go back in time to discover what led to her disappearance.

This book is unlike anything I've ever read. Instead of reading white pages filled with black type, you are looking at colorful pictures that tell a story. There are various pictures of newspaper clippings and notes, but this book is 90% visual. I loved how the story came together even though it was a little confusing and I had to read it more than once. It was also really interesting how a story could be told through all just pictures. I would recommend "reading" this, just because it's so quick and fun. I liked how so much of the story was left up to the reader's imagination and interpretation. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1) by Suzanne Collins

When I first heard about the Hunger Games it was about when the last book was published. I heard what it was about and had no real interest in reading it. Even when I knew there was going to be a movie, I didn't want to read it. Then I was like, "Well, since it's a dystopian book and every one's talking about it, I might as well read it..." And I'm glad that I did.

This was one of the most interesting dystopian books I've read in a while. What an interesting concept! Teenagers fighting to the death, what will they think of next?

The Hunger Games has a winning protagonist who is easily likable. Peeta (btw, awesome name. It's like Peter but with a British accent. Pee-tahhh! lol) is adorable in his soft-hearted way. And Gale, even though he's not really a part of the story, is present in spirit and lovable all the same. Even the strange characters, like Effie and Haymitch, who you can't really figure out if they're good or bad, have their own charm to them.

The plot was quickly paced and exciting. I liked how the romance was just an aspect, and not what drives the story. I liked the suspense, though it was very predictable at times. Another thing that I really liked was how this dystopian world wasn't hard to understand. The Uglies is my favorite dystopian series of all times, and even as I read it for the cajillionth time I still pick up on things that I didn't before. There wasn't too much strange lingo or slang that leaves the reader scratching their head. It's a pretty straight-forward, easy read.

And let me just add that I'm glad that there is a new book cult out there that is likable for girls AND guys. Yes, I'm talking about you, Twilight. And I can't wait for the movie. And I still have to read the other books. Anyways, read this if you haven't. You won't regret it, especially since everyone is going to be talking about it. 5 out of 5 stars.

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer

Imagine that it is many years into the future and  a deadly plague with no cure is taking over the world. Cinder, a cyborg who lives in New Beijing with her evil stepmother and stepsisters (except one sister isn't evil), doesn't remember her past and lives an unfair life slaving for her stepmother and doing various mechanicary. One day, Prince Kai visits her and asks her to fix one of his androids. Soon after, her beloved sister comes down with the plague and is sent to be hospilitized. Cinder's stepmother blames Cinder for her daughter's death and volunteers Cinder to be part of the plague research. In other words, they'll inject her with antibodies and she'll die. Instead, something out of the ordinary happens. Cinder is faced with discovering her past and the secrets that the people around her are keeping. Meanwhile, Prince Kai is faced with his own problems regarding the Lunar people and what is best for the country.

I've read contemporary fairy tale retellings, but never a futuristic one. Cinder did not dissapoint me. I want to say that it's dystopian, but it's probably more towards science fiction. The world this story takes place in is amazing. Though there is death and scary Lunar people (moon colony people! omg!) and not a whole lot of happiness, it's still fascinating. I loved reading about how earth ends up and how androids and cyborgs live among humans.

The characters are realistic and likeable. Cinder is a promising protagonist and Kai and Iko were equally enjoyable. The plot is quick paced and very interesting. The imagery was very desriptive and I felt like I had a really clear picture of the futuristic world. There was definitely a romance aspect, but it wasn't overpowering and didn't take away from the story. There's definitely cliffhanger at the end, but it's not totally horrible like in some books (I'm talking about you, Bumped...) that you don't want to read the other ones. And I had totally predicted it from like page 50... I'm just that good lol.

I liked how the author retold Cinderella. There were a million things different about the story, but she kept close to the original tale. I like how there was still a ball and the author didn't mutilate the story so that it was completely different.

I am really looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series. Supposedly they're supposed to be about different fairy tales, so we'll see! I really enjoyed Cinder, and I recommend it to anyone who's interested in a new series! 5 out of 5 stars.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Aibileen has worked her whole life as a maid in Jackson, Mississippi. She had never thought too much of it and lived a simple life. But ever since her son was killed and treated poorly by white men, the "bitter seed was planted". Skeeter is a white woman who recently graduated college. She wants to be a writer, but she hasn't gotten the right opportunities. Inspired by her past life as well as her old maid Constantine, she decides to write a book that is filled with stories of colored women working for white families. The only problem is that she is going to need maids' stories. Aibileen eventually agrees to help, because she feels that it will help change the world. Writing a book like this is dangerous, and many maids are scared and believe it isn't worth the risk. Along with Minnie, Aibileen's best friend, the three begin to work on their project. Their actions will be life changing.

When I heard about the Help, I had no intentions of reading it. When I heard it was being turned into a movie, I still had no intentions of reading it. Even after I say the movie, I still didn't want to read it. I watched the bonus clips on the disk, and finally decided to read it. I'm glad that I did, because this was a truly wonderful book.

The characters were extremely well-developed, realistic, and lovable. They all had distinguishable voices that came through very well. I'm glad that I had seen the movie before reading the book because it helped me understand it better. The writing is absolutely beautiful. It makes me feel angry, sad, dissapointed, happy, scared, and proud. Only a wonderful book can make you feel all those emotions.

Even though this type of literature isn't my favorite, I still found myself enjoying the Help a lot. I liked the story, the characters, and how the story was told. I would recommend this one  even if you think it doesn't interest you. It's a fantastic story than anyone can enjoy. 5 out of 5 stars.

Shine by Lauren Myracle

When Cat hears that her former best friend was attacked in a hate crime, with the words "Suck this, faggot" written on his chest, she is determined to get to the bottom of it. It was no secret to anyone that Patrick, her friend, was gay and that homophobia may have had a big part in the act. As Cat asks questions to try to figure out what happened, she learns how to confront her past and become a stronger person.

People in this world are so cruel. It made me sick when I read the things that the characters said, because I know that some people are like that. I like to think of myself as an advocate for gay rights, and this harsh reality of a southern town was hard to read. Hate and intolerance are ugly things, and I hope that hate crimes and harsh words like the ones spoken in the book will eventually cease to exist. Shine touched me on so many levels and had me feeling angry at some times and heartbroken at others.

I liked how the characters were presented in this book, like there aren't any "good" or "bad" ones. They are all very human with their flaws. Even Cat isn't perfect, because she's quick to assume and not very assertive at first.

The plot was drawn out nicely, giving little details and clues to what truly happened. The story becomes even darker when the prominent aspect of meth is introduced. I think there's a lot more to this book than it seems.

The only objection I have to Shine is the romance aspect. I think it seemed a little convenient and the story would have been fine without it. Also, the ending. I like justice, and I guess in a way it was justice, but it was more like karma justice than law justice.

Another thing I'd like to add is how beautiful the cover of this book is. I love the dark shack and bare tree and ominous sky, and then that one beautiful burst of color, which is the flower. I think it really portrays the book perfectly.

Shine is a heartbreaking story with a lovely heroine and a sad mystery. I recommend this one if the plot sounds interesting to you. 5 out of 5 stars.

Between by Jessica Warman

Imagine that it's your birthday, and you have a bunch of friends spending the night on your family's boat. You hear a thumping noise that wakes you up, so you go outside to investigate. You lean over the boat to see a girl face down in the water. And then you realize that the girl is you.

This is how Between starts out of Liz. She finds herself not quite in the afterlife, and not quite on Earth. Instead, she is Between. For some reason, she is unable to remember the events leading up to her death. It's like parts of her memory has been wiped clean. She has nothing else to do than to wait and observe the people around her as they, as well as her, try to put all the pieces together. 

This was an awesome book. I'm going to try not to give too much away, because it ruins the experience. I read Breathless by Warman, and though I don't really remember what happens in it (I forget everything I read... lol), I remember I really enjoyed it. And Between was even better. It's a haunting mystery which has just the right amount of supernatural elements. It's also a romance and a story about family and friendship. I loved how you know exactly how much Liz does, and you're figuring out her death just like she is. From the very first chapter, Between tells of intriguing mystery lays all the pieces out for you, and then helps you put them together.

It was slightly predicable at times, and not at others. How it happens is what makes it interesting. I honestly can't think of one thing that I don't like about this book, because it was just that awesome. I know that I'm being kinda vague, but if you know any more it will ruin the experience of the book!! Read this one, it's worth it. And it has a little bit in it for everyone. 5 out of 5 stars, and I would give it 6 if I could.

Crossed (Matched #2) by Ally Condie

Crossed is the sequel to Matched. Ky had been sent out to the Outer Provinces and Cassia was sent to a camp. They both can’t forget the relationship they had, and will do anything to find each other again. Crossed is about searching, love, and secrets.

I LOVED Crossed. I’ve read a few dystopian series and the Matched series has definitely put its mark on my list. First of all, I loved how this story was told in alternating points of view, between Ky and Cassia, like in the Shiver stories. I wish that the author would have been consistent and done it in the first book but anyways… It really gave Ky more of a character and made him more likable. I also love Xander, hopefully there will be more of him in the last book!

I liked the addition of the new characters Indie, Eli, and I liked Vick. Indie was a little too sneaky for me though, and not friend material.

The writing was beautiful, but I thought the storyline was a little slow. I wish there was more action and more romance. And they spend the entire time looking for the Rising and then look what happens? Like… geez.

I love the simple romance that Ky and Cassia have. They’re not like Bella and Edward status and are just simply in love. I don’t like how Ky treats her at one point though, it’s not right and just makes me sad.

Despite the slowness, I loved the romance and the entire dystopian story. I have suspicions that the Rising is like the Society in it’s own twisted way. All in all, I thought Crossed was a good story and I can’t read to tread the next story in the series. Hopefully all my questions will be answered! 5 out of 5 stars.



Mini Shopaholic (Shopaholic #6) by Sophie Kinsella

When we last left off Becky, she had just had a baby. Mini Shopaholic continues her story about 2 years (I think) later. She still lives with her parents because all of her house plans fell through and Minnie has turned out to be a problem child. She’s a bit of a spoiled brat (though Becky is in denial). On top of that, there’s been a huge dilemma with the banks which is causing everyone to cut back and create budgets. Becky sees how stressed Luke is and plans a surprise party to take the edge off things. As she gets further into planning, she begins to realize how difficult it is to create her dream party on a budget.

This was a nice addition to the Shopaholic books. Becky hasn’t changed much and it’s a fun book. Nothing new and special here, and Becky still hasn’t gotten over her addiction (wait what addiction?). Becky is so sweet and lovable, though slightly irritating at times. The only complaint I have about this book is the lack of connection between Becky and Minnie.  I felt that more of the story was focused on the surprise party rather than her relationship with Minnie. I would have liked to see some parts about their bond instead of Minnie just acting out.

It’s a cute story, a good weekend read, and worth reading if you enjoyed the others. 4 out of 5 stars.

Something Blue (Darcy & Rachel #2) by Emily Giffin

Something Blue is the sequel to Something Borrowed. It is told in Darcy’s point of view of her side of the story, and how karma has hit her hard. She goes to Europe in hope to start a new life, but then she realizes that to have a better life, she must also become a better person.

I really enjoyed this novel, and how it was told in Darcy’s point of view. When I first read the blurb, I was like “Why would I want to read an ENTIRE story about Darcy? She's such a…” I was happily proven wrong, and ended up enjoying hearing the other half. It helps you to understand Darcy as a person and see her motives. She’s still not the best person, but at least I can see what caused her to act the way she did and feel the same feelings as her.

I loved Ethan in this story, he was one of my favorite characters in the first book. I found Something Blue to be very redeeming for Darcy, and that is a wonderful thing to say. Even if I didn’t like her for most of the book, I respect her for becoming a better person in the end.

If you read and enjoyed the first book, I strongly encourage that you read this one. It’s completing. I don’t know about you, but after Something Borrowed, I felt like there was something missing, and this filled it. I wish they would have somehow incorporated this into the movie, because I think it would have made it a lot more interesting and believable. I like to be fair, and Rachel, as lovable as she is, DID sleep with her friend’s fiancé. Nevermind that Darcy had cheated on Dex and gotten pregnant with his friend, it was still wrong.

5 out of 5 stars for this compelling read, it was well thought out and interesting, and just good chick lit in general!