The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

Emaline has been with Luke ever since freshman year. Now, it's her last summer before college. Everything between them has been pretty constant, but Emaline is starting to wonder if things need to be changed. She works for her family business in Colby, a small beach town, and meets Theo, a very driven guy from New York. Emaline also has some problems with her father (not Dad) who had broken a very important promise to her. She is very conflicted about what to do with her life and how to stay loyal to Colby and escape at the same time.

The romance of this novel was interesting. It didn't have the swoon-worthy guys I was used to and this novel wasn't really focused around the romance at all! That was a bit refreshing. I really could relate to Emaline and Luke's relationship because I have been with the same guy for almost three years. Like them, there is a lot of comfort and he is a great guy. It was strange how much their relationship mirrored ours. I liked Emaline and all of her flaws and also I LOVED Morris and Benji. They are easily the best characters in this book. Theo however, was cute at first but then he started to annoy me. 

I liked how realistic The Moon and More was and how there were so many different problems woven in. The only thing I disliked was how I felt I didn't get enough closure with the different characters. But I guess that's just how life is!

If you're looking for a good summer read, check this out. 4 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.

Sugar and Spice (L.A. Candy #3) by Lauren Conrad

In the concluding novel of the L.A. Candy series, Jane has her game face on. She knows that people have lied to her, and she’s ready this time. This time around, she’s sworn off guys, but what happens when Caleb and Braden both want her? What is she supposed to do? And what about Scarlett? She’s having her own troubles with Liam and her family. And of course we have Madison. But she has her own skeletons (figuratively) that she’s trying to keep in the closet.

This was my favorite book of the three. My thoughts on the writing and the series remain the same. They’re just fun afternoon novels! The plot twists in this novel were really unsuspected and I especially liked the ending and Jane’s decision with guys. If you enjoyed the other two books in this series, I would recommend reading this last one. It really pulls everything together. And I am looking forward to reading Lauren’s second series soon. :) 4 out of 5 stars.

Sweet Little Lies (L.A. Candy #2) by Lauren Conrad

In the sequel to L.A. Candy, Jane returns to L.A. after a picture scandal with Madison by her side. Even though Madison is helping Jane now, we all know she has something more devious planned. Scarlett, Jane's best friend, tries to warn her about Madison. But Scarlett is also facing her own drama regarding guys. The lies continue to grow...

My review of this novel is pretty much like the first. I think it's a cute, fun story with likable characters. My only complaint is how they are supposed to be on a "PG rated reality show", a "family show", yet they go out to clubs, drink, party, and hook up with guys. Is that family rated? If you consider Jersey Shore to be a family show, then maybe! And also, the girls on the show are 19, underage to be drinking and going to clubs. So how is that okay to show on a TV show? Anyways... Sweet Little Lies is a nicely paced novel with plenty of "Hollywood drama". Enjoyable, but forgettable. A good summer read though and I will be reading the next one. 4 out of 5 stars.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Lola's life is pretty much great. She love to dress up in costume and spend time with her wonderful boyfriend, Max. The only problem is that he two protective, gay dads don't like him. And since he's 22, and a musician, I suppose they have reason not to. Everything changes when the Bell twins move back in next door. Lola finds herself talking to Cricket, her childhood through 9th grade love, and having to reconsider all the relationships in her life.

Overall, this was a surprisingly good book. I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. There were so many different aspects to it, such as family, friendship, and individuality. There were also many, many humorous parts in it! Lola is very lovable, but she does have her flaws. But doesn't everyone? The dialogue was so real and I could totally imagine it happening in real life. While some parts of Lola had me rolling my eyes because they were just silly, there were also tons of great parts. I admire Lola's style and confidence to wear just about anything. I liked all the other characters as well.

The only thing that made me a little upset was Max. He really seems like a sweet character and the author does a 360. Oh well...

I was only about 3/4ths done with Lola when I realized that I was reading a sequel.... lol. The good thing about it is that it's a different set of characters, so you're not missing a whole lot if you didn't read the first. I enjoyed Lola, so now it's time to go back and read Anna and the French Kiss haha.

I recommend this to anyone who hasn't forgotten their first love or anyone who wants a light, humorous, one-day read. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

Hudson Avery is best known as the Cupcake Queen of Watonka. She spends most of her time inventing new cupcake recipes, watching after her brother, and helping out her mother at their diner. She’s always had a passion for ice-skating, but when she discovered her father was cheating on her mom, she threw the competition and gave up on her dream. Years later, she’s invited to compete in a skating competition that could change her life. A super cute hockey guy offers to get her rink time if she helps the hockey team (who have had a killer losing streak) and teaches them some of her tricks.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I love making cupcakes (and various other deserts), so I personally adored the little cupcake descriptions at the beginning of each chapter. There were a lot of good ideas and I plan on writing them down to recreate! But anyway… back to the book.

The characters were all very likable and realistic. I liked the idea of the story and how there were so many different aspects to it. It was really cute and had many humorous parts. I liked the setting and the messages ad everything in general!

The only thing that I found to be strange was Hudson’s relationship with Kara. First of all, it’s Hudson’s fault they stopped being friends. It’s understandable that Kara would hate Hudson, but for Hudson to hate Kara? That doesn’t make any sense. I don’t think she’s justified in being mean, because Kara didn’t do anything.

The only reason it's not 5 stars is Hudson’s love interest. I wish that more would have happened. And the competition…. Seriously….

The cover is gorgeous, but I think there should have been a cupcake!!! It would have been way cuter.

Sarah Ockler is a wonderful writer (Twenty Boy Summer was better) and Bittersweet doesn’t disappoint. It shows more of a playful edge of the writer. I recommend this one for anyone who wants a sweet, wintery romance/self-discovery story. 4 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.

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!

Where There's a Wolf, There's a Way (Monster High #3) by Lisi Harrison

The newest edition of the Monster High series focuses on Clawdeen, as well as our usual narrators (Frankie and Melody). The monster documentary was released, but yet no faces were blurred. The RADs identities have been discovered and many of them are forced to leave town. This is basically the aftermath and what happens next, while developing some interesting relationships and putting twists into the plot line.

I liked the overall plot, yet I found it to be a little bit boring compared to the last two books. I liked Clawdeen's character and Melody's discovery. I also liked how Billy has become a regular and is growing more interesting. I have to say that he's my favorite character by far! I hope he'll get his own book at some point... The usual pop culture references were enjoyable and the writing is simple and fun.

I didn't find this one as good as the first two, but I'm still looking forward to reading the fourth book, where Lala gets her time in the spotlight. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Something Borrowed (Darcy & Rachel) by Emily Griffin

Friend or romantic relationship? I think that a lot of us can relate to that one, because we have had to make a similar choice in our life, whether we've realized it or not. Rachel, our protagonist, is caught in a tricky situation. Her best friend Darcy whom she's known forever has always had it made. She's always had more money, more friends, and more guys. So of course she would be the one to be getting married to Dex while Rachel still doesn't even have a guy in sight. After a night with a little too much drinking, Rachel and Dex end up in bed together. Rachel dismisses it and tells herself that they were drunk and never to think of it again. It was in the past right? Well it was, until Dex calls her and tells her that he is beginning to have actual feelings for her and they should get together again. They meet in secret a few times and Rachel realizes that she is in love with her best friend's fiance.

I really enjoyed Something Borrowed. I liked the plot, the writing style, and the characters. Especially the characters. I think they were really well formed and 3D. However, they do have their flaws but I think it makes them more endearing in a way.

I did have a problem with the morality of the whole issue. I mean, it IS her best friend. And even if she is a bitch and has gotten everything she's wanted, does that make it okay? And Dex, what kind of person does that make him? It was honestly just really confusing trying to decide who I supported when you really think about it. I do have to give Griffin two thumbs up for throwing surprises in there and keeping me on my toes and changing my views on the characters. I have also had to choose between a friend and a guy before in my life (not on such an extreme level as Rachel though). And I chose the guy, so I guess that makes me the bad person lol. So I found it easy to relate to the big picture thing. If I were to just tell you the plot of this story, you would probably already hate Rachel a little bit for doing that to her friend. But as you read the story, you find yourself feeling sympathetic and understanding of Rachel and not hating her. It's weird I tell you! And I am seriously wondering what the whole message the author was trying to convey was. Cheating is okay? As long as it's love? Real friendships would last?

I know this book has been made into a movie and it got really low reviews and they probably butchered the book lol but I'm going to watch it and we'll see. I'll post the movie vs. book here after.

I'm looking forward to reading the second book, because it's about Darcy. I didn't like Darcy, but she might redeem herself in the sequel.

All in all, I did enjoy Something Borrowed and would recommend it. It's morally confusing, but it's enjoyable and it will give you something to think about! 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

Every year it's the same. The football team and the soccer team continue with the rivalries that have been going on much, much longer than any of them can remember. It's been going on so long that they can't even remember why it started in the first place. The girlfriends of the players are tired of it though. Every year they are cast aside for the rivalry. Example, if a girl had a date with a football player, he might cancel on her to go do something stupid like toilet paper a soccer player's house. Lissa vows to change this, so she gets together a group of the girlfriends where they take an oath. They say that the guys won't get any action from them until the rivalry stops. It seems simple enough, until it escalates into a full on, guys-vs-girls battle instead.

I loved the humor of this book! It was hilarious and it made me laugh out loud on multiple occasions. The plot is interesting enough, and the author takes a light tone that makes it easy to follow. I loved how it was modeled after a Greek play, especially since that's what we're studying in English right now.

However, I found it to be a bit unrealistic. First of all, how many high school relationships last over a year? Well, being a high-schooler, let me tell you. A year is a longggggg time. So it seems a bit odd that like all the players have such long lasting relationships lol. And also, how desperate the guys are for sex. Like it's almost at an extreme haha. But anyway, besides these few unrealistic qualities of the book, I found It quite enjoyable.

Lissa, I didn't like too much. She makes me want to smack her so she can realize what she's doing and what she's missing out on and all the bad choices she's making! She is basically just clueless to everyone else's feelings around her due to her controlling attitude. Randy kinda disappointed me, because he seemed really sweet and I actually had liked him. Until...... well I won't ruin it for you ;). Cash was adorable, I approve of him haha. And Chloe is awesome. I liked her personality!

I liked how the book wasn't REALLY about romance. The romance was more on the side, and even though the book is about a sex strike, it's also about friendship, girl power, and discovering yourself. Points to Lissa for becoming a better person in the end!

It's a bit forward about sex, but not graphic or anything. So if it will make you uncomfortable I don't recommend it. But for anyone else, it will be a light, entertaining, fun read :) I found it entertaining and enjoyable.  4 out of 5 stars.

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

At one point of this past summer, I saw the cover of this book on GoodReads and I said "Oh, I remember I wanted to read that!" and then after I got the book I was like "I could have sworn that I read this book" but I couldn't quite remember what happened. At about page 200, I realized that I HAD read the book. Wow, so smart of me!! haha

So, in Twenty Boy Summer there's Anna. Anna's best friends with Frankie, and her brother Matt. Anna has been in love with Matt ever since she was 10, and finally at her 15th birthday party, he kisses her. Life is perfect for Anna. She and Matt don't want to upset Frankie with the news, so they decide it would be best if Matt told her himself when they got back from their California trip. Then, their lives take a tragic twist. Matt dies in a car crash because of a heart problem that no one knew he had. Anna never tells Frankie about her and Matt because it was "their secret". So she goes on with her life, secretly hurting. Frankie changes and so does Anna. A year later, it’s time for Frankie’s family’s annual California trip and Anna is invited along. Anna and Frankie plan for the A.B.S.E. (Absolute Best Summer Ever) and plan on meeting 20 new boys between the two of them. Anna reluctantly agrees, even though she has no desire to meet anyone because she’s still not over Matt.

Twenty Boy Summer broke my heart. I was so devastated reading about how Anna loses her love and has conflicting emotions regarding Frankie, love in general, and herself. I connected with this book so personally because I have a boyfriend, and I would be so so so heartbroken if anything happened to him. I feel her pain, and really felt like I understand Anna.  

Frankie was a little bit difficult to relate to. She and Anna are supposed to be best friends, but I don’t know how Anna puts up with her. I guess their duo needs a leader and a follower, and that leader is definitely Frankie. She pushes Anna into things, forces her to look a certain way, lies to her, and is oblivious to the feelings she had for Matt for SIX years. She seems a bit like a diva, but I think she’s also misunderstood. She’s just grieving like everyone else, but her grief is in a different way. She has her soft spots, though and I grew to like her despite her flaws.

I loved pretty much all the characters, and Matt. The cover is beautiful, and goes along with the story perfectly. The only thing that’s a little bit iffy is the title. If you read the book, you understand it and you love it. But if you don’t, it sounds kinda… sleazy, right? But anyway, I would definitely recommend this book, especially to readers who like Sarah Dessen. I absolutely adored this story, even though it was a little sad for me. It’s heartbreaking, but it’s a good kind of heart break because you know everything’s going to be okay in the end. 5 out of 5 stars.

Populazzi by Elise Allen

What would you do to be the most popular girl in school?

When Cara moves to a new school, her friend Claudia encourages her to use the Ladder. The Ladder is a way for Cara to reinvent herself. She was reallllyyy unpopular at her old school, but Claudia convinces her that there are simple steps so that she can be part of the Populazzi, and eventually Supreme Populazzi. There's four steps. First, she must date someone on a low tier to make herself seem wanted. Then she will dump him for a DangerZone on a higher tier. Next, she will date someone within the Populazzi. And eventually, she will become Supreme Populazzi.

Well, let's get the bad things out of the way first. It was predictable, and cliche. But then again, what would you expect from a book titled "Populazzi" haha. And a bit unrealistic, because I don't believe that high school works in the same way as the book described. In Populazzi, there is an elite group of students who are far more popular than anyone else. I don't think there's anyone in my grade like that. There are different groups of popular people, but they're all popular in a different way. They somewhat overlap, but I wouldn't say that there is a single clique of people who are ultimately more popular than everyone else. Nor, is there a Supreme Populazzi. Something that bothered me was how the author kept having her characters say, "I'll email you". Because honestly, having it be 2011, who emails their friends anymore? It's all about texting and Facebook. Just saying. Also, the cover. It's not the most beautiful cover in my opinion. The shirt she's wearing is not a very pretty shirt, her necklace is very cheesy, and the half-cut off face just isn't doing it for me. Lol, but anyway, those were minor things, and on to the good things!!

I LOVED Populazzi. From the first chapter, I was addicted. The writing was hilarious, and I really felt like I understood Cara's awkwardness and feelings. The characters are fantastic and well developed. Being a teenager, it's easy to relate to and recognize the situations I've been in. I found myself laughing at the ridiculous things Cara said, and then wishing she could take back. I loved the chapter about Cara going to Hot Topic and buying everything, because Hot Topic is my favorite store ever! I want to work there next year haha. I enjoyed the emo-transformation and appreciated how the author wrote about it. I liked how the author worked Cara's family problems into the plot line. Her step-dad seriously irked me. He needs a serious reality check! I liked the message this book was giving, and how it ended.

There are obviously a few things that you're like "Come on, that doesn't happen" , but I really loved this book. It was entertaining, I liked the characters, and the plot line was fast and engaging. I would definitely recommend Populazzi, because I'll probably be reading it again next year! I adored it and how it describes the adventures of high school. 5 out of 5 stars !!

Island Girls (And Boys) by Rachel Hawthorne

It's Jen's last summer before she goes off to college. Her last summer to be with her friends. So why not invite them to live in her grandparents beach house with her? There will be no parents, it can teach them about living on their own, and give them time together before they all go their separate ways. Jen, Chelsea, and Amy are all prepared for a fantastic good-bye party of the summer. They aren't prepared for love and how their friendship will change.

I have to admit, I had very low expectations of this book. It was one of those romance novels that looked really cheesy, plus it wasn't exactly new haha.  I don't remember why I picked it up, except the cover was cute lol. And I was blown away by how fantastically I was wrong! I absolutely adored this story.

The characters were amazing. Jen, Amy, and Chelsea are all so different and I found pieces of me in all of them. Jen is the organized one who loves planning (sometimes verging on bossy), Chelsea is the spoiled one, and Amy is the peacekeeper. I didn't really like Chelsea, and I think that was the whole point, but she had her moments that redeemed herself. I loved Jen, I really felt like I could relate with her. I totally felt her pain when it came to Chelsea. I honestly don't even know how they're friends. And with Dylan, I was always on her side. When she was mad at him, I was mad at him too. I didn't think I would be able to forgive him until that one turning point. And it was so sweet, so I forgave him along with Jen. I even found good parts in Noah, who I didn't really like.

The only thing I can think of that would have made this book better is an epilogue. I would have liked to know what happened to everyone, but then again maybe it's better without it haha. And also, the line under the cover that says "Just 3 girls (and 3 dogs, 2 boyfriends, and 1 true love)" could have been omitted. All it did was confuse me!! Also, the count changes throughout the story, so it gets a little confusing haha.

The story is a cute idea and I liked how it covered all sorts of topics, not just love as it suggests. It's about friendship, discovering yourself, making decisions, and learning about love and loss, all tied in to 336 pages. It's a great summer read, and I loved it. 5 out of 5 stars . I would definitely recommend this if you're looking for a light, fun summer read. :)

Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mlynowski

April comes from a broken family. Her mom cheated on her dad, and made him move out. Her mom moved to Paris with her new husband and April's brother, and her dad remarried. During the middle of her junior year, her dad announces that they will be moving. April is devastated. How could she leave her home with her friends and boyfriend of 2 years? April convinces her dad to let her stay with her friend Vi. Vi's mom isn't going to be home at all, but she's fine with letting the girls stay. April's dad... not so much. April knows that, so with some clever planning and convincing, her dad agrees to let her finish her junior year, and then they will re-discuss her future. This adventure leads to ten things that they did, and really, probably shouldn't have done.

I loved this book. It was entertaining and I was instantly addicted by the first 10 pages. Even though it was really unrealistic, and the characters seriously get away with everything, it was hilarious and a great read. I like how the chapters were broken up, with creative titles.

The characters were great. They all had their flaws, and were easy to relate to. They might not have been fully rounded characters, but I liked them just the same. I really understood April and her frustration with Noah and Hudson.

**THERE'S A SPOILER HERE SO SKIP THIS PARAGRAPH IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ IT**

One thing I have to say, is that April is absolutely devastated about when she finds out Noah cheated on her. But come on, you were the one who slept in the same bed with another guy the night before. So you really can't be that hard on him because what you did was a fault on its own.

The only thing I didn't like about this book was how the book ended. I won't spoil it for you, but I wanted to know what happened after. I honestly can't say what I didn't like about it without ruining it, so you'll just have to read it for yourself! haha. And also, how they got away with EVERYTHING. If it was real life, there's no way that would happen! I also didn't like how this book basically said that condoms prevent all STDs, which isn't true. How misleading... lol

As for the cover... ehh... It could have been better, and I'm not really a fan of covers with people on them. Or at least where their faces are shown. And covers with a guy and a girl... lol. And is it just me, or does a book with a boy and a girl looking into each other's eyes with a title "Ten Things We Did" seem kinda dirty? Maybe it's just me haha.

Overall, it's a great summer read. It's not too serious or anything, just for enjoyment. It's funny, so I would recommend this book if you're just looking for a light read :) 5 out of 5 stars.



Matched (Matched #1) by Ally Condie

Hello everyone :) How is your summer going? I've finished Matched last night, and I'm going to review it now. Is it just more or are dystopian books becoming more and more popular?? Haha alright anyway....

I'm really not that great about giving summaries of dystopian books, because I always feel like there's certain important information that I'm forgetting. I'll do my best, but your best bet to get a better summary is to go here and read the description and some other reviews :) Just trying to be honest here!! haha 

The Society determines everything for you, and Cassia hasn't ever thought too much about it. She gets Matched with her best friend Xander. At first, everything is great. She's going to be with her best friend after all! And then when she plugs in the little chip thing, someone else's face appears. According to the Officials, it's a glitch. Cassia wouldn't normally worry, except for the fact that she knew the guy. His name is Ky, and he's the "bad" guy. He wasn't even supposed to be Matched. Her grandfather gives her something before he passes away, and after that, she begins to wonder how perfect the society she lives in really is.

A lot of people have compared it to the Giver (which I read last year but btw I hardly remember), but I find that unfair and kinda harsh. Dystopian books all have similar elements, so come on, give it a break. Like romance novels don't all have the same basic plot line? I can understand why people would say that, but not everything was the same...

I really liked Matched and all the "perfect society" bits. The romance part was kinda ehhhh for me but the storyline and characters were interesting enough to keep me going. It was a bit slow at some parts, but it picked up from there. I really liked the cover, it's so pretty and relative. She's stuck in a pretty green bubble! I liked both Xander and Ky, they were both cool in their own way. I can understand why Cassia would have trouble deciding between them. There's not a lot of action or rebellion in this part of the story, but I'm sure that there will be lots in the future books.

I'm do want to see what happens next, and will be reading Crossed when it comes out. :) I've also heard that Disney is going to make it into a movie. I would recommend this book, but I have to say that The Uglies trilogy by Scott Westerfeld still remains my favorite dystopian series. 4 out of 5 stars !!!

Thank you for taking the time to read my review, I hope that you'll be visiting my blog again sometime soon :)

Sisterhood Everlasting by Anne Brashares

Sisterhood Everlasting is a story of four girls we have come to know well over the years. Tibby, Bee, Lena, and Carmen, who’ve dubbed themselves “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”. Now, ten years later, they’re all grown up and are just trying to discover themselves and find out what they want.

Carmen is an actress who is becoming pretty successful in “the business”. She’s engaged to Jones, but she still misses her friends and thinks about them constantly.

Bridget lives in California with Eric, but doesn’t quite want to settle down and get married. She doesn't know what she wants, but she knows it's not that.

Lena paints and teaches, and likes to keep her life as quiet and un-dramatic as possible. She’s content, but not what anyone would consider happy. She finds herself thinking about Kostos and what could have been.

Tibby moved to Australia with Brian unexpectedly, and has been out of touch with them. So unexpectedly, as in they find her empty apartment.

One fateful day, they get a message from Tibby arranging from them to go to Greece. Of course they agree, and Carmen, Bridget, and Lena all find themselves in Greece a week later. Until an unexpected tragedy changes everything for them.

Let me say, that I did NOT see that one coming. It was actually really sad, and I kept waiting for the punch line, like “just kidding everything’s going to be okay”. That didn’t happen though, and I was forced to read on.

The four other books in this series are about these four girls through their high school years, teaching them about loss, love, and friendship. This novel is about them ten years later, basically facing the same things, but in a more adult way.

I love this story, and how it shows the girls who we’ve come to know and love over the years at a later time in their lives. I also like how their lives aren’t perfect, and the storyline isn’t all happy, because it’s easier to understand and appreciate. The girls all have their own problems to deal with and are just trying to figure out how to solve them.

The only negative things I have to say about this book are that if these girls were such “close friends”, how the heck did they let themselves grow so distanced from each other? Also, even though they’re almost 30, it seems that they still have the mind of a teenager, if that makes sense. Carmen is still self-centered (being an actress isn't helping this lol), Bee is still just as restless and doesn't know a good thing when she has it, and Lena is still as quiet and thinks about Kostos more than she wants to admit. Not much has changed right? Almost as if they haven’t embraced their adulthood yet, which I suppose is what this book is about. And last, 3 out of the 4 girls are still have relationships with their high-school sweetheart. Now as terribly romantic as that is, it is very hard to believe!!! Haha :)

I am so jealous of these girls. They have a bond so special and strong. I am sad to say that in my lifetime, I have never a constant close friend in my life. My friends have come and go for various reasons, and I find it unfortunate to say that I don’t have a “sisterhood” with anyone.

The cover… well, not the most interesting. REALLY not the most interesting, but anyway….

I enjoyed this unexpected conclusion to the Sisterhood and would recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed the other books.

I’ll give it a 4 out of 5 stars . :) It's worth it if you’ve read the other ones!

Flawless by Lara Chapman

Flawless by Lara Chapman is about a girl named Sarah. Sarah is perfect. She's conventionally beautiful and the number 2 student in her class. There is one thing that isn't perfect, which is her nose. She's in her senior year, and despite her mother's constant nagging about going through a rhinoplasty (I learned by reading this book that it means a nose job lol), she has come to (mostly) accept her flaw. Her best friend Kristen has always been there to support her and defend her. They're best friends forever, and you just can't mess with their friendship! Then, the new guy Rock comes into the picture. He's perfect for Sarah, he's smart, talented, and actually cares about literature, not to mention he’s really hot! But then, Kristen falls in love with him too. She asks Sarah to help her win Rock over because Sarah shares his love for literature. Of course, Sarah agrees and ends up writing to Rock as Kristen over Facebook and emails.

Reading this story, I realized it was all too familiar. I can COMPLETELY relate with Sarah. I have fallen for a guy who one of my close friends liked. I never told her how I felt about him (just like Sarah) because I didn’t want to ruin our friendship or get in-between them, and I figured if he liked me, THEN I would do something about it. Let’s just say that ending to my story is bittersweet. The guy broke her heart, and then a month later he asked me out. I said yes, and my friend had said some unnecessarily mean things to me about it. Now, we aren’t friends anymore, but hey! I got the guy didn’t I? And now he’s my boyfriend of almost 8 months, so I guess there is a silver lining in the clouds. :) So I was entirely able to relate to the main character.

I really enjoyed this story from the beginning. It was very predictable, but cute and fun just the same. The ending was a little quick and a tad unrealistic (I mean, look at my story) but a good read all the same!

I loved how Flawless made me think of her nose and what it looked like. Something I must disagree on is how much of a big deal it is portrayed as. I’m guessing her nose must be TERRIFYING, and downright hideous, because people stare and point and whisper when she walks by. I honestly can’t imagine this happening in real life, because come on, people are so self-absorbed they don’t notice things like that about other people, or even care. Maybe if Sarah was the class president and she was giving a speech you would whisper something to your friend, but not if you were in a hallway passing by her. But then again, maybe I’m wrong and her nose is just that ugly :P haha

I found the cover a little odd, but I liked how her nose wasn’t there so you could see her perfection, without that one flaw.

**SPOILER HERE** Something that really made me angry was when Sarah's mom was accused of being a lesbian. Being a gay rights activist, I don't understand why it was necessary to put this part in. It is portrayed as a bad thing, something that would end Ms. Burkes career if this huge "secret" got out. Like really? It's not something to be ashamed of, and a true fan of hers wouldn't feel "lied to" if they found out she was. Just had to get that off my chest! haha

One thing I would like to comment on is how Sarah says that “It’s [loyalty] considered the core foundation of all successful relationships, both personal and professional.” I disagree, because I think love is the foundation of successful relationships. I’m big on love, maybe that’s why haha. But considering the characters were doing a whole unit on love in their English class, I think she should have wrote about love. Because in my opinion, love is everything.

At the top of each chapter, there were quotes about beauty. One that caught my eye was on page 12: “The absence of flaw in beauty is itself a flaw.” – Havelock Ellis

I like the moral of this story, and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in a quick story about being true to yourself and your friends. :) Even with her one flaw, Sarah learns that an imperfection can be flawless in its own way.  4 out of 5 solid gold stars for me!

The Ghoul Next Door (Monster High #2) by Lisi Harrison

**If you haven’t read the first book in the series, I would recommend you do so before reading this review, because it contains spoilers**

In Monster High, we were left with a terrible cliffhanger with Melody trying to protect Jackson, while trying to save Frankie too. In The Ghoul Next Door, they create a plan and put it into action. It doesn’t work out quite the way they want it to, and before they know it, with the help of Brett they are making a documentary about teenage monsters to try to convince the public that they aren’t dangerous. It’s going to air on Channel 2, but of course they are going to blur out everyone’s faces, so they can’t be identified.

This part I disagree with, because wouldn’t they be able to recognize the monster’s voices or clothes with someone they sat next to in school? They could probably still be identified, but nice idea Frankie!

In the first book, the story shifts between Melody’s story and Frankie’s story. In the sequel, Melody and Frankie’s part is still told, but there is also Cleo’s side.

Cleo is spoiled, stuck up, arrogant, and selfish. But what else could you expect from a queen? Her dad returns from a trip to Egypt and brings home ancient jewels from Aunt Nefertiti. Before they know it, Cleo is going to be in a Teen Vogue photo shoot with the jewels. She’s so excited about it, and wants to share it with her friends. But her friends aren’t really interested in her at the moment, because they’re caught up with the documentary (it airs on the same day as the photo shoot, what a coincidence!). So she has to plot what to do so that her friends will stop focusing on the documentary, and more on HER!

That part reminds me of Mean Girls, because the queen is being dethroned and tries to get back on top. Classic chick-lit plot basically :)

One part I personally enjoyed was on page 23:

Just as Melody lifted her index finger over the touch screen, her phone was lifted from her hand.

“What are you doing?” she squealed at Candace.

“Trying to have a little family fun,” her sister teased, taunt-waving the phone. “You’ve been a total text maniac all night, and I want to know what’s going on.”

“Melody!” Beau said sternly. “Have you been sexting?”

That part actually made me laugh, like a parent would just automatically assume that!!!

I love how this book also has text message conversations, a poster, and a “missing” chapter. It makes for a unique read :)

I enjoyed chapter 14, which was written in Billy’s point of view. Billy is a ghost (which btw, they just kinda threw in the story! Lol) and so his picture doesn’t appear on the top of the page. And the writing fades at the end of the chapter. Nice effect!

I enjoyed all the pop culture references and how the book “explained” itself. I love books where sometimes you get the feel that it’s real, and there was a reason the book was written. At one part in the story, the characters get excited and say that someday maybe an author will write a teen series about them, and that Jackson drew doll versions of them. I like books that do this, and you feel like its real, even when you know its not.

Of course, there was another cliffhanger, which means that I’ll be reading the third book lol.

I would recommend this book to anyone who liked the first, or someone who wants a quick, light, fun read. It’s a guilty pleasure, and can be a bit dramatic, but if you aren’t bothered by the cheerleader-esque cattiness of it, you’ll enjoy it! 4 out of 5 stars for me :)

Monster High (Monster High #1) by Lisi Harrison

I read this book a few weeks ago, but I wanted to review it before I had to return it to the library so here it goes! This will be a quick review because I've got caught up in a whole bunch of different stories since I read it, so you know how that goes.... :)

I honestly have no idea why I wanted to read this book lol. I knew that it was based off of dolls, TV show, etc, the whole thing! :P But the cover was pretty cute, and I had read books by Harrison, so I decided to give it a try.

I really liked the idea of this book,  having monsters living in Salem and attending secret meetings, trying to fit in, etc. It's quite cute, and some parts are easy to relate to, being a teenager myself.

Something about the plot I must disagree on is the romance between the Melody, Frankie, DJ, and Jackson. DJ and Jackson are the same person, but different personas because he's related to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. LOL! Bipolar much? So when it gets too hot, Jackson changes to DJ. Melody and Jackson have a thing, and then Frankie and DJ have a thing. So basically, the guy is with both the girls. But he's not the same person! This just bugs me so much. And also, Frankie was in love with Brett like 10 seconds ago, so what's with the sudden interest in DJ? Goshh such fickle characters!!

It's a really fun, quick, light read, nothing too serious about it. Doesn't involve too much concentration, which is something I lack occasionally lol.

Another complaint is how the story ended. You know there's going to be a second book, but that doesn't mean that the author can just stop right in the middle of the action! >:( But she does, so we'll all just forced to wait for the sequel, The Ghoul Next Door , to figure out what happens.

Overall, it's a cute, creative story that's worth reading if you're in the mood. I would give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.