Three teens, three stories—all interconnected through their parents’ family relationships. As the adults pull away, caught up in their own dilemmas, the lives of the teens begin to tilt….
Mikayla, almost eighteen, is over-the-top in love with Dylan, who loves her back jealously. But what happens to that love when Mikayla gets pregnant the summer before their senior year—and decides to keep the baby?
Shane turns sixteen that same summer and falls hard in love with his first boyfriend, Alex, who happens to be HIV positive. Shane has lived for four years with his little sister’s impending death. Can he accept Alex’s love, knowing that his life, too, will be shortened?
Harley is fourteen—a good girl searching for new experiences, especially love from an older boy. She never expects to hurdle toward self-destructive extremes in order to define who she is and who she wants to be.
Love, in all its forms, has crucial consequences in this standalone novel.
New in Paperback
Juliet Immortal
Stacey Jay Good Reads Summary:
The most tragic love story in history . . .
Juliet Capulet didn't take her own life. She was murdered by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn't anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For 700 years, she's fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Until the day she meets someone she's forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love.
"These violent delights have violent ends
And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which as they kiss consume."
"--Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare
Sadly school has been taking up all of my time still... I am reading and reading still but very little time to write a review thus far. I am hoping to get one up first thing next week. I am sorry I have been skipping out on this. I enjoy reaching out to reads. Hopefully, stuff slows down and I can read for fun soon again!!!!
Pia has grown up in a
secret laboratory hidden deep in the Amazon rain forest. She was raised
by a team of scientists who have created her to be the start of a new
immortal race. But on the night of her seventeenth birthday, Pia
discovers a hole in the electric fence that surrounds her sterile
home—and sneaks outside the compound for the first time in her life.
Free
in the jungle, Pia meets Eio, a boy from a nearby village. Together,
they embark on a race against time to discover the truth about Pia’s
origin—a truth with deadly consequences that will change their lives
forever.
Carnival of Souls Melissa Marr Good Reads Summary:
In a city of daimons,
rigid class lines separate the powerful from the power-hungry. And at
the heart of The City is the Carnival of Souls, where both murder and
pleasure are offered up for sale. Once in a generation, the carnival
hosts a deadly competition that allows every daimon a chance to join the
ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face
bleak futures--if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to
the death is the only way to try to live.
All Mallory knows of
The City is that her father--and every other witch there--fled it for a
life in exile in the human world. Instead of a typical teenage life full
of friends and maybe even a little romance, Mallory scans quiet streets
for threats, hides herself away, and trains to be lethal. She knows
it's only a matter of time until a daimon finds her and her father, so
she readies herself for the inevitable. While Mallory possesses little
knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There
are plans for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the
decadence and danger that is the Carnival of Souls.
Seems like time has gotten the better of me, AKA school started. I needed a small break and am going to change some of the dates of posting Sunday selections are going to become Tuesdays, because well new books come on Tuesdays. I will post later about what came this week.
Until the day I met John Smith, Number Four, I'd been on the run alone, hiding and fighting to stay alive.
Together, we are much more powerful. But it could only last so long before we had to separate to find the others. . . .
I
went to Spain to find Seven, and I found even more, including a tenth
member of the Garde who escaped from Lorien alive. Ella is younger than
the rest of us, but just as brave. Now we're looking for the
others--including John.
But so are they.
Heaven Alexandra Adornetto Good Reads Summary:
Only sixteen when she
started the series, Ally Adornetto knows how teen hearts beat, and this
long-awaited conclusion is certain to be her most popular book yet.
Bethany,
an angel sent to Earth, and her mortal boyfriend, Xavier, have been to
Hell and back. But now their love will be put to its highest test yet,
as they defy Heavenly law and marry. They don’t tell Beth’s archangel
siblings, Gabriel and Ivy, but the angels know soon enough, and
punishment comes in a terrifying form: the Sevens, who are rogue angels
bent on keeping Beth and Xavier apart, destroying Gabriel and Ivy, and
darkening angelic power in the heavens.
The only way Bethany and
Xavier can elude the Sevens is to hide in the open, and blend in with
other mortals their own age. Gabriel and Ivy set them up at college,
where they can’t reveal their relationship, and where there is still
danger around each corner. Will Bethany be called back to Heaven –
forever – and face leaving the love of her life
New in Trade Paper/Reprint
The Girl of Fire and Thorns Rae Carson
Good Reads Summary:
Elisa is the chosen one. But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can't see how she ever will. Now,
on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome
and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs
the chosen one, not a failure of a princess. And he's not the only
one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting
her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people's
savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her
before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at
stake. Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the
prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If
she doesn’t die young. Most of the chosen do.
Monument 14 By: Emmy Laybourne ISBN: 9780312569037 Length: 294 Pages Reason:Barnes and Noble Book Club
Good Reads Summary:
Your mother hollers
that you’re going to miss the bus. She can see it coming down the
street. You don’t stop and hug her and tell her you love her. You don’t
thank her for being a good, kind, patient mother. Of course not—you
launch yourself down the stairs and make a run for the corner.Only,
if it’s the last time you’ll ever see your mother, you sort of start to
wish you’d stopped and did those things. Maybe even missed the bus.But the bus was barreling down our street, so I ran.Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong.
Review:
WHAT AN ENDING!! I was pulled into this book not by it's cover but because of the subject matter. I mean who has not dreamed of being stuck in a superstore/department store when you were a child? I was shocked at how quickly I was pulled into this book. I never wanted to set it down. The book opens up on a sunny day in Monument, Colorado. However, that soon changes with the on set of a hailstorm, bus explosion, earthquake, and chemical warfare. All within the first four chapters! Stuck inside Greenway(basically a Wal-mart/Target), 14 children from the age of 5-18 are fighting for survival. Though the characters tend to fall into stereotypes (Alex the brain, Astrid the popular girl, Dean the recluse, Jake the Jock, Braydon the Jerk, etc.) it is not extremely noticeable and very helpful for the reader. If it was not for there stereotypical traits I would have soon lost all sense of the children amongst the chaos and destruction. Each character reacts to the destruction in a different manner. Emmy did a fantastic job demonstrating how people in real life react in similar situations.
Emmy portrays fear in a very unique way for a young adult novel. She does not only make you afraid for the characters but for yourself as well. She does this by playing on those small everyday fears we all have. Sadly though no book is perfect, however I did only have a small issue with the book and I really only noticed it at after I finished. The children seemed almost to smart for their age. They always seemed to be on top of the trouble and ready for action, which lets face it any of us would be, but they seemed to have it way to under control. All the summaries I have read for this book say basically the same thing and sadly I can not talk much more about the book with out giving away it's secrets. I love this book and I cannot wait for the next one. Emmy did a fantastic job and has me as a fan for all of her writing! GO GET THIS BOOK!!!!!! Go NOW why are you still here?!?!? Let me help you out Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne I give this a 5 out of 5 Recommendations:
The prequel to the New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series.
Before
WICKED was formed, before the Glade was built, before Thomas entered
the Maze, sun flares hit the earth and mankind fell to disease.
Mark
and Trina were there when it happened, and they survived. But surviving
the sun flares was easy compared to what came next. Now a disease of
rage and lunacy races across the eastern United States, and there’s
something suspicious about its origin. Worse yet, it’s mutating, and all
evidence suggests that it will bring humanity to its knees.
Mark
and Trina are convinced there’s a way to save those left living from
descending into madness. And they’re determined to find it—if they can
stay alive. Because in this new, devastated world, every life has a
price. And to some, you’re worth more dead than alive.
Reprint/Paperback The Dark Side of Nowhere Neal Shusterman
Good Reads Summary: Jason is having a bad
day. The kind of day when you just don't feel like yourself. Only for
Jason, it's not just a feeling. He really isn't himself.
Not any more.
Who
is he? That's the problem. Jason isn't sure. And it's not just him.
Everyone in town is acting weird. His friends. His parents. Everyone.
Billington is usually such a normal town. As Jason is about to discover,
nothing will ever be normal again. Week of August 14th releases
Have you ever noticed when you start a new book the worlds seem to link together some how? I have decide to start writing down these links and making a web. This will include items like character names, locations, themes, and so on. I will try to only like items that are important, however, at time I might recall details and include those as well.
I will keep you posted on my findings. I may even post updates when I post a new review.
In May of 2011 Veronica Roth published her first book, Divergent. It was amazing, I could barely hold my tongue as I awaited my friends and book club to finish. I quickly began selling this book at work telling everyone it was better than Hunger Games by Susan Collins. I wait a very slow year till the release date of Insurgent. I dove in head first turning the pages quickly and finished it to fast. Left only wanting more. Then, will online I saw that the third book would not be released until fall if 2013, I was devistated.
However, today is the official release date of Free Four. This is a chapter from Divergent told from Four perspective rather than from Tris. It is available on E-book for 99 cents.
I have decided to post about upcoming young adult books for each week. I will do this every Sunday evening. I will post information about select books that I find interesting. I will also post the Link to Barnes and Nobles teen coming soon as well for more information of books to come.
Rift Andrea Cremer Good Reads Rating: 4.3 Good Reads Summary:
Chronicling the rise of
the Keepers, this is the stunning prequel to Andrea Cremer's
internationally bestselling Nightshade trilogy!
Sixteen-year-old
Ember Morrow is promised to a group called Conatus after one of their
healers saves her mother's life. Once she arrives, Ember finds joy in
wielding swords, learning magic, and fighting the encroaching darkness
loose in the world. She also finds herself falling in love with her
mentor, the dashing, brooding, and powerful Barrow Hess. When the
knights realize Eira, one of their leaders, is dabbling in dark magic,
Ember and Barrow must choose whether to follow Eira into the nether
realm or to pledge their lives to destroying her and her kind.
With action, adventure, magic, and tantalizing sensuality, this book is as fast-paced and breathtaking as the Nightshade novels.
Sweetly
Jackson Pearce
Good Reads Rating: 3.8
Good Reads Summary:
As a child, Gretchen's
twin sister was taken by a witch in the woods. Ever since, Gretchen and
her brother, Ansel, have felt the long branches of the witch's forest
threatening to make them disappear, too.
Years later, when their
stepmother casts Gretchen and Ansel out, they find themselves in sleepy
Live Oak, South Carolina. They're invited to stay with Sophia Kelly, a
beautiful candy maker who molds sugary magic: coveted treats that create
confidence, bravery, and passion.
Life seems idyllic and
Gretchen and Ansel gradually forget their haunted past -- until Gretchen
meets handsome local outcast Samuel. He tells her the witch isn't gone
-- it's lurking in the forest, preying on girls every year after Live
Oak's infamous chocolate festival, and looking to make Gretchen its next
victim. Gretchen is determined to stop running and start fighting back.
Yet the further she investigates the mystery of what the witch is and
how it chooses its victims, the more she wonders who the real monster
is.
Gretchen is certain of only one thing: a monster is coming, and it will never go away hungry.
Perks of Being a Wallflower By: Stephen Chbosky ISBN: 9780671027346 Length: 213 Pages Reason: Movie is coming out
I just finished Perks of Being a Wallflower, and let me tell you I loved it. I have always been a fan of books that have been compared to Catcher in the Rye. I guess part of me just loves a good coming of age story. I have been wanting to read this book for some time now, and because of the movie’s release date is slowly creeping up on us I thought now would be a better time than any.
Good Reads Summary:
Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being a Wallflower. This is the story of what it’s like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.
Review:
Dear Friend,
I just finished reading Perks of Being a Wallflower. I loved it, even though I am always weary on books that are written in letter format. I loved how the author really developed Charlie, the protagonist, throughout the novel. At the beginning Charlie decides to write letters to a stranger, that he has randomly selected from the phone book. He expects nothing in return but for them to read each letter. I really enjoyed this idea, mostly because it allowed my inner voyeur to surface a bit. Each letter is written about the major events that happen throughout Charlie freshman year of high school.
Charlie is socially awkward and he often finds himself slipping into a dark place. Sam, the main love interest, provides amazing conflict with Charlie. She is that fun free spirited girl from high school; she just wants everyone to be happy. Then there is her brother, Patrick, I was really happy with how the author portray him. Patrick is gay, not flamboyant, just your regular relaxed high schooler waiting to escape small town life.
The main focus of the book is around their interaction together. One of my favorite events that occur weekly in the book is the Rocky Horror Picture Show performances that Patrick (Franken Furter) and Sam (Janet) are in. That is defiantly something original.
The book takes you through almost every possible conflict a teenager could have in high school in one school year. Sex, drugs, violence, abuse, and crying are no stranger in this book. The author had a fantastic way of addressing these items without much detail but still driving the message home.
I really like how the author also progressed Charlie’s writing style to reflect that Charlie was gain knowledge and experience with writing himself. In the beginning i found the book to more like reading someone’s train of thought and towards the end I found it a bit more pieced together, this was a very nice touch.
Wake (Watersong Series #1) By: Amanda Hocking ISBN: 9781429956581 Length: 307 Pages Reason: Received an ARC from work
Good Reads Summary:
Gemma seems to have it
all—she’s carefree, pretty, and falling in love with Alex, the boy next
door. He’s always been just a friend, but this summer they’ve taken
their relationship to the next level, and now there’s no going back.
Then one night, Gemma’s ordinary life changes forever. She’s taking a
late night swim under the stars when she finds Penn, Lexi and Thea
partying on the cove. They invite her to join them, and the next
morning she wakes up on the beach feeling groggy and sick, knowing
something is different.
Suddenly Gemma is stronger, faster, and
more beautiful than ever. But her new powers come with a terrifying
price. And as she uncovers the truth, she’s is forced to choose between
staying with those she loves—or entering a new world brimming with dark
hungers and unimaginable secrets
Review:
With stories of mermaids and sirens on the rise I dove into
the opportunity to read Wake, not to mention the hype Amanda Hocking was
getting from her Trylle Trilogy. I was
expecting this book to have the main components of all young adult books; a
love triangle with sappy romantics. However, to my surprise, this book lacked
them both. Not to say that there was no romance. Gemma, the main protagonist,
still has a crush and acts much more like a real teenager, slowly getting
involved with another for the first time. Gemma’s sister, Harper, also has a
fun surprise romance. I was shocked at how natural the romances seemed and was
left cheering for them to work out.
The characters are easily relatable, and lack some depth.
Gemma loves to swim and is training to be in the Olympics. Harper is an
overbearing motherly type, from basically raising Gemma and taking care of their
father who works long days at the docks. Alex and Daniel are the main love interest
to the books leading ladies. Then there are the “Mean Girls”; Penn, Thea, and
Lexi. They are the typical popular girls and are perfection in every manner. The
boys in the town seem to swoon at every sight of them while the girls hate
them.
The main drama begins after Gemma spends time with these
three girls. After the first time they hang out, Gemma wakes up the next
morning and strange things begin to happen to her. This is the point in which
the story begins to take off.
I did have some issues with Wake. I found that the authors
POV seemed a little conflicted at times. Mid paragraph we would stop following
Gemma and switch to Harper. This bothered me a little because the transitions
seemed force and at times abrupt and more often than I would have liked. The
story also seems to be filled with people who look “perfect”. Everyone seems to
be beautiful and sculpted. Even the geek
Alex has a fit body. In my opinion this should not have been. When Gemma goes
through her transformation, she is supposed to hit the height of beauty,
however because she is already at such attractiveness it is hard for the viewer
to see a transition.
Overall I felt that the story was flat, the characters were
clearly taken from a model (maybe not Gemma), and that every move the book took
I was able to predict. Though the book
was a fast read I did not find myself clawing to get my hands on it every time I
set it down.With the beach aspect and the
overall lightness I think it would make a great beach read.
I will not be knocking down the doors for the sequels;
however, if I come across them I might think twice and give the series a second
chance.
I have read some other books just have not had time to post a review. I
am currently reading Perks of being a Wallflower. Thought I would do a
book review and than a book to movie review. movie is coming out 9/20.
Spell Bound (Hex Hall Series #3) By: Rachel Hawkins ISBN: 9781423121329 Length: 336 Pages Reason: Final in the Series
Reviewing a book that is final in the series is difficult, you must remain vague enough to not spoil the entire series and yet you must also provide details for everyone who is on this book/ or has already read it.
Good Reads Summary:
Just as Sophie Mercer
has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the
Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone,
and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior
women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie
thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an
epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful
enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie
isn’t as confident.
Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?
Review:
Spell Bound, the final novel in the Hex Hall Series, truly lives up to its companion novels Hex Hall and Demonglass. I always forget exactly how sassy Rachel Hawkins writes until I am reading one of her novels. This trait is most seen in the main character, Sophie Mercer, her one liners really compel the stories forward. This is typically seen through her witty remarks in times of danger or high stress, which this book is full of.
Unlike most sequels this book begins right where we left our main character, Sophie. She has just traveled through a magical portal to the Brannick's compound, leaving London behind. She not only left London but she went through the portal without any knowledge of what has happened to her Father the Prodigium Council Leader, Archer the boy she loves, Cal the boy that loves her, and Jenna her vampire best friend. Right after a quick review chapter action begins very quickly. However, unlike the two novels, the twists and turns happen much faster. Sophie soon finds herself in places she would never expect.
This book was everything I expected. I was sad it ended, however, I was extremely happy with how it did end. I loved how the relationship between Sophie and all of her counterparts continued to develop through out this story. I was, however, a little disappointed in the lack of development of the Brannick's and The Eye. The book does fall short in one other location in my opinion, and that is in the final battle. The events leading up the this battle fell into place very nicely, this was understandable for the story line that Rachel Hawkins was pursuing. I just was hopping with such an easy path to the end, that the battle would have been more grand.
Overall I loved the novel, and I will continue to follow Rachel Hawkins as she continues writing. I cant wait to read her next book Rebel Belle!
Final Fridays are my book reviews for my current book club read. This month it is happening a little earlier than normal, because of my vacation.
The Adoration of Jenna Fox
By: Mary E. Pearson
Publisher: Square Fish Isbn:9780312594411
Length: 265 pages Book Club Month: June
It has been awhile since I have had to write a review so bear with me on this one.
Good Reads Summary:
Seventeen-year-old
Jenna Fox has just awoken from a year-long coma - so she's been told -
and she is still recovering from the terrible accident that caused it.
But what happened before that? She's been given home movies chronicling
her entire life, which spark memories to surface. But are the memories
really hers? And why won't anyone in her family talk about the accident?
Jenna is becoming more curious. But she is also afraid of what she
might find out if she ever gets up the courage to ask her questions.
What happened to Jenna Fox? And who is she really?
Review:
I hopped on the dystopian train some time ago, just about as long as this book has been on my reading list. I am thrilled that I finally got around to this book. Again this book is a hard one to review without spoilers. There are none though.
The reader is instantly thrown into the mind of Jenna Fox, a year after the accident. Jenna has no memory of what her life was or currently is. Most of the time Jenna remembers basic information, dates and what words mean, however there are times where she has no recollection on what a basic word that most take for granted; such as time, identity, and odd to name a few. She even at one point calls her grandmother a dickhead because she just doesn't fully understand the meaning. Jenna's attitude is what really makes this character relatable to the reader.
Pearson weaves in pieces of Jenna's memory in the utmost natural way, most of the time items trigger a flash back that reveal a small portion of Jenna's life. The authors amazing use of foreshadowing allows the reader to jump to conclusions, however, leading them just slightly off course by emitting small details. This caused the twists and turns to remain a surprise for myself.
The use of biotechnology address many of societies issues today, from the limitations of science to the use of genetically altered creatures/plants. Pearson also addresses issues about sustaining life longer than nature intended, and how far a life can be taken before it is no longer considered human.
Overall this book was quiet good and reminded me of Neal Shushterman's Unwind with just a dash of Lauren DeStefano's Chemical Garden Trilogy.
I give this book a 4 out of 5. Can't wait to read the next one.
School got in the way yet again. I will begin posting soon. I am going to turn my selection of reviews away from just books and towards more items. Such as my art, TV shows, Comics, and Movies. Whatever I can really get my hands on. I am going to start that back up starting next week. Not daily, at first, starting it slow and working slowly towards my goals of reviewing and reading more!
Length: 352 pages Read: January 10, 2012 to January 17, 2012 Book Challenge: 3 of 52
I am not going to write much on here about Flawless though because it is the second in the Pretty Little Liars series. But first I off I most confess, that I am now slightly addicted to the series and show. Like the title states this book is really about how the four main girls (Aria, Hanna, Spencer, and Emily) portray themselves as being flawless.
In flawless, like in book one, the reader still floats in and out of this girls everyday lives, while they are being threatened by the mysterious person known as A. However, there seems to be a bigger focus on Hannah and Emily rather than on Spencer and Aria. This I assume has to do with this novel being entitled Flawless. Not because Hanna and Emily are perfect, but because they are the two who are masking there "flaws" from the world.
We finally find out how Hanna magically became popular and beautiful over a short summer. As well as getting a glimpse into the inner workings of her home life, both through her mother and father.
As for Emily, who is not really flawed, she continues to think that something might be wrong with her, because of these strange new feelings she is experiencing for her new best friend Maya.
The girls friendship slowly begins to rekindle, as their darkest secrets from book one begin to surface. A does not leave anyone standing, and by the end of the book you begin to question who can really be trusted and who can not.
Sara Shepard does a fantastic job at keeping the reader guessing. While she leads you down one path, she keeps A jumping at you from another. And once you think you figured out who A is she sends a huge twist at you out of no where.
Length: 320 pages Read: January 8, 2012 to January 10, 2012 Book Challenge: 2 of 52
I know I said I would post more frequently, however life gets in the way at times and playing catch up at work, school, and posting here can be hard to do at times. I also wanted to wait to post my review on this book after the Bookclub I host met.
From the moment I read that this book was coming out I could not wait. I am a huge fan of 13 Reasons Why, Jay Asher’s first novel. If you have not read that book I suggest that you do.The book is just fantastic.
The book is set in 1996 and is told in alternating perspectives between Josh and Emma. Josh’s family receives an AOL disc in the mail, not having a computer he, takes it to his former best friend, and next door neighbor, Emma who just received a computer as a birthday gift. She later installs the AOL and logs in (through you guessed it dial-up!), when she is finally connected a website called Facebook appears on her screen. Here she is able to read status updates and posts from her future self, 15 years from now.
I always show a little hesitation towards books that have co-authorships. I tend to be able to pick out where the authors switched, and dwell over it. I just do not like it. Most the time you can tell that authors disagree on a plot point or a way a character should act. Sometimes you can almost read the disagreement. This time though I was surprised. I really think that the alternation perspectives helped blur the line between Carolyn and Jay, and not just the authors but with the main characters as well.
Normally I dislike books that overly abuse pop-culture references, almost beating the reader into the time period. The seamless integration was amazing. Once the tone was set I found myself missing the references to my childhood and wanting them back because they truly added something personal to the story.
I enjoyed how the characters could not help themselves at times to change parts of their futures and would get emotionally attached to other parts. It was fantastic how the authors portrayed the ripple effect in life, how spilling a vase of water on the ground could change who you are married to or how simply smiling at the person you will one day marry could change the location in which you vacation 10 years down the line.
This book does lack in some locations though. Towards the middle of the book you start to feel disconnected from Facebook, not to say that it is a bad thing, I just found myself wanting more. This goes the same way with the pop-culture references. I found myself also looking deeper into the meaning of everything, the way I did with 13 Reasons Why, however I often came up empty handed. Hough in the end I was left with a warm feeling and wanting yet again to read more by Jay Asher.
Like I stated in my previous post on ya-bookends that I would be picking the blog back up and posting reviews on the books I have read. I am also starting a personal challenge that I think will help me keep up with posting. Every week, for this year, I will read a book and post a review on it. I am starting a little late, sadly. I have already read 3 books and I just have been struggling with getting time to type out my reviews. I am finally getting a moment to post about book 1 of my challenge.
I admit I would have never read this book if I had not watched the show first. I was not a fan of the covers (the plastic barbie-like girl on the cover and on the back a real version of the doll), I just found it a little creepy, and lets face the facts I am a cover snob. I admit it, I do judge a book by it's cover. However, I was able to pass this because I enjoyed the show quiet a bit.
The book starts off rather slowing following the lives of four girls; Aria Montgomery, Hanna Marin, Spencer Hastings, and Emily Fields. All of the girls share a common thread, their best friend went missing three years ago, taking a deep and dark secret with her, one secret from each girl. Now all the girls are attending and elite school in Rosewood, Penn. They each begin to receive messages from A, the messages all contain hints at past lies and secrets, as well as hints of new ones that are quickly forming.
Once I started to get into the book, I quickly discovered that this book is a nice mix between Veronica Mars, a sassy television detective, and Gossip Girl, a book series about Manhattan's teen elite. Since the girls were the queen bees of their school a lot of product reference is tossed around, normally this bothers me but it really helps the reader understand each girl deeper, and also allows the reader to understand each families financial status.
Another amazing surprise of the book was how it show cased the imperfections in life. How the perfect can even go into a downward spiral because of one lie or mistake. Each of the girls is dealing with a situation that is difficult for most adults, not to say they are smoothly getting through life but they are dealing with life as it is. This is nice and refreshing, compared to most young adult novels.
Over all I would say this book has a little bit of everything. I was laughing and scared for the girls all at once. I suggestion both the show and book for ever who wants a fun series. Though please if you read the book and start the show or vice versa, please do not let the characters physical traits through you off, they look complete different.
Ok, oops I forgot to post on here. My bad I got very busy with school work. However it is a good time for me to start challenge of the year, read a book a week. I have taken to finding links between the books I read whether it is a location, character name or something else. Mostly because this seems to always happen, the book I was reading and my new current book are always some how linked.
Let's see if I can find a way for all 52 to be linked without struggling
First book down Pretty Little Liars by Sarah Shepard. I will post a review later.
