Review: The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

Title: The Ghost and the Goth
Series: The Ghost and the Goth #1
Author: Stacey Kade
Format: Paperback, 281 pages
Pub. Date: May 10th 2011
Source: Little Library


Book Description:

Alona Dare–Senior in high school, co-captain of the cheerleading squad, Homecoming Queen three years in a row, voted most likely to marry a movie star…and newly dead.

I’m the girl you hated in high school. Is it my fault I was born with it all-good looks, silky blond hair, a hot bod, and a keen sense of what everyone else should not be wearing? But my life isn’t perfect, especially since I died. Run over by a bus of band geeks—is there anything more humiliating? As it turns out, yes—watching your boyfriend and friends move on with life, only days after your funeral. And you wouldn’t believe what they’re saying about me now that they think I can’t hear them. To top it off, I’m starting to disappear, flickering in and out of existence. I don’t know where I go when I’m gone, but it’s not good. Where is that freaking white light already?

Will Killian–Senior in high school, outcast, dubbed “Will Kill” by the popular crowd for the unearthly aura around him, voted most likely to rob a bank…and a ghost-talker.

I can see, hear, and touch the dead. Unfortunately, they can also see, hear and touch me. Yeah, because surviving high school isn’t hard enough already. I’ve done my best to hide my “gift.” After all, my dad, who shared my ability, killed himself because of it when I was fifteen. But lately, pretending to be normal has gotten a lot harder. A new ghost—an anonymous, seething cloud of negative energy with the capacity to throw me around—is pursuing me with a vengeance. My mom, who knows nothing about what I can do, is worrying about the increase in odd incidents, my shrink is tossing around terms like “temporary confinement for psychiatric evaluation,” and my principal, who thinks I’m a disruption and a faker, is searching for every way possible to get rid of me. How many weeks until graduation?

Review:

★★★

Well, I more or less got what I expected based off of the cover and the back blurb. This book is a fast read that's pretty predictable and not all that deep, so there's not too much to think about, nor is it something I'm particularly going to remember a week from now.

Alona Dare (yes, that is her name) is the wooooorst. She's shallow. Like, insanely shallow, and judgmental. Girls who kiss a guy must be whores and sluts. Every straight guy wants her, and she doesn't think every lesbian in the school wants her, she knows it. She calls Will a goth (uh, not even remotely?), a psychopath (cool insult bruh), and more than anything else, a freak. Wanna know what her supporting evidence is for him being a freak? He wears a hoodie. With the hood up, inside. Are you not clutching your pearls yet? Well get this. He also wears headphones. A teenager with headphones! Burn the freak! It's also super gross that she's friends with a guy that in her own word grooms young girls to sleep with him before he leaves them. Popular or not, it's super skeezy.

Now, I understand I'm supposed to not like her. This book is, at its core, a reverse "It's a Wonderful Life" where Alona gets to see how much better off everyone is when her rude, shallow ass is dead. Then she changes for the better for a better afterlife. Or she's supposed to. I didn't think she really changed that much. She might be nicer to Will but she's still insulting and rude, even as she's helping people. I expected a better arc for her and I was left disappointed.

Will Killian (yes, his name is Will Kill) is the most likable character in this book and is its saving grace. He's empathetic and a little brooding and mysterious. He has a whole web of secrets and masks to wear and it was admittedly interesting to see where his arc goes. His ability to hear and see ghosts, dealing with his father's suicide and the hospitalization of a friend, a doctor who might not have his mental health in mind after all, tangled with the weird and new feelings he has for the very dead cheerleader. There's a lot to unpack there and I think Kade did a pretty good job with this character. I get why Alona got attached to him.

As much as I have issues with this book, I actually liked the romance element. I liked that Alona and Will learned from each other. Alona gave Will some confidence and helped him get out of some trouble. Alona learned to be a little bit nicer and that her bullying actions did in fact have consequences. I liked seeing them warm up to one another and despite my overall "ugh" feeling of this book, I was rooting for them.

And then there's Joonie. Joonie is Will's one Goth friend. She is written as so unbelievably over the top as a "Goth" that it seems to be the only descriptors given to her. She doesn't really have personality, only traits that seem to be copied and pasted from a Wiki article about "Gothic Subculture". All I could picture in my head was Henrietta from South Park, which made all of her scenes hilarious for reasons I guarantee the author did not intend.

Like a lot of other contemporary set books, this one has a lot of pop culture references that really date this book. She makes references to Johnny Knoxville's (seven Razzie award nominated) version of The Dukes of Hazzard. She watches Joonie go to a MySpace page. There's just a LOT of oughts imagery here that I guess now works as a past setting, but since I was a teen in those years brings back definitely un-contemporary flashbacks of nostalgia.

I have to admit, the author does have my attention. I'd read the second book in this series if it came into my possession, though I won't be seeking it out. I'm just intrigued enough with where the Will/Alona romance is going. But, I don't really recommend this book. If you're into cheerleaders getting hit by a bus or fluffy books that don't take any brain power to get through, maybe you'll like it more than I did.

Review: The Espressologist by Kristina Springer

Title: The Espressologist
Author: Kristina Springer
Format: Paperback, 184 pages
Pub. Date: January 4th 2011
Source: Salvation Army


Book Description:

What's your drink of choice? Is it a small pumpkin spice latte? Then you're lots of fun and a bit sassy. Or a medium americano? You prefer simplicity in life. Or perhaps it's a small decaf soy sugar-free hazelnut caffe latte? Some might call you a yuppie. Seventeen-year-old barista Jane Turner has this theory that you can tell a lot about a person by their regular coffee drink. She scribbles it all down in a notebook and calls it Espressology. So it's not a totally crazy idea when Jane starts hooking up some of her friends based on their coffee orders. Like her best friend, Em, a medium hot chocolate, and Cam, a toffee nut latte. But when her boss, Derek, gets wind of Jane's Espressology, he makes it an in-store holiday promotion, promising customers their perfect matches for the price of their favorite coffee. Things are going better than Derek could ever have hoped, so why is Jane so freaked out? Does it have anything to do with Em dating Cam? She's the one who set them up! She should be happy for them, right?

Review:

★★

I knew what I was in for when I grabbed this book. Something light. Something fluffy. Something that wouldn't take too much time or focus. And I got what I expected. This book was okay, but not quite for me.

I love the idea of this book, conceptually. I think that the idea of matching people based on their drink orders is a really cute one. And overall, that part of the plot was okay.

Some parts of the book were just a little bit juvenile for me, even by YA standards. "Totally", "omg", and "hottie" are used so much that they don't even sound like real words anymore. Plus the chat speak of things like "c u 2".

Where it fell flat for me was the main character. To say I didn't like her would be wildly understated. She's wanted to be a fashion designer since... Before reality TV stars made it popular. ...Really? Tommy Hilfiger, Versace, and Ralph Lauren would beg to differ. Because of this love of fashion, she's judgy there too, judging her friend for having superstore shoes. Plus, she calls pretty much everyone at her college weirdos who didn't get into real college or are old people. Yikes. Oh, and her coworker as a floozy for flirting. Nice.

She also seems like a pretty terrible employee. She's writing constantly instead of doing work and gets mad when people are annoyed by it. She gets promoted and says "power is great" and uses this to shove around a coworker she doesn't like and doesn't ring up coffees. Forgets to do inventory and stock, she acts like the manager is being sooooo mean.I get that it's a fictional book but good lord.

The actual match making parts were cute, as was her building success. It was cute and fluffy and because of the cozy setting of a coffee shop, that plot works really well. I also appreciate that she stands up for herself against her bullies. As much as I may not like her, I appreciate that she's no doormat and that she can hold her own.

I also know this isn't how you're supposed to judge a book, but the cover is super cute. I'd be lying if I said it's not what drew me into the book in the first place. It sums up the book and the tone of the story really well.

Ultimately, I think this book is just too young for me, even if I am a fan of YA books. If you're looking for something short that's easy to get through, this is a good choice. I'm not mad that I read it, but I won't be reading it again

Review: Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman

Title: Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison
Author: Piper Kerman
Format: Paperback, 314 pages
Pub. Date: March 8th 2011
Source: Half Price Books


Book Description:

With a career, a boyfriend, and a loving family, Piper Kerman barely resembles the reckless young woman who delivered a suitcase of drug money ten years before. But that past has caught up with her. Convicted and sentenced to fifteen months at the infamous federal correctional facility in Danbury, Connecticut, the well-heeled Smith College alumna is now inmate #11187–424—one of the millions of people who disappear “down the rabbit hole” of the American penal system. From her first strip search to her final release, Kerman learns to navigate this strange world with its strictly enforced codes of behavior and arbitrary rules. She meets women from all walks of life, who surprise her with small tokens of generosity, hard words of wisdom, and simple acts of acceptance. Heartbreaking, hilarious, and at times enraging, Kerman’s story offers a rare look into the lives of women in prison—why it is we lock so many away and what happens to them when they’re there.

Review:

★★

It's worth saying up front that, yes, I do watch the Netflix series of the same name. However, I understand that the real life and the fictional life are two different things, so I will try my best not to compare the two: they are very different experiences.

This book is alright. It was a very slow read for me. I expected it to be faster paced, knowing that Piper has a history as a traveler and having been shipped around the prison system. But not much really happened.

There are so many different characters in the book, that it's really hard to keep everyone straight. Aside from a few reoccurring characters like Pop (Red) and Nora (Alex), not much depth is given to a lot of these girls. You don't get to know them very well as a whole. I also wasn't a fan of how she describes people. She often finds a way to insult them. Like, yeah she's pretty but she's super dumb, or she's ugly but she's so sweet. It was off-putting.

There was a lot of inner dialogue and not so much talking between characters. I think this is part of why it felt like nothing was happening. Her thoughts were sometimes interesting and almost always understandable. Questions like what is my fiance doing right now? Will I make it out of here? How did I end up here? But I was surprised by the lack of acknowledgement of her crimes. Towards the end she makes one flippant comment about how she committed a crime, but throughout the book there's definitely the implication of "I don't deserve to be here, I'm not like these people". There's no real growth or evolution. Although, she is on a women's prison board now, so some positivity has coming from it (not to mention those Netflix checks- genuinely, good for her on that front!).

That said, I do appreciate that she acknowledges her privilege often. While it does get annoying to hear about how much she has compared to others, I'm glad that she at least realized it. She had a job waiting for her on the outside. She received tons of mail and books and had a great lawyer. I do think that it's odd that no one seemed to care that she went to prison. By her own detail, she is waspy and she went to Smith. Yet her family and friends were just like "oh, okay, see you when you're out". It's great that they were so supportive.... Just seems odd for such an upper class family to not be appalled. Just an interesting observation.

The most interesting part of the book to me was the end section, which tells about her brief time in the Cook County jail system. She was held in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago, Illinois during her testimony for court. I'm from Cook County, and as she detailed how terrible the conditions were, I couldn't help but to feel like "yeah, that sounds right" based off of our news... And that's a damn shame.

I think what made this an odd read for me is that it reads sort of like a college application essay. A lot of it is personal, first hand experience. Who am I to say her stay was boring? It's her life, and I'm sure it was terrifying and awful. I certainly wouldn't want to be in her position. But there's strangely inserted facts and percentages and things that make it almost seem like it's a research paper. The two different writing styles don't mesh together very well, and makes the book seem rather disorganized, and interrupts the flow of the narrative.

I do appreciate that she includes a list of resources for jails, prisons, and the family/friends of those who are incarcerated in the back of the book. I hope I never need them, but I think it's a great thing to include.

And one brief comparison to the show: you can mostly tell which characters are based on who, even though the names have been changed. I did think it was cool that some quotes from the show were taken verbatim from the text.

Ultimately, I'm not mad at this book. I'm not sorry I read it. But I don't think that I'll have any urge to read it again, and I don't think I'd recommend it to a friend. Perhaps if you're more affluent than I am, or if you've done time (or are facing it presently), maybe you'll have more to gain from this book than I did. It's not a bad book, it just could have been done better.

Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Title: Delirium
Series: Delirium #1
Author: Lauren Oliver
Format: Paperback, 393 pages
Pub. Date: 2011
Source: HPB


Book Description:

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing.

They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

Review:

★★★★★

I didn't really know what to expect going into this book. I was sort of intimidated by it. I remember when the series first came out, and everyone was obsessed. Almost every blog that I followed was reading it and talking about it. I'm always a bit hesitant when there's a fuss- I have a tendency not to enjoy them the way I wish I did!

But, I get it guys. I absolutely loved (oh no. I must be diseased) this book.

The world building is fascinating and well written. It created a very vivid landscape, one that is simultaneously beautiful and peaceful, but looming and violent. You have the guards enforcing rules, well armed and lurking coupled with the electric fence around the city and the mandated cure for the disease of "love" which set up quite the scary dystopia. It gives a disturbing insight into what life would be like without love and passion. It's chilling. But there's also the forests, the night skies, the beach, and the (albeit chilling) peace that ensues when everyone is a suburban loveless zombie.

I really enjoyed the characters. Mostly. I didn't so much care for the lead, Lena, so much. It's not personal. I am just really, really tired of the "ho hum I'm a boring brunette who is average looking and woe is me" mentality. I understand why it's done, and why it's done so much. But at the same time, no thanks. Her love (gasp) interest is captivating, and I understand her attraction to him.

The disease aspect is the most fascinating to me. What I didn't take into account is how big of an umbrella term "love" is. I originally was thinking "so you don't love your partner, meh". Not that that's not terrible, but is small potatoes. You wouldn't love anything. Not your favorite food, or music, or painting or sports or reddit or whatever other past times and hobbies you have. And that would be an awful life.

I was admittedly blindsided by the ending (I probably shouldn't have been but). This book definitely ends in a cliffhanger, which I'm also not entirely fond of.

Nonetheless, I have the other two books and I'll surely finish the series. This was a strong start, and quickly became one of my favorites. It's a good read for fans of YA dystopia and romance (and maybe a forthcoming triangle, can't tell yet).

Mini School Review: Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris

Title: Clybourne Park
Author: Bruce Norris
Format: Paperback, 210 pages
Pub. Date: Published 2011
Source: SIU Bookstore


Book Description:

CLYBOURNE PARK spans two generations fifty years apart. In 1959, Russ and Bev are selling their desirable two-bedroom at a bargain price, unknowingly bringing the first black family into the neighborhood (borrowing a plotline from Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun) and creating ripples of discontent among the cozy white residents of Clybourne Park. In 2009, the same property is being bought by a young white couple, whose plan to raze the house and start again is met with equal disapproval by the black residents of the soon-to-be-gentrified area. Are the issues festering beneath the floorboards actually the same, fifty years on? Bruce Norris's excruciatingly funny and squirm-inducing satire explores the fault line between race and property.

Review:

★★

I had to read this play in one of my American literature classes in college. It was my least favorite piece of literature of the semester.

The book is a sequel of sorts to Lorraine Hansberry's play "A Raisin in the Sun". For the record, that's not one of my favorite plays either. I know it's a classic, but I went into reading "Claybourne Park" without the expectations that other people who loved Raisin in the Sun did.

It's boring. I know that's the least helpful word to describe a book, but it's what it was. It was loud, full of people talking over each other but not really going anywhere. While this made it easy to read in class, it's really easy to struggle with set, the bigger plot, and even character descriptions because that's not really what the constant talking is about. The jokes (yes, there are some) aren't funny. The drama seems anticlimactic. The characters seem no different from characters I've seen before, which makes this book/play pretty forgettable. Like a show on TLC I don't want to watch: generic people yelling at each other

I understand the message and the point the play is trying to make, and I appreciate it. But when it comes to the actual piece, not for me. Maybe if you enjoyed "A Raisin in the Sun", or actually get to see this played out on stage, you'll have a better time with it than I did.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Title: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
Series: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children #1
Author: Ransom Riggs
Format: Hardcover, 352 pages
Pub. Date: June 7th 2011
Source: Half Price Books


Book Description:

A family to heal him?

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of curious photographs.

A horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

Review:

★★★

Well.... This book is certainly peculiar.

I'm always a bit hesitant to read books that are crazy popular. This is an example. But with the recent movie release.... I just couldn't resist. At the end of the pages, this book left me feeling a mixture of disappointed, irritated, and mildly amused.

First, I'll go over what I liked about it. I can honestly say I haven't read a book like it before. I really enjoyed the photographs and letters that were included throughout the novel. It added a vintage feel of authenticity to the story. The descriptions of location were really well done- I felt like I could explore the house or the island alongside Jacob. It was enough to keep me reading and exploring.

But I didn't really enjoy the flow of the book. It felt slow until the last two chapters or so, as though this were more of a prequel or a primer for reading the next story. It made the story drag, and it made it take longer for me to get through reading it.

The book also felt a bit disjointing to me. I didn't really feel connected to any of the characters, other than Jacob and Emma. That's disappointing, because there's a whole house full of interesting, "peculiar" children that I would have loved to learn more about. But other than a name and a brief description of what makes them peculiar, I was left hanging. There's a half-attempt at a love story awkwardly placed in all the chaos. I don't mind romance in the slightest, but it came across as forced.

And then there's the ending.... Which is where I felt the most torn. On the one hand, it's where the book picked up speed for me. And that's good! But it also unfolded a bit like an episode of Scooby-Doo. A trusted figure takes off their face, ends up being the bad guy, and then a ragtag team of spooky teenagers/children jet off to save the world.

Overall, I'm not mad that I read this book. It held my attention well enough, and I really liked some aspects of it. I enjoyed the idea of the time Loops, the photographs, and the integration of history/the war throughout. Unfortunately, it fell short in some ways too. I don't think that I'll reread this one any time soon, but I might pick up the next book in the series if I come across it.

I feel like young adults and fans of Beautiful Creatures might enjoy this.

Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent (Divergent #1)
Author: Veronica Roth
Format: Paperback, 487 pages
Pub. Date: April 25th 2011
Source: The Babbling Reader blog

★★★★★

Five stars.

---

In dystopian Chicago, the population has been divided into five factions. For each sixteen year old, the choice is a life changing one: you can choose which faction in which you will serve and live for the rest of your life. There's an administered test that guides your answer- but it doesn't work on Beatrice. This is more dangerous than it seems, and Beatrice must decide who she really is, what she will fight for, and what she holds most dear in order to save not just her skin, but the lives of others.

----

I don't know why I waited so long to read this book. I've been hearing about it for what seems like lifetimes on various book blogs I follow. I was a little hesitant to read it, since so many people loved it. I didn't want to be disappointed, and I definitely wasn't.

I think what I loved the most was the setting. Being a Chicago girl, of course I was excited when street names and landmarks that I'm familiar with were integrated into the story line. But it gave the book a scarier, more "true dystopian" feel for me as well. It was unnerving to think about my beautiful city becoming such a thing, and the haunting tone that Roth writes into the story definitely stayed with me after I put the book down. I love the society and technology that she created within this series.

The spacing and pace were also better than expected. I didn't find any lulls or times where I was bored or wanted to stop reading. I started this book on a train from Chicago to southern Illinois, and I was finished before I was at my destination. I didn't want to put it down.

I loved the characters, and I love the Dauntless. It's more often than not that I dislike female leads, but the struggles that Tris faced- both mental and physical- amazed me, and I was cheering her on from cover to cover. Not to mention Four. I was really emotionally invested in their lives, hating some and loving others.

I am SO glad that I picked this up (finally) and now I'm dying to read the rest of the trilogy, and to see the movie too. I recommend this for fans of YA dystopian books with a touch of romance: people who liked Matched, The Hunger Games, or Swans & Klons- this means you!

Thank you to The Babbling Reader blog for my copy.

Review: Mentality by Ceet the Author

Title: Mentality
Author: Ceet The Author
Format: Kindle Edition, 190 pages
Pub. Date: December 8th 2011
Source: Ceet the Author

★★★

3.5 stars.

---

I have to go on the record saying that this book is definitely not in my normal genre. However, I was intrigued enough by the premise of this book to read it, when the author asked me for my honest review. Unfortunately, Goodreads doesn't have a half-star option, because I think this book deserves a 3.5.

I was pleasantly surprised by how well the women of this book were written. Normally, men who write women (to me) are hit or miss, either completely accurate or way off base. Mentality is definitely the former. The characters seemed gritty and real, and though I didn't connect with them as much as I'd have liked, I appreciate what the author conveyed through them.

This book is also really fast paced. It's easy to read in one sitting, and it keeps you hooked throughout the text. For me, it seemed a bit too rushed in parts, but overall it works at a good pace, and is clear to understand.

That being said, I found the fight scenes extremely well done. I'm really picky when it comes to fight scenes, because I easily lose track of who is doing what, and who's winning, and things of that nature, but I didn't have a problem keeping up with this part of the story.

I had a love/hate relationship with the writing style itself. On the one hand, I appreciate the urban, well, Mentality of the prose within this text. It ads a layer of realism and heart to both the characters and the story. But at the same time, my inner grammarian couldn't help but to notice each flaw in the language. I think this book could easily get a four out of five with the help of an editor to tweak some parts.

Over all, I think that anyone with an interest in a very "real" story that addresses racial issues, drug issues, and love and lust, this might be a book for you- just be ready to read in slang. Reader beware that this contains sex, drugs, and violence.

Thank you to Ceet the Author for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Mini Review] Same Time Next Year

Title: Same Time Next Year
Editor: Jenna Bennett
Format: Kindle edition
Pub. Date: November 28th 2011
Source: Amazon Freebie

★★

Two stars.

Every year, Regina White and Tyler Harrison leave their boring home lives behind. Having met at a hotel during a conference some eight years ago, they reserve the same two rooms with an adjoining door on the same day every year. Raising the eyebrow of the hotel staff, no one quite understands the "special" arrangement that the two infamous lovers share...

Because there's only nine or so pages to this short story, there's not really that much to say about it, so this review is quick and to the point.

-The side characters are judgemental and almost rude. It's none of their damn business what goes on.

- The sentences ran on, making me pull away from the intimacy.

- The "twist" is nothing new. It made me think of an episode Modern Family, actually. Take that as you will.

I can't really complain too much, since it was free. However, that would be the only way I'd recommend it. As I say in a lot of other novella/short story reviews: it's not enough to be interesting.

Monster High by Lisi Harrison

Title: Monster High (Monster High #1)
Author: Lisi Harrison
Format: Paperback, 272 pages
Pub. Date: September 5th 2011
Source: Gift from Emily

★★★

Three stars.

Melody needs to get away from Beverly Hills and start over. An ex-dork, she's looking forward to being in the fresh air of Salem, Oregon (to help her asthma) and where people don't know her nerdy past. This is Frankie Stein's first year attending school in Salem too, only for way different reasons. She was only just created in a lab by her parents a few weeks ago, and they now deem her ready for the world. All is well until monster sightings start popping up around town, making the paranormal families who live there uncomfortable, and leaving their youth- like Frankie- torn between staying safe and being proud of who they really are.

------

Ughhhhhhhhhh. First, let me just say that despite my age, I love Monster High dolls. I'm in college, and I have Draculaura in a stand on my desk. As one who identifies as goth, I love that this series tries to incorporate classic horror with the girliness of Bratz or Barbies. But these books? Oy.

-This book is essentially a commercial. Now, if the commercials were only for Mattel products, I would be forgiving. It makes sense that a company would plug its own products. But it got to the point that I actually started taking a tally of how many times product brands or designers were dropped into the story. McDonald's, UGGs, Sephora, Tropicana, Bose, the list is endless.

-Along a similar line, celebrities, tv shows, and movies are constantly mentioned. Now when it comes to horror movies and the like, there's a free pass. I think it's cool that these are brought into the story. My main problem with doing this in a book is the fact that it dates the author and the book both. This book was obviously written when Lady Gaga was crazing the US, since she's mentioned a million times. Justin Beiber, The Black Eyed Peas, and countless others make their appearance too. But what happens when they never make another album? It will make the book seem ancient and passe instead of hip.

-Along with that, who exactly is this book series written for? The drama is way more junior high than high school, and yet every one is making out with everyone, making it seem like high school is one big slutty free for all. Ludacris' album "Word of Mouf" is referenced as though it's topical. Hello, that album released over a decade ago. So not voltage. It's as if Lisi Harrison just shoved as many references from as many decades as possible in the hopes that someone somewhere would understand it. From Fred Astaire and Woody Allen to Alicia Keys and Taylor Swift, the pop culture references came off far more desperate and forced than cool and "in the know."


LOOK AT THEM ALL!!

-The aforementioned flaws make the novel come off as extremely fake, especially when mixed with petty characters. The "normies" aren't even believable- yes, in a book filled with monsters, the humans are the unbelievable part of this story. This one girl takes notes on every damn conversation and makes other girls sign documents. No wonder they have no friends, who does that? Once my friend starts being an obsessive freak like that, I say goodbye. Maybe I just went to a relaxed high school, but the girls' cattiness in this book is so melodramatic and over the top. Plus, half of the book is dedicated to their outfits, so you don't even get to learn about most of their personalities, which might have explained why they reacted that way, had the reader been enlightened with that information.

-Why is everyone rich and bougie in Salem? Melody said she left Beverly Hills, but everyone here drives flashy cars and own designer clothes. It makes sense for the old-money monster families, but what about everyone else? If this is such a charming, small town, then why the hell do these kids get credit cards and iPhones and Lexuses? (Maybe I'm a bitter old lady, but REALLY?)

-+ Neither positive or negative, I felt that this book had way too many characters. It was hard to keep track of them. I'm giving the writer the benefit of the doubt, though, since this is the introduction book. The others seem to narrow down a bit from here.

+I LOVED the parts when the author was describing the different monsters. I liked reading about their meetings, their ancestries, their legends. These characters were my favorites, and no doubt that was on purpose. I think that this is a cool twist to horror. No matter who your favorite classic monster is, from Dracula to Jekyll and Hyde, there's a character (or doll) for your enjoyment. It is for these characters only that I wish to read the rest of this series. And though I know this is a kids' series, I can't help but to hope that they'll eat all the human children that made this book half awful.

If you're older than junior high, I wouldn't give this a chance, unless like myself you are a fan of the dolls. If you're a die hard horror fan, enjoy gore, characters with depth, or reading books without watching/reading commercials, then give this book a pass. However, I think young girls will gobble this up, getting the references (at the time of this review, anyway) and feeling as cool as the dolls they play with.

Thanks to my girlfriend for getting this book for me after listening to me complain about wanting to read it <3

Matched by Ally Condie

Title: Matched (Matched #1)
Author: Ally Condie
Format: Paperback, 369 pages
Pub. Date: September 20th 2011
Source: Gift

★★★★★

Five amazing stars.

All her life, Cassia has been waiting to be Matched to the man that the Society states will be her perfect mate. She's never questioned the Society's choices, and is elated when she is Matched with her best friend, Xander.... But something goes wrong. Another boy's face is shown on screen. The face of another boy she knows, Ky. The Society tells her that it is only a glitch- but the Society is never wrong. The more that Cassia wonders what life could be like with Ky, the more things seem to be out of place, seem to not add up. The "perfect" life around her is changing, and she must decide where she stands, risking her life and her love as she does so.

----

Why did I wait so long? I've been meaning to read this for ages, and I only just got around to it. This needed to have been in my life sooner.

+The first positive is the cover. I know that a good cover doesn't make a good story, but I'm not ashamed to admit that's what initially aroused my interest in the book. It's gorgeous and shiny and I kind of want a poster of it for my room. Do those exist? It also perfectly sums up the story, even in its simplicity.

+Being a bibliophile, I love that literature/poetry is a prominent motif throughout the story. I understood Cassia's fuel for learning language and words, even if they were forbidden. On a personal note, I'm currently in college to become an archivist. I very heavily related to her father, whose job it is to sort out old books and historical artifacts and help decide what stays, and what gets burned, lost forever. It pained me to even think about such losses to the world, and scares me because it's possible.

+And on that note, the potential realism of this dystopian setting definitely helped to make it a more enjoyable read. Books about government control aren't new. However, this book helps to set apart its government from other works by mixing the elements extremely futuristic technology (ports, scribes, data tags) with old school, almost ancient ways of thinking, such as marrying who is best for the people and learning only one craft and nothing more than you need to know. As cool as the Matching is, it is also terrifying, and I wouldn't want to live in The Society, that's for damn sure.

+This book is well detailed. I feel like I could draw a map of her neighborhood and the city, and the buildings and landmarks within it. The setting isn't the only thing that's well described. The characters are written well enough that I felt like I personally knew them. This added to the reading experience as well, since I felt personally attached to the people involved. It gave me things to hope for, to cheer for, and to mourn.

-The only real flaw that I have for this book is that sometimes flashbacks and the present are muddled together. More than once I had to double back a few lines and see what time I was reading. This wasn't a major snag for me, but I feel it is worth noting.

This book has been bumped up to my favorites list. I think that fans of The Hunger Games, Uglies, and Beta will enjoy this book, as well as young adult romance fans. Though I've been behind on this bandwagon, I cannot wait to get started on the second book! Thank you to Lisa for my copy :)

Glitches by Marissa Meyer

Title: Glitches (Lunar Chronicles 0.5)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Format: ebook
Pub. Date: December 5th 2011
Source: Annareads.com

★★★★

4 Stars.

This short novella helps to give a bit of insight into the novel Cinder. It's written in the form of a prequel, giving background information on Cinder's "fresh" start in new Beijing. It tells how Cinder met her new family, and more importantly introduces Garan, Cinder's stepfather. Back stories offer how Iko came to be, how Garan disappeared, and how Cinder's stepmother Adri initially reacted upon Cinder's arrival.

This is a very quick read that helps give Cinder a more human outlook by showing a bit more emotion as relationships, both good and bad, form upon her arrival across the world. I recommend reading this story after Cinder, and not before. Though it did give a nice, brief history, this story is in no way vital or necessary. If you don't get to read it, no harm done. If you come across it, great, set aside ten minutes and give it a read.

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Title: Forbidden
Author: Tabitha Suzuma
Format: Hardcover, 454 pages.
Pub. Date: June 28th 2011
Source: Half Price Books

★★★★★

Five stars. I wish I could give more.

Lochan, seventeen, is the head of the Whitely family. His mom is bitter and resents her family ever since her husband left them all behind for a new woman and a new family. Eager to cling to her youth, she drinks and parties and spends her money on time with men who will never marry her, neglecting her family. Lochan has stepped up to the plate, with his year-younger sister Maya, and helped to raise their three younger siblings. Because they were thrust together as parents, they were hardly ever brother and sister. They were always equals.... The pair realize that their love goes much stronger than that of siblings. Somewhere among all of the skinned knees, overdue bills, and dirty dishes, Maya and Lochan have fallen in love. They're on fragile ground- the kids can never know, for fear of police intervention and a chance of breaking apart the family. The world can never know.... But how can a love so strong be illegal, be so wrong?

-----

I have never read a book that was so heart wrenching, soul crushing, tear inducing, and so utterly beautiful. Forbidden broke my heart a few times over, but is one of the best books that I have read in my twenty years of life. My review will be short and probably a bit incoherent, because I am still crying over this piece of work.

+I was hesitant to read this because of its subject matter: incest. But at the same time, that is what intrigued me enough to go out and buy this book to see for myself just how "taboo" it would be. I've read reviews that loved this book, and others that thought it was disgusting. I side with the former.

+The writing is beautiful. Tabitha Suzuma details the emotions of not just Maya and Lochan, but of all of the siblings with pinpoint precision. The book has a dark, shadowy underlying tone that makes it read a bit like a poem. You can tell that each word was picked for a reason, and it makes the book that much more real and gritty.

+The way this piece is written, I couldn't help but to mentally cheer for Maya and Lochan's relationship. Wrong as it may be, I have to admit this book made me think long and hard about what love really means, and what it means to be together. I found myself ignoring the incest part of this story at parts, just wanting them to be together and to be happy.

+Lochan is a character that I grew to love over the course of the novel. Truth be told, he would have been one of the boys I looked twice at in high school. He's studious, cares for his family. He doesn't talk much and keeps to himself, but is very smart. He has been added to my mental list of fictional boyfriends. I adored this character.

+Though my relationship is far from incestuous, I did relate to Lochan a bit. He has thoughts of bitterness and jealousy at the relationships of his classmates because they get little tokens of affection that are taken for granted; hugs in the hallway, sitting together at lunch. He can't do these things with Maya without arousing suspicion. My girlfriend and I are in a long distance relationship, and I share these bitter, envious thoughts when I see couples walking around my college campus. Even now, I am sobbing at my keyboard, and my girlfriend can't do anything about it. Passages like this definitely rang true for me, despite being in a completely "legal" relationship.

+I am writing this review with as few spoilers as possible, so I'll keep this bit to the short side. I didn't see the ending coming, at all. I probably should have, but I didn't, and it hit me with the force of a MACK truck. I have never cried so hard over fictional characters, save for maybe Dumbledore's death in the Harry Potter. I couldn't believe I was out of pages when I was. Nothing broke my heart more than seeing the words "Epilogue", knowing that that was it, there's no going back, no rectifying or fixing or problem solving.

If you have a problem with taboo relationships or if the notion of incest sickens or upsets you, then this is not the book for you. But if you believe that there is no love that is unjust or immoral, and that everyone deserves the right to be happy with the spirit of their choosing, then let this book wrench your heart and crush your soul too. It's a book that is easy to read but hard to swallow, and left me in tears.

Now, a happy reading to you all. I must fix myself a hot beverage and try to pull myself back together.

True Blood, Vol. 1: All Together Now by Alan Ball

Title: True Blood, Vol. 1: All Together Now
Author: Alan Ball
Format: Hardcover, 160 pages
Pub. Date: February 22nd 2011
Source: Half Price Books

★★★★

Four Stars.

Down at Merlotte's in Bon Temps, Louisiana, life just keeps getting weirder for the mind-reading, vampire-dating, little blonde waitress named Sookie Stackhouse. One night at work during a fierce thunderstorm, a native creature called an imp shaloop locks the True Blood regulars inside. An intense monster with fangs and tentacles, he feeds on others' shame. Sam, Sookie, Bill, Eric, Tara, Jason, and Lafayette are forced to dish out their dirtiest secrets and stories until the trickster spirit is finally tricked himself.

------

First, let me say I am a basic fan of this series. I have seen a few episodes of the show, and read a few of the books. I am not the biggest fan, nor am I one who detests the franchise.

+/-That being said, I do believe that this plot does more accurately follow the TV show as opposed to the novels. That being said, this fact did not bother me in the slightest.

+The artwork is gorgeous. Modeled after the cast of the TV series, I positively loved it. Particularly the portrayal of Eric Northman, who is my favorite to look at on the show. It's dark and gritty, and illustrates the monster well.

-There wasn't really a major plot to this adaptation. It appeared to be just a way to reveal the pasts of all of the main characters in a short period of time, with no real battle or even real expansions on their tales of woe.

+/-This first collection continues in a semi-cliffhanger, no doubt leading to a second volume of the graphic novels.

I think that fans of True Blood as well as the Sookie Stackhouse novels would appreciate this artistic rendition of the vampiric story. If you're fed up with all the vampire shows or don't like True Blood- why would you pick this up? You wouldn't enjoy this either.

Foreplay by Tammy Valentine

Title: Foreplay
Author: Tammy Valentine
Format: ebook, 15 pages
Pub. Date: January 13th 2011
Source: Susan Frances' blog

★

One Star

Izzy Morgan is a prude, and after she discovers that her friend Jessica has a cool ability- being able to guess a man's actions and desires in bed based on their astrological horoscope sign- her group of friends decides to take her through a man from each sign. It is a plan for a year to help her learn by practice and experimentation, all thanks to Jessica's help.

----

-Nowhere on the book's page does it say that this is an introduction or an excerpt. This book is roughly 15 pages. This doesn't even constitute a novella, in my opinion. It's more like one conversation. It felt like one chapter of a potentially good book, or one laugh track filled scene from an episode of Sex and the City.

-Because it's so short, it was really vague. There was next to no detail, forced dialogue, and no character development. I didn't care what Izzy and her friends did.

-There's nothing dirty in it. There's a few crass jokes and a short scene at the beginning, but it was far from erotic.

+I do give props to the author for using anatomically correct words in the aforementioned scene. A lot of authors use euphemisms that just make the bad writing even worse.

If this were a teaser or an excerpt, then I would like to read this. But unfortunately it's the start of a series, and so I must treat it as though it was written as a stand alone novella, since there is nothing to indicate that it is otherwise.

Skip it. That's my opinion. If you want a really fast read, then maybe you'll like this. But I can't really recommend it more specifically than that.

Thank you to Susan Frances' blog for my digital copy.

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

Title: Why We Broke Up
Author: Daniel Handler
Format: ARC
Pub. Date: December 27th 2011
Source: Candace's Book Blog and Elana Johnson

★★★★

Four stars.

Everyone warned Min that dating Ed wasn't the right road. But she didn't listen. She loved Ed, even though he was her complete and utter opposite. He was a strange fixture in her life that she depended on and cared for, even when things seemed a bit too hazy, a bit too vague. But Min and Ed are splitting apart, and Min is making it final. She's collected all of the treasures of their relationship, both big and momentous and small and seemingly insignificant. Like a scene in a movie, she's written him a letter, explaining each and every item in the box to be dropped off at his house, and each and every reason why they broke up.

----

This was my very first Daniel Handler experience outside of his pen name, Lemony Snicket. I have to say, I was not disappointed. This book was odd, and very different than I expected. But as Min and Ed know, different doesn't necessarily mean bad.

+This book is written in letter format. Min is writing the letter on the way to Ed's house, and it is heartfelt and personal. It's a bit rambling, but as a girl who has been dumped, I feel that that part is accurate. Sometimes thoughts don't always separate themselves, sometimes memories aren't exactly as sharp as they once were. I think it gave the story an interesting dynamic, and to be honest, I'd love to read a book that's a response from Ed.

+The letter is broken up with illustrations of the items that Min is returning in the box. The sketches are well done, though in my ARC I can only see them in black and white, and not the full color version seen in the finished copy.

+I love the little details in this book. I can personally relate, having kept small, "meaningless" tokens from relationships past. It's amazing how something like a hair tie or a random seed or leaf can have more profound attachments than the cliche gifts of jewels and plush animals. I loved the way Min spoke and narrated, and described things.

-That being said, Min has a love of old movies. Movies that I have not only seen, but never heard of. This made a lot of her references lost on me, because I couldn't picture things the way that she did. Believe me, I wanted to see the world in her cinematic eyes, and I want to see a large number of the films that both Al and Min mentioned throughout the time frame.

+I loved the characters. As I already mentioned, I related to Min and her emotions. I was hoping with her, heartbroken with her, and angry with her. I wanted Ed to be a good guy, despite all of the foreshadowing and even the not so subtle reasons I was given not to like him. And then there's Al, the silent best friend who I wanted to be happy when he was so sad and miserable.

Despite a lack of old movie knowledge that would have been helpful to have throughout this story, I found this a sad but enjoyable read. I teared up, and found myself pushing my way through the pages so that I could answer the title question of why they broke up.

I recommend this to fans of young adult romances (or break ups), and those "artsy folks" who love old films (maybe you'll appreciate it for different reasons than I did). If you enjoyed The Perks of Being a Wallflower or Chopsticks, you might like this. If you're looking for a double sided story or a cheerful, fun read, then this probably won't be for you.

Thank you to Candace's Book Blog and Elana Johnson for my shiny new ARC of this book.

I'm Not Her by Janet Gurtler

Title: I'm Not Her
Author: Janet Gurtler
Format: Paperback, 285 pages
Pub. Date: May 1st 2011
Source: Purchased.

★★★★★

Five stars.

Nobody looks at Tess. She's a weird and anti-social freshman, always studying. Not to mention the lack of fashion that both she and her religious fanatic obese best friend possess. No, everyone would rather look at her older sister, Kristina. Kristina is bubbly and easy to like. She's nice to everyone, beautiful, and the star of the girls' volleyball team. That is, until Kristina is diagnosed with cancer. Suddenly Tess finds her home life falling apart, with her sick sister, gossipy mother, and absent father all tearing away her own goals, while at school she's thrust into morbid popularity. She's the sister of the hot one who's sick. Life, trust, and friendships are lost by some but gained by others in this heart-wrenching story of family, love, and coping.

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I'm not sure that I can write a cohesive, non-blubbering review for this book, but I'm going to try.

+The amount of emotion in this book is simply astounding. Just when I thought I couldn't grieve or cry any harder, Gurtler ripped away another piece. This book is raw, brutal, and often times uncomfortable. But that's what makes it so beautifully written and realistic. Anger, sadness, hope, betrayal, shock, and grief were all present in this novel, and my heart and brain weren't always sure how to react.

+What else made this book realistic is the type of cancer Kristina develops. It occurs in a non-vital location that I never even thought could get cancer. It's a snap back to a harsh reality that cancer can effect any part of anybody at any time.

+The characters were all flawed, but well described. I absolutely loathe both her mother and her "best friend." I wanted to hug Kristina and a few of Tess' new friends.

+And on that note, I wanted to console Tess. I relate more to her than any other character, being a nerdy introvert myself. I also relate because my mom was sick, though it wasn't cancer, and all of a sudden it brought out both the best and worst in people. You'd be amazed how many people change and how drastically in the face of a tragedy.

I could gush forever, but I'll spare you all that rambling mess. I recommend this book for ANYONE affected by cancer, anyone with a sister, or anyone who wants to read a book where they will shed tears. A similar book to compare it to is Tell the Wolves I'm Home.

Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris

Title: Bad Taste in Boys (Kate Grable #1)
Author:Carrie Harris
Format: Hardcover, 201 pages
Pub. Date: July 12th 2011
Source: The Windy Pages blog

★★

Two stars.

Kate Grable is your typical high school geek, on the cusp of having a social life thanks to her best friends. She helps her high school's football team, putting her medical knowledge to the test so that she can have experience when she applies to pre-med programs in college. Of course, being around hotties like Aaron all the time isn't necessarily a bad perk to the job. But when the coach asks her to administer unlabeled shots of steroids to his players, Kate refuses and a red flag waves. Soon, the boys who were injected start turning into zombies, and Kate and her friends have to stop it before it's too late.

----

-Meh.

-I didn't like Kate. She seemed like a girl I would have rolled my eyes at a lot in high school. She's constantly spouting medical knowledge and facts, correcting other people. It bugs me. Someone should remind her that she's in high school, not college. Tone it back a bit. I also didn't like how this knowledge took away her emotions. Her best friend's boyfriend gets shot and Kate thinks his mom is overreacting by crying, because it wasn't a fatal blow. I'd like to think my mom was cry if I was shot in the armed forces, thanks.

-The actual story is just what you think it is. The zombies weren't creative at all- the offcolor, cannibalistic, 'braaaaiiiiins' moaning zombies. Ho hum. I like my zombies scary, and in this girly YA book, they were more comical than anything. I respect that this was the author's intent, but it's not my kind of story.

+That being said, the cover is gorgeous. It would definitely catch my eye on a shelf.

Overall, I just found this beneath my age level. If I were in junior high, I probably would have loved it. So, please take my review with a grain of salt. It wasn't badly written, nor was it a waste of time. It's just a book that I personally wouldn't read again, or purchase.

I recommend it for female junior high/high school YA fans who want a fast read about zombie football players. If you like scary stories or are a more advanced reader, you might want to pass this one up.

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Thank you to The Windy Pages blog for my copy.

Moonlight on the Palms by Lisa Greer

Title: Moonlight on the Palms
Author: Lisa Greer
Format: Paperback
Pub. Date: June 20th 2011
Source: Lisa Greer

★★★

Three stars.

I'm somewhat disappointed in this book. I've read work by this author before, & enjoyed it a lot. Unfortunately, I wasn't a fan of this one.

Astrid Kent must return to her childhood home in Texas after the death of her mother, & she hasn't been there since she left for college (and for good reason too!). While working on things such as the inheritance, Juan -a boyfriend who left her heartbroken- reenters her life, & despite all of the warnings she gives herself, she finds it hard to stay away. Her stress level & worry only intensifies when she meets a local artist named Manfred who is just as captivating, though in all of the opposite ways from Juan. Though she feels an attraction to both, words from her late mother keep resounding in her head- trust no one.

The first ninety percent of this book was well written. The characters were well thought out, the language was descriptive. It was a fairly quick read with a steady plot, & I liked the premise.

However, in the last twenty pages or so, the book fell apart for me. The climax was intended to shock, but for me it just seemed completely random. I actually had to go back & reread what happened, because I thought I missed something in this final, rapid race to the end. I could have lived with that plot twist though, had it not ended the way it did. It only made me dislike Astrid & made me wished that she hadn't been saved from the story's danger.

All in all, this book was okay. Not amazing, not horrible. I'm extremely torn on my opinion, since I did like a lot of this book, but hated the end. My final opinion: Read it for yourself. I give it a neutral three out of five, because the bad counters the good

Kings & Queens by Courtney Vail

Title: Kings & Queens (Kings & Queens #1)
Author: Courtney Vail
Format: ebook, 328 pages
Pub. Date: July 7th 2011
Source: Shut Up & Read

★★

Two stars.

I'm quite disappointed in this book. A pity, but that's what happens when you judge a book by its cover, I suppose.

In my humble opinion, it's written like a mediocre fan fiction. The dialog sounds forced between characters, characters who I immediately didn't relate to. One of the reviewers commented on the use of language, saying that it's "how teenagers talk." I'm only a year out of my teens, & no one's speech habits or word choices have irritated me as greatly as these characters did.

Plot wise, I feel as though the book was muddled. Random comments popped out of nowhere to aid- I'm not sure if this was supposed to be plot twists or if it was just a quick fix to a plot line that she had just remembered, but regardless, the book was left with an overall vibe of confusion. Admittedly, that did get better as time moved on.

But if you can't grab your reader's attention from the very start, how can you expect them to continue?

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On the positive side, the cover is gorgeous. I would have definitely picked this up if I saw it on a bookshelf. The lipstick hints at the YA genre & the red makes it look a bit dark. I liked that a lot. I just wish the pages inside matched.

-Thank you to Shut Up & Read for the free copy to review-