book review: my life next door

my life next door by huntley fitzpatrick

official website

description: The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

review: I LOVE SUMMER BOOKS. mainly because this new york winter sucked, but seriously these romantic summer books are my cup of tea lately. obviously you can tell my love of books set during this season by my adoration of the summer i turned pretty series.

i picked this book up because of its pretty cover. i liked the lighting and the typeface. and the synopsis sounded cool. i love books with "boy is from 'x' type family and girl is from 'y' type family". because i'm a slump and like stereotypical things. (lamest girl in the young adult book reviewing game).

my life next door tells the story of sam reed. sam's mom is the local senator, who lives the perfect life. her house is always neat and clean, and she prides herself on her picturesque daughters and wonderful life. this is in stark contrast to the garretts, who have 6(?) children and messy, messy lives. there's toys strewn all over the yard and there's always some commotion. samantha grew up watching the garretts, hoping to be a part of their chaotic life. this is mainly due to the fact that sam's mom hates the garretts, looking down upon mrs. garrett for having many children and pitying her. this book is about the relationship between sam and the middle garrett boy, jase.

i'm gonna be blunt. the characters had no substance for me. i didn't feel bad for them, and they were just too cookie-cutter. i got through the book solely for the fact that i wanted to know how sam would get herself out of the situation. i don't wanna spoil it for you, but it's bad. sam's mom does something stupid to a member of the garrett's and then lies about it and it's a bunch of bullshit, but it was a nice young adult fiction problem.

i went into this book thinking i was going to connect with sam on a very high level. i'm like sam in the beginning of the novel. she craves that chaos, the big family. she wants to be a part of the madness. i don't know how to say this without sounding like an over-privileged girl, but i would have loved to grow up in a huge family like that. my brother is 5 years old than i, and yeah we got into some shenanigans when we were younger, but it was nothing exciting. it was just the two of us. i would have loved to have little siblings running around and helping out my mom. and like sam, my mom created this perfect household. my room isn't lived in, because everything is in perfect place and it's just not me. and that's why i understood why sam would watch the garretts. because she wanted to just be loved by so many people. (eventually she was because she starts hanging out with jase ayo).

i didn't like how the author did not tie up the ends with nan. nan was sam's best friend, and sam learns a secret about nan and just like that, nan dropped her. and never spoke to her again. it just didn't seem natural. everything else was resolved and nan just disappeared. it seemed unnatural.

i just wasn't a fan of this one. the characters left no impact on me, but maybe it was just because i hated the mother with a passion.

the romance was nice, though. it was a very good first love, "oh my god i'm losing my virginity to this boy" story. 

overall, my life next door is for fans of first loves, corruption, and doing what's right even if it sux.

"but i'm not that watcher anymore. what jase and i have is real and alive. it has nothing to do with how things look from far away and everything to do with how they are up close. and that won't change."

-my life next door//huntley fitzpatrick

book review: dream school

dream school by blake nelson

book series: girl # 2

official website

description: Andrea Marr—, heroine of the classic 90's novel Girl—is back. And she's at college!
Imagining a typical “J. Crew/college catalogue” experience, Andrea leaves Portland to attend prestigious Wellington College in Connecticut. Surrounded by the best and the brightest, she works hard to adjust and keep up.
But Andrea has a way of finding her own people—not the well-heeled and well-scrubbed—but the weird, the wild, and the brilliant.
It isn't long before her college career veers wildly off course. Suddenly her entire future is in question. But in her darkest hour, Andrea will find the key to her own destiny.

review: girl is my favorite book. when i first read girl, i was going through a shitty time in my life where i had no idea where i was going and my friends had it figured out and i had this really dumb boyfriend and i felt lost in my community. and girl was the book that reassured me that my life isn't stupid and that it's just growing pains. and i've NEVER associated with a fictional character as much as i do andrea. not even with liz lemon. i had all these high school feelings and andrea mirrored that. (this gets really personal, so if you don't care about my numb pre-twenty something life, just know i loved this and i'm sorry i've been away xoxo)

and then i read that there was a sequel. about college. and i FREAKED OUT because i too was going away to college. so i went to strand with my roommate and bought the sequel. and i got nervous, as you can tell from my goodreads update four months ago. i don't remember what i was feeling during the beginning of the novel. maybe i thought it was too slow? i'm not sure. but i do know, by the end of the novel, i was sobbing in the library of hunter college. once again, blake nelson has me spot on.

andrea got into this ritzy private school called wellington, which is on the east school. and that's so BALLSY, applying to a school that you have to take a plane to get to. i totally did not expect that from andrea. but she gets in. and she gets so overwhelmed. these people are so cultured. and i absolutely got that. do you know how terrifying it is to come from a small sector of the universe and get thrust into the city that never sleeps? granted, i lived on shaolin, but it was really different there and i was never put into a more diverse experience than i was during college. (i felt and still do feel like sheep in the big city)

it's just, college is scary. i went from being with the same people for six hours a day, seven days a week, to just feeling lost. all the time. i wasn't myself from november to january, but things are starting to look up. some of my most important relationships were either strained or severed, and that really fucked with me. my mom and i used to be best friends, and now we argue every day. i still have my best friend, which i thank goodness for each and every day.

it seriously changes everything. and i saw this through andrea's eyes as well.

i'm gonna be blunt: i'm not an intelligent person. (i even needed spell check to spell intelligent) i don't have common sense, i'm not educated in politics or religion, and i need help sometimes figuring out what i can and can't put in the microwave. and at first, i thought i was an idiot. i thought that my 4,000 student high school didn't prepare me for college (still think it didn't). people are so cultured here and the only thing i could talk about are young adult novels, movies, tv, and 90's emo. NOBODY WANTS TO TALK ABOUT THOSE THINGS. NOBODY. i even went to the lit mag and they're just so dedicated, i can't do this shit. i spent so many hours just sitting in my dorm, watching breaking bad, crying about how i'm not getting the proper college experience. needless to say, my freshman year of college was not expected.

again, i'm in love with blake nelson's writing style. it reads just like how i would speak to someone* and it made me feel comfortable and alright again with the world. i have this idea for a movie that the main character is never shown, only in glimpses in the mirror. and you see the world through this character's eyes. i have no idea how this would work, but that's how i picture this novel would be like. andrea is hardly described, and her name isn't really mentioned unless someone is talking to her. it makes the novel more relatable, like that could totally be me.

i loved how it was fast. it's extremely symbolic of how life really is. (college made me d33p) i mean, i'm already a freshman in college, but if you asked me, it's still 2007. it's just so weird. but you get through andrea's junior year of college. she grew so much. and that's how a character should be. whenever i'm in an angsty teen mood, i'll pick up girl. i love it so much. but this book tied up loose ends and gave me closer for andrea, knowing that she'll be okay.

overall, i'd recommend this book to anyone who read girl, who just thinks their life sux, and wants to live their life vicariously through a 20 (omg andrea is TWENTY. I AM 18 WHAT THE HELL) year old.

"What would happen to me seemed so much more unclear. I just had no idea. But it was starting to happen. I could feel it. What I was going to do and be in my life was going to come to me very soon. In a way, I wasn't sure I wanted to know. "

dream college//blake nelson

*i also never knew how thick my accent was. whater.

book review: what happens next

What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton

Official Website

Description: Before the ski trip, sixteen-year-old Cassidy “Sid” Murphy was a cheerleader, a straight-A student, and a member of a solid trio of best friends. When she ends up on a ski lift next to handsome local college boy, Dax Windsor, she’s thrilled; but Dax takes everything from Sid – including a lock of her perfect red curls – and she can’t remember any of it.
Back home and alienated by her friends, Sid drops her college prep classes and takes up residence in the A/V room with only Corey “The Living Stoner” Livingston for company. But as she gets to know Corey (slacker, baker, total dreamboat), Sid finds someone who truly makes her happy. Now, if she can just shake the nightmares and those few extra pounds, everything will be perfect… or so she thinks.
Humorous and thoughtful, Colleen Clayton’s stunning debut is a moving exploration of one girl’s triumph over tragedy.

Review: i didn't know this was a 'book about rape.' i'm gonna be honest, if i'd have known it was about rape, i wouldn't have picked this up, despite the nice cover and the interesting synopsis. (i even read the description, and i just thought this dax character made sid more outgoing and brave.) i don't like speaking about rape because it's a really delicate topic, and i feel like since i am someone with no experience of rape, i have no right to talk about it. kinda like how white people can't write about racism. i just, i feel like it's out of my grasp, and i have no jurisdiction writing about this. but it was a really spectacular book, especially coming from a debut author.

what happens next tells the tale of sid murphy. the book opens with sid and her two best friends, paige and kirsten, at a ski resort. sid meets a guy who thinks she interesting and attractive, and this is completely opposite of how the boys at her high school find her. she winds up sneaking away from the group and staying with this man, dax. the next morning she wakes up, in a shitload of trouble, alone in dax's apartment, with a wetness between her legs that indicated she was raped.

this entire book was the most realistic thing i have ever read. like i said before, i don't know anyone who was raped, but this is how i picture the story would play out. the characters were so raw and real, and i felt like i was watching this played out before me, in form of a production or something. sid's family life, her friend's family life, her high school, the high school interactions; it was all so real. maybe i fell in love with these characters so much because the last book i read, i despised the m.cs.

let's take sid, for instance. sid is this big, obnoxious and loud junior who is cheerleads and takes a.p classes. she shits on her friends lives and hates the boys that go to her high school. she is extremely self-conscious, being that she's larger than most girls her age. not even her stomach, but her breasts and ass. it was infuriating how this girl couldn't embrace her body, and love herself for who she was at the beginning of the novel, but it just went along with sid's demeanor. the isolation, the fearfulness, everything she did was something i expected of a character who has gone through a recent trauma. i really liked how she started running. i have this weird bond with characters who run. i have no idea why, since i'm the human equivalent of a sloth, but i relate to characters who run for the sole purpose of running from something, from escaping their terrible past.

then there was corey. ugh corey, my brokenhearted little stoner. sid meets corey when she drops her computer science class and instead takes a.v. she bonds with corey, and visits him at work, and eventually falls in love with him. what is it with misunderstood boys who smoke weed and drive trucks? i fall in love with them. it's a true problem, and i'm seeking help, but i always adore them. corey was so nice and gentle with sid, i can't. he almost made me believe that a man could be that understanding and loving of a woman. almost. i'm not that naive. (i'm joking, boys are great, h a h a) and it was so wonderful how he treated her mother and brother, like he was the electrician and would help them around the house. the scene where he hangs up the pinata for sid's little brother is so adorable.

and, wait for it, this is the first young adult book where i don't hate the parents and the best friends?? (maybe it's not, i always forget about the books i review, hence why i have this website) sid's mother, katherine, was not a pushy, annoying single mother, which was a huge reliever. i thought she was going to try and push it out of sid, and badger her about it, but no. surprisingly, she acted like any mother would. she trusted her daughter when her daughter said that nothing happened, that she was fine, and there were no angsty, running-away-from-home, i-hate-you-mom, scenes with katherine and sid. and the kirsten and paige? they were perfect supporting characters. you know those characters that just exist to assist the main character, and pretty much have no life besides being the main character's best friend? not these two. they have their own lives, and likes, and interests, and they did not revolve around sid, which was lovely. they weren't annoying or harpers. they fought with sid for about 100 pages, but wouldn't you hate someone who ditched you on a winter trip and then got you suspended?

i'm 98.3% sure that i have never read a young adult fiction novel where the main character is sex positive, and enjoys her body, and is proud of herself, and doesn't seek to change her ways. it's weird, i feel like this should have been done plenty of times, but i don't think i've ever picked it up. maybe it had a crappy cover or something? i dunno, but please point me in the direction of something along these lines.

overall, what happens next is a realistic telling of rape, forgiveness, and moving past tragedy.

also, i will absolutely pick up anything else this author writes so long as i live.

"i don't know how it happens. it just does. i search and search for clues to tell me what happened, where he is, who else he has done this to. i find nothing but inner sickness. i get so torn up and panic-stricken that i have to slam my laptop shut and taise my window, stick my head out into the cold night, and try not to scream. i don't know what to do with it, this lack of peace, this need to know. i want it to go away, but it won't.

every night it comes back.

every night i am searching."

what happens next//colleen clayton

book review: eve and adam

Eve and Adam by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate

Official Website

Description: In the beginning, there was an apple—
And then there was a car crash, a horrible injury, and a hospital. But before Evening Spiker’s head clears a strange boy named Solo is rushing her to her mother’s research facility. There, under the best care available, Eve is left alone to heal.
Just when Eve thinks she will die—not from her injuries, but from boredom—her mother gives her a special project: Create the perfect boy.
Using an amazingly detailed simulation, Eve starts building a boy from the ground up. Eve is creating Adam. And he will be just perfect... won’t he?

Review: i first saw this book in a swanky bookstore in brooklyn, and i didn't wanna buy it cause it was $17 and i needed $40 to get my septum pierced. i wrote down the title, and figured i'd pick it up at the library. it caught my eye because of the unique title, michael grant, and the cover. it's so high-resolution and eye-catching. i love it. the colors are just so vivid, and they compliment each other perfectly.

i'm not sure which direction this review is going in. that has been the case for my past few reviews, and i apologize. i didn't like the characters one bit. they were nothing, they had no backbone, and i harbored no feelings toward them. i never felt bad for their situation, and it was almost like two stick figures running around the city, trying to save humanity.

however, i really liked the storyline. the topic was interesting, and kept me coming back for more. i finished this book in one sitting (mainly because i was at the gynecologist, and it was a long wait). i liked the background characters. they kept my attention, and it's unfortunate, because the main characters are supposed to draw you into the story.

eve and adam tells the story of evening spiker, who has just gotten into a terrible car accident. her leg and arms are mutilated, and there is little hope for survival. but, wait for it, she survives it. her mother, terra spiker, who owns this huge multi-trillion dollar company that finds cures to popular diseases, moves eve into her super high-tech offices where the best doctors treat her.

of course, there's a boy that makes eve question everything. solo plissken grew up in the spiker headquarters, raised by terra and always helping out the 'big brain' scientists. his parents """mysteriously""" died. they were two of the best big brain scientists in the company, so terra took solo in.

eve recovers, and her mother gives her a project to create the perfect man. the problem is that eve recovered too quickly, within like four days. solo knows the reason of course, and he stars telling eve the secrets of the company. also, eve's best friend, aislin, is very present throughout the novel, which i enjoyed. since the main characters were boring as hell, she was a nice phoenix amongst pigeons. aislin is fierce, and she would flirt with solo throughout he novel in a completely joking matter. i think the reason i disliked solo and eve so much was because their relationship was forced so much. it was so unnatural. solo knew all about eve, but eve never even heard about solo, ever, so it was weird. and when they met, they would joke around and not flirt, but yet, they both wanted to kiss each other so deeply. like, it came out of nowhere. and then solo said something about loving eve and i started choking on the cherry coke i was drinking. their "love" was so unreal.

the storyline was so interesting, like i've said many times, and i could totally see this being made into a movie. the progression was so similar. it's such a genius idea. it kinda reminded me of spy kids, or agent cody banks. solo's parents started developing a serum that made people recover quickly and made them like superhuman (*eve*) and it's totally illegal. however, solo was raised thinking that terra created this serum, so he vowed to take her down. and then eve comes along, and he falls in love. (or however much in love someone call fall between 4 days)

overall, eve and adam is a book about playing god, trifling in the family business, and creating a cute boy in the process.

edit: also, shout out to micheal grant for referencing titus andronicus.

"because gods wants to be seen, and they want to be served."

eve and adam//michael grant and katherine applegate

Book Review: Across the Universe (AND 200TH POST)

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Series: Across the Universe # 1

Official Website

Description: Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.
Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Review: I usually don't review the really popular young adult books, mainly because my reaction to them mirror everyone else's and it'd just be another glowing review. And I wasn't planning on reviewing this one, either, because I really enjoyed it, and this review was going to look like everyone else's (except with a shittier layout and theme and grammar). for example, i've yet to review a john green novel, mainly because i'm still crying weeks after i've read the book, so it's pointless to write anything.

however, across the universe really moved me. and that sounds so lame. (and i've stopped capitalizing words, so you know i'm serious) (i think i'm gonna start writing reviews like this) but about 300 pages in, when my favorite character dies, i was in tears. it was such a beautifully written death that i couldn't help but smile through my tears and be encouraged to write something about this book. and it's giving me goosebumps just thinking about it.

not only am i reviewing a really popular book, but this is my 200th post AND i'm not using capital letters!? taking big risks, lauren.

alright. here goes. across the universe tells the story of Amy. Amy and her parents were frozen and put on this ship so that they can wake up in 350 years and lead a new civilization on a new planet. now, i'm not sure if the author explained why they left earth in the first place? i began the book before finals, and the first 100 pages are a blur. but needless to say, amy's chamber is opened and she wakes up 50 years early, without her parents, to an entirely new world. this huge metal ship, called godspeed, is spiraling through the sky, houses over two thousand people, who are all perfectly content with just living and dying on this ship. there is no conflict aboard the ship, because everyone is the same race, and there are no differences among the people. amy causes a ruckus, as one would expect, with her pale skin and fiery red hair.

the other main character is elder. elder is sixteen or seventeen (sorry) and he is the future leader of the ship. ever since an incident aboard the ship called 'the plague,' there has been an almighty ruler who is in charge of protecting all aboard godspeed. elder is chosen from birth, and raised by the current ruler, who goes by the name of eldest. they have access all over the ship, and can do whatever they want.

the chapters alternate between elder and amy. i really loved how the romance wasn't thrown in our face, like LOOK AT THIS, THEY'RE THE SAME AGE, I AM GOING TO MAKE THEM LOVE INTERESTS LOOK, LOOK, THEY'RE TALKING HUH DO YOU SEE THE CHEMISTRY HERE?? it was casual, and i thought of them as friends who care for each other's wellbeing. amy would cry on elder, and they'd explore together and discover godspeed's secrets.

but the romance that did take place was really cute. you learn a huuuuuge secret at the end, regarding the relationship, but besides that, the connection between elder and amy is so strong. elder knows there is more than this ship life out there, and amy knows only about earth and what wonders it held. they balance each other beautifully, and the scenes were their true emotions are revealed are the most heartbreaking.

this book was obviously extremely thought out, and for books of this type of genre, it is very crucial that they are. readers can see through bullshit, and this book was very believable. there were no plot holes as far as i can tell, and the book itself read very fluid and smooth.

i think i enjoyed this book so much because i saw something of people i knew in each character. in elder, i saw this boy that i follow on tumblr who listens to sad music all the time, and has so much on his plate, that i just feel sad reading his posts. in amy, i saw my friend dani. she's relentless and would never stay pacified in that type of situation. in harley, i saw my friend will, who is just so artistically creative, it makes me vomit.

the main characters were so unique and three-dimensional that it made me feel that i can never write truly believable characters. and these characters were travelling on a space ship to another planet. i'm trying to write about dorks in high school. everyone is that damn book was so intense and scared. and they had RIGHT to be. it i was on a space ship, with another 50 years ahead of me, and they had an artificial sun and fake sprinkler rain, i'd be petrified. the entire setup of the ship was a farse. the people of the ship were just treated so badly, and i won't spoil it for you, even though i LOVE SPOILING BOOKS, but it was dreadful. they were treated like animals that someone could just control with the flip of a switch. it was disgusting, and cruel, and i'm glad for rulers like elder, who believe that people should thrive and have emotions, and should be able to make their own decisions and i'm just thinking about the sequel and getting so excited. i'm not big on politics (pretty sure i failed my poli sci final) but people need direction. they have souls and desires and dreams and those dreams shouldn't be suffocated just because of mental illness or chaos.

i'm just really sad about the events that took place in across the universe, but i'm happy about the optimism of the ending and i'm curious about what's gonna happen. the sequel is called a million suns and i'm reserving at my library as we speak. seriously though, i didn't think i was gonna get attached to this book. curse you, tragically flawed characters.

overall, i loved this book, and i hope when i'm 23 and living in brooklyn and have a rockin' bookcase, this lovely is sitting right on the shelf. across the universe is good for fans of sci fi, hard decisions, and fighting for what you believe in.

this whole ship has been held together with metal and lies, everyone either deceived or a deceiver. except for elder.

across the universe/ beth revis

Book Review: Mothership

Mothership by Martin Leicht and Isla Neal

Series: Book 1 of the Ever-Expanding Universe

Official Website

Description: Elvie Nara was doing just fine in the year 2074. She had a great best friend, a dad she adored, and bright future working on the Ares Project on Mars. But then she had to get involved with sweet, gorgeous, dumb-as-a-brick Cole—and now she’s pregnant.
Getting shipped off to the Hanover School for Expecting Teen Mothers was not how Elvie imagined spending her junior year, but she can go with the flow. That is, until a team of hot commandos hijacks the ship—and one of them turns out to be Cole. She hasn’t seen him since she told him she’s pregnant, and now he’s bursting into her new home to tell her that her teachers are aliens and want to use her unborn baby to repopulate their species? Nice try, buddy. You could have just called.
So fine, finding a way off this ship is priority number one, but first Elvie has to figure out how Cole ended up as a commando, work together with her arch-nemesis, and figure out if she even wants to be a mother—assuming they get back to Earth in one piece.

Review: This was the first book I picked up when I went to my new local library. I really liked the name, and the fonts used, and the color scheme, and the title of the series, and everything was just so aesthetically appealing. And it had to do with pregnant teens, which lately I've been on a kick with. I dunno, it's just that pregnant teens are really funny? And witty? Usually? I'm obsessed with all pregnant women. It's amazing what the human body can do.


All pregnant chicks aside, this is not a post letting the internet know of my fascination with women. It's about this book, Mothership, which tells the tale of Elvie Nara, this witty pregnant teen who was sent off into space. Set in the future, with cool gadgets and other weird things like space cruise lines and such, Mothership is a trip. And that's probably the corniest thing I have ever written, but it's true. It's just jam-packed with action, and something is revealed on every goddamn page. I'm actually not even sure if I'm complaining about this, because I'm excited to read the sequel, because that was a helluva ending.

As my boyfriend put it, this book is like a cheesy B-rated movie. There's something ridiculous around every corner. It's like the authors put topics in a hat, and tossed the hat around, and created the book with those little pieces of paper. Everything fit together, I didn't sense any plot holes, but it was just so IN YOUR FACE weird. I have no idea how to describe this other than "this is what you imagine when you picture a sci-fi book with pregnant teens set in the future."

This book, as you can probably imagine, was filled with so many different types of characters. You had the stereotypical characters hated by the MC. Then you had the MC's male best friend, who Elvie "never thought of that way!". Sassy pregnant girl who smoked cigarettes and hated everyone. Cool adult everyone could trust. Same cool adult who fucks everyone over in the end. Cute boy who impregnated MC who dated and impregnated nemesis of the MC. Guy who knocks up MC is an alien. Ya know, the usual.

Elvie, I regret to say, was very forgettable. Yeah, she was brave and she had to make a lot of hard decisions, but so does every single YOUNG ADULT FEMALE IN BOOKS NOWADAYS. The only thing I will remember about Elvie is her awesome name and the fact that she fell on her butt a lot in the book. I'll probably remember her father before I remember her if someone asks me about Mothership. I mean, her father kept files in his house of possible things that can go wrong. And he had a 'daughter becomes pregnant' folder. C'mon. How can you hate a character that does that? And yes, the scenes between Cole (the ALIEN who impregnates both Elvs and nemesis) and Elvie were cute, but they were unmemorable. Okay, maybe I'll remember when he told her, "Elvs, you really rev me up." after she fixed his car. That was adorable. Other than that though? Nope.

The world futuristic world created by Leicht and Neal was very interesting. At least they explained what the futuristic gadgets were. I read this one where they didn't explain things at all and it sucked. I'll definitely read the sequel, but just to see what happens with the baby.

Overall, Mothership is a book you want to read if things have gotten too serious in your life and you need a some laughs. It definitely helped me get out of my book-reading funk.

"I book it down the two flight, one hand on the railing, one hand under my belly, and I thank my lucky stars that I decided to go on my ice cream crusade with my most semnsible yellow flats on. I'm running so fast, I could be the star of my own cardio workout video- Get Chases With Elvie!- but when I rash into the exit, the door doesn't budge."

-Mothership//Martin Leicht & Isla Neal

Book Review: The Disenchantments

The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour

Official Website

Description: Colby and Bev have a long-standing pact: graduate, hit the road with Bev’s band, and then spend the year wandering around Europe. But moments after the tour kicks off, Bev makes a shocking announcement: she’s abandoning their plans—and Colby—to go her own way in the fall.

But the show must go on and The Disenchantments weave through the Pacific Northwest, playing in small towns and dingy venues, while roadie-Colby struggles to deal with Bev’s already-growing distance and the most important question of all: what’s next?
Morris Award–finalist Nina LaCour draws together the beauty and influences of music and art to brilliantly capture a group of friends on the brink of the rest of their lives.

I'm currently sitting in my school library, and I have two hours to kill, so I might as well review The Disenchantments. It's just been sitting on my bookshelf, finished, all underlined. So here it is.

The Disenchantments tells the tale of Colby, this boy who's been in love with Bev since eighth grade. They're best friends, and he helps her band, and they have this pact to finish up high school and travel Europe together. After high school ends, The Disenchantments go on tour, and from the tour, they're all gonna go their separate ways: Bev and Colby to Europe, Alexa to high school, and Meg to college.

That all changes when Bev tells Colby she can't go, and all chaos ensues. Colby's heartbroken, as he should be. But I didn't really understand why he couldn't go to Europe himself. (Spoiler: he does.) His mother is in Paris, I don't see why he needed Bev there, besides the fact that she's pretty to look at. Because besides that, she's worthless. I'm tired of these young adult female main characters who have no soul to them whatsoever. She wants everyone to pity her, and she wants to be mysterious. SHE'S EXACTLY LIKE ZOOEY DESCHANEL'S CHARACTER IN 500 DAYS OF SUMMER. She knows Colby is in love with her, and yet she still plays around with him and she flirts in front of him. She's a cold-hearted bitch. I don't see how any of the characters like her. I could go on for another six paragraphs about why I didn't like Bev, but I'll just leave this video about manic pixie dream girl.

Anyhow, besides that, the book was a pleasant read. I've been in a college slump lately. Lack of direction, feelings of worthlessness, ya know, the fun things. And I'm not saying this book was enlightening and showed me the way. It was comforting, though. I liked how the characters all went to this ritzy art school, and Bev and Colby were the kids who chose the opposite route, which was interesting. The tone of the book was funny, and there were definitely times that made me smile like a lame fourteen year old.

The setting of the book was gorgeous. The Disenchantments go on tour (I think they're from California?) and the towns they visited were so quaint and lovely. They were described very well. Makes me wish I lived in small towns. Also, this book made me want to start a chick band and drop out of college and tour. That would be nice if I could play an instrument, but I mean, the ladies of Bratmobile literately just picked up guitars and started playing shows, so it could happen! (I really loved the riot grrrl in this book, and I would have written that in caps but I feel like I shouted the Zooey bit, so I don't wanna scare you guys)

Everyone besides Bev was great. I really liked Meg and Alexa, but you could kind of tell they were just put there to have other member of the band. I liked their relationship, but I hated how they were excluded when Bev and Colby got their periods and started bickering. Colby didn't make the smartest decisions (BEV) but he did make the best of it. Although he did drag his feet around and pout like a 13 year old girl, I liked how he called up a bro and traveled with him. The people they meet in the towns were very nice and they allowed the characters to learn something. I could really see this book being an indie flick. 

I also thought it was funny that Colby would always tell people that The Disenchantments sucked. And they did suck, at least according to the book. Bev's voice is described as being "devastating and breathy", Meg produces "terrible static", and Alexa is "too blissed-out to pound a beat." I think that's a big part of who these girls are as people. They were never in it for the fame, they just did it because they wanted to produce music and get their feelings out.

Overall, The Disenchantments is a book about friendship, moving on, being a FRIGGIN ADULT, and annoying girls with indie bangs.

 In just a little while we will forget all the things we used to want and adjust to the lives that we’re given. 

-The Disenchantments//Nina LaCour

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Book Review: Girl

Girl by Blake Nelson

Official Website

Description: Meet Andrea Marr, straight-A high school student, thrift-store addict, and princess of the downtown music scene. Andrea is about to experience her first love, first time, and first step outside the comfort zone of high school, with the help of indie rock band The Color Green.

I don't have a cute introductory paragraph for Girl. I saw it mentioned on Rookie Mag's website and I got really curious about it and bought it. (And I never buy books) So here are the reasons why I love Girl. (There are no bad reasons, this is a review praising Girl and Blake Nelson.)

Girl tells the tale of Andrea Marr. We are the same person, and that's all there is to it. You see, Andrea's friend Cybil shaves her head and starts a punk band. And Andrea goes to see them, and becomes friends with the band members, and observes everything, and then people start noticing her. Andrea was like a sponge, but in a totally good way, because she absorbed everything around her and adjusted her life to those changes. She became good friends with all these band guys, ends up falling in love with one of them, and becomes a very important member of the Portland music scene, without even picking up an instrument.

If you read this book, you will catch a glimpse of the Staten Island music scene. There's those kids that are so serious about their bands, and those who just do it for fun. And the groupie girls who hang on to the popular band's every words. There's the girls that go and pretend it's a social outing and they're not even listening to the music. I'm definitely Andrea Marr in this book because I've been a wallflower in life and in the music scene for the past two years, and I'm finally starting to get the hang of everything. Like Andrea, yeah I go for the music because some bands have something good there, but just the atmosphere of shows is so much fun. You learn something new about your town by becoming a fan of the local music scene. Trust me.

Girl very accurately portrays the things a young adult deals with when they're coming of age. I actually think this is a better coming-of-age novel than Perks. The changes that Andrea goes through are happening to me right now, and that's why I loved this book so much. While I was reading it, my life was pretty pre-Todd Sparrow-Andrea, but a Big Bang occurred and now my life is playing out like a bad Emma Stone movie.

I loved the diary-like writing of Blake Nelson. It sounded so raw, so real, so much like what I would write. However, I could sense that it would become annoying because multiple paragraphs start with, 'And then I did this and that and went here and bought this dress.'

I'm so excited to read the sequel,Dream School, because I'm going away to college in two months and I'd like to see how Andrea deals.

(I would like to apologize, because I forgot how to write reviews. Just know that I loved this book, and if I ever got the chance to meet Blake Nelson, I'd kiss his feet and thank him for writing one of the most realistic books I've ever read.)

(I'd also like to include that I saw the straight-to-dvd adaption of the book and I started crying because it looked so terrible. Why did they have to touch my precious Girl?)

"But one glimpse of Todd and you immediately realized how limited you were and all the things you could do if you could just break out of your normal existence and stop worrying about what everyone thought."

-Girl/////Blake Nelson 

Review: The Duff

The Duff by Kody Keplinger

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Description: Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her "Duffy," she throws her Coke in his face.
But things aren't so great at home right now. Desperate for a distraction, Bianca ends up kissing Wesley. And likes it. Eager for escape, she throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley.
Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out that Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

Review: The Duff has been sitting on my bookshelf ever since Borders closed. I felt I had to get something, so I picked up The Duff because I was curious about it. I didn't know the whole description, but I thought, Hey, it's only five bucks, so I went for it. Yea.

The Duff tells the tale of Bianca, an average girl who has been labelled the Duff from popular playboy, Wesley. Wesley is just after Bianca's attractive friends, and only hangs around her to gain their attention. Well, it's doesn't work because the only person's interest he garners (negatively) is Bianca's.

Bianca's home life really sucks, so she starts hooking up with Wesley to get her mind off of things. And it works. Because Wesley is a super-hot sex god. (That was taking it too far, but he is a good distraction for Bianca) This starts a turbulent relationship between Wesley and Bianca, plus the affect it has on Bianca's best friends and family.

Bianca was mature for her age. So mature that she looked down her nose at people who were having fun and partying and stuff during their senior(or junior?) year. She had an above-all attitude throughout the novel, and it really infuriated me. I mean, I'm like that too. But the thing is, I'm not having sex with the most popular kid in school, and still looking down at people. And another thing I hate with all my heart is when AP students have to repeat to everyone that they're in AP classes, and Bianca seemed like the type to do that. I know that it's the writer's decision to write it like that, but I was so peeved when I read, "Bianca travelled in the direction of her AP Government class," at least six times. We get it. You're smart.

Wesley was my favorite character. He bought some humor into the book, and yes, he was a dick. Usually those are the characters that make the book funny. I just couldn't stand Bianca when she was without Wesley. All he wants to do is get into girls pants, and he is very successful in those endeavors. Bianca hates him because of this, but that's what guys do. And you're in high school! Boy's hormones are raging and they need to take out this sexual desire on someone. C'mon, he's a boy.

It's very difficult for me to explain the writing, so please bear with me. I am all for realistic writing. I love when authors actually know what they're talking about when they're writing teen fiction. But sometimes it's too 'I think I know teens so I'll use these words'. It was like when that candy is so sweet that it hurts your teeth to eat it. I sound like a prick, but it was so teen. It oozed teenageness.

I usually hate secondary characters, and this book was no exception. Her best friends, Jessica and Casey, were annoying. I hated them since the first page, when they were flirting it up and dancing like fools, and they didn't even care that Bianca wanted to go home. Okay, Bianca was their ride, and being their ride, she makes the curfew. End of story.They were just so inconsiderate. But at the same time, they were living their lives. I am so sorry, but they were living young, wild, and free. And I have to give them credit for being best friends with a sad cynic like Bianca.

Overall, The Duff is a novel about breaking expectations, high school relationships, and sex. Even though I wasn't very fond of this book, it did have some good quotes.

"I had the right to be happy about this. Even we cynics deserved a night off once in a while, right?"

-The Duff|Kody Keplinger

Review: Casey Barnes Eponymous

Casey Barnes Eponymous by E.A Rigg

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Description: It's three weeks into the school year when music junkie Casey Barnes gets a second chance with her mysterious, heartbreaking ex-boyfriend. She comes up with a plan to win him back, but it soon spins out of control as rivalries, revelations about him, and music itself all start to collide. For Casey the newfound attention means learning the difference between wanting center stage and actually being on it.

Review: Casey Barnes Eponymous was a quick read about Casey Barnes, a quick talking sophomore who is learning the ropes of high school. She's accompanied by her best friend, Leigh, who doesn't do anything her parents wouldn't approve of; and her brother, Yull, a gay theater addict who outshines Casey in school and at home.

Casey is a music expert, and she enjoys making playlists for other, more unfortunate people who aren't exposed to such glamourous tunes as she. She plays the guitar, and is all around a cool, knowledgeable young lass who is just trying to get the attention of Alex Deal, music god. They hooked up before school started and now she's trying to win him back, much to the dismay of Yull, Leigh and all the girls who can't get Alex's attention.

I wasn't expecting Casey Barnes Eponymous to be so short (220 pages). When I was halfway through this novel, I was really disappointed because I was really getting into it. But the dialogue, the descriptions, and the storyline made this book fly by. I was really growing attached to the characters, and I will surely miss my little music extraordinare, Casey.

When I got the e-mail about this book from the author, what caught my attention was the music references and the playlists. This is the first book I've ever read mention music and artists. Casey has introduced me to some new, obscure bands and I will definitely enjoy rubbing my knowledge of these bands into other's faces. :) And I have to say, one of my favorite parts is when Casey starts judging this kid because he gave her a playlist of mainstream songs. It's totally something I'd do, because I'm like that with music. And then she realizes what a douche he is, because he is just a big idiot and just wants to get some late-night lovin'.

The characters in this book are honestly so realistic and relatable, and are a big reason why I loved this book so much. I can put a name of each of my friends on each of the characters in Casey Barnes Eponymous. They're a bunch of unique people that you want to be your best friends, because they have each other's backs, and are just so fun to be around. Yull is my favorite secondary character. I love the relationship between Yull and Casey. They're sarcastic and pretend to dislike each other, but their teasing and pestering is adorable. Even though Yull is the star of the school and the house, Casey isn't bitter about it. She knows if she just pushed herself, she could be popular, and in the book, she does. She makes a name for herself, and isn't known as Yull's little sister.

Another character I really liked was Ben. Ben is this boy in Casey's spanish class who she passes notes to. They're relationship is really cute, because he's a drummer, and eventually becomes a part of her band. He's a nerdy little boy, and I fall headoverheels for them, so I was deeply swooning by the end of the book. He was real with Casey, and he helped with spanish, so he's a good guy in my book.

A character I would have liked to hear more from was Leigh. She was going through some serious shit by the end of the book, and Casey wasn't really there for her, being preoccupied with the band and boys. Leigh was also being sent to boarding school, and I really admired how she didn't let anybody push her decision at the end of the novel. I liked how she stood by her choice, and was still there for Casey, but knew she had to do this for herself. I feel she had an interesting story, and would have liked to see how she was dealing with her chaos.

Another pro for me is that there weren't lengthy paragraphs explaining detail and the setting. I like to imagine a few things in my head, and place the setting where I like. Like I said before, this book was a quick read, and there weren't any parts that I was dreading reading. Maybe when Casey embarrassed herself, but that's different. It was fast, and flowed nice. There weren't any awkward pauses or boring parts in Casey Barnes Eponymous.

Overall, Casey Barnes Eponymous is about boys, music, and the boys that drive you crazy enough to write the music.

PS: I never saw the cover before, and it's simply beautiful. 

PSS: I really liked how the author ended the book. It was simple, and left me smiling.

"For what differentiates truly amazing rock stars from merely good ones is knowing that a bad reputation can be a very good thing."

-Casey Barnes Eponymous; E.A Rigg

Review: Pregnant Pause

Pregnant Pause by Han Nolan

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Description: Nobody gets away with telling Eleanor Crowe what to do. But as a pregnant sixteen-year-old, her options are limited: move to Kenya with her missionary parents or marry the baby’s father and work at his family’s summer camp for overweight kids.
Despite her initial reluctance to help out, Elly is surprised that she actually enjoys working with the campers. But a tragedy on the very day her baby is born starts a series of events that overwhelms Elly with unexpected emotions and difficult choices. Somehow, she must turn her usual obstinance in a direction that can ensure a future for herself—and for the new life she has created.

Review: I went into this book thinking it was going to be about a snarky pregnant teen who gets into silly scenarios. It it would funny and cute because she was pregnant and $assy! I didn't know what I was getting myself into.

Pregnant Pause is unlike any pregnant teen novel I've ever read. It's different in the sense that everything doesn't end up shitty nor perfect for the main character, Elly. It's a book that I could not put down for a week straight, and something that I'll always remember.

Pregnant Pause tells the story of Elly, a sixteen-year-old girl who gets pregnant by her boyfriend, Lam. Now Elly and Lam are the typical 'breaking the law' couple. They both do drugs, lie to their parents, and steal. She marries Lam (I just wrote lamb and I thought it was really funny) because she's in love with him, and he is the father. They then live in Lam's parents camp cabin. Since they run a fat camp, Lam and Elly will work there all summer, living in the back cabin.

The relationship between Lam and Elly was very stressful. I watch a lot of movies, and usually the druggy boyfriend and girlfriend are cute, and it's a Sid and Nancy type situation. Sometimes, the bad b0y gets straightened out, and they live happily ever after. But not in this case. Lam was a total douche and was only there for Elly when some other guy started hitting on her. Lam is babied by his parents, and usually situations like this make people grow up, but not for Lam. He continued to sneak around with girls and get stoned and come home to Elly. However, she stayed with him. Because she felt like shit after all the shit she pulled on her parents in the past. She felt she deserved to stay with Lam because nobody else will understand her. I can kinda understand that because she truly loved him, but when he comes home drunk and threw up on you, on your wedding night, that would be the end for me. Lam was not like the cute stoner guys in movies and books. He was a real jerk, that Lamb. Okay I'm gonna call him Lamb.

Elly also had a shitty relationship with her sister, Sarah, and her parents. Her parents gave up on Elly after all the stealing and juvie, so they spent most of their time going to Kenya and treating AIDS babies. I feel this was a huge metaphor relating to Elly and the baby. When Elly gives birth to the baby, her parents want nothing more than Elly to give the baby up so that Elly can come with them back to Kenya. But thy won't even dare think about caring for the baby themselves, or helping their 16 year old daughter, who has no job, no money, and no place to stay. Instead, they'll drop her and expect her to come and help these babies, who have no relation to them.

I feel like I formed a relationship with Elly as the novel progressed. I felt like she was my best friend and I was going through the troubles with her, and I've never really felt that way with any novel. I felt really close to her when she had to decide what to do with her baby, and when she finally made her decision with Lamb. As I got to about page 300, I really didn't want this novel to end, because I would miss Elly. I felt like one of the campers, leaving her forever. I'm going to miss all the people included in this book, even the scummy ones because they made my girl Elly stronger, and now she go on with her life.

Elly started out in the novel as a stubborn, angry girl. But her stubbornness really helped her out with the baby, with Lamb, with her parents. She fought for what she thought was right, and she pushed through any negative feedback. She had to do what was right for her baby, and I respect her so much for it. Her child will have a wonderful mother when it grows up. The way she treated the campers, and the way she treated the baby while it was inside her really made me believe that Elly is prepared to take on more responsibilities in life.

Nolan's writing was beautiful. Like I said before, I felt like Elly's best friend, and no other author has made me feel that way. I've very excited to read more of Han Nolan's works in the future, and become emotionally attached to more of her characters.

Overall, Pregnant Pause is a novel about gaining strength to move on, becoming independent, and realizing that sometimes, it's not always about you.

"I stay in the present because I hate my past, or at least I hate myself in the past, because I've always been kinda of a pain in the ass, and thinking about myself makes me unhappy, and I'm afraid of the future,so yeah, I stay present, but it's out of fear, and that fear never goes away."

-Pregnant Pause; Han Nolan

Book Review: The Thorn and the Blossom

The Thorn and the Blossom by Theodora Goss

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Description: One enchanting romance. Two lovers keeping secrets. And a uniquely crafted book that binds their stories forever.
When Evelyn Morgan walked into the village bookstore, she didn’t know she would meet the love of her life. When Brendan Thorne handed her a medieval romance, he didn’t know it would change the course of his future. It was almost as if they were the cursed lovers in the old book itself . . .
The Thorn and the Blossom is a remarkable literary artifact: You can open the book in either direction to decide whether you’ll first read Brendan’s, or Evelyn’s account of the mysterious love affair. Choose a side, read it like a regular novel—and when you get to the end, you’ll find yourself at a whole new beginning.

Review: The Thorn and the Blossom is a short novel that tells the tale of Evelyn Morgan and Brendan Thorne. They first meet when Evelyn is visiting the small town of Clews, where Brendan runs his family bookstore. From there, the two young lovers embark on a journey where they discover things about each other, about history, and about themselves.

Evelyn is an intelligent, determined young woman. She is a professor who enjoys literature, history, and tall tales. When Brendan and Evelyn meet, they bond over their interest of the book Sir Gaiwan and the Green Knight. Brendan has known this story for many years, and even wanted to write his own translation of the tale. The week that Evelyn spends in Clews with Brendan goes by quickly, and she has to return to America. But that isn't the last time they see each other. (Obviously, because then there wouldn't be a book)

I really liked The Thorn and the Blossom. Evelyn and Brendan's romance is everything I envisioned for myself. I know that tons of girls out there would love a cute, young writer for a husband. Gah, wouldn't that be nice. Reading about Brendan and Evelyn's nightly ritual made me incredibly sad and lonely. After work, (I forgot to mention that Brendan is a professor also) they drink wine by the fireplace and grade papers. They read novels and discuss poetry and go to fine art galleries and make perfect love and just do things so beautifully. Boys in Staten Island don't do those things! They play Call of Duty and smoke pot! C'MON! Their love was perfect. I always like reading about characters who like to read and write. I think it makes me relate to them more, and like them more.

TTaTB is set up like an accordan, and on one side is Evelyn's story and the other is Brendan's. I loved this set up. This is the first book that I know of that is created this way, and it was such an interesting way to read the story. Goss wrote it so you can start with either character. I started with Evelyn, and I feel that was a good choice. Brendan's story, I felt, was shorter but that's impossible because it was the same amount of pages. Another reason I enjoyed this book as much is because the reader sees two sides to the story, and understands the characters more.

TTaTB is a really wonderful romance story. It has parts that will make you feel like shit about yourself for being single, and then part that make your heart all mushy. I'm making the characters out to seem like perfect gods and goddesses. Brendan and Evelyn definitely had their flaws. Aaand Evelyn's ending and Brendan's ending were totally different. In Evelyn's, I was sad and a little misty-eyed. But with Brendan's, I was more hopeful for the characters.

Overall, The Thorn and the Blossom is an unique story about love, second chances, and hope for the future.

Time worked that way - time was linear; it didn’t circle back. Once you lost something, you couldn’t regain it. That was life.

-The Thorn and the Blossom by Theodora Goss

Review: Revealing Eden

Revealing Eden by Victoria Foyt

Series: Save the Pearls # 1

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Description: Eden Newman must mate before her 18th birthday in six months or she'll be left outside to die in a burning world. But who will pick up her mate-option when she's cursed with white skin and a tragically low mate-rate of 15%? In a post-apocalyptic, totalitarian, underground world where class and beauty are defined by resistance to an overheated environment, Eden's coloring brands her as a member of the lowest class, a weak and ugly Pearl. If only she can mate with a dark-skinned Coal from the ruling class, she'll be safe. Just maybe one Coal sees the Real Eden and will be her salvation her co-worker Jamal has begun secretly dating her. But when Eden unwittingly compromises her father's secret biological experiment, she finds herself in the eye of a storm and thrown into the last area of rainforest, a strange and dangerous land. Eden must fight to save her father, who may be humanity's last hope, while standing up to a powerful beast-man she believes is her enemy, despite her overwhelming attraction. Eden must change to survive but only if she can redefine her ideas of beauty and of love, along with a little help from her "adopted aunt" Emily Dickinson.

Review: Revealing Eden is a whirlwind of a book, with action starting on the very first page. Eden Newman lives in a world underground because of the suns harmful rays. People like her, Pearls, who have fair skin and features, are more prone to getting "The Heat", which kills the human. Other people such as Coals, who have darker features, are the higher race and they can handle the hot rays. Pearls fear Coals and the Pearls are basically their slaves. They work under the Coals, and fear them.

Eden and her father work under Bramford ,(for the life of me, I can't remember his first name. Starts with an "r") her father as a scientist, trying to discover a cure for the Pearls so that they can be safe with the suns rays. Since Eden is turning 18, she is expected to mate to continue the species. She finds comfort in Jamal, who she can tell secrets to about her fathers' work, trying to impress him. But Jamal turns out to be a real dbag and screws her over. Thus begins a series of really shitty events for Eden, her father and Bramford.

So for the good things about this book. The landscape was really gorgeous, and you can vividly picture the setting of the book in your head. I love books with settings like that. In Revealing Eden, Foyt paints the jungle landscape very precisely and it's almost like you're there with the characters. The forest descriptions made me feel a part of the book, and it was glorious.

The story was well planned out, and the writing flowed very easy. It wasn't choppy or anything, and it was read smoothly. (I hope people understand what I mean by flowing easily and stuff. eh) I really liked the major theme of the book, about being yourself and inner beauty. Because the Pearls had to wear face make-up and such to pretend to be Coals, and Eden discovered that she could be her own, beautiful self and her dream boy will love her.

Okay now for the bad. I really didn't like Eden. And as a main heroine, she's mostly supposed to be the one you're rooting for. She was very annoying, and she changed her mind every paragraph. And she caused all this ruckus, and then fell in love with Bramford. C'mon. She would crave his attention by saying things she has no idea about, and then get really mad when he gets angry at her for having no idea about it. She fell in love with Bramford very quickly, which I didn't like. She is not openminded, and she did the opposite of everything the other characters did. One would think that'd make her a good main character but no. Because she did things recklessly and without thinking them through. She was careless with her decisions. 

Something else that ground my gears was the lack of introduction into the dystopian society. That's usually my favorite part of post-apocoltypical novels, the introduction. Seeing what their day-to-day events are like. We get a little insight, and nothing else. They starts throwing terms around, and you have no idea what they're called.

Overall, Revealing Eden is an adventurous read about finding yourself, the importance of family, and how true love conquers all. (BLEH)

“In everything we do there’s always a choice. We can choose to see ourselves as victims of circumstance. But when we act beyond our personal needs we become part of something greater. The choice is ours.”

-Revealing Eden; Victoria Foyt

Review: I Now Pronounce You Someone Else

I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan

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Description : Eighteen-year-old Bronwen Oliver has a secret: She's really Phoebe, the lost daughter of the loving Lilywhite family. That's the only way to explain her image-obsessed mother; a kind but distant stepfather; and a brother with a small personality complex. Bronwen knows she must have been switched at birth, and she can't wait to get away from her "family" for good.
Then she meets Jared Sondervan. He's sweet, funny, everything she wants — and he has the family Bronwen has always wanted too. She falls head over heels in love, and when he proposes marriage, she joyfully accepts. But is Jared truly what she needs? And if he's not, she has to ask: What would Phoebe Lilywhite do?

Review: I don't know what I was walking into when I got this book. I just saw a new book in my library and swiped it. Didn't read the back, just took it. Because I am selfish and I get the new books first. That is all.

I Now Pronounce You Someone Else tells the tale of Bronwen Oliver, a 17 year old girl who has nothing in common with her family. Ever since her father passed away, she has come to realize she is no longer close with anyone, especially not her brother, Peter, whom she refers to as 'Jesus'. And certainly not her mother, who is big on manners and applauds Bronwen when she tries to be polite by eating meat even though she is a vegetarian.

The story really picks up when Bronwen reunites with Jesus's old friend, Jared Sondervan. Jared is home from college for the summer, and he and Bronwen spend tons of time together. So much time in fact that he tells her he loves her and proposes. And she accepts. Mainly because she has not felt part of a family in a long time, and partly because she loves Jared also.

I Now Pronounce You Someone Else is a funny book. I kinda started it at 11:00 p.m. one night, so I was tired, and I was reading it in this short, quick obnoxious voice. Kinda like how Jesse Eisenberg talked when he played Mark Zuckerberg. So some parts I bursted out laughing. Bronwen is one of my favorite fast-talking, sassy characters. She has a comeback always availible on her lips, and isn't afraid to give a sarcastic comment. I liked her dry comments at the end of each section, and her routine with her family. I loved that she was editor of her school newspaper, and that she wanted to pursue a career in journalism.

However, the one thing that I absolutely hated was that she feel head-over-heels in love with this boy. And agreed to marry him. And I think McCahan described perfectly how she was missing out on her childhood because she wanted to grow up faster. She wanted to be a big girl and go and get married, but she missed parties with her friends, and she missed opportunites to spend time with them before they left for college. Yes, she may love him. But this is the last time to spend with her friends, and I feel like Jared took that from her. He stole her senior year because she was too busy planning a wedding instead of going to school dances, which she loved.

I loved all the characters, except for Jared as per reasons stated. I loved Bronwen's best friend, Kirsten, who was supportive of Bronwens newfound love, but skeptical when things went too far. And she told Bronwen her opinion, unlike some secondary characters who would have bit their tongues.

I really enjoyed the story between Bronwen and her step-father, Whitt. Numerous times I got mad at Bronwen's mother, but I usually wind up disliking most young-adult mothers. I also loved the setting, and really thought that it was interesting that the author wrote about the town she grew up in, along with the college she attended. And I especially liked the college parts, since I'm applying for myself.

Overall, I Now Pronounce You Someone Else is a tale about discovering who you are, where you fit in, and making a few mistakes along the way.

"Everybody loves everybody during the first three or four months of any relationship. And then the newness wears off and suddenly it’s as if a spell breaks."

-I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan

Review: Someone Like You

Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen 

Series: Lauren's Sappy Holiday # 2

Official Website

Description: Halley and Scarlett have been best friends for years, sharing secrets, clothes, and crushes. People know Scarlett as the popular, flamboyant one; Halley’s just her quiet sidekick. Then, at the beginning of their junior year, the balance shifts. First, Scarlett’s boyfriend Michael is killed in a freak accident; soon afterward, she learns that she is carrying his baby. For the first time, Scarlett really needs Halley. Their friendship may bend under the weight, but it’ll never break–because a true friendship is a promise you keep forever. Sarah Dessen’s poignant, funny voice has earned her raves and legions of teenaged fans.

Review: GUYS THIS IS MY SECOND BOOK IN THE SUPER SAPPY SARAH DESSEN HOLIDAY!!!!! WOOHOO

Okay, like the last piece of beautiful cake I reviewed, I loved this book. And I related to it even more. This time is scarier. If you don't want to read the upcoming essay, I relate to Halley and my best friend Marge relates to Scarlett. This is my story. BUH BUM.

Okay so Scarlett and Halley are best friends, Scarlett being the outgoing, courageous one, while Halley is an introvert, who has an eggscellent relationship with her mother, who is a therapist and has written countless books about her and Halley's relationship. (Okay take a breather. That is one of the worst sentences in literary history, and I'll probably regret it later, but some people may think it's cute.Some people being my mother) Halley never breaks the rules, and lives a nice, clean, honors schedule life. She is known as 'Scarlett's friend, Halley' and would rather spend time with her family then with others.

But then Scarlett starts spending time with Michael, whom she grows to love. So they consume their love, and the next day, Michael dies in a motorcycle accident. Soon enough, Scarlett grows to realize she is pregnant with Michael's baby. Meanwhile, Halley is growing closer and closer to resident badboy and Michael's best friend, Macon, who comes to class late (GASP) and has no real home. She is intrigued by his nonchalant respond to life, and his mysteriousness. So, she starts a relationship with him, all the while helping out Scarlett and her growing belly.

Hereeee's my storyyyy: okay so in sophomore year, in my ninth period earth science class, which I took because it was an easy way out, I kinda met this boy, Brad. (Yes that is a fake name because how many Brads do you know who are 18?) He was a year older than me, he was very smart but acted dumb, and smoke pot and cigarettes. And it was the first encounter I've ever had with a male of the sort. I soon found out he smoked with my cousin, but he's adopted, so it's okay. And he would talk to me, and come to the class for me, and show me his 'inner heart'. Nothing ever happened with him, mainly because I'm a coward and was scared but interested. And then sophomore year ended and I never saw him again.


I can totally relate to Halleys interest in Macon, because let's face it, when you see a bad boy on television, it's hot. Guys like Damon Salvatore and other bad boys. (Okay I cannot think of anymore hot bad boys. Jace??)I for one think tattoos are hot stuff, and all that bad-boy exterior. But it can really turn sour, and Dessen shows that bad point with Halley and Macon. She shows that its not all fun and games and he will want to have sex with you after 3 months. Definitely. Well not definitely, but it's bound to happen. And she shows how the girlfriend is always going to be wondering what he does at night, since he does not have a stable home. And who he hangs out with. And where. And be a nervous wreck until he opens up to her, which he may never do.

During the summer of 2011, my best friend Marge had a pregnancy scare. And I thought she was joking when we bought a pregnancy test. But it was not a joke. She seriously thought she was pregnant. And I got ridiculously scared. First of all, our school is very judgmental, and she sticks out like a sore thumb already with thick glasses and a nose hoop. But I imagined what Scarlett went through. All the sickening looks, the decision to keep the child or not, and the entire delivery process. Her ex-boyfriend (yes, ex) was out of the picture, off in the military. And who would be there, holding her hand through the process? Obviously not the ex, her mother yes. But a girl needs a best friend, especially in times of trouble.

You know what I hate about Sarah Dessen novels? She gets us so attached to characters, and then we cannot continue with their stories.

Overall, Someone Like You is another addition into the collection of books I love by Sarah Dessen. It is chockful of lovely quotes and best friends and heartbreak, and it can really relate to you. I can't wait to start my third Sappy Sarah Dessen Novel, Dreamland. This is one of those books I'll never forget.

There are some things in this world you rely on, like a sure bet. And when they let you down, shifting from where you’ve carefully placed them, it shakes your faith, right where you stand.

-Someone Like You, Sarah Dessen

Review: Keeping the Moon

Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen 

Official Website

Description: Colie expects the worst when she’s sent to spend the summer with her eccentric aunt Mira while her mother, queen of the television infomercial, tours Europe. Always an outcast — first for being fat and then for being “easy” — Colie has no friends at home and doesn’t expect to find any in Colby, North Carolina. But then she lands a job at the Last Chance Cafe and meets fellow waitresses Morgan and Isabel, best friends with a loving yet volatile relationship. Wacky yet wise, Morgan and Isabel help Colie see herself in a new way and realize the potential that has been there all along.

Review: I haven't read a contemporary book in about a year. I haven't read a good, mind-blowing, makes-you-think contemporary book in as long as I can remember. Since I haven't kinda reviewed books in a while (nine days, but it felt like a month), I decided to pick up my copy of Keeping the Moon that I won from a contest last year and finally read it. And I think it changed my outlook on life. Or at least my current situation.

So Keeping the Moon tells the tale of Colie Sparks, who moves to North Carolina with her kooky aunt Mira, and lodger Norman. She walks into a whirlwind of chaos, drama, and fun. Because this summer will change Colie's entire life. She used to be fat, but her mother because this fitness guru, and helped women all over the world become thin, including Colie and herself. But Colie still keeps a fruitful distance from others, since she's been tormented and belittled for her weight. She has never had a friend, until this summer.

I can relate to Colie so much, it's actually really sad. I gained my first "friend" in 6th grade, and she wound of screwing me over, so I become friends with these other girls in the eighth grade, but we all went to different high schools. So I was alone my freshman year. But sophomore and junior year, I met the two people who changed my life. I can honestly say my life has changed for the better since Dani and Crystal walked into my life, and I am so grateful for them. I finally have a place to fit in, and since college is coming up, I just want to make everyday count.

Colie makes friends with Morgan and Isabel, two waitresses who teach her about friendship and men. They make Colie come out of her shell, and finally open up to people. And maybe even find love, on the beach.

This book is such a nice, warm-hearted story. This has nothing to do with the book, but it really opened my eyes to how little time we have, and how we have to stop being walking carpets and stand up for ourselves. That was a big sign to me, because seeing as this is my senior year, I want to live everyday. I'm not taking any day for granted. And as for the boy situation, I recently met someone. But I'm waiting, like an asshole, for him to make the first move. But I think I will. Because I'm not going to wait for anyone. I'm going to create my own future, like Colie.

The characters in this story were superb. Seriously. Everyone was so flawless and unique, I couldn't take it. Mira, with her head in the clouds, not caring attitude; Isabel, with her no nonsense, flat-out speech; Morgan, with her ever-trusting heart; and Norman, who turns out to be deeper than one thinks. 

I think my goal for the remainder of this year is to read as many Sarah Dessen books as possible. I love the good natured feeling they leave you with, and I just really want a nice romantic, sappy story.

Number of time I cried: 3
Number of times I smiled: Countless
Number of times I dropped the book because it was so cute: 2
Number of times I smiled while reading, and couldn't even get my words out: too many to count.

"Two months ago, when the train pulled into Colby, the thought that I would be who I was now seemed impossible. As impossible, in fact, as keeping the moon.”

-Keeping the Moon; Sarah Dessen

Review: The Anti-Social Network

The Anti-Social Network by Sadie Hayes

Episode 2 in The Start Up series

Official Website

Description: The Dory twins grew up with nothing. Now on the verge of having everything, their fledgling company—built on Amelia’s intellect and Adam’s ambition—threatens to be torn apart by new, powerful enemies and old, malicious ones.

The Anti-Social Network is the second episode in The Start-Up series, a fast-paced and exciting serial story.

Review: The Start Up was my favorite novella this year. It was definitely a work of literature that stood out from the rest, and something that I will always remember. One of the reasons I enjoyed it so much was because of my love of all things having to do with corporate greed and young adults. The Start Up included all these things, and more. And the sequel, The Anti-Social Network, continues from that story, and adds it own flavor.

In The Start Up, twin siblings Amelia and Adam Dory start a business from Amelias invention of an iPhone app that controls things such as your garage, TV, and radio. Adam is the business head, while Amelia is solely involved in furthering the invention. Also included in the story is T.J Bristol, a Silicon Valley prince whose main goal is to become CEO, no matter the cost; Patty, who had a one-night makeout session with her future brother-in-law, but he still wants to continue it. Together, these teens find out the hard way that everyone has a secret past, and that some are not always looking out for your best intentions.

In The Anti-Social Network, Amelia finds herself the center of attention when TechCrunch, a technology magazine interviews her about the upcoming gadget. She gets a feel of the celebrity life, and thrives in it. But she doesn't get too carried away, especially when a company offers her 8 million to buy her out. Amelia has to be my favorite character. She is headstrong, brave, and outspoken. She's also down to earth. She doesn't let the fame get to her, and still finds time to chill out with other coders, and maybe even start a relationship with one of them.

Adam, being the business head of the company, isn't always the smartest. In the previous novella, when Doreye (their company name) gets an offer, he jumps at it, and expects Amelia and the others to feel the same way. He is so quick to sell the company, and make money. He's not even a business major!He doesn't understand how important it is to Amelia. It's her child! She created it out of thin air, Adam! Adam is abrasive, and acts without thinking. Adam is also i a relationship with Lisa, T.J Bristol's sister. That makes her a member of the Bristol, who kinda sorta hate the Dori. So, there's a Romeo-Juliet thing there. But I don't like it. I don't see the chemistry, and it's like a lovesick puppy dog feeling whenever the chapter is about Adam.

I think my favorite relationship in this book is with patty and Chad. Now, normally I'm not one for cheating with my sister's fiance, but Patty and Chad click, more in a lust sort of way. It's cute. I find myself looking forward to their scenes more than Adams. I thought I wasn't going to like Patty, because I rarely like annoying background characters, but she I can handle. I hope that Sadie Hayes furthers the relationship between Amelia and Patty (they're roommates). I really want to see Amelia have a girlfriend she can trust and just go out for slurpies with.

In conclusion, I am very anxious to see how this series goes. The way that this series works is that each month, a new episode comes out. So, I'm psyched. Especially with that cliffhanger. Oof. Did not see that one coming.

As for a real in conclusion:

I very much enjoyed this book. The characters make you want to come back for more, and the storyline is just keeping your on the edge of your seat. Or maybe it's that way for me because I live in a suburban city and am not exposed to these sorts of things.

"but the bonds you form playing beer pong at three a.m. are indestructible."

-The Anti-Social Network; Sadie Hayes