Review: The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart

This is more of a 4.5. I'm getting a little stingy with my five star ratings but this book really came close. The only thing holding it back was the slow beginning that dragged a little bit. BUT I am so glad I stuck with it. I think it would be easier if I did this in list format (because I love lists and they're easy and I'm lazy). Things I loved about this book (in no particular order):

1. The way it's told. I don't know why but I just adore books that read like diary entries. Maybe it's the whole thrill of feeling like you're spying on someone's personal life. But I think it's moreso the fact that I feel more connected and understanding of the main character when they narrate their own stories. And that connection helps me feel more involved and invested than I would if I was being told everything through a third person perspective. It's just a personal preference. ALSO, I think letting Ruby tell her own story was an integral part of the actual plot of the book. This is because you know that Ruby screws up something on the first page and when you read the actual "Boyfriend List" at the very beginning of the book, it's very easy to judge her. I think it was necessary to let Ruby SHOW you her side of the story and in doing that, she had me rooting for her, sympathizing with her, and understanding her. I think otherwise I would have become very impatient with her character if there was no insight into the inner workings of her mind. Also, the story is told in a very non-linear way. It goes from the past to the future, skipping juicy tidbits in between that makes you want to keep turning the pages not to see what happens but to see what HAPPENED already. It really keeps a reader on her toes.

2. The feminist undertones. This book is far from being preachy. It's not really a "GIRL POWER" kind of book like her other novel is (The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks). But it does provide interesting social commentary on the way women (young girls, in particular) treat each other. And it does showcase a sort of imbalance in romantic relationships between men and women that begins early on in teen years and is present in many adult relationships as well. I like that these references to feminism (like how there isn't really a male equivalent of the word "slut" in the English language) were never forced down a reader's throat (that can get so tedious) but were always subtle and didn't really change the fact that Ruby felt like calling another girl a "megaslut" right back. 

3. The characters. This sort of relates to the first point on the list. Sometimes people get turned off by first person narration because they feel trapped in just one person's mind. I never got that feeling in this book because although initially I really did judge all the secondary characters on the choices they made, Ruby provided excellent insight into WHY they did the things they did (thanks to her therapist, which I'll get to in a second). All the major characters felt like they could have been real people and it would've been very easy for all the boys on the list to melt into one blob character but they all came off as distinct individuals whose names I (surprisingly) remembered. And I may have fell a little in love with Gideon. Just. Yeah. Also, there was character growth--which was both negative and positive. For example, I started out really liking Jackson but the more I got to know him, the more I got turned off. On the flip side, I didn't really like Hutch in the beginning of the book but the more I learned about him, the more I learned to love him. It worked both ways. Also, the parental figures were excellent. They were quirky and lovable (as you come to expect in teen books of this nature) but you also got the feeling that they had problems of their own that they had to work out which was a nice change. Almost everybody in this book seemed to have their own little story which made me eat this up even more. 

4. The therapy sessions. Okay, I know what you're thinking. But, don't worry. This is not one of those books where the character recalls all her one-on-one talks with her shrink. Instead, she uses what she learns from her counseling to provide the insight that I described in number 3. It just shows Ruby's growth as a character as she learns more about herself and why SHE is the way she is and applies that knowledge when she comments about her past. 

5. The wit. This book is funny. Not in a knee-slapping way. Like, nobody falls on banana peels repeatedly and there are no crazy mishaps that only seem to happen in comedy movies. But there are these footnotes that are present throughout the book, that at first I thought were really annoying, but very quickly started to look forward to because they contained Ruby's dry humor and sarcasm. 

6. Chick-lit. This could be very easily classed as "chick-lit" which means that some (ignorant) people will dismiss as just fluff. I mean, it IS about a high school girl and all her boy troubles. Haven't we all read THAT book before? But, this just goes to show that just because a book has a female protagonist detailing her non-life-threatening problems, doesn't mean that it's worthless. Doesn't mean that you can't take something away from it. Doesn't mean that you don't learn more about the world around you by reading it. Doesn't mean that it doesn't give you a LOT of food for thought. Doesn't mean that it doesn't have excellent character development. Doesn't mean that it's not well written. God forbid it be funny AND enjoyable AND written by a woman as well. BUT IT HAS A SILLY COVER AND TITLE, SO IT MUST BE ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE!!!11


I give it a: 4.5/5

Review: Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

This was a good enough book. The story was definitely original; not another teen vampire/faerie/werewolf tale. And that's quite an accomplishment considering how many YA paranormal romances keep coming out these days. However, I think the substance in this book did not justify the length of it (500+ pages!!). I felt like a lot could have been cut down or simplified or sped up. The last 100 or so pages were extremely tiresome. Especially since the end was where the "supernatural" aspects came into play and it completely clashed with the first 400 pages which were more about the drama of high school cliques and jealous jock boyfriends. I just felt like I was reading two different books and there wasn't that much of a connection between them.

I honestly think I enjoyed the realistic aspects of this story more than the creepy supernatural stuff. I loved reading about Isobel standing up to her jerky boyfriend as opposed to her being chased by mysterious shadow people. But after page 400, things just got weirder and weirder and I couldn't keep up with what was going on anymore mostly because I didn't know where we were or why we were there. It was just so frustrating because it was a long series of events but nothing was really HAPPENING. We didn't even really find out what was happening until the VERY end and that was so rushed and unsatisfactory. To be fair, maybe I would've felt differently had I known that this was going to have a sequel. Maybe I wouldn't have expected so much out of it. I still think it's worth reading though. The connections to Edgar Allan Poe are very intriguing and the book is a quick read even with its faults. I'd say definitely buy this if you're a fan of Evermore or Fallen (I think it's better written than both of those). But if you feel like you've been burned by the last couple of YA paranormal books you've read and are now wary of the genre then I suggest getting it from your library.

Random Thoughts:

Even though I actually enjoyed the high school setting, the cliches are too much. Jerky jock boyfriend? Check. Emo-goth silent boy? Check. A school divided by neat lines and cliques? Check. It just irks me.

Isobel's character is...interesting. She's smart but not in a book-smart way. She actually acknowledges that she doesn't read that much but can still keep up which is cool. She's not a dumb blonde so she does seem to break a cliche...while still staying inside it?

It's funny because Isobel's "typical cheerleader" moments will strike at the most random moments. A totally horrible thing just happens--Isobel's first response? "Ohmigod!" I don't know why I found that funny every time she said it but I did.

Varen's character. Ugh. I don't know about anybody else but I just felt like I didn't really know him all that much. He was very closed off. I found it annoying that at the end Isobel describes them getting "closer" but all I felt that happened was them getting attracted to one another. They didn't actually exchange a lot of conversation or got to know each other beyond the surface that much.

Gwen is a really cool character. She bugged me at the end though. Um, hello? Your friend just went through something horrible. Be a little sensitive instead of yelling at her and trying to pump her for information. But, besides that she was funny and cute.

I will probably read the second book. Just to see where the author goes with this.

And...yeah. That's pretty much all I can think of.

3/5 STARS.

Little Update Before Class

Wow. My "resolution" (if you can call it that) to update this blog more completely backfired. Three months into a new year and I've only got about one proper post up. Yeah, I'm not very good at the follow-through stuff. The planning and promising I can do. The actual execution I skip out on. But, I will seriously TRY, I promise...er I guess that doesn't hold much wait anymore does it? Didn't think so.

What I actually wanted to write about: I was going through my blog and reading all my past reviews and stuff and I noticed that they weren't very good at all. They lack good writing and a good voice and interesting observations. Since I critque those very same things in the reviews that I do, it seems a bit hypocritical to me that the reviews themselves lack the same qualities I criticize books for.

Then I went further back and realized that I used to do a lot of just...ME blog posts. Stuff about my life. To me, those were considerably better written. They were just more interesting and candid and just...real. I know so many "book bloggers" take the professional route and just post reviews on books and have a clear system down on what they will and won't write. But I'm not looking to be a professional. I didn't start this blog to get any professional recognition. I started it because I love reading books, I love talking about books, I love writing, and I love talking about writing. And since I used to chew my sister's ear off after I gave her in-depth analyses on every single book I finished before I started this blog, I figured it was time to meet new people that I could share my thoughts with. But recently I've noticed that those thoughts haven't been very ME. I mean, they're honest. I do say which books I liked and which books I didn't like but it's about HOW I say it. So many of the reviews I've done have been less "this is me and this is what I thought" and more "this is someone who is trying really hard to construct a proper review." In my case, that means trying to fit as many writing cliches into one post as humanly possible.

New resolution: I'm going to TRY to write down my thoughts on books rather than try to type up reviews like I'm working on a magazine or something. Reading my blog, I don't want it to feel like anybody could've written this, I want it to feel like I wrote this at one point in my life. And I want it to be clear to you, the wonderful person taking the time out to read this ridiculous post, that Sara wrote this. That is, if I ever get around to actually WRITING something. I guess I gotta work on my original resolution before I start making new ones, right?

Book List 2010

I read 64 books last year, meaning I surpassed my goal of 50 new books. My star ratings are right next to the titles in parentheses. However, if you would like to know more of my thoughts on a particular book, just comment and ask. Or shoot me an email at saraisadreamer@gmail.com. Before I started this blog, I jotted down my thoughts on the books I read in a Word document so it wouldn't be hard for me to share those with you. I think there are only four books that don't have either a full review or any written comments but I'm sure I can remember what I initially thought of it anyway.  Don't hesitate to ask, please.

1. Angus, Thongs, and Full-frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison (5/5)

2. Bloom by Elizabeth Scott (5/5)

3. College Girl by Patricia Weitz (3.5/5)

4. When it Happens by Susane Colasanti (1/5)

5. Paper Towns by John Green (5/5)

6. Sweethearts by Sara Zarr (3/5)

7. Contents Under Pressure by Lara M. Zeises (2/5)

8. Secrets of Truth & Beauty by Megan Frazer (3/5)

9. Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott (3.5/5)

10. Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson (3/5)

11. Stardust by Neil Gaiman (4.5/5)

12. Evernight by Claudia Gray (4/5)

13. Stargazer by Claudia Gray (4/5)

14. Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner (3/5)

15. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray (4/5)

16. The Writing Class by Jincy Willet (4/5)

17. Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson (3/5)

18. The Devouring by Simon Holt (3/5)

19. On the Bright Side, I’m Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God by Louise Rennison (5/5)

20. Boys, Girls & Other Hazardous Materials by Rosalind Wiseman (2/5)

21 The Uninvited by Tim Wynne-Jones (4/5)

22. Repossessed by A. M. Jenkins (4/5)

23. Feeling Sorry for Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty (4/5)

24. A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn (3/5)

25. Sea Change by Aimee Friedman (3/5)

26. Rhymes with Witches by Lauren Myracle (2/5)

27. Love You, Hate You, Miss You by Elizabeth Scott (4/5)

28. The Last Summer (of You & Me) by Ann Brashares (2/5)

29. Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler (2/5)

30. The Dark Divine by Bree Despain (3/5)

31. Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson (5/5)

32. Deadly Little Secret by Laurie-Faria Stolarz (3/5)

33. The Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty (4.5/5)

34. Hourglass by Claudia Gray (5/5)

35. The Sweet Life of Stella Madison by Lara M. Zeises(1/5)

36. Impossible by Nancy Werlin (3/5)

37. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (4/5)

38. Rebel Angels by Libba Bray (4/5)

39. Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta (4/5)

40. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (4/5)

41. Fallen by Lauren Kate (1/5)

42. Evermore by Alyson Noel (1/5)

43. The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti (3/5)

44. Need by Carrie Jones (3/5)

45. The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard (4/5)

46. The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima (3/5)

47. What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell (3/5)

48. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer (4/5)

49. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare (2/5)

50. City of Glass by Cassandra Clare (3/5)

51. Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas by Louise Rennison (3/5)

52. Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta (3.5/5)

53. The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie by Jaclyn Moriarty (5/5)

54. Dramarama by E. Lockhart (3/5)

55. Breathless by Jessica Warman (4/5)

56. Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell (5/5)

57. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells (5/5)

58. The Six Rules of Maybe by Deb Caletti (3.5/5)

59. Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson (4/5)

60. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong (4/5)

61. Artichoke’s Heart by Suzanne Supplee (2/5)

62. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (5/5)

63. Graceling by Kristin Cashore (3/5)

64. The Maze Runner by James Dashner (3/5)

Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

When I first opened this book up, I was expecting my mind to be blown. I know that's kind of unfair because it's just setting the story up for failure since nothing EVER lives up to expectations but I couldn't help it. The premise of this book sounded so cool that I thought the author must have come up with some pretty incredible things. This is the part where I'm supposed to tell you that I was horribly disappointed and I never want to see this book again. But, that would be...mostly a lie. However, some of it would be true. I was disappointed...but not horribly so. And I certainly wouldn't read this book again but I would go out and buy the sequel for sure.

This book starts out a little slow and I really didn't think that was possible because it starts off with a main character who has lost his memory in an enclosed maze with about fifty other boys and he doesn't know WHY. I mean, how could a book that starts with such an intriguing concept be slow? Well, I guess that has to do with the infuriatingly flat characters. And I use the word infuriating because I wanted to punch Thomas, the main character, in the face after about five pages. His reactions and first impressions of things were so ridiculous. None of the other characters had much depth either. I can say that with certainty because when one of them was hurt or in serious danger, I could care less. In fact, near the end, there's a very pivotal scene with one of the characters that's supposed to evoke as much emotion as possible and I couldn't even bring myself to feel sad or remotely sympathetic. I just wanted to know what happens. Which brings me to the strength of this book: the story.

It was a very unique take on dystopian YA literature. Speaking of which, there have been quite a LOT of those around lately, haven't there? I guess dystopia's the new vampires. Or something like that. Anyway, back to the point. I really enjoyed the plotline. Once I got past the annoying characters and forced dialogue, I really enjoyed the story, the true heart and soul of this book. There is enough mystery and secrets and adventure to keep you hooked. I mean, it is a MAZE so you can expect that there's supposed to be a solution, right? Every puzzle has an answer. And getting to this book's answer was a wild, thrilling ride. The ending was also great because it had enough of a twist that even the most reluctant of readers would want to dive right into the second installment.

So, I guess the verdict is that while it isn't one of the better dystopians I've read, it certainly is completely enjoyable. And while I wouldn't reread it for any of the characters or relationships or witty, funny dialogue (there was very little of any of that), I would give it props for the incredible setting that was vividly drawn, the storyline that was intricately woven, and the ending that gave me all the incentive I need to pick up the sequel.

3/5 stars.

Guess who's back?

Yes, I'm still alive. I know I've been on a pretty LONG hiatus and I kind of don't have any excuse for that other than I'm lazy and I was basically trying to milk every moment of my winter break and put it towards resting. So, I did that and now I'm back at school and ready to procrastinate my life away on this blog. I have to be honest and say that I actually didn't read as much on break as I expected to. But ever since I got back to school (it's been about a week), I've already finished three books. I guess I read better under pressure. I'm still keeping track of everything I read this year just like I've been doing for the past two years but I don't think I'm going to partake in any challenges. I think I'm just going to read without deadlines this year because, I don't know, I think that's more fun for me.

What you can expect in 2011 from me is probably more of the same stuff but just...MORE of it. I'm trying to be better about writing in general and not just this blog. But this blog is a part of my writing "exercises" or "experiences" and I really want to make it more regular and frequent along with everything else. I'm also going to do my reviews a bit differently. I'm going to try and CUT as much synopsis as I possibly can because I honestly don't like writing up my own summaries and I know that, as a reader, I don't enjoy sitting through other people's summaries either. Instead, I'm going to concentrate more on what I think and really get to the heart of the review. Sometimes it'll be a jumbled mess but maybe, once in a while it'll turn out to be pretty organized and well thought out, who knows? What I CAN promise is that it'll be completely honest. A hundred percent my own opinion of the book.

So, I'll get to the review I was typing up and look out for my book list of 2010 (I know I'm late). Oh and if you don't already, you should follow me on goodreads because I update that WAY before anything else: http://www.goodreads.com/ribsdafrog. AND since I didn't say it before, I hope all of you had wonderful holidays/breaks and hope you have an even better year ahead. 

Review: Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Overall, I liked this book. It contained a lot of elements that made it enjoyable: action, adventure and romance. Plus, it had a pretty kick-ass heroine and a swoon-worthy love interest. Also, the premise was really interesting and unique. That being said, there were certain aspects of this novel that made me nitpicky.

The book is mainly about Katsa. She lives in a completely made-up world where there are seven kingdoms ruled by some unjust and corrupt kings. In this world, there are also people born with "graces"--meaning that they have some extreme, unhuman-like abilities. Katsa is a graceling and her ability is probably the scariest one of all...killing. Her uncle is the king and he uses her as his personal "thug" to go out and kill, threaten or torture anyone who crosses him. Katsa spends a good chunk of the novel coming to terms with this horrible (although useful) grace while embarking on an adventure that teaches her not only about the world around her but also about herself.

I really liked the fact that Katsa was a strong heroine. She definitely didn't need saving like so many other female characters do. In fact, Katsa did all the "saving" in the book herself. She was a really strong character. But, when I say strong, I mean strong in the physical sense of the word. I felt like her strength was mentioned and described a little TOO much. So much so that I can't even think of another adjective for her other than just, well, strong. Also, it got annoying that she could do basically everything without fail. At the end, I got a little confused as to what her actual grace really was. Even though they do speculate what it could be, I just found that she was good at too many things. She didn't have enough flaws to make her relatable and likable. Not to say that she was downright unbearable because I did root for her and I was on her side but a lot of times I got annoyed with how she shunned anything and everything feminine like it made her a stronger person if she didn't dress up and grow out her hair.

On the flip side though, I did like that there wasn't too much fixation on looks in this book. Or at all, for that matter. It made the relationship between Katsa and Po, her love interest, that much more interesting. I've read so many YA books where the main characters fall for each other because they're gorgeous and hot and sexy. Katsa and Po definitely weren't like that. Their relationship was based more on friendship and understanding rather than lust and good looks. It was refreshing. However, I thought the transition from friendship to romance was a bit...abrupt. I mean, the author spent about half the book building a good friendship while the romance took about a page to go from nothing to everything. And I mean everything. I found that to be pretty unbelievable seeing as how Katsa hadn't ever had a boyfriend but she goes all the way in one fell swoop? It felt really rushed.

Another thing that was a major downfall for me was the pace of this book. A good section of the story dragged on and on and on. I can understand the beginning being slow because there's a lot of worldbuilding and explaining going on, but I don't need to see a hundred or so pages of the main characters going from point A to point B. There was a lot that could've been cut out and it would've made no difference to the plot. It was literally torture waiting for something to finally happen and for the characters to finally reach their destination. I was so incredibly tempted to skip ahead.

In the end, though, it was worth it. I thought the book was incredibly creative and most of the graces that the author came up with were really, really cool. I also liked how this fantasy world almost felt real at certain points. Like this could actually exist and happen. Sometimes there were moments where I could eerily draw parallels to our own world.

It's an excellent effort but the slowness of the story t made it something I probably wouldn't ever re-read.

I give it a: 3/5 stars.

Updates; I'm still alive!

In case I appear dead on this blog:

Twitter: twitter.com/sarareadsalot
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I'll have a book review up soon. I'm halfway done with the novel I'm reading now so hopefully next week. Also, please click the follow button on the bottom of this page? It'd be greatlyyyy appreciated. 

Review: Artichoke's Heart by Suzanne Supplee

I haven't really fully developed my thoughts on this book yet. I'm sort of on the fence about a lot of it and I don't know how I feel about many of the issues this novel presents. As I do with many of my problems, to figure out how I feel, I'm going to write through my thoughts and attempt to come to a conclusion. And I thought: why not bring you along for the ride?

The reason this book is so hard to put a rating on is because it's kind of about a touchy subject. Especially in today's society. The main character is overweight. I know that there are many books out there that have overweight protagonists in them but this is by and large ABOUT her weight. It addresses those uncomfortable topics of obesity and healthy eating habits and exercise and self-esteem that we'd like to ignore. And for that, I really appreciate this book. It's brave to take on this subject matter in today's social climate, when so many of us are already incredibly weight conscious and bombarded with conflicting messages to eat healthy, to look right, not too fat, not too skinny, etc, etc. Does it provide a clear answer to a lot of weight-related issues? No. Does it provide a unique perspective? I think it does, a little. Is it helpful to people actually going through these things? That's questionable.

The plot: Rosemary lives in a small, very southern, very gossipy town. Her mom owns a beauty parlor in which all the gorgeous, skinny girls from her school come to get their perfect hair done so that Rosemary can feel even more inferior. So, to deal with her pain, she eats. And eats. Then eats some more. This cycle is spiralling so out of control that Rosie decides to do something about it and attempts to lose the weight...however she can.

The problem with this book is that I didn't find it encouraging or uplifting at all. I was actually a little depressed after I read it. Rosie basically had to change a LOT about herself in order to feel good or feel remotely attractive and worthy of any attention. I felt like all she fixated on was her looks. She wanted OTHER people to see how smart she was and how she was interested in poetry and English but all WE ever saw her think about was her weight. It was really, really sad. Perhaps, this is the reality that so many girls go through today but in this book it felt like this obsession with weight was strangely justifiable. It was compared to having a serious health problem like cancer.

The book seemed to hint at the fact that the issue at hand is getting healthy. However, Rosie took some really UNhealthy routes to get to a "healthy" weight. And the biggest problem about that in the book was that it made it seem like these unhealthy habits were okay...as long as they were producing results. In fact, Rosie barely ate in the entire book and the reader was put in the uncomfortable position of having to go between rooting her on when she avoided the donuts and sweets and watching her drink only water for her lunch break. And the worst part is that there weren't really any consequences to this behavior, all she had to deal with were some stomachaches. Nobody ever found out about this weight-loss technique of hers except a friend who just said "It's so bad for you!" and that was that. But, she lost the weight, so it didn't even seem to matter anymore. I don't know, it just bugged me that I was rooting for her to get healthy but it ended up with me watching her become basically anorexic and increasingly MORE weight conscious than ever before.

Maybe this book is supposed to be realistic and honest which is perhaps why the author chose to write from this perspective. But, considering that this is such an important topic for lots of teens today, I just thought it could've been handled better. With more encouragement of self-esteem and personal strength rather than weight obsession and a fixation on outer covers, I feel this book could've been really good.

The setting was delightful--southern town? Beauty shop? Sign me up. Even though the characters were pretty two-dimensional and the writing was just okay, I felt engaged in the story. But, if there was less concentration on JUST the numbers on the scale, I feel I wouldn't be checking how many pages I had left until the ending.

I guess I give it a: 2/5 stars.  

Review: The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

I usually strike out with supernatural and paranormal books. Especially of the YA variety. Maybe it's because they're all trying to be the same thing and lack a lot of originality. Maybe it's because it's such a creative genre in and of itself that the books just don't live up to the creativity expected. Or, maybe it's because I'm just a hater. Whatever the reason, I usually end up giving the lowest ratings to supernatural/paranormal YA books. This novel, however, is different.

I actually really enjoyed this one. And now I'm going to use a completely original phrase that has never been uttered in ANY book review before: It hooked me from the very first page. No, really, though. The prologue was so creepy. I actually read it online and after that, I absolutely knew that I had to read this book. It was probably one of the scariest openings I've read, and it seriously sent shivers down my spine. After that boom of a beginning, the story does not let up. There wasn't any down time in this book for me. I read it straight through and only put it down when I had to go to the bathroom or eat or, you know, go to work and school. But, oh I how wished I could just crawl back into the book the moment I got the chance. Funny anecdote: I was almost finished and was getting to a really, really good part when I looked at the clock and saw that my class started in ten minutes so I had to get out of my car and run to the classroom. It was useless, though, because I couldn't concentrate on anything and was counting the minutes until I could get out of there and finish the 20 pages I had left to read. God, it was torture.

The main strength of the book is the plot, the story, the concept. And, I'll mush those three things together because in the book, they are all kind of the same thing. The concept that you read about in summaries is one that you get when you read the book--it doesn't disappoint. So, if you read a synopsis and think it's worth reading, then you should really just pick up the book because it delivers what you want. The plot was wonderfully crafted. I think you can tell that Kelley Armstrong is a seasoned pro at this kind of thing because she absorbed me so completely in the story that I never got a chance to think, "I wonder when we're getting to the good part," like I do with so many other books. It wasn't even that it was action-packed...it was just that the author made sure that every scene was interesting and not just filler. Like I said, I didn't find myself bored at any part of this book so you know that she did a good job.

Obviously, this isn't some great masterpiece. I'm not going to say the writing was amazing and beautiful and so original. Because, well, it wasn't. But, honestly, that's not what this book is aiming for anyway. This book is all about the story being told and makes the writing a means to get to the story instead of making it an obstacle getting in the way of the story. And I really respect an author who realizes what she has to do to her writing in order to achieve the affect that she wants. I wasn't sitting there thinking, "Man, that metaphor was really horrible," or, "If only she used more literary devices." She made her writing small and discreet so that you could enjoy the show. And, for that, she's a great writer and an expert at what she does.

The characters? I really liked them as well. I was SO GLAD that they weren't insanely gorgeous or absurdly unrealistic. Chloe, the main character, could've been any girl in school. I actually really liked that the author put normal kids (well, some) in there and not OMG-the-most-popular-in-school types. Also, I'm incredibly glad that she put a kid with acne in her story. With all the teen books that I've read, I have yet to encounter a main character that is dealing with skin problems. Which is weird because 90% of all teenagers deal with acne in high school. It should be brought up more in YA lit. It's a trivial thing, I guess, but it takes trivial things like that to make a character more relatable to the reader.

You may have noticed that I didn't actually tell you what this book is about. Well, that's because I am really scared of spoiling you since this book IS all about the plotline. So, I guess I'll just tell you the it's about a girl who can see ghosts. If you wanna know more before you jump into this book, I'd suggest goodreads...that has good summaries and they usually don't spoil you much.

All in all, I'm definitely going out to get the second in this trilogy as soon as I can. And that's not JUST because it leaves off on an insane cliffhanger but I'm genuinely curious as to where the author takes the story from here. Okay, maybe those two are kinda the same thing. Whatever.

I give it a: 4/5 stars.



Review: Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson



I don't think you can fully appreciate the YA genre if you haven't read Laurie Halse Anderson. She just gets how to write for teens. She doesn't BS and she definitely doesn't sugar-coat the issues that a lot of teens go through. For those of you who haven't heard of this fabulous author, you may have come across the novel Speak in your browses through the library or local bookstore. I actually haven't read that particular title because I think it takes quite a lot of emotional power to sit down and read books dealing with rape. I do intend to read that book but I just thought I'd start off with something smaller and lesser-known of her's. When a person I trust recommended Catalyst, I was sold. The premise seemed like something that would be really interesting.

Which brings me to...the actual premise of the book. Okay, for those of us who have gone through the process of applying to colleges, we know how incredibly stressful it is. It was so stressful for me that I mostly hid in my room senior year, huddled behind piles and piles of library books, refusing to see daylight and dealing with ANY of this college crap. More horrifying than the actual applying (which don't get me wrong, it sucks) is the waiting for your acceptance letters...or rejections. And it's this indecisiveness that puts most teenagers on edge. Am I going to get in? What if I don't get in? What in the world will I do? It's basically waiting for either the beginning of your life or the end of your world. And that wait is brutal. Trust me, I know. So, I was extremely excited to learn that Laurie Halse Anderson had chosen to write about this very stressful period in a teen's life. 

Basically, the book is about a girl named Kate who has applied to her dream school--MIT. For those of you who are not familiar with it, it's a pretty prestigious school. It's also incredibly hard to get into. But, Kate is smart. She gets excellent grades. She places in local science fairs. She balances all that with a job in the pharmacy and running for her track team. So, for some reason, Kate decides to apply ONLY to MIT and have no back-ups because, well, she figures she doesn't need one. It seems like a great idea at the time, but when acceptance letters start to come in, Kate is not so sure if her great idea was so great after all. Because, God forbid, what if she doesn't get in?

This is just the basic premise of the book. There are so many more layers to the story, so many other characters with stories of their own in the book, and so many more aspects to Kate's personality that you'll discover while reading this novel. This is what makes Anderson such an incredible writer. She strips her language down to a strange simplicity but within that simplicity lies a complex mastery of language that few writers can pull off. This book is honest. So honest that it's brutal. You'll want to look away but you can't because you care about Kate, you care about her story. 

However, as with most books, there are some flaws. Nobody's perfect. There came one point in the book (which I would say is a pivotal moment in the story) where I had to put the book down and throw up. It seriously disturbed me. It was one of the most emotionally scarring things I've read in a book and it just made me want to quit reading. I'm obviously not going to tell you what it is but I just want you to be prepared before you jump into this YA novel thinking these are just fun little high school problems you're reading about. If you go in thinking that, then boy are you in for a nasty surprise. Like I said, Ms. Anderson does not sugar-coat. Like, at all. For most of the book, this was a good thing. But in that moment, it just broke the barrier of reading about something horrific as opposed to actually experiencing something horrific. When I read that scene, I felt like I was actually witnessing this in real life. That was scary...and not the good kind of scary.

To sum it up, I think Laurie Halse Anderson is probably one of the most powerful writers I've come across in YA. She can navigate her way through themes, symbols, characters so effortlessly that you won't even notice her doing it. But, sometimes, you'll feel the brutal honesty wear you down and overwhelm you. So, come prepared with a box of tissues and a barf bag before you start reading this book. That being said, please DO read this book. It's absolutely worth it.

I give it a: 4/5 stars.

Some Random Thoughts

 A lot of things have been going through my mind lately that I wish I had the time or the energy to write. But I don't so I'll just concentrate on two topics that have got me particularly angry. (Just a little note this is not book-related at all).

So, I'm a fan of Taylor Swift. Yeah, go ahead and mock me or whatever. But, I think she's actually a really talented singer/songwriter who has really honed her skills at a very young age. I also think it's quite a feat that she accomplished writing so convincingly and honestly about her teen years and even about her young adult life. As someone who reads YA, I don't think it's easy at all to portray those awkward and difficult years in a really accurate way. A lot of times when someone writes a story about a teen girl or sings songs about teen life, they fall into the trap of making it cliche'd and incredibly dumbed-down. That's probably the reason why so many people just look at Taylor Swift and know that she writes her own songs and dismiss her songs as typical "puppy love" or just mindless, spineless girl wanting a random boy. But I think it's a crime to dismiss T.Swift so casually.

She writes with pure emotion and to skim over her songs as just cutesy music or to label her as someone who can't sing about any real things, would be dismissing a lot of what young kids go through in high school as unimportant. It may be unimportant to YOU but to them, it's real life. And sometimes adults forget that. They forget that those intense emotions we feel during our teens IS real life. It's a part of our life. Dismissing them as unimportant is what leads to issues like teen suicide. We don't think that what happens during high school affects us because we've grown up and moved past it. But a lot of kids don't move past it and take their own lives. Was it not important for someone to recognize their emotions as authentic and help them? It definitely is.

What role does Taylor Swift play in all this? She created a new genre that was never accurately portrayed in music (at least not in my generation). Usually, teen artists are just puppets that sing someone else's songs or can only write about certain topics that are purely "fun" and mindless. Music that you can dance to, not music you can actually listen to or relate to. But Taylor's songs touch on bullying, cheating, growing up, being naive, and of course, falling in love. And she does it in a way that makes these emotions authentic and not just silly girls being silly. To just say that her music is all "rainbows and butterflies" without any substance is not only offensive to her as an artist but to all the girls around the world who can relate to it.

What also bothers me is when Taylor gets the "anti-feminist" label. Yes, she sings about boys and love. Yes, she wears flowery dresses and makes heart signs. That makes her a weak woman? What about the fact that she writes all her own songs? That she empowers girls to take control of their lives and reach for their dreams? That she basically organizes and controls almost every aspect of her life at the tender age of 20? And that she beat out almost every male artist (besides MJ) the past year on the charts? If that doesn't describe a strong woman, I don't know what does. It's just because she sings about love and wanting boys that makes her anti-feminist? I'm sorry that she can't conform to the stereotypes of feminism. I'm sorry that she finds ways to be strong by sticking to her personality. I'm just kidding, I'm not really sorry about that. Look, I'm not saying Taylor Swift is the most perfect artist, the most talented person ever. I'm simply analyzing the critiques she usually gets and a lot of them just completely ignore reality.

ANYWAY. I also wanted to shift your attention to this article:   http://dft.ba/-1D9. Take some time to read that but also take some time to read some of the absolutely horrendous comments underneath it. But, if you're too lazy, basically the article is addressing some German politician who said that "multiculturalism" just isn't working out in Germany because immigrants are just uncivilized people who can't be a functioning or helpful part of society. Now, she doesn't phrase it like that, but that is basically what she is saying. The article argues that either the multiculturalism isn't working because immigrants are not acclimating into the society, are not making efforts to fit in, or that Germany isn't doing a very good job at giving these immigrants a fighting chance. Look, if you treat these people with disrespect and prejudice, of course they're not going to find good jobs or vote or feel welcome. As a result, they'll retreat back into their own cultures and make neighborhoods that are secluded from the rest of the community. How do you stop people from isolating themselves from society? Well, for starters you can stop isolating them. Stop discriminating. Stop judging. Just stop being so hateful.

Then, there are these lovely, absolutely intelligent commentators who say things like "ship Muslims back to their own countries." Yeah, forget the fact that many muslims are actually U.S. citizens. Forget that they vote, go to school, start businesses in the U.S. Just ship them back because a minority amongst them abuse their religion. Send them all back. (Obviously being sarcastic).

There are also people saying that immigrants should submit to "American culture." I'm sorry, what exactly IS American culture? What is a unifying thing that we all Americans have in common? Well, if we go back to the pilgrims' time, it was escaping religious persecution, finding freedom and liberty. Huh. Doesn't that "American" ideal contradict the sentiment that all people of a certain belief should be shipped away? America was founded on freedom from religious persecution, people. Other than those basic American values, there really is no unifying American culture. Other than the fact that we all want freedom and happiness and a safe place to live, away from discrimination and hatred, there is no one culture. And that's how it should be. Freedom from persecution and discrimination. THAT should be the unifying culture. THAT should define us as a people.

Anyway, that was just my rant about the absolute bigotry in the world. I'm not sure if this is coherent at all. Probably isn't.

Review: The Six Rules of Maybe by Deb Caletti

I have an exam tomorrow for my poetry class so OF COURSE I would be updating my blog. That's what I call dedication (or procrastination, same thing). Anyway, before I get into the nitty gritty details of this book and my analyzation of it, let me give you guys a little preface. Okay. So, I love Sarah Dessen and Elizabeth Scott. And Deb Caletti gets thrown in with those authors quite a bit. When I first picked up a book by this author (Honey, Baby, Sweetheart), I was so excited because I thought I'd love it. It was the kind of book that is RIGHT UP my alley. When I finished it, I was left really disappointed because I didn't like it all that much. Next Deb Caletti book I picked up gave me the same results. So, you can see the apprehension I had before picking up this particular book. But the cover was so gorgeous and the premise sounded so good that I just had to read this.

The story revolves around a seventeen-year-old girl, Scarlet, and her family and neighbors. But mostly Scarlet. It starts off with her older (and quite obnoxious) sister coming home married and pregnant. Surprise, surprise. Where this book gets oh-so-interesting is the part where Scarlet finds herself falling deeply in love with her sister's husband and figuring out that her sister doesn't really love him all that much. A lot of the story deals with this particular complication but it also deals with other things. Like, Scarlet's need to help EVERYONE around her, whether they ask for her assistance or not.

All in all, I liked this book. It was okay. But I wish I had liked it more because I so badly want to love Deb Caletti's books. And it is this want that makes me analyze her more closely than I would others. I have narrowed down two specific reasons why I liked this book but also two reasons that prevent me from REALLY liking it. So here they are.

I liked:
1. The secondary characters. They were so colorful and interesting that I felt pulled to their storylines and found myself empathizing with them, rooting for them, or scolding them in the short periods that I did see them. The surrounding characters are what make Deb Caletti's books comparable to Sarah Dessen's or Elizabeth Scotts. They're definitely not stereotypes...they seem like actual people that pull on your heartstrings just as much as (or even more than) the main characters. My favorites were Clive Weaver and Fiona Saint George. I found myself really wondering what was going in their lives.

2. The overall theme of the book. I love that Deb Caletti writes books for girls that have great messages to them. This is no exception. You'll find lots of introspection and ideas that really make you think about your own life. This is something that I find missing in a lot of other YA contemporary novels targeted at girls--they sorely lack a significant theme that explicitly relate to the average girl. Deb Caletti always has that in her books and that's why I view her as a respectable YA author.

However, that being said...

I disliked:
1. Oh my gosh, the similes. Too. Many. Similes. Don't get me wrong, I love figurative language. It adds beauty, depth, style. But this book just took it too far. Every other sentence was a simile or a metaphor for something else. It was annoying because I would be caught up in the story and then find myself being pulled out of it because of these similes and/or metaphors. I understand that an author wants to paint as clear a picture as they can but, honestly, when they put too many similes in their books they risk TELLING instead of SHOWING which is a major problem. This isn't to say that there weren't some beautiful comparisons and poetic language--there definitely were. Some of them left me in awe. But I felt like it got to the point where it was becoming separate from the novel instead of being a part of the novel. She could have cut a lot of those things out.

2. The judgmental main character. I've had this problem with quite a few of Deb Caletti's books, I always find it irksome that the main character seems to mercilessly judge everyone around her. And every time her negative response to someone turns out to always be RIGHT. I mean, she is the narrator of the story, and we are seeing the world through her eyes, so when she makes a generalization about someone (example: bad boys don't belong in libraries) it makes me laugh at first. But then, I realize that she's being COMPLETELY SERIOUS and that it's not just the character but the writer that's holding this view. And that just throws me off. I don't know about you but I definitely don't want the voice of the main character to switch to the voice of the author. Ever. Unless I'm reading an autobiography. But, you see what I'm getting at? We know that the main character is flawed because she holds views like this but her views are treated as the RIGHT views of the book and not just a character flaw. This kind of makes the book a little preachy because we keep getting hit by what the character believes is right but it automatically translates into what the author believes is right. This takes away all the subtlety in regards to theme that novels should always have.

Anyway. Bottom line is that this book was good and fairly enjoyable. Deb Caletti has talent as a writer and I really respect her as one of the major authors of the genre. But, I just wish she'd tweak some things so that I could REALLY enjoy her books.

I give it a: 3.5/5 stars

I'm quiet.

I am a quiet person. I don't talk much, okay? It's just who I am. Some people talk a lot, some don't. We were brought up differently, we have different genes. Get over it. And what I cannot, absolutely stand is when people say stuff like, "You're so quiet!" Like, I didn't know? I know that I'm quiet. You don't have to point out the obvious to me. That's like if I said, "You're wearing a blue shirt!" or "Hey, that bird over there is flying." Imagine having someone say stupid shit like that to you at least ten times a day. It starts to wear on you. At least include some sort of insight in that observation. Like, "Hey, you may be quiet but sometimes when you talk, you can be really loud." Something that'll make a statement worth mentioning. That's partly why I don't talk a lot. A lot of the random crap people say out loud is so unnecessary and redundant that it's not even worth the energy of saying aloud. Also, I'm one of those people that when I want to say something witty or funny or something, it'll ALWAYS sound awkward. IDK why. But it always does. I'm that person in your class that whenever they raise their hand, you internally cringe because you know it'll result in oodles of second-hand embarassment for everyone in the room. That's why I keep it shut.

It's also a huge part in my gravitating towards the written word. I can be eloquent, funny, witty, whatever I want without having to stress about how I sound out loud. I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't write. I'd probably be in a mental institution somewhere. Drooling. Playing Connect Four with Hurley. Actually, that doesn't sound too bad. Hm...

There was something else I wanted to mention. But I forgot. I should just have a tiny notebook in my pocket at ALL TIMES so that I could jot my ideas down. Before you jump up and point out the obvious, let me just say that no, I don't have those fancy schmancy phones and I'm not too good with typing on a cell. Like, at all. So that wouldn't work. Plus, my phone sucks. I could get a better a phone. But a tiny memo pad is much, much cheaper. And more romantic. I can just see myself. Standing on the bus, I get an idea, I pull out my tiny notepad and my tiny pencil and jot something down. And everyone around me is thinking, "I wonder what she just wrote." See? I already got 'em hooked.

I still have no idea what I originally wanted to say. Maybe I should buy that pad sooner rather than later?

BTW, I was thinking of going to the bookstore tomorrow to get some more books but I can only buy two and I have NO IDEA which ones to settle on. Here are the options:

1. Rich and Mad by William Nicholson - A realistic (maybe?) look at teenage sexuality. I know, it sounds juicy to me too.

2. Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford - Three sisters are threatened of being cut off by their grandmother if they don't confess to their secrets. Or something like that. It's intriguing.

3. Zombies Vs Unicorns: an anthology by various awesome authors - Yeah, I think the title is self-explanatory. I mainly was sold on this because of the INCREDIBLE cover. Check it out next time you're at a bookstore.

There are many more that I want to get but these three are at the top of my list. Which one do you think I should get? I'm so indecisive, I'll probably spend three hours at the store just staring at these three books and making pro/con lists in my head. Yeah, I'm THAT pathetic.

I interrupt these book reviews with my life.

It's been quite a while since I last posted on here. I won't bore with the specifics of how hard school is, how busy my job keeps me, how demanding all the studying and reading is so...oh wait. I guess I just did complain to you. Sorry, my bad. It was totally unintentional.

Anyway, so I was thinking about something the other day--how online school is just inevitable now. I mean, we already have online schools and stuff but I think it's going to spread a whole lot more. Especially for colleges. I mean, how many of you guys go to a college where most of your coursework is online anyway? I know I do. In fact, in a lot of classes, many people can get a decent grade by simply staying home, reading the book, and going on the school site to submit your assignments. I mean, the syllabus is online, the assignments are online, the essays we have to read are online. We just need the book. In a few years, I see these lectures to be a thing of the past as well. The professors should just put up youtube videos of them talking about whatever they want to talk about and then after you watch the video, you put your questions/comments in the comments section. It's interactive yet so much easier. How many people have skipped their lectures anyway simply because it was too much effort to go to class and they felt like that effort just wasn't worth the gain...because, let's face it, a lot of professors are hard to understand.

I know a lot of people are against online schooling and stuff. I, myself, don't think it's the best way to educate. But, it's just way too cost-efficient and convenient for us not to use this technology. I mean, just think, that gas money you need to commute? Saved. The time you take to get ready for those lectures? Saved. The anxiety of asking questions in a large class for fear of being laughed at or made fun of? Gone. It would be so simple.

Of course, I was thinking this as I was rushing to get ready for class myself so that I wouldn't be late. Therefore, there might be a slight bias because I may have left out the benefits of physical classes like face-to-face human interaction and the importance of oral communication. But, I think, in most regards, there is some truth to the claim that transferring most colleges online would be an effective way of saving money and resources. Don't you think? No? Well, fine, then. Hmph. I'm just gonna go back to eating my Milky Way. Later.

Review: Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell

I read this book a while ago, so forgive me if my memory is a little foggy on the details. Basically, this was a novel about a very goal-oriented teenage girl named Vassar. She's definitely an over-achiever and could be labelled as slightly obsessive compulsive. Vassar's first goal in life is to become valedictorian and get accepted into the college which she's named after. I'll admit that Vassar is a bit of an annoying character. Especially in the beginning. But, mostly, I just felt horribly bad for her. You see, Vassar is the way that she is in large part to her family's excessive planning and over-analyzing everything.

Then one evening, a phonecall comes from one of Vassar's relatives that lives in Southeast Asia asking her to come visit her over the summer. By blackmailing Vassar's parents, this relative gets her way and our main character is now traipsing through Asia with her incredibly eccentric grandmother while meeting equally colorful characters.

I, personally, loved this book. But then, maybe I'm being biased because I love travelling and I wish to do more of it once I get older (and richer so that I can afford it). So, books like this one are excellent because they take you to these foreign lands without you having to pay and plan so much. This book is also very reminiscent of Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson, in terms of writing style and tone and also in terms of plot. They both contain eccentric relatives, a lighthearted tone, a secret adventure, and travel through foreign land.

The best thing about this book, though, would have to be its humor. I was definitely laughing out loud on almost every page of the book. And I really wasn't expecting to do that when I first got this book. I thought it would be more serious and adventurous. While it is adventurous and it can be serious, it's just, more than anything, absolutely hilarious. This book is a good time and you won't regret seeing the sights, hearing the sounds, and smelling the smells of Southeast Asia along the way. Highly recommend this one. Oh but, slight warning, you WILL fall in love with a certain Asian cowboy. Just sayin.

I give it a: 5/5 stars

"Lost" and found.

I've actually been itching to write a blog post since last night. I just...didn't do it? I don't know. I'm weird like that. I had the time and everything, too. I guess I kept putting it off. Even though I wanted to do it? Yeah, it doesn't make sense to me either.

Anyway. So I've complained about my parents on here before, right? Yes, yes I have. If you've been fortunate enough to skip those posts then for God's sake, please don't scroll down. Don't worry, this isn't going to be one of those posts. I actually want to defend my mother and father. I had a good sit down, scream and yell at each other, then cry and sob, then actually talk about things that matter kind of sessions tonight. And, I just realized that my parents are not bad people? I mean, they're not. I make them out to be the bad guys. But to them, I'm the bad guy. It's when we sit down and talk like this that we actually realize that NOBODY is the bad guy, we all have faults and we all need to work on them. I mean, my mom STILL wants me to be a doctor but I don't view her as crazy dictator lady anymore. No, she's just this poor woman who has this crazy dream for her daughter. It's not her fault. And it's not my dad's fault for wanting me to be PERFECT. They're just two people who want the BEST for their daughter. I just wish they sometimes stepped into my shoes a little and didn't forget what it's like to actually BE a son/daughter. Which is why I think the YA genre in books is so important for EVERYONE to read. Not just teenagers. It really helps everyone go back to a time when they were young and realize that what their sons/daughters are going through is more than just a small little problem. Being young is not easy, contrary to popular opinion.

Speaking of books, I'm STILL reading Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell. I'm almost done with that so expect a review of that soon.

I have to go to work tomorrow morning. I'm actually looking forward to it. I haven't been to work in a week because they cut my hours due to the fact that I hadn't gotten my school schedule yet so they didn't know when to schedule me. I miss it. It's pretty pathetic, I know, but I really do like everyone I work with and the job, itself, is easy enough. Sometimes it can get boring and repetitive but I guess I'm one of those people that really don't mind boring and repetitive things. As long as I know what I'm doing.

I also have school on Wednesday. Surprisingly enough, I'm not too bummed about this. I'm actually, -gasp-shall-I-say-it?-, EXCITED? Yes, I am completely changing my outlook on life, aren't I? That's what I get for being productive. It's a good feeling, let me tell you, but there's this tiny part of me that keeps saying that I've betrayed my inner fourteen-year-old self. Not to mention the YEARS I put into loathing school go all down the drain. But, all is not lost, there's still plenty of time for the school-loathing to return. Which I'm sure it will once I actually get assignments to do. Ah, I can hardly wait. My inner fourteen-year-old self needn't worry.

I finished Lost last week (I think?)!! The final season was BLOWING ME AWAY...and then I got to the last five minutes. I thought...that's it?! THAT'S IT?!!!! NOOOOOOOO! But then, I watched it again and I cried like a baby and accepted it and now I've moved on with my life but I will always internally mourn my loss. Oh, Lost, please come back? I need you.

I need a new TV fix? Any suggestions? Keep in mind that I like Lost, Desperate Housewives, Gilmore Girls, 10 Things I Hate About You, and Supernatural. Maybe a sci-fi, horror, dramedy, with soap opera elements set in a high school? Anyone? Nothing? Yeah, I didn't think so. What's that...BUFFY? *runs and rents all buffy seasons on DVD* Well, now I'm ALL set for the new semester.

Review: Breathless by Jessica Warman

Prior to reading this book, let me just say that I did not know anything about it. I hadn't heard about it from any of the many book blogs I frequent or the book vloggers that I watch. I came upon it while scanning the YA section of my local library. The cover was interesting and the synopsis seemed promising so I picked it up. And let me say, I was definitely glad that I did.

The story is about a girl named Katie Kitrell who, in the beginning, is trying to cope with a mentally unstable/ill brother and her hard-to-get-along-with parents. The family is pretty dysfunctional to begin with. But not unbelievably so. I think it's so easy to relate to Katie's situation because I don't believe any family is without its problems and its always refreshing to see YA books take this route of depicting highly dysfunctional families rather than perfect households. Anyway, her brother is a very unhappy person and he attempts to kill himself. This sends Katie's world into a whirlwind. Her parents decide that it would be best if she lived as far away from her tiny hometown and her brother as possible. So they send her to boarding school where Katie is finally able to fit in and have real friends and a really good chance of going to good colleges. But, of course, the presence of her brother and her home situation is always at the back of Katie's mind. So, she deals with it by lying to everyone and immersing herself in her swimming--the one thing she's really good at.

One thing about this book that really impressed me was the fact that I had no idea where it was going to go. I mean, I had read the inside flap and usually those pretty much give away the direction of the story. However, I was surprised to find that I had no idea where the plot would take me or how a character would act. This book is definitely not predictable.

Speaking of characters, there are a whole cast of characters in this book that are wonderfully drawn. Katie is a very relatable and very real protagonist. Her voice really strikes a chord with me and I think it'll do the same with a lot of other people, too. She's just easy to sympathize with. However, she's not perfect. In fact, every character in the book is flawed. Even her seemingly "perfect" boyfriend. But they're flawed in a way that make them interesting, rather than annoying.

The best thing about this book, though, would have to be the writing. Even though this is Jessica Warman's debut novel, she establishes a very clear yet lyrical style. This is the kind of book where it's so easy to get overly dramatic and fill it with a bunch of flowery prose but Warman definitely keeps her writing realistic and sprinkles it with some really wonderful lines here and there that really get to you. Her writing also keeps you so absorbed in the book. I stayed up late finishing this one and once it was over I was definitely thinking about all of the characters for hours in bed. This is the kind of book that I think a lot of teens (and older people too) will really like. I'm just excited to see what this new author comes up with next. Definitely check this one out if it sounds interesting to you.

I give it a: 4/5 stars

I notice patterns in the paint.

Have you ever had that thing where you stay up all night just...thinking? About random stuff? Yeah. That, that right there, is my whole life.

So one thing you should know is that my brain revolves around a central theme. In fact, I think most of our brains have some sort of central idea that we base a lot of our interests, likes, dislikes, and decisions on. Some of us are aware of that central theme and others don't give it too much thought. But I believe we all have it.

MINE is the idea of good vs. evil. I am obsessed with this notion that the world contains things we perceive as good and others as bad. And a lot of those perceptions are not based on facts or anything else, really, except we just KNOW that certain things are good and others are bad. For example, killing people is bad, right? Most people believe that. I think I can say that it's pretty much a universal opinion. But, like, where did that come from? Is it just experience as human beings and history that lead us to these morals that we hold in our lives? Religion? Some old guy telling us what to do? I don't know. I just know that good exists. And evil exists. Whether or not they're conjured up by some sort of higher power or by society, it's there.

But that's not what I'm concerned with. What really interests me is the fact that most of us know things that are BAD and that we shouldn't do. And we know what's good and what we should do. And yet...we don't always do these things that we should and fall into things that we know are essentially considered BAD. Gossiping, making fun of others, cheating, lying, abuse of all kinds. We know these things are harmful. Yet we still do them. Why? If we KNOW that they're not good things then why? Is it just some internal mechanism in us that says...good doesn't exist, these rules don't apply RIGHT NOW, RIGHT HERE. Does it trick you into thinking that these things aren't actually evil? I think it does. Sometimes we lose track of all these things that we do because we're so caught up in, well, living. We don't even notice. But, if you're a real human being, after you do these things, after you turn off your lights and lie awake all night thinking about that girl you just gossipped about, there should be a sickening feeling in your stomach. And hopefully, remembering that sickening feeling should help you from gossipping about other people.

But sometimes it doesn't work like that. Sometimes we lie awake one night. We lie awake another night. Until it becomes a habit and that sickening feeling never comes back. Then you need to worry, my friend. Because I think that your good internal mechanism that is essential to your humanity is broken and you might have to see a professional to get it fixed. And it might be REALLY hard to find a professional because you might have no idea who he is.

Review: Dramarama by E. Lockhart

Okay. I just finished this book about two minutes ago so I figured I should write this review while my memory is still fresh. The first thing I should say was that my first impression after finishing this book was that I liked it. I didn't love it or anything, but I did end up enjoying it. Mildly.

I will say this, though: E. Lockhart is a great writer. She knows how to craft words and have them stick in your head. She's also a smart writer. She doesn't write meaningless things, she knows how to get a point across and her themes to really pop out at you. However, I didn't really like her storytelling in this particular book. I felt like that aspect of her writing left something to be desired.

The book is basically about Sadye (a straight, sarcastic, funny, determined, theater-obsessed girl) and her friend Demi (a gay, funny, determined, talented theater-obsessed boy) and their experiences at a well-known drama camp. Now, I'm not a theater/musical junkie. So, half of the references in the book were lost on me. But, I don't think it affected my overall appreciation of the novel. Maybe it did? Who knows. Anyway, this book starts off with Demi and Sadye making their way to the camp and you know right off the bat that one of them is going to leave disappointed.

For the first half of the book, I spent my time thinking, "God, Sadye is so annoying and such a bitch." Because, I couldn't really relate to her obnoxiousness and her always voicing whatever was on her mind. But, as the story progressed, I started to respect this quality of hers and really started rooting for her. But then my anger switched to the other characters of the book because they weren't getting Sadye like I was finally getting her. I think that tainted my experience of reading this book a bit because I happened to be angry at someone during every point of this book.

I also felt like some characters weren't fleshed out enough. For example, in the beginning we were introduced to Sadye's roommates, Iz and Candie. We're given details about their lives and personalities. But then they just disappear. We really don't get to see them interact with Sadye again. I mean, we do see them in the background; they don't disappear completely, but I wanted them to pop up more since we did get so much background on them in the beginning.

Also, Theo and Sadye's "romance" didn't really hit me as authentic either. It just felt too forced and I didn't really get the feel that they liked each other. 

But, all in all, even with its faults, this was a pretty good book. It was fast and fun and light but it also sent out a message very rarely seen in young adult books: just because you love something, doesn't mean it'll come easily to you. It is a book about self-discovery and realization and acceptance of your own talents. And I really loved that message and I loved the way that it was delivered. So, my advice is that if you want a book based around a theme and an idea and you happen to love musicals and theater then go read this book. But, if you want something with a compelling storyline and fleshed out characters, you might wanna skip it. 

I give it a: 3/5 stars.