{Review} Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

Title: Boy Meets Boy

Author: David Levithan

Format: Library, paperback

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf

Date Read: August 27th, 2013

Rating: ✭✭✭

This is the story of Paul, a sophomore at a high school like no other: The cheerleaders ride Harleys, the homecoming queen used to be a guy named Daryl (she now prefers Infinite Darlene and is also the star quarterback), and the gay-straight alliance was formed to help the straight kids learn how to dance.

When Paul meets Noah, he thinks he’s found the one his heart is made for. Until he blows it. The school bookie says the odds are 12-to-1 against him getting Noah back, but Paul’s not giving up without playing his love really loud. His best friend Joni might be drifting away, his other best friend Tony might be dealing with ultra-religious parents, and his ex-boyfriend Kyle might not be going away anytime soon, but sometimes everything needs to fall apart before it can really fit together right.

This is a happy-meaningful romantic comedy about finding love, losing love, and doing what it takes to get love back in a crazy-wonderful world.

Maybe I read Boy Meets Boy with the wrong perspective, I dunno, but I definitely did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would have. I think I expected more realism, something that is definitely lacking in this book. While it's not a bad book per-say, but it's not a very unrealistic one. 

Boy Meets Boy takes place in a sort of LGBT paradise, where there is no hate and gay boys can be extremely popular and trans girls are on the football team and almost no one hates on them. I can tell you for a fact that that's not how the real world works, or at least the large majority of it. 

karen's review explains what I'm going to try and say in the next few paragraphs very well so I suggest you go check it out before attempting to slog through my much less eloquent take on it.

As a gay teen, I definitely appreciated the break from reading about LGBT teens go through horrible, horrible acts of physical violence and verbal abuse. Boy Meets Boy was a happy, fluffy, cute read that made me really happy. The world of Boy Meets Boy was everything I could ever hope for, you know. A world where I can have a girlfriend in high school without risk of being hurt and socially outed. I dream of a world where I can be me without being bullied about it. 

Yet, I couldn't help but see how much of an unachievable utopia it was and it was kind of depressing. I read about how the home-coming queen can be the quarterback on the football team. But I can't help think about all the trans teens that are killed because of who they are and it almost makes it worse.
I'm not saying that BmB doesn't talk about serious topics such as familial intolerance but these are concealed by the overwhelming happiness in the book. It was almost overpowering at times like people get a grip, this is not High School Musical. 

While I really love how Levithan tried to change the norm of LGBT books but it made me almost sadder than a normal LGBT would make me because I know, this could never be real. The sheer unbelievable-ness of the scenario made the book as a whole less enjoyable than it would have been if it wasn't so... perfect.

But don't get me wrong, Boy Meets Boy has plenty of redeeming qualities to it. It's a cute and funny love story that explores the ups and downs of high school and of romance. The characters were really sweet and lovable as a whole. 

The love interest Noah is just a huge cutie and I love him. Paul was also very likable but as the story progressed, he really got on my nerves. Mostly because he messed up a lot because he was an absolute idiot when it comes to relationships. *sigh* Paul, you stupid ass.

Boy Meets Boy is an endearing, charming story that is worth the read even if it's bit too happy. It's a good fluff read and I would recommend it to be read directly after a tear-jearker because, damn if this doesn't make you happy nothing will.

Lisbeth is an American teenager who enjoys blowing shit up in videogames and discussing decapitation in great detail. She's also obsessed with Oceana, but you're not supposed to know that.

{Review} School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins

Title: School Spirits
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Format: Netgalley e-book ARC
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Release date: May 14, 2013
Date Read: April 3, 2013 - July 2, 2013
Rating: ✭✭✭

Fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick was trained to fight monsters. For centuries, her family has hunted magical creatures.

But when Izzy's older sister vanishes without a trace while on a job, Izzy's mom decides they need to take a break. Izzy and her mom move to a new town, but they soon discover it's not as normal as it appears. A series of hauntings has been plaguing the local high school, and Izzy is determined to prove her worth and investigate.

But assuming the guise of an average teenager is easier said than done. For a tough girl who's always been on her own, it's strange to suddenly make friends and maybe even have a crush. Can Izzy trust her new friends to help find the secret behind the hauntings before more people get hurt?

Rachel Hawkins' delightful spin-off brings the same wit and charm as the New York Times best-selling Hex Hall series. Get ready for more magic, mystery and romance!

Well, it seems like this month’s sequels just aren’t living up to their predecessors, huh?

I liked the HEX HALL series for its wit, charm, and hilarity. Sophie, the main character, was a hilarious and relatable girl in an interesting school setting with a much better plot. SCHOOL SPIRITS focuses on Izzy, a girl we briefly met in the HEX HALL series, and her ghost-busting adventures at a new school.

I liked Izzy well enough, but she was rather blah compared to Sophie. Her companion and boyfriend, Dex, I very much adored. Funny, odd, and awkward, he was just what the story needed - as for the other characters, I can’t say the same.

The plot was chunky and boring - I’ve never been very engrossed by ghost stories (hell, the pilot episode of SUPERNATURAL had me rolling my eyes like nobody’s business - don’t worry, though, I grew to adore the series after a few episodes) but it felt like a roadside attraction. SCHOOL SPIRTS wasn’t really about the ghost - it was about Izzy and her friends, Izzy thinking about her missing sister, and Izzy in a normal, human, high-school environment.

I’d recommend SCHOOL SPIRITS for younger readers, or readers who really loved HEX HALL - but if you had mixed feelings about the prequel series, I doubt you’ll enjoy SCHOOL SPIRITS very much.

Oceana is a French-blooded teenager who enjoys stalking British boys and asking them to marry her. She was diagnosed with severe fangirl disorder in 2011. Able to curse like a sailor with an angelic voice.

{Review} Zenn Scarlett by Christian Schoon

Title: Zenn Scarlett
Author: Christian Schoon
Format: Netgalley, egalley
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Release date: May 7th, 2013
Date Read: March 17th through March 20th, 2013
Rating: ✭✭✭

When you're studying to be exoveterinarian specializing in exotic, alien life forms, school... is a different kind of animal.

 Zenn Scarlett is a resourceful, determined 17-year-old girl working hard to make it through her novice year of exovet training. That means she's learning to care for alien creatures that are mostly large, generally dangerous and profoundly fascinating. Zenn’s all-important end-of-term tests at the Ciscan Cloister Exovet Clinic on Mars are coming up, and, she's feeling confident of acing the exams. But when a series of inexplicable animal escapes and other disturbing events hit the school, Zenn finds herself being blamed for the problems. As if this isn't enough to deal with, her absent father has abruptly stopped communicating with her; Liam Tucker, a local towner boy, is acting unusually, annoyingly friendly; and, strangest of all: Zenn is worried she's started sharing the thoughts of the creatures around her. Which is impossible, of course. Nonetheless, she can't deny what she's feeling.

 Now, with the help of Liam and Hamish, an eight-foot sentient insectoid also training at the clinic, Zenn must learn what's happened to her father, solve the mystery of who, if anyone, is sabotaging the cloister, and determine if she's actually sensing the consciousness of her alien patients... or just losing her mind. All without failing her novice year....

In early 2011, I read a book called THE GALACTIC GOURMET. THE GALACTIC GOURMET was about a renowned alien chef named Gurronsevas who was tasked with feeding other aliens.

What made this book special was White's imagination when it came to the aliens. Every alien was unique. Most didn’t even have vaguely “Earther” (to steal a word from ZENN) characteristics.

ZENN SCARLETT was severely lacking in exciting and unique aliens. Every alien could both breathe air and drink water. They were all mammals and each one was compared to some Earther life form such as an insect-like or a fox-like alien.

The aliens of ZENN SCARLETT were boring. The Indra - asteroid dwelling "whales" - were as interesting as they got. ZENN SCARLETT could've used some serious imagination when it came to aliens.

While I didn’t expect White-level aliens, I did expect something more than a series of mammalian, air breathing horses. 

One of the lowest points to the book was the feeling that you are constantly being preached at. I know other reviewers have covered this but I feel it needs to be gone over again – just for empahasis
.
Schoon, I agree with you. Science is good and narrow-mindedness is bad. But that does not mean you can spend the whole book drilling it into our heads like a teacher. 

Just because science good does not mean anyone can go up to a religious person and pretty much tell them that for believing what they do, they’re idiots. 

I’m not a religious person and, to be honest, I don’t like overly religious people at all. I can’t stand them. But I would never go up to someone and tell them “Hey, for believing in what you do, you are a complete idiot” which is what Zenn did.

Characters

Zenn wasn’t a very amazing character. She wasn’t a lifeless wall but overall, Zenn was pretty plain.
She’s supposedly a-little-too-smart-for-her-own-good (according to the blurb) but I didn’t find anything that would make me think “ah, she’s too smart for her own good”.

Zenn was infuriatingly oblivious and naïve. There is a guy is flirting with her throughout the book. It’s so OBVIOUS. But our little Zenn spent the whole book wondering “Does he like me? Is he flirting – no he couldn’t be because well, I’m just Zenn”. 




Guys, the naïve-little-girl trope is annoying. I cannot stand oblivious heroines. It is not that hard to see when is someone blatantly flirting with you especially if they have been flirting with you for WEEKS.


Another part that annoyed me was the angst. Girl, I get it. Your life is hard. But that does not give you the right to sit around moping about how you just want to be a real boy normal girl.

With all that said, Zenn isn’t a bad character. Sure, she gets on my nerves but at least she wasn’t a horrible person or a stick in the mud. She was brave at times and I admire her dedication to the animals.

Liam, the love interest, was bland and by bland, I mean, he was nothing. At all. He was pretty much just a name. He couldn’t be called a main character by any stretch of the imagination.

Thankfully, there were two redeeming characters. Hamish, the insect alien, and Katie, the rikkaset (a fox like alien) were absolutely adorable. Hamish was the sweetest insect ever. I just wanted to hug him! Katie was an adorable deaf rikkaset who spoke in sign language. 

They have to be the cutest characters I’ve encountered in a long time.

Plot and Writing

Plot

The book, for the most part, was a monotonous series of alien rescues. The rescues were bland and tedious since they were basically the same steps repeated with different animals. Find sick animal, help sick animal, think you can’t do help it, and then actually save it…

The first two to three times were really interesting and fun but after that, I lost interest. ZENN SCARLETT became a chore to read. It wasn’t bad but I felt less enthusiastic to read it.

The actual plot was a who’s out to get us type book. It was more of a side plot really. Zenn helped numerous aliens but she made these “uncharacteristic” mistakes and OMG someone is trying sabotage her!

This who-did-it plot was extremely predictable. From the beginning, it’s very obvious who “did” it because it’s all but said outright! 

Writing

The best part of the writing for ZENN SCARLETT was definitely the world. How cool is a book set on Mars? The world-building for the facility was fantastic and very immersive. 

The worst part is the dialogue. To be blunt: it’s terrible. It feels like every time Zenn is talking to someone she is either being interrogated or interrogating the other person. 

Through dialogue, most of the info-dumping happens. This is a common practice but it feels even worse in ZENN SCARLETT. I don’t know why or how, but it does.

Likes and Dislikes

Likes

- world building

- setting

- Katie and Hamish

- occasionally Zenn

Dislikes

- Zenn

- dialogue

- aliens

Conclusion

ZENN SCARLETT has a lot of problems. While my review doesn’t show it, I did actually like the book for the most part. It’s honestly not a terrible book and I would recommend it.

Lisbeth is an American teenager who enjoys blowing shit up in videogames and discussing decapitation in great detail. She's also obsessed with Oceana, but you're not supposed to know that.

{Review} Tough Girl by Libby Heily

Title: Tough Girl
Author: Libby Heily
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Libby Heily
Release date: January 14, 2013
Date Read: February 4, 2013 - February 6, 2013
Rating: ✭✭✭

Danger lurks everywhere in eleven year old Reggie's world—from the bully next door to the unwanted attentions of a creep at school. Raised by her mentally ill mother, Reggie is left to fend for herself. She escapes in daydreams, battling aliens with her alter ego, Tough Girl.

When Reggie's mother disappears, her fantasy life spirals out of control and starts to invade reality. She is hunted by a creature of her own design, and even Tough Girl is not strong enough to stop him.

Will Reggie survive long enough for her mother to return, or will her dream world take over?

Free copy supplied by the author Libby Heily in exchange for an honest review. 

I've been avoiding writing this review for weeks, because I knew it was going to be hard to write. But I HAD TO GET IT OFF MY SHOULDERS eventually you need to get over it.

TOUGH GIRL was kind of a surreal book. It was... strange. Not bad, but definitely different.

It's about a young girl named Reggie, a troubled and misunderstood eleven-year old and her alter ego, Tough Girl. Reggie's unstable mother disappears and during this time, Reggie's alternate life begins to creep into her real life. Soon she can't tell what's real and what's not as she's hunted down by someone she created.

It all sounds very simple and original, and it is. I mean, it's original. Is it simple?



I was completely, utterly, and totally lost when I didn't want to be.

I mean, I literally had to go back and read chapters again because it was such a whirlwind, and sometimes I still didn't get it, which as readers know, is one of the most infuriating feelings in the world. There was a lot of info-dumping through conversations, so when someone was talking for a long time, I sort of just skimmed over it.

Except when the conversation is filled with all the information you need to know so you're not lost in Wonderland, YOU CANNOT PULL THAT SHIT.

I got the feeling that the author knew exactly what was going on (well, obviously), but the reader basically got this:



It's all so confusing, but it becomes intolerable around half-way through the novel. Politics, death, corruption, blackmail, planets, creatures, creatures changing gender and lying about it (??? I think I'm going to have to re-read that part), galaxies...?

I don't even know, you guys.

The writing fit perfectly for the story: dark, intense, and powerful. It's probably not competing against Laini Taylor's writing anytime soon, but it was very good for a self-published novel and I didn't really have a problem with that part.

I didn't feel any real connection to Reggie whatsoever. I admired her - brave, determined, and badass - but I didn't like her. She was weird as hell. She was supposed to be weird, and the scene was supposed to show that Reggie would give anything to have food a comfortable life, but c'mon now.

Sneaking into an apartment to touch a six-hundred pound woman's fat rolls.



In fact, I didn't like any of the characters in TOUGH GIRL. I remained icily unattached from them and respected them from the sidelines. I didn't hate them at all - they just didn't interest me and I wasn't emotionally invested in them. They were all extremely well-developed, however, with interesting back stories and different personalities.

Reggie lived basically on her own in a very dangerous environment, which required her to mature very quickly and learn to take care of herself, but I still think that asking an eleven-year old if she's still a virgin is seriously wrong.

I mean, has the girl even gotten her period yet?

Just because you've learned to fend for yourself and grew up pretty quickly doesn't make you sexually mature. I would know.

The ending was very disappointing and quite dull. A better ending could have greatly improved TOUGH GIRL, but all in all, it was an absorbing, dark, and intense read.

Oceana is a French-blooded teenager who enjoys stalking British boys and asking them to marry her. She was diagnosed with severe fangirl disorder in 2011. Able to curse like a sailor with an angelic voice.

{Review} The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

Title: The Nightmare Affair
Author: Mindee Arnett
Format: Library Paperback ARC (won)
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release date: March 5th, 2013
Date Read: January 29 2013
Rating: ✭✭✭

Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare.

Literally.

Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy, is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder.

Then Eli’s dream comes true.

Now Dusty has to follow the clues—both within Eli’s dreams and out of them—to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target.

Want to win a copy? Visit my giveaway!

THE NIGHTMARE AFFAIR is a sort of difficult book to explain, hence my almost a month late review. Though it is definitely an enjoyable read with numerous laugh out loud funny instances, THE NIGHTMARE AFFAIR falls desperately below what I thought it would be like.

My expectations weren't high since I could tell that this book would be a classic example of funny-with-no-substance and even though this book met that expectation, it somehow fell short of what I thought it would be. 

The ideas weren't exactly unique, as the whole paranormal boarding school idea was been regurgitated throughout the years while little to no changes. This book is no different. I didn't hate it but I've never liked boarding school stories. 

The characters were humorous though at times they became excruciatingly boring and monotonous. Most of the characters were one-dimensional blobs but I say that in the kindest way possible. Truly.

The plot was horridly predictable with little plot twists that really surprised me. It wasn't a bad idea but it could have used some sprucing up I suppose. It needed something more substantial than what was given to the reader.

Characters

Dusty is a nightmare, which happens to be one of the most original aspects of this book. A nightmare basically feeds off dreams, not necessarily nightmares though. She can't talk to anyone or interact with anyone in the dream though. Personally, I found this whole "going into dreams" idea better executed in INSOMNIA.

Dusty is a fairly strong heroine. Nothing special really to say her but she wasn't a stupid unless you count the "big" twist, which honestly was easy to guess. 

Eli, the love interest, was surprisingly bland. I honestly expected something more than him being a side thing with little personality. His relationship with Dusty is undeveloped and bland. It seemed as if Dusty viewed him as a friend one chapter and in another as a potential boyfriend which is one of the lamest excuses ever.

Sadly, since I read this over a month ago, I couldn't tell you too much about the other character because for some reason, some of the plot and character elements of INSOMNIA by J. R. Johansson are seeping into this book even though they are utterly different books. All I remember is that the other love interest was entirely see-through and had more defining qualities than Eli.

I can end this segment by saying that by the end, I do remember not being very steady on who the characters were. They were under characterized at best, with no characterization at worst.

Plot and Writing

Plot

Though not terrible as I said, the plot lacked a lot of what I expected (well developed and paced with only moderate predictability). My expectations weren't high but somehow THE NIGHTMARE AFFAIR somehow managed to fall past those. 

My biggest problem is that all the surprises in the book were predictable and I guessed the entire plot from very early on in the book. That almost ruined my reading experience for this book if it wasn't for the entertaining Dusty. Though her humor got on my nerves at times, she was still able to save the book from a two or even one star.

The pacing was weird at times, either very very slow or very fast. There wasn't much in the middle of those two extremes.

Another problem with the story is the murder mystery. I know it's the main focus of the book but I really didn't feel attached to it in any shape or form. I didn't care what happened or who killed the girl. It was disappointing as well.

Writing

The writing wasn't beautiful or eloquent but it was quick, fast, and fit the book well since I don't really take Dusty for the kind of girl who appreciates fine, flowing language.

Likes and Dislikes

Likes:

- Dusty Humor
- writing
- overall Tone to the book

Dislikes:

- lack of characterization
- too much Dusty humor
- plot
- predictability

In conclusion

I recommend THE NIGHTMARE AFFAIR to someone who wants a quick, entertaining read because it's not really the book for anything else.

Lisbeth is an American teenager who enjoys blowing shit up in videogames and discussing decapitation in great detail. She's also obsessed with Oceana, but you're not supposed to know that.

{Review} The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Eternity Cure
Author: Julie Kagawa
Format: NetGalley e-book ARC
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release date: April 23rd 2013
Date Read: February 12th 2013
Rating: ✭✭(.75)

Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.

Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.

For THE IMMORTAL RULES

THE ETERNITY CURE is sadly not as good as its predecessor, THE IMMORTAL RULES. It isn't a bad book but not nearly as great as the first book. THE ETERNITY CURE starts off around a month after the events of the first book, which basically means Allie is still trying to find Kanin, her mentor.


Though special in its own way, THE ETERNITY CURE didn't meet my sky-high expectations after reading the last one. Perhaps it's my own fault, for wanting a better book than THE IMMORTAL RULES but I honestly thought that was possible. 

It obvious wasn't.

THE ETERNITY CURE's biggest downfall happens to be THE IMMORTAL CURE's biggest strength and that is Allie. Allie, our resident vampire chick was one of the best heroines I'd met back when I first read it in May of 2012. She was all around awesome and I don't think I could describe her properly if I tried.

Basically, I love her.

In THE ETERNITY CURE however, she is still funny and intelligent but she seems to loose something about her. I can't really place all the reasons I didn't love her in this book, but I can name enough to count. The first reason is that Allie turns into one of those gah-vampires-are-humans-too vamps. The second reason is she suddenly develops an I-can-never-love-him-because-I'm-not-good-enough-for-him personality which is one of the most ANNOYING THINGS EVER. 

Another reason why THE ETERNITY CURE just didn't meet my expectations is with the ending, but I'll go into that deeper later. Basically: the ending sucked. A lot. 

Characters

In THE IMMORTAL RULES, Allie was a headstrong, street-smart girl who didn't give a shit about whether she was good enough for the guy she loves. I also really loved how she knew that she was a monster and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it. She drank human blood and killed people. She was awesome.

In THE ETERNITY CURE, she was less awesome and more focussed on whether or not she was good enough for Zeke. She was convinced that she wasn't and spent half the time crying over how she could never be with him and how she wasn't good enough for Zeke.


NO NO NO NO. Allie what happened to you? I loved you and now? I'm debating on whether or not I should take you off my Girlfriend list. You're still funny and occasionally badass but over all? You... *sigh* are just not the same girl I loved.

Zeke. Zeke. He got more annoying. I never loved him but now he's insufferable. He must be unable to make up his mind because in one part he's telling Allie how they can't be together and that he sort of hates her now but in the next chapter? He tells her how they can be together and they'll be perfect and that he loves her.

whut

MAKE UP YOUR MIND ALREADY BECAUSE THIS IS ANNOYING

The only redeeming character is Jackal, some may remember him from the ending of THE IMMORTAL RULES as the blood brother of Allie. In a terrible way, he was awesome. Jackal has very little morality and has no problem with killing. He has a very morbid sense of humor that I adored. He's never redeemed himself and I was unable to forget that he is a terrible person, but Jackal is a very fun character. 

Plot and Writing

Plot

The plot of THE ETERNITY CURE revolves around Allie trying to find Kanin who is currently dying at the hands of his torturer. Allie instead finds Jackal, her blood brother and everything goes wacko. For a while, there are only two characters: Allie and Jackal but later Zeke, Allie's sort-of-not-really boyfriend who hates her. Yeah... awkward. Shortly after they find Kanin and something happens which lead Allie and Co. to having to find a cure because people are dying.


*attempts to turn off sarcasm*

The plot isn't bad necessarily; it just lacked that "thing" that made THE IMMORTAL RULES so lovable. Maybe it was the characters and the character interaction because that's definitely something that this book was lacking since there are really only three characters in the story that are almost always present. 

The worst part of the story had to be the ending. The ending was sloppy, rushed and implausible. It was one of those "the more you think about it, the worse it gets" endings. Though not nearly the worst ending, it's really terrible.

Writing

The writing was pretty standard Kagawa, which is a great thing for some and a terrible thing for others. The writing hadn't really evolved since THE IMMORTAL RULES, or her newer one THE LOST PRINCE. I know some people hate her writing, some love it, and some - like me - don't really care about it.

One positive thing I have to say about THE ETERNITY CURE is that the pacing was fast and felt appropriate to the book. The narrative tone (look at me, I sound like my English textbook) was very strong and was one of the only things that didn't change from the first book.

Likes and Dislikes

Likes:

- Jackal

- Plot 

- Pacing and Narrative Tone 

- Allie to an extent

Dislikes:

- Ending

- Lack of characters

- Allie to a larger extent

- Zeke

In conclusion

THE ETERNITY CURE just doesn't measure up to its predecessor. It doesn't even come close. I'm hoping it's just middle book syndrome but I'm still very sad because I'd been looking forward to this book ever since I first read THE IMMORTAL RULES. I don't know if I'd recommend it to anyone except for fans of the first one. It was an enjoyable read but nothing amazing.

Lisbeth is an American teenager who enjoys blowing shit up in videogames and discussing decapitation in great detail. She's also obsessed with Oceana, but you're not supposed to know that.

{Review} The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher

Title: The S-Word
Author:  Chelsea Pitcher
Format: NetGalley e-book ARC
Publisher: Gallery Books
Release date: May 7th 2013
Date Read: February 4th 2013
Rating: ✭✭✭

First it was SLUT scribbled all over Lizzie Hart’s locker.

But one week after Lizzie kills herself, SUICIDE SLUT replaces it —in Lizzie's looping scrawl.

Lizzie’s reputation is destroyed when she's caught in bed with her best friend’s boyfriend on prom night. With the whole school turned against her, and Angie not speaking to her, Lizzie takes her own life. But someone isn’t letting her go quietly. As graffiti and photocopies of Lizzie’s diary plaster the school, Angie begins a relentless investigation into who, exactly, made Lizzie feel she didn’t deserve to keep living.

And while she claims she simply wants to punish Lizzie’s tormentors, Angie's own anguish over abandoning her best friend will drive her deep into the dark, twisted side of Verity High—and she might not be able to pull herself back out.

Even though my rating doesn't really show it, THE S-WORD is a book that I really enjoyed. It's not perfect, as my rating shows, but it's very enjoyable. I would love to give THE S-WORD a full 4 star rating or even a nice shiny five star rating but I can't because it's my job as a reviewer to look deeper into a book. I've given plenty of books an initial 5 star rating and then dropped it to 4 or 3 (once I dropped a rating from 5 to 1 star) after I thought about it. 

The beginning of the book was addicting and all around amazing. If I just counted that part of the book, this would be a 5 star read. No doubts about it, the beginning to around 50% is a sure 5 star read. After that 50% mark however, the book started slipping. I began to skim a bit here and there and forget important details. I still enjoyed the book but I felt that I sort of had to push myself just to get to the next chapter. 

It became a chore to finish the book I had loved so much before. 

This lasted till the last 20% but then I found a whole newproblem. One that didn't go away after a few pages. It was called "predictability". In the last 20% all the big surprises were unveiled but I guessed every single one of them. It was so disappointing and sort of ruined the ending for me, causing me to deduct another star.

Characters

Angie had a lot of similarities to other main characters in books such as Sam from the heartbreaking and wonderful Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver and Chelsea Knot from the beautiful Speechless by Hannah Harrington. She was the bad girl, that high school bitch who rules the school. She was despicable like these girls started off as.

However, she didn't have such an impact on me as Chelsea or Sam did. Angie was just not a character who really resonated within me like Sam did. I only really felt something at the end where I almost cried. It was just so utterly heart breaking. The only thing I could think after I finished was:

and then...

and finally...

If you don't know me, I'm not exactly an emotional person. I'm what people call "heartless" and "unfeeling" (mostly when I tell them I didn't cry while/after/before reading THE FAULT IN OUR STARS). I get really unexpected feels when reading some books though. This was one. 

The other characters were, for the most part, interesting. I did enjoy many of them but for some, I just found them less then satisfactory. I can't really name any but there are some characters that I just didn't feel anything for.

Plot and Writing

Plot

As I stated above, this isn't exactly the hardest book to guess the plot. In fact, someone who is really bad at guessing plots for most books was able to guess the plot of the entire book. The plot wasn't bad really but the best part was really the ending.

Not the part where all the surprises are revealed but the last 10%. That really just destroyed me. It was wonderfully done and I applaud Pitcher. Fantastic work there. It was honestly... beautiful. It reminded me of the ending of BEFORE I FALL. It wasn’t nearly as heartbreaking and utterly devastating but depressing all the same.

Writing

The writing wasn't exactly THE S-WORD's strong suit. As reviewer Emily May said in her review said quite well: 

Some of the similes didn't sit quite right with me, one example is this "'Give it a rest,' I say casually, like I'm asking which celebrity they're most itching to bang." I found this particular comparison odd, shouldn't you say something along the lines of "like I'm talking about the weather" when you're being all casual, banging celebrities isn't exactly what pops into my head when I'm thinking of casual things but maybe I'm just more boring than I realized. Another thing that felt so unnatural I almost laughed was "It wasn't nice of her to sleep with my boyfriend", I mean, who actually says things like that? Who here could walk in on their partner and best friend getting it on and think oh my, that's not very nice, is it? But look, I have a broken nail.

Another point that I didn't like about the writing was the sense of detachment. I didn't really care what was going on during the middle of the book. That detracted from the overall reading experience greatly even though I only felt detached for around 30%.

Likes and Dislikes

Likes:

- Characters

- Plot

- Ending

Dislikes:

- Plot Twists

- Middle of the Book

- Writing

In conclusion

I really wish I could have loved this as much as other reviewers and readers did but sadly, it didn't really live up to all my expectations. I still recommend it whole-heartedly but THE S-WORD is not a perfect book but it's still a very enjoyable one.

Lisbeth is an American teenager who enjoys blowing shit up in videogames and discussing decapitation in great detail. She's also obsessed with Oceana, but you're not supposed to know that.

{Review} Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols

Title: Such a Rush
Author: Jennifer Echols
Format: Paperback
Publisher: MTV Books
Release date: December 18, 2012
Date Read: February 1, 2013
Rating: ✭✭✭

A sexy and poignant romantic tale of a young daredevil pilot caught between two brothers. 

When I was fourteen, I made a decision. If I was doomed to live in a trailer park next to an airport, I could complain about the smell of the jet fuel like my mom, I could drink myself to death over the noise like everybody else, or I could learn to fly.

For Leah Jones, reality is life in a rundown trailer park with an irresponsible mother. But there’s one escape. With an after-school job at the local airstrip, she manages to afford cut-rate flight lessons. At the controls of a small plane, she leaves the trailer park far below, swooping out over the sea in the ultimate rush.

By her senior year of high school, Leah’s dreams come true: she snags a job flying for an aerial banner-advertising business. Then the owner dies suddenly, leaving everything in the hands of his teenage sons: golden boy Alec and adrenaline junkie Grayson. Though Leah has crushed on Grayson for years, she tries to stay clear of the apparently doomed business—until Grayson digs up her most damning secret. Holding it over Leah’s head, he forces her to fly for secret reasons of his own, reasons involving Alec. She’s been drawn into a battle between brothers—and the consequences could be deadly.

2.5

I am sorely disappointed.

Contemporary and realistic-fiction novels have never really been my thing, but some of my favorite books (STOLEN: A LETTER TO MY CAPTOR and THE FAULT IN OUR STARS) are contemporary, so I decided to branch out from my usual paranormal reads. I had high hopes for SUCH A RUSH, despite the mixed reactions from my friends.

2013 has been the year for total disappointments, hasn't it?

SUCH A RUSH has an incredibly original plot for a contemporary novel - I mean, when was the last time you read about a teen romance with blackmail and flying planes? Yet, it could have been so much better. The actual reason for Grayson blackmailing Leah was such a letdown and soured the story.

Having never read anything by Jennifer Echols before, I have heard that her writing is absolutely fantastic. But I failed to experience it here with SUCH A RUSH, because it was so average. There really wasn't anything to say about it, especially since it's the kind of writing that you read a billion times with a lot of young adult.

Leah left me with seriously conflicted feelings. She's an intelligent badass for sure, and her home-life situation has hardened her. Even though people treated Leah like crap and she let them, I kind of understood her. She was a very absorbing character and I enjoyed being in her head, because she DID SHIT. She had personality! I adored her, but half the time I also wanted to slap her in the face, because she really was such a bitch to everyone. Leah's been called a slut, a whore, a skank - and she hates it. But she has no problem stereotyping and bashing every other female character in the book, either. oh and I wanted to throttle her friend Molly, too.

SO. MUCH. SLUT. SHAMING.

Grayson was a complete - I don't even have words for him. If he didn't assume Leah was an uncontrollable hump-bunny and if he didn't blackmail her it would've been possible to like him. Because Grayson was actually kind of sweet when he wasn't being a TOTAL ASSHOLE. I can't even comprehend how Leah didn't bash his head in with a shovel because I wanted to throw the book across the wall whenever he acted like a douchebag.

HOW DID YOU KEEP YOUR SHIT TOGETHER AROUND HIM, LEAH. HOW.

Alec, the golden-boy of the novel and Grayson's twin brother, with whom Leah is blackmailed into dating - he's so lifeless. Talk about no personality. He didn't have enough parts in the book, even though he was supposed to be one of the main characters.

In the end, I suggest checking out this book at a library instead of spending money on it. It's worth reading, but probably not worth spending over ten dollars on.

And the cover is way uglier in person, by the way. The girl's nose looks really strange and the hair along her neck looks seriously dry and photoshopped.

Oceana is a French-blooded teenager who enjoys stalking British boys and asking them to marry her. She was diagnosed with severe fangirl disorder in 2011. Able to curse like a sailor with an angelic voice.