tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60132851827905563802024-03-06T00:18:54.978-08:00What Bri ReadsYA book reviewsWhatBriReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17529153994628423768noreply@blogger.comBlogger170125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013285182790556380.post-91651082004483934632015-06-29T21:57:00.001-07:002015-06-29T21:58:22.760-07:00Review: Project VanLife by Trevor DeRuise and Sierra Davies<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Title: Project VanLife</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Author: Trevor DeRuise and Sierra Davies</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Publication date: October 31, 2014</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Summary:</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Get inspired and come along on the adventure of a lifetime. Learn what
it takes to step outside of your comfort zone in order to live a life
fueled by passion. Join a 22-year-old professional mountain bike racer
and his girlfriend as they enter into the world of entrepreneurship in
order to keep their dreams and passions alive while they transition from
“college life” into the real world. Following their hearts, these two
dreamers set out to chase the largest professional mountain bike series
in North America during the summer of 2014. The epic journey has them
living out of a used van for 90 days as they drive over 15,000 miles on
an almost inexistent budget. All the while, they struggle to run several
business and philanthropic endeavors from their rolling office in order
to fulfill the vision they see for their lives. This book illustrates
the devastating heartbreak of defeat and the heavenly thrill of triumph
only available to those who dedicate their lives to a purpose greater
than themselves. Let these young adventurers motivate you as they lay it
all on the line to prove, firsthand, what VanLife is all about.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Review:</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A little different from my normal reviews, this book is non-fiction and somewhat autobiographical, as well as being self-published. But stay with me here, because I have nothing but <b>amazing things</b> to say about this book. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">While following the adventures of Sierra and Trevor as they trek across the country living out of the back of a van, I laughed, I cried, and I came out the other side feeling wholly inspired and alive. Project VanLife chronicles the stories of two seemingly everyday twenty-somethings with a thirst for adventure, and the determination to make their dreams a reality. It felt like reading an awesome novel about a summer roadtrip with great characters, but one where you're like, "This would never happen in real life..." - but that's the awesome thing about this book, is that these are two everyday REAL people just trying to get by, while carving out a meaningful existence for themselves. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This book has a little bit of everything - enthusiasm, adventure, comedy, love, and inspiration. And by the end, you'll be ready to jump off the couch and go tackle your own projects, make your own dreams a reality. In a time where it seems like all we hear about is the mountains of debt, poor economy, lack of jobs, and generally negative outlook for twenty-somethings today, this book is a refreshing reminder that with a little bit of motivation and determination, you really can do what you put your mind to. Recommended for anyone who has even an inkling of a dream inside that they want to pursue, anyone who wants a little inspiration, or anyone looking to live an amazing adventure vicariously through others ;) </span></span></div>
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WhatBriReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17529153994628423768noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013285182790556380.post-22263427275077132932012-07-04T14:55:00.000-07:002012-07-04T14:58:06.183-07:00Review: Going Bovine by Libba Bray<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Title: Going Bovine</span></b></span></div>
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<b>Author: Libba Bray</b></div>
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<b>Publication date: September 22, 2009</b></div>
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<b>Summary: </b><i><br />
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<span id="freeText4613679757531217263">All 16-year-old Cameron
wants is to get through high school—and life in general—with a minimum
of effort. It’s not a lot to ask. But that’s before he’s given some bad
news: he’s sick and he’s going to die. Which totally sucks. Hope arrives
in the winged form of Dulcie, a loopy punk angel/possible hallucination
with a bad sugar habit. She tells Cam there is a cure—if he’s willing
to go in search of it. With the help of a death-obsessed, video-gaming
dwarf and a yard gnome, Cam sets off on the mother of all road trips
through a twisted America into the heart of what matters most.</span></div>
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<b>Review:</b></div>
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Oh, man.<b> </b>This<b> </b>book is amazing. It starts off normal enough, with your typical unmotivated high school boy being lazy, smoking weed, sneaking around, etc.<b> </b>I almost stopped reading as I thought, "Oh great, this is going to be one of those depressing books about some unappreciative slacker kid who barely passes high school and ends up nowhere in life." But there was something about the style of writing that told me I should hang in there and it would be worth it, and it most definitely was. After a couple of bad hallucinatory experiences, Cameron discovers he has mad cow disease, and from then on the book just explodes with imagination adventure and takes you on a completely wild ride where you're unsure what's up and what's down.<b> </b> </div>
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While filled with plenty of humor and adventure and a plot that will make you wonder if you might be tripping on something or going crazy as well, Going Bovine<b> </b>also made me take a look inside my own life, at the importance of LIVING instead of just existing, and how the relationships and experiences you encounter can make all the difference. When reading this book, you will laugh. You may cry. You will scratch your head at the absurdity of it all. Ultimately, you will likely come away from it with a new appreciation for life itself, and if like me this is your first time reading a Libba Bray book, you will have found yourself a new favorite author. <b><br /></b></div>
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<b>Characters: 9/10</b></div>
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<b>Plot: 9/10</b></div>
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<b>Originality: 10/10</b></div>
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<b>Writing: 10/10</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Overall grade: A</span></span></b></span></div>WhatBriReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17529153994628423768noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013285182790556380.post-13683568978903378392012-07-02T09:25:00.001-07:002012-07-04T14:57:56.209-07:00Review: Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihW6bp6QJkEe-E4kzebPr-1HoaqdlH4Sjw2wpODUfc3paiqzJRGz1LlnrMXBnwJC58e2sMUZTT2uLmMwEbVwqqseMc5LkZlKXrtoiORS7HPxwOkSoA9tHPwnHDwOlvA0vOaAw1TpIuWW8/s1600/Almost+Perfect.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihW6bp6QJkEe-E4kzebPr-1HoaqdlH4Sjw2wpODUfc3paiqzJRGz1LlnrMXBnwJC58e2sMUZTT2uLmMwEbVwqqseMc5LkZlKXrtoiORS7HPxwOkSoA9tHPwnHDwOlvA0vOaAw1TpIuWW8/s200/Almost+Perfect.jpg" width="131" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Title: Almost Perfect</b></span></div>
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<b>Author: Brian Katcher</b></div>
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<b>Publication date: October 13, 2009</b></div>
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<b>Summary: </b><i><br />
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<span id="freeText3426482550413261511">Logan Witherspoon
recently discovered that his girlfriend of three years cheated on him.
But things start to look up when a new student breezes through the halls
of his small-town high school. Sage Hendricks befriends Logan at a time
when he no longer trusts or believes in people. Sage has been
homeschooled for a number of years and her parents have forbidden her to
date anyone, but she won’t tell Logan why. One day, Logan acts on his
growing feelings for Sage. Moments later, he wishes he never had. Sage
finally discloses her big secret: she’s actually a boy. Enraged,
frightened, and feeling betrayed, Logan lashes out at Sage and disowns
her. But once Logan comes to terms with what happened, he reaches out to
Sage in an attempt to understand her situation. But Logan has no idea
how rocky the road back to friendship will be.</span></div>
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<b>Review:</b></div>
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I could relate to this book in many ways, namely growing up in a tiny town and having a best friend who was transgendered. Overall this was a great read about the kinds of things that people who fall under the LGBTQ spectrum have to put up with on a daily basis, both from parents and the community around them. </div>
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But I think this book had the potential to be a more powerful read if it hadn't focused so much on Logan's point of view and transphobia. I do think it is very important to address the perspective of those who are homophobic or transphobic, and eventually he does come around, but for the majority of the book I found myself almost hating Logan. There is something to be said for honesty, and I admire that, but it seems like he kept flipping back and forth between being completely closed minded and then changing his mind and wanting to rescue and be with Sage. I think he provided a much needed source of support for Sage at times, but ultimately his wishy-washiness and hesitance caused her to stray away from him, and I can't blame her. </div>
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Overall, though, I really enjoyed this book for all the topics it addresses (self harm, suicidal ideations, transgender/gay issues) and for dealing with all of the feelings involved in both being transgender and how it feels to have fallen in love with someone who is undergoing a gender transition and dealing with so much pain and criticism from all directions. The emotions and pain from both Sage and Logan were so real that I found myself hurting for both of them, and while the ending wasn't completely satisfying, it made sense in a way. I would have liked to see more of the story from Sage's viewpoint because I found it completely fascinating. </div>
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<b>Characters: 8/10</b></div>
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<b>Plot: 8/10</b></div>
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<b>Originality: 9/10</b></div>
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<b>Writing: 8/10</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Overall grade: B</b></span></div>WhatBriReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17529153994628423768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013285182790556380.post-14578269845878563782011-10-03T08:16:00.000-07:002011-10-03T08:18:26.996-07:00Review: Rosebush by Michele Jaffa<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAA8JfjQfG6DdM3C5JlJB_W_Htm1-qwsolUMBDhh3kHwJlyOy4t9C9mk3NicyFI9YCruVBySU7CkI38fXAxv3wtZ1H9ipjw0nfIKYTI1NRTFdlTxU7JbH1R4dopVvgc_CdbVEegivTzqc/s200/jaffe+rosebush.jpg" width="131" /></div><b>Title: Rosebush</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Author: Michele Jaffe</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Publication date: December 7, 2010</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Summary: </b><i><br />
</i></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Instead of celebrating Memorial Day weekend on the Jersey Shore, Jane is in the hospital surrounded by teddy bears, trying to piece together what happened last night. One minute she was at a party, wearing fairy wings and cuddling with her boyfriend. The next, she was lying near-dead in a rosebush after a hit-and-run. Everyone believe it was an accident, despite the phone threats Jane swears were real, but the truth is a thorny thing. As Jane's boyfriend, friends and admirers come to visit, more memories come to the surface not just from a party, but from deeper in the past. With nearly all her friends a suspect, Jane must unravel the mystery before her killer attacks again. Along the way she's forced to examine her life and change it.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
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Although I didn't care too much for the main characters, most of who were the popular, rich, snobby type, I still found myself hooked into reading this book. It starts with a scene from the end and then goes back to the night of the party so we can watch the story unfold. This is one of those books that will keep you on your toes, just as eager as Jane to figure out who's after her and whether or not the strange phone calls and messages she gets are real or just delusions. <br />
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Without giving too much away, I'll say that the ending was a real surprise. The person who ended up being the killer didn't make a whole lot of sense to me, especially because I could think of at least two other people who seemed like they had better, more solid reasons. I mean, I don't like predictable books where I can tell who the culprit is right from the start, but I also like things to make sense, and this ending was slightly confusing in my opinion, but definitely a shocker. It was also slightly annoying how Jane would jump from guy to guy so quickly, especially when she had a boyfriend. Okay, some of them did sound pretty cute, but come on. As her mom says at the end, "That's the third boy she's kissed this week!"<br />
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However, putting all of the little annoyances I had with this book aside, I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes a thrilling novel with many questions to be answered. Even if you're tired of reading about stuck-up popular teenagers like I am, it still makes for an exciting read that you'll have trouble putting down.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Characters: 7/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Plot: 8/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Originality: 8/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Writing: 8/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Overall grade: B</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Received from Book Divas for review. </span><b><br />
</b></div></div>WhatBriReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17529153994628423768noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013285182790556380.post-28851639963647654512011-10-01T08:00:00.000-07:002011-10-01T08:00:52.018-07:00Giveaway winner!<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Thank you to everyone who entered my 150 followers giveaway! The winner that was selected by Random.org is: </span></div><div style="color: purple; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Gabrielle Carolina from The Mod Podge Bookshelf!</b> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Congratulations, I will be sending you an email shortly. </span></div>WhatBriReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17529153994628423768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013285182790556380.post-79992020753789641142011-09-23T08:57:00.000-07:002011-09-23T08:57:42.897-07:00Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1QNyxq1Zq0NJbHOOnuTnSeOtuv-He0GSZN9y1SuY7cOYetSwdmoQEv009Ga-MPUiGY-JoM9indVMUSWsLNSA6VE-Ts-4eBK19_0zTw5Hq-AidJ9G2Iny8MEnx5BWSQSyC1awqoL9YjZQ/s200/michelle.jpg" width="132" /></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Author: Michelle Hodkin</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Publication date: September 27th, 2011</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Summary:</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span id="freeTextContainer3772813531668445979"></span></div>Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.<br />
It can.<br />
She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.<br />
There is.<br />
She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.<br />
She's wrong.<br />
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<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Review:</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">With all the hype surrounding this novel, I was afraid that I'd be going into it with my expectations set too high, but I was definitely not disappointed. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer not only lived up to my expectations, but exceeded them. This novel is absolutely beautiful and has just about everything you could want in a good book. Mystery, suspense, romance, sarcasm, wit... I could go on and on. There's the intriguing mystery that starts with Mara waking up in a hospital bed, unable to remember why she's there or what happened to her friends that night, which then slowly unravels in bits and pieces throughout the book. There's the budding romance between Mara and Noah, filled with so much chemistry and tension that you just want to explode. Noah is completely swoon-worthy. I really disliked him at first, but grew to love him by the end. Reading about all of Mara's experiences with her PTSD, flashbacks, nightmares, and confusing actions was a pleasant surprise for me as well. It definitely filled my appetite for all things psychological. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">This novel was amazingly well-written, consumed every bit of my attention, and then kept lingering in my mind while I was doing other things. The ending is a huge cliffhanger, which I wasn't expecting, but then again the whole novel was so unpredictable that I should have learned not to expect anything! I absolutely can not wait for the next book and will heavily recommend this one to anyone looking for a captivating read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Of course, it wasn't perfect, but it was pretty darn close and is a novel I will definitely be reading again. </div><br />
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Characters: 9/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Plot: 9/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Originality: 9/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Writing: 10/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Overall grade: A+</b></div>WhatBriReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17529153994628423768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013285182790556380.post-81167080491660130852011-09-20T16:47:00.000-07:002011-09-20T16:47:41.559-07:00Review: Hush by Eishes Chayil<div class="Standard" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY3fBTAj5BJ65qro-BpcS3c__FsV8F5iflejmt_VWE2dln_fdVsNH0cGsn3SvwBBRIX7TcdNxPyrMIJopGVdW6nQB9Uu7-Hpig3gKQdMYN6Xk251h4qJqmrtKWNc1n7GiQIi7DNCpQ9Yg/s200/hush.jpg" width="135" /></div><b> Title: Hush</b></div><div class="Standard" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Author: Eishes Chayil</b></div><div class="Standard" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Publication date: September 14, 2010</b></div><div class="Standard" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="Standard" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Summary:</b></div><div class="Standard" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Inside the closed community of Borough Park, where Brooklyn's <i>Chassidim</i> live, the rules of life – everything from how to dress to whom to marry – are very clear, determined to the last detail by an ancient script written thousands of years before. Then young Gittel witnesses an unspeakable act of violence against her best friend, Devory, an act that goes against everything she's been taught as a Jew. For the first time in her life, there are no guidelines to tell her what to do, so she remains silent. But even inaction has consequences, and sometimes they are deadly...</div><div class="Standard" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="Standard" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Now a teenager, Gittel is racked with guilt over the choices she made and those that were forced upon her by the community she once trusted. She must question everything about herself – her own innocence, her memories of the past, and the beliefs of her sect – to find peace for Devory and for herself.</div><div class="Standard" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="Standard" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Review:</b></div><div class="Standard" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Honestly, I almost put this book down after the first 15 or 20 pages because it just didn't interest me. Most of chapter two was spent talking about a hat, and filled with sentences that made me feel like I was reading in a foreign language, which left me disinterested and confused. But I made it over that speed bump and continued reading, and I am so, so glad I continued reading. This is easily one of the best books I've read this year.</div><div class="Standard" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="Standard" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Part one of the book alternates between Gittel telling the story as a 9-year-old and as a 17-year old, which I felt worked wonderfully as it let the reader get the background story on her childhood but also let us see the kinds of things she struggled with presently. Part two of the book tells about Gittel's life as she gets married and lives with her husband.</div><div class="Standard" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="Standard" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Not only did Gittel's story deal with heavy issues such as her best friend's suicide, the unspeakable violence that she witnessed, and her grief for many years to come, but it also took the reader deep into the inner workings of a culture that I knew almost nothing about before reading this book. It was fascinating just to see how children are raised in a community that has such a completely different way of life than most are accustomed to.</div><div class="Standard" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="Standard" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">While the heavier issues took precedence, there were also many happy moments as it tells the story of Gittel growing up from a mere 9-year-old to graduating high school and getting married. I felt like the author managed to give the book a great balance of heavy subject matter versus everyday life, serious versus enjoyable, and it was all-around a well-written story. Overall, Hush is a powerful, unique book that will stay with you long after you've finished reading.<br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Characters: 8/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Plot: 9/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Originality: 9/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Writing: 7/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Overall grade: A</b></div></div>WhatBriReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17529153994628423768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013285182790556380.post-35977461978295771112011-09-17T16:39:00.000-07:002011-09-17T16:39:31.057-07:00Review: Cold Hands, Warm Heart<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilCZ-0hQzfdy05TrtPgkkp_DaAi7Ne1Cj_ZmzShdsq4X7zgVuCV4wlD5ZCd9srfMXvXrtU9qzJCu-K5FDxPRo42J46PYlkPqb8aA0y1uxWs4l79oCbPF1cYiIsko9r7QOv2DbKeJNcXpc/s200/ColdHands+jkt2+c.jpg" width="128" /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Title: Cold Hands, Warm Heart</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Author: Jill Wolfson</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Publication date: March 31, 2009</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Summary:</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Two people, two faces, two noses, four eyes, four ears, eight limbs, two livers, four kidneys, 10 liters of blood, 1,300 muscles, 120,000 miles of blood vessels, 200,000 hairs on two heads. Two people, two hearts. But only one of them working.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Dani was born with her heart on the wrong side of her body. In her fifteen years of life, she's had more doctors' appointments, X-rays, tests, and eaten more green hospital Jell-O than she cares to think about. Fourteen-year-old Amanda is a competitive gymnast, her body a small package of sleek muscles, in perfect health. The two girls don't know each other, don't go to the same school, don't have any friends in common. But their lives are about to collide.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Review:</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">I have very mixed feelings about this book. It had an interesting subject matter that let me learn a bit more about transplants and organ donation, and got me thinking more about the matter of organ donation, but I felt it lacked in many areas. The story is told by alternating between characters, so we get to see both Dani's side of the story - the girl receiving the heart - and Amanda's family's side of the story. It alternates between first and second person, and then includes many side stories such as the viewpoint from the guy who delivers the organs between hospitals, which made it really hard to follow,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in my opinion, especially because it's a relatively short book. While it was an interesting story, it almost felt like the author tried to tackle too many things at once, because not only does it deal with the transplant, but also a romance, Amanda's death, and the grieving of her family. So the reader gets a glimpse of each of these events, which may have been more successful in a longer book, but I felt that as it was, it lacked depth in many areas. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Overall, I enjoyed this book as a quick read on an interesting subject, but felt it was missing a lot. If it sounds interesting to you, I'd recommend picking up a copy through your library, as it was a nice story to read once but probably not something I'd want to go out and buy. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Characters: 7/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Plot: 7/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Originality: 7/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Writing: 6/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Overall grade: C</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b> </b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Received from Book Divas for review </span></span><b><br />
</b></div>WhatBriReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17529153994628423768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013285182790556380.post-86377647593989801032011-09-14T19:17:00.000-07:002011-09-14T19:17:56.544-07:00150 Followers Giveaway!<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Thank you to everyone who has liked my blog enough to follow it, whether it was recently or a year or two ago when I first started. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I actually hit 150 followers a while ago, but just recently decided to hold a giveaway in celebration of that, so here it is! One winner will receive a copy of Hold Still by Nina LaCour. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv9g-2xMRoj2vL9XB9VuF-oKGI-SS389eTUcAoPneJyV8SkjTInotpUNqljHauhiVcRcbYlrkvqL7SK7ELLfYZci9XVITFQhVvmAufKCthk2KttlutUpJs_li9AeRi6YVPq_52kwcPcwg/s200/HoldStill_112409.jpg" width="133" /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> I really enjoyed this book when I read it (review </span><a href="http://whatbrireads.blogspot.com/2009/11/review-hold-still.html" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">here</a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">)</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">so I decided it would be a great book to give away.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">*If I hit 175 followers while the giveaway is still running, I will add another book for another winner, and I will add a third book and third winner if I hit 200.* </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Open to:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">USA only (or international if you have an address in the US to ship to!)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>To enter:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Leave a comment with your name and email address. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">You MUST be a GFC follower. After all, this is a giveaway in celebration of my followers!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> +1 for becoming a follower</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> +2 if you were a follower before this post</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">+2 Post about this contest somewhere (blog sidebar, blog post, Twitter, etc.) and leave a link in your comment</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Deadline:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Last day to enter is September 30th, 2011</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>WhatBriReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17529153994628423768noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013285182790556380.post-13370473206803172772011-09-11T18:20:00.000-07:002011-09-11T18:20:32.859-07:00In My Mailbox (25)<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Between the Borders closing sales, trading, and an awesome girl selling her books on Craigslist, I have received a TON of books over the past two weeks. Honestly I'm afraid I'm going to start needing another shelf soon... But they are all very awesome books, and I am so excited for when I have the time to sit down and plow through them. We'll start with the books I bought during multiple visits to the three local Borders stores in the last couple of weeks:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9M-hTQnSK5YRa08M0RGe14sblNIm269AbYWoo2yUYhAkCMPWVCTEBYjVRaJEAcID5MH2_owTeeUthe9FFqn5wpTeQIp8e7EvsNNPeCfjUODb1_Y2dV4PzCTm09FLKN7EsHM-lBGcQyik/s320/2011-09-11_15-43-25_76.jpg" width="177" /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">I'm really not sure why my picture is sideways as it's not saved like that on my computer, but alright. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Jennifer Echols - Love Story</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Lili St. Crow - Betrayals</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Lili St. Crow - Jealousy</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Lili St. Crow - Defiance</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Julia Karr - XVI</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Mary E. Pearson - The Miles Between</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Alyson Noel - Saving Zoe</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Wendy Mass - A Mango Shaped Space</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Mary E. Pearson - The Adoration of Jenna Fox</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Amanda Valentino & Melissa Kantor - The Amanda Project</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji7Qf0V1f8-1Q4WaL00GFitaP1bvnLF93LMa12EYoLP7f8170VIymYasQSWCM01DvaSlBCUau6sQltA1TpNcZJIRAG1qfa7xmV-oXwLa31RjoLNfJDI71fHhRJthFL1bwDhIBwZWxmu00/s320/Unknown.jpeg" width="320" /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Melissa de la Cruz - Revelations</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Melissa de la Cruz - Misguided Angel</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Daisy Whitney - The Mockingbirds</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Alexandra Bullen - Wishful Thinking</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Meg Cabot - Jinx</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Fruits Basket volumes 5, 8, and 14</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Strawberry Panic volume 1</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Neko Ramen volumes 1, 2, and 4</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Then the books I bought from Craigslist ($4 each, SCORE!!) and one I received in a trade:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOHlLAA2s58AqNdRRbV94COJoPtvTQP993KX2poXrFVDoX6pq3hz5V3cyBwFxr6OwU5t1PKCQnDS59-gK2lKDpnF45TYh4CtB4rI_lLwrrswgLJlC8veRhYS62u2pzUoYIN1-CuJHuYYk/s320/Unknown.jpeg" width="320" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Robin Wasserman - Crashed</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Robin Wasserman - Wired</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Cassandra Clare - Clockwork Angel</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Alexandra Adornetto - Halo</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl - Beautiful Darkness</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Becca Fitzpatrick - Crescendo</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Lauren Kate - Passion</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">John Green - An Abundance of Katherines</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">So many amazing books that I am looking forward to reading. I almost can't even believe that I ended up with this many! But obviously, the last couple of weeks have excited me... a LOT. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">What books did you receive this week?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</span></div>WhatBriReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17529153994628423768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013285182790556380.post-72493917259485698452011-09-09T18:52:00.000-07:002011-09-09T18:54:07.860-07:00Review: Something, Maybe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaaxq0fS4t9UBEp_rbeRBy_74AH8C4c3SeQ1HUsEn6thL70BHGaPSmVQb6JeiuA2_YYa7fYoLEQEkvMba3uDEt1Quo-_bnGETki5VewR7HuN78Kqrmx3RoK__-d83QaKZtdQp4alcz5ds/s200/somethingmaybeindexpage2.jpg" width="132" /></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Title: Something, Maybe</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Author: Elizabeth Scott</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Publication date: March 24th, 2009</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Summary:</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Everyone thinks their parents are embarrassing, but Hannah knows she's got them all beat. Her dad made a fortune showcasing photos of pretty girls and his party lifestyle all over the Internet, and her mom was once one of her dad's girlfriends and is now the star of her own website. After getting the wrong kind of attention for way too long, Hannah has mastered the art of staying under the radar...and that's just how she likes it.<br />
<br />
Of course, that doesn't help her get noticed by her crush. Hannah's sure that gorgeous, sensitive Josh is her soul mate. But trying to get him to notice her; wondering why she suddenly can't stop thinking about another guy, Finn; and dealing with her parents makes Hannah feel like she's going crazy. Yet she's determined to make things work out the way she wants--only what she wants may not be what she needs.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b> </b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
<b>Review:</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"> I suppose the best thing to say to describe my feelings on this book is that I have very mixed feelings about it. I love all of the other Elizabeth Scott books I have read, and this one was no disappointment. It was nicely written and full of things that kept me entertained, such as Hannah's mother who works as a webcam girl, her father who remains absent in her life except for when he needs to promote his show, and Hannah's job at a call center for BurgerTown. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">But many of the outcomes in this book were predictable, and I found myself very annoyed with Hannah a lot of the time. That's not to say she isn't a likeable character - I enjoyed reading about her quite a bit. But I grew very frustrated when she would talk about how she had no friends and was seen as invisible and a nobody, when it appeared to me that she really wasn't doing that badly. She had her best friend, Teagan, who she spent a lot of time with, and she was able to chat and joke effortlessly with Finn and Josh at her job at the call center. To me, that does not count as not having friends or being seen as a nobody, as all three of these people seemed to enjoy her company quite a bit. She also put zero effort into her appearance, and that annoyed me a bit as well.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">However, all that being said, I thought that the book had many small redeeming qualities that when put together made for a worthwhile read. It's definitely worth reading at least once, in my opinion, as even with the predictable and annoying parts it was very well-written and quirky enough to be memorable.<b></b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Characters: 8/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Plot: 7/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Originality: 8/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Writing: 8/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Overall grade: B</b></div>WhatBriReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17529153994628423768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013285182790556380.post-89260183935478011822011-09-04T18:34:00.000-07:002011-09-04T18:34:42.291-07:00Labor Day Weekend Read-A-Thon Update<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Day two of the Labor Day Weekend Read-A-Thon, and I've put a slight dent in my TBR pile, but not as much as I'd hoped. I started feeling a bit better and a bit less sick, so I got up to catch up on some homework earlier today. While I'm glad that that's now out of the way, unfortunately it means I haven't had as much time for reading today as I thought I would. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I did manage to finish reading Smashed last night and have started Vamped. I'm about halfway through it, and will hopefully have it finished by tonight. 1.5 books down, 3.5 more to reach my goal! I highly doubt that's going to happen, but I will give it my best shot.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">What books have <i>you</i> been reading lately?</span></div>WhatBriReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17529153994628423768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013285182790556380.post-31609204002489710922011-09-03T17:30:00.000-07:002011-09-03T17:36:33.943-07:00Labor Day Weekend Read-A-Thon!<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I've decided at the very last minute to participate in the Labor Day Weekend Read-A-Thon, hosted by Katie at </span><a href="http://www.katiesbookblog.com/" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Katie's Book Blog</a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">.</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">It runs from I originally had other plans for the weekend, but I'm fighting a cold that started this past week as well as some sort of stomach bug that just came up today, so I'll be spending a lot of time in bed and likely a lot of time reading.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">My goal for this read-a-thon is to read five books. I'd like to read:</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitO92fPbp_8_ZvA-j-o6gkLjSCfAZiJyehkMB_sTJ5CgavgqAv590TaOw-hPkjRbEFiDUvea8bKN8XhEIvR9t13VKOSLjDPLiab_-usGAT5yq2OvBFRe_MqetOKw_hXqfTJbfXgwTkFg/s1600/tumblr_l7tenmEX6e1qaouh8o1_500.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitO92fPbp_8_ZvA-j-o6gkLjSCfAZiJyehkMB_sTJ5CgavgqAv590TaOw-hPkjRbEFiDUvea8bKN8XhEIvR9t13VKOSLjDPLiab_-usGAT5yq2OvBFRe_MqetOKw_hXqfTJbfXgwTkFg/s200/tumblr_l7tenmEX6e1qaouh8o1_500.png" width="130" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwIqh-loO-zuVf6SQtuSbGn1YlP9_CUDeRrs56hmuTr-oyhz3LHOzrjTWmGtUlZyVmdDMxEr69SHYBLTcjVKjKaxNvogNNg9zVg33JWcVNquIrhl1KKZ8qGWm0q_w-TgYonppfp_c0SOM/s1600/index.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwIqh-loO-zuVf6SQtuSbGn1YlP9_CUDeRrs56hmuTr-oyhz3LHOzrjTWmGtUlZyVmdDMxEr69SHYBLTcjVKjKaxNvogNNg9zVg33JWcVNquIrhl1KKZ8qGWm0q_w-TgYonppfp_c0SOM/s200/index.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jIwUMFCHxEKtMHdFViWtoUfZrB3VlPObodeXGBjZeZHJU7L9O3hodufyAQ9JnexF0Z1FWMYcJyRAnWwMHU1SA0YbtWCmHeaRLZt3Bbyz-TFv4ZVIFDJfhwkirME8VrY-2LfSWGsSgR8/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jIwUMFCHxEKtMHdFViWtoUfZrB3VlPObodeXGBjZeZHJU7L9O3hodufyAQ9JnexF0Z1FWMYcJyRAnWwMHU1SA0YbtWCmHeaRLZt3Bbyz-TFv4ZVIFDJfhwkirME8VrY-2LfSWGsSgR8/s200/images.jpg" width="132" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKSKlFDQEgI6MEGdNEYJacMZzjyXkh2oEupX4lGx5z7cgObNH2gmVQDiq4eg1Oc6gk9FIzz87H-bnTBX1PdDq_7j4SUgHmS33bGmUepA-YpS4uAnpsCYK_UgdFE9T8rr1PBvVgAPpSgAk/s1600/index.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKSKlFDQEgI6MEGdNEYJacMZzjyXkh2oEupX4lGx5z7cgObNH2gmVQDiq4eg1Oc6gk9FIzz87H-bnTBX1PdDq_7j4SUgHmS33bGmUepA-YpS4uAnpsCYK_UgdFE9T8rr1PBvVgAPpSgAk/s200/index.jpg" width="140" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">and one other book from my TBR shelf that I haven't yet determined. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I started Smashed this morning and am about 3/4 of the way through it, so hopefully I can finish that and move onto the next book tonight. If I'm gonna be stuck in bed feeling like crap, I figure I might as well make the best of it. Bring on the books!</span></div>WhatBriReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17529153994628423768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013285182790556380.post-79301165154243933462011-09-01T15:13:00.000-07:002011-09-01T15:14:28.694-07:00Review: Fallout by Ellen Hopkins<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJjlBVfy-9drW2DOy_kcciRrFxIqFooN2mr4Z-jAs2GMMzqyMofFKkEqS2ekw6OK07KpgSQDzikTj-EHOzjfZOva7PuhLHNft1QN8aFGYp9KqmuG46osRv0P-cf4WvRpK_Cywd4WSzaI4/s200/index.jpg" width="141" /></div><span id="goog_1758023424"></span><span id="goog_1758023425"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Title: Fallout</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Author: Ellen Hopkins</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Publication date: September 14, 2010</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</span></b></div><div style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Summary:</b></div><div style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none; border-width: medium; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Hunter, Autumn, and Summer—three of Kristina Snow's five children—live in different homes, with different guardians and different last names. They share only a predisposition for addiction and a host of troubled feelings toward the mother who barely knows them, a mother who has been riding with the monster, crank, for twenty years.</div><div style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none; border-width: medium; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none; border-width: medium; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Hunter is nineteen, angry, getting by in college with a job at a radio station, a girlfriend he loves in the only way he knows how, and the occasional party. He's struggling to understand why his mother left him, when he unexpectedly meets his rapist father, and things get even more complicated. Autumn lives with her single aunt and alcoholic grandfather. When her aunt gets married, and the only family she's ever known crumbles, Autumn's compulsive habits lead her to drink. And the consequences of her decisions suggest that there's more of Kristina in her than she'd like to believe. Summer doesn't know about Hunter, Autumn, or their two youngest brothers, Donald and David. To her, family is only abuse at the hands of her father's girlfriends and a slew of foster parents. Doubt and loneliness overwhelm her, and she, too, teeters on the edge of her mother's notorious legacy. As each searches for real love and true family, they find themselves pulled toward the one person who links them together—Kristina, Bree, mother, addict. But it is in each other, and in themselves, that they find the trust, the courage, the hope to break the cycle.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> Told in three voices and punctuated by news articles chronicling the family's story, FALLOUT is the stunning conclusion to the trilogy begun by CRANK and GLASS, and a testament to the harsh reality that addiction is never just one person's problem. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Review:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Fallout is the last book in the Crank and Glass trilogy, and picks up 19 years after Glass left off. It tells the stories of Kristina's three oldest children - Hunter, Autumn, and Summer - now in their teens, as they uncover secrets and stories from their past while dealing with their own issues. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Of the three books in this trilogy, I think this one was the most powerful. I could really see pieces of Kristina in each of the three children as they dealt with their own issues, like Hunter who struggles to be faithful to his girlfriend, Autumn who is filled with questions about the family she's never known and who struggles with an alcohol addiction, and Summer who bounces around foster homes while being exposed to abusive situations. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I had many questions in the beginning about what had happened to Kristina and everyone involved in her life, and as I kept reading, the answers were revealed slowly. It was a bit hard for me to follow three alternating viewpoints at first, but then I got used to it and realized that it was a perfect way to write the last book, as it pretty much ties up everything from the previous ones. Just like all of Hopkins' other books, it's written in the form of stunning poetry with different patterns indicating the feelings of the characters and many hidden messages sprinkled throughout. I'm sad to see the series end, but I definitely recommend Fallout to anyone who has enjoyed the first two books in the series, or even those new to Hopkins' writing, because it is a story that you will definitely never forget once you've read it.</span><br />
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<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Characters: 9/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Plot: 10/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Originality: 10/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Writing: 10/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Overall grade: A</b></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Received from Book Divas for review. </span></span></div>WhatBriReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17529153994628423768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013285182790556380.post-43092083092268928332011-08-27T16:26:00.000-07:002011-08-27T16:26:42.220-07:00In My Mailbox 8/21 - 8/28<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">I got some very exciting books this week!</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLuWh4L5mINT0yV9rIxhPyYWJbTfySf5mD4BgMuJfyHLHrjq8yNHrxSm2syXrLqic0w0UcAeuL5o187uPLLwDonipZH8aIAC91vKsLCvVgd4uUcY6QecMIT0qlUYLdmO70KXb7k6BMQRw/s320/2011-08-27_16-17-10_601.jpg" width="177" /></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><ul style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><li>Glass by Ellen Hopkins</li>
<li>Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz</li>
<li>Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan </li>
<li>Battle Dress by Amy Efaw</li>
</ul><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">I bought Glass because after receiving Fallout to review, I realized that I didn't own, nor had I read, Glass. My library didn't have a copy either, so I bought it on Amazon. That makes my Ellen Hopkins collection complete now!</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The other three I got when I went to Borders today. That was very bittersweet. I have been wanting to read Invincible Summer and Will Grayson, Will Grayson for a long time now, and I was so happy to be able to get them for less than $5 each, but at the same time it made me so sad to see how many books were gone and it kind of cemented the fact in my mind that Borders is actually closing. I really enjoyed After by Amy Efaw, and I wasn't aware that she had another book out until I saw it in Borders, so I picked it up. That's what I love about bookstores is that I can just go in and wander and see what catches my eye. It's amazing to see so many great books that I have heard about all in one place, and you just can't get that same feeling at the library or online.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">What books did you get this week?</span></div>WhatBriReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17529153994628423768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013285182790556380.post-62396239293692264232011-08-26T08:42:00.000-07:002011-08-26T08:42:17.167-07:00Book Blogger Hop 8/26 - 8/29<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Book Blogger Hop" height="200" src="http://i595.photobucket.com/albums/tt34/crazybookblog/cfbmemebutton-2.png" width="200" /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I've decided to participate in the Book Blogger Hop this week, hosted by Crazy For Books. You can join in on it </span><a href="http://crazy-for-books.com/2011/08/book-blogger-hop-826-829.html" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">here</a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">This week's question is: </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: purple;">“Non-book-related this week!! Do you have pets?”</span></strong></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;">Yes, right now we have a dog named Roxy. We used to have other cool pets, like two geckos and an awesome cat, but they all died within the past year so for now it's just the dog. </span> </span></strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>WhatBriReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17529153994628423768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013285182790556380.post-4398115021419602342011-08-24T16:06:00.000-07:002011-08-24T16:07:37.840-07:00Review: Saving June<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgXp1bJoWcCncunbxwohnMn3NI9W60O6eumr2ISCsanj22LegnJ_huRawmh5CILUwY4y5YFOjucTy7t2VRzt2GzIP7LuGGRLyDLjVn6WRQ0OV0mh852T3gOf-Q0Wq9PI-HzBkLzz-w51U/s200/8465102.jpg" width="126" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Title: Saving June</span></span></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Author: Hannah Harrington</span></span></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Publication date: November 22nd, 2011</span></span></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Summary:</span></span></span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Harper Scott’s older sister has always been the perfect one so when June takes her own life a week before her high school graduation, sixteen-year-old Harper is devastated. Everyone’s sorry, but no one can explain why.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br />
When her divorcing parents decide to split her sister’s ashes into his-and-her urns, Harper takes matters into her own hands. She’ll steal the ashes and drive cross-country with her best friend, Laney, to the one place June always dreamed of going California.<br />
<br />
Enter Jake Tolan. He’s a boy with a bad attitude, a classic-rock obsession and nothing in common with Harper’s sister. But Jake had a connection with June, and when he insists on joining them, Harper’s just desperate enough to let him. With his alternately charming and infuriating demeanour and his belief that music can see you through anything, he might be exactly what she needs.<br />
<br />
Except June wasn’t the only one hiding something. Jake’s keeping a secret that has the power to turn Harper’s life upside down again.</span><i> </i></span><i><br />
</i></span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Review: </b></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Saving June was a very emotional account of the roller-coaster ride that ensues after a loved one has committed suicide. I was expecting this book to be on the darker side with a lot of grief and sorrowful moments, and while it did have its fair share of those, it was also a very fun read. I'm always up for reading a good book about a road trip, and this one was no disappointment. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">There were definitely some interesting characters in the book that I enjoyed getting to know, such as Harper's crazy Jesus-freak aunt, but most of the story focused around three main characters. First, there's Harper, who I felt completely sympathetic towards. I could clearly feel her pain through the snappy, bitter tone she displayed most of the time, and it made my heart ache to imagine being in her situation, always feeling inferior to June while she was alive and then still being compared to her after her death, knowing that she'll never live up to the expectations of everyone around her. Then there's Laney, Harper's best friend whose parents let her pretty much do as she pleases with little expectations, and Jake, who has had his fair share of problems as well, is completely obsessed with music, and holds a mysterious connection to June that Harper can't quite figure out. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">There are so many amazing things in this book: the friendship between Harper and Laney, and relationship that forms between Harper and Jake, the music that narrates the story and provides the soundtrack to their road trip, all of the fun touristy things that take place along the way, and the more serious moments that each character experiences. While "saving" June, Harper also learns a lot about herself along the way. With the help of Jake, Harper goes from trying to build up a wall around everything to block out her emotions, to being able to let them out and feel comfortable with what she feels. Saving June was a very powerful and very well-written book that provided a wonderful mixture of heavier issues and fun experiences, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a moving yet fun read. </span></span><br />
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<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Characters: 9/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Plot: 9/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Originality: 9/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Writing: 9/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Overall grade: A</b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Received from Book Divas for review.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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WhatBriReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17529153994628423768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013285182790556380.post-70015166696182456742011-08-22T19:54:00.000-07:002011-08-22T19:59:29.426-07:00Review: Far From the War<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK2jR4wv3Kp410ZKK3lTrvN705kC5rj-LEAt7P_1ZYWrMXO725BOwTpIaq6KG5pnI8NfMU_tuQMEoQ6WS7yYn4ikrr3z2Wg-OpRrYksVDbZTDSR2HXviIq_xgb8Wm0O8gRc4y3Z5bYLxw/s200/Far+From+the+War.jpg" width="129" /></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Title: Far From the War</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Author: Jeffrey David Payne</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Publication date: August 6th, 2011</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Summary:</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Economic ruin and partisan rancor have pushed America to the brink of a new civil war. Esther is caught in the middle, serving as a page in the United States House of Representatives when rouge politicians and military leaders stage a modern day coup d'etat. When the coup turns violent, she abandons Washington, D.C. for home. She must learn to survive on her own as transportation and financial networks fail, as the war disrupts food and water supplies. The result is a cautionary tale about political extremism and the true cost of war.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Review:</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Honestly, I don't even know where to begin with this review. I expected this book to be a good read, perhaps even average, but I quickly found that it was so much more than that. Far From the War tells the story of Esther, a strong female character and her internship at the House of Representatives as part of her goal to become involved in politics one day. As the government, politicians, and military become completely corrupt and everything pretty much shuts down, Esther's experiences show what an absolutely frightening world this would be and how every person is basically left to fend for themselves with little chance of survival. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">With his writing, Payne creates a shockingly complex yet very believable state of the world for the characters. I think it definitely fits into the category of books you could read over and over again and notice something new each time, because there's just so much going on. I was slightly on edge while reading because honestly it frightened me a bit how realistic it all sounded, and how it seemed that we could very easily end up in a similar situation. Many parts of the book were somewhat disturbing and graphic as they described the violence and corruption taking place, and I could feel my stomach turn a few times while reading, but these scenes were necessary to get the point across and not overdone or exaggerated, in my opinion. Just a warning for those of you who may have a hard time reading about such things. The whole topic of the novel is somewhat disturbing, not in an overtly grossed out kind of way but more in a way that really gets you thinking about the state of things and just one possibility of where we might end up if things ever took an awful turn for the worse.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">The first chapter was a bit mundane, but after that it started picking up, and I was drawn in. I found many aspects of the book refreshingly unique, such as the setting of Esther's internship and the overall turn of events that took place. I experienced a whole multitude of emotions while reading, from excitement and happiness about the relationships she formed along the way, to fear and horror when everything seemed utterly hopeless, and even tears of joy at the end. It is very rare that a book makes me feel such strong emotions as this one did, and even rarer that a book will make me cry. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I'd go as far as to say that Far From the War has earned a spot among my top ten favorite books, because it was just </span><i style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">that amazing</i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">. I am very eagerly awaiting the second book in the trilogy, but sadly it's not due to be released until next July. So for now, I will just have to strongly recommend this novel, as I know it's one of those that will stay in the back of your mind and keep you thinking long after finishing it. I don't even feel like my review adequately captured all of my feelings about the book, but if it sounds at all interesting, please do yourself a favor and pick up a copy. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Characters: 10/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Plot: 10/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Originality: 10/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Writing: 9/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Overall grade: A+</b></div>WhatBriReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17529153994628423768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013285182790556380.post-63097128713597770202011-08-21T18:44:00.000-07:002011-08-21T18:45:34.370-07:00Review: Into the Wild Nerd Yonder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDs_mOr78qF87ClbTfNtQ7GWHP_YtKqojEox4VdUe_i9qePRkmtok86W6wPZOoB5Vx2V4x6FWDHr0RA3PhBPwS2GB5xB_4f1pe-VQPNvUghzN4BfBcT_eO4YeVfHM-tjhXLd9af8irqTo/s200/intowildnerd.jpg" width="137" /></div><br />
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span id="freeText7516270175026036995"></span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Title: Into the Wild Nerd Yonder</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Author: Julie Halpern</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Publication Date: September 29th, 2009</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Summary:</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">It’s Jessie’s sophomore year of high school. A self-professed “mathelete,” she isn’t sure where she belongs. Her two best friends have transformed themselves into punks and one of them is going after her longtime crush. Her beloved older brother will soon leave for college (and in the meantime has shaved his mohawk and started dating . . . the prom princess!) . . .</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Things are changing fast. Jessie needs new friends. And her quest is a hilarious tour through high-school clique-dom, with a surprising stop along the way—the Dungeons and Dragons crowd, who out-nerd everyone. Will hanging out with them make her a nerd, too? And could she really be crushing on a guy with too-short pants and too-white gym shoes? </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"> </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">If you go into the wild nerd yonder, can you ever come back?</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Review: </b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">As somewhat of a nerd myself, I have to say that I enjoyed this book quite a bit. The writing was fun and more of a laid back, conversational style that I felt conveyed Jessie's thoughts and experiences nicely, in a way that I could relate to. I loved the uniqueness of many of the characters (like Jessie making her own skirts - that's pretty cool) and the relationships between them that developed as the book went on. I especially loved the relationship that Jessie had with her brother, Barrett. He was very supportive of her throughout the whole book and it was great to see such a loving relationship. It was pretty neat to look back after I finished the book and see how much Jessie had changed in terms of relationships, acceptance of herself, and who she associated with.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">I found myself smiling and laughing at so many things in this book, but particularly in the last three or so chapters. This book had such a great balance of nerdy, funny, and more serious moments, and I really enjoyed seeing how Jessie dealt with the various situations that came up. I also loved the references to other YA books like <i>Elsewhere</i>, which happens to be one of my favorites. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">My only complaint with this book is that the ending seemed a bit rushed and wasn't as satisfying as I'd hoped it would be. I think that could have easily been fixed by adding another chapter rather than ending things in a way that kind of leaves the reader hanging, but oh well. Overall, it was a fun yet realistic read that I would definitely recommend to anyone who's ever experienced trying to find their place among the various high school groups, and especially to those who can appreciate a little bit of nerdiness. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Characters: 8/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Plot: 8/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Originality: 8/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Writing: 8/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Overall grade: B</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span id="freeText7516270175026036995"></span></div>WhatBriReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17529153994628423768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013285182790556380.post-74331579707124897892011-08-21T10:23:00.000-07:002011-08-21T10:23:12.971-07:00Bout of Books Read-a-Thon!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpindhBPxJw65f4jcu5TaSQ-l2qWFVczO6Ajnb6OuK6V0wQDd1nNGTfg05bLikX0WKvL07x4pfKw7OBr2mRWDUBWUJwubmsvKlFbDAXXRMlUMy6_vQSz-g8zli2hCzbnuLqpKB46yI7Fs/s320/boutofbooks2.jpg" width="320" /></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I just heard about the Bout of Books Read-a-Thon hosted by Amanda at </span><a href="http://onabookbender.wordpress.com/" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">On A Book Bender</a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> and decided to participate! My TBR shelf is overflowing, and this is the last free week I have before school starts up again, so I figured that it would be the perfect time to knock out some of those books. The Read-a-Thon will run from 8/22 to 8/28, and you can find more info on it </span><a href="http://onabookbender.wordpress.com/2011/08/16/bout-of-books-read-a-thon/" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">here</a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">My goal is to make it through at least five new books and to finish the two I'm currently reading. I know, that's not very many, but since I honestly haven't been doing a ton of reading lately I'd like to pace myself rather than rushing through them. I'd like to finish the two books I'm reading now (Far From the War, Into The Wild Nerd Yonder), the books I mentioned yesterday (Fallout, Saving June), and then whichever ones strike my fancy from my TBR shelf when I've made it through all of the previously mentioned ones.</span> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Can't wait to get started on this tomorrow!</span><br />
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WhatBriReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17529153994628423768noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013285182790556380.post-37933005274143509892011-08-20T16:35:00.000-07:002011-08-20T16:36:13.976-07:00Site Update, Returning to Blogging, and Preview....<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Hey everyone! Not too sure how many of my followers still actually read my blog. I've taken so many hiatuses that I honestly wasn't sure I was ever going to return to doing this again, as school and work and family were taking up so much of my time that adding anything else into the mix just seemed more like torture than enjoyment. But I realized recently how much I miss doing this blog, reviewing and getting to read awesome books, and interacting with everyone I've gotten to know through doing this. It was a really positive thing in my life while I was actively running this for a number of reasons, and I've decided I'd really like to try to get this up and running again. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">School will be starting up soon, my first FULL semester of college (16 credits!) and I'm going to try to work at least 10 hours a week on top of that, but I am also going to try as hard as I can to make this blog active again. I took some time today to give the site a pretty big overhaul, and I think the layout and new features like the tabs at the top are pretty awesome. </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Admittedly, I'm probably a bit behind with that as everyone else seems to have them already, but... At least I'm somewhat on top of things now!</span><br />
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<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">With all that said, here's a preview of some of the reviews you can look forward to in the next few weeks:</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> Fallout by Ellen Hopkins</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: right;"> Far From the War by Jeffrey David Payne</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Saving June by Hannah Harrington</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I am completely excited to start doing this again and can't wait to start diving in to the pile of books on my shelf waiting to be read. I haven't had much time for leisurely activities like reading lately, so I'm eager to sit down with a good book :) </div>WhatBriReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17529153994628423768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013285182790556380.post-4184051299851908422011-07-30T13:43:00.000-07:002011-08-21T15:21:38.681-07:00Review: After by Amy Efaw<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyp4bZ1ikdg8H7qAYhgiTVZQ7Xc-2hMf6KCdyaXRo1JU46LXejOJWBZYg_tclHvHvuRAdtNi981sgkaFZBBcbMyJ-9forqDy5-MECT-areP1TMvLClEeKGqnz3MdqY1dB_IkIk1aDReiM/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyp4bZ1ikdg8H7qAYhgiTVZQ7Xc-2hMf6KCdyaXRo1JU46LXejOJWBZYg_tclHvHvuRAdtNi981sgkaFZBBcbMyJ-9forqDy5-MECT-areP1TMvLClEeKGqnz3MdqY1dB_IkIk1aDReiM/s200/images.jpg" width="149" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Title: After</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Author: Amy Efaw</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Publication date: August 11th, 2009</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Summary:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Who would leave her own baby in the trash to die? </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Certainly not someone like Devon - straight-A student, soccer player with Olympic dreams, more mature than her own mother. But desperation and panic drove her to do what most people can't even imagine. Now Devon's in a juvenile detention center, charged with attempted murder. If she's tried as an adult, she faces life in prison.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Does Devon deserve that punishment? Your answer depends on whether you believe her story - that she didn't even know she was pregnant. Was she buried in a denial so deep that she was unable to register the seemingly obvious signs of pregnancy? Or were her actions the result of a more devious, premeditated plan?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>Review: </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I had this book sitting on my bookshelf for a while and I knew it was going to be good, but I didn't have the time to read it until now, and all I can say is WOW. Amazing. The first chapter was a little hard to get through because it literally turned my stomach, but I think it was a great introduction for the story that followed. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I literally could not put this book down. Every free minute I had, I would pick it up and read as much as I could. I felt I could really relate to Devon, who was a straight-A student with very high expectations for herself, not unlike myself. So of course the entire time I was reading, I was wondering how such a person could even think about doing such a thing. By the end, I was able to understand it a little better as I became more acquainted with Devon's past and her thoughts.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I only have two complaints about this book: one, the treatment that Devon received from some of the people at the hospital and the detention center during her intake process seemed unnecessarily harsh. Perhaps that's how it is in real life, I don't know, but it was hard for me to believe that people would treat her so coldly and harshly after knowing what she just went through. Not that her actions were acceptable, but with the amount of pain and discomfort that she must have been in, both physically and emotionally, I can't believe that workers would treat her so harshly.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">My second complaint is that I felt the book ended a bit abruptly. I felt like there was some closure, and in a way, it did make sense, but given the intensity of the rest of the book I felt that the ending was just a little too abrupt. I'm not sure how else it would have been ended, without creating a sequel, though, and I can see how it shows that it seems Devon finally came to terms with everything that happened, so overall I suppose the ending wasn't that bad. Overall, I absolutely loved the book.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">While this book is probably not a good choice for the squeamish because of some of the graphic descriptions of Devon's actions, it was one of the most intense and thought-provoking books I have read in a while and I would definitely recommend it.</span><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></span></b><br />
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<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Characters: 7/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Plot: 9/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Originality: 9/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Writing: 8/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Overall grade: A</b></div></div>WhatBriReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17529153994628423768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013285182790556380.post-1988910392115339242010-09-18T14:46:00.000-07:002011-08-21T15:22:11.806-07:00Review: Break by Hannah Moskowitz<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://northchicagopubliclibrary.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/break-by-hannah-moskowitz.jpg?w=214&h=300" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://northchicagopubliclibrary.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/break-by-hannah-moskowitz.jpg?w=214&h=300" width="143" /></a></div><br />
<b>Title: Break</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Author: Hannah Moskowitz</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Publication date: August 25th, 2009</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Summary:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Jonah is on a mission to break every bone in his body. Everyone knows that broken bones grow back stronger than they were before. And Jonah wants to be stronger—needs to be stronger—because everything around him is falling apart. Breaking, and then healing, is Jonah's only way to cope with the stresses of home, girls, and the world on his shoulders.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> When Jonah's self-destructive spiral accelerates and he hits rock bottom, will he find true strength or surrender to his breaking point?</span><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span></b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b><br />
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</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Review:</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">With a summary like that, how could<b> </b>you not want to pick up this book?<b> </b>It's so unique and controversial, something that I find most books to lack these days. Since Moskowitz is a relatively young writer, I wasn't expecting the writing to be great. But I ended up loving it and can't wait to see what other publications she comes out with in the future.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I finished the entire book in one sitting because it was <i>that</i> good. The characters were real and interesting, and the plot was fascinating. As someone heavily interested in psychology, I was intrigued by everything going on in the book. The reasons for Jonah breaking his bones, the conflicts within the family, the relationship between Jonah and his brother... I was just amazed at how well everything fit together.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">What made it even more awesome is that it wasn't censored at all. It was raw, with the f-bomb flying all over the place and gruesome descriptions of the bone breaking process. That might turn some people away from picking up this book, but I can't remember the last time I felt so involved in the lives of characters, almost as if I were reading a journal or being a fly on the wall. It's such a powerful book, and anyone with experiences in self-harm will completely relate to it. The author captured it perfectly, which I don't see happen too often with subjects such as this.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The only complaint I have is the ending. I didn't completely understand the way Jonah's reasons for breaking his bones was explained, so it left me with more questions than anything else. I was expecting some phenomenal ending with lots of oomph, but to me it just kind of died out. Regardless of that, I will still hold on to this book and read it again. <b></b></div><b><br />
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<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Characters: 9/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Plot: 10/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Originality: 10/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Writing: 9/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Overall grade: A</b></div></div>WhatBriReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17529153994628423768noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013285182790556380.post-77050618792680839162010-07-05T10:12:00.000-07:002011-08-21T15:22:33.262-07:00Review: A Field Guide for Heartbreakers<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kristentracy.com/heartbreakers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.kristentracy.com/heartbreakers.jpg" /></a></div><b> Title: A Field Guide for Heartbreakers</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Author: Kristen Tracy</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Publication date: June 1st, 2010</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Summary:</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Best friends Dessy and Veronica arrive in Europe with wildly different plans. Dessy hopes to heal her newly broken heart by diving into the creative writing workshop that brought the girls to Prague. Veronica's plan, meanwhile, is to conquer as many hot-dudes as possible in one month--and help Dessy recycle her heart in the process. Her method: <br />
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- Dress like you are the party.<br />
- Explore the terrain. (Moderate stalking is totally allowed.)<br />
- Be adventurous. And that means being prepared to hide in your suitcase.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">- Ask questions that make your hot-dude feel smart. <br />
- Gloss early, gloss often, and bring bum. Because a kiss can happen when you least expect it! <br />
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At first, Veronica's plan is working so well that Dessy thinks she might be a love genius. But soon it's clear that Operation Maneater has a few holes. Like its failure to anticipate crazy mixed signals--and worse, its mysterious tendency to plague a friendship with secrets and lies. <br />
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Well, no one ever said breaking hearts was a simple craft.... </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Review:</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">At first, the cover and summary of this book made it seem like one of those fluffy summer novels with little substance, but something told me to give it a try. I did, and I was very pleasantly surprised. This novel ended up having a lot more depth with the plot and characters than I thought it would. There were lots of interesting twists that kept me on my toes, wondering what had happened or what would happen. At times, I thought the contrast between Veronica (extroverted, loud-mouthed, etc) and Dessy (introverted, doormat-like) was too great for them to be such good friends, but by the end I was satisfied. There were many, many times where I found myself laughing out loud at the things that the characters did and said, particularly with Veronica. There were a lot of great little quirks and such that kept this novel interesting (for example, a crazy homicidal girl in their writing workshop.)</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The only complaint I have with this book was that the ending felt a bit rushed. As I neared the end and was caught up in all the suspense, I looked at the remaining 10 or so pages and thought, "That's it? There's no way this whole thing can be wrapped up in just ten pages." It was, but I thought it could've been done a bit better. Overall though, I really enjoyed this book. I read it every chance I got, and will likely read it again in the near future. It was a perfect mix of a fun summer read with some depth and adventure to it. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Received for review from Disney Publishing. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Characters: 9/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Plot: 8/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Originality: 9/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Writing: 10/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Overall grade: A</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>WhatBriReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17529153994628423768noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6013285182790556380.post-79578490192114563332010-06-28T17:55:00.000-07:002011-08-21T15:23:10.638-07:00Review: Mackenzie Blue series<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://img1.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n61/n308332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://img1.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n61/n308332.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="http://img1.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n64/n323048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://img1.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n64/n323048.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="http://img1.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n67/n339221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://img1.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n67/n339221.jpg" width="132" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Title: Mackenzie Blue</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Author: Tina Wells</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Summary:</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Book 1: </b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Meet Mackenzie Blue, aka Zee </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">She has it all—smarts, talent, humor, and style. . . . </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Is it enough to survive middle school? </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Countdown to a 7th Grade Meltdown </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">1. Your BFF moves away. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">2. Someone steals your diary and reveals your deepest secrets—to the entire class. </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">3. You have one chance to become a rock star and one chance to totally blow it. Guess what!? All three happened to me! School's a disaster already. Don't get me wrong—I love Brookdale Academy and I have a fabulous crew of friends. (At least, I think I do.) But, if I'm going to survive, I need all the help I can get! </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Book 2 (The Secret Crush):</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Mackenzie Blue has a crush!</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">But how can she get Landon—the cutest boy in school—to notice her? The class's new rock-and-roll musical is her chance.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Reasons why our musical is going to be amazing:</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><ol style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><li>I could be the star! </li>
<li>Landon could be my co-star . . . which means we'll hang out together.</li>
<li>Working on the sets, props, music, script, and costumes will be tons of fun.</li>
</ol><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">There's so much to do, I'd better get started!</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Between her crush, the musical, and her friends—not to mention school work—Zee is torn in a thousand different directions. With all the real-life drama going on, will she lose sight of what's really important?</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Book 3 (Friends Forever?):</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Mackenzie Blue is hitting the trails! </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">It's time for Brookdale Academy's camping field trip, but Zee has much more to deal with than a lesson about nature. . . . </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Pros:<br />
1. My BFF, Ally, is visiting all the way from Paris! Ooh la la! <br />
2. My friends and I are so going to win the environmental scavenger hunt! </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Cons:<br />
1. We have to stay in teeny-tiny log cabins. How will we all fit? <br />
2. The legendary (and terrifying) Mountain Man . . . </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Review: </b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Since this series is geared more towards pre-teens, which is an audience I don't usually review for, I'm reviewing the whole series in one post. Even though my main focus is on young adult books, I'll sometimes review books meant for either a bit younger or older audience. This series looked interesting, so I figured, why not?</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">There were so many things in these books that reminded my of myself in 7th grade. Zee being embarrassed to have her dad drop her off at school, problems making new friends, first crushes, etc. The series was a really fun and positive one. Something I could definitely see myself reading in 6th or 7th grade. I liked how there were bits of her diary entries and IM conversations included, but sometimes the IMs were a bit annoying because I can't stand chat speak. I also enjoyed the aspect of the band, which ended up playing a big part throughout all 3 books. I was a "band geek" in middle school, so I could really relate to a lot of that. It's refreshing to see a book with groups other than the typical jocks, cheerleaders, etc.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;">Overall, I think this is a great series for a younger audience. It deals with a lot of problems that girls at that age can relate to, and ultimately a positive solution was found for each of the problems. I'd definitely recommend it to tween girls looking for something cute to read.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Characters: 8/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Plot: 7/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Originality: 7/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Writing: 7/10</b></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b>Overall grade: C</b></div>WhatBriReadshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17529153994628423768noreply@blogger.com0