Review: Skin

Title: Skin
Author: Adrienne Maria Vrettos
Publication Date: March 21st, 2006

Summary:
You don't have to be thin to feel small.

Donnie's life is unraveling. His parents' marriage is falling apart, and his sister is slowly slipping away in the grip of her illness. To top it all off, he accidentally starts a rumor at school that hurts someone he cares about and leaves him an outcast.

So Donnie does the only thing he knows how to do: He tries to fix things, to make everything the way it was before. Before his parents stopped loving each other, before his sister disappeared, before he was alone. But some things are beyond repair, and it will take all Donnie's strength to stop looking back and start moving forward again.


Review:
As I said in my post earlier in the week, when I started reading this book, I realized that I had read it before. I don't usually forget about books I've read, so this was kind of weird to me. As I kept reading though, I remembered that I absolutely loved this book the first time I read it. And I still do now. I really like how it's about such an interesting subject, eating disorders, but it's from the viewpoint of someone close to the person with the disorder. The book starts out with the climax, and then goes back and tells the story of everything leading up to that point, and then after. I like how that worked. One thing that kind of bothered me the more I thought about it, was that there seemed to be a lot of big things happening at once. The story was mostly about Karen's anorexia and how it affected the family and her best friend, but then there were other big things happening such as their father leaving, Donnie getting constant ear infections, and losing both of his best friends/having to cope with being totally alone, while dealing with his sister's problems and the other problems in the family. So sometimes it seemed to me like there was too much going on, but by the end of the book I realized that it didn't really bother me that much because it all kind of fit together. I feel like the parents over-reacted sometimes, like when their father kicked in Karen's door because the mother said that she was too skinny and he HAD to see her. I was thinking, you just noticed that she was that skinny when you went in her room for a minute? What about before that, the rest of that day/week? Why bust down the door? It didn't really make sense to me. But I suppose there are some people/families like that. That's kind of scary to think about.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Skin. If you enjoy books about dysfunctional families and/or eating disorders, you'll probably like it too :)

Characters: 9/10
Plot: 9/10
Originality: 9/10
Writing: 9/10
Overall grade: A

Because I haven't been posting lately...

Just thought I'd drop in and make a post to let all of you know I'm still around. Unfortunately school has been taking up a bit more of my time than usual lately, along with the fact that I recently got my license. Which leaves minimal time for reading, and that means I've been getting through about a book every week and a half to two weeks. Which doesn't make for a very exciting blog when I've got nothing to post about! I don't want it to seem like I'm only doing the In My Mailbox posts, because that wouldn't make for a very well-rounded book reviewing blog. I'm almost finished reading Skin, so I should have that review up in a couple of days. I realized when I was a few chapters into it, that it sounded oddly familiar. Then I realized that I had read it a few years ago, though I can't quite remember when. It's definitely a good book, since I'm reading it again :P So watch out for that review in the next couple of days.

In order to get things moving a bit here again, let's start some discussion :) What book are you reading right now? How do you like it so far? What book are you going to read next?

In My Mailbox (5/4 - 5/9)

I still think the mail is being really slow lately. Either that, or people aren't really sending me things when they say they are. Hmm... Needless to say, I had a slow week. But that's alright because I've still got a ton to catch up on, and I'm really excited about the two books that I did get :)


Beauty Queen
Linda Glovach

I felt the prick of the needle, but only for a second, because this great rush of warmth quickly followed, encompassing my whole body from my toes right up to the top hair on my head. I couldn't move for a minute as she guided the needle in and out of my vein. When she was done, I felt like I had entered heaven. I looked in the mirror and felt beautiful, confident. I felt this great peace, at last, a warmth, and I knew that everything was going to be okay- and really always had been. Like time had stopped and I was floating on a cloud.




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Something, Maybe
Elizabeth Scott

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.

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 make 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....

Once again, Elizabeth Scott has created a world so painfully funny and a cast of characters so heartbreakingly real that you'll love being a part of it from unexpected start to triumphant finish.

Review: The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things

Title: The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things
Author: Carolyn Mackler
Publication Date: June 14th, 2005

Summary:
Virginia Shreves has a larger-than-average body and a plus-size inferiority complex. She lives on the Web, snarfs junk food, and obeys the "Fat Girl Code of Conduct." Then there are the other Shreveses: Mom is an exercise fiend and a successful adolescent psychologist; Dad, when not jet-setting, or golfing in Connecticut, ogles skinny women on TV; and older siblings Byron and Anais are slim, brilliant, and impossible to live up to. Delete Virginia, and the Shreveses are a picture-perfect family . . . until a phone call changes everything.



Review:
This book has been sitting on my shelf for a few YEARS, and I wish that I had picked it up sooner. I really enjoyed reading about Virginia's struggle with her weight, from the beginning where she kept putting herself down all the time and following the "Fat Girl Code of Conduct", to when she finally started trying to get healthier and be more optimistic. I thought her parents were a bit unrealistic at times, I mean, her mother is an adolescent psychologist, but seems to only be able to talk to Virginia about her weight? Or her father, who constantly makes remarks about how beautiful skinny girls are, and, if only Virginia would lose 20 or 30 pounds..

I like how it was written, because the whole time I was reading this book I felt like Virginia was becoming my new best friend. I wanted to cheer her on and I could definitely sympathize with her. I love how she started to become more self-confident and started to stand up for herself more. This book was a great story of how standing up for yourself and not letting others get the best of you can really improve your outlook on everything, even if it's something as simple as coloring your hair, or talking to someone new.

I'm honestly not sure what else to say about it, other than I really enjoyed reading it. I'm sure most of you have already read it, but if you haven't, I think you should give it a try. :)

Characters: 9/10
Plot: 8/10
Originality: 9/10
Writing: 9/10
Overall grade: B

Winners of 25 Followers Contest!

And now, I'll announce the winners of my 25 Followers contest! :)

First place goes to: Lucid Conspiracy!

Second place goes to: Carolsue!

Winners, I've emailed both of you. You have 72 hours to get back to me, or I'll have to pick a new winner in your place.

Thanks to everyone who entered and helped me celebrate having 25 followers!

Review: The Queen of Everything

Title: The Queen of Everything

Author: Deb Caletti
Publication date: March 25th, 2008

Summary:
High school junior Jordan MacKenzie's life was pretty typical: fractured family, new boyfriend, dead-end job. She'd been living with her father (the predictable optometrist) since her mother (the hippie holdover) had been too embarrassing to be around. Jordan felt like she finally had as normal a life as she could. But then came Gayle D'Angelo.
Jordan knew her father was dating Gayle, and that Gayle was married. Jordan knew it was wrong, and that her father was becoming someone she didn't recognize anymore, but what could she do about it? And how could she -- how could anyone -- have possibly guessed that this illicit love affair would implode in such a violent and disturbing way?
Review:
I'd heard great things about Deb Caletti's other books, so I decided to try this one. I ended up having mixed feelings about it. I didn't really start to get into it until about the 5th chapter, when the plot really began, and just when I started to get really into a certain part, it would jump to something completely different. It seemed to me that the writing jumped around a lot, which was kind of hard to follow sometimes. One minute it would be talking about Jordan's father having an affair, and the next minute it would jump to Jordan being with her grandfather at his gas station, and then suddenly Jordan's best friend was having problems with her facial hair. It also seemed like there were too many major things going on: Jordan's father messing around with a married woman, Jordan's grandfather dying, Jordan's father getting in trouble with the law, etc. If I hadn't read the back cover prior to reading this, I don't think I would have been able to pick out the main idea of the book.
I disliked Jordan's relationship with Kale. She called him her boyfriend a few times, but the way it was written it seemed that she hated him. He was a complete ass (forcing her to have sex with him? killing innocent animals?) yet she kept hanging out with him. Then she would wonder why she did so, and the whole time I was thinking how stupid the whole thing was. If I was around anyone who acted like Kale, I would have stopped talking to him in an instant. It seemed he only made Jordan's problems worse, and I really just didn't understand their "relationship".
Another thing I didn't understand was how Jackson would just keep popping up out of nowhere when Jordan needed him. I know that he was supposed to be a mysterious kind of guy and all, but seriously? He just happens to be sitting in his truck on the other side of the island, or in a town that's 3 hours away on the mainland, because he knows that she'll be there and need his assistance? It was so unrealistic to me.
I really wanted to like this book, and besides those few things, it was a good read. But it didn't completely live up to my expectations. I'd recommend it to you if you wanted a fun book because you had nothing else to read. I mean, it wasn't horrible and I don't regret reading it, but I don't know if I'd read it again. I feel like I'm complaining about it more than I should - it wasn't THAT bad. It did have memorable parts in it that I really liked. Just don't go into this book expecting that you'll be able to follow everything or fully understand it, because it was kind of hard at times.



Characters: 8/10
Plot: 7/10
Originality: 7/10
Writing: 6/10
Overall grade: C

In My Mailbox (4/27 - 5/2)

I had a great week this week! I was really excited when the package of 6 books from Mary Hogan came in. :) Thanks to The Compulsive Reader for holding that contest! I also went to Borders, armed with a $15 gift card and a 40% off coupon. I finally got Wintergirls, I'm so excited to read it! I've got a ton of reading to catch up on with all these books coming in, but I've been busy with school and some other things going on in the community around here. Expect reviews more frequently in the next few weeks as I find more time for reading.

Pretty Face
Mary Hogan

Hayley wishes she could love living in Santa Monica, blocks from the beach, where every day—and everybody—is beautiful and sunny. But she just doesn't fit in with all the blond, superskinny Southern California girls who have their plastic surgeons on speed dial. Hayley is smart and witty and has such a pretty . . . face. Translation: Don't even think about putting on a bikini, much less dating superhot Drew Wyler. A bikini will never be flattering, and Drew will never think of her as more than a friend.

Just when Hayley feels doomed to live her life in the fat lane, her parents decide to send her to Italy for the summer—not for school, not for fat camp, just for fun. It's there, under the Italian sun, that Hayley's vision of herself starts to change. She's curvy, not fat. Pizza isn't evil. And life is so much more than one-size-fits-all. Who knows? Once Hayley sees herself in a new light, maybe the girl with the pretty face will finally find true amore.

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Susanna Sees Stars
Mary Hogan

Susanna Barringer's internship at Scene magazine is a dream come true. She'll dish the latest celebrity stories and be the youngest journalist to rub elbows with the stars.
But her first real celebrity sighting is a disaster. And her second. Then her third. Her boss can't remember her name. And her trendy coworkers mock her interview skills along with her fashion sense.
Is Susanna out of her league? Or can she reach the stars to get the scoop of the summer?

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Susanna Hits Hollywood
Mary Hogan

Susanna Barringer, celebrity reporter, is off to Hollywood for the Academy Awards. She'll parade down the red carpet, schmooze with the stars, and land a leading story for Scene magazine. But when her ticket to fame is lost on her first day in Tinseltown, Susanna concocts a high-stakes plan to get back on the inside. And in a sea of celebrity reporters, she is determined to rise to the top. Leave the Pulitzer to the pros - Susanna is after the Academy Award for Gutsiest Teen Intern!

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Susanna Covers the Catwalk
Mary Hogan

Grey is the new black and shorts are the new trousers - or, is it pink and skinny jeans? And what is the difference between a catwalk and a runway? All Susanna knows for sure about the fashion world is that Nell, her demanding Devil-Wears-Prada boss, is most definitely a certifiable nutcase.

It's Fashion Week in New York City and Susanna is smack in the middle of the action. Not quite backstage, but how hard can that be for a girl who gets the story no matter what? All she has to do now is sneak behind those velvet ropes and uncover the scoop of the century...

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Perfect Girl
Mary Hogan

Out of the blue, Ruthie has fallen in love with the boy next door, Perry. He's suddenly grown up and made her heart go thwang, and Ruthie has no idea what to do about it.
Then a new girl shows up at school, and Ruthie realizes that she has to do something, and fast. Jenna is perfect, from her perfectly straight hair to her perfectly manicured toes. Perry's noticed her too, and worse, Jenna has noticed him right back. Ruthie knows she has to call her aunt, New York's "Goddess of Love." If Aunt Marty, romance columnist and woman of the world, can't turn Ruthie into a perfect girl, no one can...but she might also turn Ruthie's entire world upside down.

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The Serious Kiss
Mary Hogan

One summer day, Libby and her best friend, Nadine, come up with a plan. Before their freshman year is over, they will each experience a serious kiss. Libby already has her ideal boy picked out. Everything is set.

But Libby's beer-guzzling father and fast food–addict mother have another plan: The family is moving. To the middle of nowhere. Away from all of Libby's friends and all hope of a normal life, much less a boyfriend.

As her life and her family are falling apart, Libby starts to wonder, Is happiness really about being normal? Or is being happy maybe just...being yourself? As she begins to figure out who she is, Libby discovers the most amazing thing of all -- being herself could also be the key to a perfect, incredible, wonderful, serious kiss.

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Wintergirls
Laurie Halse Anderson

"Dead girl walking," the boys say in the halls. "Tell us your secret," the girls whisper, one toilet to another.

I am that girl.
I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through.
I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame.

Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the skinniest. But what comes after size zero and size double-zero? When Cassie succumbs to the demons within, Lia feels she is being haunted by her friend's restless spirit.

In her most emotionally wrenching, lyrically written book since the multiple-award-winning Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson explores Lia's descent into the powerful vortex of anorexia, and her painful path toward recovery.

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Skin
Adrienne Maria Vrettos

You don't have to be thin to feel small.

Donnie's life is unraveling. His parents' marriage is falling apart, and his sister is slowly slipping away in the grip of her illness. To top it all off, he accidentally starts a rumor at school that hurts someone he cares about and leaves him an outcast.

So Donnie does the only thing he knows how to do: He tries to fix things, to make everything the way it was before. Before his parents stopped loving each other, before his sister disappeared, before he was alone. But some things are beyond repair, and it will take all Donnie's strength to stop looking back and start moving forward again.