Pretty Amy by Lisa Burstein

PRETTY AMY

Sometimes date is a four letter word.

Amy is fine living in the shadows of beautiful Lila and uber-cool Cassie, because at least she’s somewhat beautiful and uber-cool by association. But when their dates stand them up for prom, and the girls take matters into their own hands—earning them a night in jail outfitted in satin, stilettos, and Spanx—Amy discovers even a prom spent in handcuffs might be better than the humiliating “rehabilitation techniques” now filling up her summer. Worse, with Lila and Cassie parentally banned, Amy feels like she has nothing—like she is nothing. 

Navigating unlikely alliances with her new coworker, two very different boys, and possibly even her parents, Amy struggles to decide if it’s worth being a best friend when it makes you a public enemy. Bringing readers along on an often hilarious and heartwarming journey, Amy finds that maybe getting a life only happens once you think your life is over. 

What did you say about me being desperate to get this book? It's not like that was true or anything. Okay, okay, I'll admit it: I did really want this book.

I feel sorry for Amy because she is so totally lost. She didn't know what she should do or who she wants to be, all she knows is that without Cassie and Lila she feels completely alone.

 I always tend to feel strongly towards book characters acting outright disrespectful to their parents, but then again, my parents do seem to be a lot better than most book characters. Also, in books I've started to notice a trend that the mum is strict and never listens to what the daughter is trying to say, but the dad does. Generally the dad and daughter did something when she was younger, before she was too 'cool' to do it. This trend was followed in this book which is why I prefered her mum to her dad. Her mum was pretty mean. Her mum does have an excuse to act that way I suppose, Amy did get arrested for posession and intent to sell drugs and didn't exactly have the best of friends.

I'm not sure if he exactly counts as a proper character seeing as he was a bird and all, but AJ was the coolest character in the book. I loved how Amy had taught him to say "Pretty Amy." If I had a parrot I'd had taught it to do the exact same - just to say "Pretty Rowan," instead of "Pretty Amy."

My favourite human character was Joe, though I don't quite get why he told Amy she should have stayed at the prom when he wouldn't let her in. At the end he was so awkward that it was cute.

The end is what I have a problem with. Just the last chapter, not the whole end section of the book. It just seemed a tiny bit rushed as cram-as-much-information-in-a-paragraph-as-possible rushed. I think it might have been better if there was an extra chapter or something. I don't know, don't listen to me, I don't know anything about writing books. Maybe if there was that extra chapter we'd have got the answer to the question we all know to do: does Amy stop smoking? Why she wants to smell so bad I'll never know...

Out of Amy's 'friends' (Lila and Cassie) I'd have to say Cassie was my most preferred. Sure she had anger management issues but all characters have to have their faults. There is nothing more annoying than a 'perfect' character.

Excuse me one minute while I go stab Aaron. Then Brian.
Fine, I won't stab them, I'll just deliver death glares.

I kept on imagining Connor as a sort of werewolve seeing as he was so hairy. That means this is as close as I'll get to reading a werewolf novel *round of applause for Lisa Burstein*. Although I didn't really lke him at first, I did grow on him. It was really nice of him and his wife (Tiffany) to help Amy out. I did find it amusing when he got - aka forced - her to go to his church prayer group even though she's Jewish.

While I did feel sorry for Amy, she did bring a lot of it on herself. She drunk, smoked (cigarettes and marajuana) and didn't exactly hang out with the best of people. She shouldn't of chosen them over him in her sophomore year. I didn't particuarily like Amy, but that didn't change my rating of the book like most protagonists I don't like.

I'd give this book four out of five stars! :)

Note to self: Even when the author makes book characters seem real, do not start talking about them like they are real people.

The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman

I wonder if this book was published early in Britain because everywhere else it's publish date is April 10th... I got it on Valentine's Day...


It was like a nightmare, but there was no waking up. 

When the night began, Nora had two best friends and a boyfriend she adored. When it ended, she had nothing but blood on her hands. Chris was dead. Adriane couldn't speak. And Max, Nora's sweet, smart, soft-spoken Prince Charming, was gone. He was also-according to the police, according to her parents, according to everyone-a murderer. 

Desperate to prove his innocence, Nora's determined to follow the trail of blood, no matter where it leads. But Chris's murder is just one piece in a puzzle that spans continents and centuries. Solving it may be the only way she can save her own life.

I have to say Robin Wasserman did well with this book. She made you think things were going to happen, then she killed that idea. You were sure it had just been a red herring, but you want to know what? They happened. 

 What I didn't like about this book was how long it took to get to what you knew was going to happen. Chris dying, Adriane not being able to speak and Max disappearing, I mean on the first page (of the ARC - I have the ARC e-book and the paperback) it says:

"I should probably start with all the blood.

       If it bleeds it leads and all that, right? It's all anyone ever wants to know about anyway. What did it look like? What did it feel like? Why was it all over my hands? And the mystery blood, all those unaccounted-for antibodies, those faceless corkscrews of DNA - who left them behind?

        But beginning with that night, with the blood means that Chris will never be anything more than a corpse, bleeding all over his mother's travertine marble, Adriane nothing but a dead-eyed head case, rocking back and moaning, her clothes soaked in his blood, her face paper white with that slash of red razored into her cheek. If I started there, Max would be nothing but a void. Null space; vacuum and wind.

       Maybe that part would be right."

You know what will happen and that's only the first half of the first page. It takes to page one hundred and twelve in the e-book ARC for this to happen (out of four hundred and forty-nine).  It was quite slow paced in that way. Sure some of the information was necessary to the plot, but maybe the author could have cut some of it out? But then you wouldn't get a lot of Chris, who is undoubtedly my favourite character. 

From chapters twenty-seven and twenty-eight in part one of the book, Chris made me laugh quite a lot. I'd be so much happier if he hadn't died. Maybe somebody else should have died *glares at a certain book character*... But if that happened the whole plot of the book would be ruined... Such a shame...

As far as female protagonists go, Nora was surprisingly not that bad. She was probably my favourite main character of the year. She didn't complain that much, especially for somebody whose best friend was murdered and boyfriend was blamed. Most characters seem to have all these romantic obsessions with their closest friend of the opposite sex, finally somebody that didn't sit thinking "Oh, I'm so in love with my best friend, but they don't see me in that way," until the last page of the book and then the pair end up going out. That really annoys me. Nora didn't think that way throughout the book about Chris, the only romantic thoughts were about her boyfriend, which is acceptable. 

Nora really had lost basically everything by the end of the book. Which is why I'm so glad about Eli. Though he's a lying pig, who I'm not quite sure if he was a bad guy or not, he was a good friend to Nora, exactly what Adriane wasn't.

I liked Adriane's character right up until the end; she was determined, and though vain, she was amusing. Maybe she thought she had reason for what she did, and maybe what she did wasn't nearly as bad as what some other people did, but still, she shouldn't have done it.

The Lumen Dei was confusing. I can't remember what the people were called, but it was in Czech. I think it would have been less confusing maybe if I wasn't so tired while reading it.

For me, the characters made this book. The plot was at times too confusing and I would have much preferred if the book was contemporary rather than fantasy/paranormal/whatever it was. I don't think I've ever said that before.

It was a good murder mystery book with so many twists and turns it was hard not to get dizzy. I loved how Robin Wasserman developed the characters, they are some of the best characters (not matter how much I disliked them, it was because of the way she developed them).

I'd give this book three out of five stars, it's a really strong three though and would be higher if the plot was even slightly more believable.

Favourite book quotes: "Not that my arms are getting tired or anything, but... how much longer is the hugging phase going to last?"

"Chris loved you," I said, and the truth of it was almost a physical pain. 

She wouldn't look at me. "No he didn't. And he would have figured it out eventually. So would you? Then where would I have been?"

"Not here."

Dear Dylan... by Siobhan Curham

A first crush.
            An unexpected friendship.
                                               A dream come true...
Dear Dylan,
Thanks SO much for your email and I'm sorry about my last one when I said I love you. I hope you don't think I'm a weirdo mentalist?!!! It's just that I was watching Oprah yesterday and she said we should all say we love each other a whole lit more. Not to everyone of course. There's no way I'd tell my scummy step-dad that I love him because that would be lying. But the thing is, sometimes when I watch you on TV, I feel as if you're talking just to me and it makes me feel less alone.

I know you probably get loads and loads of fan mail but I wanted to ask you - could we be e-mates?

Yours hopefully,
Georgie
xxx

I've never actually read a book which was totally comprised up of e-mails so that was pretty cool. I've never seen another book written in this format but if I did find another one, I'm pretty sure I'd enjoy it.

The main thing that annoyed me in this novel was the text language. I know that it was written in the form of e-mails but still, the author didn't need to use text language. Okay, maybe other people don't mind text language and I'm just being picky... I don't like text language... Even when I'm texting people...

I felt quite sorry for Georgie. Though completely hyper and maybe a little insane, she had a mum who drunk and wasn't there when she needed her and a step-dad who have anger management issues that made him pretty dangerous. I hate it when characters

Nan was really nice. Though what she did was lying and it was a little weird. Or am I the only one who feels that an old women e-mailing a fourteen year old (obsessive) fan of her son is a little creepy?

The book was humourous which is probably why the author could get away with adding the not so humourous things in without making the reader depressed. Georgie does manage to keep a happy persona throughout the whole book which is a good thing and surprising because of all she goes through.

I enjoyed this book even though it was nothing like what I expected it to be. Not even slightly resembling my first impressions.

I'd have to give this book four out of five stars.

Putting Boys on the Ledge by Stephanie Rowe

Meet Blueberry Waller, whose name is the only interesting thing about her life. Until now.
Not only is Blue dealing with the worst name in the world, crazy parents and a clingy younger sister, she just got a part in the school play. And now she’s acting with Heath Cavendish, total crush-worthy senior. He would never give a second look to a girl like Blue. Except he has.
Her friends say Blue should play it cool, put Heath on the Ledge so she can keep the upper hand. Trouble is, she doesn’t know how to be clever around boys. Thankfully her pal Colin offers his help in teaching her how to get the guy. But he’s just being a good friend. Isn’t he?
Suddenly the wallflower is getting all the attention. But will being in the spotlight keep Blue from making the right decisions...for her?
A Girlfriend’s Guide to Boys: For these four friends, understanding the world of boys is only half the battle.


Note to self: Write book reviews straight after reading the book and not three weeks later.


Blueberry Waller. I think Stephanie Rowe earns Brownie points for such an inventive name.
It's a shame I didn't like her. She was just annoying.

It was quite a cliché book, but to be honest I wasn't really expecting otherwise.

Blue's parents? Totally unrealistic?
Heath Cavendish? His type of character is used in every single novel set in American high school. Why can't for once that "hot-high-school-senior-who-is-the-star-football-player-and-totally-perfect-in-every-single-way" be nice? Or better yet, don't have that him in the book or don't have him as a romantic interest.
Colin? Please tell me you saw that one coming.
Her friends, they were a lot better than Blueberry.

Maybe one day there will be a main character in a book who isn't "super-pretty-but-thinks-she-isn't",  maybe one day.

I took far too long after reading the book to write this review, which was really stupid, because that leaves me with not much to say.

I think I'm going to give this book two stars out or five.

Wanted (Pretty Little Liars) by Sara Shepard

In Rosewood, majestic estates sprawl for acres, and Tiffany toggle bracelets dangle from every girl's wrist. But not all that glitters is gold, and the town harbors secrets darker than anyone could imagine-like the truth about what really happened the night Alison DiLaurentis went missing. . . .

Back in middle school, Ali plucked Emily, Hanna, Aria, and Spencer from obscurity and turned them into the beautiful, popular girls everyone wanted to be. Ali was the best friend they ever had. But she also made them do terrible things and taunted them with their worst secrets. Now, three years later, all their questions about Ali have finally been answered and they can put this awful chapter of their lives behind them. Or so they think.

Not every story has a happy ending, especially when four pretty little liars have done so many wicked things. In the dramatic conclusion of Sara Shepard's bestselling Pretty Little Liars series, Emily, Hanna, Aria, and Spencer could get everything they've ever wanted-unless A has one more horrifying twist in store.

I would have been so happy if Sara Shepard had just ended the series with this book. I've not got my hands on Twisted yet, and I don't know how good it is. It just shouldn't have been written.

Judging by the blurb from the version of Wanted I read, this was originally the finale of the series. Why couldn't that have just happened?

You found out who A was, who murdered Ali, dirty little secrets that the DiLaurentis family were keeping. It ended perfectly, leaving you with only one cliff-hanger, which for a Sara Shepard book is pretty good.

I can't really say much without going total spoiler alert, because something major happens about a quarter of the way through the book (I think) and I can't really talk about anything else because I don't really want to ruin that.

Aria has remained my favourite of the 'Pretty Little Liars' throughout the series. Spencer is probably ranked second. Hanna is just too shallow, she doesn't care about anyone, just her popularity. Emily is just so boring. And she whines a lot (like I do when talking about books). I hate book characters that whine constantly when the book is first person (Mia Thermopolis anybody?).

I did enjoy this book and I'm going to give it four out of five stars.

I just really wish that Sara Shepard had left it at this one.

I normally try  to get pictures that are the same as the version of the book I read (though I couldn't find one for Lord of the Flies) but I prefer this version.

Pride and Popularity by Jenni James

   Pride and Popularity by Jenni James is the first book in the series of six called “The Austen Diaries,” which are modern retellings of Jane Austen’s books. It is the first published novel by Jenni James and is a book I thoroughly enjoyed.

  Set in Farmington, New Mexico, Pride and Popularity is about Chloe Hart and Taylor Anderson, two high school seniors who hate each other, or rather Chloe hates Taylor and he’s determined to change her mind. Taylor is the stereotypical egocentric jock, a player and the most popular boy in the school, Chloe is not so popular and detests Taylor as much as she loves dancing, which of course makes the book sound very cliché, but it’s not. It’s filled with surprises and some of the characters are not all they’re cracked up to be.

    I suggest that you read Pride and Popularity if you’re looking for a romantic comedy or if you have read Pride and Prejudice and you want to see how it compares. I personally have no idea how well the writer did with the retelling as I have not read Pride and Prejudice but what I do know is that it was a well written book with interesting characters.

   Pride and Popularity is an amusing story that I think most people will enjoy reading as it appeals to all age groups.

I wrote this book review in English a while ago, but with the release of the second book in the series,Northanger Alibi, I thought I'd post this :)

Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies by William Golding


A plane crashes on an uninhabited island and the only survivors, a group of schoolboys, assemble on the beach and wait to be rescued. By day they inhabit a land of bright fantastic birds and dark blue seas, but at night their dreams are haunted by the image of a terrifying beast. In this, his first novel, William Golding gave the traditional adventure story an ironic, devastating twist. The boys' delicate sense of order fades, and their childish fears are transformed into something deeper and more primitive. Their games take on a horrible significance, and before long the well-behaved party of schoolboys has turned into a tribe of faceless, murderous savages.
 First published in 1954, Lord of the Flies is now recognized as a classic, one of the most celebrated of all modern novels.


Fun. Simplistic. Humorous. Light.
All thing that William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies was not.

Gruesome, confusing and, in my opinion, not very enjoyable, Lord of the Flies is not high up on my books-to-recommend list.

That said, the book wasn't all bad. It started off well but then progressively deteriorated. Another good thing in the book is Piggy.

Piggy was one of the only nice characters in the book. Throughout most of the book I felt incredibly sorry for him. It took forever for him to be taken seriously, and by the time he was, it was generally too late.

Ralph started off quite rude, obnoxious and a little full of himself. Ralph did get better through the course of the book though. He knew what was important to get them saved and by the end of the book I was feeling terrible for Ralph; all because of Jack.

As far as book characters go, Jack Merridew is one of the most evil and twisted boys there is. There was no way he was right in the head and to be perfectly honest, I don't think he even wanted saved from the island.

The island seemed like a nice enough place. Or it would be if you added a few adults, shelter, easy food and bathrooms. It was a tropical island with many exotic fruits growing on it and a few pigs running around. With it's great scenery and tranquility it seems like what every modern holiday resort aims for.

I found the ending to the book confusing. It just got a little too fast paced with far fetched ideas. It told you that one of the characters was the Lord of the Flies. What it didn't tell you? What the Lord of the Flies actually was.

Though I didn't enjoy the end of the book, I did like the beginning, and I'm going to give it two of out five stars for that.
I know - I'm very generous.