Thursday, June 20, 2013

Book Review: The Moon And More by Sarah Dessen

The Moon and More

By: Sarah Dessen
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Goodreads Description: Luke is the perfect boyfriend: handsome, kind, fun. He and Emaline have been together all through high school in Colby, the beach town where they both grew up. But now, in the summer before college, Emaline wonders if perfect is good enough.

Enter Theo, a super-ambitious outsider, a New Yorker assisting on a documentary film about a reclusive local artist. Theo's sophisticated, exciting, and, best of all, he thinks Emaline is much too smart for Colby.

Emaline's mostly-absentee father, too, thinks Emaline should have a bigger life, and he's convinced that an Ivy League education is the only route to realizing her potential. Emaline is attracted to the bright future that Theo and her father promise. But she also clings to the deep roots of her loving mother, stepfather, and sisters. Can she ignore the pull of the happily familiar world of Colby?

Emaline wants the moon and more, but how can she balance where she comes from with where she's going?

Sarah Dessen's devoted fans will welcome this story of romance, yearning, and, finally, empowerment. It could only happen in the summer.
I love Sarah Dessen's books! And this one is no disappointment! This is why she is my favorite author!
     First of all, it was good to get some more of Colby! I love that place and if I could, I would jump right in the book to live there. The perfect small town beach where people no each other, but it is still close to a city as well. My kind of paradise! 
     Then you have the main character, Emaline. May I just say, that is such a cool and unique name. She was a great character to read about. Strong but with vulnerability as well. Fun but still hardworking and kind of a control freak. Scared to try new things, but still willing to sometimes. She has the perfect balance to her character and that is why I loved reading from her point of view. 
     Emaline is a small town girl, getting ready to take on the "real world" and wants to enjoy one more summer before everything in her life that is familiar, changes completely. Plus, a girl that wants to become close with a father she barely ever knew. Plus, after a relationship with her high school boyfriend, Luke, ends she has to face a whole different looking future that she did not expect. 
     Theo, talk about a true New Yorker. In Colby for the summer, he is the perfect kind of change that Emaline needs. He is a fun, caring, and very enthusiastic person. But, to Emaline, it is a huge change and one she has to figure out if she is ready for. 
     Luke is Emaline's boyfriend of the last three years. Well that is until he does something to screw it all up. But, it may not have been the worst thing for both of them. And even after everything he is still the sweet guy who comes to help when Emaline needs someone the most. Talk about an amazing person!
     Clyde and Ivy. What a contrast in characters! You have Clyde, who is the laid back, calm, small town artist. He doesn't let his successful art change his small town roots. Then you have Ivy, who is a neurotic, demanding, sometimes just plain rude, documentary filmer. They both made the book interesting in their own way, especially when they were in scenes with each other or talking about each other. 
     Then you have Benji, Morris, Daisy, and Emaline's family. Can I just say that Emaline has a great support system and amazing people surrounding her in life. They are all fun and care about her so much that they would drop everything to help her out. She is a very lucky girl. 

All in all this book was so great! There are so many awesome lessons to be learned from Emaline and her summer story in this book. 
My Rating:


Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday!!

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke And Bookish
Top Ten Book At The Top Of My Summer TBR Pile!

1. The Moon And More by: Sarah Dessen (currently reading)
2. All I Need by: Susane Colasanti
3. Across The Universe by: Beth Revis
4. Wild Awake by: Hilary T. Smith
5. The Girl Of Fire And Thorns by: Rae Carson







6. September Girls by: Bennett Madison
7. Life After Theft by: Aprilynne Pike
8. Pulse by: Patrick Carman
9. Mind Games by: Kiersten White
10. Mila 2.0 by: Debra Driza





What is on the top of your To Be Read pile? 

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Book Review: Before I Fall by: Lauren Oliver


Before I Fall
By: Lauren Oliver
Genre: Young Adult
Goodreads Description:  What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it turns out to be her last.

The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. Living the last day of her life seven times during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing. 
     What an inspiring novel! Talk about a book I could not put down! This was the type of book that I ended up placing little sticky notes all over to mark quotes that I loved. Lauren Oliver is such an amazing and talented writer! She definitely knows how to suck the readers in. 

     Let's start off with the main character, Samantha. Popular, a follower, and mean if it means she will look cool. But if you had to keep reliving the day you died, don't you think you would change too? That is one of my favorite things about this book. Getting to see Sam open her eyes and realize how wrong she has been and then try and change it. She makes plenty of mistakes throughout this book, but when she wakes up she always has a chance at a redo. She grows so much in this book! 

     Sam's best friends: First you have Lindsey, The Leader. She is the one who decides who they are mean to. But, she is also the friend that has your back no matter what, and if someone messes with you they are sure going to regret it. Then you have Ally. She is a friend that will speak her mind when necessary but likes to keep things light and happy. Lastly, you have Elody. She is the quiet friend who never really sticks up for herself and doesn't do good with any type of confrontation, but she is still a great friend who loves to have fun. 

     Rob is the typical popular boyfriend. The kind that you see with a girl and think, he is super cute, and then you talk to him and think, "why is she with him?" I love as you read this book, you see what a jerk he is and also that Sam sees what a jerk and loser he is. 

     Kent is kind of described as a loser at the beginning of this book. But once you see more of him as it goes on, you realize he is the sweet, caring kind of guy you would totally want to date! Talk about an amazing guy! I was totally rooting for him in the beginning because I always like an underdog and also he sounded like the type I would go for, and can I just say that in the end the nice guy does sometimes win? 

     Now to Juliette, she is a girl that your heart literally breaks for! You want to be able to help her and you just keep turning the pages and hoping that things will change! The more she is picked on and talked about, the more pissed off you get. I wanted to jump into this book sometimes and just shake Sam and her friends for being so mean to her. But, Sam learns eventually that making fun of someone isn't always just fun, and there are sometimes consequences. 

     Over all, this book was absolutely amazing and inspiring and breath taking, and impossible to put down... well I could go on forever saying good things about it. Lets just say it is definitely one of my favorite books now! 


My Rating:


Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish

Top 10 Beach Reads!

1. Along For The Ride by: Sarah Dessen (or Any Sarah Dessen book really)
2.Twenty Boy Summer by: Sarah Ockler
3. Moonglass by: Jessi Kirby 



4. My Life Next Door by: Huntley Fitzpatrick 
5. Keep Holding On by: Susane Colasanti  (or any of her books!)
6. The Summer My Life Began by: Shannon Greenland


    


Okay I only have 6 because I definitely need to read more contemporary and also I need to try new authors as well! Thats what i will do this summer :)

If you have any suggestions, comment below! :)

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Book Review: Through The Ever Night

Through The Ever Night (Under the Never Sky #2)

By: Veronica Rossi

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian
Goodreads Description: It's been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don't take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe's precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both. Threatened by false friends, hidden enemies, and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder,Can their love survive through the ever night? In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and dystopian elements to create a captivating love story as perilous as it is unforgettable.
Hot guys, mean villains, epic fights! Why wouldn't you like this book? 
     This series has not been a disappointment! The story continues right where it left off. The romance between Aria and Perry is totally there! But with murder attempts, starving people, Talon still in Reverie, and the Aether storms getting worse, things get intense really quick. This forces Aria and Roar to leave and go in search for Liv and the Still Blue. Relationships are then strained and people are hurt. 
     Towards the middle of this story I was kind of at a stand still for a few chapters. It just got a little dull for me. But I pushed through it and am so happy that I did! It definitely paid off! 
     Once again, I love Roar! He is by far my favorite character! In this book though, my heart literally breaks for him! 
     I love how Aria is a total beast in this book! talk about a strong and awesome female character! She definitely grew into the type of character I was hoping for!
     Perry was a little disappointing for me through out this book. But he had a right to be the way he was. He was in a very vulnerable and stressful position, so I do not have any real complaints about him. 
     There are a few shocks in this book! from a mean character returning to actually be helpful, to a beloved person losing their life, to worries about relationships being ruined. You must read to find out! ;)
     I would totally recommend this whole series to everyone! If the only complaint I have had the entire time was just a few chapters in the middle, then let me tell you, that is just me being picky! Great book!
My Rating: 
Only 3.5 because at some points it wasn't a book that stopped me from putting it down. But still totally worth reading!