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:

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!

Top Ten Tuesday!

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

Top Ten Characters I Would Crush On If I Were Also A Fictional Character

1. Adam from Shatter Me 

2. Kenji from Shatter Me

3. Damon from Vampire Diaries

4. Tobias/Four from Divergent

5. Ky from Matched 

6. Alex from Delirium

7. Any main guy character from Sarah Dessen books

8. Any main guy character from Susane Colasanti books

9. Peeta from Hunger Games

10. Jase Garrett from My Life Next Door

 So who are your boy crushes in the fictional world?

Top Ten Tuesday!

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

Todays topic is: 

Top Ten Series I'd Like To Start But Haven't Yet!

(Ok, I couldn't pick just 10 because I am way behind on picking up some awesome series!)

1. Under The Never Sky by: Veronica Rossi

2. Across The Universe by: Beth Revis

3. Angelfire by: Courtney Allison

4. Eve by: Anna Carey

5. Firelight by: Sophie Jordan

6. His Fair Assassin by: Robin LaFevers

7. Defiance by: C.J. Redwine

8. Unearthly by: Cynthia Hand

9. Everneath by: Brodi Ashton

10. The Grisha by: Leigh Bardugo

11. Beautiful Creatures by: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

12. Fire and Thorns by: Rae Carson

13. Vampire Academy by: Richelle Mead
You can click on the titles to take you to the Goodreads descriptions 

So what are your series that you really want to read?

Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi

Destroy Me 

By: +Tahereh Mafi 

Genre: Young Adult

Type: Dystopian

 Goodreads Description:

     Perfect for the fans of Shatter Me who are desperately awaiting the release of Unravel Me, this novella-length digital original will bridge the gap between these two novels from the perspective of the villain we all love to hate, Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.

     In Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me, Juliette escaped from The Reestablishment by seducing Warner—and then putting a bullet in his shoulder. But as she’ll learn in Destroy Me, Warner is not that easy to get rid of. . .

     Back at the base and recovering from his near-fatal wound, Warner must do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in check and suppress any mention of a rebellion in the sector. Still as obsessed with Juliette as ever, his first priority is to find her, bring her back, and dispose of Adam and Kenji, the two traitors who helped her escape. But when Warner’s father, The Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment, arrives to correct his son’s mistakes, it’s clear that he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner simply cannot allow.

     Set after Shatter Me and before its forthcoming sequel, Unravel Me,Destroy Me is a novella told from the perspective of Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.

WOW!  I absolutely loved this book! Getting to finally hear Warner's side of the story made this series 10 times better than it was (and it was already incredible)! Also, you get to see inside the journal that Juliette is always writing in! All around it was amazing! I is good to finally see why Warner is so obsessed with Juliette and why he is also such a cold jerk! It is also incredible to see that he is not a blind heartless killer! The part about one of his soldiers that he shot in Shatter Me? I was so mad until I read this book and this was the turning point of my thoughts on Warner, was getting to see why he actually shot the soldier!

BUT, did it do it's job in switching me over to Team Warner? NO! I am sorry but even though I now like Warner... I am absolutely wishing and hoping that Juliette still chooses Adam in the end! So we will see because I have already heard a lot about Chapter 62 in Unravel Me and know that I will probably not be happy about it. 

I give this book

Book Review: Picture Perfect by Alessandra Thomas

Picture Perfect by: +Alessandra Thomas 

Coming Soon!

Genre: New Adult

Book Description:

Fashion design major Cat Mitchell has a closet full of gorgeous clothes - and not a single thing fits. After two years of runway modeling for easy cash, an accident shattered her lower leg bone and her self-esteem in just one swift fall. Ten months of no exercise, prescription steroids, comfort eating and yoga pants meant returning to campus as a size twelve instead of her former size two. When her gorgeous long-time friend with benefits sees her for the first time after her accident and snubs her in front of all her friends, Cat’s self-image hits rock bottom. Her sorority sisters all insist that she looks gorgeous, but all Cat sees is the roll of her stomach when she sits down, or the dimpling at the back of her thighs that wasn't there last year. Cat’s therapist prescribes something radical to stop the downward spiral - nude modeling for a nearby college's human form drawing classes. When Cat faces her fears and bares it all for the class, she realizes that she's posing naked in front the most gorgeous, buffest guy she's ever seen in her life. He asks her out after the class, and after one steamy night together, Cat's absolutely smitten.Nate’s pretty close to perfect – he takes Cat rock climbing when he discovers that it makes her feel strong and becomes a great chef after he learns that the perfect pesto sauce makes her swoon. Cat starts to feel like her old self again - confident and beautiful - as long as Nate's around. Even when he discourages her from entering the Real Woman Project, a design competition for plus-sized apparel, she reasons that he's just trying to prevent old body image wounds from splitting wide open again.But when Cat goes home with Nate for Thanksgiving, she discovers something shocking from his recent past that proves that he hasn’t always been so encouraging of women of all shapes and sizes. Cat has no idea what to think, but she does know one thing - this might destroy their relationship before it's even had a chance to get off the ground. Before Cat can figure out whether the real Nate is the sensitive, adoring guy she fell in love with, or an undercover asshole, she'll have to finally feel comfortable in her own skin - even if it means leaving him forever.

This book was so inspiring! I was lucky enough to get a chance to read this book already and all I can think is wow, amazing! Taking you through the thoughts of Cat trying to learn to love her body again. The whole book is a roller coaster of emotions. It takes you through the highs and lows of college life and dating and friendship. Speaking of friendship, I must say that Cat's best friend Joey in this book is so awesome!! She is totally the type of friend everyone wants! She is funny and truthful but not to the point of being mean and she is so feisty!

Cat and Nates relationship is absolutely amazing! He is so good to her, so loving and caring. He just wants to help her feel better about herself and he does help her when she is with him. 

Also, may I just say that this book is so sexy! I mean totally hot! 

Possible Spoilers:

This book was amazing all the way throughout! BUT, the absolute best was the last half of the book! When Cat finds something out about Nate that totally shatters her world, she just up and leaves him. And when Nate tries to call to get answers, Joey totally goes kick butt and stands up for her best friend! I was a little worried at first because I was afraid that Cat would totally shatter, but she only got stronger! It was awesome! But I was totally torn up about Nate and wanted him to get a chance to explain. When he does, let me just say this boy totally does it in the most perfect way and actually helps Cat! 

5 out of 5 stars!

Waiting On Wednesday: Across A Star-Swept Sea by: Diana Peterfreund

Across A Star-Swept Sea by +Diana Peterfreund 

Coming October 15, 2013

Book Description:

Centuries after wars nearly destroyed civilization, the two islands of New Pacifica stand alone, a terraformed paradise where even the Reduction—the devastating brain disorder that sparked the wars—is a distant memory. Yet on the isle of Galatea, an uprising against the ruling aristocrats has turned deadly. The revolutionaries’ weapon is a drug that damages their enemies’ brains, and the only hope is rescue by a mysterious spy known as the Wild Poppy.

On the neighboring island of Albion, no one suspects that the Wild Poppy is actually famously frivolous aristocrat Persis Blake. The teenager uses her shallow, socialite trappings to hide her true purpose: her gossipy flutternotes are encrypted plans, her pampered sea mink is genetically engineered for spying, and her well-publicized new romance with handsome Galatean medic Justen Helo… is her most dangerous mission ever.
Though Persis is falling for Justen, she can’t risk showing him her true self, especially once she learns he’s hiding far more than simply his disenchantment with his country’s revolution and his undeniable attraction to the silly socialite he’s pretending to love. His darkest secret could plunge both islands into a new dark age, and Persis realizes that when it comes to Justen Helo, she’s not only risking her heart, she’s risking the world she’s sworn to protect.

I absolutely loved For Darkness Shows The Stars. I am so excited for this companion novel to come out!! I really can't wait to see more of this world that Diana has created! Also, the covers to these books are so absolutely gorgeous! I am in aww when I see these covers! 

Check out this interview with the author on http://www.epicreads.com/blog/cover-reveal-and-interview-across-a-star-swept-sea/

What I think about Diana Peterfreund:

Who else is excited for this next book?? 

Calling all writers!

If you love to write and want a chance to have an awesome author critique you work, head over to http://lindsaycummingsblog.blogspot.com/2013/01/want-critique-of-your-writing.html to enter a contest! Lindsay Cummings, author of The Murder Complex, will critique your writing if you win!

Book Review: Meant To Be by: Lauren Morrill

Meant To Be by: Lauren Morrill

Book Description:
Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question. 
It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").
But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.
Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

5 out of 5 stars!!!!!

My Opinion: This book was totally fun to read! It had adventure, drama, romance, and so many other emotions. I loved how up and down this book was, and you never knew what to expect! There were so many moments when I was frustrated with Julia and Jason. They both seemed to screw up at just the wrong moments. I was rooting for them, then rooting for Julia to go for the new mysterious guy, then back to Jason, then Mark, and so on so on. I was all over the place with this book but that is one of the things I loved most. I couldn't decide what I wanted to happen and the book kept me on my toes. 

The characters are so real too! When I was reading this book, I would sometimes find myself saying, "come on Jason, what are you thinking?" or "Julia OPEN YOU EYES!" I actually felt like I knew these characters! It is awesome writing!

My favorite part (SPOILER ALERT FROM THIS POINT ON!)

One of the biggest things I love about this book is the fact that it addresses the "meant to be, perfect guy" topic. This time though, instead of everything being exactly perfect, and classic novel romantic, it is real life stuff! It isn't what Julia had pictured for herself, it isn't what she read in the books but she is still so happy! I loved this most about the book! Julia had her whole perfect guy picked out, and figured it would be everything she imagined, but instead gets Jason. But he really ends up being such a great guy! 

winter break reading list!

So, seeing as I have not been able to get a lot of reading done this past semester because of school... I plan on hopefully reading a big chunk out of this list over break!
Here are some books I can not wait to read!

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)  By: Mindy Kaling

Safe Haven  By: Nicholas Sparks

The Hobbit  By: J.R.R. Tolkien

The Selection  By: Kiera Cass

For Darkness Shows the Stars  By: Diana Peterfreund

Bossy Pants  By: Tina Fey

Partials  By: Dan Wells

Black City  By: Elizabeth Richards

This is just a small look at all of the books I have on my list of To Reads. But, I will not have enough time for everything so I will read as much as I can! 

If you have any books to recommend, totally leave a comment! and stay tuned for reviews of some of these books through the next few weeks!!

(What my brain looks like when I think of all the books I want to read!)

My Life Next Door

I was so excited to read this book and I can honestly say I am so glad I did! It was so good!! From summer romance, to crazy drama, and from addiction, to the importance of telling the truth and so much more! This book has it all! I was surprised by a lot of what happens in the book, I just never expected half of what the book consisted of. This was an amazing summer read and would TOTALLY recommend this for anyone!

I give this book 5 out of 5!!! I could totally just read it again!

Go read it :) you can find it on Amazon in ebook or hardcover.

Book description: 

A gorgeous debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another 

“One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time.” 

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced wit h an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself? 

A dreamy summer read, full of characters who stay with you long after the story is over.

 

a little bit of crazy

Here are some books that take you in to some crazy stories of teenagers with mental illnesses. These stories are hard to put down and so captivating! Some of these are chilling novels but all have lessons to learn. Books about addiction, hurt, loneliness, self image issues and more.

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Mystery novels

Anybody looking for some good mystery novels? here are some that I have read and loved!

For descriptions, click on the following links:
Da vinci Code (Robert Langdon novel 1)
Angels and Demons(Robert Langdon novel 2)
The Lost Symbol(Robert Langdon novel 3)
Love Me To Death(A Lucy Kincaid novel)