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Although I missed Daenerys and Tyrion, the book was just as wonderful as the other books. New characters add to the developing story lines, and once again no character is safely alive or safely dead. Lots of interesting twists and turns, but not the most shocking of the books. This one may be my least favorite, but only in comparison to the others - still a 5 star, not to be missed read.

What a wonderful combination of humor, science, history, and travel advice! A really fun read from cover to cover.

A good page turner, and the technology wasn't too complex (or outdated) to interfere with my enjoyment of the story. Some of the plot depended too much on chance and luck, but not too much to mind. There were some good twists so it wasn't as predictable as I thought it might be, although I solved the answer to the final passkey a lot faster than the NSA brains. The last fifty pages could have been condensed, but the rest of the novel was well paced. I like Brown's technique of switching the omniscient point of view in each chapter - he does it well. To continue with my Italian theme, Caesar's method of coding messages was referred to early in the novel. Finally, I liked Brown's descriptions of the sights in Spain, as well as a few other well researched tidbits.

This is my first Bernard Cornwell novel and won't be my last. I'm looking forward to finding out what happens to Uhtred in the next novel. The book is written in the first person, and has a wonderful voice. By wonderful, I mean gruff, choppy in places, and one that suits the warrior character from whom it emanates. The cruel nature of the constant invasions of the dark ages is wonderfully captured here in all of its harsh and cold truth. The history is also spot on, and while the main character and his war exploits are imaginary, the details surrounding Alfred the Great kept intact (the author's note detailing the fact vs. fiction is also included). The main character poses the notion that perhaps Alfred's main goal was not uniting England in Christianity but using Christianity to consolidate his power, which is one historical perspective. For a rough book dominated by men, Cornwell draws some well-rounded and interesting female characters too.

This book is not billed as a romance but it probably should be. That is not a disparaging remark - I like historical romances - but the romance takes up most of the plot time, as opposed to daring capers. It's also a bit of historical fantasy, combining historical characters with fictional ones. It's a fun read, with several strong female characters, and fans of The Scarlet Pimpernel, from which this novel borrows characters and plot lines, will not be disappointed. By the middle of the book I could not put it down. Some of the plot turns were very predictable, but there were also a few well placed surprises. The writing is for the most part even, with a few nice images as well. Most of the plot was believable, but there was one part at the end that bothered me as a missed point - I've put it in the spoiler below. I especially liked that the author included a page at the end in which she details which parts of history she took liberties with (not much). Overall a fun read, and I plan on picking up the sequel. (view spoiler)[Near the end, there is much talk of needing to get Richard out of the country since his identity has been revealed. However, the head of the police also saw the faces of Amy and Richard's mother as they rescued him from the prison. Why was the mother able to stay in Paris (they were planning on Amy staying as well until she insisted on leaving with Richard), but not Richard? I would think all three would be at the top of the most wanted list. (hide spoiler)]

LOVE THIS BOOK!!! I have SO thought this many times! If you love this book, don't miss the reading of it by Samuel L. Jackson on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3Uwbp...

Not overly 'preachy' - a really good read, and it nicely provides a reasonable and sound theological explanation to the question "Why do bad things happen to good people?".

A very fast read, and a great concept that fascinates me - how people are tried and convicted in the media and in public opinion in the absence of a fair trial or, in some cases, facts. The internet can be a great source of information, but it can also be the worst and most damaging rumor mill, one with no accountability. Only four stars because I felt some of the minor plot details were a bit unrealistic.

*SPOILER ALERT* - Ending hinted at. A good beach read, but my main complaint about the novel is that the ending is clearly written to support a political agenda. To me, the plot at that point is totally contrived and ingenuine. Medical reality and odds do not support the ending.

Amazing. Beautifully written! Wonderful use of imagery, figurative language, and sarcasm. I loved being inside this character's head, a character who says nothing but thinks everything.

The ending came as a complete shock, yet looking back I could see how it had been slightly and cleverly forshadowed. Great what-if-to-the-second-power kind of book!

Clever! Fans of the movie will love the wry detail!

Wow! If you are looking for a romantic book like The Time Traveller's Wife, this is not it, but you will love these characters just as much. There is no strong leading male character her - the women, and certain of them, dominate. Without adding any spoilers, I would just like to say I did not see that coming, but I love that it perfectly fit the characters. Wonderful! I was sad that I finished the book and that there was no more to read, which is the same feeling I got at the end of The Time Traveller's Wife. Wonderful! Nice, thematic story arcs, and excellent characterization, especially within the family dynamics.

I won this book through first reads, so thanks to St. Martin's Press! I thought the cover synopsis gave too much away, but this page turner was full of some great twists. Every twist was nicely foreshadowed but not overtly so. At one point I feared a sappy, unrealistic ending, but the loose ends were tied up in a realistic way that was true to the characters. I also identified with the main character - the single mother details were spot on!

Excellent reading! Couldn't put it down! Solidly consistent from beginning to end. Amazing research job as well, especially in the aspects of Aspergers / Autism. The novel switches first person point of view for each chapter, which I personally was tripped up by a few times, but that's my own issue - the author uses the technique very well and to great advantage. I found one section in the second quarter of the book a bit difficult to read - emotionally, that is: Picoult very expertly conveys the mother's feelings of helplessness and fear.

Kept all the good parts of the original, with an added satirical sting on two levels. First, increasing the Bennet girls' biggest trauma from surviving society's mores to surviving zombies. Second, it serves as a satire of the horror genre, ironically, with it's humorous depictions of zombies and gore. Like most good satire, it will be misunderstood and underappreciated!

Slow to start at times, but the twist at the end and the choices, so appropriate to character, are worth it!

It's been a wild and occasionally rough ride with Jacky Faber, but the conclusion was well worth it. The signs of Jacky finally starting to grow up that were evident in Boston Jacky blossomed here, and the cool and confident woman who ends the book is a far cry from the Cheapside orphan we met 12 novels ago. I also much appreciated something I first noticed while reading Bloody Jack and the Curse of the Blue Tattoo and that came to fruition here: Meyer's writing adapts as Jacky becomes more educated, and the rough dialectical speech from the beginning of the series is nowhere to be seen by the end. The historical references in this novel are much preferable to those in some of the preceding ones, and the idea that Jacky as a Mary Poppins-esque governess filled the head of the young Edgar Allan Poe with scary stories amused rather than irritated me. Without spoilers, this concluding novel effectively wrapped up storylines for almost all characters we've met in Jacky's world, and it's good to leave without questions. One weakness the book does have likely stems from its publication. The author, L.A. Meyer, apparently had written most of it earlier to be sure he could wrap up Jacky's story before his death (a considerate thing for readers). Because he hadn't always planned for it to come after Boston Jacky, there is a bit of a jump from the end of that book to this one. While any incongruences soon are forgotten in another madcap adventure, the first few chapters feel a bit rushed and out of place.

I listened to this in audiobook form during my life on the road (driving an hour each way to and from work on southeast Iowa highways), and it was very fitting for those trips. Steinem begins her book with stories of her own childhood trips, when her father would pack up the family and set off for Florida or California, buying and selling antiques along the way to pay the way. While my own family road trips were never so haphazard, the description brought back memories of the excitement that can only come with being about to set off traveling by car thousands of miles across America and not knowing what great things you'll see. The book moves on to discuss Steinem's travels to India and "talking circles," which become a recurring theme. Her work with the women's movement and the amazing women she's worked with kept me enthralled, as I'm sadly ill-informed about a lot of our feminist history. A section discussing the 2008 race for the Democratic presidential nomination particularly stood out for me, in part because I listened to it while driving from a Democratic caucus back to my newsroom. There are plenty of parallels between the party infighting in 2008 and what's happening now. Steinem managed to elicit a desire in me both to travel more and to do more for justice. It's rare that I've ended a book feeling so inspired.

I'm pretty sure this is the Jacky Faber book I left off with once the Marcos de Niza library stopped being my second home, which means everything from this point on should be new. Unfortunately, there are still seven books left in this series, and based on the last two, they're all probably going to be longer than they should have been. The story picks up right where In the Belly of the Bloodhound left off (literally -- lines are copied verbatim from that book's last chapter), with Jacky under arrest after being rescued. She, of course, escapes, and on-again off-again childhood sweetheart Jaimy follows, beginning a rollicking journey down the Mississippi. Parts of the book had me questioning my own knowledge of American history, as I could have sworn religious revivals were not taking place as early as 1805, nor were Bunyan-like characters as rampant at that point. However, I may just need to study up on my history. Meyer began writing these books after being inspired by hearing sailor songs on a public radio station, so I understand his desire to put in many song-and-dance routines. However, for me, they took away from the plot. He'd easily lose 10 percent of the book if he trimmed the songs. Character development suffered majorly in this book. Five books in, I still haven't quite got a handle on Jaimy and whether we're supposed to like him, and his contradictory actions in the book didn't clear anything up. None of the characters introduced in this book really appeared to be anything other than the frontier versions of earlier characters, and the returners (Higgins, Katy Deere) didn't really change over the course of the novel. This series is beginning to struggle more and more with simply having two many characters with indistinct personalities. It's enough that I didn't really remember the two big baddies of this book, both of whom were introduced briefly in Curse of the Blue Tattoo and Under the Jolly Roger. And it's a problem I imagine will only get worse as the series continues.

I realized partly through this book that I was pretty sure I'd read it in high school, and the first time I'd read it I thought I was rereading an entirely different book I vaguely remembered that had something to do with cavemen. There were no cavemen in this book. There was also very little of any value. I couldn't bring myself to care about Lucy or Daniel, who both behave in completely alien ways. Lucy, particularly, with the neglectful way she treats literally everyone around her, was hard to read about. Even when the two were in a should-be harrowing near-death moment toward the end, I just didn't care about their fates. I think I stopped somewhere before the end the first time I read this book because the complete lack of an ending wasn't at all familiar. It might have made sends as a cliffhanger if there was any audience investment in these characters or a sequel followed, but as is, it just feels like the publisher forgot to bind a last chapter.

Melissa Kantor's "Confessions of a Not-It Girl" was my introduction to YA literature way back in seventh grade, and it forever solidified her as one of my favorite authors. "Better Than Perfect" comes close to removing that honor. There's nothing wrong with this book, but there's nothing overwhelmingly right with it, either. Every aspect just feels repeated from another novel. Juliet's nerdy boyfriend, Jason, is Macy's nerdy boyfriend, Jason, from "The Truth About Forever." The mom drama is repeated from countless books, and Juliet's friend, Sofia, just reminded me of Sophia, Gaby's roommate in the ABC Family show "Young and Hungry."

Still a solid YA book, but nowhere near as good as its predecessor. While Rebel Belle felt fresh and new, Miss Mayhem dragged at points and seemed too reliant on unnecessary relationship drama.

Such a fun, light read! Harper is a believable and likable character, and I'm really excited to see how her story continues, especially after that plot twist at the end. I'd compare this book favorably to Meg Cabot's Avalon High, both in terms of writing and subject matter. Harper Price is your typical high-achieving high schooler -- student government president, head cheerleader, member or officer of every club that matters, Homecoming queen -- who stumbles into an unwanted role as a Paladin, the latest in a long line of knights stretching back to Charlemagne's time. She's bound to protect the Oracle (think magical Dalai Lama), but isn't prepared for the Oracle to be David, a boy she's hated since pre-school who uses his student newspaper columns to attack her stugo administration. Things get more complicated as an evil witch emerges, intent on threatening both of them and causing a scene (Harper's least favorite thing) at her Cotillion. I really enjoyed Harper's slightly snarky but overall earnest tone narrating the book, and the secondary characters seemed just as real.

Has Sarah Dessen ever written a bad book? Dreamland came close, but otherwise, she's pretty reliable. Saint Anything is no exception. Sydney's rather quiet and has always been in the shadow of her charismatic older brother, Peyton. But after Peyton's struggles with drugs and alcohol ends in a 2 a.m. drunk-driving collision with a boy on a bike, Sydney becomes the girl with the brother in prison. She transfers schools and meets a set of friends -- Layla, Mac, Eric and Irv -- who fit the standard Dessen archetype of eccentric but real new people who help the protagonist out of her shell. This book reminded me a lot of The Truth About Forever, in that Sydney and Macy are very similar characters, both trying so hard to be perfect and dealing with the aftermath of traumatic events (Macy's father's death and Sydney's brother's sentencing). The one storyline that could have used more attention was Macy's relationship with her parents. While it was set up as a major conflict throughout the book, it all ended pretty quickly and neatly, which felt a bit too easy.

Have I ever read a more unhealthy depiction of a relationship? Nope. There's a 100-something sparkly vampire sneaking into a teenage girl's bedroom to watch her sleep who's a paragon of decency compared to the male romantic lead in this story. I've heard the concept of this series described as "'Hunger Games' meets 'The Bachelor,'" so I was expecting a bit of silliness -- a fun summer read. In the mythical land of Illea, finding a wife for a prince takes place in a reality show setting, with representatives from various castes competing for the role of princess. You know from the beginning that the protagonist snares the prince, but it's increasingly unclear why he's at all desirable. The first time they talk, he looks at her in disgust because she's "sickly." He later tells her her hair would look nicer shorter (classic negging that would make Barney Stinson proud), and shows up late for a date once she hacks half her hair off, just to test her. There's also a bit of angsty destruction after both of them see his parents fighting, apparently just to prove how this prince is a dark, tortured soul, and a few mini-chapters of wallowing where the protagonist frets about how the prince will never love her.

This is one thoroughly unlikable narrator, but you know what? I'm ok with that. It looks like the author's well aware of her unlikability, and the character may continue to grow in the next book. If anything, at least she isn't a Mary Sue. I like that the book revisited the happily ever after ending in the original trilogy and shows that changing a government structure doesn't always end well. It's a bit of realism this series needs. If the final book balances the political problems with the gratuitous romance a little better, I'd be relatively impressed with the end result of this series. The ending to this one was rushed, as with the other books, almost as if Cass hit her word limit and just stopped. Perhaps the final book will have more of a denouement?

Wow. It's been an unfortunately long time since I've been this drawn into a book that I stayed up reading until I fell asleep and woke up early the next morning just to read it, simultaneously wanting to reach the end and dreading it all being over. I also don't think I've ever read a better-executed love triangle. It wasn't easy to choose a "team," but instead you hurt and hoped along with all three characters because the love Tessa, Jem and Will all had for each other was so strong and beautiful that you wanted all of them to find happiness. I'm not quite sure what to think of the bittersweet ending just yet. I'm a little put off by Clare's need to pair all the characters off romantically -- seriously, are there any single people in her series? -- but it's also kind of nice in a precious way. Cecily and (view spoiler)[Gabriel (hide spoiler)] are probably my favorite outside the main trio just because they're funny, along with dear old Henry. Speaking of Henry, (view spoiler)[the scene where I thought he had died was terrible. We're talking Fred Weasley dying in Deathly Hallows, punch-to-the-gut, why-are-authors-all-heartless-people terrible. He's always reminded me a bit of one of my younger brothers, which may be why it hurt so bad. (hide spoiler)] (view spoiler)[I had had Jem's fate spoiled for me before reading as well, but even knowing he was going to be Brother Zachariah, Clare's writing was powerful enough I still believed he was dead. It wasn't as sudden and unexpected as Henry or Jessamine, but still hurt. (hide spoiler)] The Mortal Instruments series didn't give me much hope for Clare's stories. They were like fanfiction, good fanfiction, but still fanfiction, and didn't feel deep in the slightest. I didn't hurt for any of the characters, and while their stories were interesting, they weren't particularly involving. This series, though, was masterfully done. I'm a bit apprehensive about going on to read City of Heavenly Fire next (at least it's the last one?) but am looking forward to Clare's future series.

Clare's writing definitely improved over the three books. This book had way fewer descriptions of eyes, and the characters as a whole were a lot more mature and easier to care about. I'm still hoping for more development of secondary characters like Alec and Isabelle, but with another three books to go in the series, there's time for that. I'm definitely interested to see where it continues, as the ending of this book could have ended the series.

It's an interesting story, but the writing took a little while to get into. It either got better or became less noticeable later on, but the first few chapters felt like reading mediocre fanfic. I still don't entirely buy most of the characterization, it's a tad too angsty and I'd be happy if I never again read a description of Jace's hair or eyes, but it's a fun read for what it is. I'll read the sequels for the story and hope the characters grow in more believable ways.

I read most of this book about eight years ago as a freshman in high school and didn't like it then. I thought maybe it was an age thing and I'd like it better when I was older. I was wrong. The writing, especially the emphasis on describing everybody's eyes all the time, is simply horrendous. It feels like it's trying to be deep and artistic, but it succeeds about as well as a high school literary magazine. I realized I didn't actually care about any of the characters, and none of them had actions that made any sense. By the end, I was more relieved when I realized there were just pages left than I was interested in the non-compelling climax. This book has an interesting concept -- a murdered girl watches her family from heaven as they try to solve the crime -- but it doesn't follow through.

I first read this book when I was 16 and, for whatever reason, could only get one book from the library (I assume I'd racked up some massive fines, as I'm notoriously bad at giving books back, and my parents let me check out one novel on one of their cards. Naturally, I went for the fattest one.) It was the first Stephen King book, with the exception of On Writing and The Eyes of the Dragon, that I was allowed to read, and I definitely had nightmares while reading it. We meet seven children -- Bill, Ben, Beverly, Eddie, Richie, Mike and Stan -- who grew up in an odd little Maine town named Derry. As children, they come close to defeating the monster, It, which has plagued the town for generations. Twenty-seven years later, six of them return to fight It when It again awakes from hibernation. The story is told well, managing to combine wonderfully developed characters with bone-chilling terror. I really enjoyed the way the narrative skips back and forth between the children of 1958 and the adults of 1985. By the end of the novel, these scenes segue in an eerily parallel way, with a chapter cutting off in the middle of a sentence in one year, only to see the sentence finish in the other year in the next chapter. Another part of the book I really enjoyed were the Derry interludes. Several times, we take a break from the main story to hear librarian Mike Hanlon's tales of other years when It was at It's worst, and these serve to fully establish It's corrupting power.

I enjoyed this book as a fun, light read. I could relate to Ginny, and her Aunt Peg reminded me of an aunt of mine who passed away shortly before I read this book for the first time a few years ago. However, the book did feel entirely rushed at times. There wasn't much consistency between the length and detail of descriptions of each envelope task, and I had to go back several times while reading to verify plot points I missed. While the first bits in London and right afterward were fairly easy to follow, many other parts (such as the encounter with the Roman (?) boy seemed to happen way too quickly. The ending also seemed rushed, as though the author was trying to fit a strict word limit and didn't have the space to fully explain everything. After reading this book for the second time last week, I read its sequel, The Last Little Blue Envelope, and I do think they work best as a two-book set.

I'm glad I reread 13LBE before picking up this one, as it had been a few years. The Last Little Blue Envelope does a fairly good job of picking up where 13LBE left off, with Ginny back in the States and struggling with college essays. It's clear in the first few pages that she is having trouble moving on from her whirlwind summer, and it's also clear that her "kind of something" with Keith is kind of nothing now. It was great fun seeing Richard again, though Keith seemed far different than he did in the first book. I greatly enjoyed the two new main characters, Ellis and Oliver, Ellis because she is the type of girl anyone would love to be friends with and Oliver because I really wanted to figure him out. I thought some of the romance in the book was a bit heavy-handed and too obvious -- there was the occasional moment when it seemed that Ginny might surprise us, but it was pretty clear who she would end up with -- and I disliked how hard Johnson seemed to be trying to make Keith into a bad guy. It seemed really out-of-character for him, especially just after reading 13 Little Blue Envelopes. This next paragraph contains a pretty big spoiler, so, you know, don't read it if you haven't read the book and want it to stay fresh. The only other thing that really bugged me about the book was Ginny's apparent lack of any connection to her life in the States. At least in 13 Little Blue Envelopes, we see her writing to that friend occasionally. In the sequel, even though she has full access to phones and email, she doesn't seem to call anyone but Richard. She's even prepared to move entirely across the world for college because of people she's been with in person for just a few weeks, which also seems unrealistic and makes me wonder just how sad Ginny's American life is.

I was hesitant to try this book -- I've loved Sarah Dessen since I first read The Truth About Forever and then worked my way backward through her previous books, but the last two I read (Lock and Key and Along for the Ride) didn't seem as good to me. What Happened to Goodbye proved to me that Dessen hasn't lost her skill. Like her earlier books, it was a fast, but somewhat thought-provoking, read, full of interesting new characters and some nice glimpses of old ones. The ending felt a little rushed and predictably contrived, but, otherwise, I loved this book.

#@%#%SDGB$&N*JFJN I CANT EVEN MAY IS SO FAR AWAY -- Seriously, this has everything I want in a book, strong female lead, supportive male interest, memorable characters, adventure, humour, feminism, complex world building, wonderful writing, a fascinating story. It's a great book about growing up and changing and discovering yourself along the way. Also, Rhysand you sinnamon roll...

4-star, the second half of this book is SO GOOD it dragged the rating up 2 stars. The patience to trudge through the snail pace and mindless bore of the first part is rewarded with awesome actions and story development and character insights and just the wonderful, wonderful writing of Sarah J Mass when the tale is starting to unfold. I first read this book because it's supposed to be a Beauty and the Beast retelling (and if you know me Belle is my favourite princess ever so naturally I grabbed this as soon as I learned of its existence). But it's not really a retelling, Mass's magical world is much more complex and extensive. I started on the second book as soon as I was finished with this one at 5AM in the morning because really who needs sleep anyway...

Intriguing setting. Good writing. Amazing fantasy worlds that don't get explored enough (maybe in the next installments?). Interesting characters. And despite all that, not my cup of tea. It feels incomplete, and detached somehow, I'm hoping the latter was intentional as it was told from Nancy's perspective. Will probably read the next installment because I SO want this series to be good...

This was such a good read, and then came (view spoiler)[Evan's confession about his previous involvement with *gasp* a highschool girl (hide spoiler)] which completely changed my opinion of him, and poisoned their relationship, too. It's like diving into a bucket of french fries smothered in butter and cheese and then realized it was made from roaches, or something... :( I also didn't buy the HEA ending, but then by the end of the book, I was annoyed with them both, she was pushy, and he was creepy. The 3 star is for the writing, and because for about 3/4 of the book I can relate pretty well with Maise, or, as well as I could for someone who doesn't have a drug dealing mom and daddy issues anyway.

Skipped through it, the best thing about this book are the pictures. BUT the movie is coming out with Eva Green as Ms. P! Here's to hoping it translates better on screen, as Eva Green is the Queen of all things gothic and creepy xD

5 out of 12 authors are my favourites? You bet I'll be reading this holiday anthology, yes, in the middle of the suffocating summer heat, because why not

Cliche and predictable, but the story is handled relatively well and I couldn't resist the cuteness and gorgeous art. Another plus is that the characters are kind, brave, and thoughtful kids who are honest and actually make an effort to communicate with each other, which is refreshing compared to other shoujos with endless angst and romanticized mean dudes.

Revisiting some of my favorite books to leave a review. Tiger Lily is beautifully written with complex characters and a compelling story. It deals with much darker themes than the original story, but nonetheless charming in its quiet, contemplative ways. *Not really relevant, but for some reason this reminds me of Spiderman, as in how could the leading male (PParker / PPan) become enamored with an air headed girl (Mary Jane / Wendy) after knowing the wonderful creature that is Gwen / Tiger Lily!?!? Men...

Had to stop many times. The fragile innocence, the quiet bravery, the enduring resilience... my heart was so heavy it was difficult to breathe.

3.5 star for the actual story (excluding the ssnow/fanfic excerpts). I really liked the characters and the relationships (father-child/siblings/boy-girl) but I probably would've enjoyed it more if the fanfic/ssnow excerpts didn't constantly interrupt my reading flow, they didn't serve much purpose anyway.

Great read, albeit a bit long winded at times. Loved the characters, their backstories, the clan politics, the atmosphere, and then there's Jamie, who deserves his own freaking shelf!!! *dreamy eyes* Keep in mind though that Outlander contains extremely violent themes. I didn't enjoy it, but I personally think said violence is necessary for world building and character development, particularly in this book. The only problem I have with the book, like everyone else, (view spoiler)[is the fact that Jamie actually seemed to enjoy beating Claire (the hell man?!) (hide spoiler)] but if I were to forgive anyone for such action, it would be Jamie Fraser.

Ironic how it takes losing my hardcopy to realize I haven't reviewed this book, but really I'm praying that I just misplaced it somewhere, and that one day I'll find it buried in a corner underneath the mess that is my bedroom. Whoever knows me know that I love Lauren and that Liesl & Po is one of my favourite children books. A tale of locked attics, alchemists, evil step-mothers, ghosts, creatures that are not-quite-a-cat-nor-a-dog and spaces between worlds, I mean, how could I NOT, and with Lauren's lyrical writing? And the illustrations... I need to get me another hardcopy.

Possibly my all time favorite manga. Relatable characters, great dynamics, realistic issues, gorgeous punk-ish art, heart breaking story... a series that I can actually remember despite its years long hiatus, and that's saying a lot as my memory is that of a fruit fly.

I've always wanted to read Beastly so when I finally had the chance of getting it and this book, I thought it would be a good idea to read this first. I've heard about this book through the movie but I haven't seen that in a long time so when I got the two books I thought it'll be great to revisit the story and actually read where the film came from since we all know books and movies differ the stories from time to time. So why did I choose to read this story in the opposite's perspective from the original book and film? Well, it's because of that different perspective. When watching films or reading books, I always wonder about the other people's voice or perspective on the events that unfold in the story. Like in this particular story, I've always wondered what Lindy felt, what her thoughts were as the story goes on. Sometimes I even think about what Kendra must be feeling, what led her to what she did - I mean the author did mention in the books but I always had a feeling there was something more to that or I just basically wanted to know her history on how she became who she is or why she is that way. The reason why I read this first was because I loved knowing how people in the same story take on the things happening in their life differently. It was something that I couldn't do in real life - and being someone who had a real tough time reading and understanding social cues and such, this opportunity to know someone other than the protagonist or main character's perspectives and feelings was a learning experience. I guess reading someone else's take on "their" story is my way of understanding what others may be going through in my own. But what bothered me most about reading this story afterwards and immediately reading the original one was that I've always been biased of male povs. I mean, I'm currently reading the same story in Kyle's perspective but I'm more invested in it than when I was reading Linda's. There's just something about the male's perspective that captures my attention and interest more than a girl's. Maybe its because I don't understand guys and being a girl makes it easier for me to "get" that perspective. Or maybe its just because it's difficult because its so different. Or maybe its being different in general. I don't know but what I'm trying to say is that I really like Kyle's voice in this story more than Linda's. Although, I did feel this connection between me and Linda, especially when she was confessing how common or mainstream it was to have a crush on a boy who isn't typically your type of guy but because of their extreme hotness level they are. I mean, let's be honest, I don't know anyone who hasn't had that affection for someone who is in their own definition "hot" or "handsome". And I also liked her values especially with being true to herself... but that also kinda died down on me on the last chapters of the book because that romance they had went a different way than I would have liked. Nonetheless, it was a good read and I enjoyed it. Happy reading! :)

This is book thirteen (13). I've always wanted to read more books from Lemony Snicket. He's a legend! My endearment and respect towards him is the same as Stephen King and Nicholas Sparks. Before I read his books, I've already thought of him as a well-respected and amazing author by just the sheer praises of people and popularity he has in the reading world. I've never read a single book of his but had so much respect and fondness towards him. But after reading some of his books, I've proved their worth as well-respected authors and strengthened my devotion to their work. The same admiration and high regard goes to Lemony Snicket or should I say Daniel Handler (view spoiler)[as he is Mr. Lemony Snicket himself (hide spoiler)]. The way he was able to create a pen name with a character so real I actually thought, for 6-7 years, that he was actual, existent, non-fictional and unimaginary. I like the thought that went into this story and I like how intelligent Lemony was during his childhood or close-to-teenage years. It was refreshing to get a grasp of what his was like before writing A Series Of Unfortunate Events Pack (Books 5-8). I have only a few ideas and theories about Lemony Snicket and the group he was a part of that investigated fires and such (with the Baudelaire's and their friends with spyglasses. But I never really knew the truth about it. So I'd like to start from the very beginning of it all (even if I kind of read the first book of the series already aka The Bad Beginning). What I really liked most was the mystery that everyone wanted to know and how they were going to stop the thief! I enjoyed the different peculiar children, each with their own peculiar stories and troubles. And how every person Lemony becomes acquainted with is close to his own age. It gives the effect that if ever one of my students would read this in a similar age level as Lemony is in this book, then my students would relate more to each person Lemony interacts with. It's absolutely brilliant! Happy reading! :)

This is book fourteen (14). I tried... I really tried to read this thoroughly but I was just completely disappointed. I think I fell asleep at one point in this book and that's where I was convinced that I should just give it up. There wasn't much going on in the first couple of chapters and the story had a really slow pace which made me even more disinterested and unmotivated to read on. So I gave up mid-way through the book. Maybe I'll try again next time?

This is book one (1). "Our character isn't defined by the battles we win or lose, but by the battles we dare to fight." I wish I read this book when I was in middle grade or even when I started to love reading and books. This opened my mind to the power of intermediate/middle school reads and I'm just gobsmacked by how much I love this. I mean, I was captivated by that mesmerizing cover but the story was just tasteful, thrilling, excitable, interesting, OUT OF THIS FREAKING WORLD. I should read more of these books. The creativity that went into this story just blows me away. This kind of originality in a story gets to me in such a huge way that I couldn't even explain or understand myself. I just wanted more. More. Serafina is my kind of girl. She reminds me of me in a way that I couldn't describe into words. How she sees herself is how I see myself everyday of my entire life. And how she sees life in general is how I see it too. I just don't know how this is possible to have such a connection with a fictional character but I am truly grateful for it. If Serafina found light at the end of her story then maybe I would too. This is the kind of "power" that I meant when writing my review for The Thing About Jellyfish (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...). I didn't know how a intermediate or middle school story or a book made for middle schoolers could have such a huge impact and effect on me, a graduating college student. Maybe it's because I'm young at heart or because I'm going to be a teacher but whatever the reason is I am appalled and I applause the "power" these books have on everyone, no matter what age they are in. Books are books. And they are as powerful as love is. Happy Reading! :)

This is book two (2). The biggest impact this book had on me was how much I saw myself in Suzy and how much I understood her process of grief and loss. This made me realize how much a book for middle schoolers had a huge effect in me and literally made me bawl because of how the character touched my poor little heart. Suzy's fascination with the jellyfishes made me realize how I was during her age and how unexpectedly alike we were. I, too, had a fascination about learning new things and understanding them. I wasn't as bright as she was but I craved learning as she did. A lot of similarities also varied along the lines of her social life and her views on silence, small talk, not-talking, etc. I felt myself in her and kind of saw my life before my eyes. I love this story because it made me travel back in time and helped me realize something in myself that I never knew about before. Stay strong, Suzy. Things will look up. (view spoiler)[And maybe, you and Justin will go in a really special direction one day, *wink* *wink*. (hide spoiler)] Happy Reading! :)

I feel like this book is one of those "its either you'll hate it or love it" kind of books. And I personally are in the middle of those two. I liked it but I also didn't, in an overall kind of way. It wasn't those "I liked this part and didn't like this part". I just feel neutral about it. Let me explain: "Like" "Dislike" {TO BE CONTINUED, as I was interrupted to do sisterly tasks for All Soul's Day, today}

I have no words except for this gif that explains everything: Happy Reading!

Next time?

I really liked the depth this book took on the story of Dorothy and Oz. I was quite amazed how Ms. Paige had managed to put her own twist at the end of the original story. And her twist to it is a very dark one. Everything's all tipsy turvy. The good is bad and the wicked is good. But are they really? It seemed to me that in the new Oz there is no good not evil just bad happenings. And the only people who are suffering are those who are not in power - the people of Oz; the munchkins, winged and wingless monkeys, other animals, trees, etc. I really liked how Ms. Paige captured every part of Oz and explained it in not-so-full but imaginable details so that the readers get to visualize what the new Oz looks like in her world. I really liked the pace of the story too. It was a bit fast at the start - so that you get to know Amy's background and such. And after like 2-3 chapters, you just straight away get into Oz and the main story. I did wish that there was more background to Amy's "regular" life in Kansas because throughout her adventures and misadventures in Oz, the only things we know about her "regular" life is repeated. What I mean by this is she doesn't give out other memories and learnings in her life back home except for the stuff we read about. Like I wish there was something new that she felt or saw to relate or compare to that we didn't know before so we got to know her more. Another flaw of this novel is that some of the characters in Oz didn't fit the mood or the essence of who they are in context to how they talk. This story originated as a CHILDRENS BOOK so all the cursing and such was a bit too much. I mean, I get it... A lot has changed and people turned evil or whatever but from how I know and have loved the original story, readers like me would need some sort of transition into how these characters have changed so drastically (imo). Or maybe I should've read the prequel first? I also didn't enjoy how vague EVERYONE in Oz is or at least those that Amy has talked to. Oh and the Amy and Nox love thing? NO. NOPITY NOPITY NOPE. But I secretly want Amy and Pete to end up together, all right? Nevertheless, this was a long but good read. I enjoyed it. I had some specks of annoyance and anger but it wasn't so bad. If it makes you feel better or whatever... I want to read the next one straight away! Happy reading! :)

I read this book because of the ever so captivating description provided by GR. Especially mentioning "Amy Zhang's haunting and universal story will appeal to fans of Lauren Oliver, Gayle Forman, and Jay Asher." And knowing me, who is a GINORMOUS lover of Gayle Forman and Jay Asher novels leaped in joy once getting a copy of this book. But no, this book butchered every bit and part of my empathetic soul. I consider my best quality and characteristic as being very empathetic towards others. I always try to understand people and never judge them by their experiences nor pasts because I have always believed that no one is born evil or broken or deserves to be treated so cruelly. I TRIED SO HARD to find good in Liz Emerson and feel empathy for all that has happened in her life but I COULDN'T. She was such a hateful character and she knew it! And she still continued to be hateful. I hate characters like that. I hate it that they know they're doing wrong and harmful things and is still continuing to do them. LIKE WHY? I also didn't like how it was written. The before and after and countdown to her "accident" was confusing. And I hated the format of it all. It was all jumbled together as if when she submitted the final draft for the novel the publisher drops it on the floor. And forgot the order of chapters and then just filed them all in random order. I just. Ugh. JUST. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. DON'T DO IT. I DON'T RECOMMEND YOU TO EVER READ THIS ONE. You'll just end up with so much hate. PS. This book doesn't even deserve a star, to be honest. This surpasses the hate I feel about The Taking Tree: A Selfish Parody. You can read my review of that

OMG. I don't even know how to begin writing this review. So I guess you'll have to wait a lil bit for it! Xo, Marga, June 28 2015

This story is a powerful one, not in the ways that you think. The plot was predictable. It was done before. It was too cliche. Its an overdone story, theres so many others like it. I could almost gag and have just gave up this book. But that's what makes it so powerful. I kept reading it besides all the predictability that I knew was gonna happen anyway. I wasn't bored, I was excited to know what comes next even if I knew already. I fell in love with the characters. I fell in love with the love story. I fell in love with the complications in it. I fell in love with everything. And I hate myself for loving it. I hate myself for wanting more. I hate myself for being so giddy and weird when finding out there was a sequel. I hate how much I fell for it despite all the flaws it had. Despite all the stuff I hate about these books. Despite knowing already what happens in the end. I hate that I loved this book so much. I hate it! But I loved this. I loved it. Give it a chance. Take a risk. Feel completely insane as I do after reading it.

"And maybe what growing up really means is knowing that you don't have to be just a character, going whichever way the story says. It's knowing you could be the author instead." Dear Laurel, I'm sincerely sorry that your sister died and that you are still greatly affected by it even though you don't really show it or address it in anyway or prioritize your obsessive love for Sky. I tried so hard to understand why you chose to smoke, and do drugs and party with people who care about you but not really because they force you to go through things you don't wanna do and then force you to keep secrets you don't wanna keep and then brush it off the next day and pretend that it never happened. And the worst part of it all is that you stayed with these people and called them your "friends" and still did all of those things above because it made you feel like you "belonged". Yours, Marga I liked the concept of this story because it's written in letters and I love reading letters, I love making them, I love the silly puns, I love the perspective of the person writing it and the story that shines through. And I liked the idea of writing to someone famous, someone who doesn't know you but you know parts of their life that has been shown through media or parts that you know but don't really. I liked that its something that I've done before and I liked that it was a way for the character to reflect on her life and find herself. What I didn't like was Laurel. Laurel and her stupid obsession with Sky. Laurel and her stupid decisions with friends. Laurel and her constant comparing herself with May and her life before death. Laurel. I tried so hard to understand her character and get into why she is the way she is. And I get it, you know, her sister died and she lost a part of herself and she's trying to find herself again. But she makes stupid decisions which she knows she's making and still allows herself to do so. It's like she has completely given up or is giving herself up to the devil. Also I hate it that its like SKY is above everything in her life. I know that first loves are mesmerizing and unforgettable and hard and beautiful and everything in between but its like in a totally different level for Laurel. Its like Sky is everything and nothing else matters, not even her sister's death. I hate that you can guess right away what happens with their relationship and seem like it has no meaning, like whatever happened in the past did not matter or something stupid like that. I don't know. I just didn't like the turn out for this book because it has such a beautiful cover and a beautiful concept that did not meet my expectations for it which led me to utter disappointment and rage. Not so happy reading! :(

What I liked: The mysterious ambience of the story caught my attention right away to read it. I love mystery and thriller novels especially with kidnappings or disappearances because you'll never know what happens next. Some authors write creatively captivating stories through this little concept and I think that's what I really like about it. Hearing that John Green, a fabulously known romance novelist and Youtuber, wrote a book that is in a genre that I am absolutely obsessed with this year blew my mind. I needed to read it straight away because it's something that I would never have expected from him. And I really liked that. What I didn't like: The pace was extremely slow and boring. The first part of the book circulates on Quentin, an obvious nerd name for a nerd that was described as such too much. And then we are introduced to Quentin's friends and then Margot, the girl he totally loves right? And will do anything for. And whatever. I just didn't get the point of this book. I didn't get the concept in where Mr. Green wanted to say about it or make the readers feel. What was the whole point of this whole novel? What is the meaning? What is the purpose? WHAT IS THE MESSAGE THAT YOU WANTED TO CONVEY? I didn't see it. I didn't understand it. I didn't finish. I quit. I'm dreading the day the movie comes out and will hear people who enjoyed it scream in happiness and will annoy me. I just don't get the point. Like why? Will I recommend you to read it? PS. Be reminded that I didn't use "strong words" (aka "What I LOVED" or "WHAT I HATED") in this review because I actually think there is potential that I could maybe reread this book in the future. Maybe when I'm in a different mood or maybe after the movie comes out.

I think readers of this book would rather love it or hate it. It's one of those hit-or-miss books that you just don't quite understand fully on how that could possibly happen. I actually really liked the beginning of this novel. The descriptive manner in how the first scene was laid out was on point and filled me with so many memories of my own about similar situations and feelings.It was absolutely captivating and honest and I felt every moment Sky was going through. But as the book progresses, I started getting really annoyed with characters and in the decisions they were making. And the love story between SKy and Holder (what kind of name is "Holder" anyway???) were cute in the start. But I just couldn't get over the fact that it grew so quickly, the next thing you know they're talking about marriage!? It was so unrealistic that I just wanted to give up the book all together. I could not stress further how much I hate unrealistic occurrences in novels. Especially ones that don't have fantasy, sci-fi or magical super powers and abilities involved. I mean, if you're gonna write a fictional story that sets on our real world the characters should at least be as realistic as a normal human being. Or the actions of these people and the events happening in their lives should justify as real as they would be if they weren't fictional. I really wish I had been the other part of the community of readers that loved this book and gained hope from it because from the state and events happening in my life, I need it. What did you think of this? Were you one of those that loved it? Or hated it? Happy reading! :)

It took me a while to finish this book. I honestly thought that it would take me about two to three days because of the excitement I had of finally owning a Stephen King book. But alas, it took me a week. There was a lot of elements in the story where I felt like it was going nowhere. That the focal point of the whole story wasn't just Dev's experiences dealing with life, love and heartbreak - not that there's anything wrong with that, I just wanted more of a thriller aspect to the story. I honestly didn't know what I wanted from this book to be honest. I guess I was kind of expecting an American Horror Story Freakshow-esque feel about it. Like a twisty the clown plot twist or something. Anyway, the story was a bit slow in pace but it was good. It was satisfying to know details about Joyland and the whole culture that surrounds carnivals or amusement parks. It was a fresh new insight to the whole thing which I greatly appreciated since I really love that kind of stuff. I love stories or descriptions that put an insight on what goes on inside things that we don't see or that are coated with media-filled lies. Happy reading! :)

This story brought me to an extreme, manic panic attack and lots and lots of crying. It brought me back to who I was and who I am now as someone who is dealing with depression. I saw myself a lot in Aysel. Scratch that. I am Aysel. We share the same views and perceptions and understanding about depression and I think that's why I had this huge hope for her that she will be okay in the end. That she will not kill herself. She is me and I am her. And I think that's a huge part of why this story touched me. Having to read someone else's work, thoughts, opinions, beliefs and experiences about depression that is super relatedly weird and close to my own brings me great hope for myself and for others that may be dealing with this too. It's coincidentally funny because I kept highlighting quotes in this book and looking back at my old tweets and blog postings, I noticed that I may have basically written this book over the course of my life. It's like it was written for me or that I wrote such a phenomenal book. And I don't know how to express how I feel about it because it overwhelms me how much I'm exposing my own life or how this exposes me and my demons or my black slugs. I love this novel. I love that it exists somewhere out there in a book store or book shelf in where a person with depression or suicidal thoughts may be able to read it and find their self and find hope. I love that this gave me more hope in myself for my own recovery and that I will surely pass this on to someone I know who is going through the same. So thank you Ms. Warga for creating such a wonderful novel that may be able to save lives. And help people realize the importance of love and trust and being open. <3 In all conclusion, My Heart and Other Black Holes is about the people who understand your true self, even if you don't even know or see who that is, yet. It's about people in your life that want to help you see yourself differently because they truly love you and they want you to see that part of you that is true. Its about opening yourself to others and letting them save you and love you in the truest form possible. Its about love and people and courage and having an open mind to change. Happy reading! :)

Let me just start by saying that I love Cecelia Ahern. She's one of my favorite authors and I naturally expect a lot from her since she manages to baffle me with each book that I read from her. But this time I am utterly disappointed. It's not that the story wasn't good or anything because it was, it was just isn't my cup of tea. I struggled to find strength to read this book until the very end. And to be honest, I may have scanned some of the pages instead of intently reading them. It's just that the story was slow and I felt like it wasn't going anywhere. For the characters; I understood Jasmine. I understood how her lifestyle works especially since it was explained at the beginning of the story, parts where I felt most like her and realized that life moves for no one. Yolo, basically. But as the story progresses I felt like the characters were dragged along this road where there is no end. No moral or lesson at the end of the story. And it might've been because Ms. Ahern was trying to make you feel like the characters were real but its was just so damn slow that it drove me crazy. As for Matt, he was quite confusing. I felt like there was a lot of backstory from him that I didn't really understand throughout the whole book. But it was nice to know that he wasn't a full butthole. The story was simple and it was written really well. The pace was just too slow for me that it dragged the story with it. Thus ending with me crazily disappointed and sad that this was the first book I read for 2015.

This is one of the most extraordinary books I have ever read about missing persons and I applaud you, David J. Bell. There have only been 3 authors that have touched me the most whilst reading their works and one of them I read of his first novel. I don't know if this is David Bell's first book but I loved it so much that it doesn't matter! The thing about David Bell is that he's so good with capturing your attention on the book and on the story. It's like you can't keep your eyes and your mind away from it. The suspense and the curiosities that you envision and feel overwhelm you so much that you have to just finish and read this book thoroughly to satisfy yourself of these feelings. And this is what happened to me. DAVID BELL IS A GENIUS! He's like on a Stephen King's level already. I'm so surprised that not so many people know about his work yet. I wish they did because he is brilliantly amazing! From the start of my 2014, I've been looking for a book that will set me on fire and make me rise from the ashes like a freaking phoenix and this book did that for me. For the past weeks and months I've just been reading some disappointing to okay books and FINALLY this book came along in my life and saved me from the boring hell I was in. I'm not disrespecting the works of others I'm just saying that it wasn't much of a great book and reading experience for me but I appreciated reading their books anyway because I still learned from them even if I didn't like them so much. I just wanna thank David Bell for making this and for bringing my passion for reading close to my heart again. Okay... So let's start from the very beginning. This book caught my eye when I was looking for crime and suspense books one day. I just watched Silence of the Lambs then and I was really interested in stories like those after watching the movie again. I forgot how much I liked the story even if the movie caused some kind of creepy disturbance in me. So I searched and searched for books like those. The book cover caught my eye instantly - if you know me well, you'd know that I looooooooooove books with artistic and quite unusual covers. So I got this book and put it on my tbr. I didn't read it for like a week because we went on a trip to Ilocos but by the last day of the trip I began scanning the pages and I found it to be addicting. I just couldn't stop thinking about what happens next so I never stopped reading. Let's talk about the characters... I could really relate to how Tom was feeling throughout the book, even his violent thoughts and depressing doubts. I understood how he could have felt that way about losing his daughter. For Abby, though, I felt a bit disappointed in her character but I loved this because we don't really read much in books or in stories like these when the mom is the one who gives up or who just believes their child has died and moves on. I've only read one book in my life that showed this and that is The Lovely Bones. I understood how she could feel that way but I was just sad about it. She redeems herself in the end anyway but I still feel like she blames her husband too much on things he has no fault on. But I guess I just didn't really get to know her better (I sometimes wish there was another novel on this book in Abby's perspective or even better! In Caitlin's!). Caitlin reminded me a lot of Kevin in We Need to Talk About Kevin, the way they both have this expressionless face most of the time and always keeps things to themselves, the way they approach things or reacts, the way they speak to their parents, etc. I kind of shipped them for a moment but no, I just thought "let's not, self". I didn't have a favorite character per se, it's more of like how I understood how they felt and in what they are going through with their lives. The one I was less intact with was the kidnapper, John. I don't really understand how people like him exist in the world along with murderers, rapers, abusers, etc. I mean I understand that there might be something that happened to them that triggered this but in this particular story there was none that was mentioned. And I kind of liked to know how he came to do this to Caitlin, why he felt that way or why he did those things he's done to her or with her. I just kind of wanted to know his story because we never really see their perspectives in all of this. I've never read or watched or even learned anything about what happens to them or what their stories are because then we don't fully understand how they came to do those things they do. We just kind of judge them and label them as bad people or persons for what they have done. But what happened to them to cause this, what did other people do or even in themselves that could have caused them to do things like that. Maybe they weren't bad people after all. Maybe they are just bad because something bad happened to them first. This story made me reflect a lot, not just on my life basically but the whole world and how these things could happen. In Caitlin's case, she let it happen. She's a curious but smart girl who knows things way too early in her life and tried to dealt with them in a way that she could find it our for herself. I think that's why we like to break the rules sometimes because we find out why there are rules in the first place. Like we fully don't understand why people thought to make these rules if none or not all of them have been through it. But for Caitlin, it went too far. She was so young and she grew up with someone else who didn't fully understand what she needed to know or learn throughout those years in her life so she learned things that she shouldn't have learned early on. And I think this is why she acted & felt the way she did when she was brought back to her old life. The good thing about Caitlin is that she never lost her love for her parents, you can see that - or read that in the story. It may not be obvious but she does, its as simple as that. Now, the thing I love most about this book is Tom's never-ending search for the truth out of his love for his daughter and the family dynamics in which build up this whole story. So first is Tom's search for the truth, I believe that not every parent will do something like what he did but I hope most of them do. It's just pretty cold-hearted to know that a parent has no interest in what has happened to one's child. It's like you don't completely feel sincere in your love for that person and that your search for the truth no matter how painful it might be will show your strength and your everlasting love for that person. We don't know the complete truth in the book but we know some things that are what possibly happened. As Tom said "At some point, all parents realize their children have layers that may remain forever unexplored." And this is okay because it's the truth and we all have secrets that no one knows of or only one person knows of and this does not mean we're bad people or that we did something wrong it's just a basic fact of life. We keep secrets, it's a part of who we are. Second is the family dynamics, we only know the story through Tom's perspective but we see a lot of dimensions also within the different characters especially with his brother, Buster. There was a lot in the story of Buster and Tom's father issues and this kind of made the story a bit interesting because we see how those issues affected them both - more on Tom but you still see how Buster tries to hide things from Tom due to denial or maybe a sense of safety or protection. There was also the issue in Tom and Abby's relationship, I liked the tiny stories of Tom, Abby and even sometimes Caitlin. Abby and Tom's relationship wasn't perfect even before Caitlin disappeared but it was heartfelt especially after seeing Tom's reactions to Abby's insistently going to Church. I'm a Catholic so I know how important God is in our lives but they way Pastor Chris and Abby dealt or even talked about the Church or even God was like they didn't understand His role in our lives truly but I guess its just different in America... But I respected how there wasn't any cheating involved, that would've ruined the whole thing for me. As for Tom and Caitlin's relationship, I really liked how chill they were with each other and with their unexplainable closeness. Most of the time I'd just be thinking on how Caitlin treated his dad, it was like half the time she was trying to test him if he were to break down or stand straight in situations that she might have played out in her mind. Though, I love how they stayed together and kept their closeness in the end despite everything that's happened. And for Caitlin and John, I think I was pretty much cringing the whole time. As I said above I don't know John's story so I don't really know how to understand him or feel a certain way about his character. All I can say is that he's pretty much delusional and I think he has some kind of psychological disease that could cause him to do this to little girls, particularly Caitlin. And for Caitlin, well, she was fed lies and she clinged onto the only person who she believes loves her fully so I can't really blame her but then again I don't really know why she didn't try to understand it both ways. Lastly, I just want to say that this book blew me away by how real it was. I almost felt like reading a really long article in a newspaper or magazine. It felt so real that I wished that this didn't happen to anybody ever but if it did or it does... My advice for you whether you are the parent or the victim, STAY STRONG. :) Happy Reading!

In all seriousness... I don't even think this book deserves a star but for my GR stats I put one. Let's just pretend that it has no star at all or that one star up there is a metaphor of my hate for this book because I ABSOLUTELY HATED IT FROM THE FIRST PAGE TO THE LAST. I didn't expect much from this book except that I'd relate to the main character/s a lot because I've been bullied throughout my whole life and even to this day I am still being bullied. So having to pick up a book about bullying was no problem for me because I needed the comfort in knowing that someone has gone through same or similar experiences that I did throughout my life. And I wanted to know that this person got through this horrible and horrid act that other people do or perform to fellow people or persons. That the victim had redemption or even hope or a better life after being tortured for so long by people that shouldn't have in the first place. You know, even if it's fictional or not, it could've been inspired by true events or the authors own experiences. BUT NO. THIS IS NOT WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS BOOK. And I don't even understand how I managed to finish it without putting it down for 3 freakin' days (because during my spare time while in school or at home I'd just read this stupid little book). I think this is the number one book that I hate the most out of all the other crappy books that I've read throughout my whole reading experiences. And before you judge me or even bully me about being so mean and stuff, let me remind to you that this is how I feel about the book. That this is MY opinions, MY feelings, and if this bothers you DONT HATE just move along and EXPRESS YOUR HATE THROUGH WAYS THAT WONT HURT ANYONE ELSE. First things first, this is not a spoiler free review. I apologize for this because I cannot contain how I feel about this book. It was just so much for me to not spoil or say anything about what happens or the events that happened because it is relevant to how I came to hate this book so much. So if you don't like to know please leave now and find a spoiler free review. And if you are not bothered by reading spoilers then by all means read on through! So lets go to the plot first, shall we? I was really intrigues, at first, by the title of this book. I mean, who wouldn't? I think everyone has experiences being bullied or being a bully or saw or know someone who has been bullied or who has been the bully. So this topic of bullying applies to all of us. But in all totality THIS BOOK IS NOT ABOUT BULLYING. And this is a huge let down to me because that was the whole point of why I wanted to read it and why I read it. And I only found out about this by the middle to end of the book. I actually felt for Tate, you know, I really really felt for her. I also had someone who was my friend in the past suddenly change and then tormented me years later when we grew apart. It sucked and I felt like I could never get our friendship back, like Tate. But my hate for Tate came when she kept expressing her attraction to her bully and at first I understood because as she describes him, he sounded soooooooooo hot. But then he was her tormentor so it was hard for me to understand how she could like him so much and still think of him "that" way even if he keeps being rude and mean and aggressive and abusive to her. AND THE WORST PART, SHE FREAKIN FORGAVE HIM SOOOOO EASILY AND EVEN KISSED BACK AND HAD SEX WITH HIM! Like are you mental? I've never been bullied the way Tate was and if I was I would never EVER forgive Jared, at least not immediately. I just don't understand how she could just do that? Especially since SHE KNEW IT WAS WRONG and that SHE SHOULDNT. No one is that attractive to be forgiven for mistreating and bullying and excruciating all the hate you have to the other person for so long. And Jared's reason was not even acceptable! I don't understand how Tate could possibly forgive him for that! And why was the hate pointed towards her and not to someone else? WHY ONLY TO HER? TO SOMEONE HE SAID HE LOVES? WHY????????? It's just sooooooo unbelievably annoying how they just made up and let every single EVIL thing that happened go! [image error]

OH MAH GOD. Okay... okay... So here's the thing... I freakin loved Chasing Nikki to the very last bits of my heart so in knowing that there was a sequel I FREAKIN LOST MY MIND. I mean, I know that book from start to finish and I don't think I'll ever forget the story and the love Chase and Nikki had but a SEQUEL?! OMG! And not only did I realize that Chase will have a new love in his life but it's someone who was close to both him and Nikki! Like... Okay... So this story starts 9 months after Nikki's death (and if you haven't read the first book then boo to you I'm not putting up spoiler tags in this because I have too many feelings and I don't have the time to edit and type it so sorry), Chase doesn't do his usual routine of alcohol and drugs anymore - THANK GOD! - because of his promise to Nikki but he still misses her and just goes about his life all numb and broken. It's saddening, really, because Chase has so much charisma and attitude that lights my heart up. Actually now that I think about it, Chase reminds me of Bastian from What a Boy Wants and this is a PRETTY DAMN BIG COMPLIMENT because I'm seriously in love with Bastian even if he is a fictional character and I actually have branded him as my ideal boyfriend or even husband. I wish Chase and Brett could meet Bastian and Jaden because I feel like they're going to be instant friends. I really want an author collab on this please! Anyway, the story was REALLY GOOD! It perfectly matches up to the standards of Chasing Nikki. The characters personalities were constant and I like how I got to know them more through this book. I actually don't like Britt that much because the love that Chase and Nikki had was just too beautiful and it was like I couldn't accept a new person in Chase's like besides Nikki. But then I grew to love Brittany because she cared for Chase in a similar way that Nikki did. And I like female characters like this because it doesn't show the stereotypical personalities of a girl - it shows true emotions and personalities that can come from a girl who actually gives her heart to someone worth it. I also love this in the guy as well, like in Chase and Brett, they show how not all guys are the arrogant and douchebaggy types. That there are also good guys out there with big muscles and good looks. Though the reason why I only gave this book 4 stars is because it was a bit predictable like in the part where Matt and Jeff slashed and broke Chase's car or when they framed him for using drugs again or when Brittany got into a car accident and lived. You could tell from a mile a way that these events would happen and I just wished Lacey Weatherford would've mixed it up, even a little bit. But I kind of liked this because it made the story real although I really do wish that it had a twist in there, somewhere. But I had a hell of a shock in the end. That, I did not expect to happen at all. Even with the last words... I was freakin flying sky high of happiness. I actually wanted MORE. Most of all... I LOVED KNOWING that this story is based on the author's real experiences and that she and "Brittany" are still happy and in love today. I love it that she had the courage to share her story with other people and creating such an awesome character that I will love till the end of time. And that Chase's character is based on a real football player named Chase Walden. Like all my fangirling feels, man. I wanna meet him someday! And the best part, he's the guy on the cover! Like I'm serious he is the dude... that HOT DUDE ON THE COVER!

The ending

I was vey much disturbed with this book especially on the character of the mother of Carrie, Margaret. It disturbs me further that we have the same name. But the point is that Mr. King showed his brilliance in this book! This only disturbed me, it did not terrify me or scared me in a way that when you watch or read something horrific you lose sleep or you don't sleep at all. This book just made me feel so angry and frustrated with Margaret White in how she treats her daughter and in how she views her religious beliefs. I was offended, actually, in the religion part - being a Catholic - I value my religion so much that while reading this it made me dislike the book because Margaret White was like showing that God works in the lies that she tells Carrie. To me, I think she actually believes in Satan and not in God because of the false and misleading things she says about Him. What moved me in this book is King's originality in writing it. I know that most of the people who read this book had a problem with the different perspectives that were given in order to narrate the story. I disagree with these people because I think the way King wrote this book is so authentic and galvanising that it makes me see a different side to writing. And this inspires me to keep on writing and to keep on improving on myself. I think I would've given this story a higher rating and I'd like this story more if I had read it years earlier than I have now because it feel like I read so many similar plots or parts from different books and movies about this story. I'd like to believe that Stephen King was the first one who thought of this idea since this is his first book but I have no basis for that. Even so, with this being his first book, I am glad to have read this (finally) and that I'd share it to my fellow book lovers someday. But I do not STRONGLY recommend it.

I made a deal with myself that I'd read more Stephen King books after reading Carrie because I wanted to get to know this author more - to understand the hype and if he's really a great writer. Of course, I don't expect him to capture all audiences but I want to know if he's an author that I'd love. I've been looking for great authors because I want to keep reading books that inspire me or consumes me in what they're writing. And I just feel like I keep giving low ratings because I haven't found authors or books that are GREAT which is annoying because I really want to read stuff like that so that I'd have a fruitful reading experience. Again, like in Carrie I think I would have given this book a higher rating if I'd read it early on. It's just that I read so many stories, real and fiction, about this kind of plot. I totally blame myself for this because I wasn't a reader yet before the year 2008 (but I stopped) and 2012. SO SHAME ON ME! And I read this book without bothering to read the plot because the cover was so haunting and inviting at the same time. I also was intrigued by the title because it didn't fit what the cover shows. This book is about survival and I found it really amazing that the protagonist is a 9 year old little girl. I love how she found a way to keep her sanity, find strength, and survive all by her lonesome with (view spoiler)[listening to Tom Gordon, a baseball player's voice in her radio and pretending that he is with her physically (hide spoiler)]. I admire Trisha's strength that she survives days in the woods by herself. I admire how she found ways in how to help herself keep moving forward and trying to find her way home. The only thing I had a problem with this book is that the confusion in Trisha's developmental age. And with being a future educator I know that some children are "too smart for their age" but it just felt unrealistic for Trisha, a nine year old to have thought the way she did. I also did not like how a nine year old girl swore so much. If Mr. King would tap into a nine year old's mind, it would not have been like how he wrote Trisha. But now that I think of it... I think Trisha might be an exceptional child, that she is gifted. And if she is then forget everything I said in this paragraph. :) I expected the ending would be that Trisha dies like in Babes In The Woods but she doesn't and I loved this even more. It made the story be an eye-opener to a lot of people and it made me shed a tear that this little girl pushed through and that is rejoined with her family. As much as I love tragic endings... I love happy endings a bit more... (view spoiler)[BUT I FREAKIN' LOVE REAL ENDINGS THE MOST. (hide spoiler)]

This book reminded me of Someone Like You but it didn't put up the same feelings I had for it. This book was disappointing because I really wanted to read it because I've never read a story about break up on a guy's perspective. And if you know me well, I FREAKING LOVE MALE POV BOOKS so knowing this existed made my ovaries pop for joy. But it wasn't good. The standards I had for this didn't meet up with it - it didnt even reach at least half way. Also, the story felt rushed and I sometimes love this but in this particular situation I'd like it that the story would be broke down slowly to the reader so that it captivates them to read on further. I love it that Nick is such a compassionate dude and he just cares so much for Sasha but I honestly don't know what he sees in her or why he still continues to care for her. And the whole entire book was just tragic and full of heartbreak - don't get me wrong, I love tragedy and have so much respect for it but I just felt like this story made fun of that. Reason: Sasha is a cruel human being for playing on Nick. Especially on walking in and out of his life. I mean, the guy has it bad already and you're just making it worse for him. Plus, he lets her so WHAT THE HELL MAN?! I seriously didn't understand the point of it all. In the end, I just skimmed the pages to the last chapter. The ending was okay but it just wasn't good, if you know what I mean.

"Sometimes people think they know you. They know a few facts about you, and they piece you together in a way that makes sense to them. And if you don't know yourself very well, you might even believe that they are right. But the truth is, that isn't you. That isn't you at all." This is one of the best books I've read so far this year. By just the first line of the story ("You think it's so easy to change yourself. You think it's so easy, but it's not."), itself, it caught me. This is one of the books I've read that had so many highlighted quotes, I kept thinking to myself that I should just paint every page of the book similar to the color of my highlighter but I didn't. And if you know me well, I only highlight quotes or sayings from a book that touched me or that expresses how I feel/felt in the course of my life. For someone who has been trying to fit in all her life, bullied, depressed and suicidal, or even is on the verge of finding oneself; I found this book to be one of the best and most realistic books that has ever captured how I truly feel in the following situations. While reading this book I felt like Elise was telling me 70% of my life through this story. And this captivated me in so many ways that it brought me back and made me realize how much I've changed and how these changes affects me now. I love how this book was such a breeze to read. It didn't take me a lot of effort to read it, I just read it like a leaf flowing in a river. And I love how each time I read it I felt like writing - and I've missed writing so much which makes the feeling better. I also love the characters, they felt so real that I saw them in people in my life. And the ending... I love it how Leila Sales didn't push it to have a happy ending, the story felt more legit and real because of it. (view spoiler)[*Not important, Just my fandoms...* I love the ending and this book even more when Elise asked Harry to the school dance because I ship Elise and Harry ever since I knew there was a Harry. I saw a spark within him for Elise rather than with Charm because I really wanted Charm and Pippa to be together. Like, I wished Charm would realize that he actually has stronger feelings for Pippa than Elise since Pippa loves him truly. And when Harry was flirty and sweet when he first met Elise, I wanted him to be with her since then. So... in my happily ever after for Elise, I believe that she ends up with Harry and Charm and Pippa will be together and Vicky will end up with a famous guy rocker dude. (hide spoiler)]

UGH. This was sooooooo good at the start. It was amazing and funny and had so much in store for but I was wrong. That last part... it's wrong. IT WENT NO WHERE. I wanted to read this book because it reminded me of Diary of a Wimpy Vampire, which I really liked. And I had the same reason in why I read it - who had ever heard of a FAT VAMPIRE? No one... Well, I didn't and I loved this. It meant that I didn't know what to expect. And I loved this idea because lately, with the books I'm reading, they kinda all seem predictable and boring. And I was waiting for a moment that I'd finally read something NEW. It also reminded me of Eighth Grade Bites because it was also good at first but then went astray. As I said, the start was awesome. I loved Doug and and Jay's friendship. I almost peed my pants in the part where Doug was asking Jay to punch him in the face. Yeah, that was gold. And I also liked how geeky this book was - I loved hearing characters from movies I watched and comics I've read. I also like how different Adam Rex's take on the vampire thing- what's his beliefs on it and stuff (ex. burn in the sunlight, can die if staked, turns into a bat, etc.) But then the story's spunk disappeared when Sejal and the girls are introduced. It was like watching a show that had an awesome pilot episode and then you get so excited to watch the second because you know it just has to top the first. But then it doesn't and you start to hate it, especially when it's still doesn't keep the momentum of awesomeness the first had. Also, Doug became a douche especially to his best friend Jay and I hated this so much because I loved their friendship and imagined them to be like partners - like batman and robin, like Captain America and Bucky, etc. Also, I did not like the different narrating perspectives. I mean, the story wasn't written in someone's perspective it was narrated but it seemed like the narrators were all different. Like each narrator was a person in the story but they were telling it through the third person. Which is weird because I'd rather prefer it that they'd just tell it with their own perspectives that try to tell it in the third person. It was very confusing like the author didn't know (anymore) where he was going with his own story. Like he lost himself with the many events or scenes that he wanted to put in it. Like he was forcing it to fit in the story but this just made it too confusing to understand. And the ending... *UGH* *PUKE* *BOO*

I WANT TO READ THIS NOW!!! I wanna know the name of the baby, if its a boy or a girl, if it's twins?!?!, and whose????

The start of the book was really nice. It caught me and made me get excited about the story more but then it started getting annoying... This girl, Sam, her parents got divorced and she lives with her mom and her new family. This is where the fabulous Kade brothers come in. Now, for you to understand how ANNOYING it is not to like this brothers you would have to read the book. But seriously, DONT. It's not worth your time. See, the Kade brothers they sound HOT and SEXY and all MAN but in reality; they're douchebags and a-holes. I hate it that it seemed like it was okay for them to manipulate and play on other people's feelings and that in doing this the victim or the person they are doing it too won't get affected negatively. Like ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME?! Also I didn't have a connection with any of the characters. I didn't get the point of what the story is conveying to it's readers. It's just not the book for me. And I hate it that I was so excited to read this because of the many good reviews only to find out for myself how hideous it truly is and I wish I never had read it. <-- I can feel the piercing hate people will have against me for saying that but who cares... It's my book review. :P

I had high expectations for this book because my cousin, who read the whole series and loved it, recommended it to me. So I thought it would be awesome and I even bought it because I thought it would be the type of book I'd re-read over and over again, like she did, but it wasn't. Vlad is a little less vampy, to me. Sometimes I forget that he is one because of how he just is but I guess some vampires are just like that. It wasn't a bad story... It's just that I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. And maybe I had too much of high hopes for it. It's somewhat similar to Diary of a Wimpy Vampire but more serious/mysterious. The story itself was okay... I wasn't amused or excited by anything although I did want to know who killed the guy in the first part of the book but other than that I was just "meh". I still will try to read the 2nd and 3rd book, since I bought it and if I also don't like it as much I'll just sell it or give it away or something. Maybe someone else will find this book much more appealing than I did.

Oh boy! This book was a mess... but in a good way. It started off where it left from That Boy; the proposal of Philipp and the engagement party. Jillian Dodd stayed true to the characters and how, even if they somewhat matured into adults, were still clinging on to who they were as teens. I especially loved the new character that was introduced... Lora, (view spoiler)[Danny's wife (hide spoiler)]. The events in the book weren't rushed unlike some sequels that I've read. In this one, it's just like the first book - Dodd would write about t as if it were a journal of sequenced events in JJ's life and I love this! It's like reading your friend's journal and seeing her grow up as the woman you always thought she was, whether she only realizes it now or then. I love, love, love the trio's friendship more than anything else! And adding Lora to the mix makes it extremely better because she's like a girl version of Philipp which balances out the trio because JJ is the girl version of Danny. I also love how Dodd mentions some parts of That Boy in this book for recap but it was unnecessary for me because I immediately read this after reading That Boy. The only thing I didn't like about this book and why I only gave it 4 out of 5 stars is because JJ somehow lost her astonishing confidence (this was one of the main reasons why I loved her so much in the first book) while looking for a wedding dress and doubting her relationship with Philip when they did counseling with that annoying yet reasonable Pastor. It was like she wasn't herself anymore, I understood and I felt for her but I just thought that she was so much stronger than that. Thank God for Philip because he made it all worth it in the end, for the both of us (me and JJ). I seriously can't wait for the third and final book in this series - That Baby!

First impressions: The plot is great. A girl whose memories get wiped when the government accuses that she was a terrorist (that's why her memories were removed aka being SLATED)and gets a second chance to live her life with a new family and a sister who has also been Slated years before her. Then she finds out for herself with the help of her friends and the guy she has a crush on or her love interest who she really is and why the government Slates people or why Slated people disappear or if innocent people get Slated. I love this plot, it's so creative and so well-thought that I could come up with stories of my own using the plot. The only downside to this is that the story didn't carry out the plot well. So that meant, I didn't like the story. While reading: Man, oh, man was the story boring. The pace of the story was so slow and it was narrated in such a longing way that you wish it would just tell you what the hell is going on. Also, the characters were all boring and plain and just blah except for I kept waiting for good parts to come, unanswered questions answered, more information about being Slated or Slated people or the government but no, nothing. And this frustrates me because the plot is SOOOO AMAZING and I wish the story was too. After reading: That gif explains everything I feel. I'm lost and at a lost for words with this book. I only hope that the sequel is MUCH BETTER than this one. And I am done talking about this now.

This was such a nice and easy read although I would rather prefer the people who are lazy, when it comes to reading books or reading in general, meaning most of the people I know to just watch the movie. It was really similar to the book because Chris Colfer wrote the book and acted the lead role in the movie that was based on his own book. In spite of this, I wish he'd directed and played the lead role like Mel Gibson did in Braveheart or something like what Stephen Chbosky did in The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Excluding all these technicalities I just made... the book is really really good. It's a very touching story even though it didn't end well for our protagonist, Carson Philips. I relate to him alot especially on his individualist attitude and his witty nature. He is outspoken which isnt always a bad thing and I like that he thinks first about his actions than people who just do it without thinking of the consequences that come after it. Also, I like how this story can apply to a lot of stereotypical high schoolers out there who think the best years in their life happens in high school therefore they must take advantage of it and/or control it or whatever. I really admire the honesty of Carson in his life. I love reading books written in journals or diaries because I love the journey I have experiencing or seeing the events happening in the author's life. I love the way they see things in their own perspectives and I love understanding them more through their own words. I just wish there was something more in the story... *Note: If you inform me of a sequel or prequel or whatever on this book, please tell me.

Oh wow, this book is absolutely breathtaking. When I first read it, I reminisced on my past experiences and remembered that fear I had for the dark. (I still have that fear sometimes) And found myself living in the pages, it was like I was there, experiencing the events that happened in the book with him. I knew it from the moment I saw the cover of the book, still not noticing that it's a book from Lemony Snicket, that I had to buy it. And now that I've read it, I am more than convinced to save up my allowance in order to get it.

A hungry caterpillar eats his way through different fruits and foods within a week until he is big and fat. This caterpillar, then, weaves a cocoon transforming into a beautiful butterfly. It shows the growth and development of a butterfly. The thing about this book is it's awesome illustrations and simplicity. It's such an amazing yet simple little book that would help children learn in so many ways (math, science, etc.).

Reviewed on May 6, 2013 "Life's a mess. Why should death be any different." Wow! I didn't realized how long it took me to read this - maybe it was due to Jana's delusional image of her and Michael together forever. To be honest, really honest, I almost fell for his charm too. If you're quite impatient to know the secret intentions of a person like I am, you will be slightly annoyed with this. I didn't find out until later on that (view spoiler)[ Michael was cheating on Jana and he intentionally wanted to humiliate and hurt her (hide spoiler)]. Though, I did enjoy the brief stories of how Jana's friends died. Except for Jana's, her death was somewhat unbelievable, unrealistic. I don't think someone could just die when something like that happens to them. I had a friend who had a similar experience but he didn't die. His skull cracked and he was on a coma for 2 months but he lived. Jana and Mars' relationship was also unconvincing. I just hate it when someone who loves someone else can just move on that quickly, it's like they really didn't love the other person at all. How can they have feelings for this new person if they so truly believe that their soulmate, their "forever" is this certain person. It's just so fake. I did appreciate the creativeness of the story although it reminded me a lot of The Ghost and the Goth with slight changes. I related to Jana's love for Michael so much that it reminded me a lot of my past especially when she said this: "That which kills you doesn't kill love. The philosopher who said suffering short of death makes you stronger is critically flawed in his thinking because death doesn't end how strong you are." There were also funny parts in this book. For example: "Webster", Mars said, "you have to ask me." "Ask you to what?" "To come in. I have to be invited." (If you watch TVD like I do, you'd get this.) Lastly, the cover and title... I don't understand why the title is "Dead Rules" it doesn't seem fitting to me. But the cover is intensely wonderful. I could stare at it all day! Overall, this was a good readI just wish it's plot was revolved around something else, something different - more unique! :) Happy reading!

This is book seven (7).

Note: There are a few spoilers in this review. I did not put the spoiler tag on all of them. I liked the first part of the book, the "ten years ago" part but there were times where I found Lily to be unreasonably annoying. Although, I did love her relationship with Josh - it starts with a crush then becomes a real good friendship or even sibling-ship. I did like her with Ben but when I found out that he was ten years older than she is, I stopped. I think the best thing I like about Lily is her love for animals, other than that she annoys the hell out of me. The second part of the book, the "now" part was sooooo boring. I hate how Lily grew to be more annoying than before. She's whiny and I hate it that (view spoiler)[ she says yes to Richard even though she still has feelings for Ben (hide spoiler)]. I love Richard's character, I love how he cares so much for Lily even if she secretly is into Ben more. I love how he keeps trying to understand her and is so deeply in love with her. I love how he is everything Lily deserves, but of course Lily doesn't see that. I hate characters (or people, actually) who do stupid things in the wrong way. The way were they know or it is expected that something bad will happen when they do said stupid thing. This is what Lily does, and I have a massive hate for her when she did it. By the third chapter of the second part I had a huge urge to give up the book and just read Four Summers (since I got it by that time) but I didn't. I still had hope that the story would turn out okay in the end. However, what I feared to happen happened. In the end, I hated myself for believing that "hope" I had for the book.

The first story was really good... it caught me right away especially with the mystery of the mirrors being draped over. This is one of those stories that are best told if rushed and that I love it even more that I didn't feel like it was. It just moved with the pace that I want the events to happen and when it was over I was completely shocked. I wanted more... You see, I did not read the plot of this book. I just saw the incredibly beautiful cover and title and just read it right away. I didn't care about the plot, I didn't dare look at it. I just wanted to know what happens in the story. And being a BIG Cecelia Ahern fan, I just assumed it would be great. Now, you might be thinking... if I loved it so much why did I give it three stars and not five or four? Well it's because the second story bored me. It was the complete opposite on how I felt about the first one. Again, I didn't know the plot of this book so I didn't know that it would only consist of two short stories and that the title was only meant for the first one. But this is not why I disliked it. Yes, it was boring but it also didn't have that "umph" factor unlike what the first story had. I felt like if I had just read The Memory Maker first I would have liked it but reading The Girl In The Mirror first made it seem so unoriginal and forced. Also, I did not understand the message of The Memory Maker which is a HUGE deal for me since it's just a short story. I think if Ms. Ahern would completely remove The Memory maker from this book and make an individual book for it, it would be immensely better. So that I could read both stories at a longer length because I really want to know more on The Girl In The Mirror. It felt too short for me which I love and hate at the same time. And I guess maybe if The Memory Maker had a book of it's own I'd like it other than mix it up with The Girl In The Mirror.

Reaction after reading the book: WHY? Why didn't they become a couple? Why? I really thought that they would fall in love or something. :( That was such a huge disappointment. Call me a love-story-struck sap all you want 'cause I admittedly know that I am. I just... I wish they ended up together or he secretly liked her or something or the other way around. Just something... The story was good! It was unpredictable (which I love) and it was told in alternating perspectives (which I love even more). I didn't think that I would relate to someone like Alona. You know, the typical shallow, cheerleader, popular girl type of person. I think I will feel the same way Alona felt right after she died, but I know not the whole school would go to my funeral (being a loner and all). But I truly could relate to her character despite of her sometimes bitchy sarcastic ways, she's a really cool person. Will, on the other hand was really... blah to me. I thought I would relate to Will more than Alona but I really didn't feel a connection to Will at all. I understand him about the whole father situation and his mom with creepy psychiatrist dude but I just didn't feel a connection with him. But that's okay too 'cause it felt like he was my best friend or something... I was really expecting them to fall in love!!! I wish they did, that would've made the story extremely more interesting and I would've gave this 4 or even 5 stars. *Sigh* Hopefully, the next book will have some love in it. :) Overall, it was a fast and good read. Happy Reading!

This is such a heartbreaking story. At first I was doubting myself in reading this but as I further get into the story it became more interesting to read and it made me feel the characters more and made me flip each page like a maniac! I TRULY LOVED IT! You may ask why I gave it only 4 stars... well... IT DOESN'T HAVE A HAPPY ENDING! :( But I loved that it didn't as well. I know not all stories have happy endings but I was really rooting for this book to end with it. (view spoiler)[Nikki dying was the most devastating thing that ever happened in this book. I honestly thought she was gonna make it but then poof! She died, she's gone forever. No more Nikki. And it broke my heart and I felt all the pain that Chase and Nikki's family felt after losing her. It was like I knew her as much as they did. (hide spoiler)] Nevertheless, It made the story more realistic as if it's not a story at all. It's real and it happened to real people who dealt with their real problems. It's like Chase was real and Nikki and everyone in the story. It's like a memoir or it's based on a true story or something. That's how I like to see it... That's how I felt after and while reading this book. Sometimes I felt like Nyrae Dawn wrote this book (this is a compliment to Lacey Weatherford). For all the people who have read my book reviews or those people who love reading books from Nyrae as well they would get this. But if you don't... Here's a brief description why: Nyrae Dawn, in my opinion, is one of the best male pov writing authors I have the pleasure to have read their books. And she is one of the authors that have truly inspired me to continue on writing and maybe one day become an author of a best selling book. Lacey Weatherford's writing style is absolutely amazing! She made me feel the things that Chase was going through, even sometimes making me feel what Nikki was going through or even Nikki's mom. It was like living through someone else's shoes and seeing the things and feeling the things they felt throughout the story. It was such a wonderful experience, I ended up staring at the last page with tears for a whole 10 minutes. Overall, this was such an amazing read. I can't wait to try Lacey Weatherford's other books! :) Happy reading!

Nyrae Dawn did it again! Although, I did not love this book as much as I loved What A Boy Wants and What A Boy Needs. But this was good as well. I have a feeling that everything that Nyrae will write I will read. So write away Nyrae Dawn! But I'm really hoping for more Bastian and Jaden stories... This is the first time I'm reading a female pov from Nyrae Dawn (and ever since What A Boy Wants I've loved reading male pov's and became one of my favorite genres of books ever), this was great! Annabel was a really likeable character and since I know someone who's living her situation I understand how she feels about everything. In her life, my friend's, I'm probably Em but with less attitude. This book just really touched me and I'm SOOOO recommending this to my friend who is seriously living with this problem right now. What I love most about this book was the message. A lot of people would probably say Tegan, I like him but no one's as awesome as Bastian - he's still my number one fave from Nyrae Dawn. Just the message... It's so simple but it's so meaningful and it's so true. Like honestly, when I become a teacher for high school students (if I ever will be 'cause this is such a dreadful age and I promised myself I wouldn't but if I do) I will definitely let them read this wonderfully written book. Bravo Nyrae! I can't wait for your next one.

I didn't think it was possible! I didn't like a Nyrae Dawn book! *Quietly sobs in the corner* See full review at my blog.

If you didn't or don't like this book then ... because I LOVE IT. I'm reading this for the second time because the movie just came out and I want to compare the AWESOMAZINGNESS of this book to the movie that might or might not be as lame or as great as they say. I've heard extremely different reviews on the book and of the movie as well so I don't know whom to believe but myself. Unfortunately, I haven't watched the movie (and I feel like a FAILURE FAN because of it) so when I read this for the second time after a year I became so upset with myself that I literally punish myself by watching the trailer while yelling at myself, "YOU FOOL! WHY HAVEN'T YOU WATCHED THIS BEAUTIFUL STORY, YOU FOOL!!!!!". The story was basically The Lightning Thief mixed with the movie, Underworld and a splash of Die for Me and whatever that's written in the description. BOOM! Books that I've read that are similar to another book, I rarely give good reviews to because most of them have the same plot, climax, theme, idea, etc. to other books I've already read or have read about. But with this book, it makes me give those other books a chance because even if this book had similarities or is a mix of the other books I've read. This book made me love it and yearn for the following book series' to come! City of Bones proves that even if it is one of those books it still has it's own unique twist or something! The characters... OMG I think I loved them all at the first meeting or reading, rather. The downside, I think, about this was that I did not relate that much to Clary but I did find myself a lot in Simon. I know what it's like to have a secret crush on your best friend but you feel like you can't tell because you don't know if they feel the same way of you. I liked Clary and Jace's relationship but I had this little piece of me that rooted for Clary and Simon, maybe because I loved Simon's character so much and I wanted him to get the girl. I don't really have a say about Jace, I'm just neutral about his character. He reminds me a lot of Vincent from Die For Me. The other characters like Isabelle, Alec, Luke, etc. were okay, there wasn't anything really that made them pop for me. But I was deeply disappointed by Valentine and how un-evil-y he was. Even though this book was like 400 pages long, it only took me two days to finish it (in reading it the second time around, for the first time I think I read it in less than 2). It was because every time something happens you wanna know what happens next. It's that intriguing! I love books that made me feel like this because it helps me improve on my reading skills. And that of being a future teacher, this skill is very useful and important. Lastly... the ending. Man, oh, man... the ending... It literally broke me down into a million pieces. It felt like the time I was reading Shatter Me but in a good way because now Simon has a chance and that little piece of me that was rooting for him early on BURST INTO TEARS OF JOY. Happy reading!

This story broke my heart and tore it to pieces. Review to come...

Originally posted at WorthlessWords. Before I start my review I want to inform you of important stuff to understand why I disliked this book. I read Children's books for two reasons; (1) for my future students when I graduate from college and become a teacher and (2) because I'm a child-at-heart and I love the lessons I learn from them. And... I LOVE The Giving Tree. LOVE. I read this out of curiosity. I saw it while browsing for Children's books or books in general to read at a bookstore near school. I saw the book immediately when I went to the Children's section of the bookstore. I read it to make sure that it's a good story to tell Children before I decide on buying it. And guess what? IT'S NOT A GOOD STORY! This was me when I was reading the book: This was me after reading the book: Who writes a mean and not recommendable book for children? It's called Children's books for a reason... Who in the world would want a kid to read something like this? I mean, do you personally want to develop mean little kids who just takes things? This might develop to stealing! You honestly want little kids to learn that stealing is okay? NO! As a future educator I don't want my students to read any kind of book like this. Sure, it's for humor purposes (as some of you might say) but you're not looking at the dangers this book might cause to some children who might get their hands on this. Another thing, who uses a word like "jerk" in a Children book? NO ONE SHOULD! These are children, for Pete sake! Do you honestly want them to learn words like that at a young age? They don't even know the meaning of the word. How sure are you that they won't use it? And if they do find out what the word means, how sure are you that they wont use it anymore? I just... I don't understand how this book was even published... Please, please don't let any child read this book.

There's only one emotion that I STRONGLY felt in this book: Like seriously... WHY CAN'T YOU BE TOGETHER ALREADY? Seriously. This is the most frustrating (yet super romantic) book I have ever read. Alex and Rosie are best friends since they were five and while growing up (ignoring their feelings for each other) take on different paths. And while dealing with all the problems they try (not at the same time) to tell the other person how they truly feel about him or her but there is always a problem, an obstacle that stalls them from finding their way back to each other. I was quite surprised with myself on how much I wanted and liked reading this book (and how fast I finished it). It's one of those books you literally can't stop reading. What I love, love, love about the book the most is that it's written in a series of letters and emails and is composed of multiple POVs! Another thing I love about this book is that Katie experienced the same path her mom (Rosie) had experienced with Alex. It's such a joy to read Katie and Toby's relationship growing similarly like Rosie and Alex but I hope Katie's has lesser drama unlike her mother's. The ending was the best thing ever (although I do hate Katie having a harder and more complicated life than Alex), it just shows that no matter how many struggles we have in life we will always find our way back to the people we are meant to be with. And I love how the author didn't give away the story by making the ending a cheesy and overdone or exaggerated manner. She wrote it in a simple yet so beautiful way that you could feel how much that exchange of smiles meant to both characters - the silence, it will always come back to haunt us. I'm speechless. Bravo Cecelia Ahern! Bravo!

Shatter Me almost shattered me by Juliette's annoying everything and as I mentioned on my Shatter Me book review one of the only things I liked about the book was Warner. And when Tahereh Mafi wrote a short story on Warner's pov I could have completely died of sheer excitement. I don't quite understand the title though I love it so much. And the cover! Heaven... It's just so beautiful, I could frame it. Anyway, I couldn't really find the words to explain how wonderful this book is/was. It even had the official Reestablishment files on the end, which I loved and studied deeply. And it's just the way Mafi wrote Warner's pov. It was relatable and consuming. I loved him more every time I turned the next page. It was just so beautiful. I wish Mafi wrote the series in his pov all the time. I just love him so much, he's so amazing and I'm so curious with everything that he's curious about. I really can't explain it but I just... I can relate to him in a way I don't completely understand. And I love him even though he's the antagonist or villain. I just see him the way I see Loki (from Thor or Avengers); misunderstood. It was just a really good read and I can't wait for more.

If I Stay is one of the most beautifully written books I have ever had the pleasure to read. The use of words/phrases in this book was so educational it helped me a lot in writing The Untitled Book better. It also gave me that extra push to write The Untitled Book better and give attention to detail and most importantly... the plot. I love this book and I loved reading it. One important reason why I bought this book was because the story has a connection to music. Although I do not know most of the artists mentioned in the book, music played a huge role in each characters' personality. Each character's choice of genre actually highlighted the characters' personality. Such a clever techinique Gale Forman, very clever. I also loved the reactions I gave while reading the book. Especially the start -again, I'm not spoiling I want you to buy this book and read it yourself - I got so surprised and it just made me kept going, kept reading. It made me focus my attention to the story, the plot, the characters. I also loved how Gale Forman wrote each chapter, how she goes from present to past then present again. It's brilliant! I am truly inspired with her (Gale Forman) style of writing. I'm truly a fan. I also love how I saw myself through Mia's eyes. How would I deal with such situations? How would I feel through all that she has witnessed? What would I choose? How could I make a decision? How? While reading the story I thought of how I could I feel or do in a situation like that. It makes you re-think your life, your experiences, your strengths, your weaknesses, your achievements and failures, yourself - in general. And the message of the story - Oh My Gosh! Oh my, my, my - just so heartwarming, I swear. At one point in the story I actually and literally shed a tear. It was so pure, so believable that my heart just felt the emotions the character, Mia, felt and I just teared up. The emotions I felt at the time was just so powerful I had to let it out. Yes people, that's just how amazing this book is. I think I started reading this book on May 9 so that means I finished reading this book in 8 days! I could have finished this book earlier but I didnt want to. This was the first time I felt like I didnt want to finish a book, not because I didnt like the book... its because the book was incredibly awesome. I didnt want to finish it because if I finished it the story would be over. Its like when you're watching a show and it ends with an open ending or a really good ending and you're just like, "That was it? NOOOO! I WANT MORE!!!" That's exactly how I felt about this book. I didnt want it to be over. I wanted to keep turning pages and keep reading. Its just that good. Soooooooo good that I didnt want it to end. If you read my tweets I've been tweeting on buying the sequel, Where She Went, which I already read a little bit of -thank you bonus sneak peak from If I Stay. Since If I Stay was written in the perpectives of Mia, Where She Went is written in the perspectives of Adam... and I love the author, Gale Forman, for that. Unfortunately I havent bought the book. In every bookstore I go to the book is always unavailable or out of stock. But I never stopped wanting to read the book and looking for it. I will surely read this book again. Maybe after I read Where She Went, if not then I hope soon. Thanks for reading!

I feel so bad because I should've read Delirium first. I did not understand this story... I mean I got it but not completely. It was very confusing because I didn't know who the characters where or what was happening to them or why. I have a feeling that if I read Delirium first I'd really like and/or appreciate this book. I will re-read this soon... after I read Delirium and maybe I'd change my mind on this. Also... I read this first because I thought this was a prequel to the book but it isn't. It's like a pre-sequel. So shame on me. :(

Originally posted at My Blog This book is horrifying and great at the same time. I dont know what intrigued me to read it the most. I think it was the title at first then the book cover then the description then (when I researched about it) the movie's trailer. I couldnt understand half of the vocabulary used in this book. I had to stop and search the words in a dictionary so that I would understand what Eva Khatchadourian was talking about. But this is a good thing, I learned a lot of difficult words and maybe I could use some of those words for The Untitled Book. I also watched the movie after I read the book. Can I just say Ezra Miller is a really great actor. I loved him so much as Kevin. And I love him so much that he's playing Patrick in the Perks Of Being A Wallflower film with Emma Watson, Nina Dobrev, and Logan Wade Lerman. Plot When I read the description of the book I was super intrigued by it. It was so different. So unique that I just had to - HAD TO - read the book as soon as I can. But when I was reading it I had a lot of urge to put it down, lock it away, and never read it again. But I never did that because it was so good that I had to continue reading it, I had to finish it - it was that good. Characters Kevin. Kevin scared me but I also love Kevin, I understand Kevin. What he was going through. What he was feeling. Why he did what he did - I would never but I understood him. It was really confusing for me at first, knowing already - because of the description - that Kevin killed his classmates and destroyed his teacher's life but I understood why. Why he did it, why he had to. (view spoiler)[ The thing that I'm still confused about is why Kevin killed his dad. His dad who loved him so much and defended him through the very end of the story. (hide spoiler)] Maybe he did it because he really hated him or he wanted him to know that he was wrong about him and that he should've believed his mother. I really dont know. Eva. I dont like Eva but I dont hate her either. I pity her. I'm sad for her. I feel bad for her. Its had when your own child doesnt want, like or love you. When your own child - who came from your womb - tortures you. But I admire her for her bravery, for her courage, for not giving up on Kevin. Yes, she hated her own son but she still tried to love him and tried to accept him and tried to make him happy. There was a moment in the book where Kevin wanted to spend time with her, where he wanted her to have a moment, he wanted her to be happy. And I think that's my favorite part in the whole book. Franklin. I like him as a father for Kevin but why Kevin alone? Celia. Celia is the sweetest little sister ever. She is the opposite of Kevin, need I say more? Overall This book is really interesting but I wouldnt recommend it to everyone. Read it if you can handle the nightmares you will have later on - after reading this book. It will test your beliefs, your morals, your values. You gotta have a really open mind if your going to read this. And you gotta be willing to read this and make sure to finish it. You will never understand if you will not finish it. Happy reading!

If you are lazy like my two younger siblings who don't like (yet) to read books, watch the movie - it's completely the same. Yup, even the dialogues. Yeah, even the transitions. Uh huh, EVERYTHING. Yes, I watched the movie first but I really wanted to read the book because I thought it would be like other books-made-into-movies where they'd change or revise some part/s of the story. And I like knowing how or what these changes are. So while reading this I was shocked by how it was EXACTLY the same as the movie. I love it when people from Hollywood or whatever follows the events, dialogues, message, setting, etc. of the book - especially when I LOVE that certain book. Although, I do appreciate movies in which events or the story line where changes but are better than the original story/book or are equally awesome. Anyway back to the book review, this story shows a realistic point of view of love. And it's teen-fiction so it's easy to understand. I love how the story starts off at the very beginning and ends with an open-ending. It just makes everything more realistic. It's like everything in this book is real and that maybe Julie Baker and Bryce Loski are an old couple now still in love. I love how I saw myself in Julie and Bryce - that I remember what it was like to be in love or to have a crush at that age. It made me go back to when I had my first crush and how I still have a crush on him now. This book was like a diary to my elementary love life and I LOVE THAT FEELING SO MUCH. It rarely happens to me that I feel like I'm reading my life in someone else's story or that someone else is telling my life to me through their experiences. And this is why I recommend that you read and watch the movie. I don't care if you watch it first or vise versa, just promise me you'll do both. You won't be sorry... in fact, I think you'll thank me. Happy reading and watching! :)