If I Stay: Review

Synopsis: In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

Details: If I Stay by Gayle Forman, 199 pages, 4.01 stars on Goodreads

Why I Picked This Up: Initially, I didn't really want to read this. The synopsis made it sound like just another dead-girl story that would be packed with flashbacks and grief and depressing prose. So the first couple times I saw this in blog posts, I skimmed the reviews and decided to pass on it, but then each time it came up again, the review was fabulous. Finally, I figured that if so many people seemed to like it, then it really couldn't be that bad, right? And so I belatedly placed it on my to-read list with mixed expectations.

Characters: This book had its strong points, but I don't think the characters are one of them. Mia was okay - I cared about her and wanted her to be happy, but I never felt like I really got to know her. She was just this quiet, shy girl who was really into classical music and her cello. One good thing about her, though, was that while this book was relatively short at just under two hundred pages, you still got to see a lot of Mia's struggle with her decision about whether to stay, or die.

Her boyfriend, this punk rocker, was an interesting touch - you wouldn't really think of someone falling in love with her musical opposite, but the flashbacks of their relationship were romantic and well-written. Something I don't like that much about Adam, however, was that he didn't feel quite developed, either. He was painted as this rocker who cursed every couple words but didn't seem to have much of a personality beyond that. I did like his love for Mia - it was sweet.

My main complaint when it comes to characters is Mia's little brother. He's six, but definitely sounds about five years older. There are so many lines where he says things that no little kid would ever, ever, ever say, and that struck me as odd and kind of jarred me out of the story in the beginning.

Plot: The plot was what I was concerned about when I first read the synopsis. It's hard to pull of a "healing" story, so I was concerned that the grief might be overdone. But to my surprise, this wasn't quite a "healing" or "coming to terms" story but something different. It was about finding your own inner strength to stay alive, to anchor on to the things you have so you can recover from what you've lost.

There were flashbacks, but they were beautifully written and layered so that each worked perfectly with the story. There definitely wasn't "flashback overdose" here, showing Forman's prowess as a writer. I also loved that while this wasn't the sort of book that would make you dissolve into sobs, there were moments that made you tear up, so that even when you weren't physically reacting, you still felt as heartbroken as Mia.

Overall: Despite some scenes that were a little weird (like the sex scene, which you have to admit was rather odd), If I Stay had a compelling plot. This isn't the kind of book where you spend the whole time thinking that you've read a book just like this before. The characters could have been better, but you could still emphasize with them and feel emotion. In the end, this is a great book that I would recommend to anyone who loves books that can make you feel without making you sob.

First Line: Everyone thinks it was because of the snow. And in a way, I suppose that's true.

Plot - 3/5
Characters - 3/5
Writing - 4/5
Impact - 3/5
Inability to put it down - 3/5

Total - 64% = B-

Thirteen to Life: Review

Synopsis: Something strange is stalking the small town of Junction…

When junior Jess Gillmansen gets called out of class by Guidance, she can only presume it’s for one of two reasons. Either they’ve finally figured out who wrote the scathing anti-jock editorial in the school newspaper or they’re hosting yet another intervention for her about her mom. Although far from expecting it, she’s relieved to discover Guidance just wants her to show a new student around—but he comes with issues of his own including a police escort.

The newest member of Junction High, Pietr Rusakova has secrets to hide--secrets that will bring big trouble to the small town of Junction—secrets including dramatic changes he’s undergoing that will surely end his life early.

Details: Thirteen to Life by Shannon Delaney, 308 pages, 3.96 stars on Goodreads

Why I Picked This Up: This one was another book I hesitated to put on my to-read list. The cover was gorgeous, but the summary sounded boring. And really, werewolves? I honestly haven't read a werewolf book yet that I've really enjoyed - they're just not my cup of tea - but finally I gave in and decided to read it. 


Characters: I'll just come out and say it - I didn't like the characters very much. Jess was okay. While I didn't hate her guts, she wasn't really someone I particularly cared for. I like snarky characters, but it didn't feel like it was done right with her - she was snarky about the same "typical American high school" stuff, complaining about the jocks and the populars and the nerds and the drama geeks and what have you. Hint - as far as I know, not all high schools are neatly divided into perfectly orchestrated social classes. One thing I do have to say, though, is that I'm glad she's a character who likes reading but not classical literature. It's possible to enjoy books without only reading things like Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre - you know, the YA fiction we all know and love. 


Jess got a little annoying towards to the end, because she kept talking about self-sacrifice and such. I think this book would have fared a lot better without that. It's one thing to have a character who's inclined to be generous, but it was just irritating to read about her martyring herself all over the place. In some cases, it can be successful, like Sorta Like A Rock Star (the most recent addition to my to-review list), but when it falls flat, it really falls flat.


Still, I liked Jess better than Pietr. His "bad boy"-ness felt overdone and didn't really bring anything new to the table. I also didn't like the random da's and nyet's interspersed with his dialogue - there are other ways of making him seem Russian and mysterious than having him say a foreign word or two every now and then. 


Plot: My other issue with this book was the plot. A lot of paranormal romances seem to go this way: (1) New boy comes to school, and every single girl in a fifty mile radius is instantly attracted to him, except one. (2) This one girl is forced, one way or another, to be around him a lot. (3) The girl starts to fall in love with him, even though she doesn't want to. (4) She finds out his terrible secret and loves him anyway. Dialogue such as "I love you." "You shouldn't. I'm dangerous. I could kill you." "I love you anyway." ensues. 


I was hoping this book would go differently, but it didn't. There was very little deviation from this standard plotline, and there wasn't anything really unique going on, either. The romance was unremarkable and didn't stand out. One thing I do have to say is that although I disliked Pietr, he was definitely very, very swoon-worthy. If you're really into paranormal romances, you'll probably love Pietr.


My biggest issue with this book was the pacing. Everything was trundling along at a nice rate, and then suddenly a whole lot of plot got crammed into the last twenty pages, presumably to act as a cliffhanger for the second book. If it wasn't for that, I probably would want to pick up the next one, but instead things got confusing with lots of characters tossed into the mix, and now I don't plan on reading Secrets and Shadows.

Cover: I love this cover. The colors are wonderful, with the different shades of blue, especially how the really dark ones around the edges ebb into lighter colors. The pattern on the left is cool and adds a nice touch, especially how it twists and snakes around in a chain-ish way. The eye-moon is very cool as well, and I think the abrupt color change with that works quite nicely. Really, the only thing I don't like very much about this cover is how there are two focal points, the girl and the eye-moon. One of the first things you learn when making graphics is that unless you pull it off really well, things work better with a single focal point. Otherwise, your eyes aren't sure where to focus, the girl or the picture of the eye. I think this cover would be a little better without the girl strolling by on the bottom. 

First Line: I closed the door behind me, heading down the hallway and straight to Hell. 


Overall: I feel like this book might have some potential, but I didn't like it very much, with the unoriginal plot, strange pacing, and characters I simply didn't care about. The reviews on Goodreads were mixed, with some people feeling like I did and others raving about it. I would say that if you know you love paranormal romances, you'll probably adore this one, but if you only like some or don't like them all, don't pick this one up.


Plot - 2/5
Characters - 2/5
Writing - 4/5
Impact - 2/5
Inability to put it down - 3/5


Total - 52% = C

What I Want to Read

It's obviously no secret that I love to read (and write), and I'm sure pretty much all of you guys, if you're reading this, love to read (and possibly but not necessarily write) as well. If you read a lot, then you probably come across stereotypes and cliches and find types of books that you wish there are more of.

Here is a list of things I'd like to find in books. If you happen to know a book that has one or more of these elements, it'd be awesome if you commented and let me know :) Feel free to comment with kinds of books you want to see as well!

1. The love interest that isn't super hot. Of course it can be great to read a book with a totally swoon-worthy guy (or girl, but for the sake of eliminating awkward phrases, I'll just talk about male love interests) who whispers flirtatious phrases when no one's watching and saves you from ninja gangster pirates in one deft move, turning to wink at you while flicking his rich, golden curls out of his dangerous, steamy brown eyes. But, you know, plain or ugly guys and plain or ugly girls fall in love too. Actually, I can't think of any major crush I've ever had that was on a particularly hot guy.

2. The love interest that isn't a "good guy" nor a "bad boy". They do exist, you know. There aren't only "good girls" and "bad girls", right? Normal guys are really walking around, and they have complex, developed personalities. Actually, I can think of a few books with good love interests in this respect, like The Sky is Everywhere. I would like to see better love interests in paranormal romances, though. (Of course, I'm not saying ALL paranormal romances have underdeveloped male love interests, just the majority I've read. I've heard good things about Paranormalcy, for instance.)

3. A book that makes you cry and laugh. I've been reading too many books that just make you depressed, and then too many books that just make you laugh. I'm trying to find the perfect one that makes you burst into alternate spouts of heartfelt sobs and hysterical laughter.

What about you? What do you want to see more of?

Going Too Far: Review

Synopsis: All Meg has ever wanted is to get away. Away from high school. Away from her backwater town. Away from her parents who seem determined to keep her imprisoned in their dead-end lives. But one crazy evening involving a dare and forbidden railroad tracks, she goes way too far... and almost doesn't make it back. 

John made a choice to stay. To enforce the rules. To serve and protect. He has nothing but contempt for what he sees as childish rebellion, and he wants to teach Meg a lesson she won't soon forget. But Meg pushes him to the limit by questioning everything he learned at the police academy. And when he pushes back, demanding to know why she won't be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge - and over... 

Details: Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols, 256 pages, 4.20 stars on Goodreads

Why I Picked This Up: The cover was what initially attracted me. I wasn't too sure when I read the synopsis - I've never been too into books with romance as the main plot, but then I started reading so many fantastic reviews, and I finally gave up and stuck it on my to-read list. Just before I actually picked it up to read, I came across a less-than-glowing review that lamented how her high expectations made her enjoy this book even less than she would have. I was then wary of reading Going Too Far, but it was already in my hand so, I figured, I might as well see how it is. 


Characters: Any thoughts I had about a cardboard romance with flat characters were dispelled after the first few pages, because Going Too Far had a wonderful cast of complex, realistic, believable characters. Meg sounds like a typical small-town female character who only "wants to get away", but she's really more complicated than that. She's cynical and rebellious, complete with the bright blue hair, and most of all, she's strong on the outside and insecure on the inside. This all sounds cliche, but Meg is different from characters I've read about before - she gets claustrophobic panic attacks even from using a seat belt, which gives a lot of insight into her character.


When Meg was younger, she had cancer, but unlike many stories of cancer patients, Meg didn't handle it well. She wasn't the brave martyr who took everything with a smile and still helped people worse off than herself. She was lonely and terrified instead, fighting and clawing to the point where the doctors had to strap her down to administer chemotherapy. It still haunts her to the present moment, and that's what caused her claustrophobia.


John was a fantastic character as well. He was the dark, handsome police officer, and yet he was more than that. He turned out to be just a little older than Meg, and even once was in one of her high school Spanish classes. A complex character as well, John had many layers to him and it was excellent reading to watch the layers strip off until we learn the very essence of him. There weree mysteries to him, as well. He had excellent grades and could have gone to many different, great universities, and yet he chose to stay in his tiny town and work as a police officer instead, not even going to college at all. 


Plot: First, the actual set-up of the book felt a little too convenient to me. Instead of going to jail or getting fined or anything like that, Meg has to accompany John for seven nights in the police car during his shift. When would that kind of punishment be assigned by the police? Still, I was able to suspend my belief and really get into the story for one big reason:


The romance. It was hot (sorry, that's the only way I can think of to describe it) without being graphic in any way. It really shows Jennifer Echols' skill as a writer that she can make a book so sexy while still pretty modest. I loved the tension she created between John and Meg, and even though those two characters seemed so different, she managed to show how they were absolutely perfect together. Although their romance developed at a rather quick rate, I was able to believe it.


Both the characters had emotional baggage, especially Meg, and I love how that factored in. I'm pretty sure this was the best romance I've ever read - somehow managing to be smart, cute, insightful, and absolutely swoon-worthy all at once. I wouldn't call this a light book, but there are still funny moments that made me crack a smile. Definitely a pleasant surprise for me!


Cover: This is a gorgeous cover. It's pretty online but even better in real life. The soft colors and the tenderness of the pose were amazing, and as I was reading, I kept flipping back to the cover because it was just so beautiful and perfectly summed up the tone of the book.


Overall: A fantastic read! Even if you don't like romances that much, like me, you might still enjoy this because it was so well-crafted. 


Plot - 3/5
Characters - 5/5
Writing - 5/5
Impact - 2/5
Inability to put it down - 3/5


Total - 72% = B