Anna and the French Kiss: Review

Title: Anna and the French Kiss
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Release Date: December 2nd, 2010

Publisher: Dutton

Genre: Contemporary

Pages: 372 pages

Goodreads Rating: 4.55 stars

Review: Anna, unlike most teenage girls, isn't happy about being sent to Paris for boarding school. After all, things were finally turning around for her back in Atlanta, since she had a great job, a great best friend, and a great crush who was about to a little more than that. But soon, everything looks up when she meets some good friends, particularly the British-American St. Clair. St. Clair has a girlfriend, and Anna has a sort-of-boyfriend, so of course he's off limits. Except it soon becomes apparent that it's difficult to stick to those limits...

If you follow a fair amount of book blogs, you've probably seen a great deal of hype over this book. I haven't read a single negative review for ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS, and I'm not surprised. Despite the chick-lit title and cover, this is a book with more substance than that, a book with real situations and themes that a lot of people can actually relate to. 

The humor is incredible. I found myself grinning like a crazy person while reading this. Stephanie Perkins is a master at balancing humor with sadness and happiness and romance. And speaking of the romance, there was a lot of that and it was well done. I don't mean just kissing (although those scenes were quite good, too!), but other scenes full of romantic tension, like when St. Clair and Anna were sitting in the dark theater together with their legs almost touching.

The characters in this book were brilliant. While St. Clair was still definitely attractive, I love that Stephanie Perkins didn't make him absolutely perfect (physically and emotionally). Too many YA books have love interests that are completely beautiful in every way, but St. Clair, for example, was short. That actually added to his charm. Anna, too, was strong and honest but still flawed. While I was reading this, I wanted to be with St. Clair and Anna and all the rest and be their friends, too.

And one undeniably great aspect of this book? Paris. I've never met a person who hasn't wanted to visit Paris, and it's obvious the author did her research. This story was bursting with details about the city, from the food to the arts to the landmarks, and this only made me want to go there even more!

All in all, this was a fantastic book. I don't think it's something I'll remember very well months from now, but I loved reading it and I immediately recommended it to all my friends when I finished it. ANNA is more than just chick lit, as the title or cover may suggest - it deals with deeper themes and imperfect characters and, of course, Paris. I can't wait for the companion books!

Grade: A

The Space Between the Trees: Review

Title: The Space Between the Trees
Author: Katie Williams
Release Date: June 16th, 2010
Published By: Chronicle Books
Goodreads Rating: 3.14 stars

Synopsis: This story was supposed to be about Evie how she hasn't made a friend in years, how she tends to stretch the truth (especially about her so-called relationship with college drop-out Jonah Luks), and how she finally comes into her own once she learns to just be herself but it isn't. Because when her classmate Elizabeth "Zabet" McCabe's murdered body is found in the woods, everything changes and Evie's life is never the same again.


Review: People often ask me what kinds of books I like to read, and I usually give the same answer - that I read pretty much everything although I tend not to like high fantasy and chick lit. But if I had to narrow everything down to just one kind of book, one type of tone and genre and story that would be the only thing I could read for the rest of my life... it would be a book like The Space Between the Trees.

I can't come up with adequate words for how much this book affected me. It was deep and dark and confusing, yes, but confusing in a good way, a way that really makes you think and feel. This wasn't really the sort of book I found myself tearing through the pages to get to the end, but rather something I read slowly over the course of a couple days, something I savored.

Evie is a strange girl - not in a bad way, but just very different from any other character I've read about. She's introverted and quiet and doesn't know herself very well, but her thoughts and emotions are complex. Hadley, too, was a very complicated character who seemed so different on the outside from Evie, and even though her actions were different as well (particularly towards the end, which I won't give away), I wonder how similar they are.

Not too many reviews I read were particularly impressed with this one, and the ones who did liked the suspense and the mystery. Those were important components of this story, but I feel like there was more to this story. The Space Between the Trees reminded me quite a bit of The Replacement, not so much in storyline - they were very different that way - but in tone and how I felt afterwards. If you liked The Replacement, then you'll probably love this one.

Grade: A+

Matched: Review

Title: Matched
Author: Ally Condie
Release Date: November 30, 2010
Published By: Dutton Juvenile
Goodreads Rating: 3.94 stars

Synopsis: Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.


Review: You're probably tired of reading all those raving reviews of Matched, and I went into this fully expecting it not to live up to its hype. However, this will be another review with so many exclamation points that you can only imagine me frothing at the mouth, eyes rolling in their sockets, as I tell you how amazing this book is.

If you're only going to read one dystopian novel of 2010, it has to be this one. This is like The Giver but with more love, more romance, more passion. Cassia has an easy voice to get into, and once you start reading, you'll be completely sucked into the story. Each character was fresh and unique, and I loved how strong and brave Cassia was. Xander and Ky both had distinct personalities as well, and I only wish Em (Cassia's best girl friend) had more of a developed personality. However, she was just a minor character so it's not a big deal.

And the romance! It was very well-written, and I found myself practically swooning over Ky, which is fairly rare for me. Ally Condie is so good at making what seem to be relatively ordinary scenes jam-packed with sexual tension without actually having sex or anything graphic. For example, the scenes where Ky was teaching Cassia how to write (in their age, people only type things and largely don't know how to write by hand) were definitely among my favorite.

All in all, I love-love-loved this book! If you haven't read it yet, what are you waiting for? You've got to get your hands on this as soon as possible. There's a reason why I haven't seen a single negative review for this book yet. From the characters to the romance to the world-building, this is something that will stay in my mind for a long time.

Grade: A

Mostly Good Girls: Review

Title: Mostly Good Girls
Author: Leila Sales
Release Date: October 5, 2010
Published By: Simon Pulse
Goodreads Rating: 3.88 stars
Amazon Rating: 4.46 stars

Synopsis: The higher you aim, the farther you fall….

It’s Violet’s junior year at the Westfield School. She thought she’d be focusing on getting straight As, editing the lit mag, and figuring out how to talk to boys without choking on her own saliva. Instead, she’s just trying to hold it together in the face of cutthroat academics, her crush’s new girlfriend, and the sense that things are going irreversibly wrong with her best friend, Katie.

When Katie starts making choices that Violet can’t even begin to fathom, Violet has no idea how to set things right between them. Westfield girls are trained for success—but how can Violet keep her junior year from being one huge, epic failure?

Review: I was so excited to read this for a couple reasons. One, it has an adorable cover - I love covers that have simple images on plain backgrounds yet still provide a tone for the book. Two, I won it, and everything's much better when it comes in the mail, all nice and shiny. I wasn't really sure what to expect because I only read two reviews of it beforehand, but it seemed like it would be a great read.

At the end of the first page, I knew I was going to love this book.

Serious books can make awesome reads that really make you think, but sometimes you really just want to sit back and relax with a hilarious read. And trust me, Mostly Good Girls wasn't short of hilarity. Violet was such a funny narrator, from her discussion of the only male teacher's strange smiley face tattoo to the literary magazine's not-so-discriminating selection process. It was fun to read about her crazy antics with her best friend, Katie, and I found myself laughing out loud multiple times throughout this.

But I think what I loved just as much was that this book wasn't all humor. There were actual complex issues that many teens would struggle with, things like friendship and parental pressure, that were dealt with in a natural way. Just as I laughed out loud in places, I felt worried and sympathetic for Violet as she tried to measure up with Katie.

There are a lot of books where the main character's best friend is a shallow or slutty or bossy and/or one-dimensional. This was absolutely not the case with Mostly Good Girls. Katie was just as well-developed as Violet, and her decisions were complex. I didn't always understand why she did what she did at first (like suddenly getting a high school drop out for a boyfriend), but everything makes sense when you learn more about her.

Overall, the only thing I'd say about this book that could possibly be negative was that Kate and Violet often felt younger than seventeen. They seemed a lot more like fourteen or fifteen, but that's not really a big deal. I would highly, highly recommend this book to anyone for a hilarious but still relatively serious read. I normally don't buy books for people as gifts because there's really no telling for people's tastes (I always feel guilty if I get someone a book and they didn't like it), but this was so good, I had to get my friend a copy for Christmas!

Grade: A+

Boy Toy: Review

Title: Boy Toy
Author: Barry Lyga
Release Date: September 24th, 2007
Published By: Houghton Mifflin
Goodreads Rating: 4.05 stars
Amazon Rating: 4.18 stars

Synopsis: A riveting and disturbing novel about a seventh-grade boy who has a very adult relationship with his female teacher. Josh Mendel has a secret. Unfortunately, everyone knows what it is. Five years ago, Josh's life changed. Drastically. And everyone in his school, his town-seems like the world-thinks they understand. But they don't-they can't. And now, about to graduate from high school, Josh is still trying to sort through the pieces. First there's Rachel, the girl he thought he'd lost years ago. She's back, and she's determined to be part of his life, whether he wants her there or not. Then there are college decisions to make, and the toughest baseball game of his life coming up, and a coach who won't stop pushing Josh all the way to the brink. And then there's Eve. Her return brings with it all the memories of Josh's past. It's time for Josh to face the truth about what happened. If only he know what the truth was...

Review: This book was powerful. I can't say it was an enjoyable read, especially given the events that occurred within it, but it definitely affected me. I found this to be well-written with very well-developed characters, but I had trouble reading through quite a few of the parts simply because they disturbed me too much.

I'm all for not censuring literature and I wouldn't call this book inappropriate - it's just definitely meant only for people who are perfectly fine with reading extremely intense sex scenes. These scenes were very graphic, and were also repulsive (as the author intended) because they were between a twelve-year-old boy and his teacher. I do kind of wish the author had toned it down a bit so I could fully appreciate the book, but of course I respect the truth and honesty with which the author portrayed it.

Other than that, this was a gripping book. I felt like things were a little too fairy-tale-ending-where-everything-wraps-up-neatly at the end, but it was a gritty read about what can be a taboo subject. It explores something as complex as molestation and the conflicting and confusing emotions that come with it quite well, and I would like to read other books by this author for sure. 


Grade: A-

Tell Me a Secret: Review

Title: Tell Me a Secret
Author: Holly Cupala  
Release Date: June 22nd, 2010 
Published by: Harper Collins
Goodreads Rating: 4.08 stars
Amazon Rating: 4.3 stars

Synopsis: Tell me a secret, and I'll tell you one…

In the five years since her bad-girl sister Xanda’s death, Miranda Mathison has wondered about the secret her sister took to the grave, and what really happened the night she died. Now, just as Miranda is on the cusp of her dreams—a best friend to unlock her sister’s world, a ticket to art school, and a boyfriend to fly her away from it all—Miranda has a secret all her own.

Then two lines on a pregnancy test confirm her worst fears. Stripped of her former life, Miranda must make a choice with tremendous consequences and finally face her sister’s demons and her own.

In this powerful debut novel, stunning new talent Holly Cupala illuminates the dark struggle of a girl who must let go of her past to find a way into her own future.

Review: I have to admit, I wasn't very excited about this one when I initially got it from the library. Sure, I'd heard plenty of exciting things from people and raving reviews, but the synopsis just didn't sound that intriguing to me. I have read a million books about girls that pregnant and two million books about girls who lose a family member, so I wasn't sure how this one could be so different. 

But it was. There were so many amazing things about this book I could talk about, but one of the best were the characters. Rand (the nickname Xanda had given her when she was eleven to make her sound more hard-core) is strong and intelligent, but still not fully mature and we are shown that. She wants to be like her sister was - a "bad" girl, the kind that sneaks out at night and parties and has hot boyfriends who whisk them away from unhappy lives - and it seems like she's close to getting that.

Delaney, her best friend, is a lot like Xanda was and she draws Rand in to the world her sister lived in. She's not exactly the nicest person in the world, and while we learn a little of why she does what she does, it's not to used to say that it's okay for her to be cruel. Rand also gains an extremely intelligent boyfriend, Kamran, and she hopes that she can elope with him like Xanda planned to elope with her boyfriend, before she died.


Except everything goes wrong. Rand gets pregnant, Kamran breaks up with her, and Delaney grows farther and farther away from the model best friend. Her parents are far from supportive of her decision to keep the baby, and then Rand starts to find out things about her sister she didn't know, that she didn't want to know. 


One of the best features of the book was the writing. Each sentence was stark and beautiful and crafted with emotion infused with every word. As I read through this, I kept thinking, This author can really write. Not every book can make you feel like Tell Me a Secret does. 


Overall, this was a fantastic book. At times it felt like the bad things happening to Rand were a little too much, but the prose was gorgeous and the characters well-developed and well-portrayed. I would recommend this to anyone who wants an honest contemporary read. 


Grade: A-

Sorta Like a Rock Star: Review

Synopsis: Amber Appleton lives in a bus. Ever since her mom's boyfriend kicked them out, Amber, her mom, and her totally loyal dog, Bobby Big Boy (aka Thrice B) have been camped out in the back of Hello Yellow (the school bus her mom drives). Still, Amber, the self-proclaimed princess of hope and girl of unyielding optimism, refuses to sweat the bad stuff. But when a fatal tragedy threatens Amber's optimism--and her way of life, can Amber continue to be the rock star of hope? With an oddball cast of characters, and a heartwarming, inspiring story, this novel unveils a beautifully beaten-up world of laughs, loyalty, and hard-earned hope.

Details: Sorta Like a Rock Star by Matthew Quick, 362 pages, 4.27 stars on Goodreads

Review: I have to admit, I was a bit unsure about this one when I first considered reading it. "Princess of hope"? "Unyielding optimism"? I was scared this would be one of those stories where horrible incident after horrible incident occurs and the protagonist is still stupidly happy and hopeful in a way that only makes you frustrated because no one can possibly be that perfect in the face of such awfulness. But trust me, Sorta Like a Rock Star was in no way like that. 


Amber Appleton is the most fantastic character since the character that invented sliced bread. (See what I did there?) Sometimes the things she thinks feel a little strange to me (like calling herself the princess/rock star of hope), but she's such an absolutely awesome and flawed character that I can overlook that. Her voice was so real and strong and honest that even though she could be so optimistic, it felt true. The one thing I noticed about Amber was that her voice seemed younger than she is. I probably would have pinned her at thirteen or fourteen instead of seventeen, but that's just a minor nitpick. 


All the other characters were just as amazing. The synopsis was right when it called it an "oddball cast", because each one was quirky and developed and so wonderfully fleshed-out. Private Jackson, for instance, was more than just traumatized ex-soldier. I absolutely loved how he wrote and read haikus - these are the kind of character traits that give someone more depth, and they come from intimately knowing your character, even if he or she plays a more minor role.


A lot of people call this book an inspirational read, and it is. This is a story about overcoming adversity with optimism and cheer, but that you don't have to be perfect to do so. It's about braving your way through the hardest of times and not being afraid to rely on other people or be relied on yourself. But there's more to this than a handful of lessons wrapped up in smooth pages and a shiny cover - this is truly Amber's story, with laughs and tears and face-stretching grins, and that makes it something anyone can enjoy.


Grade: A-

The Replacement: Review

Synopsis: Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in ...more Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in the human world.

Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the Slag Heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs.

Details: The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff, 352 pages, 3.76 stars on Goodreads


Why I Picked This Up: Look at that beautiful cover, and you should have your answer. But for this particular book, of course, it was a little bit more than love at first sight. The synopsis sounded absolutely chilling and I'd read reviews where it was described as creepy and ominous, so naturally I had to get this as soon as possible. This was all the way at the top of my to-read list!


Characters: This book is the very definition of different, and its characters are no exception. Mackie was quite possibly the most real and surreal character I've ever read about. He was strange, and even though he wasn't human, he felt human in certain ways. As a "replacement child", he was supposed to die, but somehow he made it through high school. But despite this, Mackie is dying because of his allergy of iron, which is present in more places than I ever thought it was. 


I love the depth to which Mackie is developed. Obviously he's different from most people, but his relationships with his friends, his sister, his parents, and his girlfriend are so real and human-like, and I appreciate that they weren't forced even though he's not actually human. He struggled with issues and had feelings and emotions, so he was still easy to relate to, and I really felt for him as I read this.


His family was fascinating as well. Of course with something as difficult as what he is, he doesn't have the most normal family, but I liked that they at least appeared to love him and care about him. The book had me guessing throughout most of it, and I'm still not entirely certain that they truly love him, but they weren't straight-out unsupportive or "bad" parents. They tried, at least. Mackie's sister was the most interesting of the rest of his family in that she was really the one who saved him from dying when he was a baby. She was his protector for most of his life, even though she was just a little girl when her "real" brother was stolen away.


I think my favorite characters would have to be Morrigan and the rest of the dead lot. They were creepy and sent chills through me over and over again, with the vivid and gruesome descriptions of them, but I appreciated the fact that the author didn't shy away from anything. She told it like it was, and the story was better for it.


Plot: This was without a doubt the most original book I've read all year. It had fairies in it, or at least fairy-like people, but trust me, this was not Glimmerglass. (Not that I have anything against Glimmerglass - I actually really enjoyed that book. But anyway.) The Replacement was definitely creepy and ominous, and it brought "dark" to entirely new levels. This wasn't dark like forbidden-love or sexually-abused-child - this was dark like pitch black, middle of the night, what the hell is happening dark. 


I wouldn't really call this a scary or horror book. I don't think this was written with the intent to terrify, and it didn't actually frighten me. It made me think, and more than that, it made me feel. I felt in a way I can't even really describe, when I read this book, and that's part of what made this book so wonderful.


Gentry and Morrigan and the Slag Heap were described in horrible detail, and I loved it. The author wasn't afraid to tell us point blank about their decomposing bodies, things that will send revulsion through you, and yet it's terribly delightful. This is not a book for the faint of heart, but if you are, I encourage you to read it anyway. 


The only complaint I would make about The Replacement is that I didn't feel like the story was fully explored. I wanted to know more about the Slag Heap and less about the whole Alice-teen-drama thing, and the ending just felt kind of rushed to me. 


First Line: I don't remember any of the true, important parts, but there's this dream I have.

Cover: Such a beautiful cover. I love the grayish tones of the fog in the background because they really add to the mysterious, ominous air of the book without actually using very dark colors. The ornate baby carriage is depicted in perfect detail, with the surreal-looking weapons dangling above it adding a nice touch. Even the title is great, bright-red letters right there without being too obtrusive.

Overall: This book is eerie and beautiful and ugly somehow, and that makes it perfect. It's truly dark, and if you're a fan of Tim Burton, you'll probably love this. The words are gorgeous, and this is a book I can honestly say I would read over and over again, and I usually hate reading books a second time. The only downside is that the ending is rushed and I feel like more could have been explored. Regardless, I think everyone should read this.


Plot - 5/5
Writing - 4/5
Characters - 4.5/5
Impact - 4/5
Inability to put it down - 3/5


Overall - 82% = A-

White Cat: Review

Synopsis: Cassel comes from a family of curse workers — people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they're all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn't got the magic touch, so he's an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail — he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.

Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He's noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him, caught up in a mysterious plot. As Cassel begins to suspect he's part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila. Could she still be alive? To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen.

Holly Black has created a gripping tale of mobsters and dark magic where a single touch can bring love — or death — and your dreams might be more real than your memories.

Details: White Cat by Holly Black, 310 pages, 3.97 stars

Why I Picked This Up: I didn't want to at first simply because I didn't like the cover. It didn't seem like a very good one (I still don't really like it), and the first review I'd read of it was less than stellar. However, the next handful I came across all had very enthusiastic things to say about it, so I thought it couldn't be that bad and decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did!

Characters: I found Cassel to be a fascinating character. His whole family was one of conmen, each curse working to get what they want. His mother, for example, can make people feel emotions, and when he was younger, instead of traditional punishments like getting grounded, she would make him feel intense guilt or sadness. However, Cassel doesn't have any of those gifts and so he's the only "normal" one - but by being normal, he's really completely different from all his other family members.

Still, Cassel is good at conning people and even ran a gambling system at his school for quite a decent profit. What I like most about him is that he's a fantastic male POV. He isn't like a lot of male characters dominating YA - he doesn't fall into one of three stereotypes (the bad boy with a heart of gold, the sweet boy-next-door, or the tortured loner), and is instead his own personality.

Better yet, Cassel is funny. He makes all these witty remarks as you read that can make you smile, but it doesn't distract you from the more serious content of White Cat. His voice was well done, and I enjoyed reading it.

Plot: This book had a tight, well-crafted plot that was twistier than a snake greased with french fries on a mountain composed of butter sticks. (I dare you to come up with a better simile. No, seriously. Put it in the comments!) It had me guessing at every turn, but the results surprised me nearly every time.

I loved the story background, too. Holly Black has proved her originality previously, like in her Spiderwick Chronicles (which I adored as a kid), but the lore of this world still startled me with how unique it was. Someone has mentioned to me that the book is actually a retelling of a lesser-known fairy tale called "The White Cat", although I would suggest you read it after the book to avoid getting spoilers. Even then, this is still an extremely creative retelling; I hadn't even noticed the fairy tale elements when I first read it.

The only thing I didn't really like was how the pacing felt a bit wrong, which threw me off from time to time.

Cover: I really dislike this cover. It actually repelled me from the book in the beginning. I don't like how the model's eyes are covered with that random red smoke, and both fonts don't seem to work very well with the story. The cursive-y one at the top seems to suggest this is a very light-hearted story, and the one at the bottom looks like it belongs on a scroll of papyrus. I also never really liked it when the author's name was a million times bigger than the title.

First Line: I wake up barefoot, standing on cold slate tiles.

Overall: Cassel was an excellent male character, with a POV that doesn't betray the fact that the author is female at all. The plot is tight and well-crafted, with plenty of twists to make you turning pages. Although the pacing seemed to be off, this was a fantastic book I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good fantasy.

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

Overall - 80% = A-

Infinite Days: Review

Synopsis: Lenah Beaudonte is, in many ways, your average teen: the new girl at Wickham Boarding School, she struggles to fit in enough to survive and stand out enough to catch the eye of the golden-boy lacrosse captain. But Lenah also just happens to be a recovering five-hundred-year-old vampire queen. After centuries of terrorizing Europe, Lenah is able to realize the dream all vampires have -- to be human again. After performing a dangerous ritual to restore her humanity, Lenah entered a century-long hibernation, leaving behind the wicked coven she ruled over and the eternal love who has helped grant her deep-seated wish.

Until, that is, Lenah draws her first natural breath in centuries at Wickham and rediscovers a human life that bears little resemblance to the one she had known. As if suddenly becoming a teenager weren’t stressful enough, each passing hour brings Lenah closer to the moment when her abandoned coven will open the crypt where she should be sleeping and find her gone. As her borrowed days slip by, Lenah resolves to live her newfound life as fully as she can. But, to do so, she must answer ominous questions: Can an ex-vampire survive in an alien time and place? What can Lenah do to protect her new friends from the bloodthirsty menace about to descend upon them? And how is she ever going to pass her biology midterm? 

Details: Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel, 310 pages, 4.09 stars on Goodreads

Why I Picked This Up: I didn't want to at first. I mean, another vampire book? The last time I tried another vampire book, it was so awful I had to put it down after the first forty-five pages, but I'd wanted to get rid of it after the first page. (Not going to say the title or author, of course, because I don't want to bash a specific book like that.) But almost every review I read raved about how awesome it was, how amazing, how beautiful, and how unlike anything else it was. Plus, that cover? It's g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s. 


Characters: Lenah was phenomenal. This is definitely the best-written character I've read in such a long time - she was well-developed, honest, and so imperfect. I loved that the author didn't shy away from all the evil things she did before, all the murders and tortures and cruelties, and yet made her a sympathetic character without making everything seem sugar-coated and false. She was sorrowful and intelligent and mature.


Although I wouldn't call it depressing, I could feel her intense desire to be human again, to feel, both physically and emotionally, and to love. She wanted it more than anything, and when I read her narration, I felt an aching myself, because I was so completely placed in her shoes. And despite all the emotions I felt for her, she wasn't self-pitying at all. She didn't agonize and mope around about all the things she'd done.


I didn't like Justin that much, though. It wasn't like I hated him or even disliked his character, it was more that he never really had a developed personality. The same went for the minor characters, like the so-called "Three Piece", which was a group of popular girls. That was just sort of cliche and shallow and vain. There are mean popular girls, and there are cliques, but even people like those have more substance to them. Pretty Little Liars, for instance, illustrates this extremely well.


I had issues with Tony as well. He was nice in the beginning, because he was different and funny and relateable, and his interest in the arts was a good touch. Although I found it cliche that he had a crush on Lenah, I could let it slide.  What really bothered me was the stalker tendencies. Stalking girls - taking a bajillion photos of them and the like - is not normal. It's dangerous, it's sick, and it's wrong. 


Plot: Honestly, I have to say, the writing in this book was powerful. So many parts were practically like poetry, because they were so beautiful and haunting and heartbreaking. I loved this book, and it was so raw and, frankly, inspiring to me. There are nothing like gorgeous words to get the cogs in my brain turning, and this book was spectacular for that.


The flashbacks were well juxtaposed with the main plotline, and I felt that nearly everything was performed excellently in Infinite Days. The only thing I didn't like was the romance between Lenah and Justin. I could see Lenah and Rhode - as two vampires, they were in true, deep, profound love and they were perfect - but Lenah and Justin felt strange, random, and way too fast. 


I just can't see someone like Lenah, someone who's half a millenium old and therefore wise and mature, someone who's gone through so much, falling in love with a sixteen-year-old boy. The difference in maturity between a sixteen-year-old boy and, say, a fourteen-year-old girl is slight. The difference in maturity between a sixteen-year-old boy and a sixteen-year-old girl is slight. (All this depending, of course, on the boy and girl in question.) The difference between a sixteen-year-old boy and a five-hundred-year-old girl? Yeah, that's a lot bigger. I can't see them bridging the maturity gap.


First Line: [Unavailable.]

Cover: I love this cover. The colors in the eye are stunning, and the single tear is the perfect touch, and also actually means something, which you find out when you read it. I like the shine to the girl's skin, because it's such a beautiful, smooth color that makes the eye stand out even more. The only thing I don't like are the bangs at the top, because they feel sort of random.

Overall: The romance was lacking and some minor characters could use more work, but otherwise, this was a fantastic read that I highly, highly recommend. Lenah was a true, powerful character with a raw and inspiring story to tell, and the prose was heartbreakingly beautiful.


Plot - 4/5
Characters - 3.5/5
Writing - 5/5
Impact - 4/5
Inability to put it down - 4/5


Total - 82% = A-

The Duff: Review

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her "Duffy," she throws her Coke in his face. 

But things aren't so great at home right now. Desperate for a distraction, Bianca ends up kissing Wesley. And likes it. Eager for escape, she throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley. 

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out that Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone. 

Details: The Duff by Kody Keplinger, 288 pages, 4.04 stars on Goodreads

Why I Picked This Up: I knew I wanted this the first time I laid eyes on the cover. I knew I wanted it even more when I read the synopsis. And I knew I absolutely, one-hundred-percent had to have it when I saw it wasn't going to come out for, like, a million years. It didn't help that I've probably read at least six thousand reviews of this book since then, each and every one glowing. But finally - finally! - I got my hands on this one. 


Characters: Bianca is absolutely amazing. She's sarcastic, cynical, drenched with wit, and one hundred percent honest. She seems like, by all rights, she should be a jerk, but she's not because she's also loyal and cares about her friends. And while she is definitely strong, she's also insecure, just like pretty much every teen girl out there. She's always felt less pretty, less skinny than her gorgeous friends, but it didn't really hit her until she was labeled the Duff - the designated ugly fat friend.


Oh yeah, and her voice? Completely fantastic. Bianca doesn't just have a voice, the pages leak voice. Every word is sopped with it, each one unmistakably hers. She's smart and even funny at times, while still maintaining the seriousness of the story. 


Of course, no analysis of characters is complete without talking about Wesley. He's that guy who's the big bad wolf in so many YA stories - the guy who can't keep his hands off every mildly attractive girl who walks past him. He's disgusting and repulsive and so, so hot. The calculating jerkwad only decided to talk to Bianca because he wanted a shot at her friends, and he told her so, too. 


And yet, there's more to him than that. He has depth to him, and he matured. Don't get me wrong, by the end of the book, he hadn't exactly transformed into Prince Charming of Celibacy, but he was a little different. More grown up. He knew what he was doing had real consequences, and it made him the teensiest bit more likeable. 


Plot: Obviously awesome. Bianca's life is dissolving and there's nothing she can do except try to hold it together, to keep everything from crumbling in her hands. And while all that's going on, she has to deal with that awful Wesley Rush. Yet even though I kept thinking there was no way she should get it together with Wesley, that what she was doing with him was wrong (how could you do it with someone who calls you fat and ugly?), I couldn't help hoping they would end up together.


This is an edgy book. It has sex scenes that the author was clearly not afraid to write, and so it's more for a mature teen audience - not something you'd want to hand to a tween. 


Cover: Love it! Those yellow letters don't seem like they would work and yet they do, because they're so bright they pop, but in a good way. I like the smaller print of "Designated Ugly Fat Friend", and especially the model they chose. The girl on the cover seems normal, not a supermodel like so many other books. 


First Line: [Unavailable.]

Overall: This is one of the best reads I've gone through this year. The romance is amazing and unique and edgy, the characters are real and honest and funny, and even the whole concept is exciting. Every bad review I've read of this was basically because it was too edgy for that reviewer's tastes, so if you think the sex scenes aren't for you (they're really not graphic, but there are a lot of them), you probably should avoid this one.


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


Total - 92% = A

Liar: Review

Synopsis: Micah freely admits that she's a compulsive liar. And that may be the one honest thing she'll ever tell you. Over the years she's duped her classmates, her teachers, and even her parents. But when her boyfriend, Zach, dies under brutal circumstances, the shock might be enough to set her straight. Or maybe not. Especially when lying comes as naturally to her as breathing. ...more Micah freely admits that she's a compulsive liar. And that may be the one honest thing she'll ever tell you. Over the years she's duped her classmates, her teachers, and even her parents. But when her boyfriend, Zach, dies under brutal circumstances, the shock might be enough to set her straight. Or maybe not. Especially when lying comes as naturally to her as breathing. Was Micah dating Zach? Or was Sarah his real girlfriend? And are the stories Micah tells about inheriting a "family gene" real or are they something that only exists in her mind?

Breathtaking in its plotting, and narrated by one of the most psychologically complex young women to emerge since Sybil, Liar is a roller-coaster that will have listeners grasping for the truth. Honestly. 

Details: Liar by Justine Larbalestier, 376 pages, 3.48 stars on Goodreads


My Thoughts: My friends and I make jokes, sometimes, that all writers are compulsive liars, and that - compulsive and pathological liars - is something I've always taken rather lightly. So when I picked up this book, I wasn't sure what to expect, but it wasn't this. I didn't anticipate being completely swept in to the point where I had to struggle to put it down. I never thought there would be passages that were so honest and heartbreaking and confusing that I would read them over and over again until the words were ingrained in my skull. And it definitely never occurred to me that this would became my favorite book, ever.


I have long been a fan of the psychological kinds of books - novels, even movies, that take you on mindbending journeys and make you think and cringe and cry and your pulse quicken. I don't like horror movies/books, so it's hard for me to find that perfect kind of book, but Liar is just that - the perfect kind of book for me. Micah is the best kind of character, complex and real. Sometimes I just wanted to take her by the shoulders and shake her and tell her to start telling the truth, to stop lying, but that was a part of her. Being a compulsive liar not only made her a unique character, it added so many complicated (but in a great way!) layers to the story, because you don't know if what she says is true or not.


And that was the most amazing facet of the story, simply that you can't tell what part of the narration is true. Towards the end of the book, she begins to count the lies she's told during the narration, and they could be horrifying and strange and sometimes, oddly enough, heart-twisting. But there are still parts - especially one very large part, the "family illness" as she calls it in the beginning, that you just don't know. She doesn't count it among the lies she says she's told, but how can you know? Micah is, after all, a compulsive liar. But then again, she tells about the frustration of when you're telling the truth and people don't believe you because it's the boy who cried wolf all over again. 


The ending blew my mind. I would honestly count this ending as the best ending I have ever read in a book. It's been two months since I read this, and I still think about that ending. The last line echoes in my mind over and over again. I'm itching to say it in this review, but if you choose to read this book - and you absolutely, absolutely, absolutely should - it's better to read it for the first time yourself, after all the build-up of the previous pages. It's wonderful and spectacular and startling and grim, and it's so, so perfect. It's the kind of last line that I imagine the author, upon first thinking of it, must have squealed at the perfection of it. (Maybe Justine Larbalestier doesn't squeal. But I would have. Definitely.) 


I wish more people I know would read this book because I need to discuss it with someone so badly. I want to debate it, to figure out together if Micah is telling the truth or lying or if maybe we're just not meant to know. So, I absolutely, one hundred percent, definitely think that everyone else should read it.


Plot - 5/5
Characters - 5/5
Writing - 5/5
Impact - 5/5
Inability to put it down - 4.5/5


Overall - 98% = A+

After School Nightmare: Review

Synopsis: You have just awakened to find your darkest, ugliest secret revealed to classmates who would do anything to destroy you. This is what's happened to Ichijou Mashiro, whose elite school education turns into the most horrifying experience of his life when he's enlisted by a mysterious school nurse to take an after-hours class. Only those who pass the class will graduate, and the only way for Mashiro to pass is to enter into a nightmare world... where his body and soul will be at the mercy of his worst enemies. Can Mashiro keep his life-long secret - that he is not truly a "he" nor entirely a "she" - or will he finally be "outted" in the most humiliating way possible? 

Details: After School Nightmare by Setona Mizushiro, 10 volumes, Manga

My Thoughts: This synopsis does not do this series justice at all. Every summary I've found on the Internet doesn't either. It makes the manga series sound like LGBTQ fiction - not that there's anything wrong with that (I've read some wonderful LGBTQ books), but this isn't like that. The main character may be half-boy, half-girl, but he (I'll just call Mashiro that for convenience's sake) is more than that. I can't reveal what it is without revealing Spoilers of Epic Proportions, however, but know that the story is way deeper and symbolic than it seems.

I really didn't expect much of After School Nightmare. I thought it might be an interesting read, a nice journey into manga (I typically watch anime instead), something to relax with. But trust me, this is definitely not the kind of thing you'd bring to the beach. After School Nightmare is riveting, emotional, complex, stark, chilling - practically everything except relaxing. When I got a volume from the library, I pounced on it right away, regardless of what I was reading (I dropped Mockingjay to read the ninth volume), and each one ends with a cliffhanger that leaves me in abject misery for the next few days. 

But what wonderful abject misery! I was thrilled whenever the next volume came, and reserved the one after that as soon as possible because I knew there would be a cliffhanger. The plot is full of incredible twists. Just when you're sure of something, or you think something is obvious, everything changes and you realize you're completely wrong. The subplots are rich and detailed, and come in nicely at the end, tying up all loose ends.

Oh, yeah, the ending? It. Was. Amazing. I tore through the tenth volume faster than any of the others, and the ending of the ending of the ending sent me into hysteria because I couldn't believe it ended like that and there'd be no other volume to tell me what would happen next. Somehow, the author managed to give us a cliffhanger ending to the series that wasn't even really a cliffhanger because everything was resolved but it's still enough to drive you completely INSANE.

So the premise might sound sort of weird or off-putting or uninteresting, but trust me when I say the manga isn't, at all. Well, it is kind of weird but in a unique, wonderful way, and even if you've never read manga or watched anime before in your life, you have to read this. Even if you despise graphic novels, you have to read this. Amazing writing is amazing writing no matter what shape or form it's in, and besides, the drawings and layouts are perfect for the beginning manga reader.

And if you're still not sure if you want to read this or not... there is an extremely swoon-worthy male in here. He defies all YA stereotypes in a million different ways, but oh my god, he is amazing. ;)

Plot - 5/5

Characters - 4.5/5 

Writing - 5/5

Impact - 4/5

Inability to put it down - 5/5

Overall - 94% = A+

Living Dead Girl: Review

Synopsis: Once upon a time I was a little girl who disappeared.
Once upon a time my name was not Alice.
Once upon a time I didn't know how lucky I was.

When Alice was ten, Ray took her away from her family, her friends -- her life. She learned to give up all power, to endure all pain. She waited for the nightmare to be over.

Now Alice is fifteen and Ray still has her, but he speaks more and more of her death. He does not know it is what she longs for. She does not know he has something more terrifying than death in mind for her.

This is Alice's story. It is one you have never heard, and one you will never, ever forget.

Details: Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott, 170 pages, 3.85 stars on Goodreads

My Thoughts: If you're a relatively old follower, you may remember my review of The Unwritten Rule, also by Elizabeth Scott. In a nutshell, I said that while I didn't enjoy that book too much, I got the sense that the author is a very good writer and that she writes dark very well. So, when I was browsing the library shelves and saw Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott, I decided to read it. I mean, you don't get much darker than the title "Living Dead Girl".


This was a short book, but I completely devoured it in about forty minutes. I was ripping through the pages (actually, I slipped on one of the pages and made a tiny tear - sorry, library!) to find out what happens next, what happens next, and since I had to leave in about an hour, I was desperate to finish the book. (Checking it out with my library card did not occur to me.) 


Living Dead Girl is probably the darkest book I've read in a long time, but that's good because I love dark books, I love edgy books, and I especially love dark, edgy books. If I was reading this at home, the waterworks would be exploding out of my eyes, but at the library, while I was too embarrassed to cry in public lest people think I'm a freak, I did have tears pricking the corners of my eyes. Every word is perfect and screams out emotion - I wasn't reading about "Alice"'s hopelessness, I was hopeless; I wasn't reading about "Alice"'s abuse, I was abused. Elizabeth Scott is a master at making you the character.


One thing I have to say is this book isn't for the faint of heart. It's disturbing, intense, and heartbreaking all at once. If you don't think you can handle it, you probably shouldn't read it. But if you can, I highly, highly recommend it. And on a final note - some people hated the ending, but I absolutely loved it. It was so perfect, almost like The Giver, in its ambiguity and awesomeness. 


This book doesn't open your eyes - it tears them open. Read it, if you can.


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


Overall - 92% = A