I Was Here by Gayle Forman

Title: I Was Here

Author: Gayle Forman

Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group

Date Published: January 27, 2015

Genre: YA fiction, realistic fiction, contemporary, romance

Pages: 288 (hardback)

Age Range: 13+







Summary


Cody and Meg were inseparable...
Until they weren’t.

When her best friend, Meg, drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. She and Meg shared everything—so how was there no warning? But when Cody travels to Meg’s college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington. About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, and some secrets of his own. And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can’t open—until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend’s death gets thrown into question.


Review


I couldn't imagine losing any of my best friends. I have 3 and we're as close as sisters. When I first started reading this book I didn't think much about the summary because Gayle Forman wrote it and I love her raw, realistic writing. Her books grab my heart and twist it to the point I think it might shatter. Her novel if i stay made me cry. Her novels are a work of fiction, but she writes about things that are too real.

I Was Here was definitely heart-twisting.

There were so many things Meg could have done differently. She had so many chances to change her mind, too. She planned her suicide down to the tinniest detail as to leave a $50 tip to the maid who found her body. I really felt bad for Cody. I totally sympathized with her. She hadn't seen Meg's suicide coming, and she hadn't noticed her depression. I would have been equally as devastated, if not more, and felt like a horrible friend too if I hadn't realized the pain my best friend was going through.

As I said before, I couldn't imagine losing any of my best friends. The thought of losing one of them--whether from an accident or suicide--makes me sick. Scratch that, it makes me feel worse than sick.
So, yeah, this book had a big impact on me, just like if i stay. After reading the first page, I could hardly keep it together. It was like someone punched me in the stomach.

But then the book took a turn I wasn't expecting. It kind of turned into a mystery--a mission--almost. It took away from the sadness, for the most part. Until the end, when Cody goes to the Garcias' to explain everything she found out about Meg's death. 

The ending was nice. A final farewell to Meg. One last goodbye. It also seemed like a release for Cody and Ben. Cody is making an effort to forgive herself, and Meg.
Meg would have been pleased with her headstone.

I wished there had been a little bit more of a connection between Ben and Cody. I didn't really feel like there really was a strong connection but I guess there wasn't really a chance for them to bond more emotionally between everything that was going on. Cody's mind was on more than the hot guitarist next to her--which is understandable lol. The book ended with their story unfinished. But their feelings for each other were finally voiced.

If you, or someone you know struggles with depression, please visit: http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.com or call 800-273-TALK

Insurgent Official Clip - "Worth It"

First movie clip for Insurgent!!

One month left guys!! :)

 

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

            Title: Cinder
            Author: Marissa Meyer
            Series: Lunar Chronicles #1
            Publisher: Square Fish
            Date Published: January 8th, 2013
            Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Fairytale, Dystopia
            Pages: 448 (paperback)
            Age Range: 12+








                                                                    Summary:
          Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl....
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.





                                                                       Review:
          Wow. For anyone who knows me, they know how much I love this book- how much I love this entire series. The writing is amazing, the plot is fascinating, and the characters are absolutely perfect.
          Reading this book is like eatin' a breathe mint after you eat an onion (that was a really weird metaphor. Don't listen to a word I say). It was full of new characters, and a new plot. First off, Cinder was fantastic. She acted like your average teen, even though she clearly wasn't. She was funny, and relatable. Cinder reacted exactly like I would've in a lot of situations, and I really liked that. While we don't get to see a lot of Kai, I really liked what I did see of him. I actually think that he's gonna be a great leader. Oh, my gosh! Iko! I  loved her! She was SO funny and silly. I was constantly reminded of a giggly, goofy little sister. As was expected, I disliked Pearl and the stepmother, but at the same time, I think that Adri might have some redeeming qualities later. Probably not, but hey, a girl can hope. I was so sad about Peony, and when I read that part, I just sat there almost sobbing. I HATE Levana. I think her name is really pretty, but I HATE her. I hope Cinder gets to kill her. I really do. Dr. Erland kinda... creeped me out. Like, he was a necessary character, and I liked his role, but I didn't like him. It's hard to explain.
          I loved the plot for this story. It was new, and I feel like there are gonna be a lot of twists in later books. I liked the twist with Cinder, and I love how she saved that little boy with her bit of letumosis cure. I liked all of the little things during the story- her foot, giving the cure away, her mechanical talent, etc.
         During this book, I kept listening to Born This Way by Lady Gaga in my mind. I have no idea why..... but the shoe fits (HAHA I'M SO PUNNY). I really want to see a Cinder movie, and I think that Phoebe Tonkin would be good Cinder. I'm not sure why, but I think that she would do Cinder justice. I've already read Scarlet, so I'll have  review for that up soon!









                                                     

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Title: Insurgent

Series: Divergent Series #2

Author: Veronica Roth

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Date Published: May 1, 2012

Genre: YA fiction, romance, action, thriller, sci-fi, fantasy

Pages: 544 (hardback)

Age Range: 12+



Summary


One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

Review


The writing was good, but there just isn't much suspense, or feeling in this series. I can only describe it, as I had before for Divergent, as bland. Veronica Roth describes what Tris is feeling, but you don't feel emotions. At least, I didn't.

First off...I totally knew Uriah was Divergent!! I called it before I even finished the first book.
When I wasn't expecting though, was Marlene's demise. Totally wasn't expecting it. I knew the Erudite were planning something drastic that would be deadly. But I was thinking like, they were going to blow up the building, or come marching in shooting, OR they'd make the people go into simulation-mode and kill whoever they could. Wasn't expecting an unwilling suicide.

And speaking of suicide. Tris got really stupid and suicidal in this book. She didn't think about what she was doing. She just did the first thing that came to mind. When she gave herself over to the Erudite....I wanted to punch her, because I knew--I KNEW--Tobias was going to go after her! It still surprised me, but I knew it was going to happen. I didn't expect what he said to Tris though. Ya know, the whole "you die, I die" thing.

"You die, I die too." Tobias looks over his shoulder at me. "I asked you not to do this. You made your decision. These are the repercussions."

I thought he was really there to die with her, because he gave himself over pretty fast. I thought it was too fast to come up with a plan, but then I found out he made one and I was kind of disappointed cause I was expecting things to go a different way. I wasn't expecting them to die, but I expected Tobias to come up with a drastic, last second plan when Tris is about to be executed or something awesome and daring like that. Cause, it's Four/Tobias--he's known to come up with plans on the spot. Unlike Tris, who doesn't think anything through.

Caleb! I wasn't expecting Caleb to stab Tris in the back. He really chose faction before blood. Like whoa, didn't see that coming. I'm curious about what will happen with him next. Is Tris going to have to kill him? Is she going to have him thrown in prison? What's gonna happen? (No one spoil it for me! Someone already ruined the ending of Allegiant for me).

Jeanine's death....I was expecting one last evil sentence from her, but she just died. That was it. Died. She's dead now. That's all folks.

The ending was good but it wasn't one of those endings that made me go, "ohmygosh I have to read the next book right now!" It was okay. Unexpected; interesting; it made me curious, but I wasn't shocked or wowed.

I don't really know how to rate this book because I didn't get excited or totally into the story. And, like I said, I thought the writing was good but bland. I only really got surprised, maybe, three times--when we find out that Caleb is a traitor, when Marlene died and when Tobias hands himself over to the Erudite.

Insurgent Trailer - "Fight Back"

Best Insurgent trailer so far!

Coolest flippin poster!!!

Our Book Guys as Dads

I found this and couldn't resist posting XD

 

Twilight...

          Alright ladies n' gents, it's that time. Time to discuss a certain, highly-debated book series. Please know that everything below is my opinion. Mine. It may differ from yours, but that does not mean that either of us is wrong or right. So, let's all be nice to one another, and remember, that it's just a book series not a living thing. Okay? Okay. (See what I did there? John Green, anyone?)
          Is this book familiar?  
                                                                 

          No? How about this one?
                                                                

          Still no? Any of these?
                                     

          If these books still aren't familiar to you, you must be living under a rock. And I would suggest that you stop reading this post and rectify that situation. Anyway, these books are some of the most highly-debated books of all time. Why? Well, I dunno... They're just about vampires and werewolves. I mean, they do touch the topics of teen marriage, teen pregnancy, and abortion... Oh, maybe that's why. Stephanie Meyer, Twilight author, touches on some heavy stuff while writing about forbidden love.
          Do I love Twilight? Um, no. I like it. LIKE being the key word in that previous sentence. I have some issues with it, and it's just not the best book out there, but I do enjoy reading it. So now, we will break down Twilight in all its Twilightyness. Warning: Some people might get mad. Whether you love Twilight or hate it. Let's remember to all play nicely, please. Thanks, that makes my job easier.
          First off, a lot of people complain about how Bella is an awful female protagonist. She's weak, whiny, and can't see straight without a man helping her. TRUE DAT. In New Moon when Edward leaves her, she basically becomes a moody hermit. She's indecisive and even when she has the best of both worlds (a hot vampire and a hot werewolf), she whines and can't make up her mind. That being said, I think that everyone can relate to Bella- at least a little. She's your average teenage girl, and that's part of why people like her. She's easy to relate to and that makes up her many, many, many annoying qualities.
          Besides Bella, a lot of people dislike Edward. He is over one hundred years old, and he is in love with seventeen-year-old Bella. Pedophilia, anyone? Also, he sparkles in the sun. Forget kick-butt, ancient, awesome vampires that we all know and love- Twilight throws every single vampire rule out the window. It's vampire sacrilege. But Edward is just kinda creepy... I mean, it's not romantic when someone sneaks into your house to "watch you sleep". Sure. He was just watching. No touchy. Besides being a creeper, he acts like an eighty-year-old man, even though he's trying to convince himself that it is okay for him to be with Bella (NO!!!).
          I love vampires- the bloodsucking, dissolve in the sun, evil vampires- and Twilight turns them into a joke. Like, really? "Vegetarian" vampires? That's really wrong. And sparkling? That's a crime. Stephanie Meyer takes a staple of literature -vampires- turns them into something else entirely. AND WE LET HER!! We put money in her pocket for ruining vampires! GAH!
           Twilight is sickeningly relatable. Don't roll your eyes at me. We can all relate to the thrill of new love. The glances, the weird mouth breathing that Kristen Stewart does, the fluttering heart, the stirring stomach, and maybe even the feeling when you get that person. We can also relate to the heartbreak. Bella does mope, but we can all imaging the ice-cream, tissues, streaked mascara, chick flicks, and pools of tears.
          It also has two hot leads. Whether you're team Jacob or Team Edward or Team IReallyDon'tCare, we can all drool a little over two attractive men, with flawed, and yet good, personalities. 'Nuff said.
          We can all be Bella. She's a blank, personalityless (that's a new word...) person that we can all reflect ourselves upon. We can reflect whatever we want upon Bella, because she is nothing if we don't. Thus, we often reflect ourselves upon her. Recently, I went through a tough break-up, and Bella's plight became my plight, even though our situations couldn't have been any different. Basically, Bella becomes who we want her to become because she's nothing if we don't.
          Now, I don't hate Twilight. I have a love-hate relationship with it. I love to hate it. As much as I hate to admit it, it's cute. It's a love story proving that love can conquer all odds. It's cute and sweet and gushy and girly and relatable. While I may disagree with it and hate it, Twilight has wormed its way into my little heart, and I suggest that everyone give it a try. A teeny little one. Just a little one? Okay. Thank ya for reading this long post everyone, peace out.

Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

Title: Maybe Someday

Author: Colleen Hoover

Publisher: Atria Books

Date Published: April 18, 2014

Genre: NA fiction, romance, contemporary

Pages: 384 (paperback)

Age Range: 16+






Summary

At twenty-two years old, Sydney is enjoying a great life: She’s in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her best friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers that Hunter is cheating on her—and she’s forced to decide what her next move should be.

Soon, Sydney finds herself captivated by her mysterious and attractive neighbor, Ridge. She can't take her eyes off him or stop listening to the passionate way he plays his guitar every evening out on his balcony. And there’s something about Sydney that Ridge can’t ignore, either. They soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one.

Review


Yes, yes, I know. I said I wasn't going to read another Colleen Hoover book. I made an exception for this one. When I heard about this book, I had to get my hands on it. I read it in 2 days. I just couldn't put it down!

There were so many things I enjoyed about this book! I don't even know where to begin.
 I've been taking sign language for over a year (I love it!) and I'm obsessed with the ABC Family show, Switched at Birth, so I had to read this book.

The writing was fantastic! I don't know if Colleen Hoover has a deaf relative or what but she wrote about Ridge's deafness really well. I liked how Ridge and Sydney texted to communicate. Sometimes they didn't even need to text. Sometimes they'd just exchange a look. It was really, really interesting. The whole book was interesting and romantic and sweet and devastating at the same time. 
Ridge and Sydney are so sweet and honest and perfect for each other. I felt bad for Maggie, but I wanted her out of the picture anyway lol.

I liked how Sydney found out Ridge was deaf--it was kinda funny. Syd got all pissy about him ignoring her and she walked away. He tells her and she's all upset and texts him, "Why didn't you tell me you were deaf?"
"Ridge: Why didn't you tell me you could hear?"
That shut her up.

My. Goodness. When Ridge laid his head against Sydney's chest to "listen" to her sing....I melted. I was a puddle. They just communicated so well and honestly...it was just so intimate. And it scared the crap out of them. He was completely torn up about Sydney and Maggie.

I really enjoyed when Hunter came to apologize to Syd and win her back. Ridge got all jealous, and angry at both of them because he knew Hunter was there to try to get her back and he was worried Sydney would. I only wish that Tori would have apologized like Hunter, because that whole thing seemed unfinished to me.

WHEN RIDGE SPOKE TO HER FOR THE FIRST TIME!! I had to put the book down for a minute to collect my thoughts because that was just such a perfect moment. I was hoping he would speak--just once. Even though he told Sydney the reason why he doesn't, I really wanted him to. And he did!

I loved how they didn't hold back their music. Sydney wrote the lyrics that she wanted--the lyrics that came from her heart. And Ridge did the same. Regardless that they both would know it was about the other. Whenever they wrote music together, it was sweet; yet dangerous. They were cautious but they didn't really want to be cautious, even after the kiss.

And when she signed "when"....."OH MY GOSH, SHE SIGNED WHEN! FINALLY!" Perfect ending.

P. S I Still Love You Cover Reveal

LOOK AT IT!! JUST SIT THERE AND GAZE UPON ITS BEAUTY.

It's adorable, matches the first one, is sooo pretty, has a cutesy outfit that Lara would totally wear, and has a gorgeous girl on it. The pretty Sharpie writing matches the first one- which I love because, let's face it, that font is amazing. I have to get my hands on it. Now.