BLEH.

I have been blogging for a couple weeks and I HATE IT. I get home and it feels like a chore, it's like ughhhh I have to write a review. Don't get me wrong though, I love reading, but I'm more of a keep it to myself type of person. Now, your probably asking what the hell I was thinking when I made this, I wasn't, I was forced to make this blog so my friend Jasmine, who just moved to Italy, and I could still share our love of books. So, sorry Jasmine, but you know what's been going on in my personal life, what with the police and the drug thing, SO, I say GOODBYE!!

"I'm sick and tired of everybody, thinking they know what's best for me and, maybe god wanted me to be nothing special. I'm past the point of breaking and I'm not sure if I'm gonna make it. I'll keep this gift from breaking, as long as you believe."

I hope you all have a wonderful life and continue with your love of reading!!

STEPHANIE.

Waiting On Wednesday (4)

When Katrina spots a homeless guy sleeping in the alley behind her grandmother’s coffee shop, she decides to leave him a cup of coffee, a bag of chocolate-covered coffee beans, and some pastries to tide him over. Little does she know that this random act of kindness is about to turn her life upside down. Because this adorable vagrant, Malcolm, is really a guardian angel on a break between missions. And he won’t leave until he can reward Katrina’s selflessness by fulfilling her deepest desire. Now if only she could decide what that might be . . .

July 21, 2009

Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers

Perfect Parker Fadley isn’t so perfect anymore. She’s quit the cheerleading squad, she’s dumped her perfect boyfriend, and she’s failing school. Her parents are on constant suicide watch and her counselors think she’s playing games… but what they don’t know, the real reason for this whole mess, isn’t something she can say out loud. It isn’t even something she can say to herself.

A horrible thing has happened and it just might be her fault.

This is probably one of the best debut novels I have ever read! Courtney Summers has a great way of describing and her use of humour contrasts very well with everything around it. I especially liked the way she made everything so real, which sometimes doesn't happen in debut novels, but Courtney Summers made me feel like Parker and everyone else was real.

I loved Parkers' character, she was so dynamic and humorous, it was a refreshing twist for the subjuct delt with in the book. Parker was a very strong character, in my opinion, because of what she has had to go through. I also enjoyed how Parker was portrayed, she used to be a mega popular, beautiful girl, and her world fell apart in one night. I liked this idea because that could actually happen, I mean, high school is so cliquey you can be in and out at the snap of a finger. Parker's snarkiness amused me through the whole novel and her cold humour made me wanting to get inside her head even further.

Sorry, the next paragraph may have a few spoilers. I tried not to put too many in.

The actual event that changed Parker's like was a little dissapointing to me. It was this enormous build up to a spoken word, I figured it would be something life changing like the event in Speak but it was a little too anti-climactic for me. I kind of felt like deep down Parker asked for the attention she got, I mean she just downed alcohol, that's bound to get you noticed, everyone knows that.So in a sense, I thought that if Parker wanted to be left alone she could have found a better way than alcohol. Also, her parents being so cool about it and not getting suspended constantly from school seemed a little unreal.

Overall I thought this was a great debut novel, but definitely not the best I've ever read. The events were a little unlikely, but I liked how Parker's life was alot like a regular high school kids life. The writing style of this novel was also great, although you could immediately tell it was for an older audience with the f-word and g-spot both being used within page one. If your looking for a humurous yet serious novel that will keep you entertained from beginning to end, I would definitely recommend Cracked Up To Be.

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Waiting On Wednesday (3) Purge - Sarah Darer Littman

Janie Ryman hates throwing up. So why does she binge eat and then stick her fingers down her throat several times a day? That’s what the doctors and psychiatrists at Golden Slopes hope to help her discover.But first Janie must survive everyday conflicts between the Barfers and the Starvers, attempts by the head psychiatrist to fish painful memories out of her emotional waters, and shifting friendships and alliances among the kids in the ward.

This looks so good! Even though the description sounds a little odd. Anyways, what are you waiting for this wednesday?

Of Adios' & Aloha's

I will be leaving for Hawaii on Friday and will not be back until Sunday the 29th. I will not be able to update during this time, so here are some things you can expect before I leave.

- Cracked Up To Be review

- In My Mailbox (I know this will be early, but I would like to get it done before I leave)

- I'm thinking something ROFL-esque, eh?

- Possible movie review: El Orfanato (The Orphanage)

That is probably all I will have time for in the next couple days, so this site will be inactive for like ten days. But do not despair! I will be back, and have not died, so stick with me people.

Oh, by the way, has anyone seen El Orfanato, it's so creepy!

The Adoration Of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Jenna Fox has been in a coma for over a year due to a fatal accident. Over the year she has turned seventeen and the second female president has been elected, yet, she missed it all. Now she wakes with a strange feeling, and she cannot remember anything about the Jenna she was before the accident.

Her parents have taken special care to move her from big city Boston to a small settlement in what seems to be the middle of nowhere. She soon realizes that it was a necessity to move, and not a let's-start-off-fresh type of thing. Jenna also wonders why no one has come to visit her, and she soon realizes there are more differences in the new Jenna than there should be. And that could mean big trouble for Jenna and her family.

Let me start off with saying this book was not what I expected at all, and that is not necessarily a good thing. I was really looking for an easy to read novel with relativly no plot and a fruity story line. Yeah, not what I got. I can't really say that I disliked the book though, it was still a very nice book, just not what I was going for.

I felt that Jenna was portrayed rather well, although she was not described very well, I mean it said she had blonde hair like once? I do, however, understand that is hard in first person, but I still would have liked a better visual of all the characters. I did like Jenna's personality though, because if there is one attribute I can't get enough of, it's sarcasm. I loved how she kept her sarcasm from her old life, even though she has had things happen to her that may have prohibited her from keeping her attitude. Jenna did however annoy me at times, like when she was with her friends, and such. She just seemed to be portrayed so much differently than when she was at home around her family. I hated Jenna for doing that, just like I hate it when people in real life do that. It just kind of made Jenna seem rather fake, and also how she is able to stand up to her family but when Dane tells her she walks funny, she doesn't do anything. That made me want to shout at her and tell her to stand up to him, but you obviously cannot yell at fictitious people...alright, I admit I have yelled at books before, thinking the people would change their minds after they heard my opinion. (I'm not crazy, I swear!!)

Dane also made me angry though. Not because of his attitude but because I still don't understand why he was there, or why Mr. Bender didn't like him. I'm sure it said and I didn't pay any attention, but I would really like to know what Dane's problem was. Just saying.

Although the plot wasn't what I expected, it was very unique.I'm just going to go ahead and say this book takes place in the future, because, well even though it never says, I'm pretty sure it does. I was always wanting to know what Jenna would discover about her past next which was really what kept me reading through. I was very dissapointed when I figured out the accident was just an accident though. I was really hoping her dad like raged on her and almost killed her or something like that, but it was actually just an accident. It makes me so angry when things are what you expect.

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I am so sorry about the stupid rating thing. I AM GOING TO RAGE ON BLOGGER pretty soon. Does anyone know how to fix it, it does this ALL the time. Not on my personal blogger acount, only on this one. Life hates me.

Fade by Lisa McMann

Janie Hannagan is a dream catcher. She gets sucked into peoples dreams and witnesses them like they are her own. Janie has just helped Captain and her boyfriend Cabel Strumheller crack the big drug bust of fellow senior Shay Wilder's father. Now Captain wants Janie to be a narc at her high school full time.

Captain has just given Janie and Cabel a new case. To find a sexual predator lurking in the school. But what Janie finds out and what she must do are a little more than she bargained for. Aside from college and Cabel's weird attitude, Janie must become the bait for the sexual predator, who happens to be a little closer to home than Janie expected.

And what about Martha Stubin? Janie finds out things about her ability to dream catch that she wishes she didn't know about at all. Although she learns great things about her power, she may end up wishing she neer had it all.


Fade is the sequal to Wake, so if you haven't read Wake, I suggest you read it before you pick up Fade, otherwise the plot will be a confusing to follow and certain characters signifigance will not make sense.

I was much more impressed with Fade then I was with Wake. I think it is because I have a better understanding of what I read now that I have really started to get back into reading these past few months. I really think that Fade had a better and more focused plotline then Wake. With Wake there was a lot of stuff going on and the ending didn't really fit with the story, but with Fade it was always clear what was going on and there was a definite main plot.

I thought the characters were also more defined as well. You really got to see what Cable and Janie were going through as opposed to "Janie talked. Cabel was silent." sort of thing. Janie was so much more dynamic and she became very independant, strong, and mature. I loved that Cabel and Janies relationship also progressed to the point where I began to see them as a real couple, despite what they were going through. And Janie got a sense of humour! I loved her witty comments, it was a welcomed refresher from her seriousness.

Overall I thought Fade was a great book, and one of the few books that I have read were the sequal is better than the original. The plot was original, the characters were believable and overall I began to think that there really are people out there like Janie.

Rating system inspired by The Story Siren.

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