Book Review #19: The Duff

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 “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face. 

But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out 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.

*The Break Down:

If your a reader looking for a short, yet entertaining novel, Well hells bells you've found it!

If we are being completely honest , I started to read this book at about 10PM, thinking I would just get through a chapter and come back to it later, but that didn't happen. I stayed up until 2AM.

I loved Bianca! Even though she could be a bit whinny and frustrating at times her character was still really lovable and understandable. I don't hate her for her actions during those times when she was trying to escape the problems she had. Even if it was kinda bitchy or slutty, the author was able to make us connect with Bianca and understand what she was trying to do. As the story progressed, Bianca was able to realize things about herself and how to finally stop running away from her problems and face it. It was really amazing how noticeable her development was. She was very different from how she was on the very first part and how she turned out on the last part. Not just the way she acts but also the way she thinks. Her experiences and her past actions did change her perspective in a lot of things in a really good way.

Wesley. All right, he's a jerk and I am very well aware of that but still I really loved this guy! I love how Keplinger wrote his character. She didn't try to gloss his character by being a total good, nice guy in the end just so that everyone would like him. In fact he was still a bit of a jerk in the end but not really in a bad way. But what the author did was to make us understand why he was doing it. And I don't deny that it was still bad and awful but I also realized that it wasn't entirely his fault why he was like that. That there were really big reasons behind it. He did changed in the end, just like Bianca, he finally stopped running away and finally faced his problems. But the witty, overly confident, a bit of an a-hole Wesley was still there - which I really did like. 

There's no makeover a la She's All That. No tropetastic turning point when Bianca lets down her hair and slaps on some eyeliner and voila! she's a supermodel! No, Bianca accepts herself for the way she is -- although she does grow emotionally, which makes the book's unlikely romance believable. Under Bianca's tough-talking exterior and Wesley's wisecracking manwhore ways, they both find the vulnerability in one another, and as a result, we fall for them both.

Now on to supporting characters: 

Casey and Jessica, Bianca's best friends were also really lovable. I love Casey for being so supportive and caring. She's the kind of best friend every girl would want to have. A best friend who will always be there when you needed them, who would immediately notice if there was something wrong and would easily lend her help and her ears even if you keep on pushing them away. I love that Jessica was the one who saw that Toby wasn't really for Bianca. That she saw pass Bianca that she wasn't at all happy and that what she really want was Wesley. I would love to have best friends like this two.

Call me a hopeless romantic but I really liked the part where Welsey is chasing B, his exact words being,

"Welsey Rush doesn't chase girls, but I'm chasing you".

It was also a story of two people wanting to be seen for who they really are without forcing themselves just for the people to see that not everything can be seen by what the eyes see
Although it was filled with clićhe drama, and typical swoon worthy boys, It was a short, yet entertaining novel that caught my attention.

Waiting On Wednesday #8: Control

 ***"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill at the Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.***

So what book am I anxiously awaiting to read?
Control By Lydia Kang

An un-putdownable thriller for fans of Uglies

When a crash kills their father and leaves them orphaned, Zel knows she needs to protect her sister, Dyl. But before Zel has a plan, Dyl is taken by strangers using bizarre sensory weapons, and Zel finds herself in a safe house for teens who aren’t like any she’s ever seen before—teens who shouldn't even exist. Using broken-down technology, her new friends’ peculiar gifts, and her own grit, Zel must find a way to get her sister back from the kidnappers who think a powerful secret is encoded in Dyl’s DNA.

A spiraling, intense, romantic story set in 2150—in a world of automatic cars, nightclubs with auditory ecstasy drugs, and guys with four arms—this is about the human genetic “mistakes” that society wants to forget, and the way that outcasts can turn out to be heroes.

Expected publication: December 26th 2013 

Aside from the totally gorgeous cover that I am  literally obsessed, the blurb for this book looks original!Future. Automatic cars, Nightclubs,  Genetically mutated hero's, Romance? This book has my attention 200%

Just ONE little favor? Please, remind me to breath while I wait for this. I'll owe you big time.

And as always don't forget to follow if you like what you see!

Book Review 18: My Life Next Door

"One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time."

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, messy, affectionate. And every day from her rooftop perch, Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs up next to her and changes everything.

As the two fall fiercely for each other, stumbling through the awkwardness and awesomeness of first love, Jase's family embraces Samantha - even as she keeps him a secret from her own. Then something unthinkable happens, and the bottom drops out of Samantha's world. She's suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

A transporting debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another.

* The Break Down:

As we all sadly know summer is coming to an end, And with that the new school year, also means making more more time  for my insane AP classes and less time with my long term, highly dedicated relationship with books *pause to dramatically sigh.

So whats the best way to let summer go out with a bang? 

Read a ridiculously cute and romantic summer novel obviously.

When I first saw the gorgeous cover for My Life Next Door I was expecting a light and sweet summer book. While it did feature a beautiful romance, it was also a pretty deep story about family and acceptance which I was not expecting but it worked perfectly with the story.

The writing was so amazing, and I loved the humor and the dialogue. This book had so many things going on, and I couldn’t believe the twists and turns that happened. And that ending! It broke my heart! I think Fitzpatrick did a really great job of developing the romance, which I sometimes find lacking in contemporary books. But I loved how the romance grew and was so sweet, and the writing just topped off the amazing story perfectly.

Everyone thinks Samantha Reed has it all. A perfect family, a perfect mom (who is also the state senator), a perfect house and a perfect life. But nobody knows that Samantha wishes her family could be like her neighbors, the Garretts. 

Let’s spend a while talking about these crazy Garretts, shall we? This pretty much describes a normal day at the Garrett house:

We walk into the living room to find Alice and her Brad sprawled on the brown sectional couch, Brad rubbing Alice’s feet. George is fast asleep, naked, facedown, on the floor. Patsy is wandering around in a purple terry cloth footie pajamas, plaintively saying “Boob.”

Yep, That’s them. ALL OF THEM. Loud, rioty, yet ridiculously loving and supportive. They were the perfect family dispite their size or their financial status, It was so easy to see why Sam spent most of her nights watching them.

Now on the the relationship between Samantha and Jase. It was one of the most realistic ones I have seen in a YA book. From the start as he climes onto her roof unannounced and tries to save her:

“Why would I need rescuing? This is my house, my roof?”

“I don’t know. it just hit me, seeing you there, that you might be Rapunzel. The princess in the tower thing. All the long blond hair and…well…”

“And you’d be?” I know I'm going to laugh if he says “the prince.”

Instead he answers "Jase Garrett.”

They start off as friends and actually get to know each other first before they start dating. It’s not one of those typical insta-love stories and they have to deal with some pretty serious issues such as dealing with their families and making the right choices. Seeing their love grow and blossom into something real and beautiful was such a nice thing to be able to witness.

While I loved Samantha and Jase and every single member of the Garrett clan, my favorite character was Tim, Samantha’s best friend’s brother. He starts off as a trouble maker and a stoner and a really big loser but the more time he spends with Jase and the Garretts, the more you can see how much he changes throughout the book and how hard he tries to turn his life around and although I hated him at first, he ended up as my favorite character-hands down! 

Over all My Life Next Door was so much more than a fluffy contemporary. This book is dark, sad, emotional, uplifting, romantic, and amazing. If your a reader looking for a innocent first love, I 100% recommend you check this book out! Even if it isn't summer time.

Book Review 17: Hopeless

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

*The Break Down:

There are no words.

Once in awhile a book comes along that is so powerful and emotional every single cell in your body screams with tears and laughter and happiness. Hopeless is that book.

There isn't a single thing about this book that I didn't love. It was wonderful, mesmerizing, spell-binding, heartbreaking and breathtaking all at the same time. I couldn't for one second put it down while I was reading it. I loved the MOST of the character, their sense of humor and their roles in the story and I loved the amazing writing style of the author Colleen Hoover. I found myself wanting to highlight almost every passage in it because the words were so beautiful and perfectly chosen. Hopeless was absolutely one of the best books I've read in 2013.

Meet Sky. She's not our average character. She's the kind of girl that doesn't have a Facebook account, doesn't own a cellphone and doesn't have a TV in their house. She's so isolated to technology that she thought the meaning of LOL was lots of love. She's the kind of girl that feels numb whenever she's making out with guys. She's also the kind of girl that doesn't cry and doesn't know the feeling of lust. But all of that changed the moment she met Holder.

Oh Holder * Pause to swoon, Welcome to the league of book boyfriends Holden.

“Fuck all the firsts, Sky. The only thing that matters to me with you are the forevers.” 

I was a goner; after this scene. Their love story is definitely different from all the contemporary stories that I've read. It was real, it was heartbreaking, it's definitely tragic yet it was strikingly  beautiful. I don't know how Colleen created this story or how she got this idea...

...but THANK YOU FICTIONAL GODS ABOVE. 

Now, the plot. 

It was unthinkable and screwed up yet beautiful and magical. I do have to say that it was much darker than I had expected, Hopeless is a harsh read that will clobber your heart, leaving you bloody and broken. While I did guess at a lot of the events that would occur, this novel still left me disturbed and shocked, even when I did know what was coming. It's the kind of story that is meant to leave you flabbergasted by the sudden twist of events The last half of the novel delivers some violently emotional scenes that displays exactly what kind of talent Colleen possesses to be able to embed so much power into the written word. I'm telling you, some of it took my breath away--I literally had the urge to look away until it passed, not because of anything gory (though one part is a little bit), but because of how much pain it entails. I was not expecting so much heartbreak from such a pretty blue skied cover.

The opening chapters of this book book lead you to believe that the plot will be fairly similar to an epic romance. A boy meets girl kind of thing... NOPE!

There are SO MANY twists and turns, that will leave your jaw on your lap!

Over all, Hopeless was wonderful, mesmerizing, spell-binding, heartbreaking and breathtaking all at the same time. I couldn't for one second put it down while I was reading it. Colleen possesses a unique ability to embed so much power into the written word. If your the kind of reader exploring the New-Adult, You are sure you fall head over heels for Hopeless.

Waiting On Wednesday #7: Champion

 ***"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill at the Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.***

So what book am I anxiously awaiting to read?
Champion By Marie Lu

The explosive finale to Marie Lu’s New York Times bestselling LEGEND trilogy—perfect for fans of THE HUNGER GAMES and DIVERGENT!

He is a Legend.

She is a Prodigy.

Who will be Champion? 

June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps Elect while Day has been assigned a high level military position. But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them once again. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything he has. With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion.

 November 5th 2013 

Champion. Who can you trust when the greed for power takes precedence over loyalty? 

Champion is BOUND to kick some major ass, I mean after an ending like that just GIVE IT TO ME NOW BEFORE I JUMP OFF A CLIFF FROM MY FEELS. YOU DON'T DO THIS TO ME. YOU DON'T END A BOOK LIKE THAT OK. I NEEDED JUNE TO TELL DAY THAT SHE LOVED HIM. I'M NOT KIDDING THIS ISN'T UP FOR DISCUSSION . 

But really those venturing the blog-o-sphere like always...

Book Review #16: Origin

Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.

After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.

All Katy can do is survive.

Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?

Together, they can face anything. 

But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on? 

And will they even be together?

*The Break Down:

Sweet baby aliens....

If your seeking a breath-taking, action packed, I-can-not-get-my-eyes-unglued-from-this-book,   forget-to-do-my-homework, one-sit read 

...Well you found it!

Origin starts right where Opal ends. Daemon is on lock down by Dawson and Dee while Katy is trapped with the Arum. With the duel perspectives, we as the reader really got insight to Both characters and lets just say...

   Daemon Black is PISSED and seeking vengeance! he’s ready to burn the world down for Katy! I have a question... when did anger become such a turn on?! Seriously I might need my head examined. Daemon was yelling and freaking out for Katy and here was I being like "Be mine"... not okay?  I continue to say that Jennifer Armentrout’s paranormal series'(s) books are her at her best! She has a very unique talent of intertwining a perfect blend of  nail-biting action, snark, and heart-throbbing romance that envelopes the reader completely. It feels like its been an eternity since this book had been announced and it felt so right to jump right back in. And good god...

“Thirty-one hours, forty-two minutes, and twenty seconds had passed since the doors had closed, separating Kat from me. Thirty-one hours, forty-two minutes, and ten seconds since I last saw her. For thirty-one hours and forty-one minutes Kat had been in the hands of Daedalus.”

I literally felt my heart seize and go into ventricle fibrillation. Not that I ever doubts Daemons "awesomeness but walking in to the dangerous bowels of the Daedalus is nothing short of mad. I loved his unrelenting passion for Kat, his unyielding resolve to do whatever it takes.

“Did you think you could stop me?… I’ll burn the world down to save her.”

I just didn't know how literal he was willing to take that though but since it was after all Daemon I probably shouldn't have been surprised.

Meantime, Katy is a prisoner as we left her in Opal, forced to experience some pretty horrifying things. Seriously, some of the stuff she has to do and that is done to her, had me cringing in fear of what would become of her.The more time she spent there, the more she couldn’t help but change under the circumstances…

“And in that tiny second when I’d caved to the fury — nothing in a span of millions — I had changed, become something I wasn’t sure I could ever come back from.”

As for Daedalus, which by the way I still CANNOT pronounce;  Their plot had me  spinning I found myself questioning right from wrong, mulling over the intentions of all the players in the game wondering whether they were real or fake.

I don't want to give anything away because this book honest was the BEST BOOK IN THE SERIES so go read it! But I will say that this book was filled with unthinkable betrayals, surprising deaths, twists and turns that would surly give you whip lash, and of course some of the sexist scenes JLA has given yet.

As always and in typical JLA way, the last part of the book left me nail bitting, pulling out my hair, speed reading and secretly praying she wouldn’t leave us with a cliffhanger. Well good news ladies and gentleman, it’s not quite as torrid as Opal was, but she does leave us wanting more naturally. By the end of the book, the situation has intensified to epic proportions, with the set up of a whole new dynamic beginning to roll, Leaving my brain scrambled in a frying pan. There is one more book in the Lux series and I can already tell it’s going to be packed with action and drama.

Over all, If you’ve been a fan of this series or even if your new to it, you will love this latest installment! After all, what’s not to love about Daemon Black?!

ON A SIDE NOTE: Fans of the Sweet Trilogy by Wendy Higgins will love this, I know I got all excited when I saw it! If you have looked at my blog you will see that I have just read and reviewed Sweet Evil. So what a surprise when Katy's renamed Anna Whitt and Daemon is renamed Kaiden Rowe... and I fit the pieces in my head! It couldn't have been more perfect.