There
are fans and there are fangirls, Cath falls in the second category. Simon Snow
has been a great part of her life, not only has she read all the books and she
is a respected figure when talking about Simon Snow fanfcition, but it used to
be something that tied her and her sister together.
Now it
seems that their twin senses aren’t tingling nor in sync. College is around the
corner and Wren just drop a bomb on her, they are not rooming together. Now
Cath is at the mercy of her new roommate and her charming and always smiling
boyfriend.
To add
a little to the stress of her new environment Wren’s and Cath’s father isn’t
what you would call stable and Cath can’t stop worrying about it. College, family
and people are all coming at Cath whether she is ready or not, can this fangirl
survive in an environment so far away from her comfort zone?
Review
I loved
loved loved Fangirl, I was squirming, screaming and squealing, jumping and
turning. Honestly I’ve been banging my head on my desk for not reading it as
soon as it came out.
Would I’ve
not enjoyed this book as much if I just read it instead of listening to the
audio book? Definitely! That is not to say that Rebecca Lowman didn’t do a good
job giving life to the whole fangirl entourage, and not to say that Maxwell
Caulfield didn’t do a great backing her up.
The
characters where yummy to read, Cath’s insecurities, her motivation, the way
she was hit by the bumps in the road made her a really interested and fun
character to read. The best part of it was that I never felt that she was being
untrue to herself.
Secondary
characters wise, yes some of them where kind of predictable but others punched
this really nice surprises and I would love to get lost in a short story of
Ragen and Levi. This book covers the basis of a standalone, it has the sweet
glory of having a full story in just one book with the sweetest agony of
wanting and craving for more.
A
laugh-out-loud, bittersweet debut full of wit, wisdom, heart, and a hilarious,
unforgettable heroine.
When
you’re a hypochondriac, there are a million different things that could be wrong
with you, but for Izzy, focusing on what could be wrong might be keeping her
from dealing with what’s really wrong.
I
almost raised my hand, but what would I say? “Mr. Bayer, may I please be
excused? I’m not totally positive, but I think I might have cancer.” No way.
Then everyone at school would know, and they would treat me differently, and I
would be known as “Izzy, that poor girl who diagnosed herself with breast
cancer during biology.”
But
Izzy’s sense of humor can only get her so far when suddenly her best friend
appears to have undergone a personality transplant, her mother’s health takes a
turn for the worse, and her beautiful maybe-boyfriend is going all hot and
cold. Izzy thinks she’s preparing for the worst-case scenario, but when the
worst-case scenario actually hits, it’s a different story altogether—and
there’s no tidy list of symptoms to help her through the insanity.
Gigi,
Bea and Neerja idolized Parad, Neerja’s older sister. Until they uncover the
secret of her school life before parting to college, where Gigi bows that they
will not follow Parad’s path.
Now the
girls are in sophomore year and a mistake gets Gigi in trouble, which roughly
translates in her and Mike working together. Mike is the guy that even if he is
in Gigi’s advances classes is also a jock and he’s asked every now and again
for her homework putting him on the jock that knows when to turn up the charm,
hence he always gets what he wants leaving the conclusion that Mike Ipolito
cannot be trusted.
This incident
unchains a series of events that make the girls stop leaving their safe and
guarded life and getting out there and take chances, from drama, ski to running
for student rep this girls will find out that high school has more to offer if
they decide to take a risk even if life presents a set back every now and then.
Review
Smart
Girls Get What They Want was different from what I expected, it had some really
nice surprises and little changes that made all the difference and made this
book stand out from others of its kind.
If I
had to pick one word to describe this story it would be “fresh” this story wasn’t
fully loaded with drama, it was more like this things happen in life and it’s
how you decide to deal with them that makes a difference kind of story.
The main
character Gigi is naïve and is locked on preconceptions that her high school is
an: us versus them world so her and her friends play it safe, stay together and
study. We see her grow in what feels a natural pace and she has her friends to
help her discover the things she would have otherwise discarded or taken a
little longer to figure out.
Bea and
Nerjaa are good secondary characters each one of them has her own personality,
problems and side story. I like it that they aren’t the type of characters that
are tossed aside and then when help is needed they come running. Gigi, Nerjaa
and Bea are tight as thieves and they stick for one another.
Mike,
Will, Henry and Justin are part of the male cast of this book, maybe Henry and
Justin don’t get enough paragraphs to get to know them in a deep level but they
each work their part well.
Mike
and Will are part of the extra seasoning that shakes this story up and even if
you know how things will end they make
you stumble and second guess about how exactly will the path to the end of the
road twist and turn before you are finally able to read before you reach your
destination.
For
those of you looking for a fresh, high school, contemporary story I would
highly sugest this one.
Hi guys
welcome to Cover Wars the place where you can covers battle it out for your
affection. Let’s start by taking a look at last week’s winner, last week we had
the Hate List by Jennifer Brown, you guys picked and now here it is!
Thank
you to everyone that took the time to vote and for Alexis from Reflections of a
Bookaholic for commenting.
This
week we have Hold Still by Nina LaCour, for everyone that isn’t familiar with
this book here is a look at the book blurb.
An arresting story about starting over
after a friend’s suicide, from a breakthrough new voice in YA fiction dear
caitlin, there are so many things that i want so badly to tell you but i just
can’t.
Devastating, hopeful, hopeless, playful . .
. in words and illustrations, Ingrid left behind a painful farewell in her
journal for Caitlin.
Now Caitlin is left alone, by loss and by
choice, struggling to find renewed hope in the wake of her best friend’s
suicide. With the help of family and newfound friends, Caitlin will encounter
first love, broaden her horizons, and start to realize that true friendship
didn’t die with Ingrid.
And the journal which once seemed only to
chronicle Ingrid’s descent into depression, becomes the tool by which Caitlin
once again reaches out to all those who loved Ingrid—and Caitlin herself.
Now
then shall we take a look at the covers that are trying to portray this girl
struggle lets take a look at the covers that are trying to give this book a
face.
First
we have the original cover, the one with the girl looking out trying to get
some strength to go one after her confident decided to leave her.
Then we
have the book cover make over, the girl that is trying to make time stop while
the world keeps moving up around her.
So please share with us which cover do you
like best? Who wore it best? Which of this covers would be more attractive for
you to pick out of a shelf? Let us know, be it by voting on the poll or my
favorite by leaving us your thoughts in the comment section!
Ever
been punished for doing the right thing? That is what happened to seventh
grader Sierra Shepherd who in an attempted to do the right thing she got herself
suspended and is now on the bridge of expulsion.
Now the
whole thing is getting bigger and she is discovering who is really by her side,
how adults can change from looking at her from model student to most wanted and
just how far will people go when pushed.
Review
Zero
Tolerance is a great book it makes people think about actions and consequences
put in a more ordinary scenario. As the story progresses we get little lessons
that just enrich the story.
The
author does a great job balancing Sierra out; yes Sierra is a good girl and as
the story progresses she is tested by her actions and her parents actions. We
get a deeper feel of some of the secondary characters like Sierra’s parents and
her in school suspension mate Luke, so don’t worry about the story lacking
because of the secondary characters.
I feel
that this story isn’t limited to middle grade, this is a story that can be enjoyed
by everyone it has layers and lessons to be thought.
This
story is great for parents and kids to discuss and the chapters aren’t too long
that children that aren’t used to reading will not feel like they aren’t doing
any progress at all.
This
was a day read for me and it made me think about the Zero Tolerance’s out
there, I love how the cover lines up with the story and the how it got me
thinking about all these different subjects from different characters from the
adult side and the kids side where I don’t feel that anyone of them gets discriminated
or the message they are trying to get across is lost because of their age.
Hi guys
welcome to Cover Wars the place where you can covers battle it out for your
affection. Now guys let’s take a look at last week’s winner, last week we had Smart
Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer the cover you thought fits this
story best is……
A TIE!!!
Thanks
to all you lovely book lovers hat took the time to vote and comment in Smart
Girls Get What They Want Cover Wars Edition.
This
week we have the Hate List by Jennifer Brown, and for all the people out there
that don’t remember what this book is about here we have the Hate List’s book
blurb:
Five months ago, Valerie
Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying
to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was
implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of
people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets.
Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is
forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior
year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating
rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she
saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in
it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.
Now
that we are all in the same page let’s take a look to the covers that give a
face to this story so you can decide who wore it best!!
First
we have the original cover, the one with the regret on the cover, with an
ambiguity in the cover that doesn’t let you know if you are looking into Nick
or Valerie.
Next we
have the cover with the accomplices, the picture before they went from everyday
teenagers into the masterminds of this tragedy.
So guys
which cover do you think makes a better face to this story? Or is there one
that you were immediately drowned too? Please
vote on the poll or leave a comment.
When
we are little they tell us to be ourselves, but sometimes being who we truly are
can put us in the spotlight in the wrong way, in the middle of everyone’s
jokes.
That
was the day I learned that being myself, my true self, was better kept hidden. The little girl that got laughed at has
learned to camouflage herself, if you look at me now you’ll see a blond
cheerleader, a cheery girl with good grades and the star quarterback as her
boyfriend.
Sounds
kind of silly doesn’t it? It all sounded logical at first, the plan seemed
simple and flawless; keeping my inner nerd as it should be indoors. Yet when
Logan Scott comes into the picture, or more like in a desperate act to get to
know the finally of my favorite comic I jump incognito into the towns comic
book shop only to find out that Logan is the owner of the last copy.
And
that was the beginning of the summer I became a nerd.
Review
Leah
Rea Miller tells a wonderful story, Maddie will learn that life outside the
geek closet can be wonderful and freeing. While getting how this new world she is
discovering can really mix with the one she left at school?
I
liked both the main story and the sub-story that takes place on this book. I
feel it gives a deeper layer, and expansion to the world Maddie and Scott live
in and talks about a problem that is so involved in the daily life that we
sometimes forget about it.
The
finally of this book may not be a big surprise, it’s in the title, but the way
the author takes us through the story and lets us meet the characters that impact
Maddie’s life is what makes this an interesting trip. This story has a flavor
of its own.
An
element that Rea Miller added to this book and that we don’t always get to see
in YA is involved parents, unlike other YA book where parents get to be minor
characters if they are present at all. In “The summer I became a Nerd” you may
not always read them but you know the parents are there.
Theme
wise, Leah Rea Miller’s The Summer I became a nerd may sound a little unreal,
she makes the parents a present figure, and her teens aren’t involved in drugs,
sex or alcohol, but the author teaches us that even if the after mentioned themes
are present in the life of a teen they are not always necessary to tell a
story, nor do they need to be in the spotlight.
So
guys, I was thinking, in honor of “The summer I became a Nerd” how about exchanging
adorkable crushes or love stories? Here is my famous adorkable crush:
Duckie
from Pretty in Pink
Cute,
Geeky and 100% proud of who he is even if he does mess things up every now and
then. And that for me makes him worthy of the title of adorkable!!!
How
about you? What is your story? Or who is your adorkable crush?
So May’s
books into movies may not need any introduction but just in case someone missed
it here it is:
The Great Gatsby
Author:F. Scott Fitzgerald
In theaters:May 10th
Book Blurb:
In
1922, F. Scott Fitzgerald announced his decision to write "something
new--something extraordinary and beautiful and simple and intricately
patterned." That extraordinary, beautiful, intricately patterned, and
above all, simple novel became The Great Gatsby, arguably Fitzgerald's finest
work and certainly the book for which he is best known.
A portrait of the Jazz Age in all of its
decadence and excess, Gatsby captured the spirit of the author's generation and
earned itself a permanent place in American mythology. Self-made, self-invented
millionaire Jay Gatsby embodies some of Fitzgerald's--and his country's--most
abiding obsessions: money, ambition, greed, and the promise of new beginnings.
"Gatsby
believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes
before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter--tomorrow we will run
faster, stretch out our arms farther.... And one fine morning--" Gatsby's
rise to glory and eventual fall from grace becomes a kind of cautionary tale about
the American Dream.
It's
also a love story, of sorts, the narrative of Gatsby's quixotic passion for
Daisy Buchanan. The pair meet five years before the novel begins, when Daisy is
a legendary young Louisville beauty and Gatsby an impoverished officer. They fall
in love, but while Gatsby serves overseas, Daisy marries the brutal, bullying,
but extremely rich Tom Buchanan.
After
the war, Gatsby devotes himself blindly to the pursuit of wealth by whatever
means--and to the pursuit of Daisy, which amounts to the same thing. "Her
voice is full of money," Gatsby says admiringly, in one of the novel's
more famous descriptions. His millions made, Gatsby buys a mansion across Long
Island Sound from Daisy's patrician East Egg address, throws lavish parties, and
waits for her to appear. When she does, events unfold with all the tragic
inevitability of a Greek drama, with detached, cynical neighbor Nick Carraway
acting as chorus throughout.
Movie Trailer:
And I would also like to take
this time to apologize because I noticed I missed two book into movies
releases, one in the month of February and the other in the month of March. And
in case you missed them too here they are:
Safe haven
Author:Nicholas Sparks
In theaters:February 14th
Book Blurb:
Love hurts. There is nothing as painful as
heartbreak. But in order to learn to love again, you must learn to trust again.
When a
mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of
Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet
self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a
series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a
widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with
her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly
begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community
and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family.
But
even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that
still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful,
shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport.
With Jo’s empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she
must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards . . .
and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.
Movie Trailer:
ADMISSION
Author:Jean Hanff Korelitz
In theaters:March 22
Book Blurb:
"Admissions.
Admission. Aren't there two sides to the word? And two opposing sides...It's
what we let in, but it's also what we let out."
For years, 38-year-old Portia Nathan has
avoided the past, hiding behind her busy (and sometimes punishing) career as a
PrincetonUniversity admissions officer and her dependable domestic life. Her
reluctance to confront the truth is suddenly overwhelmed by the resurfacing of
a life-altering decision, and Portia is faced with an extraordinary test. Just
as thousands of the nation's brightest students await her decision regarding
their academic admission, so too must Portia decide whether to make her own
ultimate admission.
So the title and cover changes keep on coming, I seriously don’t
get this new trend specially for a book with a title as awesome as “Severed
Heads, Broken Hearts” now before you catalog me as a psycho for liking this
title it’s just that it actually does its job, it is both memorable and spikes
your interest. Even if you would never pick this book up because of its title
you will remember it for some time.
Now let’s take a look at the book summary before I keep on
rambling:
Golden boy Ezra Faulkner believes everyone has a tragedy waiting
for them—a single encounter after which everything that really matters will
happen. His particular tragedy waited until he was primed to lose it all: in
one spectacular night, a reckless driver shatters Ezra’s knee, his athletic
career, and his social life.
No longer a front-runner for Homecoming King, Ezra found himself
at the table of misfits, where he encounters new girl Cassidy Thorpe. Cassidy
is unlike anyone Ezra’s ever met, achingly effortless, fiercely intelligent,
and determined to bring Ezra along on her endless adventures.
But as Ezra dives into his new studies, new friendships, and new
love, he learns that some people, like books, are easy to misread. And now he
must consider: if one’s singular tragedy has already hit and everything after
it has mattered quite a bit, what happens when more misfortune strikes?
Now let’s take a look at the contestants first we have the book
that makes you wonder “What in god’s name could the author have writer to give
this book a name like that”
And the cover that is showing us that life can be a roller coaster
ride:
A thing that upsets me is that the author Robyn Schneider was really
excited about the cover reveal for Severed Heads, Broken Hearts and had a lot
of support in her cover contest, you get to see wonderful and interesting
interpretations of her story based solely in the book blurb.
Well guys what do you think about this covers and title change?? Comment,
vote, tweet, but let us know how you feel about this.
It’s
Wednesday and you know what that means, COVER WARS!!! For those of you new to
the blog here in this edition of Cover Wars we don’t put just any two covers
one against the other, this covers that are fighting to see which one you like
best are from the same book, even if the name changes, because even if we all
know that it’s what’s inside that counts we all like to look at the pretty
covers.
This
week we have The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour, if you still don’t know what
book we will be discussing then let’s take a look first at what the book is
about, then we will see the pretties.
Colby
and Bev have a long-standing pact: graduate, hit the road with Bev's band, and
then spend the year wandering around Europe. But moments after the tour kicks
off, Bev makes a shocking announcement: she's abandoning their plans - and
Colby - to start college in the fall.
But the
show must go on and The Disenchantments weave through the Pacific Northwest,
playing in small towns and dingy venues, while roadie- Colby struggles to deal
with Bev's already-growing distance and the most important question of all:
what's next?
Now
that we all have a sense of what the book is about let’s take a look at the
contestants. First we have an 80’s vibe sort of cover, something that in my
opinion does say “let’s keep moving forward”.
On the
other side of the ring we find The Disenchantments (or who I boldly assumed
where The Disenchantments) a moment in time that where everything still seemed
possible.
Ok, so
the last word is up to you, which cover does it for you?? Does one cover match
the story better than the other??? Do you think I am cuckoo for cocoa puffs
because of my little theories about the covers?? Comments and votes are highly appreciated;
after all it’s your opinion that counts.
P.S. if
this segment helped picked up your interest in the book, live in the US and would like a chance
to win it please check out this Goodreads giveaway.
