domingo, 18 de setembro de 2011

Anna and the French Kiss Book Review


   This book totally blew me away! I can't even put it into words... It is just truly, utterly awesome! Definitely one of my favorite contemporary reads along with Ten Things We Did (and probably shouldn't have).
   Anna and the French Kiss tells the story of Anna, who is sent to a boarding school in Paris, where she is obligated to confront her fears, meet new people and deal with the language barrier which turns out to be harder than expected. In the long run, she meets new friends, as well as her love interest aka Etiénne aka St. Clair aka my favorite character aka hot american guy with a british accent living in Paris. But things aren't always that easy, as she finds herself struggling to unravel who she is in a foreign country and where she belongs, while fighting her usual habit of leaving friends behind when things get harder.
   This story is so simple and sweet that I really don't want to give anything away. You have to read it to experience it. And that's why I consider this book to be so refreshing - because I experienced everything that the main character was feeling, and I totally related to every single struggle she went through.
   This isn't just another cheesy, romantic and quick read. There is a story behind the heart aching romance, a problem that certainly a lot of people out there can relate to. A neglecting and controlling father, a mom battling through cancer and a fear of change that can scar your life forever. When you experience it front row, when it happens right in your face to your best friend what are you supposed to do to help him??
   Stephanie Perkins is honorably amazing for bringing to life such a creative plot, where real people have real problems and the relationships between characters grow through their struggles in life.  
   The writing is meticulously realistic. The dialogue seemed so real and the emotions so powerful, but at the same time witty and appropriate. Like I said, it is refreshing to read about someone else's problems and realise you're not the only one.
   The characters and their relations developed naturally and smoothly, and the author managed to create attachable and unforgetable characters with all the life and all the drama to turn this book into something else, into something bigger and better, into something so realistic you'll feel you have a place in those pages. Usually I'd go on about how amazing the characters where, especially Etiénne, but this time I feel as if everyone has to find out for themselves, because of how unique and affiliating these characters are. Everyone has their place in the story. It reached deep, complex and personal feelings in me and has a very special place in my heart.
   This book was appealing and mesmerizing. Nothing like I imagined. It goes way deeper than most contemporary books and it fully deserves all the hype it got. I'm truly happy that I got to experience it and can't wait to read some more from this author. I'd recommend it to people that have or are going to enroll in a boarding school program and generally to girls who want to escape their daily lives and fall into someone else's ride through love and trouble.


5 out of 5

quarta-feira, 7 de setembro de 2011

Fins are Forever Book Review



Fins are Forever is the second and last book in this series, first book being Forgive my Fins.
   After the separation preformed between Lily and Quince, our main character has no choice but to live on land with her loved one and give up on the title of Queen of Thalassinia. But since her cousin Dosinia can't keep herself out of trouble and ends up being exiled, Lily has to take on the responsability to show Doe that humans are not as bad as she might thing.
   So, because I absolutely adored the first book, I was expecting this one to be just as good and entertaining, but unfortunately I enjoyed Forgive my Fins a bit more. Luckily, this one has lots of twists that kept me in the edge of my seat and the plot evolves naturally and beautifully yet on a fast pace. Eventhough it doesn't have the heart-aching romance and corkiness of the first book, the writing is still enthrallingly witty and flows very well. What stands out for me is character development. It was succedingly well done, especially when it comes to Dosinia ( I certainly didn't have that coming! ) New characters were introduced quite effortlessly and blended in pretty nicely. I loved the fact that Tellin's character shows up for a reason and brings this amazingly intricate back story with him. Quince is still my favorite character, though! Seeing Lily evolve and mature in this book was a happy surprise since I had my doubts about her. For a long period of time I though she was going to be a fool and leave everything behind!
   I guess I can't really say the first book is better than this one because they are sooo diferent-- but I still enjoyed this one very much. This series is a great starter on the mermaid genre. Childs created loveable characters and a truly alluring underwater world that makes me wish there were more books in this series.
   This light, corky mermaid tale is an endearingly captivating read that doesn't dissapoint. I'd especially recommend it to girls as it is the perfect sweet and bold book to read in between heavy, exausting reads.


4.5 out of 5   

segunda-feira, 5 de setembro de 2011

Wings Book Review


Wings is a new take on fairies where Laurel goes through a lot of chances and discovers her true identity. In this debut novel, Laurel has to keep the trolls away from the fairy realm, to avoid the fate that the whole fae is doomed for: a deadly war and complete destruction.
   I have to say that at the beginning of the book I wasn't into it at all...but I forced myself to continue and was actually surprised to see that it got better and the story progressed quite well.
   When I first started reading it, the dialogue completely sucked. The characters weren't believable, the conversation didn't feel real what so ever... Everything about the plot was plain and dreadful! Another thing that really bothered me was the fact that they fell in love almost instantly eventhough they didn't know anything about each other and their conversations weren't exactly fascinating.
   Now, with that aside, there was definitely improvement throughout this book! At first I wasn't sure if I liked that the book was different from everything faery I've read or if I just thought it was weird! But as I kept reading the characters developed pretty well and some of them, like Tamani, managed to captivate me and suck me in. There were still a couple of details that I would have changed. The trolls weren't exactly amazing to read about and the fact that Laurel was a plant and a faery really got me annoyed, weirded out and confused! Therefore I think the author could have gotten a little bit more creative considering there wasn't much going on until Laurel's dad gets sick.
   Wow, I didn't realize I had that many problems with this book... But I have to say that overall I actually enjoyed it! Weird, right? There were definitely some cleaver aspects about this book and as the love triangle evolved, the characters grew on me and the dialogue and overall writing got much better. The little I got to know about Avalon totally beguiled me and left me wanting more.
   After the slow beginning, this book surpassed my expectations towards the end!
   I'd still recommend it as it is surely a refreshing new take on fairies! Just keep in mind that the beginning is pretty boring and slow, eventhough the pace picks up later on. Wings revealed to be a cute introduction to what I hope is a great series.

3.5 out of 5
  

sábado, 3 de setembro de 2011

Ten Things We Did ( and probably shouldn't have) Book Review



This book is definitely one of the best contemporary books I've ever read! No doubt about that...
   It revolves around April, a sixteen year old girl who has a complicated life at home. When her dad drops the bomb about them moving to Connecticut she decides to lie to her father in order for him to let her move in with Vi, one of her closest friends, and stay at home, in Westport. She ends up making the wrong choices and doing ten things she wishes she hadn't done.
   It is sooo well written! Mlynowski did a great job at exploring and developing characters and creating mischievous and relatable situations. I have to say that I didn't see the end coming. There was a huge twist at the end that proves things aren't always as easy and simple as you thing and that you have to think before you do something stupid! If you are a teenager I'd totally recommend this book to you. I'd even recommend it to guys, eventhough it is told from April's perspective, mainly because of the major life lesson that this book holds.
   The characters were very well thought, since everyone was so different and unique. I loved Vi's corkiness and self-confidence, by far my favorite character. Noah's personality was spot on since I knew he wasn't trustworthy from the beginning. April was a very interesting protagonist to read about and I loved how she developed throughout the book. And yes, I fell in love with Hudson and Dean from the very start!
   What makes it so easy to read is that the author doesn't overload you with information. She doesn't go on and on about something. She soon gets to the point which makes the reading process way more enjoyable. The plot flows very nicely and is very realistic, generating one of the best books of 2011.
   So how come you haven't read this yet??? GO PICK IT UP. Totally recommend it :D


5 out of 5

segunda-feira, 22 de agosto de 2011

The Iron Daughter Book Review

  

     WOW, this series is just astonishing. This book blew me away. Talk about twists and turns ...
      If you haven't read the first book in the series, The Iron King, go pick it up immediately!
The Iron Daughter begins right were the first one ended. Megan is taken to Tir Na Nog and frighteningly crazy stuff start happening! You know those annoying books that start super slow and bore you to death, only to start getting interesting toward the middle? This is not one of them. It is action packed from the very beginning and mesmerizingly entertaining throughout the whole ride!
    There are some crazy twists and surprises, serious killing and some heart aching romance, which made the plot very rich, enthralling and fast paced.
    I do have to say that Meghan was indeed very whiney and helpless at some points, but with everything else going on, that didn't really bother me. The romance was pretty cute but sullen, since Winter and Summer are not meant to be toghether.
    Eventhough I love Ash, it was a relief to read that Puck had come back. I understand why Meghan is indecisive. Puck is your typical good guy, totally safe, sweet and funny. Always supporting and defenitely reliable. But at certain times, "safe" just isn't what you want. That's why Ash, aka His Royal Iciness, is one of my favorite characters. I adore his determination, braveness and self-confidence, and how he can be tender,calm and very mature, eventhough he was surely dangerous and ghastly.
    Getting into my absolute favorite characters, Grimalkin and Ironhorse:
    Ironhorse was terrifyingly awesome and I love his deep, rusty voice. Since I don't want to spoil anyone I'll just say that he was extremely loyal and I adored him for that.
    Grim didn't chance much. Same old lazy cat, continually unexpected and tricky, although very helpful and sarcasticly funny.
    I simply can't say good enough about this book! Props to Julie Kagawa for providing such a fun, amusing read! BTW, I caught myself laughing quite a lot troughout this book! There's some seriously funny lines xx Go check it out ALREADY!!! 


5 out of 5

Thrill Ride Book Review



   Even tough Rachel Hawthorne's books are directed to a younger audience, I feel like I still belong to that crowd since I thoroughly enjoy her books. The reason I keep reading them is because they always have a main character that I can relate to. Eventhough the plot is not complex what so ever and very predictable, I truly love the romance and the ability the author has to pick up on the minor details of a teen, wether it is in terms of dialogue, which is very fast pace and appealing, or concerning a simple gesture, a smile, even a kiss. It is impressive how the author can get inside teens' heads that easily ...
    So, this book is regarding Megan, if I recall, a senior, who decides to work at an amusement park for the summer. She makes lots of new friends, including this guy Parker, which puts her in big trouble since she has a boyfriend back home. And you can probably guess the rest...
    I didn't start to grow an interest on this book until I was a little far in, but it was definitely worth it. The connection between Megan and Parker was obviously evident and there was no way either one of them could deny it forever. Everything regarding Parker, I loved. He was such a funny guy, totally mesmerizing and sweet, and his love for roller coasters totally won me over, considering that I am an adrenaline fanatic. There was no way Megan could let that got to waste. After all, she was just like him, she just needed a little thrill in her life, and that was Parker, thrilling!
   Rachel Hawthorne's books are perfect for summer, light and easy to read, and I would definitely recommend this one to any and everyone that has ever experienced a long distance relationship!      


4 out of 5   


quinta-feira, 18 de agosto de 2011

Entwined Book Review



    Entwined is a re-telling of the tale "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" by The Grimm Brothers. I have to say that, from what I remember, this book is pretty different from the tale, which is defenitely a plus. Heather Dixon captured the main aspects of the tale and managed to adapt it perfectly to the YA audience. I'd recommend this book to those that love dancing and magic. In terms of plot, the author was very creative. The thing is, when reading a re-telling of my favorite tales I'm expecting to be reminded of it, not read it all over again. What I mean is, I expect the story to change into something bigger and darker which it did. Overall, this book totally appealed to me. The only thing I'd say is, since there are so many sisters, some where left behind (Jessamine, Kale, Ivy ...) only to be picked up in the end of the book. To be honest this didn't bother me that much, since the writing is totally enthralling. I loved the unbreakable connection Azalea had with her mother, and how her relationship with the King grew throughout the book. Azalea was a great main character, taking Mother's place and standing up for her sisters. I love how much of a role model she was and how she danced so gracefully like her mother. Her love interest was one of my favorite characters. Mr. Bradford isn't mentioned a whole lot, but whenever he was, I was delighted by his presence. I also loved Bramble's stubbornness and sense of humor and was terribly jealous of Clover. However I have to say that the king was my favorite character. His character development was delightfull. After the death of Mother, he was cold, distant and demanding, but his formal and stiff self evolved to a softer hearted man that made a serious effort to fill Mother's place and show some affection.
     The end is action packed and defenitely entertaining. I was literally on the edge of my seat! People's souls where trapped, blood dripped from surrounding faces and magic played with people's sanity.
I really liked this book as it was a perfect reminder of one of my favorite childhood tales.

5 out of 5