Apr

Where She Went by Gayle Forman Book Review

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WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman Book Review
Series: If I Stay, #2
Publication Date: November 4th 2010 by Dutton Juvenile
Rating: – Exceeds Expectations |

Book Summary: It’s been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam’s life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard’s rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia’s home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future-and each other.

Told from Adam’s point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

Book Review Overview:

It was amazing to read about what Mia and Adam were able to accomplish in the last three years!
Get the tissues ready – this one is a tear-jerker!

So I basically thought it was too good to be true when just about all of my bookish friends told me that WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman is better than the first book, If I Stay. It was impossible, I thought to myself.

Then I was proved that the impossible is possible.

WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman is all kinds of awesome. I read it in two sittings – I only stopped to cook and eat dinner, which was something I almost forgot to do because this book is so hard to put down.

Fast forward three years later after the accident. Adam is a famous rock star, and it’s been three years since he last saw Mia when she left for Julliard in New York. Despite the fame and money and a celebrity girlfriend, Adam still cannot let go of Mia. Their paths collide in New York when Adam stumbles upon her first concert at Carnegie Hall.

First of all, I loved reading about Mia and Adam three years later. Despite the fact that Adam is pretty much miserable and still heart-broken, I was so proud of what Mia and Adam had accomplished in the last three years. I almost wanted to do a happy dance because they were both able to live their dreams.

I really enjoyed the change of perspective in WHERE SHE WENT, which is told entirely from Adam’s perspective. I feel like male protagonists are so rare in young adult – so it was a refreshing change of pace.

WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman also involved tears and sniffles. I cried a few times while reading when all the emotions and feelings just got too overwhelming. My heart went out to Adam and Mia. They’ve gone through so much. A sign of a talented author, for me, is the ability to make me cry through words on a page.

Gayle Forman is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I’m basically going to get my hands on every book she publishes. I’m a fan. WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman will not disappoint fans of If I Stay.

About the Author

Gayle Forman is an award-winning author and journalist whose articles have appeared in numerous publications, including Seventeen, Cosmopolitan and Elle in the US. She lives in Brooklyn with her family.

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Permalink Category Book Review, Four Stars - Audience: Young Adult, Author: Gayle Forman, Book: Where She Went, Genre: Contemporary, Genre: Romance, Must Buy, Publisher: Dutton Juvenile, Romantic Read, Series: If I Stay, Tear-Jerker | Words 946 words

Feb

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer Book Review

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SCARLET by Marissa Meyer Book Review
Series: Lunar Chronicles, #2
Publication Date: February 5th 2013 by Feiwel and Friends
Rating: – Exceeds Expectations |

Book Summary: Cinder returns in the second thrilling installment of the New York Times-bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own.

As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner.

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer Book Review Overview:

Fun new characters that are loosely based on the Little Red Riding Hood
As always, the romance is great in Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Fantastic world-building and a twist that you will not see coming!

SCARLET by Marissa Meyer is everything that fans of Cinder have been waiting for. SCARLET by Marissa Meyer picks up where Cinder left off: Cinder is a criminal on the loose. Determined to get away from Queen Levana, Cinder enlists the help of another prisoner and escapes. Torn between doing what is expected of her and learning more about her past, Cinder decides not to meet up with Dr. Erland. Instead, she travels to France in hopes to find out more about her Lunar past.

Meyer introduces new characters to the Lunar Chronicles, mainly Scarlet and Wolf. I love how Meyer based these characters loosely on the Little Red Riding Hood. Those familiar with the fairytale will notice the subtle references sprinkled throughout Scarlet’s narrative. I had an instant liking to both characters. Scarlet is feisty and there is no denying that she has chemistry with the elusive and possibly dangerous Wolf. Of course, there ends up being some romance between them and I was more than happy about it. Wolf captured my heart. I had no doubt that there was more than meets the eye when it came to Wolf.

At first, I was a little confused as to why Meyer suddenly takes us to a rural village in France in SCARLET by Marissa Meyer. But I had nothing to worry about; Meyer seamlessly connects the alternating story lines and it builds up to an action-packed adventure with a surprising twist. The world-building also continues to be a highlight in SCARLET by Marissa Meyer. I love continuing to learn about the Lunars and how Cinder is slowly learning how to use her powers.

Prince Kai isn’t in SCARLET as much as he was in Cinder, which is the most disappointing part of the book. Though still important to the overall story, his role is much smaller in SCARLET by Marissa Meyer. His presence was missed and I can only hope that he and Cinder will be reunited in the next book.

SCARLET by Marissa Meyer is a sequel to watch out for.

Other Book Reviews:
Angieville
Stacked

About the Author

Marissa Meyer lives in Tacoma, Washington, with her husband and three cats. She’s a fan of most things geeky (Sailor Moon, Firefly, color-coordinating her bookshelf . . .), and has been in love with fairy tales since she was given a small book of them when she was a child. She may or may not be a cyborg. Cinder is her first novel.

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Permalink Category Book Review, Four Stars - Audience: Young Adult, Author: Marissa Meyer, Book: Scarlet, Genre: Action, Genre: Retelling, Genre: Science Fiction, Masterful World-Building, Must Buy, Page-Turner, Publisher: Feiwel & Friends, Romantic Read, Series: Lunar Chronicles | Words 1034 words

Jul

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han: Book Review

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THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY by Jenny Han Book Review
Series: Summer, #1
Publication Date: May 5th 2009 by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Rating: – Exceeds Expectations |

Book Summary: Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer–they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han Book Review Overview:

Jenny Han’s writing makes me want to gobble it up in one sitting
Belly is probably the kind of girl I would hate in real life
None of the love interests actually make me go swoon, but really I just want to find out who Belly ends up with

I am not a love triangle kind of girl. I am not a love square kind of girl. So I think it’s a little bit weird that I enjoyed THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY by Jenny Han so much. Forget the fact that this book is a little unrealistic. It was such a fun read that I could forget that some elements in this book are ones that are usually a deal-breaker for me.

There’s something about Jenny Han’s writing that just makes me want to gobble it up in one sitting. Her writing is infectious and all I want to do is sit there and read. For me, there is no such thing as just one more chapter. I read THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY by Jenny Han in less than 24 hours. I love how Han alternates between the present and the past. She injects little anecdotes from the summers past seamlessly throughout the novel. The anecdotes made me feel as if I was inside Belly’s head from the way an object or an action can flare up a memory that you thought had been long forgotten.

What I loved most about THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY by Jenny Han was the family dynamic between the Fishers and the Conklins. Belly’s mom and Conrad and Jeremiah’s mom have been best friends since college. Every summer since before Belly was born. The two mothers would bring their children to the beach house for the entire summer. Susannah, the mother of Conrad and Jeremiah, is like a second mother to Belly. In some ways, Belly connects more to Susannah than to her own mom. I love the interaction between the two mothers and the way that they act around their children.

Belly – short for Isabel – is our main protagonist. At fifteen, Belly has finally grown into her looks and she’s captured the attention of just about every guy at Cousins Beach. Upon Han’s introduction to Belly, I admit I was a little sad that I was reading yet another fun contemporary novel with a non-P.O.C. as the main character. (I can probably go on a rampage about this issue, but you know, that’s a whole different blog post entirely.) Belly is probably the kind of girl I would hate in real life. I can’t say I necessarily related to her character. But in THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY by Jenny Han, I was just too engrossed to care.

Then there’s the boys. None of them actually make me go swoony and I’m not declaring any of them as my newest Book Boyfriend anytime soon, but they were – again – fun to read about. I hate to play favorites, but if Belly ends up with anyone (sometimes, I just think she should end up alone at the end of the series; yeah I’m evil), I would want it to be Jeremiah. Jeremiah is such a sweetheart and he’s practically her best friend. True, I always root for the best friend in books because, let’s face it, the best friend is usually the underdog. Cam is my second favorite love interest in THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY by Jenny Han because he’s just so nice. And I guess I’m a sucker for a guy who can speak several languages – especially Latin. Intelligence is pretty sexy. And of course, there’s Conrad. I know Conrad is supposed to be all sexy because of the fact that he’s a broody loner who plays the guitar, but gah it was such a turn off for me in THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY. I just didn’t understand the appeal. Younger Conrad had some pretty decent qualities, but the Present Day Conrad was a moody, anti-social, and selfish teenager.

I can still see the love triangle – okay, I’m sorry Cam, but you really aren’t in the picture for me, as much as I loved you as a character – still being an issue for me in the future books. I love the brotherly dynamics inTHE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY by Jenny Han and I would hate to see Conrad and Jeremiah fight over Belly. That may be the entire point of the series, so it might be a good idea for me to just quit while I’m ahead… But at this point, I am so in love with the way Jenny Han writes that I’m at the point of no return.

The last time I was engrossed in a contemporary novel like this was when I read Two-Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt. I have a lot harder time explaining why I loved THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY by Jenny Han so freaking much because it isn’t the kind of book I thought I would like. THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY by Jenny Han is just delicious summer fun in a paperback.

Other Book Reviews:
Realm of Fiction
Reviews of Young Adult Literature
Stalking the Bookshelves

About the Author

Jenny Han is the author of Shug, The Summer I Turned Pretty, It’s Not Summer Without You, and We’ll Always Have Summer. She is also the author of the chapter book Clara Lee and The Apple Pie Dream. A former children’s bookseller, she earned her MFA in creative writing at the New School. She works as a YA librarian at a private school on the Upper West Side.