Archive | December 2012

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

February 12^th, also known as ‘Cupid Day’ for senior Samantha Kingston at Thomas Jefferson High School. Every American High School has a day like this. Students buy flowers, write a message and send them to whomever throughout the day. It’s a race for popularity to see who receives the most. Sam’s one of the most popular girls in school along with her best friends Lindsay, Ally and Elody. Her boyfriend Rob is the hottest guy in school and tonight she’s going to lose her virginity to him.

With popularity comes a way to act and for Sam this is no different. Cruel and cold to all the other students in her class, she doesn’t bat an eye to painful pranks pulled by Lindsay against her enemy Juliet Sykes. When the group attend a party by geeky guy Kent in school, Sam watches as her life pools at her feet. Tired and drunk from the festivities, Sam sits in the front of the car as Lindsay gets behind the wheel. They were supposed to make it home, Sam is too young to die, but the car hits something and suddenly she’s falling.

However, that isn’t the end of Sam’s story as she wakes up to a brand new February 12^th. Stuck in the ‘in between’, Sam must figure why she’s reliving her last day on Earth. A journey of self-discovery that comes too late, Samantha Kingston, this was your life.

This is the kind of book that you might not originally like whilst reading, but it’s after you finish that it creeps into your heart. Sam Kingston is your typical mean girl and I really struggled with her character throughout most of the book. Her redeeming qualities took forever to come about and I felt as if most of the novel was just an excuse for her to piss all over everyone simply because she could.

Yet, the ending gives me what I want and as each day begins anew there’s a little bit more of Sam that is less snobbish and more genuine. This isn’t a story of the Mean Girls; it’s a story behind every insecure teenager trying to get through High School in one piece. Sam does evolve and I grew to like her for learning to stand up for herself. This is the kind of book that does take you back to those four years when everyone though they were invincible, that the future was bright and open. You’ll anxiously await turning the pages, wondering what Sam is going to do or learn next.

Many thanks to Stacey of PrettyBooks for this book!

A Forest

Dec17

University of Roehampton, 2010

David by Mary Hoffman

Dec15

Gabriele moved to Florence in hopes of earnings funds to support a future with his beloved back home. Instead his good looks and innocence take him on a political journey he never expected. Learning the ropes of life in a big city, Gabriele and his ‘milk’ brother, budding artist Michelangelo work together to create a unexpected symbol of the republic, a marble statue of David. Passion, art and politics, Gabriele grows up to discover just what is important in one’s life.

Normally I love historical fiction and a few weeks back I praised the amazing historical YA novel Velvet by Mary Hooper. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel the same way about Hoffman’s David. I found Gabriele to be lacking in character development, boring as wood and a bit of an idiot. He told the story rather than show it and I found myself falling asleep after the first few chapters. I understand that Gabriele is meant to be an ignorant stonecutter, but he stayed that way all through the novel.

Although I didn’t personally enjoy the book, I did enjoy Hoffman’s writing style. I honestly think most of my dislike of the book is due to the subject matter. It’s not a particular historical period I care about and I know nothing about the political conflicts of the time. Regardless, Hoffman’s writing is brilliantly researched and it brings the reader back in time. For those that love this time period and Italian history, it’s a wonderful read. Just because I didn’t like doesn’t mean that others won’t. I think I’m on the odd end in my feelings of the book. It’s a perfect YA choice for guys and I praise Hoffman for tackling such a difficult (not to mention rare) readership.

Ash Mistry Giveaway Winner

Dec13

Thank you to all those who entered my giveaway!

The lucky winner is……..

James B! Thanks James for entering my contest! The book is on its way and may you enjoy it!

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Dec11

A truly spectacular cover.

It’s rare to find a book that only has one cover around the world.

Lucinda Price is seventeen, has had her head shaved by her parents and deposited at the Sword & Cross reform school. It’s gonna be a great year. Her first day is filled with meeting the other students, following the rules and him. Daniel: the fellow teenager that can only be described as beautiful. As their eyes meet, Luce’s heart thumps madly and Daniel, he flips her off.

There’s something about that him that prevents Luce was staying away. She’s drawn to him like a former lover, but with every step she gains he pushes her further away. As she tries to adjust to this caged life, Luce’s feelings are constricted between for desire for Daniel and affection for the thoughtful and charming Cam. With tough and rebellious reform school girls making her life a living nightmare, Luce is determined to keep her secret that landed her in this place a secret. But there’s more to this world of Sword & Cross and Luce is stuck in the middle of it.

I liked the premise of Fallen. It had a good mix of mystery but for adults like me I could still make some educated guesses. I love, love, loved that this was set in a reform boarding school! This isn’t a privileged boarding school, but a dark and dismal setting that really made the world come alive. For some kids, this is their life. It’s a jail that serves as a school where the teachers try but after so many years….

It’s good versus evil mashed with a love triangle. Who does the reader want our Luce to end up with? Cam or Daniel? Daniel or Cam? This is the current YA of excellence and it made me feel like I was seventeen again. Yet, there’s so much more to the story and this first book only lightly touches on the countless secrets that the main characters are holding within. The series finished this year and I am beyond excited that I can read through the rest at my leisure. I hope Kate is able to keep the story going with more depth rather than just focusing on forbidden love.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!