Showing posts with label Contemporary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Contemporary. Show all posts

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Thursday, November 27, 2014 - , , , No comments

I'll Give You the Sun

Rating: 5 stars
Author: Jandy Nelson
Version: Hardback

Goodreads:
A brilliant, luminous story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal for fans of John Green, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell 

 Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

 This radiant novel from the acclaimed, award-winning author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once.

Review:
I’ll Give You the Sun wasn’t only a contemporary, but almost a mystery novel as well. The reason I say this is because as you progress through the story, you gain more clues as to why Jude and Noah’s relationship fell apart, as well as some shocking truths that escalated that separation. Also, on top of this being an extremely awesome story, Nelson tackles a few modern issues such as sexual identity; coping with death and grief; personal discovery and growth; and of course, love.  

This story was unique in it’s telling, because the chapters are told from not only alternating points of view, but also from different periods in time. For instance, one chapter might be coming from a 12 year old Noah, while the next will be told from a 16 year old Jude. However, the way she blended Jude and Noah’s story together seemed almost effortlessly done, since the story progressed very fluidly. Needless to say, this method of storytelling was very interesting, because to progress further into the book, you had to delve deeper into the past. 

As for the characters, I would probably say that Noah was my favorite. Although, I loved reading Jude’s journey as she rediscovered/reclaimed her former self, Noah and I could relate on so many different levels. As for Noah, he is not your typical child, he’s creative, funny, introverted, passionate, and a bit of an evil genius. Jude on the other hand, is bold, creative, superstitious, emotional, and extremely caring. Another one of my favorite characters was the grandmother, despite most of her appearances being in ghostly form. There’s no way you couldn’t like the grandmother, she had such an influential part in Jude’s life and the “Bible” she was infamously known for, was simply hilarious! The dad on the other hand was pretty terrible. I couldn’t believe some of the comments he made to his sonand I lost all respect for him when he fell apart when his children needed him most. Although, he does get a little redemption towards the end :). 


 I highly recommend this book to all my readers. It was one of the most touching and unique stories I’ve read all year. The connection between Jude and Noah, as well as both their journeys of self discovery are truly what make this book memorable. It’s so much more than just a contemporary novel and it will quickly become one of your favorites. Also, you can’t help but smile when you learn where the title comes from because it was so... moving.

Monday, July 28, 2014

Monday, July 28, 2014 - , , No comments

We Were Liars

Rating: 5 Stars
Author: E. Lockhart
Version: eBook

GoodReads:
A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart. 

Read it.

And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

Review:
I went into reading We Were Liars pretty much blind, since all I knew was that it was a contemporary and about a group of kids. Throughout the book, what I thought the story was about changed not once, not twice, but THREE times. I'll try to explain what I mean without giving away too much:

At first I believed the story was about the narrators's childhood. Since most of the content was memories and her experiences on their private island. For this reason, I was disinterested in the first 30-40% of the book. Yet, as I continued reading, the story changed into a manipulation game and power struggle between family members. My interest level spiked. Then, the final part of the book blew me out of the water and became something I didn't expect entirely!

One thing I found unique was the narrator's use of graphic metaphors. For this reason, the opening of this story was a bit of a shocker. Even more so shocking, is that she doesn't give you any indication it's a metaphor until you keep reading and realize not to take it literal. Here's what I  mean:
That June, summer fifteen, Dad announced he was leaving… My father put a last suitcase into the backseat of the Mercedes… Then he pulled out a handgun and shot me in the chest. I was standing on the lawn and I fell. The bullet hole opened wide and my heart rolled out of my rib cage and down into a flower bed. Blood gushed rhythmically from my open wood,then from my eyes,my ears,my mouth. 

Yeah... upon first reading this, my jaw dropped. Oh and by the way, metaphors not unlike the one above, are selectively placed throughout the whole of the story.

Another detail unique to the narrator is the incorporation of fairy tales, which help to illustrate current situations and foreshadow future ones. The first few tellings I took lightly, but by the third or so I started to read further into the lines and decrypt what she truly meant. It was fun to say the least.

As I said earlier, the ending of the book was mind blowing! It had me questioning SO many things. Who/what are the group of Liars? Why didn't they plan their actions logically? Is this even a contemporary? Seriously, read this book, but go into it blind or without knowing anymore than what I've written above.

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Saturday, July 26, 2014 - , , , No comments

Faking Normal

Rating: 3 Stars
Author: Courtney C. Stevens
Version: Hardcover

GoodReads:
An edgy, realistic, and utterly captivating novel from an exciting new voice in teen fiction.

Alexi Littrell hasn't told anyone what happened to her over the summer. Ashamed and embarrassed, she hides in her closet and compulsively scratches the back of her neck, trying to make the outside hurt more than the inside does.

When Bodee Lennox, the quiet and awkward boy next door, comes to live with the Littrells, Alexi discovers an unlikely friend in "the Kool-Aid Kid," who has secrets of his own. As they lean on each other for support, Alexi gives him the strength to deal with his past, and Bodee helps her find the courage to finally face the truth.

A searing, poignant book, Faking Normal is the extraordinary debut novel from an exciting new author-Courtney C. Stevens.

Review:
I enjoyed reading Faking Normal, but I was very, very frustrated with the main character, Alexi. Throughout the whole of the book she was constantly berating herself for not saying “NO” when she was statutorily raped. Yet, throughout the whole of the book "Lex" is constantly refusing to stop any sort of contact or situation that her mind tells her to. So, what you have is a girl who’s mutalating herself for keeping silent and regretting her past decisions, while also continuing to make those same decisions in the present. Maybe this is what people who’ve gone through a situation like Lex’s experience, but as a reader I was extremely frustrated. 

A large part of Lex’s struggle is that she cannot determine why she’s so passive and lacks voice. This mystery is a good 2/3’s portion of the book and the underlying reasons are extremely week in my opinion. For instance, she’s plagued by a memory of seeing a naked boy, who was at the time the same age as she was… ~6 years old. I’m sorry, but children see each other naked when they’re little, they are innocently indifferent, and it’s not something that should haunt her for 10+ years. There were just so many instances in the book that made me want to turn against the victim and I had to almost constantly remind myself not to do so. 


All in all, the book sends out a very good message to those applicable, which is to find your voice, don’t blame yourself, and speak up. Yet, the build up and foundation of the story is extremely weak and very predictable at times. However, the author’s letter, as well as her video on Amazon, clearly express how passionate she is about getting her message out. For that, she’s earned my respect. 

Monday, July 21, 2014

Monday, July 21, 2014 - , , , No comments

Landline

Rating: 4 Stars
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Version: Hardcover

 GoodReads:
Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That it’s been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply — but that almost seems besides the point now.

Maybe that was always besides the point.

Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn’t expect to him to pack up the kids and go home without her.

When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.

That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts . . .

Is that what she’s supposed to do?

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?


Review:
Hmm.. I'm not really sure where to start with this one. I guess I could say I liked the book, but it might be the least favorite of my Rainbow Rowell collection - right behind Attachments. Speaking of Attachments, Landline definitely shared some similarities. For instance, Neal was very reminiscent of Lincoln and likewise with Georgie and Beth. Furthermore, the two stories seem to be paced similarly by progressing rather slowly at first and then sucking you in later. 

Don't get me wrong, after all I’m giving Landline a 4 star rating, but the story seemed a bit slow and I got a little tired of hearing Georgie ramble about Neal. I feel like that sentence is wrong since the Neal situation is a major plot theme, but yeah.. Sometimes it just got a little too "Neal, Neal, Neal..." for me. Also, I had a problem with the way the ending didn’t address the show, which was a huge part of the book. I really wanted to know if became a success and if Georgie and Seth made it big.

Now that the major negatives are out of the way, let me address some of the things I enjoyed. For starters, I love the way Rainbow Rowell writes and the way she tells a story. I don't really know how to describe it, but it always feels so... Warm? It's like sitting in front of a fireplace, while reading in a big comfy chair. Is that weird? If so, then let me adjust my sentence and say that her writing style is warm and comforting. Regardless, I liked the majority of characters in landline, but there were two that didn't seem developed enough. The two children, Alice and Noomie, came across as something that didn't quite fit or were perhaps misplaced. Maybe I was just thrown by Noomie's insistence on being a green kitty and her meowing habit that was never addressed, or maybe they just didn't get mentioned enough for me to like them. Whatever the reason, I feel that they didn't fit. The rest of the characters I enjoyed. For example, I liked Seth's personality, Scotty's humor, Neal's straightforwardness, Georgie's wit, the mother's flamboyant sexuality, and Heather's playful humor. Additionally I really enjoyed the crazy situations Georgie finds herself in. For those who haven't read Landline yet, you can look forward to a weird, but touching pug, dryer incident; a hellacious trip to Omaha; and of course a magic phone.

Overall, I liked the book and would definitely recommend it. I would especially recommend it to those who enjoyed reading any of Rainbow Rowell's earlier works and to those craving a good book that mixes contemporary with bits of fantasy. 





Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Wednesday, July 16, 2014 - , , No comments

Crazy

Rating: 5 Stars
Author: Han Nolan
Version: eBook

 Goodreads:
Fifteen-year-old Jason has fallen upon bad times—his mother has died and his father has succumbed to mental illness. As he tries to hold his crazy father and their crumbling home together, Jason relies on a host of imaginary friends for guidance as he stumbles along trying not to draw attention to his father’s deteriorating condition.


Both heartbreaking and funny, Crazy lives up to the intense and compelling characters Han Nolan is praised for. As Jason himself teeters on the edge of insanity, Nolan uncovers the clever coping system he develops for himself and throws him a lifeline in the guise of friendship.

Review:
I read “It’s Kind of a Funny Story: by Ned Vizzini not to long ago and really enjoyed it. So, recently I’ve been trying to find something that was remotely similar, which is where Crazy by Han Nolan comes in. 

For starters, I loved how the author puts you into the story on the very first page. Here’s an excerpt: 
"Ever since the fifth grade, I’ve had this imaginary audience in my head who follow me around and watch me like I’m the star in a movie. I talk to them, and yeah, they talk to me…. So now you’re here.”

It doesn’t stop there. The author continues to include the reader by even allowing the separate personalities in Jason’s head to address the reader. Of these personalities there are: Crazy Glue, Laugh Track, Aunt Bee, Sexy Lady, and FBG (Fat bald guy) with a mustache. Each of these personalities serves there own separate purpose. For instance, Aunt Bee is kind and compassionate, Sexy Lady is a self esteem booster, FBG with a mustache seems the be the realist, Laugh Track is an attempt to make light of a touch situation, and Crazy Glue is the childish/negative part of his mind. Here’s an except from Sexy Lady:
"SEXY LADY: Come on over here, You, and sit next to me. Make yourself comfortable. Don’t worry if you’re a little confused. Jason will explain everything. He narrates his life as he goes along.”

This interaction between the story and the reader continues throughout the whole of the book. Sometimes the personalities explain Jason’s past and sometimes they have to convince Jason to tell the You in his mind about his past. It’s a highly unique and fun reading experience and it’s weird to say, but I actually missed the “cast” at the end of the book. 

Throughout the story, Jason has to confront the feelings of losing his mother, care for his insane father, and question his own sanity. I became super frustrated by how Jason took to caring for his father all by himself and I really just wanted to shake his father back into reality. The man is so far gone that at one point in Jason’s childhood he tried to literally bury him alive to protect him from the furries (a mythological Greek enemy). However, it was really touching to read the friendship and witness the support system Jason developed after being alone for so long. 

Maybe it’s just me, but I found this book to be extremely relatable. I feel like my mind is constantly crammed with thoughts, questions, concerns, etc…. I’ve been told numerous times that I overanalyze situations and read too far into other peoples comments, but maybe that’s just me? I mean honestly who doesn’t question their sanity at some point in time. Who doesn’t have that little negative voice in their head calling them crazy or affirming their worst fears, not unlike Crazy Glue? 
"FBG with a mustache: Jason likes to keep his mind busy because he’s afraid of mental silences. Disturbing thoughts lurk just beneath the surface and he knows it. Keep up the mental chatter, my boy.” 

All in all, I really loved this book. The reading experience was extremely unique, fun, and refreshing; and the story was insanely good (pun intended)! Seriously, go read this now. 




Sunday, June 29, 2014

Sunday, June 29, 2014 - , , , , No comments

Panic:

Rating: 5 Stars
Author: Lauren Oliver
Version: Hardcover

 GoodReads:
Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

 Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.
Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.
For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.


 Review:
This is one of my all time favorite contemporary reads and if you haven’t read it yet, you need to do so ASAP. Literally, go purchase this book now. 

The hook for this story is extremely enticing, or it is to me anyways. Part of this probably stems from the fact that I grew up in a small town in the middle of nowhere, not too unlike Carp - the story’s setting. I can honestly see something like Panic being a real thing at my old high school, but thankfully it wasn’t. 

The challenges of Panic were extremely intense! The players know nothing of the challenges beforehand, except for receiving a small riddle detailing the location and hint of whats to come. As such, the reader goes into the challenge with as much knowledge as the players, which really adds to the mystery and suspense. My jaw literally dropped when I finally figured out what some of the challenges where. Personally, the second challenge was my favorite… I mean honestly, there’s no way I would have made it. 

The characters of Panic came across as being very real. Most of them come from a poor family and horrible situations, which drive them to win Panic ($$$$$). I don’t want to give away anything, but Heather’s situation truly sucked and you couldn’t help but root for her to win. I don’t think I could pick a favorite character, but maybe Heather or Ann? 


 Anyways, I literally could not put this book down and wanted to reread it as soon as I finished. I managed to push aside that want for two weeks before I read it again.. the story is just that good!

Monday, June 23, 2014

Monday, June 23, 2014 - , , , No comments

Eleanor and Park:

Rating: 5 Stars
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Version: Hardcover

 GoodReads:
Two misfits.
One extraordinary love.

Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor.

Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park.


Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.

 Review:

 I absolutely loved this book - as I do with all of Rainbow Rowells’s works! 

If you’ve ever changed schools or been to high school in general, then you’ll be able to relate to Eleanor. She’s just transferred schools and is met with a less than welcoming environment to say the least. Things aren’t better at home either, because her stepdad makes life a living hell and he’s the financial backbone of the household. Eleanor shares a small room with her siblings, who cling to each other for support, especially when hearing their “parents” fight. 

This book bothered me, simply because I could relate to Eleanor. I also had a step parent who made my life a living hell. However, that’s all in the past. Yet, like then, I can’t understand why Eleanor’s mom couldn’t escape her situation or why she CHOSE to allow situations to happen. It’s really hard to say what I mean without giving away spoilers, but Eleanor’s mom allowed Richie (the stepdad), to treat her like trash. She even forced Eleanor and her children in the car when Richie was driving drunk. There are plenty of other instances that are up for discussion, but I’ll stop here. 

The ending of this book was a huge WOW factor. I caught a little bit of foreshadowing when Maisie and Richie were watching TV together, but I honestly didn’t connect that to Eleanor’s situation. Another part of the ending I really enjoyed was seeing Eleanor’s ‘enemies’ helping her in her time of need, it was truly heart touching. 

I realized I haven’t said a word about Park yet. For Eleanor, Park seems to be the light at the end of the tunnel or the sole thing keeping her alive. Without Park, Eleanor would be in hell 24/7 and the little bits of time they can schedule together: bus rides home, “Tina’s” house, etc… are why she keeps preserving through. It was nice being able to see how their relationship grew and changed from each’s perspective, Rainbow Rowell is just fantastic at doing this.  As for Park, I disliked him at first, but he slowly grew on me. HIs family on the other hand, I still don’t particularly like his dad, but his mom was awesome. 


Let me know what you think of Eleanor and Park when you read it, because you’re definitely going to, right? Of course you are :D. 

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