Cross my Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter

title: Cross my Heart and Hope to Spy
written by: Ally Carter
series: Gallagher girls #2
genres: Young Adult, contemporary fiction
page count: 236
publication date: October 2nd, 2007
publisher: Hyperion
rating: 3/5

Cammie Morgan is back, and it's clear that her life hasn't calmed down since the events of I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You. At first, giddy anticipation is in the air. Gallagher Academy, Cammie's elite spy school, is hosting a visit from a covert training center for boys. Soon after the boys' arrival, though, everything goes dangerously awry when a series of security breaches are discovered at the academy. Worse yet, teenage agent-in-training Cammie is being blamed for the penetration. With the school's top-secret status at risk, the Gallagher Girls have to work quickly to save their beloved school.

I have no idea why I keep on reading this series. I guess it's just something that really makes me like the whole concept of a spy school and everything. Cross my Heart and Hope to Spy again has a very long title, just like 'I'd tell you I love you but then I'd have to kill you'. I really like the long titles, after seeing all those one-word titles, but perhaps they are just too long, because it is just a mouthful of words to say. 

Gallagher academy opens its doors again as this novel starts. Cammie has grown to a kind of celebrity at her own school, because of her boyfriend drama over the last year. And there is something happening on her school. Because of her curiosity Cammie finds out what's happening - Gallagher Academy is hosting a visit from a school like Gallagher Academy, only for boys! And the boy drama continues.

Cammie has changed a little bit over the course of the second book in the series, but she is still the same ignorant - yet kick butt - girl as she was in the first book. So no enormous character changes. I -obviously - love character changes, and I would have loved to have some more character changes in this novel. Still, Cammie is a great and very strong character I really love to read about, as are her 3 friends Macey, Liz and Bex.

The plot of this book was pretty interesting, but not one of the things I will remember forever. It just didn't have the 'wow' factor for me. And that is not very bad, because there are very few books that have that 'wow' factor. I just would have liked the plot to be a little more fast-paced and a little less filler chapters, if you know what I mean. 

Altogether I liked this novel, and I will give the next installment in this series a shot (I already did, actually...). Gallagher Academy is an interesting school, although I prefer Hogwarts. I just keep on comparing those schools for no apparant reason. I give this book 3 stars!

other novels in this series I have reviewed:

I'd tell you I love you but then I'd have to kill you

Love and ice cream,

Mar

(it's so hot in the Netherlands right now, so the ice cream was very appropiate)

Forgotten by Cat Patrick

title: Forgotten
written by: Cat Patrick
genre: Contemporary Romance, Young Adult
page count: 304
publication date: June 1st, 2011
rating: 5/5

Each night at precisely 4:33 am, while sixteen-year-old London Lane is asleep, her memory of that day is erased. In the morning, all she can "remember" are events from her future. London is used to relying on reminder notes and a trusted friend to get through the day, but things get complicated when a new boy at school enters the picture. Luke Henry is not someone you'd easily forget, yet try as she might, London can't find him in her memories of things to come.


When London starts experiencing disturbing flashbacks, or flash-forwards, as the case may be, she realizes it's time to learn about the past she keeps forgetting—before it destroys her future.

Forgotten starts with London Lane, just a normal girl. Well, only from the outside. She can remember the future, but she has forgotten about the past. The only way she 'remembers' what has happened to her is by reading her notes. She can forget whatever she wants, but she can also see danger coming. Is this a good thing, or a burden?

London is a very relateable character. She is just a normal teenage school girl. She does normal things, has normal friends and has only one thing that makes her differ from other people. But she lives her normal life, just like any other. She lives as she wants. And that's what I like about her. Then she meets Luke, a very cute boy who appears to like her, too. In the beginning she forces herself to forget about him, because she can't remember him from the future. But she starts seeing the importance of that. If he isn't anywhere in her future, is her memory playing tricks on her? Then there is the returning memory of a funeral. There are lots of people she doesn't recognise. She is there too. But who is the one that is buried? She needs to know. This memory is destroying her from the insides.

The plot really got me thinking, and it tricked me more than once into thinking the wrong thing. I love it when a novel is unpredictable, it keeps the whole thing interesting and enjoyable to read. I had never read a novel quite like this one. The story was unique. Forget the past but remember the future. Amazing! Also the romance was great. I swear, if I were standing next to the couple I would be able to see sparks fly!

I can't really comment on Patrick's writing style, since I read this book in Dutch. However, in Dutch it was not very special, but really nice to read. It might have been translated a little bit different, but it must be kind of the same, right? 

Forgotten is a book I will never forget. The whole concept was amazing. The characters were very well developed and the whole story made sense. I could relate to all characters and it was easy to read. I was astonished by the fact that this was a debut. Cat Patrick really wrote a very promising first novel and I am already looking forward to reading more of her works. I give this book 5 stars!

Love,

Mar

Rapture by Lauren Kate

title: Rapture
written by: Lauren Kate
series: Fallen #4
genres: young adult, paranormal romance
pagecount: 452
publication date: June 21st, 2012

The sky is dark with wings . . .
And time is running out for Luce and Daniel.
In order to stop Lucifer from erasing the past, they must find the place where the Fall began. Only Luce can break the curse, and it is her choice alone that will decide all of their fates.
But as Dark Forces gather, great sacrifices will have to be made in this final, epic struggle . . .
In the fight for Luce, and for Love, who will win?

"Tell them it's happening. That an endgame has been initiated"

First of all I want to say the most positive thing about this book. The Cover. I abso-freakin'-lutely love the covers of the fallen series' books! Their covers, together with the interesting plot of the first book, lured me into reading this series. And to be honest, I'm glad it's done... 

Luce and Daniel's romance is weird, and I don't like it. It's so enormously cheesy! Daniel's love is 'everlasting' and Luce's love is destroying her. Literally! But their romance is the most important thing in the universe. The difference between good and bad. One tiny decision, and it could ruin everything.


There was some action in this book, which I kinda liked, but most of it ended with Luce and Daniel kissing because they didn't lose each other and whatever. But I guess some people like that stuff. Not me, I'm not that kind of girl...


The struggle between good and evil is a commonly written about subject. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I don't. With the fallen series, I'm not sure whether I like it or not. I love the whole fallen angel thing, since they are such mysterious creatures, and their struggle between good and evil is fascinating, but still, that the entire series is centered around a tragic romance is not what I was looking for.


Since this was the conclusion to the Fallen series, I was expecting answers to all my questions. And I had a lot of them! Most of them were about Cam, Arianne and Roland, my 3 favorite characters from this series. But I didn't get my answers. And that's what dissatisfied me a lot about this book. I was expecting more.


Again, the cheesy romance was my main problem. Here's a short quote that states the whole problem:
"All he knew was that being seperated from Lucinda was not a punishment that he could endure. They had to be together."


Altogether I will give this book 2 stars. A book I would recommend only to the fallen fandom and other people who have read and liked the other installments in this series.


Love,
Mar

Giveaway (INT) + review: Florence by Ciye Cho

Today is the release day of Florence, a YA mermaid book written by Ciye Cho. You can read more about it in the blurb. Firstly I will review it, to give you a first impression of the book. Secondly. the author was so nice he wanted to do a giveaway of an ecopy of Florence. If you are interested, you can enter :) Enjoy!


title: Florence
written by: Ciye Cho
genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance
release date: July 1st, 2012

Seventeen-year-old Florence Waverley is out of her depth. Literally. Kidnapped and taken below the waves to the mer world of Niemela, she is the ultimate gift for merman Prince Kiren: a human familiar tied to his side. But nothing is what it seems amid the beauty and danger of a dark ocean.


Every Niemelan has a role to play, from the mermaids who weave towers out of kelp to the warriors who fight sea monsters. But in trying to survive, Florence will end up in the middle of a war between the mer and the Darkness. A conflict that will push her between two brothers: Kiren, the charmer inexplicably drawn to both her and the monsters; and Rolan, the loner who has been pushing her away since the day they met. But in order to take a stand--and find out where she belongs--Florence will have to risk it all: her life, her heart... and her very soul.

After reading the first two chapters to see whether I should accept the author´s review request or not, I was completely hooked into this story. The main character, Florence, is one I could relate to very easy, which is one of the best things about this book. Also, it was about mermaids. I just read my first mermaid book, and I just fell in love with the whole mermaid thing. Mermaids really are fascinating beings!

The whole story starts with an introduction to Florence Waverly. She is not like the others, she doesn´t really look like they do, and above all, she doesn´t really feel ´home´. On a school trip, she gets kidnapped, and that´s where it gets interesting.

She is brought to Niemela, as a gift to Prince Kiren, but Kiren -and the other Niemelans- don't want her. After some time is is accepted, and she starts to live a normal life, except that it is under water. She finds out more and more about the world she now lives in, and about the Darkness, that might end the entire world under sea. She may even play a decisive role in the battle! 


Niemela is a wonderful world full of surprises, in which I'd love to live. Niemela, with every being living together in harmony, must be one of the greatest places you could possibly live. If only Niemela were a real life place, and I could breath underwater... 

The 2 boys in this book, Kiren and Rolan, both were extremely attractive, and if I were Florence I would be totally overwhelmed by them. The 'love triangle' , a phenomenon I usually don't like, was not annoying at all! It actually improved this book! Yay :)

The writing style of Ciye Cho is really nice to read. The book is not extremely difficult to read, but I still learned some English words from it, which I really like. It didn't take a very long time to read Florence. Actually, I was wishing for more when the book ended!

Altogether I give this book 4 stars, and I truly recommend you to buy it, or at least enter the giveaway to win it! A book everyone who likes paranormal romance, mermaids will love, and a fun read for all!

book trailer: 

the Giveaway

Do you want to read Florence, too? Please enter this giveaway. Don't leave your email address in the comments!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


about the author: 
Ciye Cho lives in Australia and works as a graphic designer. He writes YA novels in his free time--and his head is often lost in the clouds or some place far from reality...
Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | youtube

Before I die by Jenny Downham

title: Before I die
written by: Jenny Downham
series: -
genre: Young Adult, tragedy, romance
page count: 327
publication date: January 1st, 2007

Tessa has just months to live. Fighting back against hospital visits, endless tests, drugs with excruciating side-effects, Tessa compiles a list. It’s her To Do Before I Die list. And number one is Sex. Released from the constraints of ‘normal’ life, Tessa tastes new experiences to make her feel alive while her failing body struggles to keep up. Tessa’s feelings, her relationships with her father and brother, her estranged mother, her best friend, and her new boyfriend, all are painfully crystallised in the precious weeks before Tessa’s time finally runs out.

I had been wanting to read Before I die for a long time, and then I just stumbled upon it in the library, and I just had to read it. So I did. And I loved it, and cried a lot. Just like most people who have read this book probably have. 

Before I die is not your stereotype sad story. The list made it a unique book. What would you want to do before you died? Tessa tries to do everything on the list. The list becomes her life, as far as she still has a life. But there are some things on the list that will be hard to accomplish. Love and be loved. It seems so hard. With the last power she has inside of her, Tessa completes the list. Some things are hilarious to read about, like the only-say-yes day she had, while others seemed impossible, like bring back together her parents. 

As I turned the pages of this book, I became fully aware of what was happening. Every page meant one page closer to Tessa's death. Even a miracle couldn't make her stay alive anymore. No-one should die at that age, or earlier. 

Tessa is one of the greatest characters ever. She has cancer but can still be happy, and she can still find the power to hang on to her life, even if that power is the list. Tessa was super realistic, and at one point in her process of accepting her own death she decided to stop giving a f*ck about her own life. And that's what made her so special. Then there was the YA-stereotype mean best friend. She didn't really interest me. And there was the Boyfriend, who was a-dor-able, he was so caring and protective, just like Tessa's dad. And the most amazing character from this book was Tessa's brother. He seemed to have accepted his sister's death, and was joking about it all the time, but when she was about to die he revealed his real feelings. That made me cry so much!

Jenny Downham has a great writing style, and the pace of this story was great, too. I just wished the book wasn't so short...

A recommender for every teen who likes sad tragic stories, or just wants to see how amazing his/her own life is. 

I rate this book 5/5 stars.

Love, Mar

Looking for Alaska by John Green

title: Looking for Alaska

written by: John Green 

series: -

genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemp

page count: 211

publication date: January 1st, 2005

Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps." Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps.

Oh. My. Freaking. Gosh! John Green did it again! His first book, for me the last, is a masterpiece! Looking for Alaska belongs on my shelves, between my most-loved books. I never want to return it to the library. Ever. So, first of all, John Green - write more books. Please. For me? Otherwise ... ...  *scary glare* Looking for Alaska was not my favorite John Green book, that will, and will always remain to be, the Fault in our Stars. I absolutely LOVE that book. Make sure to read it!

Looking for Alaska is a typical John Green book. It is a) realistic, b) full of words I have to look up in my dictionary, c) is enormously sad, and d) I can talk about it for hours, and I will...  Especially d) -well, only d)- really annoys my friends and family. I will go rambling about this book for hours and they just have to listen. I think most of them have developed a mental mute mode with which they can switch the sound of my voice on and off... Actually it would be great if a thing like that existed :)

The characters were so wonderful. Miles, the main male character, was so a-dore-able. I totally want to hug him at the moment. His obsession with last words is one that is amazing and so original. Maybe I should pay more attention to them, too. :) And Alaska is so 101% messed up I just had to love her. I mean, you can choose your own name, and you choose Alaska, that told me a lot about her character already! Then there was Chip, the genius annex rebel and Miles' roommate. The three of them formed an amazing group of friends. I wish I knew them, and could be their fourth(/fifth) messed up friend!

John Green is the master of character development. This book had one major turning point, not very hard to locate because of the before-after writing style, which was pretty unique, just like the whole book was a one-of-a-kind book. Miles changed só much, but Green still made the whole transition look realistic. He totally deserves a medal for that! A big fat gold with diamonds medal!

The plot, however, was the best thing about this book. Never have I ever read a book with a plot as well thought-through and perfect as Looking for Alaska's. Everything worked out, every word sucked me deeper into the story and the lives of Miles, Alaska and Chip, and I loved everything about it! Most of the times I'm like - bwhlegg another college/high school story. But this one was indescribably good, incredibly close to perfection. The Before--After writing style was perfect for this book. It made the story easier to read, and made me interested. What was going to happen?!?! When I had found out I wished I could turn back the time. Oh my, I cried. I cried buckets full of tears. Like the girl in Absolutely - nine days. I quote: "this is the story of a girl, that cried a river and drowned the whole world" That song has been stuck in my head for days. Then there was the Great Perhaps and it made me think so much, about the labyrinth of suffering and all of it. 

Anyways, what usually bothers me about John Green's books, his use of extremely difficult words, was no problem with this book. Miles was a kind of genius, and so were -most of- the other characters, so I could imagine them really speaking like that. 

I've heard that people in America have to read this book in class. Lucky bastards! I wish I were reading such amazing books in class, but the only book I have had to read in class was Romeo and Juliet... 

I will never be able to give this book a rating worth it. It should get the highest number possible +1 out of 5!

DFTBA!!!

Love, Mar

ps; did you read this book? Do we share the same feelings about it? Let me know :)

The Selection by Kiera Cass

title: The Selection
written by: Kiera Cass
series: The Selection #1
genre: dystopia, young adult, romance
pages: 329
publication date: April 24th, 2012
publisher: HarperTeen

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.


But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.


Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

First of all, this review was NOT influenced by childish behaviour of anyone, nor was it by all the bad publicity it got. It's just me being honest. Secondly, if you read this book and liked it you might will not like this review... Just thought I should let you know.


The cover really tricked me into reading this one. I read some negative reviews of it, and there was a lot of commotion around this book. I wanted to know what they were really talking about, so I decided I should read this book. And I did. And I think I should get a price for finishing it, because it was horrible, aweful, eye-bawling bad.


Also, I wanted to read this book because it was "The Bachelor meets The Hunger Games" Well, Hell no it wasn't! How dare they call this book anything like The Hunger Games. I'm not the #1 Hunger Games fan, but this book certainly wasn't anything like it. I don't really like the Bachelor, but I have watched some episodes. Maybe even an entire season. It had no rose ceremonies or something, and that's the thing that I really like about the Bachelor.


I usually like dystopian books, and this one was referred to as dystopian. While reading it, I was getting more confused by the page. Where was the dystopian bit of this book?? I was looking for it. But it was nowhere to be found. That really sucked. Cass made some poor attempts, a caste system, which doesn't seem dystopian at all. It's just today's reality, only a little bit exaggerated. Then there is this new country, Illéa, which is the new USA. There have been 2 more world wars. It is extremely strange, after the 4th world war, it would be strange if there was anything left on this world, right? But well, no way I will call this book dystopian.


The main character is called America Singer. What a stupid name is that! All other character names were 
'normal', which is pretty strange, considering this book was meant to be dystopian. 
Also, America was a very flat and stupid character, and a very disappointing female protagonist. Let me explain it by the means of a random quote: "Would Maxon want me to change? Was that why he was off kissing other girls? Because there was something not quite right about me?" Quotes like me just make me want to bawl my eyes out, multiple times. Girls should be strong and independent, not whiny and stupid. I will not even start talking about Maxon, just to keep this nice and prevent me from having to censor this review... :l


The plot of this book -series?!?!- didn't amuse me at all. I was so glad I finished it. And how on earth does the author manage to write so many words about so little?! She can write a whole trilogy about NOTHING AT ALL!


The way it was written was very immature and basic. Something happened, a thought popped up, it gave me  a feeling, I did this. This made the book even worse to read.


So, please, if you want to try this book you should check it out in your library or borrow it from someone, but please don't buy it for your own sake. And remember, this is just my own opinion, I am all right with you if you like it. I'm just being honest. 


I give this book 1 star, because I can't give it negative stars... :$


xo Mar

Tour stop - Pretty Amy by Lisa Burstein Review + Q&A

Today I am a host for the Pretty Amy book tour. First of all, I have a review for you. Below that I have posted a Q&A. Enjoy!


title: Pretty Amy
written by: Lisa Burstein
genre: ya, contemporary
pages: 304
published by  Entangled Publishing
published may 8th, 2012

Amy is fine living in the shadows of beautiful Lila and uber-cool Cassie, because at least she’s somewhat beautiful and uber-cool by association. But when their dates stand them up for prom, and the girls take matters into their own hands—earning them a night in jail outfitted in satin, stilettos, and Spanx—Amy discovers even a prom spent in handcuffs might be better than the humiliating “rehabilitation techniques” now filling up her summer. Worse, with Lila and Cassie parentally banned, Amy feels like she has nothing—like she is nothing.


Navigating unlikely alliances with her new coworker, two very different boys, and possibly even her parents, Amy struggles to decide if it’s worth being a best friend when it makes you a public enemy. Bringing readers along on an often hilarious and heartwarming journey, Amy finds that maybe getting a life only happens once you think your life is over.

Burstein created a simple, unique and amazing book every teenager, expecially girls, will like. It has something for everyone, characters you can easily relate to, and lots of humor. And the cover is beautiful!

Most books about teenage girls and prom don't exite me at all. In fact, I hate them. But already after reading the blurb of Pretty Amy I knew this book wouldn't be like those books. Being arrested on prom night? Amazing plot! Prom really changed Amy's life, in many ways, but most of all, it has shown her what is really important in life. And that was one of my favorite things about this book, it was not just a story, but it was very well thought out!

"I used to be nice, but nice was boring. Nice hadn’t gotten me anywhere." This line really describes the way Amy, the main character, acts. The world didn't care enough about her, so now she pretends as if she doesnt care about anything. Amy was a very fun character. She had to overcome a lot, after being arrested on prom night. But she handled the situation perfectly, and came out great. Other important characters were her two completely different best friends; Lila, the barbie girl and Cassie, the rock chick everyone is scared of. I love it when the main characteris in a book differ a lot, but still live together in harmony.

You read this book from Amy's point of view, the first person. I always like to read from this perspective, because you get way more insight in the story and the life of the character this way.

I rate this book 3.5 stars - You should read it! 


the Interview


1. What inspired you to write Pretty Amy? 

I was arrested during my senior year of high school, not for the same reason Amy was, but that was where the kernel came from. I also knew I wanted to write a "shocking" book from a teenage girl's point of view. I feel like you can get away with your character being a murderer, or a jerk, or just a smart ass more easily if your book isn't contemporary and I wanted to try to break that mold with PRETTY AMY. I also wanted to write a contemporary YA book that was about what real teens go through. I feel like teenage girl's lives are complex and I hoped to show that in PRETTY AMY.


2. Do you have any strange writing habits? I  myself always need to have my favorite book lying next to me, as a stimulation. 

Yes, I write with my laptop on my lap. I cannot write at a desk.

3. Does music inspire you while writing, or do you prefer to write in silence? 

Write in silence. I am way to easily distracted :).


4. In the book, Amy gets in trouble because of the Prom. Was your prom a disaster, too? 

I never went to my senior prom. I think that was why I made it such a hard night for Amy.


5. What was for you the hardest part of Pretty Amy to write? 

It wasn't so much a scene, as the end of the book. Amy goes through a pretty significant emotional and psychological change throughout the novel and it was hard to get it just right. Hard to make it as authentic as she is in the earlier parts of the novel.

Have a great day!
xo Mar

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

book: Going Bovine
written by: Libba Bray
series? nope
genre: Young adult, humor
pages: 480
publication date: September 22nd, 2009
publisher: Delacorte books for Young Readers

Can Cameron find what he’s looking for?


All 16-year-old Cameron wants is to get through high school—and life in general—with a minimum of effort. It’s not a lot to ask. But that’s before he’s given some bad news: he’s sick and he’s going to die. Which totally sucks. Hope arrives in the winged form of Dulcie, a loopy punk angel/possible hallucination with a bad sugar habit. She tells Cam there is a cure—if he’s willing to go in search of it. With the help of a death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf and a yard gnome, Cam sets off on the mother of all road trips through a twisted America into the heart of what matters most.

first thoughts:

Omigod that cover made me want to read this book sooo bad :o A cow and a yard gnome wearing sunglasses? This book must be freaking fantastic!

my review: 

Just a few minutes after starting this book I had already fallen in love with it. The simple amazingness of the characters and all of the strange things that happened for no appearant reason. They just happened. And that was this whole book. it just happened. And it was awesome. Hilarious.


Cameron, your not-so-special teenage boy that just wishes that the period of his life he is currently is living in can be ended soon. He is not popular, and he is not a geek. Then he gets a fatal disease. Life isn't fair, and this book made that perfectly clear. The mad cow disease shows Cam hallucinations. He sees an angel, Dulcie, a lovely creature. Only, she brings news that isn't happy at all. The world is in danger, and only Cam can save it! But, is cam seeing a hallucination or a real angel? Finally, he decides to go for it, and save the world. Companioned with a real midget, Gonzo, he leaves the hospital to save the world.


The character of Cam is not one I could relate to. Still, I liked him. He made me laugh with his strange actions. I understand that some people didn't like Cam because they couldn't relate to him at all, but it didn't bother me, actually. While he tries to save the world, an astonishing amount of crazy things happen to him. They were exactely like I expected after seeing the cover of the book. There even was a yard gnome that represented a Norse war god!


Dulcie -the angle- was a real anime girl, in my opinion. She's always being sarcastic. She is a real female heroine, bus the still is the cute girl you imagine while thinking about an angle. Gonzo is a midget, and he acts like one. He loves gaming, and doesn't have a lot of faith in the world. Then there was my favourite and most peculiar character, Balder. Balder is a talking and living yard gnome, but he also is a Norse war god :o How crazy must you be to think of such strange and amazing characters?!


Bray's sarcasm you could smell coming from the pages while standing metres away was my favourite thing about this book. Her writing style was nice, easy to read for me (so maybe too easy for American teens...). Still, it was pretty hard for me to finish this book. It took me almost a month! (I think that's a record) I read it chapter by chapter. She could have made this book a trilogy and then there would still be enough information to keep it all interesting.   It was just a little bit too much for my brains to process...


Altough there were lots of things happening, the main plot was that Cam had to save the world while fighting his disease. I forgot that from time to time, until I read a little about it and thought -Hey! He had to save the world, right?- The author really build too much of a story around the main plot, which I think is bad...


I would recommend this book to people who like randomness, lots of sarcasm, romance and long books.


rating:
4 stars ^^


xo Mar

Art Geeks and Prom Queens by Alyson Noel

book: Art Geeks and Prom Queens
written by: Alyson Noel
series? Nope
genre: young adult, chicklit, romance
pages: 240
publication date: September 1st, 2005
publisher: St. Martin's Press

Dorks, Dweebs, Debutantes, and Jocks—Where would you fit in?


Being the new girl is tough—just ask sixteen-year-old Rio Jones. A New York transplant, Rio has no clue how she's going to fit in at her fancy new private school in Southern California. Plus, being late, overdressed, and named after a Duran Duran song doesn't make the first day any easier for her.


Then Rio meets Kristi. Beautiful, rich, and a cheerleader, Kristi is the queen bee of Newport Beach. And Kristi isn't friends with just anyone, so Rio is thrilled when she's invited to be part of the most exclusive, popular clique. Of course, like any club, Kristi and her friends have rules: Always smile (even if you don't mean it), always dress cute (and never repeat outfits), and always flirt (but only with jocks, preps, and rich college guys).


At first Rio is having a great time, but as she becomes more immersed in this jet-set crowd, she figures out there is one last rule that her new friends forgot to mention: Don't cross Kristi . . .

first of all -

I've heard a lot of great things about Alyson Noel's books, especially the Immortals series was recommended to me by tons of people. So finally I decided to pick up an Alyson Noel book. YAY :)

my review:

Already after reading the blurb and a couple of reviews, I knew this book was in the danger zone. I heard them talking about a stupid main character. And I absolutely hate it when the main character is a brainless girl. Still, I decided to give it a chance.
I only need two words to describe the whole plot of this book. Mean Girls. *the first movie*Yeah, that's all I need to say about it. Those two plots are exact matches. *spoilerspoilerspoiler*Normal girl goes to high school gets geekish friends then gets popular friends ,she turns into a royal bitch and her geekish friends dump her. Then there still is the boy that she CANNOT date, which appareantly is enough reason to love him and want.him, and in the end they kiss. Well, I don't think I missed a single important thing.
The main character, Rio, ironically named after a Duran Duran song, starts off as an OK character. Then she wants to be one of the popular girls. She wants a boyfriend, she wants to be everyones best friend. She completely forgets her first friends, the nice ones. If she were a real person and if she would do this to me, I would absolutely hate her. Still, the geekish friends forgive her everytime, and even save her ass a few times!
The pace of this novel was too slow in my opinion. The author could have written the story on 50 pages instead of 240, and still it would have said exactely the same.
The writing style of Alyson Noel was pretty good. That saved the whole book. Or at least, a little...


rating:
1.5 stars


xo Mar

Thirteen reasons why by Jay Asher

book: Thirteen Reasons Why
written by: Jay Asher
series?: no series
genres: young adult, drama, romance
pages: 288
publication date: October 18th, 2007
publisher: Razorbill


first thoughts:
After reading 'The Future of us' and loved Jay Asher's way of writing, I knew for sure that everyone was right about his talent for writing, so when I stumbled upon a copy of 13 reasons why in my library I picked it up, and read it in one breath. Or at least, I would have, if that were possible... :)

the book: 
Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.


On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

review:

Oh. My. Gosh. This book is so good!

The main character in this book, Clay, is so greatly developed. His emotions are realistic, he seems like a great guy, and he actually appears to be human and have a heart thumping in his chest. He is a great friend to everyone that gives him a chance to be a friend, he's the good guy. He's the one you can always call, and who will never let anyone hurt you. So what would happen to this good guy that cares about you after you commit suicide? Will he be lost without her? Or will he just move on with his life?

Then there is the other character, Hannah. She's dead, but I just kept on forgetting that. On her tapes she seemed so much alive it was almost terrifying. And all the things that happened to her just kept on making me cry, get angry, and even smile at some points.How could all of that happen to someone?!

The story is told by Hannah and Clay. It's Clay who listens to Hannah's memories. The combination of her memories and the way they made Clay feel was just so wonderfu! I have never read a book that was written in this way that was so good!

The book is about suicide, a subject way more books should be written about, because there are still way too many teens that decide to end their lives. And, here, in the Netherlands, there rests a stigma on the subject suicide, I have no idea how it's in the other parts of the world, but here there is. And books like this could change that! 

The writing style of Jay Asher is terrific. That's what actually made me want to read this book in the first place, his writing style. And, for a debut novel, I think his way of writing is even astonishing. I get that authors change and improve their writing styles after a little time, but his shouldn't change at all!

A book that touched me, a lot, and that will be one of my favourites forever! A recommender for every teen, a realistic and heartbreaking tragedy filled up with a lot of humor.

rating:

5 stars

xo Mar

Tour stop - Going under by Georgia Cates

Hi everyone - I've got a very exiting tour stop for you today. I will post a review, excerpt of the book and an author profile. Just so much awesomeness! Let's start with the general information and the review :)


Going Under by Georgia Cates
contemporary romance, young adult
published March 10th, 2012 by Georgia Cates
buy on Amazon / view on Goodreads

the book:
Jessie Boone is a self proclaimed bad boy and doesn’t march to the beat of anyone’s drum, but his own. Growing up in less than desirable circumstances has made him no stranger to the hard knock life and his determination to leave it behind is fierce. When he finds himself transferred to East Franklin High School, he sees his opportunity to use his athletic ability to snag a college football scholarship, but Forbes Henderson, the player Jessie means to replace isn’t giving up his spot willingly. In fact, Forbes is willing to go to extreme measures to retain his place as first string quarterback. When Forbes’ malicious plan to injure his replacement fails, Jessie is furious and determined to show him he messed with the wrong person; not only is he going to take the position of first string quarterback, he’s going to take his girl, too.


Claire Deveraux is perfection at it’s best. She is beautiful, intelligent and unaware she just became Jessie Boone’s conquest as revenge against her boyfriend, Forbes Henderson. Like her flawless performance as the perfect daughter and student, Claire’s production of being the perfect girlfriend has everyone fooled, except Jessie Boone, and she fears this tattooed bad boy will see her secret desire to explore his crude threats and promises to rock her perfect world. If she decides to give in to one uninhibited moment with Jessie, will she learn too late that it was all an act of vengeance or will Jessie learn the taste of first love is sweeter than that of revenge?

my review:

this book is great! I immediately fell in love with the characters, which were so greatly developed. Also, the romance in this book was terrific. And have you already looked at the cover? I love it!

Immediately after reading the first page, Jessie´s character intigued me. He was this cool boy, that does never show his problems to anyone else. He slightly reminded me of Cassandra Clare´s Jace, my fictional crush, so that´s 100% positive :) Then there was the stereotype perfect all-american girl, Claire Deveraux. She is the girl next door. The one no-one hates, the one that is nice to everybody, and will never hurt anyone. Until she does... The other characters mentioned in this book also were great :)

The story told in this book was funny, simple, and I loved it! The romance really made this book into a page-turner I couldn't put down. It also shows that not everyone is as perfect as they seem, and that perfect on the outside most of the times means completely messed up from the inside. And I like that, since nobody's perfect in my opinion, and it would be horrible if most people were perfect, because that would mean that all non-perfect people were outcasts, and that would just be wrong...

The pace of this story was great, with exactely enough happening at every page :D also, I loved the writing style of Georgia Cates. I occasionally read books which are written very badly, and that annoys me a lot. This one I had no problems with, none at all.
This book made me laugh, a lot. But it also made my cry, angry or just crazy. And that's why I loved it so much!!!


A must for every teenage girl that loves romance and tragedy, or just likes to have a quick and fun read.


rating: 
5 stars


Now I will move on to the excerpt - fun, right?

We pulled into the parking lot of the school and Payton parked behind the sexy badass’ junked out truck. He was still sitting in his old clunker and I thought I saw a cigarette in his hand, then he confirmed my suspicion when I saw him raise it to his lips for a drag and the tip glowed fiery orange. Gross.
“Why did you have to park behind him?” I huffed as I felt heat rise to my neck and face.
“What’s your deal with him, Claire?” she asked, then looked at me and said, “Your face is beet red. What is wrong with you? Are you blushing?”
Getting out of the car at the same time meant walking into school next to him and that wouldn’t make Forbes happy. Payton didn’t understand the ruckus this would cause because she didn’t have a boyfriend and it didn’t help matters that she couldn’t stand Forbes. She thought I was weak and trying to please him, but the truth was that I just didn’t feel like hearing Forbes whine anymore.
“I want to avoid the need to explain to Forbes why I’m walking into school with the guy he hates. It will just start an unnecessary argument I don’t want to have first thing this morning.”
“With the risk of repeating myself, screw Forbes. I’m not parking in the back of the parking lot and walking an extra mile to spare his insecure feelings and if you have to explain that, then you should dump his ass.”
I knew she was right. I was a poodle jumping through hoops to keep the peace and it was ridiculous in addition to exhausting.
“I’m not arguing how ridiculous it is, but can we at least get ahead of him so I don’t have to explain why we’re walking in together?” I pleaded.
She huffed and said, “This is friggin’ ridiculous, you know that, right? Your life might revolve around what Forbes Henderson wants, but mine doesn’t.”
When Payton didn’t move fast enough to suit me, I scrambled out of her car, leaving her behind. I watched a cigarette butt fly out of the new guy’s driver’s side window and then his door swung open in front of me, preventing my escape. He stepped out of his truck, looked down at me and grinned as he said, “Pardon me, Princess. I didn’t mean to block your way.”
His voice was velvety smooth, but I didn’t mistake its coolness as his tone conveyed his contempt for me. His unmistakable disdain for me immediately raised my hellcat flag because he had nothing to base his aversion on since he didn’t know me.
This was our first time face to face and up close. The other times I saw him was when I stole a few glances during cheerleading practice over the last two weeks when I was certain Forbes wasn’t watching me.
I realized he was so much more handsome than I originally thought now that his face mask wasn’t obstructing my view. His hair was as black as I expected, and spikey, and his pale blue eyes were piercing. The contrast of their paleness against his dark hair was almost shocking and I had to force myself to avoid becoming lost in them.
I was angry with him for making assumptions about me, but I was more furious with myself for finding him so captivating. I tasted my bitter reaction as it formed on my tongue, but couldn’t stop myself from blurting out, “Asshole.”
He placed his hand over the left side of his chest where his heart would be and said, “I felt that straight to my heart.”
I watched him shut his door while he waited for my counterattack and I pushed past him as I said, “Screw you and my name is not Princess. It’s Claire, so if you’re going to insult me, at least have the decency to get my name right.”
“Hmm, I think I’ll stick with Princess. It seems to suit you better,” he said to my back as I walked away.
I couldn’t be certain flames weren’t coming off the heels of my boots as I practically ran away, but Payton managed to catch up with me and said, “I’m totally disgusted by you, Claire.”
“And why would that be?” I almost yelled.
“That was one of the best displays of underthinking I’ve ever seen. He bested you and I know I taught you better than that. You basically rolled over. How can I call you my best friend when you caved so easily? And by the way, you’ve got something on your ass.”
I spun around to look at the back of my dress as I pulled the skirt part around to look and said, “What is it?”
“Hot New Guy’s eyes.” She died out laughing and said, “Sorry, Claire, but you walked right into that one.”
I narrowed my eyes and pursed my lips as I said, “Maybe you’re the bigger asshole of the two of you. You should definitely be a couple.”
“That lacked creativity and it’s insulting to me as your slander master. We have to work on your comebacks because you are seriously letting me down,” she said, then added, “I wish you could see your face right now. Whatever he just did to you has you clueless. You can’t decide if you should be pissed off at him or hot for him.”
I turned to look at this crazy person I called a bestie standing next to me. “I’m jealous of whatever you are smoking because it has you completely reality challenged.”
“He got it all wrong when he called you Princess. He should have called you Queen of Denial because you’ll never admit what’s going on here,” she accused.
It was just like Payton to draw a conclusion with no real evidence to support her theory. “I have no idea what kind of nonsense you’re talking about.”
“I hope he got plenty of rest last night because his legs are gonna be real tired after he runs through your mind all day,” she laughed, making me livid.
I noticed myself stomping as I walked toward the school entrance. “You must have taken your sleeping pill this morning instead of last night because you are definitely dreaming.”
“When you look back on this moment months from now, don’t forget the one word I’m about to say to you, Claire Deveraux. Foreplay.”

awesome, right? my favourite part is the - you've got something on your ass - joke ^^

now I will post the character profiles - enjoy!

The Main Characters of Going Under by Georgia CatesWhen developing characters, a writer must have a complete sense of who the character is and everything that influences who they are-beginning from birth and ending in the presence. Although I can’t include every detail of a character’s life, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. I use Character Profiles to acquaint myself with the personality of my characters and I will be sharing a few of those with you today. Who is Jessie Boone?
Born 1994 in a rural town outside of Franklin, Tennessee to Twyla Boone. His mother won’t be winning the parent of the year award and his father won’t either because he has never been in his life. Jessie seriously doubts his mother really even knew who fathered him.
Jessie is the eldest of 3 children. His two young brothers, Ozzy (5) and Harley (4), are placed in foster care after “The Incident”. Jessie has primarily been the only parental figure in the life of his two little brothers and desperately wants to find a way to get custody of them.
Jessie has little self worth, yet he is strong. He is damaged by his childhood and outwardly puts on a tough exterior to prevent others from hurting him. He acts as though nothing can touch him.How did Jessie come to know Earl, his boss at the garage?Because Jessie’s mother was always drunk or high, he was often left alone to fend for himself. One day after being left alone, he wondered down the street to the garage owned by Earl. He and Earl become “pals” and Jessie begins to do a little work around the place in exchange for money. Over the years, he learns about engines from Earl and begins to work for him at the garage when he is old enough. Jessie loves Earl like a father and considers him family more than his own grandmother.Who is Claire Deveraux?Born in 1993 in Franklin, Tennessee. The youngest of three children-one older brother and one older sister. Her mother is a psych counselor and her father is a physician. She is the complete opposite of Jessie in every way. She grew up in a loving home and is rightly considered overprivileged by Jessie.
She is considered East Franklin’s sweetheart. Everyone loves her and things tend to consistently go her way. Outwardly, she appears to have it all. Inwardly, she feels desperate to escape the persona others have of her. She doesn't want to be the perfect “Goody Goody” everyone believes she is.
Claire is the pretty princess Jessie believes she is, but her character adapts after meeting Jessie. Readers will tend to not like her very much in the beginning of the story, but fall in love with her as she reveals her true self.

author spotlight:

In addition to being an author Georgia is a wife, mother of two daughters and a labor and delivery nurse.


She recently added Paranormal Romance Writer to her list of things that keep her busy, but she is ecstatic to release her debut novel, Blood of Anteros, the first book in The Vampire Agápe Series.


Like others that enjoy a great story of paranormal romance, she is easily bored by the tale of an obtainable, ordinary romance and was inspired to create The Vampire Agápe Series. When not tied up with family or delivering babies, she is working feverishly on the second book in The Vampire Agápe Series. 


Visit her site at http://georgiacates.com/ and make sure to like her on facebook and follow her on twitter!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Georgia-Cates/213130102082500

http://twitter.com/#!/GeorgiaCates

I hope you enjoyed this tour stop. I did enjoy creating it, a lot :) Thanks to bewitching book tours and Georgia Cates to make it possible to write it :D


xo Mar