All in all, a good book, but, come on, who didn't see the plot-twist coming a mile away?!
The ending was a bit lackluster for me, since after the big...moreAll in all, a good book, but, come on, who didn't see the plot-twist coming a mile away?!
The ending was a bit lackluster for me, since after the big reveal there was a sudden change in the (view spoiler)[tenses (People who were, till then, saying "Finn is" abruptly began saying "Finn was" instead) (hide spoiler)], as well as, character behaviour (Celeste, especially. In the beginning she behaved as though she was completely oblivious to her kookiness, but at the end we got the "I'm not crazy, you know, I know how I behave" speech, which felt very unreal to me).
I sort of found Matt utterly unbelievable. I mean, according to the blurb, he had "the social skills of a spool of USB cable" but throughout he was going around flirting with Julie, making smooth, witty retorts with complete ease, and even went on a date which ended in a make-out session(!). Not buying it, Park.
And who is Julie, anyway? I felt her character exploration left a lot to be desired - her relationship with her father, especially!
Who knew YA chick-lit could be SO funny?! Seriously, you guys, WHY haven't I read this before??
Georgie and her antics had me laughing out loud from th...moreWho knew YA chick-lit could be SO funny?! Seriously, you guys, WHY haven't I read this before??
Georgie and her antics had me laughing out loud from the word go. Although, I was in the awkward situation of not being to able to literally laugh out loud as I was reading this at work, so I had to make do with suppressed snorts and grunts. Suffice it to say, my colleagues had an interesting day at work today.
I thought I was missing a few pages when I turned that last page but turns out there are sequels! Which I shall now promptly proceed to track down.
In the meantime, to sum up the book, I'll just leave this slightly unnerving gif here for you guys :
Ah! Such a perfect, perfect feel-good book! I'm not a big believer of love at first sight but Hadley and Oliver almost convinced me!
The Statistical P...moreAh! Such a perfect, perfect feel-good book! I'm not a big believer of love at first sight but Hadley and Oliver almost convinced me!
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is a cute, little YA love story of two teens, Hadley and Oliver who meet at an airport due to Hadley missing her flight by just four minutes. Those four minutes change her life.
I went in this book with very little expectations, ready to file it away as yet another cheesy, predictable, written-for-the-money-using-very-few-brain-cells chick lit. I'm quite pleased to say that Jennifer Smith proved me astoundingly wrong.
The writing is fantastic. Smith manages to capture even the tiniest of emotions in words that seem to flow beautifully into one another. Even better are the two main characters - real, flawed and, like every other person on the planet, just trying to find their places in life.
I adored the storyline of Hadley and her father. If I could bawl in the office without giving away the fact that I'm reading instead of working, I would. It was touching and handled in a mature manner and that made me one very happy camper!
The premise of this book hits a little too close to home for me to be able to review it so, instead I'm going to leave you with some gifs which accura...moreThe premise of this book hits a little too close to home for me to be able to review it so, instead I'm going to leave you with some gifs which accurately sum up my feelings about the book -
ALTHOUGH, there were three things in the book that irked me, which prompted the rating of four stars instead of five -
1. Augustus calling Hazel by the mouthful "Hazel Grace" all the time. It got annoying. 2. The way John Green couldn't make up his mind if he wanted to refer to his main character as "Augustus" or "Gus", and decided to compromise and alternate between them. 3. The abrupt ending. Yes, yes, I know it was supposed to mirror the Imperial Affliction etc etc, but yeah, I was dissatisfied.
I'm finding it difficult to review this book - I'm unable to find the right words. So, you'll forgive me if I borrow Maninee's because a better descri...moreI'm finding it difficult to review this book - I'm unable to find the right words. So, you'll forgive me if I borrow Maninee's because a better description for this book, I cannot find -
[The author's]writing is beautiful, melodious. The words sort of wash over you. They give you a feeling like you’re floating on water, arms spread out as the tide carries you away, and you’re staring up at the picture the words paint for you.
I cried. I'll admit it. Anyone and everyone who has ever been in and out, or has been lucky enough to never fall out, of love will find something they can relate to in this book. Written in the form of dictionary entries, with only a handful of words, Leviathan skillfully manages to capture the highs and lows of being in love. The writing is raw and emotional and gets you from the word go.
The quotes (oh, the quotes!) are something that'll stay with you a long time after you've turned the last page -
People often say that when couples are married for a long time, they start to look alike. I don’t believe that. But I do believe their sentences start to look alike.
There has to be a moment at the beginning when you wonder whether you’re in love with the person or in love with the feeling of love itself.
You leaned your head into mine, and I leaned my head into yours. Dancing cheek to cheek. Revolving slowly, eyes closed, heartbeat measure, nature’s hum. It lasted the length of an old song, and then we stopped, kissed, and my heart stayed there, just like that.
The natural state. Our moods change. Our lives change. Our feelings for each other change. Our bearings change. The song changes. The air changes. The temperature of the shower changes. Accept this. We must accept this.
That first night, you took your finger and pointed to the top of my head, then traced a line between my eyes, down my nose, over my lips, my chin, my neck, to the center of my chest. It was so surprising, I knew I would never mimic it. That one gesture would be yours forever.
When I say, "Be my lover", I don’t mean, "Let’s have an affair". I don’t mean, "Sleep with me". I don’t mean, "Be my secret". I want you to be the one who loves me. I want to be the one who loves you.
Sometimes it becomes a contest: Which is more stubborn, the love or the two arguing people caught within it?
That’s the dilemma, isn’t it? When you’re single, there’s the sadness and joy of only me. And when you’re paired, there’s the sadness and joy of only you.
HIGHLY recommended. You won't be able to help but fall in love with love all over again. My only gripe with this book is that it was too short!(less)
Let's face it - can you ever go wrong with a Sophie Kinsella novel? A charming, sweet, witty, downright hilarious and warm-fuzzy-feeling-inducing read...moreLet's face it - can you ever go wrong with a Sophie Kinsella novel? A charming, sweet, witty, downright hilarious and warm-fuzzy-feeling-inducing read as always!(less)
What would you do, if you could sneak a peek at your future?
Fifteen-year olds Josh and Emma have somehow stumbled upon Facebook in the year 1996 when...moreWhat would you do, if you could sneak a peek at your future?
Fifteen-year olds Josh and Emma have somehow stumbled upon Facebook in the year 1996 when AOL was still taking baby steps and dial-up was the only way you could connect to the internet. There they see their lives spread out in front of them in the form of status updates and profile pictures.
Unable to restrain themselves they begin tampering with their present so that they can have the perfect future they always wanted. Unfortunately, they quickly realise that everything they say or do or even think can create ripple effects and change their future right before their eyes. But then again, is what they see on Facebook how they want their lives to end up as?
The premise involving the "Butterfly Effect" is very interesting and is something that I've been fascinated with for a long time. The fact that something as innocuous as an idle thought can affect the rest of your life is mind-blowing and I wish there was a career to be made out of simply pondering, and hopefully unraveling, life's mysteries - I would happily spend the rest of my life doing it!
The authors could have done so much with such an amazing story line but I felt it was a bit underused in a chick-lit novel - It would have seemed more at home in a dystopian setting, in my opinion. However, be that as it may, the book was a nice, engaging read - nothing to write home about but one that kept me interested enough to devote an afternoon to it.
The characters were a bit lacking in their development. Emma was your usual angsty, whiny, teenage-y girl who couldn't make up her mind about which guy she likes the most. Josh was more likeable than Emma but that's about it on him. The secondary characters Tyson and Kellan were MUCH more interesting and I wish the focus had been a bit more on them and their future, than the other two.
I'm beginning to worry every time I have to review a book which has already been reviewed by Namz - there's no way I can top her! So, go read her take...moreI'm beginning to worry every time I have to review a book which has already been reviewed by Namz - there's no way I can top her! So, go read her take on the book if you want to know about the fun plot and the charming characters - I'm going to skip the synopsis and get right ahead to my thoughts on the story.
Saving Juliet was yet another cutesy YA romcom by Suzanne Selfors. I loved Selfors' version of Juliet; she wasn't the swooning-on-the-balcony or trying-to-kill-self-because-her-lover-killed-himself type. She was more the stuff-herself-with-onions-to-repel-old-guy-trying-to-marry-her and create-her-own-destiny-and-follow-her-dreams type - It made her seem all the more real.
I felt Troy wasn't handled well, at least in the beginning. At first we were consistently told that he was a jerk and not to be liked but then all of a sudden Selfors switched gears and we had to believe he was, in fact, not a jerk but just misunderstood. It felt contrived.
Written using extremely simplistic language with stilted and repetitive dialogues that made the story sound at times like a bad play, and at others li...moreWritten using extremely simplistic language with stilted and repetitive dialogues that made the story sound at times like a bad play, and at others like a last-ditch attempt infomercial to sell a product that no one wants to buy. Did not hold my attention long enough to make me want to continue beyond the first few pages.(less)
I'm not going to go into the details of this book, Namz has already done a wonderful job of that.
This was a fun, refreshing read. For a change, roman...moreI'm not going to go into the details of this book, Namz has already done a wonderful job of that.
This was a fun, refreshing read. For a change, romance was not the main element of a teen YA novel, it took the back seat and remained there throughout. Indeed, even though the male lead(s) had a pivotal role(s), the focus remained entirely on Katrina.
Also, this book stood out because, again, for a change, the heroine was NOT in love with her male best friend - “Do you think it's weird that we're not in love with each other?" "No. I think it's perfect.”
I LOVED that Katrina was not one of those heroines who needed to be rescued by a hot hunk (coughTwilightcough), she rescued herself. Sure she made some mistakes along the way, but who's perfect? I'm kind of in the same place in life as Katrina so I could relate a lot to her and her story. Maybe because of that I found myself in tears in more places than one and the part where Imgaard finally reads her message, I bawled for a solid two minutes. I needed to read that.
All in all, a good read, one that'll make you think, that, hey, maybe life doesn't have to be so bad after all, and puts a smile on your face that'll stay long after you turn the last page.(less)
Holy multiplying gumballs, Batman! This book was SO MUCH FUN!
16-year old Kayla has a problem - all the birthday wishes she ever made are coming true...moreHoly multiplying gumballs, Batman! This book was SO MUCH FUN!
16-year old Kayla has a problem - all the birthday wishes she ever made are coming true.
It all starts with a frosted, four-tiered, pink birthday cake where, out of frustration, Kayla makes an impromptu Dear-God-My-Life-Sucks-Cut-Me-Some-Slack wish. A wish that somehow makes all her birthday wishes so far, come true.
First, a kicking and breathing, hot-pink 'My Little Pony' appears in her backyard, complete with an ice cream cone tattoo on its butt. Then, her entire room is filled with truckloads of gumballs. And then, her favourite childhood doll comes to life. And then, Ken (Barbie's Ken) shows up at her doorstep claiming to be her boyfriend. AND THEN, she turns into a mermaid.
She finally hits the panic button when she realises that her last birthday wish was for her long time crush, Ben Mackenzie, to kiss her - Ben Mackenzie who is now her BFF Nicole's boyfriend. So, before her friendship with Nicole - who is, for some reason, distancing herself from Kayla - is ruined for ever, Kayla has to find a way to stop this "magic" from spiraling out of control!
A cute read with more than a few laughs. Utterly loved Kayla and Ann. Alternatively cheered and groaned with Kayla at all her antics, and giggled each time the gumballs popped up everywhere. Nicole thoroughly annoyed me throughout the book, but kind of redeemed herself in the end. While Ben was nice, the author did more of a "telling" than a "showing" where he was concerned - we only heard about how he and Kayla were soul mates but it never shone through in the story. The ending was very abrupt and that was about the only thing about this book that I did not like.(less)
Every now and then a book comes along which is sweet and funny and heart-warming, and you're zipping through the pages smiling to yourself, laughing a...moreEvery now and then a book comes along which is sweet and funny and heart-warming, and you're zipping through the pages smiling to yourself, laughing at the protagonist's antics (where she either has a snake draped around her neck because she's pretending to be an animal wrangler or is forced to play a pretty nun in a popular teen TV show as she is confused for an extra) and going "awww" at the cute romance blossming between the protagonist and the hot male lead in the above mentioned TV show, feeling all warm and gooey and at peace with the world because you can practically smell the happy ending a few pages away, when along comes a (figurative) fist and PUNCHES YOU IN THE GUT.
But you STILL love the book despite the tears and the snot because it is THAT GOOD.
This was a fun, refreshingly charming, quick read. That is, until it reached in, ripped my heart out and crushed it into smush. I adored the book, I a...moreThis was a fun, refreshingly charming, quick read. That is, until it reached in, ripped my heart out and crushed it into smush. I adored the book, I adored the characters and their flaws, I adored the relationship between Oliver and Jenny.
Highly recommended, please go read it if you haven't already. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go cry into a pillow.(less)
Twenty pages in and I was already regretting my choice of picking this book up. Now, after one hundred whole pages of this trash, I can'...moreAnd I give up.
Twenty pages in and I was already regretting my choice of picking this book up. Now, after one hundred whole pages of this trash, I can't take it anymore.
How do I begin to explain this atrocity? One Day recounts the story of Emma and Dexter in a never-before-seen format - each chapter is the just the one day - July 15th - of each year of their lives. This could have had so much potential but the execution is just...agonizingly painful.
Now, Emma is a whiny, bitchy, insecure hipster who would much rather wear glasses than contacts, loves to feel sorry for herself WHEN THERE'S NO NEED TO and does NOTHING to fix her mess of a life, reads Dostovyesky and the like, shoves her taste for GOOD LITERATURE down Dexter's throat and, basically, cannot be happy unless she's fighting for a CAUSE.
Dexter, on the other hand, is a whiny, douchey, insecure nymphomaniac who is loaded with cash and no idea what to do with it, likes being made to constantly feel that he's AWESOME, has no clue about what he wants in life - all he wants is job which he can "brag about in a bar" and doesn't involve hard work - and, basically, cannot be happy unless he has a woman in his bed with him.
The biggest mystery in the pages I read, is HOW in the world these two fell for each other! The first time we meet them, they are strangers who just hooked up after running into each other at a party. Already Dex is thinking of leaving as soon as Em falls asleep, while she, on the other hand, is wondering to herself is he's THE ONE. A year after that, Dex is out travelling the world and sleeping with random women, while Em is working in D-grade plays wondering where her life is heading (No idea why she cant get herself a real job even though, as we are constantly reminded, she has a DOUBLE DEGREE). They are still in touch and have "feelings for each other" (when did that happen?)
A year after that, Dex is in Greece and STILL sleeping with random women, while Em has moved on from her dreams of becoming a playwright and now works in a greasy, run-down Mexican restaurant (why and how did she get here?) in the middle of nowhere - still no sign of a REAL JOB. A year after that, Dex is in India and trying to become a professional photographer while Em is STILL WORKING AT THAT DAMN RESTAURANT even though she hates it there (why she just doesn't pack up her bags and leave, is never made clear). A YEAR AFTER THAT, Dex is in the same town as Em, working as a TV presenter (apparently "he realized photography was not for him, and besides, "I'm a TV presenter" sounded more impressive"), flaunting women in front of the love-lorn Em, who, by the way? Mexican Restaurant.
You see? It's utterly maddening! Since each chapter is a year apart, lots of the "in between" details are missed out which is why it feels like there is absolutely no connection between the chapters. Though, the author tries hard to bridge the gap. Too hard.
Sample this example - In one chapter, we are introduced to Ian, Em's new coworker, who asks her out but she declines as she is not interested and the chapter ends abruptly after that. In the beginning of the next chapter, the author reminds us - Hey! The two chapters are connected! It's the continuation of the same story! My story IS progressing but I'm not going to explain any of it to you. No, really! I'll prove it to you by not at all understating it and hitting you on the head with it! Look, look! -- "The other staff scoffed. 'Why is it always me?' moaned Ian. 'Because you do it so beautifully,' said his best friend Emma"
Subtle, Mr.Nicholls, very subtle.
Moaning and groaning, I forced myself to read on - much like how Harry forces Dumbledore to drink the potion in the Cave - and after, about a hundred pages, when they are at a nudist beach by accident and Dex is trying to convince Em to take her clothes off while she's saying no (this goes on for a bit), I read this -
She leant forward, put her hand on his wrist. 'I think we should tell each other something that the other person doesn‘t know.' 'What, like a secret?' 'Exactly, a secret, something surprising, one a night every night for the rest of the holiday.' 'Okay. You first.' 'No, you first.' 'Why me first?' 'You've got more to choose from.' And it was true, he had an almost bottomless supply of secrets. He could tell her that he‘d watched her getting dressed that night, or that he‘d left the bathroom door open on purpose when he showered. He could tell her that he‘d smoked heroin with Naomi, or that just before Christmas he‘d had fast, unhappy sex with Emma‘s flatmate Tilly Killick; a foot massage that had spun horribly out of control while Emma was at Woolworths buying fairy lights for the tree. But perhaps it would be better to go for something that didn‘t reveal him as shallow or seedy, duplicitous or conceited. He thought for some time. 'Okay, here goes.' He cleared his throat. 'A couple of weeks ago at this club, I got off with this guy.'
And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is when I stopped reading, because my brain exploded. (less)
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