Vain

The Seven Deadly #1

by Fisher Amelie

If you’re looking for a story about a good, humble girl, who’s been hurt by someone she thought she could trust, only to find out she’s not as vulnerable as she thought she was and discovers an empowering side of herself that falls in love with the guy who helps her find that self, blah, blah, blah...then you’re gonna’ hate my story.

Because mine is not the story you read every time you bend back the cover of the latest trend novel. It’s not the “I can do anything, now that I’ve found you/I’m misunderstood but one day you’ll find me irresistible because of it” tale. Why? Because, if I was being honest with you, I’m a complete witch. There’s nothing redeeming about me. I’m a friend using, drug abusing, sex addict from Los Angeles. I’m every girlfriend’s worst nightmare and every boy’s fantasy.

I’m Sophie Price... And this is the story about how I went from the world’s most envied girl to the girl no one wanted around and why I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

Genres: Romance, New Adult, Contemporary, Young Adult, Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit, Fiction

329 pages, Nook

First published December 24, 2012

About the author

Fisher Amelie resides in the South with her kick ace husband slash soul mate. She earned her first 'mama' patch in 2009. She also lives with her Weim, 'Jonah', and her Beta, 'Whale'. All these living creatures keep the belly of her life full, sometimes to the point of gluttony, but she doesn't mind all that much because life isn't worth living if it isn't entertaining, right?

Fisher grew up writing. She secretly hid notebooks and notebooks of dribble in a large Tupperware storage container in her closet as a kid. She didn't put two and two together until after college where it suddenly dawned on her, "Hey, I like writing". She's a bit dense. "No, I'm not." "Yes, you are. Put down that Oreo, your butt can't take any more." "You're rude." "Yeah, yeah." Anyway, she likes to write and has finally beaten her self-esteem into submission enough to allow herself to be scrutinized under the 'other readers' microscope. "No! No! Not a cover slip! Last time it gave me a ra...." (mumbling)

Rescue Fisher from her metaphorical specimen slide at www.fisheramelie.com

Reviews

[Aestas Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

STRUCK. SPEECHLESS.

This book took me on a beautiful journey. It moved me, took my breath away and kept me up all night. It was a well-written, powerful, and deeply moving YA story that absolutely broke the mold and was unlike anything I’d ever read. It blew me away! READ IT!

This is not your typical romance novel where girl meets boy and they just fall in love. Yes, this book has a beautiful love story, but its also about so. much. more.

Its about learning the true value of life, about the price of ignorance, the weight of a self-less action, and the beauty of love.

This was one of those wonderful books that came to my attention very suddenly about 2 weeks ago. Literally, my inbox was full of glowing recommendations for it and I just knew that I had to drop everything and read it. Best decision I ever made!! Something about the idea of it just made my heart race. I swear I had butterflies even before I started reading.

It literally kept me up reading until 5:00 AM. I kept telling myself I was going to put it down and finish it the next day but I could. not. stop. turning. the. pages.

Hmmm, so what’s it about? Its about Sophie Price.

Sophie Price is vain. She is spoiled, filthy rich, with work obsessed parents who care only about the ‘appearance’ of a healthy family. She is hurt and angry on the inside. She uses, manipulates and discards friends, boys, everyone. She takes drugs, parties hard, and finds that she just can’t break out of the mold.

“Freedom is just that. Absolutely no restrictions. I abandoned myself to every whim I felt. Every want I fulfilled and every disire was quenched. I wanted for nothing.

Except attention.”

But everything changes the night her party is crashed by cops and, being on her second drug offence, her father arranges to have her sentenced to six months volunteer work at an orphanage in Uganda.

Scared out of her mind, thrown into a completely opposite life from anything she’s ever known, she is faced with a whole new world that will change her for ever.

The whole book is told through Sophie’s eyes and despite my love for alternating POVs, I found that this worked perfectly for the story. She was a very intriguing character who, despite her flaws and behavior, was not a ditz or shallow or stupid. She had simply taken several of the wrong turns in life and also, despite the wealth and opulence she grew up around, was deeply affected by the lack of familial love in her life. She wasn’t abused or anything. But this book really shows the damage that comes from a simple lack of care and love. It brought a whole new meaning to her vanity. Her looks meant everything to her because it brought her adoration from everyone, which was the closest thing she had ever come to love.

“I stood in front of the mirror and took a good hard look. I was as bare as I could make myself, no make up with wet, stringy hair. I hated to look at myself in this state. I didn’t feel real. I felt too exposed and that made me exceedingly nervous, but I made myself look that morning. I memorized that girl. That girl was the real me. Frightened. Worthless. A terrible friend. Terrible daughter. Well educated but so limited in ideas worth having. Beautiful yet repulsive… And finally honest.”

Fisher Amelie did a phenomenal job of instantly transporting you into Sophie’s life. I was right there with her every page of the book. I smiled, laughed, cried a little, fell in love, and felt her growth every step of the way.

I did love the book from the start, but the story is told in such a way that the more I read, the more strongly I connected to the story. My feelings just grew and grew till it just felt like my heart was going to burst.

Oh, and the guy? Right. Yes, the guy. Ian – or ‘Dingane’ as the kids called him. I literally loved him from his first line. Their first meeting was just SO powerful. I. FELT. It.

“It was like my body knew instantly that he was mine and that I was his.”

He was take-your-breath-away gorgeous. Blunt. Honest. And saw right through her. And the more we learned about his back story too, the more I loved him…. oh, and he cleared the bugs for her!! When you read the scene, I promise it’ll melt your heart a little ;)

About Uganda and the orphanage. *deep breath*. Ok. I am mostly aware what is happening in the world. I read the news. I see the headlines and the pictures. But this was different. So. So. Different. This brought the horrors of what was going on to light in a way I can’t even tell you. My heart broke into a million pieces for those kids. The word “horrors” seems too gentle for what I mean. I don’t think there is a word strong enough :(

My heart bled for those beautiful innocent children who had everything but their lives and their spirit so cruelly and heartlessly stolen from them and yet still sang songs every morning, smiled and found the beauty in life.

“And what is there to be joyful about?”… Another burst of silent tears streamed down.

“Life, Sophie. They still live. They breathe, they love each other, they find joy in the world around them for no other reason than because they are children. They are resiliant. They will always rise above. Always.”

I loved watching how Sophie, who had never known real love, grew, changed, and opened every part of heart to these kids and to their cause.

I loved watching her and Ian/Dingane fall in love. Ohhh their chemistry was palatable. It wasn’t a head-over-heels-at-first-sight thing, but it sizzled. I’ve said this before, but I. Felt. It.

“It’ll be all right,” Ian assured me.

“How do you know?” I asked when he revved the engine.

“I don’t,” he said, “but I’ll protect you.”

Their first kiss was seriously one of the best I’ve ever read. I squeed out loud!!!!! The gun lesson *fans self*… and that second last scene! *shivers* Yeah, I loved him. Completely.

I kept alternating between smiling and being near tears. Every part of the story wormed its way into my heart.

In the interest of full openness, I’ll say there were a few typos here and there, one or two moments of plot or dialogue that gave me squinty eyes, and despite there being an epilogue, I maybe might have wanted just a wee bit more at the end. But truly, it made no difference. The story was incredible so it didn’t affect my enjoyment of it.

This is a completely YA story – by that I mean the characters are younger than 20 and there is no sex in the book. But its the kind of beautifully written YA that makes even something as simple and subtle as just a shared glance give you epic butterflies, take your breath away and make your heart just race.

The story was heart breaking, exciting, beautiful, powerful, and thrilling. There were no dull or slow moments. Ever. There was always something new. Something happening. I was drawn completely into every part of the story. And its one that I won’t forget.

“I’m so deep there’s no getting out for me. You own me, you know?”

This book took me on a beautiful journey. Seriously one of the best books I’ve read in a while.

Guys, this is a must-read!!

Oh, and yes, there is a HEA :)

Casting for Ian and Sophie (also the pic above):





Official Blurb (I’m including this because it was a big part of what sold me on the book):

If you’re looking for a story about a good, humble girl, who’s been hurt by someone she thought she could trust, only to find out she’s not as vulnerable as she thought she was and discovers an empowering side of herself that falls in love with the guy who helps her find that self, blah, blah, blah…then you’re gonna’ hate my story.

Because mine is not the story you read every time you bend back the cover of the latest trend novel. It’s not the “I can do anything, now that I’ve found you/I’m misunderstood but one day you’ll find me irresistible because of it” tale. Why? Because, if I was being honest with you, I’m a complete witch. There’s nothing redeeming about me. I’m a friend using, drug abusing, sex addict from Los Angeles. I’m every girlfriend’s worst nightmare and every boy’s fantasy.

I’m Sophie Price…And this is the story about how I went from the world’s most envied girl to the girl no one wanted around and why I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

**NEW COVER ALERT** This book now has a new cover. I’ve posted the old cover at the bottom of the review just for reference.



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[Jenny Levine · Rating 5 out of 5]

You're so vain...
I bet you think this book is about you, don't you? Don't you?

NUH-UH! WRONG!
This isn't about you...

This is about her royalty,
SOPHIE PRICE.
[image error]

Who the hell is Sophie Price?!
Okay, let me tell you.

She is...
*SUPER RICH. GORGEOUS. FLAWLESS!
--> Every guy wants her. Every girl wants to be her.

Aside from that, she is also:
*QUEEN BEE.
*MANIPULATIVE LITTLE BITCH.
*SPOILED, REPULSIVE BRAT
*VICIOUS.
*VAIN VAIN VAIN!!!
What Sophie wants, Sophie gets.
She has people tending her needs, her wardrobe, hair, makeup, nails, EVERYTHING!



I’m one of the beautiful people. That truly sounds so odd to have to explain, but it’s the truth nonetheless. I’m beautiful, and it’s not because I have a healthy dose of self esteem, though I have plenty of that. It’s obvious in the way I look in the mirror, yes, but even more obvious in the way everyone treats me. I rule this roost because I’m the most wanted by all the guys, and all the girls want to be my friend because of it.

I was the queen of subtlety. I could play a boy like a concert violinist. I was a master of my craft.

“My lingerie probably costs more than your entire wardrobe,” I spit out at the short, stocky one who eyed me with disdain.



EVIL, isn't she???
I swear this girl is full of herself. UGH

She is always out partying, teasing/making out with different guys (even the ones who have girlfriends), and doing drugs.

Hate her?

NO, DON'T.

“Keep appearances, Sophie Price, and I’ll reward you handsomely,” my father said to me starting at fifteen.

...Every want I fulfilled and every desire was quenched. I wanted for nothing.
Except attention.

There's actually a good person hidden inside that hideous persona.

She just doesn't realize it yet...

But, everything's gonna change and all of her evil doings will come to an end.

Her misdemeanor has taken its toll on her when she was sentenced six months in an orphanage at Masego, Uganda.

That's when the REAL story begins...

From there on, she met different types of people. Lead an unfamiliar life. Entirely DIFFERENT from where she came from.

Actually, it all started when she first laid eyes on the guy who will be one of the reason for the CHANGE in her...

IAN ABERDEEN


( NEW BOOK BOYFRIEND ALERT!!! He's actually called Dingane [read as Din-John-E], but I don't like it so I'm gonna stick with Ian. LOL.)

Ian is...
*DROP DEAD GORGEOUS (and oh, he's white). --Not really what Sophie imagined since he's from Africa.
*SELFLESS. He cares for the kids more than himself. Hell, he cares for everyone and will fight for them.
But, most especially, unlike any other guys she'd known, *IAN DESPISES HER!

“Yes, I was thinking that you were a spoiled brat who won’t last two seconds here.”

“Girl, you are the epitome of spoiled. I can smell it in your expensive perfume, in the quality of your ridiculous clothing, in the bracelet wrapped ’round that delicate wrist.” He closed the gap between us and all the air sucked from the room. “You won’t last out here. You’ll stay blind to the environment that surrounds you. You’ll live in your clean, perfect bubble and return to your posh life come six months. You are....you. I know your kind. I’ve seen it all before. You will never wake up. Not really.”

UH OH! THAT'S HARSH.
It's like a slap to Sophie's face.

Because if there's one thing she fears, it's being rejected...

I was my own worst enemy. That was my secret weakness. Rejection. Rejection of any kind, in fact. I hated it more than anything.

That's short lived though. Soon, he will find out that they have more things in common than they've known. Most especially, he will see the REAL Sophie... All new and improved version of her.

What happens next???

I guess you should find out for yourselves :)
So, you know what to do...

READ IT!!!

EXHILARATING. AMAZING. WONDERFUL. SMARTLY WRITTEN. BLOODY BRILLIANT!!!

I COULD GO ON AND ON AND ON...

OH.MY.WORD! MY GOODNESS! THIS BOOK MAKES IT TO MY LIST OF THE BEST BOOKS OF 2012!!!

I'm speechless.
But, I have a question for y'all:

WHY THE HELL ARE YOU NOT READING THIS ONE YET?!

Seriously? IT'S THE BEST!!!

Okay, first of all, that cover is misleading. THIS IS NOT A PARANORMAL ROMANCE BOOK. At first, when I saw the cover, I thought it was, but then I read the blurb, so from there, I knew I just have to read this one! No, not because it's not a PNR book (because I also love PNR), but because I can sense it's gonna be an awesome read. And I wasn't disappointed! It exceeded my expectations. From the first page, I was hooked, line and sinker!

Vanity’s a debilitating affliction. You’re so absorbed in yourself it’s impossible to love anyone other than oneself, leaving you weak without realization of it. It’s quite sad. You’ve no idea what you’re missing either. You will never know real love and your life will pass you by. But you will see. One day you will blink and the haze will dissipate. You’ll discover that what once defined you has wilted into graying hair and wrinkled skin. Frantic, you’ll glance around yourself, in hopes of finding those you swore adored you, but all you will find is empty picture frames.

I just gave you the prologue. See? Who wouldn't get hooked, right?

This is actually the first book from Fisher Amelie I've read and I wasn't disappointed at all. I will read all her novels and everything that she'll write.
To the author:


This book gave me everything. Relatable heroine (not in the sense of her bitchiness, but because she is strong, confident, and somehow, vulnerable. She is definitely genuine. She made it to the list of my favorite heroines). Swoon-worthy hero. A couple everyone will ship. Quotable quotes. Romance. Thriller. Action. And, scenes you can't help but bawl your eyes out. I just can't get over it. The author also mentioned LRA and Joseph Kony (I'm sure most of you guys know him and aware of what he has done. If not, google him or search him on YouTube. There's a documentary about him there that earned a million views). This book taught me the value of life. How to be selfless and appreciate what we have and be happy with it.

I love the prologue and the epilogue. I fell in love with Ian and Sophie's relationship. How they started off and what they had in the end was absolutely beautiful! I ship them so hard!!! They're so cute together and they compliment each other. I love all their conversations. My hands are itching to type/put/quote their convos and romantic scenes here, but I have to be considerate for the future readers. They sure do have chemistry, it's off the charts! AHHHH! *Swooning and fangirling* I love all the secondary characters as well and how they helped Sophie discover who she really is. They are perfect in their own ways. Okay, I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK. Two thumbs up!!!

One of my favorite convos between the MCs --> “Classes are cancelled for two days after the kids recover. I’m making an executive decision and I’m going to sleep for both of them.”
“As long as I get to sleep with you.”
My eyes bugged from my head. “Pardon?” I asked in disbelief.
Ian stared at me, eyes wide. “I-I just meant...I meant that, uh, that I also wanted to sleep with you.”
I laughed out loud.
“I mean, not with you but sleep in my own bed during the time in which you also sleep...in your bed. We’d be asleep in two separate beds. You in yours and me in mine.” One of his hands left the steering wheel and
ran the length of his face. “God, I’m deprived.” A quick glance my way. “Of sleep! Deprived of sleep!” His hand slapped the wheel. “God, shut up, Din.”
I smiled at him softly. “I got you, Ian.” Boy, do I ever.

Overall, THIS WAS A GREAT GREAT READ!!! YOU ALL SHOULD READ IT!!!

“The shortest distance between two points is the line from me to you.”

Also, check out its book trailer--> VAIN by Fisher Amelie

5++++ DEVASTATINGLY BEAUTIFUL STARS!!!

[Dd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello everyone!!

Who am I??

Let me tell you a bit about myself...


I am cruel and unrelenting.I manipulate,use,disrespect and take advantage of every person I call friend.

If you have a boyfriend...I am your worst nightmare!


Everything I own is skin tight because I have a body for it,and because it always gets me what I want.I love the way boys stare.I love the way they want me.It feels powerful.

I rule my elite world.But not because I am the wealthiest.

No,I rule because I am the hottest.


My light gold eyes are the colour of amber and are perfect.My lashes long.I am practically flawless.

And it pisses me royally when girls try to copy me.

God!Get a clue nimrods.You'll never look like me!


I am VAIN...

----------------------------------------------------------------

And do you want to know something else???


I am a girl whose maid pities her.

I am a girl who craves for attention and grabs it anyhow.

I am a girl whose father told her to keep up appearances and he’ll reward her handsomely,since she was fifteen.


You are right in thinking that I have many enemies.

But what you don't know is that....

I AM MY OWN WORST ENEMY!!


I am broken and alone.

But I never let anyone see me cry.


Bitch.Spoilt.Brat.Whore??


I am SOPHIE PRICE....


.....And this is my story!

-------------------------------------------------------------

Sometimes new arrangements can become that much more extraordinary....

All the rowboats in the paintings
They keep trying to row away
And the captains’ worried faces
Stay contorted and staring at the waves
They’ll keep hanging in their gold frames
For forever, forever and a day
All the rowboats in the oil paintings
They keep trying to row away, row away.

Everything changed when I arrived at Uganda to go to Masego!!

All I knew was that Masego was an orphanage in Uganda.

(I will leave it for you to find out how or why did I end up there.)

I met a man who smiled the largest smile I'd ever seen and I wondered what made him so happy.

Not being able to help myself I asked him why was he so happy??

Do you know what he said??

"I am happy every day,Miss.I am alive and working.I have a roof.I can feed my brothers and sisters.I am very,very happy."


Sarah Pringle told me once about a boy she had met.

"I can't describe him,Sophie.It was like my body knew instantly that he was mine and that I was his."

Now I knew what she meant.Now I understood....

....When I met with him.


Ian or Dingane.A teacher and worker of Masego.

For the first time I was struck dumb.What was wrong with me??I was the one who struck men dumb.


And then I met with the children of Masego...

I was overwhelmed and incredibly sad for them!

(Why?I leave that for you to find out too.)


There for the first time I saw the sun rising.I watched as pinks and greens,yellows and oranges danced and disappeared over the incredible landscape.


For the first time I let my tears fall freely.And I knew it was the only time I'd ever cried and had a genuine right to.


For the first time I raised my face and hands,palms up and let the rays of the sun wash over me.I discovered that sun equated happiness.It's bright and lovely existence was hope incarnate.


I learnt self-control.

I learnt I was worth more than the sex I'd defined myself with.

I learnt the joy of life.I learnt the joy of breathing.

I learnt that one can never appreciate the enormity and rareness of a fiery bliss without seeing misery.


And somehow....I FOUND ME!


Bitch.Spoilt.Brat.Whore??


Who am I??


I am Sophie Price and I am....HAPPY!!


-------------------------------------------------------

Vanity’s a debilitating affliction. You’re so absorbed in yourself it’s impossible to love anyone other than oneself, leaving you weak without realization of it. It’s quite sad. You’ve no idea what you’re missing either. You will never know real love and your life will pass you by.

But you will see.

One day you will blink and the haze will dissipate. You’ll discover that what once defined you has wilted into graying hair and wrinkled skin. Frantic, you’ll glance around yourself, in hopes of finding those you swore adored you, but all you will find is empty picture frames.






That's all for now Readers!!

Ta-Ta!!

[Emily May · Rating 2 out of 5]

At this exact point as I'm writing this review, Vain has over 5000 ratings on goodreads and an average rating of 4.46.

4.46

Which is one of the highest average ratings I've ever seen on goodreads, particularly for a book that has so many readers. I'm telling you this because I want you to appreciate what a tiny minority I am in when I say that I was really disappointed with Vain. I'm going to tell you why in a second, but I think it's very important for you to know that many many people love this book. As soon as I added it to my shelves, I received encouraging comments from the book's fans and I was certain I would love it. I was especially looking forward to reading a book with an unlikable protagonist, it's great when an author can take a person you should hate, get you inside their head and make you care about them anyway. Sadly, that's not what I felt happened here.

I feel Vain is too driven by a message which isn't incorporated subtly into the story but forced down your throat at every opportunity. It is about a spoiled, rich, selfish and bratty young woman called Sophie who gets sentenced to work in a Ugandan orphanage. Seeing these young children who feel lucky to be able to eat and get a basic education, Sophie begins to reevaluate her outlook on life, see how lucky she really is and change her ways. Personally, I don't think the change was gradual enough. This is an American girl who has been very well-educated, there is absolutely no chance whatsoever that she doesn't have an idea about how kids live in parts of Africa. Even if she'd never been to school, she would have seen those heart-breaking TV charity ads with starving children. The idea that she would arrive in Africa and be completely shocked at how these other people lived doesn't seem remotely realistic to me.

Also, I think I'm beginning to see a pattern with myself that I started to notice whilst reading Gone Girl. I like reading about unlikeable characters BUT I like reading about characters who have really suffered, who can offer some level of justification for their behaviour (or at least have some redeeming qualities) and I really don't enjoy reading about spoiled rich people feeling sorry for themselves. I know the author tries to offer up the familial tensions as a reason for why Sophie behaves the way she does, but it wasn't good enough for me. If Sophie had been male, you can bet the reaction to her would have been very different... in fact, she would be almost exactly like many male love interests that I can't stand. Rich, ridiculously good-looking, mean, manipulative, controlling, sexist, kinda racist... but everyone still obsesses over them because they're so goddamn sexy. The problem wasn't that I didn't like her, it's that I didn't care about her. At all.

This book reminds me of many other young adult romance books but with a gender role reversal. This time, all the men except Ian (or Dingane, as the orphans called him) were idiotic, slobbering, sex-obsessed fools with a collective IQ of about 10. It amazed me that Sophie considered Spencer a "true friend" because he didn't force her to have sex with him when she started crying. Well done, woooo, you're not a rapist! He still, however, kept trying to come onto her after that, even though she'd made it clear she wasn't interested. Every chance he got, his tongue was back down her throat. But he's such a good friend, people. I generally found this book to be quite sexist towards men, they are simply mindless tools to be used by the wondrous beauty that is Sophie. Even Dingane - who is supposed to be the man above all others - acknowledges that she's a nasty, spoiled brat but continues to fall for her anyway. There were sentences that, if they'd been said by a man about women, would have caused outrage.

Please bear in mind, I'm not trying to say the author shares the same attitudes and ideas as her protagonist. I appreciate that she is writing fiction and has chosen to focus on not very nice people. I am simply explaining why I found myself unable to give a damn about Sophie or anyone else. Another part of the problem is that I think the writing is rather weak. This is one where you can tell straight away that it's an indie novel and it pales in comparison to the other indie novels I've read recently and very much enjoyed. There's something about the sentence structure that doesn't flow and occasionally I found myself having to read sentences multiple times to make sense of them. I guess Karina Halle didn't actually signify the start of my long and beautiful love affair with indie novels. Damn it.

[A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

This truly is an amazing and inspiring book. It had me re-examining my life, my beliefs and my values.

It’s a book about vanity, one of the most widespread human weaknesses. Is vanity a natural human trait or one that is brought on by society which pushes us to show off our physical appearance as if this increases our worth? I mean, I like beauty and I admire it just like every other person. And I think that there is nothing wrong with taking care of your physical appearance. But what happens when you start looking at people's faces, clothes and wallets instead of their hearts and actions? Your life becomes shallow, boring and superficial.

It’s a book about second chances. Vain people are in reality very unhappy people who are hidden behind a façade. Their ugly behavior is just the result of feeling unworthy and inferior.

It’s a book about being human, loving oneself and loving others. If we were all made to live for something greater than ourselves, then our contribution to this world has to be measured by something more meaningful than the size of our wallet or the price of our clothes. This book does not only tell us a story about a transformation of a rich, spoiled brat to a humble and selfless girl but also shows us the beauty of helping others and raises our awareness that there are people on this Earth who are truly suffering.

And finally, it’s a book about finding true love. Sophie and Ian are beautiful characters and I love them with all my heart. This book teaches us to have faith and trust in affection and love and that no one can truly appreciate sincere happiness without first having known sorrow.

Overall rating: 4 stars

Writing style: 4 stars
Story: 5 stars
Flow of the story: 4 stars
Character development: 4 stars
Hero: 4 stars
Heroine: 4 stars
Secondary characters: 4 stars
Tone of the book: 5 stars
Emotion evoking: 4 stars
Originality: 4 stars
Enjoyment: 4 stars
Effect on me: 4 stars

[Kristin (KC) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Brilliant Stars!

I'm a sucker for a story with substance; one that's not afraid to show the raw, grittiness of a situation and invites you to dive deeply into its meaning. A story that can generously entertain while conveying a positive message...and I found all this and more in a book I least expected to...Vain.

Meet Sophie Price — she's beautiful, rich, self-centered, and (you guessed it) unbelievably vain. Her parents are wealthy, powerful, and completely neglectful and cold. Her father's main concern is for Sophie to 'keep up appearances'. Sophie's inner dialogue will cause you to roll your eyes and her heartless actions will make you cringe and question just how someone could be so shallow. But one thing remains true for Sophie: she, just like everyone else, is capable of redemption--should she choose it.

I will not go into intricate plot details as the surprise of the story, although not necessarily suspenseful, is truly unique and makes for an interesting read. But I will say that Sophie is spontaneously ripped out of her element and thrown into a place where people no longer worship the ground she struts on. A place she'd normally consider as being far beneath her...but it is here where she'll discover her true self, no matter how painful or difficult that may be.

Ian, 'Dingane' is strong, caring, and dedicates his life to helping others. He knows all about people like Sophie and is determined to put that 'spoiled rich girl' in her place. While he succeeds in doing just that, he also finds Sophie's soul in the process. These two had a sizzling connection and I adored their initial 'cat and mouse' antics.

How can someone bug the shit out of you so much yet simultaneously cause you to want to know them intimately with your tongue?

I could not have been more surprised nor inspired by Sophie's incredible transformation. Not only is this story wonderfully written but it also stands as a reminder of what's truly important in life. It is an eye-opening journey of a beautiful girl owning and mending the ugliness within. The endearing cast of characters will get inside your head and live in your heart. It's one of the unforgettable ones, and I absolutely loved it!

Promise me you'll give it all to God and let Him decide it for you. He'll gift you no regrets.


Book Stats:
▪ Genre/Category: Romance/New Adult
▪ Steam Caliber: Mild steam/Sexy
▪ Romance: Adorable and heartwarming. Slow-building connection.
▪ Characters: Realistic. Hero was charming, while heroine slowly builds her way there.
▪ Plot: Unique, inspiring, and emotional story. Huge turn-around in initial tone.
▪ Writing: Fresh and engaging. Completely captivating.
▪ POV: First person: Heroine
▪ Cliffhanger: None
▪ Next Installment: Separate story in the Deadly Sins' themed series.
▪ HEA? Yes

[Richa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like me?
Love me?
Want me?
Hate me?
Well, then darling, get in line...
There's a crowd waiting for me outside
See their faces??
They're dripping with hunger
For me
Me
And only me...
Love the way they want me
Love the way they chant my name
Love the way they can't get enough of me
Haven't you guessed it, darling??
I'm......

Vanity’s a debilitating affliction. You’re so absorbed in yourself it’s impossible to love anyone other than oneself, leaving you weak without realization of it. It’s quite sad. You’ve no idea what you’re missing either. You will never know real love and your life will pass you by.

But you will see.

One day you will blink and the haze will dissipate. You’ll discover that what once defined you has wilted into graying hair and wrinkled skin. Frantic, you’ll glance around yourself, in hopes of finding those you swore adored you, but all you will find is empty picture frames.

Sometimes in life it's so easy to judge someone, so easy to pass a verdict without knowing the truth.....

Appearances......isn't that what strikes us first, what makes a strong impression on our mind.....how someone appears to be.....

Don't judge a book by it's cover....because appearances are often deceptive.....



So, meet someone I've come to know recently...

She is Flawless.



She is Cruel.



She is Spoilt.



She is Sophie Price...

Everything I owned was skin tight because I had the body for it, and because it always got me what I wanted. I loved the way the boys stared. I loved the way they wanted me. It felt powerful.

My goal in life was to rule my tiny, elite world, so I did. I manipulated, used, disrespected and took advantage of every person I called friend.I pulled and played with their puppet strings. I was the ultimate puppeteer. I was cruel and unrelenting.

I rule this roost because I’m the most wanted by all the guys, and all the girls want to be my friend because of it......I was the queen of subtlety. I could play a boy like a concert violinist. I was a master of my craft.

She steals boyfriends.....not because she wants them but simply because she can.... and yet none of those girls whose boyfriends she had stolen has the courage to stand up to her and say....

I’m beautiful.....My lips were full and pink enough that I didn’t need much color....My light gold eyes were the color of amber and were perfect...I was practically flawless.

I think we can safely say...

She is VAIN....





I guess you really did it this time
Left yourself in your warpath
Lost your balance on a tightrope
Lost your mind tryin' to get it back

Wasn't it easier in your lunchbox days?
Always a bigger bed to crawl into
Wasn't it beautiful when you believed in everything
And everybody believed in you?

Appearances.....sometimes it's all appearances...



There's only a single alphabet difference between VAIN and PAIN.....Sometimes vanity is only a cover for pain.....because you're so broken, so empty inside.....

I was my own worst enemy. That was my secret weakness. Rejection.

She has everything except the one thing her heart yearns for....

Freedom is just that. Absolutely no restrictions. I abandoned myself to every whim I felt. Every want I fulfilled and every desire was quenched. I wanted for nothing.

Except attention.

So, she adopts a lifestyle, an attitude to get it...



And she succeeds....she has attention...just not the usual kind....

She is la fée verte....

I was “the green fairy.” I flitted into your life, showed you ecstasy, and left you dependent. I did this for fun, for the hell of it, for attention. I wanted to be wanted, and my word, did they want me. Did they ever.

“Keep appearances, Sophie Price, and I’ll reward you handsomely,” my father said to me starting at fifteen.

And so she does exactly that....because sometimes in life it's easier to pretend....so much easier....

Life will continue on. Everyone will continue their worship of you. Just keep up appearances. Just keep up.

She keeps up her barriers and doesn't let anyone in.....but she can't stop asking herself....."What is wrong with me??"......



But life always gives you second chances....chances to turn it all around.....

Time turns flames to embers, you'll have new Septembers
Everyone of us has messed up too
Minds change like the weather, I hope you remember
Today is never too late to be brand new



And she gets a second chance at life when a series of circumstances lead her to....

In this time of fear
When prayer so often proves in vain
Hope seems like the summer birds
Too swiftly flown away
Yet now I'm standing here
My heart so full I can't explain
Seeking faith and speaking words
I never thought I'll say

There can be miracles when you believe
Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill
Who knows what miracles you can achieve
When you believe, somehow you will
You will when you believe



....MASEGO......“It is beautiful. It is horrifying."



It all starts with Blessings..........with Masego....



There she sees nature....rugged, raw, incredibly beautiful....







There she meets a man....

He smiled the largest smile I’d ever seen and I wondered what had made this guy so happy.

I couldn’t help myself. “You’re quite animated, and why are you so happy today?” “I am happy every day, Miss. I am alive and working. I have a roof. I can feed my brothers and sisters. I am very, very happy.”

So, easy and simple....isn't it?





And it's there where she meets him.....

I've tried playing it cool
But when I'm looking at you
I can't ever be brave
'Cause you make my heart race

Shot me out of the sky
You're my kryptonite
You keep making me weak
Frozen and can't breathe

“Dingane,” I repeated out loud. “What kind of name is that?”
“It’s Din-John-E,” a deep voice interrupted and my head shot up.

Struck. Speechless.  

A deep, punching sensation washed over my entire body and I almost fell to my knees at the powerful impression. My breaths became labored and I fought for a clear head. A balmy, scorching but unbelievably ecstasy-ridden awareness swam through my body. An exhilarating, pleasant haze settled over me and it... Burned. So. Good.

He is Ian Aberdeen....Dingane.....Exile....

He was the complete opposite of what I’d always imagined I’d be the most attracted to. Straight black hair met his chin but was tucked behind his ears, cerulean blue eyes stared at me strangely, his full bottom lip separated from his upper lip in question. He was looking down a straight Roman nose at me and his square jaw was clenched.

She feels this way whenever he's near.....

I’d never known a person could be this drawn to another human being, especially a complete stranger.

But one of the first things that come out of her mouth....


!!!!!! :P

How is she going to control herself now?? She wants him....a lot!! :D Whereas all he wants is to stay away from her...

How can someone bug the shit out of you so much yet simultaneously cause you to want to know them intimately with your tongue? He was driving me crazy.

Oh. My. Word.

*shakes head* Poor, poor Sophie..... :DD

Moving on.....

There she meets them...





They've faced the most horrifying situations in their lives and yet their hope is alive....

I’d never seen such purely happy people in my entire life. They screamed with joy, jumped and dived, splashed and played with one another. They had this moment and they were ecstatic. They had this simple joy and it was free.

“And what is there to be joyful about?” I asked honestly, thinking on the images of dead children curled into themselves at the village. Another burst of silent tears streamed down.

“Life, Sophie. They still live. They breathe, they love each other, they find joy in the world around them for no other reason than because they are children. They are resilient. They will always rise above. Always....."

There she discovers the beauty of sun...it's eternal light....

I'd discovered that the sun equated happiness. Its bright and lovely existence was hope incarnate. It exposed the dark, brought forth the light and showed you that no matter how strong or oppressive the night was, that it was infinitely stronger, exponentially more substantial and just because you couldn't see it with your eyes, didn't mean it wasn't still with you, that you couldn't feel it or that it wouldn't come back for you. It was stalwart and constant. It was infinite.

It's alright, just wait and see
Your string of lights is still bright to me
Oh, who you are is not where you've been
You're still an innocent, you're still an innocent...

And it's there where she discovers herself....where she chooses life, love and hope......

“Your heart is startlingly beautiful, Sophie,” he stated after a brief moment of fixed gazes.

She learns from those little representatives of happiness and simplicity and embraces life....

No one is more aware of themselves as these children are. They have nothing, have no one but us, have seemingly no reason to be hopeful... yet they are. They choose to be happy even though the obviously easier choice would be to be frightened or sad and they have real reason to be those things as well. But they have life and faith and hope and love and they choose those things. Their innocence is addicting, their hope is catching and I’m happy to be surrounded by them.”

There she falls in love.....

My eyes closed when he pulled the bands holding both braids and they slipped off into his hands. His fingers deftly freed both plaits painfully slowly all the way to the top of my head. Finally, I felt his fingers sift through the length to the ends.

“It’s the favorite part of my day.”

My eyes opened lazily. “What do you mean?” I whispered.

“When you undo them and run your hands throughout the waves. That’s my favorite part of the day.”

“Thank you,” I whispered, bringing my face near his. “It’s not enough, but I have to say it. Thank you for saving my life.”

“Feel this,” he told me before letting his fingertips flow like water over the curves of my hand laying flat on the sofa, out of sight.

I smiled at him and we stood quietly, our hands on one another as if we were both awakening to whatever it was that was surrounding us both then. It was written all over us. There was something practically tangible there, like a ray of sun, warming us through to our souls. You could see it, you could feel it, but you couldn’t quite capture it in your hands. That didn’t mean it wasn’t there though. Oh, it was there and it weighed a thousand delicious pounds.

I let that pressure inundate me, let it tether me to him.

And he promises her.....

“The shortest distance between two points is the line from me to you.”

Soph,......I breath just to be near you ~ Ian

And there their borders become her borders too....



This is a story about a girl who's lost...
This is a story of her discovering, finding herself...
This is a story about finding beauty in love, life, faith amongst death, terror and despair...
This is a story about finding hope in the most hopeless situations
This is a story about finding happiness, sunshine when all you see is darkness surrounding you...
This is a story about a girl in pain
This is a story about a girl who is VAIN



So take my hand
And come with me
On this beautiful, insane journey....
Here you'll find....
Vanity and vulnerability
Apathy and angels
Inhumanity and innocence
Nastiness and nobleness...
There'll be tears
And there'll be smiles
There'll be love
And there'll be life
But through it all don't forget what I'm
And if you do...
Well, then darling, I'll remind you again and again
I'm VAIN



Buh bye!! :))


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

“You may have misery,” she continued, ignoring my plea, “you may lose hope in the sorrow of an unplanned life but as long as you have faith and trust in adoration, in affection, in love, that sorrow will turn to happiness. And that is a constant, dear.” She breathed deeply and steadily for a moment, seemingly catching her breath.

“No one can know sincere happiness, Sophie, without first having known sorrow. One can never appreciate the enormity and rareness of such a fiery bliss without seeing misery, however unfair that may be...."

Wish you all the colours of happiness in life, readers....and everyone else!!...Try this story...you'll find so many in there itself....



-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sophie and Ian's song.....

[Akanksha❤ Søren♰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you see the book's title, the cover and read the blurb briefly.. What do you think??

That Sophie Price is a bitch? Spoilt brat? Thinks the world is in her palm or that she can buy it with her credit card? Shallow, vindictive?...
WELL... Yes.. thats exactly how this book starts off... Sophie Price is a bitch..

Then you think that oh, she's a bitch but a hottie will walk in, sway her off her feet, they will fall in love and a bit of drama here and there then a HEA?
Well, you've got that bit wrong..

The story takes a totally unexpected turn, Her life changes, totally upside down!! And she can do absolutely NOTHING about it...

Now we meet the new Sophie Price, Caring, loving, strong willed, earned self-esteem in her own eyes.. She's HAPPY ^_^
She looks in the mirror and sees someone happy, someone with a genuine smile and a warm heartbeat!

She's got people who love her, not my her money or appearence, but for her heart..
Yes, a boy does walk in, totally HOT and does sway her off her feet but the story is not what you think it is..

I loved Ian, OMG! Loveddddddddd him

I liked Spencers character, I'd like to read his story one day! ;;)

I'd say this book is a must read, an eye-opener in so many ways. This book shows us that WE CAN BREAK THE CYCLE IF WE WILL TO.

I loved this story, it caused my eyes to leak and heart to ache a lot, but I still LOVED IT!!

Two-three things which I didn't like
Some aspects of this book I didn't get, that WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T HER PARENTS EVER GIVE HER LOVE? AFFECTION? IMPORTANCE? I mean she was their only child, so why love for each other but not for her, that seemed off..
And which parent in their right mind would send a child to such a place? A place which has life threatening situations, I mean.. Yes its a nice cause and stuff.. BUT I'm sorry, My parents would never send me there unless I myself wanted to go..

Lots of faith, my love. It always works out in the end. Somehow.
Somehow we turn thirty beds into sixty. Somehow we stretch our food to impossible measures. Somehow we survive on our impossibly meager income. Somehow we love them all equally.
Somehow.”

[Lise *friends don't flag* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masego means Blessings



Very Clever Ms. Fisher Amelie what a way to weave a young adult romance into something real, raw and so awful that many people have never heard of or care to. I hope more authors of young adult/new adult romance will take this model and write more stories with substance.
Ms. Fisher, in my opinion was able to combine the best ingredients of a typical love story and tie in some heavy life issues as well as true worldwide events into something that made me feel and fall deeply for the characters and their life struggles and incite me to want to take action.

The real event I am referring to is what is happening and continues to happen to the people in Uganda. Since 1987 the LRA, a violent religious and military group has abducted and forced over 66,000 children in the country to fight with them. Nearly 90 percent of the region's population has been forced to leave their homes.

I will not get on a soapbox and preach about what everyone should be doing about this or why you should care; we all know atrocities against humanity exist world wide, but do we care enough and if so, what, if anything do we do about it?

Just know that this beautifully written love story has a real message about second chances and even if we are not all broken self-centered physically stunning filthy rich trust-fund babies; we can still make a positive difference in our lives as well as others.

This is my New Years Message via the words of Fisher Amelie:

“No one can know sincere happiness without first having known sorrow. One can never appreciate the enormity and rareness of such a fiery bliss without seeing misery, however unfair that may be.”

[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Brilliant Stars...A Must Read!!

Vain is a well written young adult romance that not only guides a reader through Sophie Price’s journey of self-discovery but also brings the horror of real issues to light that should warrant our attention and action.

This story displays character development at its finest! Fisher Amelie’s writing brings you along the journey and has you feeling and connecting, laughing and crying right along with the characters.

Sophie Price...Vain, beautiful, spoiled, unhappy, bitchy, manipulating and smart is the queen of the trust fund babies.



"I rule this roost because I'm the most wanted by all the guys, and all the girls want to be my friend because it."

"My light gold eyes are the colour of amber and are perfect. My lashes long. I am practically flawless.

And it pisses me royally when girls try to copy me.

God!Get a clue nimrods.You'll never look like me!"

When Sophie finds herself standing before the judge for the second time around she receives her punishment of serving six months in Uganda at an orphanage called Masego her world changes and so does Sophie.

Masego offers Sophie a world outside of appearances and money. It's a world of orphaned children and the inspiring people who take care of them. Sophie builds relationships, works hard and finds love.

Ian “Dingane” Aberdeen a teacher and jack of all trades at Masego renders Sophie speechless from their first encounter. (I try to imagine what his accent sounds like...swoon)



The interactions and development of Sophie’s relationships with Ian, Pemmy, Karina, Charles, Mandisa, are heartwarming while they face the realities of life at Masego.

Sophie and Ian’s attraction grows into respect and love. I swooned at the clearing of the bugs, the shower scene and their first kiss. The love that they found in one another was just beautiful.

”Sophie Price, you are the most beautiful girl I’ve ever met,” he stated before turning my direction and staring me dead in the eyes. “You are so gosh damn beautiful in here,” he said, tapping my chest, “that what’s here,” he spoke, running the side of his hand down my face, “is magnified tenfold and that is a sight to behold.”

This book is so much more than a love story. Vain will have you thinking about who you are and how you can make a difference!

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I didn’t have any expectations for this book, I have never read anything by this author... but it blew me away! It was just an amazing story! It had me hooked from the every beginning. You fell in love with the characters, and the writing was just beautiful!

Vanity’s a debilitating affliction. You’re so absorbed in yourself it’s impossible to love anyone other than oneself, leaving you weak without realization of it. It’s quite sad. You’ve no idea with you’re missing either. You will never know real love an your life will pass you by.

Sophie Price fits the title of this book perfectly. She is vain. She is a rich and spoiled girl, and is the queen of the other rich, spoiled and entitled.
No, I ruled because I was the hottest. You see, I’m one of the beautiful people.
She has no true friends, except maybe one (Spencer) and she is so unhappy in her life, she spends her weekends doing drugs, sleeping around with her friends boyfriends and spending her daddy’s money. As long as she keeps up appearances, her parents could care less about what she does or how she acts.
If I faced what I’d truly created for myself, a life of debauchery and seedy fulfillment, I knew I couldn't have lived another day and self preservation was very much still alive in me. I loved myself too much to say goodbye. So, I would go on living just as I had been because it was the only life I knew.

When she gets busted for drugs, the second time, and ruins a business contact for her father, she gets a wake-up call. When she goes to court with her father’s attorney Pemmy, the only adult in her life that actually cares about her, she finds out that instead of jail/rehab/community service, she will be going to Uganda to work at an orphanage for 6 months. Pemmy knows Sophie is better than who she has been and thinks this will be good for her. Loved Pemmy!
“You need to change and soon, or you will be beyond salvaging.”
“Nothing can prevent me from becoming what I already am.” I proclaimed, honest with myself for the very first time. “True, but people can change my dear, and I know you’re capable of being better than this girl you’ve created for yourself.”

She spends her last few days at home with her friend Spencer, then heads to Uganda for 6 months that will completely change her life. She meets Ian (dear god, I loved him loved loved loved!) and Charles and Karina, who ran the orphanage. They were such wonderful and selfless people, who embraced Sophie right away. She grew to love the two of them and finally had adults to aspire to be like.
I decided right then and there that I would be gobbling them up as long as I had the opportunity. I would learn from them. I would study them. I would endeavor to be like them.

At first, Sophie was a little taken aback by the children at the orphanage. Most of them had parents who were killed by Kony/LRA and a lot of them were sick or deformed in someway, but she quickly jumped in and started to really teach them and help them, and love them. She worked closley with Ian who she felt iinstantly attracted to. Ian didn’t take Sophie’s crap. I loved that about him! He had a past not so different from Sophie’s in some ways, and he wasn’t afraid to call her out on hers.
“Bullshit. You don’t really believe that. You want to stick with what’s easy for you. You foresee the amount of work it would take to transform yourself and you’re too frightened to embrace the challenge. Now, that, Sophie Price, is a real weakness.”

As time goes by at the orphanage, Sophie really discovers herself. She learns what it means to have true friends, people who love her and count on her, not for how she looks or how much money she has, but who she is as a person. This story is one of self discovery for Sophie.
I knew then that I never needed to be kept by a man. What I needed was to love myself, to want to keep myself around. And in that revelation, I knew that if I wanted to keep myself, that a man wanting to keep me would just be a by-product. Who wouldn’t want to keep someone who respected himself or herself?

I’d come to Uganda to fulfill a mandatory sentence but was being fulfilled in a completely unexpected manner and happily, with my full consent. I’d come to help teach these children but instead they were teaching me.

As Sophie and Ian’s relationship grows, things start to change even more for Sophie. Ian was so great, really loved him. He melted my heart! He fell hard for Sophie.
“You’ve arrested my senses and I can’t seem to get enough of you. That’s what scares me. I’m so deep there’s no getting out for me. You own me, you know?”
Sophie ends up meeting Ian’s family, and they love her... except for his mother. Ugh. When they get back from visiting his family, something terrible happens at the orphanage... breaks my heart. Sophie ends up having to go home for court. And you will have to read the book to find out how it ends, don't want to spoil to much!


I’m sure this is a lengthy review, but this story really touched me. Not only did it have a beautiful message of self discovery, you really got to see the conditions others live in and reading the story of these African children will make you not take things for granted. Sure it had some love and romance, but it was so much bigger than just that. This is a book I would recommend to everyone!

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a beautiful and awe-inspiring romance - such a breath of fresh air...



Sophie is the epitome of vain - stinking rich & strikingly beautiful, but she flaunts her beauty and uses it to humiliate, manipulate & seduce everybody to do her bidding. She is the queen bee of her evil hive & sleeps with her friends' boyfriends and expects them to thank her for it.

“God, you are such a whiny brat. If he was willing to cheat on you so easily, he wasn't worth it. Consider it a favor.”

Get the picture? This girl is just pure evil. I kept imagining Blair Waldorf of Gossip Girls, Season 1.

We also see a vulnerable side to her - she feels truly alone in the world. She has no friends that really care about her and her family's only contribution to her life is of the monetary type. They only expect her to present the image of a perfect family to the outside world and she gets paid to do this. Apart from these social displays, they don't pay any attention to her.

After she was charged with possession of cocaine twice, she gets sentenced to work at a Ugandan orphanage, Masego, for 6 months. Best sentence ever, mr Judge :)

“You need to change and soon, or you will be beyond salvaging.”

This is where the real story began for me...

When she arrives in Africa, she looks around for Dingane, whom she was told would take her to Masego. She expects some native African (with a name like that who can blame her), but she is totally shocked when Dingane (real name, Ian) is actually a smoking hot 20-year old white dude. Her typical charms doesn't have any affect on him and he treats her with disdain, because he sees her for the vain, spoiled brat that she is.

It was a massive shock for Sophie when they arrived at the orphanage. My heart also broke.

"That’s when I saw them, noticed what Dingane was trying to prepare me for. Children, all ages, missing arms, eyes, parts of their faces, even legs. I held back my gasp and met Dingane’s eyes. They were warm and full of understanding but for the children only. He looked at me sternly and his eyes conveyed what he wanted me to do.
I looked down on them, half-smiling, trying so very hard to look sincere when all I wanted to do was run and lock myself away from their terribly shocking faces. I had never in my life thought humans could endure such physical damage and survive."

Life at the orgaphanage is really hard... this is not luxury camping. They are surviving on only the minimal necessities. But the kids are all happy and smiling - they are alive and they are grateful for that.

“Their innocence is addicting, their hope is catching and I'm happy to be surrounded by them.”

Sophie is teamed up with Ian to teach the kids, but the relationship between them feels extremely strained.

“You won’t last out here. You’ll stay blind to the environment that surrounds you. You’ll live in your clean, perfect bubble and return to your posh life come six months. You are....you. I know your kind. I’ve seen it all before. You will never wake up. Not really,”

They spent a lot of time together performing their duties and survived some terrifying things - diseases, attacks around camp, etc - the type of things that change people. Sophie didn't fight it, she acted selfless and underwent an amazing transformation. She even developed a special bond with a little girl.



And then the part that all of us has been waiting for...

She realizes that Ian doesn't hate her and that they are actually kindred spirits.

“I’m just-I was quick to judge. I was wrong when I thought you couldn’t change. So few can do it.”
“You think I’ve changed?”
“Soph,” he said quietly, reaching for me, but I refused to budge. “You’ve been transformed for a while.”

A beautiful friendship starts to blossom between them and they fall for each other, hard!

“You have no idea what you do to me. I've felt things for you these past few months that don't seem healthy. I've wanted you so desperately I'm afraid it may not be natural. You consume my thoughts, Sophie...You've arrested my senses and I can't seem to get enough of you. That's what scares me. I'm so deep there's no getting out for me. You own me, you know?”

[image error]

But relationships in Masego are not easy, there are so much more important issues that demands their time and attention. Another burning issue between them is what will happen when Sophie's 6 month sentence is over? Will she remain in Masego or return to her old life?

I don't want to give away the ending, so I think I'll stop while I am ahead here. The most important question... do we get a HEA? Oh hell yes!

[La-Lionne · Rating 2 out of 5]

***1.5 decieving stars***

If you’re looking for a story about a good, humble girl, who’s been hurt by someone she thought she could trust, only to find out she’s not as vulnerable as she thought she was and discovers an empowering side of herself that falls in love with the guy who helps her find that self, blah, blah, blah...then you’re gonna’ hate my story.

LIE! LIE! LIE! This is exactly what this story is about and how heroine is. She's angry, bitter, whoring around coldhearted bitch, who doesn't have any regards for other people's feelings, because she didn't get the attention she wanted from her parents.
And I fell for it! The way this book is described in the blurb made me think that this story will be different. I've read tons of reviews, where words 'unique', 'different' and 'not your typical' were used. Now, I sit here and wonder what book are all those people describing? Obviously not this one, because there is absolutely nothing unique or different about this book. This book is just another YA sob-fest.

When I read the first chapter I got really exited, because I thought I'm going to like her bitchy personality. At that time, it did feel different. She felt cold and detached. I couldn't relate to her as a person, but I was enjoying reading about her. Author didn't dwell on heroine's emotions, the writing felt a little robotic, and at first, I thought it was done on purpose, to make our heroine feel more distant. Later it turned out that it wasn't the case, and that it was simply bad writing.

As a punishment, for constantly getting herself into trouble, this girl gets send to Africa, Uganda, to work in the orphanage.
All horros considered, author chose a beautiful place to send her heroine to. But I never got a decent picture of the place, because the descriptions of it were sooo vague. There was a huge baobab tree, bugs in the shower, couple of buildings and kids running around. That's it. I've read better descriptions of Uganda on Wikipedia. Not only that, based on the directions to the orphanage, that author gave me, would place the orphanage in the middle of freaking Lake Victoria. Yes, I googled the map of Uganda, that's how I know. I did it because I needed to get a better picture of the place. I know that it's a fictional story and that the orphanage doesn't exist in real life, but author did use real names of small towns and cities in Uganda, why not place the imaginary orphanage on a dry land??? Google maps showed that there are plenty of it!!!

Another problem I had was the emotional side of two main characters. This is the note I had in the book about halfway through: Author doesn't portray emotions very well, and her descriptions of important situations are lacking. I like when authors leave some things to my imagination, but there were too many blanks to fill in.
Seing all those suffering children was a turning point for our heroine. It made her realize how precious life is and how good she had back home. But she came to that realization way too quickly. One day she just simply understood everything. Author didn't bother telling me how she came to that conclusion. It felt like "Duh, those kids are parentless, I don't need to explain to you how much their lives suck, do I?"
There was a scene where kids got really scared, but no one at the camp tried to comfort them or reassure that everything will be alright. That pissed me off.

This story is not about helping kids, I get it, it's a story about a girl falling in love with a guy. But still, I would have loved to see our heroine doing something else other than drooling over a hot guy. At that moment I realized that this story is no different from many other YA stories I've read. You could say that she fell in love with him because he was working with kids, but that's not true at all. Because if you bothered to pay attention to how many times she described what he was doing, rather then the glances he gave her, or his physical attributes, you would have known that the latter outweighed the former. So, the bottom line is: she fell in love with him not because he was a good Samaritan, but because he was hot.

As for the guy in question; I don't have much good to say about him either. The fact that he dedicated his life to helping children in need is admirable, I guess that's why I'm giving this book 1.5 stars rather than zero, but he, too, had many flaws that bothered me. At first, when I read that he cleaned the shower for her, I thought it was romantic, but later I realized that he was just as superficial as she was. Why not let her shower in a shower full of bugs? That would teach her a lesson. Wasn't that the whole point, her learning something on this trip? He says "I know your type" meaning she's just another spoiled rich girl, then he goes cleaning the shower before she uses it???? Oh, and another note I made when he said "I know your type.": How did he know her type? Is that orphanage used as an exile for spoiled rich bitches?

Later, I realized that author's knowledge of Uganda was based on... I don't know on what exactly. On thin air I guess. There was zero research done before writing this book. Our heroine was shocked that Ian was white. Really??? It's like author based her knowledge about Africa and Uganda on commercials we see on TV right before Christmas. It's sad, because even with a decent research using google, this story would have been much better. Unfortunately, author didn't bother even with that.

This story reminded me of a book I've read a while back, where author invented a country Bezakistan. I didn't like the book, but at least I wasn't upset with author for making shit up. It's her made-up country, she can write what ever she wants and create what ever characters she likes. However, with this story, it's a whole another matter. When you choose subjects such as poverty in Africa, LRA, child hunger, life changing experience and love, you better make sure you have your facts straight!

I dove into it having a very high expectations, because of the blurb and tons of glowing reviews, and was left hugely disappointed. I would never recommend this book to anyone who has at least a little bit of knowledge about Uganda and the issues that country is facing.

[Natasha is a Book Junkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“No one can know sincere happiness, Sophie, without first having known sorrow. One can never appreciate the enormity and rareness of such a fiery bliss without seeing misery, however unfair that may be.”

There’s a proverb that says, “Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.” This is the truly beautiful story of a young woman’s journey from egocentricity to self-awareness, from having regard only for herself to being willing to sacrifice her own happiness for the sake of another human being. There is also a sublimely heart-melting love story embedded in the midst of one of the most moving, relevant and attention-worthy plotlines I've had the pleasure of reading of late. Nothing about this book is cliché, been-done-before or mundane. This is an emotional roller-coaster that will take you out of your usual literary comfort zone, grip you and keep you at the edge of your seat, begging for more.

Sophie Price is perfect. Her face is perfect. Her body is perfect. Everything in her life appears to be perfect. Her wealthy but neglectful parents have given her the type of lifestyle where everything has always been served to her on a silver platter, with no responsibilities or consequences for her actions. She is the 'Queen Bee' of her little click of entitled kids, wanting for nothing and taking it all unapologetically. She is selfish, self-centred, an awful friend who uses and discards people only to feed her starving ego. But when Sophie is alone, a scared and insecure little girl emerges at times, one that believes that her beautiful features hide only ugliness inside her. She detests that weakness in her, always striving not to show any real emotions in front of people, hoping no one would ever notice how meaningless her life really is.

“I stood in front of the mirror and took a good hard look. I was as bare as I could make myself, no makeup with wet, stringy hair. I hated to look at myself in this state. I didn’t feel real. I felt too exposed and that made me exceedingly nervous, but I made myself look that morning. I memorized that girl. That girl was the real me. Frightened. Worthless. A terrible friend. Terrible daughter. Well educated but so limited in ideas worth having. Beautiful yet repulsive...”

After indulging in a life of debauchery and vice, life finally catches up with Sophie, turning her entire existence upside down and throwing her in the midst of Africa to serve a six-month sentence at Masego, a struggling orphanage for children affected by war and violence. It is there that she meets Ian/Dingane, a young man who appears to only see the ‘ugly Sophie’ in her, one that does not belong or deserve to be at a place like Masego and one who would never make it there. For the first time in her privileged life, Sophie’s looks or possessions are not what define her. She is forced to dig deep inside her shallow soul for infinite amounts of courage, compassion and love for the sake of the innocents that fulfill her days with unconditional trust and affection. Through those children, Sophie learns to appreciate the gift of life, first and foremost, and to never again take what is given to her for granted.

“… what is there to be joyful about?”
“Life, Sophie. They still live. They breathe, they love each other, they find joy in the world around them for no other reason than because they are children. They are resilient. They will always rise above. Always. It is a curious facet of the innocent young.”

Her relationship with Ian changes as well, their physical attraction continuously growing and the trust between them building a firm bond between them. Through Ian’s eyes, Sophie sees the person she wishes to become. He teaches her to draw strength from even the most painful of emotions, to see beauty in the small things in life and to love herself for her heart, not her appearance.

“Fear, sadness. They’re not weaknesses. They are overpowering, defining emotions. They make you human, Sophie.”

The connection between Ian and Sophie grows against all odds, two kindred spirits finding each other and desperately hanging onto one another in a dangerous world marred by political turmoil and instability, where survival and protection of those who cannot protect themselves becomes their first and only priority. Their love story develops gently and tastefully. Against a horrific backdrop of some of the worst sins that human nature is known to be responsible for, Sophie finally learns to love - love herself, love those who show her kindness, love those who deserve kindness from her. She also learns to love a man, deeply, openly and above all, selflessly.

“Men wanted me. They all did, however briefly, but none of them wanted to keep me. That’s what I needed. I needed to be owned, loved. But not by a man. I knew then that I never needed to be kept by a man. What I needed was to love myself, to want to keep myself around. And in that revelation, I knew that if I wanted to keep myself, that a man wanting to keep me would just be a by-product. Who wouldn’t want to keep someone who respected himself or herself?”

But this is not your average love story. Happiness has a hefty price tag in this beautiful tale of love, loss, courage and redemption. Our heroine travels a painful journey of self-discovery, learning to love and embrace the person she really is, and finally finding her true purpose in life. It is only then that Sophie truly becomes ‘beautiful’.

A genuine work of art of new adult fiction, this story will stay with you, possess your every thought and make you feel. Everything.

“If we don’t make out of this alive, Sophie Price, I want you to know that I’ve never loved anyone as much as I love you. You’re it for me.”

~ N ♥

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[Claudia Lomelí · Rating 2 out of 5]

Three stars because I expected SO MUCH more. This book has so many good reviews and I was eager to read it, but it wasn't what I expected. Don't get me wrong, I liked it, but not as much. Sophie is a good main character and Ian is a prince, but I didn't fall in love with them.

All in all, is a good read, but oh, it took me more than a week to finish, which is strange in me because I usually don't take that long, I was so desperate to finish it! And I insist, is a good book, but I don't know, it lacked something.

I just want to add that Spencer was my favorite character :).

[♥︎ Heather ⚔ (New House-Hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing beautiful journey, fisher amelie owned my ass with this book!! loved loved loved a mustttt read!!

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Can I just say DAMN totally unexpected….

As I read the first chapter, all I could think of was great, Sophie Price Queen bee of the rich and snobby, trust fund baby, who could care less what anyone think, actions be damned, she was the ultimate puppeteer. I was actually debating at one point if I should continue if all she is going to talk about is how much everyone loves her, follows her, wants her, is intimidated by her …

Sophie Price is V . A . I . N



but … the story takes off and took me by surprise, all her parents wanted was to ” keep up appearances.” Sophie is proof that money can’t buy you everything.


I really don’t want to give anything away, I really think it will take away from it all, but the unforgettable journey she takes and the road to self-discovery and self-worth was fulfilling. A major plus in the story was Ian; any guy willing to slay bugs for me is a keeper in my book ;)

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!


This was NOT what I was expecting at all.

By 25% in I was unsure what was happening, I don't think I have ever read a character like Sophie...

Then BAM!! I was taken on an amazing journey.

Sophie Price is Vain. In every sense of the word.
Vanity's a debilitating affliction. You're so absorbed in yourself it's impossible to love anyone other than oneself, leaving you weak without realisation of it. It's quite sad. You've no idea what you're missing either. You will never know real love and your life will pass you by.

Sophie is beautiful, rich, queen bee, wanted by all the guys, and all the girls want to be her friend because of it.
Her parents are so absorbed in themselves, Sophie has absolutely no restrictions, every want fulfilled and every desire quenched.

Sophie is so broken and has no self respect I felt for her so much.

Sophie is arrested for drug use and then sentenced 6 months to an Orphanage in Uganda.

There we meet Ian.
Ahh Ian, I loved Ian. He calls Sophie out on being a spoilt brat from their 1st meeting.

"You won't last here. You'll stay blind to the environment that surrounds you. You'll live in your clean, perfect bubble and return to your posh life come six months. You are... you. I know your kind. I've seen it all before. You will never wake up. Not really,"

But the chemistry between Sophie and Ian gave me constant butterflies.
It's my favourite part of my day."
My eyes opened lazily. "What do you mean?" I whispered.
"When you undo them and run your hand throughout the waves. That's my favourite part of my day."

The two of them together were.. Amazing. I loved watching them interact and fall in love. They were believable and I loved experiencing that.
"Your heart is startlingly beautiful, Sophie,"

I'd been called beautiful so many times. It gratified me, validated me, but it was all empty, a facade. This was the first time someone had called me beautiful and it actually meant something to me. The praise slammed into my skin and permeated my body, leaving me flushed and overwhelmed.

Sophie begins to change and its absolutely amazing to watch.
A swelling sensation invaded my heart and I'd no idea what it was but it was a good hurt, a hurt that felt worthwhile.

I showed him I had enough initiative, enough industry, to strike out. I was also, simultaneously, recognising something in myself I didn't know could exist.
I was worth more than the sex I'd defined myself with.

This was so much more than a love story, it takes you to orphans in Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army. The subject isn't foreign to us, We know about it, we hear about what goes on and continue to be ignorant about it.

I love books that take over and wrap you up in the world and the emotions of the characters, Fisher Amelie completely succeeded at this. It's Beautiful. It is horrifying.

No one can know sincere happiness, Sophie, without first having known sorrow. One can never appreciate the enormity and rareness of such a fiery bliss without seeing misery, however unfair that may be.

Amazing 5 Shiny STARS!

[Duchess Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fisher Amelie just posted that if VAIN gets 200 Amazon reviews by tonight (1-13-13), she will post a scene from Ian's POV. If you reviewed, this, please copy and paste your review on Amazon!!!!

My review:...4.5 Stars!!!!!

"There’s nothing redeeming about me. I’m a friend using, drug abusing, sex addict from Los Angeles. I’m every girlfriend’s worst nightmare and every boy’s fantasy."

And she fully admits it. Sophie Price is VAIN. Her identity comes from the clothes she wears, the money her parents give her, and who's boyfriend she can steal next. She's the leader of her elite group of friends and the bow to her. She's not just beautiful, she's physically perfect. She knows it, and they know it.

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However, the term "Poor little rich girl" has never been so relevant. For although Sophie is surrounded by admirers, she is not adored, she is not loved, she isn't even wanted. If anything, her friends fear her rejection...and her parents don't care at all, as long as Sophie keeps up appearances. She sees herself as alone...a girl so hidden beneath her exterior that without the facade, she was nothing.

When Sophie's partying catches up with her for the second time, she is given an odd sentence, and one that finally makes her reveal some of her vulnerabilities.

"I stood in front of the mirror and took a good hard look. I was as bare as I could make myself, with no makeup, with wet, stringy hair. I hated to look at myself in this state. I didn't feel real I felt too exposed and that made me exceeding ly nerous, but I hamde myslef look that morning. I memorized that girl. That girl was the real me. Frightened. Worthless. A terrible friend. Terrible daughter. Well educated but so limited in ideas worth having. Beautiful yet repulsive...and finally honest.

She is to live and work in a Ugandan orphanage for six months. Six months without even the small luxuries like air conditioning, not to mention the round of immunizations that she undergoes, scares Sophie to death. But the trip is inevitable. She resigns herself to her future.

As soon as she gets off the plane, she realizes that her preconceptions are far from reality. The young man who is to pick her up and take her to her new home...Dingane...is the most handsome man she's ever seen. The first and only man to strike her speechless...and he despises her.

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At first, Sophie is so awestruck, she can't even speak to him. And when she does, she sounds like an idiot...not at all the polished princess that she is back home in LA. So the two end up passing the trip to the orphanage in near silence. Dingane's disdain is palpable. When they finally reach her destination, Sophie realizes that nothing in the world could have prepared her for what she is greeted with. Nothing. Could EVER prepare her for the sight of the children and their stories. Most orphans get to be orphans because their parents die.

But rarely is the tragedy really an atrocity such as this. And Sophie, the lucky American girl, will be forever changed, in such a fundamental, all encompassing way...that I soon forgot how she acted before. And so, it seems, does she.

We come to realize that the veneer of selfishness isn't the true Sophie, and that she is in fact a compassionate and loving person who was never given a chance.

One thing that I loved about the lessons that Sophie learned...she never, not once, tried to push the responsibility of her actions off on someone else. Even when she was scared, even when she was angry, even when she changed. She confronts her father, yes. But I admire not only her tenacity but her ability to take responsibility for the things she had done and truly want to change.

The family unit that makes up this orphanage is a mish mash of people all there for one reason...to give these poor children a place in life, to make them fell loved and to give them as much happiness as possible in a world that has forgotten they exist.

"How many are there?" I asked.
"Fifty nine." She said succinctly. "We're only equipped to handle twenty."
"How do you manage?" I asked quietly, taking in the expanse of children.
"We just do. Lots of faith, my love. It always works out in the end. Somehow. Somehow we turn thirty beds into sixty. Somehow we stretch our food to impossible measures. Somehow we survive on our impossible meager income. Somehow we love them all equally. Somehow."

It's a wonderful journey for this young woman. It's a fairly quick realizations that she has that this is the happiest she's been in quite some time. And amid the tragedy that is all around them, every day, these children and their caretakers have a full life.

"Why do they do it?"
"Because it brings them joy."
"And what is there to be joyful about?" I asked honestly....
"Life, Sophie. They still live. They breathe, they love each other, they find joy in the world around them for no other reason than because they are children. They are resilient. They will always rise above. Always. It is a curious facet of the innocent young..."

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Somehow, Sophie and Dingane, or Ian as some call him, find time to steal covert looks and longing glances behind each others backs. And a friendship is born. An affection built on respect for one another and admiration. And, of course, simple, frustrating LUST.

"How could someone bug the shit out of you so much and yet simultaneously cause you to want to know them intimately with your tongue? He was driving me crazy....As soon as my head hit the pillow, I dreamt of Dingane's ridiculous hands"

While I loved, loved the story, I can't give it all stars because there were quite a few noticeable editing errors...misspelled words, misplaced words, punctuations mistakes. Those weren't too bad, honestly, but there were also inconsistencies in execution and things that didn't make sense. Not often, but enough to give the flow a little hiccup.

Still, this story moved me, in a way that few can. I imagine that it will move anyone who reads it...the subject matter and execution, the events that unfold after Sophie gets to Africa are images that will stick with you. They simultaneously break your heart and mend the pieces. I cried, cried, CRIED!!!!! And yet this still has a beautiful message, and an uplifting one. I imagine that things work out for Sophie and her crew much easier than they do in real life, but this is fiction.

If this book has a question mark beside it, I encourage you to give it a try. Although I must admit, I was a bit bored when Sophie was spending her time bragging about how beautiful she is, after getting to Uganda, the story does a complete 180 and I was captivated. Beautifully done, Ms. Amelie. What a great way to get the message out and still tell an amazing love story!

[Lauren (Sugar & Snark) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorry, I hate to go against the general consensus but I found this book very average.

When I read the blup for this book I was really excited. I couldn’t wait for this super hot Alpha bitch to shake up my world. Unfortunately she was crying by page 6 and I realised I had been conned!

Sophie Price


Now I realise that characters are supposed to have depth and dimension but come on! At least stick to your original synopsis for 1 chapter!

What this book is really about is Sophie, a beautiful, spoiled but also painfully neglected socialite. That is sentenced to work in an orphanage in Africa after being arrested on drug charges.

Then comes the next thing that annoyed me. Almost instantly, from the moment Sophie get off the plane in Africa she transforms into a whole new person. I’m no expert but in my experience people evolve gradually they don’t become new people because they meet a hot guy and a happy airport worker!

I live in Africa and while I have never been to Uganda I have traveled fairly extensively, and aside from a description of a baobab tree the author doesn't mention the scenery or animals once (except for bugs.) It just seems strange to me to set a book in one of the most unique and beautiful environments in the world and then never really describe it!?

One thing I did like about this book was the portrayal of the orphanage and the children.


I loved that despite their sad circumstances they were full of hope, excited to learn and always smiling. Unfortunately I never really connected with any of the adult characters and I found the whole relationship between Sophie and Dingane rushed and a little disconnected. I also found this book predictable. Also the more I think about it the more I find it a little insensitive that the author used such are real and horrific setting in such a superficial way. The whole thing was just a set up for the romance!

And lastly and this is going to sound really cynical but If hugging poor African orphans can miraculously fix vapid socialites then why hasn’t it worked on Paris Hilton?

[Stacia (the 2010 club) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure what happened. I read Vain 2 or 3 weeks ago (don't even remember now) and UHHHHH...didn't review the thing?

I'm sure that I have quotes marked in my copy, but the distance of time has me super lazy to care enough to go pull them up.

Condensed Review Version :

The cons -

Simplistic writing
Some minimal editing issues
Cringe-worthy start (almost DNF'ed) for the first few chapters (but I get the point the author was trying to make, so it's forgivable)
A character who unbelievably changed overnight (would have liked to have seen a slower change) from spoiled rich brat to empathetic, hard working, mature woman

The pros -

Very readable
Tugs at the heartstrings
AWESOME, strong, HUMBLE, caring, male lead
Attention brought to a part of the world that westerners could stand to learn more about

The second half of this book was a powerhouse of emotion. Seeing a materialistic girl become a person who cared about orphans whose lives were ravaged by war and genocide took the typical YA/NA contemporary standard and threw it out the window.

While not perfect in execution, this story got the focus off of generic teen problems and took the reader to another place entirely. Even with the hiccups, I have to credit an A for effort.

[Amy | Foxy Blogs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of Sophie (who is the epitome of spoiled) and Ian (who is selfless). They are brought together to serve others and learn what it means to live the most extraordinary life that wasn't planned for them.

"Why are you so happy?" "I am happy every day, Miss. I am alive and working. I have a roof. I can feed my brothers and sisters. I am very, very happy."

Sophie learns


Sophie is asked to make a promise:

"Promise me you'll give it all to God and let Him decide it for you. He'll gift you no regrets."

Vain Book Trailer

FYI- In case you didn't realize that Joseph Kony is a real person. And LRA exist. There is a video that went viral last year. Joseph Kony 2012 video

SERIES:

No cliffhangers. Spinoffs

[Jacqueline's Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Updated thoughts...

After reading Greed my perception of Vain has changed. It's a 5 star book. It truely is. It's gritty, raw and emotional.



5 Stars

”…you may lose hope in the sorrow of an unplanned life but as long as you have faith and trust in adoration, in affection, in love, that sorrow will turn to happiness. And that is a constant, dear…”

I agree with the reviews, VAIN is not your typical young adult romance novel, sure there’s a girl who meets boy, BUT VAIN IS.SO.MUCH.MORE.

Don’t read the summary because it doesn’t do any justice, instead read the reviews.

Sophie is your typical spoiled bratty princess, except not only she is spoiled, vain, selfish and self-absorbed, she in my opinion, is cruel. There was no question to who Sophie Price’s character was, Amelie painted a very, but much needed, ugly picture. After being caught with drugs for the second time, Sophie is sentenced to an orphanage in Uganda for 6 months to basically be reformed. Ian/Dingane works at the orphanage and wants nothing to do with spoiled Sophie.

I originally didn’t want to read VAIN because it’s hard for me to read about kids in orphanages, but I was really curious because of all the reviews. VAIN wasn’t anything I expected and like I said before, it was just so much more.

I didn’t care for the beginning, it was a little too shocking and depressing, but I understood Amelie was trying to do to us, the reader. Amelie was trying to help us understand who Sophie Price is. My only complaint is that I wish the beginning wasn’t so long. I enjoyed reading the parts at the orphanage so much more.

Sophie is one mean evil bia, without a question, she deserved her sentence. In the beginning, we see Sophie explain to us why she needs to be perfect and how no matter how many parties she goes to, drugs she takes and relationships she forms and ruins, she is still unhappy. She pretty much can’t get over herself and I didn’t find this part annoying, but just really sad.

When we are introduced to Ian/Dingane character, I had a HUGE Smile on my face. Of course, Ian is beautiful, selfless and is a bit grumpy towards Sophie, which adds the delicious tension I love reading.

”You’ve arrested my senses and I can’t seem to get enough of you”

I’ll pause and give you a moment to SIGH with me. Ian has a big heart and it makes you love him more. The interaction between Ian and Sophie is really all innocent, since there’s zero sex and any form of foreplay, which is perfect because I think if anything got any heavier the theme and tone of the story wouldn’t jive for me.

There really wasn’t one dull moment. Just when an obstacle occurs and is settled, another one pops up and it’s always different and interesting. There weren’t any fillers, fluffy words or unnecessary scenes, it was so refreshing to take a moment and read and think about each word, because everything meant something and added to the story.

I loved the side characters and got enough of a glimpse to see other dynamics besides the Ian/Sophie story line, but there’s a healthy amount of Ian/Sophie to read. VAIN is written from Sophie’s POV and I sort of wish I could have read it from Ian’s as well, but I’m not going to complain because Sophie’s POV was enough to make me happy.

”If I was tired, he was there for me to lean on. He was sweet and attentive yet didn’t overwhelm me. He was subtle.”

I whole heartily agree to the fact that Ian and Sophie’s relationship was 100% subtle and completely sweet and perfect. No, their relationship wasn’t epic, but it’s enough to where you reflect upon yourself and question if you are the best you can be. (That comment may not make sense until you read the book).

At 94% I was pretty shocked and almost crying

At 95% I was pretty shocked again and so elated

Suffice it to say, the last few chapters are pretty dramatic and won’t leave you disappointed.

There’s plenty of action, drama and sad moments, but all necessary and adds so much depth to the story. My favorite parts were Sophie’s interaction with the children and how Sophie responses to tough situations. It was so nice to be a part of that, you really felt like YOU.WHERE.THERE

”The shortest distance between two points is the line from me to you”

No, this isn’t your typical romantic novel, but like I said, it’s so much more. VAIN will not leave you disappointed. I recommend completely.

For more reviews visit, http://jacquelinesreads.blogspot.com/

[destini · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far one of the my favorite reads of 2013.





Sophie Price is... vain (hence the title). She has no care in the world, except for what she wants, and does anything and everything to get there. She has used every single person she has surrounded herself with and only has one true friend. She spends her days being the dutiful daughter and her weekends partying and doing drugs.
When she gets caught doing drugs a second time, she's sentenced to six months in Africa to volunteer at an orphanage.


I loved how different the book started out. Even the blurb was unique. We didn't get the "I'm so vain and only care about myself, but the instant I met him and the heavens shined down on me and I became the selfless person I always knew I could be." She was selfish and she knew it. The world revolved around her.





I abandoned myself to every whim I felt. Every want I fulfilled and every desire was quenched. I wanted for nothing.


Things start to change when she goes to Africa. She meets Dingane/Ian and they have an... interesting first meeting. She was so accustomed to guys tripping over themselves for her, that when her didn't, it took her off guard. The orphanage was something that also took her off guard. Amelie Fisher doesn't hesitate to show you the really frightening and painful side.


Ian "Dingane" Aberdeen was incredible. I loved that he played the whole "I really don't like you" card, but still did really sweet things (like with the bugs). He was so sexy and confident, but at the same time he was... cute? Innocent? I really can't find the right word. We also learn about his life and it was amazing to see how well he could relate to Sophie.


This is a love story, so they do fall in love but it wasn't easy getting there. There were beautiful moments, sad moments, and there were laugh-out-loud moments and I loved reading every word.


"I was not staring at you," he told his plate.
I leaned over. "Did you hear that, Dingane's lunch? He was not staring at you."
He looked up at me crossly. "I was not staring at you."
"I never said you were."
"I was merely explaining that Henry was exaggerating. I did not stare at you."
"Okay," I stated, implying in my tone that he was doing just that.
"I didn't. I-I wasn't"
"I believe you," I told him.
"I may have looked at you a few times to make sure you were doing your job."
"Oh, I see then."
"But I certainly wasn't staring."
"We've established that you were not staring."
He breathed deeply a few times, his eyes burning into mine. "Good."
He'd definitely been staring.




Little by little he slowly brought down her shields. He helped her open up and break that wall she always kept around her heart.


"Fear, sadness. They're not weaknesses. They are overpowering, defining emotions. They make you human, Sophie."


The orphanage plays a big part in the story and it was heart breaking. These kids found hope where there wasn't much to me found. They laughed, sang, and played in the water. There living conditions made me cringe and yet, they found reasons to smile.


"And what is there to be joyful about?
"Life, Sophie. They still live. They breathe, they love each other, they find joy in the world around them for no other reason than because they are children. They are resilient. They will always rise above. Always."


There was a short but incredibly sweet ending that brought a huge smile to my face.


"The shortest distance between two points is the line from me to you."

[Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book! GAWD! THIS BOOK! It was THAT good.

2 things are misleading about this book; One being the cover...I thought it was a paranormal title when I first saw it, but it't not. The second thing (and the reason I purchased it) was the blurb.

If you’re looking for a story about a good, humble girl, who’s been hurt by someone she thought she could trust, only to find out she’s not as vulnerable as she thought she was and discovers an empowering side of herself that falls in love with the guy who helps her find that self, blah, blah, blah...then you’re gonna’ hate my story...

I mean, how do you not get fascinated by that? But this book was so SO SO much more than what that blurb described.

When I first started reading it, it made me think back to when I watched one of my favorite movies, Cruel Intentions...remember Kathryn?? yup!
I remember when I was watching that movie, thinking what if we got a story of Kathryn, but got to redeem her at the end? What if that story made you actually LOVE her...as opposed to just loving to hate her?

Well I got that and so much more with "Vain".

The author tells the story in such an incredible way, it makes you FEEL for every single one of the characters...particularly the Queen B herself, Sophie. She paints such an incredible picture, that you can't help but absolutely fall in love with the story.

I often judge a book by the emotions it makes me feel, and this book put me through the ringer. When 80% in, I found myself crying...not just shedding a tear...but genuinely crying...I knew right then this was going in my keeper shelf.

Oh...and let me let you in to a little secret (minor spoiler to follow)
There is absolutely 0 sex in this book. YUP! now being a romance junky...that is usually a big must in all my favorite books. The fact that I was able to enjoy VAIN as much as I did tells so much about the author's amazing talent to tell an incredible story.

Read this book! trust me! you'll love it.

I look forward to other titles from this author.

I tip my hat to you Fisher Amelie.

[R.E. Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!!!

Let's just start right off the bat with that blurb! I don't know if I've ever read a synopsis that made me so desperate to read a book! I was hooked immediately and couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. But WOW, Vain was nothing like what I expected. I'm not sure even how to go about reviewing this book.

"Vanity's a debilitating affliction. You're so absorbed in yourself it's impossible to love anyone other than oneself, leaving you weak without realization of it. it's quite sad. You've no idea what you're missing either. You will never know real love and your life will pass you by."

Sophie Price is vain. And mean. And selfish. And manipulative. And self-absorbed. And whorish. And just downright terrible. She comes from money and is the leader of her group of snobbish rich friends. This girl was despicable! I could barely read the first part of this book because I was so disgusted by her behavior. But as much as I wanted to reach through the book and bitch slap her, I was completely conflicted and felt bad for the girl underneath the act who so desperately craved attention and love that she grabbed it any way she could; which was usually stealing other girls' boyfriends, doing drugs and being completely outrageous and out of control.



"I flitted into your life, showed you ecstasy, and left you dependent. I did this for fun, for the hell of it, for attention. I wanted to be wanted, and my word, did they want me. Did they ever."

Sophie finally gets a wake-up call when the police show up at a party she's at and she finds herself in a compromising position. Facing her second offense in front of an angry judge, instead of the community service she was expecting, Sophie is faced with six months at a Ugandan orphanage. It's beyond anything she can imagine or prepare for, and it will completely change her entire life.

"...but when I really defined myself, that's what I was, a mere object and it was all by my own doing. I was those breathing objects, desperately aching to escape, to live..."

The turn that this story took just completely took my breath away. I really struggled through the beginning of this book; it's hard to feel connected to such a terrible person, even when you see the sadness and the reasons behind their behavior. But once Sophie accepts and embraces her punishment and let's herself open up a bit... wow. I've never seen such a huge transformation in a character before. I felt so proud of her and felt so much for her. She was incredible. I was so invested in her journey and I just couldn't put the book down!

"I turned my head toward the window and let the tears fall freely, the most I'd ever allowed, and the absolutely only time I'd ever cried and had a genuine right to. Because I wasn't crying for myself. I was crying for the innocents."

Fisher Amelie takes readers on an absolutely gorgeous and emotional ride. She was able combine the journey of a lost girl finding herself and two beautiful people falling in love flawlessly with the real horrors that go on in this world today and the people who rise up to meet and overcome it.

I absolutely adored the way the relationship progressed between Soph and Ian/Dingane. I couldn't get enough of them. I adored Ian from the very start. I loved that he wasn't afraid to call Sophie out but he still turned out to be so sweet with her. I love how he taught her and always protected her. Although this book was straight YA and there was nothing past some making out, the sexual tension between them was unreal. Just the little moments they shared left me with chills! That shower and the first kiss! Pfffffffffft!



"You have no idea what you do to me. I've felt things for you these past few months that don't seem healthy. I've wanted you so desperately I'm afraid it may not be natural."

One thing that makes me immediately respect an author is when they spotlight real tragedies in this world that go unnoticed way too often. Fisher Amelie pulled this off without a hitch. She didn't gloss over the problem in Uganda, but instead wrote about it truthfully and realistically. Even though it was devastating and heartbreaking, she still found a way to write it so that it gives the reader a reason to feel hope.

"Life, Sophie. They still live. They breathe, they love each other, they find joy in the world around them for no other reason than because they are children. They are resilient. They will always rise above. Always. It is a curious facet of the innocent young.”

I really enjoyed this book. Even though I had been hearing such good things about it, it was completely unexpected in the best way and a total change from what I had been reading. I would recommend this to anyone. The only reason that fifth star isn't hanging up there, is because I felt that after all the emotion and tension and detail that I became accustomed to throughout the book, the ending felt a little rushed to me. Although it was a gorgeous ending, I just wished there was a bit more put into it. Still, this was an amazing and thought-provoking read that will stay with me for a long time.

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[*.Amaia.* BlackMagicRose · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Learn-To-Love-Yourself STARS!!


Meet Sophie Price:

"I was "the green fairy". I flitted into your life, showed you ecstasy, and left you dependent. I did this for fun, for the hell of it, for attention. I wanted to be wanted, and my word, did they want me."

"Like I said, I was practically flawless."

My first thought:




But you know... things are not always what they seem. And Sophie... she is broken. Is she really vain? I don't think so... she actually hates herself, her lack of self-steem is pretty clear from the very beginning. For her, though, living in LA with her parents, who she doesn't really talk to, parties, boys, drugs and feeling superior to others is the only way to survive.


But the consequences of her unruly way of life are about to change her future completely...

I don't want to spoil the rest of the story for anyone, so here are some pictures and quotes that show how amazing and sweet this book is and hopefully those will encourage you to read it ;)

Beautiful African scenery...



Epiphanies...


Love...



Yep there is a boy ;)


**Thanks for the tip Sonia ;)

...and selflessness

"They choose to be happy even though the obviously easier choice would be to be frightened or sad and they have real reason to be those things as well. But they have life and faith and hope and love and they choose those things. Their innocence is addicting, their hope is catching and I'm happy to be surrounded by them."

"I wasn't crying for myself. I was crying for the innocents."

I enjoyed reading this book a lot, I didn't really know what to expect after reading the synopsis, but I'm glad I read this sweet story. There were a couple of things that bothered me and that's why this one is not a 5 star for me. I found Sophie's change too sudden and I would have liked the interactions between the main characters to be a little bit more intimate... But overall it was a surprisingly enjoyable read and I found myself smiling, crying and having butterflies in my stomach more than once :)



******Ian's POV**** Thanks Gema! ;)

[Jiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've wanted to read this book for years. The whole concept of the series is so interesting and creative and I'm glad I finally picked this up! It definitely did not disappoint. I loved Sophie's development; however, I would've liked to see just how vain and selfish she was at the beginning and before everything happened because we technically got like two scenes portraying that and the rest was more about the author telling us, not showing us. I loved Ian as well. The whole concept of the book was very interesting and I will definitely continue on with the rest!!

#BookTubeAthon: Book #3 done! ✔️

[KatLynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Vanity’s a debilitating affliction. You’re so absorbed in yourself it’s impossible to love anyone other than oneself, leaving you weak without the realization of it...”

As I began reading Vain I had little knowledge of the plot other than the synopsis. I knew it was New Adult and the heroine is spoiled, promiscuous, and snobbish as well as one who parties hard.

… “Freedom is just that. Absolutely no reservations. I abandoned myself to every whim I felt. Every want I fulfilled and every desire was quenched. I wanted for nothing....Except attention.”

I suppose the choices you make really are what defines you. Within the first few pages I found Sophie Price to be all she describes herself to be and more. She’s the top chic with her peeps and everyone follows her lead. She’s incredibly beautiful, deeply shallow and you’ll not find a loyal bone in her self-centered existence. All the girls want to be her friend and she can “play a boy like a concert violinist.” Indeed, she was a master of her craft. She and her friends all live among the elite rich, using Daddy’s money without a second thought. Their superficial life is very well depicted.

Sophie may portray a healthy dose of self-esteem, but deep within I glimpsed the seeds of loneliness. She needed to be wanted. The wall of protection she’s built is thick and serves her well. Who is the real Sophie?

... That girl was the real me. Frightened. Worthless. A terrible friend. Terrible daughter. Well educated but so limited in ideas worth having. Beautiful yet repulsive...and finally honest.”

Her parents may have given her everything that money can buy, but they failed miserably in providing her a loving, nourishing relationship. Ignoring her completely, her father’s only request is that she “keep appearances” and in doing so, he rewards her well. And now, she’s realizing her materialistic existence has trapped her in a life she doesn’t quite know how to free herself from.

... “How can I remove myself from the toxicity when I was the main component in the vile concoction that was our lives?”...

After one too many parties and a brush with the law, Sophie is found guilty of a crime and sentenced to six months work at a children’s orphanage in Uganda. There, among the harshness and realities of life, where money is non-existent and survival is the key aspect of the day, Sophie’s life takes a drastic turn and she will NEVER be the same!

Fisher Amelie is a new to me author and I became enthralled within the first few pages. Definitely a show and not tell book making the journey with Sophie into the harsh realities of life in Africa captivating! From the first page to the last, I did not want to put it down and I experienced every emotion along with Sophie and the lovely, handsome hero, Dingane, pronounced “Din-John-E,” aka Ian Aberdeen.

Ian is sexy as sin and utterly divine in most every way! That accent of his gives his voice a very sexy, velvet sound. He’s pegged Sophie well and tells her she’s the “epitome of spoiled.” And while there is that beginning animosity from him, what I didn’t find is contrived teenagerish drama. There’s a maturity within and he appears much older than his twenty years.

As each day unfolds bringing its new set of duties or problems, the romance is not neglected in the storyline. Their feelings are intense, provocative, and while there’s not one love scene to be found, there’s kissing and desire. The chemistry between these two sizzle cracks and pops!

...“And just like that, Ian Aberdeen rushed me. He grabbed my face and neck with his rough hands and brought me to him, practically lifting me to his lips. He devoured my mouth with his and I moaned into his mouth, spurring him on. His tongue found mine and it was warm and tasted of cinnamon...”

The horrors of the plight of the children whose lives have been irrevocably changed or destroyed by the atrocities committed by the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) are very well imparted. The living conditions and dangers surrounding Masego, the children’s orphanage, gives insightful information and is heart wrenching. I liked how the author gave just enough details without taking me into complete darkness. The adage, “no words,” certainly describes my feelings for quite a few of the scenes. It appears Sophie does have a heart and is deeply affected.

... “I turned my head toward the window and let the tears fall freely, the most I’d ever allowed, and the absolutely only time I’d ever cried and had a genuine right to. ...Because I wasn’t crying for myself. I was crying for the innocents.”

In addition to a hero/heroine that I love, the author gives well fleshed characters, a captivating and enlightening story, a cast of secondary characters whom I adored, as well as a mix of lovely children who stole my heart forever! I even came to love the old baobab tree that offered a perfect place for the children to play. I became aware of the things I take for granted in my life as well as those that are easily accessible such as electricity, medicine, and even immunizations.

As with most romances, there are times you must be able to suspend disbelief. I think it would be easy to say a smidgeon of that is needed in the time frame given and with some of the action packed scenes. Many things transpire within Sophie’s six months in Africa. An Epilogue is given that I enjoyed and wrapped everything up neatly and sweetly.

There is so much more I could say about this book, but I don’t want to give anything away. In summation, I found this different, refreshing and I loved it. Ms. Amelie gives a warm, tender love story within a setting that I’ve not read often and pulled on just about every one of my emotions. Sophie’s epiphany is a turning point in her life and while she may have come to this country to fulfill a mandatory sentence, the events that transpired transformed her. While New Adult or Young Adult is a genre I’ve not read very often, this one worked and worked beautifully!

[AJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What an amazing story, and something so very different from your standard YA romance. I absolutely ADORED it!

When we first meet Sophie she is a rich, bitchy, spoiled brat with no obvious redeeming qualities - “I’m a friend using, drug abusing, sex addict from Los Angeles. I’m every girlfriend’s worst nightmare and every boy’s fantasy." But we very quickly see that this is all a front. The real Sophie, although highly intelligent, is broken and lost, ignored by her parents and very much alone. She knows that she is deeply unhappy and living a superficial life, but is addicted to the life her father’s money has bought her, and can’t see a way out.

“I stood in front of the mirror and took a good hard look. I was as bare as I could make myself, no make up with wet, stringy hair. I hated to look at myself in this state. I didn’t feel real. I felt too exposed and that made me exceedingly nervous, but I made myself look that morning. I memorized that girl. That girl was the real me. Frightened. Worthless. A terrible friend. Terrible daughter. Well educated but so limited in ideas worth having. Beautiful yet repulsive…
And finally honest.”

When her hedonistic lifestyle catches up with her, Sophie is sentenced to work for 6 months in an orphanage in Uganda. Wow, that’s random! Yeah, I thought so too, but I love the turn that the story takes as Sophie steps out of her life of privilege and is immediately plunged into the terrifying and brutal reality of life for the people that she will be working with – particularly the children, all of whom are living in poverty and have been through horrific trauma. Instantly inspired by their resilience and innocent joy in spite of all that they have endured, Sophie is given a (totally deserved) massive metaphorical face slap, and begins an adventure that will change her forever.

With the story told entirely from Sophie’s POV, we follow her all the way through her journey and I don’t think I can remember reading a story where a character undergoes such a massive transformation. It was beautiful to watch.

Helping her along the way is my newest book boyfriend – Ian ‘Dignane’ Aberdeen. Holy God, this guy is gorgeous! Escaping his own past, Ian works at the orphanage and is side by side with Sophie from the very beginning. Intelligent, brave and with a huge heart, he sees right through Sophie when she arrives. And with his growing feelings for her, he gets to witness her transformation close up.

“ You are so gosh damn beautiful in here," he said, tapping my chest, "that what's here," he spoke, running the side of his hand down my face, "is magnified tenfold and that is a sight to behold.”

The chemistry between these two is intense from the start, and I love that Sophie embraces the change that she is going through and makes the decision not to pursue Ian as she would have in her old life.

“I was going to let him set the pace, let him discover me on his own … Letting him worry about the next move was incredibly liberating and I knew with absolute certainty that the ride was going to be the best of my entire life.”

The UST builds and builds until the romance explodes, and it’s awesome! There is no game playing, the two of them are very open honest with each other, and there is so much swoon, I practically melted onto the floor while reading.

“I'm so deep in love with you, I can't see straight … There's no getting out for me. You own me”

The cast of characters is sensational – particular shout outs to Spencer (exactly the kind of friend every girl needs), Pembrook (always caring and supportive, and totally proud of his girl), Charles and Karina, and of course the kids from the orphanage that stole my heart – their story is tragically heartbreaking, but ultimately uplifting, and seriously makes me want to do something to help these kids. It’s horrifying to think that this is actually going on in the real world.

I love Fisher Amelie's writing, and she doesn't disappoint. This was a beautifully written story and I was riveted from start to finish. And the ending! OMG!!! It’s all highly emotional, and I read it all with glassy eyes and my mood swinging all over the place, until at one point I was so wound up in the story, all it took was reading one word, and I instantly burst into tears. Serious sobbing. I had to stop reading to calm myself down before I could go on. But finally, there is a HEA, and it’s definitely worth going through all of the heartache to get it.

“No one can know sincere happiness, Sophie, without first having known sorrow. One can never appreciate the enormity and rareness of such a fiery bliss without seeing misery, however unfair that may be.”

I absolutely loved this book. 5 sensational stars. A must read.