Monday, October 31, 2011

Cover Crazy (30): Anna Dressed in Blood & Girl of Nightmares

Cover Crazy is a weekly meme that was created by Tawni over at The Book Worms to show which cover(s) you are absolutely going crazy over!

Today, I'm going to do something spooky (since it is Halloween) and go with Anna Dressed in Blood and Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake!


Here's why:
  • In Anna Dressed in Blood, I love the little dashes of red on the cover, while on Girl of Nightmares, it's completely covered in red.  I like the contrast between the two.
  • HER WAVY HAIR!  In both of the covers her hair looks all flowy and nice.  I wish I had her hair.
  • In the Girl of Nightmares cover, you can see little lava people reaching out, which is totally creepy.
  • Although it's not exactly drenched in blood as I would have imagined it to be, I love her dress in both of the covers! 
  • They are both completely creepy!  In the first one, there's the fog with the creepy house.  And then in the second one, it looks like she's going somewhere down under, since it's all red and scary looking.  Great covers though!
I haven't read these books... But I totally want to!

What covers are you guys going crazy over today?

Cleo :)

*Covers from goodreads.com

Things That Give Me the Creeps

Since today is Halloween, I decided, Why not write a post on books/movies that give me the creeps and the ones that I absolutely cannot read/watch before I go to bed?  I actually haven't been scared that much, as I actually haven't run into a lot of scary books, and I tend to stay away from the scary movies. 

So, here I go with the list of some books and some movies that scare me:

Bad Girls Don't DieBad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender

When Alexis's little sister Kasey becomes obsessed with an antique doll, Alexis thinks nothing of it. Kasey is a weird kid. Period. Alexis is considered weird, too, by the kids in her high school, by her parents, even by her own Goth friends. Things get weirder, though, when the old house they live in starts changing. Doors open and close by themselves; water boils on the unlit stove; and an unplugged air conditioner turns the house cold enough to see their breath in. Kasey is changing, too. Her blue eyes go green and she speaks in old-fashioned language, then forgets chunks of time.
 
Most disturbing of all is the dangerous new chip on Kasey's shoulder. The formerly gentle, doll-loving child is gone, and the new Kasey is angry. Alexis is the only one who can stop her sister -- but what if that green-eyed girl isn't even Kasey anymore?
OMG!  This totally scared me... The instant dolls were mentioned and the fact that her sister was obsessed with the doll creeped me out!  I totally could not read this before I went to bed...

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, #1)The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin 
Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.
She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.
There is.
She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.
She's wrong.
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer has a little bit of a creepiness factor to it.  Well, it starts off with a Ouiji (if that's how you spell it) Board, so you can judge it for yourself... Did I mention  that there are some gruesome deaths included?

Gone (Gone, #1)Gone by Michael Grant
In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE.
Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.
Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.
It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...
It's not exactly scary creepy, but it's still creepy.  I think that the thing that creeps me out the most are the weird mutant animals, and Drake, the guy with the tentacle arm *shudders*  He gives me the creeps.  The whole idea of kids being the only ones in the world is scary, too, when you think about it. 

Untamed (House of Night, #4)Chosen by P.C. Cast & Kirsten Cast

Life sucks when your friends are pissed at you. Just ask Zoey Redbird – she’s become an expert on suckiness. In one week she has gone from having three boyfriends to having none, and from having a close group of friends who trusted and supported her, to being an outcast. Speaking of friends, the only two Zoey has left are undead and unMarked. And Neferet has declared war on humans, which Zoey knows in her heart is wrong. But will anyone listen to her?  Zoey's adventures at vampyre finishing school take a wild and dangerous turn as loyalties are tested, shocking true intentions come to light, and an ancient evil is awakened in PC and Kristin Cast's spellbinding fourth House of Night novel.
It was one of the House of Night books that really scared me!  Might not have been this one, but I'm pretty sure that it might be.  It was probably like a couple pages, but I read them right before I went to sleep and... yeah.  It kept me up for a while.  I think it was a description of something that was a little too vivid and let my imagination run wild for a while. 

Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz; Illustrations by Stephen Gammell 

Are you brave enough for Scary Stories?
Some boys and girls were at a party one night. There was a graveyard down the street, and they were talking about how scary it was.
"Don't ever stand on a grave after dark," one of the boys said. "The person inside will grab you."
"A grave doesn't scare me," said one of the girls. "I'll do it right now. . . ."
Welcome to the macabre world of Scary Stories. Inside, you'll find alarming tales of horror, dark revenge, and the supernatural, with spine-tingling illustrations by renowned artist Brett Helquist.
I remember reading this as a kid and being scared.  I think it was the illustrations that creeped me out.  I mean, look at that clown.  Look at it.  But hey, at least I got some scary stories out of it to tell to other people (who hopefully haven't read the book, even though I doubt it).


Spirited Away 
In the middle of her family's move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches, and monsters; where humans are changed into animals; and a bathhouse for these creatures.
First. movie. ever. to. scare. me.  I just couldn't take the fact that the parents turned into pigs (it might have to do something with me being born in the year of the pig, I'm not so sure); the "No-Face" spirit (who eats people, and becomes fat, and is just scary. Period.); the scary giant baby and its scary witch mother; and it just scared me that something so horrible would happen to a little girl.   


The Uninvited

Anna Rydell returns home to her sister (and best friend) Alex after a stint in a mental hospital, though her recovery is jeopardized thanks to her cruel stepmother, aloof father, and the presence of a ghost in their home.
This one was a little scary.  Maybe a lot.  If you think about it after a while, it isn't that scary, but at first, I will admit, I was a bit creeped out.  Some of the things were just really gross.  Like there was this one scene where the guy's spine just went all wacko, and my friend compared it to the shapeshifter in the TV show Supernatural.  Yeah.  I was a little creeped out by that.

Supernatural

Supernatural tv show photo

This is my FAVORITE TV show of all time.  It might be because of Dean Winchenster (Jensen Ackles), because, you know... He's pretty attractive, and not to mention, hilarious.  But it's also really creepy.  Especially in it's earlier days.  It made me scared of my bathroom for a couple weeks.  That's how bad it was in the beginning for me... But I'm not afraid anymore :D

So, what absolutely creeps you out?  Any specific scary movies, books, or TV shows? 

Just writing this post kind of creeped me out.  The movie poster for The Uninvited is so creepy!!!  So is the cover for the Scary Stories book. 

Hope you guys have an awesome Halloween!

Cleo :)

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Starstruck: Maggie Stiefvater Signing!


Yay!!  I was so happy to be able to have gone to see Maggie Stiefvater las Friday!  She was on tour for her latest book, The Scorpio Races, and happened to be in town close by to where a live, at a bookstore called Once Upon a Time.

Here she is signing my gigantic stack of books
It was definitely awesome getting to meet her, even though I was completely shy and barely spoke (my mom pointed that out when we were driving home).  I'm not the most outgoing person when it comes to meeting new people.  I tend to get really shy and smile and laugh a lot (just look at the last picture).  But I'm nice! :D

Me laughing, and looking really strange while Ms. Stiefvater
signs my books.  See, that is me awkwardly laughing...
So, I basically dragged my mother with me to see her.  She found Maggie Stiefvater funny, but read cookbooks the whole entire time because we happened to be standing in a corner with cookbooks.  Note to self: Never stand in acorner with cookbooks ever again when going to a signing with my mom ;)

She was actually here in the LA area last year, but I couldn't go because I somehow magically ended up at Baylee's house, even though we planned on going to her event.  I was pretty bummed, but I'm glad that I got to see her this year because instead of just getting Shiver and Linger signed, I also got Forever and The Scorpio Races signed!  Yeah! 

This event definitely made my day.  I was ecstatic that I finally got to meet her!  My mom probably thought that I was the biggest dork alive that day... :D

Cleo :)

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (33): Legend


Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, which is brought to you by Jill at Breaking the Spine! This meme is where you can post about what book(s) you're really look forward to.

This week, I absolutely can't wait for... 


Legend by Marie Lu

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.
This book sounds AWESOME!  I'm really excited for this.  I think it might have something to do with the fact that the author lives really close by to where I live.  But the description makes it sound like a really good book anyways :)  Look out for it in bookstores when it hits shelves on November 29th!

What are you waiting for this week?

Cleo :)

Monday, October 24, 2011

Cover Crazy (28): Until I Die

Cover Crazy is a weekly meme that was created by Tawni over at The Book Worms to show which cover(s) you are absolutely going crazy over!

This week, I'm going crazy over the newly released cover for Until I Die by Amy Plum!
 Until I Die (Revenants #2)
Here's why:
  • I actually think that this is for the UK edition of Until I Die... Anyways, one thing that really stands out for me are the swirly designs that are surrounding who I presume is Kate.  I <3 swirly designs!
  • I love the little scene that they placed her in.  It seems so mysterious, especially with the dark colors the cover artist chose.
  • The model's dress is really pretty!  Even though you can only see the back, you can tell that they put a lot of thought into it because the back of the dress is really cool since it reveals her back and is sort of doing a Marilyn Monroe thing in the wind.
  • That font is really cool!  It seems kind of country to me, but it adds character to the cover.
What cover are going crazy over today?  Do you like the cover for Until I Die, or not?

Cleo :)

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Review: Falling Under

Title: Falling Under
Author: Gwen Hayes
Date Released: March 1st, 2011 
Pages: 324
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Description:
Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she's seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams.

As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear.

And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia's not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul.

Review:
Theia Alderson has always lived a very sheltered life in her small town of Serendipity because her father believes that it would protect her from being hurt, and repeating what happened to her mother.  When she meets Haden, the mysterious boy of her dreams- literally- all of this changes and she's dragged into the chaos of Haden's (under)world.

Hayes weaves in the cliched, but nevertheless very romantic, relationship between Theia and Haden that develops over the course of the novel.  It's almost like an instant attraction between the two that Theia tries to deny, but ultimately can't.  However, as the two fall madly in love, things are revealed about Haden that will alter Theia's life.

However, the beginning of the novel was quite slow.  No, actually, it was very slow.  I contemplated over whether or not I should finish the book because it just sort of seemed like a lot of other books out there, and, well, it just seemed to lag on.  BUT!  Things really started picking up in the middle, and got really interesting.  There were a lot of twists that were unexpected, really making it captivating.  

Theia was a pretty likable character.  She wasn't that popular girl, despite her British accent.  Instead, people left her alone and her only friends were her best friends Donny and Ame.  When she started falling head over heels for Haden though, that's when she really started to change into a different person.  Haden, on the other hand, was sort of the opposite.  He was a confusing character because one moment who's absolutely charming and nice, and the next moment he's rude and mean, which might be his demon side, because he is half demon and half human, but still.  It was like he was... bipolar... or something.  I loved all of Theia's friends though, who were so supportive throughout.

Overall, I've got to say that Falling Under wasn't that bad.  There were some moments where I wanted to give up, but I kept pushing myself and that proved to be worth it because as I got closer to the end, it got a whole lot better.  I might read the next book, Dreaming Awake, because there are still a lot of things that I'm curious about :)  Especially what's going to happen to Theia and Haden.

Cover Review:
The cover really drew me into the book.  With the black roses in the background and the model, who I presume is Theia, really looking like she's "falling under"; it's perfect.  It basically conveys what the whole book is about, too.

Cleo :)

*Description and cover picture from goodreads.com
**Review copy purchased.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (32): A Million Suns


Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, which is brought to you by Jill at Breaking the Spine! This meme is where you can post about what book(s) you're really look forward to.

This week, I absolutely can't wait for... 

A Million Suns (Across the Universe, #2)

A Million Suns by Beth Revis

Godspeed was fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos.
It's been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. And everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed. But there may just be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to enact his vision - no more Phydus, no more lies.
But when Elder discovers shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a puzzle that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier, unable to fight the romance that's growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart.
In book two of the Across the Universe trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Beth Revis mesmerizes us again with a brilliantly crafted mystery filled with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship.
Whoa!  I was completely surprised that I hadn't done A Million Suns yet for a WoW!  Across the Universe was freaking amazing (so, you should read it) and I'm sure that A Million Suns will be just as great!  I'm so excited for when it comes out on January 10th, 2012!!! 

What are you waiting for today?

Cleo :)

Monday, October 17, 2011

YALSA's 2011 Top Ten!

  They are:
  1. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
  2. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
  3. Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
  4. I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
  5. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
  6. Matched by Ally Condie
  7. Angel: A Maximum Ride Novel by James Patterson
  8. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
  9. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
  10. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
I've read all of these, except for Angel, and they were all AMAZING!  If you haven't read any of these yet, then you definitely should!

Cleo :)

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (31): Jessica Rules the Dark Side


Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, which is brought to you by Jill at Breaking the Spine! This meme is where you can post about what book(s) you're really look forward to.

This week, I absolutely can't wait for... 

Jessica Rules the Dark Side (Jessica, #2)

Jessica Rules the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

 
The highly anticipated sequel to Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side.
 
It’s one thing to find out you’re a vampire princess. It’s a whole other thing to actually rule. Newly married Jessica Packwood is having a hard enough time feeling regal with her husband, Lucius, at her side. But when evidence in the murder of a powerful elder points to Lucius, sending him into solitary confinement, Jessica is suddenly on her own. Determined to clear her husband’s name, Jessica launches into a full-scale investigation, but hallucinations and nightmares of betrayal keep getting in her way. Jessica knows that with no blood to drink, Lucius’s time is running out. Can she figure out who the real killer is—and whom she can trust—before it’s too late?
I read Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side earlier this year, and it was really good!  I definitely can't wait until until this comes out on January 10th 2012!

What are you waiting for today?

Cleo :)

Monday, October 10, 2011

Cover Crazy (27): Incarnate

Cover Crazy is a weekly meme that was created by Tawni over at The Book Worms to show which cover(s) you are absolutely going crazy over!

This week, I love the cover for Incarnate by Jodi Meadows!

Incarnate (Newsoul #1)

Here's why I like it:
  • I think that the reason why I like it is pretty much self-explanatory, but what really stands out is the color. 
  • I also love the butterfly mask-ish thing on her face.  It really adds a lot to the cover and really stands out as well.
  • I love the simple, yet really cool font that they have for the title.
  • HER EYES!  They like... Totally penetrate you and her stare is so intense.  Love it!
  • I also love her hair and how it's sort of gently being blown by the wind as opposed to flying around really crazy. 
This is definitely a really beautiful cover overall!  It also sounds like a really good book so I definitely can't wait until it comes out!

What cover are you going crazy over today?

Cleo :)

*Cover from goodreads.com

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Date Released: September 27th, 2011
Pages: 452
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Description:

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there. It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed. There is.


She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love. She's wrong.


Review:

Extremely captivating!  All the suspense and curiosity really kept me glued to the book.  With interesting characters and an intricate plot, it was bound to be really fascinating!

Basically, Mara Dyer wakes up in a hospital room, with no memory of how she ended up there, but she is told that she was in an accident and her three friends, Rachel, Claire, and Jude are all dead.  Shortly after she is released, her family moves to Florida to escape the memories and have a fresh new start.  At her fancy private school, she meets Noah, a British *sighs* boy who is quite popular and makes all the girls swoon.  Especially Mara, although she won't admit it.  From there, her adventure begins to figure out what's wrong with her and why she keeps hallucinating.


The characters were very awesome.  They all brought a lot of variety and entertainment to the novel.  Mara was definitely different.  She was artsy, because she liked to draw, quiet, a bit withdrawn, and pretty stubborn.  Noah was... spectacular.  This may be biased because he's British (that may be the dumbest reason ever, but who agrees with me that British men are undeniably hot?), but he was also pretty funny and a bit misunderstood by everyone else. 


The plot was intense!  There were so many "OMG!" moments that were shocking and so many twists and unexpected things that Hodkin wrote into Mara Dyer that made it so captivating.  


Love plays a big part in Mara Dyer because it's the relationship between Mara and Noah that develops a very important connection towards the end of the book, which is sort of unexpected by very mind-blowing because it's like, "WHOA! I did not see that coming at all!"


Chalk full of mystery, romance, and a little bit of creepiness, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer was a very great debut.  I simply loved it.  Everything was great from the plot to the characters.  Defintely pick up a copy if your looking for a thriller!

Cover Review:
LOVE THIS COVER!  I love the photographs that the photographer took.  I actually set one as the wallpaper for my laptop.  Its darkness really sets the mood and atmosphere of the book.  It also shows that this is very much a romance novel, which I really didn't get until Mara and Noah started spending a lot of time together... Now I understand the cover!

Cleo :)

*Description and picture from goodreads.com
**Review copy purchased.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Follow Friday


This week's question:

If you could pick one character in a book, movie or television show to swap places with, who would it be?

Hmm... This is a toughie because I might want to switch places with just about every character that I've ever read or seen.  I'm a very indesicive person, so, let's go with:

Anna from Anna and the French Kiss- Have you read this freaking amazing book?  Have you read about how awesome St. Clair is?  I think you know why I'd want to switch places with Anna.  Besides, she gets to go to a BOARDING SCHOOL in PARIS! 

Amy from Amy & Roger's Epic Detour- I really want to go on a roadtrip.  Like, really badly.  And in this epic roadtrip, not only does she meet new fantastic people and find herself, she also falls in love :)

Cassia from Matched- Cassia, and all of the other heroines in dystopian novels, like Lena in Delirium and Tris in Divergent, are absolutely headstrong and definitely courageous, things that I definitely need sometimes. 
I hope you guys have a fantastic Friday and a great weekend!
Feel free to look around if you're new here and comment below if you want me to check our your blog :)

Cleo :)

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (30)


Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, which is brought to you by Jill at Breaking the Spine! This meme is where you can post about what book(s) you're really look forward to.

This week, I absolutely can't wait for... 


Reckoning by Lili St. Crow

The electric finale in New York Times bestselling author Lili St. Crow’s Strange Angels series!

Nobody expected Dru Anderson to survive this long. Not Graves. Not Christophe. Not even Dru. She’s battled killer zombies, jealous djamphirs, and bloodthirsty suckers straight out of her worst nightmares. But now that Dru has bloomed into a fullfledged svetocha—rare, beautiful, and toxic to all vampires—the worst is yet to come. Because getting out alive is going to cost more than she’s ever imagined. And in the end, is survival really worth the sacrifice?

Dru Anderson’s not afraid of the dark.
But she should be
.
WHAAA!!  I'm so excited for this and I can't believe that it's the last book!!  The cover is sooo cool, except for that creepy face in the cover.  That might give me nightmares when I go to sleep, but I love Dru and her awesome kick-butt attitude.  She's definitely one of the coolest female protagonists.  Reckoning is coming out November 1st!

Cleo :)

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Mini Reviews: A Sarah Dessen Explosion

I finally got to reading not just one Sarah Dessen book... But 3!!  I feel so accomplished :)  I kind of just went from one Sarah Dessen book to the next Sarah Dessen book that I had at my disposal, so, I didn't really have time to process like how I felt about them really in depth, so here goes some mini reviews!

Just Listen
Title: Just Listen
Date Released: April 6th, 2006
Pages: 384
Rating: 3 out of 5

Description:
Last year, Annabel was "the girl who has everything"—at least that's the part she played in the television commercial for Kopf's Department Store.This year, she's the girl who has nothing: no best friend because mean-but-exciting Sophie dropped her, no peace at home since her older sister became anorexic, and no one to sit with at lunch. Until she meets Owen Armstrong. Tall, dark, and music-obsessed, Owen is a reformed bad boy with a commitment to truth-telling. With Owen's help,maybe Annabel can face what happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends.

Review:
Just Listen is my first ever Sarah Dessen book, and it was quite good.  Sometimes, it could really drag on, especially during the flashbacks.  I wasn't a big fan of the flashbacks.  However, I love the issues that Sarah Dessen brings into the novel, such as the issue of eating disorders, and trying to create a facade that isn't real.  I thought that Just Listen would be more of a romance novel, but it dealt more with the issues.  Romance was more of a secondary part of the novel.  However, Annabel and Owen's relationship was important because they both helped each other, but Owen helped Annabel much more.  Annabel's relationship with Owen helped her speak up for herself, instead of keeping secrets and bottling things up.  Overall, it was a pretty good book and I really enjoyed it!  I'm totally glad that this was my first Sarah Dessen book :)

Title: Lock and Key
Date Released: April 22nd, 2008
Pages: 422
Rating: 4 out of 5

Description:
"Ruby, where is your mother?"

Ruby knows that the game is up. For the past few months, she's been on her own in the yellow house, managing somehow, knowing that her mother will probably never return.That's how she comes to live with Cora, the sister she hasn't seen in ten years, and Cora's husband Jamie, whose down-to-earth demeanor makes it hard for Ruby to believe he founded the most popular networking Web site around. A luxurious house, fancy private school, a new wardrobe, the promise of college and a future—it's a dream come true. So why is Ruby such a reluctant Cinderella, wary and defensive? And why is Nate, the genial boy next door with some secrets of his own, unable to accept the help that Ruby is just learning to give?

Review:
Lock and Key was really good.  This time, Sarah Dessen brings in the topics of abuse and abandonment.  I liked how you get to see Ruby develop into a different person throughout the course of the novel, from someone who didn't care about anything, to someone who actually cares about her future and everything.  It must have been kind of weird though to get thrown into a totally different world, though.  A character that I absolutely loved was Jamie.  He was like the coolest brother-in-law you could possibly have.  He was so upbeat and tried to give Ruby all that he could, and remained optimistic throughout most of the novel.  I really liked Ruby's sister, Cora, too.  She seemed sort of distant and cold at first, but she started to warm up after a short while.  Nate was like Jamie in a way.  He was all optimistic and charming, despite what he's going through at home.  One thing that I didn't like about Lock and Key was the ending.  It was really sweet and nice, but seemed really rushed and abrupt.  And where did Nate go?  He just sort of disappeared in the ending.  He was mentioned, but not, well... physically there.  Which was a little disappointing because I really liked Nate!  Other than that, I really liked Lock and Key more than Just Listen, and it was a really great book.

Title: What Happened to Goodbye
Date Released: May 10th, 2011
Pages: 402
Rating: 4 out of 5

Description:
Who is the real McLean?

Since her parents' bitter divorce, McLean and her dad, a restaurant consultant, have been on the move-four towns in two years. Estranged from her mother and her mother's new family, McLean has followed her dad in leaving the unhappy past behind. And each new place gives her a chance to try out a new persona: from cheerleader to drama diva. But now, for the first time, McLean discovers a desire to stay in one place and just be herself, whoever that is. Perhaps Dave, the guy next door, can help her find out.

Combining Sarah Dessen's trademark graceful writing, great characters, and compelling storytelling, What Happened to Goodbye is irresistible reading.


Review:
What Happened to Goodbye was a very compelling (as the description says... you should always listen to the description) and really interesting.  The topic in this one was divorce, and in this story, you saw how it really affected Mclean and strained her relationship with her mom.  It also caused her to be a different person everytime she moved with her dad, who fixes bad restaurants (almost like Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmare), which in turn also caused her to loose who she really was.  Mclean was a very fascinating character and I felt really bad for her because she got caught up in the nasty divorce.  Dessen also seems to have a knack for creating the somewhat ideal boy.  In this case, it's Dave, who is BRILLIANT! and cute :)  It's the two best qualities all rolled into one boy :D  What Happened to Goodbye was really good and kept me hooked throughout. 

Cover Reviews:
I really like the covers because they're really simple and they all have the same theme.  They also have that object that relates to the book.  For Just Listen, it's the iPod; the key on the chain for Lock and Key; and the suitcase for What Happened to Goodbye.

I think that I might be a bit addicted to Sarah Dessen now :)  Thanks to everyone who kept telling me to read a book by her!  I'll have to check out my library for other Sarah Dessen books.  Has anyone read Along for the Ride?  If you did, how was it??

Cleo :)

*Descriptions and covers from goodreads.com
**Just Listen and Lock and Key were borrowed from my sister, and What Happened to Goodbye was borrowed from my school library.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Mini Challenge: Top 5 Books of 2011

It's another mini challenge today from Cindy at Princess Bookie!

Today's challenge is fairly simple and straightforward, all I have to do is list the 5 books that I think were the best so far this year.  Which could be really hard when you think about it because I probably have like a million!

These are the ones that I can think of off of the top of my head :)

1. Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Delirium (Delirium, #1)

Simply AMAZING!  Loved every single bit of this book, even the cliffhanger, which was a major cliffhanger and would normally upset me, but it was a good cliffhanger because it makes me want the second book to come out even more!
2. Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent (Divergent, #1)

Another amazing book!! What is with all of these dystopian novels that are just absolutely awesome!  The whole idea of the world that Roth created was just fathomless and kind of makes me wish that we had factions, even though they are messed up, but still.  It's totally cool.
3. Anna and the French Kiss

Anna and the French Kiss

The cutest little romance novel ever.  Stephanie Perkins just makes your heart melt, especially when it comes to St. Clair.  I also loved the setting.  Setting a romance novel in one of the most romantic cities in the world made it the book absolutely adorable.  I also forced a lot of my friends to read this.  Only two of them have so far, but I'm working on the other ones! 

4. Across the Universe

Across the Universe (Across the Universe, #1)

Across the Universe was really cool.  It had this sci-fi dystopian thing going on, along with a lot of mystery.  I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who's in love with all three genres.
5. Amy & Roger's Epic Detour

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour

This book was absolutely adorable as well!  It was definitely a really sweet one like Anna and the French Kiss.  Just looking at the cover alone kind of screams how cute and sweet this book is.  It was definitely one of the coolest because the book also had little fun things like playlists for the car and information about the states that they visited.

What are your top 5 books of this year so far?

Cleo :)