Release Date:September 22, 2009
Book: Paper Towns
Author: John Green
Number of Pages: 305

The Basics:Who is the real Margo? Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs into his life—dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows. After their all-nighter ends, and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues—and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees the girl he thought he knew... 

My Musings:

I love John Green. I love the way he writes, I love the way he creates characters, I love everything about his books. This is the third book by him I've read. The first was TFIOS, and that books was amazing. I even wrote a letters to Augustus and Hazel   and made a playlist for Looking for Alaska. So I was expecting to love this book and be totally in love with every aspect of the novel. Maybe my standards were way too high, maybe it's the fact that I had to read this in tiny increments, but I was a little disappointed. Don't get me wrong the books is AMAZING but I don't feel as strongly about it as I did TFIOS and Looking for Alaska.

The book hooks you in right away. The writing style is amazing. I love how John Green describes things, the thoughts Q has, and how profound he can be as well as funny. There's something nice about reading a book that can make you actually LOL/ I love the sarcasm, the humor, and not surprisingly quotable lines.

The plot was super well developed I think. It starts off pretty fast pace, things happening in every chapter. For the first quarter I guess Margo and Q are pulling pranks and stuff. But then Margo disappears and the whole books slows down. Which I get. I totally get why it slows down. It adds to the fact that Margo was this ball of fire propelling her life and those around her. Similarly her character propelled the book, albeit a lot slower when she disappeared. But I wish it was just a tiny bit faster. There were so many moments when Q was trying to figure out where Margo was, that broke my heart. Like Prom Night. Or when him and his friends go on a car ride near the end of the book. I love how this was both very character driven and very plot driven. We see Q have a new appreciation for people and life, and we see the journey that leads him to his goal: Margo and understanding her. Which he kind of does at the end of the book.  I loved all the intricate little details in the book, like the black Santas and the bloody Ben story. I loved how every little thing in the book, all the hints, and non-hints all tied together at the end.

If there's one thing I think I love most about John Green novels, is that his characters are so heartbreakingly relatable, realistic, and just damn amazing. Q is this nerdy guy who sticks to routine and is pretty much just there in high school. Margo is the beautiful, charismatic, queen bee. Q is also this guy desperately in love with a girl he thinks he doesn't deserve or have a chance with and wants more out of his life. Margo is a broken person, looking for a way to feel happy again. Ben is this sex crazed pretend macho guy that you simultaneously want to laugh with and slap. But then again, most guys are like that. Radar is pretty nerdy and I love him for it. I like Lacy and her girlyness but I will admit she gets a little annoying. All the storylines intertwine really well together and mesh to create a kind of haunting story about a girl wanting to be found when in reality she just needs to find herself. In reality, while I loved all the characters, I only really connected or could relate to, Margo and Q. Which I didn't really mind because it was centered around them, but I was disappointed that I couldn't like the other characters more.

This is the kind of romance that you ship from the get go. Q and Margo. They just work. You desperately hope for Margo to be alive at the end of the book for them to have their moment. This is the romance that makes you giggle with glee as they laugh and do stupid things. I think it's really cute. I love how Q realizes that Margo isn't the girl he pictured but learns to love her anyway. He learns to love her darker gory bits, not just this glorified image that every one seemed to have of her.

Overall it was a great read. I was a little disappointed with how it lost momentum and how I couldn't really relate to the minor characters. But like I said the plot is golden, the character and character development is on point, and the ending was perfect for this book. Not gonna lie I teared up a bit.





Coffee For This Book: A Vienna. It has the perfect amount of espresso to keep you up reading this book, and whip cream on top to help you eat you feeling when this book gets emotionally hard to read. Which it does. 

My Rating

Top Ten Books I Would Revisit From My Childhood/Middle School Years

Most of these books on my list I read in elementary school or middle school. The reading bug didn't bit me until a later in life. I actually used to not be a fan. But I just hadn't read the right book or found the right genre. Anyways there are a lot of books I love and would love to reread, so here's my list.

1. The Inkheart Series. These were some of the first books I fell in love with. I remember I read them in elementary school. These were some of the first books that made me want to stay up all night to read. As a 10 year old I had a "bedtime" so I used go to the bathroom and read in there so I wouldn't get in trouble. 

2. Hold Still. I don't really have words for this book. Sometimes life kind of just sucks and you find something, a song, a book, a person, you can relate to. This was kind of one of those books for me. 

3. Before We Were Free. My sister gave this to me as a present and the story just was so amazing, raw, that it both broke my heart and made me fall in love with it.

4. Ever. This book was the book that made me actually enjoy reading. Before this book I didn't know it was possible to care so much about characters. 

5. Twilight Child. This is definitely a sorely underrated book which sucks because it's so good. The cover is really striking and the story is even more so. It's about a girl with the ability to see faeries and her life. It's actually really good, there's action, love, drama, friendship and all that jazz. 

6. East. I'm not really sure what it was about this book, but I picked it up and fell in love with it. It's this weird love story that at times but it's a good one. The main character, is strong and bad-ass and trust me there are a lot of cute swoon worthy moments.

7. The Graveyard Book. SO GOOD. This book is amazing. I pretty much gobbled it all up. I have my older brother to thank for this. He actually made me a list of book he wanted to read and he even said he'd pay me (not that he did or that I remember). But this book was just amazing!

8. Esperanza Rising. I don't really remember how I got my hands on this book but I'm so glad I did. This isn't some fluffy YA book. It's an important story that for a lot of people was their actual life and it touched mine.

9. If I Stay. This book had a profound effect on me. I read it when I was about 12 and it changed a lot of things for me. For one my expectations for a boyfriend increased because Adam.

10.  13 Reasons Why. Reading allows people to see things from a different perspectives. I didn't really understand suicide or what it meant to be so sad then I read this and wow. I think I was 11 or 12. This is one of my favorite books but it's also one of the most heartbreaking books i've read. As much as it made me cry, it's a book I hold dear and would like to revisit

11. The Sumoning Series. I LOVED these books. I devoured them as a middle schooler. I even met Kelly Armstrong and totally fangirled. If you love fantasy you'll love this series. 

 Hosted by the Broke and Bookish 

Waiting on Wednesday #5

Release Date: June 16, 2015
Book: Every Last Word
Author: Tamara Ireland Stone
Number of pages: 368

The Basics: If you could read my mind, you wouldn't be smiling. Samantha McAllister looks just like the rest of the popular girls in her junior class. But hidden beneath the straightened hair and expertly applied makeup is a secret that her friends would never understand: Sam has Purely-Obsessional OCD and is consumed by a stream of dark thoughts and worries that she can't turn off. Second-guessing every move, thought, and word makes daily life a struggle, and it doesn't help that her lifelong friends will turn toxic at the first sign of a wrong outfit, wrong lunch, or wrong crush. Yet Sam knows she'd be truly crazy to leave the protection of the most popular girls in school. So when Sam meets Caroline, she has to keep her new friend with a refreshing sense of humor and no style a secret, right up there with Sam's weekly visits to her psychiatrist. Caroline introduces Sam to Poet's Corner, a hidden room and a tight-knit group of misfits who have been ignored by the school at large. Sam is drawn to them immediately, especially a guitar-playing guy with a talent for verse, and starts to discover a whole new side of herself. Slowly, she begins to feel more "normal" than she ever has as part of the popular crowd . . . until she finds a new reason to question her sanity and all she holds dear.

Add it on goodreads

Why do I want to read it?

First of all the cover is beautiful and understated, but what got me to look at the summary was the title. It's short and sweet. The story seems so dark, yet cute. The summary is so good, i'm sure the book will live up to it. I'm a suker for cute love stories but I have a feeling this is going to be more than that. It's going to deal with real issues in life, the type of issues no one ever really wants to talk about. 

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine

What Are You Waiting On?

If You Liked Perks of Being a Wallflower You'll like These Ten Books

I love The Perks of Being a Wallflower, it's one of my favorite books of all time. For today's TTT, in case the title didn't give it away, I'm going to be listing ten books that I think are perfect for coming of of post PBW depression. If you liked the Perks of Being a Wallflower, you'll like ten Contemporary YA books. 

10. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowel. This is so much more than just a love story. It's a tragic tale of two outsiders trying to belong somewhere, and that somewhere just happened to be together. It's an amazing book and will tug at your heart strings.

9. If I Stay by Gayle Foreman. I LOVE this book so much. When I first read it I was literally a pool of tears. My emotions where everywhere. The sequal is good too, and definitely dragged me back down into the sadness the first book brought. This one does isn't nearly as dark as The Perks 

8. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. At first I wasn't a big fan of the book. But the more I got into it, the more I saw the main character, Samantha, develop the more the story sunk it's sad paws on me. By the end of it I can safely say I was crying and frustrated (in a good way)

7.Crash and Burn by Micheal Haasan. This book is freakin amazing. It's real and raw and sad and gritty. It's not a book you'd read to find a happy ending, But it's oh so good. 

6. The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp. Equal parts tragic and funny. I love Sutter. He's just one of those characters you can't help but want to help, be their friend, and be there for them. The story is amazing. I definitely recommend it, but I will warn you, the ending is so not what you'd want. Here's my Review

5. After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick. This is book two in a series but I feel like you could read both books seperatly and admire and love both of them. The first is called Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie. This book is amazing. It's funny and it focuses on healing and moving forward. Yet this book still managed to break my heart.

4. It's Kind Of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini. This book killed me. I'm a ghost now. It's such an amazing and sad and sometimes funny and crazy and my fangirl emotions are overwhelming me right now. It's a book that everyone should read.

3. The Outsiders by S.E Hinton. I had to read this in 9th grade. This book really stuck with me the same way The Perks did. It's a story that everyone should read. It's really good and worth tearing up and crying over.

3.5 Rules by Cynthia Lord. I love this book so much. There aren't many books like this one.  I remember when I read it, I fell in love with it because I could relate so much to the main character, 

2. Love Letters to The Dead by Ava Dellaira. Its hauntingly beautiful. The book itself is simple and the writing isn't anything special, but I think it makes the story line and the actual words stand out so much more. It's simply sad I guess. Here's my book review. 

1. Looking for Alaska by John Green. I love John Green. I love TFIOS. I love Looking For Alaska too. It's gritty and raw like The Perks, but has hope sprinkle here and there. It's sad and tragic and funny even. This book is on point. Here's my playlist for the book. 

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and Bookish

Waiting on Wednesday #4

Release Date: April 7, 2014
Book: Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda
Author: Becky Albertall

The Basics:Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised. With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.

Add it on Goodreads 

Why do I want to read it?

I think this is an interesting story. I think this might be a really cute love story and I'm always a sucker for love stories. It sucks that our society still doesn't really accept the LGBT community and I think stories like this help make it known what's like to be in another person's shoes.

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine


What Are You Waiting On?

Book Talk: Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Release Date: September 29,2009
Book: Liar
Author: Justine Larbalestier
Number of Pages: 376
Source: Library :)

The Basics: Micah will freely admit that she’s a compulsive liar, but that may be the one honest thing she’ll ever tell you. Over the years she’s duped her classmates, her teachers, and even her parents, and she’s always managed to stay one step ahead of her lies. That is, until her boyfriend dies under brutal circumstances and her dishonesty begins to catch up with her. But is it possible to tell the truth when lying comes as naturally as breathing? Taking readers deep into the psyche of a young woman who will say just about anything to convince them—and herself—that she’s finally come clean, Liar is a bone-chilling thriller that will have readers see-sawing between truths and lies right up to the end. Honestly.

Add it on Goodreads

My Musings:

I actually was recommended this book and one day when I was strolling down the aisles at the library I picked it up. My friend was fangirling over the book after she finished it, I was a little weary of the hype she was building around it, but honestly this is such a fangirl worthy book!

I loved the writing style. I loved being reading about Micah and her story. The descriptions were pretty good, the author did an amazing job at making everything come alive. From the characters to the lies.

The plot is amazing, There are turns and spins and the whole time you are just wondering if she's telling the truth. I love reading unreliable narrators, they make things ten times more interesting. Micah in one of the most unreliable narrators ever, which just adds to everything. The story line is well constructed and everything seems to make sense even after you've been blindsided. Like when she tells you why she's a impulsive liar. Or when she gives you the golden little truth nuggets after lying to you for a full chapter. I love not knowing what the real truth was, if Micah was being honest or just weaving an elaborate tale. But once you get to the end, and everything is revealed all her lies make sense. Because for a secret that big, you need an army of lies to protect it. Or is that a lie too?

The character's are rich and well developed. I love Micah's sarcasm and the way she thinks. I literally laughed out loud a lot while reading it. But there were also a lot of worry eyebrow faces and gasps and shocking things that made me both want to give her a hug and punch her. Though i'm pretty sure if we got in a fight I would lose. She loves running, biology, and her boyfriend Zach. I hate running so I respect her running skills, Bio is okay, Zach...well.. Micah finds herself being blamed for Zach's death and people at her school start saying some vile things about her. Even though technically she was never his actual girlfriend. Which kinda made me want to punch Zach because that's such an asshole thing to do. Anyways, this book was amazing! Character development was on point.

Romance wise there isn't really anything to talk about. But as I said before not the biggest fan of Zach but I don't hate the guy. I love Micah and I just want her to be happy. She's been through a lot, had to cover a lot of that up, and still pretend everything was fine even after she discovers/tells us the truth.

This is a MUST READ. It's amazing and I definitely believe that this is a book that everyone should give a shot. Murder, deception, suspense, this all makes this book even crazier and even better.

Coffee for this Book: Americano. You're gonna wanna stay up and finish this book. I promise you a nice big cup of Americano will help you stay up and see the truth and maybe even the crack of dawn.

My Rating:

Book Talk: Since You've Been Gone ARC

Release Date: February 17, 2014
Book: Since You've Been Gone
Author: Mary Jennifer Payne
Pages: 224
Source: Netgalley (I received this book in exchange for an honest review)

The Basics:Is it possible to outrun your past? Fifteen-year-old Edie Fraser and her mother, Sydney, have been trying to do just that for five years. Now, things have gone from bad to worse. Not only has Edie had to move to another new school she's in a different country. Sydney promises her that this is their chance at a fresh start, and Edie does her best to adjust to life in London, England, despite being targeted by the school bully. But when Sydney goes out to work the night shift and doesn't come home, Edie is terrified that the past has finally caught up with them. Alone in a strange country, Edie is afraid to call the police for fear that she ll be sent back to her abusive father. Determined to find her mother, but with no idea where to start, she must now face the most difficult decision of her life." 

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My Musings:

First I want to say that this is the first book I've read from YA fiction where I am older than the main character. This is a first for me and I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it. Anyways, I have to say I was somewhat excited to read this book, but the cover and the summary intrigued me so I decided to give it a shot. I tend to shy away from these type of books because I feel like there is a tendency to make it too dramatic and not properly developed. That being said I was pleasantly surprised that I liked this book, but It did let me down in some aspects.

The writing style is very simple. There isn't a lot of description within the novel. Its very much a simplistic way of writing, but in a way I felt like it did serve the book because of how fast pace it was. However because of how fast pace it was, and how simplistic the writing was I felt like I couldn't really connect with the story or the characters which for me, is a pretty fatal flaw. As a result it took me  a while to even begin to get into the story and get involved. I will say that there were several well written moments, like when she goes and see's her dad, or when she first arrives at her new school.

I found the plot to be pretty straight forward but pretty unrealistic and dramatic. The whole point of the novel is for Edie to find her mom and be able to deal with what she finds out. In this aspect itself, it's pretty solid and I enjoyed it. But there were a couple moments that I felt were added just for the sake of adding drama. Like when Jermaine jumps into the water to save a little kid. It didn't really help the plot along. It just elevated the drama. Or how instead of going to the police Edie decides to go look for her mom on her own. Now, if my mom went missing you bet I would call the police. If I really needed to I would look for her myself too. But if you take out these drama filled moments and leave the essential plot, its actually not a bad story line. Aside from that, some moments I felt like the author had it spot on. There's a moment were the author tackles racism and I those moments that unveil that side of humanity were pretty good. I have to say the moments that had more of a real feel, and just fit better into the story line elevated the plot and the overall book.

I didn't really like the characters. That being said, its probably because I didn't really connect with them, and because at times I feel like there were unrealistic. Similar to the plot issues, the characters had moments that didn't seem to make sense. I definitely admire Edie. I think she's a strong character and she's pretty bad ass for the most part. I just had a hard time agreeing with her decisions. I had a hard time being able to empathize with her because I was frustrated with her the majority of the time.
Jermaine I liked. He ends up helping Edie, but the way he decided to help her seemed like a little bit of a stretch. Aside from my initial reservation, Jermaine really grew on me and I did end up liking him. I guess I should emend my earlier statement to I didn't really like the main character.

Overall it was a pretty decent read. It wasn't anything special, and personally the cheesy drama level was a little too high for me. But If you can get over the tiny stretches and the extra ommphness of it all then you should give it a shot!

Coffee for thins book: Some moments can get to be too much, both on the cheesy level and the emotional level. So I recommend a Vanilla Latte Espresso. 

My Rating:

Teaser Tuesday : We Should Hang Out Sometime

 "To paraphrase Elie Wiesel, the opposite of love is not hate. The opposite of love is indifference. Having no feelings at all. Not caring either way. Hate at least requires a foundation of emotional involvment" pg. (151)

Add it Goodreads

Waiting on Wednesday: Things we Know by Heart by Jessi Kirby

Release Date: April 21,2015
Book: Things We Know by Heart
Author: Jessi Kirby

The Basics: After Quinn loses her boyfriend, Trent, in an accident their junior year, she reaches out to the recipients of his donated organs in hopes of picking up the pieces of her now-unrecognizable life. She hears back from some of them, but the person who received Trent’s heart has remained silent. The essence of a person, she has always believed, is in the heart. If she finds Trent’s, then maybe she can have peace once and for all. Risking everything in order to finally lay her memories to rest, Quinn goes outside the system to track down nineteen-year-old Colton Thomas—a guy whose life has been forever changed by this priceless gift. But what starts as an accidental run-in quickly develops into more, sparking an undeniable attraction. She doesn't want to give in to it—especially since he has no idea how they're connected—but their time together has made Quinn feel alive again. No matter how hard she’s falling for Colton, each beat of his heart reminds her of all she’s lost…and all that remains at stake.

Top Ten "Can't Wait For" Books of 2015

This year is going to be awesome. My book goal is set at 55, hopefully I'll be able to read more than 55 books, but seeing as school is going to be driving me bonkers this year I figured this was a safer estimate. I was on goodreads, because that's kinda what I do with my free time. That and sing obnoxiously loud and off key... yup! Anyways I was on goodreads and I found all these AMAZING to DIE FOR books that I need to read sometime this year.

1. Made You Up by Francesca Zappia. This about a girl with schizophrenia and who is battling it. First of all the cover is beautiful. Second the whole idea behind this book is amazing and I honestly think this will be one awesome book. Alex, the main character is starting to feel normal as she goes through the rights of teen-age-dom, and it freaks her out. I'm so excited for this book
2. My Heart and Other Black Holes by  Jasmine Warga. It's about a girl and a boy who from a suicide pact. This one is going to break my heart. As will many of the books on this list. Not going to lie I have a penchant for really sad books for some reason.  
3. The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma. It's a mystery, paranormal YA book about a ghost and two living worlds and the secrets they hide. It seems really interesting and I like the idea of adding the ghost in the midst of it all. 
4. Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver. First I love Lauren Oliver. Her writing is amazing and she's just plain amazing. The book is about two sisters dealing with a life changing accident that scars one of them and forever changes their bond. Once one of the sisters, Dara, and another girl disapears, Nick has to find her sister before it's too late. Tell me you don't want to read this now.
5. I was Here by Gayle Foreman. Gayle Foreman is such a great writer. She conveys emotions so well and I pretty much love anything she writes. I'm sure i'll love this book just as much. It's about two friends Meg and Cody. Meg commits suicide and Cody is left to figure it all out. 
6. The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand. Lex is dealing with her brother's suicide and a test that could have changed everything. Suicide is way too common in our society. I think by exposing it more in books, and movies, and the media to help those feel this way less alone is important. However, I DO NOT want it to be romanticized, because there is nothing romantic about someone ending their life.
   I DO want for it not to be taboo to talk about. I DO want people to recognize that depression is a sickness. I DO want those who suffer from it to know nothing is wrong with them and that they need help to get better. Well I went off on a rant there...
   
7. Like it Never Happened by Emily Adrian.This is about a girl who changes herself up, finds happiness, and of course isn't supposed to date the guy she really, really likes. I think this will be a fun read, with a cute little romance in it. Imma need something upbeat after all these tear tearjerker books.
8. The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black. Holly Black is really freakin' amazing! She's also super sweet in person. I met her a couple years ago at the Teen Convention in L.A one of the best days of my life. I met so many authors this day... Good times. Anyways this is about a place were fae and humans live side by side. People come visit thinking the faeries are harmless. However, one day Pan wakes up and everything is gonna change. This is going to be one awesome, action packed book. I'm sooo excited for this one! 
9. None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio. It's about an intersex girl who finds out she's intersex. I think the premise of this book is great and i'm eager to read this. I hope that the author pulls this subject off well. I think if done right this book can be amazing!
10. The Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent. There appears to be fantasy, romance and humor in this book. Plus I hear good things about this author. I'm sure this book will be awesome!

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and Bookish

Also I just joined Instagram, feel free to follow me there :)

Have an awesome Tuesday!! Love you all!

Christmas Gift Guide: Books

As a book blogger i'm bound to have books that are perfect for people you're shopping for! Enjoy the list :)

YA contemporary Reads (for further book ideas here are my top ten favorites)

• Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira (book review here)
• If I Stay by Gayle Foreman
• Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell (pretty much anything by Rainbow Rowell)
• The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp ( Book Review here)
• Say What You Will by Cammie Mcgovern 
• The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider 
• The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
• Crash and Burn by Micheal Hassan
• The List by Siohban Vivian

YA Dystopian

• Divergent by Veronica Roth
• The 100 Kass Morgan (book review here)
• Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
• Uglies by Scott Westerfield 
• Cinder by Marissa Meyer (book review here)
• Champian by Mary Lu

YA Fiction

• Sinner by Maggie Steifvater 
• The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare
• The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkins
• Liar by Justine Larbalestier
• The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
• Die For Me by Amy Plum
• Throne of Glass by Sarah J Mass
• The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare

Book Talk: Melt by Selene Castrovilla

Release Date: November 6, 2014
Book: Melt
Author: Selene Castrovilla
Pages:280
Source: Netgalley (I received this in exchange for an honest review)

The Basics: Based on true events, MELT is both a chilling tale of abuse, and a timeless romance. MELT will hit you like a punch in the face, and also seep through the cracks in your soul. MELT is a brutal love story set against the metaphorical backdrop of The Wizard of Oz (not a retelling). When sixteen year old Dorothy moves to the small town of Highland Park, she meets, and falls for Joey – a “bad boy” who tells no one about the catastrophic domestic violence he witnesses at home. Can these two lovers survive peer pressure, Joey’s reputation, and his alcoholism? Told in dual first person, Joey’s words are scattered on the page – reflecting his broken state. Dorothy is the voice of reason – until something so shattering happens that she, too, may lose her grip. Can their love endure, or will it melt away?

My Musings:

I had pretty high expectations from this book. Everything about the summary caught my eye and attention. It seemed to be profound and inspiring. So I wanted to read it. To be honest I was kind of let down.

The plot, I felt like was a little rushed at times, but it was original somewhat. The very first few pages of the books are crazy and get you sucked into the story. The fact that this is based on a true story makes it that much more crazy, heartbreaking, and captivating. I liked how the story unfolded, even if it was a little predictable. I liked the alternating perspectives. It's always fun to see a story from multiple points of view. If i'm being totally honest I kind of wish we could have seen Dorothy and Joey's relationship develop more. It kind of just happens. At one point they end up just being together, you don't really get to see them get to this point. It's a soft spot in the plot because it's hard to be sympathetic to their relationship when its underdeveloped and rushed. Especially since their relationship is the main point of the story.  However, I will say this, if you can get past the whole rushing of the relationship, the ending is pretty good.

 I have to admit I really disliked Dorothy's chapters. I'm not sure why, but her character just annoyed me. She seemed emotional, dependent, and pushy at times. I couldn't connect at all really with Dorothy's personality. She just irked me. I LOVED Joey so much. He's strong, sweet, and actually really sweet. He's a good person and a good boyfriend without being overly dependent on Dorothy. I loved reading his chapters because they were so simply written, but they explained such profound things. I looked forward to reading his chapters and seeing what went on in his head.

One thing I did like about the novel is that even though this book is about a relationship, it still develops both of them as separate people. You get to understand Dorothy because she's put into different situations with Joey. You get a real feel for the type of life they lead and the type of person they are. Personally, I think it strengthens their relationship, because if you can see where each of them come from and how the end up meeting in the middle, the story is just that much cuter.

I liked Dorothy and Joey together. Despite the fact I didn't really like Dorothy, I did like her with him. I wished their love was a little bit more developed in the beginning, but it makes up for it, kind of, towards the middle.

Overall, I was disappointed with the book. I liked aspects of it, but I can't help but feel that it was rushed. I think the readers needed to see more of the relationship, more of the characters, for the story to feel real.

Coffee For Melt: A Nice Hazelnut Latte. 

My Rating:

Life Updates: NaNoWriMo

 How's your week been so far? Been keeping busy, busy? I have. I swear I don't think I've ever been this busy in my life.

Anyways, I need to update on what's happening and what I have planned. As I'm sure you've noticed I haven't really been updating my blog. Partly is because of school, partly because I'm a procrastinater and that means sometimes other things overshadow my blog, but mostly it's because of NaNoWriMo. Last month I blogged for an entire month, everyday. And this month i'm attempting to do what so many eager and creative souls are doing, write a novel in thirty days. If any of you guys are doing this, let me know in the comments. We can Writer Buddies! lol You can add me Here

Which brings me to this months expected posting schedule. Chances are I will update once or twice a week for the next month. I will keep up with my review, do bookish posts, and maybe throw an OOTD if i'm feeling really blog-y. And maybe i'll do a NaNoWriMo post. I was thinking of maybe doing a weekly re-caps, advice and rants. I'm not sure yet but let  me know if that's something you guys would like :)

So yeah guys! NaNoWriMo! For those of you doing it, good luck, you guys are awesome!

Okay since i'm going to be somewhat gone for the rest of this month I though I could console y'all with another giveaway. Sound good? Yay!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Talk: The Odyssey of Falling by Paige Crutcher + Giveaway!

Release Date: November 4th, 2014
Book: The Odyssey of Falling
Author: Paige Crutcher
Number of Pages:338 (e-book form)
Source: Netgalley (I received this in exchange for an honest review)

The Basics:Meet Odd. Audrey “Odd” Ashworth is an exceptionally bright girl with a sympathetic heart. She’s in the top 4% of her class. She’s obsessed with getting into Manhattan School of Music, committed to following the “signs” the universe delivers, and infatuated with her recently deceased best friend’s boyfriend. Life is a little strange for Odd. Until she finds her best friend’s diary in her crush’s car, and decides to do the bucket list tucked inside the pages. As Odd seeks closure and a way to honor her friend, she discovers there’s nothing wrong with being a little strange, especially if it helps you discover who you were meant to be. Along the way, Odd falls into trouble, adventure, and finally love.

My Musings:

Okay first of all, isn't the title awesome? I love the title, I think it's original and perfect for the book. The cover is also pretty awesome. I was scrolling down Netgalley when this book caught my eye. The summary made me want to read this book and I couldn't wait to start it! I had pretty high expectations for this book and it didn't disappoint.

Characters are vibrant and colorful. They stick out from the page and feel real, which is all a reader really wants. You get to see different sides of them instead of them just being a one dimensional cardboard cut out. I love "Odd". I ca relate to her and they way she feels. Her voice is strong and poignant throughout the novel. She's strong, but doesn't really know it, and amazing, but doesn't know it. Perhaps my favorite character was Bandit. He isn't afraid of saying what he thinks and is overall a strong person. And also how awesome is his name? Chase is a complex character. He's kind of broken (pretty much everyone is in this book) but slowly you can see him devolve into a strong character whose maybe not made the best decisions. I love the characters, they were very well developed.

This book is more of a character driven book than a plot driven book. It's Audrey's journey to acceptance and moving on. The story line is good. It's a pretty faced paced book and the beginning will definitely get you turning the pages. Being on this journey with Audrey is really special. Audrey stumbles about trying to finish the list that her friend, Meredith, left. Guilt and grief fuel her and that is a dangerous combination. She starts to go off the rails but her friends are there for her so that she doesn't completely end up messing everything up. There is a pretty awesome plot twist at the end of the book that puts a lot of things in question. Overall the story line is pretty solid.

There's nothing I hate more than insta-lovey couples. Glad to say this isn't the case in this book. The romance is a bit complicated and twisted by grief and past feelings. Audrey is dealing with her feelings for Chase. She's had a crush on him since before Meredith died. Then there's Bandit. Sweet, dependable, Bandit. Her feelings for him surface slowly at first and then all of a sudden, It's not really a love triangle at all, but more like Audrey accepting her feelings for one of the boys. Romance doesn't really play as huge a role as you think it would. While it's important other things take the front seats, like the list, grief, dealing with friend drama. What I love about this romance is how real it is. It's intertwined with the story line so perfectly that you can't help but root for Audrey to just accept her feelings and for her and her guy to be together!

I loved this book. It's amazing and well written. I love the sparks of sarcasm and wit. It definitely made me laugh out loud, but it also made my heart ache for the characters.


Coffee For The Odyssey Of Falling:  This book is equal parts heart wrenching and uplifting. You'll definitely want the company of a warm liquid when you're up late reading this. I recommend a nice Hazelnut Latte.

My Rating:

Where to Find Paige:

Author Website
Twitter  @PCrutcher
LinkedIn

Goodreads

Amazon

Virtual Tour Page 

Giveaway Time!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway