Review: Last Year's Mistake By Gina Giocca

Title: Last Year's Mistake

Author: Gina Giocca

Published Date: June 9th 2015

Before:

Kelsey and David became best friends the summer before freshman year and were inseparable ever after. Until the night a misunderstanding turned Kelsey into the school joke, and everything around her crumbled—including her friendship with David. So when Kelsey's parents decided to move away, she couldn't wait to start over and leave the past behind. Except, David wasn't ready to let her go...

After:

Now it's senior year and Kelsey has a new group of friends, genuine popularity, and a hot boyfriend. Her life is perfect. That is, until David's family moves to town and he shakes up everything. Soon old feelings bubble to the surface and threaten to destroy Kelsey's second chance at happiness. The more time she spends with David, the more she realizes she never truly let him go. And maybe she never wants to.

Told in alternating sections, LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE is a charming and romantic debut about loving, leaving, and letting go.

(Synopsis Provided By Goodreads)

Overall my thought on Last Year’s Mistake is it was a strong story that portrayed to me, a very real experience of a girl and boy figuring out emotions while still trying to grow up. The story explored the before and after of the main characters that really made the connection between Kelsey and David strong. The author does a phenomenal job writing about teens! The story at a glance is like so many others: girl and boy, best friends until one starts to feel more or in this case both. On top of it all? They've got to navigate high school too. However, Last Year's Mistake to me interjected a lot of real emotions that aren't necessarily portrayed enough or properly in other story's. This is why I think the writing was strong with this book. The author adds a lot of depth to her main characters Kelsey and David that really carry out through the entire book. I got a great understanding of their characters which made their otherwise juvenile 'teen' actions more realistic and relatable. I think the book sticks to necessary plot details without going overboard to jam pack a lot of un-necessary drama – this isn’t to say there is no drama because there is plenty to keep you turning the page!

Review: Kindness for Weakness By Shawn Goodman

Title: Kindness for Weakness

Author: Shawn Goodman

Published: Jan 1st 2013

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest meets Catcher in the Rye.

A fifteen-year-old boy from an abusive home desperately seeking his older brother's love and approval starts pushing drugs for him and suffers the consequences.

(Synopsis Provided By Goodreads)

Kindness for Weakness was only a glimpse at the cruel and unfortunate circumstance of the juvenile system in parts of America. Written beautifully from the perspective of a young boy named James, who has just been dealt bad cards in life, the story unfolds quickly and dramatically to focus on the unfair treatment of young men in the juvenile justice system.

Review: We Were Liars By E.Lockhart

Title: We Were Liars

Author: E. Lockhart

Published: May 13th 2014

A beautiful and distinguished family.

A private island.

A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.

A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.

A revolution. An accident. A secret.

Lies upon lies.

True love.

The truth.

 

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree 

E. Lockhart. 

Read it.

And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

(Synopsis Provided By GoodReads)

REVIEW:

I found We Were Liars a book I couldn’t put down. Filled with the ease of summer time but with all the tension and uncertainty that comes with loving something too much – whether that be family, money or a boy. Oh, and lying sometimes isn't the worse thing we can do.

When you read the book, there is a looming feeling, you want to trust the book and you love the book but there is always something unexplained – confusing at first but you go with it and it all makes sense in the end. It was a great reading experience if I do say so myself. The chapters are fast-paced and sometimes it’s hard to really understand what you should feel in that given moment. The main character Cadence can be a little irritating at times but there are reasons when everyone is lying to you.

Review: Looking for Alaska By John Green

The last year and a half have gone by so fast! I miss having the time to update and write full reviews of books here on my blog. Art school is a heavy course load - lot of time needed to invest which I barely have. So I guess this post is my first book commentary in a long while!

Title: Looking for Alaska

Author: John Green

Published Date: Jan 1st, 2005

Before. Miles "Pudge" Halter's whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (François Rabelais, poet) even more. Then he heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.

After. Nothing is ever the same.
(Synopsis Provided By GoodReads)

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REVIEW (May Contain Spoilers)

I recently finished reading Looking for Alaska by John Green and I know, why did I wait so long before reading this amazing book? It was to say the least, a very open ended story. It leaves room for every reader to take what they want from the story. As I was reading along with Pudge, Alaska and the Colonel, I felt a honesty amongst them. The way John Green writes is understood easily and his way of writing eases in and out of the complications that arise in the story.

Back to School Reading - What I Recommend

Hey there readers and those alike,

It is the end of yet another summer which means that school is starting soon and days become slower and then soon enough thanksgiving, christmas and the new year are upon us... This post is just a few books that I read through high school that were memorable and just plain awesome. I recommend them to those out there looking for books to read just before the school year is in full swing! Check them out below and let me know if you have read them before! Enjoy the rest of the summer everyone!

The Catcher in the Rye By: J. D. Salinger

This novel will forever be in my heart. This book was a perfect choice entering high school. It talked about self discovery - both disappointing and rewarding. Everyone will walk away from reading this book with a little brighter of a perspective on life! 

A Farewell to Arms By: Ernest Hemingway

I'm a sucker for tragic love stories. If you are too than this novel will be worth the sorrow that is sure to linger with you after ;P

Stealing Buddha's Dinner By: Bich Minh Nguyen

This novel hit close to home. Journey of a Vietnamese immigrant family growing up and assimilating American culture into their own. Just the comparisons of culture alone in this book is truly amazing!

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LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW ANY BOOKS YOU RECOMMEND THAT I CHECK OUT! 

AS ALWAYS,
HAPPY READING!

-Sherry  

REVIEW: LOCK AND KEY BY SARAH DESSEN

Title: Lock and Key

Author: Sarah Dessen

Published Date: April 22nd, 2008

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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?

Best-selling author Sarah Dessen explores the heart of a gutsy, complex girl dealing with unforeseen circumstances and learning to trust again.

(Synopsis Provided by GoodReads)

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REVIEW (Might Contain Spoilers)

After having your entire life uprooted and turned upside down, 17 year old Ruby Cooper finds a new definition of what family is. She's been abandoned by the only person she thought she had left, her mom and now she has no where to go but to move in with her sister Cora, who she has not seen in 10 years and is happily married to the nicest guy in the world Jamie. She knows she's suppose to see it as a blessing, her sister can provide for her and give her a new start, but will Ruby open up and accept the help or will she run, like she always had before. A book about finding the good in people and most importantly yourself, Lock and Key tells a story of a girl who learns to find what family is really about, the good and the bad.

I have always been a sucker for Sarah Dessen novels. The girl with the drama and a cute boy to help her find her way - not always but this is usually how it goes in Dessen novels.