Review: Boy Meets Boys

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Publication Date: May 10th 2005
Pages: 185
Source: Library
Genre: LGBTQ, Romance, Contemporary
Goodreads

This is the story of Paul, a sophomore at a high school like no other: The cheerleaders ride Harleys, the homecoming queen used to be a guy named Daryl (she now prefers Infinite Darlene and is also the star quarterback), and the gay-straight alliance was formed to help the straight kids learn how to dance.

When Paul meets Noah, he thinks he’s found the one his heart is made for. Until he blows it. The school bookie says the odds are 12-to-1 against him getting Noah back, but Paul’s not giving up without playing his love really loud. His best friend Joni might be drifting away, his other best friend Tony might be dealing with ultra-religious parents, and his ex-boyfriend Kyle might not be going away anytime soon, but sometimes everything needs to fall apart before it can really fit together right.

Okay. This book. I decided to read this book right after reading the synopsis for his newest book and I knew I had to get caught up on his work because... well I haven't read any of his work before and his up coming book follows up on two of his works. I knew absolutely nothing about this book other than the fact that it was an LGBTQ book, and I was very hopeful that I would enjoy it. I am very glad I picked up this story.

The characters are pretty much what made this book so awesome. Each character was a little different, and each character had something to put on there. My favorite thing about this book was that no one was afraid to put a themselves out there and just be who they are. With a gang like Paul, Noah, Tony, Ultimate Darlene, and Joni I really can't help but love each one of those characters. 

I really liked what an open minded atmosphere this story takes place in. Everyone just is who they are and (almost) no one cares. This idea really works with my next point on this story so I'll combine the two. With my experience, the school atmosphere is really not really realistic in this book. Sure, a lot of people WANT schools to be as open minded as this school is, and we what kids to who they are and we want all that. But is that real? No. People do not treat others fairly, it's just what happens, and that's what makes this story just a little more special. This books gives the impression of an ideal situation, and I really like that.

I know this is a short review, but hey- it's a short book. All in all I really enjoyed this story!

Waiting on Wednesday: Dirty Little Secret

Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols 
Published July 16th 2013

Goodreads

Bailey wasn’t always a wild child and the black sheep of her family. She used to play fiddle and tour the music circuit with her sister, Julie, who sang and played guitar. That ended when country music execs swooped in and signed Julie to a solo deal. Never mind that Julie and Bailey were a duet, or that Bailey was their songwriter. The music scouts wanted only Julie, and their parents were content to sit by and let her fulfill her dreams while Bailey’s were hushed away.

Bailey has tried to numb the pain and disappointment over what could have been. And as Julie’s debut album is set to hit the charts, her parents get fed up with Bailey’s antics and ship her off to granddad’s house in Nashville. Playing fiddle in washed-up tribute groups at the mall, Bailey meets Sam, a handsome and oh-so-persuasive guitarist with his own band. He knows Bailey’s fiddle playing is just the thing his band needs to break into the industry. But this life has broken Bailey’s heart once before. She isn’t sure she’s ready to let Sam take her there again…

I read Jennifer Echols first book Such a Rush a while ago, and I loved it so much. I'm so excited to see if this book is just as good as her first. 

Review: This Lullaby

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: March 8th 2004
Pages: 352
Source: Library
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Goodreads

When it comes to relationships, Remy doesn't mess around. After all, she's learned all there is to know from her mother, who's currently working on husband number five. But there's something about Dexter that seems to defy all of Remy's rules. He certainly doesn't seem like Mr. Right. For some reason, however, Remy just can't seem to shake him. Could it be that Remy's starting to understand what those love songs are all about? From acclaimed author Sarah Dessen, this is a captivating novel about a tough-as-nails girl and the unexpectedly charming boy who's determined to soften her up.

I read Just Listen last month, and I really enjoyed it. I was excited to jump into more of Sarah Dessen's books this year,  but I was a little disappointed after reading This Lullaby. Unlike Just Listed, I really didn't like many of the characters and the story really just didn't hit the spot for me.

My biggest problem with this book was how the main character, Remy, treats boys. Remy's family is somewhat dysfunctional. She never met her father before, and her mother is on her fourth marriage. Due to all of the failed marriages her mother has gone through, Remy had trouble believing in love, as well as maintaining a relationship. I understand why she might have trouble understanding love in her family situation. I think I would too, but she has a lot of boy problems. She seems to think boys are temporary, and that there is no point in staying with them for very long. She seems to treat dating like a game, and she always quits whenever she feels like it. It's almost as if she doesn't think that the boys might have feelings. This really bugged me this entire book, and it really didn't get better at anytime either.

One character I did like was Dexter. Dexter seemed like a real, human boy. He was not overly beautiful, or clean, and in no way was he perfect. But he was human. He really liked Remy, and he treated her fairly. He had some pretty cute quirks (like being slightly clumsy) and he was always very positive. I really liked Dexter because he wasn't fake.

As you can probably tell, there was a relationship between Remy and Dexter. I thought the relationship was cute. I think Dexter was good for Remy, but I don't feel like the two of them did much together. Most of the time when they were hanging out it was with one group of friends, or the other, and it was like they never really got to know each other unless they were in a group. I would have really liked them to have had more time by themselves. 

Other things in the story:
Dexter is in a band. I thought that was cool, but it really didn't have much to do with the story.
There is a lot about Remy's family in this story. I liked how that progressed, and how it changed. I think it might have been nice, however, if there had been some more in the book where Remy just talked to her family. I think that could have fixed a lot of things.
The ending was kind of....? I don't really know exactly. I think it was a little more open that I liked.

23 Awesome Things About Books

Source

1. Go Anywhere
2. Be Anyone
3. Fall in Love 
4. Fall in Hate
5. Portable and Cord Free
6. They Make You Think
7. Get Smarter
8. Read faster
9. Prepare for Every-day Situations
10. Realize you're not alone
11. Increase Vocabulary
12. Become Better at Grammar
13. Become a Better Writer
14. Learn how to Deal with Tricky Situations
15. Read the Movie First
16. Fan-girling
17. Fandoms
18. Loyal Companions
19. Escape Reality
20. Take a Break
21. Stress Free
22. More are Published Everyday
23. Limitless possibilities

Review: The Diviners

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: September 18th 2012
Pages: 592 
Source: Library
Genre: Mystery, Historical
Goodreads

Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."

When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.

I remember this book being highly anticipated awhile ago, and I knew from the moment I heard about it that I would probably end up reading it some day. This is my first ever Libba Bray book (I know, bad Erika) and I quite enjoyed it. I'm not sure if all of her  books are as interesting as this one, but I might have to give her other books a try some day as well.

My number one favorite part of this book was the setting. The Diviners is set in New York in 1926, at the height of the roaring twenties. The setting is both beautiful and exciting, as well as full of great information and overall is really just very fun! I'm usually  not one who loves historical novels, but this one was just wonderful.

The story takes place in all sorts of places in New York, from the richer side, to the slums. I think it was very interesting to see all of the different sides of the era, as well as the people effected by those different conditions. 

Continuing with the topic of the setting, there was a lot of 20's slang in The Diviners. I liked some of the slang, but some of it felt a little too pushed and just weird... but it might be because I'm not used to the slang? Not sure.

The characters. There were a lot of them. The story is told in 3rd person, though prominently follows Evie, a 17 year old Flapper girl from Ohio that has a unique ability to sense imprints off of objects. The other characters the story follows include Memphis, Sam, and Theta, all characters also have differing abilities. Though I liked all of the characters, all the characters got REALLY confusing. Sometimes I couldn't know who was who.

Another really great part of the book was the mystery. I really love good mystery stories, and this one was defiantly well done. The process in which all of the clues were gathered, and how things were gathered was very well done. The only thing I thought was a little weird about the whole mystery thing was it was VERY paranormal based, and that made it a little hard to understand at times.

Occasionally this story was a little bit slow due to it's length, but otherwise It was a really great story that I highly recommend.

Waiting on Wednesday: Tandem

Tandem by Anna Jarzab
Publication Date: October 8th 2013
Goodreads

Everything repeats.
You. Your best friend. Every person you know.
Many worlds. Many lives--infinite possibilities.
Welcome to the multiverse.

Sixteen-year-old Sasha Lawson has only ever known one small, ordinary life. When she was young, she loved her grandfather's stories of parallel worlds inhabited by girls who looked like her but led totally different lives. Sasha never believed such worlds were real--until now, when she finds herself thrust into one against her will.

To prevent imminent war, Sasha must slip into the life of an alternate version of herself, a princess who has vanished on the eve of her arranged marriage. If Sasha succeeds in fooling everyone, she will be returned home; if she fails, she'll be trapped in another girl's life forever. As time runs out, Sasha finds herself torn between two worlds, two lives, and two young men vying for her love--one who knows her secret, and one who thinks she's someone she's not.

I first fell in love with the cover, and then once I read the teaser... I kind of have to read this book don't I? 

Review: Unravel Me

Unravel Me By Tahereh Mafi

Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: February 5th 2012
Pages: 461
Source: Bought
Genre: Dystopian, Romance
Goodreads

tick
tick
tick
tick
tick
it's almost
time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

THIS BOOK. LET ME JUST SAY. THIS BOOK.

I didn't think I could love this series more, but after reading Unravel Me, I have now proved myself wrong. Taherah Mafi is a magician with words, I wish I could climb inside her head and look around. Anyone who has read and loved the first book in this series will undoubtedly find some interest in this sequel.

The narration in this book is just fantastic. Like in Shatter Me, there is slashed out text to resemble the things that Juliette thinks but doesn't think she should. I love that part of this book SO MUCH. Juliette is such a great character to hear the voice of, I just love her to death.

It took me a while to get used to the new environment that Juliette is now a part on in this book. Now that Juliette is out of the clutches of the government, and she and Adam have found a safe place to live in Omega Point- it was really hard to understand her new home and everyone that she now has to interact with. This difficulty to transition is really strongly reflected in Juliette's narration. Juliette has spent so long stay as far from people as she can, and now suddenly being around so many friendly people she just doesn't know what to do.

Of course,  you are probably wondering is CHAPTER 62? Well. Let's just say I was NOT expecting that from this book, but all of the building in the first 61 chapters, I guess it works. I'll admit, I really did not fully appreciate chapter 62 until the book was over, and I think many people might feel the same way. It's almost like chapter 62 is there just to make our minds explode, and then we start to comprehend a little better by the end of the entire story. I really did like the twist!

The romance? It's kind of hard to review the romance with out spoiling... well almost the ENTIRE BOOK. But... I was kind of ehh about the romance most of the time. I wanted to yell at Juliette sometimes, and then yell at Adam at others. And then I wanted to yell at everyone... Yeah. There was a lot of yelling. The romance gets really complex in Unravel Me, and it's not even resolved yet, we have to wait for book 3.

Overall, I can't recommend this series enough. Though it can be frustrating at times, there is no way that I can't love it anyway.

Life is Crazy

Well. Hello there.

It feels like quite a while since I have actually sat down and written something more than a review. I've started to really notice when the craziest days of my life are, and it seems like right now is one of those times. Since the beginning to middle of February it's been a little crazy in the life of Erika. All of a sudden I have all these due dates to meet, all kinds of places to go, and a ton of people to see.

Because of all this crazy, it's been really hard for me to work on blog and reading related stuff, no matter how much I really want to. You may not have really even noticed, seeing as I had a fairly large sized backup reserve of blog posts and reviews to hold me over for a few weeks, but I've  now been noticing that stash to be... well... gone.

Now that doesn't mean I'm going to be gone. No, as you can see I currently have the time to write this post, so I should be getting some other blog things in the works soon, but in the next few weeks I might not have as much out there as I would like.

In the next couple of weeks to the next month, there are actually some really fun posts I might have in the works that I can't wait to share with you guys!

Thank you everyone for putting up with me, I can't wait to get some more stuff out there!

Review: Poison

Poison by Bridget Zinn

Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Published: March 12th 2013
Pages: 288
Source: Giveaway win
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Goodreads

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart . . . misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she’s certainly no damsel-in-distress—she’s the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.

Oh Poison. This book would make the perfect movie, it just would. I love Poison for so many reasons I don't know if I can fit them all down in a single review. Poison was filled with all the things loveable and beautiful, I could not put it down.

I'm not going to reveal anything about the plot to you, just to torture yo a little bit, but the plot. IT. WAS. SO. WELL. DONE.

I love Fantasy settings, and this one was filled with everything you might find in a magical land. There was everything and anything that you can think up- from witches to little creatures that you might not want to run into. The entire kingdom this book takes place in is described so well! I loved the setting so much, it was just wonderful!

I really liked every single character in this book. The main character, Kyra, was everything I want in a main character. She was fun, smart, brave, and just a likeable character. I don't think there was one thing I would have changed about her.

Other characters in the story inluded:
Fred- Though I'm not really a big fan of the name, I'm a fan of the character. Fred is extremely funny and made the story so much fun. He was also quite charming!
Ariana- Ariana doesn't really show up until the end of the story, but I love how she easily just jumped in and how easily she fit in.
Ned & Hal- Though there isn't much of them, I wish there had been a little more about Ned and Hal because they were two of Kyra's oldest friends and they could have had a bigger part in the story.
Rosie- YES! Like you see on the cover, there is a pig in this book!

Just as you might guess from the title and the cover,  poison was a big part of this book. Poison is a Kyra's specialty. I loved all the different types of poison that was used and the different ways that it was used in the story. This aspect of the story seemed extremely unique, I just loved it!

There was a hint of romance, and it was just adorable. I really liked that this book was not centered on the romance, and was more plot driven, but at the same time the romance seemed very realistic and well done!

On a sadder note, I was very,  very sad to read the author description and find out that that author passed away a while ago. I will read anything she wrote.

Review: Just One Day

Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Publisher: Dutton
Published: January 8th 2013
Pages: 368
Source: Bought
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Self-Discovery
Goodreads

When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.

I head so many great things about this book when it first came out and I just had to have it. I ordered it and began it immediately. Though I do agree that this book is better than some, I didn't really think it was as awesome as some people made it sound, several aspects of the book that people though were really good I didn't think were all that exceptional, though I do see the appeal.

Allyson (Lulu) was the main character in this book. I liked her, she wasn't spectacular. I often questioned her motives on some things, or what was going on with her in some situations where she reacted quite strangely. I felt like I never really knew who she was, which is a main aspect of the story, but it also makes her quite a hard person to figure out.

One of the major aspects of this book was the romance. The book works with the idea of love at first sight, and toys with the question of weather or not someone can fall in love in a day. I was really worried that the story would involve insta-love and it wasn't too bad. I do think that the relationship was a little too short to involve love, but it wasn't the worst case I've read. I wish that there had been more interaction in the short relationship than there was, it seemed like the day that the characters spent together went by really quickly, and I thought more could have been packed in.

The guy. Everyone was super obsessed about the Dutch boy, Willem. I liked Willem, he was nice, he was a good travel companion, but I could really see the shady parts about him from the beginning. He did have his cute moments, and then he would do something that would completely turn me off if I was with him. I also thought it was pretty obvious that he was a player, it really wasn't that hard to see.

My favorite part about this book was that it was the two amazing settings. The book starts out in Europe, which I think it pretty awesome seeing as I have never been on that side of the 'pond'. I love reading about diverse areas, cultures, and countries, and I though there was some great culture in this story. I also really loved the college setting in which part of the story took place. I loved reading about everything that went on, and overall just loved the atmosphere.

I'm really interested what might happen in Just One Year. I want to know what happened to Willem, and how everything worked out in the end.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Loop

The Loop by Shandy Lawson
Published: April 30th 2013
Goodreads

Ben and Maggie have met, fallen in love, and died together countless times. Over the course of two pivotal days—both the best and worst of their lives—they struggle again and again to resist the pull of fate and the force of time itself. With each failure, they return to the beginning of their end, a wild road trip that brings them to the scene of their own murders and into the hands of the man destined to kill them.

As time circles back on itself, events become more deeply ingrained, more inescapable for the two kids trapped inside the loop. The closer they come to breaking out, the tighter fate’s clutches seem to grip them. They devise a desperate plan to break free and survive the days ahead, but what if Ben and Maggie’s only shot at not dying is surviving apart?

Review: Just Listen

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Published: April 6th 2006
Pages: 383
Source: Library
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Goodreads

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.

I had been holding  back reading a Sarah Dessen book for quite a while (Why? I don't know), but this year I'm taking part in the Sarah Dessen Reading Challenge, and I should be reading one of her books a month. I wasn't sure if I would like any of her books, but so many people love them I had to give them a try, and the challenge was giving me a perfect chance.

Very easily fell in love with Just Listen. From the beginning I felt like I was part of the story, and everything that was going on was very easy to understand despite the complexity of the story. Each character was extremely well put together, I loved every part of this book.

One of the things that stuck out the most in this story was the character development. None of the characters were perfect, and every single person was changed for the better by the end. I loved how the characters had real problems such as Whitney, Anabel's sister, who has an eating disorder. Even though some characters like Whitney were not a huge part of the story, much of her story is there, and I love that about this book.

The characters were also quite exceptional in Just Listen. Each character had background, and an amazing personality, I loved every one of them. The main character, Anabel, has a lot of stress in her life, and after a summer of isolating herself she's starting the school year without friends. The story slowly reveals some of the things she went to to get to the point she's at, as well as adding more characters that help her realize that there is more than one place for her in the world.

I felt like Anabel and Owen were great characters, and fit each other perfectly. It was great how they were not a perfect couple, but yet they understood each other. They had fights, and were not exactly the same, yet they respected each other and knew how to work with one another. I loved their relationship, and I really wish there had been more romance in the story<3

There was a lot of music in this book, and not typical music, there was all sorts, from world, to pop, to just plain strange. I love how the characters had discussions about music,  and how it was described. I often felt like I could hear the music as it was described.