Ignite by Lily Paradis

Ignite by Lily Paradis
Published on 26th Aug 2014
326 pages
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After her father’s untimely demise in a mining accident and her mother’s abandonment, Lauren Lindsay is no stranger to loss. She’s used to living life for one person: herself.
That is, until another family tragedy thrusts three children into her care and uproots her life in ways she could never imagine. 
Lauren's first instinct is to run, until she meets their striking, mysterious neighbor Dean Powell. Their immediate chemistry and his connection with her late father just might be enough to keep her in town long enough to uncover pieces of her past that she never had answers to. Dean’s shady past and her reluctance to trust him could cost her the life she's always been searching for, but will she run back to her old life? 
Or will she choose to stay and live the life her father always imagined for her?

I wanted to like this book, but....I couldn't. I just couldn't.
This whole story was so unrealistic, I couldn't believe a single thing that happened. Not to mention that the drama rivalled a YA Wattpad story. And hey, I'm not saying I don't like Wattpad stories, I do (well, depends on the story), but Watty stories usually need a lot of work. They might have potential, but they're generally extremely raw.

I had so many problems with Ignite. For instance, why were the three little step-siblings dumped on Lauren in the first place? Firstly, she's not (view spoiler)[for the most part (hide spoiler)] blood related. Didn't Linda (the stepmum) have any family? Secondly, just because her Uncle's wife has 'flare ups' – whatever that means, doesn't mean they can't take the kids. It may have been a bit hard, but if push came to shove, they could've taken them. Thirdly, don't they have any Godparents or close family friends? Fourthly, Lauren has a twin brother, who had just as much legal connection to the kids as she does.
So what then, she has to give up her youth to look after three kids who she'd never even properly met just because she's the only apparent female who isn't prone to 'flare ups'? What about the fact that she's 21? What about the fact that she's virtually a stranger? What about the fact that she's halfway through college?
(view spoiler)[And let's face it, if Lauren's dad didn't have this surprise magical money stash that he passed onto her and her twin (wow.....convenient much?), there's no way she could've single-handedly paid for her college fees at the more expensive sister campus (colour me surprised! *note the sarcasm*) that she'd need to attend to look after the kids. And if she couldn't pay for her college fees, she would've had to drop out of college, and then how would she be able to support herself and 3 kids? But of course she was saved by her huge inheritance. An inheritence she didn't even know about. That she finally receives 9 years after her dad actually died. It's completely ludicrous. (hide spoiler)]

Another problem was how much of a weak, dramatic pushover Lauren was.
Her Uncle and his wife literally ordered her to look after the three kids, and she just......let them. Forgetting the 'flare ups' joke, it seemed to me that they just didn't want the responsibility of taking care of the kids even though (1 they're older and Lauren's uncle is a lawyer so they'd have a steady income (2 there's two of them whereas Lauren would have to act like a single mum, and (3 they're much more familiar with the kids while Lauren has never even really met them (I can't help pointing out that it seems that Lauren was estranged from her dad....another reason why it's unlikely she'd be given the kids).

Then you have the love interest. Oh my. It just gets worse and worse. Dean's character fell flat from the get go. He was a total jackass at first (and I don't mean in Daemon's swoony style), and somehow Lauren was attracted to him? There was way too much insta-attraction and insta-jealousy, and Dean and Lauren's connection didn't feel one bit sincere.
Oh, and then there's the matter of his past. What. A. Laugh. (view spoiler)[Son of a drug lord?? Seriously?? (hide spoiler)]

Lauren mentions how Dean 'somehow got through her walls', and that she's some kind of ice queen *snorts*, but tbh I don't think she had any to begin with. She's very.....*cough* emotional. Hell, she started crying because of clam chowder and food poisoning! Yeah, I get it, food poisoning has to suck, but she's 21 and she cries over practically everything. She should start carrying a tissue box.

The only aspect I liked about the story was how the six of them, Lauren, Dean, Callie (the oldest kid), Jenny (Dean's little sister and Callie's best friend), Chase (the middle kid), and of course little Emma (the baby of the three kids), were like one big motley family where Lauren and Dean were halfway between parents and older siblings to the kids/teens. It was cute, I admit.

So yeah, I couldn't get through Ignite, and ended up DNFing it, but quite a few of my blogger friends liked it enough, so I guess it's just me really. I'm glad other's enjoyed it tho :)

DNF.

—Missbloodsucker™ All Sucked Out!

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Love and Other Unknown Variables- Shannon Lee Alexander

Love and Other Unknown Variables
by
Shannon Lee Alexander

Stand Alone.
Page Count: 350

My Rating: ★★★★★
Current Average Rating on Goodreads: 4.29

Recommended for: People looking for a sweet geeky romance<3
Fans of: The Fault in Our Stars maybe? (This was waaaay better.
Fans of TFioS: NO WAY I MUST SEE FOR MYSELF.
Cass: *smirks* Mission accomplished.)

Genres: Contemporary, Romance, YA
Publication Date: October 7th, 2014

Synopsis:
Charlie Hanson has a clear vision of his future. A senior at Brighton School of Mathematics and Science, he knows he’ll graduate, go to MIT, and inevitably discover solutions to the universe’s greatest unanswered questions. He’s that smart. But Charlie’s future blurs the moment he reaches out to touch the tattoo on a beautiful girl’s neck. 


The future has never seemed very kind to Charlotte Finch, so she’s counting on the present. She’s not impressed by the strange boy at the donut shop—until she learns he’s a student at Brighton where her sister has just taken a job as the English teacher. With her encouragement, Charlie orchestrates the most effective prank campaign in Brighton history. But, in doing so, he puts his own future in jeopardy. 

By the time he learns she's ill—and that the pranks were a way to distract Ms. Finch from Charlotte’s illness—Charlotte’s gravitational pull is too great to overcome. Soon he must choose between the familiar formulas he’s always relied on or the girl he’s falling for (at far more than 32 feet per second squared)

Beginnings are tricky things. I've been staring at this blank page for forty-seven minutes. It is infinite with possibilities. Once I begin, they diminish. 

- Charlie, Love and Other Unknown Variables, pg. 1

This has gradually become one of my favourite books. Sure maybe the writing isn't THE best (still great though), and there were flaws, but honestly, those aren't the most important factors. (Although it doees make up most the book...) 

What I loved about this book was how the characters seemed to human. If we looked in at the little details,  Shannon did a great job in blowing life into them :D  It was beautiful. Erm...example: The inscriptions and notes in the Mockingbird book; Charlotte's artwork; the Velveteen Rabbit gift; those Harry Potter references in the beginning (*cough* I'm not bias at all); ... aand y'all have no idea what i'm talking about so i'll stop... go read it then, duh 

The point of views from the both sisters were also very believable.
Jo: The elder sister who wanted to protect the younger, and
Charlotte: The teenager who wants freedom. 

I'm pretty sure writers like these make great parents since they can think in the teenager's point of view xD Or do they... *dun dun dun* 

Delving more into the characters, I thought they were brilliant. But the prize for Cassie's Favourite will have to go to....*drums roll*

Becca Hanson! *crowd cheers*

She was Charlie's sister, and while she didn't exactly come out as much as I would have liked, I connected with her the most. 

Runner up: Mrs. Dunwitty!

A bit of an unlikely choice? Maybe. But she grew on me<3 Also she was hilarious in her own grouchy way. It's inevitable what happened in the end, and *sniff sniff*...*sniff*

I always like the supporting charries more than the main ones for some reason... anyways.

I loved Charlie and Charlotte though. Charlie was a bit odd to read with in the beginning, but I got used to it ^.^ (Omg I actually know a person like him in real life.. If you listen to their "normal" conversations 0.o *mind blown* So smart) Albeit sometimes I have to admit I just wanted to hit Charlie on the head with those hammers you whack the groundhog game thing with... >:D

(LET'S WHACK A GROUNDHOG) 

The book inspired me that inscribed books make the best presents haha xD I didn't know how impacting those could be if done right. 

Pluus i'm going to resume How to Kill a Mockingbird shortly even though this practically spoilt everything. (I've been stuck 100 pages through the past month so doesn't really matter. Coincidence I was already reading it?)

Gosh I cried so much in this book it's not even funny! I didn't expect this when I first picked it up ;O My poor unsuspecting emotions. And with that note, i'm just going to mysteriously stop talking *evil laugh* Hopefully it caught your attention..(sort of? No? YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SAY NO!)

There are loads of more simple factors I adored and want to mention (layout, ending, lifelines xD), but I always love the book more when I don't know much about it :P (That's why I always skim over synopsises and decide more on what genre the book is in when I first pick things.. is that a bad thing? heh)

Yeah, I'm pretty sure this is going to be a bestseller, and i'll be really disappointed if it isn't.

(I already made my good friend Tia ((Little Miss Totem)) pick it up.. and She. Is. LOVING IT. Aw yeah. I'm just awesome like that. Just saying.)

Thank you Ms Alexander for an awesome debut, and thank you Entangled Publishing for a free review copy!! I couldn't be happier. (This is like one of the first ARCs I received that I actually reallyy liked. Omg.)

Producers better get more film ready... I already want a movie adaption. ;)

Conclusion: Read it now. Don't hesitate. 

—MissOddball™ Over and Out. 

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Pretty Girl by Amy Heugh

PRETTY GIRL
by
Amy Heugh

Page Count: 393
Stand Alone.

My Rating: ★★★
Current Average Rating on Goodreads: 3.88

Synopsis:
If there were one day that she could change it would be the day she was taken. 

After her parents’ divorce, seventeen-year-old Izzy Scott and her mother move to the old town of St. Augustine to begin a new life, a life beyond the media attention and the memories of the traumatic experiences that left an everlasting affect on their family. 

The former ballerina is trying to adjust to the outside world without suffering a panic attack and exposing who she is - all while getting through her senior year at a new school. That’s easy to say until she meets local boy Mason Winchester, a boy with a tragic past. 

Mason has a reputation for violence, but a love for motorcycles. At the age of eleven he lost his mother to cancer and from then he has been running from something, but could never really get away. 

Like any other angry teenager, he just wants to be left alone and to have nothing to do with anyone else because he believed that he had nothing to offer. That changes the moment he saw what was in the new girl eyes. 

Tragedy wasn't new to either of their lives but among the secrets and the memories the one thing they both never excepted was to find hope. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pretty Girl.

Can you guess what it's about? ;)

The book was overall a little cliche and nothing I haven't seen before. But Amy pulled it off pretty (heh) well and it kept my interest throughout.

My first thought was These are seriously some MESSED UP characters.

But it reminded me of Pushing the Limits. Two characters with bad history attracts for no particular reason, get together, have problems, blablah. And also like in that book, the only reason I could tell the two PoVs apart was because Mason swore a lot. If there was a curse every two sentences, might as well be Mason. So if I was confused, I just kind of skimmed the page looking for a curse word o.O Not weird at all.

The writing was great, with a few exceptions of typos but that's nothing an editor or a proofread can fix ^.^ I loved the wide range of vocabulary used. This lady knows a lot of words xD
It lagged a LOT in the middle though. I actually skimmed 40%ish of the book :/
Me: *at 40%* Lalala....this is getting kind of boringggg......
*50%* Hey, even if I skim these five or so paragraphs, I'd still get the story!
*60%* Ugh there's no dialogue.....skim skim skim.... oh look they talk! Oh no that's over...skim skim...
*80%* They're talking more now! Hallelujah! No more heaps of descriptions to skip overrrrr

Yep. So basically, there was one sentence of actual talking, and then either Izzy or Mason went into these looooooong borrrrrring descriptions of how they were broken and scarred. Dude, we get it. You had a tough past. WE DON'T NEED TO KNOW EVERY OTHER PAGE!
So I skipped over those and only read the dialogue.

Example:
He opened the door. "Get in"

*insert 10 paragraphs of random description here*

"And why should I listen to you?

(Okay, I made those up xD I'm pretty sure there that wasn't in the book)

And I still got the story really well! So the book could have been like two times shorter and equally good (or maybe better.) That was annoying. It picked up pace around 75-80%, but it was so latee! Me no like waiting for more than half the book to actually start getting in the story.

I didn't particularly take a favourite of the characters, I have to admit. I know none of them were meant to be perfect or anything..... but just....yeah. Izzy wasn't bad though :D

The sliight love triangle wasn't necessary.

Dear Authors, 
You can have an amazing YA book even without two guys pining over one girl like idiots.

Sincerely, 
Cassie.

*mails letter*

I've seen way too many examples where they just stuff another love interest there for the sake of it -.- That's just a noooo!

Jake could have been an awesome friend, not a love interest. Shame he wasn't a more major person though. He seemed quite nice. And just as messed up as the rest of the lot *le sigh*

I DID NOT like Mason's decision and character in the beginning. So sexist -.- Girls aren't playtoys.
But we had a bit of development so it was all good. Meh.

There were also some spots were it jumped around a lot and left me confused. Like Izzy would be walking towards an art room, and then DUN she's going home in a car.
I'm just like ... Wait what?

and a few descriptions tried too hard to be metaphorical. Metaphors have to, you know....actually make sense for the reader to visualise more clearly. Not just saying some random things and yeyyy it's an awesome metaphor! *shakes head*

So I think that could have been improved.

Oh also, it FRUSTRATED me when Mason kept calling her "pretty girl" ... he sounded like a pervert! >.<
Like if someone always said something like Hey pretty girl, whatcha dooin? to you,
doesn't it sound a bit creepy? Only me?

There isn't really much more to say... hmm.

Yeah overall, it was
—a relatively unoriginal story.. (how they met first annoyed me the most.)
—Okay characters (no one stood out)
—Too long. Could have been shortened.
—Too jumpy. The scene changes could have been smoother.
—Interesting. It held my attention . (My other ARCs didn't work out so well....heh..)
—Reminded me of ALL OF ME by John Legend xD And aaaaalll of meee..loves aaall of youuu...all your curvess and all your edges...all your perfect imperfectionsss ;)
—Instalove -.- Ugh.

I liked the ending.. I'm not really sure how I feel about it but I liked it! PLOT TWIST!

Recommend? Why not. Just a warning though, the middle is horribly boring. If you just get past that part it's okay :)

*Thank you Amy for giving me a free copy in exchange of an honest review.*

—MissOddball™ Over and Out.

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By Any Other Name by Laura Jarratt

By Any Other Name
by
Laura Jarratt 

Page Count: 368
Stand Alone.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★
Average Rating on Goodreads: 3.81

Synopsis:
Nobody can know the truth—her life depends on it. A tale of family, identity, and trust, about a girl struggling with life in the witness protection program.

I picked up the book and thumbed through the pages. Names in alphabetical order, names with meanings, names I knew, names I'd never heard of. How to pick? Nothing that would stand out, nothing that would link me to the past—those were the instructions. The past. As if everything that had gone before this moment was buried already.

Holly is 15 years old, but she's only been "Holly" for a matter of months. Because of something that happened, she and her family have had to enter witness protection and have all assumed new identities. All, that is, except her sister Katie, who is autistic. Starting at a new school mid-year is hard enough at the best of times, and Holly has no clue who she is anymore. Lonely and angry, she reaches out to friends—new and old. But one wrong move will put all their lives in danger.

First Thought: This is gonna be good!! I loved Laura Jarratt in Louder than Words, so I have an awesome feeling for this.

Afterthought: MY FEELINGS HAVE LIED TO ME >:O Evil buggers.

The synopsis sounds awesome, doesn't it? Go read it. SO SUSPENSEFUL.

What they left out in the introduction:

Holly is a 15 year old snotty brat, who only thinks of herself. She liked (notice the past tense. I'm getting there) to make fun of people with her old best friend just to cheer herself up. She thinks that if a guy is hot, then it's obvious that she should feel something towards him. She is very stabbable, and nearly faced a horrible death by yours truly.

Ookay. Heh :P

It had a cool conceptt! I have to admit that. Not too out of the ordinary, but cool enough for you to keep turning pages. The problem was in the CHARACTERS. I didn't like them, and couldn't connect to them whatsoever.

Joe was alright, I suppose, but he didn't stand out too much if you put him next to other YA guys. No defining trait, you get me?

The fact that Holly saw him once, saw his clothes and his hair, and then called him "Emo Guy" for 55% of the book was not cool. Approximately 63 times during those I don't know... 180 pages? 

Very. Very. Very. Frustrating. *grits teeth*

Holly was just an idiot character. I get it, people aren't perfect blablabla, but do you KNOW how it is to be in that kind of person's head for ages? Surely you've read something like that. They have flaws, and they're imperfect, and they're kind of meaaann, and you just want to exterminate them and hide their body somewhere :)
   Plus it doesn't help she was a bit of a hypocrite. At her old school, she would make fun of people, like you know those stereotype popular girls in American highschool chickflick films? She was one of those! (except British) and then she comes to this middle of nowhere school, used to being bowed down at. Except... She's supposed to be a new person now. No one knows her. DUN DUN DUUN! And the tables turn. She's now one of the people who GET bullied. So she get's all upset and waah boohoohoo.
Me: Shuddup. *rolls eyes* At least you know how that is now when you did it to others! >:(
(I had a lack of sympathy issue with this girl XD)

After the first half, you could see some character development with Holly. It was refreshing to see, and it enabled me to finish the book. Because I can dure with that for some while, but I ain't going to spend any more time on a book with people I despise. End of story -.-
It was done well though, I must admit. The characterisation was slow and believable, instead of her suddenly having a nice nice personality like some kind of bipolar person. And Joe was that reason, of course. THANK YOU JOE. *crowd bows down at his feet* YOU HAVE SAVED US!!

I found lots of plot similarities to Louder Than Words too? I don't know which book came out first, and i'm too lazy to check, but both books had a teenage hate website thing, and someone in a coma. Why! Whyyyy would you use that twice?! Mer. Teenage hate websites aren't that common, as far as I know.. Or maybe it's just my school? *scratches head* But It's not my favourite kind of thing.. Have some creativity, people :P

Anyyyhoo, Bottom line,
It was a mediocre book with a relatively interesting plot but stupid characters. It shows us what growing up is like, (Holly's development.) so it wasn't a total waste ;) It got so much better after the first half, when I was seriously considering throwing my ipad. (*winces* Sorry Luna) I'm kind of disappointed, I guess? Yeahhh..
I dunno if I want to recommend it or not. I would say no to the first half but have a go at the second half... Your pick *winks*

—MissOddball™ Over and Out. *salutes*

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Also Known As by Robin Benway

Also Known As
by
Robin Benway

Page Count: 318
Series.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

Average Rating on Goodreads: 3.82

Synopsis:
Which is more dangerous: being an international spy... or surviving high school?

Maggie Silver has never minded her unusual life. Cracking safes for the world's premier spy organization and traveling the world with her insanely cool parents definitely beat high school and the accompanying cliques, bad lunches, and frustratingly simple locker combinations. (If it's three digits, why bother locking it at all?)

But when Maggie and her parents are sent to New York City for her first solo assignment, her world is transformed. Suddenly, she's attending a private school with hundreds of "mean girl" wannabes, trying to avoid the temptation to hack the school's elementary security system, and working to befriend the aggravatingly cute son of a potential national security threat... all while trying not to blow her cover.

From the hilarious and poignant author of Audrey, Wait! comes a fast-paced caper that proves that even the world's greatest spies don't have a mission plan for love.

This book was so FUNNY. I laughed a lot every few pages xD

I loved the protagonist, Maggie, who was full of sarcastic humour, loved Jesse, who was also full of sarcastic humour, which made the conversations between these two awesome to read. (I may or may have not sounded like a giggly schoolgirl everytime I picked it up *cough*)
But I especially loved Roux, Maggie's best friend who was funny in her own way, which kind of reminded me of myself, minus the drinking smoking (but she quit!), and cheating on boys part...o.O Yep. Let's just ignore that. Doesn't matter anyhoo because she changed after she met Maggie!! *defensive look*

Maggie is a spy. She's been cracking safes and picking locks since she was 3. Except, her job has always been in the background, used at the very end of her parents' jobs.

But now. Her OWN assignment has come at last dun dun duun!!

HIGH SCHOOL.

*cue dramatic music and screams*

Her mission?
I sat back in my chair and sighed. "I have to seduce someone," I announced to my parents. 
"High school is already destroying my moral code and I haven't even set foot on the campus yet."
My mom peeked at my dossier. "I think 'befriend' is the word you're looking for," she said after a minute.
   Sometimes she's no fun.

But mother dearest! Seduce is totally more like it. And Jesse ermahgosh<3

Is high school harder than lock picking? *gasp* Her first day in highschool! I want to go to an American highschool.. everything sounds so....dramatic. :P

It was time for the mirror pep talk. 
"Okay, Maggie," I said to myself after my shower, wiping the steam off the medicine cabinet. "You could eat these kids for breakfast. But you won't though, because that would be cannibalistic and wrong."

And then, of course her personality let's her make a friend within the day -.- No fair. and ROUX of all people!! *jealous look* I want a best frienddd!

The book did have similarities though to Ally Carter's Gallagher Girl series. And this is what I was afraid of when I first picked the book up.
Conclusion? This book was way better. and more fun. and the characters were more likable. AND THERE WERE JESSE AND ROUX.

Mmmhm. So if you were contemplating on reading the Gallagher Girls, I would suggest you read this instead xD

The thing that bothered me (and deducted one star) was that the PLOT itself wasn't very original.

Girl has mission to get something from boy.
Boy falls for girl.
Girl falls for boy.
Secret romance ensues.
...Stuff. (I ain't gonna give you spoilers!)

Ta daaaa. Kind of predictable? Immensely. But don't let you stop from reading because it was all for good fun :P

Roux's situation really was...sad. Social outcastt.. technically it was kinda her own fault but she also had loads of personal problems :/
(and Iza you probably won't be happy that she doesn't know LoTR xD)

"I'm serious, you know how people are. They forget about things."
   "Oh really?" Roux said, then turned and smiled at a brunette passing us. "Hey, Julia, what's up? How are things?"
   "Slut," Julia responded, and kept walking. Roux just looked back at me knowingly. 
"You were saying?"
   "Roux..."
"Here's how it works," Roux said, not even slowing her pace. "Once you fall, you fall. You're like that ring thing in the lava. You're not coming back."
   "The ring thing?"
   "With the short guys."
   "Oh, you mean The Lord of the Rings."

XD I should really stop with the quotes but yeah. (I was going to put a Jesse paragraph and quote but turns out I was too lazy to highlight anything >:( and I'm also too lazy to surf through mah memory for something that stood out the most so sowwyy. He's really sweet though.)

*checks notes*
Ah yes one more thing. The story had a teeeeeeensy amount of instalove... but it wasn't the too annoying kind! It was a well paced match for the storyy?

Yeahhhh

Bottom Line:
Light fluffy quick read you should go to when looking for a good laugh or when you're feeling down. Unoriginal storyline, but awesome relatable characters and hilarious dialogue. Recommended. Yayy :D

Nothing looked different outside the park, either, the city the same as it ever was. 
   The only thing that had changed, I realised, was me.

—MissOddball™ Over and Out. *salutes*

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Louder Than Words by Lauren Jarratt

Louder Than Words
by
Lauren Jarratt

Page Count: 416.
Stand Alone.
My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Average Rating on Goodreads: 3.86

Synopsis:
 Rafi hasn't spoken for eight years. It's up to her to tell her brother's story now that he can't speak either ...
Rafi idolises her seventeen-year-old brother, who is popular, generous and a borderline genius. Ever protective, Silas always includes her when he's with his friends, so Rafi gets to hear all sorts of things that younger sisters wouldn't normally be a part of. Like the time Silas hacks a gaming site to help out his friend Josie, who has been trashed by her ex.

With Josie, Rafi finds herself with a proper friend for the first time in her life. As they grow closer, she realises that she wants to find a way back into the world – she wants to learn to speak again. But Silas has found a new interest too – and it’s taking him away from everything that was once important to him. Can Rafi find the words to save her brother?

Mmmkaayy. So this is my first Laura Jarratt book, and i'll be looking into more of her works! :D
This book is about dear Rafaela, or Rafi, who has progressive mutism. Progressive mutism and selective mutism are two completely separate things, because in selective, you still speak to your family and realllllyy close friends. Progressive meant she couldn't even talk to her family. So I think she had this for 10 years now? She's 14 so.. yeah. My age! I could connect to her more because this too, as well as because I had something similar to selective for 9 years? it's mostly psychological thoughhh...I thinkk.. Anyways.

XD I'm having trouble writing a proper review for this so i'll keep it short with quotes :P

Although it's not well pooooiiiffeect, I really like Laura's writing ;) The way she wove the story and told them was ingenious too (-the whole email thing with Silas).  The characters were believable, although sometimes I wanted to strangle Silas for being so obviously stupid.

Shall I go into more details about our characters? Okayy!

You're a really good listener, do you know that? I mean, you don't nod all the time and obviously you don't answer, but it's in your eyes that you're listening. And there's something else there too... that you won't judge.

Meet Rafi.
She's a 14 year old British gal who aspires to be a writer.

I collect truths. I write them down in a book I keep hidden under my bed. 

I just adored her! She was strong- which I like *winks*- and she wasn't like closed up to people.  Oh and I want to do that now.. write down amazing quotes and stick it under my very dusty bedd.
~~~~~~
Always try to do something awesome at least once a month, that's my motto!

Now here's Josie. I think she was my favourite character<3 After an incident with her terrible ex, she meets Silas and Rafi! She helps Rafi in ways no one can describe.

- She paused to gulp in a breath. 
"I should shut up. I talk too much."
And me not enough, I thought.

Besties alert? Heck yes. Rafi is Josie's only 'real' friend, and Josie is Rafi's only friend! (well apart from her brother, but that doesn't count.) I loved their interaction, and how Josie could tell that Rafi was really best friend material. and guess what! She collects quotes too! Getting one everyday via Pinterest.

Now if you're thinking 'Duude no, how can you have a mute person as your only friend?', then you should just shut up because you have no idea what you're talking about ^^

Silas is Rafi's brotherr! He always looked out for her, and never really fell in love before, until he met Lara. Now Lara is a bit of a more complicated character, and I did NOT like her. I don't get how Silas was just utterly OBSESSED with her after talking to her for less than a minute! Just because she's hot *scoffs* She was so ruuuudeeee too. I think both of them just frustrated me so muchh! Mer.

The book tells us how important words and actions are. You can take action! I also liked how it wasn't about Rafi just because she was mute? It was actually about Silas. (Well duhh, since Rafi is writing Silas' story *facepalm*) The topic of the book took an unexpected swerve towards protesters and anarchy! :0 Who would have suspected THAT when they picked this up.

War is when your government tells you who the enemy is. Revolution is when you figure it out for yourself.

Another message I liked: Don't change yourself for another person.

No. Just don't. Because that's stupid! Maybe coming from a person who's never fallen in this told "love" or whatever, but I think it's absurd you would do that to yourself. -_-

The ending was so unexpected... I all teared up and stuff XD

And I loooove this quote for some reason: There is pleasure sure in being mad in which none but madmen know.

:P

Anyhoooo, bottom line:
Although not the best, it was a well written book with great character development and a unique plot, and I recommend ittt. :D

—MissOddball™Over and Out. *salutes*

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The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider :D

The Beginning of Everything
by
Robyn Schneider

Page Count: 335

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Unexpectedd...

Average Rating on Goodreads: 3.85

Synopsis: Golden boy Ezra Faulkner believes everyone has a tragedy waiting for them—a single encounter after which everything that really matters will happen. His particular tragedy waited until he was primed to lose it all: in one spectacular night, a reckless driver shatters Ezra’s knee, his athletic career, and his social life.

No longer a front-runner for Homecoming King, Ezra finds himself at the table of misfits, where he encounters new girl Cassidy Thorpe. Cassidy is unlike anyone Ezra’s ever met, achingly effortless, fiercely intelligent, and determined to bring Ezra along on her endless adventures.

But as Ezra dives into his new studies, new friendships, and new love, he learns that some people, like books, are easy to misread. And now he must consider: if one’s singular tragedy has already hit and everything after it has mattered quite a bit, what happens when more misfortune strikes? 

Robyn Schneider’s The Beginning of Everything is a lyrical, witty, and heart-wrenching novel about how difficult it is to play the part that people expect, and how new beginnings can stem from abrupt and tragic endings.

I kinda put this review off a lot for some reason :/ So it'll be short and to the point.

   I...really loved it. It was totally a twist for me because maybe I was judgemental on the cover... I lowered my expectations a little. (The cover makes sense now XD It's cute. Reminds me of lemon zest cake. Don't ask me why)
   The book teaches that there's always some moment that becomes a beginning for everything. There were laugh-out-loud moments, moments where I just sat stunned in silence, and some that had me facepalming.
   The characters were well written and believable, which I like the best. Cassidy was easily my favourite from the beginning, and although I understand why she decided and made the conclusion of the book to be like that, I can't help but wish that I just wanted a happy ending for her. Being the hilarious quirky debate queen, she captures our dear Ezra's heart.
   Now Ezra. Our protagonist. I did like him, although he was a bit strange at points. His beginning was obviously the car crash, but what I don't get is why he thought just because he was no longer to use his knee anymore to play tennis, he convinced himself that no one wanted him anymore. The all star popular boy, typical "golden boy" as the synopsis puts it. He avoided all his old friends and sat somewhere else during lunch, got really surprised when his friends started talking to him after school started. (Albeit that was a good thing because his friends were jerks.) That part didn't get explained very well and left me confused. Or maybe it was just because I have never been in his "popular" situation where people apparently get cut out fast as soon as they do something wrong. *shrugs* Oh also I wish the secondary characters were gone in more detail. None of them were too memorable for me. The story mostly focused on our mains.

The plot, although it didn't stand too much, grew on me. The ending doused me with cold water and told me again, that books don't always end in the fairytale way we want it to. I became to love the characters, their morse code exchanges, the tumbleweed snowman, and everything. Sure there were flaws, and the way the book closed -.- , but overall it was a really good.

I would recommend it :D If you have time for a quick contemporary read you should really pick it up and give it a try. Happy readings!

—MissOddball™ Over and Out. *salutes*

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Teaser Tuesdays #4 – The Beginning of Everything

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Okkaayy peoples! Cassie here. My first Teaser Tuesday :D I always find these fun to read.
My teasers will be from The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schenider. The book was awesome, I juuuust finished it,  and I'll be posting a review soon! Be on the lookout *winks* Here we go:

Source of Pic: Goodreads

   "So Ezra," Phoebe said, sliding onto the bench next to Luke. "Hows life as a teenage vampire?" Toby snorted, and Cassidy snickered through a mouthful of cupcake. 
   "Oh come on," Phoebe continued. "You're asking for it. Pale skin, black clothes, no lunch, and that whole brooding thing? It's hilarious. You should get some body glitter and go after an unsuspecting freshman." 
   "You should!" Cassidy agreed. "Tell her you're a dangerous monster. And mention how good her blood smells." 
   "Wrong time of the month on that one, and I'm getting slapped," I muttered, 
and everyone laughed.

AND:

There was a little smear of sunscreen below her ear. 
   "Wait," I said, reaching to wipe it away. "You had sunscreen on your cheek."
   "Did you get it?" Cassidy asked.
   "No, I smeared it bigger."
   "Whatever," she said. "At least I don't have sunscreen in my hair"
   "It's not sunscreen. You're turning my hair white." 
  
What are your teasers? Share below!

—MissOddball™ Over and Out. *salutes*

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Open Road Summer- Emery Lord

Open Road Summer
by
Emery Lord

My Rating: ★★★★ Sweet and hilarious :P

Average Rating on Goodreads: 3.96

Synopsis: 
After breaking up with her bad-news boyfriend, Reagan O’Neill is ready to leave her rebellious ways behind. . . and her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own. Fortunately, Lilah’s 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break-up ballads and healing hearts. But when Matt Finch joins the tour as its opening act, his boy-next-door charm proves difficult for Reagan to resist, despite her vow to live a drama-free existence. This summer, Reagan and Lilah will navigate the ups and downs of fame and friendship as they come to see that giving your heart to the right person is always a risk worth taking. A fresh new voice in contemporary romance, Emery Lord’s gorgeous writing hits all the right notes.

I loved it. It felt like Hannah Montana in book form though..  You know, like someone who was nobody because somebody.. teenage country singing sensation.. yadayada. Only it was a little different because instead of the "Miley" character Lilah (Dee) Montgomery, our "Lily" character Reagan O'Neill is the star, and we're going to be following her personal love story.

I think knowing Hannah Montana ruined the book for me a bit though XD Because instead of thinking of the book as a light summer road trip read, it was more like every scene in the book was a HM episode o.O Even though I watched it aaaages ago.

And this didn't really help..:
"Matt Finch's guests," Dee tells the bouncer, leaning to glance at his clipboard. Above us, the marquee reads:
MATT FINCH LIVE-ONE NIGHT ONLY
"Samantha Alabama and Ronnie O"
Matt texted us these names on our way to the bar, and Dee cackles at such obvious pseudonyms. 

Did you know, fellow nonAmerican people, Montgomery is a place in Alabama?? XD 
Hannah Montana....Samantha Alabama... Montana.. Alabama... Montgomery... *cough* Such an innocent coincidence.

Anyways, that isn't the main part of the story but I just wanted to get that out of the way.

Meet Reagan, our narrator, who doesn't have a very happy life.

"My family life belongs in the lyrics of a bad country song."

I'm not sure if I was too happy about this girl. I mean Reagan is tough and funny and all...but she's a jerk. She plays with boys for the fun of it, cheats on them, all that jazz. She's also a bit of a hypocrite. Ugh... You have your moments, but overall, it was really frustrating to be in your head for 342 pages, Miss O'Neill. But I understand that your situation wasn't perfect at all.
She's also quite..friendly with the police XD

"My list of offences runs long, and I'm not proud of any of them- except maybe the time I outran a cop while wearing stilettos."

Matt on the other hand, IS perrrrrfect :P He's cute, nice, plays the guitar (-well duh...he's a singer/songwriter...), and also funny with sarcasm! I do have to admit reading Matt and Reagan's little banters cheer me up!! (PLUS THANK YOU. SOMEONE WHO AGREES COKE IS BLEH XD)

"He turns to me. "Do you have something to say about my snack selections?" 
"Nope." I fall into line behind him. "I just didn't realise you were a middle school girl going to a slumber party."
"And I," he says, plunking his strawberry-fest down on the counter, "didn't realise you were a soccer mom justifying her chocolate craving with the fact that raisins are a fruit."
**
Lord's (Bahahah cool name) writing is also just...beautiful. Pluuus she has the talent to make our breaths stop in anticipation...and then kind of... Er idk o.O

"You're a smoker?" a voice near me asks. I turn to see Matt walking toward me, holding a cell phone in his hand. He's wearing a baseball cap now, pulled low to obscure his famous face. 
     "Nope." The smoke curls out of my mouth like steam rising from a cup of tea.
He steps closer, mere centimetres away. I freeze, my whole body paralysed by his unexpected nearness. Leaning toward me, he closes his lips over the cigarette between my fingers. I expect him to take a drag- that long, forbidden inhale of a professional singer. Instead, he tugs the cigarette from my hand with HIS TEETH and lets it drop to the ground. He stamps it out with his shoe and bravado, his arms out like a matador who has conquered the bull.
     My jaw slackens. I snap it shut, but it falls open again. "What. Did. You. Just. DO."

XD You do not just take a smoker's smoke.. That's like suicide :PP

Reagan the tough chick and Matt the sweet singer...oh how will they ever be together *dramatic music*

From the start though, you can totally see it working. Whiiich makes it a bit predictable. But there are a few subtle twists here and there so do not fear! (but the ending was stupid. Stupid Reagan.)

I loveddd Dee and Reagan's friendship too.. like THIS is real friendship. THIS is a real roadtrip. (Belle take notes of the road trip thing XPP) Gosh.. if I just had a friend like that. Life would be perfect(ish) ;) - and just sayin, the phrase "best friend" was used 59 times 0.o

8 year old Dee and Reagan:

Do you think we could be friends for infinity? She asked. 
     After a moment, I said, Yeah. I'm pretty sure we could be.
**
I don't think I can write a proper review for this because even despite all it's flaws (which are plenty), I just really do like this book! and it's always hard writing a review for a book you like :P

So just know it's a great summer read- SUMMER ISN'T OVER YET! WHOOP- and let's all follow Dee's advice.

I guess I do know this: find a best friend, and hang on tight.

—MissOddball™ Over and Out. *salutes*

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Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Source of Pic: Penguin Books

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Current Rating on Goodreads: 4.16 of 5 stars
Pages: 372
Synopsis (via Goodreads):

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend.

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?

Here's the thing about Anna, I felt that while she was hilarious and pretty and funny, she lacked self confidence and was, for lack of a better word, a little bit pathetic......:-/ But mind you there was a lot of self discovery and maturity to be gained for both Anna and Étienne during the book.......
Anna made some really stupid mistakes, but so did Étienne, they're both flawed, but they're also good for each other, and sooo swoonworthyyy!! ;PP I can see why you claimed him little C! ;D

I felt that the drama between the group (aka St Clair, Josh, Rashmi, Meredith, Anna) in relation to all things Ellie was a little overdramatised. And also the tension between Meredith and Anna because of St Clair got on my nerves. I felt like it wasn't needed. I mean, Anna basically just cast Meredith's feelings aside after the initial observation that Mer had a crush on Étienne because there was no mention of Anna's thoughts on Mer's feelings (except that it was unfounded because Anna was in self-denial that there was anything between her and St Clair), only that Anna knew Mer was upset and jealous, but she did ABSOLUTELY nothing about it. She didn't try to address the problem at all.......:/ But after everything blows over I'm soooo glad that Mer and Anna are still awesome friends!! :DDD

And about Toph and Anna, and Étienne and Ellie. Urrghhhh. It was like Anna and Étienne were cheating (even tho they hadn't kissed till the end-parts they were still intimate) because they just wouldn't take the leap and break from their current relationships (plus all the misunderstandings), aka one a distance nearly boyfriend (Toph, who ended up going off with Bridge, who I'm still not happy with *glares*), the other a b**chy (seriously St Clair, I don't know why you were still with Ellie regardless of Anna!! >:O) 'I'm playing at being French' stuck-up girl who just decided to ditch all her friends......except, of course, the hot one who happened to be her boyfriend *sneers*. Étienne especially kept dragging Anna along, and then he got all sour whenever Anna mentioned Toph. Seriously? o.O Ohh, and Anna's wallowing about how St Clair kept running off to Ellie every night or whatever was SOOOO irritating..........*frowns* Plus the nonsense with Dave. Urrghhh. No, just no. *wrinkles nose in disgust*

BUT MAHH GODD DID I LUVVV THE GOOD PARTS!!!!!!!!!!! And dis book is a complete love story, no sex involved, which was nice and sweet (it wasn't innocent, but it felt more pure, somehow <3) AND DA ENDINGGG!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE THIS BOOK BECAUSE EVEN THO THERE WAS SOOOO MUCH DRAMA THROUGHOUT THE BOOK, THE ENDING IS A SWEET HAPPY RESOLUTION!!!!!!!!!!! <333333

“I’m surprised by how much I’ll miss France. Atlanta was home for almost eighteen years, and though I’ve only known Paris for the last nine months, it’s changed me. I have a new city to learn next year, but I’m not scared.
Because I was right. For the two of us, home isn’t a place. It’s a person.
And we’re finally home.”
Awwww........*starry eyed*

RANDOMANIA: Oliphant!! LOTR reference!!!! :DDDD

Conclusion: It was a bit overdramatised......ookayy, a lot, but the good parts and the ending are edible!!!! *swoons* ;DD
4 stars! <3

—MissBloodsucker™ All Sucked Out!

View this review on Goodreads

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Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Pushing the Limits
by
Katie McGarry

My Rating: ★★★★ 3.5. I have no idea how to do half stars and I'm too lazy to Google. Better than what I expected!

Average Rating on Goodreads: 4.13

Synopsis:

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. 

But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible. 

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

So... Okay well I have to admit, the reason it was better than I expected was because I was expecting a really bad book. and by bad, I mean like 1-2 star bad. If I had looked forward to reading this, it would have been rated lower XD I dunnoooo that's just how the mind works I guess. Anyhoo,

It's definitely not one of my favourites, and I have no idea why more than half of my friends on Goodreads put it on their "made me cry" shelf o.O It was okay and such, but no... no tears here..

The story itself is a bit complicated. Well more specifically, the backstory of each character.

Our main MCs Echo and Noah are both scarred in ways I will never imagine, and we do see real character and person development through thissss. It's quite beautiful to see ;)

I honestly didn't really like the charries though.. Noah was eh, Echo was eh, Luke.. I don't even know why he was needed in the story..idiot., everyone was just ehhhhh! Oh but Mrs (Ms?) Collins was okay :P Me likey. She so nice. and Lila. But that's preeeetty much it.

The writing was a little weeeiiirrdd...Kay wait first of all, I want to applaud the PoV changes because it's not easy to make dual PoVs distinguishable. Maybe it's because Noah's writing swore a few times every page, I don't know, but I don't think I was every confused by it. So yeah!
Back to the point:
Actually the WRITING itself is fine, McGarry is a talented author, but the phrases and repetition she usesss....*cocks head and frown uncertainly*

*the pages are from my ebook copy*
Echo on page 14:
I peeked at her through the red, curly hair hanging over my face.

Noah on page 34:
I snuck a peek and noticed red, silky, curly hair.

Just because you add the word "silky" in there...XD

Echo on page 174:
Luke used to give me butterflies. Noah spawned mutant pterodactyls. 
.....well then.
Noah:
No doubt, Echo Emerson equaled siren.
and she gave me that siren smile each time
my siren sang nonetheless
any trace of the siren smile I worked so hard to put on her face faded
That siren voice whispering my name
My siren ate me alive with every movement
Her siren smile appeared
She gave me that siren smile
Come on, my little siren
My own personal siren
My siren sung to me
Her siren lit up my world
My siren smiled at me
I wanted to see that siren smile
A ghost of that sire-

Me: SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP NOAH JUST SHUT UP ALREADY WE GET IT SHE'S A SIREN BEEEEEBOBEEEEBO YAYAYY. NOW SHUT. UP. IF I HEAR THAT ONE MORE TIME I'LL STAB SOMEONE.

I am not a happy camper.

Oh and Noah first got attracted to Echo because she had big boobs. *shakes head* People these days

*cough* Echo also got attracted to Noah because he's hot
-_-

It's also no use to mention fights between them because we aaall know they're gonna get back together anyways.. That's how most YA works *rolls eyes* I guesssss it made it a bit more interesting but...mmm..

Bottom Line:
A love story between two people with history they'd like to forget, a story also fairly focused on family relationships and forgiveness, a bunch of sappy stuff in the middle, really weird phrases which makes you want to murder someone, loads of character development, and overall a quite touching story. Not a must read, but it's a quick and thoughtful one.
—MissOddball™ Over and Out. *salutes*

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Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Source of Pic: Amazon

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Current Rating on Goodreads: 4.22 of 5 stars
Pages: 445 pages
Synopsis (via Goodreads):

From the author of the New York Times bestseller Eleanor & Park.
A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love.
Cath is a Simon Snow fan.
Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...
But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.
Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.
Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.
Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.
For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?
Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?
And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?
"Touching and utterly real." —  Publisher's Weekly

Ookayy, wow, idk how I feel about this book.
So this story is called Fangirl, so I guess it's meant to be about how Cather (and Wren?) are Fangirls. In this case about Simon Snow (o.O). But I really don't understand. I mean, yes Cath was a Fangirl, and yes she was so obsessed with Simon Snow and Baz that she wrote fan-fiction to express how SHE felt about the characters and the right ending etc. but.......so? I didn't get the point.
Firstly, just because you're a Fangirl doesn't mean you write fan fiction. Also, the plot branched out from just being about Fangirls. It was about Cather's life. It was a segment in Cath's life, that didn't have any exact particular significance to Fangirls, at least from what I could tell. o.O So I don't really know what the whole story was about. Was it about how Cath found someone she liked? Was it her getting over her 'craziness', as she called it? Did she even get over her 'craziness'? Was it mending her and her sister's relationship? What happened to their relationship to begin with? (and I still don't know what happened with Courtney and Wren, just throwing that out there) Was it coming to peace with anything related to her (terrible) mother Laura? Idk. Maybe a mix of them all, but I just didn't get the point of it all.

In the beginning I was constantly switching between thinking about how hilarious or quirky the book is, and then the next I was either wallowing in annoyance or pondering how the quips are so weird they almost sound unnatural. After a while I kinda got used to it tho........

“I’m not old, you know.” He was tapping the table with the two middle fingers of his left hand. “Forty-one. The other guys my age at work are just starting to have kids.”
“That was good thinking,” Cath said, “getting us out of the way early. You can start bringing home chicks now—the coast is clear.”
“All my chicks…,” he said, looking down at his plate. “You guys are the only chicks I’m worried about.”
“Ugh. Dad. Weird.”
“You know what I mean. What’s up with you and your sister? You’ve never fought like this before.…”
“We’re not fighting now,” Cath said, taking a bite of bacon-cheeseburger pizza. “Oh, geez.” She spit it out.
“What’s wrong, did you get an eyelid?”
“No. Pickle. It’s okay. I just wasn’t expecting it.”

Me:

And the characters felt so fickle. Like one moment they acted one way, and then the next they were completely different. And I didn't really like that.

Cather: Ookayy. So Cath. She seemed to view herself as damaged goods. That ever since Laura (her mother) left when she was emotionally mutilated or something. And she obviously had a lack of self confidence. But she seemed content like that because she was too scared to come out of her shell (praise Reagan at this point). And then she would get all mopey that her sister was the 'Cool One'. Well, honestly it's kinda her own fault. I don't mean to be harsh, but if she just put herself out there, then she would find that there are soooo many people out there in the world, and she doesn't have to rely on just her (only half the time reliable) twin sister to pull her through the tough times. Of course, I'm not a twin so I don't know what it's like to be one, and what it feels like to have that connection, but that's just my opinion. I'm not saying that Cath shouldn't rely on Wren AT ALL. I'm just saying they're not the SAME PERSON. And there will always be differences between them. And thus they should have some parts of their lives that are separate. Otherwise, one of them (being Cather), will probably tend to start to feel inferior. It just seems logical that that would happen. So yeah. I felt for Cather, but she wasn't anywhere near perfect. And she still had lots to learn from life.

Reagan: Overall I liked Reagan. She was blunt, and rude at times, but I think she was really instrumental to helping Cather out of her shell. She pushed Cather out of her shell, actually. The only thing I didn't like was the times she occasionally went a little bit bit**y about Levi and Cather. But I guess it would be a little hard to see your roommate and ex-boyfriend together, even if you DID cheat on said ex-boyfriend when he was your boyfriend.

Wren: Especially in the first half, Wren is Mean-girl, or the 'Cool One' *rolls eyes*, but then at times she also plays Nice-sister. So I'm like, huh. Well then. She says she wasn't effected by her mum's disappearing act like Cather and their dad was, but I don't think that's true. She just reacted in a different way. All the partying. And life ideals. To have fun at every given moment. She certainly wasn't perfect either. But I can't exactly dislike her because she was just learning too.

Laura: I DESPISE the mum. I mean, seriously? Okay, I get it that 'Laura' wasn't happy in her marriage. But not even keeping in touch of your children for 10 years? And THEN, when their childhood is finally ending, when the time that they REALLY REALLY would have benefited from having their mother to look after them has JUST ended, THEN she tries to get in contact. I think that's just pathetic.

Also, here's the thing about me. Books that are overly quirky (aka when the quirkiness is the main feel of the novel) just aren't my style. The protagonist is weird, love interest is weird, the story is weird. EVERYTHING ABOUT THESE TYPES OF BOOKS ARE OUT OF THE ORDINARY OUT OF THE ORDINARY!! Make sense? Not really? Sorry. XD

3 stars because I (kinda) liked it, but the all-over-the-place is not my scene. (Soz Tillie Tallie! ;P)

—MissBloodsucker™ All Sucked Out!

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This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith :D

This is What Happy Looks Like
by
Jennifer E. Smith

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ :DD

Average Rating on Goodreads: ★ ★ ★ ★ 3.71 Stars

Synopsis:

When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds. 

Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?

     Ommggg this book was so cuuuteee it's not even funnnyyyy<33 By just reading the prologue, my face hurt from smiling, and I was instantly regretting that I picked it up at 12am. (I slept at 3. On a  school night. Well that's only like an hour after my usual time but whateverrrr! It's the feeling that counts xD) Maybe it's because I've made many precious friendships online, or whatnot, but this just really connected to mee. It was not instalove (If you have seen my the Geography of You and Me review, you will see that I am so grateful for this fact..), but a slow, drawn out one. And all through a mis-sent email, of course. No better way to find friendships than a wrong number? and with a certain pig ;)

    Graham and Ellie were just so right for each other. Of course there were some conflicts to the story, and i'm glad there was what there was, although my reaction was pretty much NOOOOOO!! XD

     Jen's writing alwaaays manages to give me a nostalgic feel throughout the book. (Not including tGoYaM ..that acronym looks so cool, btw..) Again, maybe it's the whole I-Made-My-Best-Friends-Online-and-I-Am-So-Jealous-She-Actually-Gets-To-Meet-Him thing, however I loved loved loved it all the same. I would say this wins the Statistical Probability by a hair-width.  :D Sullen popstar and ole' small town girl with a background miiiight seem a bit cliche, but It's worth it. Not cheesy like most, not idiodical and unbelievable, just perfecto. PARFAITE. J'ADORE! Wo aì ni, dear book.

^My attempt at being international. *snorts*

Anyhoo.

It's a lovely summer/winter? read, so get out a beach chair or snuggle into an armchair with some tea (I'm doing a northern and southern hemi version for ya, Bellzie XP) and get crackin with the story, because I'm sure you'll love it as much as I did. *threatening glance* You better. :) *grabs machette and thumps on other hand*

Oh but word of advise, this is my personal opinion. Tryyy not to get your hopes to high up?? Like..ignore what I just gushed about for the last 4 paragraphs XDD *cracks up* I'm such a hypocrite. I'm not saying it's not worth it, obviously, but when people get their hopes up, they set bars up, and then they get all disappointed because they expect Harry Potter level books......uhhhh guyss....no.

But do enjoy the story for me please? ;) *tips hat and fades into shadows*

-MissOddball™ Over and Out. *salutes*



   

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The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith

The Geography of You and Me
by
Jennifer E. Smith

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ It was a let down....since yall know how much I love Miss Smith .-.

Average Rating on Goodreads: ★ ★ ★ ★ 3.79 Stars.

Synopsis: 

Lucy and Owen meet somewhere between the tenth and eleventh floors of a New York City apartment building, on an elevator rendered useless by a citywide blackout. After they're rescued, they spend a single night together, wandering the darkened streets and marveling at the rare appearance of stars above Manhattan. But once the power is restored, so is reality. Lucy soon moves to Edinburgh with her parents, while Owen heads out west with his father.

Lucy and Owen's relationship plays out across the globe as they stay in touch through postcards, occasional e-mails, and -- finally -- a reunion in the city where they first met.

A carefully charted map of a long-distance relationship, Jennifer E. Smith's new novel shows that the center of the world isn't necessarily a place. It can be a person, too.

     Okay. So, first of all, I would like to say that this is my FIRST Jen E. Smith book I didn't like all that much. (I read the Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and This is What Happy Looks Like. Actually I read This is What Happy Looks Like before The Geography of You and Me *OMG THESE TITLES, PEOPLE*, but I wanted to write this one first since it was fresher in my mindd :D)

     Lucy and Owen get trapped in an elevator during a city blackout for half an hour one day, and *poof* something matches between them. The reason why I didn't like this as much as others is quite obvious, in my case. You see, In the Statistical Probability of blabla, despite the title, it isn't actually Love at first sight. That's why it stuck with me so much and why it's one of my favourites. In This is What Happy Looks Like, it isn't love at first sight either. Also one of my favs. Buuuttt you probs guessed it by now XD In THIS IS THE GEO OF YOU AND ME, IT IS LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT. Albeit the sweetness, it was not her best work. You know a guy for half an hour in the dark, maybe a few hours more during the time on the rooftop, and like just..... no. No. It just....ugh. The whole book revolves around that ONE night on the rooftop and in the elevatorrrrr! It was NONSENSICAL. NONSENSICAL, YA HEAR?!!

"Lucy and Owen's relationship plays out across the globe as they stay in touch through postcards, occasional e-mails" Postcards were one liners. They only did proper email convos a few times. *facepalm* I didn't get it. Whyyyyyyy must you fail me like thisssss!!

and DUDE. LIAM. LIAM. LIAM. and WHATSHERNAME. They were props for you guys? Sweet scottish guy comes and treats the new girl amazingly well for months and you ditch him for a guy you knew for a few hours. Sweet..ish.. girl is extremely friendly to new guy and you ditch her for elevator girl. It was MONTHS ago, man. I liked Liam better than Owen anyways -_- Sigh. Liam was so nice *cries* Poor guy. and he had an accent xD

     The ending was alright, I suppose... still really buuummmmmeddd though ;( So yeah... It was still kinda entertaining, and a light read. I would recommend that you read either the Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, or This is What Happy Looks Like first, then move on to this one AFTER you have experienced her more awesome novels :D

*nods* I have wonderful solutions xD

-MissOddball™ Over and Out. *salutes*

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