Aristotle and Dane Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

————

I closed my eyes. I guess that was going to be my new thing. I couldn't exactly storm away in anger. I'd just have to close my eyes and shut out the universe.

- Ari and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Benjamin A. Sánez

————

One word: Beautiful.

Aristotle and Dante.

Very different in personality, with the exception that they are both loners.
Of course, they become best friends.
We follow both these boys in becoming men in this spectacular coming of age novel.

When I said beautiful, I was so not kidding! The author's writing style was reaaally nice. It wasn't really 'poetic', in a Markus Zusak sort of way, but it held this very weird sadness throughout the book that set the mood pretty well. You should see my quote book I probably used eight pages for this book hehe. Cassie's Book of Deepness. (Yes that's my actual title *flicks hair*)

Aristotle:
I renamed myself Ari. If I switched the letter, my name was Air. I thought it might be a great thing to be the air. I could be something and nothing at the same time. I could be necessary and also invisible.

That about sums his character up. Wants to be necessary, but also invisible. Since he's our narrator, it's only so that we know more about him than Dante. Ari was a sad character, to be honest.. He can't help it, but he's a sad person! Always more of a 'half empty' sort of guy. But you could relate to him really well because his emotions were raaaww. I loved seeing his development as a person throughout the book :D

Dante:
'He needs a friend. Everybody needs a friend.'

Dante was more confusing. He was more complex, and had loads of different sides to him. Ari too, but it wasn't as brought out. I liked him as well! He was just really innocent and everything.

I have to admit, I didn't particularly see eye to eye with the gay aspect in the book. I wasn't against it, just it felt like it would have matched the book a bit better if it was a sense of 'brotherhood' rather than pointing at a relationship. Eh, just my opinion.

So, the secrets of the universe. Everyone wants to know the secrets of the universe, right? Why are we here, why do we exist. Every teen (and adult) goes through that phase of pondering. In this book, it’s just yet another ordinary teen going through his own phase in life. By the end of the book? he’s figured out more than most people do during their own phase, and that’s something I respect. The message was told across quite strongly as well, instead of lightly insinuating like a lot of books. Fitting but maybe a teeeny bit overdone?

Overall though, it was a sweet, consistent, heartbreaking/warming book about growing up and making your own desicions in life. Perfect if you like really deep and mysterious books with a eery (I don’t know why but it felt like that to me) tone. Recommended!

'I mean, when do we start feeling like the world belongs to us?'
I wanted to tell him that the world would never belong to us.
'I don't know,' I said. 'Tomorrow.'

—MissOddball™ Over and Out.

(If this is not in the fancy new format, apologies. I actually have no idea how to do that xD But it's been soooo long since anyone has posted :/ So busy nowadays. I'll have to finish up my other drafted reviews quite soon.. )


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Whatever Life Throws at You by Julie Cross

Whatever Life Throws at You by Julie Cross
Published on 7th Oct 2014
320 pages
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Life loves a good curveball…
Seventeen-year-old Annie Lucas's life is completely upended the moment her dad returns to the major leagues as the new pitching coach for the Kansas City Royals. Now she's living in Missouri (too cold), attending an all-girls school (no boys), and navigating the strange world of professional sports. But Annie has dreams of her own—most of which involve placing first at every track meet…and one starring the Royals' super-hot rookie pitcher.
But nineteen-year-old Jason Brody is completely, utterly, and totally off-limits. Besides, her dad would kill them both several times over. Not to mention Brody has something of a past, and his fan club is filled with C-cupped models, not smart-mouthed high school “brats” who can run the pants off every player on the team. Annie has enough on her plate without taking their friendship to the next level. The last thing she should be doing is falling in love.
But baseball isn't just a game. It's life. And sometimes, it can break your heart…

Eeeeekk I loved this one so much! Definitely worth those few dollars on iBooks :D
Let me just start off by fangirling over that gorgeous cover! IT'S SO CUTE I WANT TO HUG IT! *SCREAMS AND RUNS IN CIRCLES*
Okay, I'm good now.
No, waait, one more time. IT'S SO FRIGGING SWEET I'M MELTING!



Sorry, I had to do that. Now I'm good. Truly.

Whatever Life Throws at You was a cute heartfelt read that made me laugh or smile every couple of lines. In other words, it was soooo my kind of book.
There was certainly a cliché element to it with Brody and Annie falling for each other and creating a secret/taboo relationship spin to the book. Throw in the media and you have a potential whirlwind of problems that could scream cliché.
But what made the book unique was the depth of the emotional interaction of the characters. It wasn't a simple girl falls for boy and vice versa kind of story. I could feel real palpable emotion and relationships between Annie, Brody, and her dad. It wasn't solely about Annie and Brody and their romance. There was also Annie's relationship with her dad and how it was affected by her mum.
The book was longer than I thought it would be, and it dragged out somewhat, but there was also a lot more depth and feeling than I expected.

I adored Annie. She wasn't anywhere close to the stereotypical YA female who gets flustered by male attention and has a severe lack of self-confidence.
She had a good measure of maturity (I'd say resulting from having a mother like hers *cough* and looking after her family for so long), but she didn't develop a prissy stuck-up attitude. She wasn't afraid to be girly or flirtatious if she felt like it, and I liked that about her. Annie definitely still acted like a teenager and yes, she did have bouts of naivety, but that just made her human, and overall, she's the kind of girl I'd be content to be at 17.

I loved the interaction between Brody and Annie, and even in the beginning when they were constantly bickering they had a mutual sense of comradrie that connected them becuase of their shared interest in keeping Brody and Annie's dad securely in their respective jobs.

Brody wasn't the classic self-important bad-boy man-whore. Yes, he was sexy and witty, but he was also damaged and vulnerable with a serious lack of self-confidence. I loved how we slowly got to know who he truly was as the novel progressed. Brody was such an honest, sweet, gooey-centred romantic and he and Annie are just perfect for each other. And hot damn, do I love my hot foreign-speaking fictional boys!

I respected the sincerity of the story. I think the ending was well written, and also very realistic, for which I'm extremely grateful. If you know me, you'll know that while I can tolerate some unrealistic turn of events, too far is simply too far *cough*Ignite*cough*, and realistic and relatively happy endings are my favourite kind of endings.
Speaking of which, I'm glad the animosity targeted at Brody by his teammates wasn't an issue tackled in the course of the book and was left to simmer down over time. Not all issues can be miraculously settled and sometimes you can't change something overnight.

P.s. And the FB updates are da bomb! So hilarious.

5 stars

—MissBloodsucker™ All Sucked Out!

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Every Ugly Word by Aimee L. Salter

When seventeen-year-old Ashley Watson walks through the halls of her high school bullies taunt and shove her. She can’t go a day without fighting with her mother. And no matter how hard she tries, she can’t make her best friend, Matt, fall in love with her. But Ashley also has something no one else does: a literal glimpse into the future. When Ashley looks into the mirror, she can see her twenty-three-year-old self.

Her older self has been through it all already—she endured the bullying, survived the heartbreak, and heard every ugly word her classmates threw at her. But her older self is also keeping a dark secret: Something terrible is about to happen to Ashley. Something that will change her life forever. Something even her older self is powerless to stop. 





Every Ugly Word by Aimee L. Salter
My Rating: ★★★★★
Stand Alone.
Page Count: 257
Recommended For: People looking for a great contemp/paranormal read.
Genres: YA, Contemporary, Romance, Paranormal
Cover Rating: 7/10

———————————————————

It isn't what happens to you in your life that destroys you. It's what you do about it.

- Aimee L. Salter, Every Ugly Word

———————————————————

I for one, can't remember the last time I just plowed through a book and finished it just like that.

It was just absolutely brilliant! From the first page and on, you can tell it's going to be different, original, and emotionally impacting.

The book touches a well..touchy subject: bullying. Bullying is real, and it's still going on strong in loads of places.

A lot of contemporary realistic books have trouble in getting in a fresh and intriguing perspective for the readers because frankly, there aren't THAT many things you can write about. It's either love, bullying, rape, ect. But Salter really made this stand out.

This book mixes in a bit of paranormal and the classic 'i'm in love with my best friend' structure. <3

The Concept
What if you looked into the mirror, saw your reflection, and it talked back?

This to me, was very spooky yet oddly creative. Because who's advice do you usually tend to listen to more? Yourself. Your Older Me is looking from the future, giving you advice and tips having lived everything through already. Would you trust yourself completely? I honestly don't know the answer to that..

Let's meet a few characters...

What was wrong with me? Why couldn't I be the kick-ass heroine, like in books? Or the strong noble star of a movie? Because it hurts.

— Aimee L. Salter, Every Ugly Word

I adored Ashley, our main. She goes through SO much, but she's always strong in her own way and refuses to give up. I had an instant connection with her although I've never experienced anything like she did (thank goodness), and throughout the book I just wanted to give her a box of chocolates. Is that weird? Totally random but yeah :P
I loved how her therapy was art. For some reason, I feel drawn a person so much more if they can express through something they love doing. I just with I could do that :D

The author's note at the end was awesome to read, because it gave a more indepth PoV on our author and characters. As Salter got bullied in her life as well, she put herself in her writing. She knows how Ashley felt, and what simple words can mean to a person. That's why Ashley is such a great, believable character. One of the reasons I love it is because it felt like Salter did just what Ash did.

Except instead of art, it was writing in her case. When authors truly just mean what they're actually writing; when the characters, and the whole world they're putting from their hearts onto paper are real representatives of them; It becomes my fav :)

Matt was cute! He wasn't perfect, as told many times in the book. I don't trust his judgement, but I liked his character xD  I want a bestie like him :( but Hmmm wonder when I'll pick up a contemp book where girl/guy bestfriend relationship stay platonic instead of either being unrequited love or they eventually start dating.. like Harry and Hermione! :P

Ending:
The ending was sooo just well done! I don't want to give anything away. Go away and read it for yourself.

Overall, it was a very thought provoking read (the mirror bits are confusing because well.. it kind of felt psychological but also real so..), but I finished it really quickly.

Powerful and emotional, it raises awareness of how powerful words are, and how you can turn that power into something good if you just keep strong.

Seriously, I don't want to talk anymore..just shoo and pick up a copy. Or technically a kindle/ipad/ipod whatever because there apparently aren't any physical copies printed.. shame :(

I knew this day was the turning point. The moment I'd look back on and say, "That's when my life changed."

-Aimee L. Salter, Every Ugly Word.

—MissOddball™ Over and Out.

**Thank you thank you Netgalley for providing me with a review copy!!<3**

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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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The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner
by
Khaled Hosseini

Stand Alone.
Page Count: 401

My Rating: ★★★★★ Brilliant!
Current Average Rating on Goodreads: 4.21

Synopsis:
“It may be unfair, but what happens in a few days, sometimes even a single day, can change the course of a whole lifetime." 
Amir is the son of a wealthy Kabul merchant, a member of the ruling caste of Pashums. Hassan, his servant and constant companion, is a Hazara, a despised and impoverished caste. Their uncommon bond is torn by Amir's choice to abandon his friend amidst the increasing ethnic, religious, and political tensions of the dying years of the Afghan monarchy, wrenching them far apart. But so strong is the bond between the two boys that Amir journeys back to a distant world, to try to right past wrongs against the only true friend he ever had.

The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies.

A sweeping story of family, love, and friendship told against the devastating backdrop of the history of Afghanistan over the last thirty years, The Kite Runner is an unusual and powerful novel that has become a beloved, one-of-a-kind classic.

Hassan:
FOR YOU, A THOUSAND TIMES OVER!

Thissss.. was an hjhfdxgfgvbkj (speechless) book.
Honestly, I'm becoming more pulled towards books with classic-y feelings lately, and stories like these are the reason why. It's just so timeless and magical!

First, I was skeptical about this because I haven't read much historical fiction, plus it didn't really help that everytime I went to school, my friend was like 'Oh my gosh Cassie, that is such a weird and inappropriate book!'

*facepalm*

Yes it was a bit inappropriate, no it wasn't weird. Now we got that sorted out, moving on.

 It's centred around Afghanistan, which I am quite sad so say I have no clue about it's history :/ *cough*Notmyfault..wellmaybebutshhh

The time period this book goes through is reaaaally extensive. Amir is telling us about his story, and it begins with his 13 year old self, and we're still with him when he's like 34 or something 0.o Oldd! I haven't read many stories where the characters are full grown adults! Woah.
(If you're wondering, I checked and no it isn't YA. Apparently it's an adult book.. partly because Amir ain't no young adult and there are some mature themes.)

 There is SO much character development with Amir as we literally live through most his life. It was seriously wacky XD But I got attached with all the people, (Hassan<3) and although some of them didn't get a happy ever after..... nothing seemed rushed and random.

If you see it one way, there really wasn't a definite plot line either. It was like the story just went ooon and ooon right until Amir forgave himself (kind of).. and that's when it finally stopped. Took long enough :P

Sounds strange? A bit maybe. But give it a go. :)

We could also see how America and Afghanistan contrasted back then. And how the poor and rich differed; how people in opposite classes considered each other, and just general human things. Enlightening :0 Dun dun dun!

Bottom Line:
Beautiful book, characters you live through hardships with. Tis truly a powerful impacting book that will put in views of people you've never really considered. Highly recommendedd!

Wowzers short review.
But it really seems like i'm reading nothing but amazing books these days, no?! :D *is proud*

—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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I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak :D

I Am the Messenger
by
Markus Zusak

Page Count: 357
Stand Alone.

My Rating: ★★★★★ LOVE

Current Average Rating on Goodreads: 4.11

Synopsis:
This teen gem about an unambitious teenager whose life is suddenly turned upside down by anonymous messages has it all - mystery, humor, romance, friendship.

Meet Ed Kennedy - underage cab driver, pathetic card player, and useless at romance. He lives in a shack, and he's hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence, until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery. That's when the first Ace arrives...That's when Ed becomes the messenger.

Chosen to care, he makes his way through town helping and hurting (when necessary), until only one question remains. Who's behind Ed's mission?

Michael L. Printz Honor Winner

First thought: Markus Zusak never fails to amaze me. 

Well fair enough, i've only read one other book of his (The Book Thief) , but that one is like my second favourite book EVERR. Second to Harry Potter, of course ;P

This story had a different .. what's the word..er mellifluous? feel to it. Maybe because it was in a muuch more modern setting.. I dunno. The Book Thief was magical, and this was beautiful.
How people write like this is beyond me... Really the only person who can write like this and pull it off is dear Mr. Zusak! The metaphors weren't deliberately confusing, they weren't used to make the book more fancy, or to make the characters look more smart, it's just all in the writing that I can't explain.

And we all know my incapabilities of writing reviews for books I love.

Which sucks epically.

In short, it will be quite a small review with lots of gushing and forcing. *clears throat*

Now if you're thinking 'metaphors? Yuuckkk! Metaphor overloaded books are horrible!' theen I say go read it anyways. Why? Because I hate badly written metaphoric overloaded books too, and this was definitely not one of them XD Zusak- (can I call you Markus pretty please? Yeyy) has one of the most unique styles of writing i've seen so far. How he uses his words are absolutely brilliant, and you can just imagine them tumbling out of his mind like fairy dust falling to the ground or something (*cough* Yeah..)

I paced myself with this book because I seriously did not want it to end. I mean, Ed has to wait ages to solve his message or get a new one! Who am I to read through his hardship in one sitting?!

Plus the best things come in pieces :P I would recommend reading a few chapters at a time, on contrary to that thingy... you know those little review comments publishers put on the cover? Mine was a library copy so I don't have it anymore :/ But it said "Don't pick it up until you have the time to read this in one sitting" or something similar.
Me: Noooo don't ruin the magic in a few hours!!

That's my advice anyways xD If you can't help it, I won't blame ya.

So the characters were realistic, and the story was unique. The secondary characters were also nice, even if they weren't my favourites. We can see Ed developing as a character and a person, and his point of view on the world and it's beauty. It's really lovely :)

The ending was a shockerr.... totally unexpected. *winks and zips lips*

I don't want to give too much away because where's the fun in that?

But really, you should read it. And the Book Thief if you haven't. Don't be put off because it's historical fiction! I don't read historical fiction either.

Markus Zusak has pushed both his books to my Top 5 Favourites so far :P *claps* Well done! I do hope you write more<3 The Book Thief was published in 2005 :( 9 Years ago! Rahhhh.....

P.s Well done for representing Aussie writers xD Come to think of it, I don't really know that many...huh o.O

—MissOddball™ Over and Out.

~~
Did you read this? Thoughts?
Do you want to read this? Or no? Teeelll meh xD My side whispers to your side of the world..
~~

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The Girl and the Clockwork Cat by Nikki McCormack

The Girl and the Clockwork Cat
by
Nikki McCormack

Page Count: 224
Stand Alone. (Horrible choice)

My Rating: ★ ★ ★

Current Average Rating on Goodreads: 4.05

Synopsis:
Feisty teenage thief Maeko and her maybe-more-than-friend Chaff have scraped out an existence in Victorian London’s gritty streets, but after a near-disastrous heist leads her to a mysterious clockwork cat and two dead bodies, she’s thrust into a murder mystery that may cost her everything she holds dear.

Her only allies are Chaff, the cat, and Ash, the son of the only murder 
 suspect, who offers her enough money to finally get off the streets if she’ll help him  
find the real killer. 

What starts as a simple search ultimately reveals a conspiracy stretching across the entire city. And as Maeko and Chaff discover feelings for each other neither was prepared to admit, she’s forced to choose whether she’ll stay with him or finally escape the life of a street rat. But with danger closing in around them, the only way any of them will get out of this alive is if all of them work together.

**Thank you Entangled Teen Publishing for giving me a review copy!**

Unfortunately, it wasn't good as I hoped. If i'm being honest, I don't even know why I picked it up because I usually don't read steampunk.. oh wells. The story is centred in London with a "street rat", Maeko (half Japanese), who gets sucked into this mystery revolving around a cat with a clockwork leg. Interesting? Mehhh..

The mystery was a bit laggy. It didn't really feel like a mystery either... Just some gal and an attempt at a love triangle, running around places trying not to get caught. I was bored at times, and had to really push myself to carry on till the end. (*cough* That's why it took ages to finish this..) It wasn't like the "I can't continue on for the life of me, please kill me now" feeling though. Some parts were actually decent. Just I think the general story could have been improved.

aaaaand,
The romance didn't work.
Seriously, the love triangle just didn't make sense in this one. A plain one to one could have done fine! Just because most YA books have triangles these days, there is NO NEED to grab a random male character and stick it in a love interest position :/ It's like... Ash's interest was believable. Sorta.
He's never seen her before, he's in a higher social cast, and well, she's interesting enough. A teenage half Japanese spunky girl hiding around the streets of London getting herself involved with really dangerous situations. Okay, i'll take that as a reason for romancee? XD

But the second guy, Chaff, has been her mentor of how to survive since she was really young. They have a special bond.. and then *DUN* Ash comes in. Chaff gets jealous. He turns into a mentor/friend/family to 'love interest' overnight.
Right.
Well then.

And then Maeko's all conflicted like NO WHO WILL I CHOOOOSE D:
*ends up not choosing anyone*
*book is a standalone*

Wth?

(It bothered me that Maeko was always saying "i'm not a rat!" but then she always called herself a rat.. Self confidence is the first step, darlin'. But I did like you somewhat :D Strong laddyy)

The writing was cool, I must admit! McCormack did a good job portraying historic London ^.^ Well the language anyways. I didn't really read much about the setting.. maybe she thought "Hmm where shall this scene be set... Pffft. London language, steampunk, yeah. The readers will know where the characters are right now. Just some random place in London. *shrugs and continues with story*"
Me: Whattt *is a bit confused through out the book*

Oh, and since mine is an ARC copy, I hope they proofread this before publishing xD McCormack slipped up and used "mom" twice near the end.. *looks around for editor* HELLOOO?

The ending was terrible! and not in a good way.
I recently (as mentioned above) found out this was a standalone? From Lola's review?
Sigh.. This was a big mistake :/ I hope the author really changes this decision. You can't leave a standalone in a cliffhanger, unless you're planning on finishing it.
And it wasn't like even "Eleanor and Park"'s deliberate 'open ended' ending. (btw that was an overhyped book, people. Overhyped book. Jus saying XD) This was a real honest CLIFFHANGER. Not that I would read the second book, but you just can't do that! IT'S NOT THE WAY OF THE UNIVERSE. *pulls hair*

Mer.

Overall, it was a bit of a easily forgettable read with a dragging on mystery (ish) and characters that didn't stand out (notice I haven't said much about them. Ain't really anything to say..) , an unnecessary love triangle, and a confusing plot. Should really be a sequel even if I won't read it, and i'm immensely glad I managed to finish it.
Yay!

—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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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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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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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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If I Stay- Gayle Forman

If I Stay
by Gayle Forman

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ 3 Stars. Meh. Mediocre

Current Average Rating on Goodreads: 3.98

Synopsis: 
Just listen, Adam says with a voice that sounds like shrapnel.

I open my eyes wide now.
I sit up as much as I can.
And I listen.

Stay, he says.

Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones: Stay true to her first love—music—even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind?

Then one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it's the only one that matters.

If I Stay is a heartachingly beautiful book about the power of love, the true meaning of family, and the choices we all make.

It..was an okay book, I guess. Not as good as everyone seems to make it, though. I think sometimes, book hype sorta destroys the book's chances of being even more popular because everyone suddenly has high expectations of it o.O If that made sense XD 

Anyways, 

It was a nice, heartfelt story. Mia herself is a very honest character which everything really comes from her heart. But a lot of times during her flashbacks, Mia irritated me to no end, disappointingly. She was a bit whiny, insecure, and just plain annoying :-/ I do have respect for her though, because she was strong throughout all her difficulties and hardships, and she seems so have a lot of experience in that area. This book is about family and relationships, making gut decisions, and if course, love. 

During a drive with her family, things go awfully wrong and in an instant, she becomes an orphan. Dont worry, im not spoiling you. XD The car drive isnt the main storyline of the book :P So shes in the hospital all hooked to these wires and thingybobs on the brink of death, right? She has to make a decision. Does she want to stay, or does she want to let go? 

The things that were really a big let down was the writing. Ive gotta admit I aint a fan of Gayle Forman's writing... Its choppy, nondescriptive, and sad to say but....boring. Boring. Bah. 

...

Humbug. (You knew I was gonna say that, didnt youuuu *waggles fingers*) XD

*coughs awkwardly* Moving on. 

Yeah so it was borrrrinn, so I was skimming a lot.. Me about 70% of the book:

 It actually had a really creative concept with an inner layer of meaning, but it was just delivered wrong. But I did love Mia's brother....whatshisname.....TEDDY. Yes. Teddy was sooo cuuuutteee!! *coos*
and the whole Adam/Mia connecting with music thing was sweet! Music lovers and musicians unite! XD Adam was awesome. Him and Kim were the best people in here :D Kim grounded Mia, and I loved her for that XD Kim does not like boy crazed girls. Kim good.

If you turn into one of those girlfriends, always ponying around after her boyfriend, and speaking in the first person plural. WE love the winter. WE think Velvet Underground is seminal. 
If you turn into one of those girls, I'll shoot you. - Kim

You're starting to act like one of those girls. Do you need to get me a gun? -Kim

 :D

The ending was great! A lot of people were all like 'Waahh I sobbed my eyes outttt', but I wasnt at thata extreme level.. It WAS sad, but not to that degree. I think the ending was a marvelous wrap up, and it made the book a whole lotta better. If It wasnt for the ending, maybe it would be 1.5 stars? You get where Im goin, yeah? :P I did tear up though..if you were wondering..

Oh there were a few freaky quotes... IT WAS JUST SO WEIRD AND AWKWARD TO READ *winces and facepalms*

And when he came off-stage afterward, he would be sweaty but it was such a clean sweat that part of me was tempted to lick the side of his face, like it was a lollipop. I didn't, though.

Kim, shoot me now.

Bottom line: Super short heartfelt read with badly written sentences and awkward dialouge with an annoying but respectful female protagonist who's going through a lot and makes her final choice in the end. Did I mention she also had.....erm...Interesting parents? O.o Theyre awesome, but a little stranngee XD Dude her mother swears so much *cracks up* and they both wore leather punk outfits for their wedding... Like I said, strange :P But its an interesting read. I wouldnt exactly recommend itt..but it isnt THAT bad xD So yeah! Cool! 

-MissOddball™ Over and Out. *salutes*

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