Review for Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer

Between the Lines
By Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer
Published by Emily Bestler Books/Atria/Simon Pulse
Read on PulseIt
358 pages

"What happens when happily ever after…isn’t? Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book—one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah. And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He’s sure there’s more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom. Delilah and Oliver work together to attempt to get Oliver out of his book, a challenging task that forces them to examine their perceptions of fate, the world, and their places in it. And as their attraction to each other grows along the way, a romance blossoms that is anything but a fairy tale." - Goodreads

Between the Lines is a fun, endearing, original story that had me begging to read it. Jodi Picoult and her daughter Samantha Van Leer certainly crafted a lovely story within a story that's in a different story (you still following?).

Delilah is somewhat of an outcast and fell into the mold of 'good girl who's smart but isn't popular'. She is a predictable character and her feelings will definitely resonate well with most girls. I didn't quite connect with her on a deep level, I feel like there was something missing but I was able to enjoy reading through her point of view. Oliver -as to be expected- is a great fairytale hero complete with charm and good looks. He really shows his teenage colours though; his feelings towards what he wants to do with his life and how he doesn't want to be stuck in the book sound greatly like angst of a teenager. Together, they made a very cute pair and it made me smile. I guess their personalities fell just a little flat for me.

The other characters, especially from the fairy tale, were very interesting to read about. I really enjoyed how each had their own backstory - personalities completely different to those of the 'characters' they played in the book Delilah was reading. Frump, Oliver's BFF, was one of my favourites because of his loyalty to Oliver and seriously, I loved that he was a hound.

What really made Between the Lines special for me was the originality for the plot. I think it is brilliant. How everything came together at the end was well thought out. The whole concept is explained OK, I wish it would have been a little more clearer at the beginning. I loved how the authors made the characters go through many challenges to find the answer; it allowed the characters to grow. The illustrations that are in the book are simply gorgeous and I loved them. It was nice that the fairy tale was placed in between Delilah's/Oliver's story and I really enjoyed the alternating POV's. The ending, I like but wish it would have been expanded more... maybe with an epilogue? Something that explained how exactly Delilah and Oliver's relationship worked out.

Overall, I'd recommend this to fairy tale, romance, and strong-plot lovers........ although, the characters and writing would be suited for pre-teens too. I enjoyed it (the plot development was great) and it was a nice summer read!

Excerpt

I can't remember when I first realized that life, as I knew it, wasn't real. That this role I perform over and over was just that - a role. And in order for me to play it, there had to be another party involved - namely one of those large, round, flat faces that blurred the sky above us every time the story began.

******

As the girl leans closer, the sky darkens above us. "How strange," she murmurs.

Her finger comes down, pushing at the edges of our world, bending the scenery even as we stand in it.  I draw in my breath, thinking she is going to trap me, but instead, she touches the very spot where the chessboard is etched onto the sand.

"That," she says, "was never here before." 

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Review for Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Of Poseidon (Of Poseidon #1)
By Anna Banks
Published by Feiwel & Friends
Won from Claire
336 pages

"Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen — literally, ouch! — both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma's gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom . . . "-Goodreads

Of Poseidon may make mermaid haters -oops, I mean Syrena-haters- turn to Syrena-lovers. Banks really created a fun, funny, fishy tale that leaves readers dangling, or in my case, floundering on a hook.

The start of this book was a bit rocky for me. Emma and her best friend are on the beach about to do some surfing when, you guessed it, Emma bumps into a gorgeous guy. That didn't bother me, it was what happens after. Whoever has read the book knows what I mean, it just shocked me and devastated me. As the story continues my emotions stabilized though and all was alright.

Emma is a very down to earth type of girl, she views herself as an average girl and it was easy to connect with her because of that. Her sarcastic remarks and sauciness made me smile and I thought it was a nice touch that she has qualities you find in teenage girls - for instance, she is very easily embarrassed and blushes. Galen is what you'd expect a prince of the Syrena to be: incredibly handsome, smart, and of course loyal. Although it was a bit of an insta-love connection, I couldn't help but fall head over heels for those two. In the beginning their interactions with one another will have you tingling and sometimes even laughing. The secondary characters were amazing too: Galen's sister, Rayna and Toraf's relationship was priceless; Galen's brother Grom, Rachel and Emma's mother had great personalities that added so much to the story. It caused so many laughs and I just loved all of them.

The writing was smooth in itself. The POV's do switch between Emma and Galen. The only thing that takes some getting used to is that Galen's POV is third person, while Emma's is first person. It took some time for me to get used to it but in the end, I thought it made the writing style very unique and it gave a very different perspective on things.

The plot was really interesting. Although predictable (I was able to decipher the answers), I thought it was intriguing. I loved the political aspect that Banks took, it creates a sense of unrest and 'more things to come'. But, let me warn all you potential readers, the ending is a major 'wow' or perhaps more of a 'NO, how can it end right now?!?!'

I'd highly recommend this to romance, Greek mythology, and Syrena lovers. Of Poseidon is a great summer read that will leave you screaming and begging for more! And ohmysweetgoodness, I AM begging for more!

Excerpt

 "So, it kind of threw me when she said she didn't like fish," Toraf says.

"I noticed. Surprised me too, but everything else is there."
"Bad temper."

"The eyes."

"That white hair is shocking though, isn't it?"

"Yeah. I like it. Shut up."

***

"Plus, you feel the pull---" Toraf is greeted with a forceful shove that sends him skidding on one foot across the slippery marble floor. Laughing, he comes back to stand beside Galen again.

"Jackass," Galen mutters.

"Jackass? What's a jackass?"
"Not sure. Emma called me that today when she was irritated with me."
"You're insulting me in human talk now? I'm disappointed in you, minnow."

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Review for The Duff: Designated Ugly Fat Friend by Kody Keplinger

The Duff: Designated Ugly Fat Friend
By Kody Keplinger
Published by Little Brown/Poppy
Bought Hardback
280 pages

"Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him. Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone."- Goodreads

The Duff is a quirky read for more mature audiences regarding a girl who is dubbed as "the Duff" - the designated ugly fat friend within a group. The Duff shows Bianca's transition between hating the term to growing to appreciate it and doing likewise to the one who called her that.

Bianca Piper is dubbed "the Duff" by Wesley Rush, an arrogant -and lack of better term- man slut. Although I did not completely connect with Bianca and never really did understand her decisions, her voice really made this story have a nice vibe to it. Her humor lightened the dialogue up and pried some smiles out of me. Wesley is somewhat of a jerk. He's arrogant, popular with the ladies, handsome, and completely a teenage boy. Even when he opened up to Bianca in their very messed up "relationship" (why yes, it consisted of only the three letter word), I still did not fall head over heels for him. The only redeeming thing about Wesley Rush is that he took an interest in Bianca and cared about her - he did show some sensitivity. When he sticks up for Bianca regarding her dad I finally had that major fan-girl moment. But I highly disagree with the "relationship" they had. (Although it did cause some butterflies to do back flips in my stomach when they would talk and banter.) By the end of the book, I felt like they were a great couple and I was happy that they were going to start a *cough* healthy relationship. Sigh. What can I say? Wesley -and even Bianca- totally grew on me. Their hate-turned-love thing worked out in the end.

Bianca's best friends were awesome. I just wish we could have seen more of them and I was angry at how Bianca kept secrets from them. I wish I had two besties like that! Her parent's characters were really well done too. Especially Bianca's dad. He was such a complex character and their relationship is one that I think many can relate too.

The whole plot was focused around Bianca's struggle with her life: this consisting of her Dad and Mom's situation, her problems with her friends, and of course her "enemies-with-benefits" relationship with Wesley. Somehow, it was a page-turner, I couldn't put it down. The writing quality had a smooth flow and like I said before, Bianca's voice really adds a special element to the book. The ending was sweet and I thought it was well done. A nice stand-alone ending.

I'd recommend this to older audiences (just because of the content) who love a good romantic comedy but also a book that has a lot of character development. Bianca really went from a "duff" to a "duff" that knew she was good enough.

Excerpt

 Wesley sighed. "Fine. You're being really uncooperative, you know. So I guess I'll be honest with you. I've got to hand it to you: you're smarter and more stubborn than most girls I talk to. But I'm here for a little more than witty conversation." He moved his attention to the dance floor. "I actually need your help. You see, your friends are hot. And you, darling, are the Duff."
"Is that even a word?"
"Designated. Ugly. Fat. Friend," he clarified. "No offense, but that would be you."
"I am not the-!"
"Hey, don't get defensive. It's not like you're an orge or anything, but in comparison...." He shrugged his broad shoulders.

***

"Look," he said, "you have hot friends....really hot friends." He paused, watching the action on the dance floor for a moment, before facing me again. "The point is, scientists have proven that every group of friends has a weak link, a Duff. And girls respond well to guys who associate with their Duffs."

***

With one swift motion I jumped to my feet and flung the contents of my glass in Wesley's direction.

***

"If you think I'm letting one of my friends leave this place with you, Wesley, you're very very wrong," I spat. "You're disgusting, shallow, womanizing jackass, and I hope that soda stains your preppy little shirt."

Review for Stuck by Jennifer Bosworth

Struck (Struck #1)
by Jennifer Bosworth
Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux BYR
Won from Claire
373 pages

"Mia Price is a lightning addict. She’s survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.

Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.

Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn’t who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything." - Goodreads

Struck is a powerful read and truly lives up to the cover: one of chaos and destruction. Two opposing groups battle over a girl with an ability to contain electrical charge aka a human lightening rod while the world of LA is thrown into upheavel by earthquakes. Sounds epic right?

To an extent Struck delivered on the premise. And it was epic. Mia was a strong character, she handled what came and was always looking out for her family. Be it Parker, her little brother, or her mother, who was battling PTSD. I really valued that in her, yet I found her lacking one specific quality that would have allowed me to connect more with her: sensibilness. A lot could have been avoided if she would have communicated more. She also has a way of looking over certain facts. For example, with Jeremy - Mia, he tried to kill you. Yet you're going to trust him. Really? Jeremy's character did not cut it for me. It was just so cliche: hot mysterious boy shows up, is keenly interested in main female character to the point of obsessiveness, is constantly disappearing and does not tell MC what is going on. Sigh. I did not understand their relationship. There was character development in the other characters though. One of the characters that has stuck in my mind is of Prophet. He is the leader of the Followers. Prophet definitely chilled me to my bones.

The plot was unique. I'll give Ms. Bosworth that. An earthquake caused by lightening? Never heard of that before. Is it possible? Probably not but it makes for a good set up. Not only that, she creates two cults: the Seekers and the Followers. Although this made me roll my eyes, it did provide some interesting reading. The neatest idea is that of a girl being able to be struck over and over again by lightening and being able to hold the charge. I thought that was awesome. I was a little disappointed that she only got struck once in the book.. it tells of past times that Mia was struck but in the present it only happens once. Struck is packed full, brimming with information. Sometimes it was hard to keep up with everything but it kept me reading. The writing style was easy to follow and the characters had a nice voice to them.

Overall, I would recommend Struck to those who enjoy end-of-the-world books, romance (the base-less kind though), strong female characters,  and of course lightening.

Excerpt

When you've been struck by lightening as many times as I have, you start to expect the worst pretty much all the time. You never know when that jagged scrawl of white fire, charged with a hundred million volts of electricity, might blaze down from the sky and find its mark on you; sear a hole like a bullet right through you, or turn your hair to ash; maybe leave your skin blackened to a crisp, or stop your heart; make you blind, or deaf, or both.

****

Any of that could happen, or none of it, or something no one's ever heard of. The thing about lightening is you never know what it's going to do to you.

****

My name is Mia Price, and I am a human lightening rod. Do they make a support group for that? They should, and let me tell you why.

My name is Mia Price, and I am a lightening addict.

There. Now you know the truth.

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Stacking the Shelves #4

Stacking the Shelves is a meme created/hosted by the lovely Tynga @ Tynga's Reviews! (All credit goes to her for this meme.) If you want to participate click on the link! The more the merrier! It's a chance to showcase titles that arrived in the mail or for review... any book goodies over the past week (or weeks for me)!

BOUGHT

The Duff: Designated Ugly Fat Friend by Kody Keplinger

The Luxe (Luxe #1) by Anna Godbersen

Splendor (Luxe #4) by Anna Godbersen

The Year of Secret Assignments (Ashbury/Brookfield #2) by Jaclyn Moriarty

Ok, I *really* need to go on a book buying ban because I have a lot to read now. But I COULDN'T RESIST - they were at a second hand store... for cheap!! I got all four of them for $20! A steal of a deal :) I've already read The Year of Secret Assignments (loonng time ago) and am so so happy to have it sitting on my shelf (I loved it). And I have read The Duff - it was quite enjoyable. Review is coming soon!

GIFTED FROM BLOGGER

Obsidian (Lux #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Call me crazy but sometimes I wonder what I have done to deserve such flippin' AMAZING blogger friends. Michelle from Oh For the Love of Books! gifted me an ebook of Obisidian - without so much as uttering a peep beforehand, she just sent it. I was ESTATIC and so overwhelmed by gratitude. Thank you SO much Michelle - you are one of a kind girl :) I seriously cannot wait to read Obsidian, it's been on my must-read-now list forever!!

GIFTED "SWAG" FROM BLOGGER

  

Yes, ANOTHER amazing book blogger by the name of Julia from That Hapa Chick sent me a book mark (I took a picture of the front and back) that was SIGNED!! Oh my *squeal*. How lucky am I? Thank you SO much Julia!! I love it <3 Plus, look at the cute little post stamps (why yes, I did have to take a picture of them)! It made me smile :)

What did YOU guys get? Leave LINKS to YOUR posts!!!

Thanks for reading and stay cool!

5 Reasons The Library Rocks

It's The Place. The one that feels like a second home and welcomes you with open arms, like a long lost child. The one that smells like freshly printed pages or dusty old volumes. The place that may or may not have a grouchy desk clerk. You know what I'm getting at.

The Library

*cues singing angels and harps*

I know for myself, that recently I have neglected this place. I am deeply saddened but I do realize that the library is a one-of-a-kind place. Why? For five reasons....or more. Depends on how you count :)

1. Free Books... and a free Card

Yes, you read that right. FREE BOOKS! For READING, at HOME, for YOU! I think that solidifies this case. No money spent (except for late fees) and yet we are able to read many many books! Of course, there is a downside.... you don't get to keep the books. Unless, *cough* you, yah know, fake losing it. But then, your wallet suffers and its totally not fair to others.

Not only that, you get a free CARD! Maybe not everyone is as excited as I am but I seriously brag of having a library card. 'Cause I'm cool like that. *glares at laughing sister*

2. The Atmosphere

Where else can you go to find a more glorious atmosphere: a place all about books, with books, for the books... books, books, books, and maybe magazines.  That's beside the point though. The whole atmosphere oozes bookish personality and charm. It's awesome!

3. The People

 Ok, I have to admit, my library doesn't exactly have this BUT I've heard of libraries where book lovers gather and congregate. (My library is very empty.) Where else are you going to find people who are so into books that they are signing out stacks? The Internet is great (you know I love you all) but come on, the library has "opportunity" written all over it. This is the place to get recommendations, from readers, and personally interact! Cha-ching!

Unless, of course you have this as a librarian:

4. Selection

Libraries are like a buffet. You have a selection to drool over. Rows upon rows upon rows of just books..... to choose from.  You've got your romance, paranormal, dystopian, historical, comedy, science fiction --- YA, Adult, Classic... you name it, the library has it.

Your drooling aren't you?

5. Free Internet

Ha! Ok, this one's not a real reason ......... but it is kinda nice, eh?

The fifth (real) reason is...

There is one benefit of having Conan the Librarian in your library: peace and quiet to read. And usually there are comfy chairs & a nice reading area!

Yes. The library is the Place to be. It's a book lover's dream!

What are your thoughts? What's your library like? What do you enjoy about it? 

Stacking the Shelves #3

Stacking the Shelves is a meme created/hosted by the lovely Tynga @ Tynga's Reviews! (All credit goes to her for this meme.) If you want to participate click on the link! The more the merrier! It's a chance to showcase titles that arrived in the mail or for review... any book goodies over the past week (or weeks for me)!

Won 

 

Of Poseidon (Of Poseidon #1) by Anna Banks

Thank you to Claire @ Claire Reads, this is the last book I will be recieving from her giveaway (I got three pre-ordered books). I can't wait to crack this baby open - I've heard great great things!

Bought

Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth

 This lovely came last week and I literally did a happy dance (ok, fine *raises hands in defeat* I did that happy dance in my head). But I AM SO EXCITED TO READ THIS.... but.... I'm a bit scared. I know! But what if it doesn't live up to my expectations? Second books are tricky anyways, I'll see how it goes! I'll be going at it with an empty mind :) And clear heart!

Where She Went (If I Stay #2) by Gayle Forman 

Ruby Red (Edelstein Trilogie #1) by Kerstin Gier

Yup, you read that right! Where She Went and Ruby Red - two books that have been on my wishlist FOREVER. Imagine how estatic I was to see them sitting there at Walmart 30% off -cue gasps and panic attack now- I seriously jumped up and down. I cannot wait to read these two ---- squeee!!

In non-book-releated-news

I saved a squirrel. Yeah. My stupid cat injured the poor darling (not seriously injured but bad enough!) It was freaked out and hid in our bush. So........ my stepdad and I captured it and I put it into a cage and released it back into the woods. Here is the little cutie:

Anyways, I hope all goes well with you little baby :)

Now, what did YOU get? Feel free to leave LINKS to YOUR posts!

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

Review for The Fairytale Keeper: Avenging the Queen by Andrea Cefalo

The Fairytale Keeper: Avenging the Queen (The Fairytale Keeper #1)
By Andrea Cefalo
Published by Scarlet Primrose Press
Received ARC from author for review (thanks!)
280 pages

"Snow White was a pet name her mother had given her, but her mother’s dead now. Adelaide hates that name anyway. A rampant fever claimed Adelaide’s mother just like a thousand others in Cologne where the people die without Last Rites and the dead are dumped in a large pit outside of the city walls. Adelaide’s father is determined to obtain a funeral for his wife, but that requires bribing the parish priest, Father Soren. When Soren commits an unforgivable atrocity, he pushes Adelaide to her breaking point, but if she seeks justice against the cruel priest, she risks sacrificing everything: her father, her friends, her first love, and maybe even her life." - Goodreads

        

The Fairytale Keeper is a unique blend of fairy tales: you got Snow White, Cinderella, the Elves and the Shoemaker, and the Six Swans - yet, it doesn't feel like any retelling. Because its not. The Fairytale Keeper is its own unique story. It is very entertaining, containing a strong female role, a sweet romance, and much more.

Adelaide, "Addie" for short, is a girl who knows who she is. She knows what she wants, where she stands, when to fight, and when to submit. Addie is a cobbler's daughter and is devastated by her mother's death. As the summary says, Father Soren (how I do hate him so!) committed a terrible atrocity that disrespected her mother. Addie is angry - bitterly angry and wants revenge (hence the title). Her strength, loyalty, and devoutness is more than admirable. She sticks up for what is right and honorable - in a time when women were viewed as mere stock! A feisty go-getter, Addie is a great main character.

Ivo. Ivo, Ivo, Ivo. How I do love him! Ivo is Addie's best friend turned well, into something more. He is the sweetest guy ever! Ivo protects Addie and looks out for her well being all the time. He truly is in love with her and will do anything to protect her. Even when he has more than enough to deal with himself, he looks out for her. The romance was so innocent and yet spine chillingly sweet. I cannot wait to read the next installment.... I want more Ivo, oh and Addie of course!

We've got Adelaide as"Snow White", her father, Ansel as "the Shoemaker", her mother's cousin, Galadriel as"Cinderella", and Galadriel's sister as the little girl in "Six Swans". This made the book very interesting, as we see how all their stories are integrated into Addie's quest of fighting the church "government" of the time. The pace was alright, a little bit hard to get into but by the time you get to Ivo's entrance into the story, well, at least I was hooked *smirks*. Fine, I admit it, I was in it for the romance! Other than that though, I found the historical period very well done. The conversations and actions of all the characters were believable for that time period. The writing was smooth and easy to follow.

I'd recommend this to fairytale, romance, and historical lovers. I didn't know what to expect but what I got was an original story that integrated fairy tales cleverly and had some well developed characters!

Excerpt

"I'm not leaving."

"Fine," he huffs, and shakes his head at my stubbornness. "Take out your braid and cover your face with your hair."

He helps me shake my hair into my face and it is the first time he has ever run his fingers through my hair. "You still look like you," he scowls. "Here, wear my cloak over yours." I look up at him through my hair with the two cloaks on.

"Don't look at anyone," he orders. "Keep your eyes on the ground and don't smile. Hunch your back." He reaches down and smears dirt across my face. "Try to look uglier," he says and I smile because it means even though I am hunched over and covered in cloaks and dirt, he still thinks I'm pretty.

"That's not uglier, Addie."

Clip of Andrea Cefalo reading a passage of The Fairytale Keeper: