Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Book Review : The Edge of Never (The Edge of Never #1) by J.A. Redemerski

The Edge of Never 
J. A. Redmerski
Series : The Edge of Never
Sequel : The Edge of Always
Ebook, 496 pages
12th March 2013 by Forever
First published : 13th November 2012

Goodreads Ratings : 4.32/5
My Rating : 3/5


--The New York Times, USA Today, and Wallstreet Journalbestselling blockbuster-- 

This new paperback edition includes exclusive bonus material - an all-new full chapter from Andrew's point of view during a crucial scene!

Sometimes life takes you off course . . . 

THE EDGE OF NEVER

Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett thought she knew exactly where her life was going. But after a wild night at the hottest club in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, she shocks everyone-including herself-when she decides to leave the only life she's ever known and set out on her own. Grabbing her purse and her cell phone, Camryn boards a Greyhound bus ready to find herself. Instead, she finds Andrew Parrish.

Sexy and exciting, Andrew lives life like there is no tomorrow. He persuades Camryn to do things she never thought she would and shows her how to give in to her deepest, most forbidden desires. Soon he becomes the center of her daring new life, pulling love and lust and emotion out of her in ways she never imagined possible. But there is more to Andrew than Camryn realizes. Will his secret push them inseparably together-or destroy them forever?

From Goodreads



I have a mixed feelings about this.

Everything was perfect, up until Chapter 28. After that ? Not so much. 

Andrew and Camryn is a great duo. They make an awesome road trip partner. Their witty banters are so really good I'm impressed.

Somehow I have this one tiny voice in the back of my head saying 'No, this cant be it. Andrew is a little bit too perfect for his own good'. I mean, hes nice, considerate, funny, witty, charming, gorgeous, thoughtful, protective, he throws a good punch, he sings, he plays guitars, hes good in bed and the list goes on. LOL SERIOUSLY?! Thats too much even for a fictional character. It doesnt even make sense ! 

The first 28 chapters are really good. I have to give it a credit because I really enjoy it. I giggled, I squealed and I smiled at their banters and their thoughts so its good. The POV from both Andrew and Camryn works well in this book because it gave me the insight of what Andrew think. (i'm biased to Andrew, like normal girls would do hehe)

When I discovered that this book revolves around Andrew and Camryn's road trip, I was ecstatic. I LOVE ROAD TRIPS SO MUCH. But sadly enough, this one doesn't satisfy me. Dont take it wrong. Its good, but i've read better. And the better one has set the bar too high so its pretty tough to compete. 

What really pissed me off is that starting from chapter 29 onwards, EVERYTHING IS TOO FREAKING CHEESY I CANT EVEN STAND IT. I MEAN IT. EVERYTHING. Too much 'baby' in one page sometimes. Its just, urgh. I cant stand cheesy and sappy lines, honest to God. I can just puke. AND WORSE, THEIR BANTERS DECREASES OKAY. THE BEST PART IN THIS BOOK WAS DECREASED TO MAKE WAY FOR THOSE CHEESY LOVE LINES. WHAT EVEN ?!

The ending, if it isnt for the excessive cheesy lines and endearment words, would be good and unexpected for me. The book, as in overall too, would get a full on 5 stars from me. But the cheesy love lines, excessive usage of endearment terms, too-perfect Andrew and the slowly decreasing witty banters ruin it for me. Sorry, Redmerski.

I know its got a sequel, The Edge of Always if I'm not mistaken. But I think I'm going to leave it at that. The ending for The Edge of Never is satisfying enough, there shouldn't even be a book two in the first place, in my opinion. 

Do I like it ?
Okay enough
Would I recommend it ?
If you dont mind cheesy and sappy love lines, then I think youre going to love this.

Friday, February 20, 2015

Book Review : The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

The Sky Is Everywhere
Jandy Nelson
Stand-Alone
Young Adult

Goodreads Rating : 4.07/5
My Rating : 4/5


Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life - and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey's boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie's own. Joe is the new boy in town, a transplant from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they're the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can't collide without the whole wide world exploding.

This remarkable debut is perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Francesca Lia Block. Just as much a celebration of love as it is a portrait of loss, Lennie's struggle to sort her own melody out of the noise around her is always honest, often hilarious, and ultimately unforgettable.
 

From Goodreads



I LOVE IT. OH MY GOD I REALLY REALLY DO. ITS BLOODY CHEESY AT SOME POINTS (and I hate cheesy stuffs I tell you) BUT I ADORE THIS ONE

Its quite slow I have to say but once Joe came its been really really good. Although this one got less good quotes than I'll Give You the Sun, the whole adorable love story kinda made it up.

WHY DOES JANDY NELSON'S THIRD BOOK HAS TO BE PUBLISHED ON 2017 I NEED IT LIKE RIGHT NOW OMG

“The sky is everywhere, it begins at your feet.”  - Big, The Sky is Everywhere

Book Review : The DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) by Kody Keplinger

The DUFF ( Designated Ugly Fat Friend)
Kody Keplinger
Stand-Alone
Soon to be Adapted into Movie
Ebook, 270 pages
7th September 2010 by Poppy

Goodreads Rating : 3.93/5
My Rating : 1/5


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 "Duffy," she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren't so great at home right now. Desperate for a distraction, Bianca ends up kissing Wesley. And likes it. Eager for escape, she throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out that 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.

From Goodreads



I. DID. NOT. ENJOY. THIS. AT. ALL.

Nothing works for me. NOTHING.

That surprises me actually because ive read a lot of good things (and a fair amount of bad reviews as well) on this one so I thought i might like it but meh.

I dont like the way Kody writes. Its annoying and a bit immature. Most of the events/things arent described that well. It felt like it was rushed.

The plot, is so very incredibly cliche. I dont find anything worth remembering. Its very plain.

Bianca - If I could throw her off the cliff, OH I SERIOUSLY WOULD WITHOUT ANY HESITATION. Shes whiny, shes immature, she swears too much (even for unnecessary reason), she ditches her friends when things got messed up. The whole sexcapades is so annoyingly irritating. I could understand her actions on making sex as stress reliever (im perfectly fine with that honestly bcs ive read a lot of such actions/decisions elsewhere) but the way it was written is so bad that i can't even tolerate this one this time around. You know when you dislike someone, even her sound of breathing annoys you ? That's exactly how I felt with Bianca

Wesley - hes everyone's favourite but absolutely not mine. He sounds a lot like Peter K from To All The Boys Ive Loved Before but the way Kody portrays Wesley here didnt do it for me. ( WHERE AS FOR PETER K, I LOVE HIM TO BITS. I literally cringed while reading Wesleys letter/love note to B. Just no.

Bianca's parents - How they handle their issues annoys me. They're the adults here but I cant even picture them as one. I think it's probably bcs it was too immature and childish.

Bottom line is, I think the main reason why I hate this book so much is because of the way Kody wrote this, A friend told me that her other books are good but I think i'll pass, This alone is enough for me. No more.

The DUFF movie is going to be released in cinema soon (Somewhere on April 2015, I think?). I really want to see how it turns out, despite my poor judgement of the book. I've watched the trailers AND THEY LOOK SO FREAKING GOOD. The movie is almost 85% different from the book. They really changed a lot of scenes but I think it would be better that way since the book isnt that good. Mae Whitman and Robbie Amell ? IM IN ! 




“I was the Duff. And that was a good thing. Because anyone who didn't feel like the Duff must not have friends. Every girl feels unattractive sometimes. Why had it taken me so long to figure that out? Why had I been stressing over that dumb word for so long when it was so simple? I should be proud to be the Duff. Proud to have great friends who, in their minds, were my Duffs.”  - Bianca. The DUFF

Book Review : Dirty Ties by Pam Godwin


Dirty Ties
Pam Godwin
Stand-Alone
Ebook
8th January 2015 by Smashwords Edition
Contemporary Romance

Goodreads Rating : 4.06/5
My Rating : 1/5


Revenge.
I race to finance it.
I evade to protect it.
I kill to attain it.
I planned everything.


Except her.
The alluring, curvaceous blonde at the finish line.
With sapphire eyes that cheat and lie.
Whose powerful family murdered mine.


I hate her.
I want her.


I know she’s hiding something.
But so am I.

From Goodreads


The whole synopsis and high ratings and good reviews from everyone intrigued me. The whole story ? Not so much.

1) It doesnt have a smart ass witty banter that I like so much
2) I wasnt supposed to read any books for now because exams coming up so that contributes on why I didnt enjoy this as much 
3) I dont like evader/logan that much. I mean, hes not worth drooling over, for me.
4) Even kaci (the girl) didnt do it for me LOL SERIOUSLY HOW COULD THE AUTHOR GAVE HER SUCH WEIRD NAME ??? WHAT IS EVEN KACI LOL
5) Nah i really dont like it


“The strongest love begins from a place of conflict.” 
― Pam GodwinDirty Ties

Book Review : Hero (Hero #1) by Samantha Young

Hero
Samantha Young
Series : Hero #1
Ebook, 416 pages
3rd February 2015 by Penguin (USA)
Contemporary Romance

Goodreads Rating : 4.17/5
My Rating : 4/5


The emotional and unforgettable new romance from the New York Times bestselling author of the On Dublin Street series.

Alexa Holland’s father was her hero—until her shocking discovery that she and her mother weren’t his only family. Ever since, Alexa has worked to turn her life in a different direction and forge her own identity outside of his terrible secrets,. But when she meets a man who’s as damaged by her father’s mistakes as she is, Alexa must help him.

Caine Carraway wants nothing to do with Alexa’s efforts at redemption, but it’s not so easy to push her away. Determined to make her hate him, he brings her to the edge of her patience and waits for her to walk away. But his actions only draw them together and, despite the odds, they begin an intense and explosive affair.

Only Caine knows he can never be the white knight that Alexa has always longed for. And when they’re on the precipice of danger, he finds he’ll do anything to protect either one of them from being hurt again…
 

From Goodreads


A NEW SERIES FROM SAMANTA YOUNG MY FOREVER FAVOURITE AUTHOR ! /throws confetti/

When I knew Samantha is going to release a new book, I got so freaking excited because its safe to say that she's my favorite contemporary romance author -- alongside with Julie James, Christina Lauren and Lauren Layne

Hero is great. It cant defeat Before Jamaica Lane (I STILL CANT GET OVER HOW GOOD BJL IS ISTG) but its still awesome nevertheless. Its got a pretty cliche plot, since I read a freaking lot of books in this genre. the whole office romance, personal issues, tall, dark and handsome guy where nothing fazes him and got women swooning over him everywhere, the smart ass lady who beats the guy's intimidating demeanor, smoking hot romance, more issues, same old same old. 

Butttttttt what keep me going is because its Samantha Young we're talking about here. She always has her way in writing amazing books. AND BECAUSE OF CAINE AND ALEXA. Enough said. 

I cant help thinking though that Hero is like a mixture of 50 Shades of Grey and Beautiful Bastard. Or is it just me ?

What pissed me off right now is that I NEED THE SECOND BOOK LIKE RIGHT NOW ! (there should be one about henry righttttttt ???? /wriggling eyebrows/) Im dying to read about Henry and Nadia bcs i have the feeling its gonna be funny and flirty as hell !!!! 

ODS is one of my favorite series ever so i hope i'll love this new series just as much. Kudos to you, Samantha Young

“A man like me isn’t capable of being your fucking white knight. …

I felt the anger boil up inside me. “I’m not looking for a hero!”
He flinched at the emotion cracking my words.
“I never asked for that … I just wanted you, because despite what you might think, I see you. And no, you’re no fucking white knight, but you’re what I want.” 

Book Review : Cinder & Ella by Kelly Oram

Cinder & Ella
Kelly Oram
Stand-alone
Paperback, 322 pages
15th August 2014 by Bluefields
Young Adult

Goodreads Rating : 4.29/5
My Rating : 3/5


It's been almost a year since eighteen-year-old Ella Rodriguez was in a car accident that left her crippled, scarred, and without a mother. After a very difficult recovery, she's been uprooted across the country and forced into the custody of a father that abandoned her when she was a young child. If Ella wants to escape her father's home and her awful new stepfamily, she must convince her doctors that she's capable, both physically and emotionally, of living on her own. The problem is, she's not ready yet. The only way she can think of to start healing is by reconnecting with the one person left in the world who's ever meant anything to her-her anonymous Internet best friend, Cinder. ... Hollywood sensation Brian Oliver has a reputation for being trouble. There's major buzz around his performance in his upcoming film The Druid Prince, but his management team says he won't make the transition from teen heartthrob to serious A-list actor unless he can prove he's left his wild days behind and become a mature adult. In order to douse the flames on Brian's bad-boy reputation, his management stages a fake engagement for him to his co-star Kaylee. Brian isn't thrilled with the arrangement-or his fake fiancee-but decides he'll suffer through it if it means he'll get an Oscar nomination. Then a surprise email from an old Internet friend changes everything.

From Goodreads



A fun and light read. I enjoyed it most of the time. The witty banters are awesome, hands down. Definitely love that. Watching Ella's family interaction grows within the pages warms my heart. The only thing that didnt work out for me is that CINDER IS TOO FREAKING CHEESY I CANT HELP BUT CRINGE UNTIL MY FACE HURTS. oh and there are some parts which i think are a bit illogical (?) and annoying. A fun book, nevertheless.

“You took away the numbness. You made me remember how to feel, how to care about someone other than myself.” 

― Cinder, Cinder & Ella


Book Review : I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

I'll Give You the Sun
Jandy Nelson
Stand-alone
Ebook. 256 pages
16th September 2014 by Dial Books
Young Adult

Goodreads Rating : 4.10/5
My Rating : 5/5


A brilliant, luminous story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal for fans of John Green, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell 
Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.
This radiant novel from the acclaimed, award-winning author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once.


From Goodreads




When I first started this book, I thought I wasn't going to like this. I thought all those art talks, those internal drawing and everything else combined confused the hell out of me. I thought this wasn't going to work well. I thought this would be another highly-rated, widely-talked, hugely-praised book that i wouldn't enjoy so much. I thought the writing was bad because i don't really get it.

OH HOW IN THE FREAKING WRONG I WAS.

I LOVE IT, ADORE IT, BREATH IT, EVEN WILLING TO KILL FOR IT (okay maybe not ðŸ˜‚)

Why I did not pick this sooner is something that's been bugging me since 2 days back, but it doesn't matter because i finally pick it up and i never regret it.not a single bit!


JudeandNoah, Noah and Brian, Jude and Oscar. THE FEELS. I CANT EVEN BEGIN TO DESCRIBE THE WHOLE BUMPY RIDE OF EMOTIONS I WENT THROUGH.

The plot is brilliant, like you can never guess what will come next because sometimes its so unpredictable. The whole thing about 'Jude has half the stories, Noah has another' actually works on this book. Its cool actually. Its been told in 2 povs, One of Jude and one of Noah, theyre both twins, and both are great. Jude talks about the 16yrs old them which is the present, Noah on the past(13-14yrs old them) You cant really choose between those two characters like which one u like better which one you didnt bcs both of them are  equally likeable, understandable, and you can actually feel for both of them. its like ur together with them (i felt so, at least) 

This book is basically going on and on about arts. Im not into arts that much but this kinda opens up my heart towards it a little bit. 

Im not sure whether it was me who rushed, or its the ending itself, but yeah i think its kinda rushly-written ? The part about Noah and Brian at least. Like in all honesty, I want another pov of Noah, to read how his problem with Brian is settled. To read what they discussed about and all those apologies and explanation. Its not a closure enough for me. I NEED MORE,

The rushed ending makes me feel like deducting 1 star from it. But i couldnt bring myself to do that bcs i love this book too much to not give it a full shining 5 stars. 

I hope Jandy Nelson wrote another book fast because I AM FALLING IN LOVE !!!! 



“I gave up practically the whole world for you,” I tell him, walking through the front door of my own love story. “The sun, stars, ocean, trees, everything, I gave it all up for you.” 

Jude , I'll Give You the Sun

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Book Review : Kaleidoscope Heart by Claire Contreras

Kaleidoscope Heart
Claire Contreras
Stand-alone
Ebook, 336 pages
8th January 2015
New Adult, Contemporary Romance

Goodreads Rating : 4.18/5
My Rating : 5/5

He was my older brother's best friend. He was never supposed to be mine. I thought we would get it out of our system and move on. 
One of us did. 
One of us left. 
Now he’s back, looking at me like he wants to devour me. And all those feelings I’d turned into anger are brewing into something else, something that terrifies me. 
He broke my heart last time. This time he'll obliterate it.

From Goodreads


IT WAS AMAZING.
FREAKING AMAZING.
ITS SO GOOD I CANT GET OVER IT KIND OF AMAZING.

I've had a bad reading week right before i started kaleidoscope heart and I'm so glad i decided to pick this one to overcome it.

first thing first, i really really like Estelle. Shes amazing, shes strong, shes witty, shes cool, shes not bitchy, shes just great. She knows when and how to control herself, Shes a good friend, an awesome little sister, a lovely daughter, and a cool lady all around.

“I don’t want to say that I feel complete when I’m with him—because I’m complete without him—but when I’m with him I feel like a better version of myself. And I think that’s what has always drawn me to Oliver. He makes me feel good about who I am, and I don’t feel like I need to change or pretend when I’m around him. I’m just me, and being me has never felt better.” - Estelle


And Oliver. Im not into guys with sort of long hairs and man bun (although oliver's isnt long enough when hes older but still) , but i think i might take this one into exception. HES THAT GOOD.

“If you just want to move in together, let’s do that instead, but I don’t want to do this thing where we go our separate ways after our dates. I don’t want the one drawer in each house. I want the whole closet full of both of our clothes,” he says, grabbing both sides of my face. “I want the bumping into each other when we’re trying to get dressed in the morning. I want it all, Elle. I don’t—” - Oliver Hart


I like almost everything about this book. I like how mature both the main characters are. I like how their relationship grows. I like Elle's parents, both their relationship with their children (THEYRE A REALLY COOL AND UNDERSTANDING AND MATURE AND FUNNY AND LOVABLE KIND OF PARENTS SO ONE BIG STAR FOR THAT) and the relationship between the parents themselves. I like the whole issues with the broken glass heart thingy. It looks really cool that i googled for it out of curiosity. It looks something like this.


 




And eeeeeeeeep !!! i have always liked stories with siblings' witty and funny banters and this book has thatttttt. plus the gorgeous bestfriends the older brother has, hanging around the house. Victor, Oliver and Jensen makes one drool-worthy squad.

Ive always said that i cant stand cheesy love lines, but this one, although its actually cheesy, i dont even mind it. So thats a plus point

The story is good, the plot is good, the characters are good, even the conflicts are good. Im satisfied.

Seeing this as a stand alone, im pretty disappointed though. I mean, if Claire turns this into a series it'd be really fudging good !! i need more insight with Jensen/Mia story, and hey, Victor needs a book for himself too !!!!

Thanks Claire Contreras for writing one awesome book ! Gonna look out for more of yours !