Memoirs Of A Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

Memoirs Of A Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

Rating: PG

Genre: YA Fiction, Contemporary

Score: 4 1/2 stars

Page Count: 271

Stand Alone Novel

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giruox (BYR)

Published: August 21, 2007

 

If Naomi had picked tails, she would have won the coin toss. She wouldn’t have had to go back for the yearbook camera, and she wouldn’t have hit her head on the steps. She wouldn’t have woken up in an ambulance with amnesia. She certainly would have remembered her boyfriend, Ace. She might even have remembered why she fell in love with him in the first place. She would understand why her best friend, Will, keeps calling her “Chief.” She’d know about her mom’s new family. She’d know about her dad’s fiancée. She never would have met James, the boy with the questionable past and the even fuzzier future, who tells her he once wanted to kiss her. She wouldn’t have wanted to kiss him back. But Naomi picked heads. After her remarkable debut, Gabrielle Zevin has crafted an imaginative second novel all about love and second chances.

 

Review:

PROS:

1. I've heard so much about this book but regretfully didn't pick it up sooner. I really enjoyed this novel for so many reasons but I'll tell you my main reasons for loving this book. Let's get started shall we?

 

2. One thing I really loved about this book was the characters, particularly Naomi. I really felt like her character was very relatable in more than one way. I liked because of her amnesia, Naomi had to rediscover herself and redefine herself as a person and pretty much got a second chance to live her life and undo some mistakes she made in the past. She was a teen trying to find out who she is again and find her true friends as well as trying to find out where she fits in and who exactly she wants to be.

 

3. I really loved the writing in this book. Gabrielle Zevin in my opinion is a wonderful writer and I really loved how she worded things to make the story non-depressing but also not too lighthearted, it was somewhere in between, hopeful. It was beautifully written from beginning to end and I am really excited to check out more books from this author!

 

4. Overall, I really loved this book needless to say. It was romantic, heartbreaking, sad, uplifting, even funny at times. It was a beautiful blend of different emotions that made you want to cry and laugh at the same time. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick read but also doesn't mind a story about rediscovering yourself and looking forward instead of letting the past define you.

 

Age Recommendation: 13+

 

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I hope you guys enjoyed this book review! If you have any other book requests you would like me to review, just leave a comment or send me an email! Read on bookworms! See you in the next chapter!

The Edge Of Falling by Rebecca Serle

The Edge Of Falling by Rebecca Serle

Rating: PG-13

Genre: YA Contemporary

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Page Count: 289

Stand Alone Novel

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Published: March 18, 2014

 

Growing up in privileged, Manhattan social circles, Caggie’s life should be perfect, and it almost was until the day that her younger sister drowned when Caggie was supposed to be watching her. Stricken by grief, Caggie pulls away from her friends and family, only to have everyone misinterpret a crucial moment when she supposedly saves a fellow classmate from suicide. Now she’s famous for something she didn’t do and everyone lauds her as a hero. But inside she still blames herself for the death of her sister and continues to pull away from everything in her life, best friend and perfect boyfriend included. Then Caggie meets Astor, the new boy at school, about whom rumours are swirling and known facts are few. In Astor she finds someone who just might understand her pain, because he has an inner pain of his own. But the more Caggie pulls away from her former life to be with Astor, the more she realises that his pain might be darker, and deeper, than anything she’s ever felt. His pain might be enough to end his life…and Caggie’s as well.

 

Review:

PROS:

1. I had my eye on this book for a few months after seeing it in a bookstore one day but kept putting off finally buying it and reading it. I have to say that I regret doing so and really wished I would've picked up this book a lot sooner! I didn't expect a lot from this book and I was happily surprised to have gotten a lot more from it. Let's get the review started!

 

2. I really liked Caggie's character for a few different reasons. I really liked how she didn't see herself as a hero of any sort, especially considering the fact that she "saved" someone's life. I liked how she was a bit of a loner and that she didn't really have any friends because of that. I also liked how she was dealing with a lot of issues in her life and was just looking for someone to understand what she was going through and trying to find where she fit in and what her life held for her. She was very real and relatable and I really love seeing that in a character.

 

3. The whole story had an air of mystery to it from the first page until the last. I couldn't help but wonder exactly how Caggie's sister died until it was finally revealed a good part of the way in the book and I also couldn't understand why Caggie feels like she isn't a hero, until yet again the truth is exposed towards the end of the book and was completely mind blowing to say the least. It was very mysterious in many parts of the story and also had twists and turns.

 

4. The ending was beautiful and I felt that the book wrapped up really well in a way that gave a little closure. Of course, the ending of the story doesn't exactly say where the characters end up, if they all have happy endings, what happens to other characters, but I felt like the ending was also realistic. You never know where life will take you and the ending was a beautifully written one that said just that.

 

CONS:

1. The only thing I didn't enjoy about this book is that it did get a bit slow at times. Which is the case with at least half the books you'll read in a lifetime so don't take this one personal Rebecca Serle. You know you're amazing!

 

Age Recommendation: 14+

 

I hope you guys enjoyed this book review! If you have any other book requests you would like me to review, just leave a comment or send me an email! Read on bookworms! See you in the next chapter!

Love Of The Undefined by Amelia Louise Carter

Love Of The Undefined by Amelia Louise Carter

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Rating: PG

Genre: YA Fiction

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Page Count: 90

Stand Alone Novel

Publisher: Lulu.com

Published: January 10, 2015

 

Louise is an average 16 year old girl. Well, almost. She eats a lot, sleeps a lot and has sarcasm listed as her second language. She is also a lover of chicken kievs, but that's beside the point. There's just one thing that set's her apart from others. Issues. Lots and lots of issues. Oh, and a stalker who claims he's going to teach her how to love herself. Sweet sixteen, huh? Where did that phrase ever come from.

 

Review:

PROS:

1. If you're looking for a funny, romantic and just all around feel good novel that still deals with real life issues, you've come to the right spot! This book was so lovely to read that I had a hard time finding just one thing I didn't like about it. Let's get on with this review shall we?

 

2. I seriously loved the characters in this book! I really loved how the main character, Louise, was just an average girl who was dealing with a lot of insecurities that young girls today (including myself) deal with on a daily basis. I felt she was incredibly relatable and I loved how she dealt with things in a way that seemed real, like a real person going through something and dealing with it the best they can. I also loved Finn, cute funny and sweet as well as the other characters such as Louise's friends, Fran and Chelsea.

 

3. I also loved how simple the book was without being cheesy. I loved reading it because not only was it relatable but it was also easy to understand seeing as everyone understands what it's like to be insecure about themselves for whatever reason they find. It was short but at the same time satisfying and I seriously wanted more of the story!

 

4. I really loved how this book made me laugh many, many times throughout the book even though it was a more serious story. It was very inspiring but also had so many comedic moments that I really enjoyed reading!

 

5. Lastly, I freaking loved the plot twist of this story! It was so mind-blowing and I really didn't see it coming at all. It was surprising as well as heartbreaking and it was just so good. The ending of this story wrapped up so well and was also a hopeful ending and might I say, left some room for maybe a sequel? *hint hint*

 

Age Recommendation: 13+

 

I hope you guys enjoyed this book review! If you have any other book requests you would like me to review, just leave a comment or send me an email! Read on bookworms! See you in the next chapter!

Days Of Blood And Starlight by Laini Taylor

Days Of Blood And Starlight by Laini Taylor

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Romance, Fantasy

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Page Count: 513

Book #2 of the Daughter Of Smoke and Bone trilogy

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Published: November 6, 2012

 

Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is- and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it. In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter Of Smoke and Bone, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days Of Blood and Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life. While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope. But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?

 

Review:

Pros:

1. This continuation of the beautifully written Daughter Of Smoke and Bone is probably one of the best sequels I've read so far this year! It was just as beautiful as the first book and I had a hard time putting my love of this book into words for all you beautiful people. Let's get this review started!

 

2. First thing's first: The characters. In the first book, the characters were of course still being developed and still had to be learned by the reader. However, in this book, the characters were already established and I was so ready to get even more of them. The second book shows just how strong and brave they all are and really shows more of their personalities. I really loved seeing the characters grow from the first book and I almost felt like by the end of this book, they were completely different in a sense. They grew stronger, braver, and more powerful as the story progressed and chaos came upon them and I loved seeing how they reacted in each situation. I could go on for hours talking about these amazing and unforgettable characters!

 

3. The first book was a lot simpler with the world building and character building but this sequel was even more interesting. There was a ton of complexity with the new world that the author had to build and a lot more character development that I found very detailed without having to be overly descriptive and confusing. It is a book that you really have to focus on when reading seeing as you might miss something and there was a lot going on all at once. I loved drowning myself within the story and I loved learning more about not only the characters, the world, the conflict and more but I loved learning about the new battles and wars getting ready to be fought, the history of the old and new characters as well as the history of so many other things like the cities and the people.

 

4. The writing for this story was just absolutely beautiful in every sense of the word! The writing was so poetic in a way and made reading it that much more interesting. With a higher vocabulary, this book was not the easiest to fly through but it made me really focus on every single word and made me collect so much more of the story because of it. The story wasn't too descriptive to have been so detailed and it wasn't at all boring in any part of the book for me.

 

5. There was also a lot of excitement all throughout the book and I had a hard time finding a dull moment when something didn't attack someone or there was no war being fought. Every page was exciting and kept you wanting more. I couldn't finish a chapter without wanting to read just one more as the book was fast-paced and had so many high moments, it kept me on the edge of my seat. If there wasn't a killing going on, there was either a threat of war or an epic sword fight and maybe a blood bath amongst multiple fighters. In other words, it was freaking awesome!

 

6. Overall, this book was better than the first book, and I didn't even think that was possible. I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to get my hands on the third and final book of this amazing and beautiful trilogy!

 

Age Recommendation: 14+

 

I hope you guys enjoyed this book review! If you have any other book requests you would like me to review, just leave a comment or send me an email! Read on bookworms! See you in the next chapter!

 

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