This book screamed for promise. It really did. I love to read cheesy romance novels that are based off of fairy tales, but this one was sad (as in missed the mark, not as in emotionally sad).
It is a remake of the frog prince, where the princess has to kiss the frog so he can become a prince again, but ends up a frog herself. Yes, a remake of that one again. Disney's disappointed me, and so did this one.
This book was bland, I did not like the characters, they all seemed to be children trying to be adults, and it was too quick of scene changes. You would begin learning about a character, or scenery, and then it was over.
The one thing I did like was that it didn't waste any time with a backstory (because there was no time for one), so the action began from page one.
I tried to read the second one, but I just couldn't.
1 and a half books
**Warning! Small Spoilers Ahead**
I did not have high expectations for this book. I know a movie adaptation was released(which I have not seen), but I based this review solely off this book.
I had never read one of Alex Flinn's books prior to this one, and I am glad I read this one first. It honestly blew me away!
It had everything I love, magic, mischief, comedy, romance, blah blah blah. It is difficult to find a book that includes everything.
I felt that the book was easy to predict. As soon as the book introduced Linda (or Lindy) I knew that she was the one who would break the spell. Even though it was easy to predict, it did not take away from the magic of the book. The book seemed to scream magic, while still being relatively realistic (despite the fact that a average man gets turned into a beast).
I enjoyed the ending, and I will definitely be reaching for another one of her books. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves to read these types of books. I read it in about five hours. I could NOT put it down!
Four books
**warning! small spoilers ahead!**
This book just grabbed me by the heart and did not let go. For some reason, I never read the synopsis. I just grabbed it, and expected it to be something mythical. The cover, the name, they scream at me "I am full of something mythical, magical, something that will lift your spirits", and they pull me in. But it is anything but mythical and magical.
The story of wintergirls is the story of one girl. Her name is Lia, and she is struggling. She is not struggling with learning that she is a faerie, or finding what dress to wear to prom. She is struggling with her best friend's death, and the oncoming of her own demise.
Lia is anorexic. That is a word no on can ever fully understand. Why would someone choose to be anorexic? What made them that way? This book helps me understand it a little better.
The story starts with Lia learning that her friend, Cassie, has died. Her friend was bulimic, which means she would eat a lot, then throw it all up. During the course of the book, you learn that was what had caused her death in the end.
Lia is haunted by her friends spirit, and her own demons. The demons that call her fat, ugly, stupid. The demons that haunt her for not picking up the phone when Cassie called her 33 times. The demons that count the calories in her food and make her add weights to her robe to trick her step mother into believing she was heavier than she was. The demons that said "you should weigh 90, now 80, now 70".
The story really hit me hard. I have never struggled with this type of disorder, but I know someone who has it. It is a struggle, and its an uphill battle. The last paragraph of the book just hit me in the heart. It says:
"There is no magic cure, no making it all go away forever. There are only small steps upward; an easier day, an unexpected laugh, a mirror that doesn't matter any more. I am thawing."
That paragraph gives me the chills. The book is written in such a beautiful way, it keeps it from becoming disgusting. I love the authors way of writing about a big topic, and it makes it enjoyable. I absolutely loved this book!
Five books
**Warning! Small spoilers included**
This was not the first Lauren Oliver book that I have read. I read the delirium series first, and had very high expectations for this one. Sadly, I was a little let down.
This story is about a girl, Sam, who is a mean girl. She follows in the footsteps of her friends, and does not think for herself. Sam was a very realistic character, and I found myself comparing her to people that I knew in school.
The book revolves around one day, which they call cupid day. It is the Friday before valentines day, the day where people sign cards to send roses to their girlfriends, boyfriends, friends, and so on. In this school, it measures the amount of friends you have. a popularity contest. Any way, that night there is a party, and it is where the plot begins to unravel, or thicken. What ever you wish to call it.
She dies. Sam dies. Her friends were drinking, they hit something, and she dies. You think that would be the end, if the main character dies, but its not. She wakes up, seven times, and has to redo the day. over, and over, and over. Kind of like a Christmas movie, or groundhogs day.
The book was interesting. The beginning was great, and it really kept my attention. However, reading about a character redoing the same day seven times gets quite repetitive (silly me for thinking it wouldn't).
Lauren Oliver does a good job in trying to change it, so it isn't so repetitive. Sam definitely grows with the story, and is interesting enough. I did enjoy reading this book, but it wasn't a book that I totally loved. I wish it had ended differently, but I accept it.
Three and a half books
