ghostgirl

Serena Robar is doing this fantastic giveaway, a YA book given away every single day of June. Check it out!

Also, I got an award :) Thanks so much!

On to reviewage!

ghostgirl
written by Tonya Hurley



Before I even began reading ghostgirl, I fell in love with the format--the elongated cover/page size, the style, even the font. The little blurbs between chapters were spectacular and to me, the best parts of the book. About the book itself though, I don't know, there were times when Charlotte severely annoyed me, but I do have to admit that the portrayal of high school was eerily accurate. She did get on my nerves though when she was dead and still obsessing over some random guy, because seriously? Nobody on this earth is that shallow. I hoped that she would grow out of this, and she did, eventually, but for the majority of the book, this drove me insane. She was giving teenage girls a bad name everywhere; Charlotte Usher: Dead Teenage Ditz. The plot was unique, though, and for the most part, a pleasure to read. I did enjoy the concurrent storylines, but I felt the ultimate ending was really rushed and a bit too miraculous to be true. There's one other thing I'd like to mention before ending this one. Throughout the entire book, I felt like it was trying too hard to appeal to the wrong demographic. Charlotte Usher is a typical teen, but with the black cover [and yes, people, particularly teens, judge books by their covers] and depressing silhouettes and seemingly desperate music references, it singles out a more "gothy" teen audience, when in reality, I think this is a book many other teens would enjoy, but would hesitate to pick up.

Rating: 3.5/5

ghostgirl:homecoming



I'm having some extreme trouble figuring out why Ms. Hurley thought a sequel was necessary. Everything was wrapped up in the last book, albeit rushed, and it all felt so final. A sequel wasn't needed. Nothing interesting happened until the very last page. It just seemed like desperate reaching to tell a story that didn't need to be told. The blurbs between chapters were, however, just as good as before and as fun to read, but they were pretty much the only thing I enjoyed. Another random observation I made: this book and its predecessor really don't carry the very best message to the teenage girls reading it. It's basically letting them know that looks are everything, and that's a horrifying idea to be pushing, as if teenage girls don't get enough of that sentiment. I don't know what happened, but the writing seemed to disintegrate in quality, nothing happened plot-wise, there was no more character development, everything seemed predictable, and it just wasn't a fun read.

Rating: 1.5/5

There's No Place Like Here

There's no Place Like Here
written by Cecelia Ahern



I regret to say that I received this book two years ago and just now managed to actually read it. It was my first ARC and I put it aside and it sat at the very bottom of my TBR pile for the longest time. Until this time of year, when I've been trying desperately to get everything out of that box and I finally decided to give this seemingly thick, impossible-to-get-through book a shot. Boy, do I hate myself for waiting so long to read such a literary work of genius. Remember in your school days, when teachers always told you to "show, not tell"? Cecelia Ahern does this, and does it flawlessly, with writing that is not at all awkward like much "good" writing seems to be, nor is it childish. Everything flows. All the words fit together as if they were each handpicked to play the part they are assigned. Coupled together with crazy good characterization, a plot as unique and captivating as they get, this contemporary fantasy should be a must-read for anyone considering themselves a true reader. As long as it is, I got through this book in one long sitting, absolutely refusing to put it down. Cecelia Ahern is the literary genius I have been searching for.

Rating: 5/5

Waiting For You

Waiting for You
written by Susane Colasanti



Ah, Susane Colasanti, why must you be such a genius? Words will, as is usual with her books, have difficulty describing how utterly perfect Waiting for You was. In yet another stunningly sweet book, Colasanti will have you laughing and crying and just wishing you lived your lives with her amazing characters. They come to life with quirky characteristics, up to date references (Speak! and Twisted!) and genuine, realistic speech, although there were certain times when Marisa acted a bit like a spoiled brat. Still, it was great to see another character diagnosed with an anxiety-disorder, showing teens everywhere that it's not a completely life-halting diagnosis, much like Jade told us in Deb Caletti's The Nature of Jade. Nash, Love Interest Extraordinaire, is the boy we've all wanted to meet. So many great things plot-wise, where to begin? The father-daughter bond between Marisa and her dad was heartwarming--it's really rare to see a good YA book with one of those, as they usual end up being mother-daughter girl bonding books. There's enough intrigue to leave you slightly on the edge of your seat, parts predictable, parts not so, but all entertaining to read nevertheless. Everything is so honest, current, and clear. It's what I love most--the clarity, the softness of the words, the characters, all that even reflected down to the gorgeous cover image. Colasanti truly has discovered, developed, and perfected the teenage life and voice.

Rating: 5/5

Silence

reading next: Queen of Babble reread =P

Silence
by Christopher Brookhouse



There is very little I can say about this book that is positive. It was interesting seeing a book written in present tense--don't see many of those nowadays. It seems like the characters really had some great potential, and pretty much wasted it all by sleeping around. The dialogue and situations were highly unrealistic--nobody actually talks or acts like that. The book itself was so cookie-cutter, no personality, no humor, no nothing. Cold, boring narration. There were also moments when Harriet, the main character's mother, spoke in first person, and those didn't really work with the rest of the book. It is, to the core, a gossipy book that seems like it was written by a pervert.

Rating: 1.5/5

Cracked up to Be

just finished: Cracked up to Be
reading next: Strider


Cracked up to Be
written by Courtney Summers

I really loved this book. While the very beginning left me slightly queasy (the language/content really needs to be toned down), I highly enjoyed the rest. The other reviewers were right. This is one book where the ending really reverberates and it's not one you're likely to forget. I loved the big moments. There were times when I thought I knew, without a doubt, what was going to happen, but then pleasantly found out that I was completely wrong. The revelation that Jessie was her best friend was a shocking one, but it explained a lot and really made sense in a weird way. Jake was another surprise, albeit an awesome one. The ending, like I said earlier, was stunning and perfect, although I do wish there was more time given to the "after". I have one problem though, with books such as this one and Speak. The protagonists of both books were, at some point, popular. Despite their falls from popularity, it is still quite hard to relate to these characters, since even now, they are popular in popularity. The majority of people dealing with issues such as these are quiet recluses, not the kids in the spotlight. It's just something that really bugs me. Still. Astoundingly good story, and I won't let that small detail ruin it for me.

Rating: 5/5

I just got an ARC of Cracked up to Be, written by Courtney Summers, through LibraryThing. Definitely looking forward to reading that very soon. Gotta get through The Calder Game first though.

I went to Barnes & Noble today. It really warmed my heart to see Thirteen Reasons Why and Just Listen sitting right next to each other on an endcap marked "Teen Favorites" <3