Recent Reads: ★★★★★ books.

The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green: ★★★★★
-This book is witty, humorous, and gives an interesting perspective on life from two cancer patients who are madly in love. Think the Romeo and Juliet of oncology.
Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini ★★★★★
-Kite Runner explores the meanings of friendship, trust, and betrayal through the view of Amir, who lives in Afghanistan.
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult ★★★★ (yes, I know, it's four stars, but I loved it.)
-What is 'right' and what is 'wrong?' Anna and Kate, sisters who are connected by an internal bond -- literally -- are thrown into an interesting predicament when Anna sues her parents.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak ★★★★★
-This book will make one laugh and cry as Liesel, orphaned, begins to live with Rosa and Hans. As Germans they should have nothing to worry about as the Holocaust sweeps Europe. However, it's different as they begin to house Max, a Jew, in their basement.

ALSO.

I started checking this blog a LONG time before I got a Blogger.
It is my favoritest blog ever.
I'm not even kidding. ---> http://readeroffictions.blogspot.com/

YA Female Heroines.

YA Heroines: I'm talking Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games) Bella (Twilight) Juliette (Shatter Me) Clary (Mortal Instruments) Tris (Divergent) etc. (And NOT Enoby, Enoby doesn't count... unless My Immortal is YA? Hmm.)

I feel that, while many have earned their places in five-star/four-star categories, many also are doomed to fall on either end of what I've affectionately nicknamed The Tragic Downfall of Some YA Heroines. Feel free to abbreviate it to TTDSYAH.

On one end of the spectrum, there's "WHINY." Many argue that Bella Swan falls into this category. I'm going to say that Meghan from Leigh Fallon (found from HC's inkpop.com, now bought by figment.com) also falls into this category. Even Clea from Elixir, by Hillary Duff. Lots of them fall into the whiny category. (Goodreads agrees with a few of my choices. http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/whiny-heroines-that-piss-me-off.)

These heroines are flimsy. They're weak, faint, hide behind their boyfriends when they're confronted by a problem. They're obnoxiously fragile, insecure, but also The Most Beautiful Girl Ever and can't take care of themselves. Their main concern is looking good or having a boyfriend, in some cases. Only in some cases, though. Then there's the stubborn kick-ass heroines, who don't listen to anybody. They're arrogant in some cases, act out, and are cold to everybody else. This girl comes off as a bitch, plain and true. Katniss is borderline TTDSYAH... the only difference is that she makes some good decisions. Mainly in adventure, paranormal YA do these also-obnoxious girls appear. I place Mia from The Princess Diaries in here. Gossip Girls...and guys. Clary is borderline TTDSYAH, but manages to pull her stunts off without looking like a total bitch...not much of a bitch at all, actually. (Props to Cassandra Clare!)

Where, I ask you readers, is the middle ground? Maximum Ride... (let it be known that it is NOT cool to start an identical gang to your girlfriend's with her clone after potentially breaking up with her. *ahem* FANG *ahem*) Jenna Boller from Rules of the Road almost fit into this...but she does too much for other people. Selfless, but, let's face it, not totally interesting. Tris Prior? Sure, although I haven't read enough of the series to decide.

What do you think? Are YA heroines doomed to come off as bitchy or faint-prone? Who's your favorite and Y? (Get it? Why...Y...YA? Hardy har har.)

The Big Three

Ah, yes. Harry Potter, Twilight, and the Hunger Games. Which is the best? Which sucks? The ongoing debate: Twihards vs Potterheads. Also the "Team Peeta/Gale" nerds. But they're not part of this... yet. So yes, you there! With the picture of Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. And you, too, in the corner, with the scar/glasses attire. I'm talking to you! (As for y'all with the crossbows... you can listen in.)

I'm going to withhold judgement for the sake of no barrages of angry comments. I think all three are great writing. Neutral territory. Capische?

Also, if this caught your eye, Percy Jackson fans... sorry, you're not quite up there yet. Maybe one day. But I love Annabeth, just saying, and I KNOW, fighting monsterswithswordsandstuffisjustsocoolriptideftw. (When you're a fan, you talk fast. Also type fast and neglect the space bar.)

Story of a Girl

Review: Story of a Girl, by Sara Zarr.


Ever since her father caught thirteen-year-old Deanna's mouth on seventeen-year-old Tommy's where-the-sun-don't-shine in the backseat of Tommy's car, she has been classified as the school slut. Her father coldly accepts Deanna's new label and is suspicious of everything she does. Her mom acts as if nothing is wrong. Her brother, Darren, has had a child with his girlfriend Stacy named April and the new family lives with them. Deanna also has two best friends, Jason and Lee, who are dating. She writes in her notebook about a "surfer girl" that Tommy liked... more on that later. Basically, nobody believes in her anymore except for Darren (who has his own new set of problems, named Dad and Stacy) and Jason and Lee (dating, basically yet another kick in Deanna's ego.)


Plot: 3/5. At some places, tears were brought to my eyes just because people keep slamming her down. But it got repetitive after a while. Think somebody kicking you in the shin a thousand times. Deanna decides to get a summer job, so she can get money and spend it on running away with Darren and Stacy and April. Tommy works there, but on the plus side, she has a nice boss named Michael, forty-something and gay. (Gay rights!! :D) What I found was that while most people think that Deanna opted to go down on Tommy, it was mostly because he influenced her. Nobody understands this except for Jason, but he's in love with Lee, so that doesn't actually help her a whole lot. And Lee, but she's in love with Jason. Deanna's confused, lost, and alone. For the whole book. Basically, she tries to stop wallowing in her pit of eternal sadness, and also stop kissing Tommy.  But that's pretty much it. There wasn't much of a climax and some minimal resolution.

On the other hand, I'll give the characters a 3.5/5-- you have to admire Deanna's ability to keep getting up and facing life again and again so that she can achieve her goal. You can't really blame the kid for smoking. (Wait, she's older than me! But she's fictional, so I can call her a kid.) And only getting stoned sometimes. At the end of the book, she cries a gajillion times, but it's like letting out her emotions after putting up with a shitty brother/dad/friends/Tommy/mom/brother/brother/brother's girlfriend/brother/brother's kid. But Tommy? Different story altogether...he apologizes, but having sex with your best friend's little sister is not the way to make friends. 

I was a little confused because Deanna writes in her notebook (English journalling assignment) about her life in the third-person. Then there's also this tidbit about a surfer girl, who Tommy liked, who is what Deanna wants to be... not just because of Tommy, but also because the "surfer girl" represents freedom and happiness, surfing the ocean for all eternity. Or something along those lines.

Details... 4/5. Made reading it worthwhile. The details in her memory, and also the descriptions of the places she visits, are very vivid. But they were a little sparse. When they showed up, they were great.


Overall: 3.5/5. Good on a rainy day or when you need a pick-me-down. ★★★✩

Just Another Reader

Like millions of others, I'm just a reader. Also kind of a writer. Kind of. Mainly I read and review. If you're an aspiring writer, just ask and I'll edit your book-in-the-making, although I'll warn you: I'm nothing professional. But I'm free, and I like editing anyways.

This blog is for all books, from Clive Cussler to Meg Cabot. If you have another opinion about a book, again, comment!

Book ratings are out of five stars.
★: Return to the library/bookstore/wherever you got this book. Reasons include unlikeable characters, no detail, confusing plot, incorrect grammar/spellings (sentence structure, etc) wayyyy too long or short...
★★: Didn't work very well. Lots of clichés, not very imaginative.
★★★: Has the potential to be a good book, or lacking a little in depth.
★★★★: Great book, could be a little better but a lovely read all the same.
★★★★★: WOW. Amazing, really captured readers' attention with wonderful detail, creative plot, VERY few to no clichés.

If you have any suggestions, I'll try to get to them ASAP from the library.

-A (and R)