Saturday, February 27, 2010

Sorry Its Been So Long...

but I've been busy. I have a ton of books to review, so i'll get started.

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The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart Summary From Amazon- Over the course of one summer, Frankie Landau-Banks, a somewhat geeky girl with an unassuming nature, has developed into a 15-year-old with an attention-grabbing figure, a new attitude, and sights set on making changes at her elite boarding school. The teenager also has a new boyfriend, a gorgeous senior who belongs to a long-standing secret society on campus—The Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds, known mostly for silly pranks and a history of male-only membership. With a witty, sharp, and intelligently scheming mind, Frankie manipulates the Loyal Order to do her bidding with pranks meant to make a political statement about the male-dominated and classist nature of the school.

Review- Truthfully, I didn't like this book as much as I expected to. I thought it was going to be a cute, easy, romantic comedy, but it was instead a feminist manifesto. Don't get me wrong, I love strong female characters in books, but Frankie got annoying at times, and she just didn't seem very relatable to me. Usually, I love E. Lockhart's books, but this one I just didn't find funny. I did like the use of underused words, and I liked how smart Frankie was, but I didn't really feel a connection to any of the characters in the book. C


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What Happens here by Tara Altebrando Summary From Amazon- Living in Vegas, high school juniors Chloe and Lindsay are surrounded by imitations of the world's greatest places. They've always been like sisters and they plan to travel the world when they're older. Then, while Chloe and her family are on a European vacation, Lindsay is raped and murdered. Suddenly, in addition to mourning the loss of her best friend, Chloe must deal with the guilt of being the survivor. Complicating matters is her interest in Lindsay's brother, which she knows that Lindsay did not want her to pursue. Chloe finds she is unsure of who she is in a world without her friend.

Review- I found this book really interesting. I loved the descriptions of Las Vegas, and I love love loved Lindsay's brother. However, I had some major problems with this book. First, I really didn't like how unfriendly Lindsay seemed towards Chloe. They were supposed to be best friends, but the way Chloe relates it, Lindsay wasn't much of a friend at all. Also, by the second half of the book, Chloe had gotten mean. I understand that everyone grieves in their own way, and she made up for it in the end, but I don't think Danny deserved to be treated the way he was. I did enjoy this book, and I loved the Europe part, as well as the ending, so even though some parts bugged me, I thought it was good. B+


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Tithe by Holly Black Summary from Amazon- Sixteen-year-old Kaye Fierch is not human, but she doesn't know it. Sure, she knows she's interacted with faeries since she was little--but she never imagined she was one of them, her blond Asian human appearance only a magically crafted cover-up for her true, green-skinned pixie self.

Review- I loved this book. I thought it was well written, edgy, unique, quirky, and so many other adjectives. I thought the descriptions were really great, and I thought that the characters were so great, especially Roiben and Lootie. Though parts were a little too much for me, I thought it was clear, and interesting, and it gave me a new vision of the faery idea. I will definitely be getting Ironside, the sequel to this book!! A+


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Heartless by Sara Shepard Summary from Amazon- In Rosewood, Pennsylvania, neighbors gossip over picket fences, and gleaming SUVs sit in every driveway. But recently, friendly smiles have been replaced with suspicious glares and accusatory whispers—and it's all because Hanna, Aria, Emily, and Spencer just can't keep their mouths shut. First they claimed they found a dead body in the woods behind Spencer's house, only to have it vanish without a trace. Then when the same woods went up in flames, they swore they saw someone who's supposed to be dead rise from the ashes. And even after all that, the pretty little liars are still playing with fire. Hanna's trading in her Dior trench for a straitjacket. Aria's trying to contact the dead. Emily's dumped her boyfriend and is skipping town. And Spencer thinks someone in her family has gotten away with murder. The friends insist they're telling the truth about what they saw, but all of Rosewood thinks they're simply out for attention—and nobody likes a girl who cries wolf. So when the big bad killer comes after the girls, will anyone believe them or will they be the next to disappear?

Review- I have been reading these books since they came out, and I have loved each one. The same holds true for this one. Sara Shepard is just so good at crafting a suspenseful and mysterious novel, and the foreshadowing is always cool. This book is full of pop-culture references, fashion, and murder. Though some of the people that have died in these books have been my favorite characters, I understand why they have to die (mafia moment!). I don't want to spoil anything, so I'm going to stop here, but I definitely suggest going out and getting the books for yourself! A+


Thats all for now, but next time I will be reviewing Nicholas Sparks' The Notebook, and a surprise book! Also, there may be a giveaway in the near future, so get excited!!!





1 comment:

  1. Hey Kelsy~ You won a book in my giveaway! I emailed you but I haven't heard back yet. I need your mailing info :)

    http://bookshelfmonstrosity.blogspot.com/2010/02/february-contest-winners.html

    ReplyDelete