The Mockingbirds was an excellent novel and one I loved Originally reviewed on my blog Reading the Best of the Best.
3.5 on blog. Has been rounded up.
The Mockingbirds was an excellent novel and one I loved immensely. I was worried about why The Mockingbirds had a sequel and after having read it, my opinions are still mixed. While I respected Daisy Whitney's ability to show that what happened to Alex did not just dissolve after a few months, the rest of the novel felt unnecessary. The Rivals was a good book nonetheless but not as good as The Mockingbirds.
For one, the plot focused a lot on a large drug ring that had developed at the school and in turn, a rival counsel had developed to challenge the Mockingbirds. While The Mockingbirds was more about Alex and not much was said about the Mockingbirds, The Rivals showed just how complicated the system really was. While the reader only saw the surface actions of the Mockingbirds in book one, The Rivals took an even more in depth look at the proceedings. How far was too far? How was Alex to handle the changing dynamics of the school and the group itself?
Alex was once again, a very strong character yet she developed even more in this book. Alex was still traumatized by the rape from book one and I have to admit: Daisy Whitney did a great job showing that the effects were still very much real. I’ve never been in a situation like Alex but I could feel for her throughout this entire book. I think the bullying and victim blaming was also very sad and frustrating but I think it was important for the book and Alex. Very much like in the real world, victim blaming does happen and I felt like Daisy Whitney showed the reality of it. I hope people will learn to stop blaming the victim.
Martin was also a character I loved and hated. I loved him because he was so strong and always there for Alex. But I hated that he questioned and pushed Alex not because it was (depending on the situation) necessary but simply because I was so invested in Alex’s well being. I liked this constant love-hate relationship because it showed just how much of a confusing time it was for both Alex and Martin’s relationship. While he wanted to love and protect his girlfriend, he also had to do his job as a Mockingbird.
I felt like Daisy Whitney lost some of her spark in her writing. I'm not sure what it was exactly but it didn't leave me with as much emotion as her writing in The Mockingbirds. Maybe it was because I felt like her writing didn't change (or develop) from the first book or maybe because I honestly only cared for the well being of Alex, but I wasn't as enthralled.
Overall, The Rivals was a great follow up to The Mockingbirds but it was not as good as I had hoped it would be. While the characters are just as wonderful, I wasn't as invested in them all as I was with Alex. Alex's struggle to move forward with her life after the rape are very well depicted (from what I know) and I appreciated the author's honesty....more
When I first heard about The Mockingbirds in 2010, I didn't want to read it. The book itseOriginally reviewed on my blog Reading the Best of the Best.
When I first heard about The Mockingbirds in 2010, I didn't want to read it. The book itself sounded like a worthwhile read but at the same time, I didn't want to have to read about the subject matter: date rape. While different from other books I’ve read about this topic (Easy and What Happens Next come to mind), The Mockingbirds has to be one of the strongest books I’ve read in a while.
Admittedly, the idea of a secret society that deals with issues in school when the administration doesn’t do a thing was rather interesting and somewhat far-fetched. I know it has irked many people that something like this existed in The Mockingbirds but after a while, I realized that I was happy it was there. Too often, I see students get away with cheating or bullying and no one does a thing. While the idea of the society was a little hard to believe at first, I quickly realized that had they not existed, Alex would not have told anyone about her situation. In a time where women need to speak up about these things, I was happy Daisy Whitney gave Alex a way for her to move on.
Alex is a character I found myself drawn to. Her personality was so much like mine that I saw so much of me in her. I quickly became protective of Alex because she could have easily been one of my good friends. Daisy Whitney’s characterization was phenomenal and rather surprising. I some how found myself extremely invested in Alex’s well being. I cried reading this book. I didn’t like that Alex blamed herself for what happens. After all, she didn’t say no. She drank; she went to the guy’s room so the rape had to be her fault in part, right? I realized that this is very common. Any time Alex thoughts these things, I wanted to go in and tell her “NO, Alex. The rape was NOT your fault. A no is NOT a yes. Saving nothing is NOT a yes.” Thankfully, Alex had a strong will. While the events still stayed in her mind, she learned that she could move on. She could live her life without hating herself.
I can’t write this review without mentioning the supporting characters in this book. From Alex’s friends to the Mockingbirds to the perpetrator, they all came together to make this book the amazing product it truly is. Alex’s roommates and her sister believe that what happened to Alex did happen and that she didn’t ask for it. They were there to help her get through the school year and face all of her demons. The perpetrator and other people at the school disgusted me and saddened me. The reality hit: many of the men who rape women don’t think they did anything wrong. I will admit: I liked the way the perpetrator was depicted. In many cases, the person doing the wrongdoing can end up being pushed on the back burner and forgotten but Daisy Whitney showed how real and horrible people like this guy can be. I felt him to be disgustingly realistic and I’m glad Daisy Whitney didn’t think her readers needed to be protected from the truth.
Overall, The Mockingbirds is an excellent book by Daisy Whitney and I can’t wait to see what more she has in store for us. The Mockingbirds will make you sad and furious. It’s heart wrenching and heartwarming and harrowing all at the same time. You’ll love some characters and hate others and I’ll hope that you’ll love this book as much as I did. It deals with a topic that is very prevalent to our society and something we need more awareness of. ...more
Purity was my first Jackson Pearce novel and one that got a lot of criticism-and dare I saOriginally reviewed on my blog Reading the Best of the Best.
Purity was my first Jackson Pearce novel and one that got a lot of criticism-and dare I say-controversy? It seemed like a book that people either hated or loved and I have to say I am in the middle. While Purity was a quick read, it dealt with a lot of controversial issues that I didn’t feel were handled too well. Being aware of Jackson Pearce’s videos, I was expecting something very once sided and that’s what I got.
Shelby was not a character I liked yet I felt bad for her. She lost her mom too young and I can’t even imagine what my life would be like without my mom. Yet there was something incredibly childish about Shelby that I just didn’t like. This entire book (and I know it was done on purpose) was based on misunderstanding. Or should I say lack of communication. I felt like Shelby should have just talked to her dad instead of going on this quest to lose her virginity. I also didn’t like that she was so judgmental. Everyone has a right to their opinions but you can’t judge someone on their choices. I felt like it was one of those slut shaming situations: as no one should judge you for what types of clothes you wear, they should not judge you for wanting to be part of this purity ball thing.
I think the biggest issue for me was the fact that I am religious but I am not Christian. I had heard of purity balls and all but I didn’t really know much about them. Shelby questioned God and religion and that’s fine but I just felt like it was more of the author’s opinion coming into play. There is this thing where people say that books are an author’s product, so they shouldn’t be judged but in Purity, I couldn’t separate the two.
Overall, Purity was not my cup of tea. Obviously, there are plenty of people who loved this book and other who hated it. I am on neither side but rather on the fence. It was a quick read and rather enjoyable but I did have issues with Shelby as a character and her judgmental thoughts (as far as I believe, I understand that she lost her mother but it’s not a license to judge anyone.) ...more
There comes a time during your week when you're incredibly tired or bored and you just want something fun to read. This was how I was feeling when I bThere comes a time during your week when you're incredibly tired or bored and you just want something fun to read. This was how I was feeling when I began reading this book. I'll be honest; I wasn't expecting anything deep or overly sentimental from this book. I was hoping to be entertained and boy was I! The Boy Recession is a quick, funny, and adorable read that will make you smile and get you out of any reading funk.
The plot is self-explanatory and my only complaint was that this book was too short. I would have liked this book a lot more had the plot been expanded. Time flew by really fast and it didn't always work in this books favor. The chapter titles were a lot of fun to read and even seemed like little foreshadowers.
Characters are very important to me and in most cases, I don't like alternating perspectives. They make it harder for the reader to connect with the characters and it can be hard to distinguish the voices. While I didn't absolutely love both characters, I didn't dislike them either. Kelly was the girl-next-door and Hunter was surprisingly the laid back, cool guy. He was the one guy that people could be friends with and someone a girl might not automatically think as boyfriend material simply because…they were friends.
But overall, The Boy Recession was a speedy read that I read one a lazy day. It made me laugh and smile and while I predicted some things and thought others were cheesy, it didn’t dissolve my enjoyment of the novel. I think people should read this book for sure, especially when they are looking for a get-me-out-of-my-reading-funk kind of book. ...more
This is going to be a short-to-the-point-review. Honestly, I was so excited for Losing It. Read the summary again and tell me that that doesn’t intereThis is going to be a short-to-the-point-review. Honestly, I was so excited for Losing It. Read the summary again and tell me that that doesn’t interest you. Think of how awkward that would be! And in all honestly, Losing It has to be one of the only books I regret reading.
There isn’t much I can say about Bliss Edwards but that simple fact that I hated her. She was annoying and naive and I often wondered if she was a teenager or an adult. She’s supposed to be 22 but often spoke like she was younger than 16. Or maybe I just don’t know enough people? I don’t know but her lack of maturity really bugged me. For example, she didn’t say “vagina” very much like the girl in Fifty Shades of Gray (no, I don’t remember her name and no, I don’t feel like looking it up) and this girl is 22. She also didn’t have much of a character. I didn’t know her and frankly, I didn’t want to know her. Garrick was just the same. Was he supposed to be an adult? I understand that he was supposed to be very sexy, very British but he came off as a college-frat-boy type of guy and not what so ever.
The plot was non-existent and I’m not sure what happened I was bored so much. I love good characters and I can overlook a plot but since I hated Bliss and Garrick, I wasn’t even worried about the plot line. It had something to do with a play and love and lust and oh, a friend zoned guy of course.
Overall, just a bad book. I have no idea how the publishers picked it up or if they’re going to change anything about it but I really don’t care. ...more
After hearing so much hype surrounding Courtney Summer’s books, I decided to take the plunge with her debut novel Cracked Up to Be. It’s a rather shorAfter hearing so much hype surrounding Courtney Summer’s books, I decided to take the plunge with her debut novel Cracked Up to Be. It’s a rather short novel but it packs quiet a punch. I didn’t realize that the main character would be so hard to like or that the novel really would be gritty and honest. Cracked Up to Be was a hard novel to finish but one that I enjoyed immensely. Courtney Summer’s writing is realistic and even a little sad.
I was in all honesty expecting to love this book. It sounded just like the kind of book that I’d want to read and I especially liked that it went veryI was in all honesty expecting to love this book. It sounded just like the kind of book that I’d want to read and I especially liked that it went very well with my own Diversity Challenge. Not only is it an LGBT novel, it is also written by Julie Ann Peters, an author I’d heard numerous positive things about. Sadly, It’s Our Prom did not deliver and I found myself forcing this book on me. I’m pretty sure the only reason I finished this book was because I don’t like reviewing books without finishing them.
When I first agreed to review Easy, it was after reading numerous reviews about what an absolutely stunning novel this was. I was beyond excited to reWhen I first agreed to review Easy, it was after reading numerous reviews about what an absolutely stunning novel this was. I was beyond excited to read it yet after finishing it, Easy was not a novel I enjoyed very much. Should I feel bad that I didn’t like such a novel? Maybe. But I don’t. Easy was first, and foremost, a quick read. It was a good enough book that didn’t practically capture my attention but rather a book I just read and put aside.
I should have loved Jacqueline. In the beginning, when she is getting attacked, I should have gasped or been terrified or something. I simply felt nothing. I will admit now: I’m 17 and a female and a soon to be college student. I was worried yes, but that was about it. I expect the author to take the novel in such a term that I would be very empathetic towards Jacqueline. In the end, I knew only a handful of things about Jacqueline: 1) she was a music major 2) she tutored 3) she followed her boyfriend to college that 4) resulted in her strained relationship with her mother and 5) she likes Lucas. If I was supposed to truly connect with her, I wanted to know more about her.
Instead the plot became focused on Lucas, Lucas, and Lucas. Also, Lucas was such a stereotypical guy in my opinion. He’s smart (a full time student and tutor), has tattoos, rides a motorcycle, and had a tragic past that helps him connect with Jacqueline. Did I mention he beats up jerks that mess with women and is a self-defense teacher and works at Starbucks? I had such a hard time believing how a college student could do all of that. I mean, seriously. He also seemed to make Jacqueline crazy. She went out of her way to meet him and was with him when ever he had time. I can certainly see why some would find him appealing but I like a guy with faults.
The writing was also something that was very much hyped and I just didn’t see the appeal. Again, I read this book, finished it and went on my merry way. It was good writing and I only found a few minor mistakes but I like the author’s writing. I just don’t get the hype. Along those same lines, I mentioned how I felt bad not liking this book and it actually had to do with the feminist ideals in this book. I like a book with good feminist mentions but I felt like all of this was forced down my throat honestly. For example, Jacqueline’s best friend Erin says “This is exactly the sort of stuff women need to share with each other” on page 110 and further on, a sorority girl agrees to hold charges against the rapist when another girl comes forward and many other women are shocked. I understand this. I know this is something women need to talk about. Society needs to suck it up. Women need to be strong. They need to be able to defend themselves. I just felt like it was all shoved down my throat. Reading this book, I felt like there was a very obvious “message.” In all honestly, I like books with a message or a lesson but in a more subtle way. When a “message” is brought on but not explored enough (again, the whole focus of this book seemed to be Lucas), it doesn’t do anything for me but insult me. I am a woman and I know I must speak up and I must support other women and I don’t need to be told twice. Also, for a book all about empowering women, there was a lot of slut shaming going on. How does that work?
Overall, Easy was not the book for me. I made the huge mistake of reading one of my favorite Sarah Dessen novels, Just Listen, some time after this book and I couldn’t help but compare the two. I understand that it’s wrong and I wrote this review not thinking about Just Listen until now. Obviously, I am in the minority with this review, as many, many people have loved this novel. I hope I explained why it didn’t work for me....more
I LOVE the Tudors. I mean, seriously, I LOVE them! I'm sure it was in the fourth grade when I first heard about Catherine Howard and Henry VIII of EngI LOVE the Tudors. I mean, seriously, I LOVE them! I'm sure it was in the fourth grade when I first heard about Catherine Howard and Henry VIII of England and that was when I began hating Catherine. For those of you who know nothing of the Tudors, look them up because there is a lot to know about them! So along those lines, Gilt by Katharine Longshore was a perfect read into the life of Catherine Howard that went into all the scandals. It's long, yes, but it flies by really fast because you get seeped into the scandal and constant change and the lives of Catherine and Kitty.
I don't like characters who seem to have no backbone whatsoever and our Kitty seemed to be that girl. Did I like her? Yes, I did! Did I want her to stand up for herself? YES TIMES A MILLION. But you know, Kitty reminded me if my friend: fiercely loyal, determined and a very nice person that people used and treated horribly. Often times, I wanted to hug her because back then, if you were someone in the social classes, you didn't get rid of it. Kitty was someone because of Catherine and Kitty would literally have nothing if Catherine left her so Kitty had to get used to Catherine. A lot of the plot focuses on how Catherine's life and marriage to Henry VIIl impacted the monarchy and Kitty as well. A lot of Catherine's scandals were mentioned and you get a great feel for the type of person she was.
You all should know how much I love a romance. While I felt the the romance was rushed in Gilt, taking in the historical context, it fit the period. Many people didn't live beyond 30 (some obviously lived longer) so things happened quickly. Most women didn't have a love marriage either; the marriages were arranged between the girl's father and a man so it was refreshing (and well, OBVIOUS) that there was a romance.
I loved Katherine Longshore's writing. I mean, really, I loved it. I flew through the book because her writing kept me so engaged. Yes, I liked the plot and the characters too but the writing is the glue that puts everything together and makes the book THE BOOK. Her way of weaving words together was really well done and I loved it!
All of that said, I did feel that Gilt didn't have a lot of substance. While I liked the characters and the plot, it didn't go very deep into the characters actions or motivation or emotions. It was all on the surface which really made for a quick read.
Overall, I liked Gilt a lot. Did it have issues, yes it did but what book doesn't? Gilt was an enjoyable read with lots of scandal and lost loves and even some hilarious events. The majority of the time you want to slap Catherine and give Kitty a hug. While on the longer side of books, Gilt is surprisingly a quick read....more
This has got to be one of the most hyped up books of 2012 that was a disappointment. I'm not sayinOriginally reviewed at READING THE BEST OF THE BEST.
This has got to be one of the most hyped up books of 2012 that was a disappointment. I'm not saying that I didn't like it at all but I didn't LOVE it as much as everyone did. In a huge surprise, Something Like Normal is a book I wished had been longer and it's length affect my love of everything else.
I don't want to say that it's size contributed to it's lack of characterization but it really did. In only 214 pages, I didn't feel like the characters or plot were really strong but rather just rather. It was all too much on the surface but nothing incredibly deep. Some aspects did affect me but others just left me with no feeling. Everything was way to fast, from the plot to the love.
My favorite character was Travis. He is the one character I felt for and really, truly rooted for. Travis is dealing with a lot and his thoughts are messed up. Sometimes he's happy and other times he is sad or angry and every time he felt something, my heart felt it too. He has a serious case of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which I guessed from the very beginning and it was an interesting look into a young soldier's POV.
But Travis was the only one I really cared for. Harper could have been so much more than she was. One minute, she's hating Travis for ruining her reputation badly but the next, she's falling for him? I understand that whole "life is short" aspect but really? How do you quickly forgive a guy that made middle/high school so hard for you? So, yeah, their relationship didn't work well with me. The rest of the characters were incredibly flat with nothing more than one or two things to them.
I did enjoy this book but it was just that...simply a book I read but nothing mind blowing. I can see that Trish Dollar has a good writing style and great potential but this just wasn't the book for me.
Overall, Something like Normal had great potential but it was just a good book and nothing more. While Travis was a good guy and I liked him, I didn't care much for anyone else in the book. Too short and too rushed, Something like Normal might not be for me but I think people should still read it. After all, many people have enjoyed it so far. ...more
If you haven’t read Obsidian yet, I’m not sure what is wrong with you. While they’re not amazing books in my opinion, I like reading them. They’re funIf you haven’t read Obsidian yet, I’m not sure what is wrong with you. While they’re not amazing books in my opinion, I like reading them. They’re fun and quick to read and very enjoyable. Onyx, book two in the Lux series, dealt more with Daemon and Katy’s relationship with the alien aspect taking backseat. Though I had issues with this book, I felt like it accomplished its goal: it entertained me. Again, I didn’t love this book and I didn’t feel like this book was better than Obsidian and I did feel that it fell to the second book syndrome.
Onyx had a lot going on with the relationship between Katy and Daemon and I have to say: I didn’t like Daemon in this book. He was much more of a jerk and I didn’t understand half of his reasoning’s. Why did he act like such a ass all of a sudden? Along those lines, I was disappointed to learn that a new love interest for Katy was introduced. While yes, he did play a larger role in the plot, it was obvious he was there to add more friction and in turn, tension, between Katy and Daemon.
What I really want to know is: what happened to the kick ass Katy from Obsidian? Katy made stupid decisions left and right and it drove me insane! At one point, I stopped reading this book. She was whiney and annoying and didn’t seem to have a sense of danger. The biggest aspect that made me upset was the fact that Katy forgot all of her friends. No matter what, friends will always be there for you and Katy seemed to have forgotten about all of them. This new Katy, I didn’t like.
The alien plot line in Onyx was one of my favorite aspects. I hadn't figured out everything there was to know about these alines and Jennifer L. Armentrout had this way of surprising. Did I guess a lot of things about Katy and Daemon and his family? Yes. Yet somehow, the author was able to put in that excellent amount of "I think I know what's going to happen" with "I was not expecting that" to make me enjoy this book.
Overall, not as good as Obsidian but not completely horrible. I didn't like the Super Jackass Daemon in this book and I didn't like Katy either. The plot was my favorite part of this book and saved me from hating it! I do recommend you to pick up Obsidian if you haven't done so already!...more
I fell in love with Jessi Kirby's debut Moonglass so I was looking forward to reading In Honor. I Originally published at READING THE BEST OF THE BEST
I fell in love with Jessi Kirby's debut Moonglass so I was looking forward to reading In Honor. I love all things about road trips: the people you meet, the places you go, and the conversations that you have that are bound to reveal something about you and the others you're with. In Honor was a quick, heart warming read that I did have some issues with but otherwise,it was a great read!
So. Honor, our main character has lost her brother so she's pretty upset. Sometimes she kinda acts like a b but that's kinda given don't you think? Maybe that's why I gave her a lot of leeway. The constant hot and cold banter between Rusty and Honor got on my nerves and I was basically like: WILL YOU TWO KISS ALREADY?! But I had to remember that both had lost someone they loved and therefore, this behavior was kinda expected. It still annoyed me and sadly that took away some of my enjoyment of the story. Honestly, there just didn't seem to be a lot of development in Honor or Rusty's character which didn't work much anyways.
As for the plot, I liked it. There were definitely interesting moments, like the caves and the swimming but other than that, it wasn't much different. I was hoping that they'd meet more people along the way to California but that didn't turn out to be the case. In Honor's a pretty short book so that didn't leave room for much development. I wish it had been longer and I really want Jessi Kibry to delve more into Rusty and Honor's past.
Overall, I enjoyed reading In Honor even if I did have some issues. Jessi Kirby's writing is just as wonderful and might I say, more developed which was great. She just has this way of getting me lost in her stories (I read this one in about 1 hours tops) and time flies! While I wanted more from the characters and plot, it's easy to get invested in Honor and Rusty's pain and their overall acceptance of what happened. Rusty reminded me of Tim Riggins (for those of you who don't know him, GO WATCH FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS RIGHT NOW) which was pretty awesome! Cover Comments: I really like it! Even if it is totally stereotypical Texan thing I like it a lot! ...more