Book Review: The Name Of The Star by Maureen Johnson

SYNOPSIS:
The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago. 
Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

MY REVIEW:
This book was okay for me. I gave it a 4/5 stars. I loved the concept of this book and she had everuthing planned out really well and I know where the story was going to go but it was a good kind of feeling. There were boring parts of the book and I think thats the reason I gave it the rating I did. I think at times it could have been more action packed. I also had a weird vibe about the whole Rory-Jerome fling. I think at the end I was liking Stephen better than Jerome. I was kind of hoping something was going to happen but it never did. I liked this book and I do want to continue on with the second and third one. If youre into paranormal books, this is recommended!

Bout Of Books Read-A-Thon!

THE OFFICIAL BUSINESS:

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 8.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

I am so happy to be participating in this Read-A-Thon! I have never done something like this before so Im pretty excited to see how much (or how little) I read! I will be posting updates on my this blog everyday or every two days. 

 MY GOALS FOR THIS READ-A-THON:

- Read 3-4 books
- Read at least 100 pages a day
- Read a book on my ap english list

Now go and sign up and get reading!!

Review: Wishy-Washy Authors!

          So, this post is about me being brutally honest and telling you about the authors I think do a good and bad job at writing books.
          My number one author who I hate and love her books at the same time is Sarah Dessen. Yes, I have only read three of her books, but still, its enough to explain how she makes me feel. The first book I read of hers was That Summer. I read it about a year ago and ended up giving it a 3/5 stars. So, it probably wasn't the best idea to start off with that book. Luckily I had another book she wrote called Just Listen sitting on my shelf. I picked that one up about 8 month ago and absolutely loved it. I read it so fast and absolutely loved it. I ended up giving it a 5/5 stars. The book just really spoke to me. So, around Easter this year, I got a copy of Along For The Ride written by her and gave that book a 4/5. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. Everyone says that they love Sarah Dessen's writing and yeah, I like her. She's just not my favorite. I can only take so much of her.
          My second wishy-washy author is Nicholas Sparks. Now, before you freak out, I have seen most of his movies that have been made from the books and have read a good majority of his work. The first book I read form him was The Last Song and that was after I went our and saw the movie. I ended up loving that book and wished I owned a copy of it! But, after that, I picked up Nights in Rodanthe and read that one also after watching the movie first. I didn't enjoy that book as much as I did the movie. So, after seeing that, I read The Notebook once again after seeing the movie. I absolutely hated the book! I only gave it a 2/5 stars. It was terrible. I love the movie way better. I read the companion novel to The Notebook which was The Wedding and liked that book too. I read The Lucky One and actually liked that book compared to the movie. And lastly, I read Safe Haven after seeing the movie. And liked the movie better. I think with Nicholas Sparks, its either I like the movie better than the book or vice versa. Seriously, why cant they have the same enjoyment? Why do I have to choose one or the other? I dont know if its his fault or the screen writer's fault, but I would like to feel the same way about one of his books and movies because its like one has a lot of detail and htings happen or its just a crap movie.
          The last author I have to talk about is Susane Colasanti. I have read three of her books all this year and feel very undecided about all three of them. The first book I read of hers was Keep Holding On and I didn't enjoy this book. I just think it was the whole realness of the story and how the guy was never in it as much as the blurb described it to be. I think it was the way the story got to me that I was just getting upset about it and didn't want to read on. But I did and ended up giving it a 3/5. So, then I picked up So Much Closer and enjoyed it more than the first one but ended up giving it the same rating. The last one I read of hers was Waiting For You. I actually gave that one a review if you scroll down the page more. I enjoyed that one the most. It was the perfect summer/beach read and I liked it. But I dont think I will be reading another one of her books.
          I know all of you reading will have different opinions about the books I mentioned or authors Ive mentioned and that okay. I just wanted to put my opinions out there because I had a lot of the same others in this same category. Thank you for reading!

July Reads and August To-Be Read!

BOOKS READ IN JULY! (Yes, its a lot!)

So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti--> 3/5
Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire--> 5/5
Waiting For You by Susane Colasanti--> 4/5
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli--> 5/5
Girl With A Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier--> 5/5
Hold Still by Nina LaCour--> 4/5
Frostbite by Richelle Mead--> 5/5
Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead--> 5/5
Blood Promise by Richelle Mead--> 4/5
The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines--> 4/5
The Vincent Brothers by Abbi Glines--> 5/5
The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson-->  5/5  Favorite of the month! :)

AUGUST TO BE READ! (Hopefully will stick to these more than July's to be read...)

The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski
Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout
The Name Of The Star by Maureen Johnson

Its not a long list for August but, I read a lot in July so Im not really in the mood to read a lot. Its time for a little chapter break! :) Enjoy my reads!

Book Review: Waiting For You by Susane Colasanti

SYNOPSIS:
At the beginning of her sophomore year, Marisa is ready for a fresh start and, more importantly, a boyfriend. So when the handsome and popular Derek asks her out, Marisa thinks her long wait for happiness is over. But several bumps in the road—including her parents’ unexpected separation, a fight with her best friend, and a shocking disappointment in her relationship with Derek—test Marisa’s ability to maintain her new outlook. Only the anonymous DJ, whose underground podcasts have the school’s ear, seems to understand what Marisa is going through. But she has no idea who he is—or does she? In Waiting For You, this third romantic novel from Susane Colasanti, Marisa learns how to “be in the Now” and realizes that the love she’s been waiting for has been right in front of her all along.


MY REVIEW:
Overall, I rated this book 4/5. This was probably my favorite Susane Colasanti book so far. I did not enjoy So Much Closer or Keep Holding On as much. But I liked the main characters and how she built up the character development. I think the only parts I didnt like was when she was going back into her depression. Thats when the book got a little slow, but I managed to finish it in 2 days! I also did not like her mom. I hate how the whole affair went and how she acted to Marisa afterwards. I seriously felt bad for her dad! Her sister was also a big ass brat and I didnt like when she was always mouthing off. I would have totally slapped her!  I did enjoy this book and I would suggest this to anyone that loves beach reads!

June Reads and July To-Be-Read!

BOOKS READ IN JUNE!

Easy by Tammara Webber --> 4/5

Slammed by Colleen Hoover --> 5/5

Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover --> 5/5

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire --> 5/5

Try Not To Breathe by Jennifer R. Hubbard --> 3/5

Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti -->3/5

Go Ask Alice by Anonymous -->2/5

The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard --> 3.5/5

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead --> 4/5

The Best Night of Your Pathetic Life by Tara Altebrando --> 5/5

JULY TO BE READ:

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Maximum Ride by James Patterson

Key of Light by Nora Roberts
The Girl With A Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

If I dont get these books read, I have a couple other ones that I plan on reading this month! Stay here because I have a couple other reviews coming too!

Book Review: Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover

SYNOPSIS:
Hardships and heartache brought them together…now it will tear them apart. 
Layken and Will have proved their love can get them through anything; until someone from Will’s past re-emerges, leaving Layken questioning the very foundation on which their relationship was built. Will is forced to face the ultimate challenge…how to prove his love for a girl who refuses to stop ‘carving pumpkins.’

MY REVIEW:
Well, after reading this book I absolutely loved it! I fell in love with Slammed and then loved this one just as much if not more! I definitely gave this book a 5/5 stars! This book is not only told in Will's perspective but continues the story of them and their lives. I loved how Eddie and Gavin were back in it and that Caulder and Kel made a new friend. I also loved the poetry. Loved it in the Slammed and loved it in Point of Retreat. I think I have about 50 pages tabbed for all the great lines of this book! I also have already read a chapter or two of This Girl, the third book in the trilogy, and cannot wait until it comes out in actual book form. All around a good book!