Fitting In

Hey! I'm on winter break so I'm trying catch up all my book reviews. There are so many I'm behind on! So this one is for Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portes. I had ordered this off The Book Depository's website (which I love due to their wide variety of paperback and free world-wide shipping) and finally got to it last month.

Okay, here's a synopsis:
Anika Dragomir is third-most popular girl at Pound High School. With a name like that, she knows that she is lucky to be so high in the pecking order. On the outside, she is pretty and a bit European looking thanks to her Romanian father. On the inside though, she's spider stew and she knows it. It's only a matter of time before the others find out too and she's working hard to prevent it. Then on the first day of sophomore year, Logan McDonough the former-freak shows up hotter, bolder, and oh-so off-limits. Anika can't stop thinking about him, but she knows that if popular girl number one sees her with him that her life is over. She must decide - embrace her inner freak, or ignore someone who might truly get her.

I really enjoyed this! At first I was a bit skeptical in the opening chapters, but after a while I really loved it. Anika's narration is a bit juvenile, but I had to say to myself that she needed flaws to fix in the end and it all ended really amazingly. Okay, well there is a plot twist, but there is so much foreshadowing. I kept telling myself it wouldn't happen. I thought something else would happen, but what did kind of blew me away. I was so surprised and not at the same time. I could have cried, but I didn't. Still the ending was very good. I loved the development of Anika and her realizations. Her quirkiness is so lovable I just wanted to hug her and tell her everything would be okay. I also liked all her siblings. They were kind of awesome haha and her sisters were there for her in the end when she needed it. I really hope you give this one a chance. The cover is nice and pretty; look at it! Isn't it beautiful?!?!?! Ahh! There's a hardcover copy at The Bookman (in good old, Grand Haven, MI.) You should definitely check it out.

So stop reading this review and get it already!! Happy reading!
Sophie:)

I am Mim Malone

Hello! I was recently asked to read Mosqitoland by David Arnold by my boss and I FREAKING LOVE IT. It was one of the best books I have read in all of my reading career. I could not help but laugh and cry and smile the entire time I read this.

A quick synopsis here:
Mary Iris Malone, better known as Mim, has been dragged from her beloved Ashland, Ohio to Mississippi by her father and his new-found wife. Her parents recently split and her father dropped Breaking News on her head then dragged her to Mississippi to start a new, "perfect" family. Her mom remains in Ohio but moves to Cleveland. When Mim catches word that her beautiful, Brit mother is sick someone and in need she hops a Greyhound bus north, toward her mom and toward her past. Through the detours and the odd ball characters that board the bus, Mim rides anxiously, awaiting the moment for her reunion with her mother so that she can be there when it is most needed.

First off, Mim is HILARIOUS. Oh my gosh, she made me laugh so hard sometimes. The way she perceives life and the way she analogizes it is hilarious. The story is splashed with letters to an Isabel, providing an outlet for Mim to tell her story to another person and as a sort of journal/stress reliever. I love the way everything comes full circle in the end. There are definitely some moments that horrified me but I loved the way Mim's character was sassy and didn't take crap from anyone. She is Mim Malone and she is not okay. But that's okay. Admitting that we're not okay is the first step toward trying to get better. We need to acknowledge that we can't do it all on our own sometimes and that we need help. There are many life lessons that I learned from Mim, too. This was a very quotable book.

Like this right here. I mean, she is so funny but she finds herself throughout this trip. I'm just going to have to let this book marinate a little bit. (Yeah that was a reference, read the book if you want to understand it!!)

David Arnold is some sort of writing god I swear. He is already one of my favorite authors. I hope he continues to write because honestly, this is definitely one of my favorites. It has you on edge the entire time. This book is also nominated to be one of the best YA books of the year on Goodreads. So if you're have an account there, you should definitely check it out.

Happy reading!
Sophie

Becoming a Chameleon

Hi!! I also forgot to blog about this one too. I read this over the summer and I loved it and it was super cute. Sophie Kinsella's Finding Audrey was a beautiful read and super sweet. It was a very cute premise and I'm glad I had picked it up at Costco.

What the book was about:
Audrey used to be in school. She used to have a few close friends. She used to go out and go to the store with her mum and hang out with her friends. But now, she can't even make eye contact with other people. She wears dark sunglasses that cover her eyes and make her feel safe and she lets people see her when she wants them to. She stays at home and sometimes if she has an episode, she has to hide away in  her room. Then one day, her brother brings his friend, Linus, over for a gaming team. And Audrey kind of freaks out. Okay, really freaks out. But that's okay because she can only let him in if she wants to. Linus starts to become something more than just a gaming teammate to Audrey's brother and more of a friend to Audrey. With him, she feels almost... normal.

So I picked this book up at a Costco because I felt like I couldn't possibly leave without purchasing a cheap book. I mean, come on - 40% discount? Yes, please! Anyway, the cover was beautiful, too. (Hey, you can't tell me you haven't judged a book by its cover before, can you? If you say yes, you're lying.)

Is that not the cutest cover design? It's very fitting for it, too! Anyway, I loved the character development of Audrey and of her brother. At first her brother (bless him, I can't remember his name) seems like a typical teenage guy but he eventually develops into a nice young man. Audrey's own tendencies reminded me of how it's hard to open up to new people in our lives, especially after we've been hurt so badly by those we thought we were our friends. From what we as readers get from Kinsella, all we know is that she was bullied so badly by her "friends" that she got social anxiety so bad that she doesn't leave her flat much. At first I was a bit irked that we didn't know exactly what happened, but in the end I realized that not know made the book stronger. It doesn't matter what happened, it matters that it happened and now Audrey has to deal with the consequences of other people's actions. We need to remember that people are fragile and that we need to be kind like Linus and extend our hands to those struggling with things like this.

Okay, I'll get off my soap box. Happy reading!

Sophie

I've never been a binge-reader...until now...

Hey y'all!

So, a few days ago, I contently finished Room by Emma Donoghue. I've been wanting to read it for a while, hearing the news of the upcoming film adaptation of the book starring Brie Larson as Ma. I can't watch the trailer without getting choked up!

So, how was this book? Is it really worth seeing the movie?

The answer is yes. Yes yes yes yes.

A quick synopsis of Room: The story is told by Jack, a five year old boy and his mother, whom we only know as Ma. Jack and Ma are confined to a eleven-by-eleven shed they call "Room". Room is all Jack knows, all because he's never stepped foot outside of it. The story takes a dramatic turn when Ma makes a proposal- and Jack doesn't know how he feels about it.

Oh my sprinkles. This book was impossible to put down. I read it in less than three days. I'm in love with Room beyond words. Donoghue portrays life through a five year old's eyes fabulously. I'm currently writing a novel told from the perspective of a nine year old girl, and even that's hard! She makes it seem as though a little boy sat down at the computer and wrote it. She gives Jack such personality- it's impossible not to fall in love with him.

Donoghue shows the unbreakable bond between Ma and Jack without even saying it. Ma never once tells Jack that she loves him- and it's not necessary. Donoghue vividly shows the immense amount of love Ma has for Jack between the lines. Room is merely centered around the bond the pair holds, and it's tear jerking.

In conclusion, Room is a masterpiece of it's own, flecked with it's own originality and character. Donoghue is a literary saint when it comes to writing a novel in a tricky perspective. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good drama with suspense, and not to mention a book that will hit you right in the feels.

Yours,
Rylie

Points of View

Hey, there! I forgot I hadn't written a review for one of the books that I read over the summer. So I started this at band camp. I had gotten it used off Amazon and I had heard only a little about this but it sounded really good. The title is A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall. This was published Swoon Reads which is a site that allows people submit their manuscripts to their  website.

So here's my overview:
Gabe is a little shy. He sees this cute girl Lea in his creative writing class but he's too bashful to make a move. Lea is a college freshman in an upperclassman creative writing class. She's nervous but she knows she's good. She meets Gabe in that class. Both are a bit too hesitant to make anything happen.

Told from multiple different perspectives, Gabe and Lea's awkwardness is pieced together.

I wasn't sure about this book at first. I didn't know how well it would come together because of all the perspectives but it was fun to get to be part of the band that helped them get together. Although we don't get Gabe and Lea's point of view, we get a pretty good idea of their thoughts through other people. I think my favorite piece was Inga, the professor of the writing course. Inga was kind of hilarious and I liked that she wasn't very conventional. If I was a college professor I would definitely do meddling things like that. She was also pretty BA and different. I also like Pam, her wife. The bus driver was a nice guy too. The only weird things I thought were the squirrel and the bench. Those threw off the story a little I'd say, but they did give good conversations between Lea and Gabe and Lea and her friend.

Okay, happy reading!
Sophie

Failure to Compute

Hello, bookworms! Sophie here blogging about my latest read. I recently finished A Step Toward Falling by Cammie McGovern. I got it as an ARC from my work but I unfortunately didn't finish it by the release date. However, I loved it anyway. A really great new read you should check out.

Here is my summary:

Emily is a good person. She works hard, does things for her parents, she even started a youth action committee at her school to help raise awareness on certain topics that go unnoticed. But then how did she fail to act when she saw a special-needs classmate being attacked brutally under the bleachers at a football game? Feeling guilty and like a terrible human being, Emily gets in trouble for her hand in this attack. She is forced to do community service through volunteering at a local center that holds classes for special-needs adults. She is not alone in this act, though. A fellow student and football player, Lucas, witnesses what happens to the student, but he too turns away. 

Yay, it was a wonderful novel!! You should read it. Okay, my opinion on this now. I thought it was very well written. I read McGovern's debut YA novel Say What You Will earlier this summer (you can find the review under my name on the left) and that impressed me a lot. When I heard she was coming out with another book I just had to read it. I'm happy to report that it is an amazing novel too. 

This book is told from alternate perspectives: one from the special-needs girl, Belinda; the other from Emily's point of view. I like how we get both sides of the story with this. Belinda is hilarious. I love that she loves Pride and Prejudice and the movie adaption just as much (the Colin Firth one, of course). Emily felt and did things I could definitely relate to. She means well but she sometimes comes off as pretentious and rude but she recognizes her mistakes and works hard to reconcile them. I liked how strong of a female character she was and that she was okay with being single. Sometimes it seems like the female characters are always looking for a boyfriend or that they are always going to end up with the main guy in the novel. It gets a little annoying and predictable after a while, so this was refreshing.

Alright, guys, I'll try writing again soon! Happy reading!

Sophie 

Post-Its and Prismacolors

Hi, bookworms! How have you been? School has been super busy, made it through the first month! I haven't had much time to blog but I have been reading  After Let's Get Lost I read All the Bright Places and wow was it beautiful. I'm just going to take a moment here and compose myself. It was beautifully written.

Here's an overview:
Violet Markey should not have been on the bell tower. Theodore Finch is there contemplating the possible ways of death. Somehow they seem to save each other that day on the edge. From that day forward, they develop a sort of relationship. Finch helps Violet rebuild her life. He shows her how to move on without forgetting. She teaches him the beauty of life and gives him reasons to stay. But then one day something snaps and Violet's world is shattered for the second time. She must carry herself and be her own best friend.

My opinion:
I LOVE THIS BOOK IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. I got so drawn in by the characters. Though I haven't felt the same exact way they have, Niven brought them to me. Violet is a beautiful character. I love how strong and independent she is. Her guilt is palpable but we learn a lot from her second tragedy. Finch reminded me of a mix of two people I know. (They don't exactly match up but his general disposition is on point.) I loved their little quirks and have began to take some of them on (post it notes on the walls? Yes please!) I highly recommend this. I regret waiting so long to actually read it and it definitely deserves all the hype it gets. I love how Niven advocates for the teen in this novel. Beautifully written and heart wrenching.

Happy reading!
Sophie

The Search

Hello! How have you all been? I hope everything is going well. I have not had much time to post lately because of school starting up. I have kept reading, don't worry, it just is less than I had been. I recently just finished Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid. I had bought this a while ago as an ebook and I just got around to reading it.

Here is a brief overview:
Leila is a girl that blows through towns in search of something. Each time she stops, she meets four different people and finds that she can give them help and in return, she gains a friendship. Hudson has his entire future ahead of him all planned out. Bree is running away from something and doesn't stay in one place for long. Elliot feels the heavy weight of heartbreak and is contemplating what he could do. And Sonia grapples with whether should could ever love again. Every person she meets leaves Leila with a bit more of a sense of herself. An of course there's the trip to see the gorgeous Northern Lights.

Alright!

I really thought that this was an okay book. Of five stars, I'd give it a three. There seemed to be a lot of hype surrounding this book and I felt that it didn't live up to the expectations the reviews gave it. Don't get me wrong, it was a good read, I just felt it a bit predictable. The characters seemed a bit underdeveloped and until the end I didn't have much an emotional attachment to any of them. Of the five stories, I liked Leila's the best. I felt the ending a bit too cliche, though, and was upset at how unrealistic the entire situation was. Many of the characters lived uncommon lives and I just felt that they weren't very relatable. Elliot was, but I felt that he was a bit lugubrious for my taste.

Thanks for sticking around, happy reading!
Sophie :)

Love Letters

Hello! How are you all today? I recently finished the sequel to a book so I decided to write a review for both. The first book is called To All the Boys I Loved Before and the second is P. S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han. I love her writing. The first book by her that I read was Shug and I loveed that one.

Anyway! Here's a description for the first book:
Lara Jean has been in love five times in her short sixteen years of life. Each time she gets over a boy, she pours her heart out in a letter to him, seals it, and stows it away in her hat box given to her by her mother never to be read by any other human being. Until she gets into a skirmish with her little sister, Kitty. When all her letters are mailed out, Lara Jean is horrified. Every boy comes to her in confusion, letter in hand. When it comes to Peter Kavinsky, things get a little complicated.

Okay, I know that was kind of a confusing overview but I promise it is a wonderful read. It was so awesome. Lara Jean is so hilarious and super relatable. I couldn't believe having all my private feelings for boys so out in the open. I also adored her hat box idea so I stole it myself ;) Lara Jean deals with a lot of pressures and struggles of being a teenager, and I personally related to her well. I felt that if I were a fictional character, she would be my twin. I also loved the bond between Lara Jean and her sisters. She and Margot go above and beyond to be the best big sisters to Kitty. Kitty is so spunky too, I love her spirit. The ending definitely left me hanging, I was dying to know more about what was going to happen to Lara Jean and Peter.

Now for the sequel (CAUTION: MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST BOOK):
This ends right where the last novel leaves off. But then it takes things and goes even further. Lara Jean and Peter have to decide what they are to each other. In this novel, they must deal with the effects of social media and jealousy. When things are starting to heat up, the fifth boy returns his letter and walks back into her life.

Alrighty! I just finished P. S. I Still Love You and it was an awesome follow up. I can't complain because it definitely tied up many things. I do wish she would've had more time to figure out who she wanted to be with but ah c'est la vie. I am in love with these books. I liked that Lara Jean had good revelations about boys and love and life. I loved loved loved Stormy. She is basically life goals. Lol she is one amazing old lady though. I am very satisfied how things ended for Lara Jean. I also like that her sisters are still big minor characters and that she isn't afraid to still rely on them.

Okay, I'll let you dig into that next book! Happy reading!
Sophie :)

My Fake Boyfriend

Hi, guys! Hope you're having a wonderful last couple days of summer or first days of school. We have yet to start school until the 8th!! Today I will be writing about The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West. I had previously read The Distance Between Us in one night because I couldn't sleep. That was an awesome read so I decided to give her other novels a chance. I also saw a lot of posts about this book on Instagram (find us @mindofaworm) and I was like, "Yeah okay sure."

My brief overview:
Gia Montgomery has great friends. Now if only they would believe her about her hot college boyfriend, Bradley. When he dumps her in the parking lot at her high school prom, Gia must find a quick fix or be toppled as queen bee. Then she notices the boy sitting in the parking lot by himself and convinces him to be fill-in Bradley. One night, a few hours, no big deal right? After it's all said and done, Gia can't stop thinking about Fill-In Bradley. If only she knew his real name. His sister decides she owes him a favor back so she must become his fake date. They actually kind of make friends. Then the real Bradley decides to waltz back into her life and screw things up.

Ah, what a great summary.

There is so much more to this novel and I really liked it. It was a really quick read and I finished it in a weekend. Gia is a very relatable girl who deals with technology and at first is very annoying. I wanted to punch her the first couple of chapters. I liked how West developed her character because Gia's faults made her less of the fake popular girl she was portrayed as. I want my own car to throw baseballs at. It'd be super relaxing! I'm left with books :) I also loved the sister who stepped in. She was freaking awesome. This book deals a lot with technology and the obsession that is taking place with it. It really made me think a lot about how much I use it and what is healthy and what is not. The ending of the book totally threw me for a loop. I thought things would end up happy and the characters would get that fairytale ending but it was better without it. It felt more real than the picture-perfect one. I liked seeing Gia screw up but grow as a person as she fixed her mistakes.

Okay, I hope this helped you find a possible new read! Happy reading!
Sophie :)

A Long Lost Book

Hiiiii! Okay so my sister ordered me this off Amazon for me and when it came in the mail I literally squealed. I have been waiting anxiously since the announced publication. Especially since I love Harper Lee. Enough to name one of my cats after her. (She's adorable btw.) Go Set a Watchman has been my long-awaited book for a long time now and I was so excited to read it. I had to bring it with me to band camp so I could finish it and I finished after lights out (I'm a hard-core rebel, I know) and it was so good. Except the ending I was a little let down about. Whatever.

Here's my overview:
Jean Louise "Scout" Finch is twenty-six years old and on her way back to Maycomb for a visit from New York. Things are starting to stir up and trouble is brewing in her beloved town. During her visit she discovers things about her past she never knew about and has revelations about people she holds dearly.

Sorry for the short description but I don't want to reveal to much and that's about as much what the book jacket gives you.

I really am kind of undecided on this one. I really love To Kill a Mockingbird and my sister loves it so much she named her first daughter after Scout. This took the characters I love and my preconceived notions about them and turned them on their heads. Remember this is set in the 1950s so the American Civil Rights movement is just starting to stir up trouble, especially the NAACP. *Just a note; the NAACP was and is an African-American special interest group. They helped Rosa Parks with her case and took several legal cases to the Supreme Court like Brown v. Board of  Education which declared separate schools were not equal in quality and started to upend segregation's mentality of "separate but equal." (Forgive me for the brief history lesson, I took U. S. History last year and thought a little background into the story might help.)* Anyway, back to the book! So Scout discovers things about herself and we are kind of surprised at her naivety at some things but I still liked her. I wanted to smack her in the back half of the book but nevertheless she absolved herself in the end. Two new characters are introduced in this book too. Okay, Uncle Jack isn't new but he is  a more developed character and I liked that. He was a really cool old guy. We also meet a love interest for Scout but throughout the novel she refuses to marry him. Which was interesting to me but I could see her reasoning a bit but she was really hard on him. I am not exactly where their relationship is at the end of the novel and wish there was little bit more specificity in the matter. We also get to see Atticus again but as an old man. I actually liked the new facet of Atticus's character because it shows that we can't idolize people. As John Green says in Paper Towns, "What a treacherous thing to believe a person is more than a person." Very powerful words I would say, don't you think?

Okay, okay, I'll get off my soap box now. Happy reading!
Sophie :)

Music, Green Women, and Wuthering Heights

Hey, I haven't written in weeks I know, but I've gotten really busy. Reading even more books. Hahah but really, I've had to catch up in my summer homework (ick). SOO this review will  be about one of my new favorite author's books The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson. Really guys, she's pretty sweet.

Okay! Here's a description:
The Lennie plant is decaying. The real Lennie is also struggling with the grief that assaults her after her sister drops dead during a play rehearsal for Romeo and Juliet. As she tries to pick up the pieces of the life she thought she had, Lennie finds solace in her sister's (ex?)boyfriend Toby. And then things get a bit sticky. But then in walks musical genius Joe Fontaine (what a babe) who challenges Lennie to really go for what she wants in life.

Really though, it's a freaking awesome book. So go read it. Now!

I know that was really short, for me especially, but that's the best description I am willing to give without giving too much of the plot away.

Alright, since I really love Jandy Nelson, my opinion will probably be a little biased but even if it wasn't her, this is a freaking awesome novel. I loved how I could relate to Lennie's musical taste and her reading habits. (Sidewalk reading? Yes, please!) Anywayy, I also loved that it involved an older novel to help develop the story. I also just love Wuthering Heights but same difference right? Okay so this is gonna be a short one.

Chat again soon! Happy reading!
Sophie :)

Two Best Friends That Anyone Can Have

Hi!! I'm glad to see someone is viewing these, so I don't write in vain.
Today I finished Oliver and Althea by Cristina Moracho. I like this book especially because of all the twists and turns it takes the reader on. I honestly did not expect the ending I got.

Here's my summary:
Best friends since they were six, Oliver and Althea know each other frontwards, backwards, inside, out. Their friendship has held strong for ten years, and lately Althea has grown to realize what her relationship to Oliver means to her - something a little bit more than that. This regrettably coincides with Oliver's new, strange disease; he has episodes where he falls asleep for weeks on end, broken up only by bouts of wakefulness in a zombie-like state. It's Oliver, but not Oliver. After his third incident right at the close of his junior year in high school, all he wants is things to go back to normal. But things have rapidly changed in the two months that he was asleep, even Althea is different. There is something that she isn't telling him, a decision that she knows will cost her his friendship. After her secret gets out, their relationship is predictably shattered. Without so much as a goodbye, Oliver heads north to New York City for a sleep study that will hopefully help him with his disease. Althea gets into her car to follow him and try to repair their relationship.

Okay, that was super long. But I hope it was good enough to catch your eye.

I really liked this book. I didn't quite know what to make of it but I had picked it up from the library on audiobook. After I started I tried to guess what would ruin their friendship but I was wrong, but partly right. (If you read it, I you will understand what I mean because you will get the characters.) I was really surprised at the ending. I really thought there would be something more definitive but it kind of left you hanging. I honestly liked the style of writing. It was light, but Althea wasn't perfect. And it's irritating when the main characters are perfect and the plot it super predictable. I was sad to get to the end. I really wanted more of the story. Does Althea go to school again? What about Ethan? (I totally ship them.) What about Kentucky/Will? I hope I haven't spoiled the book. Which I hope this has been vague enough.

Happy reading!
Sophie :)

A List

Hello, hello! I just finished Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. It was pretty good, to say the least. So I started this a while ago, but I never got the chance to actually finish it so I finally checked it out from the library (on audiobook).

My brief(-ish) rundown of it all:
Clay Jensen is in love. Okay, maybe not love, but totally crushing from a distance. But there is a slight problem - his crush, Hannah Baker, committed suicide about two weeks ago. He and Hannah weren't exactly friends or even acquaintances, but her death hits him deep. One day after school, a few weeks after her suicide, Clay finds a brown paper package on his front steps. Inside are 7 tapes, 13 tracks in total - the final words of Hannah Baker. Each track is addressed to a person and tells him/her why he/she is one of the 13 reasons she killed herself. Bewildered and intrigued, Clay follows Hannah's final wishes with the tapes and desperate to know how he had a hand in her death.

Alright, I hope that was pretty decent.

I genuinely liked the story. It was a bit confusing at parts (probably because I was multitasking while I listened to it so part of my mind was elsewhere). Anyway, I really liked the concept. But let me be clear, I don't precisely think it was fair of Hannah to blame all these people for her death. That is a heavy weight to bear and it's really easy to not take any responsibility in situations that are serious and tough. Grief really changes people in different ways, really different ways and putting this sort of responsibility on people it could have really spiraled out of control.
One thing I really wanted to know were the different reactions of the other people. I was kind of surprised of Clay's reason, but I promise I won't give any spoilers. We do get a glimpse of Marcus but I wanted to know what Courtney Crimson or Jessica Davis thought or reacted. Although, I thought it was a good book I wasn't terribly impressed with it. Out of five stars on Goodreads, I gave it 4 I think. I don't know, it was just okay to me.

Anyway, happy reading!!
Sophie :)

How to Divide the World

Hello! Hope you're having a wonderful day.

I have recently gotten into audiobooks (I'm pretty sure I'm the only teenager with a Diskman in a 3,000 mile radius) and I picked up 3 to start. I just finished the second one, and it was freaking amazing. AHMAYZING. It's titled I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson. It was fantastic, really it was.

A brief(-ish) overview:
Jude and Noah are twins. 13 year-old Noah is a vibrant artist, bursting with color and potential. He and his sister have been close all their lives. Since he can remember, Noah and Jude have been dividing the world - the sun, the stars, the trees, everything. 13 year-old Jude is daring. She wears red, red lipstick and flirts with the older boys. They've grown apart lately; it seems that their family is dividing, but instead of Jude and Noah against their parents, they're on opposite teams now. 3 years later, a tragedy has divided them seemingly irrevocably.  It seems their roles have reversed - Jude the odd artist, Noah the "normal" one.

Anyway, this is about how the twins find their way back to each other. It was hilarious (if you don't mind the cussing, it's well placed though). I laughed out loud at some parts and could definitely see the colors Noah described. I don't even know how else to describe it. IT WAS SO FREAKING AWESOME. SO READ IT. NOW. STOP READING THIS AND GO PICK UP A COPY.

Much love,
Sophie

CP + OCD = ??

Hello! It's Sophie again :)
Today, I will be writing about Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern. Let me start this off by saying it was completely different than what I expected. It's also the first book I listened to on disk (believe me, I've already gotten crap about how nerdy it is from my family, but personally, I don't give a rip).
Here's my overview:
Amy and Matthew aren't looking for a friendship when they finally talk to each other spring of their junior year (of high school). They've known each other for over 10 years but never once had an actual conversation, so when Matthew tells Amy what he really thinks about her cheerful persona, it changes her life. Amy realizes that all her life no one has told her the hard truth and that she needs him to be the person to do so. As their relationship grows throughout senior year, Amy discovers that Matthew is a person with his own problems and she decides to help him.
Soooo, yeahhh.....

Okay, I wasn't completely sure how to end that, but there are some major plot twists!!! I will do my best not to reveal them. I really, really loved this one. I was very hesitant at first but after the first disk I was pretty hooked. Honestly, I was a bit confused for a bit about what was going on with both protagonists. Maybe it McGovern wrote it that way on purpose (I'm sure it was; as Foley says, "Nothing an author does is without intent," thanks AP Lang). It was nice to get to know the characters without knowing to much. I feel that if I had known before hand it would have clouded my judgement - this gives me the chance to judge their personalities rather than define them. I think that another major theme of this is the prejudice set by disorders and diseases that affect people both physically and mentally. These play a big factor into Matt and Amy but they wouldn't be the same people they are in the book without these in their lives. It adds to their characters so much more.

Okay, I'll quit blabbing now, TTFN,
Sophie

Fangirl-ing

Hi, guys!

Today I decided I would talk about the newest book I fell in love with-  Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. Oh it's just wonderful looking at the jacket (I splurged on the special edition from B&N).

Okay here's my overview:
Cath and Wren Avery have been built-in best friends for 18 years. They've shared everything, from their love of Simon Snow books to a bedroom (yes, they're twin sisters). Simon and the World of Mages is what got them through their mom leaving, through the awkward and painful years of adolescence, and now they face the prospect of college. Lately, Wren has grown a bit more distant from Cath - keeping secrets, cutting her hair, distancing herself more and more from Cath. For Cath, all this change has her mind in a kaleidoscope, whirling from each new experience in a blurry, dizzying fashion. She is able to escape her troubles through entering the World of Mages, writing fanfic. Cath's life may be slipping away from her during her escapades, but is she ready to let go of a world so, well, magical and move on?

*DUN DUN DUNN!!!*

Anyway, I think it was a beautiful book. I really fell in love - again. Sometimes I wanted to reach through the pages and smack Cath (or Nick for that matter). Anywho, it was a super quick read. At first I didn't like the excerpts from the Simon Snow books, but I kind of grew to like them. Also, be prepared to have The Outsiders (by S. E. Hinton, if you were wondering) a bit ruined for you. I suppose I knew what generally happened in the end but I'm not one for having plots untwisted for me, ya feel?  (I'm doing my best to write a review without revealing too much.) I got to the end of this book and said, "What is this?!" I was super upset it was over. Lol.
Happy reading!
Sophie