Overview: The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilence and redemption; and a revalatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant. When sober, Jeannette's brillant and charismatic father captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly. But when he drank, he was dishonest and destructive. Her mother was a free spirit who abhorred the idea of domesticity and didn't want the responsibly of raising a family. The Walls kids learned to take care of themselves. They fed, clothed, and protected one another, and eventually found their way to New York. Their parents followed them, choosing to be homeless even as their children prospered. It is truly astomishing; a memoir permeated by the intense love of a peculiar yet loyal family.
My Thoughts: The Glass Castle was truly interesting to me and I found myself unnaturally engrossed in each page. I believe Jeannette's words to be very ethical and educational; I felt like she was telling me a story that I can learn from for my future. I felt a connection with the book that lacks in most others; I knew this was the book for me, and probably you too!
Four Stars: ****
Overview: Jenny Humphrey, formal Gossip Girl character has been kicked out of her private NYC high school Constance Billard for rumors Jenny isn't exactly denying. However, Jenny decides this is a time for a new Jenny; a fresh start. And what's a more glamorous start then at boarding school? Soon, she gets into Waverly Academy where everything seems a little more sophistacated, a little more pretty, and a little more cool. However, it seems like gossip is spreading around like wild fire; and they're all about Jenny's past. Soon, she finds herself in trouble with her secret crush Easy and new roomie Callie, and risks being expelled. Brett, their other roomie, is dating their new teacher. Plus, many students are getting ponied. While drama the drama unfolds, we get to watch. And we are loving it.
My Thoughts: The book had the feel of Gossip Girl but the essence of Private. I have a thing for boarding school books because the concept is so delicious! Also, I loooved the owl-net convos between Waverly students. I ate up all the romantic tension between Easy and Jenny, I wanted them to end up together so bad! But I guess that is why they make sequels:D So basically, this was one of the best novels I've read this summer, and you can see the list of them on the reviews page. It was perhaps THE best.
Four Stars: ****
Hey, junkies!(:
Decided to do a promo for other sites like mine; for teens by teens! In order to do this, I will need YOUR participation. Leave a comment with the link to your blog. I'll judge it on four things:
1) Creativity
2) Content
3) Template Design
4) Personal Logos & Site Name
If you win, you will get a personal comment from me telling you you have won; plus, a spot on my blog, and I'll be using personal connections to get your blog more hits asap! So Here's what YOUR going to do:
Leave a comment saying what you think about my blog on this very post. After you've done so, please list your link and name: As well as a reason to why I should pick YOUR blog!
xoxo, Novel Junkie[:
Overview: Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna have one thing in common: their super cool best friend Alison. Their bond, as Alison had said, would be forever held by each others' secrets. But then, Alison goes missing, and the girls are left with an even bigger secret to hide.
Spencer: An overachiever at everything she does, falls in love with her perfect sister's boyfriend.
Aria: After moving back to Rosewood from Iceland, falls in love with her English teacher and battles the haunting thoughts of her father's infadelity.
Emily: A swimmer that questions her sexuality after hanging out with her new lesbian neighbor, Maya.
Hanna: A beautiful girl with an eating disorder, keeps getting herself in trouble with the police.
These girls have secrets. And A knows them. And she's still watching.
My Thoughts: The book was definietly different from most I've read recently. It tackled almost every possible secret a teenage girl could have. I was stunned by Emily's urge to switch teams, and the way Spencer's family reacted when they found out she was with Wren. I loved every minute of it. And I was dying to find out who A is! This is soooo a series I am going to continue. It was beyond interesting, you should deff read it!
Four Stars: ****
Very unlike her rich and fabulous characters, Cecily Von Ziegesar is very down to earth. As it shows in the interview, she is clever in her writing and very attached to her peices. I praise Cecily V Ziegesar for all her work!(: Expect a review for Cecily's 'The it Girl' in the near future!
Overview: Halley and Scarlet are best friends, and have been since they were eleven years old. Halley could always could count on Scar for anything; until Scarlet's boyfriend dies in a motorcycling accident, sending them both into shock. Now, Scarlet is the one who needs to lean on her best friend. When Halley gets a call from Scarlet at sisterhood camp, she knows this is serious. After getting back to Halley's home town to see Scarlet, the book takes off into an emotional rollercoaster.
My Thoughts: I found the book to be quite pleasing; Halley and Scarlet are wonderful characters and very hard not to like. I thought the book was very realistic and fasinating. The crazy home life Scarlet survived in and the odd relashionship between Halley and her mother was somewhat addictive. I loved it, and would suggest it to anyone who would read it.
Three stars: ***
Overview: Anna Percy is a twelfth grade honor student and all around good girl flying to L.A. to work at an internship her father had arranged for her. Things start great; she meets her dream guy, Ben, on the plane in and scores an invite to a superstar's wedding. Until they show up. Cammie, Sam, and Dee all show up, that is, and secretly have crushes on Ben. Throughout the book, they try to destroy his relashionship with Anna. And of course, when Anna isn't exactly making friends, Ben ditches her in the middle of the night on his father's boat, and she catches her father smoking pot in grungy clothes. What else could go wrong? Now, she decides she is ready to start a new life, new rules. And she doesn't need this.
My Thoughts: I finished the book in one night, I barely went to the bathroom until it was done. I would consider it to be 'literary crack'. I was hooked. Something about Anna made me want to read more - her suddel sophistication, it might have been, and her willingness to be bad. Also, I really liked hearing about Sam's life. It seems like Hollywood isn't as smooth as it looks like it is. Overall, I thought it was a really good book. I wished really hard for Ben to be a good guy, and I hope he is innocent. I guess I'll be reading the next in line!
Four Stars: ****
Overview: Unlike any vampire novel I've read before, Gina Covello wakes up in her coffin, confused as to how she got there. Oh wait, yes, she died. However, before her death, gorgeous and stylish Gina was vamped. Now, when she wakes up, she finds herself in an intense world of secrets and lies. Melli, a vampiress on a quest for power, is building a empire to take over the council; and in order to do this, she has to kill - the teens of Gina's High School. Soon, Gina takes matters into her own hands; to set the vampires Melli is holding free and to get her boyfriend Bobby back from the council. If you like vampires & drama, it should definitely be on your list.
My Thoughts: I saw this book in a little book shop when I was on vacay and I wasn't exactly sure how it would turn out, so I didn't expect much. However, it gave me more than I hoped for, and I was satisified when I finished. I liked Gina; since she was a mix between Zoey from Marked and Massie from the clique, I had a sense that she was relatable and real - with lust for human blood, of course. It is two hundred thirty pages of interesting.
Three Stars: ***
Overview: This intriguing story is about two girls from the same country, same city, but know little about each others lives, cultures, and family life. This is due to the fact that Amal is a Palestinan and Odelia is an Israeli; and the outbreak of war that has been going on for over fifty years in the middle east. Throughout the book, you learn much about each side of the looking glass; political views, traditions, and dreams of both young women.
My Thoughts: I thought this book was very different from most of the books I've read lately, and I liked the contrast. I had little, or to be quite frank, no knowledge of the war in the middle east before it was assigned reading for history class. Now, I've formed my own opinions about the situation over there and I think once you read the book, you will too. I found that learning different customs about their people on both sides very interesting, and I found myself comparing my american life to theirs. It is a book that everyone should just look at, it taught me a lot. And, it's a plus that it was written by teens like us.
Two Stars: **
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