Review: This Is What Happy Looks Like

This is What Happy Looks Like is much, much more than what it appears to be. The pure outline of the book just makes you assume that it's all going to be one giant cliche that's not even worth your time. But trust me, it is definitely worth your time.
If fate sent you an email, would you answer?
When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds.
Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?

Summary: By some sort of force; fate, destiny maybe, Graham, Larkin -- the drop-dead-gorgeous male movie star -- sends an accidental email the the lovely, complicated, Ellie O'Neill. Following his heart, Graham sets out for his next movie at the exact location that Ellie lives. She doesn't know that the boy she has told almost everything to is a movie star, and he has no clue that this girl is most likely the love of his life. When they meet, the surprises in store never seem to end.

PROS: Ellie is definitely the major pro in this book for me. The way she thinks, her sense of humor, how guarded she is, is just so incredibly intriguing to me. Most girls would swoon over this guy just simply because of his name, but not Ellie, she has bigger priorities, and I respect that. I also love how Jennifer Smith writes from both of the characters point of views. It makes the book more well-rounded. 

CONS: There wasn't a lot about this book that I didn't like. Maybe one complaint would be that it was all just a little too predictable. I also found the ending to be a little bit of a let down. 

Rate: This book definitely puts a smile on your face, but if your looking for a book that challenges your mind, this isn't it. 2.5 out of 5 stars (because books are better than stars) 

Review: You Have Seven Messages

Seven Messages is the kind of story that keeps you guessing with every page you read. The easy writing style that Lewis has is just what you want with a book like this because it makes it even more difficult to put down.
"It's been a year since Luna's mother, the fashion-model wife of a successful film director, was hit and killed by a taxi in New York's East Village. Luna, her father, and her little brother, Tile, are still struggling with grief.
       When Luna goes to clean out her mother's old studio, she's stunned to find her mom's cell phone there -- charged and holding seven unheard messages. With the help of her dreamy neighbor, Oliver, Luna begins to listen to them and piece together the events leading up to her death. Now she must face the fact that the tidy tale she's been told may not be the whole truth.
Summary: Luna handles the death of her mother well, as well as you could ever expect from a 13 year old girl at least. To finally give herself some closure, she goes to her mother's studio and finds the phone. While listening to these messages she not only comes closer to discovering the whole story of her mom's demise, but she also begins discovering herself and growing as a person. 

PROS: This book is such an easy read, it's something that you'll read in the summer on your patio with some lemonade. But, it's also entertaining. The entire time I had no idea what the next message would be, what clue she would find, and how she would react to the situation. I also love how the death isn't the only piece to this story, it has so much more. It has a subtle romance and a beautiful sense of self-discovery.
CONS: I'm not going to lie, the middle of this book is a bit dull. You start to think "Oh my god just figure out what happened already", and it won't be until the end of the book that you will realize that everything in the book is important. Just give it a chance.
Rate: This book is worth it. I loved it. 4 out of 5 books (because books are better than stars).

Review: TH1RTEEN R3ASONS WHY

This book is something that will change your views on life; or at least, how your life will affect the lives of others. This book brought tears to my ears, so if you're looking for a drama/depressing tale, this is definitely something that I would suggest for you
"Clay Jensen doesn't want anything to do with the tapes Hannah Baker made. Hannah is dead. Her secrets should be buried with her.   
          Then Hannah's voice tells Clay that his name is on her tapes -- and that he is, in some way, responsible for her death. 
          All through the night, Clay keeps listening. He follows Hannah's recorded words throughout his small town . . .
          . . . and what he discovers changes his life forever."
Summary: Hannah's life fell apart, she felt that the only way to solve her problems was to end her life, and she did. But, before she did, she wanted people to know why. Right before her passing, Hannah made tapes, thirteen tapes to be exact, and sent them out, so that people who affected her decision, will know how, and why. 

PROS: I love the original story line that this book uses, and how the whole book is actually just written about one night. I really enjoyed the how heart-wrenching it was.

CONS: The book is actually very difficult to keep track of, I never really knew what was going on when. I also thought that maybe it was a little TOO sad, a little TOO heartbreaking, a little TOO hard to pay attention to without bursting into tears.

Rate: As original as this book is, and as good of an author Jay Asher is, I thought that this book was just too over the top.  3 out of 5 books (because books are better than stars).

Review: Along for the Ride

I'm not usually one for cheesy, romantic summer stories -- okay that's a lie, but who isn't -- but this story is actually a lot more than that. The way Sarah Dessen writes just makes you want to read her words all day long.
"Ever since her parents' divorce, Auden has been unable to sleep. She's built a routine that gets her through each night; but when the opportunity comes for her to spend her summer at the beach with her father and his new family, she jumps at the chance to break out of her rut.
Life at the beach proves more challenging that Auden expects. In addition to trying to figure out how she fits into her father's new life, she also has to navigate the girls at work with their gossip and friendship and crushes. And then there's Eli, a fellow insomniac who becomes her nocturnal tour guide. With and endless supply of summer nights between them, almost anything can happen. . . ."

Summary: Along for the Ride is the classic love story; girl has problems at home, boy tries to help girl, boy succeeds, boy and girl fall in love, something tears them apart and *SPOILER* in the end, of course, they end up together *SPOILER OVER*. In this book, however, Auden is such a smart girl, and Eli is such a mystery, that it really is worth the read. Auden puts up a wall, but then again, so does Eli, and they each try to figure each other out without letting their guards down. 

PROS: I enjoyed the easy-to-read writing style that Sarah Dessen uses, as well her ability to write in such a way that as soon as you get bored, she pulls you back in. I loved the way she portrays Auden and Eli, they are both so unique and intriguing characters.

CONS: Like I said, Auden and Eli are incredible people, I loved them, but my love extends only towards them. The other characters in the book are no where near as intriguing, and their characteristics are inconsistent. I would've preferred, in all honesty, a book with only Auden and Eli. 

Rate: If you look beyond the cliches and some inconsistencies, this book is, overall, a read worth while. 3 out of 5 books  (because books are better than stars). 

Review: Crank

 Crank, by Ellen Hopkins is, in my opinion, and in the opinion of hundreds of others, 537 pages of genius on paper. Now, I would have preferred my first review to have been on something less well-known, but I couldn't resist.
"Kristina is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. Then she meets the monster: crank. And what begins as a wild ride turns into a struggle for her mind, her soul --- her life". 
Summary: In the simplest definition, Crank is the story of a girl who has never gone through any real troubles, and then one summer, when she visits her father -- who is an ass and a drug addict -- she suddenly finds herself becoming involved with a troublesome boy and, you guessed it, Crank. This sets the outline for the rest of her life, and this book will keep you guessing what she is willing to risk in order to feed her addiction.

PROS: This is more than just a book about a troubled teen, something that I'm pretty sure we are all quite sick of, but it's poetry; literally. The way it's written is with hundreds of poems of all shapes and sizes, lengths and styles, and for a minute there, it's slightly confusing and kinda intimidating, but once you get into it, I promise it'll be almost impossible for you to put it down.

CONS: As much as I truly adore this book, we have to remember that nothing is perfect, even the things we love. One problem I have with this novel, is something that has always gotten in the way of me truly enjoying books to their full potential; how unrealistic it is. I just don't find what happened in this book, at least in the beginning, to be very probable. Now, I understand that this book is fiction and realism isn't necessary, but I find it hard to truly understand a book if the actions of the people in the book are inconsistent and/or just plain unlikely. i.e. When Kristina first goes to visit her dad in New Mexico she has never even been touched by a boy, and then she meets this kid whom she describes as a beautiful angel, and then he falls in love with her. I'm just confused on how she has never been the interest of any of the boys back home, but as soon as she travels and meets the "Hottest guy in the world", he is automatically head over heels for her? Isn't that just a little too convenient . . .

Rate: Beyond the tiny bit of bitterness I have towards the character Adam (the angel boy), I found this book truly brilliant/inspiring/entertaining.    4 out 5 Books (because books are better than stars).