Geek Girl

Harriet Manners knows a lot of things.

She knows that a cat has 32 muscles in each ear, a "jiffy" lasts 1/100th of a second, and the average person laughs 15 times per day. What she isn't quite so sure about is why nobody at school seems to like her very much. So when she's spotted by a top model agent, Harriet grabs the chance to reinvent herself. Even if it means stealing her Best Friend's dream, incurring the wrath of her arch enemy Alexa, and repeatedly humiliating herself in front of the impossibly handsome supermodel Nick. Even if it means lying to the people she loves.

As Harriet veers from one couture disaster to the next with the help of her overly enthusiastic father and her uber-geeky stalker, Toby, she begins to realise that the world of fashion doesn't seem to like her any more than the real world did.

And as her old life starts to fall apart, the question is: will Harriet be able to transform herself before she ruins everything?

3 STARS out of 5
TITLE: Geek Girl
AUTHOR: Holly Smale
GENRE: Young Adult

Meet Harriet Manners -- our resident 15 y/o geek girl.

"I'm not a big fan of the colour red, even if it is the longest wavelength of light discernible by the human eye."

Well, my fave color is red, and I didn't know that.

Let me tell you, I feel pretty giddy whenever I start a book.  I believe that no book can be so bad that it doesn't contain even a single new knowledge or information.

Fortunately, this book is full of them.  I'm seriously learning lots of actual trivias while reading this YA goodie -- now, that's a first.

Because this book dragged a bit at times, I don't think this could be read in one sitting.  Took me almost a month and other good books in between to finish this one.  But whenever I pick it up again, I found myself enjoying the few chapters.  Nothing beats good humor in an uneventful day.

The only thing that irritates me the most was the varied terms of endearment used by the top model agent, Wilbur.

Petal, Sponge-finger, Chocolate-drops, Baby-baby Unicorn.

Like, seriously??? She must have called Harriet a hundred different names throughout the book!

First off, I have nothing against the gay community.  I don't even know how fashion mavens talk but I thought Wilbur's personality was so exaggerated it's NOT even funny.  In fact, whenever I read about Wilbur's line, I feel like pulling my hair out.  It's just so annoying!!

Thank goodness, I let that out.

~This book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exhange for an honest review.

Manipulating the List

 Katherine Elizabeth Sheppard is only one heart-pounding step ahead of the Collector. A friendship of sixteen years suddenly transformed into a game of manipulation after her name appears on the Collector's list. Responding to little more than the primitive instinct for survival at any cost, she becomes a cold-blooded killer at the age of twenty-two. But her assistance in mortality can't stop there, she must continue to assist in the death of others in order to bypass her own fate.

3 STARS out of 5
TITLE: Manipulating the List 
AUTHOR: K.B. Lever   
GENRE: Young Adult

SPOILERS AHEAD. Read at your own risk.

First of all, I’d like to disclose that this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. I’m open to new reads and I happen to like the premise of this one. Minus the cover, not really eye-catching. To be honest, sometimes book covers influence the way I prioritize my top tbr. Anyway, this book takes the grim reaper stuff to a whole new level. This is a story about Jonathan and Katherine. A story about the weird friendship between a boy who collects souls based on a list AND the one girl who could manipulate the said list.

 

This was going to be the beginning of our new friendship; a friendship where he would give me clues to find his next victim and then my race would ensue to find them before the collection time so that he could bypass collecting me.

 

At first, this book seriously gave me the headache. 

Okay, I know how the Collector works, but I felt confused as hell with all this manipulating mumbo jumbo. It was stated that “by the end of the given timeframe, a name on the list would have to be collected."

If that’s the case, and the Collector has been doing this for decades, then what’s the point of Katherine tracking those victims? Should handling those victims on a silver platter to the Collector actually manipulates the list?

So I read on. Wondering how the heck could I actually ever enjoy reading this book.

I don’t know why I aggravate myself by reading a book out of my genre but since I was the one who requested this book for review, I thought I should give it a try and keep an open mind. Fortunately, that wasn’t very hard to do because the writing style was really good.

When finally:

“I didn’t know what interfering with the Collector’s list was going to do to me.” -Katherine

Hah! After that admission, I actually sighed with relief. At least, I know that the stuff which was initially bothering me will be resolved somewhere in the book. I just have to be patient.

And I’m glad I did.

This is one of those books that won’t grab your attention in the beginning. If I’ll be perfectly honest, the first few chapters were a total yawnfest.

But when things picked up, it would freaking pull you at your collar – happened just after the first two hunts, when the MC was running away from everyone. Dang! A girl on the run! By that time, I’m finally acknowledging the fact that the author has some serious writing skills. Why! She just amped up the suspense factor!

So obviously, I thought this was turning to be a pretty, exciting read.

I was wrong.

Another bad thing happened. I don’t have anything against Australians but I got bored again – this time, because of too detailed Australian back stories. It’s one thing to engage in a chat with a cab driver, but to have him recap the whole story of something he actually witnessed back in the day -- again, TOTAL YAWNFEST.

My relief totally disappeared because of one unrealistic romance found in the book. Don’t get me wrong, I love whirlwind romances. But for me, it just didn’t work with this one. It was hurried, and I even thought the romance was done as an afterthought. Maybe find another connection between Liam and Katherine other than being hopelessly in love?

Honestly, the story could do well without the said romance. (Or maybe it’s just me hoping for some twisted sense of fate that Jonathan the Collector and Katherine would get it on. Oookay, scratch that. That would be really gross because technically, the Collector died when he was 14 y/o and would definitely come off as a betrayal against Winnie, his first love and the reason why he died in the first place.)

Oooh, but the irony.

And WTH happened to the men who abducted her almost at the end? And Liam saying, “Some things are better left unanswered m’love.” I don’t like a book making me guess especially if it’s at the end of the book. Should I assume they all died since Liam was also a Collector?

And then BAM! It was finished. I’m like, seriously that’s it?? Good thing there’s a sneak peek for Book 2. Some things just needed to be cleared up before I can move on with my reading.

Overall, for a debut novel, this was a decent read.

Hopeless

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

3 STARS out of 5
TITLE: Hopeless
AUTHOR: Colleen Hoover
GENRE: Young Adult

“I never thought I would ever be able to trust a man enough to share my heart, much less hand it over completely.”

Linden Sky Davis. Dean Holder. Wow.

It’s decided!  I will bombard Colleen Hoover with emails and have her name all of my future children! The above names are just honest-to-goodness beautiful!

She’s THAT brilliant! First, it was butterflying. Now, it was live. She has this amazing way of turning words into a perfect unconventionally used term.

I didn’t know that Colleen was a TSOT fan too until that reference at 40%! That probably explains the MC’s love for running and Holder’s constant hounding which reminded me at first of TSOT, male version.

Ooooh, I could run out of positive things to say about Hopeless, but it wouldn’t do the first part of this book justice. Especially after I found out what I found out. The very first big twist, I mean. It was far from what I’ve expected. I was caught off guard. Like, why the heck didn’t I see that one coming??

And of course, the title!!! HOPELESS. I should have known. The very reason was in plain sight all along.

I totally loved the first 2 books from Colleen, and thought that Hopeless is beautifully written too. So why didn’t I give this book 5 stars? 

I crave emotional consistency so much, that by the second twist, I realized that this book did NOT make me feel anymore. Usually with the really sensitive issue portrayed in the book, I would feel empathetic at least. But no, I was kind of resorted to a blunt affect.

The long-winded explanations almost at the end had me skimming the pages. I just didn’t care anymore. The book felt overly dramatic.

Don’t get me wrong though, I still enjoyed reading Hopeless. The second part just didn't captivate me at all.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

5 STARS out of 5
TITLE: Daughter of Smoke and Bone
AUTHOR: Laini Taylor
GENRE: Young Adult

Hello everyone!  Let me introduce myself again. I'm Airah and with the exemption of HP, I can never be a solid fan of fantasy books.

That is, UNTIL NOW.

Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

Amidst the bizarre names, and equally bizarre world-building, I can't help but ask myself at first.. Who the heck is Karou anyway?

As the story unfolds, I got my answer -- she is THE daughter of smoke and bone!

:) Like, IN YOUR FACE!

On a more serious note though, Karou seemed like your typical Czech teen.  That is, if a typical Czech teen actually sketches weird creatures and paints nude people at school. I haven't met one, so pardon me.

What made Karou stand out from the rest was her naturally blue hair, the tats on her arm.. and wait, was that also tattoo on both her palms?

As I went on with my reading, I learned what it was, and many other things too.  I loved how the symbols in this book were beautifully interwoven.  The teeth, the hamsas, Karou's name, the crescent-moon knives and the wishbone.

Of course, the wishbone.

"Magic?" Akiva had asked. "What bird does this come from, that its bones make magic?"

"Oh, it's not magic.  The wishes don't really come true."

"Then why do it?"

She shrugged. "Hope? Hope can be a powerful force. Maybe there's no actual magic in it, but when you know what you hope for most and hold it like a light within you, you can make things happen, almost like magic."

It was that piece of relic which snapped something in Akiva to finally recognize Karou for who and what she truly is.  And I say, it's my most favorite moment in the book.  Akiva on his knees, crying in front of Karou.  I didn't exactly know the magnitude of Akiva's discovery at that time, but it was certainly heartbreaking to read.

I tell you guys, this is one heck of a love story only a fantasy novel could give! I'm so much in awe!

Also, let me share how much my heart is bursting with love for Brimstone. He remained to be the father Karou never had. I will always imagine him sitting in his shop, working endlessly with those jars of teeth.

Oh, and a big shout out goes to Karou's real life sketchbook characters -- Kishmish, Yasri, Issa and Twiga -- for also staying loyal to her after all those years.  You will be missed, darlings.

The moment I'm done reading, all I could think of was how perfect the title fit, and the overall brilliance that this book has achieved.

This is literature you guys! One so captivatingly written that I won't likely forget in a long time. Very much worthy of the hype and the 5 stars!

*Photo courtesy of the author's Pinterest page

Angelfall

It’s been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels’ stronghold in San Francisco where she’ll risk everything to rescue her sister and he’ll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

5 STARS out of 5
TITLE: Angelfall
AUTHOR: Susan Ee
GENRE: Young Adult

WOWOWOWOW!!! 5 BIG STARS!!

The first YA book I've read about angels was Hush, Hush; and that doesn't even compare to this one.

THIS BOOK is phenomenal! Hooked me from the very beginning and never let go! It was so unputdownable that I started this a bit late last night, only to sleep past 4am then continued reading this the moment I woke up 2 hours ago. It's like this book took precedence over brushing my teeth and eating brunch.

WOW. Just wow.

This is a dystopian story about Penryn, a teenage girl who is truly determined to save her 7 y/o crippled sister, Paige, from the hands of angels.

The angels in this book are not much different from the angels we know. Though they're definitely not the cherubs type, they were described to have flawless skin and have really beautiful, strong wings -- on varied colors, of course.

Unfortunately for Penryn, she was stuck with a dying angel. A dying angel with deep blue piercing eyes, that is. And no wings to boot. He's one of the fallen, or so they claimed.

Actually, he looks exactly like a gorgeous Olympian champion. It's more than a little disturbing just how much he looks like a supreme example of a human being. I mean, shouldn't an angel that's part of a legion to eradicate humanity look, well, evil and alien?

Raffe -- short for Raphael -- is actually one of the few archangels left. He was beaten and mutilated all due to angel politics. Just when I thought God was supreme and omnipotent.. who knew dirty politics exist among the angels?

He was saved, then kidnapped by a human. And a teenage girl no less! Penryn needs his help to find her way to the aerie to save her sister.

What came next was a bunch of giggle fits directed at Penryn and her illusion that she can stand her own against an angel like Raffe. She actually tried to use the angel sword against him!

"My sword would never hurt me. And my sword is the only one you can wield."

Reminds me of Harry Potter and his wand. I just loved this! Loyalty was tested, and Penryn proved to be on Raffe's side all through it all.

Together they took up a journey back to the aerie with different goals -- for Penryn, it was to save her sister and for Raffe, to find a way to stitch his wings back.

Let me share the lines which made me grin really hard: 

It occurs to me that I might be in the unprecedented position of being able to glean some intelligence on them.

What I would do with angel intel, I don't know. But it can't hurt to gain a little knowledge.

And of course, who could forget about this one?

"Oh. My. God." I lower my voice, having forgotten to whisper. "You are nothing but a bird with an attitude. Okay, so you have a few muscles, I'll grant you that. But you know, a bird is nothing but a barely evolved lizard. That's what you are."

That actually made me super LOL! Oh, how much I loved this book! It's extremely well written and the world building is absolutely perfect! This is surely one of the most memorable paranormal reads I've had. Can't fight this angel cravings! I need the sequel ASAP! 

Sweet Evil

Embrace the Forbidden

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?

This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.

Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but Anna, the ultimate good girl, has always had the advantage of her angel side to balance the darkness within. It isn't until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He's the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

2 STARS out of 5
TITLE: Sweet Evil
AUTHOR: Wendy Higgins
GENRE: Young Adult

Oookay. That was so ANTICLIMACTIC!

Don't get me wrong though. I enjoyed the first half of the book.

It was well written. The world-building was really good, though it came off as plain storytelling from a few characters. But I can't blame the author for that. There's no way one can tell the origin of this angels & demons fiasco without going back to the days where earth wasn't even created yet.

The author gave her own spin to this angels & demons tale -- adding Dukes of sins and their kids, the Nephilims, who work their asses off to bring chaos to mankind.

I even liked the main character, Anna, and her unquenchable thirst to find out who she really is.
 

Being able to hear and see and smell everything within a one-mile radius was major sensory overload. And unfortunately, perfect health did not make me immune to pain.

It would definitely suck to have talents like that and then knowing you aren't exactly a normal human being to begin with... thanks to a fellow Nephilim and the son of the Duke of Lust, Kaidan Rowe, for the knowledge he had so easily and willingly imparted.

At one point, I actually giggled at what he shared:
 

"I had a tattoo once," said Kaidan. "Last year, just before we left England."

"What do you mean, you had 'once'?"

"Bloody thing was gone by the morning!" His voice was indignant.  "Sheets were black with ink. I put myself through all that for hours, and my body just pushed it back out!"

I WOULD HAVE LOVED THIS BOOK. I really would.

But here's a sad thing about world-building taking precedence over character development -- CHARACTERS GET LOST IN THE MUDDLE. I couldn't feel them anymore. This book got so much potential but then lost it.

I should be ending this review here but I couldn't help myself.

Here's a note for you, Kaidan, because you frustrated me the most! ---

Kaidan (Ky-den),

First of all, let me tell you
how very much distracted I am about the right way
to pronounce your name in my mind
every time I glance on my Nook.

To say the least, it frustrates me,
Even while writing this now.

I know you're a smokin' hot drummer
with an English accent;
and your work of seducing the ladies
should earn you a ticket to my swoon-worthy shelf,
BUT you, Mr. Rowe, came up short.

Almost halfway,
your lines seemed a bit off and forced.
You used the word "Er..."
and sometimes stuttered like a virgin teenage boy.
UGH. Where was the hot Kaidan guy I met at the beginning??
Where the heck was he?!

Your fear of your demon father is perfectly understandable.
Unfortunately, it made you appear as a wuss.

No offense.
Though I will be watching your moves on the next book.
I hope you grow a freaking backbone.

Much hate for now,
Your less-than-thrilled reader
ME 

The Sea of Tranquility

Full of rage and without a purpose, former pianist Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone discovering her past and to make the boy who took everything from her pay.

All 17 year-old Josh Bennett wants is to build furniture and be left alone, and everyone allows it because it’s easier to pretend he doesn’t exist. When your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space.

Everyone except Nastya, a hot mess of a girl who starts showing up and won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. The more he gets to know her, the more of a mystery she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he may ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding or if he even wants to.

The Sea of Tranquility is a slow-building, character-driven romance about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances.

5 STARS out of 5
TITLE: The Sea of Tranquility
AUTHOR: Katja Millay
GENRE: Young Adult

Wow. I'm amazed at the writing. It's emotionally charged in a really beautiful way.

The thoughts conveyed throughout the book weren't phenomenal, just simply amazing. I applaud the author for that. For her to be able to describe the thoughts in smooth, convincing details, she must be really good at human psychology.

This book helped me figure out some things about life. It was that insightful. It helped me confirm that I'm not the only one who felt certain things, even if Nastya is just a fictional character. I could include few excerpts, but this one felt the most enlightening for me, yet somehow minor at least:

I’ve done the support group thing, too, but I hated it even before I stopped talking. I never understood how hearing everyone else’s shit stories was supposed to make me feel better about mine. Everyone sits around and laments the crap hands they’ve been dealt. Maybe I’m just not a sadist. It doesn’t comfort me to see other people as annihilated as I am...

Plus, support groups get a little antagonistic when you don’t talk. It’s like you’re pilfering everyone else’s pain, taking, but not offering anything in return.

It wasn't an actual support group per se. I quit a religious cell group months ago, because it was pressuring me to always show up at certain events in a week. Maybe I'm not that committed; but the truth is, listening to other people's problems regularly made me feel useless since I didn't have big problems like them. (Not that I'm hoping to have bigger problems.)

Aside from listening to their problems and the cliché encouragements I throw their way, I didn't have much else to say. So I stopped showing up.

Hmm. Now that I thought about it, I realized why I love to read. And of course, why I love reading good books like this one.

Reading is some sort of a therapy for me. With feel-good books, reading is an escape from reality. Like how other people would mostly feel.

But once in a while, I come across a book of high caliber. Not because of the words used, but with how those words were used fluidly.

This book is one of them.

Reading this is a grasp of reality. Something to correlate with what's happening in my life. Not that I'm a victim or anything, but this one touched fragments of my life. As exampled above.

The Sea of Tranquility might be a slow read but this got me really emotionally invested. And I love it when books make me cry. 

Where She Went

It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future-and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

5 STARS out of 5
TITLE: Where She Went
AUTHOR: Gayle Forman
GENRE: Young Adult


WOW. I would give this sequel gazillion stars if I could! I can't help it. I didn't know it was possible for me to like Where She Went more than If I Stay, but I did.

Remember from the first book how Mia always want to know what was so special about her that she was chosen by a highschool rockstar like Adam? Now this, being at Adam's point of view, I could now fully understand how he chose Mia. I would too, if I was a guy.

Mia was just so special, so reserved and so real that you can't help but be drawn to her.

I applaud the author for writing this in a man's point of view in a very convincing way. I could feel the angst, even the pent-up desire to win Mia back. Even though at first, I emphatize with the man and it made me somewhat angry at Mia for leaving him.

And Zizz wasn't kidding when she said that the lyrics here are better than the poems at Slammed.

I mean, it was like comparing oil and water, but the lyrics here definitely pulled more emotions out of me. It's like, can someone please make songs out of this in real life so I could play them when I re-read this sometime?

The lyrics are THAT good! It hits you, in a good way, everytime. Even though I don't know much about songwriting, I bet the author could make a career out of it! The words are interwoven beautifully. Just look at this:

The boogeyman sleeps on your side of the bed
Whispers in my ear: "Better off dead."
Fills my dreams with sirens and lights of regret
Kisses me gently when I wake up in a sweat

-"Boo!"
Collateral Damage, track 3

And my favorite of them all was the chorus from Animate, the band's official anthem and the first track of their initial album Collateral Damage (I actually tried singing it on my own weird angst version):

Hate me.
Devastate me.
Annihilate me.
Re-create me.
Re-create me.
Won't you, won't you, won't you re-create me.

You know, wow. Just wow. I could go on and rave about how good this book really is. Like how the words flowed smoothly, and I savored, really savored, every chapter. But it will possibly drown you out so I will end my review with this:

If you're a big fan of emotional, angsty reads and had this seating on your TBR pile for awhile.. PICK THIS BOOK NEXT. You will probably love this! Because I really do.

Long after I turned the last page, I knew that this book will stay with me for a really really long time.

Mia Hall and Adam Wilde. I'm so gonna miss you both.

The Duff: Designated Ugly Fat Friend

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.
Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

 4 STARS out of 5
TITLE: The Duff: Designated Ugly Fat Friend
AUTHOR: Kody Keplinger
GENRE: Young Adult

GOODREADS UPDATE (10/23/12):

This is the first time I'm doing this -- subtracting a star weeks after I reviewed it and removing it from my faves shelf.

I've read really good books lately. And whenever I visit my "favorites" shelf, I felt that this book does not belong there anymore. After awhile, it just doesn't have the same impact like the other books which I've learned to love.

ORIGINAL REVIEW (9/18/12):

This book surprised me so much.

At first, I doubted if Wesley, the hero, was redeemable. According to Bianca:

He’s arrogant, and he sleeps with everything he can get his filthy hands on. Most of the time, I just want to claw his creepy eyes out. How could I like him?

And if our intelligent, sassy, sarcastic, cynical, neurotic, loyal, compassionate heroine doesn't like him, how could I, a mere reader, like him??

So I read on. Curious, and a bit hopeful that something will change my mind regarding Wesley's character.

And I was not disappointed.

Just when I decided that a "4 stars" rating is generous enough, Miss Kody chose that time to give me a peek at Wesley's world. So okay, I was convinced that he has enough flaws that could somehow justify his earlier actions.. More as a realistic part of a novel, and NOT like in real life (don't get me wrong, being a man whore as a coping mechanism will never be justified IMO).

I loved the writing and the highschool drama. Nothing too heavy.. not even a single tear-inducing moment for me.

Unlike other books which I feel like I'm reading so I could get to the end ASAP, I was savoring every moment of the story. Actually, if reading this was like watching a sitcom, I surely had laughed at all the punchlines.

This isn't your average YA novel. This is a story that speaks volumes about the importance of self-esteem.

Upon reading Wesley's letter to Bianca, I knew instantly that this story just climbed a bit higher at the totem pole.

All grown up, but a part of me will always be a DUFF.  So this one goes straight to my favorites shelf.

Onyx

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

3 STARS out of 5
TITLE: Onyx
AUTHOR: Jennifer L. Armentrout
GENRE: Young Adult

Here, we pick up from where things left off at Obsidian.

Daemon and Katy are back! And they're seriously kicking DOD's asses this time! But before we head to that, let me tell you how much I hate the bets taking place on novels nowadays. They're too cheesy. Just look at this:

"Stop distracting me, Kitten. Back to my bet -- by New Year's Day, you'll have admitted that you're madly, deeply, irrevocably, and irresistibly in love with me."

Warning bells kept ringing on my mind when I came upon that. Reminded me of the reason why I never continued reading My Favorite Mistake. Bets like that seemed ridiculous, and IMO, did not make the banter between the characters any good. It just made me want to pull my hair out a couple of times.

Nothing personal on bets. Just saying.

I started getting bored with this whole alien shenanigans, even Daemon's hotness couldn't stop the yawn coming out of my mouth. I actually almost put this book on hold, when all of a sudden Katy acquired some alien powers and met another guy named Blake!

Daemon and Blake.
I smelled war.
Oooh, it's definitely on!

LOL

You see, the thing with hyped books like this one is that even when the pace seems slow, I somehow felt obliged to finish the book just to know if something good and exciting will come out of it.

Fortunately, like the first book in the series, Onyx has something original and a bit exciting in store for the patient reader. So if you're like me who likes getting some action fast with this type of books, well.. just hang on people! ;)

Torched

Rose Whitfield's senior year just went up in smoke. Instead of having a blast with her best friend, her cheerleading squad, and her boyfriend Ryan, she's framed for arson. Popularity and criminal records don't mix, apparently.

Luckily, Rose knows who's framing her: Paxton Callaway. Paxton and Rose have spent years locked in a war of practical jokes. This time he's gone too far. Rose sets out to prove her innocence, win Ryan back, and take Paxton down hard.

Not necessarily in that order.

4 STARS out of 5
TITLE: Torched
AUTHOR: Andrea Lynn Colt
GENRE: Young Adult


Rose Whitfield, the heroine, is everything a senior girl could ever hope to be -- a smart captain cheerleader who dates a tall, lean and deliciously broody soccer guy, and BFF's with the popular girl who literally owns the school. How cliche can you get?

That is, until the arson stuff happened.

This book is really good! This is like YA version of a chick lit mystery. Not my usual type of book, but it kept me entertained. I'm that easy to please.

I loved guessing about the identity of the real arsonist. It was pretty exciting.

Until of course, the initial confession. I was like, Whaat?? It just came out of nowhere. And frankly, the reason behind the arson was pretty dense. I thought THAT was it. So, in my mind, I was already itching to give this book 3 stars!

But then, an unexpected twist happened, and I'm doing my happy dance once again.

I also liked the growth of Rose's character in this story. From being a shallow person, she became someone who is sensitive to another person's feeling. Just goes to show that tragedy indeed brings out the best in people.

Rose and Paxton. Let me just say this: your pranks rocked! Wouldn't like them happening to me in real life (who would?) but I definitely enjoyed reading about them!

Stalk Me

Gossip girl meets Hollywood in this new series by That Boy author, Jillian Dodd.

Keatyn has everything she ever dreamed of. Her life is following the script she wrote for the perfect high school experience. She’s popular, goes to the best parties, dates the hottest guy, and sits at the most coveted lunch table.

She’s just not sure she wants it anymore.

Because really, things aren’t all that perfect.
Her best friend is threatening to tell everyone her perfect relationship is a scam.
Her perfect boyfriend gets drunk at every party they go to.
It’s exhausting always trying to look and act perfect.
And deep down, she isn’t sure if she has any true friends.

To add to the drama, her movie star mom’s long-time fan has turned stalker.
An older man is flirting with her and telling her they should make a movie together.
And she’s crushing on an adorable surfer. Dating a guy like him would mean committing social suicide.

So she writes a new script. One where all the pieces of her life will come together in perfect harmony.
But little does she know, there’s someone who will do anything to make sure that doesn’t happen.

4 STARS out of 5
TITLE: Stalk Me
AUTHOR: Jillian Dodd
GENRE: Young Adult

If you want a light read, try this!

This book has the ingredients for an exciting next read: catchy title, totally hot, swoon-worthy boys and a filthy, rich heroine who seriously needs to make up her mind.

TEAM CUSH all the way!!!

Halfway through the novel, I kept thinking, Keatyn can't keep bouncing from one guy to another. It was a frustrating read for me.

Even before everything was spelled out for the heroine, I already knew two things. That Sander was gay and Brooklyn did not really love her THAT MUCH. The moment I realized these things, I just want to shout at Keatyn, Get a freaking clue already! Let me tell you, she's THAT clueless most of the time.

I know that I wasn't being patient but you could just imagine my frustration when I realized that it's already past 3/4 of the novel, and she's making out with new hotties and I'm like, who do you really end up with, Keatyn, huh?

Then it's the end. I was like, WHAT?? Did this book just kept me hanging? I didn't know this was the first in a six book series until I've read the acknowledgements. No warnings whatsoever.

So consider yourself forewarned, I repeat, this book is the first in a SIX book series.

Don't expect any HEA yet. Because I did, and look what happened to me. I was totally frustrated.

But no matter how many hotties appear til book 6, I'll stay loyal to the Cushman!

Anyway, I liked Jillian Dodd's writing. Like That Boy, this is fun and easy to read. Definitely a YA chic lit at its finest.

UPDATED:
I was using mobile app for Goodreads so imagine my surprise when I opened the GR desktop site, and saw the book title with (The Keatyn Chronicles #1) next to it. Maybe, GR mobile app should show not just the book title but also the series name. Just saying.

If I Stay

A critically acclaimed novel that will change the way you look at life, love, and family.

In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen ­year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces- to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heartwrenchingly beautiful, Mia's story will stay with you for a long, long time.

5 STARS out of 5
TITLE: If I Stay
AUTHOR: Gayle Forman
GENRE: Young Adult

At 15%, I knew that I won't be able to put this book down even if I try.

Instantly, this book captured my heart.

Years ago, my career in real life made me realize how short and precious life really is. I've seen too many people on moderate high back rest, awake one moment, then dead the next.

Even though I'm used to being a part of the medical team, it's kinda refreshing to see the scenes from the point of view of a patient. I mean, Mia's soul; the one which stayed and became a bystander.

“But seriously, how do you get over the jitters?”

Dad was still smiling but I could tell he had turned serious because he slowed down his speech. “You don’t. You just work through it. You just hang in there.”

Loved that advice! Definitely something nice to remember when I'm having a stage fright. Where I'll use it, I'll never know. But who knows?

The social worker looks exhausted, as if she wouldn’t mind crawling into one of the open beds. I am not her only sick person. She has been shuttling back and forth between patients and families all afternoon. She’s the bridge between the doctors and the people, and you can see the strain of balancing between those two worlds.

With that excerpt, I swear she does not only described the social worker but also my job as a nurse. Wow. Honestly, this book felt pretty insightful and real.

I loved the writing. It almost seemed lyrical, and the flashbacks felt natural.

I also loved how the author showed the relationship between Mia and Adam. It was realistic and not without its flaws.

I loved everything about this book. The theme is supposed to be dark, with death and coma being tackled; but somehow, it felt light and really easy to read. Not once did I cry, but it totally grabbed my heart.

Crush

Cami Wimberley has a plan, and that plan includes no room for boys—especially the big time party animal, Hunter Wilder, no matter how handsome and charismatic he is. She’s beautiful, a senior, extremely talented, gets good grades, and is working her way toward her dream college to be a musical theater major. Everything is perfect.

Hunter Wilder does not want a girlfriend—that would complicate his life way too much right now. He especially doesn’t want this girl, Miss-Goody-Two-Shoes, so how come he can’t keep his eyes off her? He tries to keep her at arms length, but fate seems to keep pushing them together. Before long, it’s obvious to everyone they’re crushing on each other.

As sparks begin to fly, Hunter finds himself sinking deeper and deeper into hot water. Soon he’s scrambling to keep Cami from discovering his dark secret—one that can destroy their entire relationship.

4 STARS out of 5
TITLE: Crush
AUTHOR: Lacey Weatherford
GENRE: Young Adult 

Wow. Wow. Wow.

This book is so good and so awesome that I'm glad I picked this one when I was sick.

Hunter, our infamous stoner, is just so drool-worthy. Whenever it's his POV, I kept going back to the cover. I can't help it! I loved being lost in his eyes. It's surreal!

Cami is a nerd by association but described as a really gorgeous, curly redhead whom every guy at school talks about behind locker rooms.

Together, they make a royalty -- King of stoners and Queen of nerdy chic.

I loved how it's not just a YA love story, but it has mystery too! Though I already had a clue what Hunter was doing the first few chapters, I still enjoyed the unfolding of the story.

If only I was able to finish this in one sitting, my rating would have been a star higher. But then my temperature went high again literally, so I had to continue reading this for another day. And unfortunately, it didn't sucked me in like the first time.

But this was definitely a good read. I find myself leaning to this kind of YA nowadays.
 

Divergent

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

3 STARS out of 5
TITLE: Divergent
AUTHOR: Veronica Roth
GENRE: Young Adult

Um, okay. So I finished Divergent. Big deal.  With all the hype surrounding this book last year, I thought I was missing a lot. Guess not.

Book 1 done and I still haven't really bought the whole 5 factions stuff. I wished that the author had allotted more time for world-building because I was really craving to connect with the characters.

I'm giving this book 3 stars. Though I finished this, reading this book actually seemed like an effort for me. I tried to really really like this, since most people really do care about this book; and I feel that there must be something in here that deserves a certain attachment for the YA dystopian fiction.

But I was disappointed.

All throughout, I feel like I'm watching a soap with my poker face on; ready to bolt from the television anytime, not caring what's next for these characters.

I read this purely for the entertainment value, and I will surely devour the next book for the same reason.

Since I would like to hunt for another series to love aside from the trilogy that took the world by storm, I'm really hoping that the next book will somehow change my mind about this genre.

Obsidian

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don't kill him first, that is.

3 STARS out of 5
TITLE: Obsidian
AUTHOR: Jennifer L. Armentrout
GENRE: Young Adult
 
3 CRAZY SAUCE!!

This is the first time I've read an Armentrout book, and definitely wouldn't be my last!

Katy, Katy.. What to say about her? Hmm. I loved the fact that she maintains a blog site dedicated mainly to her recent reads. I liked how she says that she's done with being the pushover Katy, and does exactly that -- yay for the spaghetti scene!!

Sauce and noodles coming up!

Oh, hello Daemon! Sorry, former pushover Katy just threw them on top of your head. But you totally deserved that you.. you!!!

The male lead, Daemon, is as hot as any other book boyfriends I've had. Who the heck could resist those startling, intense, shocking, unnatural, vibrant, rare green eyes?? The endless description just goes on!

But I refuse to put him to my swoon-worthy heroes shelf because I have a love-hate relationship with him.

You see, he's this hot guy who's actually a light resembling a body.. in short, he's a freaking alien. And haven't I told you yet, aliens shouldn't look that hot on book covers. The general public might have this misconception of how aliens really look like. Someone might encounter a little green man with big eyes and spindly arms on the street, and that someone may never know what just passed by him.

So I say, let's boycott the cover because the guy's too hot for words.  Okay, now I'm babbling. Moving on.

This is the main reason why I couldn't connect fully with Daemon's.character:

Daemon was a douchebag to the highest order.

And that was Katy talking btw. Daemon's hot and cold toward our heroine. At first few encounters, that should be the case and I understand why. He needs to protect his sister and his race from the Arum, I get that. But I'm past halfway with the book and three traces later for Katy -- Daemon's still acting the same. That's one sexual tension definitely NOT done right. I was frustrated and really annoyed with his character. I mean, just please man up dude!

Carissa and Lesa, Katy's latest friends from her new school, were also kind of annoying. It felt like the author just added their characters so that there'll be side characters when Dee's not around for Katy.

Annoying characters aside, I actually found myself enjoying reading this.

UNTIL that one stupid decision made by Katy almost at the end of the book which led her running straight to Baruck's arms literally, where she almost died and tantananan! Daemon to the rescue!!. I mean, how stupid can you really get? Humans on this book simply can't fight and expect to live AGAINST a powerful alien who lurks on the shadows.

OVERALL, I liked the plot. The execution, not so much. Felt a bit like Twilightish to me, minus all the glittering vampires of course. I kept bracing myself for some really great alien action, and all I got was a mediocre fight against four Arums! That definitely lowers the rating.

But like what I've said earlier, this won't be my last Armentrout book. I'm planning to devour the sequel soon!