READING: The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Publication date: September 21st, 2010
Published by: Razorbill
Source: Gift
Rating: 3/5

Mackie Doyle seems like everyone else in the perfect little town of Gentry, but he is living with a fatal secret - he is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now the creatures under the hill want him back, and Mackie must decide where he really belongs and what he really wants.

A month ago, Mackie might have told them to buzz off. But now, with a budding relationship with tough, wounded, beautiful Tate, Mackie has too much to lose. Will love finally make him worthy of the human world?

I don't know how to start this review.I wanted to read this book,like really really bad,from the moment I heard about it and I am afraid I was eventually let down by it :(

For starters, I found the writing to be inconsistent and all over the place sometimes.I read a sentence and I thought that it would lead somewhere and then bam! finished, and eventually led to nowhere.I so wanted to be absorbed and drawn by it, but try as I might, I just wasn't. I could not connect with the characters at all.They were all likeable, but not believable.

I love myself a male lead, but Mackie just didn't do it for me.He is a Changeling and I was constantly surprised and confused that he found his own kind terrible and disgusting, appearing totally oblivious of their ways.Unfortunately, I felt there was no chemistry between him and Tate at all.However, his scenes with his sister Emma were amazing.They just clicked way more than he and Tate did.

His 16 year old friends had no idea about faeries and changelings,however they didn't seem the least perturbed when they were asked to help him save a girl from the depths of some cave where she was kept by faeries, which we just assume were faeries, we were never told what they were exactly.

Also the big baddie, who can reek havoc across town and could annihilate anyone in a blink of an eye?Yeah, well, not so much, it turns out.

The one character I did like was the Morrigan, who was a perfect combination of disgust and innocence.

I also liked the story and the premise of the book.I was always fascinated by changeling stories.Plus, there are many very, very creepy and ghastly scenes in this book,you'll probably not want to read it at night!However, I felt that the idea behind The Replacement did not live up to its potential nor to my expectations.

3 out of 5 go to The Replacement for its irksomeness and its ghoulish story.Other than that, I am afraid it will remain memorable only for its  stunningly beautiful, amazing cover.

DISCOVERING: FOREVER by Maggie Stiefvater cover

Wow, take a look at this:

Whether you enjoyed reading Shiver and Linger, the first two books in the Wolves Of Mercy Falls series by Maggie Stiefvater,or not, one thing's for certain: each one of their covers is plain beautiful!

And Forever is no exception!

READING: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia&Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia&Margaret Stohl

Publication date: December 1st, 2009
Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Source: Bought
Rating: 4/5

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she’s struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps, and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town’s oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Beautiful Creatures is a haunting novel about witches,magical books, spells, talismans, Incubi, and...high school!

The first thing I think you should know about this book is that it's 560 pages long.Yes, 560! I usually don't have a problem with long books.However, Beautiful Creatures is mainly about supernatural romance so I thought "OK,so why so many pages?" I was afraid it was gonna drag and be boring.

It turned out I was wrong.And right.

When I turned the cover and read the first page I was overwhelmed with joy!A male lead, at last!!Everything is seen through Ethan's eyes and I felt it was a much needed brake after all the books that are written from a female POV.A brake from all the hysterics,paranoia and insecurities of teenage girls.Well, maybe Ethan saved me from all this, but Lena didn't.Although she is objectively a likable character, she doesn't act like it.What I mean is that she appears to be sad and angry throughout the whole book,with very few exceptions, which themselves ultimately lead to more anger and frustration.I know that it was all necessary and were used to justify all the rain and storms and whatnot, but I thought it was a little over the top.I mean, you would think that Ethan giving her all his unconditional love and caring so much for her would be enough to make her relax a bit, calm down occasionally. It wasn't,though. 

All the other characters in BC I had no problem with, and I particularly liked Ridley,Macon and Marian.

The writing is imaginative and precise.You can see that the authors tried to keep it really simple and to the point and not wander off, endlessly describing the sun, the leaves, the sky, the moon.I am telling you, if had to suffer through that for 560 pages, I would have probably never finished the book!

I absolutely loved the atmosphere that Garcia and Stohl created through their words.I could just imagine myself living in the Ravenwood Manor or lying on Greenbrier field, it was amazing!I would have never imagined that I could like witches' stories so much before Beautiful Creatures!

All in all, Beautiful Creatures was a fun and enjoyable read.However, something that I can't quite point my finger at went wrong right in the middle.And then everything was OK again in the end.It was like someone dug a hole in the middle of a beautiful rosebush.I guess it's because its length and because, yes, it dragged a bit, and some scenes could definitely be avoided.But I wouldn't hesitate recommending this book, especially to younger readers!

International Book Tours

I know that I have gone MIA these last few days but I blame it all on this: International Book Tours!

Nah, I'm kidding(I'm really not!). So, this week has been totally crazy over at IBT.We decided to turn over a new leaf and have some new and awesome tours.And yes, we succeeded!That means, I spent most of my days in front of my computer sending probably thousands of emails to publishers and authors.However, I am so very glad that my hard work has paid off!And on top of that, I got to meet some amazing people!

So, if you are not familiar with IBT(IBT???What's that?) you can check it out here:

International Book Tours

Thanks you guys so much for your understanding and patience!

B-DAY GIVEAWAY UPDATE!!

Just a small update to say a huuuuge THANK YOU to the people that entered and will enter my giveaway.You guys are amazing!

That's why I've decided to up the stakes a little bit. 

So as of now, you can choose any book(s) you want from Book Depo. for $20 or less, not $15.

I hope that's incentive enough :P 

Have fun, be good(or not), read, and thanks so much for everything!

READING : Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready


Publication date: May 4th, 2010
Published by: Simon Pulse
Source: Bought
Rating: 4,5/5

Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last. Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone. Well, sort of. Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost. It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding--and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit. As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart...and clues to the secret of the Shift.

Wow! What a fun, awesome read Shade was!

Plot was unique and nicely done, built on a very fresh idea.Yeah I know,there a millions of books about ghosts out there, but I think Shade will definitely stand out from the rest of the bunch, especially this day and age when we live and breathe vampires and werewolves.It was a nice and very welcome change.

I loved the small details Jeri added just too make the book even more intriguing: the colour of the clothes Shifters wear and decide to surround themselves with in order to avoid ghosts,the introduction of a secret agency,Irish and Scottish boys all in one book(always a plus!) and of course the fact that she decided to have some people and not everyone be able to  see and talk to ghosts, thus not making it into a post-apocalyptic kind of novel.15 year olds getting to see and talk to ghosts of complete strangers thinking all the while that maybe their parents,siblings,wives,girlfriends cannot and will not see them ever again was amazing and to be honest, quite heart breaking.

Characters were all well written and developed.Aura, being a female lead and all, did not bother me at all throughout the book.OK, she had her eye roll-worthy moments, but there were not that many that could ruin the book for me.I actually liked her shyness and insecurity, being jealous of Logan and his love for the band and his music.It made her more easy to relate to.The only thing that I didn't like about Aura is her name.I think it's a bit too obvious for a Shifter!

I absolutely loved Logan!!!Not because of his looks or anything, but because of how human he is.He and Aura fought on occasion but you were always 100% sure that they loved each other very much, he acted so stupidly sometimes, he was cocky and arrogant, he got jealous(even as a ghost!) and I couldn't help but think "At last!A normal teenage boy, with a normal relationship!"

Zachary I guess was OK.I am still rooting for Logan to tell you the truth, but Zachary is a cool guy also :) I think he hasn't shown his full potential yet but I know that I'd love to see him try against Logan!Ireland vs Scotland? Hmm, that's a tough one!

Fast paced, haunting and mysterious, Shade is an original YA novel that must certainly not go unnoticed!

READING: Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Publication date: May 27th, 2010
Published by: Definitions
Source: Bought
Rating: ---

Sixteen-year-old Maya and seventeen-year-old Lochan have never had the chance to be 'normal' teenagers. Having pulled together for years to take care of their younger siblings while their wayward, drunken mother leaves them to fend alone, they have become much more than brother and sister. And now, they have fallen in love. But this is a love that can never be allowed, a love that will have devastating consequences ...How can something so wrong feel so right?

First of all let me begin by saying that this is in no way, and I can't stress this enough, NO WAY a YA adult book.Apart from its controversial theme, even though in my opinion there is nothing controversial about it, it contains a fully detailed sex scene and some foul language.

Also, try as I might, I could not rate this book.It was there.I read it.And now I am gonna try very hard to write down some thoughts I had about it.That's all.

Forbidden is a book that deals with consensual incest.I am not gonna bit around the bush, that is its theme.Except from Flowers In The Attic by V.C.Andrews, I have not read anything that deals with a matter of this nature even remotely.Of course I knew from the beginning what the book is about and after reading so many unbelievably praising reviews, I decided to buy it and read it.

To say I struggled with it, would probably be the understatement of the year.I was torn throughout the whole book and not because of the reason you're thinking.I was not torn between what my mind dictated to be wrong and problematic and Maya's and Lochan's true and eternal love.I was not thrown and touched by Suzuma's writing to such extent that at some point I forgot those two were siblings.I did not forget that for a second, my consciousness would not allow it.No, I was torn between what my mind was telling me was wrong , problematic and abnormal and between the portrayal of the situation urging me to believe otherwise and even making me feel bad about it. I resented the fact that it made me feel awful thinking this was all just wrong.Because it is, anyway you look at it, incest, consensual or not, is wrong.It was extremely painful and emotionally exhausting for me to always having to apologise to myself for thinking that what Maya and Lochan were doing was not right,was beyond any sympathising and comprehending.I acknowledge the fact that their upbringing was non existent, abandoned by their father and their alcoholic and deeply troubled mother, and that these kids were practically forced to be parents at a very young age(at some point Lochan refers to his younger siblings as "my children").But that just doesn't make everything justifiable and understandable.It makes it unavoidable, if that.I strongly believe that had they had caring parents and had they grown up in a loving family, their relationship would be completely different and they would not turn to each other, desperate for even a smidgeon of love.Thing is that interpreting it and analysing it, again does not justify a thing.It's just a way for me to try to wrap my head around it a little bit and not just reject it all together.

The thing that really bothered me with Forbidden though, was the sex scene.Yes, between Maya and Lochan. Mind you, it was not just a romantic, we are just fooling around scene.It was fully detailed from beginning to end.I really, really, didn't need to read that.IMO, there was absolutely no reason to write a scene like that, unless to provoke the reader.If their love was so deep and so meaningful(I think I remember the word "soul mates" in there somewhere), I could really do without them having sex, thank you.Every intention I might had of trying to find the strength to understand their situation, was gone, right there.

In the end, I felt such pity for these kids, I don't think I was even sad about what happened.Pity because they were so caught up in their dramatic life,trying desperately to keep all the siblings together in the hopes of a future perfect life, that they couldn't understand that letting go and being separated was probably the best thing that could ever happen to them.

These are my thoughts and what reading Forbidden made me feel.I know that I may come across as a "bigoted" and "prejudiced" person(I think these exact words were also mentioned in the book).You see, again I was in the verge of apologising for something I shouldn't even consider apologising for.And I really hate that.

NOTE: In no point in this book does the writer approves or commends incest.Just so we're clear.

Harper Teen Contest

My lovely and awesome friend and fellow moderator over at International Book Tours, Reggie, is having an amazing giveaway over at her blog The Undercover Book Lover(Not Really).Prizes include : 

• The Awesome Pack (Delirium,Vesper,Angelfire)
• The Paranormal Pack(Fallen Angel, Through Her Eyes,Once In A Full Moon)
• The Coolio Pack (Blood Flowers, Vampire Crush, Pink)
• The Contemporary Pack (Rival,Where I Belong,See What I See)

Pretty cool, uh???So what are you waiting for?Sign up here!!!!

The contest is International and ends October 15th.

READING : Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

Publication date: August 3d, 2010
Published by: St. Martin's Griffin
Source: Bought
Rating: 3,5/5

"Throughout all my histories, I found no one I loved more than you...no one."Those were some of Rhode's last words to me. The last time he would pronounce his love. The last time I would see his face.It was the first time in 592 years I could take a breath. Lay in the sun. Taste.Rhode sacrificed himself so I, Lenah Beaudonte, could be human again. So I could stop the blood lust.I never expected to fall in love with someone else that wasn't Rhode.But Justin was...daring. Exciting. More beautiful than I could dream.I never expected to be sixteen again...then again, I never expected my past to come back and haunt me.

Arghhhhh!I cry in frustration because I so wanted to love this book. but alas!I couldn't!Not that it was a bad book, but I was expecting so much more going in the second half,which unfortunately I found disappointing.

The story is about Lenah, a 500 year old powerful vampire queen, who has given up everything to become human again.When she does, she is just a 15 year old girl again, rediscovering the world and falling in love.

I was intrigued by the premise of the book right from the start.I liked this new take on vampires,who are practically killing machines.They can't feel anything, they have no sense of touch or smell and of course no soul, no remorse, no guilt.They ease the pain of eternity by killing ruthlessly, something they excel at.I loved the flashbacks to 15th and 19th century,as deep down I am a sucker for historical vampire stories.So far so good: the first half of the book went by without my even noticing and I was so excited to read the rest of the book.

And that's when the book went south for me.I felt that the second half dragged on for far too long, recycling the same information over and over.The part where Lenah was transferred back to England was absolutely useless,in my opinion, since the whole thing could happen right there at Whickham, without us having to adjust to new surroundings and then readjust to Whickham after a couple of chapters.

I didn't feel any chemistry or connection between Lenah and Justin, whatsoever.I would much prefer it if  Rhode continued to have a part, he seemed like a very interesting character, or if she ended up with Tony.Million unmistakable sparks there, which Maizel didn't take advantage of.Lenah was an OK female lead, but nothing too interesting.Also the ending....what happened there?How is the series going to continue after that?I would very much like to see!

All in all, Infinite Days was a decent enough debut novel and the writing was not bad at all.I just wish the story and the romance were not so sloppy and that Maizel had given them a little bit more thought.

In My Mailbox(19)

::Thanks to the Story Siren for hosting IMM::

As You Wish - Jackson Pearce

Stolen - Lucy Christopher

Night World No. 1 - L.J.Smith

What did you get this week? :)

Today it's 9/11.9 years have passed since the terrorist attack in NYC and the loss of so many lives.I hope that our memories will not fade and that we'll always remember this day and eventually grow and learn from it.Let's always remember.


9/11.Never Forget.

B-DAY GIVEAWAY!!!

Yes,it's September 8th and it's officially my birthday!I am turning 28 and haaaating it! Hopefully I'll get enough presents so I can forget all about it :)
Speaking of, you know when it's someone's birthday you usually give him or her a present, right?Well, this year I decided to give a little bit back by having this awesome giveaway for my awesome followers!
You know I would have given up being a blogger a long time ago if it wasn't for you, and I almost did.
But thankfully I am still here, enjoying your wonderful company!
This is for you guys,!Go nuts!


The prize: A book of your choice (15 USD 20 USD or less) from The Book Depository. It could be any number of books, as long they all add up to 20 USD. It can be a book that's already published or a pre-ordered one. Since I'll buy the book from The Book Depository, you must make sure before you fill out the form below, that BD delivers to your country.You can check out the list of the countries HERE.


Giveaway rules:
*You MUST be a follower.This is for you, after all!
*You must fill out the from below to enter. Comments DO NOT count as entries, but feel free to write anything you want, questions, complaints etc.
*Spreading the word is optional but very much appreciated!
*There will only be 1 winner (sorry, you guys!). However, I might be motivated to add another later on, depending on the response I'll get.
*The contest ends September  30th and the winner will be announced shortly after that.
*I will pick out the winner with the help of the adorable random.org
*Winner will be contacted via e-mail and he/she will have 48 hours to get back to me.

EDIT:My twitter name has 2 underscores, @Aten__Ra.

GOOD LUCK!

READING : Vanished by Kate Brian

Vanished by Kate Brian

Publication date: August 31st, 2010
Published by: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Source: Bought
Rating: 4/5

After the initiation ceremony of Reed's newly created secret society, Noelle has disappeared and the only clue is a mysterious note. Is Reed's behaviour the cause or is there something more sinister happening? With the kidnapper warning of worse things to come if Reed tells anyone of Noelle's abduction, Reed realises it's up to her discover who has taken Noelle and to try and rescue her...before she becomes the next target.

Vanished is the 12th installment in the Private series, so I write this review certain that you have read its predecessors.If you haven't, what are you doing reading a review for no.12 then, uh? :P

Vanished is another installment in the Private series filled with awesomeness!!!

I love the story and couldn't wait to see how it would unravel after Scandal's ending.Vanished is a book filled with suspense and mystery.You always feel you have to look behind your shoulder because you think you've heard something(or maybe you just imagined it...), you feel your heart racing when Reed is close to yet another great discovery!I like how Brian developed the story because let's face it, after 12 books you fear that at some point it will start going downhill. Thankfully, this is not the case with the Private books!

The only thing I still can't figure out is Reed.She has this weird, almost self destructive way of making everything so difficult for herself, which I find exhausting!Come on, girl!Relax!I know she thought her best friend was dying but give me a break!She still could have avoided all the Josh drama-not saying anything, my lips are sealed!- if she just told him what was going on, since he knew most of it already.Thank God he is clever!Don't even get me started on the fact that she was ready to throw her life away for a person that has pretty much ruined hers repeatedly, if I might add.I am not saying that she shouldn't help her, quite the contrary, but certainly by not destroying her own life in the process! I don't know what the equivalent of "bromance" for girls is, but Reed and Noelle definitely have it.Well, Reed for sure!

The end was once again, a huge surprise for me!I pretty much guessed who was behind Noelle's kidnapping, but for the life of me I could not figure out why.I don't know yet if I am satisfied with the explanation, since I really didn't have time to process the data and to be completely honest, I was in shock after this humungous revelation in the end!The next book is a prequel (Book Of Spells, check it out!) so I guess the impact of the knowledge of this big secret will be felt in Ominous, the next book in the Private series, coming out February 2011.

Can't wait!

READING : Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Publication date: August 24th, 2010
Published by: Scholastic Press
Source: Bought
Rating: 4/5

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. 

What is there to say about the,without a doubt, most anticipated book of the year? Well, A LOT, and I won't be holding back so brace yourselves!

Let me begin by saying that overall, the Hunger Games books are brilliantly written.Come to think of it, brilliant doesn't even cut it.So, I had no doubt in my mind that MockingJay would not fail me in that department, and of course it didn't.This can in no way be described as a "bad" book, even if you don't like the story behind it, which granted, it may not be very unique(I remember making a few comparisons to Battle Royale myself, when reading The Hunger Games)but in the end it manages to touch and affect even the most sceptical ones.In MockingJay in particular, I loved everything that had to do with the story development, the whole idea of revolution, the two sides-Rebels and Capitol- the corruption of power and the notion that love may eventually heal some wounds, but is it enough?I was weirdly drawn to the possibility that that right there could very easily be our future or even our present, if some people don't start changing their mentality real quick.It was so brutal and realistic that I personally, felt awful just lying there on my bed doing nothing about it, not making a stand.It made me think really hard about who I am and what my life is or will be and where I stand in the grand scheme of things.It was a huge eye opener for me and hopefully for other people as well. So let us be clear about something: in my humble opinion, the Hunger Games series is one of the best, if not the best, series of YA books I have read and quite possibly, the best YA books out there.

From this point forward many SPOILERS have been added, which unfortunately I found unavoidable.So if you haven't read the book, please don't read any further.Consider yourselves warned!!

SPOILER ZONE

That being said, I have my objections about MockingJay.First of all, I found that it was slow at some points and this is not very good for an allegedly action-packed book, a book that describes a revolution, a war.At some point there were so many names going around,mostly of Rebels, that they all started bleeding into each other, thus making it very difficult for me to relate to these characters or even feel sorry for them when they died, because I had a  hard time placing them!

But what frustrated me the most and I really struggled with, was Katniss.I had no problem whatsoever with her in HG and CF, but in MockingJay she just really exhausted me!She didn't convince me once that she was the face of the Revolution, the infamous MockingJay. A suit and a golden pin doesn't make a true hero, in my opinion. Being harsh, mean and selfish doesn't make one, either.She cared deeply for her family, I give her that, but at times I think she only cared for them and no one else.If someone else and not Prim was out there when the bombing in 13 started, would she fight tooth and nail to keep the doors of their underground hideaway open so she could enter, even if it meant endangering all these other people?I don't think so.Yes, she went through a lot. Yes, she went in the Arena twice and that messed  with her head immensely.But so did Peeta.And boy, the hell he went through!I expected Katniss of all people to be compassionate and caring towards him, acknowledging what he did for all of them.But no!All she did was moan and complain and be angry at him for wanting to hurt her after the Capitol brainwashed him.But he knew who she was, he saw right through her and that angered her even more.That's why the ending was not the least bit satisfying for me!I mourned Prim's death, and the scenes where Katniss tried to find herself again after her sister's death were heart breaking.But her words in the last paragraph ruined it all for me.She completely wrote off Gale, who's character was completely destroyed in the end if you ask me, even though she was wondering who he was propably kissing over at 2, and practiacally saying that she didn't need Gale after all, and what she needed was the safety that Peeta provided her, even though she wouldn't hesitate to kill him a couple of chapters ago, him being a threat to the mission and all that.The way she said it felt like she settled for Peeta when what she wanted was Gale all along.That's what it felt like to me and after everything Peeta had done for Katniss and for everyone else, I found it so terrible, so degrading and honestly, it pissed the hell out of me!Gale's response to Peeta about who Katniss will pick in the end pretty much says it all: "Katniss will pick whoever she thinks she can't survive without".

It was the worst possible ending to an otherwise amazing book.

END OF SPOILER ZONE

Thank you Suzanne Collins for creating the world of the Hunger Games and letting us have a glimpse of its greatness.It will forever be embedded in my mind and I will always be grateful to you for it.

You have my utmost respect!

In My Mailbox(18)

::Thanks to the Story Siren for hosting IMM::

So, the first pic shows books I got last week(had a lot of stuff going on, couldn't post an IMM)

which were all given to me by my own adorable book faery!Thank you so much, Evi :) 

Night Runner - Max Turner

Old Magic - Marianne Curley

A Passion For Killing - Barbara Nadel

Stargazer - Claudia Gray

Hourglass - Claudia Grey

The Guy Next Door - Meg Cabot

Ransom My Heart - Meg Cabot

Tempest Rising - Nicole Peeler

The second pic shows books I got this week:

Infinite Days - Rebecca Maizel

Shade - Jeri Smith-Ready

Forbidden - Tabitha Suzuma

Ash - Malinda Lo

Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins

Vanished - Kate Brian

Check out the hardcover edition of Infinite Days.Pretty cool uh?

What did you get this week?

READING : Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Publication date:
Published by: HarperCollins
Source: Bought
Rating: 3,5/5

What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life? Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High - from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it turns out to be her last. Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death - and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

Sam is a very popular high school girl.She and her posse rule the school and decide who's cool and who isn't, what's in and what's out.Before I Fall describes a day in Sam's life.Well actually 7 days, which is in fact one.You see, everything is not all roses is Sam's life after all, and she has to relive the last day of her life again and again to finally realise it.

You'd think that one day being described 7 times would be a complete drag. Thankfully, that is not the case with Before I Fall.With the exception of maybe day 3 and 4, all the others are as exciting and amazing as the first.The writing is so detailed and thorough, it makes you feel like you are  Sam's best friend, you end up knowing her so well!If you think you'll get bored of the same things happening over and over, don't be.There is always something different and shocking happening every day in Sam's weird loop.That part of the book I did enjoy, this very unique idea and how Oliver embraced it and eventually delivered a great story.

The part I didn't enjoy was the characters. I did not much care for Sam  at all throughout the whole book, much less for her best friends, who I personally despised. I hate it when popular students pick on the less popular ones and how they always get away with it, one way or another.I expected something completely different here, since this is supposed to be a book about personal growth and redemption.So, you imagine that I was not at all happy when in day 7, when you think that Sam has it all figured out and that it finally dawns on her that she has to change who she is and become a better person, a more caring and loving person, she just basically says something along the lines of "Well, you know, the strongest always prey on the weak, that's just the way it always has been." Nuh-uh!Come on, no way I can ever accept this, let alone like it!When people do something objectively wrong, IT IS wrong in any way you look at it.You cannot sugarcoat it "blaming" it on someone's character and saying "Well, what can you do?That's just like her, she can't change."You changed!!Why can't other people?Forgive me for the rant but I have zero tolerance for things like that and this definitely earned one of the hugest and meanest eye rolls when I was reading it!

Also, the ending was not as redeeming and fulfilling as I  expected/wanted it to be and a bit anticlimactic, to be honest.

All in all, I can admit that I enjoyed reading Before I Fall, but honestly, I am not exactly fawning over it.