Review: On the Jellicoe Road Audiobook by Melina Marchetta

Title: On the Jellicoe Road
Author: Melina Marchetta
Narrator: Rebecca Macauley 
Goodreads .  Amazon
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A revelation.

That’s what this audiobook was to me. Even after many, many years of reading the book again and again. I used to think I had it memorized even, but then it's like you hear someone else’s voice, saying all those sentences that bring so many great and incapacitating new emotions that it was almost like lighting stroke my heart.  

I am pretty sure there are quite a few poor souls out there that have not come across this book, or audiobook, yet. So I’m going to review it again, in the hopes to make you pick it up and make this world better.

On The Jellicoe Road goes beyond any realm or genre in literature. It surpasses boundaries and defines a whole new category of incredible, tremendous, fantastic and wonderful. It’s one of the wildest emotional rides your heart can take. The story is so deep, so clever, so thoughtful and perfect that it’s life changing. It certainly was for me.

One of the most common complains I come across when I recommend this book is people not getting it. At first it is confusing, but not because it’s bad narrative, because it’s mysterious. You will want to figure this book, but you won’t be able to at first, because like I told you before, it’s clever. It’s intelligent and it knows deep and dark things you will only get to know as you read along.

What is magical in all of this, though, is that you don’t even have to know what is going on to be pulled in. To get engrossed. To become obsessed. Because this is one rich story, and Melina Marchetta is probably one of the most powerful story tellers of our time.

The audiobook, like I suspected, is amazing too. The narrator did a wonderful job at conveying the emotions we needed. She did a great job of representing the turmoil inside Taylor Markham, her confusion and pain, her annoyance and her spirit. And it is not even one of those high budget audiobooks that seem to be the regularity now. No, it’s simple but engaging. And to hear a story like this, a story I hold so dear to my heart, in the voice of someone else but me was so gut-wrenching that I spend half the time crying my eyes out.

And in the aftermath I can’t recommend it enough. For the people that have never read this book, to the ones that will be introduced to it for the first time, for everyone. This is it.

Review: Remembrance (The Mediator #7!) by Meg Cabot

Title: Remembrance (The Mediator #7!) 
Author: Meg Cabot 
Expected publication: 
February 2nd 2016 by William Morrow
Goodreads !  Amazon  
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So I realize you and I don’t know each other, that’s why it’s hard to explain how in love with The Mediator series I am, because if you have met me it would be so obvious. Probably every person I know knows that I love books, and pretty much everyone knows that The Mediator is my numero uno. It’s the series that got me hooked on Young Adult. It’s how I discovered God’s gift to YA, Meg Cabot. I have pretty much memorized each book on the series thanks to the number of times I have re-read the books in the last decade.

This is my obsession.

And I knew that Meg had plans to write another Mediator book for a long looong time. I have been waiting anxiously to revisit my favorite cast of characters and the gorgeous setting they live in. And it’s finally time.

When I started reading I decided I was going to write from the point of view of someone that is not familiar with the story. Just to see how I would enjoy it. But that thought flew out the window with the first sentence I read. I was transported to the golden days of my youth when the feeling of bliss reading gave me was nearly too much for my sanity. I swear it was so good.

Suze’s voice is still so inherent Suze, so familiar and true, that I can’t help but wonder if Meg even realizes it’s been nearly a decade since the last book. It was a big part of why reading Remembrance was so magical.

But then of course Meg seemed to have read my thoughts exactly. I wrote this pre-review on goodreads almost two years ago, when she said she started writing the novel, and every question I had, every thought, was answered to my highest expectations.

It’s not every day you get a wish come true, that’s why I was thankful to have this novel, even if it sucked. It didn’t. It was perfect. It was the same Suze that I have loved forever. The same Ackerman family, that has grown to be the best adoptive family in the world, I was so happy to see Suze’s stepbrothers had turned into brilliant men that I might have shed a tear of two. I knew Jake and Dave had it in them, but even Brad? I won the lottery. And CeeCee and Adam? The same loving, supporting friends. Father Dominic? AMAZING. Paul? He’s still a jerk but still I was infinitely happy to see him! He’s sort of the comic relief too, and I’ve always felt bad for him as a teenager. Now he’s an adult so it made it harder to sympathize with him, though I could never hate him.

Even the ghost busting was turned to the next level. The stories were harder and sadder. The villains ages above the crimes everyone in the previous books ever committed. Which made it easy for me to invest myself in the mystery and not only in the excitement of seeing my old pals.

But that doesn’t mean I didn’t focus a whole chunk of my brain on them. Namely Jesse. Jesse who has been my boyfriend for longer than half my life. Jesse who loves kids and medicine as much as I do. Jesse who speaks softly in Spanish. Jesse who makes every other guy on earth pale in comparison. He was exactly the perfect guy he has been for almost two centuries. I can’t even keep on writing because I’d cry and my mom is watching because I’m supposed to be happy right now (I’m writing this review as everyone else is celebrating that the new year is coming in just a few hours).

So anyway, you see why I am biased and would never write a perfectly coherent review for this book. But what I hope I transferred to you is this… Is not for nothing I have kept this series by my side for such a long time. It’s full of everything that makes Young Adult great. It’s a classic. It’s something you can’t miss.

Review. Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

Title. Saint Anything
Author. Sarah Dessen
Published May 5th 2015 by Viking Juvenile
From Goodreads.

Peyton, Sydney's charismatic older brother, has always been the star of the family, receiving the lion's share of their parents' attention and—lately—concern. When Peyton's increasingly reckless behavior culminates in an accident, a drunk driving conviction, and a jail sentence, Sydney is cast adrift, searching for her place in the family and the world. When everyone else is so worried about Peyton, is she the only one concerned about the victim of the accident?
Enter the Chathams, a warm, chaotic family who run a pizza parlor, play bluegrass on weekends, and pitch in to care for their mother, who has multiple sclerosis. Here Sydney experiences unquestioning acceptance. And here she meets Mac, gentle, watchful, and protective, who makes Sydney feel seen, really seen, for the first time.
The uber-popular Sarah Dessen explores her signature themes of family, self-discovery, and change in her twelfth novel, sure to delight her legions of fans.

First of all, let me get it off my chest,

I love this title!

Before I read it I thought it was a play on words about...

But it wasn't. But the reason why it is called this is even more awesome (if possible).

Anyways.

I've missed Sarah Dessen. 

That's what I first thought as I read the first few chapters. I've forgotten how she always manages to make a story seem easy, relatable. Her main characters are always so easy to like, to root for. Saint Anything was not different.

I can't pinpoint what exactly makes her stories so magical but that's undeniable. Saint Anything trapped me. In a world where Sydney was perfect on the outside (and pretty much on the inside too, I know I would have thrown plenty of fits if I were in her place) yet very vulnerable, it made you instantly love her. 

Then came the Chathams, especially Layla and Mac, who were the most amazing, most welcoming family Dessen has ever written (possibly). I loved them and their chamadery. I loved that they had a pizzeria. I loved everything about them.

I am trying to remember if there Dessen has ever written a boy as shy as Mac. I can't remember (it's been a lot of books and a lot of boys) but I absolutely adored that Mac was the shy one for once. He grew up being overweight his whole life and now with a recent healthier body he is kind of apprehensive of people (no blame). He was absolutely perfect and adorable.

And as much this is 2015, and this is a new, different story, it still felt familiar, like seeing your childhood best friend again and realizing you missed them more than you noticed. I loved to read this, Sarah, my old pal. Thanks for forever bringing me reading pleasure, circa 2007.

Review: Pivot Point by Kasie West

Title: Pivot Point 
Author: Kasie West
Published February 12th 2013 by HarperTeen
Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depo
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So right now is Saturday, I have a huge exam on Tuesday, I just spend the whole night reading this book and I do not regret it at all. In fact, I want to re-read it again right now, it was so good.

I kick myself because Pivot Point spend months sitting in my bedside table feeling all lonely, all because of my prejudice against love triangles. But y'all know I absolutely HATE love triangles, so my heart was against liking this even though I LOVE Kasie West and I should've trusted her better.

Her story engaged me from page one, it was so incredibly easy to lost yourself in the story, even though it's all about future choices and paradoxes and it could have turned out to be a big confusing mess but it doesn't because it relies more in what the story itself makes you feel, in making you care for the characters and what happens to them.

So it was very hard for me to read it because I was so invested in what was happening that I could fantom the fact that what I was seeing might not become reality. And my worst nightmare became true.

I know I am not making a lot of sense but it's because this book made me feel so much that my head is still buzzing with energy. It's 2am and I can't sleep because I keep relieving the story and my heart aches and I figured it was good therapy to write my feelings down.

So here I am trying to make sense of what happened to me while I read this book and I can't, I do not know how to put it in words, I just have to tell you I became a mess of emotions and to me, that's the most important thing when I read.

Pivot Point happens to be a win in the parallel world and in the mortal world and in the realm of Young Adult fiction. It's been a while since I read a paranormal book that managed to be so real that you could almost swear it's a contemporary because for once, the story relies on the characters as people instead that on the claimed awesomeness of their powers. Completely captivating and amazing.

 

 

 

Review: The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

Title: The Distance Between Us
Author: Kasie West

Published July 2nd 2013 by Harper Teen

Goodreads | Amazon

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Awwwh I've found a new book to put on my favorite's list. Because The Distance Between us couldn't be anything but, after all the swooning and the laughing it put me through. There was no way on earth I wouldn't fall in love with this book.

And I did. Hard. I love it enough to want to re-read it right now. Because it was a whole experience, more than just reading a story. It put me through the emotions of meeting an exciting new friend, of reconsidering options and choosing paths, of falling in love for the first time. It was the whole package. 

Caymen was the perfect heroine because we are all Caymens on the inside, hiding our insecurities behind our security blankets (in her case, her sarcasm) and trying to work out the courage to fight for what we want. I rooted for Caymen as soon as I met her, and my fist was up in the air when she got her happy ending. I laughed along her, got mad along her, I cared.

And then this sweet love story was pretty darn flawless. I fell in love with Caymen and Xander's relationship; their hilarious banter and the slow, almost painfully slow way it build up. I realized I was too invested when I caught a glimpse of my face in the mirror and it had that glow only brides and new moms have. Unmistakably, I was in it too deep.

So seriously, y'all need to pick up this contemporary jewel and add it to our collection because this book will brighten your day and your mood, and it will warm your heart and remind you of the fairy tales that are so amazing, it's really a cruelty they're only fiction.

Ps. After this I am so picking up Pivot Point.

Review: Tempestuous by Kim Askew & Amy Helmes

Title: Tempestuous: A Modern-Day Spin on Shakespeare's The Tempest
Authors: Kim Askew & Amy Helmes
Expected publication: December 18th 2012 by Merit Press
Goodreads // Amazon //
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So once in a while something totally unexpected happens, like finding a ten-dollar bill on the street or discovering there’s only 2 girls in your class, both of them named Melannie. OR starting a book and loving it from page one, that’s what happen to me while I read Tempestuous, loved it from page 1 ‘till the very last one.

Miranda is an ambitious girl, who kind of has the power of getting people to do what she wants. She’s popular and beautiful yet the authors managed to make her likable. I loved her from the start because she’s so witty, and she means no harm, she’s just used to having people offering to do stuff for her but it’s not like she’s bossing them around. Well, at least not after that pesty situation that made her fall from grace at her private school and has her working for minimum wage at the food court in the mall.

Review: A girl named Digit by Annabel Monaghan

Title: A girl named Digit
Author: Annabel Monaghan
Published June 5th 2012 by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Add this book to your Goodreads shelves
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I wish this book could understand how much I love it, but since books have no brain I am going to tell YOU instead. I love this book! There, I said it, and I am so not ashamed because this book was amazing, it has everything I like: likable characters, fast-paced story line and some serious swoon-worthy scenes.

First of all I would like to point out how ingenious Annabel Monaghan is. I mean a character like Farrah (aka Digit) is not easy to create. Farrah is a genius, no kidding, she is so good at math she discovered a terrorist code hidden in MTV’s most watched show, and now her life is at danger. Enter FBI agent John, the one guy chosen to protect Farrah while the others catch the bad guys, Farrah might think he is really cute but he is older and not to mention he could lose his position so yay for forbidden romance!

I loved Farrah, she’s like Sheldon Cooper but a girl, and 17 years old, and less annoying. Farrah was incredible in the sense that she was so friggin intelligent yet she was just like any other girl, it was so funny to read about her cluelessness that unfortunately put her in the most embarrassing situations, but that was what made her so adorable, even though she had the weirdest habits. She was so hilarious and her voice was the best, exactly the kind of girl I like reading about.

Now while John Bennett was definitely swoon-worthy (more than that, really he was amazing) and the fact that he was twenty one was REALLY hot, like I-can-day-dream-about-him-without-being-creepy-cause-he-is-older-than-me hot; Farrah is the one that made the book for me (which rarely happens I always love the guy more) because she was made of awesome.

Also, each chapter started with a bumper sticker, some of them totally hilarious, and there were chasings and codes, and terrorists, and safe houses and guns and it was just so entertaining, I swear I was laughing out loud at pretty much every chapter, I can’t wait to read more from the series, I’ll be waiting impatiently for book #2!.
 

Hee-Hee this scene is when John and Farrah break into a school while running from the bad guys,
I thought it was hilarious that she totally consumed all those juice boxes and then,
well you don't see anywhere else where she can sleep but...

 

Oh btw, I went to a book fair last week and there were some teenage girls asking the salesguy for recommendations and after he finished giving them I totally shoved this book in their faces. There wasn't anything wrong with the other books except they weren't A Girl Named Digit.

Review: A Charmed Life by Jenny B. Jones

Title: A Charmed Life

Author: Jenny B. Jones

Published May 1st 2012 by Thomas Nelson Publishers

Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depo

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What can I tell you about this series except that it is genius and that you shouldn’t miss it.

A charmed life is a compilation of three novels about Bella Kirkwood, a NYC kid who has to move to Oklahoma due to her mom’s recent new marriage to a tampon-factory-working man with 2 kids.

Bella is not thrilled, to say the least, but she is trying to make it work, even though her new patent leather shoes got ruined while walking through manure, and even though the chief of the school’s paper gave her a story about recycling (trash diving is so not her thing); oh and did I mention someone is always trying to kill her?

This is one of my favorite series ever. Full of wit and laugh-out-loud moments, Bella’s adventures will keep you entertained and satisfied. And the continuous mysteries that unravel in this small-town are another plus that will for sure give you a fun time.

I love pretty much all the characters, but Bella is my favorite of course, because she might love her fashion brands but she has a huge heart and a lot of courage. Her nosiness is comical but her braveness is real. She's the perfect main character because even though her life is much more interesting than yours you just have to love her because she is adorable, and I want to be her BFF.

Luke Sullivan. Oh Luke, can I marry you? He’s the most perfect guy I have ever read. So chivalrous and smart, and even though he likes Bella, he is not going to put up with her games. I love how dedicated he is, and certainly, I love his preppy style. Oh, and I can't forget, he looks like this -->

Now guys, if I tried to mention every character in the series I will be here all summer but  one character I really have to tell you about is Ruthie. 

Ruthie is amazing. The funniest side-kick ever, she is snort-you-drink-out-your-nose funny, I do not recommend you read this book in public if you have one of those witchy/piggy/hey-look-at-me laughs because people will be looking at you weird.

In conclusion, there's only a couple series I can say that have managed to stay my favorites through all my life, A Charmed Life is one of them. No matter what age I am I always enjoy re-reading the adventures of Bella Kirkwood and now with this make-over you have the chance to own the 3 books in one for a great price and I asure you, it's money well-spent! ;)

Review: Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols

Title: Such a Rush
Author: Jennifer Echols
Published July 10th 2012 by MTV Books
Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depo
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Amazing is not a strong enough word to describe this book, but all things considered I would say it’s the most fitting. Jenn Echols has delivered another great book that will sure make it to lots of people favorites list. Such a Rush is everything you hope a book can be: appealing characters, complex romance, fast paced and nail-biting drama.

I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve been waiting for this book, but I tell you this: it was a long time, and everytime Ms. Echols talked about it I swear my toes curled; well, it was actually 1000x better than I hoped. How can you go wrong with such an interesting line of events and an equally interesting line of people?

Leah Jones is the book narrator. At the beginning, she’s only 14, just moved to a trailer park next to a tiny small-town airport where she gets a job answering the phone and pumping gas for airplanes. Leah loves airplanes, so she saves up money for a flying lesson given by a local man, Mr. Hall, who runs a banner towing business. Mr. Hall has three boys, Jake the oldest flies a plane for the army, and twins Alec and Grayson are Leah’s age and they both want to be pilots too. The three sons are fun, adventurous, intense and panty-dropping handsome, from what Leah can tell from the distance, that is; she has never been close with them. But she watches them and wishes they would notice her, Grayson especially, the adrenaline junkie on whom she has developed a big crush.

When Jake gets killed in Afghanistan, Mr. Hall’s heart can’t take it, and soon he dies too. Leah is crushed; Mr. Hall was her was her friend, not to mention her only hope of ever becoming a pilot, because he had offered her a job at his banner towing business. But surprisingly, the twins come back to town to try to get the business going again. Even though Leah’s always liked the boys, they didn’t seem to like her at all, so she can’t believe Grayson, the black sheep of the family, is making her fulfill the contract she made with his dad about flying a plane for him. Leah’s not sure she can trust Grayson, but he has something on her, so she must do what he says or her dream of becoming a pilot won’t ever come true.

I hate love triangles, but the one in this book is kind of a love-triangle but not, you’ll see what I mean when you read it but I can assure you, you won’t be bothered by it, you will be too absorbed in the details of the story to even start to realize it’s a love triangle. I just love it when a book has an invisible hand coming out of it that takes me by the neck and doesn’t let go, that’s Such a Rush for you. It’s completely engrossing and it will have you at the edge of your seat. It’s so amazing to see how people can develop characters that are this deep, relationships that are so intricate a cobweb would be jealous.

Review: The Ghost and The Goth by Stacey Kade

Title: The Ghost and The Goth
Author: Stacey Kade
Published June 29th 2010 by Hyperion Book CH
Goodreads | Amazon
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I don't know if I have a soft spot for ghosts (yeah, right) or for KICK-ASS characters, but luckyly for me, this book happens to have both.

So imagine how happy I was all through this read.

I randomly found the book description here in goodreads and was blown away by how similar it sounded to Shadowland first book in my all time favorite YA series. And opposite to what others might do, being all like "there's no way something can be as awesome as that one" but I'm an open-minded person and was glad to find something similar so I decided to give it a try, and went and get the book by all means -begging, crying and acting like a 2 year old- and oh man! I'M SO GLAD!

PLUS: JUST LOOK AT THE COVER! I love the cuteness (I'm thinking about getting a full back tattoo of it) I loooove how accurate it actually is, it's like THOSE are Alona and Will, they're exactly like that, clothes and everything.

Since the very first chapter things are attention grabbing and I find myself immersed in the story, it starts when Alona, the queen bee of her high school, seemingly perfect in every way possible...

*gasp*

DIES!

*gasps again*but despite what people like to think about her, and what you're already imagining (snotty bitch) nooo! far from the truth! GIRL IS FIERCE! she's a fighter and has the master mind of Brain from Pinky and the Brain, no really, she could totally take you in a 'guess the murderer' contest.

Not that there's a murderer in this book, just tons of hilarious, interesting, sad, hot, fun, and kickass moments. I can't complain here, cause I got everything I was asking for, so I will just continue summarizing the plot,

so yes, Alona dies ):
but hey! stop sobbing, girl is not going anywhere for now, and that is because (if you ever read a ghost's book or have been going to the movies/ watching tv this past 20 years you already know this): she has unressolved issues. And what's her to do, she doesn't know anything about being dead, and no one can help her, right?

WRONG!

There's someone out there, someone who can help Alona with her newly acquired troubles...
and that someone is Will Killian! aka Will Kill, you might recognize him as the pseudo-goth guy sitting in the farthest cafeteria table that apparently talks to himself out loud and wears his hoodie over his head all the time to keep the voices out.

Yeah, Alona thinks that too: NO WAY I'M GETTING NEAR THAT FREAK.
But the only other person who she knows that can communicate with the dead is in Puerto Vallarta and I mean it's a long walk to Mexico D: .

So Alona and Will make a deal, he would teach her everything he knows about ghosts, death and moving on if she serves as his bodyguard, that is keeping the other ghosts off of his face so he can finally have some peace and quiet after years and years of ghosts 'haunting' him.

I bet you can guess where that leads...

me= fun fun fun, Will & Alona= damn damn damn!

Despite what you might think after reading this (that is if you're still with me after all this babbling):
"Oh but it sounds SO clichéd!" I have only one thing to say about this, okay two:
a) what's not cliche these days?, I mean, come on! nothing is 100% original now, after all this is 2011.
and b) Cliche can be FUN.

But whatever, cliché aside, this book is infinitely entretaining and with very real main charachters, a realistic MALE teenager and a realistic GIRL teenager, and that's not easy to pull off let me tell ya, not everyone can portray a boy and a girl so relatable.

So yeah this book is ALL ABOUT THE FUN (plus some twists you might have not seen coming).

If you just came back from a trip to a child's hospital, got out of jail, witnessed an animal massacre, got your heart broken, read Mockingjay or lost your favorite lipstick at the mall and you are SO DEPRESSED you can't take it anymore, I suggest you read this, it won't dissapoint IT'S MADE OF FUN, no seriously, read the tag it says it's made with the same stuff SIX FLAGS is made of.

Review: Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Title: Texas Gothic
Author: Rosemary Clement-Moore
Published July 12th 2011 by Random House Children's Books.
Goodreads | Amazon

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I don't know why I seem to love books about people who see ghosts so much. Maybe because these people are always so brave and funny and witty.
Texas Gothic was NOT the exception.

I loved it so much that in fact I told myself to sleep on it and write the review later. (Usually, I write my reviews right after I'm finished so I'm always VERY passionate about my feelings), this time, though I decided to take some time and really analyze if I truly liked this book.

Turns out, the next morning I was as much in love with this as I was the moment I finished it.

This story is about Amy, who comes from a literally extraordinary family. Everyone in her family is either a witch or a psychic or a ghost whisperer or something even weirder. But Amy does not like that life, she doesn't like people making fun of her family's excentricities so she's in charge of making them appear normal, at least in public.

But right now there's this ghost who has chosen to haunt Amy, and she must do something to get him off of her back before he ruins her summer.

Also? Amaryllis is Amy's full name. Which is hilarious. You'll see.

I really enjoyed reading a story about older Young Adults, everyone has already graduated high school, so the drama was a bit less dramatic, and more entretaining and relatable.

 

 

This book starts off AMAZING. Most entretaining beginning of a story I've EVER read.
You see, I'm busy. I'm in med school, I'm taking Phreaking Pharmacology right now. I don't have time to waste, and I certainly don't want to wait 100 pages until the good stuff comes, so boy was I glad that this book just went straight ahead to the funny and sexy and the chemistry and the shirtless cowboys.

 

 

Moving on to the romance, I adore this couple. Amy & Ben. Ben & Amy. Me loves <3.
They're so perfect for each other, and so cute! And all of their scenes are extremely entretaining, that I had to read them twice. The way they met is so HILARIOUS, I will not spoil, but I have to tell you that it involves a mini-cooper, a cow with an itch in her butt, cherry-pattern underwear and sexy horse back riding. Oh and some crazy goats.

 

 

Thinking of all the great stories these two went through makes me smile as I imagine Ben & Amy telling the stories to their kids, (leaving the underwear part out, of course) they are the greatest stories ever!
I would seriously die of excitement if my dad told me he once rescued my mom from a hole in the ground filled with bat guano.

 

 

The only thing that stopped me from giving it the 5 hearts, though, was that some parts about the ghost detecting gadgets and stuff like that were kinda boring and like I said, I don't want to waste brain-space learning about how to record ghosts noises.

But it was a great book overall!


Favorite quote:

 

 

He sighed. “It was, Amy, because you’re you. You’re the most dangerous one of all, because people can’t see you coming. They just think you’re this quirky, nosy, annoying, adorable girl who yells at cows in her underwear. Then before they know it, they’re relying on spells instead of good sense.”