There are times when Heather, Aly & I finish a book, but don’t have time to write a full comprehensive review… or even a shorter “flashbulb” review. BUT we still want to share our thoughts with you on what we’ve been reading. That’s why every Saturday we’ll be featuring 3 “snippet” reviews — short, sweet, to-the-point reviews that we’ll try to keep to 2-5 sentences. So we hope you enjoy these!!
Author: Lauren Morrill Title: Meant To Be Published: Nov. 13, 2012 by Delacorte BFYR Format: 304 pages; hardcover; ebook Website: www.laurenmorrill.com Source: purchased My rating: Blurb: Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question. It’s one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she’s queen of following rules and being prepared. That’s why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that’s also why she’s chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB (“meant to be”). But this spring break, Julia’s rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she’s partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. Read more…
I love & heart this book.
I love Julia and her adorable know-it-all ways, her painful nerdiness, her knack for being clumsy, her fantastically hilarious inner monologue, and her stubbornness. And Jason! Where do I start?! He’s the kind of guy who’s SO incredibly IRRITATING, just begging to be kicked in the shins… and yet… there’s just something about him that’s so charming and completely adorable.
Good banter. Fantastic chemistry. Fun, realistic teen romance.
Overall, with laugh-out-loud hilarious misadventures and giggle-inducing missteps, Meant to Be is a super adorable, can’t-put-it-down kind of book about finding love in the most unlikeliest of places.
Author: Kenneth Oppel Title: This Dark Endeavor Series: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein (Book #1) Published: Aug. 23, 2011 S&S BFYR Format: 298 pages; paperback; ebook Website: www.kennethoppel.ca Source: purchased My rating: Blurb: Victor and Konrad are the twin brothers Frankenstein. They are nearly inseparable. Growing up, their lives are filled with imaginary adventures…until the day their adventures turn all too real. They stumble upon The Dark Library, and secret books of alchemy and ancient remedies are discovered. Read more…
Ok, so I am so not a fan of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Just not my cup o’ joe. But this…well, this, was remarkable. Gorgeously gothic, characters I was simply compelled to love, added depth and background to a story in serious need of it, complexity, mystery, epic quest to find a cure to an odd and potentially deadly illness, brotherly love and devotion–So much amazing wrapped up in one book. Now, that said, given what I know about the outcome of the original, I’m a little concerned about the welfare of these characters I’ve grown to love. I mean, sheesh talk about a downer. ;o) Alas, I must know what becomes of my beloved Victor and Elizabeth and Henry. Super awesome read, highly recommended!
Author: Brenda Pandos Title: Everblue Series: Mer Tales (Book #1) Published: July 30, 2011 by Obsidian Mountain Publishing Format: 304 pages; paperback; ebook Website: www.brendapandos.blogspot.com Source: purchased My rating: Blurb: She wanted her life to change… he wanted his to stay the same. Best friends share everything with each other. Or do they? Seventeen-year-old Ashlyn Frances Lanski is tired of her boring, single life. Spending time with her best friend Tatiana, dreaming about kissing Tatiana’s twin brother Fin, and swimming competitively are her only sanctuary. Read more…
I feel like I started this book with the assumption that it was going to be life-changing since it had so many 5 star reviews. It was good, but it wasn’t awesome. I don’t feel like I deeply connected with Ash. I did like the dual-narration, though. If I’d had to endure Ash the whole time, I don’t think I would’ve finished.
The Mer world that Pandos creates is beautiful, and I really enjoyed the realism of the Lake Tahoe setting as well. That part was great.
Some of the characters seemed cool, but I feel like the secondary characters were more dimensional than the main characters. I loved Tatch and Badger, and I really liked Ash’s dad as well.
Aside from the plus of no insta-love, the romance line was just weird. Two characters who secretly want each other, but neither of them will approach the other. They also each seem quite willing to accept a replacement bf/gf. Lame.
Overall, I don’t feel like it was a waste of time, but I don’t plan to continue reading the series.
Happy Reading!
Meant to Be sounds so so good!! I love it when book boys don’t seem like they’d sweep you off your feet and then totally do;))
Oh, it is! Jason is equal parts frustrating and adorable. You don’t know whether to hug him or hit him. lol
I felt exactly the same way about Everblue. I was so excited to read it and honestly I was really disappointed by the end of it.
Defenestration (from the description of Meant To Be) is such a good word, it’s almost enough to get me to read any book!
That is a good word 😉