Remy is a lot like the other characters we have seen from Sarah Dessen. I am still not sure how she keeps writing the same basic book over and over again but I genuinely like each one. Remy has Daddy issues as well as Mommy issues. Of course there is a dude, but he doesn't really come to the rescue. We often see the male love interest in Sarah Dessen's books come to the rescue of the female lead.
Nothing overly remarkable stood out about this book. I liked the dynamic between Remy and her friends. I would have liked a little bit more with the group as a whole. They have an interesting exchange every time there are together and I think it was a missed opportunity to not have more with the group of friends.
I would recommend this book to Dessen fans. I would also recommend this as a light summer read for anyone who likes a light but good writer.
While writing this blog I am listening to the Rachel Maddow Show.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Wither By Lauren DeStefano
Wither: The Chemical Garden Trilogy
This book is post apocalyptic America. Basically the fit has hit the shan in more ways than one. Most of the countries we know and love have literally been blasted off the face of the planet. And America is sadly what is left. Don’t get me wrong, I dig America or what have you but I am kind of tired of all of the stories that have every other place in the world destroyed. Let’s be honest here folks, Americans fuck shit up way more than other places; our homeland is included in that. To think that America will outlast or out live other places in the world is just unlikely. Plus we are all heathenistic, at least that is what the churchy folk tell me.
So geneticists have been tweaking the human code to rid the species from illness. Cancer and terminal diseases are erased but along with these things the science folks have deleted our longevity. They aren’t sure why but girls kick the bucket at 20 and men kick it at 25. Our story in Wither is about Rhine, yes like the river. She is 16 and snatched away from her life in industrial poor New York and taken to riches in Florida to be wed. Rhine is half of a set of twins. Her brother Rowan is left behind with no idea where his sister has been taken or if she is even still alive. Poor girls are snatched off the street and sold as wives to rich young men. They then are forced to make babies. All the while everyone is killing over at really young ages.
I dug this book. My friend suggested this book to me a few months back when she read it. You can read her review here . I like the main character; while she is strong she is also human. She struggles with Stockholm syndrome and remembering where she comes from. She learns to really care about other people around her. I found the concept of sister wives in this book to be interesting. It made me wonder if the author has had experience with polygamists. It wasn’t a negative portrayal of sister wives which is so common when talking about polygamists. There is not a religious angle to this book at all, but being from Utah you learn the term sister wives pretty early on.
I would recommend this book to people who enjoyed The Hunger Games. I would suggest this book to those who dig YA lit. I liked the writing style of this author. I read her bio and she seems like a nerd, which of course I can relate to.
While writing this blog I am listening to Norah Jones.
This book is post apocalyptic America. Basically the fit has hit the shan in more ways than one. Most of the countries we know and love have literally been blasted off the face of the planet. And America is sadly what is left. Don’t get me wrong, I dig America or what have you but I am kind of tired of all of the stories that have every other place in the world destroyed. Let’s be honest here folks, Americans fuck shit up way more than other places; our homeland is included in that. To think that America will outlast or out live other places in the world is just unlikely. Plus we are all heathenistic, at least that is what the churchy folk tell me.
So geneticists have been tweaking the human code to rid the species from illness. Cancer and terminal diseases are erased but along with these things the science folks have deleted our longevity. They aren’t sure why but girls kick the bucket at 20 and men kick it at 25. Our story in Wither is about Rhine, yes like the river. She is 16 and snatched away from her life in industrial poor New York and taken to riches in Florida to be wed. Rhine is half of a set of twins. Her brother Rowan is left behind with no idea where his sister has been taken or if she is even still alive. Poor girls are snatched off the street and sold as wives to rich young men. They then are forced to make babies. All the while everyone is killing over at really young ages.
I dug this book. My friend suggested this book to me a few months back when she read it. You can read her review here . I like the main character; while she is strong she is also human. She struggles with Stockholm syndrome and remembering where she comes from. She learns to really care about other people around her. I found the concept of sister wives in this book to be interesting. It made me wonder if the author has had experience with polygamists. It wasn’t a negative portrayal of sister wives which is so common when talking about polygamists. There is not a religious angle to this book at all, but being from Utah you learn the term sister wives pretty early on.
I would recommend this book to people who enjoyed The Hunger Games. I would suggest this book to those who dig YA lit. I liked the writing style of this author. I read her bio and she seems like a nerd, which of course I can relate to.
While writing this blog I am listening to Norah Jones.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Samantha Kingston is exactly like a lot of the mean girls I went to school with. Samantha's friend Lyndsay is a lot like I was in high school. The leader of the mean team. I think in a lot of ways this books feels like it was written by Tina Fey during her mean girls phase had she been obsessively watching Groundhog Day. I know that this comparison to this book has been made multiple times but it is the best way to some up this book. Sam lives the same day over and over seven times.
Sam is faced with her own harsh reality and the harsh reality of those around her. She is also made acutely aware of consequences for actions big and small. The writing style of Lauren Oliver took a little getting used to for me. I blame this on my recent re-reads of Harry Potter, it can be a mind fuck to go from dramatic wizards to dramatic popular girls. Once I adjusted I found the way the characters interacted to be authentic, meaning, that while these girls are mean girls they are also incredibly loyal to one another. They may be bitches, even to each other, but they each have redeeming qualities if you take the time to look for them.
Kent is the love interest in this book. I like that he is kind of over the top with his checkered shoes and bowler hats. I used to spend a lot of time with guys like Kent in high school. It made me miss all those guys for a little bit.
Over all I dig this book. I plan on picking up Lauren Oliver's second book after I finish all the other books I have started right now. I would recommend this book to formally overly bitchy girls such as myself, and or, currently bitchy girls. I liked the message this books sends. I will say though if you have recently dealt with suicide or bullying this book might not be the best thing for you to read.
Sam is faced with her own harsh reality and the harsh reality of those around her. She is also made acutely aware of consequences for actions big and small. The writing style of Lauren Oliver took a little getting used to for me. I blame this on my recent re-reads of Harry Potter, it can be a mind fuck to go from dramatic wizards to dramatic popular girls. Once I adjusted I found the way the characters interacted to be authentic, meaning, that while these girls are mean girls they are also incredibly loyal to one another. They may be bitches, even to each other, but they each have redeeming qualities if you take the time to look for them.
Kent is the love interest in this book. I like that he is kind of over the top with his checkered shoes and bowler hats. I used to spend a lot of time with guys like Kent in high school. It made me miss all those guys for a little bit.
Over all I dig this book. I plan on picking up Lauren Oliver's second book after I finish all the other books I have started right now. I would recommend this book to formally overly bitchy girls such as myself, and or, currently bitchy girls. I liked the message this books sends. I will say though if you have recently dealt with suicide or bullying this book might not be the best thing for you to read.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen
Ruby is 17 and living alone. Her mother took off about two months ago and had Ruby not had nosey landlords she probably could have continued living alone for a long time. She was keeping up with the basic bills, mostly, and keeping things together, mostly. Long story short it is discovered that Ruby has been abandoned by her mother and is shipped off to live with her older sister. This story is about Ruby figuring herself out.
Like all the other books by Sarah Dessen that I have read we follow Rudy through some tough situations and a lot of emotional growth. However, in this book we get something that I wanted in other Sarah Dessen books. We get better and more in depth character development with the male love interest. Nate is a great guy who helps Ruby come to terms with herself and her situation.
The twist(ish) of this book is that Ruby in turn helps Nate. We have not seen the female lead help the male lead in other Sarah Dessen books that I have read thus far. I liked that we got more of the male(ish) persepective in this book. I also liked that the guy who did all the rescuing needed to be rescued. I think this is closer to reality. I would say in most healthy relationships the "strong one" flips between people and isn't isolated to men.
I would recommend this book for peeps looking for a light and fast read.
While writing this blog I was listening to my boyfriend talk about his job.
Like all the other books by Sarah Dessen that I have read we follow Rudy through some tough situations and a lot of emotional growth. However, in this book we get something that I wanted in other Sarah Dessen books. We get better and more in depth character development with the male love interest. Nate is a great guy who helps Ruby come to terms with herself and her situation.
The twist(ish) of this book is that Ruby in turn helps Nate. We have not seen the female lead help the male lead in other Sarah Dessen books that I have read thus far. I liked that we got more of the male(ish) persepective in this book. I also liked that the guy who did all the rescuing needed to be rescued. I think this is closer to reality. I would say in most healthy relationships the "strong one" flips between people and isn't isolated to men.
I would recommend this book for peeps looking for a light and fast read.
While writing this blog I was listening to my boyfriend talk about his job.
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