Picks (and Rejects) of 2010

Amist the holiday madness, I haven't had much time, or inclination, to read. However I thought I'd countdown my Top Fives of 2010. Originally I thought of doing a top ten, but that list quickly became a tribute to all things Dessen and Marchetta. There weren’t as many totally fan-tastic standouts like there was in 2009, but with the help of new authors (like Dessen) there was considerably less “Never Again!” books. Though now that I think about it, perhaps my standards for Awesome-rankings have been raised because the calibre of writing I've been reading. Hm....

Ooh! And Nin culls out a bunch of Never Again books so I dont waste my time reading them.

In no particular order, because I just can’t decide which was my favorite of 2010, the Faves…

1. The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan – I finished the Percy Jackson series well before this blog was started so I never got to gush about how totally awesome it was. And Riordan’s sequel series does not disappoint. I know I’ll be a spoiler if I go on about how fantastic this book was. So I’ll just say it was an awesome adventure with great new kick-butt characters (I’m a Piper-fangirl all the way).
2. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare – I actually reviewed this book here and obviously I thought it was awesome. I might even like it better than The Mortal Instrument series. Will definitely gives Jace a run for his money. And the English accents are just brilliant.
3. The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen – Flat out loved this book. What’s not to love? Swoon-worthy male character. Great build-up to an uber fabulous and rabid fangirl worthy relationship. Interesting dialogue and side characters. And not a whiff of stinky Love-Pow. Sarah Dessen, where have you been all my life???
4. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta – This book made me a diehard Melina-fangirl. War. Tragedy. Mystery. And of course the best star-crossed couple ever written. Romeo’s got nothing on Jonah Griggs.
5. Book Thief by Mark Zusak – To be honest, this book didn’t quite grip me like Dessen or Marchetta’s books, but mostly because it was way too smart and brutal to swoon over. It was a bit harder to read, because Zusak’s got a totally different style of writing. But the story is like “rip your heart out and stomp on it” good. Totally intense and not for someone looking for an easy, light read. I used to read a lot of World War II stories. But Book Thief was the first one I can remember from the Nazi side, a very different and interesting perspective. And the ending…well you should read it for youself.

And of course a year-end wrap up can’t be complete without the Never Agains. There were quite a few I wanted to put on here, but I narrowed it down (reluctantly) to five.

Again in no particular order, though I did loath them in varying degrees, here are the Top Five Never (Ever) Agains -

1. Torment by Lauren Kate – Really the name just says it all. I could go off about what I did not like in this book, but I already did here. And rehashing boring couples and their mundane, angst-ridden plot lines is bad for my zen.
2. Time of the Witches by Anna Myers – For such a short book, it was insanely slow. The only redeeming quality (but not enough to redeem it out of the Never Again category) was that it was a rather interesting take on the Salem witch trials. But not interesting enough to recommend. Or read again.
3. Immortal by Gillian Shields – I don't remember too much about this book but it was the only one in about eighty books I noted as “Stupid.” Predictable plot with too much of idiot and oblivious girl. But not the endearing kind of obliviousness like Elizabeth Scott’s characters.
4. Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar – GG is a super popular tv show and it’s got a cult following for the huge book series. So I figured it was probably a good series to start. Boy was I wrong. If you’re interesting in reading about overindulgent, whiny rich kid’s lives, then this is the series for you. But overall I thought it was a bunch of stupid teens with absolutely zero plot. And there was no Veronica Mars voice-overs. How lame is that?
5. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins – If it was a standalone book, then it probably doesn't deserve to be in this category. But honestly, this was an extremely disappointing end to such a promising series. Perhaps I’m biased b/c I’m an ill-fated Gale shipper and I don't think he deserved to go out the way he did. However, the book seemed rushed. Did anyone else think it seemed way too convenient that Katniss would fall unconscious while critical parts of the storyline developed? And her constant emo-ness and poor me attitude grated on my nerves within the first few chapters. Katniss of Mockingjay just didn’t hit that level of awesomeness that she did in Hunger Games. It was almost like she was body snatched and replaced with an inferior model. But I suppose that’s what dating down will do to a girl.

And now that I can practically hear Nin's screams of indignation, she was after all a Peeta shipper. Ick.

Til next year...

JaReview: Torment

Lauren Kate perpetuates her boring display of Love-Pow in this sequel to Fallen. Maybe if I was a tiny bit emotional invested in this couple, Luce and Daniel, I’d find Torment a little more entertaining. But the fact is Luce and Daniel bore me. It’s been two books, spanning 948 pages and I still don't see why Luce is so in love with Daniel. Or even what it was about her that made Daniel willing to fall. Luce says on occasion that Daniel makes her feel “like home,” but seriously, what does that even mean? Where’s the evidence, the basis for this epic relationship beyond a feeling she has deep within her…soul.

This book reminded me of New Moon. In order to keep the delicate damsel safe, the hero is absent most of the book, leaving the damsel wallowing in a pit of heartbreaking angst and despair. At least in this book, Edward, I mean Daniel, doesn't only appear in lame visions, he actually breaks the rules and shows up a couple times. But unlike the brief encounters of Bella and hallucination-Edward, most of what Luce and Daniel do in their precious, forbidden time is argue. She’s whiny and wants to know what’s going on, he’s secretive and remains annoyingly stoic. Then they fight and he flies off, leaving her in torn between annoyance at him and desperate longing (even though we’re still wondering what she sees in him).

In Torment, which really was a perfect title as that’s what I felt whilst reading this, we see brief glimpses of Luce’s past lives. Not enough to paint a cohesive picture or answer any questions, but more to further enforce that sense of – what the heck. These glimpses only seem to draw out the storyline, rather than enhance it. The short sequences of her past are conveniently cut off before we get to any substance. I suspect that it’s done on purpose, you know to promote anticipation. But if there isn’t anything else in the story to build on, it’s just the author toying with you, it becomes redundant and annoying.

Even if I was a Luce and Daniel shipper, which really is just a few carefully rearranged letters away from Dunce, this latest story would definitely tick me off. Assuming that you blindly buy into the fact that Luce and Daniels love just is, no particular reason other than they’re just meant to be, then why would you introduce a love triangle? Their relationship is shaky at best. How are we supposed to believe in this undeniable, defying centuries and past lives, love story, when she runs into the arms of the first decent, normal boy to bat his baby blues at her? Sure she says she feels conflicted but it’s just downright flighty. What happen to that epic love she feels deep down in her bones?

Oh wait. We need a love triangle because one, this book is part of a series and it just won’t do to have them live happily ever after in book one. And two, the mystery of her past isn’t enough to carry the series.

I will concede that Kate introduces interesting side characters. Luce has a new roommate, Shelby, who’s standoffish, rude and bitchy. She’s a lot like Arraine, which was a bit repetitive. And her initial abruptness and coldness towards Luce switches to accepting besty annoyingly fast. Then there’s Miles, a watered down Nephilim, who’s supposed to have weak powers, but is conveniently very helpful in critical parts of the book.

And of course we can’t forget the mysterious Outcast plot. Apparently there’s more baddies out to get Luce and one of them had access to her supposed safe haven. Even though the so-called angels couldn’t tell who the kid was, given the overly obvious descriptions of the perpetrator, the reader should spot it a mile away. It makes me seriously doubt the plausibility of these angels’ powers.

All in all, this sequel to Kate’s Fallen series has turned me off from the entire angel genre. The storyline had potential. But it falls short because of character inconsistencies, convenient plot holes and lots of poetic waxing without reason. Me thinks Sarah Dessen is spoiling me because now I actually require build-up, reason and experience before I root for a couple.

Never Again. Ever.

{NIN} Review: Angel Book Wrap-Up

Vampires, werewolves, and fey are, of late, the "it" creatures of the YA lit world. No surprise that angel-themed books soon followed suite. Tired of the same ol' vampy-shaggy-fairy stories, I decided to try reading angel-themed books.

After reading two books, I realized that angel-themed books are definitely not for me. Why, you ask? Because I have historically loved hot, snarky, tortured, angsty, sarcastic, yet sneakily caring dudes and angels are hardly any of those things. Sure, they're always unbearably beautiful... but that's about it. Angel suitors tend to be calm, have inner peace, overly protective, gentle teasing humor, the perfect gentlemen - in short, flat and boring. As Anne Shirley once said, "I wouldn't want a man who was really wicked. But I think I'd like it if he could be wicked, but wouldn't."

Word up, sister. Even turn-of-the-century prim chicks dug the snarky dudes. And no way, by sheer definition of the word "angel", could an angel love interest possibly encompass any of the characteristics that give compelling guys true personality.

So anyhoo, back to the books that led me to this realization. I really cannot say too much about any of these books so instead will just give a short review of each.

Angel Star by Jennifer Murgia

Outcast girl Teagan with only one friend to her name comes to school one day and hot new kid Garreth shows up out of nowhere with sudden inexplicable interest in her. Illusions are shattered and the truth comes to light - Garreth is Teagan's guardian angel sent to protect her from an evil fallen guardian that is out to rule the mortal world and only Teagan has the power to stop him. Oh, the drama. Oh, and Garreth is madly in love with her after watching over her all these years.

What the heck?

The lack of build up in the story was what bothered me the most. I don't understand the love connection; rather, it just "is" simply because he's been guarding her all these years. I mean, shouldn't there be at least something the guy mentions that he loves about a girl, not, "I've been watching you and now I luuuurve you!" This simply wasn't satisfying enough and just left too many unanswered questions. Mainly, what is so wonderful about Teagan and why should we be rooting for her?

Additionally, there was not much suspense and drama leading up to the epic battle that Teagan and Garreth were anticipating against the evil Hadrian. There just didn't seem to be a very strong and convincing reason on why Teagan was the only one who could save the world - and especially, why we should care.

Never Again

Heavenly by Jennifer Laurens

This book actually started out relatively better for me than Angel Star. We have a somewhat interesting tortured main character Zoe dealing with realistic issues - her family is stressed out over having to take care of a child with autism, and her parents spend so much time on her autistic sister that they don't have time for her or her brother. Her brother is turning into a druggie as a result, and Zoe turns to partying, alcohol, and meaningless hook-ups to deal.

The fantasy part of the story comes when Zoe learns that her sister has a hot guardian angel, Matthias. I'll give the book credit here; it was not instant Love-Pow! Zoe was initially wary of Matthias since he seemed to be stalking her little sister, but she slowly realizes what he is.

So of course you know, she falls in love with him...and he with her. But there was this one really strange part in the book where she thinks in her head that she loves him and then she sees him walking away and suddenly, she just blacks out and falls into deep, dark despair because she thinks he can never love her back. Like, this seriously all took place in her head in the span of like a few seconds.

I did not understand.

And from then on out, it just got weird and boring.

But really, the romance between Zoe and Matthias was uninteresting to me simply because his personality didn't appeal to me.

Never Again & a Half

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

Halo starts out promising to be different from the previous two books in that it is written from the perspective of a newly descended-from-heaven angel rather than through the eyes of a normal human girl. Bethany Church (talk about obvious naming conventions) and her siblings, Archangel Gabriel and Seraphim Ivy, descend upon Venus Cove with the mission from above to “do good works” and, through example, lead the local populace to do the same.

Bethany is the youngest of the trio and has never set foot on earth, so her mind is ablaze with wonder at the sights, sounds, and different feelings she experiences as an angel in the flesh. While her siblings have descended to Earth many times before and are therefore indifferent to the human experience, Bethany is eager to soak up everything she can about being human.

Bethany enrolls at the local private school where she is immediately befriended by somewhat wild child Molly. Molly shows her the ins-and-outs of the school, and gives her the low-down on the different boys at school. The school captain, (Mr. Requisite Hottie) Xavier Woods, takes notice of Bethany and immediately endeavors to get to know her.

Bethany has been warned against forming attachments to the physical world, and especially with humans, as the locals cannot know who the angels really are. However, in true teen girl fashion, she disobeys the laws and reveals her true nature to Xavier whilst falling head-over-heels in love.

Okay, so that should give you an idea of the direction the book goes.

Downhill.

When I first started the book, I thought, okay, Adornetto is taking the angel angle in a different direction than the other two books. It might be interesting to see how an angel deals with landing on earth and trying to blend with the locals. But seriously, once Bethany indulges in her love for Xavier, all she can focus on is him, him, him. She waxes on and on about how much she misses him when she’s not with him, that he is her life now and heaven isn’t her home anymore because Xavier is her home now. What the bloody hell. The story very quickly disintegrates into annoying teen girl sighs over unrealistically attentive, protective, and kind-hearted teenage boy. Seriously, what teenage boy is really like that? Most boys that age are all about rollin’ with the homies and gettin’ action. And Xavier Woods doesn’t have any of those interests? Yeah, right. Fiction, fiction, fiction.

It was like reading Twilight all over again.

On top of the annoying lovelorn girl drama, supposed issues that came up in the book were resolved way too quickly. I present the following examples:

Gabriel and Ivy discover that Bethany has revealed her true angel nature to Xavier. Gabriel visits the Heavenly Council to determine what to do about Bethany and “the situation” – and they decide to let her be. What? Shouldn’t there be like epic consequences, natural disasters, floods, lighting – something – because she has disobeyed the laws of heaven and gained heavenly wrath? Nope, none at all. Bethany gets to go on her merry way with Xavier. If that’s the case, why bother having the law in the first place?

Another example is when Xavier breaks his leg and can’t take Bethany to the prom. He encourages her to go with a substitute date, where sub forces a kiss on her and the moment is captured on camera and posted on Facebook. Xavier avoids Bethany for the next 3-4 days and when she finally confronts him, he believes that she cheated on him and had given him the heave-ho. Bethany tries to explain what really happened, but it falls on deaf ears. She goes away and falls into a deep, dark depression because she despairs that she has lost him forever (sound familiar?). Oh, but guess what? It gets all nicely resolved 1 page later when Gabriel goes to Xavier’s house to set him straight. What makes Big Brother’s words more believable than Bethany’s?? Stupid boy. And stupid girl immediately takes him back. Dude, I would at least have railed him for being a dumbass and not willing to listen to my reasons. But no, it was, oh I'm so glad you finally believe me! I almost died without you. Blech. Totally gag-worthy.

Okay, so after all this crazy love drama, there is the baddie that comes in and tries to corrupt the town. And then they battle and it ends, but not really, because there is going to be a sequel. And that is just a really bad idea because if I can sum up what should be an epic confrontation with the main baddie in like 1 sentence, that tells you just how unmemorable this book turned out for me.

Halo is seriously like Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse combined but worse because at least I liked Edward at first. I felt that Adornetto was trying to pack way too much in one book, but it also simultaneously moved excruciatingly slow. Conundrum? Yes, but she managed it.

Never Again

JaReview: Clockwork Angel

Cassandra Clare continues with her fast-paced shadowhunter series in this prequel to the Mortal Instruments. I was digging Clockwork Angel from the get-go. I had forgotten how awesome her witty dialogue and gritty butt kicking scenes are. I’m warning you in advance, there may be spoilers that follow this largely disjointed train of thoughts.

Clockwork Angel centered around Tessa, a girl who comes to London in search of her brother. Upon her arrival, she’s thrust into an unknown world full of demons, vampires, warlocks and, most of all, Shadowhunters.

I quite surprised that liked Tessa. You might initially write her off as the boring damsel in distress but she isn’t. She can hold her own in a verbal sparring matches even if she lacks the physical superiority to keep up the Shadowhunters. And despite her lack of fighting skills, she’s a unique power and brains to go with it that. Plus she not super whiny like Bella and that’s always a plus in my book.

I dug her unwavering loyalty to characters, whether they deserve it or not. I only hope Clare doesn't take her character down the insipid Stupid Girl Path. You know the one where Stupid Girl blindly trusts Truly-Evil-Boy, to which Secretly-Good-Boy (aka Will) has to go and save her. Although that could make for some heroic and swoon-worthy rescue scenes (and possibly loads of gratitude kisses).

If I liked Tessa, then I loved Will Herondale and all his multiple personalities. There was Will the Git (“I once thought I was a ferret…”). And of course Will the Philosopher (“Beauty fades but cooking is eternal”). Though I’m well aware I cut him too much slack. I know he doesn't mean what he says when he says mean things. *g* I blindly believe he's good deep down, even when he says truly horrible and way out-of-line things. Perhaps it’s wrong of me, and most definitely jumping to conclusions, but I believe that in the end, he’ll admit to Tessa his true feelings.

Of course Will would be his snarky self, we don't want him to go all sappy, spineless love-straught on us (like some disappointing, not-to-be-named male leads).

I adored his witty banter and appreciated how he was never really straight with anyone. He’s such a complex individual, there’s obviously some sort of childhood trauma. But I’m such a sucker for the mysterious and emotionally closed off bad boys. Honestly, how can you resist someone who’s both snarky and beautiful?

The synopsis of the book says there’s a love triangle between Tessa, Will and a third Shadowhunter, and Will’s best friend, Jem. But honestly, I really don't think Jem is going to be a true contender for Tessa’s affections. The primary reason, he seems absurdly loyal to Will. They’re parabatai and despite Will’s worse intentions, I think Jem knows him too well to let a girl get between them. I’ll probably be eating my words in the next book, but I really don't see it.

Jem strikes me as picture perfect and too good. It’s true that Tessa gets comfort from him that she obviously won’t get with Will. And Jem is her shoulder to cry on when Will’s being a tosser. But even though he's more emotionally available to Tessa there wasn’t enough of a spark.

Not that Jem is entirely lame. He is snarky enough to be slightly interesting (“but then I think of how I could kill him in his sleep and that makes me feel better.”). I’m sure he’ll find a nice Shadowhunter girl to settle down with. But until then, he needs to stay the hell away from Tessa. Unless it’s contrived to make Will crazy jealous.

On a completely different note, it’s rather hard to believe that someone as cool as Isabelle descended from someone as poncy as Gabriel Lightwood. Gabriel is a fellow Shadowhunter but is constantly at odds with Will. But their interactions were some of my favorite parts in the book. I digs Gabriel if only for the fact that he brings out Will the Git better than anyone else in the book. Their exchanges were legendary.

Cassandra Clare definitely did not disappoint with this prequel to TMI and I’m eager the next installment. Perhaps while I wait another year, I’ll get myself a cat named Church.

{NIN} Review: The Truth About Forever

I have to say that The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen is a most excellent read. As {Ja} stated before, there is no Love-Pow! (PS) in this story but a believable progression from friendship to sweet love between two people.

Macy has had a rough year (understatement), adjusting to her father's sudden death and trying to prove to everyone that she is "fine just fine" by striving for perfection. She even has the "perfect" brainiac boyfriend who's about as interesting as mud to go along with her facade. Seriously, this guy is so goal-oriented and so obviously not that into Macy that you have to wonder if she was just another checkbox on his list of goals. "Find girlfriend - check!"

When stupid, useless boyfriend goes off to Brain Camp for the summer, Macy is left to fill his "so very important" position at the library with two snide and condescending co-workers who think stupid boyfriend is dating down when it comes to Macy. Day in and day out, she is forced to endure their snotty comments and torturous silent treatment with a smile. And the stupid boyfriend has no sympathy for her. Seriously, when she tells him about it, all he can say is, "I don't think you're taking the job seriously enough. You didn't answer my last question about whether the reference documents came in," or some such nonsense that doesn't even acknowledge the real emotional issues Macy is feeling. If that was not a sign to dump the guy's sorry arse, I don't know what is. It was incredibly frustrating that Macy did not have enough of a spine to dump him right then and there when she received that email. Yes, yes, I know she was having emotional issues and what-not b/c of her dad, but still...better to be alone than to be with a stick-in-the-mud that drags you down like that.

But then, there would be no WES to come along and show how right the world can be if you just find the right person.

ANYHOO, like I said, Wes...total "sa-woon!" Since {Ja} gave a most excellent review already about where and how Macy met Wes, I'll just move on to the more important stuff, like what makes him so awesome.

Hot, down-to-earth, approachable, not full-of-himself, hot, easy-going, family-oriented, artistic, and hot.

Yup, that about sums it up.

But their progression from friendship to more was simply...perfect. And after reading some of the books I've just read (Angel Star, Heavenly - more on those later), I've realized that it's supremely irritating when all you get from a book is a Love-Pow! and you have no clue why two people should be together (I can throw in Linger here too). Not so with Macy and Wes. They learn the other person's history, what makes them who they are, and how their past has shaped who they are today. Slowly, but surely, the connection is made and it's a match that is just so right.

So next up...the rest of Sarah Dessen's book. Cuz if The Truth About Forever is any indication, Sarah Dessen's books are the thoughtful and realistic cure for the prevalent Love-Pow! books in YA lit today.

JaReview: More Randomness

Here is my rendition of Nin's "bursts of thoughts" on books I've recently read, but dont really know what to say. As you can tell, I havent read anything stellar lately. Well, except Clockwork Angel, which I might like more than TMI. But more on that later.

When it Happens by Susane Colasanti
This was another one of those dual perspective books, alternating between Tobey and Sara. She’s the quintessential student government smart girl. He’s the slacker, rocker boy. But Tobey didn’t really do it for me. Perhaps because it was in his perspective, so it took away from the mysterious, enigmatic boy persona. You always know what he's thinking and sometimes, I really did not want to know. The alternating perspective got a bit dull after a while, lots of repeating the same scene only from a different point of view. It was sort of like watching an episode of the Event. And call me shallow but I just cant get behind a guy name Tobey.

Didn’t suffer to terribly


Fallen by Lauren Kate
I did not like this book. At all. It was a major case of love-pow. Luce is inexplicably drawn to Daniel but she cant figure out why. Sure you get glimpses of their past lives together, the ones that always ending with her untimely demise. But there didn’t seem to be any real connection in the current life. It was way too reminiscent of Soulmate by LJ Smith or the Immortals series by Alyson Noel, only with less significant interaction between the couple. But the sequel is on my queue. So I suppose I’m partially vested.

Didn’t suffer to terribly (but should probably be Never Again)


Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
I waited forever to get this book. So quite possibly I built it way too much in my head and, thus, it was doomed to fall short of expectations. If the Ministry of Magic ever had an alternative to Hogwarts, where they’d send all their misbehaving underage witches and wizards, Hex Hall would be it. The main character, Sophie, is ordered there after a love spell gone awry.

Upon arrival at Hex Hall, she accomplishes all the requisites of any teen novel. Piss off the most popular (and mean) girl in school. Check. Tries not to but falls for the hottest boy in school (who’s dating said mean girl). Check. Befriend the school outcast (in this case a vampire girl happens to be her roommate). Check.

Of course add to that learning the truth about her parentage and amassing more powers then the other kids. But, don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the story. Though, it did seem like the events that transpired happened at the cost of character continuity (like what's her face's sacrifice at the end). And that didn’t sit well with me. But there’s a sequel, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

I digs


Get Well Soon by Julie Halpern
Since I totally dug Halpern’s Wild Nerd Yonder book, I decided to give this one a try. Anna Bloom is institutionalized by her parents, much to her dismay. It was interesting because she didn’t seem to have a clear mental illness aside from maybe depression. It’s not as though she was hearing voices (who doesn't?) or anything concrete like that, but perhaps that’s what made her more relatable to a wider audience.

There are some comical characters, such the boy who claims to be a servant of the Dark Lord (and, no, I’m not talking Voldemort). Then there are some seemingly normal people that make you wonder why they’re locked up. Anna’s narration is snarky and filled with the Damn the Man thoughts, which was entertaining. I digs mostly because it was completely different from any YA I've read and a nice change up from the norm.

I digs

Need by Carrie Jones
Becoming seriously depressed after her stepfather’s death, Zara moves to Maine to live with her stepgrandma. When she finds out that her stalker, who she thought was just a figment of her imagination, is not only real but also a pixie, the sleepy, snow ridden town of Maine becomes a whole lot weirder. There are a few different takes on the normal paranormal rules, but overall the story was rather predictable. The only thing that made Zara relatively interesting was her obsession with phobias and naming them. I thought if anything I could get somewhat smarter by remembering the names of random phobias (like the fear of glass or the cold) and try to work into normal conversation but alas, I’ve forgotten them all.

Probably – Never Again

Miss Match by Wendy Toliver
This book is part of the Teen Romantic Comedy series and probably the worst one I’ve read to date. The RomCom series is much like regular trashy romance novels sans the trashy bits. When Sasha begins her match making business, setting up her classmates with their crushes, she finds it difficult to remain professional when her own crush hires her to hook up with her sister.

You don't have to read the book to know how it ends (because obviously it’s going to work out for the heroine, it always does). However the ending left me wondering, what the heck? I get that it all gets wrapped up in a pretty little package, but what I don't understand is the why and the how. Aside from the fact that it’s supposed to because that’s how all romcoms end. It was like- Bam! You’re nearing the end of the book, must get to happy ending now.

Never Again

Prada & Prejudice by Amanda Hubbard
I’m not quite sure why I picked up this book. I have an inkling that maybe Nin read one of her books and, seeing as how I have to copy everything Nin does (I am Kakashi the Copynin hehe), I had to get my hands on something by Hubbard.

Callie is your typical high school outcast. But after her besty moves away, she finds that scoffing at the cool kids isn’t as much fun when you’re all alone. So in a misguided effort to belong, she winds up buying a pair of Prada heels. (Sidenote, don’t know what high school y’all went to but at my school Chinese Laundry and Nike’s were considered chic.) Unfortunately, barely outside of the store, Callie takes a tumble and winds up in 1815. She is mistaken for a long-lost best friend and is taken to the home of a Duke. Chaos ensues as this modern, feminist girl tries to adapt to becoming a proper lady. All this while trying hard not to fall for the handsome, yet completely git-like Alex, who just happens to be the aforementioned Duke.

The book itself was interesting. Callie is snarky and smart, but then she’s also dumb and clueless. Totally contridictory but it seems to work for Callie. However, the ending was totally confusing. I still don't quite get what happen. But I cant discuss without giving it away. I think I need someone to read the book (hint hint) then explain to me what the heck happened. Still, I'd have to say -

I didn’t suffer too terribly

{NIN} Review: Linger

Linger is the sequel to Maggie Stiefvater's novel, Shiver. Sam has been cured of his werewolvism and can now look forward to a future with Grace. As the snow melts and winter slowly turns to spring, Sam waits to see who of his wolf pack family will return to human form... or if none will return at all. Grace is looking forward to a future with Sam but hiding a secret that threatens to take her away from him forever. Isabel is dealing with the guilt of her brother's death on her conscience and is mysteriously, magnetically drawn to newly turned werewolf Cole, who is full of his own dark secrets.

Told between alternating views of Grace, Sam, Isabel, and Cole, the novel unfolds as all four deal with the tragedy and heartbreak that the future holds for each of them.

Linger, like its predecessor, moved excrutiatingly slow for most of the novel. I was seriously bored and struggled to read through it. The most annoying part was Sam and Grace pitching and mooning at each other the whole entire time. I never really understood why Sam and Grace were so in love from the very first book since all she did was stare longingly into some wolf's eyes for most of her life, or why Sam was so obsessed with her. I realize it had to do with her getting bitten when she was younger but never changing, but really, that's the only reason?

The saving characters of this novel was definitely Isabel and Cole. Although Isabel has her own issues to deal with and secrets to hide, she at least was not paralyzed by fear or guilt or whatever it is that affected Sam and Grace. Cole started out as a selfish bastard seeking to run away from his past, but his evolvement and coming to turns with his own internal demons was fascinating and somewhat touching to see.

In the entire book, it only got really interesting in like the last 3 chapters. But I seriously don't know if I will read the last book in the series because the novels have moved so slowly, and Sam and Grace don't really do it for me.

{NIN} Review: The Clockwork Angel

I love Cassandra Clare. She got me to start reading YA Lit again with The Mortal Instruments series. Actually, I guess I should say it was {Ja} since she introduced me to TMI, but it was Cassandra Clare's City of Ashes that hooked me, line and sinker. I was such a Clace shipper, quite shameless actually. I {heart}ed Jace a lot! :-)

So when I heard about her next series coming out after City of Glass was released, I eagerly checked my local library's hold list religiously each day for the past 6 months until the day it became available to be put on hold. And it totally paid off! I was #17 and got the book on the first round of releases. Never before touched pages of a brand new book - aaaahhh... I digs.

The Clockwork Angel, the first book in The Infernal Devices trilogy (for now, since TMI was supposed to be a trilogy but now it's going to be a 6 book series), takes place in the same Shadowhunter world that we were introduced to in TMI, but in the year 1878 and in London, no less (which is awesome because I can read all the characters lines with a Bri'ish accent...in my head...).

The protaganist of the story is Tessa Gray, an American who journeys to London at the behest of her brother. She arrives only to be kidnapped by a mysterious pair, the Dark Sisters who reveal a startling truth to her - Tessa is a warlock with the rare ability to shape-shift. Threatening harm to her beloved brother Nate, the Dark Sisters force Tessa to hone her warlock skill in preparation for her betrothal to the mysterious Magistrar, who wants Tessa's power under his control.

By fortuitous occurrence, Tessa is rescued by the dashing Shadowhunter of piercing blue eyes, Will Herondale (Jace's forebearer of some sort, I suppose), who had been investigating a series of mysterious mundane deaths that all pointed back to the Dark Sisters. Will brings her back to the London Institute where Tessa is introduced to the world of Shadowhunters, warlocks, vampires, werewolves, and fairies. Together with the Shadowhunters, Tessa endeavers to learn the truth about herself, her parents' past, her brother, the strange mechanical creatures that are attacking them, and the mysterious Magistrar who controls them.

I definitely liked this book a lot, though it did not elicit the same gushing obsession that TMI did. The book is set in Victorian England, so the decorum of the day is somewhat interesting to read about, and London sounds like it was pretty bawdy in the late 1800s. But other than that, the setting, dialogue, and expressions used by the characters didn't seem that much different from American English. In something like Harry Potter, the British slang was definitely more noticeable (bloke, snog, take the mickey), but not so with The Clockwork Angel. Perhaps it has to do with Cassandra Clare being American. Or did Londoners have expressions more similar to Americans back in the day? Anyhoo...

The character recipe for The Infernal Devices and The Mortal Instruments are quite similar:

• Tessa = Clary as in girl new to Downworld who learns that she's not quite the average human she thought she was.
• Will = Jace with the handsome and sarcastic overlay covering his true internal tortured self.
• Jem = Alec in the sense that he is another Shadowhunter boy living at the Institute and Will's parabatai.
• Jessamine = Isabelle of the bizotchy superior attitude.

Magnus Bane also makes an appearance, which is great because I love crossovers. His role is rather limited in this novel, but I expect his role will expand in the coming sequels.

Tessa is an interesting character - loyal almost to a fault, struggling with the idea that she may not be human afterall, and learning the baffling and scary ways of the Downworld. She is also highly attracted to the sarcastic, tempermental, and cocky Will Herondale (sounds just like Jace, eh?) who behaves hot and then [really] cold to her for no apparent reason. And of course, no hot male lead would be complete if he were not TORTURED, and Will most certainly is. His arrival at the Institute at age 12 is a mystery and he refuses to speak of his past. We get flashes into his past (from what I gather, his trauma has to do with...a box), but he is tight-lipped and brusque on any questions about his past. Will's behavior towards Tessa is simply abhorrent at times (Colin Firth says stuff like "abhor" and he's British...hehe...). I seriously wanted to smack him at times...but I also wanted to love him because Tessa is attracted to him, and frankly, I love his cocky attitude. Will is just waiting for Tessa to heal his damaged soul, I know it, even if he doesn't, the bastard. So I guess Cassandra Clare has got me there with the romantic aspect of the story.

Cassandra Clare also manages to weave just the right amount of sarcastic and snarky dialogue into the story, especially from our dear Will, that left me cracking up. I also love that Tessa isn't a meek, submissive girl who isn't afraid to dish it back out to others, even to Will. On Will proclaiming he has a tryst later in the evening with an attractive person, Tessa replies: "Goodness, if you keep seeing Six-Fingered Nigel like this, he'll expect you to declare your intentions." How can you not love that??!! Most awesome!

The mystery is rather intriguing as well - who is the Magistrar and what are his intentions? What is the truth about Tessa's parentage? And what the heck is Will hiding???

It's hard to wax philosophical and analyze this book fully since it's part of a series and character growth will most certainly occur over the course of three books. However, by the end of this book, Tessa has most certainly grown - less naive, accepting of reality (of certain...stuff, I don't want to say and give it away), and possibly moving on the path of making peace with her non-human nature. As for Will? I don't know yet, but I sure hope the cocky tortured bloke gets some sense smacked into him (preferably by Tessa, whom he will then fall madly in love with. But don't lose the sarcastic comments and become wussy like Edward. I don't digs that).

All these questions have got me waiting eagerly for the next installment, The Clockwork Prince (due out in Sept 2012 2011 sorry for the freakout, Ja!!).

JaReview: The Truth About Forever

In the beginning there was this hot boy name Wes.

Tall, dark and handsome. Do you need any more than that?

Alright. Fine.

There’s actually a girl name Macy too (but we mainly care about Wes).

I’ve heard several sources recommend Sarah Dessen. And her story, The Truth about Forever, was #4 on Persnickety Snark’s Top 100 YA books. So why did it take me so long to actually pick up a Dessen book? The only excuse I can think of is that I was ignorant and oh-so oblivious. In a nutshell Sarah Dessen is a smashingly awesome writer. Just brilliant really.

The Truth revolves around Macy, a teenager who’s recently lost her father. Add to that her stick-in-the-mud boyfriend (and trust me, he makes Hermione Granger seem like an irresponsible party girl) has just left for summer Brain Camp. Macy finds herself at a crossroad in her life, only I don't believe she’s aware of it. She’s got her entire future (or at least the summer) planned out. Studying for the SAT’s and maintaining the image of a picture perfect daughter and girlfriend. However, when she meets Wish Catering, run by a lovable but scatterbrained Delia and a crew of other assorted characters (including the previously mentioned Wes), she finds that maybe there’s more to life than just studying.

Do you get the picture? Now can I gush about Wes?

It’s been a while since a “love connection” has reduced me to a squealing schoolgirl, but what can I say. Dessen’s definitely got a way with words. I absolutely loved the fact that Macy and Wes didn’t just fall into a relationship. It was not your average "love-pow" YA romance. It was not a love connection based on his otherworldly beauty, the way she smelled or some other inexplicable force that just draws them together. Furthermore, this amazingly romantic and squeal-worthy book would rate an almost non-existent on the PDA factor.

But how can that be you might ask? How in the world does an author create a relationship with off-the-charts chemistry and there isn’t any scandalous (or innocent) action to be had?

It’s because the sparks aren’t coming from raging hormones or superficial lust. Well…obviously there’s the “whoa he’s pretty hot” reaction. But, more importantly, it’s a slow build up of dialogue, sharing and connection. Dessen slowly pulls you up to the precipice, inch by inch with every secret, buried fear and experience, before she flings you off the edge. And before you know it, you’re jumping up and down, screaming “Kiss her, kiss her!” in a public park and people staring at you.

It’s way too easy to simply write a character as tall, dark and handsome. And what can I say, usually I go for it because I’m shallow. But the hook, it’s when they have that “sparkling” (and I’m not just talking about glittering in sun) personality to go with it. Wes had a troubled past and could have played up the whole tortured artist card. Instead he is to the core incredibly stable and has as much integrity as he’s got devastating good looks. Which is to say, he’s got it in spades.

And of course there is the forbidden love factor. Sure it’s not the standard “he’s a vampire and I’m just a wimpy mortal girl” or “He might be my brother.” But there are extenuating circumstances that add just enough angst, trauma and, more importantly, interest to the storyline.

All in all, it’s been forever since I’ve read a really good swoon worthy couple that doesn't rely on immediate danger or death defying situations to bring them together or maintain the relationship. There is no doubt that The Truth about Forever delivered and Sarah Dessen totally lived up to the hype.

{NIN} Review: Guardian of the Gate

The second book of the Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy by Michelle Zink starts off…really slow for me. It took me a long time to get into it because the book’s pace was so darn slow (and boring) at the beginning. Also, it didn’t help that Mockingjay came out while I was in the middle of reading Guardian of the Gate, so that quickly got put on the backburner while I read, then re-read, Mockingjay, then re-read Catching Fire (I had to get my fill of Katniss/Peeta action in!).

But since Guardian of the Gate was due soon at the library, I knew I’d better finish it soon, so I forced myself to read it, no matter how uninterested I was. However, when I reached a certain point in the book (Chapter 13), the plot got interesting (because hot new love interest entered the scene). After that, I couldn’t put the book down and very quickly finished the rest of it.

Guardian of the Gate picks up where Prophecy of the Sisters (Book 1) left off. Lia has left behind everything of her former life in America (family, friends, boyfriend) and is in London, honing her powers and preparing herself for the final battle she must eventually have against her twin sister Alice. Lia journeys from London with a trusted party of friends to the hidden isle of Altus, home of her Aunt Abigail. Lia needs to find the missing pages from The Book of Chaos that will tell her how to defeat the Souls and end the Prophecy, and only Aunt Abigail knows its location. It is a long and dangerous journey, and they are pursued by Hellhounds bent on keeping them from reaching their destination. Along the way, an unexpected and staggering betrayal occurs, finally forcing Lia to realize that she cannot trust and rely on anyone as wholly and innocently as she once did.

As I said in the beginning, the book started off really slow… but then I got to Chapter 13 and Dimitri Markov.

Helloooo, nurse!

Tall, dark, handsome, exuding power, and a sense of calm. Wowzas. I dig it.

Dimitri is a member of the Grigori sent to watch over Lia as she makes her journey. His role is to not intervene, for good or bad, in her journey but to ensure that she does not violate any laws of the Grigori as she works to end the Prophecy. However, we learn early on that Dimitri is really, and I mean REALLY, attracted to and protective of Lia, and she finds that she quickly and unabashedly feels the same, despite the nagging guilt in the back of her head for James. Their relationship develops at a fast pace but in a believable manner as they just have that instant and soul-wrenching connection. They have so many sigh-worthy moments that I happily got my fill of YA (innocent) romance.

Lia certainly develops into a much stronger person in this book. While still fearful of her sister’s power, she slowly grows into her own, and her self-esteem and self-reliance increase. I enjoyed seeing her fall for Dimitri, yet she is not so blindly in love that she won’t put him in his place when his over-protectiveness irritates her (because actually, it was starting to irritate me too). I thought the book’s conclusion was a worthy display of this self-reliance and growth in her character.

Overall, the book was okay. But now that Dimitri is on the scene, I must finish the series for the sake of finding out what happens with the Lia-Dimitri-James love triangle. Never mind the Prophecy. :)

I really want to give this book two ratings:

Ch.1-12: Didn't Suffer Too Terribly

Ch.13+: I Digs

But I suppose as a whole, I give the book...

JaAuthor Wrap-up: Elizabeth Scott

Or what should really be called “I’m getting freaking sick of the frenemy.” Honestly, is it too much to ask for the main character’s besty to not be an evil back stabbing, slutastic, boy stealing, bit of a witch? Though to be fair, I admit that not all of Elizabeth Scott’s books included the frenemy. And I had been reading a few non-ES books in between that did deal with the wicked besty. Hence the frenemy induced overdose.


Stealing Heaven - This actually started off better than it ended. The beginning entertained me right off the bat. Here’s a girl, Dani, who’s been living her life as a grifter and thief. Her accomplice and teacher is her beautiful but cunning and manipulative mother. I thought her mom was a bit one dimensional and a little distant. Their relationship was more of a partnership between criminals, lacking that mother and daughter bond.

Upon arriving to a small town called Heaven, Dani befriends two people. Allison should be the snotty rich girl you’d love to hate but she’s not. She’s kind, loyal and open. Normally someone so inherently nice would annoy me, but in Allison’s case it’s not fake. I loved Scott’s ability to create a likeable character who isn’t snarky, rude or moody (qualities I normally dig). Greg was adorable, though he definitely lacked in that burning flash of attraction found in characters like Jonah, Gale or Gabriel. But his charm and thoughtfulness made him endearing and definitely likeable.

Unfortunately it seemed to slow down near the end. But the story left me wanting another Scott fix so I’d have to say –

I didn’t suffer too terribly.


Something, Maybe - A story about a girl who remains constantly embarrassed by her mom (yeah her mom’s a step above a porn star, but seriously, who doesn't have parents that embarrass them), in love with the “deep thinker” (who’s really just an intellectual poseur), and deals with an absentee father (who reads like a Hugh Heffner if he ever did the Real World). The main character in this story was so clueless to the obvious; I felt the need to bang her over the head with a blunt object in hopes that she’d get the point. The true object of her affection, not the wannabe tree hugger, is cute but the main’s obtuseness seemed to detract from the story.

It also ended rather abruptly. I would’ve liked to see a bit more development in the characters and a little bit more….closure.

I didn’t suffer too terribly.


The Unwritten Rule – Again, I’ll say this, I’m sooo tired of the Frenemy. Although, I'm not quite sure if this is really a case of the Frenemy. Did her besty knowingly and intentially poach the boy she liked? Or was her besty clueless to the whole thing?

I believe a true besty would know who you crush on, regardless of how secret you try to keep it. I mean T ferreted out my crush on “Flatface” in the 7th grade and I swear I was so covert about that. Either way, it begs the bigger question. Why can’t these main characters have good bffs that aren’t total witches? Do they need to take classes in character judgement? Should that be a recommended class course: Identifying the Frenemy 101 (or "Sorry dude, but your besty is an evil witch"). Nin and I argued the point, but the only conclusion we could come up with was that the main needed to grow a back bone and her love interest to cease from being a stupid boy.

I digs.


Perfect You – This story was good but it was also a bit redundant. Girl’s father goes nuts, quits job and peddles miracle vitamins at the mall. Girl loses besty and becomes social outcast. Girl argues with cute boy from class. Girl struggles to find her way in the story of life, occasionally stopping to kiss said cute boy.

Similarly in Something, Maybe, the love interest is painfully obvious. However there was just enough of turmoil and trauma in the relationship (mostly due to communication and misunderstandings) to keep me entertained. Because you know me, I like my love stories to be epic. Spanning years and continents. Lives ruined and bloodshed. Not that there was really any bloodshed, but there was most definitely a hickey or two.

I digs.


Of all four Scott books, I liked Perfect You the best. Though because of the overwhelming redundancy of the frenemy plot, I’ve since transitioned back to the darker realm of YA-lit, the one that deals with vamps and other assorted things that go bump in the night. But Elizabeth Scott’s books definitely made for entertaining reading.

{NIN} Books I’ve Read but Couldn’t Figure out What to Say About

I’ve read a ton of YA Lit recently that I simply could not put pen to paper and write a full and thoughtful review for. So rather than not cover any at all, I thought I would provide bursts of thoughts on each book.

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
Finn is one of the main characters in the book trapped in Incarceron, a gigantic prison. He can’t remember his past but he has a strong feeling that he came from Outside (of the prison) – an impossible thought. Or is it? Claudia, a girl on the Outside, may have the answers to his questions.

Reads like a cross between the following movies: The Matrix, Moses, Men in Black, and Man in the Iron Mask. {Ja} says that the only thing all those have in common is that they begin with the letter “M.” But somehow Catherine Fisher managed to mush them all together into one story. Did it work? The ending was like totally YOWZAS. And it was intriguing enough that I’ll read the follow-up book (Sapphique) when it comes out in December.

Didn’t Suffer Too Terribly


Fallen by Lauren Kate
The story of a Fallen Angel Daniel Grigori and a mortal girl Luce who keep falling in love over and over and over for the last century or so. And apparently, his kiss is fatal to her. Will these silly mortals never learn?

It was somewhat intriguing, the idea of fallen angels and such. Got some love angst going on. Eh...I read it awhile ago. I'll read the rest of the series when it comes out too though.

Didn’t Suffer Too Terribly


Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
Clumsy supernatural half-witch girl Sophie Mercer gets sent to a paranormal reform school and learns the truth about her father, her ancestors, and herself. There is also the requisite mysterious and unattainable hot guy Archer with awesome powers to angst the heck out of Sophie.

I Digs


The Line by Teri Hall
This book kind of reminded me of The Hunger Games. There was some kind of war in the past, and now there is a scary central government running the show…communist-like. There is also some kind of invisible force field (called The Line) that borders the entire north side of the country because the government wants to keep the undesirables from The Away (on the other side of the force field) out. I giggled at this because I was thinking that The Away was Canada.

I Digs


Graceling by Kristin Cashore
I really liked this book. And then I got to the ending. And I wanted to punch Katsa. But it had a good mystery for most of the book. And I loved Po, even though that’s a panda’s name.

I Digs


Fire by Kristin Cashore
So much better than Graceling! Katsa annoyed me towards the end (just marry Po already, dagnabbit!) but Fire was just a cool and collected cucumber…except when it came to Brigan. Les sigh. I {heart} Brigan! I love how he was mean and gruff to her at the beginning but slowly warmed up to her, showing her small kindness and ways that he was starting to care about her (protective of her, concerned if she was unwell, etc). I loved watching their relationship unfold. The romantic aspect of the story is always the highlight of any book for me! Graceling had a better mystery, but Fire was a better complete story. A supporting character, Archer, was kind of a butthead but his fate is…chilling. And wow, talk about messed up family ties.

Awesome


Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Interesting how the author laid the story out. Each chapter alternated between the perspectives of Grace and Sam, whom I guess you can call star-crossed lovers. It took me a bit to get into but I was more interested by the end of the book.

I Digs


The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
A faery series…the main character, Meghan Chase, annoyed me. I think she’s kind of really irritating at times. I’m only reading it for Prince Ash: tall, dark, handsome, and deadly. I’m currently reading the 2nd book in the series, The Iron Daughter, so I might actually write a review for it if I can find my prose.

Didn’t Suffer Too Terribly


Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers
Really mess-you-up-in-the-head kind of book. Depressing. Kind of creepy too. But I guess it’s an unusual and brave kind of story to write. But I really prefer my fairytale happy endings.

Didn’t Suffer Too Terribly


Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Really, really good book that inspired me to be a better person. It was hard to write a review without giving too much of the story away. It was just good. But also slightly depressing because...well, because... I was actually quite devastated in the end.

Awesome


The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
Grace and Daniel have a past, people are trying to keep them apart…and Daniel has a secret. Mildly entertaining. The back story was rather interesting.

Didn’t Suffer Too Terribly


Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott
I actually really liked this book but I was never in the mood to write a full review about it. Unpopular Kate’s life has taken a turn for the worse: she’s been dumped by her ex-best friend who went from overweight outcast to gorgeous supermodel cheerleader and is forced to work at her financially irresponsible father’s vitamin stand in the mall. She strikes up an unlikely relationship with cutie popular classmate Will, who also works at the mall. How does she make peace with all this in the end?

I Digs


Wow, so are you noticing a trend? YA books like to use a lot of the same names: Ash, Grace, Sam, Daniel, Finn, Archer, Will… what is it about these names, I wonder?

Anyhoo, so those are just my quick thoughts on all these books that I’ve read but couldn’t find much to say about.

MOCKINGJAY

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mockingjay is released tomorrow!!! I'm so at Costco during lunch tomorrow to pick up my copy!! I CAN'T WAIT!!

The epic battle will be resolved! And I am not talking about the Capitol vs the Rebels! I'm talking Team Peeta (pocket) vs. Team Gale('s a girl's name)!!

Yee-freakin'-haw!!

{NIN} Review: Into the Wild Nerd Yonder

I read this book solely on the recommendation of {Ja}. She said it was freakin’ hilarious and I thought, after all those somewhat mentally mess-you-up and frenemy-filled Elizabeth Scott books (which I never posted reviews for), I could use some light-hearted reading.

After reading the first few chapters of the book, I could instantly see why {Ja} loved this book. The main character, Jessie, talks exactly like how {Ja} does, snarky comments and all. For example: (in reference to her friend) "Actually, she looks pretty crappy (and I'm not just saying that because she sucks)." Jessie's speech throughout the book is also peppered with {Ja}-esque terms, such as "sucky" and "besty." Can’t you just hear all this stuff coming out of {Ja}’s mouth? I felt like I was inside {Ja}’s head. Scary. I mean, I live there half the time (we share a brain) and that freaks us both out enough already.

Apart from the snarky {Ja}-like comments, there was Jessie’s obsession with audiobooks. She’s constantly listening to them and getting lost in their world, bawling her eyes out as she walks home from school. Sound like someone’s obsession with fanfic? I think so! Ref: Dramione. I don't know if {Ja} has ever bawled her eyes out over a fanfic, but I do know instances where she has gushed endlessly to me about it. And she stays up to ungodly hours on school nights to finish reading them, even if they are terribly written. Obsessed, no?

AND FINALLY, in my “Jessie = {Ja} Theory”, Jessie has some rather violent thoughts. Like:

Sometimes I envision myself in situations, usually after someone has obnoxiously knocked my books out of my arms or stepped on a brand-new pair of shoes, where I execute a brilliant roundhouse kick and totally take some pudhole down. (p.99)

And I really have to include this one:

I'm having a particularly vivid and violent fantasy where I throw Bizza through one of the courtyard windows and scream, "How's your haircut now, b*tch?"... (p. 100)

{Ja} is all about kicking ass and blowing sh*t up, as evidenced by the types of movies that she favors. Although she hasn’t actualized any ass kicking and explosions in real life (that I know of), I’m pretty sure that she’s doing this all the time in Jamie-Land. QED.

Anyways, the real purpose of this post is to dissect the book right? However, the similarities between Jessie and {Ja} were so GLARING that I had to devote some time to it. And infinitely more entertaining to write about than a book review.

As for my thoughts on the book? I thought it was pretty funny (obviously, since I’m friends with {Ja}, a character similar to her ought to amuse me, right?). There is still the frenemy aspect in the book, but it's not the emotionally draining and depressing kind. Jessie’s endeavor to find a new group of friends is pretty entertaining, as well as her handling of her former "besties" who left her behind in the punk scene dust.

I did think, as {Ja} did, that she spent way too much time agonizing over whether she was turning into a nerd or not. Newsflash, Jessie, you are a nerd. (1) You are in all the smart classes. (2) You sew your own skirts, with strange fabric patterns, no less, and apparently categorize them by theme (Valentine's series? Circus collection? Really?). (3) You are particularly adept at mental math and make pre-calc flash cards. I don’t know anyone that ever did that. After awhile, her nerdy agonizing started to annoy me.

Overall, I found the book pretty funny and a nice change from the mentally screwy YA books.

Battle of the Ninjas: The Unwritten Rule

So, this is not really a "battle" per se; rather a lively discussion on Brianna the potential evil Frenemy in The Unwritten Rule. Here the NinJa’s try to flesh out whether Brianna was truly underhanded and evil or if it was unintentional and an unfortunate product of her upbringing.

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Nin: Oh! I finished The Unwritten Rule. Boy. I don't even know what to say. I mean, I think the author wants you to see that Brianna was so attached to Sarah b/c she knew that Sarah was highly dependent on her and knew that Sarah would always back her up or act as her echo when she wanted to re-emphasize her opinion to someone else. And Sarah had the parents that Brianna wanted, Brianna always discarded people so she could be the one leaving them and not the other way around like how her parents ditched her. What was interesting was that she was not the all-powerful popular girl who could influence the other students into hating Sarah & Ryan a la Anna of Some Girls Are. And also, how other ppl who hung out with Brianna for awhile but then ditched her saw how mean & catty her remarks were. Sarah was the only one who put up with her for so long b/c it was like she felt like she owed it to Brianna for saving her. Sarah really needed a spine sooner. What did you think? I'm still kind of digesting.

Ja: See I'm a little conflicted about Brianna. But mostly I don't think I'd put her in the same category as Anna. Like I don’t think Brianna was as intentionally mean as Anna was. Like she doesn't rule w/ an iron fist or is all caught up in mind games. I think all her backhanded compliments & put downs were more... unintentional. Whereas Anna, I think Anna was fully aware of how much she'd hurt so and so by saying or doing stuff (and she liked it). I think Brianna really didn’t know how to function as a normal person b/c of her mother. Its like abuse begets abuse.

Though then part of me thinks that Brianna was aware she's being insulting or a part of her wants to keep Sarah down but that's b/c Brianna herself has such low self-esteem (which if you grew up w/ that mother, you'd have issues...). Add to it what you said, about Brianna wanting Sarah's parents too. She's not only insecure about herself but she's jealous of what Sarah has (and probably wonders, b/c I think she thinks she's better than Sarah, why does Sarah have such great parents if I'm better than her and have such awful parents).

Do you think Brianna knew that Sarah liked Ryan? Cause I'm still trying to figure that out, too. Its like, did Brianna go after Ryan b/c he was kind of attractive and she knew he was possibly interested in Sarah. And she's so jealous of Sarah, she wouldn’t want Sarah to become successful in love/relationships. B/c its like the one thing that Brianna had over Sarah, namely the boys. I kinda don’t think so. I think it was more Brianna only really thinks about herself and it doesn’t really penetrate her universe that Sarah might like Ryan or how Sarah would feel if she started going out w/ Ryan.

Oh and I think Ryan was the one who needed to get a spine. None of it would have happened if he wasn’t such a dumbass. Its like yeah Brianna probably wasn’t the bestest friend for Sarah, but if he had been straight up and more insistent about pursuing Sarah and not falling into a relationship w/ Brianna then he could've not cost Sarah her besty. Stupid boy.

I thought both Sarah & Ryan needed to get spines. It was so annoying to me that Sarah just couldn't say no and she just kept on putting herself in situations that were torture to her.

I think you're right though. I think Brianna was just so self-absorbed she never thought Sarah had any chance with any guys so even if Sarah liked someone, what did it matter b/c the guys would just like Brianna. She was used to that role of guys liking her over Sarah that she just couldn't fathom any other possibility. I also think you're rt that this was the one thing over Sarah that she had so she had to keep making sure that Greg didn't like Sarah and such. And I guess she was so obsessed with Ryan b/c he didn't really like Brianna anyways, so she didn't have a hold over him like she normally has with other guys.

But yeah, Brianna wasn't like Anna but she was still pretty mean with her words. It's like she didn't think her words were hurtful b/c there was one instance where Sarah told her she was hurt by what she said and she was surprised. I don't think she was fake-surprised either, but genuinely surprised.

But yeah, it's unfortunate that a stupid boy got in the way of their friendship. But in a way, it was necessary b/c then otherwise Sarah would never have started to be more confident and stand up for herself. So...esh. It's not an easy story to figure out what should've happened to make it all turn out okay.

Yeah...what should've happen is Ryan shouldn't have been a dumb boy in the first place and gone out w/ Brianna. Idiot.

But yes I totally agree. I think Brianna knew Ryan was just not that into her and she was freaking out and it made her want him (but not necessarily like him) more.

Though honestly, would you really want to date a guy who liked you but ended up going out w/ your besty? I don’t think I would. Well but then again she liked him for years. But if that was the case then I still think Brianna should've known that. Added to that, there was the time where she kinda hit on that one guy that went to the dance w/ Sarah. Which makes me think maybe she did know (that Sarah dug him) and she decided to pursue Ryan anyway b/c she just couldn't handle it if Sarah got into a good relationship.

But I dunno...I really don’t see Brianna as an evil, conniving witch like that, maybe just an unintentional, self-absorbed, insecure witch? And yeah, I agree that Brianna was genuinely surprised when Sarah told her she was hurt. So I guess she does the backhanded compliments & cutdowns unintentionally? It’s like second nature or something and Sarah's too much of a wuss to point that out.

Ooh yes...you're right. Sarah needed to grow a backbone and tell her from the beginning before Brianna & Ryan hooked up that she liked him and what the hell are you doing. But I wonder if Brianna would've backed off (if she was any kind of good besty obviously she would've, but that's questionable...).

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So the NinJas are at an impasse. Is Brianna a poacher? And evil, manipulative witch? Or is she completely unaware of her mean girl tendencies? She probably lies somewhere in the middle. But we concluded one thing, Ryan was a stupid boy and Sarah needed to grow a backbone sooner.

Read it! And tell us what you think. Because we obviously can't figure it out.