Review: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Release date: March 2, 2010

Publisher: HarperCollins/ 470 Pages/ Young Adult

Source: Around the World Tours (ARC)

Other books by this author: Delirium

What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all—looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12th should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it’s her last. The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. In fact, she re-lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she had ever imagined.

Review:

Before I Fall was… amazing. That’s the best word I can use to describe it. At just under 500 pages it was a long read, but every page was needed. I knew many people were looking forward to reading it and that was really all I knew about it. As soon as I read the summary on the back of the book I was hooked. Before I Fall was so well written I couldn’t put it down. Sam wasn’t my favorite character at first, but the plot showed how Sam changed and learned about herself. It was hard not to become attached to Sam as she is the narrator and the reader is one with her struggles and heartbreaks. I was so happy when the light bulb went off over Sam’s head making her realize she needed to change how she was acting. Sam was really popular and always hung out with her three best friends and boyfriend. I didn’t particularly like her friends (Ally, Elody, and Lindsay), especially because of how Ally, Elody, and Sam did everything Lindsay said without even questioning it. That was one thing Sam learned by the end of the book, why Lindsay acted like she did. All the characters were well developed and the reader learned a lot about Ally, Elody, and Lindsay which helped me understand Sam even better.

The plot was extremely original, and one that I’ve never read about before. It reminded me of the movie Groundhog’s Day which Sam even mentions in the book. It was amazing to see how one little action can change the whole course of someone’s life. I wasn’t sure how Lauren was going to work out having Sam live the same day over and over seven times, but each day Sam did something different that changed the whole course of how the day went. There was one day where Sam went totally crazy- fighting with her friends, doing crazy things… I could understand why she would want to do this- if at the end of the day no one’s even going to remember what happened, why not go a little crazy?

I loved her little sister, Izzy. Izzy had a lisp but even though kids made fun of her she didn’t want to change how she talked. I think Izzy was part of the reason Sam wanted to change how she acted. Being mean to people was something Sam and her friends did a lot. Especially to a girl named Juliet. Juliet didn’t play that big of a role the first couple of days, but by the end Sam realizes how big a role Juliet really plays in her life. Another character that had a small role in the beginning was Kent. By the middle of the book Sam realized her feelings for Kent and I was so glad things worked out for them. Kent was the perfect guy for Sam and he made her a better person.

In the end Before I Fall was an amazing debut novel. It was impossible to put down and is one I’m definitely going to buy in hardcover come March. The book will haunt me for a long time and I will be sure to recommend it to everyone. This will definitely have a place in my best books of 2010 list and I can’t wait for more by Lauren Oliver.

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars

DupliKate Review

DupliKate by Cherry Cheva

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release date: September 29, 2009

Source: Borrowed from Katie

Other books by this author: She's So Money

To Do List:

· Ace SATs

· Ace finals

· Ace AP physics project

· Avoid murdering lab partner

· Submit Yale application

· Resolve possibly evil twin situation

Due date: December 15th
Countdown: 11 days

By the time Kate Larson accidentally fell asleep at three a.m., she'd already done more work in one night than the average high school senior does in a week. Getting into Yale has been her dream for years—and being generally overworked and totally under-rested is the price of admission. But when she opens her eyes the next day, she comes face-to-face with, well, her face—which is attached to her body, which is standing across the room. Wait, what?

Meet Kate's computer-generated twin. Kate doesn't know why she's here or how to put her back where she belongs, but she's real. And she's the last thing Kate has time to deal with right now. Unless . . .

Could having a double be the answer to Kate's prayers? After all, two Kates can do more work than one. Or will keeping her twin a secret turn her dream future into a living nightmare?

Review:

After reading Cherry Cheva’s debut novel, She’s So Money, and really enjoying it, I was looking forward to reading DupliKate. I was definitely not disappointed. It was funny and well written with a likable main character that many people could relate to. The plot was original and it really showed how Kate changed over the course of the story. She learned a lot about both herself and her future. Cheva was able to correctly describe a lot of the stress and work of high school, but Kate was definitely too stressed. She was a high school age work-a-holic. School, school, school that’s all Kate thought about she even abandoned her friends and boy friend. Kate was well developed, but I didn’t really know much about the other characters which was okay since they didn’t really play that big of a role. It mostly centered around Kate and her computer generated twin- Rina. Rina was a likable character and different from Kate in quite a few ways. Rina wanted to experience more of the fun part of life, so that worked out well for Kate when she wanted to stay home studying rather than go to the mall. I had a back and forth opinion of Rina, I liked her and didn’t like her. She did a complete spiral by the end of the novel and by then I didn’t really care for her. It was easy to see how having a twin could be helpful in Kate’s circumstance, but the problem was Rina wanted to have her own life, she wanted more from Kate than Kate was willing to hand over.

Romance wasn’t a big part of the novel, but Kate did have two love interests- Paul and Jake. I didn’t really like Paul that much- he was the perfect character, athletic, smart… he had everything and was even a shoe-in for Yale. He didn’t understand that getting A’s didn’t come as easily to Kate as they did to him. I really liked Jake though and was happy with the ending. Jake was able to open up Kate’s eyes to life and help her find herself. Kate’s mind was so focused on getting A’s and going to Yale with Paul that she let everything else take a back seat. It was good that Kate was ambitious and had her future so laid out, but the Yale dream wasn’t really her own. She got so caught up in Paul’s dreams that she forgot about her own. This underlying message in DupliKate was important and one that will make all high school students rethink their dreams and what they really want to do with their life. It’s important for school to be important in your life, but it also can’t control it. Friends and family should have just as big a role. All in all I would definitely recommend DupliKate, it’s laugh out loud funny, with an important message tied in. I’m looking forward to reading more by Cherry Cheva in the future.

I like the cover and the girls actually look like Kate. Their red dresses also stand out against the purple cover which is cool.

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Explorer X: Alpha WINNER!

After using random.org, the winner is...

BRIZMUS!

Congrats Brizmus! Please email me your info within 48 hours! (kelseythebookscout at gmail dot com)

Thanks everyone for entering!

:)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (9)

Read this week:

Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore

DupliKate by Cherry Cheva

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Reading now:

Captivate by Carrie Jones

Reading next:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

Darklight by Lesley Livingston

The Vinyl Princess by Yvonne Prinz

I haven't read as many books as I would have liked this week so I'm hoping to finish more this last week I'm on vacation!

Magic Under Glass Review

Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

Release date: December 22, 2009

Source: Publisher

Nimira is a foreign music-hall girl forced to dance for mere pennies. When wealthy sorcerer Hollin Parry hires her to sing with a piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it is the start of a new and better life. In Parry's world, however, buried secrets are beginning to stir. Unsettling below-stairs rumors swirl about ghosts, a madwoman roaming the halls, and Parry's involvement with a league of sorcerers who torture fairies for sport. Then Nimira discovers the spirit of a fairy gentleman named Erris is trapped inside the clockwork automaton, waiting for someone to break his curse. The two fall into a love that seems hopeless, and breaking the curse becomes a race against time, as not just their love, but the fate of the entire magical world may be in peril.

Review:

Magic Under Glass was impressive, unique, and an overall amazing debut novel. From the first page I was pulled into the original world Dolamore had created and Magic Under Glass was really hard to put down. I wanted to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next. There was so much mystery and suspense, by the middle of the novel I couldn’t put it down. Nimira’s fight to save Erris was amazing and their love for each other was heartbreaking. It was a forbidden romance at it’s best. Not only was Erris a fairy prince, but he was trapped inside an automaton that belonged to the man Nimira was working for. Automaton’s are something I’ve never read about before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect at first. The world where Nimira lived in Magic Under Glass was completely original and so different from anything I’ve ever read about before. The characters and settings were amazing and well developed with no stone left unturned. I was completely submerged in Nimira’s world and when I finished reading it only made me anxious to read more by Jaclyn Dolamore- maybe a sequel to Magic Under Glass?

Now to anyone who’s read the novel you can understand the significance of the title and cover. For me that was one of the creepiest parts of the novel. I could hardly believe anyone could be as cruel as Hollin’s father had been to the faeries and other creatures. I’ve read quite a few faerie books especially lately, and Magic Under Glass stands out from the others, not that it’s better, it’s just different. People knew about faeries in this world, but they couldn’t coexist with people like the evil Smollings who wanted to kill all the faeries or go to war with them rather than live in peace. Hating the bad characters and liking the good ones was very easy in Magic Under Glass, there was a thick line dividing them and the evil characters were extremely easy to dislike. By the end of the novel I was rooting for Nimira, Erris, and the rest of the characters on their side as they fought against the “bad guys”. Creative, unique, and addictive, Magic Under Glass was a debut novel unlike any other. It was a quick read, not only because it was just 200 pages, but because it’s one I read quickly, unable to put it down. I’d highly recommend this to anyone.

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars

In My Mailbox (19)

This week was fantastic! Mainly because it was Christmas and I got a ton of great books & gift cards, but I also got some nice things in the mail :)

For review/trades:

Dirty Little Secrets by CJ Omololu (a HC for review!!)

Cashing In by Susan Colebank (Trade with Katie)

Need by Carrie Jones (Trade with Katie)

Confessions of a Not It Girl by Melissa Kantor (Trade with Katie)

Vibes by Amy Kathleen Ryan (for review)

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (for review from Around the World Tours)

Captivate by Carrie Jones (for review)

Pretty Little Devils by Nancy Holder (gift from Katie)

Dream Girl by Lauren Mechling (gift from Katie)

Stupid Cupid by Rhonda Stapleton (trade with Erica)

Indian Summer by Tracy Richardson (for review)

Graffiti Girl by Kelly Para (from Secret Santa)

Little Black Lies & The Body Finder swag (from Katie)

Gifts!

Looking For Alaska by John Green

Unclaimed Heart by Kim Wilkins

Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund

I Was a Non Blonde Cheerleader by Kieran Scott

Devilish by Maureen Johnson

Liar by Justine Larbelestier

Romeo's Ex: Rosalind's Story by Lisa Fiedler

Ash by Malinda Lo

LA Candy by Lauren Conrad

Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Never Cry Werewolf by Heather Davis

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

Voices by Ursula K. Le Guin

The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison

Gifts!

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Fire by Kristin Cashore

Fade by Lisa McMann

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

The Year My Sister Got Lucky by Aimee Freidman

Fragile Eternity by Marissa Marr

Wicked: Witch & Curse by Debbie Vigue & Nancy Holder

Give up the Ghost by Megan Crewe

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

Bought:

Darklight by Lesley Livingston

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender (I read this from the library a couple of months ago & loved it, so I'm really happy to have my own copy!)

Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey (I thought this was coming out in HC not PB?)

Wow I had an awesome week! I can't wait to start reading these!

In a Heartbeat Review

In a Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth

Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers

Release date: February 2, 2010

Source: Around the World Tours

When a small mistake costs sixteen-year-old Eagan her life during a figure-skating competition, she leaves many things unreconciled, including her troubled relationship with her mother. From her vantage point in the afterlife, Eagan reflects back on her memories, and what she could have done differently, through her still-beating heart.

When fourteen-year-old Amelia learns she will be getting a heart transplant, her fear and guilt battle with her joy at this new chance at life. And afterwards when she starts to feel different—dreaming about figure skating, craving grape candy—her need to learn about her donor leads her to discover and explore Eagan’s life, meeting her grieving loved ones and trying to bring the closure they all need to move on.

Told in alternating viewpoints, In a Heartbeat tells the emotional and compelling story of two girls sharing one heart.

Review:

In a Heartbeat was engrossing, amazing, emotional, and powerful. Those are the best words I can use to describe it. In a Heartbeat was one of the best books I’ve ever read and one I’m definitely going to buy in hardcover when it’s released. The writing style was fantastic and the author pulled me in from the first page. I read straight through it in one day. The alternating narratives were well written and gave each character plenty of time to develop. Amelia was a character I liked right away. She had a tight bond with her family and was so strong throughout her whole ordeal. I never really thought about organ donation and how big an impact you can have on someone else’s life as an organ donor. Eagan made such a quick, almost unthinking, decision to become a donor not even thinking how this action would make one girl’s life change so much. With the alternating chapters I got attached to both characters and I felt really sad for Eagan but it’s such a hard choice to make- if Eagan hadn’t died Amelia most likely would of. It was a life for a life. This plot idea was so unique and original it will stay in my head for a long time. This novel was more than just the story of two girls sharing a heart, but rather the connections they shared because of this heart. It’s amazing the habits Amelia picked up because she had Eagan’s heart. It was an original concept and one I never knew about before. In a Heartbeat was an emotional read, but completely worth it.

In addition to the characters and plot the romance was very sweet. Although it played a small role Amelia’s relationship with Ari was perfect. He could understand what she was going through better than anyone and really helped her connect with her donor family. Which brings up another point. Amelia meeting Eagan’s family. I could understand Eagan’s mother’s reaction to seeing Amelia. Seeing the girl who was alive only because her daughter’s heart was beating in her chest must have been a difficult experience. I can’t imagine how I would feel if I was in a similar situation.

In the end I really enjoyed In a Heartbeat, it was one of the most informative and emotional novels I’ve read in a long time. It dealt with a topic rarely tackled by authors and gave life to some amazing characters. Loretta Ellsworth’s writing style was amazing and made the book impossible to put down. I highly recommend you pick up a copy of In a Heartbeat come February it’s definitely worth it.

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars