Book:Just Listen

It has been a long time since I have read a Sarah Dessen book. I am not a lover of her books but I tend to really like them. She has this way of bringing them to life in such a beautiful way. Each of her books has a message of some kind.
And this book was no different. I found that I loved this book much more than I thought I would. It was fun to read but it also made me think about how little we truly know about the people we think we know. It shows us that everyone has a lot more going on than you might think. and its a point with things like bullying that I love. I love it when authors point out facts like this. and when they do this good of a job doing it.
I also loved Anabelle. I know that some had a hard time with her. But I understand her. How she kept thinking about who she had been and who she was going to be. I think that is something that a lot of us get lost at in the teen years. Who we were when we were children and who we are becoming as we turn to adult. I think that was really at the heart of the book. When you look at her two sisters and so on.
I also love the just listen part of the book. That there comes a time in life when you need to take a step back and just listen to the world around you.
And I have to say though I did not like him at first I really liked Owen. I really liked how he did not have this whole creepy/sad back story that she was waiting to find out. Owen was just Owen. And thats something I love about Sarah Dessen is that sometimes in her books she writes people just as they are no long " I wonder how they came to be that way". In her books they just sometimes are the way they are like a lot of people. And then she has the other people who have reasons and most of the time good reason for the way that they are just like in life.
Over all a really good book. I would say that any YA reader interested in realish fictions should take a look at it. Because the way that Sarah Dessen makes her world and brings her story to life is wonderful.

( YA - 14 and up. This might be hard read for some as it deals/talks about with things like eating disorders and rape )

Stars: * * * 3.5

Movie: Iron Man 3

I have to say I'm a huge fan of all of these superhero movies. Yes they are silly and yes they are just studio run of the mill money grabs but its fun and I like it.
That being said I have to say that I was pretty up set with how bad this movie was. Yes it was good but I was hoping for so much more.I really was looking forward to the Tony that I had come to love. and a great storyline that showed us more of Pepper. But I did not really get that.Though I like the movie I felt that at this point they could have done much better. There is so much out there and so many great choices that they could have made that would have made this an other great film. Its hard to look back at the movie and be like " that scene was awesome!" because they did not really have one of those scenes in here. And the best part of the movie was at the very end of the credits. That was just great. it left me feeling that iron man 2 was a better movie.
Though I have to say that I really did love Ben Kingsley. He was really good in the movie. And I love his storyline in the film.
But as far as the superhero movies go I have a feeling that this one will just get lost in the mix of so so superhero movies that are out there. But I think that iron man fans will still like it and have a great time watching it.

PG-13

Stars: * * * 3.4

Book: The Boy Book

This is the next book in the ruby oliver series. and I have to say I was very happy when i saw that the library had this book, I thought it would be great to read and that it would be something that I would like. after the end of the last book I found my self wanting to see what happened next. Im not a fan of series because they get long and boring. but with these I found my self thinking that ruby is not like every other girl she is going to get her self in to much more fights and she is always going to be giving play -by-her-play updates that is just who she is.
so with that being said. I liked this book it was a lot like the first which I do not normally like but for once I really liked this one. and found my self laughing just as much as the first one.
Ruby is the same silly girl but I feel at points you can see how she has grown up a bit since the last book. which is good work on the authors part might I say. it is not easy to really do that and she did a good job of it.but one thing about these books is that they do not play out like all other books or movies. the guy does not get the girl. they do not kiss and make up. they friends aren't really good friends and have one anthers back. and the parents are never ever help full. never.
and in a way that is how some people find the books realistic. is because it plays out more like real life then some ones story. and to a point I like that. but I can not read her books back to back because of it.She is an author that writes her books so much like life that when you need a break her books are not the ones to go to. They are great books though done get me wrong. Just very life like.
Over i liked this book and look forward to reading more of her books soon.

(YA -13 and up)
Stars:* * * 3.4

Book:Ruby Red

I have wanted to read this book for a long time but have never had a chance to. So after one of my fellow bloggers  ( who is co-reviewing it with me) read it and really liked it i knew I had to give it a try. And truth be told it was a breath of fresh air to the both of us. For my Co-reviewer it was a good young adult book that boys could read as well.He has a very hard time finding non-girlie books to read and review. And it was something  I liked about it too. it was not all about finding true love. for once the book was about what it should be. which was time travel and Gwen. And I loved it. Gwen was just the right mix of funny,witty and normal teen with a little weird running through her. The book made me think of Harry Potter in some ways. Like that it was very enjoyable. I felt good reading it and I did not want to put it down. Both of us felt that way about the book. It was so different from these dark hard to read YA books that are everywhere. It was a book that I feel like almost anyone would like. It is something boys and girls will like. Its pretty clear so some of the younger readers can read it but I think that the older ( 15 and up) will like it just as much. Its clear why its an international best seller.
And I loved the time travel in this book. It was like the classic time travel stuff.And the time travel was the story. the writer did her job. I have not read it in german but I have to say that yes its not beautiful writing that melts your heart but does it really need to be? You are reading this book for fun.To get away.
It really was a very fun book to read full of everything a young adult book should be. And the best part was that after reading it you feel great ( and that you really should have the next book in your hands).I would say that this is a must read for just about everyone.

( YA-13 and up)
Stars: * * * * 4.5

Book:Underworld ( Abandon #2)

Its sad how long it has taken me to read this book. I am a huge (- ok maybe just a big fan since it took me so long to read it ) of Meg Cabot ( just look at the Airhead review).
I loved the first book in the Abandon series and was hoping that yet again Meg would out do her self. Which she did. This book was different from her other books because the short took place in so little time. It was only a few days. Which blows me away. I think that a lot of writers have a very hard time with writing stories that take place in a few days. I mean harry potter happened over one year.Yet Meg does a great job of keeping it moving without rushing it.
But Meg also keeps things just like always funny and light. Its something that makes picking up her books a lot like running in to an old friend sure its different and it takes a little time to fall back in to the swing of things but the fun and laugher is there right from the get go. I really love Meg's timing she knows just when to do all the right things. And things that would normally bother me with most YA books. I think that it is a true sign of what a great writer she is. I don't think that  have read a really bad Meg Cabot book - or one I that I did not like. Which for me is very hard to do. I have to say if you want to read this book go for it. It is well worth it.
Though yes, Meg might not be the worlds greatest writer as far as YA goes she is one of the top out there.

(YA-13 and up)

Stars:* * * 4.0

Book:Bitterblue

As some of you may know I have a love hate thing going on with these books. and out of both love and hate I wanted to read this one. I was full of hope that maybe in this all the little bumps from the first two would be gone and all of the good points played up. Well with this book I have to say I neither hate it or love it. The book has many good points that i would like to talk about first. I like how since the book is about Bitterblue its also about her as Queen. And what that is like. Many might not like how much of the law and problems Bitterblue ( the book) covers. But I my self liked it a lot. because it does not tell us what is the right thing to do but slowly lets us think it over and weigh in the choices the same way that bitterblue does. which is very good storytellership by Cashore. I also liked how it showed us life for Po. Which is something that left me a little lost at the end of Graceling. I will not going saying what but if you read the book you know what I mean. Also I felt that Bitterblue was someone that I could see eye to eye with. Unlike Fire or Katsa she was human living in this strange world. She seemed very grounded and I like how her story was not as much of a love story as the other two. She kept her head on pretty straight and did her best to put her people before her heart for the most part, which I liked.And  I felt a closeness to her that I did not feel with the others- not to say I did not like them I did. I thought that Fire was a great girl and liked many points to her as a person. But a lot of the feelings that Bitterblue had were normal.Feelings that  most teenagers have had at some point. tht feeling of being lost in life and unsure what to do next. Though not because of being Queen and having one of the worlds creepest fathers. But teens feel it none the less. I did however have a very hard time keeping the storyline straight in this book. it was a little all over the place. I felt that maybe more could have been done to tighten it all up. either that or write another to finish most of what this had started. Not that I want to read another because that means that all these poor people have to have their lives thrown up in the air all over again.
Now on to the stuff I did not like. Lets start with the things that I have said from day one. The killing and the rape. I know its out there but this book is very unhappy and at times rather sick. I think that after many of the things we see in the news it would be nice to have it lightened up. and for it not to in someway make what Leck did look cool. I know that Cashore did not want it to seem this way but some how the way he could get people to do evil and so on makes him look cool. And it makes me sick. its sad that its this way.


( YA- 15 and up. This is a hard read for people how are sensitive to rape,abuse both human and animal and also murder)

Stars:* * * 3.2

Book: The Daughters Take The Stage

It took me a long time to read this book but from page one I knew it would be just as good as the other two and would be one that fans of the series would love. Its so nice to read a light book about a girl just trying to find her way in life. I feel that sometimes the young adult books are over loaded with drama,syfy,vampires and sex. Here was a book about a girl who yes her mom is rich and known world wide but the story is really just about a teenager trying to find her voice when the world is talking over it. And I think that is something that all teenagers are going through in different ways. And how does not know the feeling of someone trying to change you to suit them. Even if its not your mom like in this book you most likely know the feeling. The book is written with so much real feeling that reading it is a lot like talking to a friend. You feel for them and understand everything. And you also sit there with your fingers crossed hoping that story would take the right turns. And I think that it shows us ( teens)  that we can speak up and take power in our lives without hurting the people we love. 

Its the little things like that, that make this book truly great and keeps the reader coming back for more.
Also I feel like the author has really grown in to her own since the first book. She has really found her style and her voice. She has also found a good way to make this book stand out and be different from the others while still staying true to the other books and to her self.  I think that this book is a great one for young girls who just want to know they are normal. that they are not the only ones who are trying to find their voice. But this book is also great to take your mind off of problems going on at home or school. Over all I have to say I'm a pretty big fan of this book.

(YA-12 and up)
Stars: * * * 3.5

Book: The Lucky Ones ( BYT #3)

After waiting a very long time to read this book I got my hands on it and could not have had higher hopes for it.

And in a lot of ways the book met these hopes. It was bright. It was full of the parties and fighting that you feel in love with in the other books. and it was full of drama. But not all the drama was good.Some of it had me asking my self why she would write that. And a lot of the drama had to do with the young pilot. Yes, I found some faults with that story line. I felt that in some ways it brushed over a lot of the problems that racist caused in the 1920s. It made it seem at times like a white rich  girl who went to lots of parties could date who ever she wanted too with out people turning on her at all. Which I think if we look at history we know very well that is not true. Also the whole gang thing got very old very fast for me. and I saw how that storyline was going to play out very early on. Which was a little sad because normally Ms.Godbersen's storylines take the most out there turns. And I was let down by many of the twist in this book. 

On the other hand though I did love the Letty story. It was just what I thought Ms.Godbersen would do. and I liked it very much. And it had the whole 1920s feel the first two books were full of. 

Over all I have to say that I was left with a glass half full over all though I think many might see the glass as half empty.And I can not wait to read what Ms.Godbersen writes next.

(YA-14 up)

Stars: * * * 3.5

Book: Uglies

I tried to read this book about a year and a half ago but could not finish it. But this time it pulled me in and I'm very happy that I tried to read it again.
I really liked Tally and the way she is very human. She does things in the heat of the moment and does not always think it through. i think that is something that is either over done or missed a lot in books.And in this they really show you how she could make the mistakes. It felt very really and the author did a good job making her feel very real and bring her to life in the story. He also did the same with others in the books which really helped bring it to life and bring the read in to the world. A good author makes the reader believe in the people so that feel what - in this case Tally does.
 How ever I did find that there are many problems with the book. Like the fact that its just like all the other sy-fy books you read out there. The people and the message are the same. nothing new is really found in it. and in a way it felt like the author did not know what he was doing or were he was going with the story so he made it just like all the other ones out there. Maybe he will focus on that more in the next book but as far as this one goes it was lacking. And I did have a hard time with that because it is something so key in the sy-fy  genre. and it is something that would have really made this book pop.
over all a good book that I think many in the syfy world will love and have a good time reading. but not really a good book for those who are not big syfy fans.

( YA-13 and up)
Stars: * * * 3.4