Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Book Review: PS I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

Title: P.S. I Love You
Author: Cecelia Ahern
Series/Novel: Novel
Genre: Chick Lit, Romance, Adult Fiction
Pages: 503
Publisher: Hachette Books
Year Published: 2003
First Line: “Holly held the blue cotton sweater to her face and the familiar smell immediately struck her, an overwhelming grief knotting her stomach and pulling at her heart.”


“Some people wait their whole lives to find their soul mates. But not Holly and Gerry.
They were childhood sweethearts- no one could imagine Holly and Gerry without each other.
Until the unthinkable happens. Gerry’s death devastates Holly. But as her 30th birthday looms Holly discovers that Gerry has left her a bundle of notes, gently guiding her into her new life without him, each signed ‘PS, I Love You’.
With some help from her friends, and her noisy and loving family, Holly finds herself laughing, crying, singing, dancing- and being braver than ever before.
Life is for the living, she realises- but it always helps if there’s an angel watching over you.”


My Rating: 4/5


So I'm a little behind on the times, that's not terribly new. But after an emotional week I decided it was time to get my emotion out with a book, and it proved to be helpful. PS. I Love You follows the emotional story of Holly who has recently lost her dear husband of 7 years and the love of her life for the past 15. This story follows how she copes through her loss with a hilarious group of characters, a crazy city and an even crazier family Holly begins to find her way through her new life.
I grew very fond of Holly. She's a wise woman who I'm assuming many of us can relate to. She's an honest, brave and friendly person who does more than many would given her circumstances.
Obviously she goes through her grief that one would naturally expect after loosing one that she truly cared about. This book is a reminder about what it is to truly love and loose. Is it sad? Of course it is. But it’s so much more than that, it incompases a love that can survive death. A true love.
THANK YOU CECELIA AHERN FOR A LOVE THAT OUTLASTS DEATH!


Thanks For Reading,
Love,
Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: P.S I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

This was an interesting book that I didn’t expect to hold me captive the whole 500+ pages but it did it’s job. I was entertained, made to feel so many emotions and encouraged through this book. This book entertained me through the side characters. The things that they came up with made me think of some people I’ve meet the past two years and how they react to certain things. Sharon is perfect and reminds me alot of my best friend. I felt the obvious emotions of sadness and empathy towards Holly, but I also felt her joy when she remembered Gerry, the way he laughed, smiled, lived just simply lived. Finally I believe that there is a form of love that can live after death. This book makes that quite obvious to the readers that Gerry and Holly’s love will continue.


Characters:
♥Holly: I’m happy that Gerry’s letters were able to affect her from the grave. Although I doubt she will ever fully move on, I know that she will be able to live a life worth living even though he is not physically with her. Gerry really knew how to get her to chase her dreams. By being able to find a job she enjoyed and reentering her friendships as her whole self she was able to find a new way of life. I hope that at some point she can find love, even if it’s not as full as Gerry’s.


♥Denise: Ok so she’s a little moody, but we all have that one friend we love just for that reason. She’s a laugh if nothing else and I fully approve of her getting married.


♥Sharon: She by far reminds me of my best friend, blunt but honest and loyal to the end. She’s compassionate and gives all she can to Holly. I was excited when we found out she was pregnant, but sad that she felt she couldn’t share it with Holly in a better time. But there really would have been no good time.


♥Gerry: Although we never met him, in the memories and through the letters some of us (cough) might have fallen in love with him.


♥Richard: Goes to show we never really know what’s going on in someone’s life unless we take the time to get to know them better. I hope that his new job will bring him joy rather than stress and that he finds life without that rude ex-wife of his.


♥Ciara: Perfect how wild she is. Sure for a laugh, even when she was sad about Matthew you can see that she would figure something out.


♥Daniel: Here is where it gets tricky. I wanted Holly and Daniel to fall in love even though it was too soon. I felt that they got along so well, but in reality sometimes people are just better off friends and this is a perfect case. Neither of them were over the other person they had been with.

Moments to Remember
♥Pg. 9
“Instead, Gerry and Holly travelled the world together. It made far more sense that way because when they weren’t together… well, Holly just felt as though she was missing a vital organ from her body.”


♥Pg. 254
“As much as Sharon tried to tan over the years she just ended up getting sunburned and then it would peel. She had finally given up trying to tan and accepted the fact that her skin was meant to be pale.”


♥Final Line: “In the meantime, she would just live.”


Thanks for reading,
Love,
Sidny xoxo

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Unable to Comment

Hi there readers,

I haven't been able to comment on this site for some reason so I figured I would post this information here. I know this is even more informal than usual. Which is really saying something....
So Lauren Kate, author of the Fallen Series is releasing a new book for the series next month. It is title, Unforgiven and follows Cam. The description can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24909485-unforgiven?ac=1 

Have a great day,
Sidny xoxo

Sunday, October 4, 2015

Book Review: Such Wicked Intent by Kenneth Oppel

Title: Such Wicked Intent
Author: Kenneth Oppel
Series/Novel: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 213
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Year Published: 2012
First Line: "The books flew open like startled birds trying to escape the flames."


"When his grieving father orders the destruction of the Dark Library, Victor retrieves a book in which he finds the promise of not just communicating with the dead, but entering their realm, and soon he, Elizabeth, and Henry are in the spirit world of Château Frankenstein creating a growing a body."


My Rating: 5/5


This book is the first one I've really taken the time to read while being in college, and I certainly do not regret it. This instalment in the Victor Frankstein's life was ridiculously good. It was entertaining as well as thrilling. I found it difficult to put this book down once I had the time to pick it up, and was shocked around every corner. I thought frequently back to what was happening in the book (surprisingly not that helpful in class), and fantasized about the characters. I thought frequently of the relationships that were growing between characters in the novel and how they would manage to overcome the impossible, by simply reading a book.
Books like this one simply do not go out of style or out of date. There is no technology that is semi current as there are in some current novels (for example reading about IMing now might make us giggle), rather this book creates a world of it's own. One prior to the world in which the Monster as we know comes alive. Rather it features one man's love for his brother and how love can make one do wild and crazy things.
The mixture of this with alchemy is astounding and truly magical. Or should I say clearly a science.
THANK YOU KENNETH OPPEL FOR EXPANDING MY IMAGINATION AND THRILLING ME AROUND EVERY CORNER!


Thank you for reading,
Love,
Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: Such Wicked Intent by Kenneth Oppel

This book is truly astounding. Every aspect of it caught me off guard, I was frequently surprised, thrilled and consumed with emotion. I feared for the characters I loved, worried about those that I questioned and wondered about the impossible that was slowly but surely seeming more possible. The characters in this installant really rounded out so I could easily see who they were as humans, and the thrill that can be felt throughout the book was evident immediately. I think this novel blew me out of the water and was quite a page turner.


♥Characters:♥
Victor: Although throughout this book he seems a little off his rocker, Victor is a passionate fellow. He risks his life time and time again to save his brother. Is it alright that he's going after his brother's love? Not really but honestly Konrad is dead and if Elizabeth was interested in Victor there is no reason why they shouldn't be together. Slightly creepy, but I'm sure not unheard of. Victor does become obsessed with things easily. This is apparent even before the butterflies appear and offer their "assistance" in the matter. He can't seem to let go of his brother and allow him to rest in peace. Rather he needs him back as he feels he has failed to keep him alive, maybe even fearing that he murdered him. This is a possibility, but it's not like Konrad was getting any better to begin with. I believe that Victor does go mad before things get better, but at least he can say he has given his all for his brother. Pure devotion.


Elizabeth: How sad it must be to live in a world were the one you love no longer exists? Can you blame her for trying to get him back? I can not. I would do the same and fight anyone who got in my way. On the other hand the fact that she was possessed makes me question her actions towards Victor, did she really feel the need to kiss him or was that part of the butterfly act. At least we know that she is truly courageous and willing to do anything for those she loves. I do wish that she would give Victor or even Henry a chance in the future, but I would understand if she did not as how do you repair from such heartbreak at such a young and promising age.


Henry: He is becoming increasingly more bold and feriocious. I was impressed that he was able to act so brave after visiting the spirit world, and I'll admit that after realizing the butterflies were affecting the judgement and personality of the others, I assumed he was covered in them. Perhaps he has realized that he can not live his whole life waiting for something to change, rather he has to change himself. I do hope that he continues this behaviour, although I do not believe he will win Elizabeth's love it is still worth a shot. Also we should applaud that he went after the Pit Monster even though the thing could have likely killed him. Impressive my dear Henry, impressive indeed.


Konrad: Finally the sad truth. Konrad is dead. And he will remain dead. Through the hope and the struggle of building his body, I think he began to realize the one chance he had. After that chance left he resigned himself to his death. I knew that he would not take Victor's life, although I do wish he would have so that he and Elizabeth could have their happily ever after, perhaps it is best that things go back to how they were meant to be. At least me know that he was gathered in the mist and was able to leave that wretched house. Perhaps he found others or at the very least peace.

♥Moments to Remember♥
Final Line: "And I turned back to the storm and thought: Such astonishing power."


Thanks for reading,
Love,
Sidny xoxo