Update

Unfortunately there has been a change to the Currently Reading section on the part of this blog. Instead of reading the City of Lost Souls as I intended, I am now planning to read Shelter (the book below it). This is because I haven't read the rest of the Mortal Instruments series for over a year and I can not clearly remember what happens. I still plan on reading the City of Lost Souls, but I just want to have the chance to read the other four books first so I can rate this book properly. Thanks for your understanding.
Love,
Sidny ♥♪♫

Book Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Author: Stephen Chbosky

Pages: 213

Publisher: MTV Books

Year Published: 1999

“It is the story of what it’s like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie’s letter are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates, family dramas, and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, where all you need is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.”

My Rating: 10/10

I haven’t really read anything this amazing in a while. All the books I’ve read lastly have been good or great, but this book is EXTRARDINARY! I love the way that the book is written, how we don’t know who Charlie is writing these letters to so for all you know it could be you. I felt like I got to really get to know somebody, to become their friend, their confidant. Charlie is an amazing character that only a great author could truly develop. I do wonder where all the ideas came from, but I guess that could just be the modern world, the world of not being sure of anything. I think this book reminded me a lot of first year of high school, I was apprehensive and so nervous that I hardly got any sleep the night before, but when you get into it, it’s not as bad as you imagined it would be, not even close. I am so happy that I decided to read this book, and I can only hope that the upcoming movie lives up to this incredible piece of literature.

THANK YOU STEPHEN CHBOSKY FOR A CHARACTER THAT BECOMES A BEST FRIEND!

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny ♥♪♫

Spoiler: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

I really loved this book as you will probably be able to tell from the book review above. Everything about this book draws me in. The setting, the event and the characters create a world that isn’t at all hard to imagine and the feeling of home. I got lost in this book as soon as I started reading simply because of the form. The way that Charlie writes letters grabs a readers attention and makes them listen, I simply couldn’t pull away. I think it’s weird that the year this story takes place is 3 years before I was born, but really that isn’t so long ago, not so hard to imagine. This book has many different topics that include abuse, drinking, drugs, sexuality etc. Things that all teenagers need to figure out.

Characters:

Charlie: Slowly we get to know this odd freshman boy. I thought it odd at first that Charlie writes letters to someone we don’t really know, but I realize now that is to make the person reading feel like the person these letters were meant for. Charlie grows in the book and sees things that many people don’t choose to see. As if maybe we see them but we just turn away. But Charlie sees, and he records. I can understand his love for Sam, they are cute I couldn’t believe what Aunt Helen had done, to be honest I thought it was gonna be Bill, the teacher.

Patrick: I was surprised to find out Patrick was gay, but really it’s important that different kinds of people are included in this story. Without Patrick we wouldn’t understand anything and he is an amazing character. I felt horrible the way him and Brad ended but I guess sometimes it’s better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at al….? Right?

Sam: Sam is a sweetheart, who seems to have gone through a lot. She does so many nice things for Charlie and she kind of takes him under her wing. I think that they would end up together someday, but really who am I to say? I can’t believe Craig would cheat on this amazing story.

Sister: I couldn’t believe that she would let a boy hit her the way she did, but the pregnancy I saw coming.

I could say so much more but it would take over the whole page. Please just read the book.

Moments to Remember:

♥Pg. 9

“I have finished To Kill a Mockingbird. It is now my favorite book of all time, but then again, I always think that until I read another book.”

♥Pg. 26

“‘I hate you.’

My sister said it different than she said it to my dad. She meant it with me. She really did.

‘I love you,’ was all I could say in return.”

♥Pg. 64

“… but I really think that everyone should have watercolors, magnetic poetry, and a harmonica.”

♥Pg. 201

“’You know I blamed Craig for not letting me do things? You know how stupid I feel about that now? Maybe he didn’t really encourage me to do things, but he didn’t prevent me from doing them either. But after a while, I didn’t do things because I didn’t want him to think different about me. Bu the thing is, I wasn’t being honest. So, why would I care whether or not he loved me when he didn’t really even know me?”

♥Pg. 213

“So if this does end up to be my last letter, please believe that things are good with me, and even when they’re not, they will be soon enough.”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny XOXO

Book Review: The Kiln by Jennifer Armstrong & Nancy Butcher

Title: The Kiln
Authors: Jennifer Armstrong & Nancy Butcher
Series: Fire-us
Pages: 244
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
Year Published: 2003

"Five years ago, a deadly plague killed off most of the world's population- at least all the Grown-ups. Only a small group of children survived. So they formed a family and managed on their own. Then they came across some adults who had survived- the Keepers. But no adults were beter than these adults.
In this riveting conclusion to the Fire-us trilogy, the family is once again on its own- with a mission. They must find out why their world was destroyed and who did it. They must head straight into danger- to Pisgah, the heart of the Keepers' power."

My Rating: 8/10

I really enjoyed the ending to this series. The second book built it up so much that I think maybe the authors had trouble keeping up with the momentum. I imagined this book to be a lot different than it was but I still found the plot interesting, how all the books finally tied together into one main idea and theme. The older characters became more developed, and so I felt as a reader I was truly getting to know them. The reason this book didn't make a ten was because of the fact that I saw most of the twists and turns coming although the very end caught me by suprise. I love the ideas that the authors use!
THANK YOU JENNIFER ARMSTRONG & NANCY BUTCHER FOR AN AMZING "WHAT-IF" SERIES!

Love,
Sidny ♥♪♫

Spoiler: The Kiln by Jennifer Armstrong & Nancy Butcher

I really loved how this series ended. It was perfect because of they ways that the authors both made the ending seem natural, not just choked off. In this book we get to see a different setting yet again, two of them really, and we start to notice different things about the characters. This setting is set on Pisgah, an island used for presidential vacations. I loved, in an odd way, getting to see the origins of the keeper.

Characters:
Hunter: I think this character develops a crush on Mommy, but all that fades away when she gets her "curse". He is an amazing character filled with compassion. I think it's horrible that a boy at such a young age has to figure out a way to help so many others survive. I'm so happy that he was smart enough to remember the bunker.

Teacher: I think that Teacher is younger than I assumed she was. She hasn't yet hit puberty and she doesn't seem to process things the way the older kids do. She's an odd duck, but has the idea of opening Fire-us in the bunker, I don't think she would have lived if she had though. I still am curious about the book, was it really a gift or just a desperate girl finding meaning in anything?

Mommy: This poor girl is going through so much never mind when she has such a normal body thing happen. Thank god she was at the woods when it hit. She also had such a HUGE responsibility within the house. Taking care of kids isn't easy especially so many at such a young age. I think she truly is those kids mothers or at least the only one's they'll ever know.

Angerman: I knew that he was the president's son after he called the mannequin Dadguy instead of Badguy. I think the reason he went crazy was from the enormous weight of knowing what his father had done. I knew that he wouldn't return to his father though somewhere in the book I had my doubts, who leaves their father. I did think in the end that he would be the one to kill Supreme Leader.

Cory: Cory was an amazingly strong character, more than I thought she would be considering she came from a cult. But when I found out that she was going to kill the president, that was her leader for so many years. And I cried when she went through with it the way she did. It was horribly sad to see her die.

Supreme Leader: I knew that he was also the president or at least I had guessed about it. I could hardly believe all the evil things he had done though. The fact that he started this cult, hired someone to create Fire-us and then planned to relive parts of the bible made no sense to me. I cried when I realized that he married all the girls and forced them to have babies, only then to take the babies and "test" them to see if they were the new savior. It makes a person wonder what would happen if a lunatic become a leader, what would happen.

Nana: I couldn't believe that Nana would hand over the children, I figured at that moment she was heartless, but it turns out she was just a scared and desperate women. Good thing she was there when Mommy hit puberty, otherwise who knows what they would have thought.


Moment to Remember:
♥ Pg. 57
" 'If they can read my mind, all they'll find out is I'm hungry,' Mommy whispered, smiling." 


Thank you so much for reading,
Love,
Sidny XOXO
 

Book Review: Revenge of the Wannabes by Lisi Harrison

 Title: Revenge of the Wannabes

Author: Lisi Harrison

Series: The Clique

Pages: 194

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Year Published: 2005

 

“Pres Thanksgiving. Weeks before Christmas. Alicia and Olivia are on their way to Manhattan so the Teen People editors can do a story on them about winning the Octavian Country Day uniform design contest. When Massie finally processes that the girls who hijacked her victory are also modeling for Teen People, she is livid. It should have been her. 'Ehmagod, what will everyone think when they find out it wasn't me who was asked to model? I will be SO over.' Massie decides it's time to get revenge. This snake can not lay idle in the weeds for one more second. Kristen and Dylan throw out terrible 'revenge' suggestions and Massie vetoes them all. She will think of something! But first she has to go home and exfoliate. The social minefields of Westchester County's most privileged middle school girls drive the page-turning action of this addictive series, set in New York City's most elite suburban county. The Clique . . . the only thing harder than getting in is staying in.” –www.goodreads.com

 

My Rating: 8/10

 

I want to say this now that this is the last Clique book I’ll be reviewing. Not that I don’t like them anymore, just that it’s only fair for readers not to have to read 6 books to understand one book review/spoiler. Don’t worry, still my guilty pleasure. I really liked this book because the author let us see into yet another characters life. We can see how Alicia thinks. I didn’t like that many parts were left out of this book. Some details were skimmed over, which makes a reader (or me) feel like I have to guess what’s going on. All and all this series is an amazing guilty pleasure. One that makes me laugh at how back in middle school these were the “BIG” problems. It’s hilarious.

 

THANK YOU LISI HARRISON FOR MAKING KIDS REALIZE THAT YOU HAVE TO SEE EVERYONE’S POINT OF VIEW!

 

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny ♪♫

Spoiler: Revenge of the Wannabes by Lisi Harrison.

I really enjoy these books. It’s sad but they’re better than most tv shows on at the moment and they capture my interest! I loved how in this book we get to see things from Alicia’s perspective. We find out what’s going on with her and Olivia, learning her feelings and moods along the way. There is no way that Claire is going to move though, that’s just stupid L

CHARACTERS:

Alicia: As I said above, we see a lot more of Alicia in this book. I really like her. She’s not to full of herself and although she’ll do just about anything to get what she wants she’s still a generally good person. I’m upset that she went back to the group in the end, but she learned that being a leader is harder than it looks.

Massie: Massie appears generally shocked when Alicia strays away from the pack. I thought this would be noticed a lot earlier. I also don’t like how she got rid of Alicia, but I have to admit, it was creative. She has a lot of guts, but deep down I think the stress of being “Alpha” is getting to her. I’m happy she found her own crush so she doesn’t have to steal anyone else’s.

Claire: I don’t feel as sorry for Claire anymore, especially when she dumped Cam for Massie! Real friends support your decisions and help you anyway you can, they don’t tell you to dump people that you truly like. I hope that she realizes that being part of the Clique isn’t worth life or death.

Dylan: I feel sorry for Dylan because she has such weight issues, I’m pretty sure she’s below the average weight though. I feel horrible when skinny girls feel the need to be even skinnier. Be who you are!!!!

Kirsten: I love Kirsten and I’m so happy she told everyone that she didn’t have the same money as they did. That’s a big deal when you are able to tell your friends that stuff! Go girl!

Olivia: What a ditz!? I can’t believe that she is quite that stupid, but I guess I’ve met people like that in real life.

Cam: What a sweetie, thank god he got back with Claire.

 

 

Moments to Remember:

Pg. 70

“ ‘Get your hands off my present, you big molester.’ Dylan said, pinching Massie’s hand.”

Pg. 147

“ ‘Thanks to that workshop on surrendering control, I have learned to apologize.’

‘What if you didn’t do anything wrong?’

‘Honey,’ Kendra said, ‘it’s never my fault, but I still say I’m sorry.’

‘Why?’

‘Because if I waited around for him to say it, I’d be a very hostile woman,’ Kendra said. ‘Besides, it takes strength to apologize. It’s a power move.’”

Pg. 164

“You’re showing just as much leg as I am,’ Derrington said.

‘Yeah, but I’m wearing tights,’ Massie said, though she was somewhat impressed by the grain of truth in his argument.

‘Well, then, honey, next time you’re at the mall, you just must pick up a pair for me,’ Derrington said in a flamboyant voice.”

Pg. 168

“Cam had left a CD on her chair called The Clair Doesn’t Have a Boyfriend in Florida Mix.”

Pg. 167

“‘Puh-lease, Claire,’ Alicia said, pushing up the sleeves of her navy velvet blazer. ‘Do you really buy that?’

‘I believe her,’ said an older woman with a neat gray bob and thick glasses. ‘Now settle the rest of this on Ricki Lake and let me pee.’”

 

Thanks so much for reading,

Love,

Sidny XOXO

Book Review: The Queen of Everything by Deb Caletti

Title: The Queen of Everything
Author: Deb Caletti
Pages: 372
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Year Published: 2002

"People ask me all the time what having Vince MacKenzie for a father was like. What they mean is, was he always crazy?"
"High school junior Jordan MacKenzie's life was pretty typical: fractured family, new boyfriend, dead-end job. She'd been living with her father (the predictable optometrist) since her mother (the hippie holdover) had been to embarrassing to be around. Jordan felt that she finally had as normal a life as she could. Then came Gayle D'Angelo.
Jordan knew her father was dating Gayle and that Gayle was married. Jordan knew it was wrong and that her father was becoming someone she didn't recognize anymore, but what could she do about it? And how could she--how could anyone-- have possibly guessed that this illicit love affair would implode in such a violent and disturbing way?"

My Rating: 9/10

This is a weird book, but when I say weird I mean it in a good way. This book tells an unusual tale of the kids of people who are having an affair. Most books tell the story of someone going crazy, but this tells the story of a daughter watching her father unravel before her very eyes. I loved the way that Deb Caletti tells the story with a great amount of foreshadowing that amps up the excitement. I felt a little distant from the main character, but very interested in her situation which kept me reading as often as I could.
THANK YOU DEB CALETTI FOR AN UNUSUAL POINT OF VIEW ON AN ALL TO FAMILIAR SUBJECT!

Thanks for reading,
Love,
Sidny ♪♫

Spoiler: The Queen of Everything by Deb Caletti

As I said in the book review, this book is pretty strange, but a good kind of strange. The way that the author describes everything makes the story seem intensely real. The setting, Parish Island seems perfect because of the small town feel. It makes the plot of the story that more crazy, because everybody knows everybody. Deb Caletti's writing style caught my attention. The way it seems like the Jordan is writing her own story and acting like we already know what's going to happen interests me. It was a perfect way to grab a readers attention.

CHARACTERS:Jordan: I didn't always connect with Jordan. The fact that she acted the way she did to impress everyone else isn't something I enjoyed. She didn't have to go out with Kale, but I suppose that was her way of rebeling against her father, that or calling for attention. I can understand how she would feel like her father's craziness is her fault. She probably feels like she didn't stop him so it must be her fault, but there's nothing she could have done in the first place.

Vince (Jordan's Father): In the beginning we see that Vince is a normal guy, sort of boring but generally what people consider normal. We see a huge change in his behaviour after he starts seeing Gayle. He doesn't care about anything but her. I'm not sure if he actually loves her or if he just lusts after her. He did many crazy things for her, which I wish he hadn't but that's the point of the story. How to feel to be a murderer's daughter.

Gayle: I hate Gayle. The fact that after Vince kills Wes she says that he should never have done it. She seems to think that she is innocent, that she did nothing to convince Vince. I wouldn't doubt it if she told him to kill her husband so she could get all the money. She's an evil mastermind if you ask me. Not one to be trusted.

Big Mama: We hear alot about Big Mama in this book, but we don't actually "meet" her until close to the end. I felt like Big Mama was more of a mother to Jordan than her real mother at times. She seems to be able to connect with this woman, and trust her.

Kale: I really dislike Kale. First, he's completely stupid. Second, he's a cheating jerk. Thrid, he thinks he's unresistable. Urggggh. This is the kind of guy that makes women believe that all men are the same.

Melissa: Jordan's best friend who really doesn't know anything about Gayle. Why she wouldn't tell her best friend makes little to no sense to me.

Jackson: I love Jackson. He's such a freak that it makes me smile. He isn't afraid to be himself, even if himself is a little weird.


Moments to Remember:
Pg. 26
"I think the rabits and the old guys are a good match, both of them frisky without anyplace to put it."

Pg. 59
" 'Now, this is a meal you'll be telling your grandchildren about.' He eased a smaller slab onto Grandma's plate. 'This could kill you, you old bird, so go slow.' "

Pg. 149
" 'You know, he's really average height for a short person,' she said.
Sometimes I just didn't understand why I liked that girl."

Pg. 159
"He had something in every pocket, that Kale. He could have been a magician."

Pg. 360
"I wondered if Grandpa Eugene was looking down at us with his halo. Except that Grandpa wouldn't have a halo. He'd refuse it. Maybe he'd compromise with some glowing baseball cap."

Thanks for reading,
Love,
Sidny XOXO

Book Review: The Keepers of the Flame by Jennifer Armstrong & Nancy Butcher

Title: The Keepers of the Flame

Authors: Jennifer Armstrong & Nancy Butcher

Series: Fire-us (Book 2)

Pages: 280

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Year Published: 2002

 

“Five years after a deadly plague killed all the Grown-ups, the world’s population has nearly vanished. But a group of children have survived and forged a new family, a new life, and together traveled up the coast of Florida looking for answers.

To their shock, they’ve found a group of adults, the only Grown-ups they’ve seen for years, living in an abandoned shopping mall. It’s a world the travelers had almost forgotten- cupcakes, clean clothes, adults to depend on.

But something is terribly wrong. The family must find the truth before it’s too late.”

My Rating: 9/10

I really enjoyed this book. I’m so happy that I decided to continue the series. In The Keepers of Flame the reader gets to know more about the way the plague has affected the survivors and the setting. The authors get far more descriptive in this book and let us see the personal sides of the characters. The events are not as predictable and I felt like I was right there with the characters, experiencing what happened to them when it happened, not guessing what is happening. The element of surprise is a good thing on my list.

THANK YOU JENNIFER ARMSTRONG AND NANCY BUTCHER FOR A HEART POUNDING BOOK!

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny ♪♫

Spoiler: The Keepers of the Flame by Jennifer Armstrong & Nancy Butcher

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book, considering the first book wasn’t one of my favorite things to read. I’m overjoyed that the series seems to be getting better as I read. In this book I could visualize everything, and relate with the characters. I loved seeing how other humans had survived the plague; it was interesting to see things from Cory’s perspective.

CHARACTERS:
Mommy: I find it incredible that she has been able to take care of the younger children so effectively. I can understand how she would be upset when the Keepers take away her kids and near the middle we realize she had a right to be. Taking “her” kids and locking some of them up, that’s not right!

Teacher: In this book we see Teacher change from a leader to a frightened child. In The Kindling, I thought that Teacher was the most adult out of the family, but in this installment she seems more uncertain, more childlike. She has a right to be worried about Cory taking her spot, but really this whole Book business kind of creeps me out. It seems more like pretend than the real deal.

Hunter: Hunter seems like sweetheart who, to me, is interested in Mommy. He seems to want to fit in with the Keepers more than the others and is saddest when they leave. I was worried that he would stay behind so he could be part of this group, thank god he didn’t!

Angerman: He only gets crazier! I think that Angerman is either remembering his father or he has a mental illness, such as schizophrenia. I hope that someone notices and gets him the help he needs.

Action Figure: I felt horrible when Action got sick from taking that protein supplement trying to be a man. Poor boy. What a brave thing he did though when he set the horse free, hopefully Action doesn’t return to his wild, unruly ways.

Cory: I really didn’t like Cory in the beginning, but I’m starting to warm up to her ever since she tried to save Puppy and Kitty. I wish that Mommy and Cory hadn’t fought, but really that’s what the story needed to create suspense. Cory seems like a sweet girl, and I hope that she says more about what happens with the Keepers’ culture.

The Keepers: They creep me out! The kind of cult that makes others fear for their lives.

 

 

Moments to Remember:

Pg. 64

“So what if they thought he was talking to himself? For that matter, so what if they knew he was talking to the mutilated mannequin on his back? Their opinion of him was the least of his concerns.”

Pg. 157

“ ‘Do you think they’re looking for us?’

‘Oh, gosh, no, you think so?’ Angerman said in a fake-dimwit voice. ‘Why would they look for us? It’s just a total coincidence.’

Teacher jabbed him with her elbow. ‘All right, all right- they’re looking for us.’”

Pg. 225

“The blade whistled. ‘Take that, fire-eaters.’

Oh I’m so scared!

‘This just in!’ Angerman held the hilt of the saber to his mouth, like a microphone. ‘You should be.’”