Book Review: Run by Francine Pascal

Title: Run

Author: Francine Pascal

Series: Fearless (Book #3)

Genre: Young Adult

Pages: 205

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Year Published: 1999

First Line: “Do you know what hell is?”

“She's a black belt in karate. She's a precision marksman. She has the reflex speed of an Olympic athlete and can throw a 175 pound man over her head. Meet Gala Moore, not your typical high school senior -- she's Fearless. She's also the closest link to her father, a covert anti-terrorist agent who's hiding underground, so she's been forced to live with a family friend, George Nivens, in New York City Gala gets herself into dangerous situations, righting wrongs, avenging hurts and solving mysteries. Her world is about to change, however, exploding with terrorists, computer hackers, government spies and people bent on taking her apart…”

My Rating: 3.5/5

So let’s start this book review off with an announcement. This will be the last Fearless series book that I tackle, and this has little to do with the lower rating it’s received but rather to do with the fact that there are 36 novels not including specials. I’m afraid that I couldn’t find the next one and having to order them in one by one just isn’t going to work for me. Now on to the book itself.

This instalment in the series was important to the series, but I also feel like this part was written for TV more than for a book. Down to the soundtrack. It just didn’t work for me. I still that we have an awesome main character to read about but she isn’t grabbing my attention as much as she did in the first book and that makes it a difficult book to work your way through.

That being said not everything in Run was stuff I didn’t like. I liked that there was still humour used and we can see a “new” characters point of view a lot more.

THANK YOU FRANCINE PASCAL FOR A GIRL SUPERHERO FOR THE AGES!

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: Run by Francine Pascal

I didn’t think that this was the best Fearless book that I’ve read. That’s my honest opinion. I’m not usually a negative person but I found this book hard to get through and more made for a screen than for a lazy day on the couch. I was disappointed with the way characters morfed, but I guess if we’re gonna talk about characters let’s organize it…

♥Characters♥

♥Gaia: I think that she’s changed quite a lot from the first book in this series. She has a really good friend (who is definitely hoping there was something more), a love interest and a real enemy. I like that she’s letting down her walls slowly, but I expected to hear more about what her father did to her. More than him just leaving her, because if that was it, mah. It was pretty anticlimactic.  I like Sam but I wish she would open her eyes to Ed though, just cause he’s in a wheel chair doesn’t make him any less of a guy. He’s obviously interested. The idea that she’s so casually accepting her uncle also teeves me off, but I’ll get to a bit more of that after…

♥Ed: If I were him I would just tell her that hey, I’m not just your friend here, I have feelings for you so stop friendzoning this! Although I’m sure the word friend-zone hasn’t been used yet. Hopefully something works out for him. I think that Heather and him might be a surprisingly good match.

♥Heather: She’s such a drama queen. Everything is constantly about keeping her popular. I don’t think she even loves Sam, I think she just likes the status that he gives her. And now that there’s been a sex tape let out I doubt she’ll have many friends left. But she deserves it from the way she treats her “friends”.

♥Sam: This guy is something else. I wonder if he’ll dump Heather after he thinks that she saved him? You’d think that after thinking about Gaia while dying you’d realize that maybe you should be with her and not the other one… but hey I’m not a guy.

♥Loki: A true superhero villain.

♥Moments to Remember♥

♥Pg. 20

“He smiled bitterly at the ridiculous image. Sir Edward of Useless Limbs, the knight in not-so-shining armour, rushing in to rescue the fair Gaia, Lady of Brutal Ass Kicking.”

♥Pg. 173

“Well, he could understand what his niece saw in the boy. He was certainly nice-looking. At least, he had been, before that unfortunate incident in which his face collided with that fist. Tsk, tsk.”

♥Final Line: “Today proved me very, very wrong.”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Book Review: These Girls by Sarah Pekkanen

Title: These Girls

Author: Sarah Pekkanen

Genre: Chicklit

Pages: 322

Publisher: Washington Square Press

Year Published: 2012

First Line: “’Hold it!’ A voice commanded.”

“Cate, Renee, and Abby have come to New York for very different reasons, and in a bustling city of millions, they are linked together through circumstance and chance.

Cate has just been named the features editor of Gloss, a high-end lifestyle magazine. It’s a professional coup,. But her new job comes with more complications than Cate ever anticipated.

Her roommate Renee will do anything to nab the plum job of beauty editor at Gloss. But snide comments about Renee’s weight  send her into an emotional tailspin. Soon she is taking black market diet pills, despite the racing heartbeat and trembling hands that signal she’s heading for read danger.

Then there’s Abby, whom they take in as a third roommate. Once a joyful graduate student working as a nanny part time, she abruptly fled a seemingly happy life in D.C suburbs. No one knows what shattered Abby- or why she left everything she once loved behind.

Pekkanen’s most compellingly, true-to-life novel yet tells the story of three very different women as they navigate the complications of careers and love- and find the lifeline they need in each other.”

My Rating: 5/5

Hey there book reading people (poetry to your ears, I know), I come baring a wonderful novel about the adventure of three girls who find themselves and by doing so find each other. It was a heartfelt novel that left the reader satisfied. I loved that while all the characters were relatable they were all very different so you didn’t have to feel like you were left out of anything. I also feel that this chicklit has more suspense than others I’ve read, it’s not over the top drama just suspense. Honestly, I fell in love with the characters in this novel and Sarah Pekkanen couldn’t have done a better job of bringing the magazine world to our everyday world. Incredible.

THANK YOU SARAH PEKKANEN FOR SHOWING US THAT ITS FAR MORE IMPORTANT TO BE OURSELVES THAN ANYONE ELSE!

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: These Girls by Sarah Pekkanen

Happy Wednesday blog readers. I’m hear to discuss a book with you and this book is one that will be staying on my bookshelf forever, simply because I have fallen in love with it. The characters and the vibe of this book was just an overall great read. Maybe that’s because I was able to pick it up at work on breaks exactly where I’d left off.  I also loved that the author dove right into important topic and wasn’t afraid to do it, there was no hopping around the subject, it was told as it is. Especially the weight loss story, that is one of the most important especially this time of year. Before I go overboard, let’s try and organize this by…..

♥CHARACTERS♥

♥Cate: I think Cate is a powerhouse character in this book. She cares about her job enough to stand her ground. Something that I definitely envy. I can’t imagine being so strong. I loved that she ate because while being healthy is important, sometimes we all need a little special treat now and again. I was shocked to find out about her and Timothy. Something about forbidden love just seems to do it for some girls. I say this because of the Trey incident afterwards at least the second one. I’m happy simply because it would be awkward while they were together but even more awkward if they broke up.  

♥Renee: Renee’s story is one of the most important in this story, I mean they’re all important but this one really hit home for me. Dieting is a huge issue in today’s society. People feel the need to look a certain way to conform with everyone else. My opinion of this is that really it’s sad. I wish we lived in a place where things like that didn’t matter. I think seeing the downfall from easy diet pills is an important thing. I love her!

♥Abby: She has obviously been through so much in her life. Her parents not seeming to love her  for no apparent reason. She was great with Annabelle, and I feel that she is a lot like me. I want to work with kids and she is an incredible character.  And then we find out why she is having panic attacks going to the car. I cried. Not because of the event but because of how she was treated because of it. She is still one of my favorites without a doubt. The only thing that got me was Bob.

♥Trey: He seems like he is a nice guy, and like him and Cate would work out but she made the right choice. I’m sure he will understand.

♥Annabelle: She is such a sweet little sweetheart and while she might not remember Abby later on, she helped form her.

♥Bob:  He was wrong to lead Abby on like that. He was married!            

♥Johanna: She wasn’t a very good mother. It’s not only providing that’s important. Love helps shape a child.

♥Moments to Remember♥

♥Pg. 73

“Renee turned off her phone and put it down on her desk.

 ‘That sounded awkward.’ Her friend David the photographer was leaning against her cubicle’s chest-high partition. ‘Were you fending off a stalker?’

 Renee rolled her eyes. ‘George Clooney again. He never takes a hint.’”

♥Pg. 172

“’It smells great in here,’ Trey said.

 ‘I told you I cook a mean takeout,’ Cate said. ‘You should see how fast I can dial.’

‘No apron?’ He grinned. ‘You’re amazing.’”

♥Final Line: “They needed to mark this beginning.”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Book Review: Sam by Francine Pascal

Title: Sam

Author: Francine Pascal

Series: Fearless (Book #2)

Pages: 196

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Year Published: 1994

First Line: “It really wasn’t that far.”

“There’s somebody who wants me dead. And he’s probably going to succeed. Very soon. There is something I have to do before I go. And there’s only one person I want to do it with… Sam. No RULES. NO LIMITS. NO FEAR.”

My Rating:  4/5

This book is definitely was a step up from the first one. It included so many more ideas about the topic of being fearless and as well let the reader deeper into the main character’s mind. I loved that I was able to finally relate to the main character. I also loved how frequently Francine Pascal changed the point of view. It kept up suspense and easily let us know how all the characters were feeling, both about themselves and the other characters.

There was also more action is this book which was awesome!

The only thing I didn’t care for was the ending. It didn’t make me want to pick up the next book immediately.

THANK YOU FRANCINE PASCAL FOR READING A TEENAGE GIRL’S MIND!

Sorry this is so short guys but don’t have anything else to say about this one.

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: Sam by Francine Pascal

I don’t have a whole lot to say about this book, other than it was a step up from the first book. I loved that we got to fish through all of the characters minds and that it contributed to the story so well. I was really interested in Gaia’s past and this book gave some answers as to why she is the way she is. I still have some obvious questions and I guess we’ll see what the next book says to them. As well seeing that in some ways she’s a normal teenager made me happy. And yes most of us do think about sex that much, it’s normal.

♥Characters♥

♥Gaia: I think that she’s grown up a lot from the last book and that she is starting to realize that what she does (her superhero act) has some bad repercussions at times. Not that she killed Marco, but it makes sense that she would be a suspect. I was scared for her, not only because she had a price on her head, but because she also was taking a huge leap in life by thinking so seriously about having sex. It’s a bigger deal than most think until poof it’s done. I’m happy that she didn’t end up doing it, but to have seen the boy she loves in the midst of it with someone else… ouch.

♥Sam: Ok, I still love him a bit. He should have broken up with Heather, because it’s obvious that the don’t feel much for each other. Hell, he was fantasizing about her before he had sex with Heather. I won’t lie, I don’t understand real men much better than fictional ones. I just hope he lives through book 3.

♥Heather: Ok she’s a grade A brat. And no that wasn’t my first word choice, but it was the most appropriate one. She belongs with Ed but she’s horribly shallow. And then to throw it at Gaia that Sam is hers. Wow.

♥CJ: Not the brightest of bulbs, but at least he’s out of the way.

♥Tom: Still not sure why he abandoned his daughter but I can see that his evil twin is out to get him (original I must say) and his daughter too. Hopefully he can find a way to protect them all. And who knows maybe he’ll reveal himself to Gaia. Wouldn’t that be marvellous.

♥Ella: Why can’t she just disappear already?

♥Moments to Remember♥

♥Pg. 294

“She was devouring a stack of books the way a starving person would devour a plate of food.”

♥Pg. 345

“Luck is powerful. Don’t mess with her. Accept her for what she is and make the best of it. I can’t stand that people are constantly blaming other people when bad stuff happens to them. Somebody trips on a sidewalk, and they sue some innocent bastard for millions of dollars. It’s not always somebody else’s fault. Sometimes it’s just luck. Bad luck.

Luck is unpredictable. She’s not you friend. She won’t stand by you.”

♥Final Line: “At the moment it felt to Gaia like a chance to be brave.”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Nonrated Book Review: Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen

Title: Girl, Interrupted

Author: Susanna Kaysen

Pages: 168

Publisher: Vintage Books

Year Published 1993

First Line: “People ask, How did you get in there?”

“In 1967, after a session with a psychiatrist she’d never seen before, eighteen-year-old Susanna Kaysen was put in a taxi and sent to McLean Hospital. She spent most of the next two years on the ward for teenage girls in psychiatric hospital as renowned for its famous clientele- Sylvia Plath, Robert Lowell, James Taylor, and Ray Charles- as for its progressive method of treating those who could afford its sanctuary.

Kaysen’s memoir encompasses horror and razor-edged perception while providing vivid portraits of her fellow patients and their keepers. It is a brilliant evocation of a ‘parallel universe’ set within the kaleidoscopically shifting landscape of the last sixties. Girl, Interrupted is a clear-sighted, unflinching document that gives lasting and specific dimension to our definitions of sane and insane, mental illness and recovery.”

Unrated Book Review

I’ve written a book review like this once before, As this book is a memoir of someone’s real story, I shouldn’t be rating their life. At least that’s how I feel about it. This novel deals with a lot of stigma about mental health and the idea of being crazy. I did feel like Susanna Kaysen did a remarkable job of explaining her illness, her journey and finally her stance on mental health. It is said that mental health is something that few recognize as true health from day to day. We use words like crazy, nuts, insane, etc without thinking about how we are affecting those around us. After reading this moving memoir I felt like I understood so much more about mental illness.

THANK YOU SUSANNA KAYSEN FOR FINDING THE STRENGTH TO BE MORE THAN A STEREOTYPE!

­­♥Moments to Remember♥

♥Pg. 41

“Was everyone seeing this stuff and acting like they weren’t? Was insanity just a matter of dropping the act?”

♥Pg. 53

“There were no takers for peppermint, chocolate was a big flavour. For spring they had a new flavour, peach melba. I ordered that.

‘You gonna want nuts on these?’ the new boy asked.

We looked at one another: Should we say it? The nurses held their breath. Outside, the birds were singing.

‘I don’t think we need them,’ said Georgina.”

♥Pg. 151

“If my diagnosis had been bipolar illness, for instance, the reaction to me and this story would be slightly different. That’s a chemical problem, you’d say to yourself, manic depressionLithium, all that I would be blameless, somehow. And what about schizophrenia- that would send a chill up your spine. After all, that’s real insanity.”

♥Final Line: “The girl at her music sits in another sort of light, the fitful, overcast light of life, by which we see ourselves and others only imperfectly, and seldom.”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

My Favorite Books from 2013

For those who read often, you know that I don't read many brand new books. But I thought I would make a list of books that I read this book year that I loved. 
So let's start this!
1. Street Pharm by Allison Van Diepen 
This book was written in 2006. See I told you, not a new book reader. This was an awesome novel filled with harsh realities and I found it so hard to put it down. I'd suggest it for teens everywhere really. 
2. You Against Me by Jenny Downham
I loved this book. The second book I'd ever read by Jenny Downham and I couldn't stop the feels. If you like the feels, read it!
3. Eve by Anna Carey
I didn't realize it was so long ago that I started this series and now I'm about to end it. I loved this book and was just getting into my YA apocalyptic book phase (it's continued for a while now).
4. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
An amazing read for anyone who wants to sees a fantasy world and the future of all prisons. Seriously, fantastic.
5. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Used a whole box of tissues for this one! Looking for a good thinking book?? This is a great one as long as you don't mind feeling the feels. 
6. Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick
The last book in the Hush, Hush series and one of the best last books I've read, especially since I'm usually the girl who hates to see a series. 
7. Looking for Alaska by John Green
First book I've ever read by John Green and certainly not the last.
8. Crank by Ellen Hopkins
This is one of those odd books that has a different way of writing and looking at it the first time I thought I would hate it and then BAM I zoomed through it in a week. Amazing!
9. The Breakup Bible by Melissa Kantor
This book helped me through a really tough time in my life and gave me hope for the future. A book for any girl going through a breakup. 
10. Stella Stands Alone by A. LaFaye
A great historical book about slavery that really hits readers hard.
11. Before I Go To Sleep by S.J Watson
A thriller, page turner. If you're bored in the afternoon this is a great one to pick it up. Warning adult content. 
12. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
One of my favorites books from 2013. A hard hitting message by a unique narrator. 
13. Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick
An amazing first book about the what ifs of the world ending. Action packed and twists and turns. 
14. Red Glove by Holly Black
This was the second book in the curseworkers series and it was when I really started to love the world Holly Black had created. It isn't really futuristic rather its a different dimension sort of deal.
15. The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
I don't usually read adult books, but this one I couldn't pass up. I read it and got caught up in the story line, the characters and the mystery of it all! If you want a page turner, check it out.
16. Fallen in Love by Lauren Kate
I liked this book way better than any other of the Fallen books. It definitely gives an insight to all the characters while keeping it interesting. 
17. Until It Hurts to Stop by Jennifer R. Hubbard 
I actually won this book from goodreads, a give away put on by the author herself (shoutout). Anyways, it was moving, and teaches an amazing lesson. Anyone in middle school or high school should read it.
18. Rise by Anna Carey
I really loved this book! I just finished it this past month after reading the rest of the series. I would certainly reread them! Awesome! Check it out if you like post apocalyptic, sci-fi or fantasy. 

Thanks for reading and Merry Christmas
Love,
Sidny xoxo

Book Review: Fearless by Francine Pascal

Title: Fearless
Author: Francine Pascala
Series: Fearless (Book #1)

Pages: 189

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Year Published: 1999

First Line: “Losers with no imagination say that if you start a new school, there has to be a first day.”

“Fearless introduces us to Gaia Moore, a girl born without the gene for fear. Gaia's mother was murdered, and her father, Tom Moore, a famous covert antiterrorist mastermind, is in hiding. Now 17 years old, Gaia is living in New York City with Tom's CIA friend, George, and his wife, Ella. Gaia is a prime target for terrorists and is in constant danger, but she is trained in all forms of combat so she can defend herself. Like Buffy and Xena, Gaia Moore is a force.
But she is also a high school student, trying to be like everyone else. As her friendships develop, we see that Gaia is in many ways a typical teen -- when she's not busy getting herself into and out of dangerous situations, righting wrongs, avenging hurts, and solving mysteries.”

My Rating: 4/5

This book was a good read. Not to deep or anything, but enjoyable. It’s one of those books that makes you want to read the next one, but not to the point where you feel the need to pick it up immediately. As I was reading this book I found that this book would make a really good movie or television show, because as I visualized what was happening it played through my mind like a show. I didn’t have trouble imagining anything, but there isn’t a lot of in depth detail. I did like the idea of this book.  It was exciting and a really interesting concept.

THANKS FRANCINE PASCAL FOR MAKING A GIRL SUPERHERO WHO WE CAN RELATE TO!

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: Fearless by Francine Pascal

I liked this book mainly because it featured a really strong female character. There’s nothing I like more than a female who isn’t afraid to take a stand, or to fight for what she believes in. And let’s face the fact that New York is a great setting for Gaia. Crime rates, and a charming setting compliments her character.

♥Characters♥

♥Gaia: Gaia is the ultimate main character. Literally fearless and out to make the world a better place made it not only an interesting story, but definitely something I’ve never read about before. I do like that she is naïve and inexperienced in the world of high school. It makes her more like the rest of us.  I do love that she’s just blunt with everyone.

♥Ed: I think it’s interesting that he goes after Gaia because she isn’t overly nice to him. Actually in the beginning she is straight up rude, but I can understand how he just wants to feel normal. I was surprised that he dated Heather, did not see that twist coming. I didn’t think he would be that superficial. But maybe his accident changed him. Hopefully he opens up about it later.

♥George: We don’t know much about him except that he was friends with her father, I do wonder how he became her house mate though. Why was she sent to him?

♥Ella: We have a bad a** over here. I knew she was a flirt for a reason but maybe she’s teaming up with Gaia’s father to train her in real world situations. My jaw was on the floor when she shot Marco, did not see that coming at all. She’s a character I’m interested in learning more about in the next book.

♥Sam: Ok he seems really dreamy, but also kind of a jerk. If you don’t feel something for the girl that your with, why are you still with her? I don’t think cheating is right and he has such strong feelings for Gaia, so it’s probably time to let Heather go, but the fact that she almost died a few days ago doesn’t quite set up a good setting for that kind of talk.

♥Heather: I think she’s a brat. She treats people like junk. I know that she had the right to mad at Gaia in the coffee shop, but at the party, the park and finally the hospital? She had no right to be so rude. The thing that got me is I imagine that she will bring up the fact that Gaia didn’t warn her for as long as she can.

♥Moments to Remember♥

♥Pg. 86

“Some friends of his from high school used to rate a girl’s attractiveness by what was known as the fire hose test. If the girl’s looks were all about makeup and hair and clothes, she’d look like crap if you shot a fire hose directly in her face from point-blank range. A genuinely pretty girl would still look good.”

♥Pg.  95

“’It’s a cool name ,’ she said.

‘You could marry me if you asked really nicely,’ he proposed.”

♥Final Line♥: “She was so tired of that girl.”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo