Dazzled by Books

Amy is fine living in the shadows of beautiful Lila and uber-cool Cassie, because at least she’s somewhat beautiful and uber-cool by association. But when the girls get stood up for prom and take matters into their own hands—earning them a night in jail outfitted in satin, stilettos, and Spandex — Amy discovers even a prom spent in handcuffs might be better than the humiliating “rehabilitation techniques” now filling up her summer. Even worse, with Lila and Cassie prenatally banned, Amy feels like she has nothing — like she is nothing.Navigating unlikely alliances with her new coworker, two very different boys, and possibly even her parents, Amy struggles to decide if it’s worth being a best friend when it makes you a public enemy. Bringing readers along on an often hilarious and heartwarming journey, Amy finds that maybe getting a life only happens once you think your life is over.

"Unfortunately, I am only myself. I am only Amy Fleischman."(pg1)



“Pretty Amy” begins with a teenager who is afraid to speak up, she is afraid of being along, and she is very lost, she doesn't know how to be her own person. Amy turns to acting bad to get the attention that she wants because she doesn't feel like anyone cares about her. She looks for attention in all the wrong places. It isn't necessarily that she agrees with what she is doing, but she is following her friends example because she wants them to like her and still be her friend. Amy smokes, drinks, and hangs out with her friends who are considered to be the "bad" girls of the school. Her best friends are Cassie and Lila. Amy begins to dig herself into a deep hole that she can't seem to find her way out of to the light of day. From my experience and watching the experiences of others, a lot of teenagers have experienced this in life. They get so involved that they don't realize that they are slowly losing themselves. Amy keeps pushing away the important people in her life, that are trying to help her and be there for her. I could relate to Amy I. This, there have definitely been times that I've pushed away the people I love because I didn't know if I could handle them being there. I didn't think I deserved their kindness. Then one night Amy, Cassie, and Lila cross a line and without Cassie and Lila to follow, Amy is forced to face her bad decisions and decide what life is really worth. Pretty Amy is about trying to find your identity and place in the world. I'm sure we have all been there.

Lisa Burstein wrote story that a lot of people can relate too, especially teenagers. I think a lot of teenagers would enjoy this story and hopefully along the way learn some lessons. I think Amy's story has a lot of lessons that everyone can learn from. There were plenty of moments that Amy showed examples of just wanting someone to care about her, yet when they tried, she wouldn't let them in. She was a very scared girl that was used to hiding behind her friends, she didn't know how to be an individual. I got to know Amy on a more personal level as she learns that she is on her own because of the choices she has made. This was an emotional book, there were times that I could relate to Amy, you didn't need to be just like her or even know her perfectly, you could just understand specific situation that she got herself into and you could relate. Burstein brought Amy and her feelings to life that I felt like Amy and I were friends. Her pain was my pain.

“Pretty Amy” was more mature than I was expecting. I honestly thought that I was getting ready to sit down and read a sun shiny book. Boy, was I wrong! Amy’s cynical internal monologue...oh her monologue, I've had several of the same conversations in my head, I felt like yelling "Yes that is it. that is exactly how I felt." I was thankful for these parts because it made the tears fall less. Based on all the hype that i have read about this book, I was expecting Cassie and Lila to be in the book a whole lot more, but I'm glad to hear that both Cassie and Lila will have their own books. I am looking forward to Lila's book because i think it will be interesting to know her perspective and take on life.

Pretty Amy is definitely a book that can make readers uncomfortable and even shy away from the book, however I think it is worth the chance. This is coming from someone that two years ago, I would have never considered picking up this book to read. I think people should give this book a chance because you can learn a lot and I really hope that people who read “Pretty Amy,” will learn something. “Pretty Amy, may not have the prettiest story but she has a story worth reading.

I give "Pretty Amy" five bookshelves.

 

Tamani looked at her gravely, and reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear.
He hesitated for an instant, then his hands found the sides of her face, pulling her to him. He didn't kiss her, just held her face close to his, their foreheads resting together, their noses almost touching.
She hated how much it felt like good-bye.
Laurel now knows the truth: Yuki is a rare Winter faerie, the most powerful--and deadly--of all, and Klea plans to use her to help conquer and destroy Avalon. But Klea's reach extends far beyond one wild Winter faerie. With Tamani, David, and Chelsea by her side, Laurel prepares to face what may be Avalon's final days, in the stunning conclusion to the Wings series.
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I’ve been with the series since the beginning and overall the series has been great. It is really hard to say good bye to a series you’ve grown to love. Aprilynne Pike ended the series on a bittersweet not and she wrapped things up quite nicely. I enjoyed the beginning of the book, however the middle slowed down the pace of the book a lot but it picked right back up for the ending.

Laurel is too self-sacrificing and honestly sometimes very annoying. Laurel has definitely grown up from the very beginning of the first book and Laurel shows a lot of maturity in this book. There were several times that Laurel was very frustrating with her decision making in this story. It was nice getting to see why she makes the decisions that she does. Laurel really steps it up in this book and finally makes her decision on who she would like to be with. It is really nice that Pike finally made Laurel choose who she wanted to be with.

Tamani and David are both great characters. They were both surprising me in this book and they both love Laurel and want to be the very best for her. I absolutely loved Tamani from the very beginning. He was my favorite character throughout the entire series. Tamani is sweetly protective and very strong, he is never afraid to pick his battles and he would do anything for Laurel. He is loyal, strong, and has genuine love towards Laurel. Tamani tries to be a very honest guy and he tries to do what he believes is right. I didn’t really like David at all; however in the newest edition of the Wings trilogy, I think David became a much better character. David is very brave and he is not afraid to offer his life for the greater good, which is very admirable. He doesn’t hesitate for a moment to stand with Laurel and Tamani to save Avalon.

Aprilynne Pike has grown in her writing. Her first book was sweet but clearly the work of an inexperienced writer, she has matured in her writing and her story comes out beautifully. The ending was everything a fan could want. The end was gorgeous, it was bittersweet. The ending was very realistic and believable. The special part in the back of the book was the best. I think Wings fans will love it. I was pretty happy with the Wings series and I think Destined was a wonderful ending to the series.

Perfect for the fans of “Shatter Me” who are desperately awaiting the release of “Unravel Me,” this novella-length digital original will bridge the gap between these two novels from the perspective of the villain we all love to hate, Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.
In Tahereh Mafi’s “Shatter Me”, Juliette escaped from The Reestablishment by seducing Warner—and then putting a bullet in his shoulder. But as she’ll learn in “Destroy Me,” Warner is not that easy to get rid of. . .
Back at the base and recovering from his near-fatal wound, Warner must do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in check and suppress any mention of a rebellion in the sector. Still as obsessed with Juliette as ever, his first priority is to find her, bring her back, and dispose of Adam and Kenji, the two traitors who helped her escape. But when Warner’s father, The Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment, arrives to correct his son’s mistakes, it’s clear that he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner simply cannot allow.
Set after "Shatter Me" and before its forthcoming sequel, “Unravel Me,” “Destroy Me” is a novella told from the perspective of Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.
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This little novella changed my point of view of Warner completely. This book gives you a very insightful as to how Warner thinks and what his motives are. I learned to understand Warner a little bit better to where my opinion of him changed a little. Warner has still done some inexcusable things, but after you read this book it is really hard to dislike him. I think Warner has some real feelings for Juliette that don’t relate to power, I honestly think that he loves her.

I don’t like Warner’s father at all. I don’t blame Warner at all for going slightly nuts however it isn’t an excuse for the actions he committed. For a villain, Warner is very interesting and compelling, however when you read “Destroy Me” it can be a total game changer for some people. The original thoughts that I had about Warner were completely wrong. I thought he was a cynical insensitive jerk who was always power hungry. Oh, how I was completely wrong. Warner lives by his own code of honor which you didn’t get to see in “Shatter Me.” Warn is self-loathing and so broken, he is just a scared son that just wants his father to be proud of him. He is exactly what his terribly cruel father made him to be and Warner hates it. I don’t think Warner really wants to hurt Juliette, however he doesn’t understand what love is like either. I kind of wish this was a full size book because Mafi could have really given us a lot to think about when it comes to Warner.

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war– and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now. Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

I was very excited when I got this book because it is my very first uncorrected proof. Thank you so much Epic Reads. I started reading “The Turning” right away. What I didn't count on, is with starting school up, this book was going to take forever for me to read and that was mainly because I didn't have the time, not because I didn't like the book. Here is my very first uncorrected proof review. I hope you enjoy.








 Stars: Three

Jack is babysitting for the summer on an isolated island with no Wi-Fi, no cell service, and no one else around but a housekeeper and two very peculiar children. He immediately senses something sinister-and it's not just the creepy black house he's living in. Soon he is feeling terribly isolated and alone, but then he discovers there are others. The problem is, he's the only who can see them. As secrets are revealed and darker truths surface, Jack desperately struggles to maintain a grip on reality. He knows what he sees, and he isn't crazy…Or is he? Where does reality end and insanity begin? The Turn of the Screw reinvented for modern-day teens, by National Book Award finalist Francine Prose.

This story is told in letters, mainly from the main character, Jack, to his girlfriend, Sophie. The story flows pretty well, however the story is very slow. I'm not familiar with "The Turn of the Screw" by Henry James, and I think this book was made for people like me, people who aren't familiar with the original story. It took awhile for me to really get into the book and then it just seemed to stop. I didn't feel like it was truly resolved. I was enjoying the book through the middle Prose really had my attention; I wanted to know what was going on. Then the story just ended. There was all this suspense that was built up in the story and it went nowhere. It left the reader hanging and not in a good way. I would recommend this book probably as a light read because I think the author did a great job of adapting the original story for a teen audience.

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends. With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.
Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?
As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

I love Clockwork Prince way more than any of Cassandra Clare’s other books. It was an amazing read. I was hoping that I wasn’t going to be disappointed and I definitely wasn’t. I am a little at a loss as to where to start. Characters? Plot? Setting? Everything else? I am very thankful that Cassandra Clare did not provide us with another filler book, because Clockwork Prince is definitely not a filler book. I could be a good that is all by itself however, it provides a nice development to the characters and plot. Cassandra once again does an excellent job, I could feel what the characters felt, I felt close to them, I felt like I was there the entire time. Cassandra Clare’s best work yet.

Charlotte: Charlotte is being held responsible for how she handle the Magister situation. She is given two weeks to catch Mortmain (Magister) or she will lose her position as the head of the London Institute. The whole gang wants to help her; they don’t want to see Charlotte lose the institute. She is like a mom to all of them. Tessa, Jem, Will, Sophie, they all love her, the last thing they want is to see Charlotte hurt or to watch something that she love’s be taken away from her. Charlotte is strong and not willing to give up easily. She isn’t going to let the Lightwoods push her around.

Henry: Henry makes me laugh. It is amazing knowing that he is going to create some great inventions that are used in the Mortal Instruments series. I love how things ended with Henry and Charlotte. They finally worked things out and let go of the past.

Tessa: She is an amazing heroine. She doesn’t back down and she always puts on a brave face, no matter what her circumstances may be. Tessa is my kind of girl. I love how confident she is and how she wants to uncover the secrets of her past, she wants to know who she is. I just wish that her identity was revealed but unfortunately it is still a mystery. Tessa is part of the most complicated Triangle ever. You thought Jacob, Edward and Bella was complicated, well you haven’t even seen or read complicated until you meet Tessa, Jem, and Will. I have to give Cassandra props, out of all of the love triangle stories I have read, I think Cassandra Clare is doing a great. She is making a love triangle just like it should be love with impossible choices, which have to be made.

Will: The beautiful blue eyed boy. I am trying my hardest not to choose sides between Will and Jem. I love them both. There are things about Will that I love and think would be perfect for Tessa but I can say the exact same about Jem. My heart breaks for Will because of how his misery consumes him. He pushes everyone away afraid that they might love him. Will is selfish, tough, quick minded, and mean but he is a great guy, he loves everyone even if he doesn’t show it. He is devoted to helping Jem because he wants the best for him. I love the friendship that Will and Jem have, they are the perfect balance to each other and it is one of my favorite things about this series.

Jem: Jem is such a great character. He has such goodness that I wish people in real life had. Jem is portrayed so well in this book, but as each chapter went on the layers of his life and dreams were revealed. He knows that he is dying, but he doesn’t give up on his dreams and I admire him for that. Jem is such a sweetheart but he is still like every normal person out there, he has insecurities, anger, moments of depression, yet he is lovely, and honest. Jem surprised me in this book and I don’t want to spoil anything, so I just want to say that it was a good surprise.

Sophie: I still haven’t decided if I like Sophie. There are times that I think she is great and others that I think she is being petty and selfish. Sophie is a pretty loyal servant to Charlotte and I don’t think that she would ever betray the institute because she loves it there, but there is just something about her that I really don’t like.

The plot was amazing. I couldn’t put this book down. Cassandra had me on edge; I wanted to know what happens next. It is rare that I love a plot so much that I am extremely sad when the book ends, but I was sad when Clockwork Prince ended, because I wanted the journey to continue. I am looking forward to reading Clockwork Princess and I don’t know how I am going to be patient enough for March 2013 to roll around but I guess I will have to live. Cassandra Clare is a master at creating characters. She makes all of her main characters lovable but flawed, so they seem so real. I love the parabatai relationship between Will and Jem. They have a very touching bond that is stronger than anything. They may not be biological brothers but they have a bond that is stronger than just brothers. I relationship between Will and Jem is definitely the best relationship in both the Infernal Devices and the Mortal Instruments. Thank you Cassandra for such a great read.

Stars: Five

Oh my goodness!!! I am not totally sure where I need to start with this review. This book was great. I liked it better than the first two books. I couldn't put the book down. I needed to know what happens next.

Cassandra Clare has done a great job wither her character development. I like reading series because I love to see the character development. I like to see where characters start and how they grow and develop. I read a lot of books and my favorite genre is Young Adult Fiction and authors tend to write about their teenage characters as adults. Cassandra Clare keeps her teenage characters as teenagers. They act like teenagers, they fall in love like teenagers, and they throw temper tantrums like teenagers.

Simon: I have to say that I prefer Simon being a Vampire. He was a very jealous mundane but once he became a vampire he has developed into an awesome character.

Isabelle: She is definitely the best kick butt girl character out there. She is amazing. Sometimes I wish I had her spirit.

Alec: Thank goodness he finally got over Jace. I think Alec is developing into one of the best characters in the book. I can't wit to see where is future lies.

Max: I was very upset about what happens to Max. He's such a cute character. I love that Clary and Max got along so well.

Luke: Luke is my favorite adult character. He is such an amazing father figure for Clary. I absolutely love Luke.

Magnus: Where to start? Magnus is the best character in the entire book. He is so full of sarcasm which is why I like him so much. He has an attitude that I absolutely adore. I love his glittery and funky style.

Sebastian: I have to honestly say that I didn't like him from the start. He irritated the crap out of me. I don't think he is gone forever though.

Jace: I don't even know where to start with Jace. In the middle of the book I didn't like him so much. He was doing the whole pity me act and to be honest it was getting slightly annoying. By the end of the book I was definitely loving Jayce again.

Jocelyn: I can't wait to see what happens with her character. I like that Cassandra Clare included her story in the book.

Clary: I think Clary grew up a lot in this book. She had to be the strong one in several parts of the book. I think Clary is going to end up being a very fierce shadowhunter to contend with.

I wasn't really sure if I was going to like this series or not. I really like the mortal Instrument books and I wasn't sure Cassandra Clare was going to be able to top her debut series. I was completely wrong. I was blown away. I loved this book. I thought Clockwork Angel was way better then the first Mortal Instruments trilogy.

I love the Victoria Era of London that the book is set in. It was definitely a change of scenery compared to all of the books I have been reading lately. Jem and Will...goodness can you say book character crushes. I don't know which one I like better. They are both so appealing. I keep dating back and forth on which one I want to end up with Tessa and I don't even know if that is where Cassandra is going to lead the characters. I loved getting to know the new characters. I think I fell more in love with these characters than the TMI characters.

Cassandra Clare did a wonderful job in describing Victoria Era London. I could picture everything she described. I felt pulled into the story at every page. I think Cassandra did a wonderful job with this book and I am looking forward to reading the next Infernal Devices book.

Stars: Three

"How far would you go to save the person you loved most in the world? And what if he were already...dead?"

Wren's boyfriend Danny died in a car accident before she had a chance to say goodbye. In a moment of grief, she brings him back from the dead with a powerful spell. But she soon realizes that the boy brought back is no longer quite the boy she loved.

I was surprised that the author focused a lot on love, loss, grief, and responsibility. The author shows us a lot of what Wren's and Danny's relationship should be and what it is now. You feel sympathy for Wren and the situation that she got herself into. Wren is a great character, she has complexity, conflict, and confusion. Wren is close to her sister, Robin and wants Robin to have the best. Wren has a rocky relationship with her mom; she tries to understand her mom and the power that she inherited.

At first the novel hand me wanting more. I wanted to keep reading to find out what happens next but the book started to become slower in the middle. Wren starts to neglect Danny and there wasn't a whole lot of paranormal parts in the book. Everything was implied but not described. Gabriel confused me a little. I understand that the author wanted to show how to move on but was the point to show that Gabriel had an insight power to sense others who had powers. The author really didn't do a whole lot with that knowledge basically making it pointless.

I liked that the author showed Wren's guilt and grief that was overwhelming her and how it affected the situation that she got herself into. It was quite refreshing that Wren expected the responsibility for her choices and found a way to remedy it. I liked the book but it is not my favorite. Would I recommend it? Probably to the right person, this is definitely not a book I would pick up for a light, fun summer read.

Stars: Five

I don’t even know where to start right now. All I can say is that I am completely blown away. It isn’t very often that a book catches me by surprise. I am a writer myself and so I usually try to figure out the plot and where the author is going with the story, why I am reading it. I was so engrossed in Rachel Carter’s book and so completely captivated that I just wanted to know what happens next…the story wasn’t as predictable as I thought it was going to be. Of course, with this being a trilogy…there has to be a cliff hanger but I wasn’t expecting this cliff hanger. Rachel left me wanting more. She wet my appetite, now I want the next course, and I don’t know where I am going to find the patience to wait for the next book. Can I just say that if Miss Rachel Carter wants to send me a copy of her second book…I would be jumping up and down. A big part of why I am reviewing this book on my blog and not just goodread’s is because I have a very special copy of SO CLOSE TO YOU. My copy was signed by Miss Rachel Carter herself. She had a giveaway that I entered on I believe the very last day you could enter and I won. I wasn’t expecting at all to win. I thought I would give this giveaway a chance even though I didn’t think I would win at all, needless to say I was completely stoked running out of my room ready to share the good news with the first person I saw as soon as I read the email. I tweeted Rachel thanking her for sending me the book and that I couldn’t wait to read it.

I was hooked on page 1. I didn’t want to put the book down. That night my eyes were glued to the page. I think I was up until 3 am before I finally gave up to try to get some sleep. I am one of those people who work a full time job during the day, so I was completely impatience about wanting to get home to finish the book. It seemed like things came up every day because I didn’t get the chance to finish SO CLOSE TO YOU until today. I was only half way through the book when I was already recommending people that I work with to read the book, and telling friend’s that they should go pick up a copy. I guess I should start telling you more about the book and less about my experience with it.


The Story is about Lydia and how she comes to find out that the Montauk Project really truly does exist. She realizes that her grandfather isn’t crazy and she wants to save his childhood. What she doesn’t know is where to start or what the consequences will be. Lydia loves her family so much that she is willing to do anything for them. Lydia meets Wes, a mysterious boy, first when he happened to be in the facility where Lydia became stuck in the Montauk Project; she doesn’t expect to see him again in 1944 where she becomes part of the past. The book shows Lydia’s journey in the pass and how Wes is involved. There is so much I want to say about what happens in the books but I don’t want to give any important spoilers away.


Lydia: The heroine of our story. She is definitely one of my favorite characters. I am usually one of those people who pick one of the not necessarily minor characters but one of the characters who is not a lead in the story. I am not usually the hugest fan of the lead characters. For example: Yes, I read twilight and my favorite character was Alice not Bella, not Edward, and not Jacob. I was an Alice fan the entire time. Rachel did a great job with Lydia, I think she has some room to grow, but I think she did well mapping out Lydia and her life. In a way I felt like I knew Lydia, like she was a personal friend of mine, I was rooting for Lydia to succeed. I could relate to the love that she had for her family and how she wanted to fix things; to help the people she loved. I know that Lydia isn’t going to leave things how they are in her life right now, so I am looking forward to my next adventure with Lydia because I know that her time with the Montauk Project is not done.


Wes: Definitely loved Wes right away. I was hoping that he wouldn’t be a “bad” guy but I think I would have been okay if we was. I just liked him right away. Wes is the boy that you crush on in high school. The cute loner boy that keeps to himself, not really saying much, being betrayed like he could be the sensitive type. I looked forward to every time Wes would enter in on the pages of the book. I had my own theories about Wes that are still up in the air right now, because I won’t to see where his future lies in the rest of the series.


Mary: Who wouldn’t want a sister like Mary? She would be anyone’s perfect best friend. I guess I shouldn’t say anyone but just about you have to be a complete grouch not to love Mary. I even think that if you were a grouch, Mary could put a smile on your face. Mary has so many sides, one minute she is the complete flirt and the next she is wishing she could just get the one guy’s attention that she really likes. Mary is very blunt about things two which is what made me love her right away. I hope we will be able to see Mary again.


Lucas: I had a feeling Lucas was going to be one of those sweetheart boys that is charming but yet who’s crushes never leave last long. I know a few Lucas’ in my own life. Lucas is more like the popular guy that has a new crush every week. It was so easy for him to switch his focus to another girl.


I have never been drawn to time traveling books but SO CLOSE TO YOU has made me think about possibly trying out the genre again. I might just leave my time traveling experiences to Carter's book only. I don't want to get my hopes too high because Carter's book definitely set the bar high for my experiences with time travel. I absolutely love that the book is set in our time and in the time of World War II. I have always had an interest with World War II and the holocaust.


Rachel: You did a great job with your debut novel. I am looking forward to the sequel. Keep Writing you definitely have a fan in me.