Such a Pretty Face: Book Review

It's been a month since I've blogged, but I have a long list of blog posts up my sleeve. I'm ready to get back into writing every day. I need to for me. While I was on a blogging hiatus, I was able to read many books, and I didn't even buy any new ones! I actually wrote out a list of all of the books I have and I didn't read, and it's longer than I care to admit. So I figured, if I read what I have, I could eventually buy more, right, even though my bookcase is filled beyond capacity. Such a Pretty Face by Cathy Lamb was given to me by a friend to borrow. While I didn't think I'd enjoy this book, and I didn't in the beginning, it did eventually become a good read in the end.

Synopsis According to Barnes&Noble:

In this warm, funny, thoroughly candid novel, acclaimed author Cathy Lamb introduces an unforgettable heroine who's half the woman she used to be, and about to find herself for the first time...

Two years and 170 pounds ago, Stevie Barrett was wheeled into an operating room for surgery that most likely saved her life. Since that day, a new Stevie has emerged, one who walks without wheezing, plants a garden for self-therapy, and builds and paints fantastical wooden chairs. At thirty-five, Stevie is the one thing she never thought she'd be: thin.

But for everything that's changed, some things remain the same. Stevie's shyness refuses to melt away. She still can't look her neighbors' gorgeous great-nephew in the eye. The Portland law office where she works remains utterly dysfunctional, as does her family--the aunt, uncle, and cousins who took her in when she was a child. To top it off, her once supportive best friend clearly resents her weight loss.

By far the biggest challenge in Stevie's new life lies in figuring out how to define her new self. Collaborating with her cousins to plan her aunt and uncle's problematic fortieth anniversary party, Stevie starts to find some surprising answers--about who she is, who she wants to be, and how the old Stevie evolved in the first place. And with each revelation, she realizes the most important part of her transformation may not be what she's lost, but the courage and confidence she's gathering, day by day.

As achingly honest as it is witty, Such A Pretty Face is a richly insightful novel of one woman's search for love, family, and acceptance, of the pain we all carry--and the wonders that can happen when we let it go at last.

My Review:

Upon reading the beginning, readers are immediately pushed into an incredible captivating and heart-wrenching situation - Stevie has a mother with schizophrenia, and during one of her episodes, she throws both Stevie and her sister over a bridge and into the dark water below them, eventually throwing herself over as well. Stevie is the only one to survive, and like others who have been through tragedies, she turns to food for comfort, for over two decades, until that is, she has a heart attack. She gets her stomach shrunk and extra skin taken off, but inside she is still the broken little girl that had seen too much. The book was extremely slow in the beginning, even though the story-line was captivating. Usually when I read books that I love, I always want to read them, but this one I dreaded picking it up to just read a page. I found myself flipping the pages, counting how many I had until I was done with a chapter. 

Stevie needed a support system, more than anything, to help her through her struggles and emotions, but she didn't have one. Aside from her caring cousins, her uncle that had taken her in was of no help and neither was her 'best friend.' Instead her uncle and friend were demeaning and disrespectful, making Stevie believe that she needed to keep quiet her whole life, holding in her feelings, succumbing to what everyone else wanted. I'm sure this is relatable on many aspects; I know I've had a friend or two that made me feel that way. I felt like the author really brought this out quite well through Stevie's thoughts that were shared with readers, but I kept wishing that she'd be more confident in herself. 

The book took a turn for the better towards the end, and I found that I was enjoying it more and more as pieces of Stevie fell into place. I enjoyed the author's writing style, how she told the story, tying in the past with the present, learning who Stevie was as Stevie was learning about herself. I was happy to give this book back to my friend, and I probably wouldn't recommend it to anyone, unless they're going through a similar situation, so they can see it from different perspectives. 

"Dealing with adults in denial is excruciating. You can't force them to get care, even if their own life is at stake. Talking won't do it, threats won't, tears and hysterics, nothing. They have to want it themselves. They have to want to help themselves. And until they've hit the bottom, until they're literally fighting for their lives, struggling around, gasping, scratching for an edge to bring their noses above water, until they can actually touch death with their own fingertips, they'll refuse help" (page 128). 

"The only good thing about seeing someone in a heart wrenching position is that it makes your problems appear to be nothing, because, usually they are. Somebody billions of somebody's, always have it worse than you on this planet. Always" (page 189). 

"You know how you houseclean to get rid of dust and dirt? Sometimes I think you have to people clean too" (page 409).

My Rating: 3 Stars

The Secret Year: Book Review

This was another book that I borrowed from my friend, and I'm glad I borrowed it instead of buying it because I was not impressed. I usually fall in love with the characters and the story line of most of the books I read, because I know what I like when I read the back of the books. The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard was not a book I'd recommend to anyone - it was short and the story line was weak. I thought the story could have been written better because the plot was rather interesting... a secret relationship, one dies and leaves a journal and the other is figuring out what their relationship really meant. Unfortunately, it was just a terrible version of Romeo and Juliet.

Synopsis According to Barnes&Noble:

Colt and Julia were secretly together for a year, and no one ever knew, not even Julia's boyfriend. Why would they-they were from two different crowds. Julia lived in her country club world and Colt . . . didn't. Then Julia dies in a car accident. Colt is devastated but can't mourn openly, and he's tormented that he may have played a part in her death. And when Julia's journal ends up in his hands, he is forced to relive their year together-just when he is trying to forget. The problem is, how do you get over someone who was never really yours to begin with?


My Review:

The beginning of this book started off great, a secret love in high school between two people on the opposite sides of the economic ladder in town. Julia, being the rich girl, and Colt, being the boy that lived on the farm. While Julia had a boyfriend for show, she was secretly having a love affair with Colt. When Julia dies, Colt is unable to get over it, even though he tries to push it out of his mind, and tries to cover his pain with not one girlfriend, but eventually another one. It sounds like a great story, an intense love between two young individuals, but the author was unable to provide readers with exactly that. I think Hubbard could have had a much better story out of this plot, but it was really poorly executed. I honestly could have gone by in life without having read this book, and I would've been fine. Luckily, it was short so it wasn't a waste of too much time. I don't recommend this book, unless you're looking for a quick read. 

My Rating: 1 Star

Before I Fall: Book Review

I've had my eye on the book, Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, for awhile now, but never got around to purchasing it... thankfully, my bookworm friend had it and let me borrow it, among plenty of other books that I'll be doing reviews on in the upcoming weeks. This is definitely a book I would've bought myself just to have on my shelf though!

Synopsis from Barnes&Noble:

What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: the world’s most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High, from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12 should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last.

Fortunately, she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

My Review:

While I liked the book, I have to admit, I really thought it'd be more interesting, but I am reminded of mean girls, four best friends who terrorize and make fun of all their classmates that they deem 'below' them. It's sad that Samantha Kingston dies, and has to relive the last day of her life seven times, but it's annoying to hear the day happen again exactly the way it had with minimal differences, still leading to the party, the first few times. However, I did enjoy seeing how little decisions changes what happens, and it's interesting to think about your own daily choices and how they change the evens of your own life. One decision, one thing that happens can cause other things to happen; and maybe, just maybe there's a list of things that could happen underneath each moment in life. After the fourth reoccurrence of the day Sam got into the accident and died, Sam finally realizes that she's dead. She's also realizing that even though she's popular, she doesn't have any real, true friends. 

Even though readers know she's dead, I feel as if she can still change her outcome. 

I get this feeling of anxiety while reading this book, again I know that she's dead and that she's going to repeat the same day seven times, but I can't help but wish that it'll stop, that she'll wake up and it'll all be a dream, and that she's not dead, but in a dream where she realizes who she really is. This book ended up having such a hold on me; it honestly made me afraid of dying, because you don't get the chance to redo things so it makes me think about my decisions today and all the days ahead. Everything in life is complex and connected, and while I didn't need to read a book to realize that, it became prominent in this book. 

Not all books have happy endings, but there were plenty of lessons learned. Aside from the book being slow in the beginning, it turned out to be a great story. I would definitely recommend this book. 

"You can see them every day- you can think you know them- And then you find out you hardly know them at all" (page 159). 

"But for some of us there's only today. And the truth is, you never really know" (page 268). 

"I suppose that's the secret, if you're ever wishing for things to go back to the way they were. You just have to look up" (page 284). 

"As we pull out of the parking lot, it occurs to me that maybe it's not so complicated at all. Most of the time - 99% of the time - you just don't know how and why the threads are looped together, and that's okay" (page 425-426)

My Rating: 4 Stars

Remember Me: Book Review

This week was filled with traveling, a wake and a funeral, and a first birthday, as well as tons of workouts and healthy eating... but as you can tell I haven't been blogging as much because of said busyness. I'm trying to slowly get back into it, so I'll start with a simple book review. I wrote down a list of all the books I have that I have yet to read yet, and it filled a whole page! I need to stop buying new books, and start reading the ones I have, therefore, I read Remember Me by Deborah Bedford, a book I believe I picked up at a goodwill store, but I can't remember. I have to admit though, the back of the book was much more intriguing than the actual book.

Synopsis According to Barnes&Noble:

Sam Tibbits loves life--especially life at Piddock Beach, where his family spends their vacations. It's here that he's come to care for Aubrey, his childhood confidante. So the year Aubrey's family moves away with no forwarding address, Sam is crushed. He was going to propose.
Aubrey McCart enjoys being with Sam; he accepts her unconditionally like her father never has. But when her father's pride and joy--her brother--is killed in Vietnam, Aubrey is unable to cope. She chooses a path that changes her life forever, leading her away from Sam. 
Years later, when Sam and Aubrey find themselves back at Piddock Beach, the two are forced to confront their abandoned friendship and make peace with their lives. But can they do so without overstepping their moral boundaries?

My Review:

Aubrey and Sam meet at Piddock Beach one night in the summer when he's trying to find clams with his sister Brenda - unable to find any Aubrey helps and from there a friendship blooms, eventually into a first love, when they share their first kiss together. However, only seeing each other in the summer seems to be difficult, but the good thing about their relationship is that they write to each other during the school year. I enjoyed reading Aubrey's letters, knowing what was on her mind filled in some of the gaps as to what she was doing throughout the year, but I wondered why the author didn't include Sam's letters - it would have really put their relationship into perspective if I could have read his letters, and felt his feelings through words. Aubrey's brother, Kenneth - the beloved son of their father, dies while in Cambodia at war - and I believe this is the turning point in the book, the point where Aubrey's relationship with her father is forever altered, as well as the one she held on to so tightly with Sam. Sam is never told, and Aubrey leaves two months prior to the day he visits her to propose. He leaves to finish college, and eventually the seminary.

The author gives us both Sam and Aubrey's perspective though, and the chapters are written quite nicely. Many things have occurred in their lives, but I must admit I like reading about Aubrey's life, because it's a little more interesting than Sam's, not that I'm not religious, but I just can't relate to Sam's life. It amazes me that events in both of their lives lead them back to Piddock Beach, looking at the same things like the lighthouse, and yet not together - not even realizing that they're that close to each other. I honestly believed that when Sam and Aubrey saw each other for the first time in years, the scene would have been more passionate, more exciting. things happened very abruptly in this book; I felt like I was reading about the next event before the current event even finished.

Remember Me, reminded me of a less well-written Nicholas Sparks book. I wasn't a fan of the ending, even though it was happy in some aspects. I feel as if the book wasn't worth my time, even though it wasn't as predictable as I thought it'd be.

"She taught him that there were parts of human love, too, that never end. That love doesn't always die and that, sometimes, love becomes stronger when it changes" (page 283). 

My Rating: 2 Stars

Wildflower Hill: Book Review

My cousin gave me the book Wildflower Hill by Kimberley Freeman, that she had won on Goodreads several months ago. I didn't read the book until a couple of weeks ago because I was hesitant; I wasn't sure that I'd enjoy a book that was set in London and Australia, half narrated many, many years before I was even born. I couldn't have been more wrong, and I'm so glad I took a chance and read the book.

Synopsis According to Barnes&Noble:

SPANNING THREE GENERATIONS AND HALF THE WORLD, WILDFLOWER HILL IS A SWEEPING, ROMANTIC, AND COMPELLING STORY OF TWO WOMEN WHO SHARE A LEGACY OF SECRETS, HEARTBREAK, COURAGE, AND LOVE.

Emma, a prima ballerina in London, is at a crossroads after an injured knee ruins her career. Forced to rest and take stock of her life, she finds that she’s mistaken fame and achievement for love and fulfillment. Returning home to Australia, she learns of her grandmother Beattie’s death and a strange inheritance: a sheep station in isolated rural Australia. Certain she has been saddled with an irritating burden, Emma prepares to leave for Wildflower Hill to sell the estate.

Beattie also found herself at a crossroads as a young woman, but she was pregnant and unwed. She eventually found success—but only after following an unconventional path that was often dangerous and heartbreaking. Beattie knew the lessons she learned in life would be important to Emma one day, and she wanted to make sure Emma’s heart remained open to love, no matter what life brought. She knew the magic of the Australian wilderness would show Emma the way.

Wildflower Hill is a compelling, atmospheric, and romantic novel about taking risks, starting again, and believing in yourself. It’s about finding out what you really want and discovering that the answer might be not at all what you’d expect.

My Review:

Wildflower Hill truly has it all - racism/discrimination, generational differences, war, love, hate, marriage, divorce, cheating, kidnapping, and eventually death. And to think this is what almost stopped me from even reading the book. One would think all of these themes would be unable to fit together in one book, but Freeman does it quite wonderfully. Every few chapters she changes the narrator, so the reader gets a chance to see both Bettie's story all those years ago, and then Emma's story after Bettie, her grandmother, has passed away. I honestly loved the first few pages when young, 11 year old Emma and Bettie are together, and Bettie tells her that she has something for her, but only when she is done being a Ballerina, something that Emma thinks she will never be done with. Seeing the characters together was a great way to start off the book, that only connects the characters throughout the rest of the story using the themes I have described above. 

We find Bettie unwed, and yet pregnant - losing everything within chapters, from her job and friends to her family and the baby's father, Henry. He wants nothing to do with her because he is married and cannot leave his wife, that is until Bettie leaves and lives in a home where unwed mothers give up their babies for adoption. They run off together to Australia, but Henry is always leaving her and the baby, Lucy, on their own to drink and gamble. He's an abusive, alcoholic, but he loves his daughter more than anything. After 4 years, Bettie is done with the abuse, and she has reason to believe that Henry and Molly, Henry's wife, will take Lucy and run away together. So instead of giving him the chance, she takes Lucy and goes to Lewinford to work as a seamstress. She also gets a job at Wildflower Hill, a rather promiscuous farm, serving food and drinks to guests. I look up to Bettie because she has such strong willpower, to do whatever she can for her daughter Lucy, even when Lucy sadly isn't in the picture anymore. I don't think any reader could have predicted what would happen to Beattie, because it seemed as if she just couldn't get a break. 

With Emma, however, it's a different story, she's 32 and has no dreams of being a mother or having a family, and eventually her boyfriend leaves her because she is so wrapped up in ballet, that there is no room for anything else. She's a dancer, through and through, that is until she falls and tears ligaments in her knee, forcing her to move back to Australia with her mom, discovering her grandmother's gift to her, which she was to receive only after she had retired from dancing. She wasn't ready to retire, but now she is forced to. Emma begins to find things out at Wildflower Hill about her grandmother's past, and eventually about her own future. 

This is a powerful story, one that makes me hope that everyone has a happy ending, even if it's generations later. 

"He seemed to her in that moment as he had always seemed: a stranger right beside her, somebody she knew well but didn't know at all" (page 14).

"Even a stopped clock shows the right time twice a day" (page 149).

"But the worst mistake we can make about old people is to forget they were once young" (page 412).

My Rating: 5 Stars

Perks of Being a Wallflower: Book Review

Sometimes when I see a book turned movie first, before reading the book, I immediately head out to the nearest B&N right after to buy the book and start reading. I usually try and read the book first, but sometimes that doesn't happen. To be honest, majority of the time the books are always better, except in this instance, with Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky and also when I read P.S I love you. Both times I saw the movie prior to reading the book, so that might have something to do with it, but I truly loved the characters and the way the scenes played out better on the big screen. So you might see where I'm going with this book review.

Synopsis According to Barnes&Noble:

Standing on the fringes of life...

offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative new voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters 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 and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.

Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.

My Review:

I picked up this book on Black Friday, a few weeks after having seen the movie, which I fell in love with in the theaters. The book is written in letter-form, different letters that Charlie writes periodically beginning in August of 1991, his first year of high school. The book is very different from the movie, and I found myself falling more in love with the scenes in the movie, rather than the book. The characters are described perfectly in the book; and I enjoyed the relationships that were developing between Charlie and Bill, and Charlie and his friends Sam and Patrick, the kind of friendship I wish I had. I feel as if Charlie is an extremely relatable character, whether you're a freshman in high school or a senior in college. He sees himself in a certain way, and has trouble being positive most of the time. I think we can all look back on certain parts of our life, and know that we were Charlie. He's a wallflower - he sees things, keeps quite about them, and understands. Most of us, at least now a days, aren't wallflowers; we're too excited to pass along the information or start rumors about what we've seen, but we can all learn a lot from young Charlie. 

My favorite part in the book, as well as the movie, was the Secret Santa exchange and I'm glad they didn't change much in the movie. 

Charlie, we find out, is an innocent victim, but he doesn't even realize it... though with the help of a psychiatrist, he just might realize what happened to him in the past, and learn that addictions to drugs and cigarettes cannot help him forget or move on. His breakdown is incredible heartbreaking and it creates the passion in me to help children, like Charlie. Through Charlie's letters you are able to get a sense of everything that Charlie is thinking and some of it is funny because his written thoughts are the same as my unwritten thoughts, sometimes, and his life seems relatable in a sense - a dad who hates showing his vulnerable emotions, a sister who is there for her siblings, but still fights with them from time to time, a mother who doesn't work and puts on a smile pretending everything is okay, and crazy dramatic family members. 

I have to admit, I loved the movie more than I liked the book. I felt like I was able to connect more with the characters on the screen. If I hadn't seen the movie, I probably wouldn't have ever read this book. 

"We accept the love we think we deserve" (page 24).

"It's strange because sometimes, I read a book, and I think I am the people in the book" (page 28).

"And in that moment, I swear we were infinite" (page 39).

"Everything has already happened, so it makes it hard to break new ground. Nobody can be as big as the Beatles because the Beatles already gave it a 'context.' The reason they were so big is that they had no one to compare themselves with, so the sky was the limit" (page 104-105). 

My Rating: 3 Stars

Breaking Dawn: Book Review

Just like the rest of the Twilight Saga books, by Stephenie Meyer, I read this one for a second time quite recently. After I saw  Breaking Dawn Part 2, I immediately went home and read the saga from Twilight to Breaking Dawn, and I fell in love with Edward and Bella once more. I honestly can't say one bad thing about any of these books, even though I know bad things have been said by critics about the relationship that Bella has with Edward, and basically Bella in general. I believe in true love though, and that may just be the difference between the critics and myself.

[via instagram: kristynnicole1]

Synopsis from Barnes&Noble:

Fans of The Twilight Saga will stampede to snatch up Breaking Dawn, the much anticipated fourth book in Stephenie Meyer's vampire love series.

In this riveting novel, questions will be answered and the fate of Bella and Edward will be revealed.

How will it all end?

My Review:

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes... well you know, or at least you think you do.

The wedding between Bella and Edward, in my opinion, was absolutely beautiful and I could just see it perfectly in my head while reading each line. I felt bad for Jacob at first, but it seems as if he only keeps hurting himself because of the seemingly invisible gravitational pull that pulls him to Bella over and over again. Despite Jacob's anger, the wedding goes off flawlessly and before they know it they're leaving for their honeymoon. Isle Esme, where Bella and Edward end up for their surprise honeymoon, sounds incredible, beyond belief. I'd love to go to an island alone with my future husband, if I were Bella.

Of course readers know what's coming... they make love, but Edward has difficulty controlling himself and bruises Bella. While she wants to try again, Edward is hesitant, and although he denies Bella over and over again, he eventually gives in to Bella's seduction. Unbeknownst to Bella and Edward, you can get pregnant by a vampire... because she does, and the process is shortened into weeks rather than 9 months.

It's terrifying to read about Bella and how she looks through the eyes of others, Jacob especially. I had forgotten that Meyer shows readers Jacob's perspective. Even though readers believe that Bella won't make it and we're on edge as we flip the pages, I think we all knew that Meyer wouldn't kill of the main character. She lives and will live forever because Edward was able to save her with the help of his venom. Not only does she live, but she also gives birth to a beautiful girl - Renesmee. Jacob imprints right away, which we should have all seen coming since he was always so attached to Bella as was she to him, even before she was pregnant. It's as if Jacob knew he'd imprint on a part of Bella.

The way Meyer describes Bella and how her perspective has changed is amazing, like she's describing the world to a blind person.

I love the bond that Renesmee has on Bella, even without her spending much time with her, I just wish she was able to spend more time with her without everyone worrying about her 'newborn tendencies,' that she clearly doesn't have. Their bond, however, is truly unbreakable.

A vampire sees Renesmee, but sees her as a child, and makes the assumption that the Cullens have turned a child into a vampire, which of course creates tension between the Cullens and the Volturi. My heart is racing as all of the covens gather together and train for what could be the fight of their lives, even though I already know the outcome. I liked the fight scene in the movie much better than the book, even though Bella's power was used throughout the entire fight scene in the book. You must read this book from cover to cover in order to find out how it ends though.

My favorite part of the book was when Bella took away her shield and Edward was able to read her thoughts and see all of their firsts from their first meeting to their first kiss. It made my heart race and it made me smile as Edward's happiness was shining out from the words.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Eclipse: Book Review

Eclipse, the third book of the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer, grabbed readers and held them closely as Bella chose between the love of her existence and the love of her life. I have to admit, I thought this book was much more intense the first time around, at least in the fight scenes... the scenes between Bella and Edward, and Bella and Jacob are full of passion though, and it makes choosing a team rather difficult. 

Synopsis According to Barnes&Noble:

Readers captivated by Twilight and New Moon will eagerly devour the paperback edition Eclipse, the third book in Stephenie Meyer's riveting vampire love saga. As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob —- knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?

My Review:

Edward returns and all is well, except the fact that Edward won't allow Bella to see Jacob, because he's trying to protect her, and it breaks her heart. It's difficult for me, as a reader, to see Bella struggle book after book. Not only does she have problems with Edward and Jacob, but Victoria is still on the hunt, and the Cullen's made a promise to the Volturi to change Bella into a vampire, since she knows too much. This book is packed with drama, but only one thing is resolved by the end. However, readers are able to find out more about the Cullen's and how they came to be, specifically Rosalie. We're able to look at Rosalie from a different perspective, feel sympathetic towards her, and understand why she treats Bella the way she does. They're all just trying to protect Bella in the best way possible. 

Meanwhile, Bella is sneaking away to La Push to see Jacob, and taking every chance she gets to see him. It's as if she's being pulled like a magnet to Jacob, and yet Jacob and Edward's magnets cannot meet - they cannot be together. In the end though, we learn that it was really Edward's Bella and Jacob's Bella that couldn't meet. 

It really makes you wonder ... without Bella there would be no fighting, but there also wouldn't be an amazing love story. And even though in some instances you can tell how young Bella really is, no one can deny the love she has for Edward. While Bella loves Jacob too, she loves Edward more. 

In the end, the werwolves and vampires come together for the fight of their lives against the newborn army that has been created. The fight isn't as intense as I remembered it, but that may just be because I've seen the movie, and it seems more brutal and fast paced than the book. I love that Meyers includes a ton of foreshadowing about Jacob and it just makes you want to read the last book that much more. 

"The clouds I can handle Bella. But I can't fight with an eclipse" (page 600). 

My Rating: 5 Stars

New Moon: Book Review

I was entranced by New Moon by Stephenie Meyer, the second book in the Twilight Saga, and I was able to pick up on many foreshadowing events the second time around, than I had the first time I read it about 3 years ago. 

Synopsis According to Barnes&Noble:

For Bella Swan, there is one thing more important than life itself: Edward Cullen. But being in love with a vampire is more dangerous than Bella ever could have imagined. Edward has already rescued Bella from the clutches of an evil vampire, but now, as their daring relationship threatens all that is near and dear to them, they realize their troubles may just be beginning....

Legions of readers entranced by the New York Times bestseller Twilight are hungry for more, and they won't be disappointed by this gripping sequel. In New Moon, Stephenie Meyer delivers another irresistible combination of romance and suspense with a supernatural twist. Passionate, riveting, and deeply moving, this vampire love saga is well on its way to literary immortality.

My Review:

Edward and Bella's relationship has grown to new levels, but I don't think any of Stephenie Meyer's readers believe that Edward could even leave Bella, even when he does. I thought it'd be back within the next chapter... little did I know. Before Edward left, leaving Bella with nothing but memories that would soon fade, having a human's mind and all, there was a good amount of foreshadowing. Meyer's let her readers know what was eventually coming. Not only does Edward tell Bella that he'd only stay with her if that's what was safest for her, but he also explains to Bella that he thought about suicide when she almost died, in Twilight, she asks how vampires could ever do that and his remark was simple - go to Italy and provoke the Volturi. The birthday party is when the safety of Bella became prominent, and that's when Edward decided enough was enough. 

When he leaves with his family, Bella is heartbroken, as are the readers... at least those on Team Edward! Though I was confused during the movies as to whose team I was on (because let's face it - Taylor Lautner is gorgeous), after I reread the books, it only confirmed that I'm Team Edward all the way. Although I love the friendship that blossoms between Bella and Jacob. 

The heartbreak reminds me of Ross and Rachel, yes I am referencing a couple from the television show FRIENDS. I cried during their breakups, even on reruns, knowing they were going to get back together in the end. Even though I knew that this wasn't the end of Bella and Edward, I still had tears building up in my eyes. 

More foreshadowing lets readers know that there is a connection between Bella hearing the sniffing of a dog while she's lying on the forest ground, and the rest of the story. Eventually Jacob can't see Bella anymore, and it brings Bella back into the depression that once held her when Edward left. Jacob was saying the same things that Edward had once said, but this time Jacob wants Bella to guess his secret, and refuses to leave her the way Edward had, no matter how dangerous. I found it interesting that Bella figures out both mysteries in her dreams; it's like her subconscious knew all along what Edward and Jacob really were. 

Bella learns that if she does stupid and reckless things, she can see Edward, hear his voice, and believe that he still cares. Meanwhile, Victoria is still after Bella for revenge. Eventually Bella pushes her reckless limits and before you know it, she's in Italy, running for her life... and Edward's. The way Meyer describes the last few chapters is truly incredible, and made me feel like I was in the story, looking back in the Volturi's blood thirsty eyes. 

"Before you, Bella, my life was like a moonless night. Very dark, but there were stars - points of light and reason... And then you shot across my sky like a meteor. Suddenly everything was on fire; there was brillancy, there was beauty. When you were gone, when the meteor had fallen over the horizon, everything went black. Nothing had changed, but my eyes were blinded by the light. I couldn't see the stars anymore. And there was no more reason for anything" (page 514). 

My Rating: 5 Stars

Twilight: Book Review

Ever since Breaking Dawn Part II came out, I fell in love with the Twilight Saga, by Stephenie Meyer, all over again, and even though I had already read and finished all of the books, I immediately started reading them over. This gave me the perfect chance to give 4 new book reviews on my blog, since I had read them before I started this blog. I might be biased because I love the saga, and only fell deeper in love with the books the second time around, but I just can't help it, and you'll learn why, starting with the first book, Twilight.

Synopsis According to Barnes&Noble:

Isabella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Isabella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Isabella, the person Edward holds most dear. The lovers find themselves balanced precariously on the point of a knife-between desire and danger. Deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight captures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires. This is a love story with bite.

My Review:

I never read books twice, but Twilight is definitely a book that I could read over and over again, and still fall deeper into the story. No matter where I'm reading this book, I feel as if I'm in Forks, standing right next to Bella and Edward from the meadow to the ballet studio. Reading it this second time, it was exactly how I remembered it, each and every chapter. I absolutely love how easily Bella and Edward's relationship develops so quick, but so gradually... neither of them can stay away from each other, from the moment they first lay eyes on each other. Readers are able to feel the passion and imagine the scenes playing in their heads. Bella and Edward have the kind of love where they can't be away from the other; minutes feel like hours. I know it may sound like a teenagers first love, but this is something so much more - they never had a choice. 

Not only does their relationship develop quickly, but their love grows like wildfire. They spend nights talking, talking about theories of what Edward could be, and how although he tells her he's dangerous, they both know there's nothing they can do - they're already in love. 

I never noticed it when I read it the first time, but there is a ton of foreshadowing, between Jacob being a wolf, Edward talking about leaving to keep Bella safe, and Bella talking about hurting herself to keep Edward close - of course we find none of this out until the last few pages of Twilight and the beginning of New Moon. While Edward is brutally honest with Bella in the meadow - wanting to kill her, but going to extreme measures not to by going to Alaska and trying to ignore her, "the lion fell in love with the lamb." Their love, though it's seemingly unnatural, feels so natural, so right. They are the most important things in each others lives. I feel like I can relate to the relationship between Bella and Edward, especially Bella feeling so lost without him, needing to be with him 24/7. 

The end becomes more intense as readers flip the page - from Bella discovering the history of the Cullen's, which is fascinating and interesting... how they came to be and  how they possess powers, or rather their senses intensified in their new life. I found Alice's previous life to be the most interesting, because she didn't remember her human life, having been in an asylum before she was changed into a vampire. 

While Bella was tricked so so easily into meeting up with her enemy, I'm so glad that Edward made it on time and that the ending was more or less a happy one, at prom - leaving readers thinking that he's going to bite her and turn her into a vampire. However, I will say that I found the fight scene to be a little dull, at least when you compare it to those in the following books. 

I would recommend this book, and the saga, to anyone. It has a little bit of everything for everyone - love and passion, fight scenes and suspense, and mystery. 

"What if I'm not a superhero? What if I'm the bad guy? He smiled playfully, but his eyes were impenetrable" (page 92). 

"Because when I thought of him, of his voice, his hypnotic eyes, the magnetic force of his personality, I wanted nothing more than to be with him right now" (page 139). 

My Rating: 5 Stars