WAITING ON WEDNESDAY #2

March.30,2011

Here is this weeks book that I am bitting my nails until its release date!!!

Author: Stacey Jay

Release Date: September.13,2011

Publisher: Delacorte Books

"These violent delights have violent ends
And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which as they kiss consume."
—Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

The most tragic love story in history . . .

Juliet Capulet didn't take her own life. She was murdered by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn't anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For 700 years, she's fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Until the day she meets someone she's forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love.

**** I guess there is more to Romeo and Juliet than meets the eye! ****

IT'S WEDNESDAY WHAT ARE YOU WAITING ON?????

GLIMMERGLASSS

SOURCE: Purchased

AUTHOR: Jenna Black

PUBLISHED: May.25th, 2010

PUBLISHER: St. Martin's Griffin
LENGTH: 294 pgs.
PURCHASE: AMAZON

It’s all she’s ever wanted to be, but it couldn’t be further from her grasp…   

Dana Hathaway doesn’t know it yet, but she’s in big trouble.  When her alcoholic mom shows up at her voice recital drunk, again, Dana decides she’s had enough and runs away to find her mysterious father in Avalon: the only place on Earth where the regular, everyday world and the captivating, magical world of Faerie intersect. But from the moment Dana sets foot in Avalon, everything goes wrong, for it turns out she isn't just an ordinary teenage girl—she's a Faeriewalker, a rare individual who can travel between both worlds, and the only person who can bring magic into the human world and technology into Faerie.  
 Soon, Dana finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat game of Fae politics. Someone's trying to kill her, and everyone seems to want something from her, from her newfound friends and family to Ethan, the hot Fae guy Dana figures she’ll never have a chance with… until she does.  Caught between two worlds, Dana isn’t sure where she’ll ever fit in and who can be trusted, not to mention if her world will ever be normal again…

********************************************************

FIRST IMPRESSION: 

Who doesn't love the cover of this book, I immediately fell head over heels in love! Between the cover, the fae, and the posh Avalon setting I just knew I was going to love Glimmerglass.

LIKES:

The action sequences.

DISLIKES:

The evolution of the characters just didn't seem to be there. The love story was lack luster. The story itself was rather confusing at times.

OVERALL REVIEW:

I couldn't wait to read Glimmerglass from the moment I purchased it! I had such high hopes and expectations for this book and needless to say I was let down. Where do I begin?? First off the story hits the ground running, be prepared to be swept away from page 1! There is no build up, no real back story just GO! Needless to say I felt like the phone had been picked up after half a ring and I wasn't ready to talk yet, shocked and stunned...I was already lost.

After I composed myself and realized this was going to be written unlike any other book I've read I was able to continue reading. Slowly a back story started to appear. Dana was running away from her alcoholic mother to find her absent father. Oh yeah... he father is fae...Dana is aware of this from the start of the book and she is also very aware that she is half fae herself. No worry there is a place called Avalon that is in England, fae and humans live there in harmony. Bordering Avalon’s walls is faerie, a place where only fae can live. Confused much yet?

I know what you're thinking is Avalon a real city or a fae city? Good question, Avalon is a co-city....it's not a real human city, but it's not a fae city either. Mortals, half breeds, and fae can all live in harmony here. However, fae can't go outside Avalon to any other "mortal only “city such as Paris, the same way mortals can't go into faerie.

I was starting to get a little planet of the apes/avatar feeling and I didn't like it. With everyone knowing fae existed and in fact living with them in the tourist attraction city of Avalon, where was the buildup going to be? There was an attempt at a mini love story/attraction, but for me it just didn't feel real. I never felt connected to Dana or her love interest and I didn't particularly care if they did or didn't get together.

For me my favorite character in this book was Danas father... a powerful Fae who was hard as steel, cold as ice, but somewhere under all that had a warm soft spot for his only child. Who can Dana trust, who is lying to her, who is telling the truth?

There are a few twists and turns in Glimmerglass, many of them you can see coming from a mile away, but they do give the book a bit of interest. Oh, wait, what about Glimmerglass?!!! The most significant part of the book was glanced over without a second thought. Basically Glimmerglass is double sight. When you look out into the fog or a seemingly empty space you see the human realm like everyone else, but you also see into faerie(the fae only world) . There is no real description of what exactly Dana sees other than it's faerie and it makes her sick when she sees the double vision.

Overall I was not impressed with Glimmerglass at all. I love faery books more than any other genre out there, but I think they are all starting to sound the same. Seelie/Unseelie, same kings,same queens, same story. If Glimmerglass had been my first Fae book perhaps I would've given it more of a thumbs up, but having read so many extremely well written fae books(The Iron Fey series, Wicked Lovely series),that Glimmerglass just didn't stack up against the competition. I didn't see any unique twist on the traditional fae story that would make me recommend Glimmerglass to anyone who has already read a handful of other fae novels.

Would I read the rest of this series...yes...simply because I want to see if the story develops and maybe Glimmerglass was just a fluke, however I wouldn't put it at the top of my TBR lists.

Did you read Glimmerglass or Shadowspell??? What did you think does the story get better?

                                     PINCH

What Are You Reading?

March.28,2011

    Last Week: I Finished Cute Eats Cute, C.B Murphy

            This Week: I'm Reading  Infinite Days, Rebecca Maizel 

            Next Week: I'm reading Huntress, Malinda Lo

WHAT ARE YOU READING?



Cute Eats Cute Goodreads



Infinite Days Goodreads

Huntress Goodreads

DARK GODDESS

*Billi SanGreal #2*

SOURCE:  Star Book Tours
AUTHOR: Sarwat Chadda
PUBLISHED: 1st pub. January.25th 2010, Re-release January.25th 2011
PUBLISHER: Hyperion Book CH
LENGTH: 384 pgs.
PURCHASE: AMAZON

New enemies, new romance, and new horrors,

Billi's back, and it seems like the Unholy just can't take a hint.

Still reeling from the death of her best friend, Kay, Billi's thrust back into action when the Templars are called to investigate werewolf activity. And these werewolves are like nothing Bilil's seen before.
They call themselves the Polenitsy - Man Killers. The ancient warrior women of Eastern Europe, supposedly wiped out centuries ago. But now they're out of hiding and on the hunt for a Spring Child -- an Oracle powerful enough to blow the volcano at Yellowstone -- precipitating a Fimbulwinter that will wipe out humankind for good.
The Templars follow the stolen Spring Child to Russia, and the only people there who can help are the Bogatyrs, a group of knights who may have gone to the dark side. To reclaim the Spring Child and save the world, Billi needs to earn the trust of Ivan Romanov, an arrogant young Bogatyr whose suspicious of people in general, and of Billi in particular.
Dark Goddess is a page-turning, action-packed sequel that spans continents, from England to the Russian underworld and back. This is an adventure of folklore and myth become darkly real. Of the world running out of time. And of Billi SanGreal, the only one who can save it.
*******************************************************
 

FIRST IMPRESSION:

Loved the cover! Without reading the synopsis I thought it would be about a vampire killer from Russia or the Ukraine....I was partly right with the location.

LIKES:

I really enjoyed the character development and descriptive scenery.

DISLIKES:

Dark Goddess is a sequel to A Devils Kiss and unfortunately I did not read that before jumping into Dark Goddess.

OVERALL REVIEW:

My first mistake was not reading A Devils Kiss, before reading Dark Goddess. To say I was lost through much of the book is an understatement. I am usually not one to read a book out of series order, but from time to time I do. Sometimes books such as Rage can be read without reading any of the prior books; however Dark Goddess was not one of them.

Regardless of being "out of the loop" for most of the story, I was still able to engulf myself in the story itself. I loved the way the settings, situations, and people were descripted. I felt like I was right there fighting next to Billi! Dark Goddess is one of the most action packed books I have ever had the chance of reading. I would describe it as more of a movie than a book. If I could take The Bourne Identity and Taken mix them up in a bowl, bake for 15 min and see what happens, I would find that they had made a delicious concoction called Dark Goddess.

I have spent countless nights sitting up watching the history channels Templars specials so the fact that Dark Goddess has found a way to interweave the mythological phenom. behind them was a real thrill. I’ve never read a book quite like this and I know that I will definitely read A Devils Kiss. Watching Billi develop and seeing her continue to be rock hard on the outside, but see slivers of her soft side shine through really made me fall in love with her and want more.

Between the love relationships, family relationships, and sense of duty, this book was a quint essential all night read. I would be surprised if you were able to put this one down after picking it up. Will Billi be able to save her world or is she in over her head???!!!! I can't wait to read the third installment and I would recommend Dark Goddess to anyone looking for an action packed read with an inner soft core...after reading A Devils Kiss of course!

 
 
 

                              COATING

IMM #2

March. 27, 2011

*Click Link To Go To Goodreads*

FOR REVIEW:

Once Was Lost- Sara Zarr

Red Riding Hood- Sarah Blakley

The Virtual Life of Lexi Diamond- Victoria Foyt

Cute Eats Cute- C.B. Murphy

PURCHASED:

Infinite Days(Vampire Queen#1)- Rebecca Maizel

Glimmerglass(Faeriewalker#1)- Jenna Black

Bad Girls Don't Die(Bad Girls Don't Die#1)- Katie Alender

Friends, Enemies- Rosie Rushton

STARBUCKS INSPIRATION #6

DRINK: Venti Carmel Frappuccino

DATE: 3/26/2011

INSPIRATION: Rutgers University

Being that I live in S.New Jersey our big state school is RU or Rutgers University. Everyone wants to wear red and black and be a Scarlet Knight. Whether your at the Camden, New Brunswick, or Newark Campuses it's a true brother/sisterhood that binds a large percent of the state.

With the annual commencement ceremonies fast approaching the subject of guest speakers is always on every ones mind. Who will speak, how long will they speak, will they bore you to tears, or will they inspire you to look within yourself and find your way in the cruel concrete jungle called life?

This year Rutgers University will be hosting Nobel Prize winning author Toni Morrison to speak at the commencement ceremony. To have an author speak should ignite admiration and excitement within the soon to be Rutgers alumni and adding Nobel Prize winner to that title should be like icing on a cake. So why then  do many of the students, teacher, alumni, and states residents have such a "long face"?

For the first time ever Rutgers University is not going to bestow the traditional Honorary Degree upon Morrison, but instead they will bestow her with money. Were not just talking nickles and dimes...were talking big bucks...30 thousand of them!

I for one completely understand the schools desire to bring big named speakers to the university by offering cash in exchange for an appearance, the way other big universities have done, however I do not agree with it. Although Rutgers spokesman  Ken Branson told The Record Newspaper ," neither state funds nor tuition money will pay the fee," he could not say whether the funds were from a private donation or not.

For me I believe that a key note speaker should WANT to speak at a particular university or college. It should be enough to be asked to do the school and its classman the honor of speaking to them, and to boot receive an Honorary Degree from that institution. It should not be about how much money a school can provide you with.

With tuition cost going up every year, the economy in a crippling state, and the world on the very brink of disaster I believe that the very least someone could do is WANT to give their time to a good cause.

I understand that everyone has to make a dollar to live,eat, and support their career and family, but I do not define general speaking engagements  at the local Barnes and Nobel to be the same as ones considered to be an Honor. Should an athlete speak to the press after a game only when paid for each "clip", should the President only give the State of The Union Address if we are able to meet his  small fee? Absolutely not!

At some point some things in life you have to do because you want to and not because of what you can get from it. If you really don't want to speak as a guest speaker than you shouldn't and no amount of money should change your mind. However, if you want to help enrich the lives of others through the gift that you've been given then you should do it not because money is on the table, but because it's the right thing to do and it's in your heart.

When I look around and see a money hungry world that is self destructing I only have to look around me to see why we are the way we are. I am sadden by the news that Rutgers has chosen to "sell out" for the first time ever in order to get a "notable"speaker and on the day where new graduates are supposed to take their new found career paths, ethics, and morals and go forth in the world and make it better, you will really be teaching them that everything and everyone is for sale, all things are negotiable,and that instead of doing for the good of others, do for the good of yourself.

......Today, I am not inspired...I am saddened.

*All photos are used courtesy of google photos*

WHAT COMES AFTER

SOURCE: I Read Banned Books Tour

AUTHOR: Steve Watkins

PUBLISHED: April.12th,2011

PUBLISHER: Candlewick Press

LENGTH: 334 pgs.
PURCHASE:AMAZON

A gripping portrait of a teen’s struggles through grief and abuse - and the miraculous power of animals to heal us.

After her veterinarian dad dies, sixteen-year-old Iris Wight must leave her beloved Maine to live on a North Carolina farm with her hardbitten aunt and a cousin she barely knows. Iris, a vegetarian and animal lover, immediately clashes with Aunt Sue, who mistreats the livestock, spends Iris’s small inheritance, and thinks nothing of striking Iris for the smallest offense. Things come to a head when Iris sets two young goats free to save them from slaughter, and an enraged Aunt Sue orders her brutish son, Book, to beat Iris senseless - a horrific act that lands Book and his mother in jail. Sent to live with an offbeat foster family and their "dooking" ferrets, Iris must find a way to take care of the animals back at the farm, even if it means confronting Aunt Sue. Powerful and deeply moving, this compelling novel affirms the redemptive power of animals and the resilience of the human spirit.
******************************************************

FIRST IMPRESSION:
The cover made me feel like the first warm day of spring, when the air is light and the sun is warm, but the synopsis let me know that the all black cover was more than just artistic appeal...there was a deeper /darker meaning to the "wish" that was half blown away.

LIKES:
The cover is simple and whimsical, the story is heartbreaking and endearing all at the same time.

DISLIKES:
Nothing in particular.

OVERALL REVIEW:
I am the type of person who, unfortunately, is a little bias toward women authors...especially when the main character is female. I've had several bad experiences with male authors attempting to write in a female voice and needless to say, it has scared me. So, as to be expected my expectations for What Comes After weren't high, but the synopsis was so good I just had to read it. I can say that this is a time where I am happy to be proven wrong! Watkins did a wonderful job creating a true to life, raw emotion, female main character.

Iris has lost the one person who meant the world to her, her father. She has no where to go, no one she can trust, no one she can lean on. She misses his hugs, his smell, his sense of humor, and their love for animals. Just when all seems lost her very best friends parents say she can stay with them. Feeling some sense of relief Iris begins to lower her guard....wrong move! Before she knows it she's tossed out like yesterdays trash, promises broken, words spoken have been forgotten and she has a one way ticket to live with a women who barely knows her and from what she remembers doesn't like her....or her  lost mother.

It seems that Iris's love for animals is the only thing that keeps her holding onto the horrible life she has come to know and the only thing that helps her hold onto the one good memory she has..her father. With an aunt that would rather beat her that hug her and a cousin who is so wrapped up in his mothers craziness that he too takes part in her daily abuses, life seems like an endless desert road, filled with despair and death no dead end  in sight.

Soon Iris's prayers are answered...kind of. Although it meant she had to suffer through her worst beating yet, the outcome meant she could try to start a new life with a new family.

From one extreme to the next, Iris finds herself in the home of unusual and corky foster parents. Afraid to let her guard down again Iris tries to find where she belongs in her now lonely world. With her new ferrets as pets the animals she had grown to love back at the farm are never far from her mind. If her aunt had thought nothing of beating her, Iris could only imagine what she would do to animals who couldn't speak for themselves!

Iris's love for the animals back at the farm help her find the strength buried inside her, to help them and to help herself. What Comes After is an amazing story of tragedy, sorrow, triumph, and the ultimate love. Heart warming and heart breaking all at the same time What Comes After is an excellently written book that I would recommend to anyone looking for "more" out of their YA novel.

        

                             COATING

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY #1

March.23,2011

Here are this weeks picks of books that I am bitting my nails until their release date!!!



Author: Alison Goodman

Release Date: April.19th,2011

Publisher: Penguin Group

In this standalone sequel to Eon: Dragoneye Reborn, Australian author Alison Goodman (Singing the Dogstar Blues) tracks the perilous adventures of Eona, the first female Dragoneye in many centuries. Unfortunately, our heroine finds no time to rest on her laurels: She and her fellow rebels are racing frantically to find a potent black folio while they also attempt to elude High Lord Sethon's pursuing army. Eona: The Last Dragoneye brims with romance, suspense, and surprises. Definitely worth recommending.

Author: Veronica Roth

Release Date: May.3rd, 2011

Publisher: HarperCollins/ Katherine Tegen Books

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Author: Jocelyn Davies

Release Date: September.27th,2011

Publisher: HarperTeen

Skye never questioned the story of her life. Her Aunt Jo adopted her after the death of her parents when she was just a child, and together they flip through memories the way some people flip through photo albums.

She never questioned if the stories were true.

Until the night of her 17th birthday, when the arrival of two strangers intrudes on her cozy life. Polar opposites, like fire and ice, Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair, cold, and aloof. Skye has no idea what they want—only that their presence coincides with the beginning of some shockingly strange events. Events that Skye, if she dares to think it, might be responsible for causing.

High up in the mountains of Boulder, Colorado, Skye finds herself caught in the middle of an ancient battle, one that began untold millennia ago. Torn between unpredictable Asher, whom she loves, and the infuriating Devin, who she can’t stay away from, her fate is murky as a starless night. And as the secrets of her true identity are revealed, Skye realizes that her destiny may reside in the Heavens—or somewhere darker.

It's WEDNESDAY what are you waiting on? ? ?

What Are You Reading?

March.21,2011

Last week I finished Reality Check, Jen Calonita

        This week I'm Reading Starcrossed, Josephine Angelini

                                            The Lying Game, Sara Shepard

                                      Once In A Full Moon, Ellen Schreiber

                                       

           Next Week I'm reading Huntress, Malinda Lo

WHAT ARE YOU READING?

What are you reading is a weekly meme hosted by BOOK JOURNEY . What are you reading is a meme where you let everyone know what book(s) you finished from the previous week, what book(s) you're reading this week, and what book(s) you plan on reading the following week.

This is a great way to stay on your reading goal track, along with connecting with other bloggers and finding new reads!

So, It's MONDAY what are YOU reading!?????

What Are You Reading #1 March.21,2011

What Are You Reading #2 March.28,2011

What Are You Reading #3 July.11,2011

STARBUCKS INSPIRATION #5

DRINK: Grande Tazo Tea/ Birthday Cake Pop

DATE: 3/19/2011

INSPIRATION: It's Britney B**ch!

Well although it's several days away from 3/29/11 I can't barely stand it!!! You might be asking yourself, "ugh what are you talking about?" I am talking about the one thing that makes my world turn, makes the birds sing, makes the sunrise....BRITNEY SPEARS!!!!!!  Go ahead laugh it up, but I am a huge fan! So yeah I'm above "pop music" age, and yeah I have an obsession with pink and read YA lit...oh boy.... I see therapist all over the world tsk tsking me as we speak! You're only as old as you feel, right,and I don't feel old at all.

So, if you're not a massive fan like I am then you may not know that her new album Femme Fatale comes out next Tuesday 3/29/11! She will also be doing some t.v. and radio promo next week and in the following weeks. I am equally stoked because if this goes the way it did when Circus came out, and I expect it may, she will more than likely be announcing her tour dates next week or the week after.

No worries I am all over it guys,I'm waking up at 6am for the next two weeks just to ensure that if my darling Brit Brit does announce her tour dates I will be Clint Eastwood fast on my keyboard buying tickets to every show within a 2 hour radius!

By now you may be thinking I have officially gone over the edge, someone needs to pull me back, and that you can barely read anymore, but if you think you have it bad  you haven't met my husband!! Since I can never find another fan as equally obsessed as me who do you think I drag out to her shows...yup..him! During the Circus tour he was subjected to her twice in one year!

Now that I have gotten all that off my chest I'm going to enjoy my Starbucks Birthday Cake pop, because it's a delightful shade of pink, has sprinkles, and  makes me enormously happy!:)

IMM#1  March 20,2011

FOR REVIEW:

*All Books From The Hachette Book Group*

Reality Check- Jen Calonita  Released: 6/14/2010

The Mockingbirds- Daisy Whitney Released: 11/02/2010

 Huntress- Malinda Lo Released: 4/05/2011

Jane- April Lindner Released: 09/23/2010

Fixing Delilah- Sarah Ockler Released: 12/01/2010

13 Treasures- Michelle Harrison Re-Released: 4/12/2010

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY

MEME

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill@Breaking The Spine. The is a meme where you blog about an upcoming book that you are counting down the days until it's release date.


WOW #1 March.23,2011

WOW #2 March.30,2011

WOW # 3 June.08,2011

WOW # 4 July.13,2011

WOW #5 July.27,2011

 

In my mail box is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi@The Story Siren. This is a meme where you share the books you received that week via library, purchase, publisher, beg, borrow, or steal( well not steal of course!) by blogging(text only) or vlogging(video).

Stacking the shelves is a weekly feature hosted by Tynga's Reviews. This is a meme where you share the books you received that week via library, purchase, publisher, beg, borrow, or steal( well not steal of course!) by blogging(text only) or vlogging(video). Stacking the shelves can be an alternative to IMM, but I just recently decided to start doing both!

IMM #1 March.20,2011

IMM #2 March.27, 2011

IMM #3 July.10,2011

IMM #4 July.17,2011

STARBUCKS INSPIRATION

What is Starbucks inspiration?

• When you're over tired and over worked,Starbucks keeps you going.
• When you wonder why you do what yo do,Starbucks gives you the answers.
• When you wonder where do I go for here, Starbucks is the road map.
• When you seek to know what lies ahead,Starbucks is the Oracle.

     Starbucks Inspiration is a weekly post of thoughts,feelings, and ramblings of a crazy fairy:) Every Sunday, when the weekend seems to have gone by to fast, and you know the week will no doubt be to long, you can look to Starbucks Inspiration to pick you up.
    Starbucks Inspiration can be about books, life,news,music,weather and other nonsense, because no one knows until the first sip, what that delicious cup of Starbucks will inspire you to write.
    So, order up your favorite drink, have a seat, and lets get inspired.

CLICK ON DATED LINKS BELOW TO BEGIN GETTING INSPIRED



CUP #1

CUP #2

CUP #3

CUP #4

CUP #5

CUP #6

THE LIPSTICK LAWS

SOURCE: ARC

AUTHOR: Amy Holder

PUBLISHED: April 4th 2011

PUBLISHER: Graphia

LENGTH: 240 pgs.

PURCHASE:AMAZON

 

At Penford High School, Britney Taylor is the queen bee. She dates whomever she likes, rules over her inner circle of friends like Genghis Khan, and can ruin anyone's life with a snap of perfectly manicured fingers. Just ask the unfortunate few who have crossed her.   For April Bowers, Britney is also the answer to her prayers. April is so unpopular, kids don't even know she exists. But one lunch spent at Britney's table, and April is basking in the glow of popularity.   But Britney's friendship comes with a high price tag. How much is April willing to pay?

********************************************************

 

FIRST IMPRESSION: My first impression of The Lipstick Laws was that the cover was awesome! The valentines day candy heart and the giant red lips screamed READ ME.

 

LIKES: I loved that Amy is "local" ie. lives in the Philadelphia area. I was in love with the cover of the book and  the idea of a simple fun loving feel good read. Typical teenage Witty language fit perfectly with the story without trying to hard.

 

DISLIKES: The book takes quite a few pages before I could get into it.

 

OVERALL REVIEW:

I couldn't wait to get my hands on The Lipstick Laws and read a 2011 debut author. The bar was high and so were my hopes. After the first ten pages I realized that I just wasn't connecting to April. It's not that her story wasn't believable, it was her, her voice didn't resonate with me. Of course I barely had my foot in the water so I couldn't exactly put it down.

 

So page after page after page I turned....hoping...praying that I could really get into it. I kept thinking I had somehow picked up The Mean Girls script because the book was starting to read exactly like the movie. I was able to predict the next "scene", know what the characters were going to say and how they were going to react, it was getting hopeless. Just when I was getting ready to put it down for the day and watch a little American Pickers on the history channel it happened. I burst into an all out comedy show laughter. I was finally connecting to April, a simple term B.F.F. had me rolling on the floor! From that point forward I was committed.

 

After April and Brit have a rift the story turns away from The Mean Girls script and into a novel all its own. Laugh after laugh I couldn't get enough. Everyone has been an April and a Britney at one point in time. Whether you started off as a social out cast and ended up semi/queen bee or whether you started out as semi/queen bee and ended up as a social out cast you can definitely relate to the story and events that unfold.

 

There is a particular part in the book where April is in Express that will have you holding onto the side of the chair in anticipation while laughing till you get side pains. All and all the characters where well developed and the story was strong, clearly it took a loving cue from teen pop culture movies, but once you get past that it's a nice read.

 

Like an episode of the Brady Bunch, the end message is there. Learn to be yourself and love yourself, there is always a reason behind why someone is the way they are, you find friends in the most unexpected places and situations, and don't become what you hate. It's definitely a book that I think teens/tweens will love. I don't think it will be a book every YA reader will love, but I would more than likely pick up any of Amy Holders next novels.

 

After you read The Lipstick Laws tell me were you/are you an April or a Brit??

 

                             SPRINKLE

DELIRIUM

*Delirium #1*

SOURCE: ARC/Netgalley

AUTHOR: Lauren Oliver

PUBLISHED: February 1st 2011

PUBLISHER: HarperTeen

LENGTH: 441 pgs.

PURCHASE:AMAZON

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

*****************************************************

FIRST IMPRESSION: My first impression of Delirium was that although it had a beautifully simplistic cover, it seemed a bit long. Just looking at the page numbers made me set it down several times, I know I know shame on me!I had to get past alot of imagery and the fact that there is realativly little dialogue, but long main character"voice over" thoughts, but in the end it was worth it.

LIKES: The cover is gorgeous! The plot seemed unique, I don't read dystopian books so it was a leap of faith, but like I said, I love covers and this one delivered inside and out.

DISLIKES: I would've loved if there had been more detail given about Lena and her sisters early childhood, their parents and Rachel's "incident"  in Portland instead of an overview. I would love to see a prequel to Delirium in the future.

OVERALL REVIEW: First things first, I am new to Lauren Oliver and just as new to dystopian based novels. I'm not really big on futuristic, what if this were to happen, how would life be type scenarios. Between the length of the book, the dystopian plot of the book and not being familiar with the author Delirium didn't stand a chance. Finally, after two months of picking it up, putting it down, admiring the cover, then looking at the page numbers I finally just said," the heck with it" and opened the book.

Not expecting to much from Delirium I was surprisingly hooked after page one! Lena is like so many people I know in the world. Willing to just "let things be" in order to not rock the boat.  Content with a life of mediocrity and yes maming. Her character was by far the most annoying until a quarter way through the book.....that's when things get interesting. Now Lenas best friend Hana, she's a girl I can relate to. Unwilling to settle for a do as I say and follow me blindly just because mentality. She questions everything, everyone, and longs to be who she is..or at least who she thinks she wants to be.

The tide really turns for the two best friends mid way through Delirium as they count down the days till they get "cured." You see Lena grow as a person, and you see her mind open in ways she never thought possible. Thinking her world had already been turned as upside down as it could be, she finds out that a simple chance meeting would prove that turning your life upside down is only half the battle. Now turning your life right side up again, that's where the real adventure starts.

Everything and everyone she knows is changing... she's changing. Once a naive girl Lena soon realizes that there is more than meets the eye. Her world is not as it seems and now she's not sure who she is or where she belongs.

Delirium provokes you to think about simple pleasures and rights in life. What if love was deemed a disease? What if you could be "cured" of the pain of your first broken heart and your future tear filled nights? Would you be willing to give up yourself to not feel pain? What if it wasn't a choice?

Love found, Love lost and love realized Lena  comes into her own and learns to not only trust herself, but to distrust all those who she had once trusted with her very life.

Oh and Alex..... you'll LOVE....Alex, but don't say it to loud it is forbidden... or so says the book of SHHH( you'll have to read the book if you want to find out who alex is and what the book of SHHH is!)

The ending of Delirium had my heart pounding so hard I felt like I was in the wilds(learn more in Delirium), I can't believe I have to wait until 2012 to read Pandemonium!

Sometimes it's not the people and things on the outside you should fear, but what is right in your own back yard.

Delirium is a book I would recommend to everyone! This will definitely be a book I read again and again.

PANDEMONIUM REVIEW<-------CLICK TO READ REVIEW

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