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Lola And The Boy Next Door

Lola And The Boy Next DoorTitle: Lola and the Boy Next Door
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Series: Anna and the French Kiss #2
Genre: Romance, Young Adult
Spice: 1 / 5
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 338
Reason Read: Just Because
Rating:

Also in this series: Isla and the Happily Ever After
My Thoughts

I was so excited to read LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR because I loved ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS so much. And, even though I loved Anna more, Lola didn’t disappoint me. It was such a fun story!

I loved Lola’s parents (all three of them). I loved that they weren’t absent like a lot of parents in YA stories. It made for some interesting dynamics. I loved Cricket from the get go. He was such a great guy. He was so nice and so devoted to Lola that I almost thought he was too good for her. I had a hard time with Lola a little bit. Most YA characters act older than they are, but I felt like Lola acted her age–seventeen. Because of that, she seemed immature, whiny, and selfish at times. She grew on me and I realized she was just confused and didn’t know what she wanted like most teenagers her age. By the end of the book, I really liked her.

I loved reading about all of her awesome outfits. I kept thinking how would it be to dress like her? It would be so fun, but I don’t think I could deal with the insults like she did. I’m too self-conscious. I’m glad she was able to find herself because she struggled with who she was amidst all her crazy outfits.

I especially loved seeing Anna and Étienne. It was so much fun to see them from a different perspective and to see that they were still together. I can’t wait to read ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER and wish I didn’t have to wait so long.

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Clockwork Prince

Clockwork PrinceTitle: Clockwork Prince
Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: Infernal Devices #2
Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance, Young Adult
Spice: 0.5 / 5
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 502
Reason Read: Just Because
Rating:

Also in this series: Clockwork Princess
My Thoughts

I absolutely adored CLOCKWORK PRINCE. It met and exceeded my expectations. The story was great addition to the Shadowhunter Chronicles. The character development in this one is unreal. There’s so much love and heartache. Jessamine’s story didn’t surprise me and I was actually glad. The love triangle in this one is the first one I haven’t hated. Like Tessa, I’m torn between Will and Jem. Will’s curse and how he tried to save those around him broke my heart. The emotional toll from this story is strong. I’m excited to find out how the trilogy ends. I just wish I didn’t have to wait so long to find out

Update: When I read this for a third time, I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed it. I thought Heather Lind and Ed Westwick did an amazing job. I liked them better than the narrators for CLOCKWORK ANGEL.

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The Wednesday Wars

The Wednesday WarsTitle: The Wednesday Wars
Author: Gary D. Schmidt
Genre: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 264
Reason Read: Book Club
Rating:

My Thoughts

THE WEDNESDAY WARS was such a sweet, comedic story. There were many times I laughed out loud, wanted to chuck something at Holling’s father, and felt a warmth so great that I felt like Hallmark couldn’t have produced a better feeling with one of their happy-go-lucky cards.

Holling’s father made me so angry. He was a selfish, arrogant jerk and I really enjoyed seeing Holling come out from under his grasp and learn that he could be whatever he wanted to be not what his father wanted.

I’ve never been a fan of Shakespeare. I don’t really understand it. The only one of his plays I’ve read is OTHELLO. After reading this story, I really want to read more, especially the plays that Mrs. Baker had Holling read together. Holling learned a lot of valuable lessons from those plays, lessons I think I could help me as well.

I’m quite surprised at how much I enjoyed this heart-warming story. This is not usually my typical read, but I think I might actually want to read this one again.

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Anna Dressed In Blood

Anna Dressed In BloodTitle: Anna Dressed in Blood
Author: Kendare Blake
Series: Anna #1
Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Young Adult
Format: Kindle
Pages: 387
Reason Read: Just Because
Rating:

Also in this series: Girl of Nightmares
My Thoughts

I’ve never read a ghost story before. And, now having read one, I have no idea why. ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD was a fun adventure, one I’m looking forward to repeating.

This story was so unique. I didn’t expect anything that happened to happen. I loved all the unexpected twists and turns. I also loved Blake’s writing. It was so descriptive. I loved the characters’ personalities. They all had distinct ones and I loved the humor they brought into such a serious story. I particularly liked that the story was written from Cas’ POV. I don’t read many male POVs and it was a refreshing change. I absolutely loved all the pop culture references Blake had in the story. It brought back my own memories of experiencing them throughout my life. It helped me relate to the characters better.

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To Kill A Mockingbird

To Kill A MockingbirdTitle: To Kill a Mockingbird
Author: Harper Lee
Genre: Classic, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction
Format: Paperback
Pages: 323
Reason Read: Banned Book Week
Rating:

My Thoughts

Wow. How do you say something about a book that has already had everything said about it? I feel so inadequate to give TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD a review it deserves.

I’m not sure why I waited so long to read this book. I really feel like I missed out not having read this in high school like I was supposed to. I feel like I missed out on a lot of discussion and analysis. I know I understood the more obvious points and I also know that I missed a lot in the symbolism because I didn’t have a teacher to guide me through the journey presented in this story.

I’m glad I finally read it. It was extremely well-written and I enjoyed it immensely. It definitely made me think because its message is so profound. I loved that this story illustrated that people aren’t who they seem to be or who people make them out to be, just like Tom Robinson and Boo Radley.

The characters in this book are extremely memorable. I loved Scout’s tenacity and sharp wit. I loved Jem’s stubbornness, especially when it came to protecting his family. I loved Atticus’ kind and nurturing nature. I also loved how solid he was. I also loved Calpurnia and what she brought to the story. She helped prepare the children to see the injustice presented in this book. And, I even loved the small time we had with Boo.

My emotions were on a roller coaster as I read Scout’s story. I really loved that Lee ended the book looking at the positive, even though most of the events that take place in it are enough to leave you feeling angry. Lee did a great job of portraying the hypocrisy and double standard there is with racism. She also did a fantastic job of portraying the honorable people during that time who tried to stamp out racism as best as they could.

I really loved being in Scout’s head. I loved the innocence and youth factor she gave. I don’t think the story would’ve been the same or as profound a journey as it was had we been in any of the other characters’ heads. Even though I realized the injustice this story presented from the get go, my eyes were still opened as Scout’s were opened to the injustice around her.