Front and Center

Book review #12
Front and Center by Catherine Gillbert Murdock
Rating: Three starts (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary:
After a few crazy months, everything is finally back to normal for high school junior D.J. Schwenk. D.J. heads back to school just in time for basketball season, after taking time off to take care of  her older brother after his spinal cord injury. After being in the spotlight for so long, D.J. is looking forward to blending in both on and off the court, but she gets no such luck. D.J. is forced to make big decisions about college, boys, and about the kind of girl she wants to be. 

Front and Center is the third book in the Dairy Queen series, although it wasn't my favorite book in the series, I loved cheering for D.J. on the sidelines as good things finally happened to her. D.J. has so much going on and the pressure is really getting to her. One of her good friends (Beaner) publicly announces that he has a big interest in D.J., while Beaner is funny and fun to be around, Brian suddenly comes back into the picture. D.J. finds herself torn between to great guys. I have to admit even though Brian hurt D.J., I was glad he made an appearance. Then there's Win and almost everyone in Red Bend pressuring her about calling college coaches and whether or not to play Big Ten basketball. D.J. has a having a hard time deciding what she really want to do, tied in with her inability to talk to people, leads to D.J. in very uncomfortable situations. D.J. learns that Schwenks have never been good at talking, but that's exactly what everyone's telling her to do. One of the few things I didn't like, was the fact that D.J. was always complicating things and that the story was written in a narrative style, not really "showing" what happened, but just explaining it. 

Although there were a lot of things that I really loved. First off, I loved D.J.'s character, Catherine Murdock does a great job in creating a unique character with very common thoughts and concerns. There were a lot of laugh out loud moments, I loved reading D.J.'s commentary on the world. I loved her family almost as much, although her family has obvious flaws, they're always there for each especially when it matter most. My favorite part about the whole series was the ending, it wasn't too perfect, but it was realistic, it was a perfect way to end D.J.'s story. Overall, it was a good read, for those of you who read the first two books in the series, you won't be disappointed.

Keeping the Moon

Book Review #3
Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen
Rating: Four stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary:
Fifteen year old Colie has a lived a complicated life so far- from being fat and made fun of, having a bad reputation with boys, and having a mother famous for helping people lose weight. It's summer and Colie is forced to spend it with her aunt Mira in the small town of Colby, where she becomes a different people. She gets a job as a waitress, where she meets a pair of best friends, who teach her life lessons and how to believe in yourself. 

I have to say even the Keeping the Moon wasn't Sarah Dessen's best, it was a really good read. My favorite part about the book was the characters. The characters weren't generic, they were something different. There is her overweight aunt Mira who wears crazy clothes and gets teased by the whole town, but continues to hold her head up high claiming she knows she's not perfect ,but she knows she works in her own way. Then there is Morgan and Isabel, a pair of best friends, who have their share of dysfunction, but are always there for each other. Lastly, there is Norman, who is an artist who lives in the basement of Mira's house. Norman is someone the old Colie would never go after, but that might be different for the new Colie. Near the end, Colie figures out who she really is and how to believe in herself for a change. In the end, it's a book worth the read. I would recommend the book to people who like books that are realistic and relatable.

The Last Song

Book Review #1
The Last Song by Nickolas Sparks
Rating: Three stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

I recently saw a trailer for the movie in the theaters and thought that it would be a good read. I just finished reading the book and I have to say I'm very pleased. The beginning was a little slow, but it gets a lot better. The book is centered around 17 year old Ronnie who unwillingly spends her summer with her dad in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Ronnie having her parents divorced three years earlier is still angry at her father. I'm not going to lie at first I thought Ronnie's characte...more Summary:
The book is centered around 17 year old Ronnie who unwillingly spends her summer with her dad in Wilmington, North Carolina. Ronnie having her parents divorced three years earlier is still angry at her father. Ronnie starts of the summer in Wilmington, barely speaking to her father and spending her days as far away from him as possible. Things change for Ronnie, she meets some new people who might not be the best for her, and meets someone she might just be in love with.

I recently saw a trailer for the movie in the theaters and thought that it would be a good read. I just finished reading the book and I have to say I'm very pleased. The beginning was a little slow, but it gets a lot better. I'm not going to lie at first I thought Ronnie's character was sort of annoying- I got a little frustrated at how she treated her dad, but that changed not to far into the book. I loved how Ronnie almost became a whole other person, for the better. I liked how the book alternated views between the characters, but I found some of Steven's (the dads) part boring at first. I was surprised at the ending of the book (not the very ending), I wasn't really expecting it. I have to admit I teared up and got very emotional. The last thing I absolutely loved was the epilogue of the book, I love happy endings! Overall, I enjoyed the book and I can't wait for the movie to come out! I would recommend the book to teenage girls or even adults who like a good romance/ somewhat light novel.