Gimme a Call by Sarah Mylnowski

Book review #45
Gimme a Call by Sarah Mylnowski
Rating: Four stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary: (taken from Goodreads) 

A new life is just a phone call away!
Devi's life isn't turning out at all like she wanted. She wasted the past three years going out with Bryan—cute, adorable, break-your-heart Bryan. Devi let her friendships fade, blew off studying, didn't join any clubs . . . and now that Bryan has broken up with her, she has nothing left.

Not even her stupid cell phone—she dropped it in the mall fountain. Now it only calls one number . . . hers. At age fourteen, three years ago!

Once Devi gets over the shock—and convinces her younger self that she isn't some wacko—she realizes that she's been given an awesome gift. She can tell herself all the right things to do . . . because she's already done all the wrong ones! Who better to take advice from than your future self? Except . . .what if getting what you think you want changes everything? 

Oh my goodness! That was one of the coolest, funnest, most ridiculous books I've ever read. The concept was really unique and it was executed beautifully.  I had a really really good time. Overall it was fabo as Frosh (freshman Devi) would say.

As Devi walks through the mall, alone on senior skip day, she drops her phone in the fountain. She thinks it's broken, but when she presses the send button she hears someone very familiar on the line. It turns out it's her freshman self, back when she had wonderful friends and an actual life. She ditched everything for Byron, but now that he broke up with her she has nothing. She finally gets a second chance to change things for the better...or so she thinks.

The chapters alternated between freshman Devi (Frosh) and senior Devi (Ivy). You got to see two versions of the same character and what a treat that was! It was crazy how similar they were, yet so different. Some things never change. I really loved Frosh. She was so relatable, definitely one of the most accurate freshman I've read about. I remember having the same exact concerns as her as a freshman...aside from her future self telling her what to do all the time haha. Senior Devi was a bit more dramatic and wacky, but I understood where she was coming from.

It was so fun seeing how one little decision can change everything. You learned so many life lessons from this one little book. You were taught to learn from your mistakes and to not cheat your way out of life. Sometimes you have to let life take it's own course. Oh and I almost forgot- this book was hilarious! I laughed and smiled so much. Yes, it's one of those. Books that can make you laugh that hard are priceless.

Gimme a Call is such an awesome read, it's as simple as that.  It was extremely clever and enjoyable. It certainly brightened my day. I would definitely recommend this one to anyone. Even if the beginning is a little bumpy, stick with it you'll be devouring it in no time. Pick this one up... soon (:

Gone by Lisa McMann

Book review #42
Gone by Lisa McMann
Rating: Four stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

OPEN YOUR EYES.

Janie thought she knew what her future held. And she thought she’d made her peace with it. But she can’t handle dragging Cabel down with her. She knows he will stay with her, despite what she sees in his dreams. He’s amazing. And she’s a train wreck. Janie sees only one way to give him the life he deserves: She has to disappear. And it’s going to kill them both.

Then a stranger enters her life — and everything unravels. The future Janie once faced now has an ominous twist, and her choices are more dire than she’d ever thought possible. She alone must decide between the lesser of two evils. And time is running out.... 

I just spent the last two hours watching Janie making the important decision of her life. It definitely was one intense ride. I went in not excepting to love Gone due to the mixed reviews, but it thankfully exceeded my expectations. I'm still not quite sure how I feel though. One thing is for sure though-I'm sad that the series is over. Good-byes are definitely not my thing and it was hard saying bye to one of my favorite couples.

Janie has a lot going on lately. After discovering some important information about her ability that could affect her life forever, she is left having to make the biggest decision ever. Having amazing Cabel by her side is making it even harder to decide. While vacationing with Cabel she receives a panicked phone call from her friend warning her that her  mom is in the hospital. Rushing over there she discovers it isn't her mom that's in trouble, but another family member.With Janie having someone like this reappearing her life- things aren't ever going to be the same...

The aspects that I love from Wake and Fade weren't there, but they were replaced with other things just as wonderful. Gone didn't have the crime scenes that I loved or the intense drama. But there were way more dreams that were intense as ever- I was even a bit scared. And surprisingly there was some humor added.

The best part was getting the chance to discover more of Janie's personal life and internal conflicts. You got a better look at her mom, who was kind of crazy. You also got a lot of background information on her family history. The added character was a really nice touch, I thought it really completed the series. Janie and Cabel were still going strong, despite the heavy conflicts they faced.

There were a minor problem I had with Gone. I literally fell in love with Wake and Fade which distracted me from the unique writing style. Since there wasn't much action in this one, I noticed the writing more...which kind of bothered me. It just took awhile to get used to.

Overall, Gone was an awesome ending to a truly wonderful series. I personally enjoyed the ending. I'm so happy that I got a chance to read this series. I recommend reading this series to anyone! It is so unique and extraordinary that it's a shame for you to miss out on.

Airhead by Meg Cabot

Book review #41
Airhead by Meg Cabot
Rating: Four stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary: (taken from inside flap)
Emerson Watts didn't even want to go the new SoHo Strk Megastore grand opening. But someone needed to look out for her sister, Frida, whose crush, British heart-throb Gabriel Luna, would be singing and signing autographs there- along with the newly appointed Face of Stark, teen supermodel sensation Nikki Howard.

How was Em to know that disaster would strike, changing her-and life as she'd known it-forever? One bizarre accident later, and Em Watts, always the tomboy, never the party princess, is no longer herself. Literally.

Now getting her best friend, Christoper, to notice that she's actually a girl is the least of Em's problems. But what Em's pretty sure she'll never be able to accept might just turn out to be the one thing that's going to make her dream come true...

I can't believe I haven't started this series earlier! I really enjoyed myself. I was surprised at how unique and fun this one was. Reading the summary I got very intrigued...I like how too much of the book wasn't given away. I'm going to have to be really careful to not give anything away to make sure I don't ruin the book.

Emerson Watts, Em for short, is your average girl. She isn't really popular; she spends a lot of time playing video games and hanging out with her best friend Christopher. She's definitely not one of the girls who spends all their time obsessed with the latest fads or celebrities. But she's forced to accompany her sister to this huge store opening to meet her favorite singer. Little did she know that would be the last thing she remembered a month from then. After a huge catastrophe Em finds herself at the hospital, not really feeling like herself. Her life is about to completely change in more than one way...

All of the characters were so real, they were probably my favorite part about this book. I think it's almost impossible not to love Em. She's a character that most of you would be friends with or know in real life. Her take on life was hilarious! I loved seeing the world through her eyes. And better yet she was smart and thoughtful. At first, just like Em, I didn't like many of the new people that emerged in her new life, but in the end they were all part of the gang.

Airhead reminded me how much I love Meg Cabot's writing. The writing really sucked me in. It's the type of book where you get completely lost in. I sat down to do some light reading before dinner and looked up realizing that hours had passed. I laughed and smiled countless times. What can I say...I had a blast!

At first I wasn't too sure about this book, but as you can tell I'm extremely pleased with it. It had just the right concoction of fluff and seriousness. The plot is really extraordinary. Sorry for the vague review, it's best to read this one knowing as little as possible. I'm so excited to see what happens in the next book. I definitely recommend this one, I have a feeling you'll love it :)

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

Book review #33
The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams
Rating: Five stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary: (taken from Goodreads)
Thirteen-year-old Kyra has grown up in an isolated polygamous community without questioning her father’s three wives and her twenty brothers and sisters. Or at least without questioning them much—if you don’t count her secret visits to the Mobile Library on Wheels to read forbidden books, or her meetings with the boy she hopes to choose for herself instead of having a man chosen for her. But when the Prophet decrees that Kyra must marry her 60-year-old uncle—who already has six wives—Kyra must make a desperate choice in the face of violence and her own fears of losing her family. 

Oh.my.god! I literally feel nauseous, in a good way if that's even possible. The Chosen One was one of the most interesting books I've ever read. A few days later and I'm still amazed just thinking about it. I was let into a whole different world, so different than most of us are used to. It was somewhat disgusting, heartbreaking, and honestly inspirational.

Thirteen year old Kyra is content with her life in the community. She does what she's supposed to do...er except from the sneaking library books, seeing a boy after dark, and wishing the prophet was dead. Kyra just continues on with her regular life until the prophet makes a special visit to their place claiming he had a vision she was saved by becoming her sixty year old uncle's seventh wife. Kyra can't stand the thought of marrying her old creepy uncle! She doesn't even like him, let alone love him. Kyra must choose between her family and her own sanity.

Kyra, first off, I'm so proud of this girl! She's so brave and outspoken. I feel like if I was living in the community, I would have had the same feelings as her. Most people in the community would have accepted marrying their nasty uncle, but Kyra has other plans. Uncle Hyrum, I can't even barely bear to write about. This character is burned into my mind, and not in a good way-at all. He really is creepy and disgusting. Violence is his only answer to discipline, even on poor babies. Every time he tried to touch Kyra, I would literally cringe.  I couldn't believe he wanted, no insisted, on the marriage. As for the prophet, I think I may even hate him more than Uncle Hyrum. I couldn't believe people actually had to look up to him and follow him. Joshua was so sweet, he brought more of the normal to the book. Lastly, Patrick was one of my favorite characters. As the only contact outside of the community, and the driver of the library on wheels, he became Kyra's good friend.

The community was extraordinary. Almost everything was considered a sin. Women weren't allowed to show skin. Books were banned and considered the words of the devil. There weren't even mirrors allowed! According to them, you had to have three wives to go to heaven and kids were born almost every minute. And of course a female couldn't even gaze upon a boy.

One of my favorite parts of  the book was the role books played. Kyra would sneak books from the library on wheels, located outside the community-where she snuck out to. She would run back with books and hide them under the tree where she would escape into the wonderful world of reading. It helped her feel better about life. Could anyone imagine not being allowed to read?

The scenes and descriptions were so powerful. They were kind of disturbing to a point. The beatings were horrifying and made me want to curl up into a ball crying my eyes out. The preachings were just crazy and don't get me started on the scenes with Uncle Hyrum. The book got crazier as it went along. I thought I had gone through the worst, but boy was I wrong. This is a definite one-sitting read, or as my sister Sophia described, a not move a muscle for two hours read.

The Chosen One is so unique and extraordinary. My heard broke into a million pieces. Tears flowing down my face for so many different reasons.  This will leave you thinking. Thinking about all the other places out there, about the world we live in, and how lucky we truly are. This is a book everyone should read. Please, I'm almost begging you, pick this one up! You won't be disappointed.

Dirty Little Secrets by C.J. Omololu

Book review #29
Dirty Little Secrets by C.J. Omololu
Rating: Four stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary: (taken from the inside flap of book-the Goodreads summary gave way too much information)


From the outside, Lucy's home looks normal. Inside the front door is where the secrets begin. Towering piles of newspapers and magazines. Bags of junk flooding every inch of open space. The rotting smell permeating the air. That is what she's kept from everyone-that her mother's compulsive hoarding has reduced their lives to garbage...literally.

With just two years until graduation, Lucy finally feels like a normal life is within her grasp. Her new best friend, Kaylie, and her longtime crush, Josh, make a future seem almost possible

Then one morning Lucy comes home to find something she never expected, something that will change her life forever. And she must ask herself-how far can she go to protect her family's secrets?

That was the craziest, most disgusting, sad, twenty one hours I've ever read about. Even though it was  set over twenty one hours, it felt like several days each full with lots of events. Told through present tense and flashbacks Dirty Little Secrets was one of the most unique books I've ever read. I almost felt like I was intruding on this secret lifestyle, that I knew existed, but never experienced.

Lucy has the normal side to her life, such as  hanging out with her friend Kaylie, going to the movies, babysitting the neighbors, and meeting with her crush Josh (aka normal teenage things). On the other hand, Lucy's life comes down to counting down the days until she can escape the walls of garbage she is forced to live in. Her mother is a hoarder. Each room is crammed with magazines, trash, and garbage- things known as "collectibles" to her mother. With bathrooms that barely work, Lucy can't even take a shower at her own house. Lucy has the responsibility of keeping this secret in order to protect herself and her family. She has to live in fear of not letting anyone see the inside of her house. Now that a tragedy has happened, Lucy has to go above and beyond to try to avoid letting her secret from becoming exposed. But how far can she actually go?

The descriptions and scenes were so powerful and vivid. I easily imagined everything in my head- the disgusting trash and house, the intense scene at the party, and every encounter she had with Josh. I'm not going to lie the house was really sick. I really really wanted to just jump in and start cleaning for days (I'm sort of a clean-freak). I almost felt dirty and a bit uncomfortable myself. I think it's amazing that a book can actually do that.

Lucy tops the list for characters I feel most sorry for. Saying that-she also tops the list for characters I'm most proud of. Lucy has a horrible life-not only a terrible mother with issues, but a runaway father, an overall messed up family, and an unbelievable lifestyle she has no control over. I couldn't imagine living like that, I was very impressed with how Lucy handled everything.

I had zero ounce of love for Luce's mother. I know she does have issues, but I really just couldn't understand her no matter how hard I tried. I mean imagine begging your mom to let you clean up the house.  Kaylie, Luce's one friend, on the other hand, I loved. She was true friend that anyone would be lucky to have. She brought the normal to Lucy's life- which you do get a glimpse of. I did feel like Kaylie really could have helped Lucy, if she opened up about her problems, but I understand why she couldn't do that. Lastly, there was Josh. Josh was unbelievable,perfectly adding a sprinkle of romance to the story.

The only thing I didn't love so much about this book was the ending. It just wasn't my favorite, I mean it was in theory a good ending, but it felt really rushed. I was still very hungry for more. I wanted to see how Lucy's life ended up after making her final decision.

Overall Dirty Little Secrets was really an extraordinary novel! I've never read a book about this subject before, and I'm definitely glad I finally did. This was so unique, powerful, and fast-paced that is not to be missed. It is really impossible to put down, I would recommend this to anyone and everyone :)

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Book Review #25
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Rating: Five stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

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—looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12th should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it’s her last. The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. In fact, she re-lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she had ever imagined. 

I feel amazed, beaten down, and not fully recovered after spending my Tuesday evening reliving the last seven days of Samantha Kingston life. I almost don't know what to say. Before I Fall is truly unique and unlike any other book I've ever read. Without a doubt, it has made my list of all time favorite books. I've read amazing reviews about Before Before I Fall, but I still felt uneasy-I mean how could a book tell the story about the same day over and over again and not get boring? Well I sure was wrong, everyday was better than the last; the same, yet so different at the same time. Before I Fall went through so many twists and untwists, but more importantly it taught you the most important lesson of all: to not take things for granted and to try to fix your life, before it's too late.

Samantha Kingston is a popular, "has it all", high school senior. She wakes up on February 12th, with her biggest worries being about how many roses she will get and her big night with her boyfriend Rob. As the day goes on, things don't turn out exactly how she planned. To top it off Sam and her friends get into a terrible accident. When Sam wakes up the next day, she can't believe she's in her own bed. She is amazed to discover that the date is yet again February 12th. As she relives the same day over and over, she starts questioning the kind of person she is and eventually realizes it is not too late to change.

Ok at first, I can't think of many people that actually liked Samantha. She was a shallow, self-centered, and not very nice, BUT, I guarantee by the middle of the book you will honestly love Sam. Her transformation really is amazing and it's not done in a forced predictable way either. Instead of focusing only on her self, she tries to help others and save their lives. She is given second chances over and over again, something not many people have.

As for the other characters- I loved each and every one of them. Although Sam's friends were popular and rich, they had their faults. They were just like some of our friends. I loved loved their relationship between the four best friends. Yeah they fought, but they were always there for each other, and they honestly had so much fun together that it reminded me about my own friendships. Don't forget about the romance either. I didn't like Rob her boyfriend at all, but Kent on the other hand was one of my favorite characters. He was an adorable dork that was mostly a mess, but he has always had a crush on Samantha- for the real Samantha. I even loved Izzy (Samantha's little sister), she was the cutest thing ever! I have many younger nieces and nephews myself and the idea of ever losing them really hit me hard.

Not only did Before I Fall have an amazing plot with romance, humor, and inspiration, but the writing was simply amazing. I mean could you imagine reading a 500 page book and wanting more. I literally could have read another couple hundred of pages of this book. The memories and back-stories, along with the sarcastic relatable dialogue really blew me away. I was so into the characters I almost wanted to jump in to the book and at points yell at Samantha for doing something utterly crazy.

Just thinking about reading Before I Fall makes me smile and feel all fuzzy inside. All the crying and hard-thinking was done all from this one book. I learned so much-I had no idea the smallest things could affect someone's whole life for years. I honestly could just go on for days about how great this books is. I still find myself thinking about it two days later, and I'm sure for much longer. If you haven't picked this one up yet, what are you waiting for?