MFB: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

“There's nothing like deep breaths after laughing that hard. Nothing in the world like a sore stomach for the right reasons.” 

     I have heard such good things about this book that I'd been meaning to read it for quite a while now. Luckily, last month I finally bought it at an awesome price during the sale and I was extremely excited to start reading it so naturally I jumped right into it.

     The book is written as a series of letters, the author being the main character which is Charlie. He sends all these letters to his "dear friend", whose identity we never really find out and I think that's the beauty of it. In these letters, Charlie tells his story as it progresses. Charlie is a freshman in high school, and he is not the nerd of the class or anything, but he is an outsider. In the beginning, that is. Charlie befriends twins Sam and Patrick, which are seniors and I guess they sort of take him under their wing.

Here is the official description of the book:

"Charlie is a freshman. And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his year yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it. Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix 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. But he can't stay on the sidelines forever. 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. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up."

     It was actually very interesting reading this book. First of all because the majority of teen books are written from a girl's perspective or, at the most, have a dual point of view. It is a little more rare to find teen books written in a boy's perspective and even harder to find an excellent one. Charlie's voice is amazing. That's one of the things that I liked most about this book. He is an introvert and very shy, which resembles my personality but it was interesting to see it manifest in a guy. It was really funny and at the same time enlightening reading through his writing.

     The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a wonderful book that takes on various problems that teens may encounter during their life through showing us the struggles of a single character. The book touches on sensitive issues such as rape, drug and alcohol use, teen pregnancy and so on. I think that the author manages to write about these things in a way that is not disturbing but which leaves its mark on you as a reader and as a person. I would dare say that this book is not just for teens, but also for adults because it really does discuss problems that even their children may struggle with. 

     Overall, I don't have much to say about this book because I have too much to say about this book. Does that make sense? However, what I can say is that I really, really enjoyed it and it has become one of my favorite books. I think that it's worth to give it a try and don't shy away from it just because it's a "teen" book because it discusses important subjects with an unexpected maturity. A must read!

MFB: Toxic

“Don't let pain keep you from moving forward. It shouldn't stop your progress - it should drive it.” 

     Toxic is the second book in Rachel Van Dyken's series, which started with Ruin, Kriesten and Wes' story. Now this book is Gabe's story. Gabe is the cousin of Lisa, who is the roommate of Kiersten. I must admit, I felt really intrigued by him in Ruin, I really liked his character and when I saw that this book was about him, I may have gotten a little too excited.

Here is the official description of the book:

"Gabe Hyde is on borrowed time. He's been hiding his identity for over four years-hidden from the world that used to adore him--obsess over him--driven to the edge of insanity by one poor choice. 
But that one choice, altered the course of his life forever. 
Pretending isn't all it's cracked up to be, especially when pretending means hiding your real self from the people that care about you the most. But if anyone ever discovered the truth it wouldn't just be his life at risk--but hers. 
Saylor doesn't hate men. 
Just Gabe. 
Only Gabe. 
He's a reckless, happy-go-lucky, silver spoon fed pain in her ass. Everything about him makes her more and more confused. Unfortunately they both donate time at the same Group Home. If she wasn't afraid of flunking, she'd be long gone. She hates that she's attracted to him almost as much as he hates that he's attracted to her--and she can tell, especially since their first encounter ended up making her knees so weak she couldn't form coherent sentences for weeks afterwards. But the closer she gets to him, the more confused she becomes. He isn't who he says he is, and he's hiding something big. 
What happen when two worlds collide? Two worlds that never should have met in the first place? Some secrets are too big to be hidden forever--the only question? Will his destroy everyone he loves? Or finally bring about the redemption he's been craving for the past four years?
Everyone has a secret...What's yours?"

     At first, I didn't understand a thing that was happening in this book, no joke. The prologue confused me greatly. But then we jump right back in the story, we even get a little bit of Kiersten and Wes from the beginning and Gabe goes back to being his usual self. However, soon enough, he meets a girl which takes his breath away.

     Gabe is really confused and very annoyed with her. He is the kind of boy who doesn't do romance, he just does girls. But when Saylor comes along, everything he thought he knew goes spinning right around him. At first, he acts like a jerk and treats her horribly, but as the story progresses he can't help but want to be better for her.
     It doesn't help that they both volunteer at a house for sick people, where Gabe's ex-girlfriend, Princess, is. The story really goes much deeper than that and the author gives you hints at various points in the book, but I think it isn't until about halfway in that you find out the story about his ex-girlfriend. However, Gabe has a bigger secret, one that will ruin everything he has with Saylor if it comes out.

     He tries to keep it all hidden from her and from his friends, but Wes eventually finds out and encourages Gabe to talk to him about it. Except Gabe keeps saying that he will when he's ready and before he's ready, his money-hungry father comes looking for him and everything goes spinning out of control. Gabe is at the brink of losing Saylor because the secrets he kept from him, except he can't afford that because he loves her.

     In the end, everything works out just fine. I think that this book is more dramatic than the first one but I actually really loved it. I liked Saylor a lot, she wasn't this whiny, dumb girl that many romance novels have as the lead female character, and that made the book really satisfying for me. I liked the ending too, I loved how Gabe was finally able to let Princess go and embrace a future with Saylor. I give this book five stars because it was really good!

MFB: Ruin

“Life isn’t fair, but living? Living is heaven. Living is a gift. Every gift is different — every path is different — for some reason this is ours, and the sooner we accept it, the sooner we can stop crying and start living.” 

     I don't even remember how I first came around this book but I know that it was a while ago and that I've kept postponing it forever. Worst decision ever. But, thankfully, I finally decided to pick this book up last month when I was going through a desperation phase thanks to my finals. The only good thing about finals is that they brought me here to this book.

     Ruin was the first book that I read this year (without taking into consideration Matched, which is actually the first book I started but haven't finished yet). And it was an amazing book to start the year with! I loved everything about it and it left me completely speechless. 

Here is the official description of the book:

"I'm not your typical girl. I've been running away from the memories that haunt me for so long that depression has become my only comfort. I was content in the darkness...until Wes Michals offered to be my light.
I didn't know that time wasn't my ally -- that every second that ticked past was one step closer to the end of something that was beginning to mean the end of myself. He tried to warn me. He promised me all he was able to offer--each moment as it came--but it would never be enough.
Sometimes when you think it's the end, it's only the beginning. Wes thought he could save me, but in giving me everything, he ruined me. Because after one kiss, one touch, I couldn't--I wouldn't ever be the same.
And from that moment on, his heartbeat became my own."

     Ruin is a book about Kiersten, just your regular girl who sees herself starting a new year at a college where she only knows where roommate and Wes, possibly the most popular, hot guy at her college. Their first encounter is actually hilarious. Throughout the book, they get to know each other and well - you know where the rest goes.

     Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love with girl. Boy pushes her away - wait, what? But, in all honesty, that's exactly what doesn't happen in this book. How amazing is that? However, Wes has a big secret that he keeps from Kiersten, and the faster he falls for her, the sooner his secret will ruin everything. Or so he thinks, which makes him constantly try to stay away from Kiersten. Except he can't (thankfully).

     This book is really something else. I really loved how, even though Wes had his dark secrets suffocating him, he didn't let that come in the way of his relationship with Kiersten, he didn't break up with her just "for her sake". Another thing that really surprised me about this book is that it jumps right in. There is no fooling around, no "let's-drag-this-on-forever", things just happen right away, one after another, and before you know it you have finished the book. The ending was predictable, but for such a sweet love story, I think it fits. Five awesome stars!

Update: What's New On The Blog?

Dear readers, welcome back to my blog! As I'm sure you have noticed by now, Denise Reads & Reviews now has a fresh new look full with a new background and a new logo. I have mentioned several times in the past that I also had some plans in mind for where I want the blog to go this year and I think it is time that I elaborate.

Surely you have noticed that along with the new design of the blog, I have added a new section to it - which is now empty and postless, but it will not be so for too long! The new section is called Book vs. Movie and in it I am, obviously, going to post comparisons of book-to-movie YA titles. There are quite a few books that have been turned into movies for the past year but there's more to come this year as well. I'm thinking that I might post about past adaptations too, seeing as how there probably won't be too many YA movies released throughout the year, but we'll see.

Lastly, I am thinking about maybe opening a tumblr page for the blog and, depending on its "success", I might be willing to open a Facebook page for Denise Reads & Reviews as well. I am still not quite sure how this will all work out because opening up more pages for the blog is extremely time consuming and, while I am in vacation now, college still takes a lot of my time and it's still my priority. But, if everything goes well, the blog might be expanding this year.

With that being said, this is pretty much what I have planned for the blog this year. There are also some things that have crossed my mind lately but I will not go into details just yet - my plans are still too early in "development" to be announced. 2014 was a great year and I'm looking forward to 2015. I hope most of you will come back to the blog and go forward with me, but I also hope that I will have more people interested in my blog this year. I will also try to stick to my posting schedule so I'll see you all with a brand new post on Friday!

February Books

Here are the books that I have read so far this month:

• Toxic by Rachel van Dyken; my rating: ★★★★★

• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky; my rating: ★★★★★

• Obsidian (Lux #1)  by Jennifer L. Armentrout; my rating: ★★★★☆

* More books are to be listed throughout the month.

Good News!

     Hello, everyone. This is now my official favorite part of the winter season (after the holidays, of course). Why, you ask? Well, because it is that time when we can finally say "FINALS ARE OVER!" and just sit back and relax.By now, I'm pretty sure that everyone is finished with their final exams, which means that we can all just take a break and do all those things that we love but had no time for during these past few weeks. So, yes, my finals are officially over and I now have a one week break from college, which means that I will finally be able to get right back to blogging.

     I have a few surprises coming your way in terms of my blog. I have them all planned out, but what is next is for me to take my plans and turn them into something practical. I will not tell you what I'm thinking just yet, but be assured that something's coming - and it's coming soon! So stay tuned and check the blog during the following week if you want to be the first to see what I'm talking about! 

MFB: Vain

“The truth is, I'm so deep in love with you, I can't see straight. The truth is, I've been afraid to admit it to myself, let alone you. The truth is, I'm terrified.”  

I can't even begin to say how much I loved this book. I really think that it was excellent. I think that it's great when, in a sea of books that go by the good girl-bad boy cliche, you can still find books that actually have a bad girl and they turn out to be great. This book is sweet, emotional and it really makes you think about life.

Here is the official description of the book:

"If you’re looking for a story about a good, humble girl, who’s been hurt by someone she thought she could trust, only to find out she’s not as vulnerable as she thought she was and discovers an empowering side of herself that falls in love with the guy who helps her find that self, blah, blah, blah...then you’re gonna’ hate my story.
Because mine is not the story you read every time you bend back the cover of the latest trend novel. It’s not the “I can do anything, now that I’ve found you/I’m misunderstood but one day you’ll find me irresistible because of it” tale. Why? Because, if I was being honest with you, I’m a complete witch. There’s nothing redeeming about me. I’m a friend using, drug abusing, sex addict from Los Angeles. I’m every girlfriend’s worst nightmare and every boy’s fantasy.
I’m Sophie Price...And this is the story about how I went from the world’s most envied girl to the girl no one wanted around and why I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world."

     Sophie is a bad girl by the book. Alcohol, drugs, sex, you name it, she's done it all. She manipulates people into being her friends, treats everyone like they're not worthy of her precious time and treats boys like they are nothing. She's the queen bee of her friends and no one dares cross her.

     Except her family life sucks. Sophie's parents could care less about her and her life, as long as she doesn't ruin their perfect reputation. If there's one thing that the great Sophie is scared of, that is her father. And when she gets in trouble, he doesn't let it go. Sophie is arrested for doing drugs at a party and her father gives her an ultimatum - behave and keep up appearances or face the consequences.

     But trouble finds her and things take a turn for the worst, as Sophie believes. She is sentenced to six months in Africa, to take care for the children in an orphanage. Sophie thinks her life is over, because Africa is a shameful place. However, there's nothing that she can do but go.

     There, her entire life changes. When faced with the horrible reality of Masego, the place where she has to spend the next six months, Sophie begins to question her lifestyle and everything about herself. It doesn't help that she meets an amazing boy who doesn't seem to fall at her feet like all the guys back home.

     Before she knows it, Sophie gets attached to the children at the orphanage, wants to do everything she can to help them and, thus, gets into dangerous situations. But she won't stop until the children are safe, especially because their rescue lies on her shoulders and on the shoulders of the hot boy, Dingane. Together they help make Masego a safe environment for the children, but they also share an incredible relationship through which Sophie learns the values of life and also her true nature.

     Vain is the first book that I read in 2015 and I can honestly say that it was an excellent read to my reading challenge. This book made me laugh and cry, but I don't have one bad thing to say about it. I'm really glad that I read it and I give it five stars, also recommending it to everyone who's looking for a nice love story and for a valuable life lesson.

Review: Breaking the Rules

My Rating: ★★★★☆

     I've been a huge fan of all Katie McGarry's books, they have a special place in my heart. I read all of them and fell in love with the characters. I lived with them, cried and laughed with them, but mostly of all, I loved with them. So naturally, I was extremely excited when I heard that Echo and Noah will have a second book.

     Breaking the Rules is really sweet. Echo and Noah are back, and they're stronger and more mature. I think it is important to note that their evolution was notable from the beginning, given the fact that at times I felt like I was reading about two whole different characters. Sometimes I barely recognized them, but most often than not I was still reading about Echo and Noah.

     I think that this book is emotionally a bigger and heavier experience thanPushing the Limits. I also think that I preferred the first book over this, but still, I loved this one nonetheless. It was a bit frustrating at times, I have to admit. 

     Sometimes, Echo and Noah would just start fighting over such small, unimportant things that it made me realize how emotionally charged they both were. Noah, I think, was practically just waiting for Echo to realize that he was scum, making bad choices every now and then just to give her reasons to leave him.

     Echo, however, was an amazing character all the way. She stood up for herself, but she also tolerated Noah's little outbursts like a pro, like few girlfriends could probably tolerate from their boyfriends. She proved that she has grown immensely as a character and I thought that the author wrote her character with extreme care.

      Surely enough, there were ups and downs throughout the whole book, which took place entirely on a road trip. I also really liked the little part where Isaiah and Beth joined the story and the whole crew was back together. However, unlike previous books, this book was entirely Echo and Noah's. I thought that it was really nice. A sweet and romantic read, I recommend this book to all of those who have read the previous books!

Review: The Fall

My Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

     I was extremely excited to read The Fall, especially because lately I kept seeing and reading about it everywhere. The synopsis seemed interesting, the cover is nice and it is labeled a horror book. I don't usually read horror books but I absolutely love horror movies, therefore I was excited to read such a book.

     However, my enthusiasm was cut short. This book was awful. I didn't like it one bit. I think that it was the worst book that I have ever read. It was way too long and much too boring. To make myself absolutely clear, nothing happens in this book. Absolutely nothing.

      Meet Madeline Usher, who lives in a haunted house. A house that lives under a curse which practically forces her to live there, without ever being able to leave. And that's about it with this book. Basically, everything that happens in it is Madeline saying "this house is haunted", "this house is cursed", "I cannot leave this house", "I should not upset the house."

     I can't even begin to say how frustrating it is. I don't even know why I read it all. I guess that I kept expecting and hoping that something would actually happen, but nothing did. Madeline also has a brother, Roderick. They are twins, but he doesn't seem to believe or be affected by the house too much. Can you believe that the most interesting thing about this book is that there's an almost incest idea in it?

      I am extremely disappointed. I must say that when I started reading it, I was pretty pumped up, thinking that this book will be awesome and that it will make the hairs on my arms rise. It did not. I don't even know why this book is categorized as horror, because I think that even the story about the big bad wolf that stalks a little girl is scarier than this.

     I am stunned that I actually managed to finish reading it. I really regret wasting my time on it, but I guess not all the books that you read are good. I honestly don't recommend reading this book to anyone. I think it's best that you stay away from it. It's, unfortunately, a waste of time.

January Books

Here are the books that I have read this month:

• Vain by Amelie Fisher; my rating: ★★★★★

• Ruin by Rachel van Dyken; my rating: ★★★★★

A New Year

     Hello, everyone! I know that it's been almost a month since I've last posted anything on my blog but the holidays were a time for being with friends & family, less for blogging. Now, you might say that the holidays are long gone - and right you are! But I think that I speak for everyone when I say that after the most magical time of the year, which is the holidays, comes the most tragic time of the year, which is...finals. So I only now have a little bit of free time and I decided to write here to let you, my readers, know that I have been absent from my blog because I'm extremely busy with finals.

     I know that I've said that I have many plans for the blog in my last post, and those plans are not forgotten. In fact, I think they grow a little bit bigger and crazier everyday, but unfortunately I just didn't have time to think any of them through. I still don't and won't - for about two more weeks. But I promise that, when I finally finish all my finals and have some time for myself, that I will get right back to the blog because there's so much to do!

     I barely even had time to read at all this month. I started reading Matched at the beginning of January and I think I literally didn't make it past page 60, which is extremely annoying and sad because I usually read 3-4 books per month. But with January almost gone, I'm looking forward to February, which I hope will be a much better month. I am also "reading" another book, which is Vain, although I doubt that I will finish any of these in January. I believe I also have some books that I have yet to review, but I promise it will all come as soon as I have the time.

     Until then, thank you for being with me in the past year and I really hope that you'll stay with me for another year, because I have great ideas for the blog, which is all very exciting! I'll see you as soon as possible and for those of you who are confronted by the same situation as mine, good luck in your finals and may the odds be ever in your favor! 

My Top Three: Best & Worst of 2014

2014 is almost over and I thought that I should summarize it by listing the best and worst of my reading experience this year. This is not about books released in 2014, but about book that I have read in 2014. My goal for this year, as seen on Goodreads, was to read 50 books. I didn't really believe that I would actually achieve it, but I did and I even surpassed it, with a total of 65 books read in 2014! 

I read stand-alones and series, romances and dystopias, good and bad books. I had favorite heroes and heroines and also least favorite ones. Overall, I am very pleased with my readings of 2014, the books I read I feel like they have enriched me. I laughed and I cried with them, I got happy, angry and sad. My goal for 2015 is to read at least as much as I have this year. I have other objectives and goals as well for the year that follows, and I wish that with time and a little bit of effort I will achieve them, but more details will come next year.

With that being said, I will also let you know that this is the last post that I will write this year. I would like to wish you all Happy Holidays, a new year at least as good as 2014 and if your 2014 sucked, I wish that your 2015 will be far better! For the remaining of the holiday season, may you all be safe and happy beside your loved ones. Happy New Year!

Review: Finale (Hush, Hush # 4)

My Rating: ★★★☆☆

     I'm going to go ahead and just say that Finale was better than its unworthy predecessor also known as Silence. But don't get me wrong, this book was about as good as that meal that you don't like but you're constantly forced to eat by your mother and you do it just to satisfy her. Who was I trying to satisfy while reading this book (or this entire series, while we're at it)? God only knows.

     All is well in Nora's world. Her big, bad daddy is dead - at her hand, mind you! - and she unexpectedly became leader of a big ass army, the Nephilim, responsible of leading them to war against fallen angels and getting them victorious on the either side. Just how convenient is that? And so cool! What could go wrong in putting the fate of hundreds of Nephilim in the hands of a seventeen year old girl who just learned that she's also descending from a bloodline of Nephilim?

     So that's about everything that's going on in this book. During about 3/4 of this book, all you'll get is Nora struggling to accept her Nephilim origin, battling the urge to gulp down on devilcraft, an almighty drink that makes her extremely strong and powerful, and trying to become the leader of this army, because she and her mother will otherwise die, thanks to the oath she swore to her dying (real) father. Doesn't this all sound like a soap opera? On top of it all, everyone in this book is Nephilim. Every single one, with the exception of Nora's mom and maybe the janitor in her high school.

     Moving on, everyone in this book is unbearable. Nora, Vee, Dante, at times even Patch and Scott. Let's not even mention Marcie, because unbearable is her middle name. And, because this is the final book, the conflict must be solved. And it is, in the last few chapters of this book. Literally. It all comes down to burning some feathers and when that fails, going for the most obvious way: slaughter between two supernatural races. Afterwards, all is well once more in Nora's world. And she and Patch may even be together for a little while!

     With all this being said, I am extremely pleased and happy to say that I finally finished this series. I don't know how I made it to the end, but I did and I am so relieved. I was so ready for it to be over. This series was, unfortunately, a major disappointment in my reading experience. As much as I tried to like it, I couldn't. I honestly feel like I've wasted too much time reading it and I think I can safely say this is one of the worst series I've read this year.

Review: Silence (Hush, Hush # 3)

My Rating: ★★☆☆☆

     I don't know how to say this gently, so I'll just say it: this book was awful. I absolutely hated it. I really, really don't want to be mean but I just couldn't bring myself to like this book one bit. It was exasperating! I literally wanted to scratch at my eyes and rip my hairs out every time I read a chapter.

     First of all, the good things about Silence. I have to be honest and solemnly thank the author for making this a fast read, otherwise I don't think I could've been able to finish this book. I'm not kidding. Thank the heavens that the writing style was easy to follow and that the overall action was extremely easy to read.

     Also, let me just point this out: thank God that there wasn't a love triangle! That's about the only good thing about this series, overall. Love triangles are usually cheap, corny and frustrating and this book didn't have it, which I can only praise it for. 

     Now, moving on, I must say that I was frustrated during 3/4 of this book. Really, memory wipe? Okay, that's actually pretty cool if you think about it. But, really, Patch would rather let Nora mumble alone in complete darkness - or, silence, if you wish - than fight for their future and fight for her? Granted, Nora is a terrible person but still. Patch swore up and down that he loved Nora and that nothing would keep them apart, and yet, here he was ready to just let go of it all. 

     I'm honestly getting mad just writing this review. Seriously, we're book 3 into this series and I don't know if there were 100 pages combined of Nora and Patch actually being together, without fighting or "letting go" of each other. This is not okay, not at all! I've said it before and I'll say it again - drama is alright. Everybody likes it, everybody wants to read a little of it and maybe even shed a few tears. But this book just went over the top. And don't even get me started on Vee - worst bestfriend of all times.

     On the other hand, I have mixed feelings about the action. The truth is, this book didn't keep me interested too much, which is why my mind kept slipping when reading it. Therefore, I don't really remember much of what happened, except the basics. I know that at times I felt like nothing was really happening. However, things changed a bit towards the ending and it all felt a little more fast-paced. 

     To sum this all up, I'm not going to pretend that this isn't a fit of rage where words start pouring out of me. Yes, I am very mad with this book. Yes, I am also very unimpressed and still wondering how on earth I was able to finish it but mostly, I'm wondering what would make someone want to read the final book after reading this one?

Review: Crescendo (Hush, Hush # 2)

My Rating: ★★★☆☆

     When I read a series, I usually expect the second book to be at least somewhat better than the first one but this wasn't the case with Crescendo. I really tried to like this book - this series, to be honest - but I feel completely on the outside when it comes toHush, Hush. Everyone said it was an amazing series but it really didn't get to me at all.

     So, the initial conflict is gone, everything is well in Nora's life and she and Patch proceed to live a normal life, happily in love like two teenagers. Um, nope, wrong book. That's what you would expect from a book like this, no? And maybe that's exactly the reason why the author chose a different path for this sequel. And I would be okay with that because everyone likes some dramatic twist of events in a romance, except this one was so poorly done that I literally rolled my eyes at least once per chapter.

     Marcie Millar? Seriously? I get it, everyone hated her from the beginning of the story and introducing her even further to the plot will make readers despise her even more, but why should she be involved with the fantastic/paranormal stuff that's going on in this book? It just didn't make sense at all. Of course, the author provided explanation for it but it still felt unnecessary to me.

     On the other hand, the character of Scott brought some interesting conflicts to the book. Even though he was very frustrating or even exasperating at times, I think that without him the book would have been much more dull. Naturally, it was obvious from the beginning that his involvement would be bigger than the author initially let on, thus I suspected from the beginning that he was supernatural. His introduction was interesting but predictable. 

     I was expecting something much more interesting from this book when I first started reading it. The fact that things got more heated towards the ending didn't make up for more than half of the book which was extremely boring. I wanted to see more of Nora and Patch but instead I got more of Nora/Scott and Patch/Marcie, which was not interesting. At best, it was frustrating, and not in the good way.

     Overall, this book was quite boring and frustrating most of the time but it did have some good parts. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't good either. I guess that if you started reading this series, you could continue and read Crescendo as well but don't get your hopes up - this book won't make you turn page after page in the urge of finding out what happens next.

Review: Hush, Hush (Hush, Hush # 1)

My Rating: ★★★☆☆

     I started reading Hush, Hush at the beginning of this month, having meant to read it for quite a while now. I thought it was going to be amazing, mind-blowing, heartbreaking and whatnot. It wasn't. At least not for me. I don't know why, but for some reason I had really high expectations from this book, and unfortunately, they were not met.

     The first thing that I'm going to say about this book is that it reminded me a lot of Twilight. I read all four books in the Twilight series and I didn't really like them. Okay, maybe I did at first, but that's because I was like 14 back when I read them. Now I realize that they were terrible.

     Nora and Patch might just be one of the most exasperating couples in the history of YA books. I hated Nora and I liked Patch, but I still think that their romance was awkward. Everything seemed forced to me and I just couldn't enjoy it. I finished the book pretty quickly because it's an easy, fast read and I continued with the series with the hope that it will progressively get better but it didn't.

     I don't know what it is about Hush, Hush that makes everybody love it, but I seriously didn't. I thought that Nora was at times just horrible, I couldn't stand her for the majority of the book. She was weak, silly and insecure and no matter what she did, she always got in trouble. It was like she lacked a brain. I get it, the hot fallen angel must rescue you because that's romance and so on and so forth. Actually, no, I don't get it. What's with all this damsel in distress business?

     And I thought that things would change throughout the story but they did not. Also, Nora and Patch didn't have much interaction or romance development during all the events, but suddenly, at the end of the book, they were this amazing couple. No, I really don't get it. I think that it's a bit sad because this book had a potentially interesting plot, with the fallen angels and nephilim.

     So I'm going to end my review here because this is quickly turning into a rage session of writing and I didn't mean to be so mean. To summarize, I didn't think the book was awful, but I really didn't think it was good either. The only reason I gave it three stars instead of two is that there are worse books than this one out there that I already rated two stars.

MFB: We Were Liars

“What if we could stop being different colors, different backgrounds, and just be in love?” 

     We Were Liars was literally spectacular. I felt quite a bit overwhelmed while reading it and especially after having finished it. This was no ordinary book, that is for sure. From the beginning, it sort of leaves you hanging and you're probably wondering "what the heck am I reading" most of the times. But, still, this book managed to make me love it. I must admit, when I started it, I wasn't expecting it to be this good and I mostly wanted to read it because it was one of the monthly reads in one of the groups I'm part of.

     However, when I started reading it, things changed. One of the things that I liked most about this book was the way it was written. At times, it can be a bit confusing but it still felt genuine most of the time. The story switches from present to past time and again, but it isn't that difficult to keep up with the pace.

Here is the official description of the book:

"A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.
 We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.
Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE."

     Cadence, the main character in this book, is a seventeen year old girl who suffered head trauma after an accident and she doesn't quite remember what happened to her. At times, she gets bits of her memories back but not enough to put the pieces together and uncover the truth. She is the narrator, and through her, the author puts together several stories retelling her past, mostly the summers she spent with her three friends, The Liars.

     There really isn't much that I can say about this book without digging deep to the truth of the story, which you only find out at the end. And, oh, what an ending! I literally got goosebumps when I read those last chapters. I did NOT expect that at all. Really, I think the twist in the end is what makes this book because honestly, I didn't get very attached to the characters. But still, I really liked this book and one of the things I liked most was how realistic it felt, like we all know that what happens in the book could actually happen to anyone out there. I give it five stars and hereby name it one of my favorite books!

Review: Deliverance (Defiance # 3)

My Rating: ★★★☆☆

     Deliverance is the final book in the Defiance trilogy. While I really enjoyed this series, the last book wasn't quite as good as the previous two, at least in my experience. It took me quite a while to finish reading it because I felt like the story kept dragging on at certain points instead of just developing further.

     What I disliked most about this book was Rachel. I get that she was weakened and that she felt awful most of the times, but in every few chapters she would pass out or come too close to giving up. I feel like the only way she got through was with the hope that either Logan or Quinn would come for her. My feelings were that she wasn't the same, strong character that we got in the beginning and we were instead left with a shadow of what used to be Rachel.

     I didn't care much for the characters in this book. Logan and Rachel felt plain boring and dull, there wasn't as much of Willow and Quinn as I would have liked, and the only one keeping things interesting was Ian. Which was why I was sort of annoyed and disappointed that, in the ending, Ian chose the "classic" exit: redeem yourself and tragically sacrifice yourself so that the others remember you as a hero and not for all the atrocities that you've committed. 

     What I also disliked about this book is the fact that Logan kept going on about how all that mattered to him was to save and get Rachel back, but it didn't seem to me like he was busting himself trying to rescue her. In fact, they only found each other towards the ending of the book, and that was also because Rachel managed to escape and try to make a run for it through the Wasteland, hoping that she will find Logan and the rest of their small team.

     One last thing that I'll complain about in this review is that there was a big lack of action AND romantic scenes. Because the author decided to continue the story with the two lead characters separated, the lack of romance was guaranteed from page one. The only thing that saved the story progress was the dual POV, which, granted, was there from the first book. 

     Overall, I was a bit disappointed with how this series was wrapped up. This book was not at all interesting and it felt completely boring and dragged on most of the time, but I rated it three stars because it wasn't, in all honesty, horrifying.

Today In My Mail

Last week, I kept a lookout on many reading & book sites because as you all know, it was the Black Friday period and a lot of sites had good sales on pretty much everything. Because I wanted to buy some new books, I took this opportunity to search for some of the books that I have on my to-read list. I was extremely excited when I found one of the series that I'd been meaning to read for a while go on sale. So I decided to put them in my shopping cart and order them right away (and all for a reasonable price!) Today, they arrived and they're beautiful.

I finally bought the Matched trilogy, which I'd had on my to-read list forever but never got across to buying. I haven't started reading them yet and I won't at least until I finish the series I'm reading currently (Hush, Hush), but I am planning on reading them as soon as possible. I took a few pictures and I will post them below. I really like the covers (and the amazing smell of new books, but who doesn't?) and I really hope I will like the story too. 

MFB: Deception (Defiance # 2)

“Maybe that's what love is. Giving others the power to hurt you and trusting that they'll use it to heal you instead.” 

     Deception is, in my opinion, definitely the best book in this trilogy and now one of my favorite books. I really liked this one a lot, I think it was the most exciting and the fastest read out of all three books. 

     I liked the idea of having a group in this book, as is the case with most dystopian books. I also liked that Logan became the leader of the group, despite the fact that he was so young. If at first, he wasn't exactly the best leader one could have, he did eventually grow as a man, as a leader and, for me, as a lead character. Also, I liked the addition of those new characters because I grew to like some of them, such as Nola, Jodi, Frankie and even Adam.

     And it's extremely important to mention two of the key characters in this trilogy, which are Quinn and Willow, and I think we all grew to love them. I know for a fact that I did. Quinn is my favorite character in this series and I absolutely love him. He was an excellent addition to these books, a very skilled fighter and also a loyal friend. His need to protect Rachel no matter what showed extreme loyalty, even if he barely knew the persons he was willing to die for.

     As for Rachel and Logan, I have mixed feelings. Rachel is definitely one of my favorite heroines of all time, because the thing I like most in dystopias, or novels of all kinds really, is a strong female character who's ready to take matters into her own hands at all times and who isn't constantly relying on other to protect & save her. And while Rachel was constantly protected by Quinn and Logan, she could handle herself and she was strong on her own. 

     I even liked Ian, believe it or not. That's why I was partly upset when he revealed his true nature. Don't get me wrong, I like a good antagonist and whatnot, but the great turn of events wasn't so great after all - if anything, it was extremely predictable. But still, I liked it & I liked Ian. Even when he turned bad, I still liked him.

     Overall, I simply loved this book. It had a lot of action, a lot of intrigue and suspense. It also had a lot of character development, along with happy moments and sad moments. Rachel is definitely one of the strongest characters I have come across in books of this kind and I could relate to her, feel her pain and happiness as if it was my own. So, yes, Deception is one of my favorite books and I rate it five stars!

Here is the official description of the book:

"Baalboden has been ravaged. The brutal Commander's whereabouts are unknown. And Rachel, grief stricken over her father's death, needs Logan more than ever. With their ragged group of survivors struggling to forge a future, it's up to Logan to become the leader they need—with Rachel by his side. Under constant threat from rival Carrington's army, who is after the device that controls the Cursed One, the group decides to abandon the ruins of their home and take their chances in the Wasteland.


But soon their problems intensify tenfold: someone—possibly inside their ranks—is sabotaging the survivors, picking them off one by one. The chaos and uncertainty of each day puts unbearable strain on Rachel and Logan, and it isn't long before they feel their love splintering. Even worse, as it becomes clear that the Commander will stop at nothing to destroy them, the band of survivors begins to question whether the price of freedom may be too great—and whether, hunted by their enemies and the murderous traitor in their midst, they can make it out of the Wasteland alive. 
In this daring sequel to Defiance, with the world they once loved forever destroyed, Rachel and Logan must decide between a life on the run and standing their ground to fight."