Book Review: Made For You by Melissa Marr

I rated it 4 out of 5 stars.


Overview: Bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely books Melissa Marr’s first contemporary YA novel is a twisted southern gothic tale of obsession, romance, and murder. A killer is obsessed with Eva Tilling. Can she stop him, or will he claim her?

When Eva Tilling wakes up in the hospital, she’s confused—who in her sleepy little North Carolina town could have hit her with their car? And why? But before she can consider the question, she finds that she’s awoken with a strange new skill: the ability to foresee people’s deaths when they touch her. While she is recovering from the hit-and-run, Nate, an old flame, reappears, and the two must traverse their rocky past as they figure out how to use Eva’s power to keep her friends—and themselves—alive. But while Eva and Nate grow closer, the killer grows increasingly frantic in his attempt to get to Eva.

For the first time, New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr has applied her extraordinary talent to contemporary realism. Chilling twists, unrequited obsession, and high-stakes romance drive this Gothic, racy thriller—a story of small-town oppression and salvation. Melissa’s fans, and every YA reader, will find its wild ride enthralling


Review: This review is long overdue, but better late than never. I'm a big fan of Marr's after her Wicked Lovely books. I adored them. So it was interesting to hear that she was writing a contemporary thriller. Of course I picked it up and devoured this book. Marr's writing in contemporary is just as beautiful as her writing in fantasy. Though for a contemporary, she did throw a small supernatural element in, but it added to the story and worked as a good device for building suspense and narrowing down the suspect list.

Like a good thriller, Marr kept me guessing on the stalker, but I was just able to figure it out a few chapters before the protagonist. I didn't mind it though because it took nothing away from the story. the only thing that made me rate this a four instead of a five is because I don't think the actions or sacrifices of the Stalker made sense. I wish there was more motive behind it.

Nonetheless, I would recommend it for a good leisure read.

Hello, October


I cannot believe it's been over a week since I last blogged! Nonetheless, a lot of fun stuff has been happening, but I have no pictures to show for it! Michael got the new iPhone 6 so he's been taking photos of our fun moments since his camera quality is better than mine. I still need to put in an order for mine since I am eligible for an upgrade, so I'll need to do that soon. But I'll still post a photo set of the end of my September sometime next week when Micahel returns from his business trip (I'll steal his photos muwhahaha *evil laugh*).

In the meantime, I can tell you what's been going on:

1. We celebrated Michael's mother's birthday at Spinasse in Seattle.

2. Michael and I's Friday Night Date Night was in Wallingford for some wine, ramen, and churros. (Not at the same place of course! We made three different stops.)

3. I met with my cool writer friend Lisa at this wine bar right in front of Alkai Beach. We had a fun time catching up while we caught the sunset.

4. Michael and I made the trip to Whidbey Island to visit his grandparents. They fed us, wined us, and showed us some family heirlooms. It was pretty cool.

5. I felt sick Monday and stayed home from work, afraid I was coming down with the cold. Luckily I wasn't! Turned out to be a one day fluke kind of thing. That being so, I had time to binge through Black List season 1, and read Sarah Dessen's The Moon and More.

Also, I know I still owe you that book review on Made For You, so look for that tomorrow.

Happy October everyone!

Book Review: Dream Boy by Mary Crockett & Madelyn Rosenburg

I rated it 2 out of 5 stars.


Overview: Annabelle Manning feels like she’s doing time at her high school in Chilton, Virginia. She has her friends at her lunchtime table of nobodies. What she doesn’t have are possibilities. Or a date for Homecoming. Things get more interesting at night, when she spends time with the boy of her dreams. But the blue-eyed boy with the fairytale smile is just that—a dream. Until the Friday afternoon he walks into her chemistry class.

One of friends suspects he’s an alien. Another is pretty sure it’s all one big case of deja vu. While Annabelle doesn’t know what to think, she’s willing to believe that the charming Martin Zirkle may just be her dream come true. But as Annabelle discovers the truth behind dreams—where they come from and what they mean—she is forced to face a dark reality she had not expected. More than just Martin has arrived in Chilton. As Annabelle learns, if dreams can come true, so can nightmares.


Review: Oh man, I really wanted to like this one, but I didn't. I think this is the first two-star rating I have given on my blog (one stars are reserved from books I can't even finish because I don't want to waste my time). So why a two-star? PREDICTABLE. Everything that happened was so predictable. The characters were so obvious, I mean cleary you can see who's into who. Everything is spelled out for you which takes some fun out of the reading. You would think with two writers on this book that they could have seen how predictable and obvious it all is.

Alright, I know what you're thinking, Michelle, give the book some slack, it is a young adult book for christ's sake not an American literary masterpiece. And though I do understand that this is directed for young adults, I think they should be challenged in what they read. They should think for themselves and come to their own conclusions. This was a 'fun' little plot book, but it was too obvious for my sake. I only read half and skimmed the rest. The more I buy books that I don't really end up liking, the more it makes me want to go to the library and just borrow books. However, I know buying books is a way to support the author, which is why I continue to buy them, but man, I keep getting disappointed as of late.

One book I wasn't disappointed in this week? Made For You by Melissa Marr. A review of that one will be posted sometime this week!

Random List: trips, traffic tickets, Blaire, and other randomness

This week has been so turbulent and out of control. It's just one of those weeks where you step back and think, What the hell happened? To which I have no answer. So instead of coherent blog post, today's will be a jumbled mess because that's kind of how my mind feels. Though I will make it into a list to make it seem sort of organized.


1. The last Bandol rose of the summer that Michael and I drank last weekend at his mom's. Luckily, we're heading into another 80 degree weekend which is a complete shock to me! I remembered last September was just rainstorm after rainstorm.




2. The hot and coldness of Blaire. Don't let that cute face fool you. Blaire's had a pretty turbulent week as well. Going from super affectionate, even sitting on my lap (which is a super rarity), to biting, scratching, and messing with the blinds. All I can say is, wow Blaire, like your life is so hard with the eating, sleeping, and sun bathing. *rolls eyes at his cuteness*


3. 'Junk food makes people depressed.' This was something I read in the elevator at work on a bad day. It was like someone up there knew I cheated on my diet. I'm such a stress eater. If anyone knows how to remedy this, please send thoughts my way. I'm not going to lie though, that spaghetti looks good.


4. On a healthier note, I did have a yellow watermelon for the first time! A coworker brought it into work, and as you can see I absolutely devoured it.

5. So remember that mentioned bad day I was having? Well to make matters worse I ended the day with a traffic ticket. I haven't had one since I was 16 years old. Now I don't know if I should just pay for it or fight it.


6. Da Nang, Vietnam is a GO! By the end of today Michael and I will be booking tickets to my homeland. That's right, my whole family is going back to Vietnam for the lunar new year. On a sad note, my grandparents are old and sick, which is the reason why my family has decided to go.


7. Today is Palaemon's 3rd Birthday! Congrats on another successful year in business!

*ends random list rant*

Thanks for reading!

Book Review: Dangerous Boys by Abigail (Haas) McDonald

I rated it 4 out of 5 stars.


Overview: Three teens venture into the abandoned Monroe estate one night; hours later, only two emerge from the burning wreckage. Chloe drags one Reznick brother to safety, unconscious and bleeding; the other is left to burn, dead in the fire. But which brother survives? And is his death a tragic accident? Desperate self-defense? Or murder?
Chloe is the only one with the answers. As the fire rages, and police and parents demand the truth, she struggles to piece together the story of how they got there-a story of jealousy, twisted passion, and the darkness that lurks behind even the most beautiful of faces…

Review: I read this a few weeks back and forgot to write a review, so here it goes. Once again Abigail Haas has delivered another psychological thriller that seriously messes with your head. Normally I'm not into thrillers, but if it's written by Haas, then count me in. Haas has such a way of getting into a character's mind that as a reader you understand where they are coming from, even if they are dark and dangerous beneath the beautiful face.

This is one of those books that you completely devour in one read because you just have to know the ending. When I was reading this I was lounging in my bed during the weekend and Michael and I had dinner plans that night, but I was too engrossed to let go. And when I was finally able to wrench myself free I only had fifteen minutes to get dressed. It was that good.

If you want your mind messed around a bit. Read this book. I thought it was even better than Dangerous Girls.

My Top Ten Influential Books

Thanks to the lovely Michelle at the The Sunflower's Scribbles for nominating me on this cool blog chain. Now I have to list the top ten books that influenced me (which is a toughy for a book nerd like me). Though I would just like to note that this list is 'as of now,' meaning I'm sure my list will constantly change and shift as I grow older, so please have mercy on my choices!
 
 
10. The Norton Anthology of English Literature
 
I know, I know. Dweebie move, but this Anthology is reminiscent of my undergrad days when I finally switched my major from Animal Biology to English Literature. I lugged this big giant book around for a year and I learned so much from it.
 

9. Stolen
 
This book seriously gave me stockholm syndrome and made me cry. Not to mention I am completely envious of Christopher's writing. Normally I'm not into thriller/capture books, but the first few pages hooked me and didn't let me go until I finished. For my full review on this book, click here.
 


8. Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac
 
This book really intrigued me as a teenager and continues to be a reread for me as an adult. Because the main character has amnesia, it was interesting to learn about her character alongside her, making you feel like you're in her shoes. I also really enjoyed the complexity of her love interest and the complications of him falling for the mc when she wasn't herself. It's a dynamic I don't see too often. Click here for my full review.


7. Just Listen
 
I love Sarah Dessen. I practically read all of her books in high school, but this one continues to be my favorite book of hers. Here's one of my favorite quotes:
“There comes a time when the world gets quiet and the only thing left is your own heart. So you'd better learn the sound of it. Otherwise you'll never understand what it's saying.” 
 


6. Pride and Prejudice
 
Umm. Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. Enough said, right? I just love, love, love this book!
 


5. The Sun Also Rises and 4. The Great Gatsby
 
I lump these two together because they are the complete opposite in writing and style, but I love them both for those reasons. These were also two books I read in my junior honors english class that made me want to study the subject and be a writer. Then fast forward to college where I reread/studied these two books again and got even more insight and depth of these books despite their small size. Still blows me away. I am in awe of the writing still. Reread the first page of each side by side and you'll understand what I mean.
 

 
3. Twilight
 
Okay, okay. I know what you're thinking. How could I possibly go from American classics to Vampires? Let me just say I loved Twilight as a STANDALONE, not a series. I don't know what it is about Twilight, but I can still reread it and fall in love with Edward all over again. This was the first book that seriously made me swoon and I am not ashamed of that. Teenage me gobbled this book in a night. It also brings a lot of memories for me seeing as this was released when I was in High School and my friends and I just loved talking about it and sharing it with as many people as we could. I have yet to meet a fictional character to make me swoon as much as Edward. Perhaps it's because I'm older now, but nonetheless, I miss being so crazy and in love with a fictional character.
 
 
2. Harry Potter Series
 
Okay I cheated. This isn't one book, it's seven, but oh my gosh the power these books had on me. Never have I ever wanted a magical world to exist as much as the world Rowling created. I am so thrilled that I was a part of the generation that grew up with these books. It just goes to show how much books can affect us as the whole world was swept in its story. I'm not sure if a series like this will ever come again, thankfully words are enternal and as long as these books are around, this story will live on forever.

 
1. Flipped
 
This book will always have a special place in my heart. This was the book that made me fall in love with reading. It made me feel what words could do to the heart, soul, and mind. I read this book when I was really young and it made me cry within 40 pages. It blew my mind that words made into sentences, stacked in paragraphs across pages, could evoke emotion. I remember surfacing from the book and realizing my perception of the world had changed. That my friend, is magic.
 
To continue this blog chain, I'm going to pass it on to Lisa at Planning for Sun and Eva at In the Garden of Eva, both are fellow writers I met at Hugo House and admire greatly!