Review: Where She Went - Gayle Forman

Opening Sentence: "Every morning I wake up and I tell myself this: It's just one day, one twenty-four hour period to get yourself through."
Author Website | Goodreads | Amazon

It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future--and each other.

Fair warning: I have no idea what I want to say about this book, so this will probably be extremely jumbled.

I didn’t read the synopsis for Where She Went and had no idea what was going to happen in it, so I was surprised when I realized it was being told from the perspective of Adam instead of Mia. It was a good surprise though, because we got so little of Adam in If I Stay that it wasn’t really shown what a great character he is. And he is a great character. I spent probably 95% of this novel feeling depressed for him and the other 5% hoping for the best even though sometimes he’s a bit of a jackass.

(As in If I Stay) Where She Went takes place mostly within just a day or two. I love it when books have a short timeframe because it forces them to keep the story going, going, going. There’s only so much that can happen in a day. There’s the problem of sometimes trying to fit too much into a few hours, but this book doesn’t suffer from it. It reads sort of like an “A Day in the Life” feature, except amped up by past love and frequent anger.

I’m extremely impressed with Where She Went. I’ve run into too many sequels that fell flat. I was so happy to find I liked the second book a tad more than the first book. I enjoyed them both, but I feel like Where She Went has that extra sort of oompf! that If I Stay doesn’t and it’s simply satisfying in a way only an ending can be.

Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review: If I Stay - Gayle Forman

Opening Sentence: "Everyone thinks it was because of the snow."
Author Website | Goodreads | Amazon

Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones. Stay true to her first love--music--even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind?
Then, one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it's the only one that matters.

This novel was short and sweet and absolutely wonderful. The topic is extremely heavy and I figured the whole book would be too, but it wasn’t as depressing as I assumed. Don’t get me wrong, I cried at one point, but there’s a difference between “dark” and “sad”. I liked this novel from the moment I started reading it, and that’s saying something.

If I Stay is so short, about 200 pages in my version, that I was wondering how on Earth everything that needed to happen would happen in such a relatively small amount of time. Again, it’s short and sweet, but gets the point across splendidly and without the backstory on that one aunt that kind of makes an appearance but not really but is still “totally vital to the story” for xyz reason. (That can also be known as “fluff” if you don’t like run-on sentences.) I honestly think the book may have dragged had it been any longer.

I truly enjoyed reading about the characters in this book. I felt like they were all unique even in their similarities and all the personality traits come so easily and subtly that you know they’re there without ever noticeably acknowledging them. The one instance of this I have in mind is Mia being somewhat prejudiced in her view of music styles and the people who like them. She states more than once that she’s uncomfortable in certain circumstances and feels out of place for reasons that are sometimes based on something other than actual experience. She is quick to assume people are too different from her (and she from them) to get along with and that makes her all the more human. It’s a wonderful touch.

At the beginning (it’s a breakfast scene) I was wondering if Mia’s family was supposed to be a depiction of a “typical” well functioning family or if Forman corned it up a bit too much. The way they talked and interacted didn’t ring completely realistic to me and as a whole they seemed like the stereotypical romanticized families you see in holiday TV movies. Perhaps Forman was trying to spotlight the good things in the family and I’m just getting the wrong idea, but even the Cleavers (and other 50s/60s sitcom families) are getting a run for their money with the Hall family.

Other than the “corny family moments” thing I have nothing bad to say about this novel. I enjoyed it a lot and hope to eventually have it sitting on my bookshelf. I’m extremely excited to see what’s up with the next book in the series, Where She Went.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

In My Mailbox (3)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme started/hosted by The Story Siren in which bloggers share the books they buy, borrow, and receive. Click here to learn more!

I'm so pleased I only got two books this week, because I'm pretty backed up as far as reading goes.

My library happened to have If I Stay on their shelf so I checked it out. I do have it on my Kindle, but when I can read a hard copy I do.

Also, City of Bones is one I'm really excited to read. I read Clockwork Angel not too long ago and I was going to move onto Clockwork Prince, but I wanted to backtrack and read The Mortal Instruments series because it came out first... and because City of Bones is being made into a movie right now. I know it's not coming out for some time, but whatever.

Sorry for any typos or weird anything in this post. I'm currently half asleep and getting sleepier. (Need. Sleep. Now.)

I'd love to know what books you got this week!

Review: Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher

Opening Sentence: "'Sir?' she repeats."
Author Website | Goodreads | Amazon

Clay Jensen doesn't want anything to do with the tapes Hannah Baker made. Hannah is dead, he reasons. Her secrets should be buried with her.
Then Hannah's voice tells Clay that his name is on her tapes--and that he is, in some way, responsible for her death.
All through the night, Clay keeps listening. He follows Hannah's recorded words throughout his small town…
…and what he discovers changes his life forever.

I’ve been hearing and continue to hear wonderful things about Thirteen Reasons Why. One of the reasons it took me so long to finally read it is because I was concerned with the hype being greater than the book. I don’t think the book lived up to the image I conjured for it (based on what people were telling me), but I enjoyed reading it none-the-less.

One of my favorite things about the whole book was how much of it was Hannah talking on the tapes. I figured there would be more Clay and less Hannah and that sort of turned me off (because it’s her story, after all), so I was stoked to find out it’s actually the other way around. That’s not to mention how awesome of an idea this book was in general. Hannah’s tapes are so descriptive and unforgiving… and long that I sometimes forgot listening to them all took place inside just one day for Clay. So much in his life changed in less than twenty-four hours.

Speaking of Clay, am I the only one that was sort of bothered by him? I liked him and then I didn’t like him… and then I did… so on and so forth. Clay is so passive it’s annoying. It’s irritating to see from his point of view sometimes, but that’s what makes him a good character. He wouldn’t be just fine, understanding, and a little sad… the bitterness and anger are what make humans human. While it grinded my gears I really need to applaud Jay Asher on not selling out to one type of stereotypical reaction when it came to Clay listening to the tapes. He did come off as somewhat too much of a “nice guy”, though.

The biggest thing I liked about this book was Hannah’s voice. From the first words she said—Hello, boys and girls. Hannah Baker here. Live and in stereo. —I felt like her voice was just… there. She’s sarcastic and angry… and hurt though she covers it well with her usually calm demeanor. I loved that she was willing to admit that she did things wrong too and that she isn’t just a victim. If her tapes had been filled with “woe is me!” statements I don’t think I would have finished this book.

Apparently there’s a collection of YouTube videos with Hannah’s tapes on the Thirteen Reasons Why website. I haven’t checked them out yet, but I’m seriously hoping they’re similar to how I picture Hannah’s voice. (Edit: They aren’t and I won’t continue listening to them.)

For the most part this was an interesting book. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. The events are sad, but I wasn’t emotionally invested in the book at all and I’m sure that’s one of the reasons it’s only getting a three star rating from me.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Seven Authors I'm Thankful For

I noticed that people participating in the Top Ten Tuesday meme are making lists of authors and books they're thankful for in honor of Thanksgiving this year. While I'm currently not participating in the meme* I thought it was a good idea. So, without further ado, Authors I'm Thankful For:

Sarah Dessen: She’s one of my favorite authors and was one of the big forces that got me into the Young Adult genre while I was in middle school. I love her books and will continue reading them until she stops writing them.

Stephenie Meyer: I know what some people are probably thinking as they read this. I do like The Twilight Saga, but it’s not the reason Stephenie Meyer is on the list. For some reason while I was reading the series for the first time I had an overwhelming urge to write, something I had been lacking motivation to do. It still makes me want to write therefore I’m still thankful for it and her.

Mark Twain: Mark Twain wrote a wonderful essay called The Lowest Animal and I absolutely adore it. That alone is the reason he is on this right now. Never mind all of his highly acclaimed novels.

William Shakespeare: Call me pretentious, but I love Shakespeare. He was the first author (technically playwright) I read who showed me that you can make anything sound good if you choose the right combination of words.

Stephanie Perkins: When I read Anna and the French Kiss I quickly fell in love with it. Reading it also helped me get through an unwanted trip I was on, which is why I’m grateful for Stephanie Perkins.

Sylvia Plath: I’m not the hugest fan of poetry, even Sylvia Plath, though there are a select few. Those select few poems and her book (The Bell Jar) win her a spot on my thankful list. I wish she had written more.

Judy Blume: My first favorite book EVER was The Pain and the Great One by Judy Blume. As if that’s not a good enough reason for her to be on this list there’s also the books she wrote for growing girls that tackle tender and difficult topics that may be difficult to talk about. Also, Superfudge.

*I'm thinking about getting started up with the Top Ten Tuesday meme.

Review: Burn for Burn - Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

Opening Sentence: "The morning fog has painted everything white."
Author Website (Han and Vivian) | Goodreads | Amazon

BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY...
THEY GET EVEN.

Postcard-perfect Jar Island is home to charming tourist shops, pristine beaches, amazing oceanfront homes—and three girls secretly plotting revenge.

Kat is sick and tired of being bullied by her former best friend.
Lillia has always looked out for her little sister, so when she discovers that one of her guy friends has been secretly hooking up with her, she’s going to put a stop to it.
Mary is perpetually haunted by a traumatic event from years past, and the boy who’s responsible has yet to get what’s coming to him.

None of the girls can act on their revenge fantasies alone without being suspected. But together…anything is possible.
With an unlikely alliance in place, there will be no more “I wish I’d said…” or “If I could go back and do things differently...” These girls will show Jar Island that revenge is a dish best enjoyed together.

I’m glad this is a series, because I have no freaking idea what’s going on. I forgot it was a series, so the abrupt ending almost caused a completely different tone in this review. Luckily, I remembered.

I’m a believer in karma; therefore I’ve never had as strong of a hunger for revenge by my hands as these girls do. (I.e. I don’t want to ruin anyone’s life… really.) I think this may be the reason I can’t help but shake my head at Kat, Mary, and Lillia. I understand they’re angry and want to shove back at the people who hurt them, but… it’s kind of crazy. Then again a lot of the things humans do are.

As much as I want to say this makes the story unrealistic, and therefore irrelevant, I can’t, because things like this happen all the time. I think as far as realism is concerned this is a pretty accurate rendition of life. The things I consider extreme may be nothing to some people and vice versa.

This book was left so tangled that I can’t help but sit here and brainstorm possible solutions to the whole matter. I’m not quite sure where the authors are going with the story. That, my friends, is how you get people to continue with your series. You make them hate it and think about it to the point of love. That isn’t to say I hate the book. On the contrary, I really enjoyed it and found it to be quite the page-turner… I’m just so bewildered. So, what now?

Of all the girls I really felt Mary was the shining star. Her story is what stuck out most to me and I feel like my empathy level with her was beyond strong. The other girls were wonderful too, with all three of them less secure than they appear and more ferocious than they plan to be. I really liked the characters because they were real enough to question what they were doing, but hurt enough to keep going, as I imagine many humans feel and act. No one is ever completely sure of everything they’re doing and I think that was shown subtly in most of the characters in the novel, not just the main three. Humans are fragile and you could see that in the friends, the parents, and et cetera.

I’m not sure when the next installment in the series is slated to come out, but I’ll be waiting patiently, scratching my head in hopes of some sort of explanation.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars