Book Review: Beautiful Creatures By Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Title: Beautiful Creatures
Authors: Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Date Published: December 1st, 2009
Pages: 563












Goodreads Synopsis: 
Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Initial Thoughts: 
The Main reason i picked up this book was because all of the hype on Book-tube. I was a bit intimidated by the size, but i wanted to see what all the hype was about, so i read it. 

After Thoughts:

After i read about 150 pages, i didn't really like the book. It was really slow, and i didn't understand what all the hype was about. I put the book down for a few weeks, and kind of forgot about it. Then one day, i decided i just need to read it, because maybe it gets better. And i was right! Right where i picked the book up again, it started to get really good! I started to connect with some of the characters, and get drawn into the story. I loved all the characters, but especially Ethan and Link. They seemed like really great guys, and i love how they stuck with Lena and each other throughout the whole book. Now let's talk about the ending. I must say that I'm happy and sad with the ending. It didn't really leave me hanging, which is good, but it didn't real make me want to pick up the 2nd book either. Overall, I really liked the story. I will eventually pick up the second book, but not right away. I rate this 4/5 stars. Even though the ending was slow, it picked up and got really good. I totally recommend it!

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Book Review: The best and Hardest Thing by Pat Brisson

Title: The Best and Hardest Thing
Author: Pat Brisson
Date Published: May 13th, 2010
Pages: 240









Goodreads Synopsis:
Fifteen-year-old Molly Biden has always been studious, dependable, some might even say saintly. And she's sick of herself. So when she spots mysterious bad boy Grady Dillon, she devises a plan to make herself over into someone new, someone who will attract Grady's attention. She succeeds but a little too well. When Molly discovers she?s pregnant, she's forced to make the hardest choice of her life. This addictive readable portrayal of Molly's struggle to accept her pregnancy and the fact that her life will never be the same is told entirely in poetry, from sonnets to haiku.

Initial thoughts:
I was shopping on amazon (Bargain books) When I came across this book. I was instantly drawn to it because of the cover. I t made we want to read it so bad! I also love the purple and turquoise colors!

After Thoughts:
When I first received the book, I found out that it was written in poem form. At first I thought it would take away from the book, but after reading it, I realized it actually made the book a lot better. Even though this was a very quick/short read, I felt very connected to the main character, Molly. I always felt her emotions, and really liked her. I would have liked to get to know Gary a little more, but i don't think it really took away from the story.  Some of the poems were amazing, and made me think about things in a different light. I loved this book, and i rated it 5/5 stars!

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Book Review: The Cardturner By Louis Sachar

Title: The Cardturner
Author: Louis Sachar
Date Published: May 11th, 2010
Pages: 336











Goodreads Synopsis:

From Louis Sachar, New York Times bestselling author and winner of the Newbery Medal for HOLES, comes the young adult novel THE CARDTURNER, an exploration of the human condition.
 
How are we supposed to be partners? He can’t see the cards and I don’t know the rules!
 
The summer after junior year of high school looks bleak for Alton Richards. His girlfriend has dumped him to hook up with his best friend. He has no money and no job. His parents insist that he drive his great-uncle Lester to his bridge club four times a week and be his cardturner—whatever that means. Alton’s uncle is old, blind, very sick, and very rich.
 
But Alton’s parents aren’t the only ones trying to worm their way into Lester Trapp’s good graces. They’re in competition with his longtime housekeeper, his alluring young nurse, and the crazy Castaneda family, who seem to have a mysterious influence over him.
 
Alton soon finds himself intrigued by his uncle, by the game of bridge, and especially by the pretty and shy Toni Castaneda. As the summer goes on, he struggles to figure out what it all means, and ultimately to figure out the meaning of his own life.
 
Through Alton’s wry observations, Louis Sachar explores the disparity between what you know and what you think you know. With his incomparable flair and inventiveness, he examines the elusive differences between perception and reality—and inspires readers to think and think again.

Initial Thoughts:
I went into the library not planning to pick up this book. I went to the library bookstore, like usual. Then, on a whim, i decided i wanted to check out some books. I wanted to do something different, so i decided to just take the first 3 books on the shelf. This was one of them. I had never heard anything about this book before, so i was excited to read it. 

After Thoughts:

I didn't have high expectations for this book because i didn't know anything about it. If you read the synopsis, than you know that the book is about bridge. Well, not the whole book, but it is centered around the game. Before this book, i didn't even know bridge was a card game, so i learned that right off the bat, lol! As for the story, i didn't really understand where it was going. It was kind of just going round and round with the same plot, just different locations. I also didn't understand the game of bridge, so whenever they talked about it in depth, i just skipped over it. Now on to the positives. I liked the main character, Alton, a lot. I felt the same emotions as him, and he did things that i would have done in certain situations. Now that i think about it, i actually liked most of the characters a lot. The author also makes you laugh a few times, which is always good. One thing i still don't understand after reading the book is what the cover means. Why is he laying on a bench with a book? Overall, it was a good book, and i suggest you read it. i gave it a 3/5 stars!

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Book Reviews: Just a little Crush, Just a Little Embrace (Book 1&2)

Title: Just a Little Crush (#1)
Author: Tracie Puckett
Date Published: Dec. 11th 2012
Pages: 53 (ebook)

Goodreads Summary:
When a class assignment requires seventeen-year-old Julie to shadow someone on the job, she’s overwhelmed by the decisions she’ll have to make. After all, she has no clue what she wants from life post-graduation. So when her Uncle Charlie, Oakland’s Chief of Police, suggests Julie fulfill her twenty hours of required job shadowing at the local police department, she’s thrilled at his solution. Thinking she’ll spend her days filing paperwork behind a desk, she finds herself quickly agreeing to his proposition. But Julie’s expectations are soon turned upside down when she meets Luke, the young and handsome (albeit somewhat stubborn) officer she’s assigned to shadow on patrol. 

With every hour she logs with Luke at the wheel, her feelings stir deeper, and Julie can’t help but wonder if what she’s feeling has developed into more than just a little crush.

Title: Just a Little Embrace (#2)
author Tracie Puckett
Date Published: 2012
Pages: unknown

Goodreads Summary:
Gone are the days of police patrol. With ten hours to go before completing her job shadowing project, seventeen-year-old Julie Little’s assignment has switched gears, and now she’s required to start living the lifestyle of every man (and woman) in uniform. Under Luke’s command, Julie is obligated to complete her remaining hours through early morning exercise training. And despite her distaste for physical exertion, Julie’s crush on her mentor continues to grow by leaps and bounds with each passing day. And just when she’s certain that she’s making progress in her relationship with Luke, Julie learns that the new guy in town has taken an interest in winning her heart… and as far as she’s concerned, there’s only room in her heart for one man… even if he still hasn’t figured out that they’re meant to be.


Initial Thoughts:

The main reason why i picked the first book up is because it was free in the ibook store, lol! Who can resist free!? It also had a really cute cover, and an interesting synopsis, so i though what the hay, what have i got to lose!

After Thoughts:
I didn't have high expectations for this book because, well, it was free! A lot of the time i agree with the saying, "you get what you pay for." In this case, throw that saying out the window! The short cute book was really good! I never wanted to put it down! I loved it so much that i just had to buy the second one ($1.99). The book was adorable, and it really kept you entertained. I will definitely be buying the third one! I give both of them 5/5 stars! :)

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Book Review: Bruiser by Neal Shusterman

Title: Bruiser
Author: Neal Shusterman
Date Published: October 1st 2011
Pages: 328







Goodreads Synopsis:
"There’s a reason why Brewster can’t have friends – why he can’t care about too many people. Because when he cares about you, things start to happen. Impossible things that can’t be explained. I know, because they're happening to me."

When Brontë starts dating Brewster “Bruiser” Rawlins – the guy voted “Most Likely to Get the Death Penalty” her twin brother, Tennyson, isn’t surprised. But then strange things begin to occur. Tennyson and Brontë’s scrapes heal unnaturally fast, and cuts disappear before their eyes. What at first seems like their good fortune turns out to be more than they bargained for…much more.

Initial Thoughts:

I picked this book up knowing it was going to be great. I don't know how I knew that, I just did. I hadn't heard many things about this book, but what I had heard said the book was amazing. The little bit of a synopsis totally intrigued me, and I dove right into it!

After thoughts:

OMG, If you have not picked up this book yet, go get it! Right from the beginning I was drawn in. I loved all the characters, especially Tennyson. There were those character you love to love, and the ones you love to hate. This book makes you think about what love really means, and what you would do for the people you care about. I read this book in about 4 days, which for me is pretty fast. I can honestly not think of one thing bad to say about this book! :)

Conclusion:

I can't say enough good this about this books. I never wanted to put it down. I give it 5/5 STARS!

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Introduction to my Book Blog!

 some of my books

Hello Everyone! Before i started posting book reviews on my blog, i thought it was appropriate to make an intro post. My name is Alyssa, and i am a 15 year old girl that loves to read! I mostly read YA, but i also enjoy some kids books, adult books, and classics. I got the inspiration to do this blog from by YouTube channel, ( click here to go to it.) I've had a YouTube channel for about 5 months now and have been so lucky to gain over 500 subscribers! The reason i started this blog was because i wanted one place to keep all of my book reviews. I have noticed over the past 6 months or so that book reviews VS. other book videos are not very popular. I decided to make this blog the location of my book reviews only.  I may also do giveaways, and guest posts, but mostly book reviews. If you want more than book reviews, check out my YouTube channel. I hope you follow this blog, i think it will be a lot of fun!