May 19, 2015

Book Review | The Distance Between Us

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West is about a sixteen-year-old girl named Caymen who lives with her single mom above the antique doll shop her mother owns. One day Xander, a rich, handsome, and charming boy comes to the shop to pick up something for his grandmother. The two begin talking and start to take an interest in one another. Caymen was taught by her mother at a young age not to trust the rich, and she decides to ignore Xander. But Xander’s persistence convinces Caymen to give him a shot, only to learn that her mother’s warnings of avoiding the rich might be true. In the end Caymen and Xander decide they are willing to work through the obstacles of their different financial backgrounds in order to be together.

This was a cute and quick read, the kind of summer time book you read in one sitting while lying in a hammock with a glass of lemonade. It was quite easy to fly through this story. It was a bit of a cliché story in a way, with the poor girl and the rich guy falling in love despite the protests of everyone around them, but something about the way Kasie West told the story made it new and different (if that makes any sense).

I thought it was cool how they were trying to immerse the other in something completely out of their comfort zone at the beginning of their friendship, although I personally thought Caymen’s choice of visiting a cemetery and digging graves was a little much. But hey, that’s just me.

Regarding the characters, I really liked Caymen. I couldn’t personally relate to her life, but I had no problem getting into her mindset and seeing things the way she saw them. She had such a strong voice that pulled me in, which is always important.

Would I classify The Distance of Us as my absolutely favorite young adult contemporary? No. But I did enjoy it a lot. I think I gave this about a 4 on Goodreads, and I am looking forward to reading some more of Kasie West’s works as I did enjoy her writing

I’d love to hear some other opinions on this story. Feel free to leave me a comment below. I’m curious to know what other contemporary books you enjoy.

Thanks for reading!

May 8, 2015

Book Review | The Heir

Posted by Lauren in Book Reviews

Hello everyone! Today I wanted to talk about The Heir by Kiera Cass.

This is the fourth installment in The Selection series, and while I did like it, I’m still a bit surprised that this came out. The original three books in The Selection series made an aggravating, but satisfying trilogy. But I was excited to see Maxon and America in their later years.

This new addition to the series follows Eadlyn, the eldest of Maxon and America’s four children, and the twin of Aaron. Because she is the eldest, Eadlyn is heir to the throne, making her the first female leader of the country of Illea. There are still rebellions happening in the kingdom, and Eadlyn’s parents suggest holding a Selection for her as a distraction for the people. Eadlyn doesn’t want to because she doesn’t think she needs a man to rule with her. However she agrees, and soon there are suitors lining up to win the hand and the heart of the princess.

Eadlyn is a character who you can feel very wishy-washy about. When she first introduced herself, I didn’t mind. The opening line about how she is the most powerful girl in the world made Eadlyn seem like a very tough girl who could get things done, which I thought was a good image for girls. It showed how seriously she was taking her role as the future Queen of Illea.

However, she soon started to take her toll on me. She started acting irrationally, which her mother did in the earlier books, but at least America showed a bit of decorum. Eadlyn started acting like a toddler when she was asked to consider holding her own Selection.

The boys in this Selection seem very…one dimensional. Eadlyn doesn’t give half of them the time of day, and it feels pretty obvious who is going to win. Who knows, though? Kiera could totally pull the rug from under us.

And that ending…um, cliffhanger much?

All in all, I did enjoy it. I definitely think this is one of the prettiest covers (along with The One). If you liked the original books in the series then I would recommend you continue to this.

Happy reading!

May 5, 2015

Classic Corner | The Great Gatsby

Posted by Lauren in Classic Corner

Ain’t no party like a Gatsby party!

Hello everyone, I’m back with another classic and another re-read. This time it’s The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

I never had to read this in my high school English classes, although all the other teachers seemed to have their students read it. Not wanting to be left out (and also because I was a nerd who liked reading all the required books), I bought a cheap copy at Books-a-Million. I’ll admit, it was a bit slow. And Gatsby’s infatuation with Daisy, while sweet, was also a bit creepy. But this is still classified as one of my favorite classics.

The 1920s are such a fascinating time to learn about. I mean, it was the Roarin’ 20s, with flappers and lavish parties. Everything seemed somewhat happy and exciting in those days, and Fitzgerald seems to capture that magical element in his novels.

I was recently watching the movie with Leonardo DiCaprio, and suddenly had the urge to reread this. There is something about Gatsby that pulls you in. Maybe it’s the same fascination that all the party-goers had whenever they appeared at Gatsby’s mansion. I don’t know.

Anyway it goes, I love the story. If you haven’t read the book or seen an adaptation of the story, I highly recommend it.

Thanks for reading and I’ll talk to you soon! Bye!

Archive for May, 2015