Review: Quintana of Charyn

Title: Quintana of Charyn (Lumatere Chronicles #3)
Author: Melina Marchetta
Publication date: April 23, 2013 (U.S. edition)
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Rating: 5 stars

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Separated from the girl he loves and has sworn to protect, Froi and his companions travel through Charyn searching for Quintana and building an army that will secure her unborn child’s right to rule. While in the valley between two kingdoms, Quintana of Charyn and Isaboe of Lumatere come face-to-face in a showdown that will result in heartbreak for one and power for the other. The complex tangle of bloodlines, politics, and love introduced in Finnikin of the Rock and Froi of the Exiles coalesce into an engrossing climax in this final volume.

Me before I read a Marchetta book:

Me after reading a Marchetta book:

Melina Marchetta (authoress divine) is one of those rare authors whose writing is constantly improving, constantly pushing the limits of how much I think I can love a book. When I read Finnikin, I felt like I had found The Best Book Ever (aside from Jellicoe Road, of course). But then she wrote Froi and now Quintana and I just have no words. At least, none that I haven't said before.

Quintana of Charyn is, undoubtedly, a conclusion. All the loose ends are tied up and the reader is left in a satisfied place. Actually, it's a rather heart-wrenching place because it's The End, but nevertheless it was a good stopping place. The characters' struggles have been resolved. You know that they're going to be okay, yet there's still an open-endedness that comes with knowing their lives will go on and they will continue to learn and grow.

With most fantasy books, the authors focus on explaining the world-building. What was great about this series was that yes, Marchetta explained the ways of the Lumaterans, Charynites, and co. But she never took the focus away from the characters and their relationships. At the end of this series, you know these characters: their hopes, their fears, their love of country, and their love for each other. You know their hearts- their very essence. And being so close, so darn attached to these characters made me feel ALL of the feelings.

While reading, I had the sudden and overwhelming urge to just take all these beloved characters and, I don't know, hide them in my pocket or something. Just snatch them from the pages and tuck them somewhere safe so that they could stop hurting. Maybe that's a little silly, but these characters have just gone through so much in just Quintana alone, let alone the entire series. There is pain, devastation, loss, grief, and heartbreak. Yet more powerful than all of that is the undercurrent of hope and love that has been there even in the darkest of times. That is Marchetta's true talent—besides the ability to make me want to curl up into a fetal position and sob— she has the uncanny ability to craft these masterful stories of broken people and their broken relationships and somehow make it a story of redemption and love. 

The Lumatere Chronicles has given me more heartache than I thought possible, yet I always crawl back for more. And, to be honest, I would sooner swear off of chocolate than say goodbye to this series and its magnificent characters. I hate goodbyes. I hate the knowledge that once I finish a book, I will never get to know more about a character's life. But knowing that everyone I cared about in this book ended up okay made saying goodbye just a little bit easier

All in all:

There's really only one thing to do now:


I'm just kidding. No. I'm really not.

Good books give you a beautiful happily ever after. Great books pierce your hearts with sadness and linger on your mind long after you've finished. And then there are the rare, phenomenal books that manage to utterly shatter your heart, then somehow heal you at the end and claim an eternal place in your heart. Quintana of Charyn is one of those books.

Review: Unspoken

Title: Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy #1)
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Adults
Publication Date: September 11, 2012

Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head.

But all that changes when the Lynburns return.

The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the-Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?

Rating: 5 stars*

What do I like about this book? Hmm....

I think the better question is what DON'T like about this book?

Because that list is virtually non-existent.

I just cannot get over how fabulously the author tackled every aspect of this book that could have made it just another typical, clichéd  YA novel!

Just the fact that Kami has been able to talk to this "imaginary" boy in her head for her entire life, this imaginary boy she's in love with, only to suddenly discover that he's real and they now go to the same school! Oh yes, the boy she's told everything to--every secret, thought, insecurity--this boy is not a figment of her imagination. I feel like this set-up could have easily turned into a major case of insta-love, but THANK YOU GODS OF LITERATURE for giving Sarah Rees Brennan a much more brilliant idea! 

Kami and Jared are pretty freaked out at discovering the other is 100% real--understandably so, I might add--They're not sure whether they should be friends, girlfriend-boyfriend, or enemies. They spend a fair bit of time resenting the fact that the other person isn't imaginary and I LOVED IT. 

Their relationship is just so unique in the world of YA--confusing, strained, frustrating, yet at the same time, their chemistry is undeniable. It's just crafted wonderfully and very realistically. 

Now let's just take a moment to appreciate the sheer awesomeness of Brennan's characters. Seriously. They. Are. Magnificent. Not only are they all very distinct, personality-wise, but they're all gifted with impressive wit. I wish I could be funny like Kami and Angela--no actually, can I just be BFFs with them??? Angela was a personal favorite of mine. I mean, how often do you meet a character who loves naps, is super lazy, can seriously kick butt, and hates people? I was like, "let me love you!" Kami was sassy and super witty, very much like Veronica Mars. I fell in love with Kami's character from the moment she made her first joke. Another thing about these characters that was so refreshing was how sensible they all were! Especially Kami! She thought things through, was courageous but not stupid, and didn't let her emotions take over! The best way to describe her would be this quote:

"She didn't want to be the girl who just believed in the guy she liked, no matter what extenuating mind-reading circumstances existed. She didn't want her feelings to blind her. She didn't want anything to blind her. She did not know what her feelings were, or what his were, or how to separate the two. She did not want to drown in what was between them and lose control, or lose who she was." 
If you hated Bella, I think you're going to love Kami. Heck, even if you liked Bella, you'll still probably love Kami because she is just made of awesomesauce. 

All in all: This. Book. Is. Freaking. Amazing. There is a supernatural element present in the book--which I won't spoil for you--but I can honestly say that Brennan's take on this is quite unique and honestly? I did not see it coming. At all. 

*I was provided a copy of this book by Netgalley and the publishers in return for an honest review.

Review: Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice
By Jane Austen

"When Elizabeth Bennet first meets eligible bachelor Fitzwilliam Darcy, she thinks him arrogant and conceited, while he struggles to remain indifferent to her good looks and lively mind. When she later discovers that Darcy has involved himself in the troubled relationship between his friend Bingley and her beloved sister Jane, she is determined to dislike him more than ever. In the sparkling comedy of manners that follows, Jane Austen shows the folly of judging by first impressions and superbly evokes the friendships, gossip and snobberies of provincial middle-class life."

-Goodreads


Rating: 5 brilliant stars!
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a girl who loves YA and hates classics must eat her words once finishing Pride and Prejudice...

GUYS. Would it be very unoriginal of me to say that I LOVED this book? But really, what is there to say about P&P that hasn’t already been said?

Jane Austen’s prose is just beyond wonderful. She writes with fabulous wit and humor that had me laughing out loud in just about every chapter. While there were some paragraphs I had to reread and some words I had to look up, it was all worth it. Her writing is absolutely enthralling and her language makes me feel ashamed at being part of the "YOLO" and "SWAG" generation...

Austen's characters are all wonderfully crafted and while some got on my nerves (*cough* Lydia *cough* Lady Catherine)  I still ended up loving them all at the end because of how they contributed to the story. Elizabeth was a far better heroine than I ever imagined her to be. She's sarcastic, witty, kind, and the most amazing of sisters. I was very surprised by how relatable I found her to be and even more so at how much I loved her as a character.

And now for the obligatory Darcy paragraph....

Y'ALL. There is a reason why he is the original book boyfriend. Admittedly I did not like him at first and I feared that I, lover of all romances, would not be susceptible to the infamous Mr. Darcy swoon. But he got to me guys. HE GOT TO ME. The relationship build-up, though somewhat slow, was very believable and utterly heart-melting.  

I should also mention that as much as I loved Elizabeth and Darcy, I was also a huge fan of Jane and Bingley. What can I say? Jane Austen knows how to write a good romance!

All in all: This was a fabulous book and I can't believe I didn't read it sooner! I loved the writing, the characters, and the romance and I find myself craving another Austen book--and believe me, I never thought I'd willingly want to read a classic!

Review: Froi of the Exiles

Froi of the Exiles (The Lumatere Chronicles #2)
by Melina Marchetta
Published October 3rd, 2011 by Viking Australia

Three years after the curse on Lumatere was lifted, Froi has found his home . . . or so he believes. Fiercely loyal to the Queen and Finnikin, Froi has been taken roughly and lovingly in hand by the Guard sworn to protect the royal family, and has learned to control his quick temper with a warrior's discipline. But when he is sent on a secretive mission to the kingdom of Charyn, nothing could have prepared him for what he finds in its surreal royal court. Soon he must unravel both the dark bonds of kinship and the mysteries of a half-mad princess in this barren and mysterious place. It is in Charyn that he will discover there is a song sleeping in his blood . . . and though Froi would rather not, the time has come to listen


Rating: 5+++++ STARS

(I apologize in advance for the prolific use of gifs in this review…)

I can’t really tell you anything beyond what’s written in the book blurb because it would be a huge spoiler, but just know that the plot is chock FULL of hidden surprises and jaw-dropping events, wonderfully crafted subplots, and richly complex characters.

You're probably wondering, "Wait, if you can't tell me anything about the book, what's the purpose of this review??" 

Wonderful question. 

The purpose of this review, more or less is this...

You see, the thing is, I read this book and IT LEFT ME WITH SO MANY FEELS.

I thought Finnikin of the Rock took my emotions on an epic roller coaster of ups and downs, complete with huge loop-de-loops, but Froi.... this book left me like this:

Unlike Finnikin of the Rock, which, at its very core, was a story of hope and a fierce love everyone had with each other, Froi of the Exiles is much grittier and rawer. While Lumatere worked towards breaking a horrible curse in book 1, Charyn is still entrenched in a curse of their own making, and charynites are growing ever more desperate and bleak.

As always, the characters are beyond phenomenal. Melina Marchetta has truly outdone herself with the characters, old and new, in Froi because they are all so heartbreakingly complex and layered! As in every Marchetta book, I, as the reader, became SO invested in every character—I laughed with them, cried with them, wanted to beat up anyone hurting them…

This is what happens when you become invested in Melina Marchetta's characters...

The magic in the character crafting of this book lies in the fact that despite all the instances when it seemed like I should give up on a character—when it seemed that they were too jaded and broken— I just couldn’t! The characters in this book weren't as easy to like as in Finnikin--it wasn't so obvious whether they were as righteous or admirable and I worried that I might not like them very much...
BUT I WAS WRONG.
By the end of the book, I fell head over heels in love with just about all of them!
Just about every character, no matter what they’ve been through, what they’ve done, they’re never beyond redemption—except for Bestiano and Donashe. Those people I wanted to sucker punch...

This is a story about loving characters that maybe you should give up on, but just can’t find it in you to do so because you love them so much.

In an interview, Melina Marchetta said that Quintana and Froi are the fantasy equivalent of Taylor and Jonah from Jellicoe Road and I TOTALLY SEE IT! They're both somewhat broken and very cynical of the world, but together they're just so......

And don't even get me started on the other couples in the book...

In addition to the exquisite emotion-inducing writing, there is also a lot of humor in this book! It's dry and witty and hilarious! Literally, I'd be all "Oh, my poor emotions!" one minute, and the next, I'd be laughing out loud! It's a good thing I didn't read this in a public place or else people would've looked at me as though I were crazy.

IT. WAS. ALL. SO. DARN. AMAZING.
I can't even think of a single bad thing to say about this book.... well, there IS that ending. It's not that it was bad (no, definitely not) it's just that OMG. 
How could the book just END?!Like that?! I need to know what happens next!!!!
This is a MUST-BUY book (this whole series is, really). There are few books in the world that do this to me:

and leave me like this:

until finally:

Well done, Ms. Marchetta. Well done indeed.

Review: Finnikin of the Rock

Finnikin of the Rock (The Lumatere Chronicles #1)
by Melina Marchetta
Published February 9th, 2010 by Candlewick Press

At the age of nine, Finnikin is warned by the gods that he must sacrifice a pound of flesh to save his kingdom. He stands on the rock of the three wonders with his friend Prince Balthazar and Balthazar's cousin, Lucian, and together they mix their blood to safeguard Lumatere. 
But all safety is shattered during the five days of the unspeakable, when the king and queen and their children are brutally murdered in the palace. An impostor seizes the throne, a curse binds all who remain inside Lumatere's walls, and those who escape are left to roam the land as exiles, dying by the thousands in fever camps.
Ten years later, Finnikin is summoned to another rock--to meet Evanjalin, a young novice with a startling claim: Balthazar, heir to the throne of Lumatere, is alive. This arrogant young woman claims she'll lead Finnikin and his mentor, Sir Topher, to the prince. Instead, her leadership points them perilously toward home. Does Finnikin dare believe that Lumatere might one day rise united? Evanjalin is not what she seems, and the startling truth will test Finnikin's faith not only in her but in all he knows to be true about himself and his destiny. 

Rating: 6 out of 5 stars!!!

For an entire day—since the moment I finished the book, actually—I brainstormed about how I could write a review to properly express how I felt about this book—or rather how this book made me feel, which is usually the case with Melina Marchetta books.

I hoped that I’d be able to find the right sentences—or heck, even the right words.

But no. No such luck. This, honestly, does not surprise me, because that’s what happens with EVERY Marchetta book that I read. The experience leaves me a blubbering, emotional wreck. It’s pretty much all I can do to stay coherent in my reviews as I gush on and on about how much I love Melina Marchetta and every single thing she writes.

Seriously. The woman could probably write a grocery list that tugs my heartstrings.

And I would read it, too!

I have a feeling this review is probably going to be along the same lines as my others—endless blabber on how enamored I am with the book and how I practically worship the author who wrote it…

You have to understand,  I’m really not a traditional fantasy kind of girl. My normal reads are usually YA contemporaries or paranormal romances. It’s not that I don’t like fantasy novels… it’s just, the way that most are written rarely appeals to me.

And of course it would be Melina Marchetta who writes a fantasy novel that completely sucks me in and makes me want to eat every word I’ve ever said about fantasy novels.

This book was…. Dang. I can’t even think of a single figure of speech or praise that can come close to expressing just how effing FABULOUS this book was.

As is the case with most of her books, Marchetta has crafted a tale that slowly started sewing itself into my heart, stitch-by-stitch, from the very first page. At the end of the book, my heart was well and truly attached to this book, almost as though I NEEDED to keep a part of this magical story with me at all times.  My poor heart had been taken on the most epic of emotional rollercoasters. And that masochistic organ loved every heart-wrenching moment.

I can’t really tell you anything about the plot or what happens that’s not stated in the blurb because just about anything I want to say would be a spoiler. TRUST ME: this is not a book you want spoiled for yourself. You WANT to experience every page fresh, for the first time.

All I can say is that there is a lot of fabulously-paced traveling and adventure, awesome butt-kicking, and amazingly complex characters who will make you feel every emotion possible.

Oh. My. God. THESE CHARACTERS. My heart does this little fluttery thing every time I even think about them! I kid you not.

There’s just so beautiful and broken and witty and loving and admirable and full of emotion and—and now my heart is fluttering again…

ANYONE who doubted that Melina Marchetta, Master Universal Queen of Contemporary, could not do fantasy (and I will admit, I was one of them…) be prepared to be shamed by your doubts as I was because Marchetta kicked BUTT with this book. This is a book about loss and devastation, but more than anything, it talks of hope and faith and revival and all sorts of wonderful emotions that will melt your heart into a Marchetta-worshipping puddle of goo.

Review: Graffiti Moon

Graffiti Moon
by Cath Crowley
Published November 1st 2005 by Ellora's Cave

Senior year is over, and Lucy has the perfect way to celebrate: tonight, she's going to find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artist whose work appears all over the city. He's out there somewhere—spraying color, spraying birds and blue sky on the night—and Lucy knows a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for. Really fall for. Instead, Lucy's stuck at a party with Ed, the guy she's managed to avoid since the most awkward date of her life. But when Ed tells her he knows where to find Shadow, they're suddenly on an all-night search around the city. And what Lucy can't see is the one thing that's right before her eyes.

~goodreads


Rating: 5 shining stars
Review

I swear, Australia must be dubbed the Land of Lost Talented Authors.
HOW did I not discover Aussie authors before last year?!
Ever since reading Melina Marchetta's books, I have developed a new perspective about Aussie authors--that they are amazing!--and Cath Crowley has only further proved this!

I'll be honest, I did NOT have high expectations for this book when I first started. was actually quite  hesitant to start this novel because I thought I was going to be subjecting my brain to literary mediocrity. After reading the blurb, I  thought I knew what was going to happen. And because of that, I thought the book was going to be meh at best.

I am now eating those words.

This book was written in alternating the alternating POVs of Lucy and Ed--which I normally detest, but in this case, it made me like love adore fall in love with connect with each character so much more. It was made crystal clear from the very first chapter (I think) just who Shadow was. My initial thought was that this would make the book dreadfully dull because the big secret was already out in the open for readers, but DO NOT THINK THIS.

This book was had surprising depth and emotion--mainly on Ed's part--and the story captivated me. The characters too. The story follows Ed and Lucy (obviously) but also as their respective friends Leo (who is "Poet"--another graffiti artist) and Jazz, as well as Dylan and Daisy. These characters were so.... fantabulously amazing in every. Single. Way.
Ed and Lucy were absolutely perfect for each other, despite how different they are, and I loved the fact that their love story happened despite the misunderstanding at their very first date (before the events of That Night take place) that resulted in a broken nose. I also LOVE the fact that they're both super funny. And no, I'm not talking about that dry sarcasm that most YA characters use to be Oh So Cool. Their humor was so real, not trying to be all obvious--it was kind of understated, but I thought some of the dialogue was absolutely hilarious.

Even the minor characters were amazing. They all had amazing depth and complexity and realness. Words cannot describe how much I adored them. Even though the story mainly focuses on Ed and Lucy, it actually ended up giving me three different stories about each couple--without taking away from the main protagonists of course.

Oh lordy, I could just gush about this book endlessly because it was literally all that and a chicken salad... but I'm afraid that if I continued, my words would just turn into incoherent babble punctuated by girlish squeals.
Yeah. It's THAT good.

If you haven't discovered Aussie authors yet or just haven't read this book.... what they FRAK are you still doing here?! Go and get this book!

Review: Flat-Out Love

Flat-Out Love
by Jessica Park

Published April 11th 2011 by Jessica Park

Flat-Out Love is a warm and witty novel of family love and dysfunction, deep heartache and raw vulnerability, with a bit of mystery and one whopping, knock-you-to-your-knees romance.

Something is seriously off in the Watkins home. And Julie Seagle, college freshman, small-town Ohio transplant, and the newest resident of this Boston house, is determined to get to the bottom of it.

When Julie's off-campus housing falls through, her mother's old college roommate, Erin Watkins, invites her to move in. The parents, Erin and Roger, are welcoming, but emotionally distant and academically driven to eccentric extremes. The middle child, Matt, is an MIT tech geek with a sweet side ... and the social skills of a spool of USB cable. The youngest, Celeste, is a frighteningly bright but freakishly fastidious 13-year-old who hauls around a life-sized cardboard cutout of her oldest brother almost everywhere she goes.

And there's that oldest brother, Finn: funny, gorgeous, smart, sensitive, almost emotionally available. Geographically? Definitely unavailable. That's because Finn is traveling the world and surfacing only for random Facebook chats, e-mails, and status updates. Before long, through late-night exchanges of disembodied text, he begins to stir something tender and silly and maybe even a little bit sexy in Julie's suddenly lonesome soul.

To Julie, the emotionally scrambled members of the Watkins family add up to something that ... well ... doesn't quite add up. Not until she forces a buried secret to the surface, eliciting a dramatic confrontation that threatens to tear the fragile Watkins family apart, does she get her answer.

Flat-Out Love comes complete with emails, Facebook status updates, and instant messages.
-goodreads

Rating: 5/5 shining stars
Review:
Oh. My God.

   I think. I am in love. Goodness freaking gracious this book was magnificent! I'm sorry, I think I need a moment, lest this entire review turn into incoherent babble and ranting about how much I utterly love this book.....


......


Okay okay, reasons why I love this book

• the HUMOUR. Why can't I be funny like the people in the book?! It totally wasn't the trying-too-hard kind of funny but totally natural and sarcastic and just plain hilarious.
• Perfect Mix of Family Dysfunction and Romance--I adored the entire Watkins family--even Flat Finn! Especially Celeste, though. She was so precocious and quirky and lovable! And I even loved Matt's geeky T-shirts!
• Slow-Building Romance---I've probably said this before, but I hate insta-love. This book had the perfect slow-building romance and funny playful banter. It was very natural-feeling, albeit a little unconventional. I loved Julie and Finn’s messages. And I will unabashedly admit that I was a little in love with the boy myself. Okay, blatant lie. I was utterly enamored.
• Julie--she was a great protagonist. Super funny and nice and full of life, which was just what the Watkins family needed. She also had her own family problems involving an absent dad, which made her real. Plus, she's super interested in psychology, which of course scores her some brownie points with me.
• The Mystery--so, it's not a mystery in the normal sense of the word, involving murders and Sherlockian hats, but you definitely know that something happened to the Watkins family that made them so.... "stuck." The entire book I was wracking my brain trying to figure out the secret! I ended up guessing it right, but only just before the secret was actually revealed. 
• The General Quirkiness--- This book was just.... different from every other book I've ever read! I mean, there was romance and family and "dealing with stuff," but... I don't know, this book was a mix of silly with quirky and just so... like a teddy bear in book form! 
• The fact that it was in 3rd person and I still loved it!!! Normally, I really am not a big fan of 3rd person narratives because I find it hard to connect to the characters... but this book did not give me that problem AT ALL!
• The Facebook Statuses--I really really REALLY enjoyed how the author would incorporate the different status updates with each chapter. Absolutely hilarious!

 Seriously, YOU GUYS, I highly highly highly recommend this book! It's a great book, plus it was only like $2 on my nook! No doubt one of my best nook-finds ever!

Review: Sloppy Firsts (Jessica Darling book 1)

Sloppy Firsts (Jessica Darling #1)
by Megan McCafferty
Published August 28, 2001 by Crown Publishing Group


When her best friend, Hope Weaver, moves away from Pineville, New Jersey, hyperobservant sixteen-year-old Jessica Darling is devastated. A fish out of water at school and a stranger at home, Jessica feels more lost than ever now that the only person with whom she could really communicate has gone. How is she supposed to deal with the boy- and shopping-crazy girls at school, her dad’s obsession with her track meets, her mother salivating over big sister Bethany’s lavish wedding, and her nonexistent love life?    -goodreads



Rating: 4/5

Review: 
If at one point in the future and you come across this book, please please please don't judge it by its blurb. Does the blurb make the book sound extremely....bland? Typical? Clichéd? Just not good in general? HECK YES. But in reality, this book is extremely witty and utterly unforgettable!    

This book is written in a kind of journal format--but really it's more of a 1st-person narrative--and that means No. Holds. Barred. You get extreme insight into the mind of Jessica Darling: aka one of my all-time new favorite narrators. You guys. Seriously. Jessica Darling is like the person we all wish we could think like--smart, insightful, wickedly hilarious, and extremely cynical.This might not be making sense, but once you've read this book, you'll understand why one (like me!) would be a little envious of the way Jessica Darling's brain works. Not only that, but if Jessica was a real person, I would SO want to be friends with her (but not the kind of friend like the Clueless Crew)! 

The plot itself.... hmm.... yeah, pretty clichéd, but the way that Jessica narrates it (and also some events regarding a Marcus Flutie) make it surprisingly refreshing read, despite it's overused storyline. The interesting thing is there's no real climax--or more accurately, you know those plot maps you learn in school? The ones with intro, rising action, climax, falling action, and conclusion? There's none of that in this book which was...new. But made the book a much more real depiction of teenage life.

And as for Marcus Flutie... Oh Marcus...*smiles stupidly* I loved his character. He starts out as a dreg, but is actually kind of a genius, and often challenges Jessica intellectually (which, let me tell you, is not easy). You could argue that his background/character is rather clichéd or incredibly refreshing from other YA guys. Like I said, I personally like him, and especially all his conversations with Jessica. The only thing I didn't like was how he was practically MIA for a big chunk of the book! Also, there's no real "relationship development" between him and Jessica until the last quarter of the book! Which was quite unfortunate for me when I was reading the middle, but had me gobbling up the end and pining away for the next book...

 OH! Haha and on a totally random note, can I just say that I LOVED Pepe/Pierre?! He was hands down my favorite character, after Jessica and (eek!) possibly rivaling Marcus??!


Overall, this book was unexpectedly amazing! Again, I have learned to not judge a book by its blurb. (Now if only I could stop doing that for covers...) I highly recommend this to people who are in high school and heck even people who aren't just so they can get a hilarious kick out of a great narration of those special 4 years. :)


~Quotes 
This is my new hobby. I watch my life depart minute by minute. I anticipate the end of everything and anything -- a conversation, a class, track practice, darkness -- only to be left with more clock-watching to take its place. I'm continually waiting for something better that never comes. Maybe it would help if I knew what I wanted.

All subjects are the same. I memorize notes for a test, spew it, ace it, then forget it. What makes this scary for the future of our country is that I'm in the tip-top percentile on every standardized test. I'm a model student with a very crappy attitude about learning.

The higher my GPA gets the more I realize high school is useless.

"This wasn't Pepe Le Pew. No, this was a different guy altogether. One who had grown four inches and twenty-five pounds of muscle in less than three months."
This was Pepe Lew Puberty.