The DUFF, by Kody Keplinger

Title: The DUFF

Author: Kody Keplinger

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Release Date: September 7, 2010

Publisher: Poppy

Format: Paperback

Age Group: 12+

    The Duff is one of those books that you just want. You really can't help yourself, reading the summary, and falling in love with it instantly. This is one that you'll truly remember forever, and way beyond that. 

     I really thought that I would dislike this plot, maybe it would've been boring, and would just keep repeating the same incidents over and over again. Well, it really beat my expectations! This plot was fast-paced, in fact, wayyy too fast-paced, no bad things said. I just wanted to be in the story, the world felt so real, it's totally modern based, in a world exactly like ours.

   Why does Kody Keplinger have to create such an amazing plot? I know, even I am astonished. It's too good to be true, as they say. Every single moment was one to keepsake in your heart, like a true love's kiss, or whatever your big wish may be. This novel was like a fairytale, taken place in the modern world where dreams may not always come true.

    Ahh.. the characters. These were almost a breath of fresh air. I really liked Bianca. She was fun, quirky, and definitely knew right from wrong, most of the time. Then we had Wesley. Hahah. What a disaster he was. Ugh, for some reason, I found myself hating him, a lot. I think his personality really outshone other male character's in this novel, he was like those dudes who think way too fondly of themselves. He probably thought that he was perfection, which he for sure wasn't. I did enjoy the love-hate relationship between the two, and am looking much forward to be reading Kody's other novels, Shutout and A Midsummer's Nightmare.

       This is the novel that you've all been waiting for, that chick-lit novel that you won't be able to put down after reading the first page. Yes! 

   

    

O is for The Outsiders

   Here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for, the letter 'O.' O is for the phenomenal classic book by S.E. Hinton, The Outsiders.

   *WARNING* This review might be 19965 characters long! 

   I had to read this for my seven grade English class. My school's providing a copy for everyone to borrow, but my teacher explained that we'd be reading this book at the beginning of the year, so I received my own copy for Christmas. I'd never expect it to be this amazing. Seriously. Gangs? Violence? So not my thing. But... surprisingly, the school curriculum made an awesome choice of books. Actually, as I can see, my whole class  loved the book. All the girls and guys. And, I felt as I skimmed through it. But I didn't actually. The font is very small, I paid attention to the details extra closely, because we're writing an essay about the book, and I chose to compare it to Looking For Alaska, by John Green. 

     

   Now, the actual plot. I don't where the heck S.E. Hinton got this amazing idea of the story from, but it sure was fascinating to read about. The story takes place in the 1960's, where gangs separate the people of the southern U.S. from joining together. The main character Ponyboy Curtis, has been jumped over by the Socs, (socials) rival gang of the Greasers, the gang Ponyboy is in. His brothers Darry and Sodapop come to save him and that introduces all of the gang, Johnny Cade, (my favourite) Sodapop Curtis, Darrel Curtis, Steve Randell, Two-Bit Matthews, and Dallas Winston. We later find out that Darry, Soda, and Pony live alone after their parents got killed in a car accident. 

     Darry is known as the big guy, the popular guy in high school, highly academic, the football star. After his parents died, he decides not to take his college scholarship because he needs to take care of his younger brothers. Darry might seem way overprotective in the book, hitting Pony which causes him to run away, (not giving too many spoilers) but he only did it because he loves Ponyboy. 

    Sodapop is Pony's older brother, by a few years. Soda is funny, good-looking and is currently dating Sandy in the book. He can be sarcastic at times, but that's what he's known for. Soda is known as a drop-off, who quit school, and was working at a gas station. 

    Steve Randell wasn't a main character, just a background one, who we don't find too much about. Steve is known as Sodapop's best friend, and was played by Tom Cruise in the movie.

    Two-Bit Matthews is the Curtis' fellow gang member, who has an obsession with Mickey Mouse and likes to stand up for his gang members. Two-Bit is known for his hilarious laugh, found in the movie, and his wild personality.

     Dallas Winston is one tough guy. Dallas is the bad-boy of the group, joining rodeos, getting drunk at parties, and who wears a leather jacket to show his muscles off. Dallas is one of my favourite characters, who has a soft side, that will make you tear up. Although he has a bad reputation, many fans enjoy him, and espcially believe that the book wouldn't be nothing without him.

    Johnny Cade is my all-time favourite character of the whole story, with his heroic, shy, special personality, that will have many people obsessing over him from years to come. Johnny is a sixteen-year old gang member that was previously beat up by the rival gang, the Socs, where the Greasers found him. Johnny may be shy, but he has a rebellic reputation that made me feel all happy inside.

    Ponyboy Curtis is the main character in the book, and whose point of view this is from. Pony is a dreamer, as I describe him, who is smart, loves to read and watch sunsets, and who stands up for his buddies. Ponyboy holds a special place in each of our hearts, and will be remembered for his story, forever.

   The Outsiders is about two rival gangs, the Greasers and the Socs. As a Greaser, Ponyboy learns that when things get a little too far, you shouldn't take them farther, as he did one night, that changed his and the Greasers' lives forever...

   I'm not going to give you spoilers.

  Yes, because it would ruin the whole book for you! And.. I know that you will want to read this, if you haven't! It's short, fast-paced, and will make you cry for hours, because I know I did!

   The Outsiders was phonomenally written, it's one of the best books written of all time. And.. surprisingly, it was written by a sixteen year old girl! 

So, if you decide that this book might be worth it, it is 100%! I dedicated today's post to this for a reason, and that reason is because everyone, young and old, have to understand the importance of friendship, and how youth might be one of the best times of your life, even if there are some twists and turns in between. Everything happens for a reason, doesn't it?

K is for Kiera Cass, author of The Selection

  “I hope you find someone you can't live without. I really do. And I hope you never have to know what it's like to have to try and live without them.”

   This is it. This book, is written by one of the most extraordinary authors of all time, Kiera Cass, and I'm dedicating this post to her. Kiera, girl, this one's for you, even though I know, that you'll never see this. 

    Hellooo? Where am I? Am I still in that dystopian world with a prince looking for his bride? Oh why, of course not! Sorry, I'm just drowsing in my fictional book world, like many of us do sometimes, just because our problems are sometimes too hard to deal with all at once!

    I'm dedicating this post to Kiera for mainly one reason, The Selection. The Selection just made me speechless when I read, and finished it. It was like The Hunger Games, meets The Bachelor, like many of us describe it, and it's true! The characters, details and plot makes you smile inside and out, knowing that there's no other book like this out there.

   I've heard a few complaints that this may be related to Wither, by Lauren DeStefano... But, don't listen to the haters! There's many love triangles out there, and this one just happens to be one of them, but totally unique in its own way!

   Okay, now that you've heard me babble on and on about my fangirling problem, here's the summary. Okay, so America Singer, yes that's her name, is put into a lottery to be Selected. Prince Maxon is looking for his bride, and America happens to have a chance to become one, but it's her worst nightmare. Being Selected means leaving her family, and her boyfriend, Aspen behind, for a palace home, and thirty-four other girls waiting to be chosen for a dream life. When America meets Maxon, her life is torn apart. She starts to question her life that she left behind, and imagine the future that she could have. All it takes is one choice, to change her life forever...

    Sounds terrific, doesn't it? Well, for those of you who have already read it, and enjoyed it as much as I did, guess what? On April 23, 2013, yes this year, the sequel, The Elite is coming out, in paperback and in hardcover! YAY! I'm seriously counting down the days, complaining to my friends, it isn't out yet? Aww... 

   But, don't worry! It's out soon, and Kiera definitely plans for the series to become a trilogy, which is even better, and some rumors that I've heard tells me that there might even be a show! I'm so stoked that all of my favourite books are become television shows and movies! Just look at The Host! 


    To infinity and beyond...

-Michelle

H is for The Host!

      Hello Wanderers and Souls! Today I am present to blog to you about one of my favourite novels of all-time, The Host, by Stephenie Meyer! Now, we have to give some credit to this amazing author, right? She has written the Twilight Saga, which has sold millions of copies worldwide, and even became into movies!

      The Host, over here, is an adult novel, even though I've read it, and was released on May 6, 2008, by Little Brown and Company.

      The Host takes place in an urban, futuristic world, where it has been invaded by a species that takes over the minds of human hosts, leaving their bodies to themselves. When Wanderer, a soul that has taken over Melanie Stryder's body, starts to hear Melanie's thoughts, she knows that something's wrong. Melanie starts to fill Wanderer's thoughts with memories of her past life, with her boyfriend, Jared, and her brother Jamie, Wanda knows that she has to go find them, and help them survive...

      The Host has a special place in my heart, it's unstoppable. You can't put it down, even though there is some confusion in the beginning, between Melanie's thoughts, and Wanderer's thoughts, but you'll figure it out, and you'll be like, "Ohh, now I get it." This isn't a love triangle, IT'S A LOVE BOX! (Inside joke for the hosters here.) Jeb and the rest of the humans lightened my world, bringing the bright light towards me. Ian and Jared are much better than Edward and Jacob! Move over, Jace and Clary, there's two more IT couples in the fictional world!

       The Host has thrilled so many fans, that a movie has been created, and just came out, on March 29, 2013 at your local theater! Saorirse Ronan, actress of The Lovely Bones, plays as Melanie/Wanda, while Max Irons plays Jared, and Jake Abel plays Ian! I went to watch the movie right on the release date, because I'm obsessed, and it was almost, I said almost, as good as the book! But hey, the book's always better than the movie!

I know it's a HUGE book, 619 pages, but hey, why don't you give it a try?

       

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

     An Abundance Of Katherines was an piece of excellence, from the heart. Okay, enough of my REAL English talk. In other words, An Abundance Of Katherines was absorbingly great. Yes, because I absorbed the book, I read it quickly. Anyways, John Green is perfection. Whatever he writes, fits for me. His books are made for me, because it helps me overcome the labyrinth of things. (Looking For Alaska) Also, his words help us find The Fault In Our Stars. The appendix at the back, helped me figure out what Colin was talking about, half of the time, and I enjoyed this book every bit. Lindsay, Colin, Katrina, Hassan, Hollis, and TOC were all sarcastically funny, fun characters for readers to remember time after time. 

B is for Books That Start With "B" (My favourites)

    I just realized how much I love doing the A-Z Challenge! I only did it for one day, and I'm already having a blast! Today's the letter B, which means that I will be blogging about my favourite Books that start with B! So, here's a picture from my famous basement-library (yes, I know, obsessive much.) of my favourites! 

     Starting the top of the pile, in no particular order, is Bloom, by Elizabeth Scott!

Bloom is a 237 paged paperback book that was released on April 24, 2007. The cover features a brown-haired girl, with a white flower in her hair. Summary time! Bloom is about a teenage girl, named Lauren whose always had the perfect top-notch life. She's popular, has a hot boyfriend, decent grades and a best friend. When a new guy, Evan Kirkland, arrives to school, she can't stop staying away from him. She skips classes, lies to her friends, and denies many things. Lauren needs to make a choice, before one is chosen for her. I loved this book! I gave it a 5/5 star rating, because it deserved it. I had high expectations of this book, but they were even higher than I thought! Evan was perfection. His words to Lauren were like Romeo's to Juliet. Bloom truly made my heart quiver, and left me thinking about young love.

      Next stop, in Easton, Connecticut, we have The Book of Spells, by Kate Brian! The Book of Spells, is a young adult novel, published by Simon and Schuster, on December 21, 2010. The cover features, a young, black-haired girl, which looks like in a snowy-forest with her wearing a white dress. The book takes place in 1915, when sixteen-year old Eliza Williams is sent to the Billings School for Girls. As she gets used to being away from her rich, strict life, she and her housemates find out that they're witches. After finding an old spell book, they create a coven, searching for more secrets to their pasts. The girls find freedom and power, until when one of the spells have gone wrong. This book introduced me to paranormal-romance books! It was the beginning to them all, and I adored it. Kate Brian's words captivated me, and made me want more. 5/5 star rating. 

       Before I Fall, by the Delirium writer, Lauren Oliver was released on October 25, 2010 by HarperCollins with 470 pages. This book changed my life forever, but lemme tell you what it's about. Samantha Kingston has everything, just like Lauren in Bloom, popularity, money and the perfect boy. Friday February 12, was her last day to this life. Maybe for it all... The thing is, she wakes up the next morning, and finds out that each day is the same day all over again. February 12, each time she opens her life. Sam needs to figure out what had went wrong and solve the mystery of her life. Another favourite to the list! Before I Fall introduced me to Oliver's amazing books, and made me feel what Sam was feeling. 5/5 star rating.

        I always have loved Jen Calonita's books. This one was just another to add to the list! Belles was released on April 10, 2012 by Poppy, and is the perfect summer-road trip type of story. Isabelle Scott lives beside a boardwalk, where she's having a good life. When tragedy strikes, Isabelle has to move in to a long-lost uncle's home and start a whole new life there. Turns out, her uncle has a daughter, the same age as Issy, named Mirabelle. Mira doesn't want to share her life with an outsider, but soon after, they find a secret that will change their lives forever. The characters, plot, and meaning to this book had me thrilled, laughing, and crying at the same time! We can all tell that Jen added her passion into writing this, with meanings that will have you thinking. 5/5 stars.

        Big girls don't cry...... They make revenge. Burn For Burn, by another of my favourite authors, Jenny Han and her best friend, Siobhan Vivian, was girly, fun, and sassy. Probably a 5/5 star rating, right? Lilia, Mary, and Kat all have someone to get revenge from, someone who ruined their lives. When they all create a master plan, something to get down these people, they realize that consequences may overcome, but they'll have to achieve what's right. As I scrolled through the book, I found myself liking Kat's attitude, but Mary's sweetness, and Lillia's lifestyle. All three gals had something in them that WOW-ED me. I was very happy to hear that Fire To Fire would be released soon, another book to add to my to-read list. 

      Perfection is coming up! Between The Lines, by Jodi Picoult, and her daughter, Samantha Van Leer, stunned me, in a phenomenal way. Delilah always described herself as an outsider, a booknerd. She's always had an obsession with a particular fairy tale story, Between The Lines. It's always felt real to her. One day, it does. One day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. Delilah and Oliver need to figure out how to get Oliver out of the book, and maybe, an attraction between them, will overcome. Romantic, adventrous, thrilling, and perfect, Between The Lines went right to my favourites list. I WANT MORE!

       Last but not least, we have Beautiful Creatures, by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. Beautiful Creatures is taken place in Gaitlin, where Ethan Wate never expects something BIG to happen in his small southern town, but it does. Lena Duchannes, new to town, has been in Ethan's dreams. Falling off a cliff, together. But, Ethan never saw her until that day. She's struggling to conceal a power, to break a curse between them, but no one would realize that they'd fall in love... Beautiful Creatures is one of my all-time favourites. A friend of mine recommended it, and I loved it, more than she did. It was haunting, romantic, and thrilling all through the story. I never wanted it to end, but it did. 5/5 stars.

All of these wonderful books put a meaning to my life, I hope, after this post, they will for you, too.

Looking For Alaska by John Green

     First of all, may I say that John Green is my favourite author? Every book he writes has a meaning to it. I love his books, they always make my day better with his truthful, influential words for readers to remember and share.
     Looking For Alaska was.. I'm speechless here. It was stunningly, fantastically, PERFECT! I can go on and on about how much I love it, but I won't. The plot, characters and meaning were astonishing. From Miles' point of view, everything seemed to have its ups and downs, but he was smart enough to fight them and look beyond the clouds. 
     Alaska. Alaska Young was a perfect female heroine. She's funny, clever, and different. You can see her bright side of things, and with her bad girl style, makes readers feel even more connected to her. I couldn't believe it when what happened to her happened, and her story is a mystery for readers to overcome.
     Miles/Pudge. Miles was different, in a great way. I loved him, with his awkwardness, that shone to impress readers with his love for Alaska, and for his passion for finding the labyrinth of life. He got his girl, in a way, and didn't need help to find what he wants in reality.
Overall, Looking For Alaska changed my life, just as The Fault In Our Stars did. I learnt that you need to find out what life has in store for you, and we have to enjoy things while they last.
     Thank you, John Green, for writing this book. You are my inspiration.