Review: Bitter End by Jennifer Brown

When Alex falls for the charming new boy at school, Cole, a handsome, funny, sports star who adores her, she can't believe she's finally found her soul mate-someone who truly understands her and loves her for who she really is.

At first, Alex is blissfully happy. Sure, Cole seems a little jealous of her relationship with her best friends, Zack and Bethany, but what guy would want his girlfriend spending all of her time with another boy? But as the months pass, Alex can no longer ignore Cole's small put-downs, pinches, or increasingly violent threats. As Alex struggles to come to terms with the sweet boyfriend she fell in love with and the boyfriend whose "love" she no longer recognizes, she is forced to choose - between her "true love" and herself.


To be honest, I didn't think I'd like Bitter End to much but I actually turned out really liking it. Jennifer Brown definitely knows how to write teenagers without making them sound cheesy or unrealistic. And she truly knows how to write about a tough subject and letting you see through the victim's perspective instead of from the outsiders.

The best thing in the whole book where the characters. Like I said before, she did an excellent job writing the teenagers in this book. They were so realistic and familiar. My favorite character was definitely Zack. He cracked me up! I literally laughed out loud at some of the things he would do or say. And yes my least favorite character is Cole. I felt no sympathy for him at all when he came back apologizing nor did I feel bad for him because of the dad he had.

 The friendship that Alex, Bethany, and Zack share is the thing that I most related to. I have a little group like that and I know what it feels like when one of them gets a boyfriend and then things change and you feel like they've been taken away from you. So I feel like I connected with Bethany and Zack the most even though Alex was the main character. I was very depressed with the ending. I kind of hoped that everything would just go back to normal but I guess it ended in the more realistical way.

This is a great book that I would recommend to anyone. Not just teenagers but even adults because abuse realtionships can form in any age group.

Rating: 8

In My Mailbox

I found this cute mailbox picture over at Call Me Crazy  book blog.

 

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren

This week I got:

 

   Legend by Marie Lu

 

 

  The Girl Who Was on Fire by various authors.

 

   Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Review: Graceling By Kristin Cashore

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.

When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.



What an adventure Graceling was! I can't think of a moment in which I was not anticipating what was gonna happen next in the story. Cashore wrote an action filled novel with just the right amount of romance to make the story magnificent and intriguing.

The Plot was great and I really enjoyed it. It captured my attention very well. I also loved that it was based in medieval times. That just added more interest to the story. A lot of people said that this book reminded them of The Hunger Games but honestly, I don't really see the comparison to it. The only thing I found familiar was Katsa and Katniss, and only because they're both such strong female characters. They kind of reminded me of one another.

The characters were very well written and developed. Katsa was strong, independent, smart, and brave. I found Po very charming and I liked that he wasn't ashamed of being beaten by a girl. I found their romance in the book absolutely adorable, I could not get enough of it. If I had to pick a favorite character though, it would have to be Bitterblue. I found her to be so adorable and smart. I cannot wait to read her book next year!

Overall, it was a great book. I recommend it to anyone who like medieval times and who enjoy fantasy. I Can't wait to read Fire and Bitterblue next!

Rating: 8

Follow Fridays!

Q: What is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to books? Maybe you don’t like love triangles or thin plots? Tell us about it!

A:  I didn't have any pet peeves before, but recently I think I've discovered one. I've seen this happen in many books. Many. When the male protagonist is described for the first time in a story, a story in which the main character is usually a young girl, the words beautiful, gorgeous, or incredibly handsome are always used. And I always have to roll my eyes at it.

I've noticed that YA has mostly done a good job with relating to girls. In most stories the girl is always plain and has a low self esteem and then some incredible hot guy always falls in love with her. Sure we girls don't mind those types of books but what about guys. Can you imagine a boy reading a book like that and just thinking, "Well no wonder girls don't like me. I'm not beautiful and gloomy." How would we like it if in every story we read, the female was always described as hot, sexy and absolutely out- of - this world gorgeous? Yeah I don't think we'd like it to much.

Don't get me wrong, I love YA but I've had a couple guy friends tell me this and I could see what they were talking about.