The Bittersweet Chronicles: Pax 1

Pax Clark is rock and roll royalty. The son of one of rock's most famous drummers, he wants nothing more than a career in music. But sometimes family can be a burden, and Pax is committed making it on his own. After legally changing his name, and taking off for a new town, he sets out to prove that he can be his own man.

Carly Nelson is eighteen and in trouble. Her father died leaving her a hundred thousand dollars in debt to a loan shark, and she's the collateral. When she meets her cousin's good friend Pax, the attraction is undeniable, but can he save her without risking everything?


First off, let me just say that I cannot get over the fact that Walsh has a grown kid. Least of all someone old enough to have a romance of his own. Nooo, never. Keep 'em young! But then life goes on whether we like it or not...even in books, apparently.

But in all honesty, the idea of this series is just beautiful. It was interesting to know what kind of kids Walsh and Tammy would raise. And I guess Pax's character, all the independence and the pride in making it on his own, was just something that could be expected from any child of those two. It felt weird reading this because the Lush series is not even done yet but at the same, it felt nice to know that the characters I have come to know and love (too much it seems sometimes!) were really doing well. Reading about how they, even after all those years, continue to still be a family and for the Lush band to be doting uncles to Pax just melts me on the inside. I love these guys!

I am already excited how this six-part serial is going to pan out. Pax and Carly have a great chemistry and I can already tell that these are going to clash beautifully. This first part of the series just served as a foundation as to who the characters are and and how their story will likely evolve. But most of all, I am excited at the fact that SL is writing a new YA/NA material. Ahhh, the possibilities! I can't wait!!! *flails*


Final verdict: 8/10. Great read.

The Prince by Kiera Cass

Before thirty-five girls were chosen to compete in the Selection...

Before Aspen broke America's heart...

There was another girl in Prince Maxon's life...


So I finally succumbed to my curiosity about The Selection series and have decided to start with this novella. This read was, in fact, a response to a challenge about debut novels or authors I have not read yet..

And I have decided that this was not only a good pick for the challenge but also a good start to the series, in getting to have a short experience about this dystopian world. Sort of like dipping your toes to test the waters. (Especially as I'm not a big fan of dystopian settings.)

I guess it did its job well--it has made me want to go through the rest of the series in a snap...although I have resisted so far. Ugh, the things we have to do when we start a series that isn't done yet. The rest of the available reads are ready on standby though so I'll slowly go through them while waiting for the latest installment to become available.

Nevertheless, this was a great way of starting to get to know Maxon and America. It was great to read about how they already managed to make a connection without consciously knowing about it. And to read all about this other girl in Maxon's past. Hmm, interesting.

KC's writing was surprisingly engaging. I didn't expect that because I already had a bias about how a dystopian read would go about. It felt good to be proven wrong especially in this instance.


Final verdict: 8/10. Great read.

Cinder & Ella by Kelly Oram

It’s been almost a year since eighteen-year-old Ella Rodriguez was in a car accident that left her crippled, scarred, and without a mother. After a very difficult recovery, she’s been uprooted across the country and forced into the custody of a father that abandoned her when she was a young child. If Ella wants to escape her father’s home and her awful new stepfamily, she must convince her doctors that she’s capable, both physically and emotionally, of living on her own. The problem is, she’s not ready yet. The only way she can think of to start healing is by reconnecting with the one person left in the world who’s ever meant anything to her—her anonymous Internet best friend, Cinder. 

Hollywood sensation Brian Oliver has a reputation for being trouble. There’s major buzz around his performance in his upcoming film The Druid Prince, but his management team says he won’t make the transition from teen heartthrob to serious A-list actor unless he can prove he’s left his wild days behind and become a mature adult. In order to douse the flames on Brian’s bad-boy reputation, his management stages a fake engagement for him to his co-star Kaylee. Brian isn’t thrilled with the arrangement—or his fake fiancée—but decides he’ll suffer through it if it means he’ll get an Oscar nomination. Then a surprise email from an old Internet friend changes everything.


What's with the YA/NA read-hogging lately? Not to mention all these new authors, too. (For me, that is.) But I would say that I am on a good streak though. Because here I am with another great find...and I've a feeling that this will not be the last one.

(And isn't it the beauty of reading when you can't stop finding new good authors to read? That means more absolutely gorge books to read in the future!)

I honestly didn't take this book seriously at first glance. Because, hello? Cinder and Ella? How clichéd is that? But then I read the blurb and I thought, why not? By the time I finished this book though, I was hooked.

I am so totally in love with this book (and trying not to gush so much here).

This is a modern fairy tale with a twist. Or twists. I loved the virtual relationship between Ella and Cinder. I loved how they were able to honestly connect online even more than people who gave face to face relationships do. And I guess it was that foundation of three years worth of friendship that was their fallback when the going got tough when they finally met. And I loved how they managed to eventually trust each other with the world looking right at the end.

I was all cried out when I finished this book. KO, what have you done to me?! To make things better, it wouldn't hurt if there were more books about the rest of the great characters in this book. Yes, please. There won't be any complaints from this camp.


Final verdict: 10/10. Only love. Great must-read.

Royally Lost by Angie Stanton

Dragged on a family trip to Europe’s ancient cities, Becca wants nothing more than to go home. Trapped with her emotionally distant father, over-eager stepmother, and a brother who only wants to hook up with European hotties, Becca is miserable. That is until she meets Nikolai, a guy as mysterious as he is handsome. And she unknowingly finds herself with a runaway prince.

Nikolai has everything a guy could ask for-he's crown prince, heir to the throne, and girls adore him. But the one thing he doesn't have...is freedom. Staging a coup, he flees his kingdom and goes undercover on his own European tour.

When Nikolai and Becca meet, it’s their differences that draw them together. Sparks fly as they share a whirlwind of adventures, all the while dodging his royal guard. But Becca's family vacation ends in a matter of days. Will Nikolai and Becca be forced to say goodbye forever, will his destiny catch up to him, or will they change history forever?


It's not that I've had enough of sexy reads (will never, ever happen, duh!) but I just thought I would spend some time on some little YA reads last weekend. Not to mention that I've been meaning to read this book for quite some time now.

I found this books to be a bit okay. I'm a big fan of stories about royalty, fiction or not, and I thought I'd give this a try. But I realized that the beauty of royalty-based storylines is that the HEAs are just awesome to read about. But that's something hard to guaranteed in a YA book setting like this. Hello, we can't have our main characters married at eighteen, can we?

Not to mislead you but yes, this standalone does have a HEA. But for how long? That's my cynical self asking. But that's just me. I still would like to think this was the forever kind and I hope I'm right.

This was my first AS read and definitely will not be my last. I'll have to scour around for the rest of her stuff. She created some interesting lead and secondary characters and I'm sure that goes the same for the rest of her books.


Final verdict: 7/10. Good read.

The Boy Who Sneaks In My Bedroom Window by Kirsty Moseley

Amber Walker and her older brother, Jake, have an abusive father. One night her brother's best friend, Liam, sees her crying and climbs through her bedroom window to comfort her. That one action sparks a love/hate relationship that spans over the next eight years. Liam is now a confident, flirty player who has never had a girlfriend before. Amber is still emotionally scarred from the abuse she suffered at the hands of her father. Together they make an unlikely pair. Their relationship has always been a rocky one, but what happens when Amber starts to view her brother's best friend a little differently? And how will her brother, who has always been a little overprotective, react when he finds out that the pair are growing closer? 


Hmmm. Okay. Even two days after I finished this book, my mind is still the same--still not made up about it. In a nutshell, I have two separate reviews for this book.

Let's start with what my fifteen year self would have said. I would probably have loved this book at that age because Liam James would've been the perfect boyfriend material in my eyes. The best-of-friends, knew-each-other-since-childhood will probably always appeal to me. Not to mention that Amber's big brother, Jake, was awesome, too, and I never had a brother so...

But my present (old and boring) self just freaked out at one thing in this book--can you imagine having your sixteen-year old daughter sleep in with an eighteen-year old and have this go on for years? I still couldn't wrap my head around this. You can only imagine what happened! Hahaha! I don't even have kids nor any maternal bone in my body and I was worried.

Nevertheless, I liked the premise of the book. There were some good points--good plot, good characters, good emotions. But the writing can still be improved and be more structured. The not-so-good? I thought that there might have been a lot of twists and surprises for one book--it was like they were crammed in one story and it might not have needed everything that were in it.

But I'm a sucker for epilogues especially the good ones. This book didn't disappoint in that department.


Final verdict: 6/10. Okay read.

To Marry A Prince by Sophie Page

Bella Greenwood isn't a fairytale girl. If pushed, she'd probably tell you that her perfect wedding would involve a handful of close friends and family. But as she's never met anyone she'd like to marry, it is a moot point. Until, in a midnight garden, Bella is helped out of an embarrassing situation by a tall, dark, handsome man with laughing eyes. Suddenly her life changes for ever, because the man is the world's most eligible bachelor—Prince Richard, heir to the throne. Richard sweeps her off her feet, and before she knows, it they're engaged—which is when Bella's problems really begin. Suddenly she is public property, and as if it isn't enough to have her every move watched—while also learning to curtsy and negotiating the etiquette of how to address her future mother-in-law—she soon finds herself embroiled in bridesmaid politics, a royal hen night, and a wedding dress controversy that causes a national scandal.

Ahhh, what can I say about this book? I actually do not know what to think...but in a good way. Because I liked the book enough but I really can't put my finger on what exactly that I enjoyed  about it. Perhaps, it just one of those feel-good reads that I don't need to justify...or dissect, for that matter.

Nevertheless, I always give myself a pat on the back when I finish a YA book and actually love it because I'm currently on a smut phase. (I know, right? *wince*) But so far, I have been loving the YA books that I got to read lately. Methinks I just need the right books. Yes, that's it.

First off, let me tick off the parts that bothered me in this book. Do people really talk that casually to Royalty? And can Royalty really get away that easily from their security detail? Was it really that simple to marry into Royalty? I was eating when I was nearing the end of this book and I guess I was a bit distracted by the food (When have I never been?) that when I found out I had gotten to the last part, my jaw just dropped. Leave me hanging, why don't you?

All in all, this was a clean, pure fun read. Bella was actually an interesting character and quirky and could totally tell Prince Richard off when he starts getting too Royal-ish. I loved those parts.

Don't expect heavy drama if you decide to read this book. Do expect feel good fun.


Final verdict: 7/10. Good read.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?


I...

I think--

....






Le sigh. Okay here goes nothing. Literally.

I am a lowly, lowly earthling who does not deserve to dissect this awesome masterpiece for a measly review.

And Rainbow Rowell ruined me for other YA books. I will never be the same again.

And why, why, why doesn't GoodReads doesn't have a 6th or even a 7th star?!


Final verdict: 23/10. Great, great read. Must have. Because Levi.

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.


When I heard of this book, I didn't know whether I wanted to read it or not. Having had a number of family members succumb to cancer, this hits home just a little too close. But when I did finally get to see it stocked at my favorite bookstore, I couldn't help but get a copy...but then I tried delaying reading it this time. But today, when super-storm Haiyan kept me home and with the power out for most of the day, I elected to stay away from ebooks and decided to cozy up with some paperbacks. So I finally settled on this.

Please note though this is going to be a very short review. If I can even call it that. Have you noticed that the books you like best sometimes are the most difficult to review? As if your words would never do justice...which I'm pretty sure is what's going to happen now in the next few paragraphs.

First, let me say that John Green is a master storyteller extraordinaire that kept me turning page after page, making me miss lunch and dinner. That may be unusual to some other avid readers but it is to me. Because in this instance, this is YA book and I'm not the biggest YA fiction fan. JG glued me to the pages with the fantistical play of adverbs and adjectives that reduced me to laughter, tears, and even both at the same time.

The story of Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters is a soul-warming, heart-breaking tale of hope and pain, of love and selflessness, of friendship and family. And yet, I ploughed on. Because this is a story that shouldn't be told to someone, it should be lived by reading through these pages. It was a joy reading about two old souls living in the bodies of these two young people. Who would eventually remain as forever young even after the book ended. There will be no sequels.

I cannot even gush about how I love this book. It's not that kind of book. So while the storm raged outside earlier, my eyes had become swollen from the crying while I was reading this. This is that kind of book. And yet there were smiles, too. If I could say something to it, I would take a quote right out its pages:

It would be a privilege to have my heart broken by you. 

Okay?

Okay.


Final verdict: 10/10. Great read, must have. Should be re-read when you can.

Sharing Sam by Katherine Applegate

How can you take the guy your best friend loves . . . when your best friend’s going to die?

Alison Chapman has always believed she’d fall in love hard. And she does—with Sam Cody, a new guy with a gorgeous face and brooding eyes, a guy who’s impossible to resist. When Sam asks her to the Valentine’s Day dance, Alison is elated . . . until she finds out that her best friend, Isabella Cates-Lopez, has fallen for Sam,
too . . . until she finds out that Isabella is dying. Now Alison wants Isabella’s last days to be her happiest ever—even if she and Sam have to hide their love. Even if, by sharing Sam, Alison risks losing him forever.


This is my first attempt (and probably the last one!) at reviewing an old read without re-reading the material. I have read this book the first time way back in 1995. *gasp* Yes, all that long ago. I probably have read it another two or three more times since but the last one is still years ago.

This was a pretty good read. When I say good, I mean cried buckets. This was a great story about unselfishness, love, and friendship. Even if there were some parts that were pretty predictable, there were still some good surprises in it, especially at the end.

I was very young when I first read this book and at that time, I always thought that romance stories were guaranteed happy endings. This was the first book that really opened my eyes and changed my view that happily-ever-afters should never be taken for granted.

I may not have read this book lately. I doubt if my bestfriend still has the copy she had of this book and yet somehow, the memory of reading this book makes me sad and happy at the same. I guess that's a sign that I don't need any prodding at recommending this book to anyone who wanted to enjoy a good YA read.


Final verdict: 8/10. Great read.

The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

A modern love story told through a series of dictionary-style entries is a sequence of intimate windows into the large and small events that shape the course of a romantic relationship. 


I have to admit that I came across David Levithan's Twitter account (@loversdiction) first and it lead me to the book. Which should not have been the case if I really call myself an honest to goodness bookworm. Oh, well.

Nevertheless, the intrigue that started with all those interesting tweets led me to checking this book out. But despite them, I didn't really expect that the book was going to be in actual dictionary format and that the title was just cute-sy way of naming a book. So imagine my surprise and excitement when I finally got to the first page. And trust me, I was hooked by the very first entry.

And I say excitement because I think it was just pure genius how someone could come up in telling a story in this manner. I was wondering how can it be of ONE love story if they are just going to be word descriptions? But DL crafted it in a way that even if an event in the love story appeared somewhere in As, Bs, or Cs, you never got lost in stringing together what happened from the start until the end. The creativity of it all still amazes me and if anyone ever attempts to do something like this, it's just going to be a poor imitation.

Wait, is this how it feels if you read How To Choose Your Adventure? books from cover to cover? Just a thought.

In short, this is a beautiful book that manages to describe the myriad feelings associated with love in a fresher way that makes you say "That's absolutely right" even if at the same time you're thinking "Oh, I never looked at it that way."

SPOILER: I was hoping for a happy ending. With all the excitement on me getting my hands on this book, I thought I deserved a happy ending. But sometimes we don't really get what we want. But you know what they say about the journey being more important than the destination.


Final verdict: 9/10. Must read, must have.

Our Secret Love by Miranda Harry

Dana Lipton has totally fallen for Chris Geller. Who wouldn't? He's sexy, funny, and smart--and he's just as crazy about Dana as she is about him. But there's one problem: Chris is her older brother Brian's best friend, and he's supposed to be off-limits.

Dana and Chris can't hide their feelings for each other any longer. One innocent date ends with an unforgettable kiss, and from then on it's the real thing. And when Brian finds out about their secret romance, he completely flips out, and forbids them to see each other. Will Brian scare Chris off...or is Chris and Dana's relationship strong enough to last?

Anyone complaining about any reading slumps? Hmm, I know exactly how that felt. I've started to read a few books--historicals and contemps alike--and I just couldn't seem to get past the second or the third chapter on any of them.

The solution? Young adult fiction. I know. It's undeniably a hoot. But what can I say except for the fact that I did manage to finish this old fave of mine. Well, a housemate borrowed this book and I couldn't help but read it when she returned it. I haven't read this--or any young adult fiction--in a number of years and I actually surprised myself when after rereading, I still found myself liking it.

It's stories like this that make me wish for and at the same time, not wish for a brother. I just think that it would actually be kinda cool if someone would be as overprotective of me as Dana's brother was of her in this book. But at the same time, it would definitely get stifling and restrictive, and life would be more difficult.

I just think that this story is really cute. Just imagine knowing someone practically your whole life and then realize one day that he could be the one. But it doesn't get any easier since your brother had declared his friends off-limits. That's Dana's case. But I understand her brother Brian's reasons for being overprotective--after all, he had watched his little sister go through cancer and survive.

But then one day Dana realized that Brian's best friend Chris wasn't just a friend to her anymore. What's more, Chris also realized that Dana was no longer just his best friend's kid sister. And I think that it's human nature to do what's forbidden. Hence, Dana and Chris got together. But it was never their intention to lie to Brian--only that circumstances forced them into that kind of situation and they were just waiting for the right time to tell him. But then big brother found out and all hell broke lose.

Chris later apologized to Brian and then told Dana he had decided that no girl was ever gonna come between his and Brian's friendship. It sounded lame to me--until I learned later in the book that he did it because so that he didn't want come between Dana and Brian's special bond forged during her recovery from leukemia.

Dana saw everything was going to be okay with her brother and Chris; and between her and Brian when he bought tickets for a concert. Only to find out that Brian bought tickets for her and Chris--Brian finally realized that the couple was miserable without each other.

It's a simple story and can be downright juvenile at some points. But the point that won me over was when Chris donated blood to see if some kid somewhere was a bone marrow match. After all, that was how Dana survived leukemia--some person was found and was a lucky match for her. Now that wasn't juvenile in the least.

Final verdict: 8/10. Good read.