Book Review; Stolen: A Letter to My Captor by Lucy Christopher

Title: Stolen: A Letter to My Captor

Author: Lucy Christopher

Pages: 301

Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Realistic Fiction

Published: May 4th 2009 by Chicken House Ltd

Source:  Library Book, now own

Synopsis: 

It happened like this. I was stolen from an airport. Taken from everything I knew, everything I was used to. Taken to sand and heat, dirt and danger. And he expected me to love him.

This is my story.

A letter from nowhere. 

Sixteen year old Gemma is kidnapped from Bangkok airport and taken to the Australian Outback. This wild and desolate landscape becomes almost a character in the book, so vividly is it described. Ty, her captor, is no stereotype. He is young, fit and completely gorgeous. This new life in the wilderness has been years in the planning. He loves only her, wants only her. Under the hot glare of the Australian sun, cut off from the world outside, can the force of his love make Gemma love him back? 

The story takes the form of a letter, written by Gemma to Ty, reflecting on those strange and disturbing months in the outback. Months when the lines between love and obsession, and love and dependency, blur until they don't exist - almost.

Review:

Okay, can I start by WOW, and what the hell.

Um this book was just confronting, engaging, it made me angry, it made me feel BIG confusing feelings.
And let me set this straight right away, I did NOT like Ty, I thought he had some serious problems. 

But I will be forever grateful for the final decision he made. 

How do you even right a review for a book like this? 

Okay, really. Just read it because, it doesn't matter how you feel about the story or the characters, this is just a book you need to read, because it will open you eyes (to weird things and such, I think). 

The whole book is a long long long long letter to Gemma's captor Ty. And its just OHMYGOSH.

Over and out. 

Though, we really do need a novella about what happened to Stolen (the camel). 

Rating: ★★★★★

Book Review: The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols

Title: The One That I Want

Author: Jennifer Echols

Pages: 259

Genre: Contemporary, Romance

Published: February 7th 2012 by Simon Pulse

Source:  Library Book

Synopsis: 

Gemma can’t believe her luck when the star football player starts flirting with her. Max is totally swoon-worthy, and even gets her quirky sense of humor. So when he asks out her so-called best friend Addison, Gemma’s heartbroken.

Then Addison pressures Gemma to join the date with one of Max’s friends. But the more time they all spend together, the harder Gemma falls for Max. She can’t help thinking that Max likes her back—it’s just too bad he’s already dating Addison. How can Gemma get the guy she wants without going after her best friend’s boyfriend?

Review:

Okay so I must have decided to read all Jennifer Echol's books, even though I personally think her earlier works are better. 

There is so much in this book that bugged me. Or maybe its because, i've read too much "romance" this year. 

This book follows the story of Gemma. Gemma is I don't really know how to explain her; she is a girl who was apart of the school band, described herself as the 'arty' one. But this year she decides to go out for majorette. 

So yeah Gemma makes the majorette team as does her "best friend" Addison, and another girl Delilah. 

During the summer holidays, the marjorettes are at a summer majorette camp? This is where Gemma notices Max. 

Lots of other stuff happens, but i'll leave it up to you to read. 

Okay review time: 

For starters, what are with ALL the fathers in Jennifer Echol books? Why are they all mean and rude, or not supportive. I feel some father issues come out in all of these stories. I can't believe her father would buy her a BMW rather than see her? 

Gemma Gemma Gemma. Can I just ask, why in young adult fiction when the main character is a girl, why does she have to be skinny, or lose weight to gain attention? What is wrong with curvy, chubby, fat girls? Why can't they be pretty? This really bugged me, she could always do the majorette thing at her original weight, why does she have to be skinnier. This really bugs me about this genre. GEMMA, WHY DID YOU CONTINUE TO BE FRIENDS WITH ADDISON IF YOU DIDN'T LIKE YOUR FRIENDSHIP. Like you had lovely Delilah you could have been friends with. And this friendship with Robert. I didn't like it. I felt he just used her, because he knew of the feelings she had for him, and he just continued to be like that. SZXJK LFgbhn. The whole Max situation, I just don't understand. 

Addison. why. be. an. arse. (that is all that needs to be said about her).

MAX MAX MAX MAX. If you like one girl you go out with HER not the bestfriend. I do not understand his logic AT ALL. Like how did he think it would work out nicely? Oh I also feel we were supposed to feel attracted to Max, but I didn't. I think he went around the situation wrong. And that goatee, eww, just imagining it, it seemed weird. haha sorry. 

Okay now I just don't understand why the book needs to take place in such a short time span, why can't things have happened gradually and not rushed? Maybe it was me, but I feel like a week passed in a chapter, then the next five chapters were a few days? Maybe I just read the book wrong. 

The relationships in this book annoyed me. Maybe the book just annoyed me. 

Okay basically I thought there was so much in this book, that just didn't make sense to me and annoyed me. 

I didn't like the ending either, it felt I don't know, a bit rushed. I felt that Max wouldn't make out with Gemma on the school bus, but actually drive over to her house. 

I originally gave this book 3 stars but after thinking about it OVER and OVER, I decided on two stars. Because the characters annoyed me, because I think the four daters would have felt the tension between each other. I don't know or understand why they went out with the wrong person for ages. The best friends friendships didn't seem that healthy to me either. 

I just didn't really enjoy the read, though it was a fast one.

Rating: ★★

Book Review: Killing Britney by Sean Olin

Title: Killing Britney

Author: Sean Olin

Pages: 240

Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller

Published: July 1st 2005 by Simon Pulse

Source:  Library Book

Synopsis: 

Britney is the girl everyone loves to hate.

Ever since Britney transformed herself from freak-and-geek to the most popular girl at school, her life has been touched by tragedy. First it was her mom, who drowned on a family rafting trip. Then her hockey-star boyfriend, Ricky, was killed in a hit-and-run.

When the deaths continue to pile up, everyone fears for Britney. Sure she's popular, blond, and fabulous.

But is that enough reason for someone to want to...kill her?

Review: (THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS, READ AT OWN RISK!)

If I didn't say this was a confusing book, i'd be lying. If I didn't say that I hated the ending, i'd be lying. If I said I wasn't disappointed by this book i'd be lying. 

This book. 

How do I even start..... it was just bad. 

The premise, was so promising. It sounded interesting, it sounded like it was going to be mysterious. Which I guess it was, but it was a bad mystery. 

If you didn't get what was happening around half way through, it could have been better, but once you figured it out. WOW, letdown. 

Lets get back to the story. So it follows Britney, blonde, popular, perfect boyfriend, used to be ugly/fat/lame. So it was the whole unpopular to popular scenario (her mum also died in a freak accident when she was thirteen). 

But then Britney's boyfriend Ricky is killed (it was a horrible death).

And then weird things start to happen, Britney gets threats, and yeah. But then more people are murdered, and it looks as if someone is after Britney, or are they.....

They weren't after her, because Britney was the murderer, shock right? No it wasn't. All the deaths were just so convenient. I have no idea how the police did not connect the such obvious dots. LIKE REALLY. anyone who knew too much about Britney was brutally murdered. How does that not make you point fingers at her?

Also Britney and Adam sleep together the day after Brintey's bestfriend is murdered who is also Adam's girlfriend. NOT okay. that was gross and weird. Adam also became like a new guy every 10ish pages. That whole "moment" was icky. 

The end of the story. Why. Just why. Why oh why. Britney is INSANE. 

Okay I really did not like this at all. I'm sorry. It just hit the complete wrong nerve with me. It was not an okay thing. 

I didn't like the characters, they were shallow/2d and boring. It was short and badly written at times. 

I just didn't enjoy this. 

Rating: ★

Book review: Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols

Title: Dirty Little Secret

Author: Jennifer Echols

Pages: 273

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, also classified as New Adult

Published: July 16th 2013 by MTV Books

Source:  Library Book

Synopsis: 

From the author of the “real page-turner” (Seventeen) Such a Rush comes an unforgettable new drama that follows friends-turned-lovers as they navigate the passions, heartbreaks, and intrigue of country music fame.

Bailey wasn’t always a wild child and the black sheep of her family. She used to play fiddle and tour the music circuit with her sister, Julie, who sang and played guitar. That ended when country music execs swooped in and signed Julie to a solo deal. Never mind that Julie and Bailey were a duet, or that Bailey was their songwriter. The music scouts wanted only Julie, and their parents were content to sit by and let her fulfill her dreams while Bailey’s were hushed away.

Bailey has tried to numb the pain and disappointment over what could have been. And as Julie’s debut album is set to hit the charts, her parents get fed up with Bailey’s antics and ship her off to granddad’s house in Nashville. Playing fiddle in washed-up tribute groups at the mall, Bailey meets Sam, a handsome and oh-so-persuasive guitarist with his own band. He knows Bailey’s fiddle playing is just the thing his band needs to break into the industry. But this life has broken Bailey’s heart once before. She isn’t sure she’s ready to let Sam take her there again…

Review:

Jennifer Echols you've done it again. You have created a male love interest that I HATE. I think this is boy number three. Why can't you write them like you did for forget you and love story? 

I did not like Sam what-so-ever. 
Back to the story....

Okay so the story is about Bailey (a fiddle player). Bailey and her sister Julie are close, and a duo country music act. That is until, a record company says they only want Julie, and Bailey's dreams are shattered. 
Bailey is told to stop playing music, because the record company don't want people finding out they only wanted one sister. 

Its summer, and Bailey is living with her Grandfather who gets her a job doing impersonations of country bands at the local mall (shopping centre for me). This is where Bailey meets Sam (the heartbreaker).

Okay. There is SO MUCH wrong with them (Bailey and Sam). And really its mainly just him. He is a player for one thing, he USES people, mostly girls. He manipulates people to get what he wants. He lies, he is an arse. HE IS JUST HORRIBLE. And Bailey for some reason likes horrible guys. She should have stayed very far away from him. 
When he finds something about a person he wants he will do ANYTHING for that thing, and then leave said person hanging off a bridge. 

Sam and Bailey's relationship to me was toxic. It seemed one sided, unless Sam didn't get what he wanted from Bailey yet. 

The band. Where do I start? Those people should never be in a band together, there is just too much toxic energy and bad vibes. And the band should not be made up of two couples, with one of the guys having dated both of the GIRLS.

Okay. Bailey and Bailey's dream. I don't like how her family handled it. How could you raise a child to have a dream, and try your hardest to reach that dream, and then decided HANG ON, you can't have that dream anymore. You can't just snatch something so essential to a person away form them, after you've taught them to only DREAM that DREAM.
I hate how Bailey's parents used her college tuition against her, to keep her out of the public's eye. 

I hated her parents.

And Julie, how could she do that to her sister? I mean (not the contract part), but abandoning her, after Bailey was abandoned by everyone else. That is not what best friends do, let alone sisters who are best friends. 

I just did not enjoy this story, it made me angry and upset. 

But I did enjoy the writing which Jennifer Echols' does well, and that is why the story gets 1.5 stars. 

Rating: ★ 1.5

Book Review: Love Story by Jennifer Echols

Title: Love Story

Author: Jennifer Echols

Pages: 243

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction

Published: July 19th 2011 by MTV Books

Source:  Library Book

Synopsis: 

She's writing about him. He's writing about her. And everybody is reading between the lines.. 

For Erin Blackwell, majoring in creative writing at the New York City college of her dreams is more than a chance to fulfill her ambitions--it's her ticket away from the tragic memories that shadow her family's racehorse farm in Kentucky. But when she refuses to major in business and take over the farm herself someday, her grandmother gives Erin's college tuition and promised inheritance to their maddeningly handsome stable boy, Hunter Allen. Now Erin has to win an internship and work late nights at a coffee shop to make her own dreams a reality. She should despise Hunter . . . so why does he sneak into her thoughts as the hero of her latest writing assignment?

Then, on the day she's sharing that assignment with her class, Hunter walks in. He's joining her class. And after he reads about himself in her story, her private fantasies about him must be painfully clear. She only hopes to persuade him not to reveal her secret to everyone else. But Hunter devises his own creative revenge, writing sexy stories that drive the whole class wild with curiosity and fill Erin's heart with longing. Now she's not just imagining what might have been. She's writing a whole new ending for her romance with Hunter. . . . except this story could come true.

Review:

Third try with a Jennifer Echol's novel. 
I loved going too far, didn't enjoy forget you.

Love Story. I really liked the start, and the concept. But when I finished the book, I felt angry, and the book felt as if it hadn't finished. It ended with so many loose ends and that annoyed me so much.

Anyway now for the good and bad!!

Bad 
Hunter. Hunter is the worst boy i've read about in Echol's books. WHY COULDN'T HE APOLOGIZE. WHY DID HE DO THAT TO HER. And the whole sex scene was eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh to me. It just felt off to me. 

The creative writing class. I loved that class, but how did NO ONE WORK OUT THAT ERIN AND HUNTER WERE WRITING ABOUT EACH OTHER THE WHOLE SEMESTER. 

Erin. And how she clearly loved Hunter since they were little, and she just didn't do anything about it. That made me sad angry (because all those years of cute relationship were wasted). 

Erin's backstory with her mum, and how no one ever discussed it with her. And she was in her cupboard. And I just felt bad... 

Good 
Hunter. I know he was apart of the bad area too. But I still liked him. I just disliked him more. I liked Hunter at the hospital. I liked how he is a pre-med student. I liked how much he likes Erin. 

The creative writing class. I would have loved to be in the class. And the teacher. I loved Gabe, there was something about him and his laid-backness. 

The Story I liked it. I liked it. I liked how they both ended up at the same college. How they both love horses, but one of them is trying to escape that life, and the other thinks they want to escape it. 
I love how they are clearly meant to be together. (I just don't like how it happened).

The ending had WAY TOO MANY LOOSE ENDS. What happened with everything. Hunter just packs her bags. Like they aren't even "together" anymore, and the whole grandma thing. WHAT HAPPENED???? 

I really want another book for this, or an extended version, because to me it kind of feels like Echol's gave up on it at the end. Which is sad because I enjoyed it. And that is why even though the ending totally sucked, I just loved it enough to give this book three stars. 

Rating: ★★★

Book Review: Forget You by Jennifer Echols

Title: Forget You

Author: Jennifer Echols

Pages: 292

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction

Published: July 20th 2010 by MTV Books

Source:  Library Book

Synopsis: 

Why can't you choose what you forget ... and what you remember?

There’s a lot Zoey would like to forget. Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four-year old girlfriend. Like Zoey’s fear that the whole town will find out about her mom’s nervous breakdown. Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school. Feeling like her life is about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only way she knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she’s the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend to ultra-popular football player Brandon.  But then Zoey is in a car crash, and the next day there’s one thing she can’t remember at all--the entire night before. Did she go parking with Brandon, like she planned? And if so, why does it seem like Brandon is avoiding her? And why is Doug--of all people-- suddenly acting as if something significant happened between the two ofthem? Zoey dimly remembers Doug pulling her from the wreck, but he keeps referring to what happened that night as if it was more, and it terrifies Zoey to admit how much is a blank to her. Controlled, meticulous Zoey is quickly losing her grip on the all-important details of her life--a life that seems strangely empty of Brandon, and strangely full of Doug.

Review:

Okay so this was my second Jennifer Echols book. I really liked Going Too Far , so I was not sure if i'd like this as much, due to the high expectations I had. 

Lets break this down into the good and bad categories, because i'm too lazy today to write a full on review. 

Bad 

Zoey. I did not like her. I can not believe she "parked" with a guy who had been telling her about his conquests ALL SUMMER. HE DID NOT BLOODY LOVE YOU, HE JUST WANTED TO SCREW YOU. And then her thinking they were in a "relationship" when he is clearly not interested and wanting someone else. Zoey just really pissed me off totally and completely. 

Zoey's dad. Do I even need to elaborate on him. He was rude, horrible, and like stalkerish, I mean, putting cameras up around the house, cause he didn't trust his almost 18 year old daughter for a week. I'm just going to stop there with him. He was just ugggggggggggggh so 2D and horrid. 

Doug. Doug. Doug. You say you love Zoey, yet you say 'oh I can totally "park a car" with her in like a night'. If you really loved her, you wouldn't have done that. And before the crash, and the sex, he was totally rude and shitty to Zoey, like if you like her you be nice, this isn't primary school. FAR OUT. And he is is a bit controlling/ overbearing, but what eves. 

Zoey's best friends. Um. no. WHY DIDN'T THEY NOTICE SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH HER. I didn't like them that much. 

The basic story line/plot was just bad to me. I didn't really enjoy it. It happened too fast, why didn't she have a police report. Why didn't anyone tell her what happened? There were just too many confusing factors, for me to enjoy this. 

Good 
Zoey and Doug's relationship. I like how it grew in the novel. I didn't like how it started really with sex. I don't think that was a brilliant idea (but that is just my opinion). And really the day after the crash when Doug thought they were "together" and Zoey didn't know anything WHY DIDN'T HE SAY SOMETHING. In the end I liked there relationship though. I liked how he wanted to protect her. blah blah blah. 

I liked Doug's brother. don't know why I just did....

I like Jennifer's writing style. It is easy to read. 

I liked how Zoey was on the swim team, but not the best swimmer, but yet the captain.

Sadly I think that is really all I liked... :/

When I first read this I gave it 2 stars, thinking about in now whilst writing this review, it makes me realise how much i actually didn't like it. 
I am going to give Jennifer Echols another few tries, because I did like her writing style. 

Rating: ★

Book Review: Letters From Skye by Jessica Brockmole

Title: Letters From Skye

Author: Jessica Brockmole

Pages: 304

Genre: Adult (Historical Fiction, Romance)

Published: July 4th 2013 by Hutchinson

Source:  Library Book, now own

Synopsis: 

A sweeping story told in letters, spanning two continents and two world wars, Jessica Brockmole’s atmospheric debut novel captures the indelible ways that people fall in love, and celebrates the power of the written word to stir the heart.
 
March 1912: Twenty-four-year-old Elspeth Dunn, a published poet, has never seen the world beyond her home on Scotland’s remote Isle of Skye. So she is astonished when her first fan letter arrives, from a college student, David Graham, in far-away America. As the two strike up a correspondence—sharing their favorite books, wildest hopes, and deepest secrets—their exchanges blossom into friendship, and eventually into love. But as World War I engulfs Europe and David volunteers as an ambulance driver on the Western front, Elspeth can only wait for him on Skye, hoping he’ll survive.
 
June 1940: At the start of World War II, Elspeth’s daughter, Margaret, has fallen for a pilot in the Royal Air Force. Her mother warns her against seeking love in wartime, an admonition Margaret doesn’t understand. Then, after a bomb rocks Elspeth’s house, and letters that were hidden in a wall come raining down, Elspeth disappears. Only a single letter remains as a clue to Elspeth’s whereabouts. As Margaret sets out to discover where her mother has gone, she must also face the truth of what happened to her family long ago.

Review:

Let me just start by saying this was the first historical fiction novel i've read. And let me just add that I really very muchly enjoyed this. 

So this novel is comprised of letters. It switches between chapters from Elspeth's pov and Margret's (Margret is Elspeth's daughter). Elspeth's letters are from between 1912 and 1917 and Margret's letters take place during 1940. 

Elspeth is a poet living on the Isle of Skye off Scotland when she receives her first ever fan letter. That letter is from Davey. Davey is an american college student from Illinois. After that first letter the two essentially become pen pals. Davey calls Elspeth Sue. Friendship is built during these letters, but then their friendship blooms into love. The thing is Elspeth is married. dun dun dun. All hope is not lost, when Davely and Sue meet, their love just grows as does the affair.

Davey volunteers in France working as an Ambulance driver with his best friend. Meanwhile Elspth's husband is deemed missing and after a while dead. So Davey and Sue continue their affair. This is when Davey is taken as a prisoner of war. In the camp, whom does he meet other than Sue's husband. Who is in fact not dead. *GASPS*

Meanwhile its 1940, and war is raging yet again. Margret lives with her mother Elspeth in Edinburgh and knows absolutely nothing about her mothers past. That is until a bomb hits their street, and letters appear from the blown apart wall. Margret grabs one before her mum enters the room and hides it from view. The very next day Elspeth has left without a word nor trace. And Margret is on the search for her mother and her mothers past. Along the way Margret uncovers more than she thought she would. 

Okay, so I really enjoyed this story, its completely letters, which is very interesting. I like how the characters grow throughout the novel. 
I just love this story, the plot, the characters, the love story was just mussy and nice. 

I like that in rough times love, hope, friendship and family still shine through.

I really like the ending so I won't spoil it (though I do want more!! but I guess its up to my imagination). I would recommend this to like lots of people, but I don't want to share it. 

Rating: ★★★★