Review: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares

Title/Author:  Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Published: 2010, Knopf Books for Young Readers

Source: Purchased myself at B&N

Rating:  5 stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

“I’ve left some clues for you. If you want them, turn the page. If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.” 

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions? 

Review:

After reading this book I am so tempted to get a notebook, scribble down a riddle and leave it in a bookstore next to a favorite book and cross my fingers that a cute (intelligent) guy comes along, finds the notebook and plays along.

I loved the story.  Dash, while cynical, is the male equivalent of Jessica Darling.  Seriously, I think they’d be best friends.  He always has some witty remark.  Lily unintentionally isolates herself from people and just wants a friend.  She’s the captain and star athlete of her school’s soccer team yet doesn’t hang out with any of her teammates.  

Dash and Lily’s relationship kind of reminded me of my bookish community friends.  I’ve never met any of you, yet I kind of have an idea in my head what you all look like and sound like (and I don’t mean this is a creepy way!).  Then when I watch a vlog it throws me off a little.  Dash and Lily each had an idea of what the other one was like.

What I loved about the book:

• I laughed over the crimson alert and that entire ordeal.  Who knew throwing snowballs could be so dangerous?
• Snarly.  To me describing someone as snarly means their hair is full of knots and desperately needs to be brushed.
• I loved all of the dares and following Dash and Lily through New York City at Christmastime.
• Dashiell.  What a great name.
• Cover love.  Love love love the heart-shaped snowflakes on the cover.

After writing this up I noticed I clearly favor Dash over Lily.  Even though Lily is also a main character more things about Dash stick out in my mind.

I highly recommend this book!  It’s set during the holidays and its part of the story, but its not really a Christmas-y book.  So if you were looking for a sappy or sugar-sweet read for the holiday season then this probably isn’t the book for you.

Review: Jumpstart the World

 

Title:  Jumpstart the World

Author:  Catherine Ryan Hyde

Published:  Knopf, October 2010

How I Got It:  Purchased for my nook

Rating: 5 stars

Thoughts:

Jumpstart the World by Catherine Ryan Hyde is fantastic read.  The book isn’t even 200 pages long but it is filled with so much emotion.  You’ll feel happy, sad, grateful, encouraged, guilty, depressed but also inspired and ready the change the world.  Ultimately, I think this book is about acceptance and tolerance. 

Sixteen-year old Elle has just moved into her very first apartment, her only companion is the cat she just got from a shelter (she picked the least friendly cat out of the bunch).  Her mother’s new boyfriend doesn’t like teenagers so instead of kicking him to the curb Elle gets kicked out.  Her mother pays for the apartment (which is on the other side of town) and checks in every so often.

The only neighbors Elle gets to know are Frank and his girlfriend, Molly.  They live in the apartment next to Elle and even share a fire escape.  Elle takes an instant liking to Frank.  She develops a crush on him and is devastated when she unexpectedly finds out that Frank is transgender.  He’s currently in the process of going from a female to a male.  Needless to say it came as quite a shock to Elle.  The last half of the book is about Elle dealing with the aftermath of finding out about Frank.  She's not really sure what to think about it or how to react to it.

*One random fact about Elle:  Do not steal a cab from her, especially if she is upset about something.

Lately I've been trying to write down my favorite quotes from books.  These are my four favorite quotes from Jumpstart the World:

"Words are important...words are the tools we use for making peace with the world" - Chapter 3

“You’re supposed to make mistakes.  You’re just starting out.  Mistakes are a good thing.  They mean you were brave enough to try something hard” – Chapter 6

“Sometimes you have to jumpstart the world just to get it to be what even the world admits it should be” – Chapter 12

“I decided that not talking is like a litmus test for a real friend.  You can just sit there and be.  Not always be filling up the air with words” – Chapter 14

I loved this book.  I definitely think it is a must read for everyone.  It’s a great story about learning to accept others even if they're different.  Plus there are funny chapter titles like, “The Heartbreak of Too Many Guys Named Bob” and “Mascara, and Other Things That Run”.  Also, how is it that I have not read any of Catherine Ryan Hyde’s other books before?


On Hyde's website she has Five Ways To Jumpstart The World listed.  Please go take a look at them. She has some great ideas listed.

*This review is also posted over at The Broke and The Bookish

Quotes from "Fixing Delilah"

Title: Fixing Delilah
Author: Sarah Ockler
Published: Little, Brown Books, 2010 
Source:  Purchased myself at B&N
Rating: 4.5 stars

Summary:

Things in Delilah Hannaford's life have a tendency to fall apart. She used to be a good student, but she can't seem to keep it together anymore. Her "boyfriend" isn't much of a boyfriend. And her mother refuses to discuss the fight that divided their family eight years ago. Falling apart, it seems, is a Hannaford tradition.

Over a summer of new friendships, unexpected romance, and moments that test the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, Delilah must face her family's painful past. Can even her most shattered relationships be pieced together again?   (from Goodreads).

Thoughts:

I read this book last week.  I really enjoyed it but unfortunately I think I waited too long before writing a review.  I guess I need to review a book pretty soon after I finish reading it!  I tried writing one...but didn't like how it turned out.  Instead of a review I thought I would post my favorite quotes from the book:

“An invisible electronic woman navigates us toward the highway from the distant planet Monotone, where everyone is tranquil and directionally adept” - page 3

“...surrounding us is an ocean of mess and misunderstanding, full of pirates and sharks just waiting to see who slips in first” - page 5

“It’s funny how someone can be such an integral part of your life, like you laugh at the same jokes and eat your ice cream cones the same way and share your toys and dreams and everything but your heartbeats, and then one day – nothing.  You share nothing.  It’s like none of it ever happened.” - pages 15-16

“Sometimes I think I’m on the edge of some great understanding, looking up at all the answers I just can’t reach, like apples too high in the tree.  But tonight, I stretch my fingers toward the sky, and I think I have the answer” - page 140

“Sometimes I wonder if my whole life will pass by this way: me waiting in the shadows, waiting for something to happen.  Waiting for someone else to make it happen.  Something new or different or crazy and amazing.  I’ve been there for so long, letting everyone else figure it out for me, floating along without much direction or conscious though.  Reacting.  Attention-seeking. Impulsive. Reckless.”  - page 147

“Words spilling out on the page like ninjas, sneaking up on the rest of us for the stealth attack” - page 149

“I’ll probably have to devise some elaborate alternate communication method now, like writing in symbols in the dirt or tapping out letters in Morse code on my head, because I’ve obviously lost control of whatever brain parts are responsible for forming words” - page 154

“Up here, we’re giants, locked into our steel cage while the ants work below and the seagulls hover and dive all around them” - page 157

“...I wonder how much we don’t see.  How much of our lives we witness and accept as truth when the rest of the iceberg – the heaviest, bulkiest part – is buried and invisible” - page 178

“I wonder how many loose buttons there are in this world, just rolling around in a jar without a mate or a blouse to go on.  No destiny.  No purpose.  Just sitting there, unnoticed.  Forgotten”  - page 258

Review: The DUFF

Title:  The Duff

Author:  Kody Keplinger

Published: Little, Brown & Company/September 2010

How I Got It: Public library

Rating: 4 stars

Review:

“It was hurtful, and it was one of those titles that just fed off of an inner fear every girl must have from time to time.  Slut, bitch, prude, tease, ditz.  They were all the same.  Every girl felt like one of these sexist labels described her at some point.  So, maybe, every girl felt like the Duff, too?” (page 256). [I love this quote]

Duff = designated ugly fat friend.  Who hasn’t felt like a Duff at some point in their life?  I know I certainly have!  It still happens to me sometimes.  You’re out with some friends or sitting in class and you just feel like every other girl is prettier than you, more confident than you, and you’re thinking you should have used more concealer to cover up the giant pimple that magically appeared overnight.  Now I’m usually pretty secure with myself, but at some point we’ve all felt like the ugly duckling.

Seventeen-year old Bianca is out one night with two friends and she's approached by Wesley, the school womanizer.  He starts up a conversation with her because he considers her to be the Duff out of the three friends.  According to Wesley’s logic this guarantees him some major brownie points with Bianca’s friends (and he is hoping to hook up with at least one of them).   She gets so mad that she throws her drink in his face and storms out.

From this point on the word “duff” haunts Bianca.  Its pretty much all she can think about, the word just consumes her.  Bianca has been having issues at home.  Her mom is always traveling for work and is gone for months at a time, while her dad is like a ticking time bomb just waiting to explode.  To escape from all of this Bianca enters into an “enemies with benefits” relationship with Wesley.  She uses him as a way to forget her problems.

Even though Bianca irritated me at times I loved her.  I did want to yell at her when she first kissed Wesley though (why Bianca?  You hate him and he calls you names!).  But Wesley described her best when he said she is an  “intelligent, sassy, sarcastic, cynical, neurotic, loyal, compassionate girl" (page 175).  That sums up her perfectly, I don't even have to expand on it. 

There is lots swearing in this book (Bianca drops f-bombs quite often) and sex is mentioned a lot.  If either make you a little uncomfortable I'd steer clear of this book.  Otherwise this is a great debut novel and is definitley worth a read.

I’ll leave you with one last quote (it’s a funny one):  

“Wesley Rush may have had the body of a Greek god, but his soul was as black and empty as the inside of my closet” (page 6).

Review: One Day

photo from B&N.com

Title:  One Day
Author:  David Nicholls
Published:  Vintage Books, 2010
How I Got It:  Purchased myself at an independent bookstore
Why I Read It:  Heard good things about the book, plus it's being made into a movie and I almost always read the book before I watch the movie!
Rating:  3.5 stars

Summary:

It's 1988 and Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morely have only just met.  But after only one day together, they cannont stop thinking about one another.  Over twenty years, snapshots of that relationship are revealed on the same day - July 15th - of each year.  Dex and Em face squabbles and fights, hopes and missed opportunites, laughter and tears.  And as the true meaning of this one crucial day is revealed, they must come to grips with the nature of love and life itself (from the back cover).

Review:


The first thing that drew me to this book?  The cover.  I love the silhouettes on the cover.  I read the back synopsis, put it back on the shelf and kept browsing. Then before I left the store I picked it back up and one of the employees came over gushing about how amazing this book was.  So I caved and bought it.


The book tells the story of Emma Morely and Dexter Mayhew by just giving the reader a glimpse into their lives by revealing only what they do on this one day.  Think about what you were doing a year ago today.  Honestly, I have absolutely no idea what I was doing.  But I know a lot changes in a year.  I didn't think that it would be easy to keep up with the characters because of this.  Relationships change, jobs change, living arrangements change, habits can change. It just seemed like too much of a gap.  Surprisingly, I thought it worked for Emma and Dexter's story.  Although there were times when I wanted to know more then just what happened on this one day.


On July 15, 1988, Emma and Dexter meet for the first time, as they're both graduating college.  I felt that I could relate to Emma during the first few years after she graduates:  you have the whole world ahead of you...but where to begin?  She struggles with finding a job that utilizes the degree she worked so hard for.  Emma takes a job as a waitress in a restaurant, not because it's what she wants to do but because it's a source of income (personally, I can relate to this a lot.  I don't work in a restaurant but I have a job that has nothing to do with my degree and I am just there to pay the bills until I can find something else).  As Emma gets older I found it harder to relate to her.  Like how at some point when she was in her thirties she has an affair with a married man who also happens to be her boss.  I wanted to scream at her for that.


For most of the book I couldn't stand Dexter.  He's arrogant After he graduates he goes and travels the world (and the only sights he sees are the insides of the bars and clubs) while is parents are footing the bill.  When he's finally ready to get a job, somehow he lands a job as a TV anchor and continues his lifestyle of drinking and women.  As Dexter gets more fame and notoriety from being on a TV show, his friendship with Emma starts to diminish.  They're growing apart.  Emma is struggling to pay her rent and Dexter is just spending money left and right.  But don't worry, when Dexter's life starts to crumble Emma comes back into his life.  Okay, I'll admit it now:  I kind of hated Dexter.


Even though the two main characters irked me at times, I really enjoyed the story.  It was interesting to be able too see the evolution of Emma and Dexter's friendship.  They're 24 years old when the story begins and you get to know them for the next twenty years.


I thought Emma and Dexter's story seemed very real.  I didn't feel that anything was sugarcoated for them.  Friends grow apart, people make mistakes, your future may turn out drastically different than you imagined, you may have had some missed opportunities, and coping with death.


Planning on seeing the movie when it is in theaters?  Anne Hathaway is playing Emma and Jim Sturgess is playing Dexter.  I have a crush on Jim Sturgess so I'll definitely be going to see the movie adaptation. 



I'll leave you with a favorite quote from the book:  

"Independent adult life.  She didn't feel like an adult.  She was in no way prepared.  It was as if a fire alarm had gone off in the middle of the night and she was standing on the street with her clothes bundled up in her arms.  If she wasn't learning, what was she doing?  How would she fill the days?  She had no idea" (page 12).

Review: Twenty Boy Summer

Title:  Twenty Boy Summer

Author:  Sarah Ockler

Published:  Little, Brown and Company, 2009

How I Got It:  Public Library

Rating:  5 stars

Summary:  

"Don't worry, Anna. I'll tell her, okay? Just let me think about the best way to do it."
"Okay."
"Promise me? Promise you won't say anything?"
"Don't worry." I laughed. "It's our secret, right?"

According to her best friend Frankie, twenty days in Zanzibar Bay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy every day, there's a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there's something she hasn't told Frankie---she's already had that kind of romance, and it was with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.

Beautifully written and emotionally honest, this is a debut novel that explores what it truly means to love someone and what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every single moment this world has to offer (from Goodreads).

Review:

Let me start off by saying that I probably wouldn’t have picked up this book if it hadn’t been for all of the controversy over banning it in September (speak loudly).  So I want to thank the horrible person who wants to ban this book from their local school system (don’t even want to mention their name!) and the #Speak Loudly campaign for putting this book on my radar.  I’m so glad you gave this book attention.  I absolutely adored it.

Twenty Boy Summer tells the story of Anna and Frankie.  The majority of the book takes place one year after a tragic accident:  a car accident claimed the life of Matt, Frankie’s older brother and he was also best friends with Anna and Frankie.  Even though it was Frankie’s brother who died, Matt was also Anna’s best friend (and the first boy she was in love with).  It didn’t seem like Anna was given a chance to grieve.  Everyone was always worried about Frankie and they expected Anna to be able to take care of her.  To cope, Anna writes in her journal, it was a birthday present from Matt, and she keeps a picture of the two of them on the first page.  Sometimes she even addresses the journal entries to Matt, telling him how his sister is not dealing with the loss well or how she's afraid she's going to forget him.

I loved this story because it seemed so real.  Although they were consumed by grief, Anna and Frankie were typical teenage girls.  Yes, this includes lying to their parents, sneaking out, underage drinking, wearing too much makeup and clothes their parents wouldn’t approve of, spending an hour in front of a mirror getting ready to go out, and flirting with boys.  While some people (I’m talking about you icky person who shall remain nameless) think that books like this will give teenagers the idea to lie to their parents (trust me, they already do this sometimes), they learn these things from each other- not the books they read.  

  

The cover.  I love it. The heart is made out of blue sea glass with a single piece of red sea glass.  Once you read the book you’ll understand how it ties is with the story so well.  Also, Ockler's descriptions of the ocean were amazing.  I never think about how the salt water feels like you've eaten too many potato chips or how nice it feels to dig your feet into the cool sand.  I grew up ten minutes from the beach so it's also strange (for me) to hear someone say they're never seen the ocean.  

Twenty Boy Summer is Sarah Ockler’s debut book.  I’ll definitely be picking up her second novel when it comes out in December. 

Review: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour

Title:  Amy and Roger's Epic Detour
Author:  Morgan Matson
Published: Simon & Schuster, 2010
How I Got It:  Purchased from Amazon
Why I Read It:  The premise sounded interesting
Rating: 5+ stars

Summary: Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn't seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she's coming to terms with her father's death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road--diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards--this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself (from Goodreads).

Review:

Have you ever loved a book so much that anything you write just doesn't do it justice?  I've been trying to write a review for this book for the past three weeks.  This review has been rewritten at least four times.

I absolutely loved this book.  It was epic.  I was so sad when I was finished with it because it meant that I was done traveling with Amy and Roger.  Since I am unable to write coherent sentences and paragraphs in regards to this book, the review will be done in bullet points (I hope you don't mind).

Reasons Why This Book Is Amazing:

• It's about a road-trip.  I love road-trips!  It's been way to long since the last time I went on one.  
• At the beginning of each chapter there is a song lyric or quote.
• Roger makes at least seven different music mixes for the cross-country journey.  Each play-list is in the book.  New music?  Yes please! 
• Road-trip essentials according to Roger:  snacks and music (and gas)
• All of the little "extras" in the book:  pictures, menus, receipts, notes, emails, and drawings.  They add so much to the story!
• The detours Amy and Roger make:  Yosemite, The Loneliest Road in America, Colorado Springs, Kansas, Kentucky, Memphis, North Carolina
• The adventures that happen because of the detours they made
• Even the secondary characters in this book are amazing.  (Bronwyn was definitely my favorite).
• It's a fun book that deals with some heavy issues - death, grief, guilt, overcoming a fear

There is so much more I want to say about this book BUT if you decide to read it I want you to be able to discover all of the awesomeness for yourself and to develop your own first impressions of the characters.

Now I have an urge to read more books about road trips!  What's your favorite road trip book?