Book Review: The Art of Getting Stared At by Laura Langston

Summary According to Goodreads:
After a school video she produced goes viral, sixteen-year-old Sloane is given the biggest opportunity of her life – a chance for a film school scholarship. She has less than two weeks to produce a second video, something with depth, and she’s determined to do it. The trouble is she has to work with Isaac Alexander, an irresponsible charmer with whom she shares an uneasy history.

On the heels of this good news/bad news opportunity, Sloane finds a bald spot on her head. The pink patch, no bigger than a quarter, shouldn't be there. Neither should the bald spots that follow. Horror gives way to devastation when Sloane is diagnosed with alopecia areata. The autoimmune disease has no cause, no cure and no definitive outcome. The spots might grow over tomorrow or they might be there for life. She could become completely bald. No one knows.

Determined to produce her video and keep her condition secret, Sloane finds herself turning into the kind of person she has always mocked: someone obsessed with their looks. She’s also forced to confront a painful truth: she is as judgmental as anyone else…but she saves the harshest judgments for herself.


DISCLAIMER: I was sent this book for review. That does not influence my opinion.

Thoughts:

If I could give one piece of advice to every teenager in the world, it would be this;
"Don't judge anyone until you have talked with them." That's something everyone should follow. You don't know what others are going through, so don't judge them. 

I thought that this book was good. The kind of contemporary that I read the most is light and fluffy and usually takes place on the beach in the summer. This book was not light or fluffy. It also didn't take place in the summer. This book was deep. It really was. 

This book did take awhile for me to get into. That part I didn't like. As well as how I sorta predicted the ending. In the middle of the book, I could already tell what the ending was going to be. 

I thought that the main character Sloane was really well developed. I did like her a lot, though I couldn't relate to her much. She stayed strong when she knew she was losing her hair. She found every reason to be happy. 

This is the first Laura Langston book I have read, and I would definitely read another. I thought the book was really well written. I would recommend it to teens and adults alike.


-Adelia

Book Review: The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle

      The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle

  Summary according to Goodreads;
      Anyone who’s had something truly crappy happen to them will tell you: It’s all about Before and After. What I’m talking about here is the ka-pow, shake-you-to-your-core-and-turn-your-bones-to-plastic kind of crappy.

Sixteen-year-old Laurel’s world changes instantly when her parents and brother are killed in a terrible car accident. Behind the wheel is the father of her bad-boy neighbor, David Kaufman, whose mother is also killed. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Laurel navigates a new reality in which she and her best friend grow apart, boys may or may not be approaching her out of pity, overpowering memories lurk everywhere, and Mr. Kaufman is comatose but still very much alive. Through it all there is David, who swoops in and out of Laurel’s life and to whom she finds herself attracted against her better judgment. She will forever be connected to him by their mutual loss—a connection that will change them both in unexpected ways.

      My Review:  The Beginning of After was truly a wonderful story. When her family died, It was truly heartbreaking. In the pages prior to the accident, you kinda get a feel for them. But even after the accident, you get to know them as if they were living and part of Laurel's everyday life.

      I suppose I should tell you exactly what this book is about. 

      

      Okay. So. This book is about  a sixteen year old girl, called Laurel. One night, she and her family go to a dinner at a neighbours house. After dinner, the group decides that they are going to go out for ice cream. But Laurel and David both decide they don't want to go. The remainder of the two families pile into a car to go to Freezy's. While Laurel is home studying, she hears a knock at the door. It is a police officer. He tells her that her family dies in a car accident. 

      The Beginning of After is just the story of Laurel returning back to her old life and trying to make the best of it. 

I did love Laurel as a character. But I did feel as if she didn't make the right decisions. For example, when she started falling for David. I just didn't feel as if the were right for each other.  I also thought that Laurel was a bit too predictable at times. Same with the plot. Sure, there were some times where there were some surprising moments, but I just felt that I could predict most of the story. 

      Towards the end of the book, I started feeling as if the story turned into Laurel's personal diary. Too much  "Today I did this, then I did this." It was sorta like she was listing the things she did, instead of the more important things she could have narrated. I also felt as if each paragraph covered a totally new subject.  

      I did think the book had some amazing points, and it was a beautiful message. 'You don't know what you have until it's gone." All in all, I did enjoy the book. I think everyone should read this as well.  

My Rating: 4 stars.

-Adelia

Book Review: Divergent. Written by: Veronica Roth

Divergent by Veronica Roth.
#of pages: 487 (Hardcover)

Publisher: Kathrine Tegen Books

Summary according to Goodreads:

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

MY THOUGHTS: 

The main character is Tris (Beatrice) Prior. I found her to be a very strong-willed character. She isn't afraid to fight for what she wants. I found that some things she did kinda annoyed me. (The split second decisions)... I really do like her as a character, and would hang out with her if she were real.

Another character I loved so much is Four. I found him to be a character that I would love to hangout around. He's strong, tough, manly, and fights for what he wants. I love how rebellious he is, and how many tattoo's he has. He is an all around amazing character, and am excited about how Allegiant 

continues, so that I can learn more about him. 

I thought the plot was amazing. Veronica Roth never leaves you bored. This book is the Ultimate Page turner. I honestly love how she makes the sad moments and the fast paced moments go so well together. 

Two things that I didn't like so much about this book are: Tris' split second decisions, and her brother, Caleb. I just found that most, (If not all of her split second decisions led her to trouble.) And in a lot of ways, I found Caleb to be annoying. 

All in all, I thought this book was AMAZING!! You should definitely read it, (If you haven't, get out from under your rock and go read it.) I thought it was an amazing start to a series, and will become a classic.

If you are looking for an amazing Sci-Fi adventure, (and page turner), pick this book up today.

MY RATING: 5/5 stars, this book was incredible!

-Adelia