Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Empty - K.M. Walton

This book needs to be read by everyone. It should really be a mandatory book to be read by anyone who is in high school. I am not in school and I was still able to relate to parts of this book.

Adele, Dell, is a junior in high school with a best friend, Cara, who is on the quest to become a popular girl. Cara no longer seems to notice Dell or understand her and is simply out for herself at this point. Several incident occur in the beginning of the book that show Cara is desperately trying to get the 'cool kids' Taryn, Emma, Melissa, and Sydney, to notice her. Dell has this deflection tactic where she acts like a sumo wrestler and moo's like a cow so that people laugh with her, not at her. After doing this bit for Brandon Levitt, the popular boy who dates Taryn, Dell and Cara are invited to Melissa's house for a party.

Spoilers ahead... Now, I remind you this is an extremely good book. Beyond words can describe how deeply this book was able to reach me. KM Walton was able to write in a way that at times I felt like I was Dell, and it was me who was living this hellish life. The book is truly touching so have a box of tissues ready.

Dell is on the softball team, mostly you find out because it is the only thing that really makes her feel like her dad ever cared about her. She is cut from the team after her first game due to her weight an inability to actively participate.

After school Dell goes through the motions of caring for her younger sister, Meggie, while her mom is in a drug induced stupor at work or around the house. Her father messages her letting her know he is engaged to his new girlfriend and that it is not his fault she is over weight. After more binge eating to hide her feelings Dell leaves to go to the party with Cara.

At Melissa's house Dell is ditched by Cara almost immediately for two other girls. Brandon, that 'super hot popular guy' talks to Dell and asks her to come upstairs. After a lot of beer drinking and flip cup reffing Dell finally makes it up there where Brandon shows her a youtube video of a sumo wrestler falling and not being able to get back up. Once it ends Brandon starts kissing Dell and she asks him to stops. It goes further and further until Brandon rapes Dell. Ashamed and guilt ridden Dell leaves the party and does not mention the incident to anyone, not even Cara.

Cara continues to go on her power trip for popularity and Dell continues to spiral downward into depression. Her eating continues and her mothers drug use is starting to effect her moods and how she is toward Dell. The only thing holding Dell together is the smell of her younger sister Meggie. Cara's hot and cold emotions toward Dell confuse her when Cara signs them both up for the talent show. Dell decides to do it so that she can make Cara happy and convinces herself that Cara must care if she signed her up and wants everyone to know she has an amazing voice.

Right before the talent show Taryn starts spreading the rumor that Dell raped Brandon. Dell has an out burst in the hallway in which she ends up breaking her toe. Determined to go on Dell takes several of her mom's Valium to deal with the pain of her broken toe so that she can make it to the talent show to sing. Dell is very intoxicated at this point but still manages to sing like a pro and everyone cheers for her. In the end some a-hole in the audience moo's and in a drunken stupor Dell does her impression and everyone laughs except Dell. Cara, who egged Dell on to do the sumo thing, is ecstatic when they are invited to another party but does not even put up a fight when Dell declines the invite and just wants to go home.

Once home Cara continues to text Dell from the party advising her that the pictures from the night have been uploaded online. Dell finds pictures of herself singing and feels great about her self, but the happiness only lasts a moment. She sees many comments for Cara telling her she was amazing and looks great. This makes Dell want to scroll down to her own comments where she sees people calling her a Whale and tagging her in all the pictures as a Whale. Cara quickly takes all of the photos down but not before Dell has seen them.

It is at this point Dell feels most alone. She was just looking for anyone to reach out and fight for her but there was no one there. She was all alone and she makes the decision to kill herself so that the pain will come to an end. She feels a burden to her mother, who has no money, no job, and has to keep feeding her overweight daughter. She thinks her father no longer wants anything to do with her since he has only seen her one time since the divorce. And her best friend has new popular friends that she has always wanted. Gathering more of her mothers pills she drives back to the auditorium where the story concludes mid sentence. We do not know if Dell took the correct amount of medication which she states several times that she is afraid she doesn't have the right amount due to her large size.

I wish I knew what happened. This book was really moving to me. Words hurt.

Monday, December 15, 2014

Author Book Signing

The Princeton Barnes and Noble hosted a book signing event where part of the proceeds to book purchase went to save a local library. Needless to say I was in my glory with my stack of books. I convinced Corey to drive me over 2 hours up the road to meet Amy Ewing, the author of The Jewel. We hung around for about 2 hours (me stalking the shelf like a weirdo) waiting before we had to head back home. Here is a group of authors. I personally purchased Pandemic, Providence, Empty, and A Tragic Heart.

Here are the messages that the authors wrote in my books :)

Now although I did not get to meet one of my new favorite authors I did get a happy ending!! After we finally made it home Corey took me for a walk in the local nature trail and proposed to me *yay* Now I get to start my own happy ending. And start planning my literary themed wedding!

Thursday, December 4, 2014

The Styclar Saga: Lailah - Nikki Kelly

Currently reading :)
Nothing to special about the cover. I'm more of a fan of less is more.
My boyfriend loves batman, so I was so excited to see this as the first quote before the book started!

Ok it took me about 2 days to finish this book but that does not mean that it was not good. This book held a lot of suspense in it. The main character, Lailah/Cessie/Francesca, has a weird 'dark guardian angel' following her that seems to appear when ever she needs help. The beginning is hard to get into, but that is only because you are left just as confused as the main character. With each flash back of memory that Lailah has you become more interested and curious as to what she is and where she came from.

Now, Lailah comes across a vampire, Jonah, who is of course hot like all vampires are described. With the saving of Jonah she comes into contact with Gabriel. I am bias because I am a sucker for true love and I just wanted her and Gabriel together right away. As the book goes on though you start to feel for Jonah. Jonah is a vampire trying to redeem his soul through the help of Gabriel. Something in Lailah makes Jonah act more human than he has before and he is so sweet and cocky all at the same time. I don't like that he openly is with other girls which makes me love Gabriel more.

Gabriel in this book is so shut off and secretive. It gets frustrating especially knowing how Lailah feels about him automatically. You eventually learn why is was the way he was but sometimes things may just be too late. The book ends in a complete cliff hanger that I don't want to ruin because this is an up and coming author. So seriously go read this book because it was unlike anything I have read before. I love original plots and deep characters. It gives me hope that there is a magical world out there somewhere that has yet to be discovered.

This author came to be up and coming through this site called the Wyatt App. This is the second book I have read that is a product of this site and I am again not disappointed!

Monday, December 1, 2014

Perfect Ruin - Lauren Destefano

Well I am done already, and if you have ever read a book by Lauren Destefano I am sure you can understand why. This novel is slow, yet fast paced at the same time. The character growth is slow but the plot progresses quickly. You start with Morgan, a 16 year old girl who has a dysfunctional family. She has a best friend, Pen, who also has a dysfunctional family. After a mysterious death their perfect world, or island in the sky, starts to go crazy. Heightened security has the girls on high alert and soon you find out things are not what they seem in their perfect world.

Daphne is the girl who is murdered within the first chapter of the book. Soon after you meet her sister, Amy, who is seen posting her dead sisters essay all over town for everyone to read. Next thing you know the local flower shop catches fire. Now all we are told as the reader is that it is believed to be a boy named Judas, Daphne's betrothed. You think that would be weird in the book but it actually works. The people put together really seem to be meant for one another. Especially our main character, Morgan, and her boyfriend, Basil. So back to the story...

Morgan finds Judas and tries to help him, which kindles her friendship with Amy. Story progresses where things get worse and worse in the city and people start showing up dead. Morgan and Basil get home from school and she immediately checks on her mother who appears to be sleeping. Morgan is overcome in pain so Basil takes her to her bothers apartment.

Back story on her brother, Lex, he is an ex-pharmacist, who has a wife, Alice. Lex tried to jump over the edge of the Island after Alice had to have her pregnancy terminated for being out of turn. He was left blind from the incident and almost died. From that point forward Lex hated the government and the King.

Now that I caught us all up... because of Morgan's family history we find out she was poisoned, as was everyone in her family as well as several other people. Lex and Alice no longer take their medications from the government so they are safe. Morgan's mother and father are both dead and Lex is barely able to save his sister. Lex, Alice, Morgan, and Basil now all have to go in hiding because they are supposed to be dead. Morgan wakes up to find herself underground in a 'bird' (plane) meant to help rebels leave the floating island. In a fit of rage over her parents she leaves the bird followed by Judas to kill the King. She realizes this is ridiculous when she gets to the surface and decides to just write a message to Pen.

Pen is already at her and Morgans secret spot and the two get to talk. It is here Morgan realizes the Pen truly loves living on the Island and believes every word of the history books. Morgan decides not to tell her about the bird and just wanted to say good-bye. Before she can leave they are shot with darts by the Prince and Princess and rendered paralyzed. They are captured...yada yada yada, they escape and make it back to the bird. The group realizes it has to leave now or be killed. As they reach the end of the floating Island they find the Princess has been stowed away in the bottom of the bird with Pen's betrothed, Thomas.

Pen has a melt down about leaving the Island but it is too late and the bird is in the air. They make it to the ground where they are greeted by other people. The book ends here!!!!!!! Ugh don't worry the sequel comes out March 10th. So, not too long of a wait. I gave a crazy simplified synopsis because you have to still be able to enjoy reading it! Lauren Destefano is an amazing author and I recommend reading anything she is willing to write.

Currently reading Perfect Ruin! Now I was a huge fan of the Chemical Garden Trilogy so I am hoping Lauren Destefano will have written just as well here.

I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover but this art work is simply amazing.
In side flap with more artwork.
Pretty stars in side the book.
The back of the book. I really can't get over how great this looks. So simple yet it sucks me in.