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ambeesbookishpages
The full review could be found at THE BOOK BRATZ closer to its release date!
This was the first 2016 book I read in 2015, and it really set the bar. Symptoms of Being Human really has the ability to change lives. It definitely changed the way I thought about some things and opened my eyes to others. Jeff Garvin broke my heart into a million pieces and put it back together again.
Riley is gender fluid. Some days she identifies as a girl and other days her internal compass points all the way to boy. Her mother and congressman father have no clue of their child's identity, and constantly push her towards being a girl. Under the advice of a Therapist Riley beings anonymous blog to let out her feelings, soon it becomes a huge hit and her no follower blogs climbs to over 30,000 followers.
Initially Garvin gave us no hints of Riley's birth gender, it was subtle hints dropped through out Symptoms of Being Human that you go the impression that Riley was born a girl. Riley describes her decision of dressing or behaving more like another gender by a compass. Sometimes it points more towards the feminine side and other times the masculine side. Riley doesn't like being forced into a gender category and it tends to give her anxiety. It was interesting to see that something as simple as changing the way Riley would walk in the hallway would relieve that pent up pressure and anxiousness.
My heart really went out to the way Riley was treated. Being run out of her old high school because she was being harassed by the other students. Riley hopes that her new public school would be better, but sadly it isn't. The football players make her their target, constantly calling her names, verbally attacking her, and even going as far to attack her in a alley way. It was friends like Solo and Bec that really made me happy for Riley. She deserved so much more then what people gave her, and Bec and Solo were able to see right through it all.
Symptoms of Being Human is a book that will stick out in your mind long after you read the last page.
This was the first 2016 book I read in 2015, and it really set the bar. Symptoms of Being Human really has the ability to change lives. It definitely changed the way I thought about some things and opened my eyes to others. Jeff Garvin broke my heart into a million pieces and put it back together again.
Riley is gender fluid. Some days she identifies as a girl and other days her internal compass points all the way to boy. Her mother and congressman father have no clue of their child's identity, and constantly push her towards being a girl. Under the advice of a Therapist Riley beings anonymous blog to let out her feelings, soon it becomes a huge hit and her no follower blogs climbs to over 30,000 followers.
Initially Garvin gave us no hints of Riley's birth gender, it was subtle hints dropped through out Symptoms of Being Human that you go the impression that Riley was born a girl. Riley describes her decision of dressing or behaving more like another gender by a compass. Sometimes it points more towards the feminine side and other times the masculine side. Riley doesn't like being forced into a gender category and it tends to give her anxiety. It was interesting to see that something as simple as changing the way Riley would walk in the hallway would relieve that pent up pressure and anxiousness.
My heart really went out to the way Riley was treated. Being run out of her old high school because she was being harassed by the other students. Riley hopes that her new public school would be better, but sadly it isn't. The football players make her their target, constantly calling her names, verbally attacking her, and even going as far to attack her in a alley way. It was friends like Solo and Bec that really made me happy for Riley. She deserved so much more then what people gave her, and Bec and Solo were able to see right through it all.
Symptoms of Being Human is a book that will stick out in your mind long after you read the last page.
DNF @ 32%
Shallow Graves started out interesting. The first 10% or so had me completely immersed and engaged with the story. Eventually I was having no connection with Breezy (Our MC) or anyone else who was being introduced. There is a lot of information that was being skimmed over, and to many things happening for the reader to be still left in the dark at 32%. I was really looking forward to this one too, it sounded awesome.
Shallow Graves started out interesting. The first 10% or so had me completely immersed and engaged with the story. Eventually I was having no connection with Breezy (Our MC) or anyone else who was being introduced. There is a lot of information that was being skimmed over, and to many things happening for the reader to be still left in the dark at 32%. I was really looking forward to this one too, it sounded awesome.
The full review could be found at THE BOOK BRATZ closer to its release date!
Below is my review. Please be advised that it says SPOILER for a reason!
Thank you Harperteen/Edelweiss for a chance to review this book :)
I have a habit of requesting books before I read their descriptions and end up totally surprised when I go to read. Take The Fall wasn't an unpleasant surprise, it was a nail biting on the edge of your seat kind of story but I predicted most of it. This book reminded me of Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game Series by Sarah Shepard, the pretty, over privileged girl is murdered and the town points fingers.
Take The Fall is a good example of a unhealthy friendship between two characters. Gretchen was a manipulative, queen bee that got her way in everything she wanted. She dragged others down take me her self seem better. Gretchen enjoyed the control she had over other people. As bad as I feel for Sonia, she just went along with it. At the end when she confessed what truly happened to Marcus, there was opportunity to walk away fron Gretchen and she never did. Instead she continually let Gretchen manipulate her and walk all over her. I predicted that Sonia killed her all along, there weren't many hints that pointed towards it so I am calling it a gut feeling, but no other characters really fit the bill of a murder through out the story.
The predictability killed some of the enjoyment of the story for me but I am more frustrated with the ending. I would have liked to see the after math of Sonia's confession. Is she arrested? What happens with her and Marcus? Does she get UPenn after all? The story ends just as she begins her confession to the sheriff leaving the reader wondering what happens next to Sonia and other major characters.
The most nail biting happened towards the climax of the story and it was one surprise after the other (It was the only part of the book I didn't predict) You finally think you know who the killer is and then you are tossed up in the air once again. Secrets are revealed, characters change. It was crazy and well written. Though predictable I enjoyed Take The Fall, it was a quick murder/mystery/thriller for a rainy day!
Below is my review. Please be advised that it says SPOILER for a reason!
Thank you Harperteen/Edelweiss for a chance to review this book :)
Take The Fall is a good example of a unhealthy friendship between two characters. Gretchen was a manipulative, queen bee that got her way in everything she wanted. She dragged others down take me her self seem better. Gretchen enjoyed the control she had over other people. As bad as I feel for Sonia, she just went along with it. At the end when she confessed what truly happened to Marcus, there was opportunity to walk away fron Gretchen and she never did. Instead she continually let Gretchen manipulate her and walk all over her. I predicted that Sonia killed her all along, there weren't many hints that pointed towards it so I am calling it a gut feeling, but no other characters really fit the bill of a murder through out the story.
The predictability killed some of the enjoyment of the story for me but I am more frustrated with the ending. I would have liked to see the after math of Sonia's confession. Is she arrested? What happens with her and Marcus? Does she get UPenn after all? The story ends just as she begins her confession to the sheriff leaving the reader wondering what happens next to Sonia and other major characters.
The most nail biting happened towards the climax of the story and it was one surprise after the other (It was the only part of the book I didn't predict) You finally think you know who the killer is and then you are tossed up in the air once again. Secrets are revealed, characters change. It was crazy and well written. Though predictable I enjoyed Take The Fall, it was a quick murder/mystery/thriller for a rainy day!
I really did enjoy the synethesia aspect of this book. Never having heard of this disorder before, it was something new to experience as a reader. Nikki described emotions as colors, then rather what she is feeling was quite interesting. But synthesia wasn't enough for me to like this story. It was rough to connect with Nikki, she seemed to know everything and everyone else was clueless.
I try to be open minded when I read books, but I felt Nikki's connection with Dru developed rather quickly (Which under the circumstances is some-what understandable) but then they sleep together after only knowing each other for such a short time. (I believe this is more a conflict with my values then an actual problem with the book?) But after this point I was quickly becoming frustrated with what was happening in the story. I've read Jennifer Brown books in the past and LOVED them, so I am disappointed that I couldn't love this one too.
I try to be open minded when I read books, but I felt Nikki's connection with Dru developed rather quickly (Which under the circumstances is some-what understandable) but then they sleep together after only knowing each other for such a short time. (I believe this is more a conflict with my values then an actual problem with the book?) But after this point I was quickly becoming frustrated with what was happening in the story. I've read Jennifer Brown books in the past and LOVED them, so I am disappointed that I couldn't love this one too.
The full review can be found at The Book Bratz
I am at a lost for words. Hartzler took a tough subject buy the horns and nailed it. I've seen a lot of authors try to tackle rape in their stories, and usually it is just a minor detail and never really expanded upon. Hartzler made his whole book about it. As I reader I like to read things that are going to evoke some form of emotion for me. I was shaking with rage and anger as I read What We Saw. It is based off a true event, Steubenville Rape Case where a young girl was raped at a high school party.
What We Saw is told from the point of view of Kate. She was at the party, but was driven home early because she had gotten drunk. The next morning she sees pictures of her and Stacey doing shots together. When the weekend is over Stacey doesn't show up for school for the next two days, and on the third day, four teenage boys are arrested and accused of rape, and the distribution of child pornography. Now, you would think people would feel bad for Stacey, right? No. People began horrible rumors, called her horrible names, said she asked for it, claimed it was the clothes she wore, that she was too drunk. Never once did they blame the boys who actually committed the crime. The four boys claim they are innocent even though there is a video going around of them raping Stacey! In a town where everyone believes that Stacey is lying, Kate is set on not letting the boys get away with such a horrible crime.
Kate is someone I can called a modern YA heroine. She believed Stacey even when no one else did, and did the hardest thing she could have done and made herself hated by her school. In my heart I don't think anyone else would have came forward with that video. Every character in this book was a coward in their own way.
Here is the thing that gets me: If it would have been any other person other then Stacey that this happened too, people might have actually believed it. But because Stacey dressed on revealing clothes, and liked the party, drink and get high, and her mother was rumored to be a prostitute it made it acceptable in they eyes of her rapists to do what they did. In the video Stacey is beyond wasted that she couldn't even fight them off, no consent was even given. The four boys that raped her were given less then a years jail time, and possibly be on parole a few months after they are arrested.
What We Saw is terrifyingly real, it is something that happens everyday. It won't be a book for everyone, but I highly recommend that you give it a shot.
I am at a lost for words. Hartzler took a tough subject buy the horns and nailed it. I've seen a lot of authors try to tackle rape in their stories, and usually it is just a minor detail and never really expanded upon. Hartzler made his whole book about it. As I reader I like to read things that are going to evoke some form of emotion for me. I was shaking with rage and anger as I read What We Saw. It is based off a true event, Steubenville Rape Case where a young girl was raped at a high school party.
What We Saw is told from the point of view of Kate. She was at the party, but was driven home early because she had gotten drunk. The next morning she sees pictures of her and Stacey doing shots together. When the weekend is over Stacey doesn't show up for school for the next two days, and on the third day, four teenage boys are arrested and accused of rape, and the distribution of child pornography. Now, you would think people would feel bad for Stacey, right? No. People began horrible rumors, called her horrible names, said she asked for it, claimed it was the clothes she wore, that she was too drunk. Never once did they blame the boys who actually committed the crime. The four boys claim they are innocent even though there is a video going around of them raping Stacey! In a town where everyone believes that Stacey is lying, Kate is set on not letting the boys get away with such a horrible crime.
Kate is someone I can called a modern YA heroine. She believed Stacey even when no one else did, and did the hardest thing she could have done and made herself hated by her school. In my heart I don't think anyone else would have came forward with that video. Every character in this book was a coward in their own way.
Here is the thing that gets me: If it would have been any other person other then Stacey that this happened too, people might have actually believed it. But because Stacey dressed on revealing clothes, and liked the party, drink and get high, and her mother was rumored to be a prostitute it made it acceptable in they eyes of her rapists to do what they did. In the video Stacey is beyond wasted that she couldn't even fight them off, no consent was even given. The four boys that raped her were given less then a years jail time, and possibly be on parole a few months after they are arrested.
What We Saw is terrifyingly real, it is something that happens everyday. It won't be a book for everyone, but I highly recommend that you give it a shot.