Take a photo of a barcode or cover
wordsofclover's Reviews (2.16k)
Set in a dystopian future, Only Ever Yours is narrated by frieda, a 16-year-old girl living in a world where baby girls are no longer born, they're created. Growing up in a school where she's constantly told how to be pretty, and skinny, and how to please a man by doing whatever they ask, whenever they want it. The reader meets frieda and her 'sisters', the other Eves, a few months away from the Ceremony - an event where they will either become Companions (wives), Concubines (prostitutes) or chastities (nun-like teachers). As the Ceremony draws nearer, frieda started to unravel.
This book is terrifyingly real. Everything the Eves are taught, mimic the unconscious message that's constantly put across in today's society. Fat is ugly. Skinny is pretty. But you can't be too skinny or else you're undesirable. A girl shouldn't say no to a guy, but saying yes mean's you're a slut. Saying no means you're frigid. The other girls are your friends. But they're also your enemies.
I couldn't help but feel that this book was not going to have a happy ending. The whole tone of the book is desperate and remorse, and frieda flicks back and forth from being reliable to an unreliable narrator, depending on how much SleepSound she's taking. I really wanted her to do well, and become independent of isabel and megan, and not need that constant reassurance from everyone. Again and again, frieda let everyone down but it was almost like she was programmed to do it. I really wanted more from Darwin or any of the other guys but at the end of the day, the girls were just meat to them, as they had been taught they were.
I thought it was a really interesting and smart decision of Louise O'Neill to take away the girls' capital letter in their names. It was one more subtle way of taking away their power and making them second-class citizens. They were 'unworthy' of having a capital letter in their name.
I wouldn't be surprised if in 5 years or more, this book appeared on required reading alongside The Handmaid's Tale. It almost feels like a sequel to Margaret Atwood's modern classic. While this is not comfortable reading, I would certainly recommend it as it's a fascinating read.
This book is terrifyingly real. Everything the Eves are taught, mimic the unconscious message that's constantly put across in today's society. Fat is ugly. Skinny is pretty. But you can't be too skinny or else you're undesirable. A girl shouldn't say no to a guy, but saying yes mean's you're a slut. Saying no means you're frigid. The other girls are your friends. But they're also your enemies.
I couldn't help but feel that this book was not going to have a happy ending. The whole tone of the book is desperate and remorse, and frieda flicks back and forth from being reliable to an unreliable narrator, depending on how much SleepSound she's taking. I really wanted her to do well, and become independent of isabel and megan, and not need that constant reassurance from everyone. Again and again, frieda let everyone down but it was almost like she was programmed to do it. I really wanted more from Darwin or any of the other guys but at the end of the day, the girls were just meat to them, as they had been taught they were.
I thought it was a really interesting and smart decision of Louise O'Neill to take away the girls' capital letter in their names. It was one more subtle way of taking away their power and making them second-class citizens. They were 'unworthy' of having a capital letter in their name.
I wouldn't be surprised if in 5 years or more, this book appeared on required reading alongside The Handmaid's Tale. It almost feels like a sequel to Margaret Atwood's modern classic. While this is not comfortable reading, I would certainly recommend it as it's a fascinating read.
When Ireland Crane moves to Sleepy Hollow, mysterious things start to happen. And those mysterious things include a headless horseman chopping off people's heads, weird dreams and a narcoleptic man who has, apparently, been asleep for centuries waiting for Ireland's arrival.
I don't the know much, or anything really, about the legends around Sleepy Hollow and the horseman, nor do I know the famous figures at the center of the story. However, I do love the show Sleepy Hollow so I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Ichabod Crane was a central character in the story. Because I love the show and it's returned for a new season, I think I found it hard to separate the Ichabod and Katrina from the show, with the same characters in the book. But Rourke was able to out her own nice little flair on the story of the Headless Horseman and Crane's involvement.
The weird distance I felt with Ichabod spread to other characters as well, namely Ireland and Noah. Even at the end of the book, I didn't really feel I knew her. I think part of this may have been the mindset I was in while reading the book. I'm not sure if I really focused enough on the story, maybe if I was, I would have bonded with Ireland a little bit more. There were hints of her coming to Sleepy Hollow to get away from other things, and I just didn't feel that her douchey ex was all of that reason. I also hate the cliché of a douchey ex. Though the fridge story was funny.
A little bit of the descriptive language was a little bit too cringey for my taste. The "soft waves" of Katrina's blonde hair caressing her face like the sea on sand, and her satin soft skin. No thanks.
There was definitely a lot of action in the latter half of the book when Ireland finds some things out, and I really liked the addition of Rip as a character in the modern day world (and it reminded me of Ichabod's story in TV show Sleepy Hollow, minus the stress-induced narcolepsy). I do wish that maybe he had been more help but hopefully that will come in the next book. The two timelines started to come together nicely as the reader finds out more, though I'm still not 100% sure I get the whole "Hessian" thing but that's just me.
I will be continuing on with this series, if not to just gush about the beautiful covers.
I don't the know much, or anything really, about the legends around Sleepy Hollow and the horseman, nor do I know the famous figures at the center of the story. However, I do love the show Sleepy Hollow so I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Ichabod Crane was a central character in the story. Because I love the show and it's returned for a new season, I think I found it hard to separate the Ichabod and Katrina from the show, with the same characters in the book. But Rourke was able to out her own nice little flair on the story of the Headless Horseman and Crane's involvement.
The weird distance I felt with Ichabod spread to other characters as well, namely Ireland and Noah. Even at the end of the book, I didn't really feel I knew her. I think part of this may have been the mindset I was in while reading the book. I'm not sure if I really focused enough on the story, maybe if I was, I would have bonded with Ireland a little bit more. There were hints of her coming to Sleepy Hollow to get away from other things, and I just didn't feel that her douchey ex was all of that reason. I also hate the cliché of a douchey ex. Though the fridge story was funny.
A little bit of the descriptive language was a little bit too cringey for my taste. The "soft waves" of Katrina's blonde hair caressing her face like the sea on sand, and her satin soft skin. No thanks.
There was definitely a lot of action in the latter half of the book when Ireland finds some things out, and I really liked the addition of Rip as a character in the modern day world (and it reminded me of Ichabod's story in TV show Sleepy Hollow, minus the stress-induced narcolepsy). I do wish that maybe he had been more help but hopefully that will come in the next book. The two timelines started to come together nicely as the reader finds out more, though I'm still not 100% sure I get the whole "Hessian" thing but that's just me.
I will be continuing on with this series, if not to just gush about the beautiful covers.
I received a free digital copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest feedback.
Ava and Finn have only ever had each other. For her whole life, Ava has watched out for her little brother Finn and in return, he's always kept her happy and been there when she needs him. Now, the siblings have returned to a childhood holiday beach to live in a tiny beach hut for a few months. Accidentally, they end up annoying Donald and entrancing Donald's daughter Alicia. As all their lives intermingle, secrets unravel and families fall apart and are sewn back together.
I really enjoyed this book. From the get go, Ava and Finn's relationship was so beautiful. I haven't read about such a strong relationship in quite a while and I think, as a big sister myself, I really connected with Ava and her overwhelming desire to keep her brother safe from any harm. This trait in Ava follows them into adulthood and even when they're living on the beach, Ava still thinks of Finn and how she can protect him. While we didn't get a really in-dept look at Ava, I still felt like I knew her and she was a very likeable character, as was Finn. Finn was one of the characters that's larger than life. He almost seemed liked a changeling child, full of stories and magic.
Finn's fairy tales are interspersed among the ordinary chapters in this book and I thought they were so beautiful, and in some way they related to the characters of the story and what was going on or had happened in their life.
I didn't much care for Donald and Alicia. I much preferred Finn and Ava's story, and I just wasnt bothered with Donald's back story. It wasn't as exciting and even with the twist bit, I was surprised but I still wanted to go back to the siblings. I would have liked a bit more of a conclusion to Alicia's situation as it was interesting and I feel like some kind of repercussions for those involved would have been good to see.
This book was a nice way to say a fond farewell to summer and now autumn until next year. It has a mix of summer and autumn feelings in it, and is just a great story of family sticking together and holding each other up through thick and thin.
Ava and Finn have only ever had each other. For her whole life, Ava has watched out for her little brother Finn and in return, he's always kept her happy and been there when she needs him. Now, the siblings have returned to a childhood holiday beach to live in a tiny beach hut for a few months. Accidentally, they end up annoying Donald and entrancing Donald's daughter Alicia. As all their lives intermingle, secrets unravel and families fall apart and are sewn back together.
I really enjoyed this book. From the get go, Ava and Finn's relationship was so beautiful. I haven't read about such a strong relationship in quite a while and I think, as a big sister myself, I really connected with Ava and her overwhelming desire to keep her brother safe from any harm. This trait in Ava follows them into adulthood and even when they're living on the beach, Ava still thinks of Finn and how she can protect him. While we didn't get a really in-dept look at Ava, I still felt like I knew her and she was a very likeable character, as was Finn. Finn was one of the characters that's larger than life. He almost seemed liked a changeling child, full of stories and magic.
Finn's fairy tales are interspersed among the ordinary chapters in this book and I thought they were so beautiful, and in some way they related to the characters of the story and what was going on or had happened in their life.
I didn't much care for Donald and Alicia. I much preferred Finn and Ava's story, and I just wasnt bothered with Donald's back story. It wasn't as exciting and even with the twist bit, I was surprised but I still wanted to go back to the siblings. I would have liked a bit more of a conclusion to Alicia's situation as it was interesting and I feel like some kind of repercussions for those involved would have been good to see.
This book was a nice way to say a fond farewell to summer and now autumn until next year. It has a mix of summer and autumn feelings in it, and is just a great story of family sticking together and holding each other up through thick and thin.
4.5 stars
I received a free digital copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest feedback.
This book has been getting a bit of hype recently as people start to review it in time for it's publishing date and I can honestly say that it really deserves it. The Casquette Girls seems to have pretty much everything you want in a book - sense of place, atmosphere, friendship, magic, supernatural and history.
Adele is returning to New Orleans a few short months after the devastating Hurricane Katrina. Adele and her father have no idea what or who they will be returning to and all they do know is that the city is home and it needs them to bring it back to life. But Adele has more to worry about than fixing up the neighborhood when she appears to develop magic powers, plus dead bodies sucked dry of blood are showing up around the French Quarter. With the help of an ancestor's secret diary, Adele must combat an ancient curse and create a secret witchy coven along the way.
One of the best bits in this book is the sense of place and the atmosphere that is described around the areas of New Orleans and specifically the French Quarter where Adele goes. It's so natural for her to have friends who dress as vampires, scientists for café workers, tour guides dressed like romance novel covers and much more and I loved it. Adele is a very likeable character, she takes the devastation of her home and her favourite places so bravely and really strives to carry on with school and work when it would be easy to crawl into a ball. She is also very accepting of her magic and isn't one of these people that keeps refusing it exists. I loved Adele's relationship with everyone in the book and there's a deep sense of Adele's belonging in the place. The way she knows and communicates to everyone and how they respond to her really brings to mind the fact she grew up in the cafes and bars of the French Quarter (in a good way mind you!)
There were so many diverse characters from Africa-America, Creole, French, Italian not to mention personalities. The hot and cold Niccolo, the exuberant but deadly Gabe (who I couldn't help but really like), mysterious Emilio, the absent mother, the caring father (who reminded me of Lance in Arrow), and the unlikely best friends Desiree and Isaac.
I found myself really enjoying the book and its pace which took a while to build up naturally because of the focus on the effects of the storm. I loved the dip into the history of the place now and again plus Adeline's diary to her father and her details of what had happened with her spell. I would have liked much more about Adeline and what happened to her(why did Isaac keep having dreams about Adeline and fire for instance, was it just the magic thing?) and who the hell her dad was. I felt like i was still grasping for some additional information by the end of the book about Adeline, her father, Isaac and Desiree's sides of the story which was skipped over plus Niccolo's decision at the end. Why was he so happy to let Adele hide him away. I feel like Emilio and Gabe were always hinting things about him and his connections to Adele. Also how did her mom die, how was she turned etc. I did miss for backstory sometimes I would love to have been in his mind for a while (NOVELLA PLEASE!). Hopefully some of these questions will be answered in the next book.
I recommend anyone looking for a bit of magic to wrap themselves in to pick up this book. I don't think it will disappoint. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.
I received a free digital copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest feedback.
This book has been getting a bit of hype recently as people start to review it in time for it's publishing date and I can honestly say that it really deserves it. The Casquette Girls seems to have pretty much everything you want in a book - sense of place, atmosphere, friendship, magic, supernatural and history.
Adele is returning to New Orleans a few short months after the devastating Hurricane Katrina. Adele and her father have no idea what or who they will be returning to and all they do know is that the city is home and it needs them to bring it back to life. But Adele has more to worry about than fixing up the neighborhood when she appears to develop magic powers, plus dead bodies sucked dry of blood are showing up around the French Quarter. With the help of an ancestor's secret diary, Adele must combat an ancient curse and create a secret witchy coven along the way.
One of the best bits in this book is the sense of place and the atmosphere that is described around the areas of New Orleans and specifically the French Quarter where Adele goes. It's so natural for her to have friends who dress as vampires, scientists for café workers, tour guides dressed like romance novel covers and much more and I loved it. Adele is a very likeable character, she takes the devastation of her home and her favourite places so bravely and really strives to carry on with school and work when it would be easy to crawl into a ball. She is also very accepting of her magic and isn't one of these people that keeps refusing it exists. I loved Adele's relationship with everyone in the book and there's a deep sense of Adele's belonging in the place. The way she knows and communicates to everyone and how they respond to her really brings to mind the fact she grew up in the cafes and bars of the French Quarter (in a good way mind you!)
There were so many diverse characters from Africa-America, Creole, French, Italian not to mention personalities. The hot and cold Niccolo, the exuberant but deadly Gabe (who I couldn't help but really like), mysterious Emilio, the absent mother, the caring father (who reminded me of Lance in Arrow), and the unlikely best friends Desiree and Isaac.
I found myself really enjoying the book and its pace which took a while to build up naturally because of the focus on the effects of the storm. I loved the dip into the history of the place now and again plus Adeline's diary to her father and her details of what had happened with her spell. I would have liked much more about Adeline and what happened to her
I recommend anyone looking for a bit of magic to wrap themselves in to pick up this book. I don't think it will disappoint. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.
This book was exactly what I needed!
Agnieszka lives in a little village near the mountains, beside an enchanted woods that creates evil things. Her land is ruled by the Dragon, a centuries-old wizard who takes a new girl to his tower every year for an unknown reason. When it comes to Agnieszka's year to be in the round-up of women, everyone is shocked when the Dragon chooses someone other than who they thought it would be and Nieszka's adventures begin.
Wow,oh wow. I was having a pretty crappy Monday when I started this book and my dad suddenly came so much better because I was looking forward to just jumping back into it. This is the kind of story where I had such a clear image of all the characters in my head. Much the way Nieszka imagines the land during her spells, I was able to see the Tower and the Dragon and Nieszka arguing and the creepy Woods and the Walkers. It was truly magical.
Nieszka was a great character for me. She had spunk and wasn't a dainty little princess. She's tall, with tangled mounds of hair and dirty dresses and just so much fun. She ran headlong into things and just kept shocking people along the way. I loved her relationship with Kasia, it was such a great strong friendship with two girls who would kill for one another and I found that really beautiful.
And as for the Dragon, oh lord, that chemistry!! It was killing me! Their scenes had me laugh out loud, their arguments and stubbornness just thrilled me and other scenes left me feeling breathless. The sex scenes in this book were perfect for my taste. They weren't crude at all but were just on that perfect edge of sexy. I really liked reading them.
This was the kind of book that I just wanted it to go on forever. I actually stopped myself from reading too fast because I wanted to savor every single word. It was just amazing. I am bound.
Agnieszka lives in a little village near the mountains, beside an enchanted woods that creates evil things. Her land is ruled by the Dragon, a centuries-old wizard who takes a new girl to his tower every year for an unknown reason. When it comes to Agnieszka's year to be in the round-up of women, everyone is shocked when the Dragon chooses someone other than who they thought it would be and Nieszka's adventures begin.
Wow,oh wow. I was having a pretty crappy Monday when I started this book and my dad suddenly came so much better because I was looking forward to just jumping back into it. This is the kind of story where I had such a clear image of all the characters in my head. Much the way Nieszka imagines the land during her spells, I was able to see the Tower and the Dragon and Nieszka arguing and the creepy Woods and the Walkers. It was truly magical.
Nieszka was a great character for me. She had spunk and wasn't a dainty little princess. She's tall, with tangled mounds of hair and dirty dresses and just so much fun. She ran headlong into things and just kept shocking people along the way. I loved her relationship with Kasia, it was such a great strong friendship with two girls who would kill for one another and I found that really beautiful.
And as for the Dragon, oh lord, that chemistry!! It was killing me! Their scenes had me laugh out loud, their arguments and stubbornness just thrilled me and other scenes left me feeling breathless. The sex scenes in this book were perfect for my taste. They weren't crude at all but were just on that perfect edge of sexy. I really liked reading them.
This was the kind of book that I just wanted it to go on forever. I actually stopped myself from reading too fast because I wanted to savor every single word. It was just amazing. I am bound.
I'm not 100% sure what I read but it was addicting.
You is told by Joe, a 'normal' guy working in a bookstore who becomes obsessed with a girl called Beck. Joe wants Beck to be his girlfriend so he follows her, learns all about her and proceeds to make sure that he ends up in her life and she in his. The whole story is told in second-person narrative and it really creeped me out. This story is definitely cruder than some other books I read, and, especially with the narrative, I often ended up feeling a bit slimy and grossed-out by Joe and the way he was thinking and talking.
However, the magic of this book isn't just the compelling story and the addicting narrative but the way somehow, troubled Joe becomes an object of sympathy in the reader's eyes. After a while, I felt like I was understanding Joe and I felt sorry for him when things didn't go his way. I found myself wanting things to work out for him and being mad at Beck when it didn't. Just incredible writing!
You is told by Joe, a 'normal' guy working in a bookstore who becomes obsessed with a girl called Beck. Joe wants Beck to be his girlfriend so he follows her, learns all about her and proceeds to make sure that he ends up in her life and she in his. The whole story is told in second-person narrative and it really creeped me out. This story is definitely cruder than some other books I read, and, especially with the narrative, I often ended up feeling a bit slimy and grossed-out by Joe and the way he was thinking and talking.
However, the magic of this book isn't just the compelling story and the addicting narrative but the way somehow, troubled Joe becomes an object of sympathy in the reader's eyes. After a while, I felt like I was understanding Joe and I felt sorry for him when things didn't go his way. I found myself wanting things to work out for him and being mad at Beck when it didn't. Just incredible writing!
Demelza follows on with the lives of Captain Ross Demelza, house maid-turned wife Demelza and the rest of the Poldark family including Francis, Elizabeth and Verity. Demelza sees Ross and Demelza welcome their first child plus have to deal with yet more of Francis' jealousy and a lot of mining difficulties.
It took me a little while to get into the swing of the book. While the timeline tends to be fairly fast-paced, I found the reading itself to be slow. But after a while, I managed to fall back into step with Demelza and Ross and pick up their relationship which I adore. I thought there was some fantastic character growth for Demelza in particular in this book, she continues to prove everyone wrong by becoming a highlight in upper class society and being literally the belle of the ball. She's a character than makes me smile and I really enjoy both reading about her, and watching her in the BBC series of the show.
It took me a little while to get into the swing of the book. While the timeline tends to be fairly fast-paced, I found the reading itself to be slow. But after a while, I managed to fall back into step with Demelza and Ross and pick up their relationship which I adore. I thought there was some fantastic character growth for Demelza in particular in this book, she continues to prove everyone wrong by becoming a highlight in upper class society and being literally the belle of the ball. She's a character than makes me smile and I really enjoy both reading about her, and watching her in the BBC series of the show.
3.5 Stars.
Onyx follows on from Obsidian and Katy and Daemon plus a lot of angst and sexual tension. I definitely didn't love this book quite as much as the first. I felt myself really frustrated for about the first 50%, particularly with Katy. The whole 'you don't really love me, it's just the connection' thing grew a bit old. It was definitely overplayed. As was Daemon's constant use of calling Blake another B name. I know what he was trying to do, and it was amusing at first but he carried on too long. It was also pretty irritating that all the characters that ended up being douchebags gave Katy that 'weird' feeling so the reader knows early on they're going to end up being the bad guy.
I did enjoy the last 20% and it kept me on my toes. I'm eager to see what happens next.
Onyx follows on from Obsidian and Katy and Daemon plus a lot of angst and sexual tension. I definitely didn't love this book quite as much as the first. I felt myself really frustrated for about the first 50%, particularly with Katy. The whole 'you don't really love me, it's just the connection' thing grew a bit old. It was definitely overplayed. As was Daemon's constant use of calling Blake another B name. I know what he was trying to do, and it was amusing at first but he carried on too long. It was also pretty irritating that all the characters that ended up being douchebags gave Katy that 'weird' feeling so the reader knows early on they're going to end up being the bad guy.
I did enjoy the last 20% and it kept me on my toes. I'm eager to see what happens next.
I received a free digital copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest feedback.
This book was a cup of absolute refreshment. A great story about a girl dealing with the pressures to always be better than who she is, dealing with a whole load of new family drama and a few boy problems on the side.
What made this book great was just the way some things were talked about so openly from Ivy’s friend Abby’s transgender sister and the family’s fears that while they loved Eli/Ella for she was how, the small town they were from might not. And then Claire’s brash but amazing attitude towards everything, never letting anyone get away with slut-shaming, sexism or anything else. And then I really enjoyed the brief discussion about contraception between Ivy and Claire. There’s not a whole lot of that in YA contemporary so to have two teenage girls discuss being safe and responsible was ace.
One of my favourite quotes:
"And that better be the only wiener you put in your mouth. We do not give blow jobs so that boys will like us!"Claire roars, and Connor nearly chokes on his beer.
I really loved Ivy’s relationship with Connor and Alex and how it became very clear early on that Ivy wasn’t interested in Alex in that way and she made her feelings known (as I was afraid it was trespassing into love triangle territory). Connor as a whole was swoon worthy - bookish, biracial, tattoos of poems across his ripped body, understanding, patient. He was kind of perfect.
Ivy’s complex relationship with her family was the main storyline of the book and my heart literally ached for Ivy through most of the story because her mother was just that terrible to her. I really really felt for her and I really wanted to reach through the pages and slap Erica, and hug Ivy.
This book was a cup of absolute refreshment. A great story about a girl dealing with the pressures to always be better than who she is, dealing with a whole load of new family drama and a few boy problems on the side.
What made this book great was just the way some things were talked about so openly from Ivy’s friend Abby’s transgender sister and the family’s fears that while they loved Eli/Ella for she was how, the small town they were from might not. And then Claire’s brash but amazing attitude towards everything, never letting anyone get away with slut-shaming, sexism or anything else. And then I really enjoyed the brief discussion about contraception between Ivy and Claire. There’s not a whole lot of that in YA contemporary so to have two teenage girls discuss being safe and responsible was ace.
One of my favourite quotes:
"And that better be the only wiener you put in your mouth. We do not give blow jobs so that boys will like us!"Claire roars, and Connor nearly chokes on his beer.
I really loved Ivy’s relationship with Connor and Alex and how it became very clear early on that Ivy wasn’t interested in Alex in that way and she made her feelings known (as I was afraid it was trespassing into love triangle territory). Connor as a whole was swoon worthy - bookish, biracial, tattoos of poems across his ripped body, understanding, patient. He was kind of perfect.
Ivy’s complex relationship with her family was the main storyline of the book and my heart literally ached for Ivy through most of the story because her mother was just that terrible to her. I really really felt for her and I really wanted to reach through the pages and slap Erica, and hug Ivy.
Ah this book is so cute, and while it's a Christmas read I have a feeling it's the sort of book that could be read any time of year.\
The Jubilee Express
It took me a while to warm up to this story, and therefore the book as a whole, as Jubilee is definitely the kind of character that you have to warm up. I found her a little bit self-righteous and annoying at first and to be honest, I didn't actually overly like her by the end of the story. The story itself was just so cute. I loved the backstory with the little Christmas village and Stuart's mom and just her over-momness. I didn't really get why Jubilee's parents decided it was safer for er to ravel across the county alone in the middle of a storm rather than waiting at home or in her boyfriends where she would be safe and neighbours could help if she needed but I guess, then there would be no story!
A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle
Everything about this book was so John Green. From the geeky and clever male character to his dorky friends with weird nicknames and catchphrases. I probably liked this the least out of the stories as I could kind of see where it was going in the love-relationship sense. I also just found it totally...sad...that guys would want to get up in the middle of Christmas Eve and travel miles across the ice and snow just because a bunch of cheerleaders are in a Waffle House. There was something about the whole thing that left a bitter taste in my mouth, though the journey turned into more of an adventure for the sake of it rather than just the cheerleaders but still. I love how Stuart's break-up story was mentioned off-hand in this story, and then again in the third story. I love overlaps like that.
The Patron Saint of Pigs
This is a story I definitely liked purely for the story and not the character because she was so annoying and, as her friends told her, so self absorbed. But it was interesting to read from a character like Addie as I don't think she's a character that gets written about, or at least that I have read about, too much. She was a little bit like a cheerleader stereotype except she wasn't actually a cheerleader. I really loved her friends, they were the saving grace of the book. I loved how supportive they were but at the same time they were able to tell Addie some home truths. I really loved the end when all the characters ended up in the same place and all i could think and picture was HOW AMAZING this book would be as a movie - a movie that jumped from one story to the next until they just all join up together in a Love Actually/ Valentine's Day kind of way. It needs to happen. I need it to happen. Who do I call?
The Jubilee Express
It took me a while to warm up to this story, and therefore the book as a whole, as Jubilee is definitely the kind of character that you have to warm up. I found her a little bit self-righteous and annoying at first and to be honest, I didn't actually overly like her by the end of the story. The story itself was just so cute. I loved the backstory with the little Christmas village and Stuart's mom and just her over-momness. I didn't really get why Jubilee's parents decided it was safer for er to ravel across the county alone in the middle of a storm rather than waiting at home or in her boyfriends where she would be safe and neighbours could help if she needed but I guess, then there would be no story!
A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle
Everything about this book was so John Green. From the geeky and clever male character to his dorky friends with weird nicknames and catchphrases. I probably liked this the least out of the stories as I could kind of see where it was going in the love-relationship sense. I also just found it totally...sad...that guys would want to get up in the middle of Christmas Eve and travel miles across the ice and snow just because a bunch of cheerleaders are in a Waffle House. There was something about the whole thing that left a bitter taste in my mouth, though the journey turned into more of an adventure for the sake of it rather than just the cheerleaders but still. I love how Stuart's break-up story was mentioned off-hand in this story, and then again in the third story. I love overlaps like that.
The Patron Saint of Pigs
This is a story I definitely liked purely for the story and not the character because she was so annoying and, as her friends told her, so self absorbed. But it was interesting to read from a character like Addie as I don't think she's a character that gets written about, or at least that I have read about, too much. She was a little bit like a cheerleader stereotype except she wasn't actually a cheerleader. I really loved her friends, they were the saving grace of the book. I loved how supportive they were but at the same time they were able to tell Addie some home truths. I really loved the end when all the characters ended up in the same place and all i could think and picture was HOW AMAZING this book would be as a movie - a movie that jumped from one story to the next until they just all join up together in a Love Actually/ Valentine's Day kind of way. It needs to happen. I need it to happen. Who do I call?