Book Review: The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols


Title: The One That I Want
Author: Jennifer Echols
Published: 7th February 2012

Summary:
It's so wrong when your best friend catches your Mr. Right!
Gemma can’t believe her luck when the star football player starts flirting with her. Max is totally swoon-worthy, and even gets her quirky sense of humor. So when he asks out her so-called best friend Addison, Gemma’s heartbroken.
Then Addison pressures Gemma to join the date with one of Max’s friends. But the more time they all spend together, the harder Gemma falls for Max. She can’t help thinking that Max likes her back—it’s just too bad he’s already dating Addison. How can Gemma get the guy she wants without going after her best friend’s boyfriend?

My Thoughts:
I know I say that continuously that each book is probably the best book I've ever read in a long time, it's getting pretty cliché. So lets change this up a little. Previously reading one of Jennifer Echols romance comedies book, Endless Summer, and thoroughly eager to read the next. This is one of my new favourite books!

Gemma was self conscious about her looks. She's only just getting used to the way she looks. So when she sees (or thinks she sees?) Max staring at her across a field she is eager to get over there. But Addison snatches him in one glance.

Involving 3 boys in total: Max, Carter and Robert. It is a shame that we don't get much story behind Robert and the real relationship between Gemma and him, meaning that, as a reader, I didn't feel much of a connection with him. Adding to this, I felt that friendship of Gemma and Robert seemed like nothing but a small crush and nothing beyond that. Carter was also written in a way that getting to know him as a character was hard however reading further into the book everything was clear.

And....Max, wow, what to say about him? He was pretty much perfect until you see Addison hanging off his leg. He is that friend who you don't need to say anything for him to understand what is going on. Someone who will open up to you about, pretty much everything, telling you the truth and isn't affraid to say anything and is also easy to banter along with. He's also great at psychology which I thought was a cute touch. (He sounds perfect to me)

Gemma is such a strong female voice. Unsure at times but she has drive and determination to reach her goals which aren't all to do with getting a boy. She is a great voice to follow through the book and she does talk about being self-conscious which every girl can relate to and also the whole idea of weight lose. There are also the smaller details of clothes picking, which I felt, added the extra realism to the whole book. 

Addison is Gemma's so-called best friend. Although there was a strong amount of dislike towards her, nearer the end she (Addison) did seem to release that Gemma has done alot for her, which did make me feel alright about her. But she is what she is.

Recommend or Not? Yes. I loved this book from the characters down to the story to the commentary from Gemma.

Happy Reading :)

What did you think about this book?

Book Review: Scorch Trials (The Maze Runner #2) - James Dashner

Title: The Maze Runner 2 - Scorch Trials
Author: James Dashner
Published: 4th August 2011

Summary:
    Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end. No more puzzles. No more variables. And no more running. Thomas was sure that escape meant he and the Gladers would get their lives back. But no one really knew what sort of life they were going back to.
     In the Maze, life was easy. They had food, and shelter, and safety . . . until Teresa triggered the end. In the world outside the Maze, however, the end was triggered long ago.
    Burned by sun flares and baked by a new, brutal climate, the earth is a wasteland. Government has disintegrated-and with it, order-and now Cranks, people covered in festering wounds and driven to murderous insanity by the infectious disease known as the Flare, roam the crumbling cities hunting for their next victim . . . and meal.
    The Gladers are far from finished with running. Instead of freedom, they find themselves faced with another trial. They must cross the Scorch, the most burned-out section of the world, and arrive at a safe haven in two weeks. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.
    Thomas can only wonder-does he hold the secret of freedom somewhere in his mind? Or will he forever be at the mercy of WICKED? [GoodReads]
My Thoughts:
This sequel is the same page turner as the first book. Still packed with no stop action and mystery. But this time, not in the Maze.

Still as well written as the first. A really easy read which made it such a gripping book but including some imagery which very...not nice.... But this reached beyond my expectations of what was in store for the Gladers. During every chapter you are left questioning everything Thomas knows, sees and does. This book is so clever in how it is written with . . . everything and everything it written so carefully to make us, the reader, finish the book. 

However, I did find it getting a little cliché with all the "it's a test" commentary. Yes, it is another test set by WICKED but the was they thought over it again and again got slightly irritating. As they just took ages about each action they take and if it has to do with the whole thing.


This book mainly focuses on the next challenge, which I enjoyed to read as you could see how the Gladers change individually as they travel further out. So many secrets are revealed which you would have never expected, which hits each character with alot of shock.

Recommend or Not? Well, yeah. You won't feel satisfied not reading this book for more answers after reading The Maze Runner.

Happy Reading :)

What did you think of this book?

Book Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner


Title: The Maze Runner
Author: James Dashner
Publication Date: October 2009

Summary:
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.
Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind. [GoodReads]

My Thoughts:
This booked is packed with adventure and action. A mix between Gone by
Michael Grant and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

The main reason I love this book is the constant pace which also maintains the right amount of detail in every chapter. The first page is gripping and exciting as  Thomas finds himself in the Glade with no memory of his life before, only his name. The book is constantly following what he wants to do but this is what made the book such a page turner. As the newbie, Thomas isn't afraid and instantly jumps up to the most dangerous job. This part of the book, I found, was the most irritating as every so often he'd just keep saying "I need to be.." so-and-so "I will be..." so-and-so.


The description of everything around the maze was so well written and easy to imagine, which included all the characters. When we first read about the characters their is that instant feeling of a really close community (and not just because of the way the Glade is set out.) They don't break the rules and fear beyond the maze where Grievers roam when it goes dark and deadly. There are so many interesting twists with the characters around two thirds of the book (I think it's around there) which is actually mind blowing. I thought it's so clever and I would of never thought of it.  

It was interesting and funny to read and get to know about the Glade. The main part of the enjoyment was to their language, but I couldn't help think that it was tied into some swear words...

There was one character which I found predictable. When we first met him in the story I knew that he was the character. It did twist a little but the outcome remained the same. Did you pick up that character, or was it just me?

Recommend or Not? Yes, definitely. Drop whatever your reading now and pick up THIS book!

Happy Reading :)

What did you think of the book?

Book Review: The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Title: The Summer That I Turned Pretty
Author: Jenny Han
Published: 3rd June 2010

Summary:
Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer--they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along. [GoodReads]

My Thoughts:

Bitterly disappointed. Read raving reviews about this book and was surely let down. A reviewer said, I quote: "If you are a fan of Sarah Dessen, you will definitely enjoy reading this book."


A nice introduction to the characters at the beginning with background which was pleasant, with a similar outline to Endless Summer (although I did read this book first), Belly wants to get the attention from Conrad more than anything. Obviously, not that simple with Jeremaih in the way. I only wish that Belly wasn't such a irritating character with what she thinks, says and does. All the reasons for "crush" just seemed pointless as there is a huge sign of interest waving around her from what we can see as "Prince Charming". Reading this, it is constantly painful to read the actions around Belly and how she is so blind with everyone!

The storyline could have spanned out really well but the sad decisions of where the story gets blown to has let down the book. The main disappointment was the, what I think was supposed to be, "twist" that left everything very sour.

Above all the negatives:
I do like the occasional jump back to Belly's different memories of her summers which link back to the main story. Reading the past events in the moment was a better idea to have rather than, what Jenny could of done, is let Belly hint about what happened in the past.


Recommend or Not?  Sadly, no. Characters are irritating and the unrealistic events brings a bitter result. Not my cup of tea.

Happy Reading

What did you think of the book?