AMAZING NOVEL!!!!! "Curses and Smoke" (an erupting Lexi review)

Our dearest readers,

Hello! For now (at least), I will be the sole chica writing this blog. Ash's schedule is much busier than my own, but keep an eye out for her comeback!

Today's novel took me by surprise thrice for the following reasons: it's a YA/teen book (adults, too) that is written during the Mt. Vesuvius eruption; it's amazing in every way possible; and it kept reminding me of an episode of "Doctor Who." (Okay, so the last one was a personal thing, but still!) I truly couldn't get enough of this novel!

It's Curses and Smoke by Vicky Alvear Shecter.

Such a gorgeous cover, too!!!

Summary: "When your world blows apart, what will you hold onto?

TAG is a medical slave, doomed to spend his life healing his master's injured gladiators. But his warrior's heart yearns to fight in the gladiator ring himself and earn enough money to win his freedom.

LUCIA is the daughter of Tag's owner, doomed by her father's greed to marry a much older Roman man. But she loves studying the natural world around her home in Pompeii, and lately she's been noticing some odd occurrences in the landscape: small lakes disappearing; a sulfurous smell in the air. . . .

When the two childhood friends reconnect, each with their own longings, they fall passionately in love. But as they plot their escape from the city, a patrician fighter reveals his own plans for them -- to Lucia's father, who imprisons Tag as punishment. Then an earthquake shakes Pompeii, in the first sign of the chaos to come. Will they be able to find each other again before the volcano destroys their whole world?" (Thank you, Goodreads!)

O. M. G. This novel is so amazing!!! Not only is the story, plot, twists, and characters grab me and didn't let go, but the deep, lush history actually taught me a lot about this time in history. See, I am ALWAYS looking for something (or someone) who can tell me something that I've never heard before. If it can, I'm all for it. However, it doesn't necessarily keep my attention when it is a book or movie. This novel is great because it took care of the rest of my criteria, which includes developed and deep characters that are super realistic (and act so); a complete, great plot; and amazing twists that I couldn't have predicted. (You guys know how I am about the last one! If I can't predict the ending or twists and turns, the novel is a winner!)

Lucia is not just some poor little rich girl, and Tag isn't just from "the wrong side of the tracks." It's just not something that is that superficial like that. Their story goes deeper; they were friends who grew up together, neither of whom are whiny and expect the other to "save" them; they're more developed and realistic than that. They're strong. Even the "extras" in the book are developed and have back stories.

The story is addictive and it's not like anything that I have read before in any novel in any genre. I think it's because of the plot and history and how they were carried out, to be honest. The plot is put into days that count down to the eruption, alternating the point of view between Tag and Lucia. This can go very well in a book, or it can go swimmingly. This time, it was great. You get to see two completely separate and different lives from that point in time. Then comes the history. The rich history just completes the entire novel. How did people live back then? Were there warning signs? Were they anything like us? (The last answer in this book is yes, and you'll feel like you're there!) You'll want to learn more about the eruption and what came of it. I am trying not to give any part of this story away, because I want you to feel the surprises and everything with clear wonderment and enthusiasm of reading such a unique, new book!

In Conclusion: OMG! READ THIS NOVEL! TEENS AND ADULTS!

Rating: 5/5 volcanoes

XOXO,

Lexi

"Locked" (ANOTHER FAVORITE!!!!!!!!) (a snarky Lexi review)

Hello, Awesome Readers!!!

So today's review is my favorite novel that I've read recently!!! I seriously was expecting this book to be boring, or just to not have any spark for me. I was so, so wrong. I've been waiting all freaking week to review it today!!!

The book? Locked by Eva Morgan!!!

(Oh yes, Sherlockians, you will be Sherlocked yet again.)

Summary: "When eighteen-year-old Irene Adler meets her new neighbor, the gorgeous, brilliant, and arrogant Sherlock Holmes, she never expects him to be the one to make her feel like life is worth living again. Ever since her sister's death, she's been addicted to risk-taking as a way to deal with her depression, and Sherlock quickly becomes the biggest risk she's ever taken. 

Locked is the story of a broken girl and the genius who gives her life back to her. It's the story of a witty asshole who's never known love, and the girl who shows him what love means. It's the story of an unexpected connection, two people who save each other, and the importance of seeing the goodness underneath. " (Goodreads, you are superb!)

I was so surprised and happy with this book! It fit in perfectly with other YA, but stands out nonetheless. I love the characters, and any time I read something funny and literally laughed out loud, I'd highlight it in my Nook. I did that A LOT. Plus, the mystery is awesome! You can relate to everybody and everything because it's YA! The author is truly talented, and evoked a sense of the original Sherlock Holmes! Trust me, this novel is AWESOME!!!!!

In Conclusion: READ THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! REEEEAAAADDD THISSSSSS!

Rating: 7/5!!!!!!!! But since it's so good, I'm just going to put this awesome Disney "The Great Mouse Detective" pic here:

Many more book reviews on the way!!!


XOXO,

Lexi

"Mystic City" (a bright Lexi review)

Readers!

For those who don't know, my laptop was, ahem, "out of order" for over a week thanks to my spilling a sweet tea on it... Well, somehow -- I'm going with magic -- I fixed it! Maybe it fixed itself, but I'm taking credit because I'm the one who was frantically freaking out, lol.

Well, I'm super happy to be back blogging! I read so much to make up for my body's refusal to sleep at night, and my "Blog About ASAP" shelf has leaked over to my "Apps" shelf, and I literally have no more room for any more until this week of blogging is over. (By then, I'll probably have replaced them promptly with even more books, lol.)

So today's is one I really liked and got into, called Mystic City by Theo Lawrence.

Summary: "Aria Rose, youngest scion of one of Mystic City's two ruling rival families, finds herself betrothed to Thomas Foster, the son of her parents' sworn enemies. The union of the two will end the generations-long political feud - and unite all those living in the Aeries, the privileged upper reaches of the city, against the banished mystics who dwell below in the Depths.

But Aria doesn't remember falling in love with Thomas; in fact, she wakes one day with huge gaps in her memory. And she can't conceive why her parents would have agreed to unite with the Fosters in the first place.Only when Aria meets Hunter, a gorgeous rebel mystic from the Depths, does she start to have glimmers of recollection - and to understand that he holds the key to unlocking her past. The choices she makes can save or doom the city - including herself." (Thank you, Goodreads!)

This novel was wonderful! I was worried it was going to be overdone in the futuristic ideas like other books I've read, or that the romantic relationship be too over-the-top. However, though I went into this novel with a sigh, the first page alone got me.

The imagery was beautiful, and the ideas that were presented were just fantastic. The characters themselves had this depth to them (each character does), that makes the book more of a story that your friend is telling you, not a stranger who came up with these ideas. They play to similar characters that you've read in other novels, so you're comforting and familiar, but they each have their own important parts to play in this novel.

The structure was great, and the scenes are fluid and interesting enough to keep one interested and eager to see what comes next! The story is also very classic and comfortable, but surprising and fun enough to not get bored in any way.

I seriously just loved this story. It was wonderful!

In Conclusion: If you want a good, classic story with a futuristic twists that's exciting and unexpected, read this amazing book!

Rating: 

6/5 city buildings


XOXO,
Lexi

"Fangirl" (a huge fanatic Lexi review)

You Awesome Readers,

OMG. I stayed up past 4 a.m. (with work the next morning) reading this entire book because I literally couldn't put it down and just stop. For some reason, it's 300-whatever pages turned to 600+ on my Nook, but it was just too good to stop once I began. What would this novel be? Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.

Summary: "Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?
And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?" (Gracias, Goodreads!)

I have been jitter-ly waiting to write this review, and I can't give this book enough justice to how great it is. But I'm going to try.

So this girl writes. Fanfics. Fiction. And she's introverted a bit, with a twin that's outgoing. So how's she going to survive her Freshman year without her sister by her side??? This can help those who are in the same boat (alone Freshman year, bookworm, fanfiction fan/writer, writer, etc.) It shows that you can make friends in college and do fine if you open yourself up just a tad bit for that possibility. I know I had issues my first year in college. I was scared as hell. I also wrote fanfiction, and was a tiny bit introverted in certain cases, but still would talk to anybody (thank God for my gift of gab). But it was difficult to establish myself when I was so new to this experience, and I chose to be homeschooled for high school, you know? Plus, who was I in this new place, and who did I want to be?

On top of this, I could "see"/imagine the college and town they lived in. The characters were fun and complete. The best part was the way this novel was written. It reads in a very comfortable way, and the book had me laughing out loud all night long, and thinking about what kind of special hell it would have been for our parents if me and Ash were to have been twins... lol. (Lots of Emergency Dance Parties. Lots of noise. Lots of plotting and sarcasm. That's why we're best friends now, lol. We were supposed to be twins, but God decided to just release one of us at a time to different people, until we met in our teens, lol.)

This is such an amazing book overall. I can't tell you guys how great it is with words or fangirl squees or even sorority snaps. I just can't. I have so much energy and excitement as I write all this, just thinking about this book. You should have seen me reading it!

In Conclusion: EVERYBODY, READ THIS BOOK!


Rating:

6/5 laptops

"A Really Awesome Mess" (a therapeutic Lexi review)

Oh, readers,

I found a book that I'm absolutely in love with. Yes, this book is so wonderful in the true sense of the word. It's called A Really Awesome Mess, and it's written by both fabulous authors Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin.

Summary: "A hint of Recovery Road, a sample of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, and a cut of Juno. A Really Awesome Mess is a laugh-out-loud, gut-wrenching/heart-warming story of two teenagers struggling to find love and themselves.

Two teenagers. Two very bumpy roads taken that lead to Heartland Academy.
Justin was just having fun, but when his dad walked in on him with a girl in a very compromising position, Justin's summer took a quick turn for the worse. His parents' divorce put Justin on rocky mental ground, and after a handful of Tylenol lands him in the hospital, he has really hit rock bottom.

Emmy never felt like part of her family. She was adopted from China. Her parents and sister tower over her and look like they came out of a Ralph Lauren catalog-- and Emmy definitely doesn't. After a scandalous photo of Emmy leads to vicious rumors around school, she threatens the boy who started it all on Facebook.
Justin and Emmy arrive at Heartland Academy, a reform school that will force them to deal with their issues, damaged souls with little patience for authority. But along the way they will find a ragtag group of teens who are just as broken, stubborn, and full of sarcasm as themselves. In the end, they might even call each other friends." (Gracias, Goodreads!)

This book had me involved in the feelings of the characters, and yet distanced enough to appreciate the storyline of each character in there. I wanted to join the characters on their journeys in getting better. I wanted to go hang out with them. You can't just read this book and feel nothing. This novel was hilarious, touching, and reminiscent of the movie "The Breakfast Club" with their fun, completely different characters. I think that this novel truly is "The Breakfast Club" of our generation(s). Everybody should read this, because both guys and chicas will appreciate the messages, and the writing of these two great authors.

In Conclusion: Choose this novel and indulge yourself in it, because it is a GREAT read!!!!!

Rating:

5/5 therapy couches!

"Kill Me Softly" (A Review by Lexi)

Okay, so I read this in what feels like forever ago. However, it has totally stayed with me, and it has been going, "Leeeeexxxxiiiiii!!! Reviiiiiieeeewww meeeee!" in a totally creepy way, lol. So I shall give into its demands and make it happy. Hahaha

Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross

Summary from my beloved Goodreads (Seriously, if you haven't been there, you need to go there. Now.):

"Mirabelle's past is shrouded in secrecy, from her parents' tragic deaths to her guardians' half-truths about why she can't return to her birthplace, Beau Rivage. Desperate to see the town, Mira runs away a week before her sixteenth birthday—and discovers a world she never could have imagined.

In Beau Rivage, nothing is what it seems—the strangely pale girl with a morbid interest in apples, the obnoxious playboy who's a beast to everyone he meets, and the chivalrous guy who has a thing for damsels in distress. Here, fairy tales come to life, curses are awakened, and ancient stories are played out again and again.But fairy tales aren't pretty things, and they don't always end in happily ever after. Mira has a role to play, a fairy tale destiny to embrace or resist. As she struggles to take control of her fate, Mira is drawn into the lives of two brothers with fairy tale curses of their own... brothers who share a dark secret. And she'll find that love, just like fairy tales, can have sharp edges and hidden thorns."

I will just say that Sarah Cross is wonderful for writing a book full of fairytales slapped together into a believable and interesting story. I was never bored with this book. The characters were well-rounded, and the main character stayed that way for the entire novel (something I now know to appreciate). The story is fun, there are hilarious parts, and overall, it's just a great novel.

I love the "dark secret" mentioned in the summary. It was the perfect twist to a story. But first, when you're recognizing all these fairytales, you'll be amazed at how they get all wrapped up together in each other. You'll wonder what it'd be like to live one out, and you'll want to move to Beau Rivage. Trust me.

Anywho, the plot is great, because who would think of this except for Ms. Cross? The characters truly are well-developed and whole. There is humor and a definite timeline. There are also male characters to drool over. ;)


Conclusion: Overall, structurally, this novel wins! Then add the plot and characters, and you have an awesome book!

Rating: 

Suggestion: Just read it. You'll get swept up in an amazing fairytale, and be super glad that you did. Take a groggy or super bright day to do so. Linger over each character. This book's plot will remain a fave of yours, just like it did for me. Again, it'll just stick with you.