"The Night Has Teeth" and Laptop Resurrections (a paranormal Lexi review)

Hello, our awesome Readers!!!

My laptop works again!!! YAHOO!!! (I seriously should have gone Mac, but I love my PC so much...) Anywho, that means I get to write a review again!!! Today's focus is on an awesome book that I thought wasn't my kind of book, but I was wrong. It's The Night Has Teeth by Kat Kruger.

Summary: "THE NIGHT HAS TEETH, Connor gets more than he bargains for while away at school overseas. He finds himself the object of a greater force's attention that threatens everything he knows and is, and the ones he's grown to care about." A big thank you to R.J. Gonzales on Goodreads for that concise summary!

Now, with this novel, with its subjects, I thought that I wasn't going to like it at all. See, it involves werewolves, and I knew it going in. The only book I read with a werewolf in it was Twilight, and we all know how much that book sucks. However, this novel thoroughly surprised me! With all of the twists and turns, all the believable fiction, and with all of the situations and characters that ensure every reader, young to adult, would be able to relate to, this novel just has it all! The action was great, and the conclusion shook me. After reading this novel, I'm filled with even more wanderlust than I already have!!! The scenery was thorough and truthful. It made you feel like you were in Paris, running around with Connor and his new friends. I truly hope that everybody reads this novel. I know I'm not doing it justice in this review.

In Conclusion: Read this novel! And then plan your trip to France!

Rating:

4/4 claws (couldn't find 5, lol)


XOXO,
Lexi

"Goodbye, Rebel Blue" Celebration (a #1 FAVORITE Lexi review)

Hello, our readers,

Ash just texted me yesterday morning that we're over 7,000 views!!! Thanks and hugs to all of you!!! We're definitely your fans as well!!!

In celebration, today's review is for my new #1 book for 2013! It's called Goodbye, Rebel Blue, and it's written by Shelley Coriell!!! Ready to love a new book? Be glad you came here then, because this book is just chock full of AMAZING.

Summary: "Rebecca Blue is a rebel with an attitude whose life is changed by a chance encounter with a soon-to-be dead girl. Rebel (as she’s known) decides to complete the dead girl’s bucket list to prove that choice, not chance, controls her fate. In doing so, she unexpectedly opens her mind and heart to a world she once dismissed—a world of friendships, family, and faith. With a shaken sense of self, she must reevaluate her loner philosophy—particularly when she falls for Nate, the golden boy do-gooder who never looks out for himself. Perfect for fans of Jay Asher’s blockbuster hit Thirteen Reasons Why, Coriell’s second novel features her sharp, engaging voice along with realistic drama and unforgettable characters." (My love to you, Goodreads.)

This book was phenomenal, from both a reader and a technical standpoint. The idea/plot itself is so fun! You'll laugh at things and also feel for Rebel along the journey she takes in her life. The novel is deep enough to relate to her and feel what she does, and funny and weird enough that it gets you wanting to do the same! I have nothing but fantastical things to say about this novel, and it's now my favorite of 2013! I can't say enough, so just believe me when I say...

In Conclusion: READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rating:

8/5 items on a Bucket List

Do you have a bucket list? What's your number one thing you want to do? Comment below!!!

XOXO!

Till next time,
Lexi (Alexis)

"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!

"Brooklyn Girls" (an urban review by Lexi)

Readers,

Any of you in your 20s? Confused on what path to take, or wondering if life is ever going to go right? How about a job? Does it suck, or do you feel like you'll never find one? Well, this book is for us Quarter Life Crisis chicas!

It's Brooklyn Girls by Gemma Burgess!

Summary (thanks, Goodreads!): "Fantastically funny, fresh and utterly relatable, Brooklyn Girls by Gemma Burgess is the first novel in her brand new series about five twenty-something friends—Pia, Angie, Julia, Coco and Madeleine—sharing a brownstone in hip, downtown Brooklyn, and discovering the ups and downs and ins and outs of  their “semi-adult” lives. The first story belongs to sophisticated, spoiled, and stylish Pia, who finds herself completely unemployed, unemployable, and broke. So what is a recent grad with an art history degree and an unfortunate history of Facebook topless photos to do? Start a food truck business of course! Pia takes on the surprisingly cutthroat Brooklyn world of hybrid lettuce growers, artisanal yogurt makers and homemade butter producers to start SkinnyWheels—all while dealing with hipster bees, one-night-stands, heartbreak, parental fury, wild parties, revenge, jail, loan sharks, playboys, karaoke, true love, and one adorable pink food truck. And that's without counting her roommates' problems, too. Gemma Burgess has captured the confusion, hilarity and excitement of the post-graduate years against a backdrop of the pressures and chaos of New York City life, with heartfelt empathy, fast humor and sharp honesty.

A charming debut series about five twenty-something girls and the humor, heartbreak, and drama that bring them together."

This book makes you feel like everything you're feeling and doing in your 20s is okay and normal, no matter where you are in life at this point. If you're feeling lost, have a bad relationship with your parents, can't find a job, looking for a place to call "home," or feel like you suck or are failing at life? Well, this novel is just perfect for all of us chicas.

Not only are the characters well-formed, as is each of their lives and stories, but the plot is relatable and feels true. This whole story resonated with me, and I'm so glad I went with it! It made me feel like I'm not the only one having troubles in my 20s, nor am the only grad trying to find my true calling and path. This book was like free therapy. I loooooove it!

In Conclusion: I believe every 20-something year old.


Rating:

a definite 5/5 food trucks

"Dream Girl" (a mystical review by Lexi)

Hello, Readers!

Anybody love cameos like I do? They go perfectly with my other love: pearls!!! Now, don't get me wrong here, I dress in jeans and tanks, but pearls? Psh, to me, they go with everything!!! Well, if you are into cameos, or into Agatha Christie, or a mystery, or, you know, YA books, you'll like this one: Dream Girl by Lauren Mechling!!!

I'm sorry to say that I hate the cover, and I think they should have chosen somebody who actually looks like the main character, and not have let a six-year-old loose on Photoshop (I'm pretty sure that's what happened). However, the novel? It's awesome.

Goodreads Summary: "CLAIRE VOYANTE HAS been having strange visions ever since she can remember. But the similarity between her name and her talents is purely coincidental. The name is French, and unlike the psychics on TV, she can’t solve crimes or talk to the dead. Whenever Claire follows her hunches, she comes up empty—or ends up in pretty awkward situations.
But that all changes on Claire’s 15th birthday, when her grandmother, Kiki—former socialite, fashion icon, and permanent fixture at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel—gives her something a little more extraordinary than one of her old cocktail dresses: a strange black-and-white onyx cameo on a gold chain. It’s not long before Claire’s world becomes a whole lot clearer. And a whole lot more dangerous."

So a magical/enchanted/whatever cameo??? Bring it!!!

This novel was another one-night read, but it was because I needed to know how it was going to end, or else there would have been no sleep whatsoever.

Claire Voyante (get it? hehehe) is this lovable character who is fluent in sarcasm. She's not a Mary Sue, but instead this girl who wants to do right not only to herself and her new friend, but also to her grandmother and the legacy of her family. She seems like a fifteen-year-old who is worldly, but still seeing some things in a naive way. So, in other words, like a fifteen-year-old. However, the ages in this novel truly don't matter, so don't discriminate by the age of the main character.

The New York life that Claire lives sounds normal enough, and it makes me want to go live there right now, and find a guy to raise some kids with, cuz my kids would be awesome like Claire and her little brother, Henry. lol... Seriously though, it does want me to seek out the nice kind of life that Claire's family lives (especially her grandmother's, but at The Plaza Hotel in NYC, of course).

The whole story unravels at the perfect speed, and you have the chance to be able to connect certain things together when the mystery presents itself. You;ll love getting to know all of the characters, and following along in this cool girl's life in New York.

In Conclusion: The book reads and unrolls in this unique way, and it's definitely worth the read!

Rating: 

4.8/5 magic crystal balls due to the cover. I'm sorry, but it's seriously just that bad.

"AngelMonster" (A Historic Review by Lexi)

Hello, friends,

So I read this book last night. I mean it took a few hours, and did it all last night. That's how good it is; it kept my attention like good books tend to do, enchanting me into their worlds.

Okay, the title is AngelMonster, and it's by Veronica Bennett.

Looks interesting, huh? Well, the novel doesn't disappoint!

Goodreads Summary: "In the spring of 1814, poet Percy Shelley enters the life of young Mary Godwin like an angel of deliverance. Seduced by his radical and romantic 

ideas, she flees with him and her stepsister to Europe, where they forge a hardscrabble life while mingling with other free-spirited artists and poets. Frowned on by family and society, persecuted by gossip, and plagued by jealousy, Mary becomes haunted by freakish imaginings and hideous visions. As tragedy strikes, not once but time and again, Mary begins to realize that her dreams have become nightmares, and her angel . . . a monster. Now the time has finally come for the young woman who would become Mary Shelley to set her monster free."

Mary Shelley, of course, is the author of Frankenstein, which, it doesn't mention in the novel, was a contest between she and her husband: which one could crank a book out faster and get fame. (Go, Mary! right?)

This novel does otherwise try to ensure the facts are straight, as detailed in the author's note at the end of her novel.

The world building was amazing, and I could picture each location spoken of. The characters? So multi-faceted that you have true feelings for all of the characters, loving them, then hating them, and overall sympathizing with Mary's amazing life.

This reads very easily, and doesn't feel like a biography, but more like a fiction novel for teens and adults! It's quickly-paced, easy to keep up with, and interesting enough to pull you in on Mary's journey/life. I learned a lot though, and it makes me appreciate Mary Shelley, and her novel Frankenstein, even more than I already had.

In Conclusion: The author certainly knows how to enchant with words! This novel is truly impressive, and I recommend this wholeheartedly!

Rating:

5/5 lightning strikes