"Damage" (a real/imaginary review by Lexi, lol)

My favorite people (a.k.a. Our Readers),

Hello there, loves! This week has been a crazy one for me, watching a house, four dogs, and my grandparents each day. I'm definitely not complaining though; we've been having a fun time! However, I can't concentrate enough to read. Anybody else have this problem? I've been writer's blocked (only for my fiction) for so long, and now reading (for fun) is getting a bit difficult to focus on. Weirdness, right??? If you feel/have ever felt the same way, please comment. It'd be nice to know that I'm not alone on this one.

Anywho, today's book is Damage by Anya Parrish.

Summary: "There was a time when I prayed for Rachel to be real--it ended the night she tried to kill me.

When Dani was eight, she fell from a building. No one believed her claim that she was pushed by Rachel, her imaginary friend. It took years of therapy to convince Dani that Rachel was a product of her own mind. Now fifteen, Dani wants to make it as a dancer. But a deadly freak accident sends her a terrifying message: Rachel is back, she's real, and she'll stop at nothing to kill Dani. Complicating matters is Jesse, the school bad boy who's being stalked by his own invisible childhood monster. When Dani and Jesse join forces to learn why their tormenters are back, their investigation leads to a horrifying discovery--and the secret that binds them to each other." (Goodreads, I owe you my love. So here: <3 font="">

This is one creepy book here. No lie. I never get creeped out, really, but just imagining "Rachel" is insanely creepy. You would not want to be Dani in this book. But this book is very imaginative and it's an idea that hasn't been put out there before, so even if you're easily creeped out, read it anyways. The mystery is a fun one, and the book has perfect pace! The characters are interesting as well, and the bits of their pasts were so fun to dive into and piece together when revealed; it helped me get to know the characters better.


In Conclusion: Go for it if you like weirdness! It's imaginative and fun!


Rating:

4/5 dragons

Splintered (A Lexi Review)

OOOH, Readers,

I just finished a book, and it's ahhhh-mazing. Splintered by A.G. Howard!!!

God. Even this cover is gorgeous.

Summary: Based upon the darker aspects of Wonderland, A.G. Howard crafted a world fit for today's Alice fans! Alyssa is a descendant of Alice. Yeah, that Alice. The one who went into a rabbit hole. She's not too thrilled about that though, especially since her insanity will catch up with her and she'll end up exactly where her mother and all the other Alice descendants do -- an institution. But one night, she falls into a mirror, following the haunting voice that's haunted her since she was a child. Right to Wonderland, where it's not the pretty place Carroll thought it was. (from me)

Okay, so this book is AMAZING. I counted down to this book, and the e-book wasn't to come out till the 15th, so I was so sad. But I got it elsewhere, and I loved it. The wait since summer was so very worth it. I didn't want to sleep. I didn't want to eat. I didn't want to do a thing till I finished reading. I had to anyways, which sucked.

Anywho, the characters are actually believable and very human (the humans are, at least). Alyssa is a normal girl with a crappy family situation, and each human has their own demons that they have or are dealing with. (Btw, two love interests that will each try to steal your heart away.) They're all well-rounded, and the Wonderland characters are quite imaginative, as is Wonderland itself. Howard's view of Wonderland has less rhyme or reason than Carroll's. If Lewis Carroll read Splintered, he'd feel like his imagination was definitely not nearly developed as Howard's. It took me awhile to develop each scene in my head, and then each new creature that came about.

I don't want to give anything else away, so let me just say that you will not ever see any little bit that comes along next. If your head can wrap around each thing, draw it out and let me see it because I definitely will need to reread it to love and absorb it even more.

Conclusion: This book rocked. If you can't fully appreciate crazy imagination, please stay away from this book. If you even just like the idea of any of the Alice in Wonderlands out there, go for it. You'll be wrapped up in the puzzles, the riddling language, each creature, what's going to happen with Alyssa, and, of course, both guys that are trying to win her love. You may just want to end up in this Wonderland yourself.

Rating:  
(I know Ash will appreciate this, as we both are in love with the Hatter in general.)

Suggestion: Try to read this in one sitting so you don't lose your place in it all. Read especially if you're in the mood for at least one of the following: (A) running away, (B) being whisked away, (C) going to another land, (D) two hott guys, and/or (E) complete and utter nonsense. Don't be afraid to let yourself get lost down the rabbit hole.

Sundays at Tiffany's (A Lexi Review)

Oooh, this is a favorite of mine! As a kid, I was addicted to the movie "Drop Dead Fred." If you don't know what it is about, it involves an imaginary friend coming back to his playmate, who is now a grown woman. This is the same idea, but was executed in a much better fashion, the way I wanted that movie to end when I was older.

Here's the official summary of this book (jacked straight from the ever-amazing Goodreads):

"Anne Margaux is a lonely little girl. Her mother, a powerful Broadway producer, makes time for her only once a week, for their Sunday trip to admire jewellery at Tiffany's. Jane has only one friend: a handsome, comforting, funny man named Michael. He's the perfect man in every way. Unfortunately, only Anne can see him. 

But Michael can't stay forever. 

On Jane's ninth birthday he leaves, promising her that she'll soon forget him. Years later, in her thirties, Jane is just as alone as she was as a child. And despite her own success as a playwright, she is even more trapped by her overbearing mother. Then she meets someone; a handsome, comforting, funny man. He's the perfect man all over again."
This book has you feeling every emotion under the sun. If you had/have an overbearing mother, it'll be empowering, and you won't feel alone. If you had an awesome imaginary friend, I envy you, and you may be thinking about them a bit more after this. If nothing in this book relates to you at all, you'll still love it. I forced myself to wait a few months before rereading the book, and it was extremely difficult.

On to the writing... The imagination that it took to come up with this was great. There are no places where it's lagging; every scene has a purpose. The book is not too long, nor too short (though you may want more in the end anyways). The writing is superb, and, no, this subject is not what you'd expect from James Patterson. The transition from the past to the present is flawless. This book will make you wonder just where imaginary friends go when they're not around kids, and who truly came up with them. The imagery is great and, even if you've never visited New York before, you can see the city and its sites through Michael and Jane's eyes. The feelings evoked from this book are strong, and you may have tears if you connect. If you're upset or depressed and want to wallow for awhile, I understand; just stay away from this book.

With this book, you'll be whisked off with Jane to trying to grab hold of your childhood again, and wondering just when you went from confident to self-loathing.

Rating: 5/5 cute, cliche bookworms :P

Suggestions: Read on a rainy day in a comfy, over-sized sweatshirt/sweater. Make sure you have the day free of any responsibilities or plans, and just get as comfortable as possible. Snuggle in a warm, fuzzy blanket. Grab your favorite stuffed animal, pet, sibling, whatever, and read away. You may need a drink, so go for your favorite. The day you read this is the day you should indulge yourself.

After the Book: You should definitely rent/stream/buy "Drop Dead Fred" after this. It'll be worth your time, and it will make you laugh. Also listen to Savage Garden's "Crash and Burn." Oh, warning: You may want to make up your own imaginary friend. lol


XOXO,
Lexi



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Did you have an imaginary friend as a kid? What were they like? What would you do if they popped into your life again tomorrow?

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