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Bookwyrming Thoughts

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Amie Kaufman, Meagan Spooner
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Cole Gibsen
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Davonna Juroe
City of Secrets (Stravaganza, #4) - Mary Hoffman Original Review posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts

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Stravaganza. Just another one of those series I apparently enjoyed and then abandoned and then realized that I need to go read the other books in the series... and also realized that I read one book ahead and skipped the fourth book. Whoops. I think I'll thank Goodreads when I checked. :p

No wonder I didn't know who Matt was when I read City of Ships (aside from the very obvious...). Another whoops.

And yes, there's a third oops (or whoops). I'm sure I looked odd sticking my nose near the computer screen at home doing a quick read for a refresher, so sorry Mom if I've been crabby (no claws) for a few days. Though, I must say, getting me the tenth book in some series when I haven't read even the first book is a very bad idea. Good thing the eight-year-old me was pretty naive and didn't complain.

So, aside from totally neglecting a series (speaking of neglecting... I do have quite a few that I need to get back to one day...) for at least 2-3 years... it's nice to go back to a series that involves time travel and Italy. Because Italian cuisine can be on the menu. ;)

But first off, the new covers are ah-mazing (I know I'm years late to say that, but don't they say 'better late than never?'). I apparently have a better view of the characters in my “complex” imagination of a mind.

Second, my attempt in trying to read Dethridge's Elizabethan English is apparently as terrible as me trying to learn another language. I hate saying this, but I can read Shakespeare without stumbling... (sort of).

And third, though I really think the di Chimici need to find other things to do than trying to take over Talia and Mary Hoffman should probably write about something other than trying to capture Luciano (or something that does him harm...) or the Stravaganti or trying to find some way to take over the independent cities (okay, that pattern has repeated quite a few times in the prior books of the Stravaganza series)....

I still find myself a bit drawn to the books like I am to dystopian fiction (though in the case of dystopia, I'm a moth and there's a light. Go shape-shifting).

I think Italian culture is getting to me. *puts on a Venetian mask* Masquerade? :p
Beautiful Redemption (Caster Chronicles, #4) - Kami Garcia,  Margaret Stohl Original Review posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts

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Before Reading:
I'm apparently scared of reading this.

Why?

I don't exactly have the prettiest picture (and words) about the prior books in the series, aside from Book 3, Beautiful Chaos. And I don't plan to say anything about them, so please spare me by not asking (really, I'd like to keep my thoughts about the first two books to myself... thanks).

But I still chose to finish off the series. I don't really know why. I think it was the cliffhanger from book 3 and I want to know what happens to Ethan after you know what. O_o

I hope I don't regret it... *cues the 'something is about to happen' music*

After Reading:
If I made it this far and finished it completely, then I think survived.

Was it as bad as I feared it would be, that I wouldn't be able to finish it like the first two books?

No. In fact, it was good. A whole lot better.

How much better?

A lot. I don't really know how much, but it was a lot. *phew*

I think it was Ethan's mom and Link that told me to keep reading. Maybe it's their personality, because Link, for some reason, has always been one of my favorite characters in terms of humor. I also liked hearing Lena's thoughts – definitely kept me from throwing a book at the wall (can ebooks be thrown across the room? I don't think my parents will be happy if I did that, virtual or not. In fact, I'm already clumsy enough. CRASH*). Or maybe it was her poems.

Unfortunately, I probably should have paid much more attention while reading the first two books. There were some things that I needed refreshing on... but chose not to because I don't think I can bear going through rereading it again, or even doing a really quick one or two days 'Skim-n-Read-a-thon.'

Do I regret giving the rest of The Caster Chronicles a chance after being bored to death with the first two books?

Nope. I think I'm pretty glad I gave the rest of the series a chance. They did say third time's the charm, right? I think this applies. ;)

* – No one, including the reviewer, was hurt in the process of writing the review for Beautiful Redemption. In fact, that was just for emphasis. :p
The Mark of Athena - Rick Riordan Original Review posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts

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I probably should have waited until it was about a month until The House of Hades was published in order to read The Mark of Athena.

The good thing? I don't need to do some major catching up. And I might end up dragging (not literally) my mom over to the book store when the fourth book finally does come out.

But where there's good, there's bad (boo). So, the bad thing? Considering what happened in The Mark of Athena and The Son of Sobek (I'm not even sure I spelled that right. Oh, and link leads to my Goodreads review), I really wished I could have waited. Because I now have to do the fancy little countdown... (is there even an official countdown?).

Unfortunately, I might decide to wait an entire year after all to finally read The House of Hades. (Sorry, but I'm one who keeps good things for last... sometimes. For reasons not to be told >;))

But I still want to know what happens next to Percy and Annabeth after what happens to them at the end (and definitely the rest of the demigod crew as well).

So! Overall thoughts on Riordan's most latest work in the Heroes of Olympus series: fast paced, lovable and humorous characters from the prior series returning along with the new ones, and a confession of mine: I'm a sucker for mythologies retold as I am with fairy tales retold.

Random Question: Anyone else excited for The House of Hades to come out later this year? :D
A Very Hexy Valentine's Day - Rachel Hawkins You're seriously making me miss the Hex Hall characters right now, Ms. Hawkins. O_o

Maybe I should reread. For fun.
Branded (Sinners, #1) - Abi Ketner,  Missy Kalicicki Original Review posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts

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Disclaimer: A copy was provided for free by the author for the blog tour in exchange for an honest review. The review is not influenced in any way.

So. Branded. It has great potential as a series, and it takes quite a different twist from other dystopian books like The Hunger Games and Divergent. It's the first in the Sinners series, and is about a girl named Lexi Hamilton wrongly accused who lives in a futuristic society where there is no equal justice and a Commander who believes the Seven Deadly Sins are the downfall to society. Those who are accused are taken to live in a place called the Hole and branded with their sin. With danger lurking at any corner, those branded have to fight for their survival every single day.

Branded didn't exactly feel like the first of a series. It felt more of a second, or second to last, or maybe even the last with a possible spin-off in a series rather than the first. For some reason, it felt as though there was another story prior to Branded, even though Abi and Missy gave a decent explanation to Lexi's past that filled in most of the blanks throughout the book.

I loved most of the supporting characters, such as Alyssa, Bruno, Keegan, and Zeus especially (no, not the Thunder God... unless he decided to take on a different form other than human), but the romance between Cole and Lexi also seemed much too quick for my taste (I usually like a good build up, with a few exceptions).

Overall, Branded has a great potential, and would be a great book and series with a few tweaks here and there. It doesn't have a lasting or major impact on me or the type of book where I'll be miserable not knowing what happens for at least a year as I was hoping for, but I do hope that in the end, the innocent peeps in the Hole receive a happy ending (no guarantees. I'm not a mind reader, but it never hurts to hope).
The Children and The Blood (The Children and the Blood, #1) - Megan Joel Peterson Original Review posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts

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Disclaimer: A copy was provided for free by the author for the blog tour in exchange for an honest review. The review is not influenced in any way.

Ever since most of her family had been killed eight years ago, Ashley's life has been peaceful living on a farm with no memory of her childhood years. Until one night, everything all changes and Ashley finds out about a war she never knew about.

What I Liked:

~ Practically Flawless – aside from one or two little errors, it's edited down to "almost" perfection (I would say it without the quotes, but there's always room for revising... :p).
~ Unique Storyline – usually when it comes down to magic and wizards or witches, there's always that Harry Potter style to it somewhere: a magical school, a villain wanting to take over the world (okay, that's probably not the right reason for me to use), and whatnot. Although The Children and the Blood does have a few things similar, but overall, the storyline's unique.

What I Didn't Like:

~ The Cliffhanger – It felt like a cliffhanger, but it didn't feel like one. It just didn't have this powerful impact that's makes me go "I need to know what happens next!!!" *jumps up and down impatiently like a [energizer] bunny* and then suffering (not really) for the next few months until the next book comes out. "OMG, You're going to make me wait that long? You gotta be kidding me!" Nope... not exactly there.
~ The Prologue – I somehow have a zillion (okay, not a zillion) questions about the prologue, even after finishing The Children and the Blood. I'm a tad bit lost there (perhaps summer has taken a toll on my brain and I need to go back to school to untangle myself from the lost web).

Overall Thoughts: The Children and the Blood is a well-polished story that has a unique take to the wizarding world. And even though there wasn't much of a cliffhanger, I do look forward to seeing what Ashley will be up to in the next book.
The Children and The Blood (The Children and the Blood, #1) - Megan Joel Peterson Original Review posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts

Note: Formatting has been lost due to copy and paste.

Disclaimer: A copy was provided for free by the author for the blog tour in exchange for an honest review. The review is not influenced in any way.

Ever since most of her family had been killed eight years ago, Ashley's life has been peaceful living on a farm with no memory of her childhood years. Until one night, everything all changes and Ashley finds out about a war she never knew about.

What I Liked:

~ Practically Flawless – aside from one or two little errors, it's edited down to "almost" perfection (I would say it without the quotes, but there's always room for revising... :p).
~ Unique Storyline – usually when it comes down to magic and wizards or witches, there's always that Harry Potter style to it somewhere: a magical school, a villain wanting to take over the world (okay, that's probably not the right reason for me to use), and whatnot. Although The Children and the Blood does have a few things similar, but overall, the storyline's unique.

What I Didn't Like:

~ The Cliffhanger – It felt like a cliffhanger, but it didn't feel like one. It just didn't have this powerful impact that's makes me go "I need to know what happens next!!!" *jumps up and down impatiently like a [energizer] bunny* and then suffering (not really) for the next few months until the next book comes out. "OMG, You're going to make me wait that long? You gotta be kidding me!" Nope... not exactly there.
~ The Prologue – I somehow have a zillion (okay, not a zillion) questions about the prologue, even after finishing The Children and the Blood. I'm a tad bit lost there (perhaps summer has taken a toll on my brain and I need to go back to school to untangle myself from the lost web).

Overall Thoughts: The Children and the Blood is a well-polished story that has a unique take to the wizarding world. And even though there wasn't much of a cliffhanger, I do look forward to seeing what Ashley will be up to in the next book.
Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, #1) - Cassandra Clare Original Review Posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts.
Original Rating: 4.5

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I was curious what the Shadowhunter hoopla (yes, I said hoopla. Don't be surprised?) was about, considering the fact City of Bones is becoming a movie this August (thank the trailer. It was the cause of my curiosity, along with a bunch of other stuff). No, I haven't read The Mortal Instruments. Yet. I probably wouldn't have if it didn't become a movie, despite the fact the covers are extremely pretty and practically shouting at me for the last few years with the words “READ ME! READ ME PLEASE!” when I walk by or browse the reading section at Wal-mart.

As a result of first impressions, I'm pretty much sucked in. But... (there's always a but) I'm not fully sucked in and fangirling. Yet. I'm pretty sure it won't be far off though. Or maybe I'm sort of fangirling, but I haven't realized it yet because the books haven't hit me full force (hey... this is my first time reading Cassandra Clare after all).

Goodness. If you keep seeing Six-Fingered Nigel like this, he'll expect you to declare your intentions.

Tessa arrives in London from New York in the 19th Century to look for her brother, who has somehow disappeared. She is taken in and trained by the Dark Sisters in preparation for the Magister and is later taken in by the local Shadowhunters, who offer to help find her brother. Tessa is the type of person who can always be found reading, and enjoys talking about books. And as Charlotte mentions, I love how Tessa manages Will; she always seems to have something to say in response to his snide remarks that infuriates him when she has the chance to do so.

Ghastly wailing noise, isn’t it? I don’t know how all the cats in the neighborhood don’t come running every time he plays.

Will is a humorously sarcastic (and cute... sarcastically cute?) person who keeps others at a distance from him and tries to keep his true emotions at bay. He's not exactly my favorite character in Clockwork Angel, mainly because he's really rude to others, despite the fact other characters care about him and continue to be nice to him either way (to which I have no clue how they actually deal with his attitude all the time). Will somehow always tries to find a way for others to hate him. But despite the fact that he's arrogant in a way, it's hard to notice that with his witty comments here and there.

Goodness – real goodness – has its own sort of cruelty to it.

On the other hand, Jem is completely opposite from Will's character and like Tessa, always has something to say in response to Will's snide remarks. He also tries to see the bright side of things or both sides of a situation, and in light of that, always has a bit of good advice to reassure Tessa or any other character throughout the book. And speaking of advice...
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Overall, Clockwork Angel has a unique fantasy storyline set in Victorian London and has a variety of characters that are well-liked. To be honest, I'm now wondering why I decided to not read Cassandra Clare's books in the first place when I first saw it (saying that the book was thick would be a fib).

The Son of Sobek

The Son of Sobek - Rick Riordan Finished the story.

I have 3 words:

I. Need. More.

No, really. I won't die, but it'll be agony until I find out what happens next. It's pure torture. Pfft. Welcome to cliffhanger island. The island where you can be holding onto so many cliffs yet you can still add more cliffs to it. >_< I'm surprised I'm still hanging on. :p

Meanwhile...
Just keep waiting, just keep waiting, just keep waiting, waiting, waiting.
Fateful - Claudia Gray Original Review Posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts.

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*Warning: Minor spoilers may be sprinkled throughout review*

Tess Davies is a servant working for the wealthy Lisles in 1912 London, never before having seen anything outside of the city. She has always wanted to be from servitude, and gets her chance when the Lisles are planning to leave for America on the Titanic. There, she meets Alec and enters a world of dark secrets past and present that can eventually separate them forever.

Ohhh, the Titanic. The majestic ship which unfortunately sank from an iceberg. It's probably the 2nd thing in Historical Fiction that I somehow enjoy reading, next to the Holocaust (I don't know why I like tragedies... non-Romeo & Juliet style). I also found the author's notes at the end helpful, because without it, I'm pretty sure I would've mentioned that a few supposedly dead people in Fateful by the Titanic's journey were well... pretty dead – unless they were a vampire and climbed clawed their way out of their coffins... *shudders*

I have one word for most of the Lisle family (at least the ones we get to know throughout Fateful): snobby. Just plain snobby and nasty, even to a family member. Except for maybe two members, and one of them is as innocent as a teacup. They're also ungrateful. Even though Tess could've left them to rot away, she at least tried to warn them. But what I found most memorable, however odd it might be, is when Irene finally breaks out of her shell.

If I were less astonished, I'd never stop applauding.

Claudia Gray writes Tess's life as a servant in a realistic way during the 1900s in London, although there are some parts, as mentioned in the author's notes, that were made up for drama. However, I do pity Tess, Ned and the other servants (even the overly seemingly strict Mrs. Horne) and applaud her – however silent and virtually from the sidelines – for wanting to break free. But I do wish that the other servants and Irene would have survived such a tragedy as well with Tess.

Mikhail is even worse. Powerful and dangerous – the very fact that he kills, or even injures innocent people just for the fun and pleasure of it all is just... ewww (that's as bad as animal abuse). And just because he apparently thinks of himself superior to everyone else unless you're part of the Brotherhood. I do hope the other members aren't as cruel and stalkish-like as he is... but somehow, I doubt it. Though the least he could do was not turning every situation he's involved into a mess, however much he wants to successfully reach his goal, and however sly he tries to be. Somehow, he just fails in the concept of being sly when it comes to handling those situations. Unless it has something to do with influencing his power to get a potential member of the Brotherhood out of a nook or crany. (Must be for persuasion purposes.) And considering the fact that he was revived later, I'm also thinking he's the next Frankenstein. Or Frankenwolf, Frankencreep, Frankenstalker.... Whichever floats your boat. Maybe someone will come up with a better name for him than I ever can.

Also, I never noticed the irony of Fateful's synopsis mentioning the journey as a "dangerous game" until I realized near the very end that Alec and Mikhail are basically colored like checkers when they're changed into wolves – no, really. Red and black? Very checker-ish. I thought it would be Chess101 in a way, not exactly Checkers101. Though I suppose there can be, well... red kings, queens, knights, pawns, etc. (I'm sorry for thinking of Breaking Dawn, folks, but is there another book or movie with Red and Black Chess?).
Changed (The Hunters, #1) - Rose J. Bell Original Review posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts
Original Rating: 3.5

Note: Pictures, Captions have been removed from Goodreads review. Formatting may be lost due to copy and paste.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author for free in exchange for an honest review. My review is not influenced in any way.

Years after her father's death, Rosa is training to be one of the best hunters in the world in order to revenge her father's death. During that time, two of her enemies appear in a city ruled by the hunter clan for reasons of the unknown and Rosa has to make decisions that will follow the rules she has been following all her life or follow what she believes is right.

My first impression after the prologue were the first few sentences somehow mirroring Graceling (I think they're almost, if not, entirely the same???). Both Katsa and Rosa were in a dungeon, they were creeping about the wall in the dark and they had the map of the place in their mind. I was having this slight feeling that it was going to be Graceling – Hunters and Archangels/Nephilim style. Thankfully, the similarities to Graceling ended there (that doesn't mean there aren't other ones...), aside from the fact that they both move like cats.

I'm not exactly a big fan of a lot of the characters in Changed, including Rosa herself (okay, I do like Rosa... sort of. Because heroines with a "I don't play around" type of attitudes are cool). Somehow, most are either arrogant and secretly kindhearted, or just plain evil – and by evil, I mean in a coldblooded homicidal type of way to get what they want. Speaking of creepy evil guys, Lord Constantine is well described in a superiously scary way that I'm extremely glad he's preserved in writing and not going to pop out of my laptop when I'm not looking with those creepy eyes, ready to send me to a murderous game where a few other peoples and I get chased by a mysterious killer (er, Chaser) unless an item is found – Hunger Games twist with the Grim Reaper much? Thank gods there were no axes involved *shudders*.

I even find his smile extremely creepy – similar to the anglerfish you find in Finding Nemo smiling really big with it's huge teeth and the little light in front of his eyes ready to chomp up it's prey (and fails).

Okay, that's an exaggeration. The anglerfish is somehow more creepier than Lord Constantine in a nutshell (maybe it's just the teeth). But maybe Bruce smiling will do - Lord Constantine's smile, however much I despise him, can't be as creepy as the anglerfish, can it?

Generally, I usually find myself liking the love interest as well. Sadly, in this case, not really. Despite the fact that I love Jason's constant mini bickerings/banterings/pushing of buttons with Rosa (I found those amusing – probably a bit more amusing than Shane vs. Rosa bickering), I just find him too arrogant and having a really high ego. Plus he doesn't exactly give others – girls – their privacy when needed... but somehow, I feel sympathetic whenever Jason has to face his father. Regardless, I just find Jason really annoying to be around, even though there are times when he's cute, such as the way he reacts when Rosa decides to help him.

Then there's the romance between Jason and Rosa. And a few moments with Matt. I felt like it was well... that they sort of jumped in too fast. It's like jumping into a river... without checking the depth or width first.

What sets Changed from other books containing Archangels/Nephilim, other supernatural creatures, and forbiddan love, is the way Bell gives some regular, ordinary humans superpowers as well. Usually you would find humans oblivious to what really goes on behind the scenes and their view is blocked by some sort of "mist." It's refreshing to know that they aren't so oblivious and don't have to question any mysterious happenings.
First Kill - Heather Brewer Original Review posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts

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Joss has always had this perfect life – good parents, a super close cousin that can pass as a best friend, and an ever so adorable little sister – until she was murdered. Then his life goes downhill from there and he discovers a group of vampire slayers that some of his family members are a part of for generations that can help avenge his sister's death.

I thought The Slayer Chronicles would be a spin-off from The Chroniclesof Vladimir Tod (you know... after that kind of cliff-hanger in Twelfth Grade Bites.) But it's not and now that I think about it... Captain Obvious pretty much slaps me in the face. Of course it wouldn't be a spin-off. Go figure. But I probably already embarrassed myself saying that in my review for Twelfth Grade Bites from earlier this year (oopsies). And even if it's not... at least we get to hear the other side of the story and how Joss – friend, enemy, frenemy? - became a Slayer and crossed paths with our best vampire friend from Bathory, Vladimir Tod. ^_^

Joss's sister is absolutely adorable (then again, aren't all little kids are? Even if most hate me for no particular reason... O_o) so it was really depressing that she was murdered – by a vampire. (Thank gods it's not Vlad!) In front of Joss. It's a lot for a 10 year old to handle – a loved one getting murdered by a creature of the night that is usually find in fairy tales or books. Abraham hasn't changed that much from Vlad's side – still strict and harsh, and definitely not getting any nicer. Maybe a little, but in the broad side, not really. But it's hard to imagine Abraham being creamed and practically screaming "bloody vampire" and it somehow gets worse than that.

I would never have expected who the traitor would actually be. For some reason, I thought it would be anyone but him (his name is anonymous in this review, by the way. ;)). He was like an alternative father that Joss didn't seem to have after his sister's death who was sympathetic/empathetic, kind, caring – pretty much everything that you can imagine from a perfect father (or maybe Father of the Year) – and just seemed too nice to be backstabbing his fellow Slayers in the end.

It's also really surprising, however, to find Joss making promises but later breaks them after he meets Vlad (I probably would've done the same if I were Joss...). But of all places, what in the world is someone else* doing interacting with Joss? (Curiosity hasn't killed the cat has it?) And -! Consider that break off as probably saying too much if I say it. Wayyy too much. O_o

*Words have been changed to avoid possible spoilers. You're welcome. :)
The Photo Traveler - Arthur J. Gonzalez Originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts
Original Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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Disclaimer: I received this book from the author for free to review for the blog tour. My review is not influenced in any way.

Seventeen-year-old Gavin Hillstone has been in foster care with an abusive father since his parents died in a fire at a young age. The only thing that lets him escape the torturous life is taking photos. Just when he thinks that he's going to be miserable for the rest of his life, he finds out that his dad's parents are still alive and enters the dangerous world of a small group of people called Photo Travelers.

I honest to goodness hate his adoptive family, except for maybe Dina and Leyla. What a nasty temper his adoptive father has. I'm so glad Gavin found his grandparents, because if I could, I would probably say good riddance to Jet (of course, if I actually said it... it would probably get pretty... ugly). Then there's Gavin's adoptive sister. Mel. I was thinking she at least changed a bit when she went after him after he left. I mean, I can see why she would act like that, but still... I'm sad to say I'm disappointed in her. :(

I guess that shows manipulative the villain is. 2 simple words with very simple (and good, if you look in the dictionary...) meanings... yet totally against what the other Photo Travelers are thinking of. It's kind of ironic what they mean to do for the good of mankind in the future, yet they can still break rules of all kinds.

Gavin is a pretty likable character in broad terms. He's loyal and protective when his family and friends are threatened by others. Though when it comes to some of his actions, I sometimes just want to give him a facepalm and ask, “Why, Gavin, whyyy?”

I love how The Photo Traveler started. My very first thought after reading the prologue was, “Oh boy, this is going to a great 'ride!'” I also love how Gonzalez was very accurate (at least in historical facts) when it came to Gavin's trips to places such as the Salem Witch Trials and the Great Depression. What's a bit aggravating about the book, however, is the dialogue. The characters, including Gavin himself, just seem so... happy, excited or yelling all the time. There just seems to be a bit of overuse in exclamation marks. :/

Then there's the ending. There's always that dreadful last few sentences at the end of the book where you hit the end and it seems to say right back, “The End.” With a lovely little cliffhanger. Somehow, you just want to say, “But... but... it was just beginning to get really interesting!” Despite the little mini protests, no one's going to hear me, so I'll hide in a cozy little corner, sip something nice and cold, and read on (after all, it's summer and time to... chillax). *unhappy face* I'm so glad cliffhangers don't have the ability to laugh at me... otherwise I'll be laughed at often. >_<
Twerp - Mark Goldblatt Original Review posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts
Original Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Owls

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Disclaimer: I received an ARC copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley. My review is not influenced in any way.

In the 1960s of Queens, New York, 6th grader Julian Twerski takes an incident too far with his group of friends and gets suspended as a result. He's asked by his English teacher to write a journal about the incident just to get out of writing a report. Instead, he writes about other incidents because he isn't really ready to talk about the incident that gets him a suspension.

Julian and his group of friends, Lonnie, Quentin, Sholomo, Eric and Howie, tend to get away with a lot of pranks after doing them. I love how Goldblatt writes Julian's life in a very realistic way that Twerp reminds me a lot of my 6th grade year in some way. It's pretty dramatic, with people holding grudges longer than necessary and when you look back, it somehow just reminds of some decisions where there was more than just one route... I feel pretty naive looking back now. If I could go back in time and rethink things through, there are just some things I probably wouldn't have done, even if I don't get in trouble for it.

Twerp is basically about taking responsibility for your actions. When you mess up terribly, sometimes apologizing is the right thing to do to make up for your actions (and sometimes, even apologizing doesn't work).

While I can't go back in time myself to rethink awkward/funny moments and situations, I'm really glad Julian finally realizes how far he took the incident and con fesses about what really happened instead of lying just to get out of it. I'm also really glad that he convinces his friends that what they did was wrong and they should, at the least, apologize about the incident. It's nice to know that after evaluating the situation and actions, it lifts a burden off someone's shoulders.
The First Kiss (The Iron Fey 1.25) - Julie Kagawa Yes... I'm fangirling. Therefore, I think that's enough said... for now. O_O
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Romeo and Juliet - William Shakespeare Thank gods we're done... O_O Though it wasn't that bad...