Lola and the Boy Next Door - Stephanie Perkins

Began reading: 15.7.2016

Completed reading: 1.8.2016

Overall rating: 3.6 stars

Could the boy from her past be the love of her future?

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion… she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit – the more sparkly, more fun, more wild – the better. And life is pretty close to perfect in Lola’s world, especially with her hot rocker boyfriend. That is, until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighbourhood and unearth a past of hurt and anguish that Lola thought was long buried. When talented inventor Cricket steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins is a contemporary young adult novel that contains romance. I wasn’t a huge fan of the first book, but I definitely thought this book was disappointing. It took me so long to finish, and while I was reading, I wished it would end. I don’t hate the book – I just didn’t enjoy it. I’m hoping that the final book will be a huge improvement!

I found the book to be well-written, containing a few grammatical errors. This was a let-down, as Perkins’ writing was flawless in the previous novel. Despite this, it contained numerous literary techniques that made the plot more detailed and easy to imagine. There were also some great quotes, including:

We’d never waved through our windows before, but it was unavoidably clear that we were aware of each other’s presence. So we were forced to acknowledge each other all day and all night, still having nothing to say but wanting to say everything (p. 63).

I’m not interested in making what’s easy.

I’m interested in making what’s beautiful (p. 77).

For as long as I can remember, I’ve talked to the moon. Asked for her guidance. There’s something deeply spiritual about her pale glow, her cratered surface, her waxing and waning. She wears a new dress every evening, yet she’s always herself.

And she’s always there (p. 105).

It’s maddening how someone so easy to read can be so impossible to understand (p. 115).

‘Sometimes a mistake isn’t a what. It’s a who’ (p. 169).

When two people are in love, it’s supposed to work. It has to work. No matter how difficult the circumstances are (p. 219).

‘History books are filled with lies. Whoever wins the war tells the story’ (p. 225).

‘I know you aren’t perfect. But it’s a person’s imperfections that makes them perfect for someone else’ (p. 327).

More quotes from this book can be found here.

Similar to the first novel, I found the plot to be interesting. I didn’t know if Anna and Étienne would be making an appearance, but I’m glad that they did (I’ll discuss their appearance further in the next paragraph). I especially liked the idea of Lola’s designer hobby, Calliope’s figure skating career, and Andy’s independent baking business. The issue that I had with this plot was that it was predictable – VERY PREDICTABLE. I mean, the title itself is a dead giveaway as to what happens between Lola and Cricket.

Now, about Anna and Étienne. I was happy to see how their relationship is developing; however, what was their role in the book? They didn’t contribute anything to the story, except showing us that they were still together. They made the book link to the first one, but they had very little connection to Lola and Cricket. Anna wasn’t a close friend to either of the main characters, so she seemed unnecessary. Likewise with Étienne – he was acquaintances with Cricket, but his role in this plot was redundant. I think that making them close friends with Lola and Cricket would have made their appearance somewhat significant and understandable.

                           

The pacing of the plot seemed to be slow-paced. I’m not sure about you, but I found it to be dragged out. As I mentioned previously, it felt like it would never end. I found this to be irritating, and affected my overall rating of the novel. I can understand if detail and drama was required to make the plot more interesting; however, none of the plot twists stood out.

Another issue with this book was that the characters were unrealistic and unrelatable. I couldn’t relate to wearing costumes and hanging out with older guys, and I bet that guys couldn’t relate to a lifestyle similar to Cricket’s. While the whole falling-in-love-with-the-boy-next-door thing might seem realistic, the whole love triangle and Lola’s rebelliousness just didn’t appear to be real.

                     

I suppose that this was supposed to happen, but this novel was VERY similar to Anna and the French Kiss – and that, for me, is not a good thing. I didn’t like the whole drama-throughout-the-book-then-instant-love-declaration situation, and it was exactly like when Anna realised she was in love with Étienne. I rated Anna and the French Kiss 4/5 stars, but the similarity between this book and that one really impacts this book’s likeability. I really, really, really hope that the next book isn’t like the first two!

My favourite character was Cricket Bell, as he was sweet and almost perfect boyfriend material. The issue that I had with him was that he was a bit ‘slow’ and kinda weird – I know he liked Lola, but he was constantly spending alone time with her and going out with her family. Is it just me, or is that weird? Lindsey is definitely a notable character, as she seems like a very loyal friend. Side note: I don’t understand how Lola could have blown her off to spend time with her boyfriend who insulted her friend in front of her (what a bitch).

                     

I really disliked Max and Lola. Max was too insecure and he always acted like a jerk. The things he said to Lola and Lindsey were hurtful, and I hate him for that (you have no idea how weird it is to hate a guy with the same name as your crush). Like other readers, I found Lola to be childish and over-dramatic, which I found to be frustrating. She was always complaining and acting like a spoilt three-year-old, and I just wanting to knock some sense into her.

My favourite part was when Cricket gave Lola the automaton. I thought that it was unique and special, and I really wanted it. The dialogue during this scene, especially Cricket’s story, was adorable.

Recommendation time! If you like The Boy Next Door by Katie Van Ark, Making Pretty by Corey Ann Haydu, A Little Something Different and All Signs Point to Yes by Sandy Hall, you will love this book. Also, I recommend this book to anyone who likes Paper Towns, He’s Just Not That Into You, Just Friends, One Small Hitch, LOL, and Waiting For Forever.

I will also be reviewing the rest of the Anna and the French Kiss series: Isla and the Happily Ever After. Keep an eye out for that!

My review for Anna and the French Kiss can be found by clicking on the title.

Happy reading!

Buy the book

Like and follow!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Basic-Bookworm/659139380862740

Instagram: @thebasicbookworm

Twitter: @BasicBookworm

Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins

Began reading: 6.7.2016
Completed reading: 13.7.2016
Overall rating: 4 stars

Here is everything I know about France: Amélie and Moulin Rouge. The Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe... And, I'm moving to Paris for a year. To boarding school. Alone.

Anna had everything figured out - she was about to start senior year with her best friend, she had a great weekend job, and her huge work crush looked as if it might finally be going somewhere... Until her dad decides to send her 4383 miles away to Paris. On her own.

But despite not speaking a word of French, Anna finds herself making new friends, including Étienne St. Clair, the smart, beautiful boy from the floor above. But he's taken - and Anna might be too. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss she's been waiting for?

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins is a contemporary young adult novel that contains romance. I purchased this book after the hype for the series, and I have been waiting for the right time to get into it. I enjoyed it, but I didn’t think it was outstanding – so I didn’t really understand the excitement.

Perkins’ writing style was appealing and flawless. There were no errors, and was almost perfectly structured. The only issue I came across in terms of structure was that the plot went up and down a few too many times, which made the complications feel like they were snowballing. Aside from this, I thought Perkins did an ideal job of portraying a foreign student in Paris. There were some great quotes scattered throughout the novel, including:

I don’t want to feel this way around him. I want things to be normal. I want to be his friend, not another stupid girl holding out for something that will never happen (p. 77).

The dialogue is translated across the bottom of the screen in yellow. The theatre is silent, respectful, until the first gag. The Parisians and I laugh together. Two hours speed by, and then I’m blinking in a street lamp, lost in a comfortable daze, thinking about what I might see tomorrow (p. 131).

…we’ll talk about everything BUT our parents… or perhaps we won’t talk at all. We’ll just walk. And we’ll keep walking until the rest of the world ceases to exist (p. 263).

I’ve spent my entire senior year suffocating between lust and heartache, ecstasy and betrayal, and it’s only getting harder to see the truth. How many times can our emotions be tied to someone else’s – be pulled and stretched and twisted – before they snap? Before they can never be mended again? (p. 361).

‘I love you as certain dark things are loved, secretly, between the shadow and the soul’ (p. 391).

For the two of us, home isn’t a place. It’s a person.

And we’re finally home (p. 401).

More quotes from the book can be found here.

I thought the plot was interesting – a girl attending a boarding school in a foreign city. I enjoyed being able to travel around Paris with the characters, visiting famous tourist attractions, as well as some not-so-famous locations. All of the settings in the novel were described in detail, which demonstrated the benefit of imagery in writing. I really liked the way the Pantheon was described, especially when Anna and Étienne were going down the stairs and they were holding up the rest of the line because of Étienne’s fear of falling.

There was a good amount of characters in the novel – not a lot that would cause confusion, but more than a few, eliminating boredom. Each of the characters had their own, unique personalities which made the plot more interesting. They each reacted to situations in different ways, making their friendships realistic. *WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER* The most obvious example was when Anna and Étienne were caught making out by Meredith. Meredith reacted in an upset, heartbroken way, while Anna felt embarrassed and betrayed by Étienne. Étienne felt guilty, while Rashmi and Josh did their best to support Anna.

In my opinion, I believed that the novel was a little fluffy for my liking, but I expected that. I didn’t mind most of the romance throughout the book, but I did cringe a couple of times. For example, when Anna emailed Étienne: some of the stuff they discussed seemed a bit unrealistic. Also, when Étienne contacted Anna via her home phone. When Anna asked him how he found this number, he said that he found it in the phone book – isn’t that just a little weird? Couldn’t he have just asked over email? *WARNING: SPOILER* Another example was when Anna realised that she was in love with him. I don’t know about you, but someone falls in love or realises they have feelings for someone, I’m pretty sure we don’t stumble around in a daze, knocking things over.

      

There was some humour in the book, too, which made me laugh. Mind you, it’s probably not meant to be as funny as I thought it was. I just have a bad sense of humour. It was pretty late at night when I was reading this section, but as soon as I read it, I laughed and shared it with my sister (who didn’t find it funny):

Étienne: ‘Would you rather be at the Lambert bash? I hear Dave Higgenbottom is bringing his beer bong’.

Anna: ‘Higgenbaum’.

Étienne: ‘That’s what I said. Higgenbum’ (p. 142).

As I mentioned at the beginning of the review, I didn’t really understand the hype surrounding this book or Étienne. To be honest, I had higher expectations, but I guess you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. I was hoping it would focus on being at a boarding school in Paris; however, I found that it focused more on the relationship between Anna and Étienne. Speaking of, what is so great about this guy? He started off well, but as the plot progressed, he grew more secretive and clingy. How is that attractive? Not to mention that he led more than one girl on…

My favourite character was Rashmi, as she was relatable, studious, supportive, loyal and admirable. I found her relatable, as she has a pet rabbit and her sister has friends who have a negative influence on her. My sister was in a similar situation, where her friends took advantage of her interest in studies, made her feel stupid, and betrayed her. Anyway, Rashmi appeared to be a true friend, which is why she was my favourite character. I think we could really get along!

                    

I really wanted Anna to be my favourite character, but sadly that didn’t happen. She was sweet and naive, but turned into a massive hypocrite and contradicted herself. She was upset because her best friend betrayed her, yet betrayed another friend in the same way. What the heck? She began as the girl who didn’t want to become a sappy girl, longing for the guy who was too good for her, yet she did.

I have a list of characters that are on my hate list: Bridgette, Dave, Mike, Amanda, Nicole and Sanjita. They’re on my hate list, enough said.

                                   

Also, shout-out to Isla – she is so adorable and I can’t wait to read about her in the final book (is she in Lola and the Boy Next Door?)!

My favourite part of this novel was when Anna travelled around Paris, sometimes with friends and sometimes alone. I especially liked her visits to the various theatres, and reading about how much she enjoys the atmosphere in them. Her love for films makes me want to travel to Paris just to watch movies in different theatres!

Recommendation time! If you like Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik, the Confessions of Georgia Nicholson series by Louise Rennison, and Looking For Alaska by John Green, you will love this book. Also, I recommend this book to anyone who likes Wild Child, Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, LOL, and What A Girl Wants.

I will also be reviewing the rest of the Anna and the French Kiss series, including Lola and the Boy Next Door and Isla and the Happily Ever After. Keep an eye out for those!

Happy reading!

Buy the book

Like and follow!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Basic-Bookworm/659139380862740

Instagram: @thebasicbookworm

Twitter: @BasicBookworm

Low Red Moon - Ivy Devlin

Began reading: 29.6.2016
Completed reading: 4.7.2016
Overall rating: 3.5 stars

She knows what he is. But she can't be sure what he's done.

The only thing Avery Hood can recall about the night her parents died is that she saw silver - deadly silver, moving inhumanly fast. As much as she wants to remember who killed her parents, she can't, and there's nothing left to do but try to piece her life back together.

Then Avery meets the new boy at school. Ben is mysterious and beautiful, and Avery feels a connection with him like nothing she's ever experienced. Ben is also a werewolf, but Avery trusts him - at first. Then she sees that sometimes his eyes flash an inhuman silver. And she learns that she's not the only one who can't remember the night her parents died...

Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin is a young adult paranormal fantasy with a hint of romance. I found this book at a local discount shop for $2 and I couldn’t resist. The cover was gorgeous, and contained positive reviews from one of my favourite authors: Melissa de la Cruz, as well as Claudia Gray – whose Spellcaster series I have previously reviewed. I had high hopes for this book, especially after reading the blurb and author reviews; however, I was rather disappointed.

One thing that I wasn’t disappointed about was the amount of quotes that I considered to be impressive. These include:

…I’d tried to put what was left of them back together… all the blood on me came from me trying to make them whole when they were broken (p. 2).

Mom said that loving art was just as important as being able to create it (p. 12).

When I was little, I was scared of only one thing. I was scared I would be taken into the sky, that somehow I’d be pulled up there, that all the bright stars Dad and Mom showed me would want to take me away from home and the woods that held me tight.

Now I wished the stars would take me away. I wanted to be absorbed by them. To be pulled away by them, to see –

To see Mom and Dad again (p. 38).

I’d thought I understood longing. I’d read about it and even thought I’d felt it back when I wanted to have friends the first week or so I started at Woodlake High. I’d hoped for it, for friends, until I realized it wasn’t going to happen.

But now I realized I hadn’t understood longing at all. It wasn’t about hope. It was about want, pure and simple (p. 68).

I looked at the trees, so constant, forever standing tall, forever standing watch, and wished I had their strength (p. 124).

Sometimes you could get so turned around that even breathing became complicated (p. 161).

More quotes from the book can be found here.

Devlin used literary techniques, such as imagery, in a way that was beneficial for readers. I was able to imagine Avery in school, especially art class, or wandering among the trees in the forest. Similarly, I was able to picture Avery and Ben together in that dark alley next to Bessie’s, making out then getting caught by Renee. So, I must commend Devlin for doing a really good job of making the plot easier to imagine. It kept me interested in the story and the characters, which is always a good thing!

I think many readers who have read this book might agree with me when I say that this book had a really strong introduction, and quickly went downhill after Avery moved in with Renee. The plot begins with Avery discovering her parents’ bodies, covered in their blood and screaming: “I was covered in blood when the police found me” (p.1). This line could have been the introduction to a really awesome novel; however, it didn’t have much of an influence within the plot, so this was disappointing.

I cannot repeat this enough: the dialogue in this book was EXTREMELY frustrating! I couldn’t stand reading the dialogue because I wanted to scratch my eyes out. It was HORRIBLE! The characters were constantly interrupting each other, or breaking off their sentences without finishing. The conversations were broken, and this made me want to scream.

                        

Similarly, the plot and dialogue seemed to resemble Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series. For example, this quote reminded me of Bella and Edward in Twilight, and made me cringe:

For some reason, I didn’t believe him. I don’t know why, but I knew he had felt my sadness out here in the woods and had come over. Come to see me (p. 44).

Like this quote, the insta-love thing felt cheesy and unrealistic. I’m sorry, but how can a girl who has just lost her parents in a gruesome manner fall in love with a strange boy who is a new arrival in town?

Some of the plot twists within this book were predictable, while others weren’t so foreseeable. Either way, I had a feeling that a plot twist was about to happen – it was just a matter of guessing whether it was predictable or not. The ultimate plot twist was unpredictable, but it was still a let-down.

                                 

I thought that the conclusion was a little rushed, which made it rather confusing. As I mentioned above, the conclusion held the ultimate plot twist but didn’t create that surprising climax that an ultimate plot twist should have. Following that twist, the whole hospital scene kind of felt rushed and strange. Avery, after experiencing an intense and life-threatening situation, acted like everything was normal. I’m pretty sure that 99.99% of people would be traumatised after experiencing what she went through. It just seemed unrealistic, which affected my overall rating.

I didn’t decide upon a favourite character, as they were all bland and seemed to speak in monotone in my head. But if I had to choose someone, I’d say Renee would be a notable figure. She was the sanest character, and held a secret past that I found rather mysterious and intriguing.

There were some characters that just seemed a bit pointless, including Kirsta and Steve. I don’t know why Devlin emphasised Avery’s desire for friendship when they never end up forming a bond, nor does Avery spend much time at school. It felt like Devlin wanted to do something with this friendship, only to give halfway through and forget to remove everything associated with Avery’s ‘friendship’ with Kirsta. Similarly, I understand why Devlin put Steve’s character in the novel, but he didn’t seem to have much of a role besides being a suspect. In the end, I just found characters like these two to be unnecessary distractions.

My favourite part of the book would have to be the introduction. As I mentioned previously, I thought it was a really strong start to the story, but it slowly deteriorated. I thought that it could have taken the plot in numerous directions, yet somehow the author weakened narrative, leaving me and many other readers disappointed.

                           

Recommendation time! If you like the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer, Blue Bloods series by Melissa de la Cruz, Skinned series by Judith Graves, The Wolf Within by Kristi Chestnutt, and The Wolves of Mercy Falls series by Maggie Stiefvater, you will love this book. Also, I recommend this book to anyone who likes Teen Wolf, Being Human, and Big Wolf on Campus.

Happy reading!

Buy the book

Like and follow!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Basic-Bookworm/659139380862740

Instagram: @thebasicbookworm

Twitter: @BasicBookworm

The Good Girls - Sara Shepard

Began reading: 22.6.2016

Completed reading: 28.6.2016

Overall rating: 3.9 stars

"This is our fault," she whispered. "We said those names. And now everyone's dying."

The Perfectionists are five senior high school girls who seemed to have it all. But then they were framed for murder.

They may have talked about getting revenge on their nemesis, Nolan, but they didn't mean to really hurt him. And just when they thought they'd figured out who did, the whole case has blown wide open again. Now it looks like someone's found their secret revenge list, and they're picking off the names on it one by one.

Who is really behind the killings? Can the girls trust anyone? And who will be the next to die?

The Good Girls by Sara Shepard is a contemporary young adult fiction novel that contains genres including mystery, thriller, romance and suspense. It is the second and final book from The Perfectionists series. As I mentioned in the previous review, I accidentally purchased this book first, then had to wait to find the previous book to be stocked. Anyway, after finishing this book, I have to admit that I didn’t enjoy it as much as its predecessor. It’s not to say that I disliked this book – it contained things that I didn’t really enjoy.

As I expected, the book was well-written, as it utilised literary techniques to better describe situations and characters. *WARNING: SPOILER* There weren’t that many notable quotes, but the ones that I enjoyed I’ll include here:

It was ironic – the girl she hated, the girl who hated her, might be the person who needed her the most right now (p. 137).

Julie was going to get rid of all the evidence – every drop, every fingerprint. Even the body.

That was what you did for best friends (p. 161).

Something else inside her, some deep dark part of her, had taken over when she’d done all those awful things.

How did she know that something wouldn’t take over again? (p. 201).

…they had all cried together, and it was like they had finally acknowledged that…thing… the shared pain that was there with them every moment of every day but was too great to even speak of. Just knowing that they were in it together made it hurt a tiny, microscopic bit less (p. 275).

More quotes from the book can be found here.

The book was well-structured, as it was clearly defined. There were some moments in the novel that didn’t really fit or seemed unnecessary; however, as I kept reading, everything fell into place. Because of this, I think that the plot flowed really well.  The only thing that didn’t really flow was the conclusion, but I’ll get to that later.

Similar to The Perfectionists, there were some intriguing plot twists. Some were predictable, while some weren’t. Unfortunately, I went on Goodreads and found some spoilers – I regret this, haha! The ultimate plot twist wasn’t one that I liked, and I’ll discuss this further later. But I’ll admit that all of these plot twists contributed to the overall mystery of the series, so whether or not I enjoyed it, I must commend Shepard on creating these unique twists.

As in the previous book, the protagonists and secondary characters all had diverse personalities, which was great. I especially loved the protagonists, as I was able to get an insight into how they think and feel in various situations. I was also glad to see that some of the secondary characters played a more central or key role in the plot. For example, Claire made more of an appearance and was significant in assisting the girls with identifying the murderer. I wished more authors did this with their characters – it would help with diversity and give readers an opportunity to like other characters besides the protagonists.

                        

I found the book to be juicy, but not as juicy as The Perfectionists. I felt that the plot was lacking some drama or suspense that the prior book had. I’m not too sure how to explain it, but it just felt like the novel was a little bland. The plot twists helped with keeping me interested, but I wasn’t as intrigued as I was in the first book. In the first book, the part where the girls raid Granger’s house was full of suspense and intensity, but there wasn’t really much of that in this novel.

I agree with many readers when they say that this book’s conclusion was anti-climactic. As I mentioned before, I foresaw the ultimate plot twist which affected my outlook on this book, but that wasn’t the only reason. *WARNING: SPOILER* I found the mental illness/split personality thing to be really confusing and disappointing. How could we go through just over one and a half books of interactions, situations, perceptions and relationships involving all five of these girls to find that one of them wasn’t even alive?! How does that work? How can we read about all five girls going into a house, working together to find evidence, only to find that only 4 girls existed?

                   

My favourite character remains as Ava Jalali – she’s still loyal, courageous, studious and intelligent. I’m so glad that all of her issues were resolved, especially with her dad and boyfriend. I just wished Alex played a bigger role in this novel.

I’m still really confused about Fielder – I mean, is he crazy? Did he know about Julie’s split personality? I’m just SO confused! Still, I’m glad that a lot of the girls’ issues were resolved and their tormentors learnt their lessons (can I really say that about those that died?).

                     

*WARNING: SPOILER* My favourite parts were anything that involved Ava – maybe her argument with Leslie in the café?, and the final party where Claire almost died. I enjoyed reading Leslie’s confrontation in the café because it was public and intense. I mean, why would someone do something like that? Would she get away with it? It also kick-started the suspicions on who the murderer was. I felt bad for Ava, but after reading this part, I hoped that she could tell her dad the truth about Leslie. I also enjoyed the final party because it was similar to the beginning of The Perfectionists – began with a party, ended with a party – and was full of mystery. It reached its climax, where all the girls realised who the murderer was and confronted them.

Recommendation time! If you like the Pretty Little Liars series by Sara Shepard, Pretty Girl by J. C. Burke, Fake by Beck Nichols, Follow Me Back by Nicci Cloke, Maestra by L. S. Hilton, They All Fall Down by Roxanne St. Claire, and Kiss of Broken Glass by Madeleine Kuderick, you will love this book. Also, I recommend this book to anyone who likes Pretty Little Liars, Gossip Girl, Scream Queens and How to Get Away with Murder.

My review for The Perfectionists can be found by clicking on the title.

Happy reading!

Buy the book

Like and follow!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Basic-Bookworm/659139380862740

Instagram: @thebasicbookworm

Twitter: @BasicBookworm

The Perfectionists - Sara Shepard

Began reading: 18.6.2016
Completed reading: 21.6.2016
Overall rating: 4.5 stars

Perfect test scores, perfect friends, perfect lives... perfect murderers?

High school senior Nolan Hotchkiss is one of those lucky kids - handsome, rich, living a charmed life - despite the fact that he's a self-centred bully who treats everyone around him like dirt. Still, no one can touch Nolan, no one would try...

Until now.

There are five girls at school with Nolan who each have a very good reason to end his reign of terror, and now they're going to put words into actions and play this player at his own game.

But when you mess with fire you risk getting burnt. For these five fearless girls, revenge comes at a very high price and secrets have a habit of coming out... even when there is nothing to hide...

The Perfectionists by Sara Shepard is a contemporary young adult fiction novel that contains genres including mystery, thriller, romance and suspense. I accidentally purchased the second book first, so I had to search the bookstores for this one. Luckily, I found it at Dymocks not long after, and I’ve been waiting to get into this series! Overall, I thoroughly loved this book! It kept me intrigued throughout. I had to choose my classes for next semester at university, and this book influenced my choice to study crime in literature. I’M SO EXCITED! Anyway, I would definitely recommend this book to all readers who enjoy young adult novels!

The novel was well-written, with the use of literary techniques such as imagery and juxtaposition to enhance readers’ understanding of the plot. There were also some really good quotes in the book that I had to jot down, including:

With perfection comes pressure (p. 3).

Everyone was striving for something or clawing their way to the top… and for what? A better chance at the perfect scholarship? A better opportunity to score that perfect internship? Perfect, perfect, perfect, brag, brag, brag (pp. 15-16).

‘Secrets are meant to be shared. Especially dirty ones’ (p. 201).

Memory was a tricky thing, but reality was even trickier. Once you made up your mind about something, it was hard to comprehend that the truth could be something else (p. 267).

The plot was well-structured, which assisted with the flow of the novel. I could identify all of the structural aspects of the novel, which helped greatly. I really enjoyed the introduction, as it began with the party that set the whole plot into motion. I could easily imagine a lot of teenagers arriving at a massive house party, dancing and drinking. It was relatable! Towards the conclusion, I believed that there would be a resolution; however, I was surprised by a slightly expected plot twist. I can understand why some readers wouldn’t be too happy with this book’s conclusion, but I liked how it set up the plot for the next book.

Speaking of plots, there were some REALLY GOOD plot twists in this novel! Although I haven’t seen Pretty Little Liars, nor have I read the series, I found that I could sometimes see the plot twists coming. I did not see Granger’s attraction to young girls coming, nor did I expect some of the betrayals to happen. These twists improved the book’s quality, and kept me turning the page. Of course, it was the final plot twist that left me reeling.

    

I loved all five of the girls, as well as all of the secondary characters. Each of the girls had to deal with their personal problems, as well as the mystery surrounding Nolan’s death. They each had someone bothering/bullying them, which made their stories increasingly interesting. I also liked that each girl had a chapter for their perspective. There were a couple of times where two girls’ perspectives would be in one chapter, which bothered me, but I read past it.

The plot was was so dramatic and suspenseful, and this kept me glued to the book. There were times when my parents or siblings would try to interact with me and I had to give them a “do you mind?” look, haha! Sorry guys! But seriously, it was so intense that I was pulled into the plot almost instantly. This is just one of the reasons why I’m super excited to begin the next book!

The only negative thing I have to say about this book is the Caitlin-Jeremy relationship. I’m so confused – did she really fall for her dead brother’s friend? I thought it was weird, and the last part with him and her together left me puzzled. How will both families react? What will Josh do? I’m interested in seeing how this is resolved.

                                     

My favourite character is Ava Jalali, even though I liked all five of the girls. I guess she’s relatable, as she used to slack off in class, then pulled herself together and applied herself. This is definitely something I experienced – slacking off in high school, only to reapply myself at university. Aside from that, Ava is loyal, courageous, and intelligent. Although she didn’t have a close bond with the other girls, she decided to put herself in danger for their safety. I also adored her relationship with Alex – they were SO CUTE!

*WARNING: SPOILER* I didn’t understand Elliot’s character. He was a counsellor, but he was super creepy towards the end. I thought that he was misunderstood, but I guess I was mistaken. I wonder if he’ll be in the next book… I also have mixed feelings about Alex – is he misunderstanding Ava? I hope he’s not the type of guy that Shepard hinted at in the conclusion. He was so sweet to Ava! I completely felt for Mackenzie towards the conclusion too! Poor thing! Claire doesn’t deserve to go to Julliard! Similarly, I believe that Julie didn’t deserve Carson – the fact that he betrayed her emphasises this. Don’t get me started on Ashley! She is so weird – copying Julie. What. The. Hell.

                   

It was difficult to choose a specific part of the book to call my favourite. I loved the entire novel! But if I had to choose, I’d pick the party in the prologue and when the girls worked together. I liked the party scene because it was a great introduction to the rest of the novel, and demonstrated how well these girls collaborated. The way they carried out their plan showed competence, which interested me. I liked the other parts when the girls interacted and worked together, especially at Lucas’ house. They weren’t close, but the fact that they would sacrifice themselves for the safety of the others was sweet.

Recommendation time! If you like the Pretty Little Liars series by Sara Shepard, Pretty Girl by J. C. Burke, Fake by Beck Nichols, They All Fall Down by Roxanne St. Claire, and Kiss of Broken Glass by Madeleine Kuderick, you will love this book. Also, I recommend this book to anyone who likes Pretty Little Liars, Gossip Girl, Scream Queens and How to Get Away with Murder.

I will also be reviewing the second book of The Perfectionists series: The Good Girls. Keep an eye out for that!

Happy reading!

Buy the book

Like and follow!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Basic-Bookworm/659139380862740

Instagram: @thebasicbookworm

Twitter: @BasicBookworm

Queen of Hearts - Colleen Oakes

Began reading: 13.6.2016
Completed reading: 18.6.2016
Overall rating: 4 stars

Only queens with hearts can bleed.

This is not a story of happily ever after.

Beneath each smile lies a secret, each tart comes with a demand and Alice has not tumbled down the rabbit hole into Wonderland. Not yet...

Princess Dinah will one day become the Queen of Hearts. She longs for her father's approval and a future with the boy she loves. But when a betrayal breaks her heart and threatens her throne, she is launched into danger. Dinah must stay one step ahead of her enemies or she'll lose not just the crown - it will be off with her head.

Evil is brewing in Wonderland and maybe, most frighteningly, in Dinah herself.

Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes is a fictional young adult retelling of the classic tale of Alice in Wonderland, containing fantasy, romance and mystery. I saw this book on Epic Reads, and I fell in love with the cover. IT’S SO PRETTY! Anyway, it was a retelling of a classic tale, which always excites me. It’s told from the perspective of a young Princess of Hearts (soon to be Queen of Hearts), and occurs before Alice enters Wonderland. Overall, I enjoyed this novel and I’m excited for the sequel!

The novel was decently written, with a few spelling and grammatical errors. I also took down some great quotes that I thought were pretty notable, including:

‘War is bloody and brutal, a thing that can rip through the very heart of men. War can make a man question everything he believes in, every truth that he holds dear’ (pp. 14-15).

‘A true man never needs to take by force’ (p. 183).

She was learning quickly that what was right and what must happen weren’t always the same thing (p. 193).

It’s so peaceful in here, she thought. A lovely bed for such a pretty liar (p. 224).

I did not die today, so I will not fear death tomorrow (p. 304).

‘How fine you look when dressed in rage’ (p. 306).

More quotes from the book can be found here.

As I mentioned earlier, I really liked this retelling – especially as the plot was interesting. I loved that this perspective was someone else’s, rather than Alice’s. Unfortunately, I was confused at some points. I found the plot to flow at particular points, and then become disjointed at other times. The fact that sometimes it flowed, and sometimes didn’t, left me a little puzzled. For example, I thought that the plot against her (put into place by a certain asshole) was completely different from the rest of the book. I understand that this would make the novel more dramatic and intense, but it came out of nowhere. Because of this, I was left wondering:

                     

I loved the diversity of the secondary characters! Although the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter and Cheshire Cat weren’t in their well-known forms, I knew immediately who they were in this book. Everyone had individual personalities, which made them more interesting. I also loved how some of the secondary characters had a significant impact on the protagonist, despite their minor roles.

It was very emotional, especially towards the end. I felt the pain and humiliation that Dinah experienced with her father, and I had so much sympathy for her. I can’t wait to see her destroy her father! Anyway, the lead up to the conclusion was very emotional with the death of a character. HE WAS SO INNOCENT! I’m not gonna deny it, I cried.

I found the love interest thing to be a bit confusing. One moment, Wardley would do something really sweet (almost romantic?) for Dinah, and the next he’d be pushing her away or rejecting her. MAKE UP YOUR MIND! Does he like her or not?! With all these mixed messages, I think that Dinah deserves someone better. I feel bad for Dinah but Wardley doesn’t seem to like her that much. I’m looking forward to seeing how this progresses in the sequel.

To be honest, I felt that this book was better suited as a novella or prequel. It felt like an introduction to what will be happening in the next book, as nothing significant really happened until towards the end. Because it took a while to understand Dinah’s situation, it affected her likeability. She was introduced as a bratty, whiny, spoilt princess but this changed towards the conclusion. It just seemed that it took a while to develop her character and I know that this bothered some readers.

My favourite character in this novel was Dinah, as she was loyal, strong, compassionate and feisty, yet she was flawed. I can’t wait to see how she’s portrayed and develops in the sequel. She needs to come back to rain terror on her back-stabbing traitor (and he was against treason, HAHAHA)!

                  

Other noteworthy characters are Vittiore and Charles. I enjoyed reading about Dinah’s jealousy towards Vittiore, but I think they will become close friends in the next book or so. I just loved a feisty Dinah snapping at the innocent Vittiore. I also loved Charles! Despite being seen as a weakling, he was extremely talented and loving of Dinah. I wonder, did he get along with Vittiore? Did he know who she was? Did he wonder about his father? I just wanna give Charles a huge hug and protect him.

                 

I have a deep hate burning for a particular character for EVERYTHING he did in this book! He was the cause of so much heartache and destruction, so I think I have a right to rage. He was so abusive, that I feared for Dinah’s wellbeing. How could he be SO cruel? I wonder if he’s the cause of the queen’s death… What will Dinah do to him? I can’t stress enough how excited I am to see his downfall!

My favourite parts of this book include Dinah’s time at the Wonderland Palace, and her interactions with Vittiore. I liked reading about Dinah in the Wonderland Palace because I got an insight into how she fulfilled her role and responsibilities, as well as how she interacted with other characters. I was able to see more than one side of Dinah, and each side intrigued me. I also enjoyed seeing how Dinah interacted with Vittiore because her father treasured her more. Seeing Dinah jealous and humiliated was rather emotional, but it was interesting to see how she changed – deciding to have tea with her. I hope they become close friends in the upcoming novels!

Recommendation time! If you like the White Rabbit Chronicles by Gena Showalter, and The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor, you will love this book. Also, I recommend this book to anyone who likes Alice in Wonderland, Once Upon a Time, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, and Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass.

I will also be reviewing the upcoming novels in the Queen of Hearts saga. Keep an eye out for that!

Happy reading!

Buy the book

Like and follow!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Basic-Bookworm/659139380862740

Instagram: @thebasicbookworm

Twitter: @BasicBookworm