How to Keep a Boy from Kissing You - Tara Eglington

Began reading: 7.7.2015
Completed reading: 14.7.2015
Overall rating: 4.7 stars

Aurora Skye is a sixteen-year-old girl who attends a local high school with her closest friends and annoying next-door neighbour, Hayden Paris. Following the holidays, she has returned to school and found two ‘Potential Princes’ for her two best friends. Aurora must learn to juggle her social life, family life and dull love life with school and the unexpected strains of everyday life. One secret fact about Aurora: she has never been kissed, and she wants to keep it that way. Saving her first kiss for a ‘Prince’ who is worth it will be increasingly difficult, especially when Aurora is pushed into locking lips with Hayden as part of the school play.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book for many reasons, which will be explored presently. How to Keep a Boy from Kissing You by Tara Eglington is a young adult fiction that deals with realistic struggles that occur in high school, as well as concepts including romance and humour.

Firstly, I’d like to point out that the novel was incredibly realistic. I found the characters, environments and situations easy to relate to, and it also brought back many memories of my experiences in high school. The characters attend Jefferson High, which is fictional, but is located in Sydney, as Aurora mentions going to Taronga Zoo with Hayden. This is easy to imagine, as I have been there a couple of times.

In relation to realistic settings, the novel also explores contemporary issues, such as high school relationships and friendships, detentions and the loss of a parent. Aurora explains that her mother walked out on her and her dad one day, and emphasised the pain she felt. For example,

The camera lay in a drawer, unused, because Dad and I didn’t want any reminders of how we felt then — like zombies, going through the motions of living with dead eyes and locked hearts (p. 361).

                                           

The novel was light and flirty, but also dealt with deeper issues. This kept me interested, as it wasn’t just a typical high school story.

There was a lot of humour throughout the novel, especially from the class clown, Jeffrey. For example,

The room had had a makeover. The walls were now purple, and gold drapes fell from the ceiling and covered the windows. God knows how she’d got permission from the school board to turn the classroom into an oil sheik’s retreat.

‘Look at this place!’ Jeffrey ran into the centre of the room with Travis and Jesse following.

‘Feel the vibe, man!’ Travis twirled one of the drapes around himself.

‘Let’s get exotic!’ Jesse said.

Travis waggled his eyebrows. ‘Like those dancers we saw when we snuck into the club last week?’

‘Come join us, my beautiful woman!’ Jeffrey shimmied my way.

Obviously he was still under the impression that he and I were a possibility (p. 251).

                                    

Another example,

The rehearsal, in front of the whole school, was a nightmare. During the opening scene Byron, who was playing the messenger, forgot his lines and spent the rest of the scene hiding behind a tree (p. 277).

I really loved that Eglington incorporated Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing in the plot. Aurora decided to sign herself and her friends up as a form of distraction, which was a great idea. This play explores themes such as opposite genders, infidelity, deception and mistaken identity, which features in the novel’s overall plot.

                         

Obviously, my favourite character was Aurora. I really loved that she was so creative, compassionate, emotional and intelligent. She was relatable, especially as she was portrayed as a typical teenage girl with best friends and an annoying guy friend. One of my favourite quotes of hers:

I generally try not to think too much about my appearance — okay, that’s a bit of a lie. I’m a teenage girl… so a fair amount of my time is spent grooming and choosing outfits. But I like to focus on my inner self and improve what really — mind, heart and soul. What’s the point  of a fifty-dollar haircut on a fifty-cent head, right? (p. 8)

She has a Facebook page! Check it out!

Hayden and Jeffrey come in as my second and third favourite characters. Hayden is just like Aurora: sweet, passionate and smart. Jeffrey is just hilarious, so he takes the third spot.

My least favourite characters, in no particular order, are Alex, Jelena, Aurora’s mum and Ms DeForest. Alex was just a douche, Jelena was willing to trust rumours over her best friend, Aurora’s mum was negligent and cold, while Ms DeForest was just nasty. Here’s the proof:

Aurora: ‘…Shakespeare’s work is hardly fluff.’

Ms DeForest: ‘Well, you’re entitled to your opinion.’ Ms DeForest sniffed. ‘Not that I expected anything revolutionary from an overindulged teenager’ (p. 307).

        

I want to know why Aurora’s dad didn’t say anything. She was clearly criticising his ability to be a father. If I were him, I’d have kicked her to the curb then and there!

My favourite parts were whenever Aurora and Hayden interacted. They were just so adorable, especially when Hayden got on Aurora’s nerves and they would argue. It was just so funny and adorable. I also enjoyed reading about the characters in the play.

I will also be reviewing the next book, How to Convince a Boy to Kiss You. Keep an eye out for that!

Recommendation time! If you like “Eleanor and Park” and “Fangirl” by Rainbow Rowell, you will love this book. Also I recommend this book to anyone who likes “The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend” by Kody Keplinger, and “A Match Made in High School” by Kristin Walker.

Happy reading!

Buy the book: http://www.bookdepository.com/How-Keep-Boy-from-Kissing-You-Tara-Eglington/9780732295172

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Henry's Sisters - Cathy Lamb

Began reading: 16.6.2015
Completed reading: 5.7.2015
Overall rating: 3.8 stars

Isabelle Bommarito is part of an ‘insane’ family that has had its ups and downs since their father walked out on them. Her mother, River Bommarito, has summoned Isabelle and her sisters, Cecilia and Janie, home to care for their brother, Henry, and their grandmother, Stella, who thinks she’s Amelia Earhart. While River is recovering from open-heart surgery, the girls are forced to deal with their personal hardships, attacks and dangers, as well as run the family bakery. Things will take a downward spiral when an unexpected visitor from their past turns up at the bakery, and someone is admitted to hospital with fatal outcomes. The three girls must learn to get along and help each other in order to bring the family closer together.

Henry’s Sisters by Cathy Lamb is a contemporary, realistic women’s fiction novel that deals with family, strength and forgiveness. I loved this book! It was just so emotional — I cried so many times! I suggest you have tissues at the ready if you plan to read this novel.

                   

The novel was well-written, as I was able to picture Henry and Grandma running around on the lawn, sunshine filtering through the small and colourful bottles on the kitchen windowsill, and Isabelle riding her motorbike alongside the Columbia River.

I had so many favourite quotes from the novel. Some of them included:

The tears kept coming and I could feel the darkness, darkness so familiar to me, edging its way back in like a liquid nightmare (p. 22).

Trying to pull through the mass of your own emotions is like trying to pull a piece of yarn through a ball that’s all tangled up. It gets stuck, knotted, frayed, and the harder you pull it the harder the knot sticks (p. 216).

Sometimes, I think, we have to praise ourselves for simply functioning. Simply getting up to try out another day (p. 312).

I knew I had to be strong, but inside I felt like I was folding in on myself. I was devastated beyond devastated (p. 404).

                   

There was no romance in the plot AT ALL. I was a bit disappointed. I’m not a massive fan of romance, but a little bit is good. It would have been nice to know what happened to the sisters, in terms of relationships. Although there was no romance, there were other aspects of the plot that kept the story interesting. For example, humour. There was a lot of humour, especially during family dinners, but also from Grandma. Her belief that she was Amelia Earhart and that her prayers to God were doing nothing made me laugh so much. *WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER* Here is my favourite one:

‘Dear God, this is Amelia. I told you to heal my co-pilot. What are you, dumb? He’s still sick. What are you, deaf?’ She shouted that last part. ‘Get it right, God. Don’t screw up. What are you, blind? Amen’ (pp. 457-458).

There were some aspects of the plot that were relatable. These included Isabelle’s and River’s depression, Janie’s introversion and OCD tendencies, and Cecilia’s difficulties with her weight and anger. However, many of the hardships that occurred in the novel just seemed too unrealistic. This made it difficult for me to stay interested.

                                       

Isabelle Bommarito was the character that I related to most, as she came across as cold, cruel and irresponsible, but she was protective and caring. Henry was my second favourite because he was so innocent and brave:

He was completely unprepared for the shittiness of our childhood, for what had happened specifically to him, but unlike his sisters, he had learned to trust again. To hope. To reach out to others with innocence (p. 60).

Cecilia, on the other hand, was my least favourite character. She was just too aggressive, controlling and rude, as well as a hypocrite. I just didn’t like her at all.

                 

I loved reading about Henry and Grandma together; it was heart-warming. Towards the ending, this relationship becomes so emotional. I loved how Cathy Lamb created this relationship. It was just so beautiful!

Recommendation time! If you like “My Sister’s Keeper” by Jodi Picoult, or “Before I Fall” by Lauren Oliver, you will love this book. I also recommend this book to anyone who liked “If I Stay” and “Where She Went” by Gayle Foreman.

Happy reading!

Buy the book: http://www.bookdepository.com/Henrys-Sisters-Cathy-Lamb/9780749007874

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