Movie Review: The Fault in Our Stars

Romance

Premiere date: 6/6/2014
Date watched: 6/8/2014

The movie was alright, but I needed more Nat Wolff. HAHAHA!

I mean, can you blame me?

Uh-huh. Yep, Adorbs...

Oh yeah, the movie. I did cry while watching. Although, I cried a lot more when I watched the trailer than the actual movie. When I heard that TFiOS was gonna be made into a movie, I honestly thought that I was gonna cry until I faint. Not even kidding.

I haven't watched a book adapted movie that followed every single scene from the book. As much as I want the unabridged movie version of a book, there probably won't be. At least not in a 2-hour movie.
So, why would TFiOS be any different? Right?
Well I got my hopes up because maybe, just maybe, TFiOS will be the one movie that is exactly like the book. With John Green part of the production and all.
Of course, it wasn't.
At first I was disappointed because a friend who watched with me, but hasn't read the book told me that he didn't get why the book was so popular. I tried to persuade him into reading it and promised him that the book was so much more than what he just watched.
That alone clouded my judgment of the movie.

Overtime, I realized that the movie was actually close to perfect, despite the lack of important scenes like how they sold the swing set and the last words from the book "I do, Augustus. I do."

Oh, and I immensely enjoyed the soundtracks from the movie. My favorites are Not About Angels by Birdy, Boom Clap by Charli XCX and All I Want by Kodaline.

Cheers to the movie makers for not destroying the book!

Note to the future me:
To avoid any more disappointments, resist the urge to watch The Maze Runner in the cinema. Even it means resisting Dylan O'Bryan.

Movie soundtrack: All of the Stars by Ed Sheeran

Rating: 5/5 hearts.

Review: Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

Contemporary Romance

Get the book here: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Check it out on Goodreads!

Blurb:

The Pre-Sloane Emily didn't go to parties, she barely talked to guys, she didn't do anything crazy. Enter Sloane, social tornado and the best kind of best friend—the one who yanks you out of your shell.But right before what should have been an epic summer, Sloane just... disappears. No note. No calls. No texts. No Sloane. There’s just a random to-do list. On it, thirteen Sloane-selected-definitely-bizarre-tasks that Emily would never try... unless they could lead back to her best friend. Apple Picking at Night? Ok, easy enough. Dance until Dawn? Sure. Why not? Kiss a Stranger? Wait... what?

Getting through Sloane’s list would mean a lot of firsts. But Emily has this whole unexpected summer ahead of her, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected) to check things off. Who knows what she’ll find?

Go Skinny Dipping? Um...

My thoughts (spoiler-free):

I totally loved this book! The first few chapters were kinda slow, but halfway through I was already engrossed in the story. 

Since this was my first Morgan Matson book, I didn't know what to expect. This book went beyond my expectations.

The story was about a 'wallflower' named Emily, she had an outgoing life-of-the-party best friend named Sloane. One day Sloane just disappeared, but she left her a to-do list for the summer. And everything just beautifully falls into place.

I thought that the transition between 'tasks' will end up being jumpy and that the tasks have no relation to each other, but it was flawless. 

Emily and I literally have the same anxiety level. This book made me want to be more daring and brave. 

It was overall a nice summer read! :)

Rating: 5/5 hearts

Review: Midnight Star by Danielle Ward

Fantasy, Romance & Mythology

Get the book here: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

Check it out on Goodreads!

Blurb:

Vegas Hart is walking a thin line between fact and fiction, only she doesn't know it yet. A star-gazing freak, musician and songwriter, a typical day in Vegas' life revolves around her music, her perfect boyfriend, Gage and trying hard not to take her mother's lack of parenting skills personally. But when a sexy professor subs for her astronomy class, the facts of Vegas' life turn into a twisted work of fiction, as sultry visions of him and her lead her to uncover she's not who she thought she was...not even close.

Vegas is forced to embrace her hidden identity as the physical embodiment of the Vega star, an immortal constellation and granddaughter of the gods. And although that would have been spectacular, especially considering that totally explained why she'd always felt spiritually connected to the stars, she discovers her destiny is to imprison a sinister predator threatening the immortal family she never knew existed.

If that isn't enough, add in an undying and passionate past love that threatens her current relationship, a serious bout with memory loss, three wicked sisters spinning a future Vegas yearns to change, and a moody Oracle and you've got a twisted romantic tale of epic proportions. In order to save her family, Vegas must accept her divinity and make gut-wrenching sacrifices that leave her questioning everything she's ever known.

My thoughts (spoiler-free):

This book was given to me by the author for a "Read-to-Review".
This hasn't affected my review in any way. 

Mythology is one of my favorite things in the world. Not that big into constellations though.

But this book made me want to know more about constellations and galaxies.

Oh yeah, this book has a Love Triangle. DUN DUN DUN!

Now, now. Before you get discouraged, hear me out first.

Up until this book, I thought ALL love triangles were unnecessary. That it was just to make the MC (Main Character) suffer. But Midnight Star proved me wrong. This book actually needed the love triangle to make the whole thing work.

Unbelievable, right? 

Read it to believe it. haha! :P

I loved Vegas as a character. She was always so determined and strong-willed despite the struggles, not to mention the freaking memory loss she experienced.

I mentioned that there was a love triangle, right? And what "team" am I? 

I'm rooting for Leo, although I really liked Gage. Yes, Vegas will be loved either way. The problem is, she can't choose. And I quote "I cannot choose between my soul and my heart."

What will you do if you were to choose between two perfect- and I mean really perfect- guys?

I honestly don't know either. I am quite fickle, unfortunately.

The writing was poetic and structured. Danielle Ward did an awesome job integrating humor, fantasy, drama and romance into one book.

Rating: 4.5/5 hearts

About the Author

Danielle is a National Board Certified teacher who does what she loves. She reads obsessively, writes constantly, and hangs out with teenagers to get great ideas for her books (under the guise of being their English teacher). She has a degree in English and Technical Writing and a Masters in Teaching, but all she ever really wanted to be was a writer…and maybe the person who gets to create cool names for Cabbage Patch Kids. She lives in Kentucky with her husband, two sons, two leopard geckos, six beagles, one cat, one corn snake, and a mouse that recently escaped its cage!

You can find out more about Danielle here:

Her Website      Goodreads      
Twitter             Smashwords

Review: Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare for Everyone Else #1) by C.E. Wilson

Drama, Romance

Get the book here: Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

Blurb:

Shakespeare’s work features some of the most memorable stories and characters ever created, yet for too many curious readers the combination of ultra-dense dialogue and unfamiliar historical settings make tackling the Bard’s work something between a tedious chore and a confusing mess of bird-bolts and quondam carpet-mongers.

While it’s nearly impossible to replicate or improve on these works, it is (thanks to their timeless nature) possible to make them more accessible to a wider audience.
In this Young Adult retelling of one of William Shakespeare’s most iconic plays, join C.E. Wilson as she breathes new life into Much Ado About Nothing, the first in her series 
Shakespeare for Everyone Else.

Two couples.
Clark and Heaven.
Beatriz and Bennett.

After years of friendship Clark decides that his senior year is the time to finally profess his love to his long-time crush Heaven; a sweet and simple girl who her father knows to be loyal, trustworthy and caring. She returns Clark’s love because, like him, she has also seen her feelings blossom over time. Theirs is a cute love that differs a bit from the other couple in the play.

Beatriz and Bennett at first glance seem to want nothing to do with the other. Every conversation, every remark is a withering attack which reveals their lost history and similarities. It’s not long before their friends hatch a plan to set them up because everyone is convinced they still love and care for one another. Will either of them be able to resist the strong attraction between them?
As these two couples try to make it through their senior year, their friend Donnie does what he can to keep the group happy. The problem lies in Donnie’s half-brother Jason who wants nothing more than to spoil the fun – even at the cost of Heaven’s reputation.

When both couples are pushed to the limits, whose love will endure?
Find out in this modern retelling of Shakespeare’s memorable play Much Ado About Nothing.

My thoughts (spoiler-free):

This book was given to me by the author for a "Read-to-Review".
This hasn't affected my review in any way. 

Much Ado About Nothing is the first book of the Shakespeare for Everyone Else series.

I'm not a Shakespeare fan, or any classics, really. I prefer to read modern retellings or watch the movie/TV series/web series. 

So, this is a perfect book for me.

I won't be comparing this version to the original story, because I've never read Shakespeare's original one. Instead, I will be reviewing this book solely on what I've read.

Two words to describe this book?

High school.

High school at it's finest.

All the gossips and schemes are spot on. Everything about this book is relatable to the teens in this generation.

It was fast paced and direct to the point, which I loved.

Although, it was too short for my liking, I found myself wanting more. There were characters with full of personality (Bennett and Beatriz) while others lacked. I had to differentiate Sola between Meagan, at times.

I had fun reading this version. Looking forward to the second book of the series, Othello.

Rating: 4/5 hearts

About the Author

C.E. Wilson is currently living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband and her two dogs and two cats. They are all the loves of her life. When she’s not writing young adult fantasy novels, she enjoys writing short stories on her Deviant Art page. She loves to write stories involving giants and little people (also known as GT) and she can't decide what she loves more: horror movies or shoujo manga. On a side note, nothing helps her to write more than drinking some tea and watching The Twilight Zone.

You can find out more about C.E. Wilson here:

Blogspot       Goodreads        Deviant Art

Twitter        Smashwords      Facebook

Review: To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Romance

Get the book here: Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

Blurb:

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

My thoughts (spoiler-free):

The Song girls reminded me of these girls: 

Yep, Margo, Edith and Agnes from the movie Despicable Me. HAHA :)

They do have quite a lot similarities, if you think about it.

Especially Margo and Margot, since they're both the eldest, they act like the mother for their siblings, they may be overprotective at times, but you can clearly see the love between them.

If Lara Jean is a real person, she would most likely be my twin. 

If I were to write a letter to every boy I loved (well not loved, more like a hardcore crush), it would take a looooooong time to finish.

Actually, me and my best friend Andrea is considering to write these kind of letters. We'll see how this turns out. :)

My Theme Song: Why don't you love me? by Hot Chelle Rae feat. Demi Lovato

Rating: 5/5 hearts

Review: Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender

Horror & Romance

Get the book here: Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

Blurb:

Alexis thought she led a typically dysfunctional high school existence. 
Dysfunctional like her parents' marriage; her doll-crazy twelve-year-old sister, Kasey; and even her own anti-social, anti-cheerleader attitude. When a family fight results in some tearful sisterly bonding, Alexis realizes that her life is creeping from dysfunction into danger. Kasey is acting stranger than ever: her blue eyes go green sometimes; she uses old-fashioned language; and she even loses track of chunks of time, claiming to know nothing about her strange behavior. Their old house is changing, too. Doors open and close by themselves; water boils on the unlit stove; and an unplugged air conditioner turns the house cold enough to see their breath in.

Alexis wants to think that it's all in her head, but soon, what she liked to think of as silly parlor tricks are becoming life-threatening--to her, her family, and to her budding relationship with the class president. Alexis knows she's the only person who can stop Kasey -- but what if that green-eyed girl isn't even Kasey anymore? 

My thoughts (spoiler-free):

Horror-Romance. I didn't think it was possible for me to like this combination. You see, I cower easily. I may not have nightmares from scary books and movies, but I do get really paranoid. I am absolutely terrified of dolls. (I only owned 2 dolls in my lifetime) So I was reluctant to read this, but my curiosity of why the book had high ratings and good feedbacks won over my fear of dolls, so I finally decided to read it.

I don't really consider this book a horror story, but it was definitely creepy. I just felt like it was watered down for young readers. The horror factor was like R.L. Stine's Goosebumps series. 

The romantic part was cute, the way Katie Alender mixed romance and horror was impressive.

Rating: 4/5 hearts

Movie review: Divergent

Dystopian, Romance & Action

Premiere date: 3/21/2014
Date watched: 3/23/2014

Oh my gosh. The movie was so good. Of course, there were scenes from the book that weren't included, but almost every scene was exactly as I imagined. I even got goosebumps while watching. So, it was all good.

I cried at the part where Tris tried the zip line for the first time. "Why?" You ask? 
Remember Four/Tobias zip lining in the last few pages of Allegiant? Yep, that's why. 

It was suddenly like:

The people sitting to my right (who haven't read the books) looked at me funny.

Here's the thing about watching 'book-turned-movie' movies. Let me 'paint the picture' for you.
Say, you've read the whole Harry Potter series, but never watched the movies. You're watching The Sorcerer's Stone for the first time and it's in the scene where Severus Snape first appears. Then you suddenly remember the "Always" scene in the 7th book. Instead of getting mad at Snape for being downright mean to Harry, like all the people who haven't read the series, you feel all the feels from the last book.
It's inevitable, I tell you.

Anyway, it was weird seeing Ansel as Caleb and Shailene as Tris being siblings. With the TFIOS movie and all.

Oh, and I just knew that Tobias is pronounced "Touh-by-as" and not "Touh-bee-as". I've been reading and pronouncing it wrong. *facepalm*

Movie soundtrack: Beating Heart by Ellie Goulding

Rating: 5/5 hearts.

Review: Reclaiming the Sand by A. Meredith Walters

Contemporary Romance

Get the book here: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Blurb:

Bully and victim. Tormenter and tormented. Villain and hero.

Ellie McCallum was a bully. No connection to anyone or anything. A sad and lonely existence for a young woman who had come to expect nothing more for herself. Her only happiness coming from making others miserable.

Particularly Freaky Flynn.

Flynn Hendrick lived a life completely disconnected even as he struggled to become something more than that boy with Asperger's. He was taunted and teased, bearing the brunt of systematic and calculated cruelty, ultimately culminating in a catastrophic turn of events that brought Ellie and Flynn’s worlds crashing down.

But then Flynn and Ellie grew up.

And moved on.

Until years later when their paths unexpectedly cross again and the bully and the freak are face to face once more.

When labels come to define you, finding yourself feels impossible. Particularly for two people disconnected from the world who inexplicably find a connection in each other.

And out of the wreckage of their tragic beginnings, an unlikely love story unfolds.

But a painful past doesn’t always want to let go. And old wounds are never truly healed…and sometimes the further you try to run from yourself the closer you come to who you really are.

My Thoughts (spoiler-free):

The story was alternatively narrated by Ellie and Flynn.

Flynn has Asperger's syndrome*, which makes him the 'freak' in school.
Enter Ellie, the bully. She made Flynn's life a lot harder than it already was.
Although Ellie was Flynn's personal hell, he still liked her.

It was heartbreaking to read Flynn's POV. It's like: *stab* *twist* *twist* every freaking time!
Story time.
When I was in High school (Middle school for Americans), everyone in our section (incuding me) will tease a certain guy until he cries and gets angry. It even got to the point where all of us were called to the guidance counselor and his mother transferred him to another school. I don't know if he had Asperger's or maybe something else, but he was definitely mentally challenged. And reading this story reminded me of the times we treated him like crap and it also made me think how horrible he must have felt. We were on a Christian school, mind you.

My Theme Song: Bad Guy by Meghan Tonjes

Rating: 5/5 hearts 

*Asperger syndrome is a form of autism, which is a lifelong disability that affects how a person makes sense of the world, processes information and relates to other people. They usually have difficulties in social communication, social interaction and social imagination. 
Source: http://www.autism.org.uk/

Review: All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

Mystery, Romance & Sci-fi

Get the book here: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Blurb:

What would you change?

Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain. Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present— imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside. 

Marina has loved her best friend, James, since they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it... at least, not as the girl she once was. 

Em and Marina are in a race against time that only one of them can win. 

All Our Yesterdays is a wrenching, brilliantly plotted story of fierce love, unthinkable sacrifice, and the infinite implications of our every choice.

My Thoughts (spoiler-free):

The story is told by alternating perspectives of Em and Marina.

It is fast-paced, but it took me awhile to take in all the details.

What I loved about this book:

• The emotion seeping through the pages, especially Em's. I got so attached to Em.
• This book really makes you think, not just because it's sci-fi. 

I was about a quarter in when I started to understand what was happening.

I'm the kind of reader who tries to figure out the plot twists, I end up overhypothesizing.

So, everytime I read mystery books, I get so suspicious over everything.

I can imagine Cristin Terrill just laughing at my reactions.

My Theme song: Mirror by Kat Dahlia

Rating: 4.5/5 hearts