Book Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Charlie is a freshman. And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it. Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But Charlie can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

Wow talk about an emotional book. I don’t even know what to say. I feel like my experience reading this is so personal that it’s hard to review it. The way Perks is written is genius. They whole book consists of letters from Charlie to an anonymous person for both you and Charlie. Because it is written in this format you feel like Charlie is writing to you. It makes it seem that you are part of his life; you are his friend, his confidant, his shoulder to cry on, and his soundboard. You are his lifeline. And to dissect this book for you seems like betraying a friendship. Like Charlie might read it and get mad at me for exposing his secrets, but I will do my best. 

The letters start at the beginning of Charlie’s freshman year of High School, naturally he has some apprehensions. As you continue to read his letters you start to learn about his personality and discover that he is painfully shy, overly perceptive, and incredibly smart. There is also something wrong, but not outwardly so, it’s something just out of reach for the reader to grasp. 

Charlie talks about his friendships and family relationships. He makes new friends, seniors Patrick and Sam, who in their own way teach Charlie how to be more social. They let him into their world (which is not always a good thing), but they are really the first people to accept Charlie for Charlie. Through Patrick and Sam, Charlie is exposed to all sorts of new people and experiences that shape and mold him. Charlie also talks about his family and their dynamic. It is not that different from what a typical family appears to be, but there are some problems that he works through in the letters. 

The end of the book is heartbreaking. I won’t tell you what it is for two reasons, first I don’t want to ruin the book, and second it still feels too personal to share. I strongly recommend people read this book. If you are anything like me you will cherish it like I did. I am looking forward to watching the movie to see if it has the same effect on me. I hope it does. It is not every day you can read a book that affects you the way this one will. I would recommend reading it when you are in the right mind set. This is not a beach read. This is a rainy day read. 

5 Bards

Waiting on Wednesday

Every week Breaking the Spine hosts the bookish meme for book bloggers to share what books they are waiting on to be released!  This week I'm waiting on: 

Release Date: June 11, 2013 

Elissa used to have it all: looks, popularity, and a bright future. But for the last three years, she’s been struggling with terrifying visions, phantom pains, and mysterious bruises that appear out of nowhere. 

Finally, she’s promised a cure: minor surgery to burn out the overactive area of her brain. But on the eve of the procedure, she discovers the shocking truth behind her hallucinations: she’s been seeing the world through another girl’s eyes. 

Elissa follows her visions, and finds a battered, broken girl on the run. A girl—Lin—who looks exactly like Elissa, down to the matching bruises. The twin sister she never knew existed. 

Now, Elissa and Lin are on the run from a government who will stop at nothing to reclaim Lin and protect the dangerous secrets she could expose—secrets that would shake the very foundation of their world.

Top Ten Tuesday!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted for us book blogger types by the Broke and the Bookish.  They provide a topic, and all of us participants post our answers on our blogs and we hop around checking out one another's answers! This week's topic is: 

Top Ten Books Dealing With Tough Subjects

1. If You Find Me - Emily Murdoch
Subject: Abandonment, Sexual Abuse, 6 Stages of Grief, Adaptation

2. Wintergirls - Laurie Halse Anderson
Subject: Eating Disorders, Anorexia, Death

3. Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson
Subject: Rape, Selective Mutism, Mental Abuse

4. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
Subject: The Holocaust, Death, Racism, Genocide

5. The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky
Subject: Rape, Abortion, Homosexuality, Drugs



6. Life is But a Dream - Brian Jones
Subject: Schizophrenia, Mental Illness, Medication 

7. Beneath a Meth Moon - Jacqueline Woodson
Subject: Addiction


8. The Probability of Miracles - Wendy Wunder
Subject: Cancer, Death, Love

9. The Virgin Suicides - Jeffrey Eugenides
Subject: Suicide, Depression, Isolation, Death

10. Stolen - Lucy Christopher
Subject: Kidnapping, Stockholm Syndrome, Isolation


What books do you consider the best at handling tough subjects? 

Book Review: Unbreakable by Elizabeth Norris

Four months after Ben disappeared through the portal to his home universe, Janelle believes she’ll never see him again. Her world is still devastated, but life is finally starting to resume some kind of normalcy. Until Interverse Agent Taylor Barclay shows up. Somebody from an alternate universe is running a human trafficking ring, kidnapping people and selling them on different Earths—and Ben is the prime suspect. Now his family has been imprisoned and will be executed if Ben doesn’t turn himself over within five days. 

And when Janelle learns that someone she cares about—someone from her own world—has become one of the missing, she knows that she has to help Barclay, regardless of the danger. Now Janelle has five days to track down the real culprit. Five days to locate the missing people before they’re lost forever. Five days to reunite with the boy who stole her heart. But as the clues begin to add up, Janelle realizes that she’s in way over her head—and that she may not have known Ben as well as she thought. Can she uncover the truth before everyone she cares about is killed?

Be sure to check out the review of Unraveling.

Unbreakable picks up where Unraveling leaves off. The world is still a mess, Ben is still gone, and Janelle is Janelle. The tone of this book was different from the last. It was overall depressing. Janelle was so down and out throughout the whole book. And to some extent that is justifiable. The world quite literally fell apart. The “Love of her Life” (as much as a 16 year old can have a love of their life) is gone with no sign of coming back. Her family and friends are dead. It’s a depressing time period. But she keeps harping on it, like throughout the whole book. Lighten up, Aliens exist dude. 

Anyway, Janelle is once again the only person who can save the world. And while I enjoyed the otherworldly concepts in the first book it became a little redundant in this book. I would have liked for the author to delve into the other Earths more. Tell us what they were like. Instead the scenery aspect was just glossed over. Or maybe introduce new characters or ideas into the main plot. I don’t want to make it seem like I didn’t enjoy reading the book, I did. There just was nothing new. I personally would have enjoyed a love story involving Struz. Or Janelle, Barclay, Ben love triangle???? I actually thought that’s what was going to happen at first but the relationship between Janelle and Barclay never developed. 

I liked Cecily, a lot. She was a breath of fresh air, a light in the dark as they say. I also liked how Elijah became more likeable. But those two characters cannot carry a 500 page book. I missed humor. Even with the saddest of books there should be some levity in them. Anyway, I thought the book was ok. Not great, and not as good as the first but not the worst thing I have ever read. 

2.5 Bards.

This review submitted to A Midsummer Night's Read by Missy

Book Review: The Girl with the Iron Touch by Kady Cross

In 1897 London, something not quite human is about to awaken.
  
When mechanical genius Emily is kidnapped by rogue automatons, Finley Jayne and her fellow misfits fear the worst. What's left of their archenemy, The Machinist, hungers to be resurrected, and Emily must transplant his consciousness into one of his automatons—or forfeit her friends' lives. 

With Griffin being mysteriously tormented by the Aether, the young duke's sanity is close to the breaking point. Seeking help, Finley turns to Jack Dandy, but trusting the master criminal is as dangerous as controlling her dark side. When Jack kisses her, Finley must finally confront her true feelings for him...and for Griffin.  

Meanwhile, Sam is searching everywhere for Emily, from Whitechapel's desolate alleyways to Mayfair's elegant mansions. He would walk into hell for her, but the choice she must make will test them more than they could imagine. 

To save those she cares about, Emily must confront The Machinist's ultimate creation—an automaton more human than machine. And if she's to have any chance at triumphing, she must summon a strength even she doesn't know she has....

Release Date: May 28, 2013

A big fan of Kady Cross' Steampunk Chronicles too? Check out my review of The Girl in the Clockwork Collar and my Author Spotlight with Kady! 

I cannot get enough of this series.  I don't know if it is the steampunk, the Victorian setting, the delicious romance between the characters, or Cross' wonderful writing that keeps me so addicted.  Actually, it is most likely all of the above, with a little bit of cover love thrown in.  

While I enjoyed the New York setting in the previous installment, nothing can beat Cross' depiction of Victorian London.  Her descriptions are so eloquent and not only sets the physicality of the scene, but also the tone. 

I'm also really enjoying Cross' decision to keep the narrative between two main narrators.  Each book has featured Finley as the main and consistent voice that the reader connects with, but in Iron Touch the reader really gets to know the heart of Emily.  Not only can she communicate with machines, but she empathizes with their plight and understands that they are merely programmed for certain action (Well, maybe minus one or two). 

Sam and Emily finally make more progress in their relationship emotion-wise, and the three words are spoken!  But not without some complications of course.  Finley and Griffin.  Oh, Griffin! What trauma you were put through in this novel!  Huge bounds and leaps are made in the relationship between the two of them.  But again, not without complications *Cough* Jack Dandy *Cough*

Speak of the devil, I sorely missed the trickster Jack Dandy in Clockwork Collar, so having him become a much more active player in the plot was welcome and enjoyable.  

I have to say that this is a series I never want to end. I will be waiting (somewhat patiently) for the next installment! 

5 Bards 

Waiting On Wednesday

Every week Breaking the Spine hosts the bookish meme for book bloggers to share what books they are waiting on to be released!  This week I'm waiting on: 

Release Date: June 25, 2013

They hear the most silent of footsteps. They are faster than anything you've ever seen. And They won't stop chasing you...until you are dead.

Amy is watching TV when it happens, when the world is attacked by Them. These vile creatures are rapidly devouring mankind. Most of the population is overtaken, but Amy manages to escape—and even rescue “Baby,” a toddler left behind in the chaos. Marooned in Amy’s house, the girls do everything they can to survive—and avoid Them at all costs.

After years of hiding, they are miraculously rescued and taken to New Hope, a colony of survivors living in a former government research compound. While at first the colony seems like a dream with plenty of food, safety, and shelter, New Hope slowly reveals that it is far from ideal. And Amy soon realizes that unless things change, she’ll lose Baby—and much more.

Top Ten Tuesday!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted for us book blogger types bythe Broke and the Bookish.  They provide a topic, and all of us participants post our answers on our blogs and we hop around checking out one another's answers! This week's topic is: 

Top Ten Books When You Need Something Light and Fun

1. Chelsea Handler: Chelsea, Chelsea, Bang, Bang; Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea; My Horizontal Life ---If you haven't read these books, then you really need to pick up a copy of each.  They really make me laugh and always put me in a great mood! 


2. Secret Diary of a Call Girl:  Most definitely not suited for anyone under the age of 18, but that is up to you.  Not only was this made into a sassy and hilarious television show, but the book is very enjoyable.  

3. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: I think this one is self-explanatory :-)

4. Sookie Stackhouse Novels: Why? Well, why not?  Again, these are books that include some adult themes, but they really hit the spot when you need to read a book that doesn't require a whole lot of thought.  Although I will say that there is a significant amount of confusion that can come out of it if you aren't paying attention to the details. 

5. Jessica Darling Novels by Megan McCafferty: These are some of my favorite books to turn to when I'm having trouble dealing with depressing dystopians or outrageous paranormals.  In fact, these books are always a light at the end of the tunnel. 

6. Annotated Fairy Tales by Maria Tatar: Again, I feel like this is self explanatory.  Nothing suits for some light reading like the stories you grew up with. 


7. Dr. Suess books: Again, is it wrong to turn to childhood favorites? 

8. The Princess Bride by William Goldman: This book is incredibly entertaining and hilarious. 

9. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams: So long and thanks for all the fish....


10. Sarah Dessen's The Truth About Forever: This novel is full of emotional stuff, but for some reason it is one of my go-tos to put me in a better mood.  I think its because I know what to expect out of it, but I think the other part is just because I really love the story. 


What are some of your lighthearted reads? 

Book Review: Insignia by S.J. Kincaid

More than anything, Tom Raines wants to be important, though his shadowy life is anything but that. For years, Tom’s drifted from casino to casino with his unlucky gambler of a dad, gaming for their survival. Keeping a roof over their heads depends on a careful combination of skill, luck, con artistry, and staying invisible. 

Then one day, Tom stops being invisible. Someone’s been watching his virtual-reality prowess, and he’s offered the incredible—a place at the Pentagonal Spire, an elite military academy. There, Tom’s instincts for combat will be put to the test, and if he passes, he’ll become a member of the Intrasolar Forces, helping to lead his country to victory in World War Three. Finally, he’ll be someone important: a superhuman war machine with the tech skills that every virtual-reality warrior dreams of. Life at the Spire holds everything that Tom’s always wanted—friends, the possibility of a girlfriend, and a life where his every action matters—but what will it cost him?

When I finished this book my first reaction was “awww this book is cute”. The last time I read a book about a young boy it was Harry Potter. And while this one has some similarities, boy from a broken home gets a new chance at life and makes friends for the first time ect. This book does not involve Magic. But it is magic. The writing is wonderful. I laughed out loud multiple times and thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. 

Tom, the protagonist, is 14 and really good at video games. He gets recruited by the military to be part of a super-secret training program that basically puts a computer in the kid’s brains. This makes them smart, like they can learn a new language in 10 minutes smart. The end goal is to become an elite soldier that represents the Indo-Americans in the war in space, and to get a cool call sign (think Top Gun). 

The plot itself was witty and smart. In fact some of the technical terms went over my head. But they were not that important to the story so it was ok. I really like that we got the backstory as to why the world fell to pieces during the kid’s history lesson. That was a clever way to explain the collapse of society. I also thought I was neat the story was set some years after the collapse and not during it. That way you don’t have to deal with the drama of the fall out. 

As I mentioned the book has some really funny parts in it. It represented the ages of the characters really well. I mean, you expect a bunch of 14-year-old's to get into shenanigans. And they do, but because they are super smart now they are more sophisticated than whoopee cushion jokes. The book is well balanced though, there is laughter but the characters also deal with hard situations. The author did a phenomenal job at making sure the characters stayed true to their age in dealing with all situations. This is a great read. It was captivating, funny, smart, and an all-around good book. 

4.5 Bards

This review was submitted to A Midsummer Night's Read by Missy

Waiting On Wednesday

Every week Breaking the Spine hosts the bookish meme for book bloggers to share what books they are waiting on to be released!  This week I'm waiting on: 

Release Date: June 11, 2013

Andrew Winston Winters is at war with himself. 

He’s part Win, the lonely teenager exiled to a remote Vermont boarding school in the wake of a family tragedy. The guy who shuts all his classmates out, no matter the cost. 

But he’s also part Drew, the angry young boy with violent impulses that control him. The boy who spent a fateful summer with his brother and teenage cousins, only to endure a family secret so painful it led three children to do the unthinkable. 

Over the course of one night, while stuck at a party deep in the New England woods, Andrew battles the pain of his past and the isolation of his present. Before the sun rises, he’ll either surrender his sanity to the wild thoughts inside his mind or learn that surviving can mean more than not dying.

Top Ten Tuesday!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted for us book blogger types bythe Broke and the Bookish.  They provide a topic, and all of us participants post our answers on our blogs and we hop around checking out one another's answers! This week's topic is: 

Top Ten Worlds/Topics that make me Instantly Buy/Pick Up a Book

1. Alice in Wonderland

2. Asylums



3. Dystopias





4. Fairy Tales




5. Victorian England

6. Serial Killers

7. The Twenties in America

8. Angels & Demons

9. Early 20th Century America/England

10. Steampunk


What are some of your favorite topics/worlds?!