The Six Rules of Maybe by Deb Caletti

Genre: teen social issues
Series and Book #: none
Pages: 321
Synopsis: I thought it had worked for me, looking after everyone else. But it didn't. Not anymore.

Scarlet spends most of her time worrying about other people. Some are her friends, others are practically strangers, and then there are the ones no one else even notices. Trying to fix their lives comes naturally to her. And pushing her own needs to the side is part of the deal.
So when her older sister comes home unexpectedly married and pregnant, Scarlet has a new person to worry about. But all of her good intentions are shattered when the unthinkable happens: She falls for her sister's husband. For the first time in a long time, Scarlet's not fixing a problem, she's at the center of one. And ignoring her feelings doesn't seem to be an option....

~~

"When someone gave you everything and it still was not enough, when you made them prove and prove their love again, you were the evil witch of fairy tales; you had snakes for hair and a small stone heart."

-Scarlet, The Six Rules of Maybe, page 57

This was a good book, but it was a little too profound. Scarlet had a lot of, "Oh my gosh, I think I understand the universe" moments. One or two epiphanies would have been enough, but with each chapter, there came a new one. And it took up most of the space. Caletti was detailed in her writing, overly so in some areas, which had me struggling through the book and zoning in and out of attention.

Scarlet was a nice character, who did learn that being overly nice all the time doesn't work. At least, not for all people. Towards the end, when she finally understood her sister Juliet, you could see her take charge with Juliet's help, and you can see her overcome her love for Hayden (Juliet's husband).

Overall, it was a very nice novel towards the end. The details in parts were overwhelming and unnecessary. The profound moments happened a little too often I thought. But some were inspirational. Some of the novel really made you think. I loved Scarlet's character development, and the cast of characters around her. The writing may have been a little sketchy, but the plot and the characters made up for it.

The Cover: I love the openness of the cover. The vastness of the ocean really makes the word "maybe" into this huge possibility of things. I love the summer background, too: I've missed the sun!

Hunger Games MOVIE News (Take Two)

Last time, I mentioned that Katniss Everdeen of the amazing Hunger Games Trilogy would be played by the lovely Jennifer Lawrence of Winter's Bone:

And the two hot boys who vie for Katniss's attentions have been cast too. Peeta will be played by Josh Hutcherson of a lot of movies:

And Gale will be played by Liam Hemsworth of Last Song:

My opinion? I have high hopes for Jennifer Lawrence. Josh Hutcherson is not really what I saw Peeta as, but...I guess in a way I could see him playing the part. And Liam Hemsworth, I think, will be a perfectly fine Gale although in Last Song he was a gentle person and Gale is not-so-gentle.

I'm crossing my fingers, hoping that they'll play the characters well!

Releases: Plague by Michael Grant, Red Glove by Holly Black and...CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS BY CASSANDRA CLARE!

It's been eight months since all the adults disappeared. Gone.
They've survived hunger. They've survived lies. But the stakes keep rising, and the dystopian horror keeps building. Yet despite the simmering unrest left behind by so many battles, power struggles, and angry divides, there is a momentary calm in Perdido Beach.
But enemies in the FAYZ don't just fade away, and in the quiet, deadly things are stirring, mutating, and finding their way free. The Darkness has found its way into the mind of its Nemesis at last and is controlling it through a haze of delirium and confusion. A highly contagious, fatal illness spreads at an alarming rate. Sinister, predatory insects terrorize Perdido Beach. And Sam, Astrid, Diana, and Caine are plagued by a growing doubt that they'll escape—or even survive—life in the FAYZ. With so much turmoil surrounding them, what desperate choices will they make when it comes to saving themselves and those they love?

Curses and cons. Magic and the mob. In Cassel Sharpe's world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth—he’s the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything—or anyone—into something else.
That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she's human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila's been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion worker mom. And if Lila's love is as phony as Cassel's made-up memories, then he can't believe anything she says or does.
When Cassel's oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue—crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too—they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. But where can he turn when he can't trust anyone—least of all, himself?

Who will be tempted by darkness? Who will fall in love, and who will find their relationship torn apart? And who will betray everything they ever believed in?

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge.

In the heart-pounding fourth installment of the Mortal Instruments series, the stakes are higher than ever. [They remain elusive as ever]

~~

Three amazing sequels--in just one day! First, we have the fourth installment in the GONE Series by Michael Grant, creepy novels where teenagers are alone in a zone called the FAYZ and develop superhuman powers that they need to use to get out and back to the adults. The sequel to White Cat by Holly Black (which I haven't read), and the highly anticipated fourth installment in the amazing Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare, City of Fallen Angels, where Clary and Jace fight against demons and dark magic while also falling in love. LOVE THEM ALL! I've preordered C of FA, and I'll be sitting on my porch step waiting for the box from Amazon. EEP! I JUST CAN'T WAIT!

Daily Dose (16)

Daily Dose is a meme hosted by Good Golly Miss Holly where we share photos that we love.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (16)

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey where we share what books we've read, what we're currently reading, and what we're hoping to read. I got a lot of books from the library this week and I borrowed three books. So much to read, so little time.

Read:

Stolen by Lucy Christopher

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J. K. Rowling

Choker by Elizabeth Woods

Reading:

The Six Rules of Maybe by Deb Caletti

All We Know of Heaven: A Novel by Jacquelyn Mitchard

To Read:

Kiss Me, Kill Me by Lauren Henderson

Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright and David Leslie Johnson

Choker by Elizabeth Woods

Genre: teen social issues and mystery
Series and Book #: none
Pages: 233
Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Cara Lange has been a loner since she moved away from her best and only friend, Zoe, years ago. She eats lunch with the other girls from the track team and tries to avoid the popular girls who, after an embarrassing incident in the cafeteria, endlessly torture her, calling her Choker. But mostly she spends her time watching Ethan Gray from a distance, wishing she would finally notice her.

Then one day Cara comes home to find Zoe waiting for her. Zoe's on the run from problems at home, and Cara agrees to help her hide. With her best friend back, Cara's life changes overnight. Zoe gives her a new look and new confidence, and the next thing she knows, she's getting invited to parties and flirting with Ethan. Best of all, she can talk about everything with her BFF.

But just as quickly as Cara's life came together, it starts to unravel. A girl goes missing in her town, and everyone is a suspect--including Ethan. Worse still, Zoe starts behaving strangely, and Cara begins to wonder what exactly her friend does all day while Cara's at school. You're supposed to trust your best friend no matter what...but what if she turns into a total stranger?
~~

I love these types of mysteries. A psychopath who doesn't know what she's doing, it keeps me up at night! Even though Choker's a fast read, it had the thrills and chills that any murder mystery should.

For a debut novel, this was amazing. I didn't really like the beginning--I thought Cara's voice was very childish and that everything went by so fast. But as the story progressed, and Zoe's mood swings became more prominent, it slowed to a comfortable pace.

Cara was an okay MC. She was naive when it came to Zoe, and she didn't stand strong when she wanted Zoe to do something. She also tried so hard to fit in that she lost herself personality-wise. But you could see her true self come out more an more as she delved deeper into the mystery of Sydney's death and Alexis's kidnapping and what Zoe did during the day. I also loved Woods's writing--it wasn't heavy with fluff, but it had a nice balance of descriptions and simplicity.

Overall, Choker was a heart-pounding read that literally kept me up at night. The creepiness surrounding Zoe at points was alarming and exciting all at once. The ending was by far stop-in-your-tracks-whoa. Loved it! I'll be reading more of Woods in the future.

The Cover: Gorgeous. The light pink, curly letters with the rose, and woodsy border was enchanting. It doesn't look like a murder mystery, but it definitely gets your attention with the title.

Stolen by Lucy Christopher

Genre: teen social issues
Series and Book #: none
Pages: 299
Synopsis: You saw me before I saw you. A girl: Gemma, at the airport, on her way to a family vacation. You had that look in your eyes. A guy: Ty, rugged, tan, too old, oddly familiar, eyes blue as ice. Like you wanted me. She steps away. For just a second. He pays for her drink. And drugs it. Wanted me for a long time. He takes her, before she even knows what's happening. To sand and heat. To emptiness and isolation. To nowhere. And expects her to love him.

Written as a letter from a victim to her captor, this is Gemma's desperate story of survival. Ty has stolen her body. Against every instinct screaming inside her, will he also steal Gemma's heart?

~~

Stolen makes you think. It's not just some love story where the girl falls in love with the guy after he does something sweet. No, Gemma is more stubborn than that. She has her mind set on getting away from Ty and back to the life she once had. But along the way, she sees things, in nature, in Ty. She realizes some things, and she starts to understand a little. She doesn't fall head over heels in love with Ty. She understands him a little more, making her love him.

Ty did freak me out in some parts. He had some mood swings, and you see his brutal strength twice. Sometimes, it did look like he was a psychopath, or was mentally ill. But even threw that, he changed into something different. When he found Gemma when she left, and took care of her when she was bitten, you saw a more gentle and nurturing side of him erupt.

I loved the Australian outback setting for this novel! Usually, I would typically read about a girl in a big town, like New York, Los Angeles, and London. But here, you see a wilder side of the world. And it was perfect for a kidnapping story. The setting was also key in Gemma’s slow but steady coming to understand and love Ty.  She learned to love the land  just like him and learned to understand that even if you look dead, you can still be alive on the inside, which kept her pushing to escape Ty.

Overall, Stolen was a moving novel that spoke volumes even if it was a quiet read. I loved the setting, the characters (so dynamic and perfect together). Gemma was a fascinating MC, and even though she was stubborn at times, she learned very quickly and started to understand. She’s loving beneath her rough exterior, and maybe that’s what I loved about her. Christopher has made a splendid read, and if she writes another novel, I’ll be sure to pick it up.

The Cover: I don’t know how the butterfly fits in with the book, but it’s beautiful nonetheless. The title is so eye-catching also. It asks questions: What’s stolen? What is this about? Such a simplistic, pretty cover. I love it!

(P.S. If you loved this book, read Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell. Loved her novel! It’s also a somewhat adventurous story in a unlikely setting: Southern Asia! You can see my review here.)