Book Reviews| Recent April Reads.

Thirteen Reasons Why

Jay Asher

Published: October 18th 2007 

Publisher: Razorbill

ISBN: 1595141715 

Genre: Teen/Fiction

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Synopsis: "Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

My Thoughts:

I really loved this book, this was one book that made me really cry in a while. This makes you feel all kinds of emotions, it was a roller coaster ride for me. I would really recommend this! I picked this up since it was a highly rated popular book, it really opened my eyes. I've always hated people that like to pick on others. Hannah wasn't bullied directly, but indirectly she was. It's a realistic book, that teens and Adults should read. It's about things that occur in high schools, rumors spreading and the horrible affects it has on victims. The end has a life lesson, so please learn from it. When you see someone suffering, help them. Even when they push you away, still help them. They will thank you in the long run.

Just one thing keeps on bothering me, some of the negative reviews. I keep reading "This isn't why you should commit suicide, it encourages suicide, I would never do this etc" the point is you are NOT Hannah. You are NOT supposed to relate to a character, simply understand. People handle things differently, and yes guilt/rape/helplessness are some of the reasons why people commit suicide. The character Hannah was vulnerable from the start, she was weaker than most - look at it from her perspective, and not your own. people are DIFFERENT. No matter what reason it is, I Would NOT commit suicide, but that's because I'm much stronger than Hannah. I'm me. And she is Hannah. I would not judge her for committing suicide. Although, she could have told Clay the truth but people are afraid. If you "strong willed" people cannot understand that, then it is just sad. Suicide should never be an option, but when people do commit it - you should understand why they did it and who was responsible more than the victim. So judgmental. Imagine if this was a true story, and the victim was aware of these comments? 

What Happens Next

Colleen Clayton

Published:October 9th 2012 

Publisher: Poppy (Little Brown Books for Young Readers)

ISBN: 0316198684

Genre: Psychological/Young Adult

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Synopsis: Before the ski trip, sixteen-year-old Cassidy “Sid” Murphy was a cheerleader (at the bottom of the pyramid, but still...), a straight-A student, and a member of a solid trio of best friends. When she ends up on a ski lift next to handsome local college boy, Dax Windsor, she’s thrilled; but Dax takes everything from Sid—including a lock of her perfect red curls—and she can’t remember any of it.

Back home and unable to relate to her old friends, Sid drops her college prep classes and takes up residence in the A/V room with only Corey “The Living Stoner” Livingston for company. But as she gets to know Corey (slacker, baker, total dreamboat), Sid finds someone who truly makes her happy. Now, if she can just shake the nightmares and those few extra pounds, everything will be perfect... or so she thinks.Witty and poignant, Colleen Clayton’s stunning debut is a story about moving on after the unthinkable happens."

My Thoughts:

This was a heart breaking story .. I like realistic Young Adult novels better than the typical bad boy-good girl romance. Just the kind of book I love. One bad decision should not define for the rest of your life, people should learn from their mistakes so they must not happen again. It's an emotional and heartful story that is real. I cannot believe this was a debut novel, because it seems like a professional has wrote it. This deals with many issues that people consider pitiful and disgusting, so please read this with an open mind. The voice of Sid Murphy is honest and raw, this is about a young girl trying to survive. This is a book worth reading.  I honestly loved Corey Livingston, one of the best boyfriends ever.

The Fault in Our Stars

John Green

Published: January 10th 2012

Publisher: Dutton Books 

ISBN: 0525478817

Genre: Young Adult

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

Synopsis: "Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten."

My Thoughts:

I picked up this read because it's a highly rated book, I wanted to see what was the excitements about. I thought this was a cute book, but pretty predictable, and I didn't love it. I didn't see anything special in this book what everyone else seems to have. I felt it had flaws. The ending was a bit cliffhanger, I wanted to know what happened to Hazel afterwards, but it just left me with open-ended questions .. It's ironic in the story, Hazel messaged an author asking about the ending of the book and here I was wondering about this ending.

Otherwise, this was a nicely written book. I kept on laughing as I turned the pages! I liked it much more than Looking For Alaska, even though the're a bit similar with their themes. It deals with illness, survival, and coping with a loss. Teens with cancer is always depressing to most people, but this shows the excitement and romance between Hazel and Gus - I have read much better books than The Fault In Our Stars though, try checking out Lurlene McDaniel's books. 

The Chosen One

Carol Lynch Williams

Published: May 12th 2009

Publisher: Griffin

ISBN: 0312555113

Genre: Young Adult

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Synopsis: Thirteen-year-old Kyra has grown up in an isolated community without questioning the fact that her father has three wives and she has twenty brothers and sisters, with two more on the way. That is, without questioning them much---if you don’t count her secret visits to the Mobile Library on Wheels to read forbidden books, or her meetings with Joshua, the boy she hopes to choose for herself instead of having a man chosen for her.But when the Prophet decrees that she must marry her sixty-year-old uncle---who already has six wives---Kyra must make a desperate choice in the face of violence and her own fears of losing her family forever.

My Thoughts:

I could not put this book down! I finished this book within three hours, it is an amazing book - the ending is a cliffhanger, so hence the four and a half stars. I'm not that much of a fan of series, only with a few select ones I like such as Bloodlines, House of Night, Vampire Academy, etc. 

However, this book is a page turner, it's a hunting book that shows the negative affects of oppression in a polygamous community. It is not the polygamous marriages that bothers me in this book, but that a sick, pervert is forcing and oppressing a woman to marry someone three times her age. It's a taboo topic that most people avoid, polygamy. This is a master book written, I really liked it, but again I didn't love it. It sure is to wow you though! It is really sad and disturbing book, so beware - Although, it's not dirty, it has parts where women are beaten and killed, babies are killed, punished simply for crying..  It's heartbreaking. 

Thank you for reading loves, I hope you enjoyed these book as much I have! I'm writing one more post after this, review on beauty products :) Leave your blog link in the comments, I love checking out new blogs - Will follow back mostly x
 Stay in tuned .. 

“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.” 

― Jorge Luis Borges

With love, Benish Khan.

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