Review: Daddy-Long-Legs, by Jean Webster

Daddy-Long-Legs
By Jean Webster
Publication Date: (first published 1912) June 11th, 2011 (Puffin) (first published 1912)
Paperback, 208 pages
Genre: Classics; Romance; Childrens
Source: purchased at an indie bookstore

DESCRIPTION:

A trustee of the John Grier orphanage has offered to send Judy Abbott to college. The only requirements are that she must write to him every month, and that she can never know who he is. Judy's life at college is a whirlwind of friends, classes, parties, and a growing friendship with the handsome Jervis Pendleton. With so much happening in her life, Judy can scarcely stop writing to the mysterious "Daddy-Long-Legs"!

—from goodreads.com

REVIEW:

Daddy-Long-Legs was okay, pretty uneventful. It's an epistolary story, meaning that it is completely made up by letters. Judy is seventeen at the beginning of the book, and twenty-one/twenty-two by the end, but her vocabulary was that of a ten-year-old. The excuse that she's an orphan can't be used because her orphanage made sure they educated her well past the grade level they normally educated orphans. 

However, I was completely infatuated by two of the elements in the book:

1) The little snippets of the 1900s given to you through Daddy-Long-Legs are utterly charming. Apparently, as decreed by English grammar, a person can't feel nostalgic about something they never knew (it's used incorrectly very often). I beg to differ! I may not know that "pie-plant" is rhubarb, that "junket" is a pudding-like dessert, or that "paper chase" (also called "hare and hound") was an "outdoor game in which certain players, the hares, start off in advance on a long run, scattering small pieces of paper, called the scent, with the other players, the hounds, following the trail so marked in an effort to catch the hares before they reach a designated point" (definition from dictionary.com) (I'm totally rounding up some friends and playing). I may not know any of those things, but I can be nostalgic about it, can't I? 

2) There are pictures in this book! Hand-drawn by main character, Jerusha Abbot. Quelle adorable! For example, here's one of my favorite ones:

It's cute, no? I don't know. I really like it and found it entertaining. There was another hand-drawn picture of what Judy called a "fish," but was really a picture of a turtle. I laughed out-loud at that one, and a good friend of mine who was also reading quirked an eyebrow at me. I showed her the picture and she didn't find it even remotely entertaining. :( Guess my sense of humor is a little off.

RATING:

Review: What's Left of Me (The Hybrid Chronicles #1), by Kat Zhang

What's Left of Me (The Hybrid Chronicles #1)
By Kat Zhang
Publication Date: September 18th, 2012 (HarperTeen)
ARC Paperback, 343 pages
Genre: Sci-Fi; Dystopia; YA
Source: Goodread's First Reads Giveaway and HarperTeen

DESCRIPTION:

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren't they settling? Why isn't one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn't...

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she's still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to more again. The risks are unimaginable—hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet...for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

—from goodreads.com

REVIEW:

The whole idea around souls in What's Left of Me, by Kat Zhang, is Golden-Compass-esque—only instead of the one soul being in a "daemon" and the other in the human as in The Golden Compass, both souls are inside of the human.

The two souls sharing one body in What's Left of Me were Addie and Eva, although the spotlight was more on Eva because she was the "recessive soul," the soul that was suppose to die, but never did for some reason, which of course, the government hates. Eva had more redeeming qualities and was more likable that Addie, but she's still just an average "meh" character that I didn't really have an emotions invested into. Both Addie and Eva, but especially Addie, did a lot of sniveling and crying. :/ Honestly, I did not care much for any of the characters.

But (once again), I love the idea. If Addie kisses a boy, Eva is only an observer: she can't move or speak, but it's awkward for her and maybe she doesn't want to kiss the same boy Addie wants to. Maybe Eva doesn't love the same boy as Addie. I guess it's like being Siamese twins with your sibling, and one of you gets a boyfriend/girlfriend and the other twin is that awkward third wheel.

I wish there was more action, inspiring speeches, better description and such. I was confused a few parts in the book about what was happening because the writing seemed unclear.

What's Left of Me leaves a lot of unanswered questions by the end. Hopefully, they'll be answered in the next book.

RATING:

Review: Deadly Little Secret (Touch #1), by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Deadly Little Secret (Touch #1)
By Laurie Faria Stolarz
Publication Date: December 16th, 2008 (Hyperion)
Hardcover, 252 pages
Genre: Paranormal; Mystery; Romance; Suspense; YA
Source: Library

DESCRIPTION:

Until three months ago, everything about sixteen-year-old Camelia's life had been fairly ordinary: decent grades; an okay relationship with her parents; and a pretty cool part-time job at an art studio downtown. But when Ben, the mysterious new guy, starts junior year at her high school, Camelia's life becomes far from ordinary.

Rumored to be somehow responsible for his ex-girlfirned's accidental death, Ben is immediately ostracized by everyone on campus. Except for Camelia. She's reluctant to believe he's trouble, even when her friends try to convince her otherwise. Instead she's inexplicably drawn to Ben...and his touch. But soon, Camelia is receiving eerie phone calls and strange packages with threatening notes. Ben insists she is in danger, and that he can help—but can he be trusted? She know he's hiding something...but he's not the only one with a secret.

—from goodreads.com

REVIEW:

Here is a tasty morsel of what is to happen between the pages of Deadly Little Secret:

You walk into you bedroom one day after school. You find the the window was up, only you didn't remember opening it before you went to school. You turn to your mirror...and scrawled on it is the word "bitch" in blood red lipstick...you know someone has been watching you...following you...but who?

And suspenseful tastes like the one above, dear reader, is what will keep you reading Deadly Little Secret, by Laurie Faria Stolarz. Deadly Little Secret is the first book in a series of five, known as "Touch Novels." I'm wishy-washy at the moment about whether I'm going to finish the series. Why? I didn't find the plot—especially the writing style—very interesting or engaging. 

While I didn't find the writing style or plot special (it was mediocre), a few redeeming points in the book sparkled. The dialogue between the characters rocked; it was humorous, especially when Camelia's friends Kimmie and Wes were talking, which was most of the book (yay). Speaking of Kimmie and Wes, you'll wish you had friends like them and you'll go head-over-heals for their personalities. Also, the mystery of who was stalking Camelia was a page-turning factor. 

It's safe to say, however, that I hated Camelia. She has to be one of the worst. Heroines. Ever. Seriously, she does nothing whatsoever except make some bowls at a local art studio.

Deadly Little Secret was basically Hush, Hush, by Becca Fitzpatrick—which is essentially like Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer—except Hush, Hush (especially) and Twilight (not so much) are a billion times better written. Even Camelia's best friend, Kimmie, reminded me of the Hush, Hush main character's best friend, Vee.

SO, if you liked Twilight or Hush, Hush (or if you're like me and love funny dialogue and lovable characters), you'd enjoy Deadly Little Secret, by Laurie Faria Stolarz.

RATING:

Review: Dark Water, by Laura McNeal

Dark Water
By Laura McNeal
Publication Date: September 10th, 2010 (Alfred A. Knopf)
Hardcover, 287 pages
Genre: Contemporary; Romance; YA
Source: Library

DESCRIPTION:

Fifteen-year old Pearl DeWitt and her mother live in Fallbrook, California, where it's sunny 340 days of the year , and where her uncle owns a grove of 900 avocado trees. Uncle Hoyt hires migrant workers regularly, but Pearl doesn't pay much attention to them...until Amiel. From the moment she sees him, Pearl is drawn to this boy who keeps to himself, fears being caught by la migra, and is mysteriously unable to talk. And after coming across Amiel's makeshift hut near Agua Prieta Creek, Pearl falls into a precarious friendship—and a forbidden romance.

Then the wildfires strike. Fallbrook—the town of marigolds and palms, blood oranges and sweet limes—is threatened by the Agua Prieta fire, and a mandatory evacuation order is issued. But Pearl knows that Amiel is right in the path of the fire, with no one to wan him, no way to get out. Slipping away from the safety and her family, Pearl moves towards the creek, where the smoke has become air, the air smoke.

-from goodreads.com

REVIEW: 

When I read the synopsis, I expected a story about the undying, star-crossed love of an illegal migrant worker, Amiel, and his employer's niece, Pearl. I anticipated a bunch of things to happen based on this but none of them came true because what started off as star-crossed love was twisted by the author, Laura McNeal, resulting a in a unique and offbeat (in a good way) story.

Even though Dark Water wasn't what I was expecting, I was pleasantly surprised when the book turned out to be so much more than a romance—in fact, it was mostly a story about family.

Still, I feel like the book description is a essentially a synopsis of Dark Water; not much more than what the book description says happened, besides a few fillers and a bitter ending. When I think about the way the description gives the whole story away, it makes me wonder if the story is even suppose to be about Pearl and Amiel...

Pearl's personality was unique and reflected the decisions she made when conflict arose, but I don't feel like she changed any. I liked Amiel best though, mostly because his character was different from the YA romance fiction I've read where the male love interest is (in short) a sensitive jerk (which makes no sense to me). Amiel was quiet, broken, and compassionate, which equals lovable in my calculations.

If you read this, don't expect a big soap opera where Amiel is almost deported, but Pearl marries him to keep him in The United States, and they live happily ever after, because this isn't that story. 

Dark Water is, more than anything, about the price of foolishness.

RATING: