Review: My Sister's Keeper

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"There are some things we do because we convince ourselves it would be better for everyone involved. We tell ourselves that it's the right thing to do, the altruistic thing to do. It's far easier than telling ourselves the truth."

This book was STUNNING! Picoult writes from the views of different characters, allowing the reader a well-rounded look at the story. When Sara Fitzgerald discovers that her daughter Kate is diagnosed with leukemia, she vows that she will protect her daughter at all costs, even if that is the cost if another's life. And that is just the reason why her third child, Anna, is born. Kate relapses with leukemia time and time again, even with the use of Anna's bone marrow and granulocytes (among other aids to Kate). Up until Kate's need for a kidney, Anna is selfless when it comes to her sister. Anna is starting to question who she really is, for she has always been defined in terms of her sister. She makes the most unthinkable decision that will tear her family apart and may even have fatal consequences for the sister she so dearly loves.

"There are orphans and widows, but there is no word for the parent who loses a child. It turns out that after all these years I have spent anticipating this, I am completely at loss. Like coloring the sky in with a crayon; there is no language for grief this big. I wait for a change. And then I feel it, as her heart stops beating beneath my palm - that tiny loss of rhythm, that hollow calm, that utter loss."

We are all told how important it is to do the right thing, and sometimes the right thing is too much to ask. This book is a jaw-dropping, thrill, and emotional read that will never be forgotten. (P.S. if you have watched the movie, the book is a lot better, and the ending is TOTALLY different!!):)

"One fire burns out another's burning, One pain is lessen'd by another's anguish"

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Review: The Lovely Bones

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973."

This book is unlike any book that I have read before, and for that, it holds a special place in my heart. I feel such a strong connection with all of the characters, that it was hard for me to part with this book. Susie Salmon was murdered by her neighbor when she was 14, and her brother, sister, mother, and father are at a loss of how to continue living with the loss of their beloved daughter. Susie watches life go on on her personal Heaven where she comes to terms with her own death while her friends and family are struggling with their lives.

"I wasn't lost, or frozen, or gone... I was alive, I was alive in my own perfect world."

"You're not supposed to look back, you're supposed to keep going"

The ending of this book was perfect! I felt like the ending really touched on every character throughout the novel and brought the novel full circle. In my opinion, everyone in the book was relatable, and it made the book that much more enjoyable. This book makes you realize how important love, family, and friendship are.

"These were the lovely bones that had grown around my absence: the connections...that happened after I was gone."

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Review: The Distance from Me to You

The Distance from Me to You by Marina Gessner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"McKenna and Courtney had been planning this trip for over a year- a two-thousand-mile hike down the Appalachian Trail and they were supposed to leave in less than a week."

Mckenna Berney and her friend Courtney have been accepted to college in the Fall, but hiking the Appalachian Trail entirely has been their dream for years. Her friend backs out because of her boyfriend, and Mckenna decides to hike the journey all by herself (without her parents knowing, as Courtney will make it seem that she is with her). While on the trail, she meets Sam who quit school and has left his abusive father and passed mother behind. Mckenna and Sam, as different as they seem to be, finally fall in love after meeting up on the trail on numerous occasions and they decide to hike together. Months pass with little to no discussion on what will happen once they finish the trail, and when the devasting event in which Sam and Mckenna lose each other, and Sam is unable to walk, it is up to Mckenna to save both herself and Sam. "Sam wondered if any other face in his life would ever be as beautiful or as important."

"He paused. Mckenna knew him well enough to know he wanted to say I love you, Mack. But he didn't, because he didn't want to make this even harder on her. A burst of her own love rose up. She didn't bother fighting it."

I rated this book only 4* because I felt the characters did not really have a foundation for their romance. One moment they were two separate people, and they next, they seemed to be inseparable. I enjoyed the storyline and the romance to a point, but I think less detail of the wilderness would have made the characters stand out more. I felt I was more focused on the trail and setting than on the romance. Overall, this book had heart and humor that I would recommend to a younger audience. :)



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Review: The Edge of Never

The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“I don’t know how I got myself into this, but I do know that as much as my conscience is ripping into my fucking ears, telling me to leave her alone, I can’t. I don’t want to. We’ve already gone too far.”

If it were possible, I would rate this book 10 stars!!! This book made me laugh, smile, cry, laugh, and cry even more. Camryn Bennett thought she knew exactly where her life was going. After a crazy night at in club in Raleigh, North Carolina, she decides to leave her monotonous life and set out on her own. She boards a Greyhound bus to find herself, but she finds sexy, sweet, and exciting Andrew Parrish.

"Tall, stylish short brown hair and he's wearing a tight-fitting navy tee and a sort of crooked smile that could either be genuinely kind, or something more confident..."

Okay, so Camryn is on the same bus as Andrew, and Andrew is so similar to her and yet so completely different. This intrigues Camryn, and they decide to hop off the bus and go on a road trip together. Andrew hides a secret from Camryn until it is too late, and they soon bond over their road trip. They travel to sleep under the stars, a waffle house, and even New Orleans. A friendship soon transforms into true love, with the potential of tearing them apart or cementing them together.

"Never thought I'd intentionally sleep on a bathroom floor next to a toilet while sober, but I meant it when I said I would sleep anywhere with her"

Goodness, goodness, goodness!!! I LOVE LOVE this book. Camryn and Andrew share so much intensity for each other that I was fanning myself, laughing, smiling, and crying all at once. I looked like a complete mess!! The ending made me cry from sadness and joy and excitement, and the EPILOGUE is the icing on the cake!! This book is truly a MASTERPIECE!!!! :) (Did I mention that I cried??)

“…dwelling and planning is bullshit,” he says. “You dwell on the past, you can’t move forward. Spend too much time planning for the future and you just push yourself backwards, or you say stagnant in the same place all your life.” His eyes lock on mine. “Live in the moment.”

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Review: Release Me

Release Me by J. Kenner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is AMAZING! I know I say this about every book I read, but this book truly is AMAZING!! Nikki is an ex-pageant queen from Texas, and she moves to Los Angeles for her new job. She hated pageants all of her life and decided to pursue her education, in which she has success. She attends a party with her new boss, and she meets mysterious Damien Stark. He is very abrupt and very controlling, but Nikki decides to play along with his antics.

“You should know, Ms. Fairchild, that before the night is over, I'm going to kiss you.”

After Nikki's amazing night (especially in the back of a limo ;)), she can not stop thinking about him. The following day she and her boss have a meeting with reputable Damien, in which he offers Nikki a million dollars to have a nude portrait of her. Nikki finally agrees and the terms are that Nikki is Damien's for the period in which she is being painted. Sparks fly and Nikki can't help but fall in love with Damien Stark.

He looks at me, his eyes hot with need. "Because now that I have you, I can't stand the thought of ever losing you."

Both Nikki and Damien have dark, tragic pasts, but they always bring the best out of each other. I know I do not do this book justice, but this book is a whirlwind of emotions! This comical, spicy, and romantic read, is a perfect read!



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