Saturday, July 21, 2012

Song Stuck In My Head Saturday (19)



This is a hard one! I have on song in mind that has been in my head for a while but having just been to Warped Tour in Camden, I have so many great songs (and just general, painful noises) in my excited little brain!

I am going to do a whole, long post on my experience there so for now, here's my song:


What Happened to Good bye by Sarah Dessen Review



What Happened to GoodbyeFrom Goodreads: Since her parents' bitter divorce, McLean and her dad, a restaurant consultant, have been on the move-four towns in two years. Estranged from her mother and her mother's new family, McLean has followed her dad in leaving the unhappy past behind. And each new place gives her a chance to try out a new persona: from cheerleader to drama diva. But now, for the first time, McLean discovers a desire to stay in one place and just be herself, whoever that is. Perhaps Dave, the guy next door, can help her find out. 

Combining Sarah Dessen's trademark graceful writing, great characters, and compelling storytelling, What Happened to Goodbye is irresistible reading.



Rating: 4/5

Plot: 4.5/5

Characters: 5/5

Ending: 4/5


I bought this book a while ago but just started it 2 nights ago at 2 in the morning--I finished at 6 AM. Anything by Sarah Dessen is for sure to be good, and this book was no disappointment: Like her other novels, Dessen portrays perfectly a young woman in a struggle in her life and the people around her, but this novel took a different turn as well. I felt like this book was more pointed to a mature audience and was much more cerebral and less romanticized.

Having to endure her parents very public divorce, McLean, aka Liz aka Eliza, creates a different persona in each new town she and her father move to. When they skip town, they never say goodbye. In their newest town McLean, by accident, gives people her real name and she starts to develop friendships--real, true ones for once since her new life with her father. Now she is forced into a situation that normal young adults go through: navigating life day by day and dealing with those people you care about along with yourself and not running away form you problems, but face them because you have support.

This book moved just a tad bit slow for me, but because everything that happened was important and added to the higher maturity level of the novel it wasn't a problem at all. The ending didn't please me at all. i always felt like I wanted more. More emotions. More dialogue. More everything. This also has to do with personal taste in books, but I understood why it had that certain flow and I appreciate it.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Top 5 Sundays (11)



Top 5 Sundays 2012 sq large

Today's theme is: Favorite Names of Female Characters!

I could think all day about it--it's hard to do these posts and come up with an answer right away. There's always that moment a few weeks later that I remember the best answer to one of these but the opportunity has passed. I can also think of a lot more than 5!


Nightshade (Nightshade, #1)
Calla Tor of Nightshade


Rage: A Love Story
Reeve Hartt of Rage


Hermoine Granger of Harry Potter {series}


Graceling (Graceling Realm, #1)
Katsa of Graceling


Evermore (The Immortals, #1)
Ever Bloom of  Evermore


Matched (Matched, #1)
Cassia Reyes of Matched

Vasilisa Dragomir of Vampire Academy {series}

So I may have cheated...but there are so many great names! I wish my mother was an avid reader and named me after any one of these ladies!