Flawless (Pretty Little Liars #2) | Review

Series: Pretty Little Liars

Published: February 19th, 2008 by Harper Teen

Pages: 330

Date Finished: December 4th, 2015

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Age Recommendation: 13+

Okay... Let's be real here. That book just blew me away. Honestly. There were even more plot twists and lies and grimy secrets. I couldn't believe it. This series just keeps getting better and better.

Spencer and Hanna did piss me off a little though with the way they treated guys. For example, Andrew Campbell was so adorable and you could tell he really liked Spencer. He was practically giddy over her and when he asked to do karaoke with her, Spencer's reply really rubbed me the wrong way. My heart instantly broke for Andrew. Same with the way Hanna treated Sean. She was just awful to him at times. Especially when he was with Aria at Foxy.

Now... There's something on my mind that is making me feel like a disgusting, putrid human being... I was sympathetic toward Toby and when he took the pills and died, my heart broke just a little. I know what he did to Jenna was horrible and disgusting but it seemed that he had really changed or was at least trying to. The things he did for Emily were just so sweet and I'm so torn over his character.

There's only one thing that I wasn't too fond of in this book... With every new secret/lie/bit of information, it became hard to follow the story at times as there was so much going on. The story itself was amazing but it could be confusing at times which is why I docked half a star.

I can't wait to continue this series and if you don't mind investing a lot of time in a series that has tons of books, then I totally recommend this.

Velvet Vests by xPureChances | Review

Series: The Garments Series

Published: July 29th, 2014 by Wattpad

Pages: 14

Date Finished: August 29th, 2015

Rating: 5/5 stars

Age Recommendation: --

Velvet Vests by xPureChances was just as amazing as the other books in The Garments Series. I was not disappointed at all and was quite pleasantly surprised that the book featured a disabled person since I am disabled myself. I could identify with lot of the situations Reed had to go through on a daily basis because I've dealt with them myself. The author did a great job at approaching things with an open mind and didn't come across as offensive at all, which I really appreciated.

Velvet Vests is the wonderful love story of Reed -who is wheelchair bound after a car accident that left her paralyzed from the waist down- and Leo, also known as Ghost -an able bodied teenage boy who loves Reed with all his heart, much to Reed's dismay. It follows Reed as she tries to overcome the denial that Ghost is just using her and maybe even wanting her for unspoken things and Ghost who, despite being shot down by Reed time and time again, continues to pine after her heart in the most adorable ways. That all gets wrapped up in a short while with an end you definitely don't see coming.

I absolutely loved Reed and -as stated before- could really identify with her. Especially since I've felt the way she felt numerous times about Ghost, just in my personal life with other guys. I admire the author for taking such a brilliant, risky step with Reed as a character and refusing to shy away from reality that, yes, people do stare and many people are not at all comfortable with the fact that there are people with different struggles around in our everyday lives. I also enjoyed how she showed the kindness in Ghost and made me realize that not all people are out to get disabled individuals and sometimes people really do love and care about you. Ghost is such a sweetie. I do wish Velvet Vests was just a little bit longer though... It was sort of short compared to the other books in the series.

I loved Velvet Vests and I will surely be continuing the series with Cotton Cardigans and Hodden Hoodies. 

Before He Jumped by Gilbert Blythe | Review

 

Series: Why He Jumped

 

Published: August 4th, 2015 by Wattpad

 

Pages: 15

 

Date Finished: August 5th, 2015

 

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

 

Age Recommendation: 12+

 

I expected Before He Jumped by Gilbert Blythe to have the same type of writing style as it's sequel Why He Jumped and when I went into it, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the author had changed things up a bit. I really enjoyed Why He Jumped so I was excited to read this book/short story. I knocked off half a star just because the writing didn't leave me breathless but I still enjoyed it very much.

 

Before He Jumped takes place before the events of Why He Jumped. It follows Adam who discovers a site called Wattpad where people write stories and poems and post them for people to read. Throughout the book, Adam appears happy but deep down, you can tell that something isn't right. Adam isn't as happy as he lets on. Through the course of Before He Jumped there are also Wattpad "drafts" and canceled text messages of Adam reaching out for help that he doesn't send or post and people start getting worried about him. They know something's wrong... But unfortunately no one is there to catch Adam when he falls.

 

I loved the raw emotion of this book. I could really connect with Adam because I've been where he was and the author doesn't hold any of that back. I also really liked Adam's sense of humor through his Wattpad posts as well as his bromance with Matt. I wish it could have been a bit longer though.

 

I think everyone should read this series. It really opens your eyes to the harshness of mental illness and more people need to know the consequences certain actions can have on others. 

 

 

Why He Jumped by Gilbert Blythe | Review

Series: Why He Jumped

Published: May 9th, 2014 by Wattpad

Pages: 17

Date Finished: August 4th, 2015

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Age Recommendation: 12+

Why He Jumped by Gilbert Blythe was very well written. I had high hopes going into the series and although it wasn't a tear-jerker for me as it appeared to be for everyone else, (which is why I knocked off half a star) I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

It follows the story of a teenager named Matthew and how him and his friends deal with the suicide of someone close to them all. It goes on to show the grieving process that takes place after someone commits suicide, and how certain people are left to think that they could have done more when that's not always possible. It also shows that words really do hurt and something you say could result in a tragedy.

The subject matter really touched me and I appreciated that about the book. I really liked how creative the author was with his words and vocabulary and it didn't feel like any of the characters were "faking it." I also loved the two small plot twists in the story revolving around Oliver and Adam. The author did a great job at making things "believable."

I'll definitely go on to read the prequel.