Review of "Paper Towns"

Paper Towns By John Green 

Stars: 5 

Source: Gift 

When Margo Roth Spiegelman opens Quentin's window and climbs inside his bedroom he thinks he's dreaming. He's loved her for years and suddenly here she is. 

It doesn't take much for Margo to talk Q into going with her on various missions throughout the night, whether it's breaking into Sea World or into her ex boyfriends car Quentin is there silently cheering her on. 

But with daylight comes the realization that things won't be the same as they were the night before. Q fears that Margo won't acknowledge the previous night, that she'll simple pretend it didn't happen and continue on, business as usual. 

What Q doesn't realize is that Margo ignoring him in the halls of school won't be a problem if she isn't there to ignore him.

Days go by with no word from Margo, her parents can't find her, the police can't find her, and Q feels as though he's the only one looking for her. 

When Margo ran away before she left clues for her parents to locate her, this time she left clues for Q and he will stop at nothing to find her. 

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*This Review Includes Spoilers* 

(You've been warned!) 

I LOVED the beginning of this book, Margo and Q's night together was so much fun to read, I couldn't stop laughing, prank after prank and fish after fish, I nearly fell out of my chair. 

I instantly liked Margo's character, her fearlessness and her don't give a damn attitude. 

I thought her parents were awful for not looking for her or even caring that she had disappeared. 

Then I read more, and laughed more, and grew to love Radar and Ben (and his tiny bladder) and I grew to hate Margo. Roth. Spiegelman. 

She went from this mysterious, flamboyant, enigma to the worlds more selfish, horrible, attention seeking brat. 

I was seriously waiting at the end of the book for her to be carted off for a psych evaluation. 

For the entire three weeks she was missing she had all of these people worried sick, searching for her, following her 'clues', losing sleep, failing tests, all for what? 

I can honestly say I feel like this book would have been better without her. Or at least that version of her. I would have loved the Margo from that night to stay or at least not leave in such an awful way. 

That being said the rest of the book makes up for Margo's shortcomings ten folds. 

From the stolen eye brows to the black Santa's I couldn't stop myself from laughing out loud. 

I do still recommend this book and I can't wait to see the movie. Perhaps I'll feel different after watching it play out on the big screen? 

Until next time, 

Ginger 

Review of Eleanor and Park

Eleanor and Park By Rainbow Rowell 

Stars: 4 

Source: Gift* 

Eleanor and Park is a charming, poignant tale about heartbreak, first loves and the lengths we go to for the people we care about. 

I knew very little about this book when I picked it up, of course I had heard all the hype about it on Booktube and Twitter but it was mostly opinions of the book not anything about the book itself. 

I was a little weary for the first couple of chapters but the second Park started waiting to turn the page of whatever comic he happened to be reading that day until he was sure Eleanor had caught up I couldn't put it down. 

I adore Rainbow's writing style and how she tells such a sad, beautiful story without making you feel depressed. 

I loved how both Park and Eleanor were somewhat oddballs, how they didn't quite fit in anywhere and how they weren't accepted by everyone. This isn't a story about the highschool cheerleader falling in love with the football captain. This is as real as you can get when writing about teenagers. Rainbow hits it right on the head. 

Speaking of teenagers, teenagers have parents, at least most of them do and while they aren't perfect I was thrilled that they were actually in the story. So many times I'll read about the absentee parents, the ones who travel, the ones who work, the ones who met an untimely death. Its as if when authors start writing from the teens point of view they completely forget to write about the adults in the story. 

This book is so well rounded and so real that its hard to pull yourself out of the book to accomplish anything. 

I can see why so many people rave about this book. 

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*SPOILERS AHEAD* 

I did just want to quickly note that the reason I loved Eleanor and Park so much was the ending. I know a few people who weren't too terribly pleased with the way things ended up and I do admit I love my endings wrapped up in shiny bows with "Happily Ever After" notes attached but the ending was far too perfect to complain about. At least for me. 

Until next time, 

Ginger 

*Thank you to my amazing #OTSPSecretSister for sending me this! 

Review of "Mad Love"

Mad Love By Colet Abedi 

Stars:1

Source: Purchased (sadly) 

I picked this up on Valentines Day thinking it was going to be a cute romantic read. Boy was I wrong. 

To sum it up Sophie needs a change, she has just broken up with her boyfriend, if I recall correctly she's quit her job at a law firm and in order to get away from her ever demanding parents and their persistent questions about the future has booked an island getaway for her and her two best friends. 

Of course once they arrive Sophie finds herself face to face with the worlds most attractive man alive. (Who just happens to be an a-hole but we'll get to that later.) 

I liked the beginning, her best friends were hilarious and I loved their banter, I loved the island description and yes at first I did like Clayton. 

Until, and please stop here if you plan of picking up this book, you realized he was nothing but a manipulating, controlling, egotistical, masochistic, dick. 

And what makes it even worse is Sophie allows him to treat her like a piece of meat. 

He has known her all of 36 hours before he is telling her what to do, how to do it and what to wear while doing. 

At one point in the book she comes out of the bathroom wearing a dress he doesn't deem 'appropriate' and after she refuses to change (the only time in the book she stands up for herself) he spends the rest of the night pouting like a small child. Don't even get me started on what happened after they arrived home. 

It was disgusting (and not entirely consensual). 

The only ONLY reason I finished this book was to see if by some weird, twisted turn of events the author- I mean Sophie- came to her senses and dumped this guy. 

But of course even when she does break up with him it isn't because he treated her poorly or controlled every little thing she did, no it was all over a misunderstanding, and *spoiler alert* it ends in a cliff hanger so there's still hope for them to get back together! 

Gag me with a spoon! 

Needless to say this book was anything but a cute and romantic read and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. 

Until next time,

Ginger  

   

Review of "Cruel Beauty"

Cruel Beauty By Rosamund Hodge

Stars:4 

Source: Purchased 

Well before her birth Nix has been betrothed to Ignifex, after all that was the deal that her father made with the ruler of their Kingdom. 

It was never even a choice between Nix and her twin sister. Her father would never give up Astraia. 

But Nix won't be a dutiful bride, she won't put on a fake smile and do as she is told. No. She has a plan. She will kill the evil ruler of Arcadia, she will kill Ignifex and free her land. She will prove to her sister and her father that she deserves to live just as much as Astraia.

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"Cruel Beauty" is suppose to be a mix between Beauty and the Beast and Graceling. 

While I haven't read Graceling I'm think it must lean more towards that. While I could see how it resembled Beauty and the Beast (if I squinted and tilted my head) it wasn't enough for me to warrant the 'retelling' description. 

I'm not sure how to describe this book. 

First off I hate retelling's, I don't know why but they drive me crazy, if a book is marketed as one I tend to stay as far away from it as possible. 

But I'm trying to branch out a little bit and read books I wouldn't have previously picked up. 

So keeping that in mind I was very hesitant going into this book, but after finishing it I found myself surprised by how much I really liked it.

It was strange, I won't deny that, but strange in the best possible why. 

It has the perfect mesh of darkness and light, you're always wondering who Nix should trust and who she should run screaming from. 

The descriptions of the ever changing castle and it's vast rooms left me breathless and I found myself insanely jealous of a library filled with books that no one could read, which is crazy.

All through the book I thought it was going to be three stars. It was a good story, with good characters and a good plot but the second I finished those last few chapters I knew three stars just wasn't enough. 

I only wish the first 2/3 had been as enchanting and mesmerizing as the last 1/3.   

That being said I am planning on reading Rosamund's next book and hopefully this will open the door to even more retelling's. 

Until next time, 

Ginger