Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen

Title: Someone Like You
Author: Sarah Dessen
Published: May 2004 by Puffin Books

My Rating: 4 stars
Tags: YA | Realistic | Girls | Romance
Includes: Profanity, Sexual Content, Drug/Alcohol Abuse, Pregnancy

First Lines: Scarlett Thomas has been my best friend for as long as I can remember. That's why I knew when she called me at Sisterhood Camp, during the worst week of my life, that something was wrong even before she said it.

Halley and Scarlett have been best friends for years, always there for each other. So when Scarlett finds out that she's pregnant just two months after her boyfriend's death, Halley must step up to the plate and be the friend Scarlett has always been to her. Halley and her mom, a therapist, have been close best friends for life - until the summer before Junior year, when Halley begins to change. She befriends the popular, loudmouth Ginny Tabor, and starts dating irresponsible, rebel Macon, whom her parents don't approve of. As Halley starts getting in trouble at school and home, she must turn to Scarlett for support. Together, the two girls experience a school year they will never forget.

From Page 20
"Scarlett?" I said, there in the dark, and as she turned to me I saw her face was streaked with tears. For a minute, I didn't know what to do. I thought of what she had done all the millions of times I'd cried to her, collapsing at even the slightest wounding of my heart or pride. So I reached over and pulled her to me, wrapping my arms around her, and held my best friend close, returning so many favors all at once.

Sarah Dessen has always been one of my favorite authors because I feel like I can always relate to the characters and I like her realistic approach of writing. Plus, a cute romance seems to always be included.. ;) So I didn't hesitate to get this book for myself; even looking at the adorable cover makes me want to read it!

By the first few pages, I liked the novel already. I was able to really dig down into Halley's character and walk around in her shoes. However, unlike Dessen's other books, I couldn't actually relate to the main character. While she constantly made wrong decisions, I just wanted to scream at her and throw the book at the wall. Even by the end of the book, I don't feel like she changed that much. I think I'd like the book a lot better if I liked Halley's character more. Scarlett on the other hand, well, let's just say: I would kill to be her bestfriend. I loved her character!

The story had an overall good, realistic plot that covered many aspects in life that teenagers face at one point or the other. Such as grieving over the death of a loved one, branching out from your parents for a sense of independence, teenage pregnancy, and how to end a bad relationship.

From Page 168
"Now," she began, "since you've been hanging out with Macon you've gotten caught skipping school, broken your curfew, and your attitude is always confrontational and difficult. Honestly, I don't even recognize you anymore. You smell like cigarettes when you come home, you're listless and distracted. You never talk about school with us anymore. You're distant."

Even though Halley seems to act like she has the worst mother a teenager can ask for, her mother did make valid arguments. I liked hearing it from two different perspectives - Halley, the girl who thinks she's in love with the best guy ever, and her mom, who refuses to like Macon.

There were, especially, certain parts in the book that I got completely absorbed in. With my nose practically pushed up against the page, whenever someone tried to talk to me, I'd rudely shush them and tell them to wait until I was done with the chapter. (Yes, I can be rude when I read!) Overall, I enjoyed the book and would read it again.

Book Supplied by: Paperbackswap.com

On My Bookshelf (6)

(Originally by The Story Siren, as "In My Mailbox.") On My Bookshelf is used to share what books I bought from the store, won, or got from the library this week. It's by no means to brag, just to let you know what to expect for me to read/review next. (:



Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen: I just got back from Border's today and couldn't stop myself from getting this book! Sarah Dessen is one of my favorite authors, so I know I won't be disappointed. You can read about the book here. I just adore this cover, too!

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler: YAY I have been dying to get my hands on a copy of this! After many failed attempts at trying to win it through contests, I just decided to heck with it and bought the hardcover while at Borders. You can read about the novel by clicking here. It looks like a cute summer read and was published in June.

Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty: I got this paperback from paperbackswap.com and it is the first in a series out of... 5 I think? You can read about it here. It's an old book (2001) but hopefully still good! I think all of the titles for the series is cute.

Notes From the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick: I got this book in the mail from paperbackswap.com, also. I just love the name and title - it's so creative! You can read about this novel here. This book looks promising because it has a 5 star average review!

The Monster Variations by Daniel Kraus: I got an ARC of this young adult thriller from RandomBuzzers.com. You can read about it here! It looks creepy and the summary is, too. This is a brand new release - it came out just a few days ago.

Airhead by Meg Cabot: I won this book from a book blogger's contest and it looks like a nice, girly read. You can read the summary of it here. I like Meg Cabot's work so it should be good. This is the first in a series, and it's still pretty new.

3 Willows: The Sisterhood Grows by Ann Brashares: I got this pretty hardcover from yabookscentral.com. You can read about it here. I have only read the first Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants book in the series, but this one is with different characters. I guess starting a new sisterhood? It looks like a cute read and I like the simple, but elegant cover.

So these are the awesome books that I got this week! Have you read any of them? & What are you reading?

Waiting On Wednesday: Catching Fire

This week's WoW book is Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins! It will be released on September 1, 2009.

Description from Amazon:
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

I just finished reading the first book, The Hunger Games, which I reviewed here. You MUST go read it if you haven't already. I think everyone is dying to get their hands on a copy of Catching Fire once it comes out. I just know that it is going to be awesome!RELEASED ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2009!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Title: The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Published: September 2008 by Scholastic Press

My Rating: 5 stars but I wish I could give it an even higher score!
Tags: YA | Fantasy | Sci-Fi | Series (Book 1)
Includes: Violence/Murder, Sensuality

First Lines: When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold. My fingers stretch out, seeking Prim's warmth but finding only the rough canvas cover of the mattress.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. Period.

I have heard a lot of great talk about this book around the blogosphere, so I didn't hesitate to go out and buy my own copy of the novel. Just the summary alone had me hooked. I liked how this book had parts of many genres - action, suspense, romance, science fiction, etc. It covered just about everything.

For me, the story started out a little slow and I was kind of disappointed by the first few chapters since nothing big was happening yet. But now that I look back on it, I realize that the author was just setting up the characters, time period, and background information since it is set in a futuristic world.

From Page 4
Our part of District 12, nicknamed the Seam, is usually crawling with coal miners heading out to the morning shift at this hour. Men and women with hunched shoulders, swollen knuckles, many who have long since stopped trying to scrub the coal dust out of their broken nails, the lines of their sunken faces.

It took me a week to get really sucked into the book, so I began to get in the habit of carrying it around with me wherever I went in case I had a few minutes of reading time. Because of the interesting cover, I was asked many times what the book was about. However, once I started explaining the summary - I just couldn't stop! So I'll try my best to give a short and to-the-point one. ;]

The novel is set in a futuristic world in a place called Panem - what's left of North America, which is run by the government called The Capital. Each year, The Capital randomly chooses a boy and girl from each of the 12 districts to compete in the deadly Hunger Games. It is a televised gory fight to the death, where only one winner, or "victor" survives in the end. After her younger sister's name was chosen to fight in the Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen volunteers herself instead.

From Page 21
Somewhere far away, I hear the crowd murmuring unhappily as they always do when a twelve-year-old gets chosen because no one thinks this is fair. And then I see her, the blood drained from her face, hands clenched in fists at her sides, walking with stiff, small steps up toward the stage.

Now I'll tell you - this book was unlike anything else I had ever read. The creativity practically jumped off of each page, screaming in my face. It's not until a couple of chapters in, once Katniss actually enters the arena to start the Hunger Games, that it became addicting. I read the book for the entire five hour drive home from the beach - refused to put it down even during bathroom breaks and turned down dinner, too! Even if this doesn't sound like your type of book, it'll be a mistake if you turn it down. You are missing out on one heck of an amazing book.

I fell in love with particular characters and cried along with Katniss when they were brutally murdered by other competitors in the games. I blushed during awkward moments with Peeta, the baker's son who was also chosen from the same district to compete. My heart felt like it would burst out of my chest during intense fighting scenes and I had no idea what would happen next. Overall, I was completely absorbed in this book and felt like I literally was in the arena with Katniss during the Hunger Games. The sudden cliff-hanger ending was a shocker to me, and I didn't see it coming at all. I am on the verge of outbreak since I have to wait another month for the sequel to come out! This is by far one of the most creative, addicting, well-written action and survival books out there. This would make an AMAZING movie!

*Update: They ARE making this series into a movie!

Book Supplied by: I bought it at Borders!