Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

"I couldn't put this book down, it was too trippy."

 

Title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Published: March 1st 2012
Page Number: 452

Rating: 4.25/5

 

Summary:

 

Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger. She wakes from a coma in hospital with no memory of how she got there or of the bizarre accident that caused the deaths of her best friends and her boyfriend, yet left her mysteriously unharmed. The doctors suggest that starting over in a new city, a new school, would be good for her and just to let the memories gradually come back on their own.

But Mara’s new start is anything but comforting. She sees the faces of her dead friends everywhere, and when she suddenly begins to see other people’s deaths right before they happen, Mara wonders whether she’s going crazy! And if dealing with all this wasn’t enough, Noah Shaw, the most beautiful boy she has ever seen can’t seem to leave her alone… but as her life unravels around her, Mara can’t help but wonder if Noah has another agenda altogether…  

 

Review:

 

I've had The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer and The Evolution of Mara Dyer for the longest time but never got around to reading them because I weren't sure if they'd be my cup of tea, but if anything, they're my perfect match. It's dark, creepy and if you love American Horror Story then you will one hundred percent enjoy this.

 

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer starts off with a little note to us readers from Mara Dyer, herself. And right from that I was entered this crazy story and just couldn't leave. I think it'd be a freaky thing if I said that I feel Michelle Hodkin really understood me as a person, but it's totally true. Mara Dyer is not a character like any other, but she's actually one of my most liked characters because I can relate to her on so much stuff. 

 

What I loved so much about this crazy-ass book is that it's not like any of paranormal book I've read before. It's like you're not actually yourself when you're reading it because Mara Dyer isn't a sane narrator. She's crazy. Some of the scenes made me think, WHAT. THE. HELL! because it was that darn weird. It's also so intelligently written that I could picture it all in my head, it'd make a brilliant TV show or Movie.

 

One of my favourite scenes in the book would have to be the rice-turning-into-maggots scene. It was shit bat crazy, but it also made sense. Everything from Mara's POV makes sense even though it shouldn't.

 

Santeria plays a huge role in the book as well, especially as we go into book two. Santeria is a Afro-Caribbean religion based on Yoruba beliefs. And like most religions it has both good and bad sides. In fact in the late 19th century, early 20th century it was mostly known as a sacrificial religion, specifically in Brazil. People were coming down with diseases and converted to the religion in hopes of being cured. They'd sacrifice something important to them. Sometimes it was a chicken tongue, a snippet of their hair, loose teeth and in one case a woman chopped off her own thumb. They never got cured. (This was all information via myself. I love history.)

 

I just love this book so much, I'm currently reading The Evolution of Mara Dyer. My review of that should be up by next Friday. Hopefully. Despite myself loving this book there were also a few small problems. The beginning was quite slow and I couldn't really get into it until after 120 pages. I also found the writing to become a little iffy three quarters of the way through. But other than that everything was great.

 

Top 5 Wednesday: Books Over 500 Pages

Top 5 Wednesday was set up by Lainey over at GingerReadsLainey. Every week you have a new topic and you pick your top 5 choices for each topic. This is done in Vlogs, but I think it will be great for Bloggers to do as well. Today's topic is Big Books Don't Lie. Well, now I'm lying. It's Favourite books over 500 pages long!

Christmas time is the perfect time for big books because we get more time to ourselves, that is if you've already finished your shopping, like me.

 

A Game of Thrones by George R R Martin - I haven't read this series, but I know everyone either loves the books or the TV show, so I know it'd be perfect to recommend and take my 5th place. It's a high fantasy with a lot of death. Enjoy!

 

50 Shades of Grey by E. L James - This isn't the best written trilogy ever, but it's a very quick read. I read all three books in three days and really enjoyed them. Plus I've met E L James and she's super nice! Also you get to read them before the movie comes out. (I'm going to see it with some friends)

 

The Dark Heroine by Abigail Gibbs -  I officially read three chapters on Wattpad, but bought the book when it came out. This book is an amazing, sexy novel about kidnappings and Vampires. It's brilliant!

 

The Host by Stephenie Meyer - This Dystopian is incredible. I loved the movie, but when I read the book I was blown away. It was...unique. Great writing, great editing and an amazing storyline. It is over 600 pages long, but totally worth it.

 

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness -  This is my all time favourite series and the first book clocks up an epic 680 pages long. It's an adult fantasy that includes Witches, Vampires and Daemons. I was 14/15 when I read this and even faked that I was ill to finish reading it!

 

 

What are some of your favourite books that are over 500 pages long?

Review: The Selection by Kiera Cass

"A magical quick read that will have you hooked from beginning, middle and end."

Title: The Selection
Author: Kiera Cass
Genre: Dystopia
Publisher: Harper Collins
Published: April 24th 2012
Page Number: 336

Summary:

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself--and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Review:

I should have reviewed this book after I had finished it a little over a year ago, but I never did. But now I've decided that I am going to be reviewing the whole Trilogy. My review of The Elite will go live next Monday and The One will go live the Monday after that.

America Singer lives in a world that is divided into Castes, each Caste goes along in numbers 1 - 8. Being a One is being the King, Queen, Prince and (soon to be) Princess. And being an Eight means you have a terrible life. No food, no home. You are most likely to become a Rebel.

What I loved about this book was that despite it being a Dystopian novel it was also very light and fluffy. It was a face-paced, action-packed quick read. The whole world isn't too intricate, but it's also interesting because you'd think that it'd be a pretty perfect world.

It is not.

Maxon's life isn't what you all expected. He may be a Prince, but his Father is harsh on him and every once in a while, the Castle is attacked by Rebels. The Northern Rebels are less affective because they NEVER kill, while the Southern Rebels WILL kill. It's a hard life, but for Maxon it all changes when he meets America.

The change is his personality made him my favourite character, not once did I ever dislike him. My only dislike was Aspen and if I was writing the book I would have him killed in the beginning. He was a character who liked to hold out on things and never let them go.

Overall, I really did love this book. I read it within a few hours and couldn't wait until the sequel (I read it a year on). 5/5 Stars! This book deserves every star rating I gave it because it was that good.

Review: The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman, Illustrated by Chris Riddell

Title: The Sleeper and the Spindle
Author: Neil Gaiman
Genre: Fairy-tale Retelling
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: October 23rd 2014
Page Number: 68

Summary:

On the eve of her wedding, a young queen sets out to rescue a princess from an enchantment. She casts aside her fine wedding clothes, takes her chain mail and her sword and follows her brave dwarf retainers into the tunnels under the mountain towards the sleeping kingdom. This queen will decide her own future – and the princess who needs rescuing is not quite what she seems. Twisting together the familiar and the new, this perfectly delicious, captivating and darkly funny tale shows its creators at the peak of their talents.

 

Review:

I've not really read an actual Neil Gaiman book before, but I have read Coraline the graphic novel. I enjoyed it, but it was quite boring compared to the movie. When I got this in the post I literally couldn't stop touching it. It's beautiful.

 

The book is a mixed retelling of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, so I wasn't sure what to expect. What I got was a lot of creepiness and incredible, beautiful writing. The story was thrilling and enjoyable, and I just couldn't put it down. (It's not a long book and could be read within an hour.) I felt such a connection with the story and in a way it was both confusing and similar at the same time. I could see the original stories, but also the retellings.

 

 

One of the scenes that really made me smile was when both queens kissed. It wasn't a romantic kiss, it was just a kiss. The kiss of life. It was a nice surprise because I'm gay and I definitely didn't expect to see it in a children's book.

 

 

I wouldn't say the story blew me away, but I did enjoy it. 4/5 stars!

 

I received this book from the publishers for an honest opinion.

 

 

Book Blitz: Breaking the Rules by Katie McGarry

Breaking the Rules (Pushing the Limits #1.5)

by Katie McGarry 

Release Date: 12/08/14

Harlequin Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

A summer road trip changes everything in this unforgettable new tale from acclaimed author Katie McGarry.

For new high school graduate Echo Emerson, a summer road trip out west with her boyfriend means getting away and forgetting what makes her so... different. It means seeing cool sights while selling her art at galleries along the way. And most of all, it means almost three months alone with Noah Hutchins, the hot, smart, soul-battered guy who’s never judged her. Echo and Noah share everything — except the one thing Echo’s just not ready for.

But when the source of Echo’s constant nightmares comes back into her life, she has to make some tough decisions about what she really wants — even as foster kid Noah’s search for his last remaining relatives forces them both to confront some serious truths about life, love, and themselves.

Now, with one week left before college orientation, jobs and real life, Echo must decide if Noah's more than the bad-boy fling everyone warned her he'd be. And the last leg of an amazing road trip will turn... seriously epic.

Available for Pre-Order:
    
 

Books in the series:
(covers linked to Goodreads)
    

Excerpt From Noah’s Point of View

“Me and you,” I whisper, hoping my words will sink into her subconscious, beyond where she overthinks. “It’s how it’s supposed to be.”

Echo’s hand glides over mine, and she links our fingers together. “You like disturbing my sleep, don’t you?”

I kiss her shoulder, permitting my lips to linger on her soft skin. Guess I did wake her. “Just keeping things straight between us.”

“In my sleep?” Damn, I love that groggy voice.

“You argue less that way.”

About the Author

KATIE MCGARRY was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, and reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Katie would love to hear from her readers. Contact her via her website, katielmcgarry.com, follow her on Twitter @KatieMcGarry, or become a fan on Facebook and Goodreads.

Author Links:
   

GIVEAWAY:

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Book Blitz Organized by:

Top 5 Wednesday: Favourite Book Couples

Top 5 Wednesday was set up by Lainey over at GingerReadsLainey. Every week you have a new topic and you pick your top 5 choices for each topic. This is done in Vlogs, but I think it will be great for Bloggers to do as well. This week's topic is Favourite Book Couples (main or side). I've had a hard time selecting my top 5 because I knew only three couples that were my top 3, but the other two are ones I had to really think about.

Without further a do...

 

 

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick - I absolutely love Samantha and Jase together. Their relationship starts off very awkward and cute, but then it develops into something a lot more deeper. Their connection is great and I love that Jase isn't what Samantha expected him to be.

 

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness - Mathew and Diana are complete different people - literally - She's a witch and he's a vampire. She's into History and he's into Science. She's in her thirties and he's over 1500 years old. They should never work, but they do.

Slammed by Colleen Hoover - Will and Layken start off with a great connection that gets ruined by the fact that he's her teacher, but that connection is something that cannot - and will not - be broken. They're perfect for each other and every obstacle they went through, they came out together.

Where She Went by Gayle Forman - In If I Stay, I didn't like Adam and Mia so much. They were cute, but had a very immature relationship. However, in Where She Went I felt like everything had been a lot more mature. Plus it showed the awkwardness of the situation, I loved that.

The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare - Everyone loves Tessa and Jem or Tessa and Will, but not me. I love Sophie and Gideon. He's a Shadowhunter and high maintenance, she's a maid and mundane. Despite their clear difference they work. Their connection and relationship is both beautiful and awkward. I need more of their relationship.

 

 

Who are your favourite book couples?

Review: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

"Each and every word flies off the page and into your heart, because that is what a Katie McGarry book will do to you, it'll make you fall in love."

Title: Pushing the Limits
Author: Katie McGarry
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Mira Ink
Published: July 31st 2012
Page Number: 392

Summary:

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.

But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

Review:

It's a shock that I've never reviewed a Katie McGarry book on my blog because she is one of my favourite authors. Pushing the Limit is a story that I can relate to on a personal level and I've read it twice already since reading it a near year ago.

In Pushing the Limits, Katie McGarry weaves the tale of two broken souls who find that home is where your heart is despite the obvious differences. Each and every word flies off the page and into your heart, because that is what a Katie McGarry book will do to you, it'll make you fall in love.

Katie McGarry has a way with words and what I love most is that Katie McGarry writes a male character as an actual guy. Noah doesn't say that Echo is cute and has sparkling eyes, instead he does what a normal sixteen/seventeen year old would do. He talks about how big her boobs are. I've never been one to really connect with a straight male character, but with Noah I did. I understood every single thing he did because he did it all for love. He loved his brothers enough to try and get them back. He loved Echo enough to try and win her back and stand my her side. He loved his friends enough that he'd always stay by their side, no matter what they went through. He's a bad boy with a good heart.

Echo is a whole different subject. I didn't just understand her, I lived through her. Everything that Echo felt since that accident I have felt. Worthless, useless, stupid. Echo is none of that. She just needed Noah to make her realise what she has in life. Noah became to part of her heart that healed her. He became her pain relief. Her addiction. They shared a love like no other and if you read any review of a Katie McGarry book you'll always read: How does Katie McGarry write such beautiful, yet truthful stories? I cannot answer that, only Katie can, but once you find out it wouldn't surprise you at all. 

I just cannot say enough about both Pushing the Limits and Katie McGarry. She is one of the nicest authors ever. I've tweeted her a lot about her series and every tweet made, she has replied too. She's grateful to all her readers and it's nice to see an author who's vocal about it.

I love this book so much and it's no shock that I gave it a full five stars. In fact, I'd give it a million heart breaking stars.

This series is sadly ending on December 8th when Echo and Noah's story is continued on in Breaking the Rules. The rest of the companion series are out as well: Dare You To, Crash into You and Take Me On.

 

Buy the book here:

 

Amazon | Book Depository

November 2014 Releases

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray - Published on November 4th (Tuesday)

 

The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - Published on November 4th

 

Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers - Published on November 4th

 

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart - Published on November 6th (Yesterday)

 

The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare - Publishes on November 11th

 

Pole Apart by Kirsty Moseley - Publishes on November 18th

 

Captivated by You by Sylvia Day - Publishes November 18th

 

 

Over at booknerd.ca there is a sign up where you can win a November release.

 

 

What books are you looking to buy this month?

Gay in YA

Should Gay in YA be allowed?

 

There's always been a lot of controversy whether or not authors should write LGBT characters. Some authors are known for their LGBT niche, where some are not and that's not always up to them, sometimes the publishers will only sign on the book if the LGBT character is written as a straight character as well.

 

Publishers Weekly published a blog where two authors wrote an article about trying to publish their book with a major company, but were told that the one gay character had to be written straight and if it was successful enough then they could write him as gay later on in the series. (Click here to read the article)

 

In the blog post they state that they didn't feel the need to change the Gay character because that's who he was and sometimes the teenagers they spoke to who were Gay always spoke about wanting a Gay character who could be shown as being strong.

 

“Making a gay character straight is a line in the sand which I will not cross. That is a moral issue. I work with teenagers, and some of them are gay. They never get to read fantasy novels where people like them are the heroes, and that’s not right.”

 

I completely agree with what Rachel had to say: Gay characters are never shown as being strong and it's not fair because there are people in the army and police force who happen to be Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender. They're courageous people who show strength, not weakness.

 

Rachel then went on to continue her argument as to why her character should remain Gay.

 

When you refuse to allow major characters in YA novels to be gay, you are telling gay teenagers that they are so utterly horrible that people like them can’t even be allowed to exist in fiction.

 

After coming out as LGBT we immediately get targeted, next thing you know you're being pushed into lockers, being beaten up and having people tell you to kill yourselves and it shouldn't be like that in the publishing world. We can't help being gay anymore than people can help being straight or being born with blonde hair. It's a normal thing and for it to become a normal thing in society then people have to accept it and use what they can to advertise an acceptance towards LGBT.

 

LGBT teenagers are four times more likely than straight teenagers to commit suicide.

 

LGBT teenagers don't commit suicide because there aren't LGBT characters in Young Adult books, but it's more about the prejudice. If a boy and girl were making out in public nothing would be said, but as soon as people see two boys (or girls) holding hands in public then it's rubbing their sexuality down their throats.

 

WE. ARE. NOT. DIFFERENT!

 

Rachel and Sherwood wrote the novel so that the teenagers we know—some of whom are gay, and many of whom are not white—would be able, for once, to read a fun post-apocalyptic adventure in which they are the heroes. And we were told that such a thing could not be allowed.

 

I love their reply!

 

After we thanked the agent for their time, declined the offer, and hung up, Sherwood broke the silence. “Do you think the agent missed that Becky and Brisa [supporting characters] are a couple, too? Do they ever actually kiss on-page? No? I’M ADDING A LESBIAN KISS NOW!”

 

I love that Rachel and Sherwood wanted to show that being LGBT was normal and that two boys (or girls) kissing is okay. (Sex is also okay). Being a gay teenager is hard, but sometimes you just want to read a book with a LGBT protagonist and there's only a small list of books we can choose from. But what I love even more about Rachel and Sherwood is that they wanted to write it for the gay people they knew, not because it was different in Young Adult fiction.

 

Not every publisher are against publishing books with LGBT characters, Agents can decline because of sexuality and so can Editors and we can't change their minds about that, it's up to them. But I'm also missing out a big factor: Authors. Yes, there are authors who are known Homophobes and by reading their work it looks like we're supporting them and their opinions.  

 

Orson Scott Card is a known Homophobe. In fact he's the biggest homophobe ever. I will never read a book by him because I'm gay myself and he is hating on people just like me, which is disgusting. In 2004, he said gays were the victims of self-loathing and child abuse. But Card’s most notorious anti-gay screed was his 2008 article in the Mormon Times, in which he wrote, “No matter how sexually attracted a man might be toward other men, or a woman toward other women, and no matter how close the bonds of affection and friendship might be within same-sex couples, there is no act of court or Congress that can make these relationships the same as the coupling between a man and a woman. This is a permanent fact of nature.”

 

John C Wright is another Homophobic author. After the SyFy Channel promised to be diverse in its portrayal of gay people, Wright took to LiveJournal with a shockingly homophobic post: “Why are you willing to tolerate sexual perversion but not racism? In a world with no standards, what makes a malfunction of love higher on your standard than a malfunction of hate? Is an irrational lust and longing to mimic the mating act with a sex with which one cannot mate, at its root, any more or less disconnected to reality than an irrational fear and hatred of a Negro?” He also compared being gay to bestiality, necrophilia, and the sexual abuse of children.

 

Another Homophobe is Kingsley Amis. The basis for Kingsley Amis’ bigotry is in his letters, which include slurs aimed at gays and Jews. He referred to gay men as “queers,” “poofters,” and “queens.”

 

To be honest the "queens" thing doesn't bother me because I am an aspiring Drag Queen, but there are so many gay men out there who aren't and it's offensive. I have a lot to say about all three men but I'd rather be a mature adult about it all and accept their point of view for what it is. But I will say I completely disagree with everything they stated.

 

The Young Adult genre's aren't that bad though, guys. There are a few well known authors who write LGBT characters and I think a lot of you will be surprised by one of them. She's massively known in the Young Adult genre and her first book City of Bones was also turned into a movie and has now been optioned for a TV Series.

 

Yes, Cassandra Clare, writes LGBT characters. In The Mortal Instruments there are two main gay characters: Alec and Magnus, but that's not her only LGBT characters. She is planning to write a Transgendered character and is set to appear in The Dark Artifices.

 

Here are five books that feature LGBT characters (James Dawson normally writes diverse characters) :

 

 

25 Must read YA books featuring LGBT characters

 

What are your opinions on having LGBT characters in Young Adult fiction? Do you agree or disagree with it? Let me know and comment down below.

Top 5 Wednesday: Red Covers!

Top 5 Wednesday was set up by Lainey over at GingerReadsLainey. Every week you have a new topic and you pick your top 5 choices for each topic. This is done in Vlogs, but I think it will be great for Bloggers to do as well. This week's topic is Red Covers, which if I'm honest I don't own many red covers, so most of these will be books with red on the cover. I hope you like the new format. Anyway, lets get this going.....

The Suitcase Kid by Jacqueline Wilson - This was a childhood favourite of mine, but I just love the cover. It's eye-catching and shows what the book is all about without giving away any important details.

Half Bad by Sally Green - I've yet to read this book, but the cover is absolutely beautiful. And it's double sided, which means it has one design on the front (black with red face) and on the back it has the same design, but it's white with a red face.

Red at Midnight by Katie McGarry - I love Katie McGarry, but this short story is beautiful and so is that cover. It's very autumnal, which is perfect because we are currently in Autumn. The mix of red and brown leaves and the grave yard just sets the perfect tone for the book.

Talon by Julie Kagawa - I'm not a big fantasy fan, but look at that cover! It's beautiful, simple and unique. I love the colour of the red and the scales. Just......gawd! I cannot say anything bad about this cover. It's gorgeous.

A Grimm Warning by Chris Colfer - I've yet to read this series as well, but I want to start it soon. The thing with middle grade is that all the covers are gorgeous, but none are better than The Land of Stories. Every single cover is beautiful and detailed. Once again, this cover is very autumnal with the mixture of red, brown, green and yellow. I also happen to be a huge Gleek.

What are your favourite books with red covers?

Waiting on Wednesday: I Was Here by Gayle Forman

Waiting on Wednesday: Episode Two

 

 

I Was Here by Gayle Forman

 

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

 

Release Date: 29th January 2015

 

Pages: 270

 

Goodreads Summary:

 

When her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. She and Meg shared everything - so how was there no warning?

But when Cody travels to Meg’s college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington.

About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, who broke Meg’s heart. And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can’t open - until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend’s death gets thrown into question.

 

Thoughts:

 

THAT COVER?! OMG! It's so beautiful and it'll match both my If I Stay and Where She Went covers. Gayle Forman has become one of my favourite authors of all time this year and I need more and more of her writing. What I love most is that her books are never all that long, but they're full of depth and emotion. I'm desperate to get my hands on an ARC copy (Simon and Schuster, if you are seeing this then please consider sending me one. It's my birthday this month.) because I MUST read this book.

 

 

What book are you impatiently waiting for?

Review: Geek Girl by Holly Smale

Title: Geek Girl
Author: Holly Smale
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Harper Collins
Published: February 28th 2013
Page Number: 378

Summary:

Harriet Manners knows a lot of things.

She knows that a cat has 32 muscles in each ear, a "jiffy" lasts 1/100th of a second, and the average person laughs 15 times per day. What she isn't quite so sure about is why nobody at school seems to like her very much. So when she's spotted by a top model agent, Harriet grabs the chance to reinvent herself. Even if it means stealing her Best Friend's dream, incurring the wrath of her arch enemy Alexa, and repeatedly humiliating herself in front of the impossibly handsome supermodel Nick. Even if it means lying to the people she loves.

As Harriet veers from one couture disaster to the next with the help of her overly enthusiastic father and her uber-geeky stalker, Toby, she begins to realise that the world of fashion doesn't seem to like her any more than the real world did.

And as her old life starts to fall apart, the question is: will Harriet be able to transform herself before she ruins everything?

Review:

 

I'm going to keep this review short and sweet, but just know that I did enjoy this book. A lot.

 

I still don't know if I should be happy or sad that I liked this book. This books is aimed at girls around the ages of 10 and up, but here I am, 18 years old - turning 19 this month. Oh and I'm a boy. Maybe the book didn't connect all that well because of my gender, but with a female mind and soul I tend to think that I understood it pretty well.

 

Geek Girl was a bedtime read for me, so I only read it when I was in bed because it was an easy, quick read with quite funny characters, plus it was about fashion and I love fashion. (I had dreams of being a fashion designer when I was 10. Now I'd like to work for Elle or Vogue as a journalist.) The characters are all great in their own way, but they're also very annoying at the same time.

 

Harriet was interesting and I loved her, but her family? Hell to the no! The step-mother was an even bigger geek with a hobby of watching incredibly boring TV Shows, and her father was a near 40 year old acting like a 12 year old. If anything Harriet's father was more interested in the model thing than Harriet.

 

I will say that I was kind of annoyed at the whole stereotype over-the-top gay guy who used these ridiculous words and acted like Louis Spence mixed with Alan Carr and Gok Wan. Just because you're a gay guy who works in the modelling industry that doesn't mean that he had to be over-the-top and incredibly annoying.

 

Overall, I did really like the book, but sometimes I wanted to throw it at my wall because it was a little much, but I'm happy I stuck with it. 3/5 Stars!

Top 10 Books I Want To Re-Read

This week I've decided to take part in Top 10 Tuesday, however, I won't be doing a post every week. My Top 10 Tuesday posts may be twice a month or just when a topic comes around that I like, especially since I take part in Top 5 Wednesday as well. Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This weeks topic is Top 10 Books you want to Re-read and mine was very easy because I have a list of books I plan to re-read. So...lets get on with it!

 

The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare - Lady Midnight comes out next year, so I want to re-read both series so that they're both fresh in my mind. I probably won't read The Bane Chronicles because it comes out this month.

Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman - I read this this year, but due to a reading slump I couldn't enjoy it as much as I could've. I loved the first half - an easy 5 stars - but the second half didn't satisfy my slump.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness - I always read this trilogy every year and will do until I get old and can't read anything.

The Host by Stephenie Meyer - I love this book so much, but we'll never know if the sequel is coming, so this is my best bet on satisfying my craving.

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell - I read this in December last year, so it seems fitting to re-read it soon.

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover - I was in a reading slump while reading this book and I never got out of it what others did, so when I re-read it I hope to see what it was all about.

The Dark Heroine by Abigail Gibbs - I read this book about two years ago and I need to re-read it so I can move onto the sequel.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - Both times of reading this book gave me different rating. When I first picked it up I gave it 5 stars, but the second time I read it I only rated it four stars. Hopefully a third time will show me what I really think of the book.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - Need I say more? Paris, cute boys and Paris.

That's the end of todays Top 10 Tuesday. What books do you want/need to re-read?