Gossip Girl: It Had to be You by Cecily von Ziegesar

On the Back of the Book

Welcome to New York City's Upper East Side, where my friends and I live in luxe Fifth Avenue apartments and attend Manhattan's most exclusive private schools. We're smart, we've inherited classic good looks, we wear fantastic clothes, and we know how to party. We can't help it-we were born this way.

Our story begins with three inseparable, completely gorgeous fifteen-year-olds, Serena van der Woodsen, Blair Waldorf, and Nate Archibald. Blair's loved Nate and his glittering green eyes since she was in Bonpoint onesies. Too bad Nate wishes Blair's beautiful
best friend, Serena, was the one with the crush. And Serena has a secret she's keeping from them both. Hmmm, something tells me these best friends may not be as close as we thought. . . .

How do I know all this? Because I know everything-and lucky for you, I can't keep a secret. So sit back while I untangle this messy little tale and tell you how it all began.

Admit it, you're already falling for me.

You know you love me.
gossip girl

My Thoughts

I really didn't like this one. For me it contradicted the rest of the story in ways. I'm all for the prequel, it was an amazing idea but it needed to be executed better. It was almost as though the author had forgotten parts of the story from earlier in the series.

The fact that the characters were exactly the same was also disconcerting. You'd expect them to be more immature or less bothered about fashion, but they weren't. In fact they were worse in the rest of the series. An illusion of character growth would have been nice.

I don't have a clue what happened to this series, this and the two books before it were really bad. This used to be such a good series.

My Rating

1 star - This truly is one of the worst books I have read in my life. I said last time I reviewed a Gossip Girl that it was the worst book in the series. I stand corrected. This one is. Don't waste your time.

A Final Note

This book contains sex, drug usage and heavy swearing. So if you've read this and still thought, 'Oooh I'll give it a go', not if you're easily offended you won't.

• Book Summary from Goodreads



• Image from Google

Diary of a Wimpy Vampire by Tim Collins

On the Back of the Book


Nigel Mullet is just your average, everyday vampire. Transformed at the awkward age of 15, he will remain this age forever, being forced to spend eternity coping with acne, a breaking voice, and ineptitude with girls.

In this, his brilliantly funny diary, Nigel chronicles his increasingly desperate attempts to be noticed by the love of his life, Chloe, the constant mortification caused by his vampire parents (it's so embarrassing when they try and bite your friends), and how unfair everything feels when you've been undead for over eighty years and you've never had a girlfriend.

Forced to hang out with the goths and emo kids in an effort to blend in, and constantly battling his confusing desire to sink his fangs into Chloe's neck, will Nigel ever get his girl?

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this book. I finished it in a matter of hours, it's such an entertaing read. I laughed out loud so many times at Nigel's lame attempts to woo Chloe.

The writing was really simple but I think that's because it seems to be aimed at younger teenagers as opposed to 20 year olds who still read kids books. Nigel's voice was really witty and his attempts to be amusing felt really natural in that 'I am a teenager and I must impress the whole world with my intelligence' kind of way. Mainly because he's really not that clever. Like a lot of other diaries, Nigel seems to manage to get himself caught up in situations that would never happen.

Chloe probably isn't the perfect Goddess that she's prtrayed to be but who cares, she's Nigel's dream woman. She's all he thinks about.

My Rating

4 Stars - This book is an amusing read that will help to pass a few hours that are dragging. I thoroughly recommend it if you're into diary style books.

A Final Note

This book doesn't contain anything dodgy in it so I thought I'd use this as an opportunity to point out that there's a follow up to this book. It's called Prince of Dorkness and I've got a picture of the cover:
I quite like it, although it's not as eye-catching as book 1.

• Book summary from the back of the book



• Images from Google

Gossip Girl: Don't You Forget About Me by Cecily von Ziegesar

On the Back of the Book

Welcome to New York's Upper East Side, where my friends and I get what we want, when we want and who we want - even if they're already taken.

Enter the world of Gossip Girl - a world where throwing a going away soiree means renting out the Met for two hundred of your closest friends, and jealousy and betrayal are the guests of honour.

Forget the tearful goodbyes, people - let's get on with the fabulous farewell parties! We're almost off to college, and these last days are like a perpetual New Year's Eve ball drop - total kiss-who-you-can-now insanity. So will everyone break down and spill their secrets at the last goodbye? I'll be there to find out, and I certainly can't keep quiet...

You know you love me,
gossip girl

My Thoughts

This book doesn't have the easiness of the rest of the series, it's a massive 100 pages longer than the rest of the series and I failed to see why. There wasn't anything particularly exciting happening and so the book just dragged on.

There's not much character development as they're all just getting ready to go to college and continue on with their perfect lives. It's pretty easy to see why the characters were all altered so much for the TV show.

This is easily one of the worst books in the series if not the worst. It dragged, it took me nearly a whole week to read it and that's never happened with a Gossip Girl book before. I don't know why they brought out two more books after this but more on them when I review them.

My Rating

2.5 stars - By rights I should only give this 2 stars but I'm being generous and giving it the benefit of the doubt, although I am likely to take it down to 2.

A Final Note

This book also contains a lot of sex, swearing and drugs. Not recommended for teenagers under the age of at least 14. Even then, it's up to the parent to decide. I just share this important information.

• Book summary from the back of the book


• Image from Google

Gossip Girl: Would I Lie to You by Cecily von Ziegesar

On the Back of The Book

Welcome to New York City's Upper East Side, where my friends and I live in decadent penthouses, massive townhouses, and come summer, fabulous beach houses.

Enter the world of Gossip Girl -- a world where espadrille sandals are flown in from Spain, crisp cotton sundresses are made to order, and jealousy and betrayal are the ultimate summer accessories.

Time to throw your hair into a messy pony and cut off your Sevens -- we're heading to the Hamptons! S and B are now co-muses to a super-famous designer, who just happens to live next door to N's Hampton's estate.... I wonder how neighborly these new neighbors are going to get. And what's this I hear about V venturing surfside? Who's next, D!? Never say never....

You know you love me,

gossip girl

My Thoughts

The writing is simple in this one, but quite possibly less entertaining than the others. It's just a load of rubbish. I don't care about the clothes, I care about the people [kind of]. If I'm right, I don't even think Cecily von Ziegesar wrote this one it was a ghost writer. If so then to be honest it shouldn't have been published because this isn't at the same level of earlier books.

I've pointed out what I think of the characters before, but that's part of the appeal of the series. I don't think anyone can deny the pleasure of finding a bunch of people more annoying than they are [even if said charactersare only fictional].

Jenny once again doesn't appear in this book [she's still in Prague] but I know for a fact that she's in the last one.

This book is a nice, quick read, even if the standard of it is way below the rest of the series. It's still a fun[ish] book about people you love to hate.

My Rating

2.5 stars - This may seem harsh but it really wasn't as good as the other books and I had to force my way through it.

A Final Note

I feel that it is my duty to warn you that this book includes a lot of swearing, most of which is the F-word. I definitely wouldn't give this to a child under 14 as there are talks of sex and drugs as well.

• Book Summary from Goodreads



• Image from Google

Kitty Goes to War by Carrie Vaughn

On the Back of the Book

Kitty Norville, werewolf radio call-in show host, gets a call from an old friend at the NIH’s Center for the Study of Paranatural Biology, a friend with a problem, who doesn’t know where else to turn. Three Army soldiers who have recently returned from the war in Afghanistan are in custody at Ft. Carson in Colorado Springs. They’re also werewolves suffering from post traumatic stress, unable to control their shape-shifting, unable to interact with people. Kitty agrees to see them, curious and wanting to help.

Meanwhile, Kitty gets sued for slander after featuring Speedy Mart—a chain of 24-hour convenience stores with a reputation for attracting the supernatural—on her show, and an old friend-and-adversary has just been released from jail.

My Thoughts

I love this series. Kitty is so entertaining what with all the stuff she gets herself into. I have bben reading the whole series for years and it just doesn't get old.

I love all of the characters, Kitty is so strong and has come so far from where she was in book 1. Cormac is back as well but his time in prison has changed him - literally. I was also a bit disappointed by the lack of Ben, he's not really in this book which is a shame because he's really grown on me.

I also quickly want to mention one of the characters that is introduced in this book: Tyler is awesome. I want more Tyler!

I loved this book, it blends the seriousness of the Alpha-less soldier wolves with PTSD with the lighter issue of Kitty getting sued for libel by Harold Franklin, the CEO of speedy mart.

My Rating

4 Stars - While the lack of Ben and Cormac's weirdness are major negative points as they are 2 of my favourite characters. The book is good enough to stand on it's own two feet and doesn't deserve a deduction of more than a star.

A Final Note

While I thoroughly recommend this book, it's number 8 in a series so I also thoroughly recommend you read the first 7 before picking this one up.

• Book summary from Goodreads

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

On the Back of the Book

My name is Katniss Everdeen. Why am I not dead? I should be dead.

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans -- except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay -- no matter what the personal cost.

My Thoughts

I never fell in love with the series and this book was definitely my least favourite of the series. Maybe it's me but for me this book was just a load of fighting stuck together and called a rebellion. There wasn't a story until the end, I mean there were parts that should have been in more detail, even if it had meant switching POV's. I would have rather had a really good multi perspective book that I fell in love with than what I got. The Hunger Games would have worked so well that way. All in all I wouldn't have finished this book if the author's writing style wasn't so easy to read.

I still wasn't 100% with the characters. Katniss had more of a human edge to her but I still don't like her, my main issues are with some of the other characters.

Peeta: I wanted more from him. I mean for an author so happy to describe graphic violence, why wasn't any of the book from his POV? It would have made interesting reading.

Prim: Prim's end wasn't right. It totally invalidated the whole series for me. What was the point? It should have been her mum.

My Rating

2.5 stars - This book was easily the worst in the series, it's just mindless violence. All they could think about was going to war. I gave this book its rating because the reading was easy and because Katniss was slightly less irritating in this one. I was feeling generous as well, on a bad day I'd have given this 2.

A Final Note

As with the rest of the trilogy, this book most definitely isn't for the squeamish. It's got some quite graphic violence in it. I was almost sick with the sheer horror. So people of a sensitive disposition this is one to sit out.

• Book Summary from Goodreads

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

On the Back of the Book

Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark won the annual competition described in the Hunger Games, but the aftermath leaves these victors with no sense triumph. Instead they have become the poster boy and girl for a rebellion that they never planned to lead. That new, unwanted status puts them in the bulls eye for merciless revenge by the Capitol.

My Thoughts

I'm still not blown away by the writing and some things actually annoyed me. I mean a list without commas? Grammar's important! Well it is to me anyway.

I still don't like Katniss. She's in this love triangle that she doesn't want to be in, well here's a thought, tell them both no instead of leading them on like a common slapper. One thing which I'm finding really confusing is why do the boys have girl's names? Are you telling me that in the future all names become unisex instead of exotic? If so, that's boring.

However, despite my mini rant, I liked this one. It had more emotion and the sense of the uprising kind of gave the book a better grounding. In parts I actually felt for the character's and their situations. I still don't understand the mega hype though.

My Rating

4 Stars - While I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book there were parts, of it that made me recoil in horror and I think it's pretty much safe to say that I'm not a fan of mindless violence.

A Final Note

As with book 1 there is quite graphic violence and if that isn't to your taste I suggest you find a different book. I read these things so you don't have to.

• Book Summary from Goodreads

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

On the Back of the Book

Winning will make you famous.
Losing means certain death.

In a dark vision of the near future, a terrifying reality TV show is taking place. 12 boys and 12 girls are forced to appear in a live event called the Hunger Games. There's only one rule: kill or be killed.

When 16 year old Katniss Everdeen steps forward to take her sister's place in the games, she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature.

My Thoughts

I'm going to be honest, I found the book really easy to read but in a way I was forced through it against my will. I lost hours at a time but I didn't actually enjoy what was on the pages and I can't tell you anything about the writing style because I just can't remember.

I didn't find Katniss very likeable and I spent the majority of the book only tolerating her. I respect what she did for her sister but other than that, everything she did was a part of the games. Everything she did was to get her back to her sister, in a way that makes her selfish because she isn't thinking of anyone but herself.

I have to be admit, I don't have the slightest idea what to think of this one. It grabbed my attention - in a bad way. I remember the story - in a bad way. That's just it, everything about this book rubbed me the wrong way.

My Rating

In the end I gave it 3 stars. It doesn't deserve any less, it grabs you and it won't let go. It has it's good points, Peeta is a lovely boy. Although for me the bad outweighs the good, I am part of a minority and practically everyone else who reads it adores it but if I put that I thought it was the best thing since sliced bread I'd be lying and that would contradict my reasons for starting my blog.

A Final Note

One last thing: this book has some very violent scenes that gave me nightmares for a week. If you're sensitive to things like that then step away from the Hunger Games. Seriously read some Enid Blyton with me. There's nothing scary about her books.

• Book summary from Goodreads

Rockoholic by C.J. Skuse

Plot

Jody is in love with Jackson Gatlin, lead singer of Chicago rockers The Regulators. Whne Jody has the chance to got o their gig in Cardiff she jumps at the opportunity, but she ends up backstage where she meets her hero and a little over excited one thing leads to another between them and a Curly Wurly and she ends up taking him home with her.

She sneaks him into her garage but he doesn't want to stay with her, he disrespects her and seems to have no control over his bodily functions. Tiring of his behaviour she tells him to go but he refuses to leave. So what do you do when your mental image of your hero is shattered and he still won't go?

Writing

This book is so funny, there are some real laugh out loud moments. There were some flaws for me though, in places it could have been funnier or it could have been more fan girly. I'm going to be completely honest but if it was me and Matt Bellamy (Muse) it wouldn't matter how bad he treated me, I'd still squeal every time he so much as breathed in my direction.

My main annoyance I'm actually going to name and shame because it really stood out. It was on page 211 and this is what happens: Jackson tells Jody that [and I quote] "I'm just a man, I'm not a hero", look I used to worship the ground Gerard Way walked on and I think I'd know a My Chemical Romance quote when I see one. It's just such an obvious way of saying this is my favourite band! (I do something similar so I'm being a complete and utter hypocritebut hey, everyone's a hypocrite at some point in their life.)

Characters

I loved the characters, I can't name a favourite, they all appealed to me in different ways. They were all flawed but each of them had a reason to be the way they were, it made it more real.

Overall

An enjoyable quick read (despite it being 365 pages long) that's funny and sad and a billion things in between.

I struggled with my rating for this book but in the end I settled on 4.5 stars. My niggles just weren't good enough to bring it down a whole star. It's such a wicked book and I recommend it to older teens everywhere.

A word of warning though: there are swear words and rockstars drugged up to the eyeballs in the nude. So if you don't like any of these things then you shouldn't read this. If that doesn't bother you though, what are you waiting for? Go buy it!

A Quick Note

I have plenty of reviews to add but my brother seems to have moved my book review notebook so I can't type up my reviews... as soon as I find it I'll start posting again. Stupid brother!

Charmaine Elaine =)

Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden

Plot

7 teens make their way out to a place called Hell in the Australian bush in order to have one final adventure before they have to return to school. When they come back from their five days in the secluded outback they find that the world has changed. Their houses are deserted, their animals either dead or dying, electricity, gas and other utilities have been turned off.

As the teens start to adjust to this new world they realise that Australia has been invaded and that their families and friends have been taken hostage, in order to try and take back their country the teens become a guerilla group, putting themselves in constant danger.

Writing

I loved the writing, for the most part, but in some places it dragged and I had a hard time wanting to carry on reading it. I think this is part of what ruined the reading experience for me.

The strange thing about this book is that it started to drag during the action. I think this is because the narrator felt the need to describe every single thing, even when there's nothing going on. It annoyed me more than a bit.

Characters

The characters in this book don't really matter for me. In my honest opinion this book is more about the story itself and the need for the human race to survive and save their families, whatever the cost.

Overall

It's a solid opening to the series, I can see why it's had such good reviews because I'm giving it one myself. Saying that, this book was nowhere near good enough to get 5 stars from me, don't get me wrong it's a good book but it's not a great book. Although I liked it and the story I didn't love it. I didn't feel the urgency to carry on reading it.

I give it 4 stars, it's well written and it's got such a good premise but I thought that there were a couple of things missing. However I revcommend the book whole heartedly, especially with the film coming out soon.

Defiance by Lili St. Crow

Plot

Sergej has kidnapped Dru's best friend, the loup garou Graves,meanwhile Dru is being forced to stay at the Schola Prima until the council recieves news as to his whereabouts. Dru's been sticking with the wulfen from the Reform Schola that she was shoved into by fellow svetocha Anna before Christophe took her to New York.

Dru is getting increasingly desperate to save Graves because she's not entirely sure that the council are even making an attempt to locate Graves. Is going it alone the best option though?

Writing

I personally like Lili St Crow's style of writing, but then I read some reviews that pointed out her flaws and for the entirety of this book I couldn't stop seeing them and it really started to niggle me. I hate having my reading experience tainted by others, nobody has the right to do that and for that reason and the reason that I'm hoping to forget them by the time Reckoning arrives, I'm not going to point out what they are.

I like how the author has written the story without the central plot being written around some stupid, eternal, I will treat you like an idiot because I am the love of your 5 billion lives, love story. This story is filled with action and it might just be me but because of that this is easily one of my favourite YA series. For me this story is about acceptance, because in a way Dru is still accepting so much of what has happened to her, she's still accepting her father's death (and brief resurrection as a zombie). On top of that she has to accept that she's a svetocha and that eventually she's going to be toxic to suckers, which is what killed her parents.

Characters

Dru is one of my all time favourite female characters, I love her so much. She's got such determination and she doesn't listen to anyone, and yes, sometimes it does get her in trouble but at least she's not like just about every other female, who the second their boyfriend lets go of their hand they start running around like a headless chicken screaming blue murder.

I wasn't entirely sure what I thought of Christophe when I originally wrote out this review (by hand) but now I realise just what an idiot he is. I mean he thinks he's God's gift to women and the way he treats Graves just because he's a wulfen. He's taking racism to a whole new level there.

Graves however, is the opposite, he's definitely my favourite of Dru's 2 love interests and if she was to be with either of them, I'd want it to be him. He doesn't really feature much in this book but the bits where he does are awesome.

Overall

Another brilliant installment of this fantastic series. With so many 'Twilight's' and 'Evermore's' out there this book is a refreshing change. However this book has something, or should I sat someone missing. This book needed Graves, it really did. He just brings something to the story.

Still, I gave this book 4 stars which, for me, is pretty good I love the characters and the story but the severe Graves withdrawal that I was suffering wasn't cured and the issues which were forced upon me have dragged this book down a star. I thoroughly recomend this book but I just want to point out that it contains swearing and isn't suitable for younger teens, and those who don't like bad language should avoid this.

Gossip Girl: Only in Your Dreams by Cecily von Ziegesar

Plot

Gossip Girl doesn't have a plot, it has about a billion [5] sub-plots that all come together at the end.

In this book Serena starts work on Breakfast at Fred's, a remake of the Audrey Hepburn classic, Breakfast at Tiffany's. (The film she got the lead role in, in the previous book)

Blair is in London with her British boyfriend Lord Marcus. Is he really the love of her life? Or will she just find herself back in New York?

Nate is in the Hamptons, doing building work for the coach he stole viagra from. [Well every boy wants to graduate.]

Dan's working at a book store where he meets yoga and exercise obsessed Bree and he promptly changes everything he believes in and forgets that he decided not to go to college to be with his girlfriend Vanessa.

Speaking of Vanessa she has a terrible time in this book, she gets kicked out of her home, fired from her job and Dan cheats on her. Aaah well things can only get better for her.

Writing

I'm stating the obvious here but the writing isn't exactly groundbreaking, but then again, neither's the subject matter. However if you're intrigued about the lives of New York socialites then this is definitely the book for you.

What I do like about the writing is that the series is so easy to read. It's pretty addictive, I find it really hard to put down.

Characters

The characters aren't very likeable, they're pretty much all train wrecks. However the majority of them seem to get what they want anyway.

Jenny isn't in this one (except for a few mentions that she's at an art camp in Prague), so if you're a Jenny fan you're probably not going to like this one as much as the other ones.

Overall

An enjoyable book for when you want to read something and don't want to spend an age dwelling on it. It's just a simple novel about a bunch of naughty teens who are in need of some parental guidance.

I gave 3.5 stars in the end. It's one of my favourite Gossip Girl novels. I'd recommend it to fans of the TV series as well as fans of books like this.

Being Human: Bad Blood by James Goss

Plot

The third Being Human book sees Denise, an old friend of Annie's, arrive on their doorstep. What's more, she can actually see Annie. Denise proceeds to take Annie, Mitchell and George on wild nights out because she thinks they need some more excitement in their lives [Hahaha a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost needing more excitement]. In a bid to get Annie out of the house more Denise makes Annie join an organising committee for a local bingo night.

There's also a nice sub-plot with Bristol's vampires. There seems to be something in the air that's attracting their attantion. This leads to an nice climax.

Writing

This is definitely the best written of the three Being Human books. It's the truest to the show and it just comes alive on the page. This is the only one of the books that I could see working as a part of the series, either on page or on screen.

I also love the writer, I've come across him before (Torchwood novels) and while I enjoyed his books they didn't grip me. I'm sad to say that it was exactly the same with this one, I had to keep putting it down.

Characters

The Characters are at their best in this book, but even with that compliment I have to be honest and in places I still had problems imagining how the characters dealt with some of the situations, George in particular suffers because of this.

The character created specifically for this book, Denise, is such an amazing character, she had so much life and even though she wasn't from the show, she was easily the strongest character in the book.

Overall

Overall, this i san enjoyable book with a good plot and good characters. It has it's flaws, for example, it's difficult to just sit and read it, I personally kept feeling that I had to step away from it. That might just be me though.

The biggest problem for me is the fact that the book can only be described as good. Everything's good but it's not fantastically mindblowing and that's what made me deny this book it's final star. Still 4 stars is more than respectable and Denise alone made it more than worth reading. Although I will say this about all three Being Human books, don't read them unless you've seen series 1 and 2 otherwise there'll be some spoilers.

ps. Annie if you're reading this, they're coming to get you. They won't rest untill they have you with them. Beware Annie.