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Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hardships and heartache brought them together…now it will tear them apart.
Layken and Will have proved their love can get them through anything; until someone from Will’s past re-emerges, leaving Layken questioning the very foundation on which their relationship was built. Will is forced to face the ultimate challenge…how to prove his love for a girl who refuses to stop ‘carving pumpkins.’ 

Actual rating 3.5 stars.

**Minor spoiler ahead**

I wish I could've like this book more or at least as much as I did with Slammed but meh, the drama llama was getting tiring or maybe I'm just a douche who despise every second book in the series because I got bored.

I probably would still read anything by Colleen Hoover. She has this amazing talent - it's like anything wrote by this woman would sound deep and meaningful. But I started to notice that her choice of themes is not something I would really like to read about and this frustrates me. A lot.

I had the same problem with Point of Retreat as I did with Hopeless: I don't understand why sex needs to be hailed as the holy grail of a relationship. Ugh, I wish I don't have to point that out. I'm worried if I don't get my point across, people will misunderstood and given my limited capacity to express my thoughts clearly, I really wish I don't have to.

But let's have a go anyway. There was so much build up leading to Will and Lake *ehem* sex in the first half of the book as if their relationship wouldn't be whole and complete without sex. Like sex is the highest point of a relationship. Sure, issues like friendship and family were emphasized as well but seriously, I think the story was better invested on something else rather than their anticipation of having sex together for the first time. Sure, the build up adds to the value of the relationship itself but I don't know...it's really hard to explain. Personally I think that the first time for a couple should of course be uh, thought carefully beforehand to make it, urmm meaningful but it shouldn't appear as if it's the goal of a relationship. The part which annoyed me the most is when Will decided to reject Lake when she was still crying. I thought this thing needs a common decision from both sides and Will totally denied her right. I know many people will disagree but anywaaaay...

Kiersten and Sherry are nice additions to the story. Caulder and Kel are charming and cute as usual. I'm glad we still get to learn more about Julia, she is such an inspiring character. I'm not sure what the author wanted to prove or show with Eddie and Gavin relationship. Again, Vaughn and Reece are like the causes of some of major events in this book but apart from being the cause, their characters didn't get fleshed out more so they ended up to be very one-dimensional.

Similar to Slammed, the storyline is indeed cliche but unlike in its predecessor where the cliche was handled in such a way that you wouldn't think it's possible for the book to be that wonderful when the same plotline has been reused over and over again in countless other books, in Point of Retreat, the cliche remains as cliche. *sigh*

Me gusta! A four-stars

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Easy by Tammara Webber
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Rescued by a stranger.
Haunted by a secret
Sometimes, love isn’t easy…
He watched her, but never knew her. Until thanks to a chance encounter, he became her savior…
The attraction between them was undeniable. Yet the past he’d worked so hard to overcome, and the future she’d put so much faith in, threatened to tear them apart.
Only together could they fight the pain and guilt, face the truth—and find the unexpected power of love.

Buddy read with Deska. You can read her thoughts here.

I have to warn you that this isn't exactly a review. More like my thought process written in scrambled words.


I swear to God this book would've find itself in my DNF pile if it's not because of all the buzz and hype. Instead of a swoon-worthy book, it was a snooze-worthy book. Sorry! But I need to stop giving these Contemporary/New Adult/YA books with deep message my knee-jerk five star ratings.

Although I have to confess I may lose my ability to enjoy this kind of books after Colleen Hoover's stunning debut, Slammed and her latest hit, Hopeless.

Hmm...yea it was sweet, empowering and all that but don't you think it's just tad predictable? And planned? Planned and awkward at the same time? You might hate me for this but the make outs were written awkwardly in my opinion. Like, I didn't even get the insta-love vibe and out of the blue, Lucas and Jacqueline make out? = insta-make-out? *shudders* Well, it isn't that sudden but the make outs sound really casual. I swear I felt more emotions when reading their e-mail exchanges.

I need to get myself checked,

I think.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Can I talk about Landon separately as if he isn't, you know... (don't want to spoil it for the not-yet-readers).

Hawt. LOL! An Economics tutor?

Hawt. Hawt. Hawt.

I took Economics in my college days too and that was one the best decisions I've ever made.

So I'm gonna be the smart-ass that I am and show you how I felt about Easy in terms of an economics curve.

Class, today we're going to learn about Phillips Curve!


Ignore the axis labels and just look at the curve. Needless to say the first chapter was brilliantly written but somehow the rest of the book failed to amuse me until the end.

Well, it was an easy read, no pun intended. :)

P/S: Sorry for my pseudo-smart-ass-ness show off. I miss studying Economics so bad.

ZA

3 poker faces

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Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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.

Hmm...this review will be awkward since I felt a total indifference towards this book.

Eh, I wasn't that entertained as I first thought I would.

Sure, it's a nice book. I laughed, I felt sad, I blushed whenever Noah does his Noah thing. It has some serious, meaningful messages. It's crude, realistic - I could totally understand where Noah and Echo had come from. Of course, at first I was uncomfortable by how much Noah pays attention to Echo's butt and cleavage but he is just a high school student after all. Furthermore, Noah does prove himself to be more than this hot stoner guy throughout the course of the story.

I adore the slow building of Noah and Echo's relationship. I thought it was cute and believable. But halfway into the book, I felt like this tug war between Noah and Echo and also the family drama llama goes on and on and on and on...

...and on and on and on - you get the idea.

And I failed to empathize anymore.

Sure, they are teenagers and teenagers makes bad decisions. The adults in this book didn't do any better either. That's why I thought this book was nice but I think I sort of grew tired with it along the way.

I also thought the dialogues are natural (even though I never been to a high school in the US so who am I to comment on that LOL!). The characters including the secondary ones also felt like real people. The ending has this amazing sense of closure to it.

Meh, I don't know. I was looking for a teary read so I must say I'm disappointed that Pushing the Limits didn't deliver it. Not the book fault probably, but there you have it, 3-stars from me.

3 poker faces

**An ARC was provided by Harlequin UK in exchange for an honest review.

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Summary from Goodreads:Bright, spunky Heather Robbins has escaped her small hometown and is anxiously beginning her freshman year of college. Rising above her rocky childhood, she’s found a place where good things are finally starting to happen: her own private apartment, refreshing college classes, and an intense attachment to a mysterious and rugged classmate, Nick Richards.
But when her dreamy college life turns out to be nothing more than a wonderful dream while resting in a coma, questions threaten. 
Now, Heather must press forward to unlock the real past, and find the answers buried deep in her mind. What she unlocks instead is a roller coaster ride through flashbacks, embellished memories, and a whirlwind romance.
And when it’s all over and she comes face to face with the truth, will she lose everything she’s fallen in love with?

Harmony…  I’ve previously had that in my life, but only once, briefly, a while ago.  It was during the time I’d started my first year of college.  My own apartment, a new old car, and a life free of deadbeat stepfathers, all of which was fulfilling enough.  But if it wasn’t, I also had a best friend, soul mate, and boyfriend all in one.  Yes, life was near perfect.But one stormy night can change everything…For many months I rested in a prolonged sleep, fighting for my life.  Well, more than fighting for it, also dreaming of it.  Dreaming of him.  Thank goodness, the dream is over and I’m back in the real world now.  And all I want is for everything to return to the way it was.  But nothing’s the same; most of all, us.Once again, I find myself at the crossroads of a ruthless battle, this time not for life, but love.  Do I fight for the guy I twice fell for, or do I let her take him away?

JESSICA ROBERTS grew up in the San Francisco, California Bay Area where she spent most of her time playing sports alongside her six siblings. She was crowned Miss Teen California her senior year of high school, and went on to Brigham Young University where she graduated in Human Development. Her love of family, church, writing, athletics, and singing and dancing keeps her life busy and fulfilled. She currently resides in Utah with her husband and three children.
Website / twitter username: JRobertsAuthor

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.
Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.
Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

Actual rating: 4.999999999 stars

Honestly, I don’t know how to write a review for this book without getting personal. So, just a disclaimer; I don’t think this is really a review, this is just a story of how I felt as a reader.

The Fault in Our Stars is definitely one of the most hyped books for 2012. As I am never quite a contemporary/realistic fiction reader, I wasn’t quite eager to read this especially when I have this weird aversion of all things mainstream (no, I don’t think I’m a hipster, I just like to discover new things). So, about seven months later, I thought of reading something short and meaningful so I picked it up (at last!).

Reading the blurb, I thought that this book is about Hazel, of how she battled with cancer, how devastated her family when she passed away, how noble her death was, how her lover finds it difficult to move on, you know, like a cross between My Sister’s Keeper and P/S, I Love You. Haha! Sorry I went for cliché plot because I thought the plot had to be cliché in order for the underlying message to be delivered effectively. Pffft, of course I was wrong. This just to show how much I haven’t read enough contemporary/realistic fiction. Or enough John Green.

I took me two sittings to get through it. The first half was not quite impressive. Well, I did read with extra-critical eye. Nothing satisfies me enough than finding faults in highly-rated, popular books. LOL! Hazel and Gus first meeting was quite insta-love-ish and their subsequent encounters and interactions were oddly unnatural? Not odd as in staged or pretentious, just odd as in ‘normal people don’t behave like this. This just happens in parallel universe’. At this point, I disregard the realistic aspect of story because I was thinking that maybe the ‘beyond the story’ part is more important. I did doze off a couple of times, so by then, I decided to do other stuff.

Then, I remembered the airport scene and the emotions came rushing back in. Disclosure: I do have a disability that is pretty obvious. Safe to say that when people first meet me, that’s the first thing that they’ll notice. Of course, I pretty much live a normal life except few small things such as I have trouble seeing in the dark, focusing on distant things, and estimating distance and speed. I understand the feeling of being the centre of attraction when you don’t want to, or being treated differently (I have my own perks :P). I didn’t cry because I was sad of who am I, I was sad because I wish people know that it’s rude to stare.

The second half as I put it was ‘shit just got serious’. Peter Van Houten was such a scene stealer! And Augustus Waters! *weeps* With the second sitting, again, the same thing happened. While I didn’t feel sleepy until the very end, I cried two, three drop of tears, max. But six hours later, I was lying in a pool of tears. Urghh!

First, I sort of know, how it feels to have lungs that suck at being lungs. I have an asthma for as long as I can remember. While it wasn’t particularly life-threatening so far, that feeling of underoxygenated is always daunting. Secondly; cancers. Cancers aren’t common enough in my home country (partly because we don’t live long enough), so I don’t know anyone with cancer personally. I’ve been learning about molecular basis of cancer for almost three years and the only thing I felt about cancers before I read this was, cancer development is so complicated, it seems to have a mind of its own, I don’t think in many years to come, we would eventually wipe out cancers. Some cancers probably, but not all. So yeah, I used to see cancer as a ball of cells that have grown out of control. I failed to see how, no matter how impossible it seems like to cure cancers, we need to try because there are many Hazels, Augustuses and Isaacs out there.

In short, the book itself wasn’t exceptional for me (for now). But I shelved it under my favourites anyway because it has a capacity to be exceptional many, many reads, later. And it’s already exceptional in leaving marks in people’s hearts.

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Vengeance by Michelle Madow

How far would you go to get revenge?
When Chelsea Givens discovered that her ex-boyfriend Drew dumped her to be with her former best friend Lizzie, she'd never felt so betrayed in her life. Then her new friend Shannon tells her she can help set things right. Chelsea's willing to listen, but what Shannon wants her to believe -- that she shared a past life with Drew -- is impossible. And what she wants her to do to get him back … well, it's downright crazy.
Could Shannon be telling the truth? And if she is, what lengths will Chelsea go if it means making Lizzie pay?
Find out in Vengeance, the second part of the Transcend Time Saga.
*Vengeance is the short story that bridges the events in Remembrance and the final novel in the Saga.

How do I rate this when I could write the whole plot at the back of a stamp.

***Spoiler alert***

It wasn't particularly bad. I actually enjoyed learning more about Chelsea and Shannon. But I'm quite disappointed to know that Chelsea tried to win Drew back because 'I look better than Lizzie with her out of control hair' or 'Lizzie always gets the guys' or 'Drew and I are meant to be together'. Chelsea said she loved Drew, either she is delusional or love in this book series holds a very shallow meaning.

I'd like to direct the author to this line here;

"She wore one of those shapeless dresses fat women wear, even though she was so thin that a breeze could knock her over."

The line came from Chelsea, which is understandable considering her bitchy persona in this novella, but I don't think it's appropriate to write something potentially offensive like that in a book.

I also find that disappointing to find out that Chelsea had this thought;

"Now if Shannon got mad at me, she might tell everyone in her group not to be friends with me."

Blergh! Popular girls and their paranoia for tainted reputations.

"But the strangest thing about it was that instead of being electric, it was lit by candles."

Finally, real time transcending happened! If Genevieve tried to tell Chelsea's everything through words, I swear I'll flip a table. Fortunately, such thing didn't happen. But wait...what? I thought it's common sense. NO ELECTRICITY EXISTED CENTURIES AGO! What is strange about it, Chelsea?

Oh well, I don't know...this short story changes everything I knew about Chelsea. I used to think she is more than this typical airhead, pretty, popular girl at school. Like I said before, I thought she is deserving of Lizzie's friendship, not judgmental, confident without a care of the world. Getting rejected by Drew shouldn't change what she is 180 degree.

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Remembrance by Michelle Madow
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Lizzie Davenport has been reincarnated from Regency Era, England ... but she doesn't know it yet.
Then Drew Carmichael transfers into Lizzie's high school at the beginning of the year, and she feels a connection to him, almost like she knows him. She can't stop thinking about him, but whenever she tries talking with him about the mysteries behind her feelings, he makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with her. Reaching him is even more difficult because she has a boyfriend, Jeremy, who has started to become full of himself after being elected co-captain of the varsity soccer team, and her flirtatious best friend Chelsea starts dating Drew soon after his arrival. So why can't she get him out of her mind?
Even though Lizzie knows she should let go of her fascination with Drew, fighting fate isn't going to be easy.

Actual rating 3.5 stars

Our birth is but sleep and a forgetting
The soul that rises with us, our life's star
Hath had somewhere its setting
And cometh from afar
~Intimations of Immortality - Ode. Wordsworth~

Hmm...ironic how my favourite quote from the book is not actually written by the author.

Anyway, I expected a snarkfest review would soon follow when I decided to read this but it turned out, I actually enjoyed this!


that this book gives Lauren Kate a run for her money?

In fact, I think it is more socially acceptable if Remembrance gained more fans than Fallen.

So, if you never heard of this yet, Remembrance is a story inspired by Taylor Swift's Love Story music video which was inspired by Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen ::Inspiraception::

The cool part here is of course the whole idea of reincarnation which Lauren Kate tried to write but failed miserably. Michelle Madow handled the concept better but I wished for more visual time transcends than hearing the history of Lizzie and Drew's past lives from Drew. It was as if the author didn't do enough research and wasn't confident enough to bring her characters back in time. Well, I think her school got in the way. The author meant this to be a homework after all when she first started.

Honestly, I don't know if I'm being completely unbiased with this one when it triggered so much sweet memories from my childhood/pre-teen/teen life (see things that captured my heart below). Things that I used to like and I used to wish for. And of course, I can remember vividly when I first listened to Love Story, back when I was in college. Actually, I was already eighteen at that time but the song and the video went viral and suddenly whenever someone blasted the song from her stereo, the whole wing would start to sing along with the song.

Aaaah, such a lovely time. *Chokes back tears*

I'm sorry if I just wasted your time. Okay, time for the actual review.

***Spoilers ahead, I think (somehow the blurb itself seems to give out everything***

Well, the plot actually sounds very cliche if you try to sum it up. Lizzie is in relationship with Jeremy, Drew suddenly transferred to her school, several eye contacts and electricity buzz later, Lizzie is positive she meant to be with Drew. Drew starts to be a douche and stays away from Lizzie. He even chooses to hook up with Lizzie's best friend, Chelsea. A few mean comments and a bucketload of tears later, Drew decides he cannot deny his feeling for Lizzie anymore. They both break up with their partners and starts to see each other behind their ex's backs.

Like I said before, not much time transcending actually happened, so this is more of a young adult romance/contemporary than a young adult paranormal/time travel.

What so special of this book is all the 'almosts' and 'not quites'. Let see if I somehow managed to explain this.

1. Lizzie is girl with a heart of gold. She works hard to get good grades, try to please everyone, and like to stay out of troubles. Sound like a Mary Sue? Almost but not quite. There are many facades of Lizzie. Sometimes she worries too much about hurting other people, sometimes she can be a little bit paranoid and inferior but at other times, she is brave enough to stick up for herself and willing to go to an extra mile to demand answers.

2. Drew. He obviously made a wrong decision by dating Lizzie's best friend and warning Lizzie to stay out of him. Almost like other countless scumbag heroes? But not quite. He managed to redeem himself later in the book and the explanation that came along with his previous behaviour does make sense.

3. Chelsea. The girl who changes her boyfriend every month, doesn't mind wearing barely there dresses in winter and like to draw attention to herself. Almost a bitch, but not quite. She actually cares and appreciates Lizzie as her best friend. In fact, she was the one who first wanted to be friend with Lizzie who at that time, was a loner.

4. Jeremy. Co-captain of the school soccer team. Highly competitive, listens to trashy rap songs, quite high tempered and easily jealous. Almost the typical jockey-jerk, but not quite. He lets go of an argument pretty quickly, unafraid to say sorry and encourages Lizzie to be more involved in his new social circle.

5. The almost insta love. Oh, you can imagine all the details. "There seems to no one else in the room but Drew and me, all the sparks and tingling sensation whenever he is there"...you know the drill. But given that Lizzie and Drew had known each other from their past lives, it kind of make sense. Oh well, I have yet to find out how Drew and Lizzie ended up together in the first place, hundreds of years ago but if it was insta love, you better watch out, Michelle Madow. Muahaha~

6. The almost love triangle. Or a love rectangle, whichever you prefer. But not quite, because for Drew and Lizzie the choice is crystal clear. At least, that's how I define love triangle is, only when the protagonist is torn between two other characters.

Some other small, small things that captured my heart
1. French classes
2. The swing on the playground
3. "Minuet" by Mozart.
4. Pinecones throwing.
5. Lizzie's halloween ensemble.
6. Pride and Prejudice first edition.
7. Lizzie's drawings.
8. Music box

And oh, I really feel it's necessary to include this unnecessary line;
"I flipped my phone open and pressed number four, followed by the green send button. Chelsea was fourth on my speed dial, preceeded by my dad'scell, mom's cell, and home number. Jeremy was number five."

LOL! Lizzie, I don't think I'm interested to know who is in your speed dial.

And I did tell you that this book is extremely fluffy, right? If you can't handle fluffiness, I advise you to stay away from this. Hazard: Risk of choking.

"I want you." he said. "Just you. I used to go through every day without thinking about the future, but with you all I can see are the possibilities of the experiences we could have together." He paused, clasping my hands in his. "But remember that whatever you choose. I want you to do what will make you the happiest".

All in all, I think the greatest quality of this book is its innocence, honesty and sincerity. I believe many of us have this so-called reader instinct which can detect if the author wrote a book for money and popularity or for his/her own fulfillment and the readers enjoyment.

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Shift by Em Bailey
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Olive Corbett is definitely NOT crazy.
Not anymore. These days she takes her meds like a good girl, hangs out with her best friend Ami, and stays the hell away from the toxic girls she used to be friends with.
She doesn’t need a boyfriend. Especially not a lifesaver-type with a nice smile. And she doesn’t need the drama of that creepy new girl Miranda, who has somehow latched on to Olive's ex-best friend.
Yet from a distance, Olive can see there's something sinister about the new friendship. Something almost... parasitic. Maybe the wild rumours ARE true. Maybe Miranda is a killer.
But who would believe Olive? She does have a habit of letting her imagination run away with her…

Mother of God...Okay, I did give 2 stars because usually I gave one star for books which I couldn't even finish.

*Sigh* It's so confusing, I mean, I finished this book within hours (which is very quick to my standard) but there was hardly any plot at all! Gosh, I should have ditch the book but there was something that drawn me into.

Answers...

...which I didn't get even long after I finish this book.

******Spoilers ahead******

What happened to the teacher?(can't remember her name, the one with a cup of herbal tea). Who is Miranda exactly? Of course she's a shapeshifter but what is her modus of operandi? What happened to Dallas? Miranda didn't take his form. What actually happened to Loony Oony? Who called Noah, Olive's boss? Why Olive's mom prevent her dad from seeing her? Why she attempted suicide in the first place?[What happened to the teacher?(can't remember her name, the one with a cup of herbal tea). Who is Miranda exactly? Of course she's a shapeshifter but what is her modus of operandi? What happened to Dallas? Miranda didn't take his form. What actually happened to Loony Oony? Who called Noah, Olive's boss? Why Olive's mom prevent her dad from seeing her? Why she attempted suicide in the first place? (hide spoiler)]

The writing wasn't bad. Just okay. Not much maturity. The characters seemed distant from the readers too (well, at least for me). The setting was kind of close to heart since the author and I both reside in Australia. Other than that, I found it hard to relate with the story. On the plus side, it feels good to read a stand-alone book. I read too many books within a series lately.

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If You Could See Me Now by Cecelia Ahern
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Elizabeth Egan's life runs on order: Both her home and her emotions are arranged just so, with little room for spontaneity. It's how she counteracts the chaos of her family -- an alcoholic mother who left when she was young, an emotionally distant father, and a free-spirited sister, who seems to be following in their mother's footsteps, leaving her own six-yearold son, Luke, in Elizabeth's care. When Ivan, Luke's mysterious new grown-up friend, enters the picture, Elizabeth doesnt know quite what to make of him. With his penchant for adventure and colorful take on things large and small, Ivan opens Elizabeth's eyes to a whole new way of living. But is it for real? Is Ivan for real?
If You Could See Me Now is a love story with heart -- and just a touch of magic.

First & foremost, I'm not the type of reader who prefer romance books because it is so difficult to find a story which portrays love in depth without any physical contact.

This is actually only the second book in romance genre I ever read (minus all those craps I read when I was in secondary school.

So, here’s quick (hopefully) look on why this book is such a smashing hit for me.

1. I got it for free! (Well, I swapped with a handbag which I don’t like. Haha)

2. I never read Cecilia Ahern’s before (I did watch P.S I Love You movie which people say id not up to the standard with the book itself) And I didn’t take a peek on Amazon’s rating or read the reviews. So, basically, I knew nothing about the book before I started to read it. So, all the surprises & twists felt genuine to me.

3. The lead roles are not anywhere near perfect specimen of human being (handsome, pretty, romantic, or anything like that).

4. It offers my favourite type of ending. A tragic happy ending.

5. You can guess it was meticulously drafted and yet, the tone felt natural and spontaneous.

6. The author is ridiculously talented compared to how young she is.

7. Not making me google anything (like when I read Dan Brown’s. Which is a wonderful thing to do actually)

8. Some of the scenes will just stuck in my head.

9. The book made me realize how all this time I was being more like a logician than an aunt. Seriously. The author wrote something like this

“I am not like Edith who will going to beat and blaming the floor in front of Luke when Luke fall on his knee”
I - Elizabeth, the main character
Luke - her nephew
Edith – Luke’s babysitter

Yup, my mom always do like that to her grandchildren and I was like, huh?

10. The last reason is despite no exaggeration on how the characters were feeling, I did shed a few tears. Hey, it’s not just about the love between the two main characters, it is also about the love within the family.

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Star Girl by Jerry Spinelli
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Daring to Be Different
In a moving and highly engaging tale about the vagaries of adolescent peer pressure, Newbery Medal winner Jerry Spinelli tells the story of Stargirl, a high school student who is startlingly different from everyone else. The need to conform -- and unabashed curiosity about those who don't -- are at the heart of this touching tale, which aptly demonstrates the peaks and pitfalls of popularity. 

Actual rating 4.5 stars

Well, what can I say. This book is equivalent to a cute cat on the internet. Heart-warming and generally likeable.


It's kind of funny because I kept anticipating outrageous revelations such as Stargirl is an alien, or Leo's imaginary friend, or a doll coming to life or anything like that (paranormal fantasy overdosed for sure). It is funny but in the same time it is sad that I can't imagine the existence of someone like Stargirl. What kind of society we live in today... *sigh*

If you read this book for the romance then well, there's not much in store for you. Leo and Stargirl relationship is oddly healthy (because Stargirl is definitely not the type of girl people would introduce to one's family but hey, she's definitely better than the bitches out there). Leo is not the strong male character I was expecting but I guess the author shaped his character as a representation of what a regular nice person would do. Of course most of us have a conscience to be nice to other people no matter how he or she behaves but not all of us would have the courage to stand up for the outcasts even though you know the majority is wrong anyway.

All in all, I would approve this book as a school textbook in coming years. There're so many valuable lessons coming out of this little gem.

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