BOOK BLITZ: Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid + GIVEAWAY and GUEST POST!!!


Let's Get Lost
Release Date: 07/29/14
Harlequin Teen

Summary from Goodreads:
Five strangers. Countless adventures. One epic way to get lost.

Four teens across the country have only one thing in common: a girl named LEILA. She crashes into their lives in her absurdly red car at the moment they need someone the most.

There's HUDSON, a small-town mechanic who is willing to throw away his dreams for true love. And BREE, a runaway who seizes every Tuesday—and a few stolen goods along the way. ELLIOT believes in happy endings…until his own life goes off-script. And SONIA worries that when she lost her boyfriend, she also lost the ability to love.

Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia find a friend in Leila. And when Leila leaves them, their lives are forever changed. But it is during Leila's own 4,268-mile journey that she discovers the most important truth— sometimes, what you need most is right where you started. And maybe the only way to find what you're looking for is to get lost along the way.



Early Praise:
“Reminiscent of John Green’s Paper Towns and road trip novels that feature a teen paving the way to adulthood, Alsaid’s debut is a gem among contemporary YA novels.” – School Library Journal

“Five love stories, beautifully woven together by a special girl in search of adventure, hope, and full appreciation of life’s simple pleasures. A do-not-miss.  ” – Justine Magazine

“Moving and poignant.”  - Glitter Magazine

“An entertaining and romantic road-trip debut.” – Kirkus

"Leila's quest to find the Northern Lights takes readers on a captivating cross-country journey, where four strangers' adventures collide into one riveting tale of finding yourself." ―YABooksCentral.com

“This will likely be a popular summer hit, especially for older teen about to embark on their own journeys of self-discovery.” –Booklist

About the Author
Adi Alsaid was born and raised in Mexico City, then studied at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. While in class, he mostly read fiction and continuously failed to fill out crossword puzzles, so it's no surprise that after graduating, he did not go into business world but rather packed up his apartment into his car and escaped to the California coastline to become a writer. He's now back in his hometown, where he writes, coaches high school and elementary basketball, and has perfected the art of making every dish he eats or cooks as spicy as possible. In addition to Mexico, he's lived in Tel Aviv, Las Vegas, and Monterey, California. A tingly feeling in his feet tells him more places will eventually be added to the list. Let's Get Lost is his YA debut.  
Let's Get Lost Website!

Author Links:
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***GIVEAWAY***
1 signed hard cover copy of Let’s Get Lost
1 Let’s Get Lost luggage tag
1 Harlequin TEEN notebook
1 Let’s Get Lost sachel
1 Harlequin TEEN tote bag
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by:


GUEST POST: Adi’s First Trip Alone


My sister likes to say that before I came back from my trip to Israel, she’d never heard me speak. That’s probably an exaggeration, but not an extreme one. When I boarded the plane to Israel on the eve of my eighteenth birthday, I was a shy kid, reserved, talkative only with my closest friends.

My brother puts it a different way: “Before, you couldn’t decide if you cared or not. Then you decided you didn’t.” He said this when we shared an apartment in college, when I was doing things like taking spontaneous road trips to Baker, California just to have lunch, or founding a student organization at UNLV called Students for the Advancement of Silliness. I brought my first girlfriend to the top floor of a library and rained down thirty notecards with book quotations on them. I wrote editorials in the school newspaper about choosing to be happier.

Let me be clear about this: I didn’t notice it happening. In Israel, I read a lot. I walked around a lot. Though fluent in Hebrew, I didn’t speak a lot, because outside of my grandmother and some cousins, I didn’t know anyone. I could have made friends on the basketball courts where I played, or the bar full of American expats and travelers from all over the world, but I didn’t. By the end I was having more and more conversations with people there, because I’d learned that if I didn’t I could go days without saying a word. But that didn’t feel like growth; it just felt like loneliness, which wasn’t anything new. I had fun in Israel, and though I’d imagined something life-changing (I brought a notebook, thinking that maybe I’d write a book while there), I left thinking it hadn’t happened. The first day I returned to Mexico and had coffee with a friend, within twenty minutes, she said, “You’ve changed.”

It’s not like I went to Israel and came back a new person. I was simply more myself. The layer of shyness that usually hid parts of me from the world was washed away by the Mediterranean, or burned away from my skin from the suntan I gained on the beaches of Tel Aviv. I broke out of my proverbial shell, deciding, as my brother pointed out, that I no longer cared to reside within it.

Here’s what I’m trying to get at, and why Leila’s travels in Let’s Get Lost serve as the perfect backdrop to five coming-of-age stories: Travel leads to self-discovery. You grow, even if you don’t notice it happening. Especially if you do it at the age I did, the age the characters in the book are, the world seeps into your cracks and pulls you further out.

Book in Review: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

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Title: We Were Liars
Author: E. Lockhart
Publishing Date: May 13th 2014
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Format: Kindle

A beautiful and distinguished family
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.
 
We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart. 

Read it. And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

Rating: 10/5 stars

How do you describe a book that gripped you from the very first line, ate away your soul and left your sweet poor little heart shattered into thousands of pieces? 

We Were Liars is mesmerizing, intriguing, and so hauntingly real and personal. The writing is crisp, strong and wonderfully messy. The descriptive passages and imagery are praise worthy, and never goes overboard. You've got descriptions like "Sugar, curiosity and rain" and "ambition and strong coffee", a string of simple words that mean so much deeper than face value. The plot starts out slow and cryptic, but quickly picks up as the climax draws closer. The story is sophisticated, smart and unforgettable. It is told from the point of view of a confused and distraught teenager, and the writing is consistently beautiful and emotional and distinctively from her perspective - with it starting as a slow gentle puff of air blowing into your face, then quickly turning into a fast whirlwind as the plot unfolds.  The characters are so well-rounded and flawed; each of them are passionate, driven and young, but also imperfect and trying to make things right. They view love and friendship above economic and social stability and try to put justice into a world where money is everything and prejudice is prevalent everywhere. 

This book was incredibly painful to read but so unconventionally addicting. There is no Scrabble word that could describe how I feel about this book. This book took my breath away, and I found myself sobbing uncontrollably towards the end of it. I did NOT see that ending coming, and WOW, it tore me apart but it was just brilliant!

Never have I been at a loss of words so drastically over a book. Normally, I tend to blabber on about a book endlessly (even accidentally spoiling it for everyone else) but this is an exception. I just can't seem to say any more. This review may be as vague as the blurb but there is no other way to put this, or you may not truly experience the story when you read it.

It's true what they say that it's better to know absolutely nothing about this book and just go into it blind. Please don't let anyone spoil this book for you, please don't demand spoilers no matter how much you like them, and please do NOT skip to the ending. 

My heart is broken beyond repair because of this book, but I have no regrets.

Interviewing Fathomless Reveries: Week 9

Week 9 and going strong. Lol. Meet Pauline Ang, another fab book blogger for you guys! Sorry for the delay, been really caught up with school. You know the drill, enjoy!

1. Share your favorite joke or chat-up line.

Uh. Nothing, really. I can’t think of any right now. HAHA. 

2. Most embarrassing moment?

Oh! During my elementary days, the washroom of both boys and girls were totally the same. Well, except for the urinals. And they were alternating floors. So, like second floor is girls, then third floor is boys, then so on. There was this one time that I really, really, really wanted to pee already. I thought I was already on fourth floor so I went in to pee. When I came out, there was a guy near the sink. Then I was looking weirdly at him (I thought that he was in the girls’ washroom without noticing it,) and he was also looking weirdly at me. Then I saw the urinals at the side. Then I was like, OHMYGAWD. ASDNAKJSNDK. Apparently, I was the one in the wrong washroom. Oops. =))

3. Zodiac sign?

Virgo ;)

4. Most daring thing you've ever done?

Most daring thing? Probably the time when my family and I went to Disneyland, and then there were lots of roller coasters and the elevator ride (I think it was called Tower of Terror.) I rode them all even though it was my first time to go to an amusement park. Weehee. Yep, my life experiences are quite shallow. HAHA.

5. If you were about to be dropped in a pit of lava, what would youchoose as your last words?

I don’t know. It’d probably be a spur of the moment thing for me. =)) 

6. Who is your favorite cartoon character?

Is anime considered cartoon? If yes, it’s Asuna from Sword Art Online. Otherwise, HAHAHA. I don’t watch TV ever since I was a kid. My whole life revolved around online games and books.

7. When you were a kid, what was the thing that was understood by everyone but misinterpreted by you? (Example: ______ used to wonder why people said that there was 0% interest. She means why would anyone buy it if it wasn't even the slightest bit interesting?)

…I don’t remember having an experience like this. =)) 

8. Who is your favorite blogger?

I don’t have a favorite blogger, but there are bloggers that I admire. :D

9. Future plans?

I’m so fickle-minded that I can’t see what I want to do in the future because they keep on changing. But, I’d really want to be able to put up a portfolio of something, even if that’s ambitious for me (‘coz I suck.) 

10. Animal that you would own as a pet? (Birds, cats, dogs, fishes, bunnies, and guinea pigs not allowed)

Omg. I don’t know. I don’t like pets. But I love pandas and polar bears. They’re fluffy and cute. Teehee.

11. Do you believe ants are nutritious?

Nuh uh. I’m scared of ants, and I hate them. :< But my mom told me before they were rich in protein. HAHA. Idk if that’s true or not. She knew someone who ate a bowl of something with ants in it. *Blech* 

12. Star Wars or Star Trek?

I haven’t watched Star Wars yet. (Yes, I suck.) Or maybe I did, but I have no recollection of it. So, I guess I’ll go with Star Trek. Live long and prosper! :))

13. Favorite superhero?

I do watch them, but I don’t really have a favorite. If ever, may I go with Spiderman because of Andrew Garfield? HAHA.

14. Favorite super villain?

Same goes here. Don’t have a favorite either.

15. Name one thing you love about yourself?

I love that I’m able to type fast, compared to others. Some of my friends are always like, how can you talk to a lot of people (5+) at the same time in Facebook. I really don’t know, okay?! =))

16. TBH...

I have a lot of things I want to do and want to have, but once I get to it, I get tired of it easily. It totally sucks. Right now, there are a lot of unfinished stuff scattered all over my room. :<

17. What is your favorite shirt/dress/pants/jacket/hoodie/any piece of clothing? Attach a picture. 

Weehee. I just love these shirts because they’re so cute! Plus, I love the color <3


18. Word that best describes you?

Scatterbrained. I think. HAHA. My friends here in the Philippines always call me “sabog.”

19. Favorite app?

Facebook Messenger or Twitter. =)) It keeps me on the go with the people I need to talk with. My gadgets don’t have games because I get tired of them easily. Well, except for Clash of Clans. =)) 

20. What food do you crave right now? Attach a picture.

Ramen! <3


21. What's the thing you can't live without?

Internet. I go crazy if I go consecutive days without the Internet, unless if I’m really busy that I can’t afford to go online, which is very rare. =))

22. What's your happy place?

My table. :D I do all things on my table, like reading, computer, blablabla. In short, I’m stuck to it all day. HAHA.

23. You just murdered someone. How would you dispose of their body? (Examples: throw it in the ocean, bury it, dissolve it Breaking Bad style) We're just curious, promise. :)

For real? Uh. I’m not creative. I might just go with burying it. =))

24. Attach a selfie!

Sorry, haggard face! HAHAHA.


25. Links on where to find you?

http://www.fathomlessreveries.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/paulineerielle

www.facebook.com/paulineerielle

www.instagram.com/paulineerielle

www.goodreads.com/paulineerielle

www.pinterest.com/paulineerielle

www.yamanaka07.deviantart.com

Check out and follow all her links!! Stay tuned next week for our next featured blogger! 


Waiting on Wednesdays: Talon by Julie Kagawa




"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted here, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:


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Title: Talon
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publishing Date: October 28th, 2014

Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they're positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser.

Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George.

Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon's newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember's bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons.

WHY WE'RE WAITING?

Honest reason: We would read ANYTHING written by Julie Kagawa. And dragons? Definitely something new. 

What are you waiting for? :) Tell us in the comments below and we'll check out your WoW post!

Book in Review: Landline by Rainbow Rowell


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Title: Landline
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Date: July 8th, 2014
Rating: 5/5 stars

WOW. I must say that Rainbow Rowell has done it again!

If written by any other author, this isn't the kind of book I would have picked up on my own (yes, even despite the covergasm) but since I completely adore Rainbow Rowell, I just HAD to read this.

What I appreciate a lot about Rowell's books is how diverse and different they all are. No two books are similar in its story, theme or even setting, and I wanted to point that out especially in the case of her newest one, Landline. Landline is NOT Young Adult like Eleanor and Park and Fangirl, but it is also not completely New Adult like Attachments. It's a mixture of both with a hint of paranormal in the story, and it's because of how these genres all mesh together into this wonderful book that I was able to appreciate more the careful prose Rainbow puts into every story she writes.

This book is a lot darker, sadder, more realistic and less happily ever after compared to her other books (though there is nothing sunshine and happy about Eleanor & Park). It's about Georgie McCool, a driven TV sitcom writer, who deals with the fact that her marriage is crumbling. She still loves her husband Neal very much, as well has her two children, but when she is forced to stay in Los Angeles for work, while Neal and the kids go to Omaha for the holidays, Georgie thinks that this time she has done it. Neal is visibly upset with her and goes to Omaha with the kids anyway, leaving Georgie alone during Christmas. When Georgie discovers a way to communicate with the Neal in the past, she grabs the opportunity to fix her marriage... but can she do it?

This book is first and foremost a love story, but it's not just that. It's a story about marriage, family, friendship, choices and happiness. I liked that the story does not focus just on Georgie falling in love with Neal, but also with how she falls in love with her career, her relationships with her best friend, her mother, her sister and her children, and finding the balance among your priorities in life. The book is well-paced and every single moment is important and necessary to the story. It was also a very realistic portrayal of married life and family, and I appreciated the honesty of it all. The characters are all so well-rounded, and we have to give it to Rainbow for her impeccable way of crafting amazing characters. Even the secondary characters are so distinct, the bit with the pizza girl and the puppies giving birth is one of the highlights of the book for me and these little tidbits make the book even better. The writing is also very crisp and fresh, nothing less expected from Rainbow's top notch writing and effortless narrative. Georgie and Neal's love story is of course the main focus of the book, and it wasn't difficult to ship them at all. Their story is told through bits of the present and the past intertwined together, and it was certainly a unique way to show their story.

Landline is the type of book you have to go into with open eyes. It's not easy to accept that things change and that life gets in the way, but that's the way it is. Sometimes you just have to hit the pause button and really think and try to remember why you chose to be the person you are now, and remind yourself why you wanted this. This is what Landline is about: making choices - whether it's about marriage, career, kids or whatever it may be. Georgie comes to terms with that realization towards the end, with a little help from the past. Which brings me to my favorite part of this book: the ending. I don't want to reveal much, but it was the story going full circle and it was just perfect!

Love is a choice, and I liked how that shone through in the novel. I loved how it was never perfect between Georgie and Neal, and even the ending does not assure us of the lasting relationship between them - but it was realistic, and I just know that they would continue fighting for each other and choosing to be with each other, even if it's hard. And that's what marriage - that's what love - is about.

So whether married or not, you just HAVE to read this book.

Interviewing Celine: Week 8

Hi guys! It's already week 8 which means it's our eight featured blogger! 
Meet Celine, a fellow book blogger who also lives in the Philippines. Cool right? Get to know her by reading her answers from our questionnaire. :) 

1. Share your favorite joke or chat-up line.
Oh, this joke might be a little too dirty, so I won’t share. I’m so sorry BUT IT’S REALLY DIRTY. 

2. Most embarrassing moment?
Okay, so there’s this time I was like stalking this girl. We have 0 mutuals. I accidentally added her and I didn’t find out until she accepted me. Totally embarrassing. I don’t even want to think about it. The only good thing about it is that now I know I’m not fit to be a detective.

3. Zodiac sign?
Virgo!

4. Most daring thing you've ever done?
There was this time when I was a kid. My friend and I went in front of her crush’s house and we started yelling “*inserts my friend’s name here* likes you!!!” and “*inserts my name here* like you!”….. I’m never doing it again. This is a warning for you kids out there not to try it. Seriously. 

5. If you were about to be dropped in a pit of lava, what would you
choose as your last words?
I don’t want to die yet, so I’ll probably yell ‘Help me!’or something like that. 

6. Who is your favorite cartoon character?
Mr. Bean. He’s the best. 

7. When you were a kid, what was the thing that was understood by
everyone but misinterpreted by you? (Example: ______ used to wonder
why people said that there was 0% interest. She means why would anyone
buy it if it wasn't even the slightest bit interesting?)
When I was in grade school, my busmate asked me “If a rooster who is facing north lays an egg, where will the egg drop?”, I answered “South”. They all laughed at me, and I didn’t understand why. I was really proud of my answer but turns out roosters don’t lay eggs. So yep, shame on me.  

8. Who is your favorite blogger?
A lot. But all I can think of right now are Hazel from Stay Bookish (she takes amazing pictures! If you don’t know what contemporary book you should read next, then check out her blog!), Emily from The Book Geek, and Natasha from Natasha is a Book Junkie. 

9. Future plans?
As of now, my future plans involve me being a Psychologist and having lots of books. (Note: That’s not definite. I’m still debating what course will I take in college.)


10. Animal that you would own as a pet? (Birds, cats, dogs, fishes,
bunnies, and guinea pigs not allowed)
PANDA. OR PANDAS. They’re so fluffy!!! Well, at least I think they are. 

11. Do you believe ants are nutritious?
Yes! I ate one when I was a kid. :p

12. Star Wars or Star Trek?
Oh… I don’t watch Star Wars and Star Trek. (Don’t judge me!)

13. Favorite superhero?
I don’t really watch movies nor do I read comics, but my favourite superhero is Superman only because Henry Cavill portrays him. (Did you know? I haven’t watched the Avengers yet. -_-) 

14. Favorite super villain?
*SINGS DOOFENSHMIRTZ EVIL INCORPORATED* Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz from Phineas and Ferb! 

15. Name one thing you love about yourself?
The ability to cram things in just one day. Or night.

16. TBH…

TBH, anime > books. Sorry. But I just love anime. 

17. What is your favorite shirt/dress/pants/jacket/hoodie/any piece of
clothing? 
My favorite pair of jeans!!! Fun fact: It used to be skinny. I’m still not sure how it became baggy. PS: Ignore my feet. 



18. Word that best describes you?
Divergent. Haha! Kidding. Diverse, maybe? Because I have a lot of hobbies. I love to read books, to play online games, to watch anime, and to draw. 

19. Favorite app?
I have tons of favorite app but if I have to choose one, it would be VSCO. If you haven’t downloaded it yet, then do it now. You have to get that app. The filters are just frickin' amazing.

20. What food do you crave right now?
Strawberry yogurt!!


21. What's the thing you can't live without?
Ummmm, a lot. I can’t live without my books, my laptop, and my iTouch. 

22. What's your happy place?
Forgive me for this, but this is my happy place: 


DON’T YOU JUST SHIP US?

23. You just murdered someone. How would you dispose of their body?
(Examples: throw it in the ocean, bury it, dissolve it Breaking Bad
style) We're just curious, promise. :)

I’ll probably burn the body. Hehe I wouldn’t want to leave any evidences. 

24. Attach a selfie!
Not sure if this is a considered a selfie, but here it is!  

25. Links on where to find you?
You can also find me @ home sleeping. 

Follow follow follow and she will love your 5ever! <3 


Feature Follow Friday: Share a Funny Youtube Video!



Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! This is a blog hop that allows bloggers to gain new followers and find some awesome new blogs to follow themselves!

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host has a blog that they feature each week!


So, if you're a blogger, come join in on the fun!

This weeks Question:

SHARE A FUNNY YOUTUBE VIDEO






What did you think about our Feature Follow Friday? What's yours? Leave a comment!

Book in Review: Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen

Title: Flipped
Author: Wendelin Van Draanen
Paperback: 212 pages
Published on: October 1, 2001
Publisher: Random House
Genre: YA > Coming of Age
Rating: 4.5/5 

Flipped was actually a book recommendation from a friend of mine, I think a year ago. She sent me an ebook copy of the book. At that time, I only read until half of the book, and watched the movie. I must say that the movie was also amazing! After watching the movie, I decided to read the book again and I was stuck in the middle of the story. Yesterday, we had a brownout for the whole day and the whole night. I needed something to do or else I think I'd go cray cray, so I browsed my ebooks and read the book until the end. 

When Juli Baker first set her eyes upon blue-eyed Bryce Loski, she fell in love. Juli was always following him around in school, which Bryce hated and he would do anything just to get rid of her. That's basically the pattern of both characters until eight grade. When eight grade came, there situation had been totally reversed. Juli finds Bryce as an arrogant jerk, while Bryce started to notice Juli on how brave she is, how pretty she is and all of her beautiful characteristics which he has never thought of before. 

Wendelin wrote a book told in two different voices and that gave us a wider scope of the events and a greater understanding of what was actually going on. Both the plot and character development really worked for me. You could really see the reason behind everything, and it certaintly won't leave your questions unanswered.

The story definitely had this creativity factor in it. I'm aware that there are also books that have a similar plot with this one, but I don't think anything can beat how great this book was. It would totally stand up, and based on my experience, it's unforgettable. 

If you have been reading lots of violent, gritty, sad ending books, etc, I highly recommend this book for you. It'll give you a sweet smile just by reading the first page. It's a breather and a break from all the intense books. 

Reread Factor?
YES YES and YES. I will definitely
read this again. The book was just amazing and cute. Even the movie was.

Favorite Quotes:
“Some of us get dipped in flat, some in satin, some in gloss….” He turned to me. “But every once in a while you find someone who's iridescent, and when you do, nothing will ever compare.”

“To be held above the earth and brushed by the wind,” she said, “it's like your heart has been kissed by beauty.”

“There was other stuff, too, like how something can be so much more than the parts it took to make it, and why people need things around them that lift them above their lives and make them feel the miracle of living.”

“Man, I'll dive after her into a chicken coop full of poop if that's what it takes. I'll ride my bike all the stinkin' way to school for the rest of eternity if it means being with her.”



Have you read Flipped? What did you think about it? Leave a comment! :) 

Book in Review: Dear Nobody: The True Diary of Mary Rose

Title: Dear Nobody: The True Diary of Mary Rose
Author: Gillian McCain an dLegs McNeil (editors)
Hardcover330 pages
Published April 1st 2014 by Sourcebooks Fire
Format: ARC
Rating: 5/5 stars

Honestly, Dear Nobody is one of the most disturbing and triggering books I've ever read - that finishing it and having to write how I feel about it in this review is an incredible feat I have been avoiding for days. I definitely did not enjoy the book and I would never read it again nor do I want to relive it; but it is a book that I felt is so important and powerful that not finishing it would be my loss. 

What I loved about the book is how mature Mary rose's perspective on life is. I was vehemently impressed by the way she viewed things and the intricate pattern to her thoughts on her future, dreams and even that of death. It was absolutely difficult to go on with this book starting from page 1, most especially because it reminded me so much of myself - despite our differences in home life and of health. Mary Rose's plead to be accepted and be valued and be loved by people is something that reminds me of how I felt in my younger teenage years and that was why I identified with her so muchh despite our obvious differences. 

I think it is also important to note that Mary Rose who was a teenager in the 80's is not so different from teenagers in the 21st century. It pained me to see that this could've easily passed as a diary written by a teenager today, because the many experiences that Mary went through is not stranger to any of us. There were several important issues raised in this book, not just on health, abuse, alcohol, drugs but even feminist ones regarding double standards and yes, rape. It was heartbreaking to hear Mary voice out her feelings about society as a whole and how she felt for Geoff, hating him but also not being able to shake him off - because all of this was so, so true. It was depressing and very relatable to go into Mary's thoughts as she questioned the double standards that continue to persist in society and whatever gender constructs that exist. Mary's downward spiral with her health and how she dealt with being raped 2 times was gut wrenching to read as my heart went out to everyone who is or was sick and to all other girls who have been violated and hurt in the past and up to the present. 

Mary was undoubtedly one of the strongest and most brilliant women I've ever had the pleasure to know, een if it was just through her diaries. Her writing resonated into me and I will not forget about her. Mary Rose's writing was so angry, gritty raw and honest. It will be difficult to read and I would suggest a trigger warning, but nevertheless Dear Nobody was a worthy read that would stay with me for years to come.

This isn't just a book about sickness and abuse, it is a book about a teenager who is trying to face the realities of life, questioning society, and finding acceptance and love along the way. 

Giving this a 5 star rating because it is a diary and is too personal and honest that it deserves no less than that.


Best GCQ Bonding + Stephanie Perkins Book Signing

How 'bout a recap of our best day ever? :) 

So we went to Stephanie Perkins' book signing last Sunday. We know we should probably have blogged about this earlier but we really didn't have the time. We were so excited about this event and Stephanie Perkins didn't disappoint. She was so nice and patient and happy the whole time. It was amazing and when we finally met her, it was so amazing. It was easily one of the greatest moments of our lives.





When we got there, we saw this incredibly long line that seemed like it would never end. It was a good thing that Kimi got there early and secured a place for us. After a while, a car drove past us and Stephanie Perkins was waving through the window! All of the people there were screaming and cheering like hysterical fangirls, which, I guess, we all were. They finally let us in and when everybody was inside, we fully saw the amount of people that were there.




After the registration, we decided to go out for a while because there was still a lot of time to kill. We ate at Pizza Hut. We forgot to take a picture there, though. After that we went to White Hat for dessert. Then we went to eat cupcakes because, apparently, eating a full meal plus dessert is not enough for us. Also, the place was so pretty, we just couldn't resist! The cupcakes were all so cute and they all looked really good and the place itself was adorable. The chairs looked like something you would see in a dollhouse. We actually took pictures in, like, all the chairs because we're just cool like that. Anyway, I'm pretty sure that all the people there watching us move from table to table and take photos thought we were crazy. We walked around a little bit then we realized that the event was about to start so we went back there.



  



                                  

We all gathered in the middle and this lady came in. She said that Stephanie Perkins was about to come in and everyone started screaming and raising their banners. She didn't actually come in though until, like, ten minutes later. But let's not talk about that! Let's talk about when Stephanie Perkins finally came in. The crowd went wild! We couldn't really see her at first because, you know, we're kinda short and there were lots of taller people in front of us, but we did hear her voice.



After her interview, the book signing started. Luckily, we were able to let her sign our books without waiting so long. We were able to hug her, take a picture with her and have a short chat! BEST THING EVER!






Steph didn't come alone. She came with her super sweet husband Jarrod, and he even signed our books too. They were so sweet and I can't eveeeeeen describe in words how awesome the whole day was. 





Selfie while waiting in Jarrod's line


We also posted pictures in our Instagram account, make sure to check it out! <3 

Kimi: @randomsupergirl
Beryl: @berylski

So, that was our experience! Were you there at the book signing too? :)

Hope you enjoyed this post!

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2015 Reading Challenge

2015 Reading Challenge
Kimi has read 3 books toward her goal of 100 books.
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