Blog Tour: Biggie by Derek E. Sullivan



Displaying BiggieTourBanner1.png


Displaying Biggie.jpg


Biggie by Derek E. Sullivan
Published by: Albert Whitman & Company
Publication date: March 1st 2015
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

Synopsis:
Henry “Biggie” Abbott is the son of one of Finch, Iowa ‘s most famous athletes. His father was a baseball legend and his step-dad is a close second. At an obese 300+ pounds though, Biggie himself prefers classroom success to sports. As a perfectionist, he doesn’t understand why someone would be happy getting two hits in five trips to the plate. “Forty percent, that’s an F in any class,” he would say. As Biggie’s junior year begins, the girl of his dreams, Annabelle Rivers, starts to flirt with him. Hundreds of people have told him to follow in his dad’s footsteps and play ball, but Annabelle might be the one to actually convince him to try. What happens when a boy who has spent his life since fourth grade trying to remain invisible is suddenly thrust into the harsh glare of the high school spotlight?

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23217531-biggie?ac=1

Biggie is all about an overweight teenage boy named Henry. He got his nickname "Biggie", well because he practically weighed over 300 pounds. He's also a nerd who enjoys spending his time talking to strangers online than people at his school.

In my opinion, Biggie's character isn't someone that everyone could get along with since he's really a bit weird. But, as the book progresses, I slowly understood him and came to like him more. We all get to know what he's thinking and what he's feeling. Basically, its all about getting to know Biggie.

What I liked about the book? Well, I love that it's very realistic. Someone out there could easily have the same situation as Biggie. Most of us wants to fit in, to be noticed by people we like. All of us make mistakes, even Biggie does! The writing style of Derek was just simple yet very clear. Next thing I liked about the book is the story itself. It's not your average YA. It's a fresh read, and it seems a bit like a coming of age plot.

As much as I liked those aspects of the book, I took two stars because of my own feelings about the main character, Henry "Biggie". It's not about him being weird or freaky. He actually improved on that slowly. What I didn't like was how he expresses that he loves Annabelle. Sometimes, I feel like it's just about the looks. If Annabelle wasn't hot like Biggie's descriptions, then maybe he wouldn't care for her in the first place.

Biggie is still an enjoying read though. It teaches us to bring out the best in ourselves. Also, if we truly believe in ourselves then nothing is impossible. I am looking forward to reading more books by Derek Sullivan!







Purchase:

Displaying Derek.jpg
AUTHOR BIO:
Derek E. Sullivan is an award-winning reporter and columnist at the Rochester Post-Bulletin in Minnesota. As a reporter, he has written more than 1,000 stories about the lives of teenagers, which he attributes to helping him find his YA voice. He has an MFA from Hamline University and lives in Minnesota with his wife and three sons.

Author links:

Giveaway:

Tour-wide giveaway (INTL)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
  • 2x 50$ B&N Gift Cards
  • 3x Signed copies of BIGGIE hardcover
Displaying ButtonXBT.png

Book in Review: Cut Me Free by J.R. Johansson

3/5

21469083Title: Cut Me Free
Author: J.R. Johansson
Hardcover: 304 pages
Expected Publication: January 27, 2015
Format: ARC
Rating 3/5


Summary via Goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Charlotte barely escaped from her abusive parents. Her little brother, Sam, wasn't as lucky. Now she's trying to begin the new life she always dreamed of for them, but never thought she'd have to experience alone. She's hired a techie-genius with a knack for forgery to remove the last ties to her old life. But while she can erase her former identity, she can’t rid herself of the memories. And her troubled history won’t let her ignore the little girl she sees one day in the park. The girl with the bruises and burn marks.


That’s when Charlotte begins to receive the messages. Threatening notes left in her apartment--without a trace of entry. And they’re addressed to Piper, her old name. As the messages grow in frequency, she doesn’t just need to uncover who is leaving them; she needs to stop whoever it is before anyone else she loves ends up dead.



I really don't know what to say. The plot first focused on Piper, the main character who wanted a new future. It focused on fixing her life, and more on the psychological aspects. But, towards the end, I knew that Cut Me Free is more of a thriller than a sociological book, and I don't know if I liked it that way. Honestly, it gave me chills. I hate blood, and there are so many disturbing happenings in this book.

Until now, I am still not sure if I liked this book or not.

First, the writing style. Johansson's writing style was vivid and articulate. It contains flashbacks on what happened to Piper before. Although, there was one part that I didn't quite understand. I was a bit confused on how the "enemy/villain" was able to get into the house, I'm not sure if t's just me or it's the writing style. 

For the characters, I didn't like any of them that much. I didn't have the connection which is why I took one star away. I felt like Charlotte's emotional state and her way of adapting to the outside world was pretty good despite the fact the she was stuck inside an attic for years. She may be strong, and stuff, but it's just not believable. Cam was a good guy, but I think he fell for Charlotte too fast. The other characters seemed like they were just two-dimensional caricatures. They didn't feel like real people to me. 

Popular Posts

Like us on Facebook

Stalk Us

2015 Reading Challenge

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