Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .
But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.
Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

• 433 pages
• published in 2013

This book... I really loved it. It spoke to me in so many ways, I felt really connected to it. There so many great things about it, it was just amazing. Definitely one of my book highlights in 2014 already!

First off, Cath is a very real person, to me. I can identify with her very well and I know the feeling of being so connected to a fantasy world, being really invested and not being able to let go. I exactly know how that feels and Rainbow Rowell really captured that well.
Cath is a person I would love to meet and I would love to be friends with her. I really wish she was real. And Wren, too. I love stories about Twins but there aren't that many out there, sadly.

It wasn't just a love story. It was more about Cath finding a place for herself in the middle of a new world, the change from high school to college but also being her own person apart from her twin. She was really dependant on Wren and it was a very interesting transformation to watch, how she slowly learned to be herself and meeting people without her twin. Overcoming the insecurities of feeling like the "worse" twin. I really loved that about the book.

The lovestory was not rushed, it was sweet and it was so cute. The way Cath didn't even notice that he liked her or that she really liked him, it was just adorable. I really loved that they were so different but still fitted together so well. And they way they relationship began... You should really read this, you know?

Another thing that I found to be awesomly awesome was that you could actually read part of Cath's fanfiction/ the Simon Snow books. Do you know that feeling when a fictional character talks about a fictional book or something they're writing on and you wish you could read it too, like the real thing? Or at least a part of it? That's what Rainbow Rowell did. She put in part of the Simon Snow books here and there and also, when it was mentioned that Cath was writing a scene, you could read the actual scene. I loved that.

And even though it had 433 pages, I was so sad and shocked when it was over. I really wanted more.

All in all, this book is a must-read for everyone that loves books, fanfictions or simply being a fan of something!

Five stars, for sure!

Big Mouth and Ugly Girl by Joyce Carol Oates

 High school junior Matt Donaghy is considered an okay guy. He gets good grades, writes for the school paper, is in the Drama Club, and is known for his witty, if immature, humor. Students and teachers seem to like him. But one day he says something that makes a few classmates think he's out to bomb the school. The school principal is notified, the police are called in, and rumors are abuzz. Even his buddies doubt his innocence, and none of the guys come forward in his defense. There is, however, someone else who overheard Matt's statement and understood his mocking intent. School renegade Ursula Riggs, or "Ugly Girl" as she refers to herself, doesn't know Matt very well but reveals what she heard and the context in which it was said -- even though her parents instruct her to mind her own business. But even if Ursula can help Matt clear up this misunderstanding, will life at Rocky River High School ever be the same again?
 (c) Goodreads

• 288 pages
• published in 2003

I had to read this book for school, all English teachers of the 10th grade decided that. Certainly, I was not happy with that because I had hoped to have the chance to recommend a book myself OR at least have a say in what I have to read and analyse. So my approach to this book was not that optimistic.

In the end, the book wasn't so bad though. The beginning was kind of bad, kind of boring and it really put me off. No chance to delay it though, it was homework to read it over Christmas break. Luckily, after the first fifty pages, it definitely got better and I started to really like the book. So if the first few pages put you off, hold on to it! It gets better, I promise.

The book switched between Matt's and Ursula's view in every chapter. I definitely liked Matt's view better because, and I found this strange, Ursula kept referring to herself in third person, either as Ursula Riggs or Ugly Girl. And I somehow find that not normal. It was really strong in the beginning, it really annoyed me and I didn't like her at first.
It got better though, she got more likeable and she seemed like a realistic person which at first, she didn't. And I have to say, this was a realistic view on actual 16-year olds. In many books, a high school student seems an adult and not like a teenager that is trying to find himself/herself.
I also really liked that they slowly became friends and there wasn't a real romantic relationship described in the book. They were friends and became really close friends which then lead to a romantic relationship, shortly mentioned at the end.

All in all this book wasn't as terrible as I thought it to be. The beginning isn't all that great but the rest makes up for it and if I were to rate it, I would give 3.5 stars!

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

 My very first post on this blog, please go easy on me ;)

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government "rehabilitation camp." She might have survived the mysterious disease that's killed most of America's children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she's on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her-East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can't risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

• 496 pages
• Release: 18. December 2012

I had quite a good beginning of the new year - in sense of books.This book really caught me, sucked me in and spit me out with a broken heart. I wonder how I haven't read it before, I just recently saw a lot about it on my Tumblr dash and just had to get my hands on it - I'm very glad I did!
At first, I was a little bit reminded of The Darkest Powers series by Kelley Armstrong (which is honestly amazing, go check it out!). First, the name of the book and then some parts of the plot are quite similar. A girl, in a facility with other teenagers and they all have a special kind of power. Parents who think that their kids get treated for just some sickness and who think their kids are in good hands. An escape. But basically, that's where the similarity ends because they both go in very different directions, positively spoken.

The book's names of the whole series form a sentence. "The Darkest Minds", first book. Then "Never Fade", second book. "In Time", an e-book novel that isn't necessary to the story. And then the third book, but the title hasn't been released yet. I really like that, just imagine how amazing it'll look on your shelf when you have all books? I love the idea.

Alexandra Bracken's writing style is just amazing, unique even. It is thrilling and somehow poetic, the way she described the world and the characters. It got me hooked really quickly and it still hasn't let me go. There was even a scene that had me crying - and I usually don't cry. I'm a very unemotional person so that means something, right?

Looking back now, the characters are probably the best about the whole book. A book can survive with a bad story if it has amazing characters but it can't if it has a good plot and boring, flat characters. If the book has amazing characters AND a good plot, it can be a good book, a fantastic book. The Darkest Minds belongs to the third category, without a doubt!

There are many positive aspects about this book that are worth mentioning. For example, we know exactly how the situation is in other countries. I've heard a lot of complaining about this, that it was never mentioned how other countries are doing or if they're even affected by the catastrophe claiming the USA. In this book, it was clearly stated that the crisis only affected the USA and that other countries keep their borders up to keep the USA out.
Furthermore there are so many funny and remarkable quotes, most coming from Chubs (whom I have fallen in love with) and just an overall humorous atmosphere when it was just the kids being together. I really liked that.

This book amazed me, I really liked it and I would totally recommend to read it, if you haven't already! I cannot wait to read Never Fade soon!

If I were to rate it, I would give 5 out of 5 stars!