The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin

OK im warning you all right now that my own personal feels are involved in what I say about this book. Don't get me wrong it was a good book and it flowed nice, but the plot bugged me a bit.

This story is about a single mom who is raising three children. The catch is she is a crazy lady who is always bashing her sister, who lives downstairs, and leaves for long hours getting drunk and bringing men back to her place. Well she ends up dating this guy who she gets close with but after he sees her abusing her own children. Well she turns a bit stalkerish and wont leave him alone. Will the children ever be free?

I give it a 2 out of 5. I'd give it a five for the way it flows but the plot as I said bugged me. It opened my eyes to stuff that does happen sometimes, but very rarely is there a family like this. Toward the end of the book when this one thing that I wont give away happens, I was just poed that she'd write that which is why it has a low rating. still Nineteen Minutes was my least favorite but this one was no better in my eyes with the plot line.

Ever Yours,
Mandy

8/22
left to read

The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding

I finished this two days ago but I'm like on a mad dash to finish this one I'm working on by today cause I just really want this done before school gets out and have at least 7 days to relax from reading. Yes I love reading a lot and if there was a class you could take as an elective to just read and be an active reading I'd take it, but the thing is that this is gonna be May Madness. I know some of you are completely puzzled as to that, because in the world of basketball we have March Madness. I will by the end of the day have eight books left to read and I will finish them in May so its gonna be non stop reading for me. Ok I'm just digressing now so back to books.

London is completely over run by Wych-kin who kill humans. There are people that are Wych hunters and Thaniel Fox is one of them. While on a hunt he finds this girl who is still alive but has no idea of anything from her past. Thaniel takes her in and helps her out. This leads to him and his friends to dive deep into the world of Wych-kin.

I give this one a 3 out of 5. This story is really dark and gothic like and I couldn't really get into the darkside of the book. I loved the plot and the characters and the sliver of hope thoughout the whole thing, but the dark nature of it was new to me. I've never read a book like this one before and I'm sure I would read another some day. So now its off to finish Rules of Survival.

Ever Yours,
Mandy

9/22
left to read

Rooftop by Paul Volponi

Yeah this one was too short for me to not finish in one day. Yeah I am an addict but hey its better to be addicted to reading then to other things. Yeah this one wasn't too bad at all.

Set in New York City in the Projects following two boys who are addicted to drugs and are in a rehab getting clean. One boy ends up dieing while the other struggles with the information of what really happened on the rooftop.

I give it 3 out of 5 stars. I liked it but not enough for it to be my favorite. It lacked feeling for me and details. I felt confused throughout the whole book. It was confusing the way it was ended and the last part was unnecessary.

Ever Yours,
Mandy

10/22
left to read

Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles

This one I read in between test the last two days and I was determined to finish it today so I'm pretty happy. Always this day marks the half way point of my reading. Yes ladies and gentalman Librarians and dedicated readers, in just two short months I finished half my list and the plus is I did it before my birthday.

This compelling story follows two separate individuals who went though the same situation. Caleb Becker spent the past year in juvenile detention and Maggie Armstrong spent the last year in a hospital going though physical therapy, but what ties the two together is that he caused the accident. Now the two met again in their small town? What will happen? Did he really cause the accident?

I give this one 5 out of 5. I know I say all of them our my favorite but this one had me to tears with the struggle the two faced. I really felt a connection to the character's which for me is what sucks me into the book. They picked some great books and now I'll be reading Rooftop which wont take long to finish at all.

Every Yours,
Mandy

11/22
left to read
YAY!!!!!

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

I finished this one three days ago but we had testing and all that fun stuff so I haven't had time to blog. This post will be followed by another cause I finished two since the last one.

Aislinn, a young girl madly in love with her best friend, has always been able to see fairies. Even her own grandma could too. in fact her whole family could but she never did know her mom, since she died after Aislinn was born.

I give this one 5 out of 5 stars. It was a well thought up plan and highly original compared to other books about fairies. It was my favorite till I just finished the second one I was working on. Thumbs up to Melissa Marr's writing. She writes this so wonderful leaving you questioning everything.

Ever Yours,
Mandy

12/22
left to read

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

Yeah it took me a while to finish this one but it was a great story considering the length of it. I had read Nineteen Minutes which was just as long and very disappointing for this was a nice refreshing story.

Manhattan 1899 is where our stage is set with the death of Miss Elizabeth Holland. It is a sad occasion for all who knew the young Girl of Eighteen years of age. Back track to the events leading up to her death. The girls discover a secret that must never get out or it will be the ruin of the family. Is there anyway to secure their status? Will it be the end for the Holland's?


I give this one 5 out of 5. I know that I ranted and raved over The Christopher Killer but, I liked this one a little more then I did that one. From the first chapter of the book your sucked into it watching as plot twist after plot twist happens and how these girls overcome each one. It had you guess what the real Climax was or at least gives you the chance to kinda figure it out yourself. Overall for the length of this book she kept you into it which is hard considering it was 433 pages long.

I am now working on Wicked Lovely and I am hoping to finish 2 by May 3rd my birthday. I will then be half way done with my list of 22 and well on my way to being the first in Downers Grove North history to finish all 22. She said if that happens I'd be on the announcements and she would have to contact both the towns newspaper and the school paper plus a picture with the 22 titles. I already plan on doing this two years in a row.

Ever yours,
Mandy

13/22
left to read