Book Review: Tonight the Street Are Ours by Leila Sales

Don't ask me why I choose to read books by authors who I've had a bad experiences with over the ones I love?

From Leila Sales, the author of This Song Will Save Your Life, comes a compelling and relatable story about the hazards of falling for someone you haven't met yet. Seventeen-year-old Arden Huntley is recklessly loyal. Taking care of her loved ones is what gives Arden purpose: it makes her feel like she matters. But she's tired of being loyal to people who don't appreciate her - including her needy best friend and her absent mum. Arden stumbles upon a blog called 'Tonight the Streets Are Ours', the musings of a young New York City writer named Peter, and it feels like she's finally found a kindred spirit. When Peter is dumped by the girlfriend he blogs about, Arden decides to take a road trip to see him. During one crazy night in NYC filled with parties, dancing and music - the type of night when anything can happen, and nearly everything does - Arden discovers that Peter isn't exactly who she thought he was. And maybe she isn't exactly who she thought she was either.

I never liked the "This Song Will Save Your Life" so of course I had to pick up this book. In fairness, I do like this one better and there nothing wrong with it per say.

This novel was okay, I guess its about love, though not really romantic in my opinion. It's a character book with no interesting characters. There's something there with Arden and Lindsey's friendship but Lindsey is more like a side character and plot device more than a real person. Arden's family dynamic that's touched on and while the centre to the plot, we don't get a lot of time with her family so it didn't feel explored enough for me.

There isn't any romance in this book, despite slight love triangle action going on. Sure, the character has a boyfriend and developed a thing on someone from the internet from reading his writer. This doesn't work as the writer, Peter automatically becomes clear as being a pretentious, spoiled brat. I don't get why Arden decides she likes him.

The book ends the only way it could really and be satisfying, at least for me. 

Overall, I give this book 3 out of 5 stars for Just-Like-Me-Dolls. It was an okay read, it had interesting elements but they were overshadowed by romance elements that didn't really go anyway. While they do support the better elements, I just wish they had been more focus.

I got this book for review off Netgalley and it is publish by Pan Macmillan.

Free Pass

Hello, another week has passed and I have not even written anything for you. I've wrote stuff, however, that for uni and won't be shared unless it's useless for use. I'm terrible person who feels like she has done nothing or experience anything. I need to update my CV. Have I? No. Have I did anything, but uni stuff? No.

The first week of my higher education, has gone and went. It's weird and not have much thoughts to share about it. I feel bad that I have nothing creative to give, but no guilt. However, my free for all on this blog ends with September so back to actually trying or something.

Not much to say, except that this was wrote in my usual location of bed at home. I'm going to do something that's almost productive. 

Book Review: Monster by C.J. Skuse

The real monster is Slut Shaming.


At sixteen Nash thought that the fight to become Head Girl of prestigious boarding school Bathory would be the biggest battle she’d face. Until her brother’s disappearance leads to Nash being trapped at the school over Christmas with Bathory’s assorted misfits.
 
As a blizzard rages outside, strange things are afoot in the school’s hallways, and legends of the mysterious Beast of Bathory – a big cat rumoured to room the moors outside the school – run wild.
 
Yet when the girls’ Matron goes missing it’s clear that something altogether darker is to blame – and that they’ll have to stick together if they hope to survive.
 
This is the second book by C.J. Skuse I have had the pleasure to read (and reviewed). I like this book a lot better than Dead Romantic. The ideas are more interesting and the characters were somewhat better. Still flawed though.

I love the fact the chapter headings were horror films. It could be argue that these were used for overshadowing, but some were just distracting and kinda forced. Though, normally I don't sit analysing chapter titles.

The characters are mostly a diverse bunch of girls. They are kinda stereotypes: the stuck-up bitch, the rebel, the kid, the creepy weirdo and the proper pure protagonist. They feel okay as characters when reading it, but there's not much to them or their relationships with each other. There is almost something there, but not fully. 

The slut shaming and emphasis on the main character being virgin is problematic, especially with the ending. These are realistic issues that go on within groups of teenage girls, but its not addressed at all that's it a issue. Also the "slut" is presented as being unlikable and is also a sadist. Even if Skuse was mirroring the horror trope of the protagonist being a virgin, its just something that should be abandoned (unless virgin is in a recipe).

The plot is okay. There is the idea of what a monster is something I thought was good. The ending could have been better set up and loses all realism after a point. The bordering school in the middle of nowhere is a good horror setting, however, I found the complications of that to be too tedious especially as they are in walking distance of other people.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for priest holes. I enjoy reading this book, it wasn't that scary and I never felt any tension for the characters. It was still a decent idea and good light read.

I got this book for review off NetGalley and is being published on 24th September 2015.

Re-Writes in the High Street

I originally wrote this post in a Waterstones, which one of the two reasons it was a shame it was lost. The other obviously being that I had to rewrite this. I hate when I lose work, especially when it should have saved automatically. It basically went something like this. Or nothing like this.

I have been here for over a week. I have now enrolled in uni and I have a uni card where the picture is really off centre. It was meant to be passport photo, but couldn't have a white black ground. If you just happen to have a passport photo lying around like I did, you couldn't just scan it. It's not the worst ID photo I've had, or develop in to the worst ID photo I will ever take. That goes to my driving Licence's photo. I look like a Serial Killer, that won't do when I'm thinking of poisoning people in my residence.

I am sick. It's either Freshers Flu or Cat Flu. One of my cats is sick. She had this croaky meow when I went home on Thursday for a thing and has been vomiting. Poor Mandela. She going to the vet on Monday if she still ill. I personally, have a sore throat and the left side of my nose is blocked. I hate not being able to breath properly.

Last night I almost went to a 24-hour store at Midnight to get breathing stuff as the inhaler wasn't helping a lot. Though, I managed to get to sleep after wandering about for a few hours. I do miss wandering about at night, which reminds me of a video I am yet to edit. So far I'm sucking on keeping on top of stuff even though class hasn't started yet. I think part of it is that I fell like I have to be doing stuff even when nothing is going on, so I worry and do nothing.

I hope I'll be better once I get into the swing of stuff. Until then, I'll continue to read in the union and finish books on a Thursday. Its like a thing the past three weeks at least. I'll will do my best to read.
During induction, we were told it was important that we read. Not told what, so I'm going to assume that has nothing to with films and we should be reading random library books from my local library.

I had to pick my opinion module when I enrolled. I wish we could have waited till half way through trimester or you know tried our courses before we made our decisions as both are continuation of first Trimester courses. I picked writing over studying fandoms and the things those fandoms are fans.
I know a lot about cult films over and it would be possible learn more by myself and the internet. However, you can't really improve as writer by yourself. You need other people, how bad you are.

With that, I am now leaving to lie in bed. You know this hardcore student living takes troll.

Book Review: Zom-b: Clans by Darren Shan

At first it's hard to hang off a Cliff but eventually you forgot you're on a Cliff.

How much do you value your best friend's life?

When do you go when run out of options?

How far can you trust an evil promise? 

B Smith must consider her next move...

This is the 8th book in the Zom-B series (which I review the majority of Zom-B, Undergound, City, Angels, Baby, Mission and the in between that is Circus). The last main book ended on a major cliff-hanger so it took me months to pick this book up. Life is a weird thing that happens to you. 

The book continues straight off from last book and I found it easy to fall back into it. The story quickly goes into a weird angle not far in.

The characters were basically their typical selves. But who cares because in this book we finally get the origin stories of certain characters and that is why you should read this book.

Overall, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for Hypocrites. I like this book because we get answers and B isn't acting as though she devoted cult follower anymore. Question superiors, kids. Though, with the ending of this book, who knows if that will last.

Foreign Languages

I am writing this on my new laptop in my new dorm room. I should probably be out socialising. Watching Sherk or probably unscary horror film. Instead I'm typing to you. Do I have much to say? Not really. I feel awkward right now amongst these new people who so far all from other Europe countries than my own. I haven't met them all, but this should be interesting. I actually think we have the makings of a terrible comedy.

It's not fun struggling to speak the only language you know. I would probably be terrible at speaking any language but then I would have an excuse I think I just heard fireworks. There is a popping noise outside but no colour. I'm starting to unpark and playing a game of what did mum put it this bag. Something sticky was one of those answers.

I don't what else to write. I'm going to continue to unpack and see if anyone is a life. This is sort, but I'm tired and stressed out a tiny part, though currently numb to the stress. I'm off to wander the halls barefoot. 

Book Review: Dark Room by Tom Becker

The Sleepaway Camp Twist? Really?
 
The camera never lies…

Darla and her dad are looking for a fresh start. But when they wind up in affluent Saffron Hills, Darla stands no chance of fitting in with the beautiful, selfie-obsessed teens at her new school.

Just when she thinks things can’t get any worse, she starts having visions. The gruesome snapshots flashing into Darla’s mind seem to suggest she’s going crazy… until she realizes they’re actually a horrifying glimpse into the future. 

With a killer on the loose, can she make sense of what she’s seeing before it’s too late?

This is a horror where I did not guess the ending, mainly because it's not at all foreshadowed and is one of the worst twists to ever feature in horror. Part of the twist would have been okay, but the other part is just dumb and undermines the rest. Frankly, it was a twist that I didn't think anyone would be dumb enough to execute it in this decade. I won't say what the twist is and I can't at all talk about my main issue with it without spoilers but I feel I won't be the only who one to see fault with it. While being problematic, it's also lazy and unnecessary.

The summary of this book is misleading and left me disappointed a few chapters in. It is in third person and I felt detached from what was going on, so not at all scared. Though, there was only one scene I thought worked in terms of suppose terror.

The main character Daria is likeable and I felt for her. It still lack in the fear and tension, I think that does have something to do with the supporting characters. They all mostly distasteful, though I don't hate any of them.

The book is second of the Red Eye Books set in America. When someone writes a setting in another country from their own, I always questioned it, especially when that setting is the USA. The plot does involve a beauty pageant and underage drinking, which are both big deals in America. I guess it works but America is such a boring setting. But the setting is more about the town than the country so it doesn't matter where it was set globally.

Overall, I gave this book three out of three stars for Echoes. I enjoyed this book right till the climax. The twist was just kinda cheap and bad 80s horror film. The execution was decent with a likeable protagonist but that ending took too much away from it. I've read one other book by Tom Becker (While the others sleep which has a review). The ending and twists were what let down that book as well so maybe this is a pattern for him.

I got this for review off NetGalley and it is being publish by Stripes Publishing on 10 September 2015.

Short Story: The Truth Or Lies, It's the same Pain

I've been buzy. So buzy that I thought I would write this post in third person so it would be sort of interesting. Instead you're getting excuses and another repost. Except this one is currently not online, because I took it down to work on it and maybe use it as Portifolio for English. I'm glad I didn't as it's not that good and I never thought a lot of stuff through. Also no one but me seems to point out when people write dumb science things down. There is a lot of cliché in this but I still like it despite it being a "CANCER STORY" and whilst cancer being diese a lot of people will be effected by whether having it themselves or a love one, it not wrote about well a lot. You should probably include me in that list.

As to why I have been busy comes down to the whole moving and starting uni thing. I've also been filming stuff and actually editing it into a video. I'm half way editing something about uni. Also I just straight up forgot that was meant to be finish the first chapter, till I went to bed on Friday. Sorry, that I went to see Inside Out instead of doing that today.

This story is sort of Prequel to a story, I wrote and lost due Mibba.com deleting people's stories for dumb reasons that they never gave decent warning about before they do it. Girl goes to dying Best Friend's party, runs from the party to cry in the glass of BF's garden. The main difference is this story has angel names. It was written for a contest with a angel theme.

Original Summery: Amitiel is named after the Angel of Truth but all she gets is lies. However, when she gets the truth from her best friend, she wishes it was lies.

Written for A N G E L -- C O N T E S T
Word Count :1458
Angel: Amitiel - angel of truth 

Today this day, I'm not sure if that's actually a girl's name. Also at this point I must not have realised that repetition is a bad thing unless intentional for a point. I haven't really done anything to this story as it's been edited several times since it's original posting so let just enjoy seventeen-year-old-me's editing and younger-than-that's writing. I gave you...

The Truth Or Lies, It's the same Pain

Angel of Truth, HA.

My parents must have cursed me, to be forever denied of what the angel they named me after stood for. In my short life of seventeen years, I have been lied to more times than I can count. Usually by the most important people to me. My mother lied to me when she said Santa was real, my father when he promised he'd be back in an hour, but never step foot in the house again, that doctor when she told me he'd pull through, my ex-best friend Claire when she said she couldn't go to my birthday party because her mum was ill but in fact went to Susan's party instead. All those lies, in such a short time. I thought he was different, I guess I was wrong. Again.

My first love, he who filled me with such joy, light and made time stop just with his eyes. But behind those eyes, there were a pile of lies. He who was my first kiss,my first everything, was also my first taste of how cruel people can really be. He lied to me, everyday from the beginning. He had  blinded me with his god damn perfect smile and fucking boyish looks. It was all a disguise, a hell of good one too. I never expected, I never ever question any thing about him. Not the weekends he couldn't see me, nor the constant ringing of his phone. The way he would get a text and have to leave right that second without even a goodbye kiss. He played me so well and I let him.

He broke my heart, ran off with the pieces and sold them on e-bay. He's left me here with nothing but the memory of them laughing at me and them kissing with their tongues all the way down each others throats. What did she have that I didn't? Sure, she was blonde, rich and a bloody size zero but she still also had the body of twelve year old boy. I had wasted so much time on liars and cheats. It was time I got them all out my life. I had thought, I already had. God, if this trend continue, it would turn out Anna actually doesn't have cancer and it was all a sick joke. That would  be something I would love to find out wasn't true.

“Amitiel, I have something to tell you,” Anna said hiding from behind my bedroom door, that I hadn't heard open. I had been hiding from the world for about a week under a thick duvet. I only knew of the passing of time because my mother had inform me of it this morning, before she left for work. I push the duvet off my head and turned around to see only Anna's ocean eyes peaking from behind the door, like a child waiting to be given in trouble. I sigh.

“Come in,” I see the lost sparkle in her eyes for moment, then it disappears.

Anna slowly comes in and shuts the door behind her. She so frail and pale looking. Her sandy waves of hair were gone, her head now only covered by dark blue scarf. The diamonds in her eyes, once permanent only visits briefly now. As long as had know her, there had always been a sparkle in her eyes, even in the serious of situations. But ever since she found out about the cancer in her body, the sparkle has been slowly disappearing. I fear each passing day that I'll never see it again. The phase 'too young to die' flashes in my mind. It has too be the biggest lie of them all but the ones we tell ourselves usually are.

Anna slowly makes her way to my bed as I sit myself up. She would have just ran and jumped on me if she still had the strength. It breaks my heart to know that her days really could be numbered. I'm not ready to accept that really they are. I guess I'm happy to lie to myself but not for others to do the same. I feel so selfish as I watch her struggle to walk the metre from the door to my bed. I have all the time in the world to fall in love and get my heart broken again, but Anna hasn't even fall yet and it seems time is running out for her.

“I'm sorry,” I say pathetically.

“What for? You've just had your heart broken by that jerk. I'd be in bed too if I was you.”

You should be. She finally makes it to my bed and slowly sits down.

“Still, I could have been a better friend. You need me more than I ever needed him,” She smiles, just a hint of that missing sparkle. “What is it you need to tell me anyway?” I ask as I watch the spark disappear again.

“I...I don't want to tell you,” She speaks the words so slowly, pulling each one apart so that they seem to be each a sentence on their own.

“Lets go out and have some fun,” She says cheerfully and I force a smile.

This is the first time I've left the house since he broke up with me, even missing school to avoid him - and her. I don't really want to leave the house, or even my room but I do so for Anna. I would do anything for her now. She convinces me to go to the mall with her and get super sized blue slushie. Like we always used to do before her cells turned against her.  We're already on to our second slushies, by the time I remember we're avoiding something. Something she doesn't want to tell me, something I'm scared to find out. So I don't ask her what it is. So I just joke and try to catch that sparkle I long to see.

Anna is still beautiful, even though she resembles death. She still has her best features. She no longer has the long blond hair that I had been jealous of, for as long as I can remember, but she still has her ocean eyes that were beautiful without their sparkle and the dark lashes that by some miracle had been black instead of blond, had just grew back, flaming them to perfection. Her laugh still rang out like an angel catching you and making you laugh until your ribs hunt. Why?

Why would something so horrible happen to such young, beautiful-inside and out- person? The truth avoids me and only leaves me with theories of pain and hate of an unfair world, created by a unkind God. She had been my best friend for so long, I didn't know what I do without her and pray to that God that I never have to find out.

It seemed that the mall shut too soon and kicked us out before we were finished with our fun. I drove Anna home in my small, three door car that still remains the colour of her eyes even at night. We sneak through the back door, even though we know we've been seen, stealing the last of junk food from the kitchen and returning to the backyard of our childhood. The sun is almost completely gone from the sky. I hear her sigh beside me and look at a face drained of all it's colour. She looks almost unrecognisable, so much older than her mere seventeen years.

It's time to be told the truth, the truth I don't want and for once I long for lies, but I know Anna was never good at lying or keeping things from me. So I sigh with her and prepare for the worse.

“I need to tell you this, God knows I don't want to. I don't want it be true,” The ocean begins to escape from her eyes. “It's not good, they say it didn't work,” her waves of hair lost for nothing.

“Its spread.”

Those two unimportant, usually so harmless on their own but are now the worse words in the world to me.

“They say they can only prevent...” Death, they can't stop it now, only slow it down.

“I'm sorry,” I say as the first of many tears trickle down my face. We hug and cry into each other, to release the grief. I moan the loss of a friend who will soon leave me and she moans the life she'll never get to live. I miss the lies and hate this truth. Lies protect you from pain, for wee while anyway. The truth always comes out.

Santa not real, my dad never came back, never mind in an hour's time and he didn't pull through. Claire wasn't my BFF, Alex never loved me and - I'll never be Anna's bridesmaid. A child's promise broken and made a lie by Fate. Lies are all I have. 

Other's comments:  

-This was really good - I love the concept of this, but there were a few spelling errors that could be easily fixed (: That's all the "constructive criticism" I have really. I love the girls' relationship, even though Anna lied to Ami. This was really great (: Thanks so much for entering and good luck! <3 

-I like this story so far. Except for a few spelling errors, i don't really have any 'constructive criticism'. XD  

Also someone told me they liked it and it was wrote as if English was a foreign language to me and that was a good thing. That comment has disappeared though. 

My comment is that I remember it's worse and probably worse for me trying to worm out the bit with blonde hair person having black eyelashes. I should have just left the eyelash bit out all together as I'm not sure if they would have grown back at all at this point. 

It's bit problematic with the description of the new girlfriend, but that what I was raised to believe other people thought about each other. Thanks Media. I also just love the phrase "First everything" and pretty sure that appears in other story I wrote at the time. 

I will type to you soon. Till then what are your comments? 

Book Review: Hello, Goodbye, And Everything In Between by Jennifer E. Smith

The night before I leave to uni, I'm going tour the fields and say goodbye to the sheep.

One night. A life-changing decision. And a list…

Of course Clare made a list. She creates lists for everything. That’s just how she is.
But tonight is Clare and Aidan’s last night before college and this list will decide their future, together or apart.

It takes them on a rollercoaster ride through their past – from the first hello in science class to the first conversation at a pizza joint, their first kiss at the beach and their first dance in a darkened gymnasium – all the way up to tonight.

A night of laughs, fresh hurts, last-minute kisses and an inevitable goodbye.

But will it be goodbye forever or goodbye for now?

I have been excited for this book, since I heard about it the Edinburgh Book Festival. While not exactly what I expected, but I was not disappointed.

It is in the third-person, but with the emphasis on Claire. The chapters are split by where they go on their quest, for example Stop #613 THE MOON. It's not very stick with it, so it's just a way of emphasising the places they visit.

The relationship between Claire and Aiden is did well. It's feels like they have a real history behind them and I also like their group of friends. This essentially a character and relationship book. It also deals with they different relationships with their parents and how that's effected them.

Overall, I gave this book 4/5 stars for attempts to save Rusty. This was good book dealing with going off to uni/college and the general life stage after High school. If you at that stage like me, I recommend this book for you and if not it's still very good and Jennifer E. Smith writes good books. 

I got this book from BookBridgr and Headline for review. It's out on 1 September 2015 or yesterday to most people so now.