Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid

Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid
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. 

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. (via Amazon)

This book is split up into 5 parts, each centered around a different character, but with one constant one. I read a part every day, which I think was a very good way for me to read this book, because I had a harder time getting into it the first time I picked it up. It would be a harder book to make a list of things I thought about it, because of how it's written.

I found each of the stories very interesting and fun, and the character development for each of them is really great. The cover perfectly displays the book in this way. I was kind of unsure about how they all related to each other, but didn't mind, because I felt like I was reading novellas instead of a novel. They are very character driven stories, and sometimes I think they were dragged slightly long, but not enough to make an impact on the story as a whole.

As far as diversity goes, I'm actually not sure about this. Elliot was not white, but I read his section fast enough that I didn't catch what race he was. The others, I have no idea, and am not even sure it was described in the book.

I really enjoyed the road trips aspect of it, because usually books take place in the same city for the entire book, but this one went all the way across the US and into parts of Canada. There was a definite change in the feeling from the settings, which I found fun. It's also not weighed down by boring in between parts, because of the POV the stories are told from.

Overall I thought this was a very good book, and recommend it (especially to people who liked Paper Tows, but even if you didn't (like me) you'll probably enjoy this book). I don't like any rating system, so I'm not going to even try that.

All the Things Harry Potter: Cover Edition

I don't own any physical copies of Harry Potter to myself (my family lost 1-4, and 5 is beat up, and 6-7 lost their dust jackets), and I really want them. I am, however, having a difficult time figuring out which one to buy (not really, but still), because there are so many beautiful editions.

Also, did it occur to anyone else that there were never movie edition covers?

Favorites:

Bloomsbury UK Signature Edition: these are the ones I want, but to get them, the overall cost is nearly two hundred dollars, and it's kind of hard to convince your parents to buy you something that costs that much. These are just the best though. 

US Special Edition Box Set: I don't particularly like the covers, but I love the spine enough that it makes up for it all. Also, they're in paperback, and from the US, so it's all cheaper!

US Regular Editions: it's not the covers, but the font is what they used int he movies, and I really like it. Also, of all the pictures of Harry, these are my favorite. I liked the old spines a lot better than the new ones, but I probably won't buy these ones anyway. 

Swedish: I just want the Swedish edition to make me feel smart. The covers aren't too weird though. Wait, yes they are. 

Middle Ground:

New Bloomsbury UK Adult: it's not that these are the best covers ever, but I love the coloring on them (and it's a big step up from the old adult covers).

German: I mean, that face is terrible. Actually, it's not that bad, but I still don't like it. The backgrounds are pretty good though. 

French: I just don't like the drawing style. I like the backgrounds enough that it's okay, but...

Least Favorites: I don't totally hate them, but I would never buy them unless they were the last copies on earth. 

Old UK Adult: Really? Photographs? Bad photographs?

Finnish: The faces bother me too much. They did get the font correct though. 

German Adult: Germany, come on, do a better job. Photographs? Don't copy the British on their WORST cover. 

10 Reasons Why I Love Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith
Sixteen-year-old Austin Szerba interweaves the story of his Polish legacy with the story of how he and his best friend , Robby, brought about the end of humanity and the rise of an army of unstoppable, six-foot tall praying mantises in small-town Iowa.

To make matters worse, Austin's hormones are totally oblivious; they don't care that the world is in utter chaos: Austin is in love with his girlfriend, Shann, but remains confused about his sexual orientation. He's stewing in a self-professed constant state of maximum horniness, directed at both Robby and Shann. Ultimately, it's up to Austin to save the world and propagate the species in this sci-fright journey of survival, sex, and the complex realities of the human condition. (via Goodreads)

I'm actually shocked that I haven't reviewed this yet, because I loved it so much.

1. Chapter Titles (I had a very specific one in mind, but couldn't find it. They're all awesome though)
2. Midwest! (Specifically, this was Iowa, but whatever)
3. Diverse Main Character (You'll figure it out)
4. It's just so weird.
5. The covers are amazing- there's no denying it.
6. The Chocolate War!!! (Also, Greta!)
7. All of his relationships were just so...realistic? Other words that I can't think of?
8. I read it in one day, but it wasn't hard (VERY good story)
9. The history thought out behind it
10. Ealing Mall

I could've come up with so many more things, but these are ten of them. This book is amazing.

Harry Potter Rambling...

Okay, so I was thinking about how a lot of people say they don't like J. K. Rowling's other works, and I'm not surprised by that. The thing about the Harry Potter books is that they weren't that great individually- the writing wasn't bad, for the most part it was fast paced, and they each had a great individual plot. Honestly, when people say Harry Potter book something was their favorite book, I am kind of astonished, because none of them are better, in my mind, than my favorite book The Chocolate War, but Harry Potter is still my favorite series. What makes Harry Potter great is the series as a whole and the world of it. Who wouldn't want there to be another world filled with magic? As a series, it also doesn't do what most series do by getting worse, or having a defining best book. What makes it great is that there is no best book, and it leaves up so much room for discussion. The world building is also incomprehensibly amazing, and how you discover bits and pieces of it is even better. This is why I can see why people don't love all of J. K. Rowling's published works, and you can disagree with me, but that is how I see it.

The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley

The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley
It's 1993, and Generation X pulses to the beat of Kurt Cobain and the grunge movement. Sixteen-year-old Maggie Lynch is uprooted from big-city Chicago to a windswept town on the Irish Sea. Surviving on care packages of Spin magazine and Twizzlers from her rocker uncle Kevin, she wonders if she'll ever find her place in this new world. When first love and sudden death simultaneously strike, a naive but determined Maggie embarks on a forbidden pilgrimage that will take her to a seedy part of Dublin and on to a life- altering night in Rome to fulfill a dying wish. Through it all, Maggie discovers an untapped inner strength to do the most difficult but rewarding thing of all, live. (via Goodreads)

I read this in one afternoon in spring, so be aware.

Positives:
1. Look at how many awards it's won- perfection
2. Chicago and Ireland
3. Music is a huge theme, but I don't like music all that much, and this book was great
4. Lots of troubled relationships
5. It's pretty short, so it's not hard to read in an afternoon (240 pages)
6. Jessie Ann Foley is great, and I have so many positive memories about reading this book
7. 1993
8. Three parts
9. Written in third person, which isn't as common as it used to be.

Negatives:
1. If you're not a reader, I don't think this book would appeal to you very much. For me, I don't think I would've liked it as much if I had read it a year or two ago.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Movie Review

I would've rewatched it, but I'm not emotionally ready yet.

Okay, so this is my least favorite adaption of the Harry Potter movies, but it is the best movie out of them all (in my opinion, and also IMDB's). Some of the others may have been less faithful to the books, but this one was the one that I noticed the most, and pissed me off the most. The reason this one is so annoying to me is because they took out all the things that made me so satisfied with the ending in the book- with the movie I was like What? That's it? That is where you leave me? NO!!! Also, Draco's character was so much weaker in the movie than in the book. In the book he wasn't that strong, but he wasn't THAT weak.

Another thing that upset me was that Daniel Radcliffe really couldn't pull of 17. There are people who can pull it off until they're like 30, but he isn't one of them. I know there are teenagers who look middle aged, but for the most part, teenagers look a lot younger(there was a huge physical appearance jump between the Goblet of Fire and the Order of the Phoenix, big years in developing). Don't hold me to that.

The end again, WHY DIDN'T HE FIX HIS WAND? YOU DON'T HAVE A WAND IF YOU BREAK THE ELDER WAND AND DON'T FIX YOUR OWN!!! YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY GOING TO USE MALFOY'S FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. There were just so many small things that made me upset about that ending.

When they didn't show Fred's death, I was okay with it at the time, but now I am pissed off that I didn't get to see one of my favorite characters through to the end. I needed him. Come back to me...

I really liked Snape's memories, and the shell shocked feeling of almost the entire movie. Also the score, which I will be talking about a lot more. Question: if Snape loved Lily so much as to have his patronus change, why didn't James' change? Did he not love Lily?

I didn't like the Chamber of Secrets scene with Ron and Hermoine, because I just don't ship them that much. I actually don't ship almost any of the characters, except maybe Harry and Ginny, only because of how they really got to get to know each other (#Voldermort). Otherwise, no, just no.

Neville killing Nagini and then Voldermort crumbling to the ground in front of only Harry pissed me off so much. THAT IS NOT HOW YOU DIE!!! UNTIL HARRY KILLS THE HORCRUX INSIDE OF YOU, YOU ARE STILL ALIVE! WHAT IS HAPPENING!!! This made me more upset than the wand, and that made me so mad. So mad. I can't even keep talking about this because it makes me so mad.

Lupin and Tonks holding hands when they died was just so sweet... (you can see my fanfiction about that here). I really miss them... Also, Tonks, why don't you go by your birth name- it's so awesome. Nymphadora. Nymphadora!!! And Lupin, you will always be the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher (we never really met Moody). *sigh*

I can't believe that I had never seen the ending of this before, and I kind of wish that I had never been spoiled for Harry Potter. I mean, it's not that big of a deal to me, because I still loved the books, but I wish I could've gone into them knowing nothing. Well, I'll just have my kids do that and videotape it.

Also, I'm having trouble putting the release of this movie into context of my brain. Divergent was out before this was. How? That couldn't happen? How could've that happened? NO!

There are many more things, but I'll talk about that later!!!

The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi

The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi

A fun, romantic read, perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Susane Colasanti! What happens when Matt and Ella reunite one year after their breakup? Are second chances really possible?

Before Matt, Ella had a plan. Get over her ex-boyfriend and graduate high school—simple as that. But Matt—the cute, shy, bespectacled bass player—was never part of that plan. And neither was attending a party that was crashed by the cops just minutes after they arrived. Or spending an entire night saying "yes" to every crazy, fun thing they could think of.

But then Matt leaves town, breaking Ella's heart. And when he shows up a year later—wanting to relive the night that brought them together—Ella isn't sure whether Matt's worth a second chance. Or if re-creating the past can help them create a different future.

Positives:
1. Positive Body Image (sort of, if you read it, you'll understand)
2. Awesome school rooftop
3. Not drinking and driving (they don't do that, right?)
4. Overall feeling was good

Negatives:
1. 60 pages came and went before something actually happened
2. Confusing whether it's Then or Now
3. Infodump about what happened to Matt
4. Way too many Heart-To-Heart moments
5. Minimal Diversity
6. Not much action and slow paced