Barbara Conklin | P.S. I Love You

My mother made me do it.

It almost made me feel bad that I have given such a low rating, given the reviews and all, but still.

I give it a 2.5 rating -- and I have contemplated for a little while if I should round up or round down. There is no way that I am giving it a 1-star rating because I'm a sucker for summer flings and whirlwind romances.

I wasn't even planning to read this one because it looks like a really really old and corny romance pocketbook. And helloooo? The cover. The model just looks so sad. Ha, kidding. But seriously.

My mom posted this book on facebook, telling me that this was the first book that gave her the "kilig." She. Posted. And then there came the comments (by her batchmates, of course) about how much they loved this book when they were younger, how they tend to hide a copy in the library shelves just to be able to continue reading the next day... It was funny. And it got me curious.

P. S. I Love You  by Barbara Conklin When her father left after the divorce, Mariah lost her sense of family. Now she's lost her special summer, too. Instead of fulfilling her dream to become a writer, Mariah has to help her mother with a house-sitting job in very rich, very snobby Palm Springs. People with a lot of money make Mariah uncomfortable. Until she meets Paul Strobe, the rich boy next door. Paul's not a snob and he doesn't act superior. In fact, his sandy sandy hair and piercing blue eyes break down all Mariah's defences. With Paul, Palm Springs becomes the most romantic place on Earth. But Paul has to go into the hospital for some tests and then an operation. He's seriously ill and all his family's money can't help him. Will Mariah lose Paul, too, just when she's found her first love?

So not judging the book by the cover (yay, me!), I gave it a shot. I got the e-book copy and I doubt that there's still an available, physical book, and I'm not sure if it's available anywhere [amazon or what] because girl, the book is Jurassic.

May I just say... P.S. I love you. Yes Paul, I am in love with you too. You're another addition to my literary crushes because (a) you're artistic and capable of creating something, (b) you're tall and such a cutie, and (c) you're rich [lol no just kidding] you're deep and humble and funny and generous. This guy, ladies and gentlemen, is the epitome of a perfect summer crush.

Dear Mariah, you're young. For goodness' sake, you're 16 so there's no way you cannot move on from that loss because hello, you've been with Paul for like 10 weeks (60-75% of which, he's at home or in the hospital being sick) and tbh with that time frame I doubt there will really be a "falling in love" that's going to happen. So yeah, I like it that you made him your inspiration and decided to move on with your life. Good job girlfriend!

Early into the book, I've had a few "awwe so cute" moments, and that was probably because of Paul-Kim (little sister) moments. It was quite short so not very much of a bother to read but all in all, it wasn't something that I would recommend reading, although all my mom's friends are telling that IT'S THE BOMB I mean seriously? Lol. I didn't relate at all. Butttt mom said it was a romance novel for early teeners, so maybe that's why. (BUT MOM!! SWEET VALLEY!!)

But, I think re-publishing these Sweet Dreams Romance Novels will bring nostalgia to those 80's babies. I mean, they're the workforce today, so, $$$. Just sayin'.

P.S. I am in love with the idea of snail mail.

Chuck Palahniuk | Snuff

Not my cup of tea, but there's something in there.

Disclaimer. I am 20 years old, as of the date. I understand these kinds of things. Kinda.

Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk (Goodreads Author) Narrated by Mr. 72, Mr. 137, and Mr. 600 as they await their turn on camera, a novel about the role of pornography in contemporary life follows porn queen Cassie Wright, who plans to break the record for serial fornication with six hundred men on camera. [via Goodreads]

I don't know if this is just another piece that would produce a commentary about the porn industry, or it was supposed to be a satirical attempt to point out that there's drama in porn. Or that porn stars are human, too? I don't know. Either way, I cannot help but imagine this work as a theatrical play. I am pretty sure that if this was written as a lengthy act, it would probably be better off. There's something about the character development that would suit the stage.

 There's a plot, alright. A good one, actually. Show/Hide spoilers.

There's this actress who gave up her child for adoption, wanted to do something remarkable for her career that would probably kill her but make her child rich (from the insurance, win-win). Some dude who always thought that he was the actress' child came to save his mother. He met the "father" who turned out to be an old colleague of the actress. Turned out, the child wasn't a son. It was a daughter. And this daughter, who wanted to get her revenge, came as the actress' assistant. But the actress knows. She wanted to die for the insurance money, so it was a suicide mission. She asked the father to bring a cyanide pill, just to make sure of it. But in the end, they both died. 

Well, I have learned some things along the way, so good job!

- Marilyn Monroe used Zelda Zonk as an Alias.

- Cyanide smells like almonds.

- Almonds have cyanide.

- Marilyn Monroe probably wore non-matching heels to let her butt roll as she walks.

- Some ancient woman Melisanna... Melanie? Melisandre? Something.

This one got me interested (at least interested enough to keep reading) up until the three-quarters part, and from there, the plot was dying. The ending part... noting. I mean, the rapid fire of commotions and useless blabberings had me wanting to just finish it just for the sake of it. Nothing to look forward to.

Another issue: Repetitive Dialogue.

Then there is this quote:

"The closest thing that comes to how the day felt is when you wipe back to front. You're on the toilet. You're not thinking, and you smear shit on the back of your hanging-down wrinkled ball skin. The more you try to wipe it clean, the skin stretches and the mess keeps getting bigger. The thin layer of shit spreads into the hair and down your thighs. That's how a day like this, how it feels to keep secret."

(Snuff, page 4...AND page 187)

Apparently, that's how people with balls deal with their shit. BUT WHO WIPES BACK TO FRONT?  I cannot comprehend please tell me I really don't get the point of writing this passage twice.

Interested? Here's a video that I got from Chuck Palahniuk's website.

Why is Cassie Wright so huge? And man-like?

Rainbow Rowell | Eleanor & Park

     I have started this book like, a month ago but had to put it down because of finals coming up. Then it went forgotten, until my best friend one day asked me if have read it. I was asking for some light-reads and she suggested that I read it.

     To be honest, I was able to afford putting it down the first time because I had the impression of it just being some YA novel with quotable quotes and not much deep impact. But before I knew it, I was ugly-crying under the covers at 2am just because.

***

Two misfits. One extraordinary love.

Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor.

Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park.

Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. 

[via Goodreads]

***

     This is the first book by Rainbow Rowell that I have read. First things first: how cute is her name, right? Pseudonym or not, I like it. Not that it matters, but still. The name also made me think that the the author was a guy sorry but then I thought what guy would actually name himself rainbow? So I figured it was the last name that got me thinking of a Mr. Rowell so yeah.

[Read further and you might spoil yourself.]

     Of all the things that I love about this book, the one thing that got me is the way that the author presented Eleanor. She's a redhead, and as if that's not enough reason to get bullied, she is also huge. I just don't know if it is chubby-huge or huge-huge, but in my mind it was renaissance model-huge. And she dresses differently from the others, which made me think, "WHYYYY? Aren't bullied girls supposed to be wanting to blend in, not stand out?" But then, girl. That's what you call genius character development.

     So... Park. Park the Asian kid who grew up in a conducive-to-growing-up household is selfish. Compared to Eleanor, his only problem aside from a episodal identity crisis is looking for his father's approval. Oh yeah, and his schoolmates'. But that's pretty much it! He gets fed accordingly, he has both his parents, he has material things (thus the comics and all those records) and he had some good looks in there. I don't even get why he thinks he's an outcast, he could pretty much get in the crowd if he wants to. #YouHaveTheIDatedTinaCardSoGoPlayYouDumbass #PlusYouCanKickAssOkay

     But then we have the other Park. Eleanor's Park. The Park who is pretty in eyeliner. The Park who is deep and caring and selfless. The Park who is too adorable that even Eleanor who hates the word fell in love with. Need I say more?

     Fast forward to the main conflict - the time when Eleanor realized that her life in Omaha was so screwed up so she needs to go to her uncle's. I WAS TORN. To bits. I knew that she needs to get away from that asshole stepfather of hers but then she needs to leave Park. Why is the world so cruel?

     How can I pull myself together after that last chapter, though? What are those 3 words, even? How could you, Rainbow Rowell? You made me fall in love with the idea of first love and then you broke my heart. Cruel, but pure genius.

    I love it and I hate it at the same time, if there is such feeling at all. I love and hate it so much that it hurts. It hurts how much I ship Eleanor & Park and I hate how much I love their respective points of view. I hate how Rainbow Rowell made me feel like an unfortunately deprived and abused teenage girl and I hate how she made me fall in love with the idea of falling in love. I hate it that she took it all away in the blink of an eye, and left me hanging, asking myself what three words would I have written if I was Eleanor.

I give it:

Rock on.

   

Cat Patrick | Revived

I don't regret my decision of starting my sembreak by reading this book. It's an easy read, amazingly fast-paced story that got me engaged from the first up to the last chapter. The plot has unexpected twists, and even though the plot is pretty simple, it has points that give a brief coverage on loss and death.

***

As a little girl, Daisy Appleby was killed in a school bus crash. Moments after the accident, she was brought back to life.

A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived fiv

e times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency's true goals, she realizes she's at the center of something much larger — and more sinister — than she ever imagined .[via Goodreads]

***

The best thing about this book is the heroine. Daisy is a voice that you could relate to. She grows all throughout the story, and it's amazing how strong yet naive she could be. All her life, she's been living with a fake family, being watched by someone they called "God" (the creator of the drug) and being advised to stay
away from too much attention, bees, and more attention. Who wouldn't get tired of those? So there she went, doing what a normal teenager would do: rant about her life and how she wants to get settled in one place and live a normal life.

Her idea of death is shallow, having died five times and knowing that she could be revived by a drug. Only until she gets to meet a real friend who is going to die soon, but can't be revived. Oh, the irony of life. and a boyfriend who happens to be her friend's brother. And he wants her to steal a vial of the drug.

Weak point: the ending. It's a stand-alone novel alright, they'll provide enough answers to questions that may develop as you go along the story. It's just that the ending is not... ending enough. I am not satisfied with how quick she laid all those epilogue-ish things. There's something lacking, but it's not something that you'll think has a book two in the making, either. Okay, I don't make sense.

Just read. It's cool.

xx.

John Greene | The Fault in Our Stars

After reading tons of reviews about this book, I got so curious. So putting an end to my curiosity, I started reading. And I can't put it down. At first I thought it was just some kind of a I'm-a-teenager-I-fell-in-love-but-I-am-sick-and-I-died-go-cry kind of book but really, this book is more than that.

It's different from all your lovey-dovey star-crossed lovers kind of novels. It's more than that, I promise. John Green made points about youth, love, family, loss, humor, friendship, hope, acceptance, beauty -  everything. 

The construction of paragraphs may not be of my preference, but the way his words will see through you is just beyond imagination.

E.L. James | The Fifty Shades Trilogy

After reading the first book, the first thought I had in mind was: "That's it?" I thought it was just another franchise overrated for its explicit content and a whole lot of nonsense sex. But I can't let myself hanging and not knowing what happens next, so I decided to finish the whole lot just to know what will be the ending. 

It was just last night that I have finished reading the Fifty Shades trilogy and it took me a little more than two weeks to do so. I can't read it in one sitting. I just can't.

It's far too visual for my preference, and the sex is too hardcore. Being, let’s just say, the youngest of the allowed audience. I've skipped maybe… 2/3 of the sex part? I don't know. It's just not what or how I thought or... whatever.