Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell | Book Review

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Reading Group: High School+

Personal Rating: 4 Out Of 5 Stars

Given Summary: Set over the course of one school year in 1986, this is the story of two star-crossed misfits-smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you'll remember your own first love-and just how hard it pulled you under.

Cover: The cover depicts Eleanor and Park sharing headphones and listening to music.  I like this cover because it shows them from the back so it's almost like you are a few rows behind them on the bus with the other kids watching them.  Music and sharing was such a huge part of their relationship as well.  They made each other mix tapes and Park lent Eleanor many comic books.

My Review: This book was very sweet.  I liked that they ere two kids who didn't really know where they belong.  Everyone has felt that way at some point and this story showed that not only are you not alone, but there is someone out there who will love you anyway.  This novel also focused a lot on family and how they're not always good families.  Park's family is a pretty typical family.  They love him, but don't really understand everything he does.  They often compare him and his brother.  Eleanor was right to run away from hers.  Her birth dad tries to care about her, but doesn't; her stepdad is an absolute creep; her brothers and sisters are all over the place; and her mother smiles and acts like everything is okay.
When Eleanor runs away she is scared that her aunt and uncle won't take her in.  I can't imagine going to a relative for help and being turned away.  Can any of you?  But that's the life Eleanor knows, people don't want her.  Thankfully, her aunt and uncle take her in and it seem alike they help get the rest of her family away from her stepdad.
Park sends Eleanor letters that she can't bring herself to open, let alone respond.  She misses him so much.  However, at the end of the novel it says that Park gets a letter from her with three words written on it.
Now, I assumed that the three words were I love you because he said it to her so many times in the novel, but she could never get herself to say it back.  Even though it was evident that she did love Park.  However, that is a very vague thing to say.  There are a lot of the three word sentences:

I _____ you

hate

love

miss

need

tolerate

You're the _____

father

best

worst

one

You ___ me

saved

left

need

love

I thought it was fun to think of some three word phrases.  Can you guys think of any?

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FOUR: A Divergent Collection by Veronica Roth | Book Review

FOUR: A Divergent Collection by Veronica Roth

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Reading Group Rating: Young Adult

Personal Rating: 5 Stars

Given Summary: Two years before Beatrice Prior made her choice, the sixteen-year-old son of Abnegation’s faction leader did the same. Tobias’s transfer to Dauntless is a chance to begin again. Here, he will not be called the name his parents gave him. Here, he will not let fear turn him into a cowering child.

Newly christened “Four,” he discovers during initiation that he will succeed in Dauntless. Initiation is only the beginning, though; Four must claim his place in the Dauntless hierarchy. His decisions will affect future initiates as well as uncover secrets that could threaten his own future—and the future of the entire faction system.

Two years later, Four is poised to take action, but the course is still unclear. The first new initiate who jumps into the net might change all that. With her, the way to righting their world might become clear. With her, it might become possible to be Tobias once again.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth comes a companion volume to the worldwide bestselling DIVERGENT series, told from the per-spective of the immensely popular character Tobias. The four pieces included here—THE TRANSFER, THE INITIATE, THE SON, and THE TRAITOR—plus three additional exclusive scenes, give readers an electrifying glimpse into the history and heart of Tobias, and set the stage for the epic saga of the DIVERGENT trilogy.


Cover: When I first purchased this book I thought the cover was so cool.  It's Chicago with the ferris wheel that Tobias climbs in Divergent even though he's afraid of heights.  I wasn't 100% sure why it was on fire, maybe just to show how scary something like that is to Tobias or just because the Dauntless symbol is flames.  However, after reading Four I'm not a huge fan of the cover.  The ferris wheel scene isn't mentioned in the book at all so there is really no point for it to be on the cover.  I think whoever came up with this cover could have come up with something that had to do more with the book itself and not just Tobias.  Maybe just flames for Dauntless or flames burning the Abnegation symbol or some other way to resemble his fears.

My Review: I have a thing for stories from multiple perspectives and I definitely favor the male perspective.  I don't know why, I just do.  So I was excited when I bought this novel to read from Tobias' point of view.  However, I didn't really like the ending of the Divergent series so my excitement to read this book wavered a little.  I did really enjoy Four though.  It was interesting to get inside of Tobias' head and see who he was before he met Tris.  I liked that this book was almost a prequel to the main series.  You get to learn how Dauntless was when Tobias was going through initiation versus Tris' initiation.  I just loved being inside Tobias' head because he was such an introvert in Divergent so it was nice to get to know him better.  I loved how in the back of the book there were three scenes from Divergent in Tobias' point of view.  Just three little scenes, not the whole book.  And how within Four these events had already happened, but they weren't elaborated on and then they were put in as little extras.

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Beautiful Secret | Book Review

Beautiful Secret by Christina Lauren

Reading Group Rating: M for Mature

Personal Rating: 5 out of 5

Given Summary: When Ruby Miller’s boss announces he’s sending her on an extended business trip to New York City, she’s shocked. As one of the best and brightest young engineers in London, she knows she’s professionally up to the task. The part that’s throwing her is where she’ll be spending a month up close and personal working alongside—and staying in a hotel with—Niall Stella, her firm’s top urban planning executive and The Hottest Man Alive. Despite her ongoing crush, Ruby is certain Niall barely knows she’s alive…until their flirty overnight flight makes him sit up and take notice.

Not one for letting loose and breaking rules, recently divorced Niall would describe himself as hopeless when it comes to women. But even he knows outgoing California-girl Ruby is a breath of fresh air. Once she makes it her mission to help the sexy Brit loosen his tie, there’s no turning back. Thousands of miles from London, it’s easy for the lovers to play pretend. But when the trip is over, will the relationship they’ve built up fall down?

Cover: This cover is actually different from the other novels in The Beautiful Series.  Usually the whole cover is black and white and only the title is in color.  This cover looks more like the novellas in the series and The Wild Seasons covers.  Other than that though it's a typical Christina Lauren cover with a body and no face.  I actually like the French cover of this novel a little bit better because the british flag is on his suit and not over his mouth. 

My Review:  Christina Lauren are back with a new novel to add to their brag worthy collection.  And this one is the first novel to bring together both The Beautiful Series and The Wild Seasons.  It also introduces London as a more major character than she was in Dirty Rowdy Thing so it will be interesting to see who her character becomes!  (P.S. There is a London and Luke (if his name sounds familiar it's because he is Mia's ex) book on it's way, but first Lola and Oliver!!!  I'm so excited!)  In a way this novel was just like Christina Lauren's others:  Boy and girl hook up, boy and girl say they love each other, boy and girl get in fight, boy and girl break up, boy and girl get back together.  However, like always, the authors are able to put a spin on Ruby and Niall's story and it's fabulous!  Ruby is so funny and Niall is so serious, together they make quite the pair.  They had so many funny moments together.  However, my favorite part of the entire novel is at the end when Ruby goes to Niall's apartment.  She has a huge speech to say that she wants to get back together, but she ends up saying "I just really really love you."  I DIED!!  It was the cutest thing ever!  This story was fantastic and I think it was the perfect way to intertwine the two series and introduce London as a future character.

Have any of you read this novel?  What did you think?

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