The Cinderella Pact - Sarah Strohmeyer

Goodreads summary:

In this funny and big-hearted story by the author of The Secret Lives of Fortunate Wives, three best friends make a pact to transform themselves into the glamorous women they've always wanted to be.

Nola Devlin has a secret identity. By day she is an overweight, frumpy, and overlooked editor at Sass! (the "celebrity magazine with an edge!"), but by night she slips behind her keyboard and into her alter-ego: Belinda Apple. Belinda is thin, gorgeous, British and the author of a trendy advice column- she is, in effect, the latest Carrie Bradshaw. Not even Nola's two best friends or her self-absorbed sister (who worships Belinda as the "sister she never had") know her secret.
When "Belinda" jots off a column about how easy it is to lose weight, Nola is shocked when her best friends take her own lies to heart and urge her to follow Belinda's weight loss program. Since Nola can't reveal herself as the real Belinda Apple, she bites the bullet and joins her friends in making the "Cinderella Pact"- a last ditch attempt to lose weight (again!) and transform their lives for good.

But as the pounds come off, things don't turn out the way the three friends expect. Their journey of self-discovery leads to the return of an old love and the unmasking of new problems. Meanwhile, Nola finds herself torn between two different men as she stomps out fires caused by her deception as Belinda Apple and falls in love with the man who just might be her prince - or the rat in coachman's clothing.


My review:

I have watched the movie adaptation of The Cinderella Pact about ten times over the past few years, so when I found out, only years after watching it for the first time, that there was a book, I knew I had to read it. As different as both versions can be, I think they're pretty much just as good, which doesn't happen often! Then again, the last time I watched the movie, I was probably 14, so maybe it's much worse than I remember it to be.

I already knew and loved (or hated) some of the characters from the movie, so I was happy to see that they were very similar to the ones in the book. Nola and her friends are amazing ladies and I was glad to see even more of their friendship when I read the book. I could understand their motives for getting healthier, because it's obvious how difficult their lives have become, not just because they can't get their favourite table at a restaurant. Seeing their journey through weight loss, especially Nola's, was very motivating. As I saw how much they struggled, I couldn't help but want to push myself more into everything I do.

The one point that I think is better in the movie than in the book is the romance. While I keep swooning whenever I watch the movie, the romance in the book just seems too quick and not deep enough. I couldn't see the chemistry between the characters and it only seemed like Nola "falling in love", instead of a love story. I was a bit disappointed, since it's one of my favourite parts of the movie. Also, Chip's character isn't very complex in the book, in my opinion, which didn't help the romance aspect.

Luckily, I found myself laughing just as much as I do whenever I watch the movie. Nola is a funny character to follow and her misfortunes made me laugh quite a bit. Because of that, it was the perfect summer book and I'm glad I finally picked it up.

I would recommend both the book and the movie, since they're both great!

Shutter Island - Dennis Lehane

Goodreads summary:

The year is 1954. U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels and his new ­partner, Chuck Aule, have come to Shutter Island, home of Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane, to investigate the disappearance of a patient. Multiple-murderess Rachel Solando is loose somewhere on this barren island, despite having been kept in a locked cell under constant surveillance. As a killer hurricane bears relentlessly down on them, a strange case takes on even darker, more sinister shades—with hints of radical experimentation, horrifying surgeries, and lethal countermoves made in the cause of a covert shadow war. No one is going to escape Shutter Island unscathed, because nothing at Ashecliffe Hospital is remotely what it seems.


My review:

5/5

READ THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE. 

Believe me when I say that I'm not a fan of mystery novels. In fact, I'm the kind of idiot who's blind to every single clue and who'd rather just wait until the mystery is solved instead of thinking about who might be guilty, because when I do, I always end up being completely wrong. It doesn't mean I don't enjoy mysteries, but they're just not the kind of book I would pick up. However, I am incredibly glad I read this book for one of my classes. IT'S INSANELY GOOD! It freaked me out a little bit (read: a lot), but it's so different from the light and fluffy books I have been reading over the past few weeks, with their predictable endings and the giddy feeling they left me with, that I was speechless. 

I really liked the history behind the characters. From the very beginning, I wanted to know more about them, even though it had nothing to do with the plot. As horrible as they were, the patients' crimes created an amazing atmosphere that seriously scared the crap out of me. Also, the WWII references and memories made me shudder and feel very compassionate, because it's so different from what I'm used to and I completely understand how having lived through this could make your life difficult (understatement of the year). From what I've read, mysterious characters are a must for thrillers, and I can assure you that this book had exactly this. 

There are vivid descriptions in this novel that made me want to crawl under my sheets and never come out again. Everything about the island's atmosphere sounds like my worst nightmare, from the storm when they get there to the patients they keep inside. Mental issues are incredibly scary in this novel, especially as the story goes and you start to doubt yourself. The occasional murder story, dream or horrible description made me shudder and even more paranoid than I already am, but it made the story richer and scarier. It's a good thing I had to read this quickly, because I couldn't have handled going to bed so scared without having finished this novel. 

The plot is definitely the most amazing part of this book. I couldn't believe what I was reading and I had to stifle a gasp more than once because of how surprised I was. Every conviction I had was basically crushed, which is something I'm not really used to with my lack of mystery reads. We've been analyzing this book in class and I discover tiny details that make me want to scream at myself for having been so stupid. If I could re-read this, I would definitely do it right now, because I wish I could see every single clue I missed. I did go back once in a while during my time reading, because I wanted to see if some details were linked to other events. Again, as someone who almost always reads books that are the opposite of thrillers and mystery novels, it felt very different to me, which I loved. I can't believe a mind such as Lehane's exists, because there is some crazy stuf in this novel, but you can be assured I will read some of his other books as soon as I can. 

I can't wait to watch the movie now, because I've seen the trailers and it looks at least as dark as the book. I'm so excited! I swear, this book might've turned me into a mystery nerd now, because all I want to do is solve a mystery. That's never going to happen, but I still like the feeling. 

I very highly recommend this book. I think anyone would enjoy it, because it's far from my usual taste in books and it's now one of my favourites. Please pick this up, you might be surprised (in a good way!).

The Martian - Andy Weir

Goodreads summary:

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him & forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded & completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—& even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—& a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?


My review:

100/5 - Just too good.

It's so good! Guys, please read it RIGHT NOW if you haven't yet. It's funny, action-packed, interesting and absolutely crazy. I even stayed up after 2 AM to finish it, because there was no way I could sleep without finishing this novel.

The main reason why I like this book is that it basically has everything I could ever ask for. There's some maths and science, which I really liked (some parts are a bit complicated, but don't worry, it's nothing like a maths textbook). I like learning things from reading, so this book was perfect for me. Also, it makes the whole experience more realistic, because astronauts are absolutely very intelligent and they need everything they know about all things space, or even more, if you're Watney. Then, there are some sensitive parts, because having an astronaut stuck on Earth isn't exactly a nice situation and fearing for his death is quite scary, even though I knew from the book's number of pages that Watney would probably not die right away, at least. Thinking about his family, his friends and his team of astronauts made me sad, but it's part of the experience, too. The funny parts, which are basically the entire book, are the best, in my opinion. I loved how sarcastic Watney is all the time, especially since I wouldn't always expect that from someone who basically needs a miracle to survive and make it back to Earth. If I wasn't cracking up every page, I was at least smiling, even in the darkest times sometimes, because Watney always finds the most surprising and crazy thing to say to make me laugh. I loved how it's much lighter than you'd expect (especially if you watch the movie trailer, which looks really stressful but awesome). Towards the end, I did get really anxious, especially since I didn't have the pages left's reassurement that Watney wouldn't die. I was basically dying to finish this book and know if he survives or not, and how.

Weir did a great job at creating characters. Each astronaut has its very own personality and I feel like we get to know them pretty well, even though they aren't on Mars with Watney. I was surprised to read about what is happening at the NASA and with the rest of Watney's team, but I ended up loving these moments. There's even a bit of romance and some more joking that I really enjoyed, especially since they lighten up the atmosphere.

This book made me think so much, it's crazy. It's been exactly two weeks since I finished it, but I keep recommending it to other people (my entire class today, as an example. I might've looked crazy, but I'm not even embarrassed. It's so good!). I always Watch the movie trailers, because I'm super excited for the movie (which I plan to see on its opening week with my best friend, who listened to my rant about how amazing this book is and blablabla). Whenever I hear something about space, science or botany, I think about the book, comparing it to what I know. Seriously, I keep thinking about it.

I highly, highly, highly recommend this novel. It's perfect. Also, its cover is gorgeous, so it'll look awesome on your shelves. See? Everything is a good reason for all of you to buy it and read it right now.

 

 

The Death Cure (Maze Runner #3) - James Dashner

Goodreads summary:

It’s the end of the line.

WICKED has taken everything from Thomas: his life, his memories, and now his only friends—the Gladers. But it’s finally over. The trials are complete, after one final test.

Will anyone survive?

What WICKED doesn’t know is that Thomas remembers far more than they think. And it’s enough to prove that he can’t believe a word of what they say.

The truth will be terrifying.

Thomas beat the Maze. He survived the Scorch. He’ll risk anything to save his friends. But the truth might be what ends it all. 

The time for lies is over.


My review:

3/5

I liked this, but for some reason, the second book in this series was my favorite one, which is why I didn't think this one was more extraordinary than the other books. 

Because this trilogy is set in different places in every book, it doesn't feel like a series to me, because every book is so different. I liked how many answers I got in The Scorch Trials and how fast-paced it was, but The Death Cure was incredibly different. For one, it seemed as though the rest of the world, which simply didn't seem to exist in the two first novels, finally showed itself and it felt way too modern and normal for me to actually believe it. I had this idea of the Earth being completely destroyed, except for the teenagers they put in the Mazes, but finding out that there were still healthy people was surprising. Also, I thought that not much really happens in this book, which disappointed me after loving the second book for its action-packed story. 

I really like how the characters interact in this book, though. They're all desperate to get out of this alive and they work so hard together to make it work, which was heartwarming. However, I don't think any relationship in this series ever sounded realistic to me, because I never rooted for one of the characters to end up with another one. I still don't understand Teresa's character and I don't think I ever will, but that might just be because of WICKED, since I thought she was alright after the first book. 

While I loved how complicated WICKED sounded it the second book, I was disappointed with what I learned in this one. The characters working for them don't seem to have any personality, or intelligence, for that matter, and it's really confusing to read about them. I was really skeptical about every character's motives because of how WICKED manipulates everyone, so the fact that everyone ended up being exactly what they said they were in this book was unsettling and unrealistic, because it's like everyone was lying in the first two books, but they all became nice and honest characters between the second and third book. 

Come to think of it, I didn't like this book as much as I thought I did. Thanks to this review, i realized this and I'm now lowering my review to three stars. I'n still excited for the movies (DYLAN O'BRIEN) though.

Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen

Goodreads summary:

A wonderfully entertaining coming-of-age story, Northanger Abbey is often referred to as Jane Austen’s “Gothic parody.” Decrepit castles, locked rooms, mysterious chests, cryptic notes, and tyrannical fathers give the story an uncanny air, but one with a decidedly satirical twist.

The story’s unlikely heroine is Catherine Morland, a remarkably innocent seventeen-year-old woman from a country parsonage. While spending a few weeks in Bath with a family friend, Catherine meets and falls in love with Henry Tilney, who invites her to visit his family estate, Northanger Abbey. Once there, Catherine, a great reader of Gothic thrillers, lets the shadowy atmosphere of the old mansion fill her mind with terrible suspicions. What is the mystery surrounding the death of Henry’s mother? Is the family concealing a terrible secret within the elegant rooms of the Abbey? Can she trust Henry, or is he part of an evil conspiracy? Catherine finds dreadful portents in the most prosaic events, until Henry persuades her to see the peril in confusing life with art.

Executed with high-spirited gusto, Northanger Abbey is the most lighthearted of Jane Austen’s novels, yet at its core this delightful novel is a serious, unsentimental commentary on love and marriage.


My review:

4/5

As a Jane Austen fan, Northanger Abbey was a must read for me. Extraordinarily, I watched the movie before reading the novel, which had an impact on my reading experience. I found that the movie had several differences with the novel, good and bad ones. I was confused with the story when I was reading, because Catherine's departure from Northanger Abbey is much different in the movie than it actually is. I thought it was very dramatic in the movie, which wasn't a bad thing, but Catherine's sadness towards Henry felt a bit overboard in the book. I'm happy that there was a bit more romance in the movie, because the last chapters of the book left me wanting much more than I actually got. Having read many of Austen's novels, I knew I couldn't expect very explicit romance, but I hated the fact that the last chapters described what happened, instead of the characters talking for themselves. I thought it was very prude, even for Jane Austen, so I had to imagine what I saw in the movie instead.

I loved Catherine's character, because although she isn't the smartest one ever created, she's kind and really sweet. I liked how much importance she accordes to her friendships, especially with Eleanor, with whom she shared an amazing friendship, especially in such a period. I hadn't imagine it would be possible to have such a close friend with their cold politeness and good manners, but I was surprised to find Catherine and the Tilneys getting along so well. I wish I could've been in Catherine's place, in such beautiful houses with such amazing friends. However, her curiosity and immature ideas made me cringe a lot, especially when she imagines all this scheme with General Tilney. I was prepared for it, after having seen the movie, but I still hated how bold she acts and how she gets caught by Henry.

Since this is Jane Austen's first novel, I could see some faults in her writing and plot that I would've changed, but I still think this is a great first novel. I'm not a fan of Catherine's fears and love for mystery, but I guess it's part of the story. I really liked both the movie and the novel.

Extraordinary Means - Robyn Schneider (Trailer)

Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider : Trailer

Recently, I watched this trailer and I was amazed. As far as I know, book trailers are fairly new, so I'm always happy to Watch some, whether I've read the book or not. Most of them are fan made or of bad quality, but this one definitely impressed me. I had already heard about this novel, because some people on BookTube or Goodreads had mentionned it and I knew the author, but I had no idea what the book was about. Well, let me tell you this : I wasn't expecting a story like that, but the trailer looks amazing and covers the general idea of the story, at least for someone who hasn't read the book yet. I read The Beginning of Everything a few years ago, under the title was still Severed Heads, Broken Hearts. I really liked it, so I'm more than ready to read anything else by this author. I was already planning on reading this book when I first watched the trailer, but it's so intriguing that I want to read it as soon as possible now.

From what I've seen, it looks a whole different genre than The Beginning of Everything, but I'm not complaining, because the concept sounds really interesting and special. I'm not sure if the trailer represents the story well, but if it does, I think I'd love this book! I like how professional the trailer looks and how it could be a movie trailer, from the actors to the way it's filmed with the voice-overs. Well done!

I'm hoping to see more professional-looking book trailers in the future, because I think it's a great way to promote a novel and it helps the readers visualize the story. If you know some good book trailers, leave them below so I can check them out!

Also, if you read this novel, I want to hear your thoughts! I can't wait to read it now. Also, its cover is gorgeous. Everything about this book looks awesome!



Four: A Divergent Story Collection - Veronica Roth

4/5

This book made me understand Tobias so much more than I did before. I decided to read it quite a long time after I finished Allegiant, so I would have time to think about the trilogy and the characters. It was a good choice, and even months later, I felt as if I had just finished the trilogy.

It was hard to read about Tobias's feelings towards his father, because no one should experience such things. I felt insanely sad for him and desperate to help him, even more than I did while reading the trilogy. I can now say that I love Tobias with all my heart, because I now know every motive behind his actions and completely understand them.

The only thing that I disliked was the kind of summary of everything that happened at the beginning of each part, because it really felt repetitive, since I had just read about everything. I know it's because every part is a different story, but I would have liked not to have it in a collection of those stories. I pretty much forgot about it after reading another page, so it was fine.

Overall, I think that everyone who has read the Divergent trilogy should read Four, because I felt like this was a part of the trilogy as well as the other books, not just an extra. I loved it!

 

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