Love and Other Perishable Items By Laura Buzo
(published in Australia as Good Oil)
Characters: 2 Love And Other Perishable Items had a pretty large array of characters (many of them employees at the Land of Dreams aka a supermarket) Main character 15 year old Amelia was multilayered and likable and her love interest Chris (22) bordered on cliche but was appealing nonetheless. I kind of wished the author had developed some of the other characters better instead of assigning them to stereotypes- Jeremy (tool), Kathy (untouchable girl all the guys want) Donna (wannabe rebel), Bianca (queen bee). She could have done a lot more with all the characters instead of confining most of the focus to Amelia and Chris.
Plot: 1.5 Cliche to say the least. Younger girl catches attention of older guy-older guy tries (and fails) to fight it- they either go their separate ways or promise each other that one day they will end up together. I kept waiting for a plot twist of some sort but it never came. The speed of the plot was hindered namely by Chris's journal entries which were a repetition of a series of uninteresting events and activities. If I published my journal as it was, right this minute, with no changes it would still be more interesting than Chris's. I think there was way too much focus on the everyday activities of Chris instead of on the ups and downs that keep a plot moving smoothly.
Satisfaction: 1.5 The book was told in alternating points of view- from Amelia's first person point of view and then Chris's journal entries. I did enjoy Amelia's humorous point of view but the book became sluggish when it was Chris's perspective. An ambiguous ending with a vague conclusion did this book no favors either (several loose ends were tied up) but overall I found the ending awkward.
Conclusion: This book tried way too hard to be something it was not. There were numerous literary allusions to classic novels which only provided a sharper contrast between the enduring elements that those books contained and this book definitely lacked. I wouldn't waste time on this book honestly. I find it to be a waste of time and print.
Overall Rating: 5/15
Characters: 2.5 There are definitely some colorful characters in this book. Leslie, the victim, driven to suicide by years of relentless suicide. Macie, Leslie's chief tormentor who keeps up a charade as a concerned student body president. Jillian, Beth and Katherine, Macie's friends who follow her lead in ruining Leslie's life. And Jake, Jillian's sister who loved Leslie and is perhaps the only one who stood by her. The book is told from the alternating points of view of Katherine, Jillian, Beth and Jake as they each deal with their role in Leslie's suicide. Unfortunately, this did not work in the book's favor as a lot of the voices blended together and sounded as though they were one person. My favorite characters were Macie and Beth, perhaps because I found them the most multilayerd. Macie for example is the perfect example of a sociopath. Many authors make the mistake of exposing a vulnerable side to their villain at the end of the book which is a strategy I find to be overused and unrealistic. The fact is there are truly people out there without a conscience and Macie is one of them. So I liked the portrayal of her as a chilling manipulator who only cares about herself. My second favorite character is Beth because I also found her character to have depth because of the shameful (in her opinion anyway) secret that she keeps. I wish she had developed Jillian and Jake a bit more but the interactions the characters had with one another managed to be entertaining and revealing anyway. Unfortunately none of the characters (with the exception of Jake) are at all likeable nor do I feel any sympathy from them. You reap what you sow. And it took them all way too long to grow a backbone.
Characters: 3.5 Almost all of the characters in the book interested me in some way or another. Sam (the main character) had her flaws but overall I enjoyed her as a protagonist. After she accidentally kills a boy (Alex) with peanut allergies by kissing him after eating peanut butter, she morphs into a very vulnerable and sympathetic character. All I wanted to do was wrap Sam up and hug her. The unique plot set up the possibilities for original cast of characters. There's Zee, Alex's best friend and Sam's crush. There's Chloe, Alex's sister. And then there's Casper who Sam uses to escape from her pain and guilt. These are just a few of the characters Gurtler brings to life in this novel which can be sad at times but always enjoyable.
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Plot: 4 Props for originality. I never knew a kiss could kill (although Gurtler admitted in the author's note that she isn't sure it can either) After Sam kisses Alex to get back at Zee and he dies from an allergic reaction, the repercussions are brutal. Sam faces the anger of many of Alex's friends even Zee and punishes herself for what she feels was her part in Alex's death. During the course of the book Sam faces many ups and downs- as she pursues a relationship with playboy Casper, as she learns more about her mother (who died when Sam was little) and as she gets to know Chloe, Alex's sister. The journey that the book takes the reader is one of a kind and very, very special.
Satisfaction: 3.5 I read this book in one sitting. From the moment Sam swam onto the pages, I felt like she was a main character I could relate to and I was right. Things were difficult for Sam but there were also rays of sunshine that showed the light at the end of the tunnel. Sam's humorous narration of a tragic experience made me laugh at times and cry at others. Truly a worthwhile read.
Conclusion: Unless you dislike realistic fiction I see no reason why you shouldn't read this book. Definitely one of the best books I've read for this blog so far.
Overall Rating: 11/15
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Characters: 1.5 I took a strong dislike to the protagonist of the book, Whitley. I sympathized with her situation (neither of her parents seem to pay her any attention) but I also hated the chip on her shoulder. Not to mention her complete and total lack of responsibility. For example she takes a 13 year old to a house party and then gets her drunk and forgets about her. Whitley is the stereotypical party girl who drinks and flirts to forget about the fact that her parents don't pay her as much attention to her as she wished. In other words a character that we have seen a million times already. The object of her affection/ future stepbrother, Nate, is the cliche hot/ nice guy and Bailey, her future stepsister, though sweet is boring. And the dad that doesn't pay her any attention is yet another character we have seen way too much of. The characters are flat and boring; therefore the conversations in the book are also pretty boring. And novels usually don't fare well when stocked with boring characters.
Plot: 1.5 I predicted the ending of the book from practically the first chapter. There are are absolutely no surprises in this book- I could see everything coming ten pages ahead of time. Also how unoriginal is the plot? Girl arrives to stay with her dad for the summer and he springs a surprise fiance and family on her. Why does everything always have to be a surprise in books? Do authors not realize that it rarely happens that way in real life? Also the whole stepbrother-romance is becoming a very common plot aspect for something that is supposed to be considered off-limits. The only thing more predictable than having Whitley fall for the son of her dad's fiance is having her fall for the next door neighbor. Even though the main character is wild and somewhat reckless, the book was actually kind of boring.
Satisfaction: 1.5 I know that "you can't judge a book by its cover" But the cover of the book did not give me high expectations. I mean it looked like a million other covers. And the story was like a million other stories. A girl from a somewhat broken home always on the lookout for a constant party. How satisfying can that be?
Conclusion: Hopefully you have more to do with your time than Whitley does. Assuming that is true, then this book is a waste of time. If you honestly have nothing else to do and you want a superficial read, I suppose this could suffice but honestly there are some many better options out there.
Overall Rating: 4.5/15
Plot: 4 Annie arrives in California to what seems like a dream job- a nanny to a perfect family. But then strange unexplained things start to happen to and around Annie. Is she just being paranoid or is there someone out to get her? As Annie struggles to balance both a job, school and a social life, cracks begin to appear in what Annie once thought was a perfect life. The result is a terrifying trip into the realm of mental instability.
Overall Rating: 5/15
I Swear by Lane Davis
Characters: 2.5 There are definitely some colorful characters in this book. Leslie, the victim, driven to suicide by years of relentless suicide. Macie, Leslie's chief tormentor who keeps up a charade as a concerned student body president. Jillian, Beth and Katherine, Macie's friends who follow her lead in ruining Leslie's life. And Jake, Jillian's sister who loved Leslie and is perhaps the only one who stood by her. The book is told from the alternating points of view of Katherine, Jillian, Beth and Jake as they each deal with their role in Leslie's suicide. Unfortunately, this did not work in the book's favor as a lot of the voices blended together and sounded as though they were one person. My favorite characters were Macie and Beth, perhaps because I found them the most multilayerd. Macie for example is the perfect example of a sociopath. Many authors make the mistake of exposing a vulnerable side to their villain at the end of the book which is a strategy I find to be overused and unrealistic. The fact is there are truly people out there without a conscience and Macie is one of them. So I liked the portrayal of her as a chilling manipulator who only cares about herself. My second favorite character is Beth because I also found her character to have depth because of the shameful (in her opinion anyway) secret that she keeps. I wish she had developed Jillian and Jake a bit more but the interactions the characters had with one another managed to be entertaining and revealing anyway. Unfortunately none of the characters (with the exception of Jake) are at all likeable nor do I feel any sympathy from them. You reap what you sow. And it took them all way too long to grow a backbone.
Plot: 3 After Leslie commits suicide, her parents file a wrongful death suit against the girls who had spent so much time hurting Leslie- spreading rumors about her, throwing eggs at her, leaving her hateful phone calls and text messages. The plot escalates as the girls prepare for their depositions and as each of them privately battles with the struggle to lie or to tell the truth.
Satisfaction: 1.5 Considering the topic (bullying and suicide) I would have expected the book to be more powerful. I was disappointed. First of all alot of the characters were generic and based on high school stereotypes. As I mentioned earlier although the book was told from alternating points of view the voices of the characters sounded very similar, almost identical. Not to mention I felt that the ending was unsatisfying in terms of all the characters getting what they deserve. Perhaps it was supposed to be realistic but real life is rarely so anticlimactic.
Conclusion: This book fell short of my expectations. Given the subject, I expected it to be powerful and to leave an impact but it honestly did not. Perhaps I am being a little too harsh. There were several times where my heart ached for Leslie but I felt that was because of the subject not because of Davis's writing. Be that as it may, I am a harsh judge (ask the kids from the debate team). I do feel that this book did a good job of examining the repercussions somebody's death can have on everybody around them. Which is why suicide is never the answer.
Overall Rating: 7.5/15
Who I Kissed by Janet Gurtler
Plot: 4 Props for originality. I never knew a kiss could kill (although Gurtler admitted in the author's note that she isn't sure it can either) After Sam kisses Alex to get back at Zee and he dies from an allergic reaction, the repercussions are brutal. Sam faces the anger of many of Alex's friends even Zee and punishes herself for what she feels was her part in Alex's death. During the course of the book Sam faces many ups and downs- as she pursues a relationship with playboy Casper, as she learns more about her mother (who died when Sam was little) and as she gets to know Chloe, Alex's sister. The journey that the book takes the reader is one of a kind and very, very special.Satisfaction: 3.5 I read this book in one sitting. From the moment Sam swam onto the pages, I felt like she was a main character I could relate to and I was right. Things were difficult for Sam but there were also rays of sunshine that showed the light at the end of the tunnel. Sam's humorous narration of a tragic experience made me laugh at times and cry at others. Truly a worthwhile read.
Conclusion: Unless you dislike realistic fiction I see no reason why you shouldn't read this book. Definitely one of the best books I've read for this blog so far.
Overall Rating: 11/15
A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger
Characters: 1.5 I took a strong dislike to the protagonist of the book, Whitley. I sympathized with her situation (neither of her parents seem to pay her any attention) but I also hated the chip on her shoulder. Not to mention her complete and total lack of responsibility. For example she takes a 13 year old to a house party and then gets her drunk and forgets about her. Whitley is the stereotypical party girl who drinks and flirts to forget about the fact that her parents don't pay her as much attention to her as she wished. In other words a character that we have seen a million times already. The object of her affection/ future stepbrother, Nate, is the cliche hot/ nice guy and Bailey, her future stepsister, though sweet is boring. And the dad that doesn't pay her any attention is yet another character we have seen way too much of. The characters are flat and boring; therefore the conversations in the book are also pretty boring. And novels usually don't fare well when stocked with boring characters.Plot: 1.5 I predicted the ending of the book from practically the first chapter. There are are absolutely no surprises in this book- I could see everything coming ten pages ahead of time. Also how unoriginal is the plot? Girl arrives to stay with her dad for the summer and he springs a surprise fiance and family on her. Why does everything always have to be a surprise in books? Do authors not realize that it rarely happens that way in real life? Also the whole stepbrother-romance is becoming a very common plot aspect for something that is supposed to be considered off-limits. The only thing more predictable than having Whitley fall for the son of her dad's fiance is having her fall for the next door neighbor. Even though the main character is wild and somewhat reckless, the book was actually kind of boring.
Satisfaction: 1.5 I know that "you can't judge a book by its cover" But the cover of the book did not give me high expectations. I mean it looked like a million other covers. And the story was like a million other stories. A girl from a somewhat broken home always on the lookout for a constant party. How satisfying can that be?
Conclusion: Hopefully you have more to do with your time than Whitley does. Assuming that is true, then this book is a waste of time. If you honestly have nothing else to do and you want a superficial read, I suppose this could suffice but honestly there are some many better options out there.
Overall Rating: 4.5/15
The Ruining by Anna Collomore
Characters: 4 A fascinating array of characters take center stage in this chilling novel. The main character Annie is a vulnerable young girl from a broken home. Her background includes a lecherous stepfather and a younger sister who drowned in the pool while Annie was supposed to be watching her. But Annie arrives in California determined to leave the past behind and to focus on her new job- a nanny for what seems like a normal family of four. There is Walker, the handsome husband who obviously adores his kids. There's Libby, the glamorous wife who seems to have everything. There's Jackson and Zoe, the two children under Annie's care. And of course the love interest, Theo (the next door neighbor). Anna Collomore does an amazing job of creating multi-layered and intriguing characters. Annie is a likable as a person but an unreliable narrator which only raises the suspense and increases the tension. Possibly the most complex character besides Annie herself is Libby, Annie's employer. As readers we can't tell if the events that happen to Annie take place inside her head or if they are orchestrated by Libby. One of the best aspects of this novel is that we know enough about our characters to understand them but they still keep us guessing.
Plot: 4 Annie arrives in California to what seems like a dream job- a nanny to a perfect family. But then strange unexplained things start to happen to and around Annie. Is she just being paranoid or is there someone out to get her? As Annie struggles to balance both a job, school and a social life, cracks begin to appear in what Annie once thought was a perfect life. The result is a terrifying trip into the realm of mental instability.
Satisfaction: 3.5 This was such a chilling and gripping read. I found it to be just as disturbing as the horror movies I frequently watch, if not more so. This book did an amazing job of pulling me into Annie's world and getting me to see and feel things as though they were happening to myself. The only part of the book that didn't exactly deliver was the ending. I don't know if its just me but I felt like it was anticlimactic and a bit of a letdown. Not to mention it seemed to be a little too tidy. But a book doesn't need a big dramatic finish to be good and this book was definitely good.
Conclusion: If you get freaked out easily or you don't like to read books where your mind might start playing tricks on you, then stay far away from this book. If, however, you are looking for a book that will keep your eyes glued to the page with suspense, then I certainly recommend this book.
Overall Rating: 11.5/15
Do you agree? Let me know what you think and check out some of my recommendations. Please comment or subscribe and check out my next post. Bye :)
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