This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

RATING : 3.5 STARS

I've been seeing a lot people raving about This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales and that made me want to read it. I managed to snag a copy from my library although a lot of patrons placed a hold of this book. It's one of the perks of being a good friend of a librarian. I returned home with excitement to devour the story. Well, I felt the book was over-hyped for me and I was little let down after finishing the book, nevertheless Sales writing was good. Although I wasn't greatly impressed, some parts of the story punched me right in the feels and brought back memories of my past.

The story opens up with Elsie Dembowski starting her sophomore year of high school. Elsie has grown up as a different person from others. She spent the entire summer trying to change her herself-to learn all the latest bands, to get into latest fashion by trying on new clothes. It is a perfect coming-of-age novel. Elise was ignored by all in her school yet she manages to fit in a small group of friends. The one which I'm able to connect is that during my high school years I've been trying to teach myself something or other just to keep up with the people around me. Elise lives in messy family with divorced parents and she keeps shunting between her dad's and mom's place. With all these around her, she finds the real serenity in music. 

Elise stumbles upon an underground club and soon she learns to DJ. With her love for music, it has become her ideal spot. Elise meets Vicky, a carefree girl at the club and slowly their friendship grows stronger. I found the story to be little dragging until Vicky's introduction. Elise meets char, at the underground club and soon he teaches her to DJ and becomes more than a friend to her. As far as romance in this novel, is completely different from many other contemporaries.

This Song Will Save Your Life would be an emotional journey for a lot others, but to me I couldn't phrase it either as something special or run-of-the-mill contemporary, it's something in the midway of the two. If there's something I liked about this book, it definitely should be the secondary characters: Vicky and Pipa ( Vicky's friend) and their progress through the story, and then those bullies in school are utterly true.

I certainly had issues with This Song Will Save Your Life. It lacked the spark which I expect in every novel. Let me put it this way, a teen angst with the infusion of nuances in romance. Quite frankly, I felt that Elise's life was  a humdrum and reading her story, began to have somewhat soporific effect on me. Well, I still would recommend this book to Sales fans and contemporary books clique. 

I Heart New York by Lindsey Kelk

RATING : 4 STARS

I got  I Heart New York by Lindsey Kelk on a whim during a plane ride to San Francisco. Once a while I do love to read chick lit to ease my stress. Many readers suggested that if you like Sophie Kinsella, you'll enjoy Lindsey Kelk. Honestly I haven't read a single Sophie Kinsella's novels *confession time*. I started I Heart New York without any high expectation and surprisingly I loved it. A perfect book for a relaxing plane ride exploring the Big Apple. I didn't know it was a series when I got the book and glad I read the first one and craving more of the I heart series.

I Heart New York, is a chick-lit about Angela Clark, (the protagonist) who finds her boyfriend cheating on her at her best friend's wedding. She decides to take a hiatus by taking off to the wonderful New York city. Being a total stranger to the Big Apple, she takes a taxi and arrives at a hotel. Jenny Lopez, a friendly concierge recognizes her breakup and tries to cheer her up by transforming into an absolute New Yorker. 

Jenny takes Angela for a New York City makeover, shopping and all the girly stuff and from there Angela is a new person, certainly ready to socialize. Within a week of her arrival she starts dating two men. With Jenny's help, Angela gets a blogging job for a popular magazine. Things seem to be perfect on the outside but on the inside, Angela deals with a whirlwind of emotions. She is uncertain of heading home to England. 

Angela dates another two completely different men-Tyler, the businessman and Alex, the rocker. It was interesting to see Angela experience New York city for the first time. I should say, I found myself taking Tyler's side initially and as the story progresses, Alex seemed to takeover. After what happened to Angela back at home, she is now ready for little fun. 

I Heart New York is a total fun read. One of the things which surprised me was Angela's blog. She keeps writing about dating two men without mentioning either of their names and the blog becomes a big hit overnight,eventually both of the men figures out about who she writes. I expected a blow-up which certainly did not happen. I found this a little unrealistic and that was the only issue I had with this book. Despite the minor unrealistic part, I loved this book. 

If you would like a fun and relaxing book and also want a dazzling introduction to New York City, then join the club with Angela and have fun. One of my favorite scene would be the sunset from Empire State Building, it was like dream come true. All in all, I Heart New York is a guilty pleasure book. For all those who would like to visit the Big Apple, I Heart New York would quench your thirst. 

Where The Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller

RATING : 5 STARS

ARC (Advance Reader's Copy) provided by NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA

Release Date : 24th September 2013

First let me start by saying tons of thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury USA for providing me a copy of Where the stars still shine by Trsih Doller. I, first came across this book on Goodreads when they were doing a Giveaway. I did enter the giveaway but didn't win *sad face* . As an avid reader, I try to find every possible ways to read book and that is how I found Netgalley. I found this book on Netgalley and immediately made my request. It was a day long wait until I got an email from the publisher that I have been given access to read Where the stars still shine *throws confetti*. I couldn't put this book down, I just whipped through the pages. I have fallen in love for Doller's flair. I have read many contemporary novels with cliched concept, but never read a such a refreshing contemporary in a very long time. A poignant, refreshing and extremely heart-breaking novel. It is near impossible to write a review for the novel you love. I would try to do some justice to this adorable book.

Let me start by introducing the characters in this book. Protagonist Callista or Callie,Veronica Quinn- Callie's Mother, Alex-Callie's swoon-worthy boyfriend, Kat-friend/family member of Callie, Nick-Kat's boyfriend, Greg-Callie's Dad, Phoebe-Callie's Stepmother, Tucker and Joe-Callie's half-brothers, Georgia-Callie's Grandmother.

How would it be being stolen away from a large, loving family and not having a normal life for more than ten years for a seventeen year old girl? Well, our protagonist Callie has the experience of being stolen from her loving family by her mother, Veronica. I can see you gasping. The story begins with Callie and her mother moving from one place to another. Callie has never stayed in one place as long as she can remember. Callie has not been to school since kindergarten. Her education comes from libraries and sale books. Callie enjoys reading books. Callie has been molested by one of her mother's boyfriend. Since then her view on men has been totally different. She feels dirty and tainted. Doller's writing is so beautiful that she puts Callie into the reader's mind and make sense for her flawed character. 

When Callie's mother is arrested for kidnapping her, she's to live her father and his family. It's from there Callie's life takes a turn. Although Callie's new family welcomes her with love, she pushes them away because of her past living pattern knowing what she does is something unwise. Since her mother leaves her unattended for days or weeks together, she is used to being alone at night and started to hookup. Even after moving in with her father Greg, she hooks up with the hottest guy in town, Alex Kosta. What I really loved in this part was Callie's narration that she feels settled and safe for the first time in years. Where the stars still shine is about figuring out what Callie wants in life and how she deals with her new family and her decisions. 

Greg is an amazing father every girl would wish for. I adored Greg for being a protective father and at the same time being friendly to his daughter. There are certain things which can't be spoken openly between father and daughter, and I could see the awkwardness Greg faces when he speaks with Callie regarding certain issues. Doller has portrayed Greg-Callie relationship so well. Basically Greg wins by planning to build a big bookshelf for Callie. Callie's half-brothers are the cutest kids of this book. Although Phoebe loves Callie, there were moments that she acted as Step-mother. Don't get me wrong, Phoebe is not an evil character. It's really hard to put in words but the writing was fantastic to show Phoebe and Callie's relationship. 

For the first time ever Callie has a chance to make real friends and Kat becomes her best friend. Kat is little pushy but she is the right person to pull Callie out of her shell. Although Kat annoyed me a little in the beginning, she made me cry towards the end. Kat and Callie work in a gift shop near the sponge dock and  since Alex works at the sponge dock, Callie easily hooks up with him every now and then. The book is set in Tarpon Springs, Florida and I get to see Sponge diving and what types of sponges are available through Where the stars still shine. As the book progresses layer after layer is revealed. 

Where the stars still shine deals with pretty heavy topics- mental illness, sexual abuse. But it has been handled perfectly and never overdone. It had all elements what I expect from a realistic novel. If you wish to read one contemporary this year, let it be Where the stars still shine. 

Trish Doller, wonderful story and phenomenal writing. 

Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta

RATING : 4.95 Stars

Looking for Alibrandi is the best Australian contemporary I have ever read. Melina Marchetta has an incredible flair for writing a beautiful contemporary in a fresh voice. I never knew it's Marchetta's debut novel until I finished this book. It would be an understatement to say I liked this book. If given a chance, I would meet Marchetta and ask her if it's her personal novel. It feels more like that to me. It's worth the money and time investing in this book. My rating is pretty close to perfect that's because I can't decide where to place this book, it was beautiful and poignant. I might even bump it up to 5 stars. Looking for Alibrandi goes to top tier of my favorites. I'm craving more of Marchetta's works. Most of the contemporaries which I read has a cliched plot-line and I was in a stage of giving up contemporaries for a while. It was that time I read, Looking for Alibrandi and I was utterly flabbergasted that a contemporary novel could be so wonderful. Marchetta, I'm in love with with your writing. Looking for Alibrandi is more of a self-discovery novel which captures the essence of Italian immigrants in Australia.

To start off let me introduce the characters. We have our protagonist Josephine Alibrandi, her mother Christina Alibrandi. Katia Alibrandi- Grandmother of Josephine and mother of Christina. Sera, Anna, Lee- Josephine's friends, Jacob Coote-Josephine's boyfriend.

The story starts with Josephine Alibrandi in her final year of school with bittersweet feeling and  it is the year everything in Jose's(Josephine) life is going to take a turn. It is the year she meets her father, Micheal Andretti who has not acknowledged her existence for seventeen years. Furthermore Josephine's grandmother is conservative and wants Jose to follow her words, and Jose is caught up between old-values and modern society. To add to all this mess, Jose develops feelings for Jacob Coote and her long time crush John Barton becomes her friend. With all these Jose has to survive her high school with a good score. Eventually Jose figures out what she wants in her life and how to survive in the world. 

Jose is loud-mouthed and obnoxious yet smart and funny. Jose is a person you would love to be friends with. Quite frankly Jose reminded of me when I was her age at least in some moments. Jose and her mother's relationship was totally awesome. They fight over petty issues and get cuddled up within minutes of their fight. This is exactly what me and my mom do every time. If my mom reads this book she would be the first to come over to me and say the same. Looking for Alibrandi personally affected me in a good way, just because Marchetta got something incredibly real incidents into light. Josephine's voice is witty, unique and yet thoughtful. Jose faces tiffs with her friends, teachers, and her family members mainly her grandmother. Jose's grandmother's past is really heartbreaking and her narration to Jose was written beautifully. Reading this book reminds me of my grandmother. I have moments fighting with her exactly like Jose, may be that's why I rant a lot about this book. 

When it comes to relationship, I adored Jose and her father. Micheal Andretti comes to town and was surprised that he has a daughter. Jose at first gets angry since she was with her mother all her life. But slowly she moves closer to Micheal, and their bond is awesome. Eventually Micheal understands her daughter. Looking for Alibrandi is the only novel which gave importance to the secondary characters. I enjoyed Sera's character. In a nutshell, Looking for Alibrandi is a novel about father understanding her daughter and mother understanding her daughter's past life, granddaughter understanding her grandmother and family traditions and most importantly finding what you want with life. I ended this book with a bittersweet feeling. The ending was just perfect. Marchetta, this is a masterpiece. I would recommend every one of you reading this post to get your hands on Looking for Alibrandi. Melina Marchetta is one of the few YA authors whom you'll instantly fall for her works. I couldn't give 5 stars only because Jacob Coote didn't turn the way I wanted. Maybe only I felt like that way, otherwise I totally loved Looking for Alibrandi.

I would also recommend for you to see the movie version of the book. I'm not always a fan of book-to-movie adaption. I definitely have issues even with Harry potter movies, but Looking for Alibrandi movie has all the important elements from the book. Pia Miranda plays Jose's role and I couldn't think of anyone other than Pia in that role. All in all the movie is equally good as the book. 

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

   RATING : 2.75-3 STARS

I have been meaning to read an Aussie book for a very long time and all of a sudden I came across Graffiti Moon on ivy book bindings blog and immediately added to my to-be-read list. I love to read about Australia and its culture so I managed to snag a copy of Graffiti Moon from my library. Just because all good reviews and rave comments my expectations were high enough but unfortunately it did not live up to my expectation. I'm a little hesitant to give a less than  glowing review, but it doesn't mean Crowley isn't an amazing writer. She is. Her writing style is good and that kept me reading till the end. 

The story is told in alternating perspectives of Lucy, Ed and occasionally Leo's point of  view. It starts out with Lucy pedaling on her bike to see Shadow, a Graffiti artist whose works she adores. Lucy thinks Shadow could be her dream guy and when she gets there she misses him by five minutes. Downhearted Lucy meets her friends Jazz and Daisy and they spend the night out to celebrate the successful completion of senior year of high school. Jazz assumes herself to be psychic and she says that they will hook up with guys who sits next to them. The girls meet Ed whose nose Lucy broke in tenth grade, Leo and Dylan at the same place. Daisy and Dylan have been seeing each other and there is not much of introduction needed to hook up with these guys. Daisy with Dylan, Jazz with Leo and Lucy is left with Ed. Ed tells Lucy that he knows where to find Shadow and the adventure and blooming romance begins not only for the girls but also for the reader. 

I loved to walk through the streets of Melbourne with orange late evening sky with Lucy and Ed. Crowley made it so beautiful with vivid explanation of the nature. When I read the story I found myself having late night adventure. The best part of Graffiti Moon is the artistic explanation of Graffiti art and Glass Blowing works. Alternating perspective was done flawlessly. Romance between Lucy and Ed is not at all overly done which is very rare to find in Young Adult books. Although Lucy and Ed had a rocky start, openness between them and their conversation about the art was beautifully written. I liked the small references to the classic books- Pride and Prejudice, To kill a mockingbird. 

Coming to the characters, Bert, owner of the paint shop where Ed works and Al, owner of the studio where Lucy learns Glass blowing techniques were wonderful people whom you would like to meet once in your lifetime. Though Ed's mom played a very teeny-tiny part, Crowley made her character so well and incredibly relatable. 

Although I liked Graffiti Moon, I had some issues with it. Now lets get to that. First off, I found the girls talk to be exasperating sometimes and same applies with the guys talk. Though they all are high school seniors, I found them to act like middle graders at certain moments in the book. Second, about half the story I could predict where the story goes. I found all these made the story drag a little bit for me. Though many readers loved the poems in Leo's perspective, I did not find it amazing. But trust me through Crowley's writing we can experience the beauty of Australia and the art works. 

If you're an artistic person and would love to read about Glass blowing techniques and adding colors to glass, Graffiti Moon is for you. I didn't fall head-over-heels with it but that doesn't mean Graffiti Moon isn't a good book. Overall it was a good read. 

International Giveaway !!

Recently I read Lovestruck Summer by Melissa Walker and I enjoyed it. I planned to do an International Giveaway for Lovestruck Summer (Ebook-Kindle format) and also there is an exciting news.... Guess what???? Melissa Walker will be giving away Unbreak My Heart (Ebook-Kindle format) to the winner.. 

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Lovestruck Summer by Melissa C.Walker

RATING: 3.5 Stars

Summer is a perfect time to sit by the pool or beach with a cool lemonade and get soaked in a good book. Lovestruck Summer by Melissa Walker is, needless to say a perfect summer read. I have always wanted to visit Texas to experience the heat and be a part of Austin Music Festival. Lovestruck Summer gave me what I needed for a relaxing summer. I wanted something light and summery to read and started browsing in the middle of the night and Lovestruck summer caught my eyes and immediately I was Lovestruck with the book. The next morning was official summer day and I had a relaxing time on my patio with a lemonade and enjoyed every part of Lovestruck Summer. Summer fling, friendship, love and music all blended into one cute novel is what we get from this book. 

The protagonist Priscilla Quinn Parker, is spending her summer in Austin with Penny, who is Priscilla's oh sorry Quinn's cousin. The protagonist prefers her middle name Quinn. Needless to say, when someone addresses her as Priscilla she gets exasperated. Penny lives a typical sorority girl's life. Quinn's idea for summer in Austin is, she wants to intern and also find a summer fling who loves the same music as she does and enjoy her favorite music band, the Walters. Russ, who lives next door is an attractive cowboy (Quinn's version)  also a frat boy keeps pulling Quinn's legs all the time. Russ is an enthusiastic boy who loves country music and tries to infuse the love of country music into Quinn. Quinn slowly starts to emerge from her sphere of music to other types of music. Quinn's summer started to take a different turn than she expected. 

Quinn meets Jade at the place where she interns and she has the same taste in music as Quinn. Although the story revolves around Quinn and finding a summer fling, it also focuses on the emerging friendship between Quinn and Jade. Jade introduces Sebastian, who is a DJ to Quinn and immediately she identifies her perfect boyfriend, but it is pretty obvious that he is not the one for Quinn. Quinn keeps complaining that Russ calls her Priscilla and not Quinn to Sebastian. At some point Russ and Quinn become good friends and when their relationship is about to bloom, as in all  YA chick-lit, drama takes place. Unlike most of  the romance novels, I didn't find the drama to be overwhelming. 

Melissa Walker's writing was simple and easy to read at the same time it was captivating. I read the book in single sitting for straight 4 hours. Yet I had one issue with the story as I'm not able to clearly identify if it's the run-of-the-mill contemporary romance or something new. That was the only qualm. Trust me the story is very engaging and compensates for the small issues. I agree the story is kind of cliched, and I found myself rolling my eyes at certain moments in the book, but don't you agree with me that sometimes light fun read would lift up your summer mood?? I would recommend this book if your looking for something summery chick-lit.

Golden by Jessi Kirby

RATING : 4 Stars

Golden by Jessi Kirby is the kind of the book that stays close to your heart forever after finishing the book. I read Kirby's other books last year and I enjoyed it but Golden was amazing. I wanted to read this book ever since I read the blurb on Goodreads. I managed to snag a copy from my library and devoured every part of the book. I'm totally devastated that I'm not able to find a word to describe the beauty of Golden. I had a bittersweet feeling when I read the last few lines. Loved the writing and the plot line and hated when the book ended. I have been on a book hangover for days after reading such a beautifully written novel. I could say Golden and I have a long relationship. 

" Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life " - Mary Oliver

The protagonist Parker Frost, a Valedictorian and an epitome of perfect good girl is about to graduate high school. Every year Mr.Kinney hands out journals to his senior students and asks them to write about who they want to be in future. He sends out their journals ten years later. Parker helps Mr.Kinney to return the journals of his senior students ten years ago and stumbles upon Julianna Farnetti's journal. Julianna and her boyfriend Shane were seen as Golden couple and died in a car crash after their graduation party. Parker decides to take Julianna's journal with her and unravels the mystery. 

Parker and I have something in common. Although it involves  mystery, the novel deals about friendship, love, and finding yourself who you are and what you want to do. Golden makes it difficult for me to articulate how I feel about it,well in a good way. I really wish I had such a wonderful English teacher as Mr.Kinney. I would actually love to see what I would have written on my journal during my high school after ten years. I had a wonderful experience reminiscing my high school days as I read Golden. I'm sure to tell you that you will think about your life and emerge as a new person after reading Golden. To add to the poetic flow of Kirby's writing there were references to Robert Frost poems. I have always been an admirer of Robert Frost ever since my high school. 

 Few of the quotes which strikes a chord within me are : 


" One often meets her destiny on the road she takes to avoid it" 


" We're all more than the person we show to everyone else " 


" Nothing could be left to chance, after all, can be dangerous. But what I didn't realize all that time, what I missed all along, is that chance is everywhere. It's also what life is made of. It's all around us, but most of the time we never see it working "


I really loved Kat, Parker's best friend and she reminded me of one of my friends. Most of the Young Adult romances makes you swoon, but I'm flabbergasted how Kirby could bring out the love very touching. Parker's crush on Trevor was done amazingly. I found myself gasping as Parker, Kat and Trevor unravels the mystery. I'm sure to pick up anything Jessi Kirby writes. Kirby gave a very hopeful and a true ending. Although Golden was breathtakingly beautiful something stops me falling head-over-heels with it. Hey, but it's really worth reading. Don't miss out. Golden will be a perfect head start to summer. 

The Prince ( The Selection # 0.5 ) by Kiera Cass

RATING : 2.5 Stars

The Prince is a novella by Kiera Cass and I didn't enjoy as much I did with The Selection. The Prince was really hyped up and  the synopsis seemed to be intriguing, but quite frankly it does not add much to the story. The events before the selection has been explained and we could get a clear picture of the King and Prince Maxon.

To see my review of The Selection click here. I liked The Selection and Prince Maxon has become my favorite character but this adds very little to his character other than his weakness. It starts with Daphne, the French princess also his closest friend  confesses her love to Maxon on his nineteenth birthday and he is caught up by the thought of Daphne and the selection. Maxon is quite uptight and that is how he was raised. Maxon, eventually decides to go on with the selection. 

On the contrary, I was surprised to see how America and other girls were thinking of Maxon's reaction which was completely away from the truth. I was taken aback by the King's part in the selection. Nevertheless, The Prince explains Maxon's point of view about the selection, his cogitations and feelings towards the selected girls. If you would like to see more real of Maxon, The Prince is a good short story for you. 

Share your thoughts on this novella and I would love to them.

The Selection by Kiera Cass ( The Selection # 1)

RATING : 3.75 Stars

I got The Selection by Kiera Cass on a whim to read during my study break. Quite frankly I started with trepidation because of the all the mixed reviews and it's a Dystopia. Dystopia has never been my friend. I surmise I should change my thoughts towards Dystopian Genre after reading The selection. In my opinion, it's an amalgamation of The Hunger Games and The Bachelor (Tv series).  Although i had certain issues with the story, I was completely swept by the plot line. I liked the world Kiera Cass created. I ended up giving The Selection 3.75 of 5 stars rating.

The Selection is the story of selecting a Princess from thirty five girls(one from each province), set in the Dystopian society of Illea. Selecting the Princess will be decided by Prince Maxon (with the help of his family and advisors). Prince Maxon, hands down, an adorable and handsome person I'd ever met in my life. I'm totally swoon over Prince Maxon. *blushes*.

The dystopian world of Illea has been divided into "Castes". The Castes go from 1 through 8, 1 being the royal family and 8 are seen as scum of the earth. The protagonist America Singer, falls into the caste 5 (artists) and she is a singer. One girl from each province will be picked out at random to participate in the selection. America is one among the thirty five girls selected and she is forced by her mom to enter the selection and that means turning her back on her clandestine love with Aspen.

You might be wondering why 3.75 of 5 stars. Lets get to that now. Quite frankly I didn't like Aspen and I still don't. When Aspen and America get all lovey-dovey, I wanted to shout STOP, protesting their mawkish behavior. Also it was slow to start with but it did get better halfway through. Nevertheless of the qualms I liked the story because of Prince Maxon's  demeanor towards everyone especially with the selected girls. I'm Team Maxon all the way. There was a little twist in the story towards the end which i didn't expect and I assume it will all be answered later in the series. The ending was a cliff hanger.

All in all, The Selection was a good read. I would be picking up the sequel, The Elite soon. If you have enjoyed the Tv series The Bachelor I'm quite sure you'll like this book. Although you don't like Dystopia I would suggest you to give it a shot.

STAY by Deb Caletti

RATING : 5 Stars

I sat down to type out my review but I was completely out of words to describe the poignancy and beauty of Stay by Deb Caletti. Caletti makes the characters incredibly real and relatable. Very rarely I come across a book that strikes a chord within me. This book will Stay with me forever and definitely will go to the top tier of my favorite books. I let Stay to saturate in me and devoured every part of it.  

What do you call an intimate relationship? - Intense? but do you know that it can sometimes  turn out to Obsession? Well.. Stay is about abusive relationship between Clara and Christian.  Often we relate this type of  relationship as physically abusive, but Caletti brings out that it can also be purely Emotional.

It starts out with Clara and her father moving to a small seaside town to escape her stalker ex-boyfriend. As the story is said in retrospect, we could look through Clara's life at the time of her relationship with Christian. Clara meets Christian across a crowded basketball game. Things between them escalates into Obsession quickly. Christian is the kind of a guy who thinks he is being protective, he is but he isn't. Do you get what I mean? Protectiveness turns more like controlling. Clara is terrified of Christian and tries to escape. Furthermore Clara meets interesting people at the seaside town and their bond with Clara is brilliantly explained.  

What makes this novel endearing? - It's Bobby Oates, Clara's Father and of course the footnotes. Footnotes are funny and I loved it. The openness between Father-Daughter relationship and their witty-banters are spectacular. I wish I had such an awesome relationship with my Father too.. Caletti's writing style is fantastic and has a poetic flow to it. I would like to quote a few. 

" We can't get so wrapped up in our own misconceptions that we miss the simple beauty of the truth."

" Fate is a shape-shifter. It is the kindest and most generous entity imaginable, laying out more goodness than a person deserves, and then it shrinks and curls and forms into something grotesque. You think something is one thing, but then it´s another."

I felt Clara's relationship with Finn was rushed. That was the only qualm . Nevertheless, this book took me on an emotional roller coaster. Are you the kind of a person who would like to sit by the sea with the lapping and sloshing of water and enjoy a good book? Then Stay is for you. I warn you it's not an easy beach read. 

I know it's not more of a review but I can't go any further. It is a poignant novel. Without a doubt I would recommend Stay by Deb Caletti to anyone, particularly teen girls. 

INTO THE DARKEST CORNER by Elizabeth Haynes

RATING : 5 Stars

Into the Darkest Corner was a gripping, creepy and engrossing read. This book was recommended to me by a good friend of mine and of course many of my Goodreads friends. Since then i had this book in my to-be-read shelf. I don't have a clear explanation for putting off this book to a later read. Eventually i had to pick it up after seeing my friends gushing about it. It has the most chilling plot line that i have read in a very long time. I'm not a squeamish person, but surprisingly this book creeped me out. Haynes writing was intense and unputdownable.  

The book flips back and forth between past and the present happenings. The protagonist Catherine Bailey(past) has been enjoying the single life as a coquette for long enough to know a good catch when she sees one. She meets charismatic Lee and starts dating. Her friends too clearly agrees he is gorgeous. Their relationship starts out to be amazing but later Catherine finds out Lee has a darker side. Her friends start suspecting her for their rocky relationship, this is because Lee is a charmer and begins to tell her friends that aren't true about Catherine. She is driven into the darkest corner of her world, and trusting no one. She makes  a scrupulous plan to escape her predicament.

Four years later (present) Lee is  behind the bars and Catharine now Cathy(changes her name) is suffering from OCD and PTSD. She isolates herself  and starts checking things over and over. Every time she enters the house she ensures her apartment main door lock is safely secured, and checks the curtains,  bathroom doors, kitchen cabinets, room, her personal belongings. She has a count for checking. If she feels something is wrong she would start it again. Now Cathy doesn't trust anyone and always has a thought that Lee is watching her even though he is in prison. She meets Stuart, a psychologist who lives in the apartment above her and he convinces her to seek treatment for her OCD. Eventually they start liking each other but Cathy is wary in stepping into another relationship. After a while she finds out something strange at her place and realizes Lee is back.

While reading this book I felt like I was developing OCD and I did check my door. I kid you not, even the slightest noise scared me and my heart pounded. I wanted to slow down to take things happening in the book and assure myself that its a fictional one but I couldn't resist any longer and I whipped through book quickly. Yes, it was that gripping and intense. I was cringing in shock when I read the last few lines. In my opinion it is a Riveting novel.

I know what you're thinking now... Wondering what is Lee's darker side and how did Catherine  change to Cathy and what is Cathy's final move??? Well.. grab a copy of this book and find out for yourself!!

I would highly recommend this book to  anyone who wants to get sucked in a good thriller and  get creeped out. If by any chance you are going to read it before you hit the sack be ready to face your nightmares.

THE SUMMER OF COTTON CANDY by Debbie Viguie

RATING : 5 Stars

Well, I needed something light and fun read after all my hectic deadline works. I was browsing through books in library and found this amazing book. I'll admit that I was drawn by its cover (I love cotton candy).  Yes, there goes the saying don't judge a book by its cover and this thought made me look up into Goodreads. I found out that this book had raving comments. Thanks to all the Goodreads reviewers, and I am glad that  I picked up this book. It is a perfect summer read when you want to sit back with lemonade and crack open a good book. But I picked it up  in the middle of winter. Regardless of what time of the year you read this book, you will completely enjoy the story.  

Candace Thompson expects to spend her summer vacation by hanging out with her best friend Tamara and shopping before she is a senior. She is dejected when her father forces her to apply for summer job at the local amusement park called The Zone. She takes up the job as a cotton candy machine operator. Candace meets new friends and the experiences at The Zone makes her love her job by the day. She experiences little friction with Tamara - I didn't like Tamara at certain moments. Candace meets a mysterious Lone Ranger at The Zone and love blossoms between them - this sounded cliched. She experiences little friction with Tamara and eventually  she learns the value of true faith and friendship.

This book clearly depicts what a teenager would go through. It's the first book in the Sweet Seasons series. Easy summer read. By Debbie Viguie's writing  you can  relate to the characters.  This book put a smile on my face when i reached the end of the book. It is full of fun and excitement. I loved taking the journey with Candace and her friends in the Amazing amusement park. Viguie's details about the park sparks you the idea of  taking  a trip to the local theme park with friends. This is first book of Viguie I have ever read and I can assure that it wouldn't be the last. I would recommend this book to all Teens and adults who prefers something light and fluffy read. I completely devoured it and can't wait to finish the series. 

SHARP OBJECTS by Gillian Flynn

                                                      RATING : 5 Stars

After reading Gone Girl, instantly I became a fan of Gillian Flynn. My expectation for this book was high and i wasn't disappointed. Flynn's writing style is very dark. As you know I'm a sucker for Thrillers, and purchased this book immediately after finishing Gone Girl. I stayed up all night to finish this book and yes that is how the story was, it kept sucking me in.The first thing that comes to mind about this book is twisted, dark, disturbing. When you pick up this book ensure that you don't have pending works because you might tend to procrastinate your works once you start reading.  

Camille Preaker, a newspaper reporter is sent to her hometown to get the inside scoop on the murders of  two preteen girls, both strangled and had their teeth removed (Doesn't it sound weird about removing teeth? -yes it is, i had the same thought). She is reluctant to visit her hometown as she has a troubled past associated with it. Camille meets her neurotic mother, her half-sister and her step father in a Victorian mansion after eight long years. Everything starts from here. Clues keep leading to dead ends, forcing Camille to unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past to get at the story. Camille will have to confront what happened to her years before if she wants to survive this homecoming. 

Camille Preaker is a weird female with both strong and fragile nature. You will get to know that she is from a twisted family as you progress with the story. There is something unhealthy about this book- characters, relation between mother and daughter. This book is truly dark and creepy and has special stuff towards the end. I thought I figured out something half way through the story but Flynn made the ending a jaw dropping one. I was cringing in shock when i read the epilogue. Too much was packed towards the end but absolutely brilliant debut of Flynn. I don't want to giveaway a lot of details but all i can say is it's an amazing psychological thriller. I wouldn't recommend this book to squeamish, but if you have slightest inclination towards thriller, give it a shot.     

GONE GIRL by Gillian Flynn

RATING : 4 Stars

SYNOPSIS : 

Marriage can be a real killer. It is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented Mansion on the Mississippi River. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents, the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter. But is he really a killer?

MY  THOUGHTS : 

This book had lots of buzz around the world and I wanted to check out what all the hype was about. Unexpected surprises wrapped up in a black book. Flynn's writing style is amazing. It was like watching a Hitchcock movie in which suspense builds up slowly. With razor sharp writing and her ability to build suspense till the very end of the book was astounding. Fast paced book which keeps you at the edge of the seat guessing till the end. It is said in multiple points of view and the wife's perspective as diary format was brilliant. Tense and twisted plot line. It has more dark and sudden curves than a roller coaster ride. I was not even 10 pages into the book but i found myself hooked. Now I am going to stop gushing about this book and the author and  I am going to check out other books of Gillian Flynn right away.

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO by Stieg Larsson

RATING : 4 Stars

SYNOPSIS :

Harriet Vanger, a young scion of one of the wealthiest families in Sweden disappears forty years ago. Her uncle is determined that she was murdered and continues to seek the truth by hiring  Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist  recently trapped by a libel conviction to investigate. He is aided by the pierced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Together they tap into a vein of iniquity and corruption.

MY THOUGHTS : 

This book caught my eyes when I was randomly browsing for mystery thriller books but I was little intimidated to read a chunky book with 600 pages or so. That was the initial thought and after reading the synopsis I was intrigued. This is the first book in the Millennium Trilogy. For some reason it took me a super long time to start the book. Intense mystery read with complex plot. First 100 pages describes the economy and business, it was  like watching a paint dry but after that it picks up and I was totally engrossed. Certain moments in the book are graphic not overly but the intensity is high up there (Watch out). There were lots of characters that I thought I would get confused but I didn't. Pretty addictive, you might want to go on with the series. I should say it was the most stunning and brilliant thriller I have ever read.