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3.3 AVERAGE
3.3 AVERAGE
The book began in a promising way with a bit of a mystery but then never really delivered. Character development was flat more caricatures than characters. Plot points were questionable. She spends the night with her best friend from childhood, Eli, who is dating the only other friend Lexi has at her New York city private school. After her father dies suddenly, Lexi or Xandra (she goes by both names) goes looking for her mother at a circus in Florida but when she doesn't find her there, she gets a job with the circus and no mention is made of her mother until the book is almost done. She becomes a fortune teller without any mention or development of her interest in tarot cards. The list goes on. A forgettable book.
I was lucky enough to receive this book via NetGalley. I am so glad I did. I absolutely loved this book. Lexi (or X) is facing a tough time. Her father recently passed away and her mother abandoned her when she was young. Forced to find her mother she heads to her mother's latest job. A traveling circus.
There Lexi doesn't find her mother, but finds a family.
I loved reading Lexi's struggles, her romance, her friendships and everything in between.
This was such an amazing book, I highly recommend to to anyone!
There Lexi doesn't find her mother, but finds a family.
I loved reading Lexi's struggles, her romance, her friendships and everything in between.
This was such an amazing book, I highly recommend to to anyone!
This is such a cute book! It had me smiling like an idiot, a lot. (Note to self: do not read cute books in public again. It's kind of awkward...)
I really liked Lexi as a character and even though I thought I wouldn't like Lina and Liska, it turned out I really started to appreciate them. Lina is a really good friend and Liska is adorable (even though she's the same age as Lexi, it didn't feel like she was...)
The story was great, very detailed and very realistic, and I really liked ending. I also thought that the way this book is written, with a 'current' chapter and a flashback chapter alternating, was executed really well. I've read other books with this setup which made me feel annoyed, but this one didn't. (Though it sometimes did slightly irk me, but that's probably just me...)
I'd really recommend this story to about everyone :)
Edit 12 september 2013:
I just listened to all the songs that are listed at the beginning of each chapter, and they're really good! I recommend listening to them.
I really liked Lexi as a character and even though I thought I wouldn't like Lina and Liska, it turned out I really started to appreciate them. Lina is a really good friend and Liska is adorable (even though she's the same age as Lexi, it didn't feel like she was...)
Spoiler
I actually hoped Lexi would end up with Nick (I don't know, I just thought he was a great character..) but her making up with Eli and then their happy ending? It may be even more perfect.The story was great, very detailed and very realistic, and I really liked ending. I also thought that the way this book is written, with a 'current' chapter and a flashback chapter alternating, was executed really well. I've read other books with this setup which made me feel annoyed, but this one didn't. (Though it sometimes did slightly irk me, but that's probably just me...)
I'd really recommend this story to about everyone :)
Edit 12 september 2013:
I just listened to all the songs that are listed at the beginning of each chapter, and they're really good! I recommend listening to them.
Really enjoyed this. It was compulsively readable, mostly fluffy despite the sad and difficult things that happened, and though if could have come across as false, it really didn't. Glad I snagged this one from the library. :)
Solid debut author fairly clean for a story taking place in NYC & the circus. Some sexual content.
Oh God, this book! I had so many mixed feelings throughout the whole thing! And I was a little conflicted on what to rate it but I just gave it a three because although I liked the plot, I didn't really enjoy the characters. And the book actually made me laugh a few times, but I found myself growing bored, not a lot but a few times.
I was really excited to read this book actually because I love the circus. Never actually been to one, but I hope to one day...I also need to read Water For Elephants now but I'll get to it one day. So, anyways, it's not that the book hadn't lived to my expectations (I honestly hadn't set the bar that high) but I just didn't thoroughly enjoy it.
Although, to give this book A LOT of credit... it got me out of my one month reading slump. THANK GOD!!!! Seriously, I was really getting bored at home doing nothing. So, yeah I would suggest reading this book although maybe just don't set the bar too high.
I was really excited to read this book actually because I love the circus. Never actually been to one, but I hope to one day...I also need to read Water For Elephants now but I'll get to it one day. So, anyways, it's not that the book hadn't lived to my expectations (I honestly hadn't set the bar that high) but I just didn't thoroughly enjoy it.
Although, to give this book A LOT of credit... it got me out of my one month reading slump. THANK GOD!!!! Seriously, I was really getting bored at home doing nothing. So, yeah I would suggest reading this book although maybe just don't set the bar too high.
Really, I would give this 2 1/2 stars.
Genre: mother-daughter relationships, high-school relationships, etc.
Summary: Alexandera, or X, or Xandra, or Lexi is a musically obsessed, socially challenged senior who lives with her dad because her mom ran off when she was a little girl. One day, her father dies and she has to find her mother who happens to be working at a circus in the south.
Response: I was intrigued by the premise. Circus books are always so interesting. But I wasn't as impressed with the execution. The plot jumped back and forth between dates in the timeline and it got a little confusing. Also, it was hard to believe that the things that happened would actually happen. I mean, I hope if there was actually a situation like Lexi's, she would have someone to help her. But you really felt her isolation.
One of the things I liked the most about the book was how Lexi found herself by running away. I know that sounds stupid and cliche, but by forcing herself out of her comfort zone, Lexi made new friends and found that she could actually do things. It is really liberating to discover how much you can really do, on your own. I was pleased that Lexi could discover that for herself.
Genre: mother-daughter relationships, high-school relationships, etc.
Summary: Alexandera, or X, or Xandra, or Lexi is a musically obsessed, socially challenged senior who lives with her dad because her mom ran off when she was a little girl. One day, her father dies and she has to find her mother who happens to be working at a circus in the south.
Response: I was intrigued by the premise. Circus books are always so interesting. But I wasn't as impressed with the execution. The plot jumped back and forth between dates in the timeline and it got a little confusing. Also, it was hard to believe that the things that happened would actually happen. I mean, I hope if there was actually a situation like Lexi's, she would have someone to help her. But you really felt her isolation.
One of the things I liked the most about the book was how Lexi found herself by running away. I know that sounds stupid and cliche, but by forcing herself out of her comfort zone, Lexi made new friends and found that she could actually do things. It is really liberating to discover how much you can really do, on your own. I was pleased that Lexi could discover that for herself.
The main character, who goes by many names, but for the sake of not confusing you I'll go with Lexi, so Lexi's dad dies and her mom is awol and has been for years, so she has to go find her and it turns out she joined the circus, and this is just the beginning of a story that includes Lexi joining said circus, making out with a few guys, becoming a fortune teller, having to deal with her ex-best friend showing up and upsetting her new life and might eventually led to her reuniting with her mom and somehow finding a way to combine her old life with her new and find a way to be happy again, not to mention plenty of references to awesome music, which of course I loved.
I have mixed feelings about this book, at parts I completely loved it, and at parts I got bored and annoyed with Lexi and angry with certain love interests and its complicated, which is an amazing amount of feelings in a short less than 300 page book. I kinda hated Lexi in the beginning and then I loved her towards the middle, and then I didn't like her so much again for awhile and in the end I at least really liked her, like I said my feelings for this book are complicated. I liked most of the other characters except for the ex-best friend who I hated. I loved one specific love interest whom she did not end up with. =( I loved the whole Circus thing, it was really cool and even though I don't really like the circus in real life I love it in books and I love the whole run off and join the circus thing I just think its fascinating and really cool and fun. I loved her relationship with all the other performers and everything, and I thought Lexi was a really fun, complex, real character which was nice. And It really is a great book for the most part. I just got frustrated with Lexi at parts and some of her choices and everything, but it's not that its a bad book or anything just that it didn't go the way I wanted it to at some parts. Plus I hated who she ended up with, but I loved that the author made me be OK with it and almost like it. The whole ending was OK, not great, but I only say that because she ends up with the wrong guy! Sometimes I think I get too invested and into a book, its a real problem. But overall a good book and I definitely recommend it. And I'm gonna shut up now.
I have mixed feelings about this book, at parts I completely loved it, and at parts I got bored and annoyed with Lexi and angry with certain love interests and its complicated, which is an amazing amount of feelings in a short less than 300 page book. I kinda hated Lexi in the beginning and then I loved her towards the middle, and then I didn't like her so much again for awhile and in the end I at least really liked her, like I said my feelings for this book are complicated. I liked most of the other characters except for the ex-best friend who I hated. I loved one specific love interest whom she did not end up with. =( I loved the whole Circus thing, it was really cool and even though I don't really like the circus in real life I love it in books and I love the whole run off and join the circus thing I just think its fascinating and really cool and fun. I loved her relationship with all the other performers and everything, and I thought Lexi was a really fun, complex, real character which was nice. And It really is a great book for the most part. I just got frustrated with Lexi at parts and some of her choices and everything, but it's not that its a bad book or anything just that it didn't go the way I wanted it to at some parts. Plus I hated who she ended up with, but I loved that the author made me be OK with it and almost like it. The whole ending was OK, not great, but I only say that because she ends up with the wrong guy! Sometimes I think I get too invested and into a book, its a real problem. But overall a good book and I definitely recommend it. And I'm gonna shut up now.
My review can be found on The Life & Times Blog.
“And if you feel just like a tourist in the city you were born. Then it’s time to go”
–Death Cab for Cutie, “You Are A Tourist”
Lexi is a music loving seventeen year old living in New York with her dad. But her life gets turned upside down in such a short time span. One minute she was enjoying her life with her dad and best friends Eli and Bailey. Then the next minute her dad is dead, she has a few days to leave her apartment, her friendship with her two friends is ruined, and to top things off, her dad’s will gave what little money he did have left to his ex-wife, Lexi’s mom. Essentially leaving Lexi with nothing. Not having many options, she begins her search for her mom by boarding a bus to Florida in hopes of finding her performing at a circus. Instead what she does end up finding is something better….
I liked that the beginning of each chapter has a quote of a song, like the one at the top of this review. Some of the songs I had heard before, others I had not. After reading this I did want find the ones I hadn't and listen to them. Her dad may not have been very responsible at times and he had a tendency to forget some important things, but I loved Lexi’s relationship with him. It was because of him, that she developed such a deep appreciation and love for good music.
Reading this book made me think of my own experiences at the circus.I can’t say I've always wanted to run off and join the circus, but I always liked the idea of the circus. I went for the first time when I was a little kid, but I don’t really remember it. When I got older though I had the opportunity to go again and I remember this feeling of amazement and wonder. There was so much to see and the performers are so talented. I loved every minute of it. I think everyone should go at least once.
Lexi’s voice felt real and unique. As the story progressed, it was easy for me to want to get to know more about her. The story kept a nice flow and I was sad to see it end.
** I received this book from Scholastic Inc. in exchange for nothing, but my honest review.**
“And if you feel just like a tourist in the city you were born. Then it’s time to go”
–Death Cab for Cutie, “You Are A Tourist”
Lexi is a music loving seventeen year old living in New York with her dad. But her life gets turned upside down in such a short time span. One minute she was enjoying her life with her dad and best friends Eli and Bailey. Then the next minute her dad is dead, she has a few days to leave her apartment, her friendship with her two friends is ruined, and to top things off, her dad’s will gave what little money he did have left to his ex-wife, Lexi’s mom. Essentially leaving Lexi with nothing. Not having many options, she begins her search for her mom by boarding a bus to Florida in hopes of finding her performing at a circus. Instead what she does end up finding is something better….
I liked that the beginning of each chapter has a quote of a song, like the one at the top of this review. Some of the songs I had heard before, others I had not. After reading this I did want find the ones I hadn't and listen to them. Her dad may not have been very responsible at times and he had a tendency to forget some important things, but I loved Lexi’s relationship with him. It was because of him, that she developed such a deep appreciation and love for good music.
Reading this book made me think of my own experiences at the circus.I can’t say I've always wanted to run off and join the circus, but I always liked the idea of the circus. I went for the first time when I was a little kid, but I don’t really remember it. When I got older though I had the opportunity to go again and I remember this feeling of amazement and wonder. There was so much to see and the performers are so talented. I loved every minute of it. I think everyone should go at least once.
Lexi’s voice felt real and unique. As the story progressed, it was easy for me to want to get to know more about her. The story kept a nice flow and I was sad to see it end.
** I received this book from Scholastic Inc. in exchange for nothing, but my honest review.**
*I read an ARC edition of this book*
I literally couldn't stand reading this book any longer. I got half-way through, I thought I could get to the end, but it's that bad.
So, where to start... For one, the writing style is just bad. It reads like mediocre fanfiction. None of the characters seem like they're going to ever get any development & become anything besides two-dimensional. They're also trope-y as heck. The main character's a quirky girl who doesn't realize how beautiful she is, she has guys falling left and right for her, blah blah blah. She's completely snooze-worthy.
And then you have great things like the continual use of slurs. :) The main character calls someone a r*tard (an ableist slur), and a Roma character repeatedly calls other Roma g*psies (a really awful racial slur). Like. The heck??? I'd understand if words like that were used for their adding dimensionality to the plot -- as in, contextual use in a situation where characters need to address ableism or racism. But that's certainly not the case here.
In all honesty, I only made it this far in the book because I got an ARC for free years ago & I'm trying to get through books I haven't read yet. This book was a big waste of my time, would not recommend at all.
I literally couldn't stand reading this book any longer. I got half-way through, I thought I could get to the end, but it's that bad.
So, where to start... For one, the writing style is just bad. It reads like mediocre fanfiction. None of the characters seem like they're going to ever get any development & become anything besides two-dimensional. They're also trope-y as heck. The main character's a quirky girl who doesn't realize how beautiful she is, she has guys falling left and right for her, blah blah blah. She's completely snooze-worthy.
And then you have great things like the continual use of slurs. :) The main character calls someone a r*tard (an ableist slur), and a Roma character repeatedly calls other Roma g*psies (a really awful racial slur). Like. The heck??? I'd understand if words like that were used for their adding dimensionality to the plot -- as in, contextual use in a situation where characters need to address ableism or racism. But that's certainly not the case here.
In all honesty, I only made it this far in the book because I got an ARC for free years ago & I'm trying to get through books I haven't read yet. This book was a big waste of my time, would not recommend at all.