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theawkwardbookw's reviews
2189 reviews
Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
3.0
Liz is 15 years old and has her whole life ahead of her; prom, graduation, falling in love. That is, until she gets hit by a taxi cab and dies. Now she finds herself in Elsewhere, the place where people go once they've passed away. Each day on Elsewhere, the time reverses and you begin to get younger until you are a baby again and get sent back to Earth to start a new life. Obviously, Liz is a little bitter when she first arrives but as the story progressives she begins to embrace this new life and actually starts to like it. This novel follows Liz through her journey in Elsewhere.
I did enjoy the book, but it took awhile for it to get interesting. I found the first 100 pages extremely dull.
I did enjoy the book, but it took awhile for it to get interesting. I found the first 100 pages extremely dull.
Slammed by Colleen Hoover
4.0
4.5 stars
Video Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRkU9f6-MeE
Layken Cohen is an eighteen year old who has been schooled by life. She just lost her father unexpectedly and now her mother is moving her and her nine year old brother, Kel to Michigan, away from everything she calls home. On the day they move in, Lake meets her new neighbour, Will, who just happens to be extremely good looking and very charming. It was basically love at first sight, especially for Kel and Will's little brother, Caulder, who instantly become the best of friends. When Will asks Lake on a date, she is more than ecstatic and it couldn't have gone better. Unfortunately for the two, things don't turn out the way they were hoping and they are forced to stop their budding romance before it even has a chance to begin.
I know I say I hate insta love, but something about Will and Lake hit me right in the feels... (this is why it's only a 4.5 star book for me!) Will did drive me insane at times with the emotional roller coaster he put Lake through at times and I did find Lake to be a bit immature and slightly annoying.. but I don't know, it just worked for the story. I did enjoy the plot twists though, they kept me engaged when the plot was starting to become over done, same old. same old. I will admit that it took me awhile to get into the story and I thought it was just going to be your typical forbidden love story that is told a million times but it turned out to be so much more.
The poetry was definitely my favourite part of the book! It really allowed you to see the raw emotions, thoughts and feelings of each character. I really like how the author included poems from other characters and not just the two mains. I cried at least 3 times during the poems which is surprising because I DO NOT cry at books. It's like a malfunction in my brain, but I never cry... which is one of the reasons this book is getting such a high review from me.
I absolutely loved the secondary characters! Eddie was definitely my favourite! She was so full of life and knew exactly who she was, you can't help but love her! Kel and Caulder were adorable and I loved their friendship! Their shenanigans had me cracking up more than once. Julia, Lake and Kel's mom was absolutely lovely and she brought so much good advice to the story. It wasn't just your typical love story, Slammed is full of life lessons.
Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCferU-BCL2dlFjWdD0rS75Q/videos
Video Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRkU9f6-MeE
Layken Cohen is an eighteen year old who has been schooled by life. She just lost her father unexpectedly and now her mother is moving her and her nine year old brother, Kel to Michigan, away from everything she calls home. On the day they move in, Lake meets her new neighbour, Will, who just happens to be extremely good looking and very charming. It was basically love at first sight, especially for Kel and Will's little brother, Caulder, who instantly become the best of friends. When Will asks Lake on a date, she is more than ecstatic and it couldn't have gone better. Unfortunately for the two, things don't turn out the way they were hoping and they are forced to stop their budding romance before it even has a chance to begin.
I know I say I hate insta love, but something about Will and Lake hit me right in the feels... (this is why it's only a 4.5 star book for me!) Will did drive me insane at times with the emotional roller coaster he put Lake through at times and I did find Lake to be a bit immature and slightly annoying.. but I don't know, it just worked for the story. I did enjoy the plot twists though, they kept me engaged when the plot was starting to become over done, same old. same old. I will admit that it took me awhile to get into the story and I thought it was just going to be your typical forbidden love story that is told a million times but it turned out to be so much more.
The poetry was definitely my favourite part of the book! It really allowed you to see the raw emotions, thoughts and feelings of each character. I really like how the author included poems from other characters and not just the two mains. I cried at least 3 times during the poems which is surprising because I DO NOT cry at books. It's like a malfunction in my brain, but I never cry... which is one of the reasons this book is getting such a high review from me.
I absolutely loved the secondary characters! Eddie was definitely my favourite! She was so full of life and knew exactly who she was, you can't help but love her! Kel and Caulder were adorable and I loved their friendship! Their shenanigans had me cracking up more than once. Julia, Lake and Kel's mom was absolutely lovely and she brought so much good advice to the story. It wasn't just your typical love story, Slammed is full of life lessons.
Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCferU-BCL2dlFjWdD0rS75Q/videos
The Girl in 6E by A.R. Torre
4.0
Video Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6doKXSwzeVQ
4.5 STARS for this erotic thriller!
"No one is normal, everyone is just pretending to be normal."
Three years ago, 21 year old Deanna Madden moved into apartment 6E and hasn't left since. After one gruesome night where she lost her whole family in a mass murder her mother committed, she makes the decision to lock her self in her apartment in fear that she is a danger to society. She is constantly day dreaming about murdering anyone she comes in contact with and because of this, she hasn't come into contact with any human in those 3 years. In order to make an income, she works for on-line webcam companies posing as 19-year old Jessica Reily. When one client begins to request some strange things during their camming sessions surrounding a young girl named Annie, Deanna begins to worry that he may be planning something and she is determined to stop it.
This book was EXTREMELY fast paced and I could NOT put it down. I was constantly thinking about it when I did put it down and couldn't wait to get back to it. Right from the very first line I was hooked. The plot was so unique and the characters were so complex that I instantly fell in love with the book, It was both intense and touching all wrapped up into one. It was really interesting to read about Deanna trying to keep the evil desires inside her at bay and how its a daily struggle for her. By the end of the story, you feel this sense of hope that Deanna will be able to do everything she's ever wanted to without having to worry about what will happen if she's around other people. I dropped half a star only because of how many scenes there were. I understand the concept of the book being that Deanna is a cam girl, which is in the sex industry, but it got to the point where it was repetitive and I just wanted to get to the blood and murder!!! I did find it interesting to learn about all the other clients she had though and what their secret desires were. It was clear that A.R Torre had done her research. The book is described as Dexter mixed with 50 Shades of Grey and I DEFINITELY agree. The multiple POV were so well written and so easy to follow it made the book so much more enjoyable. The shock factor of this book was so crazy! I was constantly sitting there with my mouth hanging open not believing what I was reading. The book is being made into a movie as well so that should be interesting... Definitely try going into the book blind because it makes it SO much better!
Deanna was an amazing character. Her sarcasm and sense of humour was hilarious to read about. It was so cool to read from her perspective and knowing that she full on knew that she was a psychotic killer. She was such an honest character and definitely knew who she was. She has killed in the past and because of this, she knows that she needs to be locked up.
This was my first A.R Torre book but I will DEFINITELY be picking up the next ASAP!
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4.5 STARS for this erotic thriller!
"No one is normal, everyone is just pretending to be normal."
Three years ago, 21 year old Deanna Madden moved into apartment 6E and hasn't left since. After one gruesome night where she lost her whole family in a mass murder her mother committed, she makes the decision to lock her self in her apartment in fear that she is a danger to society. She is constantly day dreaming about murdering anyone she comes in contact with and because of this, she hasn't come into contact with any human in those 3 years. In order to make an income, she works for on-line webcam companies posing as 19-year old Jessica Reily. When one client begins to request some strange things during their camming sessions surrounding a young girl named Annie, Deanna begins to worry that he may be planning something and she is determined to stop it.
This book was EXTREMELY fast paced and I could NOT put it down. I was constantly thinking about it when I did put it down and couldn't wait to get back to it. Right from the very first line I was hooked. The plot was so unique and the characters were so complex that I instantly fell in love with the book, It was both intense and touching all wrapped up into one. It was really interesting to read about Deanna trying to keep the evil desires inside her at bay and how its a daily struggle for her. By the end of the story, you feel this sense of hope that Deanna will be able to do everything she's ever wanted to without having to worry about what will happen if she's around other people. I dropped half a star only because of how many scenes there were. I understand the concept of the book being that Deanna is a cam girl, which is in the sex industry, but it got to the point where it was repetitive and I just wanted to get to the blood and murder!!! I did find it interesting to learn about all the other clients she had though and what their secret desires were. It was clear that A.R Torre had done her research. The book is described as Dexter mixed with 50 Shades of Grey and I DEFINITELY agree. The multiple POV were so well written and so easy to follow it made the book so much more enjoyable. The shock factor of this book was so crazy! I was constantly sitting there with my mouth hanging open not believing what I was reading. The book is being made into a movie as well so that should be interesting... Definitely try going into the book blind because it makes it SO much better!
Deanna was an amazing character. Her sarcasm and sense of humour was hilarious to read about. It was so cool to read from her perspective and knowing that she full on knew that she was a psychotic killer. She was such an honest character and definitely knew who she was. She has killed in the past and because of this, she knows that she needs to be locked up.
This was my first A.R Torre book but I will DEFINITELY be picking up the next ASAP!
Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCferU-BCL2dlFjWdD0rS75Q/videos
We Are the Goldens by Dana Reinhardt
4.0
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Nell and Layla are sisters and best friends, they're basically inseparable. When Nell starts school at City Day, she starts to notice that Layla begins to pull away from her and she doesn't know why. When Nell discovers Layla is hiding a big secret, she has to decide whether to keep the secret or tell someone in order to save her sister from herself.
Right from the start I was hooked, I loved the writing style and I could not put the book down! The book was almost written as a letter to the older sister Layla and it was an interesting concept! I loved Nell's voice and thought the author did an amazing job portraying the inner struggle she was feeling. I was able to call what the big secret was, but I still could not put the book down, I NEEDED to know how it all played out. I dropped a star because of how quickly the ending came, I was a little disappointed, I want to to know what came out of Nell's decision. I loved Felix and totally shipped him and Nell the entire time, screw Sam! Overall I think the book was suspenseful and exciting but it also taught a deeper lesson.
Nell and Layla are sisters and best friends, they're basically inseparable. When Nell starts school at City Day, she starts to notice that Layla begins to pull away from her and she doesn't know why. When Nell discovers Layla is hiding a big secret, she has to decide whether to keep the secret or tell someone in order to save her sister from herself.
Right from the start I was hooked, I loved the writing style and I could not put the book down! The book was almost written as a letter to the older sister Layla and it was an interesting concept! I loved Nell's voice and thought the author did an amazing job portraying the inner struggle she was feeling. I was able to call what the big secret was, but I still could not put the book down, I NEEDED to know how it all played out. I dropped a star because of how quickly the ending came, I was a little disappointed, I want to to know what came out of Nell's decision. I loved Felix and totally shipped him and Nell the entire time, screw Sam! Overall I think the book was suspenseful and exciting but it also taught a deeper lesson.
Billie by Anna Gavalda
1.0
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I received this book from goodreads in exchange for an honest review.
Billie follows a young women, named Billie and her bestfriend Franck. When the story begins, they have just been trapped in a gorge in the Cevennes Mountain in Paris. When her friend is no longer responding to her, she begins to tell the stars the story of how she and Franck met and how they escaped their troubled childhoods.
I really did not like this book... The only redeeming factor for me was the ending, even though it seemed a bit silly I enjoyed it none the less. I think it just wasn't my style of book, but I'm sure a lot of other people would really enjoy this book. For me though, it was too slow paced and not exciting enough.
I received this book from goodreads in exchange for an honest review.
Billie follows a young women, named Billie and her bestfriend Franck. When the story begins, they have just been trapped in a gorge in the Cevennes Mountain in Paris. When her friend is no longer responding to her, she begins to tell the stars the story of how she and Franck met and how they escaped their troubled childhoods.
I really did not like this book... The only redeeming factor for me was the ending, even though it seemed a bit silly I enjoyed it none the less. I think it just wasn't my style of book, but I'm sure a lot of other people would really enjoy this book. For me though, it was too slow paced and not exciting enough.
Love Virtually by Daniel Glattauer
3.0
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I definitely have a love-hate relationship with this book. I was so intrigued by the idea of this book! A whole book, consisting of only emails between two people, how interesting! The way these two wrote to each other was absolutely beautiful, you could tell that they truly did care for one another, even though they had never met. It was hard to put the book down, but at times, I found it kind of an annoying read, I'm not 100% sure why though.
The characters are pretty unique and definitely interesting. The plot did have quite a few twists I was not expecting whatsoever! The ending was SUCH A CLIFF HANGER! I can not deal! It completely caught me off guard! I'm hoping to be able to get my hands on the sequel soon to know what the heck happened!
Overall, I did enjoy the book and would recommend if you want a quick funny read.
I definitely have a love-hate relationship with this book. I was so intrigued by the idea of this book! A whole book, consisting of only emails between two people, how interesting! The way these two wrote to each other was absolutely beautiful, you could tell that they truly did care for one another, even though they had never met. It was hard to put the book down, but at times, I found it kind of an annoying read, I'm not 100% sure why though.
The characters are pretty unique and definitely interesting. The plot did have quite a few twists I was not expecting whatsoever! The ending was SUCH A CLIFF HANGER! I can not deal! It completely caught me off guard! I'm hoping to be able to get my hands on the sequel soon to know what the heck happened!
Overall, I did enjoy the book and would recommend if you want a quick funny read.
37 by Maria Beaumont
2.0
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This book follows Fran Clark, a 37 year old house wife going through a mid-life crisis.
I did not like this book... I found it extremely slow and I basically had to force myself to finish it. The main character bothered me, the husband was a jack ass and the side characters just pissed me off.
I would not recommend this book!
This book follows Fran Clark, a 37 year old house wife going through a mid-life crisis.
I did not like this book... I found it extremely slow and I basically had to force myself to finish it. The main character bothered me, the husband was a jack ass and the side characters just pissed me off.
I would not recommend this book!
The Bride Stripped Bare by Nikki Gemmell
2.0
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Although I did enjoy this book, at times I found it extremely difficult to read. I will say it was an okay book, not extraordinary or anything, but most of the time... It was just downright awful. Do not recommend!
Although I did enjoy this book, at times I found it extremely difficult to read. I will say it was an okay book, not extraordinary or anything, but most of the time... It was just downright awful. Do not recommend!
That Summer by Sarah Dessen
3.0
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Everything is changing in Haven's life and it's a bit over whelming for her. That's when Sumner, her sister's ex-boyfriend shows up, the perfect boy from the perfect summer so many years ago.
This book was a very fast read with just under 200 pages. The main focus was the family dynamics and a big focus on finding yourself and figuring out how to manage the things that life throws at you. Not much happened in the book and at times I found myself just skimming the story. It didn't seem like there was much of a plot at all. I did really like the message behind the book, which is why I'm giving it a 3 star instead of a 2. It was all about how sometimes when you think someone is perfect, they aren't.
I can totally relate to Haven 100% on the aspect of being 'too tall' and feeling awkward in her body. I have always been tall (6ft) and it took me a long time to be comfortable with that. I don't think she had very much character development though and that was a bit disappointing. I found the characters to all be bland and a bit boring, no one had much of a personality other than Ashley who just whined most of the time. It also really bothered me how many times Ashley threatened to call the wedding off... It got to the point where I was just rolling my eyes at her because I knew it was coming. I also really did not like the ending, it was not satisfying whatsoever. I felt like I had been waiting for a giant reveal of something and got left with something very anti-climactic.
Everything is changing in Haven's life and it's a bit over whelming for her. That's when Sumner, her sister's ex-boyfriend shows up, the perfect boy from the perfect summer so many years ago.
This book was a very fast read with just under 200 pages. The main focus was the family dynamics and a big focus on finding yourself and figuring out how to manage the things that life throws at you. Not much happened in the book and at times I found myself just skimming the story. It didn't seem like there was much of a plot at all. I did really like the message behind the book, which is why I'm giving it a 3 star instead of a 2. It was all about how sometimes when you think someone is perfect, they aren't.
I can totally relate to Haven 100% on the aspect of being 'too tall' and feeling awkward in her body. I have always been tall (6ft) and it took me a long time to be comfortable with that. I don't think she had very much character development though and that was a bit disappointing. I found the characters to all be bland and a bit boring, no one had much of a personality other than Ashley who just whined most of the time. It also really bothered me how many times Ashley threatened to call the wedding off... It got to the point where I was just rolling my eyes at her because I knew it was coming. I also really did not like the ending, it was not satisfying whatsoever. I felt like I had been waiting for a giant reveal of something and got left with something very anti-climactic.
Binge by Tyler Oakley
4.0
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4.5 Stars
I listened to this on audiobook, which is narrated by Tyler himself. Personally, I think that this is probably what made me love the book so much. I think that if I would have just read it for myself, I wouldn't have gotten the same entertainment factor I did by listening to the audiobook.
The book was not only hilarious, but very heart warming at the same time. Tyler does an excellent job sharing his personal stories while giving amazing life advice at the same time. Tyler talks honestly about love, relationships, his family, anxiety, insecurity and violence and I loved every minute of it.
4.5 Stars
I listened to this on audiobook, which is narrated by Tyler himself. Personally, I think that this is probably what made me love the book so much. I think that if I would have just read it for myself, I wouldn't have gotten the same entertainment factor I did by listening to the audiobook.
The book was not only hilarious, but very heart warming at the same time. Tyler does an excellent job sharing his personal stories while giving amazing life advice at the same time. Tyler talks honestly about love, relationships, his family, anxiety, insecurity and violence and I loved every minute of it.