Olivia Decoded (#2) ~ Reviewed by Elizabeth Barnes

 

 

 

 

"This isn't my Jack, who once looked at me like I was his world. The guy who's occupied the better part of my mind for eight months. This is Z, criminal hacker with a twisted agenda and an arsenal full of anger."

 

Olivia has spent the past year trying to get her life back on track. New school. New Friends. And a brand new attitude. If Olivia cannot break through "Z" and reach old Jack, someone is going to end up getting hurt.... or worse, killed.

 

The good girl meets bad boy is not anything new, however, the way things play out and the many things Olivia gets drawn into are certainly not like anything else I have ever read in any book.

 

Olivia was a lovely heroine. She hasn't had the best life, from her drug addict mother, to her hopping from foster home to foster home. But, she was still a genuinely good person. She had values that she couldn't compromise, which I think made her an admirable character.

 

Z, on the other hand was complicated. He delights in his criminal activities, seeing absolutely nothing wrong with them. To his perspective, it's basically like taking from the rich and giving to the poor. Also, he's manipulated people into the web, then left them to fend for themselves. But, I don't think he was a bad person. At least, not until he met Olivia. She reminded him of a sense of goodness. She made him rethink his life and see it from a different perspective.

 

When I initially requested "Olivia Decoded," I did not realize that it was the second book in the series. I believe that if I had read the first book, I may have enjoyed this book much more. If you have not started the series yet, then make sure you start at the beginning! 

 

Vivi Barnes has a great writing technique, and the characters are interesting. The overall storyline is very well put together. It is a wild ride of hackers, stalkers, secret identities, and romance.

 

Special thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the copy of "Olivia Decoded" by Vivi Barnes.

I give this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

 

 



 



Witches of East End (The Beauchamp Family, #1) ~ Reviewed by Elizabeth Barnes

 

"Looking for Narnia? You're in the wrong universe." 

 The three Beauchamp women - Joanna and her daughters, Freya and Ingrid - live in North Hampton, on the tip of Long Island. All three are keeping a centuries old secret: They are all three powerful witches forbidden to practice any kind of magic. Right before Freya's wedding to a wealthy bachelor, Ben Gardiner, a very mysterious and attractive man arrives in town and makes Freya question herself and everything else. When a young woman ends up dead, it becomes clear to them that it's their time to bring out their wands and battle between good and evil. 

The Beauchamps are our modern day witches who "survived" the Salem witch trials, just to unfortunately have their family ripped apart and sentenced to a half life. They were shut out of the "other world" and forced to live as humans do day to day, without the use of magic. Strange and even stranger things start happening in their sleepy town. People are becoming sick, animals are dying, as are a few ofthe local regulars. Joanna, Freya, and Ingrid had to come out of hiding and break a few rules to solve the mysterious events, and possibly end up changing the world of magic. 

Joanna, is the mother and healer. 

Ingrid, is the oldest daughter and charmer. 

Freya, is the youngest daughter and the lover. 

I have read many paranormal books, most of which I have enjoyed. Witches of East End was exactly what I expected it to be. Filled with drama, romance, and suspense. I was very excited to read something a bit different, vampires are not usually my thing. I very much enjoyed the dynamics of each of the characters. I loved how the book devoted time to each character in every chapter so I could get to know them on the same level. This is the first book in the series, and I could tell that Melissa de la Cruz was laying out  a foundation for more books in the future. It was a journey getting pulled into the world of a witch. 

Cruz's writing was very detailed and clenching. She did a remarkable job of bringing the town of North Hampton alive throughout the pages. 

The ending? A cliffhanger. But, it will keep the reader excited and full of suspense to know what the witches will be up to next. 

Special thanks to the Archbishop O'Hara High School Library, for letting me check out the first book and review of the school year. 

I give Witches of East End: 3 out of 5 stars. 

All The Bright Places ~ Reviewed by Elizabeth Barnes

  

 

"The problem with people is they forget that most of the time it's the small things that count."

             The Fault in Our Stars meet Eleanor and Park in this exhilarating and heart - wrenching love story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die. Theodore Finch  is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of way to kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him. Violet Markey  lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister's recent death. When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it's unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the "natural wonders" of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It's only with Violet that Finch can be himself - a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who's not such a freak after all. And it's only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet's world grows Finch's begins to shrink. This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forema, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven. 

This is the sort of book that kind of sneaks up on you. You're not sure what kind of book it is at first. It seems intense and gritty and even a tad confusing. You notice right away that the characters are definitely messed up with deep rooted issues they need to work on. Then there is romance and profound conversations and soul searching and what seems to be light at the end of this dark, dreary tunnel. Then, BAM. 

It takes awhile until reality crashes down - almost at the end of the book, but it basically changes the whole meaning of the book. At least it did for me. One thing this book does is open your eyes to the realities of living with a mental disorder. A label. A thing that you can't see or control, but it defines you - if you let it. You're never quite sure what's wrong with Finch but you know there's something, and its unstable. He's had a rough childhood, raised by an abusive father and a mother who seems to not really question his bizzare behaviors. It is incredibly sad. Heartbreaking and eye opening. He is so messed up, and no one cares enough to even realize this is bigger than the simple teenage behavior. 

Despite his issues, Finch can be so spontaneous and fun, he sees the good in things, makes life into an adventure. He's definitely a compelling character; intelligent and blunt. His strangeness made me like him even more. He doesn't know who he is so he tries all kinds of styles, from 80's Finch to smart Finch. He doesn't let the side glances and rumors get to him all that much, he takes everyday in stride and that made me respect him. Though I assure you he doesn't take any crap either. He can take care of his own, even if he goes a bit on the extreme at times. Violet is also a very well developed character, but I didn't find her quite as interesting as Finch. I also had a hard time distinguishing her voice from his during POV switches. I had to keep reminding myself which perspective we were reading. I also found it very odd that she was the only one in her family who seemed to be affected by grief. Yes she lost a sister, but her parents last a child mere months ago and you would never have known. For how caring and involved they were it felt unrealistic to me. That's the only part that I would raise an eyebrow at, however. The rest of the Novel is written with such raw power, such realism, that you can truly insert yourself in these character's lives and feel what it feels like to be so... broken.

All The Bright Places made me think, and it made me cry and it made me realize that although everyone feels alone at some point in their lives, we really aren't. Theodore Finch may be a fictional character, but his mental illness and the way he struggles every day just to get out of bed are incredibly real. Even now, there's a huge stigma in mental illness: if you can't see it, then you are not paying enough attention to the world around you. Even now, every forty seconds someone commits suicide because of mental illness or because they felt like they had no other choice. 

This book might leave you a little emotionally drained but, it is the realest story I have read in a long time. 

I rate this book with 4.5 out of 5 stars rating.  

 

We All Looked Up ~ Reviewed by Elizabeth Barnes

           

"Those who have much to hope and nothing to lose will always be dangerous."

         Before the asteroid we let ourselves be defined by labels: The athlete, the outcast, the slacker, the overachiever. But then we all looked up and everything changed. They said it would be here in two months. That gave us two months to leave our labels behind. Two months to become something bigger than what we'd been, something that would last even after the end. Two months to really live.

                       We All Looked Up is a book about the world coming to terms with the world. 

I went into this book with high expectations. I've seen a lot of great reviews about how this book and how it breaks down barriers in high school. But, really I just thought it put some barriers up.

The book was pretty good I must say, with varied characters, well-fleshed-out issues, and an interesting setup. The ending didn't set properly with me I must say, but maybe it is just me. It definitely seems like a personal preference. Please don't take my rating to heart. 

The book introduces us to four high school students: Peter; the most popular guy in school who is an athlete and dating the most popular girl. Anita; the perfect A - grade student with strict parents who are forcing her into an Ivy League education. Eliza; the girl with a bad reputation. Andy; the slacker. Wallach does a great job of hopping from one POV to the next. It never feels stilted. It's also interesting how intertwined yet different all their lives are.

 As the book progresses we begin to see other sides of these characters and learn that their lives aren't so simple after all. They aren't high school cliches and actually have a lot more depth to them. Eliza is a talented photographer and has a bad reputation as a coping mechanism thanks to her mother abandoning her and her father on the brink of death. Anita is a talented singer who has been forbidden to sing by her parents and she is desperate to escape from their controlling clutches. Peter is bored with life and wants something more; something different. He is a Christian and loves to help out with charity. Andy is dealing with parents who aren't around much and a crappy best friend and is also a really talented musician/songwriter.

The best part of this book, by far, is the layers to these characters. I really connected with each and everyone of them. They aren't perfect, they all have flaws, but that only makes them more real and more relate able. 

The ending was too open for me, I did not like how it left the door open for you to continue thinking about what you would do in a similar situation. I wanted to experience a more of a closure feeling for the characters.

We All Looked Up, is extremely thought provoking that makes you really consider what is important and what matters. 

I give this book a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars.  

  

Where the Heart Is-- A reviewby Sarah Gnefkow

Where the Heart Is

By Billie Letts

**** 1/2

Novalee Nation is a hardworking, yet unlucky, girl. She finds herself in a bind every time she is associated with the number seven. Ever since her seventh birthday, when her mom ran away, she knew that seven was her unlucky number. Novalee seventeen and seven months pregnant was traveling with her boyfriend to California when she needed to stop in a Wal-Mart. As she was leaving she went to the the cashregister and her change was $7.77, immediately she knew that meant something bad. As she ran outside she noticed her boyfriend had left her and she was stranded in a place where she knew no one. Novalee thinks that her life is over at this point and she has no idea what is going to happen with her or her baby. What she doesn't expect is that she will meet people who will care about her and love her to the greatest extent.

I loved this book so much. Just like the movie it was unforgettable and moving. I gave it four and a half stars because number one it was amazing but also it got slow at some parts. The thing I like about it is it keeps you on your toes for the most part. If you like stories with characters who seem to have a serious of unfortunate events, with happy endings, you will love this book! I recommend this to anyone who likes drama and a lot of stuff going on.

Johanna Kelly's Book Review

Testimony

Anita Shreve

**** stars

One tape…Several drinks…A few hours…Three boys’ lives forever changed. Three boys have to face the guilt and punishment of committing statutory rape. When a scandal breaks out at Avery Academy, a prestigious high school, several peoples’ lives are changed forever. Should high school seniors face criminal charges and be expelled for having sex with a fourteen year old? Is eighteen truly the age to be called an adult? There are so many moral issues packed into the novel Testimony.

At this point I’m not sure what to believe in. Before I read this novel I looked down upon those eighteen and over who have sex with those who are younger. When I think of “statutory rape” I think of cases where a sixth grade student has sex with a forty year-old teacher. I think of a fifteen year-old having a twenty five year-old boyfriend. These cases are serious and should be handled as criminal.

But what about two eighteen year-olds and a nineteen year-old with a “willing” fourteen year-old? In Vermont, the law says that these boys should be charged with sexual assault. I really don’t believe that what happened in Testimony should be classified as sexual assault.

The only way you’ll be able to know what you think is if you read Testimony. This was a great novel that was very well written. Read it today!

Johanna Kelly's Book Review

The Lovely Bones

By Alice Sebold

5 stars *****

The Lovely Bones is an amazing story. I felt as if I knew the characters personally. I could feel the main character, Susie’s, strong love for the ones she knew on earth. Susie is talking to us in heaven. She was raped and murdered, and she watches the lives of those on earth.

The author, Alice Sebold, writes so well. The Lovely Bones to me was not a page-turner, but rather a book that I had to digest in sections. The words are overwhelming. I had to often tell myself that this is just a story, it didn’t really happen. I loved reading a book where the main character was deceased, rather than reading about a person who was alive and able interact freely with people. Susie really wanted to help her family; her death seemed to tear them apart.

If you haven’t read The Lovely Bones, I highly recommend checking it out. Also, a movie is being made and will be released later this year.