Not Otherwise Specified by Hannah Moskowitz

Not Otherwise Specified
Hannah Moskowitz
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Synopsis from Goodreads-

Etta is tired of dealing with all of the labels and categories that seem so important to everyone else in her small Nebraska hometown.

Everywhere she turns, someone feels she's too fringe for the fringe. Not gay enough for the Dykes, her ex-clique, thanks to a recent relationship with a boy; not tiny and white enough for ballet, her first passion; and not sick enough to look anorexic (partially thanks to recovery). Etta doesn’t fit anywhere— until she meets Bianca, the straight, white, Christian, and seriously sick girl in Etta’s therapy group. Both girls are auditioning for Brentwood, a prestigious New York theater academy that is so not Nebraska. Bianca seems like Etta’s salvation, but how can Etta be saved by a girl who needs saving herself?

The latest powerful, original novel from Hannah Moskowitz is the story about living in and outside communities and stereotypes, and defining your own identity.

I picked up this book expecting, I don't know, a story of friendship. And that's mostly what I got.
It was a nice (if not flimsy) friendship and getting better story, but it didn't really do much for me.
On one hand, I liked that we had a bisexual narrator. There are many (actually, most) YA books about straight girls, and some about lesbians- but rarely do we get a bisexual narrator. So many people don't "get" or "believe in" bisexuality, and this book definitely shows you it's a "real" thing. (sorry, I "love" doing that)
I also did like Bianca's getting better story, it was very uplifting. The side story with James, Bianca's brother, being gay and Bianca trying to accept that (being from a religious upbringing) was a complex part of the book, too.
I liked that Etta chased her dreams, and eventually realised that her best friend, Rachel, wasn't that good for her- they had such a weird relationship. It was obvious that they had feelings for each other, and it mentioned that they'd slept together on numerous occasions, yet they didn't ever officially get together.
I didn't like Etta's attitude for most of the book- she calls herself a "slut", she complains about everything- I mean, sure, she had a hard time but lemons make lemonade, you know?

She was way too hard on herself. It was hard to not feel sorry for her when her ex-friends started bullying her, though.

I didn't like that she used Mason, James' friend, when she knew full well that he liked her more than she liked him. She led him on, when it was clear she wasn't over her ex, Danielle, or her best friend, Rachel.
I didn't like that at first she was willing to just date girls so her friends would like her again. I didn't like that she was bullied- severely, in fact, Natasha was physically violent towards her, and Etta was locked in a bathroom by her old friends- and never got help from anyone. It gave the message that if you ignore bullying it goes away, and that is NOT a message teens should be hearing.
 I was glad that Etta got some self-confidence back by the end, realised she was a curve and not a line, got into a dance school, and everything, but lots was left not completed.
The book was pretty much what I expected- not bad, but nothing special.

Falling Apart by Jaqceline Wilson

Falling Apart
Jacqueline Wilson
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Synopsis from Goodreads-

I’m sorry, but I don’t want to live any longer. It’s nothing to do with what you said, Dad, I’d made up my mind to do this ages ago. Mum, maybe it will help to think of your twins together again.
Jan, I’m leaving you my blue cashmere sweater and all my books, even though they mostly belonged to you in the first place.
Louise, you can have my diamanté brooch and all my make up and any clothes you want. I’d like Carly to have my toy dog.
Goodbye.
Love from Tina.

Tina is fifteen and having a miserable time at home since her twin brother died. She falls in love for the first time. Simon is from a private school and not part of Tina’s world. They don’t have much in common, but Tina convinces herself she’s in love. When Simon ends it with her, Tina’s world falls apart.

First published in 1989, Falling Apart is an honest and thought-provoking story written by one of the world’s most popular writers. Jacqueline Wilson captures the voices of teenagers perfectly in this engrossing novel about couples and families, and what can happen when it all goes wrong.  

JW should stick to middle grade fiction. None of these characters felt like teens.
I'd like to think Falling Apart was about a girls infatuation and how it can push you over the edge- but it just didn't work.
Tina and Simon's relationship was awful. I can't believe she fell for it. She said she loved him almost straight away, wanted to marry him, and agreed to have sex when she clearly wasn't ready. It was so obvious that Simon didn't care about Tina, and Tina's clinginess and oblivion made me cringe. And not because I  felt bad for her- I was shocked someone could be that stupid. Tina clearly didn't respect herself, because if she had, she'd have gotten OUT of that relationship.

Jan was the only character in the whole book with any sense. I hate to say it, but there is now a Jacqueline Wilson book I don't like.
It just felt unfinished, as pretty much NOTHING was resolved.
Also, after Tina attempted SUICIDE, NO ONE DID ANYTHING. SERIOUSLY. She was just.... sent to group therapy. That's it. Seriously. She was kept in observation for one day, and even if she said she didn't mean it and she wants to live, you cannot just keep a MINOR- 15 YEARS OLD- for ONE day and claim she's just "a little upset." She also refused to eat, and no one raised an eyebrow at that either. Apparently everyone in this book is a freaking idiot.

This book wasn't realistic. Teens acted like 5 year olds, adults didn't care about what they did, and the writing was third person and present tense. Hate that. The writing was also too simple. It felt like JW was trying to teach sex-ed to a group of kindergartners.
If you want a good book about girls being pushed to the edge over a relationships, don't read this.

Crazy by Amy Reed

Crazy
Amy Reed
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Synopsis from Goodreads-

He's falling in love and she's falling over the edge of sanity. From the author of Beautiful and Clean, a heartwrenching exploration of a romance marred by mental illness.

Connor knows that Izzy will never fall in love with him the way he's fallen for her. But somehow he's been let into her crazy, exhilarating world and become her closest confidante. But the closer they get, the more Connor realizes that Izzy's highs are too high and her lows are too low. And the frenetic energy that makes her shine is starting to push her into a much darker place.

As Izzy's behavior gets increasingly erratic and self-destructive, Connor gets increasingly desperate to stop her from plummeting. He knows he can't save her from her pain...but what if no one else can?  

Crazy is a fast paced, beautiful, exhilarating ride.
I started bawling three quarters through- this story definitely touched me.
It felt painfully real, and  I couldn't keep my eyes off the pages. I was stuck in the story, though it did take 50 pages to get into it- possibly due to the style of writing.
I read most of it in 5 hours- it's a very quick book- and I was hooked the whole time.
The characters, the way they wrote- it felt so realistic. They swore, they had outbursts, they got angry- because they're human. Amy Reed did an incredible job of making these characters alive. There were so many pages I folded the corners down on, because really, the writing was just PERFECT.  After finishing it,  I went back and reread so many bits just to feel that incredible rush I got reading it. It's hard for me to express the way this book made me feel, really. Reading Isobel's downfall was eerie- not about it, I was reading it, I was feeling what she felt, her helplessness, and also Connor's. It's so hard to read Isobel's denial of being unwell in some parts.

It was disturbing, and dark, but still so beautiful. Reading it was a painful experience at times. It got dark, hopeless and depressing, and bits where Isobel was a bit too cheerful were equally as hard to read as her angry, or hopeless ones. Like the ones she sent when Connor and his friend Jeremy were on a college trip- she reached a horrible low then, but it was just as hard when she was too high.
And Connor was there, loving her, trying to help but being constantly pushed away by Isobel.
This book isn't perfect, exactly, but that's what makes it perfect to me. Isobel and Connor mess up, hurt each other and themselves, and again, that's why this book is so real to me.
The thing is, I felt along with Connor and Isobel- pain, rejection, excitement, hopelessness...I felt it all with them, and I am so glad I did read this book. Possibly the best example of bipolar disorder in teens given in YA fiction.
Now, the ending. I loved the ending, as it ended nice and abruptly- usually  I hate that sort of ending in a book, but it worked perfectly for Crazy.
I pondered a film for Crazy, and then realised that the emotion just couldn't be explored like it was in the book. It can only be experienced by written word. And that is precisely why I rate this book  5 stars and name it possibly my favourite book I have read this year.



QUOTES  (is this not just the best writing ever??)

“I feel like I'm a snow globe and someone shook me up and now every little piece of me is falling back randomly and nothing is ending up where it used to be.”  

“Teen angst is so boring, isn't it? I try so hard not to be a cliche, but it's like written in my DNA to hate my parents and be totally unsatisfied with everything. I wonder if there's anyone our age who actually likes their life.”  

“What if talking about your feelings doesn't fix anything? What if what you really need is to make the feelings go away?”  

“Even though I'm sleeping again, everything still feels a little rickety, like I'm here but not quite here, like I'm just a stand-in for my real self, like someone could just reach over and pinch me and I'd deflate. I thought I was feeling better, but I don't know anymore.”  

“I said just let me try one more time and she said, "THAT'S ENOUGH, ISABEL," again, and she could just say it over and over and it would never get through my thick skull because I'm always wanting and wanting because nothing is ever enough you are never enough I am never enough I am never enough I AM NEVER ENOUGH.”  

“Maybe there's a galaxy with a planet that's just a little more tilted, with a sun that shines just a little bit darker, and that's where I'm supposed to be, where it somehow makes sense to feel this broken.”  

“I'd love to wrap myself inside your sadness and pretend it is mine.”  

Unspeakable by Abbie Rushton

Unspeakable
Abbie Rushton
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Synopsis from Goodreads-

Megan doesn't speak. She hasn't spoken in months.

Pushing away the people she cares about is just a small price to pay. Because there are things locked inside Megan's head - things that are screaming to be heard - that she cannot, must not, let out.

Then Jasmine starts at school: bubbly, beautiful, talkative Jasmine. And for reasons Megan can't quite understand, life starts to look a bit brighter.

Megan would love to speak again, and it seems like Jasmine might be the answer. But if she finds her voice, will she lose everything else?


Wow. This book made me speechless. I read it in one night- it was short, sweet and memorable.
Megan's past was sad, but I'm so happy she and Jasmine got a happy ending.
I was also glad that Luke is getting help in a psychiatric ward. What he did was so terribly wrong, but he deserves a chance to get better.
I was in suspense the whole time, wondering a) when Megan and Jasmine would finally kiss, b) when Megan would speak- so beautiful how the first thing she said to Jasmine was, "You're beautiful"- and c) WHAT happened with Hana, Megan's former best friend (she thought she had killed Hana while drunk (it turned out to be their other friend, Luke.)
This is a beautiful story of love, friendship and forgiveness-  mainly Megan forgiving herself.
I can't believe this book isn't making waves yet- it's simply perfect in every way.

The writing is beautiful- it flows perfectly, just the right amount of truth and realistic feelings- it portrays guilt, fear, happiness, and falling in love.
I thought the book ended perfectly. A letter written to Hana by Megan, saying she misses her and hopes she's happy, wherever she is- and it's written differently to the other letters to Hana in the book- like a weight has lifted off her shoulders.
Overall, the plot, character, emotion, pacing, tension... everything was just absolutely perfect!
I will reread this amazing debut in future, as well as future works from Abbie Rushton, and highly recommend this outstanding novel.

What happens when you like someone

Here's a gif explanation for what happens when you like someone.

You over- analyse every conversation you've ever had.


Every love song reminds you of them.





You worry about them finding out you like them




When you don't notice them and then they say\do something you're just like





Your friends keep trying to get you to talk to them.




If they start dating someone else, you're pretty much just like




And when they start talking about the person they're dating...




You stalk them on all social media. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr, you name it.



If they so much as walk into the room, you start flipping out.




Everything they say is hilarious.





Your friends reactions when they come near you are just like


especially if you're talking to the person you like


If you hear their name, in any context, you freak.




You get tongue-tied around them.

The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu

The Truth About Alice
Jennifer Mathieu
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Synopsis from Goodreads-

Everyone knows Alice slept with two guys at one party.

But did you know Alice was sexting Brandon when he crashed his car?

It's true. Ask ANYBODY.

Rumor has it that Alice Franklin is a slut. It's written all over the bathroom stall at Healy High for everyone to see. And after star quarterback Brandon Fitzsimmons dies in a car accident, the rumors start to spiral out of control.

In this remarkable debut novel, four Healy High students—the girl who has the infamous party, the car accident survivor, the former best friend, and the boy next door—tell all they know.

But exactly what is the truth about Alice? In the end there's only one person to ask: Alice herself.

This is a heart-wrenching book. It's not just a book about slut-shaming, it's a book about feelings, and the importance of the truth. Having four POVs and none of them being Alice was perfect, as it really sheds some light as to how far rumours can go. Did anyone even check Brandon's phone for the supposed "sexts" from Alice? No. They believed it because Josh said it.
Elaine was a pain at first. (points for Jacqueline Wilson reference!) All the "likes" in her parts were annoying but were eventually bearable. She was very shallow, as people are, and her character represented that well.
Kurt was an awesome character. He had a poetic way of phrasing things, and I don't care that he was a nerd stereotype because honestly, he was the best person in  the story. By that I mean he was a good person.
Kelsie was a terrible person but at least she admitted it. She owns the fact that yes, she ditched her best friend to stay popular, and that what she did was wrong. I am not in any way, shape or form saying that what she did was okay. It was just human. Human can be great, but it can be terrible, too. The Awful Thing, as she called it, was pretty shocking. I didn't see it coming, and it added a lot to her character, though her anger at Alice because of who she supposedly slept with was completely ridiculous.
Josh was a mildly interesting character. I don't know if anyone else picked up on this, but he seemed to have slight romantic feelings for Brandon. It's subtle, but it's there. Other than that, Josh was really just a bit of a jerk, really.
All these characters, and the whole story, felt so real. Like right now, Elaine could be getting her nails done, or Kelsie could be shopping for shoes.
The ending to this book was perfect and beautiful- ending with Alice's point of view was perfect for wrapping up the novel.
I didn't think that such a short novel- only 200 pages- could have so much depth, but it really did.
This book should really teach you an important lesson- treat people kindly. And also, think before saying.....
















QUOTES

“It’s like when we read The Diary of Anne Frank in seventh grade, and I had the sneaking suspicion that I would have been a Nazi back then because I wouldn’t have had the guts to be anything else. I know that everyone wants to believe they would have been the brave one and they would have been the one to hide Anne in their attic and they would have killed Hitler with their own bare hands. But clearly if everybody thinks that way and in reality only a few people actually did it way back then, doesn’t that just make me the honest one?”

“I really can't handle talking about this for too long because it hurts too much, but I want to say that there is one thing I've learned about people they don't get that mean and nasty overnight. It's not human nature. If you give people enough time, eventually they'll do the most heartbreaking stuff in the world.”  

 

 

NOTE: I decided not to go too deeply into my thoughts on slut-shaming, just to keep the review on topic. For my thoughts on the matter, maybe PM me on Goodreads, or perhaps email me. Thank you.

 

Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty

Sloppy Firsts
Megan McCafferty
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Synopsis from Goodreads-


“My parents suck ass. Banning me from the phone and restricting my computer privileges are the most tyrannical parental gestures I can think of. Don’t they realize that Hope’s the only one who keeps me sane? . . . I don’t see how things could get any worse.”

When her best friend, Hope Weaver, moves away from Pineville, New Jersey, hyperobservant sixteen-year-old Jessica Darling is devastated. A fish out of water at school and a stranger at home, Jessica feels more lost than ever now that the only person with whom she could really communicate has gone. How is she supposed to deal with the boy- and shopping-crazy girls at school, her dad’s obsession with her track meets, her mother salivating over big sister Bethany’s lavish wedding, and her nonexistent love life?

A fresh, funny, utterly compelling fiction debut by first-time novelist Megan McCafferty, Sloppy Firsts is an insightful, true-to-life look at Jessica’s predicament as she embarks on another year of teenage torment--from the dark days of Hope’s departure through her months as a type-A personality turned insomniac to her completely mixed-up feelings about Marcus Flutie, the intelligent and mysterious “Dreg” who works his way into her heart. Like a John Hughes for the twenty-first century, Megan McCafferty taps into the inherent humor and drama of the teen experience. This poignant, hilarious novel is sure to appeal to readers who are still going through it, as well as those who are grateful that they don’t have to go back and grow up all over again.

Sloppy Firsts has a fun feel to it, and it's easy to read- while being filled with TONS of stereotypes.




Seriously, though, I mean it. You have the druggie bad boy, gossipy, boy-crazy friend, the horny athlete, the school "slut" and Jessica- the relatable, awkward teen girl who just wants to belong. Sorry, that is becoming a stereotype now. Jessica Darling isn't so darling- she is extremely judgemental. She reacted to her friends "betrayal" quite harshly. She doesn't give people time to explain themselves. (From what I remember the betrayal was her new friend Hy using her and her classmates for journalism. I think.)

Sloppy Firsts is relatable- but tries a bit to hard to be relatable. There were hilarious moments, such as when Jessica got drunk and admitted her love to her crush- who turned out to be gay- and her constant worry about her absent period- absent for A WHOLE YEAR.



Is that not one of the most terrifying things for a girl?

Jessica and Hope's friendship was really sweet- they were obviously very close- almost like sisters, and it was good to read about a healthy (usually) friendship. I mean, Gossip Girl is fun, but friendships like Blair and Serena's in every book? It gets a little tiring.
 The book was a bit slow and too long- with some unnecessary additions like Jessica's annoying friends Sara, Bridget and Manda, and the slightly creepy jerk Scotty.
Overall, Sloppy Firsts is a pretty fun- if not generic- read that will entertain readers both old and new to Jessica Darling.