The Fault in our Stars by John Green

Mates, Dates series by Cathy Hopkins books 7-8

Mates, Dates and Sequin Smiles
Cathy Hopkins
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆


Izzie, Lucy, and T. J. crowded round and stared at me, like they were waiting for a circus freak to begin her act. I shook my head. "You're going to have to open your mouth some time," said Lucy. "Come on, put your hand down." I shook my head. "It's horrible. I look like a can opener."
Nesta is devastated. She has to wear braces. She thinks that no boy will ever look at her again without thinking of the killer shark in Jaws. And practicing a smile that doesn't show her teeth isn't helping. There's only one option: to become a recluse.
Lucy, Izzie, and T. J. try to help Nesta understand that her looks haven't changed, but Nesta's not convinced. Things change, however, when she meets Luke, who not only restores her confidence in her ability to attract boys, but also introduces her to a whole new side of her personality.
 

These books are draining my will to live. This book just proves how vain and idiotic Nesta is. This was also the slowest book, and all the backstory with Luke and Nesta's families was just added to make conflict. The characters were just as dumb as ever, and it looks like next book will be another round of Lucy and Tony kiss, he pressures her to have sex, and she dumps him. Greeaaaat.
These girls are so annoying. If I met any of them in real life- especially Nesta and TJ- I'd slap them.

They not only treat guys like trash, they treat each other awfully too.






Mates, Dates, and Tempting Trouble
Cathy Hopkins
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Synopsis from Goodreads-

""I wonder what would have happened if I'd met you before Nesta," said Luke as he took my hand and looked deeply into my eyes. A bolt of electricity shot through me and I snatched my hand back as if it had been burnt. This can't be happening, I thought."
When Luke, the boy that Nesta has been dating, declares passionate love for T.J., she doesn't know what has hit her. She does her best to avoid him, but when the local schools are asked to work together on a project, Luke is chosen as the overall coordinator and T.J. has no choice but to report back to him on a regular basis. Misunderstandings and miscommunications threaten the girls' friendship and split them into two camps: Lucy and Nesta, Izzie and T.J. Will their friendship survive? And what will T.J.'s steady boyfriend, Steve, make of it all?


This book absolutely DISGUSTED ME. I think cheating, for any reason, is NEVER okay. TJ is a pathetic excuse for a human being. She keeps trying to make the reader feel bad for her. GUESS WHAT? I'm not going to fall for it. These books are the definition of anti-feminism.

Wow, these books are great for girls to read. Then they will think it's okay to treat boys like rubbish, date their friends boyfriends, and backstab their friends. Perfect!

Why am I even continuing this series?

Mates, Dates series by Cathy Hopkins books 5-6

Mates, Dates and Sole Survivors
Cathy Hopkins
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Synopsis from Goodreads-

After a missed connection with Tony, Lucy takes the advice of her best pals and decides to instead focus on other boys and on herself. She and Izzie attend a spa/self-help retreat for the weekend, but Lucy is surprised when a run-in (literally) with a guy turns out to be more than she expected. Ah, Daniel seems so sweet at first: attentive to her, generous, into fashion...but then Lucy gets word that his past relationships have fizzled because of his overbearing behavior. Read that: He has a history of being a control freak -- but is that just history, or will it happen with Lucy, too? Never fear, for Lucy's good sense and her friends' sage advice put her on the path of being true to herself.

It's official. I AM ADDICTED TO THESE BOOKS. I HATE THEM, BUT I CAN'T STOP READING THEM!!

This one, though, I actually liked. I don't like how these girls go through boys like tissues and then blame them for being fickle, however.

Sole Survivors actually made me laugh in places- it was significantly more tolerable.




Mates, Dates and Mad Mistakes
Cathy Hopkins
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Synopsis from Goodreads-


As soon as Mum dropped me off, I made a dive for the ladies room, where I trashed the sandwich she'd made me and reapplied my makeup. Mum really didn't understand. I couldn't possibly get up on stage in front of everyone looking like I was dressed for afternoon tea with my grandma.
Izzie is restless, and eager to be treated like an adult. So she decides it's time to make some changes. But the new Izzie comes with new problems. First there is Josh Harper, an older, cute-but-wild boy. Then there is her mother, who is opposed to every part of the "new Izzie."
How can Izzie learn about herself and what it means to be grown up -- without upsetting everyone along the way?

These books have the same formula. A new boy every book, conflict, drama.
This one got a bit darker, studying issues like drugs and drinking, but I wish it gave more of a message of how bad it is for you. But I suppose they had to keep it light and fluffy. I think I'd enjoy these books a bit more if they built up a plot between a few books, it's feeling a bit Glee at the moment. You know, how in an episode one drama pops up and is solved in the end? Then the next episode does the same.
Can't say I was disappointed, as I didn't expect much.

Mates, Dates series by Cathy Hopkins books 3-4

Mates, Dates and Designer Divas
Cathy Hopkins
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Synopsis from Goodreads-

"Trust me to go and fall for someone who lives on the other side of the planet."
Nesta has met the perfect boy: good-looking, fun, sweet. But there are problems, too. Simon's from a rich, upper-class background -- with a lifestyle to match -- and it's difficult for Nesta to keep up. And then there's Simon's friend Cressida. What can Nesta do to compete with the ultimate Designer Diva?
Well, it seems all the MCs are clones. No individuality whatsoever. Pathetic. While easy to read and kill time with, it was immature and annoying and I just don't care about any of these characters. They're all exactly the same.




Mates, Dates and Sleepover Secrets
Cathy Hopkins
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Synopsis from Goodreads-

"How can a new girl fit in?"
He talked, I listened. As I tried to appear interested, I thought that even Mojo was more interested in what I had to say. And he's a dog."

Theresa Joanne (T. J. to her friends) is having a difficult year. First her best friend moves away. Then there's the problem with boys: They never seem to notice that she's a girl. But when Lucy befriends T. J., things start to look up. But will Lucy's best friends Nesta and Izzie accept her and let her into their world of sleepovers, secrets, laughter, and advice?

WHY WOULD YOU ADD ANOTHER CHARACTER??

Not only did they add another clone to the pack of parrot girls, there was a disgusting homophobic slur used as a joke. TJ was a horrible, annoying person. I had absolutely no pity for her.

Mates, Dates series by Cathy Hopkins books 1-2

I hate these books so much. Here are my reviews for each book.



Mates, Dates and Inflatable Bras
Cathy Hopkins
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Synopsis from Goodreads-

Everything is changing around Lucy Loverling, and a turning point is exactly what she does NOT need. Suddenly she has to make all sorts of decisions including what she wants to be. And it seems that everyone else knows who and what she wants to be except her. Izzie has become friends with the glamorous Nesta, and Lucy isn't certain she likes a threesome. Nesta and Izzie look sixteen, but Lucy, at fourteen, can still pass for a twelve-year-old.

But then one day Lucy sees the most wonderful boy crossing the street, and things do start to change -- in all areas of her life...

Girls actually like these books?


To be honest, Cathy Hopkin's writing is a bit immature for me. The books seem to be better for pre-teens, though they're supposed to be YA.
It was okay, but I hated Lucy, as she constantly whined. Izzie and Nesta were a bit dull, too. While it's quick, I wont be recommending it. Might as well read the rest though. How bad can they be, really?




Mates, Dates, and Cosmic Kisses
Cathy Hopkins
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
Synopsis from Goodreads-

This follow-up to Mate, Dates, and Inflatable Bras is told by cool and sassy Izzie Foster. Desperate to make sense of things after meeting the divine Mark, Izzie spends her time at home--waiting for his call. When she loses her perspective and sense of fun, Lucy and Nesta give her a reality check.

Yeah, Cathy's writing does nothing for me. Lucy and Izzy have the exact same voice. If I didn't know it was from Izzie's POV I would've just assumed it was still Lucy. She does the exact things- goes on about a  boy and complains about her friends.

I did like that Lucy dumped Tony because he was pressuring her, and EVENTUALLY Izzie stood up for herself around Mark. But the first 90% was awful.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Jesse Andrews
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Synopsis from Goodreads-

Greg Gaines is the last master of high school espionage, able to disappear at will into any social environment. He has only one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time making movies, their own incomprehensible versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics.

Until Greg’s mother forces him to rekindle his childhood friendship with Rachel.

Rachel has been diagnosed with leukemia—-cue extreme adolescent awkwardness—-but a parental mandate has been issued and must be obeyed. When Rachel stops treatment, Greg and Earl decide the thing to do is to make a film for her, which turns into the Worst Film Ever Made and becomes a turning point in each of their lives.

And all at once Greg must abandon invisibility and stand in the spotlight.

So, this is the third time I've read this book, and I read it for the third time for 2 reasons: a) it's my favourite book, and b) the MOVIE IS OUT SOON.
Don't go into this thinking it's the new The Fault in our Stars, because it's NOT. It's insensitive, immature and kind of gross at times. But it is hilarious. Every time I've read it, I have always laughed my head off the whole way through.
Greg is not that great a person sometimes, but he has a good heart, and while Earl seems like a bit of  a thug, he is actually a really good person, and gets to know Rachel and understands her.
Even though Rachel does die, it isn't presented in a sad manner- it's emotional, but kind of awkwardly emotional more than anything.
I love how you don't have to take this book seriously but it does have some good messages in it.
You have to be kind of twisted and weird to appreciate this book to its extreme- lots of people hated it because they expected a sad, heart-warming, romantic story that teaches you how precious and meaningful life is- do NOT expect that.
Honestly, this is a brilliant book, and I will reread it about 100 more times in the future. Also, can't wait for the movie!

Quotes

“The most beautiful thing about you is that you’re not a sock puppet.”  

“it's just never a good idea to compliment a girl's boobs. [...] "You have nice boobs." Bad. "You have two nice boobs." Worse. "Two boobs? Perfect." F minus.”  

“I'm not really putting this very well. My point is this: This book contains precisely zero Important Life Lessons, or Little-Known Facts About Love, or sappy tear-jerking Moments When We Knew We Had Left Our Childhood Behind for Good, or whatever. And, unlke most books in which a girl gets cancer, there are definitely no sugary paradoxical single-sentence-paragraphs that you're supposed to think are deep because they're in italics. Do you know what I'm talking about? I'm talking about sentences like this:

The cancer had taken her eyeballs, yet she saw the world with more clarity than ever before.

Barf. Forget it. For me personally, things are in no way more meaningful because I got to know Rachel before she died. If anything, things are less meaningful. All right?”  


“If after reading this book you come to my home and brutally murder me, I do not blame you.”  

“Girls like good-looking guys, and I am not very good-looking. In fact, I sort of look like a pudding.”  

“I entered Excessive Modesty Mode. Nothing is stupider and more ineffective than Excessive Modesty Mode. It is a mode in which you show that you’re modest by arguing with someone who is trying to compliment you. Essentially, you are going out of your way to try to convince someone that you’re a jerk.”  

“There was just something about her dying that I had understood but not really understood, if you know what I mean. I mean, you can know someone is dying on an intellectual level, but emotionally it hasn't really hit you, and then when it does, that's when you feel like sh-t.”

“We used to be pretty good friends, but fourteen-year-old girls are psychotic.”  

“And the point of Rachel the Film should really have been to express how awful and sh-tty that loss was, that she would have become a person with a long awesome life if she had been allowed to continue living, and that this was just a stupid meaningless loss, a mother-cking loss, a loss loss loss f-cking loss, there was no f-cking meaning to it, there was nothing that could come out of it...”  

“Usually it's when your guard is down that you find yourself saying the most dick sentences of your life.”  

“There are two kinds of hot girls: Evil Hot Girls, and Hot Girls Who Are Also Sympathetic Good-Hearted People and Will Not Intentionally Destroy Your Life (HGWAASGHPAWNIDYL).”  

“When girls see two Unattractives dating, they think, 'Hey! Love is possible even for unattractive people. They have to love different things about each other than their physical appearances. That's so sweet.' Meanwhile, dudes see it and think, 'That is one less guy I have to compete with for the most succulent boobs in the Boob Competition that is high school.”

“So the rich kids aren't the alpha group of the school. The next most likely demographic would be the church kids: They're plentiful, and they are definitely interested in school domination. However, that strength -- the will to dominate -- is also their greatness weakness, because they spend so much time trying to convince you to hang out with them, and the way they try to do that is by inviting you over to their church. 'We've got cookies and board games,' they say, or that sort of thing. 'We just got a Wii set up!' Something about it always seems a little off. Eventually, you realize: These same exact sentences are also said by child predators.”  

“So if this were a normal book about a girl with leukemia, I would probably talk a sh-tload about all the meaningful things Rachel had to say as she got sicker and sicker, and also probably we would fall in love and have some incredibly fulfilling romantic thing and she would die in my arms. But I don't feel like lying to you. She didn't have meaningful things to say, and we definitely didn't fall in love. She seemed less pissed with me after my stupid outburst, but she basically just went from irritable to quiet.”

FIN

Annie On My Mind by Nancy Garden

 

Annie On My Mind
Nancy Garden
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Synopsis from Goodreads-

This groundbreaking book is the story of two teenage girls whose friendship blossoms into love and who, despite pressures from family and school that threaten their relationship, promise to be true to each other and their feelings. This book is so truthful and honest, it has been banned from many school libraries and even publicly burned in Kansas City.

Of the author and the book, the Margaret A. Edwards Award committee said, “Nancy Garden has the distinction of being the first author for young adults to create a lesbian love story with a positive ending. Using a fluid, readable style, Garden opens a window through which readers can find courage to be true to themselves.”

This book will stay with me forever.
It's a beautiful, beautiful love story.
I write this review after having reread the book for the first time since reading it last year, and I loved it even more this time.
The characters, Annie and Liza's romance.. it felt so real, and beautiful. Their story is a gorgeous one, and this book really has so much emotion and truth in it.
It isn't just a coming out or coming-of-age story, it is a ground-breaking love story.
I felt happy and peaceful while reading this- it's the perfect novel to curl up in front of a fireplace with- but it's also a brutal reminder of how things were in the past. People are so much more accepting now, but it was hard to read about what happened to Liza as a result of her and Annie's relationship. The fact that the head-teacher  fired two teachers for being gay was horrible to read.

But the ending was so worth those beautifully sad pages. The ending was perfectly beautiful, romantic and sweet. It was like unicorns, candy-canes and fluffy kittens.
This book is a valuable gift to me, and I am so happy it exists, despite the homophobes, doubters, and angry mobs of parents.

Quotes

“It's Annie and me they're all sitting around here like cardboard people judging; It's Annie and me. And what we did that they think is wrong, when you pare it all down, was fall in love.”  

 “I went downstairs to Dad’s encyclopedia and looked up HOMOSEXUALITY, but that didn’t tell me much about any of the things I felt. What struck me most, though, was that, in the whole long article, the word “love” wasn’t used even once. That made me mad; it was as if whoever wrote the article didn’t know that gay people actually love each other. The encyclopedia writers ought to talk to me, I thought as I went back to bed; I could tell them something about love.”  

“The first day, I stood in the kitchen leaning against the counter watching Annie feed the cats, and I knew I wanted to be able to do that forever: stand in kitchens watching Annie feed cats. Our kitchens. Our cats.”  

“Don't let ignorance win. Let love.”