Review: And For Your Information by Denise Deegan

And For Your Information by Denise Deegan

• Pub. Date: August 25, 2011
• Publisher: Hatchette Books Ireland
• Pages:416
• Series: Butterfly #2
• Goodreads/Amazon/Book Depository

Everyone thinks they know who I am - ditzy Sarah, who cares more about appearances than she does about anything real. And yeah, I do care about what people think of me. 

Take my friends Alex and Rachel. We all go to Strandbrook College, Dublin. We're supposed to be best friends. But Alex and Rachel - they're really close. They tell each other things that they would never tell me. I try not to mind.

And then there's Simon. He's my sort-of boyfriend but we hardly see each other. And when we do, I feel like he doesn't really 'see' me, you know?

Everything's such a mess right now. My dad left us to be with Her; my mum is really angry all the time; and my brother Louis, he just doesn't care. 

I guess that's why the shoplifting started. It makes me feel good. In control.

I just want everything to change. And it does. The day I got caught . . .

First Line: We're sitting at the sushi counter in Dundrum.

Review: When I saw the second in Deegan's Butterfly series was going to be about Sarah I wasn't the most excited to read it because I had her pegged out to be air headed and annoying so when I found myself loving her character in And For Your Information I was pleasantly surprised. I wasn't expecting such a heart rendering novel but Deegan is an amazing writer so shame on me for pre-judging this novel.

I wasn't expecting a novel that would practically bring tears to my eyes, I mean in no way would you think this was anything like a Nicholas Sparks novel by the cover or the blurb but it is and that is saying something. Shane was unexpected, the blurb has no mention of him so he was a total surprise. He really helps Sarah grow as a person and plays such a powerful role in her life I can definitely say he is an unforgettable character.

If you have read the first book you know it was about Alex, and even though the book is mainly centered  around Sarah we still get to find out how things are turning out with Alex via Sarah's point of view and I am just going to say things are not what I imagined it would be for Alex, it seems she still has to find her happily ever after.

I thought Alex was my favorite but after getting inside Sarah's head and seeing who she really is she has become my favorite so far...since I know for a fact Rachel's story is next and she is still a bit of mystery to me so I can't wait to dive into the next book in the series and then I guess I can make up my mind officially on who is my favorite out of the three friends.

Overall I can't express how much I loved this book and if you haven't started the series I highly recommend you do so.

Memorable Quote:

I start in the kitchen, cleaning up Louis' usual trail of destruction. Then I hoover and mop, feeling like Cinderella. I wonder if that's how Mum feels. No. She's way too angry to ever feel like a Disney character.

Review: The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg

The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg

• Pub. Date:February 2012
• Publisher: Penguin Group 
• Pages: 400

http://www.jessrothenberg.com

"Just before her 16th birthday, Brie Eagan literally dies of a broken heart after her boyfriend tells her he does not love her. She then must go through the five stages of grief, while watching her friends and family try to cope with her death, before her faith in love is restored and she can move on to the afterlife."

First sentence:There's always that one guy who gets a hold on you.

Review:  The story itself is not what I thought it would be, I had the notion that it was going to be a quick light read when in reality it was a very sad and at times almost depressing read mixed in with humor, except I didn't find myself laughing at the things that were supposed to be funny. The one thing that annoyed me the most was all the cheese references to her name... it gets old after the third time.

I did like Brie's love for the 80's music at first I thought wow that is a rarity for a teenager of today's generation to love music from that decade but at the same time it's pretty cool and it made more sense after learning there is a perfectly good reason why she loves it so much. I wish I got to know more of Patrick but I didn't learn much about him until the last few chapters. And even though I found him slightly annoying for most of the book it's those last few chapters that helped me actually grow to like him.

The part of the story which I really enjoyed reading about was Brie's family and friends and how they were dealing with her death. There was a lot of heartbreak, misunderstandings and even betrayal.

Overall I'm still not sure how I feel about this book, there were moments when I thoroughly enjoyed it and a few times I caught myself skimming a paragraph here and there.

Review: New Girl by Paige Harbison

New Girl by Paige Harbison

• Pub. Date: January 2012
• Publisher: Harlequin Teen
• Pages: 320

 http://www.paigeharbison.com

“They call me 'New Girl'... 

Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her. Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And everyone stares at me like it’s my fault. 


Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend but she’s gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s life was so much better than mine could ever be. 

And maybe she’s still out there, waiting to take it back."

First Sentence:  The Panoramic view outside the windows of the bus showed a world that wasn't mine.


Review: The New Girl is a retelling of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier which I haven't had the chance to read so I wont be making any comparisons between the two. 

We are introduced to the new girl whose name we don't get to know until the end, and suprisingly I never even realized that I didn't know her name until it was said in the end by Max. One thing that really bugged me was the way in which she ended up at the boarding school. Apparently she wanted to go to the boarding school when she was thirteen and was rejected, but her parents had secretly been applying for her every year even though she had forgotten all about it and was happy with her current life, then her final year in high school she gets accepted into the boarding school which her parents just spring on her. What didn't make sense is she hadn't mentioned it since she was thirteen yet the parents just assumed she still wanted to go and without asking her in her senior year of high school they have her up and leave her home and her friends for something she no longer even wants. I also thought it was unrealistic that the girl didn't voice her opinions to her parents even once. 

I did like how the story switched from Becca's point of view a year ago and the new girls point of view in current times. I have to admit I found Becca disturbing, I mean she was a sociopath she only cared about herself and didn't care how her behavior affected others. As for the new girl she annoyed me a little, everyone at Manderly was so horrible to her and it took a long time before she even started to stand up for herself. Yet I do have to admit I did feel for her at the same time the way she was treated was so unfair and half the reason I kept on reading. 

My feelings were conflicted when it came to the New Girl. Even though I didn't care for any of the characters because of how cruel they all were especially Dana her new roommate, it was the same reason why I kept reading and finished this book in under a day. I wanted to know what they were going to do next, can they possibly get any worse in their behaviour towards the new girl, will the girl finally if at all stand up for herself, and what the heck really happened to Becca? 

Overall there was a creepiness factor that was pulled off very well and if you like a good mystery I would recommend this.