The S Word by Chelsea Pitcher

The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher

Publisher: Gallery Books    
Publication date: May 7th 2012
My rating: 4 stars

First it was SLUT scribbled all over Lizzie Hart’s locker.
But one week after Lizzie kills herself, SUICIDE SLUT replaces it—in Lizzie's looping scrawl.
Lizzie’s reputation is destroyed when she's caught in bed with her best friend’s boyfriend on prom night. With the whole school turned against her, and Angie not speaking to her, Lizzie takes her own life. But someone isn’t letting her go quietly. As graffiti and photocopies of Lizzie’s diary plaster the school, Angie begins a relentless investigation into who, exactly, made Lizzie feel she didn’t deserve to keep living. And while she claims she simply wants to punish Lizzie’s tormentors, Angie's own anguish over abandoning her best friend will drive her deep into the dark, twisted side of Verity High—and she might not be able to pull herself back out.
Debut author Chelsea Pitcher daringly depicts the harsh reality of modern high schools, where one bad decision can ruin a reputation, and one cruel word can ruin a life. Angie’s quest for the truth behind Lizzie’s suicide is addictive and thrilling, and her razor-sharp wit and fierce sleuthing skills makes her impossible not to root for—even when it becomes clear that both avenging Lizzie and avoiding self-destruction might not be possible.

Oh, wow. This book has made a lasting impression on me. 

First of, the main character, Angie is one heck of a girl! She caught her best friend sleeping with her boyfriend on prom night and turned her back on both of them. She doesn't seem great? Bear with me. I'll get to the good part. While Angie's ex didn't get much heat, her best friend Lizzie was bullied on every turn. Lizzie was branded a slut while she was a good and gentle girl her whole life. 

Bullying is not cool people! It sucks! It makes the victims feel worthless and some of them, like Lizzie find the only way out in suicide. Sure, there are those who triumph but not everyone can resist attacks from every side. Even though Angie didn't bully Lizzie she still felt responsible.  And I would like to give props to the author for writing such a strong and persistent leading lady. Most of the MCs in books about bullying are wimps but in the end they pull through while Angie wouldn't back out and fought to discover what really happened to Lizzie. She was a fighter and even though she wasn't ready to forgive her best friend right away, or while she was still alive, her strength was inspiring and made me like this book even more. 

I don't get why does this book has such a low rating on Goodreads. 3.38 to be exact. It's embarrassing and preposterous. I've read so many lousy books and this doesn't come close to being one of them. 

I would recommend The S-Word to those who are looking for  a contemporary novel which deals with not only bullying but also about forgiveness, strength and letting others see who you really are

Top Ten Tuesday #19

Top Ten Books Featuring Travel In Some Way

1. Just One Day - Gayle Forman can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned. 
2. Saving June - I liked Hannah's Speechless more than Saving June but it was still wonderful. 
3. Take Me There - One of the darker road trip books. 
4. Anna and the French Kiss - They do travel. By plane to France and back to US. So Hah!
5. Amy and Roger's Epic Detour - The first road trip book I've read. 

1. Revolution - Travelling to France and learning about history. People! You need to read this book!
2. Wanderlove - This book also has author's sketched. How cool is that?
3. Unbreak My Heart - The first book about sailing. I loved it. 
4. First Comes Love - Travelling around US with a crazy/interesting girl. A MUST READ! 
5. Two-Way Street - Actually, this is the first road trip book I've read. All I remember there was a lot of fighting between the 2 exes travelling together. hehe 

Book Review: Obsession by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Book: Obsession
Author: Jennifer L.Armentrout
File Type: Ebook
Release date: May 31st 2013
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
My rating: 2 stars.

synopsis: He’s arrogant, domineering, and... To. Die. For.

Hunter is a ruthless killer. And the Department of Defense has him firmly in their grasp, which usually doesn’t chafe too badly because he gets to kill bad guys. Most of the time he enjoys his job. That is, until he’s saddled with something he’s never had to do before: protect a human from his mortal enemy.

Serena Cross didn’t believe her best friend when she claimed to have seen the son of a powerful senator turn into something... unnatural. Who would? But then she witnesses her friend’s murder at the hands of what can only be an alien, thrusting her into a world that will kill to protect their secret.

Hunter stirs Serena’s temper and her lust despite their differences. Soon he’s doing the unthinkable—breaking the rules he’s lived by, going against the government to keep Serena safe. But are the aliens and the government the biggest threats to Serena’s life… or is it Hunter?

Wow. 

This was such an epic fail.

I won't lie. I was very excited about this one. The thing about JLA books are that they aren't very original. Actually. They aren't original at all. But where they lack in originality, they more than make up that gap with their entertaining nature. But clearly, Obsession lacked that too. 
I've actually grown tired now. I really do like the Lux series and I won't deny the fact that I keep up with the Covenant series. I even know in my heart that when the sequel for her NA book, Wait For You comes out, I'll be keeping my eyes out for it as well. But, like I said, I'm tired now. Entertainment goes as far as boredom catches upto you. There is so much repetition that honestly, if it's not my boredom then it's my frustration speaking right now. 

We have Serena Cross as our female protagonist who unfortunately stumbles her human ass into an alien conspiracy following the literal and untimely incineration of her bestfriend. Now there are big guns behind this particular alien conspiracy, and being a human and an unwanted witness to it, aliens are behind her to finish her off. But this game of cat and mouse shall not be simple and so enters, Serena's chosen protector, Hunter the badass Arum. 

After what I gathered from the Lux series, Arum are bad bad bad aliens and they are eviiil. I'll give it to the book that it has successfully managed to convince me that an Arum doesn't look like this, 



But actually.Is like this,



And that if you look at the world from the point of an Arum, you'd notice how similar and not similar the Luxen and the Arum actually are. Both of them are alien species that have travelled several light years after the destruction of their galaxy and have settled on Earth. Each of them are bred to kill each other. But that necessarily doesn't mean that the entire group of them are born evil and that each of them believe in the destruction of the other. This concept and idea along with the protector alien and the human who needs protection dynamic, it pretty much makes up the 'new' and slightly original element in the entire book. 

And the rest?

Let's see.

Serena is an infuriating protagonist. Hunter reminds me of an older version of Daemon and this is a book that should be kept away from kids. Does that some it up? Pretty much.
In Obsession, I was missing the funny-ness and the sarcastic banter that is usually present in a JLA book. What I did find was absolutely nonsensical. For example,

Potato: You're fat.
Tomato: So are YOU!!
Potato: I agree that I'm fat BUT you're fatter.
Tomato: NO. *With that defiant look* 
Potato ( in his mind) : Oooh, she's so feisty and yummy.
Tomato: What are you looking at?
Potato: You're so red. 
Tomato: *blushes*
Potato (in his mind.): I might just want to eat her up..

The end. 

This is the kind of conversation that usually went on between Serena and Hunter and all those times, I was thinking whether I should laugh or cry. And the characters were not normal. I have this question. Is it the lonely,closed vicinity or a person's idiocy that makes them blush all.the.time because the guy with them is SO HOT when oh my dear lord, her best friend is dead?
The pace was fast and the general idea was to get people hot and bothered which it also failed to do. In the end, I wasn't feeling this book at all.
But then there were moments. Not many. But they were there.

There was Luc, the fifteen year old badass entrepenuer who owns a club and deals in precious stones and then there was that brief scene which had Daemon in it. Something about men in pain when it concerns their beloved makes me SO WARM. It's sadistic but I clearly don't care. 
And then there was this moment where I actually liked the Serena-Hunter love. 

When I'd finally finished with the book all I could say was 'Mazza nahin aaya.' which means, that it just wasn't worth it. Obsession was a big disappointment. Can't say that it redeemed itself in the end, because it didn't.

Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead

Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead

Publisher: Dutton Adult    
Publication date: June 4th 2012
My rating: 2 stars

In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills.

When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.

Gameboard of the Gods, the first installment of Richelle Mead’s Age of Xseries, will have all the elements that have made her YA Vampire Academyand Bloodlines series such megasuccesses: sexy, irresistible characters; romantic and mythological intrigue; and relentless action and suspense.

Eh, what a disappointment this book turned out to be. I'm really upset. As you may know, Richelle is my favorite author. I would read anything she writes. Well, the only exceptions were Dark Swan series and Age of X which is the title of this new series. They just didn't click with me the way that Succubus, VA and Bloodlines did. 

When I found out I got approved for this egalley I was ecstatic and I started reading it right away. That was months ago, in February and it was finished a couple of hours ago. The reason I didn't completely abandoned it is that it's Richelle freaking Mead we're talking about!  

I don't think this will be a long review because I don't feel comfortable giving my favorite author a negative review but I have to write something. 

Gameboard of the Gods did require a lot of blood, sweat and tears. Richelle obviously did put a lot of effort to create this new world but it was just too much of everything. She used mythology references like she usually does in her novels mixed with a dystopian world. I'm not usually for info-dumping this time it was necessary. We get snippets of information and then we have to wait to find out later what it all means. I'm not talking about revealing the big secrets. We didn't get general information till later which didn't make me a happy camper. It was so confusing and hard to keep up. How can I like a book I don't even understand?