Joint Review: The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler

The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler

Publisher: Simon Pulse    
Publication date: May 21st 2013
My rating: 5 stars

Jude has learned a lot from her older sisters, but the most important thing is this: The Vargas brothers are notorious heartbreakers. She’s seen the tears and disasters that dating a Vargas boy can cause, and she swore an oath—with candles and a contract and everything—to never have anything to do with one.
Now Jude is the only sister still living at home, and she’s spending the summer helping her ailing father restore his vintage motorcycle—which means hiring a mechanic to help out. Is it Jude’s fault he happens to be cute? And surprisingly sweet? And a Vargas?
Jude tells herself it’s strictly bike business with Emilio. Her sisters will never find out, and Jude can spot those flirty little Vargas tricks a mile away—no way would she fall for them. But Jude’s defenses are crumbling, and if history is destined to repeat itself, she’s speeding toward some serious heartbreak…unless her sisters were wrong?
Jude may have taken an oath, but she’s beginning to think that when it comes to love, some promises might be worth breaking.

Love, love, love this book! It was unputdownable from the first page, up to the last. Sarah Ockler is one of those YA contemporary authors who actually writes books with normal characters mostly dealing with ordinary family problems. They are just like us and that's the reason it's so easy for me to relate to one or two of them. 

You can tell a lot about an author from the way they shape their characters. They can be determined, perky, sarcastic, brave, loyal, witty, modest, independent and so on. I think that some of the authors share pieces of themselves in their novels so even if I started reading a book without the cover I would know who wrote it. And that is what it's all about! Readers recognizing your writing style and setting your work apart from the rest. 

I think I need to point out that this blurb is not entirely correct. First of, the romance part of the book is talking up around %30 of the book while the part where Jude helps her father who's suffering from Alzheimer's, takes the rest 70%. Not that I didn't mind. The love interest, Emilio is in the story right from the start but catching his eye wasn't the priority back then. 

So, this is a story about Jude, a high-school graduate who's spending her last summer as a kid looking after her dad, who's recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. She's trying to cheer him up by restoring his old bike so they hire a mechanic to fix it. Complications start after Jude realizes the guy fixing Valentina (the bike's name) is non other than one of the infamous Vargas brothers. Vargas Bros. broke hearts of her two older sisters so Jude is trying to push Emilio away only this time, Emilio is apparently so not like the rest of Vargas pack. He makes Jude question her loyalty to her family and but it takes more than a guy with dimples to get under her skin. She did try to stay away from him but their connection was just evident. 

This book was brilliant. This is my favorite Ockler book, so far. If you're looking for a book with normal teenage character without too much drama, to brighten up your day I suggest you pick The Book of Broken Hearts up! Now! 

What a brilliant last chapter. It made me cry. So touching. It was almost as if I was there with them. I can't wait to read Ockler's next book. Why does it need to come out next year? Ugh! S&S peeps need to give this lady a better contract, where she will be a slave, writing books all day long so we can enjoy every few month and not have to wait a whole year for another taste. Am I right? 

I’ve always been a Papa’s girl. And as far as I can remember, things have always been that way. That being said, if it has to be someone as my confidante for awkward conversations in the world of ladydom and awkward conversations OR conversations in general, then it’s my mother all the way. But there is this peculiar and I’m obviously cheesy when it comes to emotional and sentimental values, so yes, ‘magical’ bond between a father and a daughter. It’s in ordinary moments of ‘my dad taught me how to ride a bike..or my dad scared the shit out of my boyfriend...or my dad got me flowers because I did well..or my dad gave me tea when I was sick..’ etc. It’s also in those unforgettable moments when you’re leaving home to go away and beside your mother, your dad looks at you with that ‘my-little-birdy-is-flying-away-now’ look or when he gives you away at your wedding. So in general, dad’s rock. And after reading this book, I really missed my father. And I started to remember little things that included just my father and me.

Sarah Ockler never disappoints me. In fact, things just seem to get better and better. The Book Of Broken Hearts, is a great story about love and self-realisation. It’s your typical story of a protagonist thrown in a maze full of surprises.

See, when you’re in a maze, the first thing you try do is find a way out. You’re no psychic so you’re going to come across many dead ends. And if it’s a really fun maze then there are those dreaded obstacles and also those amazing rewards. The thing about a maze, is that you never give up and you just try and try and try to get out. So in a similar context. A maze is what is seventeen year old Jude Hernandez’s life. It’s summer, at the end of which , Jude will be heading towards her chosen college and will settle into a new life. But for now it’s summer and she has a bike that needs to be restored , a cute mechanic to handle, three sisters to juggle , friends to maintain communication with, mother to help, a lot of self confidence to build and a dad with Alzheimer’s to spend time with. Think she can get through this surprisingly tender maze? Yes please.

The Book Of Broken Heart, surprised me in many ways. The pace and writing style flows in amazingly and the narrator is fun to read about and see things through. It’s hilarious where it needs to be and sad wherever required.  The characters are great and the secondary characters contribute in perfect measures. It’s a bundle of technical niceness.

Jude’s character is one of my favourite characters in the contemporary genre. I felt for her. I understood her dilemma and it was understandable to see why and how she took certain decisions. The love interest, Emilio Vargas, the guy whose family she was warned about since the age of twelve, added nicely to the mix. I like how their relationship played out. It was nice and sweet and not too dramatic with a healthy flow of banter and intensity here and there. Then there were Jude’s enigmatic sisters, Mariposa, Lourdes and Araceli who with their sisterly awesomeness added to the Sarah Ockler paradise. There was Jude’s mother. And then there was Papi, Jude’s father. Who in my opinion, was my favourite person in the whole book because he reminded me of my father in so many ways.

I’ll tell you now, what I loved the best about the whole book. The relationships. And by that ,not only am I pointing finger towards the fantastic portrayal of father-daughter love or first love in terms of I-wish-to-use-your-body-like-a-jungle-gym (The OC reference never fails to disappoint me.) , but also the case where your friends come into place. People come and go. But it is only the ones stay in times of need, are the ones who count. Things change everyday. People drift apart not by their differences but simply because they changed. And then there are some who just simply stay and no change or difference, could ever tear them away. This is something that happens everyday in life and it’s amazing how Ms. Ockler has managed to inculcate this tiny everyday thought in her book too.

I will not lie. There were emotional moments and it is because of THIS. This thing I don’t know which manages to make me emotional and miss my dad and just invoke those poignant thoughts in general, makes me love this book even more.

Joint Review: Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Publisher: Harper 
Publication date: February 5th 2013
My rating: 5 stars

tickticktickticktick
it's
 almost time for war.Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.

 If you thought Shatter Me was something special, wait till you read Unravel Me. Tahareh's writing style just amazes me. How she merges poetry with prose. It's just so beautiful. If, by any chance you still haven't read Unravel Me, or dare I say Shatter Me, please, do because there is no way you won't like what this woman has to say. It's an emotional bomb. Ovaries were exploding every time Warner showed up. 

Unravel Me starts of with Juliette and Adam discovering he isn't immune to Juliette's touch. So they try to stay away from one another which only brings out almost 200 pages of relationship drama. Don't get me wrong, I was enjoying it because it was all working out the way I hoped it would. In the middle of this drama Warner appears and we see the amazing dog scene from Destroy Me in Juliette's POV. She can't get Warner out of her head because he seemed so different from the cruel and heartless guy she met in the first book. 

Warner! How much I love him! He was the villain which I don't actually see as one. He's just got a lot of daddy issues like pretty much anyone in this book. I was a huge Warner fan since Shatter Me, he made me fall in love with him in Destroy Me and I was totally crazy after I got to know him even more in Unravel Me.  He is smart, good-looking well trained soldier. He loves to read and whenever he speaks he  does seem better than others, in spite of his flaws. And yet, there are so many things we don't know about him. Tahereh is a smart lady. She's not going to reveal all her card till the final round. 

*dies* *dies* *dies*

Chapter 62 deserves to be mentioned too for I feel there hasn't been a chapter this emotional and hot, well, since forever. It gave me so much joy and yet I wanted more. Since I have both hardback and the audiobook of Unravel Me I had to listen so I can experience it in another, totally different way. And let me tell you, the way that Kate Simses narrates is just unbelievable. You can feel the longing and restraint. 

Why you do this to me, Tahereh? 

Juliette and Warner are going to end up together in the final book because there is no way Tahereh wrote all that in Unravel Me and say 'Oh, that wasn't anything special. Juliette and Adam are endgame.' I refuse to believe there is even a small chance it won't go my way. I mean, after so many of my teams lost, I at least deserve to get this one! I deserve to be happy and so do these characters.  Even Tahereh's mum is on Team Warner. :D 

Me daydreaming I'm Juliette. 

I don't care much about Adam. He can be unhappy for the rest of his life. LOL I did like him in Shatter Me and yet there was Warner. Warner steals every scene. Adam, the stoic guy who walks in thigh shirts just seems unrealistic. There's just something that rubs me the wrong way whenever he's there. And even Juliette doesn't think he can handle her deepest secrets but she can confide in Warner. A & J just aren't compatible enough. 

No, she doesn't, Luna. No, she doesn't. 

There was one character I need to mention. He saved our Juliette from being a big mess after she faces every small obstacle. It's Kenji! He is an epithet for what it means to be a friend, even though he was just doing his job. He was Juliette's rock, while Adam was out sulking and dealing with his problems. Kenji, the guy who always makes us laugh with his roguish charm has some secrets of his own. He doesn't share a lot of his true feeling but it was obvious he cares about a lot of people. I'm sure Tahereh will write a novella in his POV so we'll finally understand why he is the way he is. 

Kenji when he's around Juliette 

And last but not least, Juliette. She went through a transformation. She still cries, pities herself and apologizes to everyone for every single thing people don't approve about her. After she talked with Warner I believe he gave her some insight how to overcome those things and by the end she was fierce. That last page was shocking, at least to me it was. She is done playing nice and I wanted to scream because I can't wait to see what is her next move. Will she join Warner to help take down his father, will she be on her own, or will she go back to save her friends? Where is the third book? I want it now! 

At least you'll evolve from that stage.

Sorry guys for all of these gifs. I promised myself I will control my fangirling but I just couldn't resist it. Tahereh brings out so many feeling from deep inside, the ones I thought I never had. 

I'm trying control my laughter and snorting after that fantastic review written above by Zemira.
I agree with everything she said. I agree with her so much that right now I'm utterly clueless.

But Like Always,

I try.

Note: I'm trying to copy Tahareh's style of writing which I wasn't a big fan of until Destroy Me came and literally destroyed me.

This book is SO epic.

I can't even begin to explain how many times I gasped in surprise while reading this book. And gasping was always something that puzzled me. It's just that I've come across many books which has their protagonists gasping over things I can't even seem to understand why needs gasping ,because in my mind, I had no clue as to what the hell was so 'GASP' about that whole damn scenario. So naturally, when I had not one , not two but THREE gasping moments (and these are the ones I noted.) , I just had to stop reading and register that moment of triumph which occurs when you know that the author just fooled you. Or in this case, nailed you. 

I will be honest. Shatter Me wasn't the greatest book I read and it was only after reading Destroy me that I thought that I probably should give Unravel me a try. 

Sometimes, I just want to shoot myself and take my brain out and kiss it until I die. 

Gross, I know. But who cares? Whatever triggered my actions to actually order the book and read it is something I'll forever be indebted to.

And also. Warner is unmistakably the finest piece of YA awesomeness I've come across in a long , long time. Sorry badass protags of YA, but this guy just beat all your asses  for the top spot. 

I'm usually blown by books that are what their prequels could never be. I'm sorry, but in this case, Unravel Me annihilated Shatter Me. My experience of reading Unravel Me was almost like me sitting in a theatre and watching a movie.

So let's go step by step shall we? And I promise you , that there are no spoilers.

So I crack open the book and start reading it. Which is like me sitting in a theatre when the movie starts and all the lights go off. The first half is interesting but the characters are making you gag of uselessness. You hate the main girl and you hate the main guy. You just hate hate hate. And you know that THIS is going to be a disaster.It's just because of that one character (Kenji.) who's so awesome that you could just fall in love with again and again that you continue to have hope. And just before the first half is going to end..BOOM! You read or er, see something that totally wakes you up and you're like 'Oh Oh Oh OMG. WHAT WAS THAT. So cool.' and then suddenly...

Intermission.

Now you know that things are going to be Badass with a capital 'B'.

So you arm yourselves with popcorns and drinks and dive headfirst into the movie. Or in my case, the book. 

You're on the second half now and it's like..it's like you're in a different world. The girl is changing. And you can see the damn change. She is evolving! The story is evolving! Everything is evolving and then there are those moments I  mentioned before, GASP! So many GASP moments. And you're dead and floating in heaven.

And then the thing ends. AND YOU NEED THE NEXT BOOK RIGHT NOW.

But there's that thing for now.

That satisfaction. That smile. That THING. 

There is so much change. Even Tahareh's writing seems to have evolved and grown. It's all such a beautiful mess and I'm afraid I'm going to cry happy tears. 

And the love triangle?

I will Shatter, Destory and Unravel anything that doesn't let Warner and KENJI! have his happy ending. 

While we all know about Juliette , Warner and Adam, I personally felt that this book was all about Kenji. He owned this one. More than anyone, he was the one who intrigued me and I just knew that this guy was going to do wonders! And wonders? My heart needs to be in the damn ICU.

Some want Warner.

Some want Adam. (Pfft..who am I kidding? NOBODY wants Adam.)

BUT.

I

want

KENJI.

Give me this guy. Please..Please.

There were these other characters as well who did an amazing job but right now I can't think straight because my mind is consumed with Kenji and Warner. (Sorry Kenji, but the blonde god is badass.)

The thing is you need to read this book. I don't care if you didn't like Shatter Me but you need to read this book. YOU NEED TO.  Plus, you get to know what Warner's first name is. I'm sure you want to know THAT , don't you?
IF you're a person whose already read it. Please ignore what I just said above. I'm not always that violent.

And did I tell you that Juliette and I are on their way to become best buds?

Yes. Even I can't believe how warped up my brain is.

SO MUCH TRANSFORMATION.

I love you so much dear book.

Okay insanity over. Bye.

Joint Review: The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

Title:  The Nightmare Affair
Author:  Mindee Arnett
File type:  hardcover
Release date:  March 5th, 2013
Genre:  YA, paranormal, magic

Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare.
Literally.
Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy, is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder.
Then Eli’s dream comes true.
Now Dusty has to follow the clues—both within Eli’s dreams and out of them—to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target.

The Nightmare Affair was one my list of top 5 most anticipated debut novels this year. Ever since I read the blurb I knew I wanted to read it because I've never read a book about a real Nightmare. Dusty invades other people's dreams in order to feed. I didn't explain it right but once you start reading it, you'll get it. And look at that wonderful cover! 

I did not expect it to be such a fun book. I thought it would be more dark and mysterious but I prefer it the way it was because I don't think I would like it if it turned out to be spooky since I read plenty of horror books this past few weeks. It was just what I needed. 

Dusty Everheart is a Nightmare and after her latest 'victim', Eli, discovers her sitting on his chest while he was sleeping magic government(or something like that) send him to her school where Dusty and Eli have to meet up 3 times a week for dream invading sessions. 

Eli is your typical hot guy so he didn't spark my interest at all, while, his roommate, Lance, the guy who bullies Dusty all the time, made me laugh a couple of times while he was bickering with Dusty. I'm not saying I approve of bullying it's just that he seemed more real than Eli. I look forward to D/L pranks in the future. 

There's no use of denying The Nightmare Affair has some similarities with Harry Potter. I won't bore you with the details, if I could ignore those similarities, I'm sure you will too. The bad guy/killer aspect of this novel was too predictable. Maybe younger readers won't see it from the start who is the fishy character. I also find the thought of teenagers against powerful adult warlocks silly. If I was 10 years younger I would accept it with no questions asked. 

All in all, a charming debut novel for the fans of magic boarding schools. I will definitely read the sequel. 

Rating-3.5

I would be cheating myself and this book if I didn't say that I enjoyed this book. 

I actually quite liked the whole concept of this book. For me, it was something I hadn't about or read before. So it was really refreshing. It was fast-paced and didn't have a single dull moment. I flew through the entire book and it was really fun.

The pretty cover and the synopsis of the book had attracted me to it almost instantly as soon as I saw it. Hello, we have a nightmare in the house? How much more incentive do you need? Plus, other than the fact that our protagonist is a nightmare , we also have this murder mystery put in front of us which also adds to the whole excitement! 

The story is pretty simple. Dusty is a nightmare. The concept of being a nightmare is very artfully explained in the book but let's just continue. Anyhow, Nightmares feed by extracting dream sequences. And Dusty being a nightmare needs to do just that. Things go awry when she finds herself in Eli Booker's room. Her work: Extract dream i.e to feed herself. Problem: Eli is a complete Hawteee.( Perks of her job: Straddling him. Which she obviously doesn't feel comfortable with..*coughs*) Anywaaaay,like I said things just get worse. Why? Because Eli is dreaming a murder and when the murder actually takes place.. things just get messier and messier. Now it's upto Dusty and Co. to find the murderer and stop the inevitable doom of mankind and magickind. Dun-Dun-Dun! 

The characters and it's fast-paced nature kept is what made the book what it is now. As I mentioned earlier, there was never a dull moment. The tone of the book was really light and fun to read about and I like how the characters have been portrayed. I love it when the author successfully creates characters- Both evil and good, who you can't help but like. Each character in their own way were fairly entertaining and it made the whole book work. Our leading protagonist, Dusty was a treat to read about. She was sarcastic and her issues made sense. And..she did not annoy me. So that's something. Her bestfriend Selene's character and Eli were another set of characters that made their way into my heart kingdom. Especially Selene. I just love fiesty and righteous bestfriends. And there was this feminist thing about her that I couldn't help but vouch for. :D

What I also liked about the book was the amount of romance it had in it. I'm happy that the book wasn't all about how much the protagonists loved each other but about the crux of it. Which was the murder mystery.

And this is where things fell down.

The murder mystery was so predictable. I can't even. I would've liked more action and more of that surprise element. But alas, it failed to deliver in that part.

This book definitely holds lot potential and for a debut, I feel Mindi Arnett has done something spectacular here. Will I recommend you to read it?
Definitely. :)

Joint Review: The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

Title:  The Indigo Spell
Author:  Richelle Mead
File type:  hardcover
Release date:  February 12th, 2011
Genre:  YA, paranormal romance, urban fantasy, vampires

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.
Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, the Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive—this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone’s out for blood.

Bow to the Vampire Queen Richelle Mead! She did something I didn't expect at all. She  made me love Sydney. I liked her before but after reading those steamy scenes with Adrian she showed me she is capable of changing. Her awkwardness and coldness made me laugh at loud a couple of times and that made think Richelle sure knows what she's doing. I don't even miss Rose that much. I know! Blasphemy! 

Bloodlines wasn't my favorite book, The Golden Lily made up for that and finally The Indigo Spell continued on the right direction. I wasn't blown away because nothing monumental happened,except for the kissing scenes which were spectacular. Man, Adrian sure puts up with a lot. Sydney keeps kissing him and then acting so defensive later,like it's forbidden and wrong. That is the only thing that I didn't like about her. 

My bb Adrian is amazing as always. He is so protective, 'manly and brave' as Sydney says. He is honest with Sydney from the start and is not going to give up them.  He is also attending his art classes and even gets into a fight with Marcus because of her. *sigh* He looks great in a tucks and his hair is perfectly styled. He doesn't need to be a guardian to kick some serious ass. *double sigh* 

Eddie, Jill are even more irrelevant in this novel while Angeline is (always) up to no good. I have no idea how they can put up with her crap because she can't stay out of trouble even for a day. There's always something happening in her life, even if we don't know it at first. Jill toned down her moping and whining and actually starts giving great advices to Sydney. She probably got tired of Sydney jerking Adrian around so much, just like I did. 

There's also a new 'character' in The Indigo Spell. His name is Hopper and he is amazing. Don't want to spoil everything/anything. 

"It was not in my nature to show violence or try to take another's life. It was, however, in my nature to save my own life and those of my loved ones." 

For all my patience and intense anticipation, The Indigo Spell was really disappointing. I have no clue where to start from because there are so many things to point out and so many things to say. But I shall try. 

The Indigo Spell started on a great note. It was the classic Richelle Mead move. Introduce the book in such a way that it not only excites you but really entertains you too and you just can't wait to jump into the book and get lost into it. The start was pretty simple, you have the conflict of the plot, you have your main protagonist, you have humour, you have the building of the plot and then you have , Adrian. *dies*
By this time , I'm totally into Adrian the plot and am this greedy old granny who wants to not be disturbed and just wants what she wants right at that moment. It was all very intense.

There are times when you're finally reading a book you were really excited for and while you're reading it, that feeling is really evident that there is something very very wrong and that it's not making you as happy as it should and as it intends to. This was one of those times. The midsection of the book was really bland for me. I'm not saying that this wasn't an enjoyable read because that can never be the case with a book that has Adrian in it. But then again Adrian isn't going to be everywhere! Oh but how I wish that that were the case....

Anywaaaay.

What's worse is that I always ended up comparing the Vampire Academy series to this one and this whole comparing business, further made me not like this book even more. And the conflict? I'm sorry but I felt that the conflict was not that conflicting. I remember the doses of adrenaline I got while reading about Rose battling out the Strigoi or Rose going to hunt Strigoi or the Dimitri-Strigoi hunt or the let's-save-Lissa-stunt that Rose used to always pull or the whole goddamn series for all I know! But in this case, it is not. I know it's not fair to compare both the series or maybe it is or maybe not but honestly, it's the third book..how much longer is it going to take for things to finally take off? Or has the take off already happened because I'm not feeling it. 

Another thing I don't like and I'm pretty sure that I'm going to be shot for that. Okay. One. *Inhale* *Exhale* Two *Inhale* *Exhale* THREE!

I thought the end was a total cringefest and the Adrian and Sydney love angle? It's a given but I'm not a believer. 

OH GOD.

I shall discuss this further with the ones who have read the book but let's just continue for now.

Now where was I? Ah yes--Me and my disappointment. This isn't the classic-est book of all and that's pretty obvious but then there are fun things in it as well! 

Hellooooo Adrian. *Whistles at him like a perv*

Adrian was his amazing self. Eddie was almost non-existent. Jill was well...Jill. Angeline was Angeline. And Trey was Trey , Ms. Terwilliger is a total badass and the character of Marcus Finch shows promise. 
There were situations that did get me pumped up! Like the Jill-Eddie-Angeline love triangle. Oh dude. I am totally backing the direction it's going in. And Sydney's character has had a serious growth spurt. 
I'm telling you. She isn't as annoying as she used to be and sounds a little human. And even though I found the book bland when it came to the matter of conflict and plot, the things in the book show signs of a pretty good storyline in future. Like for example, the Alchemist and Warriors of Light mystery and Jill's future. So things look pretty okay for now but then they always do. I'm hoping for a Shadow Kiss moment where I just die and go to paradise but that moment hasn't shown up yet and I'm seriously waiting for it. Seriously.

You must be wondering, dude what about the Sydrian moments?
Oh they're pretty good. VERY GOOD actually. 
I was literally hyperventilating while reading. So much intensity. So much NEED. All our wait for those Sydrian moments has paid off. *sings*

Adrian is so sexy. *coughs*

ADRIAN IS A BOMB. bombbombombbombbombbomb. 
I want to have Adrian for myself. That's what I want. I want him. Give me him. I demand him. Oh dear lord.

I WANT THE NEXT BOOK NOW. I need. I neeeeeed.

Joint Review : Dirty Red by Tarryn Fisher

book: Dirty Red
author: Tarryn Fisher
file type: ebook

synopsis:

Dear Opportunist, 

You thought you could take him from me, but you lost. Now, that he's mine I'll do anything to keep him. Do you doubt me? I have everything that was supposed to be yours. In case you were wondering; he doesn't ever think about you anymore. I won't let him go....ever.

Dirty Red.

note: This year seems to just get better and better and BETTER. 2012 brought Zemira her diploma and brought me my much-awaited Kindle. (Claps madly).This year was also the year we got to be better friends and could come and work on YA Fanatic together. This year we were also introduced to a groundbreaking , earth shattering , eye-weeping , heartbreaking etc. etc. book which blew us away with it's epicness. This book was none other The Opportunist by Tarryn Fisher. Here are our reviews , if you wish to know about how crazy we actually are about this awesomeness.
Devyani's review:HERE. and Zemira's review:HERE.

So here's a quick recap.

WARNING: If you haven't read the previous book....then you're an idiot and we hugely recommend it to you. Imagine yourself being thrown towards the book. So if you haven't then you probably shouldn't go ahead and read further.  Read our reviews in the link given and then proceed.For the others..let's begin , shall we? :D

Quick Recap :

There is a girl. There is a guy. They love each other. But both of them are asses who ruin stuff and so they are forced apart. Then this guy meets another girl. But he still loves the previous one so he fakes an accident and fakes that he has amnesia and goes back to the girl but the girl doesn't  know that so she acts like she doesn't know about his amnesia and becomes his friend. But hey , remember the guy already has a girl? The new girl? who came after the previous lady love? Well brace yourself people because she's the real deal. She's the bitch. She is horrible and the evil villain who would do anything and everything to take what is hers.In the end, the evil chick does end up with the guy but the story isn't over yet...
Leah (the evil girl) , now married and pregnant has everything she wants. How far will she go to keep it?

Here's what Zemira has to say: 

Oh, Leah, Leah. You never learn from your mistakes. Even though she is the biggest bitch I’ve ever come across in a book, I admire her for one thing-she never gives up. I’m not sure if it’s the right thing considering she will never let go of Caleb even though he was never her to begin with. She even starts questioning it in the end but it’s already too late and the only thing she comes up with is to hurt Caleb even more.

All of her problems come from her childhood. She never really experienced love from her adoptive parents and she was always second best. But that doesn’t give her an excuse to act like a mental patient and scheme all the time. I am not a baby person and still I was shocked when she was jealous of the attention Caleb was giving to their newborn. She only wanted him for herself. Tarryn mentioned a couple of times that most of the people in these books are crazy in love, their love is addictive and they end up obsessed.

There was this soap opera my mum used to watch when I was a kid and the female antagonist does these horrible things to the ‘perfect’ couple but in in the finale she ends up buried in a coffin after she hides in it while on the run from the law. This is the sort of future I see for Leah. She should focus on her little girl, Estella rather than trying to ruin Caleb’s life.

I just hope there will a happy ending (read-Caleb & Olivia ending together). It doesn’t have to be the conventional HEA, I just need something that will satisfy all of these feeling I have towards these mind-blowing books. 

Here's what Devyani has to say:

The Opportunist had done a real number on me. It made me cry , laugh , swoon and die a little inside. If somebody asked me to elaborate on how much I loved this book , then all that person would get would be pure nonsensical incoherent babble.
Olivia's and Caleb's story was an unforgettable one. It ended in a very , well.. oxymoronic way. It was the right thing but it just pretty much shattered each and every ounce of hope I had in me. It was good yet it was bad and it hurt like a bitch.

Now here's Dirty Red. - A book from the point of view of a villain.

Leah Drake. Beautiful. Wealthy. Bitchy. the perfect opponent to the opportunist.

Shady and intelligent  to the core..if I had been the director of Mean Girls (the movie) then I would have given this book to Ms. Rachel McAdams for preparing herself into a bitchy character because there is nobody in this whole wide world who could be as evil as Leah.

I have to be honest , when I went into this book , I expected lot's of snark and shadiness. I expected to get to know the real Leah. I expected  to know how and why Leah became and is the way she is. And ......I got what I expected. But instead of making me happy , it just twisted me further.

I actually believed that after reading this book , I would start to like Leah.   Maybe even love her.I was expecting the same earth shattering and ground breaking and ratatataatat experience. I was hoping for the similar flow of emotions....but alas there wasn't any.

Now that I've vented out everything here's my conclusion in the end.

I am so happy with the way things turned out.

You read a book from the POV of a villain and you expect gooeyness? NONSENSE.
This is the brain of an evil person. You get to see evil things. Sure , you won't like it but are you supposed to like evil things?
What's the fun in falling in love with the villain?
What good would a villain be if her villainy substance evaporates into thin air?

Sure I wasn't crying of unhappiness but my scowl and irritation and frustration with this book made up for it. Would Mean Girls be Mean Girls without Rachel McAdams being mean?
So do you get my point?

But was this book as good as it's predecessor? No.

But writing a book from the POV of a villain is never easy. To keep up the tempo is equally difficult. And for all that , kudos to Ms.Fisher. Her writing is marvelous and has great potential into turning out much much more. I love her writing and I hope that she keeps up with what she's doing because it damn well makes the world happy.
But I have issues with this book too.
As good as it is , it had it's flaws.
The biggest flaw being well..I could be pegged as being emotional here but well I have to say it.
There is this one part where Leah meets Noah and terms him as the sexy 'Ghandi' . yes , 'GHANDI'. Now I know that it was a spelling error and a mistake in editing. But I ignored it once , but this term was mentioned several times with the same wrong spelling.
I'm an Indian and the history of my country has hugely been influenced by this man. Mahatma Gandhi (yes, the correct spelling.) is the father of my nation and be it just a spelling error , I would get offended with such things. So , just a little note for the author , please in future try to take care of such tiny mistakes.
Other than that , well the issue of this book not being able to live up to it's predecessor would continue to be a factor.

But the beauty of this whole scenario is that this is just the second book.
It could be just my thinking or this could be what the author intended...but the way this book has been written it's so easy to see that it's just gearing you up for the next one which , my friends , is the book finale. The final showdown. It's okay if you didn't like this one but you're definitely going to be waiting for the next one aren't you?
Smart woman you are Ms.Fisher. You already had us in your bag , didn't you?
You were introduced to the opportunist and now you know the dirty red...now let's see what happens in Fisher's next venture.
So should you all read this book?

Is it even a question , hell yes.

Joint thought.

Leah sucks.

What we can't wait for.
The third book. And guess what it's from Caleb's POV!!!!!