Review: Tiny Pretty Things

Tiny Pretty Things
Authors: Sonia Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton
Published: May 26th, 2015
Hardcover, 448 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Black Swan meets Pretty Little Liars in this soapy, drama-packed novel featuring diverse characters who will do anything to be the prima at their elite ballet school.

Gigi, Bette, and June, three top students at an exclusive Manhattan ballet school, have seen their fair share of drama. Free-spirited new girl Gigi just wants to dance—but the very act might kill her. Privileged New Yorker Bette's desire to escape the shadow of her ballet star sister brings out a dangerous edge in her. And perfectionist June needs to land a lead role this year or her controlling mother will put an end to her dancing dreams forever. When every dancer is both friend and foe, the girls will sacrifice, manipulate, and backstab to be the best of the best.

 Ballet is a sport I've always been fond of. I love the discipline, the grace and the effortless look they achieve on stage. Growing up, Center Stage was my favourite movie because it gave me a behind the scenes look at what these girls and guys do to become the best. Black Swan took that even further and now Tiny Pretty Things gives me a cruel reality that is professional ballet. Following three elite ballerinas at the Manhattan Ballet School, this book dives into the scheming, backstabbing lives that potential ballerinas live in order to succeed in the business. Bette is following in her sister's footsteps and knows she's a shoe-in for the lead in The Nutcracker. June has always been in the wings, always the understudy, and her mom is finally trying to put an end to it. if she doesn't get a lead role, she's out. Gigi is the new girl, a great ballerina with a different style and look than the others are used to. Does skin colour really affect what kind of dancer you can be? When the cast list is announced, everyone is surprised by the results and not everyone is happy. Terrible things start happening to Gigi, June's eating disorder is getting worse, and Bette's pill supply is dwindling faster than usual. Who's responsible for everything happening to Gigi? June, Bette, or someone else. It's a cutthroat world and no one is safe.

This book pulled me in from the start. I love ballet so just reading about these girls practicing their jettes and pirouettes and getting roles in ballets made me smile. The gruesome way they act towards each other did not surprise me and it made for a great, thrilling read. The psychology of these dancers, the way their brains work and how far they will go to be on top is crazy but true. The writers did a fantastic job at capturing the ruthless intent that some people have to get what they want. Sex, lies, sabotage are just some the things this book plays on, but it's so much more than that. It's the power that a role can have. The power that a teacher holds over you and how far you'll go to prove them wrong. Bette's intentions were cruel and maybe June's were too, but they were explained so well that you can't help but understand why these girls would do what they did. This book left a lot hanging and I'm glad that there will be a sequel. I can't wait to find out what happens with Casey and how the next season will play out for these girls. 

It's wonderful that books are becoming more diverse these days and this one is perfectly well-rounded. Gigi is black and gets the lead even though everyone thinks she doesn't look the part. She deals with unruly hair and the thought that she isn't as pretty as Bette, who is blonde and white, and it's such a realistic view of the world. June is Asian, anorexic and wears enough make-up to make her look whiter. This book tackles so much more than just diversity. Eating disorders, prescription drug abuse, racism, bullying, heart defects and coming out to name a few. It adds to the intensity of the book in the best way possible. I hope that this book can help those who are dealing with some of these things and find the strength that these characters show inspiring.

Beautifully written and crazy manipulative and suspenseful, this book kept me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out who was lying, who wanted more than they could handle and who would go way too far. Perfect for any ballet fans, especially those who have experienced this first hand, and anyone looking for a thrilling, poetic book about young girls who will do whatever it takes. Some of which know no bounds.

“The moment you think you're on top is the moment you've lost your passion.” 

“The Sugar Plum Fairy has the farthest to fall.”

Review: Vanishing Girls

Vanishing Girls
Author: Lauren Oliver
Published: March 10th, 2015
Hardcover, 357 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Dara and Nick used to be inseparable, but that was before the accident that left Dara's beautiful face scarred and the two sisters totally estranged. When Dara vanishes on her birthday, Nick thinks Dara is just playing around. But another girl, nine-year-old Madeline Snow, has vanished, too, and Nick becomes increasingly convinced that the two disappearances are linked. Now Nick has to find her sister, before it's too late. 

In this edgy and compelling novel, Lauren Oliver creates a world of intrigue, loss, and suspicion as two sisters search to find themselves, and each other. 

Lauren Oliver has a way with words. I would read her grocery list and she forever keeps me guessing. Since the beginning, I haven't been able to predict the endings of her books. They are never easy, they are never an escape and they rarely have the kind of happily ever after I strive for. She has a thing for ghosts and unhappy families, and Vanishing Girls took everything I've learned about her writing and pulled me into so many opposite directions that there was no way for me to know how it would end. Sisters Dara and Nick were the best of friends until an accident scarred Dara's face. Dara hides out in her room now as Nick tries to continue on with life, getting a summer job at the local amusement park. But when a young girl goes missing in town and suddenly Dara is gone on her birthday, Nick knows there must be a connection between the two and she won't stop until she finds her sister.

This is a novel about moving on. The accident left everything in ruins and neither sister is brave enough to do something to make it better. It starts out slow, like a contemporary novel just about two sisters trying to move on from a terrible accident. Told in both Dara and Nick's point of views, in both the present and the past, we get to see how the sisters used to be and what's going on in each of their heads now that things are different. Dara is the reckless sister, the one that puts on too much makeup and goes out to party late at night. Nick is the older, more responsible sister. She is calm in the face of panic and ready to go after Dara and bring her home. Then there's Parker, the boy who comes between the two sisters. But once Dara disappears, this quickly becomes a mystery book, where the ending is unknown and suddenly all the problems these sisters had didn't matter. Dara has let clues to help Nick find her, and the more digging Nick does, the deeper she gets into what Dara was really involved in. I loved that Nick worked at Fanland, a somewhat normal part of her life that gave her something to focus on instead of Dara. I liked that it brought her closer to Parker, their friendship not quite how it was since he got involved with Dara. And I especially loved that everything I thought was true was wrong and there was no telling how everything would end when or if Nick ever found Dara.

Oliver is a trickster and everything leading up to that ending couldn't have prepared me for it. It was fast, crazy and completely unpredictable and I must say this is the most she's surprised me yet. Her writing still amazes me and the relationship she built between Nick and Dara will stay me long after I've closed this book. I can't wait to see what she'll have in store for us next.

"Funny how things can stay the same forever and then change so quickly."

"Sometimes people stop loving you. And that's the kind of darkness that never gets fixed."

Review: Liars Inc.

Liars Inc.
Author: Paula Stokes
Published: March 24th, 2015
Hardcover, 368 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Max Cantrell has never been a big fan of the truth, so when the opportunity arises to sell forged permission slips and cover stories to his classmates, it sounds like a good way to make a little money and liven up a boring senior year. With the help of his friends Preston and Parvati, Max starts Liars Inc. Suddenly everybody needs something and the cash starts pouring in. Who knew lying could be so lucrative?

When Preston wants his own cover story to go visit a girl he met online, Max doesn't think twice about hooking him up. Until Preston never comes home. Then the evidence starts to pile up - terrifying clues that lead the cops to Preston's body. Terrifying clues that point to Max as the murderer.

Can Max find the real killer before he foes to prison for a crime he didn't commit? In a story that Kirkus Reviews called "Captivating to the very end," Paula Stokes starts with one single white lie and weaves a twisted tale that will have readers guessing until the explosive final chapters.

Wow. Paula has gone in the complete opposite direction from her last book, The Art of Lainey, and man did she do a fantastic job with it! This book was a mystery right to the end and Paula has captured the voice of a high school boy while keeping us on our toes as we try to figure out what exactly happened. From the start you do not know who to trust and who not to. Max's friends give off hints of distrust this way and that and it made for so much subtle tension and mystery. Max is great at lying and he and his friends use it to their advantage by founding Liars Inc., a company helps forge parents notes and fake phone calls. Things are going great for the friends, they are making money and gaining popularity, but when Preston asks Max to cover for him and the next day Preston disappears, suddenly it's all on Max and he's being followed and suspected of murder.

I can't give anything away, because I want you all to go out and read this book. Thrillers and mysteries are still rare in YA so when I find a good one, I devour it. I love not knowing whodunit and the progress of finding out. With so many unreliable characters and so many twists and turns along the way, this book kept me guessing until the very end. Max is a great protagonist I was rooting for him from the start, but kind of hoping he'd learn he didn't need Preston or Parvati to survive high school. Neither of them seemed like the kind of people I'd want to be friends with and Parvati was certainly not the best girlfriend. The more that went wrong in Max's life, the more I hoped he got his happy ending. Paula captured the essence of a teenage boy as well as I can picture (I mean, who really knows what goes through a boy's head besides boys?) His dialogue and inner thinkings were so well written.

The plot wasn't the only great thing about this book. There were diverse characters, something that is still too rare to see. Parvati is half Indian and Max's adopted twin sisters are Korean. Max also comes from a different background from most characters. He grew up in an orphanage and was adopted when he was around 10 years old. He has some family issues as he's still too scared to give himself fully over to his new family and while everything else was going on in his life, his parents were always there for him and wanting to be let in. I love seeing family relationships in books, whether it's a healthy relationship or something that takes some time to be better.

If you'll looking for a quick, fast paced read that will leave you guessing and craving more, this is one to pick up. A great mystery for a younger audience or those who love these kinds of books.

A lot of kids think high school represents the best years of their lives, but others recognize that it's mostly irrelevant bullshit, and that life doesn't even begin until afterward."

Review: Imaginary Girls

Imaginary Girls
Author: Nova Ren Suma
Published: June 14, 2012
Paperback, 348 pages
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Chloe's older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can't be captured or caged. When a night with Ruby's friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes left floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby.

But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns to town two years later, deadly surprises await. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood.


This book gave me the chills from beginning to end. The opening chapter promises mystery, lush settings, and possibly even murder. Even the cover haunts me as I still try to get this story out of my mind. It begs not to leave, it promises to stay with me in the dark, under the water, in the woods, and in my dreams. Ruby and Chloe are characters I've never encountered before and don't think I ever will again. There's nobody like them out there, no one with quite the same bond that these sisters share, a bond that threatens to suck me in with them and never let go.

Ruby is the kind of girl everyone loves. She rules the small town her and her sister, Chloe, have grown up in. Ruby raised Chloe and would do anything for her. Chloe is cool by association, invited to parties because her sister will be there, and looked at by boys because she has the long almost black hair like her sister. When Ruby tells her friends that Chloe can swim across the town reservoir one night, a blackened pool of water that seems to have no end and holds the mystery of the sunken town of Olive, Chloe jumps in without hesitation, knowing her sister will take care of her. When her swim finds her in the middle of the reservoir looking at a dead body in a rowboat, Chloe's life is suddenly ripped apart. She is sent to live with her dad, separated from Ruby. The chapters she spends there are the saddest in the book. It's clear Chloe loves Ruby and doesn't feel like the same person without her. Two years later, Chloe returns to town and things  are certainly not what they seem. Suddenly Chloe is deep in a world she's never known, keeping secrets from Ruby and feeling a strange pull to the town of Olive. Only Ruby knows the truth and Chloe is determined to seek it out.

This small town is just as much a character as Ruby or Chloe. The way that everything seems to revolve around Ruby is enough to send a shiver up my spine. And Olive, the sunken town under the reservoir, is even more haunting. Ruby tells stories of the people who still live down there, gils instead of lungs, and hoping for people to go swimming so they can pull them under. At any mention of Olive, I gripped the pages tighter, knowing there was no way for me to be prepared for what could happen next. Every setting stood out: The house that Ruby and Chloe live in, unfinished and strategically placed by the reservoir. The old cemetery where the people of Olive are buried, and the reservoir itself, black and endless with more secrets than you can count. 

Chloe is the perfect narrator for a tale like this. She is unreliable, a girl obsessed with her sister and willing to do whatever it takes to be with her. And Ruby, a mysterious girl full of secrets and magic, even more unreliable than Chloe. Both girls leave haunting words on every page. They have a relationship unlike anything I've ever read, almost obsessive, but full of love. They only know each other, they know there is no one else that can be counted on, and they go through life needing each other. The further into the book I got, the less I knew about these two girls. Shrouded in mysteries, the girls are just as obscure of the town of Olive; it was hard to know if they actually really existed. Most of the time, I wasn't sure if they were real. I wasn't sure if any of the story was real or if it was all in Chloe's head. That's the beauty of this book. It tightroped along the line of reality and fantasy just enough to make me question everything I read. Who existed and who was just in Chloe's head? Was the town of Olive real? Is it still under the water just like Ruby says it is? None of these questions are answered, like I knew they wouldn't be. The story went in a direction that I couldn't have imagined, but in the end made perfect sense. 

The mysterious and haunting nature of this book  keeps me thinking about it days after finishing it. It's the kind of book I could read four times and still not have answers to my burning questions. Just like the girls in this book, this book is unreal and chilling, leaving me breathless and scared to go near dark waters at night. Suma is a brilliant writer, someone who can make me believe everything she wrote even though I was confused and scared most of the time. I hope the people of Olive enjoy this review and stay away from me when I'm swimming.

“The story you choose to tell isn't always the story you believe.” 

Review: Truly, Madly, Deeply

Truly Madly Deeply
Author: Hannah Jayne
Published: July 2, 2013
Paperback, 262 pages
2 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

They Said It Was An Accident...

Sawyer Dodd is a star athlete, a straight-A student, and the envy of every other girl who wants to date Kevin Anderson. When Kevin dies in a tragic car crash, Sawyer is stunned. Then she opens her locker to find a note:

You're welcome.

Someone saw what he did to her. Someone knows that Sawyer and Kevin weren't the perfect couple they seemed to be. And that someone—a killer—is now shadowing Sawyer's every move...

I had really high hopes for this book. The description sent an eerie chill up my spine. A car accident kills Sawyer Dodd's boyfriend, Kevin, but when she gets a note in her locker that just says "you're welcome", she's not so sure it was an accident anymore. I was eager to see what else would happen to Sawyer after she got the note in her locker. A few more things happened to her that could have been scary and should have been, but somehow just didn't give me the thrill I was hoping for.

There wasn't much character development. Sawyer feel flat and did not really it the description set for her on the back cover. Yes, she did track, but I saw nothing saying that she was a star athlete, and nowhere did it mention hoe great her grades were. Perhaps this is who she was before the accident, but there is no indication of that anywhere in the book. Some more background history on her and her life would had made me like her more. I found there wasn't much to like. We discover early on that she was in an abusive relationship, but I didn't feel her pain, I didn't feel how scared she was to be around other people. Not that I've been through  anything like that, but in books I've read before, there has always been an emotional and physical change after a character goes through distress. There wasn't much feistiness to her, and I think that could have benefitted her in the situations she got herself into.

There were a lot of characters amped up as suspects. I had fun trying to guess who the culprit was and enjoyed having new suspects come into play. I think if I had read this book in one sitting, I may have enjoyed it more. The suspense may have been more evident to me and I might have jumped if I read it during a thunderstorm. I wouldn't tell anyone not to read this. A lot of reviews I've read have said very good things, but I guess it just wasn't the book for me. I haven't read many thrillers and maybe that's just not a genre I'm into. I'd say read it and judge it for yourself. It's a quick read and there is a lot of emotional struggles. I'm curious to see what you guys thought of it, and don't get me wrong, I won't be spreading hate for this book or anything, it just wasn't for me.