In My Mailbox #3

In My Mailbox is hosted by the story siren.

Books:

Delirium | Jane Eyre* | Impulse

Pretty Little Liars | Flawless | Perfect

 Thank you Jenny from Into the Morning Reads for this copy of Delirium!

I purchased Impulse and the first three books in the Pretty Little Liars series from Target.

*Jane Eyre has many, many different covers and editions, so I  do not know if mine is the original or not. I also could not find an image of my edition, but I bought it from Costco and the cover has flowers and a girl's face.

Review: Such a Pretty Girl by Laura Wiess

Title: Such a Pretty Girl
Author: Laura Wiess
Publisher: MTV Books
Pub. Date: January 2, 2007
Length: 212 Pages
Summary (from goodreads):
They promised Meredith nine years of safety, but only gave her three.

Her father was supposed to be locked up until Meredith turned eighteen. She thought she had time to grow up, get out, and start a new life. But Meredith is only fifteen, and today her father is coming home from prison.

Today her time has run out.

My thoughts: I expected some great things from this book, mostly because Ellen Hopkins said "This is the first book in a very long time that made me say, 'Wish I'd written this.'"But while I was reading this book, I didn't see anything that really stood out or made me think "I really loved that." I had a hard time getting through it and even skimmed some parts because they bored me. I did enjoy reading Such a Pretty Girl because Laura Wiess tackles a  unique subject that most authors shy away from and I wanted to see  how it ended up, (the last quarter or so was pretty good) but  unfortunately that's where my fascination with the book ended. 

Meridith was promised nine years of safety, safety from her father who got sent to jail for child molestation. She was supposed to be long gone by the time he returned home, but when they let him out six years early for good behavior, her hope vanishes. She’ll have to endure being with him for three years, and she's terrified he will try again, and she can’t suffer through it anymore. But how can she escape him without the guilt that by doing so he will only go after someone else?

One of the biggest problems I had with this story was the characters. I give Laura Wiess credit for her writing, because I was so into Meridith's head that I disliked everyone she did, but I also disliked the people I was supposed to like, including her. Her mother's denial almost went so far that I didn't believe it and found it to be fake. The rest of the characters were unhelpful even though they were supposed to be wanting to help Meridith so much and cared for her. I don't know if this was because Meridith was a poor character or because everyone else was. 

There were a few flaws in the plot that weren't very easy to ignore. But to avoid spoilers, I won't mention any of them. I had some of same problems with Wiess' other book, Leftovers. Overall, Such a Pretty Girl was an okay read, but I don't know if I would recommend it or not.

Rating: 

2 Moons

Review: How to (Un)cage a Girl by Francesca Lia Block

Title: How to (Un)cage a Girl
Author: Francesca Lia Block
Publisher: Joanna Cotler
Pub. Date: September 1, 2008
Length: 128 Pages
Summary (from goodreads):

The pain of wanting to fit in

The joy of being consumed by love

The shame of not feeling at home in your body

The strength in learning you're beautiful

These are moments that every girl knows . . . for they are part of growing up, of uncaging yourself, from your childhood, your environment, your view of yourself. Francesca Lia Block follows the journey from girlhood to womanhood in this three-part poetry collection that channels girls' innermost feelings and experiences and celebrates women everywhere. It is a call to embrace the girl within, to heal her and set her free.

My Thoughts: This is the first book I've read by Francesca Lia Block, and it won't  be my last. Not many people  have heard of How to (Un)cage a Girl, but its great nonetheless. Although it is short (128 pages) I still found myself  satisfied with the overall affect of it and the poetry. It's not a  novel written in verse but more of a collection of poems that tie  together to tell a story. The only problem I had with it was that some  of the poems did not have the punctuation they needed and therefore made it kind of hard to understand. I loved this book, but for different reasons than most.

In How to (Un)cage a Girl we follow the author, Francesca Lia Block, through her life as a young adult and a grown woman. Divided into three parts, Years in the Asylum, In the Lair of the Toxic Blond, and Love Poems for Girls, How to (Un)cage a Girl is a captivating and honest tale of growing up. Each section was full of lovely poems that touched me in one way or another. I also loved reading the extras in the back, such as the origin of the cover art  and the play list that went along with the novel.
If I could, I would carry this book with me everywhere I go. I would pick it up whenever I'm feeling sad or depressed and read it to help make me feel better. This is a perfect novel for any girl or woman who has ever felt unworthy or like they don't fit in. We are all our own  beautiful person, and this book celebrates that. 

4.5 Moons

Waiting On Wednesday: I'm Not Her by Janet Gurtler

new cover

I'm Not Her
by Janet Gurtler
Published by Sourcebooks Fire
320 Pages
Release: May 1, 2011

“For the first time in my life, I didn’t feel envy…”
Tess is the exact opposite of her beautiful, athletic sister. And that’s okay. Kristina is the sporty one, Tess is the smart one, and they each have their place. Until Kristina is diagnosed with cancer. Suddenly Tess is the center of the popular crowd, everyone eager for updates. There are senior boys flirting with her. Yet the smiles of her picture-perfect family are cracking and her sister could be dying. Now Tess has to fill a new role: the strong one. Because if she doesn’t hold it together, who will?
Janet Gurtler tests the bonds of sisterhood in this moving debut that readers of Jodi Picoult and Sarah Dessen will savor.

old cover

The topic isn't very original, but I have a feeling I'm Not Her will be very good. 

I admit it. I tend to judge books by their cover. I'm Not Her originally had a different title (The Weight of Bones) and a different cover, on the right. I like both the new and the old, but the old had a creepier feeling to it which I loved compared to the plainer new cover.

Daily Dose #3

Daily Dose is hosted by Good Golly Miss Holly.

 

 

  

 

 

 All images taken from we ♥ it except the third one, which was taken by Athena at Lets Fly Away Now ♥