GIF Review: Flawless by Lara Chapman

I'm done, I'M DONE WITH JUNIOR YEAR. *throws cupcakes and confetti*  But I'm also in a review slump. (And a design slump... which is why it's taking me a while to update my layout.) When I try to put my bookish thoughts down, it comes out something like this: O@#$H*)F(_$%BR#@#! ASL#B$*YDF. (If that convinces you to buy a book, then it appears I am the master at button mashing.) But since I haven't done one in forever,  I feel obligated to at least try to review... in .gif's! ;)


Lara Chapman's website here // $9.99 from {amazon}
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens (May 10, 2011)
Paperback: 272 pages
Source: Publisher... kind of. I lost the ARC *headdesk*, so I bought an e-copy on my Kindle.
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Summary:

Sarah Burke is just about perfect. She's got killer blue eyes, gorgeous blond hair, and impeccable grades. There's just one tiny-all right, enormous-flaw: her nose. But even that's not so bad. Sarah's got the best best friend and big goals for print journalism fame.

On the first day of senior year, Rock Conway walks into her journalism class and, well, rocks her world. Problem is, her best friend, Kristen, falls for him too. And when Rock and Kristen stand together, it's like Barbie and Ken come to life. So when Kristen begs Sarah to help her nab Rock, Sarah does the only thing a best friend can do-she agrees. For someone so smart, what was she thinking?

This hip retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac is filled with hilariously misguided matchmaking, sweet romance, and a gentle reminder that we should all embrace our flaws.

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My Thoughts:

The reason I read FLAWLESS can be summed up in three words: Cyrano de Begerac [wiki page]. Aka the epitome of panache and the whole "macho self-confidence with inner vulnerability" concept. For your one-of-a-kind nose and musketeer-esque duels, I applaud you.

Cyrano's confidence and wit definitely transfer onto Sarah, whose intelligence and bravery I loved and respected. Did she live up to Cyrano's brilliant escapades? No, but who can, really? Given that Sarah is just a normal teen, her strength in dealing with family situations is admirable and, as a fellow teen, enviable. But, as necessary as it was for character growth, Sarah's fixation with her nose occasionally irked me... despite his insecurities, Cyrano accepts his nose from page one in the play, whereas Sarah repeatedly belittles herself through physical comparisons. It makes sense, but still, a nose is a nose, not a 24/7-operating measure of worth. 

The greatest difference between CYRANO DE BEGERAC and FLAWLESS was, of course, the modern times. Half of what made the play CYRANO DE BERGERAC so enjoyable was the setting, which kept me plowing forward despite impatience with Cyrano's devotion to Christian's cause. Replace war and Cyrano's extravagant challenges with dates and facebook messages, and I'm not nearly as accommodating. Maybe if I was more invested in the plot, characters, or relationships... but I wasn't. Other than Sarah, no one had enough depth -- or little enough stereotypical-ity -- for me to really care about. So it was mainly a mix of me going "ugh," "yay," and:

facepalm #2

My other main annoyance was that though I liked Rock for himself as a person and I could see Sarah did too, she never stopped bringing up his physical perfection. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. The first few times, okay, but after knowing someone for weeks... it just degrades their relationship into something that seems more superficial. That being said, is Rock sensitive and hot? Yeah:

Ultimately, despite my complaints, Lara Chapman did a stellar job in translating CYRANO DE BERGERAC from a well-known classic to a modern, relateable read that teaches solid lessons about self-image, self-worth, and self-acceptance. FLAWLESS boasts a strong heroine and meh-okay everything else -- but that's okay. Everything pales in the light of its poignant message that will doubtlessly resound with many teens (or, really, anyone) out there.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Bottom Line: FLAWLESS is a quick but meaningful read that I would recommend to really strong CYRANO DE BEGERAC fans or readers looking for a book heavy on self-acceptance messages. The characters may not stick with you, but the message definitely will.

Cover: It's okay, I guess. When I first saw it, I felt a strong sense of deja vu, like maybe I'd seen the cover somewhere else ... it's bold, but not thought-provoking or emotion-evoking (for me, at least, since I've seen others say the exact opposite). Either way, it does match the lack of character description in FLAWLESS, sigh.

the eyes & the eyebrows...

Review: Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Simone Elkele's website here // $9.99 from {amazon}.

Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers (December 23, 2008)

Paperback: 368 pages

Summary: from {goodreads}

When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created “perfect” life is about to unravel before her eyes. She’s forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for—her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more. In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart.

Rating:

My Thoughts: My new religion? Worshiping Simone Elkeles. Perfect Chemistry is the traditional story of love on two sides of the track: the rich girl, Brittany Ellis, and the guy from the slums, Alex Fuentes, but Simone Elkeles retells the classic tales with a riveting voice that kept me from putting this book down. I wanted a love story, and I got one. Perfect Chemistry caught me right of the bat with its real characters, heartbreak, and, yes, intense chemistry.

What really set apart Perfect Chemistry was the authenticity of the narration and characters. Technically, Brittany and Alex are "ideals" in that they represent the extremely caring but gorgeous girl and the poor guy striving to make something of his life. However, Simone Elkeles develops them into two unique people - distinct voices, perspectives, desires, and dreams; the greatness comes not in the originality, but in the modern approach to this age-old plot. If anything, my financial situation is a lot like Brittany's, but I immediately found myself drawn to Alex. I sympathized with his evident conflict between duty to his family and personal aspirations and loved his cocky, sexy front - though that's exactly what it was, a front. Alex does have that raw, bitter edge, but he could also make the sweetest boyfriend ever. But what I really want to convey more than anything is the fact that the characters were real. The dialogue is spot-on, complete with innuendos and endearing love confessions, the characters' thoughts seem entirely plausible, and there is a clear progression from fear and contempt to true love. I still can't fully express how much I loved the characters, but what I can express is how amazing it is to not read another story where the characters fall in love so quickly to the extent that it feels like they "pretend" to hate each other.

But love's not always a smooth road, and Brittany and Alex prove that. Perfect Chemistry is just that, the perfect chemistry you can have with that one special person, and the two both struggle to reconcile themselves to their new, intense feelings. I loved how much Brittany and Alex changed each other, and Simone Elkeles knows how to throw in some comic relief at just the right time. The bathroom scene with Paco? Priceless; it still cracks me up everytime I read it. The only concern I have with this total character immersion is what other readers thought about the smatterings of Spanish. I take Spanish classes, so I know what Alex and his relatives were saying, but I wonder if it'll come easily to others that aren't acquaintanced with Spanish. There's context, but not much. The only other possible complaint I have is that the ending seemed rushed and wrapped up a bit too quickly, though that's partly because I didn't want Perfect Chemistry to end. Overall, the final scene was cute and left me with a smile on my face.

Romance: Sweet, flirtatious, and intense. Sensitive, gorgeous girl + Struggling, hot guy = perfect chemistry.
Cover: 4.0 -- Simple but I like the contrast, and it helped me envision Brittany and Alex. :)
Writing: 5.0
Characters: 5.0
Plot: 4.5

Bottom Line: If you still do not grasp how much I loved Perfect Chemistry by now, let me say it again: I LOVED PERFECT CHEMISTRY. The chemistry was truly perfect, and it came with all the delicious boys conflict of first real love. The plot's not very original, but the amazing characters and Simone Elkeles manages to tailor it, iron it, and make it hers. I would definitely recommend this if you're looking for a sweet romance minus all the tears. As for the sequel, Rules of Attraction, coming in April, I'm definitely pre-ordering it! :D

Review: A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn

Publisher: HarperTeen (April 28, 2009)

Hardcover: 384 pages

Price: $11.55 from Amazon

Summary: Talia fell under a spell . . . . Jack broke the curse.

I was told to beware the accursed spindle, but it was so enchanting, so hypnotic. . . .

I was looking for a little adventure the day I ditched my tour group. But finding a comatose town, with a hot-looking chick asleep in it, was so not what I had in mind.

I awakened in the same place but in another time—to a stranger's soft kiss.
I couldn't help kissing her. Sometimes you just have to kiss someone. I didn't know this would happen.
Now I am in dire trouble because my father, the king, says I have brought ruin upon our country. I have no choice but to run away with this commoner!
Now I'm stuck with a bratty princess and a trunk full of her jewels. . . . The good news: My parents will freak!
Think you have dating issues? Try locking lips with a snoozing stunner who turns out to be 316 years old. Can a kiss transcend all—even time?

Rating:

Review: A Kiss in Time was actually my first modern fairy retelling; I’ve read many fairytale retellings but none set in the current time so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The premise of the book was interesting, though not entirely original, and I thought the plot was fairly average, nothing too exciting or too dull. However, I had a really hard time first getting into this book because the princess, Talia, is such a bitch at the beginning. I shouldn’t be saying that, but I really couldn’t stand her. She’s incredibly spoiled and constantly whining, and that’s in addition to being amazingly dense. While I understand that the author is using Talia’s earlier personality to show development later in the story, her behavior really made me want to put the book down.

Fortunately, once you reach bottom you can only go up. After the first half of the book, I was able to get more into the story. Talia matures very quickly, too quickly to be realistic, but I liked her much better once she started showing that she had a brain and a heart. Jack, the other main character, seemed extremely superficial to me at the beginning, and, though I didn’t actually grow to like him, he was tolerable.

Like I said before, this was my first modern fairytale retelling, and I really liked how Sleeping Beauty was incorporated into today’s world. It seemed a little cheesy at times, but I thought that the carrying out of the idea was fairly good overall, main plot-wise. This book uses two perspectives, and I loved reading Talia’s centuries-old take on things.

Bottom Line: A Kiss in Time is a very light, quick read, and I liked it. That being said, it’s not a book I would be spending my money to buy because nothing really stood out to me; there isn’t anything amazingly good or horrifyingly bad. I did find the modern take on Sleeping Beauty very new and creative, and it was interesting how the author interpreted the events that occurred in the fairytale (and used them in today’s world). This book has definitely opened my eyes to modern fairytale retellings! Crazy Beautiful, anyone? :)