Ebook Giveaway! Celia On The Run-Sarah Mandell

This is my first giveaway! The prize is a copy of Celia On The Run by Sarah Mandell. I just finished this book a couple of days ago and it was really gripping and intense. My review is here.

To enter the giveaway, I only ask two things:
1) That you're a follower of my blog
2) Leave a comment about road trips or travelling(can be anything from an experience you've had whilst travelling to your dream place to visit or even your favourite book about travelling/road trips.) I won't be picking the winner based on the comment. I just want to read comments about travelling and road trips. :)

I will picking a random winner using random.org. I will be announcing the winner on June 28th. Good luck!

Goodreads book description:

"Nick Novaczek is a cautious soul, a 17-year old with a boring life, a predictable future, and a quiet thirst for danger. On the eve of his beloved grandmother's funeral, danger finds him by the motel swimming pool. Her name is Celia and she's everything he's not. This foul-mouthed beauty is hitchhiking across the country to make amends with her estranged father and doesn't carry an ounce of fear or hesitation in her tattered suitcase. She's bad news all around, but for a rule-follower like Nick, she's intoxicating.

Twenty-four hours after speaking to Celia for the very first time, following one extremely lucky night, Nick is hopelessly hooked and "borrows" his parents' car to join her cross-country mission, even though her story is full of holes. It's the mistake he's been waiting his whole life to make. Together, they dodge a train, jump off a bridge, and scam everyone in their path. Nick is blossoming into a teenage fugitive, just like Celia, and he's never been happier. She may not be who she says she is, but she's got his vulnerable heart.

After weeks of detours, with hundreds of miles left to go, their wild adventure starts to unravel. The money dries up, Celia's dark secrets begin to surface, and it's clear they both want vastly different things out of this partnership. Celia is all about no strings attached and severing whatever they may have between them once they reach their destination, while Nick is head over heels in love and wanting a future with the girl in his passenger seat. They seem to reach a new low on a daily basis, but she won't turn back, no matter how desperate things get. After all, this is her trip and Nick is just the driver. Celia's got a charming smile to pay her way, a willing accomplice, a hidden agenda, and an endless supply of lies. Not to mention a gun."

Update: Winner was London Judge! Congrats and thanks for entering. I've contacted you in a message.

Lisa x

Review: Celia On The Run- Sarah Mandell

Goodreads book description:

"Nick Novaczek is a cautious soul, a 17-year old with a boring life, a predictable future, and a quiet thirst for danger. On the eve of his beloved grandmother's funeral, danger finds him by the motel swimming pool. Her name is Celia and she's everything he's not. This foul-mouthed beauty is hitchhiking across the country to make amends with her estranged father and doesn't carry an ounce of fear or hesitation in her tattered suitcase. She's bad news all around, but for a rule-follower like Nick, she's intoxicating.

Twenty-four hours after speaking to Celia for the very first time, following one extremely lucky night, Nick is hopelessly hooked and "borrows" his parents' car to join her cross-country mission, even though her story is full of holes. It's the mistake he's been waiting his whole life to make. Together, they dodge a train, jump off a bridge, and scam everyone in their path. Nick is blossoming into a teenage fugitive, just like Celia, and he's never been happier. She may not be who she says she is, but she's got his vulnerable heart.

After weeks of detours, with hundreds of miles left to go, their wild adventure starts to unravel. The money dries up, Celia's dark secrets begin to surface, and it's clear they both want vastly different things out of this partnership. Celia is all about no strings attached and severing whatever they may have between them once they reach their destination, while Nick is head over heels in love and wanting a future with the girl in his passenger seat. They seem to reach a new low on a daily basis, but she won't turn back, no matter how desperate things get. After all, this is her trip and Nick is just the driver. Celia's got a charming smile to pay her way, a willing accomplice, a hidden agenda, and an endless supply of lies. Not to mention a gun."

SPOILERS PRESENT IN THIS REVIEW. HUGE MASSIVE SPOILERS!!!!!!


My review(with major spoilers):


I don't know how to properly describe this book. It's very gritty and goes to some dark places. It's also exciting, fun and wild. It's full of drama and passion. It honestly made me afraid to go to sleep last night. (I actually had to watch The Glee Project afterwards, in an attempt to feel less freaked out!)

I was kind of led to believe this was a Y.A book. I can see how it would be considered Y.A, in some ways but in others, this is pretty crazy stuff. I definitely think this is a book most parents wouldn't approve of their kids reading(but aren't those the funnest books?! V.C Andrews was my guilty pleasure as a pre-teen/teen.)

It's so raw and it sent daggers through me at least a few times. It definitely made my emotions go all over the place. I have to say I really enjoyed the rollercoaster of craziness present in this one book.

First off, the characters are so flawed but they get under your skin. Even when they do risky things or fight with each other, you can't help but get sucked into their dysfuntional relationship.

The basic plot: Nick is 17 when he meets a hitchhiker named Celia. Within a day, he's under her spell and he steals his parents car and offers to drive her across the county to visit her father. He just wants to experience life before he heads to college and he is completely infatuated with Celia.

Celia is such a crazy character. The things she does and the experiences she's had in her life are all both terrifying and enthralling to read about. I just never knew what she was going to do or say next and I absolutely loved that about her.

I loved the road trip aspect (I just love books about road trips or travelling). I found it was extremely interesting to read about. I also loved the cons and scams. And the list of things that Nick wanted to do before heading to college (destroying something valuable, knowing what its like to almost drown, playing russian roulette, etc.)

Celia and Nick always seemed to be putting themselves in danger and I admit I was constantly worried for them. The part that made me not able to sleep well was a horrible gang rape. It tore my heart out and made me feel sick. It's the part that really made it seem too intense for a Y.A novel but that's just my opinion.

There were a few things that were a little un-pc but I didn't take any of it too seriously. I'm assuming they weren't meant to be taken seriously. I know some people will likely bash the book because of the dysfunctional relationship but I actually enjoyed that aspect of the book.

The thing that seemed weird and out of character for the book was the way they both become religious at the end. I just didn't expect it and didn't understand why it worked out that way. Also, I was sort of finding it hard to believe that Celia got away with killing her father. I just assume that someone would analyze the scene and know that it wasn't a suicide. I really had to suspend my belief when it came to that.

Even though I had an issue or two with the book, I still really liked it. I really believe this author shows great promise and I will be reading other books by her. I found it so edgy, gritty and absorbing. It did mess with my mind and make me scared to sleep but I think that's a great accomplishment.

I'm giving it four stars because I "really liked it", plus it's one of the most entertaining ebooks I've ever read. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for something really edgy. It has sex, cursing, scams and tons of dysfuntion!

(Thanks to the author for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.)

Lisa x

Book Review: Beautiful Disaster- Jamie McGuire

Warning: SPOILERS in this review!!!!

Apparently, this book is not about an abusive relationship. The author does not condone abusive relationships and seems to think the main character, Abby, is not abused. In alternate universe world. I don't know what the point of this book is. If the author doesn't condone abusive relationships, why write a book that seems to glorify them? 

Abby meets a boy named Travis and they become friends. They make a bet that she loses and because she loses, she has to stay at his apartment for a month. During this time, he loses his shit everytime a boy looks at her, talks to her, dances with her, etc. He tells her not to accept drinks from boys and he gets angry if she goes anywhere alone with another boy. He has rage fits over the simplest things. He is jealous and controlling before they even have a relationship.

Abby makes the mistake of sleeping with this psycho on the last night of the month. It's her first time and afterwards he says something like, "that was your last first time" or something CREEPY AS FUCK as that. She decides to leave and go back to her dorm while he's asleep and when he wakes up to find her gone, he goes insane and scares his roomate and roomate's girlfriend with his behaviour. 

Eventually they get back together and he goes and gets two tattoos in her honour, one which is his creepy, sickening nickname for her, Pigeon. He also gets even more controlling and obsessive. He might as well just pee all over her and tattoo her forehead to say "Travis Maddox's property". He also makes her change her clothes at one point in the book because he's afraid of the attention she'll get. He also says they should take the same classes next semester because "it'll be easier". What the fuckkkk?! Easier to stalk your own girlfriend and make sure other boys don't breathe near her? You're a real piece of work, Travis Maddox.

They end up going to Vegas to make money to pay off a debt her father owes. While there, Travis agrees to fight in a fight for some criminal/mobster type(yeah, he's a fighter). On the way back, he tells Abby that the guy offered him a job doing more fights for lots of money and that he's doing it. Abby doesn't want him to do it and decides to leave him.

When she leaves him, she's so scared of his reaction that she sneaks out and when he follows her and asks her where she's going, she lies and says she's going to do laundry. When she gets in the car, she starts crying and he knows something's up so he starts following them screaming that a freaking maniac. 

She then HIDES somewhere he won't look for her, while he goes crazy looking, screaming at her dorm mate. 

More creepiness ensues until they get back together again. I think they get back together not long after she almost gets raped at one of his fights. A fight he asks her to go to because he "needs her there". He asks her to go to this fight while she is on a date with another, more sane boy. Too sane, obviously.

So they get back together again and he wants her to go to another fight with him, even when she says she'll stay home and wait for him. His reply to this? "I'll be worrying where you are and what you're doing." So she ends up going and almost DIES. In a FIRE. Then what does she do? Asks him to MARRY her! In VEGAS! So they do and she gets a tattoo that says "Mrs. Maddox". The book ends with him happy that she is officially his property.

It's not an abusive relationship. Even though his behaviour scares her, is uncontrollable, controlling and completely pyschotic. A few signs of an abusive relationship are jealousy, mood swings, possessiveness, control and manipulation. Travis had all these traits in a major way. I find it disturbing and disgusting how many women write that they love Travis and wish they had a Travis. It's actually scary. I'm not even joking.

This book is about an abusive relationship. This is the kind of relationship that ends in death. You know those news stories about men who shoot women because they moved on with their life? I'm sure those stories start something like this. Maybe Travis wouldn't be capable of killing Abby but I think he'd be capable of killing himself or someone in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is insane. 

What else? I'd actually written a better review but when I was almost done I decided to save it and pressed ctrl+v instead of ctrl+c and it disappeared! How many times have I lost reviews for simple reasons? So many times.

Oh yeah, there were a few errors in the book as well. Simple things like "of" instead of "off" or "you're" instead of "your". I didn't make notes of them because I was reading an ebook and it's difficult to keep track of errors but they were there. I hardly ever see errors in books. So it was definitely noticeable. 

I only gave it two stars because it was readable. Saying this book was "ok" seems weird because the things Travis does is NOT okay. His behaviour is scary and not okay. Simples. Really, this rating was a tough call because I don't understand what the message of this book is. What could be a good message? 

It's not Y.A but many people think it is. I thought it was and it kind of reads like a messed up version of a Y.A book. Really, this book sends the wrong message to anyone who reads it, whether they are a teen or an adult. It makes no difference. Ending a story about an abusive relationship with the couple getting married is a weird message. I honestly don't get it. Really, if the book had ended when she left him after they got back from Vegas, that would've made sense. 

I don't get it I don't get it I don't get it. Just because Travis says romantic things now and then doesn't make up for the crazy things he does. 

I can't say I'd recommend this book because I don't approve of the message. Travis Maddox scared me and pissed me off. Abby aka Pigeon didn't do much to help matters. 

Lisa x

What I read in...

MAY!


I'm always so behind on these posts. I'm the worst blogger ever. Oh well. Here is what I read in May(it's a crazy amount, btw):

The great boyfriend switch- Francine Pascal
Crystal- V.C. Andrews
The Princess Present- Meg Cabot
Avalon High- Meg Cabot
A monster calls- Patrick Ness
The tiny book of tiny stories Vol 1- Joseph Gordon Levitt
Beautiful disaster- Jamie McGuire
The sweetest thing- Christina Mandelski
Wanderlove- Kristen Hubbard
Cinder- Marissa Meyer
Narrative loserdom- Ryan Collins
The nightmare before christmas- Frank Thompson
Second chance summer- Morgan Matson
Harry Potter and the sorcerer's stone- J.K. Rowling
Calico Joe- John Grisham
Graffiti Moon- Cath Crowley
Are U 4 real?- Sara Kadefors
Moonglass- Jessi Kirby
Scars- Cheryl Rainfield
8:The previously untold story of the previously unknown 8th dwarf- Michael Mullin
Casey Barnes eponymous- E.A. Rigg
A swift pure cry- Siobhan Dowd
Fifty shades of grey- E.L. James
East of Eden- John Steinbeck
Run like hell- Elena Andrews
Prince charming must die- Isabella Fontaine
Rape girl- Alina Klein
His at night- Sherry Thomas

That's right. I read 28 books in May(20 Y.A/Children's and 8 adult/other). I really need a job. Plus it doesn't help that my boyfriend has not been well for the last 6 weeks and will probably be on the mend for at least another few weeks. Therefore, I have not much else to do besides read and play Harvest Moon.

Anyway, my favourite reads in May were:
WANDERLOVE! (So so goooooood)
SECOND CHANCE SUMMER (DESERVES ALL THE CAPS!)
A Monster Calls (heartbreaking)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Re-read but always amazing)
Casey Barnes Eponymous (Just super cute and funny)

Books I really liked(but wasn't completely in love with) were:
Graffiti Moon (was expecting LOVE with this but didn't get to that level)
Are U 4 Real? (was hoping for something a little bit different than this)
Cinder (cool idea, slightly boring in parts though, with a lame ending)
8 (Super cute short poem/story about the "8th Drawf")

Books I was disappointed in:
Beautiful Disaster (putting aside the terrible way the author communicates with reviewers, this book was just horrible in so many ways. It glorifies abusive relationships. I'll probably post my review later)
Fifty Shades of Grey (Not worth the hype. Boring sex and Christian Grey is a moody, abusive ass.)
Avalon High, Moonglass and His At Night (found them boring)
East of Eden (I was expecting an amazing classic. So annoyed with the overuse of literary devices and the obnoxious length.)

The rest were okay. I read so many books that it's hard to talk about them all!

What did you read in May?

Lisa x

Review: Adorkable-Sarra Manning

The Ad♥rkable Manifesto 1. We have nothing to declare but our dorkiness. 2. Jumble sales are our shopping malls. 3. Better to make cookies than be a cookie-cutter. 4. Suffering doesn’t necessarily improve you but it does give you something to blog about. 5. Experiment with Photoshop, hair dye, nail polish and cupcake flavours but never drugs. 6. Don’t follow leaders, be one. 7. Necessity is the mother of customisation. 8. Puppies make everything better. 9. Quiet girls rarely make history. 10. Never shield your oddness, but wear your oddness like a shield.

I LOVED Adorkable, which was a relief after my mixed feelings about Nine Uses For An Ex-Boyfriend. When you read one chapter of a book and immediately fall in love, you know it's a good thing.

Here's a random-ish story. When I was 18, I adored The Smiths and a little song called "Jeane" was one of my favourites. So when I saw the main character's name was Jeane, I pretty much sang the song in my head for the rest of the book. And on page 164, someone sings a bit of the song when they see Jeane. When this happened, I basically went, "YES!" The main point of that story is that The Smiths are just made of awesome. Depressing awesome, but still. 

So this book is about Jeane Smith and Michael Lee. Jeane has a blog called "Adorkable" and has a million twitter followers. In other words, she's kind of a big deal. Michael doesn't think she's a big deal, he thinks she's rude and dresses awful. Eventually, hormones get in the way and they start making out. Aww romance.

This was sooooo refreshing to read. Jeane is definitely the anti Mary-Sue. She is not the type to fall into insta-love. This was a book that took it's time building the relationship between the characters. It was realistic. I loved how Michael and Jeane were always bickering about things. I loved how the author wasn't afraid to write about teenagers having sex. There was no "slut shaming" in this book. It gets kind of annoying reading about chaste teenagers all the time. This book wasn't about chaste teenagers! Hooray! 

I loved so much about this book that I won't be able to properly gush. It was quirky and the characters had great personalities(mostly Jeane, though). I liked how the chapters would alternate between Jeane and Michael's perspective's. At first I thought I'd only want to read about Jeane's thought's but I actually loved Michael's sections as well. 

So, mostly I loved Jeane. She was kick-ass and one of the most interesting female characters I've read about in a while.  Michael could be a dick at times but hey, realistic! It's always refreshing to read about a male character who isn't perfect. It made me mad at times that he was thinking mean things about Jeane but it also made watching the relationship develop more fun. 

I also loved the part in New York. It was just pretty darn great. This book was super entertaining and I loved Jeane and I loved Michael Lee and I loved reading about the odd clothes and the misadventures with hair dye and the haribo and the shower door and New York and the bicycle incident and all that. 

I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes/loves Sarra Manning, or anyone looking for a Y.A romance that is realistic, not at all cheesy and just really entertaining. I think this has pretty much been pushed up to the top of my Sarra Manning favourites. Nobody's Girl will always have a place in my heart as well but I adored this book. J'adork.

ALL THE STARS.

I'm meant to be preaching to people about how cool it is to just be yourself but really I mean that it's only cool to be how I want you to be and what do I know about anything? I know nothing.

Have any of you read Adorkable or any of Sarra Mannings other books? What'd you think?

Lisa x

Review: Oracle-Sunken Earth by C.W. Trisef

This book is about a boy named Ret, who is a bit different. He was found 10 months ago by his adoptive mother and sister, with no memory of his life before he was found. He looks different and has mysterious scars. The story follows him trying to remember who he is and discovering why he's different. I've never been the Percy Jackson series but I imagine they have a similar style, in the way that they are both Y.A books with a male hero, with a mixture of realism and fantasy. 

I've read that this is the first book in a series of seven books. I found it to be an interesting read and I'm curious to see where the story goes. I was completely impressed by the style of this debut author and see potential for a very involving saga.

I thought Ret was a very likeable character and found he had admirable traits, such as bravery and loyalty. It's clear that he has it in him to be a memorable hero. I also thought the writing had it's own unique voice that pulled the story along and kept you intrigued.

I liked that the story hinted at future possible romantic interests for Ret but didn't delve into it in this particular book. It left possibilities open for the rest of the series. Personally, I'd rather have a romance slowly build than be thrown in my face. I appreciated it because I could concentrate on the story.

The other characters in the book stood out with their different personalities. I really liked Ret's sister Ana and the silly awkwardness of Mr. Ben Coy. I also enjoyed how the author incorparated the Bermuda(Devil's) Triangle into the story.

Books that have that bit of fantasy/supernatural usually don't appeal to me, so I was surprised at how easily I fell into the world this author built. I'm giving it 3 3/4 stars. I think this would be a great read for someone who is looking for a series with a lot of potential.


Lisa x