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Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Bloom Review


Bloom by Elizabeth Scott was a really good read to pass the time, but I probably won’t remember every detail about it four months from now, as I would with a favorite novel.

Scott’s details were great, but there wasn’t anything that struck me particularly fantastic. I did enjoy it a lot, don’t get me wrong. There were plenty of moments that left me on the edge of my seat and plenty of times when I’m pretty sure I knew what was going to happen (I didn’t).

Lauren has a good life: decent grades, great friends, and a boyfriend every girl lusts after. So why is she so unhappy?

It takes the arrival of Evan Kirkland for Lauren to figure out the answer: She's been holding back. She's been denying herself a bunch of things (like sex) because staying with her loyal and gorgeous boyfriend, Dave, is the "right" thing to do. After all, who would give up the perfect boyfriend?

But as Dave starts talking more and more about their life together, planning a future Lauren simply can't see herself in -- and as Lauren's craving for Evan, and moreover, who she is with Evan becomes all the more fierce -- Lauren realizes she needs to make a choice...before one is made for her. (Goodreads)

I found Lauren’s character really relatable, and I enjoyed that because she wasn’t generic, either.

The novel did however, remind me a lot of The Unwritten Rule, the first book of Scott’s that I had read. I also started reading Something Borrowed (review soon!) shortly after finishing this book, and that reminded me a lot of this novel, too. Not in a bad way, though. They were each distinctly different, and I liked that.

So in all, this is a good, well-written book that isn’t too light, but also isn’t the most memorable thing I’ve read.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Book Review: The Wednesday Wars

Hello all! I know that I've been pretty MIA lately, but school has been keeping me unbelievably busy this year! This next book I'm reviewing, I actually read for an English project about the American Dream. Finally some homework that I enjoyed!


The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt (who was actually one of my teacher's college professors)

While all his classmates are enjoying (?) religious instruction, seventh-grader Holling Hoodhood shares
Wednesday afternoons with Mrs. Baker, his Camillo Junior High teacher. Not surprisingly, Holling lacks enthusiasm for mid-week appointments with an instructor who assigns him Shakespeare as out-of-class reading. Holling has other things on his mind besides English Renaissance drama. For his dad's sake, he's trying hard to stay out of trouble, but with hovering bullies and other impinging crises, that seems to be a full-time job. Fortunately, help arrives from an unexpected source. Another funny yet gripping novel from the author ofLizzie Bright and The Buckminster Boy. (Goodreads)

I'd not fully sure what i was expecting when I picked this book up, but I definitely didn't think I'd end up with a fantastic coming of age story that truly resonates through a culture.

The characters are strong. I love how Holling, the main character, grows throughout the year. And I loved seeing how his relationship with Mrs. Baker
grew, too. There's such a strong sense of community in the novel, and it really helps push forward the theme.

I also really enjoyed the constant struggle that Holling felt with his parents. They want and expect so much of him, and it's so realistic for the people who live in the "perfect house".

And the writing style is clever and humorous, with the serious bits mixed in there perfectly. A true talent. I highly recommend!