A Stolen Life: Book Review

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Book: A Stolen Life
Author: Jaycee Dugard

Synopsis: On 10 June 1991, eleven-year-old Jaycee Dugard was abducted from a school bus stop within sight of her home in Tahoe, California. It was the last her family and friends saw of her for over eighteen years. On 26 August 2009, Dugard, her daughters, and Phillip Craig Garrido appeared in the office of her kidnapper's parole officer in California. Their unusual behaviour sparked an investigation that led to the positive identification of Jaycee Lee Dugard, living in a tent behind Garrido's home. During her time in captivity, at the age of fourteen and seventeen, she gave birth to two daughters, both fathered by Garrido. 

Dugard's memoir is written by the 30-year-old herself and covers the period from the time of her abduction in 1991 up until the present. In her stark, utterly honest and unflinching narrative, Jaycee opens up about what she experienced, including how she feels now, a year after being found. Garrido and his wife Nancy have since pleaded guilty to their crimes.

***

A Stolen Life took me on the wild ride in what was 18 years of Jaycee Dugards life. There is no other way to say that this book is unlike others. This review may include spoilers, so please read at your own discretion.

The first 2/3 of the book Jaycee tells you about what her life in captivity was like. Her writing portrays that she still vividly remembers most of the events that occurred during that time period. She writes in graphic detail (well as graphic as she can with a fifth grade education level) the torture she endured. She described the "runs" that Phillip Garrido would make her do. For those who want to know what a "run" is without reading the book - they were drug induced sex sprees that Phillip would go on and make Jaycee participate in. She was continuously raped throughout her 18 years in captivity.

These multiple rapes resulted in two daughters. She gave birth to her first one at 14, and the other at 17. She was unable to go to a hospital during birth, so she birthed each daughter at home with the help of Nancy and Phillip Garrido. The only drug she was given was codeine to help with her pain. To be completely honest, I'm surprised each birth went without complication or infection. To give birth in a non-sterile environment, not once, but twice, is just grounds for asking for an infection. Luckily, both her and her daughters were in healthy condition after the birth(s).

Throughout the book Jaycee inserts some photos, some being old photos of her life before the abduction, others are while she was held in captivity. All of the photos that were during her captivity were not of her, but of animals (usually cats) or of her daughters. Phillip was wary that if she were to take photos of herself with a disposable camera that she would be recognized when he got the published. Later in the novel the photos were taken on a digital camera and she was able to print them out at home because they were running a printing business. 

I'm not going to go into full detail about everything that happens in the novel, because honestly, there's no way to sum up everything that happened to her, and frankly it's not my story to fully tell.

The end of the novel was about her experience outside of captivity, her life with her daughters, and her rehabilitation into the world. I will say that I did prefer the first 2/3 of the book, but I do think the way she ended the book was necessary for the reader to also get closure.

In the end, Jaycee Dugard went through things that no human should ever have to go through. She was ripped away from her life, and she was not the only victim. Her family also suffered, her friends, and her daughters. There are no excuses that can be made for Phillip and Nancy Girrados actions.

Cherry: Book Review

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Book: Cherry
Author: Lindsey Rosin

Synopsis: In this honest, frank, and funny debut novel, four best friends make a pact during their senior year of high school to lose their virginities—and end up finding friendship, love, and self-discovery along the way.

To be honest, the sex pact wasn’t always part of the plan. 

Layla started it. She announced it super casually to the rest of the girls between bites of frozen yogurt, as if it was just simply another addition to her massive, ever-evolving To Do List. She is determined to have sex for the first time before the end of high school. Initially, the rest of the crew is scandalized, but, once they all admit to wanting to lose their v-cards too, they embark on a quest to do the deed together... separately.

Layla’s got it in the bag. Her serious boyfriend, Logan, has been asking for months.

Alex has already done it. Or so she says.

Emma doesn’t know what the fuss is all about, but sure, she’ll give it a shot.

And Zoe, well, Zoe can’t even say the o word without bursting into giggles.

Will everything go according to plan? Probably not. But at least the girls have each other every hilarious, heart-warming, cringe-inducing step of the way.

From debut author Lindsey Rosin, Cherry is a coming-of-age, laugh-out-loud tale of first times, last chances, and the enduring friendships that make it all worthwhile.

***

Cherry was a fun, quick read. Although I'm almost 22, and have been out of high school for four years - this book made me feel like I too was a 17 year old girl in their friend group. Cherry was a nostalgic read. It was quick. There weren't parts that were boring, very little filler.

It has four points of view, the four friends. Usually, I'm not one for multiple points of view, but this time it worked. You got to see more in depth of each girls lives, as well, you really got to understand their point of view.

If you read the book, you'll understand why Zoe gets upset with Alex at one point you get to see both points of view and not just one.

However, although I thought the book was well written and enthralling, I rate it 3/5 stars. Over the years I've been picky about what books I am giving 5 stars. Basically, a five star book is a book that changes my perspective on life, or truly alters my reality. This book was fun and well deserves three stars. 

I'm Back

Hello, long time no blog.

Four years ago I lost access to this account. I honestly completely forgot about it for a short time. Recently, my email was alerted that someone tried to access my account.

So, thanks for trying to hack me? Because now I have this blog back and I'm excited.

We Were Liars : Book Review

Book: We Were Liars
Author: E. Lockhard

Synopsis: A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.

Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

* * *

WARNING: READ THE BOOK FIRST it's better going into it knowing nothing, THE COME BACK.

We Were Liars was a phenomenal read. It's a book of discovery, a book of mystery and a book of learning the truth. In this novel the main character, Cadence, discovers that everything has consequences and not everything  that seems to be normal actually is.

In this novel we were introduced to many characters, the main four, The Liars, are Mirren, Gat, Johnny and Cadence. Out of these four characters, Cadence was my favourite. This is because in the novel we start to understand and feel for Cadence. It also helps that she is whom is telling the story.

Cadence starts off as a really laid-low, well off girl. But as the novel progresses we find out that this is not all it's made up to be. Cadence goes from being happy and healthy, to a progressively deteriorating health. 

You begin to feel bad to Cadence as her family leaves her out of the loop, and everything she has to go through. I can say, I did get pretty angry at her mom more than a few times. 

We Were Liars  kept me guessing through the entire novel, as I tried to help Cadence discover the truth behind everything.

The writing style was one I particularly enjoy quite a bit, I'm not 100% sure what it's called, but for now I'll call it perfection. 

This book left me in an emotional state of unknown. There’s not even a Scrabble word for how I’m feeling right now… It left me wanting more. This has to be one of my all-time favourite novels I have read so far.

I give it 5/5, in my eyes it was a perfect novel.


 

Graphic Novels

Recently, I've really gotten into graphic novels.

No, not manga.

Actual graphic novels.

I've read two and a half graphic novels in the last week or two. They consist of:

    

Anya's Ghost is the first graphic novel I read this month.

Anya could really use a friend. But her new BFF isn't kidding about the "Forever" part.Of all the things Anya expected to find at the bottom of an old well, a new friend was not one of them. Especially not a new friend who’s been dead for a century.Falling down a well is bad enough, but Anya's normal life might actually be worse. She's embarrassed by her family, self-conscious about her body, and she's pretty much given up on fitting in at school. A new friend—even a ghost—is just what she needs.Or so she thinks. Spooky, sardonic, and secretly sincere, Anya's Ghost is a wonderfully entertaining debut from author/artist Vera Brosgol.  (source: goodreads)

It was an interesting book that left me wanting more at the end. With a surprising plot twist it had me on my toes for a good one half of the book. 5/5 stars from me. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a good graphic novel to read, or even someone wanting to start reading graphic novels.

In Real Life was quite different from Anya's Ghost. 

Anda loves Coarsegold Online, the massively-multiplayer role-playing game where she spends most of her free time. It's a place where she can be a leader, a fighter, a hero. It's a place where she can meet people from all over the world, and make friends. 
But things become a lot more complicated when Anda befriends a gold farmer--a poor Chinese kid whose avatar in the game illegally collects valuable objects and then sells them to players from developed countries with money to burn. This behavior is strictly against the rules in Coarsegold, but Anda soon comes to realize that questions of right and wrong are a lot less straightforward when a real person's real livelihood is at stake. 
From acclaimed teen author (Little Brother, For the Win) and Boing Boing editor Cory Doctorow and Koko Be Good creator Jen Wang, In Real Life is a perceptive and high-stakes look at adolescence, gaming, poverty, and culture clash.  (source: goodreads)

The art in the graphic novel was magnificent, it was done in full colour and this is was what attracted me to the book in the first place. Anya's Ghost had been done fully in a black/grey/white colour scale, while this one used all colours. Anda, the main character of this graphic novel, felt very real, and very relate-able. Not to mention, she's a bad ass female who's trying to help someone to improve his quality of life. She's an endearing character, not one to forget. Another 5/5 stars from me.

Nimona is the graphic novel I am currently reading.

The graphic novel debut from rising star Noelle Stevenson, based on her beloved and critically acclaimed web comic, which Slate awarded its Cartoonist Studio Prize, calling it "a deadpan epic."

Nemeses! Dragons! Science! Symbolism! All these and more await in this brilliantly subversive, sharply irreverent epic from Noelle Stevenson. Featuring an exclusive epilogue not seen in the web comic, along with bonus conceptual sketches and revised pages throughout, this gorgeous full-color graphic novel is perfect for the legions of fans of the web comic and is sure to win Noelle many new ones.

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are.

But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit. (Source: goodreads)

I am only 34 pages into it, so I do not yet have overall final opinions of  this graphic novel. But I can tell you that I already really like the characters that have been introduced and the art style. I'm very excited to finish this graphic novel and tell you what my final opinions are.

Reading Slumps

Hey guys,

So my last post was my #Cramathon TBR. And do you want to know what I accomplished? I read about twenty pages of the book I am currently reading (The Probability of Miracles) and nothing more.

Truth is, I've been in a major reading slump for like

                                              months.

 

 

I can finish the odd book here or there, but I just have no motivation for any hardcore reading.

 

 

I haven't experienced a reading slump this bad since last year. It was the end of February/beginning of March and I had just finished the Divergent Series (and if you've all read this series, you know what happens in Allegiant). But anyway, I was in a reading slump from March until the end of June. I managed to read from June to the end of August a whopping 20+ books.

 

                                                                                                    It was a m a z i n g.

 



 

So my recent slump has been going on for about the same length of time. I wanted to read during June but I had exams to prepare for and I couldn't afford to lose my honours with all of the hard work I had put into getting there.

 

So here I am, July 20th, and I am approximately 15 books behind schedule on my Goodreads goal for the year.

 

I know I can catch up and exceed that goal if I really tried. I just need some motivation.

 

Hopefully that comes soon. Wish me luck!

#Cramathon

Hello hello!

I am happy to say I am back, summer vacation began two weeks ago and I finally have time to blog and read!

Today's post is about the books I am going to be reading for #cramathon this summer! If you don't know what CramAThon is here are some links to take you where to find out about it click here.

Here are the challenges try to read a:

1. Children's book
2. A hardcover
3. Two books in 24 hours
4. A graphic novel
5. A book written in verse
6. A novella
7. Five books in total

Here are some of the books I am going to try and read:

Children's Book:


The BFG by Roald Dahl.

Summary: Captured by a giant! The BFG is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It's lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been carried off in the middle of the night by the Bloodbottler, the Fleshlumpeater, the Bonecruncher, or any of the other giants-rather than the BFG-she would have soon become breakfast.
When Sophie hears that they are flush-bunking off in England to swollomp a few nice little chiddlers, she decides she must stop them once and for all. And the BFG is going to help her!


Hardcover:

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Summary: A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.

Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

Graphic Novel:

Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol

Summary: Anya could really use a friend. But her new BFF isn't kidding about the "Forever" part.
Of all the things Anya expected to find at the bottom of an old well, a new friend was not one of them. Especially not a new friend who’s been dead for a century.
Falling down a well is bad enough, but Anya's normal life might actually be worse. She's embarrassed by her family, self-conscious about her body, and she's pretty much given up on fitting in at school. A new friend—even a ghost—is just what she needs.
Or so she thinks. Spooky, sardonic, and secretly sincere, Anya's Ghost is a wonderfully entertaining debut from author/artist Vera Brosgol.

Verse:

The Realm of Possibility by David Levithan

Summary: One school. Twenty voices.

Endless possibilities.

There's the girl who is in love with Holden Caulfield. The boy who wants to be strong who falls for the girl who's convinced she needs to be weak. The girl who writes love songs for a girl she can't have. The two boys teetering on the brink of their first anniversary. And everyone in between.

As he did in the highly acclaimed Boy Meets Boy, David Levithan gives us a world of unforgettable voices that readers will want to visit again and again. It's the realm of possibility open to us all - where love, joy, and the stories we tell will linger

Novella:

The Selection Stories: The Prince & The Guard by Kiera Cass

Summary: Two novellas set in the world of Kiera Cass's #1 New York Times bestselling Selection series are now available in print for the first time. The Prince and The Guard both offer captivating views into the hearts and minds of the two men fighting to win America Singer's love. This collection also features exclusive bonus content, including a sneak peek at The One, the eagerly anticipated third novel in the Selection series.

Before America arrived at the palace to compete in the Selection, there was another girl in Prince Maxon's life. The Prince opens the week before the Selection begins and follows Maxon through the first day of the competition.

Raised as a Six, Aspen Leger never dreamed that he would find himself living in the palace as a member of the royal guard. In The Guard, readers get an inside look at Aspen's life within the palace walls—and the truth about a guard's world that America will never know.