The Kari AnnAlysis

Posts Tagged ‘young adult’

Anna is devastated! She’s entering her senior year in high school, but not with all her friends, and not even on the same continent as her friends and family. The former Georgia peach is now in Paris, the city of love, with no friends and no grasp of the French language, other than oui. But it doesn’t take long for Anna to meet new people. She instantly bonds with a group of already friends. Two guys, two girls, including Etienne St. Clair. Bad news? He has a girlfriend who is in college. Good news? There’s an undeniable bond between them.

The tension is so thick, it’d take a butcher knife to cut, but throughout her senior year, Anna and St. Clair’s relationship takes off, hits turbulence, lands with a bump, then takes off again. And that’s a trend that starts early on and keeps pace until the very end.

First of all, I absolutely loved the scenery in this book. I felt like I was in Paris and feel like if I went now, I’d says “Oh, I remember that from Anna and the French Kiss” and “Oh, that’s exactly how it was described in Anna and the French Kiss.” It was very descriptive and made me want to pack my bags and catch the next plane out.

I was annoyed a few times in this book. It started when Anna was whining and sulking around about being in Paris. Yes, I understand it’s her last year to be with her friends in high school and next year every one’s going to college, but still, it’s Paris. And maybe that’s the luxury of being an adult, I know that life will go on. I probably would have sulked a little too, but I would have loved to spend a year in Paris. I went to France, Niece to be exact, for a day or so on my senior trip and wish I could’ve spent the entire trip there. There’s just something about it, the language, the beauty, the food. It’s just a place that makes you swoon.

Now I also got annoyed with Anna and St. Clair. JUST GET TOGETHER ALREADY! But, I couldn’t tear myself apart from the book. I just kep reading and reading and needing to know what was going to happen. Are they going to end up together? Is he going to stay with his original girlfriend? Is she going to get together with the boy she liked at home? Goodness there were so many possibilities!

In the end though, I really liked this book. It was a quick read and definitely a senior year I could have seen myself in. I think that Stephanie Perkins did a great job of really embracing the teenage mindset in this book. They were seniors, and living in Paris, so of course most of them were a little more mature than a regular high school kid. But they still have the same feelings and questions and troubles that all teenagers have. This was one of my favorite lines in the book, because I think we’ve all been there:

Pg 333 “I’ve spent my entire senior year suffocating between lust and heartache, ecstasy and betrayal, and it’s only getting harder to see the truth. How many times can our emotions be tied to someone else’s – be pulled and stretched and twisted – before they can snap? Before they can never be mended again?

I know that even out of high school I felt those emotions and tried to explain it, but never could do so quite so eloquently and to the point.

I give Anna and the French Kiss 4 book marks.

ISBN: 978-0525423270
Published: December 2, 2010
Author Website
Kari got this book from Around the World Book Tours

At her old school, CG was not in the cool crowd. That’s why she named herself CG at her new school, to give her an edge with the socialites. And it worked. Within no time, she’s part of the “Four Tops”, the smart, edgy one. But a little game of Truth, Dare or Torture is going to be the downfall of this princess. What starts with an innocent kiss on the cheek with her friend’s college-aged brother, ends with a lot of drama, grounding, a scandal with a teacher, and a friend in rehab. Oy vey. But, it doesn’t all go downhill. There is a small light at the end of the tunnel in the form of her former BFF Alex who may be more than just a friend.

I’m very mixed feelings about this book still, after I’ve let it sim for a couple of days. It was cute, made me feel like I was really hanging out with high schoolers and brought up a bunch of issues high school students face. I think the last of those way my favorite part of the book. It didn’t really sugar coat anything. Doing anything to fit it, eating disorders, hooking up with older guys, meeting people on chat rooms, lying about your age, drinking. These are all things that high schoolers face. Most of these were on the table when I was in school and I know they are not drifting away. The honesty of the problems was brutal, respectful and real.

This book also is a great lessona bout lying. We all have been through it. It starts as something small like with what all we ate for lunch, then expands and before you know it, you don’t know what is true and what is not. This is very prevalent in CG’s life and a problem I think many teens are faced with. They want people to like them and will go to the ends of the Earth to make that happen. Unfortunately, as in CG’s case, it normally doesn’t end pretty. Be honest!

My problem with this book, along with many teen shows right now is the approval for teens to have relationships with teachers. Pretty Little Liars and Life Unexpected are two shows that I watch that have student/teacher relationships. It seems very prevalent right now. I know it has always happened and hot topics come and go, but I feel like for sensationalism in tv and books, it’s pushed to the limits. Granted in this book, nothing necessarily illegal happens, not necessarily, but the issue is still there, pounding on the front door, ready to be let in. I am in no way ridiculing Rech for her decision to put this in, I just hate the topic in general no matter where it comes up. It worries me that it’s very serious when it happens in real life, but in shows, it is played up and seems sexy and ok. I am stepping off my soap box now.

Trying not to let an issue take over my review, I really have no other problems with the book, other than I am glad as ever not to deal with high school drama. Oh those girls drove me nuts at times! I give It Started With A Dare  3 bookmarks.

ISBN: 9780547235585
Author Website
Published: September 13, 2010
Kari got this book fromNetGalley

Last year, I took part in a couple of challenges. This year, so far, I’ve only signed up for one. I wanted to get more into Young Adult books this year. I know there’s no age limit on what genre you read, but I figured since I’m still in my early 20′s, I have a few more years to feel not like a creeper reading about teens, so I’m going to read all I can get my hands on.

The challenge I took part in is the 2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge at Home Girl’s Book Blog. There were four different levels in this challenge. You could sign up to read 12, 25, 50 or 75 books. I chose the 25 book challenge, not too sure if I could even get through it. And guess what? I have and it’s only July.

Here’s my list of books that I read:
1. Petty in Pink
2. LA Candy
3. Private
4. Invitation Only
5. Untouchable
6. Confessions
7. Inner Circle
8. Legacy
9. Ambition
10. Envy
11. The Naughty List
12. Rumors
13. Tangled
14. Revelation
 15. Paradise Lost
16. Suspicion
17. Beautiful Malice
18. Sloppy Firsts
19. Pretty Little Liars
20. Flawless
21. Perfect
22. Unbelievable
23. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner
24. Infinite Days
25. The Crepe Makers’ Bond

If you want to check out my reviews, here is the link to my Challenges page, that lists all of the books, authors and has links to the reviews.

I seriously can’t believe I’ve already finished a challenge, 5 months early. I still have a few YA books on my shelf, including more in the Jessica Darling series, as well as the Private series. I have also found some awesome YA books to read this winter.

I do plan on doing one more challenge this year, that will be a Holiday Reading Challenge, and I am already dying for it.

Have you signed up for any challenges yet? How are you doing on them

*This post contains spoilers if you have not read the Private series*

Cheyenne is dead and the Legacy is cancelled. Cheyenne’s family was supposed to be in charge of this year’s Legacy, but they decided against it in the wake of her death. Reed was unanimously voted the new prez of Billings and she will stop at nothing to make sure they get to do something similar to the Legacy (a ridiculous party filled with sex, drugs, alcohol, music that Legacies of the private schools attend each year).

They hear through the grapevine that the Legacy may still be on, but no one from Easton was invited. Now it’s up to Reed to make sure they get there.

She doesn’t have to do it alone though, a former Billings girl is back and they’ve definitely switched roles.

Not only is Reed dealing with all of the Legacy drama, she is also dealing with a bit of boy drama. She is still dating Josh, but a former Billings student, who also dated one of her best friends is interested in Reed. She loves Josh, but the other fella, who can turn him down? He’s gorgeous, smart, rich and an Ivy Leaguer.

I have to admit this was my least favorite book so far out of the Private series. I know that people can’t die in every book, but after so much drama in the rest of the series, this one kind of slacked.

I enjoyed the rituals in this book. Now that Reed is president, she is on top of the world. She has money, access to awesome clothes, contacts and a file with any info possible on her Billings family. I don’t know if this is how life really is for these people, but it’s what I imagine it to be. 

This book set up a little bit of drama for the future. When they finally found out who set up the Legacy, they also find out she has a connection to Cheyenne. I imagine this drama will continue to build.

I give Legacy 2 bookmarks.

Private Series:
1. Private
2. Invitation Only
3. Untouchable
4. Confessions
5. Inner Circle

*This contains spoilers if you haven’t read the rest of the series*

Oy Vey! A lot is a changin’ at Easton Academy. Noelle and the “Mean Girls” are gone. Inner Circle picks up at the beginning of Reed’s second year at Easton. The last we’d heard from her was winter break of her first year. And as I said, a lot has changed.

There’s a new headmaster, Reed has a new roommate and there’s a new Billings “Queen B”. Not to mention 6 open spots at Billings and 80 years of tradition that are being thrown out the door.

The “Mean Girls” may have treated Reed horribly, killed her beau and tried to kill her, but somehow, this year seems worse. She’s at wits end with a house mate, who seems very cozy with Josh (Yes, Reed and Josh are still together). It’s now up to Reed to put her housemates in their place and show them what it really means to be a Billings Girl, even if she is “blue collar”.

Oh yeah, one of the “Mean Girls” shows back up in Reeds life, but she may not have been too far from the beginning.

This book just didn’t do it for me like the rest of the series has. There was drama, yes, but compared to killing people, it seemed very tame. Now, there is a death in this book, I just didn’t really care about it. Oh Gosh, I’ve become hardened by the likes of Noelle This book was just too catty for me.

I do have high hopes for the rest of the series, especially with a mean one back in the picture and to learn more about this Ivy character who has come back to Easton. But, I am only giving Invitation Only 2 bookmarks.

Private Series:
1. Private
2. Invitation Only
3. Untouchable
4. Confessions