Book Review: My Unscripted Life by Lauren Morrill

My Unscripted Life
by Lauren Morrill
ebook, 288 pages
Release Date: October 11th, 2016
Publisher: Delacorte
Genre: YA Contemporary
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Goodreads Summary: Sometimes love stories go off script.

Another sultry Georgia summer is about to get a lot hotter. Dee Wilkie is still licking her wounds after getting rejected by the precollege fine arts program of her dreams. But if she'd gone away, she wouldn't have been around to say yes to an unbelievable opportunity: working on the set of a movie filming in her small Southern town that just happens to be starring Milo Ritter, the famous pop star Dee (along with the rest of the world) has had a crush since eighth grade.

It's not like Dee will be sharing any screen time with Milo—she's just a lowly PA. And Milo is so disappointingly rude that Dee is eager to stay far away from him. Except after a few chance meetings, she begins to wonder if just maybe there's a reason for his offensive attitude, and if there's more to Milo than his good looks and above-it-all Hollywood pedigree. Can a relationship with a guy like Milo ever work out for a girl like Dee? Never say never...

Cindy's Review:

I've been looking forward to a light, summer read and My Unscripted Life is just the one! 

Yes, it may be those cheesy-ish novels where the protagonist falls in love with a celebrity after going through the "he is a jerk" phase. Next thing you know, the main character will slip into the "he is more sensitive than I thought" phase and slowly see the new light shined upon our love interest. The rest is history. I do not really mind the celebrity/normal person romance because you never know, it can be realistic.....though maybe a lot of the times, it isn't. I mean, look at Emma Watson -- she is dating a non-celeb right?

However, the romance in the novel is a little too insta-love for me. There are initial moments where the main character Dee gets mad at Milo's rude behavior but she definitely gave in to him way too fast. I love the love-hate phase in a fictional relationship, but that lasted about two and half chapters in My Unscripted Life. Like it literally went from "I hate you so much" to "ohhh you're  a decent person" to kissing in the rain within the span of a few chapters. I am not too mad about the romance though, since it is a fun, light read. 

Let's introduce the two main characters:
Dee - The protagonist lives in Georgia, about to start her senior year of high school. She doesn't get into an art program -- and her best friend got into a STEM program -- so she does not have anything to do or anyone to hang out with. Then in comes the movie job ... luckybutt, man I wish I got a summer job like that. Dee honestly does not have that much substance to her; just a young girl who came upon young love. I read these kind of books only to pass time because my summer romance is as dead as dinosaurs. 

Milo - On the other hand, this guy is the opposite of Dee's sweet side. Of course he is a jerk. Aren't all celebrities when you first meet them? And then they become the angel you totally though they were when you truly get to know them. It is sort of understandable to why Milo acts like a jerk, but that's truly all the backstory we get to Milo's personality. Besides being a celebrity and someone who wants to live a "more normal" lifestyle, there is not that much substance to Milo as well. *sigh* This is why I emphasize summer read. Not to diss summer reads, of course, because there are some out there that is really good...but the super emotional ones are in my serious reads pile haha. 

All in all, My Unscripted Life definitely does not contain any heavy, emotional scenes: some melodrama, a potential mean girl, and just the main character revealing her love of art. The whole behind the scenes of a movie set was fun to read about as Dee worked with the items in the background of a movie set. Having watched a lot of behind the scenes to dramas and movie bloopers, I totally have an idea of what Dee is seeing.  

So if you're looking for a novel with cute, romantic scenes and not a lot of depth, My Unscripted Life will work well for you. :) 

My Rating (1-5): 4 

Happy reading~

Book Review: The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski

The Winner's Kiss (The Winner's Trilogy #3)
by Marie Rutkoski
Hardcover, 484 pages
Release Date: March 29th, 2016
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Genre: YA Fantasy
Buy a Copy: 
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Goodreads Summary: Some kisses come at a price.

War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it with untrustworthy new allies and the empire as his enemy. Though he has convinced himself that he no longer loves Kestrel, Arin hasn’t forgotten her, or how she became exactly the kind of person he has always despised. She cared more for the empire than she did for the lives of innocent people—and certainly more than she did for him.

At least, that’s what he thinks.

In the frozen north, Kestrel is a prisoner in a brutal work camp. As she searches desperately for a way to escape, she wishes Arin could know what she sacrificed for him. She wishes she could make the empire pay for what they’ve done to her.

But no one gets what they want just by wishing.

As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover that the world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and they are caught in between. With so much to lose, can anybody really win?

Cindy's Review: 
The Winner’s Kiss by Marie Rutkoski is the final novel in the Winner’s Trilogy. Often, final books are often difficult to satisfy readers’ high expectations, but Rutkoski concludes this series perfectly filled with exhilarating battles.

At the start, readers immediately dive into a conflict filled with high tension. Protagonist Kestrel is the daughter of General Trajan, who serves the ruler of the Valorian Empire. She chooses to marry the Crown Prince in the previous novel so she can help Arin, a Herrani slave, save his territory. However, when Kestrel is discovered spying for the Herrani, her own father sends her to frozen prison camps in the North, where slave laborers are forced to work under the influence of drugs.

Meanwhile, Arin takes Kestrel’s cold attitude towards him as Kestrel’s selfish desire for power. Little did he know, Kestrel is The Moth, a spy within the Valorian Empire who secretly delivers information to Arin’s spymaster.
The Valorian Empire captured the Herran peninsula years earlier and enslaved the Herranis. After the Herranis’ successful rebellion against the Valorian Empire, Arin is now the leader of the people. The emperor of Valoria agrees to allow Arin to govern Herran under the condition that he reports back to Valoria. Unknown to Arin, the emperor’s generosity is fabricated by Kestrel.

Despite the agreement between Valoria and Herran, suspicion continues to grow and war continues to brew. Arin creates an alliance with the eastern empires while the crafty Valorian emperor poisons the Herranis’ water supply. As the tension between the eastern and western empires increase, Kestrel tries to stay sane despite her drugged food while Arin slowly discovers the true identity of his enemy.

Though the Winner’s trilogy starts off rather romantic and tame, it builds the setting for its sequels. If you are looking for a cleverly crafted high fantasy novel, take a plunge into Rutkoski’s action-packed series filled with revenge, deceits, and betrayal.  
The Rating: (1-10): 10~

Happy Reading~ 

Book Review: Banished (Forbidden #2) by Kimberley Griffiths Little

Banished (Forbidden #2) 
by  Kimberley Griffiths Little 
eBook, 416 pages
Release Date: February 2nd, 2016
Publisher: Harpercollins
Genre: YA Fantasy, Romance
Buy a Copy: 
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Goodreads Summary: She thought she’d lost everything…

After spending months traveling the harsh, unforgiving Mesopotamian desert, Jayden reunites with a broken, injured Kadesh. Although everyone was convinced the violent and unpredictable Horeb, Jayden’s betrothed, killed the handsome prince, Jayden knew in her heart that her love was alive and safe. But their reunion is short-lived, as they learn Horeb is on their trail and determined to take back the girl he has claimed. Soon, the two star-crossed lovers are on the run toward Sariba, Kadesh’s homeland, where, as heir to the kingdom, he plans to make Jayden his princess.

But the trek to Sariba comes with heartache and danger. After narrowly escaping being stoned to death for a crime she didn’t commit, and learning that her sister has disappeared, Jayden’s only solace is her love for Kadesh. But even he is keeping secrets from her…secrets that will change everything.

This gorgeous and enchanting sequel to Forbidden is fraught with love, danger, and heated passion that will leave readers breathless.  

Cindy's Review:
Banished by Kimberley Griffiths Little is the second book of the Forbidden series. Picking up right after the first novel, Jayden of the Nephish tribe crosses the harsh Mesopotamian desert alone to find her lover Kadesh.

The violent and unpredictable King of Nephish, Horeb, attempted to kill Kadesh and is now hunting Jayden across the desert. Horeb is originally Jayden’s betrothed, but she did not want to rule alongside a psycho who killed his own father and brother for the throne.Now an outcast for attempting to elope with Kadesh to the kingdom of Sariba, Jayden must quickly find Kadesh and reach the safety of Sariba without being mauled by Horeb’s growing army.

Receiving help from the Edomites tribe, Jayden and Kadesh race against time to reach Sariba before getting caught by Horeb’s army. Unfortunately, Horeb seems to be crossing the desert with a lot more ease than anticipated. For someone who is not familiar with the harsh environment of the current day Saudi Arabian desert, Horeb must have been receiving help from a spy within Jayden’s group.

To make matters worse, Kadesh is holding back information from Jayden about his homeland, Sariba. It seems that Sariba is dealing with interior complications as well. As Jayden and Kadesh rush southwards along the Red Sea, readers experience the dry desert under the relentless sun and whooshing winds alongside the protagonists.

Compared with Forbidden, Banished is the action and the battles while Forbidden is like the introduction and the background information. Ms. Kimberley continues to take readers along with the protagonists' adventure through the desert. Sariba felt like a faraway safe haven. I am imagining a secret island full of cherry blossoms (the frankincense trees) and a pond, hidden behind the mountains, protected by nature. 

Though the ending marked the actual beginning of battles, I was still oddly satisfied of being able to see Kadesh's homeland and learning its secret. I absolutely cannot wait for the final book in the trilogy to see what is in store for Jayden's future.

I recommend this novel to readers who like historical fiction full of suspense and mystery. 

**Huge thanks to Dena from Batch of Books for giving me the opportunity to review Banished**

The Rating: (1-10): 8.5~

Happy Reading ~ 

Blog Tour: Adorkable by Cookie O'Gorman

 

Welcome to my stop on the Adorkable Blog Tour

hosted by YA Bound Book Tours. 

Adorkable

by Cookie O'Gorman

Release Date: March 31st, 2016

Blurb: 

Adorkable (ah-dor-kuh-bul): Descriptive term meaning to be equal parts dorky and adorable. For reference, see Sally Spitz.

Seventeen-year-old Sally Spitz is done with dating. Or at least, she's done with the horrible blind dates/hookups/sneak attacks her matchmaking bestie, Hooker, sets her up on. There's only so much one geek girl and Gryffindor supporter can take.

Her solution: she needs a fake boyfriend. And fast.

Enter Becks, soccer phenom, all-around-hottie, and Sally's best friend practically since birth. When Sally asks Becks to be her F.B.F. (fake boyfriend), Becks is only too happy to be used. He'd do anything for Sal--even if that means giving her PDA lessons in his bedroom, saying she's "more than pretty," and expertly kissing her at parties.

The problem: Sally's been in love with Becks all her life--and he's completely clueless.

This book features two best friends, one special edition Yoda snuggie, countless beneath-the-ear kisses and begs the question:

Who wants a real boyfriend when faking it is so much more fun? 

Cindy's Review: 

Adorkable was a breezy, light read following Sally Spitz and her quest to stay away from her matchmaking best friend, Hooker (what a name!). Using her childhood playmate as a shield, Becks become her fake boyfriend and the romance begins. 

The plotline of this story is similar to many I've read before. The girl falling in love with her best friend. Often times, they fake date, but then they realize they love each other. The difference in Adorkable, though, is that Sally already knew she was in love with Becks before the fake dating. And that makes things even better. I would never get tired of this storyline (unless I just read these bubbly chick lits over and over again).

There was a lot of allusions in this book with Harry Potter and Star Wars and other things I'm not really sure of. Is "Sal.... my gal" something I should know? It was fun to read. Their relationship as totally adorkable. 

Those PDA lessons in his room. Love. And of course, the families totally support them. :) 

However, there is a pattern that I am getting tired of in literature. The popular guy is in love with a geeky, studious girl, who happens to be his best friend. Honestly, that just does not happen a lot in reality. Those popular boys always stay with the girls in their league/friend group. Though I feel like eye-rolling every time I read something like this, I do feel really giddy when the popular boy acknowledges the main character. Just because. The guy is always perfect. 

If you are looking for a short, fun weekend read, try Adorkable. Ride along with Sally's dorkiness and watch Becks and Sally's romance play out. :) 

The Rating: (1-10): 7~

Author Bio: 

Cookie O'Gorman writes YA romance to give readers a taste of happily-ever-after. Small towns, quirky characters, and the awkward yet beautiful moments in life make up her books. Cookie also has a soft spot for nerds and ninjas. Her debut novel ADORKABLE will be released in 2016.

Links:
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Author Website: http://cookieogorman.com
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