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Everyone has something,
someone, somewhere else that they’d rather be. For four high-school
seniors, their goals of perfection are just as different as the paths
they take to get there. Cara’s parents’ unrealistic expectations have
already sent her twin brother Conner spiraling toward suicide. For her, perfect means
rejecting their ideals to take a chance on a new kind of love. Kendra
covets the perfect face and body—no matter what surgeries and drugs she
needs to get there. To score his perfect home run—on the field and
off—Sean will sacrifice more than he can ever win back. And Andre
realizes that to follow his heart and achieve his perfect performance,
he’ll be living a life his ancestors would never have understood.
Everyone wants to be perfect, but when perfection loses its meaning, how far will you go? What would you give up to be perfect?
A riveting and startling companion to the bestselling Impulse, Ellen Hopkins's Perfect exposes the harsh truths about what it takes to grow up and grow into our own skins, our own selves.
A wonderful companion piece to Impulse told from four other points of view.
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Three lives, three
different paths to the same destination: Aspen Springs, a psychiatric
hospital for those who have attempted the ultimate act -- suicide.
Vanessa is beautiful and smart, but her secrets keep her answering the call of the blade.
Tony, after suffering a painful childhood, can only find peace through pills.
And Conner, outwardly, has the perfect life. But dig a little deeper
and find a boy who is in constant battle with his parents, his life,
himself.
In one instant each of these young
people decided enough was enough. They grabbed the blade, the bottle,
the gun -- and tried to end it all. Now they have a second chance, and
just maybe, with each other's help, they can find their way to a better
life -- but only if they're strong and can fight the demons that brought
them here in the first place.
What
can I say about Ellen Hopkins that I haven't already said before? She
is brilliant and I can't get enough of her work. She is not afraid to
tackle tough issues faced by teenagers and her writing is sublime.
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This haunting debut
from a brilliant new voice is sure to be as captivating as it is
controversial, a shocking look at the imminent collapse of American
civilization—and what will succeed it.
In the aftermath of the
switch from analog to digital TV, an anarchic movement known as Salvage
hijacks the unused airwaves. Mixed in with the static’s random noise are
dire warnings of the imminent economic, political, and social collapse
of civilization—and cold-blooded lessons on how to survive the fall and
prosper in the harsh new order that will inevitably arise from the ashes
of the old.
Hiram and Levi are two young men, former Scouts and
veterans of countless Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. Now, on the
blood-drenched battlefields of university campuses, shopping malls, and
gated communities, they will find themselves taking on new identities
and new moralities as they lead a ragtag band of hackers and misfits to
an all-but-mythical place called Amaranth, where a fragile future waits
to be born.
My
thoughts are as jumbled as the plot of this novel. There was a lot of
back-and-forth between previous events and the present time, which
normally doesn't bother me, but it made this story difficult to follow.
If
you don't know your Biblical and Mythological history, you're going to
be lost. As I am a scholar of neither, I had to look up several of the
references made.
Bradley has a unique way of weaving a story
together, and if I hadn't been so confused at times, I probably would
have enjoyed it more. That being said, it's a compelling read about a
social collapse. Shockingly violent at times, but it IS dystopian fiction, so it's not unexpected.
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The final book in the Trylle Trilogy..
With
a war looming on the horizon, Wendy's fate seems sealed.But everything
she sacrificed might be in vain if she can't save the ones she loves.
Her whole life has been leading up to this, and it's all coming to an
end.
The
final installment of the Trylle trilogy was not as intriguing as the
first two books. It was very short and rushed. A disappointing finale
to a decent series.
Characters
that played an integral part of the storyline in the first two books
suddenly disappeared without explanation. Strained relationships became
happy-happy-joy-joy within a matter of paragraphs. Wonderful
relationships fizzled for no apparent reason.
There weren't as many grammatical errors in this book, but the plot left much to be desired.
Spoiler after the jump.
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When Wendy Everly first
discovers the truth about herself—that she’s a changeling switched at
birth—she knows her life will never be the same. Now she’s about to
learn that there’s more to the story…
She shares a closer
connection to her Vittra rivals than she ever imagined—and they’ll stop
at nothing to lure her to their side. With the threat of war looming,
her only hope of saving the Trylle is to master her magical powers—and
marry an equally powerful royal. But that means walking away from Finn,
her handsome bodyguard who’s strictly off limits…and Loki, a Vittra
prince with whom she shares a growing attraction.
Torn between
her heart and her people, between love and duty, Wendy must decide her
fate. If she makes the wrong choice, she could lose everything, and
everybody, she’s ever wanted…in both worlds.
Hmmm. I'm not sure what I think about this. Still a compelling story, but starting to annoy me.
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Ninety percent of
Americans own a copy of the Bible, and while it's the most widely read
book, it's also the least understood. Regardless of your religion,
understanding the Bible brings much of Western art, literature, and
public discourse into greater focus--from Leonardo da Vinci's Last
Supper painting to the Wachowski brothers' The Matrix movies. People
have historically turned to religion to deal with tragedy and change,
and with the right insight, the Bible can be an accessible, helpful
guide to life's big questions.
The Bible For Dummies appeals to people
of all faiths, as well as those who don't practice any particular
religion, by providing interfaith coverage of the entire Bible and the
often fascinating background information that makes the Bible come
alive. You'll find answers to such questions as: Where did the Bible
come from? Who wrote the Bible? How is the Bible put together?
Follow
the history of the Bible from its beginning thousands of years ago as
tattered scrolls to its status as the bestseller of all time. The Bible
For Dummies covers these topics and more: Ten people in the Bible you
should know; The Hebrew Bible; The Apocrypha's hidden treasures; What's new
about the New Testament; Israel's wisdom, literature, and love poetry; The
Bible's enduring influence; The prophets: more than fortunetellers.
Discover
the world's all-time bestseller in an entirely new light. Whether
you're interested in broadening your spiritual horizons, uncovering the
symbolism of Western culture, or gaining a deeper understanding of the
book you grew up reading, The Bible For Dummies has all the
information you need to navigate this ancient and fascinating book.
Growing
up in a non-religious household, I didn't have a need to read the
Bible. Unfortunately, that also meant that I didn't understand the
influence it had on art and literature. In all honesty, the Bible
scares me: it's a huge book, with a lot of information, written in old
language.
I was thrilled when I found this Dummies book! The
authors do a remarkable job providing clear, concise information without
trying to convert you to one religion or another.
My head is overflowing with Bible trivia now, and I can guarantee that I will use this book as a reference in the future.
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When Wendy Everly was
six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to
kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy finds out her
mother might've been telling the truth. With the help of Finn Holmes,
Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - and it's one
she's not sure if she wants to be a part of.
I
initially purchased Hocking's Trylle Trilogy books because she found
great success as an Indie author and was then signed with a major
publisher.
The book started out strong, with a female character
who didn't take lip from anyone. Unfortunately, like in so many other
YA romances, the protagonist quickly loses her sense of self once she
falls in love. That annoys me to no end. Grrr. Her backbone seemed to
come back at the end of this book, so there's hope for books 2 & 3.
I
think that Hocking is quite talented, though her writing needs some
strengthening. There was a lot of "telling" rather than "showing" the
story and the pacing went from slow to fast, slow to fast, rinse and
repeat. There were a handful of grammatical errors that made me cringe,
but I can't fault her too much since she's self-published. Working with a professional publishing house should help her find her voice.
I will read the rest of the Trilogy because the story is compelling and I'm looking forward to finding out what happens.
