Rules of Attraction By: Simone Elkeles

Title: Rules of Attraction
Author: Simone Elkeles
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 324
Release Date: April 13, 2010
Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers
Geared Towards: Older Teens
From: Library
Extra Information: Rules of Attraction is the sequal to Perfect Chemistry [Click HERE for review].

"'You're dangerous,' he says.

'Why?'

'Because you make me believe in the impossible" (P. 318).

Summary: Carlos Fuentes is very bitter after having to be forced from Mexico back to the States by his brother Alex. He can't even go back to their old home in Chicago, instead he has to go to Colorado. Carlos is disappointed in his brother for jumping out of being a member of the Latino Blood and is instead dating the very non-Mexican, very blonde Brittany.

The only thing that can be good about this situation are the girls that he can hook up with. These dreams are instensified after Carlos meets Madison, the girl who can satisfy his every desire, but then the dreams are quickly crushed when he meets Kiara. Kiara is the daughter of Alex's professor with whom Carlos is forced to stay with after a little run in with the law. Where as Madison is busty, blonde and brain-cell-lacking, Kiara is anything but. She covers herself up with oversized t-shirts, is intelligent, sporty and everything Carlos isn't interested in. He believes they will just have an uncomplicated relationship, one in which he lives in the house and they don't acknowledge each other much. He soon learns how wrong he is as he slowly begins to fall for the girl he never thought he would.

Wdebo's Review: I am not ashamed to admit that I am a Perfect Chemistry lover. So when I saw Rules of Attraction on my library shelf I nearly passed out in excitement. I began reading the novel as soon as I could and finished it in a single sitting.

Though at first, it took a bit to get into, it quickly became very addicting. As much as I enjoyed reading it, I found the chemistry between Carlos and Kiara to be lacking. It's not that there wasn't any, it's just that compared to Alex and Brittany's relationship in Pefect Chemistry it wasn't as heartpoundingly exciting. However, Rules of Attraction was much more passionate and physical than Perfect Chemistry. Which I was totally fine with. As the story progressed so did my love for Carlos and Kiara's bond, in the end, I was basically smitten, especially because Carlos is hot!

Another weakness that I can spot in the book is that the development of the relationship between Carlos and Kiara wasn't as defined as I would have liked. There was a wisp of a ladder between each stage of their relationship but nothing too defining, so I would be reading and then suddenly stop and think "Wait, when were they comfortable enough to say/think/do that?"

I loved how Brittany and Alex played a big role in the story and plot. Usually in books like these previous couples are just ghosts of characters in the whole plot, but in this novel, they didn't have a big role in the story, which was nice, because I love their relationship; however, they seemed so mature and old in the story, it seemed sort of weird. I love Carlos (As stated above See: "Hot") not only because of how he is so caliente, I just love his personality, it was very amusing to read. He's so cocky but has a sweet spot too, it's great. Kiara was a good character, at lest she wasn't Brittany "perfect." Finally, while reading I had mixed feelings for Tuck, Kiara's gay best friend, he was cute at some times and horribly annoying at others. At the end, I FINALLY realized it was because he cared about Kiara so much that he acted like that, but still, annoying at times.

Also, I wonder, why does it seem that all of the girls the Fuentes brothers are falling in love with all seem to be white? Aren't there any attractive girls of other races that they could be interested in? lol. But that isn't a big concern for me...as long as the story is cute, I am happy.

Cafe Cover Chat: I quite like this cover. It's cute, seriously, kissing in the rain = amazing. (A-)

All in all, Rules of Attraction is definitely a book any Perfect Chemistry lover should read. And if you haven't had the chance to read Perfect Chemistry or any Simone Elkeles book for that matter, go check some out now!

Grade: A-

Wdebo :)

********

Other books by Simone Elkeles:

Perfect Chemistry [Click HERE for review]

How to Ruin a Summer Vacation [Click HERE for review]

How to Ruin My Teenage Life [Click HERE for review]

How to Ruin Your Boyfriend's Reputation [Click HERE for review]

"'I don't buy it for a second, 'cause if you were my girlfriend and a stud like me was livin' in your house, I'd kiss you in front of the guy every chance I got as a reminder.'

'A reminder of w-w-what?'

'That you were mine'"

(P. 165)

I'm back Twitter!

Yes!! I finally got my Twitter back!

So, follow HERE please :)

Wdebo :)

The Last Embrace-Anthony Neely

-ENGLISH SUBBED-

Chinese Title: 散場的擁抱

English Title: The Last Embrace

Artist: Anthony Neely (倪安東)

TTS: None

Wdebo's Notes: I love this song, this was one of the songs by Anthony that really made me fall in love with him ^^ His voice just sounds so awesome in it, and in the official version, it is one of the few Chinese songs I have seen get over 2 million views in just a few months, so that just tells how amazing this song is :3

Listen and Love!

Hope you enjoy! And please comment!

Wdebo :)

****

Loved it? Listen to these songs by Anthony Neely!

Sorry That I Loved You (English Song!)

Nightmare (English Subbed)

Human.4 By: Mike A. Lancaster

Title: Human. 4
Author: Mike A. Lancaster
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 240
Release Date: March 8, 2011
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Geared Towards: Teens
From: Publisher (ARC)

"The peculiar format that you are holding-a book-was still the dominant form of information storage at the time the tapes were made. There is a reason that I insisted on this archaic format that will, I hope, become apparent as the narrative progresses.

If the story you are to read is true, then this work is respectfully to the 0.4"

Summary (From B.O.B):

ALERT:

HUMANITY HAS BEEN UPGRADED.

YOU ARE NOW OBSOLETE.

Kyle Straker volunteered to be hypnotized at the annual community talent show, expecting the same old lame amateur acts. But when he wakes up, his world will never be the same. Televisions and computers no longer work, but a strange language streams across their screens. Everyone's behaving oddly. It's as if Kyle doesn't exist.

Is this nightmare a result of the hypnosis? Will Kyle wake up with a snap of fingers to roars of laughter? Or is this something much more sinister?

Wdebo's Review: I thoroughly enjoyed the story from the very first page, which was quite surprsing to me. Though the writing in the beginning felt sort of childish it worked because Kyle's voice matured through the story, it was through this incident that he was able to grow.

I really enjoyed the plot of the novel, it was a very new, novel idea. The writing is very clear and simple it helps to convey the ideas of the story better as opposed to if it was long and all drawn out. It gives Kyle a strong voice, which is especially important because he is speaking into tapes. I also liked the little notes in each section of the book, it was amusing to see what future earth inhabitants would say about what is important to us now. The mystery of everything builds up nicely in the whole work, and the interval in which information is given to the reader is very well coordinated so that you don't feel bored anytime you are reading it, you don't feel as if the story is getting old.

The middle part of the story frightened me a lot, but maybe that was just because A) it was 1 AM and 2) I had watched all of the Alice of Human Sacrifices and I was freaked out already. The book has also made me vow to never become hypnotized just in case, you know, the same thing happens to me and I am screwed, I mean you can never be too careful.

Cafe Cover Chat: I am indifferent towards the cover, though those root things on the person's hand get kind of freaky after a while. (B)

All in all, a wonderfuly written look into the future, for both Sci-fi lovers and non Sci-fi lovers alike.

Grade: B+/A-

Wdebo :)

Show Me Love-t.A.T.u

Title: Show Me Love
Artist: t.A.T.u
Language: English
TTS: None

Wdebo's Notes: t.A.T.u is one of my favorite bands now (I guess they would be called a duo...) but this is one of my favorite songs by them. I love how their lyrics are so simple but the whole song still sounds amazing. They are just so talented >:D

Hope you enjoy! And please comment!

Wdebo :)

*****

Liked it? Check out these songs by t.A.T.U!

Malchik Gay
All About Us
30 Minutes

Happily Ever After-He Is We

Title: Happily Ever After
Artist: He Is We
Language: English
TTS: No

Wdebo's Notes: One of my best friends is OBSESSED with He Is We, and this is one of my favorite songs that she showed me by them. The lyrics are simple but so sweet and I love Rachel's voice so much. It deviates from the over done pop-y voice and is so raw and good. :) I also like "All About Us" by them.

Listen and Love!

Hope you enjoy! And please comment!

Wdebo :)

CassaStar By: Alex J. Cavanaugh

Title: CassaStar
Author: Alex J. Cavanaugh
PAPERBACK
Amount of Pages: 246
Release Date: October 19, 2010
Publisher: Dancing Lemur Press
Geared Towards: Teens/Sci-Fi Readers
Extra Info: This is Alex's debut novel, you can also check out his blog HERE!

"Risking it all sounded better than living alone and without purpose" (P. 221).

Summary (From B.O.B): To pilot the fleet's finest ship...

Few options remain for Byron. A talented but stubborn young man with a troubled past and rebellious attitutde, his cockpit skills are his only hope. Slated to train as a Cosbolt fighter pilot, Byron is determined to prove his worth and begin a new life as he sets off for the moon base of Guaard.

Much to Byron's chagrin the toughest instructor in the fleet takes notice of the young pilot. Haunted by a past tragedy, Bassa eventually sees through Byron's tough exterior and insolence. When a secret talent is revealed during training, Bassa feels compelled to help Byron achieve his full potential.

As war brews on the edge of space, time is running short. Byron requires a navigator of exceptional quality to survive, and Bassa must make a decision that could well decide the fate of both men. Will their skills be enough as they embark on a mission that may stretch their abilities to the limit?

Wdebo's Review: When I first started CassaStar, I wasn't sure how I would react to the story. I have never been a great Sci-Fi lover, but from the first chapter I was pleasently surprised as to how solid the writing was, especially for a debut novel.

Alex Cavanaugh uses very wonderful imagry. Everything can be seen clearly in the mind's eye, from a simple fight to a flight in space. The story is also quite addicting, which was another thing that was surprising to me, seeing as how I usually find Sci-Fi boring. I enjoyed the moments of action, other Sci-Fi action scenes for some reason confuse me, but in CassaStar they were actually very exciting. However, I did not like the usage of certain words or phrases that seemed childish, such as "unique ability," but that was very minor.

I enjoyed how Byron is represented in the novel. At the training he is strong and cocky, thinking highly of himself and making it so no one is able to get into his mind, but when he gets to be a Cosbolt pilot he starts out quite weak from nerves but he slowly becomes stronger, his growth was very realistic and believable. I also appreciated the, I guess it would be called "lesson", that Byron learned about how success and stuff is nothing without friends, that we all need comfort from those around us. Finally, I liked the friendship between Trindel and Byron.

Cafe Cover Chat: Not a big fan of the cover. (C+)

All in all, a very well-written book that both Sci-Fi lovers and non Sci-Fi lovers alike can read and enjoy.

Grade: A-

Wdebo :)

Once Was Lost By: Sara Zarr

Title: Once Was Lost

Author: Sara Zarr

PAPERBACK

Amount of Pages: 217

Release Date: October 1, 2009

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Geared Towards: Teens

From: Publisher (Review Copy)

"And I know what she means, what she's trying to get across. That a thing like this changes the way you think about everything and everyone, and you can never go back." (P. 102)

Summary (From B.O.B): When your father's a pastor, it's hard not to buy into the idea of the perfect family, a loving God, and amazing grace. But lately, Sam has a lot of reasons to doubt. Her mother lands in rehab after a DUI, and her father seems more interested in his congregation than in his family. When a young girl in her small town goes missing, the local tragedy overlaps with Sam's personal one, and the already-worn thread of faith holding her together begins to unravel.

Wdebo's Review: When I first started the novel I was skeptical, though the writing wasn't horrible, it was still not the best I have ever read. At first, it felt average and forgettable, but after a while the writing soon began to pick up speed and soon became very addicting.

The writing was simple which worked for the novel. I also enjoyed how Sara Zarr was able to thread all of these different stories into one full novel. Everyone has their own pains and they are all wonderfully written together. However, I think Daniel's part of the story was too much, I think it was just added in there and just kind of thrown away towards the end, there did not seem to be much of a statisfying end to that part of the story. I enjoyed how though it did talk about God and the messages that God is trying to send us, that there is not a heavyly written about, that it is there but not shoved into your face.

Sam complains about not wanting to leave her "home" and move away, I can understand that feeling but she is very adament against it, I wished that Sara Zarr could have exapndded on that idea so that I could have sympathized more with her wish.

I felt that the characters were also very well defined, each had their own personality that was distinct to themselves.

Cafe Cover Chat: I love this cover, so simple and gorgeous. (A-)

All in all, a great story for those who are trying to understand kind of what life is trying to tell us.

Grade: B+

Wdebo :)

New Soul-Yael Naim

Title: New Soul
Artist: Yael Naim
Language: English
TTS: None

Wdebo's Notes: Even though this isn't a new song, I absolutely love it. The whole song is soothing, calming and just over-the-toply addicting. I seriously love Yael Naim's voice.

Listen and Love!

Hope you enjoy! And please comment!

Wdebo :)

Get "Dreaming Anastasia" For FREE

So, you can now download the Kindle version of Dreaming Anastasia today for FREE, because of the almost release of Haunted. So, click HERE and download ^^
Wdebo :)