BOOK REVIEW: THE DUFF: The Designated Ugly Fat Friend by Kody Keplinger

I've been meaning to read THE DUFF for quite some time now since my friend and fellow blogger kept on insisting that I should. And because I am such an awesome friend I finally gave in. This isn't exactly my first Kody Keplinger novel since I've read A Midsummer's Nightmare late last year. Let's just say that I wasn't that impressed by it. But according to my friend, this is her best work yet so I decided to give it a shot when I finally had some time to squeeze this in. I'm glad I did though. I wasn't disappointed at all.

The DUFF in this novel is called Bianca Piper. She's a cynic and can come of as pessimistic every now and then and she's almost always in a foul mood according to her friends. Only a couple of people know who the real Bianca Piper is so she's usually being left alone. Not that she's a loner or anything. Anyway, being the DUFF does not mean that Bianca is ugly and fat. Though to be honest that was my first impression. I think Bianca is a very unique character. I actually liked her even if she did come off as stand-offish from time to time. She did whine a lot but she still managed to make me laugh the entire time I was reading. I find her interactions with Wesley Rush a.k.a. the man-whore hilarious. Anyway, I was a bit annoyed with her since she had a weird way of coping with stress. But hey! It is what it is, right?

Moving on to Wesley Rush, the man-whore/man-slut who Bianca hates a lot. The very first interaction between these two is the most priceless scene in the book. Seriously. Bianca is just hilarious. Imagine having a hot guy hit on you even if he is a bit of a jerk -almost forgot to mention the he coined the term DUFF for Bianca- then pouring a glass of cherry Coke all over him? Anyway, that seriously made me laugh. It got better and better from there. Anyway, both of them are f*cked up since their home lives are pretty complex but Hey! They found each other and that's just awesome. I really loved Wesley even if he defines the term man-slut on so many levels. I think he had a side to him that only a few people are allowed to see and that's what makes him all the more lovely as a guy. He made me swoon and laugh at the same time which is probably weird but still he made me see man-sluts in a different light. Haha.

Overall, I definitely agree with my friend that this is one of Kody Keplinger's best work yet. I loved all the characters in this novel. Bianca, Wesley, Toby, her pretty friends, Casey and Jessica. Seriously, they were all awesome. I love the fact that her friends didn't treat her any differently despite their differences. Their loyalty to each other is admirable. I just realized that being the DUFF does not necessarily mean that you're lacking physically. It is the way you perceive yourself as such. If you feel like you're a DUFF then you are one. Anyway, I really enjoyed reading this, definitely more than A Midsummer's Nightmare.There are a couple of lines there-mostly said by Wesley-that made me feel weak in the knees. That guy has a way with words. I wouldn't recommend this book to adolescents though since this had a lot of sex in it. Probably not ideal for hormonal teens since they might just end up getting pregnant or getting someone pregnant. Yes, it is set in a high school and we should all just face it. Highschool nowadays is just like that. Nothing is ideal but that doesn't mean that we should practice everything in this books right? Anyway, I'd give this an easy 5/5 stars.

BOOK REVIEW: Chain Reaction (Perfect Chemistry #3) by Simone Elkeles

I finally decided to write a review on Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles since I was able to finish it last night. To be honest, this might be my least favorite in the series but it's still better than other contemporaries so far.

To start with the, the reason why this became my least favorite is probably due to the fact that Nikki Cruz is the most frustrating  character I've ever read. I really wanted to pity or like her because of everything that happened to her in the past which led her to become the way she is but I just can't. Honestly, she was such a bitter character which turned her into the most cynical, pessimistic and definitely frustrating character I've read. I wanted to strangle her because of it. I really wanted to skip her chapters to be honest. Plus, the fact that she likes to stick her nose into her best friend's relationship is kinda' annoying really. She can't even give her best friend's boyfriend a chance because of her stupid beliefs even if she can't exactly prove her theories or whatever. I also think she's a racist and a hypocrite since I feel like every time she says "I'm American." is just a form of denial of her roots. Girl! You're Latina whether you want to admit it or not so yeah, whatever. Honestly, I think the only redeeming thing that she did happened towards the end and that's about it. I seriously wanted Luis to give up on her since she was just sooooooo frustrating. I wanted to pull her hair out or something.

We also have another Fuentes in the house and his name is Luis. The youngest brother is all grown up. I really liked him since he is a bit different from his brothers. He just had this triggering event that made him the way he is and got him into trouble. Anyway, I love the fact that he's just so cool and suave and the fact that he knows that he could get any girl that he wants is simply hilarious. I loved reading his chapters and is probably the only reason why I decided to finish the book in the first place. I really wanted to skip Nikki's chapters. Unfortunately, the novel wouldn't be complete without her POV and it would screw up everything. I love his interactions with everyone and his family values. His closeness to his brothers is something to envy as well.

For me, this is my least favorite among the 3 novels. The first and second books are definitely the best. I now think the Mexican family values are something to envy. They'd do anything in their power to protect their loved ones even if it means doing things you don't want to do from time to time. I honestly think that sometimes this isn't such a bad thing, you know? I love that Alex, Brittany, Carlos, Kiara and some more familiar faces were present in this third book. I think the conclusion of their stories is wonderful though. They all deserve to have their own happy endings after everything they've been through. Again, the development of the relationship between Luis and Nikki was written beautifully. It did border on insta-love though but other than that I think it was well-developed. I still don't like Nikki though. 

Rating: 3.75/5 stars

BOOK REVIEW: Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry #2) by Simone Elkeles

As I have mentioned in my review of Perfect Chemistry, I managed to finish its sequel Rules of Attraction in the same day. And just because I feel like writing right now I'll post another review. The novel is written in the same format as its predecessor which means it's told in dual POV's. This time around Carlos, Alex's younger brother, and Kiara are the main focus of the novel wherein Alex and Brittany are side characters. It's picks up after two years from the previous novel.

To begin with, Kiara is the exact opposite of Brittany from the previous novel so it doesn't necessarily mean that it's just a copycat of the first one. Kiara is flawed and is most likely one of the least popular kids in school. She has a gay best friend called Tuck who happens to be so adorable btw. She has the perfect home life which is the exact opposite from Brittany's as well. Anyway, enough introductions. I really liked Kiara's character. I think she's one of those people who really needs to be educated on being bad. I do get the fact that she collaborated with Tuck to prank Carlos in the novel but other than that the girl is a saint. She always looks out for the welfare of everyone and she's just so lovable, down to earth and adorable. She does need a little help in the wardrobe department but other than that she's an awesome girl. The girl does not even have dark thoughts until she met Carlos and her world is turned upside down.

Moving on to Carlos. To be honest, I disliked Carlos a bit during the first few chapters of the novel. He had too much teen angst in my opinion. He lashed out at everyone even to those who are so nice to him and keeps on having these self-pity thoughts because of his Latino heritage (I honestly can't figure out why.) and his past while at the same time projecting a bad boy image which seems so contradictory. I really wanted to strangle him for being so mean to everyone. But as the story progressed I actually learned to appreciate him more. Though I'm still biased since I still can't get over Alex. But the fact that he had a change of heart made me love him towards the end. I think he developed into a well-written  character towards the end.

Overall, I also enjoyed this as much as the first one. I love the bickering between the characters though I still enjoyed Alex and Brittany's more since it was always two sided. There were times when Kiara is just stunned because she's intimidated by Carlos or something but other than that I enjoyed getting to know the younger Fuentes and Kiara. I enjoyed the parts where they were interacting in any way. I also appreciate the fact that Simone Elkeles does not seem to be a fan of the insta-love concept. That's just too stereotypical for YA novels nowadays. I like relationships that are well developed. It makes it more real to me. I love her writing style too. I can't explain what it is but I never came to a point there I got bored as I read. Again, an easy 5/5 stars for me.

BOOK REVIEW: Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry #1) by Simone Elkeles

It took me an entire year to be convinced to read Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles but I am now a certified Simone fan. Honestly, I feel awful that I didn't get to read this earlier. Anyway, I actually finished this and Rules of Attraction in one day. So yeah, that made me lose sleep. It is told in dual POV's, Alex and Brittany's.

First of all, we have Brittany Ellis. She's "Little Miss Perfect| (Well, at least she pretends to be.) and everyone wants her or simply be her. She has the typical jock boyfriend who is an ass a lot of times and a home life that's far from perfect. Anyway, she's always managed to keep her guard up. She has always been able to maintain her facade until Alex Fuentes enters the picture. Honestly, I actually pitied her for having to pretend all the time. It's pretty exhausting and it will one day catch up with her. I really admired her for her love for her sister, Shelley though. I can't imagine sacrificing your own happiness for the sake of your loved one like that.

Then there's Alejandro "Alex" Fuentes. I never knew how sexy Latinos can be (I must admit that they've always been intriguing to me.) until I met Alex. *fans self because he's just too hot to handle* I really, really, really love the bad boy persona that he is projecting. He's dangerous and totally bad-ass. And as some of you might know, I have a thing for bad boys so yeah, he's pretty much up there in my Top Book Boyfriends. I really enjoying getting to know him despite his flaws and the fact that he values his family enough to give up everything is really admirable. The guy just made me want to take long cold showers since he is simply too hot to handle. Haha.

Obviously, I enjoyed reading this a lot since I managed to finish this and its sequel in one day. And yes, I didn't get enough sleep because of it. I loved Alex and Brittany's scenes together. They weren't the typical lovey-dovey couple that you'd just love to hate. The steamy scenes were awesome as well. I do love the fact that Simone Elkeles did not write this with the insta-love concept in mind. The development of their relationship was written beautifully and I just can't help but feel so happy for the both of them. This definitely deserves a 5/5 star rating from me.

Stacking the Shelves #10

Stacking the Shelves is a new meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews, which is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

 Got a couple of books and some swag this week.

Stealing Parker by Miranda Keneally

The Duff by Kody Keplinger (Yes, Jona I got it already because I love you and you keep on telling me to read it already.)

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Won an ARC of The Shadow Girl by Jennifer Archer + some swag (signed bookmark, Splintered coin purse, signed bookplate and a mini bunny card with a message) from A.G. Howard

That's it. What did you guys get?

NOVELLA REVIEW: Destroy Me (Shatter Me #1.5) by Tahereh Mafi

I finally got around to reading Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi since the release date of Unravel Me is just around the corner. The novella is told in Warner's POV and occurs after the events that took place in Shatter Me. 

First of all, if you're looking for some Warner and Juliette action them this might just do it for you. Haha. There's a bit of that here. I love reading from the male POV's especially one's whose minds are as twisted as Warner's. Don't ask me why. I just do. Anyhoo, I loved getting to know Warner more in this novel. I actually think he's just a sad boy who wants and needs to be loved. He's not actually as twisted as everyone thinks. Destroy Me actually made him seem like a decent human being. Yes, he's ruthless and twisted but he also has a soft side. Anyway, this just going to be a very short review since this is only a novella but I did love it. I think this is a good bridge between Shatter Me and Unravel Me. Makes you think what's in store for Warner, Adam and Juliette.

Rating: 5/5 stars

 

BOOK REVIEW: The Pledge (The Pledge #1) by Kimberly Derting

I started reading The Pledge by Kimberly Derting a few days ago and honestly I got bored with the first 4 chapters I think and ended up putting it on hold for a day and decided to read Shatter Me again. Just to be ready for the release of Unravel Me. Obviously, dystopian is my favorite genre. Well anyway, after finishing Shatter Me again, I decided to give this one another try and I'm so glad I did.

To be honest I felt like Charlie lacked personality during the first few chapters. Probably the reason why I almost gave up on the book. But as the story progressed I think her character developed beautifully. I started seeing the personality that was lacking at the beginning. I love the fact that she somehow breaks minor rules to be able to help others. I felt really bad for her whenever she got reprimanded for 'being so obvious' with her gift. It is hard enough to listen to people who talk trash in your face even if you can't understand them but it definitely is harder to listen to them when you do. I salute her for having that awesome self—control. If I were in her place I would have talked back and eventually reveal myself in the process.

Then there's Max. I find him alluring even in he was just full of mystery in the beginning. I liked the fact that the mystery behind him was dragged on towards the middle of the book. It actually kept me hooked since I did find him intriguing. It was actually Max who kept me glued to the novel as the story progressed. I did think that his relationship with Charlie was a bit cliche. I felt like the development of their relationship bordered on insta—love which made it cliche for YA's nowadays. But whatever. He did intrigue me and by the end of the book I just wanted to be Charlie and have Max.

To be honest, the book started a bit slow for me. I did put it on hold for a day but resumed and ended up finishing it in a couple of hours. I love the suspense, the mysteries and the connections of everything and everyone. A lot of the revelations made me say WTF?! Seriously? or Whoa. I think it's just awesome when books make me say these things. The surprise factor definitely amped up this book. I do appreciate the fact that there weren't any love triangles since that would definitely be too cliche together with the insta—love. Anyway, even if it did start a bit slow I ended up reading this in a day when I started again. I couldn't put it down towards the middle and I will definitely read The Essence once I get my copy. 

Rating: 3.75/5 stars