BOOK REVIEW: Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

I started reading Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler yesterday and finished it a few minutes ago. And I have to admit that I truly enjoyed reading this. Probably more than Twenty Boy Summer since that one had sad undertones beneath its awesome exterior. Anyway, the novel's main protagonist is called Hudson and the entire novel is told in her POV.

I do have to admit something here, the cover is what sealed the deal for me to get this book. Yes, I am a sucker for cute covers. Anyway, I really liked Hudson for some reason. I felt really bad for though since she gave up and is constantly giving up a lot of things because she wanted to make sure everyone around her was happy. No one even bothered to ask her what she wanted and when she suddenly decided to go after what she wants almost everyone around her decides that she's just being selfish. Anyway, I just felt bad for her. I didn't really like her mom that much since I felt like she kept on dictating what she should and should not do and didn't even bother to ask her daughter what she wanted. And don't get me started on her best friend, Dani, who was just so jealous of her and suddenly decided to drop dead on their so called friendship. Other than that I really  liked the novel and Hudson.

Moving on to the two boys in her life, Will and Josh. My head spun around these two. I really liked them both and I think both of them were kinda' good for Hudson even if one of them had a hidden agenda but other than that I think Will and Josh helped her grow. I especially liked her interactions with Josh. Obviously, I'm on Josh's side at this point. I don't know. There's just something about him and Hudson that just pulled  me in. They made me feel  giddy with their subtle flirting or whatever it is that you'd want to call it.

Overall, I am so glad that I had this book reserved at Fullybooked. It was definitely worth reading. I enjoyed every bit of it even if I didn't really connect with some of the characters. And that's probably because I disliked them quite a bit. I really liked Hudson's little brother, Bug. He was just so adorable and he's very smart too for his  age. Kara, Hudson's ex-best friend confused me at the beginning but I really started to warm up to her towards the end. She meant well it's just that Hudson never really gave her a chance. I think that's the problem with Hudson though. she refuses to let other people explain. I think she prefers hiding rather than facing the truth head on. Anyway, the writing style is awesome, no dull moments whatsoever and cutesy cupcake references at the beginning of each chapter just made my mouth water. I'd probably try making some of those right now. Honestly, I judged this book by its cover and I'm so glad I did. I thoroughly enjoyed this. It's a fun, quirky and light read that I wouldn't mind reading again and again.

Rating: 5/5 stars

BOOK REVIEW: Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

I finished reading Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler a few hours ago. This is meant to be part of my usual contemporary reads after reading a bunch of dystopians or paranormals. I usually shift to contemporary so as not to get tired of reading the same genre again and again. Anyway, I've heard great things about this novel and so I had it and Bittersweet reserved for me at FullyBooked.

I won't go into the summary of the story since I might just end up spoiling the entire novel but I just have to mention that it's about three friends. A boy called Matt, his sister, Frankie and Anna, their next door neighbor. Anyway, Matt and Anna sort of had a relationship but just when he was about to tell Frankie about it he dies. Anyway, I really liked Anna. For some reason, I liked the fact that she tried her very best to be strong for everyone especially Frankie. She's definitely a friend worth keeping. Her loyalty towards Matt and Frankie was definitely something that I admired. I really liked her for being an awesome friend even if Frankie did something cruel. Anyway, she's possibly one of those strong characters throughout the novel. And frankly, I just wanted to be there for her since no one seemed to even bother to ask her whether she's okay or not. Everyone just assumed that she was and she never complained or anything.

Then there's Frankie. To be totally honest, I found Frankie to be very superficial. I know for a fact that she was just trying to cope with her loss but she just seemed superficial to me. I really wanted to strangle her when she did what she did to Anna. Personally, I think Anna deserved someone better than her but alas, Anna is such an awesome person and I guess friendship really does prevail most of the time.

I really enjoyed reading this.  I thought I was going to get tired of it at some point but I never did. I really liked most of the characters. Matt and Frankie's parents, Red and Jayne, were probably two of my favorite characters in the novel. I really liked how perceptive Jayne was. Somehow, she always knew when something was up. And as for the Twenty Boy Summer title, it's titled as such because of the dare between Anna and Frankie. There were two constant boys throughout the novel though, Sam and Jake. I really liked Sam. I think he's an awesome listener and is probably the only person who even bothered to ask whether Anna is okay or not. Anyway, I think I devoured this novel. I thought it was going to be one of those sappy teen love novels but apparently it is something more. It made me cry. It made  me laugh. And for some reason it made me think that life is too short for us to let every opportunity pass us by. It was about letting go, moving forward and friendship. Anyway, I'd definitely recommend this to everyone.

RATING: 4.5/5 STARS