Populazzi by Elise Allen

Populazzi

Cara has always dreamed of being a Populazzi, one of the popular crowd. But it’s not until she changes schools that she gets a shot at it, thanks to her best friend Claudia’s crazy plan. The idea is simple: The rungs of The Ladder are relationships. First get a boyfriend who's ranked low, then climb up through more boyfriends until you're not just one of the Populazzi, but the Supreme Populazzi. Yet what starts off as a fairy tale turns into a somewhat dark comedy of errors. Just when Cara reaches the top, her life hits rock bottom. She wonders why she wanted to be popular in the first place—and if there’s any way to live happily ever after now.

At First Sight:
I was expecting for this book to be very light, humorous, and entertaining, if maybe a little bit bland. The cover was cool and it looked more like a Tween novel than a YA one, to be honest. OH HOW WRONG I WAS.

My Thoughts:
So I sat down to read this book at the beach and was like, "Okay, I'll read 5% and then put it down," but I couldn't AT ALL. Cara's narration and just the whole idea of the book had me addicted. Archer was absolutely adorable and I liked his relationship with Cara much.

The whole high school clique thing was a bit too cliche for my tastes at some points but then the author would reel back in her characters and they would seem much more realistic. I expected this book to be very tweensy but I was extremely surprised that the book dealt with deeper issues such as bullying, drugs, and sex. Definitely not as light as I thought it would be.

The only thing I didn't love was that there was the parent plot line that didn't really get resolved at the end. It would have been interesting to see how Cara dealt with that but unfurtunately, we didn't get to see it here.

In one sentence:
"Definitely unexpected!"

Plot: 4
Characters: 4
Writing: 4
Cover: 5
Overall Feeling: 4
Average: 4.2

Instructions for a Broken Heart by Kim Culbertson

Instructions For A Broken Heart
Three days before her drama club's trip to Italy, Jessa Gardner discovers her boyfriend in the costume barn with another girl. Jessa is left with a care package from her best friend titled "Top Twenty Reasons He's a Slimy Jerk Bastard," instructing her to do one un-Jessa-like thing each day of the trip. At turns hilarious and heartwrenching, Instructions for a Broken Heart paints a magical Italy in which Jessa learns she must figure out life-and romance-for herself.

Praise for Songs For A Teenage Nomad:

"A beautiful, lyrical read-I loved every last word of it!"
-Alyson Noël, New York Times bestselling author

At First Sight:
I was so excited to get this book on the mail because I absolutely loved Kim Culbertson's Songs For A Teenage Nomad. So when I actually got around to sitting down and reading it, I naturally devoured it. The cover is super cute and I couldn't wait to travel to Europe alongside Jessa.

My Thoughts:
I loved the fact that I was going to go travel with Jessa to a beautiful place. I have to say, I was also pretty smitten with her best guy friend. Not only does Jessa do really unthinkable things I won't spoil for you, but she learns a lot about herself, too. Plus, it gives us readers nice ideas for revenge ;)

However, as much as I enjoyed the overall plot, characters, and writing, there was something definitely missing. I kept waiting for that moment were I'd be like YES! GO JESSA! And although there were some memorable ones, the book felt like it was building a lot for an end with...nothing. It sort of left me a little blank. Sure, there's a nice surprise, but it's a surprise that should have been a little bit more emphasized, or, I don't know...climactic.

Overall, it's definitely a good book to read, funny at times and heartbreaking at others but in my opinion, I expected a lot more from Kim and I have to say I was a bit disappointed. This, however, will not stop me from checking her future titles.

In One Sentence:
"An okay read; fun at times yet lacking in the end."

Plot: 3
Characters: 4
Writing: 5
Cover: 5
Overall Feeling: 3.5
Average: 4.1 stars