The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Release Date: January 10^th 2012

Publisher: Dutton

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 313 pages

Source: Purchased

Series: Stand alone

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now. 

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault. 

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

I finished it just now.

And let me tell you that I am depressed. This book was sad but happy. I got invested with the plot and the characters. This book helped me to pick up the small beautiful things that adds up to different elements…we call it life. This book is deep like an ocean yet realistic like anything the naked eye can see.

Its my first time reading a book by John Green and I don’t think it should be the last one.

The writing was like it just came out of a 17 year old girl for real. So realistic and so beautiful

The love between Hazel and Gus was the most beautiful thing ever. It was real love, not peppy love. I loved everything about it.

I don’t know what else to say other than: Thank you, John Green, for writing this book. It's what all of us need to awaken our almost dead emotions.

And by the way, it maybe a young adult book but any age range will enjoy it, for sure. 

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Release Date: September 29^th 2011

Publisher: Dutton

Age group: Young Adult

Pages: 338 pages

Source: library

Series: Companion Novel

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood. 

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

What can I possibly say about this book? Lola oh Lola. I wish my name was Lola. I wish I had Lola’s same fashion style. She really didn’t have a specific style. She wore something different every day, not wanting to be like everyone else…she is not your typical female main character. She is liberated but at the same time respects her parents. I say liberated because she is dating someone who is older than her. Like old. At the same time, this boy shows up that changes Lola’s life. This boy name is Cricket. I pictured Cricket as prince charming. He was perfect but not too perfect. He made mistakes but who doesn’t.

Stephanie Perkins created this dreamy, cute, and intense chemistry between Lola and Cricket that I think readers will find it hard to forget about it for a long while. Just like in Anna and the French Kiss (Perkins’s first book) I just wanted to jump inside the book and dissolve into one of the characters. It doesn’t matter which character, they were all unique and awesome…as long as I am in the book, I am fine.

And speaking of Anna, you got to see Anna and St. Claire in this book (and yes I say see, instead of read because they are real people to me). They are still so cute together. As a huge fan of Anna, you  get to see her relationship with St. Claire from Lola’s point of view which was a great addition. At times, I missed getting inside Anna’s head.

Whatever I say though won’t make this book any justice. Stephanie Perkins left me with high expectation after Anna and she didn’t fail me in Lola. The book was cute and heart- warming, leaving smiles all over my face. Each word was sugar coated.

Also, in this book I am taught that a happy ending do exists but it might not find your way right away.

Love this book sooooo much. Please read it.

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Release Date: April 5^th 2011

Publisher: Dutton

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 264 pages

Source: Purchased

Series: Book 2

It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future - and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance

I read If I Stay months ago and I loved everything about it. It was so sad and Forman delivered the poignant atmosphere effectively. So of course when "Where She Went" came out, I had to pick it up. I needed to know where the story was going. Now this book is from Adam's perspective.

The minute I started this book, I couldn’t put it down. It sucked me into Adam's world in no time. Again, like If I Stay the whole book took place in 1 day. So of course that says it all about the pacing of the book.

Now I don’t want to tell you anything about the storyline because it will feel so good to discover it on your own.

This novel's storyline was very intriguing, different, unique. And it feels like it is based on a true story.

This is definitely one of my favorite reads in 2011. I cant wait for more from Gayle. 

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

Release Date: June 14^th 2011

Publisher: Dutton

Age Group: Young Adult

Page: 352 pages

Source: Library

Chloe's older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can't be captured or caged. When a night with Ruby's friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes left floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby.

But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns to town two years later, deadly surprises await. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood.

With palpable drama and delicious craft, Nova Ren Suma bursts onto the YA scene with the story that everyone will be talking about.

First of all, look at the cover. It's just beautiful. You have to agree with that.

Second of all, the writing was so good. It was almost poetic. Nova's writing captured everything elegantly (the moments, thoughts of the main character, Chole herself). The writing style was one of the things that I liked about this book.

This book kept me guessing. I was tempted several times to read the final page but I was also eager to read how Nova will build up the story. It was mysterious, creepy and eerie. The story itself was unique and its mainly focus was on the bonds between sisters. So the main focus of the book wasn’t on a boy and a girl falling in love. But don’t worry there was that too. Usually, the romance in a book is thing that keeps me reading it, but in Imaginary Girls there was a lack of that aspect but it was still amazing. You know, a great book doesn’t need a romance to make it perfect.

I liked the characters, of course. They were so real.

With all positives I had mentioned above, there is one negative…  I don’t get it. I don’t get the imaginary girls concept. I don’t want to spoil so all I'm going to say is that it was a bit confusing. Especially towards the end. Like I don’t know who is real or imaginary anymore. Well, I guess that’s the point of it.

Overall, this book was awesome and one of my favorite reads in 2011.