Where It Began

☆☆

Where it began.

Ann redish stampler.

Publisher Simon Pulse

Publication Date: March 6,2012

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance|Mystery

Format|Pages: Hardcover|370

Source: Goodreads|Library

Gabby Gardiner wakes up in a hospital bed looking like a cautionary ad for drunk driving, and without a single memory of the accident that landed her there. But what she can recall, in frank and sardonic detail, is the year leading up to the crash. 

As Gabby describes her transformation from Invisible Girl to Trendy Girl Who Dates Billy Nash (aka Most Desirable Boy Ever), she is left wondering: Why is Billy suddenly distancing himself from her? What do her classmates know that Gabby does not? Who exactly was in the car that night? And why has Gabby been left to take the fall? As she peels back the layers of her life, Gabby begins to realize that her climb up the status ladder has been as intoxicating as it has been morally complex...and that nothing about her life is what she has imagined it to be. 

 
I have been wanting to read Where It Began since it came out, especially after I read the summary, looked the type of book that I would enjoy. I found myself a bit disappointed as I read this book. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy it, I did but not like I thought that I would. To me, it felt a bit of slow read, there were few parts that I just wanted to skip over or found myself wondering when it would be over. Usually I tend to be able to relate to main character in the novels that I read, this wasn’t the case with Gabby, she annoyed me quite few times. There were qualities I liked about her, but it seemed like she was complaining for most of the novel. I wanted to like her, but I couldn’t. Though towards the end I did like her a bit more. I did enjoy the writing, and there were aspects of the novel that was pretty interesting. 


Gabby and Billy seemed to have most unhealthy relationship, at least that how it seemed like it to me. Gabby seemed to be more obsessed with Billy, constantly thinking about him, wondering if he would call. That’s not love. That’s obsession. It felt like all that she seemed to care about was Billy, and that’s not living. She cared what she could do so Billy wouldn’t get into trouble, what about her? To me it felt that she cared about him more than she did about herself, her friends. Now Billy, I had a feeling that there was something off about him, he was being pretty secretive. How he kept telling Gabby not talk to anyone, not trust anyone. He even tried to have her keep distance from her best friends. Right then I had feeling that he was hiding something. When everything came out, I was left wondering if he actually cared for her, if he left her like that, made her think that it was her fault. To safe himself. I was glad to see that Gabby changed her mind, how she felt about him. Saw how he truly was. 


I can’t believe that everyone assumed that Gabby knew what happened, that she was pretending for Billy, because she cared about him that much. I had a feeling that nobody actually believed her when she said she didn’t remember anything, couldn’t they tell? Even her own friends didn’t seem to believe her. The general storyline , idea was interesting to read about. I was curious to see if she remember, or if we will find out what actually happened that night. How she ended up with keys and unconscious. How it got there. Honestly that was one of main reasons that I kept on reading, because I was curious of what would happen to her, to Billy. Though I was left bit disappointed but it still had good, interesting parts and glad that I gave book a chance.

What I Had Before I Had You.

☆☆☆☆☆

What I had before I had you.

Sarah cornwell.

Publisher Harper

Publication Date: January 7,2014

Genre: Contemporary Thriller

Format|Pages: Hardcover|288

Source: Goodreads|Library.

In What I Had Before I Had You by Sarah Cornwell, a woman must face the truth about her past in this luminous, evocative literary novel of parents and children, guilt and forgiveness, memory and magical thinking, set in the faded, gritty world of the New Jersey Shore. 

Olivia was only fifteen the summer she left her hometown of Ocean Vista. Two decades later, on a visit with her children, her nine-year-old son Daniel, recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder, disappears. Olivia's search for him sparks tender and painful memories of her past--of her fiercely loving and secretive mother, Myla, an erratic and beautiful psychic, and the discovery of heartbreaking secrets that shattered her world. 

 
Beautifully written, captivating. I had a feeling that I was going love this book, moment I read the first sentence because afterwards I could not pull myself away. I felt like I needed to know what’s going to happen next. I loved fact that most of this book dealt with bipolar disorder because it something that a lot people can relate to. I have a friend who has bipolar disorder and I felt like I learned more about, from reading the book. What I Had Before I Had You was very descriptive novel but it fit with storyline well. I fell in love with the characters, the story. What I Had Before I Had You observed me into a story and it got hard to put down. It was hard to believe that it was Sarah Cornwell first novel, it was amazing. Cornwell is an author I am going look out for in future. There wasn’t anything I didn’t love about this book. 


I loved reading about Olivia’s life and by end she felt real to me, it felt like I actually know her. It was interesting that one chapter was about her present life, and the next about when she was 15. The way that they did those memories worked well together. I enjoyed learning about her life, and was surprised how different she had become. She mentioned Kandy, but I did wonder what happened to Pam and Jake, if she ever reconnected with those. Kandy and Olivia seemed have long friendship, it came to surprise because of how angry Kandy got when she found out about Olivia and Jake when they were younger. I could tell that Bipolar disorder ran in family, way that her mom seemed to act half of time, not like a mother should. I felt bad for her, she seemed to have pretty troubled childhood. Then she got disorder and then her son. All through the novel I hoped that they would find Daniel, that he wasn’t somewhere out there, hurt. I felt as relieved as Olivia when she found him. 


Descriptions, emotions in this book were amazing, everything that I have read, I found myself able to imagine. It was very vivid images, and it’s like I saw everything happening in front of my eyes, like a movie. I love novels like that. That’s what makes a great novel. I came across it by accident in library and decided check it out, glad that I did. I can’t wait to see what story Cornwell will come up with next. This book, author is worth checking out. It has everything from family, love, dealing with tragedies, secrets. You will find yourself observed in the book till the end.

Nantucket Red (Nantucket,#2)

☆☆☆☆

 

Nantucket red.

Nantucket,#2

Leila Howland.

Publisher Disney -Hyperion

Publication Date: May 13,2014

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance.

Format|Pages: Hardcover|288

Source: Goodreads|Library.

Cricket Thompson's lifetime of overachieving has paid off: she's headed to Brown University in the fall, with a spot on the lacrosse team and a scholarship that covers almost everything. Who knew living in the dorm cost money? An Ivy League education seems to mean living at home for the next four years. 

When Cricket is offered the chance to earn enough cash to afford a real college experience, she heads back to Nantucket for the summer. But the faraway island challenges Cricket in ways she hadn't anticipated. It's hard to focus on earning money for next year, when she finds her world opening up in entirely new ways-to art, to travel, and, most unexpectedly, to a future completely different from the one she has been working toward her whole life. A friendship blossoms with Ben, the gorgeous surfer and bartender who encourages Cricket to be free, even as she smarts at the pain of seeing Zack, her first love, falling for her worst enemy. 

But one night, when Cricket finally lets herself break all her own rules, she realizes she may have ruined her carefully constructed future with one impulsive decision. Cricket must dig deep to fight for her future, discovering that success isn't just about reaching goals, but also about listening to what she's been trying to ignore-her own heart. 

 
I read Nantucket Blue last year and loved it but had no idea that it would be a series, when I read the first book it wasn’t. When I came across Nantucket Red while at the library, I had to check it out. Though I didn’t like it way that I loved the first book, it didn’t seem to keep my attention as much and reason for 4 stars. Most of the book was pretty interesting, there was just parts in book that I found myself wanting to skim through. Ever since I read last book, I did find myself wondering what would happen with Cricket, with Zack. Where the life would lead her next, if her and Julia would ever go back to friendship they once had. Nantucket Red had answered most of those questions. Quite few twists happened in the book that I did not see coming. Cricket & Zack’s break up, Cricket getting arrested, Zack dating Parker. There were still quite few twists, storyline that kept my interest and kept me on wondering what would happen next. I’m curious if there will be another book after this, I am curious to see what adventures Howland will take Cricket and her friends on next. 

Zack & Ben : Loved Zack since the first novel, his attitude and how much he cared for Cricket. After reading Nantucket Blue I didn’t think that anything could tear them apart, they were in love. Maybe that’s why I did not see the break up coming. Of course moment Cricket said that they should go on ‘pause’ I had a feeling that something would go wrong, that never works. At least it doesn’t work how they thought that it would. I was sad for them when they broke up, knowing that they still loved each other. I did think that Zack moved on pretty fast from Cricket and to Parker, but I did wonder if there was a reason he was with her, especially when he said that he was protecting her. I could tell the two still loved one another, how they acted around each other, especially on night that all of them got drunk. All though the book I was rooting for them to get back together. As for Ben, I thought that he was sweet most of the time, and he did care about Cricket just not way that Zack cared for her, he didn’t love her. I didn’t see a real connection between two of them. Despite him denying it, I know that he still loved his ex-too. Both of them were in love with someone else. 

I love the titles that Howland comes up with and it fits the storyline too. Nantucket Red, how can it not capture any reader’s attention? Even if you didn’t read the first book. Both title and the cover is eye catching, and that’s how I came across Nantucket Blue actually. One surprise that came out of this book was friendship between Cricket and Julie, I never thought that their friendship go back to way that it was. Considering what the two of them went through the summer before. I was happy to see that it did, I could tell that the both of girls missed one another. I knew that she forgiven her, otherwise she wouldn’t helped her get back into Brown. I love reading books about summertime, considering summer started too. If you enjoyed Nantucket Blue, Nantucket Red is a book that worth picking up and checking out. I’m eager to see what story Howland will come up with next.