Saint Anything.

☆☆☆☆☆

saint anything.

sarah dessen.

Publisher  Viking Juvenile

Publication Date:May5,2015

Genre:YA Contemporary Romance

Format|Pages:Hardcover|417

 Source:Goodreads|Library

Peyton, Sydney's charismatic older brother, has always been the star of the family, receiving the lion's share of their parents' attention and—lately—concern. When Peyton's increasingly reckless behavior culminates in an accident, a drunk driving conviction, and a jail sentence, Sydney is cast adrift, searching for her place in the family and the world. When everyone else is so worried about Peyton, is she the only one concerned about the victim of the accident?



Enter the Chathams, a warm, chaotic family who run a pizza parlor, play bluegrass on weekends, and pitch in to care for their mother, who has multiple sclerosis. Here Sydney experiences unquestioning acceptance. And here she meets Mac, gentle, watchful, and protective, who makes Sydney feel seen, really seen, for the first time. 

 ☂

SARAH DESSEN DID IT AGAIN! It has been a while since I have read her novels, few years and after reading SAINT ANYTHING I remembered why I love this author. I had fallen in love with Dessen’s writing and stories when I read her for first time back in 2012. I feel like I fallen in love with her writing more after reading SAINT ANYTHING . I Loved all books of hers that I have read so far, but out of all that I have read SAINT ANYTHING was my favorite, though it focused on similar theme, it was unlike her other books and to me it felt inspirational. This novel wasn’t only about love but family, friendships and how one person’s decision can affect everything, how sometimes you find love and family in most unexpected ways. It feels that a message in SAINT ANYTHING can be something that a lot can relate to in some ways. You can’t help but get sucked and fall in love with the story.



I loved everything about this book, the story, the characters, and the message. Of course my favorites were Sydney, Layla and Mac. It’s almost impossible not to love them; you know that there going be important part of story from moment they appear in the book. How can you not love them? They are type of people that you would love to have in your life or already do. Layla reminded me a lot of my best friend. I loved the friendship that her and Sydney formed and I knew that Layla would be a friend for years to come. What other friend would guard the door just because Sydney was freaked out by Ames attitude? Especially one that you just recently met. I loved that about Layla, she was always there without questions asked, that’s how my best friend and I are. I was glad that Sydney was able to find a friend like Layla; she needed a friend like that, especially after what happened with her brother. Layla is type of friend that everyone should have.



MAC: what can I say about him? There was so much that I loved about him, but he was unlike any guys that I read about. What I loved most about their relationship is fact that it took time to develop, to get to that time. It wasn’t rushed like most romance tend to be and that made it more believable. I loved that their relationship wasn’t only what was important to them but they also spent time with their friends as well. I just wished that they haven’t kept their relationship secret from Layla but I guess I can see why Sydney kept it from Layla. You could tell that there was connection between two of them, not right from start but you could tell that Mac was important to her, even if she wouldn’t admit it at first. I was rooting for both of them right from start.



Family & Friendship aspect was my favorite in novel because I believe that those are two most important things. It was heavily based of both. I wasn’t fond of her mother of how she treated her after Peyton went to jail, I understand that she was upset but she acted as if Sydney wasn’t important, all that mattered was Peyton. I don’t think that’s fair to Sydney. I loved how Chathmans accepted her for who she was and treated her like part of family after only knowing her for short period of time. They acted more like her family. If only everyone was like that. SAINT ANYTHING is breathtaking, intriguing novel that I’m still thinking about. Impossible to put down.



I recommend this to all of Dessen fans, and contemporary fiction fans. It deals with real issues and you will find yourself hooked till the end.

Made You Up.

☆☆☆☆☆

MADE YOU UP.

FRANCESCA ZAPPIA.

Publisher  Greenwillow Books.

Publication Date:May19,2015

Genre:YA Contemporary Romance|Psychology.

Format|Pages:Hardcover|428

 Source:Goodreads|Library

Reality, it turns out, is often not what you perceive it to be—sometimes, there really is someone out to get you. Made You Up tells the story of Alex, a high school senior unable to tell the difference between real life and delusion. This is a compelling and provoking literary debut that will appeal to fans of Wes Anderson, Silver Linings Playbook, and Liar.



Alex fights a daily battle to figure out the difference between reality and delusion. Armed with a take-no-prisoners attitude, her camera, a Magic 8-Ball, and her only ally (her little sister), Alex wages a war against her schizophrenia, determined to stay sane long enough to get into college. She’s pretty optimistic about her chances until classes begin, and she runs into Miles. Didn't she imagine him? Before she knows it, Alex is making friends, going to parties, falling in love, and experiencing all the usual rites of passage for teenagers. But Alex is used to being crazy. She’s not prepared for normal.



Funny, provoking, and ultimately moving, this debut novel featuring the quintessential unreliable narrator will have readers turning the pages and trying to figure out what is real and what is made up. 

☂

“Believing something existed and then finding out it didn't was like reaching the top of the stairs and thinking there was one more step.”



A feeling that I got while I was reading this novel. There were times where I wasn’t sure what was happening was real or Alex’s imagination due to her Illness. MADE YOU UP was a type of novel that will have you stop and thinking about what’s happening, and if what is happening is reality or not. MADE YOU UP had me going through so many emotions that I am not sure if I would be able to explain them all. I felt sad, angry, confused, surprised and so much more. I was drawn into Alex’s world, imaginary or not. A book that becomes reality fast. I felt the emotions, the confusion that Alex was feeling. I have read few books about mental Illness before but nothing like this one. This been one of best when it comes to Schizophrenia.



This subject was interesting, yet tough to read about since I got a friend with Schizophrenia. I knew some things about it but not a lot, but once I read this novel, I felt like I learned more about, and how it can affect a person especially when they can’t tell reality from imagination. FRANCESCA ZAPPIA has a real imagination and sucks you story right from the first book and the way she ends the book, one that has you wondering, which was real and which was hallucinations? Especially after the truth about her little sister comes out, one twist that even I didn’t see coming. Alex talked to her and her parents let her as if she actually was there. I couldn’t believe that they would hide something like that from her, it’s no wonder she was so confused afterwards. If you had no idea that you were talking to a sister that wasn’t there, how do you know that everything happened before real or not.



MILES Come on, how can you not be curious about him? I’ll be honest that I wasn’t his biggest fan when came across him, he was rude and the kind of guy I wouldn’t want be friends with. However, like Alex I did wonder if he was the blue eye friend that she was sure she made up those years ago. I was sure that he was someone that she had made up, during her first episode. It’s no wonder that she was confused once she realized that he had been real, but I couldn’t believe that Miles kept it from her for so long. I did see a connection between the two of them, even if they acted like they couldn’t stand each other at the start. If it wasn’t for Miles she wouldn’t made it as far as she had. He helped her. Miles made her feel like she belonged. Even though he frustrated me half of time, I couldn’t help but love him.



A stunning heart breaking debut by Francesca Zappia. You will cry, you will get angry and you will find yourself asking questions. A debut that is worth more than 5 stars. Francesca is an author that will go a long way, an author to look out for. A MUST READ.

Lying Out Loud.(Hamliton High,#4)

☆☆☆☆☆

lying out loud.

kody keplinger.

Publisher  Scholastic.

Publication Date:April 28,2015

Genre:YA Contemporary Romance.

Format|Pages:Hardcover|309

 Source:Goodreads|Library

Revisit Hamilton High in this MUST READ for all fans of The DUFF - co-starring Bianca and Wesley.



Sonny Ardmore is an excellent liar. She lies about her dad being in prison. She lies about her mom kicking her out. And she lies about sneaking into her best friend's house every night because she has nowhere else to go.



Amy Rush might be the only person Sonny shares everything with - secrets, clothes, even a nemesis named Ryder Cross.
Ryder's the new kid at Hamilton High and everything Sonny and Amy can't stand - a prep-school snob. But Ryder has a weakness: Amy. So when Ryder emails Amy asking her out, the friends see it as a prank opportunity not to be missed.

But without meaning to, Sonny ends up talking to Ryder all night online. And to her horror, she realizes that she might actually 'like' him. Only there's one small catch: he thinks he's been talking to Amy. So Sonny comes up with an elaborate scheme to help Ryder realize that she's the girl he's really wanted all along. Can Sonny lie her way to the truth, or will all her lies end up costing her both Ryder and Amy? 

☂

I had loved THE DUFF which had been the first book that I read by KODY KEPLINGER and I remembered falling in love with story. Of course when I found out that there is going be a companion novel, I was excited. I had been curious about Wesley’s sister when she was briefly mentioned in The Duff; I had wondered what her story was. I had loved Amy from the start to the end and you could see the transformation that she went through the book. She turned from shy, a girl who let anyone walk over her, including Sonny to one who finally stood up for herself, told her how she felt. I was starting to think that it would never happen. I loved the friendship between two of them, they fought, and they made up not only like best friends but like sisters. Despite everything they went through, all the lies that Sonny told, in the end they were still there for one another, they were still best friends. That’s true friendship right there.




I felt like I should disliked Sonny, because of amount of lies she told. To everyone. I understand the feel to lie once in a while, but all the time? I knew that when she told Amy that her mom kicked her out that there was something not right there, something she wasn’t telling Amy and later her parents and way she tried to steer clear of bringing up her mom. It was like a mystery and I couldn’t help but wonder what she was hiding. Once the truth came out, my heart broke for Sonny, what kind of mother does that to their own child? I felt Sonny’s heartbreak during her breakdown. It’s no wonder she tried hide it, she was in denial about the whole situation and it made sense why she was lying half of the time. Amy’s family was wonderful, how could you not love someone who takes in someone else as their own, make them part of family. It brought a smile to my face. Now that’s a true meaning of family.



Now Ryder, how can you not love Ryder? From most of the descriptions, it seemed that he was a decent guy and I could see that Sonny saw that after a certain amount of time. I just wished that she told him sooner and all of that could be avoided. If she told him from start, she wouldn’t hurt Amy and Ryder in process. I saw a connection between them from moment that two of them chatted that night, though Ryder wasn’t aware that it was Sonny that he been talking there. I don’t know how Ryder didn’t put the pieces together. I was so happy when the two of them finally got together but I was wondering when the truth would come out because I knew it would at some point. I felt bad for Ryder, it seemed like bad luck always seemed to be following him. However the way that book ended, had me hope for two of them, that there still might be a chance.


5 stars. Beautifully written story about love, friendship, test of friendship and second chances. If you loved The Duff, you will fall in love with LYING OUT LOUD