Uglies By Scott Westerfeld

Book Cover of Uglies

So I have just completed yet another book! Like finally! Hearts to that! ❤

Had brought this 1/4 read book on my Summer Vacation to Australia (Melbourne and Sydney) but wasn’t able to complete it, and then had to immediately returned it as it was way passed the due date-Oops! (If you haven guess already- it’s a borrowed national library book :D)

[Want to see more holiday excitement? Check out my travel blog at: http://traveldiaries2.wordpress.com/ And Check out my YouTube vlog at: http://www.youtube.com/user/traveldiaries2 ]

And just a few weeks ago, I managed to get my hands on it when I visited the library! Hooray to that! I’m telling you, this book keeps getting ‘snatched’ off the bookshelves! So popular I must say.

Alrighty, enough about all the boring stuffs- let’s jump right into the book about UGLIES!

What if you believe that you have a way too high forehead, way too big a nose, and not to mention, your nose ain’t even positioned in the center of your face!?! What if you eyes are way too big, like they are going to pop out of their sockets any moment?! What if you are way too skinny that you look frail and sickly? Or the opposite- big and round; and nothing you do or not do (eat) will help you lose the extra pounds?

And so basically, you are just NOT Magazine- Supermodel- Like. To put it bluntly, you are just UGLY; your friend is UGLY; everyone is born UGLY! What then? Let’s all sit around all day and weep? Or sing the Lady Gaga’ Song: Born This Way (And embrace it)! 😀

Well, the key way to break this ‘curse’? Going under the knife of course! Many people around the world have done it. And all these Liposuction, Botox Injection, Breast Augmentation, etc cost money! Ka- Ching! It’s all about the Price Tag.

What if I tell you that you, your friend and everyone in your estate can get the perfect body, the perfect face FOR FREE! Just turn 16, and you will be put under the knife and after that, you will love the person staring at you in the mirror. How awesome is that!

In this sequel, Scott Westerfeld starts off with the UGLIES (Book 1), where we journey with the main character in deciding if she wants to be pretty or stay UGLY for all eternity. But can one have the choice of staying UGLY? Or is it a MUST to be a PRETTY?

You may be confused- what is wrong with being a PRETTY? Only an idiot wants to stay UGLY. I mean, nice hair, nice skin, nice everything right? So what is the problem? Hmmmmmm……

Did I mentioned that the plastic surgery is FREE. So then, there must be a hidden cost involved.

YOU JUST HAVE TO READ TO FIND OUT WHAT IT IS!  😀

I rate this first book of the sequel a 3.5/5 because this book can be a little too draggy. And it is slightly more difficult to read than the other books I have recommended- but still manageable. I love the intriguing story plot, and the adventures with the main character. It makes it wonder if I were in a world where everyone is given a chance to undergo nip tuck. Good or Bad?

Do you want to be an UGLY, or a PRETTY?

At this moment, after reading the book, I still believe I wana’ be a PRETTY. Being an UGLY is way too much work. Haha!

But maybe I may change my mind again after reading the next book of the sequel!

Drop me a comment if you have read this book, and tell me how to find it! I love to hear from you guys! 😀

Posing with Uglies!

Until next time,

Dee

Blood On My Hands By Todd Strasser

Book Review

I have read this book super duper long ago (like a few months ago; surprised that I could actually remember the bulk of it- this shows how good this book is, ya? haha..), but I just could not find time to sit and do the review. So here it is (like finally):

For those who are into the mystery and crime genres, this book is definitely for you. I couldn’t get my hands off this book. Once I started reading, I have been reading chapter after chapter, until my eyes grew tired, focusing me to take a break. The story line really keeps the readers in suspends, and this is what makes me want to continue on with the next chapter!

So what is the suspends? From the title, you would have guessed it has something to do with bloody murder. So the suspends…The murderer, of course. Who…? But why…? And how…? She…? He…?

Just not to be a spoiler to the book (no one likes a spoiler, especially when one wants to read the book himself), here is just a short synopsis:

Imagine yourself next to a dead body…(Hmmm.. why would anyone want to imagine that :S)

The body whom you know- your ‘friend’. You have blood on your hands- blood that belongs to the dead body. You have school mates who snapped pictures of you next to the body with bloody hands exposed.

All evidences are on you. YOU ARE THE KILLER. Are you that innocent? Or you are indeed a cold blooded murderer? And why in the world would you be next to a dead body for goodness sake?!?!

This whole book allows you to journey with the accused. How she tries to prove her innocence; when everyone and every evidence are against her. From the book, I could feel her struggle and the agony she went through- hiding from the cops in shabby areas and not being able to shower or have clean clothes.

Oh boy, if you know me well enough, you would know what pain and torment it would have been for me not being able to have a decent shower, or clean clothes. Hence, I was able to feel the distress she was going through.

If it was me, I would probably just turn myself in to get a decent shelter and shower. That’s how weak I am. Haha…

So why doesn’t the accused just turn herself in if she was innocent? Well, you have to read to find out. 🙂

I love books like this, where every chapter is a chapter closer to finding who is the murderer. And just a wee bit spoiler information (I know, I know, I am contradicting myself- but this small information does not harm, right? :S ), the ending is just _________. Well you fill in the blank for me when you have read it, or had already read it. Haha.. I am not going to tell you the ending- DUH.

I rate this book 5/5, because it has an intriguing story line, and it is also easy to read. If you haven’t read this go borrow it from the national library! You won’t regret reading this. The story is just so real, and not blown out of proportion- not dramatically distant at all! As I read, I could literally imagine myself as the main character- struggling to find the truth!

Leave a readers’ comment below after reading the book. I would love to know what you think of it! 😀

Untill next time,

xoxo

Book Review: Th1rteen R3asons Why?

This book was introduced to me by two YouTube girls. They were doing a video on some of their favourite books, and as they described each of them, I only find this very one deeply hitched in my mind.

This is a library book in hardcover.

The story plot is really intriguing! And may I say, this is my very first book that caused me to shift over to a different genre other than romance- CRIME/MYSTERY!

Th1rteen R3asons Why? is about a SUICIDE.

A girl in a new place. A new beginning? WRONG. She faced mental torture. Why? You have to read this book to find out! 😀

In this book, the reader is the main character in the story. The reader/he is one of the 13 reasons why the girl killed herself. So if the reader/he is one of the 13 reasons, then who are the other 12 reasons why she killed herself?

This book brings you on a journey to find out who else caused the indirect death of the girl. The reader/he has to listen cassette tape recordings of the death girl telling her story of WHY SHE DECIDED TO TAKE AWAY HER LIFE!

Just imagine: A classmate in your school just committed suicide, and you are listening to tape recordings of her!? Scary? Sad? Angry? You decide.

Personally, I was very interested in knowing who are the 13 horrible people that forced a girl into suicide. Then after the entire book, I realized that it was partly the dead girl’s fault as well.

I mean, why take away your own young life just because of some obstacles in your teens? There are so many people who cares about you. There’s no need to be so pessimistic about it. Whatever it is, I am sure there is someone out that you can talk to. SOMEONE.

For those you have read the book, you will probably know who I am referring to when I say SOMEONE. (Hint: One of the 13 people that caused her death)

This book is different from other books because I have never read any books that is written in such a refreshing way. About 70-80% of the book is based on tape recordings the main character has to listen to. So basically, me, as a reader can understand, 1st hand, why the girl killed herself.

Pretty interesting, huh?

I spend my last school semester reading this when I was bored, in the train, or just don’t feel like studying.

If you have read this book, do share your thoughts with me! I would love to read them and exchange thoughts!

Until next time,

see you guys again! ❤

A Bookwormsy Affair: Lost and Found

My encounter with storybooks happened at a really young age, probably when I was in pre-school- I think, or at least that’s how I had remembered.

 

FOUND

My mother would always read to us on most nights before bed. Kiddie stories like the:

• The Three Little Pigs
• Three Billy Goats Gruff
• The Little Red Riding Hood
• Peter and Jane (Ladybird Book Series)
• The Enormous Turnip

 

My all time favourites are Three Billy Goats Gruff and The Enormous Turnip! I would get my mum to read the same book many nights in a row. I remember as she read, I would fixate my eyes on the illustrations on the left side of the book, while she read the words on the right side.

 

My mother would read this exact same book! Memories Memories!

Halfway through, she would paused and asked, ‘Are you looking at the words?” Quickly, I would pretend to be looking at the right side of the book, and nodding my head! Haha! 😀

 

Parents	Kids
Just wanting their kids to recognise those words in the books	Just wanting to see the nice illustrations, and interpret the story based on the pictures!

 

In primary school, I was so into the romance genre. How typically girly right? I loved the series of Mary-Kate and Ashley’s and Sweet Valley High. I would read them during second language classes. Haha! Come on, who doesn’t? And even if you are not guilty for reading during language lessons, I bet you are guilty for day-dreaming! 😀

 

I would exchange storybooks with friends who had other Mary-Kate and Ashley’s or Sweet Valley High’s series. I have never own a Sweet Valley High storybook before.

Mary-Kate and Ashley’s books from my humble book collection!

Mary- Kate and Ashley’s books!

 

One of my classmates introduced the Just George series- The famous character from Enid Blyton’s Famous Five. In my 4th year of primary school, I was pretty hooked onto them for awhile. Of all the 6 books, I have like 4 of them at home (they are still sitting on my dusty shelves right now).

 

My super duper old books!

My super duper old books!

 

I would pester my mother to get me those books, and she would refuse. After much whining, she gave in; with a condition: I had to pay for them. Oh well, I don’t mind, as long as I get my hands on the untouched, new- smelling books.

 

LOST

I lost touch of storybooks when I entered junior college. With the lecture notes to ‘entertain’ me, who needs more entertainment from storybooks? Okay, maybe I was just not putting the effort to make time. GUILTY!

FOUND

I managed to keep in touch with storybooks during my summer vacation in my 1st ? Or 2nd year of college (I can’t really remember). I could actually complete 1 book after the many years of losing touch with storybooks. Then, I was still into the romance genre.

 

LOST, then finally… FOUND!

After that 1 pitiful book that I managed to complete (which I was pretty proud of), I lost contact with storybooks AGAIN. It was until recently this year that I have a sudden interest in crime, murder, mystery related books! How creepy and sadistic is that?!? But yeah, I have FOUND storybooks in my life again! So that’s a plus point!

 

I have done some readings over the pass few months. I would probably do book reviews soon! So watch of for that if you are into crime, murder, and sadistic stuff like me! Wahaha..

 

Okay, I not that creepy as I sound.

 

So see you guys real soon! Tell me what’s your favourite storybook genres! I would love to be introduced to some cool storybooks! SO RECOMMENDATIONS ANYONE?