Book BFF Melissa

Number of Pgs.: 400

Publication date: May 28, 2013

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Mystery

How I got the copy: Won from April

Rating: 3 Stars

From Goodreads:

Things you earnestly believe will happen while your parents are away:
1. You will remember to water the azaleas.
2. You will take detailed, accurate messages.
3. You will call your older brother, Denny, if even the slightest thing goes wrong.
4. You and your best friend/bandmate Lukas will win Battle of the Bands.
5. Amid the thrill of victory, Lukas will finally realize you are the girl of his dreams.
Things that actually happen:
1. A stranger calls who says he knew your sister.
2. He says he has her stuff.
3. What stuff? Her stuff.
4. You tell him your parents won’t be able to—
5. Sukey died five years ago; can’t he—
6. You pick up a pen.
7. You scribble down the address.
8. You get on your bike and go.
9. Things . . . get a little crazy after that.*
*also, you fall in love, but not with Lukas.

Plot: 3/10

Characters: 3/10

Setting: 6/10

Pacing: 7/10

Style: 8/10

Cover: The orange stands out among all those blue, black, and white covers that seem to be gracing the shelves these days. I like that the girls hair has fluidity and seems wild...like the title suggests.

27+50=77 (3 Stars)

In the notes that I took while reading the first few chapters, I actually wrote "Wtf did I just get myself into?". I think that pretty much sums up my experience with this book. I was thoroughly confused by the main character, yet highly entertained and intrigued at what she'd do next. The underlying mystery of how her sister died and then what Skunk was hiding kept me turning pages. And author takes her time revealing pieces to the puzzle so that your curiosity is killing you by the time you find out.

But I just couldn't get past my dislike for the main character. She has no self-preservation at all. And what's worse is what happens is not realistic. She goes to the ghetto to a hotel and trusts random strangers, at night, and didn't tell anyone where she was going. And yet she manages not to get raped and chopped up into pieces and thrown into a ditch. I understood she needed answers about her sister's death, but it just seemed so unrealistic and out of character for her since the beginning of the book she's little miss perfect. I also get that the truth "wakes her up" and she kind of loses her mind from being lied to for so long. It did make for an entertaining book, but personally it didn't work for me.

What I did enjoy was the character Skunk. He was like a big teddy bear, or a love bison as I think Kiri refers to him. He's quirky and kind. I'd never read another character like him before--especially not a love interest. I also liked the author's writing style. I think this is what kept me from DNFing the book the most. Her writing is so descriptive and flows so poetically. She uses a lot of similes which helped me become part of the story instead of just being an observer. However, there was a simile every other sentence it seemed. It got a bit excessive after awhile. I was reading an ARC though so maybe the final copy was different.

If you can get past all the cray cray, the writing is worth it. It was hands down the weirdest book I have ever read, but it was somehow captivating, entertaining, and interesting.

Armchair BEA 2013 Introduction

Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging?

Hey fellow book nerds! Nice to meet you. My name is Melissa. I'm a 23 year old blogger and I may or may not have an addiction to books. When I'm not reading you can most likely find me baking some new recipe I found on Pinterest or dancing. Sometimes I multitask and do both at the same time...which then leads to my other favorite thing...cleaning!

I started blogging after I graduated college. I had all this free time to read finally, but no one to discuss books with. My dad randomly suggested I try blogging one day and use my reading buddy, Harley Bear, as a mascot. Now I've been actively blogging for a little over a year and it has been an amazing journey.

Where in the world are you blogging from? Tell a random fact or something special about your current location. Feel free to share pictures.

I'm from NJ. Which is why it's killing me that I can't make it to BEA this year since it's only a short ride away. But I plan on going to ALA and BEA next year. Anyone else live in the area? I haven't met any bloggers yet in real life. I have been to Books of Wonder once for a signing though so if you go there let me know because I plan on going back for future events.

Have you previously participated in Armchair BEA? What brought you back for another year? If you have not previously participated, what drew you to the event?

Last year I participated, but didn't take full advantage of it. I'm excited to join in the twitter parties and Instagram thing. I decided to come back this year because I want to meet more bloggers! I met a few last week during Bout of Books and now we talk daily so I think events like these are awesome for connecting with more readers.

Which is your favorite post that you have written that you want everyone to read?

Flow charts and quizzes are my favorite. Whenever I'm reading a magazine I always go for the fun pages first. So I started making them for my blog randomly. Here's a chart to help you decide What Should You Read Next and a quiz to see Which Literary Character Are You?

If you could eat dinner with any author or character, who would it be and why?

I would go on a date...yes a date...with Daemon Black from the Lux Series. If you've read it you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you haven't read it you really need to go do so right now! He's hilariously witty, easy on the eyes, and he loves cookies. What more could you want?