Pure by Terra Elan McVoy

Pure by Terra Elan McVoy



329 Pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Categorey: Young Adult

I recently joined a site called PulseIt
which is where Simon & Schuster allows readers ages 14-18 read free books as long as they review it. This book had about thirty days left before they took it off so I decided to read Pure.

At first I regretted picking this up going ‘Oh great, a Christian book that’s going to shove morals down my throat‘. At first, that’s what it was. The first thirty pages seem like they should have been condensed a bit. Or maybe it’s because I was reading it online.

Once the plot picked up, the story got a lot better. A couple of friendships are destroyed when one member of the Christian group decides to have sex. To Tabitha, the main character, it’s more complicated then that. It shakes her very faith a little bit. It’s better then it sounds really. Also, the ending was fantastic.

I loved Tabitha as a character. I understood her doubts and struggles with her faith. She’s a real charming character really - I loved being in her head. Her parents and Cara are also real interesting characters. Morgan…. Ugh. I hated Morgan’s character. You’re made to dislike her in the story but I began to hate her. I kept hoping Tab would punch her. She’s the kind of character that throws a fit if she doesn’t get her way.

Overall this was a really adorable story. It’s not my normal kind of thing, but I liked it. I’m going to buy a copy of it as soon as I get the money.

4 out of 5 stars

The Luxe

The Luxe by Anna Godberson
The Official Luxe Site



433 Pages
Publisher: Harper&Collins (through Harper Teen)
Category: Young Adult

This isn’t really my kind of story so I went into it having no clue what to expect. I mean, I’ve never even touched a Gossip Girl book -gasp!-. So getting into was really hard for me.

Although let me say the cover art is gorgeous.

That being said, I thought it was an ok book. It’s got its flaws, but it was definitely a step out of my comfort zone which is a good thing. I didn’t really like Elizabeth honestly. I don’t understand how she could be having sex with one former friend and being a complete jerk to another. I didn’t like Henry either. Penelope was a totally piece of work, but at least she was interesting. My favorite character has to Diana. She has the spirit of someone from today’s world stuck in 1899.

The plot moves slowly, but towards the end of the book I was hooked and wanted to know what happened. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone who gets bored easily. I’m still debating on whether or not to read Rumors, but I probably will. It might be more interesting with the Penelope verses Diana angle.

There is not a single doubt in my mind that if this became a movie it’d be right up my alley since I liked the movies Vanity Fair and Marie Antoinette.


Three out of five stars

Mini-Post

I have family in town and they’re playing cards right now. So I decided to write a mini-review. Well, it’s more of an author feature really.
About two months ago, my friend Amanda (the owner of Nocturnal Reviews ) went to the library. She handed me two books by Julie Anne Peters - Luna and Keeping You A Secret. I’d tried to read Luna a few years ago and couldn’t get into but I had read Define Normal.
No one, and I mean no one, can write about real-world problems like she can. Keeping You A Secret was a very good book that deals with a young woman discovering that she’s a lesbian and how the people around her deal with it. To me, it was hard to find a single bad thing about the novel - other then I want to know what happened down the line with the lead character and her girlfriend.
As good as Keeping You A Secret was, Luna touched my soul. I cried a couple times in this book. This book deals with a real touchy subject - Transexuality (according to my computer, I just made up a new word). While Liam aka Luna irritated me to no end with how self centered he was at times, it was just a part of his insecurity. Reading this story through his sisters eyes was a really touching experience adding to the realness.
I’ll definitely be going after the other books by her. I love her writing style and think that everyone should read at least one of her books.


~ Megan

Perfect Chemistry

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles





361 Pages
Publisher:Walker & Company
Category:Young Adult

A fresh, urban twist on the classic tale of star-crossed lovers.

When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created “perfect” life is about to unravel before her eyes. She’s forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for—her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more. In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart.

I went into the book having no idea what to expect. It had a gorgeous cover and I wasn't quite into The Luxe, so I switched to this.

Oh My Goodness, I'm glad I did. This book was amazing. Alex and Brittany were amazingly well developed characters. Most of the characters are as well. I think a lot of young adults can relate to this book. No matter where you are, there is undoubtedly racism around. It's considered weird if you're with someone outside of your ethnic group. By breaking this barrier, this book truly becomes close to a modern Romeo and Juliet.

All the characters reactions are real, which is always a real plus. The book also shows the 'ugly' side of being perfect in a new light which is totally unexpected. Most books follow the "my-perfect-life-really-isn't-perfect-because-my-dad's-a-drunk-plan" or something similar. Also Elkeles handles a delicate subject -gang life- in a realistic light that's not over played.

One of my only true issues with this entire book is Brittany's parents. While the reason Brittany's life isn't perfect is a hard thing to live with, it shouldn't destroy a family like it did.

Four out of Five Stars or B+

If I Stay

If I Stay by Gayle Forman



196 Pages
Published by Dutton Books (Penguin)
Category: Young Adult


Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones: Stay true to her first love— music—even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind? Then one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it’s the only one that matters.

If I stay is a heartwrenching novel. It made me think about my own life and my choices as I read - so much that I had to go back and re-read several paragraphs because I'd only been scanning as I thought.
Mia is an amazingly real character, considering you only really hear her memories and inner struggles for almost the entire book. I think we can all understand being torn between two loves.
I admit, I thought the love she had for her boyfriend was amazing. But it was her best friend that I fell in love with Kim. She's the bright side in this entire book. I'd also love to have parents like Mia's.
This isn't a book I'll re-read anytime soon. Not because it was a bad story, because it wasn't, but because I think this is one of the stories that profoundly affects you after just one reading.

Three out of five stars

Jessica's Guide for Dating on the Dark Side

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey



354 pages
Publisher: Harcourt
Category: Young Adult

The undead can really screw up your senior year . . .
Marrying a vampire definitely doesn't fit into Jessica Packwood's senior year "get-a-life" plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth--and he's her long-lost fiance. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire's Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war--and save Lucius's soul from eternal destruction.


When I first finished this book I was not impressed - at first. This was a book I had to think back on. After a few days, I found I really did like the book. Fantaskey created an original vampire story. Every single character in this story was amazingly developed.

Jessica is a unique character for me. Normally you don't find girls in vampire stories like her. Which is something I love. Yet again, she's such a detailed character that you feel like she's a real person by the end of the book. Her parents are hilarious.

This book took me on an emotional roller coaster ride. Thanks to Lucius, I had to keep reminding myself that it wasn't my book so I wouldn't throw it across my room. This book will make you mad. So if you just like the books that are simply read for enjoyment with almost no emotional involvement... don't pick this up. You will get tied up into it.

Four out of five stars.

Because I Am Furniture

Because I am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas


Publisher: Viking
365 pages
Age group: Young Adult

Anke's father is abusive. But not to her. He attacks her brother and sister, but she is ignored, forced to be an invisible witness in a house of horrors. Believing she isn't worthy of even the worst kind of attention, Anke feels about as significant as the living room sofa. Until she makes the volleyball team at school. In a sport where you have to yell "Mine!" to play the ball, Anke learns for the first time how to make herself heard. As her confidence on the court builds, she finds a voice she didn't know existed. And it's not long before she realizes that if she can make people hear her while she's playing volleyball, then maybe she can be heard at home, too.

When Amanda handed me her copy of this book I remember going "I am not reading this. I've read Crank and am not reading anymore books like it." I'm really glad I changed my mind. I fell in love with the story. Even for those of us who have never felt as Anke has, Chaltas helps you to understand how she feels. You'll get drawn in.

For those of you who don't like poems, give it a chance. By the time I was halfway through the book I forgot I was even reading poems. I recommend reading this at least once, although I know I'll be reading it again.

Four out of five stars.