Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Release Date: September 7, 2009
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Pages: 208
Overall:

In an explosion of his own making, Lucius blew his arms off. Now he has hooks. He chose hooks because they were cheaper. He chose hooks because he wouldn’t outgrow them so quickly. He chose hooks so that everyone would know he was different, so he would scare even himself.

Then he meets Aurora. The hooks don’t scare her. They don’t keep her away. In fact, they don’t make any difference at all to her.

But to Lucius, they mean everything. They remind him of the beast he is inside. Perhaps Aurora is his Beauty, destined to set his soul free from its suffering.

Or maybe she’s just a girl who needs love just like he does.

It took a while for the pace of the novel to speed up, and until then I was really bored and forced myself to get through it. Thankfully, the novel did get more interesting as time went on. And after that turning point, I found myself enjoying the novel a lot more.

In most cases, I love reading novels that alternate between the two main characters, but with Crazy Beautiful it just didn't work. There were also a lot of things that didn't need to be in the novel. I thought some parts were just written to fill more pages, and the novel isn't long to being with. I was expecting so much more. The novel didn't even fit the summary until half way through the book and I felt mislead.

The writing wasn't anything spectacular either. And, honestly, I think this book was really anticlimactic for me. I was expecting so much more. But maybe it was just me that wasn't impressed by this book, because I've read some good reviews, so if you want to venture out and buy it, go on ahead. You might enjoy it.

Writing:
Plot:
Characters:
Ending:
Cover:

A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn

Talia fell under a spell . . . . Jack broke the curse.I was told to beware the accursed spindle, but it was so enchanting, so hypnotic. . . .I was looking for a little adventure the day I ditched my tour group. But finding a comatose town, with a hot-looking chick asleep in it, was so not what I had in mind.I awakened in the same place but in another time—to a stranger's soft kiss.I couldn't help kissing her. Sometimes you just have to kiss someone. I didn't know this would happen.Now I am in dire trouble because my father, the king, says I have brought ruin upon our country. I have no choice but to run away with this commoner!Now I'm stuck with a bratty princess and a trunk full of her jewels. . . . The good news: My parents will freak!Think you have dating issues? Try locking lips with a snoozing stunner who turns out to be 316 years old. Can a kiss transcend all—even time?

A Kiss in Time, was just what I needed to read after reading some serious, or complicated novels. Why? Because it was a fast, fun, and easy read! The story never got boring and kept me attentive throughout.

In this retelling of Sleeping Beauty, a teenager, Jack and his pal Travis, who only seems to care about food, stumble upon an old town with a castle and cottages and houses surrounding it. If the town, hidden by a tall and long hedge of thorns and branches, wasn't abnormal enough, Jack and Travis also come to discover that everyone in the town is...asleep. And in an attempt to steal the Royal crowns and kiss a beautiful girl, chaos begins.

One of the things I liked about A Kiss in Time is the obvious differences between Talia, the princess, and Jack's experiences in their time. And Talia's reaction to some of these things in hilarious in some cases.

The character development was also nice to read about. Jack, before meeting Talia, only partied and despised his parent's plan for his life, and throughout the book, we watch as he becomes more mature and stands up for himself. Talia also changed a lot. At the beginning, 316 years before Jack's time, she is a stuck up brat, and develops into a nice and caring girl who can do things for herself. Great development.

While I really enjoyed A Kiss in Time, this novel may not be for everyone. I recommend only to those who want something sweet, and fun to read.

Ratings:

Writing: 3/5
Story: 2.5/5
Character: 4/5
Cover: 3/5