What I Read: Gone Girl

4/5 pineapples

After all the rave reviews, I assumed this was going to be the best. Book. Ever. But you know what they say when you assume...

Okay, so this wasn't the best book ever but it was still pretty great and maybe my expectations are just too high (I'm a picky book person). Gillian Flynn is an amazing writer and I enjoyed how much she twisted my mind as I read Gone Girl. There's no clear "bad" and "good" involved, and that's just what I like about it. Flynn has created a very unconventional novel, one where you never know where to place your alliances and who to trust (spoiler: no one). I liked how she kept me on my toes, especially after the first section.

The characters are also fantastic. You can tell Flynn knows Nick and Amy very, very well, and she used them to create some of the richest characters I've seen in a recent novel. I'm a huge fan of characters, and they often make or break a book for me. I think it's the people Flynn has imagined that made reading this go so smoothly, and I felt invested in their lives. Nick and Amy, while dramatized, are completely realistic; just like real humans, they have flaws.

But of course, Gone Girl also had a few flaws itself for my reading preferences. The drama could be a bit much, and sometimes I rolled my eyes at a scene. There were also a few "twists" I saw coming from a mile away (but others that shocked me very much). Most importantly, it's not a book that's changed my world in any way. To get five pineapples, I'm expecting a book to make me think about my own life or the real world differently; something that inspires thought. Something that goes deeper than an entertaining read. This is not one of those books.

Long Story Short: Gone Girl is worth a read. If you have a weekend or some travel time to sit down with a book, this is an excellent choice. Flynn knows how to draw you in and create really developed, intense characters that keep you turning pages. It's more than a beach read, but not quite literary canon status. Most importantly, Flynn is an extremely talented writer and for that I would read her again.

You can find more reviews and details for Gone Girl on Goodreads, Amazon, Allison Anderson's post, or Catch the Lune's review.

What do you think of Gone Girl? Any good books I should look into this summer?

What I Read: Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek

4/5 pineapples

First off: Maya Van Wagenen, I love you. You did what I always wanted to do (write a well-known book as a teenager) and you did it with style. You are who I wish I was in eighth grade. You are who I wish I had in eighth grade. And I'm so glad you wrote this book so that the millions of eighth grades like you and me out there have the reassurance that there are others like us out there. And it will be okay.

Gushy feelings aside, Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek, is sweet book about the realities of American middle schools and just what it really takes to be popular. It's a super fast read (took me about 4 hours) and one that will remind you of those horrid middle school years, but then turn everything around to make you smile.

Van Wagenen's voice is refreshing in a world dominated by adult writers and I just love her guts, however I did find the writing style a little simple and the beginning a little slow. She is fifteen, and she writes like a very naturally talented fifteen-year-old; lacking the polish and detail "practiced" writers have. This didn't bother me a ton, but did tug at me throughout the book. (Bare in mind, I'm reading this a week after pouring over college reading-level books, so it just jolted me into a new genre). I found myself in despair by the series of events and results she recorded, rooting for her constantly but finding myself forever frustrated by the end results at several months.

It wasn't until the final chapters that I just got it, as I think most readers of this book do. Popularity is something Van Wagenen attempts to define, and she does a beautiful job. The last sections add everything up, and all of her trials and errors before just make sense. Van Wagenen made me want to be a better version of myself, and I think that's one of the most powerful things a book can do.

Have you read Popular? What did you think? I really enjoy memoirs, so please suggest any you like!

What I Read: Eleanor and Park

2/5 pineapples

(Why pineapples? Why not! I love them :))

Please! Hold the tomatoes! Back away with the snark! Don't hate me just yet.

I know this book is supposed to be something amazing. Every YA author has promoted the heck out of it. It sits at a pretty 4.21 rating on Goodreads, and several professional book reviewers have sung its praises.

But here's the thing: I hate lovey-dovey romances.

None of my friends in high school became completely obsessed with their significant other like Eleanor and Park did. People fought, they got mad, and they didn't just get over it the next day. Because in real life, that's not what happens. I found myself skimming parts when Eleanor and Park think and gush on and on about the other. I rolled my eyes at the end; I couldn't help but think... what???

The parts about Eleanor, just Eleanor and her crazy mixed up and unfair life were what I liked the best. I wanted to know more about her, her family, her past, how she'd gotten to 16-year-old Eleanor. Eleanor is a rich, wonderful, unique character and Rowell did amazing things with her. Character development itself is great, and I did like how Rowell took two people who wouldn't even talk to each other and make them fall in love. Watching that was great itself, and I loved how subtle it started out.

Short Story: This was not the book for me. I'm not into gooey romances, but I know several of you out there are, and you will enjoy this book. Rowell mastered character development and a subtle growth in Eleanor and Park's relationship, which warrants the two stars and makes it a good read.

Have you read Eleanor and Park? What do you think about teen romance books? What should I read next?