Mini Reviews: Every Day, Every Other Day, The Dreamer

Title: Every Day
Author: David Levithan
Series: Every Day #1
Release Date: August 28th, 2012
Publisher: Knopf Books
Buy: Amazon

This book is powerful. I think that’s the best way to describe it. I cannot say I loved it because even though I did there were things that stopped me from loving it the way it should have been loved. 

That sounds weird doesn’t it? It’s complicated. 

A is officially one of my all-time favorite characters. His/Her’s voice is one of the most unique ones I’ve encountered and had A not been who he/she was, I probably would not have enjoyed it one bit. You see A tends to get a little philosophical and had he/she been a normal 16 year old, you might have wondered what normal 16 year old talked like that. A is definitely not normal and for all we could know, A is not even human. 

Rhiannon on the other hand was not a character I could come to love. She is supposed to be this kind person yet she doesn’t seem so kind when it comes to A. I know that it’s difficult to adjust to the whole idea of A being someone else every day but at least she could try to reel in her discomfort. 
I think the main reason I cannot give this a higher rating is because we know what goes on with A but we don’t know why. The WHY matters to me. The science geek in me wants explanations. This is such a unique concept and not knowing WHY it happens kills me.

The ending is bittersweet. The bitter part doesn’t affect me too much because it involves Rhiannon and well I wasn’t particularly attached to her. I really do wish there was a sequel though. There is so much potential for a sequel but I know the likelihood of that happening is rather low. I am really glad I read this book though. It was. I don’t know how to summarize my reading experience because I am rather speechless at the moment but this is a read I’d definitely recommend. 

Edit: Turns out there will be a sequel

Title: Every Other Day
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Release Date: December 27th, 2011
Publisher: Egmont USA
Buy: Amazon

This was an interesting read but definitely not the best thing out there. 

The best thing about this book was the main character, Kali’s, voice. It is neither too serious nor too light. It makes the book fun to read. Kali herself, if not the best, is a good main character. She isn’t too angsty but there is a touch of it in the background and she isn’t particularly stupid. 

The world this book is set in was somewhat unique, we’ve seen some of this but it’s a new spin on it. Although I don’t think the world building is strong as I would have liked it to have been. There are so many questions one could ask. 

The secondary characters are well developed but the development of relationships between them and Kali is lacking. I didn’t understand her relationship with a couple of characters.

I went into this book looking for a light read after reading Every Day and it worked right up until near the end. Talk about heartbreak. 

There could be a sequel but I am not sure I would want to read it, I have my reasons of course, but that is not to say I didn’t enjoy this book. It was a rather fun read and something new in the paranormal genre.

Title: The Dreamer
Author: Pam Munoz Ryan, Peter Sis
Release Date: April 1st, 2010
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Buy: Amazon

I just finished the book and I am still trying to wrap my mind around this wonderful piece of work I just read.
The only thing I can think of right now is.. How is this book for middle grade readers? 

This book has so much sorrow in it, it hurts but it also has so much hope. The innocence of our main character and how he doesn't want to give up on his dream, its so touching and heart wrenching at the same time.

Pam Munoz (sorry I cannot do the accent on the n) is one of my favorite childhood authors and when I found out about this book I immediately added it to my list, it took a long time for me to actually read it though. The last time I read one of her works, I was in 6th grade. I didn't think years later, the last year before I was going to journey off into the world of the mature adults, that I'd read something by her. But here I am... sitting and just trying to digest everything I just read.

This woman has the power to pack so much emotion into such a short book. I think I keep on repeating the same thing again and again but I just cannot put enough emphasis on how powerful this book is. 

Reading it at this age, I can see the many layers she puts into her works.. I feel like I should read all of the other ones I've read just to see if it would be the same.

There is nothing I can say that would justify this book so I won't but believe me it's absolutely worth it. 

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn, David Levithan

Title: Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares
Author: Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Publisher: Knopf books
Date Published: October 26, 2010
Buy: Amazon

Goodreads summary

“I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the bestselling authors ofNick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have written a love story that will have readers perusing bookstore shelves, looking and longing for a love (and a red notebook) of their own.

I wish it was Christmas right now. I would have loved to read this book when it was Christmas. Good holiday spirited books are hard to come by as I am not that drawn by them, but something about this book compelled me to read it. Maybe the whole idea of two strangers passing back and forth a book in which they shared secrets seemed interesting. I haven’t read a book that uses that idea, I mean sure you have the strangers thing but the whole “book of dares”, a unique idea I must say. Right now, I sit here pondering why it took me so long to finally read this book. I think this will also be included in my list of books I read for Christmas. Okay so I was trying to sound all mature and smartsy pantsy there like Dash. I kinda failed.

I believe if there was such a thing as soul mates. Dash would be mine. Yes I probably sound like a fan girl but you see his looks were barely talked about so you know I love him for his character (okay maybe I am fan girling a little), I understand him because he reminds me of myself. I may not have faced the same circumstances but I understand his sentiments because I share them. Although that may make me sound pessimistic but neither I nor Dash are pessimistic. We just tend to overanalyze things. We both enjoy our own company from time to time. Okay so this is now turning into a comparison between me and Dash and I should stop that right about now. I am a mysterious being, no one will ever know me. *flips cape and disappears* *reappears to finish writing her review*

Dash has this way of sounding really mature, he could say the most amazing things and you’d be left wandering, because it would make you see this whole new side of things. Like for example this one time he is walking around the house naked, of course that does sound weird, but these were his thoughts when he was walking around naked.

“…naked as the day I was born, only without the blood and amniotic fluid.”
It makes the whole idea seem more philosophical, like why don’t we all do that, is there anything wrong with nakedness. He isn’t an outgoing person by all means, he is rather awkward person, not in the sense that he doesn’t have a lot of friends and stuff but because he says things that a normal teenage boy wouldn’t even bother thinking about. We all question things and Dash does as well but I think he explains to us why it’s not easy to find answers to everything. His parents’ divorce changed him. He was left feeling slightly bitter and it may have affected how his turned out but I do believe that he has no hopes and probably does NOT want his parents to get back together. I am not exactly sure what he wants from his parents. Maybe to notice him more, I believe they both love him but with their bitterness towards each other, it makes it harder for him. He doesn’t want to have to face one and hear them complain about the other or try to find out what the other parent may be doing wrong. For example when Dash’s father asks him if his mom is bothering him, this is what he says, (I believe this is one of my absolute favorite parts in the book, it made me laugh so much):

“She told me if I clean all the ashes out of the grate, then I’ll be able to help my sisters get ready for the ball.”
Like I said, I really do like this guy (he is my soul mate for crying out loud) but I don’t think I can dedicate my whole review to him (I wish I could).

Lily is also an interesting character. You would think from the first chapter in her pov that she would be a silly perky girl, all rainbows and flowers, but she isn’t. She has a certain depth to her. What she really wants is to believe. She wants to believe that it isn’t all hopeless. She is the kind of person who’ll buy a poor person a bag of chocolates but she knows that it won’t really make a difference. She doesn’t believe she is going to change his life any but she still does it. I also love her nickname Shrilly, I believe the story of how this nickname came about is rather interesting and would imply that she is sensitive but I don’t believe she is sensitive, she has a strength to her that nobody sees. Everybody in her family is overprotective of her because they believe she is so she doesn’t really have a chance to explore the world outside of that shell. I think that she wants to be noticed (even when she implies otherwise) but be accepted for the weird person she is, she doesn’t want to have to please people because they don’t like her ways or think she is bizarre and she finds it better to be on her own then to be someone she is not.

I am not sure whether this book is a romance or not, but I think there is a coming of age of sorts or a realization at the very least. It may be subtle but it’s there, because this book has so much more depth to it then may appear by reading the summary. It makes you think, it makes you laugh, it makes you sad and in the end it leaves you feeling content. The authors leave a lose end so that we can use our imagination to figure out what happens but we are pointed in a general direction.