Great by Sara Benincasa

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Title: Great

Author: Sara Benincasa

Length: 263 pages

Publisher: HarperTeen

Classification: Young Adult, Contemporary, Retelling, 

Release Date: April 8, 2014

Source: Hardback (I won a copy of this book from Cuddlebuggery's Little Blogger, Big Ambitions project and Coranne @ The Best Books Ever. Thank you so much!)

Read: September 2014

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In Sara Benincasa's contemporary retelling of The Great Gatsby, a teenage girl becomes entangled in the drama of a Hamptons social circle, only to be implicated in a tragedy that shakes the summer community. Everyone loves a good scandal. Naomi Rye usually dreads spending the summer with her socialite mother in East Hampton. This year is no different. She sticks out like a sore thumb among the teenagers who have been summering (a verb only the very rich use) together for years. But Naomi finds herself captivated by her mysterious next-door neighbor, Jacinta. Jacinta has her own reason for drawing close to Naomi-to meet the beautiful and untouchable Delilah Fairweather. But Jacinta's carefully constructed world is hiding something huge, a secret that could undo everything. And Naomi must decide how far she is willing to be pulled into this web of lies and deception before she is unable to escape. Based on a beloved classic and steeped in Sara Benincasa's darkly comic voice, Great has all the drama, glitz, and romance with a terrific modern (and scandalous) twist to enthrall readers. (From GoodReads)

**I won a copy of this book from Cuddlebuggery's Little Blogger, Big Ambitions project. This does not change the way I view this book**

My Rating:

Some information before the review:

I have not read The Great Gatsby yet, I have been meaning to but keep putting it off.
So my knowledge of Gatsby comes from the newer version of the movie with Leonardo Dicaprio.

I have taken my time to write up a review because I am not completely sure how I feel about this story.

On on hand, I feel like it was an interesting, modernized version of The Great Gatsby that I am a little familiar with.
I was very easily able to make the connections for whom each character is. And I knew when the big events were going to happen. So even though I sorta knew what was happening, I also didn't exactly. I feel like there were enough changes and modernization to give this a twist on an old story. Which makes it a pretty good Retelling.

This retelling focuses on the life of Naomi. Her parents are divorced and she lives with her father for most of the year. But every summer she travels to the Hamptons to stay with her mother. Naomi usually hates it there, but this summer is different. She gets pulled into the glamorous world of the Hamptons. Becoming friends with people that she didn't think she could ever like or be friends with.

I really liked that the story kept my attention and left me wanting to read more. I found it to be pretty well paced and I read it quickly. And it reminded me a bit of Gossip Girl. I did like that even though I generally knew the outcome of events in the story, I still had hope that things would end differently.

But, I had a hard time really connecting with the characters. I disliked so many of them.

Naomi: I flipped between finding her character okay and being really annoyed with her. I do like that Naomi tries to be a good friend to Jacinta. She stands up for her and defends her a lot.
But the biggest problem that I had with Naomi was that I felt like she wasn't that good of a friend to Skags. I didn't really like some of the comments that Naomi says to Skags about her being gay. Maybe I have looked at these comments the wrong way, maybe it is in a joking nature...but to me it felt like at times she doesn't really like that Skags is gay.

Delilah: At first she seems like she is going to be a very likable person. But as the story progressed, I became frustrated. She put up with a lot of crap from her boyfriend, Teddy and didn't really do anything about it. I feel like she never stood up for herself and let others make her decisions.

Jacinta: Out of all the characters in the story, I think I like her the most. She was interesting and a some backstory and a lot of secrets. I like that she is a fashion blogger. But it was a little weird the way she was completely obsessed with Delilah. I know it is supposed to be attraction and feelings, but I just didn't feel like there was much of a relationship there between them. I have no issue with lesbian relationships, but in this story, I just felt like it was more of an obsession than a relationship.

Teddy: I really don't like him. But I think that is really the point, since he is a jerk. I think his character is well written to the point that I really dislike him.

Jeff: I didn't really like him much either. I thought he was a jerk a lot. Other than his relationship with Naomi, I didn't really care much about his character while reading.

Skags: She is Naomi's lesbian best friend back home. I felt like Skags had a very small part in the story. Especially since the only time she is there is when Naomi is calling her to complain about something. And how many times are we reminded during the course of the story that she is a lesbian? It felt like it was there any time she was mentioned.

So overlooking some of the issues I had with the retelling, I was able to read it and enjoy it a bit. It is not a book that I think I will ever re-read. But I don't feel like I completely wasted my time either. I am sad that I didn't enjoy the book more.

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

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Title: Tiger Lily

Author: Jodi Lynn Anderson

Length: 292 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins

Classification: Young Adult, Retelling, Fantasy

Release Date: July 3, 2012

Source: e-book (purchased)

Read: June 2014

GoodReads

Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair. . . . Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell. Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter. With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart. (From GoodReads)

My Rating:

I just LOVE this cover. It is so pretty.

I really enjoyed reading this Peter Pan Retelling. I wasn't really sure what all to expect before I started reading this one, other than seeing several book bloggers tweet and post about how awesome this book is.

I haven't read Peter Pan and my knowledge is comprised from watching Disney's animated movie. I haven't seen any of the other movies.

And I didn't know much about Tiger Lily as a character. And I found it very interesting that this story was a retelling based mostly on Tiger Lily's side of the story rather than reading more about Wendy Darling's side.

The Story:

I found the story itself to be very entertaining and engaging. I became really wrapped up in what I was reading and had a hard time putting the book down.

I found this to be a darker side to the way that I thought the tale of Peter Pan was. This book had some happy moments, but there were also some heartbreaking and sad moments that clenched my heart. I think that it was beautifully written.

I really liked how the author had a lot of the familiar Peter Pan characters in this retelling. I felt they were very well developed and I liked finding out more about these characters. I found that the author did a wonderful job creating back stories that were full of depth and interesting information.

The Characters:

I thought the characters were amazing. I was completely fascinated by the characters and their lives. I couldn't wait to see what happened to them and how they would handle the situations that came.

I loved that the story is told from Tinker Bell's perspective. It made the story feel even more unique and interesting to me. And I loved that it helped me as a reader experience parts of the story that I probably wouldn't have been able to if it was told from Tiger Lily's point of view.
I also loved knowing Tinker Belle's reactions and emotions towards things that happened and the different characters that made appearances in this book.

My Recommendation:

I think anyone that likes to read Retellings or is a fan of Peter Pan should read this book. It is a beautifully written retelling that grabbed my heart (squeezed it some) yet left me satisfied at the end. I highly recommend it!

Cress by Marissa Meyer

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Title: Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Length: 550 pages

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Classification: Young Adult, Retelling, Science Fiction

Release Date: February 4, 2014

Source: e-book (purchased)

GoodReads

In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.
 Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.
 When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has. (From GoodReads)

***This is part of a series. There will be spoilers of things that happened in the other book(s) so if you haven't read it and don't want to know things that happened, please stop reading now.***  

My Rating: 5+

I give this book (this series) all the stars in the universe.
I LOVE this series so much.
And I love this book a lot.

This book did not disappoint me at all.

I have really taken my time in writing this review because I am not sure I can find all the right words to describe how much I love this book. And I don't think that this review will be able to convey all of my fangirl love for this book...

Marissa Meyer once again has done an amazing job creating a well-developed world with wonderfully-developed characters making an incredible story.
I love that the author created a wonderfully unique fairy tale retelling for this series. Each book leaves me so impressed with how amazing the story is. She includes major parts of the original fairy tale while still creating a new extraordinary story.
It just blows my mind to think that after loving the first two books in this series, Cress is just as spectacular or maybe even more awesome than the others. It is hard to pick a favorite, but I think Cress just might be my favorite from the entire series so far.
I was left wanting more. I didn't want this book to end. And I cannot wait until Winter comes out next November!

The Story:

Book three is a wonderful continuation of the series. It picks up pretty much where Scarlet left off. Cinder, Thorne, Wolf, and Scarlet are now on the run. They decide to try and get Cress, so they can use her help to finally go after Queen Levana. Things get crazy. And the group gets separated. I found this to be interesting and it just really added to the story. We get to see some characters develop and it is just awesome. And since the group was separated, we get to read from a couple different points of view. Which I really liked doing.
I was completely hooked to the story and all the things that were happening for each of the characters.
I found this one to be full of action, adventure, friendship, and awesomeness.

The Characters:

Not only do we have the characters that we already know and love, but we get to officially meet Cress. (Even though we had a glimpse of her in Cinder.)

It is incredible that the author has so many main characters, and it is too hard for me to pick one single favorite. I love them all so much. These are characters that I wish could be real so they could be my best friends. And with each book, my love for these characters grows stronger.

Cress is just an amazing character. I really enjoyed reading about her and from her point of view.  She has been locked up in that satellite for a long time, yet she is not completely crazy. But she is a little awkward. Which makes me really relate with her. I LOVE her creativity and imagination. I love her way of coping. And I love that she tries to see the good in things. I felt that she is full of hope. I adored her feelings towards love and romance, she is just so sweet and innocent as well. And I absolutely adored the scenes and conversations between her and Thorne. I really love her character development through the story as well.
 And she is so smart. Which is completely awesome.
I love that Meyer has created strong, smart, brave female characters. Characters that deserve to be heroines and looked up to.
I especially loved that there was more Thorne in this book. Since I love him so much. I really enjoyed getting to see his character develop. He is swoon-worthy. And I think I love him even more after reading this one...(if that is possible!)
And of course Cinder is in the book. All the scenes with her were also really interesting. I kept wanting to know what she was going to do next and what was going to happen to her. I loved watching her character continue to develop.
I thought that Wolf and Scarlet had a bit smaller role in this book, but they were not left out. And I am looking forward to reading more about them as well in the next installment.
Iko! As funny as ever. I love Iko so much, and I just adored her in this book.
And also Kai. He has a lot to deal with in this book. Pretty much all the stuff with Queen Levana. And I really liked the parts that included him and some of what he was going through. I am interested to see what happens next with his character.

My Recommendation:
This is a book series that I pretty much mention to every one. I have convinced some of my friends to give this series a try. It is one of my all-time favorite series.
I highly recommend this one to anyone that has already read the first two stories.
And if you haven't, then I highly recommend THIS SERIES to anyone that likes unique fairy tale retellings and science fiction. Amazing series. Love it so much!

Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

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Title: Second Star

Author: Alyssa B. Sheinmel

Length: 248 pages

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Classification: Young Adult, Contemporary, Retelling

Release Date: May 13, 2014

Source: e-galley (I was pre-approved for this book via NetGalley. Thank you, Netgalley and Macmillian!)

Read: March 2014

A twisty story about love, loss, and lies, this contemporary oceanside adventure is tinged with a touch of dark magic as it follows seventeen-year-old Wendy Darling on a search for her missing surfer brothers. Wendy’s journey leads her to a mysterious hidden cove inhabited by a tribe of young renegade surfers, most of them runaways like her brothers. Wendy is instantly drawn to the cove’s charismatic leader, Pete, but her search also points her toward Pete's nemesis, the drug-dealing Jas. Enigmatic, dangerous, and handsome, Jas pulls Wendy in even as she's falling hard for Pete. A radical reinvention of a classic, Second Star is an irresistible summer romance about two young men who have yet to grow up--and the troubled beauty trapped between them. (From GoodReads)

**I received an e-galley from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review**

**EDIT**
I first wrote this review pretty much immediately after reading the book, I wanted to make sure that I sent my feedback quickly since it was my first NetGalley book. And after being able to reflect and think about the book, I feel that I rated it a little too highly. So I am bumping my official rating down to being 4 starts. I just honestly after thinking more about it, there were some things that bothered me more then I originally thought. (The love triangle for instance.) 


My Rating:

I give Second Star 4.5 stars. (Rounded up to 5 stars on GoodReads)

I enjoyed reading Second Star!

I don’t know a lot about Peter Pan, other than when I watched the Disney movie a long time ago, but I thought this book is a wonderful Retelling!

I liked the surfer concept. It might be due to the fact that I have pretty much always lived in driving distance to the beach. I have often enjoyed staring at the water and listening to the waves. I have watched surfers and thought about how awesome it would be to do what they do. So I think I was really able to connect with Wendy’s character. And connect with the story in general.

I loved the characters. I feel that the author did an excellent job developing characters that I was able to become emotionally attached to. I felt Wendy’s heartbreak over her brothers. And even though the parents were not a major part of the novel, I could feel their heartbreak for their sons and their concern for Wendy.

Pete. There was no doubt in my mind that this was Peter Pan. He is the leader of the group of misfit surfers. Foster kids, runaways, and orphans that he has taken under his wing. He has helped them survive and he does so much to help them. I loved this character. You could tell how caring he was. And although he wasn’t exactly truthful with Wendy, I felt that I understood his reasons. I might not

Belle was pretty much the epitome of Tinkerbell. Small and blond. And you could just feel the disdain and jealousy radiating from Belle towards Wendy. She was fast and graceful.

Jas. I think he was supposed like Captain Hook, in the sense that he is apparently the nemesis of Pete in this story and because he gets people hooked on a drug known as Fairy Dust. I really had mixed emotions towards Jas for a long time. When he is with Wendy, you could tell how caring and nice that he truly could be. But he is also a drug dealer, getting others (including Wendy’s brothers) hooked on Fairy Dust. Near the ending I saw how he was trying to seek a new life and leave the bad qualities of himself behind him.

I think that the author did a pretty good job of creating Pete and the surfing world to be different yet connected to Peter Pan and Neverland. A wonderful incorporation of comparing surfing to flying. Pete took Wendy and taught her how to surf and she felt like she was flying.  I did get the sense of Pete not really paying much attention to the real world around them. Everything was focused on surfing. Which I could draw to Peter Pan focusing on never growing up.

Overall, I enjoyed reading the book and I read it pretty quickly. I did think there was going to be a bit of more focus on Wendy finding her brothers. I felt her hope and determination. And I also felt her pain and heartbreak when she learned the truth.

I think the ending fit well with the story. The idea of her “making up” the time with Pete, Bell, and Jas as a coping mechanism for what happened with her brothers. I felt that it worked with the story because in even in Peter Pan, the Darlings and other adults are not going to believe her about flying and going to Neverland. So the fact that they did not believe her holds true to the story being a retelling. I did find it a confusing that her doing the drug the one time was able to knock her out for so long. But I thought the ending fit the story. I was just hoping that she would in fact find her brothers alive.

I thought the ending brought Wendy’s character to finding acceptance for what happened to her brothers and it allowed her to move on past some of the pain. I found it interesting that the author left the ending a bit open with the fact that Wendy received the picture of Pete and Jas. It left me hopeful that maybe one day Wendy would again cross paths with Pete and Jas.

My Recommendation:
Try it.

I would recommend this story to someone that is interested in a Peter Pan retelling, and likes surfing. If you are have no interest in surfing (or despise it) then this book probably won’t be for you.

**Additional thoughts after submitting my review to the publisher**
I still enjoyed reading this book, and the major issue that I have with the story is the love triangle between Pete, Wendy, and Jas. It really felt forced. And I have a hard time understanding some of the things that she does.