The Summer I Turned Pretty

The Summer I Turned Pretty book series is fantastic. I read these books every summer I love them so much; it’s a tradition of mine. The series is a relaxing kind of read, something you would enjoy reading on a beach or on a cozy sofa. This series is about a fifteen year-old girl named Belly and the problems she faces within her family. Belly spends every summer at a beach house in Cousins Beach with her childhood friends and family. Her mother Laurel and Susannah have been friends since the time they were nine and Belly has grown up to look at Susannah as her second mother. As for Susannah’s sons, Jeremiah and Conrad, Belly has grown up to look at them as brother figures, crushes and everything in between.

Any teenage girl can relate to this storyline, at least I could. I feel like the main character Belly, goes through a lot of problems teenage girls face in our generation. For example, a problem Belly must deal with is her parents being divorced. When your parents are divorced it’s like your life is split down the middle. Everyone needs a mother and father, but when they are separated it feels as if you’re living two different worlds. One with your father and one with your mother. Also Belly must face the responsibilities and complications that come with growing up. She deals with boy problems, learning to drive for the first time, and learning to accept that everyone around her is becoming older, adventuring off on their own path.

But above all these points the real focus in this book is about her relationships with Jeremiah and Conrad. They have been her childhood friends for as long as Belly could remember, but now that they are growing older things get complicated. Belly starts to see them as more than friends, but isn’t sure whether or not they see her the same way or to take a risk and find out.

I would suggest this book series to anyone who loves to read. It is an innocent, heart-warming and simulating book. I still can’t put it down and I’ve read this book a thousand times J.

About the author, Jenny Han, I would like to say she is one of my all-time favorite authors. I love the characters she develops and when I read her novels I feel like there’s a movie playing inside my head, like I’m really there.  Jenny Han has a master’s degree in creative writing and she lives in New York City. The Summer I Turned Pretty is the first book in the three book series.

In the next two sequels Belly’s struggle through life and her relationships continues. Yet, like any good book it ends with a happy ending. So if you read the first book be sure to check out the next two, It’s Not Summer Without You and We’ll Always Have Summer. You’ll be hooked I promise.

 http://dearjennyhan.com/always-summer/

Click here to take the test and see which brother you’re meant for.

I got Jeremiah and I’m happy, because I like him best!

Divergent

Divergent is a magnificent book. It has everything a teenage girl could hope for. Thrilling suspense, memorable characters and a little romance. I found it hard to put down this book. Like any good book, I was dying to know what happened next. Sometimes in books you can predict future events, but in this book I was wrong about most of my predictions. I was happy about this, because if I knew a lot of what is to come it’d be more like I wrote the book rather than read it. Of course, there are just some things you know are bound to happen. Without giving away too much, I knew that Tris/Beatrice would choose a different faction. I’m not going to say which faction she chooses, but I’m glad she did. My point is the author; Veronica Roth created a very stimulating plot.

Before I go any further I would like to clarify what divergent even means. If you don't know what Divergent means, like I did, than here is the definition: Divergent-different, conflicting, opposite, contrary. Drawing apart from a common point; diverging

See this book does more than give you a great story, it improves your vocabulary.

In my opinion, the author Veronica Roth is such a talented writer. She went to Northwestern College, which is located in Minnesota. While she was a student at Northwestern she often worked on her novel Divergent rather than her homework. I’m glad she did. Now Veronica is a full-time writer. I heard that she is currently working on the sequel Insurgent, which will be released May 2012.

In my opinion Veronica Roth’s writing style is fantastic. Divergent is evenly paced and explained thoughtfully. Also I love her well-developed characters. Personally Four is my favorite. Besides Tris, I would say he is pretty much the main character. Four is only his nickname, but I don’t want to give away anything, so I’m not going to say what his real name is. You’ll just have to read this amazing book to find out! Anyway, Four is a boy no girl could resist. He is brave, thoughtful and charming, but in a dark/mysterious sort of way. He is always pushing Tris to do better, to reach her full potential. He knows what she is capable of and knows she is strong enough to handle herself. Another character I favored is Uriah. He is lighthearted, good humored and playful. The total opposite of Four. Whatever chapter Uriah is in I always find myself laughing.

The only downside to Divergent was I felt it had a similar vibe to The Hunger Games. The mood I find myself in is comparable to when I was reading The Hunger Games. At some point in the book they both outbreak into war, leaving me on edge, but in an excited way. Even Tris’s personality is similar to Katniss. They are both uncomfortable with physical affection and anything else that has to do with romance. They are tough, driven, and stubborn, and willing to fight for what they believe is right. They always find themselves in difficult situations, whether it’s nearly facing death or choosing between what’s right or wrong. Also both Tris and Katniss families are at risk. Another similarity is that Tris and Katniss are both the rebels in their stories. Tris finds herself going against the faction Erudite (the intelligent) who plan to take control of all the other factions. Katniss finds herself going against the Capitol, the cruel government of Panem who kill thousands of people for entrainment. Both girls try to restore peace among their worlds, going against whoever gets in the way of that intention. However, I can conclude if you like The Hunger Games then you will certainly love Divergent!

I also want to say a special thanks to Laura for lending me this awesome book Divergent!