Review of : The Juliet Club by Suzanne Harper

The Juliet Club by Suzanne Harper


Page Count(Hardcover Edition): 402 pgs.
Publisher: Greenwillow books, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers
Released: May 27th, 2008
Genre: Young Adult Romance
My Rating: 4/5
Date Started: June 25th, 2012
Date Finished: June 28th,  2012
Source: Library


Synopsis:

Italy . . . Shakespeare . . . but no romance?

Kate Sanderson inherited her good sense from her mother, a disciplined law professor, and her admiration for the Bard from her father, a passionate Shakespeare scholar. When she gets dumped, out of the blue, for the Practically Perfect Ashley Lawson, she vows never to fall in love again. From now on she will control her own destiny, and every decision she makes will be highly reasoned and rational. She thinks Shakespeare would have approved.

So when she is accepted to a summer Shakespeare symposium in Verona, Italy, Kate sees it as the ideal way to get over her heartbreak once and for all. She'll lose herself in her studies, explore ancient architecture, and eat plenty of pasta and gelato. (Plus, she'll be getting college credit for it--another goal accomplished ) But can even completely logical Kate resist the romance of living in a beautiful villa in the city where those star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet met and died for each other? Especially when the other Shakespeare Scholars--in particular Giacomo, with his tousled brown hair, expressive dark eyes, and charming ways--try hard to break her protective shell?

"In fair Verona, where we lay our scene . . . "
(from Goodreads)


Wow. I really, really liked this book. For one, I love YA romance, so it was a definite plus for me. This is a book that I could read many times more in the future. I think I truly enjoyed reading it because it had two things : A fun and playful mood of Italy and also the undercurrent of the real life Romeo and Juliet. Those two combined made this a favorite in my collection.

Let me talk about the characters a bit. The two that I enjoyed the most, of course, were Giacomo and Kate. I mean, you can't really dislike main characters unless it's a badly written book. The side characters, like Lucy and Benno, also had their part in the story. Tom, Silvia, Lucy and Benno all contributed and made the story knit tight. They all had their own certain flair that the story would have been missing if one wasn't there.


The story line was very cute and quite amazing. As I delved deeper into the book, I found development of characters and emotion. Kate changed into happy, in love and kind. Giacomo  learned his lesson and finally saw that love was right in front of him.


I loved the ending and thought it fit perfectly with the rest of the book. The Authors Note at the end was surprising because I didn't think that The Juliet Club actually existed. Here's what is says: 


The Juliet club (or II Club di Giulietta, as it's known in Italy) was founded in Verona in 1972. Since then, the club has received thousands of letters every year from people of all ages around the world. The letters, which are all answered by volunteers, usually ask for love advice. Sometimes, they simply tell the letter writers own love story. To learn more about the Juliet Club, visit the Website at www.julietclub.com.
If you'd like to write to Juliet, send your letter to:

Club di Giulietta

Via Galilei, 3

1-37133 Verona

Italy

I'm thinking of sending my own love letter.. haha :)

The Juliet Club was a very good read, and I recommend it to anybody who reads this review!

Library Card Malfunction

OMG freaking out! So i went on my library card domain for my county to renew my books. Because i knew they were all overdue so I just had to do that. When I went to my account it said "alert: user blocked; card expired or will expire shortly." And now i can't renew my books! So I'm going to the library where i can turn them in and hopefully check them out again.. MY LIFE WAS ALMOST RUINED!! i can't live without books lol -_-

Reading a new/old book

I'm not going to reveal the title yet, aha. But i will tell you that it's an old book, but is very good so far! I'm hoping that I will be able to review this soon..

Review of : How To Save A Life by Sara Zarr

How to Save A Life by Sara Zarr

Page Count(Hardcover Edition): 341 pgs.
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Released: October 18, 2011
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary 
My Rating: 4/5
Date Finished: June 24th,  2012
Source: Library


Synopsis:

Jill MacSweeney just wishes everything could go back to normal. But ever since her dad died, she’s been isolating herself from her boyfriend, her best friends—everyone who wants to support her. And when her mom decides to adopt a baby, it feels like she’s somehow trying to replace a lost family member with a new one.

Mandy Kalinowski understands what it’s like to grow up unwanted—to be raised by a mother who never intended to have a child. So when Mandy becomes pregnant, one thing she’s sure of is that she wants a better life for her baby. It’s harder to be sure of herself. Will she ever find someone to care for her, too?

As their worlds change around them, Jill and Mandy must learn to both let go and hold on, and that nothing is as easy—or as difficult—as it seems.
(from Goodreads)


As usual with these types of books, I felt something. I think what I felt was a mixture of feelings for the characters and the story all wrapped up in one ball. I, being very sensitive, felt sorry for Mandy, Robin and Jill for what they have been through. Hopefully you will be able to understand what I'm saying. :)


One thing that really hit me with this book was the clear meaning to  it. Some books that I have read before have had a hidden meaning that I think about for a while to understand it. Don't get me wrong, that is good sometimes too. But with this book it just sort of clicked by the end. I liked how Sara's characters had a whole new persona to them once you looked further than the skin. Mandy seemed fragile and small, incapable. Jill came off as cold-hear ted, mean and uncaring. Towards the end of though, they really started showing their true selves. 


Oh, how I loved Ravi and Dylan. They were just so sweet and cute to Jill. I really understood at the end of what had to happen between the three of them. It felt/looked so natural and right. (lol i get so attached sometimes :)).


The story line was full of twists and turns in my opinion. Every time I started a new perspective, whether it be Jill or Mandy, I was delighted to see a new view of the same situation. Mandy and Jill each had their own way of explaining certain things. Mandy had a way of detailing her thoughts and Jill's tended to be more sarcastic and cynical when there was dialogue. I really loved how they had their own font, as if that was part of their personality's. I don't want to spoil anything, so I will just say that the ending is surprising and I didn't see it coming. I couldn't predict where the story line was going and that good. When ever you can predict where the story is going, its a bad sign. The only thing that bothered me was how Alex wrote Mandy that note. I think that was mean. I was hoping that Mandy and Alex could have a relationship, and if nothing else just be friends.


All in all, How to Save a Life was a great, emotional read that is worth the ride. It's sort of a love-hate relationship with these type of books. I feel sad sometimes after I read them but I go out and get more!

I'm planning on putting out my first review sometime later this week, if all possible. I'm currently reading this book called How To Save A Life by Sara Zarr. I can't wait! :)

Adios for now,

Haley