Quick Reviews #2

Family Sold Separately by Kate Long

Synopsis: On the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Katherine wants only three things: a smidge of social grace, the body of Courteney Cox, and two parents. What she has instead is an almost complete lack of friends, a pudgy figure, and one extremely eccentric, nearly blind grandmother named Poll. Since Katherine’s father died and her mother disappeared, Poll is her only family. And not only does Poll buy all of Katherine’s clothes, but she forbids her to leave the house unless it’s absolutely necessary. Would a chance to go to Oxford count? But the bigger question is: How can she abandon her grandma?

Just when Katherine has resigned herself to a lifetime of watching daytime television, sparring with Poll, and visiting the town library for “fun,” along comes a handsome, magnetic young man named Collum, who claims to be Katherine’s long-lost cousin. But as Katherine is about to learn, when it comes to family, things aren’t always as they seem.

Quick Thoughts: I wanted to enjoy this book, but I found it hard to really hard to concentrate on it. The main character didn't intrigue me much, so I wasn't really motivated to keep reading it much. It was a pretty easy read, although I had some problems understanding the British English slang.



Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Synopsis: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” So begins Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen’s witty comedy of manners—one of the most popular novels of all time—that features splendidly civilized sparring between the proud Mr. Darcy and the prejudiced Elizabeth Bennet as they play out their spirited courtship in a series of eighteenth-century drawing-room intrigues.

Quick Thoughts: What can I say that hasn't been said before? This book is just great/amazing/fantastic. It was re-read for me, and I must say I was able to appreciate it so much more the second time around. I love the plot, I love the characters (as silly as they can be) and I love the themes. The writing is great, and its one of my favorite books of all time. Love, love, love this book :)

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith

Synopsis: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.”

So begins Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, an expanded edition of the beloved Jane Austen novel featuring all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie mayhem. As our story opens, a mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton—and the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace, but she’s soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers—and even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefield. Can Elizabeth vanquish the spawn of Satan? And overcome the social prejudices of the class-conscious landed gentry?

Quick Thoughts: I was uber excited about this book when I first heard of it, I mean Jane Austen and zombies? Best of both worlds right? Wrong. The cover the best part of this book and maybe the first two or three chapters are entertaining, but then you can call it a day. I couldn't even finish the book, I just skimmed most of it except for the pictures which were pretty creepy. It's a good idea, but nothing unique was really added to the story.

Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley

Synopsis: Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

And if I should die before I awake,

I pray the popular attend my wake.

Charlotte Usher feels practically invisible at school, and then one day she really is invisible. Even worse: she's dead. And all because she choked on a gummy bear. But being dead doesn't stop Charlotte from wanting to be popular; it just makes her more creative about achieving her goal.

If you thought high school was a matter of life or death, wait till you see just how true that is. In this satirical, yet heartfelt novel, Hurley explores the invisibility we all feel at some times and the lengths we'll go to be seen.

Quick Thoughts: A quick and fun read, I thought it was cute if not a bit silly. The storyline is pretty simple, and I enjoyed Hurley's writing. There were a few things about Charlotte that annoyed me, but other than that I enjoyed it. The cover, illustrations and deco for every page are a nice touch that I really liked.