Book Review: Backlash by Sarah Darer Littman

He says: You're an awful person.
He says: What makes you think I would ever ask you out?
He says: The world would be a better place without you in it.
Lara just got told off on Facebook.
She thought that Christian liked her, that he was finally going to ask her to his school's homecoming dance. They've been talking online for weeks, so what's with the sudden change? And where does he get off saying horrible things on her wall? Even worse - are they true?
It's been a long time since Lara's felt this bad, this depressed, this ugly. She's worked really hard to become pretty and happy - and make new friends after what happened in middle school.
Bree used to be best friends with overweight, depressed Lara, but constantly listening to Lara's issues got to be too much. Secretly, Bree's glad Christian called Lara out. Lara's not nearly as amazing as people think. But no one realized just how far Christian's harsh comments would push Lara. Not even Bree.
As online life collides with real life, things spiral out of control, and not just for Lara. Because when the truth starts to come together, the backlash is even more devastating than anyone could have ever imagined

You would never think I'd actually pick this book up and read it by choice if you knew me in real life.

I can not stand the whole "Hey there, kids! Today we're going to talk about some serious topics in a way that's supposed to be entertaining but is actually cringe-worthy and somewhat diminishes the topic we're talking about!! Doesn't that sound fun???!!" Read: every Glee episode ever.

This, surprisingly, was not like that at all. Besides the topic. 

It deals with cyber-bulling and the effects it has on young people today. A touchy topic for someone who uses the internet constantly and is also a young person. I was afraid it was going to be the exact replica of the ABC Family Movie Cyberbully. I didn't watch it but a friend of mine did and easily filled me in enough for me to predict what was happening. 

Luckily, this was not that. It was very real in how something can easily affect people. The feelings from each of the characters were real and supported. They weren't treated like it was a soap opera where tears are enhanced and over-dramatized. I felt sympathy for each character can could understand a level of their pain, despite being very different from one another. 

I'm very glad the "bad guy" in this story wasn't portrayed as a villain or made out to be a bad person. They were just a person who made a bad decision and are now dealing with the consequences of that. They were human. Well, there was an actual bad person in this story and I hated them. It's easy to see why and know that they are a pretty terrible person- for multiple reasons. They deserve to go to jail, to be honest. 

It was great to see that the victim of the cyberbulling wasn't cured of their depression by falling in love. They learned how to deal with the stuff that happened to them and how to face how they felt as well as how to continue from that point forward. There wasn't even really a point in the story where this could have happened. There was hints but nothing definitive. 

This was definitely a surprise for me. I don't know if I liked it or enjoyed reading it really, but I was able to feel things for the characters, so it was a good book. Any book that makes you feel anything besides anger for making you read it, is a good book. 

If you don't mind the topic or getting angry, I'd recommend it.

Read: June 2015

My Rating: 4 stars / 5 stars

Book Review: Chaos (Guards of the Shadowlands #3) by Sarah Fine

WARNING: SPOILERS FOR THE SERIES IN THE SUMMARY
With Juri in control and everything in absolute chaos, Lela plunges into the depths of hell to free Malachi from creatures that have waited decades to exact their revenge. But the Judge has her own way of doing things, and Lela must work with Ana, the new Captain, who has a very personal mission of her own. Together, they infiltrate the most horrifying realm either has yet encountered in the Shadowlands—the bitter landscape ruled by the Mazikin.
The stakes could not be higher, and Lela must accept the help—and love—of people she barely knows or trusts. As alliances and loyalties shift and she realizes the soul she came to save isn’t the only one in need of rescue, can Lela summon the strength to see the fight through to the very end? 

Oh dear, I've finished another series. 
I loved this series, so it's even sadder to see it end. Hopefully more people will read it and it will cause just as much pain to them as it did for me. That's what marks a great book- emotional turmoil.

Ah, sweet, sweet pain.
While this book did the rest of the series justice and gave me an ending that was very, very generous; it felt a little too fast-paced for me. I would've enjoyed a break between each monkey wrench thrown into each plan. It would have been nice to calm down and think everything is going fine only to realize you have about a hundred pages left. 
But maybe I'm just a cruel sadist. 
This series is one of my favorite for many reasons.
1. It has a POC (person of color) as the protagonist and it's not catered to or ignored. She's just not white, nothing crazy.
2. The story was wonderful and highly imaginative. 
3. Character development from book to book was extraordinary. Even development in each book was amazing. You have to keep reminding yourself that these aren't real people. 
4. It displays what it's like to have PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) without the protagonist being magically cured when she falls in love or conquers her fear. It's a constant battle that is shown throughout the books.
It's just a great book, a great series and a great story.
Highly recommended for those who want a captivating adventure story. 

Read: May 2015
My Rating: 5 stars / 5 stars