This Girl and Her Thoughts
580838
Wow.

A book that showed that people can write all sorts of things. From erotica to romance without sex, to love without romance, to bonding without love.

A story that showed me I was wrong to judge by not just the cover, but by the author's previous works as this is my favorite of her works.

Thank you.
3860685
Ninth grade is tough enough without being shipped off to a boarding school in Indiana when all you have ever known is life is your parents and Brooklyn. But Viola can adapt, even from behind a video camera in Adriana Trigiani's Viola in Real Life.

Viola has no interest in going to an all girls' school and even less interest in being shipped off to Indiana. But she can still talk to her BFF Andrew via instant message when she needs to and her video diary is her one stable outlet. When she meets her roommates, she realizes just how out of her element she is. The girls are nice, but she is not ready to really let them in.

Slowly but surely, the girls worming their way into Viola's life. It takes a few false starts, but eventually, they are able to make her realize they are there for her. Once she lets them in, she sees just how much she missed having a friend to share everything with, especially now that Andrew has a girlfriend and isn't available like he used to be. But a dance at the local boys' school finds Viola with a boyfriend, and amazingly enough, a boyfriend who is into films as well! But Reel Life isn't always what you expect it to be.

When I first started this book, I didn't realize it was about a 9th grade girl. I thought it was more young adult than the middle reader it turned out to be, so I think my misconception made it difficult for me to enjoy this book fully. I like a good middle reader, but sometimes this book felt too juvenile and too cliche for me. For instance, Viola's roommates are too mature, clear-headed, and rational for 9th grade girls. I can buy one, maybe two girls, but all of them? I have spent time in the girls' dorm at our school. I have never seen that many rational girls that age in one place! Girls that age get their feelings hurt and snipe at one another and hold grudges. They don't rationalize and openly discuss each other's shortcoming without some relational aggression thrown in for good measure. I guess sometimes I felt like these characters were more caricatures than representations of real people.

And Viola herself was hard to really like. I saw her transformation and how she grew up over the course of the year, but some of her "big lessons" were too rushed or improperly explained. Mostly she seemed very young and very naive about life (like how her parents' financial situation really was). I think this book would be good for a young girl, mostly middle school to a super immature 9th grader. I think most older girls are going to see through these characters too easily to care much about the book. Although, the film aspect is certainly interesting, it doesn't float the whole novel.
843433
Violet has no idea how she came to be where she is. She doesn't remember anything before she woke up in a very strange place. She has been told she is strong and talented but she can't remember any of that. She is trying to find out what happened and why she doesn't remember anything.

She also doesn't have time to dwell on any of that. There is a war going on and she feels compelled to bring together all of those that can fight and bring the war to a close.

What she finds is not anywhere close to what she was expecting.
85434
A nice book that gets into the mind of a young girl, Landry. Krysten Hager does a good job of taking me back to the school days! But, boy am I glad to just be reading about teenage drama instead of actually experiencing this in school, lol. The book goes into friendships and being true to oneself, fitting in, and balancing life, written in a clean yet accurate way. I liked Peyton a lot, a very good, supportive friend. I wish Landry would stand up more for herself. I look forward to reading more - the ending left me ready for more!
2294888
This book is about a girl wanting to get in to fights so that she will keep others innicient ones out of them. This girl doesn't feel any fear and sometimes enjoys getting into trouble as long as it's fysical and she can  really fight. She doesn't want her little "hobby" getting known.  Her normal life isn't that great, she doesn't live with any of her parents  and she doesn't have a lot of friends. This book isn't only about a girl  playing the part as the hero because I also think that the book contains  feelings, like (normal) teens have. Read it!
1953019
Alyssa Velazquez didn't intentionally set out to become a relationship column writer when she went to school, yet that is the hand that life dealt her. Strongly influenced by Carrie Bradshaw and Sex and the City, she has spent hours analyzing her own love life and societal expectations. In this book, she has collected some of her thoughts originally published in her column, hoping to inspire us to do the same with our own lives.

I realize that I am getting older, because her voice sounded so young to me. Of course, she is in her 20s; I am a decade beyond. As the book went on, I found maturity and growth in her words and her thoughts, which is to be expected over time. Some of her words were actually thought-provoking. Others I didn't dwell on as much. I think reading someone else's thoughts and essays on a topic such as love is going to be different for each reader. All of us have our own experiences that will help us relate differently to each of hers. I think that my favorite one, by far, was the one that discussed definition in relationships. Do we really need to define them? How does society define them? Doesn't that sometimes demolish a decent relationship, once you put a label on it?

The book isn't laced with sexual escapades and raunchy details to make you blush as she reveals her innermost thoughts. I know little of Sex and the City, but that is kind of what I was expecting to read on occasion. Instead, it feels a bit more realistic, like you're reading the words of a good friend. You will probably recognize yourself in a few of her essays.

I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.
2485977
This young lady has got a very good grasp of how girls act!  She's done her research, had experiences, sees what goes on, and is willing to share it.  She's very clever and humorous.  Every middle school and high school girl should read this book.
3136070
This is a great book about a girl who just can't sort out her life.  This is a book for 10 -13 year olds.
3741486
London can't remember her past, but she can remember her future. Each night before 4:33 am London writes herself a note detailing what she wore that day and anything that happened that she needs to remember. Each note gets stored with the other notes, and through these she can at least pretend to try and remember what classes she has and conversations she had with her friends and mom. Things are pretty okay in London's life until a cute boy decides to talk to her. It's sort of hard to date someone if you can't remember their name. Along with the addition of a cute boy, start coming the visions. They disturb London a lot and she is nervous about what she believes her future holds. London realizes that she has to piece together the past she can't remember in order to fix the future that she can.

This was such a fascinating read, a girl who can't remember the past but can remember the future. It's weird thinking of the future as something you can remember. This part was a bit confusing at first, because she talked about remembering things, and then I kind of caught on that they were future things and I was like huh? and then later on oooohhhh. ;) This book is good, not just because you are wondering about the vision in London's future, but because London herself is a fascinating character. She has to work so hard to recall her life, and yet she manages it pretty well. I could see how forgetting your life can be completely frustrated, but London has this air about her that she has come to accept it, even if she sometimes wishes it were different. At least she can remember something, even if that something hasn't actually happened yet. Also, her mystery boy Luke is really swoon-worthy, and romantic. With a guy like him, how could any girl complain. It would be so weird to not remember your first kiss, or the touch of holding hands. It would be nice to always experience those things for the first time. I also appreciated how her amnesia worked. London didn't forget math skills, or language and motor skills, simply what she ate or wore or said.  I liked all the parts that kept you guessing, because London couldn't remember anything, you couldn't glean hints about anything that was happening, future or present day. It was weird flying nearly blind through a book, and having a very limited narration view. Regardless, the story was full and bursting with awesomeness. This book was part mystery and part romance with a dash of drama and a side-order of creepy visions. I think you would do yourself a favor in picking it up.

First Line(of story):
"Aren't Fridays supposed to be good?"

Favorite Line:
"The sight of him towering above me in all his gorgeousness steals my giggles.

Disclaimer: I was sent this item to review. This does not influence my opinion.
4833705
This book is about a young teenaged girl who has issues with her mother, her father (such as he is), her kid sister and her kid brother. Dark haired, dark skinned and dark eyed, she does not look like the rest of her blond, blue eyed family.

A secret she thinks she knows that is not the secret at all.

Oh yes, she also has issues with her boyfriend.

Most of all, she has issues with herself. This is a book that deals very well with the travails of a teenager.

Who decides to deal with her issues by inflicting pain upon herself.

Then decides to do something more about it all. She runs away. And that is all I am going to tell you about the story. You read the book.

I liked this book because it is very simply written. The author tells a story without any frills whatsoever. She also seems to believerightly, as far as I am concernedthat a lot of the advice given by experts on writing well is to be taken with a pinch of salt.

And would I say you should read it? I would say you should read it.
2435023
She was just three years old when she heard her mum and her nana yelling and shouting.  It was Christmas Eve, and when her mother left, to head to NY and to find herself, Apple was sure that she would come back soon.  She imagines her on Broadway, famous, and this fantasy helps her cope.

But it would be eleven years, and when her mum came back, she had a surprise with her.  A ten-year-old daughter Rain, Apple's sister.

Set in Brampton, England,&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Apple-and-Rain/dp/B00LSQVHGQ/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Apple and Rain</a>&nbsp;is a poignant story of family, loss, and redemption.  It also shows, from Apple's point of view, what her world looks like, with school bullying, friendships tarnished, and finding new friends.  We get to feel what she's feeling, and experience how poetry helps her reclaim her own uniqueness.

Rain's obsessive attachment to a doll reminds us that sometimes the pains we hold inside are manifested in unexpected ways.

As I read this novel, a coming-of-age tale that reminded me of some of my own childish fantasies and fears, I couldn't stop turning the pages.  4 stars.
2195855
Girl Loses Mom. Girl Loses Dad. Girl Finds  Dad in  Alternate Spiritual Reality. Girl  is Now Really Confused,, What Is Real?
Girl Becomes Patient Teacher to Children.
Girl Wait's For Next CONTACT!!!
Bye Walkin
1326677
Some interesting observations by a male of what it's like to be female... and how genders are treated differently.
3122190
I really enjoy to know more about interesting people like her, I follow her on twitter and instagram and her opinions about world topics most of the time are something to ponder.
3432660
i THINK THIS GAL HAS IT ALL IN HER VOICE AND FINGERS
2298933
Doreen isn't a normal teen. She's an outcast and misunderstood by nearly everyone, even her own family. The only things in life she seems to enjoy is her best freind Ted and her love of music. But one summer things all change. She meets Matthew, her sisters 21-year-old boyfriend. And she goes to a party she was dead set against going too. Then things just don't make sense to her anymore. SHe is convinced that if she could just meet her brother Hernry,who left when he was 14, she would understand all that was going on. But since Henry isn't coming back she has to deal with the pains of growing up all by herself, or dose she?
I really liked this book. Doreen's views on life are very reallistc. I enjoyed it a lot. If your a fan of such novels such as Speak, you'lll love this book. I would reccomend it with anyone going through the painful teenage years.
79404
I enjoyed reading this book.  Although the book goes on about the girl's menstrual cycle, the way it was used, to me, was not so much disgusting as... well, I'm not sure how to describe it.
This girl's struggle to remain grounded in her ideals of faith and religion, and be submissive to what the historical period's idea of how she was to act made it a good read.
In today's society, the way this girl is treated would be an outrage. Its an outrage that women were treated this way in any age, but she comes through it like a champ.
I recommend it.