Wherever Nina Lies by Lynn Weingarten: Review

Since, I have nothing better to blog about, I'm going to blog about my mother. I asked her, "What should I blog about?" And she replied, "Your beautiful mother".

Ha. Ha. Ha.

I'm not blogging about my mom. She hasn't been very interesting, so there's not much to say. Instead, I'm going to review a book.

* SPOILER ALERT!*

Yup, My first review! And I figured since I just finished reading it last week, I'll review Wherever Nina Lies by Lynn Weingarten.

I first picked up this book at my friendly neighborhood library, and I didn't really know what to do with it. The cover was the first thing that grabbed my attention. It was interesting, with the magazine-cut-out letters, the fading map in the backround, and the girl on the cover. I honestly, had no idea what it was about. Before opening the book, I predicted what it would be about. Judging by the title, I thought it would be about a girl who lies, similar to the book Liar. But I couldn't stop being curious. I opened up the book, and read the summary in the flap of the book cover.

Bad Points:

-I didn't like the whole "Jamie" thing. I thought it was unnecessary, and at some times kind of disgusting.

-I wish Amanda was more important. I think as the best friend character, she could've been more involved in the story, instead of it just being focused on Sean and Ellie all the time. Something that would've made the book very interesting, is if the author had chapters focusing on Amanda back home.

-I think that the way her mom has like no character progression, and is all stressed and then suddenly is like super mom at the end is unrealistic.

-The writing was a bit choppy, and the paragraphs sometimes were a bit disjointed.

-I thought the fact that there were illustrations of the pictures that Nina drew was just ridiculous. They weren't even very good drawings in the first place, and they were a little weird. Plus the drawings of Ellie looked nothing like she was described in the text.

- I was really confused toward the end, when Sean wanted to kill Ellie

Good Points:

-First of all, I'd like to point out the fact that I could not put this book down. Sometimes I read books that are good, but it takes a while for the story to start. But Wherever Nina Lies gets right into the novel, and makes you want to read, and read, and read, and never stop.

-I love the title. At first I was a bit confused by it, but thats what made me curious. The title is what got me into the novel. The fact that it is the title of the song that was written about Nina is just...genius.

-I know I said the writing was a bit choppy, and it is, but for the most part it is well written. I love books where the protagonist is a bit sarcastic, and as a teenage girl you can really relate to these characters, and get inside their heads.

-The adventure. The way it went from clue to clue, and progressed so well and it got very exciting. I like how for about 3/4 of the book Sean is a good guy, and then Ellie finds the letters. And all of the sudden, it's like "Whoa." And you just get so excited and so into it.

-The best part of this book by far is the twists and turns it takes. One minute Sean is a good guy, the next he is freakishly in love with Ellie, and then a minute later, he wants to kill her! The sickness, creepiness, and twisted mind Sean has is something you just want more and more of him. And it seems like he really is going to kill Ellie.

-Wherever Nina Lies is the kind of book you get to know the characters. You get in their mind, and you begin to feel like you know them. I love it when while reading a book you just want to scream at the characters, and tell them "No!" even though you know you can't control them.

Wherever Nina Lies is a truly enjoyable book that you won't be able to stop reading. Though at first glance it may confuse you, thats just part of the experience. You pick of this book thinking its a girly little chicklit novel, but it turns out to be a captivating mystery novel. Lynn Weigngarten wrote a great novel, that leaves you thinking, and wanting more.

Overall, I'd say 7/10. Besides the little quirks, this book is near perfect.

Look out for more reviews by me! I think I'm going to do The Privilege series next, since I just got the third :)

-Maddie.

P.S; Feel free to leave comments and opinions behind!

My Spring Reading List

So I'm going to be honest. I am basically just coping and pasting this from my old blog. These are the books I would like to read before school ends, and why, though I'll probably read them all before the end of May. I tried to get pictures with this post, but it wouldn't let me for whatever reason.

Bounce by Natasha Friend-I have read Lush, and Perfect both by Natasha Friend, I am really obsessed with her. Sure, her books are really short, but they are extremely good. I was especially impressed with Lush, which is about a girl who’s dad is an alcoholic and getting out of control. I can connect to this, and this novel made me cry 4 times. I read twice in one day, and I wanted to read it a third time. I couldn’t get enough of it. Perfect is about a girl my age with an eating disorder, and it was really eye opening, and it made me not want to be self contious(sp?). I’m not even really sure what Bounce is about, but Natasha really captivates what it’s like to be a girl my age, and her novels are extremely touching.

Burned by P.C and Kristen Cast- Burned is the 7th or 8th book in the House Of Night series. I love these books. I’m not really big on vampire books, but P.C and Kristen have an interesting take on vamps. Instead of bitten, they are marked, and they go to a school of vampires basicaly to teach them of living life as a vamp and through the eyes of their Godess Nyx. Only a lot happens, and they are just really, really, reallllyyyyy good.

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick-I first came across Hush, Hush while looking for a book to do a novel study on. Though I'm not a humongous fan of Twilight, which is what this book is often compared to, it won a ton of awards and just really catches my eye.

Winter Girls by Laurie Halse Anderson- Besides for Fever, I've liked everything I've read by Laurie Halse Anderson especially Twisted and Speak, so I just have to read this one. Judging by the summary of the book, it sounds really, really good, and the cover art grabs my attention. I can't wait to read this one.

City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare-While reading reviews for the novel Hush, Hush I found a link to this book, and during the first sentence of the summary, I was interested. I know nothing about this novel except for the fact that people get murdered, and some how it’s a fantasy novel. I like.

Captivate by Carrie Jones-This is the sequal to the novel Need. Need blew my mind. I picked up the book expecting it to be like Twilight but it was different. Pixies?! Who writes about pixies? Carrie Jones apparently. And she does a damn good job too. A fantasy novel about pixies, and wares, mixed with the whole highschool sucks theme, and a bit of romance in there, who wouldn’t want to read Need? Need was so good, I can’t not read the sequal.

Can You Keep A Secret? by Sophie Kinsella-Sophie Kinsella is my favourite author when it comes to easy, hilarious books. I’ve read every other book by her (The Confessions of A Shopoholic books, Remember Me?, The Undomestic Goddess, and Twenties Girl) and they were all laugh out loud funny. I’m also waiting for Minnie Shopoholic to come out, which is a book about Becky Bloomwood from the Shopoholic novels daughter

Classic by Cecily Von Zeigesar(sp?)-The next book in the girly Gossip Girl spinoff, The It Girl. These novels focus on Jenny from Gossip Girl at her new school, and I love them. I liked Gossip Girl, but I LOVE these. Just another funny, girly book so I don’t have to read anything of actual substance For Keeps by Natasha Friend-Another Natasha Friend, novel. Pretty much self explanitory. This one is about a girl with family issues, and boy problems, only the cover doesn’t follow the same theme as the others, so I’m expecting something different. Interesting, though. Can’t wait to read it!

Liar by Justine Larbalestier- I've already started reading this and I’m doing this for my novel study, and I am very excited to read this. It’s about a girl who lies, and when her so-called boyfriend (which she may be lying about) dyes, she is blamed. Only while reading this book you don’t know what is truth and what isn’t.

The Other Side Of The Island by Allegra Goodman-I found this book on the dining room table, and just the cover caught my eye. I asked my mom about it, and she was like “IT’S AMAZING!” and my mom usually has a pretty good taste in books. By the sounds of it, it seems kind of like The Uglies, only I think it takes place now, and on an island where everything is perfect, and everybody fits in. So it has the whole a perfect world wouldn’t work, kinda theme you know? Anyway, I've just started it.

Queen Of Cool by Cecil Castelluci- I read Boyproof and Beige by the same author, so I pretty much have to read this. It seems more girly than the others were, so I'm curious.

Perfect Mistake by Kate Brian-The third book in The Privilege series, which is a spinoff to the Private novels, which I’ve never read. But these are really, really good books. They are about a girl who was in a mental facility, and long story short, escapes and kills a girl and pretends to be her.

Slept Away by Julie Kraut- I don't know what this book is about. I know that some girl goes to sleepaway camp, but thats about it. But honestly, I really want to read it. It's like when I have 20 bucks and I just spend it on the first decent looking booking I'd see. I. Want. To. Read. This.

Meet the Bookworm's Daughter

Hello nonexistant readers! Welcome to my life.