Thursday Oldie: Being Jamie Baker by Kelly Oram

Being Jamie Baker by Kelly Oram
Series: Jamie Baker #1
Source: own paperback & Kindle version
Publisher: Bluefields
Publication Date: May 4th 2013
Age Genre: Young Adult
Originally published: Oct 4, 2012

"Most superhero stories start with a meteor shower or a nasty insect bite, but mine actually starts with a kiss..."

An accident that should end in tragedy instead gives seventeen-year-old Jamie Baker a slew of uncontrollable superhuman abilities.
To keep her secret safe Jamie socially exiles herself, earning the title of Rocklin High's resident ice queen. But during a supercharged encounter with star quarterback Ryan Miller she literally kisses anonymity goodbye. Now the annoyingly irresistible Ryan will stop at nothing to melt the heart of the ice queen and find out what makes her so special.
Unfortunately, Ryan is not the only person on to her secret. Will Jamie learn to contain her unstable powers before being discovered by the media or turned into a government lab rat?
More importantly, can she throw Ryan Miller off her trail before falling in love with him?

As I told you guys last time, to celebrate Kelly's release of Cinder & Ella, I'm dedicating a few Oldies to this lovely lady and her lovely creations. Following up The Avery Shaw Experiment, is one of the funniest, funnest, best feel-good books I own - Being Jamie Baker. 

I've read this book about three times so far. I have forced my cousins to read it (which in turn, they are now forcing their dad to do the same), and both of them completely fell in love with Ryan the story and the characters. 

It's a book you just kind of have to love. I dare you to read it and not end up grinning so widely your jaw hurts. 

This is seriously one of these books more people need to know about - because it is fabulous! So, even before this review really starts, I'll spoil the ending of it for you - get this book. It's good for your soul. 

This is one of those books that make you feel all warm and fuzzy with yourself at the end. One of these books that make you smile and laugh out loud, and you can't even care less when you get the "are you crazy?" looks from your friends when you do it, because it's just so good.

One of these books that make you desperately wish these characters were real.

And really, what more can you even ask from a book?

Jamie, the main character, is lovable and snarky and uses sarcasm like a well loved and honed sword, which I absolutely love. She is also very, very human in her actions and thoughts, which mean that sometimes... well, sometimes, I didn't agree with them. But for me, that's perfectly alright. Because, hey, I don't always agree with what my friends do. And I consider Jamie a friend, as wacky as that sounds. 

Ryan Miller, Jamie's other half, is so high my Book Boyfriend list he might actually be the king of it. I swear, I fangirl over this guy like there's no tomorrow. I may be a whole lot little bit in love with him. He is just the perfect blend of adorableness and sweetness, with cockiness and a bit of condescension. He's not afraid to tell Jamie what she feels, and he basically wills it to be true with sheer sureness of it. He's not one to give up. Like, ever. You might as well concede defeat when he starts. 

And the romance between them... sigh. It's just so good. Like a romance I would want for myself - they bring the best out in each other, you know? And the chemistry between them... Let's just say it's electrifying. 

The only less than stellar part about this book is the reason Jamie got her superpowers... it's not exactly satisfying. However, as I actually don't consider that aspect of the book the main crux of it, I really didn't mind it. It didn't stop me from feeling so silly good after finishing it. 

I finished the book in one sitting - all three times I've read it. Its grip on you is not any less strong the second, third, and dare I say even forth or fifth time. You still smile and laugh and shake your head at Jamie and swoon over Ryan in all the right places. It's the kind of book I'll never get tired of.

If you're looking for a great book to cheer you up and make you feel all is right with the world - pick this one up. It's perfect for you. 

Nitzan★

Review: Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins.
Series: Anna and the French Kiss #3
Source: Bought hardcover
Publisher: Dutton
Publication Date: August 14, 2014
Age Genre: Young Adult

Love ignites in the City That Never Sleeps, but can it last?
Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on introspective cartoonist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to confront the challenges every young couple must face, including family drama, uncertainty about their college futures, and the very real possibility of being apart.
Featuring cameos from fan-favorites Anna, Étienne, Lola, and Cricket, this sweet and sexy story of true love—set against the stunning backdrops of New York City, Paris, and Barcelona—is a swoonworthy conclusion to Stephanie Perkins’s beloved series.

Honestly, it pains me to write this review. I've read and loved Anna and Lola, and I've been eagerly awaiting and expecting Isla. The many five stars reviews that flooded the net before and after the publication stoked my excitement even more. I couldn't wait! I opened the book the very same day I got it, and at first, it seemed perfect. But then, something shifted. The veil has lifted, if I was to be dramatic about it, and I realized... well, I realized this book was nothing special.

At first, I was thrilled (and, honestly, surprised) we didn't have to wait the whole book for them to get together. They were so sweet and adorkable, and it made me happy. But I guess here is the problem with this book; because it didn't have 300 pages of not being together to occupy the plot, there had to be some other problems ahead of them--and those "problems" were really annoying, and made me hate Isla, the main character.

From the moment their "problems" started popping up (mainly Isla being impossible and stupid and mad at the silliest things that Josh couldn't help any more than she can! He has a past! So do you! Get over it and stop being a bitch!) it was SO hard for me to read this book. And those are words I never thought I'd use for a Stephanie Perkins novel. I had to convince myself to continue, and mostly I found other things to occupy my time (like, the internet). It took me five days to finish the book, and for me that's a lot. Especially for a book I was so excited for, whose seniors I've finished in a day each.

At the end, this book never managed to get me to fall in love together with Josh and Isla. Frankly, it couldn't even convince me of that love. That's right - I didn't believe the love in a Stephanie Perkins book. I know, this is probably blasphemy. But it's the unfortunate truth. At a certain point I was just like "why are they so in love? Like, seriously. What's holding them together?"

Also, book-wise, it felt to me like this book tried too hard to be... sexy? And I know, the word "adorkable" and "sexy" sound weird in the same context, but there you have it anyway. The "heat" in this book is umped up, and I can't say I loved it because it didn't feel natural to me.
Plus, I really disliked Isla telling Josh's story through his memoir. I don't know, it kind of bored me, even though it shouldn't have.

BUT, all that being said, I did enjoy the beginning and end of the book (from the moment Isla got over herself). And I do think this is a fun contemporary. It just didn't live up to the standard I've come to expect from Stephanie. And, I'm a minority, so don't let my rant-ish review to deter you from reading this book, okay? ;-)

   Nitzan★

Related

Who Wore it Better: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Who Wore it Better is an original meme I brought with me from Drugs Called Books. In it, instead of discussing fashion or cloths, we discuss book covers from different countries, and who has the best cover. The meme is co-hosted with the lovely Amanda from The Book Badger and will be featured on her blog every other week, so check her out as well!  

So after last week Amanda reviewed the different covers in Magic Study, we'll be starting a new series this week. So without father ado... Vampire Academy!
This series is probably one of the most well loved out there. It also has an unfortunate knack for shitty covers. See for yourselves - and I chose the best there were!

English One – well, this is probably the most well known cover of the series. It’s also the one I own. And I kind of think it’s butt ugly (it’s why I took ages to pick up these books). But I like it, just cause of the sentimental value, you know?... I mean, I hate faces on covers. And why did Angelina Jolie get cast as Rose, anyway? But whatever. It’s the content that matters. Though, I wouldn’t say I’m head over heels in love with the content, either… oh well.

English Two – this is the most recent cover redesign and… What. The. Fuck? Seriously? You redesigned the covers for this?! It has the exact same Angelina Jolie photo, only less opacity, the series name is WAY BIGGER than the title – which makes it hard to realize what is the title, and it’s mostly just this pink-red color. Worst redesign (almost) ever!

English Three – Well, hi there Mean Girls! Fancy seeing you here! Honestly, this one is bad too. It doesn’t bring any of the correct feelings for this book. There should be a vibe of danger, darkness, a bit of sexiness, action, friendship, etc… Yes, there is some vibe of Mean Girls in the book, but it’s hardly the main thing, is it? I would not pick up a book with this cover without a rec.

English Four – I love these covers. They’re so simple, yet perfect and beautiful. A Rose. Just a single Rose. And what’s our MC’s name? ROSE! And the background being blood red is also perfect. If I could’ve gotten these covers, I so would’ve.

Dutch cover – okay. Well, objectively, I suppose this cover is pretty. But what does it have to do with the book? Is her hair turning into butterflies? Or are those crows? What…

Turkish Cover – *coughcoughbuttshituglycoughcough*

Spanish cover – ohhh, me likey! It’s simple, yet perfect in a poetic sense – a rose covered in blood. And our main character is a Rose in a society of vampires. It fits! Plus, it gives the feeling of danger, hints at vampires, and appears quite dark. All in all, not bad at all!

Estonian Cover – again, objectively the cover is not bad. But it also feels like a poor representation of the story. Also, the model doesn’t feel like Rose (that’s not how a kickass Guardian would look like). Maybe it’s Lissa, but it feels strange that they’d put someone other than the MC on the cover of the first book…

Turkish 2 - Hello Photoshop! How have you been doing? Working your magic for Halloween, I see. That is indeed one creepy Barbie doll! I see someone broke her head and had trouble putting it back correctly. Oh well. 

Clearly, I find this cover completely disturbing with the bad photoshop and hella ugly.

Vietnamese cover - Okay I kinda… like this one?! I like the fact the background is all dark, with a girl in the night. Gives the right vibe – creatures of the night and all that, a bit dark and dangerous. Then there is Rose. She may not be how I imagine Rose, but I love the contrast – Rose is alive, Rose is firey, Rose is volatile. I get that feel through the cover. 

All in all, I really only like the forth English cover, and maybe the Spanish one...

Nitzan★