Tag: contemporary fiction

I Was Here by Gayle Forman | Review

Posted February 25, 2015 in Books, Reviews / 10 Comments
I Was Here by Gayle Forman | Review

“You had a pile of rocks, and you cleaned them up pretty and made a necklace. Meg got jewels, and she hung herself with them.” In all honesty, I wasn’t sure what to expect from I Was Here. It was my first time reading a novel by Gayle Forman and it dealt with the loaded topic of not just a suicide, but a suicide that already happened. So I embarked on this reading journey with a lot of curiosity and a dash of hopefulness, and I was a bit surprised by what I found. I Was Here was not romantic […]


Damsel Distressed by Kelsey Macke | Review

Posted February 23, 2015 in Books, Reviews / 8 Comments
Damsel Distressed by Kelsey Macke | Review

“She inserts herself into the life that I’m barely living in the first place.” -32 There’s nothing that I love more in books than a good fairytale retelling, so when I came across Damsel Distressed I was so excited to read one that added a twist to the normal conventions. Damsel Distressed is not only a contemporary retelling of Cinderella, but it inverts the typical tropes of the story and has the ugly step-sister archetype as the protagonist, with “Cinderella” as the evil stepsister to invade Imogen’s life. I adored reading such a creative way to retell a tired-a-true fairytale, […]


The Princess Diaries Re-Read: Volumes 4-5

Posted February 20, 2015 in Books, Readalongs/Readathons, Reviews / 5 Comments
The Princess Diaries Re-Read: Volumes 4-5

This is the second installment in my Princess Diaries Re-Read self-challenge in order to prepare for The Royal Wedding, which comes out in June! In this post I’ll be bundling my reviews for books 4, 4.5, and 5. Princess in Waiting (4)- This is the epitome of a bridge book. Taking place primarily over winter break while Mia’s stuck in Genovia, it’s mainly Mia obsessing over Micheal’s feelings for her. It reminded me of why these books can be slightly neurotic, but I also have to admit that at 14 years old I obsessed over rather inconsequential stuff myself. Some […]


Stacking the Shelves [17]

Stacking the Shelves [17]

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly feature hosted by  Tynga’s Reviews where bloggers share the books that they’ve added to their shelves this week, whether borrowed, bought, virtual, physical, etc! Bought My first order ever from The Book Outlet arrived this week! I treated myself to new paperback copies of volumes 1, 3, 4, & 5 of the Princess Diaries Series (since my copies are falling apart since I read them so much and I’m planning to reread them all this spring). I also ordered a hardback for just $6.99 of Dance of the Red Death, the second novel in […]


Are You a Seasonal Reader?

Posted January 30, 2015 in Discussions / 27 Comments
Are You a Seasonal Reader?

It’s the cusp of February, and my local weather is having a nice little glimpse of spring. The sun is shining and various little woodland creatures have started appearing in my yard to taunt my cats through the windows. The temperature is just a hint shy of being short-sleeve weather. I’ve noticed this turn in weather just doesn’t alter the type of activities I want to do and clothes I want to wear, but it alters what I’m in the mood to read as well. This got me thinking: are there patterns in what I read depending on the season? […]


Cristina’s Close Look: Marginalized Identities and Intersectionality in Eleanor & Park

Posted January 16, 2015 in Cristina's Close Look, Discussions / 22 Comments
Cristina’s Close Look: Marginalized Identities and Intersectionality in Eleanor & Park

I’m really excited to launch this new feature! Cristina’s Close Look is a more specific type of discussion here at Girl in the Pages, where I find a trope, topic, or theme and explore the topics more in depth with a little bit of analysis and a lot of enthusiasm. Feel free to join into the discussion in the comments! Topic: Marginalized Identities and Intersectionality in Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell *Warning: This post will contain spoilers for the novel Eleanor & Park. Just a heads up if you haven’t read it yet! I picked up Eleanor & Park […]


Wish by Grier Cooper- Blog Tour & Review!

Posted January 14, 2015 in Reviews / 8 Comments
Wish by Grier Cooper- Blog Tour & Review!

I spent a good 7 years of my adolescence dancing. The performing, the athleticism, the costumes, the music- I loved it all. Though ballet wasn’t my main focus, I took enough classes to appreciate the extreme talent and dedication it breeds, and how it becomes a lifestyle for many. My dance background, along with the stunningly gorgeous cover is what drew me to Wish, although aside from that I had no idea what to expect, having never read a dance based book. What Wish provided wasn’t just a book about dance, but a gutting, heart-wrenching account of alcoholism, emotional abuse, […]


Why Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer Parodied My Expectations- Review

Posted December 26, 2014 in Books, Reviews / 8 Comments
Why Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer Parodied My Expectations- Review

Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer My rating: 2.5/5 Stars Publisher: Dutton Juvenile (2014) Length: 264 pgs Genre: YA Contemporary/Magical Realism Format: Hardcover, checked out from local library Goodreads Synopsis: If life were fair, Jam Gallahue would still be  at home in New Jersey with her sweet British  boyfriend, Reeve Maxfield. She’d be watching  old comedy sketches with him. She’d be kissing him in the library stacks. She certainly wouldn’t be at The Wooden Barn, a therapeutic boarding school in rural Vermont, living with a weird roommate, and signed up for an exclusive, mysterious class called Special Topics in English. But life isn’t fair, and Reeve […]


The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu- Review

Posted December 17, 2014 in Books, Reviews / 15 Comments
The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu- Review

“There is one thing I’ve learned about people: they don’t get that mean and nasty overnight. It’s not human nature. But if you give people enough time, eventually they’ll do the most heartbreaking stuff in the world.” I have SO much to say about this book, and I’m going to do my best to coherently organize my thoughts. I’ve been waiting a long time to read this novel, specifically because of the subject matter. I think there’s not enough YA books that look at society’s problems with teenage sexaulity, and the stigmas, rumors, and slut shaming that go along with […]


Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle- Review

Posted December 10, 2014 in Books, Reviews / 18 Comments
Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle- Review

Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle My rating: 2.5/5 Stars Publisher: Speak (2012, first published in 2008) Length: 353 pgs Genre: YA Romance/Holiday Format: Paperback, purchased via Amazon Goodreads Synopsis: An ill-timed storm on Christmas Eve buries the residents of Gracetown under multiple feet of snow and causes quite a bit of chaos. One brave soul ventures out into the storm from her stranded train and sets off a chain of events that will change quite a few lives. Over the next three days one girl takes a risky shortcut with an adorable stranger, three […]