The Host - Stephenie Meyer

So, I recently finished reading The Host (I know, everyone and their mother has already read it, but, what can I say, better late than never) and must say, I was agreeably surprised. I expected to dislike it because I hated Twilight so much, but I actually ended up kind of loving it... :s It was a Stephenie Meyer book, so the writing wasn't perfect, but, contrarily to Twilight, it actually had a creative and interesting plot. The characters didn't make you want to gauge your eyes out and it wasn't horribly stereotypical. So, altogether, very different from Twilight in an extremely pleasant way.
So, I'll start by talking about the main characters: Wanda and Melanie. One of the very nice things about this book was that both of these characters were extremely strong and independent, though both in very different ways. I was scared we might get a Bella scenario all over again, but both characters were polar opposites to our Twilight protagonist. It was very interesting to read from Wanda's POV, because since she was an alien, her thought process and reactions to different events were very peculiar and surprising. The way she processed everyone around her and how they treated her was quite nice to read. Melanie was also interesting, though sometimes her extreme impulses and reactions to Jared and Ian could become aggravating. Now, onto he boys. Jared was annoying at times, but the bond between him and Melanie was quite touching and sweet. I personally preferred Ian, who was the sweetest boy (or man, I guess) you could ever encounter. I want an Ian in my life. He and Wanda were the most beautiful thing ever and those last few chapters made me squeal in the best way possible. I wish we could've seen more of them together, but then again I always wish that at the end of a book with a cute love story. I really appreciated the fact that the book didn't turn around these love stories like Twilight did. Though they were an important part of the story, they weren't the focal point.
The plot was quite interesting. I'll try to tell you a bit about it without being too spoilery. I'll tell you a bit of context so you're not completely lost if you haven't read the book. The story is set in what seems to be a not-too-distant future. In this future, aliens called Souls have invaded our planet and many others by using our bodies as 'hosts'. They do so by inserting themselves into our bodies and claiming them for their own. Usually, when this happens, the host disappears, leaving only his last memory behind. So, Melanie is a human that's been on the run since the souls invaded Earth. She gets caught and Wanderer (Wanda), a soul, is inserted in her body, but instead of disappearing, Mel stays inside Wanda's head, talks to her, and, eventually, leads her back to her human life, her friends and family. There, the two are confronted to a group of humans who don't know how to react to their former friend who has been taken by the souls. It's all quite complicated, but it makes for a beautiful story.
I, personally, really enjoyed this book and would recommend to any teenager and possibly some adults. All Twilight fans will love it, but some who, like me, didn't like Bella and her surroundings, may very well enjoy it as much as I did.
I truly can't wait for the movie to come out (March 29th, people!). When I saw the trailer at the movie theatre for the first time, I had a serious fangirl moment. Anyway. This book deserves to be read, and if you haven't read it yet, go! What are you waiting for? So, I'll give The Host 9.5/10.
Toodlepip,
x Clara

Lola and the Boy Next Door - Stephanie Perkins

I just finished writing my book review about Anna and the French Kiss and just had to come and write a review for its sequel: Lola and the Boy Next Door. If you haven't read the review for Anna, I'll tell you this: I loved it. Because of that, I had high hopes for Lola. Although I did really love this book, I loved it in a very different way than Anna.
I was really happy we got to see a little bit of Anna and Étienne's relationship, because that was something I would've been sad to say goodbye to only after one book. I really liked most of the characters, though Max infuriated me in a way that people who try to screw up my otp always do. I really appreciated the fact that Lola has two gay dads, but this isn't the centre of the book, it's merely a detail and is regarded as perfectly normal, which is nice. I like the little details Cricket and Lola notice about each other; they're really cute.
Now, onto the characters. Lola is a really fun character and I really liked the fact that she went to her school dance dressed as Marie Antoinette. I wish I had the guts to do that, because it would be totally awesome. I liked the relationship she had with her dads and with Norah. And I loved her relationship with Cricket. Speaking of which, Cricket Bell is the perfect man. There were scenes where that boy broke my heart. He's just the nicest, sweetest guy ever. I wish I had some Cricket Bells in my life. And though she was kind of bitchy, I appreciated Calliope more than I thought I would. As said before, Max infuriated me, but that's mainly due to the fact that throughout the entire book he was trying to screw my otp up. There were moments when I thought that he might actually succeed. Then I remembered that this is an american novel and that, luckily, I knew this wouldn't happen.
So the story is about Lola, this eccentric girl that lives in San Francisco and, as said in the book, believes in costume. She dresses up every day and doesn't wear the same outfit twice. When her next door neighbours move back after a few years of being away, she faces her life-long crush, Cricket Bell, again.
I loved this book. It was really well-written, just like Anna was. Stephanie Perkins is truly a talented author. I loved the characters most of all, and their interactions. It was different from Anna, though I think you could probably compare it to Anna from St-Clair's point of view. It was really good, and I would recommend it to all who love a good romance novel.
It gets a 9.5/10 from me. Hope you read and enjoy it, like I did!
Toodlepip,
x Clara

Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins

So. Everyone and their mother has read this book, and, let me tell you, it totally deserves the fame. I know the title and cover are really bad, and if I hadn't heard so many wonderful things about it, they would normally have made me put this book back on the shelf never to be touched again. But, that being said, I am so glad I didn't and ended up reading it because this book was absolutely amazing.
Now I know this is a really romance-centered book and if you don't appreciate this type of book, you may not enjoy Anna as much as I did, but it seriously is a wonderful book. Stephanie Perkins has promise and talent and she wrote this book beautifully.
So, let's get started with the characters. Anna is a character I really appreciated, which I find is becoming way too rare in Young Adult books; female protagonists nowadays have a tendency to be really whiny and annoying and dependent on everyone around them. Yes, Anna struggles with being alone throughout the book, but she does so in a way that doesn't make me cringe and want to throw a book at her face. I really like her point of view and the way she describes St-Clair is just adorable and sweet, though she really doesn't take a single one of his hints throughout the entire book, which kind of annoyed me at times. Which brings me on to main character number 2: Étienne St-Clair. I'm totally in love with St-Clair and he just makes me wish I had cute, funny, smart, British boys that are into history and love Napoléon Bonaparte. Alas, life was not so kind as to give me said male. So for the moment, I'll settle for fictional characters. They're the next best thing and I guess they're good enough.
Now, if you haven't read the book, I'm assuming you've understood by now that Anna and the French Kiss is a romance novel. I think the title gave that away. So the story revolves around Anna, an American girl whose dad sends her to boarding school in Paris for her senior year of high school. She meets a handful of interesting people that she grows to love.
Having lived in Paris myself and missing it horribly on a daily basis, I really appreciated getting Anna's description of places I know and love and her appreciation of them. It made me want to go back even more than I already did.
I loved, loved, loved Anna, and would recommend to any teenage girl and everyone else who may like a good romance novel. If you haven't read it, definitely go and pick it up, you won't regret it.
This book gets a 10/10 from me, and I hope it will or did for you too.
Toodlepip,
x Clara