Book Review: The Duff

I saw the movie first...yes, I know. Bad Librarian. But, that just meant I felt that I needed to go back and read the book and find the differences, so that's what I did!

The D.U.F.F.

Kody Keplinger

Bianca Piper is the cynical, plain, loyal friend that doesn't think much of herself.  She's also way too smart to fall for the idiot type of guys her friends, and most of the school's female population are into.  So, when hot, womanizer Wesley Rush approaches Bianca to get close to her friends, and identifies her as "The DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend)," needless to say, Bianca loses it and throws her Coke in his face.

Not only are things not looking great, socially, Bianca's mother has been gone for months, and when she returns, a divorce is in the works, her father (once an alcoholic) falls off the wagon and begins drinking again.  Also, Bianca's old boyfriend that screwed her over is once again in town...and the brother of her best friend.

Unable to deal with the pressure and drama, Bianca, in a fit of rage...or passion...kisses Wesley Rush. And she likes it.  The two begin an enemies-with-benefits relationship to cool Bianca's jets with her real life.  But when Bianca starts feeling more for Wesley, she has to take a step back and evaluate what she's doing..but Wesley isn't a bad listener.  He is there for her, emotionally, too, and his life isn't everything it's cracked up to be. Maybe the two have more in common that they thought. Could the cynical b-word chick and the womanizer guy actually work together in a real relationship?

A couple spoilers--this book is rated R, lots of sexual content and vulgarity.  Also, this book is not like the movie, at all.  Yes, Bianca's and Wesley's characters are generally the same, but the way they know each other and get into their relationship is completely different.  It goes straight from hatred to sexual in one minute.

Whew, okay that's out of the way.  Regardless, this book is AWESOME.  You know going into the story how it will end.  It's chick lit.  There is a formula.  But the journey to that point is so incredible.  The DUFF is gritty, down-to-Earth, dark, and real.  Bianca is going through some heavy stuff at her home, and Wesley, while stupid rich, doesn't have it great either.  The reader gets an inside into how certain students at school who are hot and popular may not live the life at home that they portray at school.

Another thing I enjoyed about this book is that Wesley, nor Bianca's friends, try to change Bianca.  Whether she's The DUFF or not, it's not like those films where the ugly girl takes off her glasses, dresses nice and suddenly is the hottest chick in school and everyone likes her.  No, this story is more about Bianca being herself, dealing with her issues, and trusting her friends to be the best person she can be, AND the hot, popular guy falls in love with her despite all that.

This is a great book that you will probably read in 1-2 days, so get started!

Patrick Stewart.

I found this online. I must share it.  Patrick Stewart is a phenomenal actor from Great Britain.  He's been Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Ishmael in Moby Dick, Professor X in X-Men, many Family Guy characters, and OHHHH so many more.  You can see the list of the hundreds of movies he's been in here: Patrick Stewart on IMDB

In the meantime, enjoy this adorable picture:

Book Review: Chasing Power

Sarah Beth Durst became one of my favorite authors after reading The Lost (you can find my review of this book here: http://mcplteen.blogspot.com/2014/08/check-out-this-new-book-i-ran-across-in.html).  Now, she has written a new YA book about voodoo and magical talents that is driving me bonkers! You gotta check it out!

For Fans of:

Chasing Power

Sarah Beth Durst

Kayla has a supernatural power--she can move things, albeit very light things, with her mind.  Living with her mother in sunny California, the two try to blend in and stay hidden from Kayla's abusive father who murdered her sister.

When Daniel, a cute boy with teleportation powers tracks her down to ask for help saving his mother, Kayla finds herself swept up in a conspiracy that sends her to the very ends of the world.  Together, Daniel and Kayla must use their powers to locate Daniel's mother and uncover the mysteries of a spell, divvied between three powerful stones, hidden among the jungle.

The two run into parts of their lives they thought gone and buried, but when things, and people begin to resurface in Kayla's life, she begins to wonder if what she grew up thinking is the truth--and who will do what to get what they want--power.

I read this story, because Sarah Beth Durst wrote a GREAT story for adults, so I assumed this one would be just as amazing, poignant, and eloquent.  I was a little unfair in my judgment--I thought this story would be similar to those she had written for adults, and I was wrong.  However, this story, while not typically the type of book I read, was beautifully written and solid.

I'm not a fan of magic spells, and voodoo from the South, but the idea of this story is fantastic, combining those spells and magic with superhuman powers.  The two teens both have a lot of baggage, and Durst takes her time to develop these characters and explain what has happened in their lives to get them to where they are now.

Not to mention, this story is action packed, traveling across the world, fighting Kayla's own father, escaping cave-ins, etc.  There is a lot going on, nonstop, throughout this book, so make sure you're paying attention!

4th of July!

Happy Independence Day MCPL teens and all others who read this blog!  I am currently with family enjoying the festivities...

Here is the beautiful view:



I wish all of you a very grand 4th of July.  Remember what this holiday is...it's not for BBQs, parties, and fireworks.  While those things are TONS of fun, we do it in the spirit of thanks for those who fought in the Civil War when our country claimed its independence from Great Britain back in 1776.

One thing I also found interesting, and does actually make complete sense for 1776...On July 4, 1776 King George was the head of the English monarchy.  In his diary, the day the USA claimed independence, the King wrote..."Nothing important happened today." 

Obviously, something did.  But remember, it's 1776. News travels sloooooow, so King George probably didn't hear about our proclamation until weeks after when ships bringing the news finally landed in London. 

Just an interesting tidbit.  What is happening RIGHT now in the world that we have no idea about?

Superhero Video Game Party!

I had a great turn out last night at the video game program! Thanks to my buddy, Nic, we had an Atari, NES, N64, 2 Super Nintendos, and a Sega Genesis!  The teens were awesome, and probably could have stayed longer than an hour playing and been happy.  As it is, we may just have to have another Retro Video Game Night.  Here are the highlights!

Atari: Taryn and Tricia (and Tricia's family)

Cory & N64

 Chris & Elisa; Super Nintendo

me, Mary, Hannah, and our gamer friend, Nic

 Hannah and Mary with Sega Genesis & Super Nintendo

Helen and Sid playing Super Nintendo

 Jesse and Vicki playing NES

 Just because I can...

Nic helping Hannah with ECCO, a dolphin game on Sega

Morgan and Cory with N64

CONTROLLERS

N64 

NES

Sega Genesis

Super Nintendo

Needed Nic's help again... 

  

Book Review: Contaminated

Gah another new series! This one is a GREAT zombie-like story without the blood and gore of zombie stories.

For fans of: 

The Walking Dead

Carrie Ryan's zombie book series

I Am Legend

Warm Bodies

Contaminated

Em Garner

ThinPro was the new improved weight loss plan.  Everything loved it; it was affordable and it worked! But what people didn't know was the protein in it came from not so reliable food source.  This caused those that used ThinPro to develop zombie-like traits, trying to eat humans, lack of focus, glazed eyes, etc.

After the contamination and the containment of these individuals, Velvet Ellis now lives in government housing taking care of her little sister--both determined that their mother, probably a "Connie," a zombie, is somewhere out there.  When Velvet stops by the "Kennel," she finally finds her mother...rehabilitated and ready to take home. As long as her mother wears her collar, she shouldn't attack anyone.

But the danger isn't over.  When the girls take their mother to their old home outside of town, there are rumors that a new strain of the virus is spreading. Will they be able to stay under the radar and avoid the soldiers? Is it possible that Velvet can help her mother change back into a normal human being?

I have heard and read a lot of people knock this book because it sounds like "a bad attempt at a zombie novel, but boring," and more.  However, I am not sure those readers really gave the story much credit.  The story is tagged as "gritty and grabbing", the kind of story that keeps you on the edge of your seat, and a lot of people disagreed saying nothing happens in this story.  I beg to differ.

Yes, Velvet has a hard-knock life, and most of the story follows that, but a zombie book does NOT have to be blood and gore and eating people.  There can actually, WAIT...I'm going to say it...a PLOT to a zombie story other than simply surviving zombies.

Garner wanted to create a world where humans and zombies live simultaneously, with the hope that the zombies can return to the human world.  She creates a scenario of a popular item causing this disease, making it more likely to happen in the real world, so we could relate to it.

If you want zombies eating people the whole time, without much depth to it, then those critics are right--don't read this book.  But if you want something more substantial to your zombie story, try this one out.  There is a ferocity in Velvet to survive and bring her sister out alive as well as trying to get her mother back to normal.

This is an eerie story--a gritty and grabbing story that will make you wonder if a type of zombie could actually happen in the near future.

The Walking Dead Joke

I believe I have posted a similar Walking Dead joke on here months ago, but I found this new one to the same still images and just had to share!

 

Carl=Coral...I love it!