As for this blog... well I'm trying and that will include expanding my horizons. I love going and seeing professionaly done shows on tour and I want to share my love of Broadway because theater is something that has taken over my life so be on the look out for show reviews and maybe a few movies as well. I definitely have thoughts on Descendants 3 that I can't wait to share ;)
But now for my thoughts on the Did I Mention series...
Did I Mention I Love/Need/Miss You?
by Estelle Maskame
Rating: 5/5
Ok seriously, if you are a teenage girl with a romantic side how have you not read this book yet?!?! It is such a relief to see a romance book that's not cliche or predictable. There is nothing I love to read more then romance... seriously I go CRAZY. I squeal and jump and read dialog out loud. But it can be hard. Don't get me wrong I love cliche romance books just like the hopeless romantic I am, but lets be honest reading the same plot line told a million different ways can get tiring. So while I love book with Jane Austen plot lines books like this series are a breath of fresh air. I don't think a book has made me react this strongly for a long time. My dog was questioning my sanity.
First off, I've never heard of a book with this kind of plot line. If you've never heard of this book then here's a quick summery in my own words of course. Eden hasn't talked to her dad in years and suddenly he invites her to spend the summer in California. She ends up going because hello! A summer in Cali vs a summer in Portland, Oregon. There's no contest! Plus she has her own reasons from getting away from home for awhile. So she goes out there and meets her step mom Ella and her two step brothers Jamie (14) and Chase (11). She hits it off with her two youngest stepbrothers pretty fast but wait... there's a third brother named Tyler whose 17 and has a bit of a bad streak. And by bit I mean this kid seems like he should be in Juvie. Things are awkward with her dad and on top of that she has to deal with this jerk (she uses much stronger words) who lives in the room next to her. But she's also kind of intrigued by him and the more she digs the more she feels toward him. She just has one question. How should she handle falling for her Stepbrother?
YOU GUYS! Have you ever heard of a book like that? I mean the spending the summer with your dad and step family plot is something I've seen before. But the relationship between this father and daughter in this one... lets just say that it goes beyond awkward and more into absolute loathing. I've never quite seen this father daughter dynamic in any book I've read before. And the relationship choice... stepsiblings... I have never even heard of another book like it. It's very original and creative.
Not only is the plot line captivating but so are the charaters. I don't think I've seen this kind of character development and character arch in most books I've read. It was incredibly thorough throughout the entirety of the series and while we miss a year or two in between each book when the next book starts it doesn't feel like they are out of character. The one thing I normally struggle with in reading when there are huge time gaps between books is character development because people change over time so sometimes with the ways they've changed it doesn't feel like the same character because we missed their whole arch. With this series however it was totally different. Even Tyler, the character who changes the most in between each book, still seems like Tyler, even though the changes in him are drastic. The author knows her characters and is able to keep them recognizable even with personality and mood adjustments.
Another thing I love is the tension that is built up through the book. In all three books there's tension between the two love interests, Eden and Tyler. I often when reading find myself skipping to the end of the book or the middle to read the parts where they kiss or finally admit their feeings! I know I know, slap my wrist, it's an awful thing to do but sometimes I just can't wait. Being the romantic freak I am I need my fix. I NEED to see them together. But I didn't do that once while reading this book series. And that's all because of all the tension. It was almost better then when they actually get together! ALMOST. It's not only cute and agonizing (but in a good way I swear!) but it's also hilarious. The quips and humor that a lot of the characters posses is incredibly entertaining.
Not only did the book have a great plot, amazing characters, and incredible tension, but it was also just genuinely written well. It was descriptive but not too long. It was about 400 pages each book but flows incredibly fast. There's never a dull moment, so while it's not an action adventure novel it still doesn't disappoint and it kind of incorporates it's own kind of action. It was definitely written at a high school level and very well I might add. It didn't dumb down anything but it didn't use too complex words or phrasing and fits perfectly for the intended age group.
I don't think I have any more words to describe how amazing this book is. You need to read it. I'm not going to even beat around the bush on this one. This is definite
ly a MUST READ. And after reading this book I will read just about anything theat Estelle Maskame writes, I just can't get enough.
http://www.estellemaskame.com/
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