FORGET YOU by Jennifer Echols

WHY CAN'T YOU CHOOSE WHAT YOU FORGET...AND WHAT YOU REMEMBER?

There's a lot Zoey would like to forget. Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four-year old girlfriend. Like Zoey's fear that the whole town will find out about her mom's nervous breakdown. Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school. With her life about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only way she knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she's the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend to ultra-popular football player Brandon.

But then Zoey is in a car crash, and the next day there's one thing she can't remember at all—the entire night before. Did she go parking with Brandon, like she planned? And if so, why does it seem like Brandon is avoiding her? And why is Doug—of all people—suddenly acting as if something significant happened between the two of them? Zoey dimly remembers Doug pulling her from the wreck, but he keeps referring to what happened that night as if it was more, and it terrifies Zoey to admit how much is a blank to her. Controlled, meticulous Zoey is quickly losing her grip on the all-important details of her life—a life that seems strangely empty of Brandon, and strangely full of Doug.

Jennifer Echols does it again. This book definitely deserves five stars! With this book, my whole reading experience was one that is hot, sexy, and steamy. Jennifer did a great job in writing the details of every scene, every movement, and every emotion. And, this contributed a lot to beauty of the book. 

Personally, I found the book very liberated. But, don’t get me wrong; I didn’t find it obscene at all. Honestly, I found it very seductive, mesmerizing, and addictive. The more Doug and Zoey tried to turn away from each other, the more they desired one another and the closer they got. Their feelings for each other cannot be denied. It’s just that Zoey’s with Brandon, and she didn’t want to be a cheater; even if Brandon cheats on her. And, it’s obvious that they’re “relationship” is far less than what Zoey and Doug have.

And then, there’s Doug Fox. Who wouldn’t fall for this guy with green, piercing eyes? Even with his eyeglasses, for that matter. Or, who wouldn't desire for that alluringly sexy body with or without the crutches? I could just imagine how hot and sexy he is. With a guy like Doug, I would definitely want to make out with him. I could just imagine how it will feel like. I loved the way he was portrayed as a tough but vulnerable person. People are scared of him; he made it seem like he’s not afraid of anything. But deep within, he feels that there’s so much he needs to prove to his father; and he needs to protect and take care of the one person he thinks he can’t have: Zoey. I fell in love with the way he desired her, how he was being manipulative, and how he stayed in control when the situation called him to lose himself.

Zoey’s portrayal as a bothered teenager was very realistic. For a teenager who is faced with family problems, I consider her impulsive decisions and actions normal or typical. Her reactions to the different situations she was faced with was not exaggerated. This is one of the reasons why I loved this book.

The whole storyline was also impressive. The idea of a partial amnesia was unique but plausible. And, the gradual revelations of what really happened to Zoey at the night of the wreck made the book more exciting to read. It kept me reading and wanting for more. The revelations were also unexpected, and was disclosed to the readers not too soon but not too late. The ending was also spectacular. I loved the way Jennifer informed her readers what happened to most of the characters. Because of this, I was satisfied, and wasn’t left asking for more.

I’d also like to give credit to the twins: Keke and Lila. Despite the intensity of the plot, their characters have put a light and fun side to the story.

Above all, there is so much to learn from this book about relationships and decision-making.

GOING TOO FAR by Jennifer Echols

All Meg has ever wanted is to get away. Away from high school. Away from her backwater town. Away from her parents who seem determined to keep her imprisoned in their dead-end lives. But one crazy evening involving a dare and forbidden railroad tracks, she goes way too far...and almost doesn’t make it back.

John made a choice to stay. To enforce the rules. To serve and protect. He has nothing but contempt for what he sees as childish rebellion, and he wants to teach Meg a lesson she won’t soon forget. But Meg pushes him to the limit by questioning everything he learned at the police academy. And when he pushes back, demanding to know why she won’t be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge—and over...

At first, I thought of giving this book four stars because I found the first few chapters sort of boring. But, as they say, don’t judge the book by its cover. So, I gave it a chance and continued to read. And, I’m glad I did because the story is great and there’s much to learn from it. Thus, I’m giving it five stars.

Meg’s and John’s personalities are very strong. Meg is a rebellious teenager who wants to experience the most out of life. And, she’s willing to go through whatever extent to have it. John, on the other hand, is a teenage policeman who tries to be a man, but he still cannot deny the call of his youth. He doesn’t want to be manipulated; he always wants to be in control. By their mere exchanges of what they want to say, it’s obvious how tough Jennifer portrayed these characters to be. Nevertheless, what made me love Meg and John all the more is the fact that despite their roughness, they’re still not invincible. As they say, even the toughest man has hi soft spot; and, they’ve proven that. Both have their soft spots; and when they were hit hard there, it has caused a drastic change in their lives. I can say that there was transformation. And, oh! I also love the chemistry and banter between them. Meg and John together are definitely hot!

Having mentioned Jennifer’s portrayal of her protagonists, who wouldn’t be amazed at such writing skills? She has a good deal of attention to details that you can just imagine everything that’s happening. It’s like every action plays through my head, and I just can’t get enough of it.

The twists in this book are unpredictable. It left me blindly guessing. Different twists occurred at different paces of the plot. First, there was Officer After who was a teenager. I actually believed that he was a forty-year old policeman with a wife and children. I did not see it coming that he was, like Meg and the others, a teenager. Second, I must admit that Meg’s leukaemia came as a surprise. I never thought she was a cancer survivor, that there was a story behind her hair color. All I ever thought was that her behaviour and appearance was due to her rebellious attitude. And third, what happened to John’s brother and his girlfriend at the bridge was totally unexpected. I knew that there was something that must have happened in the bridge that had caused John obsession and overprotection. But, it never occurred to me that whatever happened in the bridge was related to John’s brother. I’d say that these elements absolutely flourished the story.

Lastly, as mentioned, what made this book even better are the lessons we can learn from it. It tells us about identity crisis, peer pressure, teenage angst, love, loss, acceptance, and forgiveness.

Afterthoughts from Letters to Juliet

I didn't go to him, Juliet. I didn't go to Lorenzo. His eyes were so full of trust I promised I'd meet him and run away together because my parents don't approve. But, instead, I left him waiting for me below our tree - waiting and wondering where I was. I'm in Veronoa now. I return to London in the morning and I am so afraid. Please, Juliet tell me what I should do. My heart is breaking and I have no one else to turn to.

Love, Claire 

Dear Claire,

What and If are two words as non-threatening as words can be. But put them together side-by-side and they have the power to haunt you for the rest of your life: What if? What if? What if? I don't know how your story ended but if what you felt then was true love, then it's never too late. If it was true then, why wouldn't it be true now? You need only the courage to follow your heart. I don't know what a love like Juliet's feels like - love to leave loved ones for, love to cross oceans for but I'd like to believe if I ever were to feel it, that I will have the courage to seize it. And, Claire, if you didn't, I hope one day that you will.

All my love, Juliet 

Last night, I was wondering what should I be doing for Sunday. Should I watch a movie or maybe read a pocketbook? Should I surf the net and watch some Korean drama? Should I write a story and post it in my blog? There are just so many options.

This Sunday morning, after my parents and I attended mass, we went home, and it was blackout. After doing chores and running errands, I decided I wanted to watch a feel-good movie. Since it’s blackout and my only means of watching a movie is my laptop, I chose Letters to Juliet because it’s stored there and I haven’t seen it yet.

I just loved the whole story, and I thought that that is exactly what I want in my life. I want to be a writer. I want to go through such an adventure, write a beautiful story about it, and have it published. I want to write about love, loss, pain, adventure, and everything that I can write about; and, I want to fall in love. It’s even ironic that despite my great desire to write, I chose a course that’s quite unrelated from my passion. I chose to be an Accounting major. After having thought about that, that same old fears haunted me again. My course has demanded so much of my time that I rarely had the chance to write, unlike when I was in high school that I had the luxury of time to write poems and stories. Now, I only have a few written pages in my journal. I fear for it. I fear that I may never have the time to write. I fear that I might forget how it is to write. And, I fear that I might forget what it feels like to write.

I never exactly knew if I was a good writer. I never had my writings read in the open. That is why sometimes I see myself as a frustrated writer. Add to that the fact that I’m not good with words. I’m not good at describing things because the words that I know of, that I’m familiar with are ample and insufficient. My friends would always say that I’m good in English, that I’m a walking dictionary, just because I got a superior in our English Proficiency Exams. Yes, I’m a sceptic when it comes to grammar. But then again, I was never good with words. But, I’m very much willing to learn. And, most of time, when I want to write, the words just won’t come out right. When I think about what it is that I exactly want to say, words and thoughts would perfectly flow in my mind. But when I start writing, everything that I thought of becomes distorted. It’s like I’m in a trance, then all of a sudden, I’m back to reality.

Frankly, Sophie is the kind of person I want to be like in the future. But, whenever I think that I want to be like this person, I get disturbed because of what I learned from our retreat. Why do we want to be like other when we can be ourselves? I don’t know. Maybe I just misinterpreted its message. Nevertheless, my desire remains the same. I want to be a writer. I want to go through such an adventure, write a beautiful story about it, and have it published. I want to write about love, loss, pain, adventure, and everything that I can write about; and, I want to fall in love.

COFFEEHOUSE ANGEL by Suzanne Selfors

When Katrina spots a homeless guy sleeping in the alley behind her grandmother's coffee shop, she leaves him a cup of coffee, a bag of chocolate-covered coffee beans, and some pastries to tide him over, never expecting this random act of kindness to turn her life upside down. The adorable vagrant, Malcolm, is actually a guardian angel on a break between missions, and now he won't leave until he can reward Katrina's selflessness by fulfilling her deepest desire. Fame and fortune seem like the obvious requests, but after two botched wishes, Malcolm knows Katrina is hiding something from him. But how can she tell him the truth, when her heart's desire has become Malcolm himself?

         

Alright! Maybe I can call this history since this is going to be my very first non-academic-related book review. Going back to business, I'd give Coffeehouse Angel five perfect stars. And, here's why.

First, I just love Katrina Svensen's character and the whole teenage life struggle. I love how Suzanne built an average character, not the Queen Bee in school but also not a loser. A teenager struggling to find out what she's good at since people say that everyone is good at something, struggling to find what she truly desires since her friends know exactly who they want to be in the future is very realistic. I believe we all pass through a certain stage in our lives when we ponder on what it is that we really want. The Closet of Failure is also something remarkable; it is a brilliant idea. It did not simply serve as a constant reminder of Katrina’s failures, of the things she started but was never finished. I’d like to believe that it was put there to tell us the fact that as humans, it is impossible for us to forget our failures. Like Katrina’s Closet of Failure, our failures would always be there, not to discourage us, but to always remind us of the lessons we’ve learned and the better person we’ve become.

Second, I almost got caught into the idea that Katrina was actually in love with her best friend, Vincent, especially when she cried after seeing him and Heidi holding hands. I know readers have been warned at the beginning that the story’s not going to be like others wherein best friends fall in love. But, the story was told at Katrina’s point of view. So, who knows? Maybe at that point, she didn’t see herself in love with her best friend. But along the line, she actually did. She just denied it to herself and to everybody else. But, of course, that was not the case. And, it was good that she wasn’t in love with her best friend. I liked it. Katrina and Vincent were great as best friends. I also like how Suzanne confused her readers regarding Katrina’s feelings, whether she was in love with her best friend or with the angel.

And, the third reason why I love the book was because of Malcolm, the angel. I’m not being bias here, but maybe I am. I don’t know why, but I think I have this prejudice for angels. After falling in love with Patch in Hush, Hush, here comes Malcolm. He is just mysterious, warm, beautiful, hilarious, curious, and he wears a kilt. Isn’t that just weird but cute at the same time? Malcolm’s an angel, an angel messenger to be exact. And, he can do things out of the ordinary. But despite such power, he was weak and vulnerable. He needed Katrina. That just made me love the book more. And, oh, what really him hilarious was his curiosity. He wondered about the world far from his own and tasted it, even if it was against their law.

Finally, everything that happened during the Solstice Festival was magical, romantic, funny, and selfless.

Katrina was a damsel in distress. And, she had both heroes and heroines to her rescue: Vincent, Elizabeth, Elliott, Anna, Irmgaard, The Boys, and Malcolm. But, Katrina wasn’t like any other damsels in distress; she also saved herself. She did not just sit there and waited for her prince to come to her rescue. After all her woes, she did something; she helped herself instead of letting misery unfold before her very eyes. She did not let herself become miserable. And, of course, any other fairy tale wouldn’t be complete without the prince (but for this case, Malcolm was an angel), the kiss, and the happy ending.

Portfolio Attempt

This is a compilation of the photos I randomly took. All pictures are not edited because I believe in the beauty of a picture the moment you capture it. No edits, just pure and natural beauty. Please feel free to comment on the pictures or give them titles. I'm open to criticisms. I believe that criticisms are the key to growth and improvement. Thanks for your time. Enjoy! :D

Dusk

Gold Christmas

Innocence

Life

Life in Dusk

No More Tears

Reborn

Sailboat

Strength

Superiority

True Love

Unexistence

Unraveled Road