Review: This is not a Test by Courtney Summers

Title: This is not a Test

Author: Courtney Summers

Series: None

Release Date: June 19^th, 2012

Number of Pages: 320

Publisher: St.Martin’s Griffin

Source: NetGalley

It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

Wow. I absolutely adore everything Courtney Summers write, so it is no surprise that I completely loved this book. Her writing is simply addicting.

Even though the main subject of this book seems to be zombies, it’s not really. It’s more than that. Courtney Summers created a dept to her main character that made this book much more than a simply zombie novel. It’s more about survival. It’s about a teenage girl struggling with the loss of her sister after she abandoned her and the memories of her abusing father. It’s about a girl struggling with her own need to live. The different characters Sloane is caught with in the high school all added a something to the story. They were so all different, yet they were all needed for them to survive in a way.

The story was simply captivating. The struggles between the characters, the fear of a zombie attack and the unknown faith of their loved one just made me want to read more. Arg.. It is so hard to talk about how good this book was. It simply left me speechless. For anyone looking for a great book, you need to check it out. For anyone who loves Courtney Summers’ novel, go get it now. It is simply amazing. It is also perfect for those who aren’t into gory zombies novel, as it isn’t gory at all.

Audiobook Review: Some Girls Are

Title: Some Girls Are
Author: Courtney Summers
Narrator: Katie Schorr
Release Date: October 15th, 2010 (Book: January 5th, 2010)
Series: None
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Length: 6 hours 44 minutes
Number of Pages:
Source: Bought

Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard--falling from it is even harder. Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students at Hallowell High... until vicious rumors about her and her best friend's boyfriend start going around. Now Regina's been "frozen out" and her ex-best friends are out for revenge. If Regina was guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth and the bullying is getting more intense by the day. She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past who she herself used to bully. Friendship doesn't come easily for these onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael could be more than just a friend... if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both first.

Tensions grow and the abuse worsens as the final days of senior year march toward an explosive conclusion in this dark new tale from the author of Cracked Up To Be

Wow. If I compare the meanest girls I know to the mean girls of this book, those I know would look like baby kitten next to Anna and the Fearsome Foursome. One thing though I need to say to those thinking of reading this book: there is a lot of swearing, and some contain that main not be suitable for a younger audience. If you don’t mind that, you’ll probably love it.

I ended up buying this audiobook on Audible, as it was never available at my bookstore. At first, I wasn’t sure about the narrator. She wasn’t as expressive as I had hoped. The more I listened to her, the more I ended up liking her. She just felt right for Regina. I loved this audiobook as it was short enough for me not to feel like I’m never going to hear the end. This one made me want to keep on listening, every second I could. The narrator became Regina and my mind, and it made her seem a little more human to me. Did the narrator add anything to the book? Not really. Did she take anything away from it? No.

Courtney Summers has a talent for writing amazing stories that will keep you captivated. She also knows how to write complex and believable main characters. Regina is a bitch. That’s really clear. Yet there’s more to her than that. She did horrible things in the past. Still, even after being on the other end of these cruel actions, she can stop herself from seeking her revenge through the same means. She’s treated as a traitor for a lie, because she trusted the wrong person. I really enjoy following her as she realized the impact of what she had done. I loved how she didn’t just change from cruel and vicious to sweet and innocent, She also realized that herself. She can’t just forget and be forgiven just because she realized that what she did was kind of wrong. She knows it isn’t that easy. The other thing I really enjoyed is following the interaction between Regina and Michael. There was so much tension between both of them, it was crazy!

The book gives readers a great view of the extant of bullying in high school. No, I don’t think there’s one Anna as mean as this one in every school, but there are some like her. Courtney Summers touches some really hard and difficult subject in this book. She knows how to treat those realistically, and in a beautifully constructed novel.

I absolutely adore Courtney Summers. She simply knows how to write amazing and complex characters. I’m already dying for her next novel.

Review: Cracked Up to Be

Title: Cracked Up to Be

Author: Courtney Summers

Release Date: December 23^rd, 2008

Series: None

Number of Pages: 214

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Source: Bought

Perfect Parker Fadley isn’t so perfect anymore. She’s quit the cheerleading squad, she’s dumped her perfect boyfriend, and she’s failing school. Her parents are on a constant suicide watch and her counselors think she’s playing games…but what they don’t know, the real reason for this whole mess, isn’t something she can say out loud. It isn’t even something she can say to herself. A horrible thing has happened and it just might be her fault. If she can just remove herself from everybody—be totally alone—then everything will be okay...The problem is, nobody will let her.

I really enjoy Courtney Summer’s book. I read Fall for Anything not long ago and loved it. It’s the main reason why I decided to read this book. The difference between those two books is pretty impressive to me. Where Fall for Anything was powerful and touching, this one felt like a lighter read.

The story is not a happy story. That’s not what I mean. Yet, at first, I felt it was really just about a teenager who’s tired of being perfect, a teenager looking for herself. Yet, the more you read, the more you learn about the reasons behind the changes. It was for me the main point of the story. Understanding Parker. There’s not big mystery in the book. No Prince Charming ready to save the damsel in distress. No. It about a teenager that hit rock bottom. A girl that still wants more than she makes everyone believe. A great novel about guilt and growing up with it. It is about learning to live with our mistakes.

Even though Parker could be a mean bitch sometime, I liked her. She was true most of the time. She wasn’t trying to pretend she was something she wasn’t. I also thought Jake was a great character, because he was there to challenge her in some way. Chris and Becky weren’t changing anything in her. Jake did. He opened something in her to help her help herself.

Courtney Summers has a way to express emotions in words. She can make you feel easily what the character is going through, which why I enjoy her books. They fell real.

Review: Fall For Anything

Title: Fall For Anything

Author: Courtney Summers

Release Date: December 21^st, 2010

Series: None

Number of Pages: 230

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Source: Bought

-

From the author of Cracked Up to Be and Some Girls Are comes a gripping story about one girl’s search for clues into the mysterious death of her father. 

When Eddie Reeves’s father commits suicide her life is consumed by the nagging question of why? Why when he was a legendary photographer and a brilliant teacher? Why when he seemed to find inspiration in everything he saw? And, most important, why when he had a daughter who loved him more than anyone else in the world? When she meets Culler Evans, a former student of her father’s and a photographer himself, an instant and dangerous attraction begins. Culler seems to know more about her father than she does and could possibly hold the key to the mystery surrounding his death. But Eddie’s vulnerability has weakened her and Culler Evans is getting too close. Her need for the truth keeps her hanging on...but are some questions better left unanswered?

-

A book about suicide is never an easy thing to read. In this one, we get to feel the consequences of suicide on the loved ones that have to learn to live with that choice.

The story follows Eddie Reeves, a teenager trying to understand why her father committed suicide. She tries to find answers, while trying to live with the loss. The story is a powerful presentation of how hard it can be to learn to live after the loss of a loved one. The story was beautifully presented to understand the pain of Eddie. The ending was surprising to me, but I understand it. I loved the story.

The characters were really representative for me of how people can cope in different ways. Eddie can’t understand, so she tries to seek answers. Her mother just can’t seem to do anything, because of the pain of her loss. Beth is a complete control freak, because she wants to get things back to normal so they can move on. Milo doesn’t to relive what he went through and would rather that Eddie learns to live with it. He doesn’t want her to hurt herself by seeking answers that may not be there.

The writing was beautiful and powerful. The emotions were for me well express, because I could feel her pain, her loss. I can’t wait to read more from Courtney Summers.

I would give this book 4/5. A beautiful book about suicide, and the consequences of it on those around us.