The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde - UPDATED REVIEW

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde  Genre : Classics Blurb (on back of book) : Oscar Wilde’s only novel is the dreamlike story of a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty. In this celebrated work Wilde forged a devastating portrait of the effects of evil and debauchery on a young aesthete in late-19th-century England. Combining elements of the Gothic horror novel and decadent French fiction, the book centers on a striking premise: As Dorian Gray sinks into a life of crime and gross sensuality, his body retains perfect youth and vigor while his recently painted portrait grows day by day into a hideous record of evil, which he must keep hidden from the world. For over a century, this mesmerizing tale of horror and suspense has enjoyed wide popularity. It ranks as one of Wilde's most important creations and among the classic achievements of its kind. UPDATED REVIEW MY OPINION : ****** I would like to start out this review by stating that this is undoubtedly m

Pink and Green is the New Black - Lisa Greenwald

Pink and Green is the New Black by Lisa Greenwald
Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Blurb (on back of book): Lucy's tip for surviving eighth grade:
Be honest. Always be honest.
Image result for pink and green is the new black
Lucy Desberg is finally in eighth grade, and she's planning on having the best year ever! On the outside, it seems like that should be easy: Her family's spa is doing well, and she has a boyfriend, Yamir. But Yamir's in high school now, and Lucy's too embarrassed to admit to anyone that he hasn't called her in weeks. Maybe is she pretends everything is still perfect, it can be.
Instead of dwelling on the negative, Lucy throws herself into planning the Eighth Grade Masquerade, using her makeup skills to rally her classmates. But ignoring a problem doesn't make it go away — it only delays the inevitable. And is Lucy really wants her last year of middle school to be the absolute best, she's going to be honest with herself and with her friends, even is that means admitting things aren't as perfect as they seem.

MY OPINION: *****

This was another "debut" by Lisa Greenwald again. I really enjoyed reading the last book of the Pink and Green series.

Judging by the ending, there could be a possibility for a fourth book. After you finish reading, please let me know in the comments what you think!

I liked reading about Lucy. Old classmates/enemies soon become "almost friends". I think that that is a part of life: accepting people for who they are, even if you can't be 100% nice to them. You can still be friendly enough to just wave in the hallways, or sit with them at their lunch table. Erica Crane shows up a lot more in this book than in the first two. She really plays a role in this story.

Lucy finally realizes that everything can't be perfect. Here is a quote from the book that Lucy is narrating:

"There is no perfect. Things can never be perfect. And what does perfect even mean? One person's perfect isn't the same as another person's perfect...Maybe life isn't meant to be perfect...Lots of things in life are far from perfect, but maybe that's okay. Maybe we learn things from the imperfections."
 -Pink and Green is the New Black by Lisa Greenwald. pages 215-216

I think that what people don't understand is that everything can't be perfect in life. I think this is one of the messages that Lisa Greenwald was trying to convey while telling this story. I have always been a perfectionist: I always will be. But I accepted that although I want everything to be perfect, it can't always be. Actually, nothing ever is.

And that's okay. I think that is what people need to understand. People can't be perfect, but you just need to go with the flow. I hope that people reading this book will understand that and how things are just the way they are.

I also liked reading about how Lucy deals with her problems in various ways. I feel like Lucy is a strong character. I also liked reading about Sunny and Yamir, and also Erica Crane, and Zoe, the new girl. This book really brings books/characters to life.

I hope that Lisa Greenwald will continue writing. This book definitely is fit for anyone to read, but especially seventh- and eighth-graders.

Main Character: Lucy Desberg
Sidekick(s): Erica Crane, Zoe, Sunny Ramal, Yamir Ramal, Travis, Evan
Villain(s): Life (in a way), Yamir (in a way), misunderstanding things in life, always trying to be perfect, fustration
Realistic Fiction Elements: All of this could happen in real life, but that does not mean that it will.

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