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

The Elite - Kiera Cass

The Elite by Kiera Cass
Genre: YA Romance/Fantasy

Blurb (on back of book): The Selection began with thirty-five girls.
Image result for the elite bookNow with the group narrowed down to the six Elite, the competition to win Prince Maxon's heart is fiercer than ever—and America is still struggling to decide where her heart truly lies. Is it with Maxon, who could make her life a fairy tale? Or with her first love, Aspen?
America is desperate for more time. But the rest of the Elite know exactly what they want—and America's chance to choose is about to slip away.
35 GIRLS, 1 CROWN.
THE COMPETITION OF A LIFETIME.

MY OPINION: *****

I actually liked this book better than the first one, which is surprising, because I usually hate the sequels.

Anyways, before I start, I am going to try my best not to write too many spoilers. If I do need to, of course I will strike-through it.

Before I start, let me make one thing clear. When I use strike-through, it means that it is a spoiler. I do it for my reader's benefit, because I know that some people love spoilers, and some people hate them (I LOVE THEM). Anyways, I use strike-through so that people who want to read the spoilers can, and people who don't want to read them know to skip that part, and read ahead. I'm sorry if I didn't explain that before, but now I have.

ANYWAYS, MOVING ON....

THIS BOOK WAS INCREDIBLE!

Yay, I used a new favorite word! "Incredible" just about sums this book up. It was phenomenal.

I think that this book used a lot of character emotions to explain the problems in the book. I really wish that Kiera Cass had made the book from a different character's point of view, but America is a strong and brave character. America has many problems, because she is trying to decide where her heart truly lies, under a time limit. Now that there are only six girls, I think that America really has to choose quickly. America is a brave person: she always does what's right. For example...

SPOILER ALERT!!!

When Marlee is beaten because of her inappropriate behavior, America tries her best to stop the whipping, although this will most likely get her punished. She goes out and tries her best to stop everything, but to no avail. America is only forced to waver in her decision, since Maxon "did" nothing to stop. Again, we see America's brave determination to do what's right.

In this book, we learn a lot of new things about Maxon; one especially is that he is abused by the king. I mean, he's the prince and he gets beaten for things he does or says! He is the prince and he should have the right to do whatever he wants!

Anyways. Aspen is a more noticeable character in this book also. He is not one of those minors in the background anymore. Instead, America is forced to choose between him and Maxon, and it's a hard choice. After breaking up with her, Aspen is back to the lovey-dovey boyfriend actions, and the sweet-talking. Aspen is really annoying at some points, but also lovable at others.

Lastly, Maxon has other love. I KNOW! It's terrible. But I know that deep down inside, he loves America and always will love America, no matter what.

Ok, enough. I am starting The One soon (just waiting for it to be delivered), and then I will be back into reading. Right now, I am reading Under the Never Sky and The Reason I Jump, and both will be reviewed shortly. PLEASE COMMENT.

I would recommend this book to all middle-schoolers and teens.

Main Character: America Singer
Sidekick(s): Prince Maxon, Aspen Leger, Marlee, Kriss, Lucy, Anne, Mary, etc
Villain(s): Rebels, Celeste, other Elite, etc
Romance/Fantasy Elements: America has many romantic relationships, as does Marlee and the other Elite. Unreal characters, takes place in future, unreal places, etc.

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