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
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How to Ruin a Summer Vacation - Simone Elkeles

How to Ruin a Summer Vacation by Simone Elkeles
Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

See the source imageBlurb (on back of book): Moshav? What’s a moshav? Is it “shopping mall” in Hebrew? I mean, from what Jessica was telling me, Israeli stores have the latest fashions from Europe. That black dress Jessica has is really awesome. I know I’d be selling out if I go with the Sperm Donor to a mall, but I keep thinking about all the great stuff I could bring back home. 
Unfortunately for 16-year-old Amy Nelson, “moshav” is not Hebrew for “shopping mall.” Not even close. Think goats, not Gucci. 
Going to Israel with her estranged Israeli father is the last thing Amy wants to do this summer. She’s got a serious grudge against her dad, a.k.a. “Sperm Donor,” for showing up so rarely in her life. Now he’s dragging her to a war zone to meet a family she’s never known, where she’ll probably be drafted into the army. At the very least, she’ll be stuck in a house with no AC and only one bathroom for seven people all summer—no best friend, no boyfriend, no shopping, no cell phone… 
Goodbye pride—hello Israel.

 MY OPINION: *****

What a fun and light read!

I finished this book within an hour. I had the flu and I just needed something easy and fun to read and I found this and I absolutely loved it.

It's been a long time since I've so thoroughly enjoyed a book and when it was over, I actually missed it. I needed MORE and I was so sad that it had to end.

In the beginning, I was more in the "meh" zone. It didn't really excite me and though I found it humorous, it wasn't too appealing to my tastes. The language was definitely a bonus because I liked the humor and the teenage attitude and feel about it. The entire book itself was definitely interesting and I really liked the writing style, as I've now said a few times.

The thing that really made me love this book was Avi.

Now those of you who know me are probably rolling your eyes like "Of course, typical Malayna, always liking the guy characters and the romance". And yes, that was a major part of my liking Avi. But I also enjoyed his character in general. To me, it was his character that kept the story moving along, and it was his character that kept the story interesting.

Avi and Amy had an obvious romance since the start. Of course, if there's a guy that the main character finds both gorgeous and jerky, they're gonna fall in love. It was a gimme. However, I did love how it all happened and the grief story of Avi's past... I loved it.

This entire book was great. I like the different language and the foreign country aspect. The humor definitely helped me love the book. I just started the second book and I'm pretty excited! I would recommend this book to people who are looking for a lighter read.

Main Character: Amy
Sidekick(s): Avi, etc
Villain(s): Moving, etc
Realistic Fiction Elements: This book was all very real to life.

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