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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Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies - Erin Dionne

Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies by Erin Dionne
Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Blurb (on back of book): Walk the runway for all the world to see? Nope. No way. NEVER.
At least, that's what I thought — until Aunt Doreen secretly entered me in the Miss HuskyPeach pageant for plus-sized girls. I couldn't do it, but I felt too guilty to quit.
There was only one way out...
This is the story of thirteen-year-old Celeste Harris, who used to be perfectly comfortable with her weight. She also used to think nothing would make eighth grade worse than super-popular, super-mean Lively Carson's persistent insults and attempts to steal her best friend. But along came the chance of being crowned a chubby teen queen, and suddenly it was clear. Things could be much worse. So Celeste crafts a plan — she'll sacrifice her chocolate cookie obsession, lose weight, and shrink right out of the competition.
What follows is a series of escapades both hilarious and horrifying, as our heroine tries to hold her head high both on the catwalk and off — and learns to show the world who she is from the inside out.


MY OPINION: ****

This was a book for lovers of The Mother-Daughter Book Club series, and for people who like to read about realistic people going through middle school.

This was a very different book from what I usually read. It had a lot of stuff in it that is not what I like to read about, but a lot of it was comical and amazing. I liked how Celeste's mind changes a lot through the book, and I also like how she is not afraid of being bullied anymore. I think that that takes a lot of bravery and courage to stand up to people who hurt you, especially when that person is more popular and has a better social status.

Celeste is an overweight girl who likes cookies. She is only slightly embarrassed about her weight, until she sees her bridesmaid's dress. The Monstrosity looks hideous on her, and she all at once is ashamed about her weight.

I like to think that Celeste is a very determined person. She survives very embarrassing stuff, and goes through with what she believes in. Although the ending was very predictable, I liked to see how Celeste actually got there.

Overall, this book is good for seventh- and eighth-graders, and I would recommend it to Young Adult lovers.

Main Character: Celeste Harris
Sidekick(s): Millie, Katy, Sandra, parents
Villain(s): Sandra (in a way), Lively, Lively's friends, weight, being misunderstood, temptation, humiliation
Realistic Fiction Elements: All of this could happen in real life, though it most likely never will.

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