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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Seconds Away - Harlan Coben

Seconds Away by Harlan Coben
Genre: YA Mystery/Suspense

Image result for seconds awayBlurb (on back of book): When tragedy strikes close to home, Mickey Bolitar and his loyal new friends—sharp-witted Ema and the adorkably charming Spoon—find themselves at the center of a murder mystery involving their friend Rachel. Now, not only does Mickey have to continue his quest to uncover the truth about the Abeona Shelter and the Butcher of Lodz, he needs to figure out what happened to Rachel—no matter what it takes.
Mickey has always been ready to sacrifice everything to help the people he loves. But how can he protect them when he's not even sure who—or what—he's protecting them from?

 MY OPINION: ****

This book would generally be a five stars, if not for the total cliche and predictable scenes. Honestly, I feel as if anyone could see that ending coming. It was really obvious. Not from the start, but by the middle/end, it was actually not hard to figure out.

Ok, most of this book was amazing nevertheless. I liked all of the action, plot twists, and characters. I feel as if the author made this book really real to readers, as if they were in the story themselves. I wouldn't count this as realistic fiction, not really, but it still feels as if it could actually happen.

Mickey was not my favorite character. Mickey always seemed to push people away when he actually needed them, and followed people and learned their secrets when they wanted it to be private. Honestly, I felt as if Mickey has no feelings. Not that he doesn't care about Ema or Rachel, but he just doesn't seem to notice really obvious things and he is totally oblivious to the outside world and other people. Mickey was annoying at times and he really got on my nerves in certain scenes. I mean, there's a reason Ema didn't tell him about her home life yet. There is no point in following her and risking losing their friendship, which is actually quite and close. Also, Mickey shouldn't have done what he did. He didn't need to help Rachel, especially since she didn't want him to. Mickey just always wants to be the hero.

SPOILER ALERT

I know that Mickey just wants to figure out all of his problems and get them sorted, but at times, I feel as if he takes the wrong path to do it. I mean, he got Spoon SHOT. It wasn't 100% his fault, but still. He should have trusted his gut and led Spoon away.

 Ema was nice, character wise, but I feel as if she is still slightly rude and impolite, especially to Spoon. I mean, honestly, does she really hate Spoon? Does she not like geeky, nerdy, slightly annoying people? Or is she jealous of his close relationship to Mickey? She is so mean to him, but the problem is, Spoon is so childish that he DOESN'T EVEN GET IT. It is hilarious to read about Spoon's oblivious actions.

Spoon was definitely my favorite character. He is hilarious and always made me crack a smile at the worst parts or the most boring parts. Spoon was so oblivious to life that it was just plain amusing to read about his naivety and stupidity. Honestly, Spoon was like the Keefe of Keeper of the Lost Cities or Ron even, in Harry Potter.

Rachel. She annoyed me the most, but she did have a hard part in this story. I mean, Rachel is drawn up to be a hot shallow girl who is popular. She is annoying because people like that tend to just be someone who irritates other people. It isn't always their fault; it's just the way popular people work. You either hate them, look up to them, or love them. No in between. But as you learn more about Rachel, you see that she isn't what the author has drawn her up to be.

When Rachel got shot, it was to be expected, just like Spoon. I mean, I have to admit I didn't really see her mom's involvement in both her own shooting and her daughter's, but after a while, I see how obvious it really was. 

Mickey's obsession with basketball was nice, but not fun to read about. I am not a basketball fan. I don't play basketball, and I rarely ever watch it. That is most likely the reason why I didn't enjoy Mickey's spiels about how much basketball means to him. I'm glad he made varsity, but you know...

I am still deciding how I feel about Coach Taylor, which I will probably conclude after the third book, which, by the way, I have already started.

Ok, I know this is an incredibly short review, but I am going to cut it short here today. I would recommend this to YA readers who like mystery and thrillers.

Main Character: Mickey
Sidekick(s): Spoon, Ema, Rachel, Myron, etc
Villain(s): Mental disease, shooters, Troy, Coach Taylor, etc
Mystery/Suspense Elements: This was all very mysterious and you had to solve clues to find the solution and this book kept you on the edge of your seat.

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