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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None of the Above - IW Gregorio

None of the Above by IW Gregorio
Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Image result for none of the aboveBlurb (on back of book): A groundbreaking story about a teenage girl who discovers she was born intersex... and what happens when her secret is revealed to the entire school. Incredibly compelling and sensitively told, None of the Above is a thought-provoking novel that explores what it means to be a boy, a girl, or something in between.
What if everything you knew about yourself changed in an instant?
When Kristin Lattimer is voted homecoming queen, it seems like another piece of her ideal life has fallen into place. She's a champion hurdler with a full scholarship to college and she's madly in love with her boyfriend. In fact, she's decided that she's ready to take things to the next level with him.
But Kristin's first time isn't the perfect moment she's planned—something is very wrong. A visit to the doctor reveals the truth: Kristin is intersex, which means that though she outwardly looks like a girl, she has male chromosomes, not to mention boy "parts."
Dealing with her body is difficult enough, but when her diagnosis is leaked to the whole school, Kristin's entire identity is thrown into question. As her world unravels, can she come to terms with her new self?

MY OPINION: ****

Yes, I know this review is really late. I haven't had access to my computer for whatever reason.

I thought that this book was okay. I didn't exactly fall in love with it but I did bump up my rating because of what I learned from it.

I have to say, I've never heard of the term "intersex" before I read this book. I didn't know that that was a thing or that it was even possible. I am glad to say that I actually learned something from this book, which is getting pretty rare because most books seem really simple to me nowadays. I don't know.

I mean, it must be horrible to learn that you have male chromosomes and male "parts". Dealing with that must be terrible and I can only imagine how hard it must be. Dealing with things like that is hard enough already without having to explain your condition to people and having to avoid the dirty glances that are constantly being cast your way. I also think that there are people out there who really need to learn the message of being kind. As RJ Palachio said, if you have to choose between being right and being kind, choose kind.

Kristin's character kind of annoyed me. She was a runner and that made her determined but I thought that she took things way too flippantly. She didn't seem to really care about other people as much as she cared about herself. Yes, her condition is harsh, but your friends are important too. She was a "popular girl" and it made her come off as rude and snotty, in my opinion.

Sam was kind of a jerk in my opinion. He just ditched her and he didn't even give her a chance to explain her condition. He was more concerned about his reputation and his own self rather than letting his girlfriend debunk what she was going through. He also moves on really quickly, which I thought was rude.

Darren was so sweet but his relationship with Becky seemed transparent and fake. It seemed as if it was only there to cause Kristin to feel jealousy and to question her own feelings for Darren. Darren was a great guy and he was definitely my favorite character but he took way too long to break up with Becky.

I did have a quote that I really loved, and no, it has nothing to do with the actual plot. I don't know, it just stuck with me.

"Love isn't a choice. You fall for the person, not their chromosomes." (PAGE SOMETHING—I HONESTLY COULD NOT FIND THE PAGE)

I had another quote but I returned the book so...

Honestly, this wasn't my favorite book to read. I thought that the writing style was light and the overall book was easy to understand. It was fast-paced for me. However, I did learn a lot and Darren added a star. I would recommend this book to YA contemporary readers who are looking for a book with a strong and emotional message.

Main Character: Kristin
Sidekick(s): Darren, etc
Villain(s): Intersex, misunderstanding, Sam, etc
Realistic Fiction Elements: This book is all very real to life.

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