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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Starry Eyes - Jenn Bennett

Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett
Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Image result for starry eyes bookBlurb (on back of book): Ever since last year’s homecoming dance, best friends-turned-best enemies Zorie and Lennon have made an art of avoiding each other. It doesn’t hurt that their families are the modern day, Californian version of the Montagues and Capulets.
But when a group camping trip goes south, Zorie and Lennon find themselves stranded in the wilderness. Alone. Together.
What could go wrong?
With no one but each other for company, Zorie and Lennon have no choice but to hash out their issues via witty jabs and insults as they try to make their way to safety. But fighting each other while also fighting off the forces of nature makes getting out of the woods in one piece less and less likely.
And as the two travel deeper into Northern California’s rugged backcountry, secrets and hidden feelings surface. But can Zorie and Lennon’s rekindled connection survive out in the real world? Or was it just a result of the fresh forest air and the magic of the twinkling stars?

MY OPINION: ***

I'm the hugest fan of Jenn Bennett's Alex, Approximately. I went into this one feeling so excited (it's been on my to-read for SO long).

This book consisted of:

-Astronomy
-Camping/Backpacking
-ROMANCE
-Two Unique Characters
-Diverse relationships
-Cheating
-FIGHTS
-Language
-Snake Bites
-Teenagers

There was so much going for this book but I ended up not loving it as much as the other book. I thought this was going to be a cutesy, fluffy romance but it was more of a melodrama than a romance.

CHARACTERS

Zorie (love that name!) is encouraged by her stepmom, Joy, to go camping with her more popular "friends" despite the fact that Zorie was not prepared for this. Zorie is the type of person who always has to have a plan for everything and when things are unexpected, she doesn't feel as comfortable. We start out the book with Zorie having to go next door to her family's enemies to a sex shop owned by her ex-best-friend's moms. We meet Lennon and we see an awkward exchange here in which it's hinting that something happened with them that we have yet to find out, other than the fact that Lennon and Zorie took their friendship to something more but something happened at homecoming to drastically change their relationship, which soon becomes nonexistent.

I feel like I could very much relate to Zorie, especially in the way she thinks about things that Lennon doesn't think is that big of a problem. FOR EXAMPLE: the snake bite. *SHUDDER*

I felt that snake. I really did. And after, Zorie thinks to herself:

"...wonder if that snake was a mama and there's a possibility that other tiny baby snakes are going to swarm in the dark." THIS IS ME IN A NUTSHELL

Bennett points out the little things in life that are so relatable.

"Why are boys always so warm? My dad always tries to freeze me and Mom out of the apartment, cranking down the air-conditioning to subzero temperatures." Tell me you can't relate to that.

Lennon is a sardonic, sarcastic, almost emo dude who is a lover of reptiles and camping. I loved him more towards the middle but in the middle, I couldn't help but sense some sort of coldness between him and Zorie which was demonstrated very well. He has a levelheaded personality and I couldn't help but feel relieved whenever he was around.

The whole camp fight was epic.

THE GREAT EXPERIMENT
I would have liked flashbacks or at least some more detail as to what happened here. It would have made their relationship just feel so much more real.

ENDING
I really liked how it ended though I did think everything went a little fast, which was definitely talked about when Zorie feels like she can't believe everything that happened. That dad. I can't even handle it. And the grandma was hilarious.

A lot more went into this book than I originally expected but overall, I would recommend it to readers looking for a light summer read.

Main Character: Zorie
Sidekick(s): Lennon, Joy, Avani, etc
Villain(s): Misunderstanding, dad, cheating, romance, etc
Realistic Fiction Elements: This book was all very real to life.

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