ANNE WNDR READS: SUICIDE NOTES FROM BEAUTIFUL GIRLS

Pitched as Gone Girl meets Thirteen Reasons Why

That particular sentence is the one that caught my attention. I'm no fan of Gone Girl nor have I read it but I am most certain, based on all the reviews I've seen and read, it's a great book and I could say the same thing to Thirteen Reasons Why (which is one of my all-time favourite) so that's why my eyes kinda perked up out of curiosity. I was really hoping that I'd be in for a good 'ol ride.

First of all, I had no idea what the story is all about. It was just recommended to me or more like requested to review and I didn't bother to ask what's the story is all about. As usual, I love being surprised and I tend to judge a book by it's cover. Having said that, the cover is really pretty and I love that the matches have some connection with one of the characters of the book. I already predicted that though.

Honestly, I was expecting a compilation of notes from girls. Yes, I took the title literally. Don't sue me. But I guess if that was the case, it would've been a lot interesting, in my opinion. 

Contrary to the praise it got physically, the content seemed to be a bit off for me. It started strong but then along the way, it kinda messed up real bad like there was no consistency, the situations and the actions of the protagonist towards the situation seemed to be questionable many, many times.

Sure, I kinda held on to the first few pages but I'm not gonna say that I was completely hooked.

I already predicted that it would be one of those mystery, thriller books where a friend investigates the real story behind another person/friend's death but I was also kinda hoping that there would be a much unique kind of treatment that would make this book different from the others.


The story is completely and utterly overwhelming. It tried to focus on multiple subjects like abuse, pregnancy, rape, drugs and so on and I must say it made the whole plot tangled in a very bad way.

The protagonist's characterization was a little crazy for me too. There was no consistency in June's character. She's very dynamic but not the good kind. I guess it would've been better if her character's progression was a little slow, like, taking one step at a time because it seemed like she has this double personality. Her character didn't let the readers get to know her more before she jumped into this new character which is frustrating.

"We protect the people we love."

And I kinda question how it was so easy for her to get clues from people and get to some dangerous places like when she went to talk to a drug dealer. It was questionable for her character that was tried to be described as innocent and mostly terrified. I get it that it's a mystery, thriller novel and it's fiction so anything can happen but I'm just saying that it would've been nice if her actions actually fit her personality. And besides, she was alone when she did some investigation and I doubt that some naive girl like her would be able to have some legit connection with people that could make the investigation easier on her part. She made the whole investigation pretty simple for a girl like her.

For Delia's part, it actually excite me to know what actually happened to her. The clues were enough to make me go whacky in thinking who the duck actually killed her or what actually happened to her. It's sad that it was the only thing or part in the story that excite me.

If anything, I'd say Delia's character is the only one who is interesting. Although her personality is very cliche and her actions are predictable too but at least I've seen more consistency on her part.

It would actually be nice if some of the supporting character were given a little more background. Like Delia's new found friends. They seemed to be left as a mystery which is maddening. Supporting characters oftentimes help the whole story to be a lot better. 

There were too many twists and turns in the middle of the story which made it really intense, not in the good way because the beginning seemed to be simple, not so overwhelming, just you know, fine or okay and then came the middle and BOOM! everything went cuckoo. Just like that. It was just thrown at the reader's messily. 

I actually love the transitioning between the past and present. It actually helped the reader's understand why the current situation is happening. And also how the POVs were changed at the end. It was actually done smoothly.

This book is just one of the many books that tried to top, if not, be the next Gone Girl and failed miserably. There is nothing oh-so-special with this book. Although it showcased such strong bond between two people, between two friends who got lost and apart along the way and found their way back to each other.

There are just so many questions left unanswered in this book that simply frustrates the hell outta me but hey, I gotta move on.

I wouldn't really recommend this but if you're into some crazy plotting then be my guest. 

Review: RANDOM

Who's the real victim here? This tense and gripping exploration of cyberbullying and teen suicide is perfect for fans of Before I Fall and Thirteen Reasons Why.

Late at night Tori receives a random phone call. It's a wrong number. But the caller seems to want to talk, so she stays on the line.

He asks for a single thing—one reason not to kill himself.

The request plunges her into confusion. Because if this random caller actually does what he plans, he'll be the second person connected to Tori to take his own life. And the first just might land her in jail. After her Facebook page became Exhibit A in a tragic national news story about cyberbullying. Tori can't help but suspect the caller is a fraud. But what if he’s not? Her words alone may hold the power of life or death.

With the clock ticking, Tori has little time to save a stranger—and maybe redeem herself—leading to a startling conclusion that changes everything.

“Don’t let your mouth write checks your heart can’t cash,” 

The short description of what the story is all about is not as intense as the story itself. The fact that it is recommended to fans of Before I Fall and Thirteen Reasons Why is enough to tickle my curious cat. I adore both books so it isn't a surprise that I have a soft spot for this one too.

What made it even more intense and gripping would probably be the fact that the whole thing happened in a span of 24hours.  I became invested to it from the very beginning and it escalated even more at the end.

I could only imagine the thoughts going on in the mind of a sixteen-year-old girl when she received some strange call from a person thinking of doing suicide. It's already bad that she had to go to a trial because of a felony act and now, she was  given such huge responsibility for another person or life.

I simply love the smooth twists and turns. It was beautifully sewn together. It wasn't cluttered or confusing. It all made sense.

I have also a strong objection against bullying in any form or type so clearly I am not happy with Tori's character. I just can't accept the fact that she wasn't aware that she was practically goading someone to bully another person or the fact that she was actually bullying someone. So the whole dropping of another suicide situation on her lap made me thought that she kinda deserves it at some point. It served as a lesson to her actually, in my opinion though. I mean, she's obviously too selfish, inconsiderate and plain insensitive. I just hate people like her that doesn't think twice about the consequences of their actions as long as other people thinks that they're cool.

This book is amazing in its own ways. The protagonist may not have killed the bullied person but that doesn't make her an innocent at all. And that's what this book is all about and what it teaches. It teaches us how a simple act could become something big and could ruin someone else's life. It may be a joke to you or your friends, you may not see the person you commented with something bad but it doesn't mean that that person isn't hurt or not taking it seriously. We have no idea what each person is going through in their lives so we gotta be careful with how we talk to them or how we deliver those unnecessary jokes.

The ending is priceless, its something I did not see coming. I was left speechless and my eyes widened. It made perfect sense and I loved it.

It may sound boring to some because it is consisted mostly of phone conversations but I do believe that it is what made the whole story intense and thrilling, like you're on a thread with Tori too. And as I've mentioned, Tori is selfish and it made the readers jittery because there could be a possibility that she might not help him and would more likely not be involved with it.

I highly recommend this to all. It's a must-read. A different treatment about cyberbullying because we get to see the other side of the story. It's in the perspective of one of the bullies. It would teach all the readers the value of being responsible with their actions and words. Kudos to Leveen!