Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Plot: Aislinn has always seen faeries. Her grandmother taught her to never let the faeries know of her power, and up until now, Aislinn kept her secret safe. Then Keenan came along. Keenan is the faerie Summer King, and he's been searching for his Summer Queen for centuries. Until he finds the right girl and reaches his full power, the Winter Queen will rule the world. Keenan thinks Aislinn is the one, but she doesn't fall in love with him immediately like all the other girls had, before they were discarded, not being the true Summer Queen. Aislinn's best friend, Seth, is determined to stand in the way of the Summer King, and sparks will fly.

Comments: A rather complicated plot (my apologies for the extensive summary), but it's given to you gradually, so it's manageable. I love the theme and idea of the story, and the characters contrast and fill out the story nicely.  I do like the character Aislinn for her stubbornness and refusal to fall in love with what she knows isn't human - she knows firsthand how cruel and treacherous faeries are - but it's annoying how spineless she is. She isn't going to accept Keenan because of his gorgeous looks but she's falling apart in Seth's arms every day and night, telling him that she's scared and doesn't think she can do it. I hate how dependent Aislinn was upon the man in her life. I just wish she could have been more confident, or at least be able to hold in her sobs every now and again.

I liked Seth because he was understanding, nice, and protective (there's nothing wrong with him supporting Aislinn as long as she supports herself, too). He was eager to help and to be proactive, and I think Aislinn was lucky to have him. Keenan, on the other hand, was arrogant, self-obsessed, and completely confident in his abilities to have any girl come running when he snaps his fingers. I felt a fierce glee when he was so confused and bewildered at Aislinn's apparent immunity to his charms. No girl had ever turned him down before, which made him spoiled. He thought he had a right to take any girl he wanted - he had many times before, and when they turned out to be just another mortal and not his Summer Queen, it of course wasn't his fault that they suffered terribly and lost their mortality. What a jerk.

I thought the ending was good, a nice way to wrap things up and tie up all the loose ends. I was hoping for a sequel continuing the story of Aislinn and Seth, but so far I've only seen that any sequels out are about different characters. I find that disappointing, and I probably won't read the other books. I dislike reading stories where the main characters from a previous book are no longer the main characters.

Rating: I rate this book an eight out of ten.

Titanic: The Long Night by Diane Hoh

Plot: This is a story of two young women from completely different circumstances aboard the famous Titanic on her maiden voyage. Katie is Irish, with flaming red hair contrasting with her sweet temper. Her parents saved money for a long time to get her on this ship to America, where she hopes to become a singer. Elizabeth is traveling with her wealthy and controlling parents, and is determined to spend the entire trip convincing her mother and father that she will not marry the man they chose, and she wishes to go to college in America. Both women fall in love and share that tragic night at sea as the Titanic proves it is not truly "unsinkable".

Comments: I liked the writing in this book, and a few of the main characters. Katie was my favorite, partly because she was one of the third class passengers and therefore more of an underdog, and partly because she was independent and clever. I didn't like Elizabeth as much because she threw tantrums (or at least pouted and sulked) and wasn't very proactive. She tried convincing her parents that she would never marry Alan, a man they picked for her and whom she didn't even like, but when they wouldn't listen, she would immediately pick a fight. Instead of remaining cool and collected, Elizabeth would only prove to her parents that she was yet a spoiled child, unable to care for herself. I understand that she had no money and couldn't think of a way to go to college without her parents' support, but I didn't admire the way she tried to win them over.

I thought Katie was rather slow to pick up on what Paddy was mentioning; Paddy, a ladies' man and heartbreaker, liked Katie, but he thought she belonged to his older brother, Brian. He was continually hinting about it, but Katie just didn't get it (she liked Paddy back). That got a bit annoying after a while.

I was amazed at how much of the book was devoted to the night the Titanic sank. Yes, the title is about that historical night, but it still surprised me. It certainly took a long time for the ship to sink. I was also surprised at how many passengers - especially the first class - didn't believe the ship was sinking or were conveniently blocking the truth out of their minds. Though I suppose it wouldn't have done much good otherwise, since there were nowhere near enough lifeboats. That fact always saddens me; to think that so many people that lost their lives that night could have been saved, if only the Titanic had the correct amount of lifeboats. The builders claimed it was unsinkable, and it was certainly an impressive ship, and apparently no one had the caution to prepare for the worst.

Rating: I rate this book a seven out of ten. It was a good story, nice historical fiction, and I wonder how it compares to the truth, like with the descriptions of the ship, crew, and conditions for the different classes.

Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

Plot: Holden Caulfield is not your typical teenage boy. He doesn't have many friends, hates school and is flunking all his classes but English, and thinks almost everyone is a "phony". He's criticizing and sarcastic, but while he claims he can hardly stand being around his classmates, Holden seems desperate for attention and company. Striking out on his own, Holden has an adventure that creates a story of rebellion, sexuality, and self-acceptance - or self-rejection.

First Line: "If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth."

Comments: This book was assigned for reading in my English class, and I was a bit apprehensive when I began reading. I'd heard only negative comments from my classmates and friends - no one I talked to had a good word to say about the book or Holden, except for a couple of my teachers. But when I was a few pages in, I realized that, contrary to popular opinion, I was actually enjoying the story. Surprising? I think part of the reason none of my friends liked Catcher in the Rye was because it was a book they were required to read for the eternally hated  homework. Maybe if they'd given the book a chance and a clean slate, they would have enjoyed it more.

I really loved Holden. He was such a complex and intriguing character. He was constantly complaining and criticizing, but while I can see how that could be annoying, it rather endeared him to me. I could tell that behind his cynicism and disdain for other people, Holden wished he could be like those people, wanted to be accepted and loved. But instead everyone thought he was strange and a little insane. Holden was, in my opinion, a true underdog, and I felt sorry for him. He thought very differently from other people, and I laughed out loud at his witty mutterings and ideas. I was really touched by the way he talked about his younger brother who had passed away. Holden was always mentioning Allie, and I could tell how much he missed him. Holden was also very dedicated to his younger sister Phoebe, and it turns out that he depends on her very much.

In the end, Holden Caulfield is just another confused teenager trying to find what life holds for him, and who he is. I have pity and sympathy for him, and empathy as well. I also have a lot of respect for Holden, and when the title of the book was finally explained in one of the last chapters, I realized how fiercely I wished his life could have been better. He's just misunderstood. And aren't we all?

Rating: I rate this book a ten out of ten. (I've never done that before!) To truly understand how I feel about this book, you would need to read the lines between the lines and actually listen to what Holden is trying to say. I hope you find this story as heartfelt and funny and wise and beautiful and depressing and inspiring as I did.