Justine's Thoughts: Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott

Love You Hate You Miss You
By Elizabeth Scott

Source: Library
Pages: 276
Rating: 5/5
Book Description:

It’s been seventy-five days, and Amy still doesn’t know how she can possibly exist without her best friend, Julia -- especially since it’s her fault that Julia’s dead. When her shrink tells her it would be a good idea to start a diary, Amy starts writing letters to Julia instead. But as she writes letter after letter, she begins to realize that the past wasn’t as perfect as she thought it was -- and the present deserves a chance, too.

A quote:

The thing is, that world doesn’t exist. All growing up means is that you realize no one will come along to fix things. No one will come along to save you.

Any thoughts:

This may possibly be my most favourite book by Elizabeth Scott. She seemed to have captured my heart and twisted it in all the right places, making me love this book so much. It’s not to say that it was all bright and happy and cheery, but in fact, the very opposite of that.

Amy is miserable, to say the least. She believes she’s the reason why her best friend, Julia, is dead and that the reason she’s living is only because she deserves an awful, difficult life. She is full of character; she’s sarcastic and courageous and troubled, which is what all makes her interesting. She feels like she can’t do anything without reminding her of Julia, who she felt has always taken care of her. Now that she’s gone and Amy is writing letters to her, Amy measures time by days, by how long Julia’s been gone.

The plot may be predictable at some points, but the way the family structure is set up and the events that lead up to the end are different in such a way only Elizabeth Scott can create. Overall, Love You Hate You Miss You is darker and has more depth than Scott’s romance novels, but it is not to be missed.

Justine's Thoughts: Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott

Perfect You
By Elizabeth Scott

Source: Library
Pages: 282
Book Description:

Kate Brown’s life has gone downhill fast. Her father has quit his job to sell vitamins at the mall, and Kate is forced to work with him. Her best friend has become popular, and now she acts like Kate is invisible.

And then there’s Will. Gorgeous, unattainable Will, whom Kate acts like she can’t stand even though she can’t stop thinking about him. When Will starts acting interested, Kate hates herself for wanting him when she’s sure she’s just his latest conquest.

Kate figures that the only way things will ever stop hurting so much if she keeps to herself and stops caring about anyone or anything. What she doesn’t realize is that while life may not always be perfect, good things can happen -- but only if she lets them. . .

A quote:

"Cute" is one of those words people use when they know you're smart enough to realize "you've got so much personality" means "you're ugly."

Rating:

4/5

Any thoughts:

I love Elizabeth Scott. Every time I read her novels, I get sucked into the plots and its characters. This one was no different. I was hooked from the very start and I loved every single minute of it.

Like always, there are serious subjects beneath the light and sweet surface. Somehow, Elizabeth Scott makes it work with just the right amount of each. Kate Brown is going through a tough time with her family -- dealing with the return of Grandma (a very bad thing), her dad’s dream to sell vitamins at the mall even if it means quitting his job, her brother Todd living at home jobless after graduating college, and the money problem. Then there’s Kate’s ruined friendship with Anna and the complicated ‘thing’ going on with Will. It really does seem like the year for Kate is the worst ever.

But Kate has a strong attitude. She is determined to fix things and to go through whatever life throws at her. Her comebacks are the best, she analyzes a lot -- she’s just your typical teenage girl. But while she keeps to herself, thinking the worst of everything, she doesn’t learn a lesson until the end with the help of Grandma. Life can be lived happy if you let yourself be happy.

If I wasn’t a fan before, I’m definitely a fan now. (I’m kidding, I was already a big fan way back!) Elizabeth Scott successfully manages to insert cute and giggly moments (make out sessions!) as well as serious and sombre times (often with the family). Perfect You has the right balance -- a sharp, but amusing romance, all the drama in high school, a struggling family, and a non-existent friendship. It’s a novel that’s easy to love.

Justine's Thoughts: Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott

Something, Maybe
By Elizabeth Scott

Source: Library
Pages: 217
Book Description:

Everyone thinks their parents are embarrassing, but Hannah knows she's got them all beat. Her dad made a fortune showing pretty girls--and his "p...more Everyone thinks their parents are embarrassing, but Hannah knows she's got them all beat. Her dad made a fortune showing pretty girls--and his "party" lifestyle--all over the Internet, and her mom, who was once one of her dad's girlfriends, is now the star of her own website. After getting the wrong kind of attention for far too long, Hannah has learned how to stay out of sight...and that's how she likes it.

Of course, being unknown isn't helping her get noticed by gorgeous, confident Josh, who Hannah knows is her soul mate. Between trying to figure out a way to get him to notice her, dealing with her parents, and wondering why she can't stop thinking about another guy, Finn, Hannah feels like she's going crazy. She's determined to make things work out the way she wants....only what she wants may not be what she needs.

A quote:

The sun will rise tomorrow. It always does, and all the wishing in the world for the way things were, or for what they could have been, won't change that. It won't change how things are.

Rating:

4/5

Any thoughts:

This did not disappoint. Like any Elizabeth Scott novel, I really liked it. I was hooked from the very beginning and often I would find myself laughing out loud, giggling, and crying. Needless to say, it was very satisfying in the end.

Hannah’s voice is easy to go along with. There’s humour everywhere, which I love. Hannah is such an enjoyable character. But sometimes, the way she dreams of being with Josh bugs me. Not to mention that Finn is right there in front of her, doing all the things I would love a guy do for me. Hannah is so oblivious to Finn that it breaks my heart, especially because she’s pining for Josh, who is...well, let’s just say I did not like him.

While it seems like Something, Maybe is mostly about light and fluffy things, there’s also Hannah’s dysfunctional family, which is where the emotional part comes in. Her parents are both famous: her dad, an ancient playboy being videotaped all the time who lives in an actual castle surrounded by beautiful women, and her mom, a struggling mother who does webcam chats online wearing barely anything on. You can see why Hannah would want to be invisible in school.

Of course, there’s also the friendship between Hannah and her friend Teagan, who is a few years older than her. It’s enjoyable to see how they communicate and analyze and go over the things that happened at work with Josh and Finn. That’s where the giggles come in. Teagan herself, however, also has her own insecurities. I don’t really know what happened in the end with her. She sort of just faded. But I was glad that Hannah had someone to be there for her and vice versa.

Something, Maybe will certainly leave you with a wide smile plastered on your face. It’s a satisfying read, and Elizabeth Scott has successfully outdone it again.

Justine's Thoughts: Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

Living Dead Girl
By Elizabeth Scott

Source: Library
Pages: 170
Book Description (from Goodreads) :

When Alice was ten, Ray took her away from her family, her friends -- her life. She learned to give up all power, to endure all pain. She waited for the nightmare to be over.

Now Alice is fifteen and Ray still has her, but he speaks more and more of her death. He does not know it is what she longs for. She does not know he has something more terrifying than death in mind for her.

This is Alice's story. It is one you have never heard, and one you will never, ever forget.

A quote:

Grace is my favourite church word. A state of being. Something you can pray for. Something God can grant. Something you can obtain. Perfection is out of reach. But grace -- grace you can reach for.

Any thoughts:

Elizabeth Scott certainly knows how to leave a reader speechless. It’s difficult to describe what I felt after reading Living Dead Girl. It just left me emotional, raw, and in awe.

It is disturbing and dark and heart wrenching -- these aren’t enough words to explain the nature of the novel and its plausibility. With a narrator whose voice is hauntingly real and Elizabeth Scott’s poetic prose, the reader is able to bear witness and experience everything.

Living Dead Girl is a short but unforgettable story, one that will make you cringe, cry, and ache in helplessness. It is not enjoyable; it isn’t supposed to be. But it reveals the difficult, unwanted truth that there are cruel people in the world. And by reading the exposed reality Elizabeth Scott has laid down for us, we can try and identify when something is wrong, and act on it.

Elizabeth Scott's Contest for The Unwritten Rule

I want to give a heads up of both Elizabeth Scott's contest and her novel THE UNWRITTEN RULE, coming out March 16, 2010!

Description:
Everyone knows the unwritten rule: You don't like your best friend's boyfriend.

Sarah has had a crush on Ryan for years. He's easy to talk to, supersmart, and totally gets her. Lately it even seems like he's paying extra attention to her. Everything would be perfect except for two things: Ryan is Brianna's boyfriend, and Brianna is Sarah's best friend.

Sarah forces herself to avoid Ryan and tries to convince herself not to like him. She feels so guilty for wanting him, and the last thing she wants is to hurt her best friend. But when she's thrown together with Ryan one night, something happens. It's wonderful...and awful.

Sarah is torn apart by guilt, but what she feels is nothing short of addiction, and she can't stop herself from wanting more...

---

Now for the contest...

One lucky US resident will get to win 15 ARCs, get his/her name mentioned in the acknowledgements of Elizabeth Scoitt's 2011 novel, 10 hardcover YA novels, and if he/she wants, a special phone call from Elizabeth Scott! That sounds awesome, yes?

And to those who live anywhere else in the world, she's giving 3 ARCs of THE UNWRITTEN RULE!

Is this enough to make you excited? If so, enter the contest now! :)

Justine's Thoughts: Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott

Stealing Heaven
By Elizabeth Scott

Pages:

307

Book Description:

Dani has been trained as a thief by the best there is - her mother. They never stay in one place long enough for Dani to have real connections, real friends - a real life.

But in the town of Heaven, everything changes. Suddenly, Dani must question where her loyalties lie: with the life she’s always known - or the one she’s always wanted.

A quote:

The story of my life can be told in silver: in chocolate mills, serving spoons, and services for twelve. The story of my life has nothing to do with me. The story of my life is things. Things that aren’t mine, that won’t ever be mine. It’s all I’ve ever known.

I wish it wasn’t.

Any thoughts:

Another brand new book from the library!

I’ve heard about Elizabeth Scott before and how great her novels are so I decided to read one of them. It turns out everyone was right because I really enjoyed this book, especially in the end. It had me clenching the book so tight (which I tried not to do because I hate getting the cover bent) that I wanted to keep going and read to the very last page. It’s definitely one of those books which you can’t seem to put down.

What intrigued me first was when I read the back of the book. It’s a unique and original story, that I must say, and I thought that the plot overall was planned well. What’s more, there’s romance, my favourite kind of thing. It was used in a way to help develop Dani as a character, which pulls everything together since she has to make the choice that would shape her future - whether it’s doing what she wants or doing what she’s supposed to do.

All in all, this was a very touching book. I found myself caring for Dani and feeling for her. It’s hard to imagine being in her situation, how she was raised knowing everything about stealing, but Elizabeth Scott told her story in such a way that it’s believable. And it just makes me look forward to read all her other works.