The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

Title: The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend

Author: Kody Keplinger

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Age Group: Young Adult

Grade: C

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her "Duffy," she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren't so great at home right now. Desperate for a distraction, Bianca ends up kissing Wesley. And likes it. Eager for escape, she throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out that Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.
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This book made me think about some things. I'm still in high school so the things that were talked about could be applied to me and my group of friends. I've never really thought about being the DUFF or anything of that sort, but I have thought about being the least liked friend or getting left out, etc. After I finished the book I talked to my friends and they felt the same way. We thought it was funny that each of us felt like the DUFF.

The whole concept of the book is a little cliched. You know, the whole "I HATE him. Wellll he isn't so bad...actually I like him. I HATE him again." It was predictable. Also, a lot of Bianca's actions didn't align with the personality that she put forth. There was often no reasoning and Bianca, as a character, was mostly boring and desperate for attention. At first I liked her strong will and confident attitude. I could also appreciate that she was the "mature" friend. Later though, after she gives in to the DUFF concept and lets it tear her apart it was hard to like her. Why would she be with a guy that made her feel that bad? It just annoyed me.

The best part of the book was probably Bianca's relationship with her parents. Most of the time it took a back seat to Wesley, but when it came out, it sucked me right back into the book. Most teens can relate to parent issues including divorce which made the book a lot more readable. It was great to see their relationship evolve.

Another thing that I really liked was Bianca's sarcastic and witty comments to Wesley. Those random moments where she would grow a back bone and stick up for herself. And made me proud.

Overall Bianca wasn't a completely horrible character and the plot was a bit interesting and fun. The characters on the side lines also got their time to shine.

-Amanda
Book received free from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Waiting on Wednesday

Across the Universe by Beth Revis--January 11th

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules. Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next. Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Drought By Pam Bachorz--January 25th

Ruby dreams of escaping the Congregation. Escape from slaver Darwin West and his cruel Overseers. Escape from struggling to gather the life-prolonging Water that keeps the Congregants alive--and Darwin rich. Escape from her certain, dreary existence, living as if it's still the early 1800s, when the Congregation was first enslaved. But if Ruby leaves, the Congregation will die without the secret ingredient to the Water: her blood. So she stays, and prays to their savior Otto, who first gave Water to the Congregants... and fathered Ruby before he vanished.When the Congregants discover Ruby's forbidden romance with an Overseer, they beat Ford to stop her from running away with him. Ruby steals their store of Water to save Ford's life and is banished. Ruby has everything she's dreamed of: a modern life with Ford. But the modern world isn't what she thought it would be, and Ruby can't forsake the Congregation. Love and loyalty push Ruby to return and fight for her family's freedom...at a terrible price.

-Amanda

Inception

Title: Inception

Director: Christopher Nolan

Writer: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ellen Page

Grade: A

In a world where technology exists to enter the human mind through dream invasion, a highly skilled thief is given a final chance at redemption which involves executing his toughest job to date: Inception.
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This movie impressed me completely. The first time I saw the trailer I knew that I had to see it. Not only did it have some delicious DiCaprio and other..attractive co-stars, it also had Ellen Page. I have seen about 4 movies starring Ellen Page and I loved every single one. Right off the bat I went into the theater with high hopes.

The movie starts out by jumping right into the action with some of the main cast performing "Deception," which is where they trick someone into letting them know their secrets. After that it's pretty much action scene after action scene which made the movie very exciting and never boring.

I recognized that Ellen Page, who played Ariadne, was just a plot tool. Without this newbie in their group there would barely be a logical reason to explain what they are doing since they are all seasoned experts on the topic. Ariadne gave them a reason to explain the how and the why.

I only had one complaint really. I understood how they would construct dreams and whatnot, but they never explained how they ALL got in the same dream together knowing exactly what they were doing and only having the intended dreamer dream. Besides that I was completely pleased.

The movie gives you so much to think about that when we left the theater our brains felt overworked. I've never thought about and analyzed a movie so much before in my life. I usually don't buy movies but I really want this one. I think that it is very re-watchable.

Overall "Inception" was a great movie that relied mostly on plot and storyline rather than vampires and romance. All of the actors were amazing and the action and dream scenes are breathtaking. I would recommend this movie to anyone who actually likes to think through some complex ideas.

-Amanda

The Boredom of Haruhi Suzumiya by Nagaru Tanigawa

Title: The Boredom of Haruhi Suzumiya

Author: Nagaru Tanigawa

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Age Group: Young Adult

Grade: C

This third volume in the Haruhi Suzumiya series is a collection of four exciting short stories that chronologically take place before The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya.

The Boredom of Haruhi Suzumiya: In her latest attempt to give the S.O.S. Brigade more public exposure, Haruhi signs the group up for the city-wide baseball tournament.

Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody: It's like Back To the Future! In order to prevent an impending disaster, Mikuru takes Kyon back in time, where he meets Haruhi as a seventh grader.

Mysterique Sign: The computer club president at school mysteriously disappears, and it's up to the S.O.S. Brigade to get to the bottom of it!

Remote Island Syndrome: It's vacation time when a relative of Itsuki's invites the S.O.S. Brigade to stay at his island villa. But then a dead body turns up, and Haruhi and the gang get mixed up in a thrilling murder mystery.
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As always these books pleased me immensely. I really enjoyed how Boredom was more than just one story, unlike the other books Boredom included several short stories that made the book more interesting and fun to read.

It's funny to read Kyo's off the wall observations and everyone else's wild reactions to the plans that Haruhi devises.

All of the characters can be pretty annoying at times though as well. No one would do the things they are doing, or say the things they are saying but you just have to remember that it is a work of fiction. Of COURSE it's made up. Do you really think espers and time travelers are real? It's hard to get angry about how unrealistic the characters are when you're dealing with a fantasy novel.

I really enjoy looking at the random art. My mind can stray from books often but seeing pictures gives me the ability to get it together. They also give me a clearer idea of what was going on. They seem to be strategically places where a confusing scene is going on.

To put it simply, I liked the book. It was funny, and creative just like the ones before it. Keep it up Tanigawa. I look forward to reading whatever comes next.

-Amanda
Book received free from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers