REVIEW:I Know It's Over by C.K.Kelly Martin

SYNOPSIS: PURE. UNPLANNED. PERFECT. Those were Nick’s summer plans before Sasha stepped into the picture. With the collateral damage from his parents’ divorce still settling and Dani (his girl of the moment) up for nearly anything, complications are the last thing he needs. All that changes, though, when Nick runs into Sasha at the beach in July. Suddenly he’s neck-deep in a relationship and surprised to find he doesn’t mind in the least. But Nick’s world shifts again when Sasha breaks up with him. Then, weeks later, while Nick’s still reeling from the breakup, she turns up at his doorstep and tells him she’s pregnant. Nick finds himself struggling once more to understand the girl he can’t stop caring for, the girl who insists that it’s still over.
-From Goodreads

MY REVIEW: I Know It's Over is a pretty nice read. It breezes by. The characters are well developed and interesting. Though it is a romance novel,it deals not only with problems of love but relates to other teen issues too.
The chemistry between Sasha and Nick was strong. Personally,I liked the past reflections more than the narration of their present chemistry. However,I found Sasha's character a wee bit bizarre and weird. I could comprehend no reason for her changing behavior. She was too moody and whimsical for me,and personally,I'm averse to such people,even in my personal life! Now,Nick is my quintessential lover boy. I don't know how Sasha could pass up someone like him! Nick supported Sasha in her every decision. I'd have liked Sasha to understand his emotions and feelings for once! Nevertheless,it was interesting to read the book totally from Nick's perspective. And that may have coated my opinions about Nick and Sasha. May be if Kelly Martin had provided Sasha's reasons for her actions,it would have been more comprehensible and one could judge her in a better and fairer light.
I was totally in love with Nathan,Nick's gay best friend. His dilemma and portrayal was was extremely realistic. Kelly Martin excelled in sketching his character and through him,we also get to see the stigma still present in the society against freely accepting homosexuals.
What I really liked about this book is that though it deals with many serious teen issues,it is never preachy. The narrative just presents the story of two individuals who were in love and due to various circumstances(some incomprehensible to me) fall apart. Within it are embedded issues of divorce,homosexuality,growing up and teen pregnancy.
The ending is pretty satisfactory. Though its not completely to my liking(I'm a sucker for happy endings),any other ending would have felt forced. So in all,its a pleasant read and I liked it inspite of its shortcomings.

MY RATING: 3.5/5

REVIEW: My Invented Life by Lauren Bjorkman

SYNOPSIS: With Roz and Eva everything becomes a contest—who can snag the best role in the school play, have the cutest boyfriend, pull off the craziest prank. Still, they’re as close as sisters can be. Until Eva deletes Roz from her life like so much junk e-mail for no reason that Roz understands. Now Eva hangs out with the annoyingly petite cheerleaders, and Roz fantasizes about slipping bovine growth hormone into their Gatorade. Roz has a suspicion about Eva. In turn, Eva taunts Roz with a dare, which leads to an act of total insanity. Drama geeks clamor for attention, Shakespearean insults fly, and Roz steals the show in Lauren Bjorkman’s hilarious debut novel.
(from Goodreads)


MY REVIEW: I have to start with the cover. I love the cover of the book. Its quirky,attractive and kinda crazy. It's perfect for the story between the covers. It aptly illustrates the relationship between Roz and Eva.

To move on to the story,Roz is downright crazy! She does these super crazy things and also has an invented life of her own! (well...I guess we all have invented lives of our own. Ummm...yours truly has one too :P) But she's pretty lovable in her own sweet way. And she's really really perceptive. She gets on to her sister's little secret from the very beginning(I am not gonna reveal the secret to you...you have to read the book to know). Eva fails to understand her own self but can't remain hidden from Roz. Roz is quirky. She gave me lots to laugh about. Her character has been interestingly penned.

However I must say I found the relationship between Roz and Eva disturbing,especially from Roz's side. To me,it seemed like Roz was always after Eva's things,her handouts. It's Eva's boyfriends who she wants. In an attempt to idolize and copy her elder sister,and trying to secure her position as her sister's confidante,Roz takes it a bit too far. I found that a little creepy.

In all,the book is a light read. It mainly focuses on issues of sexuality and acceptance and I must give Lauren Bjorkman lots of credit for the delicate way in which she handles such difficult topics. The secondary characters are interesting enough. There are quite a few things I didn't see coming,which is what I look for in a book. Filled with lots of humor,teenage drama,this book is pretty entertaining and a fun,light read. It reads fluidly and is quite a page turner.

MY RATING: 3.5/5