book info: on sale: now copy from: public library pages: 348 review written: 21.12.17 originally published: 2009 edition read: Penguin NAL 2009 title: Rooftops of Tehran author: Mahbod Seraji In a middle-class neighborhood of Iran's sprawling capital city, 17-year-old Pasha Shahed spends the summer of 1973 on his rooftop with his best friend Ahmed, joking around one minute and asking burning questions about life the next. He also hides a secret love for his beautiful neighbor Zari, who has been betrothed since birth to another man. But the bliss of Pasha and Zari's stolen time together is shattered when Pasha unwittingly acts as a beacon for the Shah's secret police. The violent consequences awaken him to the reality of living under a powerful despot, and lead Zari to make a shocking choice... my thoughts: This book was first published in 2009 and I remember adding it to my list around that time but never actually reading it since I preferred checking out library books to ...
Cinder & Ella by Kelly OramSource: ARC
Publisher: Bluefields
Publication Date: October 1st, 2014
Age Genre: Young Adult
It’s been almost a year since eighteen-year-old Ella Rodriguez was in a car accident that left her crippled, scarred, and without a mother. After a very difficult recovery, she’s been uprooted across the country and forced into the custody of a father that abandoned her when she was a young child. If Ella wants to escape her father’s home and her awful new stepfamily, she must convince her doctors that she’s capable, both physically and emotionally, of living on her own. The problem is, she’s not ready yet. The only way she can think of to start healing is by reconnecting with the one person left in the world who’s ever meant anything to her—her anonymous Internet best friend, Cinder.
…
Hollywood sensation Brian Oliver has a reputation for being trouble. There’s major buzz around his performance in his upcoming film The Druid Prince, but his management team says he won’t make the transition from teen heartthrob to serious A-list actor unless he can prove he’s left his wild days behind and become a mature adult. In order to douse the flames on Brian’s bad-boy reputation, his management stages a fake engagement for him to his co-star Kaylee. Brian isn’t thrilled with the arrangement—or his fake fiancée—but decides he’ll suffer through it if it means he’ll get an Oscar nomination. Then a surprise email from an old Internet friend changes everything.
When I first heard of Cinder & Ella, I had to get it. A Movie Star x Normal girl romance with a Cinderella vibe from Kelly Oram?
I laughed, I cried, and I had the hugest goofy grins on my face in between. I've got to admit, I was kind of surprised by the "cried" part. I'm used to Kelly's contemporary books being just about the most adorable thing since kittens, so I wasn't prepared for how painful and emotional this book is at times. But don't worry, it still retained a huge amount of the adorable, the cute and the down right KYAA worthy.
And I suppose it makes sense - Ella went through a huge tragedy, and she'll never be the same. The issues she deals with are all understandable and you can't help but tear up for her. And she can't be without them, either. And despite those issues, despite the fact she cries a lot - she's not a crier or a whiner, not really. She's strong and brave and deals with everything a lot better than I would've in her stead. All I wanted to do while reading the story is give her a hug, tell her she's beautiful and slap her family silly for the idiotic way they phrase things! Tact people! Learn the word, learn it's meaning and practice it!
Then there's Brian, aka Cinder. Kelly Oram, WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH ALL THE BOOK BOYFRIEND YOU CREATE FOR ME!? This is becoming a problem! My only reprieve is that all of them have their soul mates, so the fantasizing is not that bad, but geez, woman! Stop (or actually, never ever stop) creating such swoon worthy specimens!
Cinder was downright delicious. He had the Kelly Oram trademark - cocky and sure of himself, but so sweet your teeth will ache and so loving and loyal to the girl it'll make you weep because you don't have that in your life (or, maybe, that's just me. I dunno).
Then we had maybe my favorite part of the book - Ella's family. Keeping to the Cinderella theme, it starts off rocky, with a lot of bumps and misunderstanding and pain. But Kelly knows human and human behavior, and unlike the fairy-tale, none of Ella's family are truly evil, and the journey they go through to understand each other and grow closer was beautiful to watch and very touching.
And, that ending. Gosh, I want more! I want to see my perfect babies have perfect babies! I want to see more interviews with Brian where he's gushing over Ella and calling her Wifey and stuff (he would totally do that). I want to see him bring Ellen photos of his daughter being to most proud and dotting father ever. I want to see Ella meet his mother, and I want to see her reading a book with their daughter sleeping on her, and I want to see her making her way as a scriptwriter (book adaptations mostly) because she's decided that if Hollywood never gets it right on their own - she'll just have to help them along the way. So, Kelly. Write this for me? Pretty please?
(and yes, I totally continued the story years ahead and I dreamily sigh at the result. Don't judge me!)
Two things you need to take from this reviews - Read Kelly Oram books, it's good for the soul, and read this book, because HELLO, HAVE YOU READ MY REVIEW!?
Nitzan★
Giveaway
About the Author
Kelly Oram wrote her first novel at age fifteen—a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which her family and friends still tease her. She's obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and likes to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, four children, and her cat named Mr. Darcy.
Author Links:
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