Top 6 Realistic Fiction Books

While books are a way to escape from reality and to delve into another world, sometimes there's nothing more satisfying than reading a story set in the real world rather than a fictional one. Whenever I want to focus more on real characters who undergo a lot of change rather than an action-packed plot, realistic-fiction is there. And so, I bring to you today, in no particular order, my top 6 realistic-fiction books.

First up today is Fangirl, a sweet romance about a college freshman who would rather prefer to lock herself up in her room writing fan-fiction rather than attempting to interact with new people. The characters are all so funny and unique and the story-telling is one of the best. I especially love the use of fan-fiction excerpts to give you a taste of fantasy in a realistic fiction story. The romance between Cath and Levi warms you heart and watching Cath and Wren reconcile as sisters is sweet. Cath grows as a person due to the people she meets and the opportunities she takes. The story-telling and the fleshed out characters make this book stand out from the rest. I loved this book.

Something Real, is about 17-year old Bonnie™ Baker who spent the first 13 years of her life on a reality TV show, Baker's Dozen, along with her parents and her 12 siblings. Four years after its cancellation, after Chloe has finally settled into a normal life, it's back on the air. This story focuses on Chloe aka Bonnie and how she deals with her dysfunctional family and the pressure of being watched 24/7. The characters all feel so real and it's so interesting to watch Chloe, her brother Benton, and their friends as they help each other out. There's a lot of drama and it has a bittersweet ending, but you come to care for the character's and emphasize with their struggles.

Hate List is about Valerie Leftman and how she deals with her family and classmates after her boyfriend Nick opened fire in their school cafeteria, killing several people that were named on a list created by Valerie and Nick of things and people they hated. Now back in school for her senior year, she has to deal with the guilt and isolation she feels, with everyone avoiding her. It's a story Valerie's journey as she finds closure and comes to terms with herself, and learns that she's not the only one who was affected by the shooting. I really enjoyed reading about Valerie's struggles and how at the end she is able to do something for the victims and learn to move on.

Lynn Visible is a book I read a couple years ago yet even now I can remember how much I loved this book. It's about Lynn Vincent, who is passionate about fashion. She loves inventing her own style and is used to being looked down upon due to her unique outfits. When one of her creations lands into the hands of a famous designer, she has to ask herself whether what she wants and what exactly fashion means to her. To her, it's a form of self-expression and a canvas for her never-ending creativity. I loved reading about the characters and Lynn's own struggles with herself.

Thirteen Reasons Why is a story about Clay Jensen who receives a package of thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, a classmate who committed suicide two weeks earlier. In the tapes, Hannah explains the thirteen reasons why she committed suicide. This was such a unique story and to learn about 12 people and how their bullying and actions caused Hannah so much pain was heartbreaking. It was so well-written and shows you how much of an impact your actions can have on other people, whether they were with good intentions or not. The narrative and characters were definitely the highlights of this novel.

Flash Burnout is about Blake who has a passion for photography. One day he snaps a picture of a homeless woman and discovers that it's the long-lost mother of his friend, Marissa. Blake struggles between his long-relationship with his girlfriend and his increasing involvement with Marissa. This book's story was well-written and I loved how the author was able to use photography as a way to describe the obstacles you have to overcome in life. I loved the end when Blake's project for his photography class immortalizes the events that happened up until when Melissa left. The author is able to tie the story back together really well.

Fangirl

Hey guys! It's been a while. I have to admit, I've been in a reading slump lately and just couldn't find anything I wanted to read. The only two books I read over the summer were... for school.

Pathetic, right? I think it's because I've been reading way too many dystopian YA novels and I've found myself growing tired of them. So instead, I decided to check out a realistic-fiction author I've heard good things about, Rainbow Rowell. Her more well-known book, Eleanor and Park, wasn't available at the library, so I decided to settle on one of her other books, Fangirl.

And wow I enjoyed this book so much.

A brief synopsis from Amazon:

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.
Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...
But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.
Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.
Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.
Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.
For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?
Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?
And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

Let's talk about the fanfiction. One unique thing about this book is that it includes several excerpts from the (fictional) Simon Snow series and Cath's own fanfiction story. To be honest, these excerpts were probably my favorite part of the entire book, because it's like a reading a spin-off from Harry Potter (which I LOVE) but it's different enough to make it its own. Fangirl is like two stories in one; Cath's college life and the fictional world she writes about.

Cath and her twin sister Wren were close growing up, especially after their mom left them when they were younger. But now that they are starting college, Wren wants some independence. The two are very different from each other; Wren is more outgoing and likes to go to parties and get drunk, and Cath is more introverted, preferring to lock herself up in her room and write fanfiction all day. Throughout their freshman year, they hardly talk to each other and when they do, it always turns into an argument. By the end of the book however, Wren reconciles with Cath and they are drawn back together through the world of Simon Snow, which I found really touching. Two twins, gone their separate ways, are brought back together because they are sisters and know each other best.

The romance in this book was so cute and sweet. Unlike a lot of YA books where a lot of the romance feels fake or forced, Cath and this guy (name undisclosed to prevent spoilers) start out as acquaintances and slowly develops into something beyond friendship. His and Cath's personalities were both really likable and I thought they were perfect for each other.

Overall I absolutely loved this book, and I look forward to reading more of Rainbow Rowell's books. It's a perfect blend of realistic-fiction, fantasy (Simon Snow), humor, romance, and character development. I recommend it to anyone looking for a light and cute read because I fell in love with the characters and I know you will too.

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter. The fifth book of the Gallahger Girl series. This book was amazing.

Wait, rewind. Did you catch that last line? "This book was amazing." Oh, good, I was afraid that you might've missed that vital sentence. Because it's true. This book was way different from the others. It was a mystery, and naturally was full of suspense, shock, and disbelief. Oh, and moments where I was like, "WHY?? NO!!" *sobs in anger*. Which is good thing, trust me.

All that Cammie Morgan remember from her summer vacation was leaving to protect her friends and family from the Circle. That, and waking up to find that months had past, and that she couldn't remember a thing about what she did over her summer. When she comes back to school, she's ready for things to return to normal. But what she realizes is that things may never be normal again. She finds that she is a different person. Someone who knows how to do stuff she couldn't even imagine doing. Things that she does in an instant without it even registering her brain. She is now considered a danger even to her fellow classmates, in the one place she has ever felt safe.

They have to trace back, find out exactly what happened over the summer, and solve the mystery before time runs out. Because the Circle is hot on their trail.

Like I said, I was constantly in suspense, and loved the twists that left me in shock and disbelief. It's a must read. (And yes, my rating is correct. I did consider giving it an 11 out of 10, but I decided that was a bit too much.)

My Rating: 10.5 out of 10 stars

City of Heavenly Fire (NO SPOILERS)

Okay. Okay. It's finally time. *takes deep breath* I just finished reading City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare, and I... OMG WHY DID IT HAVE TO END??

Let me tell you something. I have read so many YA books over the past few years. But I have never gotten my hands on a book that caused me to stay up to 2 in the morning just to finish a 725 page book.

Until now.

After reading both The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices series, I have to say that Cassandra Clare is one of my favorite authors. I love her writing style, and the way she's able to create such a vivid world, The Shadowhunter World, is amazing. Cassandra Clare is able to weave so many characters into one huge story, that has a hundred different things going on at the same time.

Now let me say something. When I first read City of Bones, I liked it, but I didn't think it was a masterpiece. When I read Clockwork Angel, I even thought about dropping the Infernal Devices series, because it wasn't my cup of tea. But I'm so glad I didn't drop it. Because every single book Cassandra Clare writes is 10 times better than the last one. And this book, all 725 pages of it, had me hooked the whole way through.

Sebastian is such a despicable character. He has demon blood in him after all. He's inhuman, and shows no empathy when he tortures and kills. And as much as I hate Sebastian, I can't help feeling sorry for him. This is what Cassandra Clare is able to do. She can create such a twisted and evil character such as Sebastian, and make him have a weakness that almost makes him seem like a lost little boy who might've lived a normal life if things were different.

Now City of Heavenly Fire is the end of the series, and it wraps up perfectly. I can't think of anything I'd change to make it better. Although it's a bittersweet ending; many things are still not resolved and to think of how many people died in the war against Sebastian... Even then, it's a happy ending because it's more like a new beginning or... ARGH I DON'T KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN THIS.

Anyway, if you are a fan of Cassandra Clare's works, you won't be disappointed by this last book of the series, as I think it's even better than the last, which was Clockwork Princess. And you don't know how much I loved Jem, Tessa, and Will after that ended.

Rating: 10 out of 10

The Night Circus

Hello! I'm back again with a review on a book I recently finished; The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. This book was recommended to me by a friend, and after reading it, I have mixed feelings over it. First off, I'm just going say that this book isn't for everyone. It's lengthy, and definitely not for those seeking a story with a lot of action. But it is very descriptive and overall I enjoyed the slow-paced and mysterious aura that this book gives off.

This book is about a Le Cirque des Reves; a circus that travels the world, appearing and disappearing without notice. Unbeknownst to most, this circus is the venue of a competition between two talented illusionists. During their childhoods, their respective instructors have placed a bond on them that entitles their participation in a game against each other, a game that will last for many years, all the way into their adulthood. Due to the bonds placed upon them, their is no way to leave the game until a winner is declared, and neither of them were told clearly how the winner was supposed to be chosen. So without being told who their respective opponents were, they began to create incredible feats of magic for those visiting the circus to enjoy, taking turns to counter each other's moves. Once they first meet, they inadvertently begin to fall in love, learning too late that to end the game there must be only one left standing.

The book spans from 1873 to 1903, which is the duration of their entire competition, from the moment they are bound to it until the moment the game ends. I like how the book is set during this time period, because it adds to the mysterious setting and it fits the circus and magic theme very nicely. What really made this book worthwhile to read was the writing-style of the author; she really puts a lot of effort into describing the setting and characters in such detail, that it made this fictional world so much more magic. The description of the circus was so intriguing that I honestly wished it was real just so I could visit it and experience it myself.

I found the story about the two illusionists to be very heartwarming. The author had a pretty big cast of characters with different personalities that you get attached to, and I think it's very interesting that although the game is between the two illusionists, they didn't realize that there would be so many others that were involved as well. This enriched the story even further; the author made use of a great deal of description in order to make the reader grow really attached to the circus and the characters.

As much as I loved the writing-style of this book, this book had many flaws as well. As I mentioned, it's quite lengthy without much development at times, that it's easy to get bored, despite it's detail. Another thing that contributes to the slow-pace is the time period. Each chapter has a location and a date, and because it's not always in chronological order, it takes some time to realize that the events that are happening are often several months apart. It took me a while to realize that the book covered a period of 30 years, that although at the beginning the characters were young and reckless, they've progressed well into adulthood before the game has an end in sight. Also, because the chapters kept jumping from the past to the present, it's easy to get confused and make sense of everything that is happening.

All in all, I enjoyed reading this book, as it was something a lot different than books I've already read. What sold this book to me was the writing-style, and although slow, the story line was also touching to read about. I feel as if I've been brought into a whole new world of magic since I read Harry Potter, and I think those with patience and time will enjoy this book as well.

Rating: 8 out of 10