Kody Keplinger | Earth and Skye

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Title: That’s Not What Happened
Author: Kody Keplinger
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Young adult
Dates read: 25th February – 6th March 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Hodder
Year: 2018
5th sentence, 74th page: She was young, only twenty-three, and very pretty with golden-blonde hair that fell in loose waves to her shoulders.

It’s been three years since the Virgil County High School shooting. Three years since my best friend, Sarah, was killed in a bathroom stall. Everyone knows Sarah’s story.

But it’s not true.

I know because I was there when she died. This might be my last chance to set the record straight … but I’m not the only survivor with a story to tell about what did – and didn’t – happen that day.

And the fake Sarah story is important to a lot of people, people who don’t take kindly to what I’m trying to do. The more I learn, the less certain I am about what’s worse: the guilt of staying silent or the consequences of speaking up …

This is a seriously intense book. Wicked, brilliant. But fairly intense. Mostly because of the subject matter that it deals with – school shootings in America. I finished this. Put it aside, and then just said “WOW”. There are no other words for it…. Just…. Wow.

I’ve always been grateful / happy to be an Aussie. And this kind of just completely drove that home. Partly because in all of my school days we had TWO lockdown drills. And that was it. Actually, we had more bushfire drills than lockdown drills. There have been no mass shootings since 1996 (since before I even went to school). And then reading a story which features the survivors of such a thing… the pain, the horror…. I just can’t imagine it. And for that I’m glad.

I’m not a huge fan of the media, never really have been. And I’m honestly banned from watching the news when anybody else is around because I frequently yell at the TV… very loudly. Which meant it was really interesting reading a book which featured the ways in which the media gets it wrong. And the consequences of that. The different stories that can come out of one moment… regardless of how and why they started, but everyone has their own story – one which might not necessarily agree with others. But everyone’s story does deserve to be heard. At least, that was the strong, very strong message I got from this. It started out being driven by the truth, and then it started to be more about the loss of a voice in the frenzy of the media.

Although it wasn’t a driving factor of the storyline, I really liked that this story had an asexual lead. Other than Sherlock Holmes, I haven’t had the privilege of this kind of character. And even in Sherlock, it’s not out and out admitted. This is completely out in the open, honest and realistic as to the experience. Yet, there isn’t a big deal made out of it – it’s just an aspect of this character that you come to love and treasure.

If you’re anything like me, you probably won’t be able to put this down. It is intriguing, engaging and absolutely soul wrenching. Yet, there is a lightness and relatability to it that I really wasn’t expecting for this subject matter. I also loved that it was written in a slightly different format to most of the novels that I read. A format that really told the story brilliantly.

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Title: The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend
Author: Kody Keplinger
Series: Hamilton High #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Book to Film, Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Young adult
Dates read: 10th January 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Poppy
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: I just needed to deal with it myself before I sprang it on her and Jessica.

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper may not be the prettiest girl in her high school, but she has a loyal group of friends, a biting wit, and a spot-on BS detector. She’s also too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush, who calls Bianca the Duff – the designated ugly fat friend – of her crew.

But things aren’t so great at home and Biance, desperate for a distraction, ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t sucha 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.

I read this in one sitting. Literally. I thought I’d pick up a book and just enjoy an easy read for an hour or so. But then, I couldn’t put it down. And forgot to eat. And went to bed really late. I have GOT to stop doing that. I also read this while I was watching the movie. Which is also amazing. Actually, I’m not entirely sure which version I loved more. They are really nothing alike. Except for the fact that there’s a Bianca and Wesley… and the use of the term DUFF.

I love that this story is all about accepting oneself. Realising that all of us feel like the “DUFF” in one way or another. And taking that, and making it work for you. After all, everyone has their own insecurities and we should work to build each other up. Like the girls in this novel. Actually, although this is a romance and centres on Wesley and Bianca, it’s the girl relationships that I love the most. Normally, they’re all about bringing each other down. But this is about support, jealousy and all of those wonderful things that a real friendship entails. Believe me, I’ve been best friends with the same girl since I was like, two… we get jealous when the other spends more time with other people, we get annoyed at each other, but at the end of the day, we love each other and support each other no matter what. That’s the friendships that Bianca has with Jess and Casey in this novel.

This is kind of a coming of age story, but it’s a lot more adult. I’m not sure if I’m kind of old, but the idea of having sex at fourteen seems a bit intense. And the fact that this whole relationship starts in sex… when they’re in high school. I don’t know, I’m used to that plot line in my adult romances, not in a young adult one. It still works brilliantly, but it does make me question a few things about society today. And make me fear having children… what will it be like when they get to their teenage years?

Bianca doesn’t have good coping mechanisms in this story. Which is pretty much what this entire story is about. My coping mechanisms are just as bad, maybe not quite as destructive…but withdrawing into myself and refusing to communicate with others? Yeah… I understand that a little too well. Keeping things to yourself is often not the best way to go, and I hope that someone reads this and realises that they need to readjust their coping mechanisms. I know I definitely considered it.

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Shut Out Review ->

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Earth and Skye

The ramblings of a bibliophile.

Tag Archives: Kody Keplinger

That’s Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger

The DUFF by Kody Keplinger