Tag Archives: The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet

Favorite Reads from 2013

Out of just over 100 books I had the pleasure of reading last year, here are my top ten favorites:

Glass Girl by Laura Anderson Kurk

From my review: “Glass Girl is a beautiful story of a girl who has lost not only her brother but faces the terrible toll grief has taken on her family. Meg’s emotions are vivid and gripping, as are the relationships she has with each of her parents and friends. The rugged Wyoming countryside provides the perfect backdrop for both the tumultuous feel of the emotional story and the golden-hearted cowboy who teaches Meg about courage, compassion and mercy. This is a novel that demands to be finished once it is begun. Tissues are a must.”

 

City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments) by Cassandra Clare

From my review: “In a series opener that’s tough to put down, Clare introduces a hidden world within the familiar landscape of New York City. The story rockets off to a quick start, leaving readers scrambling to turn pages. Snappy dialogue and imaginative creatures spring from nearly every scene. There were a few moments in which characters’ behavior was a little incongruous with the rest of Clare’s descriptions of them, but overall, this is a high-action story of drama and heart worth the time it takes to cross from cover to cover.”

 

It’s Over by Laura L. Smith

From my review: “Smith carries readers through a rainbow of expertly rendered emotions, from happy holiday celebrations to the deepest of heartache and the purest dawning of hope. Each of the girls has a distinct voice with a different perspective. This is a great series for the reader looking for some fun, lighthearted moments and open to the deeper lessons life has to offer.”

 

 

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

From my review: “In an android-saturated futuristic world, Meyer retells the story of the little Cinder girl, her handsome prince, and the magical ball that brought them together. Her version of the story again brings to life familiar roles – the wicked stepmother, stepsisters, a carriage fastened from an unlikely source – and throws new twists into the mix. Cinder’s world is crafted from a complicated social structure in which humans have the technology to save lives of the gravely injured by implanting machinery.”

 

Starflower by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

From my review: “Fans of the Tales of Goldstone Wood will recognize Eanrin as the wise and mischievous cat who often kept company with the Princess Una in Heartless, the first novel in the series. Starflower predates Heartless and tells the tale of a much younger and more, often humorously, self-centered Eanrin and adding still more depth and breadth to the already rich and lustrous story world Stengl has created.”

 

 

The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet by Stephanie Morrill

From my review: “This is a novel that is easy to love, full of the joys and disappointments of high school and teen romance. Morrill writes witty narrative with perky humor and great emotional depth, drawing readers into the very heart of this tale about a girl who feels totally invisible and the boy who truly sees her.”

 

The Mysterious Howling (The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place) by Maryrose Wood

From my review: “Not every governess is willing to take on three children who were raised by wolves. Literally. Now that they’ve been “rescued” from the forest by Lord Ashton, the children must be civilized and educated. Penelope sets herself to the task and achieves often hilarious and endearing results in this first book in a series which has been described as a mash-up of Lemony Snicket and Jane Eyre. The Mysterious Howling is brilliant and fun.”

 

Divergent by Veronica Roth

From my review: “Roth’s debut novel packs quite a punch, drawing readers into a world in which survival depends on securing one’s place within a group and virtue is everything… Though the early chapters spend a lot of time setting up the story, the pace picks up quite a bit once Beatrice/Tris chooses her faction and the initiation rites begin. From that point on, the reader scarcely has a chance to pause for breath, and may need intervention from friends and family in order to put the book down for things like dinner and sleep.”

 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

From my review: “John Green has proved his valor as a writer worthy of tackling the deep emotional and cosmic issues with earlier novels, but this novel may yet be his most incredible work. This novel tackles the big human questions about life, love, and loss, exploring at once what they mean and how one responds to them. All this and yet the story remains poignant and breathtaking and sometimes quite hilarious. And tragic. This is another one to read with tissues handy.”

 

Review: The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet by Stephanie Morrill

The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet
Stephanie Morrill
Playlist Fiction
Published May 1, 2013

Amazon | Goodreads

Some girls have it all in high school: great friends, perfect hair, the hottest boyfriend. Not sixteen-year-old Ellie Sweet. Next to her gorgeous long-time friend Lucy, Ellie is practically invisible. Everything about Ellie is hidden, from the frizzy hair she tries desperately to control in a knot to her secret passion to finish her novel set in medieval Italy. By day she may be invisible, but by night, all her frustrations and hurts are rewritten into a world where she, Lady Gabrielle, is the star. Only there does the handsome boy of her dreams (Palmer by day, Rafe by night) see her for who she is.

But when the local bad-boy reveals Ellie’s secret crush to an entire classroom of students, Ellie has to know why. Chase’s stubborn refusal to explain only adds fuel to Ellie’s frustration and earns him a write-in as the villainous prince in her manuscript.

As Chase pursues Ellie with attentive gifts, she wrestles with the rumors surrounding him and his family. With two older brothers already in jail, Chase is hardly meet-the-parents material. But they can be friends, right? Palmer doesn’t seem to think that’s such a good idea for Ellie. In fact, he wants to date Ellie himself, but only in secret.

With Palmer professing adoration, and her finished manuscript receiving praise from within the writing world, Ellie is over the moon. When the details of her novel come out publicly, however, not everyone is thrilled with the part Ellie has written them into. As Ellie scrambles to undo the damage, she realizes once and for all who her real friends are and the value of being loved and valued for who one really is.

This is a novel that is easy to love, full of the joys and disappointments of high school and teen romance. Morrill writes witty narrative with perky humor and great emotional depth, drawing readers into the very heart of this tale about a girl who feels totally invisible and the boy who truly sees her. This is the perfect read for an aspiring writer and a highly encouraging story for anyone who has experienced feeling overlooked or undervalued. Fans of Morrill’s earlier series The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt will not be disappointed. (See the review of Me, Just Different, the first book in the series.)

Ellie is the kind of girl I would have been friends with in high school. I loved her wit, and her awkward yet hilarious self-consciousness endeared me to her almost immediately. Beyond the lighthearted day-in-the-life antics of a young high school student lurks a brave look at the challenges of navigating relationships and realizing that those we are drawn to aren’t always the ones best for us. Tissues may be warranted, and the willing reader may find God speaking between the lines of this charming and candid story.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
A couple kissing scenes. References to the fact that other characters have been sexually active.

Spiritual Content
Ellie desires to live a virtuous life and refuses to indulge in alcohol or sex, despite the fact that her friends have begun to do so. She struggles with the realization that her spiritual life has become somewhat rote and recognizes that there is more to being a Believer than following a bunch of rules, but this isn’t deeply explored.

Violence
References to a fist-fight that happened off-scene.

Drug Content
While at a party, a boy drinks too much alcohol and passes out. Ellie is asked to pick him up and get him home safely. Someone receives a DUI.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Save

Save