What doyouthink?
Rate this book
How to Ruin#3
How to Ruin Your Boyfriend's Reputation
Amy Nelson-Barak, 17, is back in this third installment about a Jewish-American teen learning how to live and love in peace. She signs up for 10 days of training with the Israel Defense Force as soon as she finds out that her long-distance boyfriend, Avi, will be on base as well. But things turn out to be different from what she'd hoped for. She sleeps in a bunk bed underneath coils that look ready to give way, she's being worked to the bone, and the bathrooms are hardly up to her standards. Worst of all, Avi doesn't seem remotely thrilled that she's there. Is something going on between him and a fellow soldier? Strong, beautiful, and able to be with Avi all the time, Liron is everything Amy wants to be. Even though the plot is predictable, readers can't help but get drawn in by Amy's fun way of telling her story, and they learn a lot about Israeli teens' mandatory military service. Elkeles catches new readers up to speed in no time.
257 pages, Paperback
First published August 12, 2013
About the author
Simone Elkeles
36books13.6kfollowersSimone Elkeles is aNew York TimesandUSA Todaybestselling author of novels for teens. Simone’s books have won many awards including being YALSA Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, being named to the YALSA Popular Paperbacks and Teens Top Ten lists, and added to the Illinois “Read for a Lifetime” Reading List. Simone also won the coveted RITA award from the Romance Writers of America for her book Perfect Chemistry. Simone is especially proud of the fact that the Illinois Association of Teachers of English named her Author of the Year.
Simone was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, where she still lives today. Simone went to the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and received her Bachelor’s of Science there in Psychology in 1992. She continued her education at Loyola University-Chicago where she received her Master’s of Science degree in Industrial Relations while working for a manufacturing company creating diversity programs for their employees.
She loves animals (she has two dogs – a labradoodle and a German Shepherd), kids (she also has two of those) and her family. In her spare time she’s the Hockey Mom for her kids hockey teams and is an active Girl Scout leader specially trained in outdoor education. She also spends time mentoring other teen and adult authors. (She also loves sushi, which you can probably tell by reading her books.) Simone writes about teens because she was a teen in the 80’s (when spiked hair and blue eye shadow were “rad” ) and she loves writing about those exciting teen relationships and romances.
Simone was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, where she still lives today. Simone went to the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and received her Bachelor’s of Science there in Psychology in 1992. She continued her education at Loyola University-Chicago where she received her Master’s of Science degree in Industrial Relations while working for a manufacturing company creating diversity programs for their employees.
She loves animals (she has two dogs – a labradoodle and a German Shepherd), kids (she also has two of those) and her family. In her spare time she’s the Hockey Mom for her kids hockey teams and is an active Girl Scout leader specially trained in outdoor education. She also spends time mentoring other teen and adult authors. (She also loves sushi, which you can probably tell by reading her books.) Simone writes about teens because she was a teen in the 80’s (when spiked hair and blue eye shadow were “rad” ) and she loves writing about those exciting teen relationships and romances.
Ratings&Reviews
Friends&Following
Create a free accountto discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 335 reviews
September 11, 2012
Anybody else pissed off at Avi? I normally like him and love how he is with Amy, but he pissed me off. I really need some clarification on how serious this relationship with Laron was. I mean at the beginning when Amy finds out its when he says to Laron that she is upset about "us" not Amy. Meaning she has feelings for him,so we're they a couple when Amy showed up or was it over by then. Cause when he explains everything to Amy it sounds like he and Laron were hurting and just reached out cause both their sognificnces weren't there to comfort them. If that was the case then why was Laron jealous. Then that whole comment she made to Amy in the mess hall when she asked Avi if told Amy? Told Amy what,that they were a couple or they just kissed, I mean WTF Avi! I know Amy handled It all wrong bus Avi handled it worse. He was cold at times. I wish the author dove deeper with this, cause I am still mad at Avi. I can forgive him if it was a brief thing but if it was still going on when Amy showed up then that's a whole new ball game. You can't devote your love to somone, talk about the future all at the same time being with someone else. Did he do more than kiss? He didn't even apologize to her! WTF Avi I lost so much respect for you in this book. This is the last one,well that sucks
April 4, 2011
Simone Elkeles never fails to impress me. This was the last series that I’ve read of her work after enjoying both Perfect Chemistry and Leaving Paradise series. I expected to see similarities from her other works and I’m happy to see none. How To Ruin trilogy was an eye-opener for me. Just like Amy, I saw Israel without so much affirmative judgments because of the war that’s still happening there. The author proved both Amy and I wrong. I had an 8-hour trip to the country and Ms. Elkeles successfully pulled off to take the reader’s imagination to where Amy is. It is a fun read that I finished the whole series in one sitting within less than twelve hours (I didn’t mind that my brother’s mumbling ‘no life’ loud enough for me to hear). It was highly entertaining to know Amy’s POV though she’s really annoying and is ruining a lot of things on every first part of the books. Her relationship with Avi was enviable and realistic. There were many times that they argue about a lot of things, but the moment they made up, nobody can separate them from each other –except Amy’s father, Ron, when they get too close--. It’s a wholesome series despite several sexual tensions between Amy and Avi. Religion was also a big part of the series. I’m a catholic and I respect every other religion equally. I know a little about Judaism from our Social Studies last year and it’s interesting to learn more of Jews’ cultures and traditions.
Overall, I really, really liked it. Ms. Simone Elkeles taught and showed me a good deal of things and I’m counting the days to finally read CHAIN OF REACTION.
Overall, I really, really liked it. Ms. Simone Elkeles taught and showed me a good deal of things and I’m counting the days to finally read CHAIN OF REACTION.
August 15, 2011
I really wish Simone Elkeles would continue writing this series.
I've been done reading the How To ruin series for quite some time now, but I can't seem to stop thinking about Amy and Avi. I really wanted to know what happens next in their lives. I have reread the books a lot of times even though my list of TBR books are growing. I've grown attached to the characters. I've read a lot of books, and this is one of my top favorite series of all time.
I've been done reading the How To ruin series for quite some time now, but I can't seem to stop thinking about Amy and Avi. I really wanted to know what happens next in their lives. I have reread the books a lot of times even though my list of TBR books are growing. I've grown attached to the characters. I've read a lot of books, and this is one of my top favorite series of all time.
February 27, 2011
How to Ruin Your Boyfriend's Reputation - Simone Elkeles
This book was mainly about adventure and romance. I think it's part adventure because Amy seems like a normal girl that wouldn't do anything with fighting or any of that sort. But she joins this boot camp for training for fighting. And it's not because she wants to, she only joined it so she could see her boyfriend because she knows she won't be able to see him during the summer. Avi and Amy couldn't really publicly have a relationship in the camp, because Avi is her team captain, and he's not supposed to be worrying about love or anything like that. But you can tell Avi does care about her because he says he does and he cares when she's hurt. But, later in the book, Amy finds out that Avi cheated on her with this girl named Liron. So Amy's really hurt about it, because she's insecure about Liron. Liron's part of the army, so she could see Avi alot. She's blond, and she could fight. So she feels sick that Avi was attracted to this other girl. Amy and Avi break up and Avi starts to go out with Liron. Even though they broke up, Amy didn't leave the camp. She wanted to finish what she started, she was stronger than she was when he was by her side. I think she was trying to prove a point, that she could still go on (maybe even better) without him. No matter what, Amy didn't give up in the challenges, like she usually did. She finished it, even if she got hurt. And whenever she was hurt, Avi was by her side to help out and he kept on trying to get them to talk about what happened and fix the problems and fight for their relationship. But Amy avoids it and when he's done helping her fix her physical wounds, she finishes her challeneges. But Amy still has the emotional wounds, and every time Avi's around Amy, it only reminds her again and again that they're not together anymore. Amy tries to get over it and get back at Avi by pretending to date Nathan. Even though Amy has cheated with Nathan, she thinks she has a right to be mad because Amy admitted to it and it was just once. But Avi told her they kissed so much that he wasn't able to tell her how many times they kissed when she asked. So she tries to get back at him by pretending to date Nathan. Nathan agrees but he wants something back in return. He tells her when the whole thing is over, she has to tell Tori (a girl that Nathan likes) how nice or cool he is and how he's a really good boyfriend. Avi doesn't believe they're going out, but they keep on kissing in front of him so he gets angry. Towards the middle, Amy's grandmother gets into the hospital because she fainted. Avi and Amy get a 48 hour leave to go see her at the hospital. During their car ride, he explains that he has feelings for her Amy, and none of Liron. He only kissed her to make himself feel more human, because he felt like a robot having to train so hard for the army, and he kept himself feelings human by kissing Liron. They understand each other, they can't forget they both had cheated on each other before, but they're willing to forgive it.
I really like this book. It sucks that Avi cheated on Amy, but they get through all their obstacles and get back together. I think even though all of this happened, I feel that both of them has gotten stronger, and their relationship gets stronger and they're going to be able to get through anything they need to get through. I think the characters are very well developed, you can tell the differences of their personalities. From the beginning, I thought Avi was not a very emotional person, and he doesn't like to talk about what's really deep in his heart. He could admit he likes Amy, but he's not willing to accept that he wants more. He wants love, but he's too strong of a man to accept that. But throughout all their problems and arguments, Avi is able to understand that he truly needs it, and he should admit that he wants it. Amy is an emotional person, she didn't hide from her feelings from the beginning. But Amy can get immature sometimes, and that's why Avi is good for her. Amy is immature and emotional, and Avi is mature and emotional-ish (half and half). When Amy is acting immature, Avi is there to fix whatever's wrong. And when Avi isn't being rational about his feelings, Amy is able to help him figure out what he really wants. They don't say it word to word about helping each other. But you can see it, because Amy grows up as the 3 books move on. She isn't as immature about everything as she is from the beginning. And Avi used to be this cold guy that doesn't care about having relationships sinec he's going to have to be in the army, so he can't have it. But Amy helps him realize he should fight for what he want. Even though he is going to the army, they continue their relationship. I like this book and I would recommend it to other people!
This book was mainly about adventure and romance. I think it's part adventure because Amy seems like a normal girl that wouldn't do anything with fighting or any of that sort. But she joins this boot camp for training for fighting. And it's not because she wants to, she only joined it so she could see her boyfriend because she knows she won't be able to see him during the summer. Avi and Amy couldn't really publicly have a relationship in the camp, because Avi is her team captain, and he's not supposed to be worrying about love or anything like that. But you can tell Avi does care about her because he says he does and he cares when she's hurt. But, later in the book, Amy finds out that Avi cheated on her with this girl named Liron. So Amy's really hurt about it, because she's insecure about Liron. Liron's part of the army, so she could see Avi alot. She's blond, and she could fight. So she feels sick that Avi was attracted to this other girl. Amy and Avi break up and Avi starts to go out with Liron. Even though they broke up, Amy didn't leave the camp. She wanted to finish what she started, she was stronger than she was when he was by her side. I think she was trying to prove a point, that she could still go on (maybe even better) without him. No matter what, Amy didn't give up in the challenges, like she usually did. She finished it, even if she got hurt. And whenever she was hurt, Avi was by her side to help out and he kept on trying to get them to talk about what happened and fix the problems and fight for their relationship. But Amy avoids it and when he's done helping her fix her physical wounds, she finishes her challeneges. But Amy still has the emotional wounds, and every time Avi's around Amy, it only reminds her again and again that they're not together anymore. Amy tries to get over it and get back at Avi by pretending to date Nathan. Even though Amy has cheated with Nathan, she thinks she has a right to be mad because Amy admitted to it and it was just once. But Avi told her they kissed so much that he wasn't able to tell her how many times they kissed when she asked. So she tries to get back at him by pretending to date Nathan. Nathan agrees but he wants something back in return. He tells her when the whole thing is over, she has to tell Tori (a girl that Nathan likes) how nice or cool he is and how he's a really good boyfriend. Avi doesn't believe they're going out, but they keep on kissing in front of him so he gets angry. Towards the middle, Amy's grandmother gets into the hospital because she fainted. Avi and Amy get a 48 hour leave to go see her at the hospital. During their car ride, he explains that he has feelings for her Amy, and none of Liron. He only kissed her to make himself feel more human, because he felt like a robot having to train so hard for the army, and he kept himself feelings human by kissing Liron. They understand each other, they can't forget they both had cheated on each other before, but they're willing to forgive it.
I really like this book. It sucks that Avi cheated on Amy, but they get through all their obstacles and get back together. I think even though all of this happened, I feel that both of them has gotten stronger, and their relationship gets stronger and they're going to be able to get through anything they need to get through. I think the characters are very well developed, you can tell the differences of their personalities. From the beginning, I thought Avi was not a very emotional person, and he doesn't like to talk about what's really deep in his heart. He could admit he likes Amy, but he's not willing to accept that he wants more. He wants love, but he's too strong of a man to accept that. But throughout all their problems and arguments, Avi is able to understand that he truly needs it, and he should admit that he wants it. Amy is an emotional person, she didn't hide from her feelings from the beginning. But Amy can get immature sometimes, and that's why Avi is good for her. Amy is immature and emotional, and Avi is mature and emotional-ish (half and half). When Amy is acting immature, Avi is there to fix whatever's wrong. And when Avi isn't being rational about his feelings, Amy is able to help him figure out what he really wants. They don't say it word to word about helping each other. But you can see it, because Amy grows up as the 3 books move on. She isn't as immature about everything as she is from the beginning. And Avi used to be this cold guy that doesn't care about having relationships sinec he's going to have to be in the army, so he can't have it. But Amy helps him realize he should fight for what he want. Even though he is going to the army, they continue their relationship. I like this book and I would recommend it to other people!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2013
I love Simone Elkeles....she finds a way to make the best male characters. Avi is dreamy. I have to admit that I was a bit angry at him for what happened with Liron because it was unfair to Amy but I forgave him for it, or overlooked it at least due to the caring way in which he protected Amy, he was always looking out for her, making sure she was okay and taken care of. I mean, how many times did he take a punishment because of her. I think he's a great guy who deserves more credit. The fact that he made a mistake isn't a capital offense. It makes his character seem more human actually.
I disliked Amy a bit at first, I thought she was a little princess and she couldn't handle even the slightest discomfort. I mean, pink pillow case?! I enjoyed that though, not being her fan at first because at the end of the book I had a completely different perspective, I had a complete change of heart. She's strong willed and...overall a good soldier and I admire that in her. Elkeles really outdid character development with her.
I really enjoyed the book, it's an easy read that's very funny, entertaining and very difficult to put down.
I disliked Amy a bit at first, I thought she was a little princess and she couldn't handle even the slightest discomfort. I mean, pink pillow case?! I enjoyed that though, not being her fan at first because at the end of the book I had a completely different perspective, I had a complete change of heart. She's strong willed and...overall a good soldier and I admire that in her. Elkeles really outdid character development with her.
I really enjoyed the book, it's an easy read that's very funny, entertaining and very difficult to put down.
July 25, 2011
This book actually made me very angry! I was outraged at the amount of ignorace Amy still has towards her own culture. I found myself getting embarressed on her behalf, because she was just so awful.
The best thing about this book is the fact that she redeems herself more in this book than any book in the series, but Ugh! I just can't stand how selfish she is, and how she doesn't even feel remorse for insulting poeple and getting Avi in trouble with the army.
Everything is all about her, and that just boils my blood. She is the type of person who is not a good person and will never change because she doesn't have any remorse for the things she does and the ways she hurts the people around her.
Absolutely aweful! I don't like to say I hate a book, but I actually HATE this whole series!
The best thing about this book is the fact that she redeems herself more in this book than any book in the series, but Ugh! I just can't stand how selfish she is, and how she doesn't even feel remorse for insulting poeple and getting Avi in trouble with the army.
Everything is all about her, and that just boils my blood. She is the type of person who is not a good person and will never change because she doesn't have any remorse for the things she does and the ways she hurts the people around her.
Absolutely aweful! I don't like to say I hate a book, but I actually HATE this whole series!
February 20, 2010
I loved this book! Simone Elkeles proved once again that she can have you laughing, cringing and tearing up all in one story!How to Ruin Your Boyfriend’s Reputationis a great addition to Elkeles’How to…series where I got the usual LOL funny moments, engaging characters (Amy and Avi that have definite chemistry), and perfect setting that teaches you about current events. I finished this book in a few short hours because it was just all around awesome!
Seventeen year old Amy Nelson Barak’s ideas are not always well thought out. She thinks with her heart and her emotions most of the time, which usually lands her in precarious positions and downright dilemmas. Well, the summer before her senior year is no exception. She decides to fly out to Israel to join the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) for a 10 day military training program. Her grand idea is that she’ll be able to see and spend some time with her Israeli boyfriend Avi who is currently serving a two-year term training as a commando. Things don’t go as planned as she realizes that the way of life and rules on the IDF training camp are nothing like she’s used to experiencing back home in Chicago. Breaking the rules can not only land you in hot water, but also those you care for, and when you make decisions it’s not all about you, but about those around you too.
Amy learns some hard lessons and grows as a person, which is nice to witness as a reader. I was rooting for her the entire time, even when the poor girl lost her Channel sunglasses down the poop hole and later when she struggles through obstable courses and mountain hikes her heart wants to conquer but her body doesn't have the stamina for. She’s a hoot and her narrative is downright hilarious. This book has earned a spot on my ‘favorites’ shelf. Another fun read by a great writer!!
Seventeen year old Amy Nelson Barak’s ideas are not always well thought out. She thinks with her heart and her emotions most of the time, which usually lands her in precarious positions and downright dilemmas. Well, the summer before her senior year is no exception. She decides to fly out to Israel to join the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) for a 10 day military training program. Her grand idea is that she’ll be able to see and spend some time with her Israeli boyfriend Avi who is currently serving a two-year term training as a commando. Things don’t go as planned as she realizes that the way of life and rules on the IDF training camp are nothing like she’s used to experiencing back home in Chicago. Breaking the rules can not only land you in hot water, but also those you care for, and when you make decisions it’s not all about you, but about those around you too.
Amy learns some hard lessons and grows as a person, which is nice to witness as a reader. I was rooting for her the entire time, even when the poor girl lost her Channel sunglasses down the poop hole and later when she struggles through obstable courses and mountain hikes her heart wants to conquer but her body doesn't have the stamina for. She’s a hoot and her narrative is downright hilarious. This book has earned a spot on my ‘favorites’ shelf. Another fun read by a great writer!!
February 11, 2014
Too much boob talk. I got the point. Amy was annoying up until the end of the last book when she had the change of heart, learned to forgive and what not. To start this book and have her be shallow all over again was irritating only for her to have ANOTHER change of heart and learn to not be so shallow again. Either way her and Avi are super cute and cheesy and I love it. Their relationship is straight up awful tho, he bounced between her and Liron pretty fast when she decided to let him go for a bit.
February 23, 2017
I LOVED this book!!!!!! It was so interesting and I felt like Amy was a real person and all of it was real life. Loved the tone, features, and really EVERYTHING about it!
April 2, 2013
Oh my Goooooosh!:)
The ending:'> It makes me wanna cry:))
I love love loved it!
Okay so to the review!
How To Ruin Your Boyfriend's Reputation, Book no. 3 of the How To Ruin Series by Simone Elkeles.
Amy goes back to Israel but not with her family, but with her friends at a training with the Israel Defense Force for a) fun and b) hopes of seeing his boyfriend Avi.
There she finds out that being in the force is not as easy as she thought it would be. And the reunion she has with Avi is not at all as she planned it to be.
So, there it goes! Hopefully this isn't the last book to the series yet, I guess. But it kinda feels like it is.
I really enjoyed the book. It kind of reminds me of our annual camping when I was back in High School. It was Survival Camp, as in what would we do if we were stranded in a place, etc. We slept in tents way back then, then we would have to wake up at 5 am, have exercises and we get to cook our own food and get divided into troops, patrols,and etc.
Amy was in a situation like that, though in the first, they seemed to act all weirded out about the situation I'm happy that she somehow didn't act out in the last parts. In the training, she somehow found a piece of herself that she didn't seem to see before and befriended people who she didn't think she could be friends with.
She also gets to see a clear look at her and Avis's relationship. And though, I guess the ending would have been better with an epilogue, (Did I admit before that I love epilogues, yes!) I still really enjoyed this book from the first to the last.
When I looked at the first book months ago though, I gotta admit I didn't think I was gonna enjoy the series, but I did and now I looooooove it:))
Thanks Simone Elkeles for the amazing series! I learned a lot about things I didn't know before:))))
The ending:'> It makes me wanna cry:))
I love love loved it!
Okay so to the review!
How To Ruin Your Boyfriend's Reputation, Book no. 3 of the How To Ruin Series by Simone Elkeles.
Amy goes back to Israel but not with her family, but with her friends at a training with the Israel Defense Force for a) fun and b) hopes of seeing his boyfriend Avi.
There she finds out that being in the force is not as easy as she thought it would be. And the reunion she has with Avi is not at all as she planned it to be.
So, there it goes! Hopefully this isn't the last book to the series yet, I guess. But it kinda feels like it is.
I really enjoyed the book. It kind of reminds me of our annual camping when I was back in High School. It was Survival Camp, as in what would we do if we were stranded in a place, etc. We slept in tents way back then, then we would have to wake up at 5 am, have exercises and we get to cook our own food and get divided into troops, patrols,and etc.
Amy was in a situation like that, though in the first, they seemed to act all weirded out about the situation I'm happy that she somehow didn't act out in the last parts. In the training, she somehow found a piece of herself that she didn't seem to see before and befriended people who she didn't think she could be friends with.
She also gets to see a clear look at her and Avis's relationship. And though, I guess the ending would have been better with an epilogue, (Did I admit before that I love epilogues, yes!) I still really enjoyed this book from the first to the last.
When I looked at the first book months ago though, I gotta admit I didn't think I was gonna enjoy the series, but I did and now I looooooove it:))
Thanks Simone Elkeles for the amazing series! I learned a lot about things I didn't know before:))))
June 16, 2010
A solid 4 1/2
This time around Amy is back in Israel, spending time in a youth bootcamp where she hopes to see Avi.
Well, she does see him and immediately gets him in trouble, no surprise there. Amy still seems to have a problem with doing before thinking and Avi pays the price for it. While I've come to like Amy's character, her belief that she could just do as she pleased, ignoring the rules and the fact that her boyfriend is actually a member of the military and subject to those rules, irritated me a bit. It seemed like she hadn't grown up very much.
When she finds out that Avi has been involved with a female soldier, she reacts by lashing out of him, faking a relationship with Nathan and generally making a mess of things. She hurts people before they get the chance to hurt her, I get that, but I still wanted her to calm down enough to listen.
Finally, she does mature quite a bit in the last section of the book, I grew to really feel for Amy and Avi and wish they would work things out.
I hope there will be more books in this series as I've come to really enjoy it.
This time around Amy is back in Israel, spending time in a youth bootcamp where she hopes to see Avi.
Well, she does see him and immediately gets him in trouble, no surprise there. Amy still seems to have a problem with doing before thinking and Avi pays the price for it. While I've come to like Amy's character, her belief that she could just do as she pleased, ignoring the rules and the fact that her boyfriend is actually a member of the military and subject to those rules, irritated me a bit. It seemed like she hadn't grown up very much.
When she finds out that Avi has been involved with a female soldier, she reacts by lashing out of him, faking a relationship with Nathan and generally making a mess of things. She hurts people before they get the chance to hurt her, I get that, but I still wanted her to calm down enough to listen.
Finally, she does mature quite a bit in the last section of the book, I grew to really feel for Amy and Avi and wish they would work things out.
I hope there will be more books in this series as I've come to really enjoy it.
June 7, 2011
I did not like this one as well as the other two, but it was still good. I kept expecting there to be more of a finale-type story line since this was the last book, but it didn't come. It is extremely disapointing and frustrating to end a series and leave it so unfinished. I mean, yes, Avi and Amy are "together", but he is still in the military (in Israel) and she is still in high school (in America). Really, nothing is any different than it has been from the beginning. It's almost like this series was just dropped and forgotten. I have looked on Simone Elkeles' website and she says there are no more books planned for this series. I think that is disapointing because a final book that brings them together for good would be great and it is totally needed to give this series some sort of completion.
August 30, 2011
THIS BOOK IS AWESOME
Apakah sebuah pengorbanan memang perlu dilakukan untuk cinta?
Judul: How to Ruin Your Boyfriend’s Reputation (How to Ruin #3)
Pengarang: Simone Elkeles
Editor: Andrew Karre
Penerbit: -
Tebal: 281 hlm (ebook)
Terjemahan: --belum tersedia—
Summary:
Aku, Amy Nelson-Barak, bukanlah seseorang yang sanggup memendam demam rindu berkepanjangan. Aku harus mencari jalan untuk bisa mengobatinya. Berhubung Avi, yang seharusnya tak lagi kusebut my non-boyfriend, tak bisa ke mana-mana karena program wajib militernya, maka satu-satunya jalan untuk bisa menemuinya adalah dengan mendatanginya di camp militernya. Serius, demi rindu ini, aku sanggup menjalani rutinitas militer sekeras apa pun dalam sebuah tour ke camp militer di Israel. Yah, meskipun aku harus menelan pil pahit ketika mengetahui bahwa Avi-ku mencium seorang gadis Israel super seksi di sana? Oh, rasanya ingin mati saja.
Super ngakak. WOW. Superb dah buku ketiganya ini. Benar-benar membuat puasaku hari terakhir (genap 30 hari puasa Ramadhan tahun ini, alhamdulillah) menjadi super ceria. Gampangnya, coba bayangin Reese Witherspoon dalam film Legally Blonde yang harus ikut dalam sebuah camp militer. American princess has to dig a rock in the HOT dessert of Israel while she worrying about her polished nails. Maka sepanjang cerita, Amy yang niatan awalnya ikut camp adalah agar dapat berdua saja dengan Avi namun tak mungkin karena ini camp militer bukan acara piknik, harus mengalami bermacam pengalaman yang tak hanya membuatnya malu, namun juga berpotensi menghancurkan hubungannya dengan Avi.
Oke, sebagaimana dua buku sebelumnya, buku ketiga dari seri How to Ruin ini tetap menghadirkan karakter yang kuat, konflik tak terduga, dan bumbu-bumbu penyedap yang menguarkan sisi romatisme dan relijius dari seorang Amy. Sudahlah, tak banyak kata dapat menggambarkan betapa aku sangat menikmati buku ini. Recommended deh bagi yang suka membaca buku young adult. Buat adik-adik yang masih kecil tapi pengin membaca, jangan sungkan untuk bertanya pada mbah Google atau kakak atau bahkan orangtua apabila ada hal-hal tertentu yang ingin diketahui, terutama yang berkaitan dengan sex education yaaa...
Oke, selamat membaca, kawan! Sekarang aku melanjutkan membaca buku-buku Simone yang lainnya, hehehe....:) I am officialy addicted to Simone's writing!
Apakah sebuah pengorbanan memang perlu dilakukan untuk cinta?
Judul: How to Ruin Your Boyfriend’s Reputation (How to Ruin #3)
Pengarang: Simone Elkeles
Editor: Andrew Karre
Penerbit: -
Tebal: 281 hlm (ebook)
Terjemahan: --belum tersedia—
Summary:
Aku, Amy Nelson-Barak, bukanlah seseorang yang sanggup memendam demam rindu berkepanjangan. Aku harus mencari jalan untuk bisa mengobatinya. Berhubung Avi, yang seharusnya tak lagi kusebut my non-boyfriend, tak bisa ke mana-mana karena program wajib militernya, maka satu-satunya jalan untuk bisa menemuinya adalah dengan mendatanginya di camp militernya. Serius, demi rindu ini, aku sanggup menjalani rutinitas militer sekeras apa pun dalam sebuah tour ke camp militer di Israel. Yah, meskipun aku harus menelan pil pahit ketika mengetahui bahwa Avi-ku mencium seorang gadis Israel super seksi di sana? Oh, rasanya ingin mati saja.
Super ngakak. WOW. Superb dah buku ketiganya ini. Benar-benar membuat puasaku hari terakhir (genap 30 hari puasa Ramadhan tahun ini, alhamdulillah) menjadi super ceria. Gampangnya, coba bayangin Reese Witherspoon dalam film Legally Blonde yang harus ikut dalam sebuah camp militer. American princess has to dig a rock in the HOT dessert of Israel while she worrying about her polished nails. Maka sepanjang cerita, Amy yang niatan awalnya ikut camp adalah agar dapat berdua saja dengan Avi namun tak mungkin karena ini camp militer bukan acara piknik, harus mengalami bermacam pengalaman yang tak hanya membuatnya malu, namun juga berpotensi menghancurkan hubungannya dengan Avi.
Oke, sebagaimana dua buku sebelumnya, buku ketiga dari seri How to Ruin ini tetap menghadirkan karakter yang kuat, konflik tak terduga, dan bumbu-bumbu penyedap yang menguarkan sisi romatisme dan relijius dari seorang Amy. Sudahlah, tak banyak kata dapat menggambarkan betapa aku sangat menikmati buku ini. Recommended deh bagi yang suka membaca buku young adult. Buat adik-adik yang masih kecil tapi pengin membaca, jangan sungkan untuk bertanya pada mbah Google atau kakak atau bahkan orangtua apabila ada hal-hal tertentu yang ingin diketahui, terutama yang berkaitan dengan sex education yaaa...
Oke, selamat membaca, kawan! Sekarang aku melanjutkan membaca buku-buku Simone yang lainnya, hehehe....:) I am officialy addicted to Simone's writing!
July 30, 2013
Although I couldn't read the second book because they didn't have it in my library, I still had to read the last one. I could not wait to see how Amy would fit into the military camp. Amy is hilarious, and even when she is not in a good mood, she always cracks the funniest jokes that makes me crack up. Simone Elkeles does it once again.
With her laugh out loud humor, her realistic characters put in sticky situations, and the delicious passionate romance, you will never want to put this book down. I loved how Amy changed and seemed to become more confident and you could tell she really cared about Avi. Every second they were apart and pretending to be over each other, the reader feels the same amount of anxiousness and heartache Amy feels.
Mrs. Elkeles is always good at making the reader feel the same emotions and passion the characters seem to feel because they are so realistic. I loved her Perfect Chemistry series, so I had high expectations for this one and I am completely satisfied. Her books never seem to disappoint!
I wish she would write more sequels though!!! I could use more of some Avi and Amy. I want to know how their future turns out after Avi's done with the military!
With her laugh out loud humor, her realistic characters put in sticky situations, and the delicious passionate romance, you will never want to put this book down. I loved how Amy changed and seemed to become more confident and you could tell she really cared about Avi. Every second they were apart and pretending to be over each other, the reader feels the same amount of anxiousness and heartache Amy feels.
Mrs. Elkeles is always good at making the reader feel the same emotions and passion the characters seem to feel because they are so realistic. I loved her Perfect Chemistry series, so I had high expectations for this one and I am completely satisfied. Her books never seem to disappoint!
I wish she would write more sequels though!!! I could use more of some Avi and Amy. I want to know how their future turns out after Avi's done with the military!
May 15, 2015
When Amy hears of a boot camp being conducted by the Israel Defense Force, she signs up to be there on for the chance to see Avi and spend some time with him. Amy was fully air-headed and ridiculous at the beginning, bringing her designed sunglasses, her makeup kit, her straightener and her pink pillow to boot camp and expecting air-conditioned living quarters. Some of the things that happened to her were quite funny but it was annoying to see how Amy was indirectly being disrespectful of the defense force by acting like she was on a holiday. Not to mention she had little regard for the rules.
It seems there's a recurring theme of Amy learning from her mistakes in each book, then to have her revert to being immature at the beginning of each installment. That was a disappointing way to startHow to Ruin Your Boyfriend's Reputation.
The best thing about this book (actually, the whole series) was definitely Avi. How he tolerates Amy's hot-and-cold behaviour is beyond me! The guy's definitely a keeper.
Overall, this series was a fun read. Nothing too serious but not as light as the titles make it out to be.
It seems there's a recurring theme of Amy learning from her mistakes in each book, then to have her revert to being immature at the beginning of each installment. That was a disappointing way to startHow to Ruin Your Boyfriend's Reputation.
The best thing about this book (actually, the whole series) was definitely Avi. How he tolerates Amy's hot-and-cold behaviour is beyond me! The guy's definitely a keeper.
Overall, this series was a fun read. Nothing too serious but not as light as the titles make it out to be.
November 8, 2009
How To Ruin your Boyfriend’s Reputation is yet another hilarious addition to Simone Elkeles' How To Ruin.. series. A series that I highly suggest all check out because of the following reasons.
For one, Amy is a character that is so easy to like and relate to which leaves me to personally think that Simone perfectly captures the teen voice within her. Plus, I like how Amy and Avi's relationship is realistic in the problems that they face, such as the long distance and staying true to one another. Oh, and Avi's sweetness/ hotness totally adds to how much I adore these books.
Another thing, that I enjoy about this series is that the different plots that contained are ones that are never exactly alike. Since, seriously you get a whole new journey with every book.
In all, How To Ruin your Boyfriend’s Reputation is a cute and funny read that proves yet again just how great of a writer Simone is! Oh, and I really hope there's going to be a 4th book to this series that is coming out soon.:)
Grade: A+
For one, Amy is a character that is so easy to like and relate to which leaves me to personally think that Simone perfectly captures the teen voice within her. Plus, I like how Amy and Avi's relationship is realistic in the problems that they face, such as the long distance and staying true to one another. Oh, and Avi's sweetness/ hotness totally adds to how much I adore these books.
Another thing, that I enjoy about this series is that the different plots that contained are ones that are never exactly alike. Since, seriously you get a whole new journey with every book.
In all, How To Ruin your Boyfriend’s Reputation is a cute and funny read that proves yet again just how great of a writer Simone is! Oh, and I really hope there's going to be a 4th book to this series that is coming out soon.:)
Grade: A+
June 23, 2015
I love Simone Elkeles. I don't know why, but her stories get to me like no other romance novels.
Amy is quite a character. I enjoy her. It is nice to see someone so real. Not only doing good things and be good at everything, but making mistakes and getting herself into all kinds of troubles.
Avi is that one guy that you can't help than fall for. He's all tough but for the girl he loves can do just about anything, even looking for spiders. *I need this boy, plus Pepe, who is on the cover makes this really easy, but I didn't really picture him that much. He is Daemon to me.*
Avi is somewhere around this picture. * he does like to stay shirtless*
The romance is real, it takes communication to solve their problems. They are both stubborn and won't back down. They are the perfect couple, to say the least. Really the opposites attract, right?
I do recommend this trilogy and I will, for sure, reread it.
Go check Simone Elkeles she is an amazing author.
Amy is quite a character. I enjoy her. It is nice to see someone so real. Not only doing good things and be good at everything, but making mistakes and getting herself into all kinds of troubles.
Avi is that one guy that you can't help than fall for. He's all tough but for the girl he loves can do just about anything, even looking for spiders. *I need this boy, plus Pepe, who is on the cover makes this really easy, but I didn't really picture him that much. He is Daemon to me.*
Avi is somewhere around this picture. * he does like to stay shirtless*
The romance is real, it takes communication to solve their problems. They are both stubborn and won't back down. They are the perfect couple, to say the least. Really the opposites attract, right?
I do recommend this trilogy and I will, for sure, reread it.
Go check Simone Elkeles she is an amazing author.
May 21, 2015
How To Ruin Your Boyfriend's Reputation was quite an underwhelming conclusion to the series. When Amy finds out her friends have signed up for a basic training boot camp in Israel at the same base as Avi, Amy packs her hot pink suitcases and sets off to surprise her boyfriend.
Amy was quite the bimbo, then again that's her usual self. It just got a little annoying and over the top in this book. Somehow Amy thinks it's okay to distract Avi while he's training to protect his country. It's serious business. I got quite frustrated with the mind games they were playing with each other (regarding Liron and Nathan) whilst they were training together. I think Amy learnt a few lessons but at the end of the day she's still an 'American Princess'. I have no idea how Avi is able to see all the positives in her after she ruined his reputation! Overall, the series was enjoyable but the ending was a little sudden and open ended.
Amy was quite the bimbo, then again that's her usual self. It just got a little annoying and over the top in this book. Somehow Amy thinks it's okay to distract Avi while he's training to protect his country. It's serious business. I got quite frustrated with the mind games they were playing with each other (regarding Liron and Nathan) whilst they were training together. I think Amy learnt a few lessons but at the end of the day she's still an 'American Princess'. I have no idea how Avi is able to see all the positives in her after she ruined his reputation! Overall, the series was enjoyable but the ending was a little sudden and open ended.
April 24, 2012
I loved this book soooo damn much! Words can't describe how I feel for this last of the series. But Im sooo sad and angry well not angry but kinda pissed off Cause now its the end and we won't get to read more of Amy and Avi.... and the reason Im sad is because you will never know if they see each other again cause Avi will be in the army for 3 years untill he turns 21 but what will happen in those 3 years? Will he die? Will Amy join the army too after she turns 18 like Nathen? Will they get married like they said they would?? See what I mean lots of questions to think about... I just hope there is a fourth and final book just to tie the ends a bit... but thats just my fantasies.
Anyways I give this Book 5 stars. Elkeles never and will never ever disappoint me when it comes o her books! Can't wait to read more from her in the near future.
Anyways I give this Book 5 stars. Elkeles never and will never ever disappoint me when it comes o her books! Can't wait to read more from her in the near future.
January 10, 2012
Just like in the first two books in this series, I found myself not liking Amy. She makes me feel bad about being a female and an American. Her crazy behavior might be sort of funny to read, but I can't believe she's such an idiot and so selfish. I don't understand why Avi loves her.
I wish Avi loved me, though! He saves this series, I tell you. Male characters like him are what reading these kind of books are all about. Sigh. Swoon. Thanks to the well written character of Avi, I loved this book (and series) despite not liking the actual main character, Amy. Well played, Simone Elkeles.
I wish Avi loved me, though! He saves this series, I tell you. Male characters like him are what reading these kind of books are all about. Sigh. Swoon. Thanks to the well written character of Avi, I loved this book (and series) despite not liking the actual main character, Amy. Well played, Simone Elkeles.
February 6, 2013
I liked this book the best of the three, probably because by the end Amy seemed to really have changed and not be such a horrible person. But then again if there was another book after this I am sure she would go back to being a spoiled little princess at the beginning of that one again. Seriously she is going to a military training camp and expects it to be a vacation? What did she think they would lounge by the pool and Avi would be able to just sit and fan her all day as he is active in the military at the time? I mean really it was way too much. She did grow and by the end she was not thinking of only herself, but geez she has issues.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2012
LOL, Amy is one of the most funny characters I know and Simone Elkeles managed to make me laugh and die of mortification and fall in love again with the story. I want more books from this series! No, pardon me, I NEED more books! So yeah, this book was awesome!
May 15, 2011
Cute, funny and much better than book 2. Probably my favorite of the three...If there were a fourth book I'd definitely read it!
September 8, 2016
1,5☆
Ich sag da jetzt einfach nichts mehr zu...
Ich sag da jetzt einfach nichts mehr zu...
July 15, 2017
War wie die Bände davor wieder super witzig und schnell zu lesen und auch diesen Band habe ich wieder an nur einem Tag gelesen. Manchmal war Amy mir dann doch etwas too much deshalb von mir 4,5/5 Sterne
November 30, 2018
Nachdem ich den zweiten Band dieser Trilogie gelesen hatte, hatte ich zugegebenermaßen ein wenig Angst vor dieser Fortsetzung. Ich befürchtete das Schlimmste, doch wurde zumindest teilweise überrascht. Zwar ist die Handlung noch immer recht oberflächlich, allerdings hatte dieser Band wieder die gewohnte Leichtigkeit und den Witz, wie ich ihn vom ersten Band her kannte. Unsere pubertierende und überdramatisierende Protagonistin konnte mich mit ihrer tollpatschigen Art und ihren schlagfertigen Erwiederungen einige Male zum Schmunzeln bringen. Wer also auf der Suche nach einer kurzweiligen, humorvollen Geschichte ist und dabei kein Problem mit Oberflächlichkeiten und jugendlichen Liebesdramen hat, der sollte auf jeden Fall zu diesen Büchern greifen. Ich glaube, ich persönlich bin mittlerweile ein wenig zu alt für diese Art von Geschichten und kann auch diesem Teil der Reihe daher „nur “3 Sterne geben.
February 26, 2015
ZUR AUFMACHUNG
Ich weiß um ehrlich zu sein gar nicht, was ich zu diesem Cover groß sagen könnte. Passt zum Rest, ist aber nicht wirklich auf das Buch gemünzt. Die Titel passen eigentlich beide recht gut.
ZUM BUCH
Kann das auch für immer sein? war ein gutes Buch. Ja, ihr merkt schon das "aber" anklingen, oder? Aber es war leider auch der schwächste Teil der Reihe. Ich werde euch auch verraten, warum:
Das Problem ist, dass man das Gefühl hat, als habe die gesamte Entwicklung, die Amy in Band eins und zwei macht, gar nicht stattgefunden. Zu Beginn von Band drei ist sie wieder genauso naiv und rücksichtslos wie zu Beginn von Band eins. Natürlich ändert sich auch das wieder im Laufe dieses Buches, aber störend ist das trotzdem.
Was mich hier auch etwas gestört hat, das war, dass ich das Gefühl hatte, es geht in diesem Teil nicht wirklich voran. Als würde ich eine andere Version von Band zwei lesen, drehte es sich hier wieder um die Fernbeziehung, wieder darum, ob die beiden das schaffen etc. Ich hätte mir als Abschluss eine Geschichte gewünscht, die sich mit dem "Was passiert nach der Armee" -Problem befasst. Zieht Amy nach Israel? Kommt Avi in die USA? Gehen die beiden auf Colleges? Wird hier kaum erwähnt und bleibt offen.
Auch so ein kleiner Störfaktor war, dass sich Simone Elkeles ständig wiederholt. Ja, Amy Nelson Barak, wir wissen jetzt, dass du ein ungewolltes Kind bist, tragisch, tragisch... Und es werden nicht nur die Hintergründe wiederholt, sondern hier auch ganze Passagen aus dem zweiten Band. Avis Nachrichten zum Beispiel werden noch einmal KOMPLETT abgedruckt. Das ist als würde sie bei sich selbst abschreiben. Vielleicht lag das aber auch nur daran, dass ich die Bücher so kurz hintereinander gelesen habe, aber ich finde ganze Passagen aus dem Vorgänger zu kopieren ist nun wirklich nicht unbedingt nötig.
Ich komme an dieser Stelle dann mal darauf zurück, dass das Buch trotzdem gut gewesen ist! Das hört sich jetzt nicht so an, aber das war es wirklich! Avi und Amy sind einfach eine herrliche Kombination, die einen von Beginn an packen kann, und das Setting hat natürlich auch zu sehr vielen Lachern geführt. Mein Favorit ist noch immer die Bienen-Marmeladen-Szene, Gott, ich bin fast gestorben vor Lachen. Band drei ist auf jeden Fall gemeinsam mit Band zwei der humorvollste Band der Reihe.
Was ich auch schön fand, das war die Szene zum Ende hin, als Amy an der Klagemauer ist. Da kam für mich ein wenig die Simone Elkeles von der Du oder... Reihe raus, weil die Stelle so schön atmosphärisch geschrieben ist. Man merkt auch einfach bei den Religionsthemen, dass sie aus eigener Erfahrung spricht.
FAZIT
Schreibstil: 4 Sterne
Charaktere: 3,5 Sterne
Spannung: 3,5 Sterne
Emotionale Tiefe: 3,5 Sterne
Humor: 5 Sterne
Originalität: 3 Sterne
Ein dritter Teil, der etwas schwächer war als die ersten beiden, aber eindeutig auch unterhalten konnte. Dann kann ich ja nur noch hoffen, dass Simone Elkeles bald mal ein neues Buch herausbringt, da mir bisher alle ihre Bücher gefallen haben. Immerhin ist das nächste auf englisch für Oktober geplant...
Ich weiß um ehrlich zu sein gar nicht, was ich zu diesem Cover groß sagen könnte. Passt zum Rest, ist aber nicht wirklich auf das Buch gemünzt. Die Titel passen eigentlich beide recht gut.
ZUM BUCH
Kann das auch für immer sein? war ein gutes Buch. Ja, ihr merkt schon das "aber" anklingen, oder? Aber es war leider auch der schwächste Teil der Reihe. Ich werde euch auch verraten, warum:
Das Problem ist, dass man das Gefühl hat, als habe die gesamte Entwicklung, die Amy in Band eins und zwei macht, gar nicht stattgefunden. Zu Beginn von Band drei ist sie wieder genauso naiv und rücksichtslos wie zu Beginn von Band eins. Natürlich ändert sich auch das wieder im Laufe dieses Buches, aber störend ist das trotzdem.
Was mich hier auch etwas gestört hat, das war, dass ich das Gefühl hatte, es geht in diesem Teil nicht wirklich voran. Als würde ich eine andere Version von Band zwei lesen, drehte es sich hier wieder um die Fernbeziehung, wieder darum, ob die beiden das schaffen etc. Ich hätte mir als Abschluss eine Geschichte gewünscht, die sich mit dem "Was passiert nach der Armee" -Problem befasst. Zieht Amy nach Israel? Kommt Avi in die USA? Gehen die beiden auf Colleges? Wird hier kaum erwähnt und bleibt offen.
Auch so ein kleiner Störfaktor war, dass sich Simone Elkeles ständig wiederholt. Ja, Amy Nelson Barak, wir wissen jetzt, dass du ein ungewolltes Kind bist, tragisch, tragisch... Und es werden nicht nur die Hintergründe wiederholt, sondern hier auch ganze Passagen aus dem zweiten Band. Avis Nachrichten zum Beispiel werden noch einmal KOMPLETT abgedruckt. Das ist als würde sie bei sich selbst abschreiben. Vielleicht lag das aber auch nur daran, dass ich die Bücher so kurz hintereinander gelesen habe, aber ich finde ganze Passagen aus dem Vorgänger zu kopieren ist nun wirklich nicht unbedingt nötig.
Ich komme an dieser Stelle dann mal darauf zurück, dass das Buch trotzdem gut gewesen ist! Das hört sich jetzt nicht so an, aber das war es wirklich! Avi und Amy sind einfach eine herrliche Kombination, die einen von Beginn an packen kann, und das Setting hat natürlich auch zu sehr vielen Lachern geführt. Mein Favorit ist noch immer die Bienen-Marmeladen-Szene, Gott, ich bin fast gestorben vor Lachen. Band drei ist auf jeden Fall gemeinsam mit Band zwei der humorvollste Band der Reihe.
Was ich auch schön fand, das war die Szene zum Ende hin, als Amy an der Klagemauer ist. Da kam für mich ein wenig die Simone Elkeles von der Du oder... Reihe raus, weil die Stelle so schön atmosphärisch geschrieben ist. Man merkt auch einfach bei den Religionsthemen, dass sie aus eigener Erfahrung spricht.
FAZIT
Schreibstil: 4 Sterne
Charaktere: 3,5 Sterne
Spannung: 3,5 Sterne
Emotionale Tiefe: 3,5 Sterne
Humor: 5 Sterne
Originalität: 3 Sterne
Ein dritter Teil, der etwas schwächer war als die ersten beiden, aber eindeutig auch unterhalten konnte. Dann kann ich ja nur noch hoffen, dass Simone Elkeles bald mal ein neues Buch herausbringt, da mir bisher alle ihre Bücher gefallen haben. Immerhin ist das nächste auf englisch für Oktober geplant...
December 27, 2011
Synopsis:
Guess who's jetting to the Holy Land this summer!
Remember me, Amy Barak-Nelson—a.k.a the queen of disaster? In case you forgot, my boyfriend Avi is in the Israeli army. A visit is definitely in order.
Somehow my grandmother convinced me to sign up for two weeks of pure hell in a military training base. Getting up before dawn, peeing in a hole, and playing war games in the desert isn't my idea of fun. But what's worse? Our team leader turns out to be Avi!
Review:
This is more of a 3.5 rather than a 4. This time Amy's adventure takes her to Israeli Defence Force boot camp. And she has her friends with her also. But her motives are far different from theirs. She only wants to see Avi and spend time with him. Except he's a soldier now and can't just drop out of duty just to be with his girlfriend ( he has no idea she's arriving, I might add).
For the most part, again, this story was fun and Amy was as witty as ever. However she's taken a turn for worse by becoming a little too ignorant and whiny. She doesn't get why Avi can't spend time with her, or why they can't just make out like a boyfriend/girlfriend. She's naive to the max and it does become annoying after a while. She also gets a little too self-centred when it comes to her friends. Her whole world suddenly revolves around seeing Avi, speaking to Avi and getting Avi into trouble.
But by the end she does redeem herself and all loose ends are tied up. The ending didn't seem like a proper finale so I do hope the Elkeles thinks about writing a 4th.
Overall, not as good as the first two but heartwarming, funny and lighthearted.
Guess who's jetting to the Holy Land this summer!
Remember me, Amy Barak-Nelson—a.k.a the queen of disaster? In case you forgot, my boyfriend Avi is in the Israeli army. A visit is definitely in order.
Somehow my grandmother convinced me to sign up for two weeks of pure hell in a military training base. Getting up before dawn, peeing in a hole, and playing war games in the desert isn't my idea of fun. But what's worse? Our team leader turns out to be Avi!
Review:
This is more of a 3.5 rather than a 4. This time Amy's adventure takes her to Israeli Defence Force boot camp. And she has her friends with her also. But her motives are far different from theirs. She only wants to see Avi and spend time with him. Except he's a soldier now and can't just drop out of duty just to be with his girlfriend ( he has no idea she's arriving, I might add).
For the most part, again, this story was fun and Amy was as witty as ever. However she's taken a turn for worse by becoming a little too ignorant and whiny. She doesn't get why Avi can't spend time with her, or why they can't just make out like a boyfriend/girlfriend. She's naive to the max and it does become annoying after a while. She also gets a little too self-centred when it comes to her friends. Her whole world suddenly revolves around seeing Avi, speaking to Avi and getting Avi into trouble.
But by the end she does redeem herself and all loose ends are tied up. The ending didn't seem like a proper finale so I do hope the Elkeles thinks about writing a 4th.
Overall, not as good as the first two but heartwarming, funny and lighthearted.
December 9, 2014
I was so enthusiastic to read some more about the characters, and now I knew this book was going to be all about Amy and Avi together at the boot-camp, and I “knew” it was going to be fun.. and it was – mostly.
There were definitely a lot of funny moments, and the side characters have their presence noticed more in here, but as I got to see the problems between Amy and Avi grow, and the way they handled them (not!), I couldn’t stop wondering if there is love between them or just (how do you call it?) lust?
You see, after the first book I felt the two of them were in-love, two souls from across the world have found and felt for each other. It was this simple. But after the next 2 books it was just “we like each other so much, and the kissing is so great, we must be soul mates”. What?? Am I the only one to get that feeling?
If there is going to be another book in the series (and as far as I know it won’t) then all this might make sense (or not), but if that is really the ending of the story.. then I want my ending back from the first book (that was a good ending in so many ways). But this one was rushed and the reader doesn’t get that strong feeling that the two of them are gonna make it finally, that the two of them are meant to be together – if you know what I mean.
That’s way I don’t like book series, because there is this great book in the beginning that doesn’t need any sequel (and you know it), and you keep reading and reading, even if you don’t enjoy it that much anymore.
There were definitely a lot of funny moments, and the side characters have their presence noticed more in here, but as I got to see the problems between Amy and Avi grow, and the way they handled them (not!), I couldn’t stop wondering if there is love between them or just (how do you call it?) lust?
You see, after the first book I felt the two of them were in-love, two souls from across the world have found and felt for each other. It was this simple. But after the next 2 books it was just “we like each other so much, and the kissing is so great, we must be soul mates”. What?? Am I the only one to get that feeling?
If there is going to be another book in the series (and as far as I know it won’t) then all this might make sense (or not), but if that is really the ending of the story.. then I want my ending back from the first book (that was a good ending in so many ways). But this one was rushed and the reader doesn’t get that strong feeling that the two of them are gonna make it finally, that the two of them are meant to be together – if you know what I mean.
That’s way I don’t like book series, because there is this great book in the beginning that doesn’t need any sequel (and you know it), and you keep reading and reading, even if you don’t enjoy it that much anymore.
April 11, 2012
Awe, too cute.
Okay, there was a bit much too description about the boot camp for my liking, but it was nonetheless good. The training and gun stuff were still interesting, but not as much as I hoped. I started to lose interest because there wasn't much Avi and Amy at first. Then we get it! Wheee. Amy and Avi sorta get into a fight. And then, Amy has Nathan as her "fake-boyfriend". And Miranda likes Nathan. And Nathan likes Tori. SO man, what now?Tori is an interesting character, and I'm glad we learned more about her.
All in all, it was still a good book! But I mainly liked the last 1/4 of the story the most cause it had the most scenes involving Amy and Avi. I wouldn't say it's the best book out of the series though... And it's debatable between the first one and the second one.
Hopefully Simone Elkeles will choose to write a fourth novel in the series. But I don't know what else would be written about the story. IT might get a little boring with the whole Amy and Avi drama then get back together thing. So maybe it's good that there's only 3 novels in the series... I don't know. Great series though!
Okay, there was a bit much too description about the boot camp for my liking, but it was nonetheless good. The training and gun stuff were still interesting, but not as much as I hoped. I started to lose interest because there wasn't much Avi and Amy at first. Then we get it! Wheee. Amy and Avi sorta get into a fight. And then, Amy has Nathan as her "fake-boyfriend". And Miranda likes Nathan. And Nathan likes Tori. SO man, what now?Tori is an interesting character, and I'm glad we learned more about her.
All in all, it was still a good book! But I mainly liked the last 1/4 of the story the most cause it had the most scenes involving Amy and Avi. I wouldn't say it's the best book out of the series though... And it's debatable between the first one and the second one.
Hopefully Simone Elkeles will choose to write a fourth novel in the series. But I don't know what else would be written about the story. IT might get a little boring with the whole Amy and Avi drama then get back together thing. So maybe it's good that there's only 3 novels in the series... I don't know. Great series though!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 335 reviews