Nicole O'Dell

Carmen Castillo has just moved to Hackensack, New Jersey where danger lurks everywhere - on the streets and in her school. But the school will be soon taken care of Diego a gangbanger who's killed. He offers her his services to protect her from Marco another gangbanger who "wants' her"

She has a boyfriend back from New York. A wealthy boyfriend like she used to be but then her dad divorced her mom and is dating a 20 something cheerleader while she now lives in a tiny apartment with her mother and her three sisters. And now she has to even share a room with a bunk bed! with her bratty little sister.

So what does she do? She gets pregnant on purpose and doesn't tell her boyfriend. His mother isn't too keen on her son throwing her life away for a Mexican... I hated that. What make you think Hispanics are beneath you? Many work harder than you and are smarter than you so *hair flip* get over yourself.

So this a series of the Diamond Estates which is a place to reform girls through God. Religion didn't really come up in the beginning and was waiting for it. It felt like a soap opera in the beginning which I didn't mind. So you know at the end she gets sent there. So I felt this book and how the protagonist was seemed kind of unbelievable. The church thing? And her thoughts? I mean it was too much. I don't see me ever thinking in that way. Just it didn't seem like a teenager was thinking it. Hmm... I just thought the way she said it was unbelievable. And things happened a little too fast. I know weird to say because this book is around 350 pages but the way she just transformed was again unbelievable. It didn't feel right to me. You can't just one day say you're against being Christian and the next I'm Christian! It was weird.

So those were the negative parts now the positive part is that I really liked this book. It wasn't the greatest book ever but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I mean I did finish in like three days so yeah.... Carmen just was killing me. I mean she didn't really care about the baby. She didn't even grieve for it. She's selfish throughout so you know when you read it you are going to be wanting to have a fight or yelling at the main character. I had to stop for a second because she was trying to ruin a relationship and I couldn't believe my eyes. She was exasperating but not overly. I did towards the end feel a little bit good inside my heart with a few things were saying. At the beginning it was way too attack with you with religion for me. Well how the Diamond Estates owners acted and it was nice to have Carmen there to go through that because it was a little too much but then the feeling came and I was happy. I need to read more religious/spiritual books so this was good for me. The Wishing Pearl is the first book and t seems like everyone likes it so I'll have to check it out.

http://shesgotbooksonhermind.blogspot.com/… (mehr)

I read this book in exchange for honest review from Kregel Blog Tours. I received a paperback copy of the book. the bullying edition focuses on suicide; bullying; and teasing. I have been teased as a child, from classmates and from family members. I was picked on about my weight. I was picked on because I loved to read and write poetry. I was picked on because I was a loner. I was picked on because I didn't "hang out with the black folks." I was told I wasn't pretty. I was told I wasn't feminine enough to get a man, let alone married (because I hated the beauty shop and rarely got nails and hair done). I was picked on because of good grades (even as an adult in college).I also have teased my nephew and niece. My church has been discussing bullying for the last few weeks. I have been a bully to folks and didn't realize it.

the book ends with a biblical foundation of putting on the armor of God; confession, forgiveness and starting over fresh.… (mehr)