Book Review // Perfect Ruin By Lauren Destefano

Hi There

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Perfect Ruin By Lauren Destefano

 I was given Perfect Ruin by a blog friend of mine, Jen at Fefferbooks, as part of the Books n Bloggers swap hosted by Chaotic Goddess Swaps. I don’t usually choose YA books myself, but one of the most interesting things about getting involved with the swap is discovering new genres and broadening your horizons, so I was very glad to begin this book and see where it took me. 

 If I had to sum up this book in one word I think I would describe it as ‘good’. I shall elaborate; firstly the book has an appealing and intriguing cover- covers are, in my opinion, an integral part of the reading experience, just as the art gracing LP sleeves, is an integral part of the listening experience when it comes to music- you are given another aspect for your senses to feast upon, which in-turn enriches the whole experience. The blurb sounded interesting, if a little different from the type of books I usually go for, and so, without further ado, I began reading. 

 I have not yet finished the book, but so far I must say I have enjoyed it. Despite the tone being a little young for me, and the plot lacking somewhat in complexity, Perfect Ruin has certainly proved to be a page turner. I find myself looking forward to picking it up when anticipating my lunch break or a bus journey I’m about to take. I have tended to read, on average, a couple of chapters at each sitting, which is quite satisfactory where my reading is concerned :)

  Because the language is quite simple I found it easy to get along quite quickly with this book. On the other hand, there is the occasional flowery passage, where Destefano taps into her skill for creative description, and these passages seem to appear particularly at the end of chapters, in an effort to end the scene on a dramatic note. This works well, but considering the simplicity of the majority of the text, can seem a little over the top. Given that these more complex sentences and paragraphs (complex not only in syntax, but also in feeling) are well written, and that the author evidently knows what she is doing when writing them, and how to construct them, I wonder why there are so few. 

 When all is said and done, I have enjoyed Perfect Ruin. It has interested me, and kept me interested, with only a few slow parts where the storyline seemed to drag a little. The main character is quite well defined and it’s evident that Destefano has tried to add depth by writing from her perspective and giving us the chance to hear her thoughts. However, whilst the supporting characters in the book can each easily be labeled- Pen is ‘bubbly, confident and steadfast in her beliefs’, Basil is ‘romantic and caring’ Thomas, much the same, and Judas ‘mysterious’etc., they do tend to seem a little two dimensional. 

 To conclude, Perfect Ruin is an engaging book built on a very interesting and original idea. The plot is well constructed if a little predictable, but I enjoyed it and am even curious about the other books in the series. I’d love to see this made into a film, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see :) 3/5

Kiko: A Review

Hello :)

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It's been a while I know, but here I am, back on board the blogging bus and hoping to be able to post regularly now. I've been extremely busy in my new job and have barely had a minute's rest since the end of January, but finally, I've found a good time to dedicate to Box Of Various, and hopefully, Monday evenings will become my regular blogging time.

A couple of months back I treated myself to a few goodies from Kiko and today I'd like to share a brief review of them :)

 clockwise: eyeliner :: nail varnish :: eyeshadow :: mascara

 

As you can see, pink seems to be my colour! I love wearing a wide variety of colours, but pink is deffinitely one that I seem to go for often. I bought these products in the sales and so there was only a very limited choice of colours left, luckily for me, pink was one of them :)

The eyeliner, is very bright and would be great for party make-up, you could even apply it all over the lid for a really striking look, but I've worn it in the day time, smudging it a little as I applied it, to soften the look, and it worked just as well.

The nail varnish has to be one of my favourite products, not only out of this bunch, but off all time! It's the most beautiful pale iridescent pink which shines with a shock of petrol in the right light. My only disappointment with this varnish is that is isn't very long lasting.

The eyeshadow is a duskier pink than I would usually go for. I can't say it's my favourite, but it's very well pigmented. It doesn't last the longest and applying it is quite a dustly process, but I think it works well with an evening look.

The mascara was a brave purchase. it's a shimmery red colour and can give the impression of tired eyes if not applied well (!) I'd save it for an evening look, and use it with other dark eye make-up and well defined eyeliner I think, I'm still waiting for the right occasion to create a bold look with this product :)

All in all, Kiko make-up has to be a favourite of mine. It may not be the longest lasting in terms of staying power, but it is good quality otherwise. Kiko always have an extensive range of very pretty and affordable products, simply browsing the boutique is fun :)

Have a lovely evening 

Heidi-V

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