ARC Book Review | 99 Days by Katie Cotugno

Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Publication Date: April 21, 2014
My Rating: 3 stars

Day 1: Julia Donnelly eggs my house my first night back in Star Lake, and that’s how I know everyone still remembers everything—how I destroyed my relationship with Patrick the night everything happened with his brother, Gabe. How I wrecked their whole family. Now I’m serving out my summer like a jail sentence: Just ninety-nine days till I can leave for college, and be done.

Day 4: A nasty note on my windshield makes it clear Julia isn’t finished. I’m expecting a fight when someone taps me on the shoulder, but it’s just Gabe, home from college and actually happy to see me. “For what it’s worth, Molly Barlow,” he says, “I’m really glad you’re back.”

Day 12: Gabe got me to come to this party, and I’m actually having fun. I think he’s about to kiss me—and that’s when I see Patrick. My Patrick, who’s supposed to be clear across the country. My Patrick, who’s never going to forgive me.

Review

I was really excited to read 99 Days, I had already been seeing tons of good reviews so I couldn't wait to read it.  However, this is one that disappointed me tremendously.  I still enjoyed it, but I felt like it could have been so much more.

 

First, I want to say that I loved the first part of this book.  When I wasn't reading it, I was constantly thinking about it and I couldn't wait to pick it back up.  I was fully expecting for it to be a 5 star read, and if I was rating on the first 40-50%, it would be.  But that 2nd half KILLED me. 

 

Let me explain.  During the first half, Molly has come home from boarding school that she ran to for her senior year after the whole cheating scandal broke.  She seems remorseful and it really seems like she's trying to get her life back together.  She reaches out to an old friend, gets a job, she starts hanging out with Gabe (Who I LOVE) and things seem to be looking a little better for her.  She knows what she did was wrong and she seems to have learned from her mistakes.  I thought this showed tremendous character growth. 

 

BUT, Patrick comes back to town and things change.  I don't want to go into too much detail because I don't want to give anything away, but lets just say that I was constantly frustrated with her and her actions.  I'm not going to sit here and say that I've never made mistakes, because I have.  I done some things when I was her age that I'm not proud of either, but the difference is, I learned from them.  But with Molly, it was like she forgot everything she had been through, not only that, she knew that what she was doing wasn't okay, but of course that didn't stop her.  That's what bothered me.  I know that this may not bother most people who read this book, but it's just a personal thing with me so it hindered my enjoyment of the book.

 

Overall, 99 Days is a book that I was expecting great things from, but in the end, frustration with the main character kept me from completely loving it.

ARC Book Review | The Remedy by Suzanne Young

Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: April 21, 2015
My Rating: 5 Stars

In a world before The Program…

Quinlan McKee is a closer. Since the age of seven, Quinn has held the responsibility of providing closure to grieving families with a special skill—she can “become” anyone.

Recommended by grief counselors, Quinn is hired by families to take on the short-term role of a deceased loved one between the ages of fifteen and twenty. She’s not an exact copy, of course, but she wears their clothes and changes her hair, studies them through pictures and videos, and soon, Quinn can act like them, smell like them, and be them for all intents and purposes. But to do her job successfully, she can’t get attached.

Now seventeen, Quinn is deft at recreating herself, sometimes confusing her own past with those of the people she’s portrayed. When she’s given her longest assignment, playing the role of Catalina Barnes, Quinn begins to bond with the deceased girl’s boyfriend. But that’s only the beginning of the complications, especially when Quinn finds out the truth about Catalina’s death. And the epidemic it could start.

Review

As a huge fan of The Program books, I was extremely excited when I saw that there would be another book set in that world and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on The Remedy.  I wanted to see how everything began, and what happened before The Program and The Remedy lets us see all of that and more.

Quinlan McKee has been a closer since she was 7 years old.  A closer is someone who can ‘become’ anyone to give closure to grieving families who have lost a loved one, and Quinlan is the best.  Quinn is given her longest assignment yet, and quite possibly the hardest, because the person she’s to become, Catalina Barnes, has a boyfriend and that boyfriend is part of Quinn’s assignment.  Will Quinn be able to give Catalina’s family and boyfriend the closure they need without getting too attached?  You’ll have to read it to find out.

I really, really liked Quinn as our MC.  She was smart and loyal, and although many people judge her for being a closer, she tried not to let it bother her because she knew the reason she was doing it, to help people.  While I’m not sure how I would feel about someone coming in and taking on the role of a deceased loved one, I can understand how it could help some people.  They have the opportunity to say everything that they didn’t get a chance to, and I can see how that would be beneficial in the grieving process. 

I also really loved the other characters as well.  Deacon and Aaron were really great.  They were both there anytime Quinn needed a reminder of who she was and they seemed to always sense exactly what she needed without her having to say the words, or ask for help.

Now, let’s talk about that ending.  It REALLY left me wanting more.  I don’t know if there will be another book, BUT OH MY GOSH I HOPE SO.  You can’t end a book like that and not give me more, I can’t take it.  I NEED MORE.

The Remedy was such an amazing addition to The Program series.  As usual, Young’s writing is flawless and the story is fascinating.

ARC Book Review | Denton Little's Deathdate by Lance Rubin

Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher via Netgalley
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: April 14, 2015
My Rating: 3 Stars

Fans of John Green and Matthew Quick: Get ready to die laughing.

Denton Little's Deathdate takes place in a world exactly like our own except that everyone knows the day they will die. For 17-year-old Denton Little, that's tomorrow, the day of his senior prom.

Despite his early deathdate, Denton has always wanted to live a normal life, but his final days are filled with dramatic firsts. First hangover. First sex. First love triangle (as the first sex seems to have happened not with his adoring girlfriend, but with his best friend's hostile sister. Though he's not totally sure. See: first hangover.) His anxiety builds when he discovers a strange purple rash making its way up his body. Is this what will kill him? And then a strange man shows up at his funeral, claiming to have known Denton's long-deceased mother, and warning him to beware of suspicious government characters…. Suddenly Denton's life is filled with mysterious questions and precious little time to find the answers.

Debut author Lance Rubin takes us on a fast, furious, and outrageously funny ride through the last hours of a teenager's life as he searches for love, meaning, answers, and (just maybe) a way to live on.

My Review

Something to Note: I received an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Why Did I Want To Read Denton Little's Deathdate: When I first saw this book, it seemed like it would be a really fun read.  You know, despite the whole death stuff.

The Characters: The characters were actually my favorite part of this book.  They all had such a fun sense of humor (except for Phil), and I was constantly laughing. 

 

I liked Denton, he seemed like a really good guy, but I didn't understand some of the things he did, especially regarding the purple rash that it mentions in the summary.  You would think that if you had a strange purple rash covering your lower half, you would be a little more careful regarding some things, but no one seemed to pay it much mind, and of course, there are always consequences. 

 

And Paolo, oh my gosh, I LOVED him.  Whenever he was around, he really stole the limelight, at least for me.  He was quirky and hilarious, and I just adored him. 

 

I also really liked Denton's family, I loved laughing at his stepmom's texts, as this is exactly how my mom texts me, and his father and brother, although seemingly distant at the beginning of the book, really grew on me.

Willis Ellis deserves a paragraph all to himself.  I don't even know what to say about him.  He was always there at the wrong time, but he made me laugh.  Not necessarily because he was trying or funny, but...oh hell, I can't even explain him.  I'll just say...he's something else.

 

 

My Overall Thoughts: In all honesty, I was expecting to be blown away by this book.  However, that wasn't the case.  Now, don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed it.  It was hilarious and with the plot line, it had the potential to be amazing, but ultimately it fell short. 
 

In the end I was left with so many questions, and not enough answers.  With that ending, I'm assuming that there will be a second book, actually I'm hoping for a second book so that all of my lingering questions will hopefully be answered.
 

However, I really did love trying to figure out what Denton and his friends would get into next, and I loved the fact that this book made me laugh out loud several times.  Overall, this was an extremely funny book, but instead of being completely invested in the story line, I fell more for the characters. 

 

One Line Wrap Up: A hilariously funny book that will have you laughing out loud and wondering what crazy scenarios Denton will find himself in next.


I Would Recommend For Fans Of: Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock

ARC Book Review | The Secrets We Keep by Trisha Leaver

Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher via Netgalley
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication Date: April 28, 2015
My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

A girl takes over her twin sister's identity in this emotionally charged page-turner about the complicated bond between sisters.

Ella and Maddy Lawton are identical twins. Ella has spent her high school years living in popular Maddy's shadows, but she has never been envious of Maddy. In fact, she's chosen the quiet, safe confines of her sketchbook over the constant battle for attention that has defined Maddy's world.

When—after a heated argument—Maddy and Ella get into a tragic accident that leaves her sister dead, Ella wakes up in the hospital surrounded by loved ones who believe she is Maddy. Feeling responsible for Maddy's death and everyone's grief, Ella makes a split-second decision to pretend to be Maddy. Soon, Ella realizes that Maddy's life was full of secrets. Caught in a web of lies, Ella is faced with two options—confess her deception or live her sister's life.

My Thoughts:

The Secrets We Keep is such a thought provoking and heartbreaking story. The writing is so flawless and the story flows so perfectly that it's impossible not to get sucked into Ella and Maddy's story. You feel everything from the gut wrenching pain, to the all consuming guilt, and that's what makes this book so amazing.

Ella and Maddy may be twins, but they are the furthest thing from similar. Ella is the quiet one who is always drawing, and Maddy is the popular one. It hasn't always been that way though, they used to be inseperable, and even though Maddy isn't the best sister to Ella, Ella would still do anything for her. But when tragedy strikes, and Ella wakes up to everyone calling her Maddy, and she realizes that her sister is dead, she makes a split second decision to make sure that Maddy has the life that she should have had. But it isn't long until Ella realizes that Maddy's life isn't what she thought and Maddy has been keeping secrets.

It was so easy to form a connection with Ella, her grief was so raw and real that I felt like I was right there with her (as evidenced by all my tears). Ella and Maddy's parents were wonderful, even though they were grieving for one of the daughters, they still made an effort to try and be there for the other, and I can't imagine how hard that would be.

I really didn't like Maddy's set of friends, especially Jenna. She was so deceiving, back stabbing, and flat out mean. I know everyone tried to make excuses for the way she was, but I wasn't buying it. There is no good reason to treat people, specifically one you call your best friend, the way she did.

The Secrets We Keep is an emotional, gripping and gut wrenching story about grief, loss, guilt and finding yourself. 

  

ARC Book Review | Things We Know by Heart by Jessi Kirby

Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: April 21, 2015
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

When Quinn Sullivan meets the recipient of her boyfriend’s donated heart, the two form an unexpected connection.

After Quinn loses her boyfriend, Trent, in an accident their junior year, she reaches out to the recipients of his donated organs in hopes of picking up the pieces of her now-unrecognizable life. She hears back from some of them, but the person who received Trent’s heart has remained silent. The essence of a person, she has always believed, is in the heart. If she finds Trent’s, then maybe she can have peace once and for all.

Risking everything in order to finally lay her memories to rest, Quinn goes outside the system to track down nineteen-year-old Colton Thomas—a guy whose life has been forever changed by this priceless gift. But what starts as an accidental run-in quickly develops into more, sparking an undeniable attraction. She doesn't want to give in to it—especially since he has no idea how they're connected—but their time together has made Quinn feel alive again. No matter how hard she’s falling for Colton, each beat of his heart reminds her of all she’s lost…and all that remains at stake.

ARC Review | Second Chance Island by Jenny Schwartz

Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher via Netgalley
Publisher: Escape Publishing
Publication: February 8, 2015
Pages: 48
Genre: Romance
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

She’s escaped to a tropical paradise, but her past is going to find her.

Laura Robertson is working at a tropical resort on the Great Barrier Reef, biding her time and nursing her wounds when her ex-lover Phil Cooper arrives on Topaz Island. She’s betrayed him, broken his trust, and shamed herself. And yet it seems that he’s the one man she can’t let go.

She’s spent her whole life fighting to save the reef, and her time on Topaz Island fighting for her self-respect. Does she have enough fight left to fight for a second chance?

My Review

Something to Note: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

My Thoughts: I'm just focusing on the book at whole instead of going into depths of the characters because it was just such a short book. I know 3 stars seems to be average, but I want you guys to know that I did really enjoy this book. The reason I rated it 3 stars was because it was so short and I kind of wanted more out of it.

The characters in this book are all magnificent. Yes, you only have a few pages to get to know them, but I connected with them right off the bat. Phil is the character that I fell for the most. He was just so fun to read about and I enjoyed his character the most. Laura was a great character as well, but I just didn't feel for her as much as I wished I would have. The other side characters are also just so wonderful. Laura's boss honestly made me love this book so much. She made me smile because she was genuine and it's hard to find someone so lovely in books now-a-days.

Overall, this book was a great, fast read. If you are in a reading slump and need a little pick me up...I would highly recommend this book. It's quick and makes you smile throughout the whole thing.

ARC Book Review | None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio

Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Publication Date: April 7, 2015
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

A groundbreaking story about a teenage girl who discovers she was born intersex . . . and what happens when her secret is revealed to the entire school. Incredibly compelling and sensitively told, None of the Above is a thought-provoking novel that explores what it means to be a boy, a girl, or something in between.

What if everything you knew about yourself changed in an instant?

When Kristin Lattimer is voted homecoming queen, it seems like another piece of her ideal life has fallen into place. She's a champion hurdler with a full scholarship to college and she's madly in love with her boyfriend. In fact, she's decided that she's ready to take things to the next level with him.

But Kristin's first time isn't the perfect moment she's planned--something is very wrong. A visit to the doctor reveals the truth: Kristin is intersex, which means that though she outwardly looks like a girl, she has male chromosomes, not to mention boy "parts."

Dealing with her body is difficult enough, but when her diagnosis is leaked to the whole school, Kristin's entire identity is thrown into question. As her world unravels, can she come to terms with her new self?

Review

ARC Book Review | The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord

Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher via Netgalley
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: March 31, 2015
My Rating: 3.5 Stars

Following her pitch-perfect debut Open Road Summer, Emery Lord pens another gorgeous story of best friends, new love, & second chances.

Brimming with heartfelt relationships and authentic high-school dynamics The Start of Me and You proves that it’s never too late for second chances.

It’s been a year since it happened—when Paige Hancock’s first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for two years, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school . . . and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her—the perfect way to convince everyone she’s back to normal. Next: Join a club—simple, it’s high school after all. But when Ryan’s sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live?

Review

Something to Note: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Why Did I Want To Read The Start of Me and You: I wanted to read The Start of Me and You because I read and loved Lord's debut, Open Road Summer last year and I couldn't wait to read more of her books.

The Characters: While I really liked most of the characters, I did have a hard time connecting with Paige, the main character.  I get that she has been through a lot with her first boyfriend dying, but she often seemed clueless, especially when it came to Ryan and Max.  If I had been one of her friends, I would have knocked her upside the head and told her to get a clue.  When she finally opens her eyes, I think I actually screamed "Finally!" but of course, other things happened after that, which just added to my frustration because I felt like it was something that could have been resolved if there was a little communication going on.

However, in the end I was really rooting for Paige and I wanted her to be happy, I just wish she would have opened her eyes a little sooner, but I guess we all go at our on pace, and hers was just a little slower than I was hoping for.

Moving on, I actually LOVED Max, he was the sweet nerd that everyone overlooks, but he grabbed my attention from the moment we met.  I also really liked Paige's friends, Tessa, Morgan and Kayleigh, and Ryan wasn't so bad once we got to know him.

My Overall Thoughts: I know it may seem like I didn't enjoy this book at all from my comments on the MC, but that isn't the case at all.  Sure, I would have enjoyed it more if I felt more of a connection with her, but in the end this was a really cute story and I'm glad I read it.

I loved the fact that Paige had such amazing friends, they were the type that were there for each other no matter what, and no questions asked.  They dropped everything if the other was in need of a friend, and I loved that so much. I also loved the fact that there were parents present, and they were good ones at that.
  

One Line Wrap Up: A cute story about friendships, overcoming your fears, and learning to move on in the face of tragedy.

I Would Recommend For Fans Of: Open Road Summer, Golden, and Nantucket Blue

ARC Book Review | Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver

Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: March 10, 2015
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver delivers a gripping story about two sisters inexorably altered by a terrible accident.

Dara and Nick used to be inseparable, but that was before the accident that left Dara's beautiful face scarred and the two sisters totally estranged. When Dara vanishes on her birthday, Nick thinks Dara is just playing around. But another girl, nine-year-old Madeline Snow, has vanished, too, and Nick becomes increasingly convinced that the two disappearances are linked. Now Nick has to find her sister, before it's too late.

In this edgy and compelling novel, Lauren Oliver creates a world of intrigue, loss, and suspicion as two sisters search to find themselves, and each other.

"Alarming and uplifting, a rare psychological thriller that has a kind heart at its center. Read it with all the lights on." --E. Lockhart, author of We Were Liars

ARC Book Review | Liars, Inc by Paula Stokes

Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: March 24, 2015
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars


For fans of Gone Girl, I Hunt Killers, and TV's How to Get Away with Murder.

Max Cantrell has never been a big fan of the truth, so when the opportunity arises to sell forged permission slips and cover stories to his classmates, it sounds like a good way to make a little money and liven up a boring senior year. With the help of his friends Preston and Parvati, Max starts Liars, Inc. Suddenly everybody needs something and the cash starts pouring in. Who knew lying could be so lucrative?

When Preston wants his own cover story to go visit a girl he met online, Max doesn’t think twice about hooking him up. Until Preston never comes home. Then the evidence starts to pile up—terrifying clues that lead the cops to Preston’s body. Terrifying clues that point to Max as the murderer.

Can Max find the real killer before he goes to prison for a crime he didn’t commit? In a story that Kirkus Reviews called "Captivating to the very end," Paula Stokes starts with one single white lie and weaves a twisted tale that will have readers guessing until the explosive final chapters.

ARC Book Review | The Distance Between Lost and Found by Kathryn Holmes

Format: e-ARC

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: February 17, 2015
My Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

 

 

 

Ever since the night of the incident with Luke Willis, the preacher’s son, sophomore Hallelujah Calhoun has been silent. When the rumors swirled around school, she was silent. When her parents grounded her, she was silent. When her friends abandoned her … silent.

Now, six months later, on a youth group retreat in the Smoky Mountains, Hallie still can’t find a voice to answer the taunting. Shame and embarrassment haunt her, while Luke keeps coming up with new ways to humiliate her. Not even meeting Rachel, an outgoing newcomer who isn’t aware of her past, can pull Hallie out of her shell. Being on the defensive for so long has left her raw, and she doesn’t know who to trust.

On a group hike, the incessant bullying pushes Hallie to her limit. When Hallie, Rachel, and Hallie’s former friend Jonah get separated from the rest of the group, the situation quickly turns dire. Stranded in the wilderness, the three have no choice but to band together.

With past betrayals and harrowing obstacles in their way, Hallie fears they’ll never reach safety. Could speaking up about the night that changed everything close the distance between being lost and found? Or has she traveled too far to come back?

 

ARC Book Review | My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Publication Date: February 10, 2015
Pages: 320
My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Sixteen-year-old physics nerd Aysel is obsessed with plotting her own death. With a mother who can barely look at her without wincing, classmates who whisper behind her back, and a father whose violent crime rocked her small town, Aysel is ready to turn her potential energy into nothingness.

There’s only one problem: she’s not sure she has the courage to do it alone. But once she discovers a website with a section called Suicide Partners, Aysel’s convinced she’s found her solution: a teen boy with the username FrozenRobot (aka Roman) who’s haunted by a family tragedy is looking for a partner.

Even though Aysel and Roman have nothing in common, they slowly start to fill in each other’s broken lives. But as their suicide pact becomes more concrete, Aysel begins to question whether she really wants to go through with it. Ultimately, she must choose between wanting to die or trying to convince Roman to live so they can discover the potential of their energy together. Except that Roman may not be so easy to convince.

ARC Book Review | The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand

Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: February 10, 2015
My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

There's death all around us.
We just don't pay attention.
Until we do.

The last time Lex was happy, it was before. When she had a family that was whole. A boyfriend she loved. Friends who didn't look at her like she might break down at any moment.

Now she's just the girl whose brother killed himself. And it feels like that's all she'll ever be.

As Lex starts to put her life back together, she tries to block out what happened the night Tyler died. But there's a secret she hasn't told anyone-a text Tyler sent, that could have changed everything.

Lex's brother is gone. But Lex is about to discover that a ghost doesn't have to be real to keep you from moving on.

From New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand, The Last Time We Say Goodbye is a gorgeous and heart-wrenching story of love, loss, and letting go.

ARC Book Review | Playlist for the Dead by Michelle Falkoff

Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: January 27, 2015
My Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

A teenage boy tries to understand his best friend's suicide by listening to the playlist of songs he left behind in this smart, voice-driven debut novel.

Here's what Sam knows: There was a party. There was a fight. The next morning, his best friend, Hayden, was dead. And all he left Sam was a playlist of songs, and a suicide note: For Sam—listen and you'll understand.

As he listens to song after song, Sam tries to face up to what happened the night Hayden killed himself. But it's only by taking out his earbuds and opening his eyes to the people around him that he will finally be able to piece together his best friend’s story. And maybe have a chance to change his own.

Part mystery, part love story, and part coming-of-age tale in the vein of Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Tim Tharp’s The Spectacular Now, Playlist for the Dead is an honest and gut-wrenching first novel about loss, rage, what it feels like to outgrow a friendship that's always defined you—and the struggle to redefine yourself. But above all, it's about finding hope when hope seems like the hardest thing to find.  

ARC Book Review | Gone Too Far by Natalie Richards

Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher via Netgalley
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication: January 6, 2015
My Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

Keeping secrets ruined her life. But the truth might just kill her.

Piper Woods can't wait for the purgatory of senior year to end. She skirts the fringes of high school like a pro until the morning she finds a notebook with mutilated photographs and a list of student sins. She's sure the book is too gruesome to be true, until pretty, popular Stella dies after a sex-tape goes viral. Everyone's sure it's suicide, but Piper remembers Stella's name from the book and begins to suspect something much worse.

Drowning in secrets she doesn't want to keep, Piper's fears are confirmed when she receives an anonymous text message daring her to make things right. All she needs to do is choose a name, the name of someone who deserves to be punished...  

Book Review | No Such Thing as Perfect by Sarah Daltry

Format: e-RC

Source: Sarah Daltry's Rep. Karen via E-mail

Publisher: Smashwords Edition

Publication Date: November 27, 2014

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

College was supposed to be perfect. She was supposed to be perfect.

For Lily Drummond, life is about following the rules. To be specific, her mother’s rules. College fit into the plan – maintain perfect grades, date the perfect guy, and live the perfect life. On her own, though, Lily realizes that she doesn’t actually have a plan. Without being told what to think and do, she keeps making mistakes.

Away from home, the perfect facade is beginning to shatter. When Lily herself starts to break, it’s the support of an unlikely friend that teaches her how much of a lie perfect really is – and how to be whole on her own terms.

NOTE: This is NOT a romance novel and there is no on-camera sex.

Book Review | The Jewel by Amy Ewing

 

Format: e-ARC

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: September 2, 2014
My Rating: 3 of 5 stars

 

 

 

The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty—because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.

Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.

Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence... and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.  

 

 

 

My Thoughts:

 

 

I have to admit that I was expecting to be blown away by this book. I mean, look at that gorgeous cover, surely the book will be just as amazing, right? Well, not necessarily. I enjoyed The Jewel, there were a lot of the elements that I liked but in the end it wasn’t everything that I was hoping for.

Violet was a strong MC, I can’t imagine going through everything that she has, with being taken away from her family, forced to carry someone else’s child, and come out on the other side intact. I’m usually a sucker for romances, but I wasn’t too fond of the one in this book. First, it felt too rushed, second, I didn’t really care all that much for the love interest.

The plot was interesting, although I didn’t feel like I got everything that I needed from the world building. I still don’t know how everything in this world came to be. There was a fleeting explanation of why the royalty couldn’t have their own children but that was pretty much it. There was no other explanation on how the surrogates came to be or even the Augury for that matter.

Even through the lack of world building, I was really enjoying this book until the whole romance thing came into play. Like I said above it was way to insta-love-ish for me. I think this book would have been a whole lot stronger without that aspect.

Now, that ending, that was a killer that I really wasn’t expecting. I’m excited to see where this series will go and I hope that some of my lingering world building questions will be answered in time.

 

 

 



ARC Book Review | Last Stop Klindenspiel

Format: e-ARC
Source: Author via Goodreads
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform 
Publication Date: November 25, 2014
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Combining the survival instincts made famous in The Hunger Games with the intensity of The Book Thief, Last Stop Klindenspiel is a tightrope of horrors that will make anyone think twice about running away to join the circus…

It’s been eight years since the Second World War has ended – long enough for people to forgive and forget – but feelings of hate run deep in Norway against people like fifteen-year-old Katya Holberg and her family. Separated from her father when the Allies liberated Poland, Katya and the rest of her family are sent to an internment camp in Oslo where they’re eventually rescued by a Norwegian war hero.

After four tumultuous years together, he brutally murders her sister, forcing Katya and her mother to seek refuge with her grandmother in faraway Droeback where Katya’s mother is murdered by villagers soon after their arrival. Fearing for her safety, Katya’s grandmother sends her to Klindenspiel, the only circus of its kind in Europe, where all of the performers are children.

Once there, Katya quickly learns that all of the young performers share her terrible secret, making them more like her than she could ever have imagined. Things become complicated when Klindenspiel’s artistic director pairs Katya with Aleks, a good-looking but secretive seventeen-year-old, who’s skilled in acrobatics and dance.

Curious about, and attracted to her new partner, Katya secretly follows him one night and learns the horrible truth behind Klindenspiel’s magic. With the curtains about to rise on Klindenspiel’s newest show, Katya and Aleks must give the performance of a lifetime – both on and off the stage – because their lives, and those of their fellow performers, are depending on it.

My Thoughts:

*I received this book for an honest review from the author.*

Where do I begin? I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was nervous at first reading this because I was thinking it would be a lot more history oriented, but the amount of history in the book was perfect.  I enjoyed Marta Tandori's writing style so very much. Everything flowed together so well and it kept me intrigued as I turned each page (well as I my Kindle turned the page). 

Each and every paragraph added more and more into the book. I do not think there was a paragraph that was there and had no importance. You know how in some books there are pages/chapters that are there just for fillers - not in Last Stop Klindenspiel. Each paragraph was perfect and I think that's why I enjoyed this book so much. I learned so much throughout the first few chapters and I liked that. I didn't have to wait for it to get good...it started off that way.

The book had me on my toes - I never knew where it was going to go. Surprise after surprise hidden among many of the pages (although I predicted one of them). There is loads of heart-break, struggle, angst, and death...but there is also love, desire, happiness, and relief. I loved how there were so many emotions throughout the book and it kept my heart going on so many roller-coasters. 

I was on the fence about whether to rate the book with just 4.5 or move it on up to a five. The only read I wanted to bring it down is because I wanted more and the other books that go along with this book do not seem to give me the more that I want. But, then I thought, I am judging on this book and this book alone and I immediately chose the 5 stars. 

Book Review | Eternal by C.C. Hunter

Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher via Netgalley
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: October 28, 2014
Series: Shadow Falls: After Dark # 2
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

All her life, Della's secret powers have made her feel separated from her human family. Now, she's where she belongs, at Shadow Falls. With the help of her best friends Kylie and Miranda, she’ll try to prove herself in the paranormal world as an investigator—all the while trying to figure out her own heart. Should she chose Chase, a powerful vampire with whom she shares a special bond? Or Steve, the hot shapeshifter whose kisses make her weak in the knees? When a person with dark connection to her past shows up, it’ll help her decide which guy to choose–and make her question everything she knows about herself.

From bestselling author C.C. Hunter comes Eternal—a must-read for fans of the Shadow Falls series—and the sequel to Reborn.

My Thoughts: 

 

I have been a fan of the Shadow Falls books since I first picked up Born at Midnight a few years ago and even though this book is a spin off of that series, we still get to see all the characters we fell in love with in the Shadow Falls series and I absolutely love that.

 

I think I may have enjoyed Eternal even more than I did Reborn and that's saying a lot. Della has grown so much as a character since we first met her and I love that she's finally letting people in, she has such a good heart and she deserves to be happy. With that in mind, there's a bit of a love triangle in this one, which I'm sure everyone was expecting if they had read Reborn. But I don't know who I'm rooting for at this point. At first I was all Team Steve, then in this installment, I was Team Chase, but after some things are revealed at the end of this book, I'm not sure. Not that they were bad, it's just that we don't know yet because of that freaking cliffhanger. Seriously, Mrs. Hunter, how am I supposed to make it until the next book comes out?
 

One of my favorite things about these books are the characters, like I said above, Della has grown tremendously and the secondary characters are amazing as well. We get some time with Kylie, Miranda, Holiday, Burnett and of course Chase and Steve ;)
 

Overall, Eternal is an action packed, thrilling adventure and it will definitely leave you on the edge of your seat and yelling NO at the end. But if you want to know what you're yelling NO at? Well, you'll have to read and see.

 

 



ARC Book Review | No Place to Fall by Jaye Robin Brown

Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: December 9, 2014
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Amber Vaughn is a good girl. She sings solos at church, babysits her nephew after school, and spends every Friday night hanging out at her best friend Devon’s house. It’s only when Amber goes exploring in the woods near her home, singing camp songs with the hikers she meets on the Appalachian Trail, that she feels free—and when the bigger world feels just a little bit more in reach.

When Amber learns about an audition at the North Carolina School of the Arts, she decides that her dream—to sing on bigger stages—could also be her ticket to a new life. Devon’s older (and unavailable) brother, Will, helps Amber prepare for her one chance to try out for the hypercompetitive arts school. But the more time Will and Amber spend together, the more complicated their relationship becomes . . . and Amber starts to wonder if she’s such a good girl, after all.

Then, in an afternoon, the bottom drops out of her family’s world—and Amber is faced with an impossible choice between her promise as an artist and the people she loves. Amber always thought she knew what a good girl would do. But between “right” and “wrong,” there’s a whole world of possibilities.

My Thoughts:  

 

No Place to Fall is a book that I was really looking forward to, it sounded amazing and I adore that cover. Going into it, I was expecting to fall in love with these characters and this story. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this book but there were just a few things that I had an issue with and those ended up being enough for me to drop the rating a little bit.

 

Amber has always been the good girl, she goes to church every Sunday, sings in the choir and spends most of the time with her nephew, Cody and her best friend, Devon. That is until she gets the taste of freedom during the summer, she thought that she would leave it all behind and go back to her good girl routine once the summer was over, but the truth is, that summer changed her.

 

This one had all the promise to be an amazing story, the plot was good, the writing is beautiful, it's just those little things that keep it from going into the 'amazing' territory. Like, at one point I was expecting a love triangle, I mean it had every sign of a love triangle. But it turned out completely different, not that I'm complaining because I'm not a huge fan of love triangles. But the closeness between Amber and one certain guy just didn't make sense if she didn't like him like that.

 

I also really didn't understand Amber's mom, I don't really want to get into it, but I just don't get how she put up with what she did. But not only did she put up with it, she acted like everything was ok, that really was what got me.

 

I really liked the whole music aspect of this book, and I liked that Amber and one of the guys had that in common, I feel like he was very supportive and very encouraging when she doubted herself and I loved that.

 

Overall, No Place to Fall was a one that I was expecting great things from but unfortunately fell short. The story was interesting and I enjoyed seeing Amber grow as a character but it wasn't enough to make up for the little things that didn't work for me.