Review: A Curious Tale of the In-Between by Lauren DeStefano (ARC)

A Curious Tale of the In-Between (Pram #1) by Lauren DeStefano
Bloomsbury, 240 Pages
Expected US Release Date: September 1, 2015
Format/Source: ARC via Around the World Tours - thank you!

Pram Bellamy is special—she can talk to ghosts. She doesn’t have too many friends amongst the living, but that’s all right. She has her books, she has her aunts, and she has her best friend, the ghostly Felix.

Then Pram meets Clarence, a boy from school who has also lost a parent and is looking for answers. Together they arrive at the door of the mysterious Lady Savant, who promises to help. But this spiritualist knows the true nature of Pram’s power, and what she has planned is more terrifying than any ghost.

Lauren DeStefano is beloved by critics and readers alike, and her middle grade debut is lyrical, evocative and not to be missed.
-------------------Goodreads Summary

Notable Quote

Saying it aloud was an admission as well. No wonder she'd grown up in a house where nobody said they loved anyone; what a terrible pain that word caused.

If someone asked me to describe the perfect Middle Grade book, I would probably reference A Curious Tale of the In-Between now. I’m not sure what I would have said before (this is excluding Harry Potter of course, because that’s just all ages), but I can certainly tell you now that everything you’re looking for is probably found in this little book.

I’m not even a big “spooky” story lover. And it’s not like A Curious Tale was terrifying or nightmare inducing – it was just the right amount of spooky and creepy with adolescent curiosity and innocence. I thought DeStefano handled that weird middle-time of being a kid and learning there are bigger, sometimes better and definitely sometimes worse, things in life. It’s a very strange transitional stage, and she did fantastically well not only representing it, but also maneuvering through the Big Life Things and cutesy childhood moments.

Lauren DeStefano’s YA books always have this fantastic storytelling creativity to them. They’re original and unique but entirely relatable and human – and she’s carried this into her MG story as well. I never went through seeing ghosts as a kid, but I still felt like I could have been Pram in so many parts of this story. Her curiosity, her strangeness, her sadness and big heart and emotions…they were all so real to me and felt like it was a part of me, too.

I absolutely love love loved Clarence and Felix. If I were in High School English classes, I would have had so much fun analyzing them and who they represent to Pram and her stages in life – but this is a review, not a report, and I won’t. But trust that they are enjoyable from a literary analytics view, and just as characters from a reader. Both were unique and loveable in their own ways, and I wish I had them as friends when I was younger, too.

A Curious Tale of the In-Between was an adorable read, but also one I feel like is important to the Middle Grade book roster. It represents that time in life where you’re growing from a kid into a teenager and struggling to find your identity within your family, within your friends, and within yourself – and it represents it entirely well. The story is evocative and enjoyable, strong and so, so original. I highly recommend reading it.

4.5 stars

Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (ARC)

A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1 by Sarah J. Maas
Bloomsbury, 416 Pages
Expected US Release Date: May 5, 2015
Format/Source: ARC via Around the World Tours - thank you!

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!
----------------Goodreads Summary

Notable Quote

Rhysand stared at me long enough that I faced him. “Be glad of your human heart, Feyre. Pity those who don’t feel anything at all.”

If you’ve ever read a Sarah J. Maas novel (and that should be ALL OF YOU), then you know how incredibly hard it is to write a review for it. There’s just SO MUCH for you to say! The characters, the setting, the world, the action, the intrigue…Sarah is such a master in storytelling and world creation, and how does someone possibly comment all they want to without using all the words in the world?!

Somewhere I completely missed that this book was a blend of Beauty & the Beast, and about 50 pages in I was like heeeeeeeeey…this is starting to sound familiar! So, chalk me up to being an idiot – but it was definitely a pleasant surprise! Beauty & the Beast is one of my favourite tales, and this was a fantastic retelling. It stuck pretty true to the lore and enhanced the parts that definitely had room for it.

If I were to try to boil my review down to 3 words only, I’d go with these:

Fascinating. Because everything Sarah created in this world was so original (even though it is a retelling!) and absolutely creative. In all the action, all the progressive storytelling, it was always interesting and different and filled me with such awe and incredulity that she could create something like this book.

Seductive. And not just in the relationships (though trust me, that is definitely applicable to the relationships, too), but in the entire aura of the writing. The dangerous lore, the spirits and darkness that always has a tinge of sexiness and intrigue…there’s something so deliciously wanting about the entire thing, and it hooks you in and does not let go the entire book.

Heart. This applies in a lot of ways. The heartstrong characters, who endure everything and more for their loved ones or loved land. The hearts that are empty and then filled as we move along in the story. How my heart felt like it was hurting for everyone at various parts, for the hearts that are broken and empty and seemingly incapable of having a capacity at all. There is heart woven throughout this entire book, and it is brilliant and wonderful.

And I mean…that doesn’t include how much I want to talk about the perfect pacing, how Tamlin is so divine and strong and sexy, how Feyre is headstrong but human, how the ending just absolutely blew me away and made me gasp and tear up and clutch at the pages as I furiously flipped through them just wanting to know how it ends!

I really can’t recommend A Court of Thorns and Roses enough. Even me, who usually cannot stand anything faerie, and I definitely don’t like fantasy…this got through to me and blew me away. The writing, the story, absolutely everything ties together to be a completely unique tale of love and the varying lengths we go through for it.

5+ stars

Review: The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord (ARC)

The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord
Bloomsbury, 384 pages
Expected US Release Date: March 31, 2015
Format/Source: ARC via Around the World Tours - thank you!

It’s been a year since it happened—when Paige Hancock’s first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for a year, 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?

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.
-----------------------Goodreads Summary

Notable Quote

If you're lucky, relationships--with family or friends or boyfriends--are limitless. There's no maximum on how much you can love each other. The problem is, there's also no limit to how much you can hurt each other.

The Start of Me and You is by far my favourite read of 2014. Because the entire story itself is fun and inventive and interesting. Because everyone in it is entirely relatable and lovable and just a smidge infuriating, in manageable and almost endearing increments. Because I swear it felt like I was reading something with my feelings all over the page. Because Max Watson is my book boyfriend. And that’s all just the beginning!

Emery Lord has got to have the most approachable writing in YA right now. There’s something so open and friendly about her writing (I hope others who have read her books know what I mean, otherwise I sound like a crazy person), it just draws you in and gets you coffee and lets you prop your feet up. I always sink so comfortably and so fast into Emery Lord’s stories, and it completely consumes me.

The Start of Me and You had such an interesting concept of having Paige the “widow” of a high school relationship. So unique, and something that has so many possibilities in terms of follow up. And I mean…I’m a sucker for lists, so her plan of moving on was so perfect and right up my alley.

And maybe this is a weird thing to attach to, but one of my favourite things about The Start of Me and You is how utterly normal it all is. I mean, Paige’s situation is unique…but her friends, her thought process, befriending Ryan and Max, moving through her school year? It’s all perfectly realistic and paced just as any real relationship and friendship would develop, and that definitely made everything seem so much closer to my heart.

Let’s talk Max, because YES PLEASE. I may even love him more than Matt Finch from Open Road Summer! Who know THAT was possible?! Max is seriously the best nerdy awesome guy in the world.  I loved his backstory, his friendship with his cousin, his playfulness and how he exhibited his intelligence without any sort of bragging or condescension. As I get older, I tend to attract to guys who are unabashedly, unashamedly themselves—and Max fits that bill perfectly.

And as much as I did love Max, I have to admit the friendships in this book are amazing and wonderful, too. Which I think Emery just specializes in, because Lilah and Dee’s friendship in Open Road Summer was one of my favourites, too. (I think this means I should be friends with Emery. Is that creepy?) Paige’s girlfriends were the best and reminded me so, so much of my own little crew I keep. Sure, there are pairings within the 4, but it makes sense and they’re still 100% there for the other. It’s a real friendship, with ups and downs and arguments and hugs and support, and I absolutely wish I could be folded in with them.

Paige and Max’s friendship is also something I enjoyed immensely, because it’s so obvious there’s an attraction but there’s also an understanding there, too. They’re thoughtful in regards to each other, and seeing it on the page absolutely squeezed my heart with warmth.

And the thing I particularly attached to was the ending realization of having to come to terms with yourself and be who you are before you can really be with anyone else. I like that Paige is sort of broken, without being absolutely shattered, and that every win for her no matter how small it is really makes a difference in her rebuilding of strength. It’s very much a lesson I’ve been learning, and thought it was displayed so well.

The Start of Me and You is a fantastically written story of a girl struggling to find her way after suffering a loss. It’s got romance and friendship and Quiz Bowl and airplanes and I cannot wait until I can read it over and over again because I will never tire of the relationships found within. Everyone needs to read this book.

5 stars

and airplanes above me sprinkling so many more stars!

Review: Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae (ARC)

Wish You Were Italian (If Only #2) by Kristin Rae
Bloomsbury, 323 pages
US Release Date: May 6, 2014
Format/Source: ARC via Around the World Tours - thank you!

Pippa has always wanted to go to Italy … but not by herself. And certainly not to sit in art school the entire summer learning about dead guys’ paintings. When she steps off the plane in Rome, she realizes that traveling solo gives her the freedom to do whatever she wants. So it’s arrivederci, boring art program and ciao, hot Italian guys!

Charming, daring, and romantic, Bruno is just the Italian Pippa’s looking for—except she keeps running into cute American archeology student Darren everywhere she goes. Pippa may be determined to fall in love with an Italian guy … but the electricity she feels with Darren says her heart might have other plans. Can Pippa figure out her feelings before her parents discover she left the program and—even worse—she loses her chance at love?
-----------------Goodreads Summary

If you suffer from wanderlust like I do, Wish You Were Italian is probably a bad book for you – it describes Italy and so many various cities around that beautiful country that it just made my soul ache to go visit immediately! Kristin Rae did a wonderful job making me feel like I was really walking around Cinque Terre, or staring at the Ruins of Pompeii, that I was right there with Pippa and Darren at the Coliseum. Her descriptions are accurate and amazing.

This book is pretty much the epitome of a YA Romance – it’s got everything you’d look for. Hot foreign guys, awesome best friends, parental angst, shenanigans and mischief, lessons and mess-ups and love. There’s sort of a triangle situation (though it was never a question who she should—and would—go for), but it’s not over the top or ridiculous. It makes sense, in the context.

I was pleasantly surprised by the addition of Pippa’s journal! I thought it was really fun of her friend to create that for her, and I loved how it actually kind of outlines and brought together all the events. It wasn’t major or minor—just a part of it, and that was pretty fantastic.

There aren’t many negatives I can give, aside from the predictability of the book. But it’s one of those that it’s sort of nice that it all plays out in a way you would expect and hope for. I do really love Darren too, even though he’s a little too perfect boy, perfect friend. But I totally fell for it, so who am I to complain?! He was sweet and funny and tender and I would not have protested having him show up when I hurt my ankle and give me piggy back rides!

Wish You Were Italian was a sweet, fun Italian adventure. We get to see Pippa really grow and come into her own person, and it’s a lovely journey. If anything, you should read this book just to be transported to Italy! I just won’t be held responsible if you suddenly have the undeniable need to purchase a plane ticket.

3.5 stars

Review: Just Like the Movies by Kelly Fiore (ARC)

Just Like the Movies by Kelly Fiore
Bloomsbury-Walker BFYR, 300 Pages
US Release Date: July 22, 2014
Format/Source: ARC via Around the World Tours - thank you!

Pretty and popular track star Marijke Monti is confident about almost everything – she’s got great friends, a great family, and she’s on her way to the State Track Championship. In fact, the only thing Marijke isn’t confident about is her relationship with Tommy Lawson. 

Lily Spencer has spent her entire high school career preparing for the future – she’s participated in every extracurricular activity and volunteer committee she could. But, at home, she watches her mother go on date after date with dud-dudes, still searching for “the one.” Lily realizes that she’s about to graduate and still hasn’t even had a boyfriend. 

While they live on each other’s periphery at school, Lily and Marijke never seemed to have much in common; but, after a coincidental meeting at the movie theater, Lily gets an idea – why can’t life be like a movie? Why can’t they set up their perfect romantic situations, just in time for their senior prom, using movie techniques?

Once the girls come up with the perfect plans, they commit themselves to being secret cohorts and, just like in the movies, drama ensues.
----------------------------Goodreads Summary

I can always count on Bloomsbury to give me a good book. As soon as I hear about one they’re publishing, it’s almost guaranteed to be on my TBR—and almost always a fantastic novel, anyway. Just like the Movies made me worry, just a smidge, because it sounds kind of cheesy, you know? But it really delivered, and I loved it just as much as the others from this publisher.

I’m not going to tell you this is a deep book, one that makes you think and ponder—but you shouldn’t really pick up a book about emulating and recreating romantic movie scenes if you’re really looking for that. It’s a bit fluffy, a lot romantic and fun with just the right amount of surprise and tenderness to really make it a solid contemporary.

Marijke’s boyfriend was probably one of my favourite characters. I was not really a fan of him as a person (if he were real. You know what I mean), but his role in the book, his own character development and how honest and true he was…that was one of the better parts. Someone like him is definitely stereotyped in contemporary YA, and he was a nice surprise.

Is it just predictable if I compare this to a chick flick? Too obvious of a comparison? I don’t even care, I just did it! This is really the perfect chick flick of a book; two girls who have nothing in common find common ground with an outlandish (but actually doable) solution, and make it happen. And what results is funny, a little scary, something to make your heart beat and skip and generally get twisted and tossed around. Some of it is predictable, I’m happy to report that some of it is not—but it’s also endearing and heartwarming and you just root for both Lily and Marijke to find what they’re looking for.

Just like the Movies may not be the hard-hitting, life-altering novel of the lifetime, but it’s a really fun tale with some surprising insights and a great story of surprise friendship and true love. And sometimes, that’s just what we’re looking for.

4 stars

Review: Relativity by Cristin Bishara (ARC)

Relativity by Cristin Bishara
Walker Childrens (an imprint of Bloomsbury), 288 pages
US Release Date: September 10, 2013
Format/Source: ARC via Around the World Tours - thank you!

If Ruby Wright could have her way, her dad would never have met and married her stepmother Willow, her best friend George would be more than a friend, and her mom would still be alive. Ruby knows wishes can't come true; some things just can't be undone. Then she discovers a tree in the middle of an Ohio cornfield with a wormhole to nine alternative realities. 

Suddenly, Ruby can access completely different realities, each containing variations of her life—if things had gone differently at key moments. The windshield wiper missing her mother’s throat…her big brother surviving his ill-fated birth…her father never having met Willow. Her ideal world—one with everything and everyone she wants most—could be within reach. But is there such a thing as a perfect world? What is Ruby willing to give up to find out?
---------------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

It seems like a footnote, no big deal--it's just Dad's job--but there's the inevitable ripple effect, the butterfly effect: the seemingly insignificant flapping of a butterfly's wings can effect an atmospheric change, which can alter the path of a tornado. Little alterations, big repercussions.

There’s been a definite trend in parallel universes in YA books, guys. I know it’s been around for awhile, but between The Theory of Everything, Parallel, and Relativity, it’s definitely gaining some ground. And I have to say, I am loving it!

Something I loved about Relativity is the different approach it takes to parallel universes and string theory. It’s not drastically different universes filled with pandas or fantasies, or completely different futures and trajectories – it explores how a fork in the road can alter things but still have some things remain the same. As a big believer in fate, destinies, and meant to bes (except not soulmates), I like how Relativity incorporated the concept of things that would stay the same no matter what choices are made. That some things are meant to happen, no matter where you are or in what dimension.

This was a really great story, guys. Ruby is a fantastic main character, filled with a lot of little things everyone will recognize. The element of her mom being alive in some dimensions and not in the other was really sad and made me cling and get quite invested. Seeing Ruby in all these different situations that were completely familiar was also really fun and gave a great dimension (no pun intended!) to her character. You really get to see a broad range of reactions and personality to her, and I liked that a lot.

The secondary characters were a great mix, though I admit a few of them fell just a little for me. I really loved Sally, Ruby’s mom- she was the perfect mom while remaining her own person. I thought Kandy was a straight up psychotic bitch (in most dimensions), but that was the interesting part to her. I wanted a little more to her story, but what was given was pretty satisfactory. Willow, the step-mom, was kind of the same; she was a bit flat, but what she did lend I really liked. And of course George, who for a character that’s actually not too present in a lot of the book (or dimensions) was REALLY fantastic. I loved him and Ruby and how open he was to all the craziness Ruby threw at him. I wish there was more of him.

Oddly, I really loved the science and how it was worked into this book. I am loving that YA books are getting more into explanation, into giving you the actual research behind certain situations rather than trying to dumb it down or insinuate- and Relativity did it quite well. It was integrated into each character’s personality so smoothly, I barely realized I’m reading about the science of wormholes and string theory.

Relativity was a fun, fascinating read that really made me think about the things in my life that would be there no matter which world I’m in. The ending did leave me slightly unfulfilled somehow (not to be mistaken by incomplete!), but overall I’m really happy to have read this and added it to the growing pile of Parallel Universe YA. If you’re into this style – or even if you’re not—you should definitely give it a try.

4 stars

[Une Petite Revue] Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas
Bloomsbury Children, 404 Pages
US Release Date: August 7, 2012
Format/Source: Print ARC (via publisher at ALA 2012), and an eARC via NetGalley

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another.

Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.
-------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

We each survive in our own way.

The Goods

EVERYTHING.
Also, Chaol. Oh, Chaol. *fans self*
Oh, and Celeana's dresses.

The Bads

NOTHING.

The Consensus

I rarely ever (if ever) read high fantasy, but I would seriously read Throne of Glass over and over for the rest of my life. The plot, the characters, the setting, Sarah's writing, absolutely everything is enchanting and brilliant.

The Recommendation

For anyone. Everyone. All. Even if you don't like to read, read it. You'll love it. I swear.

5+ stars

In the interest of full disclosure: (1) I read Throne of Glass last year. Months ago, before it was actually released. But I still wanted to post a "review" because it deserves a little recognition on my blog since I loved it so fucking much. (2) I do know Sarah in real life, we've met on several occasions and she is just as fantastic and amazing as her writing/characters. I adore her. And (3) I know this isn't really a review to contribute anything to her masses of fans, but I had to do it as I gear up to read Crown of Midnight (book 2). Also, I needed Chaol on this blog somewhere.

[Une Petite Revue] Butter by Erin Jade Lange (ARC)

Butter by Erin Jade Lange
Bloomsbury Children, 316 Pages
US Release Date: September 4, 2012
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher, via NetGalley (thank you!)

A lonely obese boy everyone calls "Butter" is about to make history. He is going to eat himself to death-live on the Internet-and everyone is invited to watch. When he first makes the announcement online to his classmates, Butter expects pity, insults, and possibly sheer indifference. What he gets are morbid cheerleaders rallying around his deadly plan. Yet as their dark encouragement grows, it begins to feel a lot like popularity. And that feels good. But what happens when Butter reaches his suicide deadline? Can he live with the fallout if he doesn't go through with his plans? With a deft hand, E.J. Lange allows readers to identify with both the bullies and the bullied in this all-consuming look at one teen's battle with himself.
-----------------Goodreads summary

The Goods

Surprisingly emotional. You come to care for Butter and what he's going through.

Love the saxophone element.

The family. They're not perfect, but...there's one scene with the dad that got me.

The Bads

Minorly predictable? I mean...well, no spoilers. But it is. In a way.

Sometimes Butter was just that bitter fat kid, and pretty unlikeable.

The Consensus

A compelling read about so much more than being the fat kid; it's about friendship, and learning to love not only yourself but those around you in any capacity.

The Recommendation

For anyone who feels outside the normal.

4 Stars / 5

Review: Between You & Me by Marisa Calin (ARC)

Between You & Me by Marisa Calin
Bloomsbury Children, 242 Pages
US Release Date: August 7, 2012
Format: ARC
Source: Jen from Novel Thoughts, via ARCycling (thank you!)

Phyre knows there is something life-changing about her new drama teacher, Mia, from the moment they meet. As Phyre rehearses for the school play, she comes to realize that the unrequited feelings she has for Mia go deeper than she’s ever experienced. Especially with a teacher. Or a woman. All the while, Phyre’s best friend—addressed throughout the story in the second person, as "you"—stands by, ready to help Phyre make sense of her feelings. But just as Mia doesn’t understand what Phyre feels, Phyre can’t fathom the depth of her best friend’s feelings . . . until it’s almost too late for a happy ending. Characters come to life through the innovative screenplay format of this dazzling debut, and unanswered questions—is "you" male or female?—will have readers talking.
--------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

HARMONY: I've had a hundred crushes. There's a lot to be attracted to in this world. There's nothing wrong with that.

I'm kind of in love with the concept of this book, you guys. That it's written in a screenplay format, and that the best friend is simply referred to as "YOU"...it's unique and intriguing and, frankly, quite brilliant.

This is kind of a weird thing to say I feel, but one of the things I liked best about this book is how...normal it all is. Phyre is a drama student, and a lot of the time those characters are stereotyped into an extreme: either sitting in the corner, super off-beat and wearing a black beret, or just outlandish and over the top and a bit annoying. But Phyre...she's unique, and loud, and out there, but she's also just a normal teenage girl. She embarrasses herself, she has doubts, she volunteers in class sometimes and sits back sometimes. It's refreshing to have an average teenage girl as a main character when it could have gone so many ways.

The story itself is a bit normal: girl begins to have feelings for an enigmatic, new person in her life, and now she struggles to figure it all out. It's a bit elevated by the fact that the new, enigmatic person is a girl - which Phyre has never desired before. But still, the trajectory and the feelings remain the same as it would for a boy/girl situation, and I can't say I was surprised by any parts of the story. What you think will happen, probably will and does.

Not that that's a bad thing though! I loved it. I loved getting to experience Phyre's mixed emotions and doubt, seeing her friendship with "YOU" and sorting it all to make sense. Every reader who picks this up will recognize the feelings and indecision in it; we've all gone through it, and Marisa Calin captures it perfectly.

The best part of this novel though is that even though it seems to focus a lot on the fact Phyre finds herself falling for her female teacher, it really is about Phyre and "YOU". Amongst all the angst, it's about the friendship between Phyre and her best friend, and what happens between them. How they struggle sometimes, how they make up, how the best friend is really there for her whenever she needs him/her. The title is perfection, because ultimately, that is the story, and it is best that way. It's a nice, gentle reminder that even though the love interest can take up all the time, right there behind, steady and true, is the best friend.

4.5 Stars / 5

Review: Something Like Normal by Trish Doller (ARC)

Something Like Normal by Trish Doller
Bloomsbury Childrens, 224 Pages
Expected US Release Date: June 19, 2012
Format: eARC / ARC*
Source: NetGalley & Kimberly Sabatini (thank you NetGalley & Bloomsbury, and Kim!)

Challenges: Debut Author Challenge, Completely Contemporary Challenge, YA Contemporary Challenge

When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.
---------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

I can't tell them the things they really want to know. How it feels to kill someone. It's different for everyone, but I felt a rush of adrenaline. A fleeting triumph. And later, in the night when it was quiet, the guilt hit like a sucker punch. Because, even though he was trying to kill me, I'd taken someone's life. These are things I've tried to leave in Afghanistan. Otherwise, how am I ever going to live with myself?

I'm going to get all this out of the way at the very beginning. And if I say it quick, maybe it'll hurt less. A very close childhood friend was killed in Iraq on December 13, 2005 by a roadside bomb. It wrecked his humvee and killed him and one other in his platoon. He was like a brother to me as a child, and I miss him every day. In college, a boy I was very close with and meant a lot to me was deployed suddenly to Iraq and Afghanistan - he's fine, home and retired from the Army now, but the fear and worry as I watched him leave, endure, and return linger, and the memories don't fade. One of my best friend's brother went through 2 tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and returned without his best friend. As I type, I have 3 friends who are currently in Afghanistan, and I worry about them constantly and consistently.

Something Like Normal was not an easy book for me to read because every thought Travis had, every story he recounted and emotion he went through was projected onto someone I know personally. Charlie could have been my childhood friend, Travis could have been my best friend's brother, memories of nights spent in trenches and crappy food are what my friends are going through right now. If you follow me on Twitter, you know I had a hard time. I had to put it down twice because I started crying too hard, getting majorly overwhelmed with sadness and/or emotions. I finally set aside a day where I was ready to break down, have a good cry and fall in love with Travis and the rest of this story.

And let me tell you, all of it was entirely worth it. Beyond worth it.

A few people told me maybe I shouldn't read it if it was wrecking me too much - and I concede that maybe that would have been easier. But I loved the premise, and the fact that I could relate to this so much was a driving reason why I wanted to read it. That's one of the reasons why I love books; to connect, to feel and find myself in every page. There were also a few who told me to try not to get so personally attached to it; to which I say 1) that's also big reason why I read it, and 2) WAY easier said than done. If someone told you his personal account of moving through trenches while bombs were going off behind him, bullets were soaring towards him, and how he experienced auditory silence because of it...that's not something you can just disconnect from.

From strictly a reader's point of view, this book is absolutely amazing. Travis is such a strong character with an even stronger voice that just leaps off the pages. Half the day I think I may run into him at the grocery store he's so real. Harper is equally as strong, the perfect woman to take on Travis and all his issues. I loved their relationship together and how they slowly grow to trust each other and have this amazing give-and-take between them. Each secondary character is also done so well, making you love or hate them for very direct and dimensional reasons. Every person has their own unique and nuanced personality, no matter if it's being discussed the entire book, three chapters, or half a page.

The story itself is also phenomenal; sad and happy and difficult and raw, with real emotions and struggles. Kimberly Sabatini (hi Kim!) said in her review of it on Goodreads that this book had "endless depth and layers," which is just the PERFECT way to describe it. Everything Travis has to deal with just made my insides hurt for him, from family problems to reacclimatizing to "normal" life, to the death of his best friend right in front of his eyes. His PTSD was terrifying and made my heart hurt for him, written so thoroughly and well that I just want to hug every soldier I see in the hopes to ease any lingering effects. Travis's struggle with admitting it and then what to do with his nightmares was so heart wrenching; and I have to say that one of my favourite things was his struggle with it because of how it may affect his career with the Marines. Dealing with it is an emotional issue, but I rarely see the truth of how it would be viewed in the military and with other soldiers mentioned. I quite loved the mention/use of photos within the plot too - a perfect example of how what's photographed and printed about War may not be quite what it's framed to be.

I can't not mention Trish Doller's writing, too - it's so strong and fabulous. There's just the right amount of detail to break your heart or make you fall in love all over again; I seriously had a breakdown reading the line "Rock-paper-scissors was the way we decided everything, and it's only now I realize Charlie almost always thew rock." - because after all we know about Travis, Charlie and their relationship, it just struck me as so wonderfully heartbreaking. How she wrote his life, Travis's thoughts, the memories and struggles...it all feels so REAL. It flows perfectly, and I flew through the pages.

As someone who read this book with so many personal ties, I fell in love, shed tears, and wondered how someone could get everything on the pages so right. Every emotion was spot on, from Travis's mom worrying, to the stress of why someone enlisted, to making life work when someone is gone, to figuring out how to mesh Past Life with Enlisted Life and Future...it's brilliant. While I myself am not in the Marines so my own experiences can only extend so far, I recognize a lot of things told to me from friends, soldiers and others who went through or are going through this. I want to give this book to everyone: military men to know they're not alone, friends with military friends so they know what they may face, anyone who's ever seen a soldier so they can just understand. Even someone who has no ties, no experience, no ANYTHING to do with this should read it, because it's just that beautiful.

This is probably the longest review I've ever written, and there are still SO many things I want to say. Every time I try to end it, I think of something else I want to talk about! While I will spare your reading eyes, just trust me when I say this book will take you through one of the rawest, roughest journeys in contemporary YA today - and you will feel so grateful to have experienced it. The story works its way through your heart and soul, leaving little touches everywhere - and I feel so lucky to have it with me.

There will never be enough medals for this book, but the best I can do is stars:

5 Stars / 5

PS. As an aside, I want to thank Trish for being such a wonderful person; she saw the struggle I was having with it on Twitter and was absolutely incredible about it. I mean, she told me to stop reading if it was triggering too many things! Not only does that mean she really understands the subject matter of her book, but you have to be a commendable person at heart to be an author telling a reader not to read her book. Few people have that much care and compassion, and I'm grateful Trish is one of them. Ms. Doller, you have my endless support.

*I was given an eARC from NetGalley, but my iPad decided not to cooperate ~40 pages in. Luckily, almost directly after that the wonderful Kimberly Sabatini had a contest for her ARC and I won - so I finished out the novel from the ARC. Sorry for confusion, but big thanks to Kim, NetGalley and Bloomsbury!

Blog Tour: Ordinary Magic by Caitlen Rubino-Bradway

I have the absolute pleasure of hosting Caitlen Rubino-Bradway today for her blog tour; she's the author of Ordinary Magic, a Middle Grade fantasy book that releases next week!

I have to ask about the unusual spelling of your first name - is there a story behind it? Do you like it?

First, I’m really impressed that you noticed the spelling. There are people I’ve known for years that still spell it ‘Caitlin’. I actually really love my name, especially now that I get to see it on a book cover, but I’ve kind of accepted that it’s going to be misspelled a lot. That’s okay, I’m a terrible speller myself. Just as long as they get it right on the book.

There actually isn’t a story behind my name, other than the family rumor that Mom picked out all our names from seeing them in a book. But then she just decided on a spelling she liked. Mom did say I could make up a story if I wanted, so I’m going to say she spelled it that way just to annoy people. Although once this guy in a bookstore tried to convince me that the spelling was Old Irish (I think) and that I’d been mispronouncing it. Apparently the correct pronunciation is not KATE-lin but KAT-leen. Unfortunately, the wrong pronunciation was stuck in my head by that point, so we’ll just have to go with that.

Introduce us to Ordinary Magic: what's something you'd like the reader to take away from the story?

Actually, what I love about stories is that five different people can read the same thing and each take away something completely different. The story is the same, but the reading is personal. I’m really looking forward to hearing what my readers take away from Ordinary Magic.

But, seriously, it should be how awesome Gil is.

Your previous works have all been co-written with your mom (which I love, my mom is my best friend) - was it difficult to do a solo novel?

Yes and no. It’s difficult to write any novel — no matter how much I love a story, there’s always a point where I start tearing my hair out because it is just taking so LONG. That’s what’s nice about working with Mom: there’s somebody else to talk things over when you get frustrated, to keep you going, and, most importantly, go get coffee with. Of course, you also have to have a give and take. When you’re writing on your own, you get to control everything. But then it’s also all on you: meeting deadlines, getting up in the morning, and sitting your butt down in front of that computer.

Your previous works are also all Jane Austen-centric - does Ordinary Magic have any Austen-like qualities? Or did you want to depart from that fully?

I tried to depart from that fully; Ordinary Magic’s just a different story. It’s actually interesting that Mom and I write completely different stuff apart than when we’re together. On her own Mom wrote an awesome mystery series about a single mom, and I love MG and YA fantasy, but then we have Lady Vernon, which is an adult historical inspired by Jane Austen.

Your novel sounds fabulous! Why did you decide to write a fantasy book?

I love fantasy books! Especially middle grade and young adult — I feel like they really have this sense of fun and wonder. Some of my favorite books are kids fantasies; I love The Secret Garden, and, more recently, I was really charmed by Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George. It also helps that everybody’s running around in cool fantasy clothing — because, you know, pretty dresses only ever enhance a reading experience. In fact, I often debate dressing up for my reading time, I have a couple of Renn Faire outfits, but my favorite corset laces up the back so it’s really hard to put on by myself.

Are you working on anything else now, or are you basking in the soon-to-be-published glow?

At the moment I’m working on a YA paranormal that is taking forever to finish. It is going to make me go bald from all this tearing the hair out.

What made you choose to write a MG novel?

Actually, when I was originally submitting Ordinary Magic, I thought it was a YA — Abby was 12, because she just sort of showed up at that age, but there was some scary stuff in that draft. The two villains smacked the kids around and cursed a couple times, Abby’s older siblings engaged in a bit of risqué teasing, and there are carnivorous creatures in the book that we, shall we say, saw the aftermath of.  It was my wonderful and fabulous editor who pointed out that Abby’s age dictated my audience — because she’s 12, my target audience is going to be 8-14, as kids mostly like to read up. Because I was looking at a younger audience, I had to cut a lot back to make it more age appropriate. Sometimes it was just the way I’d talk about a certain thing, and other times it was whole scenes.

Was it difficult writing Ordinary Magic? Getting it published?

The writing and publishing process always has it’s ups and downs. For instance, it’s always tough writing a full-length novel, but I feel really lucky to have had Abby. From the first she’s been a character that’s taken hold of the pen, and her POV was one of the easiest things to write.

As for getting it published, I kind of lucked out there, too. I actually work for the woman who’s my literary agent, and I originally asked her to read the book over to just give me some feedback, not expecting her to offer to represent it. I also got Bloomsbury Children’s, which handles some of my favorite authors — I was especially lucky because that draft needed a lot of work. It was a 90k word behemoth that was a little all-over-the-place. I had to cut at least 30k words, which meant I chopped an entire plot line (that will — fingers crossed — make up the backbone for Book 2), and a lot of just chatty stuff. It took me about 9 months to do the revisions, and then another year for it to work through the publishing process, so it’s been a long road.

Argus Filch from Harry Potter

What inspired you? I can't help but think of Argus Filch, the Squib from Harry Potter - but I love that in Ordinary Magic there is a negative consequence for being non-magical.

You’re so right! I actually got the idea for Ordinary Magic a while back, when my friends and I were talking about fantasy novels we liked, and I thought how often I’d seen the special person or kid who is an orphan or unloved by their family who turns out to have the biggest magic of them all. Don’t get me wrong, I love that plotline, but I just thought, you know, I’d love to see a story where the main character can’t do any magic at all. How would they function?

Shortly after that I was re-reading Harry Potter, I was really struck by that scene in Chamber of Secrets where Harry comes across Filch’s Kwikspell letter, and afterwards Ron is laughing about it, and I couldn’t help thinking how much that must stink. There’s also the moment when Neville tells how his uncle dropped him out a window because he was worried that Neville’s magic hadn’t shown up. It’s supposed to be a funny moment, but how awful is it that your family would chuck you out a window just to prove you’re not a squib?

I absolutely ADORE the cover of Ordinary Magic - it's bright and whimsical and so enticing! Did you ever envision the cover before it existed? Is it anything like what you'd imagined?

It’s better than I imagined. I was thrilled when Bloomsbury Children’s accepted Ordinary Magic, and a big part of that was that I’ve always loved their covers. So I knew I was going to get something awesome. Which is good, because I also knew, from working in publishing and the Lady Vernon process with Mom, that the cover is ultimately up to the publisher’s art department. Publishers will consult with the author, but the final say is up to them. As you can see, they came up with something completely gorgeous.

What's the best part about being a writer? The worst?

I’d say the best part is seeing your book in bookstores, but actually my favorite is the feeling I get on those special days when everything’s working. The characters are mostly doing what I want them to do, but when they’re not they’re still interesting and telling me stuff about them I hadn’t thought about yet, when I can figure out the exact way to say what I want, and I can turn off the computer and go do my laundry, feeling like I’ve accomplished something. It’s a total high.

The worst part is, naturally, the exact opposite of that. There are days when nothing is coming, when it’s pulling teeth to get a sentence written, and my characters are all acting like a sullen 15-year-old Caitlen and refusing to even talk about why they’re not behaving. (Yes, I had a very moody teenagerdom.) Those are the days when I slam my computer shut and can’t stop worrying that the story is stupid, and cliché, and no one is ever going to want to read it in a million years.

As you can see, I’m well past the moodiness now.

Anything you would like to tell the readers?

Just that I hope you enjoy it. For all of my trials and tribulations, I had a lot of fun writing this book, and I hope that translates into the reading.

How can you be contacted/found around the web?

I am on Facebook and Twitter! Also there will be a website coming.

How about some randomness to close out! What were your last 3 purchases?

A coffee, a couple of sea-salt caramels, and a ticket to Newsies on Broadway.

Last 3 websites you visited?

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

Obscurus Lupa's Channel on That Guy With The Glasses

My Twitter page

And of course, last 3 books read?

Eye of the World (now that the final book is coming out in January, I’ve promised myself I’m going to read the entire series)

The Truth by Terry Pratchett

Knightly Academy by Violet Haberdasher

How awesome is Caitlen?? Anybody who loves The Secret Garden gets a plus in my book, and I can't wait to see what's in her YA novel after all she had to edit out of Ordinary Magic. Thank you so much Caitlen for the pleasure of your company on my blog, and I can't wait to read all about Abby!

Ordinary Magic hits shelves May 8, 2012!

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