Review: The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle

The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle
Amulet Books (an imprint of Scholastic), 316 pages
US Release Date: August 27, 2013
Format/Source: ARC, via Around the World Tours - thank you!
Challenges: SARC 2013, Contemporary Challenge

For as long as she can remember, Wren Gray’s goal has been to please her parents. But as high school graduation nears, so does an uncomfortable realization: Pleasing her parents once overlapped with pleasing herself, but now... not so much. Wren needs to honor her own desires, but how can she if she doesn’t even know what they are?

Charlie Parker, on the other hand, is painfully aware of his heart’s desire. A gentle boy with a troubled past, Charlie has loved Wren since the day he first saw her. But a girl like Wren would never fall for a guy like Charlie—at least not the sort of guy Charlie believes himself to be.

And yet certain things are written in the stars. And in the summer after high school, Wren and Charlie’s souls will collide. But souls are complicated, as are the bodies that house them...

Sexy, romantic, and oh-so-true to life, this is an unforgettable look at first love from one of young adult fiction’s greatest writers.
--------------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

“I didn’t say it was dumb,” Tessa said. “It’s what you feel, and guess what? Feelings are like three-year-olds. They’re not rational. They’re just there.” 

When I finish books, I usually try to think of one word to sum up my review. The word I decided on for The Infinite Moment of Us is: responsible. This is a safe book, a proper one that every parent would probably want his or her child to read. It teaches teens the proper way to come of age, safely tackling all those weird feelings and strange times, how to safely and responsibly approach sex. All of its messages are approached, considered and resolved in a suitable way.

I tried to put a positive spin on that, but I’m not certain it worked out. I’m glad it does, but at the same time, that overall responsibility made this kind of boring to me, and oddly? A bit like propaganda. I know it’s only because I’m a bit older, I’ve gone through all of this – but still. There was a certain measuredness in the storyline, and I found myself thinking “Yeah, I guess that should be the way it’s done but it never is…” quite often.

But I am glad a book like this exists out there. It should, it really should, no matter how much of a negative I list that as. It is a lot of mature content, especially at the end (was a little surprised at some of the detail!), but it’s handled well. It didn’t quite fit well together to me though; it was older material, but some of Wren and Charlie’s thought processes were a lot younger in my opinion.

Which is probably my main issue. I just felt like both characters were so sheltered. I’m not naive enough (or snobby and worldly enough) to believe there aren’t people who grew up like this (or are currently growing up like this), but sometimes it was just too much and the story no longer felt real. I just wanted to be like, “DON’T YOU READ/WATCH TV/MOVIES/DO ANYTHING?!”

Something I did like though was the progression of Wren and Charlie’s relationship. It was a little startling when it started, but together they made a lot of sense. Sure, I have problems with Wren and her sensibilities, but it worked well with Charlie’s. They made sense, and it felt like a natural timeline.

Charlie was the other saving grace to this novel. He was sweet and nice and interesting. I found myself most taken with all that he held back, which was interesting – I rarely like that in characters. But it added a certain dimension of him that was truly appealing and worked with the rest of the book. 

The Infinite Moment of Us is a book that wasn’t quite for me, but I think that’s just because I’m in the older realm of readers. If anything, read it to get to know Charlie Parker. He’s worth it.

2.5 Stars

Review: September Girls by Bennett Madison (ARC)

September Girls by Bennett Madison
Harper Teen, 342 pages
US Release Date: May 21, 2013
Source/Format: Print ARC from Around the World ARC Tours
Challenges: SARC 2013

When Sam's dad whisks him and his brother off to a remote beach town for the summer, he's all for it-- at first. Sam soon realizes, though, that this place is anything but ordinary. Time seems to slow down around here, and everywhere he looks, there are beautiful blond girls. Girls who seem inexplicably drawn to him.

Then Sam meets DeeDee, one of the Girls, and she's different from the others. Just as he starts to fall for her, she pulls away, leaving him more confused than ever. He knows that if he's going to get her back, he'll have to uncover the secret of this beach and the girls who live here.
-----------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

"...I choose to believe it even if it's fake. Sometimes you can locate a truer version of the truth somewhere in a total lie."

When I first heard of September Girls (thanks to #TeaTime with Epic Reads!), I wanted to read it immediately. I’m not super into books that have a weird mystical element, but it sounded like it could be different, intriguing and worth it – plus, the girls kept saying Bennett had beautiful writing! And then reviews started coming in about how weird and odd it was, and I got a little scared. I’m already iffy on the content, and suddenly people I trust aren’t feeling it? This doesn’t bode well.

All those reviews that harp on September Girls and call it strange? Totally correct. This is a bizarre book, and I can’t even explain it fully as to why. The story itself is just so strange and out there, and a lot of the plot I was just staring at the pages thinking, “What?”

But truthfully? I didn’t not like this book. I walked away plenty confused, slightly disturbed, and wholly lost – but there’s still something about it that’s staying with me and appealing to me.

One of the blurbs on the back of the ARC compared the book to a Ned Vizzini one (and we all know how I feel about him), which is COMPLETELY accurate as well. The humor is similar, in that it’s a little crude, a little dark but also totally like a typical guy of that age. There’s a similarity in the character’s world view, and because I am a Vizzini fan, I found it really appealed to me. Maybe it’s weird to admit I’ve got the same humor as fictional 17-year-old boys, but there it is: it was right up my alley, and I was immediately taken with Sam. He had a clear voice, a very clear character, and I appreciated that. True, some of the dialogue and phrases are completely inappropriate; but I felt like some of it was necessary to the character.

Even though I really liked the writing and the technical aspects, I wasn’t quite sold completely on the characters themselves. I wanted Sam to grow up faster, I hated his brother and wanted to bonk him on the head most of the book. The Girls were so odd, and even though DeeDee was supposed to be “different” than all the rest, I just didn’t see it. And I put this as a status on GoodReads, but it still gets to me: what is up with the excessive use of ‘ho’?! Girl-on-girl shaming should not be done, and it was just a wreck in this book. Sure, Kristle is a pretty big slut for a whole hell of a lot of the novel (no matter how “justified” we learn she is at the end), but still – it doesn’t need to be listed 982389402834* times in one paragraph.

Here’s the thing about September Girls, and this is a big reason as to why I didn’t like it and as to why I always will: it seemed to me like a required reading in high school. You know: one that a teacher makes you analyze to death, break it down scene by scene and figure out what the symbolism of the sand is.  I felt like I was supposed to be reading this book on several different levels at the same time, seeing it for what it was while still trying to figure out what my thesis statement would be about it. And I don’t know if I’ve ever really read a modern YA that way. I vaguely felt like there was no point to the novel, but somehow at the same time I feel like I could write fifteen term papers about it, too. It’s confusing and strange and really, I just have to accept that it will always be that way.

One tiny thing that made me laugh though? The references to The Little Mermaid. So sneaky and so cheeky, Mr. Madison. I loved that.

*slight exaggeration. Slight.

2.5 Stars

Review: All I Need by Susane Colasanti (ARC)

All I Need by Susane Colasanti
Viking Juvenile (an imprint of Penguin), 224 Pages
Expected US Release Date: May 16, 2013 (according to the ARC)
Format/Source: Print ARC, via Around the World ARC Tours - thank you!
Challenges: Contemporary Challenge, SARC

The last night of summer is only the beginning.

Skye wants to meet the boy who will change her life forever. Seth feels their instant connection the second he sees her. When Seth starts talking to Skye at the last beach party of the summer, it’s obvious to both of them that this is something real. But when Seth leaves for college before they exchange contact info, Skye wonders if he felt the same way she did—and if she will ever see him again. Even if they find their way back to each other, can they make a long-distance relationship work despite trust issues, ex drama, and some serious background differences?

Teen favorite Susane Colasanti returns to the alternating-voice style of her beloved debut When It Happens in this Serendipity-inspired story about summer, soul mates, and the moments that change our lives forever.
----------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

Following your heart means allowing the possibility of finding true love to be stronger than the fear of rejection.

Before I even jump into any of this review, I feel the need to disclose something: I don’t believe in soulmates. I’ve had varying reactions to this when people find out. Some people are just like “ok, that’s cool” and move on; others share my sentiments; and I’ve had a few that are straight up offended, like I’ve just insulted their very core belief. And maybe I have, I’m not in any position to say soulmates shouldn’t be the basis of your life. I don’t say this opinion lightly, and I’ve thought about it long and hard. I’m not some jilted, heart-broken mess of a girl who’s saying it because she’s convinced she’ll never find her love. I just genuinely do not believe in there being The One for someone.

So with that in mind, you can probably tell that I had a hard time swallowing All I Need. Usually I’m pretty good about suspending that belief when it comes to reading, but for some reason it was difficult this time around. I do think a little of my 26-year-old cynicism was playing a part, since I found it most hard to handle when Skye was all “but I know we’re meant to be together, we can face anything” or things like that.

Perhaps that’s also because I was bothered by Skye as a whole. She seemed very young, much younger than a junior/senior in high school. I thought she was spineless and needed to handle her best friends’ issues a little better. And I think my biggest issue is that I felt like she couldn’t stand on her own – she had to have Seth to be her own person. I get that that is what it’s like in high school and first loves, but it was quite annoying. I want a character that can stand on her own, that finds her way into being an individual, a character I can want my little cousins to look up to; and unfortunately, Skye was not it.

However, I did quite like Seth! He too seemed a little young for being a college guy, but I could handle him better.  I thought he had real issues, and maybe it’s because I went through college much more recently than high school (obviously), I was able to sympathise with him more. Especially when it came to being uncertain about his major and following his passion for art.

Let’s talk writing. We all know I love me some dual narratives (do you know that? Because you should. Give me a dual narrative any day of the week and I will be a happy reader.), and I quite liked it here, too. The jumping timeline was a little startling at first, and I started getting a little iffy about all the fast-forwards, but it’s fine. I really liked getting the reactions of both Skye and Seth when important things happened. This story would not have been bearable without them.

However! I had problems with the writing itself—it felt so young, so very juvenile fiction. And I tried to read it with that mindset, except the content was not juvenile – it was about college and gross roommates and sex! It was a terrible mash up for the writing not matching the content, and I couldn’t take it.  I want to recommend this for the younger set, as maybe a great bridge to the YA world from MG, because it would be! Except I’d have to censor a few of the chapters, because it was definitely not just-past-MG material.

All I Need was a fine contemporary, and one I don’t really regret reading – but it had too many issues for me to recommend it. I really like Susane Colasanti’s books, but I’d definitely go for Keep Holding On or When It Happens over All I Need.

2.5 Stars

Review: The Namesake by Steven Parlato (ARC)

The Namesake by Steven Parlato
Merit Press, 256 pages
US Release Date: January 18, 2013
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher, for review - thank you Leyane and Merit!

While he may be the smartest boy at St. Sebatian's Academy, Evan has no idea why the father he's named for committed suicide. A searching story of a boy's too-early coming of age

The Namesake begins when Evan is asked to "write about what he knows" for college essays, by teachers sure that such a gifted artist will get a full scholarship. What Evan knows is not as much as what he doesn't know, however. He doesn't know why his father chose to hang himself on Easter morning while he and his mother were at church, and what the secrets of a small town can tell him about his father . . . and himself. Hoping to finally uncover the truth, Evan and his best friend, Alexis, dig into the town's past only to discover it's dark roots . . . and that some secrets are best kept hidden.
-------------------summary provided by the Publisher

Notable Quote

Sorrow is cumulative.

The Namesake was another one of those books that took me surprise - and I'm still in debates about if it was ultimately a good thing or not. I suppose I could have connected some of the dots underlying the summary, but I don't think I would be the only one not to put it together earlier.

I'm not going to say it outright, but the truth of what is going on...it was a tough subject to read about, simply because it's one of those things that you feel is never really real. It's on the news all the time (unfortunately), but that's all it is: news stories. They're so horrific and evil that your brain refuses to accept them as true, even though you know deep down they are. So to read about it was a bit...horrific, too. Right in the middle I started to wonder if I should really continue, but I'm glad I did.

Once I did figure out what happened to Evan's father (which was pretty early on), I actually became much more frustrated with Evan because he was so slow on the uptake. There were so many obvious moments after that, and I just wanted to shove Evan and tell him to get there faster. It was excruciating slogging through random dream sequences or weird hallucination-like daydreams just to get to the point, and I definitely skimmed some of those pages. Even though it's already a small page count, it felt too long for the plot. Though of course, do know that I read an ARC and I'm sure there are definite changes in the final version that more than likely alleviate this issue!

The story itself is rather gripping, especially once Evan discovers the journal and you're allowed to read the father's own words. The mystery is wrapped up fairly well, and though once it begins to take shape you immediately know, it's still pretty brilliant the way it's mapped out and the sequence of reveals. There was one little part to the storyline that I thought was a bit unnecessary, but it's thankfully a small portion - and the characters it brought about were so fantastic that I didn't mind it too much.

One of the best things about this novel were the secondary characters. Each of them were so clear and unique - especially Zio Joe and the Italian family - that I thoroughly enjoyed every time there were scenes with them. Alexis was a little over the top, but she balanced out Evan well and offered a great comic relief to very heavy issues. And even though I can't stand Father Fran...he's crafted well. Too well, because it makes me see red just to see his name again!

The tone of the novel is an interesting part for me - most of the time, I loved it. Evan's got this great defeatist humor that mixes really well with his curiosity and cynicism, and it paints a picture very well. But there are small moments where it didn't fit well with the content of the book, where it didn't quite fit with a scene or a feeling. And I know you can't shift tones in a book, but somehow I think a better balance could have been achieved. Still, a good 80% of the novel has a great take on the events and I found myself enjoying it.

I'm having a hard time wrapping up the review, mostly because I'm still a little lost how I feel about the whole book. There are certainly parts I really loved, ones that made it worthwhile to read this - I don't regret picking it up, and I do think there are a lot of appeals to it. But for me personally, there were so may tiny misses, too - and I can't ignore those, either.

2.5 Stars

Review: Beta by Rachel Cohn (ARC)

Beta (Annex #1) by Rachel Cohn
Disney Hyperion, 304 Pages
US Release Date: October 16, 2012
Format: ARC
Source: Won from author - thank you so much, Rachel!

Elysia is created in a laboratory, born as a sixteen-year-old girl, an empty vessel with no life experience to draw from. She is a Beta, an experimental model of a teenage clone. She was replicated from another teenage girl, who had to die in order for Elysia to exist. 

Elysia's purpose is to serve the inhabitants of Demesne, an island paradise for the wealthiest people on earth. Everything about Demesne is bioengineered for perfection. Even the air induces a strange, euphoric high, which only the island's workers--soulless clones like Elysia--are immune to.
At first, Elysia's life is idyllic and pampered. But she soon sees that Demesne's human residents, who should want for nothing, yearn. But for what, exactly? She also comes to realize that beneath the island's flawless exterior, there is an under-current of discontent among Demesne's worker clones. She knows she is soulless and cannot feel and should not care--so why are overpowering sensations cloud-ing Elysia's mind? 

If anyone discovers that Elysia isn't the unfeeling clone she must pretend to be, she will suffer a fate too terrible to imagine. When her one chance at happi-ness is ripped away with breathtaking cruelty, emotions she's always had but never understood are unleashed. As rage, terror, and desire threaten to overwhelm her, Elysia must find the will to survive. 

The first in a dazzlingly original science fiction series from best-selling author Rachel Cohn, "Beta "is a haunting, unforgettable story of courage and love in a cor-rupted world.
-----------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

Places that used to be nothingness are somethingness now.

Rachel Cohn is one of my favourite YA authors. Ever. She is an instant read for me, without question. I don't even have to know the synopsis or anything about the book - if her name is attached, I want it. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist is the YA book that got me into young adult literature, Dash & Lily make me warm and fuzzy just thinking about them, and her Gingerbread/Shrimp/Cupcake novels are the only contemporary books I've ever really supported as a series. So when I heard of Beta? I. Am. On. It.

Unfortunately.

Maybe I just have too high expectations for a Rachel Cohn book (because let's face it, I worship the literary ground she writes upon), but Beta left me so disappointed. I wanted to like it - I really did. And I still love the concept of it. But so far? Not feeling it.

Oddly, it's hard for me to pinpoint exactly why I didn't like the book, other than I just wasn't interested. It took me over halfway through the book to really care what was going on; and even then, it was just a little boring. I had no investment in any of the characters, and I never connected with anyone in the novel. There are scenes that are meant to be exciting and dangerous, but it always felt a bit dull to me. Without trying to make a pun on the fact it's a book about clones, there seemed to be a distinct lack of life to this novel.

I actually think my issue is the same one reason I have a hard time reading about anything time travel: loopholes. Things just don't seem to match up in time travel books to me; there's always something that doesn't make sense or I don't think is plausible. For a lot of Beta, I felt the same way. Elysia being a "feeling clone" was just a little too handy sometimes; and other times, I felt she was too clone-like in her thoughts. I know there has to be a transition from just clone to feeling clone, but I wasn't satisfied with it. Not yet, anyway. It did pick up towards the end, when she fully embraced that there may be something defective about herself and what that meant to her and her lifestyle.

The love interests themselves weren't very interesting, but the parts they each played in the big "twist" that happened - that was something I really liked. I like that their function is more than just a distraction or love - they have a real purpose, a real part to the grand plot, and I can't wait to find out more about each one. I am also very taken with the idea that Teen Betas are created from real people, that they are basically "recycled" from a real person that has passed. I can't quite say too much on the topic without giving away a substantial section of the plotline, but it's a great element and has a lot of potential. While so far I don't see a lot of that being put to use in the story, I do have a lot of hope it'll come to play in the coming books. And based on the ending of Beta...it definitely will.

I'm also trying to sort out how I feel about Ataraxia, the drug used in Beta. It's basically the hybrid version of X and Steroids - and while I get the function of it in the novel, for some reason it sits weird with me. I don't know if I'm just suspecting it will have a larger part to the plot, or if something just feels off about it, but there's something about it that's tickling my brain. I don't have issues with drug uses in novels as long as it makes sense - and it definitely does in this, especially on an island engineered to be perfect - so I don't think I'm just being a prude or uptight and am thinking 'oh no, drug uses with teens!' or anything like that. Maybe I just missed something while reading, but I feel like I need to read more about it. I could be way off, I'm not sure - but it feels like I'm not.

Even though the majority of this novel didn't hold my attention, there is something I really liked: the uprising. The bigger happenings. Just what it means that Elysia is a feeling clone, a Defect. There's a bigger world going on past the limits of Demesne, more to this series than just following some teen who realizes she's feeling shit and having emotions -- and I LOVE what it feels like it could be. Beta wasn't that high on my list, but I am definitely interested in reading the second book because I want to know what's going to happen with this bigger picture and retaliation. I'll probably go into Book 2 with a little more reservation than I did with Beta, but I know I'll still be there.

2.5 Stars / 5

Review: The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
Razorbill, 356 Pages
Released: November 21, 2011

It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long - at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail,his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future.

By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right - and wrong - in the present.
---------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

"He broke your heart! How can you call it love when he hurt you so badly?"

Kellan pops another fry into her mouth. "It was love because it was worth it."

I loved the nostalgia factor to the book. 1996 was probably one of the first years fully in my memory, where I was old enough (I was 9 that year) to understand and process and have interests and be aware of my life - and this brought me back to a pretty good place.  The music wasn't what I listed to (long live 90s R&B jamz!) but it still elicits some strong memories, and I loved all the other references.

Unfortunately, that was pretty much the only thing I really liked. The story is ok, revolving around a typical scenario of best friends and the awkwardness of one wanting more.  But it was underdeveloped and very unexciting. There weren't any scenes I was particularly attached to, nothing that made me gasp or cry or really feel anything.

The premise of seeing the future via Facebook is interesting, and it's a fine literary device - but it felt like they could have done so much more with this.  Having access to everyone's future? Seeing the details of your life?  Seeing the changes you make in your life? Emma touched on it when she purposefully altered things, but not much else was done. It felt like Josh and Emma were supposed to play two very different views on seeing Facebook, but nothing ever came of it. Their feelings and actions just weren't strong enough.

I also found Emma to be incredibly selfish and bothersome and frankly, stubbornly cynical. Everything was about her future, her life, her likes, her husband(s), her unhappiness. She never had a positive view on anything!  I just wanted to slap her through the pages and tell her to find a silver lining or look on the bright side!

A disappointing foray, but still an ok story in itself. The derision Emma and Josh have towards Facebook is amusing and tacked on the +.5 rating.

2.5 stars / 5