Review: The Trouble With Destiny by Lauren Morrill (ARC)

The Trouble With Destiny by Lauren Morrill
Delacorte Press, 272 pages
US Release Date: December 8, 2015
Format/Source: ARC, via NetGalley - thank you!

It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey... 

With her trusty baton and six insanely organized clipboards, drum major Liza Sanders is about to take Destiny by storm—the boat, that is. When Liza discovered that her beloved band was losing funding, she found Destiny, a luxury cruise ship complete with pools, midnight chocolate buffets, and a $25,000 spring break talent show prize. 

Liza can’t imagine senior year without the band, and nothing will distract her from achieving victory. She’s therefore not interested when her old camp crush, Lenny, shows up on board, looking shockingly hipster-hot. And she’s especially not interested in Russ, the probably-as-dumb-as-he-is-cute prankster jock whose ex, Demi, happens be Liza’s ex–best friend and leader of the Athenas, a show choir that’s the band’s greatest competition.

But it’s not going to be smooth sailing. After the Destiny breaks down, all of Liza’s best-laid plans start to go awry. Liza likes to think of herself as an expert at almost everything, but when it comes to love, she’s about to find herself lost at sea. 
------Goodreads Summary

If you don't know, Lauren Morrill is one of my auto-read authors. Meant To Be was one of my favourite books I'd read in 2012, and every book she's written since has been a delight. The Trouble With Destiny was right up there. MTB will always be Tops, but Lauren does an excellent job creating a unique setting with lovable, enjoyable characters and movement. Are parts predictable? Sure. Did the bitch really surprise me with her bitchiness? Not really. But there's always something to Lauren's writing that makes me feel like I'm hanging out with a close friend. It's warm and receptive and interesting, and I can't wait to see what is coming next.

3.5 stars

Review: The One Thing by Marci Lyn Curtis (ARC)

The One Thing by Marci Lyn Curtis
Disney-Hyperion, 336 pages
Expected US Release Date: September 8, 2015
Format/Source: ARC via Around the World Tours - thank you!

Maggie Sanders might be blind, but she won't invite anyone to her pity party. Ever since losing her sight six months ago, Maggie's rebellious streak has taken on a life of its own, culminating with an elaborate school prank. Maggie called it genius. The judge called it illegal.

Now Maggie has a probation officer. But she isn't interested in rehabilitation, not when she's still mourning the loss of her professional-soccer dreams, and furious at her so-called friends, who lost interest in her as soon as she could no longer lead the team to victory.

Then Maggie's whole world is turned upside down. Somehow, incredibly, she can see again. But only one person: Ben, a precocious ten-year-old unlike anyone she's ever met.Ben's life isn't easy, but he doesn't see limits, only possibilities. After awhile, Maggie starts to realize that losing her sight doesn't have to mean losing everything she dreamed of. Even if what she's currently dreaming of is Mason Milton, the infuriatingly attractive lead singer of Maggie's new favorite band, who just happens to be Ben's brother.

But when she learns the real reason she can see Ben, Maggie must find the courage to face a once-unimaginable future...before she loses everything she has grown to love. 
--------------------Goodreads Summary

I have this bad habit of skimming and skipping around a book if I’m a little bit bored or slowed by the pacing of the story. Or if I can predict and guess, and I’m pretty sure of myself, I just kinda…hop ahead to check.

And I did that with The One Thing. I knew going in why Maggie could see Ben – I feel it’s pretty obvious, actually. And then I wasn’t sure how much I really liked her, and some of the beginning stuff bothered me…but I still wanted to know! So I hopped. And found out I was right! And a little bit wrong, too. And that way more happened than I thought would, so I went back to read some of the parts I missed, and I was actually kinda bummed that I robbed myself of a decent story and development.

The one thing I definitely loved about this book
is the distinct voice Marci Lyn Curtis writes with. It’s so unusual but completely relatable, and I felt like each character could really have their own personality shine through the voice Marci was able to write. I was also quite impressed with how much is packed into this story! How much happens, the different people, how music ties in, the shows, learning with Maggie how to adjust to being blind…there was a lot in here, that somehow all flowed together really well.

The one thing I liked about the book
was the characters. Ben and Mason especially – they were sweet and kind and funny and sometimes infuriating, but always lovable. Sometimes I thought each were a little cliché, but it also worked within the story, too. It’s like they needed to be a little cliché to balance out all of Maggie’s hard lines and inflexibilities and attitudes.

The one thing I wasn’t too sure about
was Maggie. Sometimes I really liked her! I thought her as a character was great, and if I were in her situation and how she went blind, I’d actually probably be a lot shittier of a person with an even worse attitude. But there was also something about her that I just didn’t quite like, on a reader level. She’s bitter and hard headed and negative – which is fine! But I just couldn’t find enough to balance her out into a likeable person, either. She kind of got there in the end, but that was a progression totally predictable and expected.

The one thing I definitely did not like
was how little her probation officer and prank played a part in the book! I was expecting some awesome rebellion, fantastic community service stories, things like that! And it just…wasn’t as big a thing as I expected or wanted. I was also not a fan of what the title was literally directed to. I liked the concept of The Thing, and Maggie’s thing, and Ben’s Thing and just…the idea of a Thing. But hers, and how it worked into the story? A little too convenient, in my opinion.

The One Thing had it’s ups and downs with me, but overall was an incredible story from a literary standpoint, as well as a bit on the personal front. The one thing I didn’t mention in here was the enormous amount of heart and strength that comes from each character, and I definitely think that ‘s the reason anyone should pick this book up.

3.5 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: Playlist for the Dead by Michelle Falkoff (ARC)

Playlist for the Dead by Michelle Falkoff
HarperTeen, 288 pages
Expected US Release Date: January 27, 2015
Format/Source: ARC via Around the World Tours - thank you!

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.
----------------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

“Different strategies, same problems.”

So, I’m going to say this, and it may be mean, but I don’t intend it as mean as it will come out: saying this compares to The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky was a terrible disservice. It made me expect too much, it made me think a certain development, a certain style, a certain self-exploration was going to happen—and unfortunately, it didn’t. It didn’t even come close.

Without the comparison, Playlist For the Dead was pretty good. I liked the little bits of mystery, how we’re trying to figure out what really happened to Hayden and why he did what he did. I enjoyed the music from the playlist too, it helped set a tone and a mood as long as I knew the song. And I admit that I only knew about 40% of them, so I think I definitely missed a few things about it…but it was enjoyable as it was.

I think my main complaint about this book is how anti-climactic it was. I didn’t think the breaks in action were really appropriate, nor did it follow through with the impact it was built up to be. None of the reveals really shocked me, none of the characters or the parts they played really came out of left field. I won’t go as far as to say it’s predictable, but…it was fairly obvious the direction things would go, and I found I was able to guess almost 100% correctly every time.

Weirdly, I kind of like how violent this story got. I don’t endorse violence! Do not think I am condoning going after someone with a bat, or anything remotely close to that! But I appreciated that this book went there, because that is an unfortunate reality to life, especially when it comes to an unfairness of someone taking his life and trying to understand why. Playlist For the Dead faced the helplessness of being left behind, the rage and anger at wanting to understand without being given all the pieces to do so. And I think that was a great thing to tackle, because not many books will.

Perhaps what I attached to most relates to the quote I chose to highlight: “Different strategies, same problems.” It’s a really clever way of summing up so much of this story. Two sides to everything. Different takes on the same thing. So many varying viewpoints and opinions and stories that culminate to the same thing, but take incredibly different paths to get there. It’s kind of a nice way to explain away a lack of depth to a lot of the characters, why sometimes the story is a bit chaotic. But it’s also a clever way of being a little more introspective than it seems.

Playlist For the Dead had a few disappointments for me, but still resonated in its message and the overall takeaway. I appreciated how head on it faced such a tough, sensitive subject—I just wish it had been done a teeny, tiny bit better.

3.5 stars

Review: Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins (ARC)

Rebel Belle (Rebel Belle #1) by Rachel Hawkins
Putnam Juvenile (an imprint of Penguin), 345 pages
US Release Date: April 8, 2014
Format/Source: ARC via Around the World Tours - thank you!

Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with incredible abilities, Harper's destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird. She becomes a Paladin, one of an ancient line of guardians with agility, super strength and lethal fighting instincts.

Just when life can't get any more disastrously crazy, Harper finds out who she's charged to protect: David Stark, school reporter, subject of a mysterious prophecy and possibly Harper's least favorite person. But things get complicated when Harper starts falling for him—and discovers that David's own fate could very well be to destroy Earth.

With snappy banter, cotillion dresses, non-stop action and a touch of magic, this new young adult series from bestseller Rachel Hawkins is going to make y'all beg for more.
-------------------------Goodreads Summary

Notable Quote

I needed my mentor-person right now. I had figured out as much as I possibly could, so it was time for my Giles or my Professor X or whoever to get here and start explaining.

Rebel Belle isn’t something I’d normally gravitate to (honest truth: because of the cover. I seriously hate pink.), but I kind of had a fiending to read about more kick ass girl characters. And if there’s one that sounds like it will fit the bill, it’s Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins.

I always have a habit of reading acknowledgements before I read the book, and I have to say Rachel’s pitch of Legally Blonde meets The Terminator is spot on. This is such a fun, quirky read. This class president, cotillion Queen kickin’ ass and killing people with her shoes?! That’s so awesome.

I liked the general storyline, why David Stark needs protecting and how it all falls on Harper and Saylor. The history is interesting and makes for endless possibilities as they move through the days. The setting was probably something I loved best—I grew up in Europe and southern California. I have absolutely no idea about the South and southern belles, and I loved the houses and buildings; especially the Tea House and Magnolia House. I really felt like I could picture those places, like I was really there drinking tea or sweeping down the steps.

One of my only issues with this book is that I feel like I had to suspend my reality a bit. More than the obvious, I mean. There are certain situations where I just kept thinking of all the ways the assassin/killer person should have done something, or that if so-and-so had simply done this, it would have worked. (This is kind of hard to discuss without giving away a lot of key elements haha.) It’s not that what happened didn’t work, it was just…unnecessarily complicated for the sake of the story, and I couldn’t help feeling like the better solutions were glaringly obvious.

Still, Rebel Belle was a ton of fun to read. It’s quick and light with just enough heaviness and drama and issues to pull you in and keep going. I loved all the various ways Rachel Hawkins was able to get super kickass ninja skills mixed in with shoe shopping and refraining from curse words. If anything, everyone should read this to meet Harper: she's a little bit of you, a little bit of me, a little bit of everyone with some great superhero-like powers to boot.

3.5 stars

Review: A Blind Spot For Boys by Justina Chen (ARC)

A Blind Spot For Boys by Justina Chen
Little, Brown BYR, 336 pages
US Release Date: August 12, 2014
Format/Source: ARC via Around the World Tours - thank you!

Shana has always had a blind spot for boys. Can she trust the one who's right in front of her?

Sixteen-year-old Shana Wilde is officially on a Boy Moratorium. After a devastating breakup, she decides it's time to end the plague of Mr. Wrong, Wrong, and More Wrong.

Enter Quattro, the undeniably cute lacrosse player who slams into Shana one morning in Seattle. Sparks don't just fly; they ignite. And so does Shana's interest. Right as she's about to rethink her ban on boys, she receives crushing news: Her dad is going blind. Quattro is quickly forgotten, and Shana and her parents vow to make the most of the time her father has left to see. So they travel to Machu Picchu, and as they begin their trek, they run into none other than Quattro himself. But even as the trip unites them, Quattro pulls away mysteriously... Love and loss, humor and heartbreak collide in this new novel from acclaimed author Justina Chen.
---------------------------Goodreads Summary

Notable Quote

"…I was holding out for true love. Anything less than that just seemed to make sex meaningless. And I, for one, did not want to be meaningless to anybody."

While I don’t think A Blind Spot For Boys is the most original or best contemporary novel out there, this is one of the highest compliments I can give a book: A Blind Spot For Boys made me consider my life and the relationships in my life and how I approach them; and it made me take action in bettering and purging some negativity. And there isn’t much more praise I can give a book that strikes me so deeply and affects me so much that I actually alter my own real life because of it.

A Blind Spot For Boys is a strange mix of being cliché and original. I’ve not really seen a book take on the tragedy of a parent losing his vision, and I thought it was a refreshing (for lack of a better word) spin on the family woes. That was an element that really made me consider how lucky myself and family is, and I started to project wondering how I would feel if that was happening to someone I love.

But then the insta-attraction of how she met Quattro, and how he kept popping up, and how he was just so imperfectly perfect. Or that Shana was just that hot girl who couldn’t help flirting…it made her a little hard for me to like. And I’m not saying there aren’t people like that—I’ve been told on occasion I’m like that—but there was an arrogance in her that I wasn’t fond of. And then he kept popping up at just the right time…it was a bit predictable.

That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it, though. I really loved Quattro, and I liked him and Shana together. I didn’t buy into their Boy/Girl Moratoriums, but it’s a fun element nonetheless. I thought the development of their friendship into a maybe-relationship was at a great, realistic pace, and I supported a lot of it.

I was a little back-and-forth about Shana not being able to let go of a 6-week relationship. On one hand, I understand—at that age, anyone who you care for who cares for you back for a day is The World to you, and it takes heartbreak nine times over to get it when it goes away. But the more we discover about this relationship, the less I liked it—I found very little for her to cling to. I’m not saying we’re all sane in love (at 16 or 60), but as a reader, I needed something to connect to and understand why it was so hard for her to let go. And I never got that.

However, my favourite element was definitely all the other hikers on the trip—even the crappy gamer husband. They definitely saved this story from falling into just a cliché contemporary book about two people finding each other and getting past their past. Each of the secondary characters were so unique and fun, I couldn’t help but adore them. And when they were all interacting together…it was so great, and I felt like I was right there struggling up the trails with them. My heart jumped, my face couldn’t stop smiling, I felt like I had their backpacks and burdens on my back.

And I have to admit, the family element was a nice surprise. Not that it was there, since it’s pretty obvious it will be—but the struggle of watching a parent couple keep it together and face a new tragedy together. And her brothers, who are a small part but no less important…it was nice to see a functional family that had their own problems. Not to the extent of calling them dysfunctional, but the average struggles exacerbated by an unusual circumstance. It reminds me a lot of my own family, and it was good to see it in a young adult novel.

A Blind Spot For Boys could have lost me and a lot of readers to a cliché, but its original elements really stand out and make this book so much more than it seems. And while I won’t list it among my favourites, I will say there are parts that really yanked at my heart and made me rethink my own life against it. And that’s as high a compliment I can give.

3.5 stars

Review: Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn (ARC)

Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things To Mend (Broken Hearts & Revenge #1) by Katie Finn
Feiwel & Friends (an imprint of MacTeen), 339 pages
US Release Date: May 13, 2014
Format/Source: ARC via Around the World Tours - thank you!

Hot sun. Blue waves. New romances. Old secrets.

Gemma had her summer all planned out, but it takes a sharp turn when she gets dumped and finds herself back in the Hamptons after a five-year absence.

Being there puts her at risk of bumping into Hallie, her former best friends (that is, before Gemma ruined her life). But people don't hold grudges forever. Do they?

Gemma intends on making amends, but a small case of mistaken identity causes the people she knew years ago—including Hallie and her dreamy brother, Josh—to believe she's someone else. As though the summer wasn't complicated enough already.

Filled with summer sun, boys, and friendships gone sour, Katie Finn's first novel in the Broken Hearts and Revenge series sizzles and delights.
------------------------Goodreads Summary

Is it weird to call a book that has Broken Hearts in the title sweet? Because this book kind of is. Don’t get me wrong, there’s some heartbreak and revenge and redemption and contempt and guilt and penance, too…but there’s also this strange level of sweetness in the characters and some of the plotlines, too. And that I quite enjoyed.

I’m not going to lie here: I considered DNF-ing this book. It’s not that it was bad…it’s just that I wasn’t too enthralled in it either. I was never “omg I can’t put this book down” riveted, and that made it a little hard for me to get through in the beginning. Especially since mine was a touring ARC so I was on a deadline, and I had other things to do…it just seemed like I could skip through some of it.

I am glad I stuck with it though. Sure, I guessed a lot of it (some seemed quite obvious), but there were small scenes or nuances that really made this book worthwhile. It never really got to breakneck speeds or heart-may-give-out emotion, but there were real moments that got me.

One of the best things to know before reading this book is that it is part of a series! I’m not sure how I missed that, but I have a tendency to read acknowledgements before the book (I have no idea why)—and luckily I saw in the back a little page about the next title. So, that was REALLY good to know why, elsewise I’d’ve been pretty damn pissed getting towards the end. There is absolutely no real closure at the end, and it would have made me lose it if I’d not have known.

But that no real closure thing? It’s probably one of the better parts of this novel! I mean, I had a few guesses, but…there’s a reveal, and oh MAN. Even though I had a thought, the writing of it is still so damn gripping. I was outraged, I wanted to just…oooooh boy. I’m just glad I was reading this in bed so I could punch my pillow a few times. Because damn.

Let’s talk characters, real quick: I quite liked the ones in here. I thought Gemma was a little flat at times, she doesn’t have much beyond knowing why she wronged and wanted to right it. She did improve throughout the story though, and I think she’ll just grow and better herself as the series moves on. Hallie was ok, though she’s a bit predictable to me. I love love LOVED Josh. Oh man, he is a fantastic love interest, and I am most certainly interested in him. Each of the secondary characters were pretty good too, though very obviously secondary. They had their few traits, and that was that throughout the story.

I was impressed with the “why” of what Gemma had done. There are few things short of violence that I could imagine to be really regretful of when you’re a child, and this one actually made a lot of sense.  In terms of creativity, Katie Finn has it in spades.

I also have to talk about the writing as a whole. For those who don’t know, Katie Finn is the pseudonym of a very loved contemporary YA author. I’m not going to say who (you can find out pretty easily), but there is a pretty good distinction between her “normal” and her pseudonym. I definitely prefer her books as the other, but there is something charming and fun to this book as well. Aside from the point of all this being making good and revenge, this is a pretty great summer read, one I’d love to bring with me to the beach and settle in for the long haul.

Broken Hearts, Fences and Other Things To Mend was a little slow going for me, but ultimately I enjoyed it quite a bit. The plot is wonderfully written and creative; and even though a smidgen predictable, it’s still a lot of fun to go through. And if anything, read this to know Josh. Just remember that I knew him first!!

3.5 Stars

Review: The Museum of Intangible Things by Wendy Wunder (ARC)

The Museum of Intangible Things by Wendy Wunder
Razorbill (an imprint of Penguin), 304 pages
US Release Date: April 10, 2014
Format/Source: ARC from author - thank you Wendy!!

Loyalty. Envy. Obligation. Dreams. Disappointment. Fear. Negligence. Coping. Elation. Lust. Nature. Freedom. Heartbreak. Insouciance. Audacity. Gluttony. Belief. God. Karma. Knowing what you want (there is probably a French word for it). Saying Yes. Destiny. Truth. Devotion. Forgiveness. Life. Happiness (ever after).

Hannah and Zoe haven’t had much in their lives, but they’ve always had each other. So when Zoe tells Hannah she needs to get out of their down-and-out New Jersey town, they pile into Hannah’s beat-up old Le Mans and head west, putting everything—their deadbeat parents, their disappointing love lives, their inevitable enrollment at community college—behind them.

As they chase storms and make new friends, Zoe tells Hannah she wants more for her. She wants her to live bigger, dream grander, aim higher. And so Zoe begins teaching Hannah all about life’s intangible things, concepts sadly missing from her existence—things like audacity, insouciance, karma, and even happiness.

An unforgettable read from the acclaimed author of The Probability of Miracles, The Museum of Intangible Things sparkles with the humor and heartbreak of true friendship and first love.
------------------------------Goodreads Summary

Notable Quote

“Perfect should never be a goal. Perfect just happens if you let it…Perfect happens only if you get out of its way."

So I can’t really give away what my favourite part of The Museum of Intangible Things is since it’s a little spoiler-y, but let me just say…there are small details that really got to me here. In the writing, in the design (physically in the book and in the words), in the concept, in the presentation of this story. I feel like there were little glimmers amongst everything, and it was lovely.

Things I can talk about: the concept of this book is so stunning. The idea of living the intangible words, even the echo of it with Zoe and her brother Noah who has to be taught feelings (one of his lines got me so hard: “I cannot tell you how I am.”)…there’s something so subtle and powerful in those ideas. Each chapter focuses on certain intangibles, and I found myself really digging into my life and my own thoughts when each one came up. It was an astounding read to take me into my own head and life at the same time I wanted to be in Zoe and Hannah’s.

The actual plot of this story is pretty interesting, sort of outside the norm of a road trip…it’s not really searching for something, but chasing, and you definitely got that feeling throughout everything. The tone, the pacing, everything kind of gets more frenetic as it goes on, and it sweeps the reader into it all.  For some reason, it made me think of Nobody But Us by Kristen Halbrook…nothing is quite similar, but it’s the same feeling as I read it.

I liked the friendship between Zoe and Hannah, though I definitely felt it was a bit uneven. It’s built into their personalities for Hannah to give consistently while Zoe takes constantly, but I wasn’t too much a fan of that. Felt a little strange, both as characters and as a reader. And while I’ve never seen the movie Thelma and Louise, I have seen the uh…important part(s)…and for some reason that just kept popping into my head. Especially towards the end, as Zoe becomes increasingly unstable and erratic.

Even though there are parts of this book that really got to me, I was still left a bit underwhelmed. It’s similar to how I felt with her debut novel, The Probability of Miracles—things feel a little forced, a little unnatural and a little too convenient. Part of the reason may have been Danny, because I wasn’t quite a fan of him in general and especially not as he became more and more involved into the story. He came across as pompous to me, even when he was being sweet or nice, and I didn’t like it.

However, the concept of The Museum of Intangible Things and the details of its execution within the novel really did save this. I was so blown away by the usage of intangibles and feelings that I am definitely willing to overlook some of the lackluster parts. If nothing else, read this for the reflection it will cause.

3.5 Stars

Review: After the End by Amy Plum (ARC)

After the End (After the End #1) by Amy Plum
HarperTeen, 336 pages
Expected US Release Date: May 6, 2014
Format/Source: ARC via Around the World Tours - thank you!

"I have no idea what is truth and what is fiction. I'm all I've got now. I can't trust anyone."

World War III has left the world ravaged by nuclear radiation. A lucky few escaped to the Alaskan wilderness. They've survived for the last thirty years by living off the land, being one with nature, and hiding from whoever else might still be out there.

At least, this is what Juneau has been told her entire life.

When Juneau returns from a hunting trip to discover that everyone in her clan has vanished, she sets off to find them. Leaving the boundaries of their land for the very first time, she learns something horrifying: There never was a war. Cities were never destroyed. The world is intact. Everything was a lie.

Now Juneau is adrift in a modern-day world she never knew existed. But while she's trying to find a way to rescue her friends and family, someone else is looking for her. Someone who knows the extraordinary truth about the secrets of her past.
---------------------------Goodreads Summary

Notable Quote

Life is easier in black and white. It’s the ambiguity of a world defined in grays that has stripped me of my confidence and left me powerless.

I was definitely intrigued by this book when I first heard about it. I mean, how would you feel growing up thinking you were the next generation after the apocalypse, living this basic, rudimentary life…and then find out it’s all a lie? That everything you were told about the past was actually alive and thriving? That’s a fantastic concept, with so many possibilities.

After the End definitely took a different turn than I thought it would, but I thought it held up to its potential really well. I’m slightly disappointed by it, but there are some really great facets to this book that make it completely worthwhile to read.

Miles turned out to be one of the most surprising elements in this story to me—not because he was shockingly original or took a weird turn, it’s just the idea behind why he and Juneau are on this trip together was so out of the realm I thought it would be. I don’t really want to spoil it, but his circumstance was so outside ‘apocolyptic’ that it was really startling to switch back and forth. It’s almost the opposite, in a weird way, and I felt like I had to adjust my head each time a little peek of his life came through.

That said, I really liked Miles and Juneau together. Some of it felt forced, and I don’t think they have the best chemistry—but I like them together. They’re solid, and upfront, and I kind of loved every moment when he had to teach her something about the modern world.

There was a delicious amount of anticipation and despair all throughout this book, and it made it a real page-turner. I needed to know where Juneau’s clan was, I was dying to find out where they’d gone, would they get caught, when they’re separated what does it mean?! There were so many great moments where I felt like I was on the edge of my seat, whether I was scared for one of the characters or hopeful or anticipating something, and I really loved that part.

I can’t quite pinpoint why I was disappointed, though. As breathtaking as some of the scenes were, there was a distinct lack of excitement for me as I was reading this. I’m not sure I really liked the flow and pacing, though I don’t actually think there’s anything wrong with it. Maybe it was just my mood the few days I was reading it, but I definitely felt like this was missing something.

My unease may have been because of Juneau; I’m not really sure I like her, to be honest. She’s a good character, and everything she is and does and believes in aligns with what she is set up to be. But I just felt like she was a little flat, a little too one-sided and one-dimensional. I wanted her to step up or step out a little, and it never really happened for me.

But something that I was utterly in love with was the creativity put into this book. I loved the situation, how we learn the clan came to be, the circumstances they’re all finding themselves in, watching Juneau discover all these things of the modern world. I love the Yara and that faith, the readings and connections to nature and the world. There’s so much thought and storytelling in After the End, and it’s utterly magical.

I can’t deny that there are some parts of After the End that let me down, but how much I loved the rest of this book make it easy for me to let the others slide. I can’t wait for Book 2, to learn more about this world and how Juneau and Miles will intertwine.

3.5 stars

Review: Panic by Lauren Oliver (ARC)

Panic by Lauren Oliver
Harper Teen, 416 pages
Expected US Release Date: March 4, 2014
Format/Source - ARC via Around the World Tours - thank you!

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.
-------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

No one had ever told her this basic fact: not everyone got to be loved.

I have a love/hate relationship with Lauren Oliver. I love love LOVE her writing. It’s some of the most lyrical, smooth writing I’ve ever read. I feel like the words glide together and fit just so to make you feel and love. I love Lauren herself; I’ve met her multiple times and chatted and gotten to see her speak and she’s captivating—a trait I find that comes across in her books as well.

But at the same time, I get very frustrated with her books. I find them fairly predictable. I find lots of what happens to be lackluster, in that since I can figure it out, it’s just not as shocking as I feel it’s intended to be. I can’t stand some of her characters, and truthfully, oftentimes I find them a bit one-dimensional and flat. And almost always, I find the main character (or one of them) to be a hopeless loss, that nothing redeeming ever comes around.

That’s how I felt while reading Before I Fall (review here), that’s how I feel when I try to read Delirium (and a large part why I haven’t gotten through it all yet), and, both fortunately and unfortunately, that’s how I felt while reading Panic. I wanted to know more of her characters, I wished all of them kind of went beyond what we thought they would be. There were a few interesting qualities to each, but I still think they could have had more development—there was definite opportunity!

Panic was both predictable and surprising, which is a hard feat to pull off. I could tell you how a lot of it would go; the games and alliances and friendships, the pairings and consequences. But at the same time, there were small things that made my eyebrow arch or made me think “Oh! All right then…”

I’m not saying all of it wasn’t interesting though. Even through my annoyance of being a bit predictable, I enjoyed reading Panic a lot. I love the concept of this small town game with high stakes and big payoff if you survive. I liked how shockingly sinister it was, that it really toyed with lives and brutality at some points. And yes, I whined about the characters, but I liked most of them more than not. I didn’t expect to know so much about both Heather and Natalie, that it was essentially Natalie in there as well. I rather liked Bishop. I couldn’t stand Dodge and thought he was the worst of the characters, but I like what he evoked in others—so as a character he was bleh; as a device he was great.

Something that stood out to me was the setting – small town Carp is hard for me to imagine because it’s so different from my life. I’m from Sunny San Diego, the suburbs just outside a city and everybody is a friend and a stranger all at once. So this little rainy, rinkydink, vaguely ghetto town means nothing to me; but with Lauren’s writing, I feel like I know this place. I can see it in my head, learn the streets and Meth Row and the Animal House in the trees. It made for a great setting for Panic as well – a little dark and dreary, with secrets to learn and run from. The overall mood and feel of the book was something I really enjoyed.

Panic was an up-and-down read for me; I was swept up in the game and what would happen, but really hung up on how reprehensible a lot of the characters were. I found small things to be interesting, but the larger pictures to be predictable and a let-down. And oddly, I feel like all the things I did like were unintentional parts of the story, byproducts of what was really meant to be the focus.

However, I do know that I will still read what Lauren Oliver writes, because her writing is so freakin’ fantastic I will overlook any annoyances I have. And I know for a fact that tons of people will love this story and what it offers.

3.5 stars

Review: Ashes to Ashes by Melissa Walker (ARC)

Ashes to Ashes (Ashes to Ashes #1) by Melissa Walker
Katherine Tegan (Harper Teen), 356 pages
Expected US Release Date: December 23, 2013
Format/Source: ARC via Around the World Tours - thank you!

When Callie's life is cut short by a tragic accident, she expects to find nothingness, or maybe some version of heaven.

Instead, her spirit travels to the Prism, an ethereal plane populated by the ghosts she thought were fictional. Here she meets a striking and mysterious ghost named Thatcher, who is meant to guide her as she learns to haunt and bring peace to the loved ones she left behind.

However, Callie uncovers a dark secret about the spirit world: The angry souls who always populate ghost stories are real, dangerous, and willing to do whatever it takes to stay on Earth, threatening the existence of everyone she ever cared about.

As she fights to save them, Callie will learn that while it may no longer beat, her heart can still love-and break.
-------------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

…it's such an abstract concept. Reaching out feels so much more natural to me.

There is one main thing that I think a person should know going into reading Ashes To Ashes: this is a duet. There will be a second book! I had absolutely no idea when I read it, I thought it was a standalone—but as I crept closer and closer to the end of the book, I started thinking, “Hmmm…all these questions and still ninety BILLION questions?!” And I remember thinking good heavens there BETTER be a second book, else I’m not even going to bother rating this it infuriates me so much! (Book blogger threats. They’re real.)

So, PHEW on that front. Knowing that, I definitely like this book the more I think about it. When I first closed it, I thought it was a bit odd, and unsatisfying, and that there were too many questions without answers. And while I do still think there weren’t enough answers, it wasn’t enough to put me off from wanting to pick up Book 2.

I’m not a big paranormal person, so I was a bit iffy going into this novel. I haven’t quite figured out my feelings on ghosts and the paranormal happenings in life; and I have even less experience in my books. But I like Melissa Walker, I adore most of her contemporaries that I’ve read and I thought this would be a good way to get into it. And I’m glad to say I gave it a shot!

The concept of the Prism is pretty interesting to me, I like that we try to help our loved ones get over our death. I found that delightfully satisfying and fulfilling, and I kind of hope that is the real reason ghosts haunt. Not their own unfinished business, but the unfinished business of helping someone else. I loved the personal ghost prisms they each had too, the concept of why they’re built as they are and that it’s an area for them to recharge. Kinda made me wonder what my personal prism would look like (as vaguely morbid as that seems). And I quite enjoy the little bits of humor and puns regarding life/death/having a life in death.

I have to admit that there are still some predictable parts, that I knew why Callie could feel and still had her memories and emotions as a ghost—that seemed pretty easy to figure out, and that definitely influenced how I felt about certain scenes where that affecting things. It took away some surprise to the book, but there were still enough moments for me to overlook that.

I found I really liked most of the characters, too. Carson was a great friend, I loved how into the spirit world she is and how she connects with all that. She was a fantastic friend to Callie, even after she was gone, and I started hoping that my friends were like her. Nick is…well. He was probably my least favourite of the good characters, but I didn’t particularly not like him. He felt mostly incomplete to me, like I was given him as a part to the story without explanation or real connection. Leo was creepy. He was so, so creepy. Written well, and a great character, but like Callie, I would shiver and dread every time he showed up on the page. The entire idea of some ghosts existing who did not want to move out of the Prism and into Solus was dark and scary; and Leo just took it to an extreme. That’s some great writing where I would hate seeing his name on a page.

I am SO FREAKIN’ CURIOUS. Omg. There are so many questions, and I don’t have answers, and omg you guys I NEED THEM. Why was Nick going to…well, you know. What is going on with Carson? Who is H? Why is Thatcher so freakin’ hot and amazing and man aliiiiiiiiive do I want that ghost. The book ended fairly well in terms of leaving you satisfied enough for the book but wanting more.

Last, random thing: I love the title font on the cover. I really, really draw towards the first “Ashes” being different than the last “ashes.” I don’t quite know why, but I know I really loved it.

3.5 stars

Review: Picture Me Gone by Meg Rosoff (ARC)

Picture Me Gone by Meg Rosoff
Putnam Juvenile (an imprint of Penguin), 256 pages
US Release Date: October 3, 2013
Format/Source: Print ARC, Around the World Tours - thank you!
Challenges: Contemporary Challenge, Standalone Challenge

Printz Award-winning author Meg Rosoff's latest novel is a gorgeous and unforgettable page-turner about the relationship between parents and children, love and loss.

Mila has an exceptional talent for reading a room—sensing hidden facts and unspoken emotions from clues that others overlook. So when her father’s best friend, Matthew, goes missing from his upstate New York home, Mila and her beloved father travel from London to find him. She collects information about Matthew from his belongings, from his wife and baby, from the dog he left behind and from the ghosts of his past—slowly piecing together the story everyone else has missed. But just when she’s closest to solving the mystery, a shocking betrayal calls into question her trust in the one person she thought she could read best.
------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

And so, perhaps, when I say I long to be a pane of glass, I am lying. I long for partial obscurity at the same time that I long for someone to know me.

It is confusing and difficult being me.

I've only read one other of Meg Rosoff's books (There Is No Dog - click to read my review!), but I'm fairly certain her books are ones that will remain in your memory. There such a unique take to everything; the story, the personalities, the situations...I feel like this book is something I've never really seen together at once, and I love that.

There is a sadness that permeates this entire novel. It weaves itself into all the worlds, all the settings and thoughts. It's not overwhelmingly sad like how I felt while reading Safekeeping by Karen Hesse, but there's a distinct melancholy. Something that makes me feel like I'm searching for a lost cause. And while that's perfect in terms of the actual story and what Mila and Gil are doing, sometimes I had to close the book just to breathe and remember the world is, in fact, ok.

Picture Me Gone isn't so much of a coming-of-age book; but more a losing-your-innocence book. It's having to grow up, of having to face adult decisions and consequences, while learning there is a darkness to people and sides that we try to hide. It's a little heartbreaking to be in Mila's head as she learns to wrap her thoughts around the darkness hidden in people, but at the same time it makes you love her more and want to wrap her in a hug and protect her. There's a sense of pride I have for her, too, that she's able to process all that she and Gil learn about her father's friend, that she understands these are the life lessons she's been told most her life she'll have to understand when she's older.

Seriously up for discussion: what did you think of Meg Rosoff not using quotation marks? Of not making the distinction of dialogue and who exactly was speaking? I personally found it intriguing and a good choice. It feels a little more like being in a 12-year-olds head. Plus, I felt like we followed the story a little better and that we really got into the rhythm of the plot. To know who is speaking to whom, you have to follow closely, and I feel like without the quotes it let us fall into it a little more. But still...anyone hate it? Think it was too weird?

There are so many different personalities in this book, and I found myself being pulled almost equally to all of them. Even when some of the personalities aren't necessarily good ones, there's something distinct, endearing almost, about all of them. I loved that Gil is quiet and spare, his words measured and his thoughts logical. I adore Mila and her ability to read situations, because sometimes I feel just like her: seeing too much from so little and feeling like it's a punishment and a power. Matthew and Suzanne are not made to be positive characters, but there's something to both that you see a bit of people you love in them. They make you clench your fist as you put your arm around their shoulders, you know? And I found the element of Mila's best friend, Catlin, to be interesting. I like how their relationship as children still mirrored adult situations, how a friendship made when they were so young and doing childish things can still teach her lessons about being an adult and growing up. Even though I think Catlin is ultimately a negative in Mila's life, I can appreciate the positives she catalyzes.

I know I've said a lot of things that are dark or sad, but there's actually a lot of love and sweetness throughout this entire book, too. A lot of it is from family - Marieka and Gil especially - and the trust and belief we have in them. There's moments of comfort and happiness. While I don't really like Honey's devotion to Matthew, it's still something that makes you smile amidst the rest of the confusion. It's nice to know that even though there's questions and deception all around, there can also be true loyalty and an unfailing love.

Picture Me Gone is a serious book, with serious lessons and sweet moments (Jake!) interspersed. It is a book meant to make you think, to consider humanity and personality and who we are to others. It is one that makes you think of the darkness you hide, the secrets you keep hidden, and the why to all of it. But there's also enough in here that reminds you of those people you hold close, of the ones who do bring you hope and light the way in darkness.

3.5 Stars

Frigid by J. Lynn (ARC)

Frigid by J. Lynn (the pen name of Jennifer L. Armentrout)
Spencer Hill Contemporary, 240 pages
Expected US Release Date: November 5, 2013
Format/Source: ARC, via Around the World Tours - thank you!
Challenges: Stand Alone Challenge, New Adult Challenge

For twenty-one-year-old Sydney, being in love with Kyler isn't anything new. They'd been best friends ever since he pushed her down on the playground and she made him eat a mud pie. Somewhere over the years, she fell for him and fell hard. The big problem with that? Kyler puts the 'man' in man-whore. He's never stayed with a girl longer than a few nights, and with it being their last year in college, Syd doesn't want to risk their friendship by declaring her love.

Kyler has always put Syd on a pedestal that was too high for him to reach. To him, she's perfect and she's everything. But the feelings he has for her, he's always hidden away or focused on any other female. After all, Kyler will always be the poor boy from the wrong side of tracks, and Syd will always be the one girl he can never have.

But when they're stranded together at a posh ski resort due to a massive Nor'easter, there's nothing stopping their red-hot feelings for each other from coming to the surface. Can their friendship survive the attraction? Better yet, can they survive at all? Because as the snow falls, someone is stalking them, and this ski trip may be a life-changer in more ways than one.
--------------------------goodreads summary

Notable Quote

Andrea snorted. "Guys are totally stupid when it comes to unrequited love. We females pine away and keep our thighs closed for the most part when we love someone we can't have. Guys swing their shit around at anything that has a hole, trying to forget the one they want."

So, there's a passage in Frigid that definitely describes this book and my attitude towards it (so meta.):

What I needed was to lose myself in a good one--one with tons of sex and angst, complete with an unbelievable happily-ever-after that made me love and hate the book at the same time.

Frigid is a good book, with tons of angst and sex and more sex and some love and even more angst; and yes, it has that unbelievable happily-ever-after that toed that line of "good" and "too good to be true." Which all together, makes me really like the book and really hate it at the same time.

J. Lynn does not disappoint in terms of HOTNESS. Damn, Kyler. I feel like I can feel the ridges of his abs, see the tendons that stretch across his back and the sexy runner calves. I mean, seriously - J. Lynn knows how to write a man. A man-whore, sure -- but still every bit as male and sexy and hot and WOO. I'm not even joking when I tell you I hid this book every time my parents came around, because my mom has the tendency to pick up anything I'm reading and just open to a random page and read a bit. And I'd reaaaaally like to avoid having a discussion about this book with her.

Syd was interesting...I liked her for the most part, but her self-conscousness, her underestimation of Kyler and herself and their friendship/relationship just KILLED me for a lot of this book. I just wanted to shake her sometimes and tell her to shut up and stop overthinking. I seriously want to keep this book out of the hands of any boys - not that I think they'll be quick to pick it up (that shirtless man in the snow may be a little off-putting to most men. I'm just saying.), but I don't want men to think all women think these crazy roundabout thoughts! Sure, lots of us do, and I'm nowhere near claiming that my thoughts are all rational when it comes to boys and angst - but yeesh, Syd. Just clear your mind for a little bit. Trust in this friendship that's been built since the playground!

I did appreciate that the plot was more than them just being snowed in together. I'm all for some great romance, but I liked that there was a small thread of terror and threat here, too - it helped give a little more life to a plot that could have been way too ooshy-gooshy otherwise. I thought it was a little unbelievable what was done, but then again, I don't live in snow-town. I have no idea what could and could not happen in snow storms.

This novel did have a step up from the get-go with me though: I freakin' LOVE the winter. I love the holidays, snow, anything that relates at all to December. I have a major soft spot for it; something about that time of year always shrouds it in this ethereal, pretty romantic glow. And Frigid is definitely a novel I'd love to re-read every year when the cold hits.

For anyone else who's read this: spinoff story for Andrea and Tanner. Amirite, or amirite?!

Frigid had some disappointments, but it more than made up for it with some sweet romance and hot New Adult themes. It's not the hardest hitting, most thoughtful book - but would you really pick this one up if you wanted that? If you want a light read with quick emotions, action and love, choose this. It won't disappoint you. Besides, there's a whole section of the book spent on a bed fort in front of a fireplace as it snowstorms around them. Who hasn't fantasized about that?!

3.5 Stars

Review: Right of Way by Lauren Barnholdt (ARC)

Right of Way by Lauren Barnholdt Simon Pulse, 320 Pages
Expected US Release Date: July 9, 2013
Format/Source: Print ARC, via Around the World ARC Tours - thank you!
Challenges: Contemporary Challenge

Can a road trip repair a romance gone wrong? Find out in this standalone companion to Lauren Barnholdt’s Two-way Street.

Here are Peyton and Jace, meeting on vacation. Click! It’s awesome, it’s easy, it’s romantic. This is the real deal.

Unless it isn’t. Because when you’re in love, you don’t just stop calling one day. And you don’t keep secrets. Or lie. And when your life starts falling apart, you’re supposed to have the other person to lean on.

Here are Peyton and Jace again, broken up but thrown together on a road trip. One of them is lying about the destination. One of them is pretending not to be leaving something behind. And neither of them is prepared for what’s coming on the road ahead…
-------------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

But I read a very smart thing in a self-help book (don't judge--they can actually be very comforting) about how sometimes the people you don't spend that much time with are actually the ones you can end up getting the most hurt by, because you can get attached to the idea of them, as opposed to what they really are. You don't get enough time to really get to know them and their flaws, which is why you can sort of create this fantasy of who they are, and therefore indulge all your hopes and dreams of who you wanted them to be.

So, I’ll put this out there: I haven’t read Two-Way Street yet. I KNOW. I’m horrible. How can I claim to love contemporary road trip novels and not have read that?! I know, I know. I’m getting there.

I will say that if you haven’t read Two Way Street and DON’T want to be spoiled, DO NOT read Right of Way. It’s there. They appear. And while I don’t think it’s any surprise, if you can’t stand any sort of hint/clue/whatever, don’t even think about trying to read Right Of Way.

But if you’re like me, where you pretty much know (not just because you can guess, but because multiple have told you since they assume you have read it) and don’t mind knowing for certain what happens, go right ahead and dig into Right of Way. I don’t know if I missed any sort of relation between the two books, but it can totally stand on it’s own.

How much do I love dual narratives? So much. So, so much. I love getting two perspectives from the same situations, I love differing character voices, I love getting to know the thoughts and feelings of each character. And Right of Way was fantastic about that. I also loved the additional element of making the narratives from before their trip and during the trip. It was a great insight into their pasts and really opened up their personalities into who they really could be. However, I have been known to skip reading chapter titles – don’t do that! I definitely got confused a few times over because I didn’t realize we were reading about the past.

While Right of Way is a really good, solid contemporary to add to any YA shelf , I have to say that sometimes I felt like not much was really happening. The story had a straightforward plot, but nothing that was too exciting or too forward with the movement.  The story, the timeline, everything is belieivable – it’s just a little underwhelming and I was itching for just a bit more passion and action. (Not THAT kind of action, you dirty readers! Well…I mean…)

I was also surprised how the characters turned out for me. I knew I was supposed to love Jace, and while I really did like him…it was definitely not as much as I could have. He was a little predictable and totally typical. But Peyton? Really loved her! I thought she was going to be whiny, bratty and annoying – and the funny part? She totally is, but not at all in an unlikeable way! Maybe it’s the girl in me, but I was with her every emotional step and actually applauded her at trying to keep her head straight even when she was making really dumb choices.

Two small things to wrap this up: 1) Hector the dog? Love him. So adorable. I want him, dirty mitts and all. 2) Peyton’s mom and what she does to her? Horrible. I hated that there’s no real resolution to that whole situation, but I like to think she gets what’s coming to her.

3.5 Stars