Review: Boys Don't Knit (In Public) by T.S. Easton (ARC)

Boys Don’t Knit (In Public) by TS Easton
Feiwel & Friends (an imprint of Macmillan), 272 pages
Expected US Release Date: March 24, 2015
Format/Source: ARC via Around the World Tours - thank you!

Knitting is a man’s game.

After an incident regarding a crossing guard and a bottle of Martini & Rossi (and his bonehead friends), 17-year-old worrier Ben Fletcher must develop his sense of social alignment, take up a hobby, and do some community service to avoid any further probation.

He takes a knitting class (it was that or his father’s mechanic class) under the impression that it's taught by the hot teacher all the boys like. Turns out, it’s not. Perfect. 

Regardless, he sticks with it and comes to find that he’s a natural knitter, maybe even great. It even helps ease his anxiety and worrying. The only challenge now is to keep it hidden from his friends, his crush, and his soccer-obsessed father. What a tangled web Ben has weaved . . . or knitted. 
------------------------Goodreads Summary

Notable Quote

Maybe just having someone listen is all you need.

Talk about a fun book! I absolutely loved Boys Don’t Knit—it was filled with such humor and cute moments. I was laughing out loud and giggling to myself, even when I was reading it in public—and I wasn’t even ashamed about it.

I loved the backstory as to how Ben Fletcher got into knitting, how it was a bit of a fluke but so brilliant, too.  I adore that the book is written as a diary/journal style, because it’s such a fun way to get Ben’s thoughts on all the zany situations he finds himself in.

The characters are definitely the best part about this whole book. Ben and all his goofy, not-quite-amazing friends. His teachers and instructors. His parents, even, who are so hilariously different from all typical YA parents. My least favourite was probably Megan, and I’m not saying I didn’t like her—she just didn’t shine as much as the rest of them. Ben’s friends definitely almost stole the show. Their ideas were so off-the-wall and crazy, but still filled with a bit of good heart and humor the entire time. And I loved how in the end, they’re still Ben’s friend, no matter what.

There’s so much hidden heart to this book, too. Sure, I can sing from the rooftops how funny and hilarious it is (it’s a dude who’s the best knitter in the UK! Come on!), but there’s a lot of real warmth and love to a lot of it, too. The romances are fun, the relationships are real, and Ben’s self-discovery and narration is absolutely brilliant. There’s real concern for his family, for his friends, for everyone around him. I love how he finds a group that really understands him, no matter their age or status in life.

I think one of the more subtle but better parts of this story is the knitting, too, and how much it reveals about Ben. How it gives you insight into who he is that he likes the repetitive and uniform nature of knitting. How it gives you a little peek into his head when he lets it go clear while he’s knitting. I love the people it connects him to, and I love how it causes a lot of his problems. It’s definitely an interesting variable to his life, and I loved exploring it.

Boys Don’t Knit is a book that will make you laugh out loud and fill your heart with humor and love. You’ll love Ben, and root for him no matter if it’s his life, his sanity, or him knitting at the UK champs.

4 stars

Review: The Boy Next Door by Katie Van Ark (ARC)

The Boy Next Door by Katie Van Ark
Swoon Reads (Macmillan), 368 pages
US Release Date: January 6, 2015
Format/Source: ARC via Around the World Tours - thank you!

Maddy Spier has been in love with the boy next door forever. As his figure skating partner she spends time in his arms every day. But she’s also seen his arms around other girls—lots of other girls. 

Gabe can't imagine skating with anyone but Maddy, and together they have a real chance at winning some serious gold medals. So, he’s determined to keep thinking of her like a sister. After all, he’s never had a romantic relationship that lasted for more than two weeks.

But when their coach assigns a new romantic skating program, everything changes. Will this be the big break that Maddy’s been hoping for or the big breakup that Gabe has always feared?
----------------Goodreads Summary

Notable Quote

I look at Mad, zipping through her brackets. She attacks the twisty turns, the determination fierce on her face. She puts so much power into the pattern that she almost slams into the barrier at the end. That’s the problem. I’ve compartmentalized my life for so long but Mad has no fear of the barrier.

So far I’ve read two of Swoon Reads’ books, and let me tell ya: they are definitely living up to their name! Maddie and Gabe’s story is filled with moments that stole my breathe and made me swoon so hard I actually put my hand over my heart at one point.

I’ll admit that I was shocked this got so…graphic. It’s not lewd or anything, but it’s…they go there. You know. IT. And I was kind of shocked! I don’t mind it, I found it to be quite fitting of the story and done very tastefully. Mostly I’m glad it’s there, because sex in teenagers is a very real thing. And regardless if I agree or disagree with it, I like that this one came with the knowledge that it happens, that it can happen, that some people don’t wait, and that some people do. It’s very real in that sense.

I’ve mentioned on here a few times how obsessed I am with figure skating, but I’ll say it again: I am OBSESSED with figure skating. Seriously. I watch it any chance I get—and not just during the winter Olympics. I used to have a poster of Nancy Kerrigan on my wall when I was younger, and I still have a deep-seeded hatred for Tonya Harding. So I definitely loved the setting and setup to this novel! Figure skating, especially pairs and ice dancing, are incredibly romantic at the core. The fluid movement, the trust in another, how close and emotionally charged everything is…this is all the makings for some serious swoonage.

Maddie annoyed me. Dear God. I wanted to push her so many times and tell her to stop flip-flopping between certain things and just…go for it. She was a bit of a strange mix of strength and indecision…and it’s not that it isn’t realistic, but something about it bugged me. Between the pair of them, Gabriel was my favourite by a long shot. He was a typical guy, and you kind of hated him in the beginning with his revolving spin of girls…but then you come around to him. And that was nice.

As always, I liked the element of family in here and how much it influenced Maddie and Gabe. How it was a reason they were who they were, and how it’s a reason they have so many cracks and fissures, too. I was a little nervous knowing Maddie’s father is a politician and how that would be portrayed (government and politics makes me nervous in novels, for personal reasons), but it actually was handled very little and quite well. Supportive families are wonderful in YA books, and this one was done right: supportive and kind, with lives of their own and problems to take care of. None of it diminished any of the other areas, and that was fantastic.

If a reader wants a fun romance with serious swoonage and heart stopping moments, The Boy Next Door is the perfect read. While I wasn’t entirely into the female MC, everything else was so wonderfully realistic and real that I can overlook her.

4 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 Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski (ARC)

The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy #1) by Marie Rutkoski
Farrer, Straus & Giroux (an imprint of MacmillanTeen), 355 pages
US Release Date: March 4, 2014
Format/Source: ARC via Around the World Tours - thank you!

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love.

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. 

Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined. 

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.
-------------------------------------Goodreads Summary

Notable Quote

Isn't that what stories do, make real things fake, and fake things real?

I want to tell you that I have no words for this book…but seeing as how this is a review blog, that wouldn’t do much good, would it?

So I’ll amend it to: I have no worthy words for this book. The Winner’s Curse is brilliant and stunning, clever and cunning and sweet and intense. It made me hold my breathe, it made me close pages because I was feeling so much, it made me tear the book back open because I had to keep going. There are surprises everywhere, games and gambling and taking chances, and every single word and moment gets better than the last.

This is about the realest thing I can say: I stopped reading about 70 pages to the end because I had work the next day and needed to sleep. And I kid you not that my body woke me up at 3:30 AM thinking about it and needing to read…so I continued reading, because I could not leave it as I’d done.

I’ll talk about the components first, because that I can handle. There’s society and slaves, high culture and gritty realism. There’s lovely landscape and blood and gore. There is love, and relationships, and friendship at it’s best and most worthy; there is family at every angle, present and lost and lacking and disappointing. Absolutely everything I could ever think I wanted in a book is here at it’s best, with all the elements I never knew would make a novel better but has.

There’s so much depth to this novel. Every single person you meet, plot point you hit, is part of something else, leads to something even thicker and intense than you can originally see. You get buried in the plot and entirely consumed, and I barely remembered to breathe.

That said, the plot is never confusing or convoluted. Everything is there for a purpose, and it all makes sense in its build and movement. It is nicely linear, and it’s like everything you read just enhances the next moment rather than confuses it.

Kestral and Arin are breathtaking characters. They are so strong and so dimensional. And while I loved them individually for having the flaws and weaknesses and strength they do, I was so blown away every time they were together on the page. From the moment Kestral saw him at the slave market to…well. The end. Even when they weren’t at the same location, but thinking of the other or considering the other, I felt their connection. Their chemistry and tension and pure, raw emotion with the other.

Every review I’ve seen tells you to “clear your calendar” or “set aside hours to read this cover to cover” or some other variation, and I clearly echo that advice. This book is un-put-downable. Take it from me, who did put it down…only to have my mind and body wake me up craving to finish it at an ungodly hour. You cannot escape this novel, and nobody in his or her right mind would ever want to.

The Winner’s Curse is filled with tension and trials, fights and fancy parties. There’s even a duel! But what makes this so incredible is how every element is the best it could possibly be by itself, and together make something as beautiful as this tale. If ever a book to be 5 stars, it is The Winner’s Curse: for making your head and heart know they together love something wholeheartedly, but also battle as you find yourself tangled in the curses and games, too.

Read The Winner’s Curse. Just do it.

5 stars

and so many stars worth fighting for

Review: Cress by Marissa Meyer (ARC)

Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer
Feiwel & Friends (an imprint of Macmillan Teen), 560 pages
US Release Date: February 4, 2014 (yesterday!)
Format/Source: ARC via Around the World Tours - thank you!

Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard.

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army. 

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice. 

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.
----------------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

"Yeah, I guess you're right,” he said, squeezing. “Maybe there’s a little bit of a hero in me after all. But…really, Cress. Only a little."

There are so many words I could use for Marissa Meyer and her books; but they all boil down to one fact: they are brilliantly amazing, and I wish she would release new material every day for the rest of life. All of Life, entirely, forever.

I LOVED Cinder (book 1, not the character…though I do love Cinder too), and I loved Scarlet, as well. Perhaps not on the same level as Book 1, but it was bloody fantastic and a great continuation of the series. I’ve a sneaking suspicion I just had too high hopes, which is the only reason it wasn’t quite as BIG BOLD LOVE—which meant I approached Cress with a little more reserve. I knew I’d like it, but which level?

One constant thing that amazes me about Marissa’s books are that even though they are retellings of fairy tales we all know, love, and grew up on – they are entirely new and completely refreshing and unlike any story I’ve ever read. They’re part sci-fi, part action, part romance, part thriller…it is everything I crave and want in a story, using our pre-knowledge (IT’S A WORD NOW, DAMMIT) to the best. She is a wizard with words and stories, and I love it.

And Cress hits that same mark. I loved it, so much…still not as much as I LOVE Cinder, but I think it is better than Scarlet. I had to read Cress in a week so I couldn’t savor it, but I definitely had to take a few breaks and set it down and gather my thoughts and emotions. There’s just so much action and curveballs thrown at you! I was holding my breath and covering my eyes every other page, it felt.

Handling this cast of characters was something I was getting nervous about, since each book kind of introduces a handful more that keep adding on. But Cress incorporates everyone, still progressing characters while letting each one take the stage for equal parts. I feel like I got to know every single character better, more fully, and in more development—even the older, old ones. They’re like old friends that I’m consistently learning more and more about.

Speaking of characters, Cress is so badass, guys. Crescent Moon, the most kickass hacker in all the galaxy. And somehow, she’s still a sheltered, timid girl who just wants a kiss and to do what’s right. She and Scarlet are both kickass, in entirely different ways. Scarlet is headstrong and brash (and dear GOD did it kill me what happens to her in Cress, guys!) and ready to fight for what she wants. Cress is much more like me, the quiet ally with a strong, silent will. Her backstory gives you an immediate reaction to care for her, and it just gets better and stronger the more time you spend with her.

And um..Thorne. I love him. I adored him from Scarlet, and I just…I mean, I will always love Prince Kai. But…can I have a little of Captain Thorne, too?

I’m trying to think of anything bad I can say about this book, since that would balance this gushing, squeal-y review nicely…but I just can’t think of anything! I have to say there were a few things that happened in the story that I wasn’t fond of, but at the end it all just makes so much SENSE. And I can’t imagine it any other way. Even if it does rip my heart to pieces and make me want to wail at the book “NOOOOOOO THEY BELONG TOGETHER!!” (Take that for what you will. I’m evil, I know.)

There are a few more things I want to talk about, but they’d be pretty major spoilers. Like when…well, they get stuck…or when this person dies and you find out…or when that group is torn apart…or what happens to her on Luna…or…

You get the idea.

For longtime lovers of this series, Cress won’t disappoint. If you’re only just now hearing about it, you are missing out on A LOT. If I could spend all my days shouting how amazing this series is from the rooftop, I would…except I’ll have to take frequent breaks to read and re-read and pray for Winter to hurry and come out.

5 Stars

and many moons more

Review: This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales (ARC)

This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales
Farrer, Straus & Giroux (imprint of Macmillan Teen), 288 pages
US Release Date: September 17, 2013 (today!!)
Format/Source: ARC via Around the World Tours - thank you!
Challenges: SARC 2013, Contemporary Challenge

Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski’s strong suit. All throughout her life, she’s been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing.

Told in a refreshingly genuine and laugh-out-loud funny voice, THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE is an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together.
---------------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

Sometimes people think they know you. They know a few facts about you, and they piece you together in a way that makes sense to them. And if you don't know yourself very well, you might even believe that they are right. But the truth is, that isn't you. That isn't you at all.

It’s hard to review a book that strikes so close to your heart, that seems to pull at every cord and chord ever anchored to you. This Song Will Save Your Life spoke to me on every level I’ve ever found with books: personal, impersonal, as a reader, as a person.

One of the things that struck me most is that Elise seems to be a generally normal person. There isn’t anything particularly terrible, or mean, or different about her, and therefore her being the outcast at school seems so…odd. Unfair. Wrong. And it’s that mindset that makes you get a little more invested, that makes you care just a little more. All you can ask is why, and the more you see about her, the more you really wonder and try to figure out her life.

It also makes you love when she finds DJing more, because you feel like there’s hope. Like there’s a chance for her, like she’ll be ok. And it’s such a rollercoaster through each chapter – something takes you way high up, and then it comes crashing down and breaks your heart just a little; until the next when something breathes new life into Elise, and suddenly you’re gasping for air again. Leila Sales has created a master plot of back and forth, and it’s breathtakingly wonderful.

Is it weird to say that one of my favourite things about this book are the lessons you can learn from it? I don’t mean to say the book is preach-y, but it’s just done so well that I love what we can pick out from each character, the growth and tragedies and struggles they all go through. There’s so much that a person goes through in life, and I feel like somehow, it’s all here in this book; and it all works amazingly well! There are a few heartbreaking realizations too, that just wrecked my heart and made me cry because I’ve felt all those feelings before (the castle thing and Elise’s reason for it…*sob*) and had that same hopeless void just begging to be filled.

I want to mention Leila Sales’ writing as well, even though I don’t have much to say about it, really: it’s beautiful. It’s simple but meaningful, and there’s something about it when you read that seems to feel like the words are coming from your own soul.

Part of me wants to say that this book is for anyone who feels a little out of place, who is searching for that something in life that gives you purpose – but really, it’s for all those people and everyone else, too.

5 Stars

and beats and beats of more.

Review: Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick (ARC)

Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick

Roaring Book Press (an imprint of Macmilllan), 272 Pages
Expected US Release Date: February 5, 2013
Format: Print ARC
Source: from publisher, for review (thanks Ksenia!)

Seven stories of passion and love separated by centuries but mysteriously intertwined—this is a tale of horror and beauty, tenderness and sacrifice.

An archaeologist who unearths a mysterious artifact, an airman who finds himself far from home, a painter, a ghost, a vampire, and a Viking: the seven stories in this compelling novel all take place on the remote Scandinavian island of Blessed where a curiously powerful plant that resembles a dragon grows. What binds these stories together? What secrets lurk beneath the surface of this idyllic countryside? And what might be powerful enough to break the cycle of midwinterblood? From award-winning author Marcus Sedgwick comes a book about passion and preservation and ultimately an exploration of the bounds of love.
------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

Eric thinks about his life, something he usually avoids, because it has not always been an easy one. He wonders if a few moments of utter and total joy can be worth a lifetime of struggle.

Maybe, he thinks. Maybe, if they're the right moments.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I went into this book. The blurb is intriguing, and the book trailer even more so. I had some ideas, and I kind of like the idea of multiple stories intertwining into one larger one. I love movies that are like that (Love, Actually anyone?), so I figured a book could be fun, too! There were so many questions, too: what is this plant? How are all these stories related? Is this like reincarnation, or karma? No idea!

Now, after reading it...I'm still a little confused, and a whole lot puzzled, and I can't answer if someone were to ask me what to expect heading into this book.

Even weirder? I dont think that's really a bad thing.

Midwinterblood is captivating in a way I can't really pin down or explain why. The stories are simple and a bit ethereal. I really enjoyed the time period of each one, and I felt very much involved in the story while I was reading. As expected, there were some I enjoyed much more than others; and some I'm still a little puzzled by. But as a whole, they work really well together.

I also enjoyed getting to piece together the arching storyline, figuring out what the little details of a previous story really mean. It makes you really remember and consider all the stories, and there's a fantastic sense of "oh!" as everything falls into place. There are a few things I'm still a little unsure if they were resolved, and some of the things I think I put together could be entirely misguided - but that's kind of the fun of it. This story is given to us, and we get to make it make sense.

Even though there was a lot I liked about reading this, there's still something that's very...dull to me. I didn't really attach to any of the characters, or the love between Eric and Merle. Perhaps because it was shown in so many different ways that I couldn't really find something for me to really fall in love with myself. While I believed in the love that could transcend lifetimes and moons, I still wasn't really convinced of its power. The stories are nice, but nothing absolutely blew me away.

I'm also not entirely sure of the function of this dragon plant. I mean...ok, that was the wrong way to put it. I do get it - I just don't think it's as important as it's painted to be. I get how it influences the characters or scenes, but I actually don't think it to be a big part. This story could exist without it, in my opinion, and it bothered me that it was supposed to be the link between everything. I understand how it is, I just wasn't impressed with it. Truthfully, I didn't even figure out what it did/functions as until after I finished the entire book and thought about it more. I read it, I processed it, but it just slipped through for me.

Even though there are some elements that fell flat to me, I'm still glad to have witnessed Eric and Merle's story. Midwinterblood is a great book about the endurance of love and the many manifests it can take.

3.5 Stars / 5