Review: Let the Storm Break by Shannon Messenger (ARC)

Let the Storm Break (Sky Fall #2) by Shannon Messenger
Simon Teen, 400 pages
US Release Date: March 4, 2014
Format/Source: ARC via Around the World Tours - thank you!

Vane Weston is haunted. By the searing pull of his bond to Audra. By the lies he’s told to cover for her disappearance. By the treacherous winds that slip into his mind, trying to trap him in his worst nightmares. And as his enemies grow stronger, Vane doesn’t know how much longer he can last on his own.

But Audra’s still running. From her past. From the Gales. Even from Vane, who she doesn’t believe she deserves. And the farther she flees, the more danger she finds. She possesses the secret power her enemy craves, and protecting it might be more than she can handle—especially when she discovers Raiden’s newest weapon.

With the Gale Force weakened by recent attacks, and the power of four collapsing, Vane and Audra are forced to make a choice: keep trusting the failing winds, or turn to the people who’ve betrayed them before. But even if they survive the storms sent to destroy them, will they have anything left to hold on to?
-------------------------------Goodreads Summary

Notable Quote

"…I would rather die with the rest of the good than live on in the emptiness without it."

As I always write when reviewing some of these author’s works, I have an obligatory “disclaimer” type: I know Shannon Messenger in real life – I’ve gone to almost every one of her San Diego events, we share a set of friends, we’ve vaguely hung out after events. And I don’t mean this as an “I’m so awesome I know her I’m famous”, I mean it that I know Shannon’s tone and I’ve heard her read from her books. Whenever I read any of her novels, I hear it in her voice in my head.

That all said, I think this book would have been amazing and fun even if I didn’t know her. I’m always afraid that second books in series will just be kind of a boring bridge (I call it Book Two Syndrome), but this one was shockingly not at all! I felt like Let the Storm Break brought a lot more to the story line, and had a nice mix of teenage angst and action along with it. Let the Sky Fall definitely felt a little more of a romance to me, with the windwalking as a bit of a device—but Let the Storm Break really brought the story into itself.

I will have to say I don’t think the characters developed much more though. They’re pretty solid from book one, and they never waver much—which is fantastic since I like Audra and Vane as is. But they don’t surprise me much in this book, and they definitely follow the path we all think they will go on. One one hand, it would have been nice to get one or two more layers to these characters, but I enjoy them as they are, too.

The secondary characters that come in though more than made up for the missing development in the main ones. I adore Gus and everything he brought into the story. I liked Fang/Feng, even though…well. You know. Even the development of Audra’s mom and Raiden was pretty decent, though terrifying as well. There’s some seriously dark stuff in this book, man—some of the tortures and punishments could probably give me nightmares, if I thought about them too long.

Not to say this book is scary, not at all. Shannon does so well pulling humor into it, mixing with the negativity and humanity to make it this really fantastic mix. Vane’s signature sarcasm and teenage boyhood are there in full force, and it’s so much fun. I even liked him around Solana—whose story was sad and beautiful all at once. I feel for her, I really do.

Let the Storm Break is a great second book to the series—it brings in so much plot and action that I felt like it was just more and more intense as the pages went by. I’m eager to see where this goes, where the wind will take them and what it will say them. And with any luck, there will be plenty more Westerly-made haboobs.

4 Stars

Review: The Vow by Jessica Martinez (ARC)

The Vow by Jessica Martinez
Simon Pulse, 432 pages
US Release Date: October 15, 2013
Format/Source: ARC via Around the World Tours - thank you!
Challenges: Contemporary Challenge, SARC

No one has ever believed that Mo and Annie are just friends. How can a guy and a girl really be best friends?

Then the summer before senior year, Mo’s father loses his job, and by extension his work visa. Instantly, life for Annie and Mo crumbles. Although Mo has lived in America for most of his life, he’ll be forced to move to Jordan. The prospect of leaving his home is devastating, and returning to a world where he no longer belongs terrifies him.

Desperate to save him, Annie proposes they tell a colossal lie—that they are in love. Mo agrees because marrying Annie is the only way he can stay. Annie just wants to keep her best friend, but what happens when it becomes a choice between saving Mo and her own chance at real love?
-----------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

Unfair only exists if fair exists, and I’m too old to believe the universe owes me anything. 

How have I never read a book by Jessica Martinez before guys!? Virtuosity has been on my TBR forever, but I just never made it a priority. Well, after reading The Vow, I’m definitely bumping it a few notches higher on my list!

The Vow was such an interesting premise to me, especially to be tackled in YA. Even more once I realized it took place in Kentucky. The setting played such a huge part, and I was riveted to watching it all unfold and the glimpses we got through “townspeoples” eyes. It was few and far between, but I was drinking it all in every time it came up. While I’m not Jordanian like Mo, nor do I have to deal with terrorist links in my name, I am not white (you guys knew that, right?) and I have been teased before about my nationality and who I am. Racism and prejudice are topics that get a rise out of me (that should get a rise out of anyone!), and to see it here on the pages…I thought it was brave for Jessica Martinez to try this. I do think some parts could make waves in the world, but for the most part it’s tame and handled well.

The thing that struck me most about this story was Martinez’s writing; it’s just so smooth! I seriously felt like I was gliding through the pages, and I breezed through the 400+ pages like it was nothing. I loved how each chapter kind of lead into the next one, either by situation or similar words – it really did wonders in making the flow work. The voices of Mo and Annie are so distinct and fun, and they really fit well together while remaining completely their own. And as I always say, I love me some dual narratives!

I can’t quite call this story predictable, but the way it works out…I mean, I feel like there was just no other way for it! I wanted so badly for it to go one way, but then something else would happen or be revealed, and suddenly my heart would just break and want to go into another direction…I was so invested in their plight. It’s been awhile since a book made me cry, but this one definitely got me close to it. You feel how much Mo and Annie love each other, how their friendship really transcends situations. When I first read the summary and realized what they were going to do to keep Mo here, I was kind of like “well that’s pretty extreme…” But when you get to know them, you get it. You so get it.

Something that almost made me cry? How awful Mo and Annie’s families are! They’re so horrible! And in completely different ways! And the part that makes me so much more sad? I know these parents are so common in the real world, and it kills me to know that. I’ve never felt more grateful for my parents while reading a book, I tell you – because Mo’s father makes me want to punch walls until he understands his son, and Annie’s parents need to open their eyes to the colors of the world.

The Vow is one of those books I went into expecting to like it, and left it so unexpectedly loving. I’ve fallen for the author’s writing style, in the friendship that’s so strong it will never break. I felt every emotion with them as they struggled to fight circumstances outside their control and grow up at the same time. There’s so much to this novel that every page I felt like I learned something new, and only loved it more.

4 stars

Review: Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick & Suzanne Young (ARC)

Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick & Suzanne Young
Simon Pulse, 304 pages
Expected US Release Date: August 27, 2013
Format/Source: ARC via Around the World Tours - thank you!
Challenges: SARC 2013

Caroline is at a crossroads. Her grandmother is sick, maybe dying. Like the rest of her family, Caroline's been at Gram's bedside since her stroke. With the pressure building, all Caroline wants to do is escape--both her family and the reality of Gram's failing health. So when Caroline's best friend offers to take her to a party one fateful Friday night, she must choose: stay by Gram's side, or go to the party and live her life.

The consequence of this one decision will split Caroline's fate into two separate paths--and she's about to live them both.

Friendships are tested and family drama hits an all-new high as Caroline attempts to rebuild old relationships, and even make a few new ones. If she stays, her longtime crush, Joel, might finally notice her, but if she goes, Chris, the charming college boy, might prove to be everything she's ever wanted.

Though there are two distinct ways for her fate to unfold, there is only one happy ending...
------------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

"...I can love you and be pissed at the same time. They're not mutually exclusive." 

Right before I started reading Just Like Fate, a friend told me she heard a lot of people saying this was their favourite book of the year. The pressure! Would I like it? Now I was expecting to love it, do you know how often that ruins great books for me?!

Well, ruining be damned because I understand completely how Just Like Fate could be at the top of many lists. It may not be at the top of mine, but it's definitely up there. It is everything I love, with just a little twist: contemporary, fate, destinies, dual narratives (kinda), swoon-worthy boys, drama and heartache, with some snippy, witty lines that made me laugh.

I have to first address that the writing in this was stellar - if I didn't already know it was two people writing this book, I never would have guessed it. At no point at all did I think the voices changed, there weren't any places where I felt the flow was broken or that something didn't match. Cat and Suzanne must have worked flawlessly together, because that's what the writing was.

Just Like Fate reminded me a lot of Pivot Point (sans the science fiction element, of course) (read my review here!), simply because it's the choice regarding family that effects the two outcomes. And I like how the choice really was a big one, with major changes. At the same time, Just Like Fate also reminded me a lot of Relativity by Cristina Bishara (my review will be posted in a few weeks, but you can read it here if you'd like) in that it's also about how one tiny change can alter a lifetime; and how some things are just destined to come true, regardless how we get there. Which is a point I love, because that's my own personal belief: I truly believe there are situations and/or people that we are individually meant to go through or know.

I know I just compared Just Like Fate to a lot of different books; that's not to say this book isn't unique on it's own or can stand alone - because it definitely can! Like I said, it's a lot of things we've seen before, a lot of my beloved elements...but all with a twist. I love that it's still a contemporary novel, even though we're living out two lives. I love that it's the style of dual narratives, even though it's more like two narrations. There are subtle changes that take you by surprise, and big huge ones that knock you off your feet. I absolutely loved the characters, even though I found a few of them to be pretty predictable.  I especially liked how the end is entirely ambiguous and yet completely definitive at the same time -- that is skill and cleverness all wrapped into one!

Something I also loved is how much is handled in this book. So much family drama, friendships gone strained, relationships gone super-steamy and/or super-wrong, even Caroline's own journey of mourning and running and bad habits. It seems like a lot, but it all works together so seamlessly you really grow attached to everyone and everything. 

And last, but definitely not least...Chris. One of the boys Caroline could end up with. Oh, my heart. I loved him in both situations, and I love that he's a little bit different in both but at the core the very same adorable boy with a soulful strum in his guitar and a nice arrogant humor that mixes so well with his admiration for Caroline. I love him, and I want him. Just like how much I love this book and want you to like it as well -- except for Chris, because he's mine.

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

Shanon Review: The First Part Last by Angela Johnson

The First Part Last by Angela Johnson
Simon Pulse, Hardcover: 144 Pages
US Release Date: June 1, 2003

Bobby is your classic urban teenaged boy -- impulsive, eager, restless. On his sixteenth birthday he gets some news from his girlfriend, Nia, that changes his life forever. She's pregnant. Bobby's going to be a father. Suddenly things like school and house parties and hanging with friends no longer seem important as they're replaced by visits to Nia's obstetrician and a social worker who says that the only way for Nia and Bobby to lead a normal life is to put their baby up for adoption.

With powerful language and keen insight, Johnson looks at the male side of teen pregnancy as she delves into one young man's struggle to figure out what "the right thing" is and then to do it. No matter what the cost.
--------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

I've been thinking about it. Everything. And when Feather opens her eyes and looks up at me, I already know there's change. But I figure if the world were really right, humans would live life backward and do the first part last. They'd be all knowing in the beginning and innocent in the end.

This book can change your life in the quietest of ways, if you let it. We meet Bobby and within a few paragraphs learn two things: he's very young, and he's a father. He's just barely sixteen when his girlfriend Nia lets him know, via a red balloon, that they are going to be parents. From there, the journey escalates into unusual territory for this subject. As a general trend when dealing with teen pregnancy, we experience it from the mother's point of view. I truly enjoyed the novelty of seeing it from a young man's perspective. As a woman, I appreciated very much that Bobby wasn't addicted to drugs, homeless or abusive. He's presented as a young man who made a decision that came with a very adult consequence.

As a reader, I just found myself involved. Johnson's writing is spare, much like my own journals at that age, which lends such reality to a book that could just be a story of someone else. But it was too easy to imagine myself at that age: hormones raging, a drop of common sense and basically dumb like rocks when it came to love, lust, commitment and change.

But sweet Bobby...he means to do so well by his little girl, Feather. (side note: Love or Hate the name?) His mother has made it clear that his world has changed, that parenthood is an irreversible threshold into the universe no longer revolving around him. He's raising a little girl on his own while still attempting to go to school, have his friends and learn to be a man.

The story is framed in mini chapters flashing between Now and Then. I wasn't sure I'd appreciate that in the beginning; plots can develop manholes the size of Montana when the times flicker back and forth. That's where Angela Johnson's pure genius shines through because the major lesson Bobby, Nia, their parents and friends learn is that life has just been split into two categories: before and after.

The First Part Last, though not lengthy at only 83 pages, is definitely a book to share. It's a bit of a cautionary tale without heaping judgment on the characters. Johnson shows what it means to have your world changed and I think it's something we should all experience at least once.

4 Stars / 5

Review: Being Friends With Boys by Terra Elan McVoy

Being Friends With Boys by Terra Elan McVoy
Simon Pulse, 361 Pages
US Release Date: May 1, 2012
Challenges: Local Library Challenge, YA Contemporary Challenge, Completely Contemporary Challenge

Charlotte and Oliver have been friends forever. She knows that he, Abe, and Trip consider her to be one of the guys, and she likes it that way. She likes being the friend who keeps them all together. Likes offering a girl's perspective on their love lives. Likes being the behind-the-scenes wordsmith who writes all the lyrics for the boys' band. Char has a house full of stepsisters and a past full of backstabbing (female) ex-best friends, so for her, being friends with boys is refreshingly drama-free...until it isn't any more.

When a new boy enters the scene and makes Char feel like, well, a total girl...and two of her other friends have a falling out that may or may not be related to one of them deciding he possibly wants to be more than friends with Char...being friends with all these boys suddenly becomes a lot more complicated.
--------------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

Even your misery was compelling.

No matter how hard I try to get out of the contemporary world of YA literature, I can’t deny that it’s the place I feel most at home in. Every time I read a contemp after a string of Dystopian/Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Thriller/whatever, I just get that overwhelming sense of “yes. This is where I belong.”

Being Friends With Boys reinforces that feeling of belonging. Perfectly.

I’ve never read any of Terra’s books before but I can assure you that after this, I definitely will check out her others! Her writing is so genuine and quietly strong, she really knows how to build characters that could walk past me on the street any second. The voices of each character are distinct, and each personality is crystal clear.

Initially, I wanted to read this book because it sounded similar to my own life. I do have girl friends, but growing up, I was definitely ‘one of the guys.’ I hung out with my brother and all his friends (still do) and always had a ton of guy friends. The dynamic is just different, you know? I don’t mean anything bad towards female friends, I love my girls and would be lost without their friendship and willingness to dissect every little glance and touch and not-saying-but-he-said-it-with-his-eyes moment. But guys are different, and sometimes it’s nice to enter into their world.

Being Friends With Boys is pretty spot on regarding how girls are friends with guys. How usually it’s drama free and easier, but one tiny little change and it will make it a mass of complications. My life is nothing like Charlotte's, and none of my guy friends are like the boys in this novel; but I felt like I was seeing my own relationships with guys on the pages. How some just have that deep, underlying understanding that can’t be questioned. How some are so comfortable and close you sometimes have to look away because you see him too clearly. How some are just innately complicated. How some start as more, and then get fuzzy with where it goes. How some friendships are just friendships. How some are better left at friendship. All of those were found in this novel, just as I’ve found them in my own life, and I loved every minute of it.

Also, all these boys? I've never been so in love, so mad, and so emotional towards so many characters at once! I felt just as invested as Charlotte, like it was me going through the fights or listening to music or hashing out songs and lyrics or having his arm slung around my shoulders. It definitely got a bit difficult to track at times, and the opening pages had so many different boy names in them I had to reread it just to figure out the relationships. But each boy is so unique and fun in their own way, making me all angsty towards them. While I had a suspicion from the very beginning how it would all play out, I was kept guessing the finer details until almost the end.

I was pleasantly surprised at the family aspect, too. While not a large part of the novel, I enjoyed that it's a functional, solid family unit of a blended family. So many books portray step-families as evil or misunderstood or terrible, and this was entirely refreshing to see it working. Giving sisters to Charlotte was also a brilliant way to counteract all the boys in her life, and my heart crumbled a bit when Jilly left to go back to college after Thanksgiving Break.

Charlotte is also a really strong character, and I appreciate that Terra let her be an independent girl among all these guys. She wasn't clingy or fussy or slutty or trampy towards them; she just was. She knew who she was; she just wasn't sure who she was with each of the guys. She's pretty fierce all on her own, with the perfect amount of teen indecision and doubt mixed in. With the exception of grades (I can't stand the idea of missing an assignment!), I'm fairly certain I could be Charlotte. Or at least, I hope!

Being Friends With Boys is the perfect contemporary YA novel, with tons of lovable characters, a great story, and fun little twists and surprises. If you want to fall in love and find some great friendships, pick this one up.

4.5 Stars

Review: The Story of Us by Deb Caletti

The Story of Us by Deb Caletti
Simon Pulse, 390 pages
US Release Date: April 24, 2012
Challenges: Local Library Challenge

Cricket’s on a self-imposed break from her longtime boyfriend—but she’s picked a bad week to sort out her love life. For one thing, her mother’s romance is taking center stage: After jilting two previous fiancés, her mom is finally marrying Dan Jax, whom Cricket loves. But as wedding attendees arrive for a week of festivities at a guesthouse whose hippie owners have a sweet, sexy son—Ash—complications arise:

Cricket’s future stepsisters make it clear they’re not happy about the marriage. An old friend decides this is the week to declare his love for Cricket. Grandpa chooses to reveal a big secret at a family gathering. Dan’s ex-wife shows up. And even the dogs—Cricket’s old, ill Jupiter and Dan’s young, lively Cruiser—seem to be declaring war.

While Cricket fears that Dan is in danger of becoming ditched husband-to-be number three, she’s also alarmed by her own desires. Because even though her boyfriend looms large in her mind, Ash is right in front of her....
-------------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

Stories are what you have when the place is gone and the dried-up roses have crumbled and the ring is lost and that old car is finally junked. Stories are where the meaning ends up.

This is definitely another one of those books I wished I had when I was graduating high school or college (see also: The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour, It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini, An Off Year by Claire Zulkey) - it would have helped me SO much at the time, and probably would have made me feel better, like I wasn't alone with all my feelings.

The book follows Cricket through the week leading up to her mother's marriage, which creates complete chaos as all the family comes together and Cricket tries to figure out her future, where she stands with her long-time boyfriend, and how to cope with all the change that is going on in her life. It's a sweet story, filled with equal parts sarcasm, fun, funny and meaningful.

My favourite element of the story was the emphasis on family, and how much it can mean. Even when a family is divorced or going through tough times, there was still that love and caring there. The dynamic between Cricket, her mother and her brother, Ben, was so sweet and lovable - I absolutely adored any of their interactions. It definitely reminded me of my family: I'm incredibly close with my brother and parents, and I loved seeing this reflected in a book. Often in YA, it's a broken family -- and while Cricket's isn't perfect, the relationships are solidly there.

I think I was expecting more romance in the book - I mean, the title, the synopsis, everything we know about it points to that, right? I'm not entirely disappointed that it wasn't as big as I thought it would be, but it was definitely surprising. The little romance that was there is sweet and funny, and I was hanging onto Cricket's words trying to figure out just what it was that she had done to Janssen and what would happen. I admit the "big reveal" seemed anticlimactic, but it actually fit the story really, really well. Being left in the dark for most of the novel about what she'd done makes for an interesting read, in that I just wasn't sure how to feel about her and Janssen, or her with Ash, or all the issues she was going through. I mean, how could I judge it when I don't quite know what I'm judging? I'm on the fence if that was brilliant or not, because I definitely kept reading to find out.

I've heard that a lot of people found the characters to be one dimensional - and sure, a few seemed to be. But the main characters, the big ones that mattered, were fine. I really loved Cricket, because I felt like she's a past version of myself when I was going through that weird time of just graduated and trying to figure out what the hell I was going to do with my life. That period of "New Adult" is a truly terrifying time, and Cricket captured it really well. I laughed at all the imagined disaster scenarios, because that's definitely how I used to be at that time. I was also amazed at how fully I felt like I knew Janssen, and he's not even really in the novel! He's just outside of it, the recipient to her letters and part of the memories she reveals. But through her letters and recounting their story, I felt like he was just as real as the ones that were staying in the beach house with them.

I'm also in love with Cricket's brother, Ben. He was so sweet and funny and such a perfect Boy character. He was a wonderful older brother, and I kind of wish I knew him in real life. Definitely a "good guy." (I guess you have to have read it to get that.)

And there's no way I could write a review of this without mentioning Jupiter, their dog. I was surprised at how infused dogs were in the story, and I do think that it could be a turn off to some readers. Five years ago, I wouldn't have gotten any of the dog love in the story: I never had a pet growing up, none of my friends did, and I didn't understand what it meant to have a pet. But one of my past jobs had dogs in the office, and I learned to love them and how they really become such a part of your life. I haven't worked at that office in 6 months and I still miss the dogs every day! So because I went through that, I understand all that Jupiter meant to the family and loved it that much more. She was such a fun personality to have around, and leant an awesome and unique structure to the story.

I felt like this book had a bit of everything in it: family, the pondering of future, relationships, friendships, divorced parents, struggling relationships, pets, possible new relationships, step-siblings, miscommunications and misunderstandings, reconciliation and moving on. While sometimes that did feel like the sheer quantity may have detracted from the quality of each element, I think it was still done well and comes together as a solid, wonderful contemporary novel.

The Story of Us is a great read for those who remember (or are going through) that awkward period of change in life. When the leaving and the going meld together into that chaotic mess of how it will all work out. When the relationship seems to be on the cusp of Something Big. When the past has to reconcile all the Could Bes of the future. While it's not the fastest moving novel (though the wedding scene had me cracking up with all the action!), the meaning and wisdom make it more than worth it.

4.5 Stars / 5

Review: Dead To You by Lisa McMann

Dead To You by Lisa McMann
Simon Pulse, 243 Pages
US Release Date: February 7, 2012
Challenges: Local Library Challenge

Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family. It's a miracle... at first. Then the tensions start to build. His reintroduction to his old life isn't going smoothly, and his family is tearing apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he'd be able to put the pieces back together. But there's something that's keeping his memory blocked. Something unspeakable...
----------------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

I watch Cami talk to my mother and father and I can hear that laugh. It's like a cat bell, so pretty yet alarming, because I know I'm letting myself fall when maybe I should fly away. But that loneliness inside, it's so fucking painful. It's that longing feeling that scratches to escape and makes you want to blurt out all kinds of gushy crap just to get the girl to look at you[...]I hate it. Love its melty-ness and hate its leash around my neck.

***SPOILERS IN THIS SECTION.  SKIP AHEAD TO AFTER THE OBNOXIOUS CAPS FOR THE NON-SPOILERY PART. You've been warned!

OH MY GOD. WHAT JUST HAPPENED. I swear to you, if there isn't a Dead To You #2 somewhere on the horizon, Lisa McMann is going to get a very frustrated letter! I'm absolutely dying to know what is going to happen with Ethan (or "Ethan" as the case may be) and how the DeWilde's are going to handle it and what about Cami?!

Oh my god oh my GOD.

*****END SPOILERS. Read below for the non-spoilery review!

I was a little weary when I saw this book on the shelves because I've read the Wake trilogy (read my reviews of Fade and Gone!), and I was sort of lukewarm about them - they were good and I am still enamored at the idea, but somehow they lacked. However, when I read the book jacket of Dead To You, I was immediately blown away again by the plot line: an abducted child returns to his family and has to readjust? You never heard that side of the story in the news. It's a blessing and a miracle when abducted children are found, but no one really thinks much about what happens after.  And for a child to come back after 9 years? Oh man.

And I have to say, Lisa McMann really delivered with this book. It was thrilling and suspenseful and a bit heartbreaking. I was really torn during the entire second half, wondering about Blake and his opinion and if there was truth to it...I mean, you can't dedicate 100+ pages to a thought and just have it shot down by a "you're taking this too far, go to your room," you know?  Everything is crafted so well, the reader is so hopeful for Ethan's readjustment...but at the same time, that little nagging doubt is there at the back of your head too, where you know something is up.

Gracie and Ethan's interactions with her really won me over.  And I'll be honest here: I'm not a fan of children. I'm terrible with them, I don't know how to approach them or talk to them and I have about zero mothering instinct in real life -- so to have a child be the highlight? That's huge. Their relationship was done so well with such little moments of real connection and love that it was just...so much fun to read.

I also have to mention Lisa McMann's writing style: it's perfect for the subject matter in her books. It's clipped, no frills, and carries such a distinct tone and voice that it completely sucks you in. I get so caught up in what's going on in the book I'll completely lose track of everything around me.

Dead To You is an engaging, thrilling read that keeps you at the edge of your seat, wondering what's happening and what will happen that you just can't flip pages fast enough.

4.5 Stars / 5

*added to my Birthday Giveaway!

Review: Gone by Lisa McMann

Gone (Dream Catcher #3) by Lisa McMann
Simon Pulse, 214 Pages
Released: February 9, 2010
Challenge: Library Challenge

Life should be great for Janie—she has graduated from high school and is spending her summer with Cabel, the guy she’s totally in love with. But deep down she’s panicking about how she’s going to survive her future: Getting sucked into other people’s dreams is really starting to take its toll. Things get even more complicated when she meets her father for the very first time—and he’s in a coma. As Janie uncovers his secret past, she begins to realize that the choice she thought she had has more dire consequences than she ever imagined
-----------------Amazon Summary

Notable Quote

Because with the right person, sometimes kissing feels like healing.

I don't know about you, but when I pick up the last book in a series, my heart usually sinks. I put it off for awhile, I make excuses, I try to read as slowly as possible so it won't end. When series end, my heart dies a little.

Normally.

The thing about Gone is that I powered through it like crazy. I didn't read it as soon as I got it, but the moment I picked it up, I put it down an hour later, thinking about the last line and how the series ended.  And I didn't feel that normal pang of loss, or get sucked into that Reader's Depression - partially because I never really connected with Janie or with the novel(s).  They were interesting and I loved the concept of getting caught in dreams, but Janie is so unlike me that it was never something I got.

It could be because of the style of writing, too. Such short, choppy bursts. Sometimes connected, other times not.  And this isn't a bad thing at all - in fact, I loved the style of this series. I think it fit the mood perfectly.

But anyhow. I liked this book, much better than I did Fade (see my review of Book #2 here!). One of the questions I'd had lingering throughout the series was Janie's family, and I'm glad this last book centered on it and how she would deal with her ability in relation to her mom (and now, her dad).

Nothing about the book surprised me, really, and I fully understood the opposing lives Janie was trying to choose between almost from the get-go. Probably the most emotion I felt was regarding her choice with Cabel, because...I didn't like what she initially decided on. I just felt like he was getting shafted, you know?

But still, it's an interesting read and an incredibly satisfying, if not fairly predictable, end to a fantastically original series.

3.5 Stars / 5

Review: Fade by Lisa McMann

Fade (Dream Catcher, Book 2) by Lisa McMann
Simon Pulse, 248 Pages
Released February 10, 2009

For Janie and Cabel, real life is getting tougher than the dreams. They're just trying to carve out a little (secret) time together, but no such luck.

Disturbing things are happening at Fieldridge High, yet nobody's talking. When Janie taps into a classmate's violent nightmares, the case finally breaks open -- but nothing goes as planned. Not even close. Janie's in way over her head, and Cabe's shocking behavior has grave consequences for them both.

Worse yet, Janie learns the truth about herself and her ability -- and it's bleak. Seriously, brutally bleak. Not only is her fate as a dream catcher sealed, but what's to come is way darker than she'd feared....
---------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

"Endless speculation only leads to dead ends."

This entire series is incredibly fascinating to me. It's so original and something that I would never in a million years think to conceive. When I read Wake (Book 1), I was riveted. It was such a novel idea and seeing Janie work through controlling her ability alongside this newfound relationship with Cabel - a boy with just as much darkness as Janie - was interesting. I remember speeding through it.

Unfortunately, Fade didn't have that same effect. It was still good, and I'm still curious about the entire situation and what will happen in Book 3. I was grateful for the introduction of Miss Stubin to explain a bit more about this ability. I thought the case Janie took on was creepy and perfect for what she could do, and I'm still intrigued (and, admittedly, smitten) with Cabel.

But the entire book seemed kind of...forced. I didn't find the case at Fieldridge High believable - it seemed halted, a bit jumbled, and then resolved so quickly it was almost like it was just another day. Cabel pulling away when it got real was typical and expected. Janie's shutting down when he went away was typical and expected. Yes, it fits with their character types (alone, used to looking out for self, lost after they get their first taste of love/caring), but I had hopes they would be stronger than that.  The scandal and culprits were also predictable to me.

I do still want to see how Janie and Cabel will figure out their life together and if her life will follow the downward spiral of Dream Catchers before her. I'm hoping Fade just succumbed to the curse of Book 2s in a trilogy, that its function is more of the informative bridge to an explosive ending.

3.5 Stars / 5