Review: The Break-Up Artist by Philip Siegal (ARC)

The Break-Up Artist by Philip Siegal
Harlequin Teen, 319 pages
US Release Date: April 29, 2014
Format/Source: ARC via Around the World Tours - thank you!

Some sixteen-year-olds babysit for extra cash.

Some work at the mall.

Becca Williamson breaks up couples.

Becca knows from experience the damage that love can do. After all, it was so-called love that turned Huxley from her childhood best friend into a social-world dictator, and love that left Becca's older sister devastated at the altar. Instead of sitting on the sidelines, Becca strikes back—for just one hundred dollars via PayPal, she will trick and manipulate any couple's relationship into smithereens. And with relationship zombies overrunning her school and treating single girls as if they're second-class citizens, business is unfortunately booming. Even Becca's best friend, Val, has resorted to outright lies to snag a boyfriend.

One night, Becca receives a mysterious offer to break up the most popular couple in school: Huxley and raw football team's star player, Steve. To succeed, she'll have to plan her most elaborate scheme to date—starting rumors, sabotaging cell phones, breaking into cars...not to mention sneaking back into Huxley's good graces. All while fending off the inappropriate feelings she may or may not be having for Val's new boyfriend.

No one said being the Break-Up Artist would be easy.
-----------Goodreads Summary

Notable Quote

Why do my classmates believe that saying those three words automatically protects a couple? They’re not relationship insurance.

I’m having a hard time writing this review because I’m so “meh” towards the book. There were parts I liked, some I really liked…and there were parts I didn’t like, and definitely parts I really DIDN’T like. Everything kind of cancels out, so I’m left with just a neutral feeling towards it.

I like the concept of The Break Up Artist. I feel like it’s been done a few times, but there are certain elements that still make it feel unique. I like that it’s one person as the Artist, that she’s working alone (mostly), that she hides it from everyone. I like that Becca has a reason to believe something, I like that she has to work through some things.

I did not like how extreme some of the situations were. I definitely called Becca’s sister and her and a few others “bitter old hags” in my head more than once. I may have even said it out loud at one point.  I felt like I had to suspend my reality, kind of forget a lot of the things I’ve learned about humans and humanity and think people really were as dense as they were coming across in the book.

I liked Val and the friendship she had with Becca. I thought the idea behind this book, that those in relationships treat singletons differently was a pretty good one, if not a bit exaggerated. I’ve been single all my life (only recently have I been realizing that perhaps some of it has been by choice) and I have my fair few memories when people treated me differently for it. People who thought I was sad or pathetic for not having someone, people who thought I must be lonely or excluded me because I wasn’t paired off. Some of that is real, and I appreciated it in this book. Especially when it came to Val and her boyfriend and how that friendship slowly changed.

Becca’s school is definitely the exaggeration. I appreciated the attempt to justify it with the boy-to-girl ratio, but I won’t buy it. I found Steve and Huxley’s relationship cute and sweet, but also a tad unrealistic. Most of the ones in here are slightly so.

I most certainly did not like Diane, nor did I like Val’s boyfriend. I liked that Diana gave a reason to Becca to do a lot of the shenanigans she partook (is that a word?) in, but Diane was just…ugh. I want her to grow up and get a grip. Yes, of course, have a mourning period, but don’t take it out on friends and just…UGH. Horrible. And I’m not talking about Val’s boyfriend—not just because it would spoil some things. He’s a cliché, he was easy to read as what he would turn into, and I was not impressed.

Ultimately, what saved this story for me were the friendships. I liked the nerd boys at Becca’s table, I liked Val and Becca when there wasn’t a guy standing around them, I liked Becca’s relationship and friendship with her sister. I even liked Huxley (probably best of all the characters). When she wasn’t spouting some crap about needing a boyfriend, she actually made a lot of sense and felt the most rounded of everyone.

The Break Up Artist was definitely hit-or-miss with me, and so much so that I just can’t seem to make up my mind what it is. For every part I hated, there was a part I liked.  If it sounds like something that intrigues you, give it a whirl.

3 stars

Review: 16 Things I Thought Were True by Janet Gurtler (eARC)

16 Things I Thought Were True by Janet Gurtler
Sourcebooks Fire, 304 pages
Expected US Release Date: March 4, 2014
Format/Source: eARC via NetGalley - thank you!

Heart attacks happen to other people #thingsIthoughtweretrue

When Morgan's mom gets sick, it's hard not to panic. Without her mother, she would have no one—until she finds out the dad who walked out on her as a baby isn't as far away as she thought...

Adam is a stuck-up, uptight jerk #thingsIthoughtweretrue

Now that they have a summer job together, Morgan's getting to know the real Adam, and he's actually pretty sweet...in a nerdy-hot kind of way. He even offers to go with her to find her dad. Road trip, anyone?

5000 Twitter followers are all the friends I need #thingsIthoughtweretrue

With Adam in the back seat, a hyper chatterbox named Amy behind the wheel, and plenty of Cheetos to fuel their trip, Morgan feels ready for anything. She's not expecting a flat tire, a missed ferry, a fake girlfriend...and that these two people she barely knew before the summer started will become the people she can't imagine living without.
-------------------------Goodreads Summary

Notable Quote

But remember, if the world didn't suck, we'd all fall off it.

I’ve only read one other Janet Gurtler book (review of How I Lost You here!), but I knew even then that she was a force in YA lit. She can tackle so many things, so many emotions with a bravely and raw real approach…reading her books always makes my heart constrict somehow. And 16 Things I Thought Were True was no exception.

First and foremost, I freakin’ love Amy. She comes barging into the book at nonstop and it just takes off from there. She is the perfect supporting character, the perfect new friend, the perfect secondary character that adds and takes away and enhances all the points you want. She has her own personality (does she ever!), and even though she really is loud and candid, she never overtakes Morgan.

I was kind of surprised how much I liked 16 Things I Thought Were True  I don’t really have any first hand knowledge of most of what happens in this book (thank goodness!), but there’s a great amount of emotion that you can relate to. I don’t know what it’s like to have a mother with a heart problem, but I know what it’s like to be scared for her health. While I am thankfully an outsider to the problems, I can feel it all pretty well.

At the same time, what happens…ok. I get it. I don’t want it to have not happened, but I felt like it was a lot to throw into a book so late in the game. There are so many problems and elements of YA novels tossed into this one, I felt a little bit rushed and crammed. Dying mom, absent mom, work drama, viral video, road trip, new love, cancer, lies, tweets, follower goals, ex-best friends…if you can think it, it’s probably somewhere in here. And there were definite moments where the plot was moving fast—almost too fast. Like, 3 sentences would span an entire gammet of emotions. Sometimes I just needed a moment to absorb what was happening.

However, I freakin’ loved so much of all that happens that I was kind of willing to look past it. The road trip was so much fun, and even though quick, it was a fantastically funny and real way to get to know Adam and Amy along with Morgan. I liked the twist with the father and that entire struggle—it was different and not what I expected.

And of course, I have to talk about Adam…I’m not too crazy about him, but he did seem to be pretty real. He wasn’t an immediate Prince Charming, he was kind of a dick for a lot of his parts…but that was kind of appealing. He meshed well with Morgan and the overall tone of the book (I swear I did not mean to call this entire book a dick haha)—it was a good complement to the vibe of the novel, is all. He’s normal, and that in itself is pretty refreshing.

16 Things I Thought Were True tackles a ton of issues (sometimes too many), but so much of it was fun and interesting that I sped through the novel and fell in love a hundred times. I wish to all the bits I have I could be friends with Amy in real life—and while I think the rest of the novel deserves to be read, she is the real reason I will push someone to read this book.

PS. Make sure to check out my blog tour post that features 2 things Janet Gurtler thought were true!

4 Stars

Review: How to Love by Katie Cotugno (ARC)

How To Love by Katie Cotugno
Balzar + Bray (a HarperTeen imprint), 389 pages
US Release Date: October 1, 2013
Format/Source: ARC, via Around the World Tours - thank you!
Challenge: SARC 2013, Contemporary Challenge

Before: Reena Montero has loved Sawyer LeGrande for as long as she can remember: as natural as breathing, as endless as time. But he’s never seemed to notice that Reena even exists…until one day, impossibly, he does. Reena and Sawyer fall in messy, complicated love. But then Sawyer disappears from their humid Florida town without a word, leaving a devastated—and pregnant—Reena behind.

After: Almost three years have passed, and there’s a new love in Reena’s life: her daughter, Hannah. Reena’s gotten used to being without Sawyer, and she’s finally getting the hang of this strange, unexpected life. But just as swiftly and suddenly as he disappeared, Sawyer turns up again. Reena doesn’t want anything to do with him, though she’d be lying if she said Sawyer’s being back wasn’t stirring something in her. After everything that’s happened, can Reena really let herself love Sawyer LeGrande again?

In this breathtaking debut, Katie Cotugno weaves together the story of one couple falling in love—twice.
------------------------------goodreads summary

Notable Quote

…both of us watching Sawyer just like we used to, back when watching Sawyer never felt like something that hurt.

How To Love was one of my most anticipated reads this year, because the moment I heard about it I swear was the moment I started hearing how brilliant it was. And when you read the synopsis, you know it’s one of those books that could break you and make you love harder.

I think what made this book such a fantastic one was the writing. And not that it’s lyrical or beautiful – it is, though I’ve read a few authors who can wrap words a bit better. But there’s a certain realness to all of Katie’s writing. The details she includes are touching and tender in really subtle ways that you don’t even realize are wrapping the story right around your heart. There’s a singular line on one of the pages a little over halfway in that just struck me breathless (“So many fathers and daughters.”) because of its profound simplicity. Five words, five shatteringly simple words – but in their context, there’s a weight and a meaning and a clarity in them to just speak to your soul.

The other thing that rocketed this to the top of my favourites list is the exploration of all kinds of love. Not just the gooey, heart-swelling kind, or the complex, heart-being-squeezed-to-death way. That’s there, but so is the messy kind, the complicated kind, the love that you’re not certain is really love, and the love that you know is love even though it in no way resembles it. There’s friendship love, family love, respect love, tough love, shrouded love…it’s all here, in so may facets, and it’s all wonderful.

The general plot of this book is enough to impact anyone’s heart too, even if it didn’t have the little parts that shatter you. When you first read about it, and then start finding out how everything came to be…it’s gripping and dramatic and a roller coaster of everything you love to hate and hate to love. You can’t help falling for Sawyer even though you know from the beginning he left her; and you can’t help loving Aaron even though you know Renna’s love for Sawyer can’t possibly have gone away.

The family is what broke my heart. I love the element of family in YA books, and this is no exception to those who do it fantastically. There’s such a variation in relationships, from strained ones to supportive ones, from far to close, from the ones you know mean well versus the ones who don’t deserve anything. I could feel Soledad’s watchful eye and her supportive pat on the shoulder just as much as the coldness and judgment of Reena’s father.

I’m not certain I anticipated how sad this book would be, how many tragedies of all kinds of sizes there would be. There are the obvious ones that we can guess, and then some surprise huge ones that are enough to make you gasp…and then there are smaller ones, the innocuous ones that you breeze by and then stop a few seconds later as you try to process what exactly it means, how it will affect everything else.

I feel like I’m painting this book like it’s a sob-fest downer, but I don’t mean to. I actually never did cry. I felt every single emotion I think I could possibly have the capacity for, sure, but no tears. And that includes all the happy ones too – the ones of a budding romance you’re so certain is right, the loyalty of friends and that push into a direction you know is right.

How To Love is a book worthy of it’s title, of all the meanings and nuances love can mean. The highs, lows, and dips in between are all here, and I don’t think there’s a better story to take us along for the ride.

5 stars

and so many more, with so much love

Review: The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle

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

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

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

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

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

Notable Quote

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2.5 Stars

Review: Wait For You by J. Lynn (ARC)

Wait For You by J. Lynn (Jennifer L. Armentrout)
Harper Collins, 336 pages
Expected US Release Date: September 3, 2013
Format/Source: ARC, via Around the World Tours - thank you!
Challenges: SARC 2013, New Adult Challenge

Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she’s has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for…
-------------------------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

Two bright spots appeared in her cheeks as she tossed her blonde hair back. “What? I’m not asahamed to admit that random things remind me of Harry Potter.”

“That guy over there reminds me of Snape,” Cam said, jerking his chin to the table behind us. “So I understand.”

I’ve never read any books by Jennifer L. Armentrout (or J. Lynn, as she’s writing a few now), but I’ve certainly heard about them. The words “hot”, “sexy”,  and “HOT!” are usually in there. So now that I’ve read something by her?

Damn, yo. That girl can write some hot, sexy pages. Woo! *fans self*

Truth be told, I’m not entirely blown away, but I can damn sure appreciate what that woman can do with words. Her narrative somehow makes it sweet and sexy all at once, where I want to cuddle with the words as much as I want to rip Cam’s clothing off.  This is very much a New Adult, and a new adult novel done quite well.

The part that I’m not blown away with though is the story itself – it’s pretty typical. I know what’s going to happen. Just reading the summary will pretty much tell you all there is to know, and it never surprises you from there. Sometimes that’s good – and this novel does the typical well! – but it’s also a little…meh. Sometimes I’d like just a line or something that makes me go “Oh, didn’t see that coming!” Unfortunately, that never happened with Wait For You.

Doesn’t mean I didn’t love reading it though. I don’t really like Avery much – and it’s not that I dislike her, I just don’t like her. Neutrality. She’s fine, but I didn’t find her particularly special or appealing. Everything about her does make sense though, and that I appreciate – she’s gone through a lot of traumas, and her parents SUCK MAJOR ASS (that’s the nicest I could really put it), and I really appreciate that her character personality follows through with her story.

My neutrality about Avery is deeeeefinitely leveled out by my love for Cameron Hamilton though – oh MAN. Sure, he’s perhaps just a little too perfect (even his backstory is just a little too perfect), but he’s just perfect so WELL. He’s cute and funny and charming and sensual and if there ever existed a man like him, I think the women of the world would die of swoonage. Can he please just pop out of thin air and call me sweetheart? Just once. That’s really all I ask.

For being a 500 page book**, I read it shockingly fast – sure that could have to do with the typeset and the spacing being large enough for my grandma to read it without glasses, but still – it’s a quick read that makes you feel several things (in your heart and…other parts). Even though I said I wasn’t blown away by it, you can bet your pretty little buttons that I’m going to read her other works now, too.

3.5 Stars

**the ARC I’ve read is 500 pages. According to the cover copy, the final form will actually be 336 pages.

Review: Canary by Rachele Alpine (ARC)

Canary by Rachele Alpine
Medallion Press, 288 pages
Expected US Release Date: August 1, 2013 (tomorrow!)
Format/Source: Print ARC, via Around the World ARC Tours - thank you!
Challenges: Debut Author Challenge

Staying quiet will destroy her, but speaking up will destroy everyone.

Kate Franklin’s life changes for the better when her dad lands a job at Beacon Prep, an elite private school with one of the best basketball teams in the state. She begins to date a player on the team and quickly gets caught up in a world of idolatry and entitlement, learning that there are perks to being an athlete.

But those perks also come with a price. Another player takes his power too far and Kate is assaulted at a party. Although she knows she should speak out, her dad’s vehemently against it and so, like a canary sent into a mine to test toxicity levels and protect miners, Kate alone breathes the poisonous secrets to protect her dad and the team. The world that Kate was once welcomed into is now her worst enemy, and she must decide whether to stay silent or expose the corruption, destroying her father’s career and bringing down a town’s heroes.

Canary is told in a mix of prose and verse.
----------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

TODAY'S TRUTH:

The desire to belong is stronger than the need to break free.

I'm not usually a verse novel kind of girl, but I have to say - Canary's verse blog entries were fantastic! Definitely my favourite parts of the book. There were some passages that I wasn't a fan of, but I really enjoyed the various ways each post was written and how many different styles the author employed. For an English lit geek like me, I was definitely loving it. And I have to say, she did them so well! They really enhanced the story, and I love how the blog posts tied into the story itself.

Canary was an interesting read for me, in both good and bad ways. The plot itself is fairly typical, and one of my biggest disappointments was how predictable this was. I had the entire thing plotted before I even picked it up, and while I had wished it would surprise me, it just never did. There is one where some people may not expect it, but it was never surprising; and I really missed having that "oh!" revelation with books. I felt like there could be so many opportunities for it in Canary, and it just never came through.

I have to say though, Rachele is fabulous at painting a villain. There are so many "bad" characters in this novel, and each one differs from the other in intricate ways. I feel weird saying I enjoyed the villains - but it's true! They're one of the better parts of the book, because they really make the reader feel something towards them.

I have to mention one thing, because it's me. The military is big in my life (obviously.), and I took some large offense to how ardently Kate and her father were against her brother's enlisting. I was seriously considering putting the book down when it kept coming back up and when they kept rehashing the reasons he shouldn't go. In my world, the military is an honor. It's something you aspire to be a part of; or even if it's not, you stand proud. So when Kate and her father kept saying it was a place for burnouts and losers who had no other future? I wanted to absolutely shred the pages.

But here's the thing, and it took me a few hours to come to terms with it. I have to face the fact that that stance is one that people do have. Even though it is so far from the truth in my world, I finally understand now that how Canary looks at it is also how others do, too. And once I could wrap my head around that idea, I accepted it into the plot and actually started to appreciate how it affects everything. I don't like it, of course - but the part it played was a good one and really brought out some great results. And even when I didn't like it, I did appreciate how they approached it and how each character handled the reactions to the brother's enlistment.

Canary was a struggle for me, at times being brilliant and captivating; and more often disappointing or frustrating. But it's an important novel about speaking up for yourself and learning to be someone - not just a part of others. While I can't endorse it to read for pleasure, I can say you should read it to enhance your heart.

3 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

Review: Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland (ARC)

Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland
Disney Hyperion, 304 Pages
Expected US Release Date: May 7, 2013
Format: ARC
Source: Around the World ARC Tours - thank you!
Challenges: Contemporary Challenge, Stand-Alone Reading Challenge, Debut Author Challenge

For Cricket Thompson, a summer like this one will change everything. A summer spent on Nantucket with her best friend, Jules Clayton, and the indomitable Clayton family. A summer when she’ll make the almost unattainable Jay Logan hers. A summer to surpass all dreams.

Some of this turns out to be true. Some of it doesn’t.

When Jules and her family suffer a devastating tragedy that forces the girls apart, Jules becomes a stranger whom Cricket wonders whether she ever really knew. And instead of lying on the beach working on her caramel-colored tan, Cricket is making beds and cleaning bathrooms to support herself in paradise for the summer.

But it’s the things Cricket hadn’t counted on--most of all, falling hard for someone who should be completely off-limits--that turn her dreams into an exhilarating, bittersweet reality.

A beautiful future is within her grasp, and Cricket must find the grace to embrace it. If she does, her life could be the perfect shade of Nantucket blue.
---------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

I felt another kick of sadness, right in the stomach. I was realizing that loss has a kind of violence to it.

San Diego had a fantastic bout of weather recently; even though it was early March, the entire week was in the high-70s to mid-80s, and it was absolutely glorious. And it was the perfect time to read Nantucket Blue, because it made me yearn for beachside reads, romps in the ocean and bonfires below a star-speckled sky.

Nantucket Blue follows Cricket as she heads to Nantucket for her summer in order to follow and be there for Jules, her best friend, whose family suffered a devastating tragedy. But Jules turns into someone Cricket barely recognizes, and she's left to make her summer into more than a support system.

I was a little surprised at how sad this entire book is. I mean, I know it starts with a horrible tragedy, and of course I expect that to permeate a lot of the thoughts and actions throughout. But there was a small line of sadness that seemed to snake through all the words, all the thoughts, and it was a little startling that I'd be laughing with Cricket and Zack and still feel a little morose. I'm not saying this is a depressing, ugly cry book, not at all; but there's always something lurking behind the blue ocean.

Can I say how little I liked Cricket and Jules? Jules especially - I just didn't understand her character. yes, I get why she acts the way she is, but I never got the sense she was a great friend anyway. In the memories she was fine, but nothing worthy of how much Cricket is willing to do for her. As for Cricket, she was so slow on the uptake that I was entirely too frustrated with her the entire novel. There were so many different instances I wanted to yell at her to get there quicker, that she was missing vital parts and only seeing such a small version. I know that's often how it is in real life, but some things were unforgivable to me. Perhaps the only element I liked with Cricket was the romance she was struggling with - which is weird, since I wasn't a fan of the boy she was with. He was sweet, but his entire plotline was very formulaic to me. I didn't get the chemistry between the two. Cricket's thoughts and feelings towards him though were the most real part about her, and one I enjoyed seeing on the page.

Something I did love? The Cranberry Inn where Cricket starts to work and everyone that came out of there! I absolutely adored George, Gavin and Liz; enough where they made this entire story worth it for me. They were such fantastically developed, completely unique characters and I wanted nothing more than to check into the Inn and join them. They have such distinct voices and interactions, I wish I knew them in real life.

And not surprisingly after declaring how little I liked the main characters and how much I liked the secondary ones - my favourite part to this entire novel was the secondary storyline! I can't say much about it since it's not in the synopsis, but there's an underlying plot that intertwines a little with the main one, and I love it. It's such a fun story to learn about and read along to, and I liked how we slowly get varying perspectives. Perhaps it's the journalist in me that liked to go deeper into the history and find out the stories behind others; whatever it was, I found myself flipping past Cricket's dramas to get to the work she was doing.

I have to note though, I really liked Leila Howard's writing. I can't quite pinpoint what it is specifically, but I was very attracted to her words and structures. There's something very relatable about her words, and that was a treat.

Nantucket Blue had several misses for me, but completely made up for it with secondary characters and storylines. Though it is a sweet, summery novel about defining yourself without others, I found the background to shine much brighter. And even though that's frustrating sometimes, I am completely content to look at the scenery more than the play.

3.5 Stars

Review: The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise (ARC)

The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise
Balzar + Bray (an imprint of Harper Collins), 320 pages
Expected US Release Date: April 30, 2013
Format: Print ARC
Source: Around the World ARC Tours
Challenges: Contemporary Challenge, Standalone Challenge

In The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise, super-smart, somewhat geeky Audrey McCarthy can’t wait to get out of high school. Her father’s death and the transformation of her one-time BFF, Blake Dawkins, into her worst nightmare have her longing for the new start college will bring.

But college takes money. So Audrey decides she has to win the competition for the best app designed by a high schooler—and the $200,000 that comes with it. She develops something she calls the Boyfriend App, and suddenly she’s the talk of the school and getting kissed by the hottest boys around. But can the Boyfriend App bring Audrey true love?
-----------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

In math or code, these sorts of anomalies don't happen. Formula + Predictable Outcome = Safe.

I wanted to love this book so much, guys. It seemed like such a fun concept, and I loved the idea of an app that would match you with your perfect guy/person. I mean, I was also super glad it didn't actually exist when I was in high school because there was already enough drama without that technological enhancement, but in my reading? Love it. Thought it would be fantastic and funny and playful.

I think you can seen an "unfortunately" coming, right?

This book was surprising, in both a good and bad way. It's a bit weird to me, actually - it went in a direction I did not expect, and while I get it, I thought it was a strange direction to go in. I would never have even thought to take on a more scientific route, and I kind of question it. At the same time, it wasn't done poorly or anything - in fact, it was pretty interesting and I kind of liked getting to see the intelligence behind these nerds (or Trogs, as they are called in the novel). Just unexpected, and a little weird.

And I have to mention that there were some scenes that were so...awkwardly violent. I mean, it begins with Audrey getting her head shoved so hard into a trash bin she passes out. And with a cover like that? So out of place. There were a few other scenes where girls were throwing punches, and it was just...I didn't like it. I'm not adverse to some violence, but only when it makes sense. I feel like this book could still have had the action at the core, but perhaps different word choices to make it less cruel. I definitely cringed whenever these scenes came up, no matter how few they were.

Despite all this, I actually enjoyed The Boyfriend App. I loved going through the process of creating this app with Audrey and seeing it through, and I really appreciated that it wasn't an immediate success. There was an element of reality and truth throughout this entire story that I really appreciated, and really made me like it. Audrey is actually a pretty good character herself, well rounded and quirky, with her own unique brand of endearing. She's a lot like me, and a lot like many people I know - a great character to really connect with.

In fact, probably the best thing about this book were the characters and the relationships. There are a few villains in it, and even though they are pretty stereotypical, they are still great characters to hate and the reader completely feels towards them. The friendships Audrey had were also fantastic. I loved her fellow nerds, especially Mindy - who is brilliant because you learn to love her when she doesn't even talk for 85% of the book! I was surprised to figure out that Lindsay was definitely my favourite female character - she's nothing like me, but I still loved her all the same. She's a bit flighty and a fashion blogger who appears so vain it hurts...but as you get to know her, you discover she is smart, and loyal, and funny and open an a real friend.

Of course, I have to mention the boys in this novel, who are all fine in their own way. I wasn't a fan of Xander, even though I felt like he was trying to be painted as a decent guy. I wanted to cry every time Briggs Lick appeared on the pages, because that name is so ridiculous I can't even. And of course, I loved Aiden - he's amazing and perfect and a little too perfect but I'll take him anyway. A fantastic friend, super cute love interest, and great character to want and love.

There are two books this one reminded me of: Don't You Wish by Roxanne St. Clair (read my review here!) in that I was so surprised by all the science and intelligence in the book. It's unexpected and a little odd, but I really appreciate that the authors are trying to put this in books that could be simple contemporary romances. And the book Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer (read my review here!), in that it's about strong, smart girl characters who find something lacking in their life and go after making it better. The Boyfriend App is missing the heart that I loved so much in Smart Girls Get..., but it's still a good attempt, and I don't regret reading it.

The Boyfriend App is a bit weird, in a way I'm not certain it should have been - but it's got some fantastic characters, an interesting storyline, and surprising intelligence to it.

3 stars / 5

Review: The Elite by Kiera Cass (ARC)

The Elite (The Selection #2) by Kiera Cass
Harper Teen, 336 pages
Expected US Release Date: April 23, 2013
Format: Print ARC
Source: Around the World ARC Tours - thank you!

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.
----------------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

"But," she continued to Gavril, "if there's one thing I've learned from being in The Selection, it's that some girls have a frightening killer instinct. Don't let the ball gowns fool you," she finished with a smile.

If you don’t follow me on GoodReads, you really should because you would have been treated to these gems:

And if you do follow me, a big thank you and you’re welcome.

If I thought I was frustrated after reading The Selection (for which you can read that entertainment here), the frustration after reading The Elite laughs in my face. It scoffs, even. I was so young, so naïve.

Basically, I found The Elite to be every bit as terribly riveting as The Selection, only a little bit more so since I carried over all my feelings already. There’s so much I can’t stand about Aspen and America, and none of it went away. It grew, even. And there were things added, and I just can’t even talk about it without getting worked up how idiotic I think they are and are being.

Maxon is the only one who saves me from DNF-ing the shit out of this book, and even that had its moments of weakness. He didn’t really grow to me in the novel, but it’s something I overlook since I love him so much anyway. Even though I don’t really agree with some of the things he did in this book, I get it, and I found it interesting enough where I still want to know what’s going to happen in Book 3.

Something I was very happy with in The Elite was how surprising it was to me in terms of plot and action. Nothing completely from left field comes through knocking you off your feet, but it doesn’t quite follow the line you thought it might. I knew generally what would have to happen, but it’s the how and the who that was unexpected and made the story all the better.

I enjoy how we get a little more of a look into the world they live in, and all the civic lessons going on as the girls are made to learn policy and politics, but I still wish there were a little more in terms of the rebels and their environment. Book 1 was definitely lacking in real Dystopian elements, and I have to say the same for Book 2. It tried, and it gets a little better, but it’s just not there. I sincerely hope Book 3, when everything comes to the culmination, finally goes there.

I know that having already stated how much I can’t stand Aspen will probably discredit what I’m about to say, but I had major issues with all his parts because I felt like the author was trying to manipulate me into liking him finally. She was selling him way too hard and explaining how brilliant/sweet/amazing he is, and I hated it. It came down to my usual “show not tell” complaint, in that she needed to make his actions speak louder, rather than a small thing and extend it into something America explained into how it made him a perfect boy. Would it have sold me on Aspen? No, but I would have at least been a lot less annoyed.

I’m going to end this on a happy note: continually the best parts to this series? America’s maids. I love them. And I know they’re one single function, but they do it fantastically and I really like the relationship between themselves as well as with America. There’s one scene with America’s sister May and one of the maids that just made my heart happy, and even though it was a miniscule, vaguely-unimportant one, that’s what stuck with me most.

If you hated The Selection, I don’t think The Elite will change your mind. It’s every bit as frustrating and lacking as the first one. But in the same vain, it has the same drama and intrigue and bad-reality-tv vibe that just makes you care and need to know. No matter how much I gripe and whine about Aspen and America and all the decisions they make, I can’t deny that I fly through the pages and am absolutely DYING for book 3 now. And maybe that doesn’t make it the next great literature legacy, but it does make it something.

3.5 stars