YA Book Review: Crash Into You

Release Date: 26 November 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Format: Hardcover
Source: Own/Purchased

Goodreads description:

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind.

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look.

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

My Thoughts...

Katie McGarry's other two books, Pushing the Limits and Dare You To, were definitely some of my favorite contemporary reads of the last year plus.  She writes with a very authentic YA voice that draws me in quickly and easily.  Crash Into You did the same for me and was a great read to start off 2014 on the right foot (even if it was my 4th book of the year...).

Isaiah's character has basically haunted me since the first book in this series.  He was so dark and broody on the outside but we never really got to see what was going on inside his head.  It was eye-opening to get a more in-depth look into his personality and start to see him in a different light.  Usually, I'm not a fan of romantic relationships that change one person or the other but I felt like Rachel really opened Isaiah up to the possibilities in front of him and allowed him to dream for what was probably the first time in his life.

Rachel, well, I didn't think I was going to like Rachel at first.  I thought she was going to be a typical slightly whiny, wimpy rich girl with some problem and an attraction to bad boys.  But, thankfully, she wasn't that way at all.  Her family situation was truly a disaster, although no one on the outside looking in would ever know and you could almost feel her desperation to break free and be herself.  She also knew her family was well off and didn't try to hide it or turn her back on it.  She simply wanted them to accept her the way she truly was inside and she found that acceptance with Isaiah (after a little prodding).

Isaiah and Rachel may be the "life of this party" so to speak but the other characters in this one really pulled the whole story together for me.  We get fantastic glimpses into the other characters that we saw in the previous two books, moreso than we ever really did in the second book.  Each minor character has a crucial role to play and didn't feel like a throwaway.

Crash Into You was an enjoyable read, even if it was a tad predictable (like any good romance), and I look forward to more from the author.  The ending has a sort of rushed feeling to it and I wasn't sure how I felt about it as a way to wrap up the storyline.  However, neither of those minor issues will stop me from reading the next book in this series because they are really fun, quick reads.  Ms. McGarry's books are great read for YA romance-obsessed teenagers who enjoy the angst and the kissing that books like this offer.

Splintered by A.G. Howard

Release Date: 1 January 2013

Publisher: ABRAMS
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Get a copy! Amazon

Goodreads description:

Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

My Thoughts...

Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt

Release Date: 26 March 2013

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Format: ARC

Get a copy! Amazon

Goodreads description:

When Mallory’s boyfriend, Jeremy, cheats on her with an online girlfriend, Mallory decides the best way to de-Jeremy her life is to de-modernize things too. Inspired by a list of goals her grandmother made in 1962, Mallory swears off technology and returns to a simpler time (when boyfriends couldn’t cheat with computer avatars). The List:

1. Run for pep club secretary
2. Host a fancy dinner party/soiree
3. Sew a dress for Homecoming
4. Find a steady
5. Do something dangerous

But simple proves to be crazy-complicated, and the details of the past begin to change Mallory’s present. Add in a too-busy grandmother, a sassy sister, and the cute pep-club presient–who just happens to be her ex’s cousin–and soon Mallory begins to wonder if going vintage is going too far.

My Thoughts...

The Dead and the Buried by Kim Harrington

Release Date: 1 January 2013

Publisher: Scholastic
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Get a copy! Amazon

Goodreads description:

Jade loves the house she's just moved into with her family. She doesn't even mind being the new girl at the high school: It's a fresh start, and there's that one guy with the dreamy blue eyes. . . . But then things begin happening. Strange, otherworldly things. Jade's little brother claims to see a glimmering girl in his room. Jade's jewelry gets moved around, as if by an invisible hand. Kids at school whisper behind her back like they know something she doesn't.

Soon, Jade must face an impossible fact: that her perfect house is haunted. Haunted by a ghost who's seeking not just vengeance, but the truth. The ghost of a girl who ruled Jade's school — until her untimely death last year. It's up to Jade to put the pieces together before her own life is at stake. As Jade investigates the mystery, she discovers that her new friends in town have more than a few deep, dark secrets. But is one of them a murderer?

My Thoughts...

YA Book Review: Flawed by Kate Avelynn

Release Date: January 2013

Publisher: Entangled Teen
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Get a copy! Amazon

Goodreads description:

Sarah O’Brien is only alive because of the pact she and her brother made twelve years ago—James will protect her from their violent father if she promises never to leave him. For years, she’s watched James destroy his life to save hers. If all he asks for in return is her affection, she’ll give it freely.

Until, with a tiny kiss and a broken mind, he asks for more than she can give.

Sam Donavon has been James’s best friend—and the boy Sarah’s had a crush on—for as long as she can remember. As their forbidden relationship deepens, Sarah knows she’s in trouble. Quiet, serious Sam has decided he’s going to save her. Neither of them realizes James is far more unstable than her father ever was, or that he’s not about to let Sarah forget her half of the pact…

YA Book Review: 52 Reasons to Hate My Father by Jessica Brody

Release Date: 3 July 2012

Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Format: Hardcover
Source: Library

Goodreads description:

Being America’s favorite heiress is a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it.

Lexington Larrabee has never to work a day in her life. After all, she’s the heiress to the multi-billion-dollar Larrabee Media empire. And heiresses are not supposed to work. But then again, they’re not supposed to crash brand new Mercedes convertibles into convenience stores on Sunset Blvd either.

Which is why, on Lexi’s eighteen birthday, her ever-absent, tycoon father decides to take a more proactive approach to her wayward life. Every week for the next year, she will have to take on a different low-wage job if she ever wants to receive her beloved trust fund. But if there’s anything worse than working as a maid, a dishwasher, and a fast-food restaurant employee, it’s dealing with Luke, the arrogant, albeit moderately attractive, college intern her father has assigned to keep tabs on her.

My Thoughts...

YA Book Review: Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

Release Date: 12 June 2012

Publisher: Delacorte BFYR
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Goodreads description:

Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans and absorb their positive energy. Usually, they select their victims at random, but this time around, the underwater clan chooses its target for a reason: revenge. They want to kill Jason Hancock, the man they blame for their mother's death.

It's going to take a concerted effort to lure the aquaphobic Hancock onto the water. Calder's job is to gain Hancock's trust by getting close to his family. Relying on his irresistible good looks and charm, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter Lily. Easy enough, but Calder screws everything up by falling in love--just as Lily starts to suspect there's more to the monster-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined, and just as the mermaids threaten to take matters into their own hands, forcing Calder to choose between them and the girl he loves.

One thing's for sure: whatever Calder decides, the outcome won't be pretty.

My Thoughts...

(ARC) YA Book Review: Andy Squared by Jennifer Lavoie

Release Date: 18 September 2012

Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (Bella Distribution)
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Goodreads description:

Seventeen-year-old twins, Andrew and Andrea Morris, have always been close. They share everything—from their friends to a room—and they both enjoy star positions on their high school’s soccer teams. All’s right with the twins...or is it?

When new student Ryder Coltrane moves from Texas to their small New York town, he spins Andrew’s world upside down. All of Andrew’s past relationship troubles begin to make sense and his true feelings start to click into place after Ryder comes out to him. His friendship with Ryder turns secretively romantic, but secrets, they soon find out, are hard to keep. Once rumors start to fly, so-called friends turn on them, and the boys’ relationship turns into a bomb about to explode. But Andrew never expected it would be his own twin, Andrea, holding a lighter to ignite it.

My Thoughts...

Heirs of Prophecy Blog Tour: Guest Post

Today I have the pleasure of welcoming Michael A. Rothman to the blog as part of the Heirs of Prophecy tour!  Today I asked Michael to write on a topic that piqued my interest when reading about him and his writing on his website: In the Heirs of Prophecy series, what role does the family as a whole play and what's your take on family dynamics and depictions in literature of kids and young adults? 

Without further ado, welcome, Michael!!

 As I’ve mentioned in some previous blog posts, the rule of thumb for most fiction today is that your young protagonist(s) must have a hectic home life. Assume they are either an orphan, have family issues of all varieties, or are otherwise stressed by their day-to-day situation.

My books are written in opposition to such norms, and headline protagonists which are likable, fallible, but otherwise should be very relatable. Everyone knows a brother who is a pain in the butt who you would protect with your own life, or an over-protective mother, etc. I aim to prove that the action and strife need not come from the family, but through the situations and adventures they are put through.

In HEIRS OF PROPHECY I strive to bring the family as a whole "Down the Rabbit Hole" from the modern world into the world of Trimoria. Unlike many novels which insist on depicting the family as an element of strife, I put the reader in a situation that forces them to think, "Well – what if this really happened to me and my family, how would we react and how could we handle it?"

In this tale, I put the two young protagonists into a situation that immediately makes note that they will become the focus of attention. Attention that they might not necessarily care for. Unlike today’s world, where the parents can control many of the elements of their children’s lives, the parents are integral to the process of adapting to this new world.

As a parent, they must try to protect their children, yet they too are embroiled in a miasma of confusion as they must learn to adapt to their surroundings as well.

As it becomes clear that the children are meant for greater things in this world, the parents must maintain guardrails as best they can, while the kids themselves must explore and push their way through this new world.

A child’s world and an adult’s world is very different, and the tale covers elements of both, while ensuring the kids are brought forth as the “main” characters in the story.

I’d point to one review I got from another author when he read the book, and it was his opinion that the approach I was taking was quite different than the norm – and unlike the traditional advocacies of “kill the parents” for Fiction – having a more wholesome traditional tale that involves families (all the good and bad involved with such) was a refreshing change from the norm.

"There is a sweetness and light to this novel that often seems missing in modern fantasy. I think that a wise reader will recognize that this is something the world needs, and has been waiting for."- David Farland, New York Times Bestselling Fantasy Author

Thank you so much for sharing, Michael! I love that the family gets to take the journey "down the rabbit hole" instead of leaving behind the parents and never wondering what they're thinking or up to!

The Riverton family had been enjoying a simple summer vacation when, through a fluke of nature, they found themselves in a strange new land.

The Riverton brothers quickly realize that in this world, they have gained unusual powers. Powers that their parents fear will attract the attention of Azazel himself - the merciless wizard who brutally controls this world.

The two brothers soon learn that an ancient prophecy has finally been initiated by their arrival in Trimoria. As the heirs of this prophecy, they are destined to lead the armies of men, dwarves, elves, and even a misfit ogre against the prophesied demon horde.

Only one thing stands in their way:

The evil wizard who has learned of their presence, and has sent assassins to wipe them from existence.

The TOOLS OF PROPHECY is the second volume in an epic saga which describes a prophecy that has placed the Riverton brothers in the lead roles of a struggle to save their world from being overrun by unspeakable horrors. This destiny requires that they face off with the demons that nearly destroyed their world over five centuries ago.

In the first book, the population of wizards had been practically eradicated by the former tyrant. The Rivertons are now charged with creating an Academy of Magic, recruiting qualified students, and furthering their own training with secrets that have long been held by the reclusive elves.

Despite their youth, a mysterious spirit has engaged them in an epic struggle to gain mastery of their newfound skills, help raise and train two armies, and stay alive long enough for their final showdown with destiny.

The only things that stand in their way are the assassins hired to destroy them and the Demon Lord’s minion who holds a personal grudge and intends to witness the young boys’ deaths.

Meet Michael! 

I am an Army brat and the first person in my family to be born in the United States. This heavily influenced my youth by instilling a love of reading and a burning curiosity about the world and all of the things within it. As an adult, my love of travel allowed me to explore many unimaginable locations. I participated in many adventures and documented them in what will be a series of books, the first of which you have just read.

Some might put these books in the Fantasy genre, and I never had issues with this label. After all, the adventures were, without any doubt in my mind, fantastic. I simply quibble with the label of "Fiction" that some might put on these tales. These tales should be viewed as historical records, more along the lines of a documentary.

I've learned one thing over the years. Magic is real. Keep exploring, and you too will find your magic.
- Mike Rothman

Goodreads | Twitter | Website | Facebook

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Check out the rest of the tour stops as well!
Monday, July 16th - Mundie Kids
Tuesday, July 17th - Owl for YA
Wednesday, July 18th - Chapter by Chapter
Thursday, July 19th - Book and A Latte
Friday, July 20th - Sweeping Me
Monday, July 23rd - Reading in the Corner  (You're Here!)
Tuesday, July 24th - Soul Unsung 
Wednesday, July 25th - Proud Booknerd
Thursday, July 26th - Bitter Sweet Enchantement 
Monday, July 30th - My Reading Room 
Tuesday, July 31st - Book Brats 
Wednesday, August 1st - Paranormal Indulgenlence 
Thursday, August 2nd - Mandy Kay Reads
Friday, August 3rd - Snowdropdreams

(ARC) YA Book Review: Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally

Release Date: 1 October 2012

Publisher: Sourcbooks Fire
Format: ARC
Source: Around the World ARC Tours

Goodreads description:

After a scandal rocks their conservative small town, 17-year-old Parker Shelton goes overboard trying to prove that she won't turn out like her mother: a lesbian. The all-star third-baseman quits the softball team, drops 20 pounds and starts making out with guys--a lot. But hitting on the hot new assistant baseball coach might be taking it a step too far...especially when he starts flirting back.

My Thoughts...

YA Book Review: The Forgetting Curve by Angie Smibert

Release Date: 15 May 2012

Publisher: Marshall Cavendish
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Get a copy! Amazon | B&N

Goodreads description:

Aiden Nomura likes to open doors—especially using his skills as a hacker—to see what’s hidden inside. He keeps pulling until one cracks open. Aiden exposes the flaw, and the universe—or someone else—will fix it. It’s like a game.

Until it isn’t.

When a TFC opens in Bern, Switzerland, where Aiden is attending boarding school, he knows things are changing. Shortly after, bombs go off within quiet, safe Bern. Then Aiden learns that his cousin Winter, back in the States, has had a mental breakdown. He returns to the US immediately. But back home in Hamilton, Winter’s mental state isn’t the only thing that’s different. The city is becoming even stricter, and an underground movement is growing. Aiden slowly cracks open doors in this new world. But behind those doors are things Aiden doesn’t want to see—things about his society, his city, even his own family. And this time Aiden may be the only one who can fix things... before someone else gets hurt.

My Thoughts...

Tween Tuesday Review: See You At Harry's by Jo Knowles

Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight great MG reads for tweens! 

Release Date: 8 May 2012

Publisher: Candlewick Press
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Get a copy! Amazon | B&N

Goodreads description:

Twelve-year-old Fern feels invisible. It seems as though everyone in her family has better things to do than pay attention to her: Mom (when she's not meditating) helps Dad run the family restaurant; Sarah is taking a gap year after high school; and Holden pretends that Mom and Dad and everyone else doesn't know he's gay, even as he fends off bullies at school. Then there's Charlie: three years old, a "surprise" baby, the center of everyone's world. He's devoted to Fern, but he's annoying, too, always getting his way, always dirty, always commanding attention. If it wasn't for Ran, Fern's calm and positive best friend, there'd be nowhere to turn. Ran's mantra, "All will be well," is soothing in a way that nothing else seems to be. And when Ran says it, Fern can almost believe it's true. But then tragedy strikes- and Fern feels not only more alone than ever, but also responsible for the accident that has wrenched her family apart. All will not be well. Or at least all will never be the same.

My Thoughts...

(ARC) YA Book Review: Life is But a Dream by Brian James

Release Date: 27 March 2012
Publisher: Fiewel & Friends
Source: Around the World ARC Tours

Goodreads description:

Alec and Sabrina are crazy in love. Problem is: Sabrina’s really crazy.

Sabrina, an artist, is diagnosed with schizophrenia, and her parents check her into the Wellness Center. There she meets Alec, who is convinced it's the world that's crazy, not the two of them. They are meant to be together; they are special. But when Alec starts to convince Sabrina that her treatment will wipe out everything that makes her creative, she worries that she'll lose hold of her dreams and herself. Should she listen to her doctor? Her decision may have fatal consequences.

My Thoughts...

Books set in psychiatric institutions fascinate me.  Their world is completely different from anything that we experience on a regular basis--the doctors, the regimens, the interactions.  It also takes a lot of careful consideration to craft a character living in a setting like this.  Brian James created a very interesting world here, but for some reason, something didn't 100% click for me with this one.

The main character, Sabrina, is locked up in a psychiatric facility and diagnosed as schizophrenic.  She's slowly progressing towards normal when Alex enters her life and turns everything upside down. She rather quickly spirals backwards into her delusions.

Sabrina is really a fascinating character to follow.  James really takes you straight into her head and determining the dreams and delusions from reality is next to impossible at times.  Seeing the world through Sabrina's eyes shows the reader both the beauty and the terror that can come with such a life.  It was really difficult for me, as a reader, to watch her stop taking the medications and for her delusions to beginning returning at full force.  I liked her so much as a character that I wanted her to recover and have a shot at a normal life.

Alex...well, as a love interest he was a bit of a disappointment to me at times.  I wanted Sabrina to have someone who loved her and her wacky way of thinking, feeling, and seeing things.  Alex seemed like that person...at least at first.  I don't think that he was ever able to grasp the severity of Sabrina's disease, and I didn't like how he convinced her that taking the medications and following the doctors' orders would take away her creativity and unique visions--i.e. everything that she feels makes her special and loved by him.  He redeemed himself quite a bit in the later parts of the story. 

I'm not exactly sure what makes this more of a three star than a four star book for me.  I definitely enjoyed reading it, but it wasn't the sort of book that I was racing to pick up each whenever I had time to read. The pacing is a bit slow and the world didn't pull me in as much as I was expecting.  The most exciting moments come rather late in the story, and while those moments were incredibly well-written, they were simply difficult to GET to because of the slower pacing at the beginning.  I wouldn't warn anyone away from this book if  they're interested, just be aware that it's not a fast-paced read.

Saturday Shorts (1)

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber
© 25 October 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children 

 Perry's not exactly excited when his parents decide that he has to take the foreign exchange student to the prom.  She's more than a little strange and hasn't made many attempts to really fit in.  However, prom is the least of Perry's concerns as the night progresses.  What starts as a short trip into the city becomes a wild adventure of epic proportions as Gobi jets around the city taking out her intended targets.  Oh, yeah, she's some kind of assassin.

Au Revoir is a fun, quick-paced read.  Perry and Gobi become quite the dynamic-duo in the course of the evening, and if you're anything like me, you'll find yourself enjoying them quite a bit.  The writing is fantastic and Schreiber has crafted this short novel perfectly.  The chapter titles are college admission questions and they're quite appropriate.

Between Sea & Sky by Jaclyn Dolamore

© 25 October 2011 by Bloomsbury USA Children's Books 

Esmerine and her sister, Dosinia, have always had a bit of curiously about the world above the sea, but Esmerine would never dream of abandoning her family and her calling as a siren.  When Dosinia disappears after talking about human acquaintances, Esmerine takes it upon herself to find out what's become of her.  Enlisting the help of her long-ago friend Alander, who belongs to a winged race of people, Esermine journeys on to the land in search of her sister and finds more than she bargained for.

Between the Sea and Sky was a fun, short read that really entrances the imagination.  The characters are easy to love (who doesn't love a pair as in love with books as many of us are?) and their journey is rocky.  There's no insta-love or love triangles to be found here but a rocky new beginning for long ago friends. The plotline and its message are lovely and will easily entice many a reader. 

(ARC) YA Book Review: The Vanishing Game by Kate Kae Meyers

Release Date: 14 February 2012

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Get a copy!

Goodreads description:

Jocelyn's twin brother Jack was the only family she had growing up in a world of foster homes-and now he's dead, and she has nothing. Then she gets a cryptic letter from "Jason December"-the code name her brother used to use when they were children at Seale House, a terrifying foster home that they believed had dark powers. Only one other person knows about Jason December: Noah, Jocelyn's childhood crush and their only real friend among the troubled children at Seale House.

But when Jocelyn returns to Seale House and the city where she last saw Noah, she gets more than she bargained for. Turns out the house's powers weren't just a figment of a childish imagination. And someone is following Jocelyn. Is Jack still alive? And if he is, what kind of trouble is he in? The answer is revealed in a shocking twist that turns this story on its head and will send readers straight back to page 1 to read the book in a whole new light.

My Thoughts...

(ARC) MG Review: The Humming Room by Ellen Potter

Release Date: 28 February 2012

Publisher: Fiewel & Friends

Format: eARC

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Get a copy! Amazon | B&N

Goodreads description:

Hiding is Roo Fanshaw's special skill. Living in a frighteningly unstable family, she often needs to disappear at a moment's notice. When her parents are murdered, it's her special hiding place under the trailer that saves her life.

As it turns out, Roo, much to her surprise, has a wealthy if eccentric uncle, who has agreed to take her into his home on Cough Rock Island. Once a tuberculosis sanitarium for children of the rich, the strange house is teeming with ghost stories and secrets. Roo doesn't believe in ghosts or fairy stories, but what are those eerie noises she keeps hearing? And who is that strange wild boy who lives on the river? People are lying to her, and Roo becomes determined to find the truth.

Despite the best efforts of her uncle's assistants, Roo discovers the house's hidden room--a garden with a tragic secret.

My Thoughts...

In this adorable novel, Ellen Potter has updated the magical story of The Secret Garden and made it into a fun story that young readers will thoroughly enjoy.  The reader is pulled into a world where it is uncertain what is real and you're constantly wondering if this is going to be magic or reality and in the end maybe it's a little of both.

Space can be a friend or an enemy, so you should always know how much of it your body needs.

-p2, eARC

Roo is a really interesting character. She's closed herself off from the world and then she's taken to an unknown uncle and ends up more isolated than ever in an island mansion.  She's tough, though, and finds ways to make herself and home.  I really enjoyed her and I'm not even sure that I can define WHY precisely, but she doesn't back down from what she believes and she doesn't let others bully her.

The likeness to The Secret Garden can't be missed with this storyline, but the updating that Ms. Potter has given the story works very well.  The writing flows well and I don't think readers will be able to resist the pull of the story that she has so beautifully crafted. Ms. Potter has also succeeded in crafting a setting that has a life of its own.  The island and the house almost become characters in their own right--with secrets waiting to be discovered.

The Humming Room will easily appeal to its intended audience of middle grade readers.  The writing and story will capture their imaginations without putting undue strain on their reading abilities.  I'd recommend this one to some reluctant readers who possible enjoy a little bit of mystery and strong female characters.  It's also, clearly, a must-read for fans of The Secret Garden.

(ARC) YA Book Review: Fracture by Megan Miranda

Release Date: 17 January 2012
Publisher: Walker & Company
Source: Around the World ARC Tours
(also received a copy via NetGalley & the publisher)

Goodreads description:

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine--despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

My Thoughts...

Friday Fling: a Mini-Review of Sophie & Carter by Chelsea Fine

During Friday Fling , I share with you a short story or "just for fun" book that I read and really enjoyed.  It will generally be a "mini review" instead of a full review.  These are books that I think are simply fun, quick reads that are definitely worth checking out!

Release Date: 13 January 2011

Publisher: Acacia Publishing, Inc.

Source: Purchased

Buy It! Amazon | Barnes & Noble
(This novella's only $2.99!)

Goodreads description:

While other high school seniors are dreaming about their futures, Sophie and Carter are just trying to make it through each day. Carter is overwhelmed by troubles at home as he struggles to support his mother. Meanwhile, next door neighbor Sophie is left to care for her three younger siblings in place of their absent and troubled mother. All that holds these two best friends together is each other, and knowing that each night they'll sit together on Sophie's front porch swing and escape from their troubles, if just for awhile. But as their relationship reaches a turning point and high school graduation nears, what lies ahead for Sophie and Carter?

My Thoughts...

The one thing that I REALLY hope after reading this story?  I hope that Ms. Fine writes more! This short story made me fall quickly in love with the main characters and took me on a far-too-brief emotional roller coaster.

When we meet Sophie and Carter, their lives are already deeply intertwined.  The two of them have been struggling to deal with the disappoints and heartbreaks brought about by their parents--the one or two people that so many of us take for granted having to lean on. Sophie and Carter have never been more than friends.  They are each others only REAL friend, hiding their real lives from the outside world.  As they get closer and closer to graduation and things take striking turns in their personal lives, their relationship begins to change in ways that they didn't anticipate...

I highly recommend this short read! It was beautifully written.  The characters are really heartbreaking.  My only complaint (and it's not really a complaint) is that the story was too short! I would have loved to get to know Sophie and Carter better and learn more about what happens to them after graduation--follow them through their trials and tribulations as  they attempt to build a better life for themselves and develop their "more than friends" relationship.

YA Book Review: Want to Go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman

Release Date: 1 August 2011
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Source: Purchased

Buy It! Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Goodreads description:

Abby and Luke chat online. They've never met. But they are going to. Soon.

Abby is starting high school—it should be exciting, so why doesn't she care? Everyone tells her to "make an effort," but why can't she just be herself? Abby quickly feels like she's losing a grip on her once-happy life. The only thing she cares about anymore is talking to Luke, a guy she met online, who understands. It feels dangerous and yet good to chat with Luke—he is her secret, and she's his. Then Luke asks her to meet him, and she does. But Luke isn't who he says he is. When Abby goes missing, everyone is left to put together the pieces. If they don't, they'll never see Abby again.

My Thoughts...

(ARC) YA Book Review: Misfit by Jon Skovron

Release Date: 1 August 2011
Publisher: Amulet Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

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Goodreads description:

Jael has always felt like a freak. She’s never kissed a boy, she never knew her mom, and her dad’s always been superstrict—but that’s probably because her mom was a demon, which makes Jael half demon and most definitely not a normal sophomore girl. On her sixteenth birthday, a mysterious present unlocks her family’s dangerous history and Jael’s untapped potential. What was merely an embarrassing secret before becomes a terrifying reality. Jael must learn to master her demon side in order to take on a vindictive Duke of Hell while also dealing with a twisted priest, best-friend drama, and a spacey blond skater boy who may have hidden depths.

My Thoughts...

I thought Misfit was a fun, unique novel and most definitely a compelling read. (You know, one of those books you want to take to work with you and read while you're working because you need to know what happens next?)  The characters were compelling and the story kept me turning page after page just to see what would happen next.

The MC, Jael, is a teenage girl with a twist--she's half-demon.  From the beginning, Jael knows what she is, which is refreshing because it makes her a stronger character.  She knows from the beginning what the risks of her exposure are and she knows that she has to be careful.  Even so, this is the first time that she and her father have stayed in one town long enough for her to actually make friends.  And wouldn't you know, just a Jael moves towards having her first boyfriend, all Hell breaks loose.

I loved watching Jael learn to deal with her demon side--the strength and power that comes with unleashing it.  It was interesting because she knew what she was but never really understood the consequences of that until her demon nature was unlocked.  Also, back to that boyfriend, Robby--he's pretty awesome, but you're going to have to read the book to learn more about him.

Overall, Mr. Skovron has written a fast-pace, action-packed YA novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat.  I'd probably recommend this novel for older YA readers (15+) because of sexual references and violence.