(ARC) YA Book Review: Inbetween by Tara Fuller

Release Date: 28 August 2012

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

Get a copy!

Goodreads description:

Since the car crash that took her father’s life three years ago, Emma’s life has been a freaky — and unending — lesson in caution. Surviving “accidents” has taken priority over being a normal seventeen-year-old, so Emma spends her days taking pictures of life instead of living it. Falling in love with a boy was never part of the plan. Falling for a reaper who makes her chest ache and her head spin? Not an option.

It’s not easy being dead, especially for a reaper in love with a girl fate has put on his list not once, but twice. Finn’s fellow reapers give him hell about spending time with Emma, but Finn couldn’t let her die before, and he’s not about to let her die now. He will protect the girl he loves from the evil he accidentally unleashed, even if it means sacrificing the only thing he has left…his soul.

My Thoughts...

Fab {Indie} Friday: Thomas & January by Fisher Amelie

Release Date: 15 June 2012

Publisher: Self-pub
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased from B&N

Get a copy! Amazon | B&N
(It's only $2.99 and totally worth it.)

Goodreads description:

Thomas Eriksson thinks he has it all figured out.
"People crossed the street when they saw me. I’m not really sure why that was. I mean, okay, I might have looked a bit intimidating if I was being truthful with you. I’d changed since New York. New York represented a life that wasn’t real, not truthfully, anyway. No, New York was the “young, immature, in love, idiot" side of Tom. The “Tie-Dye Tom of New York City” didn’t exist anymore. Tie-Dye Tom was dead."

January Mac Lochlainn thinks she’s her own worst enemy.

"I quit Berkeley. Threw away a full scholarship. Plans, you ask? What plans?"

But they’re both wrong.

My Thoughts...

Fab {Indie} Friday: Callum & Harper by Fisher Amelie

Release Date: 24 December 2011

Publisher: Self-pub
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased from B&N

Get a copy! Amazon | B&N
(It's only $2.99 and totally worth it.)

Goodreads description:

Life sucks for orphans Callum Tate and Harper Bailey.

Kicked out of their foster homes because they suffer the 'eighteen disease' with nothing but a hundred dollar check from the government and a pat on the back, they're forced to rely on a system that failed them miserably.

So they sit. They sit inside Social Services, waiting for their social workers to call their names and offer them the miracle they know will never come but they sit anyway because they have nowhere else to go, no other options on their very literal and figurative empty plates.

But as they sit, they notice the other. Although captivated, they each come to the conclusion that life is complicated enough without throwing in a boiling tension that can't ever be acted upon because they're both too busy thinking about where their next meal will come from but when their names are called and both are placed on a year long waiting list for permanent housing, suddenly relying on each other seems like a very viable plan B.

And, oh, how lovely Plan B's can be.

Well, except for the psycho from Harper's past that haunts her and, oh, yeah, there's the little issue that neither of them knows they're in love with the other.

Needless to say, Callum & Harper's life just got a bit more complicated.

My Thoughts...

YA Book Review: Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf

Release Date: 24 April 2012

Publisher: Walker Childrens
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Get a copy! Amazon | B&N

Goodreads description:

Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a horrible car accident—including her memory of the event. As their small town mourns his death, Allie is afraid to remember because doing so means delving into what she’s kept hidden for so long: the horrible reality of their abusive relationship.

When the police reopen the investigation, it casts suspicion on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around town. Allie knows she must tell the truth. Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free?

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. 

YA Book Review: Love & Leftovers by Sarah Tregay

Release Date: 27 December 2011

Publisher: HarperCollins Children's
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased

Get a copy! B&N | Amazon

Goodreads description:

My wish
is to fall
cranium over Converse
in dizzy, daydream-worthy
love.

When her parents split, Marcie is dragged from Idaho to a family summerhouse in New Hampshire. She leaves behind her friends, a group of freaks and geeks called the Leftovers, including her emo-rocker boyfriend, and her father.

By the time Labor Day rolls around, Marcie suspects this "vacation" has become permanent. She starts at a new school where a cute boy brings her breakfast and a new romance heats up. But understanding love, especially when you've watched your parents' affections end, is elusive. What does it feel like, really? can you even know it until you've lost it?

My Thoughts...

I absolutely fell in LOVE with this book.  I was a bit apprehensive going into this one because, honestly, I wasn't 100% sure that I was going to like it and I'm not sure what impulse I was following when I pre-ordered it (honestly? I probably wanted free shipping.).  Anyway, now that I've read it, I'm really glad that I did buy this one because I loved the writing and the story and the verse format actually makes it really easy to go back and enjoy favorite moments and verses.

Even if the story was cute and the protagonist completely relateable, the beautiful words in this book would have captured and held my attention all the way from page one to page four hundred and thirty-two.  Like I said at the beginning, I was unsure about the verse format but in the end it is my absolute favorite thing about this story.  The diary format gives a lot of depth of emotion to Marcie's character and makes it easy to relate to her situation, her feelings, and her confusion.

Marcie was a character who felt entirely real to me and even if (when) her actions were wrong, I understood why she was doing it and I think that many readers will relate to her struggles. She was a very three-dimensional character for me. I felt like I knew her on much more than just a surface level. The poetry reveals a lot about her inner thoughts and feelings and says a lot about her personality.

This was such a quick read that I can't NOT recommend that you read it.  The language is beautiful.  The characters are perfectly flawed and very real.  The story itself could happen to anyone. It's absolutely fabulous--be sure to check it out. :)

YA Book Review: Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel

Release Date: 18 October 2011

Publisher: Del Rey (Random House)
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Get a copy! Amazon | B&N

Goodreads description:

Love can never die.

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. 

My Thoughts...

(ARC) YA Book Review: Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Release Date: 22 November 2011
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: NetGalley

Buy It! Amazon | B&N

Goodreads description:

When her older sister commits suicide and her divorcing parents decide to divide the ashes, Harper Scott takes her sister's urn to the one place June always wanted to go: California. On the road with her best friend, plus an intriguing guy with a mysterious connection to June, Harper discovers truths about her sister, herself and life.

My Thoughts...

Saving June was a heart-wrenching, beautiful read.  Once I started reading, I was so drawn into the story that I couldn't put the book down.  Trust me--I was SO wishing that I hadn't volunteered to work on Black Friday because I could have been reading this instead!

If she's waited less than two weeks, she would be June who died in June, but I guess she never took that into account.

-p7, eARC

When the story opens, June is dead and her younger sister, Harper, is dealing with the aftermath--the funeral and wake, the pitying glances, the endless casseroles, and the unwanted affectionate embraces of old women wearing too much perfume.  Harper was always very different from her sister, but now she is forced to see the world around her differently.  Did she really know her sister?

But I wasn't interested in being like June, and I definitely didn't want to live in June's shadow. Even if mine was less impressive, at least it was my own.

 -p34, eARC

I connected with Harper early on in this book.  She's a unique person who's never been afraid to stand up for herself and do her own thing, but at her deepest points, she has more in common with each and every one of us than she ever imagined.  She is so heartbroken over her sister's death that my heart broke right alongside hers.  I thought that her grieving process was handled immensely well, including her "wild" idea to drive June's ashes across the country to scatter them in California.  It seemed like such a fitting tribute that coincided with what we knew of June and what we're learning about Harper.

"Without music, life would be a mistake."

-Jake, p175, eARC

Jake is a character who pops into Harper's life out of nowhere, and I felt from the first moment that I "met" him that he was going to be significant.  Throughout the story I loved getting to see Harper and Jake interact and get to know each other and themselves in the process. Jake is so not the person I expected him to be from initial interactions and I seriously grew to like him a lot.  The only thing that irked me just a little were his mood swings. I mean, this boy SERIOUSLY suffers from male PMS.  His bickering with Harper would kind of pop up out of nowhere and make me want to smack the boy! But don't worry, he more than makes up for it later (despite a minor major f-up toward the end).

My very minor gripe aside, this book was phenomenal.  Ms. Harrington has taken a story of teenage grief and turned it into a beautiful story.  I think fans of contemporary YA fiction will fall deeply, madly in love with this story.

YA Book Review: Tris & Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison

Release Date: 11 October 2011
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Goodreads description:

A modern retelling of the German fairytale "Tristan and Isolde", Tris and Izzie is about a young witch named Izzie who is dating Mark King, the captain of the basketball team and thinks her life is going swimmingly well. Until -- she makes a love potion for her best friend Brangane and then ends up taking it herself accidentally, and falling in love with Tristan, the new guy at school

My Thoughts...

Isn't this the most GORGEOUS cover? Doesn't it make you want this on your shelf as a face-out display? I know that I would.  It's truly stunning and I have to give a HUGE round of applause to the designers of this gorgeous cover because it makes you want to pick it up. It makes you want to buy it.  But what's on the inside? Well, that's less than impressive and more than a little disappointing.

From the start, this book has almost a mocking feel to it.  I felt like the author didn't really give her audience enough credit.  The characters were shallow.  The main character, Isolde (or Izzie), is flaky and self-centered.  From the beginning, all she seems concerned about is having the perfect star-athlete boyfriend and being beautiful.  She doesn't even have a solid relationship with her "best friend," Branna, whom she treats like she's "beneath" her and needs her help.  There were a lot of opportunities with Branna and Tristan to create solid, realistic characters but I felt like it didn't happen.  Branna ends up being almost as shallow as Izzie with her little ultimate revenge truth serum, Tristan is just eye-candy for Izzie to fall in love with for some unknown reason (except that he's beautiful), and Mark is the perfect Romeo boyfriend who doesn't really know what he wants.

I really wish that this story would have played up the magic and the fighting and Izzie's path to learning about her magic because when we got to THAT stuff I enjoyed the book much more.  I struggled less to keep reading after Izzie discovers that she does actually have magic.  From that point on, the action picked up and during the big fight scene, I actually like Izzie for a few minutes, which tells me that this story really did have a lot of potential that it didn't quite capitalize on.

This book, overall, probably could have been a lot better if it wasn't trying to be a modern retelling of Tristan and Isolde. It has some potential as contemporary fantasy if the focus would have been changed to the magic and the action instead of the flaky characters and their shallow relationships.

[That being said, I've heard phenomenal things about this author's other YA books, so start with those! If you're interested in this book, my recommendation is to check it out from your local library before the cover lures you into buying it yourself.]

(ARC) YA Book Review: On the Fringe by Courtney King Walker

Release Date: 19 October 2011
Publisher: Lands Atlantic Publishing, Inc.
Source: Around the World ARC Tours

Goodreads description:

Claire is struggling to overcome the murder of her childhood friend and secret crush, Daniel. Everyone else seems to be moving on with their lives, but she's still trying to cope. The fact that she finds herself alone and drowning on her 16th birthday isn't helping. Neither is thinking she sees Daniel's face in murky water as she mysteriously resurfaces. But something happened during those four and a half minutes that will make her realize it was not just her imagination. As Claire and Daniel try to grasp a possible reconnection, other grudge-holding beings have plans of their own. Now, the two of them have to decide if their fleeting relationship is worth the possibility of Claire being trapped on the fringe forever.

My Thoughts...

I went into On the Fringe in the best possible way: with no expectations, pre-conceived notions, or opinions of others.  What I found in this book was a heart-warming story of first love intertwined with an intensely creepy story of revenge. This was really a ghost story like no other and I fell deeply, madly in love with the characters.

Claire = awesome.  I felt an instant connection with her character. Her emotions from the beginning were very raw, very real.  Who can't relate to that first crush that you're totally way to scared to tell (or to even have them figure it out)?  Her depression after his death is very honest and real. She doesn't wallow, but she can't let it go--partially because she never had the opportunity to tell him how she felt...and even no one among the friends and family knows how she really felt/feels.

The alternating POVs in this book were brillantly executed and allow a solid connection with Daniel.  Despite his death early on, I felt very drawn to him.  I loved watching him fall deeper in love with Claire and reliving his memories as he tries to figure out exactly when that switch in his feelings happened.  Done any other way this story probably would have had a feeling of desperate insta-love, but seeing the relationship develop over time, even without the other one knowing, it gave a very real sense of growth and gradual development of feelings.  This was a pair that had been friends forever and that friendship was on the verge of developing into something more.

The storyline is absolutely brilliant, alternating between the romance and the intensely creepy haunting. Claire is in serious danger and the reader has an ever-increasing awareness of just HOW MUCH danger she's in as the story goes on.  The interweaving of these stories is, well, PERFECT.  Throughout the book, you are constantly delving deeper into the story and making intense connections between Daniel's death, his connection to Claire, and her current haunting (you know, besides Daniel).

This is truly a beautiful story of first love and loss.

YA Book Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Release Date: 1 February 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Bought

Buy this! B&N | Amazon | Book Depository

Goodreads description:

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once the deliria blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy...

My Thoughts...

What if you lived in a world where love was considered a disease--one to be eradicated completely? Would you stay? Would you go along with it? Would it even bother you?  This is the world that Lauren Oliver has beautifully crafted--where love is removed from your brain so that you can live a safe, happy life.

Lena Holoway has grown up impatiently waiting for the day that she can be "cured"--never to risk falling into the madness that took away her mother so many years ago.  And she's almost there.  But then, she meets Alex and everything changes.  She's not sure what she believes or what she wants anymore.  Can the feelings that she have really be such a bad thing?

Lena is an interesting character that felt easy to connect with.  I could imagine being her friend, riding bikes to the beach, and hanging out after school.  Her strong belief in the government program to eradicate the deliria is complete and makes the world convincing--makes it scary to think that the government could become so powerful as to do something so completely invasive and take away something so personal. I loved watching her discover so much about herself and start to really think about the way her mother raised her and her sister.

I really liked Alex a lot, too.  He really challenged Lena to think and feel...and love. It was incredibly easy to get attached to him and I think, for me, it was him that made their relationship feel real and solid.

I truly can't believe that it took me SO LONG to get around to reading this book! Lauren Oliver writes like a pro--you would never guess that this is only her second published YA book.  I highly recommend it for fans of dystopia--although I will admit that is has a bit less "action" than many others (until the end--oh, the ending).  This book will leave you on the edge of your seat impatiently waiting for the second book! 

This is my second "HarperTeen July" post! (2 of 5)

YA Book Review: Forbidden by Tabith Suzuma

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
© 28 June 2011 by HarperTeen

Goodreads description:

Seventeen-year-old Lochan and sixteen-year-old Maya have always felt more like friends than siblings. Together they have stepped in for their alcoholic, wayward mother to take care of their three younger siblings. As de facto parents to the little ones, Lochan and Maya have had to grow up fast. And the stress of their lives—and the way they understand each other so completely—has also also brought them closer than two siblings would ordinarily be.

My Thoughts...

*I've purposefully edited part of the description here. This book is probably honestly best if you try to avoid reading too many reviews or descriptions and just let it unfold as you read (and fall in love with the characters).  So, if you're interested, here's my suggestion: stop reading this and go find a copy of this book...and then come back and comment and tell me how much to also LOVED this book (or not). It's almost impossible not to give things away in reviewing this so read on at your own risk! I've tried my best censor myself...but it's not always 100% successful! If you want the full description, click on the Goodreads link above.

This is one of those books that is difficult to describe and review.  The description lets you know from the beginning that this book isn't going to make you comfortable--it's not a "butterflies and bubblegum" kind of story with a fluffy happy ending.  When I picked this one up from Galley Grab, I wasn't sure what to expect from the story.  I mean, my preconceptions of the subject matter of this story had me thinking "Eww! Really? No way can that be anything but disturbing." However, I was WRONG. Suzuma's writing is beautiful.  There were moments when I was disturbed by the situations in the book--but never, NEVER by the love that Lochan and Maya experienced.

Forbidden opens your eyes in a painful way.  It touches your heart.  It makes you think. It makes you cry. There is so much I would like to say here, but I'm going to have to reign myself in so I don't spoil anything for you.  I will say this--go in with an open mind.  I think that Lochan and Maya will surprise you.  I found myself wanting to cheer for their love despite the obstacles (and illegality).  I screamed and cried when they were discovered (and thankfully I was home alone at that point) because it was the most painfully real sex scene and it was incredibly heartbreaking.

Like any book, this one had its minor flaws.  Sometimes I wished Suzuma would show me more than tell me what was going on.  This is a consequence of spending most of the time in the characters' heads with very little active dialogue. However, this didn't stop me from loving this book.  I felt like I knew these two characters inside and out by the time the book was over--their inner thoughts, struggles, desires.

This book obviously isn't for everyone.  If you honestly can't even stomach the idea of the topic of this book, don't read it.  If you're willing to be open-minded and immerse yourself in their world, then you must read this.

*Source: Simon & Schuster Galley Grab*

YA Book Review: Die for Me by Amy Plum

Die for Me by Amy Plum
© May 2011 by HarperTeen

Goodreads description:

When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he's a revenant--an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.

My Thoughts...

I read this one while I was on vacation in the UK and I think that it was the perfect vacation read.  The kind of book that you read purely as part of the escapism of a vacation.  One of the first things that I noticed when I started this book was just how easy it was to read.  Amy Plum's prose is beautiful and the writing simply flows beautiful.  The woman sure does know how to write a good story!

Our main character here (as I'm sure you gathered from the synopsis) is Kate Mercer, a  young woman who has been devastated by the loss of her parents.  The way that Plum writes Kate at the beginning makes her an incredibly sympathetic character; her pain in losing her parents jumps off the page and becomes very real.  I think I connected with her at this point because she dealt with the loss in a way that felt similar to how I would react.  While Kate makes some of the same mistakes throughout that generally make me sigh and shake my head at the character, I overall really liked her character. 

The romance in this book is really beautiful...that simple beautiful "first love" kind of romance (although it's not Vincent's first time in love...).  Now, I must admit that Vincent had a little bit of the "stalker" air about him when he first starts talking to Kate, but I got over it.  I know that some readers will have problems with this, but I overlooked it.  Maybe I'm just too in love with my hot male leads and my "kissing books."

What I thought made this book unique was the idea of revenants--it was like this completely different take on zombies?  So interesting!  I thought that it really worked, even making one form of them "good" and another "bad" and the way that each "type" was created.  I don't want to tell you what they really are so you can discover them for yourself.  Let's suffice it to say that I loved Amy Plum's debut novel and look forward to reading more from her in the future!

Oh, I also met Amy at the Dark Days of Supernatural tour stop.  She's super sweet and I was so excited to get the chance to meet her! Also, I'm totally jealous that she lives in France. She also brought absolutely delicious chocolate--dark chocolate with sea salt?! Yum!




And just because you should know that not everyone is in love with this book and I fully realize you may not like this book...if you're on the fence, read these blogs' reviews as well!

• Parajunkee's View
• The Story Siren
• Bewitched Bookworms
• Book Chick City

Review: Where She Went

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Publication Date: 5 April 2011

Publisher: Penguin

Buy it!: Amazon | BookDepository | B&N

Goodreads description:

It's been three years since the devastating accident ... three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Julliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future - and each other.
Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

My Thoughts:

I was a little nervous going into this one because I loved the first book so much.  If I Stay is one of the only books I’ve read in a long time that I can guarantee I will read again and again.  It’s also the first one to make a move for Lovely Bones’ spot as my favorite book in years.  I knew that Adam instead of Mia as the narrator would also bring a new perspective to the story, and I guess I wasn’t sure if I was ready for that.

When the book started out, I had a bit of a hard time getting into the new POV.  It’s not that I didn’t like Adam’s story.  I actually think that I was, for some subconscious reason, ANGRY with him.  I’m not sure why, exactly, but I so wanted him and Mia to be together and I couldn’t understand why his life was in such shambles if he was basically living his dream.  I had so many questions at the beginning when I realized they weren’t together and he was living on this celebrity image with the celebrity girlfriend and everything.  I think it broke my heart more than a little to see how Adam was living because I loved him in the first book.  However, the book really takes you through his story in his flashbacks and everything really starts to come together.  

I eventually really did fall in love with Adam as the narrator.  His flashbacks on Mia’s coma and recovery were so eye-opening and, well, heart-breaking.  

I loved how the author brought Mia back into Adam’s life and the way they spent what little time they each had together.  There isn’t an unrealistic, instant “I forgive you for everything because I love you” moment when they first meet again, which was good because I would have put the book down right then and there. These characters are real people with real issues to work through.  I mean, they haven’t seen each other for three years! 

Well, I think I should stop my ramblings before I start giving away the story~!  I really, really enjoyed this book.  It left me satisfied and with a smile on my face. I plan on buying this one when it comes out in paperback (because I bought the first one in paperback and I’m (a) OCD like that and (b) kind of broke right now).  Thanks a bunch to NetGalley and Tarah from Penguin Young Readers group for access to an eGalley of this book!

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Publication Date: 22 March 2011

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Buy this: Amazon | BookDepository

Goodreads description:

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limted time she has left

My Thoughts:

I was worried when I picked this one up.  There was so much hype about it and I'd heard so many good things...and a pretty large handful of bad things.

But this book didn't let me down. No matter what anyone else says, I loved this book.

Wither's opening scene pulled me right in a Rhine described being in the van, not knowing up from down, then being unloaded, chosen, and herded into a limo while the other girls are killed.  It was the kind of opening that kept me turning the page.  As the story unfolds, I found myself diving right into this future world and getting lost in its complications and twists and turns.  Why did someone kill Rhine's parents?  If they cured cancer, why can't they stop this life-ending disease?  I hated Housemaster Vaughn so much, but I still wanted him to find the darn cure!

Rhine was a great character for me.  So many YA novels that I've read lately have had these clumsy, oblivious female leads and while I've still enjoyed some of those novels, I have craved strong females who try to get something done (hence, my love for Gaia in Birthmarked and Katniss in the Hunger Games). Rhine falls into this category of strong female.  She knows what she wants (to escape and find her brother) and what she'll need to do to get it (deceive her husband to win favor).  I loved that she sometimes forgot that she was "pretending" to be in love with Linden because that sort of questioning of her feelings made her more human.

Linden was a character that struck such conflict in me while I was reading. I wanted to hate him--I really, really did.  However, as his oblivion is slowly revealed bit-by-bit (and you realize that everything is Vaughn running the show), I couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy.  He was no less a pawn in his father's game than the girls.   There were definitely points in the book where I was rooting for him to steal Rhine's heart and I would catch myself and be like "What about Gabriel?!"  

There were some things about this story that were difficult to believe.  For one, the emphasis on procreation (especially by the young men_ when there doesn't seem to be any kind of push/brainwashing by the "first generations" to convince the younger generations. If this type of emphasis was being pushed, then these girls would ALL be like Cecily with her desire for a husband and children...but they aren't. Also, killing teenage girls when they are apparently vital to the next generation? Especially ordered dead by a man desperate for the cure? 

Despite any minor qualms I may have had with this book, my opinion remains: I loved this book and I cannot wait for the next one. (When does it come out?! What is it called?! I want to know so bad!)

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Release: April 6, 2010 (Paperback edition)
Publisher: Speak (Paperback)
Buy this: Amazon | BookDepository
Available formats: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle, Nookbook


Goodreads description:

In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

My Thoughts: (**ALERT: minor spoiler ahead!**)

This is a painfully beautiful story. The car accident that kills Mia's family happens only about 15 pages into the story, but I felt like Forman ripped my heart out and stomped on it.  In those 15 pages, I was already in love with Kat, Denny, Teddy, and Mia. Despite every description about this book available on the internet, I held on to this shred of hope that Teddy was still alive--all because Mia thought it was so.  It has been a long time since I connected with a character and a book in this way and I was truly blown away by Forman's writing.

When reading a story that is mainly told in memories and recollections, I've often felt less connected with the characters (besides the main characters).  This was not the case with this book.  Through Mia's memories and the flashbacks Forman writes in, I felt myself connected and drawn to Mia's whole family. There were points when she was telling a flashback that I would forget that Mia's parents were dead because the words and stories made them really come to life.

And Mia.  Mia was such a dynamic, well-written character.  Between watching her struggle with her decision and reading through her memories, I felt like I knew her.  I could have sat down and had a conversation with her.  I wanted her to stay and live (largely for Adam, whom I was practically in love with) but I SO understood her hesitation.  When her grandfather tells her he'd understand if she leaves, I just about lost it.  (And all I could think was--"You still have 50 pages to read. Don't start bawling now!")

One last thing: I loved Adam.  I loved him because he seemed fabulous is Mia's memories.  I loved him because they didn't have some perfect romance.  I loved him for trying to break into ICU to see her.  I loved him because of this quote:

"If you stay, I'll do whatever you want.  I'll quit the band, go with you to New York.  But if you need me to go away, I'll do that too.  I was talking to Liz and she said maybe coming back to your old life would just be too painful, that maybe it'd be easier for you to erase us.  And that would suck, but I'd do it.  I can lose you like that if I don't lose you today. I'll let you go.  If you stay."

I'll leave it there for now because I'm on the verge of spilling too many spoilers.  I loved this book--not everyone will.  I'd recommend it without any reservations for fans of Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. 

Birthmarked by Caragh O'Brien

When I glanced at this cover on GoodReads, I instantly felt compelled to read it.  I know, I know--don't judge a book by its cover.  But, seriously, how many people can honestly say that they've never picked up a book because it had an awesome cover? No one? That's what I thought.  A lovely professor of mine was kind enough to loan me her copy of this book so I didn't have to place my name on the lengthening list of holds at the local public library.


My judgement: Go find a copy of this book and read it. NOW. No, you don't need to read my review first.  First, you need to go see if your public library has a copy and put your name on the hold list (because I'm sure that all of their copies are check out).  Now, on to the review, which you can read after you have a hold on this book.


From the cover:
IN THE ENCLAVE, YOUR SCARS SET YOU APART, and the newly born will change the future.

Sixteen-year-old Gaia Stone and her mother faithfully deliver their quota of three infants every month. But when Gaia’s mother is brutally taken away by the very people she serves, Gaia must question whether the Enclave deserves such loyalty. A stunning adventure brought to life by a memorable heroine, this dystopian debut will have readers racing all the way to the dramatic finish.

This is a novel that you will start and not put down until you have read the last page.  The main character, Gaia, is a sympathetic character from the beginning.  The scar on her face sets her apart, even in the world outside of the Enclave.  She's a strong-willed character with quite the determination when it comes to her family.  When her parents are arrested by the Enclave, Gaia, scorning the advice of those around her, insists upon find a way into the Enclave to rescue her parents.  Her determination, quick-thinking, and (ultimately) love drive her to impossible lengths to save those she loves.  The cast of characters that she meets along the way will surprise the reader.  I don't want to spoil any plot points here, so I'll suffice it to say that O'Brien's debut novel is well-written, suspenseful, and moving.  The world and characters that she has created will leave your mind reeling.  Don't despair: the second book in a three book deal is slated to appear later this fall.

The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

I picked this book up (or rather put it on hold) after I saw it on an NPR book list by Gayle Foreman titled "Oh, To Be Young: The Year's Best Teen Reads." It is an interesting view into death and the grieving process of those "left behind."  When Lennie's older sister, Bailey, dies unexpectedly, Lennie is tossed into a world unknown--where she is noticed, no longer in the shadow of her vibrant sister.  Lennie always considered herself the "companion pony" to Bailey's racehorse, so her grief is explosive, as you might imagine.  Nelson presents in a stunningly well-written narrative the emotional process that Lennie experiences--denial, guilt, passion, sorrow--all packaged in a coming-of-age type of story that will touch readers.

This story is truly in a league of its own.  In my opinion, it's a must read.  The language is beautiful.  The main character is incredibly compelling and nuanced (even if other characters seem to fall flat--this one makes up for it).  The storyline is realistic.  It's beautiful. Read it. :-)