Review: Dear Cassie by Lisa Burstein

Release Date: 5 March 2013
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley

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Goodreads description:

What if the last place you should fall in love is the first place that you do?

You’d think getting sent to Turning Pines Wilderness Camp for a month-long rehabilitation “retreat” and being forced to re-live it in this journal would be the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.

You’d be wrong.

There’s the reason I was sent to Turning Pines in the first place: I got arrested. On prom night. With my two best friends, who I haven’t talked to since and probably never will again. And then there’s the real reason I was sent here. The thing I can’t talk about with the guy I can’t even think about.

What if the moment you’ve closed yourself off is the moment you start to break open?

But there’s this guy here. Ben. And the more I swear he won’t—he can’t—the deeper under my skin he’s getting. After the thing that happened, I promised I’d never fall for another boy’s lies.

And yet I can’t help but wonder…what if?

My Thoughts...

When I read Pretty Amy over a year ago now, I felt like I had found a gem in Ms. Burstein's writing. Amy was perfectly flawed and fun to read about. I was incredibly excited to discover that Cassie would be getting her own story and Ms. Burstein once again delivered on a great premise.

What I Liked:
The writing and character development was once again fantastic. I was excited to have the opportunity to get into Cassie's head and wasn't disappointed at what we discovered there. Cassie is a very dynamic character with her tough-girl, rough-around-the-edges attitude coupled with clear heartbreak over something that she keeps hidden deep. The minor characters in this book were fantastic and I found myself intrigued by each and every one of them.

What Was Disappointing:
Bens's stunt at the end seemed a little over-the-top and perhaps unrealistic. I liked that they got to have this moment, but I felt like it was too easy and not really plausible.

Overall:
I will continue to follow Ms. Burstein's writing quite avidly and the hints of a Ben/Cassie novella make me quite the happy reader. I think this is also one that will consider adding to my library collection (possibly out of my own pocket) because it has that raw, realistic quality to it that my students enjoy.

The Archived by Victoria Schwab

Release Date: January 2013
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased

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Goodreads description:

Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often—violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.

Being a Keeper isn’t just dangerous—it’s a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da’s death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.

My Thoughts...

Review + Giveaway: Naturals by Tiffany Truitt

Release Date: 2 April 2013
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Format: eARC 
Source: Publisher


Grab the first book, Chosen Ones, or Naturals for only $4.99 for your Kindle!

Ripped away from those she loves most, Tess is heartbroken as her small band of travelers reaches the Isolationist camp in the mysterious and barren Middlelands. Desperate to be reunited with James, the forbidden chosen one who stole her heart, she wants nothing to do with the rough Isolationists, who are without allegiance in the war between the Westerners and Easterners. But having their protection, especially for someone as powerful as Tess, may come at a cost.

When James returns, Tess’s world once again feels complete—until she discovers her sister, Louisa, has taken up her old post at Templeton, the dangerous chosen ones training center and the site of Tess’s loss of innocence. Tess will do anything to protect her loved ones—but will the price be more than she can give?

This second book in Tiffany Truitt’s dystopian series is a thought-provoking, thrilling story that asks who the true enemy really is—the chosen ones who are different, or the naturals…who are just like us.

My Thoughts...

Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally

Release Date: 1 March 2013
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased

Get a copy! Amazon

Goodreads description:

Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different…

This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt--with her.

Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy…

My Thoughts...

This series is one that I consider a must-read/must-buy and thankfully Ms. Kenneally didn't disappoint with this third installment. Full of the charm I've come to except from this series, Things I Can't Forget was a quick read that lef the satisfied and looking forward to more.

What I Liked:

Kate was a very dynamic protagonist and I loved getting to see her different layers and the things that made her tick. I was curious how religion would be woven into the story and I felt that the way that it was portrayed they Kate was honest, refreshing, and dearly lacking in preachiness. Kate struggled with her upbringing, past choices, and future choices the way that every teenager does and it totally worked.  The storytelling was fabulous as always, with the perfect moment apps of reflection and just the right amount of teenage angst.

What was Disappointing:

Side characters have always been great in this series and this was no exception, except that I felt some of the potential with the more minor characters was lost. Brad pops up fairly early on and it is clear that he has some major home issues...but we never really get to see it play out.  I felt like he could have been developed more as Kate's friend and added yet another layer to the story.

Overall...

I am still head-over-heels for this series and I am happy to read that there will be more. Ms. Kenneally isn't afraid to tackle tough issues but she manages to keep her novels from turning into issues books, which is appreciated.  They are fun reads that aren't fluffy and I look forward to more.

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...

Sunday Steals!

So, usually I post this type of thing on a Saturday but I was at work earlier and stumbled upon some great eBook deals for your Kindle that I HAD to share.  Who knows how long these will last so grab what you will asap! :)  (As of Monday morning, I know some of these have risen in price...)

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**I am an Amazon Associate and make a few pennies on your purchase. All proceeds from my orders go to buy books for the alternative high school library where I work.