Book Review: You Were Here

Title: You Were Here

Author: Cori McCarthy

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Publication Date: March 1, 2016

Source: Borrowed from Library

On the anniversary of her daredevil brother's death, Jaycee attempts to break into Jake's favorite hideout—the petrifying ruins of an insane asylum. Joined by four classmates, each with their own brand of dysfunction, Jaycee discovers a map detailing her brother's exploration and the unfinished dares he left behind.

As a tribute to Jake, Jaycee vows to complete the dares, no matter how terrifying or dangerous. What she doesn't bargain on is her eccentric band of friends who challenge her to do the unthinkable: reveal the parts of herself that she buried with her brother.

Book Review: The Crown

Title: The Crown

Series: The Selection

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: May 3, 2016

Source: Purchased

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When Eadlyn became the first princess of Illéa to hold her own Selection, she didn’t think she would fall in love with any of her thirty-five suitors. She spent the first few weeks of the competition counting down the days until she could send them all home. But as events at the palace force Eadlyn even further into the spotlight, she realizes that she might not be content remaining alone.

Eadlyn still isn’t sure she’ll find the fairytale ending her parents did twenty years ago. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you…and soon Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more impossible—and more important—than she ever imagined.

Book Review: All the Bright Places

Title: All the Bright Places

Author: Jennifer Niven

Publisher: Knopf

Publication Date: January 6, 2015

Source: Purchased

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The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this exhilarating and heart-wrenching love story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.
Soon to be a major motion picture starring Elle Fanning!
 
Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.

My Review

I should start off my review by stating that All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven did not make me cry like so many of the readers of this book, but I did get a little emotional. But only a tiny bit, which is shocking because I am a very emotional person. (If you're wondering what made me cry... I'll tell you... It wasn't the Violet/Finch stuff, but the Eleanor and Violet flashbacks.)

I expected all of the sad events that occur in this book to happen when I started reading it, and the strong foreshadowing confirmed my predictions. I guess it just left me with very little room to be sad because I knew what was coming. I had time to be sad while reading and to come to terms with the ending before I even got there. I couldn't really think after I finished reading, and I had a hard time analyzing everything about the book.

Nonetheless, Niven's novel is one that I was kind of unsure about after I closed the final page. I didn't know if I liked it or if it was just another book that I read without really feeling anything for any of the characters or plot or really anything. I was just lost, dazed, and confused. After sleeping it off, I decided that I liked the book. It's a different kind of book in the depression and suicide canon of books, and I'm glad that I was finally able to get to the book.

At times, I was bored with the writing. It's not that the book is wordy or poorly written because it's not; the prose just got on my nerves because sometimes it's catchy, and other times it's a bit boring. It just left me dumbfounded because both Finch and Violet of supposed to be fans of words and how they can be arranged in writing and speech. Sometimes, I felt like the word choices could have been a lot better to really make it a beautifully outstanding piece of writing.

Unfortunately, the characters didn't really stand out to me like I thought they would, but I still liked them. I feel like I'll remember them for a while, but soon, they will just be distant memories that I will have to revisit. Finch threw me off guard because he's just so out there. Sometimes I loved him, and other times, I hated him. At times, I thought he was pompous, especially when he and Violet first meet, but then I grew to like him and then dislike him and then like him again. It was like an endless cycle of figuring him out, but I was okay with that because it's truly representative of his depression. I was conflicted about how I felt about him, and I still am. On the other hand, I had a better connection to Violet. Her back story was better explained, and I really felt her sadness and I understood it. Therefore, I was able to get inside of her head a little better and really get to know her.

I'm thinking the only thing that really left me hanging about this book is that I really wanted to know more about Violet's sister, Eleanor. It's just plain old human curiosity to wander, and I wanted to know everything about this situation. Eleanor a huge reason as to why Violet is the why she is. Besides... I'm just such a sucker for stories about sisters and would have loved to have seen more about her included.

So did I like this book? Yes. I really did, but it just wasn't a spectacular read for me. Will I read other YA titles from Niven if she writes them? Absolutely. This one was good, and I hope that one day one of hers will be great for me. I'm glad that Niven was able to tell a story like this (apparently very similar to one that she went through) because the world really needs it. You never know when someone is suffering, and she does a great job at showing how depression and other mental health problems are invisible illnesses. 

All the Bright Places is Jennifer Niven's first book for young adult readers, but she has written four novels for adults - American Blonde, Becoming Clementine, Velva Jean Learns to Fly, and Velva Jean Learns to Drive - as well as three nonfiction books, The Ice Masters, Ada Blackjack, and The Aqua Net Diaries, a memoir about her high school experiences.

Although she grew up in Indiana, she now lives with her fiance and literary cats in Los Angeles, which remains her favorite place to wander.

 

ARC Review: Wild Hearts

Title: Wild Hearts

Series: If Only . . . 

Author: Jessica Burkhart

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Publication Date: May 5, 2015

Source: Printed ARC from Bloomsbury

Goodreads | Amazon
 

Enjoy Wild Hearts and the other standalone titles in Bloomsbury's contemporary If Only romance line centered around an impossible problem: you always want what you can't have!

Brie Carter's father's land development business has taken her family all over the world,
but as soon as they arrive at their new home in Lost Springs, Wyoming, the town turns out to protest. They don't want a new hotel if the resident mustang population will be displaced or hurt as part of the deal. Then Brie meets Logan, a gorgeous local who has a special connection to the mustangs, and she is immediately drawn to him . . . and the horses. However, with Logan's father leading the protests and Brie's father refusing to budge, it's clear that their parents are heading towards an all-out war. Can Brie and Logan find a way to save the mustangs and be together? Or is their love doomed from the start?

This new title in the If Only line is the perfect summer read and proves that love flourishes in the wildest places!

My Review

Wild Hearts is a standalone novel in the If Only . . . series, a series of novels about forbidden love. The cool thing about the series is that all of the titles are standalone novels, so they can be read in any order (or you could skip the ones that don't interest you). Wild Hearts by Jessica Burkhart is the first title that I've read in the series (and my first Jessica Burkhart book), and I'm sure it probably won't be the last as many of the released and upcoming titles look entertaining and adorable. Unfortunately, Wild Hearts wasn't a huge hit for me, but I did find some aspects of the book to be cute.

Wild Hearts is about Brie Carter and Logan McCoy's Romeo and Juliet romance. They are immediately attracted to one another, but their fathers hate each other. Their romance is pretty much instantaneous, and if I had to, I'd label it as instalove. It just seemed a bit unrealistic for the new girl in town to fall for the most gorgeous guy in town so quickly. Their romance is sickly sweet, and to be honest, it was a bit too much for me to handle. Sometimes I thought parts were outstanding and adorable, but other times, I was scratching my head because it was just so weird.

Brie is one of those characters that I could take or leave, and for me, it's kind of a problem if I don't connect with the protagonist. Here she is, a girl who is forced to move pretty much every year, and she's just kind of bland. She has a lot of stories, but they really don't make her as interesting as one would think they would. She complains a lot about not having "a thing" of her own. It was nice to see that she wanted to find something that made her unique in the world, but the complaining got annoying. By the middle of the book, she finds something that makes her happy, and I loved that part, but it was kind of upsetting that she just dropped her "no boyfriend until college" rule to find the thing that she wanted. Even so, I was proud of her by the end of the novel for all that she and Logan accomplished in such a short amount of time.

If you're looking for a YA romance that's set in the country, then Wild Hearts is definitely for you. I can see many readers devouring this book during a summer camping trip or at the beach. Burkhart does a great job at setting the scene and tone of life in Lost Springs, and her imagery is fantastic, even if some aspects of the book are a little corny. She writes about horses in a way that felt very realistic, and those parts held my interest, even if I didn't agree with some of the things that the characters do. I felt like I was able to picture the entire town of Lost Springs, and it was a fairly enjoyable ride.

Book Review: Since You've Been Gone

Title: Since You've Been Gone

Author: Morgan Matson

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication Date: May 6, 2014
Source: Purchased

Goodreads | Amazon

The Pre-Sloane Emily didn't go to parties, she barely talked to guys, she didn't do anything crazy. Enter Sloane, social tornado and the best kind of best friend—the one who yanks you out of your shell.

But right before what should have been an epic summer, Sloane just… disappears. No note. No calls. No texts. No Sloane. There’s just a random to-do list. On it, thirteen Sloane-selected-definitely-bizarre-tasks that Emily would never try… unless they could lead back to her best friend.

Apple Picking at Night? Okay, easy enough.

Dance until Dawn? Sure. Why not?

Kiss a Stranger? Um...

Getting through Sloane’s list would mean a lot of firsts. But Emily has this whole unexpected summer ahead of her, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected) to check things off. Who knows what she’ll find?

Go Skinny Dipping? Wait ... what?

My Review

If there's one thing I've learned about the YA book community, it's that mostly everyone loves Morgan Matson. I don't think I've come across a single person who hasn't enjoyed at least one of her books, so when my blogging friends found out that I had never read a Morgan Matson book, they told me to immediately read one. I was able to find this one at a second hand book store, so they convinced me to read it right away. I'm glad that they did because I'm able have crossed it off my list. I liked the book, but sadly, I wouldn't say that this book is anywhere close to a favorite of mine.

The inside cover art of Since You've Been Gone is beautiful.

I guess the thing about Since You've Been Gone that really bothered me is I felt like even though things were happening and Emily was crossing items off her list, I felt like things were really happening for no real reason. It was pretty clear to me from the first page that Sloane wasn't coming back, and I kind of felt like Emily was doing all of these things without real reason. By the end of the book, I was pleasantly surprised because I really enjoyed the build up to the end of the novel. Things started to fall into place for Emily, and I was only wishing that the pacing of those final chapters matched the pacing in the previous chapters.

There were a few things that I really enjoyed about the book, and those things held my interest to keep me reading. I really liked the inclusion of playlists. You know me... I love music, so being able to actually see, in writing, what Emily and Frank listen to while on their runs really brought the book to life for me. I also really liked how Matson included the image of Sloane's letter to Emily. It was a nice touch. I also liked the slow change in Emily over the summer. Even though the plotting of her change felt a bit unrealistic, the changes that Emily made for herself felt very real.

So... did I enjoy Since You've Been Gone? Yes. I just think that it was kind of long, overdone, and a bit difficult. I probably wouldn't add this to my list of books to reread, but I'm glad that I was finally able to read (and somewhat enjoy) a Morgan Matson book.

ARC Review: Nightbird

Title: Nightbird

Author: Alice Hoffman

Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books

Publication Date: March 10, 2015

Rating: ☆☆☆

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An enchanting novel from bestselling author Alice Hoffman: a charmed New England village, a family secret, and a friendship destined to defeat a witch.

"Some things could only be found in Sidwell it seemed: pink apples, black owls, and my brother, James."

Twelve-year-old Twig's town in the Berkshires is said to hide a winged beast, the Monster of Sidwell, and the rumors draw as many tourists as the town's famed Pink apple orchards. Twig lives on the orchard with her mysterious brother James and her reclusive mother, a baker of irresistible apple pies. Because of a family secret - an ancient curse - Twig has had to isolate herself from other kids. Then a family with two girls, Julia and Agate, moves into the cottage next door. They are descendants of the witch who put the spell on Twig's family. But Julia turns out to be Twig's first true friend, and her ally in trying to undo the curse and smooth the path to true love for Agate and James.

My Review

Nightbird is a middle grade novel by bestselling author, Alice Hoffman. Before reading this book, I'd never read anything by Ms. Hoffman before, which is kind of shocking when you consider the fact that she's written so many books and has had so many bestsellers. Unfortunately, I wasn't too impressed with Nightbird, Ms. Hoffman's first middle grade novel, and I don't know how I feel about possibly reading more books by her.

I had a hard time connecting with one of the stories in Nightbird, and unfortunately, that story was the main part of the plot - Twig's tale about the Sidwell Monster and her life. While the plot of Twig's story was both cutesy and serious, I felt like it wasn't very engaging. There were many times that the narration felt stiff and boring.

I've already mentioned that the narration was dull, but I did not mention that Twig's voice just didn't feel like a middle grade voice to me. When I read middle grade, I want to feel that excitement of a preteen, but I just didn't feel that at all with this book. Twig's definitely very mature for her age due to family circumstances, and I think that makes her sound more like an adult instead of a kid. I just keep thinking that a lot of middle grade readers would pick up on this and feel an extreme disconnect to Twig and the novel.

The book did pick up a little at the end, and I really enjoyed the last two chapters, especially because the ending is quite satisfying and heart-warming. I just wish the rest of the book would have had the same feel to it. All in all, it wasn't a terrible read, but when I see something labeled as magical realism, I really want to feel that perfected hybrid balance of real world and fantasy.

Was this the book for me? No, but I can see this one being treasured by kids for years to come because of the light fantastical elements and somewhat intriguing plot. I would recommend this to middle grade readers who are very comfortable with reading magical realism. I'd also recommend this to middle school English/ELA teachers because I can see a lot of benefit to using this book in class to teach about magical realism, prejudice, family values, and friendship.

About Alice Hoffman

Alice Hoffman is the author of more than thirty bestselling works of fiction, including Practical Magic, also a major motion picture with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman; Here On Earth, an Oprah Book Club selection; the highly praised historical novel The Dovekeepers; and, most recently, The Museum of Extraordinary Things.

Her books for teens include Green Angel, Green Witch, Incantation, The Foretelling, and Aquamarine, also a motion picture with Emma Roberts.

Book Review: Fairest

Title: Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles 3.5)

Series: The Lunar Chronicles

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Publication Date: January 27, 2015
Rating: ☆☆☆

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In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now.

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.

My Review

When I first started reading Fairest by Marissa Meyer, I was a little confused as to why it was being labeled as a bridge book or a midquel. Most of Levana's story takes place before the events in Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress. Though the novel definitely connects Queen Levana to all of the main characters in The Lunar Chronicles, I just don't see how it truly operates as a bridge book because it contains a lot of new information. Even after finishing the book, it felt more like a prequel instead of a bridge book. It could very well have been expanded and been a full length novel just like the other books in the series.

After binge-reading  Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress this past summer, I was excited to learn more about this scientifically thrilling world of Marissa Meyer's. I will admit that I was more looking forward to Winter, but I was also looking forward to Fairest. After finishing Fairest, I found myself a bit disappointed but not enough to make me dislike the book. I just wanted more. The plot in Fairest is set, but the world-building really isn't. I was hoping to learn more about Luna and its technological developments, but Meyer briefly mentions what readers will remember from the other books in the series. I was also hoping to get a better image of Luna in my mind, but what Meyer describes isn't quite fulfilling (but the art on the inside is!).

As you know, this is Levana's story, and it starts when she is fifteen. She finds herself in love and ready to marry this man. Unfortunately, things don't work out for Levana and her husband. You would think that this would harden Levana, but you'll discover that there's still more to Levana than just an unrequited love affair. I found that a lot of the details and connections were predictable, but it didn't make me dislike the book. It just solidified how well I know the stories.

Do I like Levana any more than I did in the previous three books? I'm not saying that I completely hated her in the other books because she's a much needed foil, but I don't think this book changed my opinion of her. At this point, Levana is meant to be an unlikeable character, but that's why I like her as a character. Because of this book, I do understand Levana's history a lot better, which is what I think Meyer was going for with this book.

ARC Review: When Reason Breaks

Title: When Reason Breaks

Author: Cindy L. Rodriguez

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Publication Date: February 10, 2015

Source: eARC from Bloomsbury

Rating: ☆☆☆

13 Reasons Why meets the poetry of Emily Dickinson in this gripping debut novel perfect for fans of Sara Zarr or Jennifer Brown.

A Goth girl with an attitude problem, Elizabeth Davis must learn to control her anger before it destroys her. Emily Delgado appears to be a smart, sweet girl, with a normal life, but as depression clutches at her, she struggles to feel normal. Both girls are in Ms. Diaz’s English class, where they connect to the words of Emily Dickinson. Both are hovering on the edge of an emotional precipice. One of them will attempt suicide. And with Dickinson’s poetry as their guide, both girls must conquer their personal demons to ever be happy.

In an emotionally taut novel with a richly diverse cast of characters, readers will relish in the poetry of Emily Dickinson and be completely swept up in the turmoil of two girls grappling with demons beyond their control.

Purchase Links

Amazon || Barnes & Noble || Indiebound || The Book Depository || Books-A-Million
Powell's

My Review

When Reason Breaks by Cindy L. Rodriguez is an ambitious YA novel with a very intriguing concept. As an English teacher and lover of literature, I was immediately drawn to this book at the mention of Emily Dickinson. Then I made the E.D. connection. Two girls - Emily Delgado and Elizabeth Davis - share their initials with Emily Dickinson. Cool, right? Of course it's cool!

I enjoyed this book, but I didn't love this book. I loved the concept, but I felt like there was too much going on for it to be a complete, graspable book. In a way, it makes sense for Rodriguez to do that because Emily Dickinson had quite an interesting and complicated life, but it makes for a very complicated and intricate book. There was one thing that happened in this book that created grief and aggravation for me; Rodriguez spoils her audience at the beginning of the book! She doesn't completely spoil it, but for readers like me, who read in between the lines, the one detail that is given away at the beginning of the book makes it so much easier to figure out what really happens.

I was expecting a little more character development from Rodriguez. In the beginning of the book, I confused Emily and Elizabeth a lot. Differentiating the two becomes easier as the book moves along, but it is annoying to confuse characters. I liked how Emily Delgado was characterized, but boy... I had problems with Elizabeth Davis. From the synopsis, I was expecting someone a little more rough around the edges, but she didn't really appear that way to me. I kind of thought of her anger as fluff instead of real anger. I really thought there would be more to her than what Rodriguez includes.

That being said, there are many great things about this novel, and I applaud Rodriguez for its creation. First of all, there are so many diverse characters in this book. Rodriguez includes Latino characters and culture in this book, which is something I've yet to come across in the YA books I've read. Secondly, I love the integration of Emily Dickinson's poetry. Emily Dickinson is an important piece of American history, and seeing how lines from her poems relate to the plot is awe-inspiring. I can only hope that teens will be more likely to go to the library and read Dickinson's poems after reading this book.

Overall, When Reason Breaks is an enjoyable read, especially if you are a fan of Emily Dickinson or retellings. There are some minor flaws, but there are also some really great moments that overshadow most of the flaws. I hope that readers will take something away from those great moments.

Cindy L. Rodriguez is a former newspaper reporter turned public school teacher. She now teaches as a reading specialist at a Connecticut middle school but previously worked for the Hartford Courant and the Boston Globe. She and her young daughter live in Connecticut. When Reason Breaks is her debut novel. For more author information, click here.

Book Review: The Kiss of Deception

Title: The Kiss of Deception (The Remnant Chronicles #1)

Author: Mary E. Pearson

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co. (BYR)

Publication Date: July 8, 2014

Format: Hardcover, 489 pages

Source: Purchased from Amazon

Rating: ☆☆☆

Synopsis:
A princess must find her place in a reborn world.

She flees on her wedding day.

She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor's secret collection.

She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father.

She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan.

The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can't abide. Like having to marry someone she's never met to secure a political alliance.

Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love.

My Review

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson is a charming and beautifully written YA fantasy novel about a young princess named Lia who decides to run away from the only home she's ever known to avoid marrying a prince from a neighboring kingdom. Seems interesting, right? Of course.

Those of you who have been reading my reviews and getting to know me have probably realized by now that I don't exactly read a lot of fantasy. It's not that I don't like the genre - I have read and loved so many fantasy novels - I sometimes get frustrated with the lack of world-building that some authors forget to include. That is not the case with The Kiss of Deception. Pearson's imagery paints the picture of a troubled world that still has a lot of growing up to do. I love the way that Pearson does this. She gives away little details of the throughout the novel, and the reader is still interested in learning what she has purposefully omitted by the end of the book.

There is a vast array of strong and curious characters in this book. First of all, there's the runaway princess, Lia. She's an independent young lady who desperately wants to make her own decisions in life. She's also got a smart mouth on her and it certainly makes for a fair share of people who dislike her. To be honest, I really liked Lia. When I first picked up the book, I thought she might not be as fierce as she is, but I'm certainly a fan of how Pearson characterizes her. Other main characters in the book are Pauline, Lia's handmaid, and two young men named Rafe and Kaden. Pauline certainly finds herself in a lot of trouble, but she's a good and loyal friend to Lia. Rafe and Kaden are mysterious, but each in their own ways. I kept flip-flopping with these two characters, and by the end of the book, I had no clue what to feel about either, even after figuring out their secrets. Pearson also includes a plethora of minor characters who also add a great deal to the story.

I was hoping for more action in this book than there actually was, and I'll admit that I was a little bored for about half of it. I just wanted something to happen, but there were just a lot of normal scenes - Lia and Pauline traveling and working, Lia and Pauline meeting new people, and the introduction of new characters.

However, the writing makes up for the lack of action and plot movement. I absolutely love Pearson's writing style. She drives things forward so eloquently, even if she's just writing about Lia moving from the kitchen of the bar to the dining room. At the end of the novel, I was ready for more, and I'll definitely be reading the sequel, The Heart of Betrayal.

ARC Review: Zac & Mia by A.J. Betts

Title: Zac & Mia

Author: A.J. Betts

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: September 2, 2014

Source: eARC from publisher

Rating: ☆☆☆

Synopsis:
The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor & Park in this tough and tender young adult novel that's a lot about love (and a little about cancer).

Winner of the 2012 Australian Text Prize

"When I was little I believed in Jesus and Santa, spontaneous combustion, and the Loch Ness monster. Now I believe in science, statistics, and antibiotics." So says seventeen-year-old Zac Meier during a long, grueling leukemia treatment in Perth, Australia. A loud blast of Lady Gaga alerts him to the presence of Mia, the angry, not-at-all-stoic cancer patient in the room next door. Once released, the two near-strangers can't forget each other, even as they desperately try to resume normal lives. The story of their mysterious connection drives this unflinchingly tough, tender novel told in two voices.

My Review

Okay... I should have read this one months ago, but trying to read ebooks on my computer was really straining my eyes. I'm glad that I finally got to it because it was somewhat enjoyable, and unique.

Zac & Mia by A.J. Betts is the story of two very different Australian teenagers who have one thing in common - they have cancer. In a world where there are so many YA books about cancer being published, you want just one that you read to stand out. Unfortunately,  there isn't really anything too striking about Zac & Mia.

The writing is okay, but I expected a little something more from an English teacher. There were quite a few times that I had to go back and re-read passages because the wording was awkward. The narration was weird. It starts off with Zac narrating, and I noticed his name, so I thought maybe there would be alternating chapters, but that doesn't happen until part two where Zac and Mia alternate chapters. That whole part is a little shaky. Mia starts solely narrating in part three, and it gets a little better again. I just thought it was a strange way to break up a book, but it does reflect how the two are living and the events in their lives.

I will note that I enjoyed that the American edition of this book is still very true to the author's Australian roots. There are references to foods and other Australian things in the book that I had to look up. It made the book a little more enjoyable. I think the book's setting might have been my favorite part because I've never read a book set in Australia before.

The book had enough going for it that I kept reading, but there were a few moments when I really wanted to put this book away for a while, but I wanted to find out more about Zac and Mia. Eventually I started to enjoy it a little more, and I read a good portion of it in just a few hours. I wish there was more. It just felt unfinished like the author was setting something up for a sequel.

In accordance to FTC guidelines, I must state that I received a free galley of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Review: Ashes to Ashes

Title: Ashes to Ashes

Series: Burn for Burn

Authors: Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: September 16, 2014

 

New Year's Eve ended with a bang and Mary, Kat and Lillia may not be prepared for what is to come.

After Rennie's death, Kat and Lillia try to put the pieces together of what happened to her. They both blame themselves. If Lillia hadn't left with Reeve... If Kat had only stayed with Rennie... Things could have been different. Now they will never be the same.

Only Mary knows the truth about that night. About what she is. She also knows the truth about Lillia and Reeve falling in love, about Reeve being happy when all he deserves is misery, just like the misery he caused her.

Now their childish attempts at revenge are a thing of the past and Mary is out for blood. Will she leave anything in her wake or will all that remain be ashes?

My Review

I wanted to like Ashes for Ashes just as much as I liked Burn for Burn and Fire with Fire, but unfortunately, I did not enjoy this one as much as the other books in the trilogy. It's a pretty solid book, but one thing - the epilogue - basically ruined a lot of the plot for me.

A lot of things in this book really work well. It starts off with a very somber feel, and rightfully so given what happened at the end of Fire with Fire. Even though it took me a little longer to get into it, I really enjoyed that part because it made that sad aspect of the plot so much more realistic. After that, things start to heat up quickly, and it keeps going until the end of the book. Most of the second half is pretty intense with wild things going on and the girls trying to finish up senior year. 

The paranormal aspect comes into play a lot more in this book with Mary, and you know what... I actually liked it! It might be a first for me to enjoy something like this, but I'm crediting it to the very contemporary feel of the books. I thought that it was unique as far as paranormal concepts go, and I had to stay up all night just to see how everything would eventually pan out. I was definitely very wrong with my thoughts on what the paranormal aspect would end up being.

There are also a few things that didn't work well in this book. All of a sudden, it seems like it's okay for Lillia and Kat to be seen in public together, like at the lunch table and in the hallways. I get that the whole school is mourning and people are trying to make ammends, but for them to all of a sudden seem so buddy-buddy in school is a bit strange. Don't get me wrong because I liked it, but they were too chummy in public too fast. 

Now... I stated that the epilogue pretty much ruined a lot of the book for me, and this is true. I only say this because I felt like it was so out of place. The epilogue is told from Lillia's perspective. I'm okay with this because I felt like much of the series was about telling and figuring out Lillia's story, but it flashes forward to the future and feels too rushed and incomplete. I didn't really like it, and not because of how things end. It brought the book to a strange halt that I didn't understand or like. 

Ashes to Ashes is an okay ending to the Burn for Burn trilogy. Unfortunately, I do think some things could have been thought out better to make it a more enjoyable read, but the suspense and crazy happenings in this book kept me interested enough to read up until that epilogue.

Book Review: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Title: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares

Authors: Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Format: Paperback

Publisher: Ember

Publication Date: October 11, 2011 (Originally published on October 26, 2010)

Rating: ☆☆☆

Synopsis:
"I've left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don't, put the book back on the shelf, please."

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the bestselling authors of Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a cosmic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

My Review:

I've seen many readers and reviewers gush about Dash & Lily's Book of Dares, but I really don't see what all the fuss is about. For me, this was just an okay read. There were some good things about the book, but there were a lot of details that I questioned.

The plot is something new, refreshing, and unique. I've never read a book about two people, let alone strangers, corresponding through a notebook. Cohn and Levithan are definitely masters at originality for coming up with that idea. I did find it to be a bit unbelievable because the book takes place in New York City. I could see someone picking up the notebook to read it or investigate it, but I can't imagine it going any further than that.

Now about that "whirlwind romance." The romance does not develop until the last few chapters of the book. The seeds are definitely planted early, but the notes that Dash and Lily exchange seem more platonic than anything. I did not expect to see a romantic relationship develop between these two. A friendship? Yes, but not a romance. There are also some references to the other love interests and potential love interests in Dash and Lily's lives. The Dash/Sofia relationship/friendship makes sense, but the Lily and Edgar moments seem out of place.

The characters are okay. At times, I found myself thinking hard and questioning the Dash/Lily love connection. Dash just seems so much older and more mature compared to Lily, so I think that's another reason that I didn't buy into the plot. Lily annoyed me so much while I was reading. At times, she acts like a spoiled twelve year old instead of the teenager that she is. Out of all of the characters in the book, I'd have to say that I like Boomer the most. He brings a little bit more humor to the book, and I could imagine running into someone like him on the street.

My favorite moment in the book is the second chance encounter between Dash and Lily. I literally laughed out loud when it happened, and I kind of hope this book becomes a movie because I can see that being a great movie scene.

I felt like both authors were trying too hard to make their book stand out and become an elite book. Don't get me wrong, I love references to the classics and other great books, but it was too much. As an English teacher, I can honestly tell you that some of the references are going to fly right over a lot of heads. If it gets teens reading classics, great, but I can just see so many of them pushing through it and never bothering to look up the books and poems that Cohn and Levithan refer to in this novel.

The writing also bothered me. There were too many run-on sentences by both Cohn and Levithan. I don't know if they were trying to be ironic because they poke fun at people who get annoyed with run-on sentences, but it really bothered me. I found that I had to re-read so many of them just to understand what was going on in the story.

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares is a good book, but it's not a great book. I probably would have liked it a little better if some things were changed, but it's a nice book to pick up and read if you're trying to find the Christmas spirit.

Book Review: Atlantia by Ally Condie

Title: Atlantia

Author: Ally Condie

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Publication Date: October 28, 2014

Synopsis:
Can you hear Atlantia breathing?

For as long as she can remember, Rio has dreamt of the sand and sky Above—of life beyond her underwater city of Atlantia. But in a single moment, all her plans for the future are thwarted when her twin sister, Bay, makes an unexpected decision, stranding Rio Below. Alone, ripped away from the last person who knew Rio’s true self—and the powerful siren voice she has long hidden—she has nothing left to lose.

Guided by a dangerous and unlikely mentor, Rio formulates a plan that leads to increasingly treacherous questions about her mother’s death, her own destiny, and the complex system constructed to govern the divide between land and sea. Her life and her city depend on Rio to listen to the voices of the past and to speak long-hidden truths.

My Review:

Atlantia by Ally Condie is the story of two orphaned sisters, Rio and Bay, who live in an underwater city called Atlantia. They've spent their whole lives there, one dreaming of going above, and one wishing to stay below. It's also the story of lies and deception and a heroine will rise to save her world.

I really wanted to like this book, especially after reading the first few chapters from NetGalley. Unfortunately, I just feel like too many things went wrong for me to like it. 

I'll admit that I like it a lot better than Condie's Matched trilogy, but once again, Condie's writing style is lackluster. When I was reading, especially at certain points in the novel, I felt like Condie was trying to write to little kids instead of the target teen audience. When I read, I want to feel like the author is really trying to say something. Most of the time that is done by including sentences of varying length. In Atlantia, there are way too many sentences of the same length in a row. It makes reading difficult, like someone is trying to beat you in the head to get you to understand what is going on.

The introductory chapters in Atlantia are indeed great at capturing a reader's attention, but the pace slowed soon after. It was almost as if all the life were sucked out of the book. Much of the middle of the book is boring. There were many times that I wanted to put it down. The book eventually picks up the speed and action again in the last third, but at this point, salvaging an enjoyable read was out of the question for me. It was a chore to read this book.

Condie does create an interesting world in Atlantia, but only for The Below. She describes the city well, and I was able to imagine much of it in my head. It's hard to say that her world building is superb when she fails to give The Above half of the detail that she gives The Below.

The characters in Atlantia were okay. Rio really didn't impress me; I feel like Condie could have explored her a little more or at least made her a bit more interesting. Rio's sister, Bay, is mentioned a lot in the book, but I felt like I barely knew her at all. Atlantia also features many supporting characters, and some of them are interesting and characterized well, but I didn't really enjoy reading about them.

I think at this point, it's safe for me to say that Ally Condie is not the writer for me. I don't know if I'll be reading anything else from her in the future after this proved to be a book that bored me for weeks.

Review: The Infinite Sea

Title: The Infinite Sea (The 5th Wave #2)

Series: The 5th Wave

Author: Rick Yancey

Publication Date: September 16, 2014

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Synopsis:
How do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.

Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race.

Cassie and her friends haven’t seen the depths to which the Others will sink, nor have the Others seen the heights to which humanity will rise, in the ultimate battle between life and death, hope and despair, love and hate.

My Review:

I was quite stunned with the brilliant short story that worked as a prologue in this book. It sets the readers up to let them know what part of the year the characters are preparing for. Plus, it was just amazingly written. I felt ready to start the book after reading the little story, but unfortunately, I realized it would be a while before I found something else I liked about this book.

Obviously, the rest of the book wasn't as great for me. To be honest, I was expecting a lot better, especially because of how much I loved the first book in the series, but Yancey did not wow me this time. Don't get me wrong... there were some great things about the book, but overall, I felt like a lot of it was just filler material while we await the concluding novel in the series.

We start off with the narration of a character that I was not expecting to see narrate until later in the story, and to be honest, I was very much confused during this section of the book. Even though it was the beginning, it felt out of place, and it took me a while to recover.

Just like The 5th Wave, the book's narrators change in each section. I liked that. I love how I was able to experience what pretty much all of the characters are thinking and feeling at different times during the book.

There are some kick-ass moments in the book, but most of the time, I felt like Yancey was going for the shock effect. I kept thinking to myself, "Is this for real" or "WTF?" I certainly felt like he was trying a bit too hard this time around.

Again, there are some romantic scenes in the book, and there are little disputes amongst the members of the main group of teens, but I expected that. All because life as they know it is ending doesn't mean that all of the characters are going to get along, right? Right. I respect Yancey for that, and it definitely made the book feel more realistic. 

What I didn't understand is why the sudden shift? I don't want to spoil anything about the book, but I felt very confused when I finished the book. I felt like the leader of the group was almost set in stone at the end of The 5th Wave, but now I feel like that title is up for grabs yet again, and I don't like the direction that Yancey is taking this series.

I know I'll read the concluding novel. I want to see how everything ends, but right now, The Infinite Sea seems like a book I should have put off for a bit because it just made me rethink everything about the series.

Review: Thirteen Reasons Why

Title: Thirteen Reasons Why

Author: Jay Asher

Publisher: Razorbill

Publication Date: October 18, 2007

Source: Purchased

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

My Review

I've been seeing this book everywhere for a while, but I never really looked into it because I had a lot on my plate. Finally after seeing about twenty paperback copies at Half Price Books and another ten or so paperbacks at Target, I decided to look for it. I went to the YA section at Half Price Books and found a copy without a dust jacket. Ready to leave, I found another used copy with a dust jacket, so I took it home.

So here it goes...

I was eager to start this book and was told by many that it was great. Apparently it should have been a book that I should have loved. I really did not like this book. I felt like a lot of the ideas were being pushed too hard on the readers, and because of this, I found myself confused. I am never a confused reader, but there was just way too much going on in this book for me to make sense of it all.

First of all, the book is supposed to be narrated by Clay. He's listening to Hannah's suicide tapes, so I knew their text would be prominent. I wanted to know Hannah's story. I found myself agitated by how disconnected it feels at times because a thought by Clay is thrown in before he actually hits the stop button.

I'm never one to say this about books, but I also think there are way too many characters in this book. It is so hard to remember who someone is when they make another appearance in a later chapter.  I also had a hard time connecting the reason behind their tape to another person's tape.

Now for the important part. I commend Asher for writing about suicide. I really think the first-hand account of Hannah's is something unique, and I like that he chose to reveal her reasons behind her suicide that way, but I think the way it was presented was just wrong. I felt like it was actually promoting bullying because Hannah bullies the people she addresses in her tapes. It could all spiral out of control for the other characters in the book.

This is an important subject. Too many teens are taking their own lives, and I love how in the back of the book, he offers every possible number and website for anyone who needs help. That being said, those are the reasons behind my rating being three stars. This is a subject that needs to be talked about.

I guess this book just wasn't for me. The whole time I was reading it, I was thinking that Asher should have just written a screenplay for a movie with this idea. I really think this book had the ideas and the potential to be great with the subject matter, but there were too many flaws in it for it to be a superb read for me.

Book Review: Fangirl

Title: Fangirl

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Publication Date: September 10, 2013

Source: Purchased

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...

But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?