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 Outsiders

Title: The OutsidersAuthor: S.E. Hinton

Publisher: Puffin Books

Publication Date: April 24, 1967

Source: Borrowed from School

According to Ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A soc (short for "social") has money, can get away with just about anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. A greaser, on the other hand, always lives on the outside and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser, and he's always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers--until one terrible night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder gets under Ponyboy's skin, causing his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser.

Blog Tour: Everything Must Go

Title: Everything Must Go

Author: Jenny Fran Davis

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Publication Date: October 3, 2017

Source: Wednesday Books

Flora Goldwasser has fallen in love. She won't admit it to anyone, but something about Elijah Huck has pulled her under. When he tells her about the hippie Quaker school he attended in the Hudson Valley called Quare Academy, where he'll be teaching next year, Flora gives up her tony upper east side prep school for a life on a farm, hoping to woo him. A fish out of water, Flora stands out like a sore thumb in her vintage suits among the tattered tunics and ripped jeans of the rest of the student body. When Elijah doesn't show up, Flora must make the most of the situation and will ultimately learn more about herself than she ever thought possible.

Told in a series of letters, emails, journal entries and various ephemera, Flora's dramatic first year is laid out for all to see, embarrassing moments and all. 

ARC Review: Emma in the Night

Title: Emma in the Night

Author: Wendy Walker

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Publication Date: August 8, 2017

Source: Giveaway Win from Publisher

From the bestselling author of All Is Not Forgotten comes a thriller about two missing sisters, a twisted family, and what happens when one girl comes back...

One night three years ago, the Tanner sisters disappeared: fifteen-year-old Cass and seventeen-year-old Emma. Three years later, Cass returns, without her sister Emma. Her story is one of kidnapping and betrayal, of a mysterious island where the two were held. But to forensic psychiatrist Dr. Abby Winter, something doesn't add up. Looking deep within this dysfunctional family Dr. Winter uncovers a life where boundaries were violated and a narcissistic parent held sway. And where one sister's return might just be the beginning of the crime.

Blog Tour: And We're Off

Title: And We're Off

Author: Dana Schwartz

Publisher: Razorbill

Publication Date:  May 2, 2017

Copy Provided by Penguin Random House

Seventeen-year-old Nora Holmes is an artist, a painter from the moment she could hold a brush. She inherited the skill from her grandfather, Robert, who's always nurtured Nora's talent and encouraged her to follow her passion. Still, Nora is shocked and elated when Robert offers her a gift: an all-expenses-paid summer trip to Europe to immerse herself in the craft and to study history's most famous artists. The only catch? Nora has to create an original piece of artwork at every stop and send it back to her grandfather. It's a no-brainer: Nora is in!

Unfortunately, Nora's mother, Alice, is less than thrilled about the trip. She worries about what the future holds for her young, idealistic daughter and her opinions haven't gone unnoticed. Nora couldn't feel more unsupported by her mother, and in the weeks leading up to the trip, the women are as disconnected as they've ever been. But seconds after saying goodbye to Alice at the airport terminal, Nora hears a voice call out: "Wait! Stop! I'm coming with you!"

Book Review: The Names They Gaves Us

Title: The Names They Gave Us

Author: Emery Lord

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Publication Date: May 16, 2017
Source: ARC from Bloomsbury

Lucy Hansson was ready for a perfect summer with her boyfriend, working at her childhood Bible camp on the lake. But when her mom’s cancer reappears, Lucy falters—in faith, in love, and in her ability to cope. When her boyfriend “pauses” their relationship and her summer job switches to a different camp—one for troubled kids—Lucy isn’t sure how much more she can handle. Attempting to accept a new normal, Lucy slowly regains footing among her vibrant, diverse coworkers, Sundays with her mom, and a crush on a fellow counselor. But when long-hidden family secrets emerge, can Lucy set aside her problems and discover what grace really means?

Book Review: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Title: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Author: Sherman Alexie
Artwork: Ellen Forney

Format: Paperback

Publisher: Little, Brown

Paperback Publication Date: April 1, 2009
Add it to Goodreads

Junior is a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian reservation. Born with a variety of medical problems, he is picked on by everyone but his best friend. Determined to receive a good education, Junior leaves the rez to attend and all-white school in the neighboring town where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Despite being condemned as a traitor to his people and enduring great tragedies, Junior attacks life with wit and humor and discovers a strength inside himself that he never knew existed.

Inspired by his own experiences growing up, award-winning author Sherman Alexie chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one unlucky boy trying to rise above the life everyone expects him to live.

Throwback Thursday: Lessons from a Past Erin (2)

Last week, I introduced a new feature on the blog called Throwback Thursday: Lessons from a Past Erin.

In case you missed it, these are notes that I found from my YA lit class. I've set it up to work as a different kind of discussion post. It's acting as a lesson and a discussion post in one. I'll be sharing my notes, and reflecting on them. I'll also be asking what you think of each week's topic.

ARC Review: Dumplin'

Title: Dumplin'

Author: Julie Murphy

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Publication Date: September 15, 2015

Source: Books for Trade from Ashley

Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom) has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked . . . until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back.

Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.

With starry Texas nights, red candy suckers, Dolly Parton songs, and a wildly unforgettable heroine— Dumplin’ is guaranteed to steal your heart.

ARC Review: Twisted Fate

Title: Twisted Fate

Author: Norah Olson

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Publication Date: January 20, 2015

Source: ARC gifted from Sarah

When Alyson meets Graham Copeland, the new boy next door, she instantly feels like he’s a kindred spirit—shy and awkward like her, someone who has trouble making friends. It’s impossible to resist having a crush on him.

As usual, her sister, Sydney, sees things differently. In Sydney's mind, Graham's odd personality and secretive past scream psychopath, not sweetheart. Her gut is telling her to stay away from him, and to protect a love-struck Alyson from her own naïveté. But despite her instincts, Sydney is surprised to realize that a part of her is drawn to Graham, too.

And the more Sydney gets to know him, the more she realizes just how right—and wrong—she is about everything.

Perfect for fans of Michelle Hodkin, and E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars, Twisted Fate is an unputdownable novel, teeming with suspense.

The YA Novels on Oyster Unlimited is Seriously Insane! + GIVEAWAY

Hey there, everyone! Today is a pretty exciting day here at The Hardcover Lover because I have some amazing news for you, especially if you are an E-book lover!

Oyster and I are teaming up today so that everyone can see all of the amazing YA books that are available to you right now through Oyster Unlimited!

And... there's a special offer for everyone who reads this post... You'll be able to try Oyster for yourself for only $0.99! Yes... you read that right! You'll be able to try out Oyster for three months for less than one dollar!

Waiting on Wednesday (23)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly bookish meme created and hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights the upcoming book releases that bloggers and readers are currently anticipating.

Participating in the meme is very easy. All you need to do is make a post about an upcoming release (or releases) that you're waiting on, make sure you've linked back to Breaking the Spine somewhere in your post, and then add your name to the link-up tool.

What I'm Waiting On...

Title: Because You'll Never Meet Me

Author: Leah Thomas

Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens USA

Publication Date: June 2, 2015

In a stunning literary debut, two boys on opposite ends of the world begin an unlikely friendship that will change their lives forever.

Ollie and Moritz are best friends, but they can never meet. Ollie is allergic to electricity. Contact with it causes debilitating seizures. Moritz’s weak heart is kept pumping by an electronic pacemaker. If they ever did meet, Ollie would seize. But Moritz would die without his pacemaker. Both hermits from society, the boys develop a fierce bond through letters that become a lifeline during dark times—as Ollie loses his only friend, Liz, to the normalcy of high school and Moritz deals with a bully set on destroying him.

A story of impossible friendship and hope under strange circumstances, this debut is powerful, dark and humorous in equal measure. These extraordinary voices bring readers into the hearts and minds of two special boys who, like many teens, are just waiting for their moment to shine.

Why I'm Waiting...

Letters? Do you see that? Letters! Obviously in this day and age, everything is so instant and electronic, and many people fail to see the beauty in a handwritten letter. But letters connect these two best friends who will never be able to meet one another, and I am very curious to see how Leah Thomas characterizes these two friends. I'm also a sucker for YA books about friendship because friendships are so important in the teenage years, and many of the books I've read about best friends have turned out to be some of the sweetest books I've ever read.

What Are You Waiting On...

I'd love to know what everyone else is waiting on for this week's Waiting on Wednesday. As always, feel free to leave the title or titles of the books that you cannot wait for in the comments, or you may leave a link to your Waiting on Wednesday posts. I'd love to be able to see what everyone plans on reading as soon as these new books are released.

Book Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Title: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Author: Jesse Andrews

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams

Publication Date: March 1, 2012

Format: Hardcover, 295 pages

Source: Purchased from Half Price Books

Goodreads | Amazon 

Greg Gaines is the last master of high school espionage, able to disappear at will into any social environment. He has only one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time making movies, their own incomprehensible versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics.

Until Greg’s mother forces him to rekindle his childhood friendship with Rachel.

Rachel has been diagnosed with leukemia—-cue extreme adolescent awkwardness—-but a parental mandate has been issued and must be obeyed. When Rachel stops treatment, Greg and Earl decide the thing to do is to make a film for her, which turns into the Worst Film Ever Made and becomes a turning point in each of their lives.

And all at once Greg must abandon invisibility and stand in the spotlight.

My Review

Wow. Now this is one hell of a book!

If you want to read a realistic book about cancer that doesn't romanticize the disease, look no further than Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. Unlike other young adult novels that make it seem like living with cancer is a just a normal thing (which it's totally not), this book shows that cancer really does suck but can truly bring people together and realize what dying really means.

I'm pretty sure that in my Goodreads review, I swore a lot because of how much I adored this book. The swearing won't happen here, but I do want you to know just how much I loved this wonderful debut novel. Everything about Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is perfect. The characters are so real that you feel like they could walk down your street at any moment.
 

The book is told from Greg's point of view, and at the beginning of the book, he tells you that he is writing a book that will suck. That definitely caught my attention because it works as Greg writing his own novel. Many times throughout the book, he makes fun of the readers for still reading it. It is completely adorable. He doesn't expect anyone to keep reading, but you become so completely involved in the story that you do keep reading. Eventually, in the epilogue, Greg reveals who he is writing the book for, and a lot of it makes so much sense. It's a really funny moment. Also, you need to know that Greg prides himself for getting along with every clique in the school. That becomes important later in the book.

Earl is another central character in the book. Now Earl is Greg's friend. But from what Greg tells you, you realize that the two aren't really friends; they just hang out a lot out of habit. Earl is pretty much the coolest YA character you'll ever meet because he is one hundred percent honest and real. I love how he talks because it is in the right vernacular and everything. He reminds me of a lot of the people who work at my uncle's pizza shop. He is a piece of work, and I love Mr. Andrews for bringing Earl into the literary world.

And then you have "the dying girl." Her name is Rachel, and she goes to school with Greg and Earl, but neither of them hang out with her. Greg went to Hebrew classes with her when they were younger, and he kind of dated her, but in that way that middle schoolers "go out" and then usually break up a week later. Of course they broke up. Then they kind of stopped talking to her. As a favor to his mom, Greg spends time with her to make her feel better while she is sick.

I don't know if I've said it enough, but I really, really just freaking love this book. I'm really hoping that with the upcoming film adaptation, it becomes one of the most popular YA books of all time because it really deserves it. All three main characters are positively perfect because they aren't perfect and you can tell that Andrews never set out to make them perfect. The book is hilariously written, and it pokes fun at all sorts of other YA books about cancer and cliche YA books, which I think is really funny because it is completely fresh.

Now... to the cool connection that I have to the book. It's set in my hometown. so obviously, I knew I had to read it. I love all things about my city, so seeing it in literature yet again was just amazing. It is great to see another young adult author write about many of the great things to see and do in Pittsburgh.

Waiting on Wednesday (22)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly bookish meme created and hosted by Jill at her blog, Breaking the Spine. The meme helps blogger spotlight the upcoming releases that we are eagerly waiting on. Get it?

Participating in the meme is a piece of cake! All you need to do is make a post about an upcoming release that you're waiting on, make sure you've linked back to Breaking the Spine, and then add your name to the link-up tool.

What I'm Waiting On...

Title: Immaculate

Author: Katelyn Detweiler

Publisher: Viking Children's

Publication Date: May 26, 2015

Mina is seventeen. A virgin. And pregnant.

Mina is top of her class, girlfriend to the most ambitious guy in school, able to reason and study her way through anything. But when she suddenly finds herself pregnant—despite having never had sex—her orderly world collapses. Almost nobody believes Mina’s claims of virginity. Her father assumes that her boyfriend is responsible; her boyfriend believes she must have cheated on him. As news of Mina’s story spreads, there are those who brand her a liar. There are those who brand her a heretic. And there are those who believe that miracles are possible—and that Mina’s unborn child could be the greatest miracle of all.

 

Why I'm Waiting...

It's no lie that I am drawn to contemporary books with insane synopses, and Immaculate definitely falls into that category. Umm, a pregnant virgin? Sign me up for the waiting list for this book! 

I'm sure this book will explore some religious themes, and while I normally don't read books like that, I'm spreading my wings and giving more books a chance this year. Besides, everybody knows what it's like to feel insecure in high school, and I'm sure that somehow, I'll be able to relate to and connect with Mina.

What Are You Waiting On...

Now I want to hear from you! Are you also waiting on Detweiler's Immaculate or do you have your eyes set on another book? As always, feel free to let me know in the comments or leave the link to your own Waiting on Wednesday post! I'd love to see what everyone is waiting to read.

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: Narvla's Celtic New Year

Title: Narvla's Celtic New Year

Author: Therese Gilardi

Source: ARC via NetGalley

Publication Date: April 6, 2015
Rating: ☆☆☆

Goodreads | Amazon

Narvla’s life is as precisely choreographed as the routines that have made her a national step-dancing champion. She has a loyal best friend, a devoted boyfriend, and a lock on admission to her dream college, the University of Notre Dame. Until her mother is named U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, and her life unravels. First Narvla receives a disturbing picture of her boyfriend and her best friend. Then she struggles to qualify for the Irish elite step-dancing squad, and her grades plummet.

But the biggest obstacle in Narvla’s new life is Dublin Boy, a cheeky musician with a disdain for academics and a distrust of Americans. Although Narvla is upset when she’s paired with Dublin Boy for the most important semester of her life, her real concern is the growing attraction she feels toward him. As the Celtic New Year unfolds, Narvla is pushed to abandon her lifelong need for control and embrace the charm of the unexpected.

My Review

When I first saw Narvla's Celtic New Year by Therese Gilardi on NetGalley, I knew that I had to request it. I'm an Irish-American and I love learning more and more about my culture (my name is Erin...), so I really wanted to see how Irish-inspired YA would entertain me. In the case of this book, I'd say it's pretty solid, and I enjoyed it, despite finding a few flaws and errors.

The writing in this novel is okay. It's definitely a quick read, and I could see many readers finishing it in one sitting. (I probably would have if it weren't for a nasty case of the stomach flu.) However, I found myself a bit frustrated because many of the paragraphs didn't flow together, especially when Gilardi has Narvla narrating about one thing, and the next paragraph is completely unrelated or occurs hours after the preceding paragraph. The book could have used some section breaks so that the reader does not become too confused or disappointed.

I'm not saying that this is the best YA book out there, but it's a cute read. You may want to pick it up between Halloween and Christmas to get you in the mood for the holidays. And ff you're a fan of the Anna and the French Kiss books by Stephanie Perkins, you may want to check this book out, especially if you enjoyed Anna and Isla. The characters in Narvla's Celtic New Year are fun and fresh, and there is definitely a swoon-worthy boy that you won't want to miss. It's definitely worth the read.

About Therese Gilardi

Therese Gilardi lives with her own Irish Man, fluffy dogs, and Viennese hare in the hills above Los Angeles. Therese adores blue cameos, Irish pub music, and the Paris metro. Therese would love to connect with you.

Waiting on Wednesday (20)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly bookish meme created and hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights the upcoming releases that bloggers and readers are currently anticipating.

It's very easy to participate in the meme. All you need to do is make a post about an upcoming release that you're waiting on, make sure you've linked back to Breaking the Spine, and then add your name to the link-up tool.

What I'm Waiting On...

Title: Kissing in America
Author: Margo Rabb
Publisher: Harper
Publication Date: May 26, 2015

Acclaimed writer Margo Rabb’s Kissing in America is “a wonderful novel about friendship, love, travel, life, hope, poetry, intelligence, and the inner lives of girls,” raves internationally bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love).

In the two years since her father died, sixteen-year-old Eva has found comfort in reading romance novels—118 of them, to be exact—to dull the pain of her loss that’s still so present. Her romantic fantasies become a reality when she meets Will, who seems to truly understand Eva’s grief. Unfortunately, after Eva falls head-over-heels for him, he picks up and moves to California without any warning. Not wanting to lose the only person who has been able to pull her out of sadness—and, perhaps, her shot at real love—Eva and her best friend, Annie, concoct a plan to travel to the west coast to see Will again. As they road trip across America, Eva and Annie confront the complex truth about love.

In this honest and emotional journey that National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr calls “gorgeous, funny, and joyous,” readers will experience the highs of infatuation and the lows of heartache as Eva contends with love in all of its forms.

Why I'm Waiting...

Okay... I'm cheating again because I also have an ARC of this title, and I'm participating in the blog tour. I promise you that I haven't read it yet, though!

I'm not sure if many people who follow my blog know this, but I kind of love poetry. I've always loved reading it, and I've actually been writing poetry since I was a small child. When I saw that Margo Rabb was including poetry in this one, I knew I had to have it. I'm also particularly drawn to emotional books, and this novel seems like it's going to have plenty of what I enjoy reading about.

What Are You Waiting On...

Now I want to know what you're waiting on! Feel free to let me know in the comments by either saying what book or books you're eagerly waiting for, or leave me the link to your own Waiting on Wednesday post! I'd love to see what everyone is waiting for and possibly add more books to my TBR!

Top Ten Tuesday (19)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created and hosted by the bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish. They created the meme because they love making and sharing lists. Well that's just one thing that I have in common with them because list making is essential to my life.

Every week, there is a new topic for Top Ten Tuesday, and all you have to do is create your top ten list (or somewhere around ten if you can't think of ten) based on it. Oh, and be sure to link back to The Broke and the Bookish! Then you can add your name to the link up tool that they include in their post!

Ten Books I Recently Added to My TBR:

So I have a mix of released and upcoming books for this week's Top Ten Tuesday. Some of these are books that have been getting a lot of attention lately, so I'm very interested in them (The Orphan Queen, We All Looked Up, Mosquitoland, The Wrong Side of Right), and some are books that I am just very interested in reading (and soon). I'm also curious about the similarities in We All Looked Up and All We Have Is Now, so I will probably read those two back to back when the latter is released.

Book Review: The Truth About Alice

Title: The Truth About Alice

Author: Jennifer Mathieu

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Publication Date: June 3, 2014

Source: Amanda (Of Spectacles & Books)

Originally Reviewed for Of Spectacles and Books

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Goodreads || Amazon

Everyone knows Alice slept with two guys at one party.

But did you know Alice was sexting Brandon when he crashed his car? 

It's true. Ask anybody.

Rumor has it that Alice Franklin is a slut. It's written all over the bathroom wall at Healy High for everyone to see. And after star quarterback Brandon Fitzsimmons dies in a car accident, the rumors start to spiral out of control.

In this remarkable debut novel, four Healy High students - the girl who had the infamous party, the car accident survivor, the former best friend, and the boy next door - tell all they know.

But what exactly is the truth about Alice? In the end, there's only one person to ask: Alice herself.

My Review

For a book that’s just under two hundred pages, Jennifer Mathieu’s The Truth About Alice packs a punch and delivers the pain right to the guts. This book is one that readers will wow readers so much that they’ll want to devour in one sitting, but it’s also conflicting because readers will want to savor it and make it last just a little longer. I did the latter, and decided to savor it, and it paid off. The novel is both heartbreaking and healing, though much of the book deals with heartbreaking issues such as bullying, depression, death, and mourning. Other issues, such as sex, drinking, and religion are brought up in the book, so it has a little something for everyone. Matthieu tackles these issues with grace and writes about them beautifully with such a vast array of emotions.

The novel is told from four different perspectives, and each character has his or her own opinion about the infamous Alice Franklin. Rumors are swirling around the small town of Healy, Texas, and teenage residents, Elaine, Kelsie, Josh, and Kurt all have something to say about Alice and what allegedly happened at Elaine’s party and the weeks that followed. The multiple narrator aspect allows for a multifaceted story that perturbs and engages readers as they turn every page. I really liked that this novel was told from the different points of view. As the book progresses, readers are able to put the puzzle pieces together to figure out the truth until Alice finally comes out to tell her side of the story. Each character had his or her own voice, and this springboards Mathieu amongst some of the best contemporary YA authors. I was never confused about who was narrating each chapter, and I loved each character’s unique voice.

I did feel like the four narrators represented the typical high school stereotypes and were clichés but the inclusion of that feature made the book more realistic and believable. No matter where you go to school, there are popular girls, jocks, nerds, and quite possibly, back-stabbing friends. I really enjoyed reading and learning about these characters they all conform to their respective stereotype in certain ways, but they are still able to break the mold and surprise readers by doing unexpected things at unexpected times.

Every teenager (and fan of young adult books) should and must read The Truth About Alice. Even with it’s more mature content, it’s such a powerful and emotionally slaying read because it realistically shows just how vicious teenagers can really be. On the other hand, it also shows that there still is some good in the world, even when it seems like all hope is lost. I would recommend this book for fans of gut-wrenching books and movies like The Breakfast Club and Mean Girls. If you’re looking for something realistic and suspenseful, read this book.

The Friday 56 (17)

The Friday 56 is a weekly bookish meme hosted over by Freda at Freda's Voice. The rules are super easy to follow, and this feature is a great way to share the books you're reading with other bloggers and readers.

So what do you need to do to participate in The Friday 56?

• Go to page 56 (or 56% for e-readers like Kindle and Nook) of the book you're currently reading
• Grab a few sentences to share with your blog's readers, but be sure not to spoil anything too major
• Add your name to the link-up on Freda's blog

This week, I'm reading a book that's been on my TBR list for a very, very long time. I was so excited when I found it at Half Price Books that I bumped it ahead of quite a few of the books that I already own. So... what book is it? Well, it's Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson.

"I turned my lights on and my music up, a Luke Bryan album I'd downloaded last month but not listened to until now, and headed in the direction of the Orchard. I was halfway through the album when I turned off the main road and on to the side street that would lead me there. Out here, the houses got farther and farther apart until there was nothing but empty land and, tucked away on an almost-hidden drive, the Orchard."

What do you think? This is my first experience with Morgan Matson, and I must say that I'm enjoying her writing so far. It's easy-going, but full of imagery.

I know this book has been out for a while, and I'm sure many of you have already read it. If so, what did you think of it? Feel free to let me know, and feel free to leave links to your Friday 56 posts. I'd love to see what everyone is reading!