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.

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.

Waiting on Wednesday (75)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly, bookish meme created and hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. The meme helps book bloggers and readers shine a spotlight om some of the many upcoming releases that we are all patiently (but most likely impatiently) waiting on. Get it? You can find out more information on the meme on her blog, Breaking the Spine.

So you're interested in sharing some of the books you're waiting on with your readers!? That's great! To participate in Jill's meme, all you need to do is:

• Create your own Waiting on Wednesday post that features an upcoming title (or titles)
• Be sure to credit Jill in your post
• Link up to the Linky on Jill's blog

ARC Review: Girl in the Blue Coat

Title: Girl in the Blue Coat

Author: Monica Hesse

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: April 5, 2016
Source: ARC from Publisher for Review

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An unforgettable story of bravery, grief, and love in impossible times

The missing girl is Jewish. I need you to find her before the Nazis do.

Amsterdam, 1943. Hanneke spends her days procuring and delivering sought-after black market goods to paying customers, her nights hiding the true nature of her work from her concerned parents, and every waking moment mourning her boyfriend, who was killed on the Dutch front lines when the Germans invaded. She likes to think of her illegal work as a small act of rebellion.

On a routine delivery, a client asks Hanneke for help. Expecting to hear that Mrs. Janssen wants meat or kerosene, Hanneke is shocked by the older woman's frantic plea to find a person--a Jewish teenager Mrs. Janssen had been hiding, who has vanished without a trace from a secret room. Hanneke initially wants nothing to do with such dangerous work, but is ultimately drawn into a web of mysteries and stunning revelations that lead her into the heart of the resistance, open her eyes to the horrors of the Nazi war machine, and compel her to take desperate action.

Meticulously researched, intricately plotted, and beautifully written, Girl in the Blue Coat is an extraordinary, gripping novel from a bright new voice in historical fiction.

Book Review: How to Be Brave

Title: How to Be Brave

Author: E. Katherine Kottaras

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Publication Date: November 3, 2015

Source: Finished Copy from St. Martin's Griffin

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An emotional contemporary YA novel about love, loss, and having the courage to chase the life you truly want.

Reeling from her mother's death, Georgia has a choice: become lost in her own pain, or enjoy life right now, while she still can. She decides to start really living for the first time and makes a list of fifteen ways to be brave - all the things she's wanted to do but never had the courage to try. As she begins doing the things she's always been afraid to do - including pursuing her secret crush, she discovers that life doesn't always go according to plan. Sometimes friendships fall apart and love breaks your heart. But once in a while, the right person shows up just when you need them most - and you learn that you're stronger and braver than you ever imagined.

Throwback Thursday: Lessons from a Past Erin (1)

Today, I'm trying something new out on the blog. I'm not sure if this has been done before, so if it has, I take no claim for it at all. I just thought it would be cool to share some of what I learned in college. What you're going to find in these Throwback Thursday lessons are notes that I took during my Young Adult Literature class. Some of what I use will be notes that I took during class, and other times, I'll share the thoughts that I came up with while learning.

Keep in mind that I don't really have a lot of notes from this class. It was only a fifteen week course, but I'll share as much as I can, and if it proves to be a much loved feature, I'll keep this format and share some of my own lessons.

So I give you Throwback Thursday: Lessons from a Past Erin. In this feature, I'll be sharing some of my old notes and thoughts that I had when I first started to really read YA. It's kind of hard for me to even believe that before that class, I hadn't read many YA novels, especially considering where I am now.