Bittersweet

Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler
Grade: 3.5 stars out of 5
Published: January 3, 2012 Buy from Amazon
Source: unsolicited ARC from Simon Pulse

I freaking love cupcakes. I’m one of those cupcake eaters that eat the cake first then make my way to the top because I save the best for last—the frosting. Hudson Avery is the Queen of Cupcakes; she’s a gal that I’ll love to be an assistant to. Just pay me in cupcakes and I’ll be happy.

But Hudson’s life right now isn’t so great. Her skating dreams are over; her mom’s dream of owning a diner will tank unless a new review will put Hurley’s Homestyle Diner back on the map; her dad is living a new life that doesn’t include his daughter or son; and Hudson is trapped in little Watonka, New York.

Until, that is, Hudson gets the chance to compete in a skating competition for a $50,000 scholarship.

I’ve been following Sarah Ockler ever since her debut novel, Twenty Boy Summer, and I eagerly wait for what she has for the readers. Bittersweet, formally titled the language of impossible dreams, is what you would expect from Sarah Ockler: good read with characters you wouldn’t expect and a storyline that touches the heart. Yet, for me, there’s always something missing about her books that don’t make me hold the book to my chest, carry it around and shove it in other people’s faces yelling “Read this!”

Maybe it was the characters that I liked, but thought could have been stronger. It’s easy to be empathic to Hudson, but it’s harder to like her. Maybe it’s because you can see a lot of yourself in her and that stuff isn’t so good. Hudson would a difficult friend to have; she locks herself in and is prone to live her own little world. Bittersweet is Hudson’s journey to finding her happiness in life and that journey isn’t smooth.

Will and Josh, co-captains to the Watonka hockey team, are more likeable than Hudson. But Josh, the boy that the reader will definitely pine for is less developed than Will. Since Josh is the main love interest I was disappointed seeing him fade to the back whenever Will comes to the scene. Will is much more dynamic than Josh with a stronger background story and a multifaceted personality.

Then I wished the readers knew more about Dani and Kara. They seemed interesting, but I knew them as Hudon’s friend and former best friend than Dani and Kara.

But I absolutely adore—love!—Bug (Hudson’s baby brother). He’s part mad-scientist, part explorer, part adorable brother who helps around the house, part son-whose-never-really-known-his-father. Bug is the comic relief to Bittersweet and yet he’s fragile enough that you want to protect him from everything that’s bad.

Bittersweet is topsy turvy: I like parts of it so much and other parts I wished were stronger. One thing that I did forget to mention was the cupcake concoctions underneath each chapter heading. Brilliant and delicious.

Bittersweet is just that, bittersweet. The sweetest of the cupcakes and the tingly feelings from young love versus the bitterness of divorce and its crumbling effects.

Cover C+

I much prefer the old cover to the new one because a) Hudson bakes cupcakes, not cookies and b) hot chocolate is part of the story. Well there's also c) that doesn't look like a really good cookie I would eat.

Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez


Grade: 3.5 out of 5

Carmen Bianchi is a 17 year old accomplished violinist who’s dream is to win the Guarneri competition. There are only two main obstacles in her way—her nerves and her male British counterpart Jeremy King. The first obstacle is easily taken care since she takes Inderal to calm herself before performances. But Jeremy is an entirely different story. He’s just as competitive as Carmen, and extremely attractive. When he starts to flirt with her, Carmen is entirely caught off guard. In this novel of teenage rebellion, Carmen begins to question her own skills, her potential love’s motives, and even her mother’s intentions in an attempt to make sense of what it means to love music.

Let me take this opportunity to mention that I’ve been playing piano for 15 years. The first ten or so, I played classical music almost exclusively, and I did a couple concerts. I also played for my high school’s talent show one year. But there’s a reason why I play in public so little; I get incredibly nervous. Even with one person in the room with me, my fingers and rhythm fall apart. So I believe I understand PERFECTLY how Carmen feels when she plays for audiences without Inderal.

Carmen is a brilliant violinist but it’s rather hard to hear the music Carmen plays in the novel, and because music should be a big part of her life, she’s hard to understand. But I did appreciate the growing that Carmen did that shows she is more than just a violinist:

• She decided not to take pills even though her mother insisted.
• She made her own choices instead of just listening to her mother.
• She snuck out with her pseudo-boyfriend.
• She made quasi-educated conclusions about God and religion.

It justifies the ending, so even though I didn’t exactly like the ending, it wasn’t completely out of the blue.

However, her fights with her mother were hard to believe; she never fought with her mother before, and then when her mother says something reasonable that Carmen doesn’t like, Carmen takes that opportunity to start ignoring her mother for the first time in 17 years. Distrust almost overnight? It just feels too sudden.

I also didn’t like the romantic plot. This homeschooled, romantically-naïve girl meets Jeremy King for the first time, he’s rude to her, and then she agrees to go out to dinner with him. Does that make sense? Does anyone else stay out until 1am with a foreigner without telling anyone where your whereabouts? It sounds dangerous to me, but maybe it’s because I’ve never been the adventurous type. Jeremy’s just a tad bit too perfect too. He’s tall, blonde, blue eyed, etc. He’s one of those love interests that automatically falls in love with the main character and when his true side comes out he says standard lines like “I didn’t say anything I didn’t feel.” I wanted a bit more aggression instead of this sappy apologetic guy. It was incredibly human of him to want to win the competition for his disabled brother, and I didn’t want him to almost immediately renege on it. It was one of those statements that blur the lines between right and wrong. It was an exciting complication, but then it just dissolves. *sadface*

I was wavering between 3 and 4 stars, so I just decided to give it 3 and a half. The writing style didn’t make me cringe and it’s a quick read (took me 2 days and I’m a turtle), but the novel is missing something, and it has something to do with the characters personalities.

The cover is gorgeous, even though it’s missing a violin. Heheh

Triangles by Ellen Hopkins (Audiobook Review)

Triangles: A Novel by Ellen Hopkins

Narrated by: January LaVoy, Jan Maxwell, Janel Moloney, Michele Pawk

Grade: 2.5 stars out of 5

Length of Production (Unabridged):  8 hours and 14 minutes

Published: Simon and Schuster Audio in 2011
Source: Simon and Schuster Audio

This (audio)book is for mature readers! I will try to keep this PG-13, but things that I do think might offend somebody will be hidden(ish). 

A triangle is a three-sided polygon. There’s obtuse, acute, and, ever so perfect, equilateral triangle. My geometry teacher would be so proud knowing that I remember that. Triangles, however, is a novel about 3 women dealing with life’s hiccups (or in this case, backhanded slaps). All 3 women are connected by blood and by friendship. 

Holly: tied down in her own home; she wants to escape.
Andrea: looking for a relationship like what Holly has with her husband, Jace.
Marissa: dealing a terminally ill daughter, a rebellious gay son, and a husband that’s never home (and continuously hitting up that alcohol).

Having never read any of Hopkins work, but heard the great praise I was eager to start Triangles. As I hit midway through the story I realize maybe it wasn’t for the best that Triangles was my first Hopkins novel.

First off with the audiobook you lose her style of writing. Her verse prose comes across as regular paragraph writing. I’ve read sections of Triangles (from the physical book) and when it’s laid out it has more life. There are mini-breaks in-between chapters, which has two poems in one: one where you can read left to right from up to down; and there’s this single phrase from the title straight down on the left-hand side that is beautiful. With the audiobook you can’t experience the different ways how Hopkins chose to write Triangles  you can’t see the creativity and the work that was put in. You can only listen.

Secondly, with the voice narration I had trouble finding a definite distinction between Marissa and Holly. I went by context as to who was who rather than just listening and immediately knowing. With Andrea’s narrator, she didn’t change her tone often enough for me. She sounded indifferent and slightly exasperated (with a whiny pitch) throughout most of the CDs and by the words coming out her mouth, I expected something else. The narration for the inbetween sections that try to connect the different character chapters (but it’s not really needed) I thought was the best. It gave me the right tone with a loud voice.

Overall I didn’t have much trouble with the audiobook. Every word came out crystal clear, no static, no murmuring.

My third problem with Triangles was the characters. Will you find these girls and guys in real life? Probably. Will you want to immediately punch most of them in the face once they tell you their story? I would.

Holly is my least favorite character out of all 3. In fact she’s the only character whom I really hated. Let’s play pretend:

If you and your partner were having issues in the bed since nothing is doing it for you, would you:

1. communicate and try to spice things up
2. you know what you like so just finish it off by yourself, hint hint
3. start writing erotica, join a critique group, have sex with 2 of the 4 (5?) people in your critique group. Eventually end up having a foursome with your NOT husband in public. <--small spoiler so highlight to read.

If you say 3, congratulations you are a Holly and you officially suck. (And by suck I mean that in the most nonsexual connotation.)

But seriously it’s like me doing badly on an exam. Instead of getting a tutor or talking to the teacher for help, I run away from home and join a circus for the rest of my life. Jumping the gun aren’t we?

Holly’s sections are the most sexually explicit scenes. She has sexapades and experimentations that are not made from public reading (or listening), which is why I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone under the age of 18. (Even then I wonder how young are the kids when they are mature to read about sex. It seems as though there’s plenty of teenage pregnancies.) Here’s a snippet of what I’m talking about: (sexual, so highlight to read)

‘“Now that you’re wet, I’m going to do something I’ve always wanted to.” He slips one finger inside me. Two. Three. At four, the pressure becomes terrific. But when I squirm, he gives my arms a warning tug. “No. Hold still.”


 I do and he works his entire hand into that narrow place. And, over the flashing silver pain, I shudder orgasm. “That’s my girl.”’

Holly was the most difficult to like because quite frankly I just wanted to hit her. Did she try to communicate to anyone? No. Hardly anyone in Triangles tried to talk to other people to help with their problems and eventually it became this giant ball of yarn: entangled and never-ending. Victims do not have to stay as victims. Am I encouraging people to who have been cheated on to have revenge sex with someone else? Of course not, but there other ways to get your point across.

I found Holly to be one-dimensional. She is this 'itch whose actions reflect that. Sure there are one and two scenes with her children, but it's far and few with nothing fleshed out as if it's a passerby comment.

Andrea and Marissa are not the strongest characters I’ve come across. Andrea has an unfortunate string of bad luck with men, but her life isn’t disastrously horrible. For me, it was Marissa’s story that stole the limelight. It was powerful, raw, and something you worry about in the future. Shelby is the angel in her eye, but at age 4 she doesn’t have much longer to live. It’s tragic. Your emotions cannot help but pour out. On top of that, she’s dealing with a teenage gay son whose father isn’t the most accepting of his sexual preference. And he’s doing drugs. 

And a character was raped. And someone is HIV positive. And there’s a teenage pregnancy. And there are abandonment issues. And cheating. There are lots and lots of cheating with emotional and physical acts of adultery. (Revenge cheating definitely makes everything so much better.)

My fourth reason why I wasn’t a huge fan of the book: Ellen Hopkins shoves too many problems in a not-so-tiny book. Really, let’s stick a son/daughter who’s a solider in the war against Afghanistan then we’ll have everything. Eventually you wonder if this is the most ill-fortuned group of people you’ve ever read in a book. (Answer: It’s pretty darn close.) I understand that Hopkins is leading the charge of writing books outside of the comfort zone, but there is a limit. No need to hit the reader with a mallet to get your point across—life sucks, deal with it. I get it. A girl can get lost and frustrated with a book like this.

Jerry! Jerry!

The ending did nothing for me. Three of the couples needed marriage counseling or just break up. But they most likely won’t. Because no one really talks in this book. The person who Andrea ends up with came from nowhere.

Let’s end this review in a positive note. Triangles is filled with flawed characters who would make a dynamic episode of Jerry Springer. There’s enough heart wrenching scenes to make me think about my own life and what is means and what could happen. It’s a powerful tale, just not one I will be reading again.

Wildefire

Wildefire by Karsten Knight

Grade: 5 stars out of 5

"Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm."

WHEN IS THE NEXT ONE COMING OUT?

I am SO excited to review this book, I couldn’t spend my entire time trying to write a fair summary, so instead I borrowed from Goodreads. SORRY!

Anyway, yes, as soon as I was finished with the last words on the last page, I REALLY NEEDED TO READ THE NEXT ONE. I’m sad I have to wait now.

So I give this a 5 for a variety of reasons. I really liked the style writing. It was in third person, which I believe is hard to do. One has to reflect on not just the main character, but everyone else, and still keep all the characters separate. Ash was important, but so were the others, and you get a taste of what each one is feeling, from Lily’s heartbreak to Eve’s feeling of loneliness. I thought the Interludes were clever elements in the plot, where you could see the world from others’ eyes, not just Ashline’s. I liked the names (love Ade Saint-Cyr), characteristics, and flaws of the characters. All the gods show their teenaged side; Rolfe could be a dick at times, and Lily takes rejection about as well as I do.

Bonus points were given for the multicultural characters (Polynesian Jews, Haitians, and Hopi Indians in one story?! Mind-blown!), mentioning Philadelphia, and not having a completely happy ending. I like a good resolution, but not in the first book of a trilogy. Definitely gives me something to look forward to.

This novel is a great example of an original read. Ash might have quick wit, but she wasn’t the strongest of all the gods in the pantheon, as one might expect. Ash’s and Eve’s relationship was complicated to the extreme. There’s a lack of traditional love triangles. This would remind me of Vampire Academy or Poison Study, but it doesn’t. Not completely. Wildefire is in a class all its own and if Knight keeps doing his thing, I’m sure it’s going to be one of my favorite series.

Zombies vs. Unicorns

Zombies vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier

Grade: 4 stars out of 5

This is a collection of stories about unicorns or zombies from today’s contemporary young adult writers.

First off, I’m Team Unicorn before I read the book (look to the side to see my avatar). I noticed this book before, but I didn’t really want to pick it up until I received a poster for it. Because I needed to buy some college textbooks/food, I borrowed this copy from the Philadelphia Free Library. (The library has been one of my best friends for the last 5 years. I support it fully!)

Anyway, this anthology is Justine Larbalestier and Holly Black arguing over whether zombies beat unicorns. Black isn’t as militant as Larbaletier, and I pretty much skipped their conversations before every story. They were all the same (Larbalestier: ZOMBIES WIN! Black: Unicorns are cool too!).

Now, since this post would be too long, I have a selected a few stories and shared my feelings on each one:

“The Highest Justice” by Garth Nix—I love Garth Nix’s stories. I think he has an amazing imagination and I would love to live in his worlds. I read Sabriel and Lirael and I hope I get to finish Abhorsen soon because it’s so good. I also read a story he did for another anthology (Teeth: Vampire Tales) so I was pumped that his was the first story and about unicorns too! All of Garth Nix’s stories have a hint of adult themes to them, which I love, and this one was so… realistic (is the best word I can come up with). I really liked the inter-family struggles and the magic and the dealing-of-the-justice and thought “Hey this is off to a good start”. YAY!

“Love Will Tear Us Apart” by Alaya Dawn Johnson—My favorite zombie story. The beginning was just awesome and gave me a craving for mac n cheese for a week. The middle where everything is explained and Grayson doesn’t eat the girl made me want to eat the book it was so good. I even loved the random hipster bands mentioned. Also, I must add Johnson to my list of authors to read things by. YAY!

“Bougainvillea” by Carrie Ryan—Didn’t even finish it. I tried, I really did. It was 40 pages long, and I was like a quarter of the way through and nothing was happening other than people casually mentioning there were zombies (mudo). I read “The Forest of Hands and Teeth” and it took me a really long time to actually finish the damn thing. I don’t like Ryan’s zombies. YUCK!

“The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn” by Diana Peterfreund—Favorite unicorn story because it had unique unicorns in it! I love the concept of the “evil” unicorn (*ahem* see avatar). I loved the names (Yves, Wen, Aidan, etc.) because I like original naming of characters. I could do without the God-aspect, but the struggle was REAL. “Do I want to spit on my family by taking care of this monster, or do I want to kill this monster in cold blood?” It was so touching, and I want to read more! YAY!

“Inoculata” by Scott Westerfeld—I learned that Larbalestier is married to Westerfeld, so it makes sense that he’d be on her side. I liked the Zombie safe-zone idea, and the endless practices with the dessert points, but the zombies (zees) were weird. I wasn’t aware that there could be a mild form to zombie-ism. It was well-written, but not exactly exciting. MEH!

“Cold Hands” by Cassandra Clare—OMG! So I know Holly Black and Cassie Clare are like BFF’s (I saw them at a Philly Free Library talk), but I was surprised to see Clare go with the zombies. Oh well. Reminds me of Generation Dead by Daniel Waters: acceptance of the dead rather than trying to survive. I liked the romance especially. It was warm, rather than cold. *wink* YAY!

I’m loathe to admit it, but zombies won. I think as soon as I get my paycheck I’m going to go on an Amazon.com shopping spree (Peterfreund, Johnson, etc.) TOTALLY PUMPED!

Also, I realize Yan kinda did a post already, but she didn't talk about the anthology much. :P

Copy: From the Philadelphia Free Library

The Taker by Alma Katsu

The Taker (Book 1) by Alma Katsu

Grade: 4.5 stars out of 5

Surgeon Luke Findley is working the night shift at the hospital in a small town in Maine when a young woman accused of murder is brought in for an evaluation. The girl, Lanny, admits her guilt to Luke but also begs him to help her escape. However, he doesn’t give it a second thought until Lanny cuts herself and heals miraculously. Suddenly, play-it-safe Luke turns to his subconscious to let his impulses out in order to help Lanny escape across the border, all the while telling her story of love, beauty, sex, and immortality.

Yan gave me this book to read. “Start with it first,” she said. I never heard of it and it’s not even young adult (what I usually read). The Taker would never appeal to me, especially with the synopsis that is given. The Taker is close to a “bosom-heaving romance” (Yan’s words) [ETA by Yan: LOL, I was implying "bosom-heaving romances" to another book which I stuck in the bag for you], but without the descriptiveness, which I was grateful for. And it is well-written, with an even flow and classic 19th century air of politeness (similar to Jane Austen). I found that I really enjoyed it. The plot only dragged on in a few places, but everything Lanny told Luke was important. Even the things she omitted only enhanced the magic (I admit it; I stayed up for an extra ten minutes wondering what terrible thing happened to Lanny that she didn’t tell Luke). I really like the whole story-telling bit. I even liked the story-within-a-story, how it was Lanny telling Adair’s background. It just seemed more real, or at least as real as you can get with a character that’s immortal.

On the point of immortality, I loved that magical realism element: we don’t know why, but we are, and we’re just doing to live with it. How very Kafka (^_~). One of my favorite things about high school English class was reading magical realism, and The Metamorphosis was one of the few stories I completely finished in high school. (Spoiler alert?)The best part of this immortality business was at the very end where Luke sorta-kinda wants it, and Lanny just wants to be done with it. Honestly, while I didn’t like the ending compared to the rest of the novel, it was the only way to finish it.

Most of the book was about Lanny, but Katsu didn’t write about Lanny; she wrote about Lanny and Luke. So this was as much Luke’s journey as Lanny’s which moved me. Lanny helped Luke break out of his shell, his daily routine of *blah blah I-need-to-leave-but-I-won’t-blah*. Luke was the first person Lanny met after her arrest that Lanny felt she could trust, which was why she told him the truth, which would be the first step to breaking the spell, and everything just comes together.

I didn’t like the ending. I wanted ACTION. But like I said, it was appropriate. I also didn’t like the fact that the story didn’t return to Luke’s mother’s death. I thought it would somehow be important to the plot, but it wasn’t (though as I’m writing this I think I understand why she died that way *cough cough* more magical realism).

One last comment, my late grandfather once told me that it’s a mitzvah (~human kindness) to “die on your own”. My grandfather said this in Russian, so I’m roughly translating. What he meant, I think, is that it’s a mitzvah to not expire on someone else’s command, whether it’s a doctor or someone else. I thought about this a lot, since my grandfather died ~2 months ago on his own, and I just thought that this fit rather well with the theme of the novel. Once you read The Taker, I think you’ll understand. *wink*

All in all, The Taker was a great read, and it decidedly answers the question "Who Wants to Live Forever?".

Source: I borrowed this book from Yan. And she didn’t give me the cover, though I would LOVE to see it.

Fury

*stay tune for a giveaway and other tour stops*

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Fury by Elizabeth Miles

Grade: 3 stars out of 5

"Sometimes sorry isn't enough....

It’s winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But not all is as it seems...

Between cozy traditions and parties with her friends, Emily loves the holidays. And this year’s even better--the guy [Zach] she’s been into for months is finally noticing her. But Em knows if she starts things with him, there’s no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em’s best friend.

On the other side of town, Chase is having problems of his own. The stress of his home life is starting to take its toll, and his social life is unraveling. But that’s nothing compared to what’s really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel...something the perfect guy he pretends to be would never do. And it’s only a matter of time before he’s exposed.

In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. And three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—are here to choose who will pay.

Em and Chase have been chosen."

After rating Fury on Goodreads, I skimmed through several reviews. Things seemed to be split down the middle: half of the ratings were glowing, the other half, however, was than ecstatic about this new series. I could see both sides to the argument.

Fury was a new take on karma hitting hard. The bad guys never win and the Furies made sure of that. Elizabeth Miles took an old myth and weaved it into a modern high school. Miles wrote an angry novel with raw emotions that tugged the readers’ heart this way and that. She took a small detail like the lack of proper parental guidance for young teens (striving to be accepted in a world all about money) and molded that into the actions of the characters. The lack of love and attention was a recurring trait in the families that wormed its way to the core of Em, Chase, Zach; violence and blatant disregard for others being the strongest traits.

On the negative side, Fury lacks a clear direction. It focused on Chase and Em with some scenes together, but in some ways they could have stood alone in separate novels. It was only towards the end that something stronger than blackmail tied the two together for a more cohesive plotline. Another reason why Fury didn’t live up to par with the hype was the characters. A unique plotline is definitely good, but the weak characters took Fury down several notches.

I found many of the characters despicable. I couldn’t have it in me to feel sorry for their troubles they created it. I found it hard to like the characters. Chase and Em didn’t seem able to sort realistic thoughts from idealistic ones. They were dreamers who followed their hearts and not their brains. But brains are very important for common sense and seeing as how some actions and motives by those two were idiotic, they needed to think with their brains more. They were obsessive, not listening to good advice, and saying useless words. Sometimes sorry doesn’t carry much worth, but actions speak so loudly. SPOILER: I wished Em had help take down some of the photos of Chase instead of just pitying him for those who have read it.

The side characters—except for Em’s best friends—were also less than awesome in terms of being likeable. Chase and Em were able, however, to redeem themselves for several chapters before the climax exploded. In those brief moments, they shone. The guilt, anger, and relief descended upon them and it was a magnificent display of emotions.

Slower in the beginning that required the readers to grit their teeth and carry on through the mindless drama, Fury does pick up its pace in the end. The ending exploded with action and karma coming around full force. If Miles had written with the same intensity as she had in the beginning, I would have greatly enjoyed Fury a lot more.

One final thing about Fury was its open-endedness. How does this one character know so much about Furies? What are her ties to them? Why does a girl who kisses her best friend’s boyfriend gets targeted by the Furies when clearly there are eviler and crueler people in the world? How do the Furies target people? I ultimately wanted to know about the Furies than any other character.

Fury is Gossip Girls with a mythological twist that will have readers who enjoy drama salivating for the next book.

Cover B

Source: ARC from Simon Pulse for tour

Published: 2011 August 30, hardcover

Amazon: preorder

Royally Jacked

Royally Jacked by Niki Burnham

Grade: 1.5 star out of 5

Do you hate those books where the girl claims that she's Plain Jane while her friends are the most beautiful, smartest, confident girls in the school? And somehow, some way or another, this girl manages to catch the attention of the hottest guy in the book with her stellar personality! Though, between you and me, her personality stinks. Say hello to Valerie.

Valerie's parents got divorced. It turns out her mother is actually gay. Her dad works for the government so to avoid a big scandal, Valerie and her dad moves a small town called Schwerinborg in Europe. In this tiny town, Valerie and her dad stay with the royal family. Of course, plain Valerie who doesn't have the most redeeming qualities a girl needs to snatch a guy manages to catch the eye of the Prince. That's right. A PRINCE. He's freaking hot and nice and smart and the perfect guy even if the title isn't attached.

The prince's name is Georg. It's pronounced gay-org.

And somehow Valerie is still upset. She's afraid of what her friends think about her gay mother. (Because OMG her "butch" haircut is the one thing that Valerie keeps mentioning about her mother now.) She's worried if the hot guy from her old school likes her because she's been pining away at him since forever (and still pining even with Georg). Cry me a freaking river Valerie. Cry me a freaking river. Your mother still loves you. Your father still rocks. You have an awesome boyfriend.Yet she still somehow finds a way to whine about something.

Okay enough ranting. Royally Jacked wasn't all that bad (but it was very much testing my patience). There were some great scenes, funny even, with a fun group of friends and a sweet boyfriend. I found almost everyone to be likeable except Valerie.

Will I read the sequel? I'm not so sure. I finished Royally Jacked in March. It's now late July. I have the bind-up edition with all three books in one (because hello, for $7 I had to buy it!). Now I'm regretting that decision. Hopefully if and when I do continue with Valerie's story, it gets better.

Cover B+

for the bindup cover

Source: purchased

Published: 2011 March 22

Also check out the companion to Royally Crushed with Royally Check:

Jules edition! [free download]

City of Fallen Angels: Ramblings/Ranting

The following review (well you can't really call it that) is filled with whatever thoughts popped into my  head when I furiously typed it all down. Can you tell I was a little angry/frustrated? I've left the "review" in white so to read it in all its glory, highlight the entire empty white space. Please note I really did love the Moral Instrument series. I'm just not in love with this installment at all. Some small parts were good, I'm just more vocal about the bad parts.

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Grade: 2 stars out of 5


I must say I was quite excited when Cassandra Clare announced the extension of the Mortal Instruments installment. I can assume that other fans of the TMI series were excited as well. However if City of Fallen Angels is any indication of what the other two sequels will be like I am going to pretend I never heard the news and that City of Glass was the ending. If I knew that preordering the book a month in advance just to be disappointed, I would have ordered something else from Barnes and Noble. 


My biggest issue with City of Fallen Angels was the pacing. Sometimes it just dragged like a zombie dragging its lifeless leg on the road. Other times the actions flew by so fast that I was gaping like a fish. 


The relationship that we know and love between Jace and Clary GONE! Where the heck did it go!? I did not just spent 10+ hours reading the first 3 books rooting for them only for their relationship to revert all the way back to the beginning. I thought the books would help move the relationship along, not to go backwards. I love you, but I’m not good for you. I’m only avoiding you and hurting your feelings to protect you without even discussing why I’m doing it in the first place with you and blahblahblahblah….  Whatever happened to originality, creativity, and straight forward talking things out that I loved!? 


The humor! It’s gone! Disappeared along with Jace’s logic! I can’t even focus on Simon whom what the novel was about because I’m so distraught about Jace and Clary. The connection between the two came down a dry humping in an alleyway and almost sex. Gah! No more talking about it because it’s just making me frustrated all over again.


Okay Simon. Simon, Simon, Simon. Simon was the nerdy boy who didn’t think he couldn’t really get the “girl”, but when he turned into a vampire he somehow got a lot hotter. And then girls come flocking his way. Simon ends up dating both Maia and Isabelle and lo’ and behold they find out. (How could they not!?) But there’s a happy ending of course. More on that later.


The City of Fallen Angels explores Simon’s powers and the Cain’s curse. It’s wicked and strange, but wow is it a great way to protect you from dying. But Simon needs guidance and someone to make sure he doesn’t eff things up with his newfound powers. Hello new character that somehow fits perfectly into the jigsaw puzzle that is City of Fallen Angels. He’s kind of the hot sensitive dude. The whole finding your long lost girlfriend/boyfriend and making up was too fast for me. The agency he worked for was spotty and I don't believe it was ever mentioned before. I don't understand why Clare would make new elements to the novel when the point was to tie up lose ends. 


I found the plotline to be almost cliché at times. What I wasn’t hoping to find, I found. Clare purposely leaves these gaping holes in the novel where the rest of the novels pick up. 


I miss Alex and Magnus. Not enough in the book. Need more Luke too. Was an on-and-off fan of Isabelle.

Cover C

err why did they show Clary's face? The last 3 books were faceless people and why is Clary on the cover!? She already had one so leave Simon alone in all his glory.

Published: 2011 April 5

Source: personal

Amazon

Between Here and Forever

Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott

Grade: 5 stars out of 5 (BUY IT)

Before picking up Between Here and Forever, I urge readers to read or reread Bloom, Scott’s debut novel. No, it’s not because I love that book (well partially yes), but because Lauren (Lauren’s Crammed Bookshelf) pointed that the characters from Bloom make a reappearance. After making that connection, Between Here and Forever became so much…more in a way. Anyway I’ll gush about that later on.

Between Here and Forever focuses on Abby and her relationship with her sister Tess. Abby is always in the shadow of perfect, prefect Tess. Tess is always so careful, but fate decides to be ironic. Tess decides to leave a bit later from a party to avoid riding with a drunk, but on her way home she gets into a car accident. The car slips on black ice. Now Tess is in a coma and Abby is desperate to wake her up even if it means asking a random stranger, Eli, to talk to Tess. Only so Tess can leave.

Between Here and Forever rekindled by love for Scott’s works. This is really similar to Bloom where the main character has low self-esteem, somewhat overshadowed, and is afraid to be happy for the sake of happiness. Abby is constantly in the shadow of Tess even when Tess is in a coma. Her sister is perfect in Abby’s eyes and she’s nothing much in comparison. Between Here and Forever uses simple words to express dark feelings that pulls readers in. While Abby doesn’t turn to cutting, starving herself, or other very serious actions, she lives invisibly. Without a real goal, very close friends, or the drive to be who she can be, Abby isn’t truly living. Between Here and Forever emphsizes that no one is perfect—not Tess, not Abby—but there will be someone who thinks you are. And when you find that person be happy.

Another important element in Between Here and Forever is Eli. Eli has OCD and a mix heritage: “I’m half Japanese, part black—and this is what counts in Milford—part white….I don’t like being divided into little pieces of color” (101). That last line speaks for itself; it’s a strong sentence but comprised of very simple words. Eli’s OCD is part of Eli but doesn’t make him, him. I think Scott does a great job of depicting his life and his hardships and how it affects others’ viewpoints of him. Eli is a great hero for all his faults because he’s a supportive character who’s nice, gentle, and flusters easily.

Elizabeth Scott also doesn’t poke lightly on sexuality—particularly lesbianism—and death and teenage pregnancy. These two things build up the foundation of some of the side plots and characteristics. In ways I don’t appreciate living in a big city for all its advantages until someone points it.

Okay so going back to Bloom and its connection to Between Here and Forever. I really urge you to be familiar with the book because it brings to light some minor details that will cast Between Here and Forever that will elevate the book. At first I really liked the book but now I love the book. My heart broke more than once, but it also fluttered because you get a sort of happily ever after that I wasn’t expecting. For all its dark elements I can’t help but smile. And be giddy. And reread the book like a million times over again.

Source: unsolicited ARC from Simon Pulse

Cover A

Published: 2011 May 4; hardcover

Amazon: Between Here and Forever / Bloom

Gone

Gone by Lisa McMann

Grade: 2 stars out of 5

Janie thought she knew what her future held. And she thought she’d made her peace with it. But she can’t handle dragging Cabel down with her.


She knows he will stay with her, despite what she sees in his dreams. He’s amazing. And she’s a train wreck. Janie sees only one way to give him the life he deserves: She has to disappear. And it’s going to kill them both.


Then a stranger enters her life — and everything unravels. The future Janie once faced now has an ominous twist, and her choices are more dire than she’d ever thought possible. She alone must decide between the lesser of two evils. And time is running out....

In this last installment of the Dream Catcher Trilogy, Gone is the weakest link. Wake was one of the first books I heard of when I started blogging (eons ago), but one that stuck with me. I inhaled Wake and Fade instantaneously, preordered Gone. I waited patiently, but then the early reviews started to pop up. Some were raving, others thought Gone was mediocre, and there were those who were disappointed. Scared to be disappointed I left Gone on my bookshelf for almost a year.

It’s been months since I’ve last read Wake and Fade. I’ve read a couple hundred since the last installment, but continued to remember the simplistic, stark, raw writing style McMann had. In Gone the writing felt terse and rushed. Did my reading taste developed over time that I no longer appreciated McMann’s writing style?

The overall novel felt rushed and so full of plot holes. Her father came from out of nowhere. Cabel’s characterization was squeezed into one or two lines that did nothing, but made my opinion of him turn 180. The secondary characters seemed to have disappeared. And her mother fades in and out.

Gone was just one long angst-ridden internal monologue. With loud static. A part of me wants another installment that serves as the final book. Gone could have been that exclusive excerpt or novella that readers can choose to read.

Source: personal

Published: 2010, February 9

Amazon

The Fallen: Raziel

The Fallen: Raziel by Kristina Douglas

Grade: 2 stars out of 5

Allie Watson always has an issue with time. But now she doesn’t have to worry about it anymore. The next thing Allie knows after walking into the street is sexy, brooding man telling her that she’s dead. Allie will not take that as an answer.

The Fallen: Raziel was a very dramatic read with Biblical context. I found the novel nicely set up as the Fallens being the ferrymen of the dead and the state of being neither dead nor alive. However, while the settings were wonderfully done I have some issues with the characters.

Raziel is hardheaded and a destructive character. Down is up and I don’t know where I stand with him. He can be kind but most of the time he plays with Allie’s heart. Or perhaps Raziel doesn’t know where his own heart lies? After this last lover’s death (as Raziel lives for a very long time while his lovers eventually die) Raziel doesn’t want to suffer the heartbreak again. So instead he turns to celibacy and being cold-hearted to strangers.

Until he met Allie.

Allie is smaller than curvier than her coworkers or the women walking down the streets of NYC in their heels. Allie writes Biblical mysteries with a side job so she knows a thing or two of the Fallen’s history. It works well with the novel in a big coincidental kind of way.

I don’t quite understand the relationship between the two as they seem to really hate each other’s guts, but lust for one another just as much. The sudden shift to affection had me a bit angry at the sudden development. I later accepted it as the novel progressed, but at that moment, the book let me down so much.

I also couldn’t understand Azazel, the head of the whole group, and why he was such an ass. The action/fight scenes ended as quickly as it started. Just an explosion of carnage and blood. The entire novel had a very slow, molasses-paced, start that hardly went anywhere.

Overall I’m not sure where I stand with this series. Usually the first book in a new series sets the tone for the rest. If the rest of the series is an indication of what The Fallen: Raziel started, then I am afraid that I will no longer continue the series.

Cover D

FYI: Raziel's a blond, but his wings are kind of midnight-blue

Source: review copy from Pocket Books

Published: 2011, January 25

Swept Off Her Feet

Swept Off Her Feet by Hester Browne

Grade: 3 stars out of 5

Evie Nicholson is an antique appraiser who’s fascinated by the history of each piece. It’s less about the money, but the story behind each tea set, tattered teddy bear, and photo frames. Her next job is to appraise the furniture of a modern castle. The home is perfect in Evie’s eyes; she can imagine all the posh dinners and exciting dances that the castle once held. She just doesn’t want to participate in them for she and her sister, Alice, are the bulls in the china shop: clumsy and dangerous to everything near them on the dance floor. However, this job may just spell trouble.

When I first read the synopsis of the book I had expected a love triangle, multiple perspectives, and a little confusing plotline. However, Swept Off Her Feet was rather straightforward, single POV tale of Evie having her dream come true. She lands herself in a tragic love story with hidden notebooks of the past owners of the castle. She finds herself dancing and loving the Scottish reel with a man that may just like her back. Ah, but if only things were that simple. The dance of love is painful but rewarding.

Swept Off Her Feet has a forbidden element love to the novel that makes it more juicy, but what makes the novel was the world that Evie dreams of. The life behind the furniture is fascinating and the dance moves is intricate but described well. Anything curious enough to do the Scottish reel with me? For whatever reason, I pictured the dance scene from Pride and Prejudice, but with more twirling and spinning.

Swept Off Her Feet was a simplistic chick-lit novel but breezy and fun all the while.

Cover B

Source: review copy from Gallery Books

Published: 2011 March 8

Amazon

How to Flirt with a Werewolf

How to Flirt with a Werewolf by Molly Harper

Grade: 4 stars out of 5

This is the second Molly Harper novel I’ve read and here are two things I’ve learned this far: she likes writing about the South and she makes awkward moments funny/sweet. The title itself, How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf, is both funny and awkward.

Mo, whose real name is not any better, decides to move to middle-of-nowhere, Alaska to start a brand new life. Leaving her old marketing job and her suffocating parents behind, Mo wants a clean new slate. She’s fresh meat in the small town where outsiders are exactly welcomed with open arms. And Cooper is the committee head. He also just happens to be Mo’s closest neighbor and hot, hot, hot. Too bad he’s a jerk.

How to Flirt with a Werewolf is a little charming book that makes reinventing one’s self fun! Mo is the girl to be who knows how to take a flirt and flirt right back. She’s not so serious as to not take a good joke, but not too careless that she’ll fall under any guy’s spell. He has to work for it.

While Mo and Copper still have that instant connection, Molly Harper doesn’t take that route. Instead Mo leads her life in Grundy, Alaska as she would have without a man on her arms. She makes friends, acquaintances, gets a job, and rekindles her love of cooking and baking. She lives an independent, happy single life for a while. Harper allows the readers to view Mo as a character and focus solely on her for a good portion of the novel. This lets the reader get a good feel of Mo and her quirks, her family, and her personality.

The banter between Cooper and Mo only adds to the fun and sexiness of the novel. However, Cooper’s own family troubles add to the simmering pot of seriousness just as Mo’s decision to leave her old life. Cooper is the alpha of the town’s wolfpack, but a past action forces him to leave. Now, tourist and towners are being killed by a wolf and he’s not sure if it’s him or not. Cooper’s insecurities makes him less grumpy (and less of jerk).Cooper is more sensitive and concerned about everything then we originally see. He’s one big-ol’-softy inside.

The mystery behind the deaths adds a level of suspense that I would have never imagined. It was done well considering what I had already presumed based off the appearance and the genre of the book.

Looking forward to more of Molly Harper’s works.

Cover A

Source: review copy from Pocket Books

Published: 2011, February 22

T2T Tour: Mostly Good Girls

Mostly Good Girls by Leila Sales

Source: ARC from Simon and Schuster

Grade: 4.8 stars out of 5

Violet is student at a school where it’s okay to be a nerd. In fact, it’s a requirement on most levels (unless you donate a large sum of money to the school). But Westfield School is an all-girls school so the eye-candy is a minimum to only one teacher (who passable a middle-aged man, but definitely no Brad Pitt). For formals and dances, Westfield School pairs up with their brother school who just so happens to educate Scott Walsh—the most perfect male specimen!

Mostly Good Girls require and beg for every exclamation point! for a freaking hilarious! fun! sassy! entertaining! (did I mention hilarious!?) read! (Okay taking a break from the exclamations because it’s getting annoying and because Microsoft Word keeps “fixing” the sentence for me.)

Mostly Good Girls is the best example of a novel about friendship without the need to go over the mushy line. Katie and Violet knows how to party (while keeping it PG-13) with a humor that will get anyone crackin’. That means that aren’t any “Your Momma” jokes, dry humor, sarcastic humor, racial jokes, or anything that will offend somebody (99% positive on this statement). This is pure genuine funny—ha-ha!

The novel will keep you on your toes just waiting to see what happens when you combine Katie and Violet, but the second half of the novel tugs your heartstrings. Do you have a best friend? Like a best-best-best friend that makes the day go by faster? Well have them read Mostly Good Girls with you. There is a good possibility that the things Katie and Violet go through may have happened to you as well.

Oh and before I forget, the ending deserves its own exclamation point! Make that plural!!!! It came from left-field that actually seems plausible.

Cover C-

Too much steel gray?

Order your copy of Mostly Good Girls (NOW!): Amazon / Indie Bound / Book Depository

Read a sample chapter: here

The Love Goddess' Cooking School

The Love Goddess' Cooking School by Melissa Senate

Grade: 4.5 stars out of 5

Holly Maguire's grandmother was the Love Goddess of Blue Crab Island, Maine–a Milanese fortune teller who could predict the right man for you, and whose Italian cooking was rumored to save marriages. Holly has been waiting years for her unlikely fortune: her true love will like sa cordula, an unappetizing old-world delicacy. But Holly can't make a decent marinara sauce, let alone sa cordula. Maybe that's why the man she hopes to marry breaks her heart. So when Holly inherits Camilla's Cucinotta, she's determined to forget about fortunes and love and become an Italian cooking teacher worthy of her grandmother's legacy.

But Holly's four students are seeking much more than how to make Camilla's chicken alla Milanese. Simon, a single father, hopes to cook his way back into his daughter's heart. Juliet, Holly's childhood friend, hides a painful secret. Tamara, a serial dater, can't find the love she longs for. And twelve-year-old Mia thinks learning to cook will stop her dad from marrying his phony lasagna-queen girlfriend.

As the class gathers each week, adding Camilla's essential ingredients of wishes and memories into every pot and pan, unexpected friendships and romances are formed–and tested. Especially when Holly falls hard for Liam . . . and learns a thing or two about finding her own recipe for happiness.

Everything you need to know about the novel can be surmised from the synopsis. The Love Goddess’s Cooking School makes one reader very, very hungry for some decent Italian cuisine. Thank God that there are recipes readers can follow at the back of the novel or I might have taken a bite of the novel. Yum….

The Love Goddess’ Cooking School was a delicious novel that held different layers like a lasagna with various textures, aromas, and tastes. The novel does not completely focus on cooking and many of the side-characters try to find their niche in life and the reason for existence at all. The potential of a new stepmother drives Mia to the cooking class. She becomes the bright singular light and one of the wisest and fearless out of the bunch. But she herself is so fragile and breakable, just a young tween, that the arrival of her mother throws everything out of balance. Mia physically demonstrates in a person whereas Holly emotionally develops through her cooking.

Holly’s grandmother’s diary, however, leaves some questions remaining. It does bring light to this family tension that passes through generation and takes into account the progression of assimilation and the effects it has on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generations. Having taken a course on race and culture, The Love Goddess’ Cooking School follows the exact same pattern and concept. This is just another layer to that piling lasagna that makes this novel delicious.

The novel is part heartbreaking, part love humor, and all gobbled up by me. The ending, however, was just a little tough to chew through.

Cover B-/C+

Source: Gallery Books

Published: 2010 October 26; paperback

Amazon / Indie Bound / Book Depository

The Year of Living Scandalously

The Year of Living Scandalously by Julia London

Grade: 3.5 stars out of 5

The Year of Living Scandalously (the cover itself is quite scandalously enough for me!) was a tale of star-crossed lovers whose passion reaches the stars. Nope. I’m lying to you. It’s actually about a girl turned woman whose beauty and charm attracts man out of their wits and an earl who loves horses. The rape and suicide of a childhood friend leave them both haunted and in hatred/guilt in each other’s presence.

But when Lily, Kiera’s cousin, finds herself a new title her desire to travel abroad overcomes her sense of duty and enlists the help of Keira to maintain her newest property. Keira finds Ashwood barely hanging on—a clear cry from when it held the grandest party of all time. There, she runs into Declan who plans to purchase a fine horse from the estate and cajoles him into helping her. Keira is determined that Ashwood stay afloat despite a new neighbor who is out to get the family and discovered what truly happened to the family jewels that led to one woman’s death and her cousin’s sudden arrival to her home.

Keira may find more than she ever bargained for.

The first thing that made me pause and think about the novel was the prologue and epilogue. See, they are both told in Lily’s perspective while the rest of the novel is told through Keira. It was such an odd match that I had to look up the synopsis of the novel to figure what the novel focuses on. The prologue was a much longer chapter than I expected and set things up more so for the sequel rather than this installment. It set the ball rolling for The Year of Living Scandalously but doesn’t play the biggest role in the romancing of Declan and Keira.

Declan and Keira are well suited for each other: both being born in Ireland, wanting to travel and experience life, and a strong liking to horses. They are both also like horses or rather mules—stubborn, head strong, doesn’t exactly think things through carefully before acting and reacting. Going with their gut instincts. Oddly enough, this is an appealing characteristic to the novel as the novel is direct about the plot while amusing as the two butt heads.

The novel ends roughly, which leaves plenty of tidying up to do in the sequel for Lily as she comes back from her trip.

Cover C-/D+

Source: ARC/Bound Manuscript from Pocket Books

Published: 2010 October 19; mass market paperback

Amazon / Indie Bound / Book Depository

And One Last Thing...

And One Last Thing... by Molly Harper

Grade: 4 stars out of 5

After discovering that her husband is cheating on her, Lacey sends a mass newsletter to friends, families, and coworkers of what a dick he is. But the newsletter garners more attention than she ever thought of and lawsuits are now being thrown. Lacey goes into hiding from her soon to be ex-mother-in-law, the press and random people.

Lacey runs off and stays in her families old summer home near on the dock. There she meets Monroe who is renting the neighboring home to get away from the noise of the city. And recently divorced woman. But Lacey’s southern hospitality will be her downfall and Monroe’s.

And One Last Thing... is one of the more humorous chick-lit novels that I enjoyed very, very much. It is part legal stuff (not boring at all guys!), part crime-thriller novel writing, and part family embarrassment. But constantly fun and a blast to read.

What And One Last Thing... and several other chick-lit novels have in common that I recently found was the involvement of families. In teen novels it seems that families are missing or at least one of them is dead, but in this genre the family is present throughout the entire novel and 99.99% of the time they are crazy.

Quite frankly the majority of the characters in And One Last Thing... were an enjoyment to read because there were vibrant characters—full of life they were. Lacey’s brother, Emmett, who is gay demonstrates some of the clichés of fashion orientated spunk, and that extra spoonful of perky, but has an overly protective male buffness.Some of his antics and his choice of friends were LOL-worthy. Monroe’s family, all aptly titled Dr. Monroe (Monroe is their last name), was a hoot. A little spoilery for you but what other family would be completely okay by finding a new girlfriend half-naked making coffee in your son’s home? And then joke about it? Hilarious.

Lacey’s growth in finding her own self outside that little bubble of plastic, cheerful, perfect suburban home is diminished when compared to Mike’s “apology”. Having cheated on her for his secretary, “BumbleBee” (another cliché which borders on intentional), readers may expect and want an earnest apology, but we did not get that. We were only left with an agreement that all charges would be dropped.

In all, Molly Harper’s And One Last Thing... is a feminist work of fiction that has a great sense of humor, a strong style of writing, and a cast of the most interesting characters I’ve read in a long time.

P.S. I am going to immerse myself in her adult romance series as soon as school allows me to. Any opinions of those?

 Cover B- (fits the book nicely)

Source: Won from Gallery Books via Twitter

Published: 2010 July 27; paperback

Amazon / Indie Bound / Book Depository

Her and Me and You

Her and Me and You by Lauren Strasnick

Grade: 4 stars out of 5

Alex moves to a new town with her mother when her father gets a new girlfriend. Her family life isn’t so great now, but at least she still has her best friend. But she’s slowly leaving Alex behind when she gets a boyfriend. At the town and her new school, Alex befriends Fred. Fred has a twin sister, Adina, who is an enigmatic as Fred. Alex isn’t sure what to make of this pair of siblings who keep to themselves.

One thing is for sure though: two’s a company and three’s a crowd. Alex is slowly feeling like the permanent third wheel.

Her and Me and You is a fast-paced novel because of its stylistic of narration. It is told in first person and short, clipped sentences. Despite this face-level of an easy-breezy read, Her and Me and You is so much more.

Fred’s and Adina’s past is a haunting one and the reader constantly wonders the psychological effects that it dealt to these young children. It lingers on the mind throughout the book especially when Adina does odd thing or anything. Adina in particularly is one slippery character: she has her quirts and her niceties. One thing frustrating about the first person narrative is the lack of knowledge on the other characters.

Adina is so very fascinating. She is part anorexia and part bipolar and all insane. But the reader does not if this is true. All we know is what Alex perceives. Adina could be in fact a sane girl who is manipulative and conniving and staged everything to keep Fred. I want to read more of Adina.

Alex’s close friend from her old town (God help me, I can’t recall her name) is one that many readers have probably read elsewhere. The girl who has had history with the main character, but changes and develops over time into someone who is different than the childhood friend. And not for the better. She (oh gosh, what’s her name!) is not as memorable as Adina (as you can tell by the lack of name) but she does play an important role by connecting Alex to her past.

Alex’s old town where her father and current girlfriend still lives is just another form of her life constantly changing. Here, her father, is a man of the past that will forever be a part of her. There, her soon to-be stepmother, is a woman of the future that will become part of her. These two characters are no more snobby than you or I. They are concerned on what Alex thinks, what Alex feels, and tries to open their home as still her old home. And for that I cannot hate them. Instead I believe that it portrays society perfectly.

As you can tell, Her and Me and You is such a short novel (around 200 pages) but it packs so much between the lines. Her and Me and You is a haunting novel that will stick to the reader. But there were so many lingering questions that I feel leaves Her and Me and You hollow.

Cover B+

Source: ARC from Simon and Schuster

Published: October 5, 2010; hardcover

Amazon / Indie Bound / Book Depository

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Grade: 4 stars out of 5

After her father’s death the family is moving to Connecticut. Her mother left Amy the reasonability to bringing the car all the way from California and enlisted the help of Roger, an old family friend’s son, who needs to make his way to Philadelphia. But Amy and Roger decide to make a few detour stops because a road trip of life. Each stop has a meaning and each stop leaves behind a few memories.

One thing that makes Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour is the fact that it is less of a novel and more of scrapbook.  It includes receipts, photos, doodles, and playlists with a narration that switches from past to present. It brings forth a personality that the characters’ can’t.

The characters, of course, are unique. After the accident that killed her father, Amy no longer drives. The detour/road trip helps her carry some of the weight and guilt off her shoulder as she tells random strangers/new acquaintances the tragic news. It’s a progression of breaking down whenever the prospect of the news comes up to openly acknowledging the truth. We follow Amy on her journey of inner strength and it is worth commemorating.

Roger is a rather sweet boy traveling across the country just to get closure with an ex-girlfriend. The shirtless scene *thumbs-up*, but I don’t have much to say about him except that he’s sweet and caring and nice.

The biggest flaw in my eyes was some of the stops: more than necessary. The plot seemed to drag a bit in the beginning and in the middle. The end I felt was great in regards to pacing. The next flaw was the formatting. I love the collage of receipts and photos, but some were ill-placed and interrupted the flow of the story. I would read a paragraph and get cut off in the middle of a sentence for some collages 2-3 pages that promptly lost my train of thought.

Cover B-
I love the patterns of the shirts! I am an earth-tone type of girl so the colors are great that seem to mellow down the atmosphere. Great summer cover (though the guy's shirt looks a teensy bit too hot to wear in the sun).

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour is out: Amazon / Indie Bound / Book Depository