Title:

“Right there, by the car, I realized that sometimes you don’t have to say you love someone for it to be true. Sometimes you just have to hang out in that person’s shadow and be okay with it.”

Summary(from the publisher):
Kendra has always felt overshadowed by her older brother, Grayson, whose OCD forces him to live a life of carefully coordinated routines. The only way Kendra can stand out next to Grayson is to be perfect, and she has perfection down to an art — until a cheating scandal threatens her flawless reputation.

Behind the wheel of her car, with Grayson asleep beside her, Kendra decides to drive away from it all — with enough distance, maybe she’ll be able to figure everything out. But eventually, Kendra must stop running and come to terms with herself, her brother, and her past.

Opinion:
I first became a fan of Jennifer Brown’s writing in March of 2011 when I read her first book Hate List. To say that book was remarkable really wouldn’t do it any justice. Brown had such a fabulous way of telling such a horrid story that you really couldn’t help but be enthralled. Then there was Bitter End. I loved it as much as Hate List but in a very different way. And now I can add Perfect Escape to the list of marvelous Brown books because as much as I loved the other two, Perfect Escape was by far my favorite Brown book to date. I apologize in advance for any spoilers that slip by. I just loved this book too much not to gush.

The book is about Kendra and Grayson, siblings about 3 years apart. Kendra has always been the “perfect” child. She has gotten the best grades, stayed out of any sort of trouble, basically kept her head down, but not because she wanted to, but because she felt she had to to compensate for her brother who had a severe case of OCD. Living in a house with someone with massive compulsions Kendra quickly learned how to make herself invisible. Or so she thought. When a cheating scandal is brought to light showing that Kendra may not be the perfect person she claimed to be she does the one thing she thinks she can do, she runs, and she takes Grayson with her. Now on the road the two of them must figure out just how far they are willing to go to “fix” themselves.

When I tell you this book was fabulous, I mean it was FABULOUS! There wasn’t one part of this story that I could complain about. The characters were so well developed and likable, the plot was paced perfectly and the road trip aspect added a little bonus. I seriously fell completely in love with both Kendra and Grayson and the struggles they both faced. Kendra was this normal high school girl. She got good grades, had a group of friends, had a boyfriend. She got to go to sleepovers and to friends’ houses and on dates and live a normal life. Yet through all of that she felt like she was in the shadow of her older brother. In her head she had to over compensate and be exceptional because Grayson was anything but. Grayson was the kid with “difficulties”, the kid with OCD. He was so wrapped up in his own anxieties that he just couldn’t function like a typical teenager. He was always being fawned over or put into a treatment facility. He never got to go out with friends or dates or sleepovers. His head wouldn’t allow him to no matter how much he just wanted to be “normal”.

But even with their differences Kendra and Grayson had maybe one of the best brother/sister relationships I have ever encountered in a book. Simply put, they loved each other unconditionally. Kendra put up with a lot for Grayson. She was picked on, had her best friend ripped out of her life and had pressure put on her that no kid ever should have had. And Grayson carried a huge burden of guilt on his shoulders for everything he put his sister through and the things he couldn’t control. But when push came to shove they were there for each other. Grayson stepped completely out of his comfort zone and runaway with Kendra and Kendra realized she didn’t want to fix Grayson as much as she wanted him to be able to fix himself. What started as the two of them running away turned into a trip of self discovery and of realizing they would always have each other to count on no matter what.

Brown really wrote a compelling novel that felt very realistic. Never having had OCD I can’t begin to imagine what it would be like. Sure we all have our things that drive us nuts like someone squeezing the toothpaste from the wrong spot or money going in different directions. We call them ticks or quirks. But the way Brown wrote Grayson I actually could feel his anxiety coming off the page. It was very emotional and connected me to the pages in a very real way. She really crafted an amazing novel about the sibling bond and how that bond translates into love. If you haven’t picked up a Brown book yet, trust me and do so. Whether it is this one or one of her others, you won’t be disappointed. And if you have, jump on my float for her as we wait (im)patiently for her next wonderful story!

Title:

“Sixth-grade sweethearts. Wow. New Yorkers only commit to that type of monogamy with the Yankees or Giants”

Summary(from the publisher):
A heartwarming and witty debut novel about a spoiled city girl whose life is turned upside down when her father loses his job and she’s shipped to Broken Spoke, Texas. Who knew country-living could melt this snobby ice-queen’s heart?

Opinion:
I actually really enjoyed this book. I had had it on my list for a while and completely forgot about it. One day I was looking at my to-read list and the boy in the cowboy hat jumped out at me and I was sold. You can totally see where my loyalties lies.

Anyway Where I Belong is about Corrine, a rich, uppity, spoiled girl form New York(think Gossip Girl on crack!) that thinks the sun rises and shines on Bergdorf’s and Barney’s. She has it all. Fancy clothes, money, a horse and a first class trip to boarding school with her bestie, the equally snobbish Waverly(her name even smells like money. HEHE). Suddenly though everything comes crashing down on Corrine. Her family is broke and they are forced to more to Broken Spoke, Texas, the small town her mother ran far far away from. Set in the amazing dessert background of Texas, Corrine feels like an alien roaming the earth and is completely out of her element. She has no idea how to fit in with small town life and small town values. But before she can even blink Corrine finds herself with a friend, Kitsy, and an adorable sparring partner in the form of country Bubby. Soon the world isn’t so black and white for Corrine. Now she has to figure out where she fits in in both worlds.

Man I wanted to hate Corrine, I really truly did. She was spoiled and obnoxious and thought the world revolved around her. She treated everyone but her horse like they were beneath her and thought the world owed her something. But under that shell she really was a good girl with a good heart and I loved that her time in Texas allowed us to see that. Bravo Ms. Heasley for giving the readers the chance to get to know the real Corrine. Because seriously as the book continued on I really found myself liking this girl more and more. Between her friendship with Kitsy, her evolving relationship with her grandparents and her banter with Bubby, Corrine became a person and not a caricature. She kind of found her niche in small town Texas realizing she was actually good at something. And she found an honest to goodness real friend in Kitsy who I just adored! She was such a stereotypical small town girl and I wanted to eat her up with a spoon. Her and Bubby actually. They were the perfect yin to Corrine’s yang and are what to the ultimate growth of her.

Where I Belong is truly a great coming of age story about a girl that thought she knew everything and understood her place in the world. Heasley really wrote a great story showing how material items aren’t everything and sometimes you just need to reach inside yourself and really find out who you are when everything else is stripped away. I would definitely recommend a read through of this one. I can’t wait to read Kitsy’s story and I have a feeling you will feel the same way.

Title:

“Unfortunately, I am only myself.”

Summary(from the publisher):
Amy is fine living in the shadows of beautiful Lila and uber-cool Cassie, because at least she’s somewhat beautiful and uber-cool by association. But when their dates stand them up for prom, and the girls take matters into their own hands—earning them a night in jail outfitted in satin, stilettos, and Spanx—Amy discovers even a prom spent in handcuffs might be better than the humiliating “rehabilitation techniques” now filling up her summer. Worse, with Lila and Cassie parentally banned, Amy feels like she has nothing—like she is nothing.

Navigating unlikely alliances with her new coworker, two very different boys, and possibly even her parents, Amy struggles to decide if it’s worth being a best friend when it makes you a public enemy. Bringing readers along on an often hilarious and heartwarming journey, Amy finds that maybe getting a life only happens once you think your life is over.

Opinion:
Man, oh man did Amy break my heart! This book wasn’t what I expected honestly. From the description I thought we were going to get a story of whacky hijinks and awkward situations.  Instead Pretty Amy was a story about a very emotionally broken girl that hit rock bottom and finally had to decide to put the pieces of her life back together.

The book starts out on the night of the senior prom with Amy and her two “best friends” Lila and Cassie. Lila, the leader of the group and the only one with a boyfriend, has fixed Amy and Cassie up with their prom dates. Unfortunately the girls are stood up and a rash decisions changes Amy’s life. Instead of having the best memories of her senior prom she finds herself in jail and her life at a crossroads. Slowly Amy has to start examining what it truly means to hit rock bottom and is she thinks she is worth it.

Truthfully Amy made me really sad. She was so broken on the inside. She had no self esteem and no emotional support from her family. She had no true friends in the real sense of the word and she worried so much about how she looked to people that she never really got to know herself. Here she was this good, amazing girl and she was wrapped up in her own head that she only saw the negative. She thought she could do no better then Cassie and Lila so she let herself be lead around by them like the dog she so desperately wanted. There was so much more to Amy then a delinquent but with a mother like hers, who plain sucked, and no one to confide in she had no chance of believing in herself. All I wanted o do was so and give her a hug, or better yet yell for Joe to do it because Amy just needed someone to tell her she was worth it. Just a simple sentence a long time ago was all this poor girl needed and it broke my heart that she wasn’t getting it.

Burstein really nailed teenage angst down. I could feel it leaping off the pages as I read. I was slightly disappointed with the lack of romance, because really who doesn’t love a cute boy, but I get why it wasn’t a main focus. Amy had to be the main focus and Burstein did that pretty flawlessly. I wanted Amy to succeed and to see how she was capable of being and I think you will too. I look forward to hearing about Cassie in her next book. What did you think of Pretty Amy?

Title:

“Who were these people, these specially selected tenants? They were mothers and fathers and children. A dressmaker, a secretary, an inventor, a doctor, a judge. And, oh yes, one was a bookie, one was a burglar, one was a bomber, and one was a mistake. Barney Northrup had rented one of the apartments to the wrong person.”

Summary(from the publisher):
When an eccentric millionaire dies mysteriously, sixteen very unlikely people are gathered together for the reading of the will…and what a will it is!

Opinion:
I don’t even know where to begin with this book. The first I read it was over 20 years ago. I was in the 5th grade and we had to write a book report. I have no idea what led me to this book but something did and I was hooked. I read the book, did my report and loved it some much I suggested it to my teacher as a class read and she readily accepted. For years I have been suggesting this book to people. Some listened and sadly some did not. After getting back into reading myself I thought it was high time that I picked up The Westing Game once again and see if it still had the same spark it had for me when I was a kid. I was nervous to say the least. The last thing you want is for something you loved at one point to be ruined the next time around due to your age. Luckily Ellen Raskin wrote not only an amazing story, but a timeless one as well. I can happily say as much as I loved this book in the 5th grade, I loved it even more in my 30s.

The Westing Game is a straight up mystery. It’s a story about 16 heirs that have been called to the house of millionaire Sam Westing to take part of a game to figure out who would want him dead. They are split up into pairs and are given strange clues, at the reading of his will, that they must decipher and figure out who the culprit is. Each of the 16 people involved has a bit of a back story and connection to the Westing family in one way or another but as Mr. Westing likes to remind them, it is more about what you don’t know then what you do.

I must admit that both times I have read this remarkable book I had no clue what the final result of the mystery would be. I remembered small parts from the first time I read it, but Raskin did such an amazing job of weaving the clues together that I couldn’t put the pieces together even the second time around. She wrote such interestingly intriguing characters that I sometimes found myself more wrapped up in their lives then in the mystery that surrounded them. And by far the most annoying and my absolute favorite character was Turtle. She made the story extra special I think. Surrounded by the biggest group of misfits around, Turtle was able to be herself, the biggest misfit of the misfits. She walked to the beat of her own drum and didn’t care what anyone really thought about her. She was kind of ingenious.

But really, The Westing Game is a fantastical read. Whether you are 12 or 40 you will find yourself wrapped in the Westing mystery trying to figure out exactly who did what to who and why. You’ll read the clues over and over, write things down and become one of the ‘heirs’ yourself! So whether you have read it before a million years ago, or you’re a newbie to the world of Raskin and her game, pick it up! You won’t be disappointed, even the second time around.

Title:

“I wonder-maybe the key is balance. Maybe it’s about living in the moment while still keeping your eye on the big picture-on all the pictures.”

Summary(from the publisher):
Devi’s life isn’t turning out at all like she wanted. She wasted the past three years going out with Bryan—cute, adorable, break-your-heart Bryan. Devi let her friendships fade, blew off studying, didn’t join any clubs . . . and now that Bryan has broken up with her, she has nothing left.

Not even her stupid cell phone—she dropped it in the mall fountain. Now it only calls one number . . . hers. At age fourteen, three years ago!

Once Devi gets over the shock—and convinces her younger self that she isn’t some wacko—she realizes that she’s been given an awesome gift. She can tell herself all the right things to do . . . because she’s already done all the wrong ones! Who better to take advice from than your future self?

Except . . .what if getting what you think you want changes everything?

Opinion:
What a really cute story! At first I wasn’t sure I would get all that into it. I was confused as it went back and forth. But in true Mlynowski style she pulled me in and kept me there. I ended up not only loving both Devi’s but hoping that things would work out!

Gimme A Call is the story of broken hearted Devi, a high school senior that is dumped by the boyfriend she dumped all her friends for. Completely lost and miserable things get worse when she drops her phone in the mall fountain. Now Devi finds herself without a boyfriend, without friends and without a phone. But wait, her phone seems to work, but it will only call one person, it will only call 14 year old Devi! Through a series of conversations and the slight changing of things in the past by younger Devi, older Devi’s life changes, some for the better, some not so much, causing older Devi to figure out what its exactly is that she wants in life and want changes are worth making to get it.

I must admit it was so entertaining to see what kind of trouble the Devi’s managed to get themselves into by changing one small thing. I smiled and giggled and my heart even broke a little at times. I enjoyed the way the Devi’s interacted with one another. They were the same person but after 3 years it was nice to be able to see how much she had changed and grown as a person. What was important when she was 14 was suddenly something she could do without when she was 17. And by Devi talking to her 14 year old self she was able to finally realize what really was important. It started out as a wish over a broken heart but it became a lot more then that. It became a story about figuring out who you are and what you really want out of life.

Mlynowski really knows how to tell a great coming of age story. Gimme A Call is the prefect example of her talent. She knows just how to tell a story at the right pace and how to make the characters likeable and enjoyable. If you are looking for a fun, quick read that makes you wonder what you would tell your younger self to make something in your life different, this definitely is a good pick for you. I enjoyed it and I think you will too.

Title:

“When you like someone, you have to allow yourself to be vulnerable enough to let them in. Love is messy.”

Summary(from the publisher):
On the night of Skye’s seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites—like fire and ice—Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye’s life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move—only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.

In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can’t help falling for, and Devin, who she can’t stay away from, the consequences of Skye’s choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.

Opinion:
This book is the perfect example of not giving up on a story too soon. I was about 75 pages in, my usual limit for when a book isn’t grabbing me, and on the verge of giving up. I had no idea what was going on and didn’t know if there was a point. I checked the page count and saw the book is close to 400 pages so I kept going, and thank goodness I did. If I had given up and not pushed through for another 50 pages or so I would have completely missed out on a book that was surprisingly great. And that is exactly what A Beautiful Dark turned out to be…a great great story. A story of good and evil, light and dark, choice and no choice. I’ll try to keep spoilers to a minimum, but it is a paranormal romance so I have to mention some of the weirdness.

Basically the book is about Skye, an orphaned girl living with her mother’s best friend in Colorado. Her parents died when she was small so Skye has been with her “Aunt” Jo ever since. Anyway, on the night of her 17th birthday she meets two mysterious boys and from that moment on nothing is the same for her. Things start happening that Skye can’t seem to explain. The more she tries to brush off what is occurring as coincidence, the stranger things seem. And then there is Asher and Devin who seem to be showing up seemingly out of thin air every place she is and who she is inexplicably drawn to. As the book draws on and Skye’s destiny, along with Asher and Devin’s, are revealed, it is clear that everything Skye thought she knew about her past isn’t as cut and dry as she thought and the battle between darkness and light is just beginning.

Really it is a wonderfully told story about destiny and choosing sides told from the perspective of Skye, the girl caught in the middle of it all who just wants her life to stay normal. But the thing is, Skye is no longer normal. She is something else entirely and yet she is still a teenager. She still has homework and friends and a life.  She just wants to enjoy her life in the beautiful scenery of the Colorado mountains and she can’t. The arrival of Devin and Asher take that away from her. Now she is torn between her old life and her new one, what she knew and what she is learning and the two boys that have pulled the rug out from under her with the story of her past. And because of this I really found myself liking Skye. She was stuck in a love triangle with more at stake then someone getting a broken heart, she was all alone unable to confide in anyone and her world was on its axis. She could have thrown in the towel and quit yet she didn’t. Sure she had stubborn temper tantrums and tried to hide, but she was only 17, of course that would be her reaction at times. But for the most part she accepted what she was and her destiny to choose the path she wanted to take. She rose to the challenge and figured out that she was the one with all the power both literally and figuratively and tried to use that knowledge in her favor.

What I didn’t like about her was how cavalier she was about this power thing. Her eyes were flashing silver for crying out loud and she acted like that was nothing. That along with the weird heat thing that happened when she was around that she barely batted an eye at really bothered me. But in the long run just a minor complaint. Skye all in all was a great character.

And now on to the boys…Asher and Devin. Obvious enemies from the get go. One a rule follower and the other a rule breaker. One from light and one from dark. They had nothing in common, well nothing except one thing…they were both crazy about Skye. Sent on a mission for different reasons to watch over Skye they weren’t supposed to get attached to her. For me I liked Asher almost immediately. There was something charismatic and trust worthy about him that I just didn’t get from Devin. He was more shifty and shady. He had secrets and no free will and I just didn’t trust him. Asher on the other hand was there to protect Skye and watch over her. He tried to do the right thing and stay away but he couldn’t. He needed to be with her and damn the consequences. The addition of the two of them added to the story and I appreciated that.

A Beautiful Dark really was an excellent story and the perfect set up for what I can only imagine to be an action packed sequel with many twists and turns. Take a chance and read it. I’m surprisingly glad I did.

Title:

“…Welcome to Hamilton! As soon as I saw that exclamation mark, I knew I was doomed.”

Summary(from the publisher):
Whitley Johnson’s dream summer with her divorcé dad has turned into a nightmare. She’s just met his new fiancée and her kids. The fiancée’s son? Whitley’s one-night stand from graduation night. Just freakin’ great.

Worse, she totally doesn’t fit in with her dad’s perfect new country-club family. So Whitley acts out. She parties. Hard. So hard she doesn’t even notice the good things right under her nose: a sweet little future stepsister who is just about the only person she’s ever liked, a best friend (even though Whitley swears she doesn’t “do” friends), and a smoking-hot guy who isn’t her stepbrother…at least, not yet. It will take all three of them to help Whitley get through her anger and begin to put the pieces of her family together.

Opinion:
It pains me how amazing a writer Keplinger is at such a young age! She has this uncanny ability to tell the teenage prospective like it is. She did it with The DUFF(my fave Keplinger book) and with Shut Out. And yes, she managed to of it again with A Midsummer’s Nightmare. I waited along time to read this one and it was definitely worth the wait. Keplinger did not let me down!

A Midsummer’s Nightmare is about Whitley Johnson, a recent high school graduate that wakes up after a graduation party in bed with a boy she can’t remembers name. Not even bothering with pretenses Whitley chalks up the encounter as a one night stand and heads home to pack so she can spend the summer with her father, a time she has come to cherish since her parents divorced years before. Looking forward to a summer of hanging by the lake with her dad and drinking with him, Whitley is in for a surprise. Her dad has met someone and they have not only moved into a house together and are getting married, but her dad’s fiancé has two kids, a young teenaged daughter and GASP, Whitley’s one night stand Nathan. Suddenly Whitley’s relaxing summer isn’t going as planned and soon she has to figure out not only where she fits in with this new family, but where she fits in with her own. And is it really a one night stand when the boy is suddenly living across the hall from you?

I just loved Whitley. She was so lost in the world. Her mother was a PITA that had no clue what end was up and only wanted to bad mouth her dad and her father was a selfish piece of work that used his teenage daughter more as a friend then his kid. No wonder Whitley turned to booze and boys to get some attention. All this girl wanted was someone to notice her, to yell at her, to punish her and her parents just didn’t seem to care. It really was infuriating because Whitley was really awesome! She was funny and charming and really sweet when it came to her soon to be stepsister, and yet her dad essentially wanted nothing to do with her. I mean she was being bullied and he still didn’t care. ARGH!!! I really couldn’t stand him. LOL

Who I could stand was Nathan! Man was that boy just beyond adorable! I loved watching him with Whitley and with Whitley’s new friend Harrison( yes, Harrison from The DUFF!!). He was so funny with both of them there was no way not to love him! He made Whitley be the girl she had buried just by being there for her and not letting her get away with her antics. He was kind and patient and just the complete package. There was a sweetness in him that he brought out for Whitley and it totally made me swoon.

This book was equal parts romance and a coming of age story like Keplinger’s books of the past. Watching these characters grow and transform was purely entertaining and a joy to do. Each page turn was better then that last and at the end I was left with wanting more. Well done Kody! I can’t wait for more from you. You have a fan in this girl for sure!

Title:

“. . .true love is usually the most inconvenient kind.”

Summary(from the publisher):
For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn’t want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she’s made for herself- and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Opinion:
I am so confused why I have heard mixed things about this book. It was fantastical! I lived the characters and the story and the setting. I loved everything about it. I don’t quite understand why it has been compared to The Hunger Games other then the fact that America has maids and there is a host that questions the girls, but that aside, this book was a fun take on The Bachelor and I hate that show.

Basically The Selection is about America Singer, a girl from a lower caste number, that is “forced” to apply for the selection, by her mother and her boyfriend of two years, so Prince Maxon can find himself a wife. Heart broken and shocked when she is picked America moves into the palace with 34 other girls determined not to be the chosen one. What America doesn’t expect is to find herself an ally behind the palace walls and for that ally to be the Prince himself. Slowly America opens herself up to the possibility of a life with him. And when something unexpected happens she must decide where her allegiance lies and who her heart ultimately belongs to.

Now I know I should start with talking about America, and I will, but I need to first gush about Prince Maxon. I’m in love! Or in serious crush! He was simply put, an amazing character. Where you would expect a stuffy, snobbish Royal, you really got a down to earth, fun-loving guy that was trying to do the right thing for himself, his family and his subjects. His interactions with all of the girls was real and not contrived in the least. I believed everything about him and not once thought he was putting on a how for the cameras or the girls. He was so swoon worthy that I found myself wanting to be his princess! And his interaction with America made me like him even more! And America for that matter.

I feel like we got to know the real America through him and it made her endearing. When she was home she was always doing/thinking for someone else. But with Maxon she was finally thinking and feeling for herself. She was one of the least selfish people in the story and I admired that. I actually found myself rooting for her to open her eyes and see Maxon for the amazing creature he was.

On top of loving the characters I loved the story as a whole. Everything was paced out perfectly and the set-up for future books was there. I loved reading about Maxon and America’s time around the palace and her being his confidant. The fact that there was an added element of suspense with the rebel attacks just added to the whole story. And the use of a caste system really brought out that dystopian feel that I so love.

So basically I completely fell in love the Cass’ world and characters. The Selection is Cinderella meets The Bachelor in a world that was torn up by war and is still unsettled. Cass did an amazing job of drawing me in and keeping me there. Ignore the comparison to The Hunger Games and jump in. I really don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Like me you’ll be praying that 2013 gets here quickly so you can pick up The Elite and that the CW gets there act together so you can watch the TV show.

Title:

“I wondered if he ever thought of me, and hated the pang I felt when I told myself he didn’t.”

Summary(from the publisher):
Rogerson Biscoe, with his green eyes and dark curly hair, is absolutely seductive. Before long, sixteen-year-old Caitlin finds herself under his spell. And when he starts to abuse her, she finds she’s in too deep to get herself out…

Opinion:
Sarah Dessen, Sarah Dessen, Sarah Dessen! She is by far the queen of contemporary Ya novels. She has this way about her stories that manages to pull you in even when the book a d that characters aren’t your favorite. She once again did it to me with Dreamland. Definitely not my favorite of the Dessen’s I have read but still an emotionally gripping story about not feeling like you are enough, being left behind and abuse. I’ll try to keep the spoilers to a minimum, but with all Dessen books I find it hard to keep my mouth shut.

Dreamland is the story of Caitlin, a teenager whose life was turned completely upside down the morning of her 16th birthday when her seemingly perfect sister leaves home with only a note. With Cass’ sudden absence Caitlin is all of a sudden trying to find her place and fill the void her sister has left. Always having felt second best to Cass Caitlin doesn’t know where she stands anymore. And then one night she meets Rogerson and her life is no longer her own. What starts out as an exciting relationship that is so different from anything her perfect sister had soon becomes abusive and unhealthy. Before Caitlin niws what is happening she has to revolve everything around Rogerson in fear that his next beating will be worst than the last. Slowly she starts not only losing her sister but the parts of herself that made her who she was.

Domestic abuse is always a hard subject to read not matter how old the people involved are. As a reader you don’t understand how someone in that situation can stay. I didn’t get why Caitlin would allow herself to be hurt by Rogerson the way she was. It was hard for me to wrap my head around it. But as someone that has luckily never been put in that situation it is easier for me to be on the outside looking in and saying she should have just walked away. And what I really liked about this book is that not one person said that to Caitlin. People just seemed to understand that leaving a physically abusive relationship isn’t as easy as it would seem to people on the outside and not one person judge her for that. Caitlin was lost enough as it was and just didn’t need the added scrutiny.

What Caitlin did need was her sister. She needed her the morning if her 16th birthday. She needed her when she was being wrapped up in Rogerson’s world. She needed her when her parents were weepy on Christmas because Cass wasn’t there.  For page one I thought Cass was incredibly selfish. I mean as the story went on I understood why she left, but she took the cowardly way out and left her sister to pick up the pieces and in the process alienated Caitlin even more. Their mother was so wrapped up in Cass not being there that she almost completely forgot she had another daughter and that irked me. Was that the mother’s fault, absolutely. But Cass fed into it. She ran like a child instead of standing up for what she really wanted. I just thought she was a terrible sister.

I guess in the long run this just wasn’t the kind of Dessen book I enjoy. Sure it was a quick read and the plot moved along in typical Dessen fashion, but it just didn’t do it for me. There was just too much that annoyed me. But I do give major props for tackling a really touchy subject mater and bringing it to life. Now that right there was what I liked about this story. You read it and tell me what you think!

Title:

“Carefree, peaceful… those words reminds me of you.” Matt says without hesitation, surprising me with his frankness.”

Summary(from the publisher):
As a little girl, Daisy Appleby was killed in a school bus crash. Moments after the accident, she was brought back to life.

A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency’s true goals, she realizes she’s at the center of something much larger—and more sinister—than she ever imagined.

Opinion:
Okay it is official, I am a complete fan girl when it comes to Cat Patrick! When I read her first book Forgotten I was 95% in love. She told such a gripping, entertaining story, how could I not be. And now after reading Revived, I’m totally over the moon! Ms. Patrick has woven such an unforgettable tale of tragedy, life and death you won’t be able to put it down. Plus it doesn’t hurt that she knows how to write a really cute boy.

Revived is the story of Daisy, a 15 year old girl that is part of a secret government test group. On the outside Daisy seems to be a perfectly normal girl; but she is holding a secret. The truth is, Daisy has died, 5 times to be exact, and each time she has been brought to life by a mysterious drug called Revive. Under the cover of secrecy Daisy and her “parents” must move to a new location every time she dies causing Daisy to never really put down roots or to make any friends. Well that all changes for Daisy when they move to Omaha after her last “death” and she meets Audrey and Matt McKean. Now Daisy has people she cares about and that care about her. As things become intense in her personal life Daisy starts to realize Revive isn’t really all it claims to be and that there may be something sinister and secretive going on, more then she originally thought.

I have to say that I absolutely adored Daisy. She was this closed off girl that was never able to call a place home. Her whole life revolved around Revive and that was fine with her until she realized there was more out there. With the McKean siblings, I’ll gush about Matt shortly, Daisy was able to actually feel alive and to know what it was like to have a connection to someone. She was able to figure out what death really meant and how it affects families. She was able to open her eyes to the program that had raised her and to see it wasn’t exactly as she perceived it to be. Matt and Audrey taught Daisy what it was like to live and to be alive.

Oh Matt, where do I start with Matt. He was one of the cutest boys I’ve read in a long time. He brought out the absolute best in Daisy and helped her grow as a person. He was flawed and perfect because of those flaws and I fell head over heels in love with him. Did I hate the tendency he had to shut people out? Definitely. But that was what made him him and what helped the character to grow and mature in the end. The relationship he had with Daisy was spot on. There was a sense of naivety between them but also a sense of maturity. And the way that Matt loved his sister really warmed my heart. The dynamic between all of them was spot on and bettered the story.

Basically Cat Patrick created a great story of love, loss and finding out the truth. She did it through amazing character development and a wonderful story line. She knows how to weave all together magically and I look forward to reading more from her.

Title:

“You don’t always get to pick the role you’re going to play in life, but it’s good to play whatever role you got the best way you can.”

Summary:
Basketball has always been an escape for Finley. He lives in gray, broken Bellmont, a town ruled by the Irish Mob, drugs, violence, and racially charged rivalries. At home, he takes care of his disabled grandfather, and at school he’s called “White Rabbit”, the only white kid on the varsity basketball team. He’s always dreamed of getting out somehow with his girlfriend, Erin. But until then, when he puts on his number 21, everything seems to make sense.

Russ has just moved to the neighborhood. A former teen basketball phenom from a privileged home, his life has been turned upside down by tragedy. Cut off from everyone he knows, he now answers only to the name Boy21—his former jersey number—and has an unusual obsession with outer space.

As their final year of high school brings these two boys together, “Boy21” may turn out to be the answer they both need.

Review:
Fate and its fun little twists can bring people together. When we need a push or hand, life seems to provide inspiration or help in one form or another. I believe with all my heart that we bump into and find people in this world when we need them the most. No matter how far we have to go—through time, land, space, or high school. In Matthew Quick’s Boy21, two lost souls meet and help guide each other through loss, pain, competition, basketball, and so much more.

Finley McManus’s life revolves around basketball. He lives ands breaths b-ball in a town that supports it with a girlfriend who loves the game just as much as he does. Basketball and Erin came into Finley’s life when he needed them the most. The rhythm of the game and Erin’s love made the noise and pain go away—go silent. With their senior year about to start, Erin and Finley are training and hoping for starting positions and winning seasons that could get them out of Bellmont’s beat up streets and crime. But everything changes when Boy21 lands in town, threatening to crash down Finley’s season and his wall of silence that hides all sorts of family skeletons and history.

Boy21 (Russ) is trying to survive and grieve the loss of his parents. The way Finley listens, connects, and supports Russ’s quirks and style made my heart very happy. He cares and shows it. That might sound simple, but also very rare and huge in life. I adored both boys immediately! With silence, shrugs, nods, a “calming presence”, and the stars up above, these boys forge a friendship that changes and impacts both of their worlds forever. Worlds filled with pain and secrets too hard to face straight on. They dodge and throw up defenses that made me giggle and my heart ache. Both Finley and Russ hide within themselves, but communicate and show their emotions in different ways.

”You ever feel like you’re not the person on the outside that you are on the inside?”

Matthew Quick’s cut-straight-to-the-heart style, words, and characters captured my attention and heart from the opening quote. The use and power of silence in this story was what amazed and hit me the hardest though. Merely sitting and sharing space with Erin or Boy21, Finley could project such emotion and peace on the page and in my heart. The force was pure, awe inspiring and dazzling! Every character—Finley, Boy21, Erin (LOVED you girl! Let’s hang out!), Pop, The Allens, Coach, Wes, and even Mr. Harry Potter himself—all came together to add layers, dimension, humor, pain, and love to this story! In a town torn and roughed up with violence, silence, drugs, and racial tensions– perhaps a little dose of magic and wonder is just what they need to heal and show them what truly matters on the court and off.

I wish I could say more about–why Russ goes by Boy21 or why Finley is so quiet, but that would spoil everything! Just know though, I spent the last thirty pages in tears. A very powerful read filled with the magic of friendship, basketball, healing, and glow in the dark stars! Finley and Boy21 taught me to support and hold tight to the people in my life. It can change in an instant.

I hope you let this story into your heart and life. It is one I will not forget any time soon.

Title:

“I don’t know if any of this would have happened if we had been at home… Would we have crammed ourselves into the bathroom of a San Francisco restaurant to play her song? I doubt it. There’s something about distance, being removed from what’s familiar, that let’s things happen.”

Summary(from the publisher):
Colby and Bev have a long-standing pact: graduate, hit the road with Bev’s band, and then spend the year wandering around Europe. But moments after the tour kicks off, Bev makes a shocking announcement: she’s abandoning their plans – and Colby – to start college in the fall.

But the show must go on and The Disenchantments weave through the Pacific Northwest, playing in small towns and dingy venues, while roadie- Colby struggles to deal with Bev’s already-growing distance and the most important question of all: what’s next?

Opinion:
I loved loved loved this book! You know I had decided I wasn’t going to read it for a while. It was on my list of books to read but the cover kind of made me not want to rush into it. I mean I hadn’t heard much about it so I figured it wasn’t a big deal to wait. Well I was at the book store with a friend and had her choose between two books. Since she is a non-reader she had no clue what she was choosing and went soley by the bright, shiny colors on the cover. Since she picked it I said what the heck and moved it up on my to read list. Well I must thank her because the book was awesome and it had such a great story.

The book is about four teens, Colby, Bev, Meg and Alexa, as they make their way up the west coast to spots they booked for the band. Colby is the “roadie” and the other three girls are who make up the band The Disenchantments. Colby, Bev and Meg have all graduated from the arts high school they attended in San Fransico and are now getting ready for their next journey. Meg is going to college and Colby and Bev are planning to take a year off and hit up Europe. Not too far into the trip Bev, Colby’s best friend for years, drops a bombshell on him. She is going to college and bailing on their trip that they have been planning for 4 years. Feeling like the rug has been pulled out from under him Colby has no idea what he is going to do now. He had put everything in Bev and their trip and now he is lost. As they move from spot to spot meeting people from all different walks of life Colby slowly has a realization. Maybe it is time to stop talking and start doing.

I know, I know, you’re thinking, ‘Another road trip book??!! ARGH! You’ve read one you’ve read them all.’ I get it I do. I thought the same thing. But The Disenchantments is way more then a road trip book. Honestly I hardly noticed the road trip aspect of the story. Sure I knew they were going from place to place and seeing random things, but it was more then that. The book was about the people. It was about 4 teenagers figuring out what life after high school means, life without each other. It was about Colby realizing that Bev was always going to be there even if she wasn’t there and that he was capably of following his dreams, of doing instead of just saying. It was about Bev no longer running from the past and her feelings. It was about Meg starting a new chapter apart from her sister. It was about Alexa being the one left behind. It was about life and how it can be messy and awkward and panicky but those unexpected surprises are what makes it all worth it.

The book is told from Colby’s point of view and I have to say I am extremely grateful for that. I liked him right off the bat. He wore his heart on his sleeve and I loved that about him. He was thrown the biggest curveball by his best friend, the person he trusted more then anything in the world, and yet he kept going. He was tempted many times to throw in the towel and head home to figure out what was next but he kept going. He stuck around when Meg confided in him about a past problem she had; was there to encourage Alexa when her belief in fate was compromised; and he was there as Bev played games and strung him along all while knowing exactly how he felt about her. He was loyal to a fault and that made him special. I think if the book was told from say Bev’s POV I wouldn’t have liked it as much. She was selfish and wrapped up in her own world and that bugged me about her. She was redeemed at the end, but I don’t think I would have taken to this book the way I did if it wasn’t for Colby. Watching him grow and learn and figure out he could be on his own was a truly awe inspiring experience.

The Disenchantments was a book not about a road trip in the traditional sense of the word. It was more of a journey, a journey of self discovery and friendship and love. It is one of the best books I read this year and I hope you pick it up and feel the same way I did. Bravo Ms. LaCour. You have a new fan in me.

Title:

“Like little pieces of a gigantic invisible puzzle, all coming together, but you don’t see what you’re supposed to see, don’t know what there is to know, until they’re all attached and you step back to look at it. And then you think, I should have known. But the thing is, you already did.”

Summary(from the publisher):
Charlie is handed a crappy senior year. Despite losing thirty pounds over the summer, he still gets called “Chunks” Grisner. What’s worse, he has to share a locker with the biggest Lord of the Rings freak his school has ever seen. He also can’t figure out whether Charlotte VanderKleaton, the beautiful strawberry lip-glossed new girl, likes him the way he likes her. Oh, and then there’s his mom. She’s disappeared—again—and his dad won’t talk about it.

Somewhere between the madness, Charlie can at least find comfort in his one and only talent that just might get him out of this life-sucking place. But will he be able to hold his head above water in the meantime?

Opinion:
The Downside of Charlie was a book that fell into my lap to read and review. I had never heard of it until a request to read it came in. Reading the description I was quick to say yes. Sounded like a solid concept by a debut author. And I must say although it was slow at times I really enjoyed it and I’m glad I got the request.

The Downside of Being Charlie is the story of well, Charlie, a high school senior that has been anything but poplar this whole life. His best friend thinks he is the second coming of the rat pack, he was over weight, and just never fit in. Now after ‘fat camp’ Charlie is 30 pounds lighter and hopes to have a good senior year. But as the title says, there is a downside to be Charlie. Things just never really seem to go his way. His mother runs away for months at a time, his father is always busy working and he has to share his locker with the nerdiest girl in school. The only bright spot for Charlie is in the form of the new girl Charlotte. But even when Charlotte starts to show interest Charlie can’t help but wait for the other shoe to drop.

One of the things I really liked about this book was Charlie himself. Here he was this poor kid that got the short end of the stick every time. His best friend was the only person he could count on and the great thing about Charlie was that he did. He leaned on Ahmed and told him how he was feeling about things. What Charlie didn’t have was strong parental units. This mother was mentally ill and would walk out on the family more often then not and his dad was never really home. It kind of made me sad that Charlie was all alone. Because of this I wasn’t surprised at all by his extremely low self-esteem. He didn’t have many people that were there to show him he was worth it. It was really sad. But like always Charlie persevered and figured out who he was and who to rely on.

With that said there was a couple of things I didn’t like. First I wasn’t a fan of Charlotte at all. I thought she played games and strung Charlie along. I was never convinced that she really liked him. He was there to pass time for her when she wasn’t with the ‘cool people’. I just found her phony and annoying. I also didn’t like the eating disorder aspect. It felt contrived and it was never dealt with. Eating disorders are very serious and I feel like if you are going to go there, then you need to deliver a solution. You can’t just leave something like that hanging.

With that said The Downside of Being Charlie was a good book with a message of self discovery. It was a quick and enjoyable read. I would say to definitely give it a shot.

Title:

“That’s the flip side of freedom; When you’re completely free, you’re also completely on your own.”

Summary(from the publisher):
I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

Opinion:
Seldom is there a book that I am so excited for I run out to purchase it the day it’s released. And rarely does that book live up to my expectation. It is like that movie that people tell you over and over to see that gets built up in your head and then after you see it, total disappointment. It has happened to me before and it will happen again so I was worried about Pandemonium. Did I put too much stock into it? Would it be a “sophomore” slump sp to speak? With the amazingness of Delirium it had pretty big shoes to fill. Well, Pandemonium filled those shoes and more! It was absolutely everything I wanted it to be an more! It hit all the points I was hoping for, had the growth in the character of Lena that I was looking for and yet left me aching for more, more, more. It did EXACTLY what the second part of this sure to be amazing trilogy was supposed to do; it left me wanting the final piece of the story.

Pandemonium starts off with Lena and where she is now. It has been months since she climbed the fence, months since she watched Alex get shot to save her and she is now part of the resistance. She is undercover in New York doing what she can to help save people from the procedure and to open their eyes like hers were. She has obviously been through a lot since we last saw her, and through a series of Then and Now chapters we get to see what Lena’s life is like now and what it was like when she was in the Wilds. As readers we are taken on a journey of Lena learning how to fend forever herself and how to trust people she doesn’t know all while burying the emotions of the past and trying to forget Alex, Hana and Grace. We learn how she got to where she is and what leaving everything behind has done to her.

Because the thing is, Lena Holoway is not the same girl we knew in Delirium. She is this new person that has to deal with that age old saying…“it is better to have loved and lost then never to have loved at all”. Lena has loved. She loved with everything she could and then she lost it all and everything she knew in one split second. That love was taken from her and so was her right to choose and that changes a person. You see, there was no way for Lena to stay the same. Her eyes were opened by Alex and once that happened she couldn’t go back. Lena had to accept how things are and learn to adapt. The thing is in order to do that she has to push down a tiny piece of herself.

Really it was brilliantly done. The changes in Lena are so subtle, but noticeable. She is no longer the girl that isn’t anything special. She isn’t the girl that is hiding behind her pretty best friend. She is the girl that Alex brought to light, that he taught to fight for her right to choose. She is braver and stronger and aware. She stands taller and swears and thinks things through instead of being told what to do. Like it says in Pandemonium, she was reborn the day she went over the fence and there is no past.

Honestly the whole book was just magical. Right down to the page turning, cliffhanger of an ending. I knew Oliver was going to do it, leave us hanging on for more. I just knew it and yet I was sad, happy, annoyed and anxious when I got to the final page. I wanted to throw the book and laugh all at the same time. Instead I just ended up smiling for a very very long time and I still can’t get the book out of my head. It has only been a couple of days since I read it and I’m already dreaming of a re-read. And that right there is a true testament to the power of her words and a book that will end up being timeless.

There is really a ton of things I can say about Pandemonium. I can go into a ton of details about what the Wilds were like for Lena, the people she encounters, the circumstances that are thrust upon her, and the connections she makes(whether romantic or not), but I just can’t. It would give away too much and you would miss out on a remarkable story. Just do yourself a favor. I know you may or may not know me, but trust me on this…pick up both books, Delirium and Pandemonium if you haven’t already. In my heart of hearts I don’t think you will be disappointed.

Title:

Summary(from the publisher):
Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love — the deliria — blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

Opinion:
To say I loved this book would be a huge understatement.  As many can attest I have suggested and pushed this book on any and everyone I encounter.  I’ve suggested it to friends, acquaintances and co-workers, some fans of YA literature and dystopian stories and some not.  I have legitimately pushed this book on everyone I know.  Why you may ask? Because it is that freaking good!  And you know what gets me the most now that I have read it twice? I almost didn’t know it was so good because I almost didn’t read it.

Before this book I was one of those people that wouldn’t read anything that was out of the realm of reality.  If it isn’t something that sound plausible in real life then it was not going to end up on my to- read shelf.  I had successfully dodged the whole vampire phenomenon and managed not to ever pick up a book about magic.  Not my scene, not my thing. But after much pushing from a friend I caved and gave it a shot.  Did I think outlawing love was possible? Not so much, but I figured what the heck, I’ll go for it.  And let me tell you, Lauren Oliver made a believer out of me.

At first glance you read the description and think okay, straight up dystopian story.  Different world, different laws, different time. The United States is completely different. There are borders surrounding it with fences, there is less electricity, not as many cars on the road, less spending. It is a completely made up world at first glance and I guess partly you would be right to think that.  But there is so much more to it then just another dystopian once you get to the core of the story. There is heart and angst and a journey of self discovery hidden in this “make believe” world.  It isn’t just a story or an alternate reality, it is really a story about a girl that is faced with a truth she never wanted to see and the choices she makes because of it even if it is the opposite of everything she has grown being taught.

Delirium is a story about Lena, an orphaned girl, living with her aunt in Portland, ME.  She is 17 and counting down the days until her 18^th birthday so she can get the procedure done that will cure her of the disease, deliria nervosa, we are all born with.  It will cure her of love. In her short 17 years all she has seen is the destruction love can bring and she wants to forget. She wants to be cured so she can get a free slate and not have to remember what life was like when she felt loved by her mother. She doesn’t want to have to worry that the disease will get her too. But what both Lena and the government don’t realize is love isn’t something you need to be cured from, it is something that makes you strong, something that heals instead of heeds you.  Well at least Lena didn’t realize it until she met Alex.

Alex. What does one say about Alex?! A seemingly normal boy, no different really then a boy in any other book and yet there is something special about him. He is by far one of the best characters I have ever read about. He sees things that others don’t see, been through things that he shouldn’t have dealt with at his age and yet he believes in love and the power it has.  He believes in Lena and by doing so changes everything Lena thought she wanted, thought she believed in.  He shows her a new world with touching and feeling and laughing and happiness, but he does it in a way that allows her to slowly accept it. He doesn’t push or force her to disbelieve everything she was taught and thought was fact. He shows her the world as he sees and, the world he lives in and by doing that he changes Lena as a person and together they become what the meaning of love is truly about.

Honestly there really aren’t enough words in the English language to aptly explain the beauty of this book.  It encompasses so much more then your typical love story.  Oliver truly has written an epic story of beauty and wonder and awe and love. It changed me in the best of ways and I will push for people to read this book for as long as I can because it is that amazing. Please don’t be like I was in the beginning and almost miss out on a true work of art.

Title:

M: So….this book didn’t do a whole lot to redeem Jake in my eyes.  Sure, it all ended well but gah what a dumbass.

A: Jake may be the stupidest boy ever! The things that he said and did made me want to shake him. Half the time I was like, ‘There is no way he can be this dumb!’. And that fact that Allie just took it and didn’t stand up for herself really bothered me. The girl in the first book never would have been like that. Wouldn’t you agree?

M: You hit the nail right on the head.  This is one of the biggest problems I have over the span of this series.  I thought Allie was an amazingly strong character in the first book.  Then after meeting Jake and finally getting the guy she turned into every other whiny girl who needs a boy to define her.  It was sad-making and diminished the series as a whole.  I would have much preferred to see her make Jake squirm a little.  Or maybe do some deeper investigation of her own into Chloe’s claims.  That would have been far more enjoyable to read.  Did you find yourself wondering why she continued to bother with Jake?  I would have hit the ground running long ago.

A: Allie was a huge point of contention for me. In book two I simplly couldn’t stand her! She was like you said a whiny girl. She was obnoxious and I had just had it with her. So basically, I had high hopes for her in this one. I wanted the Allie from the beginning back and although she was there, it just wasn’t right. The fact that she just stood by and did nothing really bothered me. The fact that Jake was with Chloe was all fine and dandy. They weren’t together so she could be hurt but not mad about that. But the fact that he never once thought of her first was what put me over the edge and made me want Allie to get that backbone back and it just never happened. Jake almost just became the easy choice and that made me sad.

I also hated how she let Annie treat her. This girl who was supposed to be her best friend wasn’t the least bit supportive. What did you think about that?

M: Yes!  Allie had virtually no one on her side and that was supremely frustrating.  Especially given the fact that she wasn’t even on her own side.  It was odd, it was as if the author just wanted everyone to love Jake because he was Jake!  I could have gotten behind that if he was the Jake from book one but yea, not so much after his behavior in books two and three.  Which brings me to character development.  Or should I say devolvement.  Oh how it saddened me that not a single character made any actual progress (well maybe except Allie’s mom and dad) over the course of time.  Everyone seemed to regress into childish annoying brats that needed swift kicks to the head.

Some of the blame for this falls squarely on the shoulders of the plot.  Which, at least for me, was super cliche and had next to no surprising elements.  Did you feel that way?  It was pretty obvious to me the whole way through what was going on.  But then maybe I was so frustrated with the characters I missed the parts where I was told I was supposed to know.

A: Shannon was the only one of the kids that seemed to grow from the first book while the rest all went backwards. But like you said that may have been totally plot driven. Because I like you was not the least surprised by anything that happened in the final book. It was super cliche! I wanted there to be a twist or a surprise or something and it just wasn’t there. I mean I get that wrapping up a trilogy is probably the hardest thing to do. There is no way to make all readers happy, but don’t make all the characters happy. Give us something that makes it all worth it; all the waiting and reading and frustration. Sure I didn’t want to throw this one like book two, but I didn’t want to devour it like the original.

M: Ugh, don’t get me started with book two!  I agree, this had less fodder for throwing the book across the room but even so it was just….I don’t know.  Not “bad” just disappointing.  I was hoping that this book would redeem book two and in some ways I guess it did but overall I just walked away sad that such a fantastic start shook down into something so meh.  It didn’t even take the opportunity to educate about safe sex or teen pregnancy at all.  I mean, don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t looking for the preachy lessons learned kind of stuff but I felt like I was being told “hey kids get pregnant deal with it”.  Still, maybe that is the most realistic portrayal and response because kids do get pregnant and life isn’t always an after school special.

A: I totally get what you are saying. I almost wanted it to not go the way I knew it would just to get a little something more angsty out of it. I wanted more of “kids” dealing with grown-up problems vibe and it was just not there. It just kind of made me sad in the long run. So much more could have been done and it just wasn’t. I mean I guess there was no way else to really end it, but I still just wanted something. I wanted that first book spark and it just wasn’t gonna happen.

M: I feel like we need to end this discussion on a positive note.  What did we like about the book? LOL  For me I guess it would have to be the fact that Allie (as annoying as the situation was) fought for what was true and right.   What about you?

A: HAHA, good call! What I really liked was how in the end everyone did the right thing. Allie knew something was off and got to the bottom of it, Chloe did what was finally the thing to do and I liked the Jake was written as a little confused by his feelings at the end. It all worked and ended the series on a great note and left me feeling satisfied.

Title:

M: I’m sensing a theme in our discussions.  Hot boys that make us swoon!  So, yea….Noah, shall we add him to the ever growing list?

A:  Noah, Noah, Noah, Noah!!!! So in love with him! Reading the description of the book I was nervous that it was going to be another Perfect Chemistry thing with the boy from the wrong side of the tracks falling for the popular princess, but Noah was so much more than that. There was nothing truly bad boy about Noah. He was just a kid that got the bum end of the deal in the game of life. Everything he knew was taken from him and he just had the reputation then. But honestly he had to have been the most loving, feeling boy. The love he had for his brothers made me melt! Melt I tell you, into a pile of Andi-goo! Be still my heart.

M: YES!  Echo wasn’t any luckier in the game either.  Poor thing got stuck with a truly epic set of crap parents.  It wasn’t surprising to me that she and Noah bonded over their dysfunctional families.  I can’t decide who I liked more really.  I thought Echo was amazingly strong given what it was she’d had to endure.  But Noah really touched a soft spot with his overwhelming love for his brothers and his dedication to bringing his family back together.

What did you think of the two different stories with their respective families?

A: Despised Echo’s father and step-mother! Like wanted to jump through the pages and strangle them for how they behaved. I got that they were trying to ‘protect’ Echo, and I can appreciate the sentiment. But the way her father went about it was pretty vile and obnoxious. And I could totally understand Echo’s reaction to her step-mother because that whole thing was just eww! And Noah was on the complete opposite end really. He was legit from a broken family but yet they were all still a family. He would have done anything for his brothers he loved them that much.

The funny thing is that you would think Echo was the one that had the strong nuclear family background based on the way people perceived her, but it was really Noah that had a real family even without his parents. If that makes any sense.

M:  You hit the nail on the head with that one.  It was all about the outward perceptions.  That’s why Echo was so troubled, she was screaming for people to recognize that her life and her family weren’t that perfect picture.  That there was these troublesome relationships underneath.  that she had real problems.

Then you have Noah, who looks the total bad boy but really underneath the faux swagger he’s just this typical good student, good sportsman and good boy who cares about his family.  He just makes people work hard to get to see it.

These are the reasons the two of them worked so well together.  They were both broken in similar ways but still had goodness in them that needed to be discovered.

So, speaking of families I couldn’t stand Echo’s.  Even with the best of intentions her father was just an overbearing ass.  Seriously, who treats their child like that after the kind of trauma she lived through?

A: OMG seriously! He was just awful! I have read a lot of YA books with god awful parents, but Echo’s dad takes the cake! He didn’t want to protect her, he wanted to control her. It drove me insane! And the stepmother was so super annoying! All she wanted to think about was the new baby with no thought to anyone’s feelings at all. It was like Echo didn’t exist in either of their worlds. And Echo’s mom was an obvious piece of work. True, she was mentally unstable but the fact that she never apologized or had any remorse for what she did to her own daughter showed she was a sociopath on top of everything else.

M:  That’s really one of the interesting parts of the story that I would have liked to have had explored a little bit more.  The idea of Echo’s mother being so completely oblivious to anyone’s feelings but her own.  That she honestly didn’t love Echo the way a parent typically does.  Granted she had issues with mental instability but I would have been interested to see some of the complexities between Echo and both her parents play out a bit more.

I also think it would have been interesting to see more out of the parallel between Echo’s father’s behavior towards his child and how Noah acted as a father figure to his brothers.  At such a young age Noah had more maturity to do right by kids than Echo’s father.

A: Noah was by far the more mature. Actually he was probably the most mature person in the book and he was the one labeled as the screw-up. Kind of goes to show you you really never know a person until you know them.

M: True that!  Overall a great contemporary romance that I enjoyed a good deal.  I’m interested to see what the next one has in store.

M: Ok, so I’m seriously never having that many kids!  Can you imagine?  Egads!!  I mean, I adored how close they were and how they were so protective of their family, but I just can’t imagine how difficult it is to maintain those relationships.  Seriously, Jase is the prime example — he’s the strong stable influence who is the caretaker (the surrogate father really) and doesn’t have much opportunity to be who he really wants to be.  BUT, this also makes him so super appealing because he cares so deeply.

A: I think the fact that Jase was such a strong parental unit for all of those kids is what endeared me to him. Those kids needed structure and sadly he was the only one that was really able to provide it and that shouldn’t have been his job. He should have been getting into trouble with Samantha and not having to deal with his parents decisions. Just the thought of dealing with 8 kids made me feel physically ill! NO THANK YOU!

M:  In that way I had to suspend a bit of reality.  I just couldn’t see how two parents would actively continue to have that many kids when they knew they had to rely on one of them to take care of the others.  I mean, big families are fantastic and I do think there is something to be said for teamwork but I kind of related to Samantha’s mom in the “this may not be the most responsible choice” department.  Sure, she was a total judgemental bitch and went about it the wrong way but was she 100% wrong about the fact that maybe Jase’s parents bit off more than they could chew?

A: Oh, I agree 100% there! The one and only time I agreed with Samantha’s mom was with her thoughts on the Garrett’s, having all those kids. But man did that woman suck! As irresponsible as the Garrett’s were, they were WAY BETTER parents than Samantha’s mother. ARGH I hated that woman! Everything she did just got on my nerves. She was so overbearing and abrupt. And it was so obvious she hated children, hers included!

M: Ha, so true!  She was definitely not built for kids.

*spoiler alert*

I was pretty surprised at how easily she was convinced to cover-up the accident.  I get that she had a political career and I also think it fit her personality, to an extent, but it felt way over the top and forced.  That guy who was the campaign manager was a bit of a charicature of the evil foe.  I might have found mom’s keeping the big bad a secret if he’d been a bit more appealing and manipulative than he was.  All we saw was this guy who was a good double talker, I never quite latched on to what it was about it (outside of his political prowess) that appealed to the mother.  Heck, I didn’t even see the reasoning that she was simply lonely.  Had that element, or something to that effect, had been built in I think I would have been more understanding of mom’s desire to cover this big bad up.  Not only that but virtually blackmail her daughter to keep it a secret as well.

A: That actually didn’t surprise me at all. Right from the start the mother was completely all about herself, appearances and her career. She wanted her children to be perfect so she would seem perfect. The vacuuming was a key part of that for me. Honestly I thought she was bi-polar at some points since she acted so manically with Samantha and so controlling. I’ve seen a parent like that through a friend of mine so I honestly wasn’t surprised at all. I was surprised by the Garretts’ reaction to the news. As much as I loved this book, and I did love it to pieces, I thought their reaction was very anti-climactic.

What did you think about that? And while we are on the anti-climactic portion of this ride, what did you think about the whole Nan thing? Personally I thought she sucked, but that’s just me.

M: So true, the Garrett’s reaction and ultimate acceptance was convenient.  I can’t imagine many would be so easy going about something so devastating to their family.  It was great for the romance between Jase and Samantha but that too seemed a bit unbelievable.  What teen boy (no matter how swoon-worthy) is going to chase after a girl who kept such a secret?  a secret that has such a huge impact on the lives of his family.  It actually seemed a bit out of character for Jase to be all about Sam in that case as opposed to more concerned for his family, particularly given his role as primary care-taker.

As for Nan, I thought she was unnecessary.  She didn’t hurt the story but I didn’t feel like she was all that essential. Particularly given the fact that there was plenty of conflict in the story (Sam’s relationship with her mom, the accident with Jase’s father, her secret romance, etc).  If anything it would have been nice for her to have some support somewhere.  Someone she could go to for support.

To that end what about Samantha’s sister?  Thoughts on her role in the whole thing?

A: The sister was another character that I hated. She was so selfish and didn’t think of anyone but herself. She just took off for the summer and lived her life while leaving Samantha in a house with a blatantly crazy mother! I just didn’t think it was fair of her. I also didn’t get that she cared one iota about her sister. She basically was all about getting some from her boyfriend and the drama she could create in her head. She brushed off everything Samantha said and that bothered me.

But really all of this was secondary to me for the most part. Even the accident. I have to admit the reason I loved the book so much, the writing aside, was the romance. The way it unfolded seemed so completely real and innocent and exactly like a teenage first love story should go. I just ate every single part of Jase and Samantha up. From their first date, to their first kiss, to their first fight. Add in a friendship with Tim and I was hooked. What did you think about all of that?

M:  I don’t know, I kind of got the sister a little bit.  She’d already experienced the crazy and finally had her out.  She didn’t give a crap about how people felt about her behavior anymore and was willing to get herself out of the situation.  I suspect Samantha might have done some of the same given the opportunity.  Having said that, I do think the sister could have removed herself from the situation and still been more supportive of Samantha’s predicaments.  At the very least she could have been a sounding board or given advice on how she handled the crazy.

Ahhhh, yes the romance.  That really was the best part of the book.  I did find myself wondering how he was suddenly so interested in her, particularly given the fact that he’d known for some time that she’d been watching his family.  However, that issue is easily overlooked because they were so sweet with each other.  I was glad that there were some bumpy times too.  If it were too sticky sweet that would have turned me off.

Oh, Tim! Timmy, Tim, Tim.  He may well be one of my most favorite characters in the book.  His relentless pursuit of Jase’s sister was such great comic relief from the drama.  I’d actually be interested to see a companion book based on him.  His character progression was definitely the deepest given his addictions and wrong-turns in life.  I found myself looking forward to seeing how he was doing when he popped up.  The fact that he ended up being a better friend to Samantha (and by extension becoming a good friend of Jase) than his sister was a great development in the story.

A: I loved the comedic timing of Tim! It added an extra element to the book that just made the whole story better. Bringing him into the fold and using his drug problem at different parts of the story was spot on. I loved the progression of this character and the message that it gave that not everything is so hopeless. All you need is someone to believe in you and give you a chance. You know?

M: I do!  Overall, I thought the book had a message of hope.  Samantha’s desire to be part of something larger than herself and to feel a sense of belonging was finally fulfilled with Jase and his family.  She also learned that doing the right thing despite the consequences is always the best course of action.

Title:

M: Hottie Hot HOT!!  That’s what this book was.  Oh.Em.Gee there was so so much for me to love here.  Angsty drama, good smokin’ romance and a bad boy with a heart of gold.  You know how I adore me a boy who’s misunderstood!  Echols has been called the Nora Roberts of YA Romance and boy does Such a Rush prove that point and then some.

A: OH.EM.GEE is right!!!! Holy hotness batman! What a great, great, did I mention GREAT, story! This was by far and away my favorite Echols book to date. I will admit that I had a little trouble in the beginning with all the flying talk, but once the boys were completely introduced to the story and the spiciness abound, I was in a free fall of love! Those Hall boys are two for the record book for book boyfriend! YUM-MY!

M:  Yea, the very first chapters were a bit slower but I’ve found most of her books take a few to ramp up.  But when they do, OHHHH boy you best be ready for the love.  I have to agree with you on the favorite status.  This one might be right up there for me too.  It’s definitely a tie between Such a Rush and Love Story.

What I truly adore about this book (and pretty much all of Echols work) is that she creates such awesome characters.  I mean, I love absolutely all of them.  None more than Grayson (hubba hubba!) but even the most annoying jerk-offs *cough* Mark *cough* had some sort of value.  He was detestable but not entirely despicable when it came down to it.

Leah was amazing.  Her low impression of her worth was in such contrast to her relatively high self-esteem.  She knew who she was and accepted it.  Sure, she wanted to change her life for the better but he didn’t wallow in her less than ideal circumstances.  She just worked her ass off to get closer to what she wanted.  Mad props to her.

A: Exactly! Echols knows how to write her characters in a way that they are so deep and complicated but it comes off flawlessly. Like Molly for instance. Here she was a side character, not really in the main action, but just as important as Leah and Grayson. She is what made Leah have heart a lot of the time and to show emotion which she worked so hard to hide. And yet Molly was jealous of everything Leah was because Leah just put it out there. It all worked and you don’t even think about it when reading it and that is a sign of talent.

And I loved Leah’s relationship with Mr. Hall too. It was somewhat more important than her relationship with the boys because he gave her a feeling of self worth. He basically gave her a reason to not give up on herself and become her mother (ARGH don’t even get me started on her). Like you said Leah’s self worth was so low and yet she worked to become more no matter what.

Now can we talk about Grayson?! **PLEASE**!!!! I waited two whole paragraphs to ask!

M:  Grayson was fantabulissimo!  As we’ve already established I love me a “bad boy” with a heart of gold and Mr. Hall fit right into that mold.  He was deeply flawed but his cocky demeanor allowed him to play it off.  He just needed that one person to cut through the bull and see him for who he was to make it all crumble.  Oh how I love the crumble!!

Not only that but the family relationships he had to navigate added a whole other level of complexity.  He never really had that one person who got him, the one person who he could rely on totally until he met Leah.  He wanted to be more than the family disappointment and he was so dedicated to keeping all of them together after his Jack and his dad were gone.  He was just an all around stand up guy.

A: He really was completely amazing. Here was this “screw-up”, trying to hold everything together after an unthinkable tragedy that fell on his family. All of a sudden he had to be the one with the head on his shoulders or he may lose something else he cared dearly for. And his relationship with Leah was so amazingly awkward and slightly twisted, but it worked completely for the two of them. They had this amazing push/pull thing going on. He would make all these generalizations about her and then lean on her when he needed someone to just be there for him. Watching their story unfold was truly enjoyable. It added something to Grayson. Instead of him being a, for lack of a better term, dick, through Leah you got to really get to know him and the love he really had for his family.

M:  Leah was such a fantastic character too.  All she wanted was to have important connections in her life.  But she got stuck with a selfish mother, no father and judgmental kids at school.  The one true connection she finally had was with flying and as a result with Mr. Hall.  He understood her in a way that a father would understand his child.  I do truly think Mr. Hall considered her one of his own.  It was a sweet relationship that sparked a deeper love between she and Grayson.  I wish we would have gotten to know Mr. Hall a little better because I can totally see he and Grayson being very similar.

A: Leah really was a great character. She was developed so well you couldn’t help but love her. She was focused on two things and two things alone…survival and flying. And because of both those things she had a hard shell around her. She knew what people thought about her, what they said behind her back and in some cases, to her face, and she took it. But because of that she was also hard to thaw and Grayson certainly didn’t make it easy with his snark and rudeness. But underneath the toughness you really could see she was just a kid that wanted to be taken care of and loved and thank goodness for Mr. Hall. He really was the one and only parental like unit she had and he did love her like family. I completely agree there. And like you I too wish we had more of him. He was so integral and yet not around for long enough.

But I guess that was par for course with Leah. I mean her mother wasn’t really around either. What did you think of her? I wanted to run her over with the trailer by the end.

M: I do think the way the mother was written was pretty convenient.  Leah needed to be parentless and somewhat downtrodden in order to open up the rest of the story.  Her mother was definitely cliche in that woman who needs to have a man take care of her and a crappy man at that.  Add to that the abandonment of her child to keep those types of relationships with men alive and you have a pretty open opportunity for Leah’s story to move in the direction it did.  The mother was loathsome to be sure but I did like that their relationship allowed for Leah to be independent and ultimately shrug her mother off in the end.

A: Oh, her mother was definitely plot driven. She had to be that way to make Leah so independent, but it still made me want to run her over with the trailer no matter.

What I really liked most about the whole story in general was the message. Because really it doesn’t matter where you come from or what kind of means you have available to you. If you want to make something of yourself you can. You just have to work for it. Leah had next to nothing. No money, no parental support, no core group of family/friends and yet she went after what she wanted and she did it the right way. She was driven and independent and smart and that is all it takes to make a dream come true.

Title:  Dualed [indie bound] [amazon]
Author: Elsie Chapman [website] [twitter] [facebook]
Genre:  Dystopian
Publisher: Random House
Format: eBook (ARC)
Source: Publisher (via Net Galley)
Parental Advisory: violence, criminal activity, language
Teachable Moments: self-assurance, identity

Romance

Michelle:
I’m conflicted on this.  Chord = oh so yummy and hot but I can’t say that I felt an amazing amount of chemistry between he and West.  I knew from the start that Luc was setting it up for them to be together eventually but I never really felt intrinsic connection between them. They were quite brotherly and sisterly at the outset really.  Chord was swoon-worthy but I couldn’t quite understand where his love for West came from.  It wasn’t until the end that I felt any kind of vibe.  Maybe the heightened circumstances helped?

Lenore:
Chord was immensely sympathetic and I loved him! I actually think he deserves much better than West (someone like … me! lol) but if it is really West he wants, then I absolutely wish the best for him. I, too, really got a more brother/sister vibe from them, but then, we’re seeing things from West’s perspective and she’s obviously less into him than he is her (again I could make HUNGER GAMES comparisons here where Katniss = West and Peeta = Chord). If West does something to him in the sequel to hurt him, she better watch her back is all I’m saying.

Michelle:
I honestly would like to see a book from Chord’s perspective.  Maybe that would help with our perceptions of West.  Also, would we have gotten the romance more if we had gotten more of their relationship from the past?  How they interacted and such. I feel like there was so much potential for more there and it wasn’t leveraged.  Add to that the progression of their relationship towards the end (where there was finally a hint of chemistry) and it could have worked.  It was just wonky here.

Lenore:
Yes! But then, I always wanted a book from Peeta’s perspective too. Or even a lost short story or something.

Worldbuilding

Lenore:
We are told quite a few times that the board doesn’t like AKs (assisted kills), RKs (revenge kills) or sanction strikers. But we never find out what happens if someone breaks these rules.  We never see anything of the machinery that keeps the alt program running other than a brief scene of a self-destructed incomplete being “tagged” for pick-up.  It would seem to me that there’d be some police force or something to keep actives in line.  However — I will say that this lack of monitoring could well be intentional. See, a HUGE theme in this novel is how much the idea of personal worth is tied to having money.  One of the ways the alt “game” is played is that actives have to have their eye scanned when they buy food, seek shelter or take advantage of free transportation – which makes it easier for the alts to track each other. But someone with access to money could use it to prevent being tracked. And they can hire strikers – which like I said, isn’t officially allowed – but how could it be so prevalent if the system wasn’t skewed in favor of the wealthy?

Michelle:
This was one of the weakest elements for me.  I’ve always been a fan of knowing more of the backstory and here we just jump off directly from one point.  There are moments of history weaved throughout but I never felt like it was enough.  I didn’t fully understand the need to raise these children as killers, what was the real threat from the Surround?  It was just this ominous thing outside their cone of safety.  I definitely wanted more there.

Like you, I was perplexed by the societal implications of the Alt culture.  Yes, money can buy success that much was made clear but not always.  I couldn’t quite grasp how it was so easy to be a striker.  As you mention there didn’t appear to be any repercussions outside of one’s own self-loathing.  We never really get an idea of why AKs, RKs and strikers are forbidden.  Is it because it disrupts the training of the ultimate winner?  Which brings me to the idea that the overall goal of this society is to have the strongest survive so if the big war from outside comes in they have a fighting chance.  I’m unsure why it’s important to have the alt society arranged when they could simply train everyone.  It was odd, I just didn’t get it.

Lenore:
My understanding was that they don’t train everyone because resources are scarce and only the best should get them (a very darwinian view). You see that pretty clearly in the opening scene where West and her brother can only get low quality meat because they haven’t proven themselves yet.

What’s really exciting to me is all the places the story could go next.  I see a lot of potential in showing how real the threat is from outside and if Kersh’s system will prove to have worked or not (and how all the rule breaking might contribute to failures in this regard).

I’m also super interested in knowing what might happen if alts meet and become friends. We know they can’t simply refuse to participate because of the self destruct sequence, but how would they negotiate who lives and who dies?

And – I really want West to meet the alts of her siblings. I want to see how they developed and how they’d interact with each other. Obviously I’m very excited about the premise of DUALED in general and can’t wait to read more!

Michelle:
OHHHH, those are really good ideas!  I agree, there is some serious potential for this concept and I did enjoy the story overall despite some of the questions I had.  They certainly didn’t ruin the story for me.

I wanted to pop in to say hi and give you an update.  Some of you may have seen me mention on twitter that I’m going to be scaling back.  My health hasn’t been what I (or my doctors) would like for it to be and given the stress that my job injects into my life I’ve been advised to take a chill pill.  This means taking time to just sit around and do nothing.  Now, we all know it’s next to impossible to get me to do that so I’m shifting priorities to allow for me to have a somewhat active lifestyle while still adhering to my doctor’s orders.

What does this mean?

A number of things.  First, I’m officially on an agressive mission to find a new job.  Up until the past couple of weeks I’d merely been browsing casually.  Now I’m full on moving things around to make it happen.   Though it may take longer than I’d like I’m repositioning back into the Higher Education market from the private sector which is not ever a speedy proposition (particularly in this area of the country).  I’ve always been more passionate about teaching and learning and the flexible work environment is far more conducive to the level of stress that I’m being advised I can maintain.  But, in order to really get back I have to finish my Doctoral degree.  So, even though I’m “scaling back” in some respects I’m doing it in a way that’s going to keep me busy. Thankfully all I have left is to write my dissertation so I’m hopeful I’ll be able to push through and get it done in a year.

This means is that in order to take that work on I have to shift something else off my plate.  Sadly, what’s gonna shift is blogging.

Andi and Laura are going to continue to write reviews at their leisure while I’ll be participating in more conversational posts.  I’ll likely do the occasional review independently but those will be fewer and further between.  There won’t be a post every day and in some cases there may only be a post a week.  It just depends.  Because my reading time will be diminished significantly I don’t want to make any commitments I don’t know I can definitely follow through on I will not be taking on any tours or books for review.

I adore my blog and I adore its readers and friends in the community so know that this was a decision I labored over for quite a while.  I do hope to be able to pick back up at some point and I’m going to try and pop onto twitter more often than I have in the past month.

Know that y’all are some of my favorite people in the world!

xoxo
M

Title:  Darkest Minds [indie bound] [amazon]
Author: Alexandra Bracken [website] [twitter]
Genre:  Dystopian
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Format: Paperback (ARC)
Source: Publisher (via BEA)
Parental Advisory: violence, terrorism, bigotry, criminal activity, dictatorship
Teachable Moments: independent thinking

Government Control

Michelle:
I couldn’t help but wonder if the disease IANN was something created to be a biological weapon.  Was it created to do what it has done to the children of the US and it just escaped before it was used on another country?  Or did it go horribly wrong before it was perfected?  Given the nature of the President and his son I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a more nefarious background to the disease than we are aware of.

Lenore:
I had so many questions about IANN. Are children under 8 unaffected until they reach 8? What has this situation done with the birth rate? Is the US dying out? If so, why would the government waste the talents of the Greens in camps and not put them in the workforce? How do you develop a frequency that only psi affected can hear? How could it only affect children within the US and not other countries? That doesn’t seem medically plausible.

I should note that these are the questions that plague me as I contemplate the book afterward. They did not affect my reading experience because I pulled along by the page-turner of a story that never let me take a breath let alone ask questions.

But you make a great point about the endgame of IANN possibly being linked to government control. I hope we get answers!

Michelle:
I would imagine that an adult would feel less inclined to bring a child into this kind of world knowing that the chances of him/her catching the disease and having their lives turned upside down.  But then there are those folks out there who think they are immune to such things.  What strikes me as interesting is that the government has placed these kids in camps and segregated them but what if they were to procreate?  Eventually the tables would turn and those with abilities would potentially outnumber those who didn’t.

Lenore:
So IAAN as the ultimate birth control method… It seemed to me that the camps were run very strictly, not giving the inmates much chance to procreate. Though the kids out on their own – what’s to stop them? Interesting that there weren’t any pregnant characters at the “Black is the Color” compound.

Characters

Michelle:
I loved all the characters in this book.  I loathed who I was supposed to loathe and adored who I was supposed to adore.  I know that is a simplistic way of looking at it, particularly given the complexity of all the characters but each had their own heartstring to tug.  Ruby was strong yet vulnerable, Lee was blindingly optimistic (though still had his darker side), Chubs was the realist and Zu was just adorable.  The group dynamics between them as they bound together to form their own family of sorts was an interesting progression to watch.

Lenore:
I talked a little about Ruby’s characterization before and how being an orange had affected her. I think you see that carried over to the other groups as well. Because the less dangerously powerful characters seemed more sociable, better able to integrate.

Zu might have been my favorite supporting character.  I kept having to think of an Asian Drew Barrymore in the movie Firestarter.

And Lee – oh man! How sad was that last scene?!

Michelle:
Heartbreaking but it went to show how strong Ruby had become.  That she was willing to sacrifice herself and her own beliefs to give him a better chance was huge.  So powerful.  I’m not unconvinced that she won’t take advantage of the Children’s League to learn all she can and hone her ability in order to turn it against them.  She’s quite cunning.

I loved Chubs too.  He was that dose of realism that the story really needed.  Even though he was so pessimistic the time they live in calls for a healthy dose of skepticism.  They have all learned that trust should be placed cautiously and that not everything is always as it seems.  Being conservative and observing what is going on around you is the wisest course of action.  He also evened out Lee’s blinding optimism.

Lenore:
I read this so long before you did, so Zu and Ruby are really the only characters I remember well. Sorry.

Title:  Yesterday [indie bound] [amazon]
Author: Ck Kelly Martin [website] [twitter] [facebook]
Genre:  Dystopian
Publisher: Random House
Format: eBook
Source: Publisher (via Net Galley)
Parental Advisory: violence, terrorism
Teachable Moments: self discovery

Romance

Michelle:
For all the hottie, hot, hotness of Garren and Freya’s intimate moments (holy sexual tension batman!) and all the chemistry they have their romance felt a tad bit like insta-love. But then I’m conflicted on that because of the plot of the story and how and ultimately when their relationship truly started.  Having said all that, I did like them together romantically.  They did work.

Lenore:
Did you know it’s always been a fantasy of mine to be hiding out with a hot guy who previously wasn’t into me but falls for me once he sees how I awesome I am due to our forced togetherness (though obviously I could do without the shady killers on my trail)? I actually think the way Freya and Garren’s relationship progressed felt right for who they were (and who they turned out to be). This author writes really raw, visceral “sex” scenes that are pretty daring for YA but she always makes them true to character and I love that.

Michelle:
I had no idea!  This book is so totally up your alley then, haha!  But don’t you think that there could have been more there from the relationship building perspective?  Like once certain things were revealed about who they were shouldn’t there have been more to that?  Particularly given the revelation their grandfathers provided about the true nature of their relationship?  I could have done with a more gradual movement from platonic to romantic.  BUT, they were hot.  No questions about that.

Lenore:
But Michelle! There wasn’t time for them to go on leisurely dates and talk about their favorite books and read poems to each other. They were on the run! Their hearts were pumping!

Michelle:
I know that, silly!  There was still time enough for them to get to know each other a tad bit.  Multi-task!! You know me, I like that stuff!

80s nostalgia

Michelle:
This was, by far, one of the best parts of the book for me.  As a girl who grew up in the 80s I recognized so much of what Martin portrayed.  From the big shoulder pads to the awesome music I couldn’t get enough of what she was sharing with us.  Not only that but she did it well.  She would just drop something into the story to set the scene or give perspective (like when going to the movies it was The Breakfast Club they were going to see) but still managed not to name drop too much or get so overbearing with it.  It was part of the story but not THE story.

Lenore:
I loved how her new friends were disgusted in her taste in music, and how she couldn’t really explain why she liked the artists she claimed she did. It was very illustrative of how something was off, and it added to her frustration and need to know what was really going on. But of course I thought it was funny for personal reasons too – because I wasn’t allowed to listen to radio in the 80s, so the 80s music I listen to now is the stuff that would have been more underground at the time (like The Smiths) that I never would have liked then (or of course the cheesy stuff, which is just plain fun).

Michelle:
I listened to the music she first referenced but now I lean more towards the New Wave stuff.  The friend Christine really illustrated the differences between the different cliques those days.  She and Derrick being the outcasts because they listened to the less pop-focused music and because they dressed more darkly was right on the money.  Also, who doesn’t love the idea of a guy who looks like the lead singer of Flock of Seagulls roaming through school?

Lenore:
I have to confess I had to think about Chandler of the tv show FRIENDS and his Flock of Seagulls hairdo.

Title:  Skylark [indie bound] [amazon]
Author: Meagan Spooner [website] [twitter] [facebook]
Genre:  Dystopian, Satire
Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab
Format: eBook
Source: Publisher (via Net Galley)
Parental Advisory: violence, war
Teachable Moments: abstinence, teenaged sexual activity, teen pregnancy, individuality, peer pressure

Magic or Technology

Michelle:
Ok, so this will be slightly spoilerific so if you haven’t read the book yet you may want to shy away from this section.  But….

I couldn’t help but feel like the magic Lark and others held was man made.  Well, in Lark’s case it was but what I couldn’t get my mind around was did she have magic to begin with?  Did everyone’s magic come as a result of some grand experiment gone wrong?  So I was constantly in this battle of wills about whether it was magic or technology.

Lenore:
I wasn’t clear on that either, so I sort of just accepted it and didn’t really think about it.

Michelle:
Really?  I thought your inquiring mind would want to dig a little deeper into that element.  I wonder if we’ll learn more about it in the second book.  Maybe it’s a mix of the two?

Lenore:
It’s odd the things we can and cannot accept in our reading isn’t it? I definitely think the magic part is tied to the destruction of the world and we’ll definitely be finding out more about it.

World Building

Michelle:
While the beginning felt a little vague in the world building the middle and end of the book made up for it.  Once past the city I got a distinct feeling for the surroundings, from the wasteland she traveled with Oren to the Iron Wood I had a clear picture in my  mind of where Lark was in the world.  In fact, the Iron Wood had a very distinct Robin Hood vibe for me.  Maybe it was the description of living spaces in the trees and the tone of the people who lived there as being somewhat feral and tribal that did it.  But still, I liked that I could envision it all clearly.

Lenore:
I got the Robin Hood vibe from the Iron Wood as well – especially as the people who lived there were considered outlaws and had no problem stealing resources/people from the cities.

I was really wondering what made the people in the wasteland turn into these mindless cannibals. We do get a sort of explanation for this late in the book, but I was wondering what the exact transformation process is. Maybe we’ll get more of this in the next book.

Michelle:
Agreed, I would have liked a bit more background on what the historical event was that brought them all to this place.  In the case of the cannibals I felt a bit like you did on the magic issue, I kind of just accepted it and moved on.  That is until the big surprise towards the end.  That made me wonder a bit more about how that situation evolved but more so how it would be permanently “cured”.  If it could be at all.

What did you think about the romantic elements of the story?

Lenore:
There were romantic elements? Ha! I thought what Lark felt for Oren was more friendship/duty than romance. And who else was there?

Michelle:
I definitely got the love vibe (though it wasn’t overwhelming) between Lark and Oren.  It was that initial tingle that ignited her feeling of duty.  If it was friendship only I don’t know that she would have been thinking as much about him and pining for him.  Sure, she’s lonely by nature and no doubt scared in the unfamiliar territory but it felt as though there was more there between them than just her feeling more secure with him to guide her.  I’d also argue that what she felt towards him wasn’t necessarily duty as much as loyalty.  He helped her at a difficult time and she wanted to do the same for him.

Lenore:
There’s definitely a mutual attraction there – but I really don’t think “romance” when I think of this book. Maybe the sequel will build on their relationship.

Title:

“David looked over to Will.  He had white stubble growing all over his head.  He looked like an elderly marine.  Every student’s hair had begun to grow back, all of it white.  Something bad had happened to their bodies.  They were altered.  Sick.”

Summary (from the publisher):
It was just another ordinary day at McKinley High — until a massive explosion devastated the school.  When loner David Thorpe tried to help his English teacher to safety, the teacher convulsed and died right in front of him.  And that was just the beginning.

A year later, McKinley has descended into chaos.  All the students are infected with a virus that makes them deadly to adults.  The school is under  military quarantine. The teachers are gone.  Violent gangs have formed based on high school cliques. Without a gang, you’re as good as dead.  And David has no gang.  It’s just him and his little brother, Will, against the whole school.

Opinion:
UGH, another book that I’m on the fence about.  It wasn’t a horrible book it was just too long, which made it feel repetitive. I mean, how many times do we have to experience the same person sneaking around, getting caught and getting his ass kicked before we understand that he’s the underdog?  For me, not as many times as were portrayed.  For this reason I didn’t really click with the book one hundred percent.

Having said that, I do think there is potential for the series as a whole.  Though somewhat simple I did find the concept of the plot intriguing.  Survival of the fittest between high-school cliques (not metaphorically speaking) seems like it could get pretty predictable but even so it was interesting to see how the groups related to each other.  There were the jocks, the nerds, the arty types, the slutty girls and then those that didn’t really have a group.  The loners and outcasts who kept their heads down and tried to stay out of the fray.

What a fray it was too.  A surprisingly violent book the authors showed how mob rule wins out, more often than not anyway.  The typical hierarchy reigns where the jocks and popular kids are at the top of the food chain.  Thing is it really is the food chain.  They have the power to get a hold of all the most important rations and horde them from the others.  They also have no problem resorting to violence to get what they want.  This includes (but not limited to) intimidation, beating, and rape. Naturally this is difficult for those who are within their targets and the main character David is.

David is the typical underdog.  He is alienated from his former football cohorts and is no longer with his girlfriend.  In fact she is now dating the new football leader who is also the leader of the jock group and the meanest guy in school.  He’s a target just by the mere fact that he used to date Hilary and on the eve of their official breakup David kicked Sam’s ass.  That didn’t go over well and now that David is an outcast and Sam is the leader of the most powerful gang in quarantine it’s pretty rugged.

Which brings me to Sam.  He’s absolutely the perfect evil foe in this story.  He’s flat out crazy in the most dangerous way possible.  He’s got no moral compass and isn’t afraid to maim and murder to keep his control.  He’s flat out psycho.  Fanning the flames is the fact that David’s younger brother Will is in love with a girl cast off from Sam’s gang but the girl is far more fond of David.  This not only adds the element of sibling rivalry between the brothers but also allows for Will to make some missteps where Sam and his clique are concerned.

The authors do a great job of portraying the tension and danger that living in a high-school disconnected from the rest of the world brings.  It’s mob-rule pretty much right off the bat and it continues to escalate as the teens start to starve.  Any opportunity to elevate their own group above others in the hierarchy of survival was taken.  Nothing was off limits which made for a difficult lifestyle to lead.  Interestingly, though, all of the groups also had the ability to follow the rule of law.  A system of bartering was set up where each group had a special item they were in control over.  One day a week was designated as a kind of bizarre where people could go into each group’s room in the school and trade for needed items.

There was action, suspense and a little bit of romance.  There were intriguing moments and some unexpected turns in the plot.  The end has left open the door for a second book and I will likely pick it up to see where the story goes given where it ended.  There is great potential both with the plot of the students being lethal to adults as well as the focus on group dynamics.  I just hope that the authors pare the story down a little and get a bit more concise.