Review - The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson -
5 out of 5 stars

Summary via goodreads.
Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life—and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two.

Toby was Bailey’s boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie’s own. Joe is the new boy in town, a transplant from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they’re the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can’t collide without the whole wide world exploding.


REVIEW:
First let me start by saying I'm reviewing the UK version of this book. The UK version has a soft, leather-like cover and is bound like a journal. It features color photos of all the poems in their locations (written on trees, candy wrappers) and I understand the US version doesn't have that, which is a shame because I think it really elevates the book into a piece of art.


I loved this book. Although honestly, it took me a while to get into it. I love poetry, and poetic writing, but for whatever reason I found I had to sort of adjust to the way Lennie spoke. Once I did though, I was hooked. So if you start it and like me aren't fully sucked in immediately, stick with this book. It's worth it!

I loved how complicated, and messy, and beautiful and painful this story was. It has to be one of the best, most honest, and realistic portrayals of grief that I have ever read. I loved that Jandy Nelson didn't shy away from the raw emotions Lennie and Toby felt. Lennie and Toby's need to be close to the thing Bailey loved the most (each other), combined with her need to be comforted physically and emotionally is real and heartbreaking to watch. You want to shout at them and you want to give them a hug.

At first, Joe is almost too perfect, and a lot of times I find that unappealing, but just when you think Joe is so good he can't be real, his shell cracks (or really, Lennie finally takes a moment away from her own drama to really see him and what's going on around her) and Joe becomes as three-dimensional as everyone else.

I loved the strong family dynamic and that at the same time, Lennie, her grandma, and uncle didn't know how to be a family without Bailey. The subplot about Lennie's mother, the world-adventurer, also added depth.

Lennie's poems, found scattered around town add an emotional touch. They're placed perfectly, often revealing things that she won't admit to us or herself. I can't say enough how beautiful, and okay, cool it is to see them in the book they way they were written in the book. If you're worried this is a verse book, it's not. But the poems are definitely essential and often, very moving.

I think a lot of people would call this a "quiet" book and in many ways it is, but it's also a powerful, emotional, sensual even, story filled with tiny earthquakes, that shake Lennie to her core and force her to rebuild from scratch. THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE is a beautiful book about loss and love and choosing the life you want to lead.

Cover: As you can see, I have the UK cover posted above. I really really did not like the US version. So much so (and this is just me being weird) that I didn't want to read the book despite all the good reviews. When I found the UK version at The Book Depository I was stoked. (Plus I got it for only $6!)

Writing: 4.5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 4.5/5

Overall Rating: 5/5

Review - The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

The DUFF by Kody Keplinger -
4.5 out of 5 stars (release date )

Summary via goodreads.
Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her "Duffy," she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren't so great at home right now. Desperate for a distraction, Bianca ends up kissing Wesley. And likes it. Eager for escape, she throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out that Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.


REVIEW:
Here's how I can explain how I feel about this book. I started it on a Saturday afternoon. I had plans to see a movie that evening and I was about 2/3 in when reluctantly put the book down to go. The entire time I was watching the movie, I kept thinking about Bianca and Wesley. I needed to know what happened! I fidgeted through the rest of my evening and then as soon as I got home, even though it was after 11pm, I grabbed the book and read until I'd finished.

So yeah, THE DUFF is a surprising page-turner! It's also surprising in its depth. It could've been easy to take this idea and focus only on the fun and sexy parts (and there are some very sexy parts), but there is so much more to the story. Both Bianca and Wesley are complex characters with a lot going on in their lives. They're real people who do and say things we might not like all the time. I love that in many ways, Bianca and Wesley should both be unlikable, but they're not.

Bianca's world is fully realized, and all the characters feel like real people. I love the way this book shows that everyone has problems that they're hiding or trying to deal with on their own. No one's life is perfect. This extends beyond Bianca and Wesley to minor characters like Bianca's friends and family.

As the story unfolds we come to see why Bianca is the way she is. And even better than that we see Bianca come to understand why she is the way she is. This to me is one of the best aspects of the book. Bianca begins to examine her own life and the way she sees herself and how that has impacted her decisions. She begins to open up, and take risks. She realizes that she can't handle everything on her own.

I know some people will get hung up on the sex angle, but there is so much more to this book.

For the most part, I totally loved this book. I had maybe one small issue with Wesley at the end of the book, but it's spoilery so I won't go into detail, and I can live with it.

Fair Warning: This book has swearing and sexual content. In my opinion it's not overly explicit but it definitely goes beyond kissing on the page. If that's not something you want to read, you've been warned.

Cover: LOVE the cover. Bianca looks a lot like the way I pictured her here. And the bubble blow just adds personality. I have an ARC of this book that I picked up at BEA and the cover isn't as cool as the final. I also love the colors on this one. The whole thing just really works as a whole. I would pick this up in the store in a heartbeat.

Writing: 4/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Plot: 4.5/5

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Review - Freefall by Mindi Scott

Freefall by Mindi Scott -
4 out of 5 stars (release date October 5, 2010)

Summary via goodreads.
How do you come back from the point of no return?

Seth McCoy was the last person to see his best friend Isaac alive, and the first to find him dead. It was just another night, just another party, just another time where Isaac drank too much and passed out on the lawn. Only this time, Isaac didn’t wake up.

Convinced that his own actions led to his friend’s death, Seth is torn between turning his life around . . . or losing himself completely.

Then he meets Rosetta: so beautiful and so different from everything and everyone he's ever known. But Rosetta has secrets of her own, and Seth will soon realize he isn’t the only one who needs saving . . .


REVIEW:
I really liked this book! I don't have a whole lot to say beyond that, which sucks, I know. But I really liked this book a lot!

I love boy narrators, and I think Seth is one of the most realistic male voices I've read in a while. Seth is believable and relatable as he deals with the death of his best friend and the realization that due to his hard partying lifestyle, he might not have seen his friend and the things around him as clearly as he thought he did.

I love that Seth tries. He tries to find what's broken in his life and fix it, even when it's scary. I love his relationship with his family and Rosetta as well. It's appropriately complicated and his emotions and confusion about everyone in his life is right on. I especially enjoyed watching him grow as his budding relationship with Rosetta also grew.

What's great about this book is that all of the characters are fully realized and feel like real people. They're complex, particularly Rosetta and Kendall (who I think was my favorite character), and no one can be labeled as all bad or all good. The world of FREEFALL is also beautifully realized. I could really see the small Pacific Northwest town and get a sense of the types of people that lived there. (Plus, I always give bonus points to a character living in a trailer park and not being a cliche stereotype.)

There isn't a lot of "action" in FREEFALL but it still kept me flipping the pages, wanting to know what was going to happen next and how it all ends. If you like contemporary fiction, I highly recommend this book! Even if you think you don't like boy narrators, or "quiet" books. FREEFALL is a great debut and I look forward to seeing what Mindi Scott has coming next!

Cover: I think this is a really cool, eye-catching cover. I love the colors, the simplicity, and the sense of movement, and best of all, I think it's a cover a boy would not be embarrassed to be seen carrying.

Writing: 5/5
Characters: 4/5
Plot: 3.5/5

Overall Rating: 4/5

Review - Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Firelight by Sophie Jordan -
4 out of 5 stars (release date September 7, 2010)

Summary via goodreads.

With her rare ability to breathe fire, Jacinda is special even among the draki—the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms. But when Jacinda’s rebelliousness leads her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can’t resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she’s risking not only her life but the draki’s most closely guarded secret.


REVIEW:
I'll be the first to admit that when I first heard about this book I was like, Dragons? Really? But then I read the blurb and I thought it sounded interesting although I still couldn't quite work out the whole "she turns into a dragon" thing. And then, the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to read it. Especially once I started to see so many positive reviews, so I was THRILLED when I got a surprise copy in the mail from HarperTeen.

FIRELIGHT starts with exciting action that lets us know just what Jacinda and her people have at stake. They're hunted for their body parts and blood which is said to have magical properties. And Jacinda with her fire-breathing ability is the most wanted of all - and not just by hunters, her own people prize her above all others, too.

I was immediately sucked in to the story and from the moment Jacinda and Will met, I was rooting for them. Sophie Jordan does chemistry really well. You can feel Jacinda and Will's attraction and longing for each other. It practically drips off the page. Also, the kissing scenes? SO steamy!

What I love about the romance here, is that this story could've easily veered into Twilight territory and become a copycat, but despite the similar plot elements (the prey falls for the hunter and vice versa) FIRELIGHT is its own story. It has real depth by bringing in Jacinda's conflicted relationships with her non-manifesting twin sister and mother who want her to deny her true nature and live a normal life. And her changing feelings about her childhood friend (and intended) Cassian. As well as her confusion and frustration over wanting to go back to the one place she feels free and knowing that if she does, she could lose that freedom forever.

The characters, both major and minor are well-drawn here. No one is 100% bad or good. As the story unfolds, right up to the surprising, and thrilling climax at the end, we're forced to re-examine our opinions of almost everyone. I love that I can relate to and understand all the major players in this story. (Also, Will is dreamy.)

FIRELIGHT is the first in a trilogy that promises to be exciting, dramatic, and heartbreaking. I look forward to watching Jacinda's relationships play out both with Will and Cassian, and with her family and the draki people. I can't wait for the next book!

For those of you who are on the fence about this one, don't let the thought of yet another mythical creature keep you from reading FIRELIGHT. It's totally worth your time, and so much more than just a generic paranormal romance with a new creature inserted in it.


Cover: Love this cover! The hint of scales near her eye is really intriguing and after reading the book, I can also say that it's SO perfect.

Writing: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Plot: 4/5

Overall Rating: 4/5

Review - Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver -
5 out of 5 stars

Summary via goodreads.
What if you had only one day to live?
What would you do?
Who would you kiss?
And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last.

Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

REVIEW:
I LOVE THIS BOOK! Seriously. Love it! When I got to the last page I wanted to flip the book over and start all over again. It's that good!

Beautifully written, with a great, unique concept, this book haunted me for days after I finished it. I would think about what happened and I would just tear up. I was that attached to the characters and the world. BEFORE I FALL is an emotional read that never goes over the top to the sappy, or melodramatic place. Sam and her friends are beautifully rendered and I love that they are all flawed (as in realistic, three-dimensional people), and that Sam grows to see those flaws but doesn't love them any less. There's no moralizing here. No judgement, just real people trying their best to figure out how to live their lives.

BEFORE I FALL is by far one of my most favorite books that I've read this year. I could go on and on about this book, but that would just take time away from you that you should be using to read this book. Go, now! Get this book!

Cover: LOVE this cover! I was drooling over this book from the moment I saw it sometime last fall. I'm not sure what it is about the image really, that's so sort of captivating but it is. Even when after reading the book, you realize it doesn't really have much to do with the story at all. The book takes place in the winter and Sam isn't blonde - which I realize you can't really tell what color hair the girl has on the cover, it gives the impression that she's blonde. Anyway, it doesn't matter, the cover does it's job by totally evoking the emotion and feel of the book.

Writing: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5

Overall Rating: 5/5

Review - The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells

The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells -
4 out of 5 stars

Summary via goodreads.
"Sometimes I still wake up shivering in the early hours of the morning, drowning in dreams of being out there in the ocean that summer, of looking up at the moon and feeling as invisible and free as a fish. But I'm jumping ahead, and to tell the story right I have to go back to the very beginning. To a place called Indigo Beach. To a boy with pale skin that glowed against the dark waves. To the start of something neither of us could have predicted, and which would mark us forever, making everything that came after and before seem like it belonged to another life. My name is Mia Gordon: I was sixteen years old, and I remember everything..."

After getting dumped by her boyfriend, Mia is looking forward to spending a relaxing summer in the Hamptons with her glamorous cousins. But when she arrives she find her cousins distant, moody, and caught up with a fast crowd. Mia finds herself lonelier than ever, until she meets her next-door-neighbor, Simon Ross. And from the very first time he encourages her to go skinny dipping, she's caught in a current impossible to resist.

REVIEW:
I really enjoyed this book. Mia is easy to relate to and Simon is easy to fall for. I loved that this book was about more than just a romance. It was about Mia figuring out who she is and learning to love herself. I think almost everyone can relate to feeling inadequate or comparing themselves to those who seem "perfect" and feeling like they don't measure up. Mia's journey was believable, funny, and heartbreaking. And even though I saw the end coming from the very beginning, that did not in any way lessen the impact.

THE SUMMER OF SKINNY DIPPING is a sweet, emotional book with depth. It will definitely stay with you after you finish.

Cover: I like the cover. It has a nice summery feel.

Writing: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Plot: 4/5

Overall Rating: 4/5

Review - A Love Story: Starring My Dead Best Friend by Emily Horner

A Love Story: Starring My Dead Best Friend by Emily Horner -
3.5 out of 5 stars


For months, Cass Meyer has heard her best friend Julia, a wannabe Broadway composer, whispering about a top-secret project. Then Julia is killed in a sudden car accident, and while Cass is still reeling from her death, Julia’s boyfriend and her other drama friends make it their mission to bring to fruition the nearly-completed secret project: a musical about an orphaned ninja princess entitled Totally Sweet Ninja Death Squad.

Cass isn’t one of the drama people. She doesn’t feel at home with Julia’s drama friends, and she doesn’t see a place for her in the play. Things only get worse when she finds out that Heather Galloway, the girl who made her miserable all through middle school, has been cast as the ninja princess.

Cass can’t take a summer of swallowing her pride and painting sets, so she decides to follow her original plan for a cross-country road trip with Julia. Even if she has a touring bicycle instead of a driver’s license, and even if Julia’s ashes are coming along in Tupperware.

Totally Sweet Ninja Death Squad is a story about friendship. About love. About traveling a thousand miles just to find yourself. About making peace with the past, and making sense of it. And it’s a story about the bloodiest high school musical one quiet suburb has ever seen.



This was a sweet book. It's told in chapters that alternate between the past and the present following both Cass's bike ride across the country and the setting up of Totally Sweet Ninja Death Squad.

Once I got past the idea that parents would actually let a 17-year-old girl ride her bike across the country by herself (which, honestly, was really hard for me to get over, especially once you see the kind of conditions she has to deal with, like camping in abandoned fields by the highway, alone, in a tiny tent) I was able to enjoy the story.

It drags a bit in the middle, but just when you're starting to wonder where the story is going, it picks back up and gives you a couple surprises. I thought the unfolding of the love story worked really well, and the grief everyone was dealing with was complex and real. All in all, this was a good book, you just have to stick with it to the end.

Cover: 4

Writing: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 3.5/5

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

In My Mailbox - 23

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren






FOR REVIEW
Fire Will Fall by Carol Plum-Ucci
Faithful by Janet Fox

BOUGHT
A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler
Thief Eyes by Janni Lee Simner
Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott
Prom Dates From Hell by Rosemary Clement-Moore
The Everafter (signed!) by Amy Huntley
Freeze Frame by Heidi Ayarbe
Thirteen Reasons Why (signed!) by Jay Asher

Waiting on Wednesday 21 - Glimmerglass

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking The Spine. This week's choice is:

Glimmerglass by Jenna Black - Release Date: May 25, 2010
It’s all she’s ever wanted to be, but it couldn’t be further from her grasp…


Dana Hathaway doesn’t know it yet, but she’s in big trouble. When her alcoholic mom shows up at her voice recital drunk, again, Dana decides she’s had enough and runs away to find her mysterious father in Avalon: the only place on Earth where the regular, everyday world and the captivating, magical world of Faerie intersect. But from the moment Dana sets foot in Avalon, everything goes wrong, for it turns out she isn't just an ordinary teenage girl—she's a Faeriewalker, a rare individual who can travel between both worlds, and the only person who can bring magic into the human world and technology into Faerie.


Soon, Dana finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat game of Fae politics. Someone's trying to kill her, and everyone seems to want something from her, from her newfound friends and family to Ethan, the hot Fae guy Dana figures she’ll never have a chance with… until she does. Caught between two worlds, Dana isn’t sure where she’ll ever fit in and who can be trusted, not to mention if her world will ever be normal again…

It's funny, I keep saying I'm not really into faerie stories and then I keep finding faerie books I want to read! I think what I like about this is that while it's about the faerie world, it also sounds like it's very grounded in our world too. With Dana's real world family problems, this reminds me of the Wicked Lovely books, or Holly Black's Tithe. I love the idea that technology matters in the faerie world. I'm very intrigued to read this one.

This is Jenna Black's YA debut. She's also written several adult Urban Fantasy books. Glimmerglass is on my debut authors challenge list. Is it on yours?

Waiting on Wednesday 20 - Restoring Harmony

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking The Spine. This week's choice is:

Restoring Harmony by Joëlle Anthony - Release Date: May 13, 2010
The year is 2041, and sixteen-year-old Molly McClure has lived a relatively quiet life on an isolated farming island in Canada, but when her family fears the worst may have happened to her grandparents in the US, Molly must brave the dangerous, chaotic world left after global economic collapse—one of massive oil shortages, rampant crime, and abandoned cities.

Molly is relieved to find her grandparents alive in their Portland suburb, but they’re financially ruined and practically starving. What should’ve been a quick trip turns into a full-fledged rescue mission. And when Molly witnesses something the local crime bosses wishes she hadn’t, Molly’s only way home may be to beat them at their own game. Luckily, there’s a handsome stranger who’s willing to help.

Restoring Harmony is a riveting, fast-paced dystopian tale complete with adventure and romance that readers will devour.

So, I love dystopian. I can never get enough of people's imagining how it all goes wrong. I find this one particularly interesting because it's based on something very real right now, rather than zombies or the Mayan calendar (both of which are also awesome ideas). I especially love the cover and am very curious to know why she's carrying what looks like a violin. This is Joëlle Anthony's debut novel. It's on my debut authors challenge list. Is it on yours?

Review - Party by Tom Leveen

Party by Tom Leveen -
3.5 out of 5 stars


It's saturday night in Santa Barbara and school is done for the year. Everyone is headed to the same party. Or at least it seems that way. The place is packed. The beer is flowing. Simple, right? But for 11 different people the motives are way more complicated. As each character takes a turn and tells his or her story, the eleven individuals intersect, and reconnect, collide, and combine in ways that none of them ever saw coming.


I was really attracted to the idea of this book. One night told through the eyes of eleven different people sounded cool. It turned out that it worked pretty well. Each character that narrates only has one chapter and the night moves more or less forward as each chapter progresses although sometimes a narrator will start their story earlier in the night and then move forward to whereever the last narrator left off at the party.

Some of the chapters were really great, with a fully realized narrator giving us insight into their lives as well as the party itself. Morrigan is one who stuck out to me as particularly authentic and complex. When Leveen is on, he's really on, painting portraits of kids that you feel like you know. Unfortunately, not every chapter is as interesting. There's a lot of internal dialogue in each chapter and some of them are fascinating while others are kind of boring. Several of the boy characters are very similar in voice and with eleven characters, I had a hard time keeping track of who was who and who did what. Especially because one character would mention something in passing that would involve a character that had already narrated, but never got to that point in the night. I did a lot of flipping back and forth to see who said what, when which was a little frustrating - but that's just me. You might be able to follow along much better than I did!

At the very beginning Party sets up a sort of "mystery" that you then read through the whole book to get to, with lots and lots of other stuff unfolding along the way. It was enough of a set up to keep me reading but there were some chapters I wanted to skim or skip over just to find out the ending. Overall I would say this is an ambitious effort that's handled well and populated with some of the most realistic teens I've seen in YA in a while.

Cover: I think the cover is a good representation of what's in the book and it's eye catching. If anything, with all the white in the background, it makes the photos seem like they're posed, which is kind of weird but other than that, it's a pretty cool cover.

Writing: 3.5/5
Characters: 3/5
Plot: 3.5/5

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Review: The Rise of Renegade X byChelsea M. Campbell

The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea M. Campbell -
5 out of 5 stars


Damien Locke knows his destiny--attending the university for supervillains and becoming Golden City's next professional evil genius. But when Damien discovers he's the product of his supervillain mother's one-night stand with--of all people--a superhero, his best-laid plans are ruined as he's forced to live with his superhero family.

Going to extreme lengths (and heights), The Rise of Renegade X chronicles one boy's struggles with the villainous and heroic pitfalls of growing up.


I LOVE THIS BOOK! Seriously! It's funny - really, really funny. It's action-packed. It's got angst-filled romance and life changing decisions. In short it's just awesome.

There aren't a lot of books that can make me laugh out loud, but this one had me embarrassing myself in the waiting room of the Toyota service center more than once.

Damien is one of the funniest characters I've come across in a long time. What makes him so great is his skewed way (to most us) of looking at the world. He was raised to be a villain and his take on "good deeds" and heroic actions are as fascinating as they are funny. It was a lot of fun to be inside his head as he tried to reconcile being a villain with being a good person.

While the story sounds deceptively high concept, there is a lot going on here. Damien struggles with the meaning of family, and how to love someone when they let you down, all while trying to figure out who he is and who he's going to be. All the main characters in this story are well-drawn and fleshed out. Damien's relationships with Kat, Sarah, his parents and newfound siblings are all realistic. As is the world of Golden City, a place where tourists visit with the hope of being mugged by a supervillain and saved by a superhero.

I could go on and on about how much I love this book, but that would keep you from going out and getting your own copy. What are you waiting for? Go! Now!

Cover: I think this cover is perfect despite the fact that if you read the book you'll know that that specific image would never happen. Still, I think it gives off that superhero (or supervillain) vibe and the comic book-like look lets you know it's not going to be all serious drama.

Writing: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5

Overall Rating: 5/5

Waiting on Wednesday 18 - Shade

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking The Spine. This week's choice is:

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready - Release Date: May 6, 2010
Love ties them together. Death can't tear them apart.

Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.

Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.

Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.

It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding--and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.

As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart...and clues to the secret of the Shift.

I'm fascinated by the idea behind this book. It's like dystopian, but not. I want to know what the Shift is. I've had this book on my wishlist since last April. Can't wait to finally read it!

This is Jeri Smith-Ready's debut YA novel. She's written several adult Urban Fantasy books. Shade is on my debut authors challenge list. Is it on yours?

Review - Split by Swati Avasthi

Split by Swati Avasthi
4.5 out of 5 stars

Sixteen-Year-Old Jace Witherspoon arrives at the doorstep of his estranged brother Christian with a re-landscaped face (courtesy of his father’s fist), $3.84, and a secret.

He tries to move on, going for new friends, a new school, and a new job, but all his changes can’t make him forget what he left behind—his mother, who is still trapped with his dad, and his ex-girlfriend, who is keeping his secret.
At least so far.

Worst of all, Jace realizes that if he really wants to move forward, he may first have to do what scares him most: He may have to go back. First-time novelist Swati Avasthi has created a riveting and remarkably nuanced portrait of what happens after. After you’ve said enough, after you’ve run, after you’ve made the split — how do you begin to live again? Readers won’t be able to put this intense page-turner down.


While I wouldn't exactly call this an "intense page-turner", I really liked this book. Jace's voice is very authentic and so are the situations he finds himself in.

This book doesn't sugarcoat and I love that. There's no guarantee that everything is going to turn out perfectly after the book ends, but you have hope for all the characters.

My heart broke for Jace and his efforts to work through his issues on his own, while learning to trust other people. That his experiences have built up anger and fear to the point that he needs real help, just makes me like him more. I think it's a testament to Swati Avasthi's skill as a writer that when Jace's "secret" is revealed I still care about him without feeling manipulated to do so.

This book is honest and sometimes painful to read without ever being over the top. I was still thinking about Jace a couple days after I finished which to me, means it's a great book!

Cover: The cover is just eh, to me. The colors are dull and I don't think the keys really convey the depth and emotion of the book. It's kind of a cool looking image, but I don't think it would make me stop and pick up the book in the store. It might work well at getting boys to read it though, since there's nothing girly about it at all, which is a good thing.

Writing: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 4/5

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Review - Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus

Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus
3 out of 5 stars

His love captivated her... his secrets might kill her.

Since her sister’s mysterious death, Persephone “Phe” Archer has been plagued by a series of disturbing dreams. Determined to find out what happened to her sister, Phe enrolls at Devenish Prep in Shadow Hills, Massachusetts—the subject of her sister’s final diary entry.

After stepping on campus, Phe immediately realizes that there’s something different about this place—an unexplained epidemic that decimated the town in the 1700s, an ancient and creepy cemetery, and gorgeous boy Zach—and somehow she’s connected to it all.

But the more questions she asks and the deeper she digs, the more entangled Phe becomes in the haunting past of Shadow Hills. Finding what links her to this town…might cost her her life.


I don't like to give negative reviews so I'll just say that this book didn't do it for me. While I liked the main character Phe, and several of the minor characters, I just didn't enjoy the plot the way I thought I would. Without spoiling anything I'll say that Shadow Hills is an odd mix of science and mythology that with the little explanation provided don't really mesh together well.

This story had so much potential but I didn't feel that it quite reached it. Intriguing mysteries were set up only to be solved with no effort whenever the plot required it. Help/solutions magically appear without explanation whenever Phe is in danger.

Romance fans will enjoy this book. The relationship between Phe and Zach is believable, and I cared about them. I felt most of the characters were well-drawn and interesting. They felt real. Overall, Shadow Hills is a good debut. I expected Anastasia Hopcus's books will only get better.

Cover: The cover is sort of cool looking but I have no idea what it is (orange smoke?) or what it has to do with the book. It doesn't give any sense of the spookiness of the town or the romance or anything else. I also don't think the tagline "His love captivated her... his secrets might kill her." is really representative of the story.

Writing: 2.5/5
Characters: 4/5
Plot: 2.5/5

Overall Rating: 3/5

Review - The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard

The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard -
5 out of 5 stars

Colt and Julia were secretly together for an entire year, and no one—not even Julia’s boyfriend— knew.

They had nothing in common, with Julia in her country club world on Black Mountain and Colt from down on the flats, but it never mattered. Until Julia dies in a car accident, and Colt learns the price of secrecy. He can’t mourn Julia openly, and he’s tormented that he might have played a part in her death.

When Julia’s journal ends up in his hands, Colt relives their year together at the same time that he’s desperately trying to forget her. But how do you get over someone who was never yours in the first place?

I LOVED THIS BOOK! Loved it. I seriously don't have much to say other than that. It was one of the most moving, and real books I've read in a long time.

I hate to use cliche words like "gritty" because it doesn't really describe this book, and yet, Colt is not a rich kid. He lives in a town literally divided by class (and a mountain) and his world is so vividly described. As someone from a small town (not a suburb) I could really relate to his world and I loved the way it was described.

Colt is a beautiful character and I loved being inside his mind while he read through Julia's diary entries and tried to sort through his feelings. His confusion and heartbreak are perfectly rendered here. This is such a great book. If you haven't picked it up yet, you're really missing out.

Cover: LOVE the cover! The cover of this book is one of the things that drew me to it. I love all the dark space with just the hint of the couple at the bottom. It looks sort of secretive and the way they're almost out of the frame gives a sense of motion and loss, like that moment is already drifting away from us. It really sets the tone of the book. Plus on the actual book it has a sort of velvety texture which is cool.

Writing: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5

Overall Rating: 5/5

Waiting on Wednesday - 10

Waiting On Wednesday is hosted by Breaking The Spine. This week's choice is:

The Line by Teri Hall - release date March 4, 2010


An invisible, uncrossable physical barrier encloses the Unified States. The Line is the part of the border that lopped off part of the country, dooming the inhabitants to an unknown fate when the enemy used a banned weapon. It’s said that bizarre creatures and superhumans live on the other side, in Away. Nobody except tough old Ms. Moore would ever live next to the Line.

Nobody but Rachel and her mother, who went to live there after Rachel’s dad died in the last war. It’s a safe, quiet life. Until Rachel finds a mysterious recorded message that can only have come from Away. The voice is asking for help.

Who sent the message? Why is her mother so protective? And to what lengths is Rachel willing to go in order to do what she thinks is right?

The Line is Teri Hall's debut novel. I love a good dsytopian, and this one is on my Debut Authors Challenge List. I'm really looking forward to this one!

Waiting on Wednesday - 9

WOW is hosted by Breaking The Spine. This week's choice is:

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver - Release date March 2, 2010



Description from amazon.com.

What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last.

Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

Before I Fall is Lauren Oliver's debut novel. Is it on your Debut Authors Challenge list? It's on mine!I love the idea behind this! I think this has been on my wishlist since last spring. Can't wait to read it.

In My Mailbox - 9

In My Mailbox comes from Kristi at The Story Siren.




I got some good stuff this week! Including two books from my Debut Authors Challenge list.

All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab
Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers
The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
Waves by Sharon Dogar
The Way He Lived by Emily Wing Smith
Firespell by Chloe Neill

2010 Debut Authors Challenge

2010 Debut Author Challenge
Hosted by: The Story Siren

I decided I could use one more thing to distract me from writing and use up all my money so I'm participating in the Debut Author Challenge!

What is the 2010 Debut Author Challenge?

•The objective is to read a set number of YA (Young Adult) or MG (Middle Grade) novels from debut authors published this year.* I'm going to challenge everyone to read at least 12 debut novels! I’m hoping to read at least 30! You don’t have to list your choices right away, but if you do feel free to change them throughout the year. I will also be focusing on mostly Young Adult novels.

•Anyone can join, you don’t need a blog to participate. If you don’t have a blog you can always share your views by posting a review on Amazon.com/BarnesandNoble.com/GoodReads/Shelfari, or any other bookish site.

•The challenge will run from January 1, 2010- December 31, 2010. You can join at anytime!

Sign Up Here!

Here's the list of books I'm planning to read for this challenge so far:

1.   Paranormalcy - Kiersten White
2.   The Naughty List - Suzanne Young
3.   The Body Finder - Kimberly Derting
4.   Bleeding Violet - Dia Reeves
5.   Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver *read*
6.   The Rise of Renegade X - Chelsea M. Campbell *read*
7.   Shade - Jeri Smith-Ready
8.   The Secret Year - Jennifer Hubbard *read*
9.   Matched - Ally Condie *read*
10. Dirty Little Secrets - C.J. Omololu *read*
11. All Unquiet Things - Anna Jarzab
12. Firespell - Chloe Neill
13. The Iron Thorn - Caitlin Kittredge
14. Hunger - Jackie Kessler
15. Other - Karen Kincy
16. The Tension of Opposites - Kristina McBride
17. Exit Strategy - Ryan Potter
18. Faithful - Janet Fox
19. Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins
20. The Deathday Letter - Shaun Hutchinson
21. Party - Tom Leveen *read*
22. The Replacement - Brenna Yovanoff
23. The Line - Teri Hall
24. Restoring Harmony - Joëlle Anthony
25. The Iron King - Julie Kagawa
26. Harmonic Feedback - Tara Kelly
27. A Blue So Dark - Holly Schindler
28. 13 to Life: A Werewolf's Tale - Shannon Delaney
29. The Summer of Skinny Dipping - Amanda Howells *read*
30. Shadow Hills - Anastasia Hopcus *read*
31. Split - Swati Avasthi *read*
32. Guardian of the Dead - Karen Healey
33. A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend - Emily Horner *read*
34. Firelight by Sophie Jordan *read*
35. The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson *read*
36. The DUFF by Kody Keplinger *read*
37. Freefall by Mindi Scott *read*
38. The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney *read*
39. Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
40. Losing Faith by Denise Jaden