Review: #16thingsithoughtweretrue by Janet Gurtler

#16thingsithoughtweretrue by Janet Gurtler
Release Date: March 4th, 2014 by Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Young Adult > Contemporary
Source: NetGalley (Thanks NetGalley & Sourcebooks Fire!)
Find It: Amazon || GoodReads || B&N
Summary:

Heart attacks happen to other people #thingsIthoughtweretrue

When Morgan's mom gets sick, it's hard not to panic. Without her mother, she would have no one—until she finds out the dad who walked out on her as a baby isn't as far away as she thought...

Adam is a stuck-up, uptight jerk #thingsIthoughtweretrue

Now that they have a summer job together, Morgan's getting to know the real Adam, and he's actually pretty sweet...in a nerdy-hot kind of way. He even offers to go with her to find her dad. Road trip, anyone?

5000 Twitter followers are all the friends I need #thingsIthoughtweretrue

With Adam in the back seat, a hyper chatterbox named Amy behind the wheel, and plenty of Cheetos to fuel their trip, Morgan feels ready for anything. She's not expecting a flat tire, a missed ferry, a fake girlfriend...and that these two people she barely knew before the summer started will become the people she can't imagine living without.

 

#16ThingsIThoughtWereTrue was nothing like I thought it would be. I'm starting to think Janet puts us with these super fun optimistic people only to shut us down in the end!

Morgan was raised by her single mother and her two older brothers. She gets a job at a local theme park but she's not really friends with anyone because her best friend posted an online video of her dancing in her underwear and I guess she lives in a town where people really care about that kind of stuff. Must be rough. Until one day she's eating lunch in the bathroom by herself and she runs into Amy from there, things kinda just... happen. Morgan's mother thinks she's dying after getting sick and being placed in the hospital for awhile and Morgan realizes that her day --- who she thought abandoned her --- isn't all that far away. So with her new best friend Amy and Adam who just won't go away, the three of them embark on an unexpected journey to find Morgan's dad.

Morgan was a character that was easy enough to relate to. Her mom hid some pretty serious stuff from here and while she had every right to be upset and not want to even with her mom, I think she overreacted a bit. Considering she's a teenager and she's going on this epic journey with two people who are brand new to her life... I mean if I was her parent I'd be like "HELL TO THE NO." There were times when Morgan just really really annoyed me. She was kinda flip floppy on what to do after meeting her dad and she kinda just seemed... all over the place. Which I guess is realistic for someone her age to discover all this stuff.

Amy was my favorite character. I loved her spirit and her optimism! But like I said, the author likes to shut us down in the end. And that's all I'm saying! I don't have much of an opinion on Adam, while he was there the whole trip I feel like Amy sometimes overshadowed him because I really don't remember much when it comes to Adam.

Overall while this was a pretty heavy read it was also fun and adventurous because of the road trip. I don't normally read road trip type of books... they kinda just don't really seem like my thing but I really enjoyed this one! Also, I really dug how a good portion of this book mentioned Twitter. It's always fun when modern technology is included in books. 

Is anyone else like that? Like you think books are just stuck in this nonexistent time frame before technology sometimes?

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Cover Reveal: All Lined Up by Cora Carmack

Today, I have something super exciting to share --- a cover reveal by the amazing Cora Carmack's new upcoming series. It's no secret that I loved her "Losing It" series so I'm super excited for this upcoming one as well!

Here's a bit of info on the book first ;) 

In Texas, two things are cherished above all else—football and gossip. My life has always been ruled by both.

Dallas Cole loathes football. That's what happens when you spend your whole childhood coming in second to a sport. College is her time to step out of the bleachers, and put the playing field (and the players) in her past.

But life doesn't always go as planned. As if going to the same college as her football star ex wasn’t bad enough, her father, a Texas high school coaching phenom, has decided to make the jump to college ball… as the new head coach at Rusk University. Dallas finds herself in the shadows of her father and football all over again.

Carson McClain is determined to go from second-string quarterback to the starting line-up. He needs the scholarship and the future that football provides. But when a beautiful redhead literally falls into his life, his focus is more than tested. It's obliterated.

Dallas doesn't know Carson is on the team. Carson doesn't know that Dallas is his new coach's daughter.

And neither of them knows how to walk away from the attraction they feel.

Pre-Order Links:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

iTunes

Annnnnnnd here it iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis......

Ahhhhhhhh!! Isn't it swoony?! *far away dreamy look*. Oh! Also!

About Cora Carmack:

Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She's done a multitude of things in her life-- boring jobs (like working retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love, too. Her first book, LOSING IT, was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.

 

Links:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Author Goodreads

ALL LINED UP Goodreads

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Review: Finding Cinderella by Collen Hoover

Finding Cinderella by Collen Hoover
Hopeless #2.5
Release Date: Oct 14th, 2013 by Atria Books
Genre: New Adult > Contemporary
Source: Bought for Kindle
Find It: Amazon || GoodReads || B&N
Summary:

This novella is a companion novel to the Hopeless series, but can be read as a standalone.

A chance encounter in the dark leads eighteen-year-old Daniel and the girl who stumbles across him to profess their love for each other. But this love comes with conditions: they agree it will only last one hour and it will only be make-believe.

When their hour is up and the girl rushes off like Cinderella, Daniel tries to convince himself that what happened between them only seemed perfect because they were pretending it was perfect. Moments like that with girls like her don’t happen outside of fairytales.

One year and one bad relationship later, his disbelief in insta-love is stripped away the day he meets Six: a girl with a strange name and an even stranger personality. Daniel soon realizes the way he pretended to feel about Cinderella and the way he really feels about Six may not be so different after all. Especially when the two loves of his life end up being one in the same.

Unfortunately for Daniel, finding Cinderella doesn’t guarantee their happily ever after…it only further threatens it.

 

While I've had Hopless in my Kindle TBR for like ever, I've never actually read it. Then I came across this thinking it may or may not be some sort of new age retelling. It wasn't. Not even a little bit. But that's okay because I still fell in love with Daniel and Six.

They meet under really strange circumstances but I liked the way they rolled. Keep the lights off, not know who the other person is, just enjoy this moment for what it is. Say goodbye and don't ask questions. Preserve the memory. Something like this doesn't happen in everyone's lives and to have something like it to hold on to... maybe it's just me, but I think it's kinda special and romantic.

It was obvious who Daniel's Cinderella was the moment she walked into the scene but still, waiting for them to realize it was the kicker and Daniel did so very well. 

"Daniel, there's a woman in the booth behind you changing her baby's diaper on the table. You're about to kiss me and the last thing I see before your lips touch mine is a woman wiping her infant's ass."

"Six. Look at me." She brings her eyes back to mine and we're finally close enough that I could reach her mouth. "Ignore the diaper," I command. "And ignore the two men in the booth to our left who are swigging their beer and watching us like I'm about to bend you over this table."

Daniel... Daniel... Daniel seriously, what a freakin sweetheart. He didn't do anything extraordinary or amazing but just the way he was was something else. And I couldn't understand why Six spent so much time trying to push him away. Whatever she decided to do, I'm sure Daniel would be fine with. Cause that's just the kind of guy he is. However when the big secret was unleashed, I think he kinda overreacted. I mean within reason of course, but still. Cut the girl some damn slack. Geez.

"Daniel," she whispers.

I groan and drop my forehead to hers, touching her cheek with my hand. "You make me love my name so damn much."

Six is who I had a problem with! I mean, sort of. She seems like an awesome down to earth kinda girl who would turn me lesbian if she gave me a chance. Uhm. Yeah. But I was turned off by the way she was always down talking herself. How she was always calling herself a slut and shooting off proof that she was. The story didn't dive too far into why she thought that way or what happened really but it was a little excessive at times.

I'm so glad this could be read a stand alone since I hadn't read the other books but now I want to! 

.... did I mention the ebook is currently free? GO GET IT. NAOOOO! :)

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Review: While You're Away by Jessa Holbrook

While You're Away by Jessa Holbrook
While You're Away #1
Release Date: Oct 15th, 2013 by Razorbill
Genre: Young Adult > Contemporary
Source: NetGalley (Thank you NetGalley & Razorbill!)
Find It: Amazon || GoodReads || B&N
Summary:

Once a cheater, always a cheater?

From the moment Will and Sarah first set eyes upon each other, they know that what they have is special.

There's just one little problem . . . each of them already has a significant other.

After flirting with danger, it becomes clear their passion is too strong to be denied. But even if they make their relationship official, there are plenty of challenges in store. Will leaves for college at the end of the summer, while Sarah faces her senior year of high school in their small suburban town. Long-distance relationships always come with their fair share of troubles—mismatched schedules, jealousy, and temptation are only the beginning.

Can cheaters ever change?

WHILE YOU'RE AWAY is a steamy story about a love triangle, a long-distance relationship, and learning the true meaning of commitment.

 While You're Away opens up with Sarah and her boyfriend Dave who have a band together and are playing at a party. And what happens after every show is that Dave revels in the fans that just can't seem to keep their eyes --- and hands --- off of him. Sarah as voiced her opinion on this before and he just can't seem to stop. So during this particular party she wanders off for some peace and quiet and runs into Will. Will with the reputation. Except this Will isn't the Will that everyone elses see's... no this Will is very different.

I was a little disappointed with this book because... it was way too short. I felt like it was cut down abruptly leaving you aching for the next book because you've just got to see what happens next until you realize... there are several books in this e-series. Uh... 

But the connection between Sarah and Will is just so electrifying that ahhh eff it, lemme just buy the whole series! Except I didn't. But I want to.

Yes this book contains a tiny cheating theme (by tiny I mean TARDIS tiny...) but it honestly didn't bother me. I felt like Dave was a douche and while that isn't exactly solid grounds to cheat on someone (actually depends on what day you ask me, why lie?) I can see why it happened. If anything, in my opinion, it was a long time comin. 

Ah. Now to read the second book knowing there's a good chance that too will have an abrupt ending. Oh my heart!

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Review: This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E Smith

This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E Smith
Release Date: April 2nd, 2013 by Headline
Genre: Young Adult > Contemporary
Source: Bought for Kindle
Find It: Amazon || GoodReads || B&N
Summary:
If fate sent you an email, would you answer?
When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds.

Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?

Okay, I'll admit... I read This Is What Happy Looks Like the beginning of last year and I for some reason just never got around to reviewing it... weird, right?

The story follows Ellie, a girl from a small town that one night accidentally receives an email from a high profile celebrity regarding his pet pig. Instead of just ignoring this message (which honestly looked a little bit like spam mail) she responds. So he responds and they just keep responding about the most random stuff until before you know it, they're intrigued by each other to the point of attraction.

The story also follows Graham who honestly doesn't like being a celebrity. When his new movie is finding a location to shoot, he takes the chance to suggest Ellie's small town. He then goes and looks for Ellie.

And this my friends, is where it just all went bad.

Between Ellie just being a small town girl (livin in a lonely worlddddddddddd --- sorry I had to) and Graham being a high profile celeb and Graham's douchebag assistant or publicist or whoever he was who was trying to keep Graham in the limelight who if I remember correctly was a little obsessed with Graham to the point where it was creepy and Ellie's mom warning her to stay away from Graham even though that whole situation was her own fault... it was a little much. I mean, I'm sure dating a celebrity isn't the easy thing in the world and sure there's going to be complications and people trying to get in your own and your own insecurities and all this and that but... 

I feel like Graham didn't do much thinking. About anything. Ever. Things kept getting messed up and I feel like he let his emotions take over way too far and refused to step back and think things through and it sort of came off as a little disrespectful towards Ellie and her mom.

Overall, I did enjoy this read. But I didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight. Also, I'm a sucker for this cover! *swooooon*

But I still don't know what happy looks like lol.

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DNF Review: Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill

Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill
Release Date: January 7th 2014 by Delacorte
Genre: Young Adult > Contemporary
Source: NetGalley (Thank you Delacorte & NetGalley!)
Find It: Amazon || GoodReads || B&N
Summary:

Meet Sloane Emily Jacobs: a seriously stressed-out figure-skater from Washington, D.C., who choked during junior nationals and isn’t sure she’s ready for a comeback. What she does know is that she’d give anything to escape the mass of misery that is her life.

Now meet Sloane Devon Jacobs, a spunky ice hockey player from Philly who’s been suspended from her team for too many aggressive hip checks. Her punishment? Hockey camp, now, when she’s playing the worst she’s ever played. If she messes up? Her life will be over.

When the two Sloanes meet by chance in Montreal and decide to trade places for the summer, each girl thinks she’s the lucky one: no strangers to judge or laugh at Sloane Emily, no scouts expecting Sloane Devon to be a hero. But it didn’t occur to Sloane E. that while avoiding sequins and axels she might meet a hockey hottie—and Sloane D. never expected to run into a familiar (and very good-looking) face from home. It’s not long before the Sloanes discover that convincing people you’re someone else might be more difficult than being yourself.

 

I've never actually posted an official DNF review before but hey, there's a first time for everything!

I really enjoyed Lauren's debut novel Meant To Be that was released last year so I picked this one up thinking I'd get that same cute contemporary and maybe this would had been except I didn't get that far. 

Apparently both girls in this book are both technically named Sloane Jacobs and this book takes on both their point of views --- one being a hockey player and another being a figure skater. Both girls have their own issues in their personal lives but they come from completely different spectrum's and after crashing into each other --- literally --- one of them comes up with the bright idea to switch roles. Never mind that they've never dabbled in each others sport. That's just details, right?!

Through out the portion I read all I could think of was that it was pretty much info dump. I know nothing about either hockey or figure skater and everything sounded a bit text book so it was, at least for me, unbearably boring. I felt like it was more about the sports and less about the actual girls. And I don't do good with books that are heavy on sports. I was sort of expecting it to graze those things not be completely submerged in them.

So for that reason, I'm out.

Sorry, been watching too much Shark Tank but really, it pretty much sums up this review nicely.

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Blog Tour Review: A Little Too Hot by Lisa DeSrochers + GIVEAWAY!

 ~ * ~

A Little Too Hot by Lisa DeSrochers
A Little Too Much #3
Release Date: Jan 21st, 2014 by William Marrow Impulse
Genre: New Adult > Contemporary
Source: Blog Tour
Find It: Amazon || GoodReads || B&N
Summary:

 If you play with fire…

Tossed out of college and cut off by her parents, Samantha West is in pretty dire straits. So when her rocker best friend hooks her up with a job dancing at a gentlemen’s club, who is she to turn it down? Plus, there are rules to dancing at Benny’s: No touching, keep your clothes on at all times, and never get closer than three feet. Unfortunately for Sam, her first private client makes her want to break every single one of them.

Harrison Yates is scorching hot, but he’s got a past that involves being left at the altar not too long ago. Sam is determined to make him forget about his ex, but when she makes her move, it flings her life into a spiral of chaos she never saw coming.

Because Harrison Yates isn’t who he seems to be. And his secret will probably get her killed.

It seems to be a trend of mine --- I read series/watch movie trilogies backwards. I read A Little Too Far then read A Little Too Hot, skipping over the second book. Which I will get around to, but now my reviews are out of order lol!

A Little Too Hot follows Sam, Lexi's best friend who ends up dating her step-brother Trent after she leaves for Rome and honestly, I wasn't excited to spend time with Sam. Mostly because I personally thought she was a bit of a douche to Lexi. I might had been a little biased though! But at the same time, I was quickly absorbed into Sam's life because honestly I didn't know anything about her.

So Sam gets kicked out and she ends up living with a friend named Jonathan who's in a rock band and dabbles into that sort of lifestyle. The grungy basement rock star type. He oh so kindly gets Sam a job at a club. A very very interesting club. It's not a strip club since they're not allowed to take off their clothes but they're dancers. So I guess, they're kinda like Go-Go dancers for tips. They have private rooms too, but again, no clothes come off. That's kinda hot.

Sam spots a man who reminds her of Trent but isn't. It's a guy named Harrison. And over the course of a few weeks (or was it a week, I don't even know) she and Harrison get pretty freakin close. There are extreme rules to this club and through out the short time that Sam is working at this club are clues. And that's all I'm saying. Harrison's big secret is revealed and from there things get very very interesting. And intense.

Despite Harrison's big secret, I immediately fell in love with him. He came off dripping in damaged boy swag and I'm a sucker for that (yes I did just use the word "swag" in my review. I'll try to not let it happen again). His persistence and understand towards Sam was... I don't know if the word I'm looking for exists! His fierce protectiveness towards her and how strongly he held on to his will power even though you could clearly see the epic battle within him was hawt. So very hawt. But here's a boy who lost it all and is fiercely trying to fix it in the best way he knows how. He broken but has the drive to make himself better and I admire that.

The thing I love about this series is that while the female is the main character, it's the men in the books that we see change through the most. Men who pick a line of duty and have the strength to realize it's not really what they want in their lives and the strength to walk away and find what they want and even if it's unclear, they still go out and find it. I always find it incredible when an author can take two characters and draw out the change in them and the moment it happens. That can't be an easy task!

I absolutely loved the story between Sam and Harrison, though I haven't read the second book in the series, I have no doubt that this one is my favorite!

A LITTLE TOO HOT PRE-ORDER:

Pre-order A LITTLE TOO HOT for an exclusive alternative chapter written in the hero's POV!

Link: http://avonromance.hc.com/althpreorder

A LITTLE TOO HOT EXCERPT (First 3 chapters of the book)

 

Exclusive Excerpt of A LITTLE TOO HOT by Lisa Desrochers by WilliamMorrowBooks

GIVEAWAY:

Win an A LITTLE TOO HOT blurb pack: REAL, MINE, and REMY signed by Katy Evans; RULE, JET, and ROME signed by Jay Crownover; and FORPLAY signed by Sophie Jordan plus signed swag.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Review: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Release Date: Feb 26th, 2013 by St. Martin's Press
Details: 328 pages, hardcover
Genre: Young Adult > Contemporary
Source: NetGalley (Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin's Press!)
Find it: Amazon || Goodreads || B&N
Summary:
Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.

Hello! It's been awhile since I've posted a review, hasn't it? I have a new book blog I launched about a week or so ago here. I don't know exactly what I'll be doing with it yet but I don't plan on quitting this blog! I've been with it for too long to just let it go!

Eleanor & Park takes place in 1986. Eleanor has just moved into Park's neck of the woods and is a bit out of place. She makes enemies faster than she makes friends --- but that's high school for you, right? At first Park keeps his distance because he notices that Eleanor is weird. Oh like he's any better! But slowly, their friendship builds through the love of comic books (how cute and geeky is that?!) and slowly, very slowly builds into something more than just friendship.

Eleanor comes from a very troubled life and background and I feel sorry for the girl, she keeps her distance away from people and from the outside, things just don't make sense. Why she acts the way she does, why she dresses the way she does, why she keeps her distance and Park tries so hard to tear down that wall she has built around her. Park himself is a good kid, he comes from a traditionally mixed family. I always think it's interesting when there's an asian or half asian character in a book because it always seems like there's an emphases on the fact that they're asian.

Eleanor & Park isn't one of those feel-good contemporary reads, it really tugs at you and makes you stop to think. At least it made me stop to think. It's a little anxiety inducing knowing Eleanor's situation, her life and how much she has to tip toe when it comes to Park. 

The thing I liked about Eleanor & Park was Parks dedication to doing whatever it was he could do to makes Eleanor feel better. To help her any way he could. And the intense way he cared about her. 

Despite this not being a feel-good read, I did really enjoy it. But then I usually do enjoy reads that deal with serious issues.

The only thing I didn't like was the ending --- it felt incomplete in a weird sort of way. Not that ending WAS incomplete, but I personally felt like something more should had been said.

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Review: My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi

My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi
Release Date: April 2nd, 2013 by Sourcebooks Fire
Details: 304 pages, paperback
Genre: Young Adult > Contemporary
Source: NetGalley (Thank you NetGalley & Sourcebooks Fire!)
Find it: Amazon || Goodreads || B&N
Summary:

Lucy just had the worst week ever. Seriously, mega bad. And suddenly, it's all too much—she wants out. Out of her house, out of her head, out of her life. She wants to be a whole new Lucy. So she does something the old Lucy would never dream of.

And now her life will never be the same. Now, how will she be able to have a boyfriend? What will she tell her friends? How will she face her family?

Now her life is completely different...every moment is a gift. Because now she might not have many moments left.

My Life After Now introduces us to Lucy. Lucy who lives with two days, has two of the most amazing friends a person could ask for, and a great boyfriend who's into theater just as much as she is. Lucy lives for being on stage. Everything seems to be perfect until Lucy's absent mother drops by and her on stage rival not only decides to steal the part she's after in the school play Romeo & Juliet but also her Romeo as well. Oh the nerve! Not being able to deal, she goes out on a reckless night out on the town with her two besties.

That one night changes her entire life.

After that incident Lucy shuts herself off, she doesn't know who to tell, who to trust or what to do and while I feel for her panic and I feel for her anxiety... I think she handled it a little wrong. But who am I to judge the actions of a seventeen year old girl who has just found out that she's HIV positive? How do you cope with that? Honestly? So while Lucy annoyed the crap out of me, I think she handled herself pretty well.

What I did love about the book was Lucy's support system, her dad's were MORE than supportive. The new friends she made and the new boy in her life who cared about her when she thought she didn't deserve it. It's a tough thing to deal with but I think the message behind the actions was indeed strong. I also really liked that Lucy was into theater! It's always nice to see that in books or movies since it's given off that theater is "uncool" and all of you who have been following my blog for the last few years know I feel about theater :P

Overall I did enjoy this read, it was something different than what I usually dabble into. And while the situation is tragic, the story isn't!

Also, Jessica will be stopping by the blog on the 29th. Be sure to check out her thoughts on theater as well!

There's something about New York City that gives you permission to just be. There's no need for pretense, no need for masks. You can be real, without risk. [....] New York is beautifully anonymous.

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Review: Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally

Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally
Hundred Oaks #3
Release Date: March 1st, 2013 by Sourcebooks Fire (that's today!)
Details: 304 pages, paperback
Genre: Young Adult > Contemporary
Source: NetGalley (Thank you NetGalley & Sourcebooks Fire!)
Find it: Amazon || Goodreads
Summary:

Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different…

This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt…with her.

Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy…

Things I Can't Forget is the third book in the Hundred Oaks series and I'll admit, I didn't read the first two (even though I have them) but it didn't negatively impact my experience. Things I Can't Forget is about Kate who's really big on the whole Christianity thing, she's volunteered at a camp she use to go to as a kid for the Arts and Crafts committee and she's trying to earn forgiveness from God for a sin that she's beating herself up over. She runs into another kid who use to go to camp with her, Matt. And things start to get hazy for Kate.

Let me be honest; I really really didn't like Kate. While I understand someone intensely believing in God (like a few of my friends and my parents...) I don't understand why someone would push their religion on someone else. Would consider unfriending someone because they question God. It irritates me when people think that their religion is the only right religion and that's the type of person Kate is. She thinks it's a sin to befriend someone who doesn't believe, a sin to date someone who isn't the "perfect" Christian. The way she treated her friend Emily after what happened was just wrong and she had the nerve to feel like the victim? GIRL PLEASE! Even when she started to realize that things aren't always black and white, she was still pissing me off! She's a Christian above all, including being human. Not befriending someone you know is going through a loss just because they sleep around and you think you'll catch the "sin germs" doesn't make you a good person. Just because she "sinned" doesn't mean you will too. Have you no control over your own actions Kate?! Goodness!!

I really liked Matt. He was a normal guy in college. A good person, great with kids, believed in God in his own way and was in a frat (which bothered Kate because it's not Christian-like, pffft). You could tell from the get-go that he and Kate had some serious history as kids for something that only lasted a week! But the impact she made on him was stronger than anything and that really showed. The way he cared about her and the way he was patient with her was really sweet, really not something you see much of and it's always good to see that in books.

I love the friendship formed between Parker and Kate. They didn't start off on the right foot but I'm glad they worked through it, it seems like Parker is exactly what Kate needed in order to expand her horizons and it was cute seeing Parker and Will together. Now I'm totally interested in knowing their story as well!

Overall, I did enjoy the book for what it was, it was just Kate's intensity with religion that irritated me. But beyond that, Things I Can't Forget is about making friends and not shutting yourself out from others, learning about other people and coming to terms with what you believe.

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Review: Sweethearts by Sara Zarr

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
Release Date: Feb 1st, 2008 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Details: 217 pages, hardcover
Genre: Young Adult > Contemporary
Source: Bought for Kindle
Summary:

As children, Jennifer Harris and Cameron Quick were both social outcasts. They were also one another's only friend. So when Cameron disappears without warning, Jennifer thinks she's lost the only person who will ever understand her. Now in high school, Jennifer has been transformed. Known as Jenna, she's popular, happy, and dating, everything "Jennifer" couldn't be---but she still can't shake the memory of her long-lost friend. 

When Cameron suddenly reappears, they are both confronted with memories of their shared past and the drastically different paths their lives have taken.

Sweethearts is a title that's been on my wishlist since I started book blogging in 2010 but it was just a book I never really got around to picking up until last week when it went on sale on the Kindle.

Jennifer had a rough childhood, her mom was never home trying to provide them since her dad took off and being bullied in school endlessly for being fat and having a lisp. The only friend she ever had was Cameron, who also had a lisp and a hard upbringing. The two were best friends for the majority of their childhood, enduring bullying together and the tough stuff going on at home. Until one day Cameron left. Just out of the blue was gone. And Jennifer was alone. Completely alone. Years later, Jennifer is now Jenna who lives with her mother and her step father who takes very good care of them both. Everyone loves her, she has an amazing group of friends and a boyfriend. She buried Jennifer. Until one day Cameron comes back.

Let's start with the things I didn't like about this book --- I didn't like Jenna's boyfriend Ethan. He was clingy and demanding and he was a bit of a brat. About everything. The typical, "why didn't you call me last night" crap. Not only that but he says something rude to Jenna without even asking what's bothering her or if someone's going on that she needs to talk about --- you know, being supportive and has the nerve to totally blow her off even though he was the one being a jerk. Unbelievable! The guy seriously needed a reality check. Or a swift kick to the head.

While the tension was high when Cameron came back, I felt like there was no outcome. How would you feel if your only friend growing up vanished and one day came back but wasn't anything at all like who you remembered. Didn't have any answers for you and played life by his own terms? Seriously, why the heck was he there if it wasn't to answer Jenna's questions? You can't just up and leave, come back and expect that person to drop everything to drive you around. It just doesn't work that way. And when he did answer her questions it didn't really feel like he was answering them, if that makes sense. It just annoyed me. And I didn't like how Jenna's mom was more overprotective over Cameron then she ever was with Jenna. Though I can relate that to my own mom being overprotective over my husband, but still.

What I did like about the book was the concept of it all. A friend of mine once said that different people know different versions of you. We're always changing and growing and the person who knows you last year doesn't know the you three years ago, you get what I'm saying? And this applies to Jenna and Cameron. Jenna did change, she "has it all" but Cameron wasn't there to see the struggle in the transformation. And while Jenna got what she wanted, she wasn't who she wanted to be. She was a mirror of who everyone wanted her to be, though it isn't her fault. What else would you do in her situation? I did really like Jenna's friend Steph, she was a little pushy but she gave great advice and I liked her step-dad, he was really supportive over everything.

Sweethearts isn't a heartwarming tale of two people who haven't seen each other in years reuniting; it's about losing someone, realizing who you are and dealing with losing that person again but on different terms. It's about self discovery and the people who can change or help you. And while I wasn't crazy about this read, I'm really glad I finally got to read it!

Sometimes I still stare into space and think about Cameron. I think about there are certain people who come into your life, and leave a mark. [...] And I don't mean they change you. A lot of people can change you --- the first kid who called you a name, the first teacher who said you were smart, the first people who crowed you best friend. It's the change you remember, the firsts and what they meant, not really the people. [...] I'm talking about the ones who, for whatever reason, are as much a part of you as your own soul.

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Review: Uses for Boys by Erica Lorraine Scheidt

Uses for Boys by Erica Lorraine Scheidt
Release Date: January 15th, 2013 by St. Martin's Press
Details: 240 pages, paperback
Genre: Young Adult > Contemporary
Source: NetGalley (Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press!)
Find it: Amazon || Goodreads
Summary:

Anna remembers a time before boys, when she was little and everything made sense. When she and her mom were a family, just the two of them against the world. But now her mom is gone most of the time, chasing the next marriage, bringing home the next stepfather. Anna is left on her own—until she discovers that she can make boys her family. From Desmond to Joey, Todd to Sam, Anna learns that if you give boys what they want, you can get what you need. But the price is high—the other kids make fun of her; the girls call her a slut. Anna's new friend, Toy, seems to have found a way around the loneliness, but Toy has her own secrets that even Anna can't know.

Then comes Sam. When Anna actually meets a boy who is more than just useful, whose family eats dinner together, laughs, and tells stories, the truth about love becomes clear. And she finally learns how it feels to have something to lose—and something to offer. Real, shocking, uplifting, and stunningly lyrical,  Uses for Boys  is a story of breaking down and growing up.

Uses for Boys has a very misleading cover. This isn't a cute fluffy contemporary about a girl who "uses" boys in high school. No. No no no. This is the very opposite of that! Uses for Boys is a much darker and mature read. It deals with excessive drug use and there are many many scenes with sex or that talk of sex so please keep that in mind when you pick up this book. The writing is a little bit different. Sort of like Love and Other Perishable Items where it's not verse but it's not really told my a point of view either.

Anna lives a very sad life. My heart broke for her so many times. It starts off with her and her mom, her mom telling her that once she had Anna she had "everything" but now Anna is living on her own, in the big house her mom got from yet another ex husband. She spends her days after school by herself, hardly seeing her mother except for when she comes home to change only to leave again. And I couldn't understand how her mother could care so less for her own daughter. The only thing she had. But because of it, Anna learns how to navigate through the hardest time of her life by herself. And she doesn't always make the right choices. But without a parental guardian how can you? She understands what's going on, but she doesn't understand. Not until she's older. I felt for Anna, she had no one and nothing but an empty house and all she wanted was a friend. Didn't her mom see that by leaving her alone, she was doing to Anna what was done to her?

I didn't really understand Anna's best friend Toy. She was sort of off. I mean, you see her as Anna see's her... always talking about herself, about boys, telling stories about her life. But you don't really get to know her. I don't think Anna really knew her either. Then there's Sam, who's suppose to "change it all around" but I felt like you didn't really know him either. Maybe it's just the writing style that makes me feel unattached to everyone but Anna. I didn't know much about Sam and I didn't really get him. 

While Uses for Boys does have an incredibly misleading cover, the title is perfect for the story. I think this will be a book that a lot of people may want their kids to stay away from but besides the parents leaving you aspect, it's things that are real. That happen growing up and I think it's important to expose teens to stories like these so that when it comes to them, they can learn to make the right choices.

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Review: Love and Other Perishable Items by Laura Buzo

Love and Other Perishable Items by Laura Buzo
Release Date: December 11th, 2012 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Details: 256 pages, hardcover
Genre: Young Adult > Contemporary
Source: NetGalley (Thank you NetGalley & Knopf Books!)
Summary (Goodreads):

Love is awkward, Amelia should know.

From the moment she sets eyes on Chris, she is a goner. Lost. Sunk. Head over heels infatuated with him. It's problematic, since Chris, 21, is a sophisticated university student, while Amelia, is 15.

Amelia isn't stupid. She knows it's not gonna happen. So she plays it cool around Chris—at least, as cool as she can. Working checkout together at the local supermarket, they strike up a friendship: swapping life stories, bantering about everything from classic books to B movies, and cataloging the many injustices of growing up. As time goes on, Amelia's crush doesn't seem so one-sided anymore. But if Chris likes her back, what then? Can two people in such different places in life really be together?

Through a year of befuddling firsts—first love, first job, first party, and first hangover—debut author Laura Buzo shows how the things that break your heart can still crack you up.

Amazon || Goodreads || BookDepo

Love and Other Perishable Items was originally published as Good Oil in Australia. How cool right?! Although I don't think Good Oil is a fitting title...

Love and Other Perishable Items is a complicated book to get into in the very beginning. It's basically about a girl named Amelia. She works at a grocery store and she's about as innocent as any other 15 year old is as well as curious. She slowly starts developing a crush on her co-worker Chris who seems like this really funny, smart and down to earth kind of guy... who's several years older than her. There are two sections to this story; Amelia's side who does a lot of telling and not much showing and Chris' side which is in the form of journal entries. The point of view's don't switch off from the beginning, it happens somewhere in the middle but there's no real set pattern to it.

Amelia as a character was, like I said, pretty innocent but she was also smart and she stood up for herself a lot. She doesn't like how he dad treats her mom or the family with being out of town all the time and not even bothering to clean up after himself on the rare occasion that he is home and she doesn't like how her mom just deals with it. I understand her frustration and I felt it right along with her. I don't think she was being wrong or unreasonable but I do think that if her father had just sat down and talked to her he'd spend less time being angry at her. Amelia gets into a bit of trouble because that's what you do at 15. You find yourself thrown into situations and you don't know how you effen got there. I understood her admiration towards Chris because in her eyes, he was pretty snazzy.

When you get to Chris' journal entries, that's where things get... complicated. Chris is humorous and sarcastic but Chris isn't who he is in Amelia's eyes but at the same time he is because that's how he portrays himself to the world, so that's who they see. They don't see the Chris who sluts around or the Chris who's still pinning after some girl who lives in a different country that "destroyed" him. They don't see the Chris who's angry and all he wants to do is drink. And Amelia never see's that. 

The ending was a bit abrupt for me and I didn't have any closure. I finished the book thinking, uhm... that's it?! What happens next?!

But I feel like Love and Other Perishable Items is more than just about Amelia and Chris. I feel like it's more about life. About trying to find your way and about not selling yourself short. About having that crush that literally crushes you and may seem into you but isn't but is and how complicated it all is. I also picked up on a heavy feminism lining and I enjoyed reading Chris' journal entries discussing conversations between him and Amelia and how he interpreted them. Their relationship/friendship and conversations were definitely intriguing. 

Love and Other Perishable Items is a totally different read than anything else I've read as far as story and structure but I enjoyed it. Really really enjoyed it!

March 15
There was a fire in the Wonder Bread factory last night. Thowsuands have been left breadless. Fould play is suspected.

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Review: After Hello by Lisa Mangum

After Hello by Lisa Mangum
Release Date: September 4th, 2012 by Shadow Mountain
Details: 272 pages, hardcover
Genre: Young Adult > Contemporary
Source: NetGalley (Thank you NetGalley & Shadow Mountain!)
Summary (Goodreads):

What if the first day of your relationship was the only day you had? 

Seventeen-year-old Sara is a seeker. She’s always on the lookout for the perfect moment to capture with her ever-present, point-and-shoot camera, especially on her first trip to New York City. 

Sam is a finder. He has a knack for finding what other people can’t—a first-edition book or the last two tickets to a sold-out Broadway show. In New York, there is always something interesting to find. 

When Sam and Sara’s paths cross, neither one of them is prepared for what they will find out about each other—and about themselves when they form an unlikely partnership in search of a seemingly elusive work of art. They have one day to find the impossible. Fate brought their talents together, but what happens when time runs out? Will love be able to overcome fate? This new novel from award-winning author Lisa Mangum explores what happens after hello.

Amazon* || Goodreads || BookDepo*

When I first started reading After Hello I couldn't really get into it. The whole beginning was just strange. The book starts with Sara snapping a picture of Sam outside of a book store, she's walking around NYC by herself waiting on her dad to close a deal then she goes off and follows Sam. Uhm, creepy girl, what are you doing?

There's something about a complete stranger that makes you trust them more, I speak from experience. I once had a friend on an MMORPG game called Final Fantasy XI and I spilled tons of stuff to him. For the record he was a few years older than me and he was always there, like a big brother. But there was something about the fact that he didn't know me (in real life) that made it easy for me to talk to him when I need someone to talk to. Does that make sense? And in a way, I think Sam feels the same way about Sara. 

Sam is full of regret and secrets and this super hidden past that he keeps hinting through out the book but doesn't out with it until pretty much the end and he has a hard time letting it go. It's a pretty understandable situation but for someone like him (if you don't know him), it's... interesting (for lack of better word). Sara herself is struggling with things of her past which she brings up a lot through out the book. And these two are joined together for more than just an adventure to please some snobby celebrity. No, they're on a journey together to let go of the things in their past that haunt them. To come to terms with the questions of situations that will never get answers.

This book surprised me. Like I said, when I started it, I wasn't really into it but the more I read on, the more I got it. It's about letting go, moving on and coming to terms with things and it makes you think about your life and the things that you're still holding on to that could be traded or the things you could let go. Once in awhile, you'll come across a book like After Hello that makes you think after you've turned that last page and those unexpected stories are the best kind.

... and now I'm left wanting to find a brand new friend who'd trade stories with me (:

"Why doesn't she just move back, then? Why does she stay here?"
Sam looked at me, his brown eyes almost black in the shadows. "Because you can never go back. You can only go forward." He shrugged. "Maybe her path will loop her back to where she started, but for now, she's here. And, for what it's worth, I think she's happy here."
"Even without her heart?"
"Happiness can be close by, even if your heart is far away."

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Review: Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf

Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf
Release Date: April 24th, 2012 by Walkers Childrens
Details: 354 pages, hardcover
Genre: Young Adult > Contemporary > Abuse
Source: NetGalley (Thank you NetGalley & Walkers Childrens!)
Summary (Goodreads):

Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a horrible car accident—including her memory of the event. As their small town mourns his death, Allie is afraid to remember because doing so means delving into what she’s kept hidden for so long: the horrible reality of their abusive relationship.

 

When the police reopen the investigation, it casts suspicion on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around town. Allie knows she must tell the truth. Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free? Debut writer Jennifer Shaw Wolf takes readers on an emotional ride through the murky waters of love, shame, and, ultimately, forgiveness.

Amazon || Goodreads || BookDepo

Breaking Beautiful was a lot darker than I expected. Allie just survived a horrible car accident that killed her boyfriend Trip, waking up and not remembering anything from that night.

The plot to Breaking Beautiful was for the most part, fast paced. Once it started to slow down, another clue or memory would present itself picking the pace back up. It's unfortunate that Allie lives in a town that small, like wow. I don't know how anyone could survive living in a town that small. I wasn't expecting this book to be based on an abusive relationship and while we only see flashbacks of it, it's enough to feel the anxiety and fear that Allie feels. I think the author did a fantastic job of portraying how scary being in an abusive relationship can be even long after they're gone.

I liked Allie, she was badly hurt and broken but when she snapped oh man, you go girl. I wish she would had ripped Hannah's hair out or something though, cause we all know she deserved it. I loved Blake and it sucks that people didn't give him a chance or hear him out. But that's just high school I guess. But he was a really sweet guy who you could tell really cared about Allie and Allie's special needs brother Andrew. I also loved the bond between Allie and her brother Andrew, it's a bond you don't see much in YA and it was nice to see. Andrew loves his sister dearly, and you could feel the frustration bubbling up inside of him sometimes. But he's a really sweet kid. I wasn't a fan of Hannah who knew nothing of what she was talking about or Allie's mom who was so fixated on her reputation and everyone else's. Instead of comforting her daughter all she cared about was how she looked or what she wore. I most definitely was not a fan of Trip's father who really needs a swift hit on the head with a metal bat. He reminded me a lot of Dan Scott from One Tree Hill in the earlier episodes. Disgusting!!

While Breaking Beautiful was a dark story of a girl trying to remember and rebuild herself, it's also a beautiful story of a girl and her bond with her brother and a boy who will stop at nothing to make sure she's okay. Full of suspense and drama and mystery, Breaking Beautiful is a fantastic debut from Jennifer Shaw Wolf!

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