Review (21): Chain Reaction

Chain Reaction

by Simone Elkeles

Series: Perfect Chemisty, #3

Other Reviewed Titles: None

Release Date: August 16, 2011

Publisher: Walker Publishing Company, Inc.

Pages: 308

Source: Purchased

Challenge: 2012 OTS

Author Website: http://www.simoneelkeles.net/

The youngest Fuentes brother will risk everything to protect his family.

Luis Fuentes has always been sheltered from the gang violence that nearly destroyed his brothers’ lives. But that didn’t stop him from taking risks whether he’s scaling a mountain in the Rockies or dreaming of a future as an astronaut, Luis can’t stop looking for the next thrill.

Nikki Cruz lives her life by three rules -- boys lie to get their way, don’t trust a boy who says “I love you,” and never date a boy from the south side of Fairfield. Her parents may be from Mexico, but as a doctor’s daughter, she has more in common with her north-side neighbors than the Latino Blood at her school. Then she meets Luis at Alex’s wedding, and suddenly, she’s tempter to break all her rules.
Getting Nikki to take a chance on a south sider is Luis’s biggest challenge, until he finds himself targeted by Chuy Soto, the new head of the Latino Blood. When Chuy revveals a disturbing secret about Luis’s family, the youngest Fuentes finds himself questioning everything he’s ever believed to be true. Will his feelings for Nikki be enough to stop Luis from entering a dark and violent world and permanently living on the edge?

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- Spoiler-y if you have not read first two Perfect Chemistry books -

Plot: The plot of Chain Reaction was very similar to the plot of the first two; a Fuentes brother gets mixed up with the Latino Blood, his rich hoity-toity girlfriend disapproves of his gang affiliation and eventually loves trumps all. I was kind of hoping to see something at least slightly different with this third installment, but it fell short. Even though it was very similar, it didn’t have the same impact on me that the first two did. In Perfect Chemistry, the LB terrified me and I was constantly scared for Alex, yet in this one, the threats just didn’t seem as threatening nor did the danger feel as dangerous. There was honestly no reason for Luis to get jumped into the gang and I felt he completely overreacted when he found out the big “secret”. 

Characters: To be honest, I didn’t really like either Luis or Nikki. The beginning of the book started off with them being 15 and then the book fast forwards to two years later, but it sort of felt like they hadn’t matured or aged at all. I had to remind myself that they were, indeed, 17. And both constantly said one thing and then did the complete opposite which was frustrating. My favorite thing about these Simone Elkeles books is the intense and sexy romances. This book didn’t have either. The romance felt too forced and rushed to me which really took away from my overall enjoyment of the novel. They went from hating each other to loving each other in 2 seconds flat. It was a bit unrealistic because they didn’t even really know each other, I felt. There was a lot more emotional connection with the first two books and I really liked those romances better. 

Cover: Of the three books, this isn’t my favorite cover. I didn’t really understand the whole shower thing, but I do like that all the covers are really similar and that each features the appropriate Fuentes brother.

Overall Impression: Alex and Carlos will forever be my favorites, so if you haven’t at least read the first book in the series, you definitely should. 

Rating: * * * 

Review (20): Death by Bikini

Death by Bikini

by Linda Gerber

Series: Death By Mystery, #1
Other Reviewed Titles: None
Release Date: May 15, 2008
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Pages: 240
Source: Purchased
Challenge: 2012 OTS
Author Website: http://lindagerber.com/
A bikini can be very dangerous.

Aphra Behn Connolly has the type of life most teenage girls envy. She lives on a tropical island and spends most of her time eavesdropping on the rich and famous. The problem is that her family's secluded luxury resort allows few opportunities for her to make friends -- much less to meet cute boys. So when a smoldering Seth Mulo unexpectedly arrives with his parents, she’s immediately drawn to him. Then a girl turns up dead on the beach -- the strings of her bikini top tight around her neck -- and alarm bells sound. What exactly are Seth and his family hiding? And is it too great a coincidence that they turned up just one day before a murder? As the plot thickens, Aphra finds that danger lurks behind even the most unexpected of faces....

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Plot: This book had mystery, suspense, some espionage, and even a little romance, but as mystery novels go, this one was pretty predictable. I figured out most of what there was to know in the first 20 pages of the book, yet that did not stop me from wanting to continue reading because just as I thought I had everything figured out, there was a new twist to throw me off the trail. What kept my interest the most was the mystery behind the Mulo family which I found more compelling then the actual murder mystery aspect of the plot. It wasn’t too fast paced which was great, but it was a very fast read.

Characters: The characters were great and I really liked both Aphra and Seth. Aphra has this fearlessness to her that is uncommon in 16 year olds, she is willing to endanger herself in order to save the lives of almost complete strangers. Seth was sweet, charming, and also a bit fearless. Aprha and him are constantly saving each other. I feel bad for both of them because all they want is to be normal teenagers which is nearly impossible because one is constantly on the run while the other lives on a secluded island away from everything and everyone. I can’t wait to see where their relationship goes, or if it goes anywhere at all.

Cover: The cover is cute and I really like how the bikini parts are cut out so that the page underneath can be seen. The pictures on the bottom include a gun, fan, sunglasses and palm trees which tie in a lot better than just having a random bikini on the cover.

Overall Impression: When I picked this book up I was looking for a quick, fun read and that is exactly what I got. If you want something short to pass the time on a long flight or car ride, this is the book for you.

Rating: * * * * 

Crossed off Challenge List: Catching Fire & Mockingjay

Rating for both: * * * * * 

This post is purely to announce that I have read and crossed of both Catching Fire and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins off of the following challenge lists:

2012 OTS

This is just a way for me to easily keep track of my procress.

Review (19): How to Save a Life

How to Save a Life

by Sara Zarr

Series: None
Other Reviewed Titles: None
Release Date: October 18, 2011
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 341
Source: ARC
Challenge: 2012 OTS
Author Website: http://www.sarazarr.com/

Jill MacSweeney just wants everything to go back to normal. But ever since her dad died, she’s been isolating herself from her boyfriend, her best friends--everyone who wants to support her. You can’t lose one family member and simply replace him with a new one, and when her mom decides to adopt a baby, that’s exactly what it feels like she’s trying to do. And that’s decidedly not normal. With her world crumbling around her, can Jill come to embrace a new member of the family?

Mandy Kalinowski knows what it’s like to grow up unwanted--to be raised by a mother who never intended to have a child. So when Mandy becomes pegnant, she knows she wants a better life for her baby. But can giving up a child be as easy as it seems? And will she ever be able to find someone to care for her, too?________________________________________________________________________

Plot: To be honest, I wasn’t really sure about this one. The synopsis felt too 16 & Pregnant to me and I was expecting something along those lines. But that is definitely not what I found. This is a story of two girls, both lost and confused who are searching for something they didn’t even realize they wanted or needed. It was a story about family, how blood relation doesn’t really matter, as long as you are willing to be there for each other. There aren’t any major plot twists, it isn’t action packed and it isn’t even all that unique, but it is still a great book. Only after reading it and sitting down to write this review, did I notice that the ending was totally and completely predictable, but this didn’t take anything away from the novel because it was exactly what I hoped would happen. There was an annoying cliffhanger at the very, very end though, but I say “annoying” only because I really wanted to know what happened next and then, suddenly, the book was over. I just hope this means a sequel might be coming? Who knows...

Characters: This was very strange for me, but I connected with both Jill and Mandy despite how different they were. It was a little odd because I can’t remember the last time I agreed so much with a characters inner thoughts. I even caught myself nodding along as I was reading a few times, thinking: “That is so me. Thank God I’m not the only one”. Jill is moody, angry and bitter which is completely understandable behavior after losing a parent, especially considering the relationship they had. Mandy was a little more difficult to understand. She is very naive, very lost, but very well-intentioned. She is only trying to do what she thinks is best for everyone, even if she has no idea what her future will be once it is all done. The alternating viewpoints offered more of the characters personality through implication rather than outright telling. The fact that the characters were so relatable is probably the main reason why I liked this book so much. 

Cover: I like the cover and it does show how lost Mandy is, which is a key part of the story, but it isn’t the only one and I think they could have designed something that tied in with the book better. It is still really cute though.

Overall Impression: This is the first time I am reading a novel by Sara Zarr, but it will definitely not be the last. I hope a sequel is in the works!

Rating: * * * * 1/2

Off the Shelf Challenge (2012)

Once again I will be participating in Off the Shelf which is hosted by Bookish Ardour. The challenge runs from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012. Basically it's a challenge where you read books that you've had for awhile, but never had the chance to actually pick up and read. The category I will be participating in is On A Roll (50 books), but I might decided to level up and try to reach Flying Off (75 books) since I have so many books just collecting dust on my bookshelf.

Because I have waaaaaay too many books, I decided I'd just post a picture of them all instead of writing out all the titles. This bookshelf is completely, and I really mean completely, dedicated to unread books.

I'm pretty sure there is over 75 books here, but I doubt I'd be able to read them all. My goal is to at least clear out half. This will be the only challenge I am going to enter this year because I want to actually finish it this time. I encourage you all to participate as well, it's super fun. Let's do this!

Blogoversary: December 5, 2011

I can't believe I missed my blogoversary. I have officially had this blog for a year and 2 days and I did not even realize it. I've been so busy with senior year that I haven't been as active as I'd like on here. I haven't even read a book that wasn't for school in months, let alone written reviews! I know it's a little early for New Years resolutions, but I've decided that mine is to start reading and writing reviews again, to pay more attention to this blog. I'm very glad that you guys have continued to follow my reviews and I promise I shall be back as soon as finals are over and winter break rolls around. Thankfully it's only 1 week away.

Joana

Review (18): Loser/Queen

Loser/Queen

by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Series: None

Other Reviewed Titles: None

Release Date: December 21, 2010

Publisher:  Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pages: 260

Source: Bought

Challenge: None

Book Website: http://www.loserqueen.com/

Cammy Hall is what anyone would describe as a loser. She lives with her grandparents and has adopted their way of life...right down to the comfortable shoes and early bedtime. And can she help it that she actually likes to knit?

At school, her skills with knitting needles and some yarn go completely unappreciated: people like Bekka Bell reign while Cammy and her best friend, the fearless Danish exchange student Gerdi, watch from the sidelines. Cammy’s used to being an outsider; after years of humiliating moments, her goal is simply to fly under the radar. Then she suddenly starts receiving mysterious text messages that lead her right to all the embarrassing secrets about the most popular kids in school. Cammy never expected to be able to climb up the high school food chain, and the agenda of the texter may be questionable--but how can she possibly give up the chance to be Queen?

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Characters: I’m pretty sure the characters were either juniors or seniors in high school because some could drive, but it almost felt like they were in middle school. They were slightly immature and I just felt like the dialogue was unrealistic. Cammy wassweet and I don’t really see why she was shunned by everyone. She seemed perfectly alright to me although she was a little too eager to please everyone, especially the more popular kids. I liked Gerdi the best out of all the characters. She knew who she was and didn’t care one bit what other people thought of her. She really cared about Cammy and it was obvious by the way she tried to protect her.

Plot: This whole book kind of reminded me of Teen Spirit, the ABC Family movie that came out a few weeks ago. If you haven’t watched it, it’s about a “Queen Bee” that dies during the Homecoming dance and instead of going straight to Heaven, she is stuck in a sort of limbo. In order to get out of limbo she must help the unpopular girl at her school become popular and get the boy of her dreams. That’s basically what happens in the book except for the whole dying part, but Cammy get’s help from a secret source just like the girl in the movie. The White Rabbit was strange and it was a little obvious as to who was behind the whole thing. The fact that the Rabbit knew so much about everyone and had a yearbook full of secrets was a little creepy. My favorite part were the letters and emails at the end, especially the ones from her grandparents because they were amusing.

Cover: The cover goes really well with the story. It is simple, cute, and represents Cammy’s personality and the White Rabbit which is a major part of the story.

Overall Impression: It was a cute and short read. I love the fact that it was written based on plot twists voted on by readers.

Rating: * * *