Review (76): Played by Liz Fichera

Played 

by Liz Fichera

Series: Hooked, #2

Other Reviewed Titles: Hooked 
Release Date: May 27, 2014

Publisher: Harlequin

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback

Source: Library

Author Website

My Thoughts: 

An unlikely friendship blossoms between Sam Tracy and Riley Berenger when Riley accidentally slips off the side of a mountain and Sam goes after her. The duo spend the night in a rainstorm, wrapped in each others arms to fend off the cold. Sure they are close to death, the two share their deepest, darkest secrets and, once rescued, Riley vows to help Sam win over the love of his life. Sam wants little to do with Riley and her persistent attention; he prefers to spend his time with his friends from the Rez and away from the rich suburban princess and her obnoxious older brother, Ryan. However, Riley has no intention of backing off until she has repaid Sam for saving her life. 

This was a cute follow up to Hooked--the first book in the series and the story of how Riley's older brother Ryan fell in love with a girl named Fred. I really enjoyed Hooked and therefore was excited about this one as well. However, I read it such a long time ago that I couldn't remember either Riley or Sam's part in the first story. It was great getting to know them again while also having the characters from the first book make an appearance. 

I thought the dynamic between Riley and Sam was pretty funny. Sam is so surly and standoffish, yet it does not seem to faze Riley (who he refers to as Pink Girl a few times) one bit. She literally follows him home one day after school so she can check out his wardrobe and make sure he has the appropriate attire to attract the girl of his dreams. Despite all his protests, he can’t seem to tell her no and goes along with all her crazy schemes. They could not be more different but it works completely.  Both were pretty oblivious about their feelings toward one another and it was a little frustrating how long it took them to finally admit that they actually liked one another.

My favorite part about this series though is the diversity of the characters. Both Fred (from Hooked) and Sam are Native Americans who live on the nearby reservation. We actually get an in-depth look into what life on the Rez is like and I honestly don’t think I’ve ever read another YA book with characters that have this type of background. Representation is so important and I’m glad to see YA books that don’t shy away from that. 

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Review (72): Romancing the Dark in the City of Light by Ann Jacobus

Romancing the Dark in the City of Light

by Ann Jacobus

Release Date: October 6, 2015

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Pages: 288

Format: eBook

Source: Netgalley

Author Website

My Thoughts: 

After getting kicked out of her fourth boarding school, Summer Barnes moves to Paris to finish off her second senior year of high school. She has until the age of 22 to graduate from a four-year university or she risks losing a hefty inheritance—which seems easier said than done at this point. She’s felt lost and alone since the sudden death of her father five years earlier and believes that all her problems will go away if she just meets the right guy. Lucky for her, she catches the eye of two; one challenges her and helps her rediscover life’s beauty, while the other leads her down a path of self-destruction. When her damaging behavior manages to alienate everyone, she has to decide if she wants to continue down this road or if her life is worth living and fighting for. 

As the title sort of suggests this deals with some dark topics including addiction, depression, and suicide. It is not an easy read so be aware of that if these are things you are not comfortable with or find triggering. As someone who also battled depression at the age of 18, I completely identified with Summer. It was easy to be sympathetic towards her despite how frustrating she was at times because I know what it feels like to be in her shoes. She may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I thought she was very real and appreciated her straight forward voice. 

Moony was a great character as well. I can't even image how he has such an optimistic take on life after everything he's been through. I think he and Summer meet just when she needs him most. Kurt on the other had is the complete opposite and encourages her down an even more dangerous path than she is already on. They definitely did not have your average love triangle; it was more of a light vs. dark tug of war that was a lot different than I had expected from how it's written on the cover. 

I figured out the twist pretty early on but it was still interesting to see that aspect of the plot unravel. I don’t want to say much because I don’t want to give it away, but I thought it was an intriguing take on inner demons and the mental battle that is depression. Overall, I think this is a great read and I wish there were some others out there like it because depression and mental illness is still something that is not talked about enough. 

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* Thank you to the author and publisher for an eARC in return for my honest review *

Review (66): The Wrong Side of Right by Jenn Marie Thorne

The Wrong Side of Right

by Jenn Marie Thorne

Series: None

Other Reviewed Titles: None
Release Date: March 17, 2015

Publisher: Dial Books

Pages: 390

Format: Hardcover

Source: Library

My Thoughts: 

Imagine being told, after 16 years of total ignorance, that your father is the man currently running for the United States presidency. That is exactly what happens to Kate Quinn after her mother tragically passes away in a car crash. She is thrust into the public eye when she joins Senator Cooper—and the rest of her newly discovered family—for the summer as they get to know each other and campaign around the United States. Along the way, she befriends the presidents son. He understands exactly what she is currently going through and so he becomes one of the few people she can confide in. But when both your fathers are running for the most powerful position in the world, things can get a little tricky. 

This was cute, yet emotional; it really focuses on love and family and what those two things really mean. Kate struggles to get to know her father because he is somewhat distant and is constantly off trying to rack up votes. As she learns more about him and tries to understand his conflicting views, their relationship becomes strained. It takes a lot of tears and talks for them to find common ground.

Meg, Kate’s stepmother, is strong, supportive, and kind. I respect her so much for the way she handles taking in, and loving, her husbands daughter. I’ve known people in the same situation as Kate who are not always as welcomed. (I’m glad that this is not the case because it is heartbreaking to see these children get the backlash for something they have no control over.) The twins are adorable—Gabe in particular. He is the complete opposite of his sister Gracie—timid & reserved—yet he warms up to Kate a lot quicker. 

There are slow parts that I found myself trying to rush through because they were frequent and all pretty much the same. A majority of the chapters seem to be of Kate stuck at home worrying about the campaign and about how she isn’t the perfect daughter. And while she travels around the country with the senator and the rest of the family to promote the campaign, we only get glimpses into these events before she is whisked back home again. I wish there had been more scenes with Andy; their first “date” was adorable and more of that would have been welcome. I feel like some of these filler chapters could have been left out altogether or substituted for some that brought more to the overall story. 

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Review (55): Faking Perfect by Rebecca Phillips (& Giveaway!)

Faking Perfect

Rebecca Phillips

Release Date: June 30, 2015

Publisher: Kensington Books

Pages: 272

Format: eARC

Source: Netgalley

Author Website

Author Blog

Book Website 

My Thoughts: 

Like most high school students, Lexi Shaw is pretending to be someone she’s not. In order to fit in with the popular crowd at school—and ultimately make Ben Dorsey fall in love with her—she needs to look and act the part. This means hiding the fact that her mom is hardly ever around because she is too busy off drinking with one of her boyfriends. And making sure no one finds out what she does with Oakfield High’s resident bad boy in her room at 1 A.M. Oh, and keeping her relationship with her best friend a sort of secret because her popular friends think he’s weird.

Although this seems like it is going to be about the Lexi-Tyler-Ben love triangle, it is really about Lexi’s self-growth. For two years she has tried to be the perfect everything just so she can impress a boy she doesn’t truly know—ultimately losing herself along the way. She has been fixated on her idea of Ben instead of who he really is; she even pushes away two of the only real friends she has because she can not bear to disappoint him. When everything blows up in her face—and someone from her past resurfaces complicating things further—she snaps out of it and allows herself to be, well, herself. Mostly because she doesn’t really have a choice, but also because she finally sees that what you wish for might not always be what you actually want.

Nolan is probably my favorite of all the characters. He does not care an ounce what people think of him and actually takes pleasure in making them squirm when he gets the chance. (Still not sure what everyone’s problem with him is either…) I just really liked his friendship with Lexi because he shows how much he cares in a quiet kind of way. He is her rock and she knows she never has to hide who she is from him and that he’ll always be there for her no matter what. I wish we had gotten to know Tyler more because he is so sweet (albeit a little hotheaded) and could have been a great character. I wanted more Lexi and Tyler scenes that really took the time to develop their romantic relationship. 

As for Lexi, she is a bit lost, has low self-esteem and believes that she is not good enough for anyone. She doesn’t have the greatest support system or role models at home—Nolan’s parents practically raised her and her mom doesn’t even bother to attend her high school graduation. I can see why she would want to pretend to be someone else and I applaud her for standing up to her mother. 

I think this cover is perfect. The girl in the picture just looks so FREE which perfectly sums up Lexi at the end of the book. (It is the same image used for Heather Topham Wood's Falling for Autumn, but honestly I much prefer the way this one was designed).

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* Thank you to the author and publisher for an eARC in return for my honest review *

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Review (54): Sarina, Sweetheart by Megan Carney (with Giveaway!)

Sarina, Sweetheart

by Megan Carney

Release Date: March 5, 2015

Publisher: N/A

Pages: 227

Format: eBook

Source: Author

Author Website

My Thoughts: 

Her mother wanted a baby to please her father, her father wanted a weapon that could destroy the world. Using the IVF lab at the hospital where he worked, he tinkered with embryos and their genes. Most died long before being implanted, but then on try number two Sarina was born. Her breath is literal poison and she in the only person in the world—besides her mother and father who were injected with the antidote—that can carry HF186-2A without dying. She was discovered at only six weeks old when her father decided to use his new weapon to infect tourists on a cruise ship docked in Key West. Somehow government officials traced the budding pandemic to her family and she has been locked up in a lab being tested and prodded ever since—until someone helps her escape.

I honestly wasn’t expecting to like this as much as I did. In my opinion this is sort of similar to Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi; both protagonists are locked in a lab being tested and detained because of “powers” they can’t control and each vow to destroy the people that have kept them captive their entire lives—no matter the consequences. However, I may actually like Sarina, Sweetheart better because I found Sarina to be a much more enjoyable character than Juliette. Sarina is ridiculously smart which isn’t surprising since she has spent 23 years basically doing nothing but reading and watching anything she can get her hands on. She knows so much I feel like I learned a thing or two from just reading the book. She is also extremely resourceful (she came up with and created some pretty impressive things while on the run), tenacious, and a bit socially awkward.

The overall plot was interesting and kept my attention throughout. The amount of action is just right and, more importantly, it is believable. She doesn’t automatically turn into a ninja when the time calls for it which I appreciated. There are also some graphic gory scenes (particularly chapter 8) so be aware of that if blood is something that freaks you out; it made me cringe a little, not gonna lie.

I didn’t like the romance aspect but I guess it wasn’t the main focus of the story so it didn’t need to be particularly amazing. She has 2 love interests throughout the book—one of which she claims to be in love with after about 3 days—but any time we spend with them is brief. She constantly refers to herself as an animal that can’t be controlled whenever she's around them…it was just kind of unrealistic to me. I know she’s been sheltered her whole life and these are the first guys around her age that she’s known, but I feel like that should make her hesitant to throw herself at them. But I don’t know maybe that’s just naive of me to say? I also didn’t particularly love the cover. I think this book deserves a much more badass, attention-grabbing cover so I hope it gets updated in the future. 

Overall, I really enjoyed Carney’s writing. She doesn’t overpower with details, but the way she describes things really brings them to life. I will definitely be picking up her next release!

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* Thank you to the author and publisher for an eBook copy in return for my honest review *

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Review (48): Airhead by Meg Cabot

Airhead

by Meg Cabot

Series: Airhead, #1

Other Reviewed Titles: None
Release Date: June 1, 2008

Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.

Pages: 337

Format: Hardcover

Source: Library

Challenge: None

Author Website 

Book Website

My Thoughts: 

Emerson Watts is the farthest thing there is to a “girly-girl”. She prefers to spend her time playing video games with her best friend--and secret crush--Christopher, rather than obsessing over celebrities like her younger sister. So when she is forced to babysit Frida at the grand opening of the new Stark Megastore near their apartment, she is not thrilled. She has better things to do than drool over British singer-songwriter, Gabriel Luna, but her mom insists she go along. Who could have predicted that a freak accident would land Em in the hospital? When she wakes up from a chemically induced coma, no one will tell her what happened or why her voice sounds so different...like maybe it belongs to someone else.  

First off, where do I sign up to be transplanted into the body of a Victoria’s Secret supermodel (preferably Adriana Lima but I’m not picky) because I am all over that. Who wouldn’t be, right?

Airhead is more of an introduction to the rest of the series. Nothing major happens except for the accident and then her ‘transformation’. Emerson spends the majority of the book in and out of consciousness at the hospital or trying to figure out why no one will tell her exactly what happened. Only towards the end does she take her place as Nikki Howard where she finds out just how complicated and hard it actually is being a famous and gorgeous supermodel. She also meets all of Nikki’s friends and boyfriends--yes, plural. There isn’t too much excitement or action in this one, but we do get a hint at a possible mystery--as well as a bit of romance--to come which got me excited for Being Nikki. 

The characters are all very likable. Emerson is funny, witty, and smart. I found it amusing to watch her struggle to fit into her new life. She goes from wearing sweats almost everyday to being a fashion icon and she really has no idea how to handle it. I think a bit of Nikki might still be in there somewhere because I definitely noticed a change from how Em was in the beginning.  When Lulu was first introduced I was expecting her to be bitchy and full of herself, but she wasn’t at all. She is a bit dumb, but very sweet and well-intentioned. Her theory as to why ‘Nikki’ is all of a sudden acting different is hilarious. As for the new and old boys in her life, I’m rooting for Gabriel. I mean, the boy wrote a song about her, is constantly saving her, and is British--what’s not to love?

This isn’t my favorite Meg Cabot novel (that honor goes to All-American Girl or maybe Avalon High...I still haven’t decided), but I did thoroughly enjoy it. 

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Review (33): The Dirt by Lori Culwell

The Dirt

by Lori Culwell

Series: None

Other Reviewed Titles: None
Release Date: November 11, 2011

Publisher: Booktrope Editions

Pages: 208

Source: ARC from author

Challenge: None

Author Website 

My Review:
Lucy has been surrounded by “The Whitley Family scandal” for the past 9 years and just when she thinks she is finally going to be able to distance herself from her dysfunctional family, everything just gets even more complicated. All she wants to do is go away to a boarding school in Connecticut where she can step out from under the shadow of her evil, perfect and uber popular older sister Sloane and out of the little desert town that seems to be obsessed with gossiping about her family. Her plan to move across the country relies on her father’s second wedding which does not go as anybody expected.

This book can be summed up in one word: Drama, drama, drama! I thought this was a very enjoyable and quick read. The plot wasn’t as unpredictable as I would have hoped, but it did have its fair share of twists and turns which held my interest. I wasn’t really satisfied with the ending though, I felt that there was something...missing. I don’t even know why, it just felt a little unfinished to me.

As for the characters, the Whitley sisters could not have been more opposite if they tried. I felt that Lucy lacked a lot of confidence which was understandable since she was always being put down by Sloane. I kept rooting for her to grow and stand up for herself, but she never really did. She kind of just hid behind Megan who did most of the fighting. This really made Megan become my favorite because she didn’t seem to be scared of anyone.

The cover is cute and simple. I’m assuming the two girls on it are supposed to represent Sloane and Megan. Why Lucy wasn’t included (since she is the main one), I don’t know, but I still really like it. 

Rating: * * * 1/2

Click here to read Lori Culwell’s author interview!

And thank you to the author for sending me a copy for review.

Review (28): Radiate by Marley Gibson

Radiate

by Marley Gibson

Series: None

Other Reviewed Titles: None

Release Date: April 3, 2012

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Pages: 395

Source: NetGalley ARC

Challenge: None

Author Website

My Review: 

This is the story of Hayley Matthews, a high school senior who has just made the varsity cheerleading squad at her school when she is diagnosed with cancer. The first half of the book is dedicated to the cancer discovery and treatment. Most of it is set in the hospital where she stays for a lengthy period of time because of the various surgeries she has to undergo, chemo and radiation. The author goes into great detail about all three, which is great, but it was also a little confusing at times because there was just too much to remember.
The second half is about her transition back to school and her new life as a cheerleader. She seems to be ready to put the cancer behind her and move on, but unfortunately there are still some side effects she has to deal with along the way. There is a really great positive message about never giving up and always pushing through no matter what life throws at you which was definitely the best part of this book.

Haley is a really inspiring protagonist. She handles everything that is thrown at her head-on and with an attitude that most teenagers would not possess if faced with the same challenges. My only issue with her was that she seemed to be obsessed with getting to cheer camp (and just cheerleading in general) even though there was clearly a much more important issue at hand. 

The cover is perfect for this book. It is a cheerleader surrounded by bright, happy colors which is exactly who Hayley is. 

Fun Fact: Radiate is a fictionalized version of the cancer that author Marley Gibson went through as a teenage cheerleader (from author website).

Rating: * * * 1/2

Review (15): Bloodthirsty

Bloodthirsty

by Flynn Meaney

Series: None

Other Reviewed Titles: None

Release Date: October 5, 2010

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 234

Source: Own

Challenge: 2011 OTS

Author Website: http://www.flynnmeaney.com/

Awkward and allergic to the sun, sixteen-year-old Finbar Frame never gets the girl. But when he notices that all the female students at his school are obsessed with a vampire romance novel called Bloodthirsty, Finbar decides to boldly go where no sane guy has gone before - he becomes a vampire, minus the whole bloodsucking part.

With his brooding nature and unusually pale skin, it’s surprisingly easy for Finbar to pretend to be supernatural. But when he meets the one girl who just might like him for who he really is, he discovers that life as a pseudo-vampire is more complicated than he expected.

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Characters: I really liked Finbar. He is very sweet, smart, and extremely observant. He went from being the awkward, nerdy boy that all the other guys liked to pick on to being the confident, school badass that people were afraid to mess with. His transformation happened quickly, but was completely believable. He meets two completely different girls at his new school and they each help him realize that being himself is all he needs to make people like him. All of the characters in the story really help him realize this.

Plot: I’m not going to lie, I’m starting to get a little tired of all the YA vampire books because that’s pretty much all anyone will write about these days. I was a little hesitant to read this one, but I’m definitely happy that I finally decided to pick it up because it was completely different from what I had expected. The main character is a “vampire”, but that is only a small part of the overall story. He is just a normal teenage boy trying to figure out who he is and where he fits in. The only reason he even becomes a “vampire” is to get girls, but he soon realizes that it was a dumb idea when his plan backfires. Other than this, the book has nothing at all to do with vampires. It was fun to read about his adventures, but some of his thoughts should have been a little more censored. I didn’t need to know what he did in the shower or that he had a thing for librarians, lol.

Cover: The cover is so cute! When you look at it you know the book is going to be about vampires, but at the same time you get this feeling that it might not be. It has a very playful aspect to it.

Overall Impression: This was a really refreshing read and a very different take on the traditional vampire story. It has a great message; be who you are because that is who people will like, not some made up persona. I think that people who like, as well as people who dislike, vampire stories will enjoy this book.

Rating: * * * 1/2

Review (14): Spoiled

Spoiled

by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan

Series: None

Other Reviewed Titles: None

Release Date: June 1, 2011

Publisher: Hachette Book Group

Pages: 368

Source: Publisher

Challenge: 2011 DAC

Book Website: None

Author Website: None

16-year-old Molly Dix loves her ordinary life in suburban Indiana, so when her single mother passes away, she is shocked to discover that her biological father is Brick Berlin, world famous movie star and red carpet regular.

Equally intrigued and terrified by her Hollywood lineage, Molly moves to Southern California and plunges head-first into the deep end of Beverly Hills celebrity life. Just as Molly thinks her new life and family couldn't get any stranger, she meets Brooke Berlin, her gorgeous and spoiled half-sister whom welcomes Molly to la-la land with a healthy dose of passive-aggressive "sisterly love."

_______________________________________________________________________

Why I read this: I received an ARC from the publisher.

Characters: Molly is your average American teenage girl who gets thrown into the world of Hollywood after the death of her mother. She is looking for a fresh start and that is not really what she ends up getting. It is hard for her to leave her old friends, especially her boyfriend and best friend of many years, behind and she avoids dealing with the death of her mother. She is a really sweet girl that does not always make the best decisions and makes some mistakes knowing full-well that she is making them. Brooke, the only child (until Molly) of movie star Brick Berlin, has a hard time adjusting to having a sister. She does not want to share her already M.I.A. father with a complete stranger. Brooke spends most of the book trying to get Brick to notice her because he always seems to be off working or talking on the phone. She wants everyone to see her as a strong person who doesn’t need anyone, but the truth is that she’s lonely and wants her mother back. They were both endearing and different. 

Plot: This was a cute, fun read but it also had depth to it. It really showed what celebrities and their kids face everyday because of tabloids and paparazzi chasing them everywhere they go. There were also sibling issues mixed in once the two girls were brought together. Brooke was jealous of Molly and all of the attention she was getting from her new father and the paparazzi and decided to make her life hell. This part of the story has been done before, but it was the other elements and characters that made it different. There are also a lot of misunderstandings which cause twists and turns that, while interesting, aren’t that unpredictable. The ending hinted at a sequel which I’m looking forward to reading as well. 

Cover: I actually really like this cover. It’s girly, really cute and suits the book well. Since my copy is an ARC the cover isn’t final, but I hope that on the finished version, they make the lipstick and the nail polish gel-y so that it kinda pops out. (If that makes any sense...lol)

Overall Impression: Fans of The Clique and The A-List will definitely enjoy this book because it has elements of the two and is sort of in between both. I would recommend this to eighth grade - tenth grade girls though. 

Rating: * * * 1/2

Review (3): Zombies vs. Unicorns

Zombies vs. Unicorns

Edited by Holly Black & Justine Larbalestier

Release Date: September 21, 2010

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Pages: 418

Source: Library

Author Website: http://www.blackholly.com/ 

& http://justinelarbalestier.com/

It's a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? In this anthology, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (unicorn and zombie, respectively), strong arguments are made for both sides in the form of short stories. Half of the stories portray the strengths—for good and evil—of unicorns and half show the good (and really, really bad-ass) side of zombies. Contributors include many bestselling teen authors, including Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Maureen Johnson, Meg Cabot, Scott Westerfeld, and Margo Lanagan. This anthology will have everyone asking: Team Zombie or Team Unicorn?

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Why I Read This: It's a book about zombies & unicorns, who woudn't want to read it?

Stories: I really enjoyed reading all of the stories - some more than others - but overall they were pretty good and convincing. Even though they were all either about zombies or unicorns, they all showed the  different aspects of the two topics. Each unicorn story represented the unicorn in a different way; some unicorns were killers, others healers, some "rainbow-farting unicorns". The same thing goes for the zombies; some were man-eating monsters, others just people trapped in their own heads with no way out. Overall, they were all interesting and unique, but my favorites would definitely have to be Purity Test by Naomi Novik (Team Unicorn), The Children of the Revolution by Maureen Johnson (Team Zombie), The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn by Diana Peterfreund (Team Unicorn), Cold Hands by Cassandra Clare (Team Zombie) and Prom Night by Libba Bray (Team Zombie).  There were also some (Inoculata, Cold Hands, Prom Night) that would be awesome if they were expanded into series or just into longer stories. These ones kept me wanting more and wondering what would happen next. 

Dialogue: The commentary before each story was hilarious and very useful. The information that was given really helped me understand the stories better or they were just fun, interesting facts about both of the topics. 

Cover: I love how the picture of the zombie and the unicorn are all you need to figure out what the title is and what the book is about. It basically says it all without really doing anything. 

Overall Impression: Team Zombie!

Rating: * * * 1/2