Reading Over Sleeping : YA fiction

Showing posts with label YA fiction. Show all posts

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

Publication Date: May 6th, 2014

Format: Owned, hardcover

Rating: 5/5 stars

Part of a series? Nope!

The Pre-Sloane Emily didn't go to parties, she barely talked to guys, she didn't do anything crazy. Enter Sloane, social tornado and the best kind of best friend—the one who yanks you out of your shell.

But right before what should have been an epic summer, Sloane just… disappears. No note. No calls. No texts. No Sloane. There’s just a random to-do list. On it, thirteen Sloane-selected-definitely-bizarre-tasks that Emily would never try… unless they could lead back to her best friend.

Apple Picking at Night? Okay, easy enough.

Dance until Dawn? Sure. Why not?

Kiss a Stranger? Wait… what?

Getting through Sloane’s list would mean a lot of firsts. But Emily has this whole unexpected summer ahead of her, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected) to check things off. Who knows what she’ll find?

Go Skinny Dipping? Um…

I'm going to start of this review the way I seem to start off a lot of reviews lately and say: I love Morgan Matson. I love her dedication to all things Starbucks and Taylor Swift (because same, girl), and I love what she does with the words. She is so good at words, you guys. Seriously, Since You've Been Gone is over 400 pages, and I breezed through them and was left wanting more when I finished. Do you want to know why? Good, because I was getting to that.

Characters. This book is home to one of the most positively delightful cast of characters I've ever read about. I connected to Emily right away because, let me tell you, I know a thing or two about feeling like an extra in someone else's movie. I hope to one day grow out of that the way Emily did: not with dramatics and drastic change the way some people/characters do, but with little victories every time she accomplished an item on the list. Emily's finding herself was less of a leap and more of a journey. I think it's more realistic that way. And, of course, I can't talk about a book without talking about a boy, so we have to discuss Frank. I liked him almost immediately. I've probably said this before, but genuinely nice guys in YA and NA fiction are hard to come by; they tend to be overshadowed by bad boys and tough guys. Frank is one of the good ones, though. He also has an excellent taste in music, which is another point in his favor in my book. Other notable characters are the HILARIOUS Collins, super cool Dawn, and Beckett, the adorable little brother.

The list. The list is kind of super important because it's the catalyst for the entire story. My very favorite thing about the list was that each item (or all except a few) had two sides: the reason why Sloane put it on the list in the first place and the way Emily went about checking it off the list. Hugely entertaining, at time hugely feelsy, stuff.

Frandship. I think, above everything else, this book is about friendship. SYBG did an excellent job of showcasing the ups and downs of friendships everywhere. There were so many times throughout the book where I really didn't like Sloane, but towards the end I changed my mind about her. She really does care about Emily and their BFFship, and that made the difference for me.

Extras. Like in Matson's debut, Amy and Roger's Epic Detour (which, as the title suggests, is one of the most epic road trip novels of ever), there are a few different playlists in the novel. Books with playlists in them are treasure troves for me because 1) I like seeing if I have a similar taste in music to the characters and 2) I love finding new music. I was able to do both in this case, and it was glorious.

Since You've Been Gone was a wonderfully fun tale about friendship and finding yourself. It is most excellent, and I hope you consider checking it out.

Buy links: Amazon - Barnes and Noble - The Book Depository

Goodreads

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's theme is Top Most Anticipated Debut Novels for 2015. Here are my ten:

1. More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

2. We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach

3. One of the Guys by Lisa Aldin

4. Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout

5. The Diabolical Miss Hyde (Electric Empire #1) by Viola Carr

6. Red Queen (Red Queen Trilogy #1) by Victoria Aveyard

7. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

8. The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall

9. The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey

10. The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi

Other debuts that I can't wait to read:

When My Heart Was Wicked by Tricia Stirling

Everything That Makes You by Moriah McStay

Vendetta by Catherine Doyle

What 2015 debuts are on your radar? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter (@herondaleish)!

I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

Format: Hardcover, owned

Rating: 5/5 stars (though I'd give it all the stars ever if I could. That needs to be an option on Goodreads.)

Part of a series? Nope! This is a standalone.

Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

"Quick, make a wish. Take a (second or third or fourth) chance. Remake the world."

I'm sitting in front of my laptop right now trying to form actual coherent sentences about this book, and it's so difficult because somehow I'll Give You the Sun was everything all at once - fun and emotional and quirky and beautiful and hilarious and profoundly moving. I don't even know where to start, so I guess I'll just start at the beginning.

The beginning for me was when I read Jandy Nelson's debut, The Sky is Everywhere, last year (because 2014 is officially 'last year', oh my goodness). I fell in love with it, and I knew that I would read everything from this author for the rest of forever. And so a couple months later, when I was properly armed with cash and a B&N gift card, I bought it, and I was hooked from the very first page.

There's actually a page of quotes before the Official First Page, so I really was hooked right from the start. My favorite is a quote from E. E. Cummings that says: "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." That's a large part of what this book is about right there.

Noah and Jude are twins, and I'll Give You the Sun is told from both of their points of view. Noah talks about what happened when they were 13/14 and Jude talks about the present. I loved being in both of their heads. They're both such unique characters and narrators that I immediately liked them both. Art is very central in their lives, Noah's most prominently in the beginning because he sees the world in screaming colors and is constantly painting or drawing-on paper and in his mind. Jude is extremely superstitious because of their Grandma Sweetwine, and it's evident in the onions she carries in her pocket, various charms she keeps around, and tons of other little things she believes in. Each is struggling with sexuality in their own right. They're so alike yet so different.

I adored the cast of secondary characters as well (Oscar and Grandma Sweetwine were my favorites). They are all characters with character, and everyone added something different and important to the story. As Noah's part of the story from three years ago starts to connect to Jude's from the Right Now, everything starts to make sense and you can see exactly how important the characters are to each other. And as everything comes together and the craziness of it all is resolved, you can see how everything that has happened in Noah and Jude's lives have shaped them in to the people they're supposed to be.

Once again, Jandy Nelson has completely blown me out of the water with her writing style and insane story telling talent. I laughed, I cried, I swooned, and I was basically feeling all the feels. I'll Give You the Sun is a beautiful story about betrayal, love, and siblings who have lost so much but still work together to find themselves and each other again.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Format: Owned, hardcover

Rating: 4/5 stars

Part of a series? Yup! This is the first in the Lunar Chronicles series.

Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes and Noble

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

*Warning: Spoilers ahead!*

The Lunar Chronicles is one of those series where I feel like I was one of the last people who hadn't read it, so of course I was a little bit skeptical going into it. What if it doesn't live up to the hype? What if I hate it? You know, the typical I'm-about-to-read-a-really-hyped-book struggle. But it turns out that I didn't need to worry because I ended up liking Cinder.

I knew nothing about this book except that it's a Cinderella story up until a few months ago. My friend pitched it as a book club read, and she said that the Cinderella character in this book is a cyborg. Who could resist a book like that? Psh, I couldn't. So I added it to the top of my to-buy list, and it ended up in my possession for Christmas.

Aside from the premise being the most original that I've ever read for a retelling, I think my favorite aspect of the book is the world it's set in. It's a sci-fi-ish novel set on dystopian Earth who knows how long in the future. The continent system is set up differently, as is pretty much everything else, and there is even a different species of people living on the moon, called Lunars, who are ruled by the evil Queen Levana (crazy, diabolical, FANTASTIC villain). And the best part about the futuristic greatness that is the setting? The technology. Androids and cyborgs and hover cars, oh my. It's pretty awesome.

I also loved the moments between Prince Kai and Cinder (because he's all prince-y and attractive and semi-awkward around her, and it was adorable.) and the relationship between Cinder and Iko and her sister Peony. It was a punch to the feels when they were gone and Cinder was alone. Why did you have to kill off the nice stepsister, huh? *cries* The character interactions were a huge part of what made this book work for me because there were definitely parts that I did not dig.

There was something off with the pacing for me. There were slow sections that gave me eh feelings, and there were a lot of events that seemed abrupt. I had to go back and reread whole pages sometimes because things happened so fast that I missed what was happening.

Overall though, Cinder was an enjoyable read, and it really set the stage for the series. I'm excited to meet a new cast of reinvented fairytale characters when I read the rest of the books in the series!

What about you? Are you a Lunar Chronicles fan?

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

Format: Owned, signed ARC (hardcover published 1/13/2015)

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Part of a series? Nope! It's a standalone.

Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for.
Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once.
At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.
Until one day, he does…
As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?

I won my copy of The Darkest Part of the Forest in a raffle at a launch party back in June, but I just recently got around to reading it. Now I'm kicking myself for letting this sit on my shelf for so long because I was really pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it.

The only other thing I've read of Holly's is her story in the My True Love Gave to Me anthology (my review can be found here). While I didn't love the story itself, I did like Holly's writing because it has a magical quality to it. Both the plot and the writing in TDPotF have that same magical quality.

I feel like Holly Black was put in this world to write fantasy. She wove this gorgeous fairytale-esque storyline in with these awesome characters, and the whole thing just blew my mind. Hazel, Ben, and Jack, Ben's changeling best friend, are trying to save their town by defeating this thing in the darkest part of the forest, but they're also trying to find out who they are and what they want to do with themselves. Each character had their own separate backstory and destiny of sorts, but everything meshed together in a way that I was invested in all of them. I was rooting for Jack and Hazel and Ben and the horned boy in a way that's sometimes hard for me when I read standalones.

Anyway, in case you skipped all that because I stopped making sense somewhere, the bottom line is that The Darkest Part of the Forest is a wonderful, magical novel set in a wonderful magic world with likable characters (there's an LGBT character or two thrown in the mix, which was a plus) and a well-paced plot. This book releases next month, and I hope you decide to give it a chance!

If you want to get yourself a copy, Barnes and Noble has limited amounts of SIGNED hardcovers on sale! Get yours here!

Starstruck by Brenda Hiatt

Format: e-review copy

Rating: 3/5 stars

Part of a series: Yes! This is the first in the Starstruck series.

Nerdy astronomy geek Marsha, M to her few friends, has never been anybody special. Orphaned as an infant and reluctantly raised by an overly-strict “aunt,” she’s not even sure who she is. M’s dream of someday escaping tiny Jewel, Indiana and making her mark in the world seems impossibly distant until hot new quarterback Rigel inexplicably befriends her. As Rigel turns his back on fawning cheerleaders to spend time with M, strange things start to happen: her acne clears up, her eyesight improves to the point she can ditch her thick glasses, and when they touch, sparks fly—literally! When M digs for a reason, she discovers deep secrets that will change her formerly humdrum life forever . . . and expose her to perils she never dreamed of. Yes, the middle of nowhere just got a lot more interesting!

*I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

When I read the synopsis for Starstruck, I thought this was a book I could really see myself getting in to. I actually read the synopsis for the last book in the series first, so I knew the basics of all the things going on in Marsha's life, and I was interested enough to request the book to read and review. As it turns out though, this wasn't something I could get into. It's not that I didn't like it, I just didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to.

The idea behind Starstruck was really fun and inviting for me. I loved the way Brenda Hiatt set up the Martian world. She not only included stuff about who the Martians are as a people and how their bodies work, but she went into Martian politics too. Learning about this world on Mars that Hiatt created was probably my favorite part about this whole reading experience.

I wasn't fond of the characters, though, nor was I fond of the romance between Marsha and Rigel (serious case of insta-love. I was not amused.), and it's incredibly difficult for me to like a book if the characters bother me, no matter how interesting the plot may be. Even though Marsha and Rigel are my age, I felt like they acted a lot more juvenile than most sophomores would. Marsha seemed much more concerned about making sure she and Rigel would always be together than she did about saving the world. I can understand boy-crazy, but boy-crazy to the point where said boy is all you care about becomes really annoying to read about.

The pacing was also a bit off for me. There were times when I felt the story was dragging on and on, and I was just waiting for that big something to happen. While nothing really big and exciting happened, there was more action in the second half of the novel.

Despite, what I feel anyway, were flaws in the main character, Starstruck was a pleasant read, though I may not be continuing the series. I would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a fun younger YA, maybe even MG, paranormal romance.

Thanks again to the author and Jay at Choosy Bookworm for the review copy. :)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature, hosted by Breaking the Spine, where bloggers can share upcoming releases they're looking forward to.

My pick for this week is:

Kissing Ted Callahan (and Other Guys) by Amy Spalding

Expected Publication Date: April 14th, 2015

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist meets Easy A in this hilariously realistic story of sneaking out, making out, and playing in a band.

After catching their bandmates in a compromising position, sixteen-year-old Los Angelenos Riley and Reid become painfully aware of the romance missing from their own lives. And so a pact is formed: they'll both try to make something happen with their respective crushes and document the experiences in a shared notebook.

While Reid struggles with the moral dilemma of adopting a dog to win over someone's heart, Riley tries to make progress with Ted Callahan, who she's been obsessed with forever-His floppy hair! His undeniable intelligence! But suddenly cute guys are popping up everywhere. How did she never notice them before?! With their love lives going from 0 to 60 in the blink of an eye, Riley and Reid realize the results of their pact may be more than they bargained for.

When I saw "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist meets Easy A" I was instantly intrigued. I've heard nothing but praise for both of these books/movies (though I haven't seen either myself), so I have pretty high hopes for this. With a title, cover, and synopsis like that, it's bound to be a fun book. I cannot wait to get my hands on this one.

My True Love Gave to Me by Various Authors

Format: Owned, hardcover (the gorgeous UK edition on top!).

Rating: 4/5 stars

Part of a series?: Nope!

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ...This beautiful collection features twelve gorgeously romantic stories set during the festive period, by some of the most talented and exciting YA authors writing today. The stories are filled with the magic of first love and the magic of the holidays.

This anthology as a whole made my heart so dang happy. I love Christmas and I love YA romance, so My True Love Gave to Me was perfect for me. Since it is an anthology and each story is its own, I'm going to talk about them by themselves and give them their own separate rating, too.

Midnights by Rainbow Rowell (5/5 stars)

This was adorable and oh so fun to read, which was no surprise to me considering it's by Rainbow Rowell. The love interest, Noel, (Christmassy names are my favorite) reminded of Levi from Fangirl, so that made me love him even more. I didn't want it to end.

The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link (3.5/5 stars)

Short stories are hard because you don't have a lot of time to build up exposition, and I felt like that was something this story needed. I was confused by the time period for the first couple of pages, and then I was confused by the fantasy-ish aspect.

Angels in the Snow by Matt de la Pena (5/5 stars)

I know I liked a story when I find myself trying to figure out what happens to the characters after the author finished writing about them. And I so badly wanted to know what was going to happen to Haley and Shy after Christmas.

Polaris Is Where You'll Find Me by Jenny Han (3.5/5 stars)
I liked this one, but I also didn't. I loved the whole North Pole and elves and daughter of Santa thing, but I think it was a little young for me. Also, the ending was too abrupt for my taste.

It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins (5/5 stars)
I love this story SO much. I laughed out loud, I squealed, and I basically smiled through the whole thing. All of Stephanie's boys are perfectly swoon-worthy, and North (more Christmassy names!) is no exception. And I loved Marigold's voice. She was such a fun, quirky character that I could totally relate to.

Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan (4/5 stars)
I was pleasantly surprised to see a LGBT story show up in this anthology. This is my first anything written by David Levithan, and I really like the way he writes. I liked being inside the MC's head. He was perfect to me. Not cocky but not too under confident. Awkward but not too awkward. Subtly funny. Pretty adorable. Yeah, you don't want to skip this one.

Krampuslauf by Holly Black (3/5 stars)
This one was a weird one for me. I'm not really sure what to think about it because I didn't hate it, but I also didn't really like it. It wasn't bad just...odd. The whole Krampuslauf thing was really interesting though.

What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman (5/5 stars)
Gayle Forman has a way of making all her characters feel very real to me. I loved Sophie and Russell and their whirlwind romantic adventure, from the Christmas sweater talks to the Hanukkah diner dinner. Their banter was witty and fun, and I just really, really enjoyed reading about them.

Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire (5/5 stars)
This story is awesome. One of my favorite quotes from the entire collection is in here: "Do they make liberal feminist Christians?" "They make all kinds." Because yes. It was the perfect amount of serious and fun for me, and I loved it.

Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White (5/5 stars)
Like the previous story, this one was the perfect mix of serious and sad and fun and heartwarming, which I think makes it a perfect Christmas story. As cheesy as it is, the Christmas season is for hope and joy and love and family and all that stuff, and this story has all of those PLUS a sweet chef boy.

Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter (4/5 stars)
I liked the premise for this story, even though it wasn't all that realistic, and I enjoyed watching the whole thing come together. I think I would have liked to see more interaction between the MC and love interest, but I know family was the main focus here and I liked reading it anyway.

The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer by Laini Taylor (5/5 stars)
This was such a lovely fairy tale, and it's my favorite fantasy story in the whole anthology. Well, it's actually more mythology than fantasy,so I should probably say it;s my favorite non-contemporary in the anthology. Laini Taylor was another author I'd never read before picking up this book, but I definitely want to now because this story was so beautifully written.

November is over, so I guess it's time for another monthly wrap-up! I read tons of stuff this month because of Thanksgiving break, and I managed to meet my Goodreads goal of 80 books! Yay! I also went a *little* crazy with Christmas novellas. Ooops!

What did I read this month?

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

Another Cup of Christmas by Jenny Kane

Candy Cane Kisses by Elle Rush

Sweet Memories by Steena Holmes

Elevated by Elana Johnson

Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Sweet Contradiction by Peggy Martinez

Get Even by Gretchen McNeil

Behind the Scenes by Dahlia Adler

Dare You To by Katie McGarry

The Perfect Gift by Dan-Lyn Alexander

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

Make It Count by Megan Erickson

Crossing the Ice by Jennifer Comeaux

Last Will and Testament by Dahlia Adler (You can read my review here.)

Reese's Cowboy Kiss by Kimberly Krey

Reluctant Prince by Dani-Lyn Alexander

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

That Holiday Feeling by Debbie Macomber, Sherryl Woods, and Robyn Carr

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

"Real" books I read this month.

New/upcoming releases I added to my TBR this month:

Yes Please by Amy Poehler

The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey

The Squickerwonkers by Evangeline Lilly

All We Have Is Now by Lisa Schroeder

Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout

What am I reading right now?
My True Love Gave to Me by Various Authors

Runes by Ednah Walters

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Marie Remarque

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

The last two are for school, and I'm not sure how I feel about them.

Cover Love!
Lola Carlyle's 12-Step Romance by Danielle Younge Ullman

The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough

Love Hurts by Malorie Blackman

Hey, all! Happy Halloween and welcome to my first ever month wrap-up post! I think I'm going to start doing one every month, and they'll probably include what I read, bought/received, and added to my TBR! I might include different things from month to month, but those will be my starting point. Here it goesss!

What did I read this month?

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (You can find my review here)

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (You can find my review here)

The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith

Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White

The Boys of Summer by C.J. Duggan

Sweet Christmas Kisses Anthology by Multiple Authors

Bone Deep by Brooklyn Skye

The Secret Diamond Sisters by Michelle Madow

All Broke Down by Cora Carmack

The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel (ARC)

Most of the books I read this month were either eBooks or borrowed books. Here are my actual physical books!

What did I add to my bookshelf this month?

My True Love Gave to Me by Stephanie Perkins (bought)

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson (gifted)

Lies We Tell Ourselves (signed ARC, eep!) by Robin Talley (won)

Behind the Scenes by Dahlia Adler (bought)

Reluctant Prince by Dani-Lyn Alexander (ARC for review)

Strings by Kat Green (bought)

All Broke Down by Cora Carmack (bought)

Crossing the Ice by Jennifer Comeaux (bought)

Make It Count by Megan Erickson (bought)

A lot of the books I bought are eBooks, but I did get some pretty physicals. Look at how shiny My True Love Gave to Me is!

I added tons of books to my TBR this months, so here are the ones that are really high up on the list:

Pivot Point by Kasie West

Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern

The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Covers that were revealed this month that I ~~squealed over~~ really liked:

Things We Know by Heart by Jessi Kirby (revealed on Epic Reads)