Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts

ARC Review: Wanderlost

Wanderlost by Jen Malone
Publication Date: May 31st, 2016
Format/Source: eARC, courtesy of HarperTeen and Edelweiss. Thank you! 
Part of a Series? Nope! 
Goodreads | Purchase: Amazon - Barnes and Noble - The Book Depository

Not all those who wander are lost, but Aubree Sadler most definitely is on this novel’s whirlwind trip through Europe.

Aubree can’t think of a better place to be than in perfectly boring Ohio, and she’s ready for a relaxing summer. But when her older sister, Elizabeth, gets into real trouble, Aubree is talked into taking over Elizabeth’s summer job, leading a group of senior citizens on a bus tour through Europe.

Aubree doesn’t even make it to the first stop in Amsterdam before their perfect plan unravels, leaving her with no phone, no carefully prepared binder full of helpful facts, and an unexpected guest: the tour company owner’s son, Sam. Considering she’s pretending to be Elizabeth, she absolutely shouldn’t fall for him, but she can’t help it, especially with the most romantic European cities as the backdrop for their love story.But her relationship with Sam is threatening to ruin her relationship with her sister, and she feels like she’s letting both of them down. Aubree knows this trip may show her who she really is—she just hopes she likes where she ends up.
Review at a glance... (As always, template courtesy of Alex @ Fiery Reads)

TITLE: boring | nothing special | pretty good | caught my eye | perfection | music to my ears
STAR RATING: all the stars | 5 stars | 4.5 stars | 4 stars | 3.5 stars | 3 stars | 2.5 stars | 2 stars | 1 star
COVER: not my favorite | goes well with rest of the series | boring | generic | pretty | series cover change | beautiful | HEART EYES
POV: 1st | dual 1st | 2nd | 3rd limited | 3rd omniscient | multiple POVs | too many POVs
CONCEPT: basic but well done | original as heck | run of the mill in genre | average | has potential | great idea, bad execution
MOOD: dark | hilarious | light hearted | romantic | depressing | suspenseful | fluffy | mysterious | sad
PACING: snail’s pace | couldn’t keep up | mix of fast and slow | slow in the wrong places | fast in the wrong places | what even is pacing?
CHARACTERS: i’m in love | couldn’t connect | too many | well developed (all) | infuriating | annoying | precious babies | underdeveloped (all)| a mix of good and bad | okay | new favorite characters | book boyfriend | excellent secondary characters
ROMANCE: none | steamy | adorable | ship it | didn’t ship it | cheesy | predictable | love triangle | instalove | OTP
DIVERSITY: none | black | jewish | asian | indian | lgbt+ | mental health | male narrator | body | culture

 What a delightful novel! I was entertained from start to finish. I loved the premise, and I loved that it takes place across Europe. It was so fun and immersive. I also love the road trip elements because road trip novels are my absolute favorites. Sam is adorable, and though I wish Aubree had come clean sooner, I think they're wonderful together and their relationship made me smile so hard. And the cast senior citizens were hilarious as well. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a quick and cute contemporary. This is not one to miss!




Review: Pushing the Limits

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
Publication Date: July 31st, 2012
Format/Source: Ebook, purchased
Rating: 5/5 stars
Part of a series? Yes! The first in the Pushing the Limits series. 
Goodreads / Purchase: Amazon - Barnes and Noble - The Book Depository

So wrong for each other …and yet so right.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. 

But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible. 

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

*Disclaimer: This review contains spoilers. Read on at your own risk.*

I shied away from this series for a long time because I honestly thought the covers were kind of ugly, which sounds so awful and judgey when I say it (er, type it) but it's the truth. Contemporary romance is my jam, as you probably know, and I've come to love series of companion novels, so I entered a giveaway for Dare You To. And I won it and I loved it and this is the story of how Serena learned not to judge books by their covers. Not really, this is still a review for Pushing the Limits, but we're getting to that. Anyway, I read, more like devoured actually, Pushing the Limits, and I loved it just as much as I loved Dare You To. 

Noah and Echo are already together and very much in love in Dare You To, so I could not wait to read about them getting together. And oh, man, was it great waiting for them to get together. It's your typical kids-from-opposite-sides-of-town-can't-resist-each-other-oh-no love story, but it's also so much more. They didn't think they had anything in common, but they grew to realize they were good together. Echo has a sort-of boyfriend at the time, but she chooses Noah over him because she knows Noah would treat her right despite their differences in status on the high school social ladder. (Side note: Echo's ex-boyfriend was a total jerk who would not take no for an answer and tried to pressure her into having sex which is so ugh and a big ol' no from me.) 

 And their relationship is even better when they're actually together. Noah is so attentive to Echo, to her needs. He's so intent on showing he cares when he can't voice his feelings. His decision to propose without telling her he loved her was pretty rash, but he figured it out. They didn't try to shut each other out, and they were both open to accepting help from the other, for the most part. I love them together. 

 I loved them individually as well, Noah especially. His love for his brothers and his eventual decision to let them stay with their foster parents made my heart swell. He's a great big brother, and he really tries. I thought Echo would be stuck-up and one of those people who cares a lot about appearances and social standing, but she's not at all. Some of her friends are, but she's down-to-earth, and she learns not to take anyone's crap. Her relationship with her family is rocky for a different reason than Noah, and she also ends up dealing with it in a healthy, mature way despite her pain. 

 Of course, the writing was awesome. It was well-paced and had me reading continually until I finished at one am because I needed to find out what happened to Echo. Katie McGarry writes romance so well. Her books and her couples are unique and swoony, and this was no exception.

 Pushing the Limits is a beautiful start to an amazing series of companion novels. I can't wait to read the rest of the series (and pretty much anything McGarry writes). I highly recommend it to all my fellow fans of swoon-worthy contemporary romance. 

 Have you read Pushing the Limits? What did you think? Let me know!

DNF Review: Lola Carlyle's 12-Step Romance

Lola Carlyle's 12-Step Romance by Danielle Younge-Ullman
Expected Publication Date: May 5th, 2015
Format/Source: eARC from Entangled Teen via Fancorps
Part of a series? No

Lola Carlyle is lonely, out of sorts, and in for a boring summer. So when her best friend, Sydney, calls to rave about her stay at a posh Malibu rehab and reveals that the love of Lola’s life, Wade Miller, is being admitted, she knows what she has to do.Never mind that her worst addiction is decaf cappuccino; Lola is going to rehab.

Lola arrives at Sunrise Rehab intent solely on finding Wade, saving him from himself, and—naturally—making him fall in love with her…only to discover she’s actually expected to be an addict. And get treatment. And talk about her issues with her parents, and with herself. Plus she has insane roommates, and an irritatingly attractive mentor, Adam, who’s determined to thwart her at every turn. 

Oh, and Sydney? She’s gone.
Turns out, once her pride, her defenses, and her best friend are stripped away, Lola realizes she’s actually got a lot to overcome…if she can open her heart long enough to let it happen. 

I don't DNF many books, so I've never written a DNF review. I'm not exactly sure how I'm supposed to do this, but I'll give it a shot and we'll see how I do. 

I gave Lola Carlyle's the benefit of the doubt when I finally decided to read my ARC because I've liked everything I've read under Entangled's teen imprint up until this one. Unfortunately, there were a few key things that I just couldn't get past, and they ultimately led me to DNF this book at 122 pages. 

I didn't like the characters. Lola's mom was a piece of work. Usually awful book parents aren't an issue for me, but I did not really care for Lola either so her mom just added to my annoyance. Lola was petty, close-minded, and overly obsessed with appearances. 

My biggest issue was the whole rehab thing. I thought I could get over it, but it really bothered me. Lola faked her way into rehab to spend time with her best friend and a boy she has a crush on (a boy I didn't think was all that swoon-worthy anyway). It felt like she was constantly making light of the situation and of the other patients in there. I really don't think mental illnesses and addictions should be faked because there are people everywhere suffering from these things and genuinely do need the help rehabilitation centers provide. 

Maybe Lola rights her wrongs and becomes a better person in the end, and maybe she doesn't. I may never know, but I hope she does. Overall, while Lola Carlyle's 12-Step Romance's cover screams cute and fun, I did not have a lot of fun reading this. 

If you read this, let me know! I honestly would like to know how it ends. 

Review: Cinder


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. 


 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? 

ARC Review: The Darkest Part of the Forest

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! 

Review: Starstruck

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. :)

Review: My True Love Gave to Me



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. 

ARC Review: Whatever Life Throws at You

Whatever Life Throws at You by Julie Cross (5/5 stars)

Edition: eARC from Entangled (releases 10/7)

Goodreads summary: Seventeen-year-old Annie Lucas's life is completely upended the moment her dad returns to the major leagues as the new pitching coach for the Kansas City Royals. Now she's living in Missouri (too cold), attending an all-girls school (no boys), and navigating the strange world of professional sports. But Annie has dreams of her own—most of which involve placing first at every track meet…and one starring the Royals' super-hot rookie pitcher.

But nineteen-year-old Jason Brody is completely, utterly, and totally off-limits. Besides, her dad would kill them both several times over. Not to mention Brody has something of a past, and his fan club is filled with C-cupped models, not smart-mouthed high school “brats” who can run the pants off every player on the team. Annie has enough on her plate without taking their friendship to the next level. The last thing she should be doing is falling in love.

But baseball isn't just a game. It's life. And sometimes, it can break your heart.

 I've got two words for you: Jason. Brody. Well, I have much more to say about this book, but we can start with him. I love Brody; he's such a lovable hero. He's a little too cocky at first, like a lot of YA heroes, but he's a sweetheart. A sweetheart with glorious abs. On top of that, he's a baseball player and fluent in Spanish. EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOY IS SWOON-WORTHY. HE IS TOO MUCH.

 Okay, enough about Brody for now. If I keep at this I could be squealing about him forever.

 I like Annie, too. I love the relationship she has with her dad, as well as her passion for running. Her friend Lenny is a fun minor character, and I enjoyed what she brought to the story.

 The writing is also A+. This is my first Julie Cross read, but it definitely won't be my last. She managed to create a perfect plot mixed in with lots of baseball talk that even I as a non-sportsfan found interesting. I love her writing style and contemporaries are my absolute favorite, so I will be checking out Letters To Nowhere very soon.

 So let's recap: excellent writing, entertaining plot, great characters, and an incredibly attractive male love interest. YES PLEASE. I absolutely adore this book, and if contemporary romance is your thing, I think you will too! Check it out when it releases on October seventh!
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