Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas

Ask Again Later
by Liz Czukas

Ask Again Later

By: Liz Czukas

Release Date: March 11, 2014

Rating: 2 stars

Summary: Despite what her name might suggest, Heart has zero interest in complicated romance. So when her brilliant plan to go to prom with a group of friends is disrupted by two surprise invites, Heart knows there’s only one drama-free solution: flip a coin. Heads: The jock. He might spend all night staring at his ex or throw up in the limo, but how bad can her brother’s best friend really be? Tails: The theater geek…with a secret. What could be better than a guy who shares all Heart’s interests–even if he wants to share all his feelings? Heart’s simple coin flip has somehow given her the chance to live out both dates. But where her prom night ends up might be the most surprising thing of all…

 

Review: Ahhh, I wish I had known that this book was one of those that has paralleling stories that show how two different scenarios would play out. I’m not a fan of those, although I do have to give Czukas props for the way she weaved the two paths together. The book had one ending, and Czukas had a way of writing all the major details and events into both scenarios – and make them work.

Overall, it was an okay read – light and fun, but at the same time, there were things that I didn’t really like about it. First of all, it’s not hard to tell how the story was going to play out by the end, but Czukas did not make HIM a very likable character.

Also, I felt Ryan told Heart his secret because he felt she was trustworthy and easy to tell. But I thought she was so inconsiderate how she reacted, how she kept stereotyping (although Czukas does point out that she’s doing so) and how she kept bringing up that he was the worst ever. And with Troy, he’s supposed to be a heartbroken but lovable oaf, but instead being a psychotic jerk.

And I really didn’t get why Czukas made such a big deal with the name thing. Authors have the power to name their characters anything in the world, and I’ve never understood why they would name their characters something that the characters hate. But if Czukas was going to do that make it relevant. Instead, she just used it as some weird lead-in with Chase calling her by body parts (ewww, I would HATE being called Pancreas – total turnoff). And calling him Schroeder when his name is hardly even close.

To be fair, the two-star rating is partly because of I’m not a fan of the style and partly because I didn’t really care for any of the characters, nor did I like the whole name thing. It just wasn’t cute enough for me to give it any more stars.

Go to Katy’s review on Goodreads.

Panic by Lauren Oliver

Panic
by Lauren Oliver

Panic

By: Lauren Oliver

Release Date: March 4, 2014

Rating: 2 stars

Summary: Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do. Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought. Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn’t know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for. For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

 

Review: Disappointing. This book lacked something that “Before I Fall” and the “Delirium” series did such a great job of creating – that sense of desperation. Without it, Panic was just a stupid game. And I would have been fine accepting it as such, but I felt Oliver threw in too many sob stories that failed to pull at my emotional strings, leaving me calloused and disconnected from the characters.

(Warning: Hidden parts contain major spoilers, so don’t click them!)

THE GAME 

I was very confused for the first few chapters because I didn’t understand what was going on. Why were these kids jumping off a cliff? To celebrate their senior year? For the adrenaline rush? Once I began to understand, I was eager to find out each kid’s story and the motive that is driving him/her to stay in the game. However, I still had a lot of issues with it. (View spoiler on Goodreads.)

And I thought the book was leading up to some huge final challenge at the end, but I felt the end was rather anticlimactic.Don’t’ get me wrong, it’s still a scary enough showdown, but I just felt the previous challenges were more intriguing or heart-stopping. I’m not sure if it’s the way it was written or if it was the way the scene played out, but I was just left thinking, “What? That’s it?”

Now going back to being eager about finding out each kid’s story and the motives driving his/her decision to stay in the game….

THE CHARACTERS 

Heather – I could NOT connect with this girl, at all! First of all, she joined Panic for the wrong reason, and I get that, but thenOliver tries to play it off by giving her a much deeper reason to play the game. And that’s what I didn’t buy. (View spoiler on Goodreads.)

It didn’t help that I didn’t like Heather from the start, and she never grew on me either. I get that having your heart broken changes your views on things, and you can’t help but feel inferior, which makes you feel sorry for yourself. But it got to be too much to me. On top of that, she was a witch to her mother (understandably so), so to her friends (not so understandably so). It’s as if she’s met with the first sign that something is not going her way, she shuts down and get angry and lashes out. Even when she’s being good, I just felt like she was a ticking time bomb.

Nat – She was the biggest character disappointment in this book. Since the beginning, she was a mystery to me. Why did she want to join Panic? I mean, I knew, but the way she acted, I kept waiting for Oliver to blow us away with her motives. She seemed like such a complex character with hidden issues that we were bound to find out more about. I couldn’t decide if my dislike for her was premature or whether I could trust her, and I was so sure, something was bound to happen. Never did.

Bishop – Too predictable.

Dodge – Now here was a complex character that Oliver did a better job at portraying. However, I couldn’t like him because he was too blinded by his motive that he did too many stupid things. In a way, I have to give Oliver props for writing his character successfully, but I can’t say I liked him. LOL. Half of the time, I just wanted to smack him around. I think I would have appreciated his character more had the others shown as much character development.

OVERALL 

In conclusion, it wasn’t a bad story. I think I would have given it three stars for liking it enough, but I had issues with it too. All in all, it was just okay.

I think 1) this could have been a really exciting game, full of heart-stopping action or twists and turns that could have had me on edge as I’m flipping through the pages. But it didn’t do that. Or 2) it could have been a stupid game that I didn’t really take too seriously, even though the danger would have made it a pretty good thriller. But there were too many emotionally strong situations (that failed to move me), so I couldn’t write it off as tragically stupid.

It’s just after reading “Before I Fall” – where Oliver turned a silly mean girl into someone you can connect and sympathize with as she tries to make things right – or the “Delirium” series – where your heart squeezed, jumped out of your chest on a number of occasions and flopped around a bit – “Panic” just ended up being such a letdown after such great masterpieces.

Go to Katy’s review on Goodreads.

Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky 3) by Veronica Rossi

Into the Still Blue
by Veronica Rossi

Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky 3)

By: Veronica Rossi

Release Date: January 28, 2014

Rating: 4 stars

Summary: The earth-shattering conclusion to Veronica Rossi’s “masterpiece” Under the Never Sky trilogy and sequel to the New York Times bestselling Through the Ever Night (Examiner.com). Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it’s time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring balance to their world. The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe-haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do-and they are just as determined to stay together. Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. And when Roar returns to camp, he is so furious with Perry that he won’t even look at him, and Perry begins to feel like they have already lost. Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble a team to mount an impossible rescue mission-because Cinder isn’t just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival, he’s also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most. In this final book in her stunning Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close.

 

Review: SO many conclusions of trilogies have left me disappointed at the end, but worry not, this book wasn’t one of them. I will say I wasn’t crazy about all the drama in the beginning, and I was a bit disappointed about what happened with HIM at the end. But I’ll give it 4 stars.

The beginning kind of annoyed the hell out of me. I felt Roar’s pain – although I kind of wished he wasn’t such a jackass right from the start – but I understand there is just other way to portray that kind of grief. But I just dreaded what was to come because I just knew such raw emotion wasn’t going to lead to good things. However, I was so angry with Perry. I understand doing what you think is best for your people, but gah, at least behind closed doors, yell or hit something. I mean, we got to see from his point of view, and his character was just unnaturally calm. I just felt it was cowardly of him not to face Roar and Aria and everything else (of course, that’s the point of his character development, but that’s beside the point – it still frustrated me, LOL).

I would have easily given the majority of the book five stars. Was it totally mind-blowing? Probably not. But it was one hell of a third book. There was plenty of action. There was a lot of planning and plotting. There were scenes that you saw coming, and others that you did not. People left you guessing which side they were really on. And you kept wondering if something that happened REALLY happened or if it was a front, and it was going to turn around and blow you away. Really, the book wasn’t totally unpredictable, but the pace kept your interest, and really, it was the anticipation of what was going to happen next – that was what really sucked you in.

My biggest complaint was the end. No, it wasn’t one of those endings that left you totally pissed off at the book – ahem, Delirium – ahem, Hunger Games. Nope, I guess I was fine with the way it ended. It was just what happened with HIM. I didn’t feel that Rossi did much justice to it – everything that had led up to that point – it just felt kind of anticlimactic that you’re left wondering, “What? That’s it? But, but…” It was still good enough to where it didn’t totally ruin the book for me, but still.

Overall, this is probably one of the best conclusions that I have read in a while, especially since everything is a series now, and the authors (or publisher) drag the story out so long that you’re just ready for the series to end, and the last book is just a lame attempt to tie together lose ends. But this one was quite “earth-shattering” mostly because of Roar. Regardless of what you thought about annoying characters or why something was done, I don’t think this book is going to disappoint many.

Go to Katy’s review on Goodreads.

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Cruel Beauty
by Rosamund Hodge

Cruel Beauty

By: Rosamund Hodge

Release Date: January 28, 2014

Rating: 5 stars

Summary: Graceling meets Beauty and the Beast in this sweeping fantasy about one girl’s journey to fulfill her destiny and the monster who gets in her way-by stealing her heart. Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny. Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him. With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she’s ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people. But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her. As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex’s secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

 

Review: So the first part of the “Graceling meets Beauty and the Beast in this sweeping fantasy” is a bit of a stretch, but who the heck cares. It was beautiful. It was amazing. And it was absolutely wonderful. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)

If you think this is your typical adaptation of the classic fairytale, think again. “Cruel Beauty” is a beautifully written masterpiece that tells the amazing tale of duty, love and betrayal, where Hodge has managed to weave in the concepts of ancient kingdoms and haunting shadows and demons with the folklore of traditional and elaborated Greek mythology. It will truly transform the way you’ve always viewed “Beauty and the Beast” with so much more.

One of the reasons why this book was so great was because it didn’t start out with an innocent Cinderella who remains pure-hearted and selfless despite her cruel and unfair situation. While she remained composed, Nyx’s heart was full of built-up anger and resentment – and who could blame her. And I admired how, despite her frightening surroundings, Nyx never put up with any nonsense from Ignifex or anyone else.

You would think that you’d know how the story would go, but this book was far from predictable. Right off the bat, I was thrown into the twist called “Shade,” and it really bugged me (in a good way) that I couldn’t figure it out or couldn’t decide if I could trust.

And that wasn’t the only puzzle. Hodge had masterfully woven in stories that we grew up with – Greek mythology, lesson-teaching tales, anecdotal folklore – giving “Cruel Beauty” so much more meaning. The stories were told at just the right time, truly symbolic of the situation at hand. And what’s more, Hodge dropped hints all throughout the book – some you pick up on and some you don’t – leading us to believe that she took careful planning to this intricate plot she has set forth. And when you figure it out – either way before or when it’s actually presented – you’re left with this sense of awe.

It wasn’t hard to be emotionally wrapped up with the characters in this book. I loved Nyx – her spunky attitude, her wittiness, her desire to do what’s right despite the consequences. And no matter what, I couldn’t hate Ignifex. He had a great mix of cockiness and sincerity. Even Shade and Astraia – I understood their role in the book and sympathized with each and every one of them. So when it came time for Nyx to leave, my heart just broke. And it broke a little more each step of the way.

I can’t tell you the way it ended, but the last few scenes really brought the whole story home. It was then that you learn about everything that you had missed and you realize just how truly how amazing this story was and how perfectly Hodge had set up everything leading up to this moment. It was truly magical.

All in all, I’m sure you can’t possibly tell how much I loved this story from all the gushing I just did. It was truly one of the best books I have read in a while – not only because of the story, but also because of the beautiful way it was written and the intricate details and symbolic anecdotes that Hodge took such great care in weaving into the story. This was a truly a masterpiece, and I am more than eager to read Hodge’s future works.

Go to Katy’s review on Goodreads.

The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine

The Promise of Amazing
by Robin Constantine

The Promise of Amazing

By: Robin Constantine

Release Date: December 31, 2013

Rating: 3 stars

Summary: Wren Caswell is average. Ranked in the middle of her class at Sacred Heart, she’s not popular, but not a social misfit. Wren is the quiet, “good” girl who’s always done what she’s supposed to—only now in her junior year, this passive strategy is backfiring. She wants to change, but doesn’t know how. Grayson Barrett was the king of St. Gabe’s. Star of the lacrosse team, top of his class, on a fast track to a brilliant future—until he was expelled for being a “term paper pimp.” Now Gray is in a downward spiral and needs to change, but doesn’t know how. One fateful night their paths cross when Wren, working at her family’s Arthurian-themed catering hall, performs the Heimlich on Gray as he chokes on a cocktail weenie, saving his life literally and figuratively. What follows is the complicated, awkward, hilarious, and tender tale of two teens shedding their pasts, figuring out who they are—and falling in love.

 

Review: BEFORE: I sure hope so.

AFTER: This was a nice, heart-warming, learned-your-lesson type of book. While the storyline doesn’t differ too much from your typical shy-girl-meets-the-hot-player, Constantine delivered a pretty good story about Grayson’s past and his attempts to change.

My qualms about this book is that Grayson and Wren didn’t fully sound like “real” characters to me.

I get that having been caught and temporarily losing who he thought were his friends made Grayson try to change his ways. And I understand meeting a special person can sometimes consume your thoughts, making you do stuff you’ve never thought you’d be doing. But the thoughts that were going through his head when he first met Wren and the early stages of their relationship didn’t feel like those going through the mind of a teenage boy. Don’t get me wrong, it was really sweet and all. But at times, I just felt like, “Really? That’s kind of a cheesy thought.”

Same thing with Wren. While I’m glad she’s not the let’s-make-everything-a-drama type of girl, she seemed way too forgiving. I know in relationships, you always want to give the other person a benefit of a doubt. But I felt every time she was smacked in the face with the truth, she’s shocked – but only briefly – and she recovers way too quickly. Like I said, it’s great that she’s so understanding, but it doesn’t feel real -especially for a teenage girl who’s dealing with experiences out of her typical comfort zone.

Some of the other characters didn’t feel very real either, like the parents and the private school teachers not being strict enough or how easy everything went at the station.

All in all though, the story was good. Not unpredictable, but I liked the plot that Constantine had developed. And the characters were all really likable and people you can sympathize with. It’s something worth reading if you’re craving a non-fluffy chick-lit.

Go to Katy’s review on Goodreads.

Playing Dirty (Stargazer 2) by Jennifer Echols

Playing Dirty
by Jennifer Echols

Playing Dirty (Stargazer 2)

By: Jennifer Echols

Release Date: October 29, 2013

Rating: 1 star

Summary: A public relations expert tries to prevent the breakup of a raucous country band and corral their wild—and very sexy—lead singer in book 2 of the Stargazer Series. As an expert in public relations crisis management—that is, babysitter to the stars—Sarah Seville just spent nine months in Rio trying to keep rock singer Nine Lives out of jail long enough to record his new album…and barely succeeded. Now she needs a triumphant success so she can keep the Manhattan-based job she loves. Trouble is, her new assignment is to travel to Alabama to prevent the breakup of the raucous country band The Cheatin’ Hearts, headed by sexy Quentin Cox. As she edges closer to Quentin, she discovers layers of secrets. It seems Quentin is taking the spin doctor for a spin. The Cheatin’ Hearts have stayed on top of the charts two years following three rules. Rule One, no drugs. Rule Two, no sex with other band members. Rule Three, no sex with record company spies. Quentin figures he’d better follow the rules, because he made them. And because if you break a rule, you’re out of the band. But he can’t resist the record company’s beautiful PR agent, and inevitably he breaks Rule Three with hot Sarah Seville. As he falls for her, he finds out that she has plenty of secrets of her own, and one of them comes knocking on her door: what really happened to her in Rio.

 

Review: I haven’t had much luck with Jennifer Echols books lately, but I still had hope – AND this is a sequel to Stargazer, which I gave 3 stars to. Sadly, this book was a huge disappointment for me.

First and foremost, I thought this book was too over the top. There was so much drama in this book, and it was one thing after another. Echols stretched the storyline thin, throwing in every trick she could think of, and it just made me weary overall. Nine Lives, Sarah’s history, the band’s double-life, Quentin’s family past and his health problems. Too much.

Also, the characters were sketchy and ill-defined that I thought they were all bipolar. Now, I understand everyone is playing a role and putting on a different persona, but even when they were their “real selves,” I couldn’t get a good handle on who they were, so it was really hard to sympathize with any of them.

Speaking of, I could not stand Sarah. I got so tired of the arrogant, self-righteous, know-it-all attitude of hers. She was so sure she had it all figured out. I swear, I wanted to smack her every time she went on and on about Quentin’s cocaine addict. Enough already.

And I don’t like the basis for Sarah’s story was pretty much Wendy’s. Kick-butt publicist who made a mistake at her last job, and this would be the one who would make or break her career.

At least with Stargazer, there was a decent plot, likable characters and a few great lines. This one, it was nothing but over-the-top, too dramatic nonsense that left me very frustrated and angry – and not in a good way.

Go to Katy’s review on Goodreads.

Rock and a Hard Place by Angie Stanton

Rock and a Hard Place
by Angie Stanton

Rock and a Hard Place (A Jamieson Brothers Novel 1)

By: Angie Stanton

Release Date: September 24, 2013

Rating: 2 stars

Summary: When you fall in love with a rock star, anything can happen. . . . Libby In an instant, Libby’s life went from picture-perfect to a nightmare. After surviving a terrible car accident, Libby is abandoned by her father and left with her controlling aunt. A new town, a new school, no friends—Libby is utterly alone. But then she meets Peter. Peter The lead singer in a rock band with his brothers, Peter hates that his parents overly manage his life. Constantly surrounded by family, Peter just wants to get away. And when he meets Libby, he’s finally found the one person who only wants to be with him, not the rock star. But while Peter battles his family’s growing interference in both his music and his personal life, Libby struggles with her aunt, who turns nastier each day. And even though Libby and Peter desperately want to be together, their drastically different lives threaten to keep them apart forever.

Review: I think I would have liked this book if Stanton hadn’t gone overboard and made it way too complicated. She should have kept the story about Peter finding a girl who wasn’t after him just for his money and fame. Or she should have focused on Libby’s life, which was a pretty heartbreaking story. Bombarding readers with the whole story was too much at once, and I think it robbed each character from the full sympathy and emotional impact he/she would have received if his/her story would have stood on its own.

Aside from that, the story started a little too cliche and a bit cheesy. Some of the lines made me groan a bit, but it’s a typical contemporary young adult romance. And Stanton wanted to portray Peter as the shy rock star who wanted so much more, but his first encounter with Libby (asking if the drawing wasn’t of him or just his whole demeanor) would probably be more of what you would expect of Garrett or Adam. And even Libby has said Peter had a bit of arrogance and confidence – in the cute way of course. I mean, yeah, he’s a rock star, but there were a number of instances that I just felt was out of character for someone like him.

And Libby. Her story breaks my heart. But I felt it was a bit too much. First of all, why did it take so long for Stanton to explain what happened to her family. Also, I understand being thrown into a situation where you have to live with a relative who just doesn’t want you, but Stanton went a little overboard with Libby’s aunt. Could Libby’s situation happen? I don’t doubt it, but all of the extra elements that Stanton throws in makes it really unbelievable – not in that it hasn’t happened but it’s too extreme. Throw in the rock star, and the story was too Cinderella-ish.

Overall, the story wasn’t bad. It wasn’t one of those stories that made me smile or cry from memorable lines or blew me away with giddiness or heartache. And it would have been great if I didn’t feel like Stanton tried too hard to weigh us down and ended up making it way too complicated. Makes me you wonder what she has in stored for the sequel if she’s already pulled all the tricks out of her hat.

Go to Katy’s review on Goodreads.

Finding It (Losing It 3) by Cora Carmack

Finding It
by Cora Carmack

Finding It (Losing It 3)

By: Cora Carmack

Release Date: October 1, 2013

Rating: 4 stars

Summary: Most girls would kill to spend months traveling around Europe after college graduation with no responsibility, no parents, and no-limit credit cards. Kelsey Summers is no exception. She’s having the time of her life…or that’s what she keeps telling herself. It’s a lonely business trying to find out who you are, especially when you’re afraid you won’t like what you discover. No amount of drinking or dancing can chase away Kelsey’s loneliness, but maybe Jackson Hunt can. After a few chance meetings, he convinces her to take a journey of adventure instead of alcohol. With each new city and experience, Kelsey’s mind becomes a little clearer and her heart a little less hers. Jackson helps her unravel her own dreams and desires. But the more she learns about herself, the more Kelsey realizes how little she knows about Jackson.

 

Review: I just have one very huge complaint. Why the hell would Jackson have a USMC tattoo if he was in the army? At first, I thought it was Kelsey’s ignorance, but Jackson actually said army on two different occasions.

Other than that, I would have to say this is my favorite book so far in this series. I liked the first book because of the great lines, and I liked the second one because of Cade, although I wasn’t a fan of Max. With this one, I just thought it was great overall.

Really, the storyline wasn’t something that I hadn’t heard before. And the dialogue was good – with a nice mix of enticing allure, challenging arguments and witty banter, as well as emotionally intriguing – but I wouldn’t describe it as excellent.

BUT I love how the way the story was set up. I’ve never traveled to Europe before, and even though the book didn’t give me very much setting description as I would have liked, I was all for the adventurous feeling that came along with touring across the continent and visiting all of the cities and doing who knows what.

Also, I really liked Kelsey. She your typical rich girl whose parents cared more about image than the truth, so as a result, she’s puts on a smile while getting herself into who knows what kind of trouble. But her insecurity did not come across as bitchy, as so many do, and you just felt for her and wanted her to find the right path that would make everything right for her.

And Hunt? OMG, my love for Cade actually has a rival. He’s hot. He’s charming. He’s former military. And he’s got a great mix of troubled past yet honorable chivalry – yes his protectiveness can be a bit much, but who cares when it comes off as hot. Squeal!

I will say that when I finally do get to that “OMG” point in the book, I had seen that coming from miles away. But it didn’t make it less surprising or gut-wrenching or heartbreaking when I did get to it. Yep, I screamed “OMG.” And I did feel that the end was a bit rushed, but I can understand why Carmack didn’t want to drag it out. I just wish she had put a little more into it so I wouldn’t have felt that rush – maybe some insight on how she coped afterwards, rather than jumping into her well accomplished and so composed future.

Otherwise, I totally loved this book.

Go to Katy’s review on Goodreads.

How To Love by Katie Cotugno

How To Love
by Katie Cotugno

How To Love

By: Katie Cotugno

Release Date: October 1, 2013

Rating: 4 stars

Summary: Before: Reena Montero has loved Sawyer LeGrande for as long as she can remember: as natural as breathing, as endless as time. But he’s never seemed to notice that Reena even exists…until one day, impossibly, he does. Reena and Sawyer fall in messy, complicated love. But then Sawyer disappears from their humid Florida town without a word, leaving a devastated—and pregnant—Reena behind. After: Almost three years have passed, and there’s a new love in Reena’s life: her daughter, Hannah. Reena’s gotten used to being without Sawyer, and she’s finally getting the hang of this strange, unexpected life. But just as swiftly and suddenly as he disappeared, Sawyer turns up again. Reena doesn’t want anything to do with him, though she’d be lying if she said Sawyer’s being back wasn’t stirring something in her. After everything that’s happened, can Reena really let herself love Sawyer LeGrande again? In this breathtaking debut, Katie Cotugno weaves together the story of one couple falling in love—twice.

 

Review: Okay, so this wasn’t the light, cute, fun read I was looking for, but wow, this book was pretty good. What a great story that realistically portrays a situation that happens all-too-often in a way that captures your heart.

The reason I liked this story so much was because it wasn’t about a girl in a rough or trashy neighborhood that got pregnant by the typical bad boy. Serena and Sawyer are from devout Christian families, and they deal with issues that real teens deal with – whether it’s Serena’s studious attempt to graduate a year early so she can leave town or Sawyer finding escape through music and other substances. Maybe Allie’s and Leo’s situations were a bit too much, but I think they were both necessary, especially the latter, to kind of make the story work.

And I really connected with Serena in this book. Yeah, she was a bit stand-offish at the beginning, but if I were a private person who had a friend like Allie, I would probably be that way too. Don’t get me wrong, Serena did come across as a bitch for a good portion of this book. But at the same time, she really does go through a lot, and I can’t imagine having to deal with the situations that she’s had to face – with Sawyer, with the baby, with her family’s change, with moving on. And she made her fair share of stupid actions, but you can’t help who you fall in love with sometimes, and really, I can’t see it ending up any other way for her.

The romance itself was realistically good. Serena and Sawyer both had their great moments, making them wonderful companions. At the same time, they had their fair share of arguments – over stupid things, over ridiculous things, over legitimate things, real issues that couples deal with all the time.

I wish I got to know Lydia more and why she decide not to be there for Serena, and what Roger’s problem was with Sawyer. And Cade was there, but not. I really love Soledad and Shelby (although I did feel that fact about her at the end just came from nowhere), and it was heartwarming to see Serena patch things up with Leo. And Aaron – it breaks my heart.

Overall, it was refreshing to read something that happens enough but does not get enough attention – but in such a way where you can actually connect with the characters. Props to Cotugno on her debut.

Go to Katy’s review on Goodreads.

Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts

Tumble & Fall
by Alexandra Coutts

Tumble & Fall

By: Alexandra Coutts

Release Date: September 17, 2013

Rating: 1 star

Summary: A novel about the end of days full of surprising beginnings The world is living in the shadow of oncoming disaster. An asteroid is set to strike the earth in just one week’s time; catastrophe is unavoidable. The question isn’t how to save the world—the question is, what to do with the time that’s left? Against this stark backdrop, three island teens wrestle with intertwining stories of love, friendship and family—all with the ultimate stakes at hand. Alexandra Coutts’s TUMBLE & FALL is a powerful story of courage, love, and hope at the end of the world.

 

Review: Not what I was expecting, and quite frankly, I just don’t get it.

After reading the summary, I looked at the cover and thought, “Hmmm, doesn’t really look like a science fiction or dystopian.” Well, it’s not.

I spent the first part of the book really confused because I was introduced to three different point of views, and I kept wondering how they were all connected, aside from Zan dropping of groceries at Caden’s place. Well, here’s your warning – they weren’t connected. They never do come together, other than on a car ride and the last scene.

To me, I felt this book would have been better written as three short stories because they were different people dealing with different issues. It was just irritating that my reading experience was constantly interrupted by the next short snippet.

And really, they were just everyday issues that normal people deal with all the time in our society – given, Caden’s adventure was a bit extreme, but that’s not to say that doesn’t happen either. Each character is unhappy with his or her reality, he/she is faced with an alternative, and he/she overcomes said problem, and he/she learns to appreciate what he/she has.

I just don’t understand why Coutts would use the “end of the world” topic in this book. I guess the end of the world makes you realize what’s important in life, but really, the lessons in this book doesn’t need such a dramatic catalyst for one to believe so.

I didn’t get the sense of doom-and-gloom or the desperation one would feel knowing the end was coming. People weren’t scrambling around like they did before Y2K or a hurricane or other natural disaster to prepare themselves. I did find it interesting that everyone seemed to think it was the time to stay at home and spend the last moments with those you care about. I would have expected some people to just think, “What the heck” and start looting or committing other crimes because none of it mattered next week.

The individual stories themselves weren’t bad, though I don’t think they were anything special and even a bit bored. I just don’t really understand why Coutts chose to write this book the way she did.

Go to Katy’s review on Goodreads.

The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas

The Burning Sky
by Sherry Thomas

The Burning Sky (The Elemental Trilogy #1)

By: Sherry Thomas

Release Date: September 17, 2013

Rating: 3 stars

Summary: It all began with a ruined elixir and an accidental bolt of lightning…Iolanthe Seabourne is the greatest elemental mage of her generation—or so she’s being told. The one prophesied for years to be the savior of The Realm. It is her duty and destiny to face and defeat the Bane, the greatest mage tyrant the world has ever known. A suicide task for anyone let alone a sixteen-year-old girl with no training, facing a prophecy that foretells a fiery clash to the death. Prince Titus of Elberon has sworn to protect Iolanthe at all costs but he’s also a powerful mage committed to obliterating the Bane to revenge the death of his family—even if he must sacrifice both Iolanthe and himself to achieve his goal. But Titus makes the terrifying mistake of falling in love with the girl who should have been only a means to an end. Now, with the servants of the Bane closing in, he must choose between his mission and her life.

 

Review: I really like this story, but I wasn’t too crazy about the delivery.

Maybe it was just me, but Thomas’ style was very difficult to read. The third-person narrative type of delivery made me feel as if I’m listening to an ancient storyteller depicting a folklore. And the way she formed her sentence structure, I felt as if I was reading Old English (not really) or a foreign language (nope, it’s English). The switching-back-and-forth of points-of-view was interesting, but it wasn’t very consistent, so at times it threw the pacing off, and the abrupt switch made the storyline very choppy.

I don’t deny that there was a ton of world-building in this book – from the palace to the all-boys school, to the adventures in the Crucible. Thomas has built a very elaborate world of humans, mages, fairytales and beyond. At the same time, I felt Thomas spent way too much time on certain things and not enough on others, and I’m left wondering what about this or that?

For instance, I’m really curious about Atlantis, and the history of how they came into power, and especially the Bane. I mean I did find out something about him at the end (Titus’ revelation), but there’s so much more to him than what we were told. And I want to know the story behind Haywood and the lost memories and what exactly happened at the end. Additionally, I know what the Crucible is and what it’s for, but it’s such an importantly powerful instrument that I would love to know more about it – not necessarily what it contains but the background and how it came to be in the possession of certain people.

Speaking of, the whole book had a pretty slow pace – even when there was action, it was told at a more leisure way. This may have had a lot to do with the style in which Thomas wrote. So when we got near the end, I spent a lot of time confused and rereading a good deal of it because Thomas switched back and forth between Titus and Fairfax so quickly, and there was so much going on that I had a hard time picturing this wyvern and that wyvern. There were a number of times where I thought the two POV had merged, but then I would realized the two characters are not yet in the same setting. And what happened to the Inquisitor confused me also. It was just a lot to take in at the end.

Aside from the awkward style and weird pacing and the slight dissatisfaction that so many words didn’t yield as much information as I would have liked, I did enjoy the story.

I loved Iolanthe, her boldness and her determination. Heroines like her just make great characters. Her story wasn’t one that I haven’t heard before, but Thomas had a way to keep it interesting. And I really liked how Titus was always one step ahead. Sure he had the advantage of knowing the sights of a seer, but every action is so calculated. The situation with Fairfax was just amazing – yeah, too good to be true, but it worked in this book. I had to give Thomas major props for making it so unrealistic but so acceptably incredible.

All in all, I think The Burning Sky was a great story full of wonderful characters and world of imagination. I just wish that it hadn’t been so difficult to read (for me) and that I had gotten that wow feeling at the end, something that didn’t quite happen.

Go to Katy’s review on Goodreads.

Once We Were (The Hybrid Chronicles 2) by Kat Zhang

Once We Were
by Kat Zhang

Once We Were (The Hybrid Chronicles 2)

By: Kat Zhang

Release Date: September 17, 2013

Rating: 3 stars

Summary: Eva was never supposed to have survived this long. As the recessive soul, she should have faded away years ago. Instead, she lingers in the body she shares with her sister soul, Addie. When the government discovered the truth, they tried to “cure” the girls, but Eva and Addie escaped before the doctors could strip Eva’s soul away.Now fugitives, Eva and Addie find shelter with a group of hybrids who run an underground resistance. Surrounded by others like them, the girls learn how to temporarily disappear to give each soul some much-needed privacy. Eva is thrilled at the chance to be alone with Ryan, the boy she’s falling for, but troubled by the growing chasm between her and Addie. Despite clashes over their shared body, both girls are eager to join the rebellion. Yet as they are drawn deeper into the escalating violence, they start to wonder: How far are they willing to go to fight for hybrid freedom? Faced with uncertainty and incredible danger, their answers may tear them apart forever.

 

Review: I loved “What’s Left of Me” – like blown away by the concept and sucked into the story. This one was still enjoyable enough, but I couldn’t really get into it until the last third.

First of all, I’m glad to see Eva coming out of her shell. Sure, there were times I wanted to yell at her for being stupid or for being a self-absorbed, selfish brat, but I could sympathize that she finally has an opportunity to let her personality surface. And I honestly do like her. My complaint, however, is Eva was the recessive one, the weaker one. But in this book, Addie was such a weakling, and Eva was the strong, determined one. Like I said, I understand that’s she’s finally discovering what it’s like to be in control, but if she had always been like this, she would have never almost faded away. I had expected this book to be about her finally being able to experience everything, appreciating and savoring each thing she was able to do. Not at all like she was in this book. It’s as if she was a different person.

And sort of like my Addie and Eva complaint, I really wondered what happened to Halle and Lisa? Again, I understand they went through a pretty traumatic experience near the end of book 1, but they were so strong and determined back then. They were the one urging Addie and Eva to consider something very dangerous. They hardly appeared in this book, and when they were, they were either aloof, or like the book said, seeking acceptance from others. Not the same characters I grew to love from the first book.

My thing was there were so many characters in this book. I mean, you have a lot of players during a rebellion, in general, but to double everyone up, it was just a little hard to keep track of.

As for the book itself, it was good, but not mind-blowingly amazing. I don’t know, it just felt like any other book about oppressed citizens seeking for equal rights and preparing a rebellion, not knowing who to trust and constantly battling with themselves whether this was the right thing to do. The only thing that stuck out was the two people sharing a body concept. So yeah, I knew Zhang was trying to build up to the big climax at the end, but I struggled a bit to stay with the story, and I kept waiting for something to happen.

And when something finally did happen, starting in the last third or so, everything occurred really quickly, and I remembered why I liked the story so much. There was a LOT of action, a lot of twists and turns, some betrayals and surprises (although some you will probably see it coming). And when Eva and Addie come face-to-face with Jensen again? Okay, totally NOT what I would have expected, and it’s got my gears churning in my head.

So okay, I think this book had a lot of the second-book or middle-book elements in it. If Eva and Addie had been portrayed differently or if Zhang had incorporated what was going on in the laboratories more instead of the drama and tension in the little rebellion group, I probably would have been more sucked in. But I just know that book 3 is going to knock my socks off, and I’m pretty excited to find out what Jensen and his gang has up his sleeves and reveal whatever it is that we thought we knew but we really didn’t or what we were led to believe is not really as it had seemed. So putting this one aside, the end has me pumped up for the next book.

Go to Katy’s review on Goodreads.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl
by Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl

By: Rainbow Rowell

Release Date: September 10, 2013

Rating: 3.5 stars

Summary: A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love. Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . . But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving. Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere. Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to. Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone. For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories? Or will she just go on living inside somebody else’s fiction?

 

Review: This book was surprisingly good.

Honestly, I had made up my mind pretty early on that I wasn’t going to like this book. I had a totally different preconceived notion of “fangirling,” and the whole Simon and Baz thing wasn’t for me (view spoiler) Instead, Cath’s obsession was not at all what I thought it was going to be, so I lost a bit of enthusiasm there.

Also, I had a really hard time connecting with Cath. I get that she’s in a different environment. Starting college is hard enough as is, but to do it without her twin by her side is a pretty daunting task. I understand that she’s shy and scared, but I was so frustrated with her for holing herself in her room all the time. I mean, come on, to eat protein bars because you don’t want to face going to the dining room or not knowing major areas on campus. Get a grip.

And the book started out meh – mundane and unmemorable.

I couldn’t tell you exactly when I started liking the story. It just kept growing on me as I continued reading, and it wasn’t until “the kiss” that I realized I was – and had been – enjoying it quite a bit. I love Reagan’s spunky attitude and how she just had a way of easing Cath out of her shell, whether it was intentional (we’re going to have dinner) or not (the daily gossip). And I loved how Levi just had this easy-going, reliable charm to him. And her dad was strange but quirky.

You would think that with everything going on – starting college, meeting new people, dealing her father, dealing with her mother, breaking up and starting new relationships, drama with her sister, school issues above just doing wel in class, oh right, and the fanfiction writing – that it was a little too much. And I think at first, I did think that. Something was ALWAYS happening in her messed up world.

But once I had realized that I had been enjoying the story, I totally sympathized. I laughed. I smiled. I may have even shed a few tears. It was a great “normal” read.

My other complaint, aside from the slow start, was that a lot of the issues in the book were never solved. Primarily, Cath’s relationship with her mother. With others, it took that typical dramatic event for her to realize what’s important. And with Wren, I still don’t she has it all figured out.

Overall, it’s was an enjoyable read, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a leisurely, lazy afternoon, not-to-serious, not-at-all-fluffy read.

05.14.13 – Mitch had asked if this is my autobiography. I guess I should find out.

Go to Katy’s review on Goodreads.

Two Lies and a Spy by Kat Carlton

Two Lies and a Spy
by Kat Carlton

Two Lies and a Spy

By: Kat Carlton

Release Date: September 2, 2013

Rating: 4stars

Summary: Kari plunges into the world of espionage on a mission to save her parents while trying to impress the guy she’s been in love with forever. When sixteen-year-old Kari’s dad sends her an unexpected text, she and her brother immediately go into hiding. Because when your parents are superspies and your dad declares a Code Black, it can only mean something bad. Very bad. Kari soon discovers that her parents have been disavowed and declared traitors, and she’s determined to clear their names. Breaking into the Agency seems like a reasonable plan, especially with the help of a team that includes her longtime crush, Luke, as well as her two best friends—an expert hacker with attitude and a master martial artist—and Luke’s popular, vindictive twin sister. Oh, and a new guy, who’s as cute as he is complicated…

 

Review: This ended up being a pretty great read. It was intriguing. It was thrilling. It was FUN! And, it surprised me in more ways than one and did not end up the way I thought it was going to.

Before I start, I wouldn’t say the espionage plot was out of this world. Kari’s parents are missing; they’re declared traitors; she and her brother are on the run; and she and her friends try to clear her parents’ names. There are some spy stuff, as well as a few fight scenes. But it was written in a way that didn’t make you take it way too seriously to the point where you’re thinking, “C’mon on! This is BS!” It just sort of worked – really, really well.

The characters were really great. I really liked Kari. She was spunky, but not in an annoying way – a thin line many authors often cross. My admiration for her is most comparable to the way I feel about Katarina Bishop in Ally Carter’s Heist Society.

Charlie was amazing. Luke is adorable. And I LOVE Evan. Yeah, I can see how he would annoy the crap out of someone, but I could tell there was more to him, and his bickering with Kari kept me entertained. Rita and Kale were typical sidekicks. And even though Lacey was a bit over-the-top, I really liked her too because her ridiculousness made me chuckle.

I had expected to pick up a espionage story that would most likely try too hard to make the spy scenes thrilling and exciting (hey, you are writing for young adult after all). So I was prepared to nit-pick. BUT I was totally blown away by how much I enjoyed reading this. Carlton just had a way of making the book serious, yet light and fun at the same time, and it’s been a while that I can say that I just thoroughly enjoyed reading a book instead of grading its merits.

Go to Katy’s review on Goodreads.