Mini Reviews #19

The first Mini Reviews post in 2014 introduces you to three YA contemporary stories that I read or started in 2013. So much high praise for THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE by Leila Sales and I couldn't resist to pick up a copy. I had high expectations for NOBODY BUT US by Kristin Halbrook and SUCH A RUSH by Jennifer Echols, too, unfortunately they weren't met in the end.

This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

Elise is friendless, she is lonely and an outsider in every possible social scenario. And when life couldn't look any less dead-end, she discovers the magic of music at a warehouse party. The opportunity to DJ there opens up a chance to experience life in a whole new way. Maybe Elise isn't lost yet...

Elise is only sixteen and she's already part of the DJ and nightclub scene. I didn't think her too young to go out to the warehouse parties she's attending, playing music, meeting new people. Scoring a DJ job was functioning like a therapy and as much as you hurt with Elise for everything that's happened to her so far, you also see that there's a bright future ahead if she just keeps doing what she loves.
Having no friends in school, no one to turn to, never feeling accepted or even being bullied are very relevant for Elise's story. Everyone of us can in some way relate to this young girl and her thoughts about life, friendship and love. She's searching for meaning, unconsciously wanting help and waiting for that one moment that finally points her in the right direction.

Music is of high importance for Elise's story, too. It has soothing and healing qualities, is her best friend in the worst moments of her life. As much as the music and the fascinating new DJ job are drawing you into the story, Elise's love story with the local DJ, Char, does the same. But unless the strong music parts, the romance lost me somewhere on its way. So I suggest you start THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE with the desire to fall in love with Elise's music rather than her love interest.

4/5 **** THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE – Leila Sales' third book is equipped with the perfect tune to touch many readers' hearts with its musical magic.

THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE is about Elise's favourite bands and songs and the music that influences her life. I'm not very into the music that she listens to. Reading about the power of the songs she plays, I know I have a lot of music education to make up for, starting with Elise's playlist now.

 

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux 

Publishing Date: September 17^th 2013
Length: 288 pages
Keywords: YA, fiction, music, DJ'ing, friendship, romance

Source: Bought for Kindle

Goodreads Summary 

This Song Will Save Your Life Excerpt 

Author's Homepage

Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook

Zoe and Will are young and in love. They both haven't grown up in the most stable environment and without a big family who showed them kindness and understanding. Their problems make them want to run away so badly. And then they do... 

It's a lot of fuss about nothing. Yes, Will and Zoe didn't have the easiest childhood, far from it, and they are dissatisfied with their current situation. Originally I thought about them running away as an exciting adventure to find themselves and solve their problems. Only along the way offences kept accumulating and things got more out of hand and complicated the longer they ran. But did they do anything to solve their problems and think up a way to make things better? Not at all. They just ran without thinking about the consequences and act without thinking what it could do to others.

A dual point of view is implemented to show how troubled both of them are and that they are a perfect match. Their romance was one of the most immature and unfulfilling I've read about in a while, Will and Zoe are not a couple I could make myself sympathize with.

2/5 ** NOBODY BUT US - This is the story of rash and immature Zoe and Will who were not the thrill-seeking, brave and clever couple I was looking foward to meet.

 Very poor Bonnie and Clyde retelling, without the glamour and brains of their role models. When I first heard about NOBODY BUS US I expected a very intense love story (which it is) but it stressed me out more than it grew on me, ending in a complete disappointment. 

Publisher: Harper Teen

Publishing Date: January 29^th 2013
Length: 272 pages
Keywords: YA, fiction, romance, runaways, troubled teens

Source: Bought

Goodreads Summary 

Nobody But Us Excerpt 

Author's Homepage

Such A Rush by Jennifer Echols

Leah spent her life on the move, from one trailer park to the next. Being stuck with her uncaring mother and a hopeless future, Leah decides to become a pilot and get away from all of it. She starts flying with Mr. Hall, training to fly planes and there she meets his two sons who are going to play a big role in her life, too.  

Grayson and Alec are getting to know Leah better only now. Grayson and Leah's love story could've been romantic, but not with the lies and deceit that Grayson unnecessarily brings into our story. And it annoyed me beyond belief that he wanted his brother Alec to seduce Leah while truly Grayson wanted her for himself. It's an unfair, oppressive and stupid game the teens are playing.

The majority of dialogues is unsatisfactory and very often infuriating in their naivety and impertinence. And the characters didn't feel well-rounded and too imbalanced in all their extreme behaviours. The only thing that kept me reading were Jennifer's well-written love scenes, which I devoured in no time.

Airplanes and flying are the main theme of SUCH A RUSH. Leah is working at a small airport and is dreaming about becoming a pilot herself one day. The flying gives her space and opens up a whole new world of possibilities, freedom and happiness. It was cool to learn more about the different types of planes and how they are functioning.

3,5/5 ***/* SUCH A RUSH - A pilot girl fighting for her future and sexy scenes on the one hand, upsetting romantic confusions and redundant dialogues on the other.

SUCH A RUSH appeared to be pretty unpolished, with many rough edges I didn't like. Why did the characters have to be so obnoxiously stubborn and inconsiderate of other people's feelings all the time? I'd like to read this story again, the nice version please. 

Publisher: MTV Books

Publishing Date: July 10^th 2012
Length: 325 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, romance, flying, love triangle, brothers

Source: Bought

Goodreads Summary 

Such A Rush Excerpt 

Author's Homepage

Mini Reviews # 4

Time for another Mini Reviews post. These books all have something in common: strong women. In AU REVOIR, CRAZY EUROPEAN CHICK, exchange student and undercover killer, Gobi kicks one or another gangster's ass. The SHUT OUT girls around Lissa decide to go on a hookup strike until their boys consent to end an old rivalry between the school's soccer and football teams. And in Jennifer Echols LOVE STORY, protagonist Erin decides to move out of her grandmother's mansion and master life on her own, without money or status.

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber

AU REVOIR, CRAZY EUROPEAN CHICK displays a pretty crazy night in the life of Perry who just wanted to spend prom night on his own terms. But that's not the night Gobi, the exchange student who is living with his family, has planned. Soon Perry finds out that Gobi isn't who she pretented to be and things get out of control. This night is packed with explosions, wild chasings and personal damage. So much action! 

New York is the setting for the killing mission Gobi is on. Bright, colourful and busy New York. It’s the most hectic - and also very fitting - city Joe Schreiber could have chosen for all the shootings and complots.
But it's not only about the action. Each chapter starts with a sentence like this:

What invention would the world be better off without, and why? (Kalamazoo College) ~ p. 95

Perry is in the process of deciding which college he wants to go to. The struggles to find the right college are a major issue in AU REVOIR, CRAZY EUROPEAN CHICK, so it makes pretty much sense to include this college essay reference.The college questions are answered by a snippet out of Perry and Gobi’s night together. I was always curious what the next chapter would bring. And it could only get more lunatic each time, I had no doubt about that.

It was a fun part to imagine a modest exchange student from Lithuania transforming into that super sexy and lethal femme fatal.  Her sly and very skilled undercover agent persona impressed me. But I found her a bit too maniacal and aggressive in following her goals to develop a stable connection to her character. 

Perry is the unfortunate victim of Gobi's hatred. He has to accompany her on her killing frenzy and be witness to every surreal moment of that night. It's probably the shock of his life, but also a chance for him to stand up for his wishes and become a more confident person.

There was a kind of sexual tension between Perry and Gobi throughout the entire night spent together, in which they get to know the other person’s true self. I would have liked a romance between these two, but there isn’t exactly that much room with all the other things going on.
Events and characters don’t always appear very realistic, but if you are looking for some crazy action, this is your read!

3/5 *** AU REVOIR, CRAZY EUROPEAN CHICK- Insane crashes, terrific shootings and oddities of characters are the specialty of Joe Schreiber.

Joe Schreiber’s writing is easy to consume and entertaining as well. AU REVOIR, CRAZY EUROPEAN CHICK is a story of exceptional events. It misses the desired depth and European romance chic though.

Publisher:Houghton Mifflin

Publishing Date: October 25th 2011

Length: 190 pages

Keywords: YA, contemporary, action, crazy night, college applications, exchange student

Source:Book Fair

Goodreads Summary

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick Excerpt

Author's Info

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

Lissa is furious and feels neglected by her boyfriend. An old school rivalry between soccer and football team seems to eat up more and more time that could've been spend on their relationship. And for what? Stupid pranks and silly laughs. Now she decides to convince her friends to put their boys on a hookup withdrawal. 

It wasn't hard to dislike Lissa's boyfriend anyways. Sex is a present topic in SHUT OUT, too, and Randy wasn't as patient and understanding of her needs as I hoped. Cash though, the leader of the boy's team, was to my like and ensures various sexy and playful romantic scenes. 

Sports make up a dominant part of SHUT OUT. Sport is war. The competition that ideally only exists on the playing field, has transferred to school routine. And Kody definitely did a good job making it an ever present element in the story.

The whole concept of SHUT OUT is partly based on an ancient Greek myth of great war and great ingenuity. So witty of Kody to include it in her new novel. I hadn't known about it before and was delighted to add it to my stock of knowledge. 
SHOUT OUT is yet another story by Kody about girl power. And I am very into that female unity and feeling of integrity she communicates.

In the end Lissa and her friends are rewarded for their persistence in the war of sexes. SHUT OUT is about learning how to listen to your inner voice and stand up for your own believes. 

Set in high school, Kody Keplinger addresses all the turbulent events and dazzling emotions every teenager could encounter at some point during this important time. I have a feeling that she knows exactly what young readers want to read about. Her writing is funny and quirky, which makes it an easy task to read through her books in only a few hours.

4/5 **** SHUT OUT - A kickass read with girl power, sizzling chemistry and a battle of the sexes!

Kody Keplinger belongs to my favourite YA contemporary authors. She has the talent to write books that all carry a certain feel-good vibe. Just like her previous novel, THE DUFF, SHUT OUT is a lot of fun yet deals with contentious issues.

Publisher: Poppy

Publishing Date: September 5th 2011

Length: 273 pages

Keywords: YA, contemporary romance, sport, sex, love

Source: Bought

Goodreads Summary

Shut Out Excerpt

Author's Homepage

Love Story by Jennifer Echols

I've read ENDLESS SUMMER by Jennifer Echols and couldn't stop reading, because it was that good! I'm on my way to enlarge my fundus of read Jennifer Echols books and I didn't want to miss out on LOVE STORY. In the end, I had to admit that it wasn't what I'd expected it to be. I ended up with a rather dull reading experience, no super sweet romance ecstasy known as a coercive side effect of a Jennifer Echols novel.

Protagonist Erin grew up on a horse farm living with her rich grandmother. Now she no longer wants to be everybody's darling or controlled by her grandmother, and therefore moves to New York City to face real life on her own. She learns that she has to work hard in order to secure her subsistence. Sometimes Erin has an annoying way to complain about her great loss of her old priviledged life. But I like that she's tough and, besides all the lamenting, still fights for her dreams to come true. She learns how to be independent and make new friends.

I was really into her dream to live in New York and study to become future writer. What reader doesn't love that idea?! The story's set on campus and we follow Erin on her daily routine between college and her job.Writing class was a place that felt good, although there was always a certain tension between the participants that felt a bit enervating.
Of course there's a boy. Wesley, a boy Erin knows all too well. A boy from her past at the horse farm, her stable boy. And Wesley appears definitely with his own motives in mind. Wesley was an ok love interest, but not someone who threw me off my feet with his overwhelmingly charming personality and handsomeness.
Now with the prospect of creative story writing, and Erin & Wesley's stories relating in some way to each other and to their past, I expected super hot stories and  flirtarious writing sessions. In the end the stories they wrote for class, actually bored me. No need to include them in LOVE STORY. There were hints at erotic aspects in their stories, but they appeared more shallow than anything hot and serious. I just didn't feel the chemistry.

2,5/5 **/* LOVE STORY -  A promised writing fantasy with sizzling tension between Erin and Wesley... which totally left me cold.

If you want to discover the Jennifer Echols bookish universe, I would recommend to start with another book of hers. If you've read every of Jennifer's books and can't stop to extend your collection, you should probably get it. But if you are looking for an exceptional contemporary romance, look elsewhere.

Publisher: MTV Books

Publishing Date: July 19th 2011

Length: 243 pages

Keywords: YA, contemporary romance, college, writing class, slightly erotic, horses

Source: Simon & Schuster Galley Grab

Goodreads Summary

Love Story Excerpt

Author's Homepage