Eleven Things I Promised by
Catherine Clark
Seventeen-year-old Frances sets out on
a bike race with friends from her high school to do every item on a
special list dedicated to reconnecting with her best friend. Sounds
unusual, right? I was surprised by the pitch of such an original YA
story and certainly wasn't disappointed in the end. Frances was such
a sensitive, strong and determined protagonist whose love and
dedication to her best friends shine through even more brightly in
the hardest moments of her trip. Considering she isn't even trained
to go on that bike race one could consider her a lunatic, but
couldn't she also be considered a hero? As the group around the
racers grows closer together the further they go, the reader can't
resist being drawn into this positive spirit as well. A few very
sweet, funny and even unexpected romantic moments and adventures are
to be expected along the way to this beautiful summer read.
4/5 stars **** ELEVEN
THINGS I PROMISED – A strong message of friendship and the promise
for adventure combine into a perfect summer read!
ELEVEN THINGS I PROMISED
is a very active and optimistic story about friendship, personal
happiness and being brave. Highly recommended!
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publishing Date: April 5th 2016
Length: 304 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, love, friendship, bike race
Publishing Date: April 5th 2016
Length: 304 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, love, friendship, bike race
Source: Publisher
Goodreads Summary
Goodreads Summary
The Season of You and Me by
Robin Constantine
Cassidy just knows her summer is going
to be miserable. Her boyfriend broke up with her and now she is set
to spend the summer with her father and his new family in a small
beach town. Couldn't there be a better place to mend a broken heart?
Bryan is living in a place other people
visit to only spend their summers. But what once was a dream has
become a nightmare. An accident a year ago put him in a wheelchair
and now he is dealing with all the consequences one stupid choice has
brought upon him. Written from alternating perspectives, Cass and
Bryan slowly fall in love with each other effortlessly and with the
warm fluttery feelings of summer.
The Bed and Breakfast of Cass`s father
and his new wife is this dreamy and idyllic place near the beach and
I often caught myself wishing to be spending some time there as well.
It`s also the perfect place for Cass to grow closer to her family
again and find out who she really wants to be. The relationship
between Cassidy and her little brother is adorable and apart from her
ex-boyfriend she finally has the space to do the things that make her
happy, showing readers what's most important in life. Bryan is this
very honest and vibrant boy you just have to fall in love with. His
disability is often a topic throughout the story and we get the
chance to learn how Bryan experiences his new life. Very honest, very
rewarding story!
4/5 stars **** THE
SEASON OF YOU AND ME – Beach vibes, a light summery romance with
emotional depth!
THE
SEASON OF YOU AND ME is a great collection of funny little moments,
emotional bonds between family and new friends and the thrill of new
experiences and the importance of new chances.
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publishing Date: May 10th 2016
Length: 352 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, love, friendship, beach, disability
Publishing Date: May 10th 2016
Length: 352 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, love, friendship, beach, disability
Source: Publisher
Goodreads Summary
Goodreads Summary
We Were Never Here by Jennifer
Gilmore
In Jennifer Gilmore's WE WERE NEVER
HERE Lizzie meets Connor at the hospital. She is dangerously sick and
he is selflessly paying visits to her as a patient. I had high hopes
for Connor and Lizzie and appreciated that their budding romance
alternated with very real scenes of medical appointments and diary
entries about them. Connor is this selfless, sensitive boy and he
loves his dog above all things. Doesn`t that just melt your heart?
Well, maybe he isn`t the nice boy next door he pretends to be. And as
the story unfolded it was with all the pretending and secrets that
revolved around his person and their relationship that somehow soured
down the at first sweet taste of their connection.
2,5/5 stars **/* WE WERE NEVER HERE
– Strong emotions, adventurous moments and bad decisions.
This book is about some very great and
moving topics that explore what being human really means in your
darkest times. Jennifer Gilmore shows in a very gentle way what
connecting with a person and learning to live can really mean but in
the end and a handful of story twists later the story was just
lacking empathy.
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publishing Date: June 14th 2015
Length: 320 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, love, health, recovery
Publishing Date: June 14th 2015
Length: 320 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, love, health, recovery
Source: Publisher
Goodreads Summary
Goodreads Summary
