Mini Reviews #30

Today I'm reviewing three YA contemporaries that deal with growing up, finding your identity and learning to trust in yourself. FUTURE PERFECT by Jen Larsen, DUMPLIN' by Julie Murphy and INFINITE IN BETWEEN by Carolyn Mackler are all fall 2105 releases. Have you read any of them yet?

Future Perfect by Jen Larsen

"Every year on her birthday, Ashley Perkins gets a card from her grandmother—a card that always contains a promise: lose enough weight, and I will buy your happiness." 

   Ashley has never accepted her grandmother's offer...until now. This year is different when her grandmother offers tuition to Harvard if Ashley only accepts to undergo weight loss surgery. Well, doesn't this sound nice? It really wasn't. Ashley's family story was prominently on the annoying side. It's no wonder Ashley doesn't really feel content with her situation when her family is falling apart. I never saw them as a unit, but more as a bunch of ignorant people living under the same roof. Unfortunately, I never liked any of them enough to fully engage in Ashely's story or really care about the outcome. 
   I hoped FUTURE PERFECT would be a book about personal development and defying social conventions. Does your weight really change your identity? Or does the shape of your body influence your happiness? Yet, Ashley's story doesn't really offer that much insight into the topic or even her opinion. She loses herself in crazy adventures rather than facing her true feelings and her strict grandmother.

2/5 ** FUTURE PERFECT - Lightweight YA contemporary!

When I picked up FUTURE PERFECT I was very curious about the story's concept and Ashley's emotional world. There's a lot of talking going on but dialogues or inner reflections never really went deep enough to present readers with the bigger meaning to FUTURE PERFECT they've been anticipating from the beginning.

Publisher: HarperTeen
Publishing Date: October 6th 2015
Length: 320 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, love, friendship, family, body image
Source: Edelweiss
Goodreads Summary  

Future Perfect Excerpt
Author's Homepage

Dumplin' by Julie Murphy

Self-appointed fat girl Willowdean is confident about her body. Until her crush, popular beautiful Bo, surprisingly reciprocates her feelings and she starts to doubt everything. To prove herself and regain confidence she enters the local beauty pageant. 

   Willow is a strong protagonist who is very aware of her body and how people always tend to think she's nothing more than the fat girl. But she's happy and likes her body the way other people will never be able to accept themselves. I loved that about her! Will's romance with Bo wasn't my favourite part of DUMPLIN' but Will's relationship with her best friend and her passion for Dolly Parton and her music. I admired Willow for entering a beauty pageant together with a few other people to show off their less than beauty-queen-perfect bodies. In the end that's how DUMPLIN' conveys a very strong message!

3/5 *** DUMPLIN' - A smart, ironic and funny YA with a strong message regarding body image! 

If you ever feel insecure about yourself and need a push to be more confident, you should pick up a copy of DUMPLIN'. Willowdean with her hilarious and powerful character should definitely give you a feel-good reading experience!

Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publishing Date: September 15th 2015
Length: 375 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, love, friendship, beauty pageant, body image
Source: Edelweiss
Goodreads Summary  

Dumplin' Excerpt
Author's Homepage

Infinite in Between by Carolyn Mackler

"Zoe, Jake, Mia, Gregor, and Whitney meet at freshman orientation. At the end of that first day, they make a promise to reunite after graduation. So much can happen in those in-between years….".

Carolyn Mackler's INFINITE IN BETWEEN offers a pretty great concept to readers who enjoy multiple narrators in a novel. Zoe, Jake, Mia, Gregor and Whitney are all very different characters and have their own voices who become very familiar after only a short reading time.

What I liked most about INFINITE IN BETWEEN is that a few key scenes resonated through all of our five teen's narration. Since the day they met their lives are intertwined. Every teen has something special about him or her. Identity, sexual orientation, love and friendship all play an important role at some point in their stories. Their stories of growing up.

   Since the story concentrates on these five teens from the beginning of freshman year til graduation every character gets to tell his story on  roughly about one hundred pages only. Therefore Carolyn Mackler had to be very considerate when choosing which character got to tell which part of their story. INFINITE IN BETWEEN is a collection of very short chapters of all five protagonists, making it a pretty quick read. We never really learn everything about them, but just dip into their lives for a short period of time. I prefer a story that focuses on one protagonist and allows a more intimate relationship between character and reader. Nevertheless INFINITE IN BETWEEN was still a quick read and a nice change from other YA contemporaries.  

3/5 *** INFINITE IN BETWEEN - A diverse tale of growing up!

Witness their most painful embarrassments and their greatest achievements. All their teen angst and their happiness. Carolyn Mackler's INFINITE IN BETWEEN is a story of growing up everyone can relate to.

Publisher: HarperTeen
Publishing Date: September 1st 2015
Length: 480 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, love, friendship, school, growing up
Source: Publisher
Goodreads Summary  

Infinite in Between Excerpt
Author's Homepage

Mini Reviews #27

Today I have three mini reviews of HarperTeen titles with heartfelt covers for you. LOVE AND OTHER THEORIES by Alexis Bass and NO PLACE TO FALL by Jaye Robin Brown were released in December 2014. And SOLITAIRE by Alice Oseman is coming out in late March 2015. 

No Place to Fall by Jaye Robin Brown

NO PLACE TO FALL is set in a small town, where Amber lives with her perfect family. Or at least it is supposed to look that way. The truth is, her mother is smothering Amber, her father is never there and her sister and her husband are dealing drugs, living in a trailer in their backyard. Her familiar background and the relationships to her parents and sister are a big part of her story.

No wonder Amber yearns to just leave with the backpackers coming through her little town every summer. All she wants is a shot at freedom and happiness. Her story is one of longing and wanting to find her own place in life.

   I was totally into the music dream Amber had and I really believed in her to make her dream come true.

   Amber and Will, her best friend's big brother, are both great musical talents. Will helps Amber practice for her big audition at a music school. They are also singing sweet country songs to each other, singing duets and totally getting each other. Their love story doesn't begin the conventional way and there are some things making their romance very difficult at first. When they are practicing together you really can see the chemistry between them. Theirs is a great love story to warm many readers hearts.

4/5 **** NO PLACE TO FALL - This read is like your favourite country song! A small town, big dreams and a sweet love story!

 
Amber's story is about growing-up and moving on. About being honest and making every effort to make your dreams come true. NO PLACE TO FALL is a very darling YA contemporary read for everyone with love for music in their hearts!

Publisher: HarperTeen
Publishing Date: December 9th 2014
Length: 368 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, romance, music
Source: Edelweiss
Goodreads Summary  
No Place to Fall Excerpt  
Author's Homepage



Solitaire by Alice Oseman

When you read the summary for Alice Oseman's debut novel, you won't get much information about the story itself. Just vague information and statements. And that's the way it continues in the book. In my opinion SOLITAIRE is no match for John Green and Rainbow Rowell books like it says in the summary!

   Tori is a loser. Her life in high school is unfulfilling and without real meaning for her. Michael Holden is her rescuer. One day Tori discovers a post-it note, leading to another, and another...until she finds the link to a mysterious site called Solitaire. Solitaire suddenly gains many supporters and has a big social impact on school and private life of Tori and other students. It speaks directly to Tori, involving her in this new game. Everything gets out of hand and until the end I couldn't really think of Tori as a friend, but more a person who seriously needed help. It was the same with Michael Holden. He was a person I couldn't see through. Because he was so untransparent, it was hard to engage in his obsessive interest in Tori. Nevertheless, I have to admit that their romance has its own nice moments. 

   Things with Solitaire turn violent and dangerous and pretty insane towards the end. I just wanted to get through the story and be done with it. 

2/5 ** SOLITAIRE - YA rating status - it's complicated.

Our protagonist Tori is drawn into a flow of dares, protest actions and dangerous movements invoked by unknown delinquents. Teens are really getting out of control here. SOLITAIRE is a book for readers interested in unraveling confusing plots supporting an obscure story. A story that was just too much for me.

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publishing Date: March 30^th 2015
Length: 368 pages
Keywords: YA, thriller,romance, friendship,

Source: Edelweiss

Goodreads Summary 

Solitaire Excerpt  

Author's Homepage

Love and Other Theories by Alexis Bass

Aubrey and her best friends are the guys in a relationship. They decided to play it cool when things get serious in a relationship and never attach themselves emotionally to their dates in order to avoid heartbreak. 
This logic just smells like relationship drama. And I hate when it is the drama that dominates a story. Unsurprisingly, despite the girls' plan to avoid any trouble and fights, there are in fact a lot of those. I hated the promiscuity and that the girls thought a boy wouldn't like them if things got too serious and honest. This book communicates an important message young teenage girls shouldn't even have to learn. Self-respect yourself and your feelings and never pretend to be someone you aren't in order to make someone like you.
   The story begins when Aubrey meets the new guy in town and starts dating him. Nathan and Aubrey's love story seemed sincere and like it would be their love that would prove Aubrey's best friend Shelby wrong, but in the end it was just another casualty to the incinserity between the friends. But there's another boy waiting for Aubrey to realize her feelings for him, too.
   Once he came into the love triangle things started to look up for me liking LOVE AND OTHER THEORIES much better. That other guy was funny and put Aubrey's comfort and her feelings before anything else. I wasn't entirely convinced with the ending to Aubrey's story though. There's still the chance for a sequel.

3/5 *** LOVE AND OTHER THEORIES - A true high school drama with complicated friendships and surprising romances.

I liked LOVE AND OTHER THEORIES in general. The story had a few touches to it that I found irritating, connected to the girls' theories about love that are central the Aubrey's story. But between all the carlessness and aloofness there might even be honest feelings for friends and boys buried that would have deserved to find greater notice.

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publishing Date: December 31^st 2014
Length: 384 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, romance, friendship

Source: Edelweiss

Goodreads Summary 

Love and Other Theories Excerpt  

Author's Homepage

Book Review: The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

Title: The Queen of the Tearling (The Queen of the Tearling #1)
Author: Erika Johansen
Publisher: Bantam Press
Publishing Date: July 17th 2014
Length: 432 pages
Keywords: YA, fantasy, war, friendship, action
Source: Publisher

Her throne awaits . . . if she can live long enough to take it.

It was on her nineteenth birthday that the soldiers came for Kelsea Glynn. They’d come to escort her back to the place of her birth – and to ensure she survives long enough to be able to take possession of what is rightfully hers.

But like many nineteen-year-olds, Kelsea is unruly, has high principles and believes she knows better than her elders. Unlike many nineteen-year-olds, she is about to inherit a kingdom that is on its knees – corrupt, debauched and dangerous.

Kelsea will either become the most fearsome ruler the kingdom has ever known . . . or be dead within the week.

Summary by Goodreads

Welcome to the Tearling. Our new fictional home in the THE QUEEN OF THE TEARLING trilogy. The setting is quite a puzzle for readers to figure out in the beginning. Set in the future, the story appears dystopia. Still it also had many medieval and historical influences. I'm sure that I would have enjoyed this book more hadn't there been the constant irritation about the clashing futuristic and historical feels to it.

The story starts at a cottage in Reddick forest where the future queen of the Tearling has been kept save for all her life. Now it's time to take the journey to the castle and claim her birthright. This journey supplies readers with action-packed pursuits and many new dark characters Kelsea meets along the way. We are provided with a map of the Tearling which makes it a lot easier to follow Kelsea's way.

THE QUEEN OF THE TEARLING is told from multiple perspectives. There is of course Kelsea who is our main narrator. You even slip inside the antagonistic Red Queen's head and experience her view on the impending war between the Tearling and Mortmesne. You can expect violence and strong language.

It's very hard to figure out where the story is headed romance-wise. There are hints at a future love story for Kelsea. And if Kelsea falls for one certain character known as the Fetch it promises to become a very dark romance since he's a complete enigma and appears more dangerous than amiable. 

   At first Kelsea herself proved to be quite difficult to like. She had very low self esteem and many issues with her body, always talking about how unlikable she was and how beautiful other people were in comparison. So that means she has still a lot of growing-up to do. One of her big trials is to figure out her opinion on the slave trade that has been happening in her kingdom for years.

   Lazarus, her Queen's guard captain, was by far my favourite character of the story since he was always so sure of himself and very protective of Kelsea.

3/5 *** THE QUEEN OF THE TEARLING - A dark and twisted new series where dystopia meets historical fiction and no one is safe, especially not the future queen.

When I first picked up Erika Johansen's debut novel I found the detailed and very descriptive writing immensely slowing down my reading progress. It was only until I was halfway through the four hundred plus pages that the story picked up pace and I clicked with the characters. I'm definitely reading the sequel to this promising first book in the THE QUEEN OF THE TEARLING series.

"Kelsea remembered the comb in her hand and turned to take care of the mare, her mind moving like a wild thing while she worked.

Perhaps daring will win them. 

You'll never win the respect of these people. You'll be lucky not to die before you reach the Keep. 

Maybe. But I have to try something.

You speak as though you have options. All you can do is what they tell you.

I'm the Queen. I'm not bound by them.

So think most queens, right until the moment the axe falls." ― p. 21

THE QUEEN OF THE TEARLING you might enjoy THE WINNER'S CURSE by Marie Rutkoski, SNOW LIKE ASHES by Sara Raasch and THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS by Rae Carson. All three stories follow heroines who live in war-torn kingdoms who have to be strong and grow stronger in order to save everyone.

* Read the sequel, THE INVASION OF THE TEARLING coming June 2015 (US).

* Click here for an excerpt of THE QUEEN OF THE TEARLING.

* Find out more about the series on www.queenofthetearlingtrilogy.tumblr.com.

* Thanks to Bantam Press for sending me a review copy!

Book Review: The Body Electric by Beth Revis

Title: The Body Electric
Author: Beth Revis
Publisher: Scripturient Books
Publishing Date: October 6th 2014
Length: 482 pages
Keywords: YA, science fiction, dystopia, romance, friendship, artificial intelligence
Source: Author

The future world is at peace.

Ella Shepherd has dedicated her life to using her unique gift—the ability to enter people’s dreams and memories using technology developed by her mother—to help others relive their happy memories.

But not all is at it seems.

Ella starts seeing impossible things—images of her dead father, warnings of who she cannot trust. Her government recruits her to spy on a rebel group, using her ability to experience—and influence—the memories of traitors. But the leader of the rebels claims they used to be in love—even though Ella’s never met him before in her life. Which can only mean one thing…

Someone’s altered her memory.

Ella’s gift is enough to overthrow a corrupt government or crush a growing rebel group. She is the key to stopping a war she didn’t even know was happening. But if someone else has been inside Ella’s head, she cannot trust her own memories, thoughts, or feelings.

So who can she trust?

Summary by Goodreads 

Everyone who's read my review of SHADES OF EARTH, the last book in the ACROSS THE UNIVERSE trilogy, knows I'm a huge fan of all three books in Beth Revis' debut series. Since the end of SHADES OF EARTH I have been craving a sequel to Amy and Elder's story and wanting to know how life on earth looked like after so many years spent on the Godspeed. In THE BODY ELECTRIC Beth Revis gave us the chance to learn more about what happened to our planet after Amy left it in ACROSS THE UNIVERSE. You can imagine how ecstatic I was when Beth asked me to review her newest book. I admire her for writing this story and for deciding to publish it on her own!

THE BODY ELECTRIC is set some time in the 2300s and comes along as part sci-fi, part dystopia. You'll definitely recognize a few details and elements from the AtU trilogy, the Godspeed and its story is a legend now. I loved that!

As much as I was looking forward to get to know Ella and Jack and the world they are living in, I was beginning to notice that some components of the story weren't quite working for me. If you know how brilliantly Beth Revis' previous books are written you'll notice that this story still could've used some fine-tuning and polishing. This is a problem due to lack of thorough editing. All chapters are pretty short, spanning only a few pages, which I appreciate in a book. 

Beth's narration in THE BODY ELECTRIC often provides very vivid images and gory details. I certainly wouldn't describe these bloody details as YA inappropriate, but definitely not very appealing for a reader like me who had been looking forward to a more romantic story. I had expected the major part of the story to revolve around Ella and Jack and their romance. I didn't need the entire focus to be on it, but I would've wished for more intimacy and emotional attachment between the two. Because the moments they had were great!

Furthermore, I wasn't entirely comfortable with the character cast Beth Revis chose for her THE BODY ELECTRIC because I was convinced it wasn't as rich and varied as it could have been to provide the background for a thrilling and riveting story. In addition, dystopian Malta, only confused me more than it worked toward an exotic choice of a setting. But I can also imagine that many readers will find the dystopian city of New Venice interesting to explore. Bonus points for the map of New Venice on the first pages of the book. 
Also there sure will be many fans of the discourse between humans and robots. The mind and feelings of a living, breathing individual versus those of a machine, technically constructed and programmed.

Whereas the overall picture of THE BODY ELECTRIC didn't ultimately made me see this book as a perfect companion novel to Beth's previous books, I noticed that her eye for detail and technical innovations was as sharp as ever. She has the writing magic to conjure a stunning future world!  

3/5 *** THE BODY ELECTRIC - A slightly flawed harmony between character cast, setting and editing work make for an average YA sci-fi read. Yet, many readers will find it thought-provoking and visionary!

This story is a possible treat for many ACROSS THE UNIVERSE fans. But notice that you don't have to have read Beth's previous trilogy to enjoy Ella and Jack's story. I can honestly say that even if I didn't enjoy THE BODY ELECTRIC quite as much as I had hoped I would,  I would always support Beth Revis' writing and encourage readers (especially those who are new to the genre and are hesitant about picking up a sci-fi story) to read her books!

"I push the button.

The reverie chair hums with life. I have a moment to see the sparkle of the nanobots mixed with the green puff of reverie drug, and then I blink, and then ―

― My body explodes with pain." ― p. 29

THE BODY ELECTRIC by Beth Revis you will enjoy her ACROSS THE UNIVERSE trilogy, too. I loved it so much and have recommended it to many friends and readers already.

* Read LOVE IS A CHOICE and dive into Beth's dystopian writing.

* Click here to read an excerpt of THE BODY ELECTRIC!

* Read Beth Revis' short story THE TURNING TEST for free.

* For more information about Beth and her books visit www.bethrevis.com.

* A big thank you to Beth Revis for sending me a copy of THE BODY ELECTRIC for review!

Book Review: The Manifesto on How to be Interesting by Holly Bourne

Title: The Manifesto on How to be Interesting
Author: Holly Bourne
Publisher: Usborne Publishing
Publishing Date: August 1st 2014
Length: 464 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, romance, friendship, transformation
Source: Publisher

Apparently I'm boring. A nobody. But that's all about to change. Because I am starting a project. Here. Now. For myself. And if you want to come along for the ride then you're very welcome.

Bree is a loser, a wannabe author who hides behind words. Most of the time she hates her life, her school, her never-there parents. So she writes.

But when she’s told she needs to start living a life worth writing about, The Manifesto on How to Be Interesting is born. Six steps on how to be interesting. Six steps that will see her infiltrate the popular set, fall in love with someone forbidden and make the biggest mistake of her life.

Summary by Goodreads

First impression: Unique story approach and a protagonist worth getting to know better. Holly Bourne introduces us to Bree, a quiet girl who is very intelligent and withdrawn. Soon she's going to change radically. In the beginning she has a fantastic relationship with her best friend Holdo. They watch movies together and hang out. They have a very trusting and intimate friendship that makes both their lives so much brighter. It is a friendship that I recognized as something very important for Bree's story. One that could've worked against the mean girl streak she's developing at some point. Unfortunately, Holly Bourne allowed Bree to completely neglect the great support I saw in their friendship and ditch Holdo for her fake new life.

Second glance: I can honestly say that I didn't like Bree anymore once she was caught in her plan to become popular at all costs. And all for the cause of her own curious social research for her writing. Her goal is to seduce Hugo and become friends with his girlfriend and their clique in order to observe their life and analyse their ways of being interesting and popular. I hated that everythigng was kind of an experiment for her and that she didn't really want to change her life the way she did because she wanted to live it that way. It all felt kind of fake and I couldn't but cringe at the sure future outcome and the unfairness towards the people she was deceiving.

What could've saved Bree's story for me wasn't present. A romance that I could enjoy and get lost in. In all her confusion and revenge I was hoping for Bree to find a person who would be so good for her that she could finally accept herself. Her relationship to her teacher is an prominent part of the story in order to distinguish and show readers the difference between fake and real Bree. But sadly I'm no big fan of reading about student teacher romances. Don't you find them kind of irritating, too?

Still, sometimes I even found myself engaging in Bree's transformation and hoped for the popular kids to actually like her so that she could establish an honest and kind friendship with them. Her manifesto changes the relationship to her parents as well and especially the bond between mother and daughter. The family part of Bree's story was probably my favourite because it was the one most real and emotional.

Holly Bourne's writing was skillful and that's why I'll definitely read her debut novel SOULMATES soon.

3/5 *** THE MANIFESTO ON HOW TO BE INTERESTING - A very delicate thought experiment for every reader!

THE MANIFESTO ON HOW TO BE INTERESTING explores the depths of a teenager's feelings of failure and unacceptance. How important is popularity and success for a young adult? And how much is someone willing to sacrifice of what's been good in his or her life if they can get something supposedly better? Would you be willing to hurt the people you love in order to reach that goal?

"But successful people - like, the really-made-it ones - stay quiet until it's finished. Bree didn't do failure, not well anyway. Therefore she was keeping quiet until she knew for sure that her plan was foolproof." ― p. 68

THE MANIFESTO ON HOW TO BE INTERESTING you might enjoy MY HEART AND OTHER BLACK HOLES by Jasmine Warga, SOLITAIRE by Alice Oseman or THE WORST GIRLFRIEND IN THE WORLD by Sarra Manning.

* Have you read SOULMATES? This is Holly Bourne's debut.

* Read an excerpt of THE MANIFESTO ON HOW TO BE INTERESTING here.

* For more information about Holly Bourne and her books visit www.hollybourne.co.uk.

* Thanks to Usborne Publishing for sending me a copy of THE MANIFESTO ON HOW TO BE INTERESTING for review!

Mini Reviews #26

Looking for some thrilling YA reads this summer and fall? Then these are your books! THE MURDER COMPLEX by Lindsay Cummings, BLACKBIRD by Anna Carey and UNRAVELING by Elizabeth Norris.

The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings

This debut transports its readers to a futuristic world where life means nothing and killing is everything. It's time for Meadow Woodson, who has been trained to fight and survive anything, to find her place in this cruel and dangerous society. Zephyr James is already part of that system, an assassin. Their roles in the system could uncover truths and secrets that could ultimately hurt both of them and destroy their new-found bond. 

THE MURDER COMPLEX is made up of short chapters told from Zephyr and Meadow's perspectives which I liked both. The actual story could be confusing at times though. When one string of action had just begun and got promptly interrupted by another, I tended to fail to stay on top of things. The system our characters are caught in is dangerous. When starting this read you have to expect violence to be a big part of this very extreme and unpolished world Lindsay Cummings invented. And it's no surprise society is slowly and inevitably crumbling under the weight of violene, death and betrayal. In the end this twisted game of killing and being killed was even too wicked for me.

3/5 *** THE MURDER COMPLEX -  One bloody great debut some would say! Rough characters, dark story line with unpolished writing in some places.

THE MURDER COMPLEX is Lindsay Cummings' debut novel. She's come a long way to become a published YA author. And she came up with a very powerful story idea, centred around a reckless society reigned by one of the most dangerous threats to humanity, murder. Promising story concept, lacking in realization. This book is for readers who are looking for extreme and challenging reads.

 

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Publishing Date: June 10^th 2014
Length: 398 pages
Keywords: YA, thriller, dystopia, killing society, romance

Source: Edelweiss

Goodreads Summary 

The Murder Complex Excerpt  

Author's Homepage

Blackbird by Anna Carey

"A girl wakes up on the train tracks, a subway car barreling down on her. With only minutes to react, she hunches down and the train speeds over her. She doesn’t remember her name, where she is, or how she got there. She has a tattoo on the inside of her right wrist of a blackbird inside a box, letters and numbers printed just below: FNV02198. There is only one thing she knows for sure: people are trying to kill her." 

Sometimes it felt like Anna Carey kind of threw her readers on the train tracks, too, and asked them to work out how to like BLACKBIRD with so few information about our heroine and everything about her life. BLACKBIRD starts as a complete mystery that needs to be solved step by step. First it was difficult for me to get into the mood for this kind of story. But then suddenly one third into the story, I was so invested I just needed to read all of it as soon as possible. Especially the love story and creepy flashbacks worked perfectly for me to make Anna Carey's newest book an equally dark and desirable fall read 2014.

4/5 **** BLACKBIRD - Anna Carey's newest book is a fall '14 highlight and should be an auto-buy for YA thriller readers!

BLACKBIRD is a definite must-read for fans of the MARA DYER series, too. It might not be as extreme and terrifying but sure sets a dark and dangerous atmosphere for one girl's fight to find out her true identity. The hunt for clues, the never-ending run from her pursuers and secret girl's relentless willpower are what make Anna Carey's new book so exciting and memorable.

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publishing Date: September 16^th 2014
Length: 256 pages
Keywords: YA, thriller, mystery, romance

Source: Edelweiss

Goodreads Summary 

Author's Homepage

Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris

Janelle and Ben have the most uncommon start for a love at first sight. The story of UNRAVELING begins when a boy saves a girl's life and literally brings her back from the dead after she's been hit by a car and her heart stopped beating. How he did that and how Janelle and Ben are going to save the world together will be explored in Elizabeth Norris' fast-paced YA thriller debut.

UNRAVELING is a sci-fi thriller with many mysterious occurrences. It's also set over the course of 24 days. I was unable to put it down! 

It's when Janelle discovers a clock that counts down to the destruction of the earth, that our countdown of 24 days starts. In the beginning of every chapter there's a note on how much time is left, increasing the urgency and the enormity of what's at risk. Her familiar situation isn't that simple either and her brother, father and mother are definitly no happy family. I really loved that part of the story and its sincerity and realness. Just as real was the romance between Janelle and Ben. It was destined to be, impulsive and hot. And the end of UNRAVLING totally broke my heart! Very much need to get to its sequel, UNBREAKABLE soon.

5/5 ***** UNRAVELING - A badass teen agent caught between an unforgettable love story, a murder investigation and parallel worlds.

UNRAVELING is one of my favourite YA thrillers and I absolutely loved that Janelle was so passionate and professional about everything she did. She's a great investigator (probably thanks to her father being an FBI agent), always says what's on her mind and is fighting for justice whenever she can. The whole story reminded me a bit of a more mysterious and scientific Veronica Mars. If you decide to pick up a copy of this first book in a duology, you should get ready to solve a few gruesome crime cases and enjoy the romance between Ben and Janelle which is just as sweet.

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Publishing Date: April 24^th 2012
Length: 464 pages
Keywords: YA, thriller, mystery, romance, FBI, parallel worlds

Source: Bought

Goodreads Summary 

Unraveling Excerpt  

Author's Homepage

Mini Reviews #25

After an extended blogging break I'm finally back with a new mini reviews post. 17 FIRST KISSES by Rachael Allen, THE THINGS YOU KISS GOODBYE by Leslie Connor and THROUGH TO YOU by Lauren Barnholdt  are June and July 2014 releases and all make for great summer reads.

17 First Kisses by Rachael Allen

Claire and Megan are best friends and they are completely boy-crazy. When a new boy moves to town Claire is determined he could finally be her one true love but she has to risk her friendship with Megan in order to test her theory.

Claire and Megan's friendship was always presented like it couldn't coexist with their dating life. Her list of kisses, which Claire often talks about like trophies or inanities, is long. And so I couldn't help thinking that her emotional world felt very limited. Or maybe I just  couldn't see any sense in the fight she has with her supposedly best friend Megan over the new boy Luke. 

Luke and Claire's love story could've been something to enjoy if he really were the one boy who she truly cared about. But with all the fighting going on between the two girls, their romance gets petty and complicated fast and wasn't that romantic and dreamy in the end.

3/5 *** 17 FIRST KISSES - A mostly kissable YA contemporary debut 2014. But better be prepared for all the boy drama!

One potentially great love story for Claire is not nearly enough to make up for all the juvenile fighting between Claire and Megan we have to endure. But Rachael Allen also tells a bunch of funny, awkward and cute stories of first kisses that make her debut novel a YA contemporary you might want to check out.

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publishing Date: June 17^th 2014
Length: 319 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, romance, friendship

Source: Edelweiss

Goodreads Summary 

17 First Kisses Excerpt  

Author's Homepage

The Things You Kiss Goodbye by Leslie Connor

Bettina lives a very controlled life somewhat removed from friends, dating or fun activities other people her age would take for granted. She lives on a farm with her parents and two little brothers and has to abide by the strict rules her Greek father enforces on her. I often felt sorry for her since her father seemed to observe her every move and keep her outings to a very limited number. And where the family story didn't really work for me, Bettina's love life was looking kind of complicated, too. It wasn't always easy to feel a connection to Bettina. 
She also lives in an abusive relationship until she meets someone new. A different boy, an older boy. Two love stories and not one of them really convinced me. Then there's a great tragedy, too, which changes everything. You see, Bettina's story is anything but easy. Hopefully, many readers will appreciate the time Leslie Connor gave her protagonist in order to come out of all the unfortunate things she had to deal with, changed and a better and stronger person.

3/5 *** THE THINGS YOU KISS GOODBYE - A very special love story with Greek temper and a tragedy that changes everything! 

Bettina's story was pretty decent. She was a character I liked one chapter, then had a few issues with in the next. So in general, I feel very ambivalent about this story when I look at the balance of its bright and very dark moments. One thing I have to give Leslie Connor, she definitely surprised me at one point in the story, so much so that the story got a different quality to it. Totally unexpected!

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Publishing Date: June 24^th 2014
Length: 368 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, romance, family, friendship, abuse, Greek culture

Source: Publisher

Goodreads Summary 

The Things You Kiss Goodbye Excerpt  

Author's Homepage

Through To You by Lauren Barnholdt

Harper and Penn's story is one that tells how opposites attract each other. Lauren Barnholdt's newest book is told from his and her perspective. Chapters read fast and easily, which I liked just fine.

When I hear about a new novel by Lauren Barnholdt I'm always excited about the story and can't wait to read it, but in the end it's just not enough. With its cute premise THROUGH TO YOU sounded like the kind of story fans of Simone Elkeles or Katie McGarry could be interested in. But as always with Lauren's books, the characters didn't feel as forthcoming, well-rounded or with enough emotional depth as they could've been. But don't get me wrong, Harper and Penn's love story is cute and I guess theirs is the one that I liked best out of Lauren's stories.

3/5 *** THROUGH TO YOU - Penn and Harper are Lauren Barnholdt's cutest couple so far!

I  like that Lauren Barnholdt's books always make for a fast and light read with a little morale lesson or emotional or personal conflict solved. I will keep reading her books even though I fear I won't ever be completely satisfied by them. Maybe if I just accept that, I can hopefully enjoy them more in the future.

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publishing Date: July 8^th 2014
Length: 256 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, romance, high school

Source: Edelweiss

Goodreads Summary 

Through To You Excerpt  

Author's Homepage

Book Review: Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern

Title: Say What You Will
Author: Cammie McGovern
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publishing Date: June 3rd 2014
Length: 352 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, friendship, love, cerebral palsy, OCD
Source: Publisher

Born with cerebral palsy, Amy can't walk without a walker, talk without a voice box, or even fully control her facial expressions. Plagued by obsessive-compulsive disorder, Matthew is consumed with repeated thoughts, neurotic rituals, and crippling fear. Both in desperate need of someone to help them reach out to the world, Amy and Matthew are more alike than either ever realized.

When Amy decides to hire student aides to help her in her senior year at Coral Hills High School, these two teens are thrust into each other's lives. As they begin to spend time with each other, what started as a blossoming friendship eventually grows into something neither expected.

Summary by Goodreads

Amy and Matthew both have their issues to deal with. Amy was born with cerebral palsy and Matthew's days are defined by his obsessive-compulsive disorder. They both tell you about their school and home lives, and their blossoming relationship from their own perspectives. These alternating chapters were definitely important to the story because what shapes their relationship and determines their actions and feelings is made up of very complex processes. You learn what it means to have OCD or cerebral palsy, the varying levels of them, how they can develop and ways of therapy.

Matthew comes into Amy's life in form of a student aide. I wasn't even familiar with that concept before I read SAY WHAT YOU WILL. I learned a lot reading Amy and Matthew's story and it sure helped me to think myself in the position of students who are affected by anything like our two main characters.

SAY WHAT YOU WILL kicked off with a very strong first half in which I was absolutely invested in Amy and Matthew's stories. Then something happened that threw me and the characters completely off course and after that I didn't really get into the original mood of the story again. I can't say anything about the events that led to a turn in the story and practically put a buffer on all my cheering for Amy and Matthew's love story. Not sure how other readers dealt with the last part of the book, but I'm sure not everyone sees what's happening as critical to the story as I do.

Cammie McGovern's first YA novel is set in high school. It's Amy and Matthew's senior year. And SAY WHAT YOU WILL is about all the usual stuff that is high school, but it's also about the things that are different for our two characters and why. There are even chapters on Amy and Matthew's lives after high school. In general I really like when the end of high school isn't the end of the story.

Amy and Matthew. Friendship and love. Their lives are made up of clear boundaries. Things people think they can't do or even things their illness keeps them from doing. And now when it comes to two of the most important emotional investments in life, the boundaries that have been ever-present in their lives before are blurring. Considering Cammie's writing technique and her easing the reader slowly, first into Amy and Matthew's friendship, and then into their possible love scenario, SAY WHAT YOU WILL is an amazing read.

3/5 *** SAY WHAT YOU WILL - Messy, enabling and very beautiful in parts!

This could be one of the most real and inspiring stories you are ever going to read. Amy and Matthew's love story is unpredictable in many ways, some you'll like, others may be somewhat infuriating. One thing is clear though, this story is one very challenged love story in many aspects. It will draw out your emotions and may as well steal your heart.

"Everything changed for Amy after that conversation with Matthew.

For most of her school life, Amy had felt a little like Rapunzel, locked in the tower her walker created when she walked down hallways. In eleven years, no one had ever called up to her window or asked for her hair. No one had ever tried to be her friend.

Impossible, you might say. Everyone has some friends.

No, Amy would have to say. Not everyone." ― p. 21

SAY WHAT YOU WILL you might enjoy WONDER by R.J. Palacio. You'll love this Middle Grade story about brave Auggie who was born with a facial deformity. FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB by Antony John tells the story of deaf Piper who has to manage a rock band. And GIRL, STOLEN by April Henry is about the kidnapping of the blind Cheyenne. These books have protagonists who are challenged in some way, and I'm sure you'll enjoy all of them.

* How do you like the UK cover for Amy & Matthew's story?

* Want to meet Cammie McGovern? Check out her event schedule.

* For more information about Cammie and her books visit www.cammiemcgovern.com.

* Thanks to Harper Collins International for the ARC of SAY WHAT YOU WILL!