Mini Reviews #29

This week I wrote three (not so short) reviews of YA contemporary novels that have very special protagonists with immensely emotional stories. EVERYTHING THAT MAKES YOU by Moriah McStay, BETTER THAN PERFECT by Melissa Kantor and THE LAST TIME WE SAY GOODBYE by Cynthia Hand are three fabulous reads that I can all recommend!

Everything That Makes You by Moriah McStay

"One girl. Two stories. Meet Fiona Doyle. The thick ridges of scar tissue on her face are from an accident twelve years ago. Fiona has notebooks full of songs she’s written about her frustrations, her dreams, and about her massive crush on beautiful uber-jock Trent McKinnon. If she can’t even find the courage to look Trent straight in his beautiful blue eyes, she sure isn’t brave enough to play or sing any of her songs in public. But something’s changing in Fiona. She can’t be defined by her scars anymore.
   And what if there hadn’t been an accident? Meet Fi Doyle. Fi is the top-rated female high school lacrosse player in the state, heading straight to Northwestern on a full ride. She’s got more important things to deal with than her best friend Trent McKinnon, who’s been different ever since the kiss. When her luck goes south, even lacrosse can’t define her anymore. When you’ve always been the best at something, one dumb move can screw everything up. Can Fi fight back?"(Goodreads)

   EVERYTHING THAT MAKES YOU is one fabulous debut! The story is told from the perspectives of Fiona, the girl with the scars, and Fi, the girl without the scars. What a smart idea to explore the numerous possibilities of two alternate lives. How one accident never happening would change the life of one girl, influence her self-confidence, her perception and her relationships. I loved that Fiona was the girl we got to met first. She is the broken one, but she is also the original and she really deserves to tell her story.  
   It is set in their eleventh grade, twelfth grade and college freshman year. This arrangement was very attractive because it allows us to get a feel for their stories without getting lost in too many details while allowing a glimpse at the future. 
   This debut also shines with its two beautiful love stories! I have massive crushes on Trent and Jackson. Fi and Fiona's love stories are messy, romantic, tragic. They are perfect with all their imperfections!

   With EVERYTHING THAT MAKES YOU Moriah McStay wrote a twofold emotional story about Fiona, the scarred girl who has to make brave decisions and Fi, the perfectly intact girl who has to cope with an incredible loss and romantic complications of the best friend kind. I loved them both!

4,5/5 ****/* EVERYTHING THAT MAKES YOU - A sensible read about one very special girl.

Moriah McStay tells EVERYTHING THAT MAKES YOU with an incredibly gentle and heart-warming finesse. The moment Moriah McStay decided to make her debut novel about two alternate lives for a girl with a face deformity, she won this reader as a big fan of her writing. I can't wait to find out what her next project will be.

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publishing Date: March 17th 2015
Length: 352 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, romance, friendship, college
Source: Edelweiss
Goodreads Summary  
Author's Homepage

Better Than Perfect by Melissa Kantor

"Juliet Newman has it all. A picture-perfect family; a handsome, loving boyfriend; and a foolproof life plan: ace her SATs, get accepted into Harvard early decision, and live happily ever after.
   But when her dad moves out and her mom loses it, Juliet begins questioning the rules she’s always lived by. And to make everything even more complicated there’s Declan, the gorgeous boy who makes her feel alive and spontaneous—and who’s totally off-limits. Torn between the life she always thought she wanted and one she never knew was possible, Juliet begins to wonder: What if perfect isn't all it’s cracked up to be?"(Goodreads)

   BETTER THAN PERFECT was a great read, because it represents themes, problems and inner conflicts many young adults can relate to.
   Juliet's family has massive problems caused by the divorce of her parents. Her mother tried to kill herself and failed. Now Juliet has to deal with her shock and grief. Juliet has to find a way to trust her father again and to let him be a part of her life, too. Her relationship to her parents is delicate and it takes a lot of work and trust to forge a new bond, to make their love stronger than before. I was emotionally involved in their family drama from the first pages. 

  Her family's instability is suddenly causing problems in other parts of her life, too. She isn't sure of going to Harvard anymore, that she wants to be together forever with her boyfriend Jason, that she wants to spend her days studying only. BETTER THAN PERFECT is about a teenager whose life is turned upside down with one tragic event and learning to find out what she really wants in life. The emotional changes, small and big, her decisions and feelings were absolutely understandable, making Juliet an incorruptible protagonist readers will root for. Melissa Kantor told her story with great sensitivity and skill.

   Juliet's decision to join Declan's band turns her controlled world around. The band scores with their Irish charm. I loved the passionate, care-free feel music added to Juliet's story. Just like her feelings for Declan did. Juliet and Declan's story isn't your typical YA love story, but something different to get lost in.

4/5 **** BETTER THAN PERFECT - A sensitive and optimistic story about family, new love and a new awareness of life! 

Juliet was such a congenial protagonist because even though she seems to have everything, we fast learn that she is vulnerable and indecisive, too. Her life isn't as perfect as everyone thinks. I love stories like BETTER THAN PERFECT which have great character development to offer. Melissa Kantor's newest book was an altogether comforting and empowering read.

  

Publisher: HarperTeen
Publishing Date: February 17th 2015
Length: 336 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, romance, family, friendship, divorce, music
Source: Edelweiss
Goodreads Summary  
Author's Homepage

The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand

"The last time Lex was happy, it was before. When she had a family that was whole. A boyfriend she loved. Friends who didn't look at her like she might break down at any moment. Now she's just the girl whose brother killed himself. And it feels like that's all she'll ever be. As Lex starts to put her life back together, she tries to block out what happened the night Tyler died. But there's a secret she hasn't told anyone-a text Tyler sent, that could have changed everything. Lex's brother is gone. But Lex is about to discover that a ghost doesn't have to be real to keep you from moving on."(Goodreads)

   THE LAST TIME WE SAY GOODBYE is a contemplative and moving YA contemporary read by Cynthia Hand. From past reading experience with her UNEARTHLY series I knew that I could rely on Cynthia Hand's excellent writing. I knew her protagonist Lex would be one character worth getting to know.

   Only a few pages into Lex's story, I noticed that hers was the story of her brother, too. How Lex lives her life is strongly connected to the fact that she just lost her brother. So through Lex's perspetive we find out what kind of person Tyler was, why the love for his family wasn't enough to keep him alive. It wasn't at all easy for Lex and the reader to understand Tyler's suicide. So it takes some time for the story to reveal details and insights about his death. Who wouldn't understand that Lex is in shock and emotional disturbance?

   I was so glad that Lex still had her parents, Steven and friends who supported her. Despite her separation from Steven, he is still her anchor and someone she deeply cares about. Theirs is a very cautious and delicate love story, perfectly in tune with the story's overall spirit. 

   Because she can't deal with her feelings on her own Lex has to see someone. She writes down her thoughts about her brother and what hurtful and dark thoughts are occupying her mind. Sometimes the story markedly slowed down when Alexis had her therapy sessions or was writing about past memories. There isn't anything super exciting about Lex's story, anything that is overly surprising or nerve-wracking. This story's power lies more in the quiet and character-wise strong and moving moments.

4/5 **** THE LAST TIME WE SAY GOODBYE - A brave story about loss, recovery and, most important, love.

After BOUNDLESS, the last book in Cynthia Hand's UNEARTHLY series, readers definitely knew about her talent for delicate, sometimes teary and emotionally complex plots. I would describe THE LAST TIME WE SAY GOODBYE as a quiet read, more on the contemplative side. What deeply touched me was that Cynthia Hand can in some way relate to the story she wrote for Lex and her brother Tyler. She did a great job with her newest book!

Publisher: HarperTeen
Publishing Date: February 10th 2015
Length: 400 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, tragedy, suicide, family, romance
Source: Edelweiss
Goodreads Summary  
The Last Time We Say Goodbye Excerpt  
Author's Homepage

Book Review: It Had to Be You by Ellie Adams

Title: It Had to Be You
Author: Ellie Adams
Publisher: Corgi
Publishing Date: August 28th 2014
Length: 448 pages
Keywords: Adult, chick lit, romance, friendship, break-up, PR, London
Source: Publisher

The worst break-up ever . . .

Lizzy Spellman has been dumped. On her birthday. In front of all her friends. By the man she thought was the one. Someone even filmed it, so now she's a YouTube hit too.

. . . Could be the best thing that has ever happened to her

When she thinks things can't get any worse, she meets the rudest and most cynical man in the world, and finds a new reason for living. To prove him wrong.

Love does exist, and she's going to find it . . .

Summary by Goodreads

Lizzy Spellman is one of the funniest chick lit girls I've had the pleasure to accompany on her disastrous journey to happiness. We clicked on the first page when Lizzy is in this aweful costume and is called on stage to sing karaoke in front of a horde of wedding guests and get dumped by her boyfriend. And then a YouTube video of the whole scene goes viral. What a terribly awkward start to the story! Of course I was instantly hooked and couldn't wait to find out what else Ellie Adams had planned for her heroine.

Lizzy and Elliot are not your typical adorable chick lit couple. He's a grump. She is disappointed in men after being dumped in front of a huge crowd. The two are pretty different characters. Elliot is always disapproving and hesitant at letting people into his life, whereas Lizzy is bubbly and outgoing. You think Lizzy can break his shell?

IT HAD TO BE YOU is like a quick-witted and  modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice. He seems so rude and unapproachable at first and Lizzy is instantly convinced that he's stuck up. Still, between misunderstandings and confusions a solid and beautiful friendship develops between the two. Their friendship makes up a good part of the story until they finally get a chance to test their romantic feelings for each other. Which was a welcome change to the love stories that feel too intense too fast. I could really use a sequel to the story so that I can find out what happens next in Lizzy and Elliot's love story.
Friendship in general is a brilliant aspect of this book. Poppet and Nic are Lizzy's best friends. And they are such fun friends who made the story a much more enjoyable read. As much as you want a happy ending for Lizzy, you want it for her friends, too.

Like many others of my favourite chick lit books IT HAD TO BE YOU is set in London. This very urban and colorful setting holds so many possiblities. One of them is Lizzy working in PR. And the PR work was hilarious. Usually, I'm not very into reading so much about what characters are doing at work every day, but Lizzy's job experiences really gave the book an uplifting and warm spirit. Lizzy's work scenes were probably my favourite part of her story. I couldn't count how often I texted a friend to share the hilarious jokes. They are too good not to be shared!

4,5/5 ****/* IT HAD TO BE YOU - This has to be it, your next chick lit read! 

Lizzy Spellman is a character you want to meet. She's funny. She's lively. And I could relate to her really well. Lizzy's awkward and hilarious situations, and secondary characters with actual,  outstanding personalities make IT HAD TO BE YOU an especially memorable read.  I read  Ellie Adams' new book in one sitting while on vacation. 

"On the night of the 30th Birthday Party of Doom, Lizzy Spellman learnt three things.

Number one: Camera phones are the worst invention in the history of womankind.

Number two: She was never going to get another boyfriend again. After drinking herself to death on Kumala white whine, her body would lie undiscovered for weeks until the semi-hot postman with the Three Lions tattoo on his calf noticed the bad smell, or someone realized that she hadn't been on Facebook for a while.

Number three: It's bloody murder going for a wee in a Henry VIII costume." ― p.7

IT HAD TO BE YOU you might enjoy YOU HAD ME AT HELLO by Mhairi McFarlane, IT FELT LIKE A KISS by Sarra Manning and CHASING DAISY by Paige Toon. Three stories about girls finding Mr. Right even if they havn't been looking for him in the first place.

* Ellie Adams also writes as Jo Carnegie. Read more about her 2013 release PARTY GAMES here.

* Click here to read  an excerpt of IT HAD TO BE YOU.

* Want to read an interview with Jo Carnegie? You can find it here.

* For more information about Ellie Adams and her books visit www.churchminster.co.uk.

* Thanks to Corgi for sending me a proof copy of IT HAD TO BE YOU for review!

Book Review: On the Fence by Kasie West

Title: On the Fence
Author: Kasie West
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publishing Date: July 1st 2014
Length: 304 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, romance, friendship, tomboy
Source: Publisher

She's a tomboy. He's the boy next door…

Charlie Reynolds can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at a chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world. To cope with the stress of her new reality, Charlie takes to spending nights chatting with her neighbor Braden through the fence between their yards. As she grows to depend on their nightly Fence Chats, she realizes she's got a bigger problem than speeding tickets-she's falling for Braden. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.

 Summary by Goodreads

Charlie lives with her three brothers and her dad. Her life is dominated by sports and all-male topics, so no wonder she's grown up being a tomboy. The five of them were such a great team and always supported each other that I couldn't but want to be a part of their family. Charlie and her brothers can be goofy, dare each other to do the most hilarious, disgusting or reckless things, but they can be serious, too, when necessary. Charlie lost her mother when she was very young and her feelings about that and how it has always influenced the direction her life has taken, are an important part of who she is and who she can still grow up to be.

This summer is about the person Charlie wants to be and the person she needs others to see. Missing a mother, Charlie has never been into makeup or shopping like other girls her age. When she decides to get a job in a hip boutique, her constantly being confronted with girly clothes and makeup and the possiblity of actual girlfriends, finally give her the confidence to discover a more feminine side of herself. Besides that she's running a lot and is very good at sports, too, so every reader should find something to like about this story or find a piece he or she can identify with. It was fun to see Charlie's transformation and I wish I could've been there for her along the way, holding her hand and telling her that a little lipstick wouldn't ruin the boys' respect for her. 

Charlie and Braden have been friends for quite some time now. He's been kind of like a brother to her. So you can imagine the emotional distress any romantic feelings for him would cause Charlie. Things are shifting between Braden and Charlie, feelings changing over time. And of course it takes her more than a few chapters to realize what the change in their relationship is all about. 

A relationship starting off as a new or even deeper friendship always has a different dynamic to the whole way the story gets under way. So the realization of Charlie and Braden's romance is kind of slow and, surprisingly, I was fine with that. The advertised Fence Chats tough weren't everything I had imagined them to be. They could've been even more emotional, intimate and frequent, so that they would've been a more significant determinator of how the entire story would develop and so I could remember them as more of a highlight to the story.

Braden is Charlie's neighbour, too. So this is the story of the girl who falls for her neighbour/friend/quasi family member/substitute brother. There's a lot factoring into the building of their relationship. I'm a fan of those kind of relationships that grow out of familiarity, knowing another person and his or her flaws and best qualities before developing stronger feelings. Charlie and Braden were just too cute to be true.

Kasie West made sure fans of her YA contemporary debut were reunited with some of their beloved THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US characters. I'm really hoping Kasie continues to connect her YA contemporary books with each other so that we'll never lose contact with our ON THE FENCE characters either. Would be so happy to catch up with Braden, Charlie and her brothers sometime, for they have become characters who are very dear to me.

4,5/5 ****/* ON THE FENCE - Friendship is the new romance! And this is your #1 feel-good summer read in 2014!

THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US didn't really work for me but ON THE FENCE threw me off my feet. It revived the Kasie West fangirl feelings I felt when I read her fantasy novel PIVOT POINT in 2013. Kasie West's star on her way to one of the most popular YA contemporary authors is rising fast.

'I laughed.

Braden let out a large yawn. "Okay. I better get to bed or you're going to school me in soccer tomorrow."

I smiled. Considering how crappy I felt when I came outside, I was surprised at how my insides seemed to soar. "Make sure you wear the right shoes."

"Always."' ― p.73

ON THE FENCE you might enjoy MY LIFE NEXT DOOR by Huntley Fitzpatrick, LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR by Stephanie Perkins and CATCHING JORDAN by Miranda Kenneally. Three stories that are about falling for the boy next door and/or your best friend, with CATCHING JORDAN also exploring how a girl can also be football star.

* THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US is Kasie West's YA contemporary debut novel. You should read it if you liked ON THE FENCE.

* Kasie's next book, THE FILL-IN BOYFRIEND, comes out May 2015.
 
* Click here for an excerpt of ON THE FENCE.

* Want to meet Kasie West? Check out her summer tour dates.

* For more information about Kasie and her books visit www.kasiewest.com. 

* Thanks to Harper Collins International for the review copy of ON THE FENCE! 
 

Book Review: Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky #3) by Veronica Rossi

Title: Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky #3)
Author: Veronica Rossi
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publishing Date: January 28th 2014
Length: 400 pages  
Keywords:YA, fiction, dystopian, romance, action, friendship
Source: Publisher

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.

Summary by Goodreads

When you've read all three books in this series you can see a very significant development and distinct suspense curve from UNDER THE NEVER SKY, THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT to INTO THE STILL BLUE. A trilogy with a strong and very harmonious story unit. Veronica Rossi's books are adventurous and wild and have just so much to offer. The Still Blue is this mythical and paradisiac place we've been waiting to discover together with our heroes since the very beginning and now we are as close as never before.

This last leg of Aria and Perry's journey isn't any less thrilling and dangerous than the previous instalments. This book is the chance of one last surge of action, to win the final battle against nature and the hellish Aether storms. But the Horns and the Dwellers around Hess aren't any easier to defeat than the Aether.
When our friends start into INTO THE STILL BLUE there are many uncertainties weighing them down. How can they get Cinder back? Find the Still Blue and outwit their enemies? You should be prepared to lose more characters in this final battle.

INTO THE STILL BLUE is very much about how all three different tribes are trying to achieve their respective goals, about the violence and battle potential between them. The Horns are very rural and big in force, the Dwellers are strong in the research and technology department and the Tides are caring and are putting high importance on the well-being of their people. I guess I know who you'll all be rooting for.

Amidst all the chaos and fighting there is Aria and Perry's love for each other, which is soothing and a welcome change. Their romance can be your silent island in the storm-tossed sea of this story. Now there are even more emotions and needs in the relationship of the two. Like other YA couples they are not free of conflicts and problems, but they are always reasonable and talk about what's worrying them at some point at least.

One could think after I liked all three UNDER THE NEVER SKY BOOKS so much, I should finally be able to give this last book in the trilogy the full five-star rating. Here's why, besides the very good last book that it was,  I wasn't completely happy with the ending.
Veronica Rossi reserved a good amount of chapters to tell us what's in it for our characters in future and tries to tie up every single story thread in the end. I wasn't convinced that she used the time we readers get to spend with our characters in the end economically enough. Some expendable scenes were simply stealing time from my precious last happy minutes with Aria and all the others. You can imagine I wasn't okay with that. I guess you see, this isn't the worst critique one could have about a book, wanting to always know more about your favourite characters in the end and to hope that their story never ends.

4,5/5 ****/* INTO THE STILL BLUE - The astute and perilously wonderful conclusion to the much beloved UNDER THE NEVER SKY series.

I only started the UNDER THE NEVER SKY series in the summer of 2013 and didn't have to wait too long to read the second and third books. Now I'm letting my favourite characters go with mixed feelings and can all but hope that we'll meet again soon in an UNDER THE NEVER SKY spin-off series. I'm so glad that everyone who discovers this series now can get all three books at the same time. Think of this series when you are planning your next special book series reading weekend.

"Aria lurched upright, the echo of gunshots ringing in her ears. Disoriented, she blinked at her surroundings, taking in the canvas walls, the two bed pallets, and the stack of battered storage trunks, finally recognizing Perry's tent. Pain pulsed steadily in her right arm. She looked down at the white bandage wrapped from her shoulder to her wrist, dread swirling in her stomach." ― p.1

INTO THE STILL BLUE you might enjoy THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS, a fantastical world created by Rae Carson. In BREATHE by Sarah Crossan and BLOOD RED ROAD by Moira Young teens are fighting the lack of oxygen on the planet and sandstorms. Just in case you are already missing Veronica Rossi's Aether storms.

* Have you read BROOKE, the novella between THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT and INTO THE STILL BLUE?

* Click here for an excerpt of INTO THE STILL BLUE.

* To watch the book trailer, click here.

* Want to meet Veronica Rossi? Check out her event schedule.

* For more information about Veronica and her books visit www.veronicarossi.com.

* Thanks to Harper Collins International for sending me a copy of INTO THE STILL BLUE for review!

Mini Reviews #22

What do the three books of today's Mini Reviews post have in common? THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT by Veronica Rossi, DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT by Laini Taylor and SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo are all extremely easy to love. Have you read any of them?

Through the Ever Night (Under the Never Sky #2) by Veronica Rossi

After months of being separated, Aria and Perry are finally reunited. Perry has become Blood Lord of the Tides and is struggling. How can he convince his people of his capability? Meanwhile Aria is set on finding the Still Blue. 

It doesn't take long for the young lovers to realise that they can only succeed if they face the tasks ahead on their own. How are they gonna deal with the fatal Aether storms that are annihilating the country? And when will they get a chance to be together again?

Can you imagine THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT being even better than the first book in the series, knowing Aria and Perry aren't together most of the time? I couldn't either, but it really is just as good, if not better, than the first. It took me maybe about fourty pages or so and I was drawn into Aria and Perry's story like the first time I picked up UNDER THE NEVER SKY. I love that Aria and Perry get to tell chapters from their own perspectives and although they are on their missions, they are always connected through a major common goal.

This second book in Veronica Rossi's UNDER THE NEVER SKY series deserves a loud roar, it's that good (pun intended). Her characters are as strong and unique as in the first book and the trials they see themselves faced with are even harder to endure. Roar and Liv's story was just as intriguing as Aria and Perry's. So many feels! 

With nature lashing out at the Tides, Reverie and all the other tribes, Veronica Rossi built in a relatable and reliable time bomb, putting high pressure on our characters and making sure to upset the reader, too. As Aether storms got stronger, my emotional involvement with Veronica Rossi's world grew exponentially stronger, too. I never get tired of this world!

4,5/5 ****/* THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT – A fearless and glowing second book in a beloved YA dystopian series!

I'm so delighted I gave UNDER THE NEVER SKY a try back when I thought I wouldn't like it a bit. Now I do like it so, so much. As much as Aria and Perry's story is inflicting heartache from time to time, I'm still craving to read more about them. I'm already wondering what I'll do when the series comes to an end.

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publishing Date: January 8^th 2013
Length: 341 pages
Keywords: YA, dystopian fiction, fantasy, romance, science-fiction, friendship

Source: Netgalley

Goodreads Summary 

Through the Ever Night Excerpt 

Author's Homepage

Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #2) by Laini Taylor

"Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war. This is not that world. [...] She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it."
How could one not want to read DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT after the ending of DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE? Took me a while to get into the story and feel moved though. This could be because we are following the stories of a bunch of new characters now. The many perspectives mean there's less time to learn more about our beloved Karou and Akiva, too. Akiva's siblings are playing a major role. Then there are chapters about what Zuzana and Mik are up to and how they are planning on getting Karou back. The evil angel leaders' plans on the one side, the forming of a chimaera revolution on the other. We are travelling with a slave caravan and find out how the victims are treated in a war without rules. Many new characters, that could bring new meaning, too,  make sure that this sequel is a well-rounded read regarding the narrative emphases Laini Taylor is setting.
Unforunately, there's not as much travelling in the real world, than in Eretz (One of my favourite parts of DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE were Karou's travels). But Laini Taylor takes us back to Prague where Zuzanne and Mik are worrying about Karou and a second setting in the real world which is located in the desert, under the blazing sun and the bright starry sky. Again, I did feel like I was in a different country and time when I read DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT. Laini Taylor's writing is so vivid and grasping.

4/5 **** DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT - A brutal and, later into the story, very emotional read with strong character additions.

A war-torn country, beasts and angels are fighting for their lives when the battle had been thought to be lost. I pretty much guess the pages of this sequel to DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE capture the darkest moments in our character' lives. DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT didn't have the immediate stun effect on me that the first book had. What can we expect from DREAMS OF GODS AND MONSTERS now?

Publisher: Little Brown Books For Young Readers

Publishing Date: November 6^th 2012
Length: 513 pages
Keywords: YA, fiction, fantasy, romance, chimaera, angel, war

Source: Bought

Goodreads Summary 

Days of Blood and Starlight Excerpt 

Author's Homepage

Shadow and Bone (The Grisha #1) by Leigh Bardugo

The nation of Ravka is destroyed by monsters and darkness. No one could've guessed that orphan Alina has the power that could destory Ravka's enemies and threats. Suddenly she's seeing herself becoming a part of the Grisha, the magical elite of the kingdom. And in the midst of Ravka's largest battle, Alina's heart is struggeling between her childhood friend Mal and the Darkling, the dangerous leader of the Grisha.

Leigh Bardugo set her story in Ravka, on the territory of today's Russia, whose culture has a big influence on how this story feels. The story's strong features aren't any high tech gadgets, but man power, traditions and elemental magic that hold the reader's attention easily. 

The first thing that comes to my mind when I think about SHADOW AND BONE is darkness. It's a lot about war, fighting for justice and against evil.
But there's time for friendship and love, too. Alina and Mal's is an original love story, one I wouldn't have wanted to be any different. They grew up together and have been friends for as long as they can remember. Now Alina's feelings are changing and you desperately hope that Mal's have, too. Because, honestly ladies, he's a very good catch. Strong and loyal and passionate. You definitely want him at your side when it's time to face off the evil enemies. 

It's like they were cut out of the very same fabric. Frayed and  a little bit beaten, cut here and there, patched up. They were separated on their journies to become the person they are today. And now sewn together, reunited, they are only stronger than before. They stand for a bond and cloth that can't be torn too easily. 

All the while the Darkling is reigning the nation with an iron fist. He holds great power over Alina, too, is even considered a legit love interest. Many, many girls will fall for his dark magic.

5/5 ***** SHADOW AND BONE - A dark and original read, set in a winter wonderland of magic and cruelty with an old soul. 

Leigh Bardugo introduces us to a world full of dream-like beauty. Magicians and witches, soldiers and lovers. You practically feel the magic drifting off the pages and filling up your imagination jar. SHADOW AND BONE is fabricated like your classic, old, very skillfully written fairy tale.

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Publishing Date: June 5^th 2012
Length: 358 pages
Keywords: YA, fiction, fantasy, romance, friendship, magic, Grisha, Darkling

Source: Bought 

Goodreads Summary 

Shadow and Bone Excerpt 

Author's Homepage

Book Review: Wild Cards (Wild Cards #1) by Simone Elkeles

Title: Wild Cards (Wild Cards #1)
Author: Simone Elkeles
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publishing Date: October 1st 2013
Length: 342 pages
Keywords: YA, fiction, contemporary, romance, football, patchwork family
Source: Netgalley

After getting kicked out of boarding school, bad boy Derek Fitzpatrick has no choice but to live with his ditzy stepmother while his military dad is deployed. Things quickly go from bad to worse when he finds out she plans to move them back to her childhood home in Illinois. Derek’s counting the days before he can be on his own, and the last thing he needs is to get involved with someone else’s family drama.

Ashtyn Parker knows one thing for certain--people you care about leave without a backward glance. A football scholarship would finally give her the chance to leave. So she pours everything into winning a state championship, until her boyfriend and star quarterback betrays them all by joining their rival team. Ashtyn needs a new game plan, but it requires trusting Derek—someone she barely knows, someone born to break the rules. Is she willing to put her heart on the line to try and win it all?

Summary by Goodreads

Derek and Ashtyn are yet another of Simone Elkeles' impulsive pairings who have to go a long way to finally disclose their feelings for each other. They are both quite hot tempered and very stubborn in their own ways. As always it was a pleasure to witness one of Simone Elkeles' turbulent romances evolve.

Derek might be introduced as the bad boy who breaks every girl's heart, but his true side is much more vulnerable and relaxed than anyone outside of his family would ever see. He and Ashtyn both have moving pasts that are constantly coming back to them and majorly affect their present and future together.  

Their living situation, Ashtyn and Derek in the same house, leads to a delicious attraction and constant electricity between the two of them. Them getting together would be so much more complicated for the whole family. There's also a thrilling and sneaky side to it that makes it so much more of a fun game both of them can't resist to play.

You'll also love the scenes circling around their patchwork family life. There's always something going on at their house that should keep you entertained in between very fulfilling make-out sessions and the rivalry with another football team.

Football's a huge part of Ashytn's life as it's her only hope to finally get away from her hometown and her dad. It's her great passion and Derek isn't a stranger to the sport either. I grew to like the sport very much in Miranda Keneally's CATCHING JORDAN and was happy to see football and especially the reality of female players with serious talent getting some more attention in Simone Elkeles newest YA book, too. 

WILD CARDS had very much the same feel to it like Simone's previous three Fuentes books, without the Spanish cultural background, yet not missing the hot tempered relationships. 

Simone Elkeles supplies us with a male and female perspective on the story. It's one of Simone's best writing traits, considering the need of so many readers to be in both of her characters' heads. And I definitely needed to be in Derek's head at some points during the story or I might not have cared about him as much as I did in the end (very much!).

4,5/5 ****/* WILD CARDS – An absorbing and energizing new YA game.

I expected no less than a very unpredictable love story, a couple with fiery tempers. A road trip, an unforgettable first meeting and an alluring story line should be argument enough to convince not only the football fans to pick up WILD CARDS. Very pleased to see there's already a second book in this series in work.

""You want to join me, Sugar Pie?"

I look down at my football jersey. "I'm not dressed for a party, and you didn't answer my question."

"I answered it. You comin' or not?"

He walks out of the room when I don't join him, leaving me alone with his grandmother. "Well, that was...entertaining, to say the least," she says" ― p. 270

WILD CARDS you might also enjoy CATCHING JORDAN by Miranda Kenneally and SHUT OUT by Kody Keplinger with two strong heroines who are caught in different kinds of football rivalries. Or maybe you like HOOKED by Liz Fichera about a girl on the school's golf team being not very welcome. 

  

* Haven't you read Simone's PERFECT CHEMISTRY series, yet? Get started now!

* Click here for an excerpt of WILD CARDS.

* Watch the first episode of WILD CARDS on Youtube.

* For more information about Simone and her books visit www.simoneelkeles.com.


 

Mini Reviews #14

Today's Mini Reviews post is part of my YA Halloween Fear Factor special in October and the beginning of November. Out of all the books that had yet to be reviewed I chose TEN by Gretchen McNeil, DANGEROUS GIRLS by Abigail Haas and LITTLE WHITE LIES by Katie Dale to represent the Halloween reads in form of a Mini Reviews post, because all three have something dark about them, in a horrific and/or thrilling way. Murder, betrayal, deception, now choose your brand of thrill ride.

Ten by Gretchen McNeil

Ten teenagers are invited to White Rock House, stately mannor on a private island. Meg and her best friend Minnie just wanted to have a fun weekend and enjoy the party, but someone on the island has different plans for them. When they find a DVD with a vengeful message, people start disappearing and getting killed. Of course the killer is after the two girls as well.

TEN is a mix of all the teen slasher movies that you've watched, turned into a book. The setting for TEN is very glum and isolated, a tiny island with only two mansions and a storm brewing. These factors are expected to make our characters' quest for survival harder and even though they often say they shouldn't separate they do exactly that. They were just as infuriating as teens in horror movies. Admittedly both setting and characters are a bit clichéd and the plot felt too generic. It could've been more extensive in explanations and allowed some more time to work on a stressed-out reader instead of rattling through the murders in a row, offing people like ticking off a check list. TEN comes along with a story of friendship, a small love story for Meg and one of the boys on the island and its grand killing spree. The story of our teens is supplemented with diary entries of an unknown person, whose past and entries are the key to finding out who's behind the murders.

3,5/5 ***/* TEN -  A mainstream YA horror slasher story, with creepy occurrences and gruesome murders according to schedule.

I read TEN during my summer vacation, in a lonely cottage on the Danish coast, while rainy and windy weather broke through the quiet of the night. So you can imagine a portion of the story's intended tension and creep-factor were definitly delivered to this reader.

Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publishing Date: September 18^th 2012
Length: 296 pages
Keywords: YA, horror, thriller, romance, island

Source: Bought

Goodreads Summary 

Ten Excerpt 

Author's Homepage

Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas

Murder in paradise. That's what Anna and her friends' vacation on Aruba ends with. The group of teens was only set out for a fun time and now Anna's best friend is dead and Anna herself is in jail, treated as the island's police's prime suspect.

The entire novel was strategically well-structured, scenes of Anna's trial alternating with scenes from the past and the previous nights on Aruba, doing some explaining and offering insight on how the characters play together, how they met each other and what ultimately led to the murder. Anna and Tate have a sweet romantic love story and Elise is the best friend Anna had been needing for so long.

While some short scenes of Anna's present days in prison, in dialogue with her lawyer or in the court room sometimes lack tension, sequences of Anna and Tate's as Anna and Elise's past can balance them out with their mixture of tropical romantic nights, parties, sex, drugs and deadly games.

Anna is a character one immediately feels sorry for, considering her current situation, caught in a foreign prison, without support, her friends or her family. While I felt strong sympathy for her, I even suspected her to be involved in Elise's murder as the prosecution is throwing evidence into the game that looks real bad for her.

3,5/5 ***/* DANGEROUS GIRLS – A paradisic concoction of sweet romantic and all the same murderous feelings!

 While DANGEROUS GIRLS offered a tropical dream of a murder case and I just flew through the story, the ending to the book left me disappointed in its vagueness.We are left with too flimsy a solution for the entire story that at first sight appeared to be complex in background, and with that many friends being possible suspects. Out of all the possible ways to end the story, the one Abigail Haas picked was also the reason for a perfectly engaging story to leave me unsatisfied in the end. So in the end I wished Abigail Haas would have presented us with much more details and actions on actual crimes than the ways of law.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Publishing Date: August 1^st 2013
Length: 320 pages
Keywords: YA, thriller, friendship, murder, jail, trial, romance, Aruba

Source: Bought

Goodreads Summary 

Dangerous Girls Excerpt 

Author's Homepage

Little White Lies by Katie Dale

Lou's freshly attending university. It's a new start for her. She's making new friends in only a matter of hours and she meets the attractive and secretive Christian who lives in town, too. They seem to run into each other with a conspicuous frequency. Their attraction is mutual and almost palpable, their relationship though built on a construction of lies and secrets.
Katie Dale is a genius to even let her main character keep secrets from us. Brilliant idea! You don't know who to believe and trust. I never knew who was lying and even if Lou was to be trusted. LITTLE WHITE LIES keeps you constantly guessing and reforming your opinion about its characters. Their secrets are unravelled slowly and put into context in a well-paced manner. 

Christian and Lou's relationship isn't built on the most solid foundation: lies, or at least withheld information, so there was to be expected more than one conflict to disturb their peace. Their romance is continuously evolving, changing, turning steamier, darker, more reluctant, trusting and so it is beautifully fitting into the overall arc of suspense and the various secrets that have yet to be unveiled.

4,5/5 ****/* LITTLE WHITE LIES – An artfully constructed, suspenseful thriller with high recognition factor by one of my favourite British YA authors!

I loved Katie Dale's debut novel SOMEONE ELSE'S LIFE so much. Her second book is headed in a much darker direction, a Brit thriller par excellence. Wild chases and the hunt for clues make her second novel so absolutely gripping. She shows the effect and dynamics of public news, an angry mob and a helpless individual caught in a web of lies, false assumptions and lack of chance to explain himself. I'm so excited to hear what will be Katie's next book.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Publishing Date: August 1^st 2013
Length: 384 pages
Keywords: YA, thriller, friendship, romance, UK

Source: Bought

Goodreads Summary 

Little White Lies Excerpt 

Author's Homepage