ARC Review: Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

Stats:

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: January 28, 2014

Page Count: 304

Buy Link: Amazon

Favorite Quotes:

“…grief is slippery, a tangle of thorns that dig in so deep you don’t know where they stop and you start. You don’t know where you are. I think of Caleb... He has thorns too, and I wonder if he knows where his end and he begins.”

“…I knew he understood grief. I didn’t know that it had spilled out of him and into the world.”

“I feel his smile then. I don’t just see it anymore. It crawls inside me, curls up alongside all my grief. Confuses me, just like I said.”

“I want to have his hair in my hands while he holds me.”

“’Emma,’ he says, and it’s too soon to say it, way too soon, but what’s in my heart is in his too and he touches my face, cupping the side of my jaw and my name is a prayer in his voice, four letters of joy.”

Elizabeth Scott is one of those authors that just gets people. Most of all, she explores emotion, and she does a fabulous job in her writing, as you can see from the above quotes. I am never disappointed after any of her novels.

That being said, this story was touching. Heartbreaking. The premise hooked me right away. Emma’s mother is dead, being kept alive by machines because she is a human incubator. Emma is pissed. Dan, her step-dad, is keeping her mother alive so that the baby inside her can live. She talks to her mom at the hospital daily, keeps her up to date with things at school, but she can’t be in the same room as Dan for more than a few minutes.

Now, this perfect valedictorian is beyond caring. Until she meets the notorious car thief at her school, Caleb—a trifecta of gorgeousness with a lot of crazy.

Emma soon finds out that first impressions can be wrong. A common past of tragedy links the two together.

Things I loved:

• The romance that blossoms between the two. Well written, sigh worthy. Sweet.

• Relationships. Olivia, Emma’s best friend, is always by her side and knows her needs often before Emma does. Even though they grow apart because of Caleb, Olivia is a strong and dependable friend. Dan and Emma’s constant tension is so tangible it jumps off the page. Caleb’s entire family is beyond sad. They treat him like he’s not even there because of an accident they blame him for. I really connected with the characters and their feelings through the whole book.

• The way Emma’s mom is described. The memories they made are strung throughout the pages. Even though she’s not alive in the story, I felt what a great person she was. She hated peas. She put her wallet in her purse first. She made peanut butter and corn chip sandwiches. She loved better than anyone could.

• Emma’s end epiphany. To find out what this is, you have to read the book.

Rating: 4/5 Good Read!

--BUY HEARTBEAT NOW HERE--

ARC - Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill (Release Day)

Stats:

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Date of Release: January 7, 2014

Page Count: 352
Buy Link: Amazon.com

Favorite Quotes:  

“’Girl, it’s so not personal. She should hook up with a Hoover, because that girl needs the BS sucked out of her.’”

“I grab it and jam it onto my head. It’s tight, but it fits, and it only smells like dead fish a little bit.”

“’It ain’t a big deal. Either you love it or you don’t. Either you can do it or you can’t. And, kid? I been watching you for years, and I know you can do it. The question you gotta figure out is, do you love it?’”

*Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Going into this book, I had high expectations. Lauren Morrill put together an excellent love/figuring out who you are story in Meant to Be. Although bits of the plot drew me through the story with curiosity, overall, it fell flat.

The premise is a twist on The Parent Trap, which, funny enough, one of the characters mentions. Two girls have the same name and decide to switch places. Sloane Emily is supposed to be going to four weeks of ice skating camp to recover her reputation from a failed junior nationals competition three years earlier. Sloane Devon is headed to four weeks of hockey camp because her coach has given her an ultimatum for an anger problem. Neither girl wants to be at camp. Both girls are tired of being themselves with all the crazy pressures in their lives. Sloane Emily has to be perfect, always smiling for the camera, because her dad’s a senator. Sloane Devon has an alcoholic mother who’s in rehab.

Both camps are in Montreal. Both girls stay at the same hotel.

Things I liked:

• That the POV switched between the girls.

• The near-beginning part where both girls meet at the hotel and don’t get along.

• Both male love interests and their tour-guiding qualities around Montreal.

• Andy, Sloane Devon’s doubles partner, has a great personality.

--BUY "BEING SLOANE JACOBS HERE--

Review: Unravel Me

tick
tick
tick
it's almost
time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life. -Goodreads

Stats:
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: February 5, 2013
Page Count: 461
Would Appeal To: Dystopian fans (Article 5 series, Delirium series)
Favorite Quotes: 
"But then Adam's lips press against my head and my worries put on a fancy dress and pretend to be something else for a while."

"How hollow I feel...Like I'm one of those chocolate rabbits they used to sell around Easter, the ones that were nothing more than a sweet shell encapsulating a world of nothing."

"Synonyms know each other like old colleagues, like a set of friends who've seen the world together. They swap stories, reminisce about their origins and forget that though they are similar, they are entirely different...Because a quiet night is not the same as a silent one, a firm man is not the same as a steady one, and a bright light is not the same as a brilliant one because the way they wedge themselves into a sentence changes everything."

"Castle looks like he's a balloon that fell in love with a pushpin that got too close and ruined him forever."

"I want to study the secrets tucked between his elbows and the whispers caught behind his knees."

I had to leave out some of my favorite quotes a mystery because there is a steamy love scene that I refuse to ruin for you. The stream of consciousness that Juliet sometimes thinks in really works for it. She's so carried away with her feelings that she can't think straight and her sentences go on and she's kissing and touching and the earth is spinning... I will always remember the way Mafi wrote this scene. It's different than anything I've ever read and absolutely perfect, from innocent to less than in minutes.

Anyway, now that Juliet and Adam have escaped Warner's clutches and immediate danger, they have promised to work in Warner's resistance with others who have unique powers. It's hard for them to continue their relationship with such harsh rules as curfew, no opposite sex members in each other's quarters, training, etc...and it's possible that Juliet is wondering things she shouldn't be about someone who actually held her hostage.  

This book rocks because:

• Just like Shatter Me, each sentence is gorgeously turned from a mash up of words to a flowing piece of heaven on a page. 
• Warner. He's so much more developed in this novel. You'll see pieces that make him human, glimpses that make you sad he's a victim of circumstances (it'll make you totally overlook the fact that he's a murderer.) I've fallen in love with him, and I'm actually Team Warner over Team Adam. I'm going to go back and read the novella Destroy Me because it's his side of the story. With the tagline "She will choose me," I can't resist.
• Juliet makes friends! And they are cool friends. And she sits with them at meal times, occasionally jokes with them. 
• Kenji's dialogue constantly cracked me up. He's kind of a hero underground, Juliet realizes. Yet he helps her train and keeps an eye out for him, even when she accidentally uses her strength against him.

A few things that bugged me:

• A few too many grammar/parts of speech analogies.
• Some things were mentioned twice, like for example, the fact that the girls, Juliet's roomies, gave her pajamas to sleep in. 
• I felt like Shatter Me was a little more fast paced, even though I believe there is more action in this book. I kept waiting for the action to happen. But when it did, it was great! 
• Juliet is super mopey, most of the time weak, and very co-dependent. Also, she can't get away from that darn thing called the past. These things do change, thank goodness, by the book's end. 

And my final thoughts...Warner, Warner, Warner...

Review: The Book of Broken Hearts

"Jude has learned a lot from her older sisters, but the most important thing is this: The Vargas brothers are notorious heartbreakers. She’s seen the tears and disasters that dating a Vargas boy can cause, and she swore an oath—with candles and a contract and everything—to never have anything to do with one.

Now Jude is the only sister still living at home, and she’s spending the summer helping her ailing father restore his vintage motorcycle—which means hiring a mechanic to help out. Is it Jude’s fault he happens to be cute? And surprisingly sweet? And a Vargas?

Jude tells herself it’s strictly bike business with Emilio. Her sisters will never find out, and Jude can spot those flirty little Vargas tricks a mile away—no way would she fall for them. But Jude’s defenses are crumbling, and if history is destined to repeat itself, she’s speeding toward some serious heartbreak…unless her sisters were wrong? Jude may have taken an oath, but she’s beginning to think that when it comes to love, some promises might be worth breaking."-Goodreads


Stats:
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: May 21, 2013
Page Count: 352
Would Appeal To: Fans of Sara Zarr, motorcycle enthusiasts, anyone with a relative with Alzheimer's
Favorite Quotes:
"His lips formed the word, each syllable sliding into my ears with a rush of white-hot guilt. Those caramel-brown eyes. Black hair curled up around the edge of that smudged bandana. He wasn't smiling now, but the dimples were still there, lurking below the surface like a dare."

"Clint Eastwood was a familiar guest in our living room, and his signature rasp and gunslinging badassery blazed a trail through my skull all morning."


"He made a face like a wounded puppy, and I abandoned the popcorn bowl and most of my good judgment."

"The mountains loomed heavy and huge, and I felt it now more than I ever had before--that cosmic insignificance, the terrible, comforting knowledge that if you stood too long in the same place, the dirt would gather at your feet, and the earth would swallow you one cell at a time, and in a hundred years you'd still be standing there admiring the scenery when the final speck of dust covered your eye."


"That was the thing about pictures. No matter how beautiful, they couldn't capture the truly felt parts of a moment...Through pictures, we cut reality in pieces. We selected only the choicest moments, discarding the rest as if they'd never happened."

Sarah Ockler has to be my favorite contemporary author. Her characters go through so much emotionally and always grow, whether it's good or bad. Her writing is real and honest. The message I take away after I close each book cover, no matter what the subject, is that life is hard, but you get through it by making each second count.

What I Loved:
-Ockler did her research. This story tackles the tough subject of early-onset Alzheimer's. Having known several old people with Alzeimer's, I recognized some of the behaviors. However, Jude's dad is only 52 years old, and he is calling Jude by her sisters' names, making scenes in public, and forgetting simple directions. One thing, Jude finds, brings a spark to his eye and his regular personality to the surface-- the restoration of a bike he owned before he was a father and a husband. Fighting El Demonio sometimes seems like moving mountains, but Jude is determined not to lose her father to this disease and spends her entire summer before college working on the bike.
The addition of Spanish words, especially pet names. It made the story of this Argentinian family more real. Papi calls Jude querida, and Emilio calls Jude princesa. 
-Jude. Right off the bat, this girl has a distinct personality. She is quite funny in her own mind and has a lot of opinions. She has a hard time letting those thoughts out since sometimes they're embarrassing and they might upset people. Still, as far as characters go, Jude is much different than any of Ockler's other main protagonists.
-Emilio. Off limits because of the sisters' blood oath to forevermore avoid the Vargas brothers. He flirts, jokes, makes Jude feel flits and flutters in places she shouldn't. They bond over motorcycles and stick shift driving. If I knew anything about either of those, I'd consider a pretty cool girl. There are a few moments throughout the book where he gets frustrated with Jude for not being herself. He calls her out on her crap, and someone needs to. It shows how observant he's been, but also how much he cares and doesn't want to see her hurt anymore, especially by her sisters. And oh, did my heart melt every time he talked to or rescued Papi.
-PANCAKE! So many doggie thoughts that mostly center around bunnies-- she nailed the doggie brain on the head. A fun addition.
-Jude's assumptions are often wrong, so her character is always growing and learning.
-The family dynamics. Jude's sisters have distinct personalities, but they are all also protective of Jude, the youngest. They bicker and work together and just really love each other. Mari, the "wrecking ball," spends the most time with Jude. Four girls. So many hand-me-downs and shared secrets. But Jude is the youngest by far, and has really had the experience of an only child for several years. I like that she wants to make her own memories, have something that is just hers and Papis to treasure forever.

What Bugged Me:
-I couldn't get a clear picture of Emilio's face in my head. He was Puerto Rican, rocked a bandana, had dark hair and scars. But I wanted more about the curve and shape of his face. This could be just a personal problem!
 
Final Verdict: Addictively entertaining and laced with lessons in love, The Book of Broken Hearts will force you to root for doomed relationships, cheer out loud for small victories, and sigh in appreciation of heart-grabbing prose.

Review: The Moon and More

"Luke is the perfect boyfriend: handsome, kind, fun. He and Emaline have been together all through high school in Colby, the beach town where they both grew up. But now, in the summer before college, Emaline wonders if perfect is good enough.

Enter Theo, a super-ambitious outsider, a New Yorker assisting on a documentary film about a reclusive local artist. Theo's sophisticated, exciting, and, best of all, he thinks Emaline is much too smart for Colby.

Emaline's mostly-absentee father, too, thinks Emaline should have a bigger life, and he's convinced that an Ivy League education is the only route to realizing her potential. Emaline is attracted to the bright future that Theo and her father promise. But she also clings to the deep roots of her loving mother, stepfather, and sisters. Can she ignore the pull of the happily familiar world of Colby?

Emaline wants the moon and more, but how can she balance where she comes from with where she's going?" - Goodreads

Stats:
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Release Date: June 4, 2013
Page Count: 435
Would Appeal To: Anyone looking for a light summer read
Favorite Quotes:
"'I'm sorry, Emaline. I just...education is a big deal in my family. It arouses passions.'"

"'Emaline, I'll tell you this: Life is long. Just because you don't get your chance right when you want or expect it doesn't mean it won't come. Fate doesn't punch a time clock or consult a schedule.'"

"'But know this, Emaline. The mistakes you make now count. Not for everything, and not forever. But they do matter, and they shape you.'"

Looking at my favorite quotes, it seems like Emaline was getting lectured. A lot. That's partly true.

So my first reaction upon buying this book: YESSSSS, another Sarah Dessen book!

My reaction after I finished: Crap. Why did I just read that whole thing? :(


I am the biggest fan of Sarah Dessen; however, her last two books have fallen short of the I love you forever and ever because you're brilliant bar. If I was a younger reader, maybe I'd have enjoyed this one more. I felt like even though stuff happened, it was a whole lot of stuff I didn't care about. The ending made it bearable, but who wants to wait until the ending to get the good from a book?

I actually put this book down halfway through and read an entire other novel before picking it back up.

What I liked: You have the classic mentioning of characters from previous books. The quaint beach town of Colby. Emaline's name. Benji, Emaline's long lost brother, who's a ball of energy and just wants to be a kid. The fun friend relationship between Daisy and Emaline that doesn't try too hard.
I liked the personality of Emaline's mom because she said things that I wouldn't typically associate with a mom. And I kind of like that Theo was unconventional for a love interest, especially wearing "girl jeans," as that is kind of the style in certain groups.

What I disliked: Theo was annoying. Ivy was entitled. The preachy/moral/lesson type endings of just about every other chapter. Usually Dessen achieves great "Got it!" moments without being obvious. My biggest there was nothing extraordinary about Emaline. Emaline's working at her family's realty business. She's a local who caters to tourists. Same boyfriend throughout high school. One controlling older sister, a grandma who has a penchant for Rolos, and another older sister who changes her hair color almost daily. A dad who adopted her when she was very small and a father, a tourist himself, who wants little to do with her. It's the summer before college. For some reason she falls for Theo. They seem to have little attraction other than the fact that he's different from anything she's known. But they have hardly anything in common and in her head she seems to roll her eyes a lot at what he says and does. The rest of the story is about changes. Mending relationships.

Yes, some people's real lives are boring, but that doesn't mean I want to read about them.

This Lullaby- funny, sassy main character. The Truth About Forever- inspiring, adorable love interest. Almost every other Dessen book- great writing, fun characters, even a twist here or there.

Warning: If you are looking for a heavy romance, this isn't your book. If you've never read a Dessen book before and you start with this one, you might really like it because you haven't experienced how awesome her other stories are.

Sorry to say that Dessen is no longer one of my favorite authors after two in a row that have been bland. That's not to say I'll never pick her up again, but I felt like she was coasting on her reputation while writing this book. It lacked spark and complete uniqueness. Although I did appreciate the realism of one relationship that didn't end with a happily every after, this book didn't measure up to her past works. I wanted so badly to like it...

I really did.
 

  

Review: Forbidden

"She is pretty and talented - sweet sixteen and never been kissed. He is seventeen; gorgeous and on the brink of a bright future. And now they have fallen in love. But... they are brother and sister.

Seventeen-year-old Lochan and sixteen-year-old Maya have always felt more like friends than siblings. Together they have stepped in for their alcoholic, wayward mother to take care of their three younger siblings. As defacto parents to the little ones, Lochan and Maya have had to grow up fast. And the stress of their lives—and the way they understand each other so completely—has also also brought them closer than two siblings would ordinarily be. So close, in fact, that they have fallen in love. Their clandestine romance quickly blooms into deep, desperate love. They know their relationship is wrong and cannot possibly continue. And yet, they cannot stop what feels so incredibly right. As the novel careens toward an explosive and shocking finale, only one thing is certain: a love this devastating has no happy ending." -Goodreads

Stats:
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: June 26, 2012
Page Count: 454
Would Appeal To: Fans of Stolen by Lucy Christopher, But I Love Him by Amanda Grace
Favorite Quotes:
"It's horrible, being ashamed of someone you care about; it eats away at you. And if you let it get to you, if you give up the fight and surrender, eventually that shame turns to hate."


"The first rays of dawn begin to touch the edge of the rooftops. I sit on my bed and watch the pale light dilute the inky blackness, a thin wash of color slowly diffusing the eastern sky. The air is chilled as it blows through the cracks in the window frame, and sparse flecks of rain spatter the pane as the birds begin to wake."

"...the fear that we will have no choice but to bury this night as if it never took place, a shameful secret to be filed away for the rest of our lives until, brittle with age, it crumbles to dust-- a faint, distant memory, like the powder of a moth's wings on a windowpane, the specter of something that perhaps never occurred, existing solely in our imagination. I cannot bear the thought of this being just one moment in time, over almost before it started, already retreating into the past. I must hold on to it with all my might."

"'I'll marry her, if that's what she wants. I mean, at the end of the day, what the hell does it matter who I end up with if it can't be you?'"

"Curled sandpaper leaves skim across the path, carried by a whisper of wind...High above us in an anemic sky, the white orb of the sun, like a giant spotlight, fixes the park with its hard wintry rays."

"And all at once I think: This whole time, my whole life, that harsh, stony path was leading up to this one point. I followed it blindly, stumbling along the way, scraped and weary, without any idea of where it was leading, without ever realizing that with every step I was approaching the light at the end of a very long, dark tunnel. And now that I've reached it, now that I'm here, I want to catch it in my hand, hold on to it forever to look back on-- the point at which my new life really began."

Words that sum up this book: Holy. Freaking. Wow. 
Addicting.

This book grabbed me from the first page and never let me go. 

Never in a million years would I have guessed I would be so completely immersed in Lochan and Maya's world. I was right there, in the grassy field, while little brother Tiffin kicked the soccer ball with his mates and begged to stay out past dark. Or when Kit turned his music up to drown out his loneliness. When even-tempered Willa clutched Maya's hand and yelled at her for not listening to her best friend dramas, kind of like their alcoholic mother.

The beauty of this book is it goes from one ordinary event to the next, but nothing is ever ordinary. In fact, I'd be amazed to find a reader who didn't connect with at least one of the characters on a powerful emotional level. Maya and Lochie, as the oldest, are responsible for taking care of their three younger siblings because their mother is often away with her boyfriend, sometimes not coming home for days at a time. They are the perfect tag-team, splitting dinner duty, homework time, cleaning the kitchen, and putting the kids to bed. Although their world was sad and they scraped money together just to pay the bills, the kids were happy, for the most part, together. And whether they were playing a game of British Bulldog or trying to keep dinner civilized, I fell head over heels for this family. Seemingly small plot points, like Willa missing after school, add tension and urgency to the pages. I worried with the oldest kids, smiled at their small victories, sympathized for their exhaustion. My new favorite book family: the Whiteleys, who overcome anything and everything with teamwork. Even Kit, who I hated in the beginning, became one of my favorite characters.

Poor Lochie. He's brilliant but petrified of speaking to anyone. This especially affects him at school because he can't give oral presentations. His heart races, he sweats, and he often has panic attacks. He is a completely different person around his siblings, including Maya. Since I knew the premise, I kept waiting for the event that would trigger crush-type feelings. And I get it. Most people would balk at the very notion that siblings could fall in love. But after all they've been through together-- mini-parents with lots of responsibility and no one else to turn to-- believing this could happen is not a stretch. A couple that must steal moments to keep their relationship a secret, they are sweet with each other, shy, and certainly soulmates.

Tensions run high when Maya and Lochie realize what could happen if their feelings for each other are discovered. They'd lose the children and go to prison. But their feelings are intense. The battle of whether to be together continues through a good part of the book. I absolutely shed tears for these characters. Their struggles were unusual but beautiful, shaping them into mature before their time young adults with an interesting view of the world. The alternate chapters of narration by Maya and Lochie tell the story in a great way. It would have been hard as a reader to only see one perspective, especially because the reader would have to guess or judge whether feelings were mutual. Lochie absolutely worships the ground Maya walks on. Maya finally feels understood. Neither is being taken advantage of, even though Lochan is the oldest and the outside world might see it that way.

I salute author Tabitha Suzuma for tackling some intense and controversial issues. Before you dismiss the topic as taboo, try this book. The flow of the writing is brilliant, and I was sad to part with the book for any length of time. A-Ma-Zing story and gorgeous prose. Check out Suzuma's website when you finish. You'll find that she was depressed growing up and those feelings helped her write her novels today, all of which deal with some sort of disorder. I'm so glad she put her thoughts to paper. This story will stick with me for years to come.

Review: The Probability of Miracles

Stats:
Publisher: Razor Bill
Release Date: Dec. 8, 2011
Page Count: 360
Would Appeal To: Sarah Dessen fans, Sara Ockler fans

Favorite Quotes:
"...she imagined a Rolf moment from The Sound of Music--the one where Rolf finds the whole family behind the tombstone in the abbey and hesitates, deciding whether or not he loves Liesl, before blowing that pansy-ass Nazi whistle. Did TYLER A WHOLE FOODS TEAM MEMBER, love her, or would he blow the whistle?"

"As Cam hugged her mother and walked back to her room, she realized she'd be spending the rest of her short life making other people feel better about the prospect of losing her."

"When he wasn't working at the restaurant, he wrote spare poems and made paintings that were quiet and clean, like whispers."

"At the end of the street the sharp white needle of the church's steeple poked into the sky as if heaven were a big balloon that needed to be popped."

Summary from GoodReads:
"Dry, sarcastic, sixteen-year-old Cam Cooper has spent the last seven years in and out hospitals. The last thing she wants to do in the short life she has left is move 1,500 miles away to Promise, Maine - a place known for the miraculous events that occur there. But it's undeniable that strange things happen in Promise: everlasting sunsets; purple dandelions; flamingoes in the frigid Atlantic; an elusive boy named Asher; and finally, a mysterious envelope containing a list of things for Cam to do before she dies. As Cam checks each item off the list, she finally learns to believe - in love, in herself, and even in miracles."

I'm going to deviate from my typical why you must read this/what bugged me review because I feel moved. Must be the Easter spirit.

This story is a snapshot of a dying girl's summer, the last few months that the doctors think she'll make it. She has her own flamingo list of mostly depressing things that she believes every teenage girl ought to experience. Her best friend Lily has her own flamingo list, but it's more positive. Lily believes that if Campbell just lives life, she'll check off all the items naturally.

Heartbreaking would be a great way to describe this book. I'd also add funny and uplifting. 

As I read this, especially the second half, I felt a smile on my face. I laughed several times and even teared up. The main character, Campbell, comes to life. It's one of those feel like you know her kind of books, like she's an actual person. She likes to use SAT words, but not obnoxiously so. Her dialogue with other characters is naturally hilarious. She's bold, not because she's dying, but because she's the kind of person who's got nothing to lose. It doesn't matter what others think of her. Despite the typical argumentative relationship with her younger sister, Cam will do anything to make her happy. Even though part of her pushes away love from others, Cam is constantly fueled by it.

Asher--swoon. Handyman. Football star. Knows his way around a boat. Master sneak-up artist. I went back to read her first romantic encounter with Asher again because the movements they make and the verbal exchange were so perfect. Asher's only flaw is he never wants to leave the town of Promise, where Cam has traveled because her mom and sister believe miracles happen there. As Cam falls for him and imagines what comes next for him, she can't picture him sticking around in the tiny Maine town where the dandelions are purple and flamingos appear mysteriously.

For a first time writer, Wendy Wunder truly understands that normal people have unique and crazy quirks. Nana gets angry to avoid being upset when her daughter and granddaughters leave. Little sis, tweeny-bopper Perry, hangs onto the hope that unicorns exist. Even Sunny, a baton twirling hippie, dances in the sand and drinks jug water by sticking her face under the spigot. All the characters had depth. I didn't truly hate anyone, although a certain French boy was annoying. Cam deals with her ups and downs gracefully. She goes through a gambit of emotions--embarrassment, denial, anger, hope, joy. 

I am not an animal person, but I appreciated the inclusion of animals in this book. From the St. Bernard puppy to Buddy the baby flamingo, animals in this book represent hope, friendship, and love. The vet in the book, Elaine, is honest and teaches Cam about the world in ways her mother never could. The saying, "It takes a village" comes to mind. So many characters are teachers in this book. Each leaves an imprint on Cam that gives her a new insight into living. Cancer doesn't have to take center stage all the time. 

This book will nestle its way into your heart. It had a bit of a slow start, but The Sound of Music references and Cam's snarky comments (and nicknames for people!) totally made up for it. The feather theme throughout, starting on the cover, was also a brilliant way to highlight events in the book.

Review: Dead to You

Dead To You

Stats:
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: Feb. 7, 2012
Page Count: 243
Buy Link: Amazon
Would Appeal To: Fans of Caroline B. Cooney's The Face on the Milk Carton, Sara Zarr's Sweathearts, anyone interested in psychology

Favorite Quote:
"She leans in for a hug, and I can feel her warm sigh down my shirt collar."

 Why You Must Read "Dead To You":

• Plot. We hear about abducted children all the time. But what happens when one returns to his family after several years? How does that person find a place in a family who has learned to go on, even if they're broken? Straight from the victim, McMann chronicles the hardships of re-establishing a place in a foreign world. 
• Nice flow. I'm usually obsessed with finding quotes, but this read so smoothly that I was completely absorbed in the story and forgot to look for them. Once you get into it, you won't be able to put it down, and it is such a quick read. 
• Ending! I had a slight hunch before the final punch came but had convinced myself it couldn't be right. Wow. Abrupt and powerful.
• Narrator. I love a good male point of view. This is totally realistic (speaking from a female's perspective-ha). So maybe I don't really know, but I often felt "A guy would think this." Ethan is confused after he was abducted from his own front yard at seven years old. He was kidnapped by Ellen, lived with her for years, until she left him at a group home. He lived homeless for a year before he reached out to his real parents. Everything he feels, from the hate toward his brother to his love for playing games with six year old Gracie to the intense yearning he has for his former best friend, is completely believable. McMann includes small details without going overkill on descriptions. The family dynamics in the book are great. Mama is the peacekeeper. Dad is the rule maker. Gracie is trusting. Blake can't get past the fact that his older brother would just go off in a car with strangers and is holding a grudge.
• Romance. There is a fabulous kissing scene. The intensity jumped off the page. It can be hard to make romance scenes stand out; this one is a winner!
• Message. This story really brings home the point of wanting to be needed and wanting to be loved. No matter what your life situation, you can relate to some emotion that is beautifully captured by the author. 

--BUY "DEAD TO YOU" HERE--

 

Review: Anything But Ordinary

Stats:

Publisher: Hyperion Book
Release Date: September 11, 2012
Page Count: 336
Would Appeal To: Swimmers, anyone who has dealt with a family member's trauma

I'm sad this one got such mixed reviews on GoodReads!

Why You Must Read This:

• Compelling plot. Bryce wakes up after five years of being in a coma. Everything is her different. Her once innocent twelve year old sister has become a punk rebel, her friends have graduated from college, and her boyfriend is with her best friend. Major betrayal issues from the start.
• It makes you ask "What if?" This could happen to anyone. As Bryce is at the Olympic trials, she miscalculates her dive and hits her head on the pool, knocking her unconscious. Okay, so we're not all champion swimmers, but life-threatening accidents are very real possibilities. I found myself wondering what I would do upon waking up in her situation. Sure, a second chance at life is within reach, but could I accept the fact that no one thought I'd wake up and so everyone moved on, including the love of my life? It does make sense, thinking about how much pain the left behind family and friends went through with grief and acceptance, but that doesn't make the hurt any less. It's interesting to see Bryce navigate through all the loss she feels. She'll never get back those five years. The question is, how will she move on and start as a brand new person?
• Carter. Carter is cute, smart, and a medical student who is Bryce's first new friend when she wakes up. He wants to be there for her if he'll let her. Not only does the reader see him in a protective role but also as a possible love interest. He is quiet in a way that many main YA guys are not and sits back rather than rushing her into a relationship. Some of the things he does for her, though little, are swoon worthy! He's got some pretty fabulous cooking skills to boot.
• The family dynamics are realistic. Bryce's family has basically fallen apart in her absence, which is what you'd expect when a daughter and a sister has been so well loved. Without giving too much away, I enjoyed watching that dynamic again change as Bryce comes home from the hospital and figures out her new role in the family. 
• The ending. I've been in love with endings lately. Tears will stream down your face as you read the last chapter, which says a lot about Avery's writing ability. I felt so connected to Bryce by the end of the story, and it isn't even in 1st person! Everything comes full circle in this book. I can't think of a more suitable ending. Seriously, the ending sealed this book's rating for me. 

What Bugged Me:

• Greg, Bryce's old boyfriend. He's kind of a jerk. But knowing that I had such a strong emotional response to a character, again, reveals a great deal about the author's ability to mold amazing prose.

Final Verdict:
Anything But Ordinary reminds us that life is a miracle in which every second must count. A page turner that will rip your heart out (in the best way possible).