YA Review: Broken by C.J. Lyons

Title: Broken

Author: C.J. Lyons

# of Pages: 336 

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Publication Date: November 5th 2013

Source: BEA

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 2 Hearts

Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author CJ Lyons makes her YA debut with a fast-paced thriller sure to keep readers guessing to the very last page

The only thing fifteen-year-old Scarlet Killian has ever wanted is a chance at a normal life. Diagnosed with a rare and untreatable heart condition, she has never taken the school bus. Or giggled with friends during lunch. Or spied on a crush out of the corner of her eye. So when her parents offer her three days to prove she can survive high school, Scarlet knows her time is now... or never. Scarlet can feel her heart beating out of control with every slammed locker and every sideways glance in the hallway. But this high school is far from normal. And finding out the truth might just kill Scarlet before her heart does.

My Verdict

I think it's going to be hard to judge this book for what it is rather than how it was marketed. The back of the book calls Broken a "riveting suspense and taut drama" a lot of reviews I read previously also talked about it as if it were a fast-paced thriller. This is not the case at all. It was basically your average contemporary romance with a slight mystery that doesn't turn suspenseful until the last few chapters. Had I just been expecting a contemproary romance going into it, I may have enjoyed it more than I did. Unfortunely, I was expecting an edge of your seat medical thriller that wasn't there.

The main character, Scarlet, has been diagnosed with Long QT disease, which means her heart beats irregularly and could kill her at any moment. After spending most of her life in the hospital, Scarlet decides she wants to take the time she does have left and go to high school like a normal kid. Her parents are dead set against it, but they decide to let her go on a trial basis.

Scarlet immedietly makes friends with Jordan, Nessa, Celina and Tony. The "wrong" crowd according to Scarlets mother. Ugh, her mother drove me nuts! She made all of Scarlet's decisions for her and did things like feed her vitamins in front of all her friends in the middle of the school cafeteria. Seriously?! I can't think of any teenager that would put up with that.

The book is divided into five sections set over the course of one school week (Monday - Friday). A lot of the time I was bored with the little details of Scarlet's school day, but I guess we were supposed to be overwhelmed by the experience as much as she was.

I was appaled by the bullying that went on at the school and that the students so easily got away with it. I was home schooled, so thankfully I never had to deal with bullying first hand or see it happening to those around me, but I know it's a big issue that is overlooked all too much!


With the ending came a big twist and a few fast-paced pages, but it was pretty short lived for a so-called "riveting suspense." If you're a contemporary lover looking for a romance with a little something different I'd check this one out. If you're looking for a fast paced medical thriller, keep looking. 

Mini Reviews: After Math, Crash, & The Elite

Title: After Math (Off the Subject #1)

Author: Denise Grover Swank

# of Pages: 250

Publisher: Createspace

Publication Date: March 12th 2013

Source: BEA

Level: New Adult

Rating: 2 Hearts

My Verdict

I’m normally not a fan of the New Adult genre. I am one of those people who feels it is just an excuse to throw in some explicit content to what would normally be YA. As I read this book, I was beginning to think maybe I had misjudged the genre but than it took a turn for the predictable (a.k.a. explicit content.)

I loved the slow build of Scarlett and Tucker’s romance. It started out as a tutoring job, grew into a friendship, and then exploaded into a romance. I loved watching their relationship grow, the way they looked into one another's eyes and could see each others deepest secrets, the tutoring sessions, and gym workouts. Sadly, this all disappeared once they became a couple and the only thing they did was have sex.

Title: Crash (Visions #1)

Author: Lisa McMann

# of Pages: 233

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publication Date: January 8th 2013

Source: Library

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 3 Hearts

My Verdict

Interesting concept but slow paced, fairly predictable, with average characters. Your typical Romeo & Juliet style romance with Jules and Sawyer being forbidden to see each other because their families run waring restaurants. As for the visions, one day all of a sudden Jules sees a vision and it just keeps playing over and over on every billboard, TV screen, window. Not only was the cause of Jules visions never explained, but it also got extremely monotonous to have her describe the same vision over and over for 200 pages. While the second book is on my TBR, I'm in no rush to read it. 

Title: The Elite (The Selection #2)

Author: Kiera Cass

# of Pages: 323

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: April 23rd 2013

Source: Purchased

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 Hearts

My Verdict

Ugh, America Singer you may just be the death of me! Your inability to choose who it is your in love with makes me SO angry. I thought a decision would finally be made in this book but no, America continues to bounce between Aspen and Prince Maxon like a ping pong ball. At this point, I'm going to feel bad for whatever guy gets kicked to the curb because they've both been lead on for so long. The one good thing about this infuriating love triangle is that I do like both guys, which pretty much never happens, so either way I'm happy. 

Cass continues to do a great job of drawing the reader into the world she has created and leaving us emotionally invested. After all that's what it's all about right? Getting lost in another world, caring about the characters as if they are real, feeling all the different emotions when things go bad or things work out. Even though it drives me crazy most of the time,  I still love it. 

Hope you enjoyed these mini reviews! I'll probably  be doing a few more before the year ends to help me catch up. 

YA Review: Time After Time by Tamara Ireland Stone

Title: Time After Time (Time Between Us #2)

Author: Tamara Ireland Stone

# of Pages: 368

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Publication Date: October 8th 2013

Source: NetGalley

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 5 Hearts

Synopsis

Calling Anna and Bennett’s romance long distance is an understatement: she’s from 1995 Chicago and he’s a time traveler from 2012 San Francisco. The two of them never should have met, but they did. They fell in love, even though they knew they shouldn't. And they found a way to stay together, against all odds. 

It’s not a perfect arrangement, though, with Bennett unable to stay in the past for more than brief visits, skipping out on big chunks of his present in order to be with Anna in hers. They each are confident that they’ll find a way to make things work...until Bennett witnesses a single event he never should have seen (and certainly never expected to). Will the decisions he makes from that point on cement a future he doesn't want?

Told from Bennett’s point of view, Time After Time will satisfy readers looking for a fresh, exciting, and beautifully-written love story, both those who are eager to find out what’s next for Time Between Us's Anna and Bennett and those discovering their story for the first time.

My Verdict    

TIME BETWEEN US was one of my favorite books of 2012, at the time I wasn't sure if it was a standalone or if there would be another. The story ended nicely and could easily stand on its own but I just wasn't ready to let go of Anna & Bennett. I crossed my fingers and hoped for more!! Thankfully Tamara soon announced that there would be a book two, TIME AFTER TIME, and I was beyond ecstatic. Even more so when I learned it was going to be told from Bennett's point-of-view. I LOVE Bennett, he is one of the greatest guys in contemporary fiction.

The story transitioned to Bennett's point-of-view so seamlessly I forgot the first book had been told by Anna. The best part about this book was getting to see more of the details about when Bennett travels. From Anna's perspective, POOF, he's just gone, but this way we got to see more of what exactly Bennett has to go through each time he travels.

One of the many things I love about these books is that there is nothing objectionable; no swears, no sex, no drugs. The characters are sweet, the romance is sweeter and family is a big part of the story. I love that Anna has a healthy relationship with her parents and while Bennett's family relationships might be a little more strained, they still love each other so much, which is refreshing to see in YA.

Overall, an amazing sequel to an amazing series. Seriously if you haven't read these yet, I'm not sure we can be friends. . . okay I guess we can ;)  but you should still go read them! Two of the BEST contemporary books I've ever read!

YA Review: If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin

Title: If He Had Been With Me

Author: Laura Nowlin

# of Pages: 330

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Publication Date: April 1st 2013

Source: Library

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 2 Hearts

Synopsis

If he had been with me, he wouldn't have died.

Throughout their whole childhood, Finn and Autumn were inseparable—they finished each other's sentences, they knew just what to say when the other person was hurting. But one incident in middle school puts them in separate social worlds come high school, and Autumn has been happily dating James for the last 2 years. But she's always wondered what if...

The night she's about to get the answer is also one of terrible tragedy.

My Verdict

It's funny how we have certain expectations for a book when we've done nothing but see the cover and read the back cover. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting from this book, but I can say it ended up being nothing like how I imagined. 

The story focuses on best friends, Finny & Autumn, who have known each other since before birth. Seriously, their moms are also best friends and would sit with their pregnant bellies together so the babys could kick each other. Now in highschool, we get to watch as Autumn and Finny's relationship changes, they drift apart and back together again. 

The timeline of this book was very strange. It spans all four years of highschool and also contains many memories of middle school and earlier. So much so that I felt I had know Autumn & Finny their whole lives. 

While the story is about both Finny & Autumn, the focus is more on Autumn and is told from her point of view. She was extremely frustrating, always doing thing's she didn't want to do or saying things she didn't mean. I really disliked her! Finny on the other hand, I loved! I mean how awesome is the name Phineas? Okay I may be biased because of my love for Phineas & Ferb but it just really stood out to me. 

Even though you know how it's going to end from the very first page, it still hits hard when it happens. 

While I didn't care much for the book overall,  I will say that it was very emotional, and quite powerful. I found myself thinking about it for a few nights after I finished, tortured by what had happened and how easily it could have been different had the characters just communicated with one another! 

YA Review & Giveaway: The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

Title: The Beginning of Everything
Author: Robyn Schneider
# of Pages: 330
Publisher: Katherine Tegen
Publication Date: August 27th 2013
Source: BEA
Level: Young Adult
Rating: 3 Hearts

Synopsis

Golden boy Ezra Faulkner believes everyone has a tragedy waiting for them—a single encounter after which everything that really matters will happen. His particular tragedy waited until he was primed to lose it all: in one spectacular night, a reckless driver shatters Ezra’s knee, his athletic career, and his social life.

No longer a front-runner for Homecoming King, Ezra finds himself at the table of misfits, where he encounters new girl Cassidy Thorpe. Cassidy is unlike anyone Ezra’s ever met, achingly effortless, fiercely intelligent, and determined to bring Ezra along on her endless adventures.

But as Ezra dives into his new studies, new friendships, and new love, he learns that some people, like books, are easy to misread. And now he must consider: if one’s singular tragedy has already hit and everything after it has mattered quite a bit, what happens when more misfortune strikes?

My Verdict

This was one of my absolutely must haves from BEA. I had read the synopsis for it way back when it was still "Severed Heads & Broken Hearts" and was really excited for it. While it was kind of strange how they changed both the title and cover so far along, I can understand why. I mean the original title is a bit of a turn off, the cover was cute though. Anyways let's talk about the book!

I was looking forward to a contemporary romance told from a guys perspective since most are the opposite. While I didn't dislike Ezra, I didn't care for him much either.

As for Ezra's love interest, Cassidy, she was hard to understand. I could never tell how she truly felt about Ezra, debate team, or anything really. I think her quirky personality came across as contrived rather than natural.

Overall, I didn't fall in love with this story as much as I expected too. It's an enjoyable contemporary romance, with okay characters but nothing that's going to stick with you once you've finished.

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Book Review: The Fault In Our Stars

Title: The Fault In Our Stars

Author: John Green

# Of Pages: 313

Publisher: Dutton Books

Publication Date: January 10^th, 2012

Source: Borrowed from Mom

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 Hearts

Synopsis

(From Goodreads)

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumors in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumors tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

My Verdict

I think I may literally be one of the last people on planet Earth to read A Fault In Our Stars. I'm going to keep this review fairly short because there is nothing I could say that hasn't already been said.

The characters in this book felt so real it’s insane. The dialogue between Hazel & Augustus is pretty much what made the whole book for me. I felt like the two of them spoke their own language, it was strange, quirky, philosophical, and almost always guaranteed to make you laugh. 

After I finished the book, the first thing I did was Google whether or not An Imperial Affliction was a real book. Deep down I knew the answer was no, but I was trying to sustain my disbelief because I really, really wanted it to be real. I wanted to read this spectacular book that meant so much to both Hazel & Augustus. I wanted to connect with them even more through this book they both loved. 

My one eensy, weensy, microscopic complaint was that some of the chapters were gargantuously long. The only reason this bothered me is because I'm one of those people who doesn't like to stop reading in the middle of a chapter. So on nights I only had time for a little reading before bed it always turned into a lot of reading because some of the chapters took like half an hour.

In conclusion, while I am happy I finally read this book and enjoyed it very much, I just didn’t fall head over heals in love with it like most people seemed to. Did I really enjoy it? YES. Do I want to read it over and over and name it my favorite book of 2013? No. 

Breathtaking Book Cover: Unraveling Isobel

Todays Breathtaking Book Cover is...

Unraveling Isobel

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Eileen Cook

Book Review: Come Back To Me by Coleen Patrick

Title: Come Back To Me

Author: Coleen Patrick

# Of Pages: 187

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services

Publication Date: March 5, 2013

Source: Purchased

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 Hearts

Synopsis

(From Goodreads)

Whitney Denison can’t wait to start over.

She thought she had everything under control, that her future would always include her best friend Katie… Until everything changed.

Now her life in Bloom is one big morning after hangover, filled with regret, grief, and tiny pinpricks of reminders that she was once happy. A happy she ruined. A happy she can’t fix.

So, she is counting down the days until she leaves home for Colson University, cramming her summer with busywork she didn’t finish her senior year, and taking on new hobbies that involve glue and glitter, and dodging anyone who reminds her of her old life.

When she runs into the stranger who drove her home on graduation night, after she’d passed out next to a ditch, she feels herself sinking again. The key to surviving the summer in Bloom is unraveling whatever good memories she can from that night.

But in searching for answers, she’ll have to ask for help and that means turning to Evan, the stranger, and Kyle, Katie’s ex-boyfriend. Suddenly, life flips again, and Whitney finds herself on not only the precipice of happy but love, too, causing her to question whether she can trust her feelings, or if she is falling into her old patterns of extremes.

As she uncovers the truth about her memories, Whitney sees that life isn’t all or nothing, and that happy isn’t something to wait for, that instead, happy might just be a choice.

My Verdict

I’ve been in a reading slump for the last couple weeks and really needed a good book to pull me out of it. Come Back To Me was just the right book. I read the first 80% without stopping then took a small break before returning to finish it off.

The story centers around Whitney, whose voice I really enjoyed. She was honest, believable, and easy to relate to.  Having recently lost her best friend, Whitney is still trying to figure out how to move on from her haunted past, and the best solution she’s discovered is to hide out in her bedroom, drinking. After hallucinating and passing out drunk next to a ditch at her friend’s graduation party, her parents decide to enroll her in rehab. When she gets out there are only 57 days left until she moves to Colton University to start a new life, a life where people don’t know her past. Now all she has to do is find a way to pass those 57 days. In order to fulfill some outstanding volunteer hours, Whitney starts to work at a little tea shop that she wanders into when following Evan, the mysterious boy who delivered her home drunk to her parents.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Whitney and Evan. Having been the one to bring Whitney home when she was completely trashed it would have been easy for Evan to judge her, but he doesn’t. He is super sweet and reaches out to her a few times before Whitney can bring herself to face him again. The one small issue I had was that I wished their relationship had been developed deeper. I feel like the background and building up to the relationship was really great but then once they went on a first date it was like vrrroom, everything flew by so fast and then the book was over.

Overall, this was a great contemporary romance with the additional substance of a girl struggling to overcome her best friend’s death, her drinking problem, and fix the strained relationship she shares with her parents. A great debut from author, Coleen Patrick, whom I look forward to seeing more from!

Breathtaking Book Cover: Safekeeping

Todays Breathtaking Book Cover is...

Safekeeping

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Karen Hesse

Breathtaking Book Cover: Someday, Someday Maybe

Todays Breathtaking Book Cover is...

Someday, Someday, Maybe

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Book Review: The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

Title: The Sea of Tranquility

Author: Katja Millay

# Of Pages: 448

Publisher: Atria Books

Publication Date: June 4^th 2013

Source: NetGalley

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 2 Hearts

Synopsis

(From Amazon.com)

I live in a world without magic or miracles. A place where there are no clairvoyants or shapeshifters, no angels or superhuman boys to save you. A place where people die and music disintegrates and things suck. I am pressed so hard against the earth by the weight of reality that some days I wonder how I am still able to lift my feet to walk.

Former piano prodigy Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone learning about her past and to make the boy who took everything from her—her identity, her spirit, her will to live—pay.

Josh Bennett’s story is no secret: every person he loves has been taken from his life until, at seventeen years old, there is no one left. Now all he wants is be left alone and people allow it because when your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space.

Everyone except Nastya, the mysterious new girl at school who starts showing up and won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. But the more he gets to know her, the more of an enigma she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he will ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding—or if he even wants to.

My Verdict

While this story was very unique, mysterious, and occasionally sweet, the bad outweighed the good for me.

The story is told from alternating points of view; Nastya and Josh. Nastya survived a traumatic experience when she was fifteen that took away the one thing she loved most in life, her ability to play piano. Now, three years later she is still consumed by fear, anger, and hatred for what happened to her. It takes awhile for us to figure out what happened in Nastya’s past. We get small snippets here and there until the full story comes out at the end. I really couldn’t understand Nastya’s mindset most of the time. She didn’t respect herself at all and was so self-destructive it was painful to watch.

Then we have Josh, another person who’s past is full of pain and loss. New to school, Nastya tries her hardest to push everyone away, but there is something about Josh that draws her in. The two start to form this odd relationship that goes from hate, dislike, like, to love. I didn’t really love Josh either. I liked him most of the time but then he would do something stupid and really bug me.  He was also pretty self-destructive, not letting anyone into his life who he could later lose, because inevitably that’s what always happened.

My main issue with this book was the swearing and sexual comments every two seconds. There were more F-words in this book than I’ve probably heard in my entire life, and the disgusting sexual “jokes” they were constantly making were not funny. Had these two aspects not been so prevalent, I would have enjoyed this story a lot more!

Overall, this just wasn’t the right book for me.  

Book Review: Shadowlands by Kate Brian

Title: Shadowlands

Author: Kate Brian

# Of Pages: 336

Publisher: Hyperion

Publication Date: January 8^th 2013

Source: Library

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 Hearts

Synopsis

(From Amazon.com)

Rory Miller had one chance to fight back and she took it.  Rory survived … and the serial killer who attacked her escaped. Now that the infamous Steven Nell is on the loose, Rory must enter the witness protection with her father and sister, Darcy, leaving their friends and family without so much as a goodbye.

Starting over in a new town with only each other is unimaginable for Rory and Darcy. They were inseparable as children, but now they can barely stand each other. As the sisters settle in to Juniper Landing, a picturesque vacation island, it seems like their new home may be just the fresh start they need. They fall in with a group of beautiful, carefree teens and spend their days surfing, partying on the beach, and hiking into endless sunsets. But just as they’re starting to feel safe again, one of their new friends goes missing. Is it a coincidence? Or is the nightmare beginning all over again?

My Verdict

I’ve never devoured a book of this size so fast in my life! It took me just over four hours, and had me flipping pages like a lunatic.

The action starts right on the first page as the book opens with main character, Rory, being watched by a serial killer. For the first ninety pages or so I was absolutely terrified and almost stopped reading because I wasn’t sure I could handle it. As I was trying to decide whether or not to keep going, I did something I’ve never done before: I read the last page! =O (I know, I know, shame on me!) Anyways, that sealed the deal, I HAD to finish reading.

The chapters from the killer’s perspective SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF ME! Seeing inside his dark and twisted mind left me with a dark, unsettled feeling that I wasn’t too fond of. Luckily, as the story went on his chapters became far and few between, with the majority of the story told from Rory’s point of view.

While it was both terrifying and riveting, there were also a number of instances that were highly unlikely and plain unbelievable. For example why would the police send you into protective custody without so much as one officer to escort you? Once at said “safe house” why is there no alarm system, body guards, etc. AND if you had just survived an attack by a crazed serial killer, why on earth would you a)  Go out for a jog by yourself b) sneak out in the middle of the night to go to a party! SERIOUSLY?!? Locking herself  in a room and never leaving again would be more realistic, but I guess that would make for a pretty boring book, huh?

I have to admit that when it ended I was still really confused and unsure of what was going on. After scouring Goodreads for spoilers, I sat there in shock when I found out the truth. So if you’re like me and finish the book not knowing what happened, email me and I’ll let you know ;) 

Book Review: Hysteria by Megan Miranda

Title: Hysteria

Author: Megan Miranda

# Of Pages: 336

Publisher: Walker Children’s

Publication Date: February 5, 2013

Source: NetGalley

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 5 Hearts

Synopsis

(From Goodreads)

Mallory's life is falling apart. Her boyfriend was stabbed. He bled to death in her kitchen. Mallory was the one who stabbed him. But she can't remember what happened that night. She only remembers the fear . . .

When Mallory's parents send her away to a boarding school, she thinks she can escape the gossip and the threats. But someone, or something, has followed her. There's the hand that touches her shoulder when she's drifting off to sleep. A voice whispering her name. And everyone knows what happened. So when a pupil is found dead, Mallory's name is on their lips. Her past can be forgotten but it's never gone. Can Mallory live with that?

My Verdict

Fracture, Megan’s Miranda’s first book was one of my favorite reads of 2012. Needless to say I was pretty flipping excited to get my hands on a copy of Hysteria before it’s release thanks to NetGalley! I know one thing for sure, Megan definitely knows how to write a psychological thriller!

I recommend setting aside a large chunk of time to read this book because once you start you’re not gonna want to stop. The book pulls you in from the very first chapter and never lets you go. Every moment I wasn’t reading this book I was thinking about it. All morning at work I thought about what had happened, what was going to happen, and wishing I was reading at that moment.

At first I didn’t think it was really all that suspenseful, but don’t worry, it gets there! Boy does it get there. I had so many scenerios swirling around in my head as I tried to put all the missing pieces together.

I think I’ve said before how much I love books that are set at boarding schools, they just hold so much potential. This one takes place at Monroe Prep, a boarding school set in the New Hampshire wilderness. I liked the setting, thinking back there wasn’t anything special about it but it fit the story perfectly, which is all that really matters.

A quick peek at the characters and relationships:

• Mallory was a likable main character, you sympathized with her from the very beginning and wanted to see her happy.

• Colleen, Mallory’s best friend, there was just something about her I didn’t like. There relationship was a little weird at times but okay for the most part.

• Time to talk about the love interest. Sigh…. Reid is officially one of my favorite book boyfriends of all time. He is so sweet, caring, protective, genuine, and trusting you couldn’t help but fall in love with him! 

As for objectionable content there was a decent number of F words used throughout the book. For some reason they surprised me every time. Something about the way they were used just didn’t seem to fit the characters or situation.

Overall, this was a heart-pounding, mind-twisting book that I thoroughly enjoyed!  

Book Review: Social Suicide by Gemma Halliday

Title: Social Suicide

Author: Gemma Halliday

# Of Pages: 277

Publisher: Harper Teen

Publication Date: April 24, 2012

Source: Library

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 Hearts

Synopsis

(From back of book)

TWITTERCIDE: [twi-ter-sid]:

THE KILLING OF ONE HUMAN BEING BY ANOTHER WHILE THE VICTIM IS IN THE ACT OF TWEETING.

Call me crazy, but I figured writing for the Herbert Hoover High Homepage would be a pretty sweet gig. Pad the resume for college applications, get a first look at the gossip column, spend some time ogling the paper’s brooding bad-boy editor, Chase Erikson. But on my first big story, things went . . . a little south. What should have been a normal interview with Sydney Sanders turned into me discovering the homecoming queen- hopeful dead in her pool. Electrocuted while Tweeting. Now, in addition to developing a reputation as HHH’s resident body finder, I’m stuck trying to prove that Sydney’s death wasn’t suicide.

I’m starting to long for the days when my biggest worry was whether the cafeteria was serving pizza sticks or Tuesday Tacos. . . .

My Verdict

After finishing the first book in the series, Deadly Cool, I wasn’t sure if I was going to continue on with the series or not. I decided to give the second book a go and ended up enjoying it more than the first!

While technically, Social Suicide is the sequel to Deadly Cool, it could also stand on its own. The author does a quick recap of everything that happened in the first book  (which is annoying if you just finished it) but for those who haven’t, I’m sure it’s nice. However, the recap isn’t even necessary because this book deals with a new mystery all its own.

I had some of the same issues with this one as I did with the first, which is the overly stereotyped high school characters, and the portrayal of Hartley’s mother as “Smother.” While other things improved, this one wasn’t as sexual or demeaning towards a certain stereotyped group.

I loved getting to know main characters Hartley, Chase, Sam, and even Kyle a little deeper as they worked together yet again to solve another school murder. One of my favorite things about these books is Hartley and Chases relationship. They are simply two friends who want to be more than friends but neither of them are going to make the first move. Hartley’s sarcasm and Chase’s wit make for some pretty awesome banter between the two.

Another thing I love is the mystery! Hartley sort of reminds me of a modern day Nancy Drew, who despite all the red flags and warnings will walk into any situation in search of the truth. Most of the times it’s like, seriously your going to go meet someone at midnight in a dark deserted park?!? But if you can get past stupid decisions like that, it’s easily enjoyable.

My one big complaint is that the ending was eerily similar to the ending of the first book.  Like really similar, to the point of disbelief. I just hope the next book takes a more unique approach to a different ending. One thing’s for sure, I can’t wait to see where Hartley and Chase’s relationship goes!

Book Review: Falling For You by Lisa Schroeder

Title: Falling For You

Author: Lisa Schroeder

# Of Pages: 368

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publication Date: January 1, 2013

Source: ARC (Thank you SO much Lisa!)

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 5 Hearts

Synopsis

(From Amazon.com)

Rae’s always dreamed of dating a guy like Nathan. He’s nothing like her abusive stepfather—in other words, he’s sweet. But the closer they get, the more Nathan wants of her time, of her love, of her…and the less she wants to give.

As Rae’s affection for Nathan turns to fear, she leans on her friend Leo for support. With Leo, she feels lighter, happier. And possessive Nathan becomes jealous. He’s not about to let her go. And with danger following her every move, Rae must fight for the life and love she deserves if she’s going to survive.

My Verdict

I think at this point we all know that I think Lisa Schroeder writes the best verse novels out there! Whenever anyone asks me about novels in verse that is the first name that comes out of my mouth. This novel however, is Lisa’s first YA book told in traditional prose (with a good amount of poetry sprinkled throughout). I will admit when I heard this book wasn’t in verse I was disappointed, I was also a little nervous and wondered would it be as good as her other books? Well I am here to tell you that YES IT IS! Silly me to doubt.

The book is about a girl named Rae who has a very difficult home life that she keeps hidden from even her best friends. The way she deals with this dark part of her life is through keeping a poetry journal where she lets all her emotions flow freely.

I absolutely loved the formatting of this book! The book starts off with a snippet of Rae in the hospital but we don’t know what happened to put her there. The book then jumps to six months earlier, then we get another snippet at the hospital, five months later, snippet, four months, and so on and so forth. This created a great sense of tension and mystery throughout the whole book as we wonder what is going to happen to Rae.

As for the characters, it was so refreshing to have such a strong, intelligent, and loving protagonist like Rae. Her love and care for others, even those who had hurt her kept surprising me. She really was a remarkable character. 

Nathan is the new guy who immediately shows interest in Rae. You could tell he was trouble from the first moment he opened his mouth, I just wish Rae could have seen it too! It was understandable how she looked past it though, because she had never had a boyfriend before and dreamed of having someone who really cared for her.

Leo was the awesome friend. He was completely laid back, fun, caring, super sweet and did I mention he’s homeschooled?!? Homeschooled characters don’t really pop up often in YA so I was pretty excited. (I was homeschooled myself, so that’s why I’m so excited about this!)

All in all, this book was a battle between light and dark, about finding the light even in the darkest most trying times. It was emotional. It was mysterious. It was hopeful. It was wonderful.