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: Once We Were by Kat Zhang

Title: Once We Were (The Hybrid Chronicles #2)

Author: Kat Zhang

# of Pages: 352

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: September 17th 2013

Source: BEA

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 Hearts

Synopsis

"I'm lucky just to be alive"

Eva was never supposed to have survived this long. As the recessive soul, she should have faded away years ago. Instead, she lingers in the body she shares with her sister soul, Addie. When the government discovered the truth, they tried to “cure” the girls, but Eva and Addie escaped before the doctors could strip Eva’s soul away.

Now fugitives, Eva and Addie find shelter with a group of hybrids who run an underground resistance. Surrounded by others like them, the girls learn how to temporarily disappear to give each soul some much-needed privacy. Eva is thrilled at the chance to be alone with Ryan, the boy she’s falling for, but troubled by the growing chasm between her and Addie. Despite clashes over their shared body, both girls are eager to join the rebellion.

Yet as they are drawn deeper into the escalating violence, they start to wonder: How far are they willing to go to fight for hybrid freedom? Faced with uncertainty and incredible danger, their answers may tear them apart forever.

My Verdict  

I was lucky enough to snag a copy of this book at BEA back in June. I hadn't even left Kat Zhangs autograph line yet and I was cracking this puppy open! For the rest of the day, whenever I was waiting in line for something I was reading this book. 

A lot of the time with series, I don't like the sequel, but in this case I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't like it as much as the first but it's still a great continuation of the story and characters we grew attached to in book one. 

In the first book, Eva was fighting for her voice and slowly learning how to take control of their body. Now Addie & Eva slip in and out of control on a regular basis. Their body is just as much Eva's as it is Addies. Now living as part of the Hybrid resistance, Addie & Eva are starting to learn more about their kind. One of the biggest things they learn is how one of them can "sleep" to give the other privacy. This comes in handy for the romantic aspect of things, allowing Eva and Ryan's relationship to grow. However, it also brings about a whole new set of problems when the girls start keeping secrets from each other about how they're using that time. 

In the first book, I liked Eva a lot more than Addie. This time things completely flip-flopped. Eva was driving me nuts and Addie was the one I agreed with (most of the time). There were a few new characters that joined the picture: Sabine, Christoph, and Cordelia, all of which were well written; I just didn't like them. 

Overall this was a very enjoyable sequel that you don't want to miss!! If you haven't read the first book, WHAT'S LEFT OF ME,  go grab a copy, you'll breeze right through it and be back for this one. 

Book Review: My Life Next Door

Title: My Life Next Door

Author: Huntley Fitzpatrick

# Of Pages: 304

Publisher: Dial

Publication Date: June 14, 2012

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 3 Hearts

Synopsis

(From Amazon.com)

“One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time.”

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

My Verdict

I feel like I really need to explain myself with this book, because it was really good I just don’t think it was a good fit for me personally. I think the main problem was that I went into this book expecting one thing and it ended up being something completely different. Maybe I would have enjoyed it better had I not heard so much about it beforehand, I don’t know.

For example, I had heard that this was a “wholesome” romance, but I guess everyone’s definition of wholesome is different. I was expecting one of those, spend the whole book anticipating their first kiss kind of romances, not a sex after a couple weeks romance. So that was one of the big things I was disappointed in. Don’t get me wrong, Sam & Jase are a cute couple and it was a sweet romance compared to a lot of relationships I’ve read about in YA, it’s just wasn’t what I had been expecting, so I couldn’t help but feel let down.

Another thing that was hard for me to get past was all the politics. Samantha’s mom is a Senator, so naturally there is campaigning talk and events. I’m going to be completely honest and say that I absolutely can’t stand politics. I’m one of those people whose eyes glaze over whenever people around me start talking about it.

There was one aspect of the storyline that really tugged on my heartstrings and that was Samantha and Nan’s friendship. I don’t want to go into too much detail or spoil anything for those of you who haven’t read it yet, so I’ll just say that it was a part of the story I was really able to connect with. The thoughts and emotions that Samantha experienced during this time were so spot on it was crazy.

While I may not have been a big fan of the story itself, I must say that I did enjoy Huntley Fitzpatrick’s writing, it’s emotional depth, and her ability to create unique and memorable characters. It’s no wonder that Samantha watched the Garretts all the time. They were such a personable, rowdy, fun, and loving family it was impossible not to like them. I will definitely be checking out her next novel.