OCD, The Dude, and Me by Lauren Roedy Vaughn | Book Review

May 16, 2013 by · 10 Comments

OCD, The Dude and MeBook Title/Author: OCD, The Dude, and Me by Lauren Roedy Vaughn
Publisher/Year:
Genre: Contemporary YA
Series: No
Other Books From Author: None — debut novel!

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I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way swayed my opinion. Pinky swear!

 

 

 

Danielle just doesn’t fit in — not even at her alternative school that she attends — thanks to her social anxieties and her OCD. She navigates school friendless, crushing on the most popular in school from afar and laying down the sarcasm and brutally honest truth — especially in her school essays. These writings end up getting Danielle a trip to the school psychologist and spot in a Social Skills class. As she prepares for the school trip to London that she doesn’t want to go on and fulfills her requirements for her Social Skills class, she can feel the walls starting to come down and she’ll start to remember why they were put up in the first place.

OCD, The Dude, and Me was one of those books that genuinely surprised me as I had heard NOTHING about it when I read it. I’m not sure  that is going to be widely received and wildly popular but I think that it is going to be one of those gems for the people who really connect with it and appreciate something a little quirky that’s equally funny as it is poignant and heartbreaking. It charmed the pants right off me and was a very refreshing story in the contemporary YA genre.

The storytelling is definitely going to be a factor for your enjoyment, I think, but I personally LOVED IT. The whole book is told in a smattering of journal entries, essays for school, emails and letters. The main character, Danielle, definitely writes what comes to her mind and is even scolded for this informal, somewhat inappropriate style of writing of her assigned essays — though the teacher at her alternative school likes the overall ideas of what she writes. And, guys, Danielle is FUNNY. She says things that are just so honest and real and I laughed so often reading this book. Her comments are seriously just honest and entertaining– especially the comments she makes about the grades she’s given on her papers that her teacher critiques. She has a definite voice in everything she writes and I just loved it because sometimes it was so simply stated yet really profound. I could see other people not connecting with her which will also really determine how much you like this book –it’s very much character driven. I totally couldn’t get enough of her voice and the quirky yet brutally honest way she sees the world.

I can’t comment on the treatment of OCD because it’s not really something I feel confident as any sort of type of authority but Danielle’s OCD seems to really be triggered by an event that happened in her life which eventually comes out at the end. The OCD part didn’t seem as prominent in the way I thought it would and it manifested itself in different ways than I’m used to seeing or hearing about but I know OCDs are different for everybody. It FELT like it was handled rather sensitively but humorously and I found that to work for me. I really enjoyed watching her work through it all with her writing and the relationships she ends up making and the ones she already has that she really relies on — Daniel (aww!), the cute old British lady, her aunt,  etc.

My only thing I think is that honestly the relevance of The Big Lebowski in this book is going to be lost on a LOT of teens but was something I appreciated as a fan of the movie and as a 27 year old.

OCD, The Dude, and Me by Lauren Roedy Vaughn was definitely enjoyable, funny and unexpected. I recommend to somebody looking for something a little different and bursting with a lot of heart and pages of thought-provoking truths from a very quirky and memorable main character that really came to life. It’s definitely a character driven novel and I honestly know it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea but it was certainly mine because it was just an absolute gem. I really wish it got a little bit more buzz amongst bloggers this year!

 

OCD-the-dude-and-me

 

Let’s Talk: Have you read this one?? Heard of it? If you’ve read it, did you enjoy it? How did you think about how the big secret was revealed? I didn’t even guess. Did you like the format of this book with all the letters and emails and journals, etc.

 

 

Filed Under: book review, contemporary YA fiction Tagged With: , , , , ,

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta | Book Review

May 6, 2013 by · 22 Comments

Jellicoe Road Melina MarchettaBook Title/Author: Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Publisher/Year: HarperTeen 2010 (first published in 2006)
Genre: Contemporary YA
Series: No
Other Books From Author: Saving Francesca,  Looking For Alibrandi, The Piper’s Son, The Lumatere Chronicles

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I bought this with my own cash money!

 

 

 

 

When Taylor was eleven she was abandoned by her mother who always seemed to really struggle in life. A woman finds her and enrolls her in a boarding school where she lives but one day, when Taylor is 14, she tries to go find her mother and meets Jonah Griggs on her way. They embark on the journey together, despite all of these kidnappings happening nearby, until someone shows up to bring Taylor back to school out of the blue. Now Taylor is a year 12 and she’s been passed down the torch to be the leader of the school’s secret underground society that deals with the territory wars between the neighboring Townies and the Cadets (led by none other than Jonah). When Hannah, the woman who had been sort of taking care of her, disappears Taylor struggles to deal with the pressure of the territory wars as well as trying to figure out where Hannah went and why she would leave her.

WOW.  This is one of those situations where I felt like I was the last person to read this book after SO many people I trust said IT IS A YOU BOOK.  The only three things I knew about this book? That it was from a beloved Aussie author, that all people I trust implicitly said it was AMAZING and an all time favorite and that it was going to be a slow start but I should stick with it. I didn’t even know what it  was ABOUT. I just bought it blindly years ago because of the incredible love it was getting.

Jellicoe Road was devastatingly beautiful but it definitely was a little bit of a slow burn like everyone says. You aren’t hooked right away but, if you are like me, by the end you find yourself with a steady stream of tears falling for the last 30-40 minutes of reading it without realizing you are really crying.  On the surface, as you begin reading, it’s hard to see how this is all going to come together as it seems liked it was just this story of these kids in boarding school and their silly territory wars with the Cadets and the Townies. I was definitely intrigued from the beginning, I mean the first sentence of this book is WOW, but I definitely didn’t FEEL anything and felt confused as I patiently waded through some of it. I felt confused as it switched from this part in italics and then Taylor’s part and I kept not remember who characters were but then it slowly comes together and I understood what was going on with the italicized parts.

The thing is even though I didn’t really connect at first I was intrigued, as I said before, but I could just FEEL like something was bubbling under the surface to really bring this together. It was a lot like those rides at amusement parks where you ascend slowly to the top of this tower and then you wait and wait and wait and then you get to the top and you are just dangling there knowing you are going to be dropped at any moment and the anticipation in your gut feels like it could kill you. That’s what reading this felt like — I knew eventually the bottom was going to drop out and my emotions were just going to be in freefall and out of control….it was just the wait that put my stomach into knots.

The mystery and the two stories came together in an amazingly crafted and heartwrenching way. It was a double slaying as we started to put the pieces together because I felt like I was always one to two steps ahead of Taylor in putting the pieces together (but kind of sidestepping and unsure) and it a swift punch to the gut but then when I had to watch Taylor find out the things that I already put together it completely annihilated me and finished me off. My heart felt like a demolition site — the wrecking ball and the dynamite just leveling me completely.

This book really was such a me book. There was such emotion and heart. The writing was beautiful and haunting. I connected to the characters and I just can’t stop thinking about them. A swoonworthy boy! An interesting story that is so layered and perfectly plotted! All these things just came together so amazingly and just felt like one of those perfectly constructed stories for me — the heart and emotion and the friendship and the love just making me FEEL SO MANY THINGS.

Jellicoe Road is a new favorite for sure and now I must get my hands on every Melina Marchetta book ever. I wasn’t sure if it would live up to the hype but it did that and more as I was reading it before I even realized it. My husband had to point out that I was crying consistently in the end of the book. My emotions just forced themselves out but I was too absorbed in the story to notice. It was just so amazing that I feel like I never want to read another book again but at the same time I just want to devour every story ever just to feel like this again.

 

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Let’s Talk: Have you read this one??  If you’ve read it, did you enjoy it? Did you find it slow in the beginning or were you fine? ALSO, did you put the pieces together before Taylor? Which Melina Marchetta book should I read next??

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: book review, contemporary YA fiction Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

All I Need by Susane Colasanti | Book Review

May 2, 2013 by · 17 Comments

20130501-213622.jpgAll I Need by Susane Colasanti
Publisher/Year: Viking Juvenile May 21, 2013
Genre: Contemporary YA – Realistic Fiction
Series: No!
Other Books From Author: When It Happens, Waiting For You, Something Like Fate, Take Me There, So Much Closer

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I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way swayed my opinion. Pinky swear!

 

 

Every summer Skye hopes to find the boy that will sweep her off her feet during her time at her beach house. When she meets Seth, a guy she has never seen before, at the last party of the summer it’s evident that they both feel this incredible connection to each other. Seth doesn’t show up when they are supposed to meet before they both go back to school for the year and Skye is left wondering why he never showed up, if she was just the only one feeling the connection and, if they COULD find each other again, would that spark still be there.

This was one of those breezy, romantic books that I need once in a while; despite some things that bothered me which I’ll address later. It wasn’t a favorite by any means, it didn’t blow my mind or really stick with me but it’s the kind of feel good story that makes a perfect beach read. It’s light, sweet and very much captures the essence of summer romances and the ups and downs of starting a relationship and really getting into the nitty gritty of getting to know each other. It’s like those rom coms that I always watch wherein I predict most of what happens and don’t really walk away feeling CHANGED but I have that ooey-gooey “YAY love!” feeling in my heart. Sometimes you just NEED THAT, ok! Or I do. I am a former closet romantic — for years I hate-watched chick flicks and my college roommate was appalled that I didn’t squeal watching Sweet Home Alabama with her. I secretly did. SHHH.

The romance in All I Need by Susane Colasanti falls under the realm of insta-love so if that bothers you, you have been warned. I do feel like summer romances is my favorite place to let insta-love shine because it really is how summer romances typically are in real life (experience speaking here!) — they are a whirlwind and you everything speeds up because you know you only have the summer. I loved that Susane showed that whirlwind aspect of it despite sometimes the intense feelings were eyerolly at times because it went from crush to soulmate feelings very fast. I personally would have liked it a little better if the “OMG HE/SHE is the ONE!!” factor would have just been turned down a smidgen. I get whirlwind but the intensity of the feelings to me seemed a little forced.

I really liked how the story ventured outside the summer as well and dealt with life AFTER a summer romance and the troubles of their relationship. It showed that period of time when the honeymoon period is over and you start to really SEE that person — their flaws, their dreams, what they want in life, etc. I thought it portrayed that period really well and I enjoyed seeing them struggle and triumph in trying to define and figure out their relationship.  HOWEVER, the book takes place in a span of 3 years so things feel a little clipped sometimes and the time shifts just were sometimes jarring how they would jump suddenly and I just didn’t feel really connected to it.

 

This was a quick & fun read that I thought was good — not amazing though. Just a solidly light, cute read that would be perfect on the beach or when you are craving something that reminds you of those feel good, romantic chick flicks. I didn’t particularly love the characters or felt it stood out but I did enjoy reading it and thought that the insta-love summer romance was fun but a little TOO “omg he/she is the one” so soon. It did coax a few “awwwws” out of me during the cute, romantic parts.  It’s my first Susane Colasanti novel and I will probably be checking out her other stuff when I’m needing a cute romance that really embodies what it is to be young and in love — in all its messy glory!

 

 

All I need by susane colasanti review

Let’s Talk: Have you read this one?? Heard of it? If you’ve read it, did you enjoy it? Have you read any other Susane Colasanti novels? Since this is my first one which one do you recommend me trying next?

 

 

Filed Under: book review, contemporary YA fiction Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Golden by Jessi Kirby | Book Review

April 22, 2013 by · 22 Comments

Golden by Jessi KirbyBook Title/Author: Golden by Jessi Kirby
Publisher/Year: Simon  & Schuster May 2013
Genre: Contemporary YA
Series: No!
Other Books From Author: Moonglass, In Honor

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I received this from the publisher  in exchange for an honest review. This in no way swayed my opinion. Pinky swear!

 

ALSO, read the very personal post I wrote inspired by this book!

 

Parker is coming closer to her high school graduation and everything is on track for that next stage in her life. She’s valedictorian, always listens to her mom, is driven but, as her best friend always points out, she rarely takes chances or does the unexpected — despite her best friend’s urging and influence. Her life is shaken when she takes a chance and peers into the personal life that unexpectedly sheds some light on a town legend and tragedy. Everybody knows the tragic love story of Julianna Fernetti and Shane Cruz. Ten years they were the golden couple of the high school and town and ten years ago when a tragic accident on an icy road sent them plunging into the river from which their bodies were never found. The golden couple has been romanticized but Parker finds that things aren’t always as they seem as she reads a sealed class assignment that Julianna wrote 10 years ago and begins to question what really happened the night of their fateful accident.

Honestly, of Jessi Kirby’s 3 novels so far, Golden is undoubtedly my favorite. She’s become an author I don’t hesitate to recommend if you like contemporary YA and placed on my auto-buy list and reading Golden confirmed all these things even  more. Golden is a stunning book with incredible depth, a skillfully unraveled mystery and characters that I really loved. One of those books that absorbs you completely and you find yourself done in a flash and your emotions are all scattered over the place. I was equally enthralled with both the mystery element to this novel as well as the character development and growth of Parker — I really could root for and relate to her.

I really loved how Parker’s story and the mystery of Julianna’s tragic accident were woven together. I felt like I got to know Parker so much through her reactions to reading Julianna’s journal and my heart was in my throat reading Julianna’s tragic story as it was so perfectly revealed. It was one of those tragic stories where your heart just ached and I could feel the intensity and weight that Parker felt for uncovering it all as she read the journal that had been sealed away for 10 years shining a whole new light on a town legend. I loved the adventure that Julianna’s story took Parker and her friends on and how it challenged her with things in her life that she had always struggled with — getting out of her comfort zone, living the life SHE wants etc. It was just a perfect blend of mystery, character growth and one of those books that makes you think and examine your own life. I thought about so many things — how things aren’t always as they seem to be and how they are romanticized sometimes and just how sometimes we get stuck in trap of trying to figure OUT our life rather than living it. I journalled a lot after reading this one.

The mystery thread was SO interesting how it was revealed and kept me on the edge of my seat but not in that thriller kind of way. I kept guessing and speculating. I DID end up making a good prediction and read at a dizzying pace to see if my little hunch was right and it WAS. I love that. Jessi Kirby cleverly unravels things so that you can’t help but start thinking things and questioning things along with Parker. I was reading with a friend and it was hilarious the different predictions we made!

It’s hard to explain, without giving it all away, what is so special about this novel but it’s the whole package — fully developed, interesting characters and dynamics, beautiful writing, thought-provoking and a refreshingly executed plot that practically glues your eyeballs to the pages. I could start spouting off fancy adjectives but you should just probably read the book.

 

Golden by Jessi Kirby was a stirring and beautiful story with depth and emotion and I LOVED IT. I have this desire to reread it already. It was refreshing and one of those books that just is all consuming in the best possible way. I couldn’t stop reading as Parker read the journal of a girl who was the center of a tragic accident and finds her life become intertwined with this mystery — all while watching Parker’s growth. It’s my favorite novel thus far from Jessi Kirby and solidifies her as a go-to author in the contemporary YA genre. Don’t miss this one, friends!

 

Golden by Jessi Kirby

Let’s Talk: Have you read this one??  Heard of it?  If you’ve read it, did you enjoy it? Did you guess the mystery or a piece of it??

 

 

Filed Under: book review, contemporary YA fiction Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

How My Summer Went Up In Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski | Book Review

April 11, 2013 by · 13 Comments

How My Summer Went Up In FlamesBook Title/Author: How My Summer Went Up In Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski
Publisher/Year: Simon Pulse – May 7, 2013
Genre: YA Contemporary/Realistic Fiction
Series: No!
Other Books From Author: None

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I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way swayed my opinion. Pinky swear!

 

Rosie finds out that her boyfriend cheats on her and then he flaunts the girl in her face. The next thing she knows her ex’s car is on fire and she’s got a restraining order and, in trying to talk to him, is facing stalking charges. Her parents decide, to keep her from getting in any more trouble before the court date, to send her on a road trip across the country with their next door neighbor Matty, the sorta geeky boy next door, and his two friends. As the miles start to grow in between her and the situation at home she’s itching to get back and fix things and win him back — at all costs.

I’m really conflicted on this one. On one hand, especially as my gym read, How My Summer Went Up in Flames was precisely what it was supposed to be — a fun summer read with some entertaining and absolute LOL moments, some romance and a road trip! I read through it pretty quickly,  it was very enjoyable and I was always excited to pick it up — as excited as one could be excited  on a treadmill. But on the other hand, there was so much about it that irked me & pulled me out of it but it seems to probably just be a ME thing from all the rave reviews I’ve seen. All of my feelings are very all over the place… a lot of “I liked this BUT at the same time I didn’t.”

There were some really awesome parts of the road trip — some fun moments and also some self discovery moments where I wanted to hug Rosie. But on the other hand, this road trip was a lot like being stuck in the car with your annoying little sibling who keeps kicking the back of your seat — it makes it a little less enjoyable. Rosie was miserable for most of this road trip because she didn’t WANT to go and was all angsty about her ex boyfriend. That was hard for me to relate to because umm ROAD TRIP? The answer is enthusiastically ALWAYS. But whatever, I could go with it. But it was hard to actually ENJOY the road trip part of it because Rosie made 75% of it miserable because of her bad attitude. I’d be into the flow of their adventure and then she would pull me right out of it. LUCKILY, the boys and a sweet girl we meet along the way more than made up for it. They kept me reading during the moments when I thought I might push Rosie out of the car if I could. I seriously LOVED the boys. They were my favorites. I was really relieved in the moments when Rosie was ENJOYING the road trip and growing.

The romance! Ok, so there were some really swoony and cute parts. There were. The tension was written very well and I was so waiting for some kissing because of all the tension. But here’s the thing…throughout the book I felt like there was some MOMENTS where it felt like she liked or felt some maybe possibly confused feelings with each one of the guys in the car which I found weird considering everything that just went down with a breakup. I can’t explain it but there were parts where maybe they were goofing off and it seemed like there was tension with one guy or she’d be like “hmm he’s really kinda cute” and made me think, “OH is she going to go for him now?” There’s one kinda more OBVIOUS guy but there were just these weird moments I can’t explain without telling you. And then there’s a guy who comes into the picture and is suddenly smitten with her as well and the whole time I was confused as to WHY because there wasn’t much through the story where we saw any reason why she was so desirable or special.

Luckily there WERE parts where I felt like Rosie shined and I was like “Yeah,  I like this girl a lot — she’s feisty and can be fun and I GET her. “  In those moments, I could see through the grumpy exterior and feel like I was getting to know who Rosie was and saw why people wanted to be friends with her — like how she talked on the phone to her dog or stood up for a friend. But, by the end, I still don’t think I quite got who she was or felt like I understood her though I feel like I was starting to.

 

Unfortunately, for me, How My Summer Went Up In Flames didn’t stand out. It had its moments and generally was entertaining and fun — the perfect type of summer read when you are craving something light that will take you no time to breeze through because it’s paced really well. I loved the secondary characters but there was a lot about the main character and her storyline that irked me and pulled me out of this romp across America. She had her moments where I was like,  “Girl, you rock!”  but never moved past that. It wasn’t that I DIDN’T like How My Summer Went Up In Flames but I just didn’t love it though I know SO many are going to not even notice the things that annoyed me. I did appreciate how realistic it was and that it wasn’t totally romance centric but it just never made me FEEL anything more than, “Ok, that was fun.” I will say that I will be picking up her next book Famous Last Words because I think she writes fun contemporaries.

 

how-my-summer-went-up-in-flames

Let’s Talk: Have you read this one??  Heard of it?  If you’ve read it, did you enjoy it? Was I the only one who was drawn out of the story for these things?

 

 

ALSO I don’t listen to a ton of country music but this song and video are HILARIOUS and Miranda is awesome and it totally reminds me of this book in ways as it talks about the “crazy” some of catch during a break up. Even a reference to matches :P

Filed Under: book review, contemporary YA fiction, Young Adult Fiction Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley | Book Review

March 14, 2013 by · 26 Comments

Graffiti Moon by Cath CrowleyBook Title/Author:  Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley
Publisher/Year: 2012 Knopf Books For Young Readers ( Originally published 2010 Pan Macmillan)
Genre: YA Contemporary
Series: No!
Other Books From Author: A Little Wanting Song, The Gracie Faltrain series

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I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way swayed my opinion. Pinky swear!

 

 

 

.On the last night of her high school career, Lucy finds herself looking for Shadow — the amazing graffiti artist she’s never seen but has fallen in love with through all his art throughout the city. She also finds herself spending this night with Ed — a guy she went on a date with two years ago that ended with her breaking his nose. — all because her friend Jazz wants to celebrate the end of the school year by having a wildly fun night and finding a cute guy. The guy she sets her sights on happens to be Ed’s best friend, Leo, and Lucy hesitantly decides to hang out with them just for Jazz. When Lucy mentions she is searching for Shadow, the boys let on that they know him and will try to help find him which catapults Lucy into a crazy night of running about the city with Ed in search of Shadow and his art, contemplating its meaning and learning more about Ed — a person who she thought she had pegged after their one failed date but perhaps didn’t really at all.

You guys I LOVE AUSSIE FICTION. I don’t know what is in the water over there but they seem to write some of the BEST BOOKS I’VE EVER READ — like brilliance just seems to fly off the pages of every Aussie book I have read. Graffiti Moon is one of those that hit me over the head and yet subtly invaded my heart all at the same time with its dazzling prose,  heartwarming (and at times heartbreaking) story of love in its many forms and a strong visual sense of the adventure they are having all across the city in a single night. The FEELINGS that radiate from this book and their stories and the ART just are still making me feel jumpy as I type this.

There are just amazingly thought-provoking passages, supremely sweet moments and a love story that doesn’t feel like I’ve read it before but, at the same time,  feels familiar as I experienced the beautifully wonderful and confusing madness that is falling in love. The love story wasn’t annoying or insta-lovey but resonated with me as they learned about each other through both trivial and deep conversations about everything and anything and their romp through the city that all tumbled together to produce that flicker of recognition of something that feels like it could be more. I can think of so many instances in my life where I had nights like this. It wasn’t even really a book about a love story between a boy and a girl but so much more. To say it’s a love story seems to simplify its essence to me.

Graffiti Moon is told in alternating perspectives from Ed, Lucy and Leo.  This is one of those books where alternating perspectives work SO WELL and provide the perfect insight. It was this perfectly coordinated dance whereby we see the night unfold through these different perspectives and it flows in the most natural way. Sometimes we see a specific scene that overlaps just a little bit through the eyes of both Ed and Lucy and I loved seeing these little overlapped parts and their own, often differing understanding of it.  It never seemed repetitive when those tiny overlapped parts happened because Lucy and Ed had so much to give us as readers to make us fall even more in love with their story.

I also really loved their night of adventure — it felt wild and free and reminds you of how amazing it is to be young with all that potential and those dreams just ready to burst out of you. It was an extremely fun and exciting adventure brought to life by these flawed, complicated, quirky characters who express themselves and make sense of the world through art and just shine so bright even when they don’t realize it themselves. I didn’t want to end my night of fun and reflecting with these characters EVER but I know that they’ll take residence in that special place within me reserved for my favorite characters (whom I totally imagine all hang out together and have the best time ever).

Graffiti Moon is a gorgeously written novel that is definitely an all-time favorite. Its effective and natural feeling use of alternating perspectives really works to draw you into this night of adventure and makes you fall in love with these magnificent characters — you can’t help but feel like you are running alongside them or staring up at beautiful art on an abandoned building. There’s a beautiful budding love story and it never felt cliched or familiar but true to the complicated and beautiful nature of falling for someone…and it NEVER seemed like it forced itself into the forefront and drowned out the other amazing aspects of this book. If you like a romance but get turned off by how some seem a little one dimensional and the only thing the story is about, this is PERFECT for you.  A new favorite for sure!

You May Also Like: The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson, Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith (unfortunately not out until June)
For Fans Of: Beautiful words, thought-provoking books with many themes, slow burn romance that isn’t the only focus of the book, books that take place in one night, people who appreciate art, really well done alternating perspectives, a fresh contemporary YA novel with more mature characters

 

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

Let’s Talk: Have you read this one??  Heard of it?  If you’ve read it, did you feel like I did or feel differently? There is just SO MUCH TO SAY about this book — more than I could even capture here. I loved the different kinds of relationships and family and instances of love. Besides Ed and Lucy, which relationships did you find to be your favorite? I really loved Lucy and her parents and how she learned to see them differently. And Ed and Bert! AH!!! And I loved the friendship between Ed and Leo. GOD I LOVE THEM ALL.

Filed Under: book review, contemporary YA fiction Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt | Book Review

March 7, 2013 by · 22 Comments

Going Vintage Lindsey LeavittBook Title/Author: Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt
Publisher/Year: Bloomsbury – March 26th 2013
Genre: Contemporary YA
Series: No!
Other Books From Author: Sean Griswold’s Head, Princess for Hire series

Amazon| Goodreads | Twitter |

I received this as an e-galley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way swayed my opinion. Pinky swear!

Upon finding out her boyfriend has a secret online girlfriend (a girl whose avatar name is BUBBLEYUM), Mallory declares she’s completely swearing off  guys and modern technology as a way to get over Jeremy, avoid the rumors flying at school and make her life less complicated. Her inspiration for “going vintage”? A list of goals she finds in some of her grandmother’s belongings from 1962 when she was in high school. The list includes things like run for pep club (there isn’t even one!), sew a homecoming dress (she doesn’t sew!) and do something dangerous. Making her life less simple ends up being a whole lot more complicated than she realized while she’s running around to start a pep club that Jeremy’s (cute) cousin joins, avoiding Jeremy and learning how to live in the 21st century without her cell phone, internet or the other modern conveniences she’s used to.

This is my latest “work-out” read (I like to workout and read — helps me not think about the pain) and it was just perfect to read while on the treadmill as it was an easy story to get into right from the start. Going Vintage was light and fun and absolutely adorable! It’s the kind of read that is easy to breeze through and is perfect when you are looking for something that isn’t depressing or dark or issue-y. Going Vintage was a happy-making book that dealt genuinely with typical high school experiences and family matters as we watch Mallory struggle through her list and with her new de-modernized life (seriously she says goodbye to all things that didn’t exist in 1962)!

I loved Mallory and watching her learn more about herself through this experiment. She’s your average girl with your typical problems and, while I can’t say she was one of those characters I was like HEY BESTIE, I liked her and found her easy to identify with and relate to. It was just really fun to watch her realize who she was apart from Jeremy (which is SO hard to do when you end a relationship) and stumble and triumph through this list and the breakup. It was the kind of growth I really enjoyed reading. Don’t get me wrong, I love TOUGH issues that shape people but I also really enjoy stories of people who grow and change without all that kind of stuff. I loved watching her maneuver through school with rumors and remember that she HAD friends before Jeremy, stretching herself to try new things and learning what to do with her time now that it doesn’t consist of everything Jeremy. So easy to relate to! Where do you sit? Who can you still talk to? How do you tell your parents? I loved see the light bulb click on that perhaps she didn’t think everything through but I love the way she keeps challenging herself even knowing that perhaps the grass isn’t always greener or that the technology isn’t the reason everything went wrong. I loved watching her learn to enjoy LIFE and new experiences.

Bonus points: YAY for family involvement in the story — sister, grandma and parents (involved in that OMG-MY-PARENTS-ARE-ANNOYING kind of way). They have their problems for sure but it was nice to see a family, who had their own problems and quirks, but were THERE and a positive force.

The only tiny thing I’ll say was that there were a lot of different pieces of this plot outside of the breakup and the list — a storyline with her grandmother, things happening with her parents, NEW boys in the picture. Sometimes some of those pieces felt choppy and not as well fleshed out. I’ll also say that I wish some of the characters were more memorable to me — some were really well written and others just felt more flat for me. PS. I LOVE MALLORY’S GRANDMOTHER THE MOST AND WANTED MORE OF HER!

All in all, Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt was a cute book with a ridiculously fun plot that is easy to get into and was a great story of finding out who YOU are outside of a relationship  (a lesson even a married lady like me needs to remember from time to time) among a few other things. It was pretty light, sweet and generally a bit predictable  (in some areas and not in a bad way — like how I think of those Disney Channel original movies I used to love — Double Teamed and Cadet Kelly FTW) and I really enjoyed it. I can’t say it is a book that changed my life or blew my mind but I really, really enjoyed it and it was such a fun and refreshing read in the midst of darker or more intense stuff I’ve been reading! If you are looking for a lighter read that is funny, different and so easy to relate to — this is a great one! Weighs in high on the fun scale!

 

 For fans of: lighter reads, a contemporary YA read that is cute and fun and don’t delve into heavy stuff, a romp through high school, great character growth, books without invisible parents or family, sweet romances

Going Vintage Lindsey Leavitt

 

Let’s Talk: Have you read this one??  Heard of it?  If you’ve read it, did you enjoy it? Who was your favorite character? Did it make you think about all the technology that you rely on because I sure kept thinking about how I could never do it! But it made me honestly want to go on a social media/tv/electronic diet a bit and remember that life happens outside these screens!

Filed Under: book review, contemporary YA fiction Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Princesses of Iowa by M. Molly Backes | Book Review

February 25, 2013 by · 16 Comments

The Princesses of Iowa by M. Molly BackesBook Title/Author: The Princesses of Iowa by M. Molly Backes
Publisher/Year:  Candlewick 2012
Genre: Contemporary YA
Series: No.
Other Books From Author: None — debut novel

Amazon| Goodreads | Twitter |

I bought this for book club!

After being exiled by her parents to Paris to be an au pair for the summer, part of the damage control they wanted to do after Paige is involved in a drunk driving accident with her friends, Paige comes back to Iowa to start school and everything has changed — her best friend is still having physical problems from the accident and is angry, her boyfriend seems to be spending a lot of time with her best friend and blowing Paige off and her sister pretty much hates her and lets her know what an entitled brat she thinks she is. This was supposed to be the perfect year where she and her friends made homecoming court but she sees it is a lot different now when she’s being ignored by her friends and suspects her boyfriend is cheating. She is forced to deal with truth and what is inside her head when she takes a creative writing class and the teacher inspires her to write the truth and find out who she is when the popular and pretty facade is stripped away.

Here’s the thing. I started this book at 11:30 at night and didn’t put it down until I finished it at 4am. I honestly couldn’t put it down. I just had to know all the whys and hows of the car accident, hoped that Paige would change and just a general interest in the plot itself. The writing itself was fantastic and I found the pacing to work well for me personally but I found myself really frustrated for most of the book — mostly the ending.

Let’s start with the good — honestly the plot is engaging enough and the characters, while excruciatingly frustrating, ring authentic and real for the first part of the book. Paige is a downright SNOT but you keep hoping that you’ll find some sort of redeemable quality in her that will make her change a little bit and honestly though she was whiny and selfish and totally self centric..there was a part of me that could relate to that because I feel like that’s how I was as a teenager. EVERYTHING that happens was like “but why don’t people see why I’m the victim here?” or like really super paranoid — but let’s be honest…I’ve been there. People’s actions might make me think they are mad at me or are about me in some way — when really they aren’t at all. I get it.

There is that Real High School Vibe I got for most of the book and I appreciated that, while frustrating, the characters were flawed and seemed to have dimension. There are some really awesome characters, too, that happen to NOT be in her little circle of friends (Ethan, Shanti, a certain teacher and her sister). I thought the unraveling of the night of the car accident was done really well — it wasn’t like HEY THERE IS A MYSTERY HERE but just so subtly inserted. I also really enjoyed how writing was a huge part of this book and part of Paige’s journey because writing has always just been such a healing and beautiful thing for me.

Now for what FRUSTRATED ME. True, I really despised Paige and thought she was annoying, whiny and selfish and your typical mean girl. But I can overlook that sometimes. Unfortunately, for me, this was a little too predictable. I pretty much knew how the accident went down. I knew she was going to be the “mean girl who is redeemed and changes her whole life” kind of girl. Which who doesn’t love a good Mean Girls story but the thing is…I didn’t buy it. Not at all how it went down. I applauded the authenticity in Paige’s character that she was a biotch for most of the book but then suddenly she becomes preachy and perfect and I just didn’t buy that ALL OF THE THINGS that happened or the conversations she had (also read: a boy) changed her that completely. I just didn’t and I think, with this book, either you are going to buy it or not. I fall on the “did not” side and therefore the end just didn’t ring as true to me as the rest of the book.

I don’t want to give much away so I’m not going to elaborate but I really have to feel an authentic change in my heart. I think she was headed towards it but the end was rushed and crammed so many things in, and made other characters even more repulsive, to make her look like the ultimate Redeemed Character that it just didn’t do it for me. ALSO so annoying that she acts like she does and gets what she wants in the end. I didn’t buy that quick of forgiveness in the end.

 

The Princesses of Iowa is that novel that I probably would have loved more in high school (because you know..I’m that creepy 27 year old lady reading it now being all crabby about it) but I do applaud the fact that rather than only focusing on Mean Girls and social hierarchies it dealt with a lot of other  issues — drunk driving, abuse, homophobia.  Unfortunately, while the writing was good and the plot held my attention enough, I just became increasingly frustrated with the ending and didn’t buy that Paige truly changed that much and was annoyed with how preachy and holier-than-thou she became so quickly — all from some things that happen and conversations with a boy. Paige is a character who you’ll love to hate but I did see something real in her — just wished her growth would have been a little bit more realistic for me at the end. I just don’t think she truly deals with things in the end and still gets what she wants.

 

For Fans  Of: Mean Girls stories, books set in the high school landscape dealing with social status and other HS issues, books that are for the most part not DARK or gritty but still deal with issues like drunk driving, homophobia, abuse, etc, contemporary YA fans who don’t have to LOVE the protag to like a book (because seriously Paige is hard to handle sometimes),

princesses-of-iowa

Let’s Talk: Have you read this one?? Heard of it? I don’t really have a problem with this but I know others do (with this book specifically)..can you loathe the main character and still LIKE a book? Like there are books that I straight up love but have horrid main characters. Did you find Paige’s transformation to seem real or was it just me?

Filed Under: book review, contemporary YA fiction, Young Adult Fiction Tagged With: , , ,

Top Ten Characters I Love In Contemporary YA!

February 19, 2013 by · 43 Comments

toptentuesssTop Ten Tuesday, as  always, is hosted at my other blog — The Broke & the Bookish

This week’s topic: Top Ten Characters I Love In X Genre (I picked contemporary YA)

 This was really hard! I have so many characters I loved for different reasons in the contemporary YA genre — some I loved their growth, some I saw a lot of myself in and some were just so darn memorable that I loved them!

TTTfc1TTTfc2

ALSO: Anna and St. Clair….I can’t believe I didn’t I remember to put them on here! I FAIL AT LIFE! Seriously!
1. Mia: I loved being in Mia’s head and it was honestly one of the most memorable narratives ever. I obviously loved her in Where She Went as we got to see more of her from Adam’s perspective but If I Stay was where I just fell in love with Mia through her memories and the present when she was hanging in the balance between life and death. (Review of If I Stay by Gayle Forman)

2. Adam: Oh Adam. Adam. Adam. Adam. We fall for him in If I Stay as being so super sweet and devoted to Mia but Where She Went is what solidified him as my favorite. That book is special and Gayle Forman knows how to write a truly swoonyworthy boy  — and not just because of his looks or anything like that. He’s so fully developed in WSW that you just can’t help but love him! (Review of Where She Went by Gayle Forman)

3. Travis:  Oh gosh, TRAVIS. What a realistic YA boy that I loved watching that spark of growth in him. I just loved him so much. He’s been through so much and he has to really work to fight through it. We only catch a glimpse of his journey but it’s one of my favorites! (Review of Something Like Normal by Trish Doller)

4. Jessica Darling: DUH. If you know me…DUH. I need not explain. (Review of Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty)

5. Allyson: Oh gosh. I just understood Allyson so much. I can’t even tell you. Just a lot of the things she was struggling with were things that I have/am struggling with — saying YES, living the life you want to live, letting go of things that hinder you, etc. She’s not always perfect, sometimes she might annoy you or be whiny but I’m telling you…in the depths of my soul I HAD THIS CONNECTION WITH HER. (My review of Just One Day by Gayle Forman)

6. Bria: This is another character that I just really had a connection with as I watched her growth in Wanderlove. I just saw of myself in her or is it her in me? I just love her! (Review of Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard)

7. Tiny Cooper: Tiny may not be the main character of Will Grayson, Will Grayson but he is the most memorable for me and I just loved him to pieces. He’s definitely not perfect and sometimes he’s selfish but he’s got a good heart and I just LOVE HIM. (Review of Will Grayson, Will Grayson by David Levithan & John Green)

8.  Carly: Oh Carly. Her story makes my heart seize up every time I think about her. She’s been through some things and I admire her. Plus she’s a super cool surfer girl. (Review of Raw Blue by Kirsty Eager)

9. Audrey: I just loved Audrey! She’s so funny and loveable even when she’s down! I was definitely like her in high school — more shy but still liked to have fun and was playful! I also really connected with her on the music level and just found her downright delightful. (My review of Audrey, Wait by Robin Benway)

10. Sam Border: Oh Sam. What a sad childhood he and his brother Riddle have but he’s still the most kind and loving soul ever. I JUST LOVE HIM FOREVER. (My review of I’ll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan)

So tell me…who are some of YOUR favorite characters in the YA contemp genre that I need to meet! Did you love any of the characters on my list?

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Save The Date: Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith

February 15, 2013 by · 31 Comments

To learn more about why I started doing this Save The Date feature and how it differs from my reviews — go here!

 

Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith

* Release date according to Goodreads

Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith

Pre-Order It | Add It To Goodreads


What Wild Awake Is  About:  Kiri’s parents are cruising around the world for most of the summer — leaving Kiri alone to devote her time to playing piano, practicing for Battle of the Bands and hanging out with Lukas — her best friend and bandmate and maybe something else. Her summer plan is in full swing until she gets a mysterious phone call that brings her into a seedy part of the city to retrieve some stuff that belonged to her older and now deceased sister whom she looked up to. Her perfectly planned summer suddenly spirals into something she couldn’t have planned for as she learns the truth about her sister’s life, relives her loss over again and meets someone who helps her to live and learn to be free.

Why You Should Be Saving  The Date:

1. This book is something else!In a good way, for me. I’m going to be honest with you, it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea! On the outside it looks like this cute, straightforward contemporary read with a happy ending but it’s not. It’s fresh and unique and I totally loved it. It’s not at all a plot driven novel so if you are cool with that than I think you and this book could quite well get along.

2. The writing makes this book engaging and all absorbing. It’s  very “in the head”, kind of stream of consciousness writing with that vivid imagery I dig & more “flowery” writing. For me, her writing reminded me a bit of  Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me, a hint of Jandy Nelson’s  The Sky is Everywhere but Hilary T. Smith is completely her own. I’ve read few books where the writing matches the energy the character exudes — chaotic, frenetic and sometimes deliriously mad (and high haha). She feels EVERYTHING so intensely — both joy and plunging sadness — that’s her energy just pulses through you and holds you captive.

3. Wild Awake was emotional in an unexpected way and in unexpected places. I went into this knowing there were going to be some emotions because Kiri had lost her sister but some of these scenes were so emotional in unexpected ways and I LOVE WHEN A BOOK DOES THAT TO ME. Whew. Lots of feelings. And not just crying kind of emotional but also rage inducing — at Kiri’s parents and at some of the things Kiri does. It’s just INTENSE being in Kiri’s mind and watching her just do things (sometimes dangerous, stupid & reckless) and KNOW that she is just having a very scary breakdown.

Who Should Save The  Date: Fans of contemporary YA looking for something truly different, people who love beautiful imagery and energetic prose, a story charged with emotion and energy in a less obvious way, people who don’t need a plot driven novel

A Sneak Peek: “There’s an exaggerated kind of industriousness to their movements, bright and false, like kids pretending to be absorbed in taking notes so the teacher doesn’t call on them. Mom is unscrewing a giant bottle of vitamin pills that gives off a scent like rubber flowers, Dad’s pouring himself a glass of water at the sink, and for the first time since Sukey died I can see us clearly, hovering at the intersection of love and avoidance like lost tourists who can’t decide which road will bring them home.”  (this is taken from the advanced copy I received from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review, and could be subject to change)

Be on the lookout for my FULL review closer to the release date where I will flesh out my thoughts a little more!

Have you read this one? Are you excited for it?? Putting it on your TBR list?

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