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Thu, April 18, 2013

Live Through This by Mindi Scott Review

Live Through This
By Mindi Scott
Publication date: Oct. 2, 2012
Simon Pulse, 304 pages
Source: Borrowed from Ginger — thanks, G!

From the outside, Coley Sterling’s life seems pretty normal . . . whatever that means. It’s not perfect—her best friend is seriously mad at her and her dance team captains keep giving her a hard time—but Coley’s adorable, sweet crush Reece helps distract her. Plus, she has a great family to fall back on—with a mom and stepdad who would stop at nothing to keep her siblings and her happy.

But Coley has a lot of secrets. She won’t admit—not even to herself—that her almost-perfect life is her own carefully-crafted façade. That for years she’s been burying the shame and guilt over a relationship that crossed the line. Now that Coley has the chance at her first real boyfriend, a decade’s worth of lies are on the verge of unraveling.

In this unforgettable powerhouse of a novel, Mindi Scott offers an absorbing, layered glimpse into the life of an everygirl living a nightmare that no one would suspect.

— Goodreads.com description

Oh my gosh, Mindi Scott, you just slayed me with words.

Earlier this year, I read her book Freefall and got really mad at myself for waiting so long to read such a beautiful story. Okay, well, ditto for Live Through This. Lesson learned! Mindi, I love you!

Live Through This is a heartbreaking, powerful and (unfortunately) all-too-real book about a young woman’s experiences with sexual abuse. It was a difficult read, but Coley’s story moved me so much that I had a hard time putting it down. I stayed up far past my bedtime until I got to the last page, tears in my eyes and unable to sleep for quite some time after. It really affected me — which I think is a sign of a great piece of literature.

Live Through This is an unforgettable must-read for teens.

Mon, February 25, 2013

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell Review

Eleanor and Park
By Rainbow Rowell
Publication date: Feb. 26, 2013
St. Martin’s Press , 320 pages
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

“Bono met his wife in high school,” Park says.
“So did Jerry Lee Lewis,” Eleanor answers.
“I’m not kidding,” he says.
“You should be,” she says, “we’re sixteen.”
“What about Romeo and Juliet?”
“Shallow, confused, then dead.”
”I love you,” Park says.
“Wherefore art thou,” Eleanor answers.
“I’m not kidding,” he says.
“You should be.”

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.

— Goodreads.com description

I read Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell right after my friend Magan and thank goodness I had someone to talk to about it because, you guys, it was SO GOOD. It was one of those books that I could not stop thinking about and needed to dissect IN DEPTH. Do we like or hate so and so? What was the deal with the ending? DID YOU LOVE IT AS MUCH AS I DID? Etc.

Like…I tried to write a review, but it was just so fangirly, I had to calm myself down. So, instead of a review, here are bits and pieces of my side of our gChat…I think you will get the gist of my love…

me: ok that book
is why i love to read
i sat down and would not get up for like 5 hours
…
me: i just really enjoyed being in his brain
…
me: they were both so fascinating and lovely
…
me: the whole time i was reading it i felt like somehow rainbow rowell was reaching out and grabbing my heart and that is really emo but it is also TRUE
…
me: holy mother of mercy magan
was that not the hottest thing ever
…
me: ugh that slays me
i love it
i love that book so much
…
me: it’s so hard when a book ends and you just want to imagine what the rest of their lives are like
but will never KNOW
…
me: can we make everyone ever read this and love it as much as we do?
i’m feeling evangelistic over it
…
me: oh man what do people do when they don’t have people to dissect books with them

So, basically, here’s what you need to do:

1. Read Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. I immediately preordered a hardcover version after I finished my Kindle version. Be prepared to do the same.

2. Then let’s discuss it even MORE. I’d be lost without bookish friends like Magan (mwah. xoxo.), so know that I am here for you too if you need to freak out as much as I did!

Mon, December 17, 2012

What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton Review

What Happens Next
By Colleen Clayton
Publication date: Oct. 9, 2012
Poppy (Little Brown Books for Young Readers), 320 pages
Source: Borrowed from a friend

How can you talk about something you can’t remember?

Before the ski trip, sixteen-year-old Cassidy “Sid” Murphy was a cheerleader (at the bottom of the pyramid, but still…), a straight-A student, and a member of a solid trio of best friends. When she ends up on a ski lift next to handsome local college boy, Dax Windsor, she’s thrilled; but Dax takes everything from Sid—including a lock of her perfect red curls—and she can’t remember any of it.

Back home and unable to relate to her old friends, Sid drops her college prep classes and takes up residence in the A/V room with only Corey “The Living Stoner” Livingston for company. But as she gets to know Corey (slacker, baker, total dreamboat), Sid finds someone who truly makes her happy. Now, if she can just shake the nightmares and those few extra pounds, everything will be perfect… or so she thinks.

Witty and poignant, Colleen Clayton’s stunning debut is a story about moving on after the unthinkable happens.

— Goodreads.com description

What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton is a gorgeous, powerful and absolutely heartbreaking novel. I devoured this book, feeling equal parts sick to my stomach and blissfully captivated about what I was reading.

As an grownup, I sometimes have a hard time with “issues” books because I just want to jump into the pages, grab ahold of these girls and never let them out of my sight until they have an honest conversation with a responsible adult. It was hard for me to read Sid’s story without wanting to just…SCREAM AT HER. But that’s why this is such an important book for teens. Readers can learn from Sid’s mistakes and applaud her triumphs. It’s the type of book you have no choice but to get invested in.

Beyond my struggles with Old Lady Syndrome (OLS), I absolutely adored it. Sid’s voice was a standout. The boy…oh, my friends, THE BOY. So good.

This is a book I’d highly recommend, especially for school librarians to have in their collection. My only real complaint? The ending was too rushed for me — I would have liked to hang out with these characters for much, much longer. I don’t quite feel resolved!

Thu, September 20, 2012

34 Pieces of You by Carmen Rodrigues Review

34 Pieces of You
By Carmen Rodrigues
Publication date: Sept. 4, 2012
Simon Pulse, 352 pages
Source: Publisher

A dark and moving novel—reminiscent of Thirteen Reasons Why—about the mystery surrounding a teenage girl’s fatal overdose.

There was something about Ellie…Something dangerous. Charismatic. Broken. Jake looked out for her. Sarah followed her lead. And Jess kept her distance—and kept watch.

Now Ellie’s dead, and Jake, Sarah, and Jess are left to pick up the pieces. All they have are thirty-four clues she left behind. Thirty-four strips of paper hidden in a box beneath her bed. Thirty-four secrets of a brief and painful life.

Jake, Sarah, and Jess all feel responsible for what happened to Ellie, and all three have secrets of their own. As they confront the past, they will discover not only the darkest truths about themselves, but also what Ellie herself had been hiding all along…

— Goodreads.com description

Oh, glory, “dark” is right! I’ve met Carmen Rodrigues, and she seems just so kind and full of light. So when I read this I was just like…“Carmen! What!?”

For those who like their YA dark and twisty, 34 Pieces of You is a must. With every chapter, we realize just how very broken these characters are. The layers grow and grow as the main characters’ stories twist together, their mistakes and regrets and sorrow filling each page.

The issues tackled here are huge: suicide, drug use, sexuality, abuse. It’s easy for things to go wrong when a book tackles so many issues at once, but it was truly very well done.

So, clearly, what I’m saying is that you have to be in the right mood for 34 Pieces of You. If you want kissing and fluff, save it for later. But when you’re ready for something serious, you know what to pick up.

Thu, July 19, 2012

Easy by Tammara Webber Review

Easy
By Tammara Webber
Publication date: May 25, 2012
Kindle edition, 304 pages
Source: Purchased

When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she’s single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, stalked by her ex’s frat brother, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Her econ professor gives her an email address for Landon, the class tutor, who shows her that she’s still the same intelligent girl she’s always been. As Jacqueline becomes interested in more from her tutor than a better grade, his teasing responses make the feeling seem mutual. There’s just one problem—their only interactions are through email.

Meanwhile, a guy in her econ class proves his worth the first night she meets him. Nothing like her popular ex or her brainy tutor, Lucas sits on the back row, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. At a downtown club, he disappears after several dances that leave her on fire. When he asks if he can sketch her, alone in her room, she agrees—hoping for more.

Then Jacqueline discovers a withheld connection between her supportive tutor and her seductive classmate, her ex comes back into the picture, and her stalker escalates his attention by spreading rumors that they’ve hooked up. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.

— Goodreads.com description

I bought Easy by Tammara Webber for my Kindle. I loved it so much that I’m going to buy a paperback copy too so I can more easily skip to the good parts when I want to reread.

SO YOU KNOW I’M SERIOUS.

Easy is perfect for anyone who loves a love story, and especially for those of you who love when two messed up kids somehow find each other, despite all the insanity in their lives. Phew, there was a lot of drama, and it was a crazy ride…but boy was it fun! And steamy. Very steamy.

And three cheers for new adult fiction! There are not enough books set in college out there…and if there are, goodness gracious, people, recommend them to me! Plus, Jacqueline has a super-supportive, loving best friend. Not enough of that in books either.

Oh, man, the good things about this are endless. Easy by Tammara Webber is a fun, easy and exciting story that is a must-read for anyone who loves a slightly tortured love story. My favorite!