The Museum of Heartbreak Blog Tour: Top 10 With Meg Leder + Giveaway

Title: The Museum of Heartbreak

Author: Meg Leder
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication date: June 7, 2016
Genre(s): Contemporary
Source: Blog Tour

Pages: 256

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In this ode to all the things we gain and lose and gain again, seventeen-year-old Penelope Marx curates her own mini-museum to deal with all the heartbreaks of love, friendship, and growing up.
Welcome to the Museum of Heartbreak.
Well, actually, to Penelope Marx’s personal museum. The one she creates after coming face to face with the devastating, lonely-making butt-kicking phenomenon known as heartbreak.
Heartbreak comes in all forms: There’s Keats, the charmingly handsome new guy who couldn’t be more perfect for her. There’s possibly the worst person in the world, Cherisse, whose mission in life is to make Penelope miserable. There’s Penelope’s increasingly distant best friend Audrey. And then there’s Penelope’s other best friend, the equal-parts-infuriating-and-yet-somehow-amazing Eph, who has been all kinds of confusing lately.
But sometimes the biggest heartbreak of all is learning to let go of that wondrous time before you ever knew things could be broken. 

10 fictional characters you would invite to a dinner party:

1. Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables. My favorite character from my favorite book. I would want to sit right next to Anne because she would be full of stories.

2. Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice. I didn’t read this book until I was in graduate school, and I was stunned by how incredible it was. I feel like Elizabeth Bennett and would be good friends.

3. Eleanor from Eleanor and Park. I want to know what she said on the postcard!

4. Park from Eleanor and Park. I want Park and Eleanor to be together again!

5. Owen Meany from A Prayer for Owen Meany. I read this book in high school and it slayed me—it’s so hilarious and heartbreaking, and Owen is one of a kind. I’m sure he’d be shouty at dinner, but so be it.

6. Yuri from Learning to Swear in America. I got a chance to read an early copy of this gem, and fell head over heels for Yuri. He’s delightful and can charm the dinner guests with lots of cool physics trivia.

7. Walt Whitman. Sure, this is kind of cheating, as he was real, but I adore Walt Whitman and think he’d be great at keeping the conversation going if anyone was feeling awkward.

8. Emily Dickinson. Also a cheat, but I feel like Emily would be the perfect companion for anyone who was feeling a little more introverted. She’d be a good listener.

9. Clark from The Unexpected Everything. A dreamy nerd writer? Yes please.

10. Parker, the main character from my work in progress. I’m still getting to know her and I need her to talk to me more about her fears and dreams so I can finish this manuscript!

About Meg Leder:

Website | Twitter

A former bookseller and teacher, Meg Leder currently works as a book editor in New York City. Her role models are Harriet the Spy and Anne Shirley. She is the coauthor of The Happy Book, and spends her free time reading, looking for street art, and people watching. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can visit her on Twitter at @MegLeder.

3 Finished Copies of THE MUSEUM OF HEARTBREAK (US Only)

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Blog Tour Review: Run by Kody Keplinger

Title: Run

Author: Kody Keplinger
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication date: June 28, 2016
Genre(s): Contemporary
Source: Publisher

Pages: 288

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Bo Dickinson is a girl with a wild reputation, a deadbeat dad, and a mama who's not exactly sober most of the time. Everyone in town knows the Dickinsons are a bad lot, but Bo doesn't care what anyone thinks.
Agnes Atwood has never gone on a date, never even stayed out past ten, and never broken any of her parents' overbearing rules. Rules that are meant to protect their legally blind daughter -- protect her from what, Agnes isn't quite sure.
Despite everything, Bo and Agnes become best friends. And it's the sort of friendship that runs truer and deeper than anything else.
So when Bo shows up in the middle of the night, with police sirens wailing in the distance, desperate to get out of town, Agnes doesn't hesitate to take off with her. But running away and not getting caught will require stealing a car, tracking down Bo's dad, staying ahead of the authorities, and -- worst of all -- confronting some ugly secrets.

I've read almost every book Kody Keplinger has released and I've devoured all of them. I'm happy to say that Run was no different in that aspect. That said, my one suggestion before picking up this book would be to put aside everything you think you know about Kody Keplinger's writing. Run is very different from her previous stories, in the best way possible. It deals with more serious issues including disability, drug use, and family struggles, but it also deals with things like friendship, first love, self discovery. You are bound to relate in some way to these characters and what they're going through. This is a raw story with very real characters.

The way Run is written in alternating points of view makes it easy to piece together the story of Agnes and Bo. You get the whole picture, but in small doses. Agnes' perspective is from the past, while Bo is telling the story in the present. I loved the way the stories came together, but the one thing that didn't work for me was that I had a hard time distinguishing their voices. They were way too similar and I had to keep checking whose perspective I was actually reading. If their voices had been a little easier to differentiate I think the story would have had an even bigger impact.

While the characters may be young at 16 and 17, this story will appeal to people of all ages. The feeling I got while I was reading it was the same feeling I got when I was younger and I read Because of Winn-Dixie. It gave me a nostalgic feeling to that summer in 5th grade. I would recommend this one as a great summer read. It's a quick book to get through, but it's filled with feeling and love. It's an important story that needs to be shared with others and I thank Kody Keplinger for writing it so beautifully. 

About Kody Keplinger:

Kody Keplinger was born and raised in small town western Kentucky, where she began her writing career after penning the New York Times and USA Today bestseller, The DUFF, at age seventeen.The DUFF, now a major motion picture, was chosen as an YALSA Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Readers and a Romantic Times Top Pick. Kody has since written other books for both young adult and middle grade readers. When she isn't writing, Kody is posting about fashion and body positivity on her Instagram, chatting about her favorite TV shows on Twitter, or making videos for her YouTube account. Kody is also the co-founder of Disability in KidLit and a teacher at the Gotham Writers Workshops in NYC.

Kody is active on social media, so feel free to reach out to her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube.

3 Finished Copies of RUN (US Only)

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Spark Blog Tour: Top Ten with Holly Schindler + Giveaway

Title: Spark

Author: Holly Schindler
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication date: May 17, 2016
Genre(s): Contemporary, Magical Realism
Source: Publisher

Pages: 304

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The local Avery Theater was just a run-down building to Quin—until her mother told her the tragic love story of Nick and Emma that played out on the theater’s stage all those years ago. Quin is convinced it’s the perfect story to rewrite for her drama class, but when she goes searching for more information, she makes a startling discovery—the Avery is rapidly regaining its former splendor and setting the stage for her classmates Dylan and Cass to relive Nick and Emma’s romance. Quin can see the spark between them, but i
t’s up to her to make sure her friends—and the Avery—can both be saved this time around.

Top Ten Reasons You Decided to Become an Author:

In many ways, I don’t feel like I decided to become an author—I feel like I always was an author. But here are my top 10 reasons why I think that is: 

1. Love of literature / reading – I was always an avid reader, starting with the new Little Golden Book I had to have every time I went grocery shopping with my mom. I think writing and reading just have to go hand-in- hand…and it often seems like natural progression for a reader to pick up their own pen. 

2. Love of creativity – I’ve just always gravitated toward the arts. Love visual art—I’m in the midst of wrapping my brain around digital art so that I can move toward doing my own illustrations. And I’m a giant music junkie—I play piano and guitar, and taught music lessons while drafting my earliest manuscripts. 

3. Love of words – This goes along with my love of literature and reading, but I love the power of words. I love the music they create when strung together a certain way. There’s definitely a rhythm to the written word. 

4. Love of having a voice – I was a really shy kid, and in some ways, I feel as though writing was kind of an early attempt to get my voice out there, but really, there’s something about storytelling that just FITS. 

5. Love of storytelling – This echoes #4, I know, but it’s true. There’s something about the craft of storytelling that feels like an integral part of me. 

6. Love of being able to be in someone else’s head – Fiction allows you to explore another person’s thoughts. You don’t often get that in other forms of entertainment—in a movie or on TV, you’re primarily watching characters navigate through a series of problems, but you rarely ever get inside them, hear their thoughts, experience their emotions. I love that fiction allows us all to literally walk in someone else’s shoes. 

7. Love of being able to connect with people – There’s a definite connection you feel as a reader to certain fictional characters. At times, we’ve all slowed down as we neared the end of a book we’ve been enjoying, because we don’t want to let that character go. I love being able to create characters that speak to readers in that way—that become friends of sorts. 

8. Love of being able to create a world – Even in realistic contemporary work, you have to do a bit of worldbuilding…but why stop there? As a fiction writer, you get to go to worlds that are completely of your own making…or travel back in time… 

9. Love of exploring scenarios I’ve never lived through – In realistic fiction, you get to daydream a bit, imagine what it’s like to be an athlete, to be a musician on the stage… 

10. Love the feeling of completion—There’s something almost euphoric about finishing an enormous job—like wrapping up a novel. It feels a little like it must crossing the finish line of a marathon. 

About Holly Schindler:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Author Newsletter

I’m a hybrid author of critically acclaimed traditionally published and Amazon bestselling independently published works for readers of all ages. My previous YAs (A BLUE SO DARK, PLAYING HURT, and FERAL) have received starred reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly, won silver and gold medals from ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year and the IPPY Awards, respectively, been featured on Booklist’s First Novels for Youth, School Library Journal’s “What’s Hot in YA,” and been selected as a PW Pick. 

Going hybrid means that I’ve been able to explore all sorts of new avenues—short fiction, sequels, I’m even going to be branching out into doing some illustrative work. Throughout 2016, I’m releasing one short story a month in the Forever Finley Short Story Cycle. The cycle begins with “Come December”: http://amzn.to/1oPioN5 

Also, in honor of SPARK’s release, I’m holding a sale on PLAY IT AGAIN, the sequel to my YA romance, PLAYING HURT. For a limited time, PLAY IT AGAIN is $.99: http://amzn.to/1qCNVCe 

3 Finished Copies of SPARK (US Only)

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Blog Tour: Heir to the Sky Interview With Amanda Sun + Giveaway

Hello! Today I am delighted to welcome Amanda Sun to the blog for an interview!

About Heir to the Sky:

As heir to a kingdom of floating continents, Kali has spent her life bound by limits—by her duties as a member of the royal family; by a forced betrothal to the son of a nobleman; and by the edge of the only world she’s ever known—a small island hovering above a monster-ridden earth, long since uninhabited by humans. She is the Eternal Flame of Hope for what’s left of mankind, the wick and the wax burning in service for her people, and for their revered Phoenix, whose magic keeps them aloft.

When Kali falls off the edge of her kingdom and miraculously survives, she is shocked to discover there are still humans on the earth. Determined to get home, Kali entrusts a rugged monster-hunter named Griffin to guide her across a world overrun by chimera, storm dragons, basilisks, and other terrifying beasts. But the more time she spends on earth, the more dark truths she begins to uncover about her home in the sky, and the more resolute she is to start burning for herself.

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Indiebound | iBooks | The Book Depository

Interview

1. If you had to describe your book in 5 words how would you describe it? 

Video game in a book. Or, Final Fantasy meets YA novels. Or, floating lands and monster hunters. ^_^ 

2. The world in Heir to the Sky is a very interesting one. How did you come up with the idea of a continent floating in the sky? 

Thank you! I’ve always loved floating continents. I think the first time I saw one was in Chrono Trigger, back when I was a young gamer (and the only girl gamer I knew). Then in Final Fantasy VI, and in Studio Ghibli’s Laputa: Castle in the Sky. I started even dreaming about seeing them in the sky, with the roots and dirt crumbling off the bottoms of them as they hovered there like mysteries. I started to develop my own islands, with waterfalls and cities, and then I imagined what might keep them afloat, and what could survive up there. I imagined they were a last refuge of a monster-torn world. And then I wondered what would happen if someone fell off the edge down to that world. 

3. Out of all of your characters which one was the most fun to write, which one was the most difficult, and which one do you relate to the most? 

I have the most fun writing Griffin. He’s a monster hunter. He’s learned all kinds of cool survival skills like weaponry, cooking, trapping, and sewing. But despite everything he’s been through, he hasn’t lost his humanity. He’s powerless to change his past, and so he invests his whole heart in protecting others to try and make up the loss he never can. 

The most difficult character to write was probably Sayra. Unlike the other survivors who bravely fight on, she’s terrified and almost without hope. She doesn’t have a big role in HEIR TO THE SKY, but she has an important one—that not everyone is equipped to fight life’s battles. I find her difficult to write because she reflects my own weaknesses and despair that are easily to slip into. 

The character I relate the most to is probably Kali. They both reflect part of me, but they also have their own struggles and strengths that I don’t have. I’d probably have a hard time getting my wits about me to survive and face monsters like Kali does, but I can relate a lot to her thoughts of how to be on her own, how to be happy, and how to best protect those she cares about. Plus she loves to read and is always in the library, so I can relate to that too. And her best friend Elisha was modeled on a couple of my best friends as well. 

4. When you write, do you listen to music or are there any must have snacks? 

Yes, definitely! There is a lot of food in the Paper Gods books, because food and its smells evokes a lot of strong memories for me. Likewise, I write a lot about food in HEIR TO THE SKY, and writing about food makes me hungry! I usually have snacks on hand like Pocky and Puccho, green tea candies, and of course chips or iced coffee. And for music, I listened to a lot of video game soundtracks while writing this book—Final Fantasy soundtracks, Skyrim and other Elder Scrolls games, Journey, Chrono Trigger, and Skyward Sword. 

5. I know you have a short story coming out in, Strangers Among Us: Tales of the Underdogs and Outcasts, can you tell us a little about it and the process writing a short story? How is it different or similar to writing a full length novel? 

Yes, and I’m so glad you mentioned it because I’m really excited about this story! It’s called “What Harm” and it’s about a boy who doesn’t speak and struggles with reality, but has a special gift with horses. He’s sold to a warlord, where he meets a schizophrenic girl and things take a dark and vengeful turn. It’s a story about revenge, and what we’re capable of, and who we really are, even if that turns out to be meek and harmless. Writing a short story is so different, because you have such a limited amount of time to get across the feelings you want to convey. Every word counts, and the changes in the characters are so fine and minute that you can’t quite put your finger on what’s happened. At least, that’s what I like to aim for. STRANGERS AMONG US is out this August and I hope you read and enjoy it! 

6. Are you currently working on any future projects? We're dying to know! 

Thanks! I’m currently writing two more short stories for anthologies, and I have two novels in the works, though mostly in the planning stages. At the moment I have my hands full with my baby daughter, Alice. ^_^ Both projects have lots of either Fantasy or Asian threads woven through them, though, so I’m sure they’ll feel familiar when I’m ready to announce more. I hope you look forward to them! ^_^

Thank you for being on the blog today!

ABOUT AMANDA SUN

I’m a YA author and proud Nerdfighter. I was born in Deep River, Canada, a very small town without traffic lights or buses, and where stranger safety is comprised of what to do if you see a bear—or skunk. I started reading fantasy novels at 4 and writing as soon as I could hold a pencil. Hopefully my work’s improved since then.

​In university I took English, Linguistics, and Asian History, before settling into Archaeology, because I loved learning about the cultures and stories of ancient people. Of course, I didn’t actually become an archaeologist—I have an intense fear of spiders. I prefer unearthing fascinating stories in the safety of my living room.

​The Paper Gods is inspired by my time living in Osaka and travelling throughout Japan. That and watching far too many J-Dramas. I currently live in Toronto with my husband and daughter. When I’m not writing, I’m devouring YA books, knitting nerdy things like Companion Cubes and Triforce mitts, and making elaborate cosplays for anime cons.

LINKS: Website | Twitter | Facebook

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Blog Tour: Hot Pterodactyl Boyfriend by Alan Cumyn Playlist + Giveaway

Title: Hot Pterodactyl Boyfriend

Author: Alan Cumyn
Publisher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books
Publication date: March 22, 2016
Genre(s): Young Adult, Contemporary
Source: From publisher

Pages: 304

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Prepare to be blown away—or rather, carried away on huge muscular wings—by this blissfully outlandish, bracingly-smart, tour de force about a teen who has to come to terms with relinquishing control for the first time as she falls for the hot new…pterodactyl…at school. After all, everybody wants him! Sheils is very pleased with her perfectly controlled life (controlling others while she’s at it). She’s smart, powerful, the Student Body Chair, and she even has a loving boyfriend. What more could a girl ask for? But everything changes when the first-ever interspecies transfer student, a pterodactyl named Pyke, enrolls at her school. There’s something about him—something primal—that causes the students to lose control whenever he’s around. Even Sheils, the seemingly perfect self-confident girl that she is, can’t keep her mind off of him, despite her doting boyfriend and despite the fact that Pyke immediately starts dating Jocelyn, the school’s fastest runner who Sheils has always discounted as a nobody. Pyke, hugely popular in a school whose motto is to embrace differences, is asked to join a band, and when his band plays at the Autumn Whirl dance, his preternatural shrieking music sends everyone into a literal frenzy. No one can remember what happened the next day, but Shiels learns that she danced far too long with Pyke, her nose has turned purple, and she may have done something with her boyfriend that she shouldn’t have. Who’s in control now? Hilarious and relatable (despite the dinosaur), Hot Pterodactyl Boyfriend is about a teen who must come to terms with not being in control of all things at all times, break free of her mundane life, discover who her true self is, and, oh, finding out that going primal isn’t always a bad thing

How insane does this book sound? I need a playlist to go with that story and today we have Alan Cumyn, the author of Hot Pterodactyl Boyfriend here to help set the musical mood. These are the five songs Alan chose to represent Hot Pterodactyl Boyfriend!

1. "Rebel Rebel" by David Bowie – Pyke, the pterodactyl, gets everybody in a whirl

2. "Extraordinary Machine" by Fiona Apple – what's playing in the subconscious of Vista View High's Student Body Chair Shiels Krane

3. "Wild Thing" as performed by Animal, of the Muppets – the drumbeat to the whole book 

4. "Love Hurts", the Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris version – for the breakup of Shiels and her near-perfect boyfriend, Sheldon Myers 

5. "I'm Alive" by the Screaming Iguanas of Love -- gotta love the band name

Thank you, Alan! It was so much fun to have you on the blog today.

ABOUT ALAN CUMYN:

Alan Cumyn is the author of twelve wide-ranging and often wildly different novels. A two-time winner of the Ottawa Book Award, he has also had work shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award, the Giller Prize, and the Trillium Award. He teaches through the Vermont College of Fine Arts and is a past Chair of The Writers’ Union of Canada. He lives in Ontario, Canada.

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Character Tour + Giveaway: Thief of Lies by Brenda Drake

Welcome to Brenda Drake’s THIEF OF LIES Character Tour! Each stop will feature a character profile from book one of the Library Jumpers Series (you can find my review here). There is a tour wide giveaway so be sure to check out all the characters for chances to win. You can find a list of the tour dates here. Today, we’re getting to know Lei!

Age: Young Adult
Publisher: Entangled TEEN
Release Date: 01/05/2016
Number of Pages: 400
ASIN: B00YM6RD6M
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
ABOUT THIEF OF LIES (LIBRARY JUMPERS #1): 

Gia Kearns would rather fight with boys than kiss them. That is, until Arik, a leather clad hottie in the Boston Athenaeum, suddenly disappears. While examining the book of world libraries he abandoned, Gia unwittingly speaks the key that sucks her and her friends into a photograph and transports them into a Paris library, where Arik and his Sentinels—magical knights charged with protecting humans from the creatures traveling across the gateway books—rescue them from a demonic hound. Jumping into some of the world's most beautiful libraries would be a dream come true for Gia, if she weren’t busy resisting her heart or dodging an exiled wizard seeking revenge on both the Mystik and human worlds. Add a French flirt obsessed with Arik and a fling with a young wizard, and Gia must choose between her heart and her head, between Arik's world and her own, before both are destroyed. Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble      

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Thief of Lies Character Tour — Lei

Lei Chen
Age: 16
Sentinel Battle Globe: Yellow (Lightning)
Description: Blunt, cunning, and graceful.
Thief of Lies (Library Jumpers Series Book 1) quote: “No worries, ducky. We keep the Mystiks from entering your world, and we take care of the naughty ones.”

Lei was born in Shanghai, China. She was trained to use her katana sword by Master Máo, her parent faery. Not many have beaten her during the Sentinel Games, only Arik. Winning many academic and sport awards in the Asile Academy, she’s rated thirteenth in the Sentinel history ranking. Arik is number eleven and Carrig is in the fifth position. She’s fierce in battles and has a quirky fun side to her. She has a secret relationship with another Sentinel, but is very careful not to take it physical due to a prophecy. At first, she likes Gia but is concerned that Gia is dangerous because she hasn’t been trained. Lei doesn’t trust Gia after she makes a grave mistake during a battle and thinks Gia should stay on the sidelines. In book two, Lei will grow closer to Gia while they’re in hiding. There will be great heartaches for Lei in the upcoming books. 

Guardian of Secrets (Library Jumpers Series Book 2) teaser with Lei and Gia: 

“Hullo, ducky, ready for class?” I jumped. “Lei! Stop sneaking up like that. You gave me a heart attack.” She leaned against the locker beside me. “Sorry, it’s in the DNA. It can’t be suppressed.” “You know,” I said, slamming my locker closed. “You don’t have to wear those glasses when you’re not in class.” “I like them. It’s a fashion statement.” She pushed them up her nose. The red frames were the right pop of color for her skin tone. Lei and I had many classes together, but Marine Biology was Lei’s favorite. She had never seen an ocean before. “You’ll forgive me later.” She hooked her arm through mine, and we headed down the now emptying hall to our class. “You can ditch whatever disagreeable lunch Faith packed. I brought an extra lunch for you. Sinead made oatmeal and raisin cookies, and your favorite Fluffernutter sandwiches, which by the way still makes my stomach roll. Who would eat peanut butter and marshmallow on a sandwich?”   

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I hope you enjoyed meeting Lei. She was one of my favorite characters. Her strength and personality were just two of the many things I loved about her. Can't wait to read more in book two, especially after reading that she has some heartaches coming her way! I'm at the edge of my seat!

Thank you for stopping by and don't forget to enter the giveaways for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card with an eBook copy of THIEF OF LIES or a signed hardcover copy of FORGET TOMORROW by Pintip Dunn below. 

About the author...

Brenda Drake, the youngest of three children, grew up an Air Force brat and the continual new kid at school. Her fondest memories growing up is of her eccentric, Irish grandmother’s animated tales, which gave her a strong love for storytelling. So it was only fitting that she would choose to write stories with a bend toward the fantastical. When Brenda’s not writing or doing the social media thing, she’s haunting libraries, bookstores, and coffee shops or reading someplace quiet and not at all exotic (much to her disappointment).
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Blog Tour Review: Biggest Flirts by Jennifer Echols (Fav Quotes + Giveaway)

Stop by the rest of the tour!

Series: The Superlatives #1

Release date: May 20th 2014

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Pre-order: AMAZON

Source: ARC for Review

Tia and Will’s lives get flipped upside down when they’re voted Yearbook’s Biggest Flirts in this sassy novel from the author of Endless Summer and The One That I Want.
Tia just wants to have fun. She’s worked hard to earn her reputation as the life of the party, and she’s ready for a carefree senior year of hanging out with friends and hooking up with cute boys. And her first order of business? New guy Will. She can’t get enough of his Midwestern accent and laidback swagger. 
As the sparks start to fly, Will wants to get serious. Tia’s seen how caring too much has left her sisters heartbroken, and she isn’t interested in commitment. But pushing Will away drives him into the arms of another girl. Tia tells herself it’s no big deal…until the yearbook elections are announced. Getting voted Biggest Flirts with Will is, well, awkward. They may just be friends, but their chemistry is beginning to jeopardize Will’s new relationship—and causing Tia to reconsider her true feelings. What started as a lighthearted fling is about to get very complicated…

What did I know about this book before I picked it up? I knew it was about two people who loved to flirt...as the title suggests. That was the extent of my knowledge, and let me tell you, going into it semi blind was great.

The book takes place in Florida, and I live in Florida so I could actually relate to a lot of the things they brought up, especially the HORRID HUMID WEATHER. Ehem. Moving on, Tia is this girl who loves hooking up with guys, but at the same time is super cautious about them because of family issues you soon discover. Very early on in the book you realize that she's also scared of responsibility, and although she won't truly admit it, it's because she doesn't want to lead people in the wrong direction. Her decisions are hers and hers alone, she doesn't want anyone depending on her. That combination makes her a crazy party goer with low grades. That is, until the other "Biggest Flirt" comes along. Will. Both Will and Tia's characters have flaws, and that usually adds to the characters (in my opinion) but there were a few things I really disliked about Will. The main thing being that no matter what happens and what role he plays in the flirting, he always manages to put all the blame on Tia. Flirting is a two way street. Let me sound like an old woman for a second and say, "It takes two to tango". But their characters do develop and they start acting more mature and responsible.

One thing I disliked about the book was the pacing. It felt like it was happening in the span of a week or so, and then I would turn a page and it would say everything leading up to that had happened in 2-3 days. It threw me off and I had a hard time keeping up with that but all in all it was a minor detail.

That didn't take away from this being a cute and fun summer book. I would say this was the perfect book to start off my summer reading. It was exactly what I needed, and wanted in so many ways. Will and Tia's flirting, the best friends, the friend with benefits, the bitchy "cheerleader" (in this case majorette), all came together and created a light, fun story. I recommend it if you're not looking for anything with deep issues or profound romances. Plus, that cover is just too perfect!

Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★/5

Favorite Quotes:

"You were wrong about me," I insisted. "You were right the first time. I'm random. When I succeed, that's the mistake."
"You make a lot of mistakes."

"You wouldn't think that if you'd known me for more than a week. The people around here have known me forever."
"I just got here," Will said, "and that's exactly why I can see you so clearly."

"I told will to go ahead while I talked to her. I hoped he understood that I was really asking him to wait to change his shirt until I arrived at his truck, but I wasn't sure that message got across."

"But you and me, together, we would be the death of each other. I'd be like, 'I know a guy who has some crack. Go with?' And you'd be like, 'Sure!' Someone has to be the voice of reason in a relationship, Tia, and our voice of reason has had a tracheotomy."

"This is the Home of the Pelicans," he reminded me. "Shooting the bird is a sign of solidarity."

"I hope you have a good night," I called as he headed for the stairs. Descending into the darkness, he called back over his shoulder, "I hope you don't fall in love."

"And I wouldn't change my life for her. I've learned that from you. I'm not changing for somebody else, because that person could disappear. The only person to change for is yourself."

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jennifer Echols was born in Atlanta and grew up in a small town on a beautiful lake in Alabama—a setting that has inspired many of her books. She has written nine romantic novels for young adults, including the comedy MAJOR CRUSH, which won the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the drama GOING TOO FAR, which was a finalist in the RITA, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the Book Buyer’s Best, and was nominated by the American Library Association as a Best Book for Young Adults. Simon & Schuster will debut her adult romance novels in 2013, with many more teen novels scheduled for the next few years. She lives in Birmingham with her husband and her son. 

www.jennifer-echols.com | http://twitter.com/jenniferechols

Blog Tour Review: Torn Away by Jennifer Brown + Favorite Quotes

Make sure to stop by the rest of the tour!

Title: Torn Away

Author: Jennifer Brown
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: May 6th, 2014
Source: e-arc from publisher

Goodreads Summary:

Born and raised in the Midwest, Jersey Cameron knows all about tornadoes. Or so she thinks. When her town is devastated by a twister, Jersey survives -- but loses her mother, her young sister, and her home. As she struggles to overcome her grief, she's sent to live with her only surviving relatives: first her biological father, then her estranged grandparents.
In an unfamiliar place, Jersey faces a reality she's never considered before -- one in which her mother wasn't perfect, and neither were her grandparents, but they all loved her just the same. Together, they create a new definition of family. And that's something no tornado can touch.

Having just set this book down, I would have to say that it's definitely my most surprising read of the year. I expected a great story because Jennifer Brown always delivers but I was blown out of the water by the story and characters Jennifer poured into Torn Away.

Being a Florida girl, we get lots of hurricanes down here and the occasional tornado. But to be honest I'd have to say I'd rather have a million hurricanes than one tornado. Tornados are some of the most destructive things I've ever seen and it's terrifying to think that they're something you can't defend yourself against. There's only hope and Jersey, the main character, lives through it all. She was the perfect portrayal of a teenager going through tough times. Her character felt genuine in the fact that she had no idea what she was going to do next most of the time.

I think what hit me the most was the normalcy of life right before the tornado hit and changed Jersey's life forever. It really opened my mind to the fact that your life can change at any moment with little notice. Jersey thought her baby sister, Marin, was the most annoying thing just ten minutes before the storm hit. How could she know she would never see her again? The moment right after the storm, before she knew what had happened to her family was one of the hardest parts for me to get through because as the reader, we know what's coming but Jersey's still so oblivious to the reality of the situation. She's still talking about what they're going to do when her mom comes home, homework assignments and all sorts of inconsequential things. Jennifer Brown manages to create that normalcy before the chaos in both of the books I've read by her and that's what makes her books so powerful and filled with raw emotion.

The people and circumstance Jersey had to deal with pained me to no end. I was so attached to Jersey that I found myself suffering through everything right along with her. I wish I could go into more detail but this is just a book you're going to have to pick up and devour for yourself.

Although this might seem a bit repetitive, I can't help but emphasize what an emotional read this was. I can probably count on my hands the amount of books or movies that have made me cry, but this book had me tearing up every few chapters, sometimes from sadness, other times from outrage and finally from happiness. The flashbacks and memories were perfect, bittersweet moments sprinkled throughout the story. I needed this type of book at this precise time and I loved every single moment I spent with it. This for sure is one of my favorite books this year and I recommend it for anyone in need of a fantastic story about life, discovery and most importantly, family.

Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★★

Favorite Quotes:

"I thought I knew so much-- knew there was laundry to be done, knew when mom and Marin would come home, knew how the rest of the evening was going to go. But I didn't know anything. I had no idea."

"How depressingly ironic that the one person I needed to give me strength to face my mom's death was the one who'd died."

"I didn't want to hear anyone else tell me they were sorry. What did I'm sorry mean, exactly, when someone had died? Wouldn't it be much more accurate to say I'm grateful when someone close to you was hit by tragedy? I'm grateful, as in, I'm grateful that this didn't happen to me. At least that would be honest."

"The hearts that beat for me were long gone."

"It occurred to me that nobody was going to say one way or another whether I needed or didn't need a haircut. Or a visit to the dentist. Or to study or to learn to drive or to eat regularly or do any of the things I was used to being reminded to do. It was all up to me now, a thought that was both empowering and frightening as hell."

"She met her other granddaughter that way, one chewed-up memory at a time."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Two-time winner of the Erma Bombeck Global Humor Award (2005 & 2006), Jennifer's weekly humor column appeared in The Kansas City Star for over four years, until she gave it up to be a full-time young adult novelist. 

Jennifer writes and lives in the Kansas City, Missouri area, with her husband and three children.

www.jenniferbrownya.com | http://www.twitter.com/JenniferBrownYA | facebook.com/pages/Jennifer-Brown/165590286859411