Mini Reviews: The Liz Czukas Edition

Title: Ask Again Later 

Author: Liz Czukas 

Publisher: Harper Teen 

Source: Bought 

Release Date: March 11, 2014 

Goodreads Summary: 

Despite what her name might suggest, Heart has zero interest in complicated romance. So when her brilliant plan to go to prom with a group of friends is disrupted by two surprise invites, Heart knows there's only one drama-free solution: flip a coin.
Heads: The jock. He might spend all night staring at his ex or throw up in the limo, but how bad can her brother's best friend really be?
Tails: The theater geek...with a secret. What could be better than a guy who shares all Heart's interests--even if he wants to share all his feelings?
Heart's simple coin flip has somehow given her the chance to live out both dates. But where her prom night ends up might be the most surprising thing of all...

Ask Again Later was exactly what I needed after reading some more serious/intense books. I'm looking at you, Shadow Kiss and Clockwork Angel. My gosh! This book was not what I expected at all. I was thinking it was going to be more like her other book, Top Ten Clues You're Clueless, fun but a little juvenile. No, this was such a great time. I was cracking up from the very first page.

The main character, Heart, was great. She's not your typical shy, quiet MC. I wouldn't say she's popular, but she's not an outcast. She has great friends and is up for a having a good time. It was realistic and I loved reading from her perspective. It also helped that her voice was funny and sarcastic at times.

The romance was one of the most swoon worthy ones I've read in the past few months. Even though I knew from the very beginning who Heart would end up with, it was still a blast getting there. I also fell in love with her friends. They're your typical, carefree teenagers, but they're also there when Heart needs them most throughout the night.

Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ / 5 stars

(5 stars)

Title: Top Ten Clues You're Clueless 

Author: Liz Czukas 

Publisher: Harper Teen

Source: Bought

Release Date: December 9th, 2014

Goodreads Summary: 

Top Five Things That Are Ruining Chloe’s Day 

5) Working the 6:30 a.m. shift at GoodFoods Market 

4) Crashing a cart into a customer’s car right in front of her snarky coworker Sammi 

3) Trying to rock the “drowned rat” look after being caught in a snowstorm

2) Making zero progress with her crush, Tyson (see #3) 

1) Being accused—along with her fellow teenage employees—of stealing upwards of $10,000  

Chloe would rather be anywhere than locked in work jail (aka the break room) with five of her coworkers . . . even if one of them is Tyson. But if they can band together to clear their names, what looks like a total disaster might just make Chloe’s list of Top Ten Best Moments.

This is the book to pick up if you're looking for something very light and lots of fun. The premise of this book revolves around 6 teenagers and $10,000.

I loved the friendships that formed throughout the book. They were unlikely but it was fun to see them develop.

The story was kind of for a younger audience. It's still YA but I would say it's on the younger spectrum. The main character is 16 and she definitely acts 16. She's awkward and insecure but blabs a lot and doesn't know when to stop talking. I find that in a lot of YA the characters usually don't act their age. They're always fighting for something or having to be the voice of a revolution. That's not the case in this story. The main character really reminds you what it's like being a teenager.

This book had me smiling and laughing at random bits and parts. The humor is light and fun, which very much sets the tone for the rest of the story. 

Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ / 5 stars

(4 stars)

Mini Review: I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

Title: I'll Meet You There

Author: Heather Demetrios

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Source: Netgalley

Release Date: February 3rd, 2015

Goodreads Summary: 

If seventeen-year-old Skylar Evans were a typical Creek View girl, her future would involve a double-wide trailer, a baby on her hip, and the graveyard shift at Taco Bell. But after graduation, the only thing standing between straightedge Skylar and art school are three minimum-wage months of summer. Skylar can taste the freedom—that is, until her mother loses her job and everything starts coming apart. Torn between her dreams and the people she loves, Skylar realizes everything she’s ever worked for is on the line.

Nineteen-year-old Josh Mitchell had a different ticket out of Creek View: the Marines. But after his leg is blown off in Afghanistan, he returns home, a shell of the cocksure boy he used to be. What brings Skylar and Josh together is working at the Paradise—a quirky motel off California’s dusty Highway 99. Despite their differences, their shared isolation turns into an unexpected friendship and soon, something deeper.

I seriously picked this up on a whim because I had already read most of the books that were on my January TBR and I'm so happy with this life decision. It was so unexpected, but I flew through I'll Meet You There. Even for being almost 400 pages I didn't get tired of the story at all. I would have been happy to keep reading about Skylar and Josh.This is one of those books with such realistic characters you can't help but connect to. They could be your neighbor, your best friend, your cousin, even yourself. As I was reading I'll Meet You There I kept thinking, Skylar's story was what half of the kids in my high school were living. College was their way out of that small town life.

The story revolves around this motel where the two main characters work. Josh has been in the war for the past year and Sky has been working incredibly hard to make sure that she escapes the Creek View life at the first chance she gets, her mom though has a different plan. Then Josh comes home from the war having lived through a traumatic experience. He's now an amputee who might have lost more than his leg in the war. Basically Josh and Sky spend the summer trying to keep each other from falling apart. Reading about PTSD, and from the perspective of the character going through PTSD, was really interesting. I'm always looking for books that deal with disorders (especially ones that are well done) because helping people through those tough times is something I'm passionate about as a psychology student. You can tell that Heather Demetrios did her research and knows what she's talking about.

Their story is so raw and real. Nothing comes easy for these characters. They each have their own problems and you know this isn't going to be one of those stories where everything wraps up nicely with a bow on top by the turn of the last page, but that's absolutely okay. I know I'll remember these characters long after I put down this book.

If you're looking for a book that will leave you feeling like you've made new friends for life, I'll Meet You There is it. I'll be carrying these characters, and their story, around with me for a very long time.

Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★.5/5

Christmas Novella Mini Review + Playlist: Mistletoe and Mr. Right by Lyla Payne

Title: Mistletoe and Mr. Right

Author: Lyla Payne

Publisher: Bloomsbury Spark

Source: Netgalley

Goodreads Summary: 

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring…but lust refused to settle in for a long winter's nap.She might be all nestled, snug in her bed, by why, oh why, do visions of the wrong guy dance in her head?
Jessica, (not Jessie), figures that nothing could be better than a trip to the Emerald Isle for Christmas break. So she takes a flying leap and follows her boyfriend home for the holidays, not only sure that he will finally agree they're destined for each other, but also that Ireland will provide the perfect backdrop to the beginning of their happily-ever-after. 
But it turns out his family--and his gorgeous ex-girlfriend--don't feel the same way, and even the family goat seems to be conspiring against her well-laid plans. The only person making the trip worthwhile is the very last one she should be thinking about, but Grady, the local farmhand, has a way of showing up when Jessica needs him most...and least.
USA Today bestselling author Lyla Payne wraps up the perfect holiday novella, ties it with a ribbon of romance, and tops it with a light dusting of snow. Perfect to curl up with under the tree. Just add hot cocoa! 

I can tell you one thing straightaway, Mistletoe and Mr. Right put me in the best holiday mood. It has everything from romance to humor, family dynamics and just the right amount of necessary drama. Not to mention the cute guys as well.

The main character, Jessica, decides to surprise her boyfriend OF ONLY FOUR MONTHS by flying to Ireland to meet his family for Christmas. When I first read the synopsis of the story, I don't know why, but in my head I thought the boyfriend knew and it was only a surprise for his family. Ummm...no. The boyfriend has no idea. That alone is a recipe for disaster. 

What happens throughout the story will leave you laughing, gasping, and occasionally getting that glazed over look you get when something makes you swoon (*cough* Grady *cough*). Jessica is a very controlling character, but as the story progresses we get to see why. Her embarrassing moments are so cringeworthy, but also hilarious because how many people can get themselves into the situations she manages to get herself into?

I don't want to say much about the romance because you kind of figure it early on, but it's nice to see it unravel and take form as you read. What I can say is that I loved how everything developed. There were some moments where I thought I had it all figured out, and then others where I didn't know what would happen next.

As I mentioned before, the family involvement was one of my favorite things. I love stories where the family is very present and this one definitely fell into that category. I especially liked the relationship between Jessica's boyfriend and his little sister. That's when his softer, goofier side came out, and that's the side I swooned over. 

Although it may seem like a light and fluffy story, there are also a lot of deeper issues discussed within the novella. Overall this is the perfect first Christmas story of the season. I'm so glad I decided to pick this one up next. It's short and sweet with great characters that are also complex. This is the type of story that you can snuggle up in front of the fireplace for a few hours with. It left me wanting more of the characters and I wouldn't mind having another novella in the future.

Playlist:

Okay, so this playlist isn't really a playlist, it's more of just one song, but you might as well call it a playlist since you'll probably have it on replay after the first listen.

Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran was the perfect song to be listening to while I read this novella. Both the song and the novella make me feel all warm and good inside. Thinking Out Loud is a song I would listen to on a cold day (like today) and Ed Sheeran would probably manage to warm me up. It's just a soulful song and a soulful story. Plus, the lyrics talk about falling in love in mysterious ways and that's kind of a very present theme in the Mistletoe and Mr. Right as well.

 

Rating:

★★★★.5/5 stars

Mini Review: Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt

Title: Sean Griswold's Head

Author: Lindsey Leavitt
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release Date: March 1st, 2011
Source: e-book

Goodreads Summary:

According to her guidance counselor, fifteen-year-old Payton Gritas needs a focus object-an item to concentrate her emotions on. It's supposed to be something inanimate, but Payton decides to use the thing she stares at during class: Sean Griswold's head. They've been linked since third grade (Griswold-Gritas-it's an alphabetical order thing), but she's never really known him.
The focus object is intended to help Payton deal with her father's newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis. And it's working. With the help of her boy-crazy best friend Jac, Payton starts stalking-er, focusing on-Sean Griswold . . . all of him! He's cute, he shares her Seinfeld obsession (nobody else gets it!) and he may have a secret or two of his own. 
In this sweet story of first love, Lindsey Leavitt seamlessly balances heartfelt family moments, spot-on sarcastic humor, and a budding young romance.

If you're looking for a cute contemporary to lighten your mood, but want one that still has substance, this is it. I read this after having just finished The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken and let me tell you, that book is INTENSE. So I really needed something to pull me out of that dark, dark world.

Sean Griswold is just the boy with the big head that sits in front of Payton, that is, until Payton makes him her Focus Object. I loved the set up for this book because at first, Sean really is just a head that blocks the board, but as the book develops, new layers of Sean are slowly revealed one by one and you learn about them as Payton does. Payton though is a different story. I had to constantly remind myself that she was only fifteen because some of her decisions were extremely childish in my opinion. She isolated herself from everyone when she needed them most and when I personally would have clung to the important relationships in my life.

That's the only reason why it lost a star, but aside from that it was a great novel. In my opinion, Lindsey Leavitt did a fantastic job intertwining the seriousness of multiple sclerosis with the sweetness of first love. This is my second Linsey Leavitt book and I will continue to read everything she writes in the future.

Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★