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

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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

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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

Blog Tour: The Last Academy Review and Favorite Quotes + Giveaway

Release date: May 1st 2013

Publisher: Point

Purchase: Amazon

What is this prep school preparing them for?
Camden Fisher arrives at boarding school haunted by a falling-out with her best friend back home. But the manicured grounds of Lethe Academy are like nothing Cam has ever known. There are gorgeous, preppy boys wielding tennis rackets, and circles of girls with secrets to spare. Only . . . something is not quite right. One of Cam's new friends mysteriously disappears, but the teachers don't seem too concerned. Cam wakes up to strangers in her room, who then melt into the night. She is suddenly plagued by odd memories, and senses there might be something dark and terrible brewing. But what? The answer will leave Cam—and readers—stunned and breathless, in this thrilling debut novel.

The Last Academy is one of those books that might take a while to really get into but near the end, the mystery of it all took hold. My nook ran out of batteries and I ran to my laptop to keep reading. I know a lot of people have said that nothing really happens for most of the book but I have to disagree. Although it's not going to be at the top of my favorite boarding school books, (I'm a boarding school book junkie) the mystery element did keep me reading.

A lot of weird things are happening at Lethe Academy. First, there's a super creepy guy that keeps showing up on campus. He doesn't really do anything aggressive for the most part but his calm presence is enough to make you suspect what he's up to and give you the creeps. Camden sees two boys in her room, there are these mysterious coins and at one point a professor tells her these strange tales about all the teachers at the school. All these things added together with some hallucinations that might just be real, will keep you turning pages through the end.

As for the mystery, I started piecing things together early on, and by halfway through I was pretty sure I knew what was happening, but that's around the time things really pick up. I just wanted to get to the end to confirm my suspicions. After I was almost done I started wondering what "lethe" in the Lethe academy really meant. So I found a review on Goodreads that mentioned it. Let's just say, that if I had know what it meant before, I would have guessed the mystery in the book, A LOT earlier. So if you want to keep it a mystery and don't know what lethe means, don't look it up. But if you're curious, then by all means.

On to characters, going into the book I didn't know the main character was going to be so young. Camden's just about to start her freshman year in high school when the book starts. Sometimes I felt she was too honest, but I guess that's part of her younger personality. Throughout the novel I didn't connect with the characters too much but by the end you could see that Camden had really developed. The emotion in the writing in the ending had me almost in tears. The main love interest was cute but the mystery took precedence to their relationship.

If you're looking for a book that will capture your attention from the start, look elsewhere, but if you want a book that will have you thinking and wondering pick The Last Academy up. The twist at the end was a pleasure to get to.

4/5 stars

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QUOTES

I'm a huge quote person, my books are usually completely marked by sticky notes reminding me where my favorite lines are, so here are some of my favorite from The Last Academy (I have more but I didn't want to give anything away):

"'If you could've seen yourself, you'd know how I feel.' He paused, staring past me, distracted by his own thoughts. In that moment, I wondered if he loved me. The idea stunned me with happiness. "You're brave. I like that.'" Pg. 235

"Trying to figure out the location of any given teenager on campus over the weekend? Might as well get yourself a cowboy hat and take up cat herding. I mean, you'd be less frustrated." Pg. 259

"His breath tickled the side of my neck, and I knew all those little secrets you know about another person when they are very close, like the smell of his toothpaste and deodorant, even the detergent in his clothes. I tried to put every small detail of him into my head, so I could keep them there forever." Pg. 274

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