Review: My True Love Gave to Me (12 Short Stories)

Title: My True Love Gave to Me

Author: Various

Publisher: Macmillan

Publication date: October 9, 2014

Genre(s): Young adult

Source: Purchased

Pages: 355

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On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ...This beautiful collection features twelve gorgeously romantic stories set during the festive period, by some of the most talented and exciting YA authors writing today. The stories are filled with the magic of first love and the magic of the holidays.

I'm not going to give summaries because the stories are already short and I don't want to give anything away, but I will let you know how I felt about each one.

Midnights by rainbow Rowell

This story is less a Christmas story and more a new year story. It was increasingly cute and had me smiling for almost half of it, but I wouldn't expect anything different from Rainbow Rowell. I love when you start a story and you don't know anything about them, but by the end you've fallen for the characters and are cheering them on. That's what happens in this adorably cute story about best friends and midnight kisses. (4/5 stars)

The Lady and the Fox by Kelly link

This story actually read like a ghost story to me. I don't know if it was just me, but the way things developed I was expecting something creepy to happen and I had to keep reminding myself that this was a Christmas anthology with happy stories. Honestly, I was expecting something like the little match girl. Also, the writing style was very strange and I couldn't get into it at first. But as the story progressed I found myself liking it more and more and as the last page approached I was left wanting more from the characters and more about their background. It was a complicated sort of story. You had to pay attention to what you were reading, but I wouldn't mind reading a stand alone novel inspired by this story. (3.5/5 stars)

Angels in the Snow by Matt de la Peña

This one wasn't exciting at all and I didn't connect with the characters. I should have, being a college student and all, but I just didn't. One thing I did like about this story was that the main character is Hispanic. He's from a Mexican family, and although I usually hate stories with Spanish characters, because I'm Spanish and they never get it right (they never get the language right and always make the characters sound like Spanglish speakers). Matt de la Peña did it right, down to the Christmas Eve mess of food and family and laughter. So for that, thank you. (3/5 stars)

Polaris is Where You'll Find Me by Jenny Han

This one was so short, I think it might be the shortest of the bunch at 14 pages. Not sure how I felt about this one, maybe a little disappointed because it's Jenny Han and I was expecting way too much. The story was very cute, although the main character wasn't my favorite, but the ending had me feeling all the feels. (3/5 stars)

It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins

Wow, I forgot how amazing Stephanie Perkins writing can be. It's been a while since I read Anna and Lola but this short story reminded me I have to dust off my laziness and go get Isla because I've been missing out. The characters had this instant likability and she managed to give them so much depth in such a short story. I loved the banter between the two main characters. They were smart and refreshingly honest. The only thing I didn't particularly like was the insta love, but I understand there's limited time to work with in a short story. (5/5 stars)

Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan 

It wasn't the best developed story of the anthology. It seemed like there weren't too many explanations and I definitely wanted some. The story was cute and the interaction between "Santa" and the little one were adorable. He was so dedicated to making it real for her. The tone of the story was kind of sad and depressing. The characters were having a rough time and I could really feel it in the writing. The love story was between two guys, but the story doesn't focus on the relationship between them as much. (3/5 stars)

Krampuslauf by Holly Black

I've never read anything else by holly black, although I do own Tithe and Coldest Girl in Cold Town, but I was surprised by this one. I know a lot of people didn't particularly like this short story but I thought it was magical and interesting. At least compared to the previous story, it was something that grabbed my attention. I liked the characters, their fierce friendship with each other reminds me of my own best friends, and I just thought the main character was relatable. Her dreams and aspirations reminded me of myself. Plus the magical/paranormal element was entertaining as well. (4/5 stars)

What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman

This has to be in my top three stories in this anthology. Sophie Roth is a big city girl going to college in the middle of the country, and her classmates won't let her forget it. Then one night she goes on an adventure and ahhh! I wish it was my own adventure. There was romance, swoon worthy moments, sweet moments and funny moments. The ending was perfect and as I said of Stephanie Perkins story, Gayle Forman managed to show us Sophie's character development in this incredibly short story. (4.5/5 stars)

Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire

This one was fun but I didn't love the insta romance that occurred. I get that the characters knew each other from before but it just all seemed to move too fast.  (3/5 stars)

Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White

Oh, wow! I was giving up hope on this anthology. It was dragging on and dragging me along with it, but Kiersten's story brought me back. It's the only story I felt was complete. A lot of the other ones were lacking that ending for me. It was the perfect Christmas story. The characters were everything. Kiersten knows the exact mixture of snarky, funny and sweet to add to her characters. I actually found myself tearing up at parts as I read this in the middle of the night (happy tears of course!) and I'm not a crier. I wish I had read this on Christmas Day. (5/5 stars)

Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter

This was also one of the better stories. It kept me invested the entire time. True to Ally Carter's style there's some mystery to this story. The main character is running away from something and you're left to guess what it is. Oh! There's also a helicopter, because what kind of Ally Carter story would this be if it didn't have one? ;) (4.5/5 stars)

The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Wtf? This was so weird. My least favorite. It was painful to try to get to the end. (2/5 stars)

It averaged out to 3.79 stars. For the sake of Goodreads I'm going to give it 4 stars. Some of the stories towards the end redeemed themselves and there are definitely stories that I'll be reading each year around Christmas. I recommend giving this holiday anthology a try if you are looking for something a little festive to read this year.

Review: We'll Never Be Apart by Emiko Jean | #CreeptasticReads

Title: We'll Never Be Apart

Author: Emiko Jean

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Source: Netgalley

Goodreads Summary: 

Murder. 

Fire. 

Revenge. 

That’s all seventeen-year-old Alice Monroe thinks about. Committed to a mental ward at Savage Isle, Alice is haunted by memories of the fire that killed her boyfriend, Jason. A blaze her twin sister Cellie set. But when Chase, a mysterious, charismatic patient, agrees to help her seek vengeance, Alice begins to rethink everything. Writing out the story of her troubled past in a journal, she must confront hidden truths.Is the one person she trusts only telling her half the story? Nothing is as it seems in this edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller from the debut author Emiko Jean.

As I write this I happen to have just finished the book, not even 10 minutes ago, and I just don’t know how I feel about it. On Goodreads I gave it four stars, but it might be 3.5. We’ll Never Be Apart tells the story of Alice, her twin sister Cellie, and what really happened on the night of a deadly fire.

This is an extrememly short book. I read the e-arc, but I think it’s about 280 pages. It’s one you can fly through in one sitting. This story is so short that I don't want to say anything for fear of ruining it. Just know what if you're looking for something creepy, but not scary, this is a book you might want to pick up. There are disturbing scenes that will make you cringe, but you won't be terrified or scarred for life.

The characters were eerie and emotional. One of my favorite characters, if not my favorite, was Chase. He’s the guy that Alice meets in the facility she’s staying in. He's tough and definitely the bad boy type, but he's also caring and soft. He has a lot going on in his head but he still tries to set that aside to help Alice. Most of my favorite scenes were with him. Especially in the last chapter. I just melted and felt so much for him. I think Emiko Jean created fantastic characters, where even when they were disturbing, like Cellie, they were done well. The only character I truly disliked was Jason, and even he was done well.

The big twist? I guessed it from the very beginning. Like 5 pages in I was like, "oh, obviously this is happening" but then I started second guessing myself in the middle and by the end I was like "nahhhh" and then it turned out I was right. Even then that didn't ruin the story for me so it wasn't that big of a deal. 

The thing that left me unsure of my feelings was the ending. The last chapter left me happy and hopeful, and then the epilogue sort of ruined that for me. It left me feeling uncomfortable and a little upset. Maybe that was the point of it and that was what the author was going for. That's why my rating is wavering a little. Maybe in a few days I'll be able to work through my feelings and determine how I really liked We'll Never Be Apart, but for now I'm still a bit undecided.

★ ★ ★ .5 / 5 stars

(3.5 stars)

Review: Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake | #CreeptasticReads

Title: Girl of Nightmares

Author: Kendare Blake

Publisher: Tor Teen

Source: Library

Goodreads Summary: 

It's been months since the ghost of Anna Korlov opened a door to Hell in her basement and disappeared into it, but ghost-hunter Cas Lowood can't move on.
His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live—not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in Cas's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with.
Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong...these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.
Cas doesn't know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn't deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it's time for him to return the favor. 

Right off the bat I want to say that I didn’t enjoy Girl of Nightmares as much as Anna Dressed in Blood. So I’m going to do a list type review and tell you what worked and what didn’t.

Things that didn’t work for me:

The pacing of this novel was very slow. It took me a while to really get into it. I have
very limited reading time, so when I finally sit down and read at night, I need a book that
can suck me in and not let me go. If the book doesn’t do that, I find myself distracted by
twitter and YouTube. That’s exactly what happened with Girl of Nightmares. It was the
first book I read in October, and it took me from the 1st to the 13th to get through. Even
when I finally sat down and decided I needed to finish it, there wasn’t a point in the novel
when I found myself excited to turn the pages. It was just a very mellow read.

The second thing that didn’t work for me were the characters. If you’ve read Anna
Dressed in Blood you’ll understand that the main character, Cas, has great reason to be
depressed at the start of this novel, but I wasn’t feeling his attitude. Everything annoyed
him, and most of Cas’ thoughts were hoping his friends wouldn’t do something stupid or
that they would just leave him be. He was unnecessarily rude at times, and I didn’t
appreciate that. The only character I found myself loving, as always, was Cas’ best friend
Thomas. He’s loyal, adorable, lovable, and even when he’s going through some things he
just asks for time, like a reasonable person, flaws and all.

Another thing that was missing was the scare factor. Anna Dressed in Blood had a really
great creepy tone with scary scenes interspersed throughout and I found Girl of
Nightmares to be missing this. Cas wasn’t hunting down terrifying ghosts, he was too
busy brooding over Anna. I guess I just wanted more.

Things that worked for me:

As I mentioned earlier, Thomas’ character was great for me. Along the same lines, even
though Cas wasn’t great at the beginning of the book, his friendship with Thomas was
fantastic. I love the dynamic the two of them have together. They work well, and
although it’s carrying all the weight most of the time, when Thomas was hurting and
needed a friend, Cas was there to offer the awkward shoulder.

I also thought that the third musketeer in their club, Carmel, was a very real teen.
Kendare Blake did a good job portraying the real difficulties that teenagers face. It’s not
all about the paranormal drama. Carmel having second thoughts about being involved in
the paranormal world was realistic, God knows I would be having ALL THE SECOND THOUGHTS.

The ending kind of redeemed the book for me. We get more Anna, which I always enjoy, and things wrap up pretty nicely. I enjoyed the ending more than I did the rest of the book. I would say, if you loved Anna Dressed in Blood then you can pick this one up if you want some conclusion, but it's not an essential sequel. If you haven't read the first book then it's a definite must read. Go pick it up now!

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)

Audiobook Review: A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall

Title: If You Find Me

Author: Emily Murdoch

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Release Date: March 26th, 2013

Goodreads Summary: 
The creative writing teacher, the delivery guy, the local Starbucks baristas, his best friend, her roommate, and the squirrel in the park all have one thing in common—they believe that Gabe and Lea should get together. Lea and Gabe are in the same creative writing class. They get the same pop culture references, order the same Chinese food, and hang out in the same places. Unfortunately, Lea is reserved, Gabe has issues, and despite their initial mutual crush, it looks like they are never going to work things out.  But somehow even when nothing is going on, something is happening between them, and everyone can see it. Their creative writing teacher pushes them together. The baristas at Starbucks watch their relationship like a TV show. Their bus driver tells his wife about them. The waitress at the diner automatically seats them together. Even the squirrel who lives on the college green believes in their relationship. 

Surely Gabe and Lea will figure out that they are meant to be together....

A little Something Different was a book I had been looking forward to reading since I caught whiff of the concept. The sad thing is that I probably wouldn't have picked it up any time soon with all the books I currently own that are sitting on my shelf collecting dust. I had actually checked it out from the library a while back but didn't get around to reading it. That's when I knew I had to do something about that, so I checked out the audiobook to listen to while I was at work. How was I supposed to miss out on a book about two people where everyone around them know they're meant to be together, but they haven't quite figured it out? I needed it!

The story is incredibly cute. It's from the perspective of 14 different people (or squirrels) and they all think the two main characters are perfect for each other. While that was the thing I loved the most about this book, being able to see the romance unfold from so many different perspectives, it's also what made it difficult to enjoy as an audiobook. There were two narrators and they just took turns reading different sections of the book. I didn't like the female narrator at all. Her voice was high pitched and her character voices weren't different enough to be able to distinguish them as the story progressed. I really had to pay attention to any changes that happened so I wouldn't be lost in the story. The male narrator was a lot better with his character voices. He had a different voice for each of them and he always managed to change the tone of his voice to match the characters.

The story itself was great. It's very quick and one you can read/listen to in one sitting. My favorite point of views were the waitress, the squirrel (so cute), and the bench (such a unique pov). The perspectives from their closest friends was really enjoyable as well. Casey was very funny, but he also shows that he really cares for Gabe. Even though the story is cute and light with perspectives from the most random people, like a bus driver, it also has some serious topics. It's also a great diverse book. The main character, Lea, is Asian, and the author also delves into sexual orientation.

By the end it got easier to distinguish the different voices and I ended up really enjoying the audiobook. I might read the actual book sometime in the future because it's such a really quick read.

Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★/5

Review: The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre

Title: The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things

Author: Ann Aguirre

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Source: Netgalley

Release Date: April 7th, 2015

Goodreads Summary: 
Sage Czinski is trying really hard to be perfect. If she manages it, people won’t peer beyond the surface, or ask hard questions about her past. She’s learned to substitute causes for relationships, and it’s working just fine… until Shane Cavendish strolls into her math class. He’s a little antisocial, a lot beautiful, and everything she never knew she always wanted.

Shane Cavendish just wants to be left alone to play guitar and work on his music. He’s got heartbreak and loneliness in his rearview mirror, and this new school represents his last chance. He doesn’t expect to be happy; he only wants to graduate and move on. He never counted on a girl like Sage.

But love doesn’t mend all broken things, and sometimes life has to fall apart before it can be put back together again… 

Is there something going on with sticky notes this year? It seems like a lot of covers have been featuring pastel sticky notes. There's this one, All the Bright Places, and The Last Time We Say Goodbye. One for almost every month this year...this could be the new "girl on the cover" and I am oddly okay with it. There's never enough pastel sticky note covers. Give them to me! Okay, enough of my rambling, on to the actual review. I enjoyed this story for the most part. There were some problems I had with it and there were other parts that I thought were very well executed. So it was a very middle ground book for me.

The writing, unfortunately, was one of the things that didn't work for me. I know that was I read was an ARC, so I'm not going to touch on all the grammatical errors throughout, I'm going to hope those get fixed before the final copy. The writing itself was just not for me. I found the transitions to be a bit jarring. The story didn't flow very well. I don't know how to explain it but things that could have been introduced or presented at another moment or in a different way were kind of just thrown out there. The chapters also ended very anticlimactically. It was just like the chapter was getting too long so they decided to just break it up and start a new chapter. This is probably just me being super picky but the writing wasn't my style, or maybe I should say the plot organization wasn't for me.

The cover made so much sense after actually reading the book, and like I said before, I love it so much. Sage leaves post it notes for some of her classmates with encouraging thoughts or compliments and I thought this was absolutely adorable. It's such a nice idea that would probably make high school a more decent place for a lot of people if it happened in real life.

I really liked the two main characters, Shane and Sage. Some people might find the romance to be very insta love. I didn't think that. Her instant attraction to Shane bothered me a little at first, but then I realized it's just that. She's excited to have a crush on a guy. We all do it, at least I do. When I find a cute guy I want him to notice me. It doesn't matter if I end up dating him or not, I obviously don't love him by any means, but there is that attraction.  They've both gone through such intense things and to have someone that truly understands what the other one is going through, that's not something they typically find. So once they find it they want to hold on. There was a moment where I questioned how far Sage was going, but it worked...so I wasn't that bothered by it. One big problem I had (and I guess this goes back to the writing) is that Sage is extremely repetitive about her past. I don't know how many times I could take her saying that she came from a place where no one cared for her so that's why she tries to care for others. I would say that it's mentioned at least once every 5 pages. I think the book could have been condensed and the impact of the story would have been the same. The point could have gotten across in less than 300 pages.

Something I want to commend, that we don't see in young adult a lot, is the great parental figure. Sage's aunt Gabby checks up on her all the time, makes sure she's safe riding her bike around with reflective tape, wants to know where she's going and when she will be home. It's something refreshing to read about because my mom is the same way. I can never relate to those stories where the kids just walk out of their houses at 1 in the morning to go to a secret party in the woods and their parents never find out. My mom would have checked up on me and noticed I was gone. I like when 16 year olds in books have to call their parental figure to tell them what they're up to. It's realistic. I also want to commend the friendships in this book. Ryan, Lila, the sophomores and even the freshmen (you'll know what I mean if you read the book) are the best. Of course there's some conflict, how realistic would it be if there wasn't? But they're there when it really counts.

The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things definitely has some sweet moments. One particular scene with some post it notes had me tearing up at 3am. I recommend this if you're in need of a serious book with some very cute moments in between. This book covers everything from bullying and abuse to family dynamics and friendship.

Rating:

★ ★ ★.5/5

Review: Salt & Stone by Victoria Scott

Title: Salt & Stone

Author: Victoria Scott

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Source: From publisher for review (Thanks!)

Release Date: February 24, 2015

Goodreads Summary:

What would you do to save someone you love?

In Fire & Flood, Tella Holloway faced a dangerous trek through the jungle and across the desert, all to remain a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed for a chance at obtaining the Cure for her brother. She can't quit--she has to win the race, save Cody, and then fight to make sure the race stops before it can claim any more lives. In the next legs of the race, across the ocean and over mountains, Tella will face frostbite, sharks, avalanche, and twisted new rules in the race.

But what if the danger is deeper than that? How do you know who to trust when everyone's keeping secrets? What do you do when the person you'd relied on most suddenly isn't there for support? How do you weigh one life against another?

The race is coming to an end, and Tella is running out of time, resources, and strength. At the start of the race there were one hundred twenty-two Contenders. As Tella and her remaining friends start the final part of the race, just forty-one are left--and only one can win.

Would you be willing to risk your life to save someone else's? Salt & Stone is the sequel to Victoria Scott's action packed Fire & Flood series and it didn't disappoint. You know how the second book in a series usually lacks something? Yeah, there's no need to worry about that happening in this book. It was a solid sequel and Victoria clearly had things planned out from the start. Tella and the other contenders are all racing to win a cure for a loved one. In the first book they undergo the jungle and the desert. Now, in this sequel, we see them struggle to make it through ocean and mountain terrains. I, for one, know I would never be able to make it through all the things these characters have to face.

If you fell in love with the characters in Fire & Flood, Victoria Scott will make you fall even deeper in love with them in this second installment. The thing is, the more invested you are, the harder it hurts to see these characters go through all the trials and tribulations the brimstone bleed has in store for them. There was one specific scene that was really tough for me to get through because I connected to the characters so much. Their pain became my pain.

Tella is one of the strongest heroines. When we first meet her she is a girly girl through and through in her everyday life, but now that she's thrown into this intense competition she doesn't sit back and let others do everything. No, she steps up and molds herself into the strong person she needs to be in order to win. Her character development is one of my favorite parts of the series. Sometimes I even forgot how different she was at the beginning because she has really taken into this new, badass, leader position.

One thing that bothered me to no avail was Guy's character. I actually found it infuriating how Guy never listens to Tella. It's always her who has to follow whatever he says. He's always right and no one else knows what they're doing. Yeah, righhhhtttttt. I get it, he trained for this and he's so prepared but Tella isn't an idiot. She knows how to take care of herself and sometimes (all the time) her ideas are better than Guys. This has to be the thing that bothered me beyond belief about this story. There was a development partway through the novel, but until then....*blood boils*.

I recommend this series if you love action packed stories (and if you loved Pokemon as much as I did as a kid, just trust me). If you haven't read Fire & Flood, get on that. If you have and are contemplating whether you should read the sequel, the answer is yes. Victoria said there might be a third book to the series and I hope so. I want to know more about the political side of things.

Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★/5

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

February Book Club Wrap-Up

This is our monthly wrap up for the previous month's book! We'll let you know what we thought about the story, characters and everything in between!

Title: If You Find Me

Author: Emily Murdoch

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Release Date: March 26th, 2013

Goodreads Summary: 

There are some things you can’t leave behind…
A broken-down camper hidden deep in a national forest is the only home fifteen year-old Carey can remember. The trees keep guard over her threadbare existence, with the one bright spot being Carey’s younger sister, Jenessa, who depends on Carey for her very survival. All they have is each other, as their mentally ill mother comes and goes with greater frequency. Until that one fateful day their mother disappears for good, and two strangers arrive. Suddenly, the girls are taken from the woods and thrust into a bright and perplexing new world of high school, clothes and boys.
Now, Carey must face the truth of why her mother abducted her ten years ago, while haunted by a past that won’t let her go… a dark past that hides many a secret, including the reason Jenessa hasn’t spoken a word in over a year. Carey knows she must keep her sister close, and her secrets even closer, or risk watching her new life come crashing down.

Audris' Thoughts: 

As soon as Jacquelyn sent me a picture with our book choices for February I knew If You Find Me was going to be the one. From all the rave reviews I had read, to Judith from Paper Riot being its very own cheerleader, there was never any doubt I would enjoy this heartbreaking story. Maybe enjoy isn't the word I should be using to describe my feelings towards If You Find Me, so let's break this down.

Carey and Jenessa are characters that will steal your heart. I can guarantee that they will strike a cord with almost everyone. The reason being that these two young girls have spent the entirety (or almost the entirety when it comes to Carey) of their lives living away from civilization and being hidden away in the woods by their mother. So when they finally get brought back into the real world they don't know the simplest of things, they don't know how to use a toothbrush, they don't know what fries are, they don't know how to open the trunk of a car. These are simple commodities that we are so used to, we don't think twice about them, so when I read about how much Carey struggles with these things it tore my heart out.

The story itself is very short and obviously more character driven than plot driven, but there is also some mystery in the mix, so if that's something that interests you, I recommend checking it out. I actually almost gave If You Find Me 3.5 out of 5 stars because, aside from the characters being great, there were some parts that I found to be unrealistic. I don't want to delve too much into this, but I just want to say that their level of education was something I struggled to believe. 

In the end, I decided to give it 4 stars because the ending was absolutely fantastic. It was one of the best done endings I've read in a long time. The ending unravels so well and so heartbreakingly. There were some parts of the way this novel ended that I was expecting, but there were definitely others that caught me by surprise. It was exceptionally real and displayed the characters strengths perfectly. 

Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★/5

Jacquelyn's Thoughts

I am really happy that we picked this one up for the month of February. It was always a book I was so interested in so I was more than happy to finally be able to read it. Lots of this story focused on family and survival which I thought was really interesting considering most survival stories do not focus a ton on family as well. In YA as a whole, not many books mention or even have a minor focus on family so I thought that aspect of the book was quite nice and refreshing. I also loved the survival and mystery aspects of this book. It was quite short and you would think since it is a survival and mystery type book, it would need to be longer but that wasn't the case. The author did a nice job of condensing things without leaving major plot holes and/or details out. 

I really enjoyed the characters and their development throughout the story. For me to enjoy a book, I need it to have some really great and well developed characters and this book provided that. I ended up giving this book 4 out of 5 stars since I thought the plot and characters were awesome and the little mystery included was great as well. I also thought the end was phenomenal and I felt like it was just the perfect way to end this book. Also, I read this in a day so it was a really and entertaining read.

If you are looking for a survival/mystery novel that surrounds around family dynamics and such I would really recommend this book. It had lovely characters and it is such a quick read that you can just plow through it. I am really glad we read this and I look forward to reading any of Emily's future works. 

Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★/5

Review: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Title: Insurgent

Author: Veronica Roth

Publisher: Harper Collins

Release Date: May 1st, 2012

Goodreads Summary:
One choice can transform you-- or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves--and herself--while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable--and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

**I wrote this review about a year ago and just found it in my drafts. With the release of the movie I thought it would be appropriate to post this week**

You know when you're so excited for a book to come out and you even buy it the day of it's release, and then you put it aside for more than a year? Yeah? That was this book for me. So during Bout of Books 9.0 I thought it was about time to dust it off and jump right into it, and I'm glad I did. I was doubtful at first because I hadn't read Divergent in almost two years, but I had no problems with that because once I immersed myself in the world, there was no going back. I was right back into reading about the Factions and the war and the characters (Recaptains also helped out, of course).

There are people that have a lot of issues with this book and I can see why. For one, it's LONG and it seems a bit slow paced compared to Divergent, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Actually, there were several moments when I couldn't make myself put it down. For such a huge book, I flew through it.

Another thing were the characters. We get to meet up with some characters from before that I wasn't expecting and it was enjoyable. The one character that wasn't enjoyable was Tris. I think this is the book where a main character cries the most. Tris is always crying, sobbing or on the verge of tears. Tris is guilt ridden over the fact that she murdered one of her best friends, and she definitely should be, but there comes a moment where she should pick herself up and try to move on with the consequences. She has so many people willing to put up with her, and she just isn't the strong independent Tris we came to love in Divergent (even though she swears she can and puts her life at risk one too many times). Four is going through some things too. But opposite of Tris, you can see his character developing as he goes through each difficult obstacle in his life. Sometimes it's not the best decision, but he's working through them.

Plot wise, there's a lot happening, but since the book is so huge there are some down moments where it feels like nothing is happening. Insurgent opens up a new window into the different factions. We get to sort of explore the different customs of the factions and how they do the same things in different ways. For me it was a fast paced book but for others it might not be. I suggest you read the first hundred pages to see. I probably wouldn't have stuck with it if I hadn't had 3 free hours between classes to dedicate to the story line. 

That said, I enjoyed this book and am really looking forward to seeing what they do with the movie. I know there were some serious changes made but from the trailers I think the movie still has huge potential.

Rating:

                                                               ★ ★ ★ ★ ★/ 5 stars