Review: The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

Title: The Ghost and the Goth
Series: The Ghost and the Goth #1
Author: Stacey Kade
Format: Paperback, 281 pages
Pub. Date: May 10th 2011
Source: Little Library


Book Description:

Alona Dare–Senior in high school, co-captain of the cheerleading squad, Homecoming Queen three years in a row, voted most likely to marry a movie star…and newly dead.

I’m the girl you hated in high school. Is it my fault I was born with it all-good looks, silky blond hair, a hot bod, and a keen sense of what everyone else should not be wearing? But my life isn’t perfect, especially since I died. Run over by a bus of band geeks—is there anything more humiliating? As it turns out, yes—watching your boyfriend and friends move on with life, only days after your funeral. And you wouldn’t believe what they’re saying about me now that they think I can’t hear them. To top it off, I’m starting to disappear, flickering in and out of existence. I don’t know where I go when I’m gone, but it’s not good. Where is that freaking white light already?

Will Killian–Senior in high school, outcast, dubbed “Will Kill” by the popular crowd for the unearthly aura around him, voted most likely to rob a bank…and a ghost-talker.

I can see, hear, and touch the dead. Unfortunately, they can also see, hear and touch me. Yeah, because surviving high school isn’t hard enough already. I’ve done my best to hide my “gift.” After all, my dad, who shared my ability, killed himself because of it when I was fifteen. But lately, pretending to be normal has gotten a lot harder. A new ghost—an anonymous, seething cloud of negative energy with the capacity to throw me around—is pursuing me with a vengeance. My mom, who knows nothing about what I can do, is worrying about the increase in odd incidents, my shrink is tossing around terms like “temporary confinement for psychiatric evaluation,” and my principal, who thinks I’m a disruption and a faker, is searching for every way possible to get rid of me. How many weeks until graduation?

Review:

★★★

Well, I more or less got what I expected based off of the cover and the back blurb. This book is a fast read that's pretty predictable and not all that deep, so there's not too much to think about, nor is it something I'm particularly going to remember a week from now.

Alona Dare (yes, that is her name) is the wooooorst. She's shallow. Like, insanely shallow, and judgmental. Girls who kiss a guy must be whores and sluts. Every straight guy wants her, and she doesn't think every lesbian in the school wants her, she knows it. She calls Will a goth (uh, not even remotely?), a psychopath (cool insult bruh), and more than anything else, a freak. Wanna know what her supporting evidence is for him being a freak? He wears a hoodie. With the hood up, inside. Are you not clutching your pearls yet? Well get this. He also wears headphones. A teenager with headphones! Burn the freak! It's also super gross that she's friends with a guy that in her own word grooms young girls to sleep with him before he leaves them. Popular or not, it's super skeezy.

Now, I understand I'm supposed to not like her. This book is, at its core, a reverse "It's a Wonderful Life" where Alona gets to see how much better off everyone is when her rude, shallow ass is dead. Then she changes for the better for a better afterlife. Or she's supposed to. I didn't think she really changed that much. She might be nicer to Will but she's still insulting and rude, even as she's helping people. I expected a better arc for her and I was left disappointed.

Will Killian (yes, his name is Will Kill) is the most likable character in this book and is its saving grace. He's empathetic and a little brooding and mysterious. He has a whole web of secrets and masks to wear and it was admittedly interesting to see where his arc goes. His ability to hear and see ghosts, dealing with his father's suicide and the hospitalization of a friend, a doctor who might not have his mental health in mind after all, tangled with the weird and new feelings he has for the very dead cheerleader. There's a lot to unpack there and I think Kade did a pretty good job with this character. I get why Alona got attached to him.

As much as I have issues with this book, I actually liked the romance element. I liked that Alona and Will learned from each other. Alona gave Will some confidence and helped him get out of some trouble. Alona learned to be a little bit nicer and that her bullying actions did in fact have consequences. I liked seeing them warm up to one another and despite my overall "ugh" feeling of this book, I was rooting for them.

And then there's Joonie. Joonie is Will's one Goth friend. She is written as so unbelievably over the top as a "Goth" that it seems to be the only descriptors given to her. She doesn't really have personality, only traits that seem to be copied and pasted from a Wiki article about "Gothic Subculture". All I could picture in my head was Henrietta from South Park, which made all of her scenes hilarious for reasons I guarantee the author did not intend.

Like a lot of other contemporary set books, this one has a lot of pop culture references that really date this book. She makes references to Johnny Knoxville's (seven Razzie award nominated) version of The Dukes of Hazzard. She watches Joonie go to a MySpace page. There's just a LOT of oughts imagery here that I guess now works as a past setting, but since I was a teen in those years brings back definitely un-contemporary flashbacks of nostalgia.

I have to admit, the author does have my attention. I'd read the second book in this series if it came into my possession, though I won't be seeking it out. I'm just intrigued enough with where the Will/Alona romance is going. But, I don't really recommend this book. If you're into cheerleaders getting hit by a bus or fluffy books that don't take any brain power to get through, maybe you'll like it more than I did.

Review: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Title: Thirteen Reasons Why
Author: Jay Asher
Format: Hardcover, 288 pages
Pub. Date: October 18th 2007
Source: Half Price Books


Book Description:

He consumed her with that kiss, leaving no question that whatever was happening between them was meant to be—that it had always been meant to be…

You can’t stop the future.
You can’t rewind the past.
The only way to learn the secret . . . is to press play.

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker–his classmate and crush–who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah’s voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out why.

Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah’s pain, and as he follows Hannah’s recorded words throughout his town, what he discovers changes his life forever.

Review:

★★★★

I know this book is really polarizing for a lot folks, and that a lot of people have strong feelings about it. I'm just not that passionate about it, so this is going to be a really basic review. I have not seen the Netflix adaptation.

I think this book has a good concept. I liked the way that it was formatted, both by using the tapes as a way to hear Hannah's story and by using the tape deck functions (play, pause, rewind) as a way to tie in Clay's narrative and response to her stories.

I will say that this book held my attention. This is probably the fastest that I've read a book in quite a while. It was both intriguing and haunting. I found myself wanting Clay to keep listening and going forward with the tapes, but I also hesitated each time a new person was mentioned, unsure if I actually did want to know what happened to Hannah.

I think I would have appreciated this book when it came out. 2007 would have been freshman/sophomore year of high school for me, when I myself would have been in the throes of my worst depression and high school angst. To me it seemed, melodramatic yes, but also quite realistic. I never questioned the teenage voice that it's written in, and all of the things that happened seemed like they very easily could have been real. That's something that I don't find a lot in a lot of high school books, especially where parties are involved.

I felt connected to the characters, which was sort of weird, considering that Hannah is dead. But the same way that hearing Hannah's voice makes Clay a little jumpy because it's like she's alive again, because her narrative is so strong on the tapes, you feel like you know her. And I felt for Clay, who had to hear so much and continue on with the little chain letter type set up.

I don't think I'll ever read this book again, but I'm not mad that I read it. I don't really recommend it to anyone either- I'd hate for anyone to be influenced by the topics here. If you're suicidal, or have been impacted by suicide, I do not think that this is the book for you.

Review: All the Rage by Courtney Summers

Title: All the Rage
Author: Courtney Summers
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: April 14th 2015
Source: St. Martin's Griffin


Book Description via Goodreads:

The sheriff’s son, Kellan Turner, is not the golden boy everyone thinks he is, and Romy Grey knows that for a fact. Because no one wants to believe a girl from the wrong side of town, the truth about him has cost her everything—friends, family, and her community. Branded a liar and bullied relentlessly by a group of kids she used to hang out with, Romy’s only refuge is the diner where she works outside of town. No one knows her name or her past there; she can finally be anonymous. But when a girl with ties to both Romy and Kellan goes missing after a party, and news of him assaulting another girl in a town close by gets out, Romy must decide whether she wants to fight or carry the burden of knowing more girls could get hurt if she doesn’t speak up. Nobody believed her the first time—and they certainly won’t now — but the cost of her silence might be more than she can bear.　

With a shocking conclusion and writing that will absolutely knock you out, All the Rage examines the shame and silence inflicted upon young women after an act of sexual violence, forcing us to ask ourselves: In a culture that refuses to protect its young girls, how can they survive?

Review:

★★★

I waited a long while to write this review. All the Rage is a very intense book to read, and I needed some time (a few weeks, actually) to decompress everything long enough to write a coherent opinion on it.

First, I'd like to say that this book's message is so damn important. I think it's crazy that every day when I get on Facebook, there's a new trending story of some teen rape/bullying/sexting case. It's horrifying. Books with themes as deep as the ones found in this book are often close to my heart, because I have experienced them first hand. These are books that need writing, because it is still happening across the country and the world. It's worth reading. End of.

The writing itself is beautiful. Though I can name other books Summers has written, and I've come across her name often on the internet, this is the first time I've ever read anything written by her. She has a great ability to describe human emotion in ways that I'm not sure that I could give a voice. It's beautiful and haunting at the same, almost hollow. It was an almost soothing sense of dread and darkness, which was an odd sensation but a lovely one as a reader (that might make no sense to some of you- sorry about that).

That said, the timing in this book left me puzzled. I wasn't always entirely sure where in the timeline I was, and that made it a bit hard to focus on what was happening. I had all of the puzzle pieces, but struggled at times to put them together into a bigger picture.

The characters left me divided. I felt for Romy, truly, and I wanted her to get all the things that she needed and wanted to calm her mind and restore her life. Because she was so turbulent of a character, my own feelings for her matched. Sometimes she left me confused, and sometimes I really couldn't connect to her. Other times I felt like she was sharing thoughts I've had personally, verbatim. The adults, don't get me started. They're accurate enough- the not listening, the lying, the small town politics. That is where I felt all the rage. I wanted to punch some of them (not unlike the adults in other books on similar topics I've read lately). The romance aspect didn't really add anything to me, but I'm sure there are others who will disagree with me.

In short, this book left me torn. And honestly, I think it was meant to. It's a book that's hard to swallow and slow to read, because some pretty bad themes and actions are within its pages. It is a book that demands more thought and reflection after it's been read. As I mentioned before, I think it's definitely a book that is worth reading, even though I didn't always follow or connect to it in the best way. Be warned, rape and bullying are main themes in this book, so tread with caution if you are sensitive to them. If you benefited from reading books such as Some Boys or The S-Word, you might want to give this one a go.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Blog Tour Mini Review & Giveaway: Life Unaware by Cole Gibsen!

Title: Life Unaware

Author: Cole Gibson

Release date: 4/28/15

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

Regan Flay has been talking about you.

Regan Flay is on the cusp of achieving her control-freak mother's "plan" for high school success―cheerleading, student council, the Honor Society—until her life gets turned horribly, horribly upside down. Every bitchy text. Every bitchy email. Every lie, manipulation, and insult she's ever said have been printed out and taped to all the lockers in school.

Now Regan has gone from popular princess to total pariah.
The only person who even speaks to her is her former best friend's hot but socially miscreant brother, Nolan Letner. Nolan thinks he knows what Regan's going through, but whatnobody knows is that Regan isn't really Little Miss Perfect. In fact, she's barely holding it together under her mom's pressure. But the consequences of Regan's fall from grace are only just beginning. Once the chain reaction starts, no one will remain untouched...

Especially Regan Flay.

Review:

★★★★

I have to say, I really enjoyed this book.

For me, teen bullying books are usually hit or miss. I either totally relate or disconnect completely. I'm glad to say that this one was one that I hit it off with.

I think that this book is largely realistic, and honestly that's what makes it a bit scary. Teenagers are terrifying, and this book gives a window into the teenage girl brain. I was reminded of a few people that I knew in high school. The characters were well written and their dialogue felt natural (something else I often have issues with in teen/high school books). I also appreciate the amount of loathing that the author got me to feel for some of the characters. I quickly became invested into the story, and loved reading as the main character's world came crashing down around her. It was kind of nice to watch the mean girl up in flames, but at parts you definitely sympathize with her too.

I connected with her a bit more because she has an anxiety disorder and so do I, so I sympathized with her a bit more. And her mother... Good lord, don't get me started on her mother. She made me ridiculously angry. Well done to the author for making me have such intense feelings for a fictional character.

It's a fast paced read that doesn't take very long, but does deal with some pretty tough things to swallow, like bullying/cyberbullying. I think that a lot of teenage girls and YA fans will like this one, especially fans of books like The S Word or #scandal. This book has some language and serious themes, so be warned before going in.

Get it Here:

Amazon | BN | TBD | BAM | IndieBound | Powells

About the Author:

Cole Gibsen first realized she different when, in high school, she was still reading comic books while the other girls were reading fashion magazines.

It was her love of superheroes that first inspired her to pick up a pen. Her favorite things to write about are ordinary girls who find themselves in extraordinary situations.

Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Facebook

Follow the rest of the tour here!

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Organized by:
YA Bound Book Tours

Review: Wicka by Christy Deveaux

Title: Wicka: The Chronicles of Elizabeth Blake
Author: Christy Deveaux
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: May 28th 2014
Source: Mother Daughter Book Reviews


Book Description via Goodreads:

“While mourning the loss of a mother figure, Elizabeth Blake, a smart but socially introverted seventeen-year-old girl from Ann Arbor, Michigan, enrolls in an international school in the south of France to finish her final year of high school. Here she meets her true love, finds out that she is a witch from an ancient family, and discovers that her life is in danger.

Meanwhile, the Elders—the most powerful coven of witches in the world—have been tracking Elizabeth since her birth. According to an ancient legend, a battle led by “One barely born existing to lead” will cause the downfall of the Elders. Fearing that Elizabeth is the heir to this legend, the Elders try to destroy her before she can fulfill the prophecy.

With the help of her new friends, Elizabeth must travel to Greece to try and prove to the Elders that she is not a threat and to ask for their permission to exist in peace.

With the prospect of having to leave each other once the school year ends and return to their homes on opposite sides of the world, Elizabeth and her new love have to find a way to stay together. However, a rival love interest discovers their plan and causes the Elders to act against Elizabeth. As time runs out, Elizabeth must learn to use the powers she possesses to protect herself and the people she loves most.

Review:

★★★

I love a good witchcraft story, especially when the main character is from Michigan. While this book wasn't one of my favorites, it was a solid read that I think a lot of people will enjoy.

The story is one that is a quick read. There's a fairly complex plot, and the pacing is really well done. The writing is done well enough where it leaves you wanting to know more, making it a book that's easy to read in one go. I liked the main character well enough. I think that she was relatable, which is a little weird to say about a teen age witch, but there you go. She was a believable high school age girl, and her emotions and thoughts were well conveyed. I wish that at the beginning, however, more information was played out in "live time" instead of being filled in by background information by the main character. It felt almost like I was reading a book already in progress.

I liked the setting of the book as well. I enjoy a boarding school-esque setting. I have no idea why. Possibly because my parents always threatened me with one and it backfired when I asked them to send me, haha. Elizabeth moves from Ann Arbor, Michigan to finish her school in France, and I really enjoyed the change of scenery.

What set me off a bit from this book is that it ultimately felt familiar to me. The female lead with powers in a new school setting reminded me a lot of the House of Night books. The powerful coven/society of foreign beings keeping an eye on a special female character reminded me of the Vulturi in the Twilight series. That's not entirely a bad thing; I enjoyed both of those series well enough. But the comparisons definitely entered my mind while reading the book.

That said, I think those comparisons will help a lot of people to enjoy this book. It has a lot going for it over all. Witches, foreign travel, murder, romance, secret societies, magic, relatable female lead. I liked this book well enough, and if you are a fan of witchcraft, HON, Twilight, or young adult fantasy and romance, this might be a book that you would enjoy.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: Paper Or Plastic by Vivi Barnes!

Title: Paper or Plastic
Author: Vivi Barnes
Release date: 2015
Publisher: Entangled Teen

About the Book:

Welcome to SmartMart, where crime pays minimum wage...

Busted. Alexis Dubois just got caught shoplifting a cheap tube of lipstick at the local SmartMart. She doesn’t know what’s worse—disappointing her overbearing beauty-pageant-obsessed mother for the zillionth time…or her punishment. Because Lex is forced to spend her summer working at the store, where the only thing stranger than the staff is the customers.

Now Lex is stuck in the bizarro world of big-box retail. Coupon cutters, jerk customers, and learning exactly what a “Code B” really is (ew). And for added awkwardness, her new supervisor is the totally cute—and completely below her social sphere—Noah Grayson. Trying to balance her out-of-control mother, her starting spot on the school softball team, and her secret crush on the school geek makes for one crazy summer. But ultimately, could the worst store in the world be the best thing that ever happened to her?

Buy It:

Amazon | BN | Kobo

About the Author:

Vivi Barnes is the author of Olivia Twisted and the upcoming release, Paper or Plastic. She was raised on a farm in East Texas where her theater-loving mom and cowboy dad gave her a unique perspective on life. Now living in the magic and sunshine of Orlando, Florida, she divides her time writing, working, goofing off with her husband and three kids, and avoiding dirty dishes.

   

Review:

★★★★★

Paper or Plastic is an adorable, fast read that I ate up in one sitting.

I wasn't sure how I was going to like this book, as the lead character Lex annoyed me at the beginning. Maybe it's because I worked in high school, but her I'm-above-this attitude rubbed me wrong- but she changes so much throughout this book that soon I'd forgotten my annoyances with her. She's passionate about what she wants and I appreciated that there was no love triangle, just a relatable struggle between clashing friends/crushes that I think we've all felt at least once.

I thought the characters were all really well described. There's a lot of people in this cast, but I was never left confused. There were some characters I absolutely loved, like her grandmother and Noah. Yes, definitely a lot of Noah. He was kind and a little broody and outcast-y with a little rebellious side and it made a perfect combination for me. I liked seeing him and Lex develop individually as characters, but also how they changed towards one another.

And then there were characters I hated (that I was supposed to dislike so well played, Barnes). Her mother at the beginning is a nightmare, and some of her "friends" and co-workers... Don't get me started.

This book didn't take me more than a few hours to read because I was genuinely enjoying myself. It's well-paced with a fair amount of drama and a nice sense of humor that I wasn't expecting, but I did snicker out loud to myself a few times over the course of the book.

I also liked how real, in a sense, that this book was. This is going to sound weird, but I like that this book didn't shy away from the occasional swear. Teens swear. In contemporary YA it just seems weird when characters aren't allowed to swear in the book because at least in my high school, no one spoke that purely. I also like the way texts were presented- it was the older characters who used the "leet speak" as opposed to the younger ones. That made me happy, because literally the only people I know who text like that are my mother and grandmother.

Honestly, I was bummed when I was out of pages. I hadn't realized I'd read it so fast and I definitely wanted more of Lex and Noah. Nonetheless, this was a good, cute read. I'd recommend this to fans of YA romance or contemporaries and people who have had summer jobs at places like "SmartMart".

Thanks so much to YA Bound Book Tours for my copy in exchange for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

Follow the rest of the tour here!

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Blog Tour Organized by:
YA Bound Book Tours

Release Day Mini Review & Excerpt: Rival Hearts by Natalie Decker!

Title: Rival Hearts
Series: Rival Love #2
Author: Natalie Decker
Format: ebook
Pub. Date: December 23rd 2014
Source: Swoon Romance



Summary from Goodreads:

Caleb is ticked off. Skylar hasn’t answered any of his calls, texts, or emails since her move to New York, virtually cutting him out of her life without warning. So Caleb decides to go after her—and convince her to come back home.

But even when Skylar realizes her heart does belong at home with Caleb, her uncertainty lingers. Is it safe? Have things changed?

After the mysterious vandalism to the pool at Delmont High, everyone is desperate for answers they believe Skylar can provide. At first, she’s determined not to run. But when Caleb’s ex-girlfriend unleashes a vengeful surprise, Sky's love for Caleb is threatened.

Are these two rival hearts ready to fight for their love, or will they have to throw in the towel?

RIVAL HEARTS is the sequel to the bestselling teen romance novel RIVAL LOVE by Natalie Decker.

Excerpt:

“Whoa, babycakes. Chill. I just wanted to make some conversation and maybe rock out a little.” He winks at me. “You’re feisty; I like that.”

He flicks his eyes to my nightstand. There are two photos there; first is one of Caleb and me. It was an unseasonably warm day in December, and we were fighting over the sponge we were using to wash our cars. He dumped suds in my hair and I sprayed him with the hose. I was the one washing my car first, then he just magically needed to clean his too. My swimming friend Kayla took it the picture and framed it for me before I left. The second photo is of Caleb, his uncle Brian, my mom, and me. Caleb is looking over at me with a smirk, and I’m glaring at him. Brian and my mom are smiling at the camera. My mom was so mad I put this photo in a frame, but it was a memory for me. The moment I started realizing my feelings for Caleb.

“Brother?”

I cringe. “No! That’s definitely not my brother. The only sibling I have was in your lap about, I don’t know, five minutes ago.”

“Ah. Gotcha. So, wanna have lunch with me tomorrow?”

I shake my head. “No thanks.” I’ve been eating lunch in odd places like the library or stairway, because it’s easier. I’m not here to make friends. I’m here because I had nowhere else to go. Right now, I’d give anything to be back home with my mom, but that’s not going to happen.

He keeps inspecting my room and says, “Well, looks like I’m going to have to find another way to fit into your schedule.”

“Uh … I don’t have any slots for you. Sorry.” I fold my arms but it makes me wonder. If a girl suggested the same thing to Caleb, would he take them out? Does he think we’re still a couple? Would he move on? Could I move on? No. I’m pretty certain I’ll never get over Caleb. I’m not sure this whole long-distance relationship thing is a great idea but maybe I should try. I need to call him. He’s probably so pissed at me for ignoring him. I know I’d be pissed.

Malcom moves to the door. “Until next time, babycakes.” He winks, and walks out of my room.

I sneer at his nickname. “Uck.” I walk over to my door and close it, then flip the lock. I wish Caleb were here. And my depression starts up all over again

Review:

★★★ ★

Three and a half stars.

---

I was really excited when I was invited to read this sequel to Rival Love, a book I read earlier this year and really enjoyed. This is a solid continuation of Caleb and Skylar's story that has the same great pacing and writing that readers loved in the first book.

I really enjoyed having the chance to see how Caleb and Skylar continued their relationship, since the first book just wasn't enough of the couple. It's nice seeing the characters grow and mature as they figure themselves and the rest of the world out. It's fairly easy to relate to, since growing up is something we all have to do. That being said, I wasn't as attached to them in this book as I was in the first one. I know that they have growing up to do (don't we all?), but they still seemed a bit immature for their age group. I felt like I was reading about kids who were younger than high school. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it is something that I noticed. This made me feel a bit more disjointed, and while I related to the book as a whole, it was harder to relate to namely Skylar as a single character. I did, however, continue to love Caleb. He's why I enjoyed book one so much, and he's vital to my liking of this book as well.

I also really love the cover. Look at how cute it is! It definitely drew me into the story and would look really cute on a physical shelf.

I think that fans of the first Rival Love book will enjoy this addition to the story. While I did find it a bit harder to connect to the characters, I'd still recommend this to fans of Rival Love as well as those who enjoy young adult romance in a contemporary setting. Thanks so much to Swoon Romance for giving me a copy to read for my honest opinions.

#31DaysofReading Book Review: Bleed Like Me by Christa Desir!

Title: Bleed Like Me
Author: Christa Desir
Format: ebook
Pub. Date: October 7th 2014
Source: SimonPulse via PulseIt #31daysofreading

Description via Goodreads:

From the author of Fault Line comes an edgy and heartbreaking novel about two self-destructive teens in a Sid and Nancy-like romance full of passion, chaos, and dyed hair.

Seventeen-year-old Amelia Gannon (just "Gannon" to her friends) is invisible to almost everyone in her life. To her parents, to her teachers-even her best friend, who is more interested in bumming cigarettes than bonding. Some days the only way Gannon knows she is real is by carving bloody lines into the flesh of her stomach.

Then she meets Michael Brooks, and for the first time, she feels like she is being seen to the core of her being. Obnoxious, controlling, damaged, and addictive, he inserts himself into her life until all her scars are exposed. Each moment together is a passionate, painful relief.

But as the relationship deepens, Gannon starts to feel as if she's standing at the foot of a dam about to burst. She's given up everything and everyone in her life for him, but somehow nothing is enough for Brooks-until he poses the ultimate test.

Bleed Like Me is a piercing, intimate portrayal of the danger of a love so obsessive it becomes its own biggest threat.

★★★

This is another book that I'm honestly not quite sure how I feel about, let alone how to rate it. I waited a few days before writing this review to let the book sink in, but I'm still torn. This wasn't a bad book, not by a long shot. But I also had a lot of issues with it. I've decided to level it out at a neutral rating of three stars.

The lead character, Gannon, was somehow simultaneously easy and impossible to relate with. On the one hand, she is one of the "punk/goth" girls, and I was one in high school too. I got the whole hanging out at the skate park, smoking, and chilling at Punkin' Donuts. That's all stuff I've done. I really liked too that this story is set in Chicago. This is where I'm from, and it's always nice to read a familiar setting. This will get a little dark for a moment, but I also related to this character because she is a cutter. While I do not have this issue anymore, it is something that I have done in the past. I will say that out of all the books with cutting characters that I've read, Desir has most accurately described the addiction, the satisfaction, the relief, and honestly, the clean up. You'd be surprised how many books don't mention that cutting involves, you know, blood. It may set a darker tone, but at least it's more descriptive and more accurate. On the other hand, I really didn't like how judgmental she was. She judges her family, her "best friend", said friend's romantic interest, the boy who will eventually become her boyfriend. It all seemed a bit overly unpleasant and harsh. Especially coming from someone from an alternative background- normally the most understanding of them all. I also didn't like how she kept saying how she didn't know anything about him and wouldn't sleep with him because of that and didn't want to be too attached... But then does drugs because of him and waits a month for him because he told her to.

I also found it a bit strange that she constantly complains that her parents ignore her and that she's invisible, lost in the chaos of her brothers. But when she gets serious with Brooks, they just tell her to make smart choices. Her dad comes in to give her a "talk", and gives her a box of condoms. She calls this an awkward nightmare.... But he's finally being caring and giving an effort to be in her life. This point is neither positive or negative to the reading experience, I just found it odd.

Which brings me to Brooks, the love interest. He's another character I both loved and hated. I'm not sure how Desir managed to get me to feel so strongly in opposing directions for her characters. On one hand he's pierced and tattooed with dyed bright hair and that's delicious. He's impulsive and broody and weirdly charming. But his past is dark and quickly that changes, and he becomes paranoid and controlling and not very nice. Their romance starts off quirky and oddly sweet. My favorite part is a bit morbid but, he doesn't want her to cut anymore, but she needs the pain, so he digs his fingers along her healing skin, tearing open old wounds. This is dark and toxic and surely unhealthy... But sweet, in a broken kind of way. They're explosive and dangerous together... But you can't help but want to watch the show.

Another issue I had was Gannon's family. She feels bitter towards most of them, understandably so. They were a happy family of three, until they adopted three boys from Guatemala. Her dad largely hides from his responsibilty because they're terrors. The mom babies them and doesn't want to be the disciplinarian ever because they had enough of a hard life in their home country. She lets them get away with murder- literally. They murder a kitten with absolutely zero consequences. She doesn't deserve to keep them honestly. I don't care if it was my kid, I'd call someone. A psychologist, a doctor, a member of the police force. But no, they have dinner like nothing happened because the mom is just happy they're eating. A week later, they actually go to the movies because they behaved for a week since the kitten incident. Nope. Nope. She says at some point that she can't just give them back. You can, actually, and at this rate they deserve to go a better home. They also leave all three kids with Gannon overnight. They can't handle them as adults- what the hell makes you think a kid can?

That said, I give Desir points for diversity. There were a bunch of different types of people represented here and that's a nice change of pace.

And then there's the ending... It's emotional but disappointing. I wasn't left wondering what happened... I was left wondering why I stuck around to finish it.

I know I've said a lot of negative things about this book.... But still I can't help but focus on the way Desir gets in depth about the gritty realism, the descriptions of cutting and the pressures in their lives. It's well detailed and well written and it's easy to get swept into the intense storm that is their relationship. It's a book that'll stay with me in ways I can't quite comprehend.

I recommend it to mature young adult fans who enjoy a darker side of contemporary romance. Be warned this book contains sex, vulgar language, drugs, alcohol, and self harm. Thanks to Simon Teen/Pulse It for the chance to read it.

#31DaysofReading Book Review: #scandal by Sarah Ockler

Title: #scandal
Author: Sarah Ockler
Format: ebook
Pub. Date: June 17th 2014
Source: SimonPulse via PulseIt #31daysofreading

Description via Goodreads:

Lucy’s learned some important lessons from tabloid darling Jayla Heart’s all-too-public blunders: Avoid the spotlight, don’t feed the Internet trolls, and keep your secrets secret. The policy has served Lucy well all through high school, so when her best friend Ellie gets sick before prom and begs her to step in as Cole’s date, she accepts with a smile, silencing about ten different reservations. Like the one where she’d rather stay home shredding online zombies. And the one where she hates playing dress-up. And especially the one where she’s been secretly in love with Cole since the dawn of time.

When Cole surprises her at the after party with a kiss under the stars, it’s everything Lucy has ever dreamed of… and the biggest BFF deal-breaker ever. Despite Cole’s lingering sweetness, Lucy knows they’ll have to ’fess up to Ellie. But before they get the chance, Lucy’s own Facebook profile mysteriously explodes with compromising pics of her and Cole, along with tons of other students’ party indiscretions. Tagged. Liked. And furiously viral.

By Monday morning, Lucy’s been branded a slut, a backstabber, and a narc, mired in a tabloid-worthy scandal just weeks before graduation.

Lucy’s been battling undead masses online long enough to know there’s only one way to survive a disaster of this magnitude: Stand up and fight. Game plan? Uncover and expose the Facebook hacker, win back her best friend’s trust, and graduate with a clean slate.

There’s just one snag—Cole. Turns out Lucy’s not the only one who’s been harboring unrequited love...

★★★★


There's a lot of books out there lately that have to deal with the idea of cyberbullying. Understandably so, as it's growing easier, more common, and harder to regulate or discipline. I've read quite a few of them with overall little favor, but I have to admit, this is one of the books of the ones that I have read that I feel best narrates and addresses the problem.

What made the biggest difference to me, in regards to this young adult piece of fiction feeling more authentic, is that these awful pictures of the characters in this book are posted to Facebook. Facebook and Instagram are cited by name. This sounds like it's not a big deal, but it helps so much. I personally find it harder to connect to a book when they try and make up a "hot social networking site". It just sounds silly to me. But Facebook is a site that most of us are so dependent on that using it specifically hits just a bit harder to home.

Another way that this book is set apart from other books on similar topics is the main character: she actually learns something. She grows and she fights back and she changes over the course of the story, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. But she doesn't take this scandal just lying down and she doesn't just shut down about it. She talks about it (at least a little) and she tries to find out the truth to clear her name and to apologize, in a way, to the people who were victimized just as much as she was. I liked this about Lucy tremendously.

There were a lot of plot threads to follow here and a lot going on, but to me that just kept it engaging and made it harder to look away from. I never felt that it got muddled or confused at all. Emotions ran high, and widely varied ones too. I felt anger towards some characters, annoyance at others, sympathy, and support, and hope and vengeance. I felt attached to these characters, like their scandal was somehow at my old high school. I was cheering for Cole and Lucy even at times when I probably shouldn't have been. That's just the mark of good writing and good world building. I also felt that the slang/dialog was really believable. Teenagers totally could have written these conversations.

That being said, this is another book that features well-off students and even ties into a celebrity. I felt a slight disconnect on that level. My high school was on the poorer side, and while the fantasy prom theme of this book sounds absolutely amazing, it's a little bit harder to relate to characters who get shopping sprees from their rich sister or who get the latest technology from out of the country. I feel like in a school where there's horse stables and this elaborate of parties, there'd be a lot more lawyers involved in this scandal. The celebrity plot tied in relatively well to the overall theme of being in the spotlight and being judged constantly, but it felt like a little much.

While I liked this book in the present setting in which I read it (2014), I'm not sure how this book will hold up in the future. When cites are created, hyped, and destroyed so easily and when laws and rules are popping up so frequently. This is neither a positive nor a negative point towards the book, just a personal reflection.

This is a book I'd recommend to fans of realistic YA. Be warned that this book contains some pretty heavy themes, such as sex, drugs, alcohol, and cyberbullying. If you enjoyed Send by Patty Blount, I think you'll enjoy this one too. Thanks to Simon Teen / Pulseit.com for the chance to read this during #31daysofreading.

Blog Tour, Review, & Giveaway: Finding Hope by Beth Fred

Title: Finding Hope
Author: Beth Fred
Release date: September 1st, 2014
Source: IFB Book Tours


Summary from Goodreads:
When insecure eighteen-year-old Kailee Hill gets caught tagging Iraq war refugee, Abrahem Yohanna's garage, she's not expecting him to act as her designated driver, hold her hair back when she pukes, or offer to be a shoulder to cry on. But she's failing chemistry and her life is falling apart, so she uses the number Abe leaves her and finds herself with a new tutor.


The two quickly find themselves falling hard for each other. Kailee attacks a local grunt when he calls Abe a "sand nigger" and fights with her veteran brother to be with him. When she learns Abe hasn't told his family about her, she's heartbroken and the couple risks losing everything they've worked to build. To make matters worse, Kailee's previous acts make her the prime suspect in a serious crime. With Kailee behind bars and doubting his feelings for her, Abe must find a way to rescue the girl he loves and win back her affection . And to do that he’ll have to catch a crook…

Buy it now on Amazon

About the Author:
Beth Fred is a full time ELF keeper and part time author/blogger/writing instructor. She's represented by Kathleen Rushall of Marsal Lyons Literary Agency. Beth likes her tea hot, her romance sweet, and her guys chivalrous. Real men hold open doors, refer to you as ma'am, make promises they keep, and aren't afraid to profess their undying love. It's not breakfast if there aren't carbs (at least, not in the South). Fajitas, carnitas, and churros are just few of her favorite things. Bet you can't guess where she's from ;)
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Review:

★★★★ ★

Four and a half stars.

Wow. This little book is jam-packed full of feelings and drama. I'm having to compose my thoughts so that this review isn't just a rambling mess.

When I came across this title up for review, I was intrigued. I haven't read many books that feature Iraqi characters, let alone when you mix in a soldier with PTSD. And romance on top of that? I couldn't say no. And I have to say, I'm very glad I didn't.

First, we have the characters. Kailee is a high school aged girl who is trying to figure out her place. She used to be the queen bee, until her boyfriend broke it off with her and her best friend is taking her place as the school's leader. She's angry and hurt. She, like a lot of girls her age, makes bad decisions based off of her emotions and she struggles with self-esteem issues. Not to mention her brother, the ex-soldier with PTSD, an absent mother, and a father who doesn't care. I think she's a relatable girl all in all. And then there's Abrahem, the older brother of the girl she hates. They meet based off of hatred but they soon grow inseparable. I loved watching their relationship grow and even through the rocky parts (and believe me, there's rocky parts aplenty) I wanted them to be together. Although at some parts I was frustrated beyond measure at Abrahem's actions, I found him sweet and hard not to like. I see why Kailee fell for him.

This book addresses some pretty hard topics including racism, suicide, PTSD, and cyberbullying. I thought that the important issues were written out in a respectable manner, and the fact that the story was written in dual POV made it that much stronger to connect with this book. Not only was I able to see why Kailee did/said the things she did, I was able to see what life was like from the perspective of an Iraqi man who fled terrorism in his home country to come to the States. That is not a lens I have ever read through before, and it gave great insight as far as racial issues and culture. The best example of this was shown in the way that Abrahem's mother behaves, and how greatly her ideals clash with that of "modern" America.

The plot itself was full of so much drama, but I mean that in a great way. Just when I thought I had something figured out, Beth Fred would add another level of twists and information so that I was thrown back at square one. Between the forbidden romance, the criminal charges, a runaway arranged bride and some bar fights to name a few examples, there was never a dull moment in this book, and I devoured it in one sitting.

That is actually the only thing I didn't like so much about this book. It felt almost too fast at times, and I felt like some things needed to be focused on or talked about for a longer period of time. This wasn't enough to put me off from the story too much, but it was definitely something of which I took note.

I'd recommend this to mature YA readers looking for a more diverse read. This is apparently the second book featuring these characters, and I will absolutely be reading that one as well. As mentioned earlier, be warned that this book does contain suicide, war, racial problems, bullying, and harassment.

Thank you to IFB Tours for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: Rival Love

Title: Rival Love
Author: Natalie Decker
Release date: August 26th, 2014
Publisher: Swoon Romance
Source: Blog Tour Host


Summary from Goodreads:
Skylar Fletcher is a proud Harris Academy Bulldog! She has everything she’s ever wanted: a perfect boyfriend, great friends, and her dream college waiting for her in the fall. But nothing lasts forever. Skylar's world shatters when her mom decides it is time to move and drags Skylar, kicking and screaming, into Bobcat territory.

At Delmont High School, home of the Bobcats, Skylar has no friends and is often bullied. To make matters worse, her home life sucks thanks to all-star quarterback Caleb Morgan, nephew of her mom's live-in boyfriend.

At first Skylar and Caleb want nothing to do with one another. But they soon discover they're not that different after all--and each is harboring a secret attraction to the other. But can a Bulldog and a Bobcat ever really be more than friends? And are Skylar and Caleb willing to risk everything to find out? Rival Love is a debut young adult contemporary romance from Natalie Decker.

But it now on Amazon

About the Author:
Natalie Decker is the Author of Rival Love. She loves oceans, sunsets, sand between her toes, and carefree days. Her imagination is always going, which some find odd. But she believes in seeing the world in a different light at all times. Her first passion for writing started at age twelve when she had to write a poem for English class. However, seventh grade wasn’t her favorite time and books were her source of comfort. She took all college prep classes in High school, and attended the University of Akron. Although she studied Mathematics she never lost her passion for writing or her comfort in books. She’s a mean cook in the kitchen, loves her family and friends and her awesome dog infinity times infinity. If she’s not writing, reading, traveling, hanging out with her family and friends, then she’s off having an adventure. Because Natalie believes in a saying: Your life is your own journey, so make it amazing!
Website |Goodreads | Twitter Facebook

Review:

★★★★

Three and a half stars, rounded up.

---

Rival Love is a book that I sped through in a day. It was a gripping and entertaining tale of young love that isn't always as easy as the television and movies seem to be.

A large reason of why I liked this book is Caleb. He's the star quarterback and is a pretty alpha-minded young man. He is both protective and insufferable, while managing to have just the right amount of teenage angst. I feel this way largely about Skylar as well. At first I thought she was really whiny and annoying, but I grew to like her the more I got inside her head. I loved seeing what would happen next, and how this forbidden high school romance would come to be. This book offers sides of both characters' stories, so you get a well-rounded opinion as the plot unfolds.

A plot that I really liked, from the get-go when I first read the summary. I really, really like the idea of this book. This is probably in large part to the fact that I was in a school district where loyalty was pretty fierce. The other school was the "rough school", and it would have been horrid to go there. (I am sure it was lovely and all, but pride is pride.) I think a lot of readers will relate to this idea of rivalry.

That being said, I do feel like this die hard high school loyalty is a bit extreme, to the point of violence. So were her old "friends" and boyfriend. It felt a bit over dramatic, which annoyed me a little bit. But really, it's high school. Don't we all think we're the kings of the world when we're there, before we're out in the real world? High school is full of drama, so while annoying it is not entirely unbelievable.

Another thing that hung me up about this book a bit is the use of slang/profanity. I have no issues with either clean reads, or ones that are rather colorful. But I felt that in Rival Love that it was a weird blend of the two. Sometimes swears were greatly avoided, like hitting Caleb in his "bad area". But other times, f-bombs were dropping. It just didn't gel quite right, and it was something that I noticed.

However, even with these hang ups, this was a pretty good read for me. It had a good sense of humor to it but also addressed some relatable, real issues like bullying and divorce. This is a great read for anyone currently in high school, especially for the athletes or those in schools with notorious rivalry. As mentioned earlier, this book does contain some language and bullying content, so be aware of that.

I was given a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Giveaway:

$10 Amazon gift card + ebook of Rival Love (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Blog Tour Organized by:
YA Bound Book Tours

Review: Some Boys by Patty Blount

Title: Some Boys
Author: Patty Blount
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: August 5th 2014
Source: Netgalley & Sourcebooks Fire


★★★

Three stars.

---

When Grace accuses the most popular and loved boy in the school of rape, the school turns its back on her. Bullied, harassed, and alone, her life becomes one of torment and ridicule. She gets in trouble and is forced to clean lockers over a school break, since another student is already being punished with the same task. That person is none other than Ian, the best friend of her rapist and the boy she's had a crush on since before the attack. They grow closer, but will Ian ever believe her, and will Grace ever learn to trust again?

Let me start this review by saying this rating was a hard one for me. I really, really liked some of the components of this novel, but there was far more that frustrated or annoyed me. All in all, I think the two balanced out in the end, giving it a neutral three out of five. I'll start with the good first, keeping spoilers to a minimum.

I really liked Grace as a character. Instead of letting the schoolmates win and keeping her head down or moving away, she continues to go to school, continues to hold her head up, and sticks with her story: that Zac attacked her against her will. When her friends abandon her and start calling her a slut, she tries not to let it show that it bothers her. She never stops searching for the proof and closure that she needs, and she remains the black, leather, stud wearing bad ass that she is. I really, really like that.

I also liked Ian. He was a complete jerk at times- that's true. But I think it's a believable level of mean. He's torn between believing the school "slut" and liar that he's finding himself attracted to, as well as the word of his best friend and teammate. He flip flops a bit, but I think it's a fair amount of inner turmoil, even though I of course hated him in the moments when he chose Zac over Grace. I liked their romance together, and see no issue with the concept of her feeling this way towards him. Rape doesn't mean you're not allowed to ever like a boy again.

The writing itself was fairly well done, with the chapters in duel POV, alternating between Ian and Grace. The one thing that did bug me about this is that sometimes the same conversation was held twice, without really offering more information. It grew a bit redundant.

Now, as for the not so good parts. The ending. Everything was way too sugar coated and cheery. Everyone just acts like nothing happened, and she forgives some of the closest people to her who have treated her like garbage for so long. I didn't like that. Not only did it feel rushed, but big person or not I feel Grace isn't the kind to do that. I was unpleasantly surprised.

I also don't understand the lack of concern towards Grace's rape. Why was Zac not arrested for posting lewd, underage material on the internet? Why did Facebook not delete the pornographic video? Why is the video not evidence enough? Why was Zac not punished at all? Where was his mother? In an fairly affluent town in which kids have Mustangs, in-ground pools, and Europe trips- why was no one sued for all of this suffering and bullying? It all just felt like there was a serious glaring hole as to why he was able to get away with the taunting, and the act itself. Plus, not one person supports her. Her mother thinks she should apologize, her dad thinks she asked for it by dressing "for attention", none of the teachers care. It baffles me.

As much as I liked Grace, I really hated some decisions and thoughts that she had. Her big protest, for one, felt out of place and awkward. I felt like it was added in to make the book longer or something. I see what Blount was going for, but it just didn't work for me. Grace, throughout the novel, is very anti-"slut" in that she hates that word. She is also very much against the idea that women are always to blame for why men go rogue. And yet, she calls her stepmom a slut for sleeping with her dad and being a homewrecker, blaming her for the reason why her family is no longer happy and whole. Where is the blame against her father? It takes two to have an affair, and yet Grace both calls her a slut AND blames her.

I think that books involving rape awareness, (cyber)bullying, bullying, and harm are growing increasingly important. And I do think that this book is worth reading more or less. There's a message that needs spreading and awareness to be raised, and I rather liked the romance aspect. However, I had a lot of questions that weren't answered, and it frustrated me greatly throughout the course of the novel. Be warned that this book contains rape, alcohol, bullying, slut-shaming, swearing, and suicide.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for giving me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Truth About Alice

Title: The Truth About Alice
Author: Jennifer Mathieu
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: June 3rd 2014
Source: Netgalley & Roaring Brook Press

★★

Two stars.

---

Alice Franklin is a slut, and everyone knows it. The whole town has heard about how she slept with two guys at the same party. The rumors only get worse when quarterback and king of the school Brandon dies in a car accident, and Alice's dirty text messages are to blame. Everyone knows a snippet of truth, but each character has a reason to keep Alice as the school's laughing stock.

This is one of those times where I feel like I didn't read the same book as everyone else did. This book does address some very serious issues, but I personally don't feel this book did them justice in how they were dealt with.

First, I'm not really sure who this book's target audience is. It's set in high school, but the cattiness and maturity of some of the characters seems more like junior high school, even though "adult" topics like abortion are discussed and the language leans towards mature.

I also didn't feel the different POVs worked here. I understand why the author broke it up that way, but for me, three out of the five POVs blended together. The popular boy, the popular girl, and the newly popular girl all sound the same. Kurt (the nerd) was the only one who seemed to be written differently. He was also my favorite character. And Alice only has one chapter, so there's not much to go on one way or the other there. I found the language a bit odd too. No one in my high school said "freaky deaky" or so many "like so totally"s. Not to mention the text speak.

Kelsie was my least favorite, and is horrible & knows it. My biggest issues with her were not even her cutthroat approaches to becoming popular. Her reasoning for why she's mad at Alice is SO trivial, and Kelsie's revenge is soooo not equal. I'm glad that Alice calls her on it, but it still irritated me. I also found her big, dramatic secret rather anticlimactic, and thought it was cleaned up a bit too easily.

I also found issues with the rumors themselves. Rumors are often, of course, ridiculous. But let's say Alice really was texting Brandon and is a big slut- why would she still be blamed for his accident? He was the one drinking. He was driving. He texted while drunkenly driving. How does that equate to Alice's fault? Even if she was the biggest whore in Texas (and who cares?) it still wouldn't cause his crash unless she was actively trying to mount him. Elaine, the popular, addresses this silently, but it's never addressed out loud. I also didn't like that the janitor gave up cleaning the graffiti. What the hell? I'm also a bit surprised that in a small town like this one, no rumor came and knocked this one from attention within a school year.

I'm not really sure what the point of this book was, other than rumors are usually untrue (which is in the word's definition) and that people are assholes. I went to high school. I am aware of that fact without having read this book. Oh, and be careful who you trust.

This book got two stars from me because while I didn't care for most of the characters, or their various dramas, I did enjoy the Alice/Kurt plot line, and it helped me to get through the rest. I also DID want to finish the book because of these ranting feelings, which I suppose means it's not all bad. It wasn't badly written, I just didn't seem to "get" it. It's also a fairly quick read, so there's no harm in reading it to form an opinion for yourself; I'm not mad that I bothered to take the time to read it. Thanks to Netgalley and Roaring Brook Press for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

Interview & Review: Frenemy of the People by Nora Olsen

Hello readers. I am really excited to announce the upcoming release of the new LGBTQ young adult book, Frenemy of the People by Nora Olsen. Most of you know that I support and adore this genre, and I'm happy to say that I really enjoyed this book (but more about that later). I'm even more excited that Nora Olsen has returned once more to Bitches n Prose to answer some of my questions. Give her a warm welcome, and let's begin!

Interview

Frenemy of The People features two females- one whose a "nice girl" and athlete, and the other who is an angry punk. What was your stereotype/group in high school?
I was part of a nerdy/arty crowd. I was stereotyped as “lesbian,” which is funny because I didn’t identify that way at the time. The people in my school made a classic mistake, confusing gender presentation with sexual orientation. (They figured if I looked like a boy, I must be gay.)

There's a good chance we would have been friends then. I was one of the nerdy/goth types, called a lesbian as well despite the fact that I'd identified openly as bisexual (at the time). Ain't high school grand? Speaking of, there's nothing quite like high school romance. Can you tell us about one of your crushes or relationships from back then?
My first boyfriend, when I was thirteen, was Carlos, nicknamed Tiger. He was nineteen, had a tattoo, smoked, and could not read. I met him at the bus stop and mostly kept him a secret from my parents. He took me to a kung fu movie in Times Square, but I liked the idea of having a boyfriend more than the actual boyfriend plus I didn’t want to get physical, so the relationship fizzled out.


Did you play any sports or get involved in any clubs in high school?
No sports, but I was in school plays. I was on the school humor magazine and we managed to print one issue.

I wasn't much of a sports person either. It was just GSA and Best Buddies for me. Now, do you listen to music when you write? If so, what are some of the songs that make up the soundtrack to Frenemy of the People?

I do listen to music when I write. The character Lexie and I share some of the same favorite songs: “Pictures of You” by the Cure, “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” by the Ramones, “New Punk Fashions for the Spring Formal,” by Dillinger Four, and “I Am A Poseur” by the X-Ray Spex. And Lexie really likes the Magnetic Fields, just like I do. But she also loves Le Tigre whereas I’m over them.

I remember I was listening to Supertramp’s Breakfast in America album a lot while writing Frenemy. Go ahead and judge me! I have uncoolness pride. :)

I was really excited to see so many music references throughout the book- I personally love X-Ray Spex and get irrationally excited when other people remember they exist. They definitely make my mood better. In fact, Clarissa and Lexie each go through some rough stuff in this book. When you're having a rough day, what's one thing that can always make you feel better?
This is a good follow-up to the music question, because David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust album has been 100% reliable so far in making me feel better, as well as just about anything by the Smiths/Morrissey. It’s no exaggeration to say I truly don’t know where I would be without Morrissey and David Bowie’s music.

The Hollywood bigwigs knock on your door right now to option Frenemy of the People as a movie. Who do you want cast?
What a delightful question! Although Lexie is not African-American in the book, I think Amber Riley who plays Mercedes on Glee would be a great actor for her. For Clarissa I would choose Jennifer Lawrence, or Harmony Santana from the movie Gun Hill Road. For Desi I would pick Lauren Potter, who plays cheerio Becky on Glee.

I can totally dig it. I adore Jennifer Lawrence! Now I know Frenemy isn't your first book. Did you know you always wanted to be a writer? If not, what did you want to do before?
I always wanted to be a writer. But when I was small I also wanted to be a scuba diver and an actor. And a mer-creature, or a cat that carried a cane and wore a diamond stickpin.

That... Is quite possibly the best answer to that question I've ever received. Your significant other leaves you a note that says "We're doing something special this weekend." What is your ideal romantic evening?
We go out to see a band, my girlfriend holds my hand, we dance and sing along to every song.

-day dreamy face- That does sound perfect. Do you have any other writing projects currently in the works?
Yes, I have another YA novel forthcoming from Bold Strokes Books in October. It’s called MAXINE WORE BLACK and it is a retelling of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca.

Aaaaand consider it added. If y'all wish to add it, you can do so here. And now for a final question- What is the one thing you most want to leave your readers thinking at the end of Frenemy of the People?
Wow, being gay/bi/pansexual is so awesome!

Pansexual reader here, I confirm being queer is pretty nifty. Now in addition to answering some questions for me, Nora was kind enough to play a little game of This or That with me.

This or That
Just pick the one you prefer!
Music or TV? Music.
Black & white or color? Black and white.
Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate.
Gryffindor or Slytherin? Slytherin.
Books or ereader? Books.
History or Science? History.
Cats or dogs? Cats.
Summer or winter? Summer.

Thank you so much for stopping by and playing along with me, and answering my questions. Now, onto my review!


Title: Frenemy of the People
Author: Nora Olsen
Format: Paperback, 264 pages
Pub. Date: May 13th 2014
Source: Nora Olsen & Bold Strokes Books
Buy Link: Amazon

★★★★

Four stars.

---

Lexie is an angst-ridden, critical-minded, punk vegan. She's also the only openly lesbian girl in her high school. Clarissa is a popular girl on the equestrian team, bright and bubbly. Clarissa comes out as bisexual and reaches out to Lexie to start a Gay-Straight Alliance, but there's just one problem; Lexie hates Clarissa to the bone. But when Lexie agrees to help Clarissa's disabled sister run for homecoming queen and Clarissa's posh, comfy world starts to crash down around her, Lexie starts to question if she could be falling for the girl she'd sworn to hate.

I really, really liked this book. I think a large part of that is because Nora Olsen struck gold with me as a reader; I relate to this book on a lot of levels.

In addition to the stunning cover, I was swept in by the blurb on the back because I absolutely hated my girlfriend when we first met. I thought she was weird since she had an obsession with wolves and anime and horrible bands and lord, let us not talk about her appalling spelling and grammar. But eventually, she started sneaking into my thoughts more often. In all honesty, I'm still not really sure what happened but lo and behold here we are four(ish) years later. Lexie is the kind of girl I'd love to date: exceedingly intelligent, protective, passionate, a great taste in music, tattooed with dyed hair? Sign me up for one of those please. She also had a few really good one liners that made me chuckle.

On the topic of characters, this book alternates POVs with each chapter, switching between Clarissa and Lexie. I think Olsen did a great job differentiating the two; the characters each had a definitive speech pattern and vocabulary that made it fairly simple to understand who was speaking and when.

Now, at the beginning, I was a bit frustrated by Clarissa's coming out announcement, having found it to be a bit rash and sudden. But then, I got over it because I got to thinking "Well, wasn't yours?" And it's true. It may seem unrealistic to some, but I've been in Clarissa's shoes and sometimes labeling or recognizing sexuality is as simple as it appears in Frenemy.

Another thing thing that I found to be well done was the writing of Clarissa's sister, Desi. Desi has Downs Syndrome, and I feel that Olsen was nothing but respectful in her representation of a disabled character. She made this book a stronger one for me, for reasons I cannot entirely explain. She's strong and determined, and I like that.

The amount of drama in this book is really high but I mean, it's a high school novel about queer rivals. What did you expect? I thought it was well paced and believable, but this may be because I was friends with the anarchists in my high school. I also thought the progression of the girls' relationship was well done and I was rooting for them throughout (though for Lexie moreso. Did I mention I would date her yet?).

This book left me with a lot of feelings, but almost all of them are positive. Namely, I messaged my stupid girlfriend's face to tell her I love her. I'm mushy that way, apparently. I recommend this book to fans of LGBTQ YA. Thank you so much to Nora Olsen and Bold Strokes Books for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All images were provided by the author.