Review: Miss You Love You Hate You Bye by Abby Sher

Title: Miss You Love You Hate You Bye
Author: Abby Sher
Format: Paperback ARC
Pub. Date: February 18th 2020
Source: The Windy Pages


Book Description:

Zoe and Hank (short for Hannah) have been inseparable since they met in elementary school. The leader of the pack, Zoe is effortlessly popular while Hank hides comfortably in her shadow. But when Zoe's parents unexpectedly divorce, Zoe's perfect facade starts cracking little by little. Sinking under the weight of her broken family, Zoe develops an eating disorder. Now she must rely on Hank for help.

Hank struggles to help Zoe; after all, she is used to agreeing, not leading. How can she help her best friend get better before it's too late?

Written partially in letters from Zoe and mostly in narrative from Hank's perspective, Miss You Love You Hate You Bye is a poignant and eye-opening novel about friendship, mental health, and learning to put yourself first.

Review:

★★

I wanted to like this book. I really did. I think books on young adult mental health are so, so important. But this one fell flat for me and I was left disappointed.

The book is written in almost duel perspective. It's 90% from the main character, Hannah's, point of view. Every so often there's a letter written by Zoe to break things up. While I understand why it's written from both sides, I didn't care for the letters aspect and would have just preferred duel POVs as things were actually happening. Because of the letters, we start right off the bat knowing what Zoe's fate is. We know she's in a hospital/treatment center. We know she's mad at Hannah, and we know that ultimately, she's okay. Because of this, it made me less interested in the story from the get-go, because I had the resolution before I even know the story.

I didn't care for either character. Zoe is manic and struggling and a hot mess. She's dealing with a lot- ADHD, learning problems, her parents' divorce, her eating disorder. But we never really get too much of her side of why she's acting this way. Then there's Hannah, who has a complete do nothing attitude about almost everything in her life. She does whatever Zoe tells her to, always. That's all of her personality, even according to her: she's Hannah's friend. She notices eating habits but doesn't say anything. She is unhappy but doesn't say anything. She is negative about everything. She's rude AF to her mom's boyfriend even though he's nice and kind and her mom is happy (which she resents, even though she admits he's nice) and it has been years. Even her mom eventually calls her on the fact that she's like this, which I appreciated.

Both of their inner voices felt like they were done in "adult" voices (Hannah uses words like "hirsute" in her head, for example) but their out-loud dialogue sounded like middle school- very "OMG like cringe". They're high schoolers. This back and forth of writing style/voice was a bit jarring in places.

I wish the book would have been more about Zoe. She's the one with the disorder and struggling and yet she's not really what the book is about. I appreciate that some aspects of eating disorders and mental health and self-harm were realistically portrayed in all their ugliness. It's not all therapy and sadness, it can be mania and spiraling out.

But I just found myself bored, uninterested, and wanting it to be over. There's so much happening but so little of it gets closure. It feels disconnected and almost random.

I really like that this book is about platonic friendship. There's no romance component (albeit a kiss that felt forced and unnecessary for the plot), it's just a story about friendship and I think there should be more of that.

I also think the cover is super cute, but, obviously that has nothing to do with the plot.

I think there is a need and a space for YA books about hard topics like this. But I also think that there a lot of books already out there that cover them better than this book does. If it relates to one person, or helps someone find courage to talk to someone, than this book will have been worth writing.

But I am not that person, and this book wasn't for me. Be warned, this book contains drug use, eating disorders, self-harm, and other topics that might be tough to read for some people.

Review: Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

Title: Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir
Author: Jenny Lawson
Format: Paperback, 370 pages
Pub. Date: March 5th 2013
Source: Goodwill


Book Description:

Includes a new chapter!

When Jenny Lawson was little, all she ever wanted was to fit in. That dream was cut short by her fantastically unbalanced father and a morbidly eccentric childhood. It did, however, open up an opportunity for Lawson to find the humor in the strange shame-spiral that is her life, and we are all the better for it.

In the irreverent Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, Lawson’s long-suffering husband and sweet daughter help her uncover the surprising discovery that the most terribly human moments—the ones we want to pretend never happened—are the very same moments that make us the people we are today. For every intellectual misfit who thought they were the only ones to think the things that Lawson dares to say out loud, this is a poignant and hysterical look at the dark, disturbing, yet wonderful moments of our lives.

Review:

★★★

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this book. I wasn't familiar with Jenny Lawson, or her blog. But, I remember when everyone was reading it and that it's a best seller and had won a Goodreads Award, so I thought that I would check it out. Overall, it was okay.

The first half of this book was absolutely hilarious. Jenny Lawson had an.... interesting childhood to say the least. She has a great voice for telling these childhood stories, where they're relatable, funny, and just wild enough that they still seem believable. I really appreciated that peppered throughout this collection of essays were photos from her past. It makes it that much more "real" which I think drives home how funny they are. In fact, I actually read a few chapters aloud to my mother. I honestly cannot tell you the last time I've done that. It's been years, at least.

There's a good couple of quotes sprinkled in here, like “You should just accept who you are, flaws and all, because if you try to be someone you aren't, then eventually some turkey is going to shit all over your well-crafted facade, so you might as well save yourself the effort and enjoy your zombie books.” Another good one is “In short? It is exhausting being me. Pretending to be normal is draining and requires amazing amounts of energy and Xanax.” Both of these are relatable to me. If nothing else, I appreciate that Lawson has grown into a person who is unapologetically herself. Even if that person is a little exhausting.

The second half, I rapidly lost interest. The stories no longer were quirky, but boring and a bit obnoxious as they shifted from childhood to adulthood. There's a lot of rambling and repetition. I understand that she has an anxiety disorder, and that this is how it presents in conversations. But it needed editing. Plus, the melodramatics of THIS THING HAPPENED TO ME just kidding it was this actual much smaller, normal thing that happens to most people. Then there's a thousand footnotes, and notes to the editor, that also get tiring and don't add much to the narrative.

She's clearly funny. The first half of the book proved that. But I'm also clearly not her target audience. Lots of people seem to like her, but, I was left disappointed by this memoir. She has quite a few more books published since this one came out, but those are going to be a pass from me. It seems very much like something a book club might read. If you had a troubling childhood or were the weird kid growing up, you might like this. Saddle up for profanity and an excessive amount of the word "vagina".

Review: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Title: Me Before You
Author: Jojo Moyes
Series: Me Before You #1
Format: Paperback ARC
Pub. Date: July 30th 2013
Source: Half Price Books


Book Description:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Giver of Stars, discover the love story that captured over 20 million hearts in Me Before You, After You, and Still Me.

They had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose . . .

Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has barely been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex–Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is.

Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.

A Love Story for this generation and perfect for fans of John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, Me Before You brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common—a heartbreakingly romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart?

Review:

★★★★★

It's rare that I whole-heartedly and so positively adore a book. Me Before You was absolutely fantastic. It was beautifully written and raw and honest and optimistic and heartbreaking in the most perfect of ways. This was my first time reading anything by Jojo Moyes, but it certainly won't be my last.

The characters were wonderfully well written. Even if you didn't like a character (and believe me, there are a few), you still got a sense of who they were and the roots and complications of why you disliked them. Louisa is quirky, but never in the annoyingly common YA way of "omg I'm not like other girls". She's just unapologetically herself, and I admire that. I wish I had the confidence to wear, I dunno, pink zebra leggings with a festive hat and sparkly shoes and to say things without thinking too much about them. She's realistically awkward and charming, and I get what Will and her employers see in her.

And then there's Will. Poor, complicated, devastatingly handsome Will. Despite his demeanor and how he speaks to people, he's oddly endearing and you root for him to be better, to let down his walls. As he grows fond of Louisa, you can't help but to fall in love with him as she does. Even knowing damn well he's going to break all of our hearts.

The setting is also really well done. I feel like I could walk around their town with no map and feel at ease, and when they're traveling, I was swept away to be with them too.

Moyes does a brilliant job bringing up a topical and complicated topic and making it relatable, personable, and understandable. She gave me a lot to think about.

And I cried. Of course I did. I always do. I knew what was coming, and still, I cried. This is the most emotionally connected to a book and characters that I have felt in a long time. I know this book is a few years old, but this is the best book I have read this year. It was beautiful, touching, and haunting, and I absolutely recommend it. It's funny, charming, absolutely devastating, and strangely peaceful, and if you don't mind a little heartbreak and young love, this book is for you.

Review: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Title: Everything, Everything
Author: Nicola Yoon
Format: eARC
Pub. Date: September 1st 2015
Source: Delacorte Books for Young Readers


Book Description:

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

Review:

★★★★


This book has such an interestingly done concept. It led me to thinking; what would I do if I became smitten with a boy and I couldn't leave the house? Of course I have no such answers, but it jumpstarted a bunch of scenarios and questions. I was hooked on this book within a few pages, and I couldn't put it down until it was over.

First, let's talk about the characters. I loved them. I appreciated that they were diverse. It's worth noting that I knew the main character, Madeline, wasn't going to be Caucasian because she described Oliver as being white. I found that fascinating and it goes to show the lack of diversity in writing because, I can't remember the last time I read a character description that said they were white. I always assume. So, points to this book for making me think about this, and for including a mixed race female lead character. As for Madeline herself, I appreciated how smart she was, and that she was always making book references. That's a girl after my own heart. I am also devastatingly in love with Oliver. It's no mystery to me why Madeline was in insta-like. This annoys me a little bit in books, but in this case, I'll make an exception. He's from a broken home but has a charming smile and is spontaneous. One of him to go, please.

The main plot twist was pretty predictable, though. I caught it within a few pages, thanks to a favorite film of mine entitled "Repo: The Genetic Opera". Regardless, it was an interesting plot idea, and I feel that Yoon did it well. It had a mix of really good righting and a sense that she did her homework on Madeline's illness and the consequences of having it. I also really liked that the prose of the novel was interspersed with Madeline's little doodles and diary pages. It shook things up a bit and was a nice change of pace.

What I didn't like, was the ending. I'll talk about this vaguely as to avoid spoilers. The ending felt too rushed and too sudden, and I was left with no closure. It felt like a cop out wrap up of "oh all is forgiven close the curtains", and I don't think that's realistic. I was expecting a more dramatic resolution of drama and anger and consequences, but I wasn't given that, and it left me disappointed with no more pages. If I had just been given a little bit more of a conclusion, I think it would have been a perfect rating, but I just can't get over that feeling of disappointment.

That said, it's worth reading for most of the plot, and for the characters. I hope that you fall in love with Oliver just as much as Madeline and I did, and that you'll cheer on Madeline to overcome illness and take a chance on life. I recommend this for fans of young adult romance who don't mind a little instalove, fans of bookish and diverse characters, and fans of books that circle around medical illness.

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

Review: This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

Title: This Is Where It Ends
Author: Marieke Nijkamp
Format: eARC
Pub. Date: January 5th 2016
Source: Sourcebooks Fire


Book Description:

10:00 a.m.
The principal of Opportunity, Alabama's high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.

10:02 a.m.
The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.

10:03
The auditorium doors won't open.

10:05
Someone starts shooting.

Told over the span of 54 harrowing minutes from four different perspectives, terror reigns as one student's calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival.

Review:

★★★

This book gave me a case of the feelings.

I finished this book awhile ago now, but I had to let it stew around in my brain for awhile before I could properly and professionally write out my thoughts about it. There are some things that this book does very well, and other things that it does rather poorly, and so in the end I ended up giving it a neutral three out of five stars.

This is a tough book to read, not in its grammar or lexicon, but because of the overall plot. School shootings are tough stuff, scary stuff. Stuff that we unfortunately see every day on the news, and that some of us have personally been affected by, in some form or another. In my case, fortunately, no one was injured despite shots being fired. But even that is something that has stayed with me. It's a rough call to reality that it could happen at any school, to anybody, and that's terrifying. And yet, in its terror, this book is mesmerizing. I read it in one go, because I couldn't put it down. Thankfully I was on a train for 8 hours, so I had time to spare.

It took awhile to get used to the format of this book. It's comprised of four distinct, separated points of view. I'm not overtly fond of switching POVs, especially when it's four of them. That said, I think Nijkamp handled it fairly well. After a while it became easy to switch gears and decipher whose chapter was whose. I was disappointed that in these four points of view, the shooter wasn't given a voice. That's the voice I most wanted to read about, and I was left a bit sad that I didn't get that opportunity.

I appreciated that in addition to the separate points of view, the author also had mixed media strewn throughout the book. There is prose, as is standard in a novel, but also snippets of text messages, tweets, and blog posts. It brings the story into this decade and makes it feel more realistic. I think teens will relate to it more because of this incorporation of technology.

I do think that this book pulls out every single card in its literary deck, though, and it seemed like it was just for the purpose of saying the book included them. Different races? Check. Gay characters? Yup. Deaths of students, deaths of parents, rape, abuse, mental illness? Yup, all present. That's not a bad thing. I'm all for diverse characters and plots. I also know that everyone has their own story. But when it feels like it's all just plopped into the book for the sake of being plopped, it turns me off a bit. It also left me a bit confused. Part of one of the subplots of this story is that the town is a rather small and judgmental one, which is why so many people have so many secrets. This makes it hard to come out of the closet as being LGBT, because it is not a welcoming place. I was confused then why the quarterback who is so esteemed was a black character? Again, nothing wrong with having a black character. YA needs more of them. But when it's being drummed into the plot how small-minded the town is, this part doesn't seem to fit well. Maybe I'm just reading too much into things. It wouldn't be the first time.

I also wasn't happy with the ending, for a few reasons. I'll refrain from spoilers. Plot wise, I feel that it was kind of a cop out. The end chapters felt super rushed and I knew where it was going, and I didn't want it to go there. And when it ended it just felt like you had been running at an okay pace, sped up, and then hit a wall. It was just over. I'm not a fan of that at all. I also feel like the writing was a bit insensitive. I've lost friends to suicides and murders, and I promise you, I would never describe the loss of a beautiful human life as being able to see "brain" everywhere. It's crude, it's crass, and it's ultimately juvenile. It turned me off for sure, especially when mixed with this anger-inducing ending.

Unrelated to the content of the book, I absolutely love the cover. I think it sums up the plot well, and really makes a rather stunning point. I honestly forgot the title of this book at one point, but I remembered "the one with the broken chalk". It's a cover to be remembered.

I'm not sorry I read this, and I'll likely even read it again in the future. Like I said, there's high points and low points. It sucks you in and makes you confront life in a way that can be hard to swallow. There's some issues in it, but I would still recommend giving it a read. If you are a young adult reader who likes intense, emotionally driven books then this book might be for you.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions. Thank you.

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: Confessions of a Fat Girl by Holly Dae

Title: Confessions of a Fat Girl

Author: Holly Dae

Release date: August 4th 2015

Source: IFB Tours

About the Book:

Smart and ambitious Season Minett was homeschooled, got accepted into college at 16, graduated with a B.A. in English at 20, got a job at a prestigious magazine at 21, and isn’t afraid to go after what she wants. Twenty-two-year-old Season has it made and everyone knows it. Except Season herself.

People can gush over her all day long, but Season knows they’re just being nice. In reality, she’s accomplished nothing. She doesn’t work hard enough, can’t get her book published, and worst of all at 5’6, 180 pounds with a thirty-two inch waist, a forty-four inch hip, and arms too big for her body, she’s fat and ugly. She's such a disappointment that after her mother divorced Season's dad, she went to live with her new, younger boyfriend and left Season to mother the rest of her siblings. So Season is quite bewildered when the guy she sees every weekend at the bookstore shows serious interest in her. And she ends up liking him. A lot.

Season's not naive enough to think love will solve all her problems though. In fact, love seems to be making everything worse because her food obsession is growing more and more out of her control. But that's impossible. There's nothing wrong with counting calories and wanting to be thin. There's nothing wrong with trying to be as perfect as everyone thinks she is. A fat girl can't develop an eating disorder, let alone have one. Right?

Review:

★★★


I admit, the reason why I signed on to read this book is largely the title, no pun intended. I'm a bigger girl, so I figured I would relate to the characters and the premise. Overall, this was a fairly enjoyable read.

There's a growing concern and focus on appearance and health, and I think this story gives a pretty realistic look on the issues that come with having a low view of yourself. Season is moody and closed off. She's self-destructive as she battles with her calorie count and tries to keep in control of her body and her life, with a lot of drama and consequences surrounding her as she tries to get through it all.

Season was a really complicated character for me. I related to her at times, I'll be the first to admit that. I think we all go through a little self-loathing and self-pity at times, and I'm surely no exception. But similarly, I think she represented everything that I hate in myself. She bugged me. She was hard to sympathize with, and hell, maybe I'm hard to sympathize with too. This didn't put me off of the book or her story or anything, but made me think harder about myself whenever Season did something that particularly annoyed me.

The writing was pretty solid. I was engaged throughout the text, and I rarely felt bored. It was well paced and you learned to feel for the characters, whether you loved or hated them. It was a fairly quick book to get through, but it's not a subject to be taken lightly.

In short, I think this book does a decent job of covering an important topic. Eating disorders are a serious problem, and I think that people who have experienced problems with their weight or their self-image can take something away from Season's story. Fat or thin, we can all I think relate to Season on some level.

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

Get it Here:

Amazon

About the Author:

Stuck in the transition between graduating from college and starting a life called no job, Holly Dae spends most of her free time writing raw and edgy Young Adult and New Adult contemporary novels that deal with rape, drugs, sex, and general psychological ills. When she isn't doing that, she's writing fanfiction for fun and obsessively playing Mario Kart Eight and Pokemon Games.

Website | Twitter

Follow the rest of the tour here!

Giveaway:

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Review: This Star Won't Go Out by Esther Earl

Title: This Star Won't Go Out: The Life and Words of Esther Grace Earl

Author: Esther Earl, Lori Earl, Wayne Earl, John Green

Format: Hardcover, 431 pages

Pub. Date: January 28th 2014

Source: Purchased from Half Price Books



Book Description via Goodreads:

A collection of the journals, fiction, letters, and sketches of the late Esther Grace Earl, who passed away in 2010 at the age of 16. Photographs and essays by family and friends will help to tell Esther’s story along with an introduction by award-winning author John Green who dedicated his #1 bestselling novel The Fault in Our Stars to her.

Review:

★★★

I'm left not really knowing what to say about this book, if I'm being completely honest. I am going to keep this review as simple as I can, while still giving my opinion on the book itself not the topic of the book.

Like a lot of other readers, I picked this up after reading The Fault in Our Stars. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. I'm not a part of the Nerdfighter community, so I had little to no information about Esther prior to this book's release. When I realized what the story was about, and saw that it was prefaced by John Green, I knew I wanted to read it.

This hardcover is really, really long. However it's not that much text. There's a lot of pictures and transcripts taken in letter or email format, making it an easier read than it appears to be. I do think it was very poorly organized as a book. This book includes a lot of Esther's writings from her journals, letters, and internet happenings. But there's no real chapters or distinctions, so one minute you're on a diary page, and the next you're reading insight from one of her doctors. I also feel like this book dragged on longer than it needed to. I feel horrible saying that, but it was just kind of boring after awhile. I know how that sounds, and I'm so sorry, but it's true. Esther was also a very religious/spiritual person, and there's heavy doses of God in this book. That's nowhere near a bad thing, but it's not something I anticipated going into the book.

Honestly, Esther seems like she was a great person. She comes off as very kind and optimistic, and everyone certainly seemed to love her right until the end. And I think that's great that, as the title suggests, their star won't go out. I hope she inspires sick kids everywhere to be positive and to keep fighting and keep smiling.

I've read quite a few cancer memoirs, and because of that I can't say this book really taught me anything. That said, it was interesting to see cancer through a kid's perspective. Sad, of course. But interesting nonetheless.

I think that this book (already does) will gain lots of fans who will find inspiration and solace in the words and life of Esther Earl. I think it is worth reading once. However, I don't think I will be rereading it in the future, and I don't know that I will remember this book further down the road.

It's not you, book. It's me.

Mini Review: Shh! by Stacey Nash

Title: Shh!
Series: Oxley College #1
Author: Stacey Nash
Format: ebook
Pub. Date: February 23rd 2015
Source: YA Bound Book Tours


Book Description via Goodreads:

Nineteen-year-old Olivia Dean has the perfect reputation, the perfect boyfriend, and an increasingly perfect CV. She has it all, until Christian breaks up with her in public, calling her out as a self-gratifying sexoholic: the kind that plays solo. But Olivia doesn’t do any such thing — the only thing she does at night is sleep … right?

Now all the boys on campus seem to want her attention for the absolutely wrong reason — including resident hottie, Logan Hays. He's pulling out his best moves to gain her attention, so resisting his sexy charm is hard work. With rapidly slipping grades, a disturbingly lurid reputation and demanding parents, Olivia must discover the truth behind her rumoured sleeping problem. If she doesn't, the perfect life she's worked so hard for may slip away, including the one person who has Olivia breaking all her rules — Logan.

What do you do when you’re asleep?

***

Shh! is a story about acceptance, learning to trust and in turn love while facing life's unexpected difficulties.

NB: This book is of a mild heat level, and contains no explicit sex scenes.

Review:

★★★

I will say, I have never read a book that discusses the topics found inside Shh!. That's why I was drawn into reading this book, because I had never heard of such a condition as the one Olivia experiences throughout the course of the book. However, this one wasn't really for me.

The reason why this book and I didn't really gel together is because of the main character, Olivia. I expected more from her. She goes through a lot of rough stuff in this book. There's a lot of really nasty rumors and bullying and I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. She does stand up for herself... Eventually. For a very large part of the book, she just seems to sit and wallow and feel sorry for herself, which is not a character that I can relate to. It went on too long, and it frustrated me. A large part of this frustration came from the fact that Olivia is quick to talk about how she wants to be a lawyer. That's why she's so concerned with her image and reputation, because she wants to be a lawyer. I was surprised that she was so passionate about something where you have to stand up for what you may or may not believe in (depending on the client) and yet she was still so quick to lay down. (Granted, her parents were the ones pushing her towards this career...)

That said, I loved the side characters. I found that her friends, Savvy and Megan, were really the stars of this novel. In a world where everyone is talking smack about Olivia, they are there to help her combat it and stop her from breaking down completely. I also really, really liked the love interest, Logan. He's pretty swoon worthy. There was a great supporting cast of characters, and I liked that they were fairly diverse from one another in regards to personality.

I also appreciate that while this book deals with a medical condition that is sexual in nature (I'm purposely being vague to avoid potential spoilers), there are no explicit or graphic scenes.

All in all, I was left a bit disappointed with this book because I couldn't connect, try as I may, to the main character. However, I'm not sorry I read this book, and I think a lot of people out there will like it. There's an interesting medical condition, clean New Adult romance, and an Aussie university setting that might work really well for you, but just fell short for me.

I was provided with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Early Review: Lola Carlyle's 12-Step Romance by Danielle Younge-Ullman!

Title: Lola Carlyle's 12-Step Romance
Author: Danielle Younge-Ullman
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: May 5, 2015
Source: Entangled Teen & Netgalley


Book Description via Goodreads:

Lola Carlyle is lonely, out of sorts, and in for a boring summer. So when her best friend, Sydney, calls to rave about her stay at a posh Malibu rehab and reveals that the love of Lola’s life, Wade Miller, is being admitted, she knows what she has to do.Never mind that her worst addiction is decaf cappuccino; Lola is going to rehab.

Lola arrives at Sunrise Rehab intent solely on finding Wade, saving him from himself, and—naturally—making him fall in love with her…only to discover she’s actually expected to be an addict. And get treatment. And talk about her issues with her parents, and with herself. Plus she has insane roommates, and an irritatingly attractive mentor, Adam, who’s determined to thwart her at every turn.

Oh, and Sydney? She’s gone.

Turns out, once her pride, her defenses, and her best friend are stripped away, Lola realizes she’s actually got a lot to overcome…if she can open her heart long enough to let it happen.

Review:

★★★★

If we're being completely honest, I didn't think that I was going to like this book. I have had friends go to rehab to deal with drug abuse, and I was really concerned about reading a book where the initial plot is a girl faking her way in to save a boy from himself. But no matter how much I concerned myself, I couldn't resist giving it a read. I'm so glad I did: there is way more to this book than meets the eye.

I would still categorize this novel as a young adult romance. Lola fakes her way into an amazing "spa like" rehab center to get the scoop on a boy she's had a crush on for forever. But she gets tangled up in a complicated string of emotions concerning him as well as the young man who is supposed to be in charge of her case. I loved watching their feelings get explored in their love/hate relationship.

I didn't initially care for Lola too much. She's shallow and moody and concerned with trivial things like designer sunglasses. But the more I got to learn about her, her experiences, and her bizarre family situations, the more I grew to like her and as cheesy as it sounds, the more she liked herself too. She ends up having a road to self-discovery even though she fights it every step of the way. Some things come into perspective for her and it shapes her in ways I didn't anticipate. She easily became my favorite character by the end of the book (though Adam is a very dreamy second place).

I also really enjoyed the unique cast of characters that to me each had a distinct function and personality. From Adam, the counselor of sorts who is driving Lola insane, to her possibly actually insane roommate who may want to injure Lola, to the little-too-charming owner of the facility, and even to Lola's paparazzi and image obsessed mother, there was never really a dull moment for me. Even though some of the side characters irritated me, I'm fairly certain they were written that way on purpose- and it worked.

There were also quite a few moments that made me snicker aloud, which I always appreciate in a book, especially in one that takes place in such a serious place.

This book is a good blend of young adult, contemporary, and romance. It touches on some tough stuff from the other clients (who are actually admitted for real addictions), such as sex, alcohol, and drugs, but the story never becomes graphic. All in all, I think that if you're a fan of all three of those genres that you should give this book a shot. Because of the romance and the warm California settings that are described in the book, I think this will make a great poolside or beachy read for the summer of 2015.

Thanks to Entangled Teen for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

Mini Review: The Trouble with Peer Pressure by Darlene R Wood!

Title: The Trouble with Peer Pressure: A Simple "My ADHD Story" for Young Teens
Author: Darlene R Wood
Format: Paperback, 32 pages
Pub. Date: October 20th 2014
Source: Darlene R Wood


Book Description via Goodreads:

When the world seems too difficult for a person with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) to cope with, peer pressure just seems to compound any situation. Somehow, some way we just need to figure out how to get along with everyone in this small world.

Review:

★★★★

I was drawn to this book for a few different reasons. The first of which is because I'm in school to be a teacher, so gaining any additional insight into the minds of young people is a great help. The other reason is because my girlfriend has ADHD, and I often fail at learning to step into her shoes. She was only recently diagnosed in adulthood, though she's struggled with school and learning for a long time. So, I thought I'd check this book out in order to learn a thing or two.

The first thing that really draws the attention is the illustrations. They're really well done, with good, vibrant colors. This is good for keeping the attention. And I found that each illustration was well corresponded with whatever topic was being discussed in the book at that present moment.

This book is written in choppy, short sentences, but I think that's a good thing considering the subject matter and intended audience. It's also written in a first person narrative, so those who know what it's like to live with ADHD can easily relate, and those who do not know this life are forced to put themselves in that position. There's a lot of questions narrated in this book, making it easier to think out loud and to formulate a discussion.

That's actually how I think this book is best used- a discussion starter. It opens the doors to have a bigger, more meaningful conversation but leaves something to be desired in the actual story itself. I don't think that the themes of ADHD and peer pressure always blend together in this book, but I understood the point well enough. I think this is the type of book best shared between parents and children, used as a communication or educational tool. It's a solid book that I'm sure parents and educators alike will find useful.

Thank you to the author for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Cowboy's Valentine by Donna Alward & Happy Valentine's Day!

Title: The Cowboy's Valentine
Series: Crooked Valley Ranch #2
Author: Donna Alward
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: February 1st 2015
Source: Netgalley & Harlequin American Romance


Book Description via Goodreads:

HEART OF A COWBOY

Coming home is hard enough without ranch manager Quinn Solomon making Lacey Duggan feel like an unwanted guest. She's only here until she figures out what to do with her one-third ownership of Crooked Valley. But Quinn's irresistible daughter is giving Lacey ideas about being part of a family. And though they don't even like each other, Lacey's having crazier notions about the widowed single dad.

Does Lacey think she can waltz in and turn Quinn's life upside down…only to leave again? The pretty accountant knows nothing about running a ranch, yet she's making the Montana homestead feel like a home. Quinn isn't looking for love again. Until a woman who's all heart and a determined little girl help one lovestruck cowboy see the light.

Review:

★★★★

I have still not kicked this addiction to cowboys. I have tried, but I keep going back to the books on my kindle that have "cowboy" in the title. It seemed only fitting that I got to this one before Valentine's Day passed me by!

I really liked the plot of this book. As if I don't find broody cowboys endearing enough, making him a single dad is a sure fire way to get my emotional attention. Quinn was my favorite character- he's loyal, strong, determined, and always puts the need of his little girl first. Which leads me to his daughter, Amber, who is possibly the most adorable child that I've ever read about in my life. I really appreciated the way Alward wrote her, because it seemed genuine. It didn't seem like an adult trying to find a child's voice, which is something I notice more than one would think. And then there's Lacey. I liked her well enough, and I ached for her and her back story. An illness that prevents kids, a messy divorce, no job. It's rough. But towards the end I was really frustrated with her stubbornness to a point where I no longer found it endearing.

I enjoyed watching the relationship between Quinn and Lacey progress from two people who pretty much hate each other to something more than that. There was a nice flow to the story, so it was well-timed and easy to lose yourself in the story for a few chapters at a time. There was drama and humor and sweet romance, and really what more does a girl need from her cowboy Harlequin, hm?

And if I haven't persuaded you yet: this book features a cowboy holding a puppy.

This was a sweet romance that helped to scratch my cowboy itch, and I think fans of contemporary westerns, romance, cowboys, and Harlequin books will enjoy this one. Thanks to Harlequin for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

And I hope all of you have a lovely Valentine's Day. Whether you're going somewhere fancy or chilling out at home with cats and cheese pizza, enjoy yourself!

Jillyn

Review: All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Title: All the Bright Places
Author: Jennifer Niven
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: January 6th 2015
Source: Netgalley & Knopf


Book Description via Goodreads:

The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this exhilarating and heart-wrenching love story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.

Soon to be a major motion picture starring Elle Fanning!

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.

Includes a PDF Help Line Resource Guide and a Note Read by the Author.

Review:

★★★★★

Sooooo nobody warned me about the feelings that I'd have when I read this book. I was flipping through the files on my Kindle, saw this one, and remembered really wanting to read it. A few hours later I was an inconsolable heap because I grow far too attached to fictional characters. This book is really well done, and I read it in one sitting.

I really liked the characters. This book is told from alternating perspectives of both Violet and Finch, two characters brought together under strange and oddly sweet circumstances. I found Finch to be more relatable, oddly enough, than Violet despite the fact that he's the type of person who is all over the place. Maybe it's because he reminded me of a previous boyfriend who is still a friend of mine? Regardless, I loved him. Violet was a strongly written character whom I also appreciated, just to a less intense degree.

They're placed together to do a project in geography class that encourages them to "wander" outside of their small town and explore the new, strange, and interesting sights that the state of Indiana has to offer. I really liked this idea and how it brought these two previous strangers together, ever the closer as they continued their travels. The setting is another big reason why this book just clicked for me. I'm from Illinois, this book is set in Indiana, and I have heard of and been to a few of the places. At first I wasn't sure if the sites were real, until the shoe trees and the world's biggest ball of paint were referenced- I know about those places, though I have never been. But what took me by surprise is that the Carmelite Shrines in Munster, IN were mentioned. I can literally walk there from my house. I have visited its shrines, but not the particular grotto mentioned in All the Bright Places, entitled "The Ultraviolet Apocalypse". I promise you and myself that once I'm home from school for the summer, I will be paying it a visit. Their wanderings worked, and made me want to explore more places and wonder what Illinois has to offer too.

I don't want to talk too much about the plot though others have, because I'd like to refrain from spoilers. I will say that this book broke my heart, and that I probably should have seen the major event coming, but I was so engrossed in the book that I did not. I had to reread passages because like Violet, I was in disbelief and denial. The narration, especially from Finch's perspective, takes some getting used to, but soon enough I stopped noticing any differences. Both Violet and Finch are distinctive voices, so it's easy to make the transition from their POVs as the book progresses.

I also love the cover. I was't a fan until I read the book, and I have to say that the cover is a great representation of all that Niven's story has to offer.

This book is beautifully written in great detail. It's a bit quirky but it gels together well. I think it's an accurate comparison to say that fans of The Fault in Our Stars will probably like it, but I think that it stands well enough on its own two feet. This book deals with heavy themes like suicide, death, and mental illness, so be warned and do not pick this up if you're in the mood for a light read. Fans of contemporary romance, road trip plots, and midwestern settings ought to give this book a try.

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: Rough Rider by Victoria Vane!

Title: Rough Rider

Series: Hot Cowboy Nights #2

Author: Victoria Vane

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Genre: Contemporary Western Romance

Release Date: February 3, 2015

ISBN: 9781492601159

About the Book:

Two wary hearts …

Janice Combes has two loves, bucking bulls and Dirk Knowlton. But Dirk only has eyes for a dazzling rodeo queen. How can Janice ever compete while mired ankle-deep in manure? Exchanging playful banter with Dirk is all Janice can expect—until the stormy night he knocks on her door dripping wet and needing a place to crash.



Different Dreams…

Dirk Knowlton is living the cowboy dream. Life should be good—roping, branding, backing broncs, riding bulls, but there's a void he can't seem to fill. After getting hung up by a bull, he wonders if this is really the life he wants. Restless and rebellious, he bolts…but there’s a certain cowgirl he can’t forget.



When a battle-scarred Dirk returns to his Montana ranch he's determined to hang on at any cost. Janice has come back home to lick her own wounds. When old dreams turn to dust, can two wary hearts take another chance on love?

Get It Here:

Amazon | iBooks | B&N | BAM | Indigo | IndieBound | Kobo

Trailer:

Praise:

“A “red-hot cowboy tale...their sexual chemistry crackles. Well-paced, scorching scenes and witty banter move the story along while setting the stage for Wade’s war-hero brother to find his own true love in the next installment.” – Publishers Weekly

“SLOW HAND by Victoria Vane is delightful, funny, page turning steamy sexy… I'm beginning to think Victoria could write a phone book and make it sexy.” – Unwrapping Romance

“PULL THE FIRE ALARM & STOCK UP ON FIRE EXTINGUISHERS FOR THIS STEAMY ROMANCE!” – Avon Romance

Review:

★★★★

What can I say? I love me a good cowboy romance.

What really made this book for me was the main cowboy himself, Dirk. He's everything I want in a cowboy- broody, dark, and fiercely protective. I couldn't get enough of him, and I wanted him to be happy, which shows Vane's strength at writing characters since I am very much aware of the fact that he is in fact fictional. I liked Janice well enough, but my attention and focus was on Dirk. This book offers both perspectives, and while both are necessary to convey a deeper picture of what was happening, I felt more connected to Dirk's than to Janice's.

That said, I cheered them on together as a couple and hoped that they would work out all their demons and baggage and be together. And together, they were. Look no further for well written, hot romance scenes than Rough Rider, because there are plenty to satiate your appetite. More than just sex though, there's a bigger and more intricate plot that I followed up until the end, including twists that I didn't (but probably should have) see coming that made me make inhuman noises of feelings in my dorm room.

I really like, just as with Slow Hand how smart these novels come across. I don't know anything about cowboys or ranching or rodeos, being from Chicago myself. But Vane's writing feels like it's "letting you in on a secret" so to speak, with the terminology and slang and inside look at how the industry works. I was never left confused about meanings or operations, that's for sure.

There were a few places where I was thrown off by the pacing and had to reread a bit, because I didn't realize that the timeline had jumped years ahead. It wasn't enough to throw me off completely, but did slow me down at parts. I would also recommend reading book one first. You can read this as a stand alone, but I read Slow Hand just a few months ago and even I was trying to figure out some names and connections.

All in all, I think this is an enjoyable cowboy romance. If Wade was too straight laced for you, than you ought to try Dirk on for size. An ex-marine rodeo star with skeletons in his closet makes for a helluva whirlwind of emotions and relationships. I'd like to see more of him in the future.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

About the Author:

Victoria Vane is a multiple award-winning romance novelist and history junkie whose collective works of fiction range from wildly comedic romps to emotionally compelling erotic romance. Victoria also writes historical fiction as Emery Lee and is the founder of Goodreads Romantic Historical Fiction Lovers and the Romantic Historical Lovers book review blog.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter

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Birthday Blogoversary Fangirl Bash Part Three Review & Interview: Alex as Well by Alyssa Brugman!

Title: Alex as Well
Author: Alyssa Brugman
Format: egalley
Pub. Date: January 20th 2015
Source: Netgalley & Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

About the Book:

Alex is ready for things to change, in a big way. Everyone seems to think she’s a boy, but for Alex the whole boy/girl thing isn’t as simple as either/or, and when she decides girl is closer to the truth, no one knows how to react, least of all her parents. Undeterred, Alex begins to create a new identity for herself: ditching one school, enrolling in another, and throwing out most of her clothes. But the other Alex—the boy Alex—has a lot to say about that.　Heartbreaking and droll in equal measures, Alex As Well is a brilliantly told story of exploring gender and sexuality, navigating friendships, and finding a place to belong.

Interview:

I'm very stoked to have Alyssa Brugman on the blog today to answer some of my questions about her book (which I absolutely adored) and to help to celebrate my birthday week. Thanks again for taking the time to let me do an interview with you! First, what inspired you to write Alex as Well?

The writer Jane McCredie was on the radio talking about her book Making Boys and Girls, which is about the science and psychology of gender. She was talking about gender as a spectrum.

Young people who experiment with, who identify as neither or both gender in various ways, are not much discussed in young adult fiction, which seems very odd when gender, sexual awareness and identity make up so much of the rest of young adult fiction. It doesn’t make any sense that there aren’t there more YA books about transgendered, cross-dressing or intersex teens, so I wrote one.

At the time I was working on a PhD in literature. My area of study was unreliable narration in young adult fiction. I wanted to know how I could let the reader know what was going even though my young character shouldn’t really have the emotional maturity to understand either themselves, or the motives of others. I incorporated a number of the narrative strategies that I studied in the PhD into this manuscript.

I couldn't agree with you more, YA literature is definitely lacking in those areas, and I was fascinated by Alex's narrative. Were any of these characters based off of people that you know in real life?

No, I made it all up.

Did you have to do any research while writing this novel? If so, how did you use this research, or what are some things you learned?

As I said before, I wrote a PhD thesis on unreliable narration, and the original manuscript of Alex was submitted as the companion piece, showing examples of the narrative strategies that I talked about in the thesis. I learned a lot of technical names for things I had done before in other books, and now I can see them when I read other people’s books. It’s kind of like opening the bonnet of a novel seeing all the different parts of its engine.

What do you hope people take away from Alex as Well?

I read an article by an emerging young adult author in the Australian Society of Authors magazine who said, “I didn’t want to write one of those social realism novels whose aim seems to be to make teens feel better about being bullied for being fat or thin or gay or black or Muslim.”
I unapologetically write those novels, but not with the sort of cynicism that the above quote implies - instead with what I fancy is a genuine compassion for, and interest in, young people who might be struggling in their various ways.

People who don’t understand intersex conditions seem to think that gender dysphoria is some kind of choice.
While I believe society in general is making life easier than it used to be for people who identify as LGBT, it still appears to be too common an experience to have the family/loved ones of these people to say, “I will love you again when you decide to stop being LGBT”.
My wonderful editor for the novel, Jane Pearson and I had a long discussion about how we were going to end this novel. We wanted it to be hopeful and triumphant, at the same time reflecting the sometimes harsh reality for adolescents like Alex.
I hope that young people (or old people) who in some way identify with Alex’s plight, for whatever reason, will find some comfort in her company.

“I will love you again when you decide to stop being LGBT” is quite possibly one of the most accurate statements about being LGBT today that I have personally ever read. In a bit lighter of a question, do you listen to music when you write? If so, what songs make up the soundtrack to this book?

There are a lot of pop tunes in this book. It's interesting that my character will often choose a soundtrack for the writing of the book that is quite different from what I would choose. My latest character, who is a man, wants to listen to The Cure, David Bowie, Joy Division, Morrissey, and Peter Gabriel. That's a long way from Alex who liked Pink, Black Eyed Peas and Miley Cyrus.

I'd get along with both of those characters- I listen to both Pink and The Cure. Is there a particular place or room where you feel the most inspired to write?

I have a study in my house which is where I do the typing part, but writing mostly happens in my head. I do the composing part while I am hanging out the washing, driving, grocery shopping etc.

Which scene in Alex as Well was your favorite to write?

There is a section of the book where Alex’s mother is giving her testosterone without Alex being aware of it, and Alex’s male side reasserts himself more at that point in the novel. He flirts with a class mate. I enjoyed writing that part of the manuscript because the two sides of Alex debate what to do and discuss what is appropriate conduct. The male part of Alex contributes power and vibrancy to the character too.There is a section of the book where Alex’s mother is giving her testosterone without Alex being aware of it, and Alex’s male side reasserts himself more at that point in the novel. He flirts with a class mate. I enjoyed writing that part of the manuscript because the two sides of Alex debate what to do and discuss what is appropriate conduct. The male part of Alex contributes power and vibrancy to the character too.

Which parts of the book gave you the most trouble?

This was one of the easier manuscripts that I have written. I didn’t feel like a had to build Alex from scratch – it was as if she already existed, and I only had to put the words down. I hope that you will have the same sensation reading this book – as if Alex is there next to you whispering in your ear.
The feedback that I’m getting so far from readers is that, now that they’ve met Alex, somehow they feel that they should have read this story before. In fact, there was one reader who wrote something like, “so good to read a vegetarian character in YA”, as if that was the attribute that stood out.

From my experience, I can definitely confirm that Alex felt like someone I should already know, like she was telling me something important as opposed to just being a character in a novel. But... Can you describe the book in five words?

Hahaha! No. Maybe feisty teenage girl comes out? Something like that?

Do you have any new books or projects in the works that you can tell us about?

Yes, I just finished a new manuscript which is about a man with a broken heart. It's been a lot of fun to write. I'm also planning on self publishing a romance novel this year. It's a manuscript I've had sitting on my hard drive for a little while. I have not tried self publishing before, so it will be interesting to see how that goes compared to the books I have sold through mainstream publishers.

I look forward to reading your new work. Thank you so much for talking with me about Alex as Well. It's not a book I'm likely to forget in the near future.

Review:

★★★★★

Five stars

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It's time to get a little bit personal here on my blog. Regular readers of my reviews know that I am happily taken by a girl named Emily, who sometimes graces this blog with her own book reviews. What most of you don't know, is that Emily has struggled with gender identity issues for a long, long time. It is because of her and the charming cover, I admit, that I picked up Alex as Well. Though of course I acknowledge that this book is one of fiction, I do believe it has helped me process some things about the way Emily thinks and feels, and for that reason among others I am so, so happy that I requested this title.

Alex, the 15 year old protagonist of this story, explains in the book that she has "two selves". This can be a kind of hard concept to wrap around, but because she has torn feelings about who she really is as a person, she finds that it is easier to associate "girl Alex" and "boy Alex" as two different people in her head. As voices, if you will. Alex was born "intersex", and these gender ideas clash and fight often with one another.

Though Emily is biologically female through and through, she also uses this way of speaking about her inner conflicts. She has a girl voice, Emily, and a boy voice, Devin. I was very confused and conflicted at first, when Emily spoke of these "voices" so to speak, because I had never heard of something like that before. I was nervous and scared for both her and myself and what it meant for us as a couple.

Because I was used to this way of thinking, it was easier for me to follow Alex's internal conversations and honestly, it made me feel.... Like Emily and I aren't alone. I connected with this form of narration from the very get-go, and it is definitely unique. This is the first book that I have personally ever encountered that uses two voices from the same person beyond just the idea of a conscience. Another unique concept of this book is that the chapters are sprinkled with blog posts from her mother on what it is like to raise someone who is intersex.

Speaking of her mother, let's talk about characters for a bit. I hated and loved them. I mean this in the best way. The author wanted me to hate and love them, and she got her wish. Each of the characters was unique and had depth, and unfortunately they were all believable. Her mother, for example. I was left with SO MANY FEELINGS. I will refrain from spoilers, but Alex's views made me hate her. Then her blog posts helped me to understand her a bit more, but still with hatred. And then at the end I felt kind of sorry for her but also still angry and heartbroken. I didn't know how to feel. Alex is an amazing character. She's complex and unapologetically true to herself, despite the shitstorm by which she's surrounded. She's fierce and often snarky and hilarious, but sometimes she broke my heart. I was cheering her on from the beginning to the end, and she isn't a character that I will soon forget, nor do I want to forget her. I also really liked how she connected her life to the music she was listening to at the time, I thought it to be a nice touch.

The synopsis (at least on Goodreads) describes this book as "heartbreaking and droll in equal measures" and I feel like this perfectly describes it. I was left emotionally exhausted from this book, and though I finished it ages ago, I am still thinking about it. It's a roller coaster that's gritty, real, and well executed. This is the first book that I have read from Alyssa Brugman and I sincerely hope it is not the last. You will feel lows when you see the bullying, the drama, and the awful people that Alex must encounter. You will feel highs when Alex comes into herself, when she feels beautiful, and when her life seems to be looking up for the better. And, if you are like me, you will make an inhuman noise when you find yourself out of pages when you are still having these intense feelings. (It's not a cliffhanger ending. It's not quite so dramatic. More like a hillhanger. That's a word now. Tell your friends.)

And, if by some chance the author is reading this, I would love to read more about Alex. Just sayin'. And while I have your attention, I would personally like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for creating a story that touched me on such a personal level, and that helped to open a better dialog between my girlfriend and I. Who would have thought that one little young adult novel could do so much?

I recommend this book to anyone who loves LGBT themed young adult, contemporary YA, or books dealing with disorders, mental issues, or identity issues. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Blog Tour: Excerpt, Review & Giveaway- Inside Out by Lia Riley!

Title: Inside Out
Series: Off the Map #3
Author: Lia Riley
Release date: 12/02/14
Publisher: Grand Central/Forever

Book Description via Goodreads:

Lia Riley made New Adult readers fall in love with her breakout debut, Upside Down. Sideswiped, the second of her series, made readers clamor for more. Now, with INSIDE OUT, Lia Riley brings her evocative Off the Map series to a stunning conclusion.

When Talia first moved from California to Australia to study abroad, she never dreamed she'd find the love of her life. Bran understands her like no one ever has before. And despite the numerous challenges they've faced, they've always managed to figure out how to stay together. But this time they'll face their toughest hurdle yet. Is their love strong enough to keep them together?

Excerpt:

Talia's POV

Who was I when I first fell in love with Bran?

A person who had courage to stare down an unfeasible situation and say, Sure, I’m up for the challenge.

Who was I when Bran threw himself at me like a wounded animal, all claws, abandonment fear, spit, and fang?

A person who accepted that the moon has two sides, light and dark.

Who am I now?

I feel like a lost soul rocking in the corner, fresh out of ideas.

Bran pushes me through the long line until it’s our turn at the passport desk.

“How long do you plan to stay in the United States?” The customs official glances from Bran’s face to his passport photo and back again.

My stomach squirms like a writhing snake. We’ve avoided any discussion about future plans, focused instead on the short term. I had to accept the reality that I couldn’t return to the Peace Corps, even with the medical separation. I was too sick, too shattered. Our discussions about the logistics of leaving Africa were easier to concentrate on than the looming issue of what we were going to do with each other. I treated the topic like an abandoned lot, filled with weeds and rusting cars, a subject to walk past and pretend to ignore.
Now a stranger is forcing the issue.

“Until this one gets better.” Bran cocks his head in my direction.

The woman scoots forward, peers at me with a faint frown. “May I see proof of a return ticket, sir?”

Bran digs out the photocopy of his itinerary. When we bought the tickets, he had to borrow money from his dad. He hasn’t said much, but I know the fact must eat at him. Add another bitter drop to my guilt bucket—soon it’s going to overflow.

“You’re on a temporary tourist visa.” The customs agent flips the passport to a blank page and stamps with obvious relish. “You have three months, starting now.”

Here we go again.

Visa issues.

Ticking clocks.

People imagine international romance is excitement, hot accents, and adventure. They don’t want to hear about the bureaucratic drudgery that threatens to harden the arteries of even the most passionate hearts.

I thought I was going somewhere.

Nope.

I am an idiot Icarus who flew too close to the sun.

Bran leans forward, his lips hover an inch from my ear, his breath a hot caress on my cool skin. “You okay, Captain?”

“Fine.”

“What are you thinking, thinker?”

“I’m just sitting here, a sitter.”

We roll past an American flag overhanging a framed photo of the president. His smile seems smug, as if to say, You really thought you’d get away?

Yes, sir. I kind of did.

“We’re up next.” Bran hands a final customs form to yet another officer who waves us toward big silver doors that open and shut like gnashing teeth. On the other side is California. I can’t shake the disorienting sense we’re heading in the wrong direction.

“Ready?”

Nope.

Bran crossed an ocean for me. I have to find the way out of this black swamp, but I’m manacled to an island of self-doubt, and the tide is rising.

About the Author
After studying at the University of Montana-Missoula, Lia Riley scoured the world armed only with a backpack, overconfidence and a terrible sense of direction. When not torturing heroes (because c'mon, who doesn't love a good tortured hero?), Lia herds unruly chickens, camps, beach combs, daydreams about as-of-yet unwritten books, wades through a mile-high TBR pile and schemes yet another trip. She and her family live mostly in Northern California.
a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorliariley">Facebook | Website | Twitter | Goodreads | tumblr.

Buy it from Amazon | Kobo | B&N | iBooks | Google Play

Review:

★★★★★

Five stars.

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Alas, the best trilogy I have read this year comes to a close. I am so glad that I stuck it through beside Talia and Bran as they navigated their way off the map (ha, get it? 'Cause it's the name of the series. I'll go now.) into uncharted waters to figure themselves out and if they can make it in a world that seems to want nothing more than for them to be apart. This final book* is just the ending that this couple deserves. And yes, I am aware that they're fictional, but Riley writes with such conviction that I can't help but to feel like they are really in my life somehow.

*This is supposed to be the last book in a trilogy. However, I sincerely hope this is not the end of my mentally rooting Bran enjoyment of this couple's relationship.

As mentioned, this is book three of the Off the Map series. While Riley does a good job of sprinkling in each character's back story, I'd definitely read books one and two before giving this one a go. It'll help you get more attached to this story.

Like both its predecessors, Inside Out made me feel ALL of the things! It was happy and then it was really dark and then it got kinda scary but then it was happy and then CRYING. I'm pretty sure that I got weird looks on my train as I read this book and reacted to it but, there you go. It's well paced and dramatic without being melodramatic, which I think is an important difference. All of the characters are well written and distinct, and even if you don't like them they're developed, so you have a good reason to dislike them. I also continued to appreciate how Talia's OCD was explored and explained and tested in their relationship. My girlfriend has OCD and I have to say that as the "Bran" of our couple (I think that makes me the sexy one. I win.), it's startlingly accurate. You want to help and you're afraid to watch them tear themselves up but there's f*ck all you can do about it. It's awful, and that essence is well captured.

Bran continues to prove that he's amazing and sexy and so damn Aussie and I agree with Talia, he's a damn super hero and let's get him a cape. He may just be my new favorite fictional man. I never thought a certain "Mad Dog" would be replaced but, here we are.

My one complaint about this book (which obviously didn't bother me too much since it's still a perfect rating) is that the happy ending seemed a bit rushed. I have absolutely no problem with happy endings, but it seemed a bit off pace with the rest of the book.

Thanks so much to Lia Riley for putting up with my spam of tweets in her direction and for Grand Central/Forever & Netgalley for providing me with this trilogy in exchange for my honest opinions. You've made a true Lia Riley fan out of me and I will sit here and wait most impatiently for these books to be in print, which they tell me will happen in Summer 2015.

I recommend this book, and the trilogy as a whole, to anyone who loves sexy Australian man candy, New Adult romance, happy ever afters, and true love.

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Blog Tour Excerpt & Giveaway: Following Zippy by CB Burdette

Title: Following Zippy
Author: C.B. Burdette
Release date: July 2014
Publisher: Flower Child Publishing
Purchase: Amazon


Book Description via Goodreads:
At fifteen most kids only have to worry about their homework or the style of their shoes. Gabe Perkins isn't most kids. When diagnosed with a terminal illness, he begins to make friends with a girl so ethereal, he starts to question his own sanity.

Excerpt:
“Look at those fish,” she said, diverting her attention towards the creek. “What about them?” “They’re just swimming along. Living and breathing. I wonder,” she said as she nudged her shoulder against mine, “if they know what purpose they serve.” “Well, they probably don’t.” “Why’s that?” “Because, they’re fish?” “Don’t think so low of the marine species.” “Zippy, they’re little minnows. They’re so little they probably only live a few months. Why worry about their place in life?” “I don’t know. Something of the simplicity of them is nice, though, you must admit.” She gleamed ear to ear, “Imagine, if you were a little minnow, swimming down the creek.” “Oh, crap.” “What?” “Do you really think there’s something out there that really cares about those little fish? Or even, you know, if something out there is looking down at us, talking about us like we’re little fish? As if we’re just tiny little minnows swimming down a stream, unsure of what fate lies ahead of us?” “I do.”

About the Author:
I grew up a gypsy at my parents hands. With a dad in the Air Force, I got to experience life on the road, soaking up culture. After spending 6 years working as a model, I realized that the industry wasn't much of what I was looking for in life. More often than not I felt like Jo Stockton in Funny Face and escaped into the world of film, where your job is based on something more than beauty. Though I do love 12 hour days on set, there's nothing like snuggling up with a warm laptop and letting my fingers dance away to create a whole new world.
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