And Then Things Fall Apart by Adrianna Tibensky

Publisher: Simon Pulse
Date: July 26, 2011
Series or Standalone: Standalone
ISBN: 978-1442413238
 Format: Paperback, 272 pages
 Source: for review 

Rating: C
First line: I once watched a collector kill a monarch butterfly on a nature show by putting it under a glass dome with a piece of cotton soaked in gasoline.

And Then Things Fell Apart is quite literally a book about things falling apart. Or somewhat. Mostly.

In the book, fifteen year old Keek is holed up in her grandmother's house with the chicken pox. It's the proverbial icing on her over-cooked life (as in, less than perfect and unexpected, like when you burn a cake. Go with it.) She and her boyfriend have broken up, her baby cousin is dying, her mother has fled (temporarily) and her father had an affair and destroyed his marriage. Enter the pox. Now, all Keek can do is read The Bell Jar, her favorite book, sleep and spend her waking high fevered hours reflecting on how she ended up trapped in a guest bedroom with only an old typewriter for company.

This book has a unique charm to it. There's something so cynical about Keek and her view on things, that it's entertaining. She has this story to tell, these things that happened to her and really affected her in a way she doesn't even know how to express. So, she reads The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath and she writes away the delirium caused by her extremely high fever.

I've never read The Bell Jar. Aside from a few poems, I've never really read Plath. I know who she is, but that's about all. I was hesitant about how Tibensky would weave together this world of fiction to this character's life, but she really pulled it off as far as relating things. Keek's story has these odd and quirky parallels to Plath's words. 

However, despite the cute quirks of And Then Things Fall Apart, I didn't love it. Keek was so whiny! She whined all the time. I'm not saying it wasn't justified--it was--but as a reader it was a little too much for me. Sometimes, it was very funny whining, but whining is still what it is even it's funny.

One major issue of the book for me was that Keek did not sound like a fifteen year old. I could peg her for seventeen--sixteen maybe--but that seemed really misplaced to me. There are so many times when she's too experienced, too sophisticated and too well versed to be fifteen. And then she sends a text message (later in the book) that I have to read 3-4 times to understand. It seemed off to me. Sometimes, I felt as if the author was talking through the character--forcing out some of the things she believed or felt into Keek--and it caused her voice to slip.

While I was reading it was hard to connect and difficult to enjoy. BUT as the weeks have passed since I've read it, I can see it's charm more and more and would actually call it likeable. I think fans of Sylvia Plath would really enjoy the parallels and I'd be interested to hear their thoughts. Even if I didn't love the book, my friend Nikki really did. I think it totally depends on personal taste! It has quirkiness to offer and I think it could be fun for some readers.

 Get more info/order:
 Goodreads ||| Amazon ||| IndieBound
 
  The author on the web: 
Blog ||| Twitter
 

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Date: September 2011
Series or Standalone: series
ISBN:1442421762
Format: Hardcover, 464 pages
Source: ARC
Cover thoughts: I love it; it's dark and pretty

Rating: A
First line: The ornate script on the board twisted in the candlelight, making the letters and numbers dance in my head.

Description (from goodreads):

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.

It would be strange to wake up in a hospital bed and not know how you got there. It would be scary and frustrating. Even worse not remembering what killed your friends and not knowing why you were unharmed. It made me want to find out the mystery of what happened that night and keep reading the book until I did.

The book was really suspenseful. Mara was able to put the pieces together in flashbacks. It could get a little confusing at first because she would be doing something in the present then a have a flash back from the past, it made it a little hard to distinguish which was from the past and the present. But you will pick up really quickly. It is a really important part of the book and one I enjoyed once I got used to it.

Mara's love interest in the book was so cute. Well first off he has a British accent, I have always had a thing for British accents, I don't know why, I think they sound cool. And he is cute in a way that isn't perfect, but in a messy normal way. He is also kind of mysterious, and you just know that he is keeping secrets, and then you want to know what he isn't saying.

It was kind of frustrating when Mara and Noah seemed like they needed to have a conversation about everything that was going on, but they kept putting it off. I wanted to know NOW what was going on, but it was another aspect of why I kept reading.

I am so glad this book lived up to the hype. I loved the way the book was written and the mystery behind it all. In the end I was left wanting more, it was a fantastic read!

Get more info/pre-order:
Goodreads ||| Amazon ||| IndieBound ||| Book Depository |||| Barnes & Noble
The author on the web:Blog ||| Website ||| Twitter

OyMG by Amy Fellner Dominy

Publisher: Walker
Date: May 10, 2011
Series or Standalone: Standalone

ISBN: 0802721778

Format: Hardcover, 256 pages
Source: ARC
Cover thoughts: Plain, not very eye catching

Rating: B
First line: I love to argue.

Ellie Taylor likes to argue, so she is thrilled when she gets into the Christian Society Speech and Performance Arts summer camp. Ellie is sure that if she wins the final tournament, she will get the scholarship and get to go to her dream school! But the competition is hot--and his name is Devon. Ellie is sure she can handle him. But when she finds out that the scholarship's benefactor might be prejudice against Jews, Ellie doesn't know whether to hide her heritage or stand up for who she really is.

Ellie's Jewish background was really fun to read about. I learned about some of the foods, like matzo ball soup, and some new words, like Zeydeh which means grandfather in Yiddish. I really liked Ellie's Zeydeh, he is very opinionated and very proud of his heritage. He likes to talk, he says things that most wouldn't, like teaching Ellie at a very young age to cuss in Yiddish.

I also really enjoyed the romance between Ellie and Devon, it was cute and the competitiveness between them brought fun and an interesting edge to the story.

The scholarships benefactor's prejudice against Jews was pretty evident from the beginning by what she said and how Devon acted about it. It was sad to see someone act that way, to hate an entire group of people for what a couple of people did. The benefactor was Devon's grandma, which added another layer of tension to the story. It could have ended Devon and Ellie's relationship right away.

I didn't know what Devon would do about his grandma. Defend Ellie? Or decide it wasn't a big deal? I think he made the right choice in the end. I didn't know what Ellie would do either. Risk her scholarship and stand up for herself? Or not say anything? Ellie made the right decision in the end, it is what I would have done, just probably sooner. The book ended on a happy note.

Overall, this was a cute read that had a good message to get across: to stand up for what you believe in.

Get more info:
Goodreads ||| Amazon ||| IndieBound ||| Book Depository |||| Barnes & Noble

The author on the web:
Blog ||| Website ||| Twitter

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

In twenty days this lovely book called Hourglass by Myra McEntire comes out into the world. I love this book. Here's a vlog I made that tells you all the reasons why. I recorded back in February so some things are no longer true.

1) This is not my first vlog review anymore.
2) This book comes out JUNE 14 now.
3) I did intentionally play that song at the beginning. Even though I didn't admit to it. I had a lot of coffee that day.
4) My bangs are no longer this awesome. :(

ENJOY!!



Here's a summary review!


Emerson has always seen things that aren't really there, ghosts or figments of her imagination. She's never had an answer, a reason why they appear to her, but they do. When the visions start to ruin her life, a boy named Michael is hired by her brother to help her. Michael turns out to be part of a secret organization called Hourglass that deals with people like Emerson, and like himself. Emerson learns she isn't seeing ghosts--but time slips, moments of the past that appear in her timeline. And Michael, he sees time slips too--of the future. The two team up to solve a murder and prevent the horrible future from happening, they get more than they bargain for. This is a WONDERFUL story. It's the perfect blend of humor, mystery and romance. Toss in some time travel, strange twists and a kick butt main character, Hourglass is certain to entertain every reader! It's awesome yall. AWESOME. Go read it.

The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder

Publisher: Graphia
Date:  April 4, 2011
Series or Standalone: Standalone
ISBN: 9780547363066
Format: Paperback, 240 pages
Description: (Shortened) At Penford High School, Britney Taylor is the queen bee...and can ruin anyone's life with a snap of perfectly manicured fingers. April Bowers, Britney is also the answer to her prayers. April is so unpopular, kids don't even know she exists. But one lunch spent at Britney's table, and April is basking in the glow of popularity. But Britney's friendship comes with a high price tag. How much is April willing to pay? Learn More on Goodreads

First line: Sitting near Darcy Madison on the school bus is enough to put anyone with woman-sprout issues over the edge.

Amy Holder puts a new spin on an old story. The Lipstick Laws is a Mean Girls meets Clueless with more of a story, more snark and more fun characters than possible in one book. Holder has a fresh, fun, funny voice in a world of YA that's overrun with angsty and sexy boys--not that those are a problem for anyone. :)

There were a lot of things I liked about this book, and a few I didn't. I loved that from beginning to end I was smiling. Smiling is good. Some of the characters were really well developed and I loved the idea that these girls had "laws." My favorite line of the book "Avoid red lipstick." Because that's the whole story.

April only wants to fit in--and with her best friend gone, she's got no one. That's why when Brittany and her group take notice of April, she pretends to be a new student and is soon part of their world of "Rank a Scank" and no clearance shelves. When Brittany and friends pull out the lipstick laws--a paper outlining the seven rules of popularity--April puts on the dreaded red lipstick and seals her fate with a kiss. That is, until it all comes crashing down and April goes from top of the world to scum. Now, she's forced to fight back and join forces with other lipstick law-breakers to give Brittany a taste of her own medicine.

Sounds fun right? That's because it is. It was hilarious and flirty, while still hitting bigger issues of body image, self-confidence and not judging people based on what they look like. Brittany was an atrocious character and you really, really want April to succeed in payback.

The story was full of little twists--and lots of fun moments. Sometimes, April was so frustrating to me in her naivity, but in the end she learns more about herself than she ever expected.

If you're looking for a fun, light-hearted read, then check out this great debut!

You know you want this: Hourglass

My lovely friend over at Blogger Hearts Books put together a sekrit project! Why? 

In TWO MONTHS this freaking brilliant book will be out in the wild. I have the most fabulous vlog review that you will someday be able to to watch. It's complete with surprisingly coherent thoughts and only minor use of the words "so good." You'll have to come back in six weeks to get my full review...but here are a few reasons why Hourglass is so amazing. 

• Black belts
• Snark
• Emerson (She's the MC...with the black belt and the snark!)
• Humor 
• Wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff 
• Romance
• No wait...like really. 
• Like...so good. 
• Like "Call me gravy and sop me up with a biscuit" good. It sticks to you and leaves you wanting more. Yes, please!
• Kick-butt MC, packed with so much goodness, strength and many surprises.
• A unique story told with class, humor and all things that scream delicious-ness.
• Every character in this book serves a purpose---minor, major, mentioned in passing. I love it.
• Doctor Who references (Because, yes: that matters.)
• It will have a glitter-y shimmer cover! Sparkly things are always fun.
• Twists that you don't see coming.
• Michael Weaver!! 
• He's the bomb. 
• He's gorgeous.
• He's lovely.
• He's swoon-worthy times a thousand.
• He's friendly, caring, and really, really, fantastic.
• He's the sugar in the sweet tea!
• Hourglass is simply LOVELY LOVELY LOVELINESS 

Seriously. What else do you need to know?

Fine. A few more reasons to pre-order Hourglass: Myra McEntire is awesome. I support her and love her....and her writing will blow you away.

HOURGLASS is a brilliant debut. You'll finish it and want to read it again. And then again, just because you need to. It will haunt you, in that good way that only books can do. Books, and really, really, really good meals. In fact, if I could literally eat a book--I'd eat Hourglass. It's that good.

Don't believe me? Julie agrees. And the other Danielle. And Harmony will tell you all about it tomorrow.

How about these two little blurbs...

"Pulls your heart in every direction. A brand new twist on time travel with an explosively delicious romance."

              ~ Beth Revis, New York Times Bestselling Author of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE

"The most original book I've read this year, with a mind blowing plot that had me flipping pages way past my bedtime. I wish I could go back in time and read it again." 

           ~ Rachel Hawkins, New York Times Bestselling Author of the HEX HALL Series

Sounds like a winner? Because it is. You don't want to miss it!

In fact, Myra's hosting her own celebration by doing a Past, Present & Future giveaway. You can also ALWAYS pre-order Hourglass at Amazon. Whatever you do--don't miss this debut! Two months away!

Book Talk: Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Publication Date: February 1, 2011

Series or Standalone: Standalone

ISBN: 0373210280

Format: Paperback, 224 pages

Description: Bridget Duke is the uncontested ruler of her school. The meanest girl with the biggest secret insecurities. And when new girl Anna Judge arrives, things start to fall apart for Bridget: friends don't worship as attentively, teachers don't fall for her wide-eyed "who me?" look, expulsion looms ahead and the one boy she's always loved—Liam Ward—can barely even look at her anymore.

When a desperate Bridget drives too fast and crashes her car, she ends up in limbo, facing everyone she's wronged and walking a few uncomfortable miles in their shoes. Now she has only one chance to make a last impression. Though she might end up dead, she has one last shot at redemption and the chance to right the wrongs she's inflicted on the people who mean the most to her.

And Bridget's about to learn that, sometimes, saying you're sorry just isn't enough….

First line: I looked down the hall and noticed one of the few people who had never been fazed by my reputation.

I hated Bridget. I mean, from page one I hated her. And I think that was brilliant, why I kept reading.. As the story went on, I liked her more and I struggled with that because I didn't want to. I don't understand her much but yet, i do. She was intriguing protagonist. I had to know what happened and that was why I kept reading. I was enthralled by Bridget and couldn't put the book down!

It's a good story about how our actions and words effect other people--and how we don't really know what when we do it. There are repercussions that we have to eventually come to terms with and moments in other people's lives that we have no idea about. This book explored that.

Ultimately, it was okay. It didn't suck or anything but in the end I was dissatisfied with the result. Harbison spent most of the book replaying scenes, merely changing from one point of view to the other. The best of these was Meredith's scene. (As well as Liam's.) It could've gone a little deeper with the characters and I wish more time had been spent showing us other instances (besides the ones we saw at the beginning). I liked seeing there opinion of those things--and seeing them from Bridget's perspective in their eyes--but, it seemed to drag. And where those moments could have readched huge depths, they only seemed to scratch the surface.

When she gets to go home and "Fix it" I thought it all came to easily. I wanted her to struggle with it more--and perhaps to fail. Everything seemed to be wrapped up in a pretty bow as "I've seen the error in my ways and I'm sorry." And everyone forgives her. I guess I didn't find it believable. The fact that it happens over twelve hours made it hard to do that.

So much of the book was spent telling us how horrible she was to everyone and then it was wrapped in thirty pages. I wanted to really see her struggle with her horrible-ness, not just cry and ask for forgiveness. I really wanted to SEE her change. Or, again, to see her fail. I also wanted to see everyone's apology. Some were left out--and having been a huge part of the story--should have been explored. I felt cheated.

All in all, it was a good then lackluster. I won't buy it for myself but it has a lesson. It has Liam, who is too good for Bridget, and it really shows the side of forgiveness that people aren't willing to provide. Huh....that explains my feelings from before. Perhaps it's not believable because we don't easily forgive. Something to ponder. 

Book Talk: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Publisher: Penguin/Razorbill
Date: January 2011
Series or Standalone: First in series
ISBN: 978-1595143976
Format: Hardcover,  416 pages
Description:

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awake on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into a brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone—one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship—tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn’t do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now, Amy must race to unlock Godspeed’s hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there’s only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

First line: Daddy said, “Let mom go first.”

From the opening pages of Across the Universe, you can tell this book is going to be magic. I read this book in one sitting and closed it in begrudgingly, not wanting it to be over. Beth Revis did an amazing job telling this story. She weaved in so many small details and each one of them built on the other to create this world of metal and lies, tucked away in the abyss of space. It’s a thriller, dystopia, sci-fi, romantic adventure all in one.

Godspeed that has been travelling though space for 300 years. The people aboard are waiting for the new society that lies ahead. These are the people who will populate the uncharted territory—them and the secret stash of frozen bodies that

lie under the main levels of the ship. The frozen are the best and brightest that Earth had to offer and volunteered to go to the new world and help create the best life possible.

Amy is one of the frozen. She volunteered to go because her parents were going, but really, she had nothing to offer a new world—she just didn’t want to be alone. Amy is awoken 50 years before Godspeed is scheduled to land on the new planet and her awaken throws her life—as well order on the space ship—into chaos. Amy is a freak in a very controlled environment, a place where everyone looks and acts the same—and no one is supposed to talk to her.  Half of this incredible story is told in her perspective.

The other half is told from Elder’s perspective. Elder is also a teenager—a very important one. He’s the next in line to lead the ship and is under instructions from the current leader, Eldest. Eldest is constantly frustrated with his successor because of their differences, which makes Elder a target of Eldest’s anger and frustration and Eldest doesn’t teach Elder as he should. Once Amy is thawed, Eldest questions how can Elder be a good leader if he is blinded by the trouble Amy will cause.

Elder ignores the warnings about the girl with red hair. Elder quickly falls for Amy, and as more of the frozen start to die it causes him to see that things on Godspeed aren’t quite what they seem. Maybe Eldest isn’t what he seems. When Elder finds himself at the center of a mystery that’s bigger than both he and Amy, he knows she’s the only person he can trust. But can Amy allow herself to trust Elder? The answers to everything lie within each other.

It’s such a marvelous story. The story jumps between Elder and Amy, which adds more to the book than if it had just stayed in one perspective.  It has so many twists and turns it’s like a rollercoaster. All the characters in the story are well developed and important. Every person has a role to play. You will laugh, cry and be sitting on the edge on the edge of your seat.

Beth Revis weaves this story together and leaves no holes. She uses all the fears, the hopes, the questions of life in the future. She makes a world so vivid and haunting, you want to jump in the pages. I know I did. I loved this story. It’s mysterious and romantic and sad and just when you think you’ve got it figured out, you find out you don’t. The characters are solid and their voices so vivid. I love the imagery that Revis uses—it’s obvious that Godspeed has lived in her head for a long time. It’s incomparable to any book that currently exists in YA.

I can’t wait for the sequel!

Also, you can enter an ARC giveaway here!

2011 Debut Author Challenge and a giveaway!!!

This will be first time and I'm excited! For what? The 2011 Debut Author Challenge! I'm really, really excited. I think my goal is going to be 24 books (because I don't do odd numbers) and I it shouldn't be so hard with so many amazing reads coming out. You can find more information about the 2011 Debut Author Challenge here!

Here are the books I know I'm reading...it's more than 24 but I've already read some of them.  BOLD means I’ve read it. ITALIC means I own it.

·       A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford

·       Across the Universe by Beth Revis (Already read, doesn’t count)

·       Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

·       Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

·       Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton

·       Clarity by Kim Harrington (Already read, doesn’t count)

·       Entwined by Heather Dixon

·       Falling Under by Gwen Hayes (Already ready, doesn’t count)

·       Hourglass by Myra McEntire

·       How I Stole Johnny Depp's Alien Girlfriend by Gary Ghislain

·       I Am J by Cris Beam

·       Illegal by Bettina Restrepol

·       The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

·       Liar Society by Lisa and Laura Roecker

·       Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard

·       The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder

·       Lost Voices by Sarah Porter

·       Luminous by Dawn Metcalf

·       The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab  (already read, doesn’t count.)

·       Other Words for Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal

·       Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard

·       Popular by Alissa Grosso

·       Possession by Elana Johnson

·       The Pull of Gravity by Gae Polisner

·       Rival by Sara Bennett-Wealer

·       So Shelly by Ty Roth

·       Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O’Roark Dowell

·       The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

·       Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

·       Vesper: A Deviants Novel by Jeff Sampsen

·       Warped by Maurissa Guibord

·       Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley

·       Wildefire by Karsten Knight

·       Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey

·       Wither by Lauren DeStefano

·       XVI by Julia Karr

Woo! I'm excited. What are some books you're looking forward to?

Oh yea, now you want to win some stuff.  I thought so. Well, take your pick for an ARC and this contest closes on Friday at noon! Happy Thanksgiving.

• SIGNED ARC of MATCHED by Ally Condie
• Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card
• The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney
• As Easy As Falling Off the Face of the Earth by Perkins
• My Fake Boyfriend by Springer
• It Started with a Dare by Rech

Also, I'm not on Twitter this week. SO if you tweet this contest, I'll give you 3 extra entries toward the book of your choice. Yup.  That's a true story. No requirements to enter except filling out the form. And, since it's for Thanksgiving, I'll be thankful for everyone and open this internationally!

Click HERE to enter. (Be sure to indicate which ARC you want to win or I'll just throw you into a random one.)

Don't forget to tell me what books your looking forward to in 2011! Maybe this will shape some future contests.