Try Not to Breathe by Jennifer Hubbard

Try Not to Breathe
Jennifer Hubbard
Publisher: Viking
Release Date: January 19, 2012
Pages: 272

Rating: 4 stars

Ryan spends most of his time alone at the local waterfall because it’s the only thing that makes him feel alive. He’s sixteen, post-suicidal, and trying to figure out what to do with himself after a stint in a mental hospital. Then Nicki barges into his world, brimming with life and energy, and asking questions about Ryan’s depression that no one else has ever been brave enough—or cared enough—to ask. Ryan isn’t sure why he trusts Nicki with his darkest secrets, but that trust turns out to be the catalyst that he desperately needs to start living again.

Try Not to Breathe was a really great read. I was very interested in this one when I heard about it, since I had liked her debut, The Secret Year. Try Not to Breathe was a really touching read that was just a really great book and I am happy to have read it.

I really loved the characters. Val, Jake, Nikki, they were all just great. The relationships between all the characters were so complex, and I loved seeing how everything would pan out between them. I really liked Nikki - she was no nonsense when it came to Ryan; she wasn't going to let him just hide within himself. I really admired her.

Jennifer Hubbard's prose is absolutely beautiful. She really has written just an enchanting story. It deals with such a raw, emotional topic, yet there was a very hopeful light about it. The characters all support each other and will not let anyone fall into darkness, and I loved that about this book.

I would quite recommend this one. I loved the characters and the story they had to tell. Jennifer Hubbard's writing really grew from her debut in this one, and I really am excited to see what is next from her.

From the Back of My Shelf (10): The Orange Houses by Paul Griffin

From the Back of My Shelf is a bi-monthly event, that happens on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month where you pull a book from the back of your shelf (with a 2009 release or prior) and review it. It's a way to read some of those books that have been gathering dust while new books came out. Feel free to join in and participate, and link your reviews up in the Mr Linky below. Check out more in my intro post here here.

The Orange Houses
Paul Griffin
Publisher: Dial
Release Date: June 11, 2009
Pages: 160

Rating:  2.75 stars

Meet Tamika Sykes - Mik to her friends (if she had any). She's hearing impaired and way too smart for her West Bronx high school. She copes by reading lips and selling homework answers, and looks forward to the time each day when she can be alone in her room drawing. She's a tough girl who never gets close to anyone, until she meets Fatima, a teenage refugee who sells newspapers on Mik's block. Both Mik and Fatima unite in their efforts to befriend Jimmi, a homeless vet who is shunned by the rest of the community.
The events that follow when these three outcasts converge will break open their close-knit community and change the lives of those living in the Orange Houses in explosive and unexpected ways.

I was very excited for this one after reading Paul Griffin's Stay With Me. Sadly, this one did not live up to the expectations I had for it.

I was not crazy about this one being told in third person. It made the story very hard to get into as it was so disjointed. The story was also told from 3 POVs, and that was too much for this book. I liked the idea of it, but considering the book was only 150 pages, it was too little for each character.

Most of the characters were great. I had a bit of an issue with Tamika, as to me, it felt like she didn't have the strength and courage to keep going. There was nothing holding her back but her own attitude, and because of that I was not too keen of her. I really liked both Fatima and Jimmi. They were definitely my two favorite characters of the book. Fatima was such a good soul.

There was definitely a plot, but there wasn't much to it in my mind. The characters all had a worthy story to be told, but there wasn't a lot of continuity between the plot points.

This was a book that had a lot of good things about it, but was not executed the best. I had a hard time getting past the writing, as it was just so disjointed that I couldn't get into the story.

The Edumacation of Jay Baker by Jay Clark

The Edumacation of Jay Baker
Jay Clark
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
Release Date: January 31, 2012
Pages: 240

Rating: 3.5 stars

Meet Jay Baker . . . or, as he is not-so-affectionately called by his opponent in the freshman class presidential election (and by members of the high school football team): Gay Baker.

A few important things to know about Jay:

1. He is in love with his best friend, cheerleading dynamo Cameo “Appearance” Parnell.

2. He is rocking an unfortunate case of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

3. He has the largest storehouse of pop culture references, jokes, and puns in the history of fifteen-year-olds.

4. He is about to uncover a horrifying family secret that will turn his world upside down.

Root for Jay as he faces off against his mortal enemy, gets awkward around his dream girl, loses himself in a Bermudan love triangle, watches his parents’ relationship implode in a series of Maury Povich-inspired events, and, finally, learns to get real and be himself.

The Edumacation of Jay Baker was a cute read. It had a slow beginning, but once the story picked up I really enjoyed it. The Edumacation of Jay Baker was a story that I could realistically see going on in high school and was a lot of fun to read.

The first of half of this one was very slow. It took me awhile to get into the story. Once it picked up in the second half, I really enjoyed the story more. This book was definitely funny - I was laughing for a good part of the book. The funny parts are balanced with the serious undertone of the plot, dealing with divorce, family issues, and friend issues.

The characters were great. Even the characters like Alice, who only appeared in one scene, really stuck out in my mind. Abby, Cameo, and Caroline totally sold this book! They were just great characters. They all had their moments of vulnerability or a moment where they don't make the best decision, but I really liked the three of them! The faults in them made them that cooler of characters. Ms. Lambert was also a pretty cool character - definitely one of the best teachers you could have!

For me, this wasn't a superb read, but it was still a very promising debut and I'm curious to see more from Jay Clark. If you are looking for a book that is funny and tells a good story, then this is the one for you.

Moonglass by Jessi Kirby

Moonglass
Jessi Kirby
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Release Date: May 3, 2011
Pages: 232

Rating: 4 stars

I read once that water is a symbol for emotions. And for a while now, I've thought maybe my mother drowned in both.

Anna's life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It's bad enough that she has to leave her friends and her life behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love- a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface.

While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried along the shore years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide means that nothing- not the sea glass that she collects on the sand and not the truths behind Anna's mother's death- stays buried forever.

Moonglass was a really touching debut. It was a much needed contemporary that I really enjoyed. It had a story that I really enjoyed and the characters were just great.

The plot of this book was just very easy going and had a steady pace. I loved that Anna and Tyler's relationship took a bit to build. It wasn't simply ok, we're together now. I was actually a good chunk into the book before they actually got together, and that was awesome.

The characters were my favorite part of this book. I loved Ashley - she isn't the type of character I usually would be crazy about, but she was just lovely. I would love to have her as a friend. Jillian was another character who was just great. She was just a really nice person. James was a hilarious character and I would've loved to hear more from him.

I wasn't quite satisfied with the ending. I wish the story had gone on a little more. I felt like the peak of the book happened and then the book just ended.

Moonglass was a really great read. I loved the stories within the story and the action by the ocean. It was just a really nice read, and while it was a something of a book of grief for Anna and her dad, it was also very much about growth. I really am curious to see more from Jessi Kirby in the future.

From the Back of My Shelf (9): Purge by Sarah Darer Littman

From the Back of My Shelf is a bi-monthly event, that happens on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month where you pull a book from the back of your shelf (with a 2009 release or prior) and review it. It's a way to read some of those books that have been gathering dust while new books came out. Feel free to join in and participate, and link your reviews up in the Mr Linky below. Check out more in my intro post here here.

Purge
Sarah Darer Littman
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: April 1, 2009
Pages: 240

Rating: 4 stars

Janie Ryman hates throwing up. So why does she binge eat and then stick her fingers down her throat several times a day? That’s what the doctors and psychiatrists at Golden Slopes hope to help her discover. But first Janie must survive everyday conflicts between the Barfers and the Starvers, attempts by the head psychiatrist to fish painful memories out of her emotional waters, and shifting friendships and alliances among the kids in the ward.

Purge was a book I really enjoyed - It feels weird to say I enjoyed it, given the subject matter, but Sarah Darer Littman has written a book filled with such hope and a positive message for teens.

I really liked the characters. I thought Janie, and all the other teens at Golden Slopes. They all were very different, but I found them all very easy to connect to. No, I haven't  gone through the same things as they had been through, but so many contributing factors to their situation I have experienced in some manners, making it really easy to relate to all of them. I really liked Tom. He was hands down my favorite character of the book. I also really liked Brad, he definitely played a smaller role, but I just loved the one scene he was in.

Each chapter started with an entry from Janie's diary, and I thought it was a really neat format. The diary entries were very different from the regular narrative, as it was not only here thoughts, but also a lot of Janie's back story. The one thing I wasn't too crazy about was how Janie referred to everyone as a Puker or a Starver. It just felt a bit odd to me, and it was almost like there was like a battle between the two.

Purge's plot was very sad at times, but it had such an element of hope throughout most of it. There were so many touching scenes. I found Nurse Joe to be hilarious and he helped Janie a lot when no one else was really succeeded. Any scene with Tom was just great, he always brought something new to a scene

I really liked Purge. I thought it was a book that addressed a very important topic, and that Sarah Darer Littman really succeeded in writing about it. This is my first Sarah Darer Littman read, but after Purge, I am very anxious to pick up another!

Did you do a From the Back of My Shelf post? Link it here :)

Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala

Don't Breathe a Word
Holly Cupala
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: January 3, 2012
Pages: 299

Rating: 4.5 stars

Joy Delamere is suffocating...

From asthma, which has nearly claimed her life. From her parents, who will do anything to keep that from happening. From delectably dangerous Asher, who is smothering her from the inside out.

Joy can take his words - tender words, cruel words - until the night they go too far.

Now, Joy will leave everything behind to find the one who has offered his help, a homeless boy called Creed. She will become someone else. She will learn to survive. She will breathe... if only she can get to Creed before it’s too late.

Set against the gritty backdrop of Seattle’s streets and a cast of characters with secrets of their own, Holly Cupala’s powerful new novel explores the subtleties of abuse, the meaning of love, and how far a girl will go to discover her own strength.

Don't Breathe A Word is a book that is just heart-breakingly beautiful. It was a story that was so worth telling and was powerful. I read straight through it, and did not want to put it down for a moment.

The story was so intriguing. Going in, I really had no idea what to expect, and even in the first few chapters, you get a general idea, but I didn't get the whole picture. Just as Joy is experiencing life on the streets and figuring that out, you have to piece together her history and everything that has gone on. The book was a mix of the present day, with little snippets of the past, which was super awesome.

The plot was intriguing and I was always wondering what was going to happen next. There was such a mix of these heartwarming moments mixed with the grittiness of reality in others. Holly Cupala keeps readers on their toes with the story she has to tell in Don't Breathe a Word.

I loved the characters. From the start, I was intrigued about the characters in that first flash back scene. I loved Creed - he was one of those just genuinely good hearted people.He had me when I found out he played music, but everything about his character was just great. I really admired Joy, for what she has the strength to do. Santos and May were an interesting duo, and I really liked both of them. All the characters in Don't Breathe a Word were so vastly different from one another - they all had their own unique story to tell.

After reading this one, I am very excited to pick up Holly Cupala's other novel, Don't Breathe a Word. I fell in love with the writing, the characters, and the story. And after this brave, raw story I cannot wait tot see what is next for Holly Cupala.

Desert Angel by Charlie Price

Desert Angel
Charlie Price
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Release Date: October 25, 2011
Pages: 236


Rating: 3 stars

Fourteen-year-old Angel wakes up one morning at her desert trailer home to discover her mother has been murdered by a lowlife named Scotty, who has vanished. Angel has no water, no weapon, but she knows that Scotty, an expert tracker and hunter, will surface soon in order to eliminate her as a witness. She has to run, to disappear, if she is to survive and tell the world what happened. Her flight takes her through a harsh landscape to places she never expected to be, forcing her to trust others for the first time and strengthening her in ways she doesn’t even anticipate . . . until it’s time to take a stand.

Desert Angel was an interesting read - I had absolutely no expectations going in, and I found a story that I really liked.

The story started out very disjointed. You were thrown right into the action, which was great, but once I met some of the characters I had a bit of hard time following the story due to their dialogue. After a bit though, I got into the groove of the story and everything began to make sense. There definitely was a lot of suspense at moments - I wanted to know what was going to happen, yet I couldn't really guess a lot of the time. There were some aspects of the story I do wish had been fleshed out a bit more. I loved the way the book was written - for the most part you follow Angel's story, but there were little snippets from Scotty and the others, which made it really cool. It definitely made me more engaged in the story when those would come along.

I really liked the characters. Angel bothered me a bit at times, but overall she was a great character. Norma and Rita were definitely my favorite two characters of the book. With all Norma had been through, I just wanted to give her a hug. Rita was just an all around great person.

This wasn't an amazing book for me, but definitely still a worthy read. After this one, I'm curious to see what else Charlie Price has written. This wasn't a book that I had to be real involved in; I could just sit back and watch the story pan out.

From the Back of My Shelf (8): Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

From the Back of My Shelf is a bi-monthly event, that happens on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month where you pull a book from the back of your shelf (with a 2009 release or prior) and review it. It's a way to read some of those books that have been gathering dust while new books came out. Feel free to join in and participate, and link your reviews up in the Mr Linky below. Check out more in my intro post here here.

Jellicoe Road
Melina Marchetta
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: September 1, 2008
Pages: 416

Rating: 4 stars

"What do you want from me?" he asks. What I want from every person in my life, I want to tell him. More.

Abandoned by her mother on Jellicoe Road when she was eleven, Taylor Markham, now seventeen, is finally being confronted with her past. But as the reluctant leader of her boarding school dorm, there isn't a lot of time for introspection. And while Hannah, the closest adult Taylor has to family, has disappeared, Jonah Griggs is back in town, moody stares and all.

In this absorbing story by Melina Marchetta, nothing is as it seems and every clue leads to more questions as Taylor tries to work out the connection between her mother dumping her, Hannah finding her then and her sudden departure now, a mysterious stranger who once whispered something in her ear, a boy in her dreams, five kids who lived on Jellicoe Road eighteen years ago, and the maddening and magnetic Jonah Griggs, who knows her better than she thinks he does. If Taylor can put together the pieces of her past, she might just be able to change her future.

I have heard that this book is amazing for ages, and decided I finally needed to sit down and read it, to see what everyone was talking about. Jellicoe Road had a very touching story to tell, and I really enjoyed it. I didn't love it to the point that I feel others have, but I thought it was a story worth telling.

This was a very slow book to get into. I had no idea what was going on until just before page 100, and didn't grasp a full idea until closer to page 200. This was bothersome in a way, but it almost made me more curious. I was so intrigued by the storyline, yet I had no idea what the basis for all of it was. After that, I found the story to be so charming. The story line from the past, with Narnie and the others, was very hard to follow. I found myself finishing still not having a clear understanding of everything that happened. I was able to piece together the gist of it, but I still had so many questions that I didn't feel were answered. That went for the main storyline as well, there definitely were some questions that remained unanswered, when I had hoped I would discover an answer.

I really adored all the characters. Jessa was a character who really grew on me throughout the book; at first, I was not super crazy about her, but by the end I could not imagine the book without her. Griggs was awesome. He was just such a great guy. Ben was another character who I really loved - he was such a good-hearted person. Taylor grew a lot as a character as the book went on, and I loved seeing the changes in her as the book went on.

Jellicoe Road is definitely a book worth reading, and while it wasn't a for sure favorite of mine, I still am happy to have read it. I am very interested to check out other works by Melina Marchetta after this one. Jellicoe Road was a story of a simply wonderful cast of characters.

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The Rites and Wrongs of Janice Wills by Joanna Pearson

The Rites and Wrongs of Janice Wills
Joanna Pearson
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Release Date: July 1, 2011
Pages: 224

Rating: 4 stars

For anyone who's ever survived a rite of passage or performed a mating dance at Prom . . .
The Japanese hold a Mogi ceremony for young women coming of age. Latina teenagers get quinceaneras. And Janice Wills of Melva, NC ... has to compete in the Miss Livermush pageant.
Janice loves anthropology--the study of human cultures--and her observations help her identify useful rules in the chaotic world of high school. For instance: Dancing is an effective mating ritual--but only if you're good at it; Hot Theatre Guys will never speak to Unremarkable Smart Girls like Janice and her best friend, Margo; and a Beautiful Rich Girl will always win Melva's annual Miss Livermush pageant.
But when a Hot Theatre Guy named Jimmy Denton takes an interest in Janice, all her scientific certainties explode. For the first time, she has to be part of the culture that she's always observed; and all the charts in the world can't prove how tough--and how sweet--real participation and a real romance can be.
Funny, biting, and full of wisdom, this marks the debut of a writer to watch.

The Rites and Wrongs of Janice Wills was an absolutely delightful debut. I read straight through and just loved  it. Janice has a great story to tell, and I loved every page of it.

The plot was a lot of fun. There were definitely aspects that were slightly cliched and predictable, but I loved them all the same. The book had little interruptions to the plot such as "A Note From the Anthropologist" which were a ton of fun to read. It was just another thing that made this book so great. I love contemporaries - and this one was quite funny at times, yet still had serious undertones.

The characters were probably my favorite thing about this one. They were all great. Even the minor characters stuck out in my mind. Janice was a character who developed a lot throughout the book, and really came into herself. I loved Paul - he was my favorite character of the book. All his quirky ideas he tried, he just seems like a very fun person.

After this debut, I am very intrigued to see what is next for Joanna Pearson. I really enjoyed this one! I would definitely recommend it to all, especially for those looking for a contemporary with charm and is a fast read.

This review is cross posted from YA Books Central, where it was originally posted.

Mercy Lily by Lisa Albert

Mercy Lily
Lisa Albert
Publisher: Flux
Release Date: October 8, 2011
Pages: 240

Rating: 4 stars

Mom has slowly been losing herself to MS. After traditional treatment fails, she takes bee sting therapy, administered by Lily, to alleviate her pain. Lily is trained as a veterinary assistant, so she can easily handle the treatments. What she can't handle is what happens when the bee sting therapy fails and it becomes clear that Mom wants to die.
One beautiful spring day, Lily's mother asks her for the most impossible thing of all—mercy. They live in Oregon, where the Death with Dignity Act allows a patient to make the decision to end their own life.
While navigating first love, friendship, and the other normal worries faced by high school sophomores, Lily also has to choose: grant Mom's request, or cling to Mom's fading life for all it's worth.

I should warn you all now that this was a really hard review for me to write and was a very emotional read for me. This book hit really close to home for me - my mom was diagnosed with MS when I was 8 years old, and my entire life since that has had me living in the same fear Lily has for a lot of the book. While my mom is lucky and is no where near as severe as Lily's mom in this book, it still was a very emotional read for me. I heard about Mercy Lily, and I wanted to read it, to see if I was strong enough. I really liked Mercy Lily, I thought it was a really strong debut.

I cried so much throughout this book. I would say for nearly 200 pages I was crying on and off, and I do not cry easily in books. Mercy Lily was so realistic - so much of what happens seriously is what I fear every day could happen. Between the emotional, heart wrenching moments there are a lot of lighter, fun moments between Lily and her friends. I wish this had been fleshed out a bit more, I didn't feel like they were quite developed enough.

The characters were great. I definitely wish I had gotten to spend more time with a few of the characters, as I loved them so much. Gretchen was an awesome character, and I loved the scenes she was in. Shauna and Trent were another pair of awesome characters. Shauna had so much spunk and Trent had a great sense of humor.

Mercy Lily was an interesting read for me, it was one of those books that tells a really hard story, but also a story of growth and finding strength. It is a really touching story, and I am very curious to see more from Lisa Albert!

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

Catching Jordan
Miranda Kenneally
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: December 1, 2011
Pages: 288

Rating: 5 stars

What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though - she leads them as the captain and quarterback on her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starring position on the team... and has her suddenly wishing to be seen as more than just a teammate.

Books that star girls who play sports are my favorite sort of contemporaries. Catching Jordan was phenomenal debut, and I am already eagerly anticipating Miranda Kenneally's next book that comes out next year. I seriously just loved everything about this one, and am sitting here gushing as I'm typing up this review. Miranda Kenneally is the next big thing!

The characters were probably my favorite thing about this book. I loved them all - Henry, JJ, Carter, Jordan, Marie, Carrie - they were all just such great characters. I found myself very easily being able to connect with the different characters. All the guys just hilarious - they were always up to something.

The story was so easy to get caught up in - while I did not play varsity football, it was still very easy to connect with Jordan and get so caught up in her story. I loved that there were so many side stories with all the different characters as well, yet they all connected in the end.

This is a book that is among my favorites of the year and was a stunning debut. It's a book that I will be telling everyone about, and how they need to read it now, as it is that good. Words really cannot capture how much I loved this book. It has a brilliant story worth telling, and sends a great message: to work for your dreams no matter what others tell you.

*side note* If you love Keri Mikulski's books (Pretty Tough series) you will adore this one as well!

This review is cross-posted from YA Books Central where it was originally posted.

Saving June Tour: Review + Interview with Hannah Harrington

Saving June
Hannah Harrington
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: November 29, 2011
Pages: 336

Rating: 5 stars

If she’d waited less than two weeks, she’d be June who died in June. But I guess my sister didn’t consider that.’

Harper Scott’s older sister has always been the perfect one so when June takes her own life a week before her high school graduation, sixteen-year-old Harper is devastated. Everyone’s sorry, but no one can explain why.

When her divorcing parents decide to split her sister’s ashes into his-and-her urns, Harper takes matters into her own hands. She’ll steal the ashes and drive cross-country with her best friend, Laney, to the one place June always dreamed of going California.

Enter Jake Tolan. He’s a boy with a bad attitude, a classic-rock obsession and nothing in common with Harper’s sister. But Jake had a connection with June, and when he insists on joining them, Harper’s just desperate enough to let him. With his alternately charming and infuriating demeanour and his belief that music can see you through anything, he might be exactly what she needs.

Except June wasn’t the only one hiding something. Jake’s keeping a secret that has the power to turn Harper’s life upside down again.

This book is seriously just so awesome that I honestly don't know how to put words to it. I loved the story, the characters, and just everything about it. It is a book that I want to take and press into the hands of everyone I can find, so they can experience this beautiful journey that Hannah Harrington has written.

The story built and built as the story went on. It starts out good, but with every step Laney, Jake, and Harper take on the road trip, the story got better and better, and I simply just fell in love with it. I love books with music. Something about them is so special, and I find myself connecting with them on a much higher level. There were so many great scenes, there were some super funny scenes and others were so serious and emotional. The story became more than just a road trip to California. They stopped at every sort of place you can imagine, most of them on a whim. It was so much fun to follow.

I loved Hannah Harrington's writing. The story is so intricately woven, and her prose is just beautiful. It was one of the best written books I have read in awhile. Hannah Harrington also plays with readers' emotions. I really found myself connecting with Laney, Harper, and Jake's story and experiencing all the emotions they were feeling.

In Saving June, all the characters have a unique story to tell. All their stories were so vastly different, yet all the same. They all had flawed characteristics, and I just loved that. I loved Laney - she is the best friend anyone could ever wish for. She was one of those characters that is so good hearted, and I would love to have a friend like her. I had a hard time connecting with Harper at some instances, but overall I still really did like her character and the strength she held throughout the book. I just want to say, can someone please tell me where I can find a Jake of my own?

Saving June is definitely one of the best books of the year. I was expecting to like it, but not expecting this rare gem of a book I found. It's a one of a kind book, and I am very excited for future works from Hannah Harrington. Saving June is a stunning debut that I will recommend to everyone.

-------------------------------------------------------

Now for the interview with Hannah Harrington. Hannah Harrington resides in Michigan with one dog and too many cats. When she isn’t busy writing like a crazy person, she enjoys arguing about politics, watching documentaries, playing guitar (very badly) and speaking about herself in the third person. You can find her on the web at her website, on Twitter, or on Goodreads.


To start off, could you tell us 5 random facts about yourself?

1) I’m left-handed.
2) I’ve never been able to snap or do cartwheels. Coordination isn’t my strong suit, I guess!
3) On the plus side, I’ve never broken any bones.
4) I was born and raised in East Grand Rapids, Michigan, which hails such notable alums as President Gerald R. Ford and the guy who wrote the American Pie movies.
5) I name all of my pets after famous musicians.

What character in Saving June do you relate most with?

I relate to all of them in different ways, but probably most closely to Harper. We’re not exactly alike—she says what’s she thinking more than I do, for one—but I was sort of like her at that age. Her trouble in understanding and communicating her emotions is something I definitely relate to. And her sarcasm. I’m a pretty sarcastic person.

Could you share a favorite quote from Saving June that doesn't give away anything?

“Neither of them spoke for a moment, but I knew what they must be thinking. That this was a pain the two of them shared that no one else could touch. Not even me. And they would share it for the rest of their lives, even if they weren’t together. I couldn’t think of a more terrible thing to bind two people.”

If could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I’ve never been to Europe, and I’d love to go some day. Probably London most specifically!

Is there a book you've read lately and want to tell the world about?

I just read “Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)” by Mindy Kaling. It’s absolutely hilarious and engaging. I’ve been a fan of hers for a long time, and her book didn’t let me down!


So there are two giveaways throughout the tour, one for a copy of Saving June and a grand prize for this awesome iPod skinned with the cover art of Saving June.

Buy Saving June: Amazon | B&N | IndieBound

Follow the tour:

Monday, November 28th – Reading Angel
Wednesday, November 30st – The Secret Life of an Avid Reader
Monday, December 5th - The Unread Reader
Wednesday, December 7th – Mindful Musings
Friday, December 9th – Oodles of Books
Monday, December 12nd - Alice Marvels
Wednesday, Deember 14th - Letters Inside Out
Friday, December 15th – YA bibliophile

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by AS King (Audio Review)

Please Ignore Vera Dietz
AS King
Publisher: Listening Library
Release Date: April 26, 2011
Narrator: Lynde Houck
Source: Won from Heidi

Rating: 5 stars

Vera’s spent her whole life secretly in love with her best friend, Charlie Kahn. And over the years she’s kept a lot of his secrets. Even after he betrayed her. Even after he ruined everything. 

So when Charlie dies in dark circumstances, Vera knows a lot more than anyone—the kids at school, his family, even the police. But will she emerge to clear his name? Does she even want to?

Edgy and gripping, Please Ignore Vera Dietz is an unforgettable novel: smart, funny, dramatic, and always surprising.

I have a confession to make. This is my first A.S. King book. I had always heard her books were good, but something about them always made me think they were not for me. I absolutely and completely LOVED Please Ignore Vera Dietz.

The set up of this book is just brilliant. You have the present, told from Vera's point of view, but also history of Vera's life, words from Ken Dietz (Vera's dad), and also from Charlie (who is dead). I loved it. It wasn't consistently one person or the other, and I never knew what would come up next.

This is by far the best audio I have ever listened to. Lynde Houck and the other people who narrated Ken and Charlie were just brilliant. All the voices were very unique, and it was so easy to differentiate between all the characters. I definitely want to seek out more audios where Lynde Houck is the narrator now!

I loved the story - it was witty and just plain different. It has a serious nature at heart but AS King manages to input all these different types of stories around that. There were absolutely hilarious parts, the heart-wrenching parts, to plain sad moments, and the moments where it is just interesting. I loved hearing the past and understanding why the present is happening from that.

The characters were all really great. I loved how strong of a character Vera was. I did have a bit of a waver in my judgement of her character towards the end, but that quickly resolved itself. James played a more minor role, but I really adored him. The other characters I found to be quite interesting. Ken Dietz was a character I found a hard time connecting with him during the present times, but once I would heard his words from Ken Dietz it made me understand him so much more as a character.

This is a book I will now be shoving in the hands of all. It was brilliant and I loved it. I now need to go pick up AS King's other books, and read them ASAP. If Please Ignore Vera Dietz was any measure as to how great her books are, I will be sure to love the others.

Tour: Past Perfect by Leila Sales

Past Perfect
Leila Sales
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: October 4, 2011
Pages: 322
Source: Publisher

Rating:  4.5 stars

All Chelsea wants to do this summer is hang out with her best friend, hone her talents as an ice cream connoisseur, and finally get over Ezra, the boy who broke her heart. But when Chelsea shows up for her summer job at Essex Historical Colonial Village (yes, really), it turns out Ezra’s working there too. Which makes moving on and forgetting Ezra a lot more complicated…even when Chelsea starts falling for someone new. 


Maybe Chelsea should have known better than to think that a historical reenactment village could help her escape her past. But with Ezra all too present, and her new crush seeming all too off limits, all Chelsea knows is that she’s got a lot to figure out about love. Because those who don’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat it….

Past Perfect was a book I was highly anticipating. I LOVED Leila Sales first novel, Mostly Good Girls some crazy amount, enough to even compete with a passage from it during forensics season. While I don't think Past Perfect quite lived up to Sales's debut, Past Perfect was still a book that I absolutely loved.

I love the way Leila Sales writes. Her books are down right some of the funniest books I've ever read, they are just so charming. Her stories are also just addicting, I found myself having a hard time putting down Past Perfect once I started.

Chelsea was a really fun character, I thought she was a lot of fun. Fiona was just great - I loved how spunky she was. Bryan was always the comic relief with his crazy facts he knew about all sorts of things that you really would not think would be that useful.

The plot was great. There was a bit of a stretch near the middle where I was not quite as on board with what was going on, but it was still quite fun. I loved the whole idea of the reenactment parks, such a unique idea with so much that could go on!

I absolutely adore the cover, it is so cute! Leila Sales is an author you simply have to check out. She is totally the next big thing! Past Perfect is a marvelous read that you will not regret reading.

Tour: Audition by Stasia Ward Kahoe

Audition
Stasia Ward Kahoe
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Release Date: October 13, 2011
Pages: 464
Source: Publisher

Rating: 4 stars

When high school junior Sara wins a coveted scholarship to study ballet, she must sacrifice everything for her new life as a professional dancer-in-training. Living in a strange city with a host family, she's deeply lonely-until she falls into the arms of Remington, a choreographer in his early twenties. At first, she loves being Rem's muse, but as she discovers a surprising passion for writing, she begins to question whether she's chosen the right path. Is Rem using her, or is it the other way around? And is dancing still her dream, or does she need something more? This debut novel in verse is as intense and romantic as it is eloquent.

I have grown up dancing, since I was four years old, so when I found out Audition was a story of dance, I was ecstatic. I somehow missed that it was a book in verse in my excitement over dance, and I am happy that I did, or I may have passed up this brilliant novel. 


Stasia Ward Kahoe's writing in Audition is just beautiful. It flows together, like the notes of music. Generally speaking, I'm not super crazy about verse,  but I could read Stasia Ward Kahoe's writing all day long.


I really enjoyed the characters - Sara was a great main character, I loved the complexity of her and her world. I liked the other dancers as well, but I didn't find them very distinct from one another besides Lisette and Bonnie. Julio was one of my favorite characters of the book, he was just so fun and sweet. I absolutely loved every scene he made  an appearance in.


I loved the plot, especially the scenes at the studio. Everything about dance fascinates me, so I loved this fictitious story.  I wasn't as crazy about some of Sara's choices near the end of the book, I wanted her to realize what was around her and take advantage of it. 


I would really recommend this one. If you love dance and the arts, read it. If you don't think you do, read this one anyways. Stasia Ward Kahoe is a radiant new voice in YA. I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Lola and the Boy Next Door
Stephanie Perkins
Publisher: Dutton
Release Date: September 29, 2011
Pages: 338
Source: Publisher

Rating: 5 stars

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Since the day I finished Anna and the French Kiss I have been waiting for another Stephanie Perkins masterpiece. She delivered it with Lola and the Boy Next Door. Now that I have finished this one, it will be a very long wait until Isla and the Happily Ever After! I don't think my love for Lola and the Boy Next Door quite lived up to Perkins's debut, but it comes pretty darn close.

Lola as a character was a lot of fun, but it bothered me a bit at times that I felt like she was playing the classic "mean girl" role from time to time. I sat there just thinking, Lola what are you doing? Cricket was oh so perfect, I still am sitting here debating whether I liked him or St Clair better. I loved Lindsey, she is such a great friend.

I LOVE that Stephanie Perkins had Anna and St. Clair come back in this one, while they were a more minor part of the plot I loved having them there. I just admire both their personalities so much, so it was so much fun to have them alongside Lola and Cricket!

The plot was a ton of fun. I loved that is wasn't just a straight plot, there were so many little things going on, such as with Norah and other characters. I loved that it was so obvious where the story would end, but there were so many stops along the way.

Something I love about Perkins's writing is that she doesn't give readers the obvious. With Anna and French Kiss, the plot is at this boarding school in Paris. Lola and the Boy Next Door gives you this story with a girl who dresses in costume, figure skating, and more. Yet, even though all of that is basically unknown to me, I find it so easy to connect to the stories of the characters because she makes her characters so real. They are flawed, which makes them like everyone else.

After finishing Lola and the Boy Next Door, I feel like I need to go back and read Anna and the French Kiss and this one back to back, and it would make for about the most perfect day of awesome ever! Lola and the Boy Next Door is one of those books you NEED to read, its story will captivate you and the characters are just so lovely.

My Not-So-Still Life by Liz Gallagher

My Not-So-Still Life
Liz Gallagher
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books
Release Date: May 10, 2011
Pages: 192

Rating: 3 stars

Vanessa is wise beyond her years. She's never really fit in at school, where all the kids act and dress the same. She's an artist who expresses her talent in the wacky colors she dyes her hair, her makeup and clothes. She's working on her biggest art project, and counting the days until she's grown up and can really start living. That adult world seems closer when Vanessa gets her dream job at the art supply store, Palette, where she worships the couple who runs it, Oscar and Maye. And she's drawn to a mysterious guy named James, who leads her into new, sometimes risky situations. Is she ready for this world, or not?

My Not-So-Still Life was an interesting read for me. I don’t really have that huge of an opinion about it, there were some things I liked and some things that I wasn’t as crazy about, with all the pieces falling in at about a perfect center.

I really liked Liz Gallagher’s writing, it was beautiful prose. Some of her descriptions got a bit lengthy though. I felt like so much of the book was Vanessa’s descriptions, which made sense, as she is an artist and I feel would see the world that way.

Not a lot happened in the book. My Not-So-Still Life felt like a lot of stiller moments, interspersed with touching, heartfelt moments. A lot of things weren’t fully explained. Events with Jewel were brought up numerous times, yet I never found out what those meant.

I had an issue connecting with Vanessa. She just wasn’t all that likable of a character to me. She seemed a bit selfish and acted without considering the consequences. That aside, I love Nick and Holly. They both had their oddities about them, and they were both super fun characters.

The cover is a lot of fun – I love all the colors between her eye makeup and hair. In the end, I really was fairly indifferent about this book. I wouldn’t be jumping up and down saying to go get it, but I definitely wouldn’t say I disliked it. I would recommend picking up a copy of this one from the library or something like that.

From the Back of My Shelf (5): The Espressologist by Kristina Springer

From the Back of My Shelf is a bi-monthly event, that happens on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month where you pull a book from the back of your shelf (with a 2009 release or prior) and review it. It's a way to read some of those books that have been gathering dust while new books came out. Feel free to join in and participate, and link your reviews up in the Mr Linky below. Check out more in my intro post here here.

The Espressologist
Kristina Springer
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
Release Date: October 27, 2009
Pages: 184
Source: Gift

Rating: 4 stars

What’s your drink of choice? Is it a small pumpkin spice latte? Then you’re lots of fun and a bit sassy. Or a medium americano? You prefer simplicity in life. Or perhaps it’s a small decaf soy sugar-free hazelnut caffe latte? Some might call you a yuppie. Seventeen-year-old barista Jane Turner has this theory that you can tell a lot about a person by their regular coffee drink. She scribbles it all down in a notebook and calls it Espressology. So it’s not a totally crazy idea when Jane starts hooking up some of her friends based on their coffee orders. Like her best friend, Em, a medium hot chocolate, and Cam, a toffee nut latte. But when her boss, Derek, gets wind of Jane’s Espressology, he makes it an in-store holiday promotion, promising customers their perfect matches for the price of their favorite coffee. Things are going better than Derek could ever have hoped, so why is Jane so freaked out? Does it have anything to do with Em dating Cam? She’s the one who set them up! She should be happy for them, right?

The Espressologist was a super cute read! The pages flew by at a crazy fast speed, and all too soon the book was finished and I was left wanting more from this fantastic plot Springer had spun.

The plot was adorable. I loved the whole idea of matching people by the drinks they order - it's so unique and I would really love to see if it would actually work out ever!

I really loved the characters in The Espressologist. I thought they were all super easy to connect with and a lot of fun. I thought Derek was absolutely hilarious, with all his different moods he would be in. I did have a little more of an issue connecting with Em, Jane's best friend but she was still a ton of fun.

The ending was about the most adorable thing in the world! This was a great book, that I would absolutely recommend! This is my first book from Kristina Springer but after this one, I definitely want to check out her other book now!

From the Back of My Shelf (4): Lovestruck Summer by Melissa Walker

From the Back of My Shelf is a bi-monthly event, that happens on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month where you pull a book from the back of your shelf (with a 2009 release or prior) and review it. It's a way to read some of those books that have been gathering dust while new books came out. Feel free to join in and participate, and link your reviews up in the Mr Linky below. Check out more in my intro post here here.

Lovestruck Summer
Melissa Walker
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: May 1, 2009
Pages: 272
Source: Won


Rating: 3.5 stars

Austin Music Fest

Yay, summer in Austin!

Good food, good times. Fun for everyone!

Okay, living with my sorority-brainwashed cousin, who willingly goes by "Party Penny," is not exactly what I had in mind.

All your favorite bands

But the cute musicians I've met totally make up for it . . . like Sebastian. Swoon.

All ages welcome

So why can't I stop thinking about Penny's friend All-American Russ and his Texas twang??

Saturday & Sunday, from noon to midnight

Don't wait up!

I have been hearing of Melissa Walker's amazingness for ages, and since I read Small Town Sinners I've been determined to remedy the fact that that was the only book by her I had ever read. I wasn't sure what to expect with this one, I had heard tons of praise but I wasn't sure by the premise if I would be on board or not.

I wasn't too crazy about Quinn as a main character - she was very self-motivated, which is great, but it was a bit too much. Plus, there was the whole I'm going to call at 3 AM about an internship - what was she thinking? Then lying about THAT to make herself look better. Those 2 things right off the bat made me not too crazy about her.

The other characters I absolutely loved. I loved Miss Tiara, the cross dressing dog. That was just too funny. I loved that Penny wasn't a stereotypical sorority girl, but instead this super fun character. Jade was another character I really liked.

The plot was a bit cliched, with girl goes for guy while the right guy is there but doesn't realize it, etc etc. It was still so much fun to read though! I loved seeing what Quinn and Russ would get up to next.

This was a super cute read, and definitely the right one for a nice summer day. I would totally recommend checking it out!

Stay With Me by Paul Griffin

Stay With Me
Paul Griffin
Publisher: Dial
Release Date: September 8, 2011
Pages: 304
Source: Publisher

Rating: 5 stars

Fifteen-year-olds Céce and Mack didn’t expect to fall in love. She’s a sensitive A student; he’s a high school dropout. But soon they’re spending every moment together, bonding over a rescued dog, telling their secrets, making plans for the future. Everything is perfect. Until. Until. Mack makes a horrible mistake, and in just a few minutes, the future they’d planned becomes impossible. In this stark new reality, both of them must find meaning and hope in the memories of what they had, to survive when the person they love can’t stay.

Wow. There are really no words to explain my feelings for this amazing book! Raw and real, Griffin delivers an emotional read that will stick wither readers.

The first 50 pages or so were a bit slower paced, and I wasn't as in to the story. All at once, I fell head over heels in love with it and didn't want to put it down! Stay With Me is a very different kind of story, and the experiences the characters had were very interesting to read about, as it was a completely new world to me.

Griffin's writing wove together a perfect story. Stay With Me was simply beautifully written. Every detail felt true, and I was transported into Cece and Mack's world. There are a lot of raw, sadder moments, but they are perfectly balanced with moments of sheer happiness that will make you smile. Mack's way with dogs and using it to save some of the less fortunate dogs made me smile.

The characters felt very authentic, and their voices true to their ages and what they had lived through. There was a wide range of characters that were all very different from one another. None of the characters were perfect, and finding out their flaws and insecurities was part of their charm. The characters all had different views on life, and seeing how they put them to use was very cool. Vic was so understanding and willing to give second chances - he is the kind of person we need more of in the world, so reading about him was a charm. I would put Anthony in the same boat, and say we need more people like him in the world as well.

The ending was one of the best parts of the book. The entire book was amazing, so I was worried about the ending and whether all the strings would be tied up. Griffin ends Stay With Me in the perfect way, bittersweet and full of hope.

Stay With Me is a book that needs to be read. It's a book whose characters and lessons they learn will stick with you. Stay With Me is real and I book I couldn't more highly recommend.

Cover Rating: B-  - I'm really not too crazy about this one, but I do love the puppy quite a lot.