Review: Life After Juliet by Shannon Lee Alexander

Life After Juliet by Shannon Lee Alexander

Published: July 5th 2016 by Entangled TEEN
Number of Pages: 304 Pages (hardcover)

Series: Yes, companion novel to Love and Other Unknown Variables

   Becca Hanson was never able to make sense of the real world. When her best friend Charlotte died, she gave up on it altogether. Fortunately, Becca can count on her books to escape—to other times, other places, other people...

   Until she meets Max Herrera. He’s experienced loss, too, and his gorgeous, dark eyes see Becca the way no one else in school can.

   As it turns out, kissing is a lot better in real life than on a page. But love and life are a lot more complicated in the real world...and happy endings aren't always guaranteed.

   The companion novel to Love and Other Unknown Variables is an exploration of loss and regret, of kissing and love, and most importantly, a celebration of hope and discovering a life worth living again. (goodreads.com)

* Thank you to Entangled TEEN for providing me with an 

eARC in exchange for my honest opinion *

   Life After Juliet is the companion novel to Love and Other Unknown Variables, which I personally didn't know until after requesting it. At first I was unsure if that meant I wouldn't be able to understand certain things, since I didn't read Love and Other Unknown Variables, but I quickly fell in love with the story and characters nonetheless. So, even if you've not read Love and Other Unknown Variables, you can very much enjoy Life After Juliet.

   In Life After Juliet we follow Becca who is dealing with the loss of her best friend Charlotte, who died due to cancer, and how she slowly makes new friends and falls in love with a boy named Max. I'm not joking when I say that Max will very quickly make it very far up on your list of bookish boyfriends because he was an amazing character.

   Something I very much enjoyed in this story was the representation of grief, of how people who grief sometimes feel guilt if they find themselves forgetting or missing the person less that they've lost, and so on. I really liked the fact that the loss of Charlotte was an ever present thing in Becca's character, that it wasn't just something mentioned once in a while so we wouldn't forget, but it was simply a part of her character, naturally and realistically.

   Generally I really, really liked Becca. I love how, in the beginning of the story, she was hiding behind her books, counting time in pages and just so caught up in her grief, but also how her character developed across the story and how she began to change. She felt very realistic and three dimensional with realistic problems and trains of thought. Also I loved her relationship with her brother Charlie, with Max, and of course with the rest of the gang, being the theatre kids, both the technicians and the actors.

   Speaking of which, as I mentioned before, Max was an amazing character. I love the way he behaved toward Becca, loved his family and the fact that he had his own grief, knows the pain Becca feels, and how that connects the two on another level. I also very much enjoyed his friendship with Victor, which was just generally amazing and seeing those two together was just amusing and entertaining from beginning to end.

   Another thing that I really loved about Life After Juliet was how, despite dealing with such a heavy topic, grief, it also offered a lot of laugh-out-loud moments. Some scenes and lines of dialogues were seriously brilliant and just impossibly funny! The balance between serious and relaxed/funny was perfect.   Shannon's writing style is amazing and she is really able to capture your interest and create fascinating, realistic and three dimensional characters. They behaved like teens, had teen like problems, and also talked like teens which I very much appreciated.

   All in all I really, really enjoyed Life After Juliet a lot. I definitely want to pick up Love and Other Unknown Variables to see where the entire story began and see Becca's friendship with Charlotte before it ended. So, if you're looking for a read that blends seriousness with humor and amazing characters, then I definitely recommend this one. I binged 70% of this book in just a few hours and really had to make myself set the book aside and go to sleep at 3am.

I give Life After Juliet by Shannon Lee Alexander 5 out of 5 stars!

Blog Tour - Review: The Sound of Us by Julie Hammerle

   I'm excited to be part of the The Sound of Us blog tour, which gave me the chance to read an eARC of the book so I could bring you my review with all my thoughts. Thank you to Entangled Teen for the eARC and YA Bound Book Tours for making me one of the tour stops.

   Below you'll find the book, my review, infos about the author and a giveaway you should definitely check out!

The Sound of Us by Julie Hammerle

Published: June 7th 2016 by Entangled: Teen

Number of Pages: 304 Pages (Paperback)

Series: No

   Kiki Nichols might not survive music camp.

   She’s put her TV-loving, nerdy self aside for one summer to prove she’s got what it takes: she can be cool enough to make friends, she can earn that music scholarship, and she can get into Krause University’s music program.

   Except camp has rigid conduct rules—which means her thrilling late-night jam session with the hot drummer can’t happen again, even though they love all the same TV shows, and fifteen minutes making music with him meant more than every aria she’s ever sung.

   But when someone starts snitching on rule breakers and getting them kicked out, music camp turns into survival of the fittest. If Kiki’s going to get that scholarship, her chance to make true friends—and her chance with the drummer guy—might cost her the future she wants more than anything. (goodreads.com)

* Thank you to Entangled TEEN for providing me with

an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion *

   The Sound of Us is an interesting read. It doesn't have some overly complicated world you need to get to know, or a way too complicated plot, it's simply filled with realistic teens spending their summer at opera camp trying to be one of the seven that will go home with a scholarship. As someone who always wanted to go to music camp, used to be a choir kid and loves to sing, this definitely tickled my fancy so I'm very happy I got the chance to experience that through Kiki's eyes.

   I really liked Kiki, especially the fact that she was obsessed with this TV Show Project Earth and how it was constantly on her mind or she compared different things happening in real life to the show. That was very realistic because, as any fan of any TV show or book can tell you, that's what people in fandoms do. I also enjoyed how realistic she felt in terms of her thought processes and how awkward and shy she sometimes got.

   The other characters were also quite interesting and fun to read about. I liked how they all interacted and really acted like actual teenagers, how they all just want dot have fun but, at the same time, knew they really had to stay focused and concentrated because their futures depended on getting that scholarship.

   The Sound of Us also had a romance element, of course, which I fairly enjoyed since it thankfully wasn't your typical insta-love situation, but rather slowly developed, which is always nice to see. There was also some teenage drama, because of course there would be, it's set at a summer camp filled with teens, but it seemed fine. Sure, some of it could've been avoided, but it didn't make the story any less enjoyable. 

   I also really enjoyed the Twitter aspect of the story, how every chapter starts with a tweet and how it's also mentioned in the chapters itself, since social media is such a big part of todays lives, especially teen lives. We don't get to see that often enough in YA so points for that.

   Julie Hammerle's writing style was quite good, showed that she knows what she's doing, and I really enjoyed the voice she created for Kiki.

   All in all, I really enjoyed The Sound of Us. It's a fun summer read perfect for anyone who want to read something light and fun, people who enjoy movies like Camp Rock or High School Musical, or those who like music in books. 

I give The Sound of Us by Julie Hammerle 4 out of 5 Stars.

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About the Author

   Julie Hammerle is the author of The Sound of Us, which will be published by Entangled Teen on June 7, 2016. Before settling down to write "for real," she studied opera, taught Latin, and held her real estate license for one hot minute. Currently, she writes about TV on her blog Hammervision, ropes people into conversations about Game of Thrones, and makes excuses to avoid the gym. Her favorite YA-centric TV shows include 90210 (original spice), Felicity, and Freaks and Geeks. Her iPod reads like a 1997 Lilith Fair set list.

   She lives in Chicago with her husband, two kids, and a dog. They named the dog Indiana.

Giveaway

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Ask the Author: Katherine Fleet (The Secret to Letting Go)

   Welcome everyone!

   Thanks so much to Alice for hosting me on her site today! I’m Katherine Fleet, the debut author of The Secret to Letting Go. It’s a YA contemporary set in a fictional town on the Gulf Coast of Florida during that magical summer after high school graduation when the whole world is out there waiting for you. It’s the story of two teens – Clover, a mysterious girl who shows up in town lost in her secrets and fears, and Daniel, a boy who’s drawn into her troubled world despite his better judgment. Life keeps throwing them together, but their secrets keep them apart. Ultimately, it’s a story about living through tragedy and learning to forgive your self.

The Secret to Letting Go

Published: February 1st 2016 by Entangled: digiTeen

Number of Pages: 334 Pages (Kindle)

Series: No

   One summer can change everything...

   Haunted with guilt after his girlfriend’s death, Daniel Hudson has no interest in committing to anyone. At the end of the summer, he’ll be leaving Florida for a new start in college. If only he could avoid the mysterious new girl in town, who seems every bit as naive and eccentric as she looks. Trouble is, she’s hard to ignore, with her beautiful piercing eyes, pitiful-looking dog, and unsettling tendency of finding trouble.

   Clover Scott lived her whole life off the grid and arrives on the Gulf coast in search of her grandparents. She never expected to nearly drown, or get caught in a hurricane, or fall in love with the boy who rescues her. Now, she has a chance to rewrite her life’s story, to finally fit in somewhere, but Daniel wants answers about her past. When the police start asking questions about the disappearance of her parents, she must make a choice: go to jail or confess her secrets—even if they might destroy her chance at a happily-ever-after. (goodreads.com)

Interview with Katherine Fleet

   1 - Describe The Secret to Letting Go with a haiku or twitter pitch.

   Since I was always terrible at our annual holiday haiku contest at the office, I’ll stick with a twitter pitch!

   Homeless and running from her past, Clover needs saving. Daniel’s not good at being anyone’s hero, but he can’t walk away.

   2 - What was the first initial thought or thing that sparked the idea of The Secret to Letting Go?

   This will probably sound cliché, but I had a dream, which was basically the first scene of the book. When I woke up, I just lay there, letting the characters take shape. I didn’t know what Clover had been through, but I knew it was something bad. From there, I started writing.

   3 - What do you like most and least about your protagonists Clover and Daniel?

   I love that after everything they’ve been through, neither one of them has given up on life, hope or love. What do I like least? That’s a hard one. It’s probably that they had so many self-doubts. I wanted them to be confident in their own goodness and worthiness, but I knew that it would take a while for them to accept it.

   4 - What was the most challenging thing about writing The Secret to Letting Go and which scene was the most fun to write?

   The most challenging part was portraying Clover’s character to the reader in the same way I saw her. To me, Clover is a girl with quiet strength. She requires saving on several occasions and she has her phobias, but she’s survived so much and still has the ability to see good in the world and feel compassion toward others. I believe it takes great personal strength to emerge from trauma and tragedy, without losing hope and optimism. So, I was surprised when feedback on early drafts mentioned that she seemed weak and needy. That’s when I realized that a writer’s vision of a character may not always come across clearly. So I revised and tweaked until readers could see Clover the same way I see her.

   I love writing emotional scenes. So the parts I had the most “fun” writing are actually the ones where I was on the verge of tears as I was typing. There are a lot of emotional scenes in this book, but the cemetery scene in the middle of the storm was probably my fav.

   5 - How long did it take you from first thought until publishing deal? Out of curiosity, how many queries did you have to send until you found 'the one'?

   This book had an unusually long timeframe. Unfortunately, I’d just started writing when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It took over six months before I was able to return to the story and eighteen months in total before it was finished. The publishing deal took many, many queries and another three years of waiting and perseverance!

   6 - How did you feel when you first realized that this story you had written would soon be read by hundreds of people and how do you feel now, a couple of weeks after the publication?

   I was nervous, because a part of me was afraid no one would read it or like it. When the initial reviews started to come in, I realized that readers were forming their own thoughts and relationships with the characters I’d created. It’s an amazing and surreal feeling, because the story takes on a life of its own, independent from me. The amazingness of this still hasn’t worn off.

   7 - Why do you think the readers out there should pick up The Secret to Letting Go? What makes the story stand out and, in a way, important?

   There are so many great YA stories available right now, so it can be difficult for readers to choose. I like to think that my book is a unique emotional journey. At points, it’s deep and raw, but always hopeful. The romance is sweet, but the secrets are dark. It’s a small-town book, with a rich cast of characters, some surprise twist and turns, and an eccentric heroine that readers are falling in love with.

   8 - While writing the story did you ever imagine how a cover might look like and what do you think about the absolutely gorgeous final version?

   I had some basic ideas for the cover, which I shared with Entangled, but what they created looked very different from what I’d envisioned. So when I first saw it, I was a little disoriented, but it didn’t take long for it to grow on me. Now, I love it and can’t imagine anything else!

   9 - Did you listen to any particular songs or artists while writing The Secret the Letting Go? If so, could you give us an example?

   I love writing to music and have different playlists for different activities. Certain songs put me in the right mood to write emotional scenes, and other songs I listen to when editing. Most of The Secret to Letting Go was written while listening to Mumford & Sons.

   10 – What advice could you give aspiring authors?

   Writing is a craft and a skill, and like any other skill, it gets better with practice. Your first book may not get published, but if you keep writing, you will succeed. Oh, and if you are serious about being a writer, tell people you are a writer. Saying these words out loud to family, friends and even strangers makes it real, and it makes you accountable. It will help you hang in there, even when you feel discouraged. Also, find the people who will support and encourage your writing goals. It may be your family, friends, a critique partner or an online writing community. You may need to put yourself out there to find them, but the reward will be worth it!

   11 – If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
   My selfish answer is that I’d love to be able to fly! It probably wouldn’t be very helpful for crime-fighting and helping people, but it would be so cool☺

About the Author

   Originally from Newfoundland, Canada, Katherine Fleet moved with her family to the Caribbean island of Curaçao in 2007. The slower pace of island life gave her time to pursue a long-time goal - becoming an author. When she’s not writing, she spends her time baking, chauffeuring her three amazing, talented kids around, and having sun-filled adventures with her wonderful friends. She is a member of RWA™ and several of its chapters. She also loves NaNoWriMo and is an active supporter of the associated Young Writers Program. She is represented by super-agent Carrie Pestritto of Prospect Agency. The Secret to Letting Go is her debut novel.

Website / Twitter: @KatherineFleet / Instagram: @katherine_fleet

Waiting on Wednesday: Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes

   Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine in which we discuss our most anticipated upcoming releases.

   The book:

Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes
Expected Publication: May 17th 2016 by HarperTeen
Number of Pages: 400 Pages (Hardcover)
Series: No

   Maguire knows she’s bad luck. No matter how many charms she buys off the internet or good luck rituals she performs each morning, horrible things happen when Maguire is around. Like that time her brother, father, and uncle were all killed in a car crash—and Maguire walked away with barely a scratch. But then on her way out of her therapist’s office, she meets Jordy, an aspiring tennis star, who wants to help Maguire break her unlucky streak. Maguire knows that the best thing she can do for Jordy is to stay away, but staying away may be harder than she thought. (goodreads.com)

   My thoughts:

   This book sounds amazing, and truly intriguing. I cannot wait for May to come around so I can go buy and read it. Also I love the orange/red cover along with the font. It really catches your eyes well so props to the cover designer for this one.

   Let me know in the comments below or via twitter (@Alice_Reeds) which books you're waiting for this Wednesday!

Review: Until Friday Night by Abbi Glines

Until Friday Night by Abbi Glines

Published: August 25th 2015 by Simon & Schuster Ltd

Number of Pages: 328 Pages (Paperback)

Series: Yes, #1 in The Field Party Series

   To everyone who knows him, West Ashby has always been that guy: the cocky, popular, too-handsome-for-his-own-good football god. But on the inside he's grief-stricken - his father is dying and he hasn't told anyone because he can't face the truth. Now, as his pain grows unbearable, West finally decides he needs to talk to someone about his dad. So in the dark shadows of a party, he tells the one girl who doesn't speak everything he can't tell anyone else. West expected to feel relief, a flood of emotions - but what he didn't expect was for Maggie Carleton to reply. For her to reveal a pain even deeper than his own. And, for them to form a connection so strong that he couldn't ever let her go. (goodreads.com)

   Until Friday Night is one of those books that takes a seemingly ordinary contemporary plot and mixes it with all sorts of emotions and unexpected stories told by characters marked by life and tragedies. It has a really well mixed blend of funny, emotionally wrecking, and meaningful that I definitely enjoyed a lot.

   As someone with a knack for hard topic novels I, inevitably, had to find my way to this book, especially because I heard a lot of good things about it. This book follows two characters, a boy and a girl named West and Maggie. Both are either facing incredible grief or have already gone through it, and is following their story, how they find their way to each other and help each other, it's really nice. The author dealt with grief and loss quite well, portraying it for what it is: something that changes you, the way you think of life, and shifts your priorities around.

   I really liked Maggie and West. Maggie was an interesting protagonist that consciously decided not to speak anymore as her way of coping with what happened to her mother. Watching her open up and take care of West was really nice, though I really wished that she'd stood up for herself a little sooner.

   West was a character marked by the secret he is hiding from his friends, the fact that his father is dying of cancer and the fact that he isn't sure if he will be able to cope once he will inevitably pass away. His fears and grieving were well executed, and the relationship he formed with Maggie was cute and interesting, though toward the last third of the book his gigantic need of marking his territory in terms of Maggie really did start to get on my nerves. Sometimes I really wonder why so many male characters show this possessiveness in YA, and why some people seem to think that that's cute or sexy.

   I really liked Abbi Glines' writing style and the two voices that she gave her characters. Most of the time you could really distinguish them very well, which is always very favorable when it comes to books written from two POVs.

   All in all, Until Friday Night is a really good contemporary story that made me laugh and cry more then once, that had its flaws but overall was well done and worth reading. If you're in the mood for a book that mixes cute and tears inducing, then this might be for you.

   I give Until Friday Night by Abbi Glines 4 out of 5 stars.

Waiting om Wednesday: Wanderlost by Jen Malone

   Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine in which we discuss our most anticipated upcoming releases.

   The book:

Wanderlost by Jen Malone

Expected Publication: May 31st 2016 by HarperTeen

Number of Pages: 352 Pages (Hardcover)

Series: No

   Seventeen-year-old Aubree has always idolized her adventurous older sister, even while utterly content to track Elizabeth’s antics from the cozy comforts of home, in the tender care of doting parents. So when Elizabeth gets herself in "a touch of trouble” and, for the first time ever, actually needs Aubree's help, Bree is flattered but insistent.

   There’s no way she can do what Elizabeth is asking. Impersonate her recent-college-grad sis all summer, just so Elizabeth can score the recommendation she needs to land her dream position? Nope, nope, not gonna happen.

   ESPECIALLY when Elizabeth’s summer job is leading a bus tour.

   A bus tour across Europe.

   A senior citizens' bus tour across Europe.

   And that's even before Bree finds out that the tour owner’s super-cute son (who is decidedly NOT elderly) will be a last-minute addition.

   Bree would have to be crazy. Or would she? (goodreads.com)

   My thoughts:

   This story sounds a little far fetched but the whole Europe and travel aspect has me intrigued. I love YA stories that play outside of the US or England, since those two are the most common ones. Besides that, as someone who's traveled across Europe herself, I'm curious to see how well that aspect is executed.

* * *

   Let me know in the comments below or via twitter (@Alice_Reeds) which books you're waiting for this Wednesday!

Review: Some Boys by Patty Blount

Some Boys by Patty Blount

Published: August 5th 2014 by Sourcebooks Fire

Number of Pages: 339 Pages (Paperback)

Series: No

   Some boys go too far. Some boys will break your heart. But one boy can make you whole.

   When Grace meets Ian she's afraid. Afraid he'll reject her like the rest of the school, like her own family. After she accuses the town golden boy of rape, everyone turns against Grace. They call her a slut and a liar. But...Ian doesn't. He's funny and kind with secrets of his own.

   But how do you trust the best friend of the boy who raped you? How do you believe in love?

   A gut-wrenching, powerful love story told from alternating points of view by the acclaimed author of Send. (goodreads.com)

   I have so many thoughts and feeling about this book that it's hard to figure out where to start. As you all know I love me my stories about hard topics, especially when the stories are done well, deal with the topics in all the right ways. I'm happy to say that my first read of 2016, being this brilliant book, was many things, but definitely not a disappointment.

   Some Boys is one of those amazing books that don't shy away from the real talk, from shining light on problems we tend to not talk about, because they are not glamorous or easy, not something you can discuss in two minutes and be done with. Unfortunately we live in a world where victim-blaming is the new black, something that can go viral online and destroy someone's life. Of course, not the rapist's life, no, the life of the victim because our society has a cruel tendency to blame woman for "bringing it upon themselves" by getting drunk or wearing the wrong clothes.

   There's a very good quote in the book that questions if all the laws we have, if only because you are someone's girlfriend, wife, or a stripper, if that makes rape okay and those laws not apply. Of course it doesn't make it okay, which the book argues. It discusses this by pointing out that women are not property for a guy to play with, that women are human beings with rights and feelings, too.

   "The cops wanted to know if I was Zac's girlfriend, if I was drinking, doing drugs, if I ever worked as a stripper, if I ever kissed Zac before that night.

   What the hell does any of that have to do with what happened?

   Do the laws against sexual assault not apply to strippers? To girlfriends? I don't get that. (...) He thinks because I went to the woods, drank alcohol, and dressed the way I dress, I should have expected this to happen. That I actually wanted this to happen."

   This book picks up this topic and shows the reader all the ways in which rape, victim-blaming and shaming is wrong. We get to see two points of view: that of the victim (Grace) and that of a close friend of the offender (Ian). Because of this dual point of view and the brilliance with which this book is executed, I think it is one of the most important books I have ever read. 

   Personally, and I know many English teachers would disagree with me (just like my former english teacher definitely would), I believe that books like Some Boys are the ones we should have high schoolers read instead, or along with classics. Books like these are valuable to show boys that acting like the offender and his friends, and the rest of their school, is wrong, and to show girls that backing down, giving up, isn't always the right way, even if it's the easier one. You have to stand up for yourself, fight the damon and show the world that this isn't how girls should be treated in the 21st Century.

"Every guy in school feels so justified calling me a slut." (Grace)

"I never called you that." (Ian)

"Really? Not once? That's great, Ian, but what did you do when your friends said it?"

   Another thing that hit me hard in this book, besides the obvious, was the shaming Grace had to endure because everybody was on the offenders side. Growing up I went through my portion of being bullied, but this takes it to a whole another level. Gossip is cruel and in many cases merely spreads uninformed opinions accepted as truth. Just because the lacrosse star said he didn't do it, well, it must be true then, right? No need to second guess his words, better go and call the victim, aka the liar, a "slut" or "whore".

   In Some Boys even Grace's two best friends turn their back on her, take sides with the popular guy, simple because one of them has the hots for him. I don't know about you, but if my best friend would have accused a guy I'm into of raping her, I would definitely change my mind about the guy and not throw away my friend ship for his attention.

   But the thing I might love the most about this book is the fact that Grace wasn't a damsel in distress that needed a guy to save her, no, she saved herself. She was strong enough to march into school every day and not run away screaming and hiding. She didn't just give up, didn't "admit" that it wasn't true just to make the gossip stop. Grace stood her ground and fought back. This is important, especially for younger female readers. We need girl to know that they are strong, that they don't need a guy to save them but that they have the strength to save themselves. It's hard but in life, nothing is easy and free.

   Grace was an amazing protagonist and I love her dearly. She is strong, smart and a fighter, something we need more in books, especially ones dealing with hard topics. She could have gone down the easy rout, stay silent, say nothing, but she didn't and that is great. I love the fact that even after so many days and weeks passed after the party where it all happened, she still got scared, still had panic attacks. This only made her feel more like an actual human being instead of a one dimensional book character whose only trait is 'victim'.

   I also really liked Ian. I loved seeing his mind change over the course of the book, the way he slowly started to process everything, started to realize many things and his feelings, and the way, in the end, he stood up to the challenge and did the one and only right thing. He was an amazing character and I love him. But, he wasn't just a supporting character, as in that his only reason for being the second POV was showing the reader the male view on the topic, no, he had his own problems going on, his own things to take care of. Ian was his own character with opinions and interests.

   It's my face. It's my body. I can dress it up or down however I want. Why is that such a hard concept for guys to accept? All that crap Jax said about dressing to be noticed - being noticed is fine. But being noticed isn't the same as being ridiculed, insulted, ostracised, shamed.

   Being noticed isn't an open invitation to guys to do whatever they want to me.

   Something that was amazing to watch, especially through Ian's eyes, was the discussion if, when a girl dresses a certain way, she basically invites attention and thus is at fault for males advancing on her. I love the way his option slowly changed and he realized that maybe this isn't quite right. Just like Grace pointed out, she didn't wear the clothes she wore to get attention or to make guys want her, but simply because those are the clothes she likes and should be able to wear without guys "loosing control over their own bodies".

   All in all Some Boys takes the incredibly hard and complex topic of rape and rape culture and shines a light on victim-blaming, shaming, and the general problem that we have with dealing with this topic. I salute Ms. Blount for doing such a brilliant job with this novel and I hope more people will pick it up and read it. Books like this are the reason why I love reading, why I think reading is so important. Sure, fantasy or sci-fi are great genres, but contemporaries like this one, they are important and should be discussed, used by teachers to teach young people about what is right and wrong. I love this book. I recommend it to everyone, even if contemporary isn't your favorite genre, just read it. And I admit, I might have cried/had tears in my eyes so many times while reading this that I legit lost count.

I give Some Boys by Patty Blount 5 out of 5 stars.

Cover Reveal: Going Geek by Charlotte Huang (Blogmas Day #17)

   Welcome to blogmas day 17!
   Today I'm bringing you the gorgeous cover for Going Geek by Charlotte Huang. As you all know I loved For the Record a lot, even got it super early because I was just that unable to wait, so when I saw that there was a way to sign up to be part of the cover reveal for Going Geek, well, I had to do it. I cannot wait to read this book, hopefully I can get an ARC somehow.
   So, without further ado, here is the cover and even a US giveaway!

Going Geek by Charlotte Huang
Expected Publication: Fall 2016 by Delacorte/Random House
Series: No

   In GOING GEEK, a girl is forced to stand up for who she really is - if she even knows - when her friends dump her and she is forced to hang out with the fringe crowd at school. (goodreads.com)

About the Author

   Charlotte Huang is a graduate of Smith College and received an MBA from Columbia Business School, which is clearly something every aspiring writer should do. When not glued to her computer, she cheers her two sons on at sporting events and sometimes manages to stay up late enough to check out bands with her music agent husband. Charlotte lives in Los Angeles and is the author of For the Record (Delacorte, 2015)

charlottehuangbooks.com // Twitter: @charlottexhuang // Insta: @charlottexhuang

Snapchat: @charlottexhuang // FB: Charlotte Huang // Tumblr: charlottexhuang

Giveaway!

   1 Winner will get the very first ARC of GOING GEEK (US Only. Prize will ship when item becomes available)

  Open | Must be 13+ To Enter Sweeps/Giveaway accounts are not eligible to participate.. See Terms & Conditions for more info

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Review: Not Okay, Cupid by Heidi R. Kling (Blogmas Day #12)

Not Okay, Cupid by Heidi R. Kling
Expected Publication: January 11th 2016 by Entangled: Crush
Number of Pages: /
Series: Yes, #1

   Her wicked revenge, or his wicked heart...
   Hazel McCallister loves her life. Perfect grades. Perfect best friend. Perfect boyfriend. Until her perfect boyfriend cheats on her with her perfect best friend. Now Hazel’s in free fall—until her best friend’s brother, Felix, gives her the perfect idea. Reclaim her power by taking revenge on her cheating ex.
   Felix James loves his life. Casual relationships. Loads of surfing. He’s as drama-free as they come. But he can’t stand by when his sister steals her best friend’s boyfriend, and the dude insists it was Hazel’s fault. So Felix vows to help turn Hazel into a girl her ex can’t resist—so then she can break his heart.
   With an alliance in place, Hazel’s revenge is all but assured. But with each piece of payback, she feels a stronger attraction to Felix, even though revenge will turn her into a girl Felix could never be with. And soon Hazel has to make an impossible choice: revenge...or Felix, the boy who’s stolen her heart.
   WARNING! This book contains betrayal, revenge, and that most tempting vice of all, the bad boy you know you can't have. (goodreads.com)

* Thank you to Entangled: Crush for providing me with a eARC in 

exchange for an honest review *

   After reading Paint My Body Red by Heidi R. Kling a couple of weeks ago I knew I simply had to get my hands on her next book, being Not Okay, Cupid. I was beyond happy when I got an eARC of it and the chance to read it a month early.
   Not Okay, Cupid is more or less the exact opposite of Paint My Body Red, it's funny, fluffy, a feel good book set in the week leading up to Valentine's Day. I've never been a big fan of holiday themed books but this one was beyond cute and got me way too emotionally invested. Looking at the books I usually read one would think I wouldn't be interested in a read like this, would think I wouldn't end up liking it even if I were to try. Wrong. I loved this book, there, I said it.

   This story follows Hazel and Felix, two amazing protagonists that have a very interesting 'friendship' going that includes tons of funny banter. Hazel is your typical organized straight A girl with a boyfriend and a plan for life, that is, until her seemingly 'perfect' boyfriend cheats on her and her so well put together plan shatters. 
   On the other hand we have Felix, aka Felix the Cat and The Player of La Playa. He's the type of guy that likes to mess around with girls, but only for one night, and happens to be Hazel's best friend's brother. I love Felix, he was an amazing character! Seeing the two of them come together and conjure up a plan to get back at Jay, Hazel's cheating boyfriend, and Kimmy, Felix' sister with whom Jay cheated on Hazel, was amazing. I loved their chemistry and rooted for them from beginning to finish.

   Just as I mentioned in my review for Paint My Body Red, I love Heidi's writing style and the way she breathes life into her characters, making them feel like well rounded humans and not just one dimensional one trait tropes on two legs. Also, the way Hazel's and Felix' feelings started to slowly change and develop was really well done, slowly and realistically, and not simply in a matter of five pages.

   All in all Not Okay, Cupid is a really cute, funny and fluffy contemporary read, a total pick you up type of book. I think I might make this one a habit, reading it around Valentine's day the way we read other books around Christmas. This might not be the most original or life changing story, but it is all sorts of wonderful and cute with amazing characters and a real life feeling to it.

I give Not Okay, Cupid by Heidi R. Kling 5 out of 5 stars.

Cover Lust Friday: Romancing the Dark in the City of Light by Ann Jacobus

   Cover Lust Friday is a new weekly meme that's all about covers. Pick a cover that stands out to you, add your reason why you've chosen that particular one or what you like about it. Let's have fun with it and share the love for our favorite covers.

   The Cover:

Romancing the Dark in the City of Light by Ann Jacobus
Published: October 6th 2015 by A Thomas Dunne Book for St. Martin's Griffin
Number of Pages: 288 Pages (Hardcover)
Series: No

   A troubled teen, living in Paris, is torn between two boys, one of whom encourages her to embrace life, while the other—dark, dangerous, and attractive—urges her to embrace her fatal flaws.
   Haunting and beautifully written, with a sharp and distinctive voice that could belong only to this character, Romancing the Dark in the City of Light is an unforgettable young adult novel.
   Summer Barnes just moved to Paris to repeat her senior year of high school. After being kicked out of four boarding schools, she has to get on the right track or she risks losing her hefty inheritance. Summer is convinced that meeting the right guy will solve everything. She meets two. Moony, a classmate, is recovering against all odds from a serious car accident, and he encourages Summer to embrace life despite how hard it can be to make it through even one day. But when Summer meets Kurt, a hot, mysterious older man who she just can't shake, he leads her through the creepy underbelly of the city-and way out of her depth.
   When Summer's behavior manage to alienate everyone, even Moony, she's forced to decide if a life so difficult is worth living. With an ending that'll surprise even the most seasoned reader, Romancing the Dark in the City of Light is an unputdownable and utterly compelling novel. (goodreads.com)

   The Reason:

   I really, really like this cover. Violet and pink are, surprisingly enough, two of my favorite colors, especially when mixed with black. The cover really reminds me of a evening, sunset sky over Paris, a very beautiful sight, that goes along really nicely with the white writing. The font is really nice and looks as if someone would have just written the words by hand onto the cover design, which is always really nice to see. I am a sucker for unique fonts on book covers.

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Want to join in? No problem! Just follow the 'rules' below:

1. Write a blog post about a cover you love.
2. Add your link in the comment section of the original post (click here) so we can have something like a list going on.
3. And if you’d be so kind, I’d appreciate a link back from your own post.
4. Check out other posts, and have fun!

Cover Lust Friday: Made You Up by Francesca Zappia

   Cover Lust Friday is a new weekly meme that's all about covers. Pick a cover that stands out to you, add your reason why you've chosen that particular one or what you like about it. Let's have fun with it and share the love for our favorite covers.

   The Cover:

Made You Up by Francesca Zappia
Published: May 19th 2015 by Greenwillow Books
Number of Pages: 428 Pages (Hardcover)
Series: No

   Reality, it turns out, is often not what you perceive it to be—sometimes, there really is someone out to get you. Made You Up tells the story of Alex, a high school senior unable to tell the difference between real life and delusion. This is a compelling and provoking literary debut that will appeal to fans of Wes Anderson, Silver Linings Playbook, and Liar.
   Alex fights a daily battle to figure out the difference between reality and delusion. Armed with a take-no-prisoners attitude, her camera, a Magic 8-Ball, and her only ally (her little sister), Alex wages a war against her schizophrenia, determined to stay sane long enough to get into college. She’s pretty optimistic about her chances until classes begin, and she runs into Miles. Didn't she imagine him? Before she knows it, Alex is making friends, going to parties, falling in love, and experiencing all the usual rites of passage for teenagers. But Alex is used to being crazy. She’s not prepared for normal.
   Funny, provoking, and ultimately moving, this debut novel featuring the quintessential unreliable narrator will have readers turning the pages and trying to figure out what is real and what is made up. (goodreads.com)

   The Reason:

   I love this cover, and the book it belongs to.
   This cover truly looks like someone actually sat down and put a lot of thinking into what the cover should be like so it would mirror the story perfectly. I really like covers that look like they've been painted and, let's face it, the rain looks amazing! Alex, the protagonist and girl on the cover, looks really cool with that bit of red hair showing and that comfy looking sweater.
   This cover is perfect!

* * *

Want to join in? No problem! Just follow the 'rules' below:

1. Write a blog post about a cover you love.
2. Add your link in the comment section of the original post (click here) so we can have something like a list going on.
3. And if you’d be so kind, I’d appreciate a link back from your own post.
4. Check out other posts, and have fun!