Top 15 Most Anticipated Books of 2015!

It may be the first day of 2015 but I can already tell it is going to be a superb year for reading. I already have my anticipated books list going through Fall 2015 and these are the fifteen titles that top the list! There are multiple debut novels I am excited to discover and of course some highly anticipated sequels and new books by some of my favorite authors.

 

#15

The Sin Eater's Daughter

Melinda Salisbury

Young Adult Fantasy

February 24th

 

#14

The Fill-In Boyfriend

Kasie West

Young Adult Contemporary

May 5th

 

#13

The Conspiracy of Us

Maggie Hall

Young Adult Mystery

January 13th

 

#12

Pretending to Be Erica

Michelle Painchaud

Young Adult Contemporary/Thriller

July 21st

 

#11

Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke

Anne Blankman

Young Adult Historical Fiction

April 21st

 

#10

The Start of Me and You

Emery Lord

Young Adult Contemporary

March 31st

 

#9

Everything That Makes You

Moriah Mcstay

Young Adult Contemporary

March 17th

 

#8

Liars, Inc.

Paula Stokes

Young Adult Mystery

March 24th

 

#7

My Heart and Other Black Holes

Jasmine Warga

Young Adult Contemporary

February 10th

 

#6

The Devil You Know

Trish Doller

Young Adult Thriller

June 2nd

 

#5

The Heart of Betrayal

Mary E. Pearson

Young Adult Fantasy

July 7th

 

#4

All Fall Down

Ally Carter

Young Adult Mystery

January 27th

 

#3

Saint Anything

Sarah Dessen

Young Adult Contemporary

May 5th

 

#2

The Winner's Crime

Marie Rutkoski

Young Adult Fantasy

March 3rd

 

#1

Ice Like Fire

Sara Raasch

Young Adult Fantasy

 2015

 

 

 

What books are you all eagerly awaiting this year?

Tell me in the comments below!

 

 

 

 

Top 14 Books Of 2014!

 

2014 was an exceptional year of books! It was full of outstanding debuts and new series and highly anticipated sequels and favorite authors. I surprised myself by falling in love with multiple fantasy books and of course read my fair share of contemporary. It was hard to narrow it down to my top 14 but all of these books deserve it and are must reads. Thank you 2014 and I can't wait to see what 2015 brings!

 

 

#14

The Impossible Knife of Memory

Laurie Halse Anderson

 

#13

Winterspell

Claire Legrand

 

#12

Prisoner of Night and Fog

Anne Blankman

 

#11

We Were Liars

E. Lockhart

 

#10

Open Road Summer

Emery Lord

 

#9

Falling into Place

Amy Zhang

 

#8

Faking Normal

Courtney C. Stevens

 

#7

The Kiss of Deception

Mary E. Pearson

 

#6

Rites of Passage

Joy N. Hensley

 

#5

Don't Look Back

Jennifer L. Armentrout

 

#4

Snow Like Ashes

Sara Raasch

 

#3

The Unbound

Victoria Schwab

 

#2

The Winner's Curse

Marie Rutkoski

 

AND

MY

FAVORITE

BOOK

OF

2014

IS....

 

 

 

#1

Since You've Been Gone

Morgan Matson

 

 

Happy New Year Everyone!

Review: Rites of Passage

Title: Rites of Passage

Author: Joy N. Hensley

Pages: 416

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Publisher: Harper Teen

Publication Date: September 9th 2014

 

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Sam McKenna’s never turned down a dare. And she's not going to start with the last one her brother gave her before he died.

So Sam joins the first-ever class of girls at the prestigious Denmark Military Academy. She’s expecting push-ups and long runs, rope climbing and mud-crawling. As a military brat, she can handle an obstacle course just as well as the boys. She's even expecting the hostility she gets from some of the cadets who don’t think girls belong there. What she’s not expecting is her fiery attraction to her drill sergeant. But dating is strictly forbidden and Sam won't risk her future, or the dare, on something so petty...no matter how much she wants him.

As Sam struggles to prove herself, she discovers that some of the boys don’t just want her gone—they will stop at nothing to drive her out. When their petty threats turn to brutal hazing, bleeding into every corner of her life, she realizes they are not acting alone. A decades-old secret society is alive and active… and determined to force her out.
At any cost.

Now time's running short. Sam must decide who she can trust...and choosing the wrong person could have deadly consequences.  

 

Review:

I usually like to start out a review with some descriptive line but in this case nothing will be able to describe this phenomenal read, so I will just say you have to go buy this book now. If you love contemporary or strong female protagonists I guarantee you will  love this book too.

 

This is definitely a breath of fresh air in young adult contemporary. You don't see many books about military schools, especially ones about females. I loved the setting of the military school it added a whole new feel to the book. It was very intense and left me on the edge of my seat. I know this is just a stand alone but I would have loved to read another book taking place at this school, it was so well written.

 

The storyline was exceptional. It was able to cover so many bases in one story. You get to read about Sam and her life as a military brat. You get to see how it has affected her family and the struggles they are going through at home. The story follows Sam as she fights for the rights of females at the Denmark Military Academy and stands up for herself. And weaving through these storylines of real life issues and struggles you get an intriguing and dangerous mystery about a secret society. The story was well  crafted and blended and I loved every moment of the plot and each sub plot.

 

We all know in literature today it is hard to come across strong female role models as protagonists. Sam McKenna is one of the best I have seen to date. She stands up for herself, her family and friends, and what she believes in. She is a determined young woman who does not give up. Girls will love Sam and her story. She will inspire and motivate woman to act, believe, and stand up for what they want for themselves and the people around them.

 

This is one of the best debut novels I have seen in 2014. Hensley hit it out of the park. I cannot wait to see more from her in coming years and already know I will be picking up her next book immediately when it comes out.

Rites of Passage is a must read!

 

Waiting on Wednesday: Love and Other Theories

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill, over at Breaking the Spine, where we get to showcase upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating!

 

Title: Love and Other Theories 

Author: Alexis Bass

Publisher: HarperTeen

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

 

Synopsis via Goodreads:

 

If you want more, you have to give less.

That’s the secret to dating in high school. By giving as little as they expect to get in return, seventeen-year-old Aubrey Housing and her three best friends have made it to the second semester of their senior year heartbreak-free. And it’s all thanks to a few simple rules: don’t commit, don’t be needy, and don’t give away your heart.

So when smoking-hot Nathan Diggs transfers to Lincoln High, it shouldn’t be a big deal. At least that’s what Aubrey tells herself. But Nathan’s new-boy charm, his kindness, and his disarming honesty throw Aubrey off her game and put her in danger of breaking the most important rule of all: Don’t fall in love.

 

 

 

 

COMING DECEMBER 31st

 

 

Review: The Truth About Alice

Title: The Truth About Alice

Author: Jennifer Mathieu

Pages: 208

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Publication Date: June 3rd 2014

 

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Everyone knows Alice slept with two guys at one party.

But did you know Alice was sexting Brandon when he crashed his car?

It's true. Ask ANYBODY.

Rumor has it that Alice Franklin is a slut. It's written all over the bathroom stall at Healy High for everyone to see. And after star quarterback Brandon Fitzsimmons dies in a car accident, the rumors start to spiral out of control.

In this remarkable debut novel, four Healy High students—the girl who has the infamous party, the car accident survivor, the former best friend, and the boy next door—tell all they know.

But exactly what is the truth about Alice? In the end there's only one person to ask: Alice herself.

 

 

REVIEW:

 The Truth about Alice covers tough topics that most people seem to overlook in todays society and it was a breath of fresh air to see these problems brought to readers attention. The book covers topics such as popularity but most importantly rumor and slut shaming. These topics, slut shaming specifically, are topics that tend to get shied away from. It made me really happy to see Mathieu take these issues head on and not hold back.

This book is told in multiple POV's which I always love. You get to see the story of Alice unraveling through many different people. You get to see their different perspectives and thoughts on Alice's situation. But at the same time you get to hear their stories. And then you get to hear from Alice herself on the very last chapter.

I did have problems with this book though. The biggest one being with the characters. A majority of the characters were just not likeable. It came to the point that they were bothersome to read and eventually not relatable. The book is only about 200 pages but felt very slow reading it. And once I got to the end I felt like there was no progress in the book. I also just have to say the ending really bugged me. The whole story is about Alice and then you get to the last chapter that is told from Alice's POV and I was so excited to hear her side of the story but then the whole chapter was focused on another character.

Overall the book was just okay. The characters agitated me and the story itself was a little boring. I do give credit to Mathieu though for taking on this subject because it is a matter in high school that should be brought to peoples attentions more often. The Truth About Alice is a brave and honest interpretation about wrongful incidents that go on in high school way too often that are overlooked.

Review: The Sound

Title: The Sound

Author: Sarah Alderson

Pages: 320

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publication Date: May 13th 2014

Genre: Young Adult Mystery

Synopsis via Goodreads:

When aspiring music journalist Ren Kingston takes a job nannying for a wealthy family on the exclusive island of Nantucket, playground for Boston's elite, she's hoping for a low-key summer reading books and blogging about bands. Boys are firmly off the agenda.

What she doesn't count on is falling in with a bunch of party-loving private school kids who are hiding some dark secrets, falling (possibly) in love with the local bad boy, and falling out with a dangerous serial killer...

Review:

The Sound follows Ren Kingston a teenage girl who takes a job nannying for a family in Nantucket for the summer. Throughout the summer Ren discovers secrets about the wealthy family's on Nantucket, may fall in love with somebody unexpected, and steps right into the path of a serial killer.

 

The sound is set in Nantucket making it the perfect atmosphere for a summer beach read. The setting added charm to the book. I also liked how Alderson showed us into the world of the wealthy Nantucket summer goers but also let us into the world of the year round locals. It added interesting contrast and diversity for the book.

 

I enjoyed the relationships in the book too. The growing chemistry between Ren and apparent bad boy Jesse added some nice steamy aspects to the book. Their banter and attitudes towards each other also added for some fun in their complicated relationship. Romance aside I also really enjoyed the relationships between Ren and the family she works for. I specifically loved the dynamic between Ren and Brodie, the little girl she nannies for. Ren helps her through bullying and in exchange Brodie says some rather funny things 4 years olds should not know about quite yet.

 

The characters themselves did not astound me though. I enjoyed Ren's music blogging and her music references but besides that nothing really stood out about her and she could come off as bland at times. There were also many characters that I wanted to reach into the book and smack around a bit by the end of the story, which is understandable in the context of this book.

 

My one real critique for this book is that there are actually two crimes happening in the book. This led to a lot of back and forth between storylines. It also made one of the crimes take a back seat and left it rushed and unsatisfying at the end. I wish Alderson had chosen one crime to focus the book around to make it more fully plotted and complete.

 

The Sound is a fast summer contemporary/mystery beach read filled with intrigue, a glimpse into the world of the wealthy, and romance.

 

 

 

Review: To All The Boys I've Loved Before

Title: To All The Boys I've Loved Before

 Author: Jenny Han

Pages: 368 

Publisher: Simon & Schuster 

Publication Date: April 15th 2014

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Goodreads Description 

What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them... all at once?

Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren't love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she's written. One for every boy she's ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean's love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

When I read the synopsis for To All The Boys I've Loved Before, I thought it was going to be this crazy fun and hilarious read. I thought Lara Jean was going to be having like fifteen different guys begging on their knees for her, professing their love. I expected some hilarious shenanigans would then ensue, but this did not happen. Only three boys actually received letters and they did not go crazy over her. The book turned out to be much more tamed and serious then I expected. I still liked the book, it is just a big book pet peeve of mine when the synopsis leads you in the wrong direction. 

I personally thought the book focused a lot more around family and family dynamics then it did Lara Jean's love life. I thoroughly loved the family dynamic though. This is one of the first books I have read where each member of the family is a fully developed character. I loved all the scenes with Lara Jean, her little sister Kitty, and their dad. I actually did not like her older sister Margot though. She really frustrated me and I personally thought she did nothing good for Lara Jean. 

The characters were fully developed but I actually did not find myself drawn to many of them. I found Lara Jean did not have much of a personality and that made me struggle with the books at times. The only  two characters I liked were her sassy little sister Kitty and her love interest Peter. Peter was by far the stand out character in the book. 

When you read this book you will get to the last page and be like, wait......that is how the book is ending! But do not worry there is going to be a second book! This ending will be resolved and we will see more of Peter and Lara Jean!

Overall I liked this book. I enjoyed the relationship between Peter and Lara Jean and found the family focus very refreshing. 

Review: The Promise of Amazing

Title: The Promise of Amazing
Author: Robin Constantine
Pages: 371
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

The Promise of Amazing follows the story of Wren and Grayson. Wren is ranked in the middle of her class and has spent her high school years as the quiet good girl but she is ready to change that. Grayson was the star of his private school until he was caught in the middle of a term paper selling job and was expelled. One night when Wren is working a wedding at her family's venue that Grayson is attending, he starts choking and Wren steps into save his life. Grayson is determined to get to know the girl who saved his life and along the way they might just fall in love.
There is one thing that always irritates me in the publishing industry and that is when a book comes out with a synopsis and then the book turns out to be something else. The book is about Wren and Grayson falling in love and how they help each other see the best in themselves but I almost felt like that was just a side story in the book. A big chunk of the book follows Grayson and his old friends from his private school who were all in on this scheme to make money to send them on this big trip after graduation. To make the money they stole from houses. They would actually find girls who had rich houses and get the girls to take them to their houses. They would flirt with the girls till they found out when they would not be home and then go back during that time and steal expensive belongings from the houses. Graysons ex-best friend does not want him to walk away from the plan. When he finds out that Grayson no longer wants anything to do with it he threatens to take Wren away from Grayson. Most of the book followed this story and this was never mentioned in the synopsis. I thought this would be a light fun read but it was not that.
Putting that aside it was not a bad book. It had its dull spots but it was interesting. If the synopsis had said something about the stealing scheme I would have been more on board with the book. There is nothing specifically bad I can say about this book it was just one of those books that just does not stand out. I liked reading it but it is one I probably will not think to mention in the coming years because it just had no lasting effect on me. I did like how it was told in alternating points of view though. It allowed me to see both sides of the story even though I lot of the plot evolved around Grayson.
Overall The Promise of Amazing it is an interesting read about teens who are trying to find their way out of their mistakes with an interesting twist and a hint of romance. I will not say this is a book you need to go out and buy because it is not a must read but if you are looking for a new contemporary novel to try out to pass the time give this one a shot.

Review: Faking Normal

Title: Faking Normal

Author: Courtney C. Stevens

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: February 25th 2014

Genre: Contemporary 

Pages: 321

Faking Normal follows the story of Alexi Littrell who refuses to tell anyone what happened to her over the summer. Alexi does her best to seem normal and copes by hiding in her closet and scratching the back of her neck. Then, Bodee Lennox comes to live with her family and she discovers a new friend who starts to help her realize that what happened to her is not her fault. Bodee starts to help Alexi heal herself and see that not everybody is going to take from you.
Contemporary novels used to be my favorite, but for some reason in the past year I have struggled to find many that speak to me the way one should. Faking Normal is the type of contemporary novel I have always loved. This is one of the books that you will pick up and by the time you put it down their will be a moment where you just sit and digest everything you have just read because I swear that this book will speak to you.
Faking Normal is one of those books that even if you cannot relate to the specific event in the book you can relate to the emotions. Everyone goes through some type of pain in their life where they bottle it up inside of themselves. In the book Alexi keeps her story to herself and pretends to act normal as a result she thinks there is something wrong with herself. This book made me feel for Alexi but it also made me feel for myself and in my opinion that is what makes an excellent contemporary read.
Courtney C. Stevens has one of those easy flowing writing voices. Her writing flowed from one page to the next and I never felt like there was a stall or dull point in the text. She wrote with a beautiful simplicity that was filled with a lot of emotion.Stevens was also fantastic at creating characters. Alexi and Bodee were perfect together and as individuals. Alexi is a character that you can really relate to and Bodee is the perfect remedy for a broken soul. I sure hope there is a Bodee out there for every girl.
When you combine the writing, characters, emotions, and message this becomes the perfect contemporary read. Courtney C. Stevens is a new YA author to look out for.
Faking Normal is the next book you should read.

Review: How My Summer Went Up in Flames

Title: How My Summer Went Up in Flames

Author: Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

Genre: Contemporary 

Pages: 307

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publication Date: May 7th 2013

“I cover my eyes with both hands. I think I'm either going to vomit or cry. At the moment, I can't decide which would make me feel better. I part my fingers to look at Matty. "It was only a few emails and texts."
"A few?"
"And maybe I showed up at ShopRite once or twice when he was getting off work.
"Good way to keep busy after a breakup. Hoping incarceration would fill those empty hours?" Matty says.” 
― Jennifer Salvato Doktorski, How My Summer Went Up in Flames

Review:

How My Summer Went Up in Flames follows the story of Rosie. Rosie's ex-boyfriend, Joey has just recently cheated on her and when she sees him with his new bimbo girlfriend she goes and lights a box of all the things he's ever given her on his driveway but his car by accident goes up in flames in the process. Before she knows it Rosie is given a temporary restraining order from Joey and to keep her out of trouble her parents send her on a road trip with their next door neighbor, Matty and his two friends Spencer and Logan. Rosie sets off on the road and she soon realizes this trip might not be as bad as she though it was going to be.

How My Summer Went Up in Flames was a fun summer read but that was all it was. It was enjoyable, funny, and a great teen girl summer read. There was nothing very special about it though. I was hoping for this to be a stand out summer read from the interesting and unique synopsis on the back cover, I mean what other book has a girl getting a restraining order for almost blowing up her ex boyfriends car, sadly it didn't pull through for me though. It was still a funny summer read though and I would suggest it as a vacation read for a teen girl who likes road trip themed novels.

The best part of the book was the characters and their chemistry, especially the four who went on the road trip together. The three guys always were sarcastically funny with Rosie and by the end of the trip they all genuinely cared about each other. These four characters worked very well together and it made the road trip aspect of the book work better. The authors writing in this book was good too. Her writing was rather funny a lot of the time but she was also able to incorporate heartfelt moments into the theme of the book too and I enjoyed that through out the book. 

Overall it was good book, it just didn't completely my hook me for some reason. I feel like the author got me really excited for the book through the blurb on the book but then did not run with the unique parts of the story enough and it just turned out to be another regular road trip book.

How My Summer Went Up in Flames is a funny book with great characters and is a good book to take on a vacation

About the Author: Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

In addition to writing for teens, I’m a freelance writer who has written articles and essays for national publications including, Cosmopolitan. I think I’ve always wanted to be a writer even though I often referred to my college major in English as “PreLaw” because it held the promise that I might actually find work someday.

As it turns out, I did find work. My first paid writing gig was as an editorial assistant for the North Jersey Herald & News, where, in addition to developing a life-long passion for coffee and news, I wrote obituaries for eight months. I’ve also worked as a speech writer, bank teller, ghostwriter, bookkeeper in a lampshade factory, pet shop clerk, and music zine editor.

Check out more bout her and her books here

Summary from Goodreads

First she lost her heart. Then she lost her mind. And now she’s on a road trip to win back her ex. This debut novel’s packed with drama and romance!

Rosie’s always been impulsive. She didn’t intend to set her cheating ex-boyfriend’s car on fire. And she never thought her attempts to make amends could be considered stalking. So when she’s served with a temporary restraining order on the first day of summer vacation, she’s heartbroken—and furious.

To put distance between Rosie and her ex, Rosie’s parents send her on a cross-country road trip with responsible, reliable neighbor Matty and his two friends. Forget freedom of the road, Rosie wants to hitchhike home and win back her ex. But her determination starts to dwindle with each passing mile. Because Rosie’s spark of anger? It may have just ignited a romance with someone new…

Review: September Girls

Title: September Girls

Author: Bennett Madison

Genre: Fantasy/Contemporary

Pages: 352

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: May 21st 2013

Source: Library

 

P.S. I LOVE this book cover.

 

“The world rushes through us. We are peaceful. We are as deep and black as space. Staring up at the stars, we see only our own image reflected back at us.

We are infinite and we are ravenous.”

 ― Bennett Madison, September Girls

 

Review:

Interesting? Strange? Odd? Unique? I am having a very hard time trying to pick a word to describe September Girls by, Bennett Madison. I have honestly never read a book like this before. This book left me breathless.

September Girls follows the story of Sam, a 17 year old boy whose father has forced him and his brother, Jeff, to stay in a small house on the beach for the summer. When Sam arrives he knows this town is anything but normal. Everywhere he looks there are blonde girls walking around who look too familiar to not be related and for some reason they all seem to be drawn to him. Soon he meets DeeDee, one of the mysterious girls in this town and as they fall for each other he will discover the secrets surrounding this strange little beach town.

Before I get on to the rest of my review I just want to warn some people about the content of the book. I personally think this book should have been categorized as a new adult or at least mature YA. I definitely has language in it and a few mature scenes. I personally did not have a problem with it since I do read New Adult but I do know that some people prefer to keep content more PG so I thought I would just point it out.

This book did not turn out to be how I expected it to be. It was even better. From the synopsis I thought it was going to be this fantasy mystery but it was so much more. I honestly believe that this was a coming of age story with magic weaved through it. But it was written in a way that the message was not straight forward, it was an underlying idea throughout the context of the story and I thought that made the book so much more powerful. This is a book about identity, finding your way, and first love. This novel is like nothing else you will find in the book world. It is unique, moving, beyond mesmerizing, daring, and coated in the works of a masterpiece. This book has a way of drawing you in and captivating you in the pages till the last word.

I have not been able to get this book out of my head since I finished reading it. The book pulled me under till the very last word.

I can guarantee you September Girls is a book that will stay with you long after you finish the last page and people will be talking about for years to come.

About the Author: Bennett Madison
Bennett Madison is the author of several books for teenagers, including The Blonde of the Joke (HarperTeen 2009) and September Girls (HarperTeen 2013). He has also written a few other books and some other things here and there.
He grew up in Takoma Park, Maryland, went to Sarah Lawrence College, and lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Check out his website

Review: Life After Theft

Title: Life After Theft

Author: Aprilynne Pike

Genre: Contemporary/Paranormal

Pages: 352

Publication Date: April 30th 2013

Publisher: Harper Teen

Source: Library

 

Review:

I was a huge fan of Aprilynne Pike's Wings series, so when I saw this book come out I knew I had to read it. And just as I expected, once again Pike did not disappoint. Life After Theft follows the story of Jeff, a teenage boy who has just recently moved from Phoenix to California. On his first day at his new High school he meets Kimberlee Schaffer, but she is a ghost and he is the only person who can see her. Kimberlee died a year ago when she drowned in the ocean and ever since she has been st...more I was a huge fan of Aprilynne Pike's Wings series, so when I saw this book come out I knew I had to read it. And just as I expected, once again Pike did not disappoint. Life After Theft follows the story of Jeff, a teenage boy who has just recently moved from Phoenix to California. On his first day at his new High school he meets Kimberlee Schaffer, but she is a ghost and he is the only person who can see her. Kimberlee died a year ago when she drowned in the ocean and ever since she has been stuck on earth as a ghost. She believes that to move onto the after life she has to right her wrongs and since Jeff is the only one who can see her, she ropes him into helping her with her unfinished business. Jeff and Kimberlee then set out on a whirlwind adventure together trying to return all of the tons and tons of things she stole from her fellow peers. Life After Theft has everything you could want in a book. It was funny, sincere, and at times heart wrenching. The book had adventure, friendship, romance, and also dealt with the struggles of bullying. Pike miraculously fit all of these aspects into this book without making it confusing or overwhelming, making a great quick read. She was also able to write in a way (that you may have experienced in her Wings series) that captivates you and before you know it you've read the whole book. Pike has a way with creating characters. There wasn't one character in this book I did not like. Even Kimberlee who had done some horrendous things and could come across as harsh and selfish won me over. My favorite character was the narrator, Jeff. He was a loving nerd, dressed in vintage t-shirts and converse. His strength was definitely his heart. He honestly just wanted everybody to be happy. Jeff is one of the most genuinely good natured characters I have read. I was also a fan of Jeff and his girlfriend, Sarah's, relationship. I shipped them since the moment they met each other. The only downside this book had was the ending. The whole book was perfectly paced but the ending of it put an end to that trend. The ending just seemed very abrupt and left me with a feeling of I missed something. Life After Theft is a great, fast paced, book bound together with a blending line of genres. It will definitely please any Apriylnne Pike fan and if you haven't read her before, come hop on the Aprilynne Pike train because it is one you do not want to miss out on. 4 Stars ****



Review: Our Song

Title: Our Song

Author: Jordanna Fraiberg

Genre: Contemporary

Pages: 352

Publisher: Razorbill

Publication Date: May 2nd 2013

Source: Library

Review:

Our Song was a fast and easy read that delved into the theme of figuring out how to cope with hard experiences.

Our Song follows the story of Olive, a senior in high school who has just gotten out of the hospital after being in a car accident. Throughout the book Olive has a hard time dealing with and understanding that she died in the accident but was luckily revived by the paramedics. Transitioning back into her home life is made difficult for her when she is placed as an outcast in her own town because the community thinks her accident was actually an attempted suicide. When her mom forces her to go to a support group she picks one for people who have had near death experiences. At her first meeting is where she meets Nick. She is immediately feels a deep connection with him and soon they embark on different adventures together all over the place. With Nick everything from Olive's life seems to just melt away and her world seems so much brighter. But what is Nick keeping from Olive? Olive's world has been turned upside down but Olive will soon see that she might not want to go back to the girl she once was and that she wants to start a new life as a new and improved Olive.

This book started off slow for me. I originally unsure if I made the right decision choosing this book. But once Nick was introduced things started to pick up. Fun and adventures started to finally happen in the book and I started to enjoy it. But I do have to admit that the scenes with Nick were the only ones that really kept me completely intrigued. Thankfully there were enough of them to keep me turning the pages

.
At first I did not like Olive's character. She seemed very weak and desperate at times and it just did not work for her. But once she started to involve into a strong young woman I really grew to like her. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Olive evolve as a person. I also liked how a lot her growth came from being with Nick. Nick and Olive really helped bring out the best in each other and I think that really added to their chemistry. I will come right out and say that I loved Nick. I though he was complete swoon worthy. He was hot and mysterious and very flirty at times. He drew me in and was by far my favorite character in the book.

One thing that did bother me in the book was the superficial world that Olive lived in. I know part of the book was Olive growing up to realize that these things were not important and that she could be better than this and wanted better than this but it still bothered me at times. For example Olive's ex-boyfriend, I could not stand him he was very full of himself and acted like he knew everything. And then people in the town she lived in, in general were just very stuck up and worried with their appearance and concerned with how everyone they were associated with reflected them. I would never want to live in her town.

Our Song is quick read about starting over, finding your way in life, and finding who you are.

 

4 Stars****

Most Anticipated Books of August 2013

I am very excited for this upcoming month. There is a fantastic group of 8 books coming out this month that I am extra excited for. There is a wide variety of young adult books this august including, eerie books guaranteed to haunt you, a good old contemporary, a mind boggling book of twist and turns, a book that has been being hyped up by bloggers for almost a year now, and a highly anticipated sequel.  

 

#8

Asylum by, Madeleine Roux

Asylum is a thrilling horror book of haunting ghosts.

#7

The Dark Between by, Sonia Gensler

The Dark Between is another paranormal August read of ghosts.

#6

The Infinite Moment of Us by, Lauren Myracle

The Infinite Moment of Us is a heart pounding story of first love.

#5

The Beginning of Everything by, Robyn Schneider

The Beginning of Everything is a classic young adult contemporary book.

#4

Just Like Fate by, Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young

Just Like Fate is a mind boggling story of deciding your fate.

#3

The Sound by, Sarah Alderson

The Sound is an intense mystery thriller.

#2

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by, April Genevieve Tucholke

Between the Devil and The Deep Blue Sea is an eerie read that has been on every bloggers to read list.

#1

Untold by, Sarah Rees Brennan

Untold is the highly anticipated sequel in the Lynburn Legacy series.

 

 

What books are you all most anticipating this month?