Illusive (Mini Book Review)

Illusive (Illusive #1)
Emily Lloyd Jones

Hardcover, 416 pages

Published July 15th 2014 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

 

When the MK virus swept across the planet, a vaccine was created to stop the epidemic, but it came with some unexpected side effects. A small percentage of the population developed superhero-like powers. Seventeen-year-old Ciere Giba has the handy ability to change her appearance at will. She's what's known as an illusionist...She's also a thief.

After a robbery goes awry, Ciere must team up with a group of fellow super-powered criminals on another job that most would consider too reckless. The formula for the vaccine that gave them their abilities was supposedly destroyed years ago. But what if it wasn't?

The lines between good and bad, us and them, and freedom and entrapment are blurred as Ciere and the rest of her crew become embroiled in a deadly race against the government that could cost them their lives.

 

Review:

 

The X-Men meets Ocean's Eleven in this edge-of-your-seat sci-fi adventure about a band of "super" criminals.

Captioned as X-Men meets Ocean's Eleven is SPOT ON! However I would also include Ally Carter's Heist Society series in the mix, as I believe if you loved that series you would love this book.

I discovered and read through this entire book in 24 hours. It was THAT GOOD!

Illusive is a book about a virus that sweeps across America, Scientists do come up with a vaccine for this virus, however, unfortunately, this vaccine has side effects that give some people rather peculiar abilities.

The main character, Ciere Giba, has the ability to illusion herself and her surroundings. (How cool is that!) BUT, (there is always a but in there isn't there) her ability also makes her a target. Both to the government, and other private installations that either want to lock her up, or use her has a weapon.

This (obviously) creates some problems for Ciere.


I would not call this book an amazing work of fiction, I wasn't super invested or emotionally attached to the characters. However, HEISTS AND SUPERPOWERS!!! This book is AWESOME!


Everything works. There wasn't anything in here that just absolutely did not make sense, the characters were well developed, and I had the pleasure of getting to the end of my e-book and finding out there is a sequel! Something that will most likely give me the emotional investment in the characters that I was missing in this first book.

I totally recommend this book!

Forget Me (Book Review)

Forget Me
K. A. Harrington

Hardcover, 288 pages

Published August 7th 2014 by Putnam Juvenile

An edge-of-your seat psychological thriller with a romantic twist

On the three-month anniversary of her boyfriend Flynn’s death, Morgan uploads her only photo of him to FriendShare to get some closure—but she’s shocked when the facial recognition software suggests she tag him as "Evan Murphy." She’s never heard of Evan, but a quick search tells her that he lives in a nearby town and looks exactly like Flynn. Only this boy is very much alive.

Digging through layers of secrets and lies, Morgan is left questioning everything she thought she knew about her boyfriend, her town, and even her parents' involvement in this massive web of lies.




Review:


The synopsis of this book sounds fantastic. The tag line "An edge-of-your seat psychological thriller with a romantic twist" sounds like just something I would LOVE.....But still, I was pretty unsure about it.

Morgan's character felt a bit undeveloped throughout Forget Me, her character is definitely not the strong point of the book. However, she is still a believable character with interesting characteristics (such as being a photographer). The romance in this book didn't feel too rushed like I worried it might be, I think that the build up to it was great.

The beginning of Forget Me moves very quickly (almost too quickly) but still enjoyable and with enough information to build a believable and interesting plot for the rest of the book. The writing in Forget Me reminded me of what I would find in a Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys book, simple, easy to understand, not too much "blah, blah, blah, that I tend to find in a lot of thrillers. So, if you like Nancy Drew books, I would definitely recommend Forget Me.

How to read books FOR FREE!

If you clicked on this blog post to find out ways and websites to illegally download pirated e-books for free, you are completely out of luck.

I am the kind of person that actually doesn't buy THAT many books. Sure, I have my favorite authors books. I just don't buy every single book I read. AND THAT IS OK!
I LOVE supporting authors (hence my blog) because authors are amazing. I just don't buy every single book.

SOOOOO I GIVE YOU............

Em's fool proof way to LEGALLY download, borrow, or otherwise obtain awesome books of all genres.

DIGITAL Library borrowing systems otherwise known as Overdrive.com
Overdrive is a system in which libraries can buy E-books, and lend them to their patrons for the low price of $0.  Overdrive boasts on their website that they serve 30,000 libraries in over 40 countries, so chances are they do serve your neighborhood library.
Also, if your library is on the top of their game. They may have pre-ordered the e-book. And, if so, you can get it THE SECOND it is released!!!

BORROW it from a friend. This may seem pretty obvious, but, if you are good with books I would definitely recommend asking a friend to borrow their copy! Chances are you know someone who has a copy of the book you DESPERATELY want to read. And, chances are, (if you promise to treat their book like a million dollars) they will share the love and let you borrow their copy.

Watch for Kindle/Nook/Kobo/WhateverDigitalReadingDeviceYouOwn sales and freebies.
I know that I acquired a copy of Jennifer L Armentrout's Obsidian FOR FREE through one of these, so just watch out for the books you really want to read and you may get lucky!


So there you go. 3 fool proof ways to get books completely free.

So, I am sure there are a lot of ways that I am missing, so PLEASE leave your recommendations for acquiring free books LEGALLY in the comments below!

Summer Reading with Melanie Dickerson

Melanie Dickerson writes some of my favorite Fairy Tale Retellings! (Seriously though, they are awesome and I recommend every single one of them!)

Today I have a post authored by Melanie exactly about (you guessed it) SUMMER READING!

Summer Reading

By Melanie Dickerson

 

When I was a kid in the 1970s and ‘80s, I loved to read, and I read a lot during the

summer—when I wasn’t climbing trees, building forts, or riding motorcycles with my

I grew up in a rural area of south Alabama about 50 miles from Harper Lee’s

hometown of Monroeville, the basis for the setting of To Kill a Mockingbird. The school

I attended had a very small library with mostly classics, many of them so old their pages

were yellowed, sometimes had a little mold on the edges, and a few holes where rats had

eaten them. That kind of thing didn’t bother me, as long as all the words were there.

In the summer, it was a little harder to get books. We were relatively poor, but I

would save up my allowance to buy books through the Scholastic order forms we got at

school. Then I would re-read the books over the summer. My mother did sometimes take

me to the library, not in our tiny hometown, which did not have a library, but in another

nearby town, Georgiana. It was also very small and was only open maybe three days a

After borrowing my school library’s copy of Gone With the Wind a few times, I

bought my own and re-read it every summer when I was a teenager. Since there were no

book stores in our area, I joined a mail order “book club” and started ordering books from

there. But I also started writing, and I can remember writing my first novel at the age of

13 in a notebook, then typing it on a typewriter, sitting at the kitchen table. I can

remember my thighs sweating on the fake leather chairs in the Alabama heat. But seeing

my stack of typewritten pages and knowing this was a story I had created was a

Summers were wonderful. I was free to lie around on the couch and read as much

as I wanted to—in between my chores of shelling peas, washing dishes, and hanging out

clothes on the clothesline. Reading could take me away from life and transport me

somewhere just a bit more exciting, like the high seas in Rafael Sabatini’s The Sea-Hawk,

or the French political intrigues and fight scenes of The Three Musketeers by Alexander

Dumas. As I grew older, I could imagine myself as an ordinary-young-woman-turned-

romance-heroine, like Lizzie Bennet in Pride and Prejudice or Anne in Anne of Green

Gables or Jo March in Little Women or Jane in Jane Eyre.

I grew up reading the classics. My own children these days don’t have much

patience for the outdated language and slower pace of these old classics, but I’m not sorry

that these were the staples of my library, and therefore, of my childhood reading.

 

Be sure to check out Melanie's books this summer if you haven't ever read them!

The Healers Apprentice is Sleeping Beauty, The Merchants Daughter is Beauty and the Beast, The Fairest Beauty is Snow White, The Captive Maiden in Cinderella and The Princess Spy is The Frog Prince. (And I did that by memory so if I am wrong please correct me in the comments below!)

I have not read The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest yet but I believe that it is a Swan Lake and Robin Hood retelling!

 

 

Out Now:

 

 

Coming Soon:

 

 

 

Summer Reading with Katie Cotugno

Summer Reading Extravaganza with Katie Cotugno

In case you don't know already,  Katie is the author of How to Love (which I have personally read and enjoyed) and 99 Days (which I have not read yet). 

 

Today I have an awesome interview with Katie!

 

-Did you participate in library summer reading programs?

I did, every summer when I was a kid! And then when I was in high school and college I worked in a library and helped run them. 

 

-Did you write any of your books over the summer?

 I wrote 99 DAYS in 99 days, as a matter of fact! But it was summer into fall. 

 

-Top 5 book recommendations for summer?

Barbara Kingsolver's Prodigal Summer, Sarah Dessen's The Truth About Forever, Nina LaCour's Everything Leads to You, Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Ann Brashares's Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

 

-Why do you write YA contemporary and not fantasy/paranormal/adult?

I do write some adult, actually! But the draw of realistic contemporary has always been that I'm interested in exploring problems or issues I've bumped up against in my own life, or that my readers bump up against in theirs. 

 

 

 

About Katie:

Katie Cotugno went to Catholic school for thirteen years which makes her, as an adult, both extremely superstitious and prone to crushes on boys wearing blazers. She routinely finds herself talking about the romantic endeavors of characters on TV shows as if they actually exist in the world.
Katie is a Pushcart Prize nominee whose work has appeared in The Iowa Review, The Broadkill Review, The Apalachee Review, and Argestes, as well as on Nerve.com. Her first novel, HOW TO LOVE, is out now from Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins. 99 DAYS will follow next spring.
The great loves of Katie's life include child's pose, her little sister, and mozzarella and honey sandwiches. She lives in Boston with her husband, Tom

 

Katie's Social Media Links:

 

Goodreads  Website  Twitter

 

 

Katie's Books:

 

 

Summer Reading Interview with Jennifer E Smith

Jennifer E Smith is one of my all-time favorite authors, and she also writes some of my favorite contemporary fiction. I am SO EXCITED to have an interview with her here on the blog about summer reading and writing contemporary books!

 

-Did you participate in library summer reading programs?

Are you kidding?  I was obsessed with the summer reading programs at my library when I was growing up. I remember one summer, there was a Wizard of Oz theme, and for every book you read, you got a construction paper footprint with your name and the title, and you got to stick it onto the giant yellow brick road that wound around the walls of the children's section. I can't even tell you how many footprints I added that year, but I'm sure the librarians were a bit overwhelmed by my enthusiasm!  

 

-Did you write any of your books over the summer?

Yes, I've written many of my books over the summer (which is probably why so many of them end up being set during that particular season).

 

-Top 5 book recommendations for summer?

Anything by Sarah Dessen, Stephanie Perkins, Jenny Han, John Green and Gayle Forman.

 

-Why do you write YA contemporary and not fantasy/paranormal/adult?

I love reading across all genres, but in terms of my own writing, I've always gravitated more toward realistic fiction. I'm not exactly sure why, to be honest.  Maybe it's because I read more of it when I was a kid.  I think it's a bit like being left or right handed.  There are a few lucky people who are able to do both, but for most of us, one or the other just comes more naturally.  And for me, it's always been contemporary.

 

 

If you have not read Jennifer's books then this summer is the perfect time to pick one up!

 

Available Now:

 

 

    

 

Coming Soon:

 

 

 

About Jennifer:

Jennifer E. Smith is the author of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, The Storm Makers, You Are Here, and The Comeback Season. She earned her master's degree in creative writing from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and currently works as an editor in New York City. Her writing has been translated into 28 languages.

 

Goodreads Twitter  Website

Summer Reading with Jodi Meadows

Summer Reading with Jodi Meadows

I have only read The Orphan Queen from Jodi Meadows, however, hopefully I will change that this summer as her Incarnate series is on my to-read list! The Orphan Queen is now one of my favorite fantasy books, and I am super excited to read The Mirror King coming next year!

Below you can read a post done by Jodi herself on how she came up with the names and titles in The Orphan Queen.

 

Naming Things

By Jodi Meadows

 

For me, naming things is a huge challenge. Unless something

comes with a name right away (and sometimes that happens!), it

can take days or weeks or months of searching for just the right

thing.

The Indigo Kingdom named itself. I was lucky there. So did Aecor. I

didn't really have to fight my brain for either of them, or Liadia and

Laurel­by­the­Sea (two other kingdoms in the world). (Though

Laurel­by­the­Sea was definitely named after my editor.)

Which brings me to . . . stealing names. Friends, family, and

strangers on the internet: no one is safe. Sometimes I ask if I'm

going to name a villain after a friend, but often they're pretty

surprised to find themselves there later. You'll find lots of friends on

the map in THE ORPHAN QUEEN. Hand River? Ashton River?

Bow River? Cynthia, Brodi, and Erin (Bowman) respectively. There

are tons of others hiding in the stories!

But I don't just steal from people. I also steal from places. The map

probably looks suspiciously like Virginia. (Shocking!) I pulled

several names from the Shenandoah National Park, like

Greenstone (a type of stone found there), Thornton, Hawksbill. . . .

I had Blackrock, but apparently I had a lot of things that were black

(Black Knife, Black Flag, and more . . .) and it was suggested that I

branch out to different colors.

Even naming the Ospreys was kind of stealing. I researched birds

of prey for that area, found ospreys, and declared it the national

bird of Aecor right then and there. And thus, the rag­tag gang of

orphaned nobles had a name.

Finally, there's the hard way. Flipping through baby name sites.

Writing lists of words that fit with the themes and symbols I'm trying

to show. General stressing. Harassing friends to name things for

me. Crying. Eating chocolate. Usually, when I'm really desperate

and thinking this thing shall remain nameless for the rest of its days

­­ that's when my brain provides something.

Brains can be so cruel.

Out Now:

 

 

Coming Soon:

 

 

About Jodi:

Jodi Meadows lives and writes in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, with her husband, a Kippy*, and an alarming number of ferrets. She is a confessed book addict, and has wanted to be a writer ever since she decided against becoming an astronaut. She is the author of the INCARNATE Trilogy and the forthcoming ORPHAN QUEEN Duology (HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen). Visit her at www.jodimeadows.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Social Media Links:

 

Goodreads  Website  Twitter

 

 

 

Summer Reading with Cheyanne Young + GIVEAWAY!

I have only had the pleasure of reading 1 of Cheyanne's books, (which you can win a copy of below!) But I REALLY enjoyed it! Below you can find some books that Cheyanne recommends you read this summer.

Cheyanne Young’s top 5 Summer Reads

 

1. Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen
Colie expects the worst when she’s sent to spend the summer with her eccentric
aunt Mira while her mother, queen of the television infomercial, tours Europe. Always
an outcast — first for being fat and then for being “easy” — Colie has no friends at
home and doesn’t expect to find any in Colby, North Carolina. But then she lands a
job at the Last Chance Cafe and meets fellow waitresses Morgan and Isabel, best
friends with a loving yet volatile relationship. Wacky yet wise, Morgan and Isabel
help Colie see herself in a new way and realize the potential that has been there all
along.

Sarah Dessen is my favorite author, so I’d recommend every book of hers for every
occasion in your life. However, for the sake of other books, I’ll keep it to just this one.
Keeping the Moon is my favorite of Sarah Dessen’s books and it’s a perfect summer
read about making new friendships, new love interests, and finding out who you
really are.


2. Sugar by Deirdre Riordan Hall
I’m the fat Puerto Rican–Polish girl who doesn’t feel like she belongs in her
skin, or anywhere else for that matter. I’ve always been too much and yet not
enough.
Sugar Legowski-Gracia wasn’t always fat, but fat is what she is now at age
seventeen. Not as fat as her mama, who is so big she hasn’t gotten out of bed in
months. Not as heavy as her brother, Skunk, who has more meanness in him than
fat, which is saying something. But she’s large enough to be the object of ridicule
wherever she is: at the grocery store, walking down the street, at school. Sugar’s life
is dictated by taking care of Mama in their run-down home—cooking, shopping, and,
well, eating. A lot of eating, which Sugar hates as much as she loves.
When Sugar meets Even (not Evan—his nearly illiterate father misspelled his
name on the birth certificate), she has the new experience of someone seeing her
and not her body. As their unlikely friendship builds, Sugar allows herself to think
about the future for the first time, a future not weighed down by her body or her
mother.
Soon Sugar will have to decide whether to become the girl that Even helps
her see within herself or to sink into the darkness of the skin-deep role her family
and her life have created for her.

I had the pleasure of getting an ARC of this book and it blew me away. Hands down
my favorite book of the year, and there’s something about it that makes you refuse to
put it down after you start reading. That’s why I’m recommending this book as a
summer read, because you’ll need to be out of school/work and any other
obligations before you start this powerful book.

3. The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
Money can't buy a good first impression.
Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers learned early that the rich are not to be
trusted. And after years of studying them from behind the cash register of her mom's
porcelain-doll shop, she has seen nothing to prove otherwise. Enter Xander
Spence—he's tall, handsome, and oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and the
fact that he seems to be one of the first people who actually gets her, she's smart
enough to know his interest won't last. Because if there's one thing she's learned
from her mother's warnings, it's that the rich have a short attention span. But just
when Xander's loyalty and attentiveness are about to convince Caymen that being
rich isn't a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their
relationship than she'd ever realized. With so many obstacles standing in their way,
can she close the distance between them?

Okay, yeah. There’s three books in this series, and they are all absolutely amazing.
They are what I consider the perfect first love story. I’m only recommending this one
because it’s the one I read first and that’s why it’s my favorite. THEY ARE ALL
AMAZING. The dialogue is witty and charming and the boy is swoony in all the best
ways. READ THIS BOOK.

4. I’ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios
If seventeen-year-old Skylar Evans were a typical Creek View girl, her future
would involve a double-wide trailer, a baby on her hip, and the graveyard shift at
Taco Bell. But after graduation, the only thing standing between straightedge Skylar
and art school are three minimum-wage months of summer. Skylar can taste the
freedom--that is, until her mother loses her job and everything starts coming apart.
Torn between her dreams and the people she loves, Skylar realizes everything she's
ever worked for is on the line.
Nineteen-year-old Josh Mitchell had a different ticket out of Creek View: the
Marines. But after his leg is blown off in Afghanistan, he returns home, a shell of the
cocksure boy he used to be.
What brings Skylar and Josh together is working at the Paradise--a quirky
motel off California's dusty Highway 99. Despite their differences, their shared
isolation turns into an unexpected friendship and soon, something deeper.

This book is dynamite!! In fact, don’t even read that summary because it doesn’t do
the book justice. Heather Demetrios became an instant read author for me with this
book. For the rest of my life, I will read anything she writes. She is a genius and the
boy in this book? You will love him.


5. Reap by Christina Channelle
Foreign, or rather unfamiliar, would be the word I would use to describe how I
felt.
Faintly, I could hear the glimmer of voices surrounding me in this dark haze,
caressing my ears like skin against silk. I felt like I was in a cocoon of sorts,
protectively enveloped, quietly drifting in some far-off place. I wanted to stay that
way forever.
But we all know that what you want never really seems to happen in the real
world.
Something’s not right in Mia’s head.
The first thing is that her name isn’t Mia. In fact, she has no clue what her
name is—who she is. All that she knows is that she’s not like the ones who found
her: Dante with his kind blue eyes, Amy with her child-like demeanor, James with his
questioning gaze.
And Briggs.
The one she cannot decipher no matter how hard she tries.
As Mia tries to fit in with these people, a strange occurrence is amidst
outside. And as she finally remembers who she is …
Well, let’s just say that things get a little more complicated.

This book is a novella, so I saved it for last. You’ll be all swooned out after reading
the first four books and this one will blow your mind. It is my favorite novella ever,
and I read it twice in one sitting. First because it was awesome, and secondly, to see
if I could find any clues leading up to the massively mind blowing twist at the end.
*hint* There are clues. See if you can find them!

About Cheyanne Young:

Cheyanne is a native Texan with a fear of cold weather and a coffee addiction that

probably needs an intervention. She loves books, sarcasm, nail polish and paid holidays.

She lives near the beach with her family, one spoiled rotten puppy and a cat that is

plotting to take over the world, one scratched up welcome mat at a time.

A recent day-job quitter, Cheyanne can be found furiously typing on her computer,

probably complaining on Twitter about how she should be writing. When she’s not

honing her procrastination skills, she’s writing books for teenagers. She is the author of

several books for teens and recently turned her love of superheroes and writing for teens

into books about teenage superheroes. POWERED is her first superhero book but it won't

be her last. Because POWERED is a trilogy. Duh.

 

You can find her online at www.CheyanneYoung.com or on Twitter @NormalChey

 

About Motocross Me

When Hana Fisher moves to the small town of Mixon, Texas to live with her dad, she
dreads having to work at the boring pile of dirt he fondly calls a motocross track. But
when she gets there, she finds the rinky-dink dirt bike track from her childhood has
grown into the most respected racing track in the state - not to mention it's just crawling
with hot, sweaty guys.
Now popular by association, Hana endures the pain and sweat of working in the summer
heat in order to fit in with a sport she’s growing to love. She gets a real family, a best
friend and not just one, but two of the fastest racers trying to win her heart.
When Hana abuses her status as the track owner’s daughter to help the gorgeous Ryan
Russo cheat in the biggest race of the year, she risks more than just losing her job. Every
good thing in her life is at stake now- her friends, her dad’s trust, and Ash Carter- the
kind-hearted racer who may not be as alluring as Ryan, but is proof that nice guys don’t
always finish last.


Enter the giveaway for a signed paperback below! Giveaway ends June 30th.

Top Ten Clues You're Clueless (Book Review)

Top Ten Clues You're Clueless

by Liz Czukas

Published December 9th 2014 by Harper Teen
Synopsis via Goodreads:
Top Five Things That Are Ruining Chloe’s Day

5) Working the 6:30 a.m. shift at GoodFoods Market

4) Crashing a cart into a customer’s car right in front of her snarky coworker Sammi

3) Trying to rock the “drowned rat” look after being caught in a snowstorm

2) Making zero progress with her crush, Tyson (see #3)

1) Being accused—along with her fellow teenage employees—of stealing upwards of $10,000

Chloe would rather be anywhere than locked in work jail (aka the break room) with five of her coworkers . . . even if one of them is Tyson. But if they can band together to clear their names, what looks like a total disaster might just make Chloe’s list of Top Ten Best Moments


Review:

This reminded me of the movie (I haven't read the book) Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Reasons?
This is pretty much the story of a girl (Chloe) having an awful day. EVERYTHING goes wrong.

The Characters:
I can't actually comment much on the characters, as you only get to spend a day with them. But I will say that that one day packed a big punch! I liked watching everything happen through Chloe's eyes, and honestly wish I had had more time with her. However, Chloe makes a pretty stupid decision (as a matter of fact more than one), but I do think that this was pretty realistic in terms of how old she was. Just be prepared to yell at Chloe at a few points in this book.
Also, if you are looking for a book with diverse characters, this is definitely one for you!

The Plot:
As I said above, the entire plot is just one very bad day. One very bad CHRISTMAS EVE day. Chloe has to work early, early in the morning Christmas Eve at a grocery store. Her day starts off terrible because she sleeps through her alarm, it continues being terrible through different incidents at work, and to top it all of, her and the other "minor" people who work at the grocery store are accused of stealing $10,000 (or about that).
I would call that a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
Also, the whole thing about the boss making Chloe and her friends stay at work even though it is CHRISTMAS EVE and even though there is no legal reason to make them stay there (they let the adult employees go home) REALLY bugged me. I mean COME ON. This is not OK to make the minor employees stay around and let all of the adult employees go home. And then something happens (sort of an emergency!!!) and they don't call an ambulance??? I just don't get it.
So, don't go into this expecting a realistic plot.
However, I was very entertained the entire book. At no point was I ever bored, and I definitely wanted to know what happened to that money (which made me read the entire book in one sitting).

Although this book was completely unrealistic, and I kept on yelling in my head at Chloe. Top Ten Clues You're Clueless was actually really entertaining. So, if you just want to be entertained, and are not looking for a realistic book, I would definitely recommend this one!

Joyride (ARC Review)

Joyride
Anna Banks

Hardcover, 288 pages

Expected publication: June 2nd 2015 by Feiwel & Friends

A popular guy and a shy girl with a secret become unlikely accomplices for midnight pranking, and are soon in over their heads—with the law and with each other—in this sparkling standalone from NYT-bestselling author Anna Banks.

It’s been years since Carly Vega’s parents were deported. She lives with her brother, studies hard, and works at a convenience store to contribute to getting her parents back from Mexico.

Arden Moss used to be the star quarterback at school. He dated popular blondes and had fun with his older sister, Amber. But now Amber’s dead, and Arden blames his father, the town sheriff who wouldn’t acknowledge Amber's mental illness. Arden refuses to fulfill whatever his conservative father expects.

All Carly wants is to stay under the radar and do what her family expects. All Arden wants is to NOT do what his family expects. When their paths cross, they each realize they’ve been living according to others. Carly and Arden’s journey toward their true hearts—and one another—is funny, romantic, and sometimes harsh.

Review:
I have conflicted feelings on Joyride. Joyride is definitely a diverse book, the main character Carly is Mexican. Her family is definitely a big plot point in this book. And I loved that part of it.
However, this book also lacked some things that I love to see in my books.

Starting with Carly, I really liked her character. She felt real, she was hard working, and she had a great loyalty to her family.
However, her character didn't go through much character development through the book. By the end of the book, it left me wondering, did Carly really change at all?

Moving to the romance, one word, rushed. I know that there is a plot point that makes Arden notice her. But it felt really sudden. Other than that, their romance is kind of cute. Arden obviously cares for her, and it was a nice romance. Just a bit rushed.

The plot is good, it has a great synopsis and some great things that you don't see in books often. And I really liked how those things were brought up. Tough subjects, but important. However, again, I do have a complain with the plot. And that is, some points are seriously unrealistic. Some things work out in Joyride, that probably wouldn't work out that way in real life.
So, after finishing Joyride, I did have conflicting feelings. In some ways, Joyride is an awesome, diverse book. In other ways, I just couldn't believe it, and it had a serious case of insta-love.
Joyride probably won't go on any favorite contemporary lists, but I would recommend this to someone looking for this kind of book. And I did enjoy reading it. I would probably give it a 3/5.

***I received an Advance Reading Copy of this book in exchange for a review. I was in no way compensated for this review***

Hold Me Like A Breath (ARC Review)

Hold Me Like a Breath (Once Upon a Crime Family #1)
Tiffany Schmidt

Expected publication: May 19th 2015 by Bloomsbury

Synopsis via Goodreads:
Penelope Landlow has grown up with the knowledge that almost anything can be bought or sold—including body parts. She’s the daughter of one of the three crime families that control the black market for organ transplants.

Penelope’s surrounded by all the suffocating privilege and protection her family can provide, but they can't protect her from the autoimmune disorder that causes her to bruise so easily.

And in her family's line of work no one can be safe forever.

All Penelope has ever wanted is freedom and independence. But when she’s caught in the crossfire as rival families scramble for prominence, she learns that her wishes come with casualties, that betrayal hurts worse than bruises, that love is a risk worth taking . . . and maybe she’s not as fragile as everyone thinks.  



Review:

The idea for this book is amazing. A crime family that sells black market organs AND a princess and the pea retelling?
It is a recipe for amazingness. And it worked, kind of.

The Characters:
Penelope Landlow (from now on known as Penny) is the only daughter to the crime family that sells black market organs. And she happens to have a health problem that makes her very fragile, the slightest touch can make her bruise (making this book apparently a Princess and the Pea retelling, but I feel like making this a Princess and the Pea retelling was a last minute thought because other than the health problems there really weren't all that other similarities.)
I couldn't connect to Penny. Half the time she drove me crazy, and I honestly could not get how she was so naïve. This alone wasn't enough to REALLY bug me though. Slight things here and here made me want to have a talk with her, but it wasn't that annoying. At least for the first half of the book. Her character went WAY downhill in the last half of the book. (Mostly because of something I can't reveal because it would be a spoiler)
I am not going to talk about the romance in this book because it would also spoil things. But there is a sort of love triangle, and a serious case of insta-love. Insta-love is one thing that I cannot stand. And this book has more than one case of it.

The Plot:
The plot felt a bit haphazard to me, like some things were thrown in at the last minute. The first half of the book (or so) was interesting and I was enjoying sort of liking it, but after that, I felt like everything went downhill fast. The book's pace changed, the entire book's plot changed, and it actually felt like the author changed. I am all for plot twists and game changers, but this just felt like the last half of the book came from a different book as the first half! To elaborate, the first half of the book was interesting and I was enjoying it. Then something big happened and suddenly I didn't understand anything and everything was messed up and it felt like one really really long paragraph with no punctuation whatsoever and like plot points were thrown in at the last minute and everything was SO MESSED UP.
There was a great story going here, and having it all fall apart like that was awful.

If I was rating this book on the first half alone, it probably would have ended up being something I would have recommended. Because I know that some of the things that bugged me in the first half were just pet peeves of mine. However, that last half ruined the book for me.  I have no idea why any of that happened and I still can't wrap my head around it.
I think that this is supposed to be a series, I'm not sure, but I probably will not continue.

Waiting On Wednesday (The Boy Most Likely To)

 

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

 

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is-

The Boy Most Likely To

(Companion to My Life Next Door)

Huntley Fitzpatrick

Expected publication: Fall 2015

 

 

 

Tim Mason was The Boy Most Likely To:
- find the liquor cabinet blindfolded
- need a liver transplant
- drive his car into a house

Alice Garrett was The Girl Most Likely To:
- well, not date her little brother’s baggage-burdened best friend, for starters.

For Tim, it wouldn’t be smart to fall for Alice. For Alice, nothing could be scarier than falling for Tim. But Tim has never been known for making the smart choice, and Alice is starting to wonder if the “smart” choice is always the right one. When these two crash into each other, they crash hard.

Then the unexpected consequences of Tim’s wild days come back to shock him. He finds himself in a situation that isn’t all it appears to be, that he never could have predicted . . . but maybe should have.

And Alice is caught in the middle.

Lion Heart (Book Review)

Lion Heart (Scarlet #3)
A. C. Gaughen

Expected publication: May 19th 2015 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

 

Check out my review of Lady Thief here.

There may be minor spoilers for Scarlet and Lady Thief below.

Imprisoned by Prince John for months, Scarlet finds herself a long way from Nottinghamshire. After a daring escape from the Prince's clutches, she learns that King Richard’s life is in jeopardy, and Eleanor of Aquitaine demands a service Scarlet can’t refuse: spy for her and help bring Richard home safe. But fate—and her heart—won’t allow her to stay away from Nottinghamshire for long, and together, Scarlet and Rob must stop Prince John from going through with his dark plans for England. They can not rest until he’s stopped, but will their love be enough to save them once and for all?





Review:
Scarlet and Lady Thief are two of my favorite historical fiction YA books ever!
So, Lion Heart as the final book in this trilogy, had HUGE shoes to fill.
And this ended up being one of the best endings to a trilogy that I have ever read.
I actually think that Lion Heart is my favorite book in the series
(a very rare thing for last books in a series)

Characters:
Scarlet is awesome (as usual) her character continues to be incredibly strong and I
absolutely love reading about her!
One complaint I do have with this book is that I wish that we could see Robin more,
but that definitely didn't ruin the book! (Just a wish of mine)
Other than Scarlet, Lion Heart shines through the secondary characters!
Allan's character is pure perfection! He is awesome, I loved his character in every way!
And Kate? Although she is barely mentioned in Lion Heart, I LOVE her character! She is amazing,
and I would read an entire book just about her! (*Pretty please?*)
Awesome romance, amazing main character, wonderful secondary characters...
No complaints at all with the building or portrayal of the characters!

The Plot:
I would recommend a re-read of Scarlet and Lady Thief before reading Lion Heart.
I believe that it would enhance your reading experience greatly, because I was a little
lost for the first few chapters.
Other than that, the plot  was just like the characters! Awesome!
There was a lot of crying involed in reading this book. SO AMAZING! Only when you read it will you understand.
Again, I do have a small complaint, I do of wish that there was one more chapter as an epilogue for Robin and Scarlet....
because I felt like their story had something missing in the end, maybe another chapter would have wrapped things up better
for me.

This is the kind of book that you read all the way through in one day, finish it, and then want to read all over again.
It was THAT good. Pure perfection in every way.
I don't give 5/5 stars out very often. But honestly, by the time I finished Lion Heart and was thinking about what rating it should get,
I couldn't think of anything else to give it. There was practically nothing lacking!
An awesome main character, a love interest that is perfect, brilliant secondary characters, terrible villains, and an awesome plot.
It was also really hard to say goodbye to these characters. I first read Scarlet a little while after release date in 2012.
After Scarlet, I waited the TWO WHOLE YEARS for Lady Thief, and read Scarlet again in anticipation.
I am planning on re-reading this entire series probably later this yet, when I can have all three books in hardcopy form.
So, yes, I recommend Scarlet, Lady Thief, and especially Lion Heart. READ THIS SERIES.

April Reading Wrap Up

April Reading Wrap Up

 

 

Favorite New-To-Me Book(s) I Read In April:

I don't think I have a "favorite" book or books of the month. I enjoyed all of my re-reads, and I really enjoyed both Lola and the Boy Next Door and The Start of Me and You!

 

 

 

Complete List of New-To-Me Books I Read This Month:

    
  

 

List of Re-Reads I Read This Month:

   

 

Novellas Read:

Happy Again was AMAZING!

Currently Reading:

 

 

Reading In 2015:

 

January: 30 Books. 1 Novella.

February: 17 Books. 1 Novella.

March: 21 Books.
April: 12 Books. 1 Novella

2015 Reading Goal: 83/150 Books Completed.

 

Waiting On Wednesday (Lois Lane: Fallout)

 

 

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

 

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is-

 

Lois Lane: Fallout (Lois Lane #1)

Gwenda Bond

Expected publication: May 1st 2015 by Switch Press

 

 

 Lois Lane is starting a new life in Metropolis. An Army brat, Lois has lived all over—and seen all kinds of things. (Some of them defy explanation, like the near-disaster she witnessed in Kansas in the middle of one night.) But now her family is putting down roots in the big city, and Lois is determined to fit in. Stay quiet. Fly straight. As soon as she steps into her new high school, though, she can see it won’t be that easy. A group known as the Warheads is making life miserable for another girl at school. They’re messing with her mind, somehow, via the high-tech immersive videogame they all play. Not cool. Armed with her wit and her new snazzy job as a reporter, Lois has her sights set on solving this mystery. But sometimes it’s all a bit much. Thank goodness for her maybe-more-than-a friend, a guy she knows only by his screenname, SmallvilleGuy

 

 

 

 

 

This actually isn't something I would normally read, but it sounds really good!

Lying Out Loud (ARC Review)

Lying Out Loud (Companion to The DUFF)
Kody Keplinger
Expected publication: April 28th 2015 by Scholastic Press


Sonny Ardmore is an excellent liar. She lies about her dad being in prison. She lies about her mom kicking her out. And she lies about sneaking into her best friend's house every night because she has nowhere else to go.

Amy Rush might be the only person Sonny shares everything with -- secrets, clothes, even a nemesis named Ryder Cross.

Ryder's the new kid at Hamilton High and everything Sonny and Amy can't stand -- a prep-school snob. But Ryder has a weakness: Amy. So when Ryder emails Amy asking her out, the friends see it as a prank opportunity not to be missed.

But without meaning to, Sonny ends up talking to Ryder all night online. And to her horror, she realizes that she might actually like him. Only there's one small catch: he thinks he's been talking to Amy. So Sonny comes up with an elaborate scheme to help Ryder realize that she's the girl he's really wanted all along. Can Sonny lie her way to the truth, or will all her lies end up costing her both Ryder and Amy?  


One thing I like about Kody Keplinger is her writing style is so clear. Her books are all so different with different characters and VERY different plots, but through all of that I can tell that it is Kody writing.
Lying Out Loud. Companion novel to The DUFF (which I really liked) (and no I have not seen the movie yet). In case you are like me (which was incredibly silly of me because I had just re-read The DUFF) and could not tell who Sonny and Amy were in The DUFF, Amy is Wesley's younger sister, Sonny is her best friend.

The Characters:
The book is told through Sonny's point of view. Sonny is a very troubled character, what with her Dad in prison and all. And she has mastered the art of lying. UNTIL, her lying starts to get her into trouble. Namely with the time that she was IMing (I didn't even know people still did that!) a guy named Ryder and Ryder thinks that she is Amy, and this causes ALL sorts of problems.
Sonny is somebody that I was shaking me head at for most of the book, I can understand why she was making all of the stupid decisions that she was, but I still couldn't believe that she was making those decisions. SERIOUSLY SONNY STOP!
One of my favorite things about this book was how much emphasis it put on Sonny and Amy's friendship. I love books about friendship, and this one did not fail to disappoint. Especially since it wasn't the kind that made the friendship look like all peaches and cream. Sonny and Amy have some pretty huge problems that they have to work through. Loved every bit of it. Very realistic.

And one of the best parts of the book, is, you get to see Wesley and Bianca for a bit! And not just in a passing 1 page bit, you actually get to READ ABOUT THEM AND WHAT THEY ARE DOING NOW!!!
I loved those parts.

The romance between Sonny and Ryder was also cute, but honestly I wasn't that crazy about Ryder. Maybe because I loved Wesley so much in The DUFF, and Ryder just wasn't as great as a character as him.
Also, I didn't picture Ryder in my head the way I think I was supposed to. Every time he was mentioned, all I could think of was this:


And this:


I blame it on watching Tangled too many times.

Anyways.....

The Plot:
Kody Keplinger delivered a solid character driven plot with this one. There is also a reveal near the end, so if you ever get just a teensy bit bored and thinking that nothing will ever happen in this book, expect a reveal. (And yes, I did get a teensy bit bored around 3/4s of the way through)
Plot was great. Kept me for the most part entertained and rooting for all of the characters to grow.


The DUFF was a great idea, and sometimes companion novels just don't add up to the original novel. This is not one of those times. Lying Out Loud can stand up next to The DUFF.
I loved reading about Sonny, Amy, Ryder, and getting to see Wesley and Bianca again!!! You can read this one as a standalone, but I definitely recommend reading The DUFF first.  AND the covers kind of match.
Reading Lying Out Loud also makes me want to read The DUFF again, even though I just read it a few months ago.
Awesome book, and I will definitely be looking forward to the next book that Kody comes out with.


***Thanks to Scholastic for providing an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.***