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!

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.

 

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.***

Waiting On Wednesday - The Fixer

 

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at 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 Fixer (The Fixer #1)

2015 by Bloomsbury Children's

 

 

 From Publisher’s Marketplace
Jennifer Lynn Barnes’s THE FIXER, a political thriller set against the backdrop of an elite Washington D.C. private school, pitched as part Veronica Mars, part Scandal, the younger sister of a powerful political fixer finds herself embroiled in high stakes and intrigue at her new school, to Catherine Onder at Bloomsbury Children’s, in a two-book deal, by Elizabeth Harding at Curtis Brown.


From the Author's Blog
The first book is due out in Spring 2015. I’ve already finished a draft. There are state dinners and political conspiracies and family drama and SISTERS!

 

 

 

 

 

This one doesn't have a publication date yet, but I LOVE Jennifer Lynn Barnes' Natural series and I can't wait for The Fixer!

 

 

The Letter Writer (Book Review)

The Letter Writer
Ann Rinaldi

Published November 1st 2008 by HMH Books for Young Readers

Eleven-year-old Harriet Whitehead is an outsider in her own family. She feels accepted and important only when she is entrusted to write letters for her blind stepmother. Then Nat Turner, a slave preacher, arrives on her family’s plantation and Harriet befriends him, entranced by his gentle manner and eloquent sermons about an all-forgiving God. When Nat asks Harriet for a map of the county to help him spread the word, she draws it for him—wanting to be part of something important. But the map turns out to be the missing piece that sets Nat’s secret plan in motion and makes Harriet an unwitting accomplice to the bloodiest slave uprising in U.S. history.Award-winning historical novelist Ann Rinaldi has created a bold portrait of an ordinary young girl thrust in to a situation beyond her control.


Review:

The Letter Writer is a fast read which gives a brief, but interesting take on the Nat Turner revolution. With the main character being eleven year old Harriet Whitehead, daughter of a wealthy land owner.

Harriet is a young main character, and much of her narration portrays that. Her character is interesting, but definitely reaches its climax later in the book, so don't expect much from Harriet in the beginning.

The things that stand out the most in Ann Rinaldi's books is the plot. I love how she teaches you simple history along with interesting characters and plots. The Letter Writer is no exception to this rule, absolutely captivating plot. The Letter Writer is also very short and easy to read in one sitting.

I am a big fan of Ann Rinaldi's and have been for years. The Letter Writer is not one of my favorites of hers, but is not at the bottom of the list either. A good standalone, an interesting main character (though young), and a short easy to read book. A short review for a short book, The Letter Writer is a must read for anyone who loves Young Adult Historical Fiction.

Lola and the Boy Next Door (Book Review)

Lola and the Boy Next Door
Stephanie Perkins
Published July 9th 2013 by Speak (first published September 28th 2011)

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Lola Nolan is a budding costume designer, and for her, the more outrageous, sparkly, and fun the outfit, the better. And everything is pretty perfect in her life (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood. When Cricket, a gifted inventor, steps out from his twin sister's shadow and back into Lola's life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door






Review:
First of all, I am SO glad that they changed the covers on these books (I included the original cover at the bottom of this review). The girl on the original cover is something similar to how I imagined Lola, but the guy doesn't remind me of Cricket at all!
Second, I didn't like Anna and the French Kiss. At all. I had some major issues with the main characters and the plot in general, but thankfully I didn't completely write off the possibility of continuing the series. I actually ended up leaving it to my blog readers, and Lola and the Boy Next Door won by popular vote.

The Characters:
Lola was an awesome main character. I loved how unique she was and how she wasn't afraid to wear her own designs as eccentric as they were. But at the same time, Lola felt completely real.  She had problems, she had insecurities, and she made some bad decisions.
At one point in this book I was actually screaming in my head at Lola because of something one of the characters said to Lola's best friend, (and if you have read the book you probably remember the scene) I WAS FURIOUS WITH THAT PERSON THAT WAS SAYING THOSE THINGS!
And Cricket? Who knew that I would like a character named CRICKET so much. I have absolutely no idea how Stephanie Perkins came up with that name, but honestly it worked with the novel. Cricket Bell and Lola have a long backstory that involved Lola at one point getting emotionally hurt by him. So when he pops back into her life, of course she doesn't immediately trust him. <b>he had to earn her trust</b>. I loved it! I loved watching Cricket and Lola fix their broken relationship and turn it into something beautiful.
I loved how unique and quirky all the characters were. From Lola to Cricket and down to the minor characters they were all completely unique people!

The Plot:
The plot in this one didn't stand out to me as much as the characters. I liked how Calliope was a figure skater (I would love to read a book about her!) The romance between the different characters all felt real and it went at a believable pace. And I could not put this one down (although I had to at some points.)

From beginning to end, Lola and the Boy Next Door captivated me with its unique characters and its fun plot. You don't need to read Anna and the French Kiss to read this one, and I still would not recommend Anna and the French Kiss. But I am really glad that I decided to give Lola and the Boy Next Door a try and I would recommend this one to anyone looking for a cute contemporary read.

March Reading Wrap Up

March Reading Wrap-Up

This month was a pretty good reading month for me! I surpassed my goal of reading 10-15 books, and I read 4/5 books that I had on my specific March TBR!

 

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

Lion Heart was amazing! Loved every single page! Check for a full review closer to the May 19th release date!

 

 

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

   

   

   

   

 

List of Re-Reads I Read This Month:

   

(The Penguin classic is Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte)

Novellas Read:

None this month!

Currently Reading:

I haven't finished a book in about 4 days, but I have started 3 books!

Crash Into You and Scarlet are re-reads, with The Start Of Me and You being one of my most anticipated!

 

Reading In 2015:

 

January: 30 Books. 1 Novella.

February: 17 Books. 1 Novella.

March: 21 Books.

2015 Reading Goal: 70/150 Books Completed.