YA Contemporary Challenge

 

 

I hope to complete 3 levels (15 books).......

 

These are 20 of the ones that I am going to (probably) read.

It will change depending on what I can get my hands on, and what I get around to reading.

 

 

Take Me On (Pushing the Limits #4)


 Afterparty

 The Promise of Amazing

  The Sound

  Don't Look Back

 No One Else Can Have You

 Going Rogue (AKA #2)

 And We Stay

 Solving For Ex

 Now & Forever

 The Rules For Breaking

 On the Fence

 The Geography of You and Me

 17 First Kisses


 The Secrets of Lily Graves

 Better Off Friends

  The Art of Lainey

 What I Thought Was True

  Being Sloane Jacobs

 Side Effects May Vary

Book Review: School Spirits

School Spirits
Rachel Hawkins
Published May 14th 2013 by Disney-Hyperion

Fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick was trained to fight monsters. For centuries, her family has hunted magical creatures. But when Izzy’s older sister vanishes without a trace while on a job, Izzy's mom decides they need to take a break.

Izzy and her mom move to a new town, but they soon discover it’s not as normal as it appears. A series of hauntings has been plaguing the local high school, and Izzy is determined to prove her worth and investigate. But assuming the guise of an average teenager is easier said than done. For a tough girl who's always been on her own, it’s strange to suddenly make friends and maybe even have a crush.

Can Izzy trust her new friends to help find the secret behind the hauntings before more people get hurt?



Review:

I loved Rachel Hawkins Hex Hall series. And starting this I was expecting something as good (if not better) as that.

School Spirits didn't disappoint me, I still love Rachel's writing style and the way that she creates the characters.
The text is very vivid in this book, I loved how she can describe things yet she doesn't make it boring.

The main character Izzy was a really great character, although I feel as if she acted a little young for her age this could be attributed to her very protected childhood. Her choices however were mature, and not stupid at all. Loved this character.
Dex was AMAZING! I love, love, LOVE this boy. He has asthma which makes him different from the stereotypical guy main character in todays YA fiction. He was sweet and everything that I love in a main guy character.

The plot however fell a little short to Rachel's Hex Hall series. I felt as if the story all led up to the last 50 pages, and then everything was crammed into those pages. I really wish that this had been a series and everything could have been a little more spread out. I also wish that I could have the connectivity to the characters that reading an entire trilogy (or duology) would give you.

*Warning* I didn't like the ending of this book, I want a sequel so bad, and there is no sequel planned. I WANT MORE DEX AND IZZY. That is all that I would say to Rachel Hawkins and all of the publishing companies.
This is a solid 3.5 stars. It was exciting, but a little to crammed into the ending. But the pages before the ending were exciting also. The characters were great.

Vitro Contest & An Amazing Giveaway

Nope not sponsored by me.....Jessica Khoury is doing an amazing giveaway/contest to countdown until the release of her newest book Vitro.....

The contest is super fun! Here is the homepage: http://www.corpusnetwork.com/#!home/mainPage



About Vitro (goodreads link):

On Skin Island, even the laws of creation can be broken.

On a remote island in the Pacific, Corpus scientists have taken test tube embryos and given them life. These beings—the Vitros—have knowledge and abilities most humans can only dream of. But they also have one enormous flaw.

Sophie Crue is determined to get to Skin Island and find her mother, a scientist who left Sophie behind years ago. With the help of Jim Julien, a young charter pilot, she arrives--and discovers a terrifying secret she never imagined: she has a Vitro twin, Lux, who is the culmination of Corpus's dangerous research.

Now Sophie is torn between reuniting with the mother who betrayed her and protecting the genetically enhanced twin she never knew existed. But untangling the twisted strands of these relationships will have to wait, for Sophie and Jim are about to find out what happens when science stretches too far beyond its reach.

Books That I Have Not Read

Books That I Have Not Read

Funny title I know, but I would love your comments on these books!

 

 

 

 

Nope! Never ever. Haven't seen the movies either!

 

 

And same with this one, haven't read any of the books or seen the movies.

But don't get me wrong, I will know exactly what you are talking about if you talk about Bella Swan, or Edward Cullen.....I know most of the plot. I just haven't read the books.

 

 

Seeing a trend here? I am not that into vampires.

 

 

This series is on my to-read list, I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And finally The Infernal Devices series. Again, someone spoiled the ending.....and a warning to all of the ending spoilers out there, when you spoil the ending of a book it makes the person much less likely to read it.

 

 

So there you go, books that I fell as if everyone else has read and I have not.

If you haven't read any of these books either (or have and want to tell me how amazing they are) please leave a comment letting me know!

Book Review: Wild Awake

Wild Awake
Hilary T. Smith
Published May 28th 2013 by Katherine Tegen Books

Synopsis via Goodreads:
Things you earnestly believe will happen while your parents are away:

1. You will remember to water the azaleas.
2. You will take detailed, accurate messages.
3. You will call your older brother, Denny, if even the slightest thing goes wrong.
4. You and your best friend/bandmate Lukas will win Battle of the Bands.
5. Amid the thrill of victory, Lukas will finally realize you are the girl of his dreams.

Things that actually happen:

1. A stranger calls who says he knew your sister.
2. He says he has her stuff.
3. What stuff? Her stuff.
4. You tell him your parents won’t be able to—
5. Sukey died five years ago; can’t he—
6. You pick up a pen.
7. You scribble down the address.
8. You get on your bike and go.
9. Things . . . get a little crazy after that.*
*also, you fall in love, but not with Lukas.

Both exhilarating and wrenching, Hilary T. Smith’s debut novel captures the messy glory of being alive, as seventeen-year-old Kiri Byrd discovers love, loss, chaos, and murder woven into a summer of music, madness, piercing heartbreak, and intoxicating joy.


Review:
Two days after I finished this and I am still deciding whether I liked it.
Kiri Byrd is seventeen, her parents decided to leave her at home while they go on a trip.....A while after they leave, Kiri receives a phone call from a man saying that he has some of her sisters things. The problem is, her sister has been dead for years.
The phone call is the starting point of this book, but the story line doesn't actually dwell very long on that actual phone call.

Kiri was a little immature for her age, and the things that she had already been through. I can't say that I fell in love with her character at all, something rubbed me wrong with her character the entire book. But, I can also say that Hilary T. Smith has crafted an amazing, realistic story that should be read. There is no perfect life for these characters. They have huge problems in their lives.
(one of) Kiri's love interests in this book is a jerk. The other one is a little less of a jerk. They both lie to her, but altogether I did like the one who ended up treating her better.

The plot was so realistic and vivid, and although I didn't like the characters I loved how Hilary crafted this entire story. The only problem I noticed with it is the ending (and I think that the author intended for this to be)the ending was very sudden. The book just ended. I wasn't that crazy about it, but I can see why the author did it.

I would recommend this to someone who loves realistic fiction. Not for younger readers, this deals with way too many huge problems.....(think This Song Will Save Your Life) And not for someone who likes a drawn out ending, it didn't happen with this book.
The writing was good, the plot was realistic, and the characters were mediocre. 3.5/5

Top Ten Books I Read In 2013

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Top Ten Books I Read In 2013

I couldn't pick just ten, so I split them between series that I have read more than two books, series that I have discovered that I have read only one book, and standalones.

I am positive that I have missed some, but here are the ones that I could think of!

 

 

 

The Series:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Standalones:

 

 

 

New Series Discovered:

 

 

I would love to visit your Top Ten Tuesday!  Leave me a link in the comments below!

Monday YA Author Interview With Ripley Patton

 

Ripley Patton Website: http://www.ripleypatton.com/

 

 

Where are you from?

I was born and raised in a small town in Southern Illinois, but I have also lived in Indiana, Georgia, Chicago, Colorado, Haiti, New Zealand and Portland, Oregon. 

When and why did you begin writing?

I began writing at the age of thirteen as a way of processing the grief of losing my mother to cancer. 

What books have most influenced your life most?

Probably a book called Motherless Daughters by Hope Edelman, but also all the amazing fantasy and sci-fiction female greats such as Ursula LeGuin, Madeleine L'Engle, Juliet Marillier, Octavia Butler, Anne McCaffrey and Lois McMaster Bujold. 

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Probably Juliet Marillier. I read her mythology/fantasy Seven Waters series when I was a teen. Then, a few years ago, I met her at a Con and sat on a panel with her, and she found my ideas and my writing interesting. I also got to be in an anthology with her where my story was the first in the book and hers was the last, like bookends. That was so awesome. 

What book are you reading now?

I just finished Whisper by Phoebe Kitanidis. It is a YA paranormal and I really enjoyed it.

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Mary Holland is an amazing unknown fantasy author. Her book The Bone Road is one of my favorite books of all time. 

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

I like so many authors, I could never pick just one. But what tends to strike me is honesty, humor, and a realistic bit of darkness. I don't like perfect characters or perfect endings, but there always needs to be a glimmer of hope. 

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Well, my first book took me three years to write, so probably just the huge amount of time expended. Mind you, I also moved overseas and back during that time and survived two major earthquakes in New Zealand. And the second book of my series only took me a little over six months. So, it does get easier.

 

Have you been an avid reader your entire life? (since you could read)

Yes. I would and did read almost anything I could get my hands on as a child, including encyclopedias and dictionaries. 

 

What character in your books do you relate to most?

Olivia Black, my main character, for sure.  She is dealing with the loss of a parent, is an introvert, and is different than everyone else, but she is still a strong, smart, snarky, young woman. 

 

What is your favorite sport to watch and or play?

I'm not a big sports fan, but growing up I enjoyed playing volleyball and watching football. Now, I don't watch sports at all, but I have a love for any reality show with a competitive element. So, I guess my favorite sport is reality:)

 

Favorite Movie?

Stranger then Fiction and ANYTHING by Hayao Miyazaki. 

 

Chocolate or Vanilla?

Vanilla with chocolate sauce.

 

Puppy's or Kittens?

Both

 

Beach or Mountains?

Mountains 

 

If you could be a color, what color would you be?

 Deep Red

 

Favorite Dessert?

Blueberry Pie or Root beer floats

 

If you could be a book character, what character would you be?

Probably Olivia Black. I think that's why I wrote her. Plus, who wouldn't want to have a ghost hand?