Review: Don't You Wish by Roxanne St. Claire

  Title: Don't You Wish                               Pages: 368
  Author: Roxanne St. Claire                    Source: Netgalley
  Publisher: Delacorte Books                  Published: July 10, 2012
  Series: N/A                                                Purchase: Amazon

When plain and unpopular Annie Nutter gets zapped by one of her dad's whacked-out inventions, she lands in a parallel universe where her life becomes picture-perfect. Now she's Ayla Monroe, daughter of the same mother but a different father—and she's the gorgeous, rich queen bee of her high school.

In this universe, Ayla lives in glitzy Miami instead of dreary Pittsburgh and has beaucoup bucks, courtesy of her billionaire—if usually absent—father. Her friends hit the clubs, party backstage at concerts, and take risks that are exhilarating... and illegal. Here she's got a date to lose her V-card with the hottest guy she's ever seen.

But on the inside, Ayla is still Annie.

So when she's offered the chance to leave the dream life and head home to Pittsburgh, will she take it?

The choice isn't as simple as you think.

I don't usually like contemporary novels, simply because I prefer the excitement of paranormal or dystopian novels. Don't You Wish was plenty full of excitement, however, and I loved it.

I really liked Annie. She was so nice and seemed like someone I would hang out with. The only time she annoyed me, though, was when she tried to act like Ayla - stuck up and bitchy. She only did this, though, because she thought she was going to wake up and find it was all a dream, and she does make up for it later, so I totally forgive her for this.

I really enjoyed witnessing Annie grow up and realize she was taking her family and friends for granted. She thought this new dream family was perfect at first and then realized what she had was so much better, even if she didn't have all the money in the world like Ayla. Unlike Ayla, she had a family that loved and cared about her.

I loved Charlie. He was such a good person and such a great brother. Roxanne St. Claire wrote their romance with ease and it left me feeling giddy.

The writing was pretty simple, but the plot was not. In a good way, of course. How Annie's switching of bodies was explained was incredibly brilliant and not something I would have guessed in a million years and when it was all said and done, I was not left confused.

Which brings me to the ending. The ending was absolutely incredible. It was so adorable and I may or may not have let out a squeal at the utter cuteness of it.

Overall, Don't You Wish was a fun and fast read. I loved the story and message Roxanne St. Claire came up with and I would recommend to any fans of the contemporary genre.

Pass or Read? I would definitely say try this one out!

Cover thoughts: I quite like this cover. Of course, it doesn't have much to do with the story, as it's just a girl, but it appeals to me and I really like the font.

In My Mailbox (29)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and is a weekly meme to showcase what you got over the week by buying, receiving, borrowing, stealing from a friend etc.


Review:
I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga - This one is not something I'd normally read I don't think, but it sounds amazing!! I hope it doesn't disappoint.
172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad and Tara Chace - This one sounds very interesting and is another one that I don't think I'd normally read. Hopefully this one is good as well!

Random Buzzers:
Cross My Heart by Sasha Gould - I've gotten into historical romances a lot more and this one sounds soo good.

Thank you Little, Brown and Random Buzzers!

That's all I got this week or so, what did you get in your mailbox?

Book Review: Where It Began by Ann Redisch Stampler (Luxury Reading review)

  Title: Where It Began                                 Pages: 384
  Author: Ann Redisch Stampler                Source: Luxury Reading
  Publisher: Simon Pulse                            Published: March 6, 2012
  Series: N/A                                                   Purchase: Amazon

Gabby Gardiner started her senior year off with a bang. She spent the summer getting made over from head to toe and her new look caught the eye of one of Winston School's most popular guys - Billy Nash.

So when Gabby wakes up on the ground to find Billy's car wrapped around a tree and the car keys in her hands, she's terrified. She'd do anything to make Billy stay with her and she may have ruined her whole life in a night that left her battered, bruised, and an amnesiac.

Now faced with the possibility of juvie, rehab, and Billy not being able to talk to her for fear of violating his parole, Gabby has to do everything she can to keep herself out of trouble and get her life back the way it was: perfect.

But when Gabby learns the truth about something big, she finds it may be impossible to get back to perfect.

Where It Began's synopsis stood out to me and it sounded like a terrific read. After getting my hopes up, I was honestly left very disappointed.

To read the rest of my review, please go to Luxury Reading!
Pass or Read? I'd say pass on this.

Cover thoughts: Meh. That's pretty much all I have to say about it. I mean, the girl's gorgeous and all, but it has nothing to do with the story.

Book Review: Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday

  Title: Deadly Cool                                                        Pages: 303
  Author: Gemma Halliday                                            Source: Library
  Publisher: HarperTeen                                               Published: October 11, 2011
  Series: Deadly Cool #1                                              Purchase: Amazon

Hartley Grace Featherstone is having a very bad day. First she finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with the president of the Herbert Hoover High School Chastity Club. Then he’s pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And if that weren’t enough, now he’s depending on Hartley to clear his name.

But as much as Hartley wouldn’t mind seeing him squirm, she knows he’s innocent, and she’s the only one who can help him. Along with her best friend, Sam, and the school’s resident Bad Boy, Chase, Hartley starts investigating on her own. But as the dead bodies begin to pile up, the mystery deepens, the suspects multiply, and Hartley begins to fear that she may be the killer’s next victim.

Deadly Cool was a spectacular read and perfect for mystery junkies like me. It was light-hearted and chilling at the same time and is a must read for fans of the contemporary and mystery thriller genres.

Hartley is my kind of gal. She's so spunky and so sarcastic that you can't help but laugh at some of the stuff to come out of her mouth. I fell in love with her as a character and am excited to read about more adventures with her.

I also loved that she had a soft side, even if she only broke down once or twice. I mean, if my boyfriend cheated on me, he would be the one dead (maybe not literally dead, but dead to me anyway) and I certainly wouldn't be helping him out of a mess!

One of the first things that pops to mind when I think of the minor characters: they were actually present! Her mother and her best friend were actually present, which hardly happens in young adult novels anymore. And while her mom was quite.. eclectic, I'm so happy she was present and worried about her daughter.

The plot was very fast paced and very refreshing to have in a young adult murder mystery novel. I felt like I was given information and clues and decent intervals throughout the novel, instead of everything coming crashing down at the end. While it wasn't entirely a surprise to me, it was certainly enjoyable!

Overall, if you're in the market for a hilarious murder mystery, look no further because you've found it. I would highly recommend Deadly Cool to anyone, not just fans of the genre.

Pass or Read? Definitely read, especially if you like snarky heroines and murder mysteries.

Cover thoughts: I lovelovelove that "Cool" is made of iPod earbuds. It fits perfectly with the story. Otherwise, it's pretty but I don't really get what the girl's face has to do with the story. She looks like Hartley I guess?

Book Review: Casey Barnes Eponymous by E.A. Rigg

  Title: Casey Barnes Eponymous                              Pages: 220
  Author: E.A. Rigg                                                          Source: Author
  Publisher: Self Published                                          Published: January 1, 2012
  Series: Standalone                                                      Purchase: Amazon

It's three weeks into the school year when music junkie Casey Barnes gets a second chance with her mysterious, heartbreaking ex-boyfriend. She comes up with a plan to win him back, but it soon spins out of control as rivalries, revelations about him, and music itself all start to collide. For Casey the newfound attention means learning the difference between wanting center stage and actually being on it.

Casey Barnes Eponymous is an awesome music lover read with talk about various bands big and small, rocker clothing, and a talent show. Being a music lover myself, I of course enjoyed this novel.

Casey was a great character. She's such a refreshing, snarky, out of the box character. I enjoyed her character immensely and found myself laughing out loud at some of the things she would say. That being said, she was also incredibly naive about things, especially when it came to Alex and sex.

Being a female rocker, she assumes she must lose her virginity to be an "official" rocker. She doesn't see it as a precious thing you don't give away to just anyone. This was a flaw I enjoyed reading, though, because you got to read about her growing more mature.

The plot was better than I expected. Casey forms a band to try out for the talent show (gone by as just "talent show" instead of "the talent show" which bugged me BIG TIME, for some reason) to make Alex jealous/like her. This provided for even more laughs, with some of the songs her band came up with.

The writing was simple and had surprisingly good grammar and spelling. Sometimes it would get confusing, though, like when there was a flash back, it would take me a second to realize that what was going on wasn't currently happening. This could be fixed if some things were moved around a bit or even taken out, but it wasn't that much of an issue for me.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Casey Barnes Eponymous. It was a very quick read, only about 3 hours, so I'd say give it a shot, especially if you love music!

Pass or Read? If you don't mind self published novels and like music, you should read this!

Cover thoughts: I really like the coloring of the picture. I wish there was a drop shadow or a stroke around the font, as it makes it stand out more and looks more professional, in my opinion.

In My Mailbox (27)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and is a weekly meme to showcase what you got over the week by buying, receiving, borrowing, stealing from a friend etc.


For Review:
Above by Leah Bobet - This one looks amazing!! I was so happy when I received this one in the mail :).

Luxury Reading:
Where It Began by Ann Redisch Stampler - Liking so far, just a few problems I have with it that keep me from loving it.

Grave Mercy by R.L. LaFevers - This one is up next, I'm not quite sure about this one, but it sounded interesting enough to capture my attention!

That's all I got this week or so, what did you get in your mailbox?

Waiting on Wednesday (20)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. This week's can't-wait-to-read selection is..

  Title: Blind Spot
  Author: Laura Ellen
  Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
  Published: October 23, 2012
  Pages: 356
  Goodreads

There’s none so blind as they that won’t see.

Seventeen-year-old Tricia Farni’s body floated to the surface of Alaska’s Birch River six months after the night she disappeared.

The night Roz Hart had a fight with her.

The night Roz can’t remember.

Roz, who struggles with macular degeneration, is used to assembling fragments to make sense of the world around her. But this time it’s her memory that needs piecing together—to clear her name . . . to find a murderer. This unflinchingly emotional novel is written in the powerful first-person voice of a legally blind teen who just wants to be like everyone else.

Debut novelist Laura Ellen's own experiences with macular degeneration add powerful authenticity to this suspenseful and emotional page-turner for teens.

This one just sounds amazing. I can't exactly explain why, but it just does :P. I guess I'm fascinated with stories about losing your memory "conveniently" when someone is murdered or something and the fact that she is also blind, makes it even more interesting. And of course the cover is gorgeous, if not kind of creepy!

What are you waiting on?

Review: New Girl by Paige Harbison

  Title: New Girl                                              Pages: 304
  Author: Paige Harbison                             Source: Netgalley
  Publisher: Harlequin Teen                        Published: January 31, 2012
  Series: N/A                                                   Purchase: Amazon

They call me 'New Girl'...

Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her.

Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And everyone stares at me like it’s my fault.

Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend but she’s gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s life was so much better than mine could ever be.

And maybe she’s still out there, waiting to take it back.

New Girl is the kind of novel I live for - mystery thrillers - and it lived up to my expectations.

"New Girl," as the main heroine is called for almost the whole novel, was wonderful. She handled her situation beautifully. I mean, if everyone was claiming I was trying to take someone's place and everywhere I went I could feel everyone's hatred and whispers? Yeah, I'd have broken down many times over and would have been gone before you could blink an eye.

"New Girl" however, stood her ground. That is not to say she didn't break down and want to leave. But the point is she didn't leave. She stayed and she dealt with the situation and eventually, she made her own name shine, instead of being in Becca's shadow.

Now Becca, she was entirely messed up. She was manipulative and used her sexuality and looks to get what she wanted. I loved her at first, but when her true colors started to show, I began to really dislike her. She was such a great character, however, that I really ended up liking her in the end, despite her flaws. She just wanted people to love her for who she thought she should be, but what she didn't realize was that people loved her for who she actually was. I felt extremely bad for her, but I really liked how everything played out for her.

The writing was lyrical and poignant at times, but mostly simple. Paige Harbison paints a clear picture in your head of the school's campus and inside.

The plot was fantastic. I couldn't wait to figure out where Becca had gone and what "New Girl's" name was. I felt that the middle dragged on quite a bit, though, in "New Girl's" chapters with no progress in the mystery. I was anxious to get through her chapters and to Becca's, where it seemed the story would pick up quite a bit again. The end picks up again, too, and I liked how everything played out.

Overall, I really loved New Girl. There were moments in the middle that seemed to drag the story, but nothing to make me lose interest. I highly recommend to fans of the contemporary and mystery thriller genres and fans of the classic story, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, which New Girl is based off of.

Pass or Read? Definitely read this one!

Cover thoughts: I love it. It's gorgeous! The font is amazing, the colors are amazing, that girl looks amazing. Need I say it's amazing? :)

In My Mailbox (22)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and is a weekly meme to showcase what you got over the week by buying, receiving, borrowing, stealing from a friend etc.

For Review:
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith - Haven't heard much about this one, but it looks good!
Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler and Maira Kalman - This book is so freaking heavy!

Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan - These books look so good! I've heard good things about Cate Tiernan!
Darkness Falls by Cate Tiernan - Such pretty covers, especially this one!

I'm sorry for the crappy pictures, they were taken on my phone :P.

That's all I got this week or so, what did you get in your mail box? 

Review: Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez (Luxury Reading review)

  Title: Virtuosity                               Pages: 294
  Author: Jessica Martinez                Source: Luxury Reading
  Publisher: Simon Pulse                   Published: Oct 18, 2011
  Series: N/A                                     Purchase: Amazon

Now is not the time for Carmen to fall in love. And Jeremy is hands-down the wrong guy for her to fall for. He is infuriating, arrogant, and the only person who can stand in the way of Carmen getting the one thing she wants most: to win the prestigious Guarneri competition. Carmen's whole life is violin, and until she met Jeremy, her whole focus was winning. But what if Jeremy isn't just hot...what if Jeremy is better?

Carmen knows that kissing Jeremy can't end well, but she just can't stay away. Nobody else understands her--and riles her up--like he does. Still, she can't trust him with her biggest secret: She is so desperate to win she takes anti-anxiety drugs to perform, and what started as an easy fix has become a hungry addiction. Carmen is sick of not feeling anything on stage and even more sick of always doing what she’s told, doing what's expected.

Sometimes, being on top just means you have a long way to fall....

Virtuosity did not really catch my attention in the beginning, because I do not typically read contemporary fiction. I am glad I did take a chance on this wonderful novel.


To read the rest of my review, please go to Luxury Reading!

Cover thoughts: This cover is so pretty! To me, it really represents the freedom and exhilaration that Carmen found when she stopped taking the anti-anxiety drug.

Waiting on Wednesday (14)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. This week's can't-wait-to-read selection is..
  Title: Survive
  Author: Alex Morel
  Publisher: Razorbill
  Published: August 2, 2012
  Pages: 272
  Goodreads

Jane runs away from Life House, a facility for kids with mental health disorders and addictions. She boards a plane to Montclair, New Jersey, though her destination does not matter—she doesn’t plan to be alive when the plane lands. Jane has planned the perfect suicide: she’ll fall asleep on the plane and never wake up. As she’s reaching for her pills in the cabin’s bathroom, the plane hits turbulence. Another jolt, and the engine’s down. The plane crashes into the mountains of Montana, and Jane and a boy named Paul are the only two survivors.

What starts out as a death mission quickly becomes a fight for life.

I'm really into movies and books about survival (Beauty Queens by Libba Bray), so this sounds absolutely wonderful!! I really like the cover font, but the girl kind of makes it look like a paranormal book for some reason?

What are you waiting on?

Review: Janice Wills by Joanna Pearson (Luxury Reading review)

  Title: Rites & Wrongs of Janice Wills  Pages: 224
  Author: Joanna Pearson                    Source: Luxury Reading
  Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books      Published: July 1, 2011
  Series: N/A                                         Purchase: Amazon

For anyone who's ever survived a rite of passage or performed a mating dance at Prom...

The Japanese hold a Mogi ceremony for young women coming of age. Latina teenagers get quinceaneras. And Janice Wills of Melva, NC ... has to compete in the Miss Livermush pageant.

Janice loves anthropology--the study of human cultures--and her observations help her identify useful rules in the chaotic world of high school. For instance: Dancing is an effective mating ritual--but only if you're good at it; Hot Theatre Guys will never speak to Unremarkable Smart Girls like Janice and her best friend, Margo; and a Beautiful Rich Girl will always win Melva's annual Miss Livermush pageant.

But when a Hot Theatre Guy named Jimmy Denton takes an interest in Janice, all her scientific certainties explode. For the first time, she has to be part of the culture that she's always observed; and all the charts in the world can't prove how tough--and how sweet--real participation and a real romance can be.

Funny, biting, and full of wisdom, this marks the debut of a writer to watch.

I enjoyed The Rites and Wrongs of Janice Wills as a whole and felt that Janice was the epitome of an awkward girl coming to terms with herself, and finally seeing herself as pretty. She also really came to terms with how she treated people. She used to study her high school from the sidelines, always quick to point out a person's flaws and used her anthropological research as an excuse for why she did this. The rest of the characters in the novel really helped her see that she did it as a coping mechanism for her self-consciousness and helped her see it was actually mean, not honest.

To read the rest of my review, please go to Luxury Reading!

Cover thoughts: I do not care for this cover, it doesn't look that creative to me.

Review: How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

  Title: How to Save a Life                   Pages: 341
  Author: Sara Zarr                             Source: Publisher
  Publisher: Little, Brown Books          Published: Oct 18, 2011
  Series: N/A                                       Purchase: Amazon
  Rating: 5 out of 5

Jill MacSweeney just wants everything to go back to normal. But ever since her dad died, she's been isolating herself from her boyfriend, her best friends--everyone who wants to support her. You can't lose one family member and simply replace him with a new one, and when her mom decides to adopt a baby, that's exactly what it feels like she's trying to do. And that's decidedly not normal. With her world crumbling around her, can Jill come to embrace a new member of the family?

Mandy Kalinowski knows what it's like to grow up unwanted - to be raised by a mother who never intended to have a child. So when Mandy becomes pregnant, she knows she wants a better life for her baby. But can giving up a child be as easy as it seems? And will she ever be able to find someone to care for her, too?

How to Save a Life is an incredible story about falling apart and falling apart again, just when you think you're picking yourself back up. It's a journey of learning to trust and count on somebody for the first time in your life.

The characters in How to Save a Life are phenomenal. Sara Zarr goes above and beyond for each character and I felt like I knew them personally.

Jill is incredibly snarky and sarcastic, but it's just her defense-mechanism after her rock, her father, dies. She feels like she lost part of herself and that she can't love anyone without him showing her how. She's insecure, yet comes across as confident to your face. I loved Jill from the beginning, when she captured my heart.

Speaking of capturing my heart, so did the second heroine, Mandy. I did not like her at first, I found her to be annoying and awkward. Her personality, however, quickly grew on me. She was like a sister that steals my stuff and makes me angry, then later makes me crack up because of how eclectic she is.

How to Save a Life's plot was slowly paced at times, but Sara Zarr took my heart and squeezed it hard every now and then to make sure I was still paying attention to her beautiful story. Her words were beautiful and absolutely lyrical at times and I found myself laughing at her witty dialogue.

Overall, I highly recommend How to Save a Life to anyone. The whole novel is so amazing and one hard to find flaws in.

Cover thoughts: I really like this cover and how it pertains to the story. The snow symbolizes the loneliness of it, as does there being two sets of footprints, yet one person. I'm in the crowd though that doesn't like how huge the letters are.

I give How to Save a Life a 5 out of 5.

Review: Stay by Deb Caletti (Luxury Reading review)

  Title: Stay                                                      Pages: 313 
  Author: Deb Caletti                                         Source: Luxury Reading
  Publisher: Simon Pulse                                   Published: April 5, 2011
  Series: Standalone?                                        Purchase: Amazon
  Rating: 5 out of 5

Clara's never had a true boyfriend, only flings and dates. But when she meets Christian, that changes. Without even searching, it seems she's found someone she could be with forever.

And then the unthinkable happens. Christian becomes more and more jealous and more and more obsessive. Over Clara. He accuses her of looking at other guys, of wanting to be with them. He accuses her of wanting to leave and never believes she truly loves him, only him, no matter how many times she tells him.

When Clara realizes that their relationship is too far gone - that Christian is too far gone - she leaves the city and her friends behind to stay at Bishop Rock with her father, telling no one where she's going.

There, she breathes for the first time in a while and starts picking up the pieces of her life - or at least trying. She's still scared that she may have not run far enough.

I was drawn to Stay and its premise from the first time I read the summary. I love realistic fiction and Stay leads the pack.

Want to read the rest of this review? Head on over to Luxury Reading.

I give Stay a 5 out of 5.

Review: Instructions for a Broken Heart by Kim Culbertson

  Title: Instructions for a Broken Heart    Pages: 291
  Author: Kim Culbertson                        Source: Publisher  
  Publisher: Sourcebooks                       Published: May 1, 2011
  Series: Standalone?                             Purchase: Amazon
  Rating: 4 out of 5

Jessa Gardner is a busy girl. Between drama, Honors classes, sports, and other extracurricular activities, she barely has time to read, let alone time for a boyfriend. But she has one, Sean, and she makes it work.

That is, until she finds him in the drama club's costume barn with "the Boob Job" Natalie Stone. What's worse, is that she has to go on a trip to Italy with them in three days, or not go to the country that she's been dreaming about since she was a little girl.

Armed with twenty envelopes from her best friend Carissa titled "Top Twenty Reasons He's a Slimy Jerk Bastard," that each tell her a reason he's a - well, a slimy jerk bastard, and an instruction telling her to do one un-Jessa-like thing everyday for the ten day trip, Jessa sets out to try to get out of the hole she can't seem to get out of.

This book was adorable, first off. I loved the incorporation of Italy's history, which not many books pull off without sounding like a history book. But Kim Culbertson combined the fiction of Instructions for a Broken Heart and the history of Italy with such ease, that no glue leaked out when she sealed them together.

Jessa was such a mess - and for a good reason! - the entire trip, that I couldn't wait to see what crazy instructions her best friend Carissa would tell her to do. I also couldn't wait to see if Jessa would actually do them! Jessa grew so much during the trip to Italy, and at the end, she definitely grew into a better person. One that doesn't take for granted the people and the things around you. One that lives more in the present and sees the beauty in life, rather than always planning each step toward her future.

The only bad thing I concluded about Jessa was that she wasn't described very much, so I never got a true picture of what she looked like, besides the cover. I would have liked more descriptions of her appearance.

The rest of the characters each had their own personality and although some of them could have been classified as "filler characters," I really couldn't tell and found all of them to be enjoyable to read.

Now the writing. The writing was fantastic. Better than fantastic, it was beautiful. It was so poetic at times, but not in a way that seemed like Culbertson was trying too hard. It seemed to me that she just writes that beautifully. She shows you a picture while you read, but doesn't show you too much, so you can't come up with your own picture of what the characters and setting looks like.

The plot was fast-paced and had a couple twists to it that I didn’t expect. The ending is a slight cliff hanger that makes me think Jessa might have more adventures in store for her in the future, which I’d definitely read.

Overall, I loved Instructions for a Broken Heart and there was only one thing that held me back from giving it a perfect score. If you love adorable, fast, light reads, definitely pick this one up. You won't regret it.

I give Instructions for a Broken Heart a 4 out of 5.

 

Disclaimer: Book was provided free to me from the publisher for review. No compensation was received.