The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen
June 4, 2013
Set in the fictional beach town of Colby, where several of Dessen's novels take place, it features 18-year-old Emmeline, who is spending her last summer before college working for her family's vacation rental business and enjoying a summer romance with a young aspiring filmmaker.
Lemon grew up with Stella, a single mom who wasn’t exactly maternal. Stella always had a drink in her hand and a new boyfriend every few months, and when things got out of hand, she would whisk Lemon off to a new town for a fresh beginning. Now, just as they are moving yet again, Lemon discovers that she is pregnant from a reckless encounter—with a guy Stella had been flirting with.
On the verge of revisiting her mother’s mistakes, Lemon struggles to cope with the idea of herself as a young unmarried mother, as well as the fact that she’s never met her own father. Determined to have at least one big adventure before she has the baby, Lemon sets off on a cross-country road trip, intending not only to meet her father, but to figure out who she wants to be.
I received Fingerprints of You in the mail without knowing anything about it. So going into the book, I didn’t know what to expect. Fingerprints of You ended up being a really really good novel. I devoured it in one sitting.
Lemon is a strong character who, though she didn’t make the smartest decision, owns up to her mistakes and eventually conquers her challenges. Though at times I was a little annoyed with her decisions, I loved her. Stella made me so angry in the beginning of the novel, but I’m pretty sure that’s how she’s supposed to be perceived. However, as the novel progressed she came to grow on me.
Being a Californian (who lives kind of near San Francisco), I loved that Fingerprints of You took place in San Francisco. The story made me feel like I was there. Kristen-Paige Madonia beautifully captures something that many teens around the world ache to do- leave to explore the world on their own.
Fingerprints of You is a heartwrenching novel that I couldn’t put down. Lemon is a strong character who drives the story along nicely. I highly recommend Fingerprints of You. Kristen-Paige Madonia is an author to watch.
FTC- Received from publisher.
Also Known As by Robin Benway
February 26, 2013
ALSO KNOWN AS is the story of Maggie, a gifted teenage safecracker, who works alongside her parents as a spy for the mysterious entity known as the Collective. When she's assigned to infiltrate a private Manhattan high school, she's forced to make friends, investigate the mysterious Jesse, and solve the case, all without blowing her cover. (From Robin's blog.)
A dark and moving novel—reminiscent of Thirteen Reasons Why—about the mystery surrounding a teenage girl’s fatal overdose.
There was something about Ellie... Something dangerous. Charismatic. Broken. Jake looked out for her. Sarah followed her lead. And Jess kept her distance, and kept watch.
Now Ellie’s dead, and Jake, Sarah, and Jess are left to pick up the pieces. All they have are 34 clues she left behind. 34 strips of paper hidden in a box beneath her bed. 34 secrets of a brief and painful life.
Jake, Sarah, and Jess all feel responsible for what happened to Ellie, and all three have secrets of their own. As they begin to confront the darkest truths about themselves, they will also find out what Ellie herself had been hiding all along....
This book blew me away. It sat on my bookshelf for a long time before I decided to pick it up because I thought it would be too heavy of a read. While it is filled with deep, emotional topics, Carmen Rodrigues also added lighter aspects to her novel that made it easier to read. I couldn’t put 34 Pieces of You down.
This novel is beautiful. It’s told from three different perspectives, which adds depth to the story and helps develop a fuller view of who Ellie was. Each different perspective was heartbreaking and enlightening. This is one of the only books where I didn’t have a favorite perspective. 34 Pieces of You involves a lot of real-life issues such as alcohol, drugs, sex, severe depression, and sexuality. However, none of this seemed to crowd the story, and just naturally flowed.
34 Pieces of You is a fantastic novel. It’s heartwrenching, emotional, and completely amazing. I couldn’t stop reading it. Even now, a week after I’ve finished it, I can’t get it out of my head. Carmen Rodrigues is a fantastic writer, and I can’t wait to read her next novel.
FTC- Received from publisher.
A dark and tender post-apocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war.
In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable—they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection that causes Ash’s long-dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they’re caught, they’ll be executed—but their feelings are too strong.
When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.
I admit, I was hesitant to start Black City. It’s been sitting on my bookshelf for months and I’ve been putting off reading it for who knows why. This book was spectacular. I honestly couldn’t stop reading. Black City kept me up reading well passed the time I usually go to sleep. Even after I had finish reading, Black City was still stuck in my mind. Even now, two days later, I can’t even form eloquent words to explain how much I enjoyed reading Black City.
The dystopian novel trend has been really big, so I’m always apprehensive when starting a new dystopian novel. Elizabeth Richards took this novel above and beyond my expectations. Her world-building was amazing and you can’t help but get lost in what Richard’s has created.
The characters in Black City were so well written. Ash made me swoon on every page. Natalie, though sometimes slightly annoying, was well written and believable. These characters were relatable despite being in a different world. I loved reading about them and am looking forward to hearing more about their lives in the next novel.
Black City was a fantastic novel that I really liked reading. It was well-written, addicting, and just plain beautiful. Richards is a mastermind of dystopian young adult literature. I can’t wait to read the sequel to Black City!
FTC- Received from publisher.
SHHHH!
The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler
May 21, 2013
Jude has learned a lot from her older sisters, but the most important thing is this: The Vargas brothers are notorious heartbreakers. She’s seen the tears and disasters that dating a Vargas boy can cause, and she swore an oath — with candles and a contract and everything — to never have anything to do with one.
Now Jude is the only sister still living at home, and she’s spending the summer helping her ailing father restore his vintage motorcycle. No one wants to end up with a toaster on wheels, so they hire a mechanic to help out. Is it Jude’s fault he happens to be cute? And surprisingly sweet? And a Vargas?
Jude tells herself it’s strictly bike business with Emilio. Her sisters will never find out, and Jude can spot those flirty little Vargas tricks a mile away — no way would she fall for them. But old warnings fade fast, because Emilio turns out to be the first guy in forever she likes. Really likes. Jude’s defenses are crumbling, and if history is destined to repeat itself, she’s speeding toward some serious heartbreak…
But what if her sisters were wrong?
Jude may have taken an oath, but she’s beginning to think that when it comes to love, some promises might be worth breaking.
When twins Sheridan and Taylor wake up 400 years in the future, they find a changed world: domed cities, no animals, and a language that's so different, it barely sounds like English. And the worst news: They can't go back home.
The twenty-fifth-century government transported the girls to their city hoping to find a famous scientist to help perfect a devastating new weapon. The same government has implanted tracking devices in the citizens, limiting and examining everything they do. Taylor and Sheridan have to find a way out of the city before the government discovers their secrets. To complicate matters, the moblike Dakine has interest in getting hold of them too. The only way for the girls to elude their pursuers is to put their trust in Echo, a guy with secrets of his own. The trio must put their faith in the unknown to make a harrowing escape into the wilds beyond the city.
Full of adrenaline-injected chases and heartbreaking confessions, Erasing Time explores the strength of the bonds between twins, the risks and rewards of trust, and the hard road to finding the courage to fight for what you believe in.
Erasing Time was the first book I read after being in a long reading rut. It’s new, different, and really original. I was given this at summer ALA, and at the time I didn’t know much about it (besides the fact that I really liked the cover and it had to do with time travel). That being said, I think going into Erasing Time that way added to my reading experience. Getting to know the story as it unfolds was a bit confusing in the beginning, but ended up adding a whole new dimension to the way I perceived the characters.
C.J. Hill has a lot of characters in Erasing Time. She did a great job writing each storyline and developing each character so they each have their own distinct personality. I didn’t completely believe the romance in the story, but there were other parts of the novel that made up for the lack of believable romance.
I really liked Erasing Time. My biggest complaint about it is the romance, but there are so many other great aspects of the book that I still enjoyed reading it. I recommend this to people who like sci-fi novels and time travel. Erasing Time is a quick and addicting read, and I can’t wait until the next book in the series.
FTC- Received from publisher at ALA.
What if you could dream your way into a different life? What if you could choose to live that life forever?
Sloane and Maggie have never met. Sloane is a straight-A student with a big and loving family. Maggie lives a glamorously independent life as an up-and-coming actress in New York. The two girls couldn't be more different--except for one thing. They share a secret that they can't tell a soul. At night, they dream that they're each other.
The deeper they're pulled into the promise of their own lives, the more their worlds begin to blur dangerously together. Before long, Sloane and Maggie can no longer tell which life is real and which is just a dream. They realize that eventually they will have to choose one life to wake up to, or risk spiraling into insanity. But that means giving up one world, one love, and one self, forever.
This book was really good, and not at all what I was expecting. Going into Lucid, I didn’t know much about the plot but as the book developed I loved it more and more. Lucid is an original idea that was executed very well.
However, I did dislike some parts of the novel. It’s difficult to write two person perspective books, and I think these authors did a good job of it. That being said, I didn’t like Maggie as much as I liked Sloane. Though Maggie definitely took more control of the book, Sloane was more relatable and her life interested me more. Because of this, it was difficult for me to get through the novel. That being said, I loved every other part of Lucid. Both characters are wildly different from each other, so it’s not difficult to tell them apart.
The story is incredibly fast-paced and easy to read. I found myself constantly getting lost in the story, and not wanting to put it down. I highly recommend Lucid. You won’t be able to stop reading!
FTC- Received from publisher.
An all-day scavenger hunt in the name of eternal small-town glory
With only a week until graduation, there's one last thing Mary and her friends must do together: participate in the Oyster Point High Official Unofficial Senior Week Scavenger Hunt. And Mary is determined to win.
Mary lost her spot at Georgetown to self-professed "it" bully Jake Barbone, and she's not about to lose again. But everyone is racing for the finish line with complicated motives, and the team's all-night adventure becomes all-night drama as shifting alliances, flared tempers, and crushing crushes take over. As the items and points pile up, Mary and her team must reinvent their strategy--and themselves--in order to win.
The Best Night of Your Pathetic Life first caught by eye because it has a scavenger hunt (I love scavenger hunts). I read one of Tara Altebrando’s other books, Dreamland Social Club last year and really liked it. Because of that, I had high hopes for The Best Night of Your Pathetic Life. It ended up being a really fun book that is perfect to read on a summer afternoon.
All the characters were really well written, and even though there were many different people, it was easy for me to keep them all straight. I loved the whole idea of this novel. The fact that there’s this monumental all-encompassing scavenger hunt is really awesome. Though this book comes off as a light read, it does have some deep moments in it, which help balance out all the madness of the scavenger hunt.
Overall, I really liked The Best Night of Your Pathetic Life. It had some aspects I wasn’t expecting to find, and that really added to the story. Though this isn’t one of my favorite reads, it’s definitely worth reading.
FTC- Received from a friend.
Invisibility by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan
May 7, 2013
Stephen has been invisible for practically his whole life — because of a curse his grandfather, a powerful cursecaster, bestowed on Stephen’s mother before Stephen was born. So when Elizabeth moves to Stephen’s NYC apartment building from Minnesota, no one is more surprised than he is that she can see him. A budding romance ensues, and when Stephen confides in Elizabeth about his predicament, the two of them decide to dive headfirst into the secret world of cursecasters and spellseekers to figure out a way to break the curse. But things don’t go as planned, especially when Stephen’s grandfather arrives in town, taking his anger out on everyone he sees. In the end, Elizabeth and Stephen must decide how big of a sacrifice they’re willing to make for Stephen to become visible — because the answer could mean the difference between life and death. At least for Elizabeth.
