All I Need by Susane Colasanti

The last night of summer is only the beginning.
Skye wants to meet the boy who will change her life forever. Seth feels their instant connection the second he sees her. When Seth starts talking to Skye at the last beach party of the summer, it’s obvious to both of them that this is something real. But when Seth leaves for college before they exchange contact info, Skye wonders if he felt the same way she did—and if she will ever see him again. Even if they find their way back to each other, can they make a long-distance relationship work despite trust issues, ex drama, and some serious background differences?

Susane Colasanti is one of those writers who, when their books come out, I run to the nearest bookstore and buy a copy. Her writing is always the perfect summer read. Because of this, I had super high expectations for All I Need. Unsurprisingly, those expectations were more than met.

Though All I Need deals with a little bit of heavier issues, they don’t bog down the story. In terms of characters, Seth seemed more developed. He was the character that really stood out to me. Skye was a fantastic main character, but she didn’t really have “it” to me. Seth, however, made up for what Skye lacked. That being said, their chemistry was spot on. I liked how each character had their own problems, and their point in the story wasn’t just to fall in love with each other. There was other stuff going on.

All I Need is the perfect summery read. It’s a light, charming read that will make you glow in the light of Skye and Seth’s romance. Though this isn’t my favorite of Colasanti’s work, it is definitely well written. I recommend this for people looking for a light, summer romance.

FTC- Received for review.

Cover Reveal: A Little Too Far by Lisa Desrochers

Whoo! Cover reveal time! Today I have the cover reveal for Lisa Desrochers’ New Adult novel A LITTLE TOO FAR. After the cover/summary reveal, there will be a Rafflecopter form to fill out for anyone who wants to win some ~swag~ related to A LITTLE TOO FAR.
Lisa wrote the super amazing Personal Demons series, and this is her first foray into writing New Adult. So without further to do, here is the cover and summary for A LITTLE TOO FAR.
(Because it’s New Adult, A Little Too Far is a bit racier than YA- so just a warning to all the younger kids who may be reading this.)

“I trace a finger along the lines of the tattoo over his heart—the kanji symbol for knowledge—as he grasps my thighs and rolls his hips underneath me.”
Have you ever gone just a little too far?
Lexie Banks has.
Yep. She just had mind-blowing sex with her stepbrother.In her defense, she was on the rebound, and it’s more of a my-dad-happened-to-marry-a-woman-with-a-super-hot-son situation. But still, he’s been her best friend and confidant for better part of the last few years…and is so off limits. It’s a good thing she’s leaving in two days for a year abroad in Rome.But even thousands of miles away, Lexie can’t seem to escape trouble. Raised Catholic, she goes to Confession in hopes of alleviating some of her guilt…and maybe not burning in hell. Instead, she stumbles out of the confessional right into Alessandro Moretti, a young and very easy on the eyes deacon…only eight months away from becoming a priest. As Lexie and Alessandro grow closer, and when Alessandro’s signals start changing despite his vow of celibacy, she doesn’t know what to think. She’s torn between falling in love with the man she shouldn’t want and the man she can’t have. And she isn’t sure how she can live with herself either way.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

When You Were Here by Daisy Whitney

* I’m giving away a signed/personalized copy of When You Were Here. You can enter it by clicking here. *

Danny's mother lost her five-year battle with cancer three weeks before his graduation-the one day that she was hanging on to see.
Now Danny is left alone, with only his memories, his dog, and his heart-breaking ex-girlfriend for company. He doesn't know how to figure out what to do with her estate, what to say for his Valedictorian speech, let alone how to live or be happy anymore.
When he gets a letter from his mom's property manager in Tokyo, where she had been going for treatment, it shows a side of his mother he never knew. So, with no other sense of direction, Danny travels to Tokyo to connect with his mother's memory and make sense of her final months, which seemed filled with more joy than Danny ever knew. There, among the cherry blossoms, temples, and crowds, and with the help of an almost-but-definitely-not Harajuku girl, he begins to see how it may not have been ancient magic or mystical treatment that kept his mother going. Perhaps, the secret of how to live lies in how she died.

This book is fantastic. Daisy Whitney’s writing captured me from the very beginning. Everything about When You Were Here sucked me in, and got me interested. Danny’s story, his mom’s story, the dog. I loved it all. I’m a huge fan of Whitney’s previous books (The Mockingbirds and The Rivals), but I think my love for When You Were Here trumps them both. In this novel, Whitney’s writing is beautiful and literary. However, it doesn’t lose the feel of being a YA book.

Danny’s character is brilliant. He was realistic and (for lack of a better word) beautiful. I loved reading about his journey in Japan. Throughout the novel, Danny goes from being a depressed “stick in the mud” kind of guy (I don’t blame him) to someone who’s happier and more comfortable with the life he’s been given. This story was very much about Danny’s personal growth, while trying to find out more information about his mom.

Daisy Whitney is an amazing writer. When You Were Here is original, beautiful, and unforgettable. I admit it, I cried. When You Were here is meaningful beyond belief. Every teenager should read it. Through Danny’s journey, readers are able to discover new things about themselves and the people around them. This tale of a boy trying to grapple with his past, while trying to conquer the future will tug at your heartstrings.

FTC- Received as an ARC from Netgalley.

Giveaway: When You Were Here by Daisy Whitney

Today I have another giveaway for you all!
You can enter to win 1 of 3 Signed/Personalized copies of WHEN YOU WERE HERE by Daisy Whitney! Whoo! You can enter by filling out the Rafflecopter form at the end of this blog post. The giveaway is open to US entries only. There aren't any extra entries for following Zoe's Book Reviews, however, I would appreciate it if you would. The summary of When You Were Here is-

Danny's mother lost her five-year battle with cancer three weeks before his graduation-the one day that she was hanging on to see.
Now Danny is left alone, with only his memories, his dog, and his heart-breaking ex-girlfriend for company. He doesn't know how to figure out what to do with her estate, what to say for his Valedictorian speech, let alone how to live or be happy anymore.
When he gets a letter from his mom's property manager in Tokyo, where she had been going for treatment, it shows a side of his mother he never knew. So, with no other sense of direction, Danny travels to Tokyo to connect with his mother's memory and make sense of her final months, which seemed filled with more joy than Danny ever knew. There, among the cherry blossoms, temples, and crowds, and with the help of an almost-but-definitely-not Harajuku girl, he begins to see how it may not have been ancient magic or mystical treatment that kept his mother going. Perhaps, the secret of how to live lies in how she died.
You Were Here is an amazing book. I read it awhile ago, and I’m still thinking about it. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Over You by Amy Reed

* You can win a copy of Over You by clicking here.* And you can read an interview I did with Amy here.*

Max would follow Sadie anywhere, so when Sadie decides to ditch her problems and escape to Nebraska for the summer, it’s only natural for Max to go along. She is Sadie’s confidante, her protector, and her best friend. This summer will be all about them. This summer will be perfect.
But that’s before they meet Dylan.
Dylan is dangerous and intoxicating, and he awakens something in Max that she never knew existed. No matter how much she wants to, she can’t back away.
But Sadie has her own intensity, and has never allowed Max to become close with anyone else. And Max doesn’t know who she is without Sadie.
There are some problems you just can’t escape.

Amy Reed never ceases to amaze me. Every single time I start one of her books, I think that it can’t possibly be as good as the last one. And every single time I’m wrong. Reed’s writing is consistently amazing. All of her books left me with a case of “oh my gosh, this book is so fantastic I can’t even articulate my feelings towards it”, and Over You isn’t any different.

Max is a headstrong character who is able to successfully carry her own during the story. Her best friend Sadie, however, is nearly the exact opposite. Sadie is the wild one. She doesn’t have a problem with partying and breaking the rules. Despite Sadie being unruly, Max can’t help but follow her to Nebraska. In Nebraska, Max starts to realize that she wants to try and distance herself from Sadie, and build her own life. To me, Over You is about Max trying to overcome her previous life as Sadie’s “sidekick”. She has to learn to make her own choices, not ones that revolve around Sadie. However, Sadie also has a chance to grow. Sadie has to learn how to treat Max better- and how to overall treat people with more respect.

Over You, though at times slow, was a great novel. I loved that it wasn’t all about romance and boys (despite what the summary leads you to believe). It was about two friends trying to balance out their relationship with each other, while also trying to navigate being a teenager (which, let’s face it- is a really awkward time in life). Reed is a fantastic writer. Her writing is lyrical and upfront. I would highly suggest Over You, along with the rest of Reed’s novels.

 

FTC- Received as an eGalley from the publisher.

Giveaway: Over You by Amy Reed!

Today I have a giveaway for you all. Yay! The giveaway is for a hardcover copy of Over You by Amy Reed, and a paperback copy of Crazy by Amy Reed. It is open to US entries only.To enter, all you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below!
You can read more about Over You by clicking here. And you can learn about Crazy by clicking here. Both books are beyond amazing. So without further to do, you can enter to win Amy Reed’s books by filling out this Rafflecopter- a Rafflecopter giveaway

An Interview with Amy Reed

Today I have an interview with Amy Reed, author of various books, including the newly released Over You (well, it’s being released tomorrow). Yay!

1. Do you ave a favorite book of yours that you've written? And if you don't, which book was the easiest/hardest to write?

It's impossible to choose a favorite--I could pick any of them, really. Beautiful because it was my first and most emotionally raw. Clean because it is the one that seems to have reached people the deepest. Crazy because it was the first time I ever really wrote about love. Over You because I got to have so much fun with mythology. So far, I'd say Over You was the hardest to write, only because I had six months to write it. The easiest was definitely Crazy. I think, because it is essentially a conversation between two characters, everything flowed really naturally. I also felt like I knew the characters really well right away.

 

2. What personal experiences, if any, helped contribute to the writing of Over You?

I had a best friend who went to go live with her mom and step-dad in Iowa after a rough year getting in trouble in Seattle. While they didn't live on a commune, they were definitely hippies and were part of a very counter-culture spiritual community. They lived on a small farm that included a pond. I spent the summer there between seventh and eighth grade after my own rough year in Seattle, during which we spent a lot of time in the pond and getting in trouble with local boys. My college roommate grew up on a commune and I have another friend who runs an organic farm, so I think all of those things contributed to the world of Over You.

3. What advice do you have for people who are in a similar situation as Max?

One of the main themes of Over You is losing yourself in a relationship and putting another person's needs and interests before your own. Max has to find the strength to assert herself and start to believe that she can be safe and strong on her own. I think people in similar one-sided relationships, whether friendships, romantic, family or otherwise, can start by asserting their independence first to themselves, figuring out what they believe in, what they truly enjoy and love and value, on their own, without the other's influence. That self-knowledge and inner strength will naturally lead to behavior and action.

4. Do you have a book/author recommendation for people who have read and enjoyed all of your books?

One of my favorite YA books that really inspired me is Laurie Halse Anderson's Wintergirls. I think fans of my work would love that book. While not necessarily edgy, I think John Green's book have a similar emotional intensity and are just so damn well-written everyone should read him. I also think Courtney Summers is an excellent contemporary YA author. If you want something really dark and literary, Adam Rapp's books are brilliant, especially Punkzilla.

5. Can you tell us anything about your next project?

I like to do a little something different with each of my books, and the next one is probably the most different of all. It's the first time i've ever included a paranormal element, though it's very much rooted in the psychological. I think it still reads like the edgy, contemporary novels my fans are used to, but with an added twist.

The Program by Suzanne Young

In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.
Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.
Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.

This book. Woah. I read it in one sitting, and nothing could get me to stop reading. It’s been awhile since I’ve read a book by Suzanne Young, but The Program made me remember just how much I love her writing. From the very first page, The Program had me hooked. The world that Young set up is unforgettable. The characters are extremely well written. And the story keeps you on the edge of your seat. Also, I cried SO MUCH.

I felt so bad for Sloane. Not only is she in a society where suicide is trivialized, she has also been dealt a really bad hand in life. Despite this, she stays headstrong and keeps her goal of trying to beat The Program. James was an equally awesome character. Though at times slightly annoying, I still liked him. It was easy to understand why he acted the way he did, even though I didn’t always necessarily agree with him. Because of this, I was able to appreciate the character more. He was kind towards Sloane, despite being a guarded person.

The Program is an amazing book. I couldn’t stop reading it, and even now- weeks after I finished it, Sloane and James are still in my head. Young is an impeccable writer, and I can’t wait to read the second book in the series. You need to read this book.

FTC- Bought