Identical by Ellen Hopkins

Kaeleigh and Raeanne are 16-year-old identical twins, the daughters of a district court judge father and politician mother running for Congress. Everything on the surface of their lives seems Norman Rockwell perfect, but underneath run deep and damaging secrets.

Kaeleigh is the good girl-her father's perfect flower, something she has tried so hard to be since she was nine and he started sexually abusing her. She cuts herself and vomits after every binge, desperate to feel something normal. Raeanne uses painkillers, drugs, alcohol, and sex to numb the pain of not being Daddy's favorite. Both girls must figure out how to become whole, but how can they when their world has been torn to shreds?


Once again, Ellen Hopkins never disappoints! Identical wasn’t easy to read. It makes you work and it makes you go into a dark place that most people don’t want to go into. But one thing is for sure- Identical is amazing.
Hopkins does an amazing job developing her characters. As a reader, you always care about what happens to the characters she creates. The actual plot to this story was heartbreaking, riveting, and engrossing. Everybody should read Ellen Hopkins’ books, all of them are amazing. Many people, however may have a bit of trouble reading her books. All of them are incredibly hard to read. One of her books, I got twenty pages into and stopped reading because I couldn’t handle what was going on.


FTC- Library.

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

When Wayland North brings rain to a region that's been dry for over ten years, he's promised anything he'd like as a reward. He chooses the village elder's daughter, sixteen-year-old Sydelle Mirabel, who is a skilled weaver and has an unusual knack for repairing his magical cloaks. Though Sydelle has dreamt of escaping her home, she's hurt that her parents relinquish her so freely and finds herself awed and afraid of the slightly ragtag wizard who is unlike any of the men of magic in the tales she's heard. Still, she is drawn to this mysterious man who is fiercely protective of her and so reluctant to share his own past. The pair rushes toward the capital, intent to stop an imminent war, pursued by Reuel Dorwan (a dark wizard who has taken a keen interest in Sydelle) and plagued by unusually wild weather. But the sudden earthquakes and freak snowstorms may not be a coincidence. As Sydelle discovers North's dark secret and the reason for his interest in her and learns to master her own mysterious power, it becomes increasingly clear that the fate of the kingdom rests in her fingertips. She will either be a savior, weaving together the frayed bonds between Saldorra and Auster, or the disastrous force that destroys both kingdoms forever.

Alexandra Bracken, can I marry your writing? I rarely like fantasy books. The only fantasy books that I can remember liking are Harry Potter and The Iron King series. Luckily, another book has been added to that short list. Brightly Woven was captivating. Alexandra Bracken created an incredibly well developed world that I loved being in. Her characters were flawlessly written and fun to read about.
North is the ultimate love interest. He is snarky, flawed, stubborn, and utterly amazing. There were so many points in this book where I wanted to slap him, yet to many where I wanted to jump into Brightly Woven and give him a hug. Sydelle was a fantastic leading lady that I would love to be friends with.
Alexandra Bracken needs to write more books about North and Sydelle because I really want to visit them again.


FTC- Library.

Fall for Anything by Courtney Summers

When Eddie Reeves’s father commits suicide her life is consumed by the nagging question of why? Why when he was a legendary photographer and a brilliant teacher? Why when he seemed to find inspiration in everything he saw? And, most important, why when he had a daughter who loved him more than anyone else in the world? When she meets Culler Evans, a former student of her father’s and a photographer himself, an instant and dangerous attraction begins. Culler seems to know more about her father than she does and could possibly hold the key to the mystery surrounding his death. But Eddie’s vulnerability has weakened her and Culler Evans is getting too close. Her need for the truth keeps her hanging on...but are some questions better left unanswered?

Courtney Summers is deep. Her writing makes me want to crawl up into a ball for the rest of eternity. Courtney Summers has built a name for herself. I always expect so much out of her books and she always delivers. Books about death are everywhere, but none even touch Fall for Anything. With this book Courtney Summers out did herself and the rest of the Young Adult books about death. None of those books made me feel so much, as Fall for Anything did.
This isn’t my favorite book of hers, mostly because I can’t pick a favorite. Fall for Anything has that authentic feel that Courtney Summers has mastered. I wasn’t able to put this down, and I hope you won’t be able to either. Courtney Summers never fails to amaze me with any of her books.


FTC- Publisher.

I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan

Here Comes the Bride — If She Can Pass Chemistry.

Eighteen-year-old Bronwen Oliver has a secret: She's really Phoebe, the lost daughter of the loving Lilywhite family. That's the only way to explain her image-obsessed mother; a kind but distant stepfather; and a brother with a small personality complex. Bronwen knows she must have been switched at birth, and she can't wait to get away from her "family" for good.

Then she meets Jared Sondervan. He's sweet, funny, everything she wants — and he has the family Bronwen has always wanted too. She falls head over heels in love, and when he

proposes marriage, she joyfully accepts. But is Jared truly what she needs? And if he's not, she has to ask: What would Phoebe Lilywhite do?

I Now Pronounce You Someone Else was one of those books that everybody will need to read. Erin McCahan has written a book that will put her on the map of readers who like Susane Colasanti, Sarah Dessen, and Sarah Ockler. This book was undeniably adorable and impossibly hard to put down. I stayed up until 4am reading this book and only got 3 hours of sleep. Not for one second do I regret it.
Reading this book gave me butterflies, it was so well written. The fairy tale romance that Erin McCahan writes is addictive. Bronwen was a character I would love to be friends with and Jared was a character I’d love to know and talk to.
McCahan does an amazing job of making this book alluring to the reader. I Now Pronounce You Someone Else is up there with one of my favorite books. I highly recommend it.


FTC- Library.

The Beautiful Between by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

If high school were a fairy-tale kingdom, Connelly Sternin would be Rapunzel, locked not in a tower by a wicked witch but in a high-rise apartment building by the SATs and college applications—and by the secrets she keeps. Connelly's few friends think that her parents are divorced—but they're not. Connelly's father died when she was two, and she doesn't know how. If Connelly is the Rapunzel of her school, Jeremy Cole is the crown prince, son of a great and rich New York City family. So when he sits down next to her at lunch one day, Connelly couldn't be more surprised. But Jeremy has a tragic secret of his own, and Connelly is the only one he can turn to for help. Together they form a council of two, helping each other with their homework and sharing secrets. As the pair's friendship grows, Connelly learns that it's the truth, not the secrets, that one must guard and protect. And that between friends, the truth, however harsh, is also beautiful.


I am in love with this book. When I started reading it, the fairy tale comparisons really annoyed me, but I eventually got used to it. The Beautiful Between was lyrical and addictive. Alyssa Sheinmel has made a fan girl out of me, because even a month after reading it- I still can’t get this book out of my head.
When I’m reading, I don’t cry in front of people. The Beautiful Between hit me so hard that I cried in front of people while I was reading it.
This story was as emotional as they come. It is emotionally draining, yet oddly uplifting. I read it in an hour, in one sitting. I think that’s the way that this book needs to be read in order to get the full impact of the story that Sheinmel is telling. I can’t recommend this book enough to people and I really hope you read it.
Alyssa B. Sheinmel is an amazing author that you should all watch.

FTC- Library.

Classic Thursday: The Stranger

*icon by Caroline*




The Stranger by Albert Camus
1946

____________


Through the story of an ordinary man unwittingly drawn into a senseless murder on an Algerian beach, Camus explored what he termed "the nakedness of man faced with the absurd.

_____________

Albert Camus is so lyrically brilliant. This book was hectic, loud, and moving. Despite the fact that I read this book impeccably fast, it made a really big impact in my mind. The main message in the book deals with the meaning of life. Though hidden behind that, Albert Camus has written a story that questions humanity and human emotions. He makes readers think about the line between being human and inhuman. The main character in The Stranger, Meursault is told that his lack of emotion makes him inhuman.
I felt a lot of sympathy towards Meursault because of how detached he is from the world. How he can do something as troubling as killing someone, yet not be torn up about it. The amusing thing about this novel is that Meusault is portrayed as such a weird non-relatable character. When the truth is, everybody can relate to him. We all feel awkward and different and annoyed with other people, like he does.
I love the writing of Albert Camus because he plays with existentialism*. He is extremely quotable, and I would put a few quotes into this review, but I checked this book out from the library which means I no longer have a copy. But if you enjoy writers who talk about existentialism and have yet to read The Stranger, you must read it. If you have the funds, I also recommend buying a copy because it is one of those books that you can highlight (if you are the highlighting type).


*Existentialism is the “focus on the conditions of existence of the individual person and his or her emotions, actions, responsibilities, and thoughts” (Taken from Wikipedia.)

The Amanda Project by Melissa Kantor

Amanda Valentino changed everything. Callie Leary has exactly one thing, and one thing only, in common with Nia Rivera and Hal Bennett: They were each chosen by Amanda to be her guide. When Amanda arrived at Endeavor High, she told Callie she moves around a lot and always picks one person to help her navigate the choppy waters of a new school. Why did Amanda lie? Following a course that they suspect Amanda deliberately plotted, Callie, Nia, and Hal piece together some cryptic clues. But they find more questions than answers and quickly realize that before they can figure out what happened to Amanda—the girl who changed their lives—they'll need to solve the most important mystery of all: Who is Amanda Valentino?

I really didn’t expect to like this book. I start reading it with no expectations. During the beginning, I got really confused about what was going on. I kept referencing the summary of the book making sure I wasn’t getting it mixed up with a different novel. Luckily, after awhile the story started to come together and everything made sense once again.
Once I started to get into it, The Amanda Project got really good! I love the concept of the series and how it’s written. I was a little worried about how each author would write a book in the series. I’m glad the Melissa Kantor wrote the first book because she has a really fluid way of writing that easily captures readers. She worked her magic on The Amanda Project and made it a really good, complicated, mysterious book that I loved reading.

FTC- Publisher.

Favorite Authors?

So a question that is asked and avoided in the YA Lit. world a lot is "who is your favorite author?". A lot of authors and bloggers avoid this question because it's hard picking favorites when you've read so many books. I have "favorites" shelves where all my favorite books/authors go. There are a lot of books on those shelves. Today I thought I will tell you all about my favorite authors.
Just as a warning though- my list of all time favorite authors is only for authors that have more than one book out. Or if they have a book out coming later this year and I've already read it. Some of my favorite books of all time are by authors who don't have another book out yet. Their books are still on the "favorite" shelf, but aren't going to be included in this list.
A lot of the authors on this list are some of the very first YA authors I ever read. There is only one author on the list, who isn't one of the first YA authors that I ever read. Here is the list-
_____________

1. Hannah Moskowitz-
Since she is the author who has made her way on to my favorite authors list, without being one of the first authors I read- I think she should be first on this list. Hannah must think I'm crazy and a creeper because this is the 4th or 5th "favorites" list of mine that she's been on. But, I mean guys... I don't fangirl just ANY author. Break, Hannah's first book is so freaking amazing that I read it in public. I don't read much in public. Invincible Summer, her April 19th release is so damn addicting. Her Fall Middle Grade book release, Zombie Tag is the only Middle Grade that I can remember ever being excited about (I'm not a big MG fan). She also writes really fast, it's amazing. Hannah is an all around amazing person/writer. And, she has really awesome hair. If someone asked me what writer I wanted my writing-career to be like- Hannah would be tied with the next author on this list.

2. David Levithan-
If he has google-alert on his name, I am pretty sure I sound like a stalker with how many times he is mentioned on here. David Levithan has made an impact in lives. His books change peoples lives, and that is pretty freakin' powerful. His writing is so precise and lyrical. I love it. He has also written and published so many books. I think he's written around 15 books including the ones he's co-authored. You need to read his books. Need to. Now. Go do it.

3. John Green-
Yes. I know. John Green. Favorite author to many people. The reason he is on this list is because he was my first favorite author. Looking for Alaska was the first book that made me realize how complex YA books could be. He may not be number one on my favorite author list, anymore. But I will still buy his books the day they come out. I will also continue to fangirl him into oblivion.

4. Sarah Dessen-
Girl, your books make my heart sing. I read This Lullaby before I even knew the YA genre existed. I actually thought it was an adult book, until I looked up Sarah Dessen online. I own all of her books and have read them all multiple times over. To me, Sarah Dessen embodies the perfect cute-romance-YA-book.

5. Maureen Johnson-
SO. FUNNY. To get a new Maureen Johnson book- I would go to the end of the Earth and back. She can take you to places across the world and you will still feel at home. Follow her twitter and you'll think she is crazy- but that is why we all love her. Maureen is an extremely talented writer who needs to publish a book like, every week so I can escape to Europe more often.

6. Scott Westerfeld-
The only sci-fi author that I will read for forever. I picked up the first book in the Uglies series right when I was beginning to get addicted to reading. Never in my life, had I thought that I would love reading books like the ones he's written. Scott has remained one of my favorite authors for the past four years, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

________

Obviously if you haven't read these authors, you must. They are six of the best authors the Young Adult community has to offer.