Review: Girl Meets Boy

     

Title: Girl Meets Boy
Author: Various

Series: None
Pages: 204

Publisher: Chronicle Books
Release Date: March 2012 (UK)
Source: For Review
Rating: 3 stars
100 Book challenge: #5

What do guys and girls really think? Twelve of the most dynamic and engaging YA authors writing today team up for this one-of-a-kind collection of "he said/she said" stories-he tells it from the guy's point of view, she tells it from the girl's. These are stories of love and heartbreak. There's the good-looking jock who falls for a dangerous girl, and the flipside, the toxic girl who never learned to be loved; the basketball star and the artistic (and shorter) boy she never knew she wanted; the gay boy looking for love online and the girl who could help make it happen. Each story in this unforgettable collection teaches us that relationships are complicated-because there are two sides to every story.

The premise of this anthology is what attracted it to me. I love the idea of reading different perspectives on the same event and I think this is why I love dual narration novels so much. I found it really interesting seeing into the minds of both the characters in the partner stories. Unfortunately, despite loving the premise and enjoying some of the stories, I expected more than was delivered.

From the cover, the book seems like it is going to be light-hearted and fun and to be honest, cutesy. What I got was hard, gritty, diverse stories that whilst well written, weren't what I was expecting. I found it really hard to get attached to some of their characters due to their hard exterior and I wished I had been able to do so.

This being said, when I read a story where I could sympathize with the characters I fell in love. There was one set of stories that I adored. I want it to be a book so I can get more invested in the characters and see how life learns out for them. "Want to Meet" and "Meeting for Real" was beautifully written, with wonderful characters and an interesting plot. 

Overall, I loved some of the stories and some fell flat for me. I was expecting more romance when I went into the book but the grittiness, whilst unexpected, was enjoyable. The book provided a huge diversity in the stories which I highly commend. If you are interested in seeing stories from two different perspectives it is an interesting read but it isn't as light and fluffy as the cover suggests.

Review: The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg

     

Title: The Catastrophic History of You and Me
Author: Jess Rothenberg

Series: None
Pages: 400

Publisher: Razorbill Penguin
Release Date: February 2nd 2012 (UK)
Source: For Review
Rating: 5 stars
100 Book challenge: #15

Dying of a broken heart is just the beginning.... Welcome to forever. 

BRIE'S LIFE ENDS AT SIXTEEN: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart—literally. 

But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend has been keeping a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost—and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul . . . who just might hold the key to her forever after. With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on. But how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?

Ever since I saw this book around the blogosphere I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. A girl dying of a broken heart (literally!!!!!!). TCHoYaM was everything I wanted and more.

Brie was a wonderful protagonist. She was spunky, saracastic and witty; everything I love in a main character. I saw a lot of parallels between myself at sixteeen and Brie which made her really easy to relate to.

Patrick melted my heart. Really. Enough said.

There were so many twists and turns. The story definitely didn't go in the direction I expected which made the reading experience that much more enjoyable!

The music references were incredible. Such fun!

Buy it. Read it. Love it. It is so great. Be prepared with tissues as I cried CONSTANTLY (not quite, but very nearly)!

Review: Falling Fast

    

Title: Falling Fast
Author: Sophie McKenzie

Series: None
Pages: 247

Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release Date: March 1st 2012 (UK)
Source: For Review
Rating: 4 stars
100 Book challenge: #14

When River auditions for a part in an interschool performance of Romeo and Juliet, she finds herself smitten by Flynn, the boy playing Romeo. But Flynn comes from a damaged family—is he even capable of giving River what she wants? The path of true love never did run smooth . . . 

This is real life, not a rehearsal...

I have read some of Sophie McKenzie's novels before Falling Fast and I really enjoyed them so I was looking forward to reading this. I wasn't disappointed.

I love books that contain plays and this was no exception. It wasn't the main focus but it was a nice touch. I would have liked a little more but I was still satisfied.

Flynn, the love interest didn't really do it for unfortunately. I felt he was given just a few too many chances. It didn't ruin the story though, fortunately.

All in all, Falling fast is a super quick read for fans that love romance!

In My Mailbox {32}

What did you get in your mailbox?

Review: Legend

    

Title: Legend
Author: Marie Lu

Series: Legend #1
Pages: 305

Publisher: Puffin
Release Date: February 2nd 2012 (UK)
Source: For Review
Rating: 4.5 stars
100 Book challenge: #10

The United States is gone, along with its flooded coasts. North America's two warring nations, the western Republic and the eastern Colonies, have reached a breaking point. In the midst of this broken continent and dark new world are two teenagers who will go down in history.... 

Born into the slums of Los Angeles, fifteen-year old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. A mysterious boy with no recorded image or fingerprints. A boy who should no longer exist. A boy who watches over his family until one evening, when the plague patrols mark his family's door with an X--the sign of plague infection. A death sentence for any family too poor to afford the antidote. Desperate, Day has no choice; he must steal it. 

Born to an elite family in Los Angeles' wealthy Ruby sector, fifteen-year old June is the Republic's most promising prodigy. A superintelligent girl destined for great things in the country's highest military circles. Obedient, passionate, and committed to her country--until the day her brother Metias is murdered while on patrol during a break-in at the plague hospital. 

Only one person could be responsible. 

Day. 

And now it's June's mission to hunt him down. 

The truth they'll uncover will become legend.

Ever since I heard about Legend I was completely in love. I love dystopians and the synopsis of Legend sounded incredible. Luckily for me, it did not disappoint.

The duel narration was highly effective in this novel. It was great to see from both June and Day's perspective. Legend wouldn't have been as good or as entertaining without it. Normally when I am reading a dual narration I have a favourite narrator. In Legend, however, I loved both June and Day's voice and their stories.

I loved the mystery and secrecy woven into the novel. At times I was really unsure who to trust and what side I should be on. I had an idea how the basic plot was going to play out and in that sense a lot of my suspicions were correct but there was such mystery in the little things which made the reading experience that much more enjoyable.

Legend is super quick to read, I read it in a day and a half, and it is only 300 odd pages so if you love dystopians Legend is a great book to read. I'm sure you will really enjoy it :)

Discussion: Reading Goals

We're into February of 2012 (wow how time flies) but we are still at the beginning of the year. I thought it would be a great time to discuss reading goals. I've been a bit obsessed with my target of reading 100 books this year. It has definitely spurred me on to read a lot more than I would generally which means I read more great books! It also helps me keep up with my ever growing TBR pile.

However, at the same time, I wonder whether trying to read so much has taken away some of the joy. Yes, I love being able to read more but sometimes the books become a bit of a blur and I can't distinguish between them.

There is also the issue of not meeting your goal. Last year I hoped to read 100 books but I only got to 74. I was 26 books short which is rather a lot but if I hadn't had the goal I wouldn't have ever reached that number. I did feel quite dejected though but it pushed me to read more this year and I am now 3 books ahead of where I should be at this point in the year.

I am really curious as to what you all think about reading goals. My mum said it would take the enjoyment of out it for her. Do you agree? Do you set yourself goals?

      2012 Reading Challenge

Alice (The Reader Room) has  read 15 books toward her goal of 100 books. 

          

        15 of 100 (15%)

        

          view books

  

Review: The Other Life

    

Title: The Other Life
Author: Susanne Winnacker

Series: The Other Life #1
Pages: 320

Publisher: Ubsorne
Release Date: Feburary 1st 2012 (UK)
Source: For Review
Rating: 4 stars
100 Book challenge: #11

Sherry has lived with her family in a sealed bunker since things went wrong up above. But when they run out of food, Sherry and her dad must venture outside. There they find a world of devastation, desolation...and the Weepers: savage, mutant killers. 

When Sherry's dad is snatched, she joins forces with gorgeous but troubled Joshua - an Avenger, determined to destroy the Weepers. 

But can Sherry keep her family and Joshua safe, when his desire for vengeance threatens them all?

I wasn't too sure what to expect when I started reading The Other Life. I didn't know too much about the plot so I didn't have too many hopes in my mind before I started. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed The Other Life which was full of danger, threats and survival.

Winnacker did a wonderful job building up the world and the weepers. The descriptions of the weepers were so horrifying yet so lifelike that I found it hard to read at times.

The character of Sherry was kind and likable but most of all I found her to be strong and a little unique. I loved how she would count how long it had been since she last had/did something. This really emphasised how long she and her family had been living in their bunker, this one room without setting a foot outdoors. The hunt to find food is bitter sweet. They are finally able to leave their bunker and see real sunlight but at the same time there is a huge threat to their safety.

I flew through The Other Life, utterly absorbed into the world Winnacker presented. There were so many secrets and discoveries to be made that I couldn't put it down. If you love post apocalyptic and dystopian novels then you should pick up The Other Life.

Fast Forward, Rewind, Play {1}

Fast Forward, Rewind, Play is a new weekly feature that I created to showcase not only books that haven't been released yet but books that are released but i haven't gotten around to yet.

Fast Forward

This is the book I am looking forward to that hasn't been released yet.

    

A Midsummer's Nightmare
Kody Keplinger
June 5th 2012

Whitley Johnson's dream summer with her divorce dad has turned into a nightmare. She's just met his new fiancee and her kids. The fiancee's son? Whitley's one-night stand from graduation night. Just freakin' great. 

Worse, she totally doesn't fit in with her dad's perfect new country-club family. So Whitley acts out. She parties. Hard. So hard she doesn't even notice the good things right under her nose: a sweet little future stepsister who is just about the only person she's ever liked, a best friend (even though Whitley swears she doesn't "do" friends), and a smoking-hot guy who isn't her stepbrother...at least, not yet. It will take all three of them to help Whitley get through her anger and begin to put the pieces of her family together. 

Filled with authenticity and raw emotion, Whitley is Kody Keplinger's most compelling character to date: a cynical Holden Caulfield-esque girl you will wholly care about.

Kody Keplinger is one of my favourite authors at the moment and I am waiting (not so) patiently for her next title!

Rewind

This is an already released book that I am looking forward to reading.

    

Crank (Crank #1)
Ellen Hopkins
October 1st 2004

Kristina Georgia Snow is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. But on a trip to visit her absentee father, Kristina disappears and Bree takes her place. Bree is the exact opposite of Kristina -- she's fearless.

Through a boy, Bree meets the monster: crank. And what begins as a wild, ecstatic ride turns into a struggle through hell for her mind, her soul -- her life.

I don't know how I haven't read any Ellen Hopkins yet but I must remedy this soon!

Play

This is a book I have on my bookshelf but I still haven't gotten to yet.

    

The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Stephen Chbosky
1999

Standing on the fringes of life... 
offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor. 
Since its publication, Stephen Chbosky's haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion has received critical acclaim, provoked discussion and debate, and grown in to a cult sensation with over half a million copies in print. 
It is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates, family dramas, and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, where all you need is that perfect song on that perfect drive to fell infinite. 
Through Charlie, Chbosky has created a deeply affecting novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.

I must read this before the film comes out. Not sure why I haven't read it yet but it will get read before the film!

Do you like this feature? Any books that you are dying to read?

Review: Kiss Date Love Hate

    

Title: Kiss Date Love Hate
Author: Luisa Plaja

Series: None
Pages: 278

Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Release Date: February 2nd 2012 (UK)
Source: For Review
Rating: 4 stars
100 Book challenge: #12

What if you could change your friends' lives and loves through the settings of a computer game...? 

Lex Murphy's group of friends have all dated, hated, ignored and lusted after each other for the last few years. If only there was a way of matching people perfectly to avoid all the unrequited love, dumping and drama! Then Lex's friend George is given a mysterious Sims-like game by his software-testing dad which involves building character profiles in the categories of Life, Looks and Love. Lex and George populate the game with avatars for all their mates, making a few 'wishful thinking' adjustments to the settings - and find that the next day these tinkerings have come true! But how long can this new calm, loved-up atmosphere continue?

When I first heard of Kiss Date Love Hate, the premise intrigued me but it looked a little young so I wasn't sure if I would like it. Despite not requesting a copy of KDLH I received a copy and decided to give it a go. Fortunately for me I did as I ended up really enjoying it.

The start of the book seemed a little juvenile but once I finally got into the flow of it and actually remembered what I was like at 15 I was able to connect with Lex and understand her choices a little better.

Plaja is really effective at creating realistic characters that, whilst have flaws, are likeable and relate-able. I didn't agree with all of Lex's decision but I have to admit that I understood why she did some of them. Some things, however, did not make sense to me but teenagers do irrational things so it is to be expected. George, the best friend, was a really sweet guy despite being a little douchy at times. Drew was another great character and I loved how he was a little misunderstood.

The ending of the book really caught me by surprise and I did not expect that twist at all. It really added a little something extra to this light fun read. I was so shocked I literally gasped out loud. A book hasn't made me do that in quite some time!

If you are a looking for a light quick read that has romance and some real characters that you can relate to, please pick up Kiss Date Love Hate. I definitely must try some of Plaja's other titles after reading this.

One issue I had, which had nothing to do with the story, was the lack of chapters. I find chapters to be a great (and only fitting) place to stop reading so I found that really hard to adjust to. As I said this did not affect my opinion of the novel itself.

Weekly Reads {1}

Books I hope to read this week

Review: Fated

    

Title: Fated
Author: Sarah Alderson

Series: Fated #1
Pages: 320

Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release Date: January 5th 2012 (UK)
Source: For Review
Rating: 4 stars
100 Book challenge: #9

What happens when you discover you aren't who you thought you were? And that the person you love is the person who will betray you? If your fate is already determined, can you fight it? 

When Evie Tremain discovers that she’s the last in a long line of Demon slayers and that she’s being hunted by an elite band of assassins –Shapeshifters, Vampires and Mixen demons amongst them – she knows she can’t run. They’ll find her wherever she goes. Instead she must learn to stand and fight. 

But when the half-human, half-Shadow Warrior Lucas Gray - is sent to spy on Evie and then ordered to kill her before she can fulfil a dangerous prophecy, their fates become inextricably linked. The war that has raged for one thousand years between humans and demons is about to reach a devastating and inevitable conclusion. Either one or both of them will die before this war ends. 

If your life becomes bound to another’s, what will it take to sever it?

Fated is an original take on paranormal romances and I must say I really enjoyed it. There was lots of action, romance and mystery to make it action packed and unable to put down.

Evie is a really likable character. She is strong and stubborn but is loving and protective about those she cares for. From the beginning I grew very attached to her. Lucas, the half-Shadow Warrier hunting Evie, is a wonderful love interest. There is an aspect of forbidden love which makes the romance that much more enjoyable to read.

The plot was full of action and danger. There was definitely questions about who to trust and who to be suspicious of. I was gripped from the very beginning right until the last page. 

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Fated and I fell in love with Alderson's writing style. I MUST get my hands on Hunting Lila and catch up on all her novels! I am really looking forward to the next book in the Fated series!

Waiting on Wednesday {11}

    

 Title: Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters
Author: Meredith Zeitlin

Series: Standalone
Pages: 288

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons

Release Date: March 1st 2012

Kelsey Finkelstein is fourteen and FRUSTRATED. Every time she tries to live up to her awesome potential, her plans are foiled – by her impossible parents, her annoying little sister, and life in general. But with her first day of high school coming up, Kelsey is positive that things are going to change. Enlisting the help of her three best friends — sweet and quiet Em, theatrical Cass, and wild JoJo — Kelsey gets ready to rebrand herself and make the kind of mark she knows is her destiny. 

Things start out great - her arch-nemesis has moved across the country, giving Kelsey the perfect opportunity to stand out on the soccer team and finally catch the eye of her long-time crush. But soon enough, an evil junior’s thirst for revenge, a mysterious photographer, and a series of other catastrophes make it clear that just because KELSEY has a plan for greatness… it doesn’t mean the rest of the world is in on it. 

Kelsey’s hilarious commentary throughout her disastrous freshman year will have you laughing out loud—while being thankful that you’re not in her shoes, of course…

What are you waiting for this week?

Review: Saving Daisy

    

Title: Saving Daisy
Author: Phil Earle

Series: None
Pages: 339

Publisher: Penguin
Release Date: January 5th 2012 (UK)
Source: For Review
Rating: 4 stars
100 Book challenge: #8

Losing love, fighting guilt, seeking hope. 

Daisy’s mum is gone. Her dad refuses to talk about it and as far as Daisy’s concerned, it’s all her fault… 

Saving Daisy is a powerful and moving story that follows the life of Daisy Houghton who first featured in Phil Earle’s critically acclaimed debut, Being Billy. 
As Daisy struggles with misplaced guilt over her mother’s death, she turns to extreme and violent measures and soon her life starts spiralling out of control. This leads to tragedy and suddenly Daisy finds herself left all alone. But sometimes the kindness of a stranger can turn things around. A stranger who desperately wants to save Daisy – if she’ll only let herself be saved.

Daisy's story is an incredibly emotional, devastating and uplifting novel. It had me in floods of tears out of sadness and happiness. I hasn't felt quite so emotional over a book in a long time.

Earle has a tragically beautiful writing style. It is gritty and raw and brutally honest. I haven't read his first novel Being Billy but after finishing Saving Daisy I can't wait to.

When starting the novel I has absolutely no idea where it was going to go. There were so many possibilities and I wasn't able to predict it. I don't want to say the novel doesn't have a plot because it does but it is about so much more than the plot. It is about Daisy's growth as a character and having the strength and hope to keep going when things get tough.

Saving Daisy book is hard to read at times and the book deals with difficult subject matters but it is a book worth reading if you like books about real people with real problems. Ultimately, the book is about hope and it definitely gave me some of my own.