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  • Category: Reviews 2015

    • Book Review: “Beastly Bones” by William Ritter (ARC)

      Posted at 4:15 am by Laura, on September 8, 2015

      Ritter_BeastlyBones_jkt_COMP.inddBeastly Bones by William Ritter

      Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
      Publishing Date: September 22
      Genre: young adult, fantasy, historical fiction, gothic, mystery
      ISBN: 9781616203542
      Goodreads: —
      Rating: 
      ★★★★

      In 1892, New Fiddleham, New England, things are never quite what they seem, especially when Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer R. F. Jackaby are called upon to investigate the supernatural.

      First, a vicious species of shape-shifters disguise themselves as a litter of kittens, and a day later, their owner is found murdered with a single mysterious puncture wound. Then in nearby Gad’s Valley, now home to the exiled New Fiddleham police detective Charlie Cane, dinosaur bones from a recent dig mysteriously go missing, and an unidentifiable beast starts attacking animals and people, leaving their mangled bodies behind. Charlie calls on Abigail for help, and soon Abigail and Jackaby are on the hunt for a thief, a monster, and a murderer.

      Several weeks after Abigail Rook and her odd employer, detective of the supernatural R.F. Jackaby, solve a strange case, another bubbles underneath the surface. What appears to be kittens turns out to be shape-shifters, and the owner of these poor creatures turns up dead. Meanwhile, police detective Charlie Cane (now Barker) calls upon the duo to help solve a similar murder that occurred around a strange paleontology site on a farmer’s land. As Abigail and Jackaby hunt for a culprit, the finds of the dig soon take precedence and something much larger than they ever expected looms over the case.

      At times Beastly Bones feels like it’s carrying three different mysteries — the strange kittens, the dig, the murders — when in reality, there are two. The first ties the seemingly three mysteries together, and the second involves Jenny, and what’s surely to come in Book Three, tying the three books together. (Ha! Didn’t know there was another mystery underneath in Jackaby, did you?)

      The same wit, humor, and banter found in the first book is back again, only Jackaby takes a more introspective role and lets Abigail shine. She is especially involved in this case due to her background in paleontology. Only what she finds, she’s having trouble believing. Myth and fact collide, and even the famous scientists involved in the case are baffled. The scientists’ rivalry, coupled with an entertainingly forceful reporter, take over the humor end of the narrative, nearly distracting Abigail and Jackaby from the stakes.

      Let’s just say… “Here, there be ___.” Beastly bones, indeed. But how are they tied to the murders (if they’re indeed tied at all)? Something strange is afoot, and that something links back to Abigail and Jackaby’s first case together. But why? And how?

      If you think this wonderful genre-bender is going to be another standalone mystery, then you are wrong. In true Sherlockian fashion, Ritter brings the reader to an explosive ending that will make you want to reread Jackaby and Beastly Bones, because there’s a Moriarty lurking, and it will blow your mind.

      Thank you, Algonquin, for providing this book at BEA for review!

      This book fulfills 2 of 7 #ARCAugust reads.

      Posted in books, Reviews 2015 | 1 Comment | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: fantasy, genre: gothic, genre: historical fiction, genre: mystery, genre: young adult, goodreads, review
    • Book Review: “Dumplin'” by Julie Murphy (ARC)

      Posted at 6:45 am by Laura, on September 2, 2015

      18304322Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy

      Publisher: Balzer + Bray
      Publishing Date: September 15
      Genre: young adult, contemporary
      ISBN: 9780062327185
      Goodreads: —
      Rating: 
      ★★★★★

      Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom) has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked . . . until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back.

      Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.

      With starry Texas nights, red candy suckers, Dolly Parton songs, and a wildly unforgettable heroine— Dumplin’ is guaranteed to steal your heart.

      Willowdean is a fat girl and perfectly fine with that, thank you very much. She doesn’t see “fat” as a negative word, just a descriptor like “tall” and “brown-haired.” But the summer she starts working at Harpy’s makes her incredibly self-aware of her size, because now hot boy Bo has his eyes set on her. It’s obvious why she likes him, but she can’t help but wonder what he sees in her. Her confidence declines, her beautiful best friend Ellen fades away from her life, and Will misses her aunt so much it hurts. So she decides to do the one thing that would shock her beauty-queen mother most: enter the Miss Clover City beauty pageant along with several other outcast girls. Nowhere on the application does it say “fat, crippled, and buck-teeth girls need not apply,” and every girl deserves a chance at a pageant. Navigating, friendship, body talks, grief, confidence, Dolly Parton songs, and strutting with drag queens, Will’s life turns upside down and back on track as she embraces her strengths.

      Rarely do I read a book that I connect with on so many levels and yet be completely disconnected from as well. I’m not a big girl by any means. In fact, I’m a little underweight for my height and age. That doesn’t mean I don’t understand body shaming. At the same time, I couldn’t help but think of my gorgeous, talented, hilarious, intelligent, active friend…who also happens to be a big girl. She’s got the perfect fat girl figure, and I’m so jealous of that — because she owns it, she’s confident, and she very much reminds me of Willowdean. Sometimes she wonders what men see in her, and I can’t help but give her this look like, “Honey? Seriously?”

      Will’s dilemma throughout the book isn’t that she’s fat, not really. She doesn’t hate her body, and she’s not unhealthy. She’s living life like every other teen girl: she’s good in school, she’s got a job, and she’s obsessed with Dolly Parton. It’s the other factors in her life that make her wonder how to navigate being fat. It never occurred to her that a gorgeous former jock (whose jaw can cut glass) would like her, and when he does she’s both thrilled and disgusted (because if he likes her, he’ll want to kiss her, and then touch her, and hold her hand, and the thought of the two of them touching and holding hands freaks her out because look at him and then look at her and how does a guy like him get a girl like her — you see where this distructive thought process comes in?).

      It also never hit her till she signed up for the pageant that all the beauty queens were tall and thin and Western definition of beauty. But the application doesn’t say a girl of a certain height and weight and bone structure can’t join the pageant. So she signs up — and her mother, who runs the event, nearly tells her not to. Will calls her out on it, saying if her own mother and pageant judge says she can’t sign up, then she’s also saying her daughter isn’t good enough and beautiful enough.

      By fighting the stigma, Will grows more confident in her skin. Watching this blossom throughout the book is so incredibly heartwarming, it makes me want to hug her and strut a runway alongside her. It’s no wonder Bo’s in love with her, or why Ellen depends on her so much. As a reader, you can see why people like Will, even if she doesn’t see it herself. It’s never about her body to the outsider (how many times did Bo say this to her? A million? And how many times did I fall in love with him? A million and one?), but she makes it about her body. Joining her on this journey of body acceptance and body confidence was encouraging, uplifting, and so universal to every girl of every size.

      Positive. Hilarious. Sweet. Sassy. Deep.

      This book is like a cool glass of sweet tea on a hot Texas summer evening. It’s refreshing and perfect and just what you didn’t know you needed.

      Thank you, Balzer + Bray and HarperCollins, for providing this book at BEA for review!

      Posted in books, Reviews 2015 | 10 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: contemporary, genre: romance, genre: young adult, goodreads, review
    • An Odd DNF Scenario

      Posted at 7:15 am by Laura, on August 28, 2015

      We’ve all experienced a DNF — Did Not Finish — at some point. But more often than not, we’ll set the book aside or mark it DNF on Goodreads, and never speak of it again. It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad book; it’s just not the book for you. You can rant and rave about the writing or plot or characters or overall content — and maybe it truly is bad — but book bashing doesn’t get you anywhere.

      When I DNF, I mark it on Goodreads, state why it wasn’t for me as short and concise as I can, and let it fade into the background.

      Except with this book.

      20652088Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prineas is not a bad book. Not at all. That’s not even why I DNF’d. In fact, just about everything I could ever like or want to see was in here in the beginning pages — fairytale spin, intrigue, writing, voice, unique plot, compelling protagonist, and realistic love interest. But if that’s all there, why did I stop?

      That God-awful subjective gut feeling that creeps up even when I’m agenting: It wasn’t for me.

      Even though I DNF’d, that doesn’t mean I won’t promote this. OHMYGOSH am I gonna promote this! You want a behind-the-scenes look at a fairytale? Read this book. How do fairy godmothers know exactly what you want and when you need it? Read this book. Dying for another fairytale spin that’s both unique and familiar? Read this book. And, totally random, but if you’re looking for something that has echoes of Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale…I’d say read this book. (I could be completely off on that, but it had those vibes in the beginning pages and I was fascinated.)

      So here I am, promoting a book I did not finish. I was about a third into the book when I stopped. The merits are obvious, and I can see this being a successful book with a loyal following. If there’s any way I can aid in that, I will do so!

      Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from HarperTeen for review!

      This book fulfills 1 of 7 #ARCAugust reads.

      Posted in books, Reviews 2015 | 5 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, books, dnf, genre: fantasy, genre: romance, genre: young adult
    • Book Review: “Uprooted” by Naomi Novik

      Posted at 6:45 am by Laura, on August 26, 2015

      22544764Uprooted by Naomi Novik

      Publisher: Del Rey
      Published: May 2015
      Genre: adult fiction, fantasy
      ISBN: 9780804179034
      Goodreads: 4.24
      Rating: 
      ★★★.5

      Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.

      Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.

      The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.

      But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.

      Agnieszka is worried for her best friend Kasia — it’s clear she’s the one the Dragon will choose to keep in his tower for ten years. He’s not really a dragon, but a powerful wizard that protects her village and the surrounding area from the malevolent Wood. Agnieszka’s life changes when the Dragon chooses her instead, and she’s whisked away to his tower and taught how to explore, grow, and harness her magic, abilities she didn’t even know she possessed. But Kasia is taken into the Wood, and Agnieszka will stop at nothing to rescue her — and the consequences are dire.

      First, hello Polish fairytale retelling. Second, hello malicious forest. Third, hello incredibly vague book jacket that only summarized the first twenty pages instead of what the book is actually about. (The third part I am a little peeved over, and yet I can see why marketing would do such a thing! Uprooted is complex and beautiful and should not be spoiled.)

      I’d heard great things about this book, especially after Gillian @ Writer of Wrongs freaked out about it. Even New York Times and Slate had great things to say, and Twitter was all agog over the “Jane-Eyre-and-Mr-Rochester” romance. So after reading the reviews, watching the freak outs, and staring at the vague book jacket, I decided to give in and read it. It’s nothing like I expected (which I’m only slightly disappointed over) and still tremendously stunning.

      Uprooted has a very classic fantasy feel to it. Novik uses long, lush descriptions of just about everything you could think of — scenery, spell-casting, battles and skirmishes, emotions —  which I thoroughly enjoyed. I felt like I was a part of Agnieszka’s world. Her character was deeply relatable as well, with a quiet, sly sense of humor and immense love for her friends and family. I admired her and cheered her on when she decided to rebel against the Dragon (countless times), when she’d tinker with spells and experiment with variations. Her time in the tower was my favorite, followed by her scenes with the Dragon and with Kasia. Gosh, even when she’s in the Wood on her own, I was enthralled.

      Let me take a moment to discuss the Wood. What a breath of fresh air, a villain that has no face, a villain that is neither human nor creature, but an entity on its own! That’s what I found most frightening about it. The Wood can take whomever whenever it wants, expanding across the land and destroying whole villages. People are trapped inside with no hope of escape, and corruption is inevitable. How intense and original is that? Thoroughly enjoyed this aspect of the fantasy!

      But this wasn’t like I expected, as I stated previously. I thought this was going to be a more solitary sort of book. Yes, something would be done with the Wood, but I wasn’t expecting as much traveling as Agnieszka and the Dragon embarked upon, or as much courtly politics or as battle-intensive (gosh, the battles really weren’t splattered across the pages like I’m making it sound — it was just one or two scenes too many for my “I’m not into fight scenes” self). And when the writing is descriptive, well…it can get a little weary in these passages.

      I liked the Dragon (or Sarkan, as we later learn). He was an amusing character, and I know plenty of people who are grouchy and stuck in their ways just like him. But I didn’t love him. Agnieszka’s curiosity and infatuation with him is a completely natural response, but there was no way I could love him. He could be a bit abrasive and insulting, neither of which I find conducive to a healthy relationship, let alone a romance. So while there were some steamy scenes (I’m looking at you, page 353!), I wasn’t in love.

      Please don’t throw tomatoes at me.

      Uprooted is enjoyable, beautiful, intricate, powerful, unique, and magical. It’s the kind of story you want to take some time to sink into and savor.

      Posted in books, Reviews 2015 | 8 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fantasy, goodreads, review
    • Book Review: “Serafina and the Black Cloak” by Robert Beatty

      Posted at 5:15 am by Laura, on August 24, 2015

      23507745Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty

      Publisher: Disney Hyperion
      Published: July 2015
      Genre: middle grade, gothic, historical fiction
      ISBN: 9781484709016
      Goodreads: 4.08
      Rating: 
      ★★★

      Serafina has never had a reason to disobey her pa and venture beyond the grounds of Biltmore Estate. There’s plenty to explore in the shadowed corridors of her vast home, but she must take care to never be seen. None of the rich folk upstairs know that Serafina exists; she and her pa, the estate’s maintenance man, have secretly lived in the basement for as long as Serafina can remember.

      But when children at the estate start disappearing, only Serafina knows who the culprit is: a terrifying man in a black cloak who stalks Biltmore’s corridors at night. Following her own harrowing escape, Serafina risks everything by joining forces with Braeden Vanderbilt, the young nephew of Biltmore’s owners. Braeden and Serafina must uncover the Man in the Black Cloak’s true identity before all of the children vanish one by one.

      Serafina’s hunt leads her into the very forest that she has been taught to fear. There she discovers a forgotten legacy of magic that is bound to her own identity. In order to save the children of Biltmore, Serafina must seek the answers that will unlock the puzzle of her past.

      Serafina is a child of the night. She and her mechanic father live in the basement of the grand Biltmore Estate in North Carolina, and it’s her job to catch the rats. On one particular night of rat catching, she witnesses a frightening man in a black cloak kidnapping a child — and vanishing into thin air. As the visitors to Biltmore Estate realize none of the children are safe, it’s up to Serafina and her uncanny senses to solve the terrifying mystery of this demon man, the forest surrounding the estate, and the stolen children before it’s too late.

      Gothic literature is meant to frighten, to raise your emotions and suspend belief. This was certainly frightening (I definitely wouldn’t recommend reading outside late at night (still not sure why I did that!)), especially in the first chapter. Whoa. However, there are elements of this, particularly with Appalachian lore and mountain lions and the like, that I found difficult to swallow. It’s one of those borderline fantasy or magical realism books, and magical realism isn’t my cup of tea. Apart from that, all the gothic trappings are there, and it worked!

      Not going to lie, Serafina is one clever girl. She figured out the mystery behind the cloaked man long before I did, even as she was explaining it to Braeden, the nephew of the owner of Biltmore. I had my thoughts set on two different characters entirely. Beatty peppered clues throughout — so pay close attention.

      This book’s strengths lie in the scary night scenes — the suspense was outrageously terrifying — and the easy camaraderie and friendship between Serafina and Braeden. Outcasts in their own way, they find and recognize a kinship in one another, and it’s so effortless and beautiful to watch. Neither of them knew the extent of their loneliness until they found one another. That’s probably what I enjoyed the most: neither character expressed sadness to the reader. It wasn’t moping or dejected. But the second Serafina and Braeden interact with one another, that spark of friendship lights up and it becomes obvious what they were missing out on their whole lives.

      A good middle grade mystery with heaps of the chill factor tossed in. Ignore what I said earlier about reading outside. This is perfect for a summer evening if you want a good scare — no better way to embrace the southern atmosphere!

      Posted in books, Reviews 2015 | 6 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: gothic, genre: historical fiction, genre: middle grade, genre: mystery, goodreads, review
    • Book Review: “The Wolf Wilder” by Katherine Rundell (ARC)

      Posted at 7:00 am by Laura, on August 12, 2015

      24885821The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell

      Publisher: Simon & Schuster BFYR
      Publishing Date: August 25
      Genre: middle grade, historical fiction
      ISBN: 9781481419420
      Goodreads: —
      Rating: 
      ★★★.5

      Feo’s life is extraordinary. Her mother trains domesticated wolves to be able to fend for themselves in the snowy wilderness of Russia, and Feo is following in her footsteps to become a wolf wilder. She loves taking care of the wolves, especially the three who stay at the house because they refuse to leave Feo, even though they’ve already been wilded. But not everyone is enamored with the wolves, or with the fact that Feo and her mother are turning them wild. And when her mother is taken captive, Feo must travel through the cold, harsh woods to save her—and learn from her wolves how to survive.

      Feo and her mother are frequently given domesticated wolves from elite Russian households, wolves that dissatisfy the rich and need to be sent back to the wild. But one particular officer in the Imperial Army has a better idea: shoot them all, and shoot the wilders while he’s at it. Feo’s mother is taken captive, and it takes Feo, her three wilded but loyal wolves, an ex-Imperial Army soldier, and village children to storm into St. Petersburg in the middle of a terrible Russian blizzard to free Feo’s mother.

      I was under the impression this would be a more solitary kind of novel — just Feo and her wolves, fending for themselves in snowy Russia. A rescue mission would be included, too, of course, but to be honest I wasn’t sure how that was going to happen. Rundell surprised me: Feo is not alone. Feo is never alone. She’s a fiercely independent character, wild in her own way, but she does need help of “civilized” people in order to storm into a prison in St. Petersburg. The people she meets understand her on a completely different level, and it truly does have something to do with her wolves. Rundell has a way of expressing the deep emotional connections humans have with animals — be they wild or domesticated — and it shows throughout the novel.

      One of the helpers is Ilya, an incredibly young boy in the Imperial Army who’s assigned to watch Feo and her mother before the capture. At first I couldn’t help but notice just how wrong it was that he was a soldier. First, he’s too young, and second, he seemed like a dreamer. As if he didn’t pay attention in training, or something. He didn’t even have the most basic survival skills — making a compass, for one thing — on hand, and relied on Feo and her wolves. But after he gushed about ballet, I knew. And it made my heart soar. So happy to see a young boy in a middle grade book desire to become a ballet dancer!

      Finally, the wolves are more than animals in the book. Black, White, and Gray had very distinct personalities. They’re characters too. And when you get to that scene — you’ll know which one — holla atcho gurl and we can commiserate together.

      There were moments when the novel started to read a bit more like a Russian Winter Wilderness Survival Guide, which knocked it down half a star. But apart from that, it was incredibly enjoyable. I’ve said before I wanted to read stories set in Russia, and this certainly fit the bill. Rundell once again delivers a fantastic read.

      Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from SSBFYR for review!

      Posted in books, Reviews 2015 | 2 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: historical fiction, genre: middle grade, goodreads, review, Russia, Russian history
    • Book Review: “Out of the Easy” by Ruta Sepetys

      Posted at 6:15 am by Laura, on August 10, 2015

      18079576Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

      Publisher: Philomel / Speak
      Published: February 2013 / March 2014
      Genre: young adult, historical fiction
      ISBN: 9780147508430
      Goodreads: 4.06
      Rating: 
      ★★★★

      It’s 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer. She devises a plan get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street.

      Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.

      Josie Moraine is the estranged daughter of a brothel prostitute. Working both as a cleaning lady in Willie’s house — the madam who is more of a mother than Josie’s own — and bookseller at a declining author’s bookshop, she has big plans for her future that involves getting out of New Orleans and starting life fresh in college. But everything changes when a kind, handsome man from Memphis purchases two books at the shop, and is found dead at a gambling table later that night near Josie’s mother. Josie’s race to start a new life in Boston escalates as she searches for the truth of what really happened that day in the Big Easy.

      I adored Between Shades of Gray — stark writing and all — because it opened my eyes and, most importantly, gave me the biggest book hangover. But Out of the Easy showcases Sepetys’s storytelling to a whole new level. Her voice is there, but the writing style was different. Exposing that flexibility in storytelling has solidified her to becoming one of my insta-buy authors. Looking forward to her next book, Salt to the Sea!

      This wasn’t so much a mystery or a thriller as it was historical and steeped in culture. It’s obvious how everything ties together — everyone and Josie knows it — but the undercurrent issues of the novel culminate to quite the climactic end. Josie wants to go to college, but then she meets a sincere and friendly Uptown rich girl, Charlotte, who suggests Josie apply to Smith College in Massachusetts. Now Josie has a specific goal, but it feels unattainable because of her terribly small financial situation. This seems like a universal issue for college hopefuls, right? Well, toss in the fact her mother’s a prostitute who’s run off with a mob man, her closest and most helpful friends are also part of the brothel business in some capacity, and the only way men can take her seriously is if she takes off her clothes or points a gun.

      The underbelly of New Orleans was a fascinating setting, with a host of colorful characters and unique moral structure. Josie is an average girl in a rough place, and experiencing these heart-pounding situations with her was quite the ride.

      Posted in books, Reviews 2015 | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: historical fiction, genre: mystery, genre: young adult, goodreads, review
    • Book Review: “This is What Happy Looks Like” by Jennifer E. Smith

      Posted at 5:15 am by Laura, on July 22, 2015

      18142750This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

      Publisher: Poppy
      Published: December 2013
      Genre: young adult, contemporary, romance
      ISBN: 9780316212816
      Goodreads: 3.70
      Rating: 
      ★★.5

      When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O’Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds.

      Then Graham finds out that Ellie’s Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media’s spotlight at all costs?

      An accidental email ignites an anonymous yet close bond between two teens. Both have their secrets, and it’s not until a movie set hits Ellie’s small Maine town before she discovers Graham’s. GDL824 is rising teen movie star Graham Larkin, and he’s determined to move their relationship off the computer screen to in-person. But Ellie’s hesitant, and it’s not till Graham’s manager scoops up the story that her avoidance of the cameras comes to light.

      I fell in love with The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, then had a great experience with The Geography of You and Me. This meant I was bound to love this novel — especially one surrounding witty emails and then “meeting IRL.” Feels so current, right?

      There was enough here that I enjoyed the read for what it was. Graham is sweet, a pretty standard YA love interest whose only complication is the fact he’s famous. Ellie, too, is a rather uncomplicated individual, whose secret is really her mother’s secret. While I completely understood why she’d want to avoid the media — and I agree, with both Ellie and Graham in the spotlight, it would make something of a scandal — it didn’t feel as urgent as it was made out to be.

      And, for this to be a great love story, I felt the romance part lacked a bit. There wasn’t enough of the email exchanges to make me fall in love with Graham, or in love with their love. I had to be told about previous exchanges through Ellie or Graham’s flashbacks. It came across as an intense friendship more than anything else because of it.

      I guess what I’m saying is, if you want a good summer read around the 4th of July, complete with an ordinary small-town character dating a celebrity and all that comes with it, this is the book. It doesn’t contain the emotional impact of Stat Prob or Geography, but the bones of Smith’s writing is all there.

      Posted in books, Reviews 2015 | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: contemporary, genre: romance, genre: young adult, goodreads, review
    • Book Review: “Model Misfit” by Holly Smale (ARC)

      Posted at 7:35 am by Laura, on July 16, 2015

      23460954Model Misfit by Holly Smale

      Publisher: HarperTeen
      Publishing Date: July 21
      Genre: young adult, contemporary
      ISBN: 9780062333605
      Goodreads: 4.19
      Rating: 
      ★★★★

      Harriet knows that modelling won’t transform you. She knows that being as uniquely odd as a polar bear isn’t necessarily a bad thing (even in a rainforest). And that the average person eats a ton of food a year, though her pregnant stepmother is doing her best to beat this.

      What Harriet doesn’t know is where she’s going to fit in once the new baby arrives.

      With summer plans ruined, modelling in Japan seems the perfect chance to get as far away from home as possible. But nothing can prepare Harriet for the craziness of Tokyo, her competitive model flatmates and her errant grandmother’s ‘chaperoning’. Or seeing gorgeous Nick everywhere she goes.

      Because, this time, Harriet knows what a broken heart feels like.

      Can geek girl find her place on the other side of the world or is Harriet lost for good?

      Harriet’s finished her exams and is prepared — with spreadsheets! — to spend the summer epically with her best friend Nat. But Nat’s sent to France, Harriet’s stalker Toby is going away for a family vacation, which leaves Harriet alone with her pregnant stepmother and excited father. When Wilbur informs Harriet she’s going to Tokyo to shoot a new label, she jumps at the opportunity. Modeling in Japan would mean a whole new set of people, in a place she’s dreamed of for ages, and far away from humiliation and the ever-present heartache of losing Nick…right?

      I cracked up just as much as I did with Geek Girl, so you can bet I loved Smale’s second book in the series. Smale knows how to end chapters, how to place her characters in ridiculous situations one after another. She really keeps you moving through the book at top speed, which is why I’d also call this one action-packed! No swords (though there’s faux sumo wrestling), just endlessly turning the pages for more!

      Harriet’s just as geeky and clumsy, but she’s far more knowledgable in the social department. Not that she miraculously gets along with people well or understands them easily, but standing up to her bullies from the last book gave her more of a backbone and prepared her for the situations in Tokyo. She has also loved and lost, and all the complexities that come from that has opened her eyes to relationships and emotional bonds in general. While Model Misfit is still as funny and quick as Geek Girl, there’s a bit more depth in the narrative, and I truly enjoyed that.

      If you haven’t befriended Harriet Manners, do so now.

      Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from HarperTeen for review!

      Posted in books, Reviews 2015 | 3 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: contemporary, genre: young adult, goodreads, review
    • Book Review: “PS I Still Love You” by Jenny Han

      Posted at 6:13 am by Laura, on July 8, 2015

      20698530PS I Still Love You by Jenny Han

      Publisher: Simon & Schuster BFYR
      Published: May 2015
      Genre: young adult, contemporary, romance
      ISBN: 9781442426733
      Goodreads: 4.23
      Rating: 
      ★★★★

      Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter.
      She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever.
      When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

      Back when they were pretending to be in love, it was easy for Lara Jean and Peter to be a couple. But now they’re not pretending, it’s for real, and Lara Jean struggles to navigate her first relationship without comparing herself to Peter’s last. But a letter arrives in the mail from the fifth and final boy she wrote a letter to and her sister Kitty mailed off, and Lara Jean becomes more confused than ever. How is she supposed to navigate the world of love without her mother or Margot to guide her? And what exactly do all these feelings mean?

      To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before was fantastic, and I truly felt like Han must’ve been my best friend when I was in high school because Lara Jean felt hauntingly similar to me (then and, in some cases, now). The same can be said with this companion book, only instead of the hilarity, confusion, and closeness of the sisters as the focal point of the novel, this book delves into stumbling through first relationships, what it means to be in love, and finding confidence in who you are without relying on others.

      Lara Jean becomes her own person in this book. Instead of comparing herself to her older sister Margot and being a Margot to her younger sister Kitty, Lara Jean wonders what her mother would do. She wonders what her mother would say and do and talk about in various situations Lara Jean encounters with Peter and John — sex talks, jealousy, the line between just-friends and possibly-cheating. She isn’t alone in this, though. Margot has some tearful moments, wishing for their mother; Kitty, too young to remember much, just wants Dad to be happy and dating again. The lack of a mother in this book — from the perspective of having a mother once and then suddenly losing her — is so prevalent it made me wonder how I would’ve dealt with my high school friendships and relationships without my own mother. It made my heart break.

      Part of Lara Jean’s navigation in this new relationship involves sexism topics. Which I loved. Lara Jean is curious about sex — who wouldn’t be, really? — but there’s a rather shocking event that plagues her throughout the novel. When a guy’s caught expressing his sexuality, it’s considered okay; when a girl is caught, she’s considered a slut (or, on the flip side, if she doesn’t express it at all she’s a prude). The double-standard keeps cropping up in discussion with many people in Lara Jean’s life, and I enjoyed how she soaked it in and applied it to her own situation.

      And, on a slightly unrelated note, I love how much she enjoys fashion, baking, and crafting — all very feminine things — and still be one of the most feminist characters in YA. Reminds me a lot of Zooey Deschanel’s character Jess on New Girl — super girly, super feminist. You can totally be both.

      As for the relationships navigated in this story…[highlight to read, spoilers ahead!] I was very much a Lara-Jean-and-Peter-forever girl, and while he certainly does explain himself at the end, I was a little saddened to see her give up on John so easily. In hindsight, I know I would’ve gone back to Peter (I mean, I had a Peter and I did go back to him), so maybe it’s my adult perspective telling Lara Jean to forget him and actually be with John, the better fit, instead. In my head canon, Lara Jean and John will be together in college, later years, and get married shortly thereafter. Cause they can last. The end.

      If you haven’t already, you need to read this book. Although my reading funk only lasted a week, it felt like ages. Han certainly knows how to make someone sit and read and good story about love, friendship, family, and growing up into your own self.

      Posted in books, Reviews 2015 | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: contemporary, genre: romance, genre: young adult, goodreads, review
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    • Hello, I’m Laura!

      I'm a bookish bookworm and book hoarder. By day I'm a literary agent, and by night I'm forever rearranging my bookshelves. I could talk your ear off about Gothic literature, and in my past life people thought I'd become a professional musician. I have a fluffy black cat named Rossetti, I love to knit, tea is my drink of choice, British TV is the best, and I'm obsessed with popcorn. Welcome to Scribbles & Wanderlust! Grab your favorite hot beverage and let's chat books!
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