Tag: genre: young adult

• Book Review: “Isla and the Happily Ever After” by Stephanie Perkins (ARC)

  Posted at 8:15 am by Laura, on August 13, 2014

  Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins 

  Publisher: Dutton
  Publishing Date: August 14
  Genre: young adult, romance, travel
  ISBN: 9780525425632
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★★★★

  From the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever.

  Three years of crushing on Josh could never prepare Isla for her embarrassing, drug-induced, loopy, spontaneous conversation with him in a Manhattan cafe. But while she curses her lost wisdom teeth for bringing her humiliation, Josh is nothing but ecstatic to find that she seems interested in him. Little does she know that he’s been, more or less, observing and crushing on her all this time in France. As their whirlwind relationship takes hold, they face things for more risky, more thrilling, and more mature than they’ve ever experienced — and pumping the breaks is not an option.

  This was such a lovely end to the full relationship arc. In Anna and the French Kiss, we fall in love with falling in love — all the confusion and anxiety and butterflies and wonderful realization that yes, he likes you! In Lola and the Boy Next Door, we rekindle old love, fit the right pieces together, and experience a honest, easy relationship. And finally, in Isla and the Happily Ever After, we date our long-time crush, become overwhelmed with how easy and perfect it feels, and suddenly become frightened of the future and our insecurities. As promised, this book ends with a reunion — we glimpse Anna and Étienne, Cricket and Lola, and Meredith — and it’s such a great wrap-up.

  Arc aside, I truly enjoyed this book as a stand-alone too. I loved it just as much as Anna. In Anna I loved her internal monologues, her sarcasm, and the entire “does he, does he not” experience. It’s universal and beautiful and made me squee. I’m STILL giggly over that book. And this book makes me feel the same, only in the actual relationship experience. From the high of falling in love, to the crushing heartbreak of facing the future and finding the whole concept of all-consuming love intimidating and frightening. Insecurities get in the way and blinds Josh and Isla of their potential, and it’s just so deep and heartfelt. Loved it. If Anna makes me giggle, Isla makes me hug the book. And both girls are my fictional kindred spirits.

  I really enjoyed the secondary characters, here, too. Kurt, Isla’s best friend with high-functioning autism, is authentic and well-written. Their friendship is purely platonic — thank goodness — and completely plausible. His presence in the book serves a purpose, and I looked forward to his insight on the Isla-and-Josh relationship, too.

  Read Isla. Not only is it a great ending for this trilogy/companion set, it’s a perfect standalone as well. And the two lovers are so deep, serious, loving, passionate, and caring. *sigh*

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

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 0 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: romance, genre: travel, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Deliverance” by C.J. Redwine (ARC)

  Posted at 7:15 am by Laura, on August 12, 2014

  Deliverance by CJ Redwine 

  Publisher: Balzer + Bray 
  Publishing Date: August 26
  Genre: young adult, dystopian, post-apocalyptic, fantasy
  ISBN: 9780062117236
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★★★

  Fighting through her pain and embracing the warrior she’s become, Rachel will do whatever it takes to escape her enemies’ clutches and join Logan in his fight. But when she learns a secret that changes everything, she realizes that escaping Ian and his tracker friends is no longer an option if she wants to save the people she loves. Instead, she’ll have to destroy Rowansmark from the inside out—if she can survive the journey through the Wasteland.

  Logan needs allies if he wants to thwart Rowansmark’s power grab and rescue Rachel. But securing allies will mean betraying his beliefs and enlisting the help of the man he hates more than anyone: Commander Jason Chase. Driven by his fierce love for Rachel and his determination to make their world safe, Logan may be just the weapon the city-states need to defeat the Cursed One.

  Rachel’s captured by Ian and Rowansmark trackers, and Logan’s imprisoned in Lankenshire. Though the two had hopes of forging alliances with other city-states together, their goal increases tenfold once they’re separated. Fighting desperately to find each other once more while struggling to survive political unrest, brutality, and the Wasteland takes its toll on the two young leaders of the destroyed Baalboden. They will fight to find each other  and end the lives of abusive leaders, or die trying.

  If you haven’t read the previous two books of this trilogy, Defiance and Deception, do so now. It’s my favorite dystopian trilogy by far, and this final book truly had my heart pounding the entire time. If I thought Logan and/or Rachel were about to die in the other books, it’s nothing compared to this one! I lived in constant fear!

  This was a fantastic closer to the trilogy. The characters have grown and developed so much across the journey, and watching their realization of this fact — facing death and embracing grief and accepting love — was incredibly beautiful. Rachel was always a stubborn fighter, but her world is no longer black and white, right and wrong. She understands the value of life and death, what it means to be a leader and protector. Logan, likewise, was always a bright inventor and cautious individual. He learned to think on his feet, to observe others and utilize their strengths for good. 

  Plotting out the attack and the war felt authentic. Granted, I don’t know much about strategy, but the elements they crew used to attack Rowansmark surprised me — in a good way. Redwine has this uncanny ability to keep you on your feet, to make you guess and second guess where she’s heading next. I never knew what was going to happen, and that’s what I find so wonderful about this trilogy. It’s complex, compelling, and brilliantly written.

  Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from Balzer + Bray for review!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 0 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: dystopian, genre: fantasy, genre: post apocalyptic, genre: romance, genre: young adult, review

• Book Review: “Lola and the Boy Next Door” by Stephanie Perkins

  Posted at 10:56 am by Laura, on August 10, 2014

  Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins 

  Publisher: Speak
  Published: July 2013
  Genre: young adult, romance
  ISBN: 9780142422014
  Goodreads: 4
  Rating: ★★★★

  Lola Nolan is a budding costume designer, and for her, the more outrageous, sparkly, and fun the outfit, the better. And everything is pretty perfect in her life (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the negihborhood. When Cricket, a gifted inventor, steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

  Lola doesn’t wear clothes — she wears costumes. Fashion is a form of artistic expression, and Lola takes it very seriously. And although she’s a quirky San Francisco individual, she’s quite mature for her age and tries to persuades her fathers that her older rockstar boyfriend Max is perfect for her. But her world is shaken when long-time crush Cricket returns next door with his twin Olympic figure skater sister Calliope. The twins and Lola go way back, and she struggles to reconcile with the past and envision a different future.

  With her outrageous outfits and fun personality, Lola was an easy character to like. Her fathers were endearing and strong, and their belief that Max is too old for her seeps through the pages of the book. And while it sometimes made me feel old (I’m older than Max!), I would’ve had to agree with them. 17 and 23 is different from 23 and 29 — there’s that huge period in one’s life in the early twenties one needs to experience first. But apart from the age, I was okay with Max. Soon enough his true colors show, and I wanted to throttle Lola to make her see sense. She’s the friend you love and adore and hope never wanders down the wrong path.

  That said, Cricket was almost too perfect. He’s a very good guy, extremely smart and passionate, and most certainly the Good Boy Next Door. I liked him well enough, but there was something about his relationship with Lola that seemed a little forced too. Honestly, this may come from the fact I’m still on an Anna-and-Étienne high (having related to Anna so much), and couldn’t connect with this particular couple. But I still thoroughly enjoyed this book for what it was: another romance, in another wonderful city.

  Also, Anna and Étienne were central characters in this story as well. Not mentioned in passing, not forced into situations, but genuine secondary characters. Anna is Lola’s manager at the movie theater, so of course her boyfriend is always around. It is convenient though that he and Cricket both attend Berkeley. Even still, it was beautiful to watch those two from a third party observer.

  Isla and the Happily Ever After is out this week!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: romance, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Calling for Book Recommendations: Russia and Legends

  Posted at 8:33 am by Laura, on July 28, 2014

  Over the past few days at work, I’ve eyed a few books that somewhat cover my interest in Russian history (particularly pre-Bolshevik, WWII, and Cold War) and Arthurian legend. Two vastly different topics, each with fascinating elements of history and culture.

  

  

  

  

  I spotted Lara’s Gift by Annamarie O’Brien, which is about breeding borzoi dogs in 1914. It’s a Middle Grade novel, and I know if I were younger it would’ve sparked my interest in Russian culture immediately. The Secret Daughter of the Tsar by Jennifer Laam was one I had hope for, but my disinterest in Russian royalty (although the Anastasia story is intriguing!) paired with a contemporary storyline weaving in detracted from that Russian feel. I’ve also read The Bronze Horseman trilogy by Paullina Simons, set in WWII Leningrad following two lovers who eventually split to the front and NYC, reunite, and continue their lives up to the present day. Last fall, I read The Boy on the Bridge by Natalie Standiford, a YA set in the Cold War, featuring a Russian boy with ambiguous intentions when an American girl falls in love with him.

  Recommendations: I will read Middle Grade up to Adult Fiction, preferably by a contemporary author (Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky will wait till the long winter months, but if you have a favorite of their’s, let me know!), and preferably not about royalty. This can span from three eras: early 1900s, WWII, and Cold War. Do you have any recommendations?

  Also, come on. Snow. If you don’t know me by now, you should know I love winter. Just look at those covers.

  

  

  

  

  

  If you’ve been following me on Twitter, you’ll remember I went through a huge Robin Hood and Merlin phase, watching the BBC shows and looking up historical information on whether or not these people were real, and if not then which individuals could they be based off of, etc. A friend of mine has already recommended Stephen Lawhead’s King Raven trilogy for Robin Hood (knowing my Hood interests are mostly of Celtic/early Anglo-Saxon origin and less on the actual thief), as well as Lawhead’s Pendragon Cycle series.

  I haven’t read Lawhead yet, nor have I read T.A. Barron’s Merlin Middle Grade series, Mary Stewart’s Arthurian Saga, or even the classic Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. I kid you not, though, when I say these books haunt me in the store. I want to read them, but something is holding me back. Maybe you can provide that little push? (Don’t worry, I already own Once and Future King.)

  Recommendations: I will read Middle Grade up to Adult fiction on anything pertaining to King Arthur and Merlin. The more Celtic/Anglo-Saxon history thrown in there, the better. In my head it makes everything more authentic! Do you have any suggestions?

  Have you read any of these books? What did you think? Share your thoughts and recommendations!

  Posted in books, Update Post | 8 Comments | Tagged books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fantasy, genre: historical fiction, genre: middle grade, genre: young adult, King Arthur, legends, Merlin, recommendations, Russia, Russian history

• Book Review: “Anna and the French Kiss” by Stephanie Perkins

  Posted at 7:51 pm by Laura, on July 24, 2014

  Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins 

  Publisher: Speak 
  Published: August 2011
  Genre: young adult, romance, travel
  ISBN: 9780142419403
  Goodreads: 4.16
  Rating: ★★★★★

  Anna is happy in Atlanta. She has a loyal best friend and a crush on her coworker at the movie theater, who is just starting to return her affection. So she’s less than thrilled when her father decides to send her to a boarding school in Paris for her senior year. But despite not speaking a word of French, Anna meets some cool new people, including the handsome Étienne St. Clair, who quickly becomes her best friend. Unfortunately, he’s taken —and Anna might be, too.

  It’s not that Anna’s unhappy to be in Paris. She’s upset her parents didn’t give her a choice to go to boarding school, to leave her best friend and work crush. Besides, she can’t even speak French. But as the days pass, Anna begins to make friends, and rather rapidly becomes close with Étienne St. Clair, resident Beautiful Guy. No matter how hard she tries, she can’t stop her growing affections, even though she knows he’s not available at all.

  

  This book is so stinkin’ cute. I couldn’t stop giggling, I struggled to repress any squeals of giddiness, and I simply struggled to put this down. It’s adorable. It’s honest. Truly, think back on high school relationships (heck, even adult ones are like this!) when you were confused but excited — he likes me…he likes me not — about your crush. Tack on the fact he’s unavailable, your determination to keep this great friendship intact despite your awkwardness and feelings of blatant attraction, and you’ve got this book. Yes, it’s about a girl who studies abroad, who learns French, who goes to the cinema to watch and critique films for her blog, who obsessively cleans and straightens her surroundings, and who comes to terms with her father’s growing collection of cliché cancer romance books. But all of this is background to the actual story: her crush on St. Clair.

  

  His character is wonderful. He’s American by birth, but his British accent and impeccable French confuse Anna at first. He’s not your usual tall-and-gorgeous male lead. St. Clair likens himself to Napoleon Bonaparte, because he too is rather short, with crooked teeth and unkempt hair. He’s friendly with everyone, charming, intelligent, and artistic. Whether he’s being a friend, an almost-boyfriend, or boyfriend, St. Clair is remarkably observant and immensely loyal. I loved the moments when his British slang slipped out, and experiencing those cultural differences all over again was so much fun.

  St. Clair and Anna quickly become best friends. They’re lab partners, they share stories, they go to the movies together, he helps her order food in French, he gives her tours of the city, she helps him deal with his mother’s illness, she aids in confronting his controlling father — and everything about their relationship is filled with tension and mixed signals. Does he like her? Does he know she likes him? Why did he do this, say that? And why is Ellie still in the picture when it’s so very clear to the both of them that they’re more than friends?

  Oh my gosh. Anna’s basically my brain. Any girl’s brain. From the overanalyzing minute details, to basking in the absolute thrill of being the object of a guy’s affections for the briefest space of time, Anna and the French Kiss is just…sweet, young romance perfection. Perkins truly captured the whole journey of falling in love.

  In short, I want to read this again. Right now.

  I think I will.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 3 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: romance, genre: travel, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Blythewood” by Carol Goodman

  Posted at 8:42 am by Laura, on June 30, 2014

  Blythewood by Carol Goodman 

  Publisher: Viking
  Published: October 2013
  Genre: young adult, fantasy, historical fiction, gothic
  ISBN: 9780670784769
  Goodreads: 3.87
  Rating: ★★★★★

  At seventeen, Avaline Hall has already buried her mother, survived a horrific factory fire, and escaped from an insane asylum. Now she’s on her way to Blythewood Academy, the elite boarding school in New York’s mist-shrouded Hudson Valley that her mother attended—and was expelled from. Though she’s afraid her high society classmates won’t accept a factory girl in their midst, Ava is desperate to unravel her family’s murky past, discover the identity of the father she’s never known, and perhaps finally understand her mother’s abrupt suicide. She’s also on the hunt for the identity of the mysterious boy who rescued her from the fire. And she suspects the answers she seeks lie at Blythewood.

  But nothing could have prepared her for the dark secret of what Blythewood is, and what its students are being trained to do. Haunted by dreams of a winged boy and pursued by visions of a sinister man who breathes smoke, Ava isn’t sure if she’s losing her mind or getting closer to the truth. And the more rigorously Ava digs into the past, the more dangerous her present becomes.

  Avaline Hall struggles to make ends meet after her mother’s death by working as a seamstress in a factory. Though she gets along well with the other factory girls, she still needs to keep many things secret — like the man in the Inverness cape who appears on every corner breathing smoke, the black feather she found near her mother’s body, and the bells that toll in her head when danger occurs. They toll again when the factory catches fire and she’s rescued by a winged boy; they toll when she’s sent to an asylum; and they toll once more when she’s sent to Blythewood, the elite boarding school her wealthy grandmother attended and from which her mother was expelled. Blythewood, with all its secrets and history, enchants Ava and her friends. She’s determined to discover the source of her mother’s suicide. As she unravels one secret, many more are unearthed, and Ava learns so much more than she could ever imagine.

  It’s so hard to write a succinct summary for this book, because there’s so much to it — so many layers. Ava’s mother’s death, the factory fire, the asylum, and the rescue to her grandmother’s home all take place within the first 50-some pages. Though quick, they’re key to the rest of the story. The Inverness-caped man haunts Ava, the bells constantly toll in her head, and the winged boy appears again once in a while, and during Ava’s stay at Blythewood their meanings become clear. The three are interwoven with her mother’s death, and they reveal more about Blythewood’s history and mission than anything else.

  Blythewood, too, is beautiful and enchanting. It’s a boarding school of mysteries, founded on stories so fantastical they feel like fairy tales. These stories, told by different people with different perspectives, enlighten Ava and her friends in their search for the truth. This felt like a blend of Libba Bray’s A Great and Terrible Beauty and Harry Potter, and yet still so very unique on its own. The classes, the magic, the mysteries, the varied characters, and even the politics and discrimination enrich the story. Blythewood’s purpose is to train young women to protect our world from those of Faerie — a place where faeries of Celtic myth reside — but many are turning against the “old ways” of fighting and seeking peace and understanding. Ava learns of the Faerie hierarchy, the purpose of the Darklings and the shadows, and wonders just how much her mother became entangled in the history.

  There’s so much I want to say about this book, but I can’t without giving too much away. There are faeries and magic, cocoa parties and study sessions in the library, dungeons and labs, a forest and a magical land, a giant school and a quaint town, bells and books and letters, poetry and music, fires and archery, politics and friendship. Thank goodness the sequel, Ravencliffe, will be out in December. This series has such a romantic gothic feel to it that one must read it with a hot beverage and roaring fire nearby!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 4 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: fantasy, genre: gothic, genre: historical fiction, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “Through to You” by Lauren Barnholdt (ARC)

  Posted at 9:07 am by Laura, on June 24, 2014

  Through to You by Lauren Barnholdt 

  Publisher: Simon Pulse
  Publishing Date: July 8
  Genre: young adult, romance
  ISBN: 9781442434639
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★ 

  It starts with a scribbled note in class: I like your sparkle. Harper had casually threaded a piece of blue and silver tinsel through her ponytail in honor of school spirit day. And that carefree, corny gesture is what grabs Penn Mattingly’s eye. Penn—resident heartbreaker of the senior class. Reliably unreliable. Trouble with a capital “T.” And okay, smolderingly sexy.
  
  Harper’s surprised by Penn’s attention—and so is Penn. The last thing he needs is a girlfriend. Or even a friend-with-benefits. The note is not supposed to lead to anything.
  
  Oh, but it does. They hang out. They have fun. They talk. They make out. And after a while, it seems like they just click. But Penn and Harper have very different ideas about what relationships look like, in no small part because of their very different family backgrounds. Of course they could talk about these differences—if Penn knew how to talk about feelings.
  
  Harper and Penn understand their attraction is illogical, yet something keeps pulling them together. It’s like a crazy roller coaster—exhilarating, terrifying, and amazing all at once. And neither knows how to stop the ride…

  Penn, once-baseball star of the high school, drops a note on good girl Harper’s desk. All it says is I like your sparkle, but it sets off a flurry of excitement and second-guessing. Before she knows it, Harper finds Penn everywhere in her life, and she begins to wonder what it all means. As they circle around one another, attempting to make sense of whatever is happening between them, they discover a mutual attraction that defies logic and reasoning. Harper wishes Penn would open up more to her, but Penn isn’t sure where to begin. It all comes down to trust.

  I’d imagine if I were in the right mood, this would’ve been a far more enjoyable read. That, or if I were into this good-girl-meets-bad-boy storyline in general. I’d hoped this book would show some depth and strength, span several months rather than a few weeks. I’d thought the issues Penn and Harper encountered would be on very serious matters, rather than Harper constantly pestering Penn with questions and drilling him as to why he isn’t talking to her about stuff. A part of me — freshman-in-high-school me — completely understood her thought process, but cringed every time she voiced her questions or jumped to conclusions. Harper was clearly forcing a relationship with Penn, imagining a future with the idea of Penn rather than with who he is in reality.

  However, there were great things going for this book. Penn did have a bit of an unstable home life, and a precarious situation regarding college and baseball scholarships. I would’ve loved to dive deeper into his story. It felt like there was more for him to say. The two perspectives, immediately after one another in pivotal moments, made for an honest interpretation of events and hilariously opposite thought processes. While Harper is filled with racing thoughts, worries, concerns, and assumptions about every little detail, Penn stands there with point-blank thoughts that nowhere near match hers. Example: Harper wonders about the meaning behind his note and what he wants; Penn tells the reader he has no idea why he wrote it. An interesting look into typical girl and guy thought patterns.

  While this book was not for me, and had potential to be something more, I’m sure another reader out there would enjoy something light and fun to read this summer.

  Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from Simon Pulse for review.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 2 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: romance, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “My Life Next Door” by Huntley Fitzpatrick

  Posted at 1:57 pm by Laura, on June 19, 2014

  My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick 

  Publisher: Speak
  Published: June 2013
  Genre: young adult, romance, contemporary
  ISBN: 9780142426043
  Goodreads: 4.06
  Rating: ★★★★★

  Life in Samantha Reed’s home is neat and clean and orderly — precisely planned by her local politician mother. Next door, at the Garretts’, things are loud, messy, and irresistible. And when Jase Garrett climbs the trellis outside her bedroom and enters her life, she finds herself falling passionately in love with him and everything he brings with him. The only hitch is, she’s got to hide it from her mother. Then something unthinkable happens, and Samantha is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

  Ten years ago, when the large Garrett family moved in next door, Mrs. Reed made her daughters promise never to interact with the Garretts. But Samantha was always intrigued by this boisterous, loving family, and would watch them through her window and wonder what it was like to have so many caring people in one’s life. One night, Jase Garrett, the third child in a line of eight, climbs up to her window and asks if she needs rescuing, like a princess locked in a tower. From that night on, Sam’s life is entwined with the Garretts’ — every meltdown, every meal, every new word for the baby. But as she embraces that loving chaos, she notices more and more her mother’s political antics and double-crossings, and begins to wonder which life she really belongs in.

  This is so much more than a summer romance. There’s a whole topic on family and familial relationships, the interactions between each child and “it takes a village” concept in the Garrett household. It’s so beautiful and chaotic and fun. There are so many children to keep track of, and yet each character is so fully developed — with their own speech, interests, life outside the Garrett house — that it’s easy to remember them. Especially George. Sweet, sweet George. There’s another topic on parental controls, when too much is too much, when habits become obsessions, when hypocrisy becomes apparent. Mrs. Reed was so frustrating, but Sam handled her and the situation so well, so authentically, so realistically.

  Sam. Sam and Jase. Jase. Their relationship was perfection. I don’t mean this in a “so picture perfect it can’t be real” kind of way — but in how relationships ought to be and the way many are. Trusting and loving, patient, open. Even when there are riffs, the two manage to communicate without drama and angst (unlike the situation with Sam’s best friend Nan, and Nan and her boyfriend Daniel). They were wise beyond their years, and it was so refreshing to read. Yes, they’re madly in love, and lust after one another, but they’re also serious and playful, they help each other at work and at home. Sam embraced the village aspect of the Garrett household so well, it’s as if she was meant for it. And she realizes this after the big blow-out towards the end between the Garretts and her mother.

  Fitzpatrick is one to watch. I’m putting her up there with Dessen (joining the ranks with Forman!). Not everything in the end works out perfectly, but there’s enough of a satisfying ending to the book that hints at a bright or better future for Sam and Jase, for the Garretts, for Nan and her brother Tim, for Mrs. Reed. There’s a road to recovery for some, a road for peace for others, and a road of happiness and trust. Ugh. Thank you, Fitzpatrick! Well done.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: contemporary, genre: romance, genre: young adult, goodreads, review

• Book Review: “The Vanishing Season” by Jodi Lynn Anderson (ARC)

  Posted at 8:38 am by Laura, on June 17, 2014

  The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson 

  Publisher: HarperTeen
  Publishing Date: July 1
  Genre: young adult
  ISBN: 9780062003270
  Goodreads: —
  Rating: ★★

  Girls started vanishing in the fall, and now winter’s come to lay a white sheet over the horror. Door County, it seems, is swallowing the young, right into its very dirt. From beneath the house on Water Street, I’ve watched the danger swell.

  The residents know me as the noises in the house at night, the creaking on the stairs. I’m the reflection behind them in the glass, the feeling of fear in the cellar. I’m tied—it seems—to this house, this street, this town.

  I’m tied to Maggie and Pauline, though I don’t know why. I think it’s because death is coming for one of them, or both.

  All I know is that the present and the past are piling up, and I am here to dig.I am looking for the things that are buried.

  Maggie and her family move from Chicago to a small town in northern Michigan along the lake coast. She befriends her free-spirited, beautiful neighbor Pauline and Pauline’s long-time shadow Liam. The three are inseparable, until Pauline is sent away. There’s a murderer in town, and Maggie and Liam seek comfort in one another through the long winter, in hopes that their bond with Pauline will not shatter once she discovers them.

  This is not a ghost story, although there seems to be a ghost in this story. The ghost does not do anything except observe. There are moments when the ghost’s existence and Maggie’s life collide, but they are forgettable and unimportant.

  This is not a mystery, although there is a serial killer mystery in this story. Young women are found drowned in the lake, and despite curfews and police protection, the murders continue. Maggie, Pauline, and Liam don’t pay attention to any of this, and therefore it doesn’t matter who the murderer is because our characters are apathetic to the situation.

  This is a love triangle, although it’s not a love triangle. Maggie loves Liam, Liam loves Pauline and falls for Maggie, and Pauline is the manic pixie dream girl who is part hippie, part socialite, and just as beautiful as she is strange. The triangle is the whole point of the story, the entire focus, and yet it isn’t annoying like triangles tend to be. In fact, it feels somewhat authentic to reality, even if the characters felt distant.

  What does that mean? I felt no connection to any of the characters whatsoever, and yet I wanted to know what happened to them. I’ve seen this story played out too many times in my life, my friends’ lives, in school hallways — the complications of love in friend groups. Pauline describes Maggie in such a way that I was baffled (“How in the world do you see her as this, this, and this?”), Maggie witnesses something about Pauline in such a nonchalant manner that she’s unsurprised (yet everything about Pauline didn’t seem to make sense…like she was a mash-up of personalities and actions and emotions), and Liam is described as this wonderful boy and yet, by the end, he seems like a completely different character.

  Despite all of this — not a ghost story, not a mystery, entirely plausible triangle with disconnected characters — the writing was phenomenal. Lyrical. Mesmerizing. Tiger Lily was like that, but Tiger Lily had plot, emotion, connection, and the added bonus of a retelling through another perspective. Anderson certainly has a talent for telling a story in such a way that you fall into it despite all of your protestations.

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

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 0 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: young adult, review

• Book Review: “Where She Went” by Gayle Forman

  Posted at 7:00 pm by Laura, on June 14, 2014

  Where She Went by Gayle Forman 

  Publisher: Speak
  Published: April 2012
  Genre: young adult, contemporary
  ISBN: 9780142420898
  Goodreads: 4.17
  Rating: ★★★

  It’s been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam’s life forever.

  Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard’s rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia’s home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future – and each other.

  Adam and his band, Shooting Star, are rock stars. They’re plastered across tabloids, interviewed on shows and in magazines, sell platinum records, and win awards. Though Adam has achieved his dream, he’s not content with it one bit. Mia isn’t in his life, and he’s not sure how or why they fizzled. The night before he leaves for London to begin a second world tour, he wanders Manhattan incognito and stumbles across a poster of Mia performing in Carnegie Hall. After word reaches backstage of his appearance, Mia summons him to her dressing room — and their night of reconnections and long-awaited answers begins.

  Forman excellently writes companion books. There’s something about hers that I enjoy much more than trilogies. Two perspectives at two different periods in time — it works very well. Adam’s voice is different from Mia’s, and rightly so. Adam is overwhelmed with stardom and still devastated over Mia’s absence, so everything in his life instead becomes public knowledge — facts about the band, about the music written, about his history — and his voice is like that of the walking dead. At least, it’s deadened until Mia enters the picture once more. His emotions run high, the writing becomes lyrical like Mia’s voice from If I Stay, and his passion for music rather than the dull facts begin to shine through. Well-crafted.

  However, I was torn between enjoying this book for what it was — a glimpse into the future and aftermath of the accident — and thinking it was a bit indulgent. Like I said in my review for If I Stay, I was more invested in Mia’s journey, the music, her parents’ love, than I was in her relationship with Adam. This book entirely revolves around that. Yes, it shows the way trauma wrecks everyone involved, not just the direct victims, and yes, it explores heartbreak, rejection, and closure, but it was very much focused on Adam’s distraught feelings and angst. I’m not sure how else this book could’ve been written, though.

  The point is, I enjoyed it but it didn’t make me feel as deeply as If I Stay.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2014 | 5 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 travel, tea is my drink of choice, British TV is the best, and I'm always down for chips-and-queso nights. Welcome to Scribbles & Wanderlust! Grab your favorite hot beverage and let's chat books!

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