Tag: genre: young adult

• Book Review: “When Dimple Met Rishi” by Sandhya Menon (ARC)

  Posted at 3:15 am by Laura, on May 17, 2017

  When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

  Publisher: Simon Pulse
  Publishing Date: May 30
  Genre: young adult, contemporary, romance
  ISBN: 9781481478687
  Rating: ★★★★

  Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?

  Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.

  The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?

  Dimple wants nothing more than to be away from her family, immersing herself in college life and web development and all things coding. Rishi wants nothing more than to continue honoring his cultural roots, experiencing that big sweeping romance his parents had when they were arranged to be married. Little do they know, once their parents got wind both teens were interested in the same summer program, the arranged marriage between them would start taking flight earlier than expected.

  I thoroughly enjoyed this romantic comedy. Everything about it screamed nerdy cute fun flails, and I especially loved the cultural elements in here. Though the novel did fall into some stereotypical YA tropes, I let it slide in favor of the great story beneath it all.

  First, Dimple is such a fierce, determined, energetic young woman eager to embark on her own adventures and govern her own life by her own rules. I wanted to squeeze her in a hug every time she spoke up about feminism, females in the tech industry, and combining two cultures (being American and being Indian) instead of ignoring one and embracing another. I understood where she came from…but I also understood where Rishi came from! He’s such an artistic, romantic soul, who has to live up to his parents’ expectations. The difference is that he doesn’t find it to be a burden, at least not at first. As their romance blossoms, they both learn from one another — Dimple the importance of tradition and respect, Rishi the importance of independence and openness.

  Second, the diversity in this novel isn’t a problem that needs fixing. There’s no agenda here. It’s open and honest and a character of the story. It’s not an issue, it’s just another life we have the privilege to experience and learn about. First generation Americans have that tough in-between role to play: living up to parents’ expectations within the “old” culture and traditions, and living up to friends’/society’s expectations within the “new” culture. Too often first generation Americans are asked, “Where are you from?” And in many ways, that’s shared in this novel too. I highly recommend reading this if you want to add more diversity to your TBR. Experience America through another’s eyes, and experience another culture’s expectations within America through two different perspectives. It’s bound to start conversations!

  Though some major YA tropes do occur in this novel (all possible relationship milestones occur within six weeks, to give you an idea without blatantly spoiling), it didn’t take away from the entertainment and enjoyment of a feel-good contemporary romcom on a sunny California campus with a bunch of app-development nerds.

  When Dimple Met Rishi is perfect for fans of Anna and the French Kiss. Get your hands on this book ASAP!

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

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017 | 6 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: contemporary, genre: romance, genre: young adult, review

• Book Review: “Always and Forever, Lara Jean” by Jenny Han

  Posted at 3:50 am by Laura, on May 15, 2017

  Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

  Publisher: Simon & Schuster BFYR
  Published: May 2017
  Genre: young adult, contemporary
  ISBN: 9781481430487
  Rating: ★★★★

  Lara Jean is having the best senior year a girl could ever hope for. She is head over heels in love with her boyfriend, Peter; her dad’s finally getting remarried to their next door neighbor, Ms. Rothschild; and Margot’s coming home for the summer just in time for the wedding.

  But change is looming on the horizon. And while Lara Jean is having fun and keeping busy helping plan her father’s wedding, she can’t ignore the big life decisions she has to make. Most pressingly, where she wants to go to college and what that means for her relationship with Peter. She watched her sister Margot go through these growing pains. Now Lara Jean’s the one who’ll be graduating high school and leaving for college and leaving her family—and possibly the boy she loves—behind.

  When your heart and your head are saying two different things, which one should you listen to?

  It’s senior year, and Lara Jean is having a wonderful time with Peter, her friends, and her family. She’s nostalgic and excited for the future all at once, which leads to a lot of stress baking to perfect her chocolate chip cookie recipe. Will she get into her dream school? How will she and Peter continue their relationship in college? How will she cope being away from home for college? As change trickles in one after another, creating rocking waves in previously calm waters, Lara Jean must decide what she wants to do and who she wants to be in this first step of adulthood.

  There are no spoilers if one has not read To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before or PS I Still Love You, though I still highly recommend reading those books!

  What a great conclusion to a beautiful contemporary trilogy about sisterhood and growing up. When Jenny Han announced writing a third book for her intended duology, I admit I was a little worried. I felt Lara Jean’s story ended in a good place in the second book. But  Han was right: Lara Jean had more to tell, more experiences to share, and this book tied everything back full circle. Thanks, Han!

  This trilogy speaks to me on so many levels. Lara Jean is such a crafty, nostalgic, smart, quiet, good, loving girl. She likes the fine things in life, expresses her emotions through art and baking, and enjoys frank conversations with her sisters Margot and Kitty. In many ways, Han and Dessen (to toss in another contemporary classic) create characters that speak to me now as an adult and who I was as a teen. I especially appreciate the very sisterly, clean but informative discussions about love, heartbreak, sex, periods, the whole gambit.

  Though Lara Jean isn’t dealing with the sort of drama that plagued her in the last book (and boy, social media can really be a burden for teens today), she does need to think about life as an adult away from home. She will have so many freedoms and responsibilities, making her own rules based on her wishes and values. Choosing a college is one of them, especially if the college choice may or may not be influenced by her love for her devoted boyfriend. So many college-bound seniors battle between wanting to stay together and choose the same college, when the right thing is to choose the college best suited for one’s future and career. It’s a tough place to be in, and Lara Jean is facing those growing pains head on.

  The Song sisters are experiencing growing pains as well. Margot continues to flourish studying abroad, but it’s jolting to come home to several changes, including a new stepmother. Lara Jean wants to keep the peace, while at the same time allow the wedding to distract her from bigger decisions in her life. She can be quite pushy and teasing without realizing, and others notice. Kitty, who barely remembers their mother, is thrilled to have a proper mother figure in her life, though there’s concern she will “forget” her Korean culture. The bond between these three is impenetrable, and they will always find home base with one another.

  I’m not here for the romance. I’m here for the sisters. I’m here to watch Lara Jean come of age and navigate this brave new world all on her own. I’m here to see her come full circle and start another chapter in her life. It all began when her sister left for college and she felt unmoored by the loss — now it’s her turn to leave for college. And I am pleased to see what she decided to do with her life!

  Thank you, Jenny Han, for bringing these wonderful sisters, especially Lara Jean, to life!

  .

  This qualifies as book 8 of 12 in the Rock My TBR challenge.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017, Rock My TBR | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: contemporary, genre: young adult, review

• Book Review: “Windfall” by Jennifer E. Smith (ARC)

  Posted at 3:45 am by Laura, on May 12, 2017

  Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith

  Publisher: Delacorte
  Published: May 2017
  Genre: young adult, contemporary
  ISBN: 9780399559372
  Rating: ★★★.75

  Alice doesn’t believe in luck—at least, not the good kind. But she does believe in love, and for some time now, she’s been pining for her best friend, Teddy. On his eighteenth birthday—just when it seems they might be on the brink of something—she buys him a lottery ticket on a lark. To their astonishment, he wins $140 million, and in an instant, everything changes.

  At first, it seems like a dream come true, especially since the two of them are no strangers to misfortune. As a kid, Alice won the worst kind of lottery possible when her parents died just over a year apart from each other. And Teddy’s father abandoned his family not long after that, leaving them to grapple with his gambling debts. Through it all, Teddy and Alice have leaned on each other. But now, as they negotiate the ripple effects of Teddy’s newfound wealth, a gulf opens between them. And soon, the money starts to feel like more of a curse than a windfall.

  As they try to find their way back to each other, Alice learns more about herself than she ever could have imagined…and about the unexpected ways in which luck and love sometimes intersect.

  Alice, Teddy, and Leo are attached to one another, united by hardships and varying perceptions of luck. When Alice, who has crushed on Teddy for ages, purchases a lottery ticket for Teddy’s birthday, and Teddy wins, she immediately worries about all that would change in the dynamics of their group. Teddy’s newfound wealth touches everyone in ways Alice didn’t think was possible, and soon she and Leo are grappling to bring Teddy back to reality.

  It’s been some time since I enjoyed a Smith book, and it’s clear she poured her heart and soul into this one. The writing is beautiful, and Alice’s internal monologues are deeply felt. She lost both of her parents before she was ten, moved in with her cousin Leo, and has tried to live up to the image she believes her parents would be proud of: giving back to others, doing good in the community, making the world a better place. But is she doing this for the idea of them, for herself, or for others?

  Toss in the struggles every teenager faces in high school — college applications, choosing the right school, seeking approval from your peers, experiencing first love and heartbreak — and Alice has a full plate. Teddy has always been the athlete, utilizing the use-them-and-drop-them method with girlfriends, not the best in school but not terrible, just an all-around gregarious sort of guy. Alice lets his behavior slide (before, during, and after the lottery win) because she knows a lot of it stems from his father leaving the family and wracking up debt.

  But this doesn’t excuse the romance. I was not pleased with it whatsoever, and I’m not sure if it’s because I felt a personal connection to it and know that in hindsight this is terrible for Alice, or if I’m an adult reader and can see 20/20. I’ll come out and say it: it was frustrating and agonizing to watch. The ending for these two upset me, as I felt Alice could really grow (and grow apart) and be given wings separate from Teddy.

  The message of this novel was poignant and clear and something I could root for. What would you do if you won the lottery? What would you do if you won millions and millions of dollars overnight? Some people know exactly what they’d do with money, others freeze at the thought. There’s no right or wrong way about it. It’s a lot of responsibility, and can come as a burden, too. I especially enjoyed how Alice grappled with change — good and bad, pertaining to the lottery or just to choosing a college — struggling to make decisions best for her rather than what others thought. She had a lot of internal wrestling going on, and working that out with her was a pleasure. Smith executed this really well.

  Though the romance thread wasn’t for me, the writing, heart, concept, and execution of this novel blew me away. The importance of family and growing up — and growing into one’s identity — was beautiful. What a unique and compelling read!

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

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017 | 5 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: contemporary, genre: young adult, review

• Book Review: “Alex, Approximately” by Jenn Bennett

  Posted at 5:15 am by Laura, on April 20, 2017

  Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett

  Publisher: Simon Pulse
  Published: April 2017
  Genre: young adult, contemporary, romance
  ISBN: 9781481478779
  Rating: ★★★.5

  Classic movie fan Bailey “Mink” Rydell has spent months crushing on a witty film geek she only knows online as Alex. Two coasts separate the teens until Bailey moves in with her dad, who lives in the same California surfing town as her online crush.

  Faced with doubts (what if he’s a creep in real life—or worse?), Bailey doesn’t tell Alex she’s moved to his hometown. Or that she’s landed a job at the local tourist-trap museum. Or that she’s being heckled daily by the irritatingly hot museum security guard, Porter Roth—a.k.a. her new archnemesis. But life is whole lot messier than the movies, especially when Bailey discovers that tricky fine line between hate, love, and whatever it is she’s starting to feel for Porter.

  And as the summer months go by, Bailey must choose whether to cling to a dreamy online fantasy in Alex or take a risk on an imperfect reality with Porter. The choice is both simpler and more complicated than she realizes, because Porter Roth is hiding a secret of his own: Porter is Alex…Approximately.

  Bailey is an Artful Dodger: she likes to avoid confrontation, she dislikes new environments without checking them out first, and she’s wary of new people. The one true friend she has someone named “Alex” online on a classic Hollywood film fanatic website, and he happens to be living in the same California coastal town Bailey just moved to. Before telling him she’s moved there, she wants to test the waters first and see if she can figure out who he is before the summer’s big film festival on the beach. But her new job at the local museum, and the annoying boy Porter she’s beginning to fall for, are making her Artful Dodger plans to meet Alex unravel. Or are they?

  This was such a cute contemporary, and definitely something the doctor ordered! It has an awesome surfer/beachy vibe to it without it being all about going to the beach and getting tan or catching boys or getting up to shenanigans. Bailey’s interest in old Hollywood films also adds retro flavoring — she dresses like classic film stars and even drives a Vespa! So cool.

  Bailey’s voice was engaging, and I liked the recipe for romantic banter between her and Porter: the kind that is genuinely funny, there’s no game involved, and they don’t hate each other. They just know how to bicker really well, and really affectionately. It was almost like reading an old couple’s bickering conversation — laced with love, but still poking fun at one another.

  Elements of the novel that really appealed to me included one perspective (gosh, this feels so rare in contemporary YA lately — or YA in general) and a super cool, unique job. She’s not working at one of the many churro stands along the beach, or a boardwalk shop, or fast food restaurant, or babysitting, or any of the other super predictable summer jobs for teens. No, in this YA, Bailey is working at an interesting, local, wacky museum that’s part manor house part cave, curated by a wealthy couple from the 1920s and full of all sorts of odds and ends within themed rooms. This is the perfect job for Bailey because she would like to be a museum curator one day.

  I’m not sure if I wanted to know that Porter is Alex. In many ways it makes Bailey look dumb — to no fault of her own. I tried to read this without my extra insight getting in the way. Would I have noticed this clue if I were Bailey? But I have to admit that part of the fun of the book was waiting to see when Bailey (or Porter) would figure it out.

  If you’re looking for a grounded YA contemporary that’s not too fluffy but not too serious, has great “we met on the internet” vibes, and you’re eager to dig your toes into some figurative sand, grab a copy of Bennett’s latest novel!

  This qualifies as book 6 of 5 library books in 2017.

  Trigger warning: guns, shark attack

   

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017 | 1 Comment | Tagged book review, books, genre: contemporary, genre: romance, genre: young adult, review

• Book Review: “Outrun the Moon” by Stacey Lee

  Posted at 4:15 am by Laura, on April 12, 2017

  Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee

  Publisher: Putnam
  Published: May 2016
  Genre: young adult, historical fiction
  ISBN: 9780399175411
  Rating: ★★★★★

  San Francisco, 1906: Fifteen-year-old Mercy Wong is determined to break from the poverty in Chinatown, and an education at St. Clare’s School for Girls is her best hope. Although St. Clare’s is off-limits to all but the wealthiest white girls, Mercy gains admittance through a mix of cunning and a little bribery, only to discover that getting in was the easiest part. Not to be undone by a bunch of spoiled heiresses, Mercy stands strong—until disaster strikes.

  On April 18, a historic earthquake rocks San Francisco, destroying Mercy’s home and school. With martial law in effect, she is forced to wait with her classmates for their families in a temporary park encampment. Though fires might rage, and the city may be in shambles, Mercy can’t sit by while they wait for the army to bring help—she still has the “bossy” cheeks that mark her as someone who gets things done. But what can one teenage girl do to heal so many suffering in her broken city?

  Mercy Wong is eager to make something of herself and help her family out of Chinatown. In order to do so, she needs to attend St Clare’s School for Girls. Getting into the school is the first of many hurdles, and Mercy is nearly unprepared for what’s in store within the school’s walls. But when a disastrous earthquake rocks San Francisco, destroying the city and setting it alight, Mercy and the other girls do their best to set up a temporary encampment at a nearby park and make the most of what they have. Mercy can’t sit by and watch the world burn — but what can she do to help ease the pain of her crumbling home?

  Once again, Stacey Lee steals my heart and shares another important story. Important in American history, important in Chinese-American culture, just all around important. She delivers it with such artistry and storytelling mastery. I’m blown away.

  Mercy is one fierce, independent, determined young woman. She wants to make something of herself so that she could also assist her family and help them out of poverty. The Wongs, like most Chinese-American families in Chinatown, would otherwise face the inevitable cycle of poverty just because of their race and location of their home. Mercy consults a businesswoman’s book to help her navigate the “white ghost” language, social structure, and business in a fair and structured way. No one could lawfully question her otherwise if she’s playing by their rules. But in order to do so, she needs to attend an all-white, very prosperous, all-girls school. The struggle is real, folks.

  Race is a common theme throughout the novel, and one that is demonstrated without pushing an agenda. This is how things were then — and it’s painful and honest and difficult to take in — and likely how things are still now. We can learn from our history, and Lee does an excellent job of saying such by showing us the conflicts, triggering the reader’s emotions and reactions. I, for one, wanted to punch the living daylights out of so many white characters; meanwhile, Mercy held her ground with strength and poise. I admired her.

  To end on a light note, I was touched by the affection between Mercy and Tom, another Chinese-American boy with aspirations to fly. They love one another, you can feel it in their interactions, and they set out for their goals with the other in mind to share in the dreams and success. Though this isn’t a romance per se, it’s beautiful.

  This book is about Mercy’s journey to achieve her dreams while fighting through adversity, and experiencing this journey with a close group of schoolgirls in the middle of a very traumatic moment in history. Open it and take the journey in another’s shoes. Find compassion. Be inspired.

  .

  This qualifies as book 6 of 12 in the Rock My TBR challenge.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017, Rock My TBR | 4 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: historical fiction, genre: young adult, review, rock my TBR

• Book Review: “Hunted” by Meagan Spooner (ARC)

  Posted at 3:45 am by Laura, on April 6, 2017

  Hunted by Meagan Spooner

  Publisher: HarperTeen
  Published: March 2017
  Genre: young adult, fantasy
  ISBN: 9780062422286
  Rating: ★★★★.5

  Beauty knows the Beast’s forest in her bones—and in her blood. Though she grew up with the city’s highest aristocrats, far from her father’s old lodge, she knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering them.

  So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there’s no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas…or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance.

  Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange Beast back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?

  Yeva’s family is forced to move to their winter home, a hunting lodge on the outskirts of town at the edge of a deep woods. Yeva and her father are pleased by the move, only because they’re such natural hunters. But when he comes back from a hunt raving about a Beast, and disappears again in his madness to find the creature, Yeva takes it upon herself to find them. What she was not prepared for was just how right her father was, how unprepared she is, and how otherworldly the Beast and his own captivity is. Has she entered a fairytale, or a nightmare?

  You think you know the Beauty and the Beast fairytale story. A selfish prince is cursed, turned into a beast until he learns to love another and the other loves in return. There’s captivity, madness, and magic, and in the middle of it all is a beautiful young woman. I love this fairytale, problematic situations and all. I was concerned this would be another one of those retellings that just rehash the same old story — and poorly — but that was not the case.

  This novel was so intense and perfect and exactly what I wanted from a Beauty and the Beast retelling without even knowing it. The hunter/hunted theme really brought out just how self-sufficient our leading lady (the Badass Protagonist) is. Yeva is quite possibly one of the fiercest, strongest female protagonists I’ve seen in YA fantasy in a while. There is no Stockholm Syndrome here!

  What I loved the most was how quickly I forgot this was a Beauty and the Beast retelling. The setting alone quickly maneuvered the comparisons and made the story stand on its own. A Russian winterscape — almost solidly historical at first before Yeva crosses into the magical woods — was absolutely perfect. It turned Hunted into a fairytale within a fairytale. Yeva even uses Russian fairytales to help maintain a calm rationale for everything, as she herself had difficulty coming to terms with the magical elements she encountered.

  I applaud Spooner. This is a phenomenal book.

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

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017 | 8 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: fantasy, genre: young adult, review

• Book Review: “Little Black Dresses, Little White Lies” by Laura Stampler

  Posted at 4:15 am by Laura, on March 8, 2017

  Little Black Dresses, Little White Lies by Laura Stampler

  Publisher: Simon Pulse
  Published: July 2016
  Genre: young adult, contemporary
  ISBN: 9781481459891
  Rating: ★★★

  Harper Anderson always believed she belonged somewhere more glamorous than her sleepy Northern California suburb. After all, how many water polo matches and lame parties in Bobby McKittrick’s backyard can one girl take? That’s why Harper is beyond ecstatic when she lands her dream internship as a dating blogger at the elite teen magazine Shift. Getting to spend the summer in New York City to live her dream of becoming a writer? Harper’s totally in.

  There’s just one teeny, tiny, infinitesimal problem: apart from some dance floor make-outs, Harper doesn’t have a lot of—or, really, any—dating expertise. In fact, she might have sort of stolen her best friend’s experiences as her own on her Shift application. But she can learn on the job…right?

  From awkward run-ins with the cute neighborhood dog walker to terrifying encounters with her crazed editor, from Brooklyn gallery openings to weekends in the Hamptons, Harper finds out what it takes to make it in the Big City—and as the writer of her own destiny.

  Harper’s dream is to become a journalist, and the best pie-in-the-sky opportunity is a summer internship with Shift, an elite teen magazine. Any girl in late high school or college who interns there is guaranteed a job in the industry come graduation. But that internship is truly pie-in-the-sky — until it’s not. Harper’s wishful thinking turns into a dream come true when the editor calls her up and gives her three days to pack her bags and fly to New York. The thing is, though, Harper can’t tell the editor or any of the glamorous interns that she knows nothing about the topic she’s assigned: dating. But what’s one little white lie here and there, anyway?

  The Devil Wears Prada meets Gossip Girl in this laugh-out-loud, feel-good, at times ridiculous novel. All sense of this novel being rooted in reality goes out the window right from the beginning: Harper conveniently has a crazy and lovable “aunt” (an old college roommate of her mother’s) who lives right next to Central Park and has all the money in the world for Harper to utilize during her 6-week internship. Lodging and money for NYC, INSTANT CHECK!

  But the hilarity begins the second Harper walks into Shift. High stress, high heels, and high rise in this environment, and every intern is competing for the Young Journalist to Watch spread in the September issue, as well as a story on the Leader Board. That Leader Board is vicious, tracking the top ten stories on the magazine’s website based on the number of clicks. The editor’s number one goal is to crank out as many stories as possible, to gain click momentum, and get viral.

  Harper’s feeling the heat, because the summer dating blogger is supposed to attract interest — and who wants to read a dating blog by someone who (1) has no dating experience and (2) doesn’t really, well, date? Harper gets creative, utilizing help from her best friend’s experiences, the adorable dog walker in her aunt’s building, and observations from her fellow interns. One story goes a bit too far, though, and Harper’s morals and values are on the line.

  Fun, funny, and just plain good brain candy to get you out of a reading slump!

  This qualifies as book 4 of 5 library books in 2017.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017 | 4 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: contemporary, genre: young adult, review

• Book Review: “Caraval” by Stephanie Garber (ARC)

  Posted at 5:15 am by Laura, on February 6, 2017

  Caraval by Stephanie Garber

  Publisher: Flatiron Books
  Published: January 31
  Genre: young adult, fantasy
  ISBN: 9781250095251
  Rating: ★★★

  Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.

  But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

  Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.

  Scarlett and Tella have wanted to see Caraval, a once-a-year circus-like show with audience participation, ever since they were little girls. But their cruel father has viciously prevented them from ever leaving their home. When Scarlett is betrothed to a man she’s never met, she mysteriously receives three tickets to Caraval from the mastermind himself, Legend. The sisters attend the game, but Tella is kidnapped. Finding her means the participant won. Racing against the clock, Scarlett plays the mind-bending, elaborate game with other participants and actors, and everything that seems real is not. After all, nothing at Caraval is as it seems.

  This was such a tough read! I wanted to love this book. I heard wonderful things from the editor (I adore her to pieces) and I’ve been looking forward to it since BEA last May. While I do ultimately believe this is a good book and certainly one worth reading, I also have some personal qualms with it.

  Let’s do some compare and contrast. The atmosphere was divine! While the writing was hard to get into in the opening chapters, it ultimately helped develop the surreal and magical elements of the game Caraval itself. Somewhere between Oz and Narnia, with some twisted elements like in the Harry Potter maze, Caraval is a place I’d love to participate for fun (and not forced into like the sisters. Whoooooo boy). I can see why this was pitched as the YA version of Night Circus, as it seems there are no rules that govern the game and the twists and turns really kept me on my toes.

  That said, the lack of rules started to get to me. This was very much an anything-goes world, full of lies and trickery and bizarre, mind-boggling situations. Unlike the Night Circus (which does have grounding rules in the magical elements and capabilities), Caraval lacked any sense of reality. Yes, I know it’s part of the game, but when the “rules” are contradictory, and the “reality” is twisted constantly, it makes it hard to follow the plot and sympathize or trust the characters.

  The characters were vast and varied. I felt for them, to some extent, especially the sisters under their abusive father (TRIGGER WARNING for anyone who has experienced emotional or physical abuse). It’s hard to read abuse books, even though it’s true to life. That said, the father was almost too Disney-villain, not quite executed the way he should have been in order to frighten me. The sisterly bond, while admirable, lacked the intensity I was promised. The reader is told several times the girls are close, but it felt like a one-way street, with Scarlett ready to die for Tella and Tella just messing with Scarlett’s head. (I loathed that. I cannot stand when characters use one another like this, and it made it very hard for me to care what happened to Tella. (For a good sisterly bond story, read the Lara Jean series by Jenny Han.))

  Now, again, the main characters left something to be desired, but the secondary characters were shining in here! I still don’t know what to think of Julian or Dante (though I won’t go into my thoughts on their relationship with Scarlett), or even Aiko and Jo, but I do want to know more! And I would love to dive back into Caraval with a different set of characters — maybe ones who genuinely wanted to be there and play the game. How about the girl who was turned to stone outside the dress shop? Tell me more about her!

  I’m torn. The plot and setting was there, but the characters and last little bit of world-building needed a bit more development. With some tightening of the prose, this could’ve been something truly astounding. I enjoyed the atmosphere, the game, the premise, and I’ve no doubt this book will stay in my mind for months.

  Thank you, Flatiron Books, for providing this book at BEA for review. 

  .

  This qualifies as book 1 of 12 in the Rock My TBR challenge.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017, Rock My TBR | 8 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: fantasy, genre: young adult, review, rock my TBR

• Book Review: “Whenever I’m With You” by Lydia Sharp (ARC)

  Posted at 3:15 am by Laura, on January 30, 2017

  Whenever I’m With You by Lydia Sharp

  Publisher: Scholastic Press
  Published: January 3
  Genre: young adult, contemporary
  ISBN: 9781338047493
  Rating: ★★★

  After Gabi’s parents’ divorce, she moves from California to Alaska with her dad. At first, it feels like banishment—until she meets Kai. He welcomes her into his life, sharing his family, his friends, and his warmth. But as winter approaches, Kai pulls away for seemingly no reason at all. He’s quiet, withdrawn. Then one day, he disappears.

  Kai’s twin brother, Hunter, believes Kai is retracing their missing father’s steps in the wilderness north of Anchorage. There’s a blizzard on the way, and Kai is alone out there. Gabi’s frustration over his emotional distance quickly turns to serious concern. This is the boy who saved her from the dark. She can’t lose him to it.

  So Gabi and Hunter agree to head out together on a wild journey north—a trip that will challenge them physically and emotionally, as they try to convince the boy they love to return home.

  Gabi still feels so new to Alaskan lifestyle, even with boyfriend Kai by her side, explaining fun traditions the other teens do at the start of winter, how to fend for oneself during the winter months, and neat ways to banish the darkness. But Kai starts to act a bit odd, and disappears just before a large snowstorm hits Anchorage. With his concerned twin Hunter’s help, Gabi heads straight into the storm to find Kai, and survive the wildness of America’s last frontier.

  I was drawn to this contemporary YA based on the romantic relationship style (the two teens are already together, strong, and established) and the setting (ALASKAAAA). While I found some of the storytelling to be a bit underdeveloped, this is definitely a good, clean YA that reminded me a bit of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han.

  How easily your whole world can change with just
  two simple words, spoken from the heart:
  I’m sorry. *

  There’s also a lot of discussion on grief and the various forms it takes. Not everyone grieves the same way, either in a death or in a broken relationship. Gabi has many issues with her mother (valid ones, too), and is battling coming to terms with her parents’ divorce. Kai and Hunter grieve the loss of their father in different ways — denial and acceptance, in short — and that changes how they interact with their friends, family, and environment.

  Two sides to every story: another theme within the novel especially between the twin brothers. Each perspective is important and a major key to the puzzle of Kai’s disappearance. Family dynamics, friendship, and determination were some underlying themes of the book that really struck a chord with me.

  Whenever I’m With You is a plot-driven adventure of survival and love in the middle of an Alaskan snowstorm, completely disconnected from the comforts of modern technology and civilization. If you’re itching for a good, quick contemporary read on love and friendship, I’d suggest Sharp’s novel.

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

  *quote taken from uncorrected proof

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017 | 0 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: action/adventure, genre: contemporary, genre: young adult, review

• Book Review: “First & Then” by Emma Mills

  Posted at 3:15 am by Laura, on September 28, 2016

  First & Then by Emma Mills

  Publisher: Henry Holt & Co
  Published: October 2015
  Genre: young adult, contemporary
  ISBN: 9781627792356
  Rating: ★★★★

  Devon Tennyson wouldn’t change a thing. She’s happy watching Friday night games from the bleachers, silently crushing on best friend Cas, and blissfully ignoring the future after high school. But the universe has other plans. It delivers Devon’s cousin Foster, an unrepentant social outlier with a surprising talent for football, and the obnoxiously superior and maddeningly attractive star running back, Ezra, right where she doesn’t want them: first into her P.E. class and then into every other aspect of her life.

  It’s Devon’s senior year, and her counselor is pushing hard for her to be more active in her school for the sake of college applications. But Devon likes being exactly where she is: somewhere in the middle of the popularity pool, best friends with Cas, a high school football fan, and general friendly person. When her awkward cousin Foster arrives after a family crisis, Devon’s plans for senior year derail. What’s more, the school seems to be obsessed with new football star Ezra, and he has taken a liking to the surprisingly athletically-inclined Foster. Devon and Ezra’s lives soon become intertwined, and senior year is starting to become something wholly unexpected.

  I should not have been wary about this Pride & Prejudice meets Friday Night Lights retelling/expansion/-inspired novel. But I was! I couldn’t help it. I’m not interested in football, classic retellings tend to not do so well with me (except for this year…I’ve actually been doing pretty well with them!), and the cover actually made me think this was going to be some sort of tragic sob-fest. I’d heard Foster was potentially autistic, and that was another red flag to me too (unfortunately these characters are treated as if they’re weak, and I loathe that!).

  So when I opened up to the first chapter and immediately connected with Devon’s voice, I knew I had nothing to worry about. Mills is a gem of a writer. Devon is snarky, witty, sassy, and it’s so easy to fall in friend-love with her. Her voice alone demonstrated the perfect execution of “show, don’t tell” when it came to her friendliness with others in the school, how she was something of a chameleon while still being effortlessly DEVON. Her journey to finding other things to beef up her college applications — topics for her essay, stuff to pad her resume — felt just right for her, rather than forced. And, as an extra bonus, they kept her connected to football!

  Ezra’s character was just the right balance of friendly and broody. The best part was that he was broody for a very good reason, one that advanced the plot and added some heft to the story. Foster, likewise, is so authentic, fun, young, a great contrast to Ezra and Devon’s personalities. Almost like a bouncing puppy standing between the two of them at times, Foster just saying what’s on everyone’s minds, with Ezra frowning and Devon scolding him on proper social etiquette.

  The parallels to Pride & Prejudice actually felt like a mixture of that and Sense & Sensibility. Mills was able to make this book feel like Austen without sticking to any one particular plot. Reading it, I couldn’t help but notice the similarities (without pinpointing which Austen story it belonged to, except that it FELT SO AUSTEN) and acknowledge that this book was wholly unique on its own. If Austen wrote YA today, Mills nailed it.

  The only thing I wanted more of was the rest of Devon’s senior year! How did everything work out?! Mills, why must you torture me like Austen did?!

  .

  This book qualifies as book 13 of 12 of the “Rock My TBR” Challenge, hosted by Sarah @ The YA Book Traveler, in an effort to read more books off my overflowing TBR bookcase.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2016, Rock My TBR | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: contemporary, genre: young adult, review, rock my TBR

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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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