Review: Belle Epoque

Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross

When Maude Pichon runs away from provincial Brittany to Paris, her romantic dreams vanish as quickly as her savings. Desperate for work, she answers an unusual ad. The Durandeau Agency provides its clients with a unique service—the beauty foil. Hire a plain friend and become instantly more attractive.

Monsieur Durandeau has made a fortune from wealthy socialites, and when the Countess Dubern needs a companion for her headstrong daughter, Isabelle, Maude is deemed the perfect foil.

But Isabelle has no idea her new “friend” is the hired help, and Maude’s very existence among the aristocracy hinges on her keeping the truth a secret. Yet the more she learns about Isabelle, the more her loyalty is tested. And the longer her deception continues, the more she has to lose.

(Desciption from Goodreads)

FINAL GRADE:

I read this book for my young adult literature course, because it was one of the books up to win the William C. Morris YA Debut Award (it lost to Charm and Strange). I rather enjoyed this book, though there were some reasons for why this wasn’t an A for me.

This book is a different take on accepting yourself for who you are, inside and out. It’s even more interesting because instead of being a contemporary YA book, it’s a historical fiction take; historical fiction is a difficult genre to handle, unless you really do your research, but I felt that Ross did a great job with it.

Okay, negatives first. The pace of this book was a little slow for me at first. It took me a good while to actually get into the story; it was a great story, but it was really slow (for me) during the first…1/3 of the book I’d say. After that, it really picked up and I really enjoyed it. However, going off of the pace subject, the really big climax of the book was really fast; there could have been so much more added to it, but I feel like Ross rushed it a bit, leaving the reader going, “wait, what just happened?” It was really suspenseful, but it felt so rushed, I didn’t really get a good chance to process what was going on.

Another negative was that I felt Isabelle was a much stronger character than Maude was, despite the fact that she was a secondary (main) character. Maude was the main character and Isabelle was second in line, but Isabelle came off as more likeable and more full of life (make sense?) than Maude did. Even though this is great that a secondary character was that strong, it didn’t help that the main character wasn’t as strong; I liked her well enough, but I didn’t find myself rooting for her the way I did for Isabelle.

I thought this book was beautifully written. It was a fantastic and imaginative take on how society views beauty, inside and outside. I really enjoyed how at the beginning Maude had low self-esteem, but by the end of the book, she had built up this issue and become proud of who she was. Even though she become a repoussoir (basically someone who “repels” the public eye from them to someone more attractive) in order to support herself, this job built up her self-esteem and allowed her to see herself as she should, not how society tells her she should.

The characters of this book were all fantastic, even those you ended up hating (that’s what makes them a great character…they made you feel how the author wanted you to feel about them). I enjoyed how the girls employed at the Durandeau Agency interacted with one another, both when they were being “shown off” to potential clients and then behind closed doors or when they were off the clock. Even the snooty girls were likeable in some way. The descriptions of each girl, though repulsive, were easy to take in and imagine.

I loved the setting of this book: 19th century Paris. Swoon. I also loved how Ross managed to keep the characters in the character of that time, without it feeling forced. It was obvious that Ross did her research when it came to creating this story in order to portray a real feel of the time. The added information about the Eiffel Tower being built was also a great backdrop to the rest of the story, adding just that extra flare of historical background to the time in Paris.

There was a sense of predictability to the story, as it was almost blatantly obvious that the climax that happened was going to happen, but it was still suspenseful and caused me to hold my breath a few times. I enjoyed the relationship that formed between Maude and Isabelle, as well as with Maude and other secondary characters, like her love interest. Though I wish there had been more scenes that could have helped Maude develop these relationships that much more, it was still a wonderful story about find your beauty and confidence.

Review: And We Stay

And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard

When high school senior Paul Wagoner walks into his school library with a stolen gun, he threatens his girlfriend Emily Beam, then takes his own life. In the wake of the tragedy, an angry and guilt-ridden Emily is shipped off to boarding school in Amherst, Massachusetts, where she encounters a ghostly presence who shares her name. The spirit of Emily Dickinson and two quirky girls offer helping hands, but it is up to Emily to heal her own damaged self.

This inventive story, told in verse and in prose, paints the aftermath of tragedy as a landscape where there is good behind the bad, hope inside the despair, and springtime under the snow.

(Description from Goodreads)

FINAL GRADE: First off, I received this as an ARC from NetGalley. I really wanted to like this book. Like, really, really, REALLY wanted to like it. The synopsis sounds great, doesn’t it? Sadly, the book fell short and I wasn’t all that impressed. There were redeeming qualities to it, which is why it received a grade of C, but I cringed a lot while reading; I was determined to finish it, however.

Okay, so the book starts off with letting us know that Emily is now at a boarding school for girls after her boyfriend brought a gun to school and killed himself. I won’t say why he did, but the reason just fell flat for me. Ugh, worthy. But as for Emily, for someone who saw her boyfriend kill himself while at school, I would have expected her to show more emotions. However, she was a very flat character, with hardly any emotion at all. Not exactly what I would expect from someone in her situation. She showed some emotion toward the end of the book, but not enough to make up for the rest of book having a lack of emotion.

What really bothered me the most about this book was how it was written: 3rd person present tense. It was seriously like pulling teeth for me to get through the book with that kind of writing. A typical sentence read, “Emily walks to the bathroom down the hallway and looks at herself in the mirror” (this wasn’t actually a sentence, but it gets the point across). For some reason, I just couldn’t stand the style of writing; it felt way too forced. Maybe to some it isn’t an issue, but it took a lot for me to read the book just because of that.

Some of the aspects I did like about the book was the imagery and the poems (that Emily wrote while at boarding school) that were scattered throughout. The poems were really good (which says something, because I’m not a huge fan of poetry) and the imagery picked up the slack of the rest of the book.

I surprisingly liked Emily’s roommate, K.T.; she at least showed emotion and was compelling to find out more about. I really wasn’t invested in Emily’s storyline after a certain point, but K.T.’s presence made up for what Emily was lacking.

I also liked that there were flashbacks to what happened before Emily came to her new school (the events that led up to it). Considering I had just read Hate List by Jennifer Brown right before I read this one, I saw that was a possible connection between the two stories: the flashbacks the main characters provided for the reader were very informative and truly added more to the story.

For a book that mentioned the presence of Emily Dickinson quite a bit, there was rarely any true presence, which was pretty disappointing. I requested this book because of the literary connection, but there really wasn’t one…just a mention and a few happenings that could possibly be deciphered as something of the sort.

The last few pages I found myself finally feeling invested int he story, but by that point, it was almost too late for me to really enjoy the story. I wish I had felt a stronger connection with this book, but I just couldn’t dig it up. There were several aspects to the book that I did enjoy, but the negatives put the positives in the shadows.

Waiting on Wednesday – Rebel Belle

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Rebel Belle (Rachel Hawkins)

Release Date: April 8, 2014

Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with incredible abilities, Harper’s destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird. She becomes a Paladin, one of an ancient line of guardians with agility, super strength and lethal fighting instincts.

Just when life can’t get any more disastrously crazy, Harper finds out who she’s charged to protect: David Stark, school reporter, subject of a mysterious prophecy and possibly Harper’s least favorite person. But things get complicated when Harper starts falling for him–and discovers that David’s own fate could very well be to destroy Earth.

With snappy banter, cotillion dresses, non-stop action and a touch of magic, this new young adult series from bestseller Rachel Hawkins is going to make y’all beg for more.

(Description from Goodreads)

How cute is that cover? I adore it! Yes, I do sometimes judge a book by its cover. What do y’all think of this book? Think it sounds good?

Waiting on Wednesday – The Art of Lainey

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

The Art of Lainey (Paula Stokes)

Release Date: May 20, 2014

Soccer star Lainey Mitchell is used to getting what she wants, and when her boyfriend Jason breaks up with her for no reason, what she wants is to win him back before the start of their senior year. Lainey and her friend Bianca check the interwebz for tips and tricks, but the online dating advice is all pretty lame.

Then the girls stumble across a copy of The Art of War. Didn’t someone once say that love is a battlefield? Jason isn’t going to stand a chance once Lainey and Bee go all Zhou Dynasty on him…

Old school strategy and subterfuge meet modern-day dramarama in the story of a girl who sets out to win at all costs and ends up discovering what’s really worth fighting for.

(Description from Goodreads)

This looks like such a fun YA contemporary book! What do y’all think? What are YOU waiting on?

Review: 45 Pounds (More or Less)

45 Pounds (More or Less) by K.A.Barson

Here are the numbers of Ann Galardi’s life:

She is 16.
And a size 17.
Her perfect mother is a size 6.
Her Aunt Jackie is getting married in 10 weeks, and wants Ann to be her bridesmaid.
So Ann makes up her mind: Time to lose 45 pounds (more or less) in 2 1/2 months.

Welcome to the world of infomercial diet plans, wedding dance lessons, embarrassing run-ins with the cutest guy Ann’s ever seen—-and some surprises about her NOT-so-perfect mother.

And there’s one more thing. It’s all about feeling comfortable in your own skin-—no matter how you add it up!

(Description from Goodreads)

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Once again, it has taken me forever to not only read a book to review, but to write the review as well. I try to avoid inserting my personal life into my reviews, but because I just recently started my new job as a high school librarian, other aspects (like this blog) have taken a backseat for the moment. I appreciate my followers for hanging in there with me! On to the review…

I really connected with this book on several levels. Not too often is the subject of weight made the main issue with YA books, which is odd considering how influential a teenager’s weight is during those years. I’m sure there are many teenagers who are perfectly happy with their bodies, but there are many who are not. Typically, it is only thought of that being overweight is the worse thing possibly for a teenager (or anybody really), but there is also the issue of being underweight. But I’ll touch on that later, since that does play a major part in the main character’s growth in the book. Either way, weight plays a pivotal role in 45 Pounds (More or Less).

Ann has been overweight for as long as she can remember. Of course, like with anyone dealing with weight issues, there’s a time when you thought you couldn’t get any bigger than you were, but your body proves you wrong. That is what Ann has been dealing with her whole life. Like anyone else who wants to lose some weight, Ann has tried everything from fad diets to fad exercises. But one thing Ann hasn’t tried is what might save her: being healthy.

I saw so much of my teenage self in Ann while reading this book. Even now, I hate shopping for clothes like Ann did. Like Ann, there are certain parts of my body that I want to change so that I will enjoy more aspects of life, like shopping for clothes. This book was easy to relate to for me, and I’m sure many teenagers would find the same to be true for them. This isn’t a book that will make you decide right then and there to change your life around, but it will make you think and it will make you smile because there’s a character that “gets” you. Even if you have never been overweight, there is still something to be said for this book on the issue of weight in general. Ann learns that while someone may not be overweight, there can be other things that person may dislike about their body, such as their straight nose or their wide hips or broad shoulders. You never truly know what a person may be dealing with or feeling about their own body, so never assume or make judgments.

This book did a good job at not including too many stereotypes about certain people. Whenever a movie about young adults comes out, it always seems like the thin girls are the stuck up ones and the fat girls are the losers who no one likes. Not true in real life and not true in this book. Sure, there are plenty of girls who are stuck up, but that is not a direct connection with their weight, rather just with their personalities. While Ann may be overweight, she is still well-known at her school, is smart, and attracts the attention of a guy she meets at her work, sometime rarely seen in movie portrayals. Likewise, Ann’s friend she makes later in the book is part of a skinny clique, but doesn’t fit the stereotype of a skinny girl – she’s actually nice to Ann and wants to hang out with her! Shocking, right? Not really, considering that’s how real life is, not like what is depicted in movies. Thanks, Hollywood.

There were so many aspects of this book that I loved, including the background information about why Ann turned to food for comfort and general background information on her family. So much of Ann’s life was awkward, but that is part of the joy of maturing and growing up during those years. While there were many parts of this book that I loved, there were several that I didn’t enjoy quite as much, which resulted in my rating. First point is that Ann seems to turn to food when she’s upset or dealing with some unhappy aspect of her life. It always seems like the kids that are overweight are depressed or eat when they are upset. I feel like just once I’d like to see a portrayal of a happy teenager, who just happens to also be overweight. That’s pretty realistic too, I think. Of course, the book didn’t end up showing Ann as a depressed overweight teenager, so it ended on a good note! I also wish there had been some more examples of things Ann tried to lose weight. The book touched on fad informercial diets, the idea of “I’ll start tomorrow” (I’m famous for that), and giving up on exercising after not seeing results, but I feel like other aspects (like eating healthier) could have been drawn out a little more. Not too much though, otherwise it would have felt like too much fluff, but a little bit more could have really helped with the storyline.

Even if you have never dealt with being overweight, this book has something for everyone. It doesn’t end with Ann being a completely new person, but it is realistic in the sense that with hard work, determination, and the will to succeed, it is possible to lose weight and become a healthier person. It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen. There IS hope.

Review: The Moon and More

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

Luke is the perfect boyfriend: handsome, kind, fun. He and Emaline have been together all through high school in Colby, the beach town where they both grew up. But now, in the summer before college, Emaline wonders if perfect is good enough.

Enter Theo, a super-ambitious outsider, a New Yorker assisting on a documentary film about a reclusive local artist. Theo’s sophisticated, exciting, and, best of all, he thinks Emaline is much too smart for Colby.

Emaline’s mostly-absentee father, too, thinks Emaline should have a bigger life, and he’s convinced that an Ivy League education is the only route to realizing her potential. Emaline is attracted to the bright future that Theo and her father promise. But she also clings to the deep roots of her loving mother, stepfather, and sisters. Can she ignore the pull of the happily familiar world of Colby?

Emaline wants the moon and more, but how can she balance where she comes from with where she’s going?

Sarah Dessen’s devoted fans will welcome this story of romance, yearning, and, finally, empowerment. It could only happen in the summer.

(Description from Goodreads)

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This review is long overdue. I actually finished this book several weeks ago, but grad school summer classes have taken over my life and I just haven’t had time to post it. Taking what free moments I have to write this review because I so needed to!

I really loved the premise of this story. It follows Emaline, a girl from a small coastal town (I kept picturing the Outer Banks in North Carolina in my head) that has lived there all her life and is looking for a way out, namely college. For me personally, I found myself relating to Emaline on numerous levels. I’m from a small town that is frequented by “come heres” as us locals call them, especially in the summertime. Emaline’s home was frequented the same way, especially during the summer since her home is right on the water. My home just so happens to be on the water in the middle of nowhere, a destination a lot of city people like to come to apparently. Like Emaline, I never really saw what was so great about my area; sometimes I still find myself questioning why people come visit here. However, I had my time to get out of the area for four years (thanks college) and yet I found myself back here (with a new job as a high school librarian, I’d like to add!) Emaline reminds me of my high school senior self, which is one reason I liked this book so much. But enough about me…

First off, I’ve got to say what bugged me about this book. The main thing that bugged me about this book was how craptastic the guy characters were, mostly Theo and Luke. Now, this isn’t me saying they were poorly written; quite the opposite really, they were so well written, that I could imagine them and just wanted to smack them. Their attitudes got on my nerves and I felt so bad for Emaline. Yes, both guys had their perks, but holy wow, their negatives outweighed their positives. There were several moments when I really wanted Emaline to tell them off, but she held it together…mostly. High school and the time before college can be an incredibly confusing time for a teenager…no reason to make it any worse by having guys to make it that way.

The setting for this story was wonderful. Like I mentioned, I kept picturing the Outer Banks as the setting, making it a lot more real in my mind. I’m actually going to the Outer Banks in a few weeks, so I have a feeling while I’m there, I’ll be looking around the area and thinking “that’s what I pictured for [insert something from the book here]” ha ha! The small town feel to the setting made it even better, especially getting it from a local’s perspective. When going on vacation to a destination, you never truly think about how the locals feel or think about the place; you see it as a new adventure that’s great for a short period of time, when to them it’s for life and typical.

There was so much about this book that was true to life, especially for a teenager around Emaline’s age. Relationship troubles, worries about college or after high school, friendships, family woes, work difficulties, the list goes on and on. I believe that many, if not all, teenagers could relate to Emaline’s feelings that are displayed throughout the story. Of course, that’s another issue I had with this book…there were hardly any happy moments for Emaline. It always seemed like everything that happened was either completely negative or heading in that direction. This book takes place the summer before Emaline is to begin college…shouldn’t that be an exciting, happy time and not a morose, craptastic time? Poor Emaline couldn’t catch a break, I swear. At least she had great friends, like Daisy and Morris, to stand by her side. Emaline’s family provided a great backbone for her, even if at times they could be annoying (like hanging out in her room without permission? I might have blown a gasket if I had been her!) Even Emaline’s step-brother, Benji, was fantastic…can’t really say much for her real father, but that’s another story basically.

Even though there were hints at this book being completely about romance, I’m glad to see that family and friends took control of the wheel instead. Yes, it’s always nice to read about romantic encounters and all that jazz, but to have a YA book focus on family and friends is outstanding. I really enjoyed that aspect of the novel. To have such a supporting family like Emaline had is not often portrayed in books these days; while there were many moments when Emaline’s life seemed like it was crumbling, her family always had her back, even if they did get into several heated arguments.

The Moon and More is a fantastic summer read or really a great anytime read. Plus, I’m also glad to say that this was my first Sarah Dessen book and it certainly won’t be my last!

Review: The 5th Wave

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

The Passage meets Ender’s Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

(Description from Goodreads)

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

I must admit, this book took me a lot longer to read than YA books normally do. Actually, as bad as it is to say, I think it took me a little less than a month to finish. Not entirely sure why, it just took me a super long time to finish it. I think it had something to do with the pace of the book. This book has been highly anticipated in the YA world to be a hit for 2013 and I can clearly see why. Despite the time it took me to read it, it really was a great read.

Something that threw me off about this book was how it was told. There were several perspectives it was told from, the main ones from Cassie, the noted main character, and Ben, a former classmate of Cassie’s before the invasion. I enjoyed getting to read from different perspectives as the story unfolded, but until I recognized the pattern, it really had me confused momentarily. The beginning, at least for me, was a little slow to pick up. It wasn’t until it was perhaps halfway through that I really started to get into the story. Don’t get me wrong, the entire book was magnificent, but it just took me a lot longer to get into it than I normally would.

The characters are my favorite part about The 5th Wave. Of course, I’m partial to characters in general; characters are the first aspect of a book that I go to when reviewing a book. There were so many great characters…Cassie, Evan, Ben/Zombie, Sam/Nugget, Ringer, and a select few more were just wonderful. The relationships that develop between the characters are gripping and somewhat realistic, at least for what was happening in the book. Of course, romance is probably the last thing I would be thinking about if an alien invasion happened and I was one of the few survivors. Either way, it was still great and captivating.

The idea of aliens always puts up a red flag for me. I’m not entirely sure why, but a book that involves the concept of aliens just doesn’t do it for me; I guess it’s because I automatically think of aliens as those green creatures with big heads and swollen black eyes. Yick. Not my thing. But Yancey takes it a step further in creepiness by making it unknown what the aliens look like. The humans never see them…at least, that’s what they think. But how can they know for sure? It’s like the tagline of the book says…”trust no one.” This is repeated several times throughout the book, though sometimes the characters forget their own words.

Post-apocalyptic books tend to make you think about what would you do if something truly horrific happened. What would you do if aliens started to invade and destroyed everyone and everything in the process? Would you give up? Would you fight on? Honestly, I have no idea what I would do. I’d probably be the person who just curled up in a ball and cried until I died, as morbid as that is. The 5th Wave definitely didn’t shy away from the gruesome and the heart-wrenching, making it even more of a realistic telling of what could possibly happen if something like that did happen. Your heart goes out to Cassie as she suffers from loss throughout the entire book, with a glimmer of redemption at the end.

Action is the name of the game, at least when it comes to Ben’s perspective. Even with Cassie on her own for some time through the book, there is a great deal of action. Of course, with action that focuses on an all-out war, there’s a lot of terminology that sometimes is confusing. I’m not an expert on war or weapons by any stretch of the imagination, so whenever they mentioned types of guns or drills or whatnot, I was going “huh?” as if that would clear it up for me. I probably should have taken the time to Google a few of the terms in order to gain a better image in my head about what was being discussed, but I just never thought of it. Probably would have helped a bit. Oh well, it wasn’t enough to completely leave me baffled as to what was going on, just some minor details that I had a hard time picturing.

Really and truly this was a phenomenal YA read. Despite what I found to be slow parts and the flip flopping of perspectives to be sometimes confusing, the content was fantastic. Like The Hunger Games, I have a feeling this is going to become a new hit with many, as it is merely the first book in a series or trilogy (not entirely sure how many books it will be at this point.) The ending was fast-paced and abrupt, as it may leave some readers feeling like it was unfinished. Come on sequel!

For those who are interested, the book trailer is fantastic. Check it out.

Review: Golden

Golden by Jessi Kirby

Love, tragedy, and mystery converge in this compelling novel from “an author to watch” (Booklist).

Seventeen-year-old Parker Frost has never taken the road less traveled. Valedictorian and quintessential good girl, she’s about to graduate high school without ever having kissed her crush or broken the rules. So when fate drops a clue in her lap—one that might be the key to unraveling a town mystery—she decides to take a chance.

Julianna Farnetti and Shane Cruz are remembered as the golden couple of Summit Lakes High—perfect in every way, meant to be together forever. But Julianna’s journal tells a different story—one of doubts about Shane and a forbidden romance with an older, artistic guy. These are the secrets that were swept away with her the night that Shane’s jeep plunged into an icy river, leaving behind a grieving town and no bodies to bury.

Reading Julianna’s journal gives Parker the courage to start to really live—and it also gives her reasons to question what really happened the night of the accident. Armed with clues from the past, Parker enlists the help of her best friend, Kat, and Trevor, her longtime crush, to track down some leads. The mystery ends up taking Parker places that she never could have imagined. And she soon finds that taking the road less traveled makes all the difference.

(Description from Goodreads)

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

That Mary Oliver line is the one driving question throughout this book, and quite frankly, I’m starting to think it should be a driving question in everyone’s life. Very rarely do I come across books (especially YA ones) that make me stop, think, and reflect on my life, but this one did. Of course, like many of the adults in this book, sometimes reflecting on the past puts a damper on the now, as life may not have turned out like our teenage self may have imagined. However, reflecting on the past or constantly thinking about the future does no good for the present. Enter Parker Frost…

Parker is a high school senior who is about to graduate from high school not having done anything, except what is expected of her. Never has Parker taken a chance or done something spontaneous. However, while completing her duties as a TA to one of her school’s English teachers, Parker runs across something that sparks an interest in her and sets her off on what goes from a wild goose chase to a spontaenous trip that her best friend, Kat, has been nudging her to find.

I liked Parker a lot, probably because I saw a lot of my high school me in her; I sometimes wonder if I missed out on opportunities because I was so strait-laced. Parker starts to question the same thing toward the end of her high school career when a certain composition notebook falls into her hands. Everyone is always faced with the question of “what if,” though sometimes the question comes too late and the answer is never known. I loved watching Parker’s character evolve during the book, going from the quiet girl who did what she was told to the almost high school graduate who took a daring trip because of a romantic view on life. Along the way, Parker began to discover her true self and what she wanted to do with her life, not what others wanted of her.

Golden had not just one story, but there was a sub-story within the main story, that of a tragic romance that the little town Parker is from memorializes. However, Parker learns as the story progresses that the story the town remembers isn’t necessarily the actual truth behind it all. I enjoyed the fact that for at least half of the book, there were two perspectives being told, that of Parker’s and that of Julianna’s, the girl who wrote the journal in the composition notebook Parker finds. It was interesting to see Parker grow as a person, even while she was merely reading the entries written by Julianna. Even though Parker knew the journal was private, it helped her realize that she needed to be living her life more than what she was currently doing; she needed to truly think about what she wanted to do with her one wild and precious life.

I also really enjoyed the romance aspect of this book, though it resembled quite a bit to a Nicholas Sparks novel. Apparently Parker likes that kind of romance though, so it fits quite well into this novel. I wish there had been more between Parker and her longtime friend/crush, Trevor, but I enjoyed the romance story between Julianna and Shane, as well as Julianna and Orion. Swoon alert.

There were several aspects about this book that were a little farfetched for me, however. Of course, most of them would be spoilers for the book, so I’ll have to be vague with what and why. I think the ending is a little too perfect, especially with events that happened closer to the end. Yes, it’s the ending that makes us smile and feel giddy, but at the same time, after everything that happened prior, it didn’t really fit properly. Perhaps I’m thinking too realistically and should just be happy with the happy ending, especially since it is a YA novel, but something about it just didn’t feel right. The complete transformation of Parker was also a little out there. Yes, it’s good to change things up and do something for yourself, but to do a complete 180 and give up on something you’ve worked so hard for? Ehh, it just doesn’t sit well with me.

Despite those issues, I thought this was a rather compelling YA book and many teens could not only relate, but could learn a lot about their own lives from reading it. It makes you stop and think; truly, it does. You only get this one life, this one wild and precious life…so what are you going to do with it? In the words of Ferris Bueller (yeah, I went there), “life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

Review: My Life After Now

My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi

 Lucy just had the worst week ever. Seriously, mega bad. And suddenly, it’s all too much—she wants out. Out of her house, out of her head, out of her life. She wants to be a whole new Lucy. So she does something the old Lucy would never dream of.

And now her life will never be the same. Now, how will she be able to have a boyfriend? What will she tell her friends? How will she face her family?

Now her life is completely different…every moment is a gift. Because now she might not have many moments left.

(Description from Goodreads)

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

I wasn’t sure how to approach this book at first. After reading the synopsis, I was both intrigued and worried about how well the book would play out. There are many touchy subjects included and I was very curious to see how the author would go about addressing them. Of course, it all depends on how you look at those subjects. However, I must say I am very impressed with how Verdi tackled each subject.

I’m not going to lie, I hardly know anything about AIDS and HIV; I knew about as much as Lucy, the main character, knew before she learned more about her recent disease. Not only was this an entertaining read, but it was also incredibly informative, especially for teenagers who may not know much about the disease and are curious. It is a very difficult concept to grasp about how the disease can affect a person with it. While many believe it is a signed death certificate for those with it, Verdi did her research and showed the reader, through Lucy, that those with the disease are fully capable of living a normal, typical life; however, Verdi does make sure to include that this can be done through the use of medications, as well as sometimes support groups.

Everyone makes mistakes. Lucy learned that the hard way in My Life After Now. A rising drama star at her high school, Lucy’s world begins to crumble when one bad thing after another happens over the course of a week. Not being able to take it anymore, she goes out with her friends drinking one night…and ends up making a mistake that changes her life forever. Many people can relate with Lucy on the level of making mistakes that they wish they could take back; however, some mistakes are more grave than others. Lucy was a very believable character and was very easy to relate to. While I am no longer a teenager myself, I was still able to connect with Lucy throughout the entire book and I know teenagers who read this book will be able to as well. The book was absolutely heartbreaking and was very difficult to watch Lucy go through so many struggles, especially at such a young age. I even began to question what I would do if I were Lucy and were in that same situation. Seriously though, think about it…what would you do if you took a test and it came back positive for HIV? How would you react? Honestly, I don’t think many of us would take it well…I know I wouldn’t. But Lucy had an amazing support system as well. The characters in this book were ALL outstanding. I was very impressed with the development of the characters; I don’t say I like all of the characters in a book that often, but for this one, I do. Lucy’s dads were so supportive of her, even though at first they went through the typical motions of first learning of the disease she now had. And while Lucy was trying to protect herself and her friends, her friends remained loyal, even if there was a period of time when it wasn’t clear to them what was going on. I feel Lucy was very lucky to have the support system she had. Plus, she started to attend meetings with other people who had the disease and could relate to her better; though Lucy wasn’t a fan of sharing during the meetings, I think it helped her immensely.

My Life After Now brings so much awareness to a disease that not only is taboo to most, but isn’t talked about all too often. While there are sex education classes in high school, nobody every pays attention to what is being taught (at least I know I never did…probably should have.) Personally, I think this is a YA book that should be read by all teenagers. Not only is the story easy to relate to, but it also shows that these types of things can happen to ANYONE. People always think “oh that would never happen to me…” but you truly never know. Anything can happen to anybody…no one is excluded. This story shows that a disease, such as HIV or AIDS, can affect anyone…Lucy is only 16/17 in this book and it happened to her. Yes, it is a story. However, it is based on real life circumstances that could happen to anyone.

I will say though that I wasn’t a fan of how quick the ending approached and how some people’s reactions were not entirely realistic to the world of HIV. The ending seemed rather rushed and how some of Lucy’s friends and fellow drama actors reacted to her disease were a bit unrealistic considering what people typically know about the disease. I really can’t complain though because I’m happy that Lucy didn’t have any more bad things thrown in her face after the horrible week she had that led to her new change.

There were several other issues addressed in this book, such as underage drinking and drug use, and they definitely played a pivotal role in the outcome of the story. However, the blame for the happenings cannot be placed on one thing or another; because of that, it just shows the reader even more how easily this could happen to anyone and that no one is invincible. I really hope more readers, especially teenagers, will come across this book because it is definitely a wonderful read that is incredibly informative. I know I personally learned quite a bit from the story, something I was not at all expecting to come away with at the end.

Review: Rotten

Rotten by Michael Northrop

A troubled teen. A rescued Rottweiler. An unlikely friendship.

Jimmer “JD” Dobbs is back in town after spending the summer “upstate.” No one believes his story about visiting his aunt, and it’s pretty clear that he has something to hide. It’s also pretty clear that his mom made a new friend while he was away—a rescued Rottweiler that JD immediately renames Johnny Rotten (yes, after that guy in the Sex Pistols). Both tough but damaged, JD and Johnny slowly learn to trust each other, but their newfound bond is threatened by a treacherous friend and one snap of Johnny’s powerful jaws. As the secrets JD has tried so hard to keep under wraps start to unravel, he suddenly has something much bigger to worry about: saving his dog.

(Description from Goodreads)

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I’m a huge animal lover, so the minute I saw the cover of this book, I knew I had to read it. Of course, it also concerned me at first because of the choice of dog on the front. Rottweilers are classified under the “bully” breeds, which really is a stupid category anyway; other dogs that fall under the “bully” breed category are the American Pit Bull Terriers and the German Shepherds, which is absolutely ridiculous. I hate it when people automatically think a dog is unfit to be a pet, just because of its breed; any animal can become mean, based on the treatment it receives from humans, just like any human can become mean based on the treatment he or she receives from others. But I digress, as I am getting away from my review. Just wanted to get my feelings out there.

For anyone else who may be interested in reading this book, but are leery of doing so because they are afraid of what happens to the dog, I’ll tell you this much…the ending did NOT upset me, so that should tell you something about it.

Anyway, I liked the fact that this book was written from a teenage boy’s perspective; there aren’t too many YA books out there that are told from a guy’s point of view, so it’s always refreshing to find one that is. JD, the protagonist, is an average teenager with some negative aspects about him that tend to land him in hot water, especially as of recent in the book. He’s been gone the whole summer where he claims he has been with his aunt, but no one believes him…I don’t think even he believes himself. Upon his return, he’s “greeted” by the newest member of his small family, Johnny, a rescued Rottweiler. For anyone who has never had an experience with a rescued animal before, it sometimes takes a while for them to warm up to people, as they usually came from a poor environment. JD experienced this firsthand when Johnny was incredibly skittish around him.

Of course my favorite character is going to be Johnny; would be absolutely weird for me to say that an animal wasn’t my favorite character, especially if they played such a crucial part in the story. I’m still not sure how I feel about JD though. While he did act like a typical teenage guy, he just also seemed to be incredibly immature for someone his age. Several times there were moments when JD could have just said something different and the outcome would have totally changed, but I suppose there wouldn’t be a story to that if he did. However, after getting more and more into the book, JD started to grow on me some; I guess I just happened to get used to how he was and it became okay in my mind. I will say that even though he came off as being a sometimes rude, it was easy to tell that he really was a good character deep down. This was easy to see as the relationship between JD and Johnny developed; it was more than “a boy and his dog” type of story and was more of a “we saved each other” story.

Such as life, especially in high school, there were betrayals of friendship. It was heartbreaking to watch JD go through having to deal with some of his friends turning on him, especially when it affected the relationship between JD and Johnny so much. I do think that if JD had told his friends about where he really was during the summer, most (if not all) of the bad things that happened later on in the book could have been avoided; again though, that wouldn’t leave for much of a story, so it served its purpose. I do think that the mystery of where JD really was actually added something extra to the story, so it’s probably a good thing he didn’t tell his friends about where he was until did.

As much as I appreciated the ending, I do think it was a bit rushed and not very realistic. I won’t say why I feel this way, since that would give away the ending, but I feel like the ending fell into the YA fluff category; I will say though that I was very happy with the ending, so I really can’t complain. If you like animals and enjoy YA, this is a pretty good read. It does take some getting used to the nature of the different characters, but it’s well worth it.