Review: One Moment by Kristina McBride

Genre

YA Contemporary

Publication Date

June 26th, 2012

Publisher

Egmont USA

Available At

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Formats

Hardcover

Ebook

This was supposed to be the best summer of Maggie’s life. Now it’s the one she’d do anything to forget.

Maggie Reynolds remembers hanging out at the gorge with her closest friends after a blowout party the night before. She remembers climbing the trail hand in hand with her perfect boyfriend, Joey. She remembers that last kiss, soft, lingering, and meant to reassure her. So why can’t she remember what happened in the moment before they were supposed to dive? Why was she left cowering at the top of the cliff, while Joey floated in the water below—dead?


As Maggie’s memories return in snatches, nothing seems to make sense. Why was Joey acting so strangely at the party? Where did he go after taking her home? And if Joey was keeping these secrets, what else was he hiding?


The latest novel from the author of The Tension of Opposites, One Moment is a mysterious, searing look at how an instant can change everything you believe about the world around you.


Review
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars


One word. Intense. One Moment had me in a constant anticipation mode, but not the eager anticipation, the nervous anticipation. I was stuck with a perpetual free-falling feeling. You know the one, jittery nerves, rapid heartbeat, stomach jammed up into your throat while you wait for it to drop out from beneath you. Like I said, intense. You want to know what happened, you want to know the secrets that were being kept, but you just know that they will be devastating, especially because Joey is so damn likable. 


Thick in mystery, Kristina McBride leads us on an adventure that will throw suspicions all over the place. I loved that we got information as Maggie got information, it allowed me to connect to her and feel with her. The writing also added to Maggie's character because it was almost desperate, depressed, and a little bit hopeless until that little flicker of light reveals itself to help lead Maggie out of the dark. To say I was captivated is an understatement. I was eager to finish, but also reluctant because I fell in love with so many of the characters. There is no way possible for you to read this and NOT feel the powerful emotions behind this story. They were sometimes suffocating, but only because Kristina McBride successfully portrays each emotion and character to the T. She has amazing talent that has made me a fan for life.


If you want real characters, an intense plot and completely entrancing writing then check out One Moment. Just make sure you have tissues near-by and are prepared to read until the end because this book was simply unputdownable.

*Received my copy of this book from NetGalley*

Review: Tyler Falls by Lori Clark

Genre

YA Contemporary

Publication Date

May 26th, 2012

Publisher

Self-Published

Available At

Amazon

Format

Ebook

By the time seventeen-year-old Tyler Falls meets Emma, his "Thirty-Days-Left-to-Live" plan is already in place -- and falling in love isn't part of that plan.


Tyler has suffered from manic depression for as long as he can remember. Through medication and therapy, he manages to keep his life together. But when his parents are murdered, he decides he's had enough of living as a broken person with a broken life. So, in thirty days, he plans to stick the barrel of his Ruger SP101 into his mouth and pull the trigger.


Emma Perez's brother, Ethan Giovanni, sits in a mental institution for the murder of Dr. and Mrs. Falls. Deemed mentally incompetent and unfit to stand trial, Ethan has one weekly visitor -- Emma. She doesn't deny his guilt, he's her brother and she loves him spite of the fact he's paranoid schizophrenic.


They say when you cross paths with someone more than once, it's fate -- you're destined to meet. Tyler doesn't know Emma is Ethan's sister, and Emma doesn't know Tyler's story either. When Tyler learns who Emma's brother is, the world he's rebuilt around her begins to crumble all over again and it leaves both of them wondering why fate has such a cruel sense of humor.


Review
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars


Tyler Falls is a really sweet romance, but for a story about a 17 year-old guy with plans to commit suicide and that unknowingly falls in love with the sister of the guy that changed his life forever, it shouldn't have been sweet. It should have been a gut-wrenching love story that rips the emotions from you as you read.


The struggles of the characters just didn't come across as plausible, they were too light for the depth that was trying to surface. There should have been many layers to peel back as we read, but I found the story too simple and straight forward to successfully pull me in. Especially with Tyler's tormented past and "Thirty-Days-Left-To-Live" plan. There should have been a monumental struggle with Tyler and how his plan was changing, but there wasn't. He just simply accepted the change in his life and the change of his feelings without any difficulties. The story revolved around a romance when I think it should have been more focused on two individuals that found the power to heal with each other. Which can be classified as the same thing, but it's not.


The story alternated with chapters from Tyler's perspective and Emma's perspective and while in most cases I revel in being able to get inside each characters minds, I was a little put off by the redundancy. Each scene that involved both Emma and Tyler were told from both perspectives with scenes of the same dialogue. There were some added scenes that took place prior or after, but sometimes the wording was different from the scene in the others perspective. 


My favorite aspect was the relationship between Tyler and his Uncle Kyle. That was the one thing that was the most natural and the most endearing. I also greatly appreciated that the characters were portrayed in a more natural light. Meaning: they cursed, drank a little and so on. Tyler Falls is a book that needed that 'uncleanliness' to show the roughness of the characters.


I did enjoy reading Tyler Falls, I just wish that the story wasn't so light considering the heavy-hitting premise. I can say, though, that I'm very intrigued to see what other stories Lori Clark will produce.

*Received to review via the author through Making Connections YA Edition*

Review: Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

I received Something Like Normal from the publisher through NetGalley

Genre
YA Contemporary Romance

Pub Date 

June 19th 2012

Publisher

Bloomsbury Children's Books


Available At
Amazon
Barnes & Noble


Format
Hardcover
Ebook

When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother's stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he's haunted by nightmares of his best friend's death. It's not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he's had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis's dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.


Review
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars!


The first thing that grabbed my attention was the cover in it's beautiful simplicity. Then I read the blurb, noticing that it would be told from a males perspective, I was instantly hooked. There is something about reading from a males point-of-view that just makes me so incredibly giddy.


Travis is a unique voice, he's blunt, and like mentioned in the blurb, he has a dry sense of humor and his sense of honor is amazing. I fell in love with Travis Stephensen the instant he walked off that plane and into my life, as a reader. He's suffering from post-traumatic stress, something that can happen to anyone. He's extremely fleshed-out, he's so real that he could be any of the real-life Marine's walking around on this planet. In fact, each and every character is real, they have qualities that are real, struggles that are real and a camaraderie that is real. Trish Doller does an exceedingly great job of NOT romanticizing the relationships that Travis maintains, be it with his mom, dad, brother, Harper, Paige, a fellow Marine or whoever else. They just are, they just happen, and everyone and everything flows together with perfection.

Something Like Normal has a raw gritty truth staring you in the face, impacting the emotional level up an infinite magnitude. Trish Doller doesn't gloss over the abrasive facts, she doesn't breeze by the embedded layers. This is deeply intense, I had tears dripping down my face the whole time I was reading, even in the happy moments. Heart-wrenching and uplifting at the same time. The romance between Harper and Travis lends a sweetness to the unyielding harshness that is Something like Normal. Trish Doller rose above by choosing to write in Travis's voice. His thinking wasn't hidden behind lyrical, descriptive prose, it was straight to the point, simplistic bliss. It was brilliantly genius. There wasn't any mystery to wade through, the story was laid out right from the beginning, yet another wise choice from Trish Doller. Something Like Normal, didn't need the extras, it was just a story that needed to be told.

I recommend Something Like Normal to every single reader of both genders(well, maybe 16+), it is a book that needs to be read. There is some mature content, but in this book it is a necessity. Also, highly, highly recommend to anyone who has family, friends, loved ones in any military. This is an extremely eye-opening novel that shouldn't be missed.


I've been to Doller's blog (click here! Absolutely gorgeous!) and I've read the little snippets (one or two sentences) that she has placed all over of her next projects. I will tell you now that Trish Doller is going to be a HUGE hit among readers. She exudes natural talent when it comes to writing and those snippets, they have me anxious to read everything and anything that flows from that beautiful mind.

Review: Whatever It Takes by Lindsay Paige

Thank you to Making Connections (on Goodreads) and to Lindsay Paige for the opportunity to read and review this book

Genre

YA Contemporary

Series

Bold As Love (Book 3)

Publication Date

June 13th, 2012

Publisher

Self-Published

Available At

*Not yet available*

Their first year of college isn’t what they expected. Emily is still struggling with the loss of her baby, while Jake seems to have no trouble with it at all. Emily is so conflicted about how to deal with the miscarriage. On top of that, she’s having nightmares. 

Can Jake help his Sweetness? Will she allow him? Their relationship is suffering and Jake is determined to do whatever Emily asks of him. But when Emily makes a suggestion that she feels will help with her grief, could it tear the couple apart forever?

Review

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Another installment with exceptional sweetness when it comes to romance. There was slightly more tension when there were issues that the characters needed to work through and that added more to the story. I felt that the characters were actually struggling instead of going through a preface of struggling without actually walking through it.

I do, however, feel that the characters are put through too many different emotional twists. For me, it takes away from each story as each installment offers pretty hectic things to overcome. It was too much for me. I felt that the stories could have focused on less twists and more characterization growth. The emotions weren't there for me because there was too much happening from book 1 to book 3, I couldn't get attached to the characters with so much going on. I can say, though, that there is greater unexpectedness in Whatever It Takes. 

I may have some issues, but I also did enjoy Whatever It Takes. It's a shorter read than Sweetness or I'm Yours so prepare to read it in one sitting. It also appears (from the ending) that there will be another installment in the Bold As Love series. Which is always a good thing.

Review: I'm Yours by Lindsay Paige

Thank you to Making Connections (on Goodreads) and Lindsay Paige for the opportunity to read and review this book

Genre

YA Contemporary

Series

Bold As Love (Book 2)

Publication Date

November 2011

Publisher

Self-Published

Available At

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

Formats

Ebook

Paperback

After the incident with Claire, Emily encounters more problems. Conrad is back with explanations and hope. Emily wants to give him a chance to explain himself. She can't help but wonder why he left. However, Jake isn't comfortable with Emily going out to eat with an old lover. 

Will things be too much for Emily to handle? Will Emily do the one thing she knows best and withdraw? Will Emily and Jake's love for one another keep them from shattering?


Review
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

There is no doubt in my mind that Jake and Emily are completely compatible characters. The romance is, once again, very sugary sweet, making you root for them and that all turns out well. 


I still have some issues though. For one, I really didn't like that the issues in Sweetness were completely dropped in I'm Yours. There is only one mention of Emily's horrendous past in a long, long winded explanation to her ex-boyfriend Conrad. There was also an incident with a snarky character (Claire) that I thought would and should have made a bigger appearance in I'm Yours, but she was silent in one scene. I was curious to see how they would resolve the bullying issue, but there was nothing. Without those teeny references to Sweetness, there really isn't a continuation plot within this series, which isn't always necessary, but I felt that some of the issues could have been further addressed to give the readers a bit more closure.


And just like Sweetness, I felt that the characters didn't go through enough of an emotional struggle as each new curve ball was introduced. I felt that more time could have been spent on that rather than relaying the driving directions that either of the characters were taking. The important little details that I was left craving were replaced by details that didn't pertain to the story or the emotional aspect.




There was also one major thing that I felt was a little embellished, but that I doubt will be glaringly obvious to most readers. It's kind of something you have to go through to even be able to recognize the embellishment, and it was only mildly bothersome. 


As with Sweetness, I did enjoy I'm Yours, I just wanted to be drawn into the story more. 

Review: Sweetness by Lindsay Paige

Thank you to Making Connections (on Goodreads) and Lindsay Paige for the opportunity to read and review this book

Genre

YA Contemporary

Series

Bold As Love (Book 1)

Publication Date

October 2011

Publisher 

Self-Published

Available At

Amazon

Smashwords

Format

Ebook

Paperback

Emily wished she was invisible. But after moving to a new town with her dad, a charming boy makes it impossible for her to disappear. Despite her feelings of unworthiness, Emily soon finds herself drawn to the safety of Jake's world.

Good looking and the star of the hockey team, Jake has a lot going for him. What most people don't see is the difficult life he has at home. When quiet Emily steals his heart, Jake vows to help her discover she is worthy of love. 


Just when the two of them realize the sweetness of their relationship, they are put to the test. Only together can they overcome their haunted pasts to fight for a future together.

Review
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Sometimes people just instantly connect and that is what happens in Sweetness. Super, super sweet romance. . . predictable, but still really sweet. However, I didn't like that there wasn't a significant struggle between Jake and Emily. For two people that have deep-rooted issues, they both confided and changed too quickly to squeeze out the emotional side to this story.


I also felt jilted on Emily's history. We are given facts (horrific facts), but there was never a tangible struggle (that wasn't rushed) to overcome or work through these facts. I felt that, as a reader, the surface was barely being scratched. I would have liked to see more of the tiny details of each of their pasts tie into the story more. The main focus was the romance and I felt that the realistic issues were added to give the characters depth, but that depth wasn't explored. It was left untapped. That aching emotion that is so addictive to me was missing, but like I said the romance was tender and my attention was captured for the most part. 


With all that said, I did really enjoy the characters. Drake was a quick favorite and I felt that Lindsay Paige did an excellent job in capturing the endearing, exhilirating energy that kids produce. Jake was another great character and I liked the fact that he was a romancer without being a womanizer. And, despite my feelings about the growth of Emily, she was a great character as well, but not my favorite and that is because her growth was just too radical.


Sweetness is a quick read, so make sure you line up I'm Yours for as soon as you're done!

Review: What I Didn't Say by Keary Taylor

I was fortunate enough to receive a copy from NetGalley

Genre

YA Contemporary Romance

Publication Date

May 11th, 2012

Publisher

Self-Published

Available At
Amazon

Format

Paperback
Ebook

Getting drunk homecoming night your senior year is never a good idea, but Jake Hayes never expected it all to end with a car crash and a t-post embedded in his throat. 

His biggest regret about it all? What he never said to Samantha Shay. He's been in love with her for years and never had the guts to tell her. Now it's too late. Because after that night, Jake will never be able to talk again.


When Jake returns to his small island home, population 5,000, he'll have to learn how to deal with being mute. He also finds that his family isn't limited to his six brothers and sisters, that sometimes an entire island is watching out for you. And when he gets the chance to spend more time with Samantha, she'll help him learn that not being able to talk isn’t the worst thing that could ever happen to you. Maybe, if she'll let him, Jake will finally tell her what he didn't say before, even if he can't actually say it.


Review
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars!

Jake Hayes is a stand-out character. His voice is injected with a raw honesty, his words are genuine in a way that is often hard to bring forth, but Keary Taylor does this with such perfection in a writing style that reveals the true voice of this character as it reads as if it comes from Jakes very own mind. 

" . . .came back with a stack of fifteen notebooks, a rainbow of colored covers.

I just shook my head when she set them down.

My paper voice."

The characters in What I Didn't Say are real. Real characters with little details that make them that much more real. The anti-tourist attitude of the populating teens, the way they start some sentences with 'k', the blunt honesty of Jakes little brother, the red notebook that is solely Sam's and Jake's. Those little things make a story complete, they are necessary, but often over-looked. I relish those little details that turn a story of words into a story of people, even if they are fictous.

"I'm okay, Mom, I wrote. You don't have to stay.

'No sweetie,' she said. 'You're not okay. And I'm not going anywhere.'"

What I Didn't Say is powerful, tear-jerking, thought-provoking, and eye-opening. It's emotional and intense, yes. But it's done in a way that doesn't focus on the tragedies, it's about overcoming those tragedies that life can and will throw at you, some of your own doing and others completely out of your control. The story is about the decision of choosing what are you going to let prevail. The clawing darkness or the lifting light. That's why What I Didn't Say is brilliantly awesome. There's hope. A tiny sliver of light that keeps growing as the pages grow fewer and fewer.

"My screwed up little life felt pretty perfect"

This is a story that will be going into my favorites pile. A must read for teens, a must read for ALL readers, regardless of gender. A beautifully captivating story that not only needed to be told, but NEEDS to be read. Keary Taylor bravely shares a little piece of her life that she was hesitant to share in her at the end in her Author's Note. I commend her for her bravery and will share a statement that will always stick with me.

"So when life seems impossible, when it seems so bad that you can't go on, just stop for a second to take a look at all the things that you do have. I bet the list will grow pretty fast. And even if it doesn't you have the power to decide if you're going to let the bad or the good take control of your life."

Review: Wishing For Someday Soon by Tiffany King

Genre

YA Contemporary Romance

Publication Date

March 25th, 2012

Publisher

Self-Published

Available At

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Format

Ebook

Paparback

Seventeen year old Katelyn Richards is a stronger person than anyone will ever know, and that is just the way she wants it. Behind her normal facade lies the reality of a broken home life. Thanks to her abusive mother, a string of deadbeat stepfathers, and an unsympathetic system, Katelyn has learned that the only one she can count on is herself. Her life’s mission has become to shield her nine year old brother, Kevin, and to give him the future that they both wish for. A life with no more abuse, no worries about where their next meal will come from, and no more wondering if they will have a roof over their heads. 
When her mother moves them again, this time to a small town in Montana, Katelyn’s resolve is shaken when she meets Max, a cute boy from her new school, who gets a glimpse into her real world. Max slowly manages to break through Katelyn’s wall of distrust, stirring up feelings she never saw coming. Now with her world more complicated than she ever intended, Katelyn struggles with the decision to follow her heart into the arms of the first boy she has ever loved. A decision that could risk the promise she made to protect Kevin, and to give them the ‘someday soon’ that is so close within their grasp.


Review
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

As soon as I found out about Wishing For Someday Soon I instantly went on Amazon and purchased it, it was just one of those books that called out to me. It then sat in my Kindle haunting me as I tried to ignore it and get through a pile of books so I could reward myself with reading it. I'm not very disciplined. One night I just couldn't ignore it so I snatched up my Kindle and began reading.

I was swept away, for the most part. There were just a few aspects that fell a little flat for me. The part that had my heart clenched and eyes filling with tears was the sibling relationship between Katelyn and Kevin. It was so unbearably sweet and sad all at the same time. Kevin absolutely made the story, in my eyes. His maturity and innocence rolled into the heart-tugging package of a little boy.  Katelyn was a great character as well, I loved how she was determined to stay strong all for the sake of her little brother. They were all great characters, really. I never found them flawed beyond their characteristics.

The romance was set at a perfect pace. It helped lend a feeling of hope and happiness to a sad story that sometimes resonated hopelessness through Katelyn. I absolutely loved Max, and their budding relationship was so natural most of the time. The only downfall, for me, was that sometimes the conversations between Max and Katelyn were not natural. Maybe it was the wording and the way that it came off, it just didn't flow with me, it didn't portray the proper amount of emotion and frustration that I should have felt during these conversations. It was almost as if they were scenes that were over-thought, too over done.  It was the only thing that bothered me, but it's a big thing when it comes to a book that focuses on romance. The only reason why it's not getting 5 stars.  

Tiffany King is a strong author that has the power to write fabulous stories that pull you in via characters and well thought-out plots. Wishing For Someday Soon is the perfect story for most readers, it makes you feel, it makes you think and most importantly it shows you that hope and love can appear in unlikely situations that can unravel a perfectly placed facade. 

Review: Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe by Shelley Coriell

I would like to extend my gratitude to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read an egalley

Genre

YA Contemporary

Publication Date

May 1st, 2012

Publisher

ABRAMS
~ Amulet Books ~

Available At

Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Formats 

Hardcover
Ebook

Big-hearted Chloe Camden is the queen of her universe until her best friend shreds her reputation and her school counselor axes her junior independent study project. Chloe is forced to take on a meaningful project in order to pass, and so she joins her school’s struggling radio station, where the other students don’t find her too queenly. Ostracized by her former BFs and struggling with her beloved Grams’s mental deterioration, lonely Chloe ends up hosting a call-in show that gets the station much-needed publicity and, in the end, trouble. She also befriends radio techie and loner Duncan Moore, a quiet soul with a romantic heart. On and off the air, Chloe faces her loneliness and helps others find the fun and joy in everyday life. Readers will fall in love with Chloe as she falls in love with the radio station and the misfits who call it home.

Review
Rating: 5 out out of 5 Stars


What an amazingly fun yet deep story! There was a perfect blend of witty, light-heartedness and meaningful, deep issues that made Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe an irresistible, umputdownable read.


Chloe is a fabulous female protagonist. She is quirky, fun but also has to deal with issues that threaten to drag her down. She allows herself to have fun, finding or making fun when situations get to serious. A disposition that is rare and beautiful while also still allowing her to see the struggles of others and want to help. For me, I love everything about Chloe. From her love of vintage shoes to her fun, loving attitude that drew me in. She made the seriousness of each dire situation bearable, leaving a hopefulness that wouldn't have been there without her. She's not the only great character though, there are many. From Duncan, the sweet yet kind of shy boy, to the snarky Dragon, to Chloe's deteriorating but still completely amazing Grandma. The others are also just as great, each one bringing a new level and aspect to the story that makes each of them important and not just an afterthought.


Shelley Coriell braided mystery into this contemporary story. I wasn't always aware of what was happening, what each situation was caused from. It was fun trying to figure it out as the pieces slowly came together to allow us to see the whole story. Like I said before, there were many issues within this one story that were brought forth by different characters. They are all serious issues that many teens face within there own lives. It was a fun, sometimes laugh-out-loud, story but the issues were never ignored or pushed to the far edges. Shelley Coriell wasn't afraid to show us the ugly side of humanity, she just served it up in a way that was less painful to swallow it down whole. This I appreciated, because although I'm a huge fan of emotional reads, Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe allowed me to feel the suffering emotions, but also made me laugh through my tears. Have you ever done that? Had someone make you laugh while you are miserable? It's a natural high, the feelings of those two emotions combining to make you feel alive in that very moment. That is the effect of Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe. 


Also, another cool thing that I fell in love with is that Shelley Coriell added a piece of media-like material at the end of each chapter. A voicemail, an email, an add, a text, etc. It was a brilliantly fun way to add in important tidbits.


Powerful, unique, engaging. Those are the tree words I will use to describe not only the story, but Shelley Coriell's writing. Make sure to add Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe to your TBR pile. Now, go find your FUN for the day!

Review: Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf

I was fortunate to get a copy of Breaking Beautiful from Netgalley!

Publication Date

April 24th, 2012

Publisher

Bloomsbury Children's Books

~ Walker Books for Young Readers ~

Available At

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Formats

Hardcover

Ebook

Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a horrible car accident—including her memory of the event. As their small town mourns his death, Allie is afraid to remember because doing so means delving into what she’s kept hidden for so long: the horrible reality of their abusive relationship.

When the police reopen the investigation, it casts suspicion on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around town. Allie knows she must tell the truth. Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free? Debut writer Jennifer Shaw Wolf takes readers on an emotional ride through the murky waters of love, shame, and, ultimately, forgiveness.

Review
Genre: YA Contemporary/Realistic Fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars


A haunting tale of re-discovering courage, overcoming fear, and finding hope.


Sometimes, reviews are really difficult to write. I'm stuck in what to sat about Breaking Beautiful, not because I didn't like it, but because I LOVED it and it's going to be hard to convey the proper emotions that were wrung from me as I read this book.


Allie induces pure compassion as I tried to piece together a shaky past. She's beyond damaged, but I was still able to see a little flicker of hope as the story continued on. The undeniable pain that Allie experiences drips out of the pages, wrapping cold, invisible hands around your heart. The characters are all flawed in their own ways, not from any lack of the author, but because they were supposed to be flawed. Nobody was perfect. They were all brought to life in an extremely life-like manner, reaching beyond the pages to convey a story that was focused on one individual, but wide enough to show the many facets, good and bad, of a population encompassed by a serious issue.  As I got to know each character I discovered that each of them represented a different side of our societies. I'm not going to go into specifics and to keep it short I'll say this, present in this novel are characters that do or don't have courage, characters that can or won't make a difference, characters that react or turn a blind eye, there are characters that are oblivious and characters that refuse to look further. They are all there in Breaking Beautiful, they all have something to add to the story and an array of emotions to evoke. These aren't flat, barely-there characters, these are characters that could quite literally get up and walk right out of your book.


The plot line is set-up in such a way that it allowed me to get a sense of things to come, but still kept the future twists to be a surprise. The flashbacks are integrated into the present time story adding a goosebump generating aspect that can't be ignored. I was propelled to different levels of suspicion that never went away until all was revealed. Jennifer Shaw Wolf writes with extreme perfection, capturing each minute detail, never skipping over the ugly. Any author that ensnares me into a story, has every single one of my emotions flying in such a way that my chest is vibrating, has exceeded their job. This is an author that has gone above and beyond to bring something so consequentially infecting to readers.


I wholeheartedly recommend Breaking Beautiful to every reader. This is a book that needs to be sitting on your shelf, ready to enjoy whenever you get the urge to revisit Allie and her courageous battle. An impactful read that will definitely touch the heart of many.

Review: Celia On The Run by Sarah Mandell

I received this book for an honest review

Nick Novaczek is a cautious soul, a 17-year-old with a boring life, a predictable future, and a quiet thirst for danger. On the eve of his beloved grandmother's funeral, danger finds him by the motel swimming pool. Her name is Celia and she's everything he's not. This foul-mouthed beauty is hitchhiking across the country to make amends with her estranged father and doesn't carry an ounce of fear or hesitation in her tattered suitcase. She's bad news all around, but for a rule-follower like Nick, she's intoxicating.

Twenty-four hours after speaking to Celia for the very first time, following one extremely lucky night, Nick is hopelessly hooked and "borrows" his parents' car to join her cross-country mission, even though her story is full of holes. It's the mistake he's been waiting his whole life to make. Together, they dodge a train, jump off a bridge, and scam everyone in their path. Nick is blossoming into a teenage fugitive, just like Celia, and he's never been happier. She may not be who she says she is, but she's got his vulnerable heart.

After weeks of detours, with hundreds of miles left to go, their wild adventure starts to unravel. The money dries up, Celia's dark secrets start to surface, and it's clear they both want vastly different things out of this partnership. Celia is all about no strings attached and severing whatever they may have between them once they reach their destination, while Nick is head over heels in love and wanting a future with the girl in his passenger seat. They seem to reach a new low on a daily basis, but she won't turn back, no matter how desperate things get. After all, this is her trip and Nick is just the driver. Celia's got a charming smile to pay her way, a willing accomplice, a hidden agenda, and an endless supply of lies. Not to mention a gun.

Review
Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars!
Love, love, LOVED this book! This isn't a pretty little romance, it's a dark coming of age novel that takes you on an adventure across the country with two characters that elicit powerful emotions.

Celia On The Run is mostly told from Nick's perspective, a boy that so desperately wants to live life and not just watch it pass by as he has been for the seventeen years of his life. It was really refreshing to see the roles reversed as Nick is the shy, not-so-sure character and Celia is the bad-ass with confidence, attitude and a lack of self-preservation(in a way). Nick's confidence surges after his one night with Celia, and he instantly starts becoming his own person as he experiences new and, most of the time, dangerous situations. Celia's character is a mystery that we slowly get familiarized with, severely wanting to unravel the secrets that are hidden.

Celia On The Run is courageous, mostly dark and even horrific at times, gut-wrenching and exhilarating. I was gripping the edge of my seat the entire time, experiencing the ups and downs right alongside Nick and Celia. I was reluctant to set my Kindle down for even a moment, I even read while brushing my teeth! I was thoroughly invested in the story. Sarah Mandell did an excellent job of keeping the suspense, drawing in the readers and then slamming them with suspected and unsuspected outcomes. There are tender moments that left my heart stuttering, but they were slightly overshadowed by the dire situation that was ever present on the cross country trip. This only added to the tender moments, making them as sweet as can be. Sarah Mandell's writing style takes you to each scene without any trouble, letting the story play in your mind as your eyes scan the words on each page. The growth is both subtle and not, individual and as a whole. It gives you hope for a happy ending that you will never be sure is in Nick and Celia's future.

My only complaint is of the cover. I like the current cover, but I feel like it could have been better. I have a very distinct image in my head when I think about Celia On The Run, a cover that would have tied into the story more and would possibly draw in future readers.

An uninhibited view of sensitive topics done in a tactful manner that plunges you into the world of the not-so-well-off youth of America. If you are sensitive to swearing, violence, drugs and sex then this might not be a story that you will like, but it is a necessity to this story and it would not carry the same impact without it. I encourage males and females of the proper maturity to dive in because Celia On The Run is a dynamic, touching and intense adventure.

Celia On The Run is currently available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble 

Review: Reason To Breathe by Rebecca Donovan

"No one tried to get involved with me, and I kept to myself. This was the place where everything was supposed to be safe and easy. How could Evan Mathews unravel my constant universe in just one day?"


He knows there's something more to the girl sitting in the back of the class the moment he sees her. She's beautiful, intelligent, and athletic - but she slips quietly through the crowded halls, trying not to exist. Determined to get to know the elusive girl, Evan soon discovers. . .

Emma Thomas is hiding a terrible secret.

Reason To Breathe is an electrifying page turner from start to finish, a unique tale of life-changing love, unspeakable cruelty, and one girl's fragile grasp of hope.



Review
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars!
I've been wanting to read Reason To Breathe for quite some time, the only reason I have waited is because I was waiting for the sequel, Barely Breathing, to be released. I couldn't hold out any longer.

Emma is such a strong character, she will endear herself to each reader as she slowly starts to blossom, finding her true reason to breathe and gradually letting the wall down that she painstakingly built up around herself. Evan, oh Evan. He is a knight in shining armor, really, but in the subtle ways he lets Emma crawl out of her own shell without forcing her. He will leave readers breathless with his charming, calm determination. Sara, Emma's best friend, produced a lot of emotions from me. The reader will undoubtedly connect with Emma, but they will also connect with Sara(some readers even more) because of the struggles she deals with concerning Emma. I found myself completely breaking down when Sara would witness the evidence that Emma tried to hide. She was helpless to do anything without pushing Emma away and Rebecca Donovan did an exceeding job conveying the role of the powerless friend. The reader will be incapacitated to become anything less than invested in the story of Emma, Evan and Sara.

Reason To Breathe produces sorrow, compassion, fear, helplessness, anger, but there are moments that are heart-lifting as well. Rebecca Donovan captures each emotion between the pages with an effortless simplicity that is also overshadowed by the deep layers begging to be examined. Rebecca Donovan does a successful job of making the story as humanly as possible. Reason To Breathe is not a feel-good novel, it is not an easy read, but it is a much needed look into a realistic situation that has been brushed under the rug too many times. I can honestly say that I will forever be impacted by Reason To Breathe, in fact it is nearly impossible for me to think about this book and characters without feeling the sting of tears in the back of my eyes. There are only a handful of books that have made me bawl my eyes out, Reason To Breathe is now on the top of that list.

I highly recommend Reason To Breathe for all readers regardless of age or gender. This is a must read!

Reason To Breathe is currently available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords

Make sure to add Barely Breathing, the sequel, to your tbr pile, it's expected to be out in May