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: 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: 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!