Review: But Then I Came Back (ARC)

TITLE: But Then I Came Back
AUTHOR: Estelle Laure
PUBLISHER: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books For Young Readers
PUBLICATION DATE: 4/4/2017
FORMAT: ARC
PAGES: 320
SOURCE: Amazon Vine/Publisher
MY RATING: 🦄🦄🦄

SUMMARY (FROM BACK COVER): From the author of This Raging Light comes the story of Eden Jones, a seventeen-year-old girl who feels lost after surviving a near-fatal accident. Unable to connect with her family and friends, Eden forms an unlikely relationship with Joe, a boy who comes to the hospital to visit Jasmine, a friend who may soon be gone forever. Eden is the only person who can get through to Jasmine, but is Eden brave enough to face a world that's bigger and more magical than she ever would have allowed?

OVERALL IMPRESSION: This book was way more contemporary than I was expecting. I thought it was going to have more supernatural elements. The premise of this book actually reminded me a lot of the Freeform TV show Beyond, but they are nothing alike at all. I think I would have enjoyed this book more if it had been marketed as a contemporary love story than as a story revolving around bringing a girl back from a coma, as we rarely saw anything from that aspect of the story.

CHARACTERS: I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the characters. They all seemed great and it seemed like they had wonderful relationships with each other, but I feel like I didn't get to observe it enough.

COVER: The cover is very pretty and is what initially drew me into finding out more about this book.

**I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine for my honest review. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

Review: 10 Things I Can See From Here (ARC)

TITLE: 10 Things I Can See From Here
AUTHOR: Carrie Mac
PUBLISHER: Alfred A. Knopf
PUBLICATION DATE: 2/28/2017
FORMAT: ARC
PAGES: 320
SOURCE: Amazon Vine/Publisher
MY RATING: 🦄🦄🦄 + 1/2

SUMMARY (FROM GOODREADS): Think positive. Don't worry; be happy. Keep calm and carry on.

Maeve has heard it all before. She's been struggling with severe anxiety for a long time, and as much as she wishes it was something she could just talk herself out of, it's not. She constantly imagines the worst, composes obituaries in her head, and is always ready for things to fall apart. To add to her troubles, her mom--the only one who really gets what Maeve goes through--is leaving for six months, so Maeve will be sent to live with her dad in Vancouver.

Vancouver brings a slew of new worries, but Maeve finds brief moments of calm (as well as even more worries) with Salix, a local girl who doesn't seem to worry about anything. Between her dad's wavering sobriety, her very pregnant stepmom insisting on a home birth, and her bumbling courtship with Salix, this summer brings more catastrophes than even Maeve could have foreseen. Will she be able to navigate through all the chaos to be there for the people she loves?

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I personally deal with anxiety, so I was interested to see how they would approach that aspect of the book. The book itself is pretty morbid. My anxiety is different than Maeve's so it wasn't too difficult for me to read this book. But I feel like someone with severe anxiety would be triggered into a panic attack by reading this with as many terrible facts and situations that Maeve is constantly listing. It was really exhausting for me trying to keep up with everything that went through her head. But after all of that, I really enjoyed the ending and especially the last scene.

COVER:  I love simple covers with pretty typography, so I love this cover.

Review: Our Chemical Hearts (ARC)

TITLE: Our Chemical Hearts

AUTHOR: Krystal Sutherland 

PUBLISHER: G.P. Putnam's Sons

PUBLICATION DATE: 10/4/2016

FORMAT: ARC

PAGES: 320

SOURCE:Amazon Vine 

MY RATING: 🦄🦄🦄 + 1/2

SUMMARY (FROM GOODREADS): Henry Page has never been in love. He fancies himself a hopeless romantic, but the slo-mo, heart palpitating, can't-eat-can't-sleep kind of love that he's been hoping for just hasn't been in the cards for him--at least not yet. Instead, he's been happy to focus on his grades, on getting into a semi-decent college and finally becoming editor of his school newspaper. Then Grace Town walks into his first period class on the third Tuesday of senior year and he knows everything's about to change.

Grace isn't who Henry pictured as his dream girl--she walks with a cane, wears oversized boys' clothes, and rarely seems to shower. But when Grace and Henry are both chosen to edit the school paper, he quickly finds himself falling for her. It's obvious there's something broken about Grace, but it seems to make her even more beautiful to Henry, and he wants nothing more than to help her put the pieces back together again. And yet, this isn't your average story of boy meets girl. Krystal Sutherland's brilliant debut is equal parts with and heartbreak, a potent reminder of the bittersweet bliss that is first love.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: This book had been on my radar for a while, so I was excited to jump right in. I love all of the relevant references throughout the book -- Facebook, Spotify, Mad-eye Moody, etc. I wonder if those things will change in the future or if people who read this book in the future will wonder what the author was talking about.

This story is gutwrenchingly (is that a word?) heartbreaking. I went back and forth between being so angry at Grace for the way she treats Henry and then filled with sympathy for her situation.

CHARACTERS: As I mentioned above, Grace makes me angry with the way that she treats Henry, but at the same time I just felt so much sympathy for her and what she was dealing with that I would almost forgive her, then she would do something else to make me angry at her again.

COVER: Obsessed with the cover. The color of those fish is gorgeous!

**I received an ARC of this book for my honest review. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

The Map of Good Memories (Early Review)

TITLE: The Map of Good Memories
AUTHOR: Fran Nuño
ILLUSTRATOR: Zuzanna Celej
AGE RANGE: Childrens
PUBLISHER: Cuento De Luz
PUBLICATION DATE: 3/14/2017
FORMAT: Hardcover
PAGES: 24
SOURCE: Amazon Vine/Publisher
MY RATING: 🦄🦄🦄🦄

MY REVIEW: This is a story about a 10-year-old girl who has to leave her home for another country because of a war, but I feel like this story could apply to any child who is moving from their home to another home for whatever reason. It mentions the places where Zoe used to go and that the memories she had there will always be with her. I love the illustrations so much, they are beautiful. The book is a Certified B Corporation and uses no trees, no water and no bleach to create its books.

**I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine and the publisher for my honest review. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.**

Early Review: Gemina

TITLE: Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2)
AUTHORS: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
PUBLISHER: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/18/2016
FORMAT: ARC
PAGES: 608
SOURCE: Amazon Vine/Publisher
MY RATING:


SUMMARY (FROM GOODREADS): Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna's social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.

The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminae continues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault.

Hanna is the station captain's pampered daughter; Nike the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy's most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.

When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station's wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren't just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia--and possibly the known universe--is in their hands.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I wasn't a huge fan of the first book in this series, but I liked the format and the way that the story was told so I wanted to give the sequel a try. I'm glad that I decided to go ahead and read this one, but I ended up really enjoying it quite a bit more than I expected to. I felt like there was more action and it was more intense.

CHARACTERS: I enjoyed the characters in this book more than the characters in the first book. I really liked Hanna. She was such a cool character. She's smart, tough and can take care of herself, which she proves over and over.

COVER: The cover is really nice. I like the shades of blue.

**I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine/The publisher for my honest review. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.**

The Rules Review

TITLE: The Rules
AUTHORS: Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie
PUBLISHER: Delacorte Press
PUBLICATION DATE: 6/23/2015
FORMAT: ARC
PAGES: 352
SOURCE: Amazon Vine
MY RATING:

COYER SCAVENGER HUNT #29: READ A BOOK WITH NO MAGICAL OR FUTURISTIC ELEMENTS - 2 POINTS

BACK COVER SUMMARY: Junior Robin Brisset has no idea what she's in for when she accepts an invitation to one of Callabrese High's most exclusive parties. And when the trademark scavenger hunt begins, Robin must go against every rule she's lived by to survive.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I was hoping for a really scary and thrilling book and that's what I got. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this as much as I wanted to. This book has so many different points of view. We just jump around from character to character and it was hard for me to keep everything straight. I could follow what was going on in the story line, but I had trouble keeping track of who was who. I feel like if this book had stuck to one or two perspectives, it could easily have been a 4 star book for me. It's an action packed book; there's a lot happening and I was invested in the story, but I feel like the big reveal would have been more shocking to me me if I'd been able to keep track of the characters better.

CHARACTERS: As I said above, there were so many different perspectives that I couldn't really keep the characters straight. I feel like I didn't really get to know anyone because we were jumping around from person to person.

COVER: The cover is great. It's really creepy and fits with the feel of the book.

**I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine and the publisher. My opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.**

Tiny Pretty Things Review

TITLE: Tiny Pretty Things
AUTHOR: Sona Charaipotra & Dhonielle Clayton
PUBLISHER: Harper Teen
PUBLICATION DATE: 5/26/2015
FORMAT: ARC
PAGES: 448
SOURCE: Amazon Vine
MY RATING:

COYER SCAVENGER HUNT #22: READ A BOOK WHERE DANCE IS PROMINENTLY FEATURED - 2 POINTS

BACK COVER SUMMARY: There can only be one prima ballerina. No knows that better than Gigi, Bette, and June, three students vying to be the next star at Manhattan's most elite ballet academy. Free-spirited new girl Gigi just wants to dance--but the very act might kill her. Privileged New Yorker Bette's desire to escape the shadow of her ballet star sister brings out a dangerous edge in her. And perfectionist June needs to land a lead role this year, or her controlling mother will put an end to her dancing dreams forever. In a world where every dancer is both friend and foe, Gigi, Bette, and June will sacrifice, manipulate, and backstab to be the best of the best.

Black Swan meets Pretty Little Liars in this soapy drama from CAKE Literary, a new packager dedicated to bringing diversity to YA books. With gossip, lies, and scandal, Tiny Pretty Things is a riveting read about three not-so-perfect ballerinas who will do anything to get on top.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I was pretty disappointed in this book. From reading the description, I expected this book to be filled with juicy drama, mystery and nonstop twists and turns. But to me, it read more like a contemporary with a hint of mystery. It's a pretty slow read. The last 50-75 pages does pick up a little bit, but this is a pretty chunky book, so most of it is slow.

I didn't really like the ending. This book just wasn't for me. If you're a fan of contemporaries, but are looking for something that isn't a fluffy, light contemporary, this might be something to pick up. It just wasn't for me.

CHARACTERS: I had trouble keeping up with the characters. The book is told through three different perspectives, but there are a LOT of characters in this book and I tend to struggle with books that have a lot of different perspectives.

I did like June and was excited to discover more about her and her story, so that's probably what pushed me to keep reading this book.

COVER: The cover of this book is so pretty! I love the black background with the purple writing and the ribbon weaved through. It fits with the plot of the story for sure.

**I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine and the publisher for my honest review. All thoughts are my own and have not been influenced in any way.**

An Ember In The Ashes Review

TITLE: An Ember in the Ashes
AUTHOR: Sabaa Tahir
PUBLISHER: Razorbill
PUBLICATION DATE: 4/28/2015
FORMAT: ARC
PAGES: 464
SOURCE: Amazon Vine
MY RATING: 

BACK COVER SUMMARY: Laia is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire's greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution.

Elias is the academy's finest soldier--and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias is considering deserting the military, but before he can, he's ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Martial emperor.

When Laia and Elias's paths cross at the academy, they find that their destinies are more intertwined than either could have imagined and that their choices will change the future of the empire itself.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I was disappointed in this book. I had heard that a lot of people really liked it, so I was hopeful, but it just wasn't for me. The first chapter of the book was intense, but after that it was slow moving and boring to me. The second half of the book definitely picked up, and I was glad to have continued reading because I did enjoy the second half, I just had to really push myself through the first half. I wasn't a fan of the dual perspective. I get why it's necessary for this book, but I was much more interested in Laia's side of the story and found myself not wanting to read Elias's point of view.

The ending of the book was really intense, but I don't think for me it was enough to make me want to continue with the series. I would say that if you generally like fantasy, then you should give this book a try because you will probably enjoy it.

CHARACTERS: Like I said before, I was much more interested in Laia's story than in Elias's. I'm not really sure why that is. I like the character of "Cook" and "Kitchen Girl."

COVER: The cover is alright. I guess it fits in with the story, but it's nothing that blows me away.

**I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine for my honest review. My thoughts are my own and have not been influenced in any way.**

All The Bright Places Review

Goodreads

TITLE: All The Bright Places

AUTHOR: Jennifer Niven

PUBLISHER: Alfred A. Knopf Books For Young Readers

PUBLICATION DATE: 1/6/2015

FORMAT: ARC

PAGES: 400

SOURCE: Amazon Vine

MY RATING: 

BACK COVER SUMMARY: Theodore Finch is fascinated by death. Every day he thinks of ways he might die, but every day is also searches--and manages to find--something to keep him here, and alive, and awake.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her small Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister's death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school--six stories above the ground--it's unclear who saves whom.  And when the unlikely pair teams up on a class project to discover the "natural wonders" of their state, they go, as Finch says, where the road takes them: the grand, the small, the bizarre, the beautiful, the ugly, the surprising--just like life.

Soon it's only with Violet that Finch can be himself--a bold, funny, live-out-loud guy, who's not such a freak after all. And it's only with Finch that Violet forgets to count away the days and starts living them. But as Violet's world grows, Finch's begins to shrink.

This is a heart-wrenching, unflinching story of love shared, life lived, and two teens who find one another while standing on the edge.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: This is a quick read, even though it's fairly large, so don't be intimidated by it's size. It has road trip elements, even though it's not really a "road trip book." All The Bright Places has plenty of feels, so if you're in the mood for something with lots of different emotions, the definitely check this one out. I would recommend it for older teens as it does have some pretty heavy topics in it, but it is very much worth reading.

CHARACTERS: I didn't feel as connected to the characters as I wanted to, but I think that was more about my mood when I was reading this book than the book itself. 

COVER: I love it. The post-its tie into the story perfectly.

**I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine for my honest review.**

Black Ice Review

Goodreads

TITLE: Black Ice

AUTHOR: Becca Fitzpatrick

PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers

PUBLICATION DATE: 10/7/2014

FORMAT: Hardcover

PAGES: 392

SOURCE: Amazon Vine

MY RATING:

INSIDE COVER SUMMARY: Britt Pfeiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn't prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin and accept the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants -- but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage.

In exchange for her life, Britt agrees to guide the men off the mountain. As they set off, Britt knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. Things get even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that took place on that very mountain -- a discovery that may make her the killer's next target.

But nothing is as it seems in the mountains, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy or an ally?

OVERALL IMPRESSION: This story wasn't what I wanted it to be. I feel like it could have been done a lot better. That being said, I did find myself wanting to keep reading to see what was going to happen next. The premise of the story pulled me in and had me interested, but I was frustrated with how naive the girls were and angry with how easily they trusted complete strangers. The story was dragged out a little bit in parts, but it was suspenseful enough to make me not want to put down the book.

CHARACTERS: Mason made me really angry. I wanted him to hurry up and explain himself. The way the book was going, I knew he was eventually going to explain some things, but he just dragged it out and waited so long. Britt and Korbie make quite a few decisions that don't make sense and are agitating.

COVER: I really like the cover, except for the guy on it. It would have been the perfect cover if it just had the scenery on it.

**I received a finished copy of this book from Amazon Vine for my honest review.**

A Thousand Pieces of You Review

Goodreads

TITLE: A Thousand Pieces of You

AUTHOR: Claudia Gray

PUBLISHER: Harper Teen

PUBLICATION DATE: 11/4/2014

PAGES: 368

FORMAT: ARC

SOURCE: Amazon Vine/Publisher

MY RATING:

BACK COVER SUMMARY: What if the universe is in fact a multiverse? Countless dimensions exist, all layered within one another. Each dimension represents one set of possibilities. Every possibility, every time fate flips a coin, splits the dimensions yet again, creating yet more layers of reality. It goes on forever, to infinity. There are patterns within the dimension. Mathematical parallels. People who have met in one reality will be likely to meet in another. Certain things that happen will happen over and over, in different ways, but more often than you could explain by chance alone. Call it fate.

From New York Times  bestselling author Claudia Gray comes a heart-racing, space-and-time-bending new trilogy that asks whether, amid infinite possibilities, one love can endure.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I'm having a really hard time writing a review for this one. I really love the idea behind the story of there being this infinite amount of parallel dimensions. And I also liked the plot of the story and where that was and continues to go, but for some reason I just wasn't sucked into the book. I found myself relieved when I was done reading because I knew I wouldn't have to pick it up again. That doesn't mean it was bad though, it just wasn't my cup of tea.

CHARACTERS: The characters were okay. I liked Marguerite the most, but I didn't really feel connected to anyone.

COVER: The cover is beautiful. Being totally honest, it's the whole reason I became interested in this book in the first place.

**I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine for my honest review.

Autumn Falls Review

Goodreads

TITLE: Autumn Falls

AUTHOR: Bella Thorne with Elise Allen

PUBLISHER: Delacorte Press

PUBLICATION DATE: 11/11/2014

PAGES: 224

FORMAT: ARC

SOURCE: Amazon Vine

MY RATING: 

BACK COVER SUMMARY: With her fiery red hair, new-girl outsider status, and tendency to be a total klutz, Autumn Falls definitely isn't flying below the radar at Aventura High. Luckily, she makes some genuine friends--but she also manages to get on the wrong side of the school's queen bee.

When Autumn vents her feelings in a journal that belonged to her late father, suddenly her wildest wishes start coming true. Is it a coincidence? Or can writing in the journal solve all her problems? And if the journal doesn't work that way, is there a bigger purpose for it--and for her?

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I'd seen Bella in her Disney show, as well as in Blended and thought she seemed like a great, well-rounded person, so I was curious when I heard that she had a book coming out. I feel like the story that she wrote was fine, but could have been better. The idea behind the book is a good one, but I think Bella needs to work on her writing skills some more--although, I believe if she keeps at it, she can become a great writer. When I was reading the book, I could definitely tell that it was written by someone of a younger age by the way the words sounded as I was reading them in my mind. 

I enjoyed the resolution of the book. It was predictable, but still cute and fun to read. I hope Bella continues to work on writing as I would love to see what she can accomplish.

CHARACTERS: I really liked the character of J.J. He has a great personality, and I wish I could have seen more of him throughout the book. The main character, Autumn, was great as well. I felt like I really understood her and what she was feeling.

COVER: I have mixed feelings on the cover. I don't usually like covers with faces on them, but this one is only half a face. I really like how they painted the model's nails with the sparkly polish and the heart detail on her left hand.

100 Sideways Miles Review

Goodreads

TITLE: 100 Sideways Miles

AUTHOR: Andrew Smith

PUBLISHER: Simon and Schuster Books For Young Readers

PUBLICATION DATE: 9/2/2014

PAGES: 288

FORMAT: ARC

SOURCE: Amazon Vine/Publisher

MY RATING:

BACK COVER SUMMARY: Finn Easton sees the world through miles instead of minutes. It's how he makes sense of the world, and how he tries to convince himself that he's a real boy and not just a character in his father's bestselling cult-classic book. Finn has two things going for him: his best friend, the possibly-insane-but-definitely-excellent Cade Hernandez, and Julia Bishop, the first girl he's ever loved.

Then Julia moves away, and Finn is heartbroken. Feeling restless and trapped in the book, Finn embarks on a road trip with Cade to visit their college of choice in Oklahoma. When an unexpected accident happens and the boys become unlikely heroes, they take an eye-opening detour away from everything they thought they had planned--and learn how to write their own destiny.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I've wanted to read an Andrew Smith book for quite a while. Everyone seems to rave about his books and I was curious to see what all the fuss was about. I was pretty disappointed with this one.  About a third of the way through the book, I started to loose interest. Not much was going on and I was quite bored. I was prepared to give this book a 2.5 star rating, but in the last fourth or so of the book there was an event that happened that brought quite a bit of excitement to the story and I decided to bump it up to 3 stars. 

CHARACTERS: The characters were okay, but not my favorite. I did enjoy reading about Finn's epileptic episodes, but other than that I didn't really feel myself connecting with anybody.

COVER: I like the cover a lot after learning what the significance of the horse means.

Belzhar Review

Goodreads

TITLE: Belzhar

AUTHOR: Meg Wolitzer

PUBLISHER: Dutton Books For Young Readers

PUBLICATION DATE: 9/30/2014

PAGES: 272

FORMAT: ARC

SOURCE: Amazon Vine

MY RATING: 

BACK COVER SUMMARY: If life were fair, Jam Gallahue would still be at home in New Jersey with her sweet British boyfriend, Reeve Maxfield. She'd be watching old comedy sketches with him. She'd be kissing him in the library stacks.

She certainly wouldn't be at The Wooden Barn, a therapeutic boarding school in rural Vermont, living with a weird roommate, and signed up for an exclusive, supposedly life-changing class called Special Topics in English.

But life isn't fair, and Reeve Maxfield is dead.

When a journal-writing assignment leads Jam into a mysterious otherworld she and her classmates call Belzhar, she discovers a realm where the untainted past is restored, and she can feel Reeve's arms around her once again. But, a the pages of her journal begin to fill up, Jam must confront hidden truths and ultimately decide what she's willing to sacrifice to reclaim her loss.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I love reading books about boarding schools, and for some reason have this obsession with them, so I was really excited to start reading this.  The students in the Special Topics class this year are studying the works of Sylvia Plath, and because of that after reading this I really want to read "The Bell Jar." 

I love the idea behind this story. I haven't ever read anything like it and the topic was something that really stood out to me. I liked the progression of the story and I was really interested to see what was going to happen at the end of the book, but I was disappointed with the last part of the book. The ending itself was find, but the part leading up to the ending where we learn more about what Jam went through was not what I was expecting and I didn't like it at all.

CHARACTERS: I feel like there could have been some more character development. I would have liked to know more about all of the students in the Special Topics class as well as Jam's roommate. I liked all of the characters, but I felt like I didn't know them enough.

COVER: I love how the cover incorporates so many things from the book.

**Thanks to Amazon and Dutton Books for providing me with an ARC for my honest review.

Let's Get Lost Review

Goodreads

TITLE: Let's Get Lost

AUTHOR: Adi Alsaid

PUBLISHER: Harlequin Teen

PUBLICATION DATE: 7/29/2014

PAGES: 352

SOURCE: Amazon Vine/Publisher

MY RATING:

BACK COVER SUMMARY: Four teens across the country have only one thing in common: a girl named Leila. She crashes into their lives in her absurdly red car at the moment they need someone the most.

There's Hudson, a small-town mechanic who is willing to throw away his dreams for true love. And Bree, a runaway who seizes every Tuesday--and a few stolen goods along the way.

Elliot believes in happy endings...until his own life goes off-script. And Sonia worries that when she lost her boyfriend, she also lost the ability to love.

Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia find a friend in Leila. And when Leila leaves them, their lives are forever changed. But it is during Leila's own 4,268-mile journey that she discovers the most important truth--sometimes, what you need most is right where you started. And maybe the only way to find what you're looking for is to get lost along the way.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: This was a really nice contemporary read. It was easy to read., it was quick to read, and it was really entertaining. I loved that the story was written in different parts where we meet a new character, but we also learn more about the main character. The ending of this book was perfect. This was such a feel-good book that made me smile.

CHARACTERS: I loved all of the characters in this book. I love the way Leila interacted with everyone and how she handled all of the situations she was thrown into.

COVER: I like the cover a lot. It completely represents the feel of the book.

The Secret Hum of a Daisy Review

Goodreads

TITLE: The Secret Hum of a Daisy

AUTHOR: Tracy Holczer

PUBLISHER: G.P. Putnam's Sons

PUBLICATION DATE: 5/1/2014

PAGES: 320

SOURCE: ARC copy from Amazon Vine/Publisher

MY RATING: 

BACK COVER SUMMARY: Grace and her mother are their own family, traveling from place to place like gypsies. But Grace is tired and wants to finally have a home all to her own. She thinks she's found it with Mrs. Greene and her daughter, Lacey, so when her mother tells her it's time to move on again, Grace summons the courage to tell her mother how she really feels. She'll always regret that her last words to her mother were angry ones.

When Grace's mother dies suddenly, she's thrust into a world she doesn't understand and didn't expect--the town her mother grew up in and fled when she was just seventeen and pregnant with Grace. Now faced with making a home with a grandmother she's never met (and who, according to Grace's mother, never wanted her in the first place), Grace is desperate to be sent back to Mrs. Greene and her best friend, Lacey. A mysterious treasure hunt, just like the ones her mother used to send her on, may just be the key. It all begins with a crane. And Grace is sure it's her mother showing her the way home.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: For the first third of so of the book, I was having a hard time making myself pick up the book to read even though I was enjoying it, but that may have just been because there were so many other books that I wanted to read at the time. I got a lot more interested in the book and I wanted to see where the cranes were going to take Grace and how the relationship with her grandmother would progress.

CHARACTERS: I found myself really attached to the main character Grace. I felt almost like she was a younger family member of mine, and I wanted to make sure that she was okay and taken care of. 

COVER: The cover is nice. I like the blue to green gradient with the white graphics on top, it gives it a nice contrast. 

Servants of the Storm Review

Goodreads

TITLE: Servants of the Storm

AUTHOR: Delilah S. Dawson

PUBLISHER: Simon Pulse

PUBLICATION DATE: 8/5/2014

PAGES: 384

MY RATING:

**I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine for my honest review.**

BACK COVER SUMMARY: A year ago Hurricane Josephine swept through Savannah, Georgia, leaving behind nothing but death and destruction--and taking the life of Dovey's best friend, Carly. Since that night, Dovey has been in a medicated haze, numb to everything around her.

But recently she's started to believe she's seeing things that can't be real...including Carly at their favorite cafe. Determined to learn the truth, Dovey stops taking her pills. And the world that opens up to her is unlike anything she could have imagined.

As Dovey slips deeper into the shadowy corners of Savannah--where the dark and horrifying secrets lurk--she leans that the storm that destroyed her city and stole her friend was much more than a force of nature. And now the sinister beings truly responsible are out to finish what they started.

Dovey's running out of time and torn between two paths. Will she trust her childhood friend Baker, who can't see the threatening darkness but promises never to give up on Dovey or Carly? Or will she plot with the sexy stranger, Isaac, who offers all the answers--for a price? Soon Dovey starts to realize that the danger closing in might have little to do with Carly...and everything to do with Dovey herself.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: The first chapter hooked me into the story. The beginning of the book was very strange and mysterious and then it started to remind me of City of Bones with the mysterious boy and the night club with strange characters, as well as a few other similarities that I don't want to get into because of spoilers. But I definitely enjoyed this story. It did have a few moments where it started to drag a little bit for me, but overall I really enjoyed it and liked how it all came together. The ending was the perfect ending for a horror type book and I thought it was great.

CHARACTERS: There is a dreaded love triangle in this book which is annoying and I wish I never had to read about another one those again, but it is what it is. I really like Isaac. He's mysterious and protective, and just an all around fun guy.

COVER: 5/5. The cover of this book freaks me out so bad, but I love that because while I despise scary movies, I love scary books and the cover of this makes me think this book will be terrifying.

Grim Review

Goodreads

TITLE: Grim

EDITOR: Christine Johnson

PUBLISHER: Harlequin Teen

PUBLICATION DATE: 2/25/2014

PAGES: 476

MY RATING:

BACK COVER SUMMARY: Inspired by classic fairy tales, but with a dark and sisnister twist, Grim contains short stories from some of the best voices in young adult literature today.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I was really disappointed by this book. There are some big name authors in here, a lot of whom I haven't read yet, but I feel like I was let down. There were a few stories that I could tell for sure what fairy tales they had come from, but for most of them I had no idea. I'm not sure if that's because they were way different from their originals or if there are a ton of fairy tales out there that I'm unaware of. I was expecting a lot more horror and terrifying aspects in this book. Some of the stories were great when it came to scaring me, but most of them were dull and not dark at all. Some of my favorites were The Twelfth Girl by Malinda Lo, The Brother's Piggett by Julie Kagawa and Unteathered  by Sonia Gensler. 

COVER: This is such a beautiful book. I love the colors, the texture and the built in bookmark.

**I received a finished copy of this book from Amazon Vine for my honest review.

Take Me On Review

Goodreads

TITLE: Take Me On

AUTHOR: Katie McGarry

PUBLISHER: Harlequin Teen

PUBLICATION DATE: 5/27/2014

PAGES: 544

MY RATING:

INSIDE COVER SUMMARY: Champion kickboxer Haley swore she'd never set foot in the ring again after one tragic night. But then the guy she can't stop thinking about accepts a mixed martial arts fight in her honor. Suddenly, Haley has to train West Young. All attitude, West is everything Haley promised herself she'd stay away from. Yet he won't last five seconds in the ring without her help.

West is keeping a big secret from Haley. About who he really is. But helping her--fighting for her--is a shot at redemption. Especially since it's his fault his family is falling apart. He can't change the past, but maybe he can change Haley's future.

Haley and West have agreed to keep their relationship strictly in the ring. But as an unexpected bond forms between them and attraction mocks their best intentions, they'll face their darkest fears and discover love is worth fighting for.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: Another instant hit from Katie. I don't think this woman could write a bad book if she tried. I will read anything by her. I was in love with this book before I was even halfway through it. Katie's writing just pulls you in and makes you keep flipping the pages. I will admit that I didn't like this one as much as her other books, but it was still extremely good. 

CHARACTERS: I think my reason for not liking this book as much as the others is because of the main characters, Haley and West. For some reason, I just didn't connect with them as well as I would have liked to. It might have been because the story line revolved around boxing, and I have zero interest in that, but I did really love the relationship that West and Haley shared. 

COVER: I'm not a fan of any of the covers for the Pushing The Limits books, but I do like that there is something printed directly onto the book underneath the dust jacket.

**I received a finished copy of this book from Amazon Vine for my honest review.

Panic Review

Goodreads

TITLE: Panic

AUTHOR: Lauren Oliver

PUBLISHER: Harper Collins

PUBLICATION DATE: 3/4/2014

PAGES: 416

MY RATING: 

BACK COVER SUMMARY: Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a poor town of twelve thousand people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She'd never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game; he's sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he's not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of her first love for each of them--and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I liked the sweet note from Lauren at the beginning of the book. I'm not sure if this is in all copies since I read from an ARC, but it was nice of her to include it.

There has been a lot of hype over this book, but I just don't get it. The book was fine, but it wasn't near one of my favorites. I'm not sure what everyone was raving about. That being said, I did like the concept and I enjoyed reading it.

CHARACTERS: There were a lot of names being thrown around right from the start, so I was having some trouble figuring out who everyone was and keeping everyone straight. It got a little easier, but I did still have some difficulty throughout the book. I had some trouble connecting with the characters. I wanted to care more about them, but I just couldn't. I was more interested in the Panic games themselves than the relationships between the characters. 

COVER: I like the cover. I like the simplicity of it. I'm a fan of dark covers with a pop of something on them and this has that.

**I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine for my honest review.