[Review] Things We Know By Heart by Jessi Kirby

Title: Things We Know By Heart

Author: Jessi Kirby [Twitter | Website]

Publisher: HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins

Genre: Young Adult Fiction - Contemporary, Romance

Release Date: April 21, 2015

Source: ARC provided by the publisher via Around The World ARC Tours, opinions are honest and my own. – review policy here.

Whoa, that was heavy...

We open up with Quinn losing her boyfriend Trent in an accident and her attempts to meet in organ donor recipients. She's managed to meet several of them but the recipient of his heart has yet to answer her letter. So she takes matters into her own hands and through some internet research thinks she has found a boy in nearby beach town. 

Quinn goes through a lot after Trent's death that involves more than just grieving but balances the grief with guilt, growth and the big "what's next" question. I really, really love Quinn's family. Her relationship with her dad, sister and grandma are all memorable. It's not often we see great YA parents and these are pretty awesome.

Hello Colton

In comes Colton who spends his days on the water leading kayaking tours, surfing and through other random adventures. Colton is charismatic and has a deep seeded need to live life to the fullest. You might as well tattoo "Carpe Diem" across his forehead. Basically, he's totally swoon-worthy and I wish I could go on secret kayaking trips with him. 

The Meet Cute and Climax

It doesn't take long after the clumsy girl trope for these two to strike up a friendship and a series of super cute outings take place. Their friendship is not without it's struggles due to both sides keeping secrets and the constant risk of those coming to light. As a reading this kept me on serious edge because I was constantly waiting for the "other shoe to drop". 

How it all ends...

The unveiling that had to happen, happens. However, Jessi Kirby's reveal does not come in the way I suspected and neither is the reaction that came after. I really loved it. It made sense to the story and stayed true to the character's mutual guilt that had bought them together. I could imagine 800 worse ways that this could've turned out but this is by far the best. 

Bonus: This book pulled me out of a terrible reading slump, so yay!

3.5 Stars – No tears, a few awws, but still totally sweet.

[Guest Post] Made You Up by Francesca Zappia

Title: Made You Up

Author: Francesca Zappia [Twitter | Website]

Publisher: Greenwillow, an imprint of HarperCollins

Genre: Young Adult Fiction - Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Social Issues 

Release Date: May 19, 2015

Source: ARC provided by the publisher, opinions are honest and the reader's own. – review policy here.

omg I LOVED THIS BOOK! I loved the writing style, the wacky school, Alex's humor and sincerity and MILES! I freaking LOVED Miles! And their whole little group. It was such a colorful cast of characters.

This is a story about a girl named Alex who has paranoid schizophrenia. She often hallucinates and takes photos with her digital camera to help her understand what's real and fake. The story starts off with her as a child trying to free the lobsters in the lobster tank at the grocery store. She meets a boy who has the bluest eyes she's ever seen... and later learns that the whole thing was a delusion.

Years later she's in her senior year of high school. Getting her last chance. She didn't do so well in her last school (due to paranoia about communists and a spray paint incident) and you get the feeling that if she doesn't prove herself this time around something bad is going to happen.

Alex is quirky and not just because of her schizophrenia. She's just a wacky girl with a good sense of humor. I loved her voice and I loved being inside of her head. So often people are scared of schizophrenics and this really helped me to understand what it might be like for people who suffer from schizophrenia. I felt for Alex and she broke my heart more than once. Towards the end of the book we learn a very sad truth that is devastating for Alex and my heart just broke.

Mile's is an incredibly interesting character. He's a genius, he's a jerk, he's king of the school. He does 'jobs' for people who pay him money to get revenge, get them out of tests, and other odd ball things. He does this because it gives him power. Without that he's just a nerd from a bad home who gets bullied. And he faces off with Alex, pulling pranks on her, and her pulling them back on him. They slowly form a bond thought and he later figures out that she's schizophrenic. But he's very good about it, and takes care of her. There are some of THE sweetest moments between the two of them. And I just loved him. And I also loved how she took care of him when he needed help.

The school they go to is almost it's own character. There's a lot of weird stuff going on and I just loved how it added to the story as an almost living background.

Pick this book up guys. It's brilliant and amazing!

5 Stars from Molly at

[Review] Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor

Title: Maybe One Day

Author: Melissa Kantor [Blog | Twitter | Website]

Publisher: HarperTeen an imprint of HarperCollins

Genre: Young Adult Fiction - Contemporary, Realistic Fiction

Release Date: February 18, 2014

Source: Audiobook borrowed via library, opinions are honest and my own. – review policy here.

Always read the synopsis for an audio book *doh*

One of my favorite things lately is to choose a weekly audiobook from the Overdrive app. I usually pick things that look interesting and are available immediately. Picky, I know. Anywho.. I had no clue what this what about when I pressed play. I found out quickly it's a story about Olivia and Zoe, and all that happens when Olivia is diagnosed with cancer.

The narrator was really good and the story is written beautifully but I'm not sure I would've chosen such a heavy read in audio format. I think it caused more tears than I wanted to shed. 

Girls rule, boys drool

I loved this book because more than anything it was actually about friendship. Sure there's boys but they're around for comfort, kind of like the opposite of the Bechdel test. This is about two girls who grew up together loving to dance and dance, until they were dismissed. Then it's about them figuring out life after dance and pondering all the things they'll do one day. This is about that friendship you only form once in a lifetime. It's beautiful, delicate and something to envy.

There is some minor romance but it is just that, minor. So if that's what you're looking for, carry on. If you want to know what it's like to have that impenetrable friendship for life, read this. Love Olivia and Zoe, grown with them. It was pretty awesome.

ALL. THE. FEELS. 

Warning!!! There are feels in this book. Everyone on the highway probably thinks I'm a crazy person who ugly cries on the way home. I was a HOTT mess and then towards the end I just curled up in my reading chair with my headphones in and the lights off. My partner thought I was sick but I said "No, this is so sad." and then he covered me with a blanket as I laid there to heal. So yes, read this!!!!! Just maybe not in public. 

4 Stars – This friendship absolutely wrecked me. Excuse me, I need to stitch my heart back together now.

[Guest Review] Don't Ever Change by M. Beth Bloom

Title: Don't Ever Change

Author: M. Beth Bloom [Facebook]

Publisher: HarperTeen

Genre: Young Adult Fiction - Contemporary

Release Date: July 7, 2015

Source: ARC provided by the publisher, opinions are honest and the reader's own. – review policy here.

I'm a writer. I love to read books about writers because it's like reading the story of a kindred spirit. But when that writer is Eva Kramer, well...the book isn't quite so enjoyable.

Don't Ever Change was such a YA cliche, that I'm still not even sure if it was serious or satirical. Now don't get me wrong - certain YA tropes can work quite well...but not all together and not like this. Eva seemed like she was supposed to be unlikable. She was snobby, pretentious, and judgmental. Now, if a character can mature and grow out of those bad behaviors realistically than I'll accept them. But Eva becomes downright detestable. She takes a job as a day camp counselor as a life experience for her writing. Consequently, she abandons her campers way too often and doesn't actually seem to engage with them much. It was almost like the job was a joke to her. She treated her friends like they existed only for her convenience, calling them up when she wanted something and not really caring about their lives. Eva strung guys along and her relationships with all of them were weird. Foster, the guy she knew from high school and who got her the job at the camp, summed it up pretty well when he said she just wanted experiences to write in a book.

And then, overall, not much happened in Don't Ever Change. Eva was mostly just gathering life experiences (and ones that I think wouldn't make a great book at that) and making bad choices. Don't Ever Change is honestly a miss. (Also, as a side note, I'm pretty sure most teenagers don't text like that anymore. The ones I text don't use excessive abbreviations.)

1 Star from Emma at Awkwordly Emma

[Guest Review] Proof of Forever by Lexa Hillyer

Title: Proof of Forever

Author: Lexa Hillyer [Twitter | Website]

Publisher: HarperCollins

Genre: Young Adult Fiction - Contemporary, Science Fiction

Release Date: June 2, 2015

Source: ARC provided by the publisher, opinions are honest and the reader's own. – review policy here.

Proof of Forever follows four former best friends---Joy, Tali, Luce, and Zoe--that end up reuniting in a very bizarre way. At their camp reunion, they step into a photo-booth that transports them back in time. To be specific, they travel back to the summer they were fifteen. Pretty out there, right?

This just screams summer read. Camp, friendships, drama...what else could you ask for? I've been campaigning for more stories about friendship so I was very excited to read this book. I think I can say this is a pretty solid friendship story. Well, kind of.

This story is very captivating. I was drawn to the plot from the very beginning. You're not sure why the main characters are not friends anymore so the mystery kept me reading. The time travel element was unique and I really enjoyed reading the craziness that ensued. I have to get technical for a second and say that this novel is beautifully written. Every description is vivid, the four points of views are very unique, and the prose is so lyrical. I can't say enough nice things about this. Just gorgeous.

To be honest, I did find the story boring at times. I had a hard time at the beginning but it does improve (quite a lot actually) so stick with it if you feel like you want to stop. Also, I have a hard time connecting with characters when the narrative is written in third person. I wasn't as invested in the story because of it but this is more of a personal issue than anything else. The way the story is written works well since the author is juggling four points of view. I just prefer books that are not in third person.

Overall, I enjoyed this book enough to recommend it. If you're looking for a well-written summer read, definitely picked this one up!

3 Stars from Paola at

[Review} Little Peach by Peggy Kern

Title: Little Peach

Author: Peggy Kern [Twitter]

Publisher: Balzer & Bray/HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins

Genre: Young Adult Fiction - Contemporary, Social Issues

Release Date: March 10, 2015

Source: ARC provided by the publisher. Opinions are honest and my own. – review policy here.

Little Peach explores a really interesting subject. Not because it's new but because it's often referred to in a historical or foreign context... sex trade. Little Peach is a young girl who is in the hospital recounting how she got to this point. 

Kern's writing is griping and comes with a quick pace which develops into a solid read with a smaller page count. The only tip-offs to Kern's privilege come through a couple of authenticity slip ups but the revelations she brings to the forefront more than make up for this. 

Little Peach and her companions bring to life the underground world of modern-day sex trade through the unveiling of gang and pimp culture in the pursuit of the American dream. Kern's ability to narrate the girls and their handlers in such a way that the public would never suspect they are kept under control, etc. furthers the realism and disbelief.

This is an extremely short read but each page is more and more revealing. You keep turning in an attempt to understand how this happened to Little Peach and the other young women, to see how easy it is to fall down the rabbit hole, and to keep from being completely horrified all at the same time. 

Recommended for readers who enjoy crime procedurals such as Criminal Mind and Law & Order: SVU. There are several triggers in this novel that may not be comfortable for some readers including drugs, sex, and violence.

4 Stars – Gritty tale that brings a fresh light to a real American problem.

[Review] The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley by Shaun Hutchinson

Title: The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley

Author: Shaun David Hutchinson [Blog | Twitter | Website]

Publisher: Simon Pulse, an imprint of Simon & Schuster

Genre: Young Adult Fiction - Contemporary, Romance, Loss/Grief, Realistic Fiction

Release Date: January 20, 2015

Source: eARC provided by the publisher, opinions are honest and my own. – review policy here.

Andy, Andrew, Drew, whatever

Drew is 17-years-old and squats in a hospital after his family's death. He spends all of his time wandering the hospital, visiting friends (patients and employees), and avoiding Death. Drew hates Death and can draw. There are a few other spoilery characteristics but it doesn't go much deeper. I really struggled to connect with Drew beyond his grief. I could make a few assumptions about his character to justify his actions but that'd just be guessing.

As he runs aimlessly through the halls...
There's a lot going on! Drew's friends Trevor and Lexi are hanging on in pediatric oncology. The slew of nurse friends and enemies. The cafeteria workers. And Rusty. Rusty is probably my favorite secondary character. It's when Rusty is bought into the ICU burn unit that Drew begins to break his routine, makes promises he can't keep, and realizes time is running out. Much like Drew's aimless days so goes the plot. The character building is reserved for the second string but fails to balance the story.

The shining star!
By far one of the coolest things is when we get to see pages from Drew's 'Patient F' comic. The images are dark bringing clarity to his state of mind, the grief and even the break in his reality. They are the character, humanity and depth that the narrative is missing. I really think a full length graphic novel depicting the duel worlds would've been AH-MAZING!

In the end, I just wasn't invested.

As I reached the last quarter or so I found myself skimming through the words seeking dialogue towards a resolution. In the end the climax was underwhelming, rushed and left me with a major question about Drew... 

2 Stars – Just a few stages short of a full read.

[Review] I Was Here by Gayle Forman

Title: I Was Here

Author: Gayle Forman [Website | Twitter | Tumblr]

Publisher: Viking Juvenile, an imprint of Penguin Books

Genre: Young Adult Fiction - Contemporary, Social Issues

Release Date: January 27, 2015

Source: ARC provided by the publisher, opinions are honest and my own. – review policy here.

Cody and Meg were inseparable.
Two peas in a pod.
Until . . . they weren’t anymore.

When her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. She and Meg shared everything—so how was there no warning? But when Cody travels to Meg’s college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington. About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, who broke Meg’s heart. And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can’t open—until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend’s death gets thrown into question.

I Was Here is Gayle Forman at her finest, a taut, emotional, and ultimately redemptive story about redefining the meaning of family and finding a way to move forward even in the face of unspeakable loss. – via Goodreads

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Gayle hurt my feels...

The synopsis give the big feel hurter away and the book's first page dives right into Meg's passing. However, it's Cody's journey in the last few chapters that totally did me in. I don't even think it was intended to be an ugly-cry-in-public moment but the beauty of the writing, combined with the character development and topped off with revelations need the comfort of my road trip sobs.

I thought this was going one way but it ended up being simpler and more complicated than that...

Cody's investigation leads to an encrypted computer file which starts to paint a picture of how Meg ended up where she did. At this point I was like "ah, ha" and everything clicked and I was like "plot solved, let's do this". Like Cody, I too was wrong and Gayle's writing folded me back into the story and I let her take the wheel.

Love is love

Really if you want to know why you should read this it's love. Parental love, friend love, humankind love, romantic love... all types of love. It tests the idea of family and who should love us versus who does love us. It challenges how strong and weak love really is. Figuratively, breaking the ultimate Beatles' promise.

Cody's character development is on a self-actualization scale here. Breaking apart her Matrix style world to discover that perceptions are not realities. While I'm not crazy about her name I have no doubt that she she'll be okay and she'd make one hell of a BFF. The secondary characters of Ben, her mom, and Meg's family each add in their own unique dynamic to teeter totter with Cody's narrative. Their growth as characters is in direct reflection to Cody's growth and off with the rose colored glasses.

This got real... really real. Like personal and spooky real.

I can't go into anything here without spoiling major plot points but the result definitely made me reflect on my friendships, things that I know (and don't know) about them, my unwavering love for my friends/family, and then accepting that they come as they are. And that is the hardest part about love.

5 Stars – Gayle at her finest. Hauntingly sad and yet a redeeming story about our persons.

[Waiting...] I Was Here by Gayle Forman

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine,

that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This Week's Pick: 

Title: I Was Here

Author: Gayle Forman

[Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Website]

Release Date: January 27, 2015

Publisher: Viking Juvenile, an imprint of Penguin Random House

Genre: Young Adult Fiction – Contemporary, Realistic Fiction

Summary via Goodreads:

When her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. She and Meg shared everything—so how was there no warning? But when Cody travels to Meg’s college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington. About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, who broke Meg’s heart. And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can’t open—until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend’s death gets thrown into question.

I Was Here is Gayle Forman at her finest, a taut, emotional, and ultimately redemptive story about redefining the meaning of family and finding a way to move forward even in the face of unspeakable loss.

Why I'm Waiting...

It's already on pre-order. Since I'm a newbie blogger getting an ARC of Gayle's newest release is a fairytale dream. 

This really doesn't require an explanation but there are only two authors where after reading one book I had to have ALL the books. Gayle is one of them. As an author she throws down beautiful prose that makes your heart hurt, eyes water and you willingly go back in for more. 

Bonus, there's a sad girl (or is there) named Meg. So I'm probably biased. 

Grab your tissues and hold your friend tight!

[Review] Made for You by Melissa Marr

Title: Made for You
Author: Melissa Marr [ Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Website]

Publisher: HarperCollins

Genre: Young Adult Fiction - Contemporary Thriller/Horror

Release Date: September 16, 2014

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher, opinions are honest and my own. – review policy here.

Bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely books Melissa Marr’s first contemporary YA novel is a twisted southern gothic tale of obsession, romance, and murder. A killer is obsessed with Eva Tilling. Can she stop him, or will he claim her?

When Eva Tilling wakes up in the hospital, she’s confused—who in her sleepy little North Carolina town could have hit her with their car? And why? But before she can consider the question, she finds that she’s awoken with a strange new skill: the ability to foresee people’s deaths when they touch her. While she is recovering from the hit-and-run, Nate, an old flame, reappears, and the two must traverse their rocky past as they figure out how to use Eva’s power to keep her friends—and themselves—alive. But while Eva and Nate grow closer, the killer grows increasingly frantic in his attempt to get to Eva.For the first time, New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr has applied her extraordinary talent to contemporary realism. Chilling twists, unrequited obsession, and high-stakes romance drive this Gothic, racy thriller—a story of small-town oppression and salvation. Melissa’s fans, and every YA reader, will find its wild ride enthralling. - via Goodreads

---

Oh what a tangled web we weave...

With three point-of-views Marr guides us through protagonist Eva's accident recovery and detective skills, Judge's psychopathic ramblings, and Grace's, Eva's best friend, fill-in moments. 

Judge, not his real name, is convinced it's God's will that Eva is to be his true love/wife. We quickly learn he is CRAZY PANTS!!! I can't even describe how fast I read through his chapters because he scared me that much with all his crazy talk. 

Eva is burdened with her new ability and the idea that someone wants her dead. Eva also has a boyfriend, Robert, and another boy, Nate, who is interested in her. Basically, her milkshake brings all the boys to the yard. However, she handles most things as any fierce southern woman would. She's polite and firm, kind of like sweet tea. 

There is a delusional romance, one that's at the end of it's rope, and one budding. They all have their place in Eva's life and there are FEELS. I actually would've liked to hear a chapter or two from Nate or Robert to round out some of these feels.  

Southern teenage royalty lives on...

Judge's anger stems from Them which are the "in-crowd" of the small town, Jessup, and essentially describes most small towns in the south where the founding families still reside. Class and socio-economics determine the adolescent experience and into adulthood if you don't escape. For Grace, a northerner, her place is sealed with Eva at her side. For others in town it means getting as close as you can to join the court.

What we don't get to see, but feel through Judge's anger, is the influence and privilege that comes with being small town royalty. (Side note: As someone who grew up in the south and went to high school with people who had the same last name as the town name, this stuff is powerful while in the city limits.)

This culture however is what makes Eva a strong protagonist. While not perfect, she understands her place, and owns it, but the balance comes with her humility, resolve and awareness. Her ability to be self-aware allows for the compassion of Judge's other marks and the character flaws of those around her. No matter your status, everyone has issues and Eva gets that.

But that paranormal though...

Felt like a cheap trick to help the plot along. Womp, womp! The visions are not revolutionary or earth shattering, I felt like she could've drawn all these conclusions with common sense or natural plot development... or maybe it's just me.

The back of the ARC blurbs that Made for You is "southern gothic". I found this further interesting once I looked at how its been shelved on Goodreads. I do not agree that this is any sort of gothic, landscape or world building wise, and only slightly gothic in narrative and themes. I really feel this is true once you discount the "paranormal" element. This doesn't change my opinion of the book but did make me raise an eyebrow.  

Woo me with the prose and pacing...

Read it in one sitting, even took it to dinner in a restaurant with my significant other. No shame, I'd do it again! The prose and pacing work in tandem to take control over your heartbeat and page turning. The alternating chapters really move in a cat and mouse rhythm, exposing bits-o-truth to keep you guessing what is going to happen next. 

This is my first Melissa Marr book but it will not be my last. Crazy awesome standalone novel that you should've pre-ordered yesterday!

You'll like this if...

If you enjoy crime procedurals, southern culture, and horror. Bonus for pleasant parents, building healthy relationships and no slut shaming. Edit: I realize that there is slut shaming, female to male, which would be the double standard if we tolerated this. There are also instances of body image shaming. 

Judge really, really reminded me A LOT of James Van Der Beek's character Tobias Hankel on Criminal Minds. Creepy!!!!!!!

4.5 Stars - Hide your kids, hide your wife, hide your husband!
And don't forget to buy your own copy for reading... while you're hiding.