[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 Review] Lying Out Loud by Kody Keplinger

Title: Lying Out Loud
Series: companion novel to The Duff

Author: Kody Keplinger [Twitter | Website]

Publisher: Scholastic Books

Genre: Young Adult Fiction - Contemporary, Romance

Release Date: April 28, 2015

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

The main character, Sonny, is a compulsive liar. She tells lies about everything; about how her mom kicked her out, how her dad is in jail, and how she is secretly living at her best friend Amy’s house because she has nowhere else to go. Sonny has always told lies, but Amy is the only one that she has never lied to.

Ryder Cross is their nemesis, and they both have a strange hatred towards him. Ryder is the new kid at school and he is an annoying prep school snob. But Ryder has a weakness: Amy. She is the only person in Hamilton that he seems to be interested in, and she is too nice to tell Ryder that she doesn’t like him. However, Sonny isn’t. So when Ryder emails Amy asking her out, the best friends see it as a prank opportunity that is too good to pass up. When Sonny unintentionally stays up until the crack of dawn talking to Ryder, she has a shocking realization that might actually like him. But, Ryder thinks he has been talking to Amy, so that kind of puts a damper on things. In order to try and fix it, Sonny comes up with a plan that might end up costing her both Ryder and Amy.

I normally don’t like contemporary books, but for this one I can make an exception. I loved everything about this book: the characters, the plot, the writing, and pretty much everything else. The characters were so relatable, and down to earth. The struggles that they went through were so inspiring, and they make you look at your life and reflect and appreciate the things that you have. Sonny is a character that draws you in and makes you want to keep reading. She is witty, and funny, and she is into Grunge music, which is definitely a plus! Amy is another character that I absolutely adored. She is so adorable and quiet and she reminds me of another side of myself. Another character that I found myself liking was Ryder. I loved how trusting, and real he was as a character. In most books, they try to make the male lead the stereotypical guy, and try to make it seem like he doesn’t have any flaws. That is not the case with Ryder and, in fact, Sonny actually points out some of his flaws in the book. I guess that is another reason that this is an amazing novel to me.

The main thing that attracted me to this companion novel was the plot. I really liked how original and fun it was. I personally like books that tear at your heart a little, and I knew that this book was going to do just that. I was definitely right, because it pulled at my heart strings so hard. The plot flowed very well, and the pace was good and almost soothing. I finished it very fast, and the rhythm was so well that it made me want to flip to the following page just so that I could find out what happened next.

With all of the things that I loved about this book, there were still some aspects that I didn’t particularly care about. For example, I didn’t like how Sonny was very persistent about keeping her secrets, and telling so many lies. She was keeping herself from telling the truth, and it kind of got frustrating at times because I knew that she would be much better off if she would just tell the truth. Another thing that irked me a little was the ending. I’m not going to give anything away, but the ending did not leave me feeling satisfied. I felt like there should have been more closure, but I would be fine if Kody finished it like that just so that she could do another book in Amy’s point of view! *crosses fingers*

Well, that’s about it. I recommend this to anyone that loves contemporaries and I also recommend this to anyone that is in a reading slump. It is a fun, quick read and it will most definitely get you out of a reading slump!

Thanks for reading!! 

I will leave you, my lovelies, saying:

“Boys are whatever, Friends are forever”

-Someone on google :)

Sarah from YA Headquarters

[Guest Review] Tangled Web by Lee Bross

Title: Tangled Webs
Series: Tangles Webs #1

Author: Lee Bross [Twitter | Website]

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Genre: Young Adult Fiction - Historical Fiction, Romance

Release Date: June 23, 2015

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

This is literally the first non-fantasy YA novel I've read in months! I actually can't remember the last time I read a book without any fantasy elements, so I was curious to see whether I'd like Tangled Webs, which is sort of a historical fiction. The book is set in 18th century London, where an orphan girl named Arista navigates the London social scene as a notorious blackmailer. The premise is interesting and certainly unique, but it was a bit slow at first and actually took me several days to finish it. It got really good in the last quarter of the novel, which is probably a little too late but nevertheless boosted the rating. I actually started tearing up the last two chapters because of a certain someone, which I absolutely did not expect with this novel. That just goes to show that Lee Bross does an excellent job making readers fall in love with the characters.

I was under the impression that there would be a love triangle, but Arista and the reader both knew that there was only one guy for her from the very start and that was great. I don't mind love triangles too much, but it was consistent with her character; Arista isn't one to dilly dally. I didn't care for the romance as much as I did the story since I didn't find it too believable. Since this is set in the early 18th century, the fast paced nature of Arista and Grae's relationship is probably normal, but to me, it just went way too fast and I would have liked to see more development.

As for the characters, Lee did a wonderful job developing all of them and it was nice to see a strong supporting cast. Although some of the decisions Arista made were frustrating, I didn't hold it against her. Grae is an absolutely sweetheart and is someone you just want to protect and hug all the time. Nic is also very well developed and multi-dimensional and by the end, he probably became one of my favorite characters in this story. However, I thought that Lee could have done a better job with Bones, the villain. The best villain is one that readers can almost sympathize with, but this guy is downright hateful with absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever; I hated him right until the end. Wild was much more interesting and multi-dimensional, though.

Overall, this was a good book for me to get off the fantasy track (though the next book I read will still probably be fantasy haha), and reminded me of why I enjoy reading YA historical fiction. It appears to be a series, but I thought it ended nicely the way it did and I would have been satisfied had this been a standalone.

4 Stars

http://wonderlandnovels.blogspot.com

[Review] Positively Beautiful by Wendy Mills

Title: Positively Beautiful

Author: Wendy Mills [Facebook | Twitter | Website]

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's

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

Release Date: March 3, 2015

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

Hot Mess Erin

Oh my dear Erin with the odd nickname Rinnie. Erin is a young woman who's father passed away and has recently found out her mother has breast cancer. She's an only child so mom and her are best friends, basically. This is probably one of my favorite bits. Their connection is genuine and strong. However, Erin struggles with the news that she may be a BRACA gene carrier and everything else in her life (there's A LOT going on), so she takes up airplane lessons as a distraction and joins a cancer online forum to find others to talk to. It gets a lot messier before it gets better...

6-in-1 book
There is a lot going on here. Honestly I felt like half of all the tropes were thrown in to see which shook out the best story. Some of the tropes depicted are: parent death when young, cancer, mysterious boys, bullying/mean girls, instalove, and the quirky best friend. It wasn't necessary, added little value and sometimes diverted from the path of importance. Like flying airplanes because that is super cool, something the author knows a lot about, and not a common theme in YA lit.

The shining star!
With all the tropes and side stuff happening I was wavering but then the second act kicked in. The introduction of Jason kicked off a whole different path but one I think was much needed. My connection with Erin grew exponentially. I began to cheer in her corner a bit, even if she isn't perfect her heart is in the right place. Jason is a misguided sweetie and is family is pretty awesome.

And then the last quarter come back

Then it hit me! After the second act and back home, I really began to feel for Erin. Her growth, remorse and personal tragedies began to extend her beyond her years. Some of the story lines began to come together and tie into each other so it wasn't as dizzying. However, I feel if we would've cut a line or two it could've been a cleaner and stronger novel all the way around.

And the ringer... there were tears. I didn't think the feels were gonna hit me but they snuck up in Mills' writing and the waterworks came on.

You will like this if...
You enjoy strong feels contemporaries that deal with grief and personal growth.

3.5 Stars – A couple of loop-de-loops but then high flying through the end.

[Waiting...] The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski

"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: The Winner's Crime

Series: The Winner's Trilogy #2

Author: Marie Rutkoski

[Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Website]

Release Date: March 3, 2015

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux, an imprint of Macmillan

Genre: Young Adult Fiction – Fantasy, Romance

Summary via Goodreads:

Book two of the dazzling Winner's Trilogy is a fight to the death as Kestrel risks betrayal of country for love.

The engagement of Lady Kestrel to Valoria’s crown prince means one celebration after another. But to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making. As the wedding approaches, she aches to tell Arin the truth about her engagement…if she could only trust him. Yet can she even trust herself? For—unknown to Arin—Kestrel is becoming a skilled practitioner of deceit: an anonymous spy passing information to Herran, and close to uncovering a shocking secret.

As Arin enlists dangerous allies in the struggle to keep his country’s freedom, he can’t fight the suspicion that Kestrel knows more than she shows. In the end, it might not be a dagger in the dark that cuts him open, but the truth. And when that happens, Kestrel and Arin learn just how much their crimes will cost them.

Why I'm Waiting...

I really loved the first book in the series. I read it every second I could without getting fired. It was the first book I had ever read from start to finish on my phone! Plus, that cover... THE COVER!

[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.

[Blog Tour Review + Giveaway] Perfect Couple by Jennifer Echols (Superlatives #2)

Perfect Couple (Superlatives #2)

by Jennifer Echols

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: January 13, 2015

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Book Depository | Kobo

Synopsis

Perfect Couple is #2 in the Superlatives series about seniors at a Florida high school who are selected for their class's superlative categories in the yearbook, and how the labels change the way they view themselves and alter the course of their lives.

Can your heart be put to a popular vote?

As yearbook photographer, Harper is responsible for capturing those candid moments that make high school memorable. But her own life is anything but picture perfect. Her parents' bitter divorce has left her wondering what a loving relationship would look like. And ever since the senior class voted her and star quarterback Brody the “Perfect Couple That Never Was,” her friends have been on her case to ask Brody out.

Brody doesn’t lack in female admirers, but Harper can't see herself with him. He seems confused about why they were matched together, too. They’re total opposites—the last people in the world who would ever be compatible, let alone the “perfect couple.” Yet ever since the class paired the two of them, they've found themselves drawn together--first by curiosity, then by an undeniable bond.

The trouble is, though they're very attracted to each other and both of them admit this, they have a hard time getting along or even communicating clearly. If they’re the perfect couple, this shouldn’t be so difficult! Soon it becomes clear their class was wrong, and they throw in the towel. But after they walk away, both of them feel so changed from making the effort that they can’t forget each other. What if that means this match made in hell is the perfect couple after all?

Nobody's perfect...
and the Senior Superlatives don't make a perfect match. Harper is far from perfect in her own eyes. A bit of a photography perfectionist she takes pride in her work while shying away from the limelight. Brody on the other hand is perceived as being flawless and the attractor of all the ladies. Now they've been paired as the pair that never was and it's messing with people's heads. Flexing the power of group think, Jennifer Echols' humorous and swoony prose delivers a story made for a trip down nostalgia lane. I laughed. There were awwws and the whole time I wanted to be Harper and find a guy like Brody.

Praise! Stop typecasting...
One of the main reasons I love Brody is that he breaks the jock stereotype. Thanks for this Jennifer. I'm so tired of the dumb-cheating-asshole-jock trope. Much like I'm tired of the take-off-your-glasses-and-its-a-makeover trope. Contacts don't necessarily make you hotter but they do make your eyes more sensitive to light. As pointed out in the book... haha. Brody has his own set of concerns and worries, there's a lot of pressure to be masculine and he handles it gracefully.

Side note: Brody is wayyyyy hotter using Jennifer's words than that cover model. ;)

Assumptions make an ___ of you and me
Once again Jennifer shows us that stereotype's enemy number one is making assumptions. I love that there's a couple of "nope" moments in this story. Everything is not what you think and I liked that. I found it refreshing to get a couple of surprises snuggled into a warm romance.

Rounded out with a nice solid bench
There's a great secondary cast to support Harper as she figures out her future and love life. Her grandad is a man of few words but I love his presence. He's a hoot. Harper and Brody's classmates are a part of the Superlatives series so you meet Tia and Will from Biggest Flirt, and Kaye and Sawyer for the upcoming Most Likely To Succeed. Sawyer is probably my favorite secondary character and grossly misunderstood so I cannot wait to read the next book!!!

3.5 Stars – Words will never hurt me, but they may change me... for the better.

  

About the Author
Jennifer Echols was born in Atlanta and grew up in a small town on a beautiful lake in Alabama—a setting that has inspired many of her books. She has written nine romantic novels for young adults, including the comedy Major Crush, which won the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the drama Going Too Far, which was a finalist in the RITA, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the Book Buyer’s Best, and was nominated by the American Library Association as a Best Book for Young Adults. Simon & Schuster will debut her adult romance novels in 2013, with many more teen novels scheduled for the next few years. She lives in Birmingham with her husband and her son.
[Website | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Tumblr | Instagram]

Win one of five books in the Superlatives series, Biggest Flirts (Superlatives #1) or Perfect Couple Superlatives #2) by Jennifer Echols (US Only) *See all terms & conditions in the Rafflecopter.

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[Review] Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Title: Lola and the Boy Next Door
Series: Anna and the French Kiss #2

Authors: Stephanie Perkins [Twitter | Website]

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile, an imprint of Penguin Books

Genre: Young Adult Fiction - Contemporary, Romance

Release Date: September 29, 2011

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

Lola Nolan is a budding costume designer, and for her, the more outrageous, sparkly, and fun the outfit, the better. And everything is pretty perfect in her life (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood. When Cricket, a gifted inventor, steps out from his twin sister's shadow and back into Lola's life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door. - via Goodreads

---

Hello Lola,

I wasn't crazy about you girl but I can appreciate your identity struggle and very awesome family unit. I would like one of your dad's pies.

Lola is a spritely high schooler with a much older rocker boyfriend. She has two dads and an estranged birth mother. She love fashion and dressing up everyday. She often makes her own creations. She's very San Francisco. She's quirky and her friendship with the Bell twins is something for the books.

The Bells did not invent the telephone.

Cricket Bell is the star here. He's an amateur inventor with an artistic eye. He's riddled with guilt that his family fame is based on a lie. He's a devote brother to his Olympic-bound twin sister. He'd rather be a great friend than not be in the picture at all. He's perfect, not in the sense that he doesn't make mistakes, but rather than he is selfless and giving without expectation. He's a bit mopey but hey he's got to have a flaw somewhere and it's not cuddling.

My heart aches for a story with him and his sister as the focus. Calliope is a bit more rigid for the both of them. Partly because she's a competitor but also because Cricket is so endearing. 

There are issues and they're not where you'd think.

What I enjoyed most about Lola and the Boy Next Door is yes, there's a love story here but it's not always about Lola and Max/Cricket. There's sibling love, parent love, love that is ending, love that is beginning and love that is solidified at birth. It's all of these other dynamics that make the central story what it is. It also leads into the writer's strength...

Perkins = real love
I don't mean this as in some love is less real than others but more than love really is messy, complicated. In real life the timing is not always on point. Sometimes we are the other person and other times we just don't know what we want. I applaud Perkins for continuing to challenge fair tale beginnings and demonstrate teenage competency in relationship development. It's not always clean cut but there's swoons all the same.

I really enjoyed seeing Anna and St. Clair again. Can't wait to continue on with Isla and Josh's story!!

3.5 Stars – The central love story was predictable but it's all the other love that I can appreciate.

[Review] Anna and The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Title: Anna and the French Kiss
Series: Anna and the French Kiss #1

Authors: Stephanie Perkins [Twitter | Website]

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile, an imprint of Penguin Books

Genre: Young Adult Fiction - Contemporary, Romance

Release Date: December 2, 2010

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

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming,beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend.

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss? - via Goodreads

---

Oh my sweet, dear, innocent Anna...

Anna's innocence is so sweet it's almost painful. Accepting this fact about Anna allowed me to limit my eye rolling throughout the book. Don't get me wrong, my love for Anna is forged into my younger teenage self. I adore her, her cluelessness, her love for movies, and her strength made for a romantic heroine I could root for even if she was the other woman.

Her narration is endearing, relatable and kept me wanting for more of her adventures in Paris. If anything I wanted more on her exploration of Paris and how it influences her transition into adulthood.

A Saint? Not really?

Étienne St. Clair is something else. Okay, he's kind of a hot mess. I don't want to get spoilery but there's a lot going on here. Anna's description of him is dreamy and lust-worthy. He has that charm that makes you swoon or seriously suspicious. While listening I became increasing protective of Anna so I found him kind of suspicious... haha.  

In the end my character attachment to St. Clair became impatient. I needed to hear his side of the story. I needed to know what was going on in that head of pretty hair. I NEEDED his voice. Alas, I had to be patient and wait for Anna to discover St. Clair.

Super cute and filled with LOLs

Overall the plot is cute, filled with quirks, high school drama, mean girls... and boys. The dialogue and character development is entertaining, swoony, but also gave us some depth of real life. I laughed so many time, yelled at the characters, cheered them on. The whole works. Many surprises as I tried to predict the plot. That soon turned into a game of cat and mouse...

The downside came with the pacing and some plotting. The story became a game of tug-o-war with the entire story storyline dragging out conflict to fill pages. The entire story could've been cut by 50-100 pages with the same result. It did make some plot points sweeter but I was a few eye rolls deep.

Love is messy, complicated and confusing...
while it's probably a bit simpler when you're younger I think it hurts more. Perkins does a great job with giving her characters complicated love scenarios that reflect the maturity of expats in Europe. The author also throws us into the concept of being attracted to others when they're unavailable. I think it's handled well, even if the situation is less than ideal. We all grow up a little when there's no parent supervision. ;)

I really enjoyed trying to figure out how the next two companion novels tie into the first book. Mini spoiler... you do meet Isla but no Lola. Can't wait to continue on!!

4.5 Stars – This is real. Really, really good.