REVIEW: Maybe This Time by Kasie West

One year. Nine events. Nine chances to . . . fall in love?

Weddings. Funerals. Barbecues. New Year's Eve parties. Name the occasion, and Sophie Evans will be there. Well, she has to be there. Sophie works for the local florist, so she can be found at every big event in her small hometown, arranging bouquets and managing family dramas.

Enter Andrew Hart. The son of the fancy new chef in town, Andrew is suddenly required to attend all the same events as Sophie. Entitled, arrogant, preppy Andrew. Sophie just wants to get her job done and finish up her sketches so she can apply to design school. But every time she turns around, there is Andrew, getting in her way and making her life more complicated. Until one day she wonders if maybe complicated isn't so bad after all . . .

Told over the course of one year and following Sophie from event to event, this delightful novel from master of romantic comedy Kasie West shows how love can blossom in unexpected places.

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MY THOUGHTS
I wouldn't consider this my favorite Kasie West book. I wanted a little bit more. To be honest, I keep hoping for Kasie West to write another book as great as Pivot Point and while her other books are still wonderful, I keep starting out with high expectations. Maybe This Time is still a great contemporary romance. It made me smile and I liked that the book had a little bit of a different layout.

Sophie dreams of leaving her small town and becoming a fashion designer in New York. Right now she has to deal with working at a florist that helps out with every major event in town (she couldn't get a job at the one place that fixes clothes). When her best friend's dad, a local caterer, wins a contest to be mentored by a famous chef, going to all of the major events in town have become less routine. Now Sophie has to deal with the judgemental and quick to anger chef and, worse, his son. Sophie sees him as judgmental as well and quickly sees him as an enemy rather than a friend, but throughout the year the two will get to know each other.

This book is divided by occasion and takes place throughout the year. We only see Sophie and the rest on the characters when they are at the event, anything between is either quickly summarized or inferred. I really liked this layout, I've never seen a book organized in this specific way. At times I did feel like I didn't know enough about the characters' outside lives, but at the same times, it really worked for the book. Sophie and Andrew only see each other at these events, so it really makes sense that we only see them at the events.

I love hate-to-love relationships in books but I wasn't completely on board with this one. I knew from the get-go that they were going to end up together and while there was supposedly dislike coming from Sophie's end, I never believed that she hated him. Annoyed maybe, but they acted like friends for most of the book. There was great banter between them and, don't get me wrong, seeing them talk with each other just made me smile, but... there wasn't enough conflict in this book to even trick me into believing that they would not end up together. 

I do like that the book focused on other aspects of life so it wasn't all romance. Sophie is embarrassed by her mom, helping to take care of her brother, has a father who left them, and is stressing out about leaving to a big city. She also has a great best friend. Most of this comes through in just the character interactions because, again, we only see them during special occasions. 

IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I did like this book and it is a great contemporary read. I liked the new format to the book but I also wanted more. It's not my favorite book by Kasie West, but she is still going to be an auto-read author for me.

I hereby give this book

3 Stars

Meaning: I liked it.

REVIEW: Undead by Kirsty McKay

Out of sight, out of their minds: It's a school-trip splatter fest and completely not cool when the other kids in her class go all braindead on new girl Bobby.

The day of the ski trip, when the bus comes to a stop at a roadside restaurant, everyone gets off and heads in for lunch. Everyone, that is, except Bobby, the new girl, who stays behind with rebel-without-a-clue Smitty.

Then hours pass. Snow piles up. Sun goes down. Bobby and Smitty start to flirt. Start to stress. Till finally they see the other kids stumbling back.

But they've changed. And not in a good way. Straight up, they're zombies. So the wheels on the bus better go round and round freakin' fast, because that's the only thing keeping Bobby and Smitty from becoming their classmates' next meal. It's kill or be killed in these hunger games, heads are gonna roll, and homework is most definitely gonna be late.

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MY THOUGHTS
I read this book as part of my Cleaning Out My TBR challenge. I originally added this book to my TBR in 2012 and lately, I've been wary about those books on my TBR added in 2012 because my tastes have changed a lot since then and I haven't had a whole lot of luck with them. With this book, I'm glad to say that I actually did enjoy it. It was an entertaining and thrilling read!

Bobby has recently moved back to the UK and what better way to get to know her school classmates than to join them on a ski trip? At least, that's what Bobby's mother thinks. So far, no one seems to want to talk to her and the trip is feeling like hell. On the way back from the trip, their bus stops by a cafe. Bobby decides to stay inside the bus, but her classmates wander off for lunch, with the exception of Smitty, the trouble maker who is told to stay on the bus. Things seem normal until their classmate Alice comes running back to the bus claiming that everyone else is dead and one of their newly dead teachers tried to grab her. This can't be believed until they see for themselves that their classmates and everyone else in the cafe is dead, but is walking towards them. They have to find a way to escape, but that's easier said than done when you're in a snowstorm, in a bus running out of gas, and no way out of town to escape the surrounding zombies.

I admit that I was surprised by how entertained I was from this book. The plot sounds like it comes straight from a cheesy horror movie. The book does feel at times like you are reading a cheesy horror movie, and it does start out that way. Our main cast is isolated, in a snowstorm, with no way to get help. Bonus points that they are young people. The longer in the story, though, the more complicated the storyline gets. I just kept wanting to turn the pages in this book because I wanted to see the characters make it out of this dangerous situation. There was never a break in the action in this book and the thrill level just went up and up and up.

The story also takes the typical zombie plot into absurd directions. Sometimes the absurdity of the book was difficult for me to take in or believe (that's what makes it absurd!). Oddly enough, though, it worked for the book. For instance: <highlight to view spoiler> The carrot juice and the carrot man. I guessed early on that this was the cause of the zombie virus, but it's such an odd premise! Also, I am now going to be very distrustful whenever someone tries to give me a free food sample.<end of spoiler> The absurdity also brings some humor into the story, from the witty banter between the characters to the unconventional methods the characters use to kill the zombies.

The characters in the story seem to be, at first glance, the stereotypical characters. Smitty is the rebel, Alice is the princess, and later we also get the nerd. Bobby, our main character, is likely considered to be the average one, which works for the story because we need someone who we can relate to because we certainly can't relate to the situation, but as the story continues Bobby becomes more than just the average girl. One of the difficulties I did have with Bobby's character, though, is her history. Her history eventually becomes important, but for most of the story we don't know her history or it is vague. This is understandable since we don't want to take a break from the action to learn her story, but some parts of her history seem to affect her deeply and have changed her. Not knowing much made her feel less developed.

IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I did enjoy this book. I found it to be very entertaining, equal parts thrilling and absurd. I give this book a rating of three stars, which is my "I liked it" rating. While I enjoyed reading this book, the book did not make me think or make a huge connection with me, it was just a fun read. The book ended in an abrupt way that made me immediately put the next book on hold, so I will be continuing this series.

I hereby give this book

3 Stars

Meaning: I liked it.

REVIEW: Lying Out Loud by Kody Keplinger

Sonny Ardmore is an excellent liar. She lies about her dad being in prison. She lies about her mom kicking her out. And she lies about sneaking into her best friend's house every night because she has nowhere else to go.

Amy Rush might be the only person Sonny shares everything with - secrets, clothes, even a nemesis named Ryder Cross. Ryder's the new kid at Hamilton High and everything Sonny and Amy can't stand - a prep-school snob. But Ryder has a weakness: Amy. So when Ryder emails Amy asking her out, the friends see it as a prank opportunity not to be missed.

But without meaning to, Sonny ends up talking to Ryder all night online. And to her horror, she realizes that she might actually 'like' him. Only there's one small catch: he thinks he's been talking to Amy. So Sonny comes up with an elaborate scheme to help Ryder realize that she's the girl he's really wanted all along. Can Sonny lie her way to the truth, or will all her lies end up costing her both Ryder and Amy?

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MY THOUGHTS
I enjoyed the DUFF, so I was excited to read another book by the same author! This book was really interesting, with complicated relationship, catfishing, and lies. I thought this was a fun but serious book and I enjoyed it.

Sonny lies. She lies a lot. Right now she's lying about why she has to spend the night at her best friend's house every night. When the school's new student, and resident jerk, Ryder, gets a crush on Sonny's best friend, Amy, Sonny lies even more. It starts on accident. Ryder sends Amy an email asking her out, so Sonny helps write a mean message back turning him down. But when she writes back to apologize, she ends up having an all-night online conversation with him. But he thinks that he had that conversation with Amy. Sonny begins to actually like him, but Ryder sees Sonny as the trouble-maker, not the girl he has been chatting with every night.

The relationships in this book was really complicated. Amy and Sonny are friends. Ryder likes Amy. Ryder talks to Sonny who he thinks is Amy. Sonny likes Ryder. Mix them around, break them apart. I really liked the idea behind them book. Some of that may be because my friends got me into watching catfish.

The characters were great. Amy is shy and sweet. Ryder seems like a complete jerk, but he's actually not as bad when you get to know him, as Sonny finds out. Sonny is a great MC with many flaws. The obvious one is her lying. She also has a very complex and serious situation. This book is very enjoyable at times, but it's also a very serious book.

Also, yes, there are cameos from other Kody Keplinger books.

IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I thought it had an interesting plot, complicated relationships, and it's a serious but enjoyable book. If you're a fan of Kody Keplinger or contemporaries, I recommend this book.

I hereby give this book

3.5 Stars

Meaning: I liked it, but it wasn't quite amazing.

REVIEW: Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Twelve-year-old Meggie learns that her father, who repairs and binds books for a living, can "read" fictional characters to life when one of those characters abducts them and tries to force him into service.

Characters from books literally leap off the page in this engrossing fantasy. Meggie has had her father to herself since her mother went away when she was young. Mo taught her to read when she was five, and the two share a mutual love of books. He can "read" characters out of books. When she was three, he read aloud from a book called Inkheart and released characters into the real world. At the same time, Meggie's mother disappeared into the story. This "story within a story" will delight not just fantasy fans, but all readers who like an exciting plot with larger-than-life characters.

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MY THOUGHTS
This is kind of a staple book and I figured it was about time I read it. I loved the bookish-ness of the book! This book was also incredibly imaginative!

Meggie lives with her father, Mo, who is a book doctor and fixes books. It isn't until a stranger comes to them one night the Meggie ends up caught up in her father's secrets. Mo has the power to read characters, and things, to life from the pages of the book. Years ago, he accidentally read a villain to life and now the villain is searching for Mo, so that he can use Mo's power.

Being a huge booknerd, I love reading books about books. This book is like bookception, it's a book within a book, and I loved it. Also, what booknerd hasn't dreamed of having the characters come to life? But this book definitely shows the downside to that. The overall imagination of this book is astounding as well! Still, this book does have flaws. I've read one other Cornelia Funke book and noticed that her writing seems to be a bit long at times and a bit slow-paced. This wasn't a big problem, but I felt like the book could've been shorter. I also expected more magic, even though there was some, but it took awhile for t to appear.

The cast of characters was great, both the good and the bad. I liked Meggie. For one, she loves to read, but I loved how strong she was for one her age. I also liked Elinor and her house of books, even though it took awhile to like her. I had a hard time with Dustfinger, because I liked him and felt for him, but he has a lot of flaws.The villains in this book are also all especially evil.

IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I think this book is a great read for booknerds and fans of fantasy. This book was very imaginative and I enjoyed reading it. This book did have it's flaws, but I still liked it and I plan on continuing the trilogy!

I hereby give this book

3.5 Wheels

Meaning: I liked it, but it wasn't quite amazing.

REVIEW: The Bar Code Tattoo by Suzanne Weyn

Individuality vs. Conformity

Identity vs. Access

Freedom vs. Control

The bar code tattoo. Everybody's getting it. It will make your life easier, they say. It will hook you in. It will become your identity.

But what if you say no? What if you don't want to become a code? For Kayla, this one choice changes everything. She becomes an outcast in her high school. Dangerous things happen to her family. There's no option but to run...for her life.

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MY THOUGHTS
I've seen this book around, but never picked it up because of the awkward cover. I saw it at a cheap book sale, though, so I figured "why not?". I probably could've done without reading this book. It wasn't horrible. It's your typical dystopian, but it was just meh overall.

Everyone is getting the bar code tattoo. Everyone over the age of 17 gets one. The tattoo is becoming the new currency and it carries all of your information. What's the big deal? It's not a problem if you have nothing to hide? But normal people's lives are being destroyed by this tattoo, while others are getting promoted. Kayla is against the tattoo and knows that it's dangerous, but when her society is getting closer to it being mandatory, can she keep her promise to herself? And what is in those bar codes?

This book is your typical dystopian. Government tries to be utopia, everyone goes along with it, except for MC, and MC joins rebellion. This isn't bad, but I've seen it all before (though, this book was published before the dystopian craze, so I can't really blame the book). I still liked the idea behind this book. I thought the tattoos were interesting and you really see a sheep-like effect in the population with the introduction to the tattoo, then they ignore any bad rep. It was also interesting seeing how fast and far things escalated. It's sad to say that this is how people would probably react, but it's true. I would also like to mention that there was a surprising kind-of paranormal-ish element to the book. It made it a bit different.

Now, I'm sorry to say that from here on, my review is going to be a bit negative. The book wasn't bad, but I couldn't ignore the flaws. My main problem was the pacing. The pacing was extremely fast, which meant that we were told things rather than shown and some parts were completely skipped over. There is one part where it mentions that Kayla's birthday is weeks ago, then the next chapter she wakes up on her birthday! Where did the time go?

Kayla, as a main character, was okay. I liked that she was into art and how she stands up for what she believes in, but other than that, there really wasn't much to her. The characters in this book felt really flat to me, not just Kayla, everyone.

As for romance, it was there, but it was so flat! There were actually two love interests, but I felt NOTHING for either of them, because their characters were so flat. Also, the thing I like about romance in books is all the feels. The romance was just cardboard. Instead of describing the kiss, it was described as "we kissed". Then they supposedly loved each other and had dates, all of which were skipped over!

IN CONCLUSION
Overall, this book was just "meh". I liked the idea and despite it being a typical dystopian, it had some new ideas. The pacing, though, was too fast and both the characters and romance were pure cardboard. I wanted to like this book, but I couldn't ignore the flaws. As for continuing the series, maybe. If I see it at another book sale, I'll pick it up. Otherwise, I'll just pass.

I hereby give this book

2.5 Stars

Meaning: I almost liked it, but not quite