Sunday, June 30, 2019

New Releases in YA! (July 1st-6th)

Every week I list all (or almost all) of the YA books (and the occasional MG) that are coming out within that week!
Here's what you get to look forward to this week:
P.S. Click on the book's cover for the Goodreads page!


Did I miss any books?
What books, if any, do you plan to read?

Saturday, June 29, 2019

Short and Simple Reviews: Wild Bird, Love & First Sight, and The First Time She Drowned


This is a place for books that I didn't fully review.
Maybe I listed my likes and dislikes, had a little short paragraph, or a few sentences to convey my feelings on the book, but whatever the "review" is, all of them are short and simple. (hence the clever name)

This week I have a couple of books I listened to on audio thanks to Audiobooksync. Audiobooksync offers two free downloadable audiobooks every week during the summer, so check that out if you're interested.
Wild Bird

3:47 a.m. That's when they come for Wren Clemens. She's hustled out of her house and into a waiting car, then a plane, and then taken on a forced march into the desert. This is what happens to kids who've gone so far off the rails, their parents don't know what to do with them any more. This is wilderness therapy camp.

The Wren who arrives in the Utah desert is angry and bitter, and blaming everyone but herself. But angry can't put up a tent. And bitter won't start a fire. Wren's going to have to admit she needs help if she's going to survive.

In her most incisive and insightful book yet, beloved author Wendelin Van Draanen's offers a remarkable portrait of a girl who took a wrong turn and got lost--but who may be able to find her way back again in the vast, harsh desert.
  Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Book Depository


Review
This book features a teenage girl, Wren, being forced by her parents to attend a Utah wilderness camp after she gets into the wrong crowd. The book immediately starts with Wren being taken in the very early morning with no clue what is happening. There's a lot of denial on her part, and anger. Throughout a large part of the beginning, Wren yells at everyone and whines for help, not that I blame her. She has no idea how to survive in the Utah wilderness and she does have good reason to be upset. It was great, though, to see throughout this book how much she grows and changes. This book mostly takes place inside Wren's head, as sometimes not a whole lot happens in the wilderness, but it was interesting seeing the pieces fall into place as she slowly tells us what made her parents send her to the camp. One really great thing about this book as well is that there is no romance! This is a YA book where a teenage girl becomes self-reliant and changes without any love interest trying to "help" her. Overall this was a pretty decent read and great on audio.


 I hereby give this book
3.5 Stars
Meaning: I liked it, but it wasn't quite amazing



Love and First Sight

Love is more than meets the eye.

On his first day at a new school, blind sixteen-year-old Will Porter accidentally groped a girl on the stairs, sat on another student in the cafeteria, and somehow drove a classmate to tears. High school can only go up from here, right?

As Will starts to find his footing, he develops a crush on a sweet but shy girl named Cecily. And despite his fear that having a girlfriend will make him inherently dependent on someone sighted, the two of them grow closer and closer. Then an unprecedented opportunity arises: an experimental surgery that could give Will eyesight for the first time in his life. But learning to see is more difficult than Will ever imagined, and he soon discovers that the sighted world has been keeping secrets. It turns out Cecily doesn’t meet traditional definitions of beauty—in fact, everything he’d heard about her appearance was a lie engineered by their so-called friends to get the two of them together. Does it matter what Cecily looks like? No, not really. But then why does Will feel so betrayed?

  
  Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Book Despitory



Review
I really enjoyed the narration in this book. The MC, Will, has a very instinctive voice that is prone to humor. It worked really well on audio. The premise of this book was also interesting, a blind teenager that might be given an opportunity to see. I thought it discussed interesting ideas, not only things that what a procedure like that would do and how it would actually affect the brain, but I really liked how the characters discussed things like art in this book. Will was born blind so he had never seen art before, of course, so it was interesting how Cecily tried to explain it as well as how Will tried to explain things to her. The main reason why I could not give a full four stars is Will frustrated me later on in the book. Will feels "betrayed" by Cecily not telling Will about her appearance. I sided more on Cecily's side than Will's and I think Will overacted. Honestly, why does her appearance matter all that much to him?



 I hereby give this book
3.5 Stars
Meaning: I liked it, but it wasn't quite amazing

The First Time She Drowned

Cassie O’Malley has been trying to keep her head above water—literally and metaphorically—since birth. It’s been two and a half years since Cassie’s mother dumped her in a mental institution against her will, and now, at eighteen, Cassie is finally able to reclaim her life and enter the world on her own terms.

But freedom is a poor match against a lifetime of psychological damage. As Cassie plumbs the depths of her new surroundings, the startling truths she uncovers about her own family narrative make it impossible to cut the tethers of a tumultuous past. And when the unhealthy mother-daughter relationship that defined Cassie’s childhood and adolescence threatens to pull her under once again, Cassie must decide: whose version of history is real? And more important, whose life must she save?



Review
This is a very powerful and heart-wrenching read. I listened to this book on audio and while it was wonderfully narrated, I wouldn't necessarily recommend the audio. This is not a happy book and is, in fact, a very depressing read. If you want to feel gut-wrenching sadness while during your chores, go ahead and listen to the audio. I could clearly hear and feel the emotions of Cassie. There is so much betrayal and sadness in her life, she feels like she is drowning in it, but her toxic relationship with her mother keeps reappearing. Cassie's mother would most certainly not win any mother of the year awards and every time I thought that things must get better for Cassie, whether in her flashbacks or in her present, things kept going downhill. I'm glad that the book ended on an optimistic note, but there was a moment where I was worried that she was becoming her mother. Overall, this was a good book and it's unfortunate that there are teens who have lives like Cassie's.

 I hereby give this book
3 Stars
Meaning: I liked it

Friday, June 28, 2019

REVIEW: The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

The Unexpected Everything

Andie had it all planned out. When you are a politician’s daughter who’s pretty much raised yourself, you learn everything can be planned or spun, or both. Especially your future. Important internship? Check. Amazing friends? Check. Guys? Check (as long as we’re talking no more than three weeks).
But that was before the scandal. Before having to be in the same house with her dad. Before walking an insane number of dogs. That was before Clark and those few months that might change her whole life. Because here’s the thing—if everything’s planned out, you can never find the unexpected. And where’s the fun in that?



MY THOUGHTS
I was looking for a feel-good read and thought that Morgan Matson would be a great choice and this is one that I hadn't yet reread. It also has puppers, a character who writes, and it takes place in the summer, so it really felt like a perfect book to reread! Rereading this book I realized that there were so many details I still retained but I still immensely enjoyed reading it! Some things were different than I remember, but it's still a great Morgan Matson book. 

Andie's plans include an all-important internship at a med school. Not only will it help her future and look good on a resume, but it lets her out of the house after her dad (a congressman) got involved with a scandal. But when said scandal causes Andie to get pulled from an internship, she doesn't know what to do. All of the other internships and jobs are already taken and she can't have a gap in her resume. She has to find something to do and sure it wasn't walking dogs, but maybe she can find greatness in this summer after all. 

This indeed has a lot of feel-good to it (the puppers help). One of the reasons why I love Morgan Matson's books is that while her books can sometimes be predictable, her books are incredibly realistic because there is complexity to them. Yes, this book has a romance in it, but it's not just about romance. There is a lot about trying to figure out what you are doing when the unexpected happens (which is definitely relatable) and trying new things. There are themes are sticking with your friends and fixing relationships. There is even Andie still dealing with her mother's death years later and the father that is so caught up in work that he has no time for her. Speaking of Andie, there was just so much growth in her character in the book and even growth in the characters surrounding her as the book progressed. 

The characters in this book are just fantastic! I loved seeing the group texts between Andie's friends! I also loved that Andie's dad was a part of the book and we see their relationship change from a nonexistent relationship to a close relationship. I honestly just loved seeing everyone react around each other. Again, it goes back to the complexity that Morgan Matson includes in her books. Each character is dynamic with their own unique personalities. They all feel like real people which made all of the emotions feel real. Let's not forget the dogs! I love love love dogs. If you asked me what my favorite animal was it would be, no question, dogs! So that was a big part of why I wanted to reread this book. Even the dogs get their personalities showcased! The main dog we see is Bertie who is a Great Pyrenees and I am just full of happiness just thinking about him! I volunteered walking dogs in the past and I kept getting reminded two Great Pyrenees, a brother and sister that the shelter was trying to get adopted together. They were just sweet furballs and I adored them. Thankfully they are now in a happy home!

Okay, I'll stop talking about dogs (even though I don't want to) and get to what disappointed me during my reread. My first time reading I gave this 5 stars, this time it gets 4 stars. This is mainly is due to the last part of the book, which I completely forgot about. Near the end, there is a large portion where the feel-good drops and we get a lot of conflict. I don't have a problem with the fact that there is conflict, because in real life there is conflict, I have a problem with the reasons why there was a conflict. A lot of it seemed stupid, avoidable, and it took up a lot of space in the book (this isn't a short book) [highlight to view spoiler] My main gripe is that there is conflict over the fact that one friend has a crush on a boy and it turns out that boy has a crush on another friend (and they strike up a relationship). Andie finds out about it and there is DRAMA. It was just so stupid. I'm not on either side, but WHY WOULD YOU LET A GUY RUIN A FRIENDSHIP! Because this actually ends a lifelong friendship, over a guy who was not worth it! WHY DO PEOPLE DO THIS?! Ugh. Frankly, it was also a bit cliche. [end of spoiler] It really just made me frustrated.

IN CONCLUSION

Overall, I did enjoy rereading this book! Part of the later part frustrated me, but I just loved all the characters and the friendships and the puppers! This is a really great summertime read and I'm glad that I gave it another read!



I hereby give this book
4 Stars!
Meaning: I really liked this book!

Thursday, June 27, 2019

Cover vs Cover: Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan

This week's pick is...

7823549VS.  8961636
Original                        Redesign
Um, to be honest, I'm not a fan of either cover. It took a bit of staring to realize the blurry image on the original cover was not just a bunch of blurriness, but a person. With the redesign, it's obvious it was designed during the "girl in the pretty dress" era of YA covers. She looks like she's covered in blood powder and I have to turn my head on its side. They don't really tell you anything about the book, in fact, with the color scheme and the word Immortal, they seem to both be saying vampire. While this book is about immortality, there are no vampires. Again, I don't like either, but I'll go with the redesign because it's not a blurry image and because the next books in the series (which match the redesign) do get more interesting.
Final Verdict: Redesign, I guess.
What do you think? Give me your thoughts on which cover is the best!

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Waiting on Wednesday: The Toll by Neal Shusterman

Waiting on Wednesday (or Can't Wait Wednesday) is a weekly meme, hosted by Wishful Endings, where you talk about whatever book you are IMPATIENTLY WAITING for!

This week I am waiting for...
The Toll (Arc of a Scythe, #3)


From New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman comes the thrilling conclusion to the Printz Honor–winning series Arc of a Scythe.

It’s been three years since Rowan and Citra disappeared; since Scythe Goddard came into power; since the Thunderhead closed itself off to everyone but Grayson Tolliver.

In this pulse-pounding conclusion to New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman’s Arc of a Scythe trilogy, constitutions are tested and old friends are brought back from the dead.

Release Date: November 5th, 2019

Why am I waiting?
Do I really need to explain?
What book are you waiting for this week?

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books On My Summer 2019 TBR

Hosted each week by That Artsy Reader Girl, it's a meme for listing the top ten for everything bookish.

Today's topic is all about what we are wanting to read this summer. I know that "technically" summer just started but I see summer as starting at the beginning of June so I feel weird giving a TBR for a season that has been going on for about a month. All that's left are two months, four weeks of which I'm out of town and will be reading only ebooks (if I have any time to read at all). I'm much more impulsive when it comes to what ebooks to read, so here are books that are not ebooks but I hope to read in two months left of summer, but none are ebooks so we'll see.
I'm also writing this super far in advance so my TBR may actually change before this post goes live.




What do you want to read this summer?

Monday, June 24, 2019

REVIEW: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers


Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, #1)
Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?






MY THOUGHTS
So, I first read this book in 2012 but I decided to reread this recently because I still hadn't picked up the next books in the series and wanted to refresh my memory (although I guess that wasn't necessary because it looks like they are companion books). Even though I reviewed it back in 2012, I scarcely call that cringe-worthy mess a "review", so here are my more up-to-date and coherent thoughts on this book.

When Ismae was in the womb, her mother ingested poison meant to kill Ismae. But Ismae survived and has since been known as the daughter of Death. When she needs to escape a violent arranged marriage, she is sent to the convent of St. Mortain. There she is trained to serve the God of Death and carry out his wishes. His wishes usually mean killing men that are betraying their country and carry the mark of Mortain. After a man, Duval, argues with the convent for ruining his plans and killing the betrayers he was planning on integrating, Ismae is sent to stay with him at court. Not only to catch betrayers, but the convent is suspicious of Duval. The longer she stays in court, the more confused Ismae gets because she is not sure who is the real betrayer.

I mostly listened to this on audiobook but I switched from physical format and audio multiple times. The audio was fine, but it was confusing at points because there is a very large cast of characters and I sometimes had a hard time keeping track of who was who. When switching formats I would get further confused because the pronunciation of a name would not always match what I expected the name to be spelled. Nevertheless, I did like this book. It has a very interesting concept, assassin nuns with a historical backdrop, hints of magic, and political betrayals. This is a pretty hefty book and while there are major moments, I will admit that there were multiple occasions where I lost interest. A lot of the book was more politics and less murder, which yeah, I don't want murder, but when you are already confused by the cast of characters, adding politics in the mix does not pique your interest.

Probably one of the strongest things in this book was the female characters. The female characters in this book are incredibly strong. There is, of course, the obvious strength, the ability to kill, but just the way the female characters in this book have to go about their life requires strength. These girls are forced to grow up early. Ismae is forced into an arranged marriage in her young teens and then almost raped. The Duchess is only twelve but is having to deal with a possible marriage to a creep that has been previously married six times. She's trying to help her country, but no one cares for her interests but Duval and (because of her age and sex) everyone thinks that they know better than her. These girls have to have strength because they are given very little power and it made me sad and frustrated throughout this book, but I still loved the fact that they remained strong.

Ismae herself is an interesting character. It is a struggle at times with her because she has a very different perspective than most. She is devout to her saint/god but is not hesitant when it comes to killing. She begins with thinking in black and white and in thinking of only her role, but she changes throughout the book. It is a slow change and it takes her a while to process it, but I do like how she ended up changing. I'm being vague, but I'm trying not to spoil things.

IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I did like this book. I don't think I liked this as much as the first go-round. The first time I read it I was blinded by the premise of "assassin nuns" and all of the glowing reviews, so I ignored any of the confusing bits. This is still a pretty great read and it makes for an intriguing book. I plan on reading the next two books pretty soon!

I hereby give this book
3.5 Stars
Meaning: I liked it, but it wasn't quite amazing.

Music Monday: Pretty by Ingrid Michaelson & Underground by Lindsey Stirling

Music Mondays from Always Me is for sharing whatever music you have been enjoying lately! Whether it is a new favorite or an old favorite!

Today I have a couple of newly released songs that I really like!




What have you been listening to?

Sunday, June 23, 2019

New Releases in YA! (June 23rd-29th)

Every week I list all (or almost all) of the YA books (and the occasional MG) that are coming out within that week!
Here's what you get to look forward to this week:
P.S. Click on the book's cover for the Goodreads page!


Did I miss any books?
What books, if any, do you plan to read?

Saturday, June 22, 2019

Short and Simple Reviews: Wish, Earth to Charlie, and Hope & Other Punchlines

This is a place for books that I didn't fully review.
Maybe I listed my likes and dislikes, had a little short paragraph, or a few sentences to convey my feelings on the book, but whatever the "review" is, all of them are short and simple. (hence the clever name)
Wish

Eleven-year-old Charlie Reese has been making the same secret wish every day since fourth grade. She even has a list of all the ways there are to make the wish, such as cutting off the pointed end of a slice of pie and wishing on it as she takes the last bite. But when she is sent to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to live with family she barely knows, it seems unlikely that her wish will ever come true. That is until she meets
Wishbone, a skinny stray dog who captures her heart, and Howard, a neighbor boy who proves surprising in lots of ways. Suddenly Charlie is in serious danger of discovering that what she thought she wanted may not be what she needs at all.
  Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Book Depository







Review
I picked this book up because it looked like a heartfelt MG book featuring the love of dogs. This book wasn't quite what I expected. I thought the dog would be more prominent. There was a bit where Charlie decided that the stray wondering around would become hers, but this was over really quickly so it wasn't as much of a dog book as I expected. That being said, this was still a wonderful book. It talks about some difficult things, such as family issues, but it is discussed in a voice that fits the age of the MC. I really liked Charlie and it made my heart hurt at times because she wanted a family and was prone to being angry. Overall this was a quick read and this would certainly be an MG book that I would recommend.

I hereby give this book
3.5 Stars
Meaning: I liked it, but it wasn't quite amazing




Earth to Charlie
A high school outcast spends his life hoping to be abducted by aliens in this funny, quirky novel about finding your footing in a world that sometimes feels like Mars. 

Convinced his mother has been abducted by aliens, Charlie Dickens spends his nights with an eye out for UFOs, hoping to join her. After all, she said the aliens would come back for him. Charlie will admit that he doesn’t have many reasons to stick around; he doesn’t get along well with his father, he’s constantly bullied at school and at work, and the only friend he has is his 600-pound neighbor Geoffrey, and Geoffrey’s three-legged dog, Tickles.

Then Charlie meets popular, easy-going Seth, who shows him what real friendship is all about. For once, he finds himself looking around at the life he’s built, rather than looking up. But sooner than he expected, Charlie has to make a decision: should he stay or should he go?

  
  Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Book Despitory



Review
I picked up this book mainly because it looked like a mix of aliens (one of my older obsessions) and contemporary (one of my newer obsessions). To be honest, with that combination I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. This book is high on contemporary, less on the aliens, but Charlie (our MC) firmly believes that his mother was taken by aliens and that the aliens are coming for him as well. This idea is in the background of the story as Charlie goes to school and makes a new friend, Seth. I really liked the realism in this book. The pacing is pretty slow and not a whole lot happened, but it felt so much like it was showing us real experiences. I loved seeing the growing friendship between Charlie and Seth and I even loved Charlie's interactions with his neighbor and his dog Tickles. Everything just felt authentic, so the fact that not a whole lot happened, made things feel more real. Overall, this is a fantastic debut novel and I will keep my eyes open for any other books by Justin Olson. 
I hereby give this book
4 Stars
Meaning: I really liked it



Hope and Other Punchlines

Sometimes looking to the past helps you find your future.

Abbi Hope Goldstein is like every other teenager, with a few smallish exceptions: her famous alter ego, Baby Hope, is the subject of internet memes, she has asthma, and sometimes people spontaneously burst into tears when they recognize her. Abbi has lived almost her entire life in the shadow of the terrorist attacks of September 11. On that fateful day, she was captured in what became an iconic photograph: in the picture, Abbi (aka "Baby Hope") wears a birthday crown and grasps a red balloon; just behind her, the South Tower of the World Trade Center is collapsing.

Now, fifteen years later, Abbi is desperate for anonymity and decides to spend the summer before her seventeenth birthday incognito as a counselor at Knights Day Camp two towns away. She's psyched for eight weeks in the company of four-year-olds, none of whom have ever heard of Baby Hope.

Too bad Noah Stern, whose own world was irrevocably shattered on that terrible day, has a similar summer plan. Noah believes his meeting Baby Hope is fate. Abbi is sure it's a disaster. Soon, though, the two team up to ask difficult questions about the history behind the Baby Hope photo. But is either of them ready to hear the answers?



Review
It took me a little bit to get into this book. It's from dual POV and at first, the chapters were so brief, especially Noah's, that it was hard to get the emotional connection. I ended up really liking this book, even though it is not my favorite by Julie Buxbaum. The narratives of both characters was powerful and I like some of the topics this book discussed, such as the separation of a photograph from a person and how a major event (such as 9/11) affects those who have no memory of the event. I liked how the story flowed and how Abby and Noah teamed up to find the other people in the photograph. I do wish that this book was not a romance but that's just because I've been getting tired of romance in YA lately. 



I hereby give this book
4 Stars
Meaning: I really liked it