To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Title: To All The Boys I've Loved Before
Author: Jenny Han
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release Date: April 15, 2014
Received From: Bought

Synopsis: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.   

 Review: If you have never read a book by Jenny Han then you need to get on that. This has been my favorite of her books so far.
I really connected with Lara Jean, she enjoys being with her family and is not one of those teenagers that is always trying to get away from her life. I don't think there are enough of those in YA right now and it was fun to see another side of teens. I also really liked how she wrote those love letters. A lot of the time when you really like someone it is good to get all the thoughts out of your head so you aren't fixating. I don't know if I would have addressed them though!
I don't have any sisters but I think Jenny Han nailed a family relationship. Yes, every one's relationships are different but this one was just real enough that I fell in love with Kitty, Lara Jean, Margot, and their dad.
This was not a gritty, tough contemporary novel, (which you can probably tell from the cover) It was light and fun but also dealt with some interesting dynamics between families, boys and girls, and finding yourself once you stop being overshadowed by someone else.
This book is everything I love in a good YA contemporary. It is fun, but really investigates finding out who you are, which is something I still deal with, and I know I dealt with it as a teen.

Overall I loved this book. So if you are looking for a sweet clean read this book is for you!

Keeper of the Lost Cities #1 by Shannon Messenger (MMGM)

Title: Keeper of the Lost Cities
Author:Shannon Messenger
Publisher: Aladdin
Release Date: October 2, 2012
Received From: Bought

Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Sophie Foster has a secret. She’s a Telepath—someone who hears the thoughts of everyone around her. It’s a talent she’s never known how to explain.

Everything changes the day she meets Fitz, a mysterious boy who appears out of nowhere and also reads minds. She discovers there’s a place she does belong, and that staying with her family will place her in grave danger. In the blink of an eye, Sophie is forced to leave behind everything and start a new life in a place that is vastly different from anything she has ever known.

Sophie has new rules to learn and new skills to master, and not everyone is thrilled that she has come “home.”
There are secrets buried deep in Sophie’s memory—secrets about who she really is and why she was hidden among humans—that other people desperately want. Would even kill for.

Review:
I actually read this book a few months ago and am kicking my self for A) not reading it sooner and B) not getting the review up until now.

I don't read too much middle grade and I really need to because there are some great things happening in that corner of the bookstore that I just cannot ignore. When I do read MG I tend to lean towards Fantasy, and so when I heard about Keeper of the Lost Cities I was in. And boy am I glad I picked it up!! I fell in love with both the plot and the characters.

Sophie is a great main character, she is both strong but she has just enough insecurity to be relatable. She also reacts to things in a similar way that I would think I would. Even though she is a lot stronger than I would be in her situation. All the secondary characters help bring this world to life.

The world that Shannon Messenger has created is so original and beautiful, if I could visit I totally would. And I hate to say this but the whole book had a very Harry Potter vibe. It is completely different but the magic was there like when I read Harry Potter.

This is a long book but younger readers should not be afraid because it just flies by, and by the end I was clamoring for the next book!

Blog Tour: Criminal by Terra Elan McVoy

Title: Criminal 
Author: Terra Elan McVoy
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Received: For blog tour in return for honest review

Summary:  Nikki’s life is far from perfect, but at least she has Dee. Her friends tell her that Dee is no good, but Nikki can’t imagine herself without him. He’s hot, he’s dangerous, he has her initials tattooed over his heart, and she loves him more than anything. There’s nothing Nikki wouldn’t do for Dee. Absolutely nothing.

So when Dee pulls Nikki into a crime—a crime that ends in murder—Nikki tells herself that it’s all for true love. Nothing can break them apart. Not the police. Not the arrest that lands Nikki in jail. Not even the investigators who want her to testify against him.

But what if Dee had motives that Nikki knew nothing about? Nikki’s love for Dee is supposed to be unconditional…but even true love has a limit. And Nikki just might have reached hers.

Review:  I had read Pure by Terra Elan McVoy and really liked it so I was excited to read Criminal even though I knew it was going to be completely different. I don't normally read books like this, not because I don't like them I just don't find myself drawn to them. But something made me want to pick Criminal up and I am so glad I did.

Criminal is really intense as you can probably tell from the summary, but let me tell you I was unprepared for the emotional roller coaster that Terra Elan McVoy put me through. I alternated from wanting to shake Nikki and give her a hug.

Nikki was the type of character you would expect, needy and naive. But the reasons McVoy gave for her being like that made a lot of sense.

This was a very character driven book and the interactions between Nikki and Dee and Nikki and Bird seemed so realistic it hurt me to think of anyone being in that type of situation.

Overall Criminal is a heartbreaking, character driven novel that will have you flipping the pages to find out what happens.

If you've read Criminal what did you think? Leave a comment and let me know!


Want to win a personalized copy of Criminal? Fill out the form to be entered!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Or if you cannot wait and want to buy it now here are some links!

IndieBound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781442421622

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/criminal-terra-elan-mcvoy/1112033695?ean=9781442421622

Check out the rest of the blog tour!

Blog Tour Schedule:
May 07 | http://kellyvision.wordpress.com/ | @khager
May 08 | http://readnowsleeplater.com/ | @frootjoos
May 09 | http://hobbitsies.net/ | @hobbitsies
May 10 | http://tableforseven-julie.blogspot.com/ | @aprilmom00
May 11 | http://www.alexalovesbooks.com/ | @alexalovesbooks
May 13 | http://fictionfolio.com/ | @TaraMQ
May 16 | http://www.intothehallofbooks.com/ | @bookwormasheley
May 17 | http://www.areadersadventure.com/ | @readeradventure
May 20 | https://andiabcs.wordpress.com/ | @andi_s13
May 21 | http://ratherbereadingblog.com/ | @readinggals
May 22 | http://thebookcellarx.com | @thebookcellarx
May 23 | http://www.ramblingsofabooknerd.com/ | @sarabooknerd
May 24 | http://thegrownupya.wordpress.com/ | @grownupya
May 28 | http://chickloveslit.com/ | @shanynlee
May 29 | http://www.bookswithcass.com/ | @bookswithcass
May 31 | http://thecompulsivereader.com/ | @compelledtoread 

Mostly Good Girls

Title: Mostly Good Girls

Author: Leila Sales

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: October 5, 2010

Received From: Borrowed from Friend

Summary:
Sixteen-year-old Violet is doing her best to juggle the academic, social, and extracurricular stresses of junior year at an elite prep school, in this fresh, funny debut novel.

Review: 
 I had heard super great things about Mostly Good Girls but I had never gotten around to reading it, until now.


Mostly good girls is a riot. It is so much fun and you will not want to stop reading until the very last page. Violet and Katie's relationship is so heartfelt and genuine that you can't help falling in love with both of them.


I have a relationship that is very similar to Violet and Katie's relationship at the beginning so I could totally understand the dynamic and I loved their projects.


Another one of the great things about Mostly Good Girls was Violet's sense of humor, I felt that it was similar to my sense of humor and I loved her little jabs and her commentary on life.


I felt that the evolution of Katie and Violet's relationship was very believable. I won't give anything away but I really liked the way it played out.


Overall you need to read this book. Violet and Katie are your key for bundles of laughs, and you won't regret picking it up!

The Vision (The Mark 2)

Title: The Vision (The Mark #2)

Author: Jen Nadol

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

Release Date: September 27, 2011
Received Via: Teen {Book} Scene

Summary: 

Cassie Renfield knows the mark tells her when someone is going to die and that she can intervene and attempt to change fate. But she still doesn't understand the consequences, especially whether saving one life dooms another. With no family left to offer guidance, Cassie goes in search of others like her. But when she meets Demetria, a troubled girl who seems to have the power of the Fates, Cassie finds the truth isn't at all what she expected. And then there's her heady new romance with bad boy Zander. Dating him has much graver repercussions than she could ever have imagined, forcing Cassie to make choices that cut to the essence of who she is and what she believes.

Review: SLIGHT SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST BOOK

This series brings up a lot of ethical questions and really makes you think about what you would do if put into that situation. I mean if you knew that someone was going to die that day but if you prevented then from dying someone would die in their place, what would you do? Cassie is put in that situation all the time.

This makes this a sort of morbid book, so if you are looking for something light or fluffy this is not the series to read. But if you want to investigate that part of you and to wonder what you would do then I definitely document it.

I liked the incorporation of Zander into the storyline he really added more mystery as well as another angle to the situation. I also just liked what he added to Cassie’s thought possessed and in some cases making her less stressed and morbid. I felt like he was a better love interest than Lucas in that he actually had a purpose.

I wish the whole Jack storyline had been brought up more and I can’t wait to see what happens with them because I love him!

Overall I liked this book but I wish more had happened, I mean we learn more but I guess I just wish for a little more action and maybe it moving a little faster. It was very thought provoking though!

 

 

See what books Cassie would read in her spare time.

Read my review of The Mark

 

 

 

Wildefire

Title: Wildefire

Author: Karsten Knight

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Release Date: July 26, 2011 
Received From:  Simon and Schuster Galley Grab

Summary: 

Every flame begins with a spark.
Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm.

Review:

I love reading books with elements of mythology and this one was especially good because instead of just using gods and goddesses from Roman and Greek mythology Karsten used other less typical gods and goddesses from various cultures which I loved, it made the story more original and different.
I talk a lot on here about Kick-Butt female characters and there are some definite ones in Wildefire!!  With the combination of Ash, Eve, and Raja there is a whole new team of Kick-Butt characters! I loved all of the characters in this book, they were all so different and brought their own unique personality to the story.
I have to say one of my favorite parts in this book was the flashbacks, it was a way of getting to know the characters in a more sensory way. Being able to be inside other characters heads for those crucial moments in their lives really brought them more to life and made me understand their motivations and personalities even more.
I have one more thing to say and that is… SERIOUSLY Karsten?!?!? The ending is very, very cliffhanger full. I am ok with it only because the rest of the book was so good.
An amazing book filled with strong characters and an interesting plot, don’t miss this awesome debut!





Also if you have never seen one of Karsten’s vlogs you seriously need to check them out! They are hilarious!!! http://www.karstenknight.com/ also that cover? Um… yes