Review: Top Ten Clues You're Clueless by Liz Czukas

Top Ten Clues You're Clueless by Liz Czukas
Category: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: December 9, 2014
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 289
Source: Own

Goodreads Synopsis:  
Top Five Things That Are Ruining Chloe’s Day

5) Working the 6:30 a.m. shift at GoodFoods Market

4) Crashing a cart into a customer’s car right in front of her snarky coworker Sammi

3) Trying to rock the “drowned rat” look after being caught in a snowstorm

2) Making zero progress with her crush, Tyson (see #3)

1) Being accused—along with her fellow teenage employees—of stealing upwards of $10,000

Chloe would rather be anywhere than locked in work jail (aka the break room) with five of her coworkers . . . even if one of them is Tyson. But if they can band together to clear their names, what looks like a total disaster might just make Chloe’s list of Top Ten Best Moments.

GOODREADS . AMAZON . B&N

Review: Since I've been in such a bad reading slump lately, it seems like the only books I want to read are contemporary. I guess no matter what mood I'm in, or how bad my slump is, I can always deal with a nice, cute love story. Contemporary has always been my favorite genre, so I guess I am not too surprised by this. Top Ten Clues You're Clueless was a book I put on my TBR for January, so it was one that I really did want to get to within the month. It came to a point where the book just sounded really, really good, so I picked it up to take to work with me that day. Needless to say, by the time I went to bed that night I had finished the book and LOVED it. I didn't know much about it going in, but it was such a fantastic, fun, intriguing story.

The overall idea reminded me a bit of The Breakfast Club, which is a movie that I really love. The main character, Chloe works at a grocery store where she has to go in on Christmas Eve, supposedly for just a few hours. At her store, Goodfoods, they have been collecting money in order to donate to those less fortunate. On Christmas Eve when a news station comes to film the check being given, it turns out that someone has taken most of the money. Without giving too much away, someone says they're sure it was one of the teenage employees, so the group of them get stuck in the employee lounge of the store while they await the arrival of the police.

It reminded me of The Breakfast Club because the group of teens are all so different, though it was much for diverse than TBC, a nice added touch. Each of the teens has a different personality, different crushes between one another, and different things that they are dealing with in their lives, outside of being accused of stealing A LOT of money. Naturally, this means that there were points in the book where they did not get along at all, which made the whole thing more interesting. They were all under a lot of stress based on the situation, and it made perfect sense that they would snap a bit when they did not see eye-to-eye.

At a certain point I had mostly figured out what had happened, but I was still okay with it. It was not super obvious, just something that I took a guess at and ended up being right. I still thoroughly enjoyed it, and having figured it out didn't make me enjoy the ending any less. It was still interesting to see how the whole thing played out. I did not want to put it down, as I said before, and I always think that is a very good sign of a great book.

The romance in this book was incredibly cute, too. It's one of those where they clearly like each other, and probably have for awhile, but have not been brave enough to say anything. Instead, they flirt and drive everyone around them crazy because they won't just do something about it. I loved the diversity within the relationship as well, it is not something that you see a lot in YA novels, so it was a breath of fresh air.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters were lovable and relate able, and it was a bit like a mystery though there was so much more to it than that. I think that anyone who enjoys a good YA contemporary would really enjoy this book. I highly recommend it.

Rating: 5.0 / 5.0

Review: SNOW LIKE ASHES by Sara Raasch (@seesarawrite)

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: October 14, 2014
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 422
Source: Own

Goodreads Synopsis: A heartbroken girl. A fierce warrior. A hero in the making.

Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

GOODREADS . AMAZON . B&N

Review: Here I am with my review of SLA, as I promised yesterday during Sara Raasch's Author Spotlight post. I have been hearing amazing things about this book since before it came out. It seemed like everyone that read it had really enjoyed it (at least from the blogs and videos I watched), so I was quick to pick it up on a trip to Barnes and Noble shortly after the release date. Of course, much like I usually do, I came home and put it on the shelf where it stayed until this month. I really, really wish I would have picked up this book right away because it was amazing. I was a little worried that the hype had become too much and it might not live up to it, but I was very wrong about that. Guys, you need to read this book...like, yesterday.

I have to be honest, I don't often read a lot of fantasy. Sure, Harry Potter is by far my favorite book series, but I can be pretty picky about the fantasy books that I am willing to read because I know I will not be able to enjoy some of them. Still, the synopsis of this book had me from the very beginning, and I knew that it was a story that I would enjoy reading. While a big part of the story revolves around the fantasy elements, There are tons of other amazing qualities to this book as well. So much so, that a lot of the time I forgot I was reading a fantasy novel because it all meshed together so well, and was so believable to me as the reader.

Main characters are a huge thing for me when it comes to enjoying a book, and I really enjoy our protagonist, Meira. She is easy to relate to as she spends most of the book trying to figure out where her place is, and hoping to be someone important and helpful instead of someone who is just there. She wants to defend the Kingdom of Winter that she came from, even if she was an infant when it was destroyed. She so desperately wants to prove herself, and I think that is something that many people will be able to relate to. She was emotional and real, and I absolutely adored that about her.

Now, while Meira was great, all of the supporting characters were fantastic as well. The characters that Meira loves I ended up loving, and I completely despised the characters that she hated as well. I loved the relationship she has with her guardian, Sir, who took charge of her as Winter was destroyed and people were trying to escape. Despite some things that happen, and their almost constant bickering back and forth, it was quite clear that the two of them cared very much for one another, and it was great to see that form of relationship carried out in a YA novel.

Continuing with characters, let me tell you, I thought I was over the whole enjoying love triangles thing...and then Sara threw one at me that I just could not resist. Mather is the best friend that Meira grew up with; he was an infant at Winter's fall as well, so they really did quite literally grow up together. Not to mention, he is the future heir of Winter when they hopefully bring it back to standing. Because of this, Meira was told by Sir that nothing could ever happen between the two of them, but that did not stop them from developing feelings for one another. Then we are introduced to Theron, the Prince of Cordella. Upon arriving to the Rhythm for assistance, Sir and Mather tell the King, Noam, that they will allow Theron to marry Meira, as she will have some royal standing in Winter as it is revived. At first I was sure the whole thing would make Meira completely miserable, but then Theron was completely charming and wonderful from the very beginning. I loved the way Meira responded to him, and the butterflies and other feelings she would have around him that she did not experience at other times, even around Mather. While I love both guys, I have to be honest, I'm already Team Theron all the way. He's such a sweetheart!

One of the best things about this book is a surprise twist that comes towards the end. While I was starting to wonder if something was up, and had part of it figure out, I certainly did not know HOW it was going to be possible. It was thrilling to realize the truth without knowing that it was going to happen. While their were subtle hints and some great foreshadowing, I did not know the truth until it was completely unveiled to me. That's the sign of wonderful writing, I believe. And boy, oh boy, is Sara's writing wonderful. The words and story were just so beautiful, and I found it impossible to put the book down once I was hooked, even reading through a lunch break so that I could finish it. 

Needless to say by the amount of words and my gushing here, I am a HUGE fan of this book. I know it is one that I will probably reread on several occasions, and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in the series to come out so that I can see what happens with the characters next. I highly recommend this book to everyone, as I think that it has a little something for every person, no matter what genre you usually enjoy reading.

Rating: 5.0/5.0

 

Review: A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall

A Little Something Different 

by Sandy Hall 

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Publication Date: August 26, 2014
Publisher: Swoon Reads - Macmillan
Edition: ARC
Page Count: 272
Source: ARC from Macmillan. Thank you SO much!

Goodreads Synopsis: The creative writing teacher, the delivery guy, the local Starbucks baristas, his best friend, her roommate, and the squirrel in the park all have one thing in common—they believe that Gabe and Lea should get together. Lea and Gabe are in the same creative writing class. They get the same pop culture references, order the same Chinese food, and hang out in the same places. Unfortunately, Lea is reserved, Gabe has issues, and despite their initial mutual crush, it looks like they are never going to work things out.  But somehow even when nothing is going on, something is happening between them, and everyone can see it. Their creative writing teacher pushes them together. The baristas at Starbucks watch their relationship like a TV show. Their bus driver tells his wife about them. The waitress at the diner automatically seats them together. Even the squirrel who lives on the college green believes in their relationship.

Surely Gabe and Lea will figure out that they are meant to be together....

GOODREADS .  AMAZON . B&N 

Review: It was a few weeks ago when I decided that it might be time for me to try emailing an ARC request to a couple of publishers. I knew that there was a strong chance that nothing would come of it, but my blog had been up and running for a few months, and I had posted many, many reviews. I did not hear anything back, but I was not stressed about it, either. I knew I would continue my blog, continue doing what I love by reading books, and then try again in the future. When this book showed up on my doorstep from Macmillan in the middle of last week, I was shocked, and in the best way. I was so excited to open up the package and find this book inside. So excited, in fact, that I opened the book and read it right then and there. Cover to cover in one sitting, and let me tell you, it was so amazing. 

This book is the perfect summer read for a contemporary lover, and I found that I could not put the book down (not even to have dinner, we ended up eating pretty late that night!). I just had to know what happened next with the characters, and that is an element of a great book, in my opinion. I already assumed that this would be a book I would enjoy after reading the synopsis and requesting it. I never thought that it would be this good, though, and I am so grateful I was able to read it now. 

One of the best things about this book is that it is written in the narrative perspective of fourteen different people/objects, but none of them are the two main characters of Gabe and Azalea, or Lea as she prefers. Instead, we get to see everything that develops between them through the eyes and words of all of the other supporting characters within the novel. These people range between their friends, siblings, roommates, classmates, a creative writing professor, baristas, diner waitress, bus driver, a bench on their college campus, and even a squirrel! (and let me tell you, the squirrel was one of my favorites!). 

The wonderful thing about getting the book in this way is that we get to know much more of the story. We get to see the main characters in the eyes of so many people around them, positive and negative views. Since Gabe and Lea are far too shy to make things happen on their own, they need the encouragement and prodding of all of these other characters as well. Their professor loves playing match maker with students in the classroom, the workers at the local coffee shop think they're adorable, the diner waitress is sure they belong together, and the bus driver is reminded of the relationship he had with his own wife when they met. 

While this is a love story, it was not typical and predictable. It was not instalove that tends to drive me a bit crazy, as it's usually completely unrealistic. Instead, Gabe and Lea have plenty of issues that lead to complications when they try to make things happen between them. Gabe has physical issues that cause problems between them, as well as take quite the toll on his confidence. Lea tends to be a bit shy, and becomes impatient and annoyed instead of asking more questions. They were far from perfect, and that is what I loved about them. 

This book was adorable, the romance was heart-warming, and the characters and plot line made me want to continue reading. This book left me wanting to read more; I wanted to know what happened next for all of the characters, and I love that I get to leave those things up to my imagination. (Of course, I'm a sap, so everything works out perfectly in my mind!). I applaud Sandy Hall for this book and the wonderful narrative technique she decided to use. I look forward to purchasing a finished copy of this book in August, and I'm excited to see what Swoon Reads continues to publish. 


Rating: 5.0 / 5.0

Review: Dear Killer by Katherine Ewell

Dear Killer

by Katherine Ewell 

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller       
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books    
Release Date: April 1, 2014
Edition: Hardcover
Page Count: 359
Source: Library

Goodreads Synopsis:
Rule One—Nothing is right, nothing is wrong.
Rule Two—Be careful.
Rule Three—Fight using your legs whenever possible, because they’re the strongest part of your body. Your arms are the weakest.
Rule Four—Hit to kill. The first blow should be the last, if at all possible.
Rule Five—The letters are the law.

Kit takes her role as London’s notorious “Perfect Killer” seriously. The letters and cash that come to her via a secret mailbox are not a game; choosing who to kill is not an impulse decision. Every letter she receives begins with “Dear Killer,” and every time Kit murders, she leaves a letter with the dead body. Her moral nihilism and thus her murders are a way of life—the only way of life she has ever known.

But when a letter appears in the mailbox that will have the power to topple Kit’s convictions as perfectly as she commits her murders, she must make a decision: follow the only rules she has ever known, or challenge Rule One, and go from there.

Katherine Ewell’s Dear Killer is a sinister psychological thriller that explores the thin line between good and evil, and the messiness of that inevitable moment when life contradicts everything you believe.

GOODREADS . AMAZON . B&N

Review: I'm quite shocked by the amount of people who did not seem to enjoy reading this book. I knew just from reading the synopsis that it would be pretty controversial, though. I mean, you have a teen character who is a serial killer, that is a pretty big, new thing to find in Young Adult books. Despite reading all of the negative reviews and what they had to say,  I really did enjoy this book. Sure, there were some details that were missing and some things that probably would not be accurate in reality, but that is why it is a fiction book. 

Cover: I love the cover of this book. I know that it is pretty simple, but sometimes those are the best. I also love that it has the writing in the background of the cover, which turns out to be very important when it comes to actually reading the book. It's all about the letters, which is how Kit decides who she is going to kill in the first place. 

Speaking of Kit, I have never read a book with a main character like this one. Usually we are supposed to love the main character, and I believe that this is a book where you really are not supposed to love the character; at least not in the same way. How could you based on what she does? Still, I do think that her character was very well done. She is so easily influenced by her mother who raised her to be this way. Her mother was the killer until she decided she needed to settle down, and then she trained her daughter at a young age to kill instead. Young as in, killing on her own for the first time at age ten. My goodness! It is all that Kit knows, and in that way I feel horrible for her. 

She is smart, though. I love how we get to see just how her mind works in so many parts of the book. From her checking the mailbox for letters to going through the actual kills, to even befriending the lead police officer on the case in order to get him off of her trail and make sure he is not suspicious of her. It is clear that she is too smart for her own good, and that is what ends up hurting her in the end. Usually she relies strictly on the letters to determine who to kill. If someone has gone through the trouble to write the letter and talk about how much they want someone dead, they have to deserve to die, right? It is when Kit makes a decision on her own that she believes someone should die that causes the downward spiral that leads to her struggle. 

Alex was a great character, though I never really understood why he was spending so much time with a high school student. Having lunch with her and weighing in her opinion about who she thinks the killer might be. Ultimately, this friendship with Alex leads to a lot of problems at the end of the book. Well, that and the fact that Kit decides to befriend Maggie, someone that she knows she is going to kill. That was one of the most difficult parts for me. Maggie was a great friend, but you know what is coming the whole time. 

Overall, I think this book was very well done. It is certainly not something that I have ever read before, and I think that is what I enjoyed about it so much. Sure, some things were a little off, and the whole thing was pretty awful (we have a teen killing people without much guilt, after all!). Still, it was nice to read something different, and Ewell's writing was beautiful in a way that was quite haunting. I respect her for that.

Rating: 5.0/5.0

The Six Days by Anna McCormally Blog Tour

The Six Days by Anna Carolyn McCormally
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Giant Squid Books
Publication Date: April 1, 2014

Fifteen years ago, in the middle of the night, Jamie Carpenter’s mother went up to the dark lighthouse on the cliffs. She never came back.

Yesterday, Jamie had a nightmare: his little brother disappearing like their mother did, through the door of the lighthouse, a door that has never opened.

Today, the nightmare came true. Jamie’s brother is missing. And not just missing–he’s been abducted, taken through the lighthouse door into the world of magic that lays beyond.

With his best friend Nia at his side, Jamie crosses into a world he never knew existed–but Emanu is not the fairytale world of childrens' stories. Desperate to understand who took Danny and why, struggling to survive in a world of shadowy magic, Jamie and Nia seek the help of the Council of Witches. As they uncover more and more of Jamie’s family secrets and unknown powers, it becomes clear that Nia herself may be something more than human–and that it’s her the Council views as their biggest threat…

Swept up in a dark political game they don’t understand, burdened by magic they don’t know how to use, Jamie and Nia are going to have to learn fast if they’re going to survive Emanu and rescue Danny Carpenter. There are only six days until the gate between worlds closes again.

For good.

Review:  I am not sure that I can even adequately express just how much I LOVE this book. I will even dare to say that it is one of my favorite books of 2014 so far. I did not know much about the book when I received the email about doing the blog tour, but the synopsis was intriguing enough. I mean, read it! I guess I might just be a fan of things that involve magic (how could you not be after Harry Potter?), so I was excited to read something else that included magical elements. I have to admit, this made me a little nervous as well. I mean, even if it was magic, it was obviously going to be quite a bit different than HP, but it was a very, very good different. 

This book had a lot of characters, and sometimes that worries me when it comes to reading books (with work, I usually have to start and stop reading whenever I have time, so sometimes I forget who people are when there are a lot), but I did not mind it at all with this book. It was very easy to follow, and I really liked most of the characters (and really hated all of the characters I was supposed to hate). The three brothers, Callem (Cal), James (Jamie), and Danny were all three great. I LOVE how McCormally expressed their very different personalities, as this is something that really does happy when you have siblings. It was very well done, too. They handled situations differently, just as any real siblings would. 

This book was ACTION packed. I don't read a lot of books that have this much action, but I felt like it just keep getting more and more intense, which just made me want to keep reading. I just cannot stop thinking about how amazing this book was. Just when I thought that I had everything figured out and knew what was right and what was wrong, things would change all over again. Honestly, that is what makes a great book for me. I don't want to know what is going to happen/what is the truth, until the end when everything is reaching resolution and about to end. 

The romance in this book is another thing that I absolutely loved. Usually, when you have a male and female character that have been best friends since they were kids, they always seem to fall for each other. I was SO happy that was not the case. Sure, there was a bit of weird jealousy here and there, but I think it was out of fear of losing their friend. Instead, Nia ended up with feelings for one of the brothers (WHAT? I LOVED it! They were great!) and Jamie falls for the Princess in Emanu. Now that is what I am talking about!

From my research, it seems like this is the first book that McCormally has published, and I certainly hope that it is not the last! I look forward to reading anything else she writes in the future. In the meantime, everyone needs to read this book!

 Rating: 5.0/5.0

 Anna Carolyn McCormally currently manages a small used bookstore in Washington, D.C.. She has a tattoo of the Deathly Hallows and blogs about YA fiction at www.giantsquidbooks.com.. Her short fiction and poetry has been published in pacificREVIEW, Quantum Fairy Tales and 3 am magazine. Follow her on Twitter @mccormallie.

Links

http://giantsquidbooks.com/books/

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20560327-the-six-days

twitter.com/mccormallie

twitter.com/giantsquidbooks

Review: My Story by Elizabeth Smart

My Story

by Elizabeth Smart, Chris Stewart 

Category: Adult
Genre: Non-fiction, Autobiography, Memoir     
Publisher: St. Martin's Press   
Release Date: Oct. 7, 2013
Edition: Hardcover
Page Count: 308
Source: Purchased

Goodreads Synopsis: For the first time, ten years after her abduction from her Salt Lake City bedroom, Elizabeth Smart reveals how she survived and the secret to forging a new life in the wake of a brutal crime

On June 5, 2002, fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Smart, the daughter of a close-knit Mormon family, was taken from her home in the middle of the night by religious fanatic, Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee. She was kept chained, dressed in disguise, repeatedly raped, and told she and her family would be killed if she tried to escape. After her rescue on March 12, 2003, she rejoined her family and worked to pick up the pieces of her life.

Now for the first time, in her memoir, MY STORY, she tells of the constant fear she endured every hour, her courageous determination to maintain hope, and how she devised a plan to manipulate her captors and convinced them to return to Utah, where she was rescued minutes after arriving.  Smart explains how her faith helped her stay sane in the midst of a nightmare and how she found the strength to confront her captors at their trial and see that justice was served.

In the nine years after her rescue, Smart transformed from victim to advocate, traveling the country and working to educate, inspire and foster change. She has created a foundation to help prevent crimes against children and is a frequent public speaker. In  2012, she married Matthew Gilmour, whom she met doing mission work in Paris for her church, in a fairy tale wedding that made the cover of People magazine.

Review: I don't read a lot of adult literature, something that most of you probably know if you have been reading my blog. However, I was very interested in getting this one, and asked for it for Christmas last year. I do enjoy reading a memoir every now and then, and this is one that I was very interested to read. I wanted to know more details about this girl who survived being abducted, being away from her family for so long, enduring such horrible trials, but was still able to keep her faith and move on with her life upon returning home again. It seemed like such an impossible thing to do, but she was able to do it, and that was something I wanted to read about. 

I am sure that most of us know the story of Elizabeth Smart. I remember hearing about the news story, and it was obviously a pretty big thing as her parents and family worked incredibly hard to keep the story in the media and to keep people looking for Elizabeth. Despite the news stories, and the few interviews that were done, when I saw this book was coming out I was very interested to hear everything that happen from Elizabeth herself. She was the one who had gone through it; the one who had been brave and strong, and had survived all of these things I doubt that I would be able to survive myself. I wanted to know how she did it, how she kept believing that things could be okay. 

I will assure you that this is in no way a light read. Elizabeth does detail what happened to her while she was abducted, and none of it is pleasant at all. She had to go through horrible, unthinkable things, and all of these things are put out in the open for the reader. It is not for the faint of heart, and I really do not recommend reading it at night before bed. While it did not effect me too much when I read before bed, I have spoken to other family/friends who read before bed and then had horrible nightmares about some of the things that they read. This book is not supposed to make you feel good; it is supposed to show the horrors a young girl went through. Though, there is the bright light of reading how she got through it, and how she put the pieces back together and moved herself forward once she returned home. While it is in no way an easy read, I would certainly recommend it to anyone over the age of eighteen. 

Rating: 5.0/5.0 

Are there any memoirs that you have read and enjoyed? I would enjoy reading more, but would like to have some recommendations.