{Book Review} Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

Title: Wanderlove
Author: Kirsten Hubbard
Publisher: Delacorte Books
Publication Date: March 13, 2012
Genre: Young Adult; Contemporary
Suggested Age: 12+

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Blurb:

It all begins with a stupid question:

Are you a Global Vagabond?

No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.

Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward.

But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.

I've read Wanderlove twice now, and each time the feeling to get up, find a back pack, and travel to Central America overwhelmed me. 

Bria, a freshly graduated 18 year old, decides she wants to travel. See the world--with her boyfriend, except, well, he was now the ex-boyfriend, so scratch that, she'd go with Olivia and Reese, her two best friends. But they bailed on her too. Determined not to spend the summer crying over Toby and fussing over which of her friends she would hang out with, because they didn't exactly like each other, she became A Global Vagabond... only better.

She boards the plane, headed for Central America, ready to explore the sites when a whimsy girl plops down beside her. Starling is flouncy and curious, friendly. Overly so considering Bria has not a freakin' clue what she's spewing from her mouth. What Bria doesn't realize is Starling is an experienced backpacker and Bria is only causing herself to look like a fool every single time she spoke.

Only one foolish thing to bite her in the butt, right? Well, not quite, but when Bria meets up with the tour group she's traveling with, they're all middle-aged and not at all what she pictured. Every single minute of their day is planned, the Vagabonds are filled with rules of where you can go, what to eat, who to talk to, so basically it was like living at home, only worse.

I enjoyed Wanderlove with all my heart. Bria's experiences, even the ones I shook my head at, feeling a secondary embarrassment for her--when Rowan invited her to dinner--were ones I wished I'd been smart enough to take on right out of high school. Travel, even by backpack. My family camped, I was no stranger to the wilderness. The time learning to take care of myself away from my family would've been some dang good therapy. Though I cannot imagine my mother's face if I told her I was going to Central America to backpack my way from one place to another. I'm actually smiling thinking about it now.

Kirsten Hubbard's words carved a miraculous world and filled the pages with beautiful, but sometimes, broken characters. Starling, the optimistic friend and sister who never let anyone flail, lost and wondering for too long. Rowan, the charismatic prankster who had had his share of fun and, equally, his share of trouble, who wears his heart on his sleeve, wove his way into my heart. Making me angry one moment and causing my body to shake with laughter the next. And Bria, the brave heroine. She's never whiny, and takes to the world of backpacking with the grace of ballerina.  

I'm certain some parents would not appreciate what I took from this story, but the advice I've given my oldest--and will give my youngest when she's there--is to really experience all you want in life when you are young. Travel, have fun, but most importantly, no matter how you do it... keep learning. Education, in all its forms, is invaluable.

{Teaser Tuesday} Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill & The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Title: Meant to Be
Author: Lauren Morill
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publishing Date: November 13, 2012
YA Contemporary

Blurb:


Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question.

It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").

But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.

Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

Teaser:

It takes me a full minute to realize it's Jason Lippincott standing outside my door and not some bellboy named Jason or the hockey mask-wearing psycho killer from the movies (who, honestly, is a more likely candidate to be standing outside my door than Jason Lippincott.). I turn off the water and grab my robe. I can't imagine what he wants, which means I have to open the door to find out.

Title: The Lost Prince Series: The Iron Fey: The Call of the Forgotten #1 Author: Julie Kagawa Publisher: HarlequinTeen Publication Date: October 23, 2012 YA Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

Blurb:

Don’t look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.

That is Ethan Chase’s unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he’d dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister’s world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.

Teaser:

I closed the letter, put it on the desk, and turned the envelope upside down. A small silver coin rolled into my open palm, and I closed my fingers around it, thinking.

We love comments here at Better Read Than Dead. Let us know if you are a new follower so we can return the favor and we'll be dropping by several of the Teaser Tuesday blogs throughout the day.

{A Kelly Coffee Review} Other Side of Forever by Shannon Eckrich

Title: Other Side of Forever
Author: Shannon Eckrich
Publisher: Crescent Moon Press
Genre: YA/Paranormal fantasy

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Allie Anderson's telekinetic powers are anything but useful--she can't bring her father back, can't stop her mother's downward spiral into alcohol, and can't keep her from falling in love with Ethan Bradley. Loving Ethan is easy, but it comes with a hefty price: Ethan is prohibited by his people from interacting with mortals--because he isn't mortal himself. When Allie and Ethan's love is discovered, there's someone who will do anything to keep them apart. If Allie can't learn to control her powers and fight to save Ethan, this dark entity will make every attempt to stop her beating heart. And if that happens, not even the energy of an immortal can bring her back.

First thing about this review is that real life sort of interrupted me between accepting the read/review for this book and actually getting around to reading it. I say that because by the time I got around to it, I had forgotten what the blurb said and started reading it with a completely clean slate. It means I didn't know about her take on mortals and immortals, which is a prime part of the suspense of the novel and probably made it a much better read. I kept thinking "I swear I didn't have a vampire book on my list, and things aren't quite right for vamps anyway..." At the same time, the mystery had me intrigued and it was a genuinely different twist on the idea. 

The building and the pacing in the beginning of the novel are very good. I seemed to blink and be 20% in. The author does a good job of keeping you in the dark (provided you've forgotten the blurb), and not telling you until the last minute. The concept as a whole has great potential. It's different, I love me some immortals, and it's a bit unexpected, especially in a time where the market is flooded with vampire/werewolf paranormal books. 

That being said, there were a couple of things that really irked me about this book, and the more I read, the worse they got. The prime one is an issue of dialogue. Of all the problems I have with books, that usually isn't one of them, but in this book it definitely was.  It was awkward in places, dialogue tags that didn't seem to match with what I was "hearing" the characters say (you know, someone says something sarcastically except the answer isn't actually a sarcastic one?), and progressing to some dialogue that was just painfully out of place. Things that made me stop and re-read and assure myself that, yes, that was actually in quotes, she did actually just say that. There are mini-info dumps in dialogue with language that no modern day teenager would use (at least, none that I've ever known). I realize that I'm a bit more of a critical reader than most, but I shared the first example that really tripped me up with a friend and was asked if it was a historical novel; the language is that out of context. It isn't everywhere, but once it begins, it rather continues, making what had been an effortless read a lot more stilted and unnatural for me. 

The second is the action sequence at the end of the book. Having been through a few lately whose action sequences were their strengths, this one was definitely a weakness, up to and including the trite villain monologue (again in that weird not quite right language). There wasn't a rush for it, no drive to see from one moment to the next, a lot of fuzzy, in-and-out pacing (it's deliberate, but very awkward), it just didn't read very smoothly and didn't drag me to the finish line. 

The characters are more-or-less just kind of there. I never got very strong mental images of most of them. I think the potential for this idea and these characters is there, I'm just not entirely sure that it's been fully realized yet. However, if you're looking for a contemporary paranormal read and are over vamps and werewolves, based on strength of concept alone, you should definitely give Other Side of Forever a try. I'd pick up another book from this world, just to see where she goes with it.

{A Kelly M Review} Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry

Title: Pushing The Limits
Author: Katie McGarry
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Synopsis:

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again

Normally I do not read contemporary books, like at all! The amount of contemporary books I have read can be counted on one hand. So when my friends on Starbooks all raved about this book for weeks on end I decided to put my scepticisms aside and give it a whirl. And by George am I glad I did. Pushing The Limits is hands down one of the absolute best contemporaries I have ever read. I do not give this praise lightly because most books of this particular genre end up being so predictable and a tad boring.

This is so far from the truth when describing Pushing The Limits. The story is dark and gut-wrenching, breath-taking and a beautiful show of strength and determination. The characters in this story have gone, and go through extreme situations that honestly is worthy of the title of the book. During most of the story i had constant tears in my eyes because I cannot imagine how Echo and Noah can go through everything and still actually have enough strength left to get up in the morning. PTL is not for people who love happy stories.

The story starts off where Echo meets her new school counsellor and they are having a family meeting about what can be discussed and what cannot be. Her father comes across as controlling and overbearing and her stepmother as a complete self absorbed idiot. Echo feels the same way. She is in therapy because her mother tried to kill her a few months back and she has no memory of that entire day whatsoever. She needs to remember in order to understand what happened and how to deal with it.

Noah sees the same school counsellor for his apparent anger management issues, the death of both of his parents and so that he can gain custody of his two small brothers when he graduates high school. You also see that this particular school counsellor actually truly cares about Noah and Echo and she forms a strong bond with Noah even though he doesn’t want to admit it. She also brings the element of humour to the story especially regarding her driving; Noah’s reactions to her driving left me laughing so hard.

Echo and Noah are forced together when Echo is asked to tutor Noah to give him the proper motivation that he needs. They end up automatically not liking each other. Echo thinks he is a mean jerk and a man-whore(which technically he is and honestly I would go all Katniss on their asses and scream I VOLUNTEER!!!! When having to tutor him, just saying) and Noah thinks Echo is a complete snob who thinks she is better than him because she rarely acknowledges his presence, even though she doesn’t really acknowledge anyone.

Eventually they become sort of friends, they fight more than anything and not cutesy-cutesy fighting, and help each other find the answers that they seek. For Echo it is what she can’t remember and for Noah it is the foster house his brothers are living in. This seems easy right? Just go get the files and your home free! Not at all! They face so many obstacles that you just feel their despair. During this process they fall in love and start dating, once again not easy. But you do feel how desperately they need each other.

Whether or not this story has a happy ending you will have to find out yourselves, I must admit that most of the time I was certain that it was going to be a depressing ending. This is not a story of happiness and laughter and frolicking-in-the-fields love. It is a true test of how far you are able to push the limits and Katie McGarry exceeds expectations. 

{Review & Blog Tour} Never Say Never by Kailin Gow

Title: Never Say Never
Series: You & Me #1
Author: Kailin Gow
Publisher: The Edge Books
Publishing Date: August 13, 2012

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Blurb:

What girl wouldn't want to be surrounded by the sexy guys from the hottest teen rock sensation in the country?  18-year-old Never "Neve" Knight, not only is surrounded by the hottest boys to hit the music charts, but she is the band's lead singer. As the band's lead singer and manager, Never formed and shaped the band to where it is today, a band on the rise and on the brink of being signed by a label. As one of the guys, she knew each of the band members since they were all snot-nose ten-year-olds. While her boys were the cutest guys and they would protect her like knights, she couldn't date any one of them and ruin the chance at being signed with the record label of her dreams. That changes when one of the band members suddenly drops out of the band, and in walks Danny Blue, with his dreamy blue eyes, hot body, and British accent. Suddenly, Never's solid world has turned to mush, and her rule for not dating one of her band members is seriously challenged. Can she keep her head straight and get her band signed with a label without losing her heart?

Hey everyone! I hope everyone is off to a fantastic Thursday! Today, as part of SupaGurl Tours, I'm hosting Kailin Gow's rockin' book, Never Say Never. A book about rock-n-roll and sinfully hot boys, how much better could it get? 

Never Say Never is a quick, fun read. Neve, AKA Never Knight - coolest name ever, is the lead singer of an up and coming band. She's also the daughter of rock legend, Keith Knight. For the time being, Neve's content to behave like any other college student. She's living in the dorm, going to classes, and jammin' with her band anywhere they can get a gig. Neve refuses to use her dad's name and connections to make it big-time and would prefer no one know who she is. Unfortunately, with a name like Never Knight and a voice legends are made of, Neve's secret is impossible to keep.

As the lead singer and band manager, Neve has her hands full trying to keep her all-male band mates in line. Three of who have decided she's the girl for them and one sees her as a sister, thank goodness. Neve has one rule, one rule she refuses to break - Don't date inside the band. Ever. Well, unless one your band members is injured and the mysterious Danny Blue walks into the picture. Immediately, Neve is drawn to Danny's talent and charisma, but not only is he part of the band, he also teaches one of Neve's music history classes. Oh, and did I mention he's broken into little tiny pieces? Now, we all know what forbidden love and broken boys equals. Trouble...with a capital T.

I did have a couple of problems with the book, neither of which stopped me from reading the story in its entirety, but they did keep me from falling head over heels in love with the book. I really enjoyed the story line of this book, though I felt the relationships were forced, and not just Neve and Danny's, but the entire band's. Danny's character was well-developed, but I felt the others fell a little short. 

However, if you're looking for a hot MATURE YA book, Never Say Never is a fun and refreshing read I'd highly recommend.

Author Info:

Kailin Gow is the author of over 100 books, with the majority of them for young adults. Her most popular series are:  The Frost Series, PULSE Series, Desire Series, Wicked Woods, Steampunk Scarlett Novels, and more.  A full-time author, she is also a producer, having worked in radio, television, and film.  She grew up in Southern California, lived in Texas and England, and has traveled extensively around the world.

{Review} While it Lasts by Abbi Glines

Title: While it Lasts
Series: Sea Breaze #3
Author: Abbi Glines
Self-Published
Release Date: July 31, 2012

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Synopsis:

Maybe driving home after a few (or more) shots of tequila had been a bad idea, but hell, he did it all the time. The cops had to have been freaking bored to have pulled him over. He wasn’t even swerving! That’s Cage York’s story and he’s sticking to it.

Unfortunately, his baseball coach isn’t buying it. Cage has a free ride to the local junior college for baseball -- or he did, until he’d gotten a DUI. Now, Cage has to decide: does he drop out and give up his dream of getting noticed by a college in the SEC, and possibly making it into the Major Leagues -- or does he give in to his coach’s demands and spend his summer baling hay?

Eva Brooks planned out her life step by step when she was eight years old. Not once over the years had she lost sight of her goals. Josh Beasley, her next door neighbor, had been the center of those goals. He’d been her first boyfriend at seven, her first kiss at ten, her first date at fifteen, and her first tragedy at eighteen. The moment she’d received the phone call from Josh’s mother saying he’d been killed along with four other soldiers just north of Baghdad, Eva’s carefully planned life imploded in the worst way possible.

Cage isn’t real happy with his closet-sized bedroom in the back of a foul smelling barn, or his daily interactions with cows, but he knows that if he doesn’t make his coach happy then he can kiss his scholarship goodbye. Only a sick and twisted man would decide his punishment was to be working on a farm all summer. No hot babes in bikinis waiting to meet a Southern boy to make her vacation complete. Just him and the damned cows.

Oh -- and an uptight, snarky brunette with the biggest blue eyes he’s every seen. But she doesn’t count, because as hard as he’s tried to charm her out of her panties - he’s pretty sure she’d rather see him hung from the rafters than let him get a taste of her pretty little lips.

*For Mature YA and Adult Readers. Contains mature language and sexual content.

Have any of you read anything by Abbi Glines? The Vincent Boys, The Vincent Brothers, Existence, Predestined, Because of Low, Breathe? Anything? If not, make it your mission to pick up any of these books, though I highly recommend the Sea Breeze Series - Breathe, Because of Low, and While it Lasts. Everything Abbi writes, borders on amazing. Pure and simple. She's got her bad boys down to a fine art and gosh, Cage York is so bad, he makes me wish he were real. He IS the bad boy I would fall for, hands down!

"No; my daddy didn't teach me anything but that his fucking fists were bigger than my momma's and how to skip out on your family," I replied with a sneer in my voice.

If you've read Because of Low, you know exactly how bad Cage is. He grew up in a house where his dad beat his mom and then deserted the both of them. Low is the only person in his life who never left him, but when Marcus entered the picture, Cage feared loosing her too. But she would never leave him. Ever. And Cage on a ranch, with cows...funnier than you can imagine.

Those damn cows came running when I showed up with the feed. They actually knew it was chow time and I had the goods. It was also scary as shit to have those sons of bitches running at you like they were going to trample you.

Really, it was no surprise that Cage ended up with a DUI. The boy partied more nights than he stayed at home. Wait? I'm actually not sure he ever spent a night lounging around at home. He had girls galore, often more than one at a time. He never bothered to get a phone number because he knew he was never going back. Not a single one of them held Cage's attention for more than a few hours. Until his baseball coach sent Cage to a farm to bail hay and chase cows - or hell, as Cage sees it. However, there is one angel who might save his summer, IF he can get her attention, but Cage isn't used to trying.

I absolutely loved seeing the so-bad-he's-sinful Cage fall in love for the first time. I loved seeing him work to garner a girl's attention. And I loved watching him screw up. Let's face it, it was bound to happen. 

Eva's not any typical girl. She's dated the same guy all her life, until he died fighting in Baghdad. Now, she's alone and not looking for love. She's got her overprotective dad and her fiance's brother, Jeremy. It's been nearly two years, and she hasn't removed her engagement ring. Cage is absolutely the wrong choice for her. No doubt about it. But something about his southern charm and the way he seems to genuinely care, has her running toward him, when she should be running from him...every girl should run away from Cage York. Even he knows that.

Okay, so if you're not hooked by the prologue, read a chapter or two more and you will be in love. Seriously, the prologue had me in tears. A hell of a way to capture the readers attention... But then Cage's antics had me captivated until the very last page. I wanted to skip ahead and read the end because I had to know, but I reminded myself how humorous the book would be all the way through. Oh, and did I mention HOT AS HADES?

"You're the drunk," she stated.
It wasn't a question. So, I din't reply. Instead, I flashed her a smile that I knew affected any female's panties and took a step toward her. "I got a lot of names, baby," I finally responded.
Her eyebrows arched, straightened her stance and shot me the coldest glare I'd ever witnessed. What was this chick's deal? "I'm sure you do. Let me guess: STD, Loser, Jackass, and Drunk just to name a few..."

Ah...if there were ever a match for Cage, it is Eva. She's already got his number, and I'm not talking phone. I loved her wittiness and her bravado when it came to Cage's advances...at least in the beginning. She absolutely wasn't putting up with his shit. Just the kind of girl Cage needs.

The naughty girl inside me, that I honestly didn't know existed, bent my head down and looked up at him through my lashes as I flicked it with my tongue.
"Ah, shit," he whispered but it almost sounded like a moan.
Encouraged by his response I flattened my tongue and ran it up and over his hard nipple.

Needless to say, things progress, not without a few bumps in the road though. The thing I adored about Eva was her take charge attitude. No matter what the circumstances were. 

Abbi chose to write While it Lasts from both Cage's and Eva's POV. I honestly don't think there was any other way. To get the full impact the reader has to know Cage's side, but they also have to see the heart-ache and insecurities of the person getting close to Cage. As a fictional character, he's easy to love, but as a trustworthy boyfriend, I'd say it would be nearly impossible to ride out the Cage York hurricane. I have a thing for broken boys, and Cage is 150% broken. Yes, I know it's impossible, but he is. Eva's also broken and watching the two of them mend each other tugged at my heart and brought me close to tears once or twice.

Highly recommended! But only for mature audiences!

{ARC Review} Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Title: Pushing the Limits
Author: Katie McGarry
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Publication Date: July 31, 2012
Source: NetGalley

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Synopsis:


"I won't tell anyone, Echo. I promise." Noah tucked a curl behind my ear. It had been so long since someone touched me like he did. Why did it have to be Noah Hutchins? His dark brown eyes shifted to my covered arms. "You didn't do that-did you? It was done to you?" No one ever asked that question. They stared. They whispered. They laughed. But they never asked.

So wrong for each other...and yet so right.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

"An edgy romance that pulls you in and never lets go. I was hooked!"-Gena Showalter,  New York Times bestselling author of the Intertwined series.

It's been a long long time since I've given any book 5 Stars but Pushing the Limits pulled me in from the first page and held my attention to the very last! Dark, edgy, and perfect. Need I say more? Okay, probably...so I will.

Honestly, I was going to wait and write this review in a couple of days but I was discussing it with my girls over at Starbooks and I became inspired. I've never been much of a contemporary fan, but I'm finding myself reading more and more of them lately. I think it's because I love the darkness of paranormal romance and contemporary tends to be light-hearted and a little too happily-ever-after for me. Not a problem with Katie McGarry's debut Pushing the Limits.

Two teens who have been through traumatic and horrifying life-altering events. One withdraws into herself and the other becomes the bad boy you can't help but love. If Noah and Echo could be summed up as "withdrawn" and "typical bad boy" then 5 stars wouldn't be called for. Fortunately, Ms. McGarry has created deep and complex characters who embodied so many emotions I sometimes felt a little overwhelmed. But...people, especially hormonal teenagers, are never as clearly cut and simple as some writers would have you believe.

"My father is a control freak, I hate my stepmother, my brother is dead and my mother has...well...issues. How do you think I'm doing?" - Echo

So many times when an author writes about tragedies I feel like I am standing on the outside looking in. I connected with Echo instantly. Because Echo has suppressed her "incident," the reader discovers what happened to her as Echo remembers the bits and pieces. Watching her put the puzzle together created a perfect amount of suspense. Gosh...I really don't want to write any spoilers, but I can't really avoid this one. Spoiler Warning: Even though I knew Echo should avoid her mother at all costs, I completely understood her need to seek her out. Partially because Echo needed to understand why her mom did what she did and partially just because her mom is her mom...you know? Spoiler over!

"I wrote about the person I love the most, my older brother, Noah. We don't live together so I wrote what I imagine he does when we're not together."

"And what is that?" prodded the stout man.

"He's a superhero who saves people in danger, because he saved me and my brother from dying in a fire a couple of years ago. Noah is better than Batman." The crowd chuckled.

"I love you, too, lil' bro." - Noah and his brother Jacob.

And Noah...well, let's just say WOW! Talk about a young man with issues who has handled them horribly, but I understood every broken piece of him and could imagine myself reacting in the same ways. There's so much depth to his character. Yes, he is the pot-smoking, gave up on life, who gives a damn guy...at least on the outside. Internally, he has two younger brothers he loves and wants nothing more than to assure they are safe. Victims of a horrible house fire that took their parents, these three boys got thrown into the "system" and separated. Noah's innate instinct to protect all children earns him the reputation of being unstable and violent, so his visitation rights with his brothers range from monthly supervised to nonexistent. But Noah doesn't give up easily. Noah's love for his brothers and their family bond brought a whole other level of emotional attachment to his story.

We'd read about sirens in English this fall; Greek mythology bullshit about women so beautiful, their voices so enchanting, that men did anything for them. Turned out that mythology crap was real, because every time I saw her, I lost my mind. - Noah

Noah earned my love and devotion not only because of his blood family devotion but his devotion to foster siblings too. Anybody who is as protective and supportive as Noah is innately good, no matter how much they wish otherwise. I actually think Noah reminds me a bit of my oldest daughter who has told me on more than one occasion that she's tired of "always being the good girl." I simply remind her that she knows who she is deep inside, no matter what she does or doesn't do. 

"Do I need to contact your social worker?"

I headed for the door. "Go ahead. What is she going to do? Rip my family apart? Put me in the foster care system? Continue to dig and you'll see you're too late."

"When was the last time you saw your brothers, Noah?"

My hand froze on the doorknob.

"What if I could offer you increased supervised visitation?"

I let go of the doorknob and sat back down. - Noah and Mrs. Collins

Mrs. Collins may be my favorite adult character in a YA book ever. She's new to the school system but a completely awesome clinical social worker. Whether she meant for the outcome to be what it was or not, she understood both Echo and Noah on a level no one else ever could. Pairing them accomplished much more than I expected and their characters complimented each other perfectly.

"Baby, no one would ever make the mistake of using the word ugly with you. Especially with me around. He pushed the curls off my face, his fingers leaving a burning trail. "Everything about you is beautiful and sexy as hell." - Noah

Both Noah and Echo have so much to overcome and Noah has so much to fight for, including Echo. Their emotional roller-coaster caused the deepest parts of my soul to ache. I wanted to jump in the book and fix everything for them, as impossible as it would be. I think that's where my attachment to Mrs. Collins came from. She always had Noah's and Echo's best interests in mind, even when they didn't like or trust her. And...Mrs. Collins doesn't dwell on making them like her, she gains their trust with actions as opposed to words. Nothing comes easy for any of them, but eventually, things do come together.

I kissed her lips. Soft, full, warm--everything I'd fantasized it would be and more, so much more. Echo hesitantly pressed back, a curious question for which I had a response. I parted my lips and teased her bottom one, begging, praying, for permission...She opened her mouth, her tongue seductively touching mine, almost bringing me to my knees. Flames licked through me as our kiss deepened. Her hands massaged my scalp and neck, only stoking the heat of the fire. - Noah

The book is written in first person from both Echo's and Noah's perspectives. Since I had an egalley from NetGalley, the POV's bled into each other. I'm certain the finished product will be better defined. I loved getting inside Noah's head and seeing his heart-ache. I know some people don't like dual POV's and for so long, it was a huge No-No, but I love seeing more than one side of the story. I'm one of those nosy people who want to know what the other main characters are thinking and third person omniscient sometimes seems a step or two removed for me. 

My final thoughts:

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry is a book filled with warring emotions. Pain and numbness. Loss and gain. Heart-ache and love. Dark intermingled with moments of light. Brutality and gentleness. Two teenagers who lose everything separately and then find their way together. There is nothing I didn't love about this book. The emotions are raw and gripping, the friendships real and imperfect, and the romance is slow burning, building into a heated flame of passion.

Side note: If there were any problems with the writing, I was too absorbed in the story-line to notice. Ms. McGarry's world-building and story-telling skills rocked my world!

*This book was obtained via NetGalley and HarlequinTeen Publishing in exchange for my honest review. No money exchanged hands. Both the cover-art and the synopsis were obtained from Goodreads for the soul purpose of this review.

{Teaser Tuesday} Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Title: Along for the Ride

Author: Sarah Dessen

Publisher: Penguin

Imprint: Viking Juvenile

Release Date: June 1, 2009'

Synopsis:

It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.

A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

In her signature pitch-perfect style, Sarah Dessen explores the hearts of two lonely people learning to connect

This is the first Sarah Dessen I have read and I love it so so so much! Thank you April David for such an awesome suggestion. And I'm going to have so much gushing about this book when I'm done, the review is going to take pages. LOL.

My Teaser #1: It was a split second decision, the kind you hear about people making in the most dangerous or serious of situations. This was really neither, but I still was not thinking, just doing, as I reached my hand into the beans, scooping out a big gob with my fingers. Then, before I could reconsider, I turned and launched it at Eli.

My Teaser #2: I smiled, and then, in the middle of Tallyho, in the middle of the night, in the middle of everything, Eli kissed me. It was not at all how I'd imagined it happening, and yet totally perfect anyway.

{Book Review} Kiss Crush Collide by Christina Meredith

Title: Kiss Crush Collide
Author: Christina Meredith
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
December 27, 2012

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Synopsis:

Kiss
What Leah did—only she really shouldn’t have—one hot night at a country club party.

Crush
What Leah has—only she really shouldn’t have—on the guy with the green eyes, the guy who is not her perfect boyfriend, the guy who does not fit in her picture-perfect life, the guy her sisters will only mock and her mother will never approve of. Not in a million years.

Collide
What happens when everything you always thought you wanted—having cool friends, being class valedictorian and homecoming queen—runs smack into everything it turns out you really do want.

Kiss. Crush. Collide.
For Leah and Porter, summer is only the beginning.

After reading, what seemed like, a ton of dark paranormal romance books, I needed something light and fun to read. Kiss Crush Collide was exactly that kind of book. It took me a little over 4 hours to finish and for the most part, I adored this novel. Unfortunately, it just didn't hit the spot I needed consoled. 

Leah was raised in a "perfect" family: a perfect mother, a rich father, and two perfect older sisters. Both sisters were class valedictorians, they dated perfect boys until it was time to move away to college, they didn't work. They behaved as only the rich and wealthy should. Leah was set to follow in her sisters footsteps. She was a shoe-in for class valedictorian and she dates Shane - sports god. However, the one thing Leah refuses to let go of is swimming. Even though her parents will not allow her to swim on the school team, they do allow her hold a summer job as a lifeguard at the local pool.

Leah is unhappy with her lot in life so when fate places Porter in her path one night, what else could she do except accept a ride in his borrowed car and feel alive for the first time in her life. Porter, local bad boy, knows little about Leah and she knows even less about him. He is her perfect escape from the pressures of being a "Johnson." And the more intense the secrets get at the Johnson household, the more Leah will seek out Porter.

So while I enjoyed this story, one thing bugged me above all else. I could not feel a connection to any of the characters. They seemed so two-dimensional. For me to fall head-over-heals for a book, I need to walk in the characters shoes...at least for a minute or two. Sadly, in the case of Kiss Crush Collide, I wasn't pulled into the story...at all. The writing held my attention and I made my way through the novel in two sittings, so I'm giving it 3 Stars but my first instinct is 2 Stars.

{Review} New Girl by Paige Harbison

Title: New Girl
Author: Paige Harbison
Production: HarlequinTeen
Release Date: January 31, 2012
Source: NetGalley

Website  ǀ Twitter ǀ Goodreads ǀ Amazon ǀ Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

 They call me 'New Girl'...

Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her.

Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And everyone stares at me like it’s my fault.

Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend but she’s gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s life was so much better than mine could ever be.

And maybe she’s still out there, waiting to take it back.

The first thing about New Girl that captured my attention was the beautiful, yet eery cover. The girl appears to be floating just beneath the surface of the water, patiently waiting for something...to be saved, maybe? I don't really know, but I fell in love. Then I read the synopsis and knew I had to get my greedy paws on this book...immediately. I'm so glad I did.

I wasn't aware that this novel was a retelling of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, obviously meaning, I haven't read Rebecca. I have now added it to my TBR list and look forward to reading it soon.

The book starts with "New Girl" getting accepted to a boarding school her senior year. She had originally applied to Manderley several years before wasn't accepted. Her parents continued to submit applications every year and kept it a secret until one day when they received an acceptance letter. Even though it's her senior year and she's perfectly happy with her home and school life, "New Girl" decides to move from the warm Florida coast to chilly New Hampshire. She's determined to make the best at the school of her dreams...or nightmares as the case maybe.

What she doesn't know is she's taking the spot that once belonged to Becca, a girl who went missing at the end of the previous school year. Rumors and mystery surround Becca's disappearance and somehow "New Girl" is taking the brunt of them and can't seem to escape Becca's shadow--from the guys she crushes on to her roommate.

The story consistently built upon itself, each page bringing with it a deeper deception, heart-ache, and finally complete understanding. I enjoyed getting to see the story unfold from both Becca's and "New Girl's (NG)" eyes. As the reader, I became frustrated with the situation wanting to grab NG and tell her all the dirty little secrets. I also wanted to grab Dana, the roommate, and tell her to open her eyes, not everything is as it should be...but then everyone has their secrets...right?

I'd read half the book before I realized I didn't know the main characters name. I know this bothered some people, but it only added to the mystery and intrigue for me. My only problem with New Girl was the flipping between "New Girl's" point of view and Becca's point of view. Alternating POV's don't usually bother me but the fact that it was also a past/present POV shift made everything a little harder to understand. 

When I finally read the line in which I find out NG's name...my heart wept with joy. 

I highly recommend New Girl to lover's of suspense and romance.

 *Thanks to NetGalley and HarlequinTeen for the chance to preview this uncorrected e-proof.

{ARC Review} Fracture by Megan Miranda

Title: Fracture
Author: Megan Miranda
Publisher: Walker and Company (Bloomsbury Children's Books)
Source: NetGalley
Release Date: January 17, 2012

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Synopsis:

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine—despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

For fans of best-sellers like Before I Fall and If I Stay, this is a fascinating and heart-rending story about love and friendship and the fine line between life and death.

Let's start by saying that I absolutely love this cover. It's not just a pretty picture or generic cover, it's prophetic. It says everything about Fracture. I would recommend getting this one in print, the cover alone is worth it...not to mention how amazing the story is. 

So now that I've covered the cover, let's talk about the writing. This is another one of those hauntingly beautiful love stories that weave their way into your heart and head, refusing to let go. Megan is a master at description, bringing the settings to life in a way very few authors have the can. Fracture is told in first person from Delaney's terrifying point of view, captivating you on her shocking adventure through life and death, then the return to life. You feel every bit of her fear, heart-ache, loss, pain, hurt, and betrayal as if it were your own.

Delaney spends eleven minutes submerged below ice only to awaken in a hospital room surrounded by doctor's who say she has no chance. She spends several days trapped inside her body, listening and feeling things around her, unable to let people know her brain is working. Finally breaking free, she finds that her best friend, Decker, has been by her side the entire time. Unsure of what this means, all she wants is to leave the hospital and prove to everyone that she is the same Delaney she was before the accident. This will be difficult to prove since she can literally feel the dead pulling her to and fro.

Let's count the reasons I love this book

#1 - Delaney faces repetitive loss...from her own, to her mother's withdrawal, to the friend she couldn't save. It's not always a deathly loss but so many things go tragically wrong that people around her disappear from her life, leaving her alone and unable to cope. She must continue to fight for her life even after she's survived a horrific drowning. Evil lurks all around her, always attempting to sway her but Delaney is a fighter and she is most definitely a survivor.

#2 - Decker and Delaney have been friends for what must seem like an eternity but now their friendship is strained. Delaney's accident has attracted the attention of Troy...someone who knows what it feels like to survive an unsurvivable accident. Decker walks a fine line...always wanting more than friendship and always afraid more will send Delaney straight into the arms of someone else.

#3 - The taboo subject of euthanasia. Troy believes that people who are dying should be put out of their misery. Of course, he doesn't ask their opinions...he takes matters into his own hands. Delaney is out to prove him wrong and stop him from his current course of action.

#4 - The serious twist of fate and Delaney's epiphany. I cannot go into this without spoiling the book so...

#5 - Fracture brings so many feelings bubbling to the surface that leaves you thinking for days. I can't imagine a more heart-felt and life-altering story.

*I was provided a free uncorrected ebook via NetGalley and Bloomsbury Children's Books in return for my honest review.

{Review} Lola and the Boy Next Door

Title: Lola and the Boy Next Door
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Publisher: Dutton Books (Penguin Group USA)
Release Date: September 29, 2011

Website ǀ Twitter ǀ Goodreads ǀ Amazon ǀ Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded 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.

Oh, this is one of my favorite books ever written. Seriously. Lola and the Boy Next Door is a contemporary YA book that had me doubling over laughing, squeeing on the edge of my chair, and most of all...wanting things to be alright for Cricket and Lola. If any two people deserve happiness, it is them.

Lola has been through hell and back. Her mother got pregnant young and decided to let her brother adopt Lola, knowing that he could provide a more stable home life than she ever could. However, Lola's mom still shows up at some of the most inopportune times, bringing sorrow and disarray into Lola's otherwise perfect life. Lola dresses in costume. That is who she is. When her boyfriend tells her that she is a liar, changing her appearance everyday, never letting anyone see the "real" Lola, she knows that relationship is headed downhill. And...to add insult to injury, the Bell twins have moved back in next door.

Calliope is a figure skater, headed for the Olympics. Cricket's life has always been overshadowed by his sister's life as a star. Moving each time she decides to drop one coach for another, being home-schooled, never having friends. He left his life in San Fransisco years ago. Now he's home and hoping to reclaim that life. If only things were ever that easy. Cricket is going to have to work for Lola's trust, much less her love. Between him and Calliope, Lola had her heart ripped out and shredded into pieces.  Cricket might have a chance if he was only making up for his mistakes, but he also has to make amends for what damage his sister caused all those years ago.

Cricket meets a little known character, St. Clair, at Berkley. They become quick friends...as everyone does with St. Clair. This works to Cricket's advantage since Anna is Lola's manager at the movie theater. I love that Stephanie included St. Clair and Anna in Lola and the Boy Next Door. They made a perfect avenue for Cricket to get closer to Lola. And who can resist St. Clair.

Honestly, Cricket is one of my favorite characters ever. He is full of energy and shines like the sun. You just can't help but love him. Again, he is one of Stephanie's perfectly flawed characters. Cricket is weird in his own right, the crazy inventor type. Wild hair, a flair for the flamboyant, and good at everything he does - even though he can't see it. He's a bit insecure about himself...both because of past mistakes and a questionable heritage. He puts himself out there in ways that will cause him pain but he knows what he wants and if he is patient, perhaps he will get it.

Stephanie Perkins is a master at creating beautifully weaved love stories. Love stories that make your heart ache with desire. You cannot not pull for these characters. Nothing about them is perfect and nothing comes easy. That's life, right? But Stephanie's stories flow at a perfect pace, never giving you that break you need to put the book down. I read bot Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door in one sitting. Well, one sitting each. Each time I thought about putting one down...I felt my heart break, needing to know how things would end. Because Stephanie makes her characters work for their happy endings, the chemistry and tension are always palpable on the pages.

It wasn't until these books were recommended to me by some fellow bloggers that I started reading an YA Contemporary...now I seek these books out. 

One last thing, I want to say thank you to Stephanie for including a bit about alternative lifestyles in this book. I have family who belong to the LGBT community and it is important to me that their lives are acknowledged in a positive and loving way. I'm not sure it could have been done any better than Stephanie did it.