Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor

Goodreads Blurb
In this breathtaking debut that reads like Gossip Girl crossed with Twin Peaks, a Queen Bee at a blue-blooded New England prep school stumbles into a murder mystery.
Anne Dowling practically runs her exclusive academy on New York’s Upper East Side—that is, until she accidentally burns part of it down and gets sent to a prestigious boarding school outside of Boston. Determined to make it back to New York, Anne couldn't care less about making friends at the preppy Wheatley School. That is, until her roommate Isabella’s body is found in the woods behind the school. 
When everyone else is oddly silent, Anne becomes determined to uncover the truth no matter how many rules she has to break to do it. With the help of Isabella’s twin brother Anthony, and a cute classmate named Brent, Anne discovers that Isabella wasn’t quite the innocent nerdy girl she pretended to be. But someone will do anything to stop Anne’s snooping in this fast-paced, unputdownable read—even if it means framing her for Isabella’s murder.

Oh God, I wanted so badly to like this! It had a great premise and I love mysteries, but I could barely stand it! Or, rather, her.

My biggest issue with this book was definitely Anne. I knew there might be a chance I wouldn't like her, but I knew that there would be some kind of character development. And there was!But all that changed was her snobbishness, and that wasn't where my annoyance with her ended. She was so assumptive and paranoid too! The slightest thing and she would suspect someone in the murder without giving them a chance. Soon enough she had about ten suspects and was nowhere closer that she was before her "investigation". There was this one moment I hated when she called someone else "nosy". It was pretty hypocritical considering she was breaking into offices and stealing things. Anndddd she also judged Lee (a suspect) without even talking to him. And he just...gah! She also acted like she knew Isabelle better than her other classmates when she only knew her for a week compared to their years of knowing her!

But I did admire her quick thinking and how she tried to do what was right. I sort of loved how the popular crowd just seemed to gravitate towards her and that it wasn't that cliche "Queen Bee Turned Loser" scenario. She was snarky and fun, so I sort of love/hated her (although she did annoy me more than I wished.)

The mystery was absolutely amazing and I had no idea who the killer was and what to expect. I loved how many clues Anne discovered, to the murder and other...scandals. It was fabulously deceiving and wonderfully plotted, and I have to hand it to Taylor--she sure knows how to write a suspense.  It was a super fun adventure and an engaging mystery for sure!

The romance...love triangle, le sigh. Anne just sort of latched onto the two most "important" guys. School Golden Boy Brent and dead roommate's delinquent brother. It was kind of awkward, but I absolutely loved Brent. He was sweet and adorable and I loved how he acted around Anne! On the other hand, Anthony...well, I didn't really understand him. Kara Taylor did manage to create awesome realistic characters, I'll give her that but they weren't really easy to connect to or really understand.

While a brilliant novel, the main character and supporting characters brought my rating down by a lot. I definitely would've enjoyed this better if I could've ignored Anne's...misgivings, but I couldn't and was just irritated the entire book. The mystery was absolutely brilliant though, and I seem to be a black sheep in this, so I recommend giving it a go!

Pages: 305

Genre: Suspense/Drama

Series: Prep School Confidential #1

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Release Date: July 30, 2013

Rating: 2.5

Gated by Amy Christine Parker

Goodreads Blurb

Do the gates keep the unchosen out or the chosen in?
In Mandrodage Meadows, life seems perfect. The members of this isolated suburban community have thrived under Pioneer, the charismatic leader who saved them from their sad, damaged lives. Lyla Hamilton and her parents are original members of the flock. They moved here following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, looking to escape the evil in the world. Now seventeen, Lyla knows certain facts are not to be questioned:
Pioneer is her leader.
Will is her Intended.
The end of the world is near.
Like Noah before him, Pioneer has been told of the imminent destruction of humanity. He says his chosen must arm themselves to fight off the unchosen people, who will surely seek refuge in the compound's underground fortress--the Silo.
Lyla loves her family and friends, but given the choice, she prefers painting to target practice. And lately she'd rather think about a certain boy outside the compound than plan for married life in the Silo with Will. But with the end of days drawing near, she will have to pick up a gun, take a side, and let everyone know where she stands.

Gated was an absolutely fascinating read with an original concept and an absolutely brilliant villain!

Cults are always a fascinating thing, but I doubt we ever understand why they're so...crazy sometimes. Gated definitely gives us a first class look in on cults! Pioneer was an amazing villain and he was so suave with his manipulation and, honestly, I'm not quite sure if he was a psycho and really believed what he was saying...or if he was just a really good actor. But he was by far the most interesting part of Gated!

My only complaints was the romance and the plot. While there were a ton of twists, they were really just clumped in the end. The first half of the story was pretty slow, though it gave us an amazing look into Lyla's life and Pioneer's...methods. And, while sometimes I wanted to bang my head on a wall, I could definitely understand why these characters did what they did.

The romance was insta-love, definitely (and sadly.) My only relief about it is that, while it was completely insta-love, it didn't play a major major roll in the plot. We never really focused on it and Cole (our boy outside) was only mentioned a few times, really.

I really did adore this book though. It was a new idea and was definitely written well, I think, for someone who never got involved with a cult (err...I hope.) It was definitely a new perspective seeing this from the inside out! I sort of expected this to be apocalyptic and it definitely had a dystopian feel to it. I have to give it to Parker--she definitely knows how to make something like this creepy! (Those lasting words in the end...oh God. The shudders.)

Different with just the right touch of chilling, Gated is a must read for people who love dystopians and those who love those wonderfully written and different contemporaries!

Pages: 384
Genre: Contemporary/Cult
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Random House Children's
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Rating: 3.5 stars

Parallel by Lauren Miller

Goodreads Blurb

Abby Barnes had a plan. The Plan. She'd go to Northwestern, major in journalism, and land a job at a national newspaper, all before she turned twenty-two. But one tiny choice—taking a drama class her senior year of high school—changed all that. Now, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Abby is stuck on a Hollywood movie set, miles from where she wants to be, wishing she could rewind her life. The next morning, she's in a dorm room at Yale, with no memory of how she got there. Overnight, it's as if her past has been rewritten.
With the help of Caitlin, her science-savvy BFF, Abby discovers that this new reality is the result of a cosmic collision of parallel universes that has Abby living an alternate version of her life. And not only that: Abby's life changes every time her parallel self makes a new choice. Meanwhile, her parallel is living out Abby's senior year of high school and falling for someone Abby's never even met.
As she struggles to navigate her ever-shifting existence, forced to live out the consequences of a path she didn't choose, Abby must let go of the Plan and learn to focus on the present, without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that's finally within reach.

Oh my God. That ending.

Parallel really surprised me with it's...thoroughness I guess. The worldbuilding/science of this was absolutely wonderful and well thought out. Miller obviously did her research, making this book so much more real, an added bonus with the contemporary feel this book had! And while it was confusing at times, it definitely helped explain a lot and the book so much more interesting, knowing why this or that was happening.

I really did love how we would switch between Parallel Abby and "Real" Abby throughout chapters, though I think it would've been just as amazing without the Parallel Abby parts! They were obviously completely different people, yet so similar. I was always guessing what Parallel Abby's actions were going to affect and my gut clenched every time she did something I knew would do something! It was really like reading two different scenarios, all stemming from one point--it was fascinating and completely well done.

The romance was definitely...interesting. While our love interests were decidedly different, they were also...similar...yeah, I don't make sense. But I definitely chose a team and did not like who Abby picked. Sure, he was sweet, but I liked the other guy so much better!
One of the other major romances was Caitlin (the BFF) and Tyler (the other BFF!). I felt like they were way too adorable with each other and honestly would love to get a story on their relationship!

And I loved our characters too--okay, maybe not Parallel Abby. She was so different from "Real" Abby , though it may just have been the situation. "Real" Abby was so headstrong and honest, and I loved how much she trusted Caitlin and how she wasn't dumb enough to figure it out on her own, like some YA characters. She knew she needed help, and she knew where to go--something that will always score brownie points.
Caitlin was an amazing BFF and absolutely lovable, in my opinion. Smart girls? Totally kickass. Like, seriously. She was kickass.

The plot was absolutely mindblowing. While it's a bit slow at first, it quickly speeds up and, strangely, made me tear up. I don't even know! There were so many things that made me cringe in expectation and honestly, scared me a bit! And the ending. Don't even get me started. That was...oh my GOD. I can't even. Just leave me alone in a corner to cry bittersweetly.

Dealing with the universal question of "What if" and touching on topics like soulmates and parallel worlds, Parallel is an absolute must read that I would love to shove in your face  honest-to-God think everyone should read. Absolutely mind bending, wonderful, and beautiful, Parallel is going to twist your perspective on life and the choices you make everyday.

Pages: 419
Genre: Sci-fi
Series: Standalone
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: May 14, 2013
Rating: 5 stars

The Boy on the Bridge by Natalie Standiford

Goodreads Blurb

Laura Reid goes to Leningrad for a semester abroad as Cold War paranoia is peaking in 1982. She meets a young Russian artist named Alexei and soon, with Alexei as her guide, Laura immerses herself in the real Russia--a crazy world of wild parties, black-market books and music, and smuggled letters to dissidents. She must keep the relationship secret; associating with Americans is dangerous for Alexei, and if caught, Laura could be sent home and Alexei put under surveillance or worse. At the same time, she's been warned that Soviets often latch onto Americans in hopes of marrying them and thus escaping to the United States. But she knows Alexei loves her. Right?
As June approaches--when Laura must return to the United States--Alexei asks Laura to marry him. She's only nineteen and doesn't think she's ready to settle down. But what if Alexei is the love of her life? How can she leave him behind? If she has a chance to change his life, to rescue him from misery, shouldn't she take it?

Oh, I had such high hopes for The Boy on the Bridge. It sounded like something I would absolutely love and something that would break my heart at the same time. And while I did enjoy it, it just wasn't something I really loved. 

There was definitely something about the writing, though, that just captivated me. I was just drawn into this so-different world, both fascinated and horrified by the conditions of a 1982 Russia. Standiford does a wonderful job recreating the world with little seemingly insignificant details that make the writing stand out.
And the writing! It's simple yet beautiful in a way and just pulls you in more. It's an intriguing story that just makes you question everything.

Like did Alexei (or Aloysha) really love Laura? I was pondering that the entire story. It was undoubtedly suspicious, but I felt like he really did love her. On the other hand...well, like I said. It was suspicious. You have to love a love story you're unsure of!

But, the love story? It was sort of horrible. It was so rushed and pretty much insta-love. Laura risked so much for someone she barely knew and she snuck him into a foreigners-only place. When they'd only met twice before. It was ridiculous! Laura was so naive, saying Aloysha loved her after only a few meetings, when already, as Laura's best friend said "half our group are already half engaged" (or something like that. I did it from memory!). She stuck up for Aloysha when she should've been suspicious and just trusted him way too much. It was just really rushed and I hated how ignorant Laura was, how she just fell so quickly in love with just a few glances and meetings.

I couldn't really connect with Laura either. She was a bit of a flat character and we never get to really know her, and it didn't seem like Standiford understood her own character that well either.
I did love seeing the other characters and how the interacted with Russia and its locals. I enjoyed reading about Karen and Dan, Ninel and "Binky". They added a sense of humor to this book that was definitely needed.

All in all, The Boy on the Bridge wasn't a terrible read, but it wasn't the best either! I'd recommend trying it out, but it wouldn't be on the top of my list.

Pages: 256 

Genre: Contemporary/Romance

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Release Date: July 30, 2013

Rating: 3 stars

Blog Tour: The Last Dance by Kiki Hamilton

SPOTLIGHT

Goodreads Blurb

Two people couldn't be more opposite... 
Kellen Peterson, the gorgeous star quarterback of the Griffin High football team, seems to have it all. Until the night of the Homecoming game, when Kellen gets tackled and suffers a traumatic brain injury - an injury that changes his life - including his ability to walk, talk and throw a football. 
Ivy Ly is a senior and counting down the days until she can escape to college. Though her parents have big plans for her to be a doctor, Ivy is afraid to tell them she'd rather pursue music as a career. 
Ivy's best friend, Mira, is obsessed with Kellen. When Ivy is asked to tutor the injured football player upon his return to school, she thinks it's the perfect opportunity for Mira to get to know him better - but sparks fly - in more ways than one...

Pages: 268
Genre: Contempoary/Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Fair Wind Books
Release Date: February 14, 2013

Author Bio
Kiki Hamilton is the author of THE FAERIE RING fantasy series and the YA contemporary novel, THE LAST DANCE. She believes in magic and the idea of hidden worlds co-existing with our own. Kiki lives near Seattle, though she dreams of living in London one day.

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Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols

Goodreads Blurb

Bailey wasn’t always a wild child and the black sheep of her family. She used to play fiddle and tour the music circuit with her sister, Julie, who sang and played guitar. That ended when country music execs swooped in and signed Julie to a solo deal. Never mind that Julie and Bailey were a duet, or that Bailey was their songwriter. The music scouts wanted only Julie, and their parents were content to sit by and let her fulfill her dreams while Bailey’s were hushed away.
Bailey has tried to numb the pain and disappointment over what could have been. And as Julie’s debut album is set to hit the charts, her parents get fed up with Bailey’s antics and ship her off to granddad’s house in Nashville. Playing fiddle in washed-up tribute groups at the mall, Bailey meets Sam, a handsome and oh-so-persuasive guitarist with his own band. He knows Bailey’s fiddle playing is just the thing his band needs to break into the industry. But this life has broken Bailey’s heart once before. She isn’t sure she’s ready to let Sam take her there again…

After reading Such a Rush I was absolutely ecstatic to find out that Echols was writing another YA--especially since the cover was gorgeous and matches Such a Rush so well! And I was not let down.
Dirty Little Secret definitely has a lot in common with Such a Rush and right away, we can tell that this isn't going to be one of the lightest reads. While it wasn't heartbreaking and raw like I'd hoped, it had a nostalgic and sort of bittersweet feel to it that made me fall in love with the story.

Bailey was definitely a fierce and a seemingly independent person and I loved that about her, but she got pushed around way too easily sometimes. Not in the sense that she did what others did, but she let others control her emotions really. One mention of her sister or parents and she would just clam up or get angry, and that sort of ruined her image of a calm and headstrong character (though she did retain that image well at times!) She was a rebellious character who, overall, I did enjoy reading about! Her snark was definitely hilarious though and I absolutely loved her snips at Charlotte (a band member).
I alternated between empathizing Charlotte to hating her, to loving her, but I guess she acted like any of us and, I think, out of all the characters, I connected with her more than anyone else. Bailey's parents were absolutely ridiculous and I wanted to punch them while I wanted to slap some sense into Julie sometimes.

The romance was definitely a bit insta-lovey. I didn't really appreciate how easily Bailey broke under Sam's begging and how quickly they fell in love (a steamy kiss on day one was apparently in order). Their relationship was also sort of built on lies (then Sam said he would never lie to Bailey (though at least he admitted he was a liar!) and seemed really rushed with conditions set. "If you don't do this or that, we'll break up." But the romance definitely had it's sweet moments that I enjoyed and their relationship was by no means easy.
Sam was...sort of a douchebag in all honesty. He kept asking Bailey for things and got angry or mainuplative whenever he didn't get his way. At first, he reminded me of a cute puppy, but it got tiring after the first few times. He also, several times, chose music over Bailey which, by the way guys? Isn't going to make a girl like you more. He's definitely a selfish guy (and I definitely think they'd break up in the near future) but he was exactly what Bailey needed to realize her own needs and dreams.

What impressed me was definitely the musical part of this. It was well written and it seemed as if Jennifer Echols experienced it first hand!
Not only that, I found it sort of amazing how she made it so that half the book was one day and still absolutely captivating. The second half of the bookw as definitely drama filled and definitely made me anxious, but the ending was absolutely perfect!

Jennifer Echols digs up another romantic story that isn't as perfect as some people like to believe, but with heartrendingly real characters. A fun read that I definitely recommend, it's filled with laughs and heartache--you could say it's one of the perfect summer reads!

The musical part of the story
Pages: 288

Genre: Contemporary/Romance

Series: Standalone

Publisher: MTV Books

Release Date: July 16, 2013

Rating: 3.5-->4 stars

This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

Goodreads Blurb

If fate sent you an email, would you answer?
When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds. 
Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs? 

Only I would get this AFTER I met the author and couldn't get it signed.

Anyways.

You guys, I feel like this is the perfect summer read. It's a sweet, light story about first love and it's just one of those stories you read to cheer up. It was like a fairy tale--something that's so sweet and a story you just want to read over and over again, but something that's 99% never going to happen. It was such a beautiful love story that I desperately wish was real!

Graham and Ellie had such developed personalities that made me love them all the more! Graham was the sweet celebrity who, in typical fashion, was tired of all the publicity, all the paparazzi, all the fame and glory. While I did say typical, we don't really have many books like that, do we? And Ellie was the small town girl (livin' in a lonely world. She took the midnight train...okay, off topic) who just wanted to stay an anonymity. I can't say why, since that's sort of a spoiler, but it's explained early on in the book!

And so, I wasn't entirely being honest about the light. We do deal with some more emotional issues, but they're far-fetched ones. They do play a role in the story though, and bring a nice bit of conflict in! (I feel sadist) I loved the flow of the story, the way it was told, all that jazz. It really was a beautiful fluff!

I was a bit confused as to why Ellie's BFF was so pissed at her though. I mean, everyone keeps a secret, and the emails were something personal to Ellie. I didn't see WHY Quinn was so angry! Or why she was angry that Ellie was surprised about Quinn and Devon, especially after Quinn made fun of Devon before. Quinn was a...rather awkward character.

Seriously, perfect summer read! Especially beach-side with ice cream. Really. And if you're a fan of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, you're going to love This is What Happy Looks Like! (Which is the perfect title.)

Oh. And favorite quote?

"Nothing's all that scary if you can see it coming."

I'm a fan of the deep and meaningful quotes. (I slap them on my wall. Makes a giant collage)

Pages: 416

Genre: Contemporary

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Poppy

Release Date: April 2, 2013

Rating: 4.5--> 4 stars

Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland

Goodreads Blurb

For Cricket Thompson, a summer like this one will change everything. A summer spent on Nantucket with her best friend, Jules Clayton, and the indomitable Clayton family. A summer when she’ll make the almost unattainable Jay Logan hers. A summer to surpass all dreams.
Some of this turns out to be true. Some of it doesn’t. 
When Jules and her family suffer a devastating tragedy that forces the girls apart, Jules becomes a stranger whom Cricket wonders whether she ever really knew. And instead of lying on the beach working on her caramel-colored tan, Cricket is making beds and cleaning bathrooms to support herself in paradise for the summer.
But it’s the things Cricket hadn’t counted on--most of all, falling hard for someone who should be completely off-limits--that turn her dreams into an exhilarating, bittersweet reality.
A beautiful future is within her grasp, and Cricket must find the grace to embrace it. If she does, her life could be the perfect shade of Nantucket blue.

Nantucket Blue arrived right when I was aching for a fluff, so the timing was absolutely impeccable. And the best part about it? I loved the book.

Just to get it out of the way, my one problem was with our main character. While completely real with her own flaws and misconceptions, she was a bit annoying to me. She interfered with almost everything, even if she did have good intentions. Whether it was with her mom's love life or barging onto an island and her friend's vacay (when clearly she wasn't wanted) it annoyed me so much. And then she did such drastic things for a crush. Maybe it's because I never had a serious crush, but...I didn't like how desperate she seemed sometimes. And I also felt she apologized when the other person should've--maybe it's just me though! I did love her determination and her development as the story progressed though.

But oh, I did love all these other complex characters. Some of them had surprisingly deep layers that I loved and they were absolutely hilarious at times! They're easy to relate to characters who were so real--the whole story was. There were these people who twined with each others' lives and left just as quickly as they came, and I loved that because that's just how life is! And the resolution was another favorite of mine--they didn't all come together into one gigantic ending. It was pretty open-ended and I loved it. There were so many possibilities! But even if I am a fan of open-ended stories, I really wish we could've had an epilogue of some kind--just for a little closure?

The romance was so adorable--that's all I can say. Okay, maybe it has more to do with the absolutely adorable and cute love interest, but still. In these kinds of books, we always know that the main character falls for someone else...but I really don't want to say who. Just know that he's sweet and romantic and so hilarious sometimes.

The writing was definitely one of the strong points too! The setting was beautifully described, taking us right to Nantucket. Not only that, the relationships were, by far, one of my favorite parts. They were like the characters--flawed, sometimes broken, real, and layered. Whether it was familial, friendship, or romance, they were all amazing to read and just made everything so much better!

Filled with laughs and sighs, Nantucket Blue is one of those books absolutely perfect for the beach side! (The first inside pages even match the sand!) It's a wonderful debut that definitely makes you realize that you're in charge of you're own life and that you have to be the one to guide yourself.

Pages: 304
Genre: Contemporary/Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Rating: 3.5-->4 stars

Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith

Goodreads Blurb

Things you earnestly believe will happen while your parents are away:

1. You will remember to water the azaleas.

2. You will take detailed, accurate messages.

3. You will call your older brother, Denny, if even the slightest thing goes wrong.

4. You and your best friend/bandmate Lukas will win Battle of the Bands.

5. Amid the thrill of victory, Lukas will finally realize you are the girl of his dreams.

Things that actually happen:

1. A stranger calls who says he knew your sister.

2. He says he has her stuff.

3. What stuff? Her stuff.

4. You tell him your parents won’t be able to—

5. Sukey died five years ago; can’t he—

6. You pick up a pen.

7. You scribble down the address.

8. You get on your bike and go.

9. Things . . . get a little crazy after that.*

*also, you fall in love, but not with Lukas.

Both exhilarating and wrenching, Hilary T. Smith’s debut novel captures the messy glory of being alive, as seventeen-year-old Kiri Byrd discovers love, loss, chaos, and murder woven into a summer of music, madness, piercing heartbreak, and intoxicating joy.

Wild Awake was a...memorable book. It was interesting and I'm not quite sure how to write this review! I had a ton of mixed feelings about it and this book was like a roller coaster--wait. Isn't that how you describe a relationship? But it's an apt description. I would adore it one moment, hate it another, find it disgusting, go back to loving it, then starting to cry. It was weird, and I don't think I've ever felt this many emotions in a book before!

This story deals with a lot of issues and has that gritty feel to it. Kiri is all but abandoned, her sister dead, her dream boyfriend not interested, her brother estranged, and her parents leaving her alone for six whole weeks. There's a sense of loneliness around our character and she was far from perfect--she was flawed and had scars all over (in the metaphorical sense), but she was real and she was hurt. While I enjoyed her sarcasm and her own way of understanding heartbreaking and sorrowful things, she did get annoying whenever she gave up and drank, or did drugs, or anything like that. She was horrible as a person and I hated what she did a lot of times. She was pathetic at times, but other times, she was so...understanding and almost sweet.

I loved the romance in the book. In a lot of ways it reminded me of What Happens Next--so perfectly imperfect and so bittersweet. Kiri and Skunk both had their issues and they were both in desperate need of one another. And I found it so perfect how it was Kiri's dead sister who brought them together in a way. Almost like she was looking after Kiri even then, which is really just me being all Happy-Ever-After, but I'll stick with it.

But as much as it was great and amazing, it was horrible too. What couple, who lost one of their daughters, would let their only other daughter stay home alone for 6 weeks? What girl would visit a virtual stranger at near midnight? There were so many stupid decisions in this, but it was riveting at the same time. There was a lot of drinking and drugs and partying going on that made me want to smack my head--a lot of times, Kiri ended up being stoned in important scenes. The ending was just so awkward and I honestly didn't get it and I felt like there were a ton of questions left unanswered and there were so many abrupt scenes that just ended.

Wild Awake is a gritty book that made my heart race and mouth drop open in shock. But it was also one that made me want to hit something and just shake my head in pity. Wild Awake was unbelievable, in one word. Good or bad, I can't say. Though I'm almost 75% sure it's good.

Pages: 400
Genre: Mature/Contemporary
Series: Stand alone
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: May 28, 2013
Rating: UNKOWN

OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu

Goodreads Blurb

When Bea meets Beck, she knows instantly that he's her kind of crazy. Sweet, strong, kinda-messed-up Beck understands her like no one else can. He makes her feel almost normal. He makes her feel like she could fall in love again. 
But despite her feelings for Beck, Bea can't stop thinking about someone else: a guy who is gorgeous and magnetic... and has no idea Bea even exists. But Bea knows a ton about him. She spends a lot of time watching him. She has a journal full of notes. Some might even say she's obsessed. 
Bea tells herself she's got it all under control, but this isn't a choice, it's a compulsion. The truth is, she's breaking down... and she might end up breaking her own heart.

This was, in all honesty, very disappointing to me. I mean, it sounded amazing, but actually reading it...well, it fell flat. 

Even though this is technically a YA book, I honestly don't feel as if many teens will enjoy this novel. It was...I'll be blunt: it was like reading an autobiography and I honestly don't enjoy those. I think my problem with this was the issues that are in this book. I have nothing against people with OCD, but I really don't enjoy reading about it. And...I really didn't think that was what this book would be about. I imagined something emotional and gritty, but this...I don't think it was quite what I was looking for.

Our main character, Bea, is a certified stalker. Of a guy who's 10 years older than her and married. She listens in on his therapy sessions and jots down the entire conversation in a notebook and pretty much drives to his apartment complex he shares with his wife. And stares at his window. She can't drive without driving back to make sure she hasn't run over someone and scared that she might stab someone. What? I absolutely LOATHED this idea. I'm not saying I hate people with this kind of problem...but reading this is really NOT my thing. 

When the synopsis described Beck as "kinda-messed-up" I thought maybe a guy with some family issues. And that's true, in a sense. Beck is addicted to working out. As in, working out for 8 hours straight and OCD in the way that he washes his hands every time he touches someone and does everything in 8's. He washes his hands 8 times, he taps his fingers 8 times, he showers for 8 or 88 minutes, can't send a text without texting 8 times, etc. It was...honestly, ridiculous. But why 8? Well, I guess I won't spoil that right now.

So, yeah, the characters had their issues, but the characters didn't just seem real, they seemed like people who would, quite honestly, freak me out a bit. I feel so bad saying that, but she's a stalker! 

Not only that, but this was so incredibly slow. There really weren't any giant twists or anything, and the only thing interesting that caught my attention was near the end and lasted about 5 pages before fizzling out. I can't really hate this book since this book didn't really evoke any strong feelings from me. I read it...and barely had any emotion, really. 

Other than that, I can't really explain how much I didn't like this, but...you guys. It was bad. And it's possibly one of the worst books I've read, no matter how much I wish I didn't have to say that. I wouldn't recommend it at all, but then again, maybe I was just the wrong person to read it? 

Pages: 352

Genre: Contemporary

Series: Stand alone

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: July 23, 2013

Rating: .5--->1 star

White Lines by Jennifer Banash

Goodreads Blurb

Seventeen-year-old Cat is living every teenager’s dream: she has her own apartment on the Lower East Side and at night she’s club kid royalty, guarding the velvet rope at some of the hottest clubs in the city. The night with its crazy, frenetic, high-inducing energy—the pulsing beat of the music, the radiant, joyful people and those seductive white lines that can ease all pain—is when Cat truly lives. But her daytime, when real life occurs, is more nightmare than dream. Having spent years suffering her mother’s emotional and physical abuse, and abandoned by her father, Cat is terrified and alone—unable to connect to anyone or anything. But when someone comes along who makes her want to truly live, she’ll need to summon the courage to confront her demons and take control of a life already spinning dangerously out of control. 

I never am good with gritty books, really. I honestly find it completely ridiculous how characters in these books run run away, do drugs, or just become antisocial because of their troubles. But then, I'm so young I barely know anything about real problems. I think this book made me rethink my stand on this. My thoughts on the ridiculousness, that is.

White Lines...it's one of those books that, while isn't literary-perfect, it still manages to pull on you somewhat. Cat's hasn't had the easiest life. Her mother abused her, her father doesn't seem to care, and she's practically alone in the world. All she knows now is partying, but how far is she willing to go for a little thrill that only holds empty promises?

I'll definitely give it to Banash, she knows how to capture the gritty world of downtown. Almost everything is messed up and throughout the book, things are just slowly, slowly, spiraling down for Cat. She's not a smart character and she copes with her problems in the worst ways possible. She's completely f*cked up, and she has her ups and downs. She's so shockingly real. She tries to cope, and tries to escape, and that's a bit familiar, isn't it? Giovanni, Alexa, everyone. They may not be model characters, but they were fleshed out well enough.

I almost never talk about the writing style, but I have to. It was just gorgeous. The prose told the story beautifully and it was easy to understand. It was stunning writing and I definitely love Jennifer Banash's style. There's just a certain feel to it that makes you fall in love.

The plot was slow at times, though, and I almost put it down maybe halfway in? It definitely got more interesting later on for me, and I was aching to know how this sad story would end. And...wow, did it end. It almost felt too...not fitting. How (SPOILER. SORT OF) everything just fell into a sort of happy ever after. (END)

The romance also seemed to come out of nowhere and didn't seem to really...advance the plot as much as I thought it should've. So there was that.

All in all, I'd recommend it for fans of historical fiction, especially Out of the Easy by Ruta Septys, or Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith if you've had the luck of reading that early!

Pages: 304
Genre: Historical/Contemporary
Series: Stand alone
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Release Date: April 4, 2013
Rating: 3.5 -->4 stars

Speechless by Hannah Harrington

Goodreads Blurb

Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can't keep a secret
Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed.
Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she's ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.
But there's strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way—people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she's done. If only she can forgive herself.

I was in a book slump for DAYS before I read this. I mean, I read great books, I did! But I felt detached from every single one and I wasn't as hooked as I usually am with books that had that level of action-packed. So it was pretty ironic that what broke it was a contemporary book that was more emotion than action!

"Hate is...too easy," he says.

And this was emotional. Whether you became angry with her, then sympathizing, then wanting to cry, you feel so much emotion and isn't any emotion better than devoid of any? But I've gone through a range of emotions reading this book and the internal turmoil hasn't stopped. Everything was jump started by one little slip of a drunk tongue, and all for the better. Chelsea finally knows who she is without Kristen and her label, what love is, and she finds friends who finally accept her for her. We get to experience all of that in a way that just...touches you. (Do I use that phrase a lot?)

(..) like he's so completely sure of what he's saying.

Leading us to characters. This has possibly the most dynamic character I've ever read. In the beginning I could barely stand Chelsea--she's one of those cliche popular mean girls, BFF with the Queen Bee and the biggest minion of them all. She couldn't see how she was just being used and I was so frustrated with her. But over the course of the book, she changes dramatically into a relatable character who we can understand. And even when Chelsea regretted her choice of doing the right thing, I understood her. Doing what's right is never easy, but she did it anyways. No one can blame her for having her doubts. And that's when I was sold. 

I've been dying to get my hands on Saving June for a year now, and I'm definitely getting it now that I've seen a bit of Harrington's work! Her characters are just so heartfelt and so real.

Love.

And the writing is one I can easily relate with. This is the voice of a real teenager, in all honesty--I don't know about the rest of you, but I definitely think like this at times! The voice of this story is just wonderful, and what's even more wonderful is how this story is told. 

This book is stunning in it's subtle way, exactly as it should be. And I definitely hope I read more books like this--a bit dramatic, a bit emotional, and a bit beautiful.

Love takes courage.

Pages: 288

Genre: Contemporary/Romance

Series: Stand alone

Publisher: Harlequin TEEN

Release Date: Aug. 28, 2012

Rating: 5 stars

If I Lie by Corrine Jackson

Goodreads Blurb

A powerful debut novel about the gray space between truth and perception.
Quinn’s done the unthinkable: she kissed a guy who is not Carey, her boyfriend. And she got caught. Being branded a cheater would be bad enough, but Quinn is deemed a traitor, and shunned by all of her friends. Because Carey’s not just any guy—he’s serving in Afghanistan and revered by everyone in their small, military town.
Quinn could clear her name, but that would mean revealing secrets that she’s vowed to keep—secrets that aren’t hers to share. And when Carey goes MIA, Quinn must decide how far she’ll go to protect her boyfriend…and her promise.

Oh my my my. Oh my. If I Lie was such an amazing book that, by the end of it, I had an emotional breakdown. Or, as close as you can get with a book! This book was absolutely, positively, completely heart wrenching. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there was a quality to this novel that just ripped your heart out and made you sob a waterfall. 
I'm not kidding. 

"Just leave Quinn. Nobody wants you here."

The way this story was told surprised me--we start after the big scandal and see what happened through memories. It's a great way to tell this story and somehow made an already emotional tale even more so. Part of it may be that we learn the secret early on in the book, so it wasn't really something that book had to rely on to be amazing. Oh, I don't make sense anymore do I? 

I'm bruised from the inside out.

These characters were so fleshed out and so real that it hurt sometimes. They're easy to connect to and they're wonderful characters in general. Quinn was in so much pain, but she held her head high--God, even her father seemed to hate her! I, honestly, would've blurted out the truth almost immediately, but that Quinn was strong enough to brace herself for all this...it was amazing. 
George was, by far, my favorite character. Even more so than Quinn herself! He was the only one who believed her and stuck by her and he brought a lot of dry humor when it was needed. He was definitely the father figure in this book and I adored him. He was sweet in a cranky kind of way and he just made me smile through my tears a lot of times.
"One day, people will see that about you, and you are going to knock them on their asses with how stunning you are." 

So many things happen in a book that's not really even 300 pages, so I was surprised by how...perfect it was. So many things happen, one right after another, but all of these things just kind of flow into one another and smooth each other out. I had no idea what I was crying for after a while--was it because of this? Was it because of that? Maybe both? Or this thing? They all became just...a story someone had to tell.

Sometimes a moment defines you, defines how people see you for the rest of your life.

If I Lie is a beautifully written story that will stun you. It plays on the fact that there are always two sides to every story and that sometimes you don't always know the whole story. It's a bittersweet kind of book that'll leave you in tears--joyful and mournful ones. It's just that kind of story. Whether you're a contemporary fan or not, this is definitely one you don't want to miss out on.  

Some words hit you like a tree branch slapping you in the face. And some words rip into your flesh, leaving scars so deep, they never completely fade.


Pages: 276
Genre: Contemporary
Series: Stand alone
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: Aug. 28, 2012
Rating: 7/5