Review: Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill

Synopsis:  From Goodreads, "Meet Sloane Emily Jacobs: a seriously stressed-out figure-skater from Washington, D.C., who choked during junior nationals and isn’t sure she’s ready for a comeback. What she does know is that she’d give anything to escape the mass of misery that is her life.

Now meet Sloane Devon Jacobs, a spunky ice hockey player from Philly who’s been suspended from her team for too many aggressive hip checks. Her punishment? Hockey camp, now, when she’s playing the worst she’s ever played. If she messes up? Her life will be over.

When the two Sloanes meet by chance in Montreal and decide to trade places for the summer, each girl thinks she’s the lucky one: no strangers to judge or laugh at Sloane Emily, no scouts expecting Sloane Devon to be a hero. But it didn’t occur to Sloane E. that while avoiding sequins and axels she might meet a hockey hottie—and Sloane D. never expected to run into a familiar (and very good-looking) face from home. It’s not long before the Sloanes discover that convincing people you’re someone else might be more difficult than being yourself."

Review:  In this fun story, the seemingly implausible becomes plausible.  What if you really didn't want to face a challenge that everyone expected of you and there was another person with your name and looks to take your place?  Okay.  So it seems, as I mentioned, implausible; however, in Being Sloane Jacobs, we get to run with the possibility.  One Sloane wants to escape the high pressure of figure skating, while the other thinks a break from hockey camp might be nice.  Why not just switch places?  They'll both be on ice, right?

Although it felt far-fetched at times, the story and characters were so fun that I quickly got lost in the idea and just threw that aside and went with it.  I liked these "Sloane" characters and genuinely wanted to see what this experience did for both of them.  My prejudice going into it said that I wanted Sloane Devon, the hockey player, to have some big epiphany, but Sloane Emily was interesting to watch as she went from ice skating into hockey.  I loved watching their preconceived ideas about one another crumble, while other character traits they had obviously ignored start to flourish a bit more. 

This really was a fun book.  While you felt you knew where things were headed at times, you still couldn't know for sure and had to keep flipping pages to find out.  These characters came to life and were fun to watch.  I had a great time reading this book and almost felt like I needed to go put in a good session at the gym after all their training sessions!  Thankfully, I won't need to take body slams from anyone or have to do flips on a single blade--as entertaining as that might be for anyone watching.  Overall, I have to say this was a great read.

Review: This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

Genre:  Young Adult
Published:  2 April 2013
Pages: 406 
 
Synopsis:  From Goodreads, "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?"

Review:  Jennifer E. Smith knows how to write books that grab at you and makes you love her characters.  As the writer of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, I also got sucked in and cared about her main characters and wanted to follow them through from beginning to end, regardless of how "probable" the scenario they were put in.  

In this scenario, Ellie has met a movie star through a misplaced email, only she doesn't know that he is a movie star, nor that he has suggested her hometown for their movie set.  As the filming begins in her hometown in Maine, the loneliness and desperation he feels to meet this funny girl he has been exchanging emails with over the Internet has driven him to locate her and connect in real life.   Will the variables be too much for them, and will she be able to handle all of his fame?

The premise of this story was pretty out there, but still woven together so well because the characters had such interesting and quirky back stories, that you couldn't help but keep reading. Both were so vulnerable, and in weird ways!  I guess we don't always think that the rich movie star might be lonely and seeking validation and love, but that is exactly what Graham is doing.  All he really wants is to escape his Hollywood life to spend time with a nice, regular girl like Ellie.  How is it that he ends up being the one we feel so sorry for in the end?  Yet, Ellie also has a story that tugs at your heart strings, that unfolds over the course of the story that we all come to understand why she fears getting to know Graham.  In short--it's a little scary to date a guy who has paparazzi following him.  That, I do get!

I really loved this novel, almost as much as I did Smith's The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight.  Honestly, I just really love her fresh writing style that makes you feel as though you are in the story with her characters and helps you feel what they are feeling.  The story is more than going through the motions; it is about feeling all of their joys and fears with them.  I loved these characters and thought this was a fun premise to consider "what if" you fell for a teenage movie star?  Wouldn't it just be fun to test that out and see what would happen?!?  

This was a great, fun read.  If you're looking for a fun, clean, romantic YA read--this has a bit of it all, with a surprising storyline that you haven't quite seen before.  I really enjoyed it!  It's too cute.

*FTC Disclosure:  This review was based on a library copy of the novel. 

Review: Cinders and Sapphires by Leila Rasheed

Synopsis:  From Goodreads, "One house, two worlds...

Rose Cliffe has never met a young lady like her new mistress. Clever, rich, and beautiful, Ada Averley treats Rose as an equal. And Rose could use a friend. Especially now that she, at barely sixteen, has risen to the position of ladies’ maid. Rose knows she should be grateful to have a place at a house like Somerton. Still, she can’t help but wonder what her life might have been had she been born a lady, like Ada.

For the first time in a decade, the Averleys have returned to Somerton, their majestic ancestral estate. But terrible scandal has followed Ada’s beloved father all the way from India. Now Ada finds herself torn between her own happiness and her family’s honor. Only she has the power to restore the Averley name—but it would mean giving up her one true love . . . someone she could never persuade her father to accept.

Sumptuous and enticing, the first novel in the At Somerton series introduces two worlds, utterly different yet entangled, where ruthless ambition, forbidden attraction, and unspoken dreams are hidden behind dutiful smiles and glittering jewels. All those secrets are waiting . . . at Somerton."

Review:  Set in a beautiful estate called Somerton, we are introduced to what seems to be the YA equivalent of Downton Abbey.  After what feels like a long absence from my favorite Downton characters, this was a nice return to the manners, society, and scandal that I was hankering for, all in the pages of a book.

Set around a diverse set of characters, both upstairs and downstairs, we mainly center around Rose Cliffe, who has been thrust into the role of a new ladies' maid.  She soon finds herself the center of a scandal in the home, one in which she has to dig deep to deal with.  That's not all though.  The Averley's have returned to their estate to money problems in 1910, as many other estate owners of their day, who were trying to figure out how to care for such large homes and grounds.  What were they to do with such properties and grown children who needed to be married before the scandalous word of their lack of funds got out? 

There seems to be a scandal for every single character in the novel, and a modern day solution in tow.  I won't lie when I say that I could see this being turned into a modern, melodramatic television show, made glossy and ready to roll out by the spring.  We have a love child, a gay character, a feminist, a girl who wants to marry for love, a girl who loves a man of another race.  Yes.  I get it.  Eek!  How dare they even consider being themselves!   As each of these characters rolled out though, I kept thinking, "Really? All in one family/story for that period?"  As far as a book goes, with any historical accuracy--I don't think all of these characters could possibly go as far afield as they do from the social norms and mores as are written.  However, that doesn't mean that I didn't smile and keep flipping pages.  I was interested in their stories and could still enjoy the novel and read it for its heightened, overly dramatic sensibilities. 

 Cinders and Sapphires is a really quick read and one that I rather enjoyed.  I'm not going to be referring this one out as a historical reference piece, but I will definitely share it for its fun factor.

Review: Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Let's just say that I can't believe I let a day sit between me and writing a review of this great read.  I actually tore through this one back during the school year, but my lapse in review writing made me forget to stop back in to write about it.  Since the next book is about to come out, I wanted to hurry and get a review written so I could then share this one!

Synopsis:  From Goodreads, "When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines."

Review:  Just One Day is one of those reads that you think you know what is going to happen, and then you feel a total bait and switch coming, and then you go, "Oh shoot, what in the heck just happened and when is that other book coming out?!?"  

Allyson is that American high school tourist who has had a great trip, but wants to make a real memory.  What does she do?  She sneaks off with this cute Dutch actor to Paris.  

WAIT.  The high school teacher in me literally started screaming, "What in the world are you thinking?!?" I started panicking right away and couldn't relax.  Literally.  Is this Willem some creeper who is going to steal her money and run off, leaving her in Paris to "learn how cool and independent she is there in Paris?  Is Willem going to be kind and take her around Paris to show her a nice time and deliver her safely back to London?  What was going to happen?!?  I panicked!  That, on it's own, kept me on my toes.

Listen.  It's London.  It's Paris.  How wrong can you really go with those locations?  Once you relax (or I relaxed into the story), I thought it was an amazing tale, but things go in a remarkably different direction than you initially imagine.  The story is surprising, and shocking, and stunning all at the same time.  I think that I read the last 3/4 of the book in one sitting and even choked a little tear near the end.  The trip to Europe actually only takes up the first 1/3 of the book, and then the last portion is dealing with what happens.  

For anyone that has reviewed this book, there is a huge reveal in the book that is spoiled if you say too much.  Needless to say, Allyson and Willem do part ways after Paris and you want to know what happens.  That is the crux of this book, and that is what propels the next book coming up.  There is a lot more to the story, but it is such an emotional read that you are stunned by the range that it reaches.  All I can say is GO read it.  This has been one of my favorite reads thus far this year.  I like to be surprised in good ways, and this one kept me on my toes.

Disclaimer:  There is one adult scene in Paris that some teens might be sensitive to.  I do think that the rest of the book handles it in a very adult way and does not brush it under the table.  I wanted to FYI it though for sensitive readers.

*FTC Disclosure:  This review was based on a library copy of the novel.

The next book, Just One Year, which will be Willem's story, comes out October 15th.  Let's just say that I can hardly wait!

Review: Hopeless by Coleen Hoover

Synopsis:  From Goodreads, "Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever."

Review:  In the realm of realistic, new adult fiction, this was a definite character study that I'm guessing one could be obsessive about.  There is an emotionally deep love story here, and two characters you feel you know quite well.  Sky has a past, Holder has secrets, and together they have chemistry.   But, can that mend the adult-sized drama that is unfolding?  That's the question that kept me flipping pages until I'd read the novel in one sitting.  The dramatic twists in this young/new adult tale left me feeling like the car ride I was on had dramatically left the roadway and was veering its way through alleys, side streets, and gullies.  In the beginning of the novel, it felt like other young adult stories, with the girl who meets the boy, the two become smitten and a little intrigued with one another, and then starts hanging out.  Then, she learns something shocking about her past and it takes a much more adult turn.

I really wanted to like this book, especially after the gripping reviews I'd read, but it felt overly dramatic with its many twists and turns. Honestly, I think I might just be wearing out with "wounded soul" story lines.  I did like the characters and the mysterious premise around the young relationship, but will admit to feeling worn out by all the turmoil.  Sky is a likable girl, and Holder is a smitten boy who seems almost unreal in his devotion.  Perhaps their sweet love is just too good and has to be challenged? 

Before I start talking myself in circles, I'll just sum it up.  Hopeless isn't a bad read at all.  A little adult in some of its themes and scenes, these lend it the drama that affects the characters' relationship.  Admittedly, I got sucked into the story, but also felt pretty exhausted by its twists and turns.  

*FTC Disclosure:  This review was based on a personal copy of the novel. 

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Synopsis:  From Goodreads, "Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future."

Review:  Based loosely on the Cinderella story, Cinder reminds me more of a young Anakin Skywalker for some reason, echoing a Star Wars-esqe landscape.  Set in the future, at a time when humans and machines live side by side, the idea of our main character being a mechanic doesn't seem so far fetched.  With her talents as a mechanic, she comes in contact with Prince Kai, and helps to repair machinery for the prince.  The two become friends, but he is a prince and Cinder a low-ranking mechanic.

As far as retellings go, I really worried about this one.  I didn't really want to have a step by step retelling, and Cinder really managed not to simply retell, but to re-envision.  I liked Cinder a lot and found her sweet, unassuming, and brave.  Her mechanical talents were interesting and added a certain, "I can do it on my own" sort of flavor to her personality.  Prince Kai recognizes this independence in her, which only seems to enhance her inner beauty.  Let me now forget to mention, however, that Prince Kai seems like a pretty swell guy himself.  He not only sounds handsome, but is generous and humble.  What's not to like in a person in power who seems to have missed it all going straight to his head.

The twists in this story are different enough to make it feel like a new tale.  I liked the interesting conflict that the illness that was running amok in the society created, along with the intergalactic characters who arrived to add to the tension in the story.  This really isn't what you're expecting and was pretty entertaining overall.  I really would recommend it to anyone, boy or girl, young or old.  Luckily, we can all go read the next installment, Scarlet, which is supposed to be a play on Little Red Riding Hood.  I have high hopes! 

*FTC Disclosure:  This review was based on a library copy of the novel.

Review: Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill

Weekend before last, I had a chance to dive in and finish Lauren Morrill's fun teen romance, Meant to Be.  To put it mildly, I loved it.  Maybe I'm a huge sucker for European getaways or locations, but this book really made me happy.  In short, it was just a fun, short read that checked all the boxes.

Synopsis:  From Goodreads, "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."

Review:  I can't say that I was Miss Mature-Beyond-My-Years when I was in high school, but I can say that I definitely related to the desire to achieve and keep the rules that we find in Julia.  Here she is on a spring break school trip to London, and of course, gets paired with the most obnoxious guy in her class, the guy who clowns around in every circumstance and seems to break every rule--Jason.  Why did she have to get paired with him for all of their excursions?

On their trip in London, they see plenty of famous sites, but it's what is going on in the side story that makes the trip fun.  Julia keeps getting pulled into crazy situations by Jason, breaking rules and staying out late for parties and late-night jaunts around London.  All Julia wants is to do well in the class while maybe getting noticed by the guy of her dreams or this new guy she met at a crazy party that Jason drug her to.  Why does Jason take such an interest in her love life though?  

We see a fun relationship open up between Jason and Julie, that unfolds over the course of her own interest in an anonymous texter she supposedly met at the party.  Between the flirty texts, crazy advice, and even crazier jaunts Jason takes Julia on, we start to get the hint that Jason might not be all that he puts on.  Morrill does a great job of making Jason grate on our nerves, and yet turn around and be endearing in the next breath.  He's a fallible character for sure, which matches the insecurities and unfulfilled desire to be recognized that are in Julia.  These two feel real and very much like kids you might run into on a school trip.  Because of their different strengths and weaknesses, they really help one another to grow over the course of the novel, which was fun to watch.  I wanted to see Julia gain the notice of the cuties she admired, and I wanted Jason to get to the root of what made him feel like he needed to act out.

In short, I loved this young adult read.  There is a fun storyline, relatable characters, and a bit of growth along the way.  If you want a great escape read, with characters and locations that you'd like to visit, then I really recommend you give this one a try!

*FTC Disclosure:  This review was based on a library copy of the novel. 

Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Time to get back to some reviews!  I've given up on a few, but I still have some books that I'd like to get around to sharing.  There's nothing like a Spring Break to put me back on my feet again!

Synopsis:  From Goodreads, "Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row.

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it."

Review:  At the end of 2012, I selected The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight as one of my top reads.  This was, for sure, a favorite of mine for its range of intense emotion, London setting, and likable characters.  All taking place within the course of just one day, Hadley Sullivan meets Oliver on a plane ride over from the US to London.  Hadley is not a happy camper on her journey though, as she is headed to her father's wedding to a woman who Hadley has yet to meet.  Oliver surely helps her take her mind off the journey and what waits on the other end.

I think that this story can be likened to other stories of two strangers who meet on a plane and share their lives, never to see one another again.  In this story, Hadley spills her story to Oliver, who tells bits of his own tale behind why he's heading home.  The two make a real connection, but at the terminal they head off in their own direction.  You know, however, that this can not be the end of these two characters.

This was an easy to love story, filled with emotion and well-rounded characters.  I think that Hadley's story with her father was tense and felt very real.  I wanted to like her dad and his new bride, but seeing it all through Hadley's eyes had me hating them for their insensitivity.  Her anger and sorrow at her father's choices gave the story a depth that I appreciated.  Oliver has his own back story that we learn about later.  On the whole, I think it all adds up to an angsty, romantic story that grabs you and forces you to read it all in one sitting.  What can I say?  If you want a quick, romantic read, then this is a perfect curl-up-and-read YA novel.  I can't wait to read more by Jennifer E. Smith! 

*FTC Disclosure:  This review is based on a library copy of the novel.

Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Synopsis:  From Goodreads, "In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her."

Review:  I know.  Everyone has read it already, so what took me so long?!?  Although I find myself growing tired of dystopian reads at about the rate I've grown tired of superhero flicks (which is pretty quick), this book really grabbed me and wouldn't let me go.  Beatrice, or Tris--as she's called, is a character with some serious guts.  In a society where you are to choose the faction that you will a part of for the rest of your life, Tris realizes that she don't necessarily fall into one as easily as she's been led to believe.  Sadly, Tris is not safe to reveal herself or her struggles to fit into a faction, that is until she meets another boy named Six who has equally disturbing secrets he must keep.

I'm not necessarily an action reader, but the action in this novel really kept the novel constantly moving and helped develop the relationships in the story.  In other words, it's not just action for action sake, which is good in my opinion.  There are some seriously interesting details to this world that Veronica Roth created, including a foray into your "fears" through induced dream sequences that force you to face things that frighten you, such as ways to die.  This really caused me to think about what scared me the most (hello...spiders, drowning), which then made me relate to Tris's feelings and reactions in the story.  

Since I actually read this novel and then immediately taught it in my Popular Literature course, I'd be negligent if I didn't mention the relationship with Six.  My students absolutely went nuts over it, while this I somehow just saw as another friendship/crush that's in many other books.  To my teen students it was the ultimate!  I already enjoyed the novel, but their reaction made me take another look at the "relationship" side of the story and had to smile.  Listen, who doesn't need their perspective changed even just a little?  Yes.  They helped me see more in the story than I would have originally.

Overall, I have to say that I loved Divergent and would recommend it to any of my students or friends.  The action sequences were really gut-wrenching and leave more questions in your mind than they answer.  You would think that would be annoying, but I found it made me want to keep reading.  All I can say to that is that I'm so happy that the next book, Insurgent, is already out so I can get reading!  If you haven't yet read this one, please try it now!

*FTC Disclosure:  This review was based on a personal copy of the book.