Defy

by Sara B. Larson
3/5 stars
Scholastic Press, 2014
323 pages
YA Fantasy

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Who doesn't crave a good YA fantasy every now and then? (Or more frequently?) That's what I was in the mood for when I picked up this debut and I will say that it certainly hit on some beloved tropes for me. The primary one is girl disguised as male soldier but the use of magic and the prince also had their charms.

Alexa has been in hiding as Alex for years, following the death of her parents and her decision to masquerade as a boy supported by her brother. Her options were join the king's army or his breeding houses, making the choice simple. Fortunately her spirit also led her to this work and she now serves in the prince's guard. However when a powerful sorcerer kidnaps her, the prince, and another guard, her entire world is again upended as no one is what they seem and their greatest threat may come from within.

Unfortunately the overall presentation didn't really work for me. I'm not sure if it's my mood, which has not been conducive for reading or if it's the books I'm choosing but I was decidedly not impressed. I thought the book had some intriguing moments but that the girl disguised as boy has been done better (most notably Tamora Pierce's Alanna series) and the romance that emerges did not captivate me at all (hint: it's got aspects of a love triangle though there is obviously a clear preference.) The most captivating relationship to me was between main character Alex(a) and her brother, which does not last for the entirety of the book.

As I think back on my reading experience, I am most struck by how much I had to force myself to keep reading. I could easily read just one chapter and then put the book down. When I'm engaged with a book, that is so not the case. I also saw myself losing interest the more time Alexa spent thinking about the love interests. Though her fighting is demonstrated on several occasions, it seemed overshadowed by romance in the end to my disappointment.

In conclusion, I feel like this book was partly victim to my disinclination to read but I also feel like it doesn't quite deserve a place at the top of the YA fantasy pantheon anyway. Read it if you absolutely love the genre and tropes presented but I don't think it's a must-read by any means.

If you have read this book, what do you think? Was I just in a crabby mood and unable to appreciate this book's charms?

ARC Review: Grandmaster

by David Klass
4/5 stars
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2014
227 pages
YA Contemporary
Scheduled to release February 25

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Whew-who would have thought the world of chess could be so traumatizing and draining? I sure didn't when I picked up this book. Last week I featured Grandmaster in my Waiting on Wednesday post highlighting its unique focus on chess, something I don't remember seeing covered in a YA title before.

The plot is very simple. Daniel is a newbie in chess club who is recruited to participate at an elite Father-Son tournament with the senior captains because his father Morris is a grandmaster, completely unbeknownst to Daniel himself. The pair attends, digging up repressed memories and regrets while making new memories and bonding with each other.

As I said, I was amazed by how stressful chess can apparently be. The members of each team play five games with their rank constantly being assessed and updated, fluctuating every time as the mighty and overconfident fall and the humble and clever prevail. Daniel, despite being a virtual newbie, manages to eke out a few wins but the stress his father pushes himself through overshadows all. This was what I found so striking. It seems as if sitting and concentrating so intently are far more dangerous than I would have assumed, leading to neurotic breaks and seriously unhappy lives. Morris got out as a child and hid that side of himself from his wife, searching for a peaceful life with a spouse, children, and a steady predictable income. Playing these games against those eager for blood pushes him almost past the breaking point.

Though the father's dark journey plays an important role, it is counterbalanced by some lighter teenage moments. Daniel is a freshman and supremely awkward yet he manages to navigate a new relationship while the two older boys have challenging relationships with their own demanding fathers contrasting with Morris' more low-key approach. I'll admit that I preferred these lighter moments needing them to make it through Morris' demons.

Overall: An intriguing psychological novel that has several unique touches setting it apart from other titles on the shelf: the strong father-son relationship, a relatively compressed time frame as we cover just a weekend, and of course the chess angle. I would probably recommend this solely to fans of contemporary titles rather than those who lean more toward fantasy.

Anyone But You

by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes
4/5 stars
Merit Press, 2014
222 pages
YA Contemporary Retelling

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Last year I had the pleasure of reviewing the first two books in the Twisted Lit series, Tempestuous and Exposure, which tackled Shakespeare's plays "The Tempest" and "Macbeth" respectively. They made me wish I was more familiar with the source material so I was pleased that this third book was inspired by "Romeo and Juliet" because that is one play I know very well and I feel like the opposing feuds can translate into a modern context well.

As I suspected, the antipathy between the two families (rendered here as the Caputos and the Montes) was strong and fairly popped off the page. However in this retelling, we get a peek at the origin of the feud in alternating flashback chapters. Personally I found those historical chapters more engaging than the contemporary love story-we get a peek at a World's Fair, Pearl Harbor, and one character manages to survive a Japanese prison camp. The origins of the feud aren't particularly engaging but the ending chapters where a participant comes to grips with his pointless anger are incredibly touching.

I found ostensible main character Gigi to be a bit dull and her romance with Roman is love at first sight with what felt like insufficient meat to justify their relationship and the drive they have to end the feud to celebrate their love openly. Maybe I would have liked it more if I hadn't been comparing it to the historical chapters, which packed more of a punch for me. The comparable Paris character is a real creep, adding a new twist to this old story and the outside confessors Gigi appeals to were incredibly appealing (I suggest Chef and Carmen are similar to Juliet's Nurse and Friar Lawrence in the original play).

What this book excelled at for me was highlighting the pointlessness of carrying a grudge. The character who does comes to regret it immensely especially the damage it has wrought on several generations. It is to be hoped that future generations can heal and bring their families together to overcome the tragic rift.

Overall: Another strong entry in the Twisted Lit series and I bet it will prove to be a popular one due to its "Romeo and Juliet" inspiration.

ARC Review: Something Real

by Heather Demetrios
3.5/5 stars
Henry Holt and Co, 2014
403 pages
YA Contemporary
Scheduled to release February 4, 2014

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I believe this book caught my attention because of its unusual synopsis which had the trademark symbol after the main character's name. What was going on with that? Then there was the fact that it looked to be exploring the psychological effects of reality shows. Though the closest I get to reality TV now is watching the mocking The Soup, for some reason I find it difficult to resist books that feature them.

In this case, Bonnie™ Benton has grown up in front of television cameras; in fact she was born on film, the only one of her twelve siblings to be so. She has two older siblings and the rest are younger, adopted from around the world due to her mother's desire to have a baker's dozen of children and the muscle and money of corporation MetaReel who have subsequently filmed every year of Bonnie™'s life until her thirteenth year when her suicide attempt shut production down. However it has been four years and they're restarting it to Bonnie™'s intense dislike. Her struggle to cope and escape from the hell of this filming comprises the narrative of this novel.

The book actually opens with Bonnie™incognito as Chloe tense over something as seemingly simple as getting a yearbook photo taken because of her years in the spotlight. This anxiety only increases when she discovers that the reality show is starting up again much to the delight of her mother, stepfather, fame-seeking older sister, and the younger kids. The only one who seems to understand is her beloved older brother Benton™who has his own reasons for wanting to stay off camera (underaged Benny drinks and smokes and is gay with a very much in the closet boyfriend.) Adding to her angst is a blossoming romance with Patrick, her long-time crush who she doesn't think will want to be a part of the media frenzy that is her life.

One element I thought was handled very well was the growing up as one of thirteen children. Because most of them are so young, we really only get to see Benton™, Lexie™, and Bonnie™(all seniors) express themselves and I could not name the rest of the children but the chaos of such a life is well conveyed. At one point Chloe/Bonnie™remarks that such an upbringing is excellent birth control and I must agree. I was also pleased with how Chloe and Lexie™bond and move toward rapprochement after years of tension. I guess in general I just loved the relationships between the siblings.

I also appreciated the exploration of growing up on camera (particularly apt as I just saw the People magazine about Kate Gosselin and her twin daughters-what is life going to be like for them as they get older?) I highly value my privacy (notice how I don't tend to share that much about my life? Of course I'm also pretty dull so there's that too :) and can't imagine being on camera that much in addition to having it broadcast for millions of people to see. 

In the end, I feel like I should be rating this book higher but I'm just not passionate about it. There are so many great points: beyond the aforementioned investigation into a highly relevant issue and the complex family relationships explored, there are two great romances, some strong friendships, and some plot twists. But I am not left with the urge to push it on people. You can't click with everything you read and that is the case for me with this book.

Diamonds and Deceit

by Leila Rasheed
4/5 stars
Hyperion, 2014
424 pages
YA Historical Drama

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Who had forgotten almost everything that happened in Cinders and Sapphires? This girl! What I remembered most vividly was Lady Ada and her affection for Indian Ravi, a love rendered impossible by their vastly different stations in life. I personally found it baffling as I never thought the reader got enough insight into their relationship to care about them but apparently something about the romance made it stick in my brain (probably my irritation at it.)

Thus I opened this book and panicked over my inability to remember the important characters, let alone their complicated relationships to each other. Luckily as I kept reading most everything came back and was further elaborated upon. As before Ada and Rose are our protagonists, navigating a difficult season with romantic complications. Ada continues to be in love with someone who would be deemed unsuitable (and who I think is dull) and Rose struggles with prejudice against her background. Meanwhile we also jump around to peek at the various other characters, both upper-class and servant, that surround these young women. Disappointingly we don't get very much about Sebastian and his romantic travails nor did I feel that women's suffrage played the role it did in Cinders and Sapphires. Furthermore I didn't really like any of the characters tending to find most of them petty; however this was balanced by the writing which completely sparked with me and found me flying through the pages.

I think the ending was my favorite part as it really got my heart pounding because (finally) England has declared war on Germany, meaning that book three is going to reveal a huge shake-up. I don't know what characters will be sent to fight, who might volunteer to nurse or what but it's going to bring big changes to daily life for the lords, ladies, and servants.

Taste of Darkness

by Maria V. Snyder
4/5 stars
Harlequin Mira, 2013
458 pages
Adult Fantasy Romance

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've eagerly followed Snyder across many worlds including the one of this Healer series and while I adore her introductions and the exciting worlds they set up, I've tended to have problems with the second book and especially with the conclusion. Thus it was no surprise that I adored Touch of Power and had some reservations about Scent of Magic. I hoped this finale would be the one to prove me wrong though. And happily it was as I felt this was a very strong conclusion to the Healer trilogy.

At first I worried. I didn't really remember what had happened at the end of the second book and basically the only two people I remembered were main character healer Avry and her lover Kerrick. Many of the other names mentioned flustered me but thankfully as I kept reading, most of the characters came back to me especially the lovable jokers who have been present in this series from the start.

I can't go too in-depth for fear of spoilers so I will just mention some elements that seem notable. For instance I think I can reference two moments that had a big impression on me. One is when Avry sets out to do something small and ends up doing something much bigger that has huge repercussions on Prince Ryne's mission. The other is Avry getting entangled with cannibals. The former was more of a fist-pumping moment while the latter horrified me for obvious reasons.

One of the biggest threads for the book has been Avry's connection with the evil Tohon. I'm not sure I liked the way it was handled as I have been consistently uncomfortable with the manipulations he performs on her, making it difficult for me to read some sections. In this case I thought the final confrontation with him was a bit easy though the very last pages made up for it presenting me with just the ending I wanted.

Another point to mention is that Scent of Magic left me disappointed with the separation of Avry and Kerrick. These two certainly do not live in easy times so it is certainly no surprise that they don't get to spend nearly enough time together in this book but what parts they did were intensely romantic. I really wanted them to get a happy ending :)

Overall I think this has been Snyder's strongest trilogy throughout and I am eager to see what she has in store for us next!

ARC Review: Going Rogue

by Robin Benway
3.5/5 stars
Walker Childrens, 2014
320 pages
YA Contemporary Caper
Scheduled to release January 14

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was absolutely enchanted by last year's Also Known As and was thrilled to continue the series with this sequel. There are two big changes for this go-around: Maggie's best friend Roux and boyfriend Jesse know about her life as a spy and the Collective are no longer the good guys Maggie always thought they were with everyone becoming a potential enemy.

For me this book was split in to two parts though not formally. In the first half, Maggie is learning about the threat to her way of life and continuing to adjust to outsiders knowing about her and in the second half, everyone is on the run. I far preferred the second half as things actually were happening. The first part still had the same engaging writing that I expected in this series but it took so long to build to anything. Instead Maggie is having arguments with Jesse and Roux as well as her parents and though Angelo is positioned as a good guy, I was getting some sketchy vibes from him. Previously people who were thought to be trustworthy were proved otherwise and I didn't want that to be the case for Angelo (I'm not going to spoil you about where his loyalties lie.) There were some great moments when Maggie dives back into the spy's life including having to stay frozen for hours in a bad guy's apartment but mostly I was waiting for something exciting to happen.

The second part seemed significantly shorter though I didn't keep track of the page count. This is when Maggie, Roux, and Jesse go on the run, ending up in Paris and falling in with a whole new crew. We did not get to spend much time with these people so I don't really have an opinion about them at this time. They seemed okay but I liked Maggie's high school hijinks more and wasn't interested in meeting so many new people this late in the game. Also I may be a bit paranoid but I kept suspecting them of nefarious motives as well.

Overall I didn't feel the two parts cohered well together as each gave me a fairly different tone. I am definitely less enthusiastic about this second installment than I was about its predecessor. This book just seemed a bit on the slow side for me and I wanted more excitement throughout.

Being Sloane Jacobs

by Lauren Morrill
3.5/5 stars
Delacorte BFYR, 2014
352 pages
YA Contemporary Comedy

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly I was not that into Morrill's debut Meant to Be because while the cover was gorgeous, I found the male love interest unbelievably annoying and the plot pushed situations so far beyond the point of believability. Though I suspected the latter would be the case here, I still had to give it a try because I'm such a sucker for switching places books.

And I was not disappointed! Though many of the events of this book struck me as ridiculously implausible, within the context of this book everything seemed to flow. What we have are two young women sharing the same name and skills in ice-skating who coincidentally meet and spontaneously decide to switch places until circumstances catch up and they have to face the music.

Our first Sloane (Emily) Jacobs is extraordinarily privileged with a senator father, a mother committed to maintaining their picture perfect lifestyle, and an older brother who has laid the groundwork for rebellion. She is attempting to rejoin the world of competitive figure skating after a humiliating failure years earlier and is on her way to train more. Her life is not as perfect as it would seem though and she jumps at the chance to be someone else.

The second Sloane (Devon) Jacobs was raised under more financially straitened circumstances with most of the family's money going toward her alcoholic mother's rehab, enhancing the need for a hockey scholarship that may be difficult to achieve when she can't force herself to take a shot at the goal. She also has anger management problems that get her sent to a hockey camp for the summer allowing her to meet Sloane Emily and for them to switch places.

I don't know much about ice skating but I suspect that there's a lot more to both sports than could be easily learned in the time frame they have. Still I went with the premise that many skills were transferable and I liked the moments of panic each girl had when faced with something she wasn't expecting. In neat moments, the girls encounter parallel experiences, each facing a competitor, falling for a new love interest, and running up against challenges at the same time. These mirrored experiences nicely reflect each other as we alternate between the girls' narration.

Though I didn't anticipate being surprised, I was at how early their charade was discovered and enjoyed seeing them wrap everything up. The consequences for their deceit are rather minor in my opinion but I was so charmed by the basic plot and getting to read about their ice skating abilities and travails that I can overlook that.

Overall I would recommend this book to fans of movies like "The Parent Trap" and "The Cutting Edge" as it seems to owe a bit of a debt to both while still bringing its own modern edge and twist.

ARC Review: Heartbeat

by Elizabeth Scott
5/5 stars
Harlequin Teen, 2014
233 pages
YA Contemporary
Scheduled to release January 28, 2014

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have read and loved every Elizabeth Scott novel that has been released so far so it was hard for me that this book was pushed back from an earlier 2013 release. Luckily I managed to score an early copy and sneak it in to my reading schedule before the official release.

Going in, I didn't really know what to expect other than that it is a contemporary. I had decided to treat myself by reading just a few pages as a teaser but soon myself through 20% of the book. I had to charge my e-reader then but quickly returned to finish this book. It was a struggle because despite this book's brevity, it packs quite an emotional punch.

Main character Emma visits her mother every day in the hospital accompanying her stepfather Dan in these tragic circumstances. These are made more so by the fact that her mother is essentially dead and is being kept alive in order to preserve the life of the baby inside her, a decision that Emma believes Dan made solely to beget his progeny and in complete defiance of what Emma's mother would have wanted. The loss of her mother has sent Emma deep into herself; the girl formerly on track for valedictorian is now failing all of her classes, speaks just to her best friend Olivia, and cannot fathom forgiving Dan for his egregious betrayal. However bad boy Caleb starts to catch her eye as she realizes that he is also sinking in grief. Together these two broken people may be able to continue to face the day.

Sadly I don't really have the words to sum up the experience of reading this other than to start with "intense." Emma is so sad and so angry and it is painful to read much of the time. I've been very blessed in this arena and don't have any experiences to compare but just reading about her pain was emotionally difficult. I thought Scott did an excellent job of varying the descriptors and bringing out all the facets of Emma's emotions-she's never just sad or angry or regretful but all of these and so much more over the course of the book.

One element that made me especially happy was Emma's commitment to being a good friend to Olivia and to celebrate her normality like when the boy Olivia likes likes her back! This is explicitly represented in the book and it made me happy as I've read in the blogosphere and observed myself in books how sometimes the main character just completely shuts out her best friend or doesn't even have them before being brought into a supernatural world by the hero. This book defies that stereotype.

Though there is a dreamy boy (Caleb is definitely a ten!), his emotional presence plays the biggest role for Emma here. He has also experienced death and the pall grief casts over a family so he is able to fully empathize with Emma here and be a suitable partner. Though I prefer Will in Perfect You, Caleb is a perfect match for Emma.

Overall: A heartwrenching novel about an incredibly difficult period in one's life; beautifully written.

Be sure to come back in January as I will be hosting a giveaway to coincide with the release date!

Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend

by Allison Rushby
3.5/5 stars
Allison Rushby, 2013
138 pages
YA Contemporary

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have enjoyed some other books by Rushby so I was intrigued to discover that she had written a book about a heroine obsessed with Marilyn Monroe. Though I'm not a big Monroe fan, I do enjoy many of her films and I understand the magnetism that continues to draw people to her even half a century after her death.

In this book, thirteen year-old Nessa Joanne Mulholland is boarding a cruise ship with her sociologist father for him to conduct interviews and further his research. This setting reminds her of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and miraculously movie star Holly Isles catches on to her quoting of the film, leading to Nessa thinking that they have a connection. To strengthen that relationship, Nessa starts giving Holly relationship advice to aid in finding the Perfect Man and meddles to an extraordinary degree with more than a few lies thrown on to the fire.

So many of Nessa's actions left me cringing! Since she is the narrator, I could see how she acted from a place of good intentions. But she was manipulative and lying (in particular about her age, giving it as sixteen; I can't imagine being mistaken for sixteen when I was thirteen, I still tend to get seventeen/eighteen as a twenty-four year old) and I knew nothing good comes of that for book characters. Luckily this is played as a comedy and everything turns toward a happily ever after with two more books to come, allowing Nessa to fully relish her Marilyn indulgence. It's pretty predictable; as Nessa tries to script a similar outcome as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, the reader is likely to notice a love story blossoming that she overlooks.

However the characters are sweet and endearing. If you're looking for a cute contemporary, this might fit the bill especially if you're a Marilyn fan as well!

Blog Tour: Ink is Thicker Than Water + Giveaway

I am so pleased to be a stop for Ink is Thicker Than Water by Amy Spalding as arranged by Rockstar Book Tours. This tour runs from November 25th through December 6th so be sure to check out the other sites (and enter the giveaway!)


Ink is Thicker Than Water by Amy Spalding
4/5 stars
Entangled Teen, 2013
320 pages
YA Contemporary

Source: Received a copy through tour and also through Netgalley.

Publisher Description: For Kellie Brooks, family has always been a tough word to define. Combine her hippie mom and tattooist stepdad, her adopted overachieving sister, her younger half brother, and her tough-love dad, and average Kellie’s the one stuck in the middle, overlooked and impermanent. When Kellie’s sister finally meets her birth mother and her best friend starts hanging with a cooler crowd, the feeling only grows stronger.

But then she reconnects with Oliver, the sweet and sensitive college guy she had a near hookup with last year. Oliver is intense and attractive, and she’s sure he’s totally out of her league. But as she discovers that maybe intensity isn’t always a good thing, it’s yet another relationship she feels is spiraling out of her control.

It’ll take a new role on the school newspaper and a new job at her mom’s tattoo shop for Kellie to realize that defining herself both outside and within her family is what can finally allow her to feel permanent, just like a tattoo.

Find it: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Goodreads

After enjoying Spalding's debut The Reece Malcolm List, I knew I'd want to read more especially if they were going to be similarly comedic. I was pleased that I was able to connect so easily with both heroines as family plays an important role for each just as it always has for me. That was definitely my favorite aspect. Kellie as a young person is still very much struggling to find her place and to define her talents especially in comparison to her seemingly perfect older sister and her super adorable younger brother. In her mind, she doesn't seem to fit in or stand out in any discernible fashion but over the course of the novel, she discovers more about her own unique talents and place in the family.

Of special interest to me was the relationship with her sister. I've mentioned countless times that I'm a sucker for sister-sister stories being an older sister myself. This one is on the more complicated side as older sister Sara is adopted and, having turned 18, is connecting with her adoptive mother and exploring other facets of herself in a way that leaves behind Kellie. I found this distance heartbreaking to read about and it just made me want to go hug my sister (though I get that feeling a lot like when I saw Frozen for example :)

I felt a bit disappointed with the other relationships mentioned in the synopsis though. Best friend Kaitlyn just seems to drift away from Kellie in an inexplicable fashion and I thought Oliver was going to be much crazier (a la Oliver Trask from "The O.C." perhaps?) or maybe he would become an abusive boyfriend. Nothing so dramatic, fitting for this more quiet contemporary but a bit of a letdown to me when I wanted something bigger and more explosive. Instead it is very realistic and for that reason, probably more relatable to a wider range of readers.

Overall: A contemporary deeply focused on relationships and finding your place that should appeal to many readers.


About Amy:

Amy Spalding grew up in St. Louis, but now lives in the better weather of Los Angeles. She received a B.A. in Advertising & Marketing Communications from Webster University, and currently works as the Digital Media Planner for an independent film advertising agency. Amy studied longform improv at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, and can be seen performing around L.A.

Photo by Jessie Weinberg.

For more about Amy be sure to read the F.A.Q.

Website/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads

Other Tour Stops:
Week One:
11/25/2013- The Bookmark Blog
11/26/2013- Donnie Darko Girl
11/27/2013- Reading the Best of the Best
11/28/2013- She Dreams in Fiction
11/29/2013- My Reading Room

Week Two:
12/2/2013- YA Story Teller
12/3/2013- LeAnn's Book Reviews
12/4/2013- Bookish Things & More
12/5/2013- Bookworm1858
12/6/2013- The Irish Banana Review

GIVEAWAY:
Two winners will receive a copy of Ink is Thicker Than Water (US only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ARC Review: These Broken Stars

by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
4/5 stars
Hyperion, 2013
374 pages
YA Science-Fiction Romance
Scheduled to release December 10

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I picked up this book, not having much knowledge about its contents but having seen a lot of hype around it. Most of my blogging friends have been very impressed with the story and this left me optimistic about my experience reading it.

For the most part, that was an accurate assessment. The beginning chapter gave me such a strong Titanic vibe in the best way possible as I have quite the weak spot for rich girl/poor boy fighting against circumstances. Tarver Merendsen has made good, rising from an average background to become a major at the young age of 18. He has endured brutal trainings and postings to make it this far. Lilac LaRoux is the spoiled beloved daughter and only living relation of the richest man in the universe. The two have nothing in common but must learn to work together when they are stranded with only each other for resource.

I guess I've been in a romantic mood lately because the relationship between the two characters is what really resonated for me. Tarver and Lilac have an immediate attraction but it seems destined not to be. Lilac nurses the knowledge that her father sent her first love off to be killed and has resolved not to let anyone get close again. She purposefully pushes Tarver with her acid tongue. Meanwhile he felt something with her but soon assesses her as just a spoiled princess until their time together shows hidden depths for both and allows their love to flourish. Basically I just relaxed in the feels from this couple especially when their relationship gets intense though I can't provide more detail without spoilers.

A surprise for me was how much I enjoyed their trek. I don't think I tend to like books where they fight for survival but either I do or this is an exception. Tarver is the trained soldier so for the most part he handles their survival but Lilac is stubborn, a fast learner, and a mechanical genius so together their skills are complementary and bring out each other's best.

Something I love is that this is the first in a series of companion novels with the characters united against a common enemy. I believe that enemy is introduced in this book and given his relationship to our characters here, it gives me hope that they will pop up in future installments.

In the end, I'm not quite as enthusiastic about this book as others because it seemed to lack that extra spark for me. I thought the writing moved apace and was easy to follow. I especially appreciated the dual narration, one of my favorite techniques, with Tarver and Lilac each having a distinct voice. But there wasn't enough danger early on (beyond a giant cat attacking Lilac) and then the ending didn't feel very concrete and final. Though it's not the end of the series, it is the end of focusing on Lilac and Tarver (to my understanding) and I wanted a bigger bang.

Cover: Love it-pretty dress and fairly accurate though I imagined Lilac's dress slightly less voluminous plus the stars are so gorgeous.

Other Opinions:
Beauty and the Bookshelf
In Bed With Books
Jen Ryland/YA Romantics
Love is not a triangle
The Flyleaf Review
The Midnight Garden

When I'm With You

by Cecilia Gray
4/5 stars
Gray Life, L.L.C., 2012
124 pages
YA Contemporary Austen

Source: Received an e-copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I decided to end this month on a comforting note, tackling Gray's contemporary twists on Austen novels with the additional bonus of her throwing all six heroines together as each gets her own book but all linked together by the Jane Austen Academy. This book does things a bit differently as main character Kat spends hardly any time at school or with the other girls, mirroring Catherine's travel and isolation in Northanger Abbey. I wasn't sure about that change but I think this ended up being my favorite yet!

In comparison to the first two novels, this really only focuses on one heroine in the person of actress Kat who is finally getting her shot at stardom by serving as Josh Wickham's personal assistant on the set of his latest film. This ends up giving her a role as an extra, subjects her to some scheming, and introduces her to love interest Henry. I was skeptical about leaving campus but it actually worked out perfectly. It's winter break so why not send the girls off. Plus it serves as a nice halfway reminder and we do still get a few conversations between Kat and best friend Fanny whose book comes next. This also mirrors the original novel as the author notes because Catherine left her home.

Speaking of the original, I feel like while this Kat has some naivety in regards to how Hollywood (particularly the paparazzi and celebrity interaction) operates, she is more worldly than Catherine. This is most likely due to being a modern girl receiving an excellent education. Not that it's a big deal but it was something I reflected on during my time reading this book. I also really like the twist on Kat staying at Henry's house. She does not think it is haunted by the ghost of Mrs. Tilney but she does espy Henry's father engaging in an affair while his wife is in Paris-drama!

Oh and what about Henry? I have always had a soft spot for Mr. Tilney and I think this iteration is my favorite of the three heroes we've met so far (all bets are off when we get to the Emma reimagining though!) This Henry has grown up in Hollywood with a very famous father and has frequently sought solace in his characters as he has attempted to forge his own identity. He's just that touch more sophisticated than Kat and unfailingly kind and polite, very important qualities that aren't always seen in YA males (or at least not in ones that get the girl.)

Overall: Another great installment in the Jane Austen Academy series-I look forward to the other books in the series!

So Into You

by Cecilia Gray
3.5/5 stars
Gray Life LLC, 2012
121 pages
YA Contemporary Austen

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Yesterday I reviewed the first book in the series Fall for You so today I'm talking about second book So Into You, which retells the skeleton of Sense and Sensibility. S&S is actually my fifth favorite Austen novel and I don't tend to like its adaptations very much; this was not an exception. There's just something about the story that doesn't work for me so I wasn't surprised that this one left me a bit underwhelmed.

It follows the main romantic plot line from the original as well as the look at money and a sudden descent into a lower socioeconomic class. Looking at the latter first, Ellie is surprised to discover that her parents cannot afford to send her to the private Jane Austen Academy but, being desperate to stay, she manages to win an academic scholarship and get a job washing dishes. Though she misses her carefree days, she is mostly grateful to be staying even if it means she's always busy at work. I loved a little peek at the economics behind a private school education (I attended public school but a private college) as it is an expensive proposition. Though Ellie whined a bit, she is still pretty sympathetic.

Meanwhile on the romance side, Ellie has a huge crush on Edward but doesn't seem to be able to connect with him (for the same reason as in the source). Her roommate Emma plays the Marianne role crushing on actor Josh Wickham (who I originally thought might be her love interest as Josh is the name of the male hero in "Clueless"...that is until we meet George Knight who seems to have a weak spot for Miss Emma) and dramatically bemoaning his ill treatment of her while Ellie keeps all of her feelings boxed in.

Building on book one, I liked that some of the plot threads continued (such as Ellie and Lizzie's increasingly frayed friendship and the drama around the Jane Austen Academy ownership) while others were set up (Emma and Knight's romance; bringing Fanny into their group of girlfriends, which will be important since her book is fourth.) This should all pay off nicely as the series progresses.

Check back tomorrow for my review of book three When I'm With You, a take on Northanger Abbey!

Fall For You

by Cecilia Gray
4/5 stars
Gray Life LLC, 2012
122 pages
YA Contemporary Austen

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jane Austen is my favorite author and consequently I have an incredibly difficult time resisting the various retellings on the market especially when they fall into the YA category as this does. My interest was originally piqued by seeing the fifth book which twists Emma as that's probably my second favorite Austen but I was pleased to start at the beginning, which unsurprisingly takes on Pride and Prejudice. So how did this stack up?

Well, I have two main opinions on it. One is evaluating this book as a novella (see page count above) that will connect with five other stories. The other is looking at it in comparison to its inspiration, which I will address below. On its own, this book is super cute. Lizzie is a brash passionate young woman, seemingly afraid of nothing and leading the charge against the introduction of boys to the Jane Austen Academy, the mystery behind who now owns the school, and especially against a potential name change. Dante is part of the first wave of boys at the formerly all-girls school and he is proud, far too good for everyone around here, clashing with Lizzie's passion. However, to the eyes of everyone around them, this looks an awful lot like sparks are flying-could love be in the air?

One fun twist is that Austen's six main heroines are represented in this book (and will be throughout the series as each gets her starring role). Primarily Lizzie, Ellie, Anne, and Emma are featured here though peeks of Fanny and Kat blink by. That also means they fulfill different roles. For example, instead of Lizzie's sister Jane getting her heart broken by Bingley, it is Anne and her Rick whose relationship Dante meddles in. Ellie also fills the role of best friend for Lizzie in lieu of sister Jane. There is a Wickham who plays little to no role while Charlotte and Mr. Collins make no appearance. Also there is far less mention of family though Lizzie does have two living parents and Dante is very protective of his younger sister.

When I stack this book up against its origin though, there's no contest. P&P has layers upon layers that this short book has no hope of matching. It keeps the most basic plot of Lizzie and Dante being proud and prejudiced but most of the side stories are jettisoned. I was surprised by how barebones this adaptation ended up being (I expected a lot more of Wickham flirting with Georgina at least) but appreciate that Gray didn't try to update every angle for a contemporary setting. It's also fun to imagine the six heroines as friends because I know how they have been friends to us book people for centuries :)

I suspect that this book/series will be more meaningful to people who are already familiar with Austen's novels and especially will help differentiate all the characters (there's a joke about there being so many E names and I know I might have found that confusing if I didn't already know everyone.) Has anyone read this series but not Austen? Would love to know how you found them and hopefully they encouraged you to dive into the original text.

KIND OF SPOILER:
Wow does Dante's family have money! Can you imagine being so rich that you buy a private school for your daughter and then decide to make it coed so your son can attend too? Because that's what his family does...as if it's no big deal.
END SPOILER

Check back tomorrow for a review of second book So Into You, a twist on Sense and Sensibility!

ARC Review: Crash Into You

by Katie McGarry
3.5/5 stars
HarlequinTeen, 2013
489 pages
YA Contemporary Romance
Scheduled to release November 26

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

While I tend to shrink away from the extreme melodrama of books like Pushing the Limits and Dare You To, I still sometimes find myself drawn to them, craving the beautiful romance that sometimes emerges as well as the addictive writing. After reading the blurb for this book included in Dare You To, I had extremely high expectations for this story of Isaiah. We've seen him in the previous two books and it seemed high time that he got to tell his side of the story.

All started strong. Isaiah is a tough foster kid who has spent years cultivating his image so that no one can mess with him: maybe he wasn't the biggest kid to start but now people know not to mess with him; he doesn't have parents but he has his best friend Noah and Echo around him to provide some family; and he has cars and all his knowledge that can provide him a job and a way out of his life.

Rachel appears to be anything but strong. Born as a replacement for a daughter who died of leukemia and battling an anxiety disorder, Rachel's father and four older brothers "protect" her but they can't stop her from sneaking out to drag race, a need for speed that sends her colliding into Isaiah and putting the pair in debt to Eric, a street thug who is bad news.

Like McGarry's two previous novels, this looks at two seemingly disparate young people with practically uncountable problems who are thrust together, fighting an attraction with various degrees of success. We are already very familiar with Isaiah as he is friends with characters from the first two books. As the MC of this book though, more is shared about him. His love for cars is in the forefront and his family history is laid bare as are his convictions that he isn't good enough for a girl like Rachel.

Rachel is a new character to the series and we've not really seen someone like her. She is very rich and privileged but like the saying goes, "Money can't buy happiness." She is the youngest child and is incredibly overprotected due to the fact that her older sister Colleen died of leukemia. The view in the family is that she is there to keep the mother happy, to the extent that Rachel pretends to like purple and shopping like Colleen, downplays her fascination with cars, and hides her anxiety attacks even as they leave her completely sapped of energy, all so that she won't be a burden to her family. I clicked with Rachel's naivety to be honest; when she ventures in to the world of drag racing, she can't quite believe everything that's happening and I couldn't really either.

The real standout, for me and others as I've seen in reviews, was Abby, a drug dealing friend of Isaiah's who easily welcomes Rachel and is welcomed in return. There are several oblique hints at how she got in to the business but it's kept vague, indicating to me that she will be getting her own book at some point. As book 4 is about Rachel's brother West and a new character Haley, I am hoping book 5 will be Abby's and I'm sure there are others who've read this book that feel the same!

More of an enigma was Eric. First I know an Eric who is nothing like this villain so it was hard for me to keep seeing his name. Second this Eric is nineteen but seems to be in charge of a large swath of territory with his hands in many pots. As I confessed, I certainly overlap Rachel in naivety so I don't know if that young age is really plausible for his position but I suspect it's a bit unlikely. I felt a lot of menace from him though he wasn't nearly as frightening as Rachel's dad when he discovers what she's been hiding being that the father is a very rich and therefore powerful man who likely has many connections to law enforcement that he can call upon.

My biggest problem with this book (as I think it was for the previous two) is just the lack of communication between people. Rachel could have shared with her family on multiple occasions about her anxiety and her feelings as a stand-in for Colleen. It would have been hard, so hard but also so worth it to perhaps face her anxiety attacks and give her some piece. Similarly I wish they had felt comfortable turning to more of the people around them to fulfill their debt to Eric as they do have people in their corner. I feel like that's one of the conditions for melodrama though-people can't share what's going on or problems are headed off before they even occur. I also think I'm a pretty blunt and honest person so this whole "not sharing things that really bother you" thing is kind of foreign to me.

Overall: I don't think I will ever be completely won over by this category of melodrama but I remain committed to the series and look forward to more of the cheeky Abby.

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ARC Review: Pawn

by Aimee Carter
3/5 stars
HarlequinTeen, 2013
346 pages
YA Dystopia
Scheduled to release November 26

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

In a future America, rankings are assigned at age seventeen to put you in your place. Get a IV or up and you're set; III or lower and you're basically dead. Kitty, an orphan in a group home, knows this and laments her III status planning something desperate before being snatched up and brought into the wealthy enclave of the ruling Hart family to replace the dead niece figurehead Lila. Upon being inducted into the family, she realizes just how much of a pawn she is within the politics of the family but also starts to grasp how powerful a pawn can be when making the right moves (there is actually a conversation about pawns in chess and how they can end up being the most powerful so this comparison is fairly stressed even within the context of the book.)

I didn't have the best experience with Carter's The Goddess Test so I was leery of trying more of her writing. Still I thought For about the first third of the book, I was thinking I had really second-guessed the plotting. Then things really started happening and I got confused, leading to me feeling muddled and overall mixed-up about this book.

The setup was fascinating. Right away we see Kitty who has a good head on her shoulders but cannot read, making the test nigh on impossible to pass. Her unique eyes are what rescue her and insert her in to the Hart family. All of that setup was fine. Even the first few chapters of her acclimating to life as Lila were acceptable. However she soon starts getting involved with the family and discovering more about the rebellion against their dictatorship, which is when secrets start to emerge. Of those secrets, I was genuinely shocked by them but the impression of them mostly left me confused-I just could not picture those scenes in my head and I can't be more explicit without entering spoiler territory unfortunately.

Before that part I was really enjoying myself though. Kitty is a very sympathetic character and I was rooting for her as soon as I understood the implications of being branded a III. Of the people she meets in her new life, I really liked Greyson, her sweet cousin who seems the least conniving of the bunch. I also appreciated that there wasn't really a love triangle. Kitty remains firmly committed to her childhood boyfriend Benjy despite being involved with Lila's fiance Knox.

Lasting impression: Be prepared for a wild ride as we move very quickly through plot points with revelations unfolding in practically every chapter with only more secrets to be unraveled. I'm not sure I'm involved enough with the characters to want to continue with the series but I do highly encourage fans of dystopia and those who are tired of love triangles to check this one out.

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The Next Big Thing

by Sadie Hayes
3.5/5 stars
St. Martin's Griffin, 2013
344 pages
NA Contemporary Tech
Scheduled to release November 26

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Despite my general reluctance to embrace the New Adult category, I have dabbled in it and found myself unexpectedly charmed and engaged by Sadie Hayes' The Social Code looking at a group of college students and adults searching for the next technological wonder to make it big with twins Amelia and Adam at the core. She's got the know-how, he's got big ambitions and no one is free from backstabbing. This sequel had to follow up on the abrupt ending of the first book and further develop the various plot lines already introduced.

To be honest, I didn't quite remember everything from book one but soon I was up to speed on the main players. The setting is Stanford in the heart of Silicon Valley. Amelia is a coding genius with a strong moral code; her twin brother does not have such talents but does have outsized ambition. The third member of their group is TJ Bristol who bristles under his powerful father's aggressiveness. Also interweaving is Amelia's first-year roommate Patty and a whole host of other secondary characters with their own agendas.

This book continues to ratchet up the tension while keeping my feelings all knotted up. In so many ways, I dislike the characters and yet I cannot stop myself from reading! Adam has such a chip on his shoulder and he acts like a stupid jerk for almost all of the book. I sometimes wanted to punch this guy and yet I also applaud Hayes for eliciting such a strong reaction. TJ also draws strong largely negative reactions from me. On the one hand, I feel like this book was deepening his character by showing his ex-girlfriend as well as complicating his relationship with his father. But on the other hand, I pretty much still hate the guy. I mentioned Patty in the synopsis above though she doesn't play the largest role just because I think she ended up being my favorite. She takes her own stab at creating a business with humiliating but kind of hilarious results and she comes through for Amelia in a big way toward the end. And Amelia continues to be brilliant and naive yet more able to see how this can be a weakness, bringing in someone to compensate for that.

It's difficult to go to much in to this book as it is a sequel and everything moves so fast. There are all sorts of salacious details but I feel like the focus is mostly on the tech and the relationships so it's definitely a read for anyone who found the first book captivating.

SPOILER referencing the ending:

I so hate the budding Amelia/TJ romance. I cannot believe she has a crush on that guy! I mean, I even like Adam more than I like TJ and Adam did so many boneheaded things. But I simply refuse to be won over by TJ. What am I missing? I would like to get on board the Amelia/TJ train if only because I assume the third book will move them forward positively even if they don't end up getting married.

Isn't She Lovely

by Lauren Layne
4/5 stars
Flirt, 2013
240 pages
NA Contemporary

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I grabbed this book on Netgalley after seeing that it was a contemporary retelling of the Pygmalion tale and I always have a soft spot for that. See My Fair Lady, Pretty Woman, and She's All That for examples. The clincher though ended up being the discovery that the main female character's name is Stephanie! I always lament that I don't see my name much in books despite its popularity in the late 80s.

And I'm so glad I gave this a shot because it was just what I wanted to read this weekend. I found the writing engaging, the humor spot-on, and the sexual tension sizzling. My main complaint would have to be some editing and formatting errors, all of which can be expected when reading an e-ARC; I'm sure they were rectified before release.

What we have is a pretty basic story. Stephanie appears as an angry Goth girl who's really into films. Ethan is a preppy rich jock. They meet, they clash, they get partnered for a film project, which turns into their own Pygmalion experience. Ethan's cash will help transform Stephanie into the perfect preppy girlfriend to get his mom off his back while also providing fodder for their script. But what happens when the participants fall in love for real?

So yeah, it's not like this book is super original in its plotting or character archetypes as you could tell everything that was coming but it was just so satisfying. The characters are very quippy and as the book progresses, some real depth is revealed. Stephanie and Ethan both have pain in their pasts that helps them to bond and to help each other with healing.

How about the love aspect though as that is the main focus? There is only the tiniest of nods to a possible love triangle but that is quickly squelched. As expected both try to deny their feelings and soon think they feel more for the other than is reciprocated but the short length of the book ensures that those moments are not unbearably dragged out.

Overall: A fun and flirty NA title that looks closely at two characters entangled in a contrived situation; perfect for fans of romance (and the name Stephanie :)

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Glittering Promises

by Lisa T. Bergren
3.5/5 stars
David C. Cook, 2013
311 pages
YA Historical Christian

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Well, we have come to the conclusion of the Grand Tour series which began so promisingly in Glamorous Illusions and continued in Grave Consequences. I'll admit that there were times when I found myself bored and just waiting to finish so I could say it was done but I did like the ending, which left me with a fond impression of this book.

I think Glamorous Illusions impressed me by taking me into a glamorous world of touring Europe for months with that being your sole occupation. Can you image? Just going to fabulous museums, seeing incredible works of art and buildings that have stood for ages with nary a care about money or responsibilities. But this is the third book of their tour and I was kind of over the grand tour by this point. Luckily there are other plot lines like Cora's continued mostly commitment to their bear Will but also battling lingering feelings for the wealthy charming Pierre.

Something I really liked was the exploration of attitudes toward women in business and politics. Though there is a vile character who says some hateful things, most of the men are pretty supportive of Cora's aspirations. She's an heiress, yes, but she also wants to do work that matters and use her wealth for positive efforts. One arena might end up being women's suffrage, a cause I can certainly get behind! But either way she's not going to blindly follow a path laid down by her father, instead choosing to forge her own way and abide by the dictates of her conscience.

The best part for me though was the Christian faith aspect. These books are from a Christian imprint and I remember God playing a part in both of the preceding books. However here it really poured out and over. Cora is brought to her knees at several points: trying to discern about a husband, how to spend the money she has so suddenly been handed, coping with grief, and wrestling with her identity, for starters.

Overall: Though the last few chapters really made me smile, I ended up feeling like this was dragged out and may have been better served as a duology. I can certainly understand the desire to have three books but so many passages felt like filler to me. Still, if you started the series, you'll probably want to finish and this does continue in the style begun by the previous two.

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