Review: Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski

Book: Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski

Series: No

Released: March 11, 2014

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Pages: 336 (ebook)

Stars: 1.5 stars

Goodreads

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

*I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an open and honest review*

From Goodreads:

 Contemporary teen fiction with romance, secrets, scandals, and ESP from the author of Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have).
We weren't always like this. We used to be average New York City high school sophomores. Until our homeroom went for flu shots. We were prepared for some side effects. Maybe a headache. Maybe a sore arm. We definitely didn't expect to get telepathic powers. But suddenly we could hear what everyone was thinking. Our friends. Our parents. Our crushes. Now we all know that Tess is in love with her best friend, Teddy. That Mackenzie cheated on Cooper. That, um, Nurse Carmichael used to be a stripper.

Since we've kept our freakish skill a secret, we can sit next to the class brainiac and ace our tests. We can dump our boyfriends right before they dump us. We know what our friends really think of our jeans, our breath, our new bangs. We always know what's coming. Some of us will thrive. Some of us will crack. None of us will ever be the same.

So stop obsessing about your ex. We're always listening.

Snore. I was so bored with this book. Especially the beginning. It was just so vague. It kept alluding to SOMETHING that happened, but it seemed like it took forever to get there. Not that I'm opposed to mystery and intrigue, but it felt like every other page ended with a sentence that was basically saying "I'll tell you more later, I can't be bothered to tell you anything now."

There are some girls. And some guys. They have some names. Like Mackenize and Tess and a boy named Cooper. They live in New York and are quasi-rich. That's about all I remember. There were a lot of characters discussed and named. Honestly they pretty much all ran together.

So the high school students are all in the same homeroom. They develop the power to read minds. From a FLU SHOT. Then one of the girls (Mackenzie maybe?) freaks out because now her boyfriend (Cooper) will find out she cheated on him last summer. And that's pretty much the main part of the story. There may have been a few other minor things that happened, but yeah, that's about it.

So here's the deal. I know I should review the book how it was written, not review it over what I wanted to or thought should happen. But then the review would pretty much be blank, because NOTHING happened. There were a couple of minor conflicts, but nothing really worth noting. The worst thing that happened really didn't end up being that big of an issue. I feel like it was such a missed opportunity to really explore what people hide. Maybe something worse than a girl cheated on her boyfriend. Something like one of the girls had an eating disorder that no one knew about. Or one of the guys had been abused and had never told anyone. A REAL secret. But it was all so fluffy and had very little substance. Granted this is the first book I've read of Mlynowski's so maybe she tends to keeps things lighter? I don't know.

Also causing a problem was there were so many people. Maybe had the story focused on two or maybe even three, it would have had more of an impact. But as it was, they all kinda mixed together and I didn't really connect with any one particular character.

I probably would not rec this to anyone. In case you haven't figured that out by the rest of the review.

Review: The Seers by Julianna Scott

Book: The Seers by Julianna Scott

Series: The Holders #2

Released: February 14, 2014

Publisher: Strange Chemistry

Pages: 430 (Kindle)

Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads

*I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an open and honest review*

 

 From Goodreads:

After nearly being drained of her ability and betrayed by a man her father trusted, Becca Ingle was left with one clue — Ciaran Shea. He holds the key to the downfall of the power-mad Holder, Darragh, and can ensure the safety of both Holder and Human kind alike... but is he willing to help?

Becca, Alex, Jocelyn, and Cormac set out for Adare Manor to meet with the Bhunaidh, an aristocratic group of pure blooded Holders of whom Ciaran is a rumored member. However, when Becca discovers that they might not be the only ones after the information Ciaran has, everyone begins to wonder if Bhunaidh might not be as uninvolved with Darragh as they claim.

A race to uncover Ciaran’s secrets begins, where the line between friend and foe is blurred, and everyone seems to have their own agenda. Becca will have to call on every ability at her disposal to uncover the truth, all the while knowing that sometimes the answer is more dangerous than the question.

I'm going to try something different for my reviews for a while (or now on, depending on how it goes). I need a better way to sort my thoughts, instead of just rambling on, and on, and on... Let me know if you prefer this format, or the old one.

 Note: As will all series continuations, this review will contain spoilers for the first book. Ye be warned.

I rather enjoyed this book and its predecessor, The Holders. It's a good combination of paranormal and contemporary, all set in one of my favorite places that I've never visited, Ireland. The Seers picks up directly where The Holders left off. Which, if you've read my reviews before, you know I enjoy. I despise missing scenes between books. I don't like being left out of the action. I hadn't heard anything about it until I received it from Netgalley, which is rather a shame, because I liked it and I think others will as well.

Becca is back in full force. I love her as a MC. She's intelligent and snarky. I love her wit, and her fierce protectiveness over her friends and family. But she's not perfect by any means. She's stubborn, sometimes almost to her detriment. But she's strong, and willing to learn. She tries not to show weakness, even when I felt like she should. So basically, she's a fully-realized character, and I adore her.

Then there's Alex. How could anyone not fall in love with Alex? He's quiet and strong. Caring and protective. He's insecure and loving. He's most definitely a perfect match for Becca. I particularly enjoyed the back and forth in his relationship with Becca. Are they perfect? No. But they do compliment each other nicely. They have their ups and downs, talk about it with each other (YAY!) and come out better for each other in the end.

Also making appearances are Chloe (who I would really, really like to learn more about her in the 3rd book, okay?), Jocelyn (whose relationship with Becca is improving but still complicated. I'm enjoying the back-and-forth between them), Cormac (who is awesome and please tell me more about him, kthanksbye),a as well as a few of the other characters from the first book.

We're introduced to Bastian, whose parents are the leaders of  the Bhunaidh, an aristocratic group of pure blooded Holders. I couldn't get a read on Bastian at first-probably because Becca couldn't either. But by the mid-part of the book, holy moly, do I like him. He's great. There's lots more characters we meet while at Adare (Bastian's home), but no one really of consequence, other than his brother who does become a major factor.

The group from St. Brigid's head to Adare Manor to talk to the Bhunaidh to see if they will help them locate Ciaran Shea. Shea is, of course, the key to finding Darragh and thwarting his diabolical plans. While some places of the story were a bit slow, it still maintained a nice pace leading up to each twist and turn. To tell you more would be all kinds of spoilery, so you'll just have to read it for yourself.

There were definitely a few surprises, which I rather enjoyed. I love when I am legitimately surprised in books, as it doesn't happen as often anymore. If you read it, by all means, PLEASE tweet me or leave a comment. I desperately want to talk to someone about this book.

Absolutely. I would suggest this book to anyone who likes Harry Potter, the X-Men or any other book with a bit of supernatural flair to it. I can't wait to read the next one!

Happy dance

Review: Split Second by Kasie West

Book: Pivot Point by Kasie West

Series: Pivot Point #2

Released: February 11, 2014

Publisher: Harper Teen

Pages: 360 (Kindle)

Rating: 4.5

Goodreads

 From Goodreads:

Life can change in a split second.

Addie hardly recognizes her life since her parents divorced. Her boyfriend used her. Her best friend betrayed her. She can’t believe this is the future she chose. On top of that, her ability is acting up. She’s always been able to Search the future when presented with a choice. Now she can manipulate and slow down time, too . . . but not without a price.

When Addie’s dad invites her to spend her winter break with him, she jumps at the chance to escape into the Norm world of Dallas, Texas. There she meets the handsome and achingly familiar Trevor. He’s a virtual stranger to her, so why does her heart do a funny flip every time she sees him? But after witnessing secrets that were supposed to stay hidden, Trevor quickly seems more suspicious of Addie than interested in her. And she has an inexplicable desire to change that.

Meanwhile, her best friend, Laila, has a secret of her own: she can restore Addie’s memories . . . once she learns how. But there are powerful people who don’t want to see this happen. Desperate, Laila tries to manipulate Connor, a brooding bad boy from school—but he seems to be the only boy in the Compound immune to her charms. And the only one who can help her.

As Addie and Laila frantically attempt to retrieve the lost memories, Addie must piece together a world she thought she knew before she loses the love she nearly forgot . . . and a future that could change everything.

Let me just start by saying I will read absolutely anything Kasie West writes. This is her third book, and I have loved and adored all 3. She is churning out books {almost} as fast as I can read them. She is a master at weaving complex stories that are still accessible, with a dose of swoony boys, snark, twists and turns, and characters to love.

Split Second is the follow up novel to Pivot Point, so if you haven't read the first one, there will be spoilers for the first book in this review (also, what are you waiting for? Get thee to a bookstore, pronto). I loved Pivot Point (review here), and the follow up most definitely did not disappoint. Each chapter kept me hooked (seriously, it's like there's mini cliff-hangers for almost every chapter), and I couldn't stop reading it.

Split Second picks up right where Pivot Point left off. While Pivot Point alternated between the Paranormal and Norm chapters, Split Second alternates between Addie & Laila chapters (with texts at the top of each chapter to clarify who is talking). While dual points of view don't usually work for me, this one did. They each had a distinctive voice, and even when they are together in later chapters, it is still easy to determine who is talking-even with the texts at the top of each chapter. 

I was already fully invested in Addie's storyline, but the one I didn't expect to love so much was Laila's. We got glimpses of her in Pivot Point, but by having her POV in Split Second, we are able to learn even more about her. She's snarky, damaged, subborn and fiercely protective of her friendship with Addie and her brothers, particularly Eli. Also happening in this book, a love interest for Laila by the name of Connor. Oh Connor, he's a great match for Laila. I enjoyed their conversations, particularly when they would try to one-up each other and not let the other person win.

And then there's the Addie & Trevor feels. I LOVED them together so much in Pivot Point. I was devastated when Addie had Laila remove her memories of Trevor at the end of the previous book. It made me smad.

What West does such a wonderful job of doing in Split Second is totally building Addie & Trevor's relationship. Again. It doesn't feel stale. It feels new and fresh and it totally worked for me. Also spoiler *his three things he kept asking her after she told him may have been my favorite part of their relationship. So sweet.*

One of my favorite minor characters from Pivot Point is also in this book: Brody, Trevor's totally cute little brother. I am so glad we got to see him again. He helps with the meet-cute when Addie & Trevor first see each other again. A great moment for sure.

Duke is back again also. I have such mixed feelings about him. I could not stand the guy for obvious reasons after the first book, and honestly I didn't like him for most of this one either, but he does come through in a few areas over the course of Split Second.

Overall, I felt the actual plot in Split Second is stronger than in Pivot Point. I enjoyed how we got to jump right in to this story on this one (which is one of the reasons I love series so much) and it paid off in action. There are some INTENSE moments in this book. And the story is better for it. I could not stop reading the last 25% of the book for this exact reason. I HAD to know how everything was going to be resolved.

I was happy to hear that while the main story of Addie & Trevor is over, that Kasie West is considering wring a companion novel (or 2, or 3, or 4...). There is so much potential left to explore inside (and outside) the Compound. I hope she writes more about this world.

Review: This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

Book: This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

Released: September 17, 2013

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Pages: 288 (Kindle)

Rating: 4.75

Goodreads

From Goodreads:

Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski’s strong suit. All throughout her life, she’s been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing.

Told in a refreshingly genuine and laugh-out-loud funny voice, THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE is an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together

Oh how I loved this book. So very much. It's a great mix of quirky, complicated, funny, and a book I would love to buy a soundtrack to (that's a thing right? Cause it totally needs to be a thing). 

I loved the character of Elise. She was deep and complex and just so wonderful, even though her fellow students didn't appreciate her. She does everything she can to become popular after numerous failed attempts and rejections from her fellow students. She studied to be popular. STUDIED you guys. She read up on the latest trends in fashion magazines. Listened to popular music so she would know what everyone else was talking about, even though she despised that kind of music.

It doesn't work. Not even at all. She's an outcast among outcasts. After a particularly rough day at school, she decides she is going to kill herself. Except that she can't. She thinks of all the things she'd need to do first, like making a playlist. And thinks it would be a good idea to practice first and when she sees the blood she calls a girl from her school, who calls the police. This part right here? I expected the whole book to be dark and brooding, but it's not. This is the only part of the book that is sad. But you know what? I totally bought it. You feel for Elise right from the very start of the book. Which is impressive in and of itself. What fabulous writing.

Much flailing occurred during this book

One night while she's out walking in the middle of the night (a common occurrence), Elise stumbles upon a night club. A club that will change her life, in more ways than one. She meets Pippa and Vicky outside the club. Once inside she also meets the enigmatic Char. A DJ. A hot and charming DJ. Together they give Elise something she never really had before-friends.

What is so wonderful about this book, is that even if you were the most popular one in high school (I was not!), you can still relate to Elise. Her emotions and feelings are totally real, and you can't help but root for her. You want her to be happy. You want her to realize how wonderful she really is. Her growth as a character is amazing. You all know how much I love some character growth! Elise goes on a journey to discover herself, and boy does she succeed.

I would love to go in to more detail, but I don't want to give away and more plot points. But do yourself a favor and pick this one up. It's worth it.

One of my favorite things about this was the music. I love music, and so this spoke to my soul. I loved the variety of music that's discussed throughout the book. SO MANY GREAT SINGERS AND BANDS. Definitely a musication for even me, a music lover. Someone make me a soundtrack for it already.

Thanks DJ Dog

Book Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Book: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Released: September 10, 2013

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Pages: 433 (Kindle Edition)

Rating: 4.5 of 5

Goodreads 

From Goodreads: A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love.

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

Ahhh, I don't even know where to start. I love this book so much. I've actually read it twice since its release in September. The first time was part of my Rainbow Rowell book reading binge (Attachments and Eleanor and Park being the other two). The second time was last week when I wanted something a little lighter and happier to cheer me up. It definitely did the trick.

I guess I'll start with the cover. I love the use of a cartoon. It fits the feel of this book. And as far as covers go, a fairly accurate depiction of what you're going to find inside: A cute boy talking to Cath, while Cath is trying to focus on Simon and Baz. 

Now on to the story. Without getting in to too many details, I can definitely see myself in Cath. Especially the desire to often avoid doing anything other than reading (or in Cath's case, writing fan fiction). My idea of a good night is curling up with a book. Not even kidding. 

The story starts off with Cath's first semester at college. Her twin sister Wren decides she needs to be her own person, leaving Cath alone. Wren tells Cath she's not going to live with her, as well as pretty much leaving the Simon Snow fan fiction to Cath (they used to write it together). And let me tell you, Cath is a BIG DEAL in the Simon Snow fan fiction world. {Sidebar: Simon Snow is an obviously hilarious substitute for Harry Potter, which I love}.  So what does Cath do when she feels isolated from her sister and lonely? Writes more fan fiction of course!

Rowell breaks up the chapters by including sections from the "real" Simon Snow story along with Cath's fan fiction. I know that not everyone loved this aspect, and I've heard a few people skipped it altogether, but I loved it. Then again I love fan fiction myself. Really I do. (I blame the crappy ending to Gilmore Girls for this, by the way. So not happy with how that show ended.) This aspect of the book definitely worked for me, but I can understand why some people skipped it in order to get to the real meat of the story that features Cath.

I love, love, love the supporting characters. From her roommate Reagan who is a bit on the surly side (who might be my favorite person in the book), Wren the twin sister, Cath's dad, Nick, the writing professor, and especially smiley, happy Levi, Rowell succeeds in making you care about each and every one of these characters. 

Even when all Cath wants to say is "Let it Go*" you can't help but love her.

*Cath never says this. It really doesn't even make any sense with this book.
 I just wanted an excuse to post this video. :)

Can we please talk about the LOVE INTEREST for a minute?! I'm not going to give away who it is, but seriously, I adore him. He's so sweet and kind and funny and a great book boyfriend. He "gets" who Cath is. She needs him. He's her lobster.

Ahh Phoebe.

More than anything, this book shows how books and movies are MORE than just books and movies. That people become immersed in that world and never want to leave. It's a wonderfully, well-written love letter to fans. And I LOVE it.