So Many Books, So Little Time: Completely Contemp Challenge 2012

Showing posts with label Completely Contemp Challenge 2012. Show all posts

Monday, December 31, 2012

Completely Contemp Challenge 2012--Not Completed

Completely Contemp Challenge 2012

What books qualify?
Any YA contemporary published in 2010, 2011, or 2012. I have lists on Goodreads that show a selection of possible books for each year but this list is NOT exclusive! As long as it was published in one of those years you may count it towards your challenge list! (And note: anyone can “vote” for a book on Goodreads, so it’s best to check the publication date yourself before officially counting it towards your challenge just in case someone added it in error.)

Contemps published in 2010
Contemps published in 2011
Contemps to be published in 2012

When does the challenge run?
Books read in 2012 count towards this challenge.

Can I count books read here for other challenges?
Sure! The goal here is to get everyone to read a few extra contemporary books, so whatever works for you works for me (Make sure your other challenges allow this before counting for both, though!)

Are there places to participate besides on my blog?
Yes! There is a Goodreads group where you can post reviews and talk about the contemporary books you’re reading

*I am choosing the number 5

2010:

2011:

2012:

Book Review- Try Not to Breathe

I finished Try Not to Breathe by Jennifer Hubbard earlier today.

From Goodreads:

Learning to live is more than just choosing not to die, as sixteen-year-old Ryan discovers in the year following his suicide attempt. Despite his mother’s anxious hovering and the rumors at school, he’s trying to forget the darkness from which he has escaped. But it doesn’t help that he’s still hiding guilty secrets, or that he longs for a girl who may not return his feelings. Then he befriends Nicki, who is using psychics to seek contact with her dead father. This unlikely friendship thaws Ryan to the point where he can face the worst in himself. He and Nicki confide in one another the things they never thought they’d tell anyone—but their confessions are trickier than they seem, and the fallout tests the bounds of friendship and forgiveness.

Often times, I have a hard time connecting when the main character is a male. And unfortunately, that was the case in this story. I never really connected with either of the main characters--Ryan or Nicki, or with the story.

Sure, I felt sorry for Ryan and Nicki and their own personal problems. But I didn't really care that much. Which is sad because I wanted to. Suicide is such a strong topic and I wanted to feel for them but I just felt distant. And I don't think the way the story was written helped much either. I just never really got into it.

It wasn't a bad story by any means. And it did hold my attention. But I just could never get as emotional wrapped up as I wanted to be.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 93
2012 ARC Reading Challenge: 74
2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 80
Completely Contemp Challenge 2012: 2012-18
2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge: 6
2012 Standalone Reading Challenge: 19
2012 Sophomore Reading Challenge: 10

*FTC Disclosure: This book was given to me for free by the publisher for a honest review.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Completely Contemp Challenge 2012- December Update

Completely Contemp Challenge 2012

2011:

2012:

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Book Review and Giveaway!- Easy

I just finished reading Easy by Tamarra Webber.

From Goodreads:

A girl who believes trust can be misplaced, promises are made to be broken, and loyalty is an illusion. A boy who believes truth is relative, lies can mask unbearable pain, and guilt is eternal. Will what they find in each other validate their conclusions, or disprove them all?

When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup two months into sophomore year. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she's single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Leaving a party alone, Jacqueline is assaulted by her ex's frat brother. Rescued by a stranger who seems to be in the right place at the right time, she wants nothing more than to forget the attack and that night--but her savior, Lucas, sits on the back row of her econ class, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. Her friends nominate him to be the perfect rebound.

When her attacker turns stalker, Jacqueline has a choice: crumple in defeat or learn to fight back. Lucas remains protective, but he's hiding secrets of his own. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.

I really really liked this book. Because of its sensitive topic, I'm not sure if it's right to say that I enjoyed it. But boy did I just get completely into it. I'm not sure if its because its considred a "new adult" novel (I think that's what they're calling the stories that take place in college) so that it wasn't as juvenile as some of the YA books can be or if it's just that the writing was so great. But yeah, it had me hooked.

Rape and attempted rape is such a serious topic. I think this book handled it really well. I think the author captured what I must imagine the victim must feel like and go through. And I loved the idea of the self-defense class. Such a great thing for college girls to do.

Jaqueline was a great character. I could completely sympathize with her following a boyfriend and then getting dumped and feeling lost. She just seemed completely real. And then there was her roommate, Erin, who was a sorority girl. She could so easily have been they stereotypical air-headed sorority girl, but thankfully the author decided not to portray her this way. I loved how she was bubbly but smart and had a strong backbone and morals. And Lucas. Yum! Bad boy with a fierce protective streak. His story broke my heart. I can't even imagine having to go through what he went through. But he and Jacqueline's chemistry was hot!

I cannot reccommend this book enough! This book had it all for me: an important topic, great characters, and a hot romance!

I gave this book a rating of 4.5/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 85
Completely Contemp Challenge 2012: 2012-16

*FTC Disclosure: This book was given to me for free by the publsiher for an honest review.

Now for the giveaway!!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ffe1764/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Completely Contemp Challenge 2012- November Challenge

Completely Contemp Challenge 2012

2011:

2012:

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Book Review- Fifty Shades Freed

I just finished reading Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James.

From Goodreads:

When unworldly student Ana Steele first encountered the driven, damaged young entrepreneur Christian Grey, it sparked a sensual affair that changed both their lives irrevocably. Shocked, intrigued, and ultimately repelled by Christian's singular sexual tastes, Ana demanded a deeper commitment; determined to keep her, Christian agreed. Now, together, they have more-love, passion, intimacy, wealth, and a world of infinite possibilities. But Ana always knew that loving her Fifty Shades would not be easy and being together poses challenges neither of them ever anticipated. Ana must somehow learn to share Christian's opulent lifestyle without sacrificing her own integrity, identity, or independence; Christian must somehow overcome his compulsion to control and lay to rest the horrors that blighted his past and haunt his present. Just when it seems that together their love can conquer any obstacle, tragedy, malice and fate combine to make Ana's worst nightmares come true.

I really enjoyed the first two book in this series and couldn't wait to read this one. I had heard several people say this was the worst of the three but I went in with an open mind. Unfortunately, I have to agree with them.

In the first two books, I was immediately engrossed in the story. But in this book, there are a couple of flashbacks which I think just threw the book off. And I never completely got into it. Another thing I had heard people complain about was that Ana was so repetitive with all of her thoughts. I never really was bothered by them until this book. If I had to read one more "oh my poor Fifty", I might have screamed.

A lot happened in this book. I felt like the author was trying to cram a bunch of things in and wrap up the trilogy all in one. Now don't get my wrong. I still enjoyed reading the story. But just nowhere as much as the other ones.

I gave this book a rating of 3.5/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 78
Completely Contemp Challenge 2012: 2011-4
2012 Mammoth Book Challenge: 8

*FTC Disclosure: I bought this book.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Book Review- 34 Pieces of You

I just finished reading 34 Pieces of You by Carmen Rodrigues for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

A dark and moving novel—reminiscent of Thirteen Reasons Why—about the mystery surrounding a teenage girl’s fatal overdose.

There was something about Ellie... Something dangerous. Charismatic. Broken. Jake looked out for her. Sarah followed her lead. And Jess kept her distance, and kept watch.

Now Ellie’s dead, and Jake, Sarah, and Jess are left to pick up the pieces. All they have are 34 clues she left behind. 34 strips of paper hidden in a box beneath her bed. 34 secrets of a brief and painful life.

Jake, Sarah, and Jess all feel responsible for what happened to Ellie, and all three have secrets of their own. As they begin to confront the darkest truths about themselves, they will also find out what Ellie herself had been hiding all along....

I saw that many were comparing this book to Thirteen Reasons Why. And while I knew many loved that book, I didn't. I didn't find myself caring about Hannah (the girl who committed suicide) in that book and so I was hoping that this book would be different since suicide is such a tragic and important topic. Unfortunately, I pretty much felt the same way about Ellie as I did about Hannah.

Yes, I get that Ellie had an extremely hard life and went through things that no person should ever have to go through. But I wanted to FEEL for her. And to feel for her, I had to like her. And I just didn't. I didn't like her personality at all. There was nothing that made me care for her.

And at the beginning, I felt that way about the other narrators in the story, the people that were closest to her. But as the book went on, I felt myself feeling sorry for those people. I never changed my mind about Ellie, but Sarah and Jake and Jessie started to grow on me. Especially Jessie (although I won't give away why). By the end, I actually cared about them.

I wish I could have cared more about Ellie. It's unfortunate that she was written in a way that I just didn't.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 72
2012 ARC Reading Challenge: 59
2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 62
Completely Contemp Challenge 2012: 2012-16
2012 Standalone Reading Challenge: 17
2012 Sophomore Reading Challenge: 6

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Book Review- Fifty Shades Darker

I finished reading Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James last night.

From Goodreads:

Daunted by the singular sexual tastes and dark secrets of the beautiful, tormented young entrepreneur Christian Grey, Anastasia Steele has broken off their relationship to start a new career with a Seattle publishing house. But desire for Christian still dominates her every waking thought, and when he proposes a new arrangement, Anastasia cannot resist. They rekindle their searing sensual affair, and Anastasia learns more about the harrowing past of her damaged, driven, and demanding Fifty Shades. While Christian wrestles with his inner demons, Anastasia must confront her anger and envy of the women who came before her and make the most important decision of her life. Erotic, sparkling and suspenseful, Fifty Shades Darker is the irresistibly addictive second part of the Fifty Shades trilogy.

For some reason, I find myself expecting to disklike the books in this series. And not wanting to like them so much. But at the same time, I couldn't wait to get a break from tour books just so I could indulge in this guilty pleasure. And once again, I found myself surprised by how much I enjoyed the book.

I really liked Ana once again. Strong yet vulnerable and gives Christian a hard time when he's being unreasonable. I found that her inner goddess and subconsious didn't make as much of an appearance in this book and I missed that (although I definitely enjoyed the times they did appear). I was glad to see that Ana stuck to her beliefs about the whole Dom thing.

And I think Christian might starting to be growing on me. I know, I know. He's still fifty shades of messed up but I like how he changed his ways for the woman he loved. And I like how we're shown that he does have a heart.

I was once again sucked into the book and can't wait to get my next break from tour books so I can dive into the third book of the trilogy!

I gave this book a rating of 4.5/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 71
Completely Contemp Challenge 2012: 2011-3
2012 Mammoth Book Challenge: 7

*FTC Disclosure: I bought this book.

Completely Contemp Challenge 2012- October Update

Completely Contemp Challenge 2012

2011:

2012:

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Completely Contemp Challenge 2012--September Update

Completely Contemp Challenge 2012

2011:

A Closer Look by Karen DelleCava

2012:

Monday, August 13, 2012

Book Review- The Sweetness of Forgetting

I read The Sweetness of Forgetting by Kristin Harmel on my vacation in Hilton Head for a Gallery Books blog tour.

From Goodreads:

At thirty-six , Hope McKenna-Smith is no stranger to bad news. She lost her mother to cancer, her husband left her for a twenty-two year old, and her bank account is nearly depleted. Her own dreams of becoming a lawyer long gone, she’s running a failing family bakery on Cape Cod and raising a troubled preteen. Now, Hope’s beloved French-born grandmother Mamie, who wowed the Cape with her fabulous pastries for more than fifty years, is drifting away into a haze of Alzheimer’s. But in a rare moment of clarity, Mamie realizes that unless she tells Hope about the past, the secrets she has held on to for so many years will soon be lost forever. Tantalizingly, she reveals mysterious snippets of a tragic history in Paris. And then, arming her with a scrawled list of names, she sends Hope to France to uncover a seventy-year-old mystery.

Hope’s emotional journey takes her through the bakeries of Paris and three religious traditions, all guided by Mamie’s fairy tales and the sweet tastes of home. As Hope pieces together her family’s history, she finds horrific Holocaust stories mixed with powerful testimonies of her family’s will to survive in a world gone mad. And to reunite two lovers torn apart by terror, all she’ll need is a dash of courage, and the belief that God exists everywhere, even in cake. . . .

I have a couple of books by Kristin Harmel on my bookshelves but I've never read anything by her before. If all of her books are as touching as this one was, then I can't wait to read them.

This was such an emotional book--both happy and sad. I have always been drawn to Holocaust stories. My grandfather was Jewish and while I was not raised in any religion, I have always found myself interested in this period in history. I've done reports on the tragedy when I was in school and I've read tons of books on the subject- both fact and fiction. So I knew right away that I wanted to read this book. I've also always loved a good love story and this one was heartbreakingly beautiful. So I pretty much devoured this book. I couldn't put it down.

The background that Hope finds out about Mamie was just fascinating and engrossing. I was just so drawn into her past life. But then the current life of the three women, Mamie, Hope, and Annie, was just so real, in a sad way. Yet the book was heartwarming at the same time.

It slightly reminded me of a Nicholas Sparks book but with a intriguing history to it. This book was just what I needed right then and I adored it.

I gave this book a rating of 4.5/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 56
Completely Contemp Challenge 2012: 2012-14

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free Gallery and Pocket Book Blog Tours for an honest review.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Book Review- Stealing Parker

I finished reading Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally earlier this week for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

Parker Shelton pretty much has the perfect life. She’s on her way to becoming valedictorian at Hundred Oaks High, she’s made the all-star softball team, and she has plenty of friends. Then her mother’s scandal rocks their small town and suddenly no one will talk to her.

Now Parker wants a new life.

So she quits softball. Drops twenty pounds. And she figures why kiss one guy when she can kiss three? Or four. Why limit herself to high school boys when the majorly cute new baseball coach seems especially flirty?

But how far is too far before she loses herself completely?

First, I have to say that I loved all of the baseball talk. I am a huge sports fanatic, so I loved reading about a girl so involved in a sport. Plus, I play on a company softball team, so her love of softball had a soft spot in my heart.

That being said, I didn't like some of the other aspects of the book. I do not like religious books. I usually find them preachy and it's just not my thing. I usually try to stay away from them. This book was definitely all about church and God. And there was nothing in the summary to lead me to think this book would be so heavily involved in religion so I could stay away from it. And I think the whole idea of Parker and the baseball team coach/teacher relationship was so inappropriate. I get that is part of the idea of the story, but it just creeped me out. Maybe its the fact that I'm a teacher so any kind of teacher/student relationship is so very wrong to me.

I like that the book also tackled homosexuality. At first, it got on my nerves because it seemed like Parker was against her mom being a lesbian but once we learn about another main person in her life being gay, she seems to be more okay with it. And so I was less annoyed.

I wanted to like this book more. I really did.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

Stealing Parker will be released on October 1, 2012.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 59
2012 ARC Reading Challenge: 47
2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 50
Completely Contemp Challenge 2012: 2012-15
2012 Standalone Reading Challenge: 14

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.

Friday, August 10, 2012

Book Review- Fifty Shades of Grey

While on vacation in Hilton Head, my mom and I decided to go buy Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James to see what all of the hype was about.

From Goodreads:

When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success—his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires.

Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.

This book is intended for mature audiences.

I had heard so much talk about this book but I wasn't sure I wanted to jump on the bandwagon to read it. But while we were in Hilton Head, my mom and I were talking about it and we both decided to go that night and buy the first book. And I'm so glad that we did.

I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed the book. While I've never reviewed them, I've read some erotica before and they were always just kind of "ehh" for me and I thought this would be the same. But I think that this book was a well put-together combination of sex and story.

That doesn't mean that I didn't have a HUGE problem with Christian Grey though. I get that part of it is from the Dom culture but he was over the top controlling. And the stalking freaked me out To me, this all screamed "ABUSIVE"! And I was never okay wit it. But I'm glad that Ana was never really okay with it either. That made it a little more real that she was okay with the pleasure part but not the pain part.

I really liked Ana. I thought she was strong yet vulnerable at the same time. She fell strongly for this guy but realized how wrong the relationship was. And the constant commentary from her subconcious and her inner goddess cracked me up.

I find myself sad that I have other blog tour books to read because I have the next two books in the trilogy sitting here waiting for me to dive in to. My new guilty pleasure. Oh. And I have no idea how they would make this into a movie unless it would be 18 & over only!

I gave this book a rating of 4/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 57
Completely Contemp Challenge 2012: 2011-2
2012 Mammoth Book Challenge: 5

*FTC Disclosure: I bought this book.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Book Review- Marrying Up

I read Marrying Up by Wendy Holden on my vacation in Hilton Head for a Sourcebooks blog tour.

From Goodreads:

Beautiful but broke student Polly and scheming social climber Alexa may have grown up in the same place, but they couldn't be more different. Polly's just fallen for Max, a handsome country vet. But Alexa can't be bothered with love—any guy with a pedigree will do, mind you, as long as he comes with a title, a mansion, and a family tiara.

Alexa wiggles her way into friendship with Florrie, a clueless aristocrat who could support entire countries with her spare change. Suddenly the grandest doors swing open for Alexa, and a new life is so close she can taste it. Polly could care less about Max's money, but his mysterious habit of disappearing scares her. What's he hiding?

The idea of this book sounded like a light, fun read, which is just what I needed. Unfortunately, it veered too far to the light side for me. I found it to be silly to the point that it got annoying.

I liked Polly and Max. And that's about it. Everyone else was just too over the top for me.

You know, maybe this book was supposed to be making fun of royalty and the socialites who try to get there. That idea would make the book make more sense but it doesn't make me enjoy it any more.

I was hoping for some kind of rags-to-riches story but instead, all I got was a bunch of annoying characters and scenarios that I rolled my eyes at. Not my favorite.

I gave this book a rating of 2.5/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 55
Completely Contemp Challenge 2012: 2012-13

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free from Sourcebooks Landmark for an honest review.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Book Review- Happily Ever After

I finished reading Happily Ever After by Harriet Evans back in July for a Gallery Books blog tour.

From Goodreads:

At twenty-two, Eleanor Bee is sure about three things: she wants to move to London and become a literary superstar; she wants to be able to afford to buy a coffee and croissant every morning; and after seeing what divorce did to her parents—especially her mum—she doesn’t believe in happy endings. Elle moves to London. She gets a job at Bluebird Books, a charmingly old-fashioned publisher. She falls out of bars, wears too-short skirts, makes lots of mistakes, and feels like she’s learning nothing and everything at the same time. And then, out of the blue, she falls in love, and that’s when she realizes just how much growing up she has to do. Ten years on, Elle lives in New York, and you could say she has found success; certainly her life has changed in ways she could never have predicted. But no matter where you go and how much you try to run away, the past has a funny way of catching up with you. . . .

It took me a while to get into this book. There was just something about Ella that annoyed me. I could never really put my finger on what it was though.

But once Ella fell in love, I got more into it. And when she got heartbroken, I could totally relate to her. And I liked reading about how she grew through the years.

I also liked the "books" aspect of the story. I found it interesting as I've always wondered if I should have been an editor.

I liked the ending. Everything summed up nicely and its what I wanted to happen.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 54
Completely Contemp Challenge 2012: 2012-12
2012 Mammoth Book Challenge: 4

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free Gallery and Pocket Book Blog Tours for an honest review.

Friday, August 3, 2012

Completely Contemp Challenge 2012- August Update

Completely Contemp Challenge 2012

2011:

A Closer Look by Karen DelleCava

2012:

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Book Review- Just Say Yes

I finished Just Say Yes by Phillipa Ashley for a Sourcebooks Landmark blog tour while on my 15 1/2 hour plane flight to Hong Kong on June 25.

From Goodreads:

Lucy Gibson needs to get away. When her good-looking, popular boyfriend Nick Laurentis, winner of reality TV show Hot Shots, proposes to her on air she's stunned -- into silence. Every girl loves a romantic gesture, but she's just not ready for that kind of commitment. With the press hounding her as the one who callously broke Nick's heart, Lucy escapes her London flat to seek refuge in an isolated Cornwall cottage. But little does she realise that life down there will be far from uncomplicated!

My opinion on this book varies. On the one hand, it's a chick-lit love story type that I love. Girl gets heartbroken, girl vows wanting nothing to do with boy, girl meets another boy but fights her attraction to him, boy and girl briefly get together, some disaster happens and boy and girl break up, and then boy and girl realize breakup is a mistake and get back together.

But there was something about the writing that was off-putting to me. It was a little too graphic in the sex area. I don't mind that, if that's the type of book that it is. But the rest of the book appeared chick-lit-like, not romance novel-like (or at least at the time I didn't think so. Now looking back, it did kind of seem like a romance novel.)

I mostly liked Lucy. There were some things that she thought/said/did that I rolled my eyes at, but for the most part, I enjoyed her character. Josh was just okay for me. Nothing really great stood out. I loved the teeny side characters of the two dogs though :)

Overall, an okay novel. I think I would give Phillipa Ashley another chance.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 52
2012 ARC Reading Challenge: 44
Completely Contemp Challenge 2012: 2012-11

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free from Sourcebooks Landmark for an honest review.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Completely Contemp Challenge 2012- July Update

Completely Contemp Challenge 2012

2011:

A Closer Look by Karen DelleCava

2012:

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Book Review- Over You

I finished reading Over You by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus for an Around the World ARC Tour yesterday.

From Goodreads:

After the grand explosion of her relationship, seventeen-year-old Max Scott developed what every girl in the history of the world has been waiting for: a way to get over being dumped. Now Max is the go-to guru for heartbroken high-school girls all over NYC. But when her ex unexpectedly shows up in her neighborhood, Max’s carefully controlled world starts to unravel. With her clients’ hearts hanging in the balance, Max will have to do the seemingly impossible: get over him once and for all.

Brilliant at bringing humor to the trials and tribulations of the lovestruck, #1 New York Times bestselling authors Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus have crafted a tale that will resonate with any girl who has ever been in love or had her heart broken. It brims with smart observations, features a pitch-perfect teen voice, and will attract fans of Jenny Han, Sarah Mlynowski, and Lauren Barnholdt. Readers are sure to fall head-over-heels for this sharp spin on breaking up, making up, and getting even.

I was excited to read this book because it is by the same authors as The Nanny Diaries, and I enjoyed those books. Unfortunately, this fell a little on the blah side for me.

I felt like a lot of this book was corny and immature. There were just a lot of times I rolled my eyes. There was something about the writing and the dialouge that just left me wishing it were different. And I had a problem with the fact that Max's mom was perfectly okay with her dropping out of high school, getting her GED and then not doing anything. Her mom didn't know about her company, but she wasn't working a side job or taking college classes.

That being said, I like the idea of an Ex, Inc. I definitely had my heartbreak and could have used something like that. (Although I don't think it's that easy to get over a loved one). But I could feel Max's heartbreak and I knew what she was going through.

On the other hand, some of the characters didn't do it for me. Ben? Yeah, don't get the appeal in him. He just seemed boring. I liked Max some of the time and some of the time I felt myself rolling my eyes at her. My favorite character was definitely Zach. I just loved his character!

Overall, not a great read but not a horrible one either.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

Over You will be released on August 21, 2012.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 48
2012 ARC Reading Challenge: 41
2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 45
Completely Contemp Challenge 2012: 2012-10
2012 Standalone Reading Challenge: 13

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Book Review- When You Were Mine

I finished reading When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle early this morning for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

Rosaline knows that she and Rob are destined to be together. Rose has been waiting for years for Rob to kiss her—and when he finally does, it’s perfect. But then Juliet moves back to town. Juliet, who used to be Rose’s best friend. Juliet, who now inexplicably hates her. Juliet, who is gorgeous, vindictive, and a little bit crazy… and who has set her sights on Rob. He doesn’t even stand a chance.

Rose is devastated over losing Rob to Juliet. This is not how the story was supposed to go. And when rumors start swirling about Juliet’s instability, her neediness, and her threats of suicide, Rose starts to fear not only for Rob’s heart, but also for his life. Because Shakespeare may have gotten the story wrong, but we all still know how it ends…

I love Romeo and Juliet. Love it! So I was excited to read a retelling of it and from a different point of view. But maybe its because I love the original so much that I felt like this book was lacking in several areas.

First the good. I love Rosaline! She is such a great character. She's part of the popular crowd but still down to earth and questions about how she got to be popular. I just feel like she's someone I would be friends with in real life. And I liked Charlie. She reminds me of a girl I used to be best friends with. Loud and outgoing and straightforward. Olivia got on my nerves some though. The boys were okay. I liked Ben and how he seemed a little nerdy. And I really liked Rob at the beginning. But then the big surprise happens and I feel like he turned into a complete jerk. And Juliet. I love Juliet in the original so it was fun to hate it her in this version.

And I liked the overall plot. I like the idea of Rosaline getting her heartbroken by her best friend, just not how it was done (not that I like the idea of heartbreak, just that it makes for a good story). And I liked the general idea of what happens at the end, just not the rumors going around about it.

What I have problems with are pretty spoiler-y, so I'm going to write them below. You can highlight them if you want to be able to read the words.

I didn't like how Rob and Juliet got together. Juliet asks to Rob to take her to the dance, in front of Rosaline, and he says yes?? Um, how about no?!?! Then when Juliet isn't there yet, and Rosaline goes into the bathroom for 5ish minutes, she comes out and suddenly they're wrapped up in each other, totally in love? Yeah, not so much. The quickness of it just drove me crazy. It would have made more sense if it had grown at least over a couple of weeks. Then Juliet's attempted suicide. I guess we can assume why she tried to kill herself at the end, because of her dad's affair, but that happened a decade ago so I'm not sure that would be the reason and nothing else is given. And it's completely glossed over. There's no mention of Juliet going through therapy or anything. This didn't work for me either. And the death of Rob and Juliet. In the book, it's sad and tragic yest somehow romantic. Here, its just another sad drunk driving accident. Nothing romantic about it. Then at the end, she finally decides to be with Len the day of (or it might have been a few days after) Rob's funeral. I get that maybe she realized that she was really over Rob, but come on! Have some respect! And really, with the way Rosaline treated him, why would Len even want to be with her??

So yeah, while I liked the beginning, and the idea of the end, the problems were pretty major for me. They had me shaking my head several times throughout the book. I think I'll stick to the original Romeo and Juliet.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 46
2012 ARC Reading Challenge: 39
2012 Debut Author Challenge: 14
2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 43
Completely Contemp Challenge 2012: 2012-9
2012 Standalone Reading Challenge: 12

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.

Pages

Monday, December 31, 2012

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Monday, October 1, 2012

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Monday, August 13, 2012

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Friday, August 10, 2012

Monday, August 6, 2012

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Friday, August 3, 2012

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Current Giveaways!

Search This Blog

About Me

Followers

ATTENTION AUTHORS AND PUBLISHERS

Book Ratings

What I'm Reading

Blog Archive

My Challenges 2013

~

My Challenges 2012

My Challenges 2011

My Challenges 2010

MY CHALLENGES 2009

Counter