99 Days - Katie Cotugno

Summary from Goodreads:

Day 1: Julia Donnelly eggs my house my first night back in Star Lake, and that’s how I know everyone still remembers everything—how I destroyed my relationship with Patrick the night everything happened with his brother, Gabe. How I wrecked their whole family. Now I’m serving out my summer like a jail sentence: Just ninety-nine days till I can leave for college, and be done.

Day 4: A nasty note on my windshield makes it clear Julia isn’t finished. I’m expecting a fight when someone taps me on the shoulder, but it’s just Gabe, home from college and actually happy to see me. “For what it’s worth, Molly Barlow,” he says, “I’m really glad you’re back.”

Day 12: Gabe got me to come to this party, and I’m actually having fun. I think he’s about to kiss me—and that’s when I see Patrick. My Patrick, who’s supposed to be clear across the country. My Patrick, who’s never going to forgive me.

I'm really not sure where to start. I really liked 99 Days. It's my first book by Katie Cotugno (I've had How to Love sitting on my Nook forever but haven't read it yet), but I wonder if I should've started with that one first because while I really liked this one, I feel like I'm not getting the whole fascination with Cotugno (even though I 100% stand by my 4 star rating). Like, I feel like I'm going to be pondering 99 Days for days to come because I feel like I'm missing something and I feel sad that I'm done with the book and I feel sad about how the characters treated each other. The writing was fun and easy and I loved the imagery that Katie provided with the words. I felt like I was able to visually see what was happening so well! I thought the characters were really well done - even though I really hate all of them because they all did mean things, but there's something sooo likable about each one (Molly was too selfish for me most of the time though!). I think this book is perfect to read during the summer and I wish I would've read each "Day" during each day of the summer because it would've been fun to be like "Let's see what's going on with Molly today." I was disappointed with the lack of focus on Molly and her mother, and I'm bummed about the ending but in a way, I know it's like real life! I'll keep the ending if Katie could just give us more with the mother/daughter situation. Overall, I'm glad I read this book (I'm obsessed with the cover!), and I do think it's a good book that showed what girls go through in cheating situations.

Rating: 4/5

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Paradise City - C.J. Duggan

Summary from Goodreads:

There's bound to be trouble in Paradise...

When her parents decide a change will be good for her, seventeen-year-old Lexie Atkinson never expected they'd send her all the way to Paradise City. Coming from a predictable life of home schooling on a rural Australian property, she's sure that Paradise will be amazing. But when she's thrust into a public school without a friendly face in sight, and forced to share a room with her insipid, hateful cousin Amanda, Lexie's not so sure.

Hanging out with the self-proclaimed beach bums of the city, sneaking out, late night parties and parking with boys are all things Lexie's never experienced, but all that's about to change. It's new, terrifying . . . and exciting. But when she meets Luke Ballantine, exciting doesn't even come close to describing her new life. Trouble with a capital T, Luke is impulsive, charming and answers to no one. The resident bad-boy leader of the group, he's sexier than any boy Lexie has ever known.

Amidst the stolen moments of knowing looks and heated touches, Lexie can't help but wonder if Luke is going to be good for her . . . or very, very bad?

I was immediately drawn to Paradise City because of the cover (hello beach and summer), the title, and the fact that it takes place in Australia! What I didn't understand was why this is considered New Adult when the MC is still in high school but oh well. Paradise City had me definitely laughing at parts (like Lexie's entrance into the school assembly in the beginning of the book - it reminded me of an embarrassing moment I had at a school assembly in high school when I tripped down the stairs in front of everyone!) and then had me feeling super embarrassed for Lexie when she realized she was in the wrong class (yikes!). I loved when she got detention and got herself into so many other mishaps. I thought Lexie was so cool when she was able to stand up for herself and she had some witty remarks but then enter Luke Ballantine (THE HOTTEST GUY EVER FYI) and I swear she has two personalities. What kept me from giving Paradise City a higher rating was the fact that Lexie wants to have all of these experiences and the second she shows up in Paradise City, she has them all within a couple of months. Maybe for some people things happen that fast but it didn't feel totally believable sometimes and I just felt like Duggan was trying to make Lexie different people instead of just Lexie. What I also didn't like was the ending! I personally don't think there was any reason to make a sequel because the "cliffhanger" was pretty stupid. Honestly, I never seem to have the best experiences with Australian anything - books, movies, tv shows... But what completely saved this book for me was LUKE. GOOD LORD WHAT A BABE. Like literally my notes are just page numbers with OMG written next to that page number because everything Luke said or did killed me! I can still here Luke in my head saying one of my favorite lines. I love him. And I picture him to look like Luke Hemmings from 5 Seconds of Summer (even though in the book Luke is a surfer). And I probably picture Luke Hemmings because he is Australian.

Here he is :)

Rating: 3/5

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Snark & Circumstance/Charm & Consequence - Stephanie Wardrop

 Summary from Goodreads:

One superior smirk from Michael Endicott convinces sixteen-year-old Georgia Barrett that the Devil wears Polo. His family may have founded the postcard-perfect New England town they live in, but Georgia’s not impressed. Even if he is smart, good looking, and can return Georgia’s barbs as deftly as he returns serves on his family’s tennis courts. After all, if Michael actually thinks she refuses to participate in lab dissections just to mess with his grade, he’s a little too sure that he’s the center of the universe. Could there be more to Michael Endicott than smirks and sarcasm? If Georgia can cut the snark long enough, she just might find out.

Snark and Circumstance had me hooked from the very first sentence: "I’m not one to judge, but the new kid is a stuck-up asswaffle." I love every moment between Michael and Georgia! There were soooo many funny moments and the commentary by Georgia was HILARIOUS. I picture Michael to look like Thomas McDonell (picture below....HOT RIGHT). Here are some quotes I liked:

"It's Michael Endicott," says the Seat Freak, exactly the way I would imagine the Queen of England would respond if you called her "Lizzie."
"...Maybe I induced some kind of episode in him, and now he's home, frothing at the mouth..."
"Unless I do one on 'Pompous Snobholes descended from British Colonials.' Are you available for an interview?"
But sometimes galaxies collide. Hard.

Summary from Goodreads:

Sixteen-year-old Georgia Barrett is no expert on guys, but her bio-class partner is harder to dissect than anything in their lab tray. He’s smart, almost as sarcastic as she is, and cute in that preppie way. Things are great . . . until he decides her vegan activism is ridiculous and suddenly can’t refuse a date with her fast enough. So why does he show up at her door, interested in learning how to make tofu ricotta? And why does he seem so upset that a senior hottie has taken an interest in her? Could he be interested in Georgia after all?

You guys, I just love Michael so much! Honestly I can't think of a guy - in book character form or in real life, that I've liked that is actually SMART. Like I honestly don't pay too much attention to smarts because I usually look for humor and sarcasm but in Charm and Consequence, I found Michael to be soooo SEXY because of his smarts! I really don't even know what else to say except I need to get the rest of these short stories because I need to see what happens next!

"So they basically pledge their hymens to their fathers?"
"Oh! We've ruined the perfect snow!"   "Can't be helped."

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Just One Night - Gayle Forman

Summary from Goodreads:

After spending one life-changing day in Paris with laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter, sheltered American good girl Allyson “Lulu” Healey discovered her new lover had disappeared without a trace. Just One Day followed Allyson’s quest to reunite with Willem; Just One Year chronicled the pair’s year apart from Willem’s perspective. Now, back together at last, this delectable e-novella reveals the couple’s final chapter.

So I am struggling to enjoy anything from Gayle Forman now. I really hated If I Stay/Where She Went and Just One Year. After reading Just One Day, I have been continuously reading other books by Gayle in hopes that I will find something else of hers that makes me feel what Just One Day did. I haven't yet but I have finally completed the Just One Day books by reading the Just One Night novella. I'm glad that we saw what happened after Just One Year but I felt a disconnect and did not like the writing style at all. I skimmed over a lot of it because it all seemed pretty pointless to me honestly. However, the very last couple of sentences reminded me of Just One Day so I will have to re-read that one! I do have Gayle's new book I Was Here but I'm really worried about reading it!

Rating: 2/5

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Whispers in the Dark - Chase J. Jackson

Summary from Goodreads:

College graduate Adrian Ramirez has finally landed his first job, and it's the opportunity of a lifetime: teaching at the elite Finley Academy in his hometown of Newnan, Georgia. Life is on the upswing, and Adrian returns home with girlfriend Lea and high hopes - but the Academy is not the idyll he imagined.

Along with the new pressures of adulthood, and a rising anxiety disorder he's having trouble hiding, Adrian discovers there's been a string of unexplained dropouts at the school. He suspects something is amiss with two of his students, identical twins Raven and Robin. One outgoing, one withdrawn, both keeping a secret.

When Adrian is accused of being at the center of a student's breakdown, he is forced to dig deeper to unravel the mystery, finding influences of the paranormal along the way. Will Adrian be able to unlock the dark secrets of Finley Academy - and his own past - in time?

Whispers in the Dark is a fun short read - although not strong in the writing. However, I liked the plot concept and still found myself enjoying the story (by skimming over some of the cheesy dialogue). I liked the pacing and was constantly wondering what was happening next. My predictability skills are way off so I was not able to predict what I thought I should have which made the story more fun. I usually don't like male POVs either, but for this short story I liked having Adrian as the MC (his gf was super annoying though). The ending wrapped up too quick for my liking as well.

Rating: 3/5

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Positively Beautiful - Wendy Mills

Summary from Goodreads:

16-year-old Erin is a smart if slightly dorky teenager, her life taken up with her best friend Trina, her major crush on smoky-eyed, unattainable Michael, and fending off Faith, the vision of perfection who’s somehow always had the knife in for Erin. Her dad, a pilot, died when she was very young, but Erin and her mom are just fine on their own.

Then everything changes forever one day after school when Erin’s mom announces she has breast cancer. And there’s even worse news to come. Horrified, Erin discovers that her grandmother’s death from cancer is almost certainly linked, the common denominator a rare gene mutation that makes cancer almost inevitable. And if two generations of women in the family had this mutation, what does that mean for Erin? The chances she’s inherited it are frighteningly high. Would it be better to know now and have major preemptive surgery or spend as much life as she has left in blissful ignorance?

As Erin grapples with her terrible dilemma, her life starts to spiral downwards, alleviated only by the flying lessons she starts taking with grumpy Stew and his little yellow plane, Tweetie Bird. Up in the sky, following in her dad’s footsteps, Erin finds freedom chasing the horizon. Down on the ground it’s a different story, and facing betrayal from Trina, humiliation from Faith, and a world of disappointment with Michael, Erin knows she must discover the truth about herself. Sure enough, she’s positive for the gene that’s slowly killing her mom.

Suddenly, Erin’s life has turned into a nightmare, and the only person she can truly talk to is a girl called Ashley who she meets online. But when, in a moment of madness, Erin flies away with Tweetie Pie to find her new friend, she finds herself on a journey that will take her through not only shock and despair - but ultimately to a new understanding of the true meaning of beauty, meaning, and love.

So I read this book way back at the beginning of March and forgot to write a review...so honestly I don't remember much. What I do remember is that I really didn't enjoy the book, except for the ending which had me crying sooooo much! I remember even calling my sister afterwards and just being like "This book is reminding me to go out and live life, we have to go live life!" I love books that remind me of that even though they make me really sad and scared at the same time. I think I just didn't find the overall story believable (how Erin flew the plane to go find "Ashley" for starters). And how Erin was all "Michael, Michael, Michael" but really I don't think we saw enough of that storyline to warrant her to like him so much. I just needed a lot more focus on the cancer aspect instead of all of these other random storylines that did nothing but leave me feeling disconnected. I think the book needed some re-working! I would say it's worth the read for the ending alone but it's a struggle to get there!

Rating: 2/5

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Four: A Divergent Story Collection - Veronica Roth

Summary from Goodreads:

Two years before Beatrice Prior made her choice, the sixteen-year-old son of Abnegation’s faction leader did the same. Tobias’s transfer to Dauntless is a chance to begin again. Here, he will not be called the name his parents gave him. Here, he will not let fear turn him into a cowering child.

Newly christened “Four,” he discovers during initiation that he will succeed in Dauntless. Initiation is only the beginning, though; Four must claim his place in the Dauntless hierarchy. His decisions will affect future initiates as well as uncover secrets that could threaten his own future—and the future of the entire faction system.

Two years later, Four is poised to take action, but the course is still unclear. The first new initiate who jumps into the net might change all that. With her, the way to righting their world might become clear. With her, it might become possible to be Tobias once again.

I LOVE FOUR. SO. MUCH. This book was really good and really gave me so much more insight into this guy. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I HATE BOOK FOUR SO MUCH. Theo James is the perfect Four to me and he's so much nicer in the movie. BUT now that I've read all the stories from Four's POV, I like him more and see why he acts the way he does. I even see little more bits of Four in the movie that stem from the book that I never noticed before. I do need even more of this POV though because I still haven't completely excused his awful behavior towards Tris. While I'm curious to see what else Veronica Roth writes, I feel like nothing is ever going to be as good the Divergent books and I miss reading and following these character all of the time!

Rating:

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One Wish Away - Kelley Lynn

Summary from Goodreads:

Be careful what you wish for…

Lyra has always been ahead of the curve. Top of her class in school, a budding astronomer, and with a best friend like Darren she barely has time to miss the mother who abandoned her family years ago. She's too busy planning to follow in her father's footsteps, and to become the youngest astronomer at Space Exploration and Discovery.

When a star goes missing Lyra is determined to get to the bottom of it only to discover her braniac dad is the mastermind of a top-secret government experiment. They promise to build a perfect world, one galaxy at a time, but with every tweak of the present, a bit more of the future starts to crumble.

Lyra has to go undercover to reveal the truth and let humanity decide if the consequences are worth more than wishing on a star.

One Wish Away was a disappointment for me. I liked the concept at first and the chapters were nice and short and I was able to read it fast, but then it just got too ridiculous for me. Everything was just weird for me. I wish I would've read Kelley Lynn's other book Road to Somewhere first because I think I would like that one but I'm nervous to now! Because of the way the storyline in One Wish Away changes all of the time, I just couldn't get connected. But then the ending was so frustrating because it's a cliffhanger and now I'm all like "I NEED THE SECOND BOOK NOW." I don't know if there is going to be a second one though :( Anyways, yes, so this book was not my cup of tea but now I'm invested so it would be great if Lynn put out a second one.

Rating:

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For Real - Alison Cherry

Summary from Goodreads:

No parents. No limits. No clue what they're in for.

Shy, cautious Claire has always been in her confident older sister's shadow. While Miranda's life is jam-packed with exciting people and whirlwind adventures, Claire gets her thrills vicariously by watching people live large on reality TV.

When Miranda discovers her boyfriend, Samir, cheating on her just before her college graduation, it's Claire who comes up with the perfect plan. They'll outshine Miranda's fame-obsessed ex while having an amazing summer by competing on Around the World, a race around the globe for a million bucks. Revenge + sisterly bonding = awesome.

But the show has a twist, and Claire is stunned to find herself in the middle of a reality-show romance that may or may not be just for the cameras. This summer could end up being the highlight of her life... or an epic fail forever captured on film. In a world where drama is currency and manipulation is standard, how can you tell what's for real?

First, I LOVE the cover to For Real! And I liked the book but I didn't love it. I loved the concept of being on a show like The Amazing Race and trying to take down an ex but once I found out what the "twist" was, I didn't like the book so much anymore. I wanted Miranda and Claire time, not them dividing their time. Miranda really made me mad even though her attitude was understandable and I was definitely rooting for Claire the whole time. Will was a plus to the story and if you look at my tweets and status updates on Goodreads, you will see how alls I did was freak out about Will and Claire talking about riding each other!!! And then the ending was just ajfkagkejf so FRUSTRATING. I definitely would've like a different outcome for every character. I felt like there was a slight disconnect between me and the characters and I couldn't get myself to fully care about any of them, either. But even though it sounds like I'm bashing the book, I do agree with my three star rating because 1) Will, 2) I love reality tv/traveling and 3) Will. For Real is worth a chance and I see other people have liked the story quite a bit. Just didn't up really being for me.

Rating:

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Fixing Delilah - Sarah Ockler

Summary from Goodreads:

Things in Delilah Hannaford's life have a tendency to fall apart.

She used to be a good student, but she can't seem to keep it together anymore. Her "boyfriend" isn't much of a boyfriend. And her mother refuses to discuss the fight that divided their family eight years ago. Falling apart, it seems, is a Hannaford tradition.

Over a summer of new friendships, unexpected romance, and moments that test the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, Delilah must face her family's painful past. Can even her most shattered relationships be pieced together again?

From the moment I read Twenty Boy Summer, I knew Sarah Ockler was forever going to be on my TBR list. That was confirmed again when I read The Book of Broken Hearts. Unfortunately, Fixing Delilah has let me down :( This bums me out so much because everyone seems to really, really love this book. Part of me thinks maybe I just read the book at the wrong time in my life, but the other part of knows that this one was always going to turn out not to be a favorite. Here is my problem: the book didn't flow for me and I just couldn't fully get connected. Delilah is set to change herself and find a way to make things better but I don't get how Delilah got there. The story just wasn't as believable to me and some of the things that were said (specifically by Delilah and her mom), seemed out of place. The pluses: PATRICK, PATRICK, PATRICK, and oh yeah, PATRICK. Also, once again, Sarah Ockler proves to be the most beautiful writer in existence. Every sentence is just magical. Even though Fixing Delilah wasn't a major hit for me, I will always continue to read whatever Ockler puts out and you all should, too!

Rating:

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Gossip Girl #1 - Cecily von Ziegesar

Summary from Goodreads:

Welcome to New York City’s Upper East Side, where my friends and I live, go to school, play, and sleep—sometimes with each other.

S is back from boarding school, and if we aren’t careful, she’s going to win over our teachers, wear that dress we couldn’t fit into, steal our boyfriends’ hearts, and basically ruin our lives in a major way. I’ll be watching closely...

You know you love me,

Gossip Girl

I've owned the first 10 or so Gossip Girl books for quite a few years now and I always really want to read them but just never do. Well, I finally read book one and it was SO HARD TO GET THROUGH. Once we got to the Kiss on the Lips benefit, I started enjoying it - but maybe that was because I knew I was finally almost done with the book. Gossip Girl gets a 3/5 rating from me simply because this series is everything I love. There's New York, the Upper East, the lives of the rich and the fabulous, drama, boys, cattiness, gossip. And I love the website Gossip Girl has. I've seen the show which I loved and I know who GG is on there but I'm very curious to find out who it is in the books. I love Ziegesar's spin-off series, It-Girl, so I recommend reading that one instead of Gossip Girl. I want to talk about the characters/plot for a minute because I've seen the show so I want to compare the book and show. I'm happy to see that book one and the pilot episode are pretty true to each other - the show is more dramatic of course. I think they casted the television show perfectly. Blake Lively IS Serena and she is so insanely gorgeous, it's ridiculous. Ed Westwick aka Chuck Bass is one of the best casting choices I've ever seen. So hot. I don't like book Vanessa but I absolutely adore Jessica Szhor as Vanessa (and I'm so glad they didn't choose to have a girl with a shaved head!). My absolute favorite is Taylor Momsen. It's been so weird seeing her go from bubbly little blonde when the show first started, to hard core goth girl and rock chick. I actually do listen to her music and would love to see her in concert. I think she's just so awesome and her character Jenny is definitely my second favorite (after Chuck Bass). Hopefully I will be featuring the rest of these books in the future! :)

Rating:

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52 Reasons To Hate My Father - Jessica Brody

Summary from Goodreads:

Lexington Larrabee has never to work a day in her life. After all, she’s the heiress to the multi-billion-dollar Larrabee Media empire. And heiresses are not supposed to work. But then again, they’re not supposed to crash brand new Mercedes convertibles into convenience stores on Sunset Blvd either.

Which is why, on Lexi’s eighteen birthday, her ever-absent, tycoon father decides to take a more proactive approach to her wayward life. Every week for the next year, she will have to take on a different low-wage job if she ever wants to receive her beloved trust fund. But if there’s anything worse than working as a maid, a dishwasher, and a fast-food restaurant employee, it’s dealing with Luke, the arrogant, albeit moderately attractive, college intern her father has assigned to keep tabs on her.

In a hilarious “comedy of heiress” about family, forgiveness, good intentions, and best of all, second chances, Lexi learns that love can be unconditional, money can be immaterial, and, regardless of age, everyone needs a little saving. And although she might have 52 reasons to hate her father, she only needs one reason to love him.

I first discovered Jessica Brody when I read and really liked My Life Undecided. I immediately started adding all her books to my TBR list and bought whatever I could. 52 Reasons to Hate My Father has been sitting with me forever, haunting me, and begging me to read it. I really wanted to make sure I read it at the right time because I have very high expectations for all of Jessica's books now. So... I am very happy to say that I loved 52 Reasons! Yay! One of my first thoughts as soon as I started reading was "Wow, this is Jessica's second book I've read where our MC is getting into trouble!" But she makes it so good that it's just so enjoyable to read even though our MC is in a super sucky situation. I absolutely loved Lexi and I think I want her to be my BFF more then I wanted Brooklyn from MLU to be. I told my sister while I was reading, "I wish I could be a snotty spoiled heiress!" I know Lexi isn't that great of a person right off the bat, but really, I would love to trade for as long as possible and just get to go around and travel and have no money worries. I'm a nice person but I would take the money and the luxury in a heart beat even if I didn't have friends. (Yes, I know that's bad but since this will never actually happen, I'm okay with saying it!) I like that the romance wasn't instantaneous BUT I do wish Brody gave us more so that I felt more connected. I also wish we saw more of the jobs AND my biggest pet peeve was lack of father/daughter interaction. I know it's part of the story and I usually like my books to have no parents involved whatsoever but I think this story could've benefited from it even more. In the end, these issues don't affect how much I liked the book because Lexi is just the best and I will continue to try to read everything from Jessica Brody!

Rating:

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Whatever Life Throws At You - Julie Cross

Summary from Goodreads:

Life loves a good curveball…

Seventeen-year-old Annie Lucas's life is completely upended the moment her dad returns to the major leagues as the new pitching coach for the Kansas City Royals. Now she's living in Missouri (too cold), attending an all-girls school (no boys), and navigating the strange world of professional sports. But Annie has dreams of her own—most of which involve placing first at every track meet…and one starring the Royals' super-hot rookie pitcher.

But nineteen-year-old Jason Brody is completely, utterly, and totally off-limits. Besides, her dad would kill them both several times over. Not to mention Brody has something of a past, and his fan club is filled with C-cupped models, not smart-mouthed high school “brats” who can run the pants off every player on the team. Annie has enough on her plate without taking their friendship to the next level. The last thing she should be doing is falling in love.

But baseball isn't just a game. It's life. And sometimes, it can break your heart…

I have a new appreciation for baseball thanks to Whatever Life Throws At You. And I totally have dibs on Jason Brody so remember that when you read this book! Jason is so so sooooo yummy! And so sweet and just so cute especially when he is speaking spanish to Annie! I had to have Google translator up on my phone while reading so that I could figure out what he was saying. And his secret problem just made me melt and I was rooting for him throughout the whole book! My heart just feels so happy for him after reading this book and I just want the best for him - he's not even real but ugh he deserves everything. Annie is one of my new favorite MCs. She was just so awesome and her first run-in with Jason was so funny. Besides Jason, I actually REALLY liked reading a sports book about baseball. I saw a review on Goodreads where the reviewer said there were so many inaccuracies but since I've never sat and watched baseball and know nothing about it, I have no problem. Now I really want to watch baseball, though!

Rating:

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Exile - Kevin Emerson

Summary from Goodreads:

Catherine Summer Carlson knows how to manage bands like a professional—she’s a student at the PopArts Academy at Mount Hope High, where rock legends Allegiance to North got their start. Summer knows that falling for the lead singer of her latest band is the least professional thing a manager can do. But Caleb Daniels isn’t an ordinary band boy—he’s a hot, dreamy, sweet-singing, exiled-from-his-old-band, possibly-with-a-deep-dark-side band boy. And he can do that thing. That thing when someone sings a song and it inhabits you, possesses you, and moves you like a marionette to its will.

Summer also finds herself at the center of a mystery she never saw coming. When Caleb reveals a secret about his long-lost father, one band’s past becomes another’s present, and Summer finds it harder and harder to be both band manager and girlfriend. She knows what the well-mannered Catherine side of her would do, but she also knows what her heart is telling her. Maybe it’s time to accept who she really is, even if it means becoming an exile herself. . . .

I may not look it, but my alter ego loves horses, surfing, bands/being famous. Because of this, I decided to give Exile a shot, and I am glad I did. The first 20 pages I wasn't really feeling it but I walked away from it and took a break and then came back. And that's when Caleb appeared :) While I hated the immediacy of Summer and Caleb, I liked them both separately so I found myself rooting for them. What I found fun about this book was how Summer likes managing bands and I have always wanted to try to be something like a Personal Assistant or Publicist so in a way, I was living vicariously through her. But she does need to show some heart and not care about money so much. I felt bad for the band. I also liked the twist with Caleb and the search for three missing songs. One thing I wish there was more of was Summer's last band managing experience. We got snippets here and there but I just felt I needed more information to go off of. Overall, I thought this was a decent read and I liked it enough that I definitely want to see what happens next! I think this one is worth a chance even though there are a lot of differing opinions.

Rating:

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Nantucket Blue - Leila Howland

Summary from Goodreads:

For Cricket Thompson, a summer like this one will change everything. A summer spent on Nantucket with her best friend, Jules Clayton, and the indomitable Clayton family. A summer when she’ll make the almost unattainable Jay Logan hers. A summer to surpass all dreams.

Some of this turns out to be true. Some of it doesn’t.

When Jules and her family suffer a devastating tragedy that forces the girls apart, Jules becomes a stranger whom Cricket wonders whether she ever really knew. And instead of lying on the beach working on her caramel-colored tan, Cricket is making beds and cleaning bathrooms to support herself in paradise for the summer.

But it’s the things Cricket hadn’t counted on--most of all, falling hard for someone who should be completely off-limits--that turn her dreams into an exhilarating, bittersweet reality.

A beautiful future is within her grasp, and Cricket must find the grace to embrace it. If she does, her life could be the perfect shade of Nantucket blue.

Another book with a lot of hype surrounding it...ahhh. Okay, so I didn't hate Nantucket Blue, but I also didn't love it. Let's start with the setting - LOVED IT. Although I spent last summer on an island (the San Juan Islands) and let me tell you, it was actually a let down. The drama was INSANE. Yes, the island had it's fun, pretty moments and of course boys but it's so much better in book/movie/tv form. Speaking of boys, I'm going to give a big N-O to the romance in this book. Sure some of it was sweet but I just didn't think was appropriate and it seemed like it came out of nowhere. Also, um, how dare Jay. I wanted to smack him across the face. I know what happens to Jules in here is bad but I just really dislike how she turned out. I feel bad for Cricket and honestly don't feel bad for Jules and her family at all because of how mean Jules is. I like Cricket a lot and I thought the story as a whole was done well and flowed nicely. It was definitely an easy, fun read and I can't wait to get more in Nantucket Red! I'd like to see my feelings for Jules become less hateful and I hope the romance changes as well.

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Sweet 16 Series - Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen

I was in a reading slump awhile back and needed something to fix that. While I was going through my books, I found my copies of Mary-Kate & Ashley's Sweet 16 series. At about 128 pages per book, these were perfect to get me back into reading! I unfortunately only have the first 14 books (there's 18), so I'm hoping to find the last four in a book store somewhere one day! This series takes place over the course of one year - starting with the planning of their big sweet 16 birthday bash.

I will not be reviewing these individually. I have decided to do star ratings except not with stars. These will be ranked on a scale of 1 to 5 using fun suns! From boys to fashion and everything in between, these books are perfect for kids or anyone who wants a throwback to their childhood!

And whether, real or fake, Mary-Kate & Ashley prove to be the coolest girls out there and I'm forever envious of them!

  

Loved the planning of their birthday and all of the mistakes they made!

       

In book 3, they spent the summer working at a music event a la Warped Tour but it could've been done better. In book 4, the girls filmed their movie Getting There WHICH IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES of theirs but the book was just stupid.

  

In book 6, My Best Friend's Boyfriend, I couldn't get past how much Mary-Kate kept ditching her boyfriend. Not cool. But I did like that they were putting on Grease.

    

In book 7, Playing Games, I liked seeing Mary-Kate be a journalist for their school website since I was on my newspaper staff. Also in book 7-8, Ashley created a matchmaking site which seems so fun (although as an adult, it seems quite creepy).

      

In book 9, All That Glitters, Mary-Kate was such a little B getting caught up in the Hollywood scene!

    

In book 11, Little White Lies, Mary-Kate made such a big mess when she lied about having a boyfriend! In book 12, Dream Holiday, the girls are on a Christmas vacay in Colorado with their parents and a PRINCE is staying there. So of course Ashley tries to figure out who it is. I wish this really happened!

        

In book 13, Love and Kisses, Mary-Kate starts an awesome internship at Girlz Magazine which I have always wanted to do and of course she finds away to ruin all of her friends relationships. And Ashley tries to get a hot young singer to perform at the Valentine's Day dance.

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After - Anna Todd

Summary from Goodreads:

Tessa is a good girl with a sweet, reliable boyfriend back home. She's got direction, ambition, and a mother who's intent on keeping her that way. But she’s barely moved into her freshman dorm when she runs into Hardin. With his tousled brown hair, cocky British accent, tattoos, and lip ring, Hardin is cute and different from what she’s used to.

But he's also rude - to the point of cruelty, even. For all his attitude, Tessa should hate Hardin and she does — until she finds herself alone with him in his room. Something about his dark mood grabs her, and when they kiss it ignites within her a passion she’s never known before.

He’ll call her beautiful, then insist he isn’t the one for her and disappear again and again. Despite the reckless way he treats her, Tessa is compelled to dig deeper and find the real Hardin beneath all his lies. He pushes her away again and again, yet every time she pushes back, he only pulls her in deeper.

Tessa already has the perfect boyfriend. So why is she trying so hard to overcome her own hurt pride and Hardin’s prejudice about nice girls like her?

Unless… could this be love?

After was just too much for me. I swear I had read somewhere that it was like 50 Shades of Gray except for younger people and I don't know why I thought I should read this one. I know I did because I like Wattpad and want to read these books that are being published. There was SO MUCH SEX in this book. I was not prepared for that at all. It's the first book I've ever read where it is graphic. But that wasn't even a major issue for me. I feel like all of the sex took away from the actual story and I had a hard time getting connected to Hardin and Tessa. They are both just the worst characters. I just want to call Hardin every profanity under the sun because I hate him so much. And Tessa is like the stupidest girl ever. It's sad that girls put themselves through any form of abuse (this book was mental and emotional abuse to me) and I just could not root for either character. I rated this book a 3/5 on Goodreads because as much as I hate everything about this book, I loved the ending. That ending shocked me and I just couldn't believe it (THE SHEETS, PEOPLE, THE SHEETS). I feel so weighted down by this book that it's making me exhausted just thinking about trying to tackle the rest of the series. The guys in this book are based on One Direction but obviously way different. Hardin, the guy, is Harry Styles which of course I love because hello, Harry is mine and I want him so bad. This is my second published Wattpad book that I've read (My Life With The Walter Boys was the first) and I noticed a major difference in the reading and feeling. Ali Novak, the author of MLWTWB, actually came off as a very good writer and I felt like she never started out on Wattpad. Anna Todd, author of After, came off as an okay writer and made me feel like I was actually on Wattpad reading her story instead of the actual published version. I'm not sure if that makes sense. Anyways, this review is long but I would still say to support Wattpad - I will definitely continue to do so!

Rating:

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Famous Last Words - Katie Alender

Summary from Goodreads:

Willa is freaking out. It seems like she's seeing things. Like a dead body in her swimming pool. Frantic messages on her walls. A reflection that is not her own. It's almost as if someone -- or something -- is trying to send her a message.

Meanwhile, a killer is stalking Los Angeles -- a killer who reenacts famous movie murder scenes. Could Willa's strange visions have to do with these unsolved murders? Or is she going crazy? And who can she confide in? There's Marnie, her new friend who may not be totally trustworthy. And there's Reed, who's ridiculously handsome and seems to get Willa. There's also Wyatt, who's super smart but unhealthily obsessed with the Hollywood Killer.

All Willa knows is, she has to confront the possible-ghost in her house, or she just might lose her mind . . . or her life.

I was a little hesitant to read Famous Last Words. I knew I liked the cover but I think it's hard to find good murder/ghost stories. Fortunately, I ended up REALLY liking this book a lot! I was so pleasantly surprised! Famous Last Words was a crazy roller coaster ride and I loved every minute of it. I guessed the wrong killer (the killer ended up being my second choice) but that's okay because when it was revealed I was just like NO WAY. I don't know how I didn't see it coming! I can guess movies pretty well but books seem to be harder for some reason. I loved that the story took place in Los Angeles and the murders being scenes from old movies like The Birds. SO COOL. And the ghost aspect was so creepy as well! When our MC Willa was calm, I was calm but when she started panicking, I started panicking. I literally could feel what she was feeling no matter the emotion throughout the entire book which made for a really awesome reading experience! I recently won a copy of Katie's other book, Bad Girls Don't Die that I cannot WAIT to read! I just hope I love everything else she has written!

Rating:

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What Happens Next - Colleen Clayton

Summary from Goodreads:

How can you talk about something you can’t remember?

Before the ski trip, sixteen-year-old Cassidy “Sid” Murphy was a cheerleader (at the bottom of the pyramid, but still...), a straight-A student, and a member of a solid trio of best friends. When she ends up on a ski lift next to handsome local college boy, Dax Windsor, she’s thrilled; but Dax takes everything from Sid—including a lock of her perfect red curls—and she can’t remember any of it.

Back home and unable to relate to her old friends, Sid drops her college prep classes and takes up residence in the A/V room with only Corey “The Living Stoner” Livingston for company. But as she gets to know Corey (slacker, baker, total dreamboat), Sid finds someone who truly makes her happy. Now, if she can just shake the nightmares and those few extra pounds, everything will be perfect... or so she thinks.

What Happens Next....I really don't even know where to start with this review. I automatically could tell from the summary what this book would be about and I immediately felt overwhelmed and depressed because it's such a heavy topic. I usually don't branch outside of my happy, cliche books but I wanted to read this one plus I love the cover. While I was reading, I definitely continued to feel overwhelmed, sad, and depressed...but WOW, what a great book! When there were happy moments (HELLO, COREY!!!), I felt bad for laughing and being happy! What happens to Sid is one of my biggest fears and I just was so sad that she wouldn't tell anyone. I understand and I could see how I would have trouble, too but I just wanted her to go back to being happy, 16-year, self conscious Sid. The book does a great job of showing what a girl might actually go through and what other problems she could really get herself wrapped up in. All so scary! My ONLY disappointment with this book is the ending - way too rushed! I waited for the big reveal for so long! I just want to keep reading about Sid because I feel an attachment and I just want to follow her for the rest of her life to make sure she's happy and ends up great! I'm really surprised more people haven't read What Happens Next! GO READ IT RIGHT NOW. I'll just be here, patiently waiting for a new Colleen Clayton book.

Rating:

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Chloe By Design: Making The Cut - Margaret Gurevich

Summary from Goodreads:

16-year-old Chloe Montgomery has always loved everything to do with fashion. Clothes, accessories, designing - she knows it all. And when she finds out Teen Design Diva, a new reality series for aspiring teenage designers is holding auditions in her town, she's desperate to win a spot on the show. She knows this is her chance to finally get her designs noticed. But before Chloe can realize her dreams, she has to survive the competition.

Making The Cut was such a fun (and pretty!) read! I love watching Project Runway and Jane by Design (which only lasted one season thanks to stupid ABC Family) is one of my favorite shows ever. I find the world of fashion fascinating so this book was perfect for me. Making The Cut is definitely like Jane By Design except in this book, Chloe is competing on a show like Project Runway. While the story is Young Adult, it does kind of have a younger vibe to it so it would be easy for Middle Graders to read as well. Don't go into this book expecting an amazing story, it's just a fun fluff read! What I loved was the book featured tons of illustrations so that when a design was being talked about, there was a picture on the next page that showed the outfit so it was easier to understand the critiques and everything. There is a hint of boy meets girl and a crush forms, but I'm so glad that wasn't focused on. I really hope there's another book because I would love to follow Chloe's life and see what happens next for her!

Rating: 8.5/10

Here are some pictures of the book that I took to show you a taste of what you get inside!

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