Christmas Challenge Day 2: The Book of Broken Hearts

Author: Sarah Ockler

Release Date:  May 21st, 2013
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre(s): YA Contemporary 
Pages: 352
*Stand alone*
*Part of the Christmas Challenge!*

~SPOILERS ARE HIDDEN! HIGHLIGHT THE PAGE TO SEE THEM! :)~

Summary (Goodreads): 
 When all signs point to heartbreak, can love still be a rule of the road? A poignant and romantic novel from the author of Bittersweet and Twenty Boy Summer.

Jude has learned a lot from her older sisters, but the most important thing is this: The Vargas brothers are notorious heartbreakers. She’s seen the tears and disasters that dating a Vargas boy can cause, and she swore an oath—with candles and a contract and everything—to never have anything to do with one.

Now Jude is the only sister still living at home, and she’s spending the summer helping her ailing father restore his vintage motorcycle—which means hiring a mechanic to help out. Is it Jude’s fault he happens to be cute? And surprisingly sweet? And a Vargas?

Jude tells herself it’s strictly bike business with Emilio. Her sisters will never find out, and Jude can spot those flirty little Vargas tricks a mile away—no way would she fall for them. But Jude’s defenses are crumbling, and if history is destined to repeat itself, she’s speeding toward some serious heartbreak…unless her sisters were wrong?

Jude may have taken an oath, but she’s beginning to think that when it comes to love, some promises might be worth breaking.

Review:
(Phew, just barely got this review in!)

Wow... just wow.

It seems light and fluffy on the top, but this book is incredibly deep.  

I love Jude as a character.  She's both vulnerable and incredibly strong at the same time.  Her growth in this book is amazing; she goes from being the "accident" child to someone who knows who she is and someone who knows she has a place in this family.  Her bond with her sisters and especially her father is very sweet.  The scenes where her father has his melt downs are heartbreaking. It's not just the contrast between how he had been a few minutes ago and how he's acting now; Jude is just now getting to learn about her father and form that special bond with him that she couldn't form with him before.  It's devastating to know that one day he won't remember this bond they had.  It's also really sad to see how much hope Jude placed on fixing the bike, because even if Jude was blinded by this false hope, we, as readers, can see that nothing is going to bring her father back.  In that sense, this book reminds me a lot of Second Chance Summer because in both cases, you wish there was some miracle drug or something magical to come and fix this situation, but this is life.  It's brutal, it's harsh, but it's beautiful too.

Can I just tell you how awesome Emilio is?  He's a ginormous sweetheart, and I'm so glad Jude had someone like him-so kind and understanding (even if he is a bit flirty ;))- through this rough time.  He helps Jude to actually live, to remember the past but not hold onto it, and to become her own self, and I think that's the best kind of relationship: he's not just eye-candy, and he's not just there for kisses.  He's there for her, and to bring out the best in her, even when everything seems so hopeless.  His own scars teach Jude that it is possible to still remember the past, but to let go of it to live to the fullest.

I love how the book of broken hearts fits into all this.  It's ultimately, I think, a symbol of the sisters' bond- minus Jude.  Jude's always been the outcast in the family, the baby, the one left behind.  When the book is finally given to her, it should have drawn her into her sisters' "Holy Trinity"- but it doesn't.  Jude's broken heart doesn't come from some guy, but from the love of her father who will soon forget who she is. Her summer with her father can't be written with words or handed down/shared, like her old cut offs and t-shirts from her sisters, but it's something of her own and will forever be hers through her memories and who she becomes in the future.  And that ending when she burns it? It's incredible to see how far she's come, from that shaky girl to this woman who knows life's harsh, but she's going to live it to the fullest-just like her father wants her too.

There's more I can say about this book, but none of it will do it justice. The best thing would be to read it ;). It's ultimately about family and about letting go of the past (but never forgetting it) to live.  Heartbreaking and sweet, I guarantee it won't disappoint.

Happy readings! :)
Merry (early!) Christmas everyone :)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Christmas Challenge Day 1: Revenge of the Cheerleaders

Author: Janette Rallison

Release Date:  October 2nd, 2007
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Genre(s): YA Contemporary 
Pages: 256
*2nd book in series (companion)*
*Part of the Christmas Challenge!*

~SPOILERS ARE HIDDEN! HIGHLIGHT THE PAGE TO SEE THEM! :)~

Summary (Goodreads): 
Chelsea's school year has taken a turn for the worse.  After being dumped by her boyfriend and humiliated at the pep assembly by her younger sister's boyfriend, Rick, she's just concentrating on avoiding any other major embarrassments.
 
That's when Rick and his band debut their new album, complete with a whole set of songs bashing cheerleaders.  Chelsea's humiliation has reached a whole new level now that everyone is walking down the halls singing the words to "Dangerously Blonde."  
 
It's time to make Rick pay.  All he wants is to win the High School Idolaudition, so he can be on his way to rock star fame and fortune. But with the help of her best friends, Aubrie and Samantha, Chelsea is going to steal his victory right out from under him. 
 
The characters from All's Fair in Love, War and High School are back, only this time it's payback.

Review: 

Ahhhh this book is sooo cute!! >.<

I absolutely love Chelsea. She’s HILARIOUS!  Oh my goodness, her subtle quips and snarkiness had me laughing like a lunatic the ENTIRE time (which, btw, brought awkward stares from other people in the waiting room… but whateves.  This book was soo worth it ;-)).  I also love the appearance of Samantha and Logan! They’re so adorable, and I’m glad to see their story didn’t end in All’s Fair in Love, War, and High School.:)

I absolutely adore how even though this book is fluffy and cute, it’s also unexpectedly deep.  Chelsea isn’t just some airheaded blonde cheerleader whose seeking petty revenge (okay, she is seeking revenge, and okay, her revenge is a little extreme: training to beat Rick at a competition Rick's spent his entire life preparing for, but that's not the point LOL); she’s a very caring and loving girl (despite her quirks and sarcasm ;), esp. when it comes to her sister.  Her over protectiveness over her younger sister, despite the way Adrian is acting out, is very sweet, and I think that's the heart of the book: family always and forever.  I could relate with Chels so well, being the oldest child in my family as well.  Despite what our younger siblings think, we do care, and we do love them, but we're human too.  What we might think is best for them might not exactly seem like it's the best (or is the best), but hey, we're trying! :D  

And of course, the romance ;).  NO INSTA-LOVE!!!! *squeal!*

(Yep, gonna mention it every single time;)! It’s like a party in my world whenever I stumble across a book with an actual relationship between the main characters!).

 To be honest, going into this book, I thought Chels was going to fall in love with Rick (in my defense, the blurb didn't mention any other guy! And the love interest didn't show up until like 40 pages in! Usually they appear sooner! Esp. in a Janette Rallison book! And I thought he was a minor character! I didn't know what to assume!).  So at first I was like

UM???

BUT THEN.

Clark Kent Romeo Tanner shows up, and

So, my dear readers, do not be deceived like I was.   

IT WAS A FALSE ALARM.

But I digress.

So.

Back to the romance. ;)

There were many sah-woon worthy moments, but the main thing that stood out to me was how both Chels and Tanner, no matter how strong their attraction was to each other, put family first.  So many books I’ve read in the YA category always have the girl revolving her life around a guy (and usually a guy she's just met).   I absolutely loved how family was the prominent theme here, even if that blurb in the beginning made it *seem* like revenge was.  (In truth, it was a little bit, but even revenge gave way to "family first" (the romance was extra! ;). )    

Oh! And how could I forget Molly and Polly? ;) Chels, at first, reluctantly takes them on so her music teacher would help her with her singing. BUT THEN, Chels gets to know the real Molly and Polly, and let me tell ya, their antics are HILARIOUS as well.  (That scene with that guy Joe!!!! Read the book! You’ll understand!!) xD

Final thoughts?  Belly-laughter funny, cute, and deep.  A great read for a “cold” (read: 73 degrees T.T) winter night.

Thanks for reading!

Rating: 3 out of 5

This review participated in the weekly meme hosted by the wonderful Sherry over at Semicolon!

Maid of Secrets

Author: Jennifer McGowan

Release Date:  May 7th, 2013
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Genre(s): YA Historical Fiction
Pages: 416
*1st Book in a series*

~Spoilers are hidden! Highlight the page to see them!~

Summary (Goodreads):
Seventeen-year-old Meg Fellowes is a wry, resourceful thief forced to join an elite group of female spies in Queen Elizabeth’s Court. There she must solve a murder, save the Crown, and resist the one thing that will become her greatest freedom–and her deadliest peril. 

For Meg and her fellow spies are not alone in their pursuit of the murderer who stalks Windsor Castle.

A young, mysterious Spanish courtier, Count Rafe de Martine, appears at every turn in the dark and scandal-filled corridors of the Queen’s summer palace. And though secrets and danger are Meg’s stock-in-trade, she’s never bargained on falling in love…

Review:

I read this book via Pulseit.com as part of their 31 days of reading!:)

I’ve been in a book slump lately.  Almost every book I’ve read in the past few weeks have been disappointing.  But not this time! (Maybe my luck is finally changing!)

This was a FUN book (despite its darker elements).  Fast paced and exciting- it was intense! And that plot twist? OH MY GOODNESS.  IT WAS SO UNEXPECTED! But, of course, only a good plot not maketh a book (is that even a saying? LOL), but the characters need to be on par too.  And the book DELIVERED.  No cardboard characters here!  I absolutely loved Meg and her Fabulous Five (five including her) made up of superhero spies: the mysteriously cute Sophia, the assassin girl Jane (whose really a big ol’ softie), the gorgeous and flirtatious Beatrice, and the quietly quirky Anna.  I loved getting to know each and every girl through Meg’s eyes, and by the end of the story, I felt like they were my crazy, dangerous sisters!  The bonds between the girls from the beginning of the book to the end grew and strengthened, and it was super sweet to see all their interactions (esp. Beatrice’s! She will NEVER in a million years admit she cares about Meg as a friend, but EVERYONE could see it. There are few things sweeter than grudging acceptance! LOL xD).  

Meg was an AWESOME character.  She was very witty, a little snarky in a funny and not clichéd/mean way, and super intelligent (she wasn't one of those characters who couldn't put 2 and 2 together when said 2 and 2 smacked them in the face; she was the type of girl who went seeking for that 2 and 2 and put them together before they even had a chance to realize they WERE the 2 and 2- pretty cool, if you ask me ;)), and I enjoyed getting to know her and getting to BE her.  I’ve always loved the theater (never performed in a play, but I’m a techie!), and it was really interesting peering into the mind of an actress who used her skills for thieving.  She convinced herself that she WAS this certain character, and the author did a great job of portraying that so naturally that it made me wonder if Meg was pulling a Hannah Montana on us. 

And the details! Oh my goodness all those details! The gowns, the town, the castle, the dances, Elizabeth herself (and not to mention the cute guys ;))- everything was described in such great detail that I felt like I was transported there.  (That is truly a great feeling indeed- and something that hasn’t happened to me in a long time. ) Even though we do see the coarser side of England, the amazing details the author used to describe everything made me wanderlust (is it possible to wanderlust for a time period?) for Elizabethan England, with all its bustling villages, majestic royalty, and gorgeous gowns.  

And, of course, the cute guys (saving the best for last! ;-).  Can I just say I actually approved of this (sorta) love triangle?  (I call it a sorta love triangle because the other guy shows up in the beginning and then disappears until much later, but it’s still a love triangle).  It was sooo well done!  First off, NO INSTALOVE! Secondly, I loved how Meg stuck to her morals.  I mean, she’s made it pretty clear throughout the book that she doesn’t want to get married.  So when she meets Count Rafe de Martine (actually even before this with Master James- the other love interest), there’s this internal struggle within her; she likes the guy, but at the same time, she resents herself for liking the guy and resists her feelings for him.

And she doesn’t just suddenly go, “Oh I like him. I'm going to focus my entire life on getting him to be my boyfriend."

Me: Um, didn't you just say you were swearing off guys forever?

Heroine:When did I EVER say that??? You’re being ridiculous!  

Me: Literally like 3 pages ago.

Heroine: That was 3 pages ago! Get with the times!

.... and proceeds to fall for the guy(s) like so many YA heroines do these days (even if they had sworn up and down that they weren't going to EVER fall in love).  But Meg doesn’t do that; she struggles with herself, and by the end, we too are left wondering at her choice (so I guess this could be considered a love rectangle? Her love for the two guys plus her love for her freedom- which would be gone if she married).  Throw in a teeny little complication that Rafe might actually be her enemy, and there’s the romance for ya!:)

Happy readings!:D

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

The Accidental Movie Star

Author: Emily Evans

Release Date:  May 31st, 2012
Publisher: Self-published
Genre(s): YA Contemporary
Pages: 362
*Stand alone*

*WARNING: SPOILERS ARE UNHIDDEN! I REPEAT SPOILERS ARE UNHIDDEN!*

*This review is more of a rant, btw, but either one works IMO. :)*

Summary (Goodreads): 
How did Ashley spend her summer vacation? Imagine the hottest guy in Hollywood. Do you see the girl next to him, the one handing him a cup of coffee? Yeah. That’s her.

Interning on a major motion picture is not all bad. She gets to watch some of the scenes and even offer her opinion. “That kiss looked lame. Laughably weak. There’s no chance at an MTV award with that kiss.” LOL. 

Until the director says, “Hey, Intern. Yeah, you. Ashley. You’re right. So, teach Caspian how to kiss. Oh, and get in front of the camera. We're going to need you in this next shot."

OMG.

Review:
GRR!! That ending!! It frustrated me beyond belief- and not in a good way. Up until then, the book was actually pretty good. But gah! I can't believe Ashley just accepted that guy back without a second thought! What the fruit! The guy went off on a drunken rage about her drugging him, etc, etc.-and all those claims were really, really stupid. It would make more sense for him to accuse her of cheating on him (she was not) or ANYTHING other than her drugging him.  (WHY ON EARTH WOULD ASHLEY DO THAT?!) When he came back to her at the end, she didn't even have one little hissy fit over his sweet talking British self. I mean, yea British accents are cute, but REALLY?! She took him back with, "Yea, well you didn't say sorry. So we are never ever ev- Oooo soft lips. Mmmm cologne. I think you said sorry, but whatever, you're hot. Let's get back together." And another thing: When did they start going out? There was a part where the Realtor mentioned them moving in and raising kids- and you would think Ashley would have spoken up and said they weren't even dating- let alone have kids. But no, she just commented on how they weren't that old.

Um ok. 

And then the realtor called her his girlfriend, which she didn't deny, so it got me all confused because there was no mention in the book about them establishing a bf/gf relationship. Minor hitch compared to that ending though.  -_-* 

But despite everything, it was a good book, very fun, fluffly, and funny.  Ashley was a very likeable character (for the most part), while I had some issues with Caspian (refer above).  I would recommend this book for anyone who loves chick-lit and Hollywood romances- but if you're like me and want some angsty anger at the hot and unreasonable hero who totally had it coming, this is not the book for you;).

Thanks for reading~:)

Rating: 3 out of 5 

Series (sorta) Review: Mythos Academy (1-4)

Photoshop out in your mind First Frost,Spartan Frost, and Midnight Frost. :) Sorry! I couldn't find a picture where it was just Touch of Frost, Kiss of Frost, Dark Frost, and Crimson Frost. Brrr... that's a lot of ice xD. 

Author: Jennifer Estep 

Publisher: K- Teen
Genre(s): YA Urban Fantasy/ Paranormal 
*Series: Books 1-4*

Spoilers are hidden! Highlight the page to see them:) 

Summary: 
In a nutshell, the books are about an academy of warriors with special powers who need to save the world from an evil god.  You know, the same old same old.    

Review:

My review is more of a rant?  That’s too strong of a word, but I’m brain-toast right now from the lack of sleep (WHY SCHOOL START AT 8 AM?! WHY SO MANY TESTS?!), and I can’t think of anything better at the moment. I guess this would be considered more of a rant than a review, but eh.  A rant implies I cared about this series intensely- and I didn’t.  Was I annoyed with the series?  Mm. Not really?  I wasn't so much annoyed but resigned (and maybe even a little accomplished :)- more on that later) at another cliche filled series. For right now, I think indifference would best describe my feelings.

(So just to clear this up: I read four books of the series in three days.  It wasn’t because this series was enjoyable that I read it so fast, but because the writing was so… common? I’m not sure if that’s the right word.  I wouldn’t say the writing was juvenile, but it was really easy to read; however that doesn’t mean the books were well structured and flowed well.  It just meant they were really easy reads.)

So onward to the rant:

-YA Stereotypes and Cliches galore!

-Very predictable.  

-Insta-love despite denying said insta-love. 

Just like any other YA novels these days, like those vampire books and what not.  (Was it Vampire Academy?  Hush Hush? I don’t know anymore.)   

Again, these books were super fast reads, not because they were super short (about 350 pages each) but the writing just rolled off my eyes (does that even make sense?). It was just unbelievably predictable, and by the second half of the each book, I was just reading to confirm my predictions.  

Even at four books (I think this series is still ongoing; I’m not sure when it’s going to end), I felt the plot was stretched way too thin.  I mean it seems like the books will never get to the main point: killing Loki.   Something happens again and again, and it would be nice if there was a point to everything that was happening, but that was the point: THERE WAS NO POINT. 

Gwen was your stereotypical YA heroine:

*A Mary Sue? The epitome. 

*Special power that no one else had (basically was THE ONE): check (Side note: I actually don’t mind this, like if the heroine/hero is THE CHOSEN ONE, but in these books, it was beaten into our heads that YES SHE IS THE CHOSEN ONE. SHE IS VERY SPECIAL. THAT’S THE GIRL.  SHE IS THE ONE. OBEY HER.  It gets obnoxious after a while.)

*Only gal to stand up to the bad boy (who, of course, happened to be the hottest guy in the entire school) and insta-love: check

*Sounds just like any other YA heroine: check.

Her sarcasm and one liners were so cliché and not funny or original at all. When characters in the books were laughing whenever she said something snarky, I was like

And finally:

Whenever they mentioned Loki, I saw

OOO! He's so scary! 

So why the rating of 1.5 and not a straight out 1? (The .5 does make a difference!)

The books were, in some BIZARRE way, entertaining. (I know, I know. Hypocrite much?)  BUT they were entertaining in that I felt  so accomplished every time one of my predictions came true . (EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. CAME. TRUE. NO JOKE.) Every time that happened I was like:

Usually, I would be annoyed that the books were so cliche, but that usually depends on my mood, and a ego boost now and then is nice xD (esp. after getting caught unaware of a certain plot twist and having your heart ripped out and torn to pieces and as if that wasn't enough they stomp on it with spiked heels and then throw it to the wolves.  But I digress.).   I wasn't really expecting much out of the books anyways, so might as well turn the small and the bizarre into little victories. :)

So yea.
It worked out that way.

Thanks for reading!:)

Rating: 1.5 out of 5