Paranormalcy(Paranormalcy #1) by Kiersten White

Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie’s always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she's falling for a shape-shifter, and she's the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours, but still. Normal.


Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie's dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.


So much for normal.

My Thoughts/Review:

I liked the story all right, but the characters are what really makes this book pop.

Evie and Lend were very well written characters, and I loved them. Their romance was really cute, in an adorable does he like me, do I like him kind of way. Not the fly-up-in-your-face-love-at-first-site gig, so that was really refreshing. Because who wants to read about love at first site all the time? (Only most of the time.) Also, the plot was pretty good, and it moved along just fine, but there was a lot going on at one time. (Bad stuff happens to Evie, perhaps? If so, I completely sympathize. Your talking to Danger-Prone.) Anyway, I'll continue the series. I like hearing Evie's voice. She's really funny. And really cool. But she tries to hard to be a girly girl.



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                                                           Favorite Quote:
She was right. I was empty. I was alone and cold, and I'd always known it.

Adios, Nirvana by Conrad Wesselhoeft

When you piss off a bridge into a snowstorm, it feels like you’re connecting with eternal things . . . But who? The Druids? Walt Whitman? No, I pay homage to one person only, my brother, my twin.


In life. In death.


Telemachus.


Since the death of his brother, Jonathan’s been losing his grip on reality. Last year’s Best Young Poet is now Taft High School’s resident tortured artist, when he bothers to show up. But his English teacher, his principal, and his crew of friends won’t sit back and let him fail.


My Thoughts/Review:



This story moves right on along, and doesn't let you breath for a second.

It was Epic. Much like the opening chords of 'All Apologies'. Jonathan's character was really interesting, in a tortured, young poet kind of way. (Who doesn't love characters like that?) What he's really trying to do is get over his brother Telemachus's death. I'd say that he's not succeeding, but in a way, he kind of is. Poems. Guitars. Music. He's got the angsty teenager part down. But he's got something that your average angsty, fictional character doesn't have. He's got soul, and a wicked sense of humor. In a way, it's the best homage that Telemachus will ever get. He's a pretty big part of the story too, in his admittedly weird way. Because he's a part of Jonathan, and it really shows throughout the book. When Jonathan is finished telling his story, you'll be wishing it was longer.

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                                                               Favorite Quote:
Thickness is everywhere, among young and old, one street corners, and in school playgrounds. I'm very conscious of it. I even see it as a color--Soft blue.
The dudes at the Alamo were thick.
Odysseus and his men were thick.
The sailors in the picture are probably dead, or ninety, but their thickness lives on.
Thickness transcends death. Is an eternal torch.
If you are not thick with someone, you are very much alone in the world.
Still, even thickness can't always shed light on a truly dark soul.
And mine is truly dark.

Fix by Force by Jason Warne

Spencer doesn’t have a choice.


He can't choose to be different than what he is—the son of the town's worst enemy, the weakling who can't stand up for himself, the loser without friends.

He can't change the way things are.

Or maybe he can.

Immediate confidence.

Rapid change.

Instant hope.

These are the things Spencer believes he needs to fix his life, and that is what the steroids promise—a quick fix.

But promises can be broken and shortcuts are often treacherous, and Spencer must decide if those risks are worth the perceived rewards—if “artificial” hope is strong enough for him to be fixed, by force.


My Thoughts/Review:


Aargh! Why did it have to end?! I was so invested in the characters and storyline, and he went and cut me off. I could have easily read about 300 more pages of this. Spencer was an easily likeable character, and he was very worried about his image, which isn't necessarily a bad thing,  it was a great thing for this book.  The story starts out kind of slow, then about 50 pages in I got really into it, and couldn't put it down. I love how the author was very straightforward about the effects of steroids and how easy it is to get addicted. It was all right there, in your face bold, terrific writing. I also liked the kind of metaphoric way that Warne wrote. I don't know if that was what he intended, but it definitely worked. It was kind like reading Spencer's journal, really. So, the only problem I had with this book was how short it was. I wish things had a little more time to develop. (Cause I really could have read more of this.)


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I had almost convinced myself that real pain was specific to me alone. It was almost like nobody else really even existed. In my world, my pain was the focus, my emotions were central, my happiness was the only thing worth considering.

In My Mailbox #6

In my Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kirsti, over at the Story Siren.

Today I've only got a couple, so we can go back to pictures. (Yay!)

The first one I got was.....

The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers by Lynn Weingarten

I ordered this one off Amazon, and I've already read it, (I loved it!) so I guess you can read my review here.

The Second book was.......

Gone, Gone, Gone by Hannah Moskowitz

I've already read this one too. On a side note, I won this from a contest hosted by Sage.

You should go check out her site, because her first book, Love Sucks, released yesterday.

Read my Review here.

The third book I got was......

Fix by Force by Jason Warne

It's signed! I wasn't expecting this one for at least another week, but here it is! Oh, and it's my first real Review book! One I didn't win in a giveaway, I mean. Hopefully the review will be up soon.

What'd ya'll get?

Gone, Gone, Gone by Hannah Moskowitz

It's a year after 9/11. Sniper shootings throughout the D.C. area have everyone on edge and trying to make sense of these random acts of violence. Meanwhile, Craig and Lio are just trying to make sense of their lives. Craig’s crushing on quiet, distant Lio, and preoccupied with what it meant when Lio kissed him...and if he’ll do it again...and if kissing Lio will help him finally get over his ex-boyfriend, Cody. Lio feels most alive when he's with Craig. He forgets about his broken family, his dead brother, and the messed up world. But being with Craig means being vulnerable...and Lio will have to decide whether love is worth the risk.


This intense, romantic novel from the author of Break and Invincible Summer is a poignant look at what it is to feel needed, connected, and alive.


My Thoughts/Review:

Craig and Lio were really good characters, and very easy to identify with. Lio almost never talked, but he had a lot of opinions and thoughts that were expressed in his POV. Craig is kind of obsessive impulsive, and never stopped talking, really, so they balanced each other out. As the story progresses, there are less and less sniper shootings, but it's still a pretty big part of the story. I loved how the author switched POV between Lio and Craig, and how she made it obvious from the beginning that something was going to happen between them. I also loved how she created it so that each character had their own kind of therapy. Lio in the literal sense, but Craig with his animals. So, all in all, terrific book, with an amazing storyline.

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I hate when people do this. I hate when people hide their cards to feel secret and strong. That's no way of dealing with anything. I don't pretend shit didn't happen to me. I don't stay up all night instead of going to therapy.

The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers by Lynn Weingarten

If there’s an upside to having your heart broken, it’s this: A broken heart makes you brave.


The first day of sophomore year doesn’t go the way Lucy planned. After a summer apart from her boyfriend, she’s ready to greet him with a special surprise and instead gets a shocking one in return: He’s breaking up with her. Beyond devastated, Lucy has no idea how she’s going to make it through homeroom, let alone the rest of her life.


Enter three stunning girls with the unnatural ability to attract boys and an offer Lucy can’t refuse: They can heal her heart in an instant. And then she’ll be one of them—a member of a sisterhood that is impervious to heartbreak and has access to magic distilled from the tears of brokenhearted boys. But to gain their power, Lucy must get a guy to fall in love with her the old-fashioned way, and then break his heart in the next seven days.


While the sisterhood may need another Heartbreaker, Lucy’s only desire is to get her ex back. But how far is she willing to go, and who is she willing to cross to get what she wants?


My Thoughts/Review:

I loved it. Lucy was a really cool character, and she kind of went from shy girl nobody notices to girl everyone notices in just a couple days. The story drew me in immediately, and it sure didn't let me go. The sisterhood's concept was really interesting, and really different. It added just a touch of magic, and a ton of suspense, because you were wondering the entire time, is Lucy gonna do the right thing, or what the sisterhood wants her to do? Sadly, sometimes people have to do bad things. I'm not saying that it's okay, but it was still a really awesome book. Because sometimes you just want to read a book where someone does something bad. In the end, it made for an amazing story. This will be one that I read again.


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These girls are magic. If she'd had even the slightest hint of a doubt left, she didn't anymore. They had power. They could destroy her. Or they could give her everything she wanted.

When I was Joe(When I was Joe #1) by Keren David

When Ty witnesses a stabbing, his own life is in danger from the criminals he's named, and he and his mum have to go into police protection. Ty has a new name, a new look and a cool new image -- life as Joe is good, especially when he gets talent spotted as a potential athletics star, special training from an attractive local celebrity and a lot of female attention. But his mum can't cope with her new life, and the gangsters will stop at nothing to flush them from hiding. Joe's cracking under extreme pressure, and then he meets a girl with dark secrets of her own. This wonderfully gripping and intelligent novel depicts Ty/Joe's confused sense of identity in a moving and funny story that teenage boys and girls will identify with - a remarkable debut from a great new writing talent.

My Thoughts/Review:

I really liked this book, because it kept me wanting to know more, and I was instantly drawn into the story. Joe was a great character, and a lot of the reason that I liked the book so much, but not all of the reasons. Oh, gosh. How to start. I loved how the author made it a big mystery surrounding why Joe ended up where he was, and what he didn't say. He seemed real, because of the way he dealt with stuff, and the way he regretted things he had and hadn't done. Also, you get little pieces of information at a time about who he is, what he did, and why he's there. To be honest, I just really loved Joe. His story draws you in so easily, and kind of shocks you sometimes. I also liked Claire, because she was just so sweet and tiny, hiding a huge secret. Back to the story, because that's what you really want to know about. It. Was. Awesome. I  think the way the author presented it was what got me, but dang, I couldn't put it down. Here's to Joe! May you read his story.

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I wonder if one day in the future I'll be Ty again, and able to say, "Once I had to go into hiding because I witnessed a crime. It wasn't all bad, When I was Joe." It's unimaginable. This is never going to be something that I can own, that I can talk about.

Giveaways!!!

I know that ya'll love giveaways (and books.) So here's a list of some of the one's that are going on now.

Books to Infinity and Beyond's Out of This World Giveaway. They're giving away a book of your choice (off the list) from the Book depository, and it's international!

Well then, look at this list of books! I'd have a hard time choosing between them.

Next, is Evie-Bookish's 1 Year Blogoversary!!
She is giving away one book from the list she made, and it's international!

Hers is good, ain't it. :)

Pen to Paper is having an April Giveaway, an theirs is international too!

It is one book off this list.

That's a pretty good haul, don't you think? I'd have trouble picking from all these.

Book Snatch is having a 600 Follower giveaway, and her prize is a ten dollar book from the Book Depository.

And last, but not least, is Sizzling Reads 550 Follower giveaway!

She's having two giveaways, one is international, and one is not. The international is a book of your choice from the book depository that costs ten dollars. The USA/Canada giveaway is a copy of The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe, and a copy of Fair Coin by E.C. Myers. That's all the giveaways I have for now, but I do posts like this every couple of months, so check back. :)

The Fetch by Laura Whitcomb

Calder is a Fetch, a death escort, the first of his kind to step from Heaven back to Earth.The first to fall in love with a mortal girl. But when he climbs backwards out of that Death Scene, into the chaos of the Russian Revolution, he tears a wound in the ghost realm, where the spirits begin a revolution of their own.


My Thoughts/Review:

I have really mixed feelings about this book. I liked it, but it gave me headaches. I think that might be a sign that some of it went over my head. The author really went out on a limb when she did this, because  have you ever really thought about a death escort? (I assume no, but I could be wrong.) Calder is a fetch, and he escorts souls into the afterlife. The author did a really cool thing though, when she added the Romanovs and Rasputin to the story, because if you ever researched Rasputin (I was a weird child. So what?) it took a hundred different things to kill him. I mean, he was shot like six times, strangled, poisoned, and then they threw him in the river (he was still alive) and he died of hypothermia. Scary, right? Calder was a pretty good character, and so was Ana. My only problem with this book is the Tagline (or is it a description?). It says, and I quote, 'A Supernatural Romance'. I don't really have a problem with that, except it didn't seem like there was much going on in the love department. Sometimes it did, but sometimes it didn't. So, all in all, I liked it, but I probably won't read it again. Save for a rainy day, because trust me, you'll be entertained.

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"You're not one of those people who skips to the last sentence of a book to see how it ends, are you?"
Calder folded his arms, as well. "When you wish to bake a chocolate cake, do you read every recipe in a cookbook about preparing meat before you get to the dessert chapter?"
She smiled for the first time since she'd climbed from the mineshaft, and it bruised his heart.

[Cover to Cover]

Hey Guys! I just started my new gig over at my blog buddy Cheyenne's site, [Cover to Cover] and I'm super excited about it. Go check it out! (And possibly, ya know, follow.) So, Cheyenne's site is where she posts a daily book cover, and other really cool stuff like look-a-likes and Battle of the Editions. I'll be doing the Cover of the day on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I am just dying to see what ya'll think. We're also working together to bring a new feature. :)

Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin

Phoebe finds herself drawn to Mallory, the strange and secretive new kid in school, and the two girls become as close as sisters . . . until Mallory's magnetic older brother, Ryland, shows up during their junior year. Ryland has an immediate, exciting hold on Phoebe-but a dangerous hold, for she begins to question her feelings about her best friend and, worse, about herself. Soon she'll discover the shocking truth about Ryland and Mallory: that these two are visitors from the faerie realm who have come to collect on an age-old debt. Generations ago, the faerie queen promised Pheobe's ancestor five extraordinary sons in exchange for the sacrifice of one ordinary female heir. But in hundreds of years there hasn't been a single ordinary girl in the family, and now the faeries are dying. Could Phoebe be the first ordinary one? Could she save the faeries, or is she special enough to save herself?


My Thoughts/Review:

It was beautiful. The first part was amazing, and I just couldn't put it down. It got a little weird in the middle when Ryland showed up, but the author fixed that part when she wrote the rest of it. Phoebe was a pretty good character, because she grew throughout the book. When you first meet her you think that she's very easily led, or that she's very weak and dull. But she proves you wrong throughout the rest of the book. I have a confession to make. I really, really hated Ryland. He was awful, and he put down Phoebe all the time. And Phoebe thought she loved him! Her love was a lot more obsession than love, and Ryland was totally indifferent towards her. Something I liked though, was the conversations with the Fairy Queen. It added that perfect balance of magic and fantasy to Phoebe's world. The story progressed rather quickly, but it was still amazing. Cause sometimes your just in the mood for a story that doesn't take 100 pages to get into, ya know what I mean? All in all, I loved it.
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"I'm ordinary," she whispered again. And having said it, she felt the truth of it. She felt it to her bones. She was actually worse than ordinary; she was sort of nothing.

Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor

Addie is waiting for normal, but Addie's mom has an all-or-nothing approach to life: a food fiesta or an empty pantry, jubilation or gloom, her way or no way. In spite of life's twists and turns, Addie remains optimistic that someday, she'll find normal.


My Thoughts/Review:

Addie's character was okay, but she is very forgettable. Her story didn't speak to me, and I'm kind of wondering how it got an award. Also, what kind of a kid calls her Mom 'Mommers' and her Grandpa 'Grandio'? Cause that just seems weird to me. It also drove me completely insane! I had to read the entire book thinking 'Mommers' and 'Grandio'. It almost killed me. And nothing ever really happened in this book at all. She went to school. She faded into the background. It all just kind of blurred together and faded away. She never did anything, and if she did, the author was not describing it very well at all. I'd guess it was a little entertaining, but it sure wasn't my thing. Also, it was very, very Predictable.

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"I'm not chasing after anything," I mumbled to myself. "I'm waiting. Waiting for normal."

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

High in his attic bedroom, twelve-year-old David mourns the death of his mother, with only the books on his shelf for company. But those books have begun to whisper to him in the darkness. Angry and alone, he takes refuge in his imagination and soon finds that reality and fantasy have begun to meld. While his family falls apart around him, David is violently propelled into a world that is a strange reflection of his own -- populated by heroes and monsters and ruled by a faded king who keeps his secrets in a mysterious book, The Book of Lost Things.
Taking readers on a vivid journey through the loss of innocence into adulthood and beyond, New York Times bestselling author John Connolly tells a dark and compelling tale that reminds us of the enduring power of stories in our lives.


My Thoughts/Review:

I scared myself silly last time I read this. Glad to know it still works. (In my defense though, something did jump out at me.)

David was an alright character, but he wasn't really what the book was about. The book was all about the stories. David is only in there because they needed a reason for all those characters to start telling their stories. The stories themselves though, were awesome. John Connolly rewrote all the fairytales in this book, made them his own, then pushed them out into the world. He did a good job. But I still can't get over David just being there, and not really being a true character! Even the Crooked Man was more of a character than he was. So, this book is entertaining, but not really something I'll read over and over and over.

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“You mean they killed her?" asked David.
They ate her," said Brother Number One. "With porridge. That's what 'ran away and was never seen again' means in these parts. It means 'eaten.'"
Um and what about 'happily ever after'?" asked David, a little uncertainly. "What does that mean?"
Eaten quickly," said Brother Number One.

Num8ers(Numbers #1) by Rachel Ward

Ever since she was child, Jem has kept a secret: Whenever she meets someone new, no matter who, as soon as she looks into their eyes, a number pops into her head. That number is a date: the date they will die. Burdened with such awful awareness, Jem avoids relationships. Until she meets Spider, another outsider, and takes a chance. The two plan a trip to the city. But while waiting to ride the Eye ferris wheel, Jem is terrified to see that all the other tourists in line flash the same number. Today's number. Today's date. Terrorists are going to attack London. Jem's world is about to explode!


My Thoughts/Review:

I literally cannot tell you how many times I burst into tears while reading this. Not something you would expect, right?

Jem and Spider were pretty good characters, and I really enjoyed reading about them. Their relationship was really awesome, because it completely made sense to me in my demented mind. I was completely hooked on this book after the first chapter. I could not put it down. What I really loved about this book though, was the whole "on-the-run" aspect of it all. I really dig that kind of stuff. I mean, who doesn't love a good story about running from the law? Something else I liked was the way that the author didn't try to gloss over any events or anything that was said. She didn't try to make it 'kid-friendly' it was real, and I totally respect that. Also, the way that Jem could see the Numbers was just amazing. She made it a huge part of the book, and you really had to see what happened. You just had to know. Great plot. I never saw it coming. I was just hoping in the end it would turn out different.

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"It's not all random. It can't be." I took a deep breath. "Because I was meant to meet you, and you were meant to meet me."

Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta

Francesca is stuck at St. Sebastians, a boys' school that's pretends it's coed by giving the girls their own bathroom.  Her only female companions are an ultra-feminist, a rumored slut, and an an impossibly dorky accordion player.  The boys are no better, from Thomas who specializes in musical burping to Will, the perpetually frowning, smug moron that Francesca can't seem to stop thinking about.


Then there's Francesca's mother, who always thinks she knows what's best for Francesca—until she is suddenly stricken with acute depression, leaving Francesca lost, along, and without an inkling who she really is.  Simultaneously humorous, poignant, and impossible to put down, this is the story of a girl who must summon the strength to save her family, her social life and—hardest of all—herself.


My Thoughts/Review:

I really liked Francesca. She was headstrong, but just a little to afraid to say what was she thought, which made her a really good character, and it made her real. In the best way possible. She also had a great sense of humor. Her friends were great too. The story was completely unique, and it flowed pretty good. It wasn't as good as Jellicoe Road, but it was still pretty awesome. Ya. Nothing compares to Jellicoe Road. Will was alright, but he kept doing a myriad of assholeish things.He sure made up for it in the end, though. This book kept me interested, and after all, what more could a girl need?

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But God doesn't talk to me. It's because every night I lie here with music in my ears and I say my prayers and fall asleep in the middle of them. He only talks to people like Mia. People he thinks are worth it. Because they have passion. They have something. I have nothing. I'm...Keep awake Francesca. Keep awake and start to pray.
I am a waste of space.
I am...
I...

You Don't Know About Me by Brian Meehl

Sixteen-year-old Billy Allbright is about to bust out of his sheltered cocoon and go on a gonzo road trip. He just doesn't know it yet. His ticket to freedom? A mysterious Bible containing two resurrection stories. The second is about a man Billy's never met, and who is supposedly dead: his father.
But the road to a risen-from-the-grave dad, and the unusual inheritance he promises, is far from straight. Billy zigzags across the American West in a geocaching treasure hunt. When his journey includes a runaway baseball star, nudists who perform sun dances, a girl with neon green body parts, and con artists who blackmail him into their "anti-action movie," Billy soon realizes that the path to self-discovery is mega off-road.


My Thoughts/Review:

Billy's character kind of annoyed me in the beginning, because he was just so quick to make judgements about other people. He didn't ever get to know some of the people he judged, but if he wants to be like that it's fine with me. He got better about it after he learned to think for himself though. He has a really weird story going for him. It's his road trip/life story. And to tell you the truth, it was downright, straight up unique. Most christian authors approach the Christianity subject a lot different than this one did. But he did a great job presenting it in a new way of thinking. He asked a whole bunch of hard to answer questions though. So, this is a pretty dang good book, but it's just a little too much of questions asked and tiptoed around for my taste.

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The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder

Dry, sarcastic, sixteen-year-old Cam Cooper has spent the last seven years in and out hospitals. The last thing she wants to do in the short life she has left is move 1,500 miles away to Promise, Maine - a place known for the miraculous events that occur there. But it's undeniable that strange things happen in Promise: everlasting sunsets; purple dandelions; flamingos in the frigid Atlantic; an elusive boy named Asher; and finally, a mysterious envelope containing a list of things for Cam to do before she dies. As Cam checks each item off the list, she finally learns to believe - in love, in herself, and even in miracles.


A debut novel from an immensely talented new writer, The Probability of Miracles crackles with wit, romance and humor and will leave readers laughing and crying with each turn of the page.


My Thoughts/Review:

Cam was a really good character, and she had a wicked sense of humor. You really got a chance to get to know all the characters in this book, and that was totally awesome(of course). Cam and Asher were really cute together, and they had all the heart-breaking stuff that a good book couple need. Cause all good couples have a little bit of Heart breaking. You know it's true. But they also have a lot of pure bliss moments, and that was really great. The author gave you a little back story on all the main characters, and it made you love the characters even more than you started out with. This came from the authors heart. All in all, it was a must read. For everyone. Because it was amazing. In the purest sense of the word.

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"Oh my. Asher. Hm. Hm. Hm. Turn Around. He's beautiful, Campbell. Are you schtupping my granddaughter?" she asked him.
"No ma'am."
"Well I give you my permission."
And just like that, Cam's love life was ruined forever. If and when she ever "schtupped" Asher, she'd have to do everything she could not to think of her grandmother.

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

Marcelo Sandoval hears music no one else can hear--part of the autism-like impairment no doctor has been able to identify--and he's always attended a special school where his differences have been protected. But the summer after his junior year, his father demands that Marcelo work in his law firm's mailroom in order to experience "the real world." There Marcelo meets Jasmine, his beautiful and surprising coworker, and Wendell, the son of another partner in the firm.


He learns about competition and jealousy, anger and desire. But it's a picture he finds in a file -- a picture of a girl with half a face -- that truly connects him with the real world: its suffering, its injustice, and what he can do to fight.


My Thoughts/Review:

Marcelo's character was amazing. Even though he supposed to be mentally handicapped, I'm pretty sure that he is smarter than I am. I love how he refers to himself as a third person, and even though it made him seem weird sometimes, it was exactly who he was. He is his own third person. Referring to himself in third person just made it more obvious that he knows exactly who he is. The story moved right on along, and it kept me interested. I just had to know what happened to Marcelo. His story was basically one of his own self discovery, but it is one that isn't written in the traditional way. Marcelo finds himself through his actions, and he is definitely his own person. Just cause he hears mental music, doesn't make him stupid. I hear mental music too. But it's usually a song I was listening to yesterday.


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"The only problem with Elemental women is that they can just as soon be loved or not be loved. It's not like they're cold and calculating, like the Elegants. They just have their own road to travel. You can climb aboard and sail with them, but they'll keep heading for their destination with or without you. Speak of the devil."

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

Welcome to Elsewhere. It is warm, with a breeze, and the beaches are marvelous. It’s quiet and peaceful. You can’t get sick or any older. Curious to see new paintings by Picasso? Swing by one of Elsewhere’s museums. Need to talk to someone about your problems? Stop by Marilyn Monroe’s psychiatric practice.
     Elsewhere is where fifteen-year-old Liz Hall ends up, after she has died. It is a place so like Earth, yet completely different. Here Liz will age backward from the day of her death until she becomes a baby again and returns to Earth. But Liz wants to turn sixteen, not fourteen again. She wants to get her driver’s license. She wants to graduate from high school and go to college. And now that she’s dead, Liz is being forced to live a life she doesn’t want with a grandmother she has only just met. And it is not going well. How can Liz let go of the only life she has ever known and embrace a new one? Is it possible that a life lived in reverse is no different from a life lived forward?
     This moving, often funny book about grief, death, and loss will stay with the reader long after the last page is turned.



My Thoughts/Review:

Liz was a great character, just for saying and doing all the things that a normal girl would do when she died. Owen was great too, even though he didn't show up til' halfway through the book. Their love story was really what kept me reading, because I just had to know what happened to them. Elsewhere was interesting in it's way of describing the after-death place. I had never really thought of it like that, and aging backwards all the years you lived sounds pretty cool. I don't mean I would like it, it just seems a cool way to write it.

                                     ♠♠♠
"Dead," Aldous says, "is little more than a state of mind. Many people on Earth spend their whole lives dead, but your probably too young to understand what I mean."

Melody Burning by Whitley Strieber

Beresford doesn’t remember much about his past or how he came to live in the chutes and crawl spaces of the posh high-rise that shares his name. But when rock star and teen sensation Melody McGrath moves to an apartment on the fiftieth floor, he knows he has to be near her. Although she doesn’t realize it, Melody is threatened by more dangerous forces than her manipulative stage mom and the pressures of life in the spotlight. The owner of the glamorous building has been hiding a fatal secret within its walls, and Beresford puts all his plans at risk. Will Beresford and Melody be able to escape with their lives (and love) intact?


My Thoughts/Review:

I love it. I have never read anything like this. The cover is perfect for this book. Melody's character is stunning. Her and Beresford were amazing. Their character development gave you a lot to think about, and kept you wanting to know more and more about Beresford and Melody's story. It was insane the kind of stuff that you would never think about that Mr. Strieber brings up in his writing. You would never think about the pressures of being a Rockstar. We think it's all fun and games. He brings an approach that I have never really thought about. And all the people saying "There's no way she could love him. She's know him for *insert time* minutes/hours." But as a teenager, I can say, We have a ton of hormones. We jump to conclusions. And we are more willing to jump headfirst into love than the average adult is. That being said, you also never really think about a boy living in the walls of a major apartment building, do you? But he made it work. This book was reality, mixed with a dash of fantasy, and it came out with it's own genre of books. In short, I loved it.

                                   ♠♠♠♠

Deep Down Popular by Phoebe Stone

6th-grader Jessie Lou is deeply, madly, passionately in love with Conrad Parker Smith. Too bad she's a tomboy with only one on-again, off-again friend, and hair so short you can't spit on it. Too bad he's the most popular boy in their small-town school.


But then Conrad hurts his leg and suddenly can't keep up with his old pursuits anymore. Jessie Lou and Conrad start spending a lot more time together, but she can't help wonder -- is she just a substitute friend? And will Conrad forget her when his leg brace comes off and he's king of the school once again?


My Thoughts/ Review:

Jessie Lou had a voice all her own. She was spunky, and she wasn't afraid to say exactly what was on her mind. Conrad and Quentin were great as her best friends, and their story was really cute. This book kind of mixed up generations though, because ain't nobody ever said to me that I should wear panty hose cause I skinned my knees to much when I was younger. Oh, and Jessie Lou and her sister Melinda had an off-campus lunch without permission. They just left campus, ate lunch, then went back to school. That would never work. Back to Jessie Lou. She had a way of talking that just kind of flowed, like the river down a hill, as she would  say. It was kind of metaphorical, the way she talked, and it was really interesting. But the story itself, it's about change. And I think the author communicated change pretty dang well.

                                       ♠♠♠
If only I could think of a few words. Finally I come up with, "Oh, there it is." And those words just kind of fall through the hot, soft, full air. They seem to collapse onto the ground at my feet all broken and twisted. Conrad doesn't say anything, and I kick those words aside, my face full of sun, just burning up.

Chasing Boys by Karen Tayleur

El Marini just isn’t fitting into the new life she’s been forced to create without her dad. Her mom and sister have accepted his absence and moved on, but El is convinced things will get back to normal if she just keeps her feelings of loss to herself and waits it out.
Life at her new public school would have been unbearable if weren’t for Eric Callahan. As her crush grows to epic proportions, she’ll do anything to be more like the popular girls he notices, even buying the first pink top she’s ever owned. But then she meets Dylan, a quiet artistic-type who is both unnerving and annoying as he shines a light on El’s misguided attempts to attract Eric. El’s need for acceptance will hit home with teens as she finally sees that chasing boys has distracted her from making peace with the past and finding herself.

My Thoughts/Review:

The title of this book is very misleading. It is not pure fluff about dating. It was....it was something else. Ariel was a very depressed girl that had some very interesting problems, and you never really got why she was depressed until the end. Then it all made sense. Dylan was great, and he was kind of, well, *Swoon*. This book was amazing, and it really moved right on along. It kept me entertained, and pretty dang happy with myself. (Cause we've had a couple duds lately.). I also really liked how there might only be one sentence on the next page, but it would make the biggest impact. Cause an author that can make you feel that with one sentence, she's an award winner.


                               ♠♠♠

"I feel like I can't feel anymore. Like I'm walking and talking and sometimes even laughing, but inside I'm still and watching to see if I'm fooling anyone."

Oh and here's one of the lighter quotes:

He's out of uniform. I watch him walk out, his skinny-leg jeans clinging to his....clinging? Aargh! I am losing it. I fix Eric in my mind. "Pleasant thoughts," I whisper. "Pleasant thoughts."
But somehow Eric turns into Dylan, and Dylan's jeans are on an endless replay loop in my brain.

The Latte Rebellion by Sarah Jamila Stevenson

Our philosophy is simple: Promote a latte-colored world! —from the Latte Rebellion Manifesto


When high school senior Asha Jamison gets called a "towel head" at a pool party, the racist insult gives Asha and her best friend Carey a great money-making idea for a post-graduation trip. They'll sell T-shirts promoting the Latte Rebellion, a club that raises awareness of mixed-race students.


Seemingly overnight, their "cause" goes viral and the T-shirts become a nationwide fad. As new chapters spring up from coast to coast, Asha realizes that her simple marketing plan has taken on a life of its own-and it's starting to ruin hers. Asha's once-stellar grades begin to slip, threatening her Ivy League dreams, and her friendship with Carey is hanging by a thread. And when the peaceful underground movement turns militant, Asha's school launches a disciplinary hearing.Facing expulsion, Asha must decide how much she's willing to risk for something she truly believes in.


My Thoughts/Review:

This book was a slow read. Not because it was boring, but because I wanted to take it all in. What a great idea! If the Latte Rebellion existed in real life, it would be something I would do. I mean, I can honestly say that I've had to check 'Other' for race on a couple of applications myself. Because, I kid you not, I am 1/6 of EVERYTHING. Seriously. I'm a mutt. Asha was a really cool character that I could definitely relate too. She had drive, and a little bit of spunk too. But when she was depressed, it was a real girl right there. A three-dimensional character, if you will. The Book was great, and it raises some very interesting issues concerning racism and the hateful things that people do.


                                    ♠♠♠

Sea Change by Aimee Friedman

Sixteen-year-old Miranda Merchant is great at science. . .and not so great with boys. After major drama with her boyfriend and (now ex) best friend, she's happy to spend the summer on small, mysterious Selkie Island, helping her mother sort out her late grandmother's estate.
There, Miranda finds new friends and an island with a mysterious, mystical history, presenting her with facts her logical, scientific mind can't make sense of. She also meets Leo, who challenges everything she thought she knew about boys, friendship. . .and reality.


Is Leo hiding something? Or is he something that she never could have imagined?


My Thoughts/Review:

This book really wasn't my thing. I like paranormals, and I like romances, but this book had none of the paranormal that I was expecting, and the romance seemed kind of stilted at times. Other times it was great, but that doesn't make up for the stiltedness. Leo and Miranda were okay I guess, but they really never got out of their awkward phase (the first phase of a relationship).Not one of the questions asked throughout the book got answered. Is Leo a merman? Is Miranda part mermaid? Who is the Sailor Hat guy? The list goes on and on. The story was okay, and it helped that it was raining when I read it, but I won't be remembering this book as a favorite. There was too many loose ends that never got tied up, and I just can't handle that in a book.



                                                 ♠♠

Never Slow Dance with a Zombie by E. Van Lowe

Principal Taft's 3 Simple Rules for Surviving a Zombie Uprising:


Rule #1: While in the halls, walk slowly and wear a vacant expression on your face. Zombies won't attack other zombies.


Rule #2:  Never travel alone.  Move in packs.  Follow the crowd.  Zombies detest blatant displays of individuality.


Rule #3:  If a zombie should attack, do not run. Instead, throw raw steak at to him.  Zombies love raw meat. This display of kindness will go a long way.


On the night of her middle school graduation, Margot Jean Johnson wrote a high school manifesto detailing her goals for what she was sure would be a most excellent high school career. She and her best friend, Sybil, would be popular and, most important, have boyfriends. Three years later, they haven't accomplished a thing!


Then Margot and Sybil arrive at school one day to find that most of the student body has been turned into flesh-eating zombies. When kooky Principal Taft asks the girls to coexist with the zombies until the end of the semester, they realize that this is the perfect opportunity to live out their high school dreams. All they have to do is stay alive....


My Thoughts/Review:

One thing to say: Great Imagination. I read this yesterday, and I literally dreamed about it last night(I know. I'm weird). Just a clarification. Not a scary dream, just a normal one. I burst out laughing when I woke up and realized that was what I was dreaming about. Anywho, back  to the book. Margot was snarky and mean throughout most of the book, but at the end she went back to being the girl she was before. A girl who had the capacity for good. She just didn't show it so much. Sybil was awesome in her typical Heart of Goldness, and Milton was just hilarious! I love how he's always saying "I have a Four-point-oh GPA." in the totally superior sounding voice of his. GPA's don't really matter in my opinion. It's just another way for the man to bring us down. I know. I sound like a total hippie. Baron was great in his geeky/cuteness, and I liked him tons better than Dirk the Zombie. But you know, it's just my opinion. Anyways, cute book, and hilarious plot line . I wanna read the next by E. Van Lowe.

                                          ♠♠♠
                               

Taste by Kate Evangelista Book Trailer and Excerpt!

Hey ya'll! Today I am participating in Kate Evangelista's book Trailer and Excerpt reveal! Now, I've read these  excerpts, and I cannot wait to get my hands on this book! So, without further ado.....

First, the cover and Blurb. And you thought I said without further ado. Oh, and Gorgeous Cover!

At Barinkoff Academy, there's only one rule: no students on campus after curfew. Phoenix McKay soon finds out why when she is left behind at sunset. A group calling themselves night students threaten to taste her flesh until she is saved by a mysterious, alluring boy. With his pale skin, dark eyes, and mesmerizing voice, Demitri is both irresistible and impenetrable. He warns her to stay away from his dangerous world of flesh eaters. Unfortunately, the gorgeous and playful Luka has other plans.


When Phoenix is caught between her physical and her emotional attraction, she becomes the keeper of a deadly secret that will rock the foundations of an ancient civilization living beneath Barinkoff Academy. Phoenix doesn’t realize until it is too late that the closer she gets to both Demitri and Luka the more she is plunging them all into a centuries old feud.




Now, that just sounds great to me! We're moving on to the Book Trailer now!
So after that you might want to find my super secret hidden link to the third excerpt being released today!But before you get too excited, here's the excerpt that I chose.
Taste Excerpt
I mentally stomped on the intimidation their perfection brought into my mind and said, “Excuse me.”The group froze, startled by my words. The girls had their brows raised and the boys stopped mid-speech, mouths agape. They stared at me with eyes the shade of onyx stones.I smiled and gave them a little wave.The boy a step ahead of the rest recovered first. His stunning features went from shocked surprise to intense interest. He reminded me of a hawk eyeing its prey. I gulped.“A Day Student,” he said, his eyes insolent and excited.Something about the way he said “Day Student” made my stomach flip. “Excuse me?”They snickered. The boys looked at each other while the girls continued to stare, muffling their laughter by delicate hands. I seemed to be the butt of some joke.  “You broke the rule.” The boy’s grin turned predatory.The students formed a loose semi-circle in front of me. My gaze darted from face to face. Hunger filled their eyes. The image of lions about to chase down a gazelle came to mind. I mentally shook my head. I was in the mountains not the Serengeti for crying out loud. I took a small step back and cleared my throat. “Can any of you give me a ride back to the dorms?”The boy wagged his forefinger like a metronome. “Ah, that’s unfortunate for you.” One of the girls pinched the bridge of her nose. “Eli, you can’t possibly—”“It’s forbidden, Eli,” another boy interrupted, pronouncing the word “forbidden” like a curse. The nervous murmur at the pit of my stomach grew louder. Six against one. Not good odds. Instinct told me to cut my losses and run. Bad enough I faced expulsion, now it seemed like weird, beautiful people who’d suddenly appeared on campus wanted to beat me up. No, scratch that. Judging from the way they studied me, beating me up wouldn’t satisfy them. Something more primal prowled behind their looks. I definitely wasn’t going down without a fight. Years of self-defense and hand-to-hand combat classes had me prepared. While other children from rich and important families got bodyguards, I got defense training. But I think my father meant for my skills to go up against potential kidnappers, not against other students who may or may not be crazy. Oh God! Maybe I stepped into a parallel universe or something when I reentered Barinkoff. “None of the students are supposed to be on campus,” I said. Then, realizing my mistake, I added, “Okay, I know I’m not supposed to be here either. If one of you gives me a ride back to the dorms, I won’t say anything about all this. Let’s pretend this never happened. I didn’t see you, you didn’t see me.”“We’re not ordinary students,” Eli answered. “We’re the Night Students.”He’d said “Night Students” like the words were capitalized. I didn’t know Barinkoff held classes at night. What was going on here?Eli smiled with just one side of his mouth and said to the group, “She’s right, no one will have to know. We’re the only ones here. And it’s been so long, don’t you agree?” The rest of them nodded reluctantly.“What’s been so long?” I challenged. I fisted my hands, ready to put them up if any of them so much as twitched my way.“Since the taste of real flesh passed through my lips,” Eli said. He came forward and took a whiff of me then laughed when I cringed.“Flesh.” Yep, parallel universe. “Yes,” he said. “And yours smells so fresh.” Someone grabbed my shoulders from behind and yanked me back before I could wrap my mind around the meaning behind Eli’s words. In a blink, I found myself behind someone tall. Someone really tall. And quite broad. And very male. I realized he wore the same clothes Eli and the other boys did. Not good. He was one of them. Although… I cocked my head, raking my gaze over him. He seemed born to wear the uniform, like he was the pattern everyone else was cut from. My eyes wandered to long, layered, blue-black hair tied at the nape by a silk ribbon. Even in dim light, his hair possessed a sheen akin to mercury. I looked down. The boy’s long fingers were wrapped around my wrist like a cuff. His fevered touch felt hotter than human standards, hot enough to make me sweat like I was standing beside a radiator but not hot enough to burn. “I must be mistaken, Eli,” the boy who held my arm said in a monotone. “Correct me. Did I hear you say you wanted to taste the flesh of this girl?”A hush descended on us. It had the hairs at the back of my neck rising. How was it possible for the atmosphere to switch from threatening to dangerous? Unable to help myself, I peeked around the new guy’s bulk. Eli and his friends bowed. They all had their right hands on their chests. “Demitri, I’m sure you misheard me,” Eli said. So the guy standing between me and the person who said he’d wanted to taste me was named Demitri. I like the sound of his name. Demitri. So strong, yet rolls off the tongue. Definite yum factor.“So, you imply I made a mistake?” Demitri demanded.“No!” Eli lifted his gaze. “I did no such thing. I simply wanted to show the girl the consequences of breaking curfew.”“Hey!” I yelled. “Don’t talk about me like I’m not here!”Demitri ignored my protest and continued to address Eli. “So, you threatened to taste her flesh.” His fingers tightened their grip around my wrist. “In the interest of investigating this matter further, I invoke the Silence.”All six students gasped, passing surprised glances at one another.Before I could ask about what was going on, Demitri yanked me down the hall toward the library. But why there? Oh, maybe we were getting my things. No, wait, he couldn’t have known about that. Everything was too confusing now.Eli and the others didn’t try to stop us when we passed them. Demitri’s cold command must have carried power. Handsome and powerful, never a bad combination on a guy. We reached the heavy double doors in seconds. He jerked one open effortlessly. I’d needed all my strength just to squeeze through that same door earlier. To him, the thick wood might as well have been cardboard. I raised an eyebrow and mentally listed the benefits of going to gym class.“Why are we here?” I asked after my curiosity overpowered my worry. I’d almost forgotten how frightened I’d been right before Demitri showed up. I wasn’t above accepting help from strangers. Especially from gorgeous dark-haired strangers with hot hands and wide shoulders. Demitri kept going, tugging me along, snaking his way deeper into the library. I had to take two steps for every stride his legs made. I tried to stay directly behind him, praying we didn’t slam into anything. He stopped suddenly and I collided with him. It felt like slamming into a wall. “Hey,” I said, momentarily stunned. “A little warning would be nice!”He faced me, and I gasped. His eyes resembled a starless night, deep and endless. Their intensity drilled through me without pity, seeming to expose all my secrets. I felt naked and flustered beneath his gaze.“You could have died back there,” he warned.A lump of panic rebuilt itself in my throat.

Haha, It's great, isn't it?

Ok, so last but not least, here is the authors bio!

Author Bio:
When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn't going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master's courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing. Today, she has four completed Young Adult novels.

You can visit Kate and check out Taste at any of these places!Author Website: www.kateevangelista.comTwitter: @KateEvangelistaFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kate-Evangelista/165693410143202Find Taste on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13484226-tasteCrescent Moon Press page for Taste: http://crescentmoonpress.com/books/Taste.html
Okay. Maybe not at twitter. I can't get the link to work.So, sounds awesome, doesn't it? I'm gonna try to read it when it comes out(Hopefully.).

For Keeps by Natasha Friend

For sixteen years, Josie Gardner and her mom, Kate, have been a team. It's been the Gardner Girls against the world, and that's how Josie likes it. Until one day, they find out that Paul Tucci, Kate's high school boyfriend-the father Josie has never met-is back in town. Josie's mom suddenly turns back into the heartbroken teenager she was when Paul moved away. Meanwhile, Josie's on the verge of having her first real boyfriend. And when Josie learns some surprising truths about Paul Tucci and the past, she begins questioning what she thought she knew, and finds out what happens when a girl gets the guy she always wanted and the dad she never knew she needed.


My Thoughts/Review:

This Book was really not all that great to me, but it was okay. It just wasn't what I was expecting. Josie's dad shows up way too late in the book for it too really make an impact, because you have to read about 200 pages before he shows up! I thought that was what the story was about! Josie was okay, but her character didn't really speak to me. I thought she was underdeveloped and just plain boring, to tell you the truth. I also thought this book was going to be a cute, fluffy romance(See cover.), but it just wasn't. Josie and Matt got absolutely no development time, and no real back story. Their romance was like this: Meet, Talk, Make out, End of Story. No back story whatsoever. No heartbreaking feelings. Nothing. Maybe it just wasn't for me, but I sure wasn't feeling it.

                                         ♠ ♠

The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker

Fourteen-year-old Kentucky girl Ricki Jo Winstead, who would prefer to be called Ericka, thank you very much, is eager to shed her farmer's daughter roots and become part of the popular crowd at her small town high school. She trades her Bible for Seventeen magazine, buys new "sophisticated" clothes and somehow manages to secure a tenuous spot at the cool kids table. She's on top of the world, even though her best friend and the boy next door Luke says he misses "plain old Ricki Jo."


Caught between being a country girl and wannabe country club girl, Ricki Jo begins to forget who she truly is: someone who doesn't care what people think and who wouldn't let a good-looking guy walk all over her. It takes a serious incident out on Luke's farm for Ricki Jo to realize that being a true friend is more important than being popular.




My Thoughts/Review:

I am so reading the next book by Alecia Whitaker. Ricki Jo was so easy to relate too in her country Girliness, and I found myself thinking 99.9% of the time "Oh my Gosh, she's just like me!". Of course I would think that. And in a lot of ways she is just like me. Ricki Jo and Luke were great. They were great together, and sometimes great apart, because Ricki Jo was just so funny. But I wish I could've got into Luke's mind, just a little, because he seemed like such a great guy. Wolf though, he was a dog. A dirty, deadbeat, horndog. Ewww. He was such a jerk! Moving on. Don't want to rant about jerks. So....Ricki Jo's town is just like mine, but ya know, bigger. I mean my town has 2 gas stations(I work at one.), a Post Office(Used to be Post Fice, but they fixed the sign.), a schoolhouse, and a water department. Oh, and the Mercantile. Anyhow. Sorry for all the personal references. But this book was great, and I really recommend it.


                                   I give this Book Four Stars.

In my Mailbox #5

In my Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kirsti, over at the Story Siren.

Don't worry, I didn't take the books I haven't finished back to the library yet. :)


From the Library I got:

Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin
Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn
Adios, Nirvana by Conrad Wesselhoeft
The Latte Rebellion by Sarah Jamila Stevenson
Melody Burning by Whitley Strieber
Darkness Falls by Cate Tiernan
Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink
The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder
The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker
Chasing Boys by Karen Tayleur
Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork
Paranormlacy  by Kiersten White
Supernaturally by Kiersten White
The Fetch by Laura Whitcomb
Num8ers by Rachel Ward
Never Slow Dance With a Zombie by E. Van Lowe
Deep Down Popular by Phoebe Stone
Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin


So, What'd y'all get?

Sunshine Award!!!!

I got an award!!!! Woot, Woot! I would like to thank Emily Fay over at Hooked in a Book for this award!!!

I have to answer these ten questions, so here I go.

1. Favorite Color? My favorite color is definitely purple! (Haha. Couldn't you guess?)
2. Animal? Cats, Dogs, Parakeets, Wait. We don't need to go through the entire list. It won't fit. 

3. Number? 28

4. Non-alcoholic Drink? Dr. Pepper!!!

5. Facebook or Twitter? Neither. They bore me too much.

6. My Passions: Reading, Riding, and Driving. (Don't laugh. I Love to drive.)

7. Getting or Giving Presents: Both. :)

8. Pattern: Abstract
9. Day of the Week: Wednesday. She answered it before me, but it's true.

10. Flower: Roses.

                      I get to pick ten people to pass on the award too!!

                                 Katie at Call me Crazy

                                Anna at Literary Exploration

                               L.C. at L.C.'s Adventures in Libraryland

                          Zhanna and Witcha at A Match Made in YA Fiction

                                   Sage at Sage Like the Spice

                                     Mimi at Mimi Valentine

                          Emily at Emily's Crammed Bookshelf

                       

             I'm gonna only do seven. Because I can't think of anyone else that has influenced me.

                 If you get tagged answer the questions, and tag some more people!!!

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

I'm trying something new, so be sure to tell me whether you like it or not in the comments!

"What do you want from me?" he asks. What I want from every person in my life, I want to tell him. More. 


Abandoned by her mother on Jellicoe Road when she was eleven, Taylor Markham, now seventeen, is finally being confronted with her past. But as the reluctant leader of her boarding school dorm, there isn't a lot of time for introspection. And while Hannah, the closest adult Taylor has to family, has disappeared, Jonah Griggs is back in town, moody stares and all. 


In this absorbing story by Melina Marchetta, nothing is as it seems and every clue leads to more questions as Taylor tries to work out the connection between her mother dumping her, Hannah finding her then and her sudden departure now, a mysterious stranger who once whispered something in her ear, a boy in her dreams, five kids who lived on Jellicoe Road eighteen years ago, and the maddening and magnetic Jonah Griggs, who knows her better than she thinks he does. If Taylor can put together the pieces of her past, she might just be able to change her future.


My Thoughts/Review:

What I love the most about this story is the lyrical, emotional way that is written. I think I've never read something that beautiful, and probably never will again. Except, of course, when I read this again. It gives you the background story along with a mystery, explaining the most complex human relationships that have possibly ever graced the pages of a book. Miss Marchetta's writing had real depth, and I'm kind of sad that I put off reading it for so long. Which goes to show you, the cover and the blurb aren't always the most accurate representations of a book. Taylor really grew throughout the book, and it was great to read that. And may I just say, Griggs is completely swoon-worthy. And he is filled-To the Brim-with real, amazing emotions. So is Taylor. That being said, I cried. But I laughed too, so that makes up for the angst.


                                    I give this Book Four Stars.


"What's with what your wearing?" Griggs asks while we stand outside waiting for the others.
 "It's pretty hideous, isn't it?" I say.
 "Don't force me to look at it," he says. "It's see-through." That kills the conversation for a couple of seconds.


                          Oh, and here's a good one.

He stops and looks at me. "I'm here because of you. You're my priority. Your happiness, in some fucked way, is tuned into mine. Get that through your thick skull. Would I like it any other way? Hell yes, but I don't think that will be happening in my lifetime."
"Wow," I say sarcastically. "That's way too much romance for me today."
"If you want romance, go be with Ben Cassidy. Maybe he'll fawn all over you or play a beautiful piece of violin music. I never promised you romance. And stop finding a reason to be angry with me. I didn't redevelop this place. I just asked if you ate at restaurants."

You are So Undead to Me(Megan Berry #1) by Stacey Jay

Megan Berry was a funny, sarcastic, normal teenage girl, and for that I thank the author. The only different thing about Megan Berry? Well, she has a job. A pretty awesome job. She settles Zombies. What could be cooler than that? (Sorry. Team Zombie.) Nothing. I guess Zombies chasing you all the time might suck though. Anyways, Megan and Ethan's relationship is cute, it shows in the way they interact, and in the way they seemed to just fit. In a "Hey, don't they look cute together." kind of way. But I could have lived without all the jealousy dynamics. I mean, no one really wants to read about jealous people. (Even if we've all been there. Don't Lie.) Anywho, it was a cute entertaining read to pass the time.


Here's the Blurb:



Fifteen-year-old Megan Berry is a Zombie Settler by birth, which means she's part-time shrink to a bunch of dead people with a whole lot of issues. 


All Megan wants is to be normal and go to homecoming, of course. Unfortunately, it's a little difficult when your dates keep getting interrupted by a bunch of slobbering Undead. 


Things are about to get even more complicated for Megan. Someone in school is using black magic to turn average, angsty Undead into flesh-eating Zombies, and it's looking like homecoming will turn out to be a very different kind of party the bloody kind. 


Megan must stop the Zombie apocalypse descending on Carol, Arkansas. Her life and more importantly, homecoming depends on it.




                   I give this Book Three Stars.

She's so Dead to Us(He's so/She's so #1) by Kieran Scott

The girls in this book are pretentious, snarky snobs. Poor Ally just seems like the coolest, most down to earth girl, and all the Cresties hate her. Because of something her Dad did. Dumb, No? Jake can seem really cool one moment, then really awful the next. Cause he was totally awesome until he started getting all "My friends can't see me with you." Yeah, some friends they are buddy. But Ally was just cool throughout the entire book. So. The story was cute, and I'll probably read the next one.

Here's the Blurb:

Ally Ryan would rather be in Maryland. She would rather be anywhere, in fact, than Orchard Hill, site of her downfall. Well, not hers exactly—but when your father’s hedge fund goes south and all your friends lose their trust funds, things don’t look so sunny for you. Her mother moved her to Maryland to flee the shame, but now they’re moving back. Back to the country-club, new-car-every-year, my-family-came-over-on-the-Mayflower lifestyle that Ally has outgrown. One bright spot, however, is gorgeous, intense Jake Graydon. But it won’t be easy for the two of them to be together—not if his friends (her former friends) have anything to say about it. Is Ally ready to get thrown back into the drama of the life she left behind?




                                       I give this Book Three Stars.