RELEASE DAY REVIEW: If There's No Tomorrow

If There's No Tomorrow, by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publish Date: September 5, 2017
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Format: e-ARC, provided by the author
Genre: young adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 5 STARS

(Synopsis) Lena Wise is always looking forward to tomorrow, especially at the start of her senior year. She's ready to pack in as much friend time as possible, to finish college applications and to maybe let her childhood best friend Sebastian know how she really feels about him. For Lena, the upcoming year is going to be epic—one of opportunities and chances.

Until one choice, one moment, destroys everything.

Now Lena isn't looking forward to tomorrow. Not when friend time may never be the same. Not when college applications feel all but impossible. Not when Sebastian might never forgive her for what happened.

For what she let happen.

With the guilt growing each day, Lena knows that her only hope is to move on. But how can she move on when her and her friends' entire existences have been redefined? How can she move on when tomorrow isn't even guaranteed?

I had to psych myself up to read this one. Not because I was afraid I wouldn't like it. After reading The Problem With Forever, I knew that Jennifer Armentrout could do an emotional YA contemporary so well. No - it was the fact that I knew it would slay me, and I had to gear myself up for the tears. I mean, that description, right?? It sounds so ominous and unfortunate. It sounds like death is involved somehow, and knowing these are kids, any death in their young lives is going to be tragic. 

I was SO right.

But, despite the fact that I had the book in my hand for a few weeks before I actually started reading it, I did love it. Lena's a book fan who has a large circle of friends including three best girl friends and one best guy friend. She's a moderately good volleyball player, a good student and has a great mom (although, her dad is another story). She worries about all the typical things 17-year-old girls worry about - what college will she go to and what will she study? How could she have let that guy kiss her last month? And why does she have to have feelings for her best guy friend Sebastian? 

Then, one choice on one night changes her world in a tragic way. 

I think, for me, one of the things about this book that made it especially emotional is that everything that happens to Lena has happened to other teens in America countless times over. Perhaps not always with the same outcome, but kids grapple with the choices Lena faced, and I'm sure they make the same one. I want my daughter to read this book when she gets to high school, and I hope she makes some sort of connection with the characters and uses it as a reference if she finds herself in a similar situation. 

Never fear all you romance lovers out there - despite the deep and heavy subject matter, there is plenty of romance in If There's No Tomorrow to sink your teeth into. Things between Sebastian and Lena develop at such a great pace. The romance never seems to be thrown in there in a haphazard way, as romances sometimes seem when they're overshadowed by the larger story arc. Lena's way of dealing with what happened remains always at the forefront, and how her relationship with Sebastian develops is shaped because of that larger story arc. It's as it should be, even if it is incredibly frustrating to read at times. 

If There's No Tomorrow is told entire from Lena's POV. In some of Jen Armentrout's previous books, she's gone back later and posted on her website portions of her books written from the guy's POV. I would LOVE to get some of that here. There's no doubt that this is entirely Lena's journey, so it's only right that it be told all by her. But, there are some parts of the story, that I would've loved to have known what was going through Sebastian's head. That would be an amazing extra. 

I'm a huge Jen Armentrout fan. She's so versatile - able to write emotional YA contemporary one month and adult romantic suspense the next. And she does them all so very well. If There's No Tomorrow will gut you and frustrate you. It will make you cry and make you smile a little from time to time too. And it's one that will stay with you for a long time. 

BLOG TOUR REVIEW & EXCERPT: Trust

Oh Kylie Scott... the things you do to my heart...

Trust, by Kylie Scott
Publish Date: July 18, 2017
Publisher: self-published
Format: ARC, provided by the author and Inkslinger PR
Genre: young adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4.5 STARS

(Synopsis) After being held hostage during a robbery at the local convenience store, seventeen-year-old Edie finds her attitude about life shattered. Unwilling to put up with the snobbery and bullying at her private school, she enrolls at the local public high school, crossing paths with John. The boy who risked his life to save hers.

While Edie’s beginning to run wild, however, John’s just starting to settle down. After years of partying and dealing drugs with his older brother, he’s going straight—getting to class on time, and thinking about the future.

An unlikely bond grows between the two as John keeps Edie out of trouble and helps her broaden her horizons. But when he helps her out with another first—losing her virginity—their friendship gets complicated.

Meanwhile, Edie and John are pulled back into the dangerous world they narrowly escaped. They were lucky to survive the first time, but this time they have more to lose—each other.

The fact that Trust is Kylie Scott's turn at YA contemporary shouldn't discourage you in any way from reading it, especially if you're a fan of her new adult and adult works. Because all the elements that make her books the amazing reads that they are are present - the characters just happen to be teenagers in high school. There's humor and snark and depth and a lot of emotion packed into this powerful story.

At its core, Trust is a pretty heavy book. The first two chapters will make you gnaw off all your fingernails. After the convenience store that she is shopping in is held up and she is taken hostage, high school senior Edie comes away a changed girl. Likewise, the boy who was also in the store with her, John, can point to this event as a game changer in his life. 

The most interesting thing about Trust is exactly HOW each of these kids' lives were changed by this traumatic event. While Edie was always the quiet good girl, her new lease on life has given her a YOLO outlook, and she starts to run wild. John has a reputation as his school's resident hot bad boy, and after the hold up, he starts to reevaluate the direction in which his life is going and makes steps to get back on the right path.

As Edie and John deal with the aftermath of the hold up in their own ways, they are also drawn to one another because there's no one else who can understand what they went through better. At first, they are friends - they text when they have nightmares and need to talk, they study together and they give each other rides when needed. But, eventually their feelings for each other change. 

I love that Kylie Scott made Edie an atypical heroine. She was quiet, overweight and marched to the beat of her own drum. Although under normal circumstances, one would think that a hottie like John wouldn't normally be drawn to a girl like Edie, I think their shared traumatic experience allowed them both to cut through any preconceived notions and societal bullshit so that they could see each other's hearts. And that's what they fell in love with.

Trust is most definitely in the "mature YA" category. It has its share of bad language and yes, Edie loses her virginity to John, and their times together are not exactly fade-to-black moments. But, honestly, I think this was a pretty realistic look at life as an 18-year-old senior in high school. There's f-bombs and bad language and sex with your boyfriend and mean girls. And Kylie captured all this perfectly and wrapped it up in a story about how one pivotal event can change the course of your life.

“You were going to give it up to Duncan Dickerson?” he sneered. “Are you serious?”

I halted, staring at him. This was not good. “How do you know about that?”

“Anders overheard you and Hang talking.”

“Bastard.”

“Well?” he demanded, acting all authoritarian. Idiot.

“To be fair, I didn’t know his last name was Dickerson,” I said. “That’s unfortunate. Though, I wasn’t actually planning on marrying him, so . . .”

“Not funny.”

I shrugged.

“You barely know the guy.”

“Um, yeah. None of your concern. We’re not talking about this.” How mortifying! My face burned bright. People should just gather around and cook s’mores. “I appreciate that we’re friends. You mean a lot to me. But this is going to have to fall under definitely none of your damn business, so go away please.”

“We’re talking about it.” He advanced a step.

“No we are not.” And I retreated.

“You were going to let a complete stranger touch you.” Advance.

Retreat. “People do it all the time. You do it all the time.”

“But you don’t,” he said, taking the final step, backing me up against the side of his car and getting all in my face. “Edie, this is your first time we’re talking about. Isn’t it?”

“Yes, and it’s going to be messy and painful and probably horribly embarrassing and I just want it over and done with.” I tried to meet his eyes but failed, settling for a spot on his right shoulder. “You’re not a girl; you wouldn’t understand. Also, last time I checked, you’re not the gatekeeper of my hymen, John Cole. So back the fuck off.”

He said nothing.

Deep, calming breaths. “Look, someday I’ll meet someone I really like and we’ll have a deep and meaningful relationship and go at it like bunnies. But I don’t want to be the dumb virgin in that scenario.”

He slowly shook his head.

“Also, I do not want to die a virgin.”

“What? What the hell are you talking about?”

“Hey, you and I both know death can occur at any time.”

“This is crazy.”

“I’m seeing a therapist!” I told his shoulder. “I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m a little bit messed up these days. It’s hard for me to trust people. That’s not going to change anytime soon.”

He screwed up his face at me. “Wha—”

“I’m just trying to be practical.”

“Well, you’re being ridiculous. None of this makes sense.”

“It does to me.”

Again, he said nothing.

In fact, he said nothing for so long that I finally looked him in the eye. The anger had left him, replaced by an emotion I didn’t recognize. Worst of all, he still smelled like summer. A little sweat and the open night air, everything I loved. Liked. I meant liked.

“What?” I said, finally.

He let loose a breath. “I’ll do it."

Kylie is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. She was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year, 2013 & 2014, by the Australian Romance Writer’s Association and her books have been translated into eleven different languages. She is a long time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet. You can learn more about Kylie from http://www.kylie-scott.com/

Links:
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/kyliescottwriter/
FACEBOOK FAN GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/599197093487040/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/KylieScottbooks
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/kylie_scott_books/
GOODREADS: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6476625.Kylie_Scott

EARLY REVIEW: When It's Real

When It's Real, by Erin Watt
Publish Date: May 30, 2017
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Format: ARC, provided by the publisher
Genre: young adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 5 STARS

(Synopsis) From #1 New York Times bestselling author duo Erin Watt comes the addictive contemporary tale of a teen rock star in need of an image makeover and the teen girl hired to be his fake girlfriend. 

Meet Oakley Ford-teen celebrity, renowned pop star, child of famous movie stars, hottie with millions of fangirls… and restless troublemaker. On the surface he has it all, but with his home life disintegrating, his music well suddenly running dry, and the tabloids having a field day over his outrageous exploits, Oakley's team decides it's time for an intervention. The result: an image overhaul, complete with a fake girlfriend meant to show the world he's settled down.

Enter seventeen-year-old Vaughn Bennett-devoted sister, part-time waitress, the definition of "normal." Under ordinary circumstances she'd never have taken this gig, but with her family strapped for cash, she doesn't have much of a choice. And for the money Oakley's team is paying her, she figures she can put up with outlandish Hollywood parties and a team of publicists watching her every move. So what if she thinks Oakley's a shallow, self-centered jerk? It's not like they're going to fall for each other in real life…right?

I'm very choosy when it comes to my YA contemporary romance selections. Although I've heard of Erin Watt before, I had never read any of her books, but based on the description (I LOVE the regular girl/rock star trope) and recos from trusted friends, I gave When It's Real a try, and it proved to be a winner. 

When It's Real was devoured in hours. Erin Watt was able to hook me in to the story and get me invested and involved in Vaughn and Oakley's lives in mere pages. I wanted to know why Oakley needed to clean up his image at only 19, why he is estranged from his parents and why he seemed to have a love/hate relationship with his job. And I wanted to know what kind of person Vaughn had to be in order to accept big money to be the fake girlfriend to a rock star who she doesn't even like. 

As Vaughn and Oakley mug for the paps and play up their fake relationship all over social media, it was everything that was going on behind the scenes that made this book magic. When they stopped throwing shade at each other and started really learning about one another and getting to know each other, they grew from enemies to friends. That's when my questions about Oakley and Vaughn were answered, and I started asking new ones. Like, will they just KISS already?! 

Vaughn and Oakley were amusing as enemies, adorable as friends, but as a real couple with real feelings, they were amazing. Vaughn realizes that Oakley isn't just some brainless chart topper, but a truly talented musician that is being stifled by the fake adults in his sphere. Oakley learns of Vaughn's tragic past and about what a hard worker she is for her family, but that she has no clue what she wants to do with the rest of her life. And they each care about those things and about trying to make them better for the other person. 

Vaughn gives Oakley a taste of selfless real that he hasn't ever gotten anywhere else. 

She didn't mock me when I confessed I was blocked. She tried to comfort me with silly stories about her family even when it was obvious those same memories caused her pain. She doesn't expect anything from me beyond what we'd agreed upon. She's different and I wanted a taste of that. I wanted to know what it felt like to be her, and the only way I knew how to do that was to put my mouth against hers.

Everything about When It's Real is incredible. From Oakley and Vaughn to the host of side characters, including Vaughn's sister Paisley and Oakley's bodyguard Ty. When It's Real was one of the best YA contemporaries I've ever read.

REVIEW: By Your Side

By Your Side, by Kasie West
Publish Date: January 31, 2017
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format: e-ARC, provided by the publisher via Edelweiss
Genre: YA contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4 STARS

(Synopsis) In this irresistible story, Kasie West explores the timeless question of what to do when you fall for the person you least expect. Witty and romantic, this paperback original from a fan favorite is perfect for fans of Stephanie Perkins and Morgan Matson.

When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her. Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her.

Only he doesn’t come. No one does.

Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye. As he and Autumn first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn’s old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax’s side?

If you have to get locked in a public building, at least it's the best possible public building out there (THE LIBRARY), and it's with the cute bad boy from school. Things could definitely be worse, right? 

When Autumn finds herself locked in the public library for a long weekend along with Dax, the quiet, broody bad boy from her high school, she honestly doesn't think things could be worse. She was supposed to be with her friends at a cabin for the weekend after spending some quality time with her crush, Jeff. But, then they all leave and she's lamenting drinking that last soda which made her have to run back into the library one last time to pee. 

After realizing that the library is closed for three days, the heat was turned down, everything requires a key in order to open it and Dax is really not her biggest fan, Autumn realizes that yes - things can definitely get worse. And after she is discovered and realizes all that had happened to her friends while she was locked in the library, things go from bad to worse. To complicate things even further, she now has this crazy connection to Dax that she doesn't understand, and isn't sure she wants to. 

I absolutely LOVED the idea of this book. Although the execution had me scratching my head at times (what library closes down the entire long weekend for Martin Luther King Day??), I was able to overlook it because the idea was just so awesome. I mean really - what would YOU do if you were locked in a library for three days with no apparent way out and no cell phone to call for help? 

A voice in the back of my head told me to calm down before I made this worse. Everything was fine. So I was stuck alone in a library, but I was safe. I could read and jog the stairs and stay busy. There were plenty of distractions here.

What was surprising for me was that the library portion of the book didn't even encompass half of it. It was a bit of a bummer, because I really loved that part, and I loved watching Autumn and Dax get to know one another. They are truly an odd couple - think Claire and Bender from the Breakfast Club.  Autumn finds she wants to help Dax with his crappy home life and Dax really softens toward Autumn when she comes clean to him about her anxiety issues. 

How had he made me so relaxed? How could I say whatever I was thinking to him? Do whatever I was feeling? Maybe because he was the only one around.

Of course, life was going on around them while they were locked in the library, and after they get out, they have to deal with everything that's happened during those three days. Autumn has to face her friends, she has to reassure her family and she has to find a way to balance her new feelings for Dax once they're back in school. 

Every other Kasie West book has always been a homer for me, but this one fell a little short. I still had a lot of questions at the end of the book that I didn't feel were answered as cleanly as I wanted. There's some unfinished business between Dax and his mom, some unfinished business between Autumn and one of her friends, and even some questions left between Autumn and Dax. Don't get me wrong - Dax and Autumn are definitely in a happy place at the end, but for me, it felt like their future was still a little uncertain. Although, I guess when you're only 17 and 18 years old, whose future IS certain? 

Overall, By Your Side was a good book that I read through very quickly and enjoyed a lot. The questions I still had at the end didn't necessarily diminish my enjoyment of the book, and I can guarantee that Kasie West's next book will be a one-clicker just like this one was. 

EARLY REVIEW: P.S. I Like You

P.S. I Like You, by Kasie West
Publish Date: July 26, 2016
Publisher: Point
Format: e-ARC, provided by the publisher via Edelweiss
Genre: young adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 5 STARS

(Synopsis) What if the person you were falling for was a total mystery?

While Lily is spacing out in Chemistry one day, she picks up her pencil and scribbles a line from one of her favorite songs on the desk. The next day, someone else has written back to her on the desk! Soon enough Lily and the mystery student are exchanging notes, and lyrics, and even sharing secrets. When Lily finds out that her anonymous pen pal is a guy, she's flustered -- and kind of feels like she's falling for him. She and her best friend set out to unravel the identity of the letter writer -- but when the truth is revealed, the guy is the LAST person Lily could have ever imagined it to be. Now that Lily knows the truth, can she untangle her feelings and gather the courage to listen to her heart?

From beloved author Kasie West (The Distance Between Us) comes an utterly charming story about mixed messages, missed connections, and the magic of good old-fashioned secret admirer notes.

I have a total girl crush on Kasie West. Because she writes the best books that make me smile SO BIG. 

I adored the concept of P.S. I Like You. Lily has a secret pen pal, and she knows that this person is not only in the same grade as her, but also in the same high school. This person shares the same desk with Lily in a different period of chemistry, and every day they share a few words about their lives in a note lodged under the desk. Lily has no idea who this person is, but before she knows it, she's sharing more of herself with this stranger than she does with most other people. 

I loved the fact that Lily had no desire to discover the identity of her mystery pen pal. She recognized that part of the magic about the entire situation existed in the fact that neither of them knew who the other was. They were much freer with their words and thoughts and feelings. It was such a special relationship - and they didn't even know each others' names. 

P.S. I Like You was so much more than this budding relationship between Lily and her secret admirer. Lily's home life is happy, but crazy with lots of siblings that never give her any privacy. She's awkward and not at all in with the popular crowd. She loves music and writing lyrics, but she is dealing with writers block, along with an insufferable year in a chemistry class she hates. 

There's a boy she likes from afar who barely knows she exists and a boy she hates very openly who seems to make opportunities to irritate her. Both boys are very much not what she expected when she has a chance to get to know them, and they both play a part in her fantasies about who her secret pen pal is. 

I enjoyed everything about this book. It is witty and smart. The concept is fresh and new in an old school kind of way. The romance angle is sweet and completely adorable. It was the perfect book for me to read in between heavy, suspenseful emotional books. It was like a breath of fresh air, and I never wanted it to end. 

REVIEW: On the Fence

On the Fence, by Kasie West
Publish Date: July 1, 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format: paperback, borrowed
Genre: young adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4.5 STARS

(Synopsis) For sixteen-year-old Charlotte Reynolds, aka Charlie, being raised by a single dad and three older brothers has its perks. She can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows—including her longtime neighbor and honorary fourth brother, Braden. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world of makeup, lacy skirts, and BeDazzlers. Even stranger, she's spending time with a boy who has never seen her tear it up in a pickup game.

To cope with the stress of faking her way through this new reality, Charlie seeks late-night refuge in her backyard, talking out her problems with Braden by the fence that separates them. But their Fence Chats can't solve Charlie's biggest problem: she's falling for Braden. Hard. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.

I can't tell you how many times I've seen a Kasie West book cover come across my social media feeds, and thought to myself, "Why haven't you read something by her yet?" Then, I saw she was going to be a part of Apollycon 2017, and I decided that I needed to do something about this. My bestie Jen over at At Random has several of Kasie's books on her shelf, and on a recent visit to her house, I came home with two of them. On the Fence is the first Kasie West book I've ever read. 

And again, why the hell did I wait so long? It was such a fun book - I literally finished it in a few hours. It was a quick and light read and the perfect way to spend a Saturday evening. 

On the Fence is about Charlie, a 16-year-old tomboy to beat all tomboys. The only female in a house with her father, three brothers and her neighbor who might as well be her brother, she loves all sports and knows nothing of dresses or makeup or anything else even remotely feminine. But, a love of sports doesn't stop the flow of hormones or prevent the notices of boys. And, all of a sudden, Charlie is started to look at some boys differently. She's starting to feel differently about herself. And she's starting to wonder what her life would've been like if her mother had lived to help her through these things.

I have one brother, and we're not super close. I've always been envious of books that feature sibling relationships like the one Charlie has with her brothers Jerom, Nathan and Gage. They clearly have some fierce love for one another. Charlie is the youngest, so she has a lot of boys protecting her, even when she doesn't really need or want protecting. But, no matter what idiotic things they say or do, it's so obvious that they adore their sister. 

On the Fence gets its name from the late night chats that Charlie and her neighbor Braden have with each other outside by the fence between their yards. Charlie confesses her feelings of inadequacy and Braden confesses his feelings about his awful father. It's like their safe place, and it's the place where their feelings for each other start to confuse and complicate matters. 

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Charlie's realization of so many things in her life. It was poignant and sweet and funny and sad at times. It makes me glad that I'm not 16 anymore too. And it made me highly anticipate the next Kasie West book on my list. 

BLOG TOUR REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: The Problem With Forever

THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER is a force to be reckoned with. It will shake you up and affect you like none other. Check out my review and don't forget to enter the incredible giveaway!

The Problem With Forever, by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publish Date: May 17, 2016
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Format: e-ARC, provided by Insklinger PR
Genre: young adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 5 STARS

(Synopsis) For some people, silence is a weapon. For Mallory “Mouse” Dodge, it’s a shield. Growing up, she learned that the best way to survive was to say nothing. And even though it’s been four years since her nightmare ended, she’s beginning to worry that the fear that holds her back will last a lifetime.

Now, after years of homeschooling with loving adoptive parents, Mallory must face a new milestone—spending her senior year at public high school. But of all the terrifying and exhilarating scenarios she’s imagined, there’s one she never dreamed of—that she’d run into Rider Stark, the friend and protector she hasn’t seen since childhood, on her very first day.

It doesn’t take long for Mallory to realize that the connection she shared with Rider never really faded. Yet the deeper their bond grows, the more it becomes apparent that she’s not the only one grappling with the lingering scars from the past. And as she watches Rider’s life spiral out of control, Mallory faces a choice between staying silent and speaking out—for the people she loves, the life she wants, and the truths that need to be heard.

Never in the history of books has an author made a type of punctuation carry so much weight. In the case of Jennifer L. Armentrout's THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER, it's the ellipse - those three little dots that indicate... a pause.

Trust me when I say, it won't be just the punctuation in this book that will take your breath away. It'll be every single word in this tale about childhood abuse and neglect and the far reaching affects of it. The topic is handled with great sensitivity and respect. There are no easy fixes or gentle brush-offs. The Problem With Forever calls attention to the fact that, as children, we're taught the things that will carry us through into adulthood. Sometimes those lessons are good ones. Sometimes they're not. But, the adults and the people with power in our lives have a great responsibility, and when they shirk that, it takes a village to fix the damage that can occur.

In The Problem With Forever, Mallory and Rider shared a foster home for ten years. Those ten years were horribly traumatic for both of them. Eventually they both made it out, but had to go separate ways, and for four more years, they had no contact. Now, Mallory is attempting to overcome the fears her past has instilled in her by spending her senior year of high school in public school. It's there that she runs into Rider once more and realizes that, while something may never change, other things could never have stayed the same.

As a parent, The Problem With Forever brought to my own mind a sort of affirmation that the love and attention I bestow upon my kids will serve them well in life. It also reminded me that my own actions and words are being seen and heard, so I need to always be mindful of that.

Mallory and Rider were shown that violence and harsh words were just how life was. They had to adapt in order to survive. Rider had to learn to take a beating in order to protect his friend. Mallory had to stay silent so as not to call attention to herself and incur her foster parents' wrath. Even years after being removed from that home and being brought up in homes filled with love didn't remove some of the conditioning they underwent.

The Problem With Forever was an incredibly powerful and emotional book. I got to know Jennifer Armentrout's writing style by reading about characters filled with snark that made me laugh out loud sometimes. This may be one of the first books by her that I've read where that's almost non-existent. Not to say it's completely missing. Mallory might be an introvert, but her thoughts when she sees a hot guy are the same as any other 17-year-old girl's. But, as I mentioned before, there is an undercurrent of seriousness and brevity that is handled so expertly here. From the very beginning I was drawn in to Rider and Mallory's story. I was curious as to what Rider was keeping from Mallory. And I was cheering for Mallory to come out of her shell enough to stand up for herself to her adoptive parents, to Rider's ex, and even to Rider himself.

There will be parts of this book that will make you cry. But, you will also cheer and laugh and rage. It's an amazing book that doesn't pull any punches. And, it will make you look at the world just a little differently.

# 1 New York Times and #1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA.

She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Links:

Website: http://jenniferlarmentrout.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jlarmentrout
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferLArmentrout
Jennifer L. Armentrout Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4476934.Jennifer_L_Armentrout

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BLOG TOUR REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Walk The Edge (Thunder Road #2)

I am so in love with Katie McGarry's Thunder Road series. Both Nowhere But Here and now WALK THE EDGE have gripped me like a book hasn't done in such a long time. Read on for my review, and then enter to win one of three finished copies (US Only) in the Walk The Edge blog tour, organized by Irish Banana Tours!

Walk The Edge (Thunder Road #2), by Katie McGarry
Publish Date: March 29, 2016
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Format: ARC, provided by the publisher
Genre: young adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 5 STARS

(Synopsis) One moment of recklessness will change their worlds.

Smart. Responsible. That's seventeen-year-old Breanna's role in her large family, and heaven forbid she put a toe out of line. Until one night of shockingly un-Breanna-like behavior puts her into a vicious cyber-bully's line of fire—and brings fellow senior Thomas "Razor" Turner into her life.

Razor lives for the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, and good girls like Breanna just don't belong. But when he learns she's being blackmailed over a compromising picture of the two of them—a picture that turns one unexpected and beautiful moment into ugliness—he knows it's time to step outside the rules.

And so they make a pact: he'll help her track down her blackmailer, and in return she'll help him seek answers to the mystery that's haunted him—one that not even his club brothers have been willing to discuss. But the more time they spend together, the more their feelings grow. And suddenly they're both walking the edge of discovering who they really are, what they want, and where they're going from here.

After finishing Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1), I thought no one could top it. As it turns out, Katie herself did. She welcomes us back to Thunder Road and the Reign of Terror MC in Walk The Edge, a story that I found so compelling, I couldn't put it down until I finished it. 

Razor was very much on the periphery in Nowhere But Here. It's his nature - he's quiet and broody and chooses to observe rather than engage with those around him. Despite his membership in the Reign of Terror, he still relies on himself more than anyone else. 

Maybe that's one of the reasons why he related to Breanna so well. She's exactly the same - child number 5 of 9, she's the one most often overlooked. At school, she just tries to keep her head down and not stand out, despite her unique ability to solve riddles and codes. Although both she and Razor are constantly surrounded by people, they are still very much on islands by themselves.

Everyone says the same thing: Breanna's smart, she's quiet. On the inside, I'm not at all quiet. Most of the time, I'm screaming.

Both Breanna and Razor caused my heart to break time and time again. For Breanna, I felt so angry on her behalf. Her family treated her terribly. They either took advantage of her, or ignored her, or flat out verbally and emotionally abused her on purpose. I could feel her clawing need to escape the suffocating confines of her life. It's no wonder that, after getting over her initial trepidation toward Razor and the Terrors, that she would find a strange sense of belonging in their version of "family." Interesting that the non-blood ties in the club are stronger than the blood ties Breanna shares with her entire family. 

For Razor's part, he pulled on my heartstrings as he tried desperately to understand the circumstances surrounding his mother's death and the role, if any, that the Terror - and his father specifically - played in it. Although I fell in love with the club in book 1, I was pretty furious with them in Walk The Edge. Couldn't they understand that there are some things that are even bigger than the club? Like, and 18-year-old boy's need for closure in regards to his mother's death? The fact that they refused him answers infuriated both him and me. 

Razor's and Breanna's relationship looks wrong on paper, but when you dig deeper, you see that these two are exactly what the other needed. Razor gave Breanna his attention, his loyalty and his protection. She gave him the benefit of the doubt and help when no one else would. They worked so well together - both on the puzzle surrounding Razor's mom's death and on the mystery of who was blackmailing Breanna with compromising pictures that could be posted to a Facebook-like site. Their love was so incredibly sweet and heartfelt - it was my favorite part of the book.

"And you're the person this entire town has trashed, a person belonging to the group I've been raised to believe is evil, and you're the only person who is able to make me feel as if every part of me is beautiful."

I open my mouth, hoping that doing so will force the right words. That I can explain how being near her makes everything that's impossible about me seem possible.

We saw a lot more of Chevy and Violet in Walk The Edge, so I'm presuming their story will take place in book 3. I can't imagine liking the third book in this series more than this one. Of course, I've heard that before, and you know what happened here. 

KATIE MCGARRY was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, and reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Katie would love to hear from her readers. Contact her via her website, katielmcgarry.com, follow her on Twitter @KatieMcGarry, or become a fan on Facebook and Goodreads.

LINKS: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Instagram | Pinterest

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ARC REVIEW: Until Friday Night (The Field Party #1)

Until Friday Night (The Field Party #1), by Abbi Glines
Publish Date: August 25, 2015
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Format: ARC, provided by the publisher
Genre: upper YA contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
 
Rating: 4.5 STARS

(From Goodreads) To everyone who knows him, West Ashby has always been that guy: the cocky, popular, way-too-handsome-for-his-own-good football god who led Lawton High to the state championships. But while West may be Big Man on Campus on the outside, on the inside he’s battling the grief that comes with watching his father slowly die of cancer.

Two years ago, Maggie Carleton’s life fell apart when her father murdered her mother. And after she told the police what happened, she stopped speaking and hasn’t spoken since. Even the move to Lawton, Alabama, couldn’t draw Maggie back out. So she stayed quiet, keeping her sorrow and her fractured heart hidden away.

As West’s pain becomes too much to handle, he knows he needs to talk to someone about his father—so in the dark shadows of a post-game party, he opens up to the one girl who he knows won’t tell anyone else.

West expected that talking about his dad would bring some relief, or at least a flood of emotions he couldn’t control. But he never expected the quiet new girl to reply, to reveal a pain even deeper than his own—or for them to form a connection so strong that he couldn’t ever let her go…

So, this was me during my reading of UNTIL FRIDAY NIGHT:

Sure there was football games, mean girl throw downs, teenage boy pissing contests, and underage drinking at Friday night field parties. But, underneath all that is a story about a boy who just wasn't ready to say goodbye to his dying father and the girl who helped him do that. 

In the beginning of Until Friday Night, West is not a nice guy. He treats his girlfriend, his teammates and the new girl Maggie pretty badly. But, we know that he is acting that way to hide the extreme amount of pain and stress he's under as he watches his father slowly waste away at home from cancer, and his mother's inability to deal with it. It makes his douchetastic behavior a little bit more palatable. 

And then there's Maggie. She sent her father to prison for murdering her mother, and after that, the sound of her own voice was so abhorrent to her that she decided that not speaking was a better way to deal with the pain she was feeling. It was her survival mechanism - If she couldn't speak, then people wouldn't ask her to talk about what happened that night, and there was no way she wanted to relive it. 

Poor Brady gets saddled with showing around his mute cousin, and you could tell he was really not happy about that. What 18-year-old senior and star quarterback would be? He has an image to maintain, girls to woo, friends to joke around with. But, despite his lack of enthusiasm for having to drag Maggie around everywhere, you could also catch glimpses of the concern he had for her. He warned all his friends away from her. He helped her out, even when she told him not to. She was family, and ultimately, Brady has a good heart. 

Despite trying to stay away from her, West is drawn to Maggie - especially after he learns about why she doesn't speak. West had resolved to not tell anyone in town about his dad, so he's been dealing with the inevitability of losing a parent all by himself. All of a sudden, he sees Maggie as a kindred spirit - someone who understands the pain and loss and heartache he's experiencing. And, Maggie just knows that West needs for her to offer him comfort and support. And so, she speaks to him. And only him. 

I loved Maggie's and West's secret relationship. Although they professed it was just a friendship, it was obvious from go that it was more than that. But, I think neither one wanted to push something more on the other when both were dealing with so much. Noble, yes, but impractical. You spend so much time with one another and share so many deep and meaningful thoughts and experiences together, it's inevitable that the relationship would move beyond friendship. And, when it does, it definitely complicates matters. 

West and Maggie get to a place where they have to ask themselves if they're together for the right reasons. It's a good question, and one that takes a lot of stones to ask. But, it was a turning point in the book, and one that caused me to cheer a little bit. 

I loved Maggie's relationship with her aunt, uncle and cousin. I thought they were amazing people, and I was so glad we got lots of time with all of them - especially Brady. I hope there's a book for him coming up in this series. I really need more Brady time. 

The only set-back for me was the fact that it seemed like there were a few unfinished story lines. Or, maybe we'll get to those in future books. But, at the end of the book, West's mom was acting weird, and I suspect I know why, but it was never talked about. And, there was something mentioned at the end that had to do with Maggie's dad that absolutely intrigued me, but was never brought up again. 

Until Friday Night is told in dual POV, which is good since Maggie doesn't speak for the first third of the book. Being in her head is pretty necessary if we want her take on things. And you do - trust me. Maggie is wise beyond her years when it comes to some things and painfully innocent when it comes to others. Although this book is classified as YA, I would move it toward the upper end. There's language (as is to be expected from 18-year-olds) and sex, but most of that is pretty glossed over. 

I suspect it is West's teammate Gunner's story that will be the subject of the next book. It's introduced briefly, and that teaser was done nicely. It was woven into Maggie and West's story well, and I got just enough of a glimpse to make me eager to learn more. I can't wait Until Friday Night rolls around again!

RESPECT THE RULES. RESPECT THE CLUB. - Rule #2

Katie McGarry kicked off her new Thunder Road series last week, and the first book in it, NOWHERE BUT HERE, is nothing short of incredible. I'm so excited to take part in a special tour, where a few bloggers and Katie McGarry herself teach you how to Respect the Rules. Respect the Club. Today, I bring you Rule #2: Treat the Cut with Respect.

Rule #2: Treat the Cut with Respect

I SWING OFF MY BIKE, SHOVE MY KEYS INTO MY pocket and head over to the only guy I’d be willing to call a best friend other than Chevy. The ultra-white three-piece Reign of Terror patch on Razor’s cut is what makes him stick out among everyone else. The darker and dirtier the patch, the more honor there is. It means years of wear and tear within the club. Razor patched in a few weeks ago. ~ Oz’s Point of View from NOWHERE BUT HERE

One of the first rules I learned when I researched motorcycle clubs is that the cut—the black vest with patches sewn on it that only a club member can wear— is to be treated with respect. The cut and patches can also be known as a club’s “colors”. This cut is not only a sign of which motorcycle club they belong to and what chapter they call home, but it is also a source of pride. 

The motorcycle club I hung out with would not touch each other’s patches when hugging. They’d hug high as a sign of respect. I heard stories of how, if a rival club wanted to disrespect another club, they would steal the cut of that club and hang it in their clubhouse.

The cut is a source of pride and a badge of honor.

Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1), by Katie McGarry
Publish Date: May 26, 2015
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Genre: young adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
 
My 5 STAR Review

(From Goodreads) Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she's curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys. They protect people. They're…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member—is in town, he's gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his dream. What he doesn't count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.

About the Author

Katie McGarry was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Katie is the author of full length YA novels, PUSHING THE LIMITS, DARE YOU TO, CRASH INTO YOU, TAKE ME ON, BREAKING THE RULES, and NOWHERE BUT HERE and the e-novellas, CROSSING THE LINE and RED AT NIGHT. Her debut YA novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS was a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction, a RT Magazine's 2012 Reviewer's Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel, a double Rita Finalist, and a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick. DARE YOU TO was also a Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award for Young Adult Contemporary fiction in 2013.

Giveaway

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Tour Stops

June 1-Vilma’s Book Blog
June 2-Krista's Dust Jacket
June 3-Reading Teen
June 4-A Bookish Escape
June 5-Stuck in Books
June 6-Kimberlyfaye Reads
June 7-Nose Stuck in a Book
June 8-TSK TSK What to Read
June 9-Always YA at Heart
June 10-True Story Book Blog

 

RELEASE WEEK REVIEW, EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY: Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1)

Katie McGarry has made magic once again with Nowhere But Here. I can't wait for you all to read this book. It may be the best one I've read so far in 2015. Read on for my review and an excerpt. And a giveaway!

Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1), by Katie McGarry
Publish Date: May 26, 2015
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Format: ARC, obtained from the publisher
Genre: young adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
 
Rating: 5 STARS

(From Goodreads) Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she's curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys. They protect people. They're…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member—is in town, he's gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his dream. What he doesn't count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.

Oh my gosh. This BOOK. I wasn't sure what to expect. I mean, I love the MC books to bits and pieces. But.. this is a YA MC book. I know - right? Seems... weird. So, I admit, I approached my read with a small measure of trepidation. The best thing it had going for it was that it was by Katie McGarry. I've never read anything by her that I didn't like. 

Reading Nowhere But Here reminded me of when I read Pushing the Limits. The characters and the setting were different, but the feelings it invoked were familiar. Katie McGarry has this incredible way of telling a story. She sets up the superficial details early on and slowly - so, so slowly - injects more and more information as the whole picture comes into focus. Meanwhile, this thread of love and sacrifice add color and depth. 

Emily knows one version of her life story - the version she was told by her mother and step-father. She has a biological father who didn't want her, but who still shows up every year to see her. And, now she is being forced to spend a few weeks with him and his family, including family friend Oz, a boy her age who doesn't seem to like her very much. Emily is scared and confused by these people who are so unlike those she's used to. And, she is most scared by the fact that, as time moves on, she feels more alive and in touch with herself in this strange place than she ever has anywhere else.

Emily was amazing. She was sheltered her entire life by her mother for reasons she doesn't understand and doesn't know enough to ever question. Events in her life have caused her to be scared of different things - the dark, woods, dead things - it caused her to live her life with extreme caution. So, when she is thrust into this life of scary-looking men, strange traditions, and loud motorcycles, you would think she would shrink away and hide. But, amazingly, this is when Emily finally comes out of her shell. She learns that there are things to be afraid of. People to be afraid of. And the members of the Reign of Terror are not those people. When Emily is forced to immerse herself in this place and in these peoples' lives, it forces her to see all the wonderful things about them that she would've overlooked.

For Oz's part, the transformation happens in reverse. He's been so focused on becoming a part of the Terrors that he has blocked out all other interests and possible goals for his life. He has a singular direction, and everything else is just a distraction. Emily comes along, and at first, he hates her because she shuns his club, his family and his choices. But, when Oz is assigned to be her babysitter and is forced to spend a lot of time with her, he begins to see that not everything is as black and white as he thought it was. He is allowed to do other things. And he is forced to see that Emily's motivations for doing what she does are born not out of hate, but rather ignorance. And that, he decides, is something he can work with. 

I loved Oz in protective mode. At first, it was all forced, but later it was all completely voluntary. It was then that we got to see what he was really made of, and it turns out, Oz is made of some really awesome stuff. The levels he would go to, and the things he decides he's willing to sacrifice, for her make him absolutely one of the most dreamy book boys ever. 

The big secrets surrounding why Emily and her mother left the Terrors and why Emily is in so much danger now that she's back are very slowly revealed. Emily's grandmother Olivia had a lot to do with the gradual reveal of those secrets. I had this sense throughout the book that the secrets were huge, and yet, I was kept deliciously in the dark about them for nearly the entire time. I loved that I was surprised when the full picture was brought into focus. It was everything I wanted and needed. 

Nowhere But Here has its share of heartbreak. I shed a few tears over the course of the book. I also laughed a lot. Emily is pretty good with the snark, as is her grandmother. And the romance - good golly. Oz and Emily have some wicked awesome chemistry. They were perfect together. Katie McGarry did a great job painting all the side characters with very bold strokes. It has already made me fully anticipate upcoming books in this series. And, knowing that I'll likely catch up with Oz and Emily is icing on the cake. 

If you choose to read only one YA book this year, it should be this one. 

From Emily's Point of View. Set up: Emily is riding a motorcycle for the very first time and she's riding it with Oz.

THE MOTORCYCLE ACCELERATES AND THE FEW inches I had established between me and Oz: gone. My body slides forward, colliding into his, and we click together like two puzzle pieces. Heat rushes up my neck and onto my cheeks. My thighs are too close to his, too tight against his body and this is way more intimate than I have been before with a guy.

Even when the two of us kissed.

Oz veers left, away from Olivia’s, away from the main road, and the entire motorcycle pitches to the side. My heart thun­ders and my fingers clutch not only at Oz’s belt loop, but at the material of his jeans, and his hips.

Oz glances at me over his shoulder as the bike straightens out. “Lean with it, Emily.”

Right. Lean with Oz and the bike. Got it. The narrow road curves ahead and this time when Oz and the bike tilt, I move along with it. Oz releases one of the amazingly high handlebars and massages my knee before returning his hand to the grip. Whether in reassurance or to affirm I mastered the curve I don’t know, but either way, I sit higher.

The wind whips through my hair and onto my face and I shut my eyes for a brief second and pretend that I’m flying. There’s something energizing, something hypnotic, something inside me that begs to burst out of a cage in search of freedom.

The motorcycle kicks forward and our speed increases. Beams of sunlight filter through the towering trees and green foliage blurs together as we fly over the road. From head to toe, my body vibrates with the loud growling of the power­ful machine.

My knee still tingles from where Oz laid his fingers on me and I’ve never been more aware of my hands in my life. I should let go of Oz’s body, but I can’t. Belt loops weren’t enough and my fingers have somehow edged up and onto his sides. Oz is solid. Yes, definitely solid. Every inch of him that I touch is tight muscle.

Oz is a year older than me, but somehow he seems older, wiser and hotter than any other guy I’ve known. Just the way he rides his bike creates this overabundance of confidence.

Warm sensations I’ve never experienced before blossom through me. We enter another curve and I lean with him. I like how in sync I’ve become with Oz and the motorcycle. Like we’ve merged into one.

The purr of the engine deepens and Oz eases the bike to a stop. His feet hit the ground and he turns the machine off. It’s as if all sound in the world ceased, or maybe I’ve gone deaf because there’s no way anything can be this still or silent.

The wind picks up and the silence is frightened away with the roar of the trees bending. Both Oz and I shift with the flow of air and Oz doesn’t move the bike until the breeze gentles.

Oz kicks down the stand and the bike tilts, but not too much. He sets a hand over the fingers that I laced together across his stomach. Oh, hell, I’m plastic wrapped to him. I drop my head onto his shoulder and it places me closer, and closer is not what I need.

I go to unglue myself, but Oz squeezes my fingers, send­ing a jolt of electricity up my arms. “You okay?”

I have to clear my throat to speak and that just sucks. “Yes.”Oz slides his fingers against mine and a fluttering occurs in my stomach. It’s a light fluttering. Ticklish even, and my survival instincts scream at me to get off this motorcycle.

Katie McGarry was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Katie is the author of full length YA novels, PUSHING THE LIMITS, DARE YOU TO, CRASH INTO YOU, TAKE ME ON, BREAKING THE RULES, and NOWHERE BUT HERE and the e-novellas, CROSSING THE LINE and RED AT NIGHT. Her debut YA novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS was a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction, a RT Magazine's 2012 Reviewer's Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel, a double Rita Finalist, and a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick. DARE YOU TO was also a Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award for Young Adult Contemporary fiction in 2013.

Links:Website ** Twitter ** Facebook ** Goodreads ** Pinterest ** Tumblr ** Instagram

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REVIEW: The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things

The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things, by Ann Aguirre
Published April 7, 2015
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Format: ARC, provided by the publisher
Genre: young adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
 
Rating: 4 STARS

(From Goodreads) Sage Czinski is trying really hard to be perfect. If she manages it, people won’t peer beyond the surface, or ask hard questions about her past. She’s learned to substitute causes for relationships, and it’s working just fine… until Shane Cavendish strolls into her math class. He’s a little antisocial, a lot beautiful, and everything she never knew she always wanted.

Shane Cavendish just wants to be left alone to play guitar and work on his music. He’s got heartbreak and loneliness in his rearview mirror, and this new school represents his last chance. He doesn’t expect to be happy; he only wants to graduate and move on. He never counted on a girl like Sage.

But love doesn’t mend all broken things, and sometimes life has to fall apart before it can be put back together again…

YA contemporary doesn't always do it for me. But, when I received THE QUEEN OF BRIGHT AND SHINY THINGS from the awesome folks at Mac Kids, and noticed that it was Ann Aguirre's newest book, I knew I had to give it a go. And, I am so happy I did. I was so impressed by the characters in this book and what they stood for and HOW they stood for it. Only 50 pages in, I was wishing I could get high schoolers in my district to read this book. They need to read this. Book. 

"You're the one who makes me whole. When I'm broken in my soul. The queen of bright and shiny things. Not designer clothes or diamond rings."

Sage is looking for a second chance. She has one, living with her quirky aunt, but it feels like it could fall apart at any minute. So, Sage resolves to be the best, most helpful, most perfect girl so that no one wants to let her go. Shane thinks he's out of chances and is just hoping to coast by unnoticed until graduation. But, Sage notices everyone, and she won't let him fade into the shadows. Together, they help each other face their fears and learn to really live  

I loved the dichotomy that was Sage Czinsky. She is a girl living in fear every day. She's afraid her aunt will send her back to the dangerous and brutal group home that she was in after her mother died. She's afraid of her feelings for Shane. She's afraid of the anger that still lives within her. And, yet, in school, when she sees an injustice or an unhappy person, she is not afraid to do something about it. 

High school is hell and I'm trundling around passing out ice water. Maybe it doesn't end the torment, but if the nice balances out some of the crap, then I feel like it was worth my while. 

Let's face it - a lot of times, being singled out in high school isn't a good thing. Most definitely, a person who ran around with pink Post-its and a purple glitter pen who wrote positive affirmations and left them stuck on people's lockers would garner a lot of gossip. Not all of it would be good. In Sage's world, that's exactly what happens, and yet, she does it day after day after day. That is such a brave thing. 

The notes are only one thing that Sage does to try and offset the darkness inside of her left over from her first 13 very hard years of life. Sage is also on a mission to save the planet. She recycles, cleans up her neighborhood, and refuses to ever ride in or drive a car because of their enormous carbon footprint. Sage's persistence in all things sparks something in her peers. All they needed was a leader, and that came in the form of a scared brave girl with a checkered past. One who didn't think she was worthy of any of their love or attention.

I'm so not enough. I can't be. I smile, and I act happy, and I pretend. I'm the queen of bright and shiny things, eternally looking for the positive and seeking a silver lining in the dark... the real me is horrible, and I wanted to leave her behind, along with the group home and the court-mandated therapy sessions. I want so bad to be normal, but I never can be.

As it turns out, she was just what was needed to spark something in Shane Cavendish, too. This poor boy just lost his mother and his father is too busy to take care of him. He's completely on his own and perfectly content with things that way. Except is IS only 17, and has no car or job, which means, none of the basics like food. In addition to saving the planet, Sage makes it her mission to save Shane as well, from the moment she first put a note on his locker, telling him he played his guitar beautifully. 

"I wish I could have all your firsts, because you're getting all of mine."

When Sage wasn't looking, Shane ended up saving her too. When someone stands up for another person, no matter what the cost, it changes something in you. It caused Sage to see that she wasn't doing any favors to the people who loved her when she was always thinking the worst about them. And Shane caused her to realize that sometimes harnessing that anger leftover from her experiences to make someone else's situation isn't a bad thing. 

"I want to be the one person who never lets you down."

Sage's and Shane's relationship was incredibly sweet and inspiring. I also loved Sage's friendship with Lila and how it started. Sage's friendship with Ryan was a bit frustrating at times. Ryan was like Sage's safety blanket, and I felt like she treated him unfairly at times, which was out of character for what I knew of Sage. 

The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things is a book about love and forgiveness and seeing the good in everyone. It's about seeing what happens when one random act of kindness comes back around. It brought me to tears and then gave me the warm fuzzies. I'm so glad I read it.