Quest for Books is a journey in imagination. Welcome to the adventure.

Touch by Jus Accardo

June 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Book Touch by Jus Accardo. Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance. Published by Entangled Publishing.

When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.

Except there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to this boy—and her father’s “law firm”—than she realized.

Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation—an organization devoted to collecting “special” kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons—his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they’re caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.

A secret Kale will kill to protect.

Before I get into the book, I want to talk about the cover of Touch. It is the one thing that I remember most about this book before its debut. Just look at it. How could you not want to pick it up? And the picture doesn’t do it justice. On screen or in dim lighting the cover alone is beautiful, but up close in bright light, the boys’ (Kale) eyes jump off the page at you.

Cover aside, this book is amazing! I’m a huge nerd when it comes to things like super heroes or characters with special abilities (think Heroes). The characters with “powers” in this book are known as Sixes. They are people with a genetic abnormality on their sixth chromosome. An abnormality that is different in each Six. Things like telekinesis, power over the elements, lethal touch, ability to mimic objects. The list goes on.

The first Six we are introduce to is Kale. Dez (who hates being called Deznee) runs into Kale late at night in the woods while leaving a party near her house. The first thing he does, ask to borrow her shoes. Weird, right? That’s Kale. Dez quickly learns something isn’t right with Kale and her world begins to spiral out of control from there.

One of the best things about this book is the unforgettable characters. Dez is the kind of girl who jumps first and asks questions later. And Kale. Sweet, naive Kale. Being locked away in Denazen might have kept him from a lot of things, but it never kept him from feeling. The boy has a heart of gold.

I can’t say much more about Touch in fear of giving away a few plots. This book is full of twists and turns that you’ll want to read for yourself. The writing is fast paced and the descriptions executed in a way that you can just imagine the world these kids are living in. A must read for sure.

Filed Under: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Catching Jordan

June 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally. Genres: YA Contemporary. Published by Sourcebooks Fire December 2011.

What girl doesn’t want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn’t just surrounded by hot guys, though-she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that’s just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there’s a new guy in town who threatens her starting position… suddenly she’s hoping he’ll see her as more than just a teammate.

Ever see Little Giants? If not, it’s movie about a ragtag football team lead by Rick Moranis whose daughter, the quarterback, falls for a fellow team mate. If you have and liked it, I think you’ll really enjoy Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally. Just like Becky “Icebox” O’Shea in Little Giants, Jordan Woods is just one of the guys who develops a crush on one of her team mates. And not just any team mate, but the new guy in town, Ty. As a senior, and starting quarter back—the only quarter back as far as her team is concerned—she has to decide what’s more important; keeping her position secure or starting a relationship with the one boy who can challenge her place on the team.

I adore Jordan. Being a “jock” in high school (I played Varsity soccer all four years) I really related to her character. Playing sports isn’t always glamorous. You can’t be dainty or afraid to get dirty and we get to see that through her. More than all of that is her character. She’s tough, determined and not an average girl at all. Though she has looks she also has height—she’s over six feet tall—and is built sturdy—can throw a football fifty yards. And she’s not afraid to be herself. She is one of the guys but we never lose sight that she is still a girl.

Another thing I love about this book is the guys. Especially her best friend, Henry. They accept Jordan for who she is. They are her support team. If anyone tries to make fun of her, talk down to her or discourage her, they’ve got her back. No one messes with Jordan when they’re around. The one guy I didn’t care for was her dad. It hurt to see him—the one guy she should look up to and share her life with—not be a part of it when football was concerned. I get why he felt that way, but still, a dad should want nothing for their child except their happiness.

There were two things I didn’t like about the book, and both had to do with Jordan. To me she was a strong, independent girl who had one thing on her mind and that was having a kick ass season and getting into the college of her dreams. The first has to do with the boy she crushes on and how quickly she gave into him. The second dealt with her dream college and how they treated her. They weren’t looking at her to be a star quarter back. In my opinion the only time she’d see the field would be during practice. What they wanted was a Barbie football player they could take photos of for the calendar and show off to the alumni. And Jordan went along with it until her dad stepped in. I know how badly she wanted to play for this school, but to me, a girl like Jordan would have put her foot down the first time they asked her to pose in nothing but a jersey and tiny pair of shorts.

Overall I loved Catching Jordan. The good parts far outweighed the parts I didn’t like.

Filed Under: Contemporary, Young Adult Tagged With: , , , ,

Let’s Talk About Sex

May 24, 2012 By 2 Comments

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger. Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary. Published by Poppy September 5th, 2011.

Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it’s a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part,Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy’s car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend’s attention

Then Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: She and the other players’ girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won’t get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don’t count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. But what Lissa never sees coming is her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling..

This book is not exactly what I thought it would be. Not that that’s a bad thing. But when I first saw the cover I thought it would be about a girl who plays sports. Then when I got the book from a friend and really read the cover, I found out I was wrong. Turns out, it’s about a girl who plays the players of these sports. Sort of.

So what does sports and sex have to do with a young adult novel? In this one, a lot.

Lissa grows sick and tired of the rivalry between her high school’s football and soccer team. That’s right, one school, two teams, at odds. Who ever heard of such craziness? And though Lissa knows the reason behind the war that began ten years ago, most of the guys on the teams couldn’t tell you what they fought over. Even if their life depended on it. So what’s the point of fighting? That’s what Lissa thinks and wants to put a stop to it once and for all. She’s been left high and dry by her boyfriend one too many times thanks to this rivalry and she won’t stand for it anymore. With the help of the other players’ girlfriends, she’s finding a way to stop it.

I know what you’re thinking. “What could a bunch of teenage girls do to get their boyfriends attention and get them to stop this war?” Get them where it counts, of course. Working together, the girls figured out what the best way to get what they want. So what is the best way to get a teenage boys attention besides food and fast cars? Sex. Or rather, a lack of it. That’s right, these girls form a hookup strike. No guy on either team will get any until this war is ended.

And this is how Shut Out brings different views on sex into account. Because not everyone is having it. You get insight from all aspects—girls who have sex and like it, girls who do and don’t like it, girls who aren’t and lie about it, and those who are just aren’t ready and aren’t afraid to admit it. You get it all. And I think it’s fantastic. It’s a great book for a young adult reader, girls and guy. For some girls, it’s hard to talk about this subject matter, and this book is perfect to get the conversation started. For guys it’s a great way to see how girls think.

Through the book we see the characters learn about themselves and each other. Why the girls put labels on one another like slut or prude. Why their afraid not to have sex with their boyfriends. And what they’re willing to give up in order to make themselves happy.

In the end, Shut Out is an incredible story about finding yourself and being around people you respect and that respect you. I can’t wait to read another book by Kody Keplinger.

Filed Under: Contemporary, Young Adult Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Something Like Normal

May 10, 2012 By 2 Comments

Something Like Normal by Trish Doller. Genres: YA Contemporary. Published by Bloomsbury USA Childrens June 19th 2012.

 When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.

“It’s the perfect mix of happy and sad and real life and romance.” That’s how I described this book to a dear friend as soon as I was done reading it. I had no other words. It was that powerful. By reading the summary you can tell that this book is going to break you into a million pieces. But Trish Doller did something incredible with it. She laced it with amazing characters we want to love and care about. The humor was well placed and perfectly timed. The dialogue is realistic and intriguing. I can’t pick one thing about this book that I loved more than another. Except maybe the baby turtles. I mean, who doesn’t love baby turtles?

Something Like Normal is about a boy who comes home from Afghanistan broken. Broken more than maybe he even realizes. This is something I’ve never experienced. My dad had been over in “the dessert” a number of times (four to be exact. They called it Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Desert Calm, and Desert Vacation…that was on the back of a Calvin and Hobbs shirt he got after his last time over there). One or two times was during the war, but I was too young to remember any of the bad things, just that he was home, safe with us. So to see it first hand through Travis was a real eye opener. And then when we meet his friends—his fellow squad members—we get to see how they handle life after Afghanistan. All bonded through horror and each coming out different, leaving small pieces of themselves behind.

Within the first two chapters Travis had my heart. I wanted to reach in and hold him tight. Make all the nightmares go away. Now this boy is not perfect, far from it, but really, what teenage boy is? But the thing is, he never makes excuses, he owns up to his flaws. And that’s what makes him so loveable. That, and he tries. Every time he screws up, he learns—sometimes quicker than others—and does what he can to fix his messes. Then we have Harper. This girl, she’s awesome. I loved her the moment we’re introduced. She packs that big of a punch—literally. You can tell there’s history between these two characters and it’s magical watching them work around it. They are one of my favorite book couples.

And the background characters. None of them stood behind another. Trish has a way of making them each unique in their own way. Memorable. Each with an incredible back story that’s craftily woven into the book.

Then there’s the setting. Man does it make me long to be back home along the beach in Florida. And though I’ve driven through this part of Florida a few times before, it’s been awhile and not for an extended amount of time. But her descriptions bring it to life. I can picture the characters driving down the road, eating in the Waffle House, standing on the beach.

Trish, my hats off to you. And I can’t wait to read what you write next.

Filed Under: Contemporary, Young Adult Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols

April 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols. Genres: YA Contemporary. Published by Simon Pulse December 6th 2011.

Gemma can’t believe her luck when the star football player starts flirting with her. Max is totally swoon-worthy, and even gets her quirky sense of humor. So when he asks out her so-called best friend Addison, Gemma’s heartbroken. Then Addison pressures Gemma to join the date with one of Max’s friends. But the more time they all spend together, the harder Gemma falls for Max. She can’t help thinking that Max likes her back — it’s just too bad he’s already dating Addison. How can Gemma get the guy she wants without going after her best friend’s boyfriend?

I’m going to try to review this book without gushing over it. The One That I Want quickly became my favorite Jennifer Echols book (that I’ve read so far). Well, maybe tie for first. It’s hard to top Going Too Far. (Love. That. Book.)

One of the best things about this book, if not THE thing, is the main characters. They are so different from most of what’s out there in YA and it’s refreshing.

Gemma is…she’s special. She now holds a part of my heart. She is strong. Tough. Determined. And man is she stubborn. Though did I had a hard time picturing Gemme at first. And not because there wasn’t a good description, because there was, but it was from Gemma’s point of view and right now, she doesn’t picture herself clearly. When the story opens we learn that Gemma is in the process of losing weight. Not just five to ten pounds that most people are always complaining about, but almost fifty pounds. That’s an incredible amount. But she does it the healthy way which is even more inspiring.  Her reason? She wants to be a majorette in her marching band. Or rather, her best friend does, so they do it together. For this (and many other reasons) Gemma is so my hero. I played in band in high school and would have loved to be a majorette, but I was too self conscious to wear those skimpy outfits (even though I was in pretty good hape. So not the same as wearing a bathing suit) so I never tried out. But Gemma did it. She got to where she felt confident enough and just did it. Watching Gemma discover herself throughout this book was a real eye opener. If this teenage girl can accomplish so much in her life, then why can’t I?

Then there’s Max. Cute, sweet, funny, quirky Max. Sure, he’s your typical hot male athlete. But what’s different about him is he has a sensitive side that shows on more than one occasion. And it’s hard on him because he thinks he already has one strike against him; he’s half Asian. Max, like Gemma, struggles with who he is and who he wants to be and who he’s willing to give up along the way to find that person.

You see Gemma and Max have two different, yet very similar best friends. The type of friend who needs you at first, but after time just uses you to make them feel better about themselves. Something Gemma and Max both learn the hard way. It’s when they stop trusting these friends, and start trusting themselves, that they really learn who they are and what their made of.

Jennifer Echols does a fantastic job of meshing together the oddest of characters and making it work. The chemistry she creates between them is remarkable (and a lot of the time uber hawt). She hit it out of the park with this book.

Filed Under: Contemporary, Young Adult Tagged With: , , , , ,

HER WORLD IS CHANGED FOREVER – STARTERS

April 17, 2012 By 2 Comments

Starters by Lissa Price. Genres: YA SF/Dystopian. Published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers March 13th 2012.

Ever see the movie Surrogates with Bruce Willis? If not, here’s the general idea: “Set in a futuristic world where humans live in isolation and interact through surrogate robots, a cop is forced to leave his home for the first time in years in order to investigate the murders of others’ surrogates.” Interesting, right? Well, if you liked it, or think you’ll like it, then you’ll love Starters by Lissa Price. She takes the idea of living through a robot and one ups it, leaving you on the edge of your seat through the entire novel.

Starters takes place in the future America. After the Spore War is over, there are only two types of people are left; Starters and Enders. The lives of everyone younger than twenty and older than sixty were saved by a vaccination. Everyone else was wiped out by a genocide spore. In the new world, Enders are the ones in charge. Of everything.

One of the most interesting things about Starters is the life span the people live. It’s not uncommon to live to 100 or 150 and still be in good health. There’s even mention of someone living to 200! But good heath doesn’t always mean good strength or shape. Wanting to prologue their youth—and make a ton of money—a man known as the Old Man started a company call Prime Destinations. Or, as the Starters call it, the Body Bank. A place where Starters go and donate their body for an Ender to use. They in turn get paid a pretty penny.

The story follows Callie—a sixteen-year-old girl near Beverly Hills, California—whose goal is to take care of herself and her sickly younger brother. Living on the streets isn’t cutting it and she’s determined to make a better life for them. To do so, she decides to try renting her body to an Ender. Only it doesn’t turn out how she expected when she wakes up in the middle of her rental period. Now she has to find out why before someone else figures out she’s really herself and not an Ender using her body. There’s also the matter of a pesky voice she keeps hearing it, and if she should trust it or not.

I loved pretty much everything about this book. The one thing I did have a problem with was the love triangle of sorts. I’m not a fan of love triangles (I’m Team Edward, Peeta and Fade and to me, those other boys don’t exist). But this isn’t the typical love triangle. You start to care for the first boy, Michael, who’s with Callie from the start. He’s sweet and carrying and helps Callie look after her sick younger brother. What more could you want? Then when she’s dropped into the world of the body bank, she meets another boy. He’s charming, but there’s something not quite right about him. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but once it was revealed, I was left…stunned. And a little put off. I can’t say more, but you’ll have to read it to see what I mean.

It’s no secret that I’m a SF junkie. And this book was the perfect food for my addiction. It’s fast paced, well written and very imaginative. I never had to stop and think about what was going and I never questioned if this life was possible or not. It sucked me in from page one and didn’t let go until I finished. Lissa has created an incredible world in Starters and I can’t wait to see what happens next in Enders.

Also be sure to check out Portrait of a Starter: An Unhidden Story, Starters #0.5.

Filed Under: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Young Adult Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Obsidian (Lux #1) and Shadows (Lux #.05)

April 10, 2012 By 2 Comments

Obsidian (Lux #1) by Jennifer Armentrout. Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction. Published by Entangled Teen.

Starting over sucks.When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.And then he opened his mouth.Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens. The hot alien living next door marks me.You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. If I don’t kill him first, that is.

People who I think will love Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout. People who love SF book. People who love books about aliens. People who love the TV show Roswell. People who love upper YA books with steamy make-out scenes. Basically I think a lot of people will love this book.

Obsidian is not just another alien book. It’s a fan-freaking-tastic book about aliens. Two of my favorite series are The Lorien Legacies and Daniel X. Both books about aliens told from the POV of a male alien. When we start out the book we basically know what were getting into. Aliens. With Obsidian we don’t. We become curious and skeptical as the hidden world of a small town in West Virginia is revealed to the MC, Katy. She’s not an alien. She’s a regular human girl who unknowingly befriends one.

It’s this friendship that is the root of all her problems since moving to this small town from Florida. As a huge reader (and book blogger. How cool is that?), Katy is perfectly happy staying home with her nose in a book. This is a character I can relate to. My idea of a perfect day would be curled up somewhere comfy and reading my way through my TBR pile. Then she meets Dee, the girl next door. They become fast friends. That is, until Dee’s (hot) twin brother, Daemon, tries to intervene. Daemon is the fuel that keeps Katy’s problems going. He doesn’t like Katy—if only she knew why—and he doesn’t keep that fact a secret.

The action really heats up when Daemon is forced to spend time with Katy. This is where we learn to love Daemon. And hate him. He’s the type of boy who will say all the right things, but with the flick of a switch, he’ll say all the wrong things, too. The tension that grows between Katy and Daemon is so think (read: hot) that you can’t help but read on and on until you’ve finished.

Entangled Teen is quickly becoming one of my favorite publishers. Their books just get better and better. Another thing I love about them is the novella’s they release with their books. The one for Obsidian is called Shadows.

Shadows by Jennifer Armentrout. Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction. Published by Entangled Teen.

The last thing Dawson Black expected was Bethany Williams. As a Luxen, an alien life form on Earth, human girls are…well, fun. But since the Luxen have to keep their true identities a secret, falling for one would be insane.

Dangerous. Tempting. Undeniable.

Bethany can’t deny the immediate connection between her and Dawson. And even though boys aren’t a complication she wants, she can’t stay away from him. Still, whenever they lock eyes, she’s drawn in.

Captivated. Lured. Loved.

Dawson is keeping a secret that will change her existence…and put her life in jeopardy. But even he can’t stop risking everything for one human girl. Or from a fate that is as unavoidable as love itself.

Shadows takes place about a year before Obsidian does. And while Obsidian is first person POV from Katy, Shadows is third person mainly revolving two new characters. Dawson, Dee and Daemon’s triplet, and Bethany Williams, the new girl in town. I don’t want to say much more about this book for fear of giving too much away, but it was a fun and fast read. After reading both I am left with so many questions (in a good way) that I can’t wait for Onyx, the second book in the series, to release later this year.

Another thing I love about this series. The book covers! And not just the models, but the background, the color. They’re just so vibrant. Here’s a glimpse of Onyx (and the blurb because I can’t help myself).

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarre connection. I’ve sworn him off even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But against all common sense, I’m falling for him. Hard.

Our relationship issues aren’t out biggest problem…

The Department of Defense is here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we’re linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And when a new boy shows up a school with a secret of his own, things get complicated fast. I need to choose between my own instincts and Daemon’s.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. Daemon’s never going to stop searching until gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies.

Filed Under: Science Fiction, Young Adult Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Sometimes in war, there are no winners…

April 3, 2012 By 4 Comments

Getting Caught by Mandy Hubbard and Cyn Balog. Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary. Published September 2011 by Mandy Hubbard.

Sometimes in war, there are no winners…

Peyton Brentwood is pretty, popular, and Harvard-bound. Or so she hopes. Her only distraction from AP classes and entrance exams is the prank war with her ex-best friend, Jess Hill. Peyton is used to getting what she wants, and she’s not about to let a loser like Jess gain the upper hand.

For Jess, the prank war is an outlet, a way to get revenge on the best friend who left her behind. As if Peyton has the guts to do what it takes to win. Please. There is no way in hell Jess is going to lose this one, even if she has to hit Peyton where it hurts.

These two girls are about to discover it’s best to keep your friends close… and your enemies closer.

When I purchased Getting Caught I didn’t know much about it, other than the fact that it was co-written by Mandy Hubbard. I loved her book Because I Love Him (written under the pen name Amanda Grace) and thought what the heck. It’s was only a couple bucks on my Kindle. And it has sat there since it was released last fall. A few weeks ago, on a mission to get through books that I’ve owned for awhile (at least on my Kindle, because let’s face it, my actual bookshelf is going to take me years), I decided to give this book a go. And I’m so glad I did.

Getting Caught is a story about two high school girls, Peyton and Jess, who are polar opposites and at war with each other. Told from the POV of each girl (alternating chapters) we learn about themselves, each other, and the “war” they’ve created. It’s their senior year and they’ve been in this back and forth prank war for years, both girls thinking it started for a reason other than the real one. And both having their own reason for keeping it going for as long as it has.

First there’s Peyton. She’s smart and tends to take things for granted, including her friends and family. Too bad she can’t get her nose out of the air long enough to see who truly cares about her. People like her once best friend, Jess, her new best friend, Bryn, and her clueless father and step-mother.

Then we have Jess. Before the prank war she was the dress wearing best friend of Peyton. But after a miss communication, she’s branched out on her own. Now she uses a snarky go-to-hell attitude combined with combat boots and fish nets to keep herself just out of arms reach from, well, everyone. Even her mother doesn’t seem to know who she is anymore. If I had to pick a favorite between the two, I’d be on Team Jess. She’s her own person and she doesn’t make excuses or apologize for it. To anyone. Not even the gorgeous David Ashworth whom she’s been in love with forever.

What I love about this story is the distinct characterizations through the novel. Not just by their appearance, but their personalities. They stay true to themselves, no matter what. Jess doesn’t conform to get the attention of her popular crush and Peyton doesn’t let her family drag her down.

The most surprising thing about the book was the ending. I love a book that wraps up almost how you expect. I feared while reading that it would be one of those that really pissed me off with a horrible ending, but that wasn’t the case. So glad I finally gave this book a read.

Filed Under: Contemporary, Young Adult Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

The Statistical Probability That You Will Love This Book

March 27, 2012 By 1 Comment

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith. Genre: Romance, Young Adult. Published January 2012 by Hatchette Book Group.

Do you believe in love at first sight? I’m torn. I’d like to say 100% yes, but I know that’s not very realistic. But then again, what kind of world would it be if there wasn’t love at first sight. At least for someone. No, you don’t fall head over heels with everyone you meet, and you might take days, months, years to fall in love with the person you end up with, but the romantic in me loves this idea. And this book.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight is, to sum it up, cute and adorable. It’s rough, and raw, and real. I just, I LOVE THIS BOOK. The book follows two people, Hadley and Oliver, who meet for the first time in an airport and, and “run into” each other, over  twenty-four period. Yes, this whole book is set within twenty-four hours. It’s the first book I’ve read like this, and I can’t wait to read more like it.

First there’s Hadley. A stubborn, sarcastic American girl on the way to her father’s wedding inLondon, to a women she’s never met. How fun does that sound? Well, according to Hadley, it doesn’t. She’s not thrilled that her father left, she’s not thrilled that he’s getting remarried and she’s not thrilled with meeting her new stepmom. She just doesn’t want to go. But her mom isn’t giving her much of a choice. Don’t you love how parents guilt you into things?

loves philosophy

At the airport Hadley meets Oliver. A good-looking British boy who sweeps her off her feet. Well, not exactly, but he does offer to carry her suitcase. As fate, and a little white lie, has it, they end up sitting next to each other on the plane, and the story spirals from there. Through twists and turns and an airplane ride, we learn more about these characters—their present and past. Did I mention Oliver is British? Hello accent!

One of the real gems of this story, I thought, was Hadley’s dad. Aside from the living inLondonand getting re-married, he reminds me a lot of my dad. The way he talks to Hadley, the ways he listens to her and shows her he cares. It’s heartwarming. Their relationship, or lack thereof, plays a huge role throughout the book. Here’s my favorite scene between the two of them.

“You know what they say,” Dad said. “If you love something, set it free.”

“What if he doesn’t come back?”

“Some things do, some things don’t,” he said, reaching over to tweak her nose. “I’ll always come back to you anyway.”

“You don’t light up,” Hadley pointed out, but Dad only smiled.

“I do when I’m with you.”

How cute is that?! Through “flashbacks” and her conversations with Oliver, we are slowly opened up to the situation between Hadley and her dad. What happened, what took place after, and where their future is headed.

If you have not read this book, and adore YA contemporary books, I highly encourage you to read it. It’s a well written, thoughtfully planned out, face paced book.

And for those who have read this book, I think my favorite quote was when Oliver said “North Dakota.” Cue the awes!

Filed Under: Romance, Young Adult Tagged With: , , , ,

A Million Suns: Not Just Another Filler Book

March 27, 2012 By 6 Comments

A Million Suns by Beth Revis. Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian. Published January 2012 by Razorbill, a division of Penguin Group.

Lately the YA market has been full of trilogies. Nine times out of ten the first book rocks and you are pumped for the second book and then you get it and it was just kind of meh. That’s what I like to call a filler book. It’s only purpose is to get you from end of book one to beginning of book three. Personally, I think you could just chop it out the middle book and extend the other two instead of creating this whole other book. Now the purpose of this post? To tell you A Million Suns is NOT that book!

I read Across the Universe shortly after it was released last year. I liked, not loved, it. The world that was created was unique and their quest was interesting, but I didn’t click with the main characters, and the minor ones I did like ended up dead. But it was still good enough that I was left wanting to read the sequel. I downloaded it on my kindle (which is how I read AtU) the day it came out and started reading a few pages, though it wasn’t until that weekend that I really got into the book. And once I did, I was hooked. By the end I was blown away by how great this story had become.

Recap of Across the Universe (provided by goodreads):

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn’t do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed’s hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there’s only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

We’re left at the end of the book with Elder coming clean about being the one to wake Amy and her forgiving him and asking him to never leave him. She doesn’t want to be alone.

Fast forward 3 months and Godspeed is in chaos. Elder is trying his best to rule without Phydus, a drug that keeps the people onboard the ship subdued. Without it, they are thinking for themselves, not wanting to work, and causing harm to themselves and others. Basically they are feeling for the first time. And not only are they feeling, but they’ve just had a bomb dropped on them that they won’t be making it to Centauri-Earth. I think I’d cause a little ruckus too.

The book starts out with Elder as he struggles in his role as “Eldest” (though he refuses to go by the name). He tries to act tough, but deep down he still struggles with the idea of using the Phydus. Elder’s problem is that he’s so wishy-washy. I hate to say, but he is one of my least favorite male MC’s or love interests in YA. I don’t know what it is, but I’m not drawn to him. In anyway. Looks, personality, nothing. But, the more I think about it, the more I wonder if that’s the point. If he were sweet and romantic and incredibly handsome (everyone on the ship basically looks like one another, except for Amy) of course Amy, and the rest of us, would be drawn to him. And if she wasn’t, we would question her sanity. But giving us a male MC/love interest that’s just an average run of the mill guy makes you think. We don’t question Amy when she doesn’t run into his open arms. Because that’s what this book is about, choice. The choice to tell the truth or keep it hidden. To make your own destiny, or go with the norm. To pick the only guy close to your age, or not. And Amy is all about choice.

Which brings me to her. We left off AtU with Amy forgiving Elder but when we get to her in AMS, she’s sitting on the floor in the cryo chamber–her parents melting beside her. She’s wondering if she can forgive Elder. If she should let her parents melt and join her on the claustrophobic ship. Yes, Amy is almost as wishy-washy as Elder. But one thing that’s different about her, one thing that I love, is she fights for what she wants, for what she believes in. If she really wanted to doom her parents, she would. But she knows their fate would become the one she’s living now, and I don’t think Amy would wish that on her worst enemy.

Now I’ll get into the best part about this book. It keeps you guessing! We know that the characters are trying to find a way to speed up this ship and get to Centauri-Earth sooner than they’ve been told. But it’s not that simple. There’s one thing after another that blocks their path to freedom and the real kicker–the one that had me gasping out loud–is what makes this book incredible. Because never in my wildest imagination did I see this plot twist coming and you can tell the characters didn’t even.

But this twist wasn’t just handed to us (or the characters for that matter). No. Orion, before he was frozen, made a treasure hunt of sorts for Amy. He knew she wouldn’t take the news about the ship and let it alone. So he fed her curiosity, one clue at a time, until her and Elder seemed to care about nothing else. And that twist. Wow. Just…wow!

Their shocking discovery and the end of this book left me wanting, no, NEEDING, to read Shades of Earth. 2013 can’t come fast enough. You better believe I’ll be downloading it the day it releases and jumping right in.

Filed Under: Dystopian, Science Fiction Tagged With: , , , , ,